New South Wales Fishing Monthly July 2019

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Features Winter cod secrets B umper Boat Show feature W inning lures at Lure Expo

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Contents

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Business Office: Unit 1, 11 Knobel Court, Shailer Park, Qld, 4128 Phone: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801 Website: www.wp.fishingmonthly.com.au Managing Editor: Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au Editorial Manager: Jacqui Thomas Sub-Editors: Nicole Penfold Bob Thornton Annie March Lucette Eggleton Publishers: Steve Morgan Matthew Drinkall

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OUR OUR COVER COVER Murray cod tragic Jakko Davis with a hefty example of an impoundment fish that ate a single bladed spinnerbait with an XOS soft plastic trailer.

A Jakko Davis image.

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Buy your bait there. Tag them in your posts when you’re showing off your catch online.

I don’t like the idea of a future without my local tackle store, and I bet that you don’t either. Keep that in mind next time you buy your lures from a dodgy Internet seller and shamefully drive past their door on the way to the river.

Well, that might be going a little over the top, but you get what I mean. Does your internet supplier sponsor local kids fishing days, help the local school or help your local fishing club with prizes? I bet not.

Look after your local tackle store and they’ll keep looking after you as long as they can stay in business.

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pulse advice.

Maybe Facebook reports from your mates are good enough nowadays? But remember, they only tell you what they’ve caught, not when they’re going next or what’s on the horizon.

They don’t want you there catching ‘their’ fish.

It’s the same premise for Fishing Monthly magazines, we like to tell you what’s coming up and to help you plan your trips and less about what happened a month ago. That’s why lots of our contributors work in these local tackle stores.

Do you want your local, independent tackle stores to survive? Make sure that you involve them in your trips! Talk to them about what’s been happening and what’s expected to happen in the close future.

Buy your tackle there.

CI

it’s a stand-alone tackle store. Sometimes it’s a part of a servo, or camping store, or toy shop. I’ve seen nearly every combination in my travels around Australia.

They’re usually staffed by locals who have an excellent idea about what’s happening in the area.

Rewind 20 years and the first thing you’d do is drop into the local when you go fishing to get a head start for your time on the water.

You’d buy your bait and terminal tackle there, too.

I reckon that there’s fewer small, independent tackle stores around now than at any time in my lifetime and that’s sad.

It’s sad for the owners who struggle to make ends meet, and it’s sad for the areas who now lack that local, finger-on-the-

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Fishing Monthly publishes the businessto-business magazine Australian Fishing Tackle Retailer. It’s where the back end of the tackle industry discusses industry issues. Recently we printed an article inside it discussing the difficult retail environment and the reasons why small tackle stores can sometimes struggle.

We had more feedback about that article than any we have published in that magazine.

Ever.

It struck a nerve with operators who have lost the joy of being in the industry due to eroding margins and digital disruption.

We all have a local tackle store. Sometimes

RA

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From the Editor’s Desk...

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REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 26 Cooking 82 Dam Levels 66 Fun Page 14 Tech Tricks 58 Tides 71 Tournament News 72 Trade Directory 80 What’s New Fishing 48 What’s New Boating 86 Fly fishing 60 SPECIAL FEATURES Winning the winter cod game 8 Lure Expo winners 70 Sydney International Boat Show 83

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BOATING AND KAYAK

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BYRON COAST The Tweed 28 Ballina 30 Yamba 32 COFFS COAST Coffs Harbour 34 South West Rocks 36 MACQUARIE COAST The Hastings 38 Forster 40 Harrington-Taree 41 HUNTER COAST Port Stephens 44 Swansea 45 Erina 46 Hunter Coast 47 SYDNEY Sydney 12 Sydney North 17 The Hawkesbury 16 Sydney South 18 Pittwater 22 Botany Bay 20 Sydney Rock and Beach 24 ILLAWARRA COAST Illawarra 51 Nowra 53 BATEMANS COAST Batemans Bay 52 Merimbula 54 Narooma 55 EDEN COAST Bermagui 56 Mallacoota 56 Tathra 57 FRESHWATER Mildura 61 Albury-Wodonga 61 New England 62 Snowy Mountains 63 Canberra 64 Lithgow-Oberon 65 Wagga Wagga 66 Robinvale 67 Hunter Valley 68 Batlow 69

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Incorporating the

Cod Feature

Getting into the winter cod game HUNTER VALLEY

Jakko Davis

You have three casts and then dip your rod in the water again. It’s light, you can see but only a short

You can only get three casts in before your guides freeze over and the next cast becomes impossible. Cold is an understatement, but this is the struggle an angler must endure to compete in the winter cod game.

they’ll ask. But they don’t know the feeling of success when a metre goodoo slips into your oversize landing net, as you exhale another thick white fog of air and high five your buddy like you just won the lotto.

Mark Donnelly with a solid swimbait eater caught at midnight. distance as the thick fog blocks your sight. It’s 6:30am, your fingers are borderline frozen, and the thermometer reads -3°C.

Friends and family members who aren’t the committed angler you are will say you’re crazy or insane.

‘What’s wrong with you?’

Targeting big Murray cod in winter is not for the weekend warrior, it’s a game of commitment and proper preparation. It’s not

easy, but nothing you have to work hard for the reward is. This game is one I’ve come to love over the last few seasons, along with many other Murray cod enthusiasts. I’ve collected plenty of scars and learnt a lot, yet there is still more to learn. We are still in the early stages of understanding the full potential of this game, but from my book of experiences thus far, this is what I’ve learnt.

PREPARATION Probably the most important aspect of fishing through the heart of winter in any waterway where conditions consistently drop well below zero is the need for proper preparation. The first time I fished Copeton, I’d seen nothing but monster cod flooding social media coming from its waters.

I recruited a mate and basically promised him cod on tap. How wrong I was. It was mid May and with a bucket load of confidence we rocked up with a travel bag that consisted of a pair of flip flops, two pairs of footy shorts, a few T-bangers and a loan hoodie. It quickly became apparent that we were not set-up properly to fish in the conditions and after three days on the water we returned home with a solid case of the flu and a busted ego from not even getting a touch.

The moral of the story is to be prepared. It’s going to be cold and the prime bite

A Copeton cod just before sunrise that ate a chatterbait from a shallow bay that was full of bait. with hand warmers are almost compulsory when it gets below zero, as there’s nothing worse than trying to wind a baitcaster when you can’t feel your fingers.

Beanies and neck warmers must also go in along with the most important piece of them all, ugg boots. Do not leave home without a pair!

as long as you are able to locate bait then it’s a given that the predators won’t be far away.

A good time to scout for bait is during the middle of the day or in periods that aren’t regularly considered ‘prime bite times’ for Murray cod. Bait will be congregated in deeper water under a high

Quality gear will help you win the important battles.

Winter can be a special time to be on the water.

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JULY 2019

OPTIMAL USE: • Sight fishing in full sun • High contrast

periods coincide with the coldest parts of the day, so dress according.

A good set of rainwear is mandatory, as it may not rain but everything will still be wet. Adventure brands such as Kathmandu, Macpac, Patagonia and the like all make quality jackets, so pick one up. Thermals are great, I wear them as a base layer.

Fingerless gloves matched

AREAS TO FOCUS Putting your efforts into the right areas is crucial to success when fishing throughout winter. Bait is the key and finding it is your ticket to success. Using your sounder to scout around and locate congregations of bait is a widely used practice by many seasoned anglers. You don’t necessarily need to find cod on your electronics,

sun, but when the light dims down this bait will be pushed up into the shallower margins of the lake by larger predators lurking below. Mark these areas and pinpoint the closest shallow margin to this bait, and it’s here you’ll want to concentrate your efforts when the sun begins to drop.

Of course, Murray cod fishing isn’t restricted to fishing the low light periods

Cod Feature and into the night. Often winter is associated with fog, and these low-lying clouds can cover the sun for long periods through the morning, extending the ‘bite window’.

When the sun finally breaks through it often means the fish will head a little deeper, following the bait. You can continue to fish the bait in the deep, target fish holding tight to structure or go back

to camp, rest up and prepare for another big effort that afternoon.

A common phenomenon in our impoundments is the first light bite and it’s at its most prevalent in winter.

It’s all about fishing the shallows, as this is where the bait will congregate during the low light periods for a few reasons.

The main reason is the

predation by the larger fish, predominantly cod, pushing them up to the shallower margins. It’s here in the shallowest depths where the bait is somewhat safe from predation during the cover of darkness. It’s when the first light hits the water that the feeding frenzy begins. The baitfish know that they must leave the shallows otherwise birds will smash them, and

Operating on a cold morning is tough on the fingers, and gloves are recommended.

This game is all about persistence. This fish took seven trips to catch!

so they must make a run for it back to the deep. The cod know this and will hold on the outside edge where they are comfortable and pick the bait up as it comes through. You can often see it first hand, and at Copeton I’ve pulled up on banks in the middle of the night, shone my headlight on the water and the amount of spangled perch or bobby cod holding right on the edge is unbelievable.

Often when you find the

right areas where the bait is ‘making a run for it’ the surface of the water turns into a ‘bubble bath’ as cod gorge themselves on baitfish just below the surface.

It’s in areas like this that your confidence will blow the Richter scale, as it’s only a matter of time until it’s game on.

GEAR Having good gear is important when playing the winter cod game, and attention to detail is where

most battles are either won or lost.

When you work so hard for sometimes minimal bites, you want to convert them.

A good baitcast reel with a strong but smooth drag will be your hero through the commotion following that trademark crunch, and you don’t want to skimp on quality here, it needs to perform.

For the majority of big cod lures these days, a To page 10

JULY 2019

9

Cod Feature From page 9

swimbait rod is the stick of choice and with good reason. These rods allow you to throw big baits with more confidence and in turn

in pressured waters where fish have no doubt become aware of the trademark sounds a boat hull emits.

These days the lure market is flooded with plenty

Josh Kopp had a killer season last winter that resulted in numerous metre fish like this one. get many extra metres on your cast. They also give you plenty of persuasion when a big girl doesn’t want to come to the boat. Having a longer cast can be critical

of good options. You don’t have to scroll far through your social media feed to see what works well.

Swimbaits are the rage at the moment and for good

reason, they replicate a baitfish better than anything else because of their natural presentation. There is a great range of swimbaits available in Australia now, and there’s one out there to tickle every angler’s fancy.

Chatterbaits are another great option for fishing the cold shallow edges of any impoundment. The Bassman Mumbler in the 1/2oz construction is a clear standout in this category, however, like swimbaits there’s plenty of brands out there.

The first light surface bite is a well known cliché in cod fishing these days, so always have a few topwater offerings on hand as well.

I believe everyone would agree when I say that you can’t beat catching a big goodoo off the roof.

Lures are important, and some days it’ll be obvious that one style is the only thing they want, but I believe finding the right areas is a lot more important in this game. Cod are an opportunistic feeder and any well-presented lure will often get their attention, however, if you’re in the wrong area and all the cod are three banks down to the right, you’re not going to fool anything there.

COMMITMENT This isn’t a game for the fainthearted, and it’ll bring an angler to their knees, be

that from exhaustion or liberation. Grind, hustle and keep hammerin’. These are all motivation words thrown around by many seasoned anglers who know the rewards they seek.

For me, every trip that

this case.

The more time spent out there trying to crack the code, the closer you are to cracking it. Once you do, sometimes the floodgates will open.

Josh Kopp, a very intuitive angler himself, put over 70

of winter Josh was able to locate congregations of bait holding in shallow water and he fished these areas hard for his rewards. Before last winter he hadn’t landed a metery, and this shows that a lot can change when you crack the code.

The small ones can give you the vital information needed to crack the code. results in a duck egg is motivation. I feed off it. I’ve put the effort in and I’ve learnt from another experience on the water. You have to pay to play, as some people say, and it couldn’t be more accurate in

Murray cod in his boat last winter from 6 trips, and 11 of these fish were over the magic metre and caught when many other anglers returned home with their tail between their legs. Through the heart

Keep grinding, find areas that will hold fish, learn from your time on the water, and never give up. There’s no appreciation for something that’s easy. Good luck out there!

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Warm current stops predators cooling off SYDNEY

Paul O’Hagan

The fishing continues to be good for Sydney anglers. All of our summer species are still available, as a warm current keeps the water temperature around 23°C.

nice yellowfin tuna.

Most of these fish have been taken while trolling a range of small and large skirted lures.

As well as these larger predators, mahimahi have been holding on some of the private FADs, with catches around 90cm and even a few going over the metre mark.

Ivan Klisarov with a solid flathead from Sydney Harbour.

For those anglers chasing gamefish, the season has not been great for a lot of the smaller boats, as the fish have been holding out wide beyond Browns Mountain.

But, some of the bigger boats have been taking striped and blue marlin along with some

With good conditions over the last few weeks there have been a lot of boats taking advantage of this and heading out to Browns to catch a feed of some of our deep water species.

The Twelve Mile Reef has started to fire, with good

numbers of kingfish holding in the area.

Most of these fish have been taken on large jigs and live baits. Unfortunately, leatherjackets are hitting anything that is on offer and frustrating anglers with the loss of some very expensive lures and tackle.

Some of our inshore reefs are holding lots of baitfish and attracting bonito, tailor and salmon in big numbers.

These fish are being taken on small trolled lures and cast metals.

With plenty of activity on the reefs, there has been an increase in the number of very large snapper being taken on fresh bait and soft plastics while drifting along with a good berley trail off the back of the boat.

Chopping up a block or two of pilchards and keeping a constant flow of bait will be the key to success for picking up some fine fish for the table.

Fishing from our rock ledges and headlands with metal lures and stickbaits has been very good, with bonito, tailor and kingfish all on offer. Recently, a lot of anglers who have taken to spinning garfish with small octopus skirts on the front are having some very good results, with some very large kingfish being taken.

For those who like a more relaxed way of fishing, luderick and black drummer are in good supply when fishing with weed and bread under a float.

Mike Allison managed this cracking mulloway. Soft plastics and unweighted baits are great ways to target these fish. accident occur or for less experienced anglers.

Beach fishing for whiting has been good, depending what beach you are fishing.

Some of our more northern beaches are doing better than others when using fresh caught worms.

Using pilchards and fish strips has been attracting a lot of sharks, mainly dusky whalers that are in very large numbers and are prepared to take even the smallest of offerings on light bream gear.

Although a wire trace is not the best thing to have when targeting other species like bream and flathead, it can save a lot of time for making up new rigs every time a shark takes the bait.

As soon as the sun goes down the sharks are on the hunt along most of our beaches.

Sydney Harbour fishing continues to turn out kingfish in big numbers. The fish are still putting on weight, as they have gorged themselves over the last couple of months on the variety of baitfish that has been available to them.

As well as kingfish, there is still a lot of bonito,

tailor and salmon that can be caught on lures. Over the sandy parts of the Harbour there have been some great catches of large flathead as the sun goes down.

the area a bit longer than a few weeks.

Through the winter months, large winter bream and flathead should be the target in the morning and

Adrian O’Hagan snagged this shark while fishing along Manly Beach of a night.

Drifting with soft plastics and unweighted baits has scored some decent snapper as well as a few of the prized mulloway around North Harbour.

Looking to the future, as the season changes we hope that this year we get the opportunity to chase some tuna off our coast and with a bit of luck they will stay in

as the evening approaches some of the bigger mulloway should be on the prowl looking for a handy meal.

Fishing the beach in the cold evenings is not for the faint-hearted, but for those who are dedicated and willing to put the time the results can be well worth it.

As always, stay safe and enjoy the fishing.

Nathan McManus with a beautiful little snapper that was caught off Long Reef.

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Around the Sydney area, the fishing inspectors have been actively checking for anglers wearing life jackets and at this point they are taking names and giving out warnings to anyone on the rocks not wearing one.

Anyone caught not wearing a jacket for the second time will be handed a fine.

While a lot of anglers do not agree with this, it is the law and it could save a life should a freak

Nick Van Weeren caught this cracking snapper. A good berley trail is a great way to lure these fish to your boat.

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Stayin’ alive on the rocks NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

Winter is a great time for rock fishing, but we should never forget the dangers of this pursuit.

Make no mistake about it: rock fishing is potentially a very dangerous pastime.

Statistically, it has been cited as the most hazardous sport in Australia, and also the third highest cause of drowning deaths after swimming and boating. It’s sobering to consider this statistic on a per capita basis, especially in terms of how many people go swimming or boating each year compared to the much smaller numbers who actually rock fish.

Touch wood, but in half a century of rock fishing, I’ve never been washed in.

Flattened, skittled, rolled, dumped and washed back across the rocks, yes… In fact, more often than I care to count, especially in my younger and more foolhardy days! On one memorable occasion in my late teens, a mate and I along with all of

The author with a nice black drummer or rock blackfish. He’s wearing an inflatable jacket, just in case the worst happens.

Wet rocks tell their own story. These ledges are occasionally being inundated by larger sets on a rather sloppy day. There’s nothing ‘freakish’ about those bigger waves, but they could easily prove deadly. most was losing one of my favourite sidecast outfits in the process. Again, it was a life lesson and has further modified my behaviour on the rocks. I’m a lot more cautious these days.

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JULY 2019

Every time an angler loses his or her life on the ocean rocks, the media talks glibly about ‘freak waves’, thereby implying that the tragedy was somehow beyond the control of the hapless fishers involved.

This is a big mistake. In my experience, ‘freak waves’ are extremely rare. Sure, in every hour of every day there will be a couple of larger-thanaverage swells. These are not ‘freaks’, they’re natural anomalies that occur in any medium that’s affected by wave patterns. More experienced rock-hoppers inherently understand this, but new chums often don’t.

The very best advice I can offer in this regard is to sit and watch the spot where you intend to fish for at least 20 minutes before venturing

In the beginning, I was opposed to these rules myself, seeing them as yet another example of unnecessary, nanny-state over-reaction. But I’ve gradually (and somewhat grudgingly) come to accept that wearing life jackets on the rocks might not be

onto it. If in any doubt, go home, no matter how early you got up and how far you drove to get to your chosen spot.

In recent times there’s also been a great deal of

Lightweight sandals that fit well and offer good grip are a very sensible choice on many rock ledges. our gear ended up bobbing in a big, deep gutter behind the low rocks we’d been fishing from a few seconds earlier.

We were at serious risk of being sucked through the outflow at one end of the gutter, into the open ocean beyond, but we somehow managed to scramble out and also recovered most of our tackle. We picked up some deep scratches and a few interesting bruises for our troubles, but were otherwise unharmed. It was a salutary lesson.

As recently as a decade or so ago, another friend and I were knocked off our feet by a particularly powerful swell and bounced back across an uneven ledge, picking up some more impressive bruises along the way. But what hurt

heated debate about the introduction of laws mandating the wearing of flotation vests (life jackets) by rock fishers in certain jurisdictions. Such laws have already come to pass in parts of NSW, much to the annoyance of many observers.

Jo Starling learnt to fish in Darwin, where seas are generally calmer and swell virtually unknown. She enjoys southern rock fishing, but sensibly insists on wearing a lightweight, comfortable life jacket at all times: in this case an inflatable, yoke-style PFD.

Even on flat rocks and in calm weather, you need your wits about you and should always wear the correct clothing and footwear.

such a bad idea after all.

These days, I often wear an inflatable, yoke-style PFD myself on the rocks, even where the law doesn’t demand it. Rather like choosing sensible, grippy footwear and lightweight clothing that I can swim in if necessary, wearing a PFD is no great inconvenience, and it just might save my life one day. For me, that’s enough reason to do it.

In the end, however, rock fishing safety is about a lot more than what you wear. It’s a matter of mindset, planning for possible eventualities and a strong sense of selfpreservation. The bottom line must always be that no fish or fishing experience is worth risking your life for — nor anyone else’s life . It really is as simple as that.

Where do my fishing licence fees go?

n n n n n

Fish stocking Habitat restoration Recreational fishing havens Fish aggregating devices (FADs) Fishing facilities, e.g. fishing platforms and fish cleaning tables

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Winter finally hits Hawkesbury THE HAWKESBURY

Dan Selby dan@sydneysportfishing.com.au

With a late autumn this year, we are only now settling into winter and getting into a few nice fish in the lower reaches of the river and into the Cowan.

Luderick have been biting well on the rock walls from the heads up to Bar Point, with cabbage and horse hair weed working well. Don’t discount synthetic flies, as they are also putting runs on the board, whether fished under a float conventionally or fly fished on a floating or intermediate line.

The key with the fly is to strike at any movement of the float or fly line. It pays to keep mobile and work an area over quickly and thoroughly until an active patch is found.

pilchard halves and whitebait are the preferred baits. Keep your leader light, around 8lb. The key to using light line is to check it regularly and re-tie whenever it gets

Lee couldn’t get through the big flathead this day. This fish was the best of the session, measuring in at 76cm, which was released.

Autumn produced some stunning bream, like this 44cm model that took a liking to a 4” paddle-tail lure intended for a mulloway.

Batt Brown was pretty happy with his new PB 49.5cm yellowfin caught on a soft plastic grub that was released after.

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Some sessions only yield a fish or two from each spot and at other times it’s hours of fun from the moment you turn up to your first spot.

Bream have been in great condition and numbers through late May and into June, but this will likely ease up a bit as the water temperatures drop this month. Lure and bait anglers were getting good bags of bream from Gunderman to Broken Bay. Batt Brown caught a great fish of 49.5cm on a soft plastic grub and light spin tackle that took him five minutes to play out and land.

There has been plenty of 40cm+ fish caught on my charters with most fish taking well-presented scented soft plastic lures hopped down the rock walls while targeting mulloway.

Flathead have been biting well from Bar Point to Broken Bay with drifting using bait or lures the best method. For lures, 3” minnows, paddle-tails and grubs in natural colours are working well on a 1/6oz jighead, while prawns,

chafed up.

There has been the odd surface bust up in Broken Bay, Lion Island and along Barrenjoey Head, mainly consisting of small residual frigate mackerel and undersized tailor. But, overall the winter surface action hasn’t really kicked off yet.

Let’s hope this improves in August and September.

Some monster southern calamari have been caught

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Some quality fish were caught during June around Gunyah, Flint and Steel, and Juno points on fresh caught squid strips and heads. Live yakka and tailor are accounting for some nice fish to 50lb as well. The warmer ocean water should be pushing in on the flood tides, so I’m predicting good bites on the top of the tide this month.

I haven’t heard any reports of hairtail turning up in Cowan Creek this season, but I’m sure there would be a few in Waratah and Jerusalem bays by now for those willing to brave the cold nights and put out a spread of pilchards under floats.

Metre-plus mulloway on lures are a great winter option in the Hawkesbury.

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through June as they head into the harbours and bays to spawn in big aggregations over kelp and sea grass beds. There will still be a few about, so anglers should gear up with big jigs, around 3.5 and 4.0, as they are a tempting treat for these bigger squid. It always pays to have one either rigged ready to cast or just hanging over the side a metre or two off the bottom while you’re anchored or drifting.

Mulloway have been patchy as always, with early winter producing a few nice fish for those persevering with lures, but there was plenty of stud bream and croc-sized flatties in between the better bites to keep

Incredible inshore action SYDNEY NORTH

Alex Qasabian

Last year saw July as the month to be out there chasing tuna. The southern bluefin run

Past seasons have seen lure trolling to be the most productive method in Sydney waters, especially for the southern blues.

With the westerly winds becoming consistent, both offshore and inshore waters

Shane Dwyer with a quality snapper on the inshore reefs. seems to be improving year by year, however the yellowfin are becoming less predictable.

can be quite friendly, with low swells and calm seas. Days spent out wide trolling a tuna spread can

potentially be some of the most pleasant spent on out seas. Bullet style skirted lures, bibbed and bibless hardbody lures are the go-to lures, and some intuitive anglers have had great success custom rigging various soft plastic lures for the troll. Lunker City and ZMan have some great options for those willing to try something different.

Inshore, the snapper will be feeding consistently on the shallower reefs and will be found in very close under the cover of darkness for those prepared to brave the cold of nighttime and very early morning.

Salmon and tailor should be everywhere from the beaches and rocks right up into the upper reaches of the harbour, along with some big kingfish. Gone are the days of a set kingy season in Sydney, with quality fish being caught in every month of the year.

The slower moving water of the upper reaches of Sydney’s estuaries tends to cool off a little slower than the more oceanic waters, and this will be the place to target the big kings. Live or fresh dead squid and cuttlefish are the gun baits. Target the deeper areas rather than hard up on the edges if chasing

A thumping snapper taken aboard on a Craig Mcgill’s charter inside Middle Harbour! squid. The cuttles often come from grassy patches over sand in seemingly featureless water.

The aforementioned westerlies also make it a good time to venture out on the stones chasing drummer and blackfish. Be careful, however, as the seemingly calm sea can rear up at anytime and all regular precautions regarding footwear and PFDs should

be taken, regardless of conditions. For the cold junkies that can’t resist going for a swim despite the chance of actually freezing to death, now is the time to don a snorkel and mask and go searching for the crayfish. Make sure you have the latest size and bag limits in check for these delectable crustaceans.

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17

Just keep casting SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Even though the weather has really cooled down, the fishing in the Port Hacking River, Bate Bay,

off the beaches and rocks and offshore is still firing this month.

Inside the Port Hacking leatherjackets can be caught in most bays adjacent to the rocky shorelines, around pontoons and wharves. The best rig is a paternoster with

short leaders, no. 10-12 long shanked hooks and either small pieces of prawn or squid for bait.

Luderick have been schooling up in South West Arm, Yowie and Gunnamatta bays, the Ballast Heap and off the points at Jibbon and

There are still a few kingfish hanging about under the moored boats.

Try working hardbodied lures along the edges of the boats.

This luderick couldn’t resist a well-presented beachworm.

the old Fisheries. Berley with chopped up weed, white bread and sand for the best results. You could also try shore-based fishing at the western end of Jibbon Beach and Salmon Haul Bay. I have been getting my weed off the rocks at Kurnell and down at Wollongong, and green cabbage is also worth a try.

Those of you who like tempting bream with lures,

try working the shoreline of the South West Arm and Yowie, Gymea and Burraneer bays. Deep diving lures will bring them undone. The deeper bays in the Port Hacking are worth a shot with blades during the cooler months of the year.

Remember to work them as slow as possible.

If you don’t find the bream feeding underneath

the boat hulls you can always try blading down deep or dead sticking soft plastics that have been laced with plenty of scent. The bream, trevally and flathead tend to pick them up after they have been still for a while.

Don’t forget that if you are a bait angler you can anchor up in amongst the boats, berley and fish as light as the conditions will

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allow. There should be a few good-sized snapper about in and around the boats.

Half pilchards, garfish, pink nippers and chicken breast would be worth a try.

You may find that the winds start to come in from the west and if this happens the water will clear up

The cooler months of the year will bring out the drummer, luderick and trevally into the washes and boulders off the rocks. Try the steps at Kurnell, Jibbon Point, Wattamolla and south Marley. The rocks at the north end of Garie Beach will also be worth a look.

near Stanwell Park, as long as the current is not running too fast.

Morwong, trevally, tarwhine, rock cod, pigfish and leatherjackets will be making up most of the bags for those anglers who have been bottom bashing the close reefs and gravel

Remember that if you are fishing from any of the pontoons or wharves in the Port Hacking, clean up your mess so it is ready for the next angler. heaps, making fishing off the beaches and rocks a little bit harder. Not to worry, just fish with lighter leaders and remember to have a small and steady berley trail going.

North Cronulla Beach and up to Boat Harbour will be worth a shot early morning, late afternoon and on overcast days for bream, whiting and dart.

Beachworms and live nippers have been the best baits. You could also try strips of tuna, bonito and garfish.

If you are chasing a few bream you could try the northern and southern ends of Stanwell Park Beach.

A moderate sea would be a good time to go and try.

Another places that would be worth a shot would be North and South Era points in the Royal National Park.

Offshore the snapper should be feeding off the close reefs at Voodoo Point, Shark Island, Jibbon Bombora, the Balconies and the Sea Cliff Bridge

patches. You could also try drifting for a feed of sand and tiger flathead if the winds come up from the west. Pilchards, tuna and flathead strips would be my fish choice of baits, but large prawns and squid are also worth a shot.

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

FISHING NEWS

Crackdown on online crooks A man suspected of illegally selling fish taken without a commercial authority on the far south coast has been apprehended by fisheries officers.

The 48-year-old man from Bruce, ACT, was under surveillance in the Batemans Bay area and was observed allegedly exchanging fish for a quantity of cash at Hanging Rock boat ramp.

The maximum penalty for taking fish for sale without a commercial licence is $110,000.

In another incident near Batemans Bay, fisheries officers apprehended a 37-year-old local man found in possession of 11 eastern rock lobsters, one of which was prohibited size, after diving at Garden Bay in Malua Bay. The possession limit for eastern rock lobster is two. The man is expected to be issued with a court attendance notice where

he could face maximum penalties of $66,000 or 12 months in prison, or both.

DPI Fisheries also monitors illegal seafood sales of fish on social media.

While many legitimate seafood businesses use social media to market their products, there are also

illegal sales online. Two recent offenders are facing court attendance notices.

Anyone suspecting illegal fishing activity should report it on 1800 043 536, via the free FishSmart NSW app, or at www. d p i . n s w. g o v. a u / f i s h i n g / compliance. – NSW DPI JULY 2019

19

Botany Bay brings the bounty BOTANY BAY

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Bream, trevally, drummer and luderick are still around in numbers off the rocks with great catches coming in from North Bondi, Mackenzies Point, the southern end of Tamarama Beach Point, out in front of the pools at Coogee Beach and where the beach meets the sand at the southern end of Maroubra Beach.

Further south, the back of Long Bay is worth a shot when the seas are up and there is plenty of wash. The inside of Cape Banks, Inscription Point and Big Yean on the Kurnell Peninsular are also worth a shot. The main baits have been large peeled prawns, cunje and bread.

You need to take care when fishing these spots when the seas are up. Due to the snaggy terrain, you will need to fish as light as possible or suspend

your baits under a small bobby cork.

If you prefer to fish for bream, whiting, salmon, tailor and dart, you could try Bondi, Bronte, Coogee, Maroubra and Little beaches, with beachworms and live pink nippers being the best baits. If you can’t get these baits you could try using strips of mullet and tuna, half pillies and garfish or freshly-caught squid. Try organizing your next trips to a couple of days either side of the new

Bream, mullet and the odd whiting or two can be caught while fishing off the pontoon beside the Cooks River ramp. Just be mindful of the boats.

BRE

T S A O C T EAS 9 1 0 2 S E I AM SER

or full moons, which are happening on 3 and 17 July respectively.

Inside Botany Bay, the bream and trevally will be schooling up on the run-out tide on the western side of the oil wharf, Watts Reef, the end of the third runway, Mono Point and Bare Island.

A small and steady berley trail of squashed pilchards and soaked chicken pellets will bring them up to your baits.

Bare Island will have luderick on the eastern side, drummer, bream and trevally on the southern edge and you could try for squid on the northwestern side and back towards the bridge. Cast out wide for the odd snapper or two and don’t forget to take those metal slugs for tailor and salmon.

Try casting out wide from the rocks at Yarra Point for bream, trevally and the odd snapper and flathead.

Soft plastics on 3/8-1/2oz jigheads would also work for flathead – small and slow hops are the go.

And don’t forget to take a few metal slugs, as some tailor, bonito and salmon could come by looking for a feed. I suggest taking a couple of rods and suspending a whole pilchard or a garfish under a bobby cork out wide.

The rocks at Bumborah Point in the back of Yarra Bay and the break wall beside the boat ramp on

Trolling hardbody lures for tailor along the retaining wall in Yarra Bay can produce some great fish.

Brighton and work your way south to Dolls Point.

Luderick and mullet can be caught on the run-out tide at the base of the southern side of the Captain Cook Bridge and on the northern side on the run-in tide. The most productive baits have been green weed for luderick and pudding bait suspended under a float for the mullet.

Further upstream at Lugarno anglers have been getting bream on mullet.

Pilly tails and live nippers on the run-in and run-out tides has been the best method.

