New South Wales Fishing Monthly - July 2015 by Fishing Monthly

SYDNEY BOAT SHOW LIFTOUT INSIDE

Features

The Australian Lure Fly and Outdoor Expo • Cracking the winter bream

Techniques

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DIY assist hooks • Cooking octopus •

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A Black Magic BMax ‘bully’ and Black Magic 10lb Fluorocarbon tippet were used by Rod Shepherd to catch this flathead while fishing the Snowy River, Marlo.

A Wasabi Recurve Circle 3/0 hook was used by Julian Murphy to take this 57cm flathead while fishing in Western Port Bay.

Chris Theodorou landed this 16kg kingfish using Black Magic 60lb Tough Fluorocarbon leader while fishing near Phillip Island.

Rory Bluett-Boyd landed this estimated 30kg gummy shark on a Black Magic KL 6/0 hook while fishing in Anderson Inlet.

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Black Magic 30lb Tough Fluorocarbo n leader was used by Bernie Zraika to catch these snapper weighing 10.5lb and 11lb. Bernie was fishing off Stanwell Park.

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July 2015, Vol. 21 No. 12

Contents BYRON COAST The Tweed 32 Ballina 33 The Clarence 32 COFFS COAST Coffs Harbour Coffs Game South West Rocks

34 37 36

MACQUARIE COAST Port Macquarie 38 Forster 39 Harrington 41 Port Stephens 60 HUNTER COAST Hunter Coast 61 Swansea 62 Central Coast 63 SYDNEY The Hawkesbury 12 Pittwater 14 Sydney North 16 Sydney Rocks and Beach 20 Sydney Harbour 18 Sydney South 24 Botany Bay 22 ILLAWARRA COAST Illawarra 64 Nowra 65

From the Editor’s Desk... Although we’re in the dead of winter, it seems to be one of the busiest times of year. At the time of writing, we’ve just come back from a sensational Melbourne Boat Show and are gearing up for more of the year-defining events: The Australian Lure and Fly Expo in Queensland, the Sydney International Boat Show in Sydney and the National Recreational Fishing Conference and AFTA Trade Show on the Gold Coast amongst other tournaments and events. We love it. We love giving out free samples and finding out what improvements that you’d like in the magazine. We also love bringing you nearly-live updates of the cool new tackle that’s about to hit the shelves. At all levels, it gives the staff at Fishing Monthly

the chance to interact with our readers. Sure, we get to engage with readers all of the time through the pages of the magazines, the competitions we run and through social media networks, but there’s still nothing like putting faces to names in an environment where we are immersed with people sharing a passion. So don’t be shy. Like all of the people we met at the Melbourne Show, engage with us at these events. Patting backs or kicking our butts, it’s all good, because it contributes to a better product. WANT TO GO TO THE AFTA TRADE SHOW? Last year, on the opening day of the trade-only AFTA Show on the Gold Coast, we broke the news that there would be a Public Day in 2015 – given that the AFTA Board would reach a consensus about how it was

incorporated. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, but we did find a way that you can get in through the back door. Well… not literally, but stay with me here. The National Recreational Fishing Conference happens the day before the AFTA Show in the same venue. Although you may not think that the Conference is for you, I can assure you it is. It’s not for scientists and bureaucrats, it’s for everyday anglers who want to have a say in the future direction of their sport. The Conference is a one day event at the Broadbeach Convention Centre on the Gold Coast, it costs only $30 to register AND it gets you access to the AFTA Trade Show on the Sunday (the day after the conference). But you didn’t hear it from us… I’d hate the AFTA Board

to think that Fishing Monthly was in any way displeased with their decision. TRADE SHOW RELEASES Of course, if you don’t make it to the AFTA Show, you’ll still most likely be interested in all of the new product releases and in 2015, Fishing Monthly will be releasing more on-the-day videos than ever before in the Trade Show that’s the biggest one yet. These will be uploaded on the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel and shared through the Fishing Monthly Magazines social media platform as well as the www. tacklejunkie.fish platforms. Make sure you’re signed up before the 26th of July to be a part of the action. Until then, tight lines and we hope you enjoy the July issue.

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Tough time breaming CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley jrobley@iprimus.com.au

Any species of fish may be easy to catch 1 day and frustratingly difficult the next. Sometimes it’s just about impossible to figure out why this is so, although

there are usually specific reasons — some obvious, some not so obvious. Casting lures for bream may not be the most difficult thing in the world, but fooling them into biting lures with a reasonable degree of consistency does become challenging. As we move further into winter,

bream may end up being a very tough adversary, even though they’re still in our waterways and have to eat to survive. IT’S COLD! The biggest individual reason bream are harder to catch on lures through the second half of winter is simply because the water

Even though lure casting for bream can be a bit tough from mid to later winter, the quality is often high. This 40cm fork length fish is a prime example.

The author persisted on a dull day, with constant light drizzle to score this and plenty of other fish. Winter may not always be pleasant, but it’s definitely worth putting in some effort to reap the rewards.

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is freezing cold! Bream are a cold-blooded creature and they can’t just put on extra clothes or switch the heater on. Sure, they can move around, possibly into slightly warmer water, but they’re generally swimming around in a freezer, so they’re not exactly full of energy and eager to smash any lure that lands near them. Secondly, a large slice of our yellowfin bream population head out to sea through the cooler months for spawning purposes. In some estuaries, only a small percentage of bream may do this, while fish from other systems head out in large numbers. Consequently, there may be less fish to target, which certainly isn’t going to help the scorecard. Aside from these 2 very important factors, plenty of other things may adversely affect bream fishing. Westerly winds can be strong and persistent at this time of year, and bream, along with some other

species, tend to go quiet when the westerlies blow. This is much worse with a nor’ westerly than a sou’ westerly, so that’s always worth keeping in mind when planning an outing. The good old wrong side of the full moon can be another influence. Over the years I’ve seen this way too many times to ignore. The days leading up to a full moon may be perfectly fine for bream fishing, providing other factors are favourable. Once we reach the full moon though, things can start to go bung. The first few mornings after a bright full moon is blazing in a clear sky can be very demanding, if not terrible for bream. At this time it’s often better to chase them through the middle of the day or during the afternoon. As we move away from the full moon, the fishing slowly picks back up again. These factors influence bream behaviour through the summer months as well, but when combined

with winter’s cold water, the impact is multiplied somewhat. TOO CLEAR Westerly winds also cause our waterways to clear up, and it’s common for the water to be so clear that bream can actually see too much. In other words, they can easily detect fishing line attached to a lure, or even see boats and anglers that they may not be able to see at other times of the year. The main way to combat this extra clarity is to use finer lines, ultra-thin fluorocarbon leaders, and try not to cast a shadow across the area you’re fishing. Switching over to a reel spooled entirely with 1-2kg fluorocarbon is becoming popular amongst tournament anglers these days and yes, it definitely helps score more bites. When using a very light fluorocarbon main line, the rest of the system also needs some adjustments. A lighter, softer action rod

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A solid winter bream caught in very clear water on ultra-light tackle. This fish took off like a rocket, which is why it’s also important to use reels with a silky smooth drag when fishing fine diameter lines.

is beneficial, as it helps absorb the shocks of a big bream during the fight. The reel’s drag must be very smooth and finely tuned to avoid line or knot failure. Hooks also need to be exceptionally sharp, as there is much less power in this sort of outfit to actually set the hooks effectively. Once the system is in order and you get used to it, results will prove its worth.

In most cases, small, subtle types of lures work best in clear water. So think translucent hardbody divers and lightweight vibes such as the Daiwa Gekkabijin in shallow or calm waters, while soft plastics matched to suitably weighted jigheads or metal blades should do well in deeper places with a bit of current flow. IN THE MUD At the complete opposite end of the spectrum, winter

is notorious for bad weather brought about by those intense east coast lows. A particularly severe example lashed the Central Coast earlier this year, with the power of a category 2 cyclone. Despite this and the height of the lakes in the days after the bad weather, I was able to get out and score a few good catches of bream. Of course, water clarity is 1 of the main issues to

If heavy rains turn your local system brown, try using lures that stand out more underwater. Black and a combo of black and red or orange, as well as bright fluoro colours are good choices.

deal with, but this time we need to use other strategies to make it easier for bream to find our lures. In discoloured water, a boldly coloured or high contrast lure is a better choice than a subtle or natural colour scheme. Some that work very well are a black and orange or black and red combo, as well as bright greens, yellows, orange or chartreuse. Heavily scented plastics like Gulps are another good alternative, but blades or hardbody lures tend to be a better searching type of lure, so you can cover more water while trying to find a few willing bream. Then swapping over to a Gulp or similar offering can work quite well. So just re-capping some of the main points of the game at this time of year; go deeper and slower, try finer diameter lines or fluorocarbon main line, be mindful of lure choice, and if possible try to seek out water with a bit of warmth to it. Bigger bream are often caught during the coldest months, so even if you’re finding the fishing a bit slow, keep at it. Of course, persistence is another key and rewards come to those who don’t give in too easily.

Top: Small black vibes with a splash of red or orange are deadly on winter bream. Be sure to work them deep and slow. Bottom: This fish fell to a Daiwa Gekkabijin rigged with small stinger style hooks in 3m of water.

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JULY 2015

Berleying from shore this month NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

The use of berley can dramatically improve your catch rates, no matter where you fish or what species you chase. This month, Starlo examines the basics of berleying from land-based locations. The philosophy behind creating an effective berley trail is simple enough. By introducing food particles and the smell of food into the water, anglers attempt to attract, concentrate and excite fish, hopefully making them easier to catch. A good berley trail is akin to the mouth-watering smells wafting from the kitchen as a great meal is being prepared. It serves to sharpen appetites and draw potential diners towards its source without actually satisfying their hunger. Berley can be especially useful for shore-bound anglers, who aren’t as mobile and able to follow the fish they’re chasing as their boat-based and kayaking brethren. But it’s also important to note that berleying can sometimes prove to be counter-productive for shore fishers. If your berley is carried away too quickly by the tide, current or wave

Luderick or blackfish respond especially well to berley. action, it can actually take hungry fish with it, out of your casting range. For this reason, you need to be strategic in your approach. That means either choosing a location where the berley trail isn’t dispersed or taken away too rapidly, or maintaining a steady, unbroken trail rather than a sporadic and intermittent one. In a perfect world, you should aim to achieve both of those positive outcomes whenever you berley. The content and make-up of your berley trail will depend on the species you’re targeting

Simply soaking and mulching up some stale bread in a rock pool then distributing it by hand gets the job done beautifully!

“Got ’im on!” Another solid hook up in the berley trail.

Greg Marlin caught his personal best 72cm flathead in Pittwater recently. Great work!

JULY 2015

and what materials are readily available. The ideal base for any multispecies berley mix is a cereal product of some sort. Bread is perfect in this role. So are various animal feeds such as chicken feed pellets, bran, pollard, boiled wheat, dog biscuits and so on. The ideal attributes of any berley base are affordability, bulk without excessive weight (especially important when carrying your gear any distance), a propensity to soak up water, and the ability to appeal to a broad range of fish species. My favourite berley base in most environments

is stale bread. I save all our household bread scraps in a large freezer and also keep my eyes peeled for specials on bread at the supermarket, or for cafes and other outlets willing to selling day old (and older) bread at reduced prices. Stale bread, while bulky, is light and easy to carry. When soaked in water at your destination, it swells, softens and slowly sinks, creating the perfect berley trail base. To this starchy, cerealrich base I’ll add bait scraps, fish off-cuts and a splash of tuna oil. These ingredients greatly increase the appeal of the berley mix. I’ll also be sure to include some small pieces of whatever it is I’m using on my hook as bait, be it prawns, pilchards, cunjevoi, squid, worms or whatever else. If I’m chasing herbivores such as luderick or drummer, I’ll

add some scraps of marine weed and algae, too. This mixture can be stirred up by hand or with a stick in a large bucket and then dispersed into the water regularly using an old cup, ladle or scoop. Remember: a little bit often is much better than a lot occasionally. It can also pay to place some of your stale bread in a mesh bag and hang this at the water’s surface on a length of rope, so that wave and water action gradually disperses the contents. In future Back To Basics columns we’ll look at some more specific styles and strategies of berleying, but for now the concept of a steady, unbroken, cerealbased berley trail makes a wonderful starting point and will almost certainly improve your catch rates, wherever you fish and whatever you chase… Give it a try!

Opportunistic feeders such as tarwhine respond well to a cereal-based berley trail.

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Mulloway on the march and 15 minutes on the light tackle, covering more than a kilometre and a half in the

THE HAWKESBURY

Dan Selby

process. We used the electric motor continuously through the battle to change the angle

dan@sydneysportfishing.com.au

Mulloway have been the hot topic lately, and for good reason too. Plenty of schoolies and larger metreplus models have been active in the lower reaches up to Spencer. Soft plastics and vibes are producing the best results, but live baits of pike, tailor, yellowtail and squid have been pulling the better fish to 30kg on the major points and reef edges around Broken Bay. One notable capture was a 113cm mulloway tagged and released by client Stuart on a 2500 size reel loaded with 5lb braid and a 10lb leader. Hopping a 5” stickbait down a rocky point, the bite was distinctive, and the first run nail-biting, with bucking head shakes and quick bursts of speed. Once under control, the battle was to try and lift the fish from the depths against the light drag setting and the onset of the run-in tide. Most would try to tighten the drag or palm the spool, generally with a negative result. Stu calmly played the fish for an hour

Aussie salmon are awesome sport on light spin tackle, as Justin found out recently.

Solid bream will be hanging deep on the rock walls and reefs. This fish ate a 5” minnow hopped across the bottom in 6m of water.

of pull against the tide and fish, when the fight went into a slug match. With no-one winning, we would reposition the boat to try and disorientate it and to hopefully subdue it quicker. Soft plastics are still my go-to lures for catching the Hawkesbury’s mulloway. That’s not to say the current selection of soft vibes don’t pull some nice fish, but it’s the ability to change the tail

profile, length and colour when necessary, as well as altering the weight of the jighead to suit each location that I really like. Snag resistance is the other major factor considering you should be working your lures around structure. A single upward-facing hook verses 2 sets of trebles under a lure that sinks like a stone will become unproductive when you are constantly snagged

and having to retrieve it or bust it off and retie. Besides the mulloway there have been plenty of quality flathead to 70cm as bycatch. You will find them on most rock walls, especially the current-licked points around Broken Bay and Cowan. The most effective technique is hopping a ¼-3/8oz weighted plastic across the bottom. Colour is not as important as making sure you are getting

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the lure to where the fish are holding, which is on the bottom. Tidal water fish are

pretty opportunistic when a feed comes past their noses; they aren’t too fussy as long

as they don’t have to put too much energy into chasing it down to eat it. The colder the water temps get, the slower you should work your plastics and vibes. Adding a longer pause in between hops, smaller subtle twitches, and the addition of scent will benefit you when the bites aren’t coming as often as they should. Some stud bream have been hanging deep on the rock walls and reefs, and are being caught by most methods. Berley is a key factor for bait

fishing at this time of year, and a simple bread mixture used around the exposed washy points in Broken Bay will get reels screaming and the heart pumping. The odd drummer can turn up just inside the heads too, so be on guard for a smoking. Luring bream in the falling water temps remains the same, with deep water fishing the go. Small blades and curl tail grubs or minnows on 1/8-¼oz jigheads cast parallel to the rock walls and worked back to the boat at the 6-8m mark has

proven itself year after year. It takes a bit of patience, but it can turn up some great winter fishing. Time the approach to coincide with the high tide change, as it will fire the fish up with a slight increase in water temp for an hour or so. Silver trevally and Australian salmon have been showing in catches throughout Cowan and Broken Bay over the last month. Keep your eyes out for working birds or spontaneous bustups when moving around. The trevally love to hang under the salmon schools to pick up the scraps, so it can pay to let your lure sink to the bottom on occasion when working surface feeding fish. Anglers have been

having a ball on the hairtail, with double figure sessions pretty common this season. Pilchards on ganged hooks and a glow stick suspended at different depths under the boat or cast from the bank beneath a medium to large float are proven techniques. Most of the bites have been just after sundown, so there’s no need to really stay past midnight in the single digit temperatures. All-in-all, the Hawkesbury has really bounced back from the fresh in late autumn, and should continue to produce some nice fish over the winter months. Pick your days and fish gentlemen’s hours and you’ll be surprised with what you can still catch at the coldest time of year.

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Quality flathead are still an option in winter. Slowing the retrieve down and adding some scent will enhance your chances.

Stuart looking pretty happy with his 113cm mulloway caught on light spinning tackle.

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JULY 2015

Temps are cold but fishing is hot PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

Well what a month we have seen. The start of it saw cyclonic winds and a month of rainfall in 3 days, with an east coast low forming directly over the Broken Bay area. For the following 2 weeks there were trees and logs throughout the Hawkesbury, Pittwater and Broken Bay, making

navigation difficult and fishing near impossible. With that behind us now, Pittwater is still seeing kingfish show up for a feed. At the moment they seem to be hanging around Scotland Island, but are playing hardball 1 day and then the next they are almost throwing themselves into the boat. When the kings are feeding, they have been eating pilchard pieces, squid strips and prawns floated down for bream. There are also some big bream in

the same area and these are responding well to berley. Other places to try for big kingfish at the moment seem to be in the deeper structure of Pittwater. The area between Soldiers and Sinclair points are a great place to start. If you are going to down-rig this area, can I suggest that you try the shallower gutter first along its edge, before trying the middle of the channel. If you see working birds as you arrive, this will be where to start, as the big kings have

Carnage. This scenario was common along Pittwater, with more boats sunk than floating at many of the tie-up areas.

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been hanging around and smashing the tailor schools. The bigger squid are being caught along Pittwater at the moment and the better area seems to be towards the mouth of Pittwater and on the ocean side of Barrenjoey Headland. Mackerel Beach, The Basin and Palm Beach Ferry Wharf seem to have a good population, and their favourite colour at the moment seems to be the natural olive green. The size of the jig doesn’t seem to matter, so choose 1 based on water depth and the area that I am fishing. We are still catching the odd mulloway on Pittwater, as well as flounder and flathead. The fishing is a little slower than I would like, but for those willing to get active and use

soft plastics or micro jigs, there are fish to be caught. Once again, I have been targeting areas with structure such as The Motor or The Supermarket and drifting through. I have found that by drifting through these areas you can often make a fish crash-tackle your bait because he wants it before his mate can get it. With the bait moving, it can also get fish out of a bit of a slumber to investigate the travelling morsels that are passing their stalking point. For those wanting to chase those elusive chromed bars in Cowan Creek, well, they’re back. There are some great hairtail coming from Jerusalem Bay and Smiths Creek. The baits to use as normal are pilchard fillets, yellowtail or flutter jigs. It has been important to only have as much lead as needed to get the bait wafting down in the current. There are mulloway that are being caught as well when there is a live yellowtail cast out and left to sit on the bottom. Hairtail are primarily caught during those cold, foggy nights, but they can be targeted in the late afternoon as well. Often there is a bite if there is a late changing tide of around 4.00pm. If you play your cards right, you can hit the water at 3.00pm and be loading up the boat to head home at 6.00pm with a few fish to score Brownie Points with the missus. If you are going to try for a ‘hairy’, remember to take wire, or better still, buy some knottable wire from the tackle store when you pick up pillies and a few glow sticks. For those wanting to head offshore, there are big kings once again making appearances from Sydney Heads through to Broken Bay. These are very big fish and there have been a few caught

Kingfish are such a great species to catch, no matter what level of skill you are at. (by others) that have nudged the 28kg mark. From all reports the kings prefer to take baits from the surface, but of course the tricky part has been to find the bait schools first. Areas to try vary, but reliable big kingfish areas are Whale Beach Headland, Newport Reef, Turimetta Head, and of course the wrecks off Narrabeen. The reefs are fishing quite well, with a variety of fish being caught. The shallower reefs are firing for snapper before the sun rises. Once the sun gets up, the snapper bite slows and a berley trail is needed to attract other species such as trevally and tailor. The reefs in 30-40m are producing, with morwong and trevally the main captures. There are a variety of fish being caught in this depth of water, but the best seems to be from 40-60m. There are schools of platesized snapper, morwong, nannygai, pigfish, trevally and the odd lost flathead as well. The favoured bait has been pilchards, with squid strips being preferred by the hungry reds.

This depth of water is also great for fishing micro jigs. Whilst you are drifting you can set up a micro jig in a rod holder near the bottom and the boat action will twitch and rattle the lure, enticing a strike. At the moment, the 120g micro jigs are heavy enough to reach the bottom, but take some larger ones with you if you are going to hit the deeper water. The reefs to try at the moment are The Container, Newport Reef (40m), Turimetta Headland (50m) and Long Reef in 60-80m. Boultons is worth a look at on the way through for those leaving from Broken Bay, but there has been quite a few nannygai and pickers about to steal your baits. I hope this report sees you all eager to grab a fishing rod and to get out to enjoy our wonderful part of the world. We have our winter mid-week specials available now. • Peter Le Blang operates Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters, phone 02 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351, visit www. estuaryfishingcharters.com.au

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This young kingfish master fished with skill well above his tender age of 8, to capture this wonderful Pittwater hoodlum.

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Sydney Harbour still harbouring good fish SYDNEY NORTH

With the cold water now upon us, some outstanding captures are still being

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reported, particularly of fish that should be well and truly outta here by now. Big inshore kingfish and Watsons leaping bonito should have evacuated the area, as too should the mahimahi, while the flatties are also usually in hibernation by this time of year. If this keeps up, the warmer water temps will be back before we know it, and when spring hits it’ll be game on again. It seems as though every year now the kings are staying around longer and longer. Sydney Harbour still has schools of kings taking all sorts of baits, from pillies to squid strips and livies to micro jigs. Oliver Evans has been jigging the Harbour this season with great success on the micro gear,

Rod Phillips with a sizeable local reef kingfish — all 26kg of it. fishing Middle Harbour with the light kit. Olly’s been hooking some good fish around structure on the jigs when the bait just hasn’t been working. It is often that kingfish aren’t hungry, but they just can’t resist a small fluttering jig on a slow pitch retrieve. Jigs in the 30-50g range are the key, with some fish hitting them on the drop. Be ready with a handful of cubed pillies to go over the side, as these small

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offerings really seem to get the fish fired up. Some good flatties are coming out of the Harbour at the moment on baits and plastics. Peter Roberts landed fish to 62cm using strip baits of yakka and squid, while I fished the other end of the boat with Gulp Shrimps in 3” and had some good success as well. We landed 8 flathead in a 2 hour period, with tailor and salmon to 60cm also hitting the deck.

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Joe Emmerton with a Narrabeen mulloway on a bibbed minnow.

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Peter Roberts with a Harbour flathead.

Pipah Gordon with a delicious flathead caught with a yabby.

After anchoring in 3 spots previously and having consistent berley trails at each location with minimal success, the option to set up a drift was a positive move. Sydney Harbour has plenty of bait, with

schools of yakkas holding deep at regular grounds, and a bit of berley will get them up. Some solid winter squid are popping up now at locations like Bradleys and Middle heads, and Balmoral Beach near the

island. These guys are only going to get bigger over the next few months, so be sure to use heavier jigs like 3.0 and 3.5s on 15lb string to secure your capture. We have this lagoon up the road at Narrabeen

Oliver Evans with a harbour king on a jig.

that every now and again produces a cracker fish on a lure. Well this time Hooked and Hunted’s Joe Emmerton locked into a solid mulloway on a hardbody during a nighttime land based session. The fish gave him some curry on the light outfit, but was eventually subdued, and after a few quick pics it was released. This is becoming very much the way of the lure-caught mulloway in this lake. With the water being quite dirty after recent rain, a big noisy lure is a good option. When these bigger fish are out hunting using the brown water for cover, they can often be less hesitant about attacking bigger offerings. The local reefs inshore are holding various species of good fish at the moment, including schools of trag and rogue kingfish. While the seas are down it seems you don’t have to travel too far to get into the action. Brad Kearns and Rod Phillips headed out off Long Reef to the 20m mark and Rod dropped a live squid over on the 80lb gear, only to hook a monster king in unwelcomely shallow water. Rod subdued the fish after a wicked fight and the guys dragged aboard a 26kg model. Sweet capture fellas, and something most

anglers would have to head overseas to achieve. Inshore reef fishing is a mainstay for the small boat fishermen at this time of year. As the snapper season kicks in and our seas back off and level out, another species that pops up in the colder months is the teraglin. This fish is also prevalent at local reefs well within reach. Zane Levett fished

with his dad aboard the Oceanhunter Sportsfishing boat, and the guys caught reds, kings and some good trag in 40m of water off Manly, plum-bobbing baits on paternoster rigs. So be it bottom bashing, trolling or even micro jigging, this boat and outfit are very successful. Give Vic a ring for the trip of a lifetime on (0414) 906 569.

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The salmon solution – eat them, eat them all! SYDNEY HARBOUR

Craig McGill craig@fishabouttours.com.au

Water temperatures have been slow to drop this winter and as of the first day of winter we still have 19° here. As a result, the winter species have held off and we are experiencing 1 of the best early winter bites I can remember.

We have a very unseasonal run of salmon feeding up on the surface near Rushcutters Bay. They have also been present sub-surface throughout the lower parts of the Harbour and even up into Middle Harbour. They are mostly falling to baits set for other species, but can be taken on small metals cast into the surface schools around Clarke Island. Salmon are usually

considered to be a second rate table fish, although I was given a recipe the other day that has completely changed my opinion. It’s known as ‘Bogan Battered Salmon’, but this formula would work well with any pelagic fish. You get a bag of salt and vinegar chips and crush them up into a breadcrumb-like consistency. The fresh salmon nuggets are rolled in plain flour, followed

Try fresh salmon in Bogan Batter — you’ll be impressed.

The kings are still firing in Middle Harbour.

Flatties have been falling to large live baits and lures worked deep.

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JULY 2015

by a beaten egg, and then finally rolled in the chip crumbs. Set them aside for an hour to let the batter set. Deep fried golden brown, they are just sensational. The huge storm we had here in Sydney this past autumn has done wonders for the system. Middle Harbour has been completely flushed and is now as fresh and as clean as I have ever seen it. What a good flush does, apart from turning the system upside down for a while, is inject a burst of nutrients. This comes from 2 main sources, the principal 1 being in the form of plant, animal and mineral matter washed in off the land. Secondly, depending on the extent of the flood, the river bed, along with the vast variety of marine organisms, gets lifted and dispersed downstream. The Harbour is fishing great at the moment, but Middle Harbour is absolutely on fire. Bream and flatties have been on the chew in all the bays including Bantry, Sugarloaf and Quakers Hat. There has been a good run of mulloway on the deep reefs and wrecks, notably VB and Beauty Point. There is a great run of kings to a metre being taken by both boat and shorebased anglers. Winter runs of kings vary quite

dramatically in Middle Harbour, but generally seem to be at their best after wet summers. I have caught quality kings as late as August and they are all fat, healthy fish. As usual, fresh squid and cuttlefish is their weakness. There are some really nice winter tailor about at the moment, which should hang around through until at least October. Unlike summer fish, the winter tailor are rarely seen chopping on the surface. They prefer to hang deep and are feeding on bigger baitfish. Naturally, they like to loiter around structure that accumulates baitfish, so wrecks and

a classic night spot and you can nail them with an unweighted pillie either drifted down with the current or slowly spun on ganged hooks. Once you have located the daytime fish, usually because they have been terrorising your dory live baits, you can either chase them with strips of squid, whole pillies, or jig for them with metals. Let your jigs fall to the bottom and work them back to the surface, much the same as you would if you were jigging for kings, albeit a bit slower. Blades and spoons are ideal for the job. Trolling lures is also a great way of locating tailor. The headlands,

Grotto and Dobroyd points. Further upstream, Garden Island has been fishing very well. Trolling a deep and a shallow diver out each side and a chrome metal slug down the centre will soon sort them out. I’ll also add that winter tailor are far superior table fish to their summer brethren. They carry a marbled fat through their flesh, particularly the belly, which improves their flavour and texture considerably. To see what I’m talking about, have a good look at your knife blade next time you fillet a winter chopper. It’ll be as greasy as a mechanic’s Thermos. And it’s all

Winter tailor tend to be bigger and hold deeper. They also taste better. deep reef, channel markers and some of the deeper boat moorings are good spots to look. The best depth range for daytime fish is around the 60’ mark, but at night they will come into the shallows to feed. Sow and Pigs is

particularly North, South and Middle, are the preferred locations when the fish or the baitfish cannot be visually or electronically located in open water. They are also common along Middle Head and the run between

healthy Omega 3 oil — good for ya noggin, that stuff. • 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.

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Don’t fear the early start SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com

A morning fish at this time of year is either an early start for your tailor, snapper and rock blackfish, a later one for groper or luderick off the rocks, or a beach fish pre-dawn for that often quick tailor burst, with salmon thrown in (the salmon bite normally continues well into daylight). The same applies for those low light species later in the afternoon.

Regarding beach bread-and-butter targets like bream, whiting, tailor, salmon, and flathead, they can still be caught in volume. Let’s start off where the bream and whiting are coming from. The most southern ocean beach in the northern suburbs and a relatively reliable one at that is Manly. Fishing the several gutters from in front of the Corso to North Steyne Surf Club at the end of Pine Street is producing these species. Curl Curl is also producing. Like Manly, it can be a great flathead beach. Dee Why around the

some good tailor in the evenings as well as salmon. The first few gutters south of Narrabeen Lagoon holds a few. Dee Why Beach’s gutters up near the pole is good. Mid Curl Curl and Manly Beaches have good fish there too. I like to use a large pilchard around that 170mm size on a set of 4/0s. I find they are more attractive to the quality tailor. Nothing new being said here, but if you’re going to fish the beach before the sun’s up or into the dark, you’re going to quickly discover the sand gets friggin’ cold on your

spot as well. A couple are picking up prawn baits. Generally though, groper prefer a large whole crab. Take your 24kg rod/reel if you’re going all the way out there, and include an 8-12kg pig outfit. Harvest your crabs from areas that are not Intertidal Protected Areas or Aquatic Reserves, which Barrenjoey is. Other spots worth investigating are the Inner Ovens at South Whale Headland, approximately 900m from the swimming pool. There are several ledges producing these species. Warriewood is an old favourite of mine. You can either go from the north face down the very steep vertical ledge of about 4m, which has a rope. I recommend if you’re going to venture down there, to take your own quality rope. Good luderick fishing is available in the gutter, there’s pigs in amongst the boulders, and groper on the main ledge and boulders. A safer option is to go from the southern side where there’s no climbing, but a much longer walk. There are plenty of alternative spots on the way in. The Turimetta side of Warriewood has luderick in the small gutter, while pigs

Rab Ajami with a great bag of pigs and bream. The pigs were up to 2kg and caught in rough conditions at a relatively safe location. swell. With Barrenjoey, the north face is only safe up to a 1m maximum, especially from the south. The bream fishing at Long Reef is still producing in the shallows and off the deeper dropoff

It’s great to see old mates like Lindsay Ryan and Peter Roach having a fish. Lindsay has caught black marlin up to 400kg. A true fisho, he enjoys all aspects of fishing. For the keen, there’s late season mulloway off the beach along with salmon and quality tailor, and for the competent night-time rockhopper there’s snapper, bream, tailor, salmon, luderick and rock blackfish. There is an old saying, “What you don’t know doesn’t hurt you.” Well I am saying this so I know what I am missing out on when I’m not there. As a fishing guide I am happy to impart this knowledge so you, the angler, can enjoy fishing as much as I do. The beach fishing this month is slowing down, but if you’re willing to put in the effort with quality bait, being there at the right time with the right gear, and of course being mobile if a gutter does not produce, will still give up the bread-and-butter species. This is just an old fishing term, meaning your more regularly sought-after smaller species. 20

JULY 2015

surf club and slightly south has bream and whiting. North Narrabeen during calmer conditions has some bream and whiting available. Further north, Mona Vale 50-70m south of the pool to Cooks Terrace, which is in front of Mona Vale hospital, has bream and whiting. Take into account that some of these beaches have weed problems, and some may not have much happening on any given day, so be active, jump back in the car and search out another beach. Quality tailor and salmon are around. Chopper tailor are generally absent, with only the larger versions at this time of the year. Bigger fish ranging from 1 to the occasional 3kg specimen are being caught. Love those big tailor! On 6kg gear they fight hard and are an impressive fish at that size. If you don’t mind the big hill, Bungan Beach has

bare feet. I recommend some surf type booties, waders or even those rock fishos’ neoprene spike boots, which are great for the beach angler also. A couple of jumpers, long quick dry pants are good, plus a raincoat that acts as a windbreak especially when there is a cold west sou’ west wind blowing and it’s happy days. Keep as dry as possible and you will continue to fish and catch fish. If you want a couple of species that will test you, try fishing for black drummer or pigs, and the eastern blue groper. Females are normally the smaller the brown, the male the larger blue. The pigs are being caught on literally every headland in variable volumes. Here are some of the better spots of late: Starting at Barrenjoey, towards the eastern tip facing south there’s some good bags of pigs up to the 2kg mark. It’s a good groper

There’s some nice squidding available off the rocks in the generally flatter seas at this time of year. The majority of rock spots hold a population of them — sensational bait and great table feast. and groper are being caught on the north face towards the point. Note that it can only be fished in a low

on the low tide period. Try the north face about 200m to the right from the old cleaning table. Some good

groper, luderick and pigs are available as well. The south east front, which is what I call The Island (it looks like an island at high tide), has good catches of luderick in the shallow holes. Hair weed or a weed fly works just great here. Try it on the high tide period and quietly wade around with a pussyfoot rig. This is a nickname, meaning a sinker running to a small swivel, 20-45cm of 3kg mono and a size 8-10 green sneck or 540 Mustard hook coupled with your luderick rod and reel. Try for a pig on the oceanfront and in amongst the boulders. There’s been regular catches of pigs recently from 32-50cm. Try peeled endeavour prawns and white bread for bait. Remember that the atmospheric temperature at this time of year can change dramatically, so even if you’re convinced that it is going to remain mild, don’t be fooled. Take your high visibility raincoat, spare jumper, beanie and have spare clothes that you leave in the car, which you will appreciate after the trip. And by doing this you would have kept on fishing, probably caught more fish, and you will do it again! And that’s what fishing is about; getting out there not only under nice conditions, but when it’s a little chilly. • For rock and beach guided fishing or tuition in the northern Sydney region, visit www. bellissimocharters. com, email alex@ bellissimocharters.com or call Alex Bellissimo on 0408 283 616.

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FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE The subscriber prize winner for May were S Pollock of Avalon Beach, W Asplin of Wyndham, A Rombo of Banora Point, B Birch of Oran Park, B Mannering of Leumeah, J Malan of Frenchs Forest, who each won a Backbone Tide Watch valued at $49.90. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

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The Find the VMC logo prize winners for May were: D West of Hallett Cove, M Dunford of Young, J Page of Wingham, A Brayshaw of Tumut, A Rainbow of Yarravel, T McAppion of Monash, G Knight of Cessnock, E Howarth of Cowra, D Newman of Oyster Bay, I Salmon of Basin View, J Szabo of Penrith, S Smith of Trangie, T Hainsworth of Warwick, B Hughes of Wallalong, G Waugh of Greystanes, R Doughty of The Rock, M Callaghan of Teralba, S Mulcahy of Taree, J Cross of Mondrook, C West of Dapto, M Baker of Gorokan, A Zoneff of Aberdare, P Stever of Austinmer, W Andrews of Moree, J Lewis of Bella Vista, T Curtis of Cootamundra, C Wilson of Lake Albert, P Kennedy of Raymond Terrace, F Seal of Junee, R Hilton of Goondiwindi, R Dowden of Goondiwindi, B Shore of Tumbarumba, M Fielder of Goolgowi, L Wicks of Forbes, B Keogh of Bathurst, G Hall of Young, I Necic of Glenfield, B Robson of Blaxland, K Thompson of Ermington , P Sims of Old Bar. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

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• DECEMBER 2010

JULY 2015

Brave the cold and be rewarded BOTANY BAY

Gabe Quercigrosse gabeandgabe@bigpond.com

As predicted in last month’s column, the much-awaited whiting run has started, with excellent catches reported. As a matter of fact, the fishos from the Woronora RSL have been getting their bag limits, with specimens of 38-48cm the norm.

would also fish well, as they offer protection from most winds. I would suggest trying during the last 2 hours of the run-out tide and the first stanza of the incoming tide. I know it is cold, but night is the ideal time, with bloodworms, squirtworms and nippers the baits to use. Apart from the whiting, the fishing in the bay and its tributaries has been ordinary, with only

from sheltered areas such as Grays Point, Muddy Creek, the southern side of Captain Cook, and the eastern side of the Port Botany reclamation wall. The channel markers leading from the foreshore boat ramp along the new runway would be my pick of the spots, as they offer good fishing close to all amenities. We haven’t publicised the Cooks River too much,

There’s a bit of competition for Bottom Ship jigs down there! The best areas have been the edges of sand flats and cockle beds, with St George Sailing Club, Oatley Bay, Caravan Head, the entrance to the Woronora River, and the channel markers at Cranbrook the pick. No doubt The Moons

spasmodic reports received. The weather has been far from congenial, with a strong westerly influence hampering fishos getting to their preferred location, however, the land based brigade have been doing reasonably well with luderick catches

but I believe it is fishing particularly well, with luderick catches taken from both the north and south walls at the entrance, the floating pontoon next to the boat ramp, the Bestic Street Bridge on Muddy Creek, and the Tempe Bridge on the Prices Highway.

There are always trevally and tailor available, and stud whiting to be taken at night next to the Grand Parade Bridge. If you fancy tackling school mulloway, you’ll find them near the Rowing Club on Unwins Bridge Road. Back to the Georges River, Woolooware Bay has been productive for dusky flathead to 60cm, with live poddy mullet the gun bait. Otherwise, smelt plastics around 3” long have been doing the job. As an alternative fishing location, I thought it would be a good idea to touch on the Kurnell Peninsula, as the towering cliffs, long ledges, and rugged reef network offers some great rock and boat fishing spots close to boat ramps in relative comfort. Luderick, drummer, bonito, groper, tailor, salmon and snapper can all be taken in good numbers. Tabbagai is 1 of the most established spots at Kurnell and it is also 1 of the safest and easiest spots to reach, being only a 5-minute walk from the parking area near the oil refinery outlet. This can be found by driving the track running behind the refinery site on Sir Joseph Banks Drive. Tabbagai offers long, large and low platforms, which provide excellent fishing. I would suggest rock plates are essential, as the rocks can be slippery. Other possies that can be fished include Inscription Point, Little Yena, The Blue Hole, Boat Harbour and Merries Reef, which are top fishing grounds for bream, whiting and tailor. This is a very safe location, which can be fished at night and dawn.