Cast out wide with a running sinker onto a swivel and a

producing bream, flathead, whiting and flounder on the run-out tide. Monash Reserve and Kelso Park are worth a shot for bream, whiting and mullet on the rising tide. Try berleying with smashed up pilchards and chicken pellets. I use one of those Chuckit Sport Ball Launchers that you use for throwing a ball for a dog. They can get plenty of distance when needed.

Deepwater Park has plenty of mullet. Use bread for bait and berley and either fish with a small stem float or an unweighted hook.

Anglers have also found

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Not a bad feed of fish caught while anchored up at the sticks just off Silver Beach. Peeled prawns and fillets of pilchards were the best baits.

Foreshore Drive are worth a shot for squid either side of the top of the tide.

You could also try the break walls at the entrance to the Cooks River on a run-out tide for tailor, bream, trevally and luderick. The floating pontoon at the boat ramp has been producing a few bream on the rising tide. Chicken breast and gut have been the best baits.

For those of you who like working those soft plastics for whiting and flathead, you should try starting from the southern side of the baths at

long leader from both sides of the old ferry ramp.

Those of you fishing from a boat, moor just before the start of the 8 knot zone upstream for your chance at some whiting, flathead, mullet and bream. The Moons is worth a shot for luderick and bream over the rock bars on the western side of the river. Meanwhile, the flats in the middle are producing mullet, whiting and the odd flathead and bream.

The beach beside the boat ramp at the Georges River National Park is

some luderick there amongst the weed. Fish off the shore into the main river for bream, whiting and the odd flathead or two.

Hind Park and the boat ramp just downstream of the Milperra Bridge are worth a shot for bream, flathead, whiting and mulloway on mullet and chicken breast.

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

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Jumpers on and jump into July fishing PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

Get those warm jumpers out if you are going to go out for an early morning fish, believe me, you

colours like browns, greens and blues.

If you are having some difficulty finding the squid amongst the ribbon weed at Palm Beach, Mackerel Beach, The Basin and Careel Bay areas, give the ocean side of Barrenjoey

surefire way to secure your chance at a big kingfish, if there are any of these big predators lurking about.

Areas to catch kingfish along Pittwater does vary from day to day and these active kingfish aren’t eating squid at the moment. To

moorings along the eastern side of the river. We have been seeing kingfish around the metre mark and larger from Taylors Point through to Sand Point.

Watch your sounder intently and if you are lucky enough to have imaging equipment, don’t forget to look left and right on your sounder as you are travelling through the moorings.

Unfortunately, when you present baits close to

yellowtail. The humble yakka (providing it’s small) is seeing some activity, especially from some of the smaller kingfish that seem to be left behind this year.

For those of you that want to catch some bread and butter species, the Palm Beach area through to Mackerel Beach is seeing most of the activity. The better way to target the bottom dwellers is to drift using a paternoster rig and varying your baits.

Kingfish that are gathering ready to spawn should start to turn up around the 100m mark during July.

The area to try when leaving Sydney is Twelve Mile Reef, which is a favourite for many Sydneysiders.

So, if the kingfish are on you shouldn’t be be surprised when this area turns into a floating carpark.

Further north, those leaving out of the Broken

Shamus with an early morning squid. These angry monsters have been coming over the side in numbers this month. need it. Quite often the air temperature is a lot colder than the water temperature and you will be thankful for your beanies and jumpers once you get out there.

Defrosting your frozen bait at this time of year can be quite difficult without the use of warmer water.

Those of us who are lucky enough to have a live bait tank not only use it to defrost the bait, but we often use them as a hand warmer as well.

The warmer water of Pittwater is still showing that it has some fish to offer. We are still seeing some kingfish, flathead, flounder, whiting and some bream on most charters.

The fishing has been slower than what I’d like, but with patience and persistence there have been some great captures and stories to tell once you get home.

Squid are also being caught along Pittwater with some absolute monsters being dragged over the side.

As usual, be wary of those angry squid because the big squid will absolutely coat you with a thick blanket of black ink.

The larger squid are mainly being caught towards the mouth of the river with squid jigs around the 2.0 size. There doesn’t seem to be any favourite colour at the moment, but you can’t go too far wrong if you are using natural 22

JULY 2019

Head a try. When fishing the ocean side of Barrenjoey Head it is important to find baitfish that have gathered towards the bottom, as this will give you the best chance at catching some of these krakens.

It’s hard to believe, but these very large squid can also be dynamite baits for large kingfish that are patrolling the shallows around Barrenjoey Head and the Palm Beach South area. Downrigging these very large baits along the edge of the shallows is a

tempt one of these larger fish along Pittwater you will need to present a small live cuttlefish.

Normally when we are targeting kingfish along Pittwater with downriggers we will suspend the bait mid-water. However, at the moment the fish are hanging near the bottom, and you have to slap them in the face with these live baits just to get them to wake up.

The bigger kingfish along the Pittwater system are being seen amongst the

A summer kingfish left behind in Pittwater. The bigger models can be found around the moorings on the eastern side of the river during July. the bottom they will tempt not only kingfish, but also smaller fish such as bream, leatherjackets and toadfish. This means you’ll have to check your baits frequently and renew the baits if unwanted species are eating them.

Another bait that is catching smaller kingfish at the moment is surprisingly

Lucas warmed up with this just legal kingfish at Pittwater.

We are using pilchards, prawns and squid to tempt flathead, flounder and bream.

Along Broken Bay on the odd morning there is some surface activity, and most of this activity seems to be towards the Patonga area. Usually the culprit is large tailor, but there is still the odd school of bonito and we have some salmon sporadically showing up as well.

The Flint and Steel area is also showing some activity, with bream and trevally turning up when fishing near the change of tide and using berley to attract them to your boat has been key.

The offshore reefs are still seeing some snapper being caught at depths of 40-50m and if you are really lucky there are also some teraglin (trag) to catch. Morwong, nannygai and marbled flathead are also being caught at these depths.

It won’t be long before the deeper water will see some larger snapper being caught in water depths of around 80m, so service your reels and check your lines to make sure they are in good condition for when you’re fishing these depths.

Bay area have a lot further to travel, but going to the Texas grounds is normally worth it once the fish have arrived. Both these areas are renowned spawning areas for kingfish and the deep water sees most anglers jigging with knife jigs.

When I go out to these areas I make sure that we have a load of yellowtail as it is a lot easier for us older anglers to drop lines to the bottom and wait for the live baits to get eaten.

On the way back in to shore, try the 70m mark over the sand for some bluespot flathead. Most bait will work when chasing bluespot flathead but if you have a few yellowtail left they make for a wonderful bait, whether used live or filleted.

As you can see, even though it is pretty chilly first thing in the morning, it is well worth putting on the extra jumpers, beanies and even gloves to go out fishing. So, grab a mate or your fishing partner and get out on the water.

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

Author’s Opinion

Charter industry mess In the early 2000s Fisheries came up with a so-called great idea to protect the recreational fishing charter industry. Their idea was to give licences to those charter operations that had already been operating for two or more years, and this was applied to the whole of NSW. There was no science applied to the idea, but it was supposed to protect the industry from dodgy operators that were taking advantage of a situation with less than appropriate boats, fishing gear and little knowledge of the chosen area.

It was introduced not only to protect the industry from the fly-by-night operators but also to make charter fishing a legitimate business, with a level of professionalism, and to provide the general public with a safe and enjoyable pastime.

At the time, it was said that charter operators would have a business to sell at the end of their time if run correctly. It was also stated that the licences would be a worthwhile investment, as no more would be issued, making them worth more money.

We were also told that this form of licencing would ensure that our fish stocks would not be depleted in any areas, so it was a holistic view to protect, charter operators, investors, the public and fish stocks.

In a perfect world these applied regulations would be perfect for fish and operators, but it wasn’t to be.

Since the issuing of these Charter Fishing Licences, it has become apparent that there are gaping holes in the regulations. NSW Fisheries has refused to see the problems, and their lack of foresight and refusal to manage the system effectively is seeing our licence value plummet, and many operators in a worse situation than they were before this debacle started.

Due to Fisheries’ lack of foresight, the charter licences have been sold away from their place of issue to anywhere along our coast, and areas such as Sydney, South West Rocks and Port Macquarie (to name a few) are suffering for it.

This lack of forward thinking is typical for Fisheries, and the refusal to accept responsibility is also typical for this self-powered, self governing, government department. Not only do Fisheries refuse to deal with the most basic issue of the licencing problem, but they also refuse to see there is a problem and that they have caused it.

Back in 2017, myself and many others attended a meeting in Sydney regarding introducing Kayak Charter Fishing to our industry, to help drive up our floundering licence prices. At this same

meeting we were informed that there were too many licences operating in the Sydney region, and that introducing Kayak Fishing would help alleviate the problem. It was obviously easier to try to bring in new business rather than fix the existing licencing problem.

Two years later we are no closer to kayak fishing in our industry, and our licence price is still declining due to the lack of management and refusal to change the laws. More operators are buying licences from along the coast and bringing them to our region to open more businesses, thus putting even more pressure on those operators who are trying to make a dollar.

South West Rocks is a great holiday destination, and the charter operators in this region have gone from two to six. During the holiday season there is plenty of work for all the good operators, but the charter companies have had

problem is found it is applied to the whole of NSW. This kind of management is often applied to the charter industry as well. Instead of offering a buyback of shelved licences and buying back licences from struggling charter operators, they sit on their hands and hope we will go away. Instead of taking control of zones along our coast and not allowing new operators into already filled areas, they do nothing.

Fisheries Minister, I ask you: Where is the management and appropriate regulation or legislation?

It’s a shame that I have had to bring this mismanagement to the attention of the average angler, but because of Fisheries’ refusal to deal with this issue there are few other options available.

Unfortunately, even if Fisheries were to offer a buyback of licences it would probably take them years to put it into place. When the

to sweeten the pot to survive.

They have had to buy houses and offer fishing packages of ‘stay and fish’ deals just so they can continue to stay in business.

And it gets worse. On top of the 240 or so charter licences being used along the NSW coast, there’s another 130 licences still sitting on the shelf. These can be sold or activated and used, thus putting even more pressure on a delicate industry.

There are many charter operators that are already hurting, and many saw the industry back in the early days as a great investment for their superannuation. With the jargon that Fisheries told everyone, it did seem like a safe investment.

Unfortunately, Fisheries’ failure to zone licences has been the demise of the industry, and there is no protection of fish stocks from charter operators. We all have to put in capture paperwork each month, giving regions fished, hours and number of customers fishing, but there is no inclination of protecting fish stocks by stopping more businesses starting up in already heavily fished areas.

When they want to protect a fish species, Fisheries grab figures from one region, such as mulloway (commercial captures from The Hawkesbury), and when a

commercial fishery of Sydney Harbour was closed, the whole industry was stopped and paid out in just a couple of weeks. Our charter industry will probably take years to sort out just because they have better things to do. And we have done nothing wrong, apart from believing in and participating in an industry that we were assured would be a safe investment and looked after by Fisheries.

To the Minister of Fisheries, I ask you to sort out this mess that YOUR department has caused and to do it in a reasonable amount of time. We have been complaining about this issue for years now, and even when your department thinks it has the answer it still takes years to fix.

I have absolutely no confidence in the Fisheries Department and don’t believe they should be holding our industry’s money or investments. Apply a BUYBACK of shelved licences and offer a settlement to the many dismayed charter operators as we have followed your rules and regulations, and received no support or help from YOU. - Peter Le Blang The views and opinions

expressed here are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of Fishing Monthly magazines.

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Getting stuck into serious numbers of stud bream SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au

It’s a bream fest! They’re at the ocean rocks, the ocean beaches and in the estuaries, and even the boaties are mentioning stud bream on the inshore reefs. This month is heading towards the finish of the migration running northbound.

Other than bream, rock blackfish, eastern blue groper, luderick, trevally and snapper are the main species you will encounter this month.

BREAM Bream fishing off the rocks is generally done by fishing from spot to spot. At some locations you can fish one spot and catch all the bream you want, but on a lot of occasions you need to move around. A great example is fishing the shallows at places like Long Reef at the suburb of Collaroy, which is a prime location for this delicious species. Being a vast flattish rock ledge, you have both high tide and low tide options.

At low tide you walk along the rock flats to the edge close to the ocean. You can find washes (white water run-off)

There were a few quality fish landed on this outing. The happy anglers are (L-R) Gavin Bell, Louise Dunbar, Andrew Bell and Carolyn Jebken. The bream are running in good numbers off our beaches, rocks and in the estuary at the moment.

00 to 1 will generally do for a variation of current and swell conditions.

Good baits include half pilchards, pilchard fillet, river prawns and pink nippers, if you want to put in the effort to pump them.

White bread is another option, and it can also be part of your berley mix.

small rock, and put your fish in there. Whenever you want to move you just unwrap the cord from around the rock, pick up your keeper net with a few bream in it and move to another spot and repeat the process. A double half hitch over your keeper net will close the bag when you put fish in it.

are great baits for this species.

Sturdy gear is required, and an 8-10kg outfit will cover you for most situations. The rock blackfish are averaging 1.2-2kg, with a few bigger ones mixed in. A huge 58cm fish was caught recently, and the angler released it to fight another day.

Luderick are in good numbers as well, taking baits of hair and cabbage weed. You should use a berley of sand and finelychopped weed for the best results. Just like fishing for rock blackfish, berley is very important.

size below 1.2m. In big seas you can fish Warriewood high ledge.

Lately there have been snapper up to nearly 50cm, trevally to approximately 1kg and tarwhine up to 0.8kg being caught distance casting. I recently caught a cracker of a snapper that went 4.2kg with a 3/4 pilchard on 13lb line. Fresh squid strips and salted slimy mackerel are the main baits being used by anglers distance casting. Good places to try include Bluefish’s eastern front, North Curl Curl and Warriewood high cliff.

On the ocean beaches the bream are running, and they are quality fish as well. There are more bream on some outings, and on other outings there are more whiting.

Fish up to 35cm are being taken regularly, with some reports of bigger fish over 40cm being caught. Both the bream and whiting are taking beach worms with relish. If you don’t have live worms, using pipis and prawns will still give you the opportunity to catch some whiting in amongst the bream. Pilchard fillets are catching both bream and sizeable tarwhine.

Small sand flathead are prolific at the moment. They are generally undersized fish with only a few around the 36-40cm size. If you encounter these tiny invaders you’ll have to move to another gutter. A lot of beach fishing involves moving around to find decent fish.

these beaches, as they can fish really well. You will find that the crowds tend to concentrate in specific areas – the surfers like to go where there is a good left or right hander working, and the swimmers generally are closer to the surf club. Even better, at this time of the year there are far fewer swimmers, and you will find a spot to fish if you look carefully.

There are some big tailor around this month, and the best times to fish are the evening mid to high tides from 6-10pm. Some of these tailor are in excess of 2.5kg.

A good way to catch them is with big fillets of fish on gang hooks with a short length of wire above the gang. You can use fillets of Aussie salmon, tailor or large yellowtail. Large pilchards are also prime baits, if you can get them. The beaches worth a shot at are Maroubra, Bondi, Manly, Dee Why, Bungan and Palm beaches.

It’s still worth a go for a mulloway this month, and at this time of the year there usually aren’t that many anglers fishing. Rug up with ample clothing, quick-dry long pants, and of course, a beanie. You can try your luck at Manly, Dee Why, Bungan and Palm beaches.

A lot of people think it’s too cold to fish in July, but if you wear the right clothing you’ll have a great time.

Check out your plan A, B and even C locations, and get into the fishing. After all, we

The author with a cracker of a Sydney snapper. It measured 70cm and was caught on 13lb mono while wash fishing. It sent the Alvey reel in a blur when it was taking runs. It’s super exciting when you hook a beautiful snapper like this. There were some tense moments washing it up as well. from the ledge to the deeper water, and fish from wash to wash. As the tide is rising – say, approximately 2-3 hours of run-in – you will see shallow gutters, and cunjecovered ledges on the once exposed rock flat becoming flooded. Even though the water depth can be as little as 30cm it is worth your while bream fishing there.

For this kind of fishing you can use a light luderick or beach whiting rod coupled with a 3000 size spin reel or Alvey 500B filled with 8lb braid and 3-4kg fluoro or mono leader. When it comes to terminal tackle, a 1/0 suicide hook and a handful of ball sinkers ranging from 24

JULY 2019

When the tide is above the half tide mark you will generally be wading and fishing in ankle/shin deep water. While I’m wading, I recommend having an Alvey carry bag over your shoulder for convenience, with accessories in the front pocket of the bag, such as scissors, hooks and a container with sinkers. It’s also good to have a waist belt with a bait container and a cloth. When you catch a bream you can put it in your carry bag and keep wading around.

Another option is to use a keeper net. Tie a length of cord onto the keeper net cord loop and wrap it around a

It will amaze you how shallow the water can be when you’re catching bream, so be sure to wade around gently using stealth, and fish light sinkers and light gear. As far as rock fishing is concerned, it is a relatively safe option compared to fishing the high-energy rock ledges close to the open ocean. The reason I mention Long Reef in some detail is because you may know an area that has similar rock topography. Be adventurous and have a go.

OTHER SPECIES The rock blackfish are in good numbers at the moment.

Peeled endeavour prawns, white bread and pink nippers

Billy Zhang with a magnificent 5kg rock blackfish, which he released to fight another day. It is a growing trend for young anglers to release the big breeders, and keep only average-sized fish for a feed.

It’s a great time of year for groper. When the seas are flat, it’s a perfect time to catch them. What a power house that big tail holds!

For all of the above species, my pick of spots start at Manly’s Little Bluey ledges at the end of Bower St Manly, Freshwater Rocks, Long Reef, all in a swell

After you’ve caught a handful of fish the bite can shut down, especially in clearer, calm surf conditions, forcing you to move to the next gutter.

The majority of Sydney beaches can get crowded, especially Manly and Bondi beaches. However, don’t let that deter you from fishing

live in Sydney – we don’t get the icy winter blasts like the Victorians do!

• For rock and beach guided fishing or tuition in the northern Sydney region, visit www.bellissimocharters. com.au, email alex@ bellissimocharters.com.au or call Alex Bellissimo on 0408 283 616.

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The fact that a big, territorial cod has no problem attacking a small cod is what inspired Matt Fraser to create this lure.

The body is timber, with lead weights along the belly. This jointed lure

than a cod lure, and dives to about 6-8ft on the troll. It’s been doing very well on bass and yellowbelly, and lure show visitors have ordered pink versions for flathead.”

Paul is now working on a miniature version of original surface walker.

Barambah Lures JD Cod

Following the success of the Arancini fizzer, Joey Urquhart made a scaled down version to suit the likes of bream, bass and jungle perch.

“A good fizzer needs to sit low in the water, be heavy enough to cast, and the blades need to spin

BEST TOPWATER / SURFACE / WAKEBAIT Over $30 Feralcatt Lures Dragon

has aluminium side fins for stability and action, and the rest of the fins are silicone for durability and natural look and feel. The length is around 250mm with bib and tail included, and it dives down to around 20ft.

When Greg from Feralcatt decided to make a dragon, he had interest right away.

“People were buying my original Dragons so I decided to make a special version for the show,” he said. “The collector’s version ($250) has more

Halfcast Customs 200mm Dot Art Popper

26

JULY 2019

without you having to move it too quickly,” he said. “The Chisai ($20) can be worked with the standard jabbing action or walk the dog, and it’s been going great in field testing.”

Joey sold out of Chisai fizzers at the show, and said he’s keen to come back next year.

and then 4-5 coats of two-part epoxy,” he said. “I chose the dot painting pattern to share a bit of my culture, and to present something different.”

Randy said the Dot Art popper ($140-$180) has performed really well in field

Jamie Dunn’s 85mm Wiggle Bum ($29.95) is actually one of his other lure designs turned upside down and cut in half.

“I went through 10 prototypes, tinkering with the size and width, and making sure I had enough

testing, but that about 95% of buyers are choosing to keep it as a collector’s item.

He’s planning to experiment with different colours.

“I’m definitely going to the show next year,” he said. “I had a great time!”

spikes, more hand carving and a more detailed paint job than the regular version ($200). Both swim and catch fish equally well.

With a lure like this you have to get the joints at just the right length to get that realistic wiggle.

Marcus Walker Butterfly

An upcoming barra trip inspired Chris Anderson to make the Git blade ($30).

“It’s a modified version

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weight in the hooks to get it to sink at a decent 1ft per second,” he explained.

“It’s in my standard range now, and I’m working on a 130mm model for guys chasing the bigger cod.”

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Randy Keeble was tired of wasting money on poppers that couldn’t stand up to a GT attack, and he felt that he could do better.

“The timber is fully sealed in a marine varnish, and then paint is applied,

on it, but now I doubt it!” Jamie said. “Once I get it back I’ll swim it and see.”

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Muggos Peewee

After making mainly cod lures, Paul Muggleton decided to try downsizing for bass, and created the Peewee ($20).

“It’s a white beech timber body that’s 85mm overall length,” Paul said.

“It has a much tighter action

but there are seven people who really want it, or at least another dragon. So I may have to part with it after all!”

So does it swim?

“It would have swum before I put the wings

T

When Jamie Judd created this doubleheaded dragon, he had no particular design in mind – he just sat down one day and

started cutting. It occurred to him that he had never seen a two-headed lure, so he set about making one.

“It probably took around 60 hours to finish,” he said. “I enjoyed making it and wanted to keep it

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of one of my cod lures,” he said. “I designed the Git to fish the rock bars in the Fitzroy River for barra, but it can be used in a wide range of scenarios. It’s lighter and slimmer than the cod lure, and I have changed the weight positioning so it paddles on the drop as well as while jigging or on a straight retrieve.”

Chris had a swim video at the show, and he said when visitors saw it they had to have it!

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Peter Standing said he’d never seen a lifelike crayfish chatterbait before, and so decided to design the Crusty Chatterbait ($35).

“It was the first time I had made a moulded lure,” he said. “As well as saving time, it means the

lure doesn’t lose any detail, because I don’t have to drill holes to put the lead inside.”

After moving the claws around so that they floated up defensively, he had the lifelike chatterbait that he wanted.

Peter has plans to make a bass version.

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Super clean water fills out rivers and seas THE TWEED

Anthony Coughran

What a great start to the winter season. Super clear water fills our river and seas, with 20m visibility on most reefs offshore of Tweed and 6-10m visibility

last month and most rock walls and bridge pylons have fihsh schooled up on them.

Look for them feeding on the oysters and then use drift baits to catch these fish.

Flathead are really coming on as well this month and will only get hungrier as the month goes on.

moved into the close reefs off the Tweed region, from the border to Byron all getting good mixed bags.

Working well on the close reefs has been 1/4-1/2oz jigheads and bright coloured plastics, lightly-weighted drift baits, 10-40g micro jigs and octa style jigs. However, out on the 50s, 60-300g jigs, 1/2-2oz jigheads, drift baits and bottom bashing baits are working better.

Some big bar cod and Bass groper are being caught off Tweed in 250-400m of water this month. So get those house bricks and your 1000m reels ready and get out there.

The current has slowed this month. You’ll find the odd kingy sitting around the bait on the bommies at Nine

windward position should get the fish feeding towards you and makes for better longer casting, with 20-60g metals working best but the odd one will come on a stickbait or popper as well. Try to land those lures past the packs and rip it back through as fast as you can – this triggers those reaction bites.

ESTUARY The estuaries are fishing really well with the high water clarity. Packs of tailor, mulloway, flathead, trevally and bream have been feeding up and schooling up on most rock walls on the run-in throughout June. Fishing best has been the 3-5” plastics on a 1/8-1/4oz jighead vertically jigged past the fish.

The bigger plastics are working better for the

walls and out to sea has been a good method this winter. Just placing a live bait along the walls or holes that are holding those pods of mullet and packs of tailor will see you landing the 100-130cm mulloway, bigger tailor and maybe even a metre flathead.

plastics has been a big producer throughout June.

Quality tailor and trevally are feeding off these lines and working surface lures, small metals, vibes or plastics through the feeding fish will see the fish reaction biting to your lures. Light gear is best for this style of

Cobia are here! The author with a quality 15kg model. around the river mouths this month. Slow currents have seen a good number of cobia, mulloway and mixed reefies already being taken on close reefs off of Tweed over the last month.

Deeper reefs are also seeing some good mixed bags. But, the bigger snapper are still sitting with the kings, amberjack and samsonfish out on isolated rocks, reefs, and wrecks, plus the odd 80cm+ fish in close.

The mulloway and cobia are tormenting bait schools on close reefs. Finding the bait is obviously the key to finding these bait raiders.

The school mulloway, up to 1.2m, can be found on most river mouth rock walls and are stalking the running mullet and herring around the bridges and deeper holes.

Some great packs of tailor are working the rivers this month. The run-in tide is fishing best around the rock walls, where the slack or turn has been fishing better in the holes.

Bream have been getting real thick over the

OFFSHORE Over the last month Tweed has been cobia town, with most caught on live bait on the 36s and a few close reefs. Finding the bait is crucial to finding these brutes. Cobia love sitting in the shade near bait, small juvenile snapper or bream schools. They will wait for the bait to come to them like a lazy dog.

They also love shadowing whales and you will often hook-up to one just after a whale goes past.

All you need to stop most cobia up to 30kg is 40-60lb braid with 80-100lb leader, depending on the structure.

The odd mulloway can also be found sitting around the bait schools on close reefs this month. The 5-9” plastics, vibes and micro jigs have been working best on these fish.

The reefies have been pushing in closer with every full moon and new moon over the last few weeks. The bigger snapper, spangled emperor, golden snapper, pearlies, tuskies and various other mixed reefies have

SEASON

7

Matt Saad jigged up a couple armfuls of cracking snapper.

Micheal Lehrmann with a solid skinny water flathead.

Mile and Kingy reefs. Live bait fishing has been the best. The bigger models are mainly sitting out wider with the big amberjack, and you’ll find the odd samsonfish around there as well. Look for rocks holding fish in that 100-200m of water for best results. Then, just drop them big jigs and hold on.

Look for the birds circling to find the tuna. A

IS HERE!

Every Saturday 5.00pm on 28

JULY 2019

bigger species. Going to a 5-9” plastic, a slightly bigger jighead weight and a longer shank hook on your jigs will see you catching small mulloway up to a metre, bigger tailor and bigger flathead this month. But, live baits are the go for the bigger river mulloway.

Targeting the schools of mullet and packs of tailor as they run along the rock

For chopper tailor, flathead, trevally and bream, fishing the run-in tide with smaller 2.5-5” lures and a 1/12-1/4oz jighead has produced the best results.

You will also catch various small reef fish off the walls at this time of year on the run-in.

Bouncing 10-20g micro jigs, vibes and blades (especially prawn blades) in the deeper holes, bridge pylons, rocky points and along the rock walls will see you catching some small mulloway, tailor, bream, trevally and flathead. Short little hops along the bottom is all that you need to do to get that reaction bite. Drift baiting pilchards, whitebait, squid, strip baits and gut has been catching those fussier fish.

Targeting current lines and following the tide lines up and downriver with surface lures, blades, jigs, small metals and small

fishing, as the more finesse fishos are catching more fish.

Flathead are pushing up onto the flats. Working various artificials in the skinny water is paying off. The 2-5” plastics, hardbodies up to 100mm, surface lures, soft vibes, prawn blades, live yabbies and live beachworms have been catching some decent flathead, bream, winter whiting and small chopper tailor in the skinny water over the last month. The last two hours of the run-out and the first hour of the run-in has been fishing best.

BEACH The gutters, various headlands and groins from Snapper Rocks to Byron are fishing well this month.

Spinning metals, stickbaits, poppers, plastics and diving lures will produce some good tailor at dusk and dawn. The rock walls and headlands have been fishing well even during the day.

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Try half pilchards, whole pilchards, whitebait, strip baits and plastics, which have all been producing some great mixed bags of bream, tailor, trevally, flathead and even the odd small mulloway or juvenile snapper during the day.

must for night beach fishing.

I recommend a head torch.

NEXT MONTH Most anglers will be hunting the big snapper, kingies, cobia and mulloway offshore over the next month. Working moon phases and tides will be the

holes at the right times will see the smart angler catching the better mulloway, tailor, bream, trevally and flathead.

Flathead will thicken up in the skinny water where they will be trying to warm up. A well-worked plastic will catch better and more

Wayno Lee Long caught this mixed bag, and even found a few winter mahimahi.

For best results try Fingal Rock Wall, the Causeway, South Wall at Kingy, the northern side of Hastings Point and the Northern Wall, and the Brunswick River mouth. The best times have been on the last hour of the run-in and the first two hours of the run-out or the last hour of the run-out and first two hours of the run-in. Soaking a whole ganged pilchard or live bait in the gutters on the run-out tide of a night has been producing the odd mulloway and larger tailor, but mostly on the open beaches and more towards the Byron end.

They are really starting to get fired up with the mullet and tailor running up the coast. Scout out the deeper gutters during the day before a planned night trip, so you know how it will fish that night. Fishing at night normally means less wind, so larger live baits won’t get dragged around as much.

Cubing or berleying with a bag will also help bring the fish into the gutter in front of you and hold them there longer. But, be vigilant, as this will often bring the odd shark in that is following the mullet and tailor run. A highpowered waterproof torch is a

key to finding the bigger specimen. Thinking outside the box, whether it be finding new ground, fishing wider, going further south or fishing different times will see you out-smart the crowds and get the bigger fish. Working the rock walls, bridges and

fish. Headlands and rock walls will continue to fish well during the day, and the gutters will continue to fish better during the night throughout July. Hunt the schools of mullet and packs of tailor to find the better fish.

Kristian Frey caught this late afternoon offshore mixed bag.

Nick Dillion with a barrel of a bar cod taken in 250m.

JULY 2019

29

Bag a beast at Ballina BALLINA

Joe Allan

The fishing has been red-hot of late. As the water temp has gradually gotten cooler, the snapper have been coming more consistently and getting better in size.

The best areas are the close in reefs in approximately 10-15m of water.

lighter if the current will allow, with up to 4/0 hook size should do the trick.

If the current is running harder you might need to go heavier.

Spotted mackerel are starting to drop off the bite and the Spanish are really starting to come on. If the water clarity stays pretty clean this will happen quicker. Try trolling any

time of year along this beach is the stud bream that you can come across. They’re beautiful in condition and taste amazing. Remember a big bream is a very old fish; so only keep what you’re going to eat in the next few days.

The cooler westerlies can bring on the luderick, so if this cold snap keeps on going for a while, don’t

Chesley Lennon caught this bass on one of the North Coast’s beautiful dams.

Jake Stewart with a solid mulloway north of the mouth of the Richmond River.

Floating cut baits like squid and blue pilchards with the current are very productive if you want to soak some bait. If you’re into throwing lures and plastics, try 60-80mm lipless crankbaits around 0.5oz. On the soft plastics side of things, try 4” prawn imitations in natural colours, 0.5oz weights or even

shallow diving lures over 100mm, or if you’re into cast and retrieve, a sinking stickbait around 30g is your best bet.

Tailor are really biting well now, with catches coming more consistently over the last month. The gutters along Seven Mile Beach are worth a throw and the best thing about this

be afraid to try for these guys a little earlier than you normally would.

The flathead will start to become patchy in the river along the Ballina town stretch while the bream will really start to fire in the deeper drop-offs. The top of the tide is the pick to chase the big sea-run specimens that come in to spawn. Try throwing

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blades and plastics off the end of the south wall as well as deep-diving hardbodies over the porpoise wall.

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

The size of the mulloway being pulled out of the river of late is nothing short of amazing. There are some beasts caught at night, mostly on live mullet in the deeper holes or a shallow diving 200mm crankbait off the walls. Make sure you hold on cause these things are beasts.

EVANS HEAD FISHING CLASSIC Once again, the largest saltwater fishing competition in NSW is taking place in Evans Head this month. The Evans Head Fishing Classic has been running for more then 20 years and is being held from Saturday 13 July to Friday

19 July. The last two years have seen the tournament area increase from Byron Bay in the north to Yamba in the south. This way there

the catches from the event.

There really is something in this competition for everyone in the family, including a kids category

Michael Starkey with a beautiful snapper from Reardons Reef south of Ballina. isn’t a huge crowd in the one place at the one time and it’s more fun for everyone.

There will be a food alley, displays from sponsors and a live fish tank to display some of

that runs on Sunday 14 July. If you’d like more information please email ehfc@fishingcomps. com.au or head to www. fishingcomps.com.au/ ehc/faqs/.

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The author with a decent bream caught on an Atomic Crank 38 deep in GGB colour.

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Don’t let the nasty wind stop your fishing YAMBA

Dave Gaden

July is the middle of winter for most around the country, but for Yamba

of those cold southeasterly winds at daylight, the ones that are too lazy to blow around you so they just blow straight through you.

This can make it a little uncomfortable during those

snapper will be in close, really close. I don’t think you can fish too shallow for these beautiful pink fish.

A decent 8kg fish can be taken in just 5m of water.

We quite often spend the

Wally from Lismore with a solid snapper. This is the month to target these beauties.

Riley, 12yo, with the last of the spotted mackerel for the season. it is just the start. The water temperature will really start to drop and the weather will become a lot more predictable.

We can expect the return

early starts, but the days just get better and better as it drops off.

OFFSHORE O ff s h o r e these conditions mean the

first 2-3 hours on charter drifting the shallows all the way from Angourie to Brooms Head with float baits in 10-15m of water chasing quality snapper.

Chinaman leatherjackets will turn up in numbers throughout July.

Try and fish as light as you dare, as your hook-up rate will increase.

I like 20-30lb fluorocarbon leader around a metre long with a couple of glow beads and a very small

glow sinker right down on the bait when drifting, just remember to remove the sinker when anchored.

July will mean the return of leatherjackets.

These piranhas of the sea

turn up in huge numbers some years, most of them will be Chinaman leatherjacket. The females will be bright yellow while the males will be grey with blotches. They can be huge

Andrew McDonald from Redland Bay with a late season Spanish mackerel.

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some years, averaging between 50-60cm. The biggest I ever caught was a massive 95cm fish.

Usually they won’t

Mulloway have grown in numbers in the last 8-9 years, and now are a very regular catch for most offshore fishers. I’ve mentioned many

easy to find on the south but prior to the spawn they going to be red hot with amount of weed or cabbage reef from the northeast gather around the mouth of good number being taken and chop it up as fine as corner to south of Brooms the river, Middle Wall and as early as May. you can then mix it with a Head. Be prepared for the both breakwalls. They seem These fish will be bucket of soft sand. odd rouge cobia to be a to feed aggressively, whether joined with the ocean run Spend a bit of time in very welcome by-catch it’s the competition of so of luderick coming into the mixing process so the while you are live baiting many fish or they need to the river for the spawn, weed is consistent in the the mulloway on the reef fatten up for the spawn, I so numbers will swell sand, then every time you this time of year, as they don’t know, but if you can’t overnight and they will flick the float out try and will turn up and follow the catch a decent fish this be hungry. hit it with a table spoon of whale’s north. month, just give up.

Be sure to berley your mix. The results will You are still in with LUDERICK heavily while fishing, if speak forr themselves. a good chance to catch a Luderick are doing the you have never used berley Enjoy the cold weather late Spanish mackerel same as the bream and this for them before, it’s really and red-hot fishing this month, as these year is looking like it’s simple. Gather a good this month. fish don’t seem to mind the colder water like the Yamba Fishing and Charters are the only spotted mackerel do. The quality deep sea fishing experience in the late fish are usually a bit beautiful Clarence Valley. bigger as well.

• All quality fishing gear, equipment, The weather conditions licences provided this month will give you • We clean your catch for free some great opportunities to • Take a ride in the Noosacat 3100 head wide to the 50-fathom powered by twin 250 Yamaha motors line. This can be flaunting with danger, as the dreaded jackets may be out there, Prices Start at but if they aren’t the rewards can be high with good plate-sized snapper, pearl perch, blue morwong and the prized pigfish all possibilities.

We have times when the jackets are mixed with the quality fish. When n Blad ba Prawyambafishingandcharters es” this happens we will use a “Yam paternoster rig made from Contact Glynn & Julie Bitton 0407540038 or 0401564052 90lb wire and this helps E: info@yambafishingandcharters.com.au – www.yambafishingandcharters.com.au us catch plenty of snapper and pearlies, because the competition for food is so intense.

ESTUARIES This is the best month “Yamba’s Leading Tackle Shop” of the year for estuary fishing. The cold weather “IN THE MAIN STREET” 8 Yamba St, Yamba signals the spawn for a lot of species as they wait for the • water temperature to drop between 16-18°C. Bream usually spawn on the full moon in July or August,

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Louise from Dalby with a feisty mulloway, which is a common catch throughout July. come in much closer than 50m, so they don’t interfere with the snapper fishing, but they will knock the deep water fishing around some days.

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These keen anglers bagged out on a recent trip, showing how good the mulloway fishing will be this month.

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Torn between some great local fishing options COFFS HARBOUR

Stephen Worley info@tdsimages.com.au

You have a lot of options on the table this month.

Offshore, headlands, rock walls, beaches and the estuaries have all been very active and you may find yourself torn between your favourite options.

Starting in the estuaries, the bream have been eager for some action, especially

around the lower estuaries, providing no shortage of bait for bream, flathead, trevally and mulloway. Soft plastic jerk shads and low profile diving hardbodies are going to be the most effective lures.

With so much bait around you may have to cover a bit of ground to find where the active predators are, so artificial baits are the obvious choice. If you do decide to use natural baits, the best option will be

towards the brackish reaches and also at the harbour walls and most local headlands.

The land-based action from the headlands has been plentiful over the last couple of months.

Beside luderick, tailor and mulloway have been present at most headlands and break walls too.

Metals and stickbaits are the best options if chasing a quick feed of tailor.

Anywhere that there’s good wash for cover is almost sure

This was a nice way for Jack Webber to tick off a new species, with a quality tuna. a lot harder, so get in now if you like a feed of tailor.

The school mulloway have been consistent on the headlands for those who

have put in the time to nut them out properly. Large plastics and hardbodies have been producing good mulloway in amongst the

washes for everyone, but it’s the dedicated few that are getting the majority of captures. There has been some very clear water

Jason O’Brien getting in with an early season kingy. around the lower extremities of our rivers and creeks.

Periods of large seas have definitely increased the bream action around the river and creek mouths, partly because more fish come into the estuary for shelter, but probably because the anglers do the same.

There have been large schools of silver baitfish

something like whitebait that you can offer whole.

The schools of luderick have been moving throughout the estuaries, with all the expected locations producing fish. The break walls, bridges and rock bars have been holding good schools but you can also find them moving among the snags and gravel beds further up

to be holding tailor. There have been a number of big tailor caught recently and the average size has been between 1-2kg.

Winter salmon have also arrived in patches, but we are still waiting for the hoards to move in as the water cools down. Once the salmon arrive in force the tailor fishing will likely get

Put in some time around the headlands with plastics or hardbodies in the wash and you’ll find there’s plenty of mulloway lurking, like this one was for Jason O’Brien.

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around at times recently, so a half decent swell and good wash around the rocks will be the key to a good mulloway or tailor session this month.

The beaches have offered their own bounty, with winter bream, mulloway, tailor and the

odd salmon in most gutters on the full tide. Squid or pilchards have been the best bait options, with metals and plastics also working well for tailor and salmon.

Finally, offshore we have seen a real ‘flick of the switch’ from summer to winter. This was partly

initiated by the summer pelagics becoming less available, although the water has remained warm and there have still been mackerel and longtail being caught this last month.

But, the switch was also partly due to anglers beginning to target the

Sam Biddle with a pearl perch caught on a 7” ZMan.

winter species once we got our first bought of cooler weather. A bit of a frost in the morning just screams ‘snapper, kingfish and pearl perch’ to many anglers.

There have been some absolute gun snapper captured recently, with a few up and around the one metre mark, mostly falling to soft plastics. Snapper have been readily available on almost any inshore reef.

Kingfish have also been very active on the more prominent features inshore.

The pinnacles, sharp drops and islands have been great for plastics and jigs aimed at kingfish and the other Seriola crew, samsonfish and amberjacks.

In between the main targets of snapper and kingfish, the most welcome by-catch, pearl perch, has also been making many appearances. We can expect more of the same this month.

There may also be the odd longtail or mackerel caught until we see the warm water push fully off the coast. That being said, I wouldn’t be worrying about wire on any set-ups too much now. However, it may be worth having a couple in the kit just in case they show up.

No matter where you set yourself up for a fish this month, I hope it’s productive and full of target fish.

Tom Gietzelt with a cracking Port Macquarie mulloway caught land-based.

Photo courtesy of Mark Saxon.

JULY 2019

35

Preparing for the dreaded leatherjacket invasion SOUTH WEST ROCKS

Paul Martin

We are starting to get a few samsonfish off Grassy and Scotts head, and also 5-6kg snapper at first and last light.

One of the most successful ways to catch snapper is by floating a pilly out the back (either unweighted or with a small sinker), as it’s a more natural presentation than a paternoster. You can also opt to float down a 7” jerkshad such as a ZMan JerkshadZ. Livebaits are catching their share as well, and there’s

plenty of bait around to jig up.

When you’re fishing the bottom you can also pick up some good pearl perch and mulloway.

As the month progresses we can expect the leatherjackets to move in.

When that happens it’s time to upgrade to a heavy-gauge hook, such as a 542 Mustad 1/0, to stop the jackets biting through it. Some anglers go a step further and use wire paternosters. Jackets are usually found mid-water in anything from 50m up to 90m, and we’ve had them so thick that the sounders are blacked out with them

for acres. It’s very frustrating when you’re trying to catch t snapper and mulloway.

Around Fitz Rock and Green Island there are a lot of kingfish at the moment, and good ones too. You can catch them by using knife jigs around 200-300g in

You’ll catch more fish if you fish lighter; preferably a 10-12lb leader. If you find yourself getting snagged up, you know you’re in the right area.

Better numbers of blackfish (luderick) are coming in, and during July

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them is by jigging up a few herring, because kingies are reluctant to eat anything else.

However, even if you’re using herring, you may not be able to tempt the fish to bite. The water is very clear, which makes the kingies easy to see, but also harder to catch. Still, it can be enjoyable to just sit and watch them bust up the bait balls – it’s an amazing sight. If you do catch one, remember that the minimum size is 65cm.

Upriver the flatties have become a bit more difficult to catch, possibly because of the water clarity. If you fish upriver a bit, towards

light. There’s also the chance of catching a king amongst them. If the tailor are in good numbers you can use big poppers.

Drummer and blackfish are being caught on cunje and weed.

Down at Hat Head there have been stacks of bluefin tuna in big schools, with fish up to 15kg. Just cast out a slug and retrieve it as quickly as you can.

BEACHES There are still plenty of good tailor about, along with bream taking worms and pipis. There are a few whiting and dart showing up as well. As I write this report,

Part-time local Abdul with a nice winter snapper caught off Grassy Head. about 30m of water, with the best time being at first light. There are usually a few snapper around Fish Rock as well, and although they’re not in big numbers they are good fish.

RIVER We are starting to get some mulloway just off the break wall, with most being caught on livebaits such as mullet, pike or butterfish.

Night hours are the best, so rug up and have a crack. It can be a long time between bites, but if you persist you can be rewarded with nice 30-40lb fish.

Good bream are coming in now along the walls, and most of them are good fish up around the 1kg mark. Bait is the go, such as herring, chook gut and mullet gut.

the action should be in full swing. More and more people are moving away from weed in favour of green weed flies, but bear in mind that some weed flies are more productive than others.

You should look for the right shade of green, and buy flies that are locally made if possible. If the fly is long and you’re getting short strikes, you can cut the material shorter to improve your catch rates. Berley will help if the current isn’t too fast.

In recent weeks there have been kingfish running up the walls right up to our main boat ramp with the high tide, chasing the herring. It’s unusual for this to happen, and anglers are trying to get into the action while it lasts.

By far the best way to catch

Locals Jack and Jayden with some nice samsonfish.

Smithtown, there’s a bit more colour in the water and you have a better chance of getting flathead and bream.

Any fish baits like pilchards or mullet strips should get you a few.

OFF THE ROCKS There’s a great run of tailor at the moment, taking garfish and pilchards on gang hooks at first and last

the water is still around 22°C, and as the temperature continues to fall we’ll get more tailor and bigger bream.

This month the mulloway might get a bit more active in the river, but flathead will be harder to tempt in the cooler water. You can still catch a few though if you seek them out in the shallows where they sun themselves.

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Getting jiggy with it in July THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

This month I want to touch on a cold water technique that is very popular in the local waterways, and that is deep water estuary jigging with vibration lures such as the soft vibes, metal and polycarbonate blades, and soft plastics.

July is usually the month the water temperatures take

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a dive, and with that comes some very good fishing for bream, mulloway and deep water flathead. Although the shallow margins of the river are good during winter, some of our bigger flatties often come when vibing for mulloway and bream, techniques may need a change a little though, so let’s look at it.

Breakwalls in July are very popular and for good reason. The bream are usually in big numbers, mullet are running and the luderick are usually in full swing too, and with this amount of smaller species about it is no wonder the chances of tangling with mulloway increase.

The bream fishing can be sensational, and a wellworked soft vibe in the 70mm size has been the standout in the last few years. The trick is to cast these along the wall, let it sink, then slow hop it back, with pauses to suit the current you’re fishing.

In recent seasons I have found casting the soft vibe slightly forward and across the tide then staying in touch with your line while letting it drop back behind the boat has accounted for a serious numbers of fish, and sometimes just by feeding some line back like you’re bait fishing will get the bream biting.

Do not be worried if the current is in full swing,

Steve Marsh with a soft vibe caught bream. get onto these schools of bream, you usually do not have any other boats near you, so it’s good to use your sounder.

Plastics can be every bit as effective this month, however leatherjackets are prevalent, so take plenty of backup with you. Blades and vibes eliminate this problem if they’re getting too ravenous. Upriver where the jackets are less

Many anglers spend July down the front of our river systems doing the previously mentioned fishing, but you can still catch some great fish in our deeper sections upriver.

Bridge pylons, deeper banksides and holes will produce mulloway and bream in the cooler water temperatures.

Slowing down your retrieve can be one variable that really

Experience the best bluewater, rock, river and beach fishing on the NSW north coast.

Steve took this lovely school mulloway upriver on a 100mm Samaki vibe.

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JULY 2019

as this makes them bite better. The fight against the current is always fun, so spot lock your electric motor or even anchor up.

Deep holes should be sounded out, because while the structure of a breakwall is very good, many times the fish will school in holes way out from obvious structure and when you

prevalent is a good place for soft plastic lures, and in the deep I use a 1/6-1/4oz jighead. There’s no finesse fishing needed on schooling bream, with 3kg braid and 4kg leader perfect for the job. This slightly heavier gear is also handy when you hook one of the school mulloway that hang around with the bream.

makes a difference, and while fishing deep and slow with lots of pauses takes a bit of patience, the results will come. Remember, any bite in the deep water in July could be a mulloway, so even if it is a little tiny bite, be on your game, as the next bream bite that turns into a decent mulloway won’t be the first or last!

News

Snagging study When it comes to adding fish habitat to an area, there is a debate about the ‘honeypot effect’. Does the number of fish increase when habitat is added in a large river, or do the fish already present simply move to the new habitat?

Researchers have the answer: more habitat means more fish. Scientists from the University of Melbourne, University of Canberra, the

habitat work was done with sites where habitat remained constant, they found that habitat rehabilitation resulted in an increase in the population size of native fish, including a three-fold increase in the abundance of Murray cod and a doubling of abundance of golden perch.

The NSW DPI provides Habitat Action Grants, which are funded from the Recreational Fishing Trusts.

$2000 or large grants of up to $40,000.

Habitat rehabilitation projects which may be funded include: • Removal or modification of barriers to fish passage; • Rehabilitation of riparian lands (river banks, wetlands, mangrove forests, saltmarsh); • Re-snagging waterways with timber structure; • Removal of exotic vegetation from waterways

Researchers have found a large increase in the numbers of Murray cod and golden perch in re-snagged areas. Image courtesy of NSW DPI. Arthur Rylah Institute, the Federal Government, and Flinders University studied 110km of the Murray River over seven years and monitored what happened, with the installation of over 4450 snags. They recorded more than 10,000 fish and analysed 6 million records of tagged fish, and analysed the data.

When the researchers compared the river where

These trusts direct funding generated by the NSW Recreational Fishing Fee towards on-ground actions to improve fish habitat and recreational fishing in NSW. Angling clubs, individuals, community groups, local councils and organisations interested in rehabilitating fish habitats in freshwater and saltwater areas throughout NSW can apply for small grants of

and replace with native species; • Bank stabilisation works; and • Reinstatement of natural flow regimes.

Applications for grants are currently closed, but the DPI will notify the public when the next round of grants is open. More information is available at www.dpi.nsw. gov.au/fishing/habitat. – Fish Habitat Network

Steve and Daniel know their way to a bag of deep water bream. Image courtesy of Mark Saxon.

JULY 2019

39

Post-spawn feeding frenzy FORSTER

Luke Austin

Hitting the water in July, though your teeth may be loudly chattering away, can be very productive.

The estuary scene is now well and truly dominated by our winter bread and butter species, bream and luderick.

Most of the bream have

spawned by now, which is great news for us anglers as it means they will have spread back out a little and most will have a huge appetite as they try to replace the resources that they have burnt spawning.

The bottom third of the system (towards the mouth) is still the best place to target them and they will take just about anything you throw at them.

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Keep in mind that the lighter you fish, in both line weight and sinker size, the better. An unweighted (or very lightly-weighted) soft plastic or strip of mullet floated into an oyster lease or down along the break wall is a sure-fire way of getting a feed of bream.

July is the month of choice for most luderick anglers. Like bream, most of the fish that have schooled up in the lower reaches of the estuary have spawned and are very keen to put the weight back on. The break walls are producing well and fish numbers don’t look like they’ll be reducing for a while yet.

If you can’t seem to find the fish on the walls, try your luck around Breckenridge Channel, it’s much easier fishing and there is a lot of fish in there at the moment.

MANNING RIVER MARINE N TACKLE

Chasing luderick at this time of year is about as close to ‘shooting fish in a barrel’ as you can get.

On the good days you will catch your bag limit easily within the hour. With this in mind, please remember to limit your catch. If you only need a few fish for a feed, let the rest go.

With the amount of spawning activity that has taken place down around the mouth of the estuary, it’s no surprise that this month can be an absolute cracker for chasing mulloway, kingfish, big tailor and salmon.

The local kingfish population grows daily over the winter months and peaks around the end of September. This makes July a perfect time to chase them as their numbers are rising steadily and there are more and more breeding fish coming in to settle on the break walls, bridge pylons and oyster leases.

Katrina Austin with a good-sized bream from the break wall.

If you do choose to chase these brutes, please make sure you look after

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The winter months are a prime time for chasing squid.

the big ones and where possible, let them swim off to do their thing so that future generations can enjoy what is now such a healthy fishery.

The sand can be brutally cold this month, however, it’s definitely worth dusting off the old waders and getting out for a fish. This is the best time to chase big tailor.

For the lure fishers used to casting metals for tailor, try throwing a bigger popper or stickbait into the mix instead, as it’s often these bigger presentations that will draw out those 80cm+ fish.

For bait fishers, try fishing live baits or even bigger slabs of tailor to target the better-quality fish. You also have a very good chance of snagging a big mulloway at the same time!

July is awesome for chasing big drummer, bream, groper, luderick and kingfish off the stones. The best part about these species

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Glenn Lambert knows where to find the winter river mulloway.

To page 41

Get ready – it is bream time HARRINGTON-TAREE

Ian Pereira ianpereira@aapt.net.au

The weather has been very mild leading into winter and I expect that this July will be one of the better ones for bream fishing. Some years it can be very cold at night – so cold you can hardly feel the hook to put the bait on – but it looks like this winter will be a rather mild one.

This will not affect the bream, as they bite when it is cold and warm. The less chill in the air the more pleasant it will be to fish. The Manning is very salty at present, with little or no run coming down the river. By July, the bream will be schooled up and moving up and down the river wall feeding on the prawn, shrimp and shellfish found on the rocks of the retaining wall.

Quite a few of the old timers that I know are suggesting that it’s time we had a ‘gully raker’ of a flood to really clean out the river. If this does eventuate, then the bream season will be one to remember, as all the fish will be down in the mouth of the estuary as well as the prawns and little baitfish.

In July, bream and luderick are the main species to chase. The bream bite is best on the last of the run-in tide and the first hour of the run-out. The same applies to luderick, but fish with the least amount of weight needed to get the bait down.

For bream, mullet pieces, mullet gut, yabbies, prawns and tailor strips are the best baits. Luderick like live yabbies best, but well-kept dead yabbies will also catch fish. In the daylight hours luderick can be caught on green weed fished under a

Matthew Galvin with a quality snapper caught on holiday earlier this year. Image courtesy of Harrington Bait & Tackle.

From page 40

is that you don’t have to leave the house before sun up or down. Sitting on the rocks, basking in the nice warm winter sun while soaking some cunjevoi in the wash for a drummer is absolute heaven.

Squid have been great right along our coastline

of late. If you can see kelp in the water, the cephalopods won’t be far away.

Offshore can be a little tricky this month. The fishing has been fairly good for the more popular demersal species: snapper, pearl perch, teraglin and flathead. There are still some very nice fish to be

AS SEEN ON

WINNING GARAGE

Matt Hutchinson with a pair of tailor, the biggest going 2.5kg, caught at the Mid North Coast Rock and Beach Championships. Photo courtesy of Harrington Bait & Tackle. float anywhere there is an eddy formed along the wall by the tide moving in or out of the river.

There is also the chance of picking up a big mulloway after a run in the river, as they come into the estuary looking for any fish that washed down the river.

Throughout June there has been heaps of tailor on the beaches and around the headlands, but they are only small, around 30-35cm in length. I have heard that there are tailor to 1.5kg on the beaches south of Seal Rocks. These fish should be here in the next few weeks.

Once a school of tailor of this size is found it is sensible to only catch a few fish for a feed and try not to scare them off by taking heaps of fish. This will allow you to fish the

same spot for a few days until the fish move.

The rocks are fishing well, with black drummer to 2kg and groper up to 6kg.

Use cunjevoi for the black drummer and red rock crabs for the groper.

Offshore fishing has been going well, with gentle westerlies providing flat seas unless you venture out wide where there is a bit of swell to contend with. Snapper to 3.5kg have been boated from the close in reefs and good flathead have been taken on the drift.

Bonito and mac tuna are taking trolled lures while mahimahi have been caught near the Wave Rider. Those anglers fishing in close near the bommies with live bait have been picking up mulloway to 9kg. There are plenty of yellowtail and slimies to berley up for bait.

caught up in the shallows if you sneak in there at sun up or dusk, however, the more consistent fishing has been coming from those reefs in 40-80m.

Unfortunately, the same reefs will often also be housing huge schools of pesky barracouta and leatherjackets. While the

leatherjackets are great on the table, most anglers find the amount of tackle they chew through unbearable, and the best option if you do come across a school of either species is to simply move about and try a different spot until you get away from them.

July is a very reliable month for venturing further afield to try your luck at deepwater fishing for bar cod, Bass groper, gemfish and big nannygai. The currents are normally fairly gentle and the weather tends to be tame. You never know, you may even come across a school of bluefin tuna while you are out there!

• Luke Austin is the owner of Great Lakes Tackle – your local bait and tackle store. They sell the best brands and offer sound, friendly advice on where you can go to land your next trophy fish while visiting the wonderful Great Lakes region! Open seven days in the main street of Tuncurry, Ph: 02 6554 9541 or find them on Facebook to see what they have been up to.

Walter Scifleet with a cracking shallow water snapper.

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The rewards are worth the effort during winter PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

During winter it can take a bit more motivation to get you going, but the rewards are often worth the effort, with plenty of good fish around.

In the bay, luderick are going nuts around the rock walls, with the Anchorage

and Nelson Bay walls firing. Both these areas can get a bit crowded, so if you prefer to have somewhere to yourself try the Tomaree Torpedo Tubes or Little Beach jetties, which will also provide good action.

Bream are spread throughout the system in good numbers, from the boulders at Yaccabar to the mouth of the Karuah

River. Lightly-weighted plastics and small shallow diving hardbodied crank style lures will work when cast around the structure on high tides, or alternatively anchor up and bait fish live nippers down a berley trail.

This is the time of year when the biggest squid enter the bay, with whopping green eyes to 2kg common. Try using 2.5

Young Toby with some decent estuary bream.

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sized jigs in natural colours around Shoal Bay and Nelson Bay moorings as well as the weed beds along Jimmys Beach.

Tailor have been schooling up and smashing baitfish around the Shoal Bay jetty on first light and also around Wanda Head.

Small metals around 20g have been proving deadly on these fish.

BEACHES There has been some good tailor and salmon action along Fingal, Samurai and Hawks Nest beaches. Spinning metal lures around 30-60g or a ganged pilchard on high tide at dawn or dusk is the best way to target these fish.

Bream have also been active on the surf beaches, especially in the corners where they meet rocks.

Areas like Kingsleys and Bow beaches, Kiddies Corner at Fingal Bay, and Big Gibber are all prime examples of these kinds of spots. Focus your efforts on the high tides after dark with mullet gut or mullet fillets for the best results.

ROCKS The ocean rocks are really firing, with solid pigs to 3kg coming from Boulder Bay through to the back of Tomaree. Fishing fresh cunjevoi on the high tides is going to be your best bet when targeting drummer. While doing this you will also pick up plenty of welcome by-catch in

Some solid luderick are on the chew in the bay this month. from the rocks, and again those sheltered bays are where you’re going to find them. Size 3-3.5 jigs in natural colours will work best, and early mornings and late afternoons will be the prime times.

OFFSHORE Large peeled prawns flicked into the wash zone rigged on a 1/0 hook with

of year. Fish the shallows in around 10-25m of water and during the dawn and dusk periods.

While July is notorious for some nasty weather, look out for those weather windows to make the trip out wide targeting kings around Allmark Mountain, with bar cod also a possibility. Although knife

rters.com www.fishportstephensestuarycha 7 Contact Paul Lennon :043437068 il.com gma ing@ .fish non l.len pau il: ema

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JULY 2019

the way of bream, juvenile snapper and groper.

Luderick are also on the chew, schooling up in the protected bays and coves, especially when there is a bit of swell on. There have even been ‘a fish a cast’ sessions happening on cabbage baits and weed flies.

It’s the best time of the year to chase big calamari

a small 0 or 1 sized sinker will yield a quality mixed bag of bream, juvenile snapper and drummer.

This is my favourite time of year to catch snapper, especially those trophy fish over 20lb that can show up anywhere from Fishermans Bay up to Edith Breakers.

Plastics and bait fishing methods work well this time

jigs around 300-400g are very effective out there, it usually pays to spend a bit of time inshore first and stock up on live baits.

If the kingy action is slow, you can nearly always manage to still pick up a top feed by bait fishing the bottom. You can pick up the likes of gemfish, longfin perch, bar cod, morwong and snapper.

Just chill out this July – the fish are still biting SWANSEA

Jason Scerri coloratolures@hotmail.com

With the winter chill out in all its glory, it’s great to see the winter run of fish in Lake Macquarie underway. There has been

Although generally not schooling throughout the main lake, they are still found as far south as Chain Valley Bay on occasions. They can often be a disappointing by-catch to anglers chasing mulloway or big flathead.

Speaking of mulloway and flathead, they have been

and work 3-4” soft plastics deep around the tailor schools and you should be in luck. It can pay to mix up the colours a little, although I always start with a white plastic. If I have no luck then pinks and greens will be next to have a swim.

The mulloway have been

healthy bags being landed this winter and some real horses in the mix, with solid bream into the 40cm range.

The best advice I can give to those anglers wanting to find a little bream action is to pick your days. Now as strange as it seems to some, when we say ‘pick your days’ for bream fishing we are actually looking for those days that coincide with a nice southerly blow.

This weather has a good track record for firing up the lake’s bream population, and as cold and miserable as it may be weather wise, it certainly is quickly forgotten when you start bagging a few solid fish.

Something we have noticed in recent weeks is how hard the fishing can be when a certain seal, who is

spot or be prepared for a quiet day.

Moving out of the lake and out to the offshore grounds can be very productive over winter.

There is some sensational fishing to be had, and it’s even better when it can be done on a calm winter’s day.

Big kingfish, mulloway and John dory are available, in fact, most of what’s on offer is big. The other great thing is not only are they big, but they are tasty as well, with some of the best eating fish in the sea on offer.

Many of the smart anglers these days are using electric reels when fishing these wide, deep grounds.

The hard part is finding the right locations and then once you do, it’s important to make the most of every

for the next 6-8 hours. It really is important to take care of your catch to ensure you get the most from it. I always take an esky with a saltwater ice slurry. Bleed your catch when you land it, then put it straight into the ice slurry and that night at the dinner table you will be glad you did.

Gamefishing at present is a little hit and miss, and to be honest it is more miss than anything else. There is a lot of water between strikes, but in saying that, a few good fish are about.

There have been some good tuna about and the odd blue marlin, which are all very welcome by game crews at this time of year, or any time of year for that matter. Anglers would certainly love to see a good

Kai has been on fire lately, managing this lovely red from some broken reef area not far from Moon Island. no shortage of gorgeous days this winter, even if they’re a little on the cold side. Sunny days, blue skies, a chill in the air and a hot bite to top it off is all us anglers could ask for.

The salmon are about once again this year, which will no doubt please many anglers. They might not be the number one fish on the plate, but for a light tackle sportfish they certainly hit the mark. They fight hard and they provide a fantastic aerial display. The salmon are schooling in Salts Bay most days and also out and about around Moon Island.

a little hit and miss for us lately. When we do find them we do well on them for the session, but we have certainly had a few sessions where finding them has been easier said than done. There have been a few good fish in the mix as well, with the season’s best a respectable 90cm so far, and plenty of others in the 60-80cm range.

At this time of year you should have no troubles putting together a bag of eating size flathead around the 50cm mark, so if it’s a feed you’re after more so than the trophy fish, downsize your gear a little

a little more difficult to tempt.

That’s not to say they are not about, as they certainly are, but they are taking some effort now we are in the dead of winter. I suggest slowing down your retrieve, making sure you’re working some known productive grounds, and work them hard. They will be there, but it will be a matter of working at it and putting the hours in, so as long as you’re throwing out the right offering in the right locations you should see the rewards for the effort.

The good news at the moment is the bream fishing.

There are some really

Another great capture from Kai, this time with a solid bream taken from the lake’s edge. becoming somewhat of a regular, is hanging around your fishing spot for a free feed. This animal is certainly entertaining to watch, but to say the bite shuts down when it arrives would be an understatement. Take it from me, if it shows up in your fishing location, find a new

drop. You can do this by sending down a quality bait, and live slimies, yakka and squid seem to be the best.

The other important thing is to look after your catch once you boat them.

Too many anglers simply throw the fish in an esky and that’s where it stays

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run of SBT off our part of the coast this season, but as with all things fishing, there is no certainty, and all we can do is wait and hope and be ready to get out there as soon as reports start to flow.

If we do get a run of fish, the bite is generally only hot for a few days.

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Quality bream fishing ERINA

Aaron Donaldson

This month bream have been on the chew in Brisbane Waters, and the recent Hobie competition showed that this waterway certainly holds its own when it comes to quality

FLATHEAD Flathead are still around in patches at the moment and are pretty much a year round option in the estuary these days. There are some good areas to explore, from the Rip Bridge down to Box Head. Anglers that put the time in fishing plastics really slowly will usually

seem to obey the limits these days and it is paying off.

WHITING The winter whiting will be starting to bite, and believe me you’ll find some of the biggest whiting in Brisbane Waters. Bloodworms fished at night, if you can handle the cold, are deadly on them.

Although, I have heard of a

A nice big bream caught on a Samaki Thumpertail.

School mulloway are around this month. bream fishing. Most of the competitors got their bags from deeper water using plastics and vibes, although a few of the guys caught fish around marker poles and oyster leases.

be rewarded with a few fish.

It’s been great to see so many nice flathead in the 60-75cm range being caught in recent years, which is a great sign for the future.

Most of the local anglers

few guys catching them at night on lures under the lights on the wharfs.

ROCK FISHING Rock fishing has been unreal and should only get better this month. The bream

have been really thick right as the mullet ran to the ocean.