Mathew getting amongst the cuttlies down at Bellambi. If you’re in a boat, slowly troll along the cliffs with small 4” Xmas Trees for bonito, salmon and tailor, especially at first light and be guaranteed of fresh fish for the table.

venture too far out as the water deepens quickly. July is also a great month to fish The Peak, the underwater mountain off Maroubra. Big trevally schools will be stationed

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There are some ‘slapper’ whiting on the move now that the weather’s cooled. A little further offshore, snapper and morwong can be taken in good quantities, and there is no need to

there, with fish around 2-3kg common. They provide excellent sport and are not bad for sushi

when fresh. I’ve found trevally far better tucker when smoked with hickory sawdust. Try them, you will not be disappointed. Give the Coogee Trag Ground a try. These close cousins of the mulloway have been a spent force during the past few years, but you can always get a few from this possie near the full moon period. You’re only 500m out from Cuzco Street at Coogee and will be comfortable. I would also suggest the Black Spot mark just south

of Long Bay for pan size reddies and leatherjackets. You’re only a stone’s throw from the rocks and this possie is well documented by the water drain on the cliff-side. Downrig live cuttlefish or squid along the cliffs from Julianne to Shaky for big kings if conditions are suitable. Normally all these spots are very calm during westerly winds. If fishing the Georges River, luderick, whiting and bream will be available, but for mine July

is the best month to catch mulloway in the upper reaches. These big fellows follow schools of mullet all the way to Liverpool Weir, with some big fish amongst them. Try the M5 and Milperra bridges, with local mullet fillets, a beach rod and 15kg line on the low tide at night if fishing land-based. I have caught many of these excellent eating fish during the new moon and full moon periods, and if you are in a boat, try the deep hole

FISHING FILL-ITS

Illegal set line fishers caught Recreational fishers are reminded that the use of set lines is not permitted in any inland waterways of NSW, following a number of individuals being apprehended in the north west of the State. Last month Department of Primary Industries (DPI) fisheries officers from Inverell apprehended two men on private property in a remote section of the Barwon River north of Mungindi, after they were observed using set lines. DPI district fisheries officer Joe Wright said the men were in possession of four live Murray cod, two of which were above the maximum size limit of 75cm. “We intercepted the fisherman after they returned from checking their illegal set lines, one of which had been illegally re-baited with a live European carp measuring 42.5cm,” Mr Wright said. “All four fish were immediately seized and returned live back into the Barwon River. “Another three gilled and gutted Murray cod that were also taken on illegal set lines were found after we inspected the offenders’ campsite, two of which were also over the maximum size limit – these fish were also seized along with eight cord set lines.” As a result of this

incident, the alleged offenders – a 60 year old man from Biddeston, QLD and a 33 year old man from Mungindi, NSW – were issued penalty notices totalling $1,900 as well as a number of caution notices. In a separate incident, DPI

with live fin fish. The set lines and live bait were seized and the men have been issued penalty notices for their actions, totalling $1,400, as well as a number of caution notices. The maximum penalties

At 46cm, that’s an awesome bream, Chris! Makes the cool weather that little more bearable. on the downstream side of Deepwater Reef and the deepest part of the Georges River, going down to 74’

along the Black Wall at Picnic Point. Like all spots, they have their good and bad

days, and if you’re chasing live poddy mullet you can always get them at night with a torch and scoop net from the Picnic Point Boatshed ramp at the end of Carinya Road. It is good to hear that Transport NSW has allocated $3.5 million towards upgrading boat ramps locally. These projects include a new pontoon to be erected next to Tom Uglys Bridge, a new pontoon to the Holt Street ramp at Sylvania Waters, improvements to the Hole in the Wall ramp, and a small-craft/ low-impact ramp will be built at the end of Old Ferry Road in Lugarno. Feasibility studies will be conducted on new wharves at La Perouse and Kurnell, with a potential small craft ramp next to Captain Cook Bridge at Taren Point to be considered. I will keep you posted on any further developments. • For all your fishing needs, as well as the latest info on what’s biting, drop into Gabe’s Boating and Fishing at Narellan (4/1A Somerset Ave), or Silvania (268/264-276 Princes Hwy). You can also call them on (02) 4647 8755 or (02) 9522 5100 respectively, or visit the website at www. gbaf.com.au.

DPI district fisheries officer Joe Wright with Murray cod, set lines and live bait seized during the apprehension on the Barwon River near Mungindi. fisheries officers from Dubbo apprehended two men in a remote section of the Darling River upstream of Tilpa. A 58 year old man from Mudgee, NSW and a 54 year old man from Horsley, NSW who had accessed the river through private property, were observed by fisheries officers checking and resetting 25 set lines, some of which were baited illegally

23 of the set lines seized by fisheries officers during the apprehension on the Darling River near Tilpa.a

that can apply to the use and possession of set lines range from $5,500 up to $22,000 and/or 6 months imprisonment. Anglers are entitled to use two attended fishing lines per person in NSW inland waters; attended lines must be within 50 metres and in the line of sight of the user. Mr Wright said people who engage in illegal fishing activity should be warned that accessing rivers and streams through private property does not protect them from NSW fisheries laws or from the attention of DPI fisheries officers. “We need community members around the State to report any suspect or illegal fishing activity observed along any of the thousands of kilometres of waterways in inland NSW,” Mr Wright said. Anyone with any information should contact the Fishers Watch Phoneline on 1800 043 536 or online at www. dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/ compliance. - NSWDPI

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Berley for best results SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Even though the water temperature has cooled down plenty, the fishing around Sydney remains quite good. Australian salmon, tailor, bream,

silver trevally, snapper, drummer and luderick will be the targeted species off the rocks. Bream, silver trevally, John dory and luderick will be the targeted species in the bays and estuaries. Due to the clear conditions experienced this month, unless we get a lot of rain

you will need to make sure that you have a steady stream of berley going. SO WHAT’S IN A GOOD BERLEY? It could be a number of things. It will just depend on what you are going to target. To give you a bit of a start, I am going to list the different berley combinations that I use and the fish species I am targeting. Luderick and drummer off the rocks In a 20l bucket you will need to put I about 2l of salt water. Then place about 4-5 loaves of white bread into it to soak for a while. You will need to chop up about 3 handfuls of green cabbage, which you will add to the bread mixture and mix in so that the chopped up cabbage is blended. Add about a kilo of dried sand

Top: There will be plenty of squid about. If you are going to eat them, I would suggest that you despatch them straight away, as this make it much better to eat. Bottom: If you are going to fish off the rocks, make sure that the swell is low, you have the correct footwear, and most of all don’t forget to berley.

JULY 2015

The author with a couple of bream that were caught while casting hardbodies in the Cooks River. until the mixture is now of a moist, but not runny or dry consistency. Mould the mixture into lumps around the size of a tennis ball, so when you throw it, it doesn’t break up as it goes through the air. Bream and trevally off the rocks Once again you will need about a 20l bucket to which you will add about 4-5 loaves of white bread. Add in salt water to bring it to a not runny consistency. This is where you add chopped up leftover old pilchards, tuna fillets, whitebait, mullet and prawns that you would have normally been thrown away after a fishing session. This mixture is made up so that you can throw out berley bombs the size of tennis balls. Salmon, tailor and snapper off the rocks What I prefer to do is put a block of pilchards into an onion bag, which is then placed into a keeper net with a long rope tied to it. Once the pilchards are in the bags, I will tie off the end and then stomp on it to smash the bait up.

Once this is done, I lower it into the water or wash and let the ingredients slowly leech out. To add to this berley I will have previously chopped about half a block of pilchards into about 4-5 pieces. These will then be thrown into the water at rate of about 4 pieces every 3 minutes. That is until the fish start biting, then I would ease off to a rate of about 2 pieces every 5 minutes. Luderick in the rivers, creeks and bays Find some semi-dried sand and dig a hole the size of about 1 ½ 20l buckets. Finely chop up 2 handfuls of green weed. You could add some green cabbage as well, especially if you are fishing around the entrance where the river/creek meets the ocean. Then you will need to through about 2-3 loaves of sliced white bread. Then you will add the dry sand back into the hole and thoroughly mix it together. Once this is done, you will then need to put the mixture into a bucket. I usually find that I need 2 20l buckets of berley for 1 session while fishing in the estuaries. Whether you are fishing out of an anchored boat or off the shore, you will not have to throw the berley too far. Most times you will only need to drop it into the water and let the current do the job. Bream and silver trevally in the rivers, creeks and bays I try to keep it as simple as possible when using berley for bream and trevally in the estuaries. All you need is chicken layer pellets, a bit of white bread and smashed up pilchards. Once mixed up in a 20l bucket, you will only need to throw out a couple of handfuls every 3 minutes to start with. Once the fish have been attracted to your bait, you will need to ease back to about every 5-6 minutes. Just remember, you are trying to attract the fish, not feed them. Sometimes I just take a 20l bucket of chicken layer

pellets and throw out a couple of handfuls every 5 minutes or so. It the current is running a bit too fast and it’s carrying the berley away, I will 3/4 fill a metal berley bucket and lower it down the water column. For example, if I am in 6m, I will lower it down to 2m. SO WHAT’S BITING? Bream, silver trevally and whiting will be schooling up in the deeper section of Botany Bay and Port Hacking, and this is where the berley will come into its own, so I would suggest that you go to the effort and make up some, as it will increase your chances of taking home a feed. Places to try would be the end of the third runway, Trevally Alley, Yarra Bay Fisheries Reef, Watts Reef, the Oil Wharf and Towra Wide. If there are westerly winds blowing, try along the beach from Dolls Point to the entrance to the Cooks River. Luderick should have shown up by now at the base of the Captain Cook and Toms Uglys bridges, the entrance to the Cooks River, Bare Island and Sutherland Point. Further up in the Georges River you could try from Lugarno to Picnic Pint for bream and luderick. If the water is fairly clear, you may have the odd salmon come past. Port Hacking will have heaps of luderick feeding over the ribbon weed beds and along the rocky shoreline. For land-based anglers, try the baths at Gunnamatta, Gymea and Lilli Pilli. For those with a boat, try Deer Park, South West and North West arms, the Ballast Heap and Jibbon Point. Most of the beaches along the coast will have a few whiting and trevally mixed in with the bream. If it was up to me I would take along a few pilchards with my beach or bloodworms, and have a second rod out for tailor, salmon and the odd mulloway that will also be feeding in the gutters. Also don’t forget to take along a few squid jigs as the squid will be out and about.

FIND THE

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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 Gulp Lures. All entries will go into the major prize draw. (Drawn Nov. 30, 2015)

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The Australian

Lure Fly & Outdoors Expo 18 -19 JULY 2015 | IPSWICH SHOW GROUND - EXHIBITION CENTRE QLD | 9AM - 4PM

100+ exhibitors at 2015 Lure Fly and Outdoors Expo FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Only a handful of years since its inception a the Fernvale Town Hall, Garry Fitzgerald’s Lure and Fly Expo continues to grow. Moving last year to the Ipswich Exhibition Hall and expanding in 2015 to a second level in the Ipswich show hall, the 2015 Expo will host more than 100 exhibitors and carry more tackle for sale than any other event of its kind in the country. Originally created as a showcase for Australian lure designers and manufacturers, the Expo was designed to promote the art of lure making to the next generation of anglers, however, it’s grown to become much more than that. “We needed a way to recognise and celebrate the talent and creations of Australian lure makers. There’s a whole generation of guys out there who weren’t able to pass their skills and experience on, which was a real shame,” Garry said. “But in the process, there’s been interest from more than just the lure makers in the industry. This year, boating,

outdoors, tackle and even archery companies all want to attend.” At FM, we’re sure that this is because the unpretentious nature of the organiser, venue and visitors that the show tends to attract. From an exhibitor’s standpoint, the costs are kept to a bare minimum and the same can be said at the gate. With free parking, $10 entry and no charge to bring your kids, the focus becomes the show itself and not the costs of attending. Because of this structure, attendees will see makers at the show that they won’t see at any other. With some of the cream of Australia’s talent being cottage-industry, there’s no room in their marketing budgets for glitzy shows in city centres. That’s because there’s no

Entry

July

18-19, 2015 9am – 4pm

marketing budgets. With all of the expansion within the venue, you may think that the original aim of the show will have been diluted, but Garry’s feet are firmly grounded. “We’re still about showing you how to turn a lump of wood into something that can catch you a fish. There’s demonstrations and displays for all parts of the process on site,” Garry continued. “Jamie Judd from Gobsmacked Lures will be giving live demonstrations on cutting lure blanks out of wood and turning them on a lathe in one demonstration area. Southern Cross Lures will be showing attendees how to carve and sand the shapes, while Bryan Power from Powers Lures will

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KE A ROD AT!

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IPSWICH SHOWGROUND Warwick Rd, Ipswich

lureshow.com.au 26

JULY 2015

be conducting painting demonstrations outside the main hall in a second demo area. On the main stage – sponsored by Humminbird and MC’d by the timeless Barry Bergum - there’s also a real collection of local fishing talent. You can hear guys like Justin Welsh (sonar), Jason Ehrlich, Tri Ton (Hervey Bay), Wade Turner (Darling Downs), Tim Morgan (bream), Reece Thomas (Moreton Bay snapper) and Greg Livingstone (gorge fishing for cod) sharing their fishing secrets. Even the legendary Harro will be there demonstrating knots and rigs. Expansion of the Expo includes a greater presence from fishing boat dealers. There’ll be nearly a whole level dedicated to fishing boats, and these will be located on the lower floor of the hall area. Stalwarts like Brisbane Yamaha, Stones Corner Marine and Karee Marine will be showing off their fishing craft and cutting deals in an environment that’s a lot lower pressure than your standard boat show. Also, you’ll see an increased presence from bigger brands in the Australian industry – the likes of Jackall, Ecogear and Atomic are all touted to be there with their wares. The people who make sure that our waterways are stocked with plenty for us to catch will be displaying. The timeless FFSAQ trailer will be complemented by the first live display of baby jungle perch. With a successful breeding program up and running, it’ll be any year now that the first impoundment stockings will take place. You can meet the man behind the research at the show. Last, but not least is the flyfishing component of the show.

Well known fly tyers Peter Cherret and Gavin Dunne will be tying on-site, as well as members of the SEQ Flyfishers and Brisbane Flyfishing Clubs. But you’ve probably tired of us banging on about the show. We’ll be there, of course, with a limited edition lure offer (this year with Kuttafurra Lures) and some great deals for subscribing to the Fishing Monthly titles. Let’s take a closer look at what some of the exhibitors will be doing on their stands. BASSMAN SPINNERBAITS Possibly one of Australia’s best known spinnerbait

and unique folding camping fire pits among other great products at the expo. DARRLY REEKS ARCHERY To satisfy those who are into hunting, Darryl Reeks Archery will have a range of hunting, competition archery, beginner sets and 3D targets on display. ELECTRONICS Electronics is a new feature at the expo with Humminbird and Garmin having working units on display and for sale. EXHIBITORS KUTTAFURRA LURES Aaron Young and his Kuttafurra Lures are a

SHOW DETAILS AT A GLANCE Dates................. July.18/19,.2015 Hours................ 9am.to.4pm Location............ .Ipswich.Showgrounds,. Warwick.Rd,.Ipswich. Parking............. Free.on-site. Entry................. .$10.adult,.children.under.16.free. with.paying.adult.. 2-day.pass.is.$15. Web................... www.lureshow.com.au Facebook.......... .Australian.Lure.Fly.&. Outdoors.Expo

manufacturers, Bassman will be launching some new concepts in spinnerbaits and mumblers to add to their long established range. RPM PRODUCTS Major sponsor of the expo, RPM Products will have a range of LED camping lights, car driving bar lights

household name amongst the new generation of Australian lure makers and he’s recognised as one of the most skilled lure carvers and painters in the modern game. Aaron won the Most Artistic Lure Award at last year’s show, with an amazing crayfish imitation. He will be attending the show again this year and looking forward to catching up with the other lure makers and all the people that bought lures from him last year. Aaron loves a chat about lures and lure making and will have plenty of his lures available for sale at the show. So stop in and say g’day - just make sure you have a few dollars with you, because you wont be able to resist buying a few of his lures. To find out more about more about Kuttafurra lures, find them on Facebook under Kuttafurra Swagman Lures. LIVELY LURES Lively Lures are an Aussie icon lure that has stood the test of time and keeps coming back for more. At the Expo, Lively Lures will be displaying the full range of their lures to show off just how diverse their products are. Best of all though, with

The Australian

Lure Fly & Outdoors Expo 18 -19 JULY 2015 | IPSWICH SHOW GROUND - EXHIBITION CENTRE QLD | 9AM - 4PM

ACCOMMODATION In the theme of keeping costs down, there’s camping available right on site at the Ipswich Showgrounds for out of town visitors, as well as plenty of accommodation options for all budgets in Ipswich – including several within walking distance of the Ipswich Showgrounds. Lively Lures recently opening a direct online store (www. livelyluresonline.com.au) visitors to the Expo can go home, log into the site and purchase whichever lures took their fancy, safe in the knowledge that they have handled the lures and know what they are getting. The late news was that Lively Lures will be selling their range of Micro Mullets at only $10 a pop – that’s a saving from their already incredibly cheap online price and something all trollers will need to budget for – especially if flathead, bass, bream and trout are on your target list. Released at this year’s Expo, will be a brand new 9” Mack Bait which will target mackerel, tuna, wahoo and most blue water species. It’s a must-visit stand.

STONES CORNER MARINE This year’s Lure, Fly and Outdoor Expo will be a first for Stones Corner Marine. They will be showcasing a range of Sea Jay boats from light car toppers to sports fishing side consoles. Models shown include the new 448 Avenger Sports (ideal for the QR CODE

Scan the QR code to listen to an interview with show founder, Garry Fitzgerald.

all-round anglers), the Creek Masta (which is specifically setup for the impoundment/ estuary anglers) or the Nomad (which is Sea Jay’s number one car topper model). So whether it is impoundment, saltwater/ estuary fishing or you are the travelling angler, then they have the boat for you. Stones Corner will also match your new boat with a Yamaha four-stroke or two-stroke outboard to suit. U-MAKE-EM This year the guys with the solution to making your own soft plastic baits will be offering the largest range of DIY soft plastic and spinnerbait components, with start up kits in both spinnerbaits and soft plastics at very reasonable prices. As well this year they will be offering a range of

hardbodied lures at super cheap prices. They will be demonstrating live, how to make your own soft plastics during both days in conjunction with their how-to DVD which will include soft plastics, spinnerbaits, jig heads and more. A must-see for those who want to do more than carve. KAREE MARINE Karee Marine will be at the show with a Nitro Z6 bass boat - the USA number 1 torunament boat powered by a Mercury 115 ProXs. Also on display will be the Clark 435 Dominator, designed with the angler in mind - a very capable bream or bass boat also powered by a Mercury 60hp 4-stroke. A proud Mercury dealer from the south side of Brisbane, having an imported boat on-hand to inspect makes your purchasing decision much easier. BRISBANE YAMAHA Brisbane Yamaha has

the peak periods! If you haven’t tried Balista yet be sure to give the LED

a range of new model Quintrex boat packages on display at the upcoming Lure Expo. Brisbane Yamaha is Australia’s largest selling Quintrex dealer matched to the high performance Yamaha outboard range. One of the best-selling ranges from Quintrex is the Explorer range of V-nosed hulls, ideal for lake and estuary conditions. Upgraded this year to the Fighter Series, it features the picklefork nose

as standard in models 3.9m and above. This hull now offers even greater stability at rest, a fuller bow and a finer entry to give you a better ride underway. Check out the F390 and F420 Trophy models at the Brisbane Yamaha stand. The Quintrex Hornet range is a stand-alone boat in the Australia boat market. Unique in design and with now legendary status amongst Australian anglers, they were first used in the inaugural ABT series. They are still recognised as the ultimate hull for lure and fly anglers. “We are proud to be part of Australia’s largest lure event. It is an opportunity for manufacturers to showcase the best Aussie-designed lures.” Brisbane Yamaha dealer Principal Aaron Goodchild says. “This year’s show is set to be bigger than ever, so come and see us and take a look at our range on display.” he adds. LASERWORX THE MOST PRECISE Laserworx, who cut all types of bibs with remarkable

accuracy, has been supplying lure bibs to manufacturers for the last 14 years, offering a competitive, consistent and quick service to Aussie lur makers country-wide. The benefit of having your bibs laser cut is consistency in shape (every bib will be identical) and reduced labour in the whole manufacturing process, allowing lure designers to concentrate solely on making the best designs around. Although Laserworx does a lot of business with established lure-makers, like Alan Dolan’s Lively Lures, they do also cater for the hobbyist via a standard range of bibs that can be ordered in smaller, non-commercial quantities. In fact, drop in and see the Laserworx staff and you’ll find that they may well have some small, mixed bags of bibs that you can use to get your hobby up and off the ground. BALISTA’S LED LURES Balista Lures have been around for a few years now. They are proudly Australianowned and designed for many of our species, including Murray cod and barramundi. By the end of 2015, the list will now also include bass with three super small models being released, all featuring Balista’s renowned LED technology. Their LED technology is a water activated flashing red LED in the tail of every one of their lures. This technology is fantastic for generating strikes on those super tough days. The technology works best in dirty water, overcast conditions plus dawn and dusk. The technology was extensively tested in the research labs of James Cook University in Cairns. They tried lots of different combinations and found the red LED to be by far the most effective. Since then, thousands of hours have been spent extensively testing and refining the technology. Every year more and more anglers are catching onto the technology, it is well worth having at least a couple in your tackle box for

technology a try and get the unfair advantage. To page 28

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The Australian

Lure Fly & Outdoors Expo 18 -19 JULY 2015 | IPSWICH SHOW GROUND - EXHIBITION CENTRE QLD | 9AM - 4PM

EXHIBITOR MAP UPPER FLOOR

EXHIBITOR

EXHIBITOR MAP LOWER FLOOR

** The floor plan above is a draft only. The final floor plan is in progress and may change depending on the number and type of sites booked. From page 27

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See full range at the Show

0418 349 782 28

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AC LURES Anthony Curtis is again joining the exhibitors at the Lure and Fly Expo and is excited to showcase his great range of lures that are right now taking massive cod in the cold winter waters of the Murray. With a range of lures that extend from a tiny 50mm right up to 150mm, AC Lures will have a lure that is just right for where and how you fish. The range of colours is impressive and, like a lot of lure makers, the colour range is always being developed to meet the needs of regional anglers. So drop by AC Lures stand, have a chat to the maker and get the lure that is right for you or your collection.

• AC Lures ...................................................... 42 & 43 • AK Lures ...................................................... 26 & 27 • Atomic .......................................................... 94 - 99 • Balista Lures .........................................................80 • Barambah Lures ...................................................35 • Barz Optics Sunglasses .......................................57 • Bassday ........................................................ 94 - 99 • Bassman Spinnerbaits..................................16 & 17 • Beardy’s Lures ......................................................45 • Bills Boxes ............................................................87 • Bionic Braid ..........................................................68 • Bringing Back Jungle Perch - DAF .......................81 • Brisbane Fly Fishing Club .....................................85 • Brisbane Yamaha ..................................................L3 • Bush N Beach Fishing ................................. 56 & 57 • Caino Lures...........................................................37 • Charltons Fishing...........................................10 - 14 • C&S Horsey Lures ................................................48 • Cod Hound Kayak Tours .......................................78 • Cod X Lures ............................................................6 • Compact Fishing Australia ...................................82 • Cooby Cobba Lures ...............................................5 • Darryl Reeks Archery ....................................74 & 76 • D & S Lures .............................................................7 • Deep River Lures ..................................................20 • Dizzy Scent .................................................. 47 & 49 • Diztek ........................................................... 47 & 49 • Duffrods ....................................................... 47 & 49 • Dynamite Lures .....................................................23 • FFSAQ ..................................................................83 • Fishaholic Lures ....................................................28 • Fishing Monthly Magazine ........................... 63 & 65 • Fishing Unlimited ..................................................36 • Flapper Lures ..........................................................3 • Gavin Dunne Custom Flies ...................................92 • Goanna Lures .........................................................3 • Gobsmacked Lures .............................Demo Area 2 • Keep IT Taxidermy & Fish Mounts................ 62 & 64 • Hillie’s Spinners & Lures .......................................22 • Honey Hole Lures .................................................54 • Humminbird ..........................................................59 • Hunter Lure Makers ................................................3 • Ipswich Screenprinting .........................................91 • Jackall Lures .........................................................55 • Jackpot Lures .......................................................46 • Jellyfish Lures .......................................................86 • JH Lures ...............................................................25 • John Hardt Marquetry.................................. 26 & 27 • Jungle Lures .........................................................44 • Bringing Back Jungle Perch - DAF .......................81 • Karee Marine ........................................................L2 • Kneebone Lures ...................................................21 • Kuttafurra Lures ......................................................1 • Laserworx .............................................................L5 • Last Cast Spinnerbaits ...........................................2 • Lively Lures ...........................................................69 • Loola Lures ...........................................................40 • Mac Lures ...............................................................4 • Master Baits Lures................................................18 • Megabass ..................................................... 94 - 99 • Mencho’s Lures ....................................................38 • Mudeye Lures .......................................................53 • Minn Kota .............................................................61 • Native Lures ............................................................8 • Ninja Lures ............................................................19 • Powell Lures ...........................................................3 • Power Lures .........................................Demo Area 1 • Predator Lures ......................................................24 • Rays Ozzy Lures ...................................................93 • Revenge Lures ......................................................41 • Ripp-N Lures ........................................................45 • RPM Products ............................................. 66 & 67 • Rod Harrison / Bionic Braid..................................68 • Running Creek Lures ..............................................1 • RV Lures ...............................................................54 • Samurai Fishing Rods .................................. 94 - 99 • Shads Lures ..........................................................60 • Smak Lures ...........................................................50 • Somerset Fishing Tackle .......................................52 • Sooks Lures ..........................................................39 • South East Qld Fly Fishers ...................................79 • Southern Cross Lures ..........................Demo Area 1 • Stingray Lures .............................................. 26 & 27 • Stones Corner Marine ..........................................L1 • Sun To Sea Outdoor Clothing ...............................90 • Twin River Lures ....................................................51 • U Make Em Soft Plastics ........................Demo Area • Unitika........................................................... 94 - 99 • Waspy Flies ...........................................................70 • Wildboar Leisure .......................................... 72 & 73

E B I R C S B U S W E N E R R O

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Tech Tricks

Wire Micro Jig assist rig BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Micro jigging has become extremely popular in Southern Queensland during the last year or two. Anglers are honing jigging and retrieve techniques and using an array of jigs to catch a plethora of prime species in the bay and rivers. Snapper, mulloway, threadfin, trevally, tailor and a heap of others are being deceived by the actions of these micro metals. For anglers targeting snapper and other species in Moreton Bay and surrounding waters, mackerel can often become a bit of a nuisance as they will regularly engulf a jig and bite you off, which can become a little expensive at times. Something had to be done to

save my jigs and decrease my blood pressure. Recently I started experimenting to produce a wire assist rig that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t too intrusive to put on my micro jigs when the marauding mackerel move in. I figured one out that was easy to make, inexpensive and really made a difference to results at the end of the day. Most micro jigs are purposely rigged with assist hooks instead of treble hooks (which many other lures sport) because the limp nature of the assist cord results in the hooks rarely fouling on the leader. Your jig will remain in play throughout the entirety of the jig and retrieve and present as it was intended to. Assists rigged with wire are more rigid than those rigged with conventional assist cord, however, they still seem to be fairly good at avoiding tangling. However,

as the main reason for using the wire assists is to avoid getting bitten off by mackerel and other toothy critters, the small inconvenience of a hook fouling the jig is far outweighed by the extra fish landed and the jigs retained. Often a mackerel will just sever the assist cord attaching the hooks and therefore the jig is saved, however at times they will engulf the entire jig and sever the leader. For this reason it may also pay to add a short wire leader in front of the jig, however be aware that this may decrease the strike rate at times. If you are fishing areas where mackerel are unlikely then I would not use a wire assist. However it pays to have a few jigs rigged with wire in case you are in mackerel territory and begin suffering losses. MATERIALS There are not a lot of good hooks on the market

in Australia for this type of rigging, and even fewer reasonably priced ones. I commonly use Mustad Hoodlums, Gamakatsu SC15 or Shout Light Jigging and Ijika, finding these all work well. Nylon-coated wire could be used however it is

generally of lower stainless quality than uncoated wire. Uncoated Shogun, Superflex or Mason wire in breaking strains between 20lb and 40lb are my choice for this application. Additionally you will need a parrot-beak wire cutter (even side cutters will suffice for this thin multi-

strand wire), some split rings (slightly higher breaking strain than the wire), split ring pliers or pincettes and possibly some heat shrink, krystal flash, Panic Baits or Needlefish skirts to finish the wire assist off. Once you have all this together then it is time to get started.

Cut a piece of wire between 16-18cm long and fold in half, pinching the midway spot so that there is a small, prominent crease. Pass this section through the eye of the hook so that the tag ends face away from the gape as shown. Hold the hook and the tag end of the wire between thumb and forefinger. You will want between 6-8cm of folded wire protruding out from the hook eye on the gape side.

Start folding the wire back towards the hook point whilst still holding the tag end securely against the shank.

Continue wrapping the wire in this manner until you have completed five or six wraps around the hook shank. You will need to maintain pressure on the wire as you wrap otherwise the wire will spring free. Whilst holding the wraps of wire firmly against the shank between forefinger and thumb to stop it unravelling, pass the loop end of the wire through the hook eye from the back side of the shank, so that the loop now protrudes out the gape side of the hook. Pull this loop very firmly with your fingers or a plier to lock the wraps in place.

Whilst you can just trim the tag end of wire away and use your wire assist as it now is, many prefer to add a little movement and colour to the rig. Adding some 3mm heat shrink to the shank over the wire is an easy and inexpensive way to do this. I often cut the end of the heat shrink all the way around with numerous lengthways cuts as shown.

JULY 2015

Your completed rig will look something like this. How long the loop ends up being will depend on how far you pushed the wire through the hook eye initially, how many wraps of the hook shank you did and how thick the hook shank is. Some experimentation may be required if you wish to make your wire assist to specific length.

Fold the wire back firmly to begin wrapping both strands around the hook shank whilst keeping constant pressure on both the wire loop and the tag ends of the wire. If you do not maintain firm pressure then the wire will slip and spin around the hook eye.

Next put the heat shrink over the hook as shown and apply heat with a paint stripper gun or with passes over a naked flame to constrict it.

You can use a split ring to attach the loop of the wire assist to your micro jig. Often an assist hook will be put on both ends for enhanced hooking potential, especially with flatfall jigs. You can dress up your assist hooks in many ways including a heat shrink skirt, plain heat shrink or a micro squid skirt such as a Yamashita Panic Bait. Additionally I have used metallic krystal flash and glo-in-the-dark sparkleflash which I bind onto the shank. With micro jigs rigged with wire assists and a short multi-strand wire leader, your lure losses will be minimised greatly.

Cooking

Spicy baby octopus with noodles BRISBANE

Lynn Bain

Ingredients (serves 4) 500g baby octopus 3 cloves garlic 1cm fresh ginger, peeled and sliced 4 coriander stems and leaves A good pinch of salt 1tbsp brown sugar 1\2tsp dried chilli flakes Juice and zest of a lime 2tbsp squid brand fish sauce 1-2 red chillies, finely sliced 2 golden shallots, peeled and finely diced Handful of fresh basil, mint and coriander, finely chopped 1 packet wide rice noodles, soaked and drained 3-4tbsp unsalted nuts (I used a combo of peanuts and cashews) 1tsp canola oil

2 Add the baby octopus (and cork) to the water. Bring the water to a simmer and cook the baby octopus for 20 minutes. At the end of the simmering time, remove the pot from the heat and drain the octopus, discarding the water and the cork.

Process the garlic, ginger, coriander and salt to a rough, paste-like consistency. Then scoop the paste mixture into a large glass bowl.

6 Handy Hints

Add the noodles to the herb mixture in the large bowl and mix thoroughly with the unsalted nuts.

7 *

Add the chilli flakes, lime zest and brown sugar to the paste mixture in the bowl. Pour the combined lime juice and fish sauce over the contents of the bowl. Mix together thoroughly.

Heat a grill plate to high. Drizzle the canola oil over the octopus and mix together well. Pop the oil coated baby octopus onto the grill and cook, turning frequently, for about 3 minutes.

dd a A sparkling wine (champagne) cork to the water when cooking the baby octopus. It works to tenderise the octopus.

oll your lime R before juicing on your work surface. You will get more juice if you do.

Place the garlic, ginger, coriander stems, leaves as well as the salt in the food processor.

Sprinkle the finely sliced red chillies to the bowl. Add the finely diced shallots, and the finely chopped herb mixture of basil, mint and coriander into the large bowl.

To finish off the recipe, put the grilled baby octopus into the large bowl with the noodle mixture and toss to combine. Your Spicy Baby Octopus with Noodles is now ready to serve.

prinkle S fried shallots (available in most supermarkets) over the completed dish for a little extra crunch.

JULY 2015

Tweed clears and fishing fires THE TWEED

David Solano

I’ve been whingeing and moaning about the condition of the water and how bad the river

has been fishing lately. Just recently though, a group of keen fisho mates got together for a private bream comp. I was feeling pretty confident of a top 2 finish as there were only 2 boats in it with 3 on each

The river is fishing really well at the moment and is in very good nick.

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boat, however, there was a bit of contention about the rules. I thought it was just like the ABT — the 5 biggest fish win — but we’ll talk more about that later. The other boat headed to the seaway, while we stopped at the Blue Hole. We used the same team technique all day — 1 person with a 1/40oz hidden weight jighead with a Z-Man tied on, as with this lure we could gently float it down the rocks, tempting fish to strike it on the drop. The next person had a 1/8oz jighead, same lure, but with the extra weight. We dead stick this lure on the bottom pretty much where the sand and rocks meet, while the third person had a deep diving hardbody to run across the rocks. We started catching fish pretty much straight away on all the lures. Mind you, the first thing I noticed was the bream were spawning, and second they were all a nice size so we’d take a photo of them on the ruler and release them back into the river. We left the Blue Hole and headed to Morgo’s Wall — the rock wall going from the caravan park at Chinderah right down to where the pub is. Here I experienced the best bream session ever. We found the heavy 1/8oz jig was working the best, but gee at 1 stage we had a couple of triple hookups — just crazy stuff. We were sure we’d beaten our mates, but there was just as much yelling and

screaming from their boat as ours, so they had to be getting into them too. I kept looking in our live well, as I’d not seen a bag, well not 1 that I’ve been involved in, that big. Our smallest was 33cm to the fork, the biggest 37 — now that’s pretty rare on the Tweed. When we got back to Kennedy Drive, the boys pointed out there was a

Dave again, with a couple of nice ones.

Craig Costigan, Wayne Van Den Broeck and friend with a nice haul of bream. change in the rules and it was whoever had the most legals in the live well would win. Say what? We’d kept 5, but they had over 20. They swore that they’d yelled the new rules out over the water. I looked at my teammates who were laughing so much. All good fun, though the

best was letting these big fish go in front of a lot of astonished people… “Why are you letting them go?” they asked. One old fella offered me a fiver for a fish, so I gave him 2 for nothing. The river is in great shape and the fishing’s the

best I’ve seen, with the walls working well for tailor and bream. I’m also catching trevs, whiting, and some nice size flathead are starting to show in the upper reaches. All these fish were caught on Z-Man and Diztek shallow divers, so get out there and get into ’em.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Fishers get snagged jagging on North Coast Recreational fishers are reminded that jagging is an illegal method of catching fish, following a number of incidents at The Bream Hole Sanctuary Zone at Lennox Head, Cape Byron Marine Park. Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Supervising Fisheries Officer, Ian Stockton, said this illegal fishing activity often coincides annually with The Bream Hole filling up with schooling mullet. “Jagging – or foul hooking of fish – is the illegal use of any instrument intended to catch fish otherwise than through the mouth,” said Mr Stockton. “Unfortunately we have had to take enforcement action against a number of people caught jagging in the past few weeks.” In December 2014, the temporary amnesty allowing recreational fishing in The Bream Hole Sanctuary Zone ceased and enforcement of sanctuary zone rules recommenced. Jagging not only causes

unnecessary suffering to the fish that are jagged but the hook can rip through the entire school and harm a significant number of fish with each cast and strike. Mr Stockton said fisheries officers will continue to target this type of illegal activity. “Fisheries officers will undertake regular patrols of the sanctuary zone and

individuals caught doing the wrong thing will be fined,” Mr Stockton said. “A person may be fined up to $2,750 for jagging a fish and up to $55,000 for fishing in a sanctuary zone.” Recreational fishers are encouraged to use the Cape Byron Marine Park Users Guide and the NSW Recreational Saltwater Fishing

Guide, available from DPI Fisheries Offices, most tackle shops or online at www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au Anyone with any information about illegal fishing or suspected illegal fishing should contact the Fishers Watch phoneline on 1800 043 536 or online at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/ fisheries/compliance.

Jagging not only causes unnecessary suffering to the fish that are jagged but the hook can rip through the entire school and harm a significant number of fish with each cast and strike.