I’ve been catching plenty of bream on hardbodies over a few shallow ledges, and they really crunch the lure when they take it in the wash.

I’ve also seen a few guys catching a few good ones using striped tuna strips for bait with a tiny sinker.

Make sure that you fish the rising tides, as that’s when

the fish are most hungry as soon as they can get up there for a feed.

Blackfish will be coming on now, and as the weed grows on the rocks in the cooler water they start to move into really shallow water, and can often be seen tailing as they feed. You can find some good spots to try your luck pretty much anywhere from Terrigal to Norah Head.

OFFSHORE Gamefishing has still been relatively quiet of late, but a few of the local boats have caught a few nice striped marlin, and there’s still the odd nice-sized blue.

Luke Bell lost a really big one after the hooks pulled on its first screaming run, but Luke and crew caught a couple of others that day to make up for it.

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JULY 2019

Quality mulloway are on the bite HUNTER COAST

Shannon Malone

The fishing is continuing to deliver the goods despite the cold conditions. Plenty of reports are coming through of some excellent catches of bream, flathead and tailor.

weighted on a 1/0 or 2/0 long shank baitholder or suicide hook will allow the bait to sit nicely on the hook, and it’s easy for the bream to scoff it down. Places to try include the old marina off Stockton, around Crown Plaza, up around Stockton bridge and Hexham bridge. You can also pick up plenty of flatties

always about colour with vibes, as mulloway will use their lateral line to detect movement or vibration from a wounded baitfish and engulf it as it swims by.

Some decent tailor are also being taken along the beach and off the break walls on pilchards rigged on gang hooks, along with the

Esplanade, Newcastle Baths and Dixon Park will be producing plenty of hungry fish willing to eat a weed offering, along with Lucys Breakwall at Swansea Heads and Nelson Bay Breakwall.

OFFSHORE Outside reports have been showing a heap of pan-sized snapper, loads of trag, some nice kings and the odd mulloway coming off the inshore reefs.

Reds up to 4kg have been landed, with plenty of 1-2kg fish on offer. Often floating an unweighted pilchard or a big strip of squid lobbed way out the back and with the bail arm left open (or Baitrunner engaged) will nail the larger, more wary fish. A good berley trail is also important to keep them interested, with any leftovers of old bait, bread or pellets munched up in the pot very effective.

Plenty of snapper are being taken on 5” and 7” Gulp Jerk Shads and ZMan Jerk ShadZ, with early morning and last light producing some excellent fish. It’s also worth bouncing a micro jig along, as it can be very productive at times. Just drop it down and wind it up off the bottom a metre or so, and wait for it to load up.

Chad Kelly with a quality red taken a little further up the coast.

There are reports of a lot of trag in that 1.5-2.5kg range, which make up a good mixed bag if you come across them, and a few bonito are also in the mix.

There are loads of flatties about as well, with a lot of fishers bagging out fairly quickly on some crackers up around the 70cm mark.

Both baits and plastics are working well, and a few fishers using micro jigs are saying they are working just as well.

There should be some albacore and yellowfin tuna about out on the shelf this month for those venturing out wide. Trolling skirts and large bibbed minnows like Rapala X-Raps, Samaki Pacemakers or Yo-Zuri Hydro Magnums work extremely well for these speedsters of the deep.

Alternatively, the more laid back method of cubing can be very rewarding as long as you can keep that consistent trail going.

Noah Kelly with his first mulloway caught while fishing with his father Chad.

Bream have been firing in the harbour, with most anglers fishing throughout the day when it’s a little more bearable to try their luck.

Lures like soft vibes and Cranka Crabs are producing some thumper bream in and around the structure as long as you’re okay with losing a few lures. The bait fishers are also getting their share of the haul, with the best baits being fillets of mullet, tuna and bonito. Fished lightly-

in the 40-50cm range while drifting the various stretches of the rivers.

Some quality mulloway are also on the chew, both in the harbour and along Stockton Beach. The best baits are live yakkas, slimies and fresh squid if you can get your hands on some.

Another way to catch mulloway is with soft vibes, and a few anglers are doing this at night with good results. After all, it’s not

usual by-catch of Australian salmon. If you can put up with salmon stealing your baits, you may pick up a nice greenback for your efforts.

Plenty of luderick are about, with some quality fish amongst them. A lot of luderick fishers prefer the smaller sizes just over the legal length rather than the bigger models, as they say they are better eating. All the usual haunts around the break walls, Lee Wharf, Shortland

Using lures like soft vibes at night can be a very effective method. Caleb Pritchard caught this nice soapie mulloway on a vibe on a recent outing.

FISHING FILL-ITS

10 thieves apprehended for alleged offences Ten people have been apprehended across NSW for alleged fishing offences, following a series of covert and overt operations by from the elite Statewide Operation and Investigations Unit (SOIG).

A man from Iluka has allegedly exceeded the trap limit on his mud crab trapping licence after Fisheries officers observed him tending at least 26 crab traps. Some of the traps were unmarked and at least one bore the markings of another commercial fisher.

In response to complaints about

undersized school prawns being sold for bait, Fisheries officers from Maclean seized approximately 575kg of illegally retained prawns.

Five commercial fishers

were issued penalty notices of $1500 each.

A man from Towradgi was allegedly found taking 17 lobsters from Wollongong Harbour. The maximum

penalty for possessing a commercial quantity of a priority species is $44,000.

Two men from Newcastle were found illegally possessing 13 eastern rock lobsters, three of which were prohibited size near Port Stephens. Officers observed a man leave a boat in an attempt to evade detection.

The man was apprehended with the lobsters and the skipper was later detained at a boat ramp. Each man faces a maximum penalty of $44,000.

A man was apprehended in Merimbula with 106 yellowfin bream after Fisheries officers watched him and then searched a

holiday cabin. All of the fish were in breeding condition, and the man is expected to be prosecuted and faces a maximum penalty of $44,000.

Suspected illegal fishing can be reported on 1800 043 536, via the FishSmart NSW app or at www. dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/ compliance. – NSW DPI

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING SAMAKI TEFLON PLIERS

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Samaki premium stainless-steel tools have been developed from the ground up. The perfect combination of stainless steel and Teflon coating makes these pliers rust resistant, strong and durable.

Every tool has been hand finished to ensure comfortable use and long-term performance.

There are three precise models: two 160mm split ring models in straight nose and bent nose, plus the heavy-duty 130mm side cutter. Each plier sports Samaki’s exclusive handle, which has been designed for superior comfort and durability.

For more information on the Samaki range of tools and accessories, or to find your nearest stockist, check out the Samaki website. You can also like them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/samakifishing) to see the latest news and catch photos, or follow them on Instagram (@samakifishing).

Price: from $14.95 www.samaki.com.au

SNAPPER SNACK IN 2 BANANA SMASH Black Magic has announced the release of the new Snapper Snack in banana smash colour.

The perfect combination of lure and rig, the Snapper Snack is designed with high UV and luminous skirts which slide above the premium KLT hooks to provide a fantastic action. Snapper Snacks are best fished with a thin strip of bait to help maintain the natural swimming action of the skirt. Available in sizes 3/0 and 5/0, there are a wide variety of species being caught on these effective rigs.

The banana smash colour is a proven and popular colour, and it’s hitting all good tackle stores now. You can ask to see the Snapper Snacks at your local Black Magic stockist today, or head to the Black Magic website to find out more. You can also find more information, news and catch photos on their Facebook page (www.facebook. com/blackmagictackle), check them out on Instagram (@blackmagictackle) or subscribe to the Black Magic YouTube channel. www.blackmagictackle.com

DAIWA TATULA RODS

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Daiwa has announced that the new Tatula rod series is set to strike for 2019. A reboot of the popular Tatula range, the new series introduces new looks, technologies and models to elevate the series to a new level of style and performance.

SVF blanks featuring 3DX carbon is where it all begins, with a new spiral palming grip, new Fuji LKW Alconite guides, carbon butt cap, and Fuji PLS Palming Support reel seats combining to deliver anglers performance and comfort well above the rod’s price point.

Featuring eight baitcaster and three swimbait models in the range the new Tatula rod series is the mid range series designed for the angler looking for that ultimate balance between performance and price. Whether your taste is for bass, barra, cod or mangrove jack the new Tatula series is one that’s sure to draw you in to its angling web. www.daiwafishing.com.au 48

JULY 2019

PRODUCT GUIDE

GIANT KILLING BIG GAME

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

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The 2019 release of the Major Craft Giant Killing Big Game features major changes to the range, with new rod lengths added and updated cosmetics. It still stays true to the series’ focus: hard-fighting offshore fish.

The rods feature the new Fuji Silicon Slim K Frame guides bound onto a supremely strong and light blank. This offers a superb feel in the hand while still delivering the low down power needed to stop big fish.

There are five rods in the series, with lengths ranging from 7’6” through to 8’6”. This makes them all excellent casting rods and perfect for lure chasing tuna, kingfish and topwater or sub-surface reef species.

The rods come with PE ratings starting at 1.5-3.0 for the 7’6” and go up to 8.0 PE for the 8’6” Tuna model.

There are two rods aimed at Hirimasa (Japanese for ‘kingfish’), a 7’7” and 8’6”. Both are rated to a max PE of 6.0 and 100g lures.

The Buri (Japanese for ‘amberjack’) is an 8’ offering with a PE rating of 2.0-5.0, and it’s capable of casting 25-80g lures. www.majorcraft.com.au

SHIMANO STRADIC FL

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The new Stradic FL will carry forward most of the Shimano technologies that have made the Stradic series so strong, durable and uncompromising.

The Micromodule Gear II ensures that the gears can align and perform with minimal resistance, and SilentDrive technology educes the smallest of clearance gaps and tolerances within the gearing system. The Hagane Gear has been upgraded for added strength and smoothness.

On top of all this, X-Protect has also been added to the Stradic FL. The internal labyrinthtype structure gives the reel a superior level of water-resistant performance without impeding the rotation or lightness of the reel. The new Long Stroke Spool has been incorporated to improve casting distance, giving you the ability to cover more water when fishing. The 1000, 2500 and 4000 models have felt washer drags whilst the C3000 and C5000 models have upgraded cross carbon drags.

With 6+1 ARC ball bearings, the new Stradic is sure to impress anyone who picks it up.

Price: SRP $339.95-$389.95 www.shimanofish.com.au

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NEW STUMPJUMPER 6 COLOURS Born on the Victorian banks of the mighty Murray River in 1986, the StumpJumper range of lures have the world’s only truly successful interchangeable bib system.

As unlikely as it sounds, it’s an idea that really works. With the deep diving bib, the No.1 StumpJumper is a great cod lure, but switch to the pointy, shallow running bib and you have a minnow lure capable of taking saltwater speedsters like mackerel and tuna or even barramundi. Not many other lures can do that.

The four new colours that are now available in stores are set to be a sure-fire hit amongst both freshwater and saltwater anglers alike.

The new colours are chartreuse tiger (#107), pink tiger (#108), chartreuse scale (#109) and pearl scale (#110). www.jmgillies.com.au

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visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!

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PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

STORM 360GT SOFT BAITS

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The Storm 360 GT Coastal Largo Shad offers highly detailed, universal baitfish appeal.

This effective soft bait has a deadly body rolling action and an exaggerated tail swing that fish can’t resist. It can also be customised by removing the ‘tail tendon’ to create a wider and more erratic swimming action for those times when the fish are more aggressive. It swims both on the retrieve and on the fall.

The 360GT Coastal Mangrove Minnow has a more slender profile, and its hard thumping paddle tail produces a tight body roll. Like the Largo Shad, the tail action can be customised by removing the tail tendon to deliver a wider tail swing, which mimics an erratic, panicking baitfish. It swims both on the retrieve and on the drop.

Both the Largo Shad and Mangrove Minnow are available unrigged in 3” and 4” sizes in packs of seven, and are currently available in eight colours (Arkansas glow, electric chicken, hot mama, limetreuse, pilchard, pearl, silver mullet, and salt and pepper/chartreuse tail). They can be rigged weedless or on a standard jighead. www.stormfishing.com.au

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SAMURAI EGI RODS

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Samurai produces some of the finest, lightest and crispest feeling rods in the world, and they have turned their attention back to squid or egi rods. When Samurai began, they had some of the sleekest, multi-tapered graphite blanks for this style of fishing, and the new models take that technology even further.

The new Samurai Egi rods use cross woven, hex axial carbon graphite to deliver a blank that is ridiculously light and strong. They press and cross the fibres in a process that results in a crisp, precise machine rolled multitapered blank. These rods have the action that’s essential for the lunging runs of large squid. The tip of the rod remains light and whip sharp, imparting crucial, instant action to the jig as soon as the angler initiates any movement with the rod.

There are three models, an L, M and ML, covering jigs from 1.5-4.0, and all employ class-leading Fuji Titanium Torzite guides and EVA foam grips. www.samurairods.com.au

ULTRA-SIL VIEW DRY SACK

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TD COMMANDER RODS

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Built to perform and ready to unleash fury the TD Commander series has been revamped and restyled. An evolution of the original TD Commander series the new lineup has been expanded and now features 14 models (7 x spin and 7 x baitcast).

Featuring proven Daiwa rod technologies such as HVF Nanoplus blanks, 3DX, AGS and Fuji Titanium SiC guides, the TD Commander series also launches some of Daiwa’s newest and most advanced technologies including the ultra light, ultra strong, SVF Carbon Air Sensor reel seats, and X45 Cobra Shield that greatly enhances blank responsiveness and allows for long accurate casts and better hook-sets.

Dressed in classic green and featuring stylish cork grips the new TD Commander series is a range that delivers in looks and swagger and high-end performance. From ultra-light finesse models tailor made for bream and trout through to extra heavy models tuned to muscle cod and trevally from cover the TD Commander is ready for the Australian angler who’s looking to go to battle. www.daiwafishing.com.au

The Ultra-Sil Dry Sack from Sea To Summit is perfect for land-based anglers and those fishing from an open boat or kayak.

The Ultra-Sil Dry Sack has a clear TPU window to allow you to easily view the contents inside. The window is RF welded into the side panels of the dry sack, producing a super-strong bond.

Features of the Ultra-Sil Dry Sack include: siliconised high-tenacity Cordura nylon fabric for exceptional strength; Hypalon roll top closure does not wick moisture; Polyurethane coated and fully seam sealed for water resistance; reinforced stitching for greater seam strength; super compact and ultralightweight; and round base design. It also uses the Sea to Summit Field Repair Buckle for a tighter closure, and even better water resistance.

The Ultra-Sil View Dry Sack comes in five colours and six sizes, ranging from 1L to 20L. The larger sizes are particularly useful for groups storing their belongings in the same bag.

Price: SRP $14.99-$41.99 www.seatosummitdistribution.com.au

RUMPL PUFFY BLANKET

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BIWAA DEUS 5” AND 6”

Born out of a crisis, with its founders trapped in their immobile van at sub-zero temperatures in America’s northwest, the Original Puffy Blanket by Rumpl, incorporates the latest outdoor technical material technologies, providing a much needed update to the traditional blanket.

A new arrival to Australian shores, the Original Puffy Blanket is water, stain and odour resistant, with an ultra-warm 3D Hollow Fibre synthetic insulation – the same stuff as premium sleeping bags and down jackets. It’s not just warm, but super lightweight and easily packable, making this the perfect blanket to get warm and cosy with this winter.

Available in three sizes and a plethora of plain and printed colour designs, Rumpl’s Original Puffy Blanket fits easily into its water resistant drawstring sack, which ideal for packing your blanket away with the change of seasons.

Available sizes are the Throw size (127 x 178cm), 1-Person (137 x 203cm) and 2-Person (224 x 213cm).

Price: SRP $149.95-$269.95 www.rumpl.com.au

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The Biwaa Deus is a custom designed soft finesse swimbait, and it’s now available in 5” and 6” sizes.

The dense belly allows it to keep an balanced keel, even while unweighted. Hook slots are provided to create a perfect weedless presentation, or you can use a standard jighead or use it as a trailer. A pre-positioned hole lets you add weights, while not compromising the balance and action.

The Eco formulation plastic has the softness and durability that allow the maximum action to be coaxed from the design.

Biwaa’s unique B2A Scent is a natural attractant that is infused into the body during manufacturing, as well as on the outside. The shrimp based, water-soluble additive creates a strong scent trail, activating aggressive feeding behaviour.

The Deus’ tapered spear-tail design works at any speed, and the scale pattern gives the Deus an added level of realism. It’s now available in 3”, 4”, 5” and 6” sizes and a range of fish-catching colours. www.ejtodd.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au JULY 2019

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING

PRODUCT GUIDE

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

TESTED Let’s talk tackle storage solutions Outside of using your fishing gear, one of the next most important things is how you store it. There are many options available, from individual tackle trays to full scale tackle stations.

Queensland-based Wilson Fishing has a wide range of tackle storage solutions, and

Wilson lure wallets come in two sizes (large and small) and have heavy-duty zip lock pouches to house your lures. I have been using mine for my big Murray cod lures. I can take a selection of lures in my suitcase with the peace of mind that the lures will be protected, and that the items

Simple and effective tackle storage solutions are important to every angler.

All smiles for the author, but this trip could have been a disaster if the tackle tray that went in the drink had been a regular one instead of a Wilson Deluxe Waterproof model. we have reviewed a number of their products, from their standard tackle bags to the awardwinning Platinum Series Tournament bag and Wilson backpack (check them out at www.tacklejunkie.fish). This time I’ll be focusing on Wilson’s new waterproof tackle trays and their lure wallets, which I have been testing for the last six months.

WILSON LURE WALLETS Lure wallets give you the ability to easily pack items that can be awkward to store. Items like spinnerbaits, rigged game fishing lures and larger lures are just plain difficult to transport, and a lure wallet is a good solution.

The author’s kayak bass tray. It may look a little messy but it holds everything needed for a bass session, plus there’s room for the car keys!

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JULY 2019

in my suitcase are safe from hooks. The case is strong, and the zippers have held up well to regular mistreatment.

WATERPROOF TACKLE TRAYS Wilson’s has always had a range of basic tackle trays, which are available individually or come included in their tackle bags. In 2019 they have upped the ante, releasing a new range of waterproof tackle trays. They come in Standard and Deluxe versions in a number of configurations (go to www. wilsonfishing.com to see the range).

The Standard trays are a simple four latch system, while the Deluxe version has larger heavy-duty latches and has a few more options when it comes to tray configuration and depth.

What I expected and what I found The first thing I wanted to know was how waterproof these trays are, so I submerged them for a minute. The Deluxe version had no water enter it, while the Standard tray did let a little bit of water in (maybe a teaspoon’s worth). A pretty good result, as you’d realistically never fully submerge the trays like this; even with quite a few jigheads in a tray, it still floats.

The ability to adjust the compartments in the trays is also important. The Deluxe trays provide more options for the user and have a couple of deep tray versions to hold larger lures. As anglers we always want more options, and I think the team at Wilsons have done pretty well.

Last but not least, I wanted to know how the trays would hold up and protect their contents. Extra latches can mean extra things to break.

I’m happy to report that after six months of regular use I have had no issues. I

have seven trays in total and have had no breakages or damage.

Final thoughts I may not be a total convert to waterproof tackle trays, but there are certain scenarios where they become almost essential. For instance while fishing one of our local waterways in my kayak, I was able to put all the lures is a single Deluxe Waterproof tray. During that trip not only did that tray end up in the water (very easy to retrieve a floating tackle box), but a storm hit, saturating us.

Everything in the tackle tray remained dry and safe, including my car keys!

A common concern with waterproof tackle trays is that moisture can get trapped in them, and this is true. You can avoid this problem by not putting wet items into the trays, or by leaving a couple of latches open so that any moisture can find its way out.

Likewise on hot days the air in the trays expands, which plays havoc with the trays and the items inside them. You can avoid this by keeping the trays out of direct sunlight, or by leaving a latch disengaged.

Overall, both the lure wallets and the waterproof tackle trays have been a great

addition to fulfilling my tackle storage needs, so the next time you are looking at your tackle storage options, check out the complete range of Wilson Fishing products in your local tackle store.

– Peter Jung

The Wilson Fishing Platinum Tournament bag won the Best Tackle Storage award at the 2018 AFTA Tackle Trade Show.

All set for a bit of flathead fishing.

Find a floater and get casting through winter ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke clarkey1@westnet.com.au

Let’s just get one thing straight out there, winter sucks. Give me the hot days and warm clear bluewater with all those pelagics lining up to grab a live bait or lure, and when you get too hot you can have a swim.

travel from all parts of the world to take part in this short but massive feast. When they find a floater they grab it with their powerful beaks and flap their wings backwards and push with their legs to tear chunks of flesh away before swallowing it then going back for more.

Often there will be four or five albies fighting over the one floater and lots of small pieces of cuttlefish

This is when we take advantage of the situation and stealthily approach the feeding area and make a well-placed cast with an unweighted piece of cuttlefish as close to the floater as possible. If there are any snapper in close proximity they usually grab your bait without any hesitation.

When they feel the hook they will take off in the shallow water, so be ready for that first blistering

There will still be those who race at high speed from floater to floater, catching nothing and scaring off any fish long before they get there, and even worse, before you get there. Mid-week is always better, as there’s less boat traffic. Or you could just pick a bit of reef, drop the anchor and berley. You will still get plenty of fish, but it is nowhere near as much fun.

It’s not only snapper that love the cuttlies, you will score the odd big groper, kingies, trevally, salmon, tailor, big bream, and heaps of sergeant baker.

This month is bluefin month, but only if the currents, bait and fish all come together to get them close enough to allow anglers to have a crack at them. Over the past few seasons it has become the norm that once

a live bait out when chasing other species, as there is always a chance a stray might venture past.

Drifting for flatties should get you some tasty fillets, and they are nice fish, but they have gone a bit quiet compared to recent weeks.

There are some nice mowies, but not in any numbers, with a few pigfish and heaps of leatherjackets thrown in.

Off the rocks there are plenty of drummer and a few blackfish about, particularly in the sheltered bays if we get a bit of bad weather. Other than that, working the washes with cunjevoi or bait prawns should see some success. The prawns will also get any bream and trevally that are about, and if you can you should work the deeper ledges with ganged pilchards for some decent salmon and tailor.

This is the best month for a chance of a big red off the stones, with places like Kiama, Bass Point at the front, and Coalcliff some of the better options.

Off the beaches the targets have been salmon, tailor and bream, and if you can take the cold water and get a few beachworms, believe it or not, there is still the odd whiting on the beaches! You will get by-catch of salmon and bream, but the whiting are monsters.

Again, if you can handle the cold and wind in the evenings with the high tides, there are a few quality mulloway about and you really earn every fish you get at this time of year.

The estuaries are very quiet during July, with just a few bream about for the diehards.

This time of the year is when the big reds come on the chew.

At the moment it’s so cold that you need multiple layers of clothing to keep you warm and a swim would give you hypothermia in the dirty green water. As for pelagics, barracouta rule, with maybe a chance of a southern bluefin beyond the shelf.

But being an optimist, there is always something good at this time of year and that would be the seasonal run of solid snapper we have

flesh are broken away and slowly drift down to the bottom – it becomes the world’s best automatic berley machine. This is where the snapper come in and they pick up all the scraps that drift down, gradually working their way to the surface. If they’re big enough they will take over from the albatross and start tearing into the hapless cuttlefish, grabbing a mouthful. With that big red

run. Then things will settle pretty quickly as it usually does with snapper. But before all this happens you have to get yourself into a position to make that cast that lands within a metre of the floater, and as mentioned earlier, this requires stealth.

Electric motors have made this so much easier, but you will still have to motor between floaters with the main motor very slowly and

Sometimes it is not about scoring the monsters, but getting perfect eating size models like this. during July, and even better, you don’t have to go far to get them.

Just like every year, the cuttlefish will move into the shallows off the Illawarra coast to breed during this month and with it will come the predators to feed on the spent cephalopods.

Often after breeding they float to the surface and die.

Many don’t even get that far, but the ones that do are then set upon by the albatross that

tail slashing on the surface, they drive down to rip a chunk of flesh away before swallowing it and heading back to do it again.

When this happens you will see the birds all sitting back away from the floater, because nothing can come between a big snapper and its meal, and a severely mauled foot is not worth it. All this occurs in less than 15m of water and only a kilometre or so from the shore.

quietly before switching to the electric some 50-100m from the target for optimum results. Always motor into the wind so you blow away from the floater and don’t disturb anything, as there is often more than one snapper per cuttlefish. You may be able to use spot lock, but that still makes some noise, particularly if it is a little choppy from the morning westerlies and the prop comes out of the water.

This bream grabbed a plastic prawn cast into the wash. you find the fish you call in any other boats to get the pilchards going to hold the school in place so they keep feeding and everyone gets a good chance at scoring a fish.

There is also one troubling aspect, and that is small boats are heading further offshore in the hunt for them, at times up to 85km on any given day, which doesn’t leave much room for error if something goes wrong. This time of year is not renowned for great weather either, and many boats ill-equipped to tackle a nasty change in the weather will be out there taking the risk. A risk, I would argue, that is not really worth it for a bluefin.

Back in closer to shore, there are plenty of trevally about over most of the reefs.

Just add berley and you should get a few if not lots in the trail, and if you are right in close a few bream should find their way into the berley too.

Throwing ganged pilchards into the suds around the islands and deeper headland will score some nice tailor and salmon, and even the odd snapper that wants a change in diet. Kingies are very quiet, but it pays to have

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51

Rug up and fish hard through the winter months BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

Yellowfin tuna made their presence felt at the end of May and into June, especially around Tathra and further south. I’m hoping that these fish will remain throughout July.

The real headline in July though is the bluefin tuna.

They have shown up for the last six or so years, so let there be bluefin and let them be plentiful!

Catching these guys is fun when they’re schooling in large numbers around your boat, and you can fish for them on spin gear

Dave Scott was happy with this solid blue-eye trevalla.

with a variety of lures. Not much has changed, except that the lure collection has gotten bigger.

When it comes to spin reels, there are only a handful that will do the job and keep on doing the job without falling apart.

Online shopping is popular and convenient, but there are a lot of rubbish reels online, and it’s safest to go to a trusted tackle store and take the advice there. Reels that are in the game are Shimano Stellas, Twinpowers, Saragosas and Spheros, from Daiwa there’s the Catalina and the Saltiga range, from Penn the latest Slammer and Spinfishers will do the job, and the new Jigging Master brand spin reel is also ideal. When it comes to a suitable rod, there is a massive range to choose from – anything from 10-37kg depending on the brand when it comes to line ratings.

If you want a bluefin for a feed, or if there are some big models cruising around, you want to have an overhead set-up strapped around you to bring the fish in more comfortably and quickly. In my experience you can’t go past the

Marli Dunn caught this cracking snapper on a plastic.

Shimano Tiagra or the smooth Talicas. Again, there are quite a number of rods that will do the job here.

Trolling divers and skirts doesn’t require too much science. Once you have found the fish, the next thing to do is berley, berley and berley. Then pull the live bait rigs out, bait with

a pilly or a livey and Bob’s your uncle. If there are a few fish around once you’ve pulled up, you can have a lot of fun casting lures of any kind with quality terminals.

Surface lures always provide the most fun, and ruffing the surface up will get the fish excited.

Now is also a good time

of year to go deep dropping, thanks to the slower currents and good weather windows.

Targeting swordfish at night used to be the go, but now daytime swords are all the rage. And with blue-eye trevalla and ling coming on, deep dropping is well worthwhile. Dave To page 53

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Time to catch a good feed of winter gummies NOWRA

Johnny Nolan straydog1974@gmail.com

In our neck of the woods, July can be a really hit-and-miss time of year. There is a lot riding on the weather, water temperatures, bait sources, and how keen an angler you actually are.

Rest assured though, there are fish out there to

is not really high on my wish list, especially in the middle of winter when you can’t even enjoy the good weather on the water.

To avoid this, try to work the weather, work your tides and look for signs of bait and fish feeding. You can even keep an eye on social media, as there are still plenty of fishers out there who aren’t ‘secret squirrels’ and who love bragging and letting

From page 52

Scott found this out first hand when he caught a 25kg blue-eye caught off Batemans Bay. Inshore reef fishing has been good throughout May and June in regards to snapper. The squid were quite thick in autumn, and now the cuttlefish are starting to show up, so the snapper have had plenty to eat and we’ve had a reasonable run of them. Squid and pillies are the traditional baits, and plastics are now popular as well. However, what quickly took the world by storm is micro jigging. It’s largely accepted as a great approach, and has become so popular that some old bait fishers don’t get their hands dirty anymore and will only use micro jigs.

These lures are versatile, can be fished at a range of depths, come in different shapes, sizes and styles, and catch all kinds of species. Plus fishing light is a whole lot of fun.

Last year the kingies were still biting into July, and with the numbers around at the moment we

proven fish producer during July. Even better, there aren’t too many crowds to worry about in winter.

I have found that 80mm and 100mm Squidgy Wrigglers are proving to be the best lures, with the most productive colours being the darker colours such as motor oil, pumpkin seed and a dark bloodworm.

If you just want to get out on the weekend for a few hours in the morning and catch a feed for the family, you can get a few

you know where they are fishing and what they are catching.

Make sure you call into your local tackle shop and have a chat. It is winter after all, and most of the

staff will enjoy having someone to talk to about fishing and be ready to give you some advice on where to go. Remember, they have a lot of anglers going through the doors and telling them fishing tales.

It’s pretty easy to form a pattern and work out what’s bitting where.

Having said all this, it is also my duty to try to help you catch a feed or have some fun, or both. So let’s get into it!

If we get some nice weather this month and you have a boat, I would be looking at launching it into Jervis Bay. There is plenty on offer around the bay at the moment.

If you like fishing in the shelter of the bay, there are squid taking jigs in most locations, and there are bream around the rocks and beaches taking fresh strip baits of bonito and stripy tuna. If you sit just off places like Plantation

Point, Green Patch or Longnose Bommie, apart from the bream there is a really good chance of a nice winter snapper, which have been bitting within the first couple of hours of sun-up.

The good old Aussie salmon are prowling around the bay as well, with some specimens up to around the 3-4kg mark, and they’re really stretching anglers on light sporting tackle.

Although salmon are not the best table fish in the sea, there is no shortage of them, so taking a few to put through the mincer to make Thai fish cakes is a pretty good option in my opinion.

Around the cliff washes there are some big drummer, snapper and bream taking cooked prawn baits.

However, good weather and moderate seas are needed to access these spots, so don’t attempt it if conditions are not right. Things can turn bad pretty quickly for those anglers who are

boat, as they are top notch to eat and will give you a good supply of fresh fish for the table.

In the Shoalhaven River the nocturnal fishers are getting some very big bream on soft plastic lures. Well lit areas around the bridges are a good starting spot, and a

dusky flathead by drifting with baits in the Shoalhaven River and St Georges Basin. Flatties measuring around 40-50cm are pretty common at the moment.

Hopefully we will have a good July with favourable weather and seas. Until next month, adios amigos.

could be looking at a similar scenario this year. Sharks are in good numbers, and inshore gummy sharks are a popular table fish. They love squid, and are quite often

caught as by-catch while chasing snapper. Inshore reef fishing on the NSW south coast is quite reliable from April to December.

There is always something

on the cards – everything from snapper, kingfish and sharks to morwong, flathead, pigfish and more.

What is very reliable throughout winter is drummer from the stones and salmon from the beaches. The beaches have been fishing well lately, with reports of some big tailor over 50cm.

Decent mulloway are being caught using fresh mullet. We have just experienced our annual mullet run, and the mulloway have been out on the beaches chasing them. Today with drones we are now capturing these sorts of events from the sky. On our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ ompleatanglerbatemansbay) we have a video of a large school of salmon swimming at Tuross, with dolphins rounding them up, and sharks hovering out just wide of them.

Fishing off the stones is more productive than the beaches at times. When you’re fishing from the beach you need the schools to be there, but when you’re fishing for drummer off the

stones you actually go to their homes. Then it’s just a matter of tempting them with berley and trying to jag one on cunje or prawn.

Drummer are definitely the first fish I choose to target if I want a feed, and while you’re fishing for them there’s always the chance of catching groper, snapper and bream as by-catch.

If you want to really challenge yourself from the stones, early morning and late afternoon snapper is the go. Just remember that your techniques and location choices need to be spot-on to maximise your chances.

The simplest approach is casting plastics from rock ledges that potentially hold snapper. Be there at sunrise with an incoming tide and use a Gulp 7” Jerkshad, Chasebait Ultimate Squid, Squidgy Prawn or anything you are confident with.

You want to ensure that the sink rate is nice and natural looking, and using a 1/4oz jighead is as heavy as you need to go. Bream can be found if you go even lighter in your gear.

The estuary fishing is going to become quieter

as things cool down, and a lot of anglers are saving themselves for those windless sunny days where you can chase some flatties sunbaking or find some winter whiting.

Bream can be found in depths, racks and out the front as they move out to spawn. Anglers who are happy to brave the cold will chase mulloway at night, and with some success as the Clyde is quite a productive system for these fish. I highly recommend wearing good quality thermals, as they work extremely well at keeping you warm while catching fish.

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We are located at 65A Orient St, Batemans Bay (02 4472 2559).

Lucas Martyn was pretty excited with this hard-fighting salmon. be caught, and making a smart decision of where and when to go will play a big part in either your success or failure. Coming home with your tail between your legs, head down and no fish

Lucas Martyn and Aiden O’Conner with a Jervis Bay gummy shark.

not experienced in this environment. You are better off going with someone in the know first, and learning the ropes before venturing out on your own.

Fishing around the mouth of Jervis Bay and just offshore is also producing some nice snapper for the bottom fishers, as well as flathead and gummy sharks, which are really starting to show up in good numbers.

Gummies are really one shark that you don’t want to cut off at the edge of the

Georgia Poyner has been finding the gummy sharks.

Nic Martyn holds up a quality snapper while his dad Ron cleans the rest of the catch.

JULY 2019

53

Estuarine sure is fine MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson

Winter is well and truly here, with those cold SW winds coming straight off the snow, but don’t let this deter you as there’s still some pretty good fishing going on around the Merimbula region.

crews who have got 12-15 fish in a session, which is pretty good angling in my books. Most reefs are holding a few fish, but the better ones definitely seem to be south, with Haycock and Hunter rock the standouts.

You can expect morwong, pigfish and the odd john dory in the cooler water, but the best fishing is certainly at sunrise,

Black bream have big teeth, especially when they get over that 1kg mark.

Those anglers fishing in close offshore are doing well, with snapper numbers and size on the increase. A few of the reds are nudging 5kg, which is a decent fish for this neck of the woods, with bait and lure anglers getting amongst them.

The bigger fish seem to be responding well to larger white soft plastics fished slow and hard on the bottom.

There’s been a few falling to micro jigging as well, with 40-50g size lures in pink/ white being popular.

I know of a few local

and if you can coincide that with a tide change then all the better for you.

A little further out there’s been a few yellowfin tuna and SBT floating about, but no guts to them yet. Trolling is the go until you find them, then it may be a case of reverting to berleying and live bait or cubes to hopefully get the fish up and holding at your boat.

There’s been a few big mako sharks getting about too, so if a bitey is what you’re after the now is not a bad time to target one.

A few switched on crews fishing deep have got a few broadbill of late. Local guru Chris nailed a nice 118kg fish and lost another, so there’s clearly a few about. The beauty of deep dropping off here is you’re a chance at big eye tuna, big yellowfin, SBT and broadbill. Yes, this type of fishing isn’t for everyone and you have to be rigged up properly to get the best results, but when it all happens and comes together it’s pretty exciting stuff.

In the estuaries the water has cooled down a lot, with some estuaries hovering around 13-14°C, which is pretty chilly. The flatties have slowed up somewhat, but if you fish lighter leaders and slow your presentation down, you will still get fish. They are not as aggressive, but they still have to feed.

You could also try fishing the draining tide, especially in the channels east of the main bridge in town. You tend to get more colour in the usually crystal water from the water receding off the flats and sometimes this is all that’s required to get some fish.

Anglers using jerk shad style soft plastics will fare best with trevally, bream and the odd blackfish all succumbing to the same method.

Over at Pambula winter is a gun time to fish it. Every year is the same and no one seems to go there, and I don’t know why! The lower sections in the channel below Shark Hole are loaded with trevally, tailor and salmon. There’s ample fish there at present, and I can’t see why that would change any time soon.

In the main basin I would try using blades around 35mm in length and concentrate your efforts on the edges of the ribbon weed. When fished with very small hops, this is deadly for blackfish

Craig Hendo with the sort of typical black bream you can expect throughout the cooler months. and whiting, and I know that sounds crazy, but trust me, it works in this system!

Off the beaches the usual haunts like Tura Main, North Tura and Haycock all have plenty of salmon available to be caught. You will catch them using most methods, although a paternoster rig with a popper and bait combination is still the go-to method. I had a walk along Tura Main the other morning casting shiners on bream gear, and it was great fun, with a dozen or so solid salmon around that 1.5kg mark coming ashore. The fish were thick in pockets and easy to catch once you found them.

There were a few anglers on the beach that morning, and everyone was catching, which was great to see.

Off the stones, those after blackfish and drummer are feeling pretty happy, with both species in great numbers and quality fish too with a few drummer nudging 3kg.

At that size they’re brutes on any gear and hard to stop, but

a lot of fun. Try using green cabbage or cooked prawns for the pigs, with cabbage ideal for the blackfish.

On a sad note, I would like to send my condolences to Ron and Gael Van Der Drift who owned Tackleworld

Merimbula. Unfortunately their business was destroyed by fire a few weeks back.

The guys are going to rebuild and come back bigger and better and hopefully be up and running by Christmas, which is great to see.

A 40kg SBT about to be tagged and let go to fight another day. Let’s hope this season is a cracker and the weather gods are on our side.

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Find a good weather window NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson

Narooma and its surrounds have seen some ordinary weather of late, with cold SW winds over the previous few weeks.

This has made offshore fishing tricky, with the swell some days making the bar crossing a bit more treacherous. Thankfully, this will change when the weather does and anglers can venture offshore and get amongst them.

July fishing can be a bit hit and miss, with a lot dependant on water temperature, current and bait. If all the ingredients are there, it can be sensational,

Anglers using a variety of techniques are getting the best results. Some days jigs are the go, other days live bait, then squid, and so on.

You just need to have all the arsenal at hand, as everyday is different with these sometimes fickle creatures.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see some larger hoodlum kings on the surface this month, especially around the Fowlhouse Reef. Every winter these brutes turn up.

Seeing them is one thing though, and catching them is another. The majority are caught on live bait, and if you can get close enough to them and pitch a bait out then you in with a chance.

This can be hard when they’re moving around,

good for flathead and the odd gummy shark.

In the estuaries the water has gotten cold, but there’s still plenty of fish to be caught. The main basin in Wagonga is loaded with whitebait, with quite a few big salmon about. These hard-fighting pelagics are great fun on light line and if everything else is quiet, at least you’re going to have some fun. In saying that, under these whitebait schools you can expect flathead, snapper, trevally and tailor. You might have to move from school to school, but you will be rewarded with some quality fish.

You’re also a chance at a mulloway, especially if the tailor are feeding. This

High Rock, it’s been a great month for salmon, tailor and some decent snapper, which have been coming from the wash zone at the southern end of the ledge. After big seas this ledge always produces decent snapper, although I know not many people fish it after these conditions, which surprises me a bit. Try using a lightlyweighted bait like a half pilchard or fresh squid, and using a little berley won’t hurt either. Closer to town the golf course rocks are worth a look too, and casting whole pilchards on ganged hooks should see plenty of salmon and tailor caught.

On the beaches, with the bigger swells of late there’s a few very deep gutters along Brou Beach, which is just north of Dalmeny. This beach runs for 7km or so, so there’s ample gutters along its length. It can be a bit of a walk from the southern car park to get to the deeper water, so another option is to enter the beach via the Brou Tip Road, and you can

You can still get solid flathead during winter. In Wagonga Inlet the upper reaches around the oyster racks hold some decent fish at this time of year. then get to the middle of the beach. Not many people get in there, especially at this time of the year. You can expect salmon, tailor, bream and you’re also a very good chance at mulloway and gummy sharks along this stretch. Using a single

paternoster will suffice for the larger species, with metal shiners for the salmon and tailor and a running sinker rig for the bream.

Don’t be surprised to get big winter whiting either, particularly if you’re using beachworms or pipi.

FISHING NEWS

Fishing crime hotspots

Winter means big trevally and yellowfin bream for our estuaries, as these boys found out. with SBT and yellowfin both possible targets. Before the blow there were some decent yellowfin about and I did hear of a few SBT caught wide off Tuross, but it was for a day or two only. These 40kg fish fell to trolled skirts around that 8” size, but deeper divers and a berley trail might just work as well. Hopefully the weather will turn our way and we can get a better idea of what is happening tuna wise wide off Narooma.

At Montague the kings are good one day then quiet the next few. You just have to be there when they do decide to play the game.

but sometimes you will get lucky.

If the pelagics isn’t your thing, then the snapper fishing should make you smile. The reds are only getting better each season and I know they’re pretty good at present. There’s quite a few bigger fish in close, with the reefs close in at Brou and Potato Point both worth a look. Using a mixture of soft plastics, micro jigs and the freshest of squid will see plenty of fish caught. You can expect morwong, john dory, trevally and the odd king on these reefs, with the outer edges on the gravel and sand

system sees more mulloway caught under tailor schools than any other in my books, at least along this part of the South Coast.

Further downstream the channels are consistent for trevally and bream, with some nice blackfish coming from the southern breakwall.

Fishing the flooding tide seems best for blackfish, and it’s the opposite for the other species. Anglers using soft plastics are having most of the luck, but if you anchor up and berley and use fresh bait, you should still get a fish or two for the pan.

Off the stones down south at Mystery Bay’s

Following a focus on prohibited size fish offences since March 2018, NSW DPI Fisheries officers have seized 5,379 illegally harvested fish and shellfish.

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performer, including Pyrmont (1), Kymeah (6), Port Botany (7), Kurnell (8) and La Perouse (9).

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Picnic Point, The Entrance, Windang, Cronulla, Jervis Bay, Chipping Norton and Batemans Bay. Men were the most prolific offenders by far, particularly the 30-34yo age group.

Whiting, snapper, bream, tarwhine and kingfish were the most common finfish targets. – NSW DPI

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55

Fish are still biting in town MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

With winter here once again, the visitors are moving on as the cold weather sends them on their way north, but despite the cold weather there has still been some good fishing to report.

The past month saw the water temperature both in

the lake and offshore start to drop, with the coming months possibly getting even colder. The colder water has really started to shut down the offshore fishing.

Earlier in the month there were some good catches to report, with sand flathead being caught in good numbers out around Gabo Island, and some good gummy shark from the front of the Island. Those chasing tiger flathead have been

heading out wider for good catches. You really need to move around for tigers, as some boats were really on the fish while others struggled to get a bite.

There are a few good reefy areas off Mallacoota where snapper can be caught, however those who know these areas keep the locations quiet and have enjoyed catching fish to around the 2kg mark.

The offshore fishing

Snapper are still being caught on the back of Goodwin Sands.

out around Eden has been good, with the average water temperature a bit warmer than further to the south, and this sees the same species a bit more active than they are in the colder water to the south. This time of year sees the big boats come into town to head out wide chasing the broadbill swordfish, and if they are about the southern bluefin tuna. In the coming months we will see if the season is a good one, and half the battle is getting good sea conditions. If the weather is good I’m sure fish will be caught, as the anglers doing this style of fishing really know their stuff.

With the cold water along the beaches, this is the time when the salmon numbers start to increase, with any of the local beaches from Eden to Mallacoota seeing numbers of fish. The fish are a good average size at around 1.5kg, with bigger fish amongst them. Tossing metal lures is the way to go, as you can stay on the move, searching for the gutters that the fish are feeding in.

A few gummy sharks are being caught by those fishing into the night, with Quarry Beach a good place to soak a big bait at this time of year.

You really need to rug up if

Victor with a black bream that ate a blade fished in deeper water. you intend on fishing into the night.

The fishing in the estuaries has been good, and there has been a bit of rain, but more is needed to really liven things up. The black bream are spread out, feeding in both the Top and Bottom Lake, and a few good size fish are being caught, with fish around the 36cm size being the average.

Silver trevally and tailor

are being caught and their numbers should increase over the winter months.

Good-sized snapper are still being caught in the lake. They would normally have run to sea by now, but they are not aware the entrance is open as the flow is that minimal.

The flathead are still around, but catching numbers of fish over the colder months is a real challenge.

Reefing up some tasty treats for the holidays BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Reef fishing is excellent at the moment, with snapper dominating catches. Most areas are holding fish, with the southern reefs out from the Three Brothers, Murrah and Bunga Head being most productive.

These fish are being taken in many ways, from anchoring and berleying, jigging with plastics, to the more traditional ways of

drift fishing. Perch, morwong and leatherjackets will all feature in bags, while out wider towards the shelf, Tassie trumpeter, large nannygai and the occasional hapuka come up from the deep water. Large tiger flathead lurk in this area as well, which are a welcome catch, and these fish are also in the shallower water, possibly in greater numbers although not as large.

Inshore there is plenty of salmon both around the beaches and rocky headlands.

They are responding well to lures. Walking the beaches

is most productive, while waiting for passing schools from the stones will also gain results.

Bream are still in good numbers on the beaches, where a well presented cube of striped tuna will often gain the intended result, and mullet or the occasional mulloway can provide a welcome by-catch.

This is an excellent time to fish for drummer from the rocks, and they are in good numbers, responding well to cunjevoi, cabbage weed or prawns. The best areas are

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Beautiful, bright sunny days and a few fish. What more could you ask for? around the Blue Pool, Michael Lerner Lookout and the south end of Cuttagee.

In Bermagui Harbour, trevally are the flavour of the month as they patrol the jetties, boat ramps and rock walls. Most baits will work well on them, as will some small hard and soft bodied lures. Bream are another common catch, often in good numbers straight in front of the main cleaning table.

Further upriver, things are pretty quiet. Most of

the flathead have migrated out of the estuaries, making them hard to find. Those who remain are likely to be towards the entrances.

Blackfish are now the mainstay in the estuaries, and are responding well to green weed. In the Bermagui River the rock walls are producing well, as are the bridge pylons, the rocks adjacent to the bridge boat ramp and the rocky outcrops further upriver.

If you wish to venture further afield, try Wapengo Lake

south of Bermagui, and the many weed beds towards the entrance are holding plenty of lovely fish that taste great.

Winter brings cold weather, cold water, cold winds and fish that love these conditions. These fish come in the form of southern bluefin tuna, which love these conditions even if we don’t, so when there is a break in the weather look beyond the continental shelf and start thinking big.

To page 57

Offshore winds means great angling at Tathra TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Associated with winter is offshore winds, and to us anglers this means access to places (like the rocks and beaches) without the constant pounding of waves.

Bay is also producing nice bags of those tasty sea garfish of a very good size.

All that’s required to catch them is a small hook, a float, some sort of berley (preferably consisting of tuna) and a bit of prawn for bait. You will also catch them off the wharf along with many other winter species. Trevally are on the

those willing to brave these conditions at that time of day can be sure to encounter tailor, salmon, the odd mulloway and gummy shark, while those fishing through the daylight hours may also encounter some of those species along with some bream, trevally and mullet.

If you are going

ways to obtain a feed of fish. One beauty about this form of angling is the mystery surrounding the bait every time it drift its way to the sea bed, and not knowing what might

with calm seas allowing anglers safe access to their favourite areas. No matter what form of bottom bouncing you like, Tathra has some great water and winter is one of the best

those in the know. Luderick are there for the taking around the bridge pylons or rock walls adjacent to the boat ramp in the Bega River.

Upstream there are plenty of black bream and

Mullet are often overlooked as a target species, but they can be a lot of fun in the cooler months.

The Bega River will always produce a bag of bream if you are prepared to put in the time.

For rock anglers there are many areas around Tathra to pursue your quarry, and locals are having good success on species like drummer, luderick, groper, bream and trevally.

In and around Kianinny From page 56

Bluefin can be targeted in many ways, although trolling is probably the simplest and most successful. This allows you to cover more water where hopefully you may find where the fish are concentrated.

Lures will vary from skirts to deep divers and

short list, as are yellowtail, salmon, luderick near the rocks, and of a night expect tailor, barracouta and squid to be present.

The beaches are cool of an evening and morning, as you would expect. But,

offshore, try some bottom fishing. This time honoured tradition – often frowned upon by the purists – has survived decades of evolution in the angling world and still proves to be one of the most effective

sometimes bibless, and occasionally jigging will work. Once a school is located, expect multiple hook ups, where the size of the fish may vary. To keep the school around, have some pilchards handy to toss over, and keep the fish feeding. You can also try and keep a fish hooked up, which will bring

the school to the area. Don’t expect action every time you go out, but when you find it, it will more than make up for the days without.

Mako sharks are in this deep water following the tuna, so if things are not happening with the bluefin, try a berley trail to attract one of the best sportfish in the ocean.

eat it next. Over the sandy regions you can expect to catch sand and tiger flathead, gummy sharks, red gurnard or maybe a flounder or two. While around the reef areas, an assortment of species will turn up, such as the everpopular snapper, morwong, perch, wrasse and kingfish.

Out wider over the shelf, bottom bouncers now use electronic reels to fish the deep abyss for species such as hapuka, ling, jemfish, blue-eye trevalla, cod and perch, again with that mystery of not knowing just what will come up next.

Now is a great time to put it into practice,

times to take advantage of this long favoured form of angling.

It is also that time of the year that southern bluefin tuna migrate along the coast, sometimes they may be many miles to sea and other times they may be only a few hundred metres from shore. Most of the time the larger fish will be out wide, so if you find a patch of the smaller ones close to shore it is possible you will catch a lot more.

Always keep your eyes peeled for this opportunity.

Things are quiet in the estuaries, although for those well-seasoned anglers there are fish to be caught for

estuary perch for anglers who are wishing to use lures, although many casts may be required to gain the attention of one of these species. One fish that does like the cooler water, which will respond well to lures and lurks throughout the whole estuary system, is tailor. So when things get tough you can resort to some lovely light tackle action.

Also have a look in the estuaries north of Tathra like Wapengo or Nelsons Lagoon. These smaller systems can often contain warmer water, and it warms quicker on a bright sunny day, with the first of the run-in tide being best.

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57

Tech Tricks

Pimp up your jig rigs with some assist hooks BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Jig rigs, or assist rigs as they are more correctly known, are added to numerous metal free-fall and flat-fall jigs when

targeting a host of pelagic and demersal species.

These kinds of jigs really come into their own in deep water, especially when currents are fairly strong and hamper getting other offerings into the zone.

The enticing action of

these jigs helps to solicit a strike. Good technique is the key to successful jigging.

Put simply, assist rigs are basically a single hook on a short length of tough cord that are designed to hook a fish when it attacks the jig.

Why is the hook on a cord, I hear you ask! It is

Assist cords are commonly made out of Kevlar, Spectra, Dyneema or a combination of these fibres. Although available in breaking strains between 30-400lb, the more common sizes are 150-300lb for use with deep water metal jigs. Assist cord is relatively flexible yet has very abrasive resistant properties. Most specialist tackle stores should have at least one brand available.

1

Choose the appropriately sized assist cord based on the application.

Obviously it needs to be heavier than the main line used. For most deep water jigs I will use a minimum of 150lb and a maximum of 300lb. Once you have cut your assist cord, use a heat gun or naked flame to melt and seal the end and eliminate the chance of fraying.

58

JULY 2019

mainly to minimize fouling on the leader. Even if the hook does catch on the leader, the suppleness of the rig allows it to easily fall back in position. When you are fishing depths in excess of 50m the last thing you want is for the hook to foul and make the jig

inoperable. A lot of time would be wasted and fishing opportunity lost if you needed to retrieve to sort the problem out.

Having the hook on an abrasion resistant cord means that it will waft and bounce around as the jig is worked. Adding a little

flash or colour to the hook will increase its appeal. The extra movement the material adds is also an enticement.

Let’s look at a simple way to make your own assist rigs plus some ways to pimp them up, which increases their appeal to a host of fish species.

Most major hook manufacturers will have a jigging hook pattern suitable for this application. The Mustad Hoodlum is probably the easiest to find, however, the Mustad 10881 Jigging Single, the Owner SJ-41 and SJ-51, the BKK 8090 and 8070, Shout Kudako and Ijika, and Gamakatsu Single 60 are some of the more readily used patterns.

Jigging hooks are inline, eliminating the possibility of them twisting during the descent or ascent and subsequently fouling. Hook size will depend on the size of the jig, but I recommend that the gape of the hook is wider than the jig at the position where the hook will hang. This means that when the fish grabs the jig, the hook will find its mark and not be impeded by the jig’s width.

2

Pass the assist cord through the eye of the hook and then tie a simple overhand knot (granny knot) close to the end you sealed with heat.

Pull this knot up as tight as possible. This is the start of the Japanese jigging knot, the easiest knot to make this assist rig with.

Tech Tricks

3

Using this knotted end, make another overhand knot around the main portion of assist cord so the knotted tag end is facing away from the hook as shown. As you can see, the Japanese jigging knot is simply one knot locked against another.

5

Repeat the process with the other end of your cord, however, this time secure it to a suitably-sized solid ring, or a heavy duty swivel if you wish. You can add some heat shrink over the knots if you want a professional look but this is not integral to the overall strength of the rig.

7

However, if you want to add more appeal, there are several options when it comes to pimping your assist rig. There are many types of flash materials (as you would use when fly tying), ones with glow–in-the-dark or UV properties are ideal.

Small octopus skirts will also exhibit a lot of movement and most of these have glow-in-the-dark eyes. Hookem Fish Skin has an iridescent Mylar reflection to it and will glow in low light conditions. This is the type of material that is on many bait jigs. I have also seen assist rigs adorned with marabou (fluffy feather), soft furs and many other materials.

4

Snug the second knot tight around the main portion of cord so that the initial knot in the end stops it coming undone. Snug this up as tight as possible. You can pass the hook over the handle of your pliers to provide some purchase and apply extreme pressure to ensure the knot is locked together tightly against the eye of the hook.

6

Attaching the assist rig to your jig is done using a heavy duty split ring. The leader is then attached directly to the solid ring using a sliding uni or similar. With this configuration, you are not relying on the split ring for any strength once you hook-up. You are now connected directly to the fish and the jig is hanging to the side. The solid ring is quite thick so that the leader will not suffer abrasion where it is attached. You are now ready to go jigging.

8

The whole purpose of pimping your assist hooks is to add more movement, visibility and appeal to the jig. There is a myriad of material types, colours and combinations that you can use. You can make them to match the jig or contrast it. Some will even put two assist hooks on the one jig, each with a different adornment.

The main hook on any jig is attached to the top eyelet, as this limits snagging on the bottom and hook fouling yet offers great hook-up potential. Extra hooks could be added to other eyelets if fishing it mid water, although this can increase fouling. Making your own assist rigs allows you to customize it for any jig you own and is a fairly cost effective exercise.

JULY 2019

59

Fly fishing essentials: Art of the strip tease FLYFISHING

Richard Barnsley

Fly fishing and fly casting are two distinct disciplines.

Some anglers are superb technical casters yet lousy anglers. Some champion fishers are rough casters but know how to approach water, select a pattern and keep it in a fish’s jaw.

Combining and refining the two is the challenge.

Perhaps the standout element of a good angler is their ability to maintain good line control while fishing. It is one thing to get your fly on the water, but another to keep contact and set a hook effectively.

Judging stream currents, water depths and holding lies in rivers comes from experience. Working lake margins or drifting loch

This is poor stripping technique. Note the slack line between stripping hand and reel seat. vary the speed and length of the strip to impart action into fly imitations. As a general rule, the larger the fly the longer the strips. Consider

the movement of sub-surface fly presentations just as you would try to match your lure shape and bib configuration.

Learn the ‘figure-ofeight’ retrieve! This is a terrific method that ensures constant contact with the fly during slow drifts. It’s also extremely useful when fishing nymphs and buzzer patterns in lakes or ponds.

There are some excellent YouTube videos on this method if you’re wanting a starting point.

Be prepared to mix up your speed and length of line retrieval during a day’s fishing. Once you find a presentation that works, mimic it through similar water conditions.

SETTING THE HOOK The quickest way to positively set a hook is with the stripping hand. Novices traditionally raise the rod tip to strike, as you would with spin gear, but this often produces insecure setting of the hook when fly fishing.

Draw down with the stripping hand for a positive

transmission along the fly line. Generally the rod tip should be low on the water so that you do not have a ‘belly’ of slack from the raised tip to the water surface. Although there are techniques such as Czech nymphing that defy this rule, for the majority of situations keep your tip low and follow the drift or retrieve with the rod tip.

Midging trout in lakes can be especially frustrating.

Essentially, when a hatch is thick the fish swim about with their mouths open like whales eating plankton. If you strike traditionally, you will simply pull your fly out of their mouth.

I once stood 30m along the lake edge from a fishing mate during a big midge hatch. Rainbows were porpoising all across the lake as they fed on the tiny emerging midges.

Danny hooked, landed and released six or seven fish while I couldn’t pick up anything. We changed spots and he landed another three from where I had just

You can keep contact with the fly by keeping slack out of the stripping hand. style rigs from a boat are equally the result of hard won knowledge.

Perhaps the most critical component of all is setting a hook. How you strip line, use the rod tip and detect a strike is critical if you wish to progress as a practical fly angler. Like a golf swing, you’ll develop your own style over time but several fundamental techniques are important.

For the purpose of this article, I’ll largely focus on streams or moving water. These situations are generally more complex than lakes, although the basic techniques will find a place in your still water arsenal.

THE APPROACH Always take time to observe your chosen spot of river. A few minutes watching for current lines will greatly improve your ability to competently tackle a section of stream. Two things to look for are current and foam lines. These generally follow the fastest, deepest section of streambed. Alternatively, watch for objects such as 60

JULY 2019

leaves floating downstream.

Most detritus will follow the main current line.

Funnel points, where two or more currents mix, are prime holding lies. Fish will often be found slightly downstream of the ‘mix’ point. You should also target the edges of these current streams.

Basically, plan how you will ‘attack’ a stretch of water before you even make a cast. Observation skills are vital for productive angling and learning to read a basic ‘run’ is essential stuff.

LINE CONTROL Whether fishing dries, wets or nymphs, you’ll want good contact with the fly.

Subtle takes when dead drifting nymphs transmits little energy up the line.

Finicky bream and carp are another also difficult take to detect. Your reaction time needs to be immediate.

When stripping line, either to remove slack or to agitate a streamer, it is imperative to keep contact with the fly. New chums often draw in line, drop it at

their feet and lose contact.

Keep the stripping hand close to the rod so that you have ample room to strip down past your hip when a fish takes. Having slack between the bottom runner and stripping hand dramatically reduces positive hook-ups.

Experienced anglers will

Placing the rod under the arm allows anglers to employ handover-hand retrieves. This is particularly useful for fast retrieves, such as when targeting open water species.

The ‘figure-of-eight’ retrieve is an awesome technique, particularly for fiddly lake trout or picky bream.

been standing.

Eventually I stood at his shoulder and observed his detection and subsequent strike to the subtly frustrating takes. These days in such situations, if I think there is a take I slowly strip strike until I feel resistance. Often the fish will feel the prick of the hook point, turn and hook itself. It took me some time to master this technique, but it has been hugely successful, particularly on midge feeding trout.

Learning to strip confidently and appropriately for the situation is vital to becoming a successful fly angler. It won’t make a lot of difference to your cast, but will certainly help you get more fish on the bank!

Break out the heavy artillery for winter fishing MILDURA

Rob Oswin

Over the last month there have been many reports of larger cod and golden perch being caught, with the vast majority of these reports coming from anglers who have been using hardbody lures and spinnerbaits.

With cold weather setting in, some nice Murray cod up to 80cm have been caught trolling hardbodies and casting spinnerbaits.

The 75-105mm hardbody lures and 1/2-1oz spinnerbaits seem to be the most popular size lately with both the the cod and perch.

Although there have been gradually fewer numbers of fish caught per session, the size of the fish have been notably increasing.

This is no doubt due to that fact that bigger fish are wanting larger meals before the water temperature

Now is the time of year to be targeting big Murray cod along the river. decreases too much.

The cooler months in Mildura are going to be mostly about the bigger

Murray cod. It can be expected that the amount of golden perch being caught will decrease.

Anglers willing to put in the time trolling and casting will manage to pull in some larger Murray

cod. However, there are still some goldens getting around. Lure or bait, placement and location will become more important than ever. Getting close into the structure with precise casting is going to be key to bagging the bigger fish.

Willow trees seem to be a hotspot at the moment for all species of fish, as they provide a huge area for fish to hold under and give plenty of shade. With many different size fish holding in and around these large trees, any of the areas offering the deeper holes are worth a try.

The big, deep bends around Red Cliffs and down around Hattah are going to be ideal. There will be fewer anglers out on the river and barely any campers, so don’t discount the more shallow sections of the river and get right amongst the timber, with reports of surface lures

also being effective in the shallow waters.

There are plenty of great lures out there to choose from these days.

The hardest decision may be which colour, and I find natural colours to be the most effective, but it’s best to go out with a combination of both dark and lighter colours to get the most out of the upcoming shorter days.

Not only will the colder weather produce some great fish, it will also produce some great moments around the campfire as well. There are not too many things better than being around a warm fire on a cold morning on the banks of the Murray River.

Crawling your way out of the swag and boiling the billy while thinking about the day’s fishing ahead is one of the best things about being down on the river, so take the time to enjoy these moments.

Two months left to crack the cod this year ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

July is here, which leaves us with just two months of the cod season left to find that trophy fish in what is the prime time for big cod.

July is very similar to June. Bigger lures, more time between fish and persistence are all elements

With that aside, I’ve still managed to snag a few, and I did veer away from the cod fishing for a few weeks, instead targeting golden perch in Lake Hume. Usually this time of year fishing in Lake Hume is tough going, but with the lake at a very low level, fishing opportunities for yellowbelly have been quite good.

I also achieved a personal goal last month in Lake Hume,

has intrigued me to perhaps putting some more effort.

With conditions going back to normal, cod fishing is starting to go back to normal again as the water begins to

and life, however much of the time it can be avoided with care and preparing properly, which leads me into a big point, and again, it’s another basic point, but it can make

There will be plenty of casts between fish, but those who persist will find cod throughout winter.

Take care to make sure cod are supported properly when handled.

This Lake Hume Murray cod came as a surprise but proves that the lake is home to plenty of quality cod. to cracking onto that prized big fish. The past month in the local area has been very tough. Recent rainfall has made many waterways quite dirty, however this has been much needed rain. Fishing becomes quite difficult when the water becomes murky from run-off, and it seems to slow fishing down dramatically.

catching my first cod from there. I was killing some time just casting small vibes around from the banks trying to catch a redfin or yellowbelly and I managed to hook onto a fat healthy Lake Hume cod. They are definitely in Lake Hume, however I believe that they just don’t get targeted enough in there to really see the potential results. Catching one

clear up. Fishing is still slow, however, as expected for this time of year. Flows in the river locally have dropped and this is when fishing for bigger fish can produce some golden opportunities. Much like last month, make sure your gear is prepared well enough to withstand a big winter cod.

The last thing you want is to put all the effort into finding that big fish, then when it finally happens your gear fails on you.

Sometimes we can be unlucky, and that’s fishing

the world of difference. Make sure everything is ready to go for when you do hook onto that big fish. For example, have a net ready, have a phone or camera nearby ready for a snap if you want to do so, pliers ready to unhook, measuring mats or anything else you may need for those moments.

This isn’t only important for you as an angler, it also ensures that the fish is being looked after, and I’ve always pushed for good handling practices, as we want to

protect these fish. If you are looking for something in your backpack or boat, try to keep the fish in the water while you’re doing so. It’s the small one percenters that make the difference. At the end day we all make mistakes, we are only

human, but mistakes are always something we should take into account.

Stay persistent, it can be hard at this time of year. Just have fun when you fish, and it will come when you least expect it!

Hume is better known for its yellowbelly, which are easily caught at this time of year.