Rain stays away and the fish come out to play BALLINA

John Goodwin

Well the weather gods have looked over the north coast of NSW and Richmond area, and kept any major rain away. The river is looking better and better with every outing, and the offshore reefs are loving the result of the early flush out before winter really kicked in. The mullet have started to school up on all the beaches from Black Rocks north of Brunswick, all the way down to the Clarence River. Consequently, the mulloway have been in good numbers around most headlands and breakwalls. One thing with these silver ghosts is if you aren’t putting in the time you’ll never experience a real mulloway. Most hard-core chasers will fish odd hours and some extreme weather, but these are the guys who are coming up with better results than average anglers. Trying to get information

out of these guys is hard at the best of times, so documenting everything you do (and they do) in a diary is a start, but you have a long road ahead. Moon and tide play a part with all fishing, and my favoured time is 4 days before and 4 days after the full moon, but everyone is different. These are when I get better results, and try never to fish alone on breakwalls or headlands, as it’s a risky game when landing a big fish. Tailor have turned up in some numbers and a few have been big — critters up to 3-4kg have been taken from some headlands. Early morning and late afternoon have been the better times. Casting metal slugs and poppers is a great way to fish for them and you don’t go home smelling like a pilchard, but then nothing can beat a bonito strip on gang hooks at night off a beach. Bream have been holding in great numbers around the Bream Hole and both breakwalls. Some have

Chris Doust, owner of Suffolks Outdoor Sports, with a quality offshore mulloway.

even hit the 45cm mark, and bream this big on light gear are great sport. Better tides of late have been the last few hours of the run-out and the next few hours of the run-in, but some anglers chasing them on lures have found the top of the incoming and first hour of the run-out better when fishing deep with plastics and blades. Luderick have taken off around North Creek and Porpoise Wall, so finding a spot at Prospect Bridge some days can be hard. Finding good weed can also be tricky, but trying to find out what weed the fish want on the day can do your head in. On days after a little rain they’ll eat yabbies fished on light sinkers, but of late it’s all been weed fished under floats. Getting the right sinker weight can be tricky, as they don’t like any resistance when taking off with a bait. Flathead fishing has

Dom with a good red caught on plastic in 80m of water. been good up from the ferry crossing, but the size of the fish has been lacking, so searching for a feed of these guys has been tough, although worth it. As the weather cools, many will be found in shallow water. Drifting sandflats with

The headlands have been fishing well for chopper tailor.

Luke Radnell with a solid king that ate a softy aimed at a red.

whitebait or frogmouth pilchards can be a smart way of finding better fish. If bait isn’t your thing, then casting 3” plastics will see you getting results as well. Offshore has seen the snapper take off. They’re not the biggest fish, but better eating size around the 2-3kg mark. Kaos, South Reef, North Ground and Redans have had good numbers, with the odd bigger one thrown in. Even the odd amberjack has shown up. Fishing with plastics in this shallow water can be fun and pretty productive. Not using the biggest jighead can play in your favour, as the lighter the weight, the more you’ll be bit on the drop. Fresh bait like yakkas, squid,

and silver trevally strips on a snell rig will always out-fish a pilchard, but in saying that, the humble old pillie does put red fish in the icebox. The deeper water is where I’ve seen the better snapper coming from, and in greater numbers too. This is where float lining comes into its own over dropper rigs during daylight hours. Cobia will start to show with the migration of the whales, so getting live baits at the start of any fishing trip is a good idea and will put you in with a better chance. Places that hold plenty of bait, and reefs that are like an oasis in the middle of nowhere are always the

place to start. These are like magnets for cobia, but being a reef in the middle of nowhere will also hold kingfish, mulloway and snapper. Some people will call a hooked cobia for a shark when first sighted, so never break the ‘shark’ off until it’s boatside. In some cases, when the hooked fish comes up it will bring a friend with it, so always having a live bait rigged up and ready. • If you’re after any additional information about the area, give us a call at Suffolks Outdoor Sports in Lismore, as we fish regularly and can point you in the right direction.

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Someone’s flicked the switch goodbye. Last year we were still catching macks in July, but that seems highly unlikely this year, with mackerel catches completely drying up over the last month. The positive side to that story though, is that the more winter dominant species have really hit the ground running. Luderick have been well and truly playing the winter game, with exceptional catches in both number and size occurring throughout the Coffs area. You don’t need a secret location, as any of the

COFFS HARBOUR

Stephen Worley worleybirdfilms@hotmail.com

Unlike 2014, it feels like we are going to get a proper winter this year. With some already chilly conditions experienced during the last couple of months, we have already seen a distinct change in the weather as well as the piscatorial climate. The summer mackerel and tuna left without so much as

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local breakwalls and headlands will be holding good schools of fish. Try anywhere that has good patches of their favourite green weed and you’ll find them. The headlands and walls have been producing good numbers of tailor, also of a decent size. Metals and hardbody lures are the best way to cover ground, but in the wash or off the beach a pilchard will always be hard for a tailor to resist. Last year was 1 of the first in many that the tailor schools seemed to feature more than the salmon. Let’s pray that continues this winter. We can expect schools of salmon to still be working the beaches and inshore reefs, but hopefully the washes remain the domain of the tailor, as well as the larger schools we saw on the beaches last year. That brings back fond memories as a kid following dad along the beach chasing the diving birds and catching good tailor every few casts. Those schools seemed to have been replaced by schools of salmon in recent years, but with a bit of luck the tables are turning once again. The Dave Irvine Memorial Snapper Classic has done a little table turning of its own, with a shift in date and venue.

Due to the recent closure of the Deep Sea Fishing Club and given its uncertain future at the time, the Classic has made the move to the Coffs Harbour Yacht Club and will be running from August 21-23. This catch-and-release event, with the aim of promoting sustainable fishing, is always a great tournament. Holding it in August should produce better snapper fishing and milder weather. For more info and entry forms, head to their Facebook page at www. facebook.com/snapperclassic The snapper fishing has also benefited from the distinct change in seasons this year. The larger snapper are starting to head closer to shore and

Luderick have certainly been on the chew this last month. Dayne Taylor had some fun on the wand with a green weed fly at the marina.

That winter look of clear water and a big snapper lit up with bright blue spots and fins. Paul Pallet caught this fish that was clearly in full show-off mode.

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are congregating around the shallow gravel beds. This time of year is perfect for the kayaker and small boat angler. Good reds can be found in close and we get a lot of calm weather days in which to get out and enjoy the Coffs’ winter. The downside with all the fishing being in close is that it tends to concentrate everyone around the same areas. For those with the capabilities, now is the time to head towards some of the great beach launching locations we have in this area. Get out and explore

an area you’ve never fished before. Even though you still get people complaining about crowds up here, there’s no denying that compared to the big cities we are pretty much fishing alone. Even if there are a few people around, it’s relatively easy for us to get out of town and find somewhere to ourselves. I’ve set myself a little goal this winter to only fish locations I haven’t tried before. A new location every session makes for interesting fishing, as you try and nut out a new

river, headland or reef. It also gets you out and into areas you may not have seen otherwise and hopefully places that not many others tend to go to either. You needn’t travel far. There are plenty of places within 15 minutes of my house that I have never fished before, but know are top spots. They just haven’t made it to the top of the list. Whether you’re fishing a new location or the trusty old secret mark, I hope you get onto some fish and enjoy winter 2015.

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JULY 2015

Cold, but the fish are enjoying it SOUTH WEST ROCKS

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I had a customer in the shop say to me that if you can’t catch a fish at the moment

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probably not too far from the truth. We are blessed with a vast array of winter species in the Macleay Valley, and generally speaking these fish are in good numbers for those anglers keen enough to get out and give it a crack. The ocean has been up and down like a yo-yo recently, but thankfully there have been plenty of land-based options for when the seas have been too uncooperative to venture offshore. Rock fishermen are getting amongst a solid run of big tailor, with an average catch size of 2kg fish being quite common. If bled and handled properly, they make a great feed when eaten within a day or 2 of capture. If eating tailor is not your thing, they make great bait for just about every saltwater fish known to man. Bigger metal lures, stickbaits and poppers are accounting for the better class of fish. The odd straggling longtail tuna and even a few kingfish are making for exciting bycatch when fishing from the stones using these lures. Big bream and salmon are inhabiting most of the headlands, and have been especially thick when they are holding up around them at night. Mulloway are present also, however, spinning for them with large minnows and big soft plastics will be more effective, as most baits will not last 2 minutes on the bottom amongst the current population of bream. Drummer and groper catches are becoming more frequent out of the washes when a good berley trail is established. When the weather has allowed it, the offshore fishing has been pretty good. Cod are coming in from out past the continental shelf, with the current playing along most of the time. Kingfish are out on the deep reefs and wrecks, as are blue eye trevalla and John dory. The reefs out in the 50-70m zones have been a

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hive of activity, with a number of big mulloway being caught amongst all the standard winter species like snapper, pearl perch, Venus tusk fish and pigfish. Bait fishing, jigging and soft plastics are all getting results from this region. Fish Rock has been its typical hit-and-miss self, with plenty of kingfish present, but not always playing the game. Downsizing your jigs is improving catch rates and also brings snapper into the equation whilst fishing this area. For those chasing shallow water snapper, Black Rock and most of the bait reefs have been holding reds, as well as an abundance of live bait species. Whiting are on the beaches in fair numbers and are of a quality size. Fish like this are normally found in the river up around Smithtown at this time of year, lurking in the

There is always somewhere protected around here. It was 20kts with 10’ seas on the other side of the headland.

Quality tailor like these are everywhere at present. deeper holes. Perhaps recent flood activity has flushed them out of the river and onto the beaches. Hopefully they will be available right through winter. Big mulloway and flathead are having a field day on the population of spawning fish in the Lower Macleay, as they do every year at this time. Fishing during slack tides and looking for areas where the flow of the river deviates and

bait might school up will aid you in catching them. It is hard to go past large live baits when targeting these species in the river, especially if you want to catch a big model. Blackfish have entered the local creeks and the main river in a way not seen for a while this year — much to the delight of many local anglers and tourists alike. Kilo-plus fish have been quite common

from all areas, with the majority of fish seeming to fall for artificial weed flies made from ice dubbing and fished under floats in the traditional manner. Using a paternoster, still under the float, but with synthetic weed on 1 hook and the real thing on the other, is a good way of broadening your chances, as on some days these fish can be very temperamental.

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No place for princesses COFFS GAME

Glen Booth

So it’s winter again. Short, cold days, even colder nights, and the game fishing enthusiasm is certainly on the wane — if it still exists at all! Most of us are in lockdown mode, gradually prepping gear for the season ahead, or re-stocking the freezer with reef species that make a nice change from the mahi and mackerel of summer.

Aside from Mad March and the first weeks of April, the Coffs game fishing season didn’t really amount to much. The incredible blue marlin bite that seemed to roll on and on saved it for many, and some boats had their best seasons ever on the line burners. It was also very good for the tackle trade, with replacement line in big demand and numerous skirted heads going to that big lure roll in the sky. This is not to write winter game fishing off

Work has finally commenced on the dreadful Coffs boat ramp. Will it save the day? We await the end result with interest…

here altogether though, but the weather remains the dominant factor. If it’s good enough to go, no matter what the weather map says there’s always a sou’ wester blowing in the morning. If the predictions are promising, by mid to late morning it should be dropping out, so tolerable if you’re mostly travelling with it. Of course we’re relying on the BoM to get it right here, but if you’re still getting flogged out over the shelf by 1.00pm, it’s clear you’ve been dudded once again. Alternatively, it does abate just in time for the run home, which is delightful but incredibly frustrating. (And watch out for migrating whales in the sun as you head for the coast at this time of year too — they have a bad habit of popping up unannounced.) The longliners offer the best clue as to what’s happening out wide. Just because they unload here doesn’t mean their tuna/ swordfish or whatever were necessarily caught locally, with the fish conceivably coming from anywhere

Watch out for these buggers while running home into the sun of an afternoon. Hard to miss when performing like this, when in stealth mode they can be mighty difficult to spot.

The hot blue marlin bite in March saved the Coffs’ game fishing season from being a fizzer. between the Tweed and Forster. Close inspection of the water temperature charts will help define the search area and maybe determine the overall viability of the mission. Aside from the occasional flurry, it’s been years since there’s been anything resembling a yellowfin bite along the shelf, or anyplace accessible by small boats. These days it usually happens outside that mythical 154° line, which is where countless sicklefinned yellowfin jump and play, marlin tail on the surface in droves… and it all lies about 40 miles too far off Coffs. Ditto for inshore striped marlin in 50-70 fathoms. Old time game fishers in town talk wistfully about this inshore aggregation of tailing fish, baitballs and multiple hookups. While that bite certainly hasn’t eventuated since I’ve lived here, the brief September 2014 chew was pretty amazing for those who tapped into it. Meanwhile, we north coasters watch on again with envy as the southern bluefin season may or may

not unfold within range of small boats down south. On a strong migration year Smoky Cape seems to be the U-turn point for the species. They’re not completely unheard of in Coffs’ waters though. Over a decade ago back, a longliner had the best trip

ever on ‘bigeye’ tuna, only to be told as he unloaded that they were in fact SBT, for which he didn’t have quota… uh-oh. Then the next day when word got around town amongst the game fishers that the bluefin were here, they were gone again…

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Getting your winter fishing fix THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

It seems that every time I write this report we have another wet weather event, and no doubt we have had enough flushes in the rivers lately to last us a little while. THE LOCAL RIVERS The river fishing for those who have got out on the water recently has been quite productive, with mulloway being caught on a regular basis. Prime spots have been both the north and south walls on the Hastings. The same can be said for Camden Haven, with a steady stream of fish coming from the wall at Laurieton. The most productive method has been throwing lures, and

hardbodies or soft plastics are the go. As the majority of the fish have been around 70cm to a metre in length, the gear has been a little lighter than your average breakwall tackle, with 10kg braid and 15kg leaders being sufficient. That is until you hook Mr Unstoppable, and then you wish you had the big gear! The bream should continue to make our winter days fun, with some great sport to be had fishing in the deep water. Some of our best action comes in July, with my favourite technique being working vibration blades. I’m sure most anglers have become acquainted with these incredible lures, as they have been mainstream for a while now, but if you haven’t, then now is the time to try them.

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Local Port Macquarie lure maker Ed Studman from Koolabung Lures makes 1 of my favourites. They are the X-Ray Blade and the X-Ray Prawn Blade, which are polycarbonate and have a slightly different ‘vibe’. Probably subtler than your metal variety, it pays to have some of both styles, as it can make a difference to a day’s fishing. Also, the soft vibes being produced now are an exceptional product and very realistic. To use these blades for winter deep water fishing is pretty easy, as the vibration from the lure will let you know it is working. The main thing is getting it to the bottom and varying your retrieves. If you start with small hops and pauses in between, I think you will be able to get the picture pretty quickly. Best locations are downstream towards the river entrance and back to Settlement Point Road near the boatshed. When using vibration lures, you will be happily surprised with the variety of species that will get in on the act, so enjoy. Over the last month or so I have been enjoying the fishing in Lake Cathie with the kayak, and this body of water is still 1 of the best places to ’yak in Port Macquarie’s local area. Since being open to the sea, the lake has not disappointed, and a couple hours either paddling or pedalling will see you into some good fish. Most of my recent trips have been spent trolling little hardbody lures and then occasionally picking a bank and casting plastics. Most trips have resulted in good catches of flathead and bream, and this should continue in July. This

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waterway lends itself to kayaking or wading, as it is mainly shallow, and while the middle of winter might not be the best time to wade it, yakking is certainly a fun way to spend a few hours. Lake Cathie also is a great place to bait fish of an evening from the banks, from the bridge to the opening at the beach. Just grab some worms or nippers and you can have an entertaining session in

Danielle Blanch with one of several kings taken on live bait at Trag Rock.

This time of year is great for deep water breaming, as Steve and Dan Marsh discovered. this area. OFFSHORE Recent reports from offshore have been very promising, with boats from Laurieton catching nice reds from the grounds just

an estimated 280kg blue marlin take a live yakka intended for kings. It gave them a few great leaps before it realised it was hooked and managed to break the leader. That is

prawns or cunje and you should experience some action. Just remember, pea size sinkers and 1/0-3/0 hooks is all you need. If you go too heavy it will see you in wirrah land and

Chris Blanch with a mulloway (also known scientifically as Blanch’s false teraglin) caught while live baiting. north of the entrance. The majority of fish have been coming from 15-40m out, and mostly in the 2-4kg range. There have also been a few up around 7kg, which are great fish in anyone’s boat. Off Port Macquarie, Danielle and Chris Blanch had a memorable trip to Trag Rock, with the guys catching kingfish, trag and mulloway. As a bonus, they had the excitement of

the great thing about going to the effort to get live bait; everything loves them and anything can happen! ROCK AND BEACH The drummer have started to show up in catches lately, with some good fish being taken from the local headlands, and there is still plenty of bream around too. Find a spot with a bit of wash, berley the area with some bread and old bait, then flick around peeled

that’s not good. Beach reports have been quiet, as conditions have meant you need to find a sheltered corner to fish, as swell and current has been a nightmare. However, things will turn and the weather will settle, making the beaches worth a look for salmon, tailor and mulloway. For the moment, try the sheltered beaches, as you can still get a few tailor and bream in these corners.

The cold brings out the best FORSTER

David Seaman dseamo@bigpond.com

With the winter transition complete, it’s time to focus on close-in snapper, rock blackfish, and the big bream left in the lake. The recent BETS bream comp held at Forster was a good indication as to the quality of the bream fishing still available to the average punter. A winning bag of 5.6kg was outstanding, as were the following placegetters’ bags of 5 bream.

of lures, they are suckers for a prawn or yabby bait drifted down the face of the racks and wash boards. Cranka Crabs have been a sensational lure for the bigger fish, as have the Gulp Crabby in camo colour. The secret in fishing the racks for bream is to develop a habit of patience, leaving the lures to rest as you would a bait. Too fast a retrieve and the bigger fish don’t get an opportunity to shake off their caution and take the lure. Try fishing slower and the bites will come. The racks behind Bandicoot and Regatta

What winter is all about for the rock anglers; rock blackfish are thick and big in the early parts of winter. The initial signs indicate it is going to be a cracking season. The leases close to the bridge and the bridge itself are holding good fish and while they can be a little shy

islands have held some monster bream that are difficult to stop once hooked, and leave tackle

a tangled mess. From all reports the weed flats south of Snake and Booti islands still have some decent bream and flathead cruising them. Prawn style lures bounced along the bottom are the go-to for the flathead, while the bream and snapper are keen for 3” minnow or grub soft plastics. A shallow diving 3B Fat Dog or Chubby is another option if you need a bit more casting practice. A slow roll with an occasional twitch is perfect. For the most part you have to seek out the fish in the lake over winter, with some areas seemingly devoid of life, so it is a matter of being active. One spot that surprises me each winter is the extensive sand and weed flats at the mouth of the Wallamba River, where it’s often possible to bag out on legal flathead. As the water is relatively shallow, it pays to fish it on an incoming tide. The breakwall is still fishing well for big bream and school mulloway, with the occasional decent tailor and salmon spicing up the mix. I heard of another snapper, this one 3kg, coming from the Tuncurry wall, so don’t be surprised about what you catch. A healthy southerly and rough water is a good time to fish for pigs from the ends of the walls and it can be done relatively safely. Cooked prawns, a light sinker drifted around the wash, and you’re in with a chance. Many of the mulloway taken on the walls have been between 3 and 8kg, but remember the 70cm minimum length before you sink a gaff into any. I saw a guy pin 2 fish with a gaff, only to measure them and throw them back. Winter has to be my favourite time for rock fishing, with the winter run of bream, pigs and solid tailor getting about. A recent study has shown the rock

blackfish is a slow growing and maturing fish (like bream), which has some anglers concerned about their impact on the species. Considering there is no real commercial effort and always another year class coming through, I don’t have any concern taking a few of these delicious, hard fought and won fish. The start of the pig season has been great, with plenty of big fish around to test your tackle, and heaps of plate size to satisfy the family. The beaches are good for an early morning or evening bite, but are largely deserts through the day, except for dart and the odd bream. Finding a formation on the beach is the best chance you have of discovering the fish, or fishing the rocky ends of the sandy strips. The cold mornings are worth braving for a good feed, and don’t forget, when the seas allow, a spot of squid fishing over the kelp and weed beds is worth it.

Juvenile blue groper seem to be everywhere around the broken rocky headlands, and it is fine to take the occasional fish. Remember, the big male blue groper are like a big flathead and really should be released.

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around 38-40cm in length. Some better specimens to 4kg have also been caught. Some spectacular fish to over 9kg have been snared in the nets with the mullet unfortunately. The big fish are still around; you just have to be in the right place at the right time. The southern end of Crowdy Beach has fished quite well for bream on worms, pipis and mullet strips when the seas are down. July is the last month when a bag of bream is the reward for spending a few hours around the top of the tide (in often freezing conditions), on the river wall at Harrington. There is always action around the rocks at this time. It may be drummer or groper on bait, or tailor on lures. On

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In July we see the end of the bream schooling along the wall, the black drummer spawning in the last couple of weeks at Crowdy Head, and the tailor move on. Bream are usually plentiful until the last week of July, and then most of them move up-river. How far depends on how much fresh water comes down. Usually there isn’t much rain in August, September and October, and the bream can be right upstream to below the falls by November. If the drummer spawn on time, then there will be

July and some are around until Christmas. The weather over the past month and a half has been particularly nasty at times. There have been big seas, pelting rain and south to south east winds to 50kts. Not much good for outside fishing and difficult for beach and rock angling too. ESTUARY Harrington has experienced a very good bream run this year and most anglers were able to score a feed of fish on every trip. Mullet was the best bait to use, followed by bonito, yabbies and prawns. The bream were of a good size, with the best going 200g over the kilo. Luderick have moved into the river and the harbour at

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Young Paris with a whopping 44cm fork length bream caught in the Manning on a lure. good fishing from the rocks at Crowdy Head. Hermit crabs, cunjevoi, bread, prawns and yabbies will all take fish, especially if a little bit of berley is used. The rising tide to full is the best time. Tailor have been difficult to predict for the past 15 years. Sometimes there will be no tailor until Christmas and then the little choppers will arrive in the thousands. Other times the small choppers start to arrive at the end of

Crowdy Head. Some good stories of big, bronzed fish have come in from those fishing the wharves with weed baits. The flathead have been scarce in the lower parts of the river, but those fishing well upstream with bait have been scoring. BEACH AND ROCK Despite the rain, wind and big seas, some nice catches of tailor, salmon and school mulloway to 12kg have been taken. The tailor have been better than chopper size too — up

the beaches we will see the last of the tailor and also salmon to provide a bit of sport. OFFSHORE It has been hard work for the boaties over the past month, but when they were able to get out to sea, small snapper, trag and eastern blue spot flathead made up the majority of the catch. It should be better in July, with more settled weather allowing the boats to stay out longer and fish after dark. JULY 2015

Skinning mackerel fillets CAIRNS

Garry Smith garrysmith@fishingmonthly.com.au

Mackerel is a great fish to catch and eat, but one of the big challenges with this species is skinning the fillet. Filleting mackerel has pretty well become the norm from the days of slicing the whole body crossways into steaks. The flesh stays moist and offers a lot more cooking options to the age-old mackerel steak.

putting the word out to all my fishing buddies. Firstly, fillet the mackerel either using Lynn’s method or any other that gives you two large, long, fillets per fish. Lay the fillet longways in front of you with the skin down and cut it perpendicular to the lateral line in whatever lengths suit your purpose. I like pieces around 25cm, as they fit nicely into the 28cm vacuum-sealed, food saver bags or cut rolls. You will need a knife with a blade that has a straight

Cut down and slightly out to the right, increasing the angle of the blade, as you get closer to the skin.

JULY 2015

came to the rescue one day when he mentioned a great new method he had learned from a neighbour and fishing buddy in Bundaberg. I was onto it in a flash and the very next mackerel that made it to my filleting table got the new skinning treatment. It worked a treat and I have been skinning mackerel this way ever since, and

Cut right out through the fillet, close to the skin.

Lynn Bain, FM’s ‘Iron Chef’, wrote a great feature on filleting mackerel, titled ‘Filleting long slender fish’, which ran in a 2012 issue of the magazine. The link to Lynn’s article on the Fishing Monthly website is http://www. f i s h i n g m o n t h l y. c o m . au/Articles/Display/ 13581-Filleting-longslender-fish. 42

The two issues faced when skinning mackerel are; the skin is so soft that it is extremely easy to cut though by accident due to the lack of scales, and the bloodline gives the flesh a much stronger smell when cooking and flavour when eating it. My wife can’t stand fishy smells when cooking strong flavoured fish or any sign of bloodline, so it has always been a challenge to process fish that will make it into her kitchen. My brother-in–law

cutting edge at least the length of the cut pieces. My ideal skinning knife is a ham-slicing knife, stocked by some tackle stores and most specialist knife stores like King of Knives. Place the cut section in front of you with the lateral line perpendicular to your shoulders and carefully position the skinning knife

Position the skinning knife just to the right of the centreline of the cut fillet.

Continue laying the blade over until it is parallel with the skin.

You will be left with a beautiful clean slab of mackerel flesh, with no bone, skin or bloodline.

just to the right of the centreline of the cut fillet. Your left hand holds the fillet still on the left side of the blade. Cut down and slightly out to the right, increasing the angle of the blade, as you get closer to the skin. This cutting action will follow the bloodline down. By the time the blade gets to the skin, the cutting edge is

about a third of the way to the outside edge of the fillet. Continue laying the blade over until it is parallel with the skin and cut right out through the fillet, close to the skin. You will be left with a beautiful clean slab of mackerel flesh, with no bone, skin or bloodline. Turn the cut fillet around and repeat the

operation on the other side of the bloodline. The fillet is often harder to hold with one side of flesh already removed, so a fork can be used, instead of fingers, to hold the skinned side of the fillet steady while skinning the other side. The left over bloodline and skin makes great berley, or can be used as reef fishing bait if desired.

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The 48th Sydney International Boat Show The Sydney International Boat Show is more than just a ’shop window’ for the boating industry; it has become a vital entertainment component on the annual events calendar for the harbour city and lays claim to being a worldrenowned exhibition of recreational boating. Owned and organised by the Boating Industry Association (BIA), the first boat show was held in 1968 and is on track to be celebrating its 50th edition in 2017. The Sydney Show is collocated between the Sydney Exhibition Centre at Glebe Island and Cockle Bay Marina in Darling Harbour. A member of the prestigious International Federation of Boat Show Organisers (IFBSO), it has rightly won a reputation on the world stage as one of the leading recreational boating exhibitions. It regularly attracts in excess of 250 exhibitors and it has often drawn more than 60,000 visitors per show and boasts a record

JULY 2015

crowd of 93,501 back in 2004. The show is widely acknowledged as the largest and most important leisure boat exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere. Of course, while the five halls of the Sydney Exhibition Centre are packed with many millions of dollars’ worth of boats, engines, electronics, assorted boating accessories and equipment, the Sydney International Boat Show is also well known for its spectacular array of beautiful big boats on the floating marina in Darling Harbour. The importance of the show to the marine industry worldwide can be seen in the large number of international visitors it attracts. Industry leaders, trade delegations and boat and equipment manufacturers from the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, China, France, Malaysia, Germany, Taiwan, South Africa, Thailand, Belgium and Singapore can be seen mingling with the crowds. One such industry leader, Steve Heese,

President of legendary US boat manufacturer ChrisCraft, has described Sydney as his “favourite show.” Domenic Genua, Marketing and Event Manager for the BIA describes the exhibition’s primary objective, “Our overall aim is to deliver an exhibition of recreational boating for all who have any interest in this wonderful lifestyle. We want them to regard the show as an event that simply must be visited.” According to Mr Genua, the Sydney International Boat Show contributes 10% to the industry’s national annual turnover. “The Sydney International Boat Show is a genuine focal point for the industry, where businesses come together to plan their future activities,” he explained. “For that reason alone, the sheer importance of the Sydney International Boat Show can never be overlooked or understated.” The Boat Show is designed around visitors’ wishes, delivering an event packed full of education, entertainment, knowledge

and to top it off, a touch of inspiration. This year the show will include the Boating Safety Education Zone, put together with Transport for NSW’s Maritime Management Centre and Roads and

Maritime Services. This precinct will be the go to location for people to find all the answers they need about boating, and in particular, learn how safe boating is better boating. The MyBoatingLife.

com.au Entertainment Precinct will include an array of Master Classes on Fishing, Sailing, Cooking and Better Boating, with a special nostalgic surprise from eighties Cricketing Legend Lennie Pascoe

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The Sydney International Boat Show

COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR & SYDNEY EXHIBITION CENTRE @ GLEBE ISLAND

30th July - 3rd August 2015 | 10am - 8pm

that will prove to be enlightening, very funny and somewhat educational. After almost a year’s absence, Historic Boats will feature heavily in this year’s show which is sure to please visitors, and the sports enthusiasts will be able to get up close to some amazing sporting vessels. Show dates for this year are 30 July to 3 August, with both the halls and marina open from 10am until 8pm. Frequent, free ferry services will connect the two locations throughout the show. For more information, show updates or to buy

tickets on-line visit w w w. s y d n e y b o a t s h o w. com.au. Boating Industry Association of

JULY 2015

NSW & SA Ltd. EXHIBITORS There isn’t room in this magazine to discuss even half of the exhibitors at this year’s show, but here are a few that hold the most appeal for anglers. 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-formoney boating products, from car toppers to forward control boats. Ausmarine will be also releasing five new boat models: the 4.9m Bowrider

(pictured), 4.9m Cuddy Cabin, 4.9m Runabout, 4.9 Side Console and 4.3m Runabout. All have

modern walk-on transoms and are fully painted, and standard features include a transom door, deck wash, live bait tank and large cutting board. The Ausmarine Seatrail trailer range is continuing to grow, with a large range of trailers suitable from 2m hulls to 7.8m hulls. Ausmarine has just released three 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 exactly what you need – not to mention the

great boat show specials! The team have promised that their prices will shake up the competition. Garmin Garmin will have its full range of marine electronics on display at the Sydney Boat Show, from sonar/ chartplotter units, radars and communications right up to the ground-breaking Panoptix all-seeing sonar. Based on technology previously available only in the offshore commercial market, Garmin Panoptix lets you see all around your boat in real-time – forwards, backwards, sideways and down – even while stationary. It all adds up to incredible fish-finding power in freshwater, estuary, inshore and offshore. Garmin’s new GPSMAP 7400xsv series of premium multi-function displays will also attract plenty of attention. Boasting a vibrant widescreen display with full pinch-to-zoom touchscreen capabilities, the GPSMAP 7400xsv series comes in four sizes – 7407xsv, 7408xsv, 7410xsv and 7412xsv. With built-in features such as digital switching, weather, radar, thermal and IP camera visibility, the 7400xsv series also integrates Garmin’s premier sonar technology – traditional HD-ID sonar, true dual 1kW CHIRP sonar, CHIRP

GME Once again, leading safety and communications manufacturer GME will attend the Sydney International Boat Show, displaying their great range of products as well as some new releases. Two of the latest arrivals are the GX700 VHF Marine Radio and the versatile GX400. The GME GX700 VHF Marine Radio is a compact communication

use, the GX400 is equipped with dual speakers – one in the front panel and a second built into the waterproof speaker microphone. There’s be plenty of other releases to check out at the Show as well, so be sure to stop by stand 373 to see what’s on offer. Hobie Specialist water-sports manufacturer Hobie Cat has been reinventing the word ‘fun’ since the 1950s!

DownVü and CHIRP SideVü – to deliver the clearest scanning sonar on the planet. G a r m i n ’s nextgeneration echoMAP dv/ sv series combines HD-ID sonar and ClearVü sonar technology, detailed cartography and the most accurate GPS in its class. Aimed at freshwater, estuary and inshore anglers, the next-generation echoMAP dv/sv series comprises four models – 45dv, 55dv, 75sv and 95sv. Be sure to check out Garmin’s impressive range of marine electronics at the Show.

and safety device with innovative installation options. Waterproof to IPX7, the GX700 is the ideal communication tool for your boating lifestyle, whether you’re sailing inland waters or heading offshore. G M E ’s GX400 is a versatile marine communication tool featuring both 27MHz Marine Band and 27MHz Citizen Band transceivers in one unit. Built tough to withstand some of the harshest environments in the world, the GX400 is equally at home at sea or on land. For enhanced clarity and ease of

Now, over 60 years later, their range encompasses catamarans, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and accessories, which cater to all ages and levels of experience. Visit the Hobie stand at this year’s show to see a range of Hobie MirageDrive kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. The MirageDrive lets you power the kayak using foot pedals, driving two underwater flippers that work like a penguin’s webbed feet to propel the kayak with remarkable speed and leave your hands free for fishing, holding your camera or

The Sydney International Boat Show

COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR & SYDNEY EXHIBITION CENTRE @ GLEBE ISLAND

30th July - 3rd August 2015 | 10am - 8pm

even holding a drink. Also on display will be the Hobie Mirage Tandem Island. It’s a super fast, two-person kayak, also with the MirageDrive – and when you attach the included cross beams, floats and sailing kit, you and a partner will be flying across the water, powered by a roller furling, boomless mainsail. Always a favourite, Hobie will once again provide a huge highlight to the show. Blue Bottle Fishing Some of the key products available at the Blue Bottle Fishing stand this year are the range of Chiller Fish Bags, the Launch and Retrieve Boat Latch, Bubba

Blade Knives and the new RinseKit (a portable wash down device). The Chiller Fish Bags have been extremely popular since hitting the Australian market, and are a great alternative to an icebox. They are designed to store your fish catch in a hygienic environment, ensuring fresher, long lasting fish. The bags can hold ice for days due to the insulated 1/2” dense foam and the UV-resistant outer. They have flared bottoms so they stand up straight, and sizes range from the Micro (75cm length) all the way through to the Maxi (2m), for storing big bluewater speedsters. The bags have drain ports

for easy cleaning and can be folded after use for great storage. The RinseKit is also well worth checking out.

It’s a portable, pressurised shower that’s like having a garden hose in the field. With no pumping and no batteries, it fills in 20

BOAT SHOW BY THE NUMBERS 220+ Exhibitors across two venues 145+ Boats on the purpose-built marina 700+ Boats in the halls 24,800 Square metres of undercover hall space, full of exhibits. 1968 The year the first Sydney International Boat Show operated. This is the 48th Boat Show and the second that’s split between Glebe Island and Darling Harbour. 3,333,651 Number of visitors to the show since it started in 1968 (1968 to 2014). 55,000 Estimated number of visitors to this year’s show. 5000 Estimated number of people who prepare for and/or work at the show. 230,877 Number of registered boats in NSW, as of April 2015 495,203 Number of people that have a boat driver’s licence in NSW, as of April 2015. 800,000 Number of registered boats nationally. $5.5 Billion The value of the recreational marine industry in Australia. 28,000 The number of Australians employed in the recreational marine industry.

O U TLAW The MOST- WANTED model on the water! Stacer’s Outlaw range is available as a tiller steer, side or centre console and stand out on the water with smooth plate-look sides. Each model comes packed with nothing but the best fishing essentials – tough 3mm bottom sheets and side sheets, EVO Advance Hull, front and rear casting platforms.

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER FOR MORE INFORMATION. SYDNEY

ILUKA

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

2 A Charles Street, Iluka Phone (02) 6646 6106 ilukaboatshed@bigpond.com www.ilukaboatshed.com

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CAMDEN HAVEN MARINE 537 Ocean Dr, North Haven Phone (02) 6559 9344 enquiries@havenmarine.com.au www.camdenhavenmarine.com.au

IN TUNE MARINE

425 The Entrance Rd, Long Jetty Phone (02) 4333 3444 stacerboats1@aol.com www.intunemarine.com.au

THE ILLAWARRA

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

240 Shellharbour Rd, Warilla Phone (02) 4297 2888 sunsetmotors@bigpond.com www.sunsetmotorsandmarine.com.au

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HUETT MARINE CENTRE 1131 Pacific Hwy, Cowan Phone (02) 9456 1444 info@huettmarine.com.au www.huettmarine.com.au

JULY 2015

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NOW AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LEADING MARINE STORES OR CONTACT SAM ALLEN WHOLESALE FOR YOU NEAREST STOCKIST PH: 07 3902 7222 FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK sales@samallen.com.au – www.samallen.com.au

The Sydney International Boat Show

COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR & SYDNEY EXHIBITION CENTRE @ GLEBE ISLAND

30th July - 3rd August 2015 | 10am - 8pm

seconds, and is able to deliver pressurised spray for up to four minutes. It has a compact design and is packed with handy features, including a 2 gallon pressure chamber, built-in ruler to measure fish, folding handle for one-handed carrying, and easy-to-remove lid to stand on for changing. So come on down to Stand 216 and see Spiro and the friendly team for some great deals on their range of products. Sam Allen Wholesale Sam Allen Wholesale is now the exclusive distributor of ROCA, a leading brand in the marine industry. ROCA wipers have been proven in the toughest environments, and deliver quality at a reasonable price. Other Sam Allen exclusive brands include Relaxn premium seating and Gemlux friction hinges. New from Relaxn is the Cruiser Series, which debuted at SCIBS earlier this year, and which has been designed with comfort and quality in mind. Gemlux’s patented friction hinges eliminate the need for obtrusive gas struts or hatch springs; just open your hatch to any

desired angle and it stays in position. The hinges hold open hatches, live well lids,

with a short ram, perfect where space is limited on the transoms or in reverse

radio boxes and more. At the stand you’ll also see a display of Lenco trim tabs, electric actuators, switches and the new Auto Glide boat levelling system. Recently added to this range is the Reverse Mount Trim Tab, designed

if there is a swim platform. The actuator can be installed on the underside of a swim platform and doesn’t impede tab movement. The ballscrew design is more reliable, three times more powerful and features an instant response.

magic

To see all this and much more, head for the Sam Allen stand. Yamaha Motor Australia At this year’s Sydney Boat Show, Yamaha Motor Australia will be displaying their class-leading range of outboard motors and WaveRunners. Great finance and insurance options will also be available from Yamaha Motor Finance and Yamaha Marine Insurance, making it easy and convenient for customers to purchase at the show. The flagship engine for Yamaha in 2015 is the new F130A. This ground breaking engine has been designed almost exclusively for the Australian market and is suited perfectly for a huge range of boats in the 5-6m class. Featuring the latest lightweight innovations, responsive performance and incredible fuel economy, the F130A has taken the market by storm. Yamaha will also display the 2015 range of WaveRunners, featuring the most powerful and exciting Yamaha models ever produced. In addition to this, Yamaha has also launched their new RiDE controls – a dual throttle

system that allows the rider to decelerate and shift into neutral and reverse while maintain complete control. The new RiDE system is a huge leap forward in WaveRunner design. Yamaha Parts and Accessories At the Yamaha General Parts and Accessories stand (no. 418) you will see some excellent new yoke PFDs. They’re Australian Standards Approved (AS4758) and there are two models: a black model with a drawstring activated

gas canister (C02) with indication window, and a manual inflation version which comes in your choice of blue or red. Features include a lanyard attachment point, a whistle, neoprene collar, reflective tape, and an adjustable 38mm heavyduty waist strap. These PDFs have a contoured, slim fit design for complete freedom of movement. Hunts Marine Hunts Marine will again have a huge display of Quintrex aluminium, Cruise Craft and Whittley fibreglass boats on display at the Sydney International Boat show. New to the Quintrex range are the feature-packed Renegades. Hunts Marine will have one of every size at the show, as well as one of each configuration of tiller steer, side and centre console. Visitors can also check out the impressive 685 Cruise Craft Explorer Hardtop powered by the new 250hp Suzuki with fly by wire controls. A complete range of Whittley Cruisers as well as the 22 Sealegend fishing machine will also be there. In the meantime you can view the full Hunts Marine range of Quintrex,

Immerse yourself into boating It’s where the happens

Darling Harbour & Glebe Island 30 July to 3 August 2015

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At Aussie Boat Sales ACT/NSW we cater for all your fishing needs. From entry level Australian made Procraft packages to Offshore monsters in the Formosa alloy or Karnic fibreglass range of boats. With Honda Marine now boasting the best world wide warranty of 7 years and backed up with the choice of Tohatsu 2 stroke or 4 stroke we offer the best Japanese engines on the market. Every customer is important to us and every boat is customised to suit the individuals personal fishing needs. We also are dealers for Regal and Chris Craft Sports Boats and we do full rebuilds, new galvanised and aluminium boat trailers, re powers and fit outs on all boats including electronics upgrades. If you need finance we can also help you with the best rates available from Honda Financial Services as well as being able to deliver Australia wide. So if you would like the best customer service available ring us at Aussie Boat Sales ACT NSW today on 0433531226.

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COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR & SYDNEY EXHIBITION CENTRE @ GLEBE ISLAND

See us at the SYDNEY BOAT SHOW July 30th to August 3rd - Stand 403

www.ausmarine.biz for your nearest dealer

VISITOR INFORMATION Dates:................. Thursday 30 July to Monday 3 August

PH: (02) 9792 6000 F: (02) 9772 4858 E: sales@ausmarine.biz

Hours:................ 10am to 8pm for Halls and Marina Venue:................ Sydney Exhibition Centre at Glebe Island and Cockle Bay Marina, Darling Harbour, Sydney Ticket Prices:.... $21 - Adults $49 - Family (2 Adults and 3 Children, 6-17 years) $13 - Children (6-17 years. Free entry 5 years and under) $30 - 2-day Guest Pass $40 - 3-day Guest Pass $15 - Aged Pensioners $19 - Seniors $5 - All tickets after 5pm

Alloy Boats

Bayliner, Whittley, Cruise Craft, and Smartwave boats packaged up with your choice of Suzuki, Yamaha and E-Tec motors at www. huntsmarine.com.au. TR Marineworld Once again exhibiting at Sydney International Boat Show, TR Marineworld will have a massive display to wow visitors. All the top brands will be represented, including Quintrex (National Dealer of the year 2014/2015), Crownline, Stejcraft, Camero ski boats, Supra and Moomba wake and ski boats. TR Marineworld has all the very latest models as well as some new releases for Australia. Ian Tricker from TR Marineworld said there will be some great deals on offer. “Our promise to you is that we won’t be beaten on price, quality or service,” he said. “Call in to see us and you won’t be disappointed.” More information on the range is available at www. trmarine.com.au. Aussie Boat Sales ACT/NSW Aussie Boat Sales ACT/

NSW pride themselves on catering for all fishing needs, from entry level Australian-made Procraft packages to offshore monsters in the Formosa alloy or Karnic fibreglass range. “With Honda Marine now boasting the best worldwide warranty of seven years, and backed up with the choice of Tohatsu 2-stroke or 4-stroke, we offer the best Japanese engines on the market,” said Jason Graham from Aussie Boat Sales ACT/ NSW. “Every customer is important to us and every boat is customised to suit the individual’s personal fishing needs. “We also are dealers for Regal and Chris Craft Sports Boats, and we do full rebuilds, new galvanised and aluminium boat trailers, re-powers and fit-outs on all boats including electronics upgrades. If you need finance we can also help you with the best rates available from Honda Financial Services as well as being able to deliver Australia wide.” To find out more have a chat to Jason at the Regal

Marine stand or call Aussie Boat Sales ACT/NSW on 0433 531 226. Blakes Marine Blakes Marine carries a wide range of boats and motors, and tailors packages to suit each customer’s wants and needs. Blakes Marine are the NSW distributor of Bar Crusher plate boats, with a range that includes hard tops, cuddy cabins, walkaround, side and centre consoles. Blakes also stocks Stacer, which boasts four models within seven ranges. These can be customised with either a Suzuki engine or Evinrude Etec, and you can choose from a wide variety of colours and stripes. For the fibreglass enthusiast, Blakes stocks Baysport Boats – the ‘Hyundai’ of the marine industry – which are Australian built for Australian conditions. And then there’s Chapparral, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of fibreglass boats. They have an extensive range of bow-riders to cabin cruisers to suit everyone’s needs, including the versatile H2O

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Size of Show:.... 5 Halls (24,800m2), 200+ exhibitors Marina - 145+ large vessels Activities:.......... MyBoatingLife Entertainment Precinct Historic Boat Display Boating Safety Zone Race Boat Wonders Fishing & Sailing Master Classes Cooking with Bart Classic Catches with slippery Len Pascoe Fashion through the ages

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JULY 2015

The Sydney International Boat Show

COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR & SYDNEY EXHIBITION CENTRE @ GLEBE ISLAND

30th July - 3rd August 2015 | 10am - 8pm

Ski and Fish bowrider. Come and see one of the friendly Blakes staff at stand 429 at the Show. Boab Boats Boab Boats provides a variety of fully-equipped, fuel-efficient vessels to hire for the day, weekend, week or longer – and there’s no better time to check them out than at the Sydney International Boat Show. There’s a large Centre Cab powered by a Honda BF150, a Sports Rider with a Honda BF135, a Kimberley All Rounder with a Honda BF75, a Runabout with a Honda BF40 and a Tinny with a Honda BF30. Jetskis will soon be available for hire as well from selected locations. The boats are fitted with quality marine electronics, safety gear and other essential equipment. They can come on a trailer ready for you to tow away or Boab can deliver to any destination. Boab Boat License Training has also expanded to many of their hire locations. You can do the online theory course at home, and when you’re ready Boab will give you time on the water to do the rest. Boab have over 22 locations Australia wide, and more info is available at www.boabboats.com.au.

Diamond Deck Diamond Deck is a non-slip, UV stable, durable closed cell EVA foam that won’t absorb water. It is manufactured to the highest of marine grade standards to insulate you in winter and reduce heat by up to 75% in summer, and its marine grade adhesive is waterproof and fuel resistant, with an easy peel-off backing sheet.

quality product, drop by their stand at the Show or visit www.diamonddeck.com.au. Good Times Marine Good Times Marine will be showing five boats in the Anglpro range, including the Sniper series and showcasing the all new TriXsta 48. TriXsta hulls are the great all-rounder with simple design features, super tough construction

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and good looks. Pick your size, option it to suit your style and go. A TriXsta will pull anything from a tube to a surfboard, and they’re a great all-purpose fishing platform and family beach hopping boat. Also at the Good Times

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Marine stand will be their range of Signature and Stesco boats, and they’ll be running a special on all Mercury repowers. The Haines Group The Sydney International Boat Show will again see a great range of product from The Haines Group. Visitors to the show can be guaranteed of a great representation of Suzuki products from a large

cross section of their valued Sydney Suzuki dealers. This year Suzuki Marine will be represented by four Sydney dealers and OEM boat builders across the show. Customers from across the state will be spoilt for choice with Suzuki products on display on the Hunts Marine, Blakes Marine Neken Marine and Northern Beaches Marine.

In addition to the Suzuki brand, The Haines Group flagship brand Signature Boats will be well represented on the Good Times Marine Stand, with 6 models on display. The Signature range will highlight an excellent cross section of boats from the Signature stable, all perfectly suited to the Sydney waterways and conditions, and will include the new 650F offshore fishing boat. The other models on display will be the 525F, 530SF, 535BR, 575F, 580BR. Whether it be Suzuki power for your boat or a complete package, The Haines Group has a product for you at the 2015 Sydney International Boat Show. Raymarine Raymarine’s fishfinding prowess is evidenced through their expanded range of multifunction displays and high performance sounder modules. There will be a host of new products on display at the Raymarine stand at the Show, including the CP470, the eS Series HybridTouch Multifunction displays and the DragonFly 4, DragonFly 5 and Wi-Fish models. The CP470 Sounder Module is Wide Spectrum, Dual CHIRP and 1kW/2kW compatible (transducer dependant), providing

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The Sydney International Boat Show

COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR & SYDNEY EXHIBITION CENTRE @ GLEBE ISLAND

30th July - 3rd August 2015 | 10am - 8pm

superb target separation and depth capabilities to 3000m. The new Airmar Wi d e b e a m CHIRP transducers are compatible with the CP470 and 4kW CP570. The all new eSSeries HybridTouch Multifunction displays are ideal for offshore fishing and compatible with the entire range of high performance CHIRP Sounder Modules and transducers. Raymarine is also showcasing the full DragonFly range, featuring the new DragonFly 4 and DragonFly 5 models, the only ones in their class to feature Dual CHIRP, WiFi and fully bonded screens for excellent visibility and non-fogging. Mercury The Mercury Marine stand at the Sydney Boat Show will have the best of everything Mercury, but two of the star attractions will be two brand new outboards: the Verado 350hp 4-stroke and Mercury

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Sydney International Boat Show Racing Verado 400R. The Verado 350hp 4-stroke is built on M e r c u r y ’s proven supercharged inline 6-cylinder Ve r a d o technology. It delivers uns urpa s s e d s pe e d and amazing overall performance without sacrificing the durability and cruise fuel economy for which Verado is famous. Testing has shown the Verado 350 provides up to 10% greater fuel economy than competitive outboards while being 56kg lighter than the nearest competitor. The Racing Verado 400R is the most powerful consumer outboard ever produced by Mercury. A new water-cooled supercharger enables the engine to generate unprecedented torque and unmatched acceleration all the way from the lower end of the power band up to the 7000rpm maximum engine speed. It’s all built on the proven 2.6L

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Verado platform, and all aimed at creating the perfect powerhouse to complement the latest generation of hulls. And these two engines are just the tip of the iceberg, with Mercury leading the way across the field – with MotorGuide electric trolling motors; outboards from 2.5hp 2-strokes to 400hp Verado supercharged 6-cylinder 4-strokes; MerCruiser and Mercury Diesel petrol and diesel inboard and stern drive engines up to 430hp, as well as jet drives and specialist racing engines producing up to 1650hp. Add to that the largest range of propellers in the world, brilliant inflatable boats, a massive range of parts and accessories, plus Mercury Finance and insurance, and you can see why the Mercury stand is a must-see at the Show. Quintrex The Sydney Boat Show will have all the latest and greatest Quintrex models on display this year, with huge stands planned for local Sydney dealers TR Marine World and Hunts Marine. One of the new releases on display will be the 610 Trident Hard Top, which offers customers a slightly more versatile and

affordable option while still incorporating all the features and strategic layout design of the larger Hard Top models. Constructed with 5mm marine grade aluminium bottom sheets and an underfloor rib structure, the 610 Trident HT is made to handle and manoeuvre through Australian waters and weather. Another must-see model is the new Top Ender and Hornet Trophy. The Top Ender Range has received upgraded thickness of bottom and side sheets for extra strength from the 430 to 510 models, as well as new premium carpet, a new console and new premium seat bases and pedestals. The new 2015 Hornet models now all feature the Fighter Series bow to improve stability at rest and increase internal storage room and the casting area. The addition of the Fighter Series Bow sees an 11% increase of size in the front casting deck across the entire Hornet Trophy range which also feature new premium, hook-less and heat resistant carpet. Stacer You can expect to see plenty of new Stacers on display at the Show this

year from some of Sydney’s favourite dealers, including Blakes Marine, Neken Marine and Huett Marine Centre. There will be all the Stacer favourites including the family-friendly Runabouts including Seaways and Bay Masters. You can also see some serious fishing rigs with a range of Assault Pros on display and the ultimate offshore boat – the Ocean Ranger Hard Top. Stacer National Account Manager Drew Jackson said the luxurious Bay Master runabout was always a popular choice at the Sydney Show. “There are plenty of different Bay Masters available from the 449 up to the 579 model, so there is one to suit almost everyone,” he explained. “They come complete with a huge range of standard features including underfloor storage, sounder, radio, bimini and envelope and folding lounge.” The Assault Pro is also set to draw the crowds, featuring a new hull shape with a sharper chine, sleek new gunwales and extra freeboard for excellent stability at rest. The Assault Pro is available in 449, 459, 489 and 519 sizes so there is one to suit everyone’s fishing style.

The Sydney International Boat Show 30th July - 3rd August 2015 | 10am - 8pm

COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR & SYDNEY EXHIBITION CENTRE @ GLEBE ISLAND

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Nothing like a fish to ward off the winter chill PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

Winter has really kicked into gear now, but the fishing is still great, with all the typical winter species about in good numbers. While crabs tend to be pretty tough going at this time of year, new rules have come into effect for the Port Stephens area, which has banned witches’ hats and brought in a maximum 32cm entrance width for traps. This means the common rectangular style collapsible crab trap will need the entrance width modified, and witches’ hats will also need to be altered to effectively become a drop net. Fisheries have a leaflet out on exactly how to do this, which is available through the tackle stores in Port Stephens as well as at the Fisheries office at Taylors Beach.

Tubes and Little Beach Jetty all firing. Green weed has been hard to come by lately, but there are plenty of areas around the ocean rocks holding cabbage on the low tide. Alternatively, a weed fly will also get surprisingly good results. Bream haven’t slowed down from last month and are still thick as thieves around the breakwalls, oyster racks and rock bars. Unweighted baits on the tide change are a deadly way to target them, or if you’re a lure fisherman, 2-3” soft plastics in the Gulp and Z-Man range will also do the trick. Shoal Bay moorings as well as the weed beds on the other side of the bay off Jimmys Beach are holding plenty of squid, with 2.5 sized jigs in natural colours performing best. Mulloway are another option in the bay at this time of year, particularly around the Corlette wreck,

the odd squire, with cunje or large peeled prawns being the best baits to use. Luderick will be stacked up this month in just about all the protected bays and coves from Fingal Bay through to Big Rocky, biting best on the top of the tide. If you’re after tailor, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting into a few by casting and retrieving a ganged pilchard or a 30-60g metal at dawn or dusk. The most consistent areas to try will be Tomaree and Box Beach headlands, as well as Sunny Corner. The beaches will also be working for tailor this month, especially around the Fingal Spit area, where you will also more then likely pick up a few salmon. July is typically one of the better months of the year for snapper, but it’s also when a lot of anglers struggle to drag themselves out of a warm

It’s a cracker of a month to chase quality bream around structure. few hours of light at this time of year is without a doubt the prime time for snappering, regardless of whether you’re bait fishing or throwing plastics. The best environment to focus on for reds will be edges of shallow reefs

in 10-20m of water around areas like Fingal Island, Broughton, and Edith Breakers. Yellowfin tuna should be something anglers with the boat range think about targeting this month, as last year plenty were

being taken by longliners working the edge of the shelf line. Unfortunately, very few rec’ anglers had a serious crack at getting amongst them while they were here, which is hopefully something that changes this year.

Yellowfin tuna should definitely be an option this month for those anglers with the boat range. Inside the estuary, it’s shaping up to be another cracker luderick season out of Port Stephens, with the various rock walls, Torpedo

Karuah bridges and Oyster Cove jetties. Off the rocks, drummer are active around the white water, as well as bream and

bed on a chilly morning just to be on the spot before the sun comes up. Those who do, however, will be rewarded, as those first

Shoal Bay’s moorings are one of the most consistent areas to catch squid in Port Stephens.

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Beaches are the best shot HUNTER COAST

Gary Earl earlybird13@optusnet.com.au

Well it’s finally got hard to get up in the mornings, with the temperatures plummeting into single figures and frost over everything.

along Stockton Beach. A few tailor have been around, but not in the numbers that we saw last year and not the quality size either. There are a lot of undersize tailor schools moving through at the moment, so hopefully by the time you’re reading this the tailor will be bigger and in better numbers.

past months has chewed up the beach and created gutters within walking distance of the Stockton Surf Club. Heading north is the best option, or try the hole behind Stockton Soccer Fields, as it gives up some nice fish during the day and on the rising tide. Offshore has been a

Tailor are showing up in schools, but a lot of them are undersize. Try trolling with 2” lures so only the bigger fish can grab them. Only hard-core fishos get out and ignore the weather, to do battle with the fish that are thankfully taking baits once again after a shocking 2-month period. The beaches and offshore have been the spots to be. The beaches, with the westerly at your back making for calm seas, are fishing quite well. Bream, school mulloway, flathead and flounder have all been turning up in catches through the day, and at night bigger mulloway have been taken in the gutters

Salmon are around once again and getting thicker by the year, making them the most caught fish at the moment. At least they take the boredom out of waiting for good schools of fish to come past and grab a bait. Worms and pipis have been slaying the bream, as have fillets of mullet cut into cubes. Fresh squid have been fooling the bigger mulloway, along with some very big flathead that were washed out of the estuaries a while back. The wild weather over the

wildcard, with massive swells battering the coast, so picking a day of calm weather will be the number 1 problem. Hopefully the wind from the west will calm the close offshore waters and it should be easy to fish the close reefs. Groper, big leatherjackets, the odd drummer and morwong have been taken, along with some really nice green-eyed squid. Use the head after dark for a chance at mulloway, or through the day for snapper and kingfish.

My favourite spot for the squid is Pines Reef and North Reef. The Marbles has been good for just legal squire — great for the table — the Dumping Grounds out from the sea baths have been giving up leatherjackets, and more squire mainly on the drift. The rocks should be firing now the cold water has gripped our region. Drummer and bream will be around the washes, and on rough days if you can find a safe spot, snapper should be there too. If it’s calm, try the small bays for squid, while leatherjackets are searching through the kelp beds, so a small prawn on light gear with no lead could get you a feed of these for the barbecue. Garfish are also holding over the kelp, so take a small float; they are great bait, or tasty when rolled in flour and deep-fried. The estuary is reviving after the severe floods, and the fish are slowly but surely moving back upstream. Ash Island and around Hexham have been fishing well at night for bream. Baits have been the best, and the fresher the better. The harbour itself is full of small undersize tailor, and the odd salmon. Try drifting the sand and mud flats along the Northern side of Kooragang Island for the flathead that are still working their way into the river. They will remain there as the water cools further, then they’ll shut down as it gets really cold. I think I can predict we are going to have very cold water this winter, as it’s cooling a lot faster than usual. Finding fish may become a problem, especially offshore. A mate of mine carries a thermometer at all times and actually stops and reads this instead of just relying on the gauge on his sounder unit. He has proven to me that there can be some insignificant differences in the readings that can make a real difference.

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Winter options abound SWANSEA

Jason Scerri jayro@hotmail.com.au

Yep, it’s a wee bit chillier these days to say the least. I must be getting softer as I get older, because old Jase is finding it hard to get out of bed and into the fish on some of these mornings lately. On the plus side, there are plenty of great fish on offer, so once you shake the winter chill whilst having a nice hot coffee before your trip, you shouldn’t have any problems finding a few quality fish around Lake Macquarie. If it’s a little sportfishing action you’re after, then you’re in luck. The annual salmon run

is as thick as ever, with thousands of fish entering the lake, and the number 1 spot once again is Salts Bay at the mouth of Swansea Channel. There are not only plenty available, but there are absolute cracking fish in the schools too. They provide hours of entertainment for the family and are a great way to get the kids into good fish. With the action so hot, they won’t get the chance to become bored, so get them into it and hopefully they will love the sport as a result. Now obviously the old salmon is not everyone’s cup of tea, but there is plenty of alternatives. Some good flathead are now back on the chew. During these cold months

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they are found deep, and a few lucky anglers will also manage to bump into the odd mulloway as bycatch when chasing these deepwater lizards. The key to finding these species is to first find the bait balls. At this time of year, that will usually mean finding the tailor schools. A good place to start is water 7-10m deep. The bait balls are very easy to locate on a quality sounder, and once found I suggest working soft plastics in the 4-5” range. As a rule, I prefer a paddle tail style plastic, and make sure you are using a jighead that’s not too heavy, but does have sufficient weight to get to the bottom. As far as colours go, I generally prefer baitfish type colours like light blues, white and silver. The only time I will stray from this is if we have had some serious rain or fishing into the night. In this case I like colours such as lime green. Bream are still around in good numbers as well, but like the flathead, they too go deep during the colder periods. I generally look to fish blades or heavier weighted soft plastics during winter. I also like the addition of Sax Scent during winter, as I find the fish are not as aggressive and the scent is often the key to trigger that bite. Hardbody lures are still very productive during the colder months of the year, but I now opt for deep divers. I usually work the 2-5m depths and I like a suspending or a very slow rise lure so it holds down in that strike zone for a longer period. This is important when the fish are not overly keen to eat, as if the lure floats up too quickly from the strike zone they will often not bother putting the effort into chasing it. Offshore fishing has picked up, but the weather is certainly not making things

Bryce Oliver with a 40cm bream that fell for his Duo hardbody. easy, with plenty of rough weather in between the good days. Shark anglers are having a great time of it, with plenty of big ones being landed. Tiger sharks are coming in regularly, with some huge fish over 400kg appearing at the weigh station. There should also be a few yellowfin and bluefin tuna about offshore now. Trolling a spread of lures in that 6-8” range is a good way to locate them, and then cubing with pilchards once located can also be productive. Certain colours often work better than others, and pinks, green/lime, blues and so on are often successful. If you’re keen on tangling with a tuna, I’d be heading quite a distance offshore and looking towards the Norah Head Canyon area. They are fairly wide, however, they are still easily accessible even to trailer boat anglers. Just take care, make sure you have another boat out there with you for peace of mind, and don’t forget to log on with marine rescue before venturing out. Snapper are about in great numbers and the recent run of big seas has only helped fuel the fire. Plenty of good fish are being taken from as little as 4m of water out to 20m. Those 5” stickbait style soft plastics are working a treat. Generally, a 2/0-3/0 hook and enough weight to gradually get the lure down into the zone will do the trick. Some very solid kingfish are also about, however, they are a little wider during the cooler months and found out on the wider offshore reefs. Areas such as the Perch Grounds and Texas are very productive locations. Deep water jigging and bait fishing are productive options, and a deep set live bait will rarely go

unnoticed. Rock and beach anglers have been taking some really nice catches of bream lately. Peeled prawns and small pilchard cubes are the killer baits. Salmon are also proving plentiful for rock and beach anglers. Half pilchards and whole pilchards on gang hooks are producing well. Rock anglers are also

is also very important, as it really gets them in the mood. Enjoy the action, but take care, particularly those anglers on the rocks, and those fishing the wide offshore grounds. I have recently released my own range of handmade game fishing lures. These have been tested for a very long time before I was happy enough to sell

Captain Brett Sharp showing off a huge 133kg southern bluefin taken on a Lake Macquariemade Colorato Lure in Brett’s home waters off Tassie aboard Force 10 Fishing Charters. Photo courtesy of Force Fishing Charters, Tasmania.

getting into a few drummer. It is very important when chasing these fish to use a nice solid hook. The hook does not need to be large by any means, but a heavy gauge is critical. A sandy/fishy berley mix

them, and within the first month they have landed many tuna, including some huge Tassie bluefin to 133kg. Email me if you’re interested in my Colorato game fishing lures at Jayro@hotmail.com.au

Make the most of the weather windows CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley jrobley@iprimus.com.au

Now that we’re entering the very coldest period of the year, with westerly winds being a very common feature, fishing can be little bit on the tough side. Keep an eye on weather forecasts and pick your days, and some first rate angling is still possible. Rock fishing has been quite reliable lately, which it usually is through the cooler months. Of course, the only hurdle is getting out on the rocks when conditions are suitable. For example, just prior to typing this I enjoyed a great morning at a favourite rock ledge, hooking tailor, salmon and bream. So the following morning I returned to the same spot, only to find the seas had come up larger than predicted and a dreaded nor’ westerly was blowing. Despite persisting at a sheltered part of the ledge, I failed to hook anything at all. Productive conditions are average to calm seas with around a 1.5m swell. A light southerly, sou’ easterly or sou’ westerly is good, with a straight westerly still being okay. Once it swings around and comes from the nor’ west though, fish seem to hate it and shut down. Sometimes salmon and groper remain possible, but overall I try to avoid a nor’ westerly for rock fishing. A lot of salmon are around now, so they’re a start if you simply want to catch something. I enjoy lure casting for them with sporty sort of tackle, but they’re not everyone’s favourite. Some thumper bream have also been lurking under the suds, and the best areas to target them are close into the rocks where there’s a sandy bottom rather than a lot of kelp.

Tailor, drummer, groper and trevally are other options worth considering for the remainder of the month, and there’s still a chance of calamari squid — moreso when the seas are quite calm. In fact, July is probably the best bet for the biggest inshore calamari of the year, but don’t expect numbers. Salmon are definitely the most abundant species along our beaches this month and next. If you can find a nice deep gutter close to shore when the seas are calm, they are great fun to catch on very light gear and slim metal lures or soft plastics. Regardless of tides, they tend to come into the gutters and stay overnight before moving on the following day. Very early in the morning or towards sunset are the best times to look for them. Of course, they are just an annoying pest when you’re

tough at this time of year, mainly due to strong and persistent westerly winds. From now through to the end of August, there will be plenty of days when it’s blowing too strong to head out. Sometimes though, it’s still worth launching and staying in close to chase snapper, trevally, bream, or salmon for fun. With the mixed bag of weather we’ve had in recent times, estuary fishing is also a bit up and down. Some solid rains as well as long dry periods, combined with wind means you can strike a good day 1 week and go back to the same spot the next and do it tough. As mentioned previously in regards to rock fishing, you really do have to keep an eye on weather forecasts and observations at this time of year. A tip I can offer is to try to be flexible and prepared to change plans at short notice.

Some thumper bream have been lurking around the rocks recently. Present baits close in under whitewash in areas with a sandy bottom, moreso than kelpy spots. baits. Of course the odd bream and leatherjacket will also take a bait of white bread. So pay attention to the weather, be adaptable, and

fish to suit our more common winter target species at this time of year. It’s not always easy, but rewards are still there to be had.

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Whiting may not be considered a typical winter target species, but they often snatch a small blade or soft plastic intended for bream through the cooler months. trying to pin a tailor, bream or mulloway. Unfortunately, I can’t offer any real solution to that problem, other than to try a different spot. Offshore fishing also gets

Regardless of the freezing mornings, I’m generally an early bird when it comes to most forms of fishing. I’ll look at weather forecasts for the following morning and then

Try a bread bait suspended under a bobby cork at the rocks this month. Luderick, bream, drummer and trevally all respond well to this technique.

form a plan of attack, which is often chasing bream with lures. I may pick 1 or 2 main options, but have a backup plan for a third spot or a change of species if I wake up to find the wind is blowing differently to what’s been forecast or a bit of rain shows on the radar. Bream fishing has still been reasonably good this winter, as I’ve found it to be since the beginning of the year. While they don’t mind discoloured water after heavy rainfall or quite cold water, bream aren’t as active as they are when the water is warm, so you really do need to slow lure presentations right down. A few can still be found in shallow water through July, but the deeper stuff normally houses more fish. So the key words to remember are ‘slow’ and ‘deep’ for bream. Blackfish have generally been good, although a bit patchy in their usual spots like The Entrance, Woy Woy, Davistown and so on. Some anglers also turn their attention to mullet when the blackfish aren’t biting, as the same rigs can be used with small bread

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JULY 2015

Cuttlies and ’couta ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke clarkey1@westnet.com.au

Fishing smack dab in the middle of winter has very few redeeming features except 1 — there are way fewer boats at the ramp in the early hours of a cold winter’s morning. See, there are some positives to take out of this chilly, windy, miserable time of the year, but for the diehards there is always some hope. Even when the seas are

massive and it’s windy and raining and you can’t even launch a boat, you will find heaps of blackfish, drummer and bream packed into the protected harbours where it is fairly easy and safe fishing. Getting weed for the blackfish is the difficult part, but if you are struggling the bream and drummer will still bite well on prawns, which are easy to acquire. It can get crowded at the prime spots like the harbours at Bellambi, Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama, but locations like the Boneyards at Minnamurra

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JULY 2015

and Curracurrang in the Royal National Park are both good, safe spots in big seas that hold plenty of fish. Then there is the flip side when the westerlies blow and the ocean is like a millpond for a while, allowing access to places you normally can’t get to. These are the spots that are usually cauldrons of wash and suds, but on these calm days you can safely fish places that haven’t seen a baited line in ages. The fish are still there, if not a little toey in the conditions, but a little berley can change all that and get them right out in front of you for easy pickings. Just always be aware that a wave can come at any time, even in calm conditions, so don’t let your guard down. Groper are a target on these occasions, and can often be seem swimming around these lesser-fished spots in clear water. For the most part though, the fishing will be a bit quiet, with the deepwater higher ledges probably the best bet for both safety and results. Berley is the key again this month, and a bit of bread and pollard with some tuna oil mixed in will bring plenty of drummer, bream and trevally to your spot, while a big piece of cuttlefish cast out with no sinker and left to drift around is a good chance of scoring a solid snapper. The ever-reliable salmon will fall for pilchards on ganged hooks cast and slowly retrieved on most platforms over the coming weeks. On the beaches it will be more salmon on whole pilchards and bream on pilchard pieces, but it will be cold, windy work on most mornings and evenings. It will be even colder if you want to chase mulloway on the evening and late night high tides this month. It can be very rewarding, with most of the fish at this time of the year being larger mulloway rather than schoolies, but they are also fewer and further apart when it come to fish as well. Every big fish you get in July is well earned! In the estuaries, it is even harder, with a few bream coming from where you find them, but they will be scattered. The edges of the weed beds around Primbee are worth a look, as are the tributaries to the lake. A paddle up Macquarie Rivulet or Mullet Creek tossing small hardbodies or plastics into the many snags could prove effective, or at the other end of the scale, do the same down around the bridge pylons at both the lake and Minnamurra, although the bream will be few and far between. Offshore there is that yearly migration of cuttlefish to think about, and right now is prime time as they spawn and

It is just sensational to be on the water on a day like this. A snapper this size is a bonus. pop to the surface. Big snapper are in pursuit, trying to grab a mouthful of candle before any albatross arrive and clean the cuttlefish up in quick time. The albert attacks tear pieces of flesh from the cuttlefish and a lot of it drifts down through the water column, making a natural berley stream. The snapper will be hanging around picking up the scraps. Some of the best areas to fish are where there are 5 or 6 groups of birds chewing on cuttlies within a few hundred metres of each other. On these occasions there is no need for berley or to anchor up, unless the wind is too strong. Just lob a few unweighted cuttlefish baits out and slowly drift about. If there are any snapper in the area, and there will be, it won’t take them long to find your baits. While waiting, work a big plastic preferably in white. The good thing is all this happens less than 2km from shore in most areas, and in less than 10m of water. Anchoring and berleying over a chosen reef works well too, but the best fun is casting unweighted baits at the floating cuttlies and allowing them to sink down naturally with the bail arm open. When the line starts ripping off, just close the bail and hang on. Plenty of fish from 6-9kg are taken this way each season, and it is a most exciting way to catch them. It’s not all snapper though, with any number of species hunting down the cuttlies for an easy feed. Some of the biggest hits and smashes will be from big groper who also love a feed of white flesh, when they grab a bait mid water and head for rough country. Most of the time you lose out, but on occasions you have a win and get a look at 1 of these big blue battleships. Kingfish love cuttlie too, but they make short work of light gear. Six kg line is pretty much standard and will stop most snapper, or you can go heavier, but the strike rate drops dramatically with each kg of

line strength you go up. Braid can also be detrimental to results, as most of the time you are in less than 10m of water and the fish can be very finicky around anything that is not clear or almost invisible. There are plenty of other fish about, with mowies and pigfish on all the reefs, along with a few samsons and heaps of trevally. Your snapper berley will often be full of trevally, with just a few snapper most of the time. One thing that can be an absolute pain at this time of the year is the dreaded barracouta. They can move in en-masse and cut off every line in seconds, and then hang around making it impossible to keep a hook in the water. It can become soul destroying when they bite the knots in your line as they move through the water while fighting a big fish. This has happened twice in the past 2 seasons, when I have had big snapper beaten just below the boat and a ‘couta slashes through the line at the knot or hits a small piece of bait on the line. I am not fond of them at all. Salmon are around the washes and bommies of most deeper headlands and the islands, and even an odd bonito is still about. Further

blues are on their way up the coast, but whether they get this far or not is again beyond our control. One thing is for sure and if there is no food for them they will not come. Ever wondered what it would be like to wake up 1 day and all the Woolies, Coles and other supermarkets, corner shops and takeaways had suddenly gone? Yep, starvation for most. That is what our fish stocks are looking at if they allow the super trawlers to rip out all of our baitfish, the slimies, redbait and scad, and sell it off overseas. We have worked too hard to get the bluefin population back to a reasonable level to then starve them out, and the few yellowfin we see from time to time won’t come if there is no food. If you think kingfish just hang around harbours and shallow reefs, then you will soon find that when the deepwater bait goes, so will the kings. No food equals no fish. So write, call, email and annoy the hell out of your local politicians at state and federal levels, because when it is all sold as fishmeal to overseas buyers and the profits go overseas, all that will be left will be some fat cats with full wallets and us with nice boats

It’s not all beer and skittles when these guys arrive. They can make it difficult to keep a hook in the water, and watch your fingers on the teeth. out around the shelf, there have been a few yellowfin, but they could go off any time as we are at the whim of the currents. On that, the southern

and nothing to catch. If every angler makes the effort, the pollies will soil their pants and take notice. It will be worth it.t

Fishing News

The 7th WRFC in Brazil showcases broader unity Last year I had the privilege of attending the 7th World Recreational Fishing Conference (7WRFC) in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I was given the opportunity to be part of the Australian contingent through my involvement in Australian Government’s Future Leaders in Recreational Fishing Program managed by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation. The program aimed at unearthing aspiring young leaders within the recreational fishing sector who are passionate about recreational fishing and willing to contribute to the management, development, communication and extension of recreational fishing in Australia. Following completion of this program, the next step in my development was to immerse myself in another fishing culture and learn as much as I could from the experience of attending the 7th WRFC in Brazil. So first a quick heads-up on what the WRFC is: it’s basically a world conference which focuses on the social, economic and management aspects of recreational fisheries, first conceptualised in 1994, and held every three years, drawing experts on rec

fishing from around the world. Each event contributes to a collective body of knowledge through production of various peer-reviewed books and conference reports, fostering communication among the world-wide recreational fishing community. The 7th WRFC in Brazil promoted the involvement of those who are directly and indirectly connected to the world of recreational fishing, and who are dedicated to promoting the exchange of ideas, ideals, practices and attitudes to help recreational fishing grow, evolve and improve around the world. The 2014 Conference was the first time this prestigious event had been held in a developing country and talking to the chairman, Prof. Dr. Ezequiel Theodora da Silva, I got the impression that he and his country were very proud to host the event and welcome all the attendees to his homeland. It was a four-day symposium featuring presentations from scientists, economists, fisheries managers and anglers from all around the world. For me it was a massive eye opener to see how so many different factors can influence recreational fishing and how similar the problems are facing recreational fishing

on a global scale. I was surprised to discover some of the topics and presentations that I found particularly interesting covered aspects that I never anticipated wanting to learn about. After taking a bit of time to wrap by brain around some of the concepts and topics I became fascinated… and particularly with respect to how they tied in with rec fishing back here in Australia. The most strenuous mental gymnastics I experienced involved exploring different methods used to put an economic value on something like recreational fishing in a country, geographical location or even on a specific species or fishery. It was particularly interesting to learn in some countries recreational anglers produce more economic value than commercial fishing for the same stock. I was also really interested to learn about the need to maintain ‘social license’ – which is basically the unspoken permission that the broader community give to access fish resources (which are community owned). We learned that the social and cultural values held by the broader community strongly influence the attitudes and emotional responses that our

communities hold towards recreational fishing. C o n s e q u e n t l y, understanding what these values are, and how they change over time can really help us to understand how fishing might be regarded in future. Some of the topics that were discussed in the context of social acceptance included fish welfare, and the important difference between those who believe in animal liberation, and those who support animal rights (it turns out they are not the same thing). Happily, we learned about researchers and fishers working together to develop and adopt good practices such as humanely dispatching fish in the quickest and most effective way possible, and using good handling practices when releasing fish, which help to address welfare concerns that some non-fishers may have. We also learned about ‘social norms’, and how pre conceived notions of who/how many people are compliant with fisheries regulations can sometimes be quite different from what you might expect (with more people doing the right thing than expected), and that this information, used appropriately, can help to encourage even greater compliance.