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Cold and dry conditions are taking their toll NEW ENGLAND

Adam Townsend

Temperatures below -9°C have already been recorded across the New

of moisture back into the ground again. It’s also something for the dedicated Murray cod anglers to look at on those freezing cold mornings when the fish are not biting.

bone dry in sections, which is pretty hard to believe, and the local impoundments are in no better condition.

COPETON Last month Copeton Dam had dropped down below

Fishing in the land-locked pools with surface lures has rewarded persistent anglers.

England in recent weeks, meaning it is going to be a really cold winter. There has even been a little bit of snowfall, which is good for these parts of the country as it might put a little bit

The Northern Tablelands are in need of rain, as the drought looks like it is finally starting to take its toll. Surrounding rivers are now turning to creeks and the creeks are becoming

the 10% mark, which has not been seen since the ’90s, with releases still happening up to around 700mL/day. It is pretty crazy how much an impoundment can change in 12 months. Old structures

where many big fish were caught only last season are now showing, and it is no wonder why they were sitting where they were at the time. Old laydowns and rocky points can tell you so much while the water levels are low.

With water levels where they are at the moment, the majority of the predatory fish, like big Murray cod and golden perch, seem to be sitting out deeper and under the thermocline, as that is where most of the baitfish seem to be holding up.

The JJ’s Topwater Invitational was held at the start of June and with the water still being released downstream at the same time, it made for a pretty tough bite. With many awesome people travelling from all over Australia to have a good time and hit the water for the weekend, the Murray cod didn’t seem to be too impressed and seemed to have lockjaw.

So, the fishing proved to be pretty tough. Only two cod were caught off the surface, and only a few others were caught fishing deeper methods throughout the daylight hours across the whole weekend.

I would imagine with a bit of rainfall flowing into the impoundments again that they would start to fire back up, but with little rainfalls predicted it could still be a while away yet.

PINDARI Pindari Dam is also in pretty bad condition at the moment, with water levels down into the single digits last month as well.

There are still releases happening downstream at around 15mL/day, and like

most impoundments this is shutting down the natives and making it hard for many anglers to get even a single bite.

Most would think with so many fish concentrated together at once that it would make it easier to find the active fish, but that is not always the case.

has a nice flow to it from the releases and there have been some quality fish being caught off the surface in the low-light hours using noisy paddlers in the flowing water.

The deeper sections above in the gorges have also been fishing well, although there are lots of land-locked pools now, so there is lots

This New England chunk took a liking to a Megabass I-Wing.

RIVERS The rivers have been the pick of the bunch in recent weeks, although they are not all fishable. The Beardy and Severn rivers are dry in sections, so it is just a matter of finding and fishing in the deeper sections of water.

Anywhere below Pindari

of walking between holes.

On the plus side, this is the perfect time of year to be walking, as the weather is pretty nice in July.

Good luck to all getting out on the water this month, and fingers crossed for some solid rainfalls in the meantime.

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Snowmelt improves lake fishing SNOWY MOUNTAINS

Anthony Bentley

We are now right in the thick of winter. With some great early snowfalls, Jindabyne and the mountains are looking like a winter wonderland. This means it is now time to fish the lakes.

July can be great for some sight fishing around

the edges, although the weather can be a little less than desirable. Traditionally the lake edges start to fish better toward the latter part of winter, but don’t let that stop you from getting out there and amongst it.

The middle of the day is the most comfortable part of the day to go for a walk around one of the many lakes in the area, the sun is higher in the sky making it a little

easier to see into the water and a little warmer. The warmer day temperatures can often trigger some small hatches of bug life, and quite often you can find fish feeding on the surface.

The bug life in winter is usually a lot smaller than the warmer summer and spring months, using smaller sized 16-20 mayfly and midge style dry flies can be presented to the cruising fish without too

The author caught this quality brown trout before the cold set in.

much surface disturbance that could spook the fish.

I like using a simple black nymph that is neutrally buoyant as it can be fished right throughout the water column. You’ll need a careful approach as the fish can be in very close to the edges and can easily spook.

It’s also a good idea to watch the movements of the fish before making a cast, they will usually be on a ‘beat’ feeding and you can try and work out their next move and place a cast into the feeding zone.

The next month or so we should see the wintery conditions continue and a little snowmelt and rain will bring in some more water and higher levels to lakes Jindabyne and Eucumbene.

So rug up and hit the lake during the day for some polaroiding.

There has also been some large Atlantic salmon released into Lake Jindabyne over the past few weeks with some fish already being caught, some of these fish are well beyond the 6-8lb mark.

You’re best trying to tackle these beasts after dark when they become quite aggressive and are a great hunt for spin and fly fishers.

Wayne Tucker with a late season brown trout.

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63

Rug up and hit the local fresh!

CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

July in the ACT sees a flurry of angling activity, as the impending cod close forces a lot of fishers to tackle the freezing mornings in search of one last goodoo before 1 September.

LOCAL LAKES Lake Burley Griffin is fishing well for schooling reddies. These fish are holding around sunken structure and out deep in the middle of the rowing lanes and can be targeted by vertically jigging blades and soft vibes next to the school. There are plenty of good-sized golden perch

Lake Tuggeranong is getting back to its best, with plenty of anglers catching good numbers of medium size redfin and some belter carp over the last few weeks.

Although the algae is still a problem, the rain through late May and early June did help clear up a lot of the worst of the bloom, with the lake now looking less like a swamp.

Redfin are responding to plastics fished near the bottom using a simple slow wind retrieve, with 2” grubs in motor oil accounting for the better fish. A few lucky anglers have also landed some golden perch using small blades and jigging under the bridge. These lures have also proved effective at the spillway, especially on overcast, rainy days.

Although not a lot of cod

out in the middle, so it is a matter of either using a drop shot rig in close or jigging tactics deep. Either way, the fish are fussy, so be prepared to work hard if you’re after a golden perch.

That said, it is far easier to target the redfin population, which are responding well to shallow divers slow retrieved along the rock wall behind the college and on the opposite side of the lake near the old police jetty. There is a lot of great structure just down from the jetty, with the overhanging willows holding good-sized redfin and a few small yellas.

Yerrabi is a great winter fishery and is producing good numbers of fish yet again. It is best to fish the pond from a kayak, because the fish are holding off the masses of weed in the middle, however,

Bill Dunn getting stuck into the Yerrabi reds.

In early winter, I spend a lot of time fishing wider pools with large surface offerings, but when I’m after a fish or two and I’m not so much focused on size, the skinny water is best. In this scenario, I use small topwater lures, mediumsized spinnerbaits and look for shallow runs that are only 3-5m (maximum) across.

The fish holding in these areas are rarely big, but I do find that they are active fish and respond well to paddlers.

A big bonus when using lures of this size is that I don’t

following the reddies around, so always carry a heavier outfit with you and switch to something bigger and keep jigging after a few reddies have come to the net.

Another two spots producing at the moment are the flats behind the museum and at Lennox Gardens. These areas are a great place to cast plastics in natural colours for reds and small goldens. Also, although it is particularly cold, it is still possible to run up a good number of reds by hopping a 2” grub in and out of the rock crevices, which

Carp on lures are especially common in winter. while targeting fast and slow water. Natural colours have produced a few solid fish, but the really crazy colour combinations have enticed the really big cod. That said, swimbaits have also accounted for good numbers of cod and it is great to see the river fishing well, despite all

Gantia along the flats that lead to Shannons Inlet from the carpark and landed some nice fish by casting parallel to the bank before slow rolling the lure back to my position. There are also small redfin in this area, which are easily caught using soft plastics or small

Fishing the flats at Googong can produce some great fish, like this glidebait-eating yella! have been caught so far this season in Lake Tuggeranong, it’s always worthwhile casting a surface lure at dawn or dusk near the skate park, because there are large fish in this area. For those chasing carp, it is like fishing in a barrel at present. Simply head to the flats at Greenway, cast in a grub imitation soft plastic in

it is possible to target the pockets between the weed from the bank. To do this, cast a small plastic into a likely hole and then jig the lure on the spot. This is another waterway that fishes well during rainy days, as the increased flow tends to switch on the fish.

RIVERS The Murrumbidgee River is producing some good fish, with glidebaits being the pick of the lures. A number of Canberra’s top cod anglers have used these lures to great effect right through winter

It is hard to avoid the reds at Lake Burley Griffin. of the erratic weather we had during May and June.

SURROUNDS Googong Dam is still producing a few yellas for those walking the bank and casting medium-sized swimbaits. I spent one afternoon casting a Jackall

vibes. Jig spins are another great way to connect with a yella if fishing from the bank. A couple of nice cod have also been caught recently by anglers fishing around the middle of the dam and jigging large vibes near redfin schools.

The author with a topwater ‘Bidgee greenfish caught using a Pompadour. have to lug around a massive swimbait rod, because small topwaters can be cast on a conventional baitcast setup.

This style of cod fishing is not for everyone, but if, like me, you want to land a few more fish before the close and time starts running out, hit the skinny water and cast some smaller surface offerings.

64

JULY 2019

can be found near the edge of the bank along the entrance to the Molongolo. This section of the lake is also a great place to try for a cod using a big soft plastic or large spinnerbait. Some anglers have also caught a few decent fish while targeting the overhanging willows that lead up to the first bridge at this stretch.

black and slow roll the lure back to your position.

Lake Ginninderra is producing the odd golden perch, plenty of carp and also a fair few reddies. There are three distinct bite windows, with the 2-3pm bite window providing the best time to be out on the lake targeting natives. The fish are holding either very tight to cover or

There are some good yellas on offer in the local lakes and rivers.

Anglers are suffering discomfort to score big LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

How you see this month for fishing will depend on a lot of things. Previous weather experiences, good or bad, will have the ultimate say.

The old saying of ‘it is what you make it’ certainly rings true.

out of the worst conditions for a little break, a warm cuppa and a bite to eat.

While doing so, why not set up a bait rod with some Berkeley PowerBait near the bottom. I say near because the stuff works way better if it’s allowed to float up off the bottom on a light gauge hook, one that’s small enough to hide in one nugget of PowerBait. Stay

to the Murray River weir pools, would have well and truly put their cod fishing gear away by now? They wouldn’t bring it out again until 1 December!

It turns out all we had to do was grit our teeth, pull the beanie on and head down to one of the many local impoundments that grace the Central West and beyond.

It’s nowhere near that

Not all winter bites with Murray cod are after dark or in the wee hours of the morning. It just goes to show there’s so much more to be discovered with these great fish.

The shoulder periods before and after bellbird blue skies and no wind definitely have way more to offer on the trout scene. Wind and wave action encourages trout to move into shallower water, making them easier targets for most anglers.

If that involves a good look at the three-day forecast before you leave home, and the preparation that goes with it, chances are it will be a good experience.

I wouldn’t for a second wait for those bellbird blue winter skies and no wind. In my experience – especially with trout in lakes such as Thompsons Creek Dam, Lake Lyell and Oberon Dam – the shoulder periods either side of those big highpressure systems offer much better fishing.

The associated wind moves water and creates flows, and this can position fish on false spawning beds like it does Thompsons Creek Dam, where they can be targeted quite successfully, especially on fly.

The wind and wave action also breaks up anglers outlines, which makes for a much easier approach. The flipside of course is that casting can be a right royal pain. The hinging effect of a lightly-weighted Glo-Bug and nymph doesn’t help.

Wind swept points and bays in Oberon Dam offer the lure caster an opportunity to cast long distances down wind on light tackle, and it’s ridiculous the amount of water you can cover doing this on a well-balanced threadline outfit and a spoon.

Lake Lyell is surrounded by more hilly terrain, and access is pretty good, so there are opportunities to get

very close to your rod, as the next PowerBait setup to be pulled into the water by a rampaging rainbow trout won’t be the last…

There’s nearly always quite a few trout scattered about all three dams, despite

easy, but the waves from swimbaits and large topwater lures thrown at Copeton Dam have had far reaching effects.

In fact, it’s rejuvenated a tackle industry that in many ways is still catching up.

Suppliers and retailers

very rosy picture, and I’m guilty of this. I’m now very conscious of this and try where possible to tell the whole story, warts and all.

Frozen reels and rod guides, and hands and feet that you can no longer feel are all part of the parcel of trying to catch the biggest Murray cod that swims.

Is it worth it? I think so!

THINK BIG Thinking big is a state of mind when it comes to winter cod. Purge the boat of every piece of lightweight fishing equipment you own.

Remove the temptation of picking up something small to cast.

These bigger cod for the most part no longer bother with small offerings to eat,

lure (in Australia) anywhere near the size that they are capable of eating.

It’s scary really, I’ve seen enough over the last four winter seasons to realise that we have only

really scratched the surface with these big fish. So much more is still to be learnt. There are different bite patterns and windows of opportunity still to be discovered.

Even smaller Murray cod like a big meal during the winter months. It gives them way more bang for their buck at the coldest time.

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Fly anglers on Thompsons Creek Dam this month will definitely earn their keep, but it’s still the best way to target false spawning rainbow trout on the windswept shorelines. it being spawning season – Mother Nature never puts all her eggs in one basket. So, don’t be put off by thinking most will have disappeared up the rivers.

BIG COD Who would have thought that up until 2-3 years ago most anglers, apart from those heading south

are struggling in some instances to keep up with demand. Everyone wants in!

I will be honest here, this style of fishing won’t suit everyone, and I’m entering my fourth consecutive season knowing full well it can sometimes be a very cold fishless grind.

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it just doesn’t offer a good return for effort, especially at this time of year.

What’s too big? When you see how small an 8” Castaic Shad swimbait looks inside the gob of a big fish you start to realize just what they may be eating on a regular basis. No one, and I mean no one, is making a

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65

Keeping busy this winter in Wagga Wagga WAGGA WAGGA

Rhys Creed

July is one of the toughest months to fish. In saying that, there are still options or other things you can be doing in the ‘fishing world’ to get you ready for the warmer weather.

BLOWERING DAM This time of year is nothing short of freezing!

Days and nights are guaranteed to be cold and tough fishing, but this is the time of year to persist for that once in a lifetime fish.

There will be a number of anglers who spend some solid time up on

the water and with effort will come reward. First thing to remember if you are going to fish the dam in July, be prepared with warm clothes, and I mean warm! You can never be too prepared for the cold here, and I always wear layers of thermals, jumpers and a set of ski pants and

While chasing big cod on a 90mm AC Invader, Baily caught this quality winter yellowbelly as by-catch.

Tallis with a giant cod that smashed the Ignite Cod Fury 220mm just after dark.

jacket on the outside. The wind can cut through you, so you need to keep it out.

Gloves you can fish with are vital if fishing during the night or early morning, which is the most productive time to go fishing. So, I would recommend investing

in a pair.

In terms of early morning fishing, that first hour of light is key and this is when you’ll have the best chance of hooking into a cod. Fishing shallow at this time of year is the go-to technique, try casting in very shallow with surface,

swimbaits or lightlyweighted soft plastics. Big cod will cruise the edges looking for food but once that sun rises, the bite period is all but over.

Fishing heavier soft plastics down along the rocky banks is another of our go-to techniques, and it

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

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

Dam Apr May Jun Blowering 25 27 39 Brogo 100 101 99 Burrendong 7 6 5 Burrinjuck 30 30 30 Carcoar 23 22 22 Chaffey 26 25 24 Clarrie Hall 93 97 97 Copeton 11 11 9 Dartmouth 62 63 64 Eucumbene 25 25 24 Glenbawn 53 52 52 Glenlyon 11 9 9

Dam Apr May Jun Glennies Creek 55 55 53 Hume 17 15 20 Jindabyne 80 77 71 Keepit 1 1 1 Lostock 89 87 84 Oberon 42 41 39 Pindari 6 6 6 Split Rock 2 3 2 Tantangara 29 21 20 Toonumbar 73 72 67 Windamere 33 33 33 Wyangala 32 30 27

(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.)

Yellas will still chew in the afternoons along the river, as Tallis demonstrates.

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JULY 2019

has been productive nearly every session.

MURRUMBIDGEE RIVER The Murrumbidgee River is set to run low throughout all of winter, with little rain predicted.

This provides the perfect opportunity to chase big cod that hide under logs all year round. They are intelligent and are tough to catch but as fishing can be slow in winter, the effort is worth it.

The size of your lure

doesn’t really need to change when targeting these large Murrumbidgee River cod. We still use the Mud Guts 5/8oz standard with a Colorado blade, we just add a bigger tail (PowerBait Rib Shad) and a stinger hook to add a little bit more size. The Mud Guts Big Quaddie is a bigger offering that does work a treat on the bigger fish. With hardbodies, we prefer the Balista Dyno 90 and the 90mm AC Invader 24ft, especially for casting

in still and deep water with large submerged snags.

Don’t forget the surface lures in the morning and evening.

AFTERNOON IS KEY In winter, the afternoon will be the best time of day. In the morning they can be extremely slow, as the water is colder than the fish prefer. If it’s sunny, the water warms up a little bit during the day, therefore the fish will feel more comfortable later in the day.

Trout cod are a fun by-catch in the cooler months around Wagga.

The clarity of the water in Blowering Dam at this time of year is incredible.

Winding your lures very slowly is important and also try to fish the sunny side. That’s right, the sunny areas can and usually do out-fish the shady areas in winter.

If you’re not keen on hitting the water in the cold, it doesn’t mean you

have to remove yourself from the fishing. There are so many other things you can be doing and one of my favourites is researching and learning as much as I can.

You can spend so much time watching videos, reading articles (just like

this), searching on the web and taking in as much as possible to become a better angler.

Good luck if you happen to hit the water this month. My pick of the locations would still be Blowering Dam, chasing those giant Murray cod!

Moths are now on the Murray cod’s menu Murray cod and golden perch have been caught on both bait and lures. Small yabbies are working well, especially when fished on the edge of the backwaters.

Other good news in this area is the reports of a large cod of around 40lb landed on bait. This is great to hear, as big fish have been absent from this area for quite a while now. Downstream

ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

The promise of rain was all it took to begin the seasonal hatch of ghost moths that appeared right on cue to the autumn break. It did not take much rain to tempt these giant winged moths from their earthen chambers as the rain rolled in.

Streetlights illuminated their erratic flight as they winged to no set pattern, ploughing headlong into ground and wall alike. Their path of selfdestruction while traumatic to watch is serious business, as they have but

of the moths have hatched.

The Murray River at Mildura continues to fish well, with golden perch to 50cm on bait and Murray cod to 72cm on trolled lures. Local fishing identity Kym Sykes says the cod are feeding mid-water on bait balls, so it pays to run your lures in the mid to upper part of the water column. With good

Jamie Steward with an average-sized cod from the Murray River at Swan Hill.

Clinton Hann with a solid golden perch on one of the new coloured StumpJumpers. This particular pattern is working very well.

a short time to propagate the next generation. With follow up rains these moths will continue to hatch over the coming weeks and our local fish are also in tune to this event.

The ghost moth is just the adult form of the bardie grub, possibly top of the list as Murray cod bait goes.

With the ability to fly, many of these large moths find their way onto the water and our local cod population is more than happy to chow down on the heaven-sent bounty. These hatches fire up some excellent surface luring opportunities during periods of low light or on cloudy days. Already looking topside it doesn’t take much to tempt a cod to the

surface as they mistake your paddling lure for another struggling moth.

With good water clarity in our local waters we can expect the cod captures to continue over the coming weeks, be it on surface lures or bait, there have been some great fish landed of late, especially along the Murray River at Swan Hill. Several metre plus cod have been landed upstream of the road bridge, with the biggest stretching the brag mat out to 112cm. This fish was caught on a grub, but several other good-sized cod have been taken on lures.

It’s a similar story as you head downstream, with most sections of the Murray River fishing well. At Boundary Bend good numbers of

This nice-sized Murray cod probably thought it was scoffing another ghost moth when it hit this Bassman Aussie Crawler surface lure. along the Murray, Robinvale and Wemen are producing both golden perch and Murray cod on bait and lures.

A few surface caught cod near Wemen are a great sign for the coming weeks, even if most

catches in most areas, all looks set for a good bite in the weeks to come. Don’t forget the surface lures, as they continue to work even when the weather cools right down.

JULY 2019

67

If you can find the weed you will find the bass HUNTER VALLEY

Peter Phelps

The lack of water around is starting to become scary as this drought deepens even further. The longrange rain forecast doesn’t see it changing anytime soon. The long-term effects of the drought are yet to be determined. The last couple of years the fish

cooling of the water. By July, I anticipate the fish will be in their full winter patterns. Generally, the fishing in all the lakes is really firing this month.

ST CLAIR Lake St Clair’s weed is just hanging in there. The dropping water levels has cleared weed totally from some areas. It would pay to spend some time finding areas holding thick weed to

an ideal ambush place, as they provide perfect cover.

The weed beds are quite large, providing plenty of cover for the fish to hide in and get out of the sun. They can be very temperamental about when they bite.

Low light is always the best for getting these fish eat a lure. Early morning, late evening and overcast or even windy conditions gets these fish comfortable

Will Hampton with a good-sized Lostock bass caught at sunset on a lipless crankbait.

A jerkbait worked erratically around shallow water structure works well in low light conditions. haven’t really gained their typical winter weight and roe up with eggs. Some very skinny fish are being caught, but I don’t think there are any fish dying off from lack of food yet, not like we had in 2009.

Warm autumn days hung around for a long time and slowed the usual winter

find shallow water fish. You could waste a lot of time fishing areas that are not actually holding fish.

I hadn’t visited the lake for a couple of months and areas that I used to fish were high and dry. Typically with Lake St Clair, the larger fish seem to hold in shallow water. Weed beds give them

enough to be moving around freely in the weed and feeding. Look for points and bays, and even rock and timber as well; just something that will give

eaten, your next most reliable choice is a jighead rigged plastic. I like to try a lightlyweighted minnow, stickbait or fluke style first. With a similar action to a jerkbait, these can be fished deeper as they sink down.

I start with a 1/16oz jighead for over the top of the weed beds and allow it to sink into the holes. Then I go to a 1/12oz or an 1/8oz to fish down the face of the weed. There’s nothing fancy with the retrieve, just a standard 2-3 little twitches

every 2-3” paddle-tail or grub work on any given day.

Try giving your plastics little twitches in your slow roll to imitate a baitfish trying to escape. This can turn lookers into biters. There are no hard and fast rules, just stick with the one you feel most confident with. If the bites are not coming, try and focus on where you are putting your lure and what retrieve you’re using, then worry about specific brand or colours.

With the dropping

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A jighead rigged soft plastic will catch a lot of bass this month. the weed an uneven edge and holes. In these areas, the fish will congregate and even school in the weed.

Multiple casts to the same area can catch several fish as they move around looking for food. A jerkbait in the 50-80mm range is an excellent choice to start out with. Looking like an injured baitfish darting around, the bass and golden perch cannot seem to resist one aggressively worked along the weed and paused in their face.

If a jerkbait is not getting

up with the rod tip before letting the plastic fall on a semi-slack line.

These styles of plastics and retrieves will always get eaten on the drop. If the stickbait isn’t getting eaten, a paddle-tail or grub is your next best option.

These styles will work on a straight slow wind, and 1/8, 1/6 and 1/4oz jigheads are the best options. Use the lighter 1/8-1/6oz for over the weed beds and the 1/4oz for fishing down the face and along the weed edge.

I’ve seen just about

levels, more and more fish may be holding out deeper.

There will be schools hanging around anywhere from 20-60ft and you can find them stacked up off points or humps. A paddletail or grub plastic, ice jig or even a small blade should catch you some fish.

Traditionally, the school fish are smaller than the weed dwellers, but these can provide a lot of fun with their willingness to eat a lure. A fish a cast can happen this month on these schooled fish.

GLENBAWN Lake Glenbawn’s weed beds are all but gone due to the dropping levels. There are some shallower sections in the main basin recently that were just hanging on.

The clearer water down the front has helped these beds survive. The weed is always worth a look in low light to intercept any shallow feeding fish.

The back of the lake has been dirty lately, with algal blooms happening. This can cause less weed to grow up there compared to the front half that is clearer with better light penetration. A jerkbait and plastic worked shallow around main points and edges will catch you some seriously chunky bass this month.

Glenbawn banks are a lot deeper than St Clair, so once the sun gets up a 1/4-3/8oz jighead is better suited for fishing a plastic.

Slow roll your plastic out off the edges down to around 20ft of water or where you can see them sitting on the sounder.

Twitching plastics up like you would with a flathead retrieve and letting them fall back to the bottom under a tight line works as well, and primarily the plastic will get eaten on the drop.

Out wider some fish should be schooling as well. Off points or near sunken timber lines are good places to look in 30-60ft of water.

Also, up the back of the lake in the 8 knot zone can turn up some really big schools of fish this month. Anywhere off the rock walls or next to the old riverbed can see the sounder near blacked out with fish. Plastics, ice jigs and small blades will be the best option to get these fish to bite.

Action still not slowing down in the Snowies BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

Freshwater fishing at the foothills of the Snowy Mountains in winter can be sensational at times, so load up the thermal clothing, beanies and jackets, and go get amongst them.

hooking a fish on the plastic.

You can add a plastic above your jig of choice as well to increase your chances of double hook-ups.

The best vertical jigging lures are ice jigs by far, but blades and heavily-weighted soft plastics will also get the job done. I personally use the blades and plastics as a searching tool, by this I mean

numbers of good-sized trout to be encountered. Flat line trolling with your favourite trout trolling lures will give you a great chance of hooking into a few, but I believe the best way to get good numbers is to target the obvious sippers cruising in the wind lanes.

Simply look for a wind lane (there is almost always

Night fishing will give you the best chance of hooking into a few big Blowering Dam natives this month.

There are some good numbers of trout in Blowering Dam at the moment.

Fishing for redfin doesn’t get much easier than it does at this time of year, as redfin will be in spawn schools this month. At this time of year redfin form massive schools, sometimes hundreds of fish are in a single school, and these fish are best targeted

I cast them well away from the boat and hop them back to below the boat searching for schools in the process, making sure I stay in contact with the bottom throughout this process. Once I land a fish, I then go over to the spot I hooked up and drop

at least one of them on the lake at any given time) then look for those tell-tale sippers or risers. Once one or several are located, position your boat a comfortable casting range from the sippers and cast and retrieve your favourite lures through

big Murray cod now in amongst the enormous trout population.

Trout in this lake often exceed the magical 10lb mark, and it is often the average ‘Joe’ soaking a worm that ends up catching these monsters. In saying this, there is a massive population of fish in the 2-4kg bracket as well that keep anglers coming back again and again.

One of the best techniques at this time of year is to bait fish with big juicy wood grubs, as the resident trout find them very hard to resist.

PowerBait also works well at this time of year, and is a great alternative if you can’t get your hands on some fresh bait.

Trout can be pretty aggressive throughout winter and taking advantage

of that by casting fish imitation lures works a treat. I like using sinking hardbodies in the 5-7cm range, but also blades, vibes,

working the shallows, but work great when hopped back to the bank in the deeper water. The sinking hardbodies generally sink

Redfin will be in massive schools sitting in deep water this month and can be targeted by hopping lures like blades. lipless crankbaits and soft plastics. All of these lures have their days and will work best in certain spots.

For example the blades and vibes are too heavy for

very slowly, so aren’t much good out in the really deep water, but they work extremely well when slowly retrieved around the shallow margins of the lake.

Everything grows big in Blowering Dam, as you can see with this giant carp landed by Daniel Robinson. vertically with jigs or bait.

Using a paternoster rig with two hooks – one with fresh bait (either worms or small yabbies) and the other with a small 1-2” soft plastic – will see you catching fish all day long and will see you often bringing two fish in at a time. The added bonus of this rig is if the bait gets pinched by a small fish or gets fouled up, you still have a chance of

ice jigs straight down into the school. This is a very effective way of seeking out active schools. Rubber vibes are also great searching lures when used the same way I just described for the blades and plastics.

BLOWERING TROUT The trout fishing in Blowering Dam has picked up considerably and they are now a viable target, with

these feeders.

JOUNAMA DAM There are more notable trout dams just up the road, including Tantangara, Talbingo, Eucumbene and Jindabyne dams, but you should drive past this sensational trout fishery.

Jounama Dam is now officially a mixed fishery, with some thumping golden perch and the odd

Jounama Dam is always worth a stop, with fish like this beautiful Murray cod available. It is not just a trout fishery, it is now a great mixed fishery that is well worth a visit.

JULY 2019

69

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS FISHY BLOCKBUSTERS

LEGALLY BREAM THE GODFISH REEF WARS FLATTY GUMP SNOW WHITING MURRAY CODDINS JIGGING PARK LURE KING DIVE HARD

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TROLLINATOR WAHOO OF OZ TACKLE STORY SCHOOL OF ROCKFISH BLADE CASTER BERLEY CLUB GARBUSTERS BARRA BEGINS KILL BILLFISH

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NSW JULY 2019

Phone (day):

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FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to, Jack Smith who was last month’s winner of the Find-aWord Competition!

Monthly winners receive a Fishing Monthly prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – NSWFM

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The subscriber prize winner for May is R Hornsby of Raymond Terrace, who won an TT Lures Prize Pack valued over $400.

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Melrose Park, T Kennedy of Karuah, D Miller of Cobar, J Harvey of Fullerton Cove, J Staltari of Dunlop, K Duncan of Rozelle, P Dubbelde of Orange, J Smith of Kelso, B Mannering of Blue Haven, D Sharpe of Richmond, L Cupitt of Goulburn, K Whillock of Dapto, R Durie of Holt, S Polanske of Kilmore , E Howarth of Cowra, C Riesinger of Pheasanta Nest, D Nisbet of Tuncurry, M Beney of Harrington,

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LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

FIND THE DAIWA LOGO

70

JULY 2019

GUESS THE FISH?