Other topics included ways to combat a worldwide trend of decreasing fishing participation, and how money from successfully managed recreational fishing licenses can benefit the sector in more ways than previously imagined. Presentations on different approaches for improving the quality of fishing opportunities revealed that in places where fish populations are successfully breeding, stocking did very little to improve the quality of fishing, whereas habitat enhancement still provided lots of benefit. And of course there were presentations on research programs to understand the world’s premiere sportfish such as Papuan black bass, giant trevally, and peacock bass among others, to really get the audience drooling, and remind us that there are some really amazing jobs out there for those who want to make a career in fisheries research. 2015 NATIONAL RECREATIONAL FISHING CONFERENCE The upcoming 2015 National recreational Fishing Conference will provide an opportunity for Aussie anglers to come together and talk about a range of issues that influence fishing Australia, including

some of those discussed here. The National Conference will be held on Saturday the 25 July at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. The conference will feature presentations by experts on recreational fishing from around the world, discussion forums to engage participants on key issues, an awards ceremony celebrating excellence in a number of categories and a fishing tournament, and will all take place adjacent to the biggest tackle trade show in Australia (which Conference attendees will be able to take a peek at). The event is open to the public and for more information go to recreationalfishingconference. com.au or follow the conference on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ recfishingconference) and Twitter (2015RecFishingConf). Lastly I would like to say a big thankyou to the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and the Australian Government for their ongoing support for supporting leadership development in Australia’s recreational fishing community. I’m now looking forward to contributing to our National Conference in July and I hope to see you there. Liam Fitzpatrick

JULY 2015

Tuna into this station! BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

Righto! Last issue I made the call. July 10, hooked up by 2.40pm to a nice southern bluefin tuna. Well the time has come; let’s see how accurate I am. The commercial boats have been doing very well, but as I type the rec’ boats are still only catching the odd tuna. As you read, let’s hope by this stage a few good yellowfin have put some smiles on anglers’ dials. But the main event for most people is the bluefin. It’s not every winter that anglers catch a 60kg yellowfin, but most winters of late the odds of catching a 50kg plus bluefin are extremely high. To make that a reality, I think the best thing is working in groups. There is a lot of water out there and you can spend all day trolling around looking for schools of fish. Reading the charts and reports to find where the good water lies is 1 thing that can get you in the general area where the fish may be, but that’s no good if you troll all day and were only 300m away from

a big school and then came in without a touch. It would hurt to know how many times you were steaming straight for a fish of a lifetime and then you turned and headed in another direction. I’m sure it’s happened millions of times. So the modern technology can get you in the area, but on the day it’s always that 1 boat that hooks-up and then calls his mates over to join in on the action. Working as a group, combing the area, watching the sounder, or having the spread pack attacked is what’s going to reveal the fish. There are a lot of trigger-happy people out there who get a strike and a miss from a striped tuna and then radio, “Hey! Everyone! I just got a hit and it was big! It like pulled 2cm of drag and was insane! I’ve found the bluefin. They are under my boat, you can all come over now!” These are usually over-excited visiting boats or boys out of Ulladulla, so beware of these shout outs on the radio and keep working the area with the other boats until bluefin are actually boated and the sounder is thick with them.

When the call is genuine, speed over, but slow down as you approach and take it easy. Just ease in quietly with manners and etiquette, and have some cubes ready to start peppering the area so the fish remain up and feeding. The more berley in the area, the more likely the fish are going to be active and hang around. So it’s teamwork finding them and it’s teamwork holding them there. On the bottom out wide, some good blueye trevalla getting caught off Narooma, and our lads Rohan Griffin and Adam Martin bagged a couple off the Bay. Along with the usual ocean perch, there have been some gemfish and ling also. It’s good to see that you can get a quality feed off the bottom if you luck out on the tuna. A lot more people are getting into electric reel fishing and Shimano have released a great reel for a great price. The Shimano Plays 9000 is a quieter reel with a bigger screen that you can read easier and seems to hold a lot of 80lb braid for its size. Anglers like the narrower size and if fishing in 500m or less, this is the perfect electric.

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Looks cold, doesn’t it? Rosco with a south coast winter kingie. Closer to shore, we have seen the kingies pick up at Montague and along the coast. The bite has improved as well as the size. Early winter kings are a nice fish to catch, especially around that 10kg mark. I still think that pound-forpound our Aussie kings are better brawlers then our neighbouring New Zealand ones. I’m definitely going to get into trouble today, first with Ulladulla crew and now my Kiwi mates... The snapper have been showing up inshore and our boys from the rocks have been throwing plastics at them with great success. Ray Smith, Jem Abbott and Layton ‘Flat Brim’ Brant have been having a ball with snapper up to 6kg in the shallows. We have had a couple of customers finding good schools out in the 60m mark also. But it’s that time of the year where the inshore snapper fishing will start picking up as the waters cool off and the cuttlefish make their way in. While the cuttlefish are yet to make an appearance, it obviously pays to look out wide at times for snapper. We have had some visitors in the shop fishing between Snapper Island and the Tollgates, finding nice size flathead up to 60cm and the odd good snapper, which only goes to show that the fish are moving in, along with quite a few bronze whalers. There have been a lot of sharks caught in the Bay lately, particularly at night. What continues to be going great guns on the tide changes at night is the mulloway. Josh got his 7 for the week, 1 weighing 25kg. Fishos putting in the hours and targeting them fishing the tide change with fresh or live bait are doing well. It’s pretty much as simple as that. Fresh bait, tide change, night, and 2-3 days of effort equals mulloway. These fish are

getting caught around the bridge, along the wall, and the ocean beaches and headlands. Then you have the magicians like Ray Smith catching up to 13 off the stones during daylight hours. Obviously this time of the year spells drummer as well.

in the Clyde. They remain off-limits until August 31, so they go back in if you happen to catch any. Fishing offshore? Then tune into tuna. Inshore reefs, then radio up some reddies, or drum into drummer off the stones. Look for winter whiting on the beaches if the salmon aren’t schooling

Daniel Dowley with a nice 16kg Clyde mulloway. The beaches are fishing well for big tailor and some bream, with the odd little flattie. Moruya to Broulee seems to have been slow for salmon lately, but the beachworms are thick and if you throw them out on a hook you’ll find there are some good size winter whiting on the chew. Estuaries have slowed down, as it does at this time of year. The bream are pushing out, but what hasn’t slowed are the estuary perch that are schooling around bridges and the front of the racks and Big Island

and be ready for a battle with bream. Night fish for mulloway on the tide change, and if that falls flat, it’s onto the flatties during the day. Come in and check out our range of thermals to keep you warm and keep you fishing. • 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).

Estuarine, you are fine NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

Offshore anglers are getting a tad excited as the tuna season is well and truly here, with reports just coming to hand of multiple hookups on yellowfin tuna. The fish are averaging 25-30kg, so not huge, but still a stack of fun on the right tackle. It seems the fish are quite widespread, with patches anywhere from the shelf to the 1000 fathom line, though I have heard of a few bigger models coming from the Kink region. There’s no numbers to these bigger fish as yet, but time will tell and hopefully the numbers pick up. What we will see over coming weeks though, are southern bluefin tuna. These turbocharged bruisers have been spotted but not caught yet, but that will all change soon. I know they’re getting fish down south of us, so it’s only a matter of time before they hit our doorstep. When they do arrive, trolling big skirted pushers and bibbed minnows is the go, as you cover more ground to find the tuna. If you do get a multiple strike and get the fish up with others, then reverting to cubes can be deadly. We have done this in the past with great success and you can hold the fish at the back of the boat for hours at a time. To say it becomes mayhem is an understatement, but trust me it will all be worth it, with bent rods and grins from ear to ear.

At Montague Island the kings have been very good of late, with jigs, live bait and squid rigged on flasher rigs all producing at times. The fish are solid too, with the majority all legal size and the average around 80cm — a good king. There are a few greenbacks on the surface as well, with these bigger brutes pushing 20kg, though they have been very hard to entice. Your best way here is to cast or slow troll a large slimy mackerel around the surface bustups. If you have the patience to play out the game you should be rewarded with a solid fish. I’d be concentrating around Fowl House Reef, with the north east corner worth a look too, though the seals there can be a handful to say the least. Those after the bottom eaters are licking their chops, with snapper in good numbers. The size over the last few weeks has dropped, but the numbers have certainly picked up. It seems that every winter the snapper fishing just gets better and better around our local reefs. The close-in gravel beds have slowed, but the deeper water in 55-60m has really picked up. As usual, the grounds off Potato Point and Tuross are the go-to spots, with fresh squid, pilchards and soft plastics still accounting for a few reds, though the conditions need to be near perfect to get your plastic offering to the bottom. In the estuaries, even with the very cold 14° water it’s still fishing extremely well. Wagonga is going great guns; the

key is to find the bait, and if you do that you will catch fish. We’ve had some great guiding sessions there over recent weeks, with 7-8 different species for a day the norm. You can expect trevally, bream, flathead, whiting, salmon, tailor plus others, with mulloway still on the cards. We had a memorable afternoon session the other day, with Claude landing a solid mulloway. We let the fish swim free with a Fisheries tag in its shoulder, but the best thing was that Claude is 82 years young and after 60 years of trying to catch a mulloway, he finally did. To catch it on a plastic and then to let it go was definitely 1 of the best things l’ve seen in 20 years of guiding. We were both pretty pumped! Up at Tuross, the main basin has seen good flatties caught on the draining tide, with smaller softies being the go-to method. There’s a few bream and whiting around the racks and deep dropoffs, with blades working well when fished slow with a small hop. The river is still okay for a few flatties, but the water is getting pretty cold, so l’d suggest the afternoons are a better proposition. Further upstream, black bream are possible from the Commerang Bridge downstream to the pump station. I know of a few locals that are doing well with hard-bodies fished amongst the timber. On the beaches, salmon are in great numbers, with most gutters holding fish. All the usual methods are working, with anglers casting metal Shiners up to

‘Young’ Claude with his first mulloway, tagged and about to be sent on its way. 40g doing extremely well. This is active fishing, as you’re trying to locate the fish, not the fish trying to locate you. In saying that, the bait fishos are doing okay, with bait/ popper combinations on a paternoster rig using fresh pilchards or bluebait producing results. Mixed in with the salmon are jumbo sized tailor, with a few of the

razor gang pushing 3kg. They are solid green-backs in anyone’s books and a stack of fun. A few anglers are still getting bream, though it seems the numbers are thinning out a little. The better beaches to fish include Tura, North Tura and Haycock, especially if bream are the target species. Off the stones, we are certainly in winter mode, with drummer and blackfish

the 2 most popular species that anglers are targeting. Catching these great eating fish isn’t as hard as some people think; you just need to put a little time in getting quality bait and, most of all, braving the wintery elements. Anglers using cunjevoi and cabbage will fare best. Use a little berley for best results, with both Long and Short Point the better ledges to try.

Daniel caught this pig of a yellowbelly at Blowering Dam.

JULY 2015

Jigging still popular BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

It has been some years now since the jigging craze became popular, whether it be offshore or inshore, and whether it be soft plastics, metal lures or vibes. So, is it still popular? Well you betcha! And it doesn’t seem like stopping any time soon. Out over the Continental Shelf, big heavy metal jigs come into their own. Along the deep canyon walls, anglers can expect a variety of species from hapuka, ling, gemfish, trevalla, plus some that will take a bit of identifying. Pelagics may get into the act too, so don’t be surprised while you’re dropping down your jig it comes to an abrupt halt to either a yellowfin, albacore or southern bluefin tuna. That’s when things start getting very interesting! Understand though, that all this sounds very good, but you need the conditions to fish this method successfully. Calm seas and very little current are the main ingredients. Once you have this, 300-500g jigs fished on braided lines are free-spooled down. Now you have your lure down there, short, jerky retrieves are required and once you have retrieved the jig say 10m, drop it back down and repeat the process until a hookup is achieved. You may also need to move

around a bit to locate concentrations of fish. If the deep water isn’t your scene, try soft plastics close in along the coast or off the rocks. Again, conditions dictate how deep

is just as much fun and very challenging. Long casts with a variety of retrieves is all that’s required to produce strikes. You can work lures deep near the bottom for reef fish, or mid to surface

Clear winter water allows you to polaroid just about anything in the shallows.

Salmon are always a winter hit and can often be found at the entrance to an estuary. and effectively you can fish them. A few of the local fishos are targeting shallow water down south at Goalen Head with some very good success on snapper and a host of other species. Snapper are most sought after because of their hard fighting and eating qualities, however, lots of other species provide plenty of entertainment and are just as good if not better in the pan. The humble red rock cod will be a species that is regularly encountered. Its thick white flesh is very tasty, but watch the spikes. So you don’t have a boat; all is not lost. More and more anglers are discovering plastics cast from the stones

depths for predatory species like salmon, trevally and tailor. Expect lure losses, they can be high when shore based, so I suggest using some of the cheaper plastics as they are just as effective as the dearer ones. For the game fishers, there may be some bluefin tuna out over the shelf to be targeted. To do so, a spread of skirted and bibless lures trolled out the back is the way to go. If encountered, don’t be surprised to have every lure in the pattern smashed, with fish varying in size from rats to unstoppables. Makos and blue sharks may be an option in berley trails, and consider having a live bait out for the various

tunas while shark fishing, although water temps will have an influence. July is excellent for reef fishing with the simple old way of just drifting over them with a paternoster rig and fresh bait. The Twelve Mile Reef has some very nice ocean perch, snapper, Tassie trumpeter and large tiger flathead on the fringes. Closer to shore the Four Mile, Six Mile, Brothers Reef and Goalen Head are producing plenty of morwong, snapper, flathead and the everpresent leatherjackets. If the jackets are giving you grief, try moving into shallower water, around 16m, lighten up with your gear, and have some fun with a mixture of reef fish. Anchoring up to berley will also prove effective, bringing fish closer to the surface. Nice schools of average size sand flathead are out from most of the beaches in around 30m of water. Best

areas are The Step up north off Tilba, Cuttagee, Wallaga and Camel Rock beaches. The estuary scene is very quiet, with only a few

and bridge, with the rocks adjacent to the harbour entrance being the best. These rocks are producing tailor of an evening on

The author’s wife left, her brother on the right, celebrating dad’s (in the centre) 91st birthday the best way possible. bream on the incoming tide. People fishing for luderick (blackfish) with green and cabbage weed are doing ok around the rock walls

pilchards or cast lures, while in around the harbour wharves, schools of trevally are keeping kids and adults alike amused for hours.

Work hard for the rewards TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Already it has been a very cold winter, and it doesn’t look like changing soon. So us anglers also have to change our styles and work harder for the rewards. Fishing of a night can be cold, however, those willing to brave it may find some good beach fishing, particularly around the full moon. Westerly winds result in very little shore break on the beach, allowing fish to move right in close to the sand. This means they are in easy reach of anglers. Species being encountered are gummy sharks, the odd mulloway, bream, salmon and tailor. Do some homework in daylight hours to find the best gutter, and while doing so keep a rod handy for those passing schools of salmon. Cold conditions have the estuary action slowing, with the upper reaches of most 68

JULY 2015

systems all but closed down. In the lower sections there are some fish on the chew, but don’t expect hand-over-fist activity. Your best options are to target bream and perch in the Bega River around the rock walls or over the shallow flats. With the cool water, clarity

it’s better than not fishing at all. There is also some lovely luderick in the river around the bridge and adjacent rock walls, while those who wish to cast a few lures will encounter tailor on the surface. Around Tathra Wharf there is action for the kids in

Bream are a cool water special at this time of year. becomes a factor, allowing good polaroiding especially for bream. You may need to make many casts to lots of fish before you stir any interest, but

the form of mackerel, trevally and yakkas, which will keep them entertained. Most of these can be caught all through the day, while of a night tailor

will come on the chew. There are squid to be taken of an evening on jigs, and they can be quite prolific at times. Schools of salmon will also pass by, giving anglers some variety, while drummer and luderick are an option close to the rocks. Speaking of the rocks, these westerly winds allow anglers greater access to the stones, making for easier fishing. This area is famous for its rock blackfish or drummer, and you won’t get better fishing conditions than right now. Cabbage weed and cunjevoi are the best baits for these species, either fished under a float or with a small ball sinker running to the hook and drifted around in the wash. Trevally, silver drummer and bream will often show, while for those wishing to target pelagics, salmon and tailor will be the most active species. In Kianinny Bay, garfish are likely to be found when berleying with either tuna or mackerel, using a bit of peeled prawn for bait under

Not every photo shoot goes according to plan! a float. There may also be some squid coming into the bay of an evening, which can be taken on jigs. Offshore, things are very interesting when anglers can get close in for some different forms of fishing. Trolling close to the rocks may produce salmon, tailor and the odd kingfish, while drifting and casting soft plastics will produce more variety. Snapper will feature high on the catch list, while flathead, trevally, wrasse and pike will make up the bulk of the other species. If this isn’t for you, then the old fashioned drift and bait fish over the deeper reefs

should see a constant flow of different species making their way into the bag. Further afield, the reefs just inside the Continental Shelf are producing some very nice Tassie trumpeter, ocean perch, large tiger flathead and snapper, while over the dropoff, anglers are finding new species in the form of hapuka, ghost cod, bigeye cod and blue eye trevalla as this form of fishing gains popularity. While out wide, keep an eye peeled for passing schools of southern bluefin tuna, as they frequent these waters at this time of year, providing great sport.

Rug up, because it’s worth the extra effort MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

With cool westerly winds gracing our doorsteps in the mornings, winter fishing isn’t for everyone, but for those willing to get up and have a crack, some excellent estuary fishing is available. Anglers around here are blessed with a number of productive systems, with at

really fire up through winter. These include the 2 closest systems, the Merimbula and Pambula lakes. Both still amaze me as to how well they fish in 12-15° water. Yes, you have to change your tactics a little, like fishing lighter gel spun, lighter leaders and smaller presentations to get consistent results, but you will catch fish. At Pambula it’s not uncommon to get 6-8 different species within a session in the middle of

seen all species chewing and this will continue right through the cooler months. Anglers fishing lightly weighted plastics around the margins are doing well, with blades fished slow working a treat on whiting and blackfish. I know that sounds silly, but l’ve said it before that both species can be actively targeted in the cold months with impressive results. Time on the water will determine when the best time to fish is, but the draining

Cam with a couple of solid blacks he caught on plastics. least 6 within an hour’s drive of Merimbula township. It’s great to have a choice and fish what’s producing best, but generally speaking a few only

winter. You can expect bream, flathead, trevally, salmon, tailor, blackfish and whiting to just name a few. The last few weeks have

tide seems best for blackfish and the rising tide best for whiting. Just remember to fish that blade slow; it’s important. The river section towards

the entrance has seen ample salmon, tailor and trevally, with stickbait style softies working best. It doesn’t matter what the tide is doing, so long as it’s running you will get results. No run no fun certainly applies here. Offshore sportfishers targeting the tuna species have fared fairly well, with southern bluefin tuna (SBT), yellowfin and albacore making sporadic appearances. It hasn’t been a dynamite start to the season, but in saying that, if you come across a patch, then you’re in for some serious fun. It’s just coming across that patch which is the hard part! Crews have been trolling with bibbed minnows and pushers to cover the ground trying to find the fish, which have been very wide this season. It’s common for boats to travel 60km offshore, so you need to make sure the weather is good and your boat is capable of making that journey out and back safely. I would expect the tuna fishing to really pick up, especially for SBT, with right now being the prime time to target them. There have been some jumbos landed south of us, so surely our time is nigh. Closer to shore, bottom feeders like snapper and morwong have been excellent, with most reefs holding fish. I know of several switched-on locals who are getting their bags quickly, using light tackle with lightly weighted fresh

baits while anchored on the edge of the hard ground and fishing back over the gravel. This takes a little skill to work out with wind, current and where to drop the pick, but get it right and you will reap the rewards.

Shiners, with bait fishos also doing well. For those after a feed, the bream and whiting have slowed to a crawl, but if you fish the right times with the freshest of bait, you will still get a feed. Use the lightest

Eight year old Jed with a cracking black bream he caught fishing soft plastics for the first time. He released the fish in great condition too. The beaches have picked up of late, with salmon, tailor, and good reports of gummy sharks from the deeper gutters just past the shore dump. Tura Main, North Tura and Haycock have been good, with pilchards, fresh mullet and squid all working on the gummies. These guys are awesome eating and are averaging 5-7kg, so solid models. The pelagic species have been great on 30-50g

outfit as you dare for these species; you may lose a couple, but you will certainly catch a lot more also. The rocks continue to produce blackfish, drummer and groper. The big seas we had last month really helped these species fire up, and you should be able to get 8-10 fish a session if fishing the right areas with cunjevoi, prawns and cabbage baits. Both Short and Long Point are the pick of the areas to fish.

Few visitors around to annoy plenty of fish Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

Winter is well and truly here and the town is quiet, with very few

pick up until it starts warming up once again as we head towards summer. As usual though, the fishing has been excellent, with clients here on my fishing accommodation packages amazed at the

The fishing offshore has been very slow. Few boats have been able to head out under the consistently bad conditions — big seas and wind have been the norm over the past month. On the odd day when a boat

gummy shark and pinky snapper. With the water temperature around the 15° mark, the fishing won’t pick up until the water warms up once again. The local beaches have all got some great gutters after the recent big seas though. Plenty of salmon are being caught and they will be around in numbers right through until Christmas. Some salmon have come from the new breakwall at Bastion Point, with good catches of blackfish from inside the harbour for anglers using weed under a float. As mentioned before, the lake has been fishing really well. The water IN

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temperature is around 12°, and the bream have been going crazy. The water is still dirty after the recent rains, with clear water pushing in on the rising tides. Plenty of yellowfin bream are been caught around the margins of both the Top and Bottom Lake, with a variety of lures catching fish — plastics, vibes blades and hardbodies are all working. The increased numbers of yellowfin bream in the system is helping to keep fishing at a good standard. Those who have fished the system for long enough can remember when black bream made up 95 per cent of the catch, with plenty of fish caught around the

1.2 kg mark. It would be interesting to know precisely, but I would guess they only make up about 60 per cent of the catch nowadays. The black bream are being caught in both lakes, with some good fish also in the rivers. The schools of blacks can be found by using the sounder at this time of year. Some good size silver trevally are also being caught from the channels near the entrance. Salmon are starting to move in and out of the lake, and it won’t be long before they will spread right through the system, terrorising the bait schools.

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Tough times on lakes MAITLAND

Dave McLean djfmclean@bigpond.com

July is probably the hardest and most demanding month to catch fish in our impoundments in the Hunter. The 2 main factors are the cold westerly winds and the water temperature dropping to its lowest of around 11 degrees. However, if you can manage to get 3-4 days of consistent high pressure with very little wind, then head out as it can be quite enjoyable on the water. Over the past month there has been some reasonably good catches coming from Glenbawn and St Clair — both from the banks in the early part of the day, and then later the school bass out in 40’. There has also been some nice goldens coming from

well in winter, with the bass there usually in prime condition and taking lures as well as bait. In winter I usually measure success by a different yardstick. A successful day might not produce a lot of fish, but the ones you usually catch are in prime condition and quite often not the smaller school fish. Winter success needs a serious adjustment to the way you target them though. You need to remember that with the very cool water temperatures, a fish’s metabolism slows dramatically, and this means that they do not need to feed as often nor eat as much. With the fall in temperature, the strike zone for the fish to feed in diminishes dramatically with every degree of change. The key ingredient for success and a successful day is to keep your presentation

mean changing jig or lure weights to keep it at the correct depth on the retrieve. This is another reason for this cold water fishing to sometimes require 2 approaches; firstly, you can choose some really strong reaction lures like lipless crankbaits that really wake the fish up, or you can go for the neutrally buoyant hardbodies, especially jerkbaits, and also very lightly weighted plastics. Over past years at both St Clair and Glenbawn in winter, the bass have appeared in the deeper water around good vertical structure and deep dropoffs along the river channels. These areas can now be easily seen on the Lowrance Insight Genesis maps. LAKE ST CLAIR The dam is very clear, with some small pockets of weed on the northern sides of the points, which are the

Pete from the Kiosk at Glenbawn with a deep school bass taken an ice jig. blades. There are some good areas to try up the Fallbrook Arm, as it not only faces north, but also offers protection from the wind. There can also be some school bass holding in the deep area up around Redhead Corner. From Redhead up to Richards Point is a good area for trolling, especially if chasing goldens as well as bass. Another very good area to target is Wood Bay, as this is where the bass tend to hold up and also offers quite a bit of protection and is good for both trolling and casting the banks. The northern bank is also very good to walk and cast lures

the Thunderbolts Run, and also around St Clair Island on the eastern side. LAKE GLENBAWN The dam is looking perfect in the early morning fog, but it is very cold in both air and water temperature. This month you usually don’t have to travel right up the back to get a few fish, with some of the more productive locations around the Dogleg, Narrows and the main basin area. If you wish to target the bigger fish, then you will need to get out fairly early and work along the steeper banks where there is plenty of structure, and

plastics preheat them in warm water. Some plastics that are working are the Keitechs and the Slider in Muscadine. The open water school bass are also in the 40-50’ areas and are usually hold in the same spot every year, especially around the main basin. These are best targeted with ice jigs and plastics, using both the lighter and heavier versions, with the predominant colour having some black or red in it. The trollers can also have a good run at this time of the year, as the lures can stay in the strike zone for a very long time, giving

Lake St Clair bass holding on bottom on a very cold day. Heads up, I have even given you the waypoints! Glenbawn on bait as well as trolling. Lostock is another dam that can fish quite

in the zone for possible, which means slowing retrieve, but it

as long as quite often down the also might

prime areas to target very early in the day (when it is freezing cold!), using light plastics, jerkbaits and small

DAM LEVELS

Dam

% Full

Dam

% Full

Blowering............................. 25

Glennies Creek....................... 84

Brogo................................ 100

Grahamstown....................... 100

Burrendong........................... 13

Hume.................................. 24

Burrinjuck............................. 41

Jindabyne............................. 61

Carcoar................................ 11

Keepit................................... 3

Chaffey................................ 33

Lostock.............................. 100

Clarrie Hall......................... 100

Pindari................................. 26

Copeton............................... 18

Split Rock.............................. 5

Dartmouth............................. 73

Tantangara............................ 18

Eucumbene........................... 49

Toonumbar.......................... 101

Glenbawn............................. 81

Windamere........................... 43

Glenlyon............................... 29

Wyangala............................. 36

(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.) 70

JULY 2015

Les Dunne from Scone with a nice bass caught off the edge on Keitech plastic on a very cold morning. and fly, especially if there is a slight westerly blowing. The Carrowbrook and Broadwater are worth a try, especially around Perkins Point, up Gindigah Bay and Reedy Cove, where there is quite often some school bass holding out in 40’. Trollers have a really good chance of picking up some nice bass and goldens working along the 20-30’ areas along the fronts of bays and grassy banks on

in out of the sunrise where it is bloody cold. These areas are ideal for very light weedless-rigged plastics as well as jerkbaits, with my favourite being the Jackall Squirrel. If you can afford to lose a few lures, then sometimes the Jackall TN 60 can trigger a bite along with spinnerbaits. If using plastics at this time of year, I recommend you add heaps of scent, and with some of the harder

the bass or goldens time to strike. The option of trolling Jackall TNs and spinnerbaits should not be overlooked. I was nearly going to report that Carol and Pete from the Glenbawn Kiosk were moving back to Queensland, but they have had a change of heart and are staying, with Pete expanding his online store to sell fishermen the latest and best tackle for the area.

Copeton cod are cookin’ COPETON DAM

David Allan manager@copeton.com.au

Hi there, I would like to introduce myself. I am David Allan and I manage the Inland Waters Holiday Park Copeton Waters. I was born and raised in Inverell and have been fishing since I was 7 years old. I enjoy all types of fishing, both fresh and salt water, mainly lure fishing, but I will use bait if I have to. I have a real passion for Murray cod on lures. So now to the fishing. The last few weeks has seen Copeton cod become more active, with good reports of fish being caught all around the dam, from the main basin to Woonulla Bay in the upper reaches. The majority of these fish have been taken either very early in the morning or late afternoon into the night. Most techniques are working,

but the exciting thing is that our winter surface bite is starting in earnest, with a number of big fish over 1m being taken on large paddler style surface lures. I don’t know if the winter surface bite is unique to Copeton, but it is certainly looked forward to by those in the know. The beauty of this type of fishing is that it is available to anyone with a reasonable casting outfit and some surface or hardbody lures or spinnerbaits. You can do just as well — or sometimes better — walking the banks as you can fishing from a boat. We have found at this time of the year that our cod prefer their food in bigger mouthfuls. If you have checked the size of the mouth of a 120cm plus fish, you will appreciate that there aren’t many lures that you could cast that would be too big from now until October. The standard surface lure now being used through winter has a body length

from 110-200mm plus. What happens when a fish that may be 50kg hits a surface lure is something all fishermen really have to experience! Look for stable weather and a barometric pressure of 1020 hPa. The other thing to remember is that Copeton Dam is the only waterway in NSW that is open to cod fishing all year round, so the closed season from September 1 to November 30 does not apply. Fisheries made this decision after 4 years of research and sampling. It was found that approximately 94 per cent of cod in Copeton were fish that had been stocked, with virtually no successful natural breeding. Fishermen pay for the stocking through yearly licence fees, so we are now allowed to fish all year. And how good is it? Rick Peel from Dubbo (Mudeye Lures) spent a weekend here with some mates and caught

Staff member Tim with an unusual white coloured cod taken before work. and released 30 fish, with 4 over 1m; they also lost other big ones. Yellowbelly catches are starting to slow down as the water cools, so bait will be the best option for the next few weeks. For those dedicated to only fishing lures, then 1 of the most successful techniques is slow rolling Gulp Grubs in the trees, with the go-to colour being black. You won’t find many fish on the flats from now until spring. When you visit Copeton, don’t forget to call into the Kiosk and check our range of lures that are designed and built to take on the biggest cod in Australia. And remember that Copeton Dam is the only waterway in NSW with no closed season for Murray Cod, so contact us to make your bookings through this winter and spring. • 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.

David Allan, or new columnist, with a nice one from the dam.

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Winter trout in all spawn modes LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

Living where I do, you get to appreciate the four seasons. I remember a conversation I had with a mate of mine who had shifted to 1770 in Queensland for a short stint: “ H o w ’s the weather, mate?” Alex’s reply was short and sweet. “It’s bloody boring.” I was like, “What the hell? What do you mean, boring?” There was silence on the phone for a bit, then, “It’s warm and sunny every day, mate. Boring as…” Right about now I could do with some boring, warm, sunny weather. I know that it will come, and when it does I will be looking forward to those cold winter days and nights, a warm fire and a snug swag. With the 4 seasons and a mixture of altitudes, we get to cover quite a few different fishy options on the Central Tablelands of NSW. When 1 option is beginning to sour, another fires up. At the moment it’s all about our cold-water options — trout, redfin and cod. Every now and then though, you get thrown a curve ball — fish that just don’t read the script, like golden perch on ice jigs in Ben Chifley Dam, bass in Lake Lyell, cod on the surface… take them as heaven-sent, a blessing, something to cherish, but just not the norm. Cod on the surface in

profile, just fish it slow and injured in a shallow water environment close to cover in creeks and river backwaters. An injured

have no river or creek to be drawn to. It’s shallow, windy gravel points for them. Pre-spawn trout can be very aggressive towards

The good thing about chasing trout in winter in the dams is there is always fish from both species in pre- or post-spawn mode. Adjust your techniques to suit, and get amongst them. fish can and will be eaten at any time of year, it’s just too easy. TROUT WEATHER The staple species over the winter months is definitely trout. Both browns and rainbows love single digit water temperatures, where they feel right at home. Spawning time can throw a spanner in the works for some, but if you adjust your techniques in the dams, you can always find a few hungry fish either pre- or post-spawn. They don’t all

other trout, so large minnows in trout colours can be good. Up the size too; 8-9cm and bigger if you dare. Sometimes you will see the trout chasing each another and free jumping. This is the time for the big lures, so get 1 in there. Pre-spawn fish can gather in schools at different staging points in the major arms of the lakes, so a boat and a good depth sounder is the key to finding them. Remember though, just because you

For further information contact Grabine Lakeside State Park

(02) 4835 2345 or email:

grabinefishing@gmail.com find us on facebook/ Grabine Freshwater Fishing Tournament

JULY 2015

A Major League curve ball. Bait fishing in mixed species’ dams at night during winter is always a lucky dip. This time it was Alex Hickson with his hand in the prize bucket. I wish it was me… July might be pushing it a bit, but if you use your noggin I am sure you could get it to happen. June is the latest month of the year where I have had action on surface. Big split-bodied swimbaits with a fish

take their toll, weight loss is significant, and now can be the time to put all that condition back on. They quite often throw caution

run at the same time, as Mother Nature very rarely puts all her (trout) eggs in the 1 basket. I would concentrate my efforts in the upper reaches though, with the exception being TCD, as the fish there

can see them doesn’t mean you will catch them. It can be quite frustrating when food is not foremost on their minds. Post-spawn trout, however, are very hungry. The rigours of spawning

to the wind, swimming and feeding in places and times that normally they would not be. It’s a great time to be walking the lake banks polaroiding them in shallow water. Well-presented small soft plastics, feather jigs and flies are rarely refused. ENGLISH PERCH Fancy name for a pest species, true, but like them or loathe them, they are here to stay, so why not make the most of them? I am not sure of their preferred temperature band, it may not be quite as cold as trout, but they do bite well into the low teens. Big ones can be targeted during the winter months by throwing small Beetle Spins at shoreline cover in Ben Chifley and Carcoar dams. The other option is to cruise the deep water flats slowly, have a heavy jig, bobber, spoon, but something weighty in your hand ready to go, watch the sounder closely, and when you see 1 drop it to the bottom straight away. Let it hit the bottom, then rip it up, and drop it back. The strike can be very aggressive, especially on that first lift, and the added bonus is you get to watch it all play out on the sounder screen most of the time. Redfin, like most fish, have a real hot bite time just on dawn or dusk. Now during the summer months it’s not so bad, but in mid-July it can take dedication to get up early or stay out a bit later.

Wily trout outwit anglers on winter spawn run CANBERRA

Bryan Pratt

By the time you read this, the contest will be all over, because the trout stream season closed in NSW and the ACT on June 8. The challenge between anglers and the brown trout on their annual

the rivers feeding Lake Jindabyne and Lake Eucumbene and anglers lucky enough to be there when it happened had a ball catching fish. Using Glo Bug and nymph combinations on spin and fly gear, almost everybody caught fish and they were big ones too. Catches of 4-10 trout per day were

allowed to retain 1 fish per day if it was 50cm or better. Photography rather than killing was the order of the day. That early run of fish triggered a mad rush of anglers from Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and elsewhere, all looking for a trophy trout. They were disappointed.

Bryan Pratt checking out the browns and rainbows on a likely new fishing location near Nimmitabel, Kungla Lakes.

Some of the crowd searching for a trophy brown in the Eucumbene River when huge numbers of fish were moving upstream on their annual pre-spawning run. pre-spawning run in the Thredbo and Eucumbene Rivers has been a beauty this year. When it rained in early May, vast numbers of browns surged into

common for even the most inexperienced angler, and the fish weighed up to about 3.5kg. It was pretty much all catch-and-release, although being trophy streams anglers were

Nathan Walker with a typical trophy brown caught on a Glo Bug and nymph combination during an early run of pre-spawners in the Eucumbene River.

There was no more rain and no more fish moving into the rivers, and even though anglers thrashed the water to foam, there were no fish for several weeks. Anglers had no choice but to lick their wounds and wait. Eventually the pressure of spawning hormones and a little rain got the better of the fish and they started to move again. That triggered another mad influx of anglers and there were some nice trout caught. In the easily accessible areas though, the fish were hammered so hard they became spooked and uncatchable. To get a trophy you needed to hike into the tough country, well upstream, where they had lodged in preparation for spawning. The hardened anglers who did this were well rewarded, with catches of 10-15 a day and fish up to 5kg. It was tough but rewarding fishing, and it went on until the season finally closed. Looking back on the contest, I reckon the fish won this year. It wasn’t the slaughter of some previous years and although some large specimens were taken, they weren’t as sizeable as in some previous years. But it was good fun and immensely satisfying for anglers who put in the

hours and chased the fish into tiger country and who will now wait until next year to try it all over again. It’s a great contest. LAKES WORTHWHILE Fishing in the larger lakes Jindabyne, Eucumbene and Tantangara has been reasonably rewarding, despite the cold weather. Rainbows around 32-34cm have been good fun on PowerBait, bardi grubs and scrub worms, and some larger ones have been taken on small minnows and Tasmanian Devils flat lining, with lead core line and downriggers. Despite the influx of browns into the spawning streams, there have been enough remaining in the lakes to make chasing them worthwhile. They have been taken on bait and lure, but especially on fly, with the best fishing

late in the afternoon and early evening before the cold becomes unbearable. I fished 1 session last week, but spent more time washing the ice out of my fly rod runners than actually fishing and finally gave it away without a fish. Maybe I’ll come back when the weather improves and my memory of the bad weather fades. NEW TROUT VENTURE I had an interesting couple of days checking out a proposed new trout fishing location in the beautiful high country near Nimmitabel. Keen fly fisher Chris McKechnie has purchased a delightful bush property, Kungla Lakes, which has 2 trout lakes and a lovely homestead already established. The lakes are stocked with browns and rainbows, and Chris assures me some of the fish are already around double

figures. He is considering opening it up to anglers on a commercial basis and I will keep readers informed when the operation is up and running. Ventures such as this can provide a very satisfying experience for new as well as experienced anglers, and do a lot to help relieve the ever-mounting fishing pressure on other lakes and streams. GOLDENS HUNGRY On the local scene, redfin and golden perch have finally tumbled that winter is coming and are feeding furiously to put on condition. Anglers have been catching up to 15 golden perch in a session, mostly on scrubworms and yabbies, and plenty of redfin to 47cm. Good fishing is right on our doorstep, which more than makes up for the cold weather we will now endure for the next few months.

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A bait-soaker’s dream JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

As we move into the second month of winter the brown trout spawning is well underway and the rainbow trout are also starting to run. The rivers and streams in the Snowy Mountains are closed to fishing but despite the weather being cold the lake and impoundment fishing is hot! Winter is my favourite time to trout fish for a couple of reasons. One there are not too many anglers about, and especially no water skiers on the lake to annoy us, but the main reason I like winter is that there is no need to get out of bed early. Yes you get to sleep in. The trout have less food available during the winter months and with the colder water they are quite happy to patrol the edges of the lake fossicking all day long. This makes for perfect shore-based fishing for those anglers that do not have a boat. On the cold windy and even snowy days you often see anglers sitting by the

campfire or even sitting in their cars waiting for a trout to bite. The ‘bite’ can happen any time of the day so a little patience may be necessary but the rewards will be there. Winter is big brown trout and Atlantic salmon time and we have seen fish so far this season in excess of 14lb. Worms and artificial baits have always been a favourite way of winter fishing and it always brings results. When worm fishing, use plenty of tiger worms or a single scrub worm, and fish them off the bottom using a running sinker. There is a lot of weed about at the moment so it is best to put muslin on your line to keep it floating above the bottom. You can also suspended a bait under a float and if you want to use artificial bait (most float) 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 better than another but a hint is to go shallow water early and late, and slightly deeper water during the bright sunny parts of the days, but not too deep! Brook trout are almost an impossible species to catch

over summer but in winter they come out of the depths to play and can often be found around the quite little bays at the mouths of creeks and inlets. Brookies are aggressive fish and take to lures very easily, in fact, I think you catch many more brookies on lures than bait or fly. I have managed to catch brook trout on all sorts of lures! Spinners, spoons, minnows and even blades and soft plastics. It doesn’t seem to matter, it’s just a case of locating the fish and then when you get one you often will get more from the same location, as they tend to school more that the browns and rainbows.