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: Australian Bass

The answers to Find the Daiwa Logo for May were: 14, 18, 22, 37, 42, 49, 51, 58, 61, 62, 67, 75, 89, 97, 99. – NSWFM The Find the Daiwa Logo prize winners for May were: M Rojic of South Penrith, M Horgosi of Ngunnawal, N Evenden of Cundletown, D Burgess of Elermore Vale, T Hodges of Ballina, G Waugh of Greystanes, N Webster of Richmond, G Waters of Helensburgh, G Sanson of

Answer:

2019 2019 Local Time

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

Time

1 1 0546 1209 TU

WE 1825

LAT 33° 51’ S LONG 151° 14’ E Times and Heights of High and Low Waters Times and Heights of High and Low Waters MARCH FEBRUARY JANUARY JUNE JULY MAY Time m Time m Time Time m Time m Time m

m 0541 1.54 1208 0.53 1759 1.52 2358

Time m 0441 1.47 1.57 1.70 0.67 0.58 0559 1100 0.38 1.28 1.33 1215 WE 1652 1.77 0.53 TH 1836 2300 SA 0.50

1 1 0039 0631 FR

16 16

0536 0633 1.63 0.44 0.64 0.52 0051 17 2 1208 1310 2 1857 1.67 1.56 17 1.30 0651 TH 1800

0026 0628 WE TH 1244 1900

3 3 0106 0707 TH

FR 1315 1933

4 4 0145 0745 FR

SA 1347 2008

5 5 0225 0825 SA

SU 1421 2044

6 6 0306 0907 SU

MO 1458 2122

7 7

0351 0953 MO TU 1537 2204

8 8

0439 1042 TU WE 1620 2249

9 9

0531 1135 WE TH 1709 2340

10 10 0630 1235 TH FR 1806

0.50 1.61 0044 0.57 0720 1.58 1400 0.48 1947 1.69 0127 0.51 0803 1.57 1445 0.47 2032 1.76 0207 0.46 0844 1.55 1523 0.48 2114 1.82 0245 0.43 0920 1.52 1600 0.50 2152 1.86 0323 0.42 0957 1.48 1635 0.54 2230 1.86 0400 0.43 1031 1.43 1710 0.59 2306 1.85 0437 0.45 1107 1.37 1745 0.65 2344 1.81 0516 0.48 1143 1.34 1821 0.71

FR 1258 1922 0.51 1.69 0144 0.47 0742 FR SA 1340 1.30 2006 0.52 1.73 0233 0.42 0831 SA SU 1420 1.31 2048 0.52 1.76 0321 0.39 0919 SU MO 1500 1.32 2130 0.52 1.77 0408 0.37 1006 MO TU 1539 1.32 2211 0.53 1.77 0454 0.37 1053 TU WE 1618 1.32 2251 0.54 1.75 0541 0.38 1139 WE TH 1700 1.32 2331 0.56 1.72 0629 0.41 1228 TH FR 1745 1.31

18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22

23 23 24 24

0.59 1.67 0016 0.44 0718 FR SA 1321 1840 1.31 0.62 0107 1.60 0810 SA SU 1420 0.47 1945 1.31 0.66 0206 1.53 0902 SU MO 1519 0.50 2055 1.32 0.70 0310 1.44 0951 MO TU 1614 0.53 2202 1.34 0.73 0408 1.37 1036 TU WE 1700 0.54 2302 1.39 0.72 0500 1.31 1116 WE TH 1742 0.55 2354

25 25

0024 1.75 11 26 11 0559 0.49 26 1220 0037 0735 FR SA 1342 1913

12 12 0143 0841 SA SU 1454 2029

13 13 0254 0943 SU MO 1600 2145

14 14 0401 1038 MO TU 1657 2253

15 15 0502 1128 TU WE 1748 2355

1.33 1900 0.74 0107 1.71 0645 0.48 1300 1.36 1940 0.74 0156 1.69 0736 0.46 1345 1.44 2024 0.69 0247 1.70 0836 0.42 1439 1.55 2113 0.61 0344 1.70 0945 0.39 1542 1.67 2205 0.52

27 27 28 28 29 29

30 30 31 31 0547 1154 TH FR 1820

Time

1230 1859

1.57 0.58 0123 1.30 0715 SA 0.39 0.50 SU 1308 2355 1.86 1937 0630 1.69 0.39 0.45 0206 1309 1.62 1.34 0800 1902 SU 0.42 MO 1347 1.91 2017 0048 0.46 0.36 1.82 0251 0722 1.55 0.33 0848 1403 MO 0.48 1.39 TU 1430 1959 2101 1.92 0141 0.40 0.37 1.93 0339 0814 1.48 0.22 0939 1455 TU 0.54 1.45 WE 1516 2052 1.90 2147 0233 0.36 0.41 2.02 0430 0905 1.41 0.14 1032 1545 WE 0.61 1.49 TH 1606 2145 2236 1.85 0326 0.32 0.46 2.07 0523 0956 1.35 0.10 1128 1635 TH 0.68 1.52 FR 1700 2236 1.78 2329 0419 0.32 0.52 2.05 0620 1047 1.30 0.12 1227 1724 FR 0.75 1.53 SA 1800 2328 1.70 0514 0.34 0.58 1.98 0026 1138 1.27 0.17 0719 1813 SA 0.80 SU 1330 1905 0020 1.53 1.62 0.39 0128 0610 0.62 1.85 0818 1229 SU 1.26 0.26 MO 1434 1901 0.85 2017 0114 1.52 1.55 0.47 0233 0708 0.64 1.68 0914 1321 MO 1.27 0.36 TU 1536 1950 0.87 2131 0210 1.51 1.50 0.54 0340 0812 0.63 1.51 1007 1416 TU 1.32 0.45 WE 1632 2041 2242 0.86 0308 1.50 1.47 0.61 0442 0921 0.61 1.36 1056 1518 WE 1.39 0.53 TH 1725 2134 2346 0.82 0410 1.51 1.46 0.63 0540 1037 0.59 1.25 1143 1628 TH 1.47 0.59 FR 1815 2230 0.75 0511 1.54 1.47 0.61 0044 1152 0.56 1.21 0634 1740 FR 1.57 0.61 SA 1227 2327 1900 0.68 0608 1.58 1.48 0.57 1256 0.53 1.21 1843 1.66

2 2

3 3 4 4 5 5

6 6 7 7

8 8

m 0020 0.59 0700 1.49 1346 0.51 1935 1.76 0108 0.51 0745 1.49 1428 0.50 2018 1.85 0151 0.44 0824 1.49 1503 0.50 2056 1.92 0230 0.38 0901 1.47 1537 0.51 2131 1.96 0306 0.35 0936 1.45 1610 0.53 2205 1.97 0343 0.35 1010 1.43 1642 0.57 2239 1.95 0419 0.36 1044 1.40 1713 0.61 2314 1.90 0457 0.39 1118 1.39 1745 0.66 2349

Time m 0603 1.69 0.61 0.43 0.43 1.62 0135 1250 1.45 1.32 0.51 0725 SA 1848 SU 1309 0.51 MO 1.24 1944 1.89 0030 0.50 0.59 0.41 1.81 1.66 0222 0702 1.41 0.31 0.46 0814 SU 1346 0.55 1.41 MO 1350 1945 TU 1.28 2026 1.89 0128 0.41 0.56 0.40 1.93 1.70 0305 0757 1.38 0.20 0.41 0859 MO 1438 0.58 1.50 TU 1430 2038 WE 1.32 2105 1.88 0222 0.33 0.53 0.42 2.01 1.73 0347 0849 1.36 0.13 0.39 0943 TU 1527 0.62 1.57 WE 1510 2128 TH 1.35 2144 1.84 0.51 0315 0.28 0.45 2.04 1.74 0428 0941 1.33 0.10 0.37 1025 WE 1614 0.66 1.62 TH 1549 2216 FR 1.38 2221 1.78 0.50 0408 0.26 0.49 2.01 1.74 0508 1030 1.31 0.13 0.37 1107 TH 1659 0.70 1.65 FR 1630 2305 SA 1.39 2300 1.71 0.50 0501 0.28 0.53 1.91 1.71 0549 1120 1.30 0.20 0.38 1151 FR 1744 0.74 1.65 SA 1714 2354 SU 1.40 2340 1.64 0.51 0556 0.33 0.56 1.76 1.67 0631 1210 1.29 0.31 0.41 1238 SA 1828 SU 1802 0.78 MO 1.41

1 1 0101 0651 FR

16 16

17 17

10 10

18 18

11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14

0600 1209 TH 1750

m 0537 0.47 1230 1.41 1827 0.49 2358 1.88 0633 0.37 1320 1.43 1916 0.47 1.97 0051 0.30 0720 1.44 1400 0.46 1958 2.02 0135 0.25 0800 1.45 1435 0.46 2033 2.04 0215 0.23 0837 1.46 1507 0.47 2106 2.01 0250 0.25 0912 1.46 1538 0.50 2138 1.93 0326 0.29 0945 1.46 1608 0.55 2210

m Time m 0432 1.60 1.51 0.41 0.52 0.60 0207 1124 1.33 1.27 1.19 0757 SA 1730 0.55 0.63 TU 1329 2310 TH 0.69 2005 1.82 0542 1.70 1.55 0.39 0.41 0.54 0245 1230 1.33 1.37 1.26 0838 SU 1836 FR WE 1408 0.56 2043 1.81 0017 0.54 0.65 0.40 1.81 1.60 0322 0644 1.34 0.30 0.49 0917 MO 1325 0.57 1.48 SA TH 1446 1930 1.32 2119 1.79 0116 0.43 0.59 0.41 1.90 1.64 0358 0739 1.34 0.22 0.44 0955 TU 1415 0.58 1.59 FR 1525 2020 SU 1.38 2154 1.75 0212 0.34 0.54 0.43 1.95 1.68 0433 0831 1.33 0.17 0.41 1033 WE 1501 0.61 1.68 MO SA 1603 2108 1.43 2230 1.69 0.50 0304 0.27 0.46 1.95 1.70 0509 0922 1.33 0.17 0.39 1113 TH 1545 0.64 1.75 TU SU 1645 2154 1.47 2306 1.62 0357 0.25 0.47 0.49 1.88 1.70 0545 1012 1.33 0.22 0.38 1154 FR 1629 0.68 1.78 WE MO 1730 2240 1.50 2345 1.54 0448 0.27 0.46 0.52 1.77 1.67 0625 1100 1.34 0.30 0.39 1240 SA 1710 0.72 1.78 TU 1821 2326 TH 1.53

0011 0654 FR 1308 1854

1.63 0.42 0109 1.58 0747 SA 1.31 0.43 TU 1408 1912 2004 0.81 0134 1.59 1.49 0.51 0212 0753 0.60 1.41 0841 1353 SU 1.34 0.54 WE 1508 1958 2119 0.83 0229 1.55 1.43 0.59 0318 0900 0.59 1.27 0934 1452 MO 1.40 0.64 TH 1607 2048 0.81 2233 0329 1.51 1.39 0.64 0425 1013 0.59 1.18 1026 1603 TU 1.48 0.70 FR 1703 2149 2340 0.76 0434 1.50 1.37 0.64 0527 1127 0.57 1.16 1115 1720 WE 1.57 0.72 SA 1755 2256 0.67

29

0.58 1.38 0.48 0.57 SU 1151 0.52 2328 1.85 1826 1.78

9 9

10 10

11 11

12 12 13 13

1.48 2243 0.59 0439 1.69 1054 0.40 1708 1.51 2317 0.63 0518 1.56 1130 0.45 1740 1.55 2354 0.64 0601 1.45 1208 0.49 1814 1.61 0.61 0034 1.37 0648 0.52 1251 1.68 1852 0.55 0120 1.34 0744 0.53 1343 1.74 1939

0215

17 17

15 15

1357 2028

2 2 0307 0908 TU 1450 2118

3 3 0356 1000 WE

18 18 19 19

1544 2209

4 4 0444 1051 TH

20 20

1640 2300

5 5 0532 1145 FR

21 21

1738 2352

6 6 0621 1239 SA 1841

m 0026 0.19 0645 1.45 1321 0.36 1928 2.04 0113 0.14 0728 1.50 1357 0.33 2003 2.05 0153 0.13 0806 1.53 1430 0.34 2036 2.00 0230 0.16 0842 1.54 1500 0.37 2107 1.89 0307 0.22 0916 1.55 1530 0.43 2140 1.73 0344 0.31 0952 1.55 1600 0.50 2213

m Time m 0524 1.78 0.72 0.36 0.33 1.55 0253 1159 1.36 1.58 0.53 0850 TU 1812 FR 1428 0.49 1.38 2054 1.72 0.65 0005 0.47 0.36 1.83 1.59 0325 0619 1.38 0.28 0.48 0924 WE 1246 0.49 1.70 SA 1504 1900 1.45 2128 1.69 0.58 0100 0.38 0.37 1.84 1.63 0357 0712 1.39 0.27 0.45 0959 TH 1331 0.50 1.79 SU 1542 1945 1.52 2201 1.64 0.53 0154 0.32 0.40 1.80 1.64 0429 0802 1.40 0.29 0.43 1035 FR 1414 0.53 1.86 MO 1621 2030 1.58 2236 1.57 0245 0.30 0.48 0.43 1.72 1.64 0501 0851 1.41 0.35 0.42 1113 SA 1455 0.57 1.88 TU 1704 2114 1.64 2314 1.48 0.46 0335 0.32 0.47 1.62 1.62 0535 0940 1.41 0.44 0.43 1154 SU 1534 0.62 1.87 WE 1751 2157 1.68 2355 1.39 0426 0.37 0.45 0.52 1.50 1.58 0614 1029 1.41 0.53 0.46 1240 MO 1614 0.65 1.82 TH 1846 2240 1.71

16 16

17 17 18 18 19 19

20 20

21 21

0323 1.56 7 22 7 0930 0.40 22 1531

22 22

0048 0712 SU 1337 1950

8 8

0542 0.33 0.47 1.45 1.63 1.63 0030 1149 0.55 0.41 0.41 0707 SU 1751 WE 1330 1.37 FR 1.55 1920 0.75 0.49 0011 1.74 1.37 0.42 1.57 0121 0635 0.57 1.47 0.45 0753 MO 1239 1.40 0.53 SA TH 1423 1831 1.56 2028 0.75 0058 1.68 0.52 1.30 0.51 1.49 0221 0732 0.58 1.33 0.50 0843 TU 1330 1.46 0.64 SU FR 1518 1914 2141 0.72 1.56 0147 1.60 1.26 0.59 0.56 0329 0834 0.58 1.23 1.40 0935 WE 1428 1.54 0.74 MO SA 1614 2003 0.56 2249 0.63 1.55 0244 1.53 1.26 0.64 0.60 0436 0941 0.56 1.17 1.31 1029 TH 1536 1.65 0.80 TU SU 1707 2105 0.62 2348 0.52 1.54 0348 1.49 1.29 0.65 0.62 0537 1048 0.52 1.18 1.24 1121 FR 1652 1.77 0.81 WE MO 1758 2219 0.67

24 24

0150 0804 MO 1438 2107

9 9 0259 0900 TU

25 25

1541 2224

10 10 0412 0958 WE 1642 2331

11 11 0518 1054 TH

26 26

27 27

1736

1.55 2148 0.56 0404 1.40 1009 0.49 1605 1.56 2226 0.59 0448 1.28 1052 0.55 1642 1.57 2307 0.58 0538 1.22 1141 0.59 1724 1.61 2355 0.53 0635 1.21 1237 0.59 1815 1.65 0050

0.45 0516 0.44 1.29 1.39 1.52 0044 1116 0.57 0.63 0.50 0657 TU 1653 1.43 1.75 FR 1331 2323 1.72 1951 0.67 0609 0.52 0.48 1.22 1.30 1.45 0144 1206 0.60 0.72 0.56 0749 WE 1734 SA 1430 1.46 1.71 2108 0.65 0008 1.66 0.51 1.18 0.59 1.37 0258 0704 0.61 1.24 0.62 0852 TH 1300 1.52 0.80 SU 1534 1822 1.68 2222 0.57 0.54 0058 1.58 1.19 0.64 1.30 0415 0802 0.58 1.21 0.69 0959 FR 1401 1.62 0.85 MO 1637 1921 2326 0.45 1.65 0157 1.51 1.25 0.66 0.56 0521 0901 0.52 1.23 1.26 1101 SA 1510 1.74 0.87 TU 1735 2033 0.73

23 23 24 24

25 25

26 26

0.48 12 0742 27 12 0025 0614 1.24 27 FR 1345

28 28

1145 1920 0.57 1824 1.68 0158 0109 0856 0.43 0700 1.27 SA 1503 1232 2039 0.55 1906 1.71 0312 0146 1005 0.39 0739 1.31 SU 1618 1314 2158 0.52 1945 1.73 1.48 0422 0.37 0.63 0221 1105 1.34 1.23 0815 MO 1719 0.50 TH 1351 2305 0.78 2020 1.74 1.51 0.58 1.30

13 13

0.49 14 0850 29 14 0037 0623 1.32 29 TH 1447 0.54 SU 1202 2038 1842 1.78 0319 0125 1008 0.44 0713 1.32 FR 1609 0.55 MO 1247 2154 1925 1.81

Time

1 1 0219 0817 MO

16 16

0401 1.82 23 8 8 1019 0.34 23 1638

MO 1329 1900 1.41 0.58 0114 1.52 0804 MO TU 1424 0.48 2004 1.42 0.63 0211 1.43 0852 TU WE 1518 0.53 2114 1.43 0.66 0313 1.34 0940 WE TH 1610 0.57 2220 1.45 0.67 0413 1.27 1024 TH FR 1658 0.60 2320 1.49 0.64 0508 1.37 1.23 1108 0.55 SA 1742 1.67 0.60

0500 1.57

1651 2316

7 7

23 23

0.48 0.56 0013 15 15 1144 1.48 30 1741 1.25 0600

1555 2224

6 6 0508 1113 WE

22 22

28 28

1501 2133

5 5 0415 1018 TU

21 21

27 27

1411 2044

4 4 0326 0925 MO

20 20

26 26

1322 1956

3 3 0236 0832 SU

19 19

25 25

1236 1910

2 2 0148 0742 SA

0536 0.54 0043 1.57 1.82 1.60 0024 9 24 1153 0652 9 1818 0.41 24 0.58 0.44 0717 SU 1300 1.40 0.69 0029 1.74 0619 0.43 1230 1.45 1854 0.70 0111 1.67 0707 0.44 1313 1.52 1932 0.67 0159 1.61 0802 0.45 1402 1.61 2018 0.62 0253 1.56 0909 0.45 1505 1.70 2115 0.55 0355 1.52 1028 0.46 1621 1.79 2220

Time

Local Time APRIL AUGUST Time Time m

1.63

WE 1158 0.73 1829 1.66 0.48 0110 1.35 0710 MO TH 1252 0.68 1920 1.72 0.41 0158 1.46 0759 TU FR 1345 0.58 2011

14 14

29 29

0.40 30 1149 15 0.60 0041 30 1.35 15 1.22 0633 SA 1758

30 30

31 31

31 0244 0847

1.55

0456

0.46 TU 1214 2329 0.68 1848 1.89 0556 0130 1240 0.28 0726 1.40 SU 1847 WE 1305 0.41 1938 1.98

0303 1.48 0.64 1.28 0.43 0.84 2146 1.87 0406 1.49 0.20 0.61 1048 1.43 1.35 1705 0.34 0.78 2249 1.96 0500 1.51 0.12 0.57 1131 1.52 1.44 1747 0.26 0.71 2342 2.01

0.32 28 0958 0.54 0020 28 1.34 1.27 0618 SU 1613

0.07 1.59 SA 1438 0.22 2100 1.99

 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2018, Bureau of Meteorology  Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2018, Bureau of Meteorology Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect New Moon First Quarter Last Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon New Moon First Quarter Last Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon Tide predictions for Sydney (Fort Denison) have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material is supplied in good faith and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition that no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes. Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions.

JULY 2019

71

Woy Woy hosts Hobie Bream Series: Round 6 Over the weekend of May 18-19, Gerber Round 6 of the Hobie Kayak Bream Series 11 took place at Woy Woy in New South Wales,

there was a three fish bag limit each day of the tournament.

On day one, a total of 174 legal bream were brought to the scales, with a combined

place Simon Morley (NSW) with 2.31kg.

Day two produced another 163 fish weighing in at 91.90kg. The total two-day

Kris Hickson took out first place, with Carl Dubois nabbbing second and Jon Chen rounding out the podium.

Central Coast. A total of 91 anglers from all around Australia competed for prize payouts and sponsor prize packs.

The arena on Brisbane Waters once again proved to be an excellent fishery coming into the winter season.

Competitors were chasing yellowfin bream with a minimum length of 26cm, and

weight of 104.34kg. The anglers who pulled the biggest bags on the day were: Kris Hickson (NSW) who led the field with a corker of a bag weighing 3.36kg, Phillip Leaver (NSW) in second with a bag weight of 2.66kg, Simon McGuire (ACT) in third place with 2.64kg, Mitchell Maddison (NSW) in fourth with 2.44kg, and in fifth

Kris Hickson with a pair of his winning bream.

www.fishin.com.au TOURNAMENT TACKLE STORE

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bag for the Gerber round was 337 fish, weighing a total of 196.24kg. The average yellowfin bream weight over the two days was an impressive 580g.

HAPPY HICKSON Taking home $2590 for a weekend of fishing, who wouldn’t be happy? Hickson was pleasantly surprised by

Crabby, and if there was a bird, he threw an Aqua Prawn.

In his opinion, the key to his success was fishing structure that had been overlooked by other anglers.

Hickson caught three fish for 3.36kg on day one, and three for 2.69kg on day two.

This gave him an impressive two-day winning bag, with six fish weighing 6.05kg.

DUBOIS DOES WOY WOY Carl Dubois from Sydney finished in second place and was $1350 richer for his weekend’s fishing. Dubois decided to head north towards Frederick Point. With half a dozen kayakers already there, he ducked into the shoreline and picked up one quickly around the edges on a handpainted lure by Glenn Allen.

With no more bites there, he headed out into the deep at around 5m. His luck changed when he figured out the fish were after longer, slimmer profile soft plastics. As soon as he changed lures the fish started biting. By the end of the day, his bag weighed 2.19kg, placing him 10th.

On the second day he went straight back to his

KRIS HICKSON’S WINNING GEAR Rod: Daiwa TD Zero 6’9” 2-5kg Reel: Daiwa Exceler LT 2500 Line: Daiwa J-Braid Leader: Daiwa J Thread 8-10lb Lure: ZMan GrubZ, Berkley Gulp Crabby, Ecogearaqua Bream Prawn his win, as he came into the round without pre-fishing.

During the tournament he mainly fished racks, but the fish were turning up everywhere.

One of his largest fish was caught off a weed flat, up in Kincumber Bay. Another fish was off a mangrove, under an overhang with shags on it. He concentrated on poles, racks and walls, but the fish were random at the best of times.

He found the conditions unpredictable. There were periods when there were no bites at all, and then he’d get two or three bites in a row. Places where he’d never caught fish before, or not for a long time, were outperforming the places he’d expect to catch fish, which were not producing at all.

Hickson’s day two bag wasn’t as good as day one, but when 2.69kg clocked up on the scales and he took the lead from Carl Dubois, he was pretty stoked with the situation. He had built his bag up gradually throughout the day, slogging his way through tough patches where there was nothing about.

Hickson fished the same pattern and went to the same places over both days. He used the 2.5” ZMan GrubZ when he was fishing a bit quicker and moving through the structure. If it looked like a likely place, he threw a

deep-water spot. By 9am, he had his bag with a 1.12kg kicker. It was quiet until about 12:30pm, when he started to land a few more but with no

It was a scenic weekend out on the kayaks on Brisbane Waters. upgrades. Just after 1pm he hooked something good, and thankfully it wasn’t a jewfish!

With this final kegger, he scored a bag of 2.66kg and it was enough lift him into second place.

Dubois caught three fish for 2.19kg on day one and three for 2.66kg on

next day, catching two fish weighing 1.42kg.

ATOMIC BIG BREAM Simon McGuire (NSW) took the Atomic Big Bream prize with a cracker 1.47kg bream. This helped him place in third on day one, however it wasn’t enough to give him a tournament-winning result.

CARL DUBOIS 2ND PLACE WINNING GEAR Rod: 6’8” Gladiator Psyborg 1-3kg Reel: Daiwa Legalis LT 2000D Line: Gosen Bass Reloaded FC 3lb (straight-through) Lures: Bait Breath TT Shad in bloodworm and ZMan Slim SwimZ in bloodworm on 1/16 jighead day two, giving him a bag total of 4.85kg. With such a thrilling turnaround, Dubois is already anticipating his next tournament at Woy Woy. MORTGAGE CORP MONSTER MOVER The Mortgage Corp Monster Mover prize went to Josh Courts (NSW). With no fish weighed in on day one he turned it around the

DIVISIONS Youth Division went to Cullen Di Mattina (NSW) with 3.84kg, the Women’s Division was taken out

by Ruth Beeby (Vic) with 0.85kg, the Masters went to Gary Hanson (VIC) on 1.98kg, and the best First Timer was Paul Bonham (NSW) with five fish for 2.06kg. – Hobie

Anglers of all sizes were happy with their catches from the tournament.

RESULTS Place

Angler

Total Fish

Total Weight (kg) Prize

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Kris Hickson Carl Dubois Jon Chen Brett Crowe Russell Babekuhl Luke Rogan Brendan Pieschel Mitchell Maddison Francis Di Mattina Simon Morley

6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6

6.05 4.85 4.70 4.54 4.44 4.38 4.33 4.20 4.13 3.84

$2590 $1350 $870 $400 $340 $300 $270 $240 $200 $170

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2019

JULY

AUGUST SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

6-7 July

ABT BREAM Round 6 Bribie Island

abt.org.au

13-14 July

ABT BASS Round 4 Cania Dam

abt.org.au

13-19 July

Evans Head Fishing Classic Evans Head

https://fishingcomps.com.au

21 July

East Coast Bream Series Round 4 Hawkesbury

www.wsbb.com.au or 0403 085 696

28 July

ABT BASS Electric Round 4 Lake Gregory

abt.org.au

27-28 July

Family Bassin Round 5 Glenbawn Dam

Wayne Tiggermann 0412 634 288 or sanja@hwy.com.au

10-11 Aug

ABT BASS Round 5 Somerset Dam

abt.org.au

7-8 Sep

ABT BREAM Round 7 Gladstone

abt.org.au

8 Sep

ABT BASS Electric Round 5 Wivenhoe Dam

abt.org.au

14-15 Sep

ABT BASS Round 6 Richmond River

abt.org.au

14-15 Sep

Hobie Kayak Bream Series Round 8 Port Macquarie

hobiefishing.com.au

21-22 Sep

Hobie Kayak Bream Series Round 9 Albany

hobiefishing.com.au

20-22 Sep

ABT BREAM Queensland Open Moreton Bay

abt.org.au

21-22 Sep

Family Bassin Round 6 Glenbawn Dam

Wayne Tiggermann 0412 634 288 or sanja@hwy.com.au

22 Sep

East Coast Bream Series Round 5 Sydney Harbour

www.wsbb.com.au or 0403 085 696

28-29 Sep

ABT BASS Electric Round 6 Borumba Dam

abt.org.au

5-6 Oct

Hobie Kayak Bream Series Round 10 St Georges Basin

hobiefishing.com.au

12-13 Oct

ABT BASS Electric Australian Open Wyaralong Dam

abt.org.au QLD

19-20 Oct

ABT BREAM Round 8 Port Stephens

abt.org.au

23-24 Oct

ABT BASS Grand Final Lake St Clair

abt.org.au

26-27 Oct

ABT BASS Australian Open Glenbawn Dam

abt.org.au

27 Oct

East Coast Bream Series Grand Final Sussex Inlet

www.wsbb.com.au or 0403 085 696

16-17 Nov

Family Bassin Grand Final Lake St. Claire

Wayne Tiggermann 0412 634 288 or sanja@hwy.com.au

29 Nov-1 Dec

ABT BREAM Grand Final Gold Coast

abt.org.au

7-8 Dec

Hobie Kayak Bream Series Round 11 Marlo

hobiefishing.com.au

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au or calling 07 3387 0800 in office hours.

Just supply a date, venue, tournament name and a telephone number and contact name.

JULY 2019

73

Hutchison clinches first ABT win with topwater The Sufix BASS Pro took place over 25-26 May at Glenbawn Dam. The weather was cool but the fishing was hot. Scott Hutchison claimed his first ABT win over a massive 68 boat field.

He didn’t have much of a pre-fish getting on the water at 9am cruising around looking for likely spots, like weed edges, muddy flats and timbered edges that might hold fish. He found some key areas and was off the water by 12pm, leaving the fish alone until comp day.

He said that you can’t win a comp on pre-fish, but you can lose it by burning your fish on practice. Wise words for people looking to get into comp fishing.

Day one he left in 51st place out of 68, he got to his spot in the bays on the right hand side of the boat.

Throwing topwater for the first 20 minutes saw Scott landing his first fish within 10 casts.

He then headed to Pelican Point, trying topwater once again for nothing. He then moved on to some muddy flats in 3-4m of water, throwing a 3/8oz Keitech jig and picking up a fish every hour or so.

He only landed five fish for

BOATER WINNER’S GEAR Rods: Reels: Line: Lures:

Ian Miller Rip Freaks Shimano Exsence 20lb Sunline and 12lb Seaguar leader 3/8oz Keitech jig and a River2Sea Whopper Plopper

BOATER 2ND PLACE GEAR Rod: Reel: Line: Lure:

Scott Hutchison claims his first ABT win and the biggest tournament pay-out in ABT history. day one and finished with a weight of 4.32kg, which had him sitting on 4th place going into day two.

Day two he tried the same run, but it was a lot windier and his surface bite didn’t work. So, he headed

straight to his muddy flat working his 3/8oz Keitech jigs. Once again, fishing was quite slow for him and he was only picking up a fish every hour or two. He worked that flat methodically all day for only four fish. He

was getting worried as he had a 1pm finish.

At about 12:10pm he saw a swirl in 30ft of water and didn’t think it was a carp. He picked up his topwater rod with a River2Sea Whopper Plopper and cast straight into

Samurai 201 Shimano Stradic Ci4 1000 Berkley x9 6lb braid 6lb Momoi leader Keitech Easy Shiner

the rings and boom, his 5th bass came on surface in deep water with sunny skies in the middle of the day on a surface lure. He couldn’t believe what had just happened, nor could anyone else after telling them how he caught it. You can see it in the day 2 highlights video.

Scott weighed his five fish for 4.40kg and a total of 8.72kg and locked his first ever ABT Sufix BASS Pro win and the biggest qualifying cheque in about five years of $4000.

Scan the QR code to see Glenbawn day one highlights.

BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Scott Hutchison 2 Troy Boulton 3 Mark Lennox 4 Russell Babekuhl 5 Luke Draper 6 Robert Tilley 7 Graham Ford 8 Greg Beattie 9 Mitchell Cone 10 Tom Slater

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 8.72 $4000 10/10 8.70 $2000 + $500 Garmin Big Bass 10/10 8.39 $1750 9/10 8.20 $1500 10/10 8.00 $1250 10/10 7.81 $1000 10/10 7.80 $750 + $250 Evinrude Bonus 9/10 7.51 $650 10/10 7.47 $550 9/10 7.38 $550

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888 74

JULY 2019

Boater winner Scott Hutchison and his non-boater Mark Larsson with a couple of their day one fish.

Mick Eastment’s first win in second event Day one Mick headed out with boater Mark Parriot in 16th place. They headed up Glenbawn Dam to just before the 8 knot zone to some trees in about 20-30ft of water. Once again, the 2” Keitech came into play.

Fishing definitely wasn’t easy for Mick, only getting a bite about once an hour and not filling a limit of five until about 12pm.

Those five fish were all that Mick and Mark caught for the first session of the second round of the 2019 ABT Sufix BASS Pro. The pair weighed a decent bag of five for a total weight of 3.57kg.

Day two Mick headed out with Russell Babekull, not going too far up the dam to Big House Bay. They were targeting banks in about 2-6ft of water with Russ fishing a jerkbait and

Mick sticking to his plastic pattern. Russell filled the shared weight bag by 8am before Mick caught a fish.

After the sun hit the bank they were fishing, Russell’s jerkbait bite had stopped and this gave Mick’s plastic pattern a chance to work.

He was casting beside trees and letting them sink to the bottom and would twitch them out. He ended up getting two good upgrades in the afternoon.

Mick would like to give a big thanks to his boaters Mark Parriot and Russell Babekull for an amazing tournament and leading him to his first ABT BASS Pro win. Taking a Bassman Prize Pack that will fill his box with spinnerbaits, jigheads, chatterbaits and skirted jigs for the next couple of seasons.

Mick Eastment claimed the non-boater win with a total weight of 8.38kg.

Boulton bags boater second Day one Troy Boulton fished Big House Bay targeting deep edges. He was casting a Keitech 2” Easy Shiner in pumpkin

chartreuse on a 1/4oz Bassman jighead. He told me the first hour was crazy. He would land a fish first cast, drop a fish

on the second, and then him and his non-boated had double hook-ups three casts in a row.

Catching his bag by

Troy Boulton and his non-boater Anthony Melchior with a couple of their fish, which helped score them second place in their respective categories.

7:10am, and he only started at 6:55am. He lost count of how many times he upgraded. After a while the bite slowed and became a grind, and he only caught two more fish for the day.

But that first flurry was enough to give him a bag of five fish for 4.59kg.

Day two he ran straight back to his spot. Bolton said that the fishing was slow on day two, and saw him not catching a fish until his 5th cast and not filling his limit until 7:30am. I hope he was joking on the slow fishing comment, because filling a limit in 35 minutes is just sick.

By 9am the bites had completely stopped. So, he moved around looking for new ground. He found one area holding fish but only got one to bite around 11am, which turned out to be a nice upgrade.

By then he was happy with what he had in the well and just junk fished for the rest of the day for no more fish.

For his effort, Troy Boulton took out the $500 Garmin Big Bass with a healthy 1.25kg fish taken on a 2” Keitech Easy Shiner.

Bass Pro Series presented by

Scan the QR code to see Glenbawn day two highlights.

NON-BOATER WINNER’S GEAR Rod: Reel: Line: Lure:

Shimano Zodias Shimano Stradic Ci4 1000 6lb main line 8lb leader 2” Keitech pumpkin on a 1/6oz jighead

Non-boater Leaon Walker came in third with a total weight of 7.97kg, and walked away with this Tackle Tactics Prize Pack for her efforts.