This chunk of an Atlantic salmon was caught by Ellis Murphy and went 14lb.

JULY ROUNDUP – THE BEST OF THE BEST! Best method........................................................................................................................................ Bait fishing Best depth..............................................................Scrubworms teamed with artificial bait fished off the bottom Best lake lure........................................Tasmanian Devil in pink 55 or Holographic, or Rapala ‘pinkie’ trout 7cm Best lake area................................................................................................. Claypits and Banjo Patterson Park Best fly method................... Williamson’s Gold Fish or a similar fly to represent the food the fish are feeding on Best river......................................................................... Rivers Closed - reopen on Saturday October 3rd 2015 Spinning from the shore of the lake, even in the middle of the day can be productive for all species of fish in Lake Jindabyne. I like to use mainly minnow lures like Rapalas in natural patterns,

the Spotted Dog and even just plain black and gold. Tasmanian Devil lures are perfect on windy days and it is always best to cast into the wind rather than have the wind at your back. You catch

more trout on the windward shore and the best colours are aggression colours like pink number 55, or yellow wing number 36 to represent gold fish and brown number 48 or holographic as these

colours look like yabbies to brown trout. A variety of soft plastics also are worth trying and this time possibly due to the smell that is impregnated into these products. It’s best

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if they are also natural or cold colours for the inlets and orange or pink for open water. The Strike Tiger range of plastics have been great in Lake Jindabyne, especially the 3” curl-tail princess pink and vodka n orange. Fly fishing will only get better as we get further towards spring, but there is no reason why you can’t fly fish in July. Polaroiding trout is best done on the sunnier days. A well-presented fly, something like a brown nymph, a Mrs Simpson, Williamson’s Snowy Mountains Goldfish 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. If you’re out in a boat on the lake over winter, trolling lures a lot slower than you would during summer is also the way to increase the number of trout you catch. Remember, there are still a lot of very big Atlantic salmon to be caught at this time of the year and the best brown trout so far was 13.5lb, so bigger nets might just be very important. The best lures to use when trolling the lake for big trout in winter are the jointed Rapalas in various colours, as it seems that the

action is what the trout like most. Tasmanian Devil lures in pink 55, orange 57 and brown number Y48 are the best on the rainbow trout.

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

Jye Murphy nailed this brown from the Thredbo on a Rapala lure. The Y82 and holographic are another couple of colours worth a try. Trolling flies off fly lines (harling) is also very

the weed beds. We have some flies in my shop that are designed for trolling and can be dynamite over the weed beds on the lake.

Good areas for trolling this month are the South Arm, the Snowy Arm, East Jindabyne Islands and Hayshed Bay. Best of luck with your winter fishing and if 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, at shop 1, Snowline Centre, Kosciuszko Road (next to the Shell Servo). I run fishing tours right through winter so why not come and catch a monster trout or Atlantic salmon on Lake Jindabyne. My shop is also open 7 days a week during winter with extended hours over July and August. Please note: July and August are the months when the township of Jindabyne is flat out with snow skiers and most accommodation is either booked out or very expensive, however since you don’t need to get out of bed early to catch a trout in winter, you can always stay in towns close by where there is accommodation at a reasonable rate. Cooma, Berridale and Dalgety are towns that come to mind that have great accommodation at reasonable rates. • If you would like some personal guiding, I will be available over the coming months for fly-fishing tuition and lake trolling trips.

Lessons can be booked from 2 hours’ duration, and trolling trips from 3 hours to a full day. If you want to know more about the latest in fishing conditions, just give

me a call on 02 6456 1551 or check out my website at www.swtroutfishing.com.au. You can also see our daily Facebook updates at https:// www.facebook.com/LJTFA.

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Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

The month of July certainly doesn’t offer as many options as spring, but there are still quite a few fish about to keep anglers going. Trout streams are closed, so anglers wanting a spotted fish fix will have to hit the lakes. This won’t disappoint as the trout will be either returning from spawning or on their way there, so they will be either hungry or aggressive (or both if you’re lucky). The fish returning from the spawning grounds are generally super hungry and will attack most baits, lures and flies. The fish heading off to spawn will be mostly thinking about sex and won’t be feeding like normal, but they will be super aggressive and competitive, so any lure that is deemed a threat will be met with an aggressive strike. This month it won’t hurt to upsize your lures for the best chance of hooking aggressive and hungry trout. Baitos will find it hard to beat dough baits like PowerBait in either orange or pink this month, but it will pay to have another rod rigged with a garden worm, or if you’re up for it, try maggots — trout just love them. REDFIN Redfin will be in massive schools this month and getting close to thinking about spawning. When these fish form massive pre-spawn schools, they can often be huge, with 100 or more fish quite common.

Trout in our lakes will either be returning from spawning or on their way to spawn, which means they will be hungry or aggressive — or both if you’re lucky. summer months where they spread out all over the lake. Finding the schools can be difficult at times, but once you do find them, they are

a lot of them are fixated on spawning just like the trout, lures will most often outfish the bait due to the reaction strikes that occur. Best lures

Shaz with a good-sized cod taken on a beefedup Angel Bait. At this time of the year it pays to bulk up your lures with large plastics and skirts to appeal more to the larger fish.

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July is 1 of the best months for targeting big redfin like this. They are in massive pre-spawn schools and once located are generally quite easy to catch. It makes sense that this time of year is probably the best time for targeting these fish, due to the fact they are more concentrated than the

generally quite easy to catch. Bait fishing or bobbing with worms or small yabbies on a paternoster rig will account for many fish, but as

are ice jigs, blades, vibes and lipless crankbaits, but it is very hard to beat 2-4” soft plastics slow rolled through the schools.

MURRAY COD Murray cod both in our lakes and rivers are another great option this month. Most keen cod anglers now understand that winter is a great time of the year to be targeting the monster Murrays. The cod fishing certainly isn’t about numbers in winter; it is about the size of the fish you catch. It normally isn’t too many, but when they are of trophy size, anglers are more then happy to forego the numbers. It pays to go large with your lures and there is no such thing as too large when it comes to these giants of our waterways. If bait fishing, try and use the biggest shrimp or yabbies you can, or the largest grubs, or as a last alternative a jumbo scrubworm. If all this fails, try a piece of cheese, which seems to be the gun cod bait at the present time. Lure anglers will do best with big hardbodies over 90mm in length, either trolled or cast, and large spinnerbait style lures. By large spinnerbaits I don’t mean monster over-sized quad bladed versions, although they will account for plenty of fish at this time of the year, but adding a big trailer or plastic to give the spinnerbait more length and bulk will appeal to the larger fish. It’s the same with chatter baits and Angel Baits at this time of year; rig them with 100-250mm soft plastics to bulk them up and make it appeal more to the giant fish that seem to be fairly active. So as you can see there are still quite a few freshwater fishing options this month, so rug up and get amongst them. There is good fishing to be had and not too many anglers about to compete with.

Fishing pressure prompts winter lockjaw ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie

large cod for those prepared to think outside the square and break away from the

flock that are content to troll the deep. Casting has been most productive the

few times I have ventured up the river, and I find it quite refreshing to see other

codmac@bigpond.net.au

In the lead up to the cool blast of winter’s chill, the cod fishing along the Murray River has dropped away this past month, with many anglers finding it hard to put a bend in a rod. Maybe the increased influx of angling traffic at many locations has prompted the lockjaw attitude of the local cod population. At some social media hotspots, the river is almost pounded on a daily basis as anglers work specific rock bars and cod-related structure to the point where the fish are not getting a rest. With a daily bombardment of lures, it’s a sure bet the larger, more astute cod are savvy to the continuance of angling related intrusions. These large fish do not attain their size through stupidity, and most would no doubt have attained a degree in lure recognition these past few months. Most hot cod bites are now aligned with an oncoming rise in water levels or a sharp spike in barometric pressure — be it either up or down. There are consistent weekly reports of a big cod caught here or there, but when you break down the angler numbers and hours spent on the water, it’s easy to see the bite has tapered off considerably to that of last season. In saying that though, there are still some very

Dozer Collins with a typical sized Murray cod caught on the cast.

Chris Jorgensen with a solid golden perch that scoffed a number 1 StumpJumper.

anglers using this method. A few cod to 90cm have been landed in the pool water above Robinvale on cast hardbodies and spinnerbaits. Larger profiled lures like the Bassman 4x4 and either 120mm Codzilla or large StumpJumpers are working well. A range of different colours have been productive, but fluoro orange has been the pick. Some honking big perch have also crashed in on the action, with several over 55cm scoffing the larger lures as though they were jelly beans. Below Euston Weir downstream to Wemen and beyond, the fishing has been a little more productive

Josh Volf with a ripper Murray cod caught deep trolling the pool water. in big cod terms, as the shallow nature of the water is less inclined to draw the larger boat brigade. There’s not too much deep water trolling at this location, but some very big cod are there for those prepared to try different lure styles, whether cast or trolled. Bait anglers have also done well along this section of the Murray this past month, with good numbers of large

perch and the occasional cod landed on a wide range of edibles that include small yabbies, scrubworms, grubs and cheese. While the fishing has slowed at many locations, other spots have opened up. It’s just a matter of getting out on the water and matching a little grey matter with our scale-clad quarry. After all, they are only fish.

Big winter cod about to get on the prowl MILDURA

John Menhennett goobyfish@hotmail.com

There are many things to offer native fish anglers around Mildura during the month of July. The cold winter starts to take its toll and begins to slow everything down, including some fish species, but monster Murray cod will be lurking and definitely worth casting the snags for. There are not too many things better than braving the cold frosty mornings on the banks of the Murray around a warm fire during the month of July. Crawling your way out of the swag to sit around the fire and boiling the billy while thinking about the day’s fishing ahead is 1 of life’s great experiences. Cod fishing over the

past month has been a bit hit-and-miss, with barometric pressure either steady or on the low side of good. A fair few cod in the 75-80cm range were being caught around the end of June. Quite a number have been hooked in every place but the mouth, signifying that these fish are not feeding properly just yet. There have been some metre-long fish caught on large trolled hardbodies and cast spinnerbaits; the bigger the lure the better it seems. Colours haven’t too much of a concern, as cod have been caught on a large variety of colours lately. There have still been some nice yellowbelly about on large lures, despite the colder weather, with quite a few going around the 50cm plus mark, which is a very good size for the main river. Similarly, bait has been producing great results around root balls and weedbeds, with shrimp

being the go-to bait. With a bit of flow in the river at the moment, light bait rigs are a must. Water clarity has been very good over the past month, which can bring lure colour into play, especially when fishing shallow. When the water is this clear, it pays to aim for long casts into snags, as getting too close may spook the bigger fish. Spinnerbaits will also take on a world of their own in this clearer water, with nickel and black blades working best. Natural colours are worth trying also. A lot of anglers have been enjoying success on dark coloured lures in the clear water. Towards the end of May and the start of June, water levels dropped significantly above Mildura, which has greatly affected the quality of the fishing. Weir maintenance is always a fascinating time, as people flock from everywhere to

view the riverbed, and maybe even find that long lost lure! The next month is due to

couple of frosts are always good to kick things off and to slow everything down

things that come their way, we should see some great fish being caught.

Taneesha Pentony from Bacchus Marsh with her 109cm ‘PB’ Murray cod caught trolling a 150mm Purple AC Invader lure on a trip to the Mildura area. Cod of this size are synonymous with Mildura pool waters during winter. be a hot month for Murray cod fishing, particularly below Lock 11. The first

even more. Once the cod start feeding properly and aggressively scoffing most

They may be few and far between but the wait will be worth it! JULY 2015

What’s New FISHING

POWERBAIT 3” TWITCHTAIL

A new minnow design in Berkley’s winning Powerbait line-up, the Berkley Powerbait Twitchtail Minnow, features a unique thin tail that delivers continuous, lifelike action. Perfect for finesse situations, it comes to life with the slightest twitch of the rod. Each Twitchtail Minnow is also loaded with Berkley’s exclusive Powerbait scent and flavour formula, which causes fish to hold on 18x longer, so you can feel more bites and set more hooks. Excellent for bream, bass, flathead and other predatory species, the Powerbait Twitchtail will provoke strikes from aggressive fish but also tempt those more finicky fish into eating. Available in a range of Berkley’s proven colours, the Berkley Powerbait Twitchtail Minnow drives fish crazy. The Berkley Powerbait Twitchtail comes in a range of lifelike colours and will facilitate weedless and non-weedless hooks for different presentation, so you’ll be able to throw them almost anywhere! Price: RRP $8.95 www.purefishing.com.au

LUCKY CRAFT SKT

The Lucky Craft SKT Spinnerbaits are a result of years of fine-tuning from Professional USA bass angler, Skeet Reese. Built with a compact, yet hefty profile, the Lucky Craft SKT Spinnerbait Double Willow offers excellent casting distance and the ability to reach greater depths with ease. Complete with two super-bright willow blades, the Lucky Craft SKT Spinnerbait Double Willow delivers an abundance of flash that will attract fish in a wide range of water conditions, from gin clear, where a subtle approach is needed, to dense and muddy, where the spinnerbait needs to make a lot of noise. Adding to its attraction, the Lucky Craft SKT Spinnerbait Double Willow is fitted with a banded skirt that perfectly accents its lifelike colour scheme and a soft plastic hook keeper. This revolutionary spinnerbait is available in 4 colours and is made and tested in Japan. Price: RRP $15 www.ejtodd.com.au

DAIWA J-BRAID

Whether you’re an ‘Urban Warrior’, or your battleground is the big blue, when it’s just you against the fish – with bragging rights on the line – there’s no margin for compromise. Daiwa is proud to introduce the all-new J-Braid. Like all Daiwa products, it is made in Japan, so you can trust that hours of testing has gone into its production. J-Braid is soft and supple, to allow you long, effortless casting, but is strong with a thin diameter, to provide the stealth you need when stalking big fish. J-Braid is an 8-strand weave, so it has a round profile small diameter, maximum abrasion resistance and is low stretch. J-Braid is available in chartreuse or multicoloured options, and metered in 10, 5 and 1m increments. Delivering strength and quality in perfect harmony, Daiwa’s new J-Braid let’s you be a strong fighter. www.daiwafishing.com.au

SHIMANO 2015 CITICA

With their low-slung profile and racecar good looks, Shimano’s previous Citica G series of baitcasters were pretty classy examples of Japanese design, technology and performance, but the 2015 models take it another step further. There are three Citicas to choose from — the CI200I with a gear ratio of 6.3:1, and then the choice of high gear left or right-handed versions with warp speed ratios of 7.2:1. The SVS Infinity Casting System delivers a more precise braking range, which in turn provides greater control regardless of the conditions. What’s more, the S3D Stable Spool Design features uniform thin wall construction that reduces spool vibration on the cast and retrieve. The 2015 Citicas can dish out 5.5kg of drag power, which means they are ideally matched to the 190m of Power Pro braid they hold, making them perfect for impoundment, creek, tropical estuary and inshore saltwater work. www.shimanofish.com.au

Using Taff-Wire, the S-125 is perfect for retro-fitting hardbodied trolling and casting lures. The range of available sizes means that you’ll be able to replace and retro-fit in just about any angling situation. The lightweight but incredibly strong TaffWire ensures that your lures retain maximum action. Taff-Wire helps create hooks that are smaller in diameter, yet stronger and harder than ever before. The single most important characteristic for hook penetration is the wire diameter – if it’s too thick and the wire won’t penetrate easily. Taff-Wire hooks are stronger per wire diameter than any hook on the market, meaning that you’ll be able to set the hook into even some of the boniest of jaws in the sea and know that they won’t straighten. The new Owner S-215 Single Plugging Hook is available in sizes 1/0 all the way to 9/0. Price: RRP $12.95 www.purefishing.com.au

JULY 2015

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OWNER S-215 SINGLE HOOK

INSANITY TACKLE ANGEL BAIT

Insanity Tackle is the brainchild of Wayne ‘Mr Freshwater’ Dubois. Angel Baits are the most exciting thing to hit Aussie lure shelves since the chatter bait all those years ago. Angel Baits ride hook up and can be worked over and through timber just like any spinner bait style lure. But what sets Angel Baits apart from the rest is their smaller, more lifelike profile. Also, the unique spinning device and blades will attract fish with its natural pulse and realistic flash. But unlike so many other spinnerbaits styles, they won’t scare them in the process. Angel Baits can be cast and retrieved, trolled or jigged and won’t replace the spinnerbait entirely, but they make a great alternative and are hard to beat on highly pressured waters where the fish have seen thousands of spinnerbaits. Chuck an Angel Bait on and fool those finicky fish. Price: RRP $15 Facebook ‘Insanity Tackle’

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What’s New FISHING

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

MAGNUM SW REELS

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Wilson Fishing has developed its own reel, the Magnum SW, to perfectly match the Magnum series of rods. Built with uncompromising ideals, the Magnum SW reels make use of an aluminium body and rotor to ensure the components are able to operate in the harshest of conditions. The aluminium spool is fitted out with a high-density woven carbon drag system that creates a tournament grade carbon drag. With 8+1 stainless steel bearing, you can be ensured of smooth operation for years and the anti-reverse bearing is instantaneous with no play whatsoever! The handle is finished off with an ergonomic EVA knob design that is comfortable to use all day, finishing off this brilliant value for money reel. With four sizes ranging from 2000 through to 5000, the Wilson Magnum SW reel is an ideal companion to your Wilson Magnum rod. Price: RRP from $165 www.wilsonfishing.com.au

8 8

Since the release of the Flat Shad, anglers have been asking for different weights and finally they have arrived – the Marsh Slider Hook Packs. There are three sizes in the Marsh Slider Hook Packs to suit the popular 5’, 7’ and 9’ Zerek Flat Shad lures. But the Mustad worm hooks used in these packs are built tough and are more than capable of slotting into any plastic you want to rig weedless. Each Marsh Slider Hook Pack has two Mustad worm hooks included. The 5/0 hook pack contains a 14g and 22g weighted worm hook, with the original hook on the 5” Flat Shad weighing 17g. The 8/0 hook pack contains a 20g and 28g weighted worm hook, with the original hook on the 7” Flat Shad weighing 35g. The 12/0 hook pack contains a 35g and 45g weighted worm hook. With the original hook on the 9” Flat Shad weighing 57g. These hooks exhibit all the traits of Mustad hooks being tough, durable and ultra-sharp. Price: RRP from $10.95 www.wilsonsfishing.com.au

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

RAPALA SHADOW RAP

The ‘dying minnow action’ of the new Shadow Rap series compliments Rapala’s already extensive offering of hard baits that have the legendary, original ‘wounded minnow action’ and the ‘escaping minnow action’. Unlike other hard baits, the incredibly unique dying minnow action of the Shadow Rap kicks almost 180° during the twitch on a semi-slack line, darting off to the side and turning back to look at its adversary with a dying quiver. Featuring internal metallic plating, a natural scale pattern and a flat sided 11cm minnow profile that is finished in a range of colours designed to mimic bony bream, mullet and herring - the Shadow Rap is the perfect snack. Available in both a shallow and deep model that weighs 13g and dives to a maximum depth of 1.2m and 2.4m respectively; the Shadow Rap gives anglers the ability to confidentially cover structure at differing depths. Price: RRP from $24.95 www.rapala.com.au

SHIMANO GAME TYPE J

These fantastic JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) designed jigging rods are going to be a massive hit with jig fishing fans right around the country — whether they’re part of the new micro jigging scene, taking the more traditional approach of banging heavy metal on the heads of Seriola species in cooler waters, or winkling reef dwellers away from coral bommies in the tropics. There are five powerful spin rods and one baitcaster in this impressive line-up. All are of single-piece construction, rated for use with 1-3 through to 2-5 PE braid, depending on the model, so they’re also extremely versatile. Befitting their high performance status, they come fitted with Fuji K series SiC guides with stainless frames for better resistance to the unforgiving saltwater environment, Shimano high-grade reel seats, and customshaped hard split EVA grips for greater comfort while working a jig and then when hooked up. www.shimanofish.com.au

DAIWA LURE WALLET

NEW DRAGON MAGGOT

Daiwa is the world’s premier fishing tackle manufacturer, with a strong culture of quality and innovation. Introducing the Daiwa Lure Wallet: the perfect ‘small’ lure organiser. Its compact size is ideal for small bream and trout sized lures. Made from woven PVC, Denier, EVA and tough clear vinyl it features a corrosion resistant zipper and ridged EVA inside to ‘attach’ small lures too. The EVA holds small lures in place avoiding them tangling or getting damaged like a traditional tackle box. The Lure Wallet is perfect for the angler on foot and is compact (only 23x17x5cm), light and unlike normal lure boxes it does not rattle all day long as the lures are fastened securely in place. Perfect for any land-based angler who is addicted to light tackle angling in small creeks, estuaries and other inshore waters, but will also prevent rattling and tangles for those who fish in a boat or small watercraft. www.daiwafishing.com.au

The popular Dragon Maggot is back in stock with some exciting new colours throughout the range. Dragon Maggot 2, 2.5, 3 and 4” were introduced early in 2014 by JML Anglers Alliance (JML Trading) and soon became the secret weapon in all keen anglers tackle boxes. The new wave of Dragon Maggot is available in 12 great colours in 2”, 8 colours in 2.5”, 9 colours in 3”, and 4 colours in 4”. The Dragon Maggot’s unique fin-tail comes alive once it hits the water. It dances with any small lift of the rod tip. Being so easy to use it is prefect for first time soft plastic users and to the proven tournament anglers. The Dragon Maggot rigged on heavy jigheads can be deadly when targeting bottom dwellers using high speed lift and drop action. Equally successful is retrieving the lure quite slowly, along the bottom. Whichever way you fish it the Dragon Maggot will increase your bag! Price: $7.95 (3”), $9.95 (2, 2.5 and 4”) www.jml.net.au

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What’s New FISHING

ZEREK FINESSE FLAT SHAD

The incredibly successful Flat Shad from Zerek Innovations has shrunk in the wash and is now available in 3 1/2” and 4 1/2” versions. The smaller Flat Shads were re-engineered with a softer plastic to maintain the same swimming action as their larger brothers. This softer material is still every bit as strong as the original Flat Shads (5”, 7’ and 9”) and can be stretched to its limits time and time again without the lure succumbing to the pressure. Coming rigged on a weedless hook, the smaller Flat Shads have the same belly design that allows the lure to foldaway under the slightest pressure to expose the hook. This means the smaller Flat Shads can be fished anywhere with minimal risk of hanging up, yet still provide exceptional hook-up rates. The Flat Shad can also be rigged on a jighead and fished in more open waters. Price: RRP from $11.95 www.wilsonfishing.com.au

WIND CHEATER BOMBER

The Bomber lure is an Aussie icon, particularly for those up north chasing mangrove jack, barramundi, threadfin salmon and more. Now, Bomber is expanding their range so you can catch more fish on these great lures. The New Wind Cheater in the Bomber range is made for saltwater applications. The Wind Cheater throws like a bullet and will hit the spot better than any bait on the market. Its realistic wounded action provokes violent attacks, and its ultra-high-tensile-strength, virtually indestructible body is always up to the test, because this lure will receive some punishment! Perfect for working feeding schools of pelagic fish and casting from the surf, the Wind Cheater bomber is fitted with saltwater grade hooks, so it’s ready to go straight out of the packet! The Wind Cheater comes in 2 sizes, 4.5” and 6”, and comes with 1/0 and 3/0 hook sizes respectively. www.jmgillies.com.au

SPIDERWIRE EZ BRAID

Spiderwire EZ braid is an unmatched value in a high-tech Superline. EZ braid is super smooth for easy, long, tangle free and effortless casts. As with all Spiderwire braids, EZ braid is a super thin, super strong, and super sensitive braided fishing line, without being super expensive. EZ Braid Features Dyneema microfibers, which are 3 times stronger than mono, and is 2-3 times smaller than mono of the same breaking strain. Use Palomar knot for best performance Spiderwire EZ Braid comes in many different breaking strains to suit different angling situation. EZ Braid comes in 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 50lb. All strengths are available in 150m spools, with 10-50lb also being available in 300m spools. All EZ Braid comes in a hi-vis but stealthy Moss Green colour. If you’re looking to for a super smooth, stealthy braid to make long casts without the price tag, make sure you spool up your reel with Spiderwire EZ Braid. www.purefishing.com.au

JETSETTERS NEW COLOURS

Black Magic has recently released two new colours to their ever-popular range of Jetsetter lures – fruit salad and saury. Jetsetter lures feature solid brass and chrome-plated heads, for shine and toughness. The Jetsetter has 4 little holes or ‘jets’ that create a bubble trail and ‘sonic vibration’, which is designed to attract predators from a distance and into your spread. They come with double vinyl skirts, so they won’t get damaged easily, and the range of other enticing and lifelike colours will cover any situation the conditions present. These lures are ideal for a wide range of pelagic fish, including skippies, albacore, kingfish, mahimahi, kahawai, mackerel, marlin, wahoo, yellowfin tuna and many more. You can buy your Jetsetters unrigged or rigged up and ready to troll on Black Magic 130lb tough trace with either a 4/0 double hook or a 5/0 single hook. Price: Various www.blackmagictackle.com

JULY 2015

SHIMANO TORIUM 2015

The Torium overhead series is back — and they’re better than ever. The three all-new reels in the 2015 lineup — the 16HGA, the 20HGA and the 30HGA — come equipped with Shimano’s legendary Cross Carbon star drag system, which has been designed to provide 10kg of brute-stopping power. With a high gear ratio of 6.2:1 and a staggering 117cm of line recovered with every crank of the handle, those high-speed metals and jigs are simply going to fly through the water. Hopefully their target species can keep up! At a tad over 500g in weight, the three reels feature a compact design with a lowslung gear housing, so they’re sufficiently light and ergonomically efficient for long casting sessions without fatigue. Additionally, three SA-RB bearings and one roller bearing make every cast accurate and as smooth as silk. The inclusion of EI surface treatment on the aluminium frame and spool will ensure these Toriums continue to look the goods and perform for years to come. www.shimanofish.com.au

SO-RUN SINKING PENCIL

The Storm So-Run Sinking Pencil is a lipless stickbait that is designed to dart and glide through the water when twitched on a semi-aggressive retrieve. This irregular darting and gliding action is ideal for fish that have somewhat been accustomed to the straight swimming action of regular minnow lures. Like all hard baits in the So-Run category, the Sinking Pencil is optimally weighted to cast long distances. The sinking aspect of the Sinking Pencil enables you to cover the water column extensively, giving you the ability to trigger a reaction bite from a lurking predator. The Sinking Pencil can be fished shallow with a running depth of approximately 0.4m, making it ideal for casting at schools of busting pelagics. Measuring 8cm in length and weighing 18g, the So-Run Sinking Pencil is perfect for imitating small baitfish and tricking fussy fish. Available in a range of baitfish patterns that utilise premium transparent, painted, glitter and UV enhanced finishes. Price: $15.95 www.rapala.com.au

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

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

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What’s New FISHING TESTED:

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Samaki Vibelicious Thumper Tail - thumping good

From the success of one lure, comes another. Last year the team at Blue Fish Imports (The company that bring you the Samaki and Ecooda range) produced a soft vibe lure which became very popular, and it didn’t take them long to introduce another lure, albeit a hybrid version, introduced to the Vibelicious range that’s very unique. The Thumper Tail brings with it the same design as the Vibelicous, but the difference is in the back half of the lure, which incorporates a supported rear treble, as well as an oval shaped vertical paddle-tail. The idea behind the supported rear treble is to make the lure more snag resistant and also eliminate foul hooking on the paddle-tail. To say we were excited to give this innovative lure a run would be an understatement! Not only does the range come in some great colours but it also comes in three sizes to help target different species. We decided to do a two part review of the Thumper Tail. One on the 70mm Thumper Tail and the other on the standard sized 100mm version.

70mm Version

The 70mm model of the Vibelicious Thumper Tail was the version I had my eye on as soon as the lures arrived at Fishing Monthly Magazines. These hybrid soft vibes had bass written all over them and I was sure they would produce the goods. As soon as I had the chance I shot out to my local impoundment to temp some natives into a lure they had never seen before. Before I starting fishing I thought I’d throw a couple casts to the middle of the lake just to see how the lure felt casting and on the retrieve. First up the lure cast like a bullet – perfect! As soon as the lure hit the water I wound up the slack and straight away I could feel the lure thumping on the drop. Once on the bottom, I did the standard slow lift and drop retrieving the lure back to the boat. You could feel the lure functioning on the lift and drop, so I had the confidence that the lure was constantly working. Giving it a demo swim next to the boat the action looked awesome. All these things Vibelicious Thumper Tails look incredibly lifelike when they catch the light. being ticks in my book – now it was time to go catch some fish! I like fishing the deeper weed edges in It’s not that I don’t like using them, it’s just this impoundment and I thought it would be that I’ve never felt the need to use one and as a good way to use this lure. After a while a a result, I probably don’t know exactly how found a nice long edge that looked perfect. to get the most out of them. For this reason, After a few casts parallel to the weed edge, I’m very glad I opted for the 100mm Thumper I was able to tempt a nice 38cm model to Tail when Ryan Limpus slammed it down on have a taste. The fish hit the Thumper Tail my desk, because it’s shown me how deadly as it was dropping on the retrieve, which this type of lure can be, and more specifically, goes to show it’s a hard working lure with a how very versatile the Vibelicious Thumper tempting action. Tail truly is as a soft plastic. With a couple more fish being tempted My testing field was my local stomping by the time to head to the boat ramp, I was ground on the Brisbane River, after hours, convinced this lure would have a permanent and I’ll admit, I felt sceptical tying it on. spot in my tackle box – next challenge is to ‘How was having the rear treble fixed to find the room. the tail suppose to help? Will that massive I also see this lure as an excellent way paddle-tail affect the action of the lure? What to fish for the deeper schooled fish. I if they don’t like it?’ Little was I to know that didn’t have the time to search for them on this very lure would stay on my rod for the this day, but will be bring it our later in the next two weeks! month on a planned trip to Somerset Dam. In the middle of the conversation with the – Ryan Limpus little devil on my shoulder demanding I tie another lure on, I saw a big shape materialise beneath the kicking vibe, and then the lure disappeared! When my brain had finally registered that the threadfin salmon had engulfed the lure and was just sitting there, I struck like a mad man! Ryan smashed a few weed bed bass in his local impoundment on the 70mm model and I played her out, got her in, whacked a tag was impressed with the action of the lure. The fish didn’t mind it either. in her back and sent her home. Nice! I used that same lure for two straight weeks and (stupidly) didn’t bother changing my leader, which eventually resulted in the inevitable bite off – another one to hang on the wall for the threadies… My tagging booklet tells me I caught double figures of threadies and mulloway with a few 60cm + flathead thrown in on that one lure. I was sad, but it didn’t deter me from buying another one from the tackle store! Walking into the Tackle Warehouse to buy another, I had a chat to Gordon Macdonald who said he’d been nailing some chunky snapper on the Thumpers, mainly the 100mm version. What I love about these lures is how versatile they are. They can be used like a normal vibe and be hopped off the bottom, swum like a paddle-tail soft plastic, and even That 100mm red-head Thumper Tail was twitched across the surface, which I what I Bob’s confidence lure for two weeks, until a ended up doing! larger specimen thought it’d wear it as a bit The thick gauge hooks are fantastic for staying connected to fish with soft mouths, of jewellery instead. such as threadfin salmon, and I had absolutely 100mm version no failures with terminal tackle what so ever. Having never used the original Samaki I highly rate these lures as a versatile Vibelicious (or any soft vibe, for that matter!), soft plastic and vibe. Samaki have certainly Gordon Macdonald from The Tackle Warehouse has reported some great catches of I had no idea what to expect from the new brought something new to the table. snapper on the 100mm model in deeper water. Samaki Vibelicous Thumper Tail. – Bob Thornton

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

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What’s New FISHING TESTED:

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Zerek Live Flash Minnows – they simply work

About three months ago I was shown some 130mm Zerek Live Flash minnows. I was promptly told that they are like candy is to a child for all things fishy. I have to admit that I was questioning that in my mind, but if you don’t try things, you don’t know what you may be missing out on. I would like to explain my initial in trepidation. Having come out of the retail sector, packaging appeal unfortunately influences customer purchases and also dictates retailer mindset. At first look the retailer in me kicked in and the packaging didn’t show off the plastics in their best light and also provided a question. One of the plastics in the packet is pre-rigged on a worm style hook in a weedless fashion, is this the only way they can be rigged? This is the less conventional way to rig this style of plastic and could provide some confusion, however these were only minor details and I looked forward to getting on the water and giving them a try.

One of my favourite forms of fishing is targeting flathead on soft plastics and although the 130mm size was a bit larger than I would normally throw at flathead, they did seem the obvious fish to use them on. My first choice colour was number 05 and out of the packet it looked an absolute treat. The internal foil and the large eyes really give the plastic a lifelike look and natural flash in the water. I replaced the worm style jig head with a standard 3/8 jighead with a 4/0 hook. Due to the Live Flash Minnows being made of Elastatech (an extremely durable and flexible plastic) a little bit of care is required to rig them. The internal chamber in them does make it a little easier, but it is imperative to measure and ensure the hook point comes out of the plastic dead centre and is straight. Once this is done, other than mishaps, there is every chance you will be fishing with the same plastic all day.

Fishing First Impressions

It almost feels wrong to write that on

Will Lee was impressed by the Live Flash Minnow from the first time he used them. Colour #05 is one of my favorites. On this occasion it has been pimped with a painted jighead for even more appeal. my first cast, second hop, a reasonable fish smashed my plastic, but that’s what happened. I did proceed to lose that fish, but then hooked and landed another fish next cast. It was a great session on the flathead, with a few bream and other species mixed in. For my mate Nicholas and I it was a real eye-opener and an amazing first impression of the Zerek Live Flash Minnow, we both fished the entire day with the same plastic we started the day with.

Pimping your Live Flash Minnow

When I say pimping, I am not talking about removing bits or for that matter changing or adding colours. It is more about using the flash minnows existing features to your advantage. I like to match a painted jighead to the colour of the plastic. This provides the elusion that the plastic is longer and includes a second set of eyes into the equation. I was looking at pictures of schools of baitfish recently. The thing that I noticed was that although the bodies of the fish blended into a mass of confusion, it was the eyes that really stood out, which provides any The internal chamber in the Zerek Flash predator with a target, so maybe two sets Minnow allows you the option to put scent of eyes are better than one (the Live Flash in the body of the lure. This fish couldn’t Minnow also has a set of eyes). Even the addition of stick on eyes to unpainted resist the addition of red scent.

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au JULY 2015

jigheads can make a difference and in my case provides my daughters with a couple of hours of fun sticking them on for me. The Zerek Live Flash Minnow has a chamber from just behind the nose of the plastic to just beyond the belly. It is there to facilitate the easy rigging of a weedless jighead. What it also provides is a cavity, for those of us that like to use scents, to inject the scent inside the plastic. The application of scent can be less frequent and as an added bonus if you are using a coloured scent (in my case red) it can also provide the additional look of a baitfish that has been smashed by a predator.

Take care when storing

Like all of the soft plastic lures made with this very durable and stretchy plastic, they are not good when mixed with others. In fact, when mixed with other plastics you will very quickly be left with a container of multicolored sludge. Worm proof containers are also advised. My solution has been to store them in their packets in a container and only removed them from their packaging as required.

The Elastatech material they are made of is not only highly durable, but also incredibly flexible and pliable. I have had a number of flathead grab the tail of the plastic, hang on all the way to the boat, before letting go as the net is under them. Frustrating for the angler, but the positive has been that the plastic has been no worse for wear and the flathead thought it was real enough to hang on for that long. A little birdy has told me a Live Flash Minnow Wriggly is about to be released. I have put my hand up for some of these. An enticing curly tail has its place in your soft plastic fishing arsenal and the inherent features of the current Flash Minnow would make a Wriggly a must have for me. Zerek Live Flash Minnows are available in all good tackle outlets and retail from $14.95. For more information go to www.wilsonfishing.com.au - Peter Jung

Final thoughts

Zerek Live Flash Minnows have quickly become my soft plastic lure of choice. Available in 7 colours (01 through to 07) and in 4 sizes (70mm, 90mm, 110mm The Zerek Live Flash Minnow is available in and 130mm), they are very realistic 7 colours and 4 sizes. I have found that all of the colours work. baitfish imitation.