NON-BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Mick Eastment 2 Anthony Melchior 3 Leaon Walker 4 David Welfare 5 Eathan Martin 6 Robert March 7 Allan Price 8 Thomas Konen 9 Ryan Bates 10 Tim Steenhuis

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 8.38 Bassman Spinnerbaits Prize Pack 10/10 8.27 Fishtec Prize Pack 10/10 7.97 Tackle Tactics Prize Pack 10/10 7.84 Sufix Prize Pack 10/10 7.80 Daiwa Prize Pack 10/10 7.50 Sunline Prize Pack 10/10 7.41 Keitech Prize Pack 10/10 7.39 Lucky Craft Prize Pack 9/10 7.35 Ecogear Prize Pack 10/10 7.25 Shimano Prize Pack

Competing anglers waiting at the bump tubs before the weigh-in.

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Alan Lister annihilates ABT record at Albany The 2019 Costa BREAM Qualifier took place at Albany in WA from 30 April to 1 May. The weather was freezing, raining and blowing a gale, but that didn’t stop keen anglers from getting out there and producing some cracking bags.

Alan Lister is a bream legend from Canberra.

He follows the ABT Costa BREAM Series everywhere it goes. He has had some highs and lows on the tour over the years, with a couple of top tens in Tasmania and having a cracking bag disqualified at the Tweed River because his phone was on NSW daylight savings making him an hour late. This year at Albany was another high to add to his list.

Lister’s pre-fish started pretty good considering he had never fished or seen the water at Albany before. He picked up a legal fish not far from the boat ramp, but that good luck didn’t last. Not only was it freezing cold, wet and windy, he only caught small undersized fish the rest of the day fishing the Kalgan River.

He soon realised he would have to try a different area, so Alan made the move to King River. This move

BOATER WINNER’S GEAR Rod: Daiwa Gen Black Instant Noodle 702 Reel: Daiwa Aird 2000 Line: Sunline Castaway 10lb Leader: Sunline FC Rock 4lb Lures: OSP Dunk ZMan motor oil GrubZ

Alan Lister didn’t even need to fish day two to win this round. He finished with a bag total of 6.28kg. was perfect and saw Lister catch five black bream with a combined weight of 4kg. He left the pre-fish at King River in a good mood, believing he had found something special.

Day one saw Lister head to that sweet spot he found in the pre-fish and he caught his limit of five bream by 9am.

Alan was throwing an OSP

Dunk in a metre or less of water. He was dredging the bottom with his Dunk, giving the rod a couple of big jerks with his rod to really puff the sand up, then pausing the lure and as it would just sit there the bigger fish would smash it. Alan upgraded though the day.

With 10 minutes to go he

He only caught three small fish in his spot, so he decided to head further upriver fishing the edges. This saw him catch two more legals on a ZMan grub.

Heading back to the weigh-in site he was a little worried he had not done enough. Lister weighed five fish for 1.65kg and a total weight of 6.28kg. Alan Lister could of got a doughnut day two and still won his first ABT Costa BREAM Series Qualifier.

Scan the QR code to see Albany day one highlights.

upgraded his smallest fish for a 39cm black bream, which weighed 1.3kg and also won him the Daiwa J Braid Big Bream. His day one bag was an impressive 4.63kg.

Day two conditions were different from day one – it was glassed out and Lister was worried. He stuck to his guns and went back to his flat.

BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Alan Lister 2 Charlie Saykao 3 Tristan Taylor 4 Mark Crompton 5 Alex Greisdorf 6 Joseph Gardner 7 Wally Fahey 8 Callum Dowell 9 Steve Morgan 10 Peter Degroot

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 6.28 $1100 + $500 Big Bream 10/10 3.48 $750 7/10 3.33 $500 8/10 3.25 Keitech Prize Pack 8/10 2.89 Sunline Prize Pack + $500 Mercury 8/10 2.62 7/10 2.34 $300 Mercury 5/10 2.16 5/10 2.15 4/10 2.05 $200 Mercury

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888 76

JULY 2019

Fishing Monthly’s Ian Sewell and Steve Morgan checking out some of the catch.

Walker strolls away with the top win Stuart Walker is by far the most consistent non-boater of the last five years, with wins and top tens all around the country fishing in the ABT Costa BREAM Series. He is looking to take out his 5th AOY title in consecutive years.

Walker pre-fished with Wally Fahey for the WA round at Albany. He said they didn’t catch many big fish on practice day, but caught good numbers of small fish. This gave him a strong game plan for day one of the 2019 ABT Costa BREAM Series held at Albany WA. Day one he was paired up with Mark Crompton.

The first thing Crommo said to Walker as they were boarding the boat was, “Hope you got good wet weathers as we’re gonna get wet.” How right he was.

They headed up the Kalgan River to start the day.

Mark was fishing tight to the edge, so Walker worked the secondary drop-off in around 8-10ft of water using his much loved ZMan GrubZ in motor oil on a 1/16oz jighead. He picked

BREAM SERIES

Scan the QR code to see Albany day two highlights.

Non-boater winner Stuart Walker and boater winner Alan Lister. up a couple of keepers working the drop-off. They didn’t spend too much time there, and they decide to head to the King River just past the bridge in the mouth.

Walker found his groove here, catching a fish a cast.

They weren’t big fish, but he

was getting a keeper every now and then. He managed a 36cm fish that weighed 1kg and tipped his five fish bag to 2.68kg.

Day two Walker was fishing with Tristan Taylor, who had motor problems day one that carried on to day two.

They fished just past the King Bridge for 20 minutes before the motor problems started again. They managed to get a mechanic to come down and fix the problem, and then they were off again right up the King River.

Walker caught his five

Saykao claims second prize For Charlie Saykao, the pre-fish suggested it was going to be a grind, not because of a lack of fish, but because of a lack of legal bream, even with a 26cm tip minimum.

At the start of day one, Saykao changed his strategy and opted to hit the open flats and try to put an early bag together.

The wind was forecast to pick up, so it was better to hide in the Kalgan River later. Fishing the flats leading into the Kalgan River produced many undersize fish. A few drifts saw Saykao only pick up two legal fish.

The move into the Kalgan didn’t see much change, except calling a legal for his non-boater if he cast at a rock they had drifted past. He made the cast and bang, legal.

The rest of the session went the same, undersize after undersize. The Slim

fish limit up there. So, they headed back early, giving themselves time to get back and have another shot at the bridge. With 15 minutes to go, Stuart picked up a vital upgrade of a 39.5cm bream at 1.27kg and his five fish.

This gave Walker a day two

Second place boater Charlie Saykao was stoked with the fish he brought to the weigh-in.

SlimZ in bloodworm kept hooking up and he managed to get to four legal fish.

With high winds and not much time left, Saykao drew on his knowledge

from being an Albany local for 14 years and headed to the Bayonet Head flats.

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 5.30 Daiwa Prize Pack + $200 Hobie 9/10 3.81 Fishtec Solutions Prize Pack+ $100 Hobie 8/10 3.04 Cranka Prize Pack + $75 Hobie 5/10 2.17 Tackle Tactics Prize Pack 4/10 2.03 Sufix Prize Pack 5/10 1.66 Ecogear Prize Pack 2/10 1.42 Shimano Prize Pack 4/10 1.39 Lucky Craft Prize Pack 4/10 1.34 3/10 1.26

weight of 2.62kg and secured his second non-boater win of the 2019 Costa BREAM Series Qualifiers.

He thanks his boaters Mark Crompton and Tristan Taylor, and gives a shout out to Wally Fahey for the pre-fish.

NON-BOATER WINNER’S GEAR Rod: Reel: Line: Lure:

NON-BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Stuart Walker 2 Michael Sammut 3 Craig Wise 4 Fred Fraser 5 Michael Hodges 6 Mike Sutcliffe 7 Richard Wootten 8 Dallas Batchford 9 Travis Ryan 10 Oliver Seear

BREAM Series presented by

Silver Wolf 7’2” 1-4kg Silver Wolf 2004 6lb Daiwa Evo 8 braid and 4lb Sunline Bream Special leader ZMan motor oil GrubZ on a 1/16-1/12 jighead

It would be protected enough from the high winds and hopefully produce a legal or two.

It ended up being a good call.

Saykao resorted to his new trusty Berkley 3B Puppy in 12 gauge colour. With only 20 or so minutes left, the Puppy Dog hooked up on his 5th legal. He ended his day one with a 1.69kg bag, which was good until Lister dropped his 4.63kg bag.

It was swing for the fences on day two.

Charlie Saykao decided to head upstream of the Kalgan River. There is a history of big bags coming from above the rapids, and Saykao knew he had to go big.

The Puppy Dog came out to play in the shallow rocky zones to pick up a few legals, but the undersize fish were dominating. Sometimes Saykao and his non-boater thought they had snagged a legal only to be disappointed.

The plan was to fish one side of the bank on the way up, and the other on the way down. Saykao

switched between ZMan GrubZ in the deeper water and Puppy Dog in the shallow rock zones.

The upper reaches saw some legals caught, but it was upgrading 1mm at a time. He thought it was going to turn on when his non-boater hit a 30cm bream in the middle of the river, but nothing came.

They hit a few spots on the way back and even managed a couple more upgrades, but still only by millimetres. Returning to the weigh in Saykao was sure he didn’t have enough, but his 1.79kg bag was enough to snag second.

Charlie would really like to thank Shane and Steve Owens for loaning their Nissan Patrol and boat for the week. The round sponsor was Power Pole and it is so hard fishing flats on a boat without Power Poles, especially in the windy conditions they had in Albany.

Saykao was using Millerods matched with Daiwa Luvias and loaded with Daiwa Evo 8 in 6lb.

This meant he had a setup for each occasion.

JULY 2019

77

Degroot dominates at brilliant Blackwood It was a great weekend at the Okuma Blackwood River BREAM Qualifier – the fifth stop of the 2019 Costa BREAM Series.

It was a one, two and three WA finish, with Mandurah local, Peter Degroot holding onto his day one lead to take out the champion’s trophy for this event. His 10/10 limit for 6.11kg put him nearly 100g ahead of Perth’s Alex Greisdorf, who brought in 10/10 bream for 6.02kg to finish in second place.

Degroot is a Perth local and he has had a few top 10 finishes in the ABT bream circuit over the years. Now he has taken out his first ever ABT win. He only fishes the

WINNER’S GEAR Rod: Reel: Line: Lure:

SECOND PLACE GEAR Rod: Reel: Line: Lures:

Despite Blackwood not being his favourite fishing location, Peter Degroot still managed to claim the win with a combined weight of 6.11kg.

Scan the QR code to see Blackwood River day one highlights.

Atomic Arrowz 7ft Shimano Stradic Ci4 2500 Sunline Siglon braid and 6lb FC Rock leader River2Sea Baby vibe

Blackwood River roughly six times a year as it’s not his favourite venue, even with his win that hasn’t changed.

Peter went into the pre-fish not so confident and fished upriver just past the ski zone. He caught a few nice fish on a reedy bank in the mid 30s on a River2Sea Baby vibe. He left there happy enough to go back and fish this area on day one.

On day one he headed straight upriver to the reedy bank. He was casting his Baby vibe hard to the bank in under a metre of water, working it down the bank to about 4m of water and usually getting bit on the edge. He filled his limit fast and started upgrading by 8am. Peter started to get the bigger bites as the wind picked up and the tide got higher. He finished

day one with five fish for a weight of 3.54kg and a lead of about 400g.

Day two Peter went straight back to where he fished the day before, a little worried about whether his spot would handle the pressure and hold up for a second day. His fears were confirmed when he got there, as the fishing was a lot slower and he didn’t get his limit until well after 9am.

Duffrod Daiwa Exist and Luvias 2004 10lb Daiwa Evo 8 and 6lb Yamatayo leader Jackall Chubby shallow and a ZMan GrubZ

The bites did become more consistent as the tide got higher, but it then became hard to land the fish as he started pulling hooks and busting some good fish off. Peter’s persistence paid off, and he managed to land some nice upgrades

at the end of the session giving him five fish for 2.57kg and a total weight of 6.11kg. This secured his first ABT Costa BREAM qualifying win and saw him taking home $1300 and the first place $500 Mercury bonus.

BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Peter Degroot 2 Alex Greisdorf 3 Charlie Saykao 4 Steve Morgan 5 Joseph Gardner 6 Tristan Taylor 7 Mark Crompton 8 Alan Lister 9 Callum Dowell 10 Kim McIntyre

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 6.11 $1300 $500 Mercury 10/10 6.02 $750 $300 Mercury 10/10 5.76 $500 10/10 5.18 Keitech Prize Pack 10/10 5.09 Sunline Prize Pack 10/10 4.93

10/10 4.77

10/10 4.52

10/10 4.42

10/10 3.70

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888 78

JULY 2019

Anglers lined up and ready to take on the Blackwood River.

BREAM Series presented by

Blatchford boomed at Blackwood Dallas Blatchford hails from the Wangi Wangi area and loves his bream fishing. He will tell you himself, he doesn’t compete to win the ABT Costa BREAM Series, he just comes because he loves it. This passion is what makes the win so special to him and all the anglers he competes against.

Day one he fished with Wally Fahey. They headed upriver hitting snags and natural structure on the edges of the Blackwood River. Throwing 2.5” Berkley Gulp camo Crabby on either a 1/32 or 1/24 jighead depending on the wind was his method of choice. Dallas said he had a ball fishing with Wally. They bounced off each other, just having a laugh and catching fish in the mean time.

Dallas had filled his limit by 10am and he upgraded a few times after that by 10-20g, fishing in a depth of 0.5-3m of water.

His day one bag weighed in at 1.94kg.

Day two he went out fishing with Steve

Blatchford stuck to his Crabby pattern, catching a fish here and there with two keepers. As the tide turned in and stated to run hard they headed behind Molloy Island hitting reedy banks with white weedless Ecogear Aqua Bream prawns.

Dallas landed two more legal fish there, just missing out on a limit bringing four fish to the scales for a weight of 2.09kg. This gave him a total of 4.03kg and secured Dallas his first ABT Costa BREAM Series win.

Steve Duff took out the Daiwa J-Braid Big Bream on the Blackwood with a 1.96kg bream using one of his own Duffrod Urban Bones rods Okuma reel and an OSP Dunk 48 in colour T23.

BREAM SERIES

Scan the QR code to see Blackwood River day two highlights.

NON-BOATER WINNER’S GEAR Dallas Blatchford claimed first place for the non-boater category and took home a Daiwa Prize Pack for his efforts.

Morgan, and they headed downstream. They started on some flats but left pretty

quick as they were covered in snot weed. They made a move to the jetties and

artificial structure and it was totally different to the first day.

Rod: Reel: Line: Lures:

Daiwa Black Label V2 Daiwa Luvias 2506 Sunline Siglon 8lb 6lb FC Rock leader Gulp Crabby and Ecogear Bream Prawn

Upgrades paid off for Griesdorf Day one Alex headed downstream of the Blackwood River, fishing banks less than

a metre deep targeting overhanging paperbark trees. His lures of choice were a shallow

Jackall Chubby in black and gold, and brown suji shrimp, and ZMan GrubZ in

Boater first and second place, Peter Degroot and Alex Greisdorf, with some of the catches that made up their winning bags.

gudgeon on a 1/16 TT HeadlockZ jighead.

Alex just kept going through the motions, knowing that any cast with one of his three lure choices was bound to get bites and fill the limit of five bream a day.

He only got his five fish day one for a total weight of 2.88kg.

Heading out on day two he was a little more confident in his pattern and filled the limit of five Blackwood black bream by about 10am, far better than his first day.

Not only did he fill his limit quite quickly, he also got three upgrades before the end of the session and the three upgrades were his best three fish for the weekend. Bumping his five fish for a day two weight of 3.15kg and a total weight of 6.02kg saw him win $750 and the $300 Mercury bonus.

Everyone was having a great time fishing the Blackwood River!

NON-BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Dallas Blatchford 2 Tani Konsul 3 Stuart Walker 4 Richard Wootten 5 Oliver Seear 6 Mike Sutcliffe 7 Fred Fraser 8 Michael Sammut 9 Bernard Kong 10 Michael Hodges

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 9/10 4.03 Daiwa Prize Pack + $200 Hobie bonus 10/10 3.85 Fishtec Solution Prize Pack 10/10 3.70 Cranka Prize Pack + $100 Hobie bonus 7/10 3.61 Tackle Tactics Prize Pack + $75 Hobie bonus 9/10 3.39 Sufix Prize Pack 9/10 3.30 Ecogear Prize Pack 8/10 3.10 Shimano Prize Pack 7/10 2.90 Lucky Craft Prize Pack 7/10 2.86 6/10 2.23

Wally Fahey missed out on top 10 boaters by 120g. So close!

JULY 2019

79

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MARINE MECHANICS COFFS COAST Coffs Harbour Marine (02) 6652 4722 North Coast Boating Centre (02) 6655 7700 Jetty Boating (02) 6651 4002

$449 USD (includes shipping)

www.hydrowaveaustralia.com

Boat Wrap Specialist www.xfactorsigns.com

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

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Boats & Guided Fishing Tours Directory

ba Prawn BBAIT lades & TACKLE “Yam ” CLARENCE

YAMBA BAIT & TACKLE “Yamba’s Leading Tackle Shop” “IN THE MAIN STREET” Shop 3, 8 Yamba St, Yamba

02 6646 1514

ONLINE TACKLE PRODUCTS

www.fishin.com.au TOURNAMENT TACKLE STORE

OPEN 7 DAYS

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Margay 2017

ZMAN GRUBZ CRANKA CRABS

“The Home of Leavey Lures” • Stocking all Major Brands • Experienced Local Knowledge • Tournament Bream Gear in Stock • Snorkelling gear in stock

BENT MINNOWS

JACKALL CHUBBY

FREE EXPRESS SHIPPING

Drop in to see Mick & Kelly

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Marina Boat and Tackle (02) 6646 1994 Yamba Bait & Tackle (02) 6646 1514

COFFS COAST Compleat Angler Kempsey (02) 6562 5307

0425 230 964 – info@fishin.com.au

$49,990

17’7” • Single axle Basscat trailer 115 hp Mercury 4 stroke 24v electric motor (Minn Kota or Motor Guide) 2 x sounders (Humminbird 597cxi HD Di or Lowrance HDS 5)

Pantera II 2017

SHOP 18, 29 KIORA RD MIRANDA NSW 2228

MOTackle & Outdoors (02) 6652 4611 or www.motackle.com.au Rocks Marine Bait & Tackle South West Rocks (02) 6566 6726

www.fishin.com.au 0425 230 964 Blue Bottle Fishing 0409 333 380 or www.bluebottlefishing.com

MACQUARIE COAST

MOTackle & Outdoors (02) 6652 4611 or www.motackle.com.au

Ned Kelly Bait n Tackle Port Macquarie (02) 6583 8318

Adrenalin Flies www.adrenalinflies.com.au

Graham Barclay Marine (02) 6554 5866

Anglers Warehouse www.anglerswarehouse.com.au

Manning River Marine Taree (02) 6552 2333

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MANNING RIVER MARINE 13 Victoria Street, TAREE (02) 6552 2333 jim@manningrivermarine.com.au www.mercurydealertaree.com ABERDEEN FISHING & OUTDOORS 69 New England Hwy, ABERDEEN (02) 6543 7111 aberdeentackle@gmail.com www.aberdeenfishingandoutdoors.com.au

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Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0800 or email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au JULY 2019

81

Cooking

Winter warmer: creamy yellow fish curry SYDNEY

Andrew Humphries

Prepare the sweet potato, zucchini and the red and yellow capsicum by dicing

into 2cm pieces. Skin and debone barramundi fillets and dice into 2cm pieces and set aside.

Heat pan and add 2tsp of oil, sautĂŠ yellow curry paste for two minutes until

fragrant. Add in sweet potato and cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to the boil to cook the jasmine rice. Once boiling, add in rice and cook for

700g barramundi fillets diced with skin off 1 cup sweet potato diced 1/2 red capsicum diced 1/2 green capsicum diced 1 zucchini diced 1/4 bunch coriander 400mL coconut cream 2tsp Ayam yellow curry paste 1 cup jasmine rice

Serve yellow fish curry together with rice and garnish with coriander.

Note that with this recipe you can play around and also use with prawns, squid, mussels etc.

Diced sweet potato, carrot, zucchini, capsicum and coriander.

2 Cooking the curry paste for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.

4 The barramundi fillets before being skinned and diced into 2cm pieces.

6 Barramundi yellow curry simmering away on a low heat.

JULY 2019

Turn heat down to low, stir in barramundi pieces and allow to cook for 6-7 minutes.

Check a piece of fish to ensure that the barramundi is cooked.

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INGREDIENTS

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12-15 minutes or until rice is aldente.

Add in coconut cream and bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add in zucchini and capsicum and allow to cook for 5 minutes.

3 The yellow curry sauce with the vegetables simmering.

5 The prepared barramundi diced into 2cm pieces.

7 The delicious quick and easy barramundi yellow curry ready to eat!

The Sydney International Boat Show

boats & kayaks

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, SYDNEY & COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR

1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

In the skipper’s seat 84 Kayak holidaying Inside story...

Bar Crusher leads the industry in design and quality to produce some of the most advanced plate aluminium fishing boats on the market. Incorporating exclusive innovations, Bar Crusher boats are renowned for their superior performance.

Made for...

Bar Crusher’s philosophy is all about ensuring that the buyer ends up with a boat that’s ideal for their offshore boating needs.

Bar Crushers deliver a super-smooth ride – a far cry from the uncomfortable, pounding ride of traditional aluminium boats – and superior stability at rest.

This month...

Editor Steve Morgan climbs into the Bar Crusher 615 BR, powered by a 150hp Suzuki. Check it out on page 92!

Want to take your love for kayaking overseas? Let Justin Willmer show you how!

88 Sawtell sensations Dayne Tayor shines a light on this beautiful coastal town and its kayaking opportunities.

90 Clean boat storage Wayne Kampe looks at how you can prevent storage woes with your boat.

94 Revival 640 Offshore Steve Morgan takes a ride in this great rig from Revival, powered by a Mercury 150hp!

96 Whittley SL25HT

This beast of a boat, powered by a 200hp Volvo Penta inboard, gets a thorough workout from Steve Morgan.

JULY 2019

83

The Sydney International Boat Show

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, SYDNEY & COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR

1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

A paddle through foreign waters BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

My wife Sheri and I love everything kayaking, be it fishing or crabbing, camping, exploring new waters, immersing ourselves in the natural environment

It’s well worth the effort though when it comes together as you may find yourself hooked up to new species, or seeing your destination from a completely different perspective, with some unique photos and memories of your destination. Simply Google your destination

At the end of our Colorado River journey, the guides sort the many kayaks. and observing wildlife, or accessing land-based areas to explore.

Whenever we travel interstate or overseas, we ensure that we fire up the search engines, hit the internet and look for kayak fishing, kayak tours and kayak hire options in the area that we are travelling to.

From here you start to get an idea of what there is to see, catch or explore in the region, all from the seat of a kayak.

Unfortunately, on our last overseas trip a few years ago, both of our kayak tours were cancelled due to weather.

This is always a possibility, so it pays to have a couple of backup activities pencilled in just in case. This was on a trip to Queenstown, New Zealand and one of the tours was a paddle across a lake

paddling ability.

Even though Sheri and I have been paddling for many years, we still prefer to select tours that are suitable for all age levels and generally labelled beginner or possibly intermediate. After all, we are unfamiliar with the area and the craft, while also being on holidays. Most reputable operators will have quality kayaks, PFDs, paddles and other gear, however the reviews section will give you a better idea of the quality of the tour.

After a lot of saving and preparation, we recently took off overseas again, hoping that the weather would play the game for the two kayak tours that we had booked.

The first was in Las Vegas, consisting of a 20km paddle from the base of the mighty Hoover Dam, down the Colorado River that divides Arizona and Nevada states, finishing up at the Willow

COLORADO RIVER It was an early pick up for our Colorado River paddle with Evolution Expeditions and Michelle our guide was also our driver. Michelle gave us a basic rundown on the day, made us feel at ease and also had plenty of stories about the area as we made the drive to our launch point.

We were lucky that there was only Sheri, myself, our guide Michelle and another

Sheri exiting Sauna Cave after a quick sauna.

The natural hot pools were almost too hot to get into.

Time to paddle back for a well earned BBQ lunch. followed by ‘kayak hire’, ‘kayak fishing’ or ‘kayak tours’ and you will find some options in the region.

Then it’s just a matter of picking an adventure that

Beach Marina.

The second in Hawaii and was a simpler adventure that included paddling from Ha’eia State Park onto Kane’ohe Bay to snorkel the reef, with the hope of coming across a honu (green sea turtle) in the wild. Both adventures went ahead and here’s a quick wrap up of the two adventures, along with the gear that we carry with us on these adventures.

couple Jeff and Casey from Ohio. Sheri and I were in a two-person kayak, as was Michelle with plenty of water, snacks and our lunch, while Jeff and Casey decided to take separate kayaks.

The kayaks were quality Perception kayaks, with rudders, comfortable seats, dry storage, quality paddles and we were fitted with comfortable PFDs. By the time we had travelled down the old road used to build the dam and were standing at the base of the Hoover Dam in awe, I already had my money’s worth. No time to stand around though,

The group’s kayaks on the bank below the River Gauger’s station.

The author was lucky enough to swim with a couple of green sea turtles. to dinner at a lodge, with a return paddle on sunset.

The reviews were good, the photos amazing and we were disappointed that the weather denied us our adventure and we didn’t have any flexibility in our itinerary to reschedule.

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sounds like the right fit for you and investigating it further in terms of when it is available, pricing, inclusions, what you are required to bring and whether there are any requirements in terms of fitness levels or

as security is strict getting down to our launch point.

After some instruction we boarded our kayaks, launched and moved out into the middle of the river where we could admire the Hoover Dam and the surrounding construction.

Michelle pointed out some of the narrow catwalks that had been built along the sides of the canyon wall and were used during the construction of the dam. Being a dam built in part for hydroelectricity I was confident that we would have some flow in the river to assist us over our 20km journey and I was correct.

We were all paddling steadily, while admiring the scenery, the colour and clarity of the glacial water and chatting as we all paddled close together, learning more about each other and also the history of the area.

Jeff and Casey were also competent paddlers, so in no

The longhorn sheep come down to investigate Jeff’s kayak.

time at all we were at our first stop, Sauna Cave. Michelle tied our kayaks off and we climbed a small track, before entering Sauna Cave. The water in the cave was hot and a couple of feet deep, the cave was filled with steam and as we walked further into the narrow cave Michelle turned her headlamp off and it was pitch black. We felt our way along the walls a little further into the cave and then Michelle turned the headlamp back on to guide us out of the cave. It was such an unique experience, it was like a sauna and upon exiting the cave the desert air rapidly dried our clothes.

The Sydney International Boat Show

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, SYDNEY & COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR

1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

We continued our journey down the spectacular Colorado River, a source of life that carves its way through the desert, supplying hydroelectric power and water for farms in multiple states.

The river is also the border between Nevada and Arizona, so it was cool to paddle from one state to another.

The next stop on our paddle journey was morning tea from Michelle’s box of snacks. Then we went on a short walk up into a canyon,

chance of us coming across some during out paddle.

Michelle had seen some on a paddle the day before and had us paying special attention to some sections of the surrounding rocky walls.

Our instructions, keep an eye out for their white butts as that’s the easiest way to spot them.

A short distance on and we were lucky enough to meet a herd of longhorn sheep that included a couple of tiny babies and some larger The view from the River Gauger’s station up the Colorado River.

Sheri takes a moment to appreciate the bridge and the dam. where we were met with a metal ladder.

We had arrived at the hot pools. Taking turns to carefully climb the ladder and we were standing in the first and coolest pool, which was still pretty warm! The pools are maintained with sandbags of gravel and we met the man who maintains the pools, chilling out in pool three. As you move through the pools you get closer to the main source, where the water flows from the rock, they get hotter. We all did pool one, two, three, and then I pushed on through pool four to get a photo of the water flowing from the rock. Safe to say, if it was a bath I would have waited a while before getting in. We chilled and chatted in pool one for a while before continuing on our journey.

Sheri had come across photos of longhorn sheep when looking up this tour, so she asked if there was a

were safely out of sight. It was amazing to watch the sheep negotiate the steep, rocky inclines, seemingly climbing straight up smooth rock faces. We said goodbye to the sheep and thanked Michelle for yet another cool experience.

Further down the river we pulled up for lunch in a shady area that allowed us to rest, relax, chat and enjoy the delicious lunch packs that Michelle had for us, including a meat and salad roll, fruit and other snacks.

It was then back on the river and we were treated to a story about the River Gauger, his office built onto the canyon wall where he measured river heights,

cold drink before boarding the mini bus back to our hotel.

What an incredible adventure and amazing scenery, not far from the craziness of the Las Vegas Strip.

HAWAII Our second adventure was a mini bus from Waikiki in Hawaii, to Ha’eia State Park and onto beautiful Kane’ohe Bay. After some initial instruction, our group of six double kayaks (twelve paddlers) was towed halfway out to the reef we were going to snorkel. We were then detached from the boat and paddled out to a

after what had been another fun day of kayaking and adventure, getting away from the standard tourist trails.

There are a few things that we carry with us on our travel adventures, when we have kayak tours booked.

Sturdy, supportive water shoes are important and can be washed and dried before returning home. We also take our own Sea to Summit dry bags with us as it allows us to organise and pack these before our tour, although most tours will supply dry bags and outline this in their tour description. Other

Just one of the interesting creatures found swimming around Hawaii. sandy section in the middle of the reef where we met the boat again, reattached our kayaks, entered the water and had some snacks and drinks before a quick snorkel instruction.

We spent the next hour snorkelling the reef edge, with one guide snorkelling with us and another monitoring the group from a kayak. We saw a variety of colourful fish in good numbers and we were lucky enough to swim with two small turtles that didn’t seem too concerned

items include a waterproof phone case, sunscreen and bug spray. Your choice of clothing needs to be based around your adventure, considering sun protection, temperature and layering so that you can regulate your body temperature.

Next time you’re planning a trip, be it a couple of hours from home or internationally, if like us you love adventuring in the kayak, there may be an opportunity to catch a new species, explore an

Paddling into Emerald Cave, the sunlight reflections cause it to light up green. female sheep. We moved closer for a few photos and the sheep came right down to the water to drink, while a few others surrounded the small babies to ensure they

Sheri and her group gearing up for a paddle and snorkel in Hawaiian waters.

sediment levels and so forth.

After a day’s work he then had to cross the raging river by lying in a basket and using cables to pull himself across, then negotiate a narrow catwalk around the canyon wall, another basket and cables to cross the river and then a couple of miles walk home. After twelve years of river gauging, the dam was then built at a different location!

It was then onto the famous Emerald Cave and after having the river to ourselves we were now joined by more paddlers. We waited our turn and reversed into Emerald Cave for a few photos. When the sun shines into the cave, the water

lights up emerald green and the green light then bounces around the walls and roof of the cave. Another cool stop on our journey.

Being a small group of reasonably strong paddlers, we were ahead of schedule and able to make one last stop at the River Gauger’s house. Unfortunately, a fire had consumed the house, however, the foundations remained, along with a sign and images of the residence and garage. There was also the old road, some hand laid rock walls and a spectacular view back up the river. It was a great way to finish our adventure, before the final paddle to Willow Beach Marina, where we enjoyed a

The mighty Hoover Dam. with our presence. It was then back onto our kayaks and we made the paddle back to our launch point, where we finished the adventure with a delicious BBQ pork ribs and chicken lunch with salads and drinks. It was then back on the mini bus to Waikiki

incredible environment, observe wildlife or check out the tourist attractions from a whole new perspective. I will never forget standing with the crowds on the wall of the Hoover Dam during our Hoover Dam tour.

See you on the water.

JULY 2019

85

WHAT’S NEW BOATING AXIOM SUPPORTS YAMAHA CL

1

Yamaha Command Link and Command Link Plus has now been integrated into Raymarine’s family of Axiom multifunction displays.

Raymarine’s Axiom series can now display the instrumentation for up to 4 Yamaha outboards on a single display. The Axiom engine data display echoes the look and feel of Yamaha’s digital instrument displays and is compatible with a wide array of Yamaha