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Clarence River turns it on for GTS anglers Coming out of flood from a recent rain, Hobie Fishing took the GTS & GAS to the mighty Clarence River. In the past the Clarence has been a big bream haven but at this event the proof was in the bag. The Clarence produced the biggest most consistent bags ever seen at a Gamakatsu Teams and Amateur Series. With 23 teams entering, 115 fish for 76.22kg were weighed in. The average fish came in at 660 grams. On top of this, every single team weighed in a full bag. Tristan Taylor and Tom Slater from Team Samurai Reaction Rods definitely proved how good they are on the Clarence, producing the biggest bag of the tournament, a massive 4.81kg. This placed them in 1st but only by a mere 30grams. “Without the strength and quality from the brand new Megabass Racing Condition Oz rods and Samurai Reaction rods, we wouldn’t have been able to pull these cracking fish away from their homes,” Tristo stated. “We headed to the North breakwall as we saw most teams congregating on middle wall and straight away we were on. We fished a variety of different techniques such as Cranking

with deep Atomic Cranks and reaction baiting with Cranka Crabs and Keitech Crazyhed Flappers.” The guys were stoked to take home over $900 in cash and prizes and can’t wait for the next round of the

seemed unbelievable! We fished extremely light for these fish today, 3lb Stren Microfuse with a 4lb Trilene leader matched to an Abu Garcia Vanguard 3-4kg stick allowed us to successfully get these ‘football’ sized fish

Big Bream went to Robert Blackeby. After putting together a reasonable bag of fish, Robert decide to head to the Yamba tavern stretch of the river. Robert was well aware of the potential of big fish in this area and was

give them a firsthand look at how it all works. Team TIMNCAM consisting of Tim “the gun” Currie and Cameron McLeod fished their first ever tournament on the weekend and won very convincingly. They

Team Series entry to use throughout the 2015 season as well as a $150 Atomic Lure prize pack. Special mention goes to Ross and Sonya from Iluka Bait and Tackle. They have recently taken over this store

RESULTS Team................................................................. Angler 1.......................Angler 2......................Fish...........Weight (kg).......... Big Bream..........Total 1 SAMURAI REACTION RODS........................... Tristan Taylor................Tom Slater...................5/5.............4.81....................... 1.11.....................4.81 2 BUSH N BEACH/BERKLEY............................. Chris Britton.................James Britton.............5/5.............4.78....................... 1.07.....................4.78 3 ADDICTED/EDGERODS................................... Jay Prendergast...........Alex Roy......................5/5.............4.03....................... -...........................4.03 4 KEITECH/GENEO KUSTOMS.......................... Trent West.....................Jamie Mckeown.........5/5.............3.98....................... -...........................3.98 5 GREEN THING.................................................. Robert Blackeby..............................................5/5.............3.93....................... 1.14.....................3.93 6 CRANKAN......................................................... Gildo Pagotto...............Allen Rooks.................5/5.............3.86....................... -...........................3.86 7 FILLET AND RELEASE..................................... Tony Thorley.................Aaron Swanson..........5/5.............3.76....................... -...........................3.76 8 HEATH AND WINTERS..................................... Taigan Heath................Russell Winters...........5/5.............3.66....................... -...........................3.66 9 BUSH N BEACH / BERKLEY/YAMAHA.......... Ben Collins...................Anthony Wishey..........5/5.............3.63....................... -...........................3.63 10 SIMRAD/PFLUEGER........................................ Stephen Wilson............Karl Sexton.................5/5.............3.39....................... -...........................3.39 Gamakatsu Team Series at the Gold Coast to try and get those important Team of the Year points. Just getting pipped at the end of the weigh in and placing 2nd with a solid 4.78 kg bag was Chris Britton and his son James. The guys headed to their ‘old favourite’ run of Middle Wall to start the day off and it produced with a hook up first cast. “Slowly sinking a Berkley Gulp Shrimp, seemed to entice this solid 36cm fork length bream into an aggressive strike.” Chris explained. “Getting fish like this all day just

to the boat”. These guys had a great day on the water with their massive 4.78kg bag and on any other day would have smashed the field. It’s great to see a father and son team enjoying each other’s company and producing such good fish. These guys were wrapped to take home $430 and a “state of the art” Majorcraft Skyroad rod. Coming in third place was team Addicted Fishing / Edge Rods. Alex Roy and Jay Prendergast headed to Middle Wall early in the day and fished a combination of Cranka Crabs and OSP Do Live Shrimp to produce a cracking 4.03kg bag. “Casting right up close to the rock wall, on the last of the run in tide and slowly working our presentations down tight to the wall was the key. This kept us right in the strike zone and went onto producing our top three bag. The sensitivity of the Edge rods provided the perfect action and hooking power to pull these solid fish away from the wall,” Alex explained. With over $500 of cash and prizes taken home for an insane day fishing, these guys will definitely be heading back to the Clarence River. The Samurai Reaction

Tom Slater and Tristan Taylor combined their skills to rack-up a near 5-kg bag at the Clarence River GTS event, relegating the father-and-son team to second. Thanks for breaking a young bloke’s heart, guys! hoping to do some much needed upgrading. It didn’t take long, searching down the walls with a Cranka Crab a 1.14kg fish couldn’t resist and inhaled his lure. After a hectic couple of minutes it was finally boated and would see Roberts bag at 3.93kgs in total. The Gamakatsu Amateur Series also ran on the weekend in conjunction with the Gamakatsu Team Series. This new event is designed to introduce teams to tournament fishing and for sale on

took out the Amateur Series with a cracking bag of 3.34kg. “We concentrated on the bottom reaches of the system as we knew most of the fish would have washed down with the recent floods. We used a variety of different techniques and lures, however the stand out for us was the Cranka Crab. We fished them extremely close to the wall which produced us with one of our most exciting days on the water.” The guys took home a free Gamakatsu

and have rebuilt it from the ground up. They ran the Skeeter BBQ for the anglers over the weekend and we highly recommend dropping in and seeing the new store. A huge thanks goes out to the series sponsor Gamakatsu and Hobie the naming round sponsor. For a full list of sponsors and any up and coming tournaments go to www.fishingcomps. com.au/gts and remember to “Support the sponsors that support your passion!” – AFT Team

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$23,900 NSW

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Crosbie and Allen qualify for Hobie Fishing World 67 kayak anglers, the largest field ever to compete in a New South Wales round of the Hobie Kayak Bream Series, churned up the waters around Forster over the weekend in round 7 of the 2015 season, battling it out for the two places available on the Australian team to compete in the 5th Hobie Fishing World Championship to be held in China later this year. Competitors were also chasing ‘Angler of the Year’, Rankings points, sponsor prize packs, exceptional cash payouts and places in the Hobie Kayak Bream Series Australian Championship to be held on Lake Macquarie

tough lessons and tackle box loads of lures were lost trying to wrestle fish out from the oyster racks,

The podium finishers at Forster all had exceptional fishing experiences at the famous venue.

WINNING TACKLE Rod: Strike Pro Nano Edge 1 to 3kg Reel: Tica Scrambler Line: 6lb Strike Pro Armour Braid Leader: 6lb Strike Pro Lure: 1 /24 jighead in a Grenade Lobby and Strike Pro Slinky Minnow in New South Wales later this year. Most anglers hooked plenty of fish and all had an absolute ball fishing the tournament. Anglers with less experience cranking into racks learnt some

who jumped up one place to take out the number 2 position with 6 for 4.15kg and Chris Burbidge from

poles and washboards that protected them. Eventual winner, Joel Crosbie, collected the top prize money of $1,900. His 2 day total of 6 bream for a weight of 4.53kg placed him ahead of Glenn Allen

Victoria, finished in 3rd place with a total bag weight of 4.09kg. Crosbie a previous winner in Round 2 at Marlo, Victoria in February, revealed his plan of attack as he prepared for the tournament. “On day 1, I had planned to head up the river, where I was hoping to get away from most of the other anglers. Traditionally, at Forster most of the anglers would fish around Breckenridge Channel, I

wanted somewhere away from them so I researched using Google Earth to pre plan my attack for the opening day.” “I got away from most competitors by heading up the Wallamba River and onto a flat that also had rock and oysters. My plan was to hit that flat and to get the fish out rather than to take the risk of trying to get fish out of the racks. The weather helped me out yesterday, being overcast and slightly breezy it gave me plenty of cover.” “The strong tide was perfect, it helped me travel the 5km to get to my location, it worked with me on the way up and it worked with me on the way back. I got to the area that I chose to fish very quickly and the conditions there were excellent and that also worked for me. Even though it was some pretty rough country to try and fish, I had a better chance of getting fish from there, than what I would have, if I had just been fishing the racks.” SECOND PLACE Glenn Allen who hooked onto 2nd place also found the fishing excellent but tougher in the day 2 conditions. Allen used Squidgy Prawns

and Ecooda Crank Deeps on both days to work the racks, as well as, the flats. On day 1 he ran 4lb leader and found it costly in the racks, losing about 15 lures. He went up to 10lb on day 2 and was able to start muscling the fish out. This was key to his success on day 2, but he also managed to upgrade twice in that session using 4lb leader cranking the flats. “I pretty much spent two hours on both days working the racks. I was fishing the east side of Bell Island and then I upgraded on the flats on the western side. It

was a bit quieter on day 2, earlier in the morning, but as soon as the tide changed and it started running out, the fish came on pretty good. I easily caught a least 50 fish over the weekend, so it was pretty good tournament for me.” BOSS HOG Jason Meech from the New South Wales Central Coast took out the Hog’s Breath Cafe, Boss Hog Big Bream prize with his 1.19kg Forster bruiser. He netted the beast throwing a Pro Lure Matt Black Shallow Crank (pictured) using a slow roll over a rock bar.

Jason Meech landed this cracker of 1.19kg that ended up being the Boss Hog of the event.

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR JULY

Jul 3-9

Sussex Inlet Annual Family Fishing Carnival SIFFC - (02) 4441 2017

Sussex Inlet www.sussexinlet.nsw.au

Jul 4-5

Toray BASS Pro Series Round #3 ABT (07) 3387 0888

Lake Glenbawn www.abt.org.au

Jul 12

GTS Bream Mid Round 5 AFT www.fishingcomps.com.au

Port Macquarie

Jul 31-Aug 2

Atomic B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Series BASS Nation

Lake St Clair Classic www.bassaustralia.com.au

Aug 8-9

GTS Bream Elite Round 4 AFT www.fishingcomps.com.au

Clarence River (Iluka)

Aug 9

SBS Bream Basin Lure and Fly

St Georges Basin www.basinlureandfly.org.au

Aug 9

Hobie BREAM Kayak Series Round 11 www.hobiefishing.com.au

St Georges Basin

Aug 15-16

Berkley BREAM Series Qualifier #5 ABT (07) 3387 0888

Hawkesbury River www.abt.org.au

Aug 28-30

Grabine Classic Grabine Lakeside State Park (02) 4835 2345

Lake Wyangala

Aug 29-30

Toray BASS Pro Series Round #2 ABT (07) 3387 0888

Lake St Clair www.abt.org.au

SEPTEMBER

Sep 24-27

North Coast Fishing Bonanza AFT www.fishingcomps.com.au

Ballina

OCTOBER

Oct 10-11

SBS Bream Grand Final Basin Lure and Fly

TBA www.basinlureandfly.org.au

Oct 17-18

Hobie BREAM Kayak Series R14 www.hobiefishing.com.au

Georges River

AUGUST

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing nsweditor@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. JULY 2015

Rosco Canoes and Kayaks’ Scamper Duo BRISBANE

Justin Wilmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

Rosco Canoes, based at Kedron to the north of Brisbane, is steeped in paddling history, with owner Ross Cook building his first timber and canvas canoe in 1955 when he was just 10. He designed his now famous 16’ canoe

I loaded the canoe on the car the afternoon before, ready for an early start. Aside from the quality finish, the first thing you notice about the Scamper Duo is how light and easy to handle it is. I smiled when my neighbour said “G’day” over the fence and offered to help me load the canoe, at which point I picked it up myself and loaded it onto the roof racks of our little Rav 4. He was

transporting the loaded Scamper Duo to the water was a breeze and Sheri was amazed that we didn’t

good stability thanks to its large Tumblehome design, whereby the sides of the canoe have a slight belly

The fibreglass construction of the Scamper Duo means it is light weight, with great strength to weight

well under the cost of many single person kayaks. It is ideal for flat water such as lakes, rivers and estuaries,

SPECIFICATIONS Length:...............4.02m Width:..................88cm Weight:.................22kg Payload:............. 180kg Passengers:..............2 Warranty:......... 5 years SRP:................... $1179

Using a paddle to anchor the Rosco Scamper Duo on the edge of a dropoff.

Loads of room in the front to stretch the legs or swivel around and access the icebox. from home in 1968, and when the orders started flowing in, started Rosco Canoes in 1970. Of course this is just scratching the surface, with multiple design awards, experiences paddling around Australia and in other parts of the world, developing a wide range of vessels for applications including recreation, touring, expedition and fishing, and now boasting the largest and most diverse range of canoes and kayaks in Australia. My wife Sheri and I were planning an adventure in the Scamper Duo, a 4m 2-seater fibreglass canoe, and with a gentle breeze forecast for the following day, a decision was made to fish our local estuary.

surprised and went on to tell me about his cousin’s canoe that takes 6 blokes to carry and how impressed he was that this vessel weighed in at just over 20kg, while being configured for 2 paddlers and a payload of 180kg. I can literally lift the Scamper Duo above my head with ease. Sticking to the payload, we could carry about 35kg of gear on top of our own weight, so we loaded in our 20l Evakool icebox containing a couple of ice bricks and our lunch, along with my waterproof camera case, backpack of fishing gear, landing net, BogaGrip, paddles and a few other bits and pieces. With both moulded handles and carry toggles,

require the usual 2 or 3 trips back to the car for gear. On the water, the Scamper Duo tracks well due to its integrated bow and stern keel, and offers

to create additional stability and buoyancy. This was Sheri’s first time in a canoe and within minutes she had found her sea legs and was quite comfortable swinging around to face the rear of the canoe and access the icebox from the front seat. The aluminium gunwales on the Scamper Duo are designed to provide maximum protection and durability, and they also made the canoe feel rock solid, rigid and secure from the paddlers’ perspective.

Plenty of room for an icebox and other gear.

Profish “Load & Go” Pods Our Removable Pod system will see you having more time on the water. Rig up the night before and simply load your pods on location and go...

JULY 2015

so if you’re thinking about running rapids, then you should look to a model like the Rosco Chief, constructed from Royalex. With this in mind, we picked a good day to

Sheri was comfortable in the front seat and the Scamper tracked well.

Profish Tackle Pod™ • Integrated Sounder, Transducer and Battery pod. • Completely removable in one easy action. • Large internal tackle storage facility. Profish Chill Pod™ • Insulated to keep your catch in perfect condition. Just add ice. • Quick release for ease of loading into your vehicle. • Contains the mess, making clean down a breeze.

FISHING KAYAK SPECIALISTS

www.vikingkayaks.com.au

ratio, and this material can be formed to very fine lines, creating a canoe that tracks and handles well. Fibreglass is also very affordable, with the Scamper Duo getting 2 people on the water for

Free call 1800 00 42 40

30 Year Warranty Quality assurance

explore our local estuary system and stayed out of the main channel to avoid boat wakes from larger vessels. There are sealed, foamfilled bulkheads at the front and rear to ensure positive flotation and encourage selfrighting should something go wrong, however, at no point did we feel uneasy when negotiating wakes from smaller vessels and moving around the canoe to paddle, land fish or access the icebox. The design is simple; hull, front and rear bulkheads and 2 thwart seats, consisting

up, just a few paddle strokes from where we launched. After a lively tussle she swung her rod tip toward the rear of the canoe and I netted a nice bream. She followed this up in quick time with a couple of legal flathead and we also landed a few yellowtail pike that were kept for the smoker. We were loving our morning session in the Scamper Duo and I enjoyed watching her cast and fight fish with confidence from the front of the canoe. Upon reaching a section of weed that dropped into

At 4m and 22kg, the Scamper Duo is at home on smaller vehicles.

Fish on! Anchored at the edge of a dropoff. of heavy duty alloy tubing for strength and rigidity, and a sling of Herculite double rip-stop vinyl that provides maintenance-free durability, strength, quickdrying, cool and comfortable seating. It also keeps the weight down to create a lightweight, manoeuvrable and versatile craft. We positioned the Scamper Duo a cast distance from the bank, on the last 2 hours of the dropping tide, and I made minor adjustments as required with the paddle, while we both worked small paddle tail soft plastics rigged on 1/4oz jigheads. This was comfortable fishing and Sheri commented on the amount of room available to spread out our limited gear, stretch the legs, and cast lures without being on top of each other. We fished about a kilometre and a half of bank and Sheri was first to hook-

deeper water, we paddled into the edge and drove 1 of the paddles blade-first into the mud and tied it off to the side of the canoe. This held us in position, much like a stakeout pole, so that we could thoroughly cover the area with casts. After 10 minutes or so we would then move 20m down the bank and position ourselves again. More flathead came aboard and in our 2 hour session we had landed 5 yellowtail pike, a nice bream, and a dozen flathead, keeping a few fish in good condition in the icebox to take home for a feed. After a couple of hours and plenty of fishing action, we decided to paddle the kilometre and a half back to the ramp in 1 run and did it with ease. I had thrown my 2.18m kayak paddle in to experiment with on the return journey, and because the rear of the Scamper Duo tapers to the stern and this canoe is

reasonably low to the water, I could comfortably use the kayak paddle while Sheri made tracking adjustments with the canoe paddle from the front seat. It was a great morning on the water, with plenty of fish, plenty of laughs, and we are looking forward to our next canoeing adventure. The Scamper Duo is a quality, well designed, stable,

One of the many flatties Sheri caught drifting a weed edge.

The Scamper Duo is light-weight and easy to handle. lightweight and versatile option for paddlers wanting to explore their local ‘flat water’ — be it lakes, rivers or estuaries, day trip and picnic from the canoe, do a bit of basic fishing, or for the solo paddler who wants to do a bit of fishing and camping. Rosco back the quality of their products with a 5 year Rosco warranty and there are a stack of colours to choose

from if you want to give your canoe a personal touch. For more info on the Scamper Duo and the full range of Rosco canoes and kayaks, visit www.roscocanoes.com. au, or pick up the phone and give the team a call to discuss your needs and the options available. If you’re lucky enough to live in the area, make sure you visit the store,

where as well as canoes and kayaks you will also find stacks of accessories, including paddles, PFDs, dry bags, safety and navigation equipment, outfitting hardware, and the team even do repairs and fit out in-store. Not sure which craft is right for you? Rosco also offer a hire service for canoes, kayaks, SUPs and accessories.

Lightweight, stable and versatile. JULY 2015

Diesel gives the popular Nissan X-Trail a nice lift BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Nissan’s popular X-Trail has been face-lifted in this third generation model. Svelte lines, some impressive frontal treatment and a fair few rounded curves have moved the X-Trail away from its former boxy shape to a far more modern appearance, which has a striking similarity to big brother Pathfinder. Nissan have also endowed

temperature in a shorter time, also for greater fuel efficiency. Efficiency of this nature sees a torque figure of 320Nm, which not only gives the vehicle a fair turn of acceleration once the turbo kicks in, but it sees the new X-Trail with a braked trailer tow capacity of 2000kg, with unbraked trailer rating set at 750kg. These statistics will no doubt suit a lot of small boat owners. UPGRADED INTERIOR Nissan have also upgraded the X-Trail’s

and head room, as well as the all-important high seating position that is the trademark characteristic of today’s SUVs. Behind the wheel, I was pleased to note adjustment for both reach and rake, while a decent footrest made driving very comfortable on a couple of the longer trips undertaken. I averaged 8.2l/100km fuel consumption from the 60l tank. Storage areas are never in short supply within the X-Trail, with compartments in doors, at

The X-Trail’s styling shows a definite family connection to its big brother the Pathfinder. the wagon with daylight LED lighting around the headlights for an increased road presence. SEVERAL VARIANTS ON OFFER There are several X-Trails on offer, from petrol 2WD/AWD to diesel 2WD/AWD with the top spec’d diesel AWD, TL, the subject of this review. Nissan have made some interesting changes to the diesel models as the 2WD is available in auto guise, whereas the reviewed AWD is available only as a 6 speed manual. This was no biggy: the clutch was light, quite direct, with the 6 speed gear box a perfect match for the 1.6l turbo-charged oil burner that churned out 96 kW of power, and some 320Nm of torque. The 4cyl Renaultsourced engine, in fact, is very technologically advanced. It has many innovations, with a high and low pressure exhaust gas recirculation system to substantially reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides and CO2 being just 1 of them. Optimised thermal management also allows the intercooled turbocharged engine to reach an ideal operating 88

JULY 2015

interior and it’s refreshing to note that the TL came with (heated) well contoured leather seats with electric adjustment for driver and front passenger, a dash layout with plenty of contrasting grey on piano black with instruments well lit, even during daylight, a 7” central dash touch screen providing 360 degree all-round view at a touch, as well as satellite navigation and other useful functions including the impressive sound system. Ample digital offerings to keep you abreast of what is going on during drive time were standard, along with the Nissan Connect smart phone integration system, which is virtually mandatory for today’s communication-minded drivers. The TL also sported 18” alloy wheels, an electric park brake, climate air that extends to the rear, power operated features throughout, cruise control, a big sunroof, auto LED headlights, and rain sensing wipers. All important control systems were located on the wheel, as they should be. The Nissan’s rear passengers (the diesel 4x4 is a 5 seater) were provided with ample leg

the rear of seats, the central console area, and there’s a pretty impressive glove box as well. STACK IT IN THE BACK This neat wagon has always had a fine reputation for easy carrying of what we might loosely call ‘gear’; a term that will include — but is by no means exclusive to — things such as the cricket team’s equipment, bicycles, loads of shopping, plus what you and I would love to stack in it: namely fishing gear and/ or camping equipment. Fortunately, the X-Trail tradition continues with both rear seats able to be folded right down and set flat for easy storage of long or otherwise large items within

Top: That small knob on the X-Trail’s console will convert AWD to locked 4WD via the vehicle’s All Mode 4x4 system. Middle Top: The X-Trail has always enjoyed great luggage carrying capacity. Fortunately it’s not changed one bit with the new model. Middle Bottom: Changes to the interior finish have seen an enhanced dash layout, with trim and piano black contrasting neatly. Above: The TL X-Trail’s leather trimmed front seats pamper driver and passenger with electric adjustment. the 550l compartment. Note that the rear floor carpet can be removed to reveal very handy storage bins for soggy or soiled items. Again, very handy.

There’s also a privacy shelf included in the rear and by a bit of clever manipulation there are, according to Nissan, some 18 storage configurations

on hand, including the below-floor compartment right at the back, as per the usual X-Trail set up. A 12V outlet is also standard. Under all of the floor shelving and compartments was a temporary use spare tyre. Not everyone likes these, but a skinny spare is a vast improvement on the self-sealing/inflation kit in place of a spare I found in the rear of a vehicle I once reviewed. Also at the rear is the very convenient 1 touch open/close arrangement of the high opening tailgate, which is a useful adjunct to the X-Trail’s keyless entry setup. A COMFORTABLE RIDE You won’t win rallies with the X-Trail, as the ride and handling are more friendly than fierce. This means that few bumps will be felt around the bitumen suburban roads and on the main highways, but gravel roads may well see a few indifferent road surfaces making their presence felt or heard. That aside, the neat wagon will certainly punt in and around the ’burbs with ease, and just as easily go bush for the weekend. With a reasonable ground clearance of 210mm, the X-Trail can tackle quite a deal of off-road work, thanks to the All Mode 4x4 system that controls the balance of power between front and rear wheels. The consolemounted control knob ‘Lock’ option is on hand for the really slippery going. Safety features include 6 air bags, rear view camera, Dynamic Vehicle Control, traction control system, brake assist, blind spot warning system, plus other features. A 5 star ANCAP rating has been awarded to all X-Trail variants. Nissan offer a 3-year/100,000km warranty, as well as capped price servicing. In all, there’s a lot of innovation and technology to be found both under the bonnet and within the new diesel X-Trail that presents as a very tidy, comfortable and useful sort of SUV. The TL, as reviewed would come home for around the $50,000 mark.

Left: Styling changes have even given the rear of the X-Trail a sleek, more rounded appearance. Middle: Note the very low lip on the X-Trail’s rear door, designed to make loading the rear cargo area as easy as possible. Right: The X-Trail retains the distinctive silver circle within a V style grille, but styling changes have now incorporated daylight LED running lights, plus indicators in side mirrors.

Testing Booth

ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 I’ll admit it. I’ve always been a fan of Lithium-ion battery technology. Lead-acid batteries are great, cheap and reliable, but there’s something special about getting the job done from a battery that’s a fraction of the weight. We use Lithium batteries in lots of our everyday gear – my phone, power drill and line trimmer at home have them. I also went out on a limb and got a set for my last bass boat. Aside from the near-$5K price tag, their performance was remarkable and they way it changed the ride of the boat for the better was also amazing. However, people had an incredibly negative attitude towards them. They were telling me that I’d spontaneously explode. Or they were explaining to me that they were too expensive.

in the past. The change was like evicting a near-100kg passenger from the back corner of the boat. The attitude of the boat in the water levelled out and no longer did I have to half stand up to see over the bow in a 6-knot zone. Let’s fast forward to 2015, and when a new ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 landed at Fishing Monthly for review, I admit to being excited. Why? Because for a 16kg imposition on the transom of our electric powered boat, we were going to get an all-in-one unit that had a range of at least 10km at WOT. This would easily extend to around 15km at a pinch over half throttle. On paper, that was impressive. My battery bank for an 80lb, 24v MinnKota on the same craft weighed in at nearly 80kg. Add the weight

SPECIFICATIONS Comparable HP..................................................3hp Rated voltage.................................................. 40.7 V Rated current................................................. 24.6 A Static thrust.......................................................66lb Propeller diameter........................................280mm Weight........................................... 16kg (63cm shaft) ............................................ 16.2kg (75.5cm shaft) Battery................................................Li-po 1000Wh Battery weight..................................................7.5kg Price................................................................$2,695

battery was charged and that we took a paddle. Just in case. We might have been the first magazine in the world to get to test this motor, but I didn’t really want to be the first that walked home because of a software bug. Install is easy. Take the battery off the 240v charger. Slip battery onto the head of the unit. It clips in automatically. Screw outboard to transom and plug in power cable to join the battery to the motor. Takes about 5 minutes if you dawdle. FM sales rep, Ryan Limpus and I boarded and headed into the great unknown. Starting the unit is easy. Hold down the START button for a few seconds and the mono LCD display in the tiller springs to life. Twist the tiller and you accelerate in either forward or reverse. On the Fishing Monthly 3.7m JonBoat, at WOT, we sat on around 10km/h (on the iPhone GPS) and used 1000w of power. Real-time power consumption and a graph on remaining battery life are displayed on the tiller-display. With a 1000 watt-hour battery, full throttle usage theoretically would give us 10km and exhaust the battery in one hour. And I calculated that we wanted to travel more than 10km on the day, so I backed off the throttle after a couple of kilometres. Knocking the throttle

The ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 drives like a standard outboard – combustion or electric – except that it’s an all-in-one unit. too impatient to test out the endurance end of the spectrum. As it was, we cruised and fished for over 10 km – from the Western ramp at Hinze to some banks near the dam wall and back again. We alternately ran at full speed and 50% throttle. Getting back to the ramp a couple of hours later, the fish count was zero, but we still had quarter of the charge left, according to the control pad – plenty enough for Ryan to do some running shots in the bay next to the launch. OUR IMPRESSIONS Most BASS Eletcric tournament speed freaks know that the more of the transom you can lift out of the water while running, the less turbulence and the more speed you’ll achieve. With the weight of the batteries

The Spirit’s convenience stems from the fact that you just strap it on and go.

A 28cm diameter plastic propeller delivers the thrust to the water. I thought that spending around 7% of the value of the boat on awesome batteries wasn’t that bad at all. You see, in my bass boat, Lithium batteries were literally quarter of the weight of the standard batteries I’d fitted

of the motor and there’s nearly 100kg sitting within a foot of the transom. So, we headed off to Hinze Dam to put the Spirit to the test. The only preparation I did was to make sure the ‘head’ of the motor that contained the

Ryan found the use of the Spirit much easier than his PFD. back to 500 watt draw, the speed only dropped to 7km/h – giving us a theoretical range of 14 km. In theory, dropping the speed to 3.5km/h would give us 17 hours of run time and a 60km range, but we were way

removed from the hull and the light weight of the engine, the JonBoat definitely ran ‘fast’ and nose down with Ryan in the front. Typical of Lithium technology, there seemed to be no noticeable speed drop-off

as the battery discharged, as opposed to the gradual slowing on by lead-acid setup. With a hydrodynamic outboard leg, the unit ran just as quietly as the JonBoat’s standard setup. I loved the fact that this unit also has a safety-lanyard strap. It’s sealed and magnetic. You’d definitely be a finalist of the Darwin Awards if you drowned after being run over by your own, electric powered boat. I wasn’t a fan of the lack of a definite stop setting between forward and reverse. Sometimes I found myself in a slow reverse after thinking I was stopped. My only other complaint may be unique to me, but I find that I like to stand at the stern and have my electric motor in slow reverse. I stand and fish, controlling the electric with my foot. The tiller didn’t have a setting that would allow me to put any more than a kilo or two of weight on it before folding over. Picky, I know, but these are only small things and rumour has it that the full

blown production models will have these changes made. Overall, we were mightily impressed with this little unit. If you want one for a tender, the weight and range are very ample. If you’re a BASS Electric star, you’ll probably want a spare battery, which will cost you in the vicinity of two-thrids of the motor’s price. Also, rumour has it that there’s 10hp model coming out in the near future. Now THAT’S a motor we’d like to put through its paces! We’re definitely fans of this concept. This motor is available from www. epropulsion.com.au for $2,695. For trade enquiries, call Island Inflatables on (02) 9532 0002. - Steve Morgan

See the test day video by scanning this QR Code. JULY 2015

Revelling in the Renegade: Quintrex 460 SC BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

There’s always lots to enjoy in a boat review; after all, who wouldn’t like running around in a brand new boat? But the review of the Quintrex Renegade 460 side console was extra special because we latched onto a feed of fish in the Jumpinpin Bar area before getting serious with the camera. Launching at Jacob’s Well at 5.30 on a winter’s morning, I headed straight for the sudsy stretch of water between North and South Stradbroke islands to see if the 460 Renegade’s Blade hull — with it’s fairly shallow V plus ample underhull pressings — was as stable as it looked as it slid off it’s Quintrex skid and roller trailer. Seated on the premium Maritime seat while running down to the ’Pin bar at 50 clicks with the big block Mercury 75 humming astern at 4100rpm saw me grateful for the spray jacket I was wearing. While there was some protection from the Renegade’s neat side console, an air temperature of 8° will always demand extra clothing layers at that sort of pace! Wintery conditions were soon forgotten, however, once we arrived at the bar and saw the dipping flocks of terns coming our way with the flood tide. To assess the hull’s capability, I moved right into the white water to close in on the action. Conditions were quite lumpy, with some swell moving in across sandbars to liven things up, but we experienced no problems, even when a peaking side swell coming off the collision of 2 large waves joined the party. We stood to and cast at the tailor and dart that were soon entertaining us on very light spin tackle. It was interesting fishing; the

Lowrance HDS7 Gen 3 was showing us clouds of bait from time to time, so it was just a matter of maintaining position and keeping the

By leaving the 4 cylinder Mercury ticking over, it was very simple to counter flood tide influence and move back into the area of white water

JULY 2015

be set up as a live well) and it was an easy matter to slip fish into the well with our ice while fishing. Also up front

The rear area also featured the Renegade’s 280mm wide — unpainted, therefore less slippery —

SPECIFICATIONS Length of hull:.................................................4.65m Beam:...............................................................2.26m Length on trailer:...........5.75m with drawbar folded Height on trailer:.............................................1.70m Hull material:............................................ 3mm alloy Weight of hull:...................................................40kg Deadrise aft:........................................................ 14° Persons:..................................................................5 Engines:....................................................... 50-75hp Engine fitted:.............................75 Mercury 4 stroke Fuel:......................................................................77l

Under way at speed, displaced water from the Renegade’s bow area is pushed well aft.

Standing to play a fish in the chop at the Jumpinpin Bar was no issue at all in the stable Quintrex Renegade.

The Renegade’s rear cockpit area. Features are easily noted, as well as the area where the 2 rods are standing, which made a very handy spot to fish from in choppy conditions. casts going. Thanks to the Renegade’s external side height of 105mm, I was more than happy with the boat’s sea-keeping capability.

that the fish fancied. When we moved, I was also impressed with the ease that the Blade hull and its well flared bow section kept water well away from

Guyla opened our account with a tailor at the ’Pin Bar. 90

Guyla and myself — even in the really sudsy stuff. I’ve no doubt that in suitable conditions the 460 Renegade would easily make offshore

fishing par for the course. The 460 Renegade — both tiller steer and console versions — does provide the option of a large lift out kill bin up front (which can also

along with a seat spigot were 3 more below-deck hatches. The most forward of these was set up with a battery to power the Renegade’s 55 Motorguide, while the other 2 on the sides of the catch bin were available for storage. I took the opportunity to fish from both the front deck and the main cockpit area of the 460 Renegade and found it easy to work in both areas. With the console taking up so little room within the Renegade’s 2.22m wide cockpit, it was easy to take a quick image of Guyla on the job, maybe remove a ruined plastic, store a spare rod, or unhook a fish in complete comfort.

side decks set up with paired rod holders each side, along with a cleat aft. I also noted handy off-floor storage pockets along the side of the hull, plus 2 seating positions, with the skipper’s deluxe Maritime seat combining a bolster front section to facilitate driving whilst standing. The craft’s side console was equipped with twin grab rails atop the screen, along with a neat glove box to port. As the side console was entirely open on the bottom section, there was full leg room while comfortably seated. Dash instruments consisted of a premium Mercury Vessel View

A lift-out kill bin is a mighty handy asset in a small craft.

instrument, which provided all engine functions in full, easy-to-read colour with an array of switches nearby, and a marine radio. Atop the dash was a Lowrance HDS 7 Gen 3 Touch unit complimenting an identical unit set up on a Ram bracket mounted on the foredeck aft of the Motorguide 55. Completing the Renegade’s stern features was a live well within the port quarter, a recessed, full-height engine well (an optional feature), which offered very handy cornerof-transom brace points. Note that a full width casting platform is also available in this area, with the engine mounted on a stern lip in lieu, but in those somewhat demanding conditions I was content with the Renegade’s setup that allowed me to stand tucked into a corner of the transom to fish. Based on a 2.1l in-line 4 cylinder powerhead, the 75 also shares the same block as Mercury’s 90 and 115hp 4 strokes. And yet, at just 163kg, the 75 is not only a much under-stressed engine thanks to its huge capacity, but it’s very light as well. Whisper quiet at idle, the 75 eased the boat onto the plane at a mere 8.3kts with a modest 2200rpm on the Vessel View’s digital display. At 3000rpm we had 18.6kts

recorded, with 4,000 rpm (an ideal cruising rev range) giving the Blade hull a speed of 26.2kts. A burst of near WOT on the new engine saw 5300rpm on Vessel View, with 36kts also noted. Impressive figures, certainly, but equally impressive was the terrific torque from the large capacity 75. The merest touch of the throttle lever brought instant response throughout the engine’s entire rev range. Engine ratings for the 460 Renegade are from 50-75hp and although there’s little doubt the hull would perform well with a 50 on the transom, I would advocate the 75 as the engine for the Quintrex’s solid 405kg hull, especially when an electric motor plus battery is installed. And with a passenger rating of 5 aboard when friends or family are along to enjoy the ride, I’m sure the easy power of the smooth 75 would be appreciated. While enjoying some speed runs, I put the Blade hull through its paces at pace and my original impressions of stability and soft riding attributes were readily confirmed. Quintrex have obviously put a lot of R & D into the development of the Blade hull and it certainly does provide a very impressive ride, with the flared bow

Top left: Ample work area up front of the Renegade is a feature anglers will enjoy. Note the neat Lowrance setup, plus the under-floor hatches. Top right: The Blade hull’s well formed pressings are easily noted. Bottom left: This image provides a look at the Renegade’s stern. Note the substantial pressings and shallow deadrise, all of which combined to provide a really good ride. Bottom right: Side consoles make sense, taking up so little room, yet make for an easy helm station plus a dash layout that’s easily monitored.

keeping occupants as dry as possible under prevailing conditions. Dare I say it, but the Renegade’s ride was very reminiscent of a glass hull rather than alloy. Interestingly, while V hulls are the flavour of the month in some circles, the Renegade’s 4.65m long alloy hull with its beam of 2.22m and relatively shallow aft deadrise of 14° gave away nothing as far as ride quality was concerned. In summing up the Quintrex 460 Renegade side console, I’ll confine my comments to finish and presentation as I’ve ready outlined just how good the craft was to fish from and how well it rode. And what a great match the Mercury 75 was! In usual Quintrex style, the Renegade shone like a new $2 coin, with the wrap also adding to the overall bling of the package. Fit and finish of joinery and upholstery was all it could be, so pride of ownership would be assured. • 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.

JULY 2015

Haines Signature 543SF with Suzuki 150hp BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Queensland made Haines Signature boats seem to have a boat for every purpose these days, and

their new 543SF (the SF stands for Sport Fishing) model follows that trend to a T, delivering anglers

a specialised, high quality, sportfishing rig. With a length of 5.41m and a 2.13m beam this deep

TECHNICAL INFORMATION Length.....................................................5.41 metres Beam...............................................................2.13 m Hull weight.................................................... 1100kg Hull deadrise........33/21 degrees standard variable. Fuel............................................................. 170 litres Engine ratings....................................130 to 150 h.p Engine fitted............................50 Suzuki four stroke Persons .............................................................. five Towing........................... family six or big four sedan

Above Left: The Signature’s standard variable deadrise hull is one of the standout features of the hulls impressive design and performance. Above Right: The 543SF ate up the chop during the onwater test. Right: The 150hp Suzuki delivers the Haines a top speed of 37.7 knots (70km/h).

but can be ordered with a centre console options if that’s more to your liking. Haines Signature offers some latitude in the layout of the deck and are more than happy to discuss the available options. Standard on all models and layouts though is Haines Signature’s attention to detail and high-level build quality and finish. Reviewed on Moreton Bay on a typical choppy morning the Signature’s variable deadrise hull provided an extremely dry and comfortable ride. Being a sports style hull design of course necessitated the need for sufficient power to push the hull out of the hole and onto the plane, and likewise sufficient grunt was needed to keep the boat on top of the chop and push it through the waves with ease. This was a task the 2.8L four-cylinder Suzuki 150hp four-stroke engine seemed to thrive on. More on performance later, in the meantime let’s take a look at the Haines’ layout and features. SPORTS ORIENTATED LAYOUT Up front there are several storage compartments under the 40cm high front casting deck, conveniently equipped with lighting for night fishing. Complimenting the lockable dry storage compartments up front is a fully plumbed, full width livewell, plus another pair of storage compartments

for the discerning angler. Upright rod holders are located on each side of the cockpit, while under gunnel horizontal rod holders located on the port side of the vessel provide room to safety and securely store five outfits. The 543FS has seating that could only be described as plush. Classic in design, these stylish blue and white pedestal seats feature a high backrest, and a fully moulded bucket seat base. Equipped with a front bolster, height adjustability, and full swivel functionality these are seats that definitely look as good as they feel. When seated at the helm I found there to be ample legroom between the seat and the console, while the console’s windscreen provides some shelter from the elements. Engine controls are comfortably located next to the skipper’s right arm, providing ultimate comfort and control. The 543SF’s wellconsidered and designed dash saw not one, but two, in-dash Garmin 751xs sounders positioned sideby-side. Also set into the console’s upright section is, four banks of rocker switches controlling various functions, trim tab controls, and drink holder. Located lower on the dash along with the ignition key is a microphone for the vessel’s marine radio. In all the Haines’ dash was well set out, ergonomically

Stylish in looks and stunning in performance the 543SF is an impressive vessel all-round.

Top Left: Ample underfloor storage provides plenty of room for drinks, ice, and an angler’s catch. Top Right: The rear compartments on the front cast deck are reserved for storage, the starboard hatch in particular is used for battery storage. Above Left: A dash with a difference. Not one, but two, great Garmin units on hand. Above Right: Haines Signature’s attention to detail is evident throughout the boat. The struts located on the front hatch makes hatch access easy and trouble free. 92

JULY 2015

V fibreglass hull is large enough for offshore work on calmer days (due to the limited freeboard of the sports style hull), and is tailor made for bay, estuary and impoundment angling. The reviewed vessel came equipped with a side console and tandem seating,

located at the rear of the deck. A stainless steel grab rail located on the top of the gunnel further adds to the front deck’s features, providing angler comfort and security in rough conditions. The cockpit also boasts a host of fishing features

friendly to use, both when at rest and when travelling at speed, and like all elements on the boat a testament to Haines’ attention to design and construction quality. An on-board sound system was also part of the package and sat unobtrusively on the console.

FUN TIMES UNDER POWER Driving the 543SF was effortless and pleasurable with the craft’s tilt adjustable steering wheel linking with the vessel’s hydraulic steering to deliver a steering set-up that is fluid and assured at all speeds. Trim tab controls are also right at the skipper’s reach providing further hull control when on the move. The 543SF’s deep V 33/21 degree variable deadrise hull didn’t seem to need a lot of power to get it up and planning. With three aboard the Haines only needed 2,600rpm of power from the motor, and 7.6 knots (14.1km/h) of speed to get it out of the hole and on the plane. The 150 Suzuki worked effortlessly during the onwater test recording a speed of 8.9 knots (16.6 km/h) at 3000rpm, 22.6 knots (41.9 km/h) at 4000 rpm, 30.5 knots (56.6km/h)

SUMMING UP As a dedicated sports fishing rig the Signature 543SF will be suited to a lot of different anglers. From the tournament angler to enthusiast bay and inshore anglers it’s a vessel that offers a lot and delivers plenty. For a fly angler like myself the expansive front casting deck is tailor made for casting a fly line from and offers a tonne of room to fight fish

Stunning in looks, refined in design and construction, and ultimately impressive in performance this a craft that is built to excite. Including all extras (including three Garmin sounders) the reviewed Haines Signature 543SF would come home on a Dunbier dual axle trailer for around $62,990. Haines Signature can be contacted via email on info@

thehainesgroup.com, or by phone or fax on 32714000 to locate a dealer near you. • 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.

Thoughtful rod storage is a major feature of this sporty craft.

Top: The well performing 150 Suzuki was an excellent choice of engine for the Haines Signature 543 SF. Above Left: A look at the general layout of the 543SF: I loved those high backed seats. Above Right: A plumbed livewell is just one of many features that make fishing a breeze on the sporty Haines Signature 43SF. at 5000rpm, 36.8 knots (68.3km/h) at 6000rpm, and 38.4 knots (71.3km/h) at 6200rpm. These were impressive speeds but are of course entirely governed by water conditions. What additionally impressed me was the very smooth and seemingly noise-free cruise speed of 22.6 knots (41.9km/h) at 4000rpm, and the fuel consumption of 18.5L/h. With 170L fuel capacity this is vessel that has some serious range. The performance from the Suzuki was virtually seamless. Whisper quiet at idle the engine purred into life once over 1000rpm, and when driven harder

never seemed to be working that hard at all. Given the ease in which the 150 Suzuki push the hull along, opting for a smaller 140 would be a viable money saving option. FISHABILITY The 543SF is true to Haines Signature’s fishing pedigree with a multitude of features combining to make it a sports fishing boat with few peers. Cockpit features to please the angler are a deep underfloor compartment for stowing fish, soft coaming on the sides to assist when fighting fish, a recirculating livewell located at the transom, rear twin stainless steel rod holders, transom

lights, rear boarding steps, and a rear portside ladder. A small casting deck is also located at the rear and extends the full width of the boat. A large forward deck further enhances the vessel’s large work area, proving sufficient room for up to four anglers. With a hull weight of 1100kg this is a mighty substantial craft and while the deep V hull was slightly inclined to lean when sitting at rest in chop, I noted no excessive leaning or tipping even with three moving about onboard. For those wishing to run an electric motor an electric motor bracket is available as an optional extra.

Top: The 543SF’s helm offers plenty of room and ensures everything the skipper needs is in easy reach. Middle: An uncluttered console and cockpit is a big plus for anglers on the Haines Signature. Above: Plush seating reflects the overall high standard of the 543SF. JULY 2015

What’s New BOATING

FUSION-LINK COMPATIBILITY

Fusion, has announced its Fusion-Link audio access system is now supported by the Furuno NavNet TZtouch2 series, providing the ability to control all FusionLink enabled 700 and 750 Series marine entertainment systems capabilities and functions directly from the TZtouch2 multitouch display. Now it’s easy for Furuno owners to enjoy their on-board audio and video entertainment from their Multi-function Display (MFD). “We are excited to extend Fusion-Link capabilities to Furuno’s latest and most advanced TZtouch2 displays,” said Chris Baird, managing director, Fusion. “Furuno owners with the latest hardware and networking capabilities can now enjoy the convenience of our awardwinning marine audio at their fingertips.” The only ‘True-Marine’ entertainment solutions on the market, Fusion stereos give Furuno owners unparalleled reliability and performance, and multi-zone audio configuration specific to their vessels. Fusion-Link allows boaters to navigate all stereo sources from their MFD and provides full control of iPod/iPhone/Android or CD/DVD music libraries via track, artist, album or playlist. – Fusion Communications

SENIOR MERCURY APPOINTMENT

Mercury Marine is pleased to announce that Trevor Hutchings has been appointed as General Manager - Mercury Finance. Trevor comes into his new role with a wealth of experience in banking and financial service organisations Trevor, an MBA and a Bachelor of Business in accounting, will report to Will Sangster, General Manager of Mercury ANZP, and the Mercury Finance board. “With his unmatched experience in this area and his undeniable drive for success, it bodes very well for the future,” Will said. “Since its introduction 18 months ago Mercury Finance has been well received, but Trevor is now ready to take it to the next level – and that’s good news for boat lovers across our region.” Trevor replaces Paul Watters who has taken up another role. “I’d like to thank him for his valuable contribution so far and wish him all the best with his new challenge,” Will said. – Mercury Marine

SLIDE BOAT LOADER

Whether it’s for safety or simply loading and unloading the dinghy, solo time on the water is hard to achieve. With RhinoRack’s Side Boat Loader that is no longer the case. An innovative pulley system allows a single person to load an 80kg boat onto the roof of a vehicle with zero risk of straining your back or dinging your vehicle. All you need is an 18v cordless drill! The Side Boat Loader winches from the passenger side of the vehicle and can be fitted to crossbars measuring 1250mm and up. Boats up to 3.65m in length will work best, but either side of that number is also workable. Many vehicles are compatible with the Side Boat Loader including 4WDs, low roof camper vans and station wagons. If you’re unsure as to whether or not the Side Boat Loader will work with your vehicle you should contact a RhinoRack retailer for expert advice. Price: RRP $1801 www.rhinorack.com.au

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

LIFE CELL

The Life Cell device designed to reduce the amount of lives lost at sea, by ensuring all safety equipment is contained in one place when abandonment is the only option. Life Cell is made from closed cell PU foam and constructed from UV resistant flame retardant polyethylene (PE). They are 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 Cell’s float acts as a secure handhold keeping all crew together and as stable platforms to assist in the deployment of flares and other safety equipment. Life Cell is a floatation device that stores all your essential safety gear including; EPIRBs, flares, V sheets, whistles, horns, torches. These accessories are not included. For the full range of safety products please, refer to section 22 of the BLA catalogue, Edition 12. - BLA

TABS OCEAN SERIES HARD TOP

As the name suggests, this vessel was not built for the rivers, it’s a serious bit of kit for a serious owner. It is Aussie made for Aussie conditions, it has a full variable dead rise shape 19’23’40, the bottom sheets of the 6m vessel are 5mm thick and the dry weight is 960KG. The design is such that it’ll turn short sharp chop into glassed out conditions and ocean swell into molehills. The new FX hulls have huge oversized 200mm reverse chine edges traveling over 2.5m forward to stabilize the hull, so there’s no rocking and rolling, its like walking on a pontoon. There’s a host of standard features like built in tackle boxes, recessed Epirb and fire ext. areas, enclosed battery compartments, cabin hood lining, deluxe seating, 7” sounder, VHF, charts, bait tables, bait tanks and kill tanks. Available in 5.3, 5.6, 6.0, 6.3 and the affectingly factory nicknamed ‘The Beast’ at 6.8m. You won’t find a bigger better hard top than this anywhere! – TABS Boats

HONDA’S EXTENDED WARRANTY

Honda Marine is proud to announce the introduction of Australia’s best extended outboard warranty, offering a 7-year domestic warranty and a 3-year commercial warranty – available free of charge to any outboard that is serviced for the entire warranty period by an authorised Honda Marine dealer, in line with the recommended service schedule. With the introduction of Australia’s best extended warranty, Honda is showing its commitment to you, our customers. By having your outboard serviced at the required intervals by a trained Honda Marine dealer, you are getting the same fantastic coverage on the last day of year 7, as you are getting on day one! Unlike other brands that exclude many high value engine components, every Honda part is covered. If it is a manufacturing fault, then it is covered under our industry leading warranty. Get into your local Honda Authorised Dealer today! Offer ends 31st March 2016. – Honda Marine

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

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What’s New FISHING

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

TESTED: MotorGuide’s Xi5-55 reviewed Starlo looks back on almost a full year of intensive fishing since switching to a MotorGuide bowmounted electric motor, and offers his frank and honest assessment of the unit’s performance to date. Last August, I told Fishing Monthly publisher, Steve Morgan, of my decision to switch to a MotorGuide electric motor on my 4.81m Cross Country boat after many, many years using the other major brand of electric. I’d agonised over making this switch for some time, but in the end it felt like the right way to go. Morgo’ was interested in the thought processes I’d followed, and asked if I’d be keen to write a thorough review of the new MotorGuide for his magazines some six months or so down the track. I happily agreed. As it turned out, work and travel commitments have intervened, and well over nine months actually passed before I finally found the space to sit down and write this piece for Morgo’. By the time you read it, I’ll have been living with a MotorGuide on the front of my boat for just shy of a year. In that time I’ve fished intensively (around three to four times a week, on average) and also travelled widely with the rig in tow throughout NSW, as well as into Queensland and Victoria. My no-longer-new Xi5 MotorGuide has worked hard over this period, racking up far more hours than the F70A Yamaha outboard on the back of the boat. The only maintenance the MotorGuide has received to date is a thorough hose down after use in saltwater and the occasional removal of the prop’ to check for weed or discarded fishing line wrapped around the drive shaft. I’m delighted (and more than a little relieved) to report that the Xi5 hasn’t missed a beat in that time.

QUESTIONS OF RELIABILITY

To be brutally honest, it had been lingering doubts about ruggedness, durability and long term reliability that had deterred me from going down the MotorGuide path in the past. My previous brief encounters with the brand, along with feedback from others who’d used their earlier products more extensively, didn’t leave an entirely positive impression in these important areas. It’s worth stressing that no electric motor (or ‘trolling motor’, as the Yanks call them) can be regarded as ‘bullet proof’, especially under harsh Australian conditions. These units originated on the freshwater bass and walleye lakes of North America, and are still primarily engineered for those fisheries, although widespread take-up by inshore and flats anglers in the United States has led to the introduction of models specifically engineered for saltwater work. Despite ongoing improvements, no brand of electric motor has proven itself to be completely trouble-free on our demanding waters, and almost every Aussie angler with a lengthy history using these units has a horror story or two to tell. Sometimes, you get lucky and go years without a major malfunction. On other occasions, it feels like the good old ’lecky (as we tend to call them) is spending more time back at the workshop, or spread out in bits across your garage floor, than doing

what it was meant to do, up on the front of the boat. Some of the earlier iterations of the MotorGuide marque to hit our shores were certainly not immune from such sorry tales of woe. However, following the arrival of numbers of their latest Xi3 and Xi5 units early in 2014, I began to hear more and more good things about the brand. The time seemed ripe to take the plunge and make the move.

the edge of a drop-off or weed bed. I really do use this feature a heck of a lot. Another little trick I regularly employ is to set and pre-record an ‘Anchor’ waypoint well out in the open away from a particularly gnarly snag, then slide in (often using ‘Jog’) to fish the spot. The moment I hook a fish, I punch the numbered button for the stored

of button presses on the remote. After nine months of intensive use, I find that a much more positive button-press is required, especially on the most commonly-used controls, and sometimes I need to press a second time if my first push was too light. Also, the MotorGuide’s two-bladed propeller appears to be constructed

BOTTOM LINE

After reviewing the latest range, I opted for a 12-volt, 55-pound thrust MotorGuide Xi5 Saltwater (white) model, with builtin GPS capabilities and a 54-inch shaft. It should be noted that the Xi5 Saltwater also comes in 80lb (24-volt) and 105lb (36volt) thrust versions, featuring shaft lengths from 48-60”, with and without built-in GPS. I figured the 55lb with a 54” shaft was spoton for my rig, and I really wanted the GPSequipped version. I guess the million-dollar question is this: Do I think I made the right decision by changing electric brands in August last year? Well, I’m pleased to report that the answer to that question, at least at this point in time, is a resounding and unequivocal ‘yes’! So, what do I like most about the MotorGuide Xi5, and what features and functions am I less keen about? Here’s the wrap-up so far, based on nine months-plus of hard use:

THE PROS

For me, the stand-out features of the MotorGuide Xi5 are its fast, smooth and quiet operation, extremely efficient GPS interface and dramatically improved battery life. I’ve definitely noticed (and appreciated) slightly faster response times to steering input, as well as a quieter hum from the motor at most speeds and while manoeuvring. I’m also pleasantly surprised at how much longer my deep cycle battery seems to last between re-charges, especially compared to other 12-volt electrics I’ve operated in the past. However, it’s when using the more sophisticated GPS navigation functions that the MotorGuide’s clear technological edge really seems to come to the fore. In particular, the ‘Anchor’ or position-holding

SPECIFICATIONS MOTORGUIDE Xi5-55 54” GPS Saltwater Shaft Length: 54” (137 cm) Peak Thrust: 55lb (25 kg) Power: 12 volts Max Draw: 52 amps Steering: GPS Remote and wireless foot pedal Suggested Hull Lengths: 3.7 to 5.4 m Website: www.motorguide.com Suppliers: Mercury Marine dealers function is appreciably faster and much more clearly defined than anything similar that I’ve used previously. It really seems to lock on quickly and hold well. I’m also a huge fan of the unit’s ‘Jog’ function, which quickly shuffles the vessel 5’ (just over 1.5m) in any direction at the single click of a button while you’re holding on ‘Anchor’. This capability is absolutely brilliant, and allows me to slowly work my way up to or around a snag or other fishholding feature, as well as to shuffle along

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

Starlo has been running his new MotorGuide Xi5 electric motor for almost a year now and remains extremely happy with the unit. Photo courtsey of Jo Starling. waypoint and the boat hauls out and away from the rough stuff, effectively dragging and steering the hooked fish with it as it goes! I can’t tell you how many big, bluenosed bream and thick-shouldered bass this little trick has won me this past year, and I can’t wait to try it on mangrove jacks, barra and Murray cod. The MotorGuide’s ‘Heading Lock’ (tracking) and ‘Cruise Control’ (speed setting) functions both work as they should although, to be honest, I’ve hardly even played with the powerful route record/playback aspects of the unit yet. These allow eight separate tracks of up to 6.4 km to be recorded and re-traced at the push of a button. I keep promising myself to use this feature more, but just haven’t come across too many practical applications for it yet. I’m sure I would if I did more trolling.

… AND THE CONS

To be honest, I can’t find much to be critical of at this point in my ongoing relationship with the MotorGuide Xi5. However, here are a few relatively minor nitpicks: Firstly, there’s no LCD screen nor LED status lights on the GPS remote control unit itself. No doubt this simplification of the remote’s construction adds to its robustness and reduces battery drain, but I wouldn’t mind having some visual indication on the remote itself of what functions were operating and at what power or speed. Certainly, the LED panel on the motor’s controller mount reveals system status, battery strength and whether or not the GPS system is active, but it doesn’t show what speed the prop’ is actually spinning at. This can be mildly annoying at times, especially as the unit is so quiet! Sticking with the remote control unit for a moment, I’ve also definitely noticed a reduction in the sensitivity of the control buttons over time. When it was brand new, the motor responded instantly to the lightest

from slightly softer material than some other makes, collecting dings and nicks faster, and potentially becoming unbalanced and less efficient over time. This may well be a trade-off to reduce the risk of drive train breakage, but I reckon it’s not a bad idea to carry a spare prop, in case your first one gets too badly dinged-up to work smoothly. There are also a few little operating quirks that take some getting used to. For example, when you press the M button to de-activate ‘Anchor’, the motor remains in its prop-activated, power-on mode, but with the revs now at zero. This seems counter-intuitive to me, and I invariably end up hitting the power button again (rather than simply increasing revs) when I want to move on… effectively turning the power off instead, and then wondering why I’m going nowhere when I push the + button to accelerate! Over time I’ve finally learnt to avoid this little double-shuffle. Clearly, if those are the only tiny niggles I can find to complain about concerning the Motorguide Xi5 after almost a year of running it, then this unit is well and truly ahead of the game… and the pack! In particular I’m extremely impressed that I haven’t had a single breakdown, malfunction or glitch in over nine months of solid operation (touch wood!). This may not be a long enough test period for me to sign off just yet on those lingering questions about durability and reliability, but at least I can say that the early signs are very positive! I’ll come back in another year and let you know how it’s going then (or you can jump onto my StarloFishing page on Facebook and ask me). Meanwhile, all I can say is that if you’re one of those many people who’ve been thinking about making the big move in electrics, then it seems like now might be the right time! - Steve Starling

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3 Transom & floor repairs 312v Electrical installations 4 Aspinall Place, MULGRAVE 02 4577 3482 www.westernboatrepairs.com.au

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME

(02) 9153 6506

www.fishin.com.au 0425 230 964

3Gelcoat repairs 3 Insurance repairs

FISHING & TRAVEL OPPORTUNITY

Specialising in “Tournament Quality Lures” 0425 230 964 SHOP 18, 29 KIORA RD MIRANDA NSW 2228

Blue Bottle Fishing www.bluebottlefishing.com info@bluebottlefishing.com Ph: 0409 333 380 Out of the Blue Tackle 0417 608 344 or www.outofthebluetackle.com.au Mo Tackle (02) 6652 4611 or www.motackle.com.au Specialty Fishing Products www.specialtyfishing.com.au U-Make-Em Soft Plastics www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au Adrenalin Flies www.adrenalinflies.com.au Techni Ice www.techniice.com J Roc Tackle www.jroctackle.com.au Jayro Tackle www.jayrotackle.com.au

Book today on

(02) 4441 7000

www.jansretreat.com Jan’s Retreat (02) 4441 7000 Currarong Beachside Tourist Park 1300 555 515 Sussex Inlet (LJ Hooker) (02) 4441 2135 Riviera Caravan Park, St George’s Basin (02) 4441 2112 Killalea State Park, Shell Cove (02) 4237 8589 Holiday With Us, Sussex Inlet (02) 4441 2135 Surf Beach Holiday Park (02) 4232 1791 Kendalls on the Beach (02) 4232 1790 Werri Beach Holiday Park (02) 4234 1285Seven Mile Beach Holiday Park (02) 4234 1340 Kiama Harbour Cabins (02) 4232 2707

This section in NSW Fishing Monthly consolidates the trades and services in your area that are relevant to your fishing and boating. Whether you’re a local looking for more options or a travelling angler fishing around the state, this guide will direct you to reputable businesses in the area you’re searching.

Boats & Guided Fishing Tours Directory BATEMANS COAST

Ulladulla Headland Tourist Park BOOKINGS: 1300 733 021 14 Did-Dell St, Ulladulla, NSW 2539

• close to boat ramp and Harbour • boat parking for park guests • accommodation for fishing groups • large outdoor areas and BBQs • 27 cabins and 140 powered/ • short walk from Ulladulla town unpowered sites centre

www.holidayhaven.com.au/ Ulladulla

SOUTH COAST NSW

www.holidayhaven.com.au

Ulladulla Headland Tourist Park 1300 733 021

EDEN COAST Fishermans Rest (Eden) (02) 6496 1999

FRESHWATER Burrinjuck Waters State Park (02) 6227 8114 Providence Lodge (Eucumbene) (02) 6454 2200 Winter Keep (Snowy Mountains) www.winterkeep.com.au Grabine Lakeside State Park (02) 4835 2345 Lake Glenbawn State Park (02) 6543 7193 Wyangala Waters State Park (02) 6345 0877 Bass Lodge Macleay River NSW 0433 482 325 Chifley Dam Cabins 1800 68 1000

Top Cat Charters (02) 4472 7340 or 0427 727 340

EDEN COAST www.southwestrocksfishingadventures.com.au

Freedom Charters Eden (02) 6496 1209 or www.freedomcharters.com.

PORT & REEF SFISHING GAME ERS

CHART

Bay & Basin Sportsfishing 0413 610 832

BATEMANS COAST Aussie Fish Estuary Adventures (02) 6495 9902 or 0400 062 504

EDEN COAST

au 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

Line listing from $15 + gst per mth* 2cm x 2 from $35 + gst per mth* 5cm x 2 from $50 + gst per mth* 7cm x 2 from $74 + gst per mth* 9cm x 2 from $89 + gst per mth* 10cm x 2 from $99 + gst per mth* 11cm x 2 from $105 + gst per mth* 12cm x 2 from $110 + gst per mth* * Conditions apply Call (07) 3387 0800 or email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au BOAT HIRE

HUNTER COAST

BYRON COAST Evans Head Deep Sea Fishing Charters, 0428 828 835 Sea Master Fishing Charters, (07) 5524 8849 or 0415 593 901 Reel Time Fishing Charters 0428 231 962 Coffs Coast Sport Fishing 0434 517 683

COFFS COAST Oceanic Sea Urchin II Charters (02) 6566 6623 or 0428 650 321 South West Rocks Fishing Charters (02) 6566 5298 or 0429 995 390 The Rocks Fishing Charters 0412 074 147 Wooli Deep Sea Tours (02) 6649 7100 Trial Bay Fishing Charters, 0427 256 556 South West Rocks Fishing Adventures 0411 096 717

BEST VALUE FOR MONEY ON THE NSW STH COAST! • Reef, Game and Kingfish • Shared and private charters • Bait and tackle supplied • Homemade morning tea • Packages available • Owner operated

WE CATCH FISH!

Tailermade Fishing Adventures 0411 096 717 E:

DEEP SEA & GAMEFISHING

Ph: (02)

6496 1209 or 0415 602 446

fishing@freedomcharters.com.au W: www.freedomcharters.com.au

QUEENSLAND

MV CAPRICORN STAR EXTENDED FISHING CHARTERS

BOOK NOW FOR MARLIN, MAHI-MAHI AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

MONTIQUE

BOOK YOUR

40ft RANDELL. Fishing capacity 12 persons.

TRIPS INCLUDE

All Bait, Fishing Rods and Reels Sunscreen and Morning Tea

2015 TRIP NOW

PHONE: 0411 096 717 www.tailermadefishn.com.au DEPARTS STOCKTON BOAT DOCK...

SYDNEY Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters (02) 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351 Sydney Sportfishing Adventures 0405 196 253

Swains Reef • Bunker Group • Coral Sea • Shoal Waters and Beyond

MV Capricorn Star 0408 755 201 or www.amytiadventure.com.au Mikat Cruises Fishing Charters Swains & Coral Sea 0427 125 727

ILLAWARRA COAST Sea Lady Charters 0411 024 402 Silver Star Fishing Charters (02) 4421 7462 or 0412 977 000 Shell Harbour Fishing Charters 0425 216 370

SILVER STAR FISHING CHARTERS

Greenwell Point only 10 mins from

MIKAT CRUISES

Swains & Coral Sea Fishing Charters

NOWRA NSW

Game and Deep Sea, Charters ing Reef Fish

Choice of

Snapper

3 BOATS

Mowong

Fax: (07) 4972 1759

Flathead

Plus more! SILVER STAR FISHING CHARTERS

www.mikat.com.au

SWAINS

Kingfish Tuna

• Reef, Deep Sea and Sport Fishing • 20m Cat – Large comfortable & stable • Air-Conditioned & fast (cruise up to 18 knots) • Professional crew (over 22 years experience) • Cater for groups up to 14 for up to 10 days • Fully licensed bar • Dories available • Three large bathrooms • Blue Ray DVD + Plasma Tv’s • Desalinate unit • Trips designed to suit your requirements

Michael Ph: 0427 125 727

Boab Boat Hire (NSW) 1300 002 6221

CHARTER BOATS

EDEN

Castaway Estuary Charters 0427 239 650 Ocean Star Fishing Charters 0416 240 877

Captain Kev’s Wilderness Fishing Tours (02) 4474 3345 or 0424 625 160

TRADES AND SERVICES ADVERTISING

FREEDOM CHARTERS

MACQUARIE COAST

FISHING GUIDES ILLAWARRA COAST

Esprit Fishing Charters 1300 556 658

NSW Recreational Fishing Licence.

EXTENDED REEF TRIPS

NSW Maritime Surveyed. Jervis Bay Marine Park permit.

Phone John 0412

977 000

www.silverstarfishingcharters.com.au

FOR UP TO 10 PEOPLE •Swains Reef •Port Clinton •Stanage Bay •Island Head Creek •Shoalwater Bay •Pearl Bay P: 0419 789 921 www.inyadreamscharters.com

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

SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) – NEW SOUTH WALES MAY Time 0024 0620 FR 1230 1852

Time

m 0.61 1.50 0.51 1.61

2015

LAT 33° 52’ LONG 151° 13’ Times and Heights of High and Low Waters JULY JUNE

0025 0628 SA 1233 1857

Time

0203 0800 TU 1342 2013

2 0222 0815

17 0311 0910

3 0306 0903

18 0347 0949

4 0352 0953

19 0422 1027

5 0440 1045

20 0457 1105

6 0529 1138

21 0531 1146

7 0619 1233

22 0609 1230

8 0038 0713

23 0023 0650

9 0139 0807

24 0114 0737

2 0200 0752

17 0250 0848

3 0242 0835

18 0334 0934

4 0325 0921

19 0416 1019

5 0410 1010

20 0458 1102

6 0458 1100

21 0538 1145

7 0549 1155

22 0618 1230

8 0643 1253

23 0018 0700

9 0054 0739

24 0106 0745

0.40 1.41 0.47 1.89

0.33 1.44 TH 1356 0.44 2029 1.94

0232 0829 TH 1406 2035

Time

0.34 1.39 0.48 1.83

0245 0844 SA 1430 2057

0.35 1.39 FR 1446 0.50 2113 1.80

2 0330 0933

17 0344 0951

3 0416 1024

18 0415 1027

4 0503 1115

19 0447 1104

5 0552 1209

20 0522 1145

6 0022 0644

21 0600 1229

7 0123 0738

22 0036 0645

8 0231 0837

23 0133 0737

9 0346 0939

24 0243 0839

0.16 1.52 0.30 1.98

0313 0917 SU 1503 2121

2 0104 0700

17 0121 0722

3 0143 0739

18 0214 0815

4 0221 0817

19 0304 0906

5 0300 0857

20 0354 0956

6 0341 0939

21 0442 1045

7 0424 1024

22 0530 1133

8 0512 1113

23 0617 1222

9 0603 1206

24 0015 0705

10 0010 0700

25 0102 0754

10 0157 0835

25 0202 0834

10 0245 0903

25 0214 0829

10 0457 1039

25 0356 0944

11 0110 0801

26 0158 0844

11 0304 0931

26 0303 0924

11 0356 1000

26 0320 0924

11 0002 0556

26 0500 1045

12 0216 0902

27 0258 0932

12 0411 1025

27 0405 1012

12 0503 1055

27 0427 1018

12 0051 0645

27 0000 0557

13 0326 1000

28 0358 1019

13 0514 1116

28 0502 1059

13 0013 0603

28 0526 1111

13 0131 0728

28 0048 0646

14 0431 1054

29 0452 1102

14 0018 0613

29 0010 0554

14 0105 0657

29 0030 0618

14 0208 0806

29 0133 0734

15 0531 1145

30 0541 1143

15 0114 0708

30 0056 0642

15 0151 0745

30 0115 0707

15 0241 0843

30 0218 0822

0.55 1.51 SA 1303 0.50 1926 1.68 0.50 1.51 SU 1336 0.49 2000 1.73 0.46 1.50 MO 1410 0.49 2034 1.78 0.43 1.48 TU 1445 0.51 2110 1.81 0.42 1.46 WE 1522 0.53 2149 1.81 0.43 1.42 TH 1604 0.56 2231 1.80 0.44 1.39 FR 1649 0.61 2318 1.76 0.46 1.36 SA 1742 0.65 1.71 0.48 SU 1306 1.35 1843 0.69

1.67 0.48 MO 1412 1.38 1952 0.70 1.64 0.45 TU 1518 1.44 2107 0.67

1.63 0.42 WE 1619 1.55 2219 0.59 1.64 0.38 TH 1715 1.67 2325 0.50 1.65 0.35 FR 1807 1.78

0.30 1.58 MO 1406 0.40 2031 1.97 0.29 1.53 TU 1451 0.46 2117 1.96

0.32 1.47 WE 1536 0.52 2202 1.91 0.38 1.41 TH 1620 0.60 2245 1.82 0.45 1.36 FR 1705 0.67 2330 1.73

0.52 1.32 SA 1753 0.74

1.63 0.57 SU 1314 1.30 1845 0.79

1.54 0.61 MO 1409 1.31 1945 0.83 1.47 0.62 TU 1506 1.34 2053 0.83

1.42 0.61 WE 1600 1.40 2200 0.79 1.41 0.60 TH 1650 1.48 2301 0.73 1.41 0.57 FR 1734 1.56 2353 0.66

1.42 0.55 SA 1814 1.64

31 0038 0626

0.58 1.43 SU 1220 0.53 1851 1.72

0.45 1.45 TU 1336 0.51 2008 1.85

Time

0.33 1.44 WE 1427 0.50 2056 1.92

0.34 1.62 SU 1320 0.36 1945 1.95

Time 0139 0729 WE 1310 1945

0120 0709 MO 1258 1930

m 0.34 1.46 0.47 1.93

0.41 1.65 0.35 1.88

0.51 1.44 0.52 1.79

Local Time AUGUST

0.40 1.45 WE 1417 0.50 2048 1.89 0.37 1.45 TH 1500 0.51 2131 1.91 0.35 1.44 FR 1547 0.53 2216 1.89 0.36 1.43 SA 1638 0.56 2304 1.85 0.37 1.43 SU 1732 0.60 2357 1.79 0.39 1.44 MO 1833 0.63 1.71 0.41 TU 1354 1.47 1941 0.65 1.63 0.42 WE 1456 1.53 2054 0.64 1.57 0.43 TH 1556 1.61 2208 0.60 1.53 0.43 FR 1654 1.70 2316 0.53

1.50 0.43 SA 1747 1.79

0.45 1.49 SU 1207 0.43 1838 1.87

0.38 1.48 MO 1255 0.44 1927 1.92

0.35 1.41 TH 1510 0.54 2138 1.87 0.39 1.39 FR 1552 0.59 2217 1.80

0.44 1.36 SA 1634 0.64 2257 1.72

0.49 1.34 SU 1718 0.69 2336 1.63

0.53 1.34 MO 1806 0.74 1.54 0.56 TU 1318 1.34 1900 0.78

1.46 0.59 WE 1411 1.37 2002 0.80 1.39 0.60 TH 1506 1.41 2112 0.79 1.34 0.60 FR 1600 1.47 2219 0.74

1.32 0.59 SA 1650 1.54 2319 0.67

1.32 0.57 SU 1736 1.63

0.58 1.34 MO 1143 0.54 1819 1.72 0.49 1.37 TU 1226 0.50 1901 1.81

0.27 1.46 FR 1444 0.43 2115 1.97 0.24 1.48 SA 1534 0.43 2201 1.95 0.24 1.50 SU 1627 0.45 2251 1.89 0.26 1.51 MO 1723 0.49 2343 1.79 0.31 1.52 TU 1824 0.54 1.67 0.36 WE 1331 1.54 1930 0.58 1.55 0.41 TH 1432 1.57 2044 0.60 1.44 0.45 FR 1534 1.62 2200 0.58

1.38 0.48 SA 1634 1.68 2311 0.53

1.35 0.48 SU 1731 1.74

0.46 1.35 MO 1147 0.48 1823 1.80 0.40 1.36 TU 1237 0.48 1911 1.83

0.36 1.38 WE 1323 0.48 1955 1.84

0.37 1.38 SA 1526 0.53 2149 1.74

0.40 1.38 SU 1605 0.56 2225 1.68

0.43 1.37 MO 1646 0.60 2300 1.60 0.47 1.37 TU 1730 0.65 2339 1.51

0.50 1.37 WE 1820 0.69 1.42 0.54 TH 1318 1.38 1917 0.73 1.33 0.57 FR 1412 1.40 2025 0.74

1.26 0.59 SA 1509 1.43 2136 0.71

1.23 0.59 SU 1605 1.50 2244 0.64

1.23 0.57 MO 1659 1.58 2340 0.55 1.27 0.52 TU 1748 1.69

0.43 1.33 WE 1200 0.46 1836 1.79 0.32 1.39 TH 1249 0.40 1922 1.89

0.13 1.56 SU 1522 0.29 2145 1.94 0.14 1.59 MO 1615 0.32 2235 1.86 0.18 1.60 TU 1713 0.36 2327 1.73 0.26 1.60 WE 1813 0.43 1.58 0.34 TH 1306 1.59 1920 0.50 1.43 0.43 FR 1407 1.58 2034 0.54 1.31 0.49 SA 1512 1.58 2151 0.54 1.24 0.53 SU 1617 1.61 2303 0.50 1.24 0.53 MO 1716 1.65 0.45 1.27 TU 1134 0.51 1809 1.69

0.40 1.31 WE 1224 0.48 1854 1.72 0.36 1.35 TH 1308 0.46 1935 1.73 0.34 1.38 FR 1348 0.45 2012 1.73

0.33 1.40 SA 1426 0.44 2047 1.70

31 0200 0756

0.23 1.46 FR 1339 0.34 2010 1.95

 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2014, Bureau of Meteorology Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astonomical Tide Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect Full Moon New Moon First Quarter Moon Phase Symbols

m 0.34 1.42 0.45 1.66

0.35 1.43 MO 1541 0.47 2155 1.61 0.38 1.43 TU 1619 0.50 2230 1.54

0.42 1.43 WE 1701 0.54 2307 1.45 0.46 1.42 TH 1747 0.59 2348 1.36 0.51 1.41 FR 1841 0.63

1.28 0.55 SA 1320 1.40 1944 0.66

1.20 0.59 SU 1418 1.41 2056 0.65

1.16 0.60 MO 1521 1.46 2207 0.59 1.18 0.57 TU 1624 1.54 2309 0.49

1.24 0.51 WE 1720 1.65 0.37 1.33 TH 1141 0.42 1812 1.77 0.25 1.43 FR 1233 0.33 1900 1.86

0.15 1.53 SA 1325 0.25 1949 1.92

0.09 1.61 SU 1416 0.19 2038 1.93

31 0303 0911

0.07 1.67 MO 1510 0.18 2129 1.88

Last Quarter

Tide predictions for Sydney (Fort Denison) have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material is supplied in good faith and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition that no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes. Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions. 98

JULY 2015

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Port Macquarie Hastings Marine 185 Hastings River Dr Port Macquarie Phone: (02) 6583 5511 | E:sales@hastingsmarine.com.au Website: www.hastingsmarine.com.au

Sydney North West TR Marine World 44 Curtis Rd McGraths Hill Phone: (02) 4577 3522 | E:sales@trmarine.com.au Website: www.trmarine.com.au

Sydney Avante Marine 212 Silverwater Rd Silverwater Ph: (02) 9737 0727 | E: info@avantemarine.com.au Website: www.avantemarine.com.au

Coffs Harbour Jetty Boating 40 Hi Tech Drive, Toormina Phone: (02) 6651 4002 | E:info@jettyboating.com.au Website: www.jettyboating.com.au

Sydney North West Watersports Marine 11 Binney Rd Kingspark Phone: (02) 9676 1400 | E:info@watersportmarine.com.au Website: www.watersportsmarine.com.au

Batemans Bay Batemans Bay Marine 6/37 Gregory St Batemans Bay Ph: (02) 4472 7133 E: batemansbaymarine@hotmail.com

Hunter Valley Maitland Power and Marine 23 Melbourne St, East Maitland Phone: (02) 4933 3284 | E:sales@mpm.net.au Website: www.mpm.net.au

Sydney South Hi Tech Marine 40 Princes Hwy Albion Park Phone: (02) 4256 6135 | E:pauline@hitechmarine.com.au Website: www.hitechmarine.com.au

Far South Coast Merimbula Outboards 382 Sapphire Coast Dr Tura Merimbula Phone: (02) 6495 9634 | E:info@merimbulaoutboard.com.au Website: www.merimbulaoutboard.com.au

Central Coast Insinc Marine 278 Manns Road, Gosford West Ph: (02) 4324 4300 | E:troy@insincmarine.com.au Website: www.insincmarine.com.au

Sydney West Penrith Marine 4/133 Coreen Ave Penrith Phone: (02) 4731 6250 | E:sales@penrithmarine.com.au Website: www.penrithmarine.com.au

Dubbo Dubbo Marine & Watersports 36 Bourke St, Dubbo Ph: 02·6882 2853 | E:bbeandel@bigpond.net.au Website: www.dubbomarine.com.au

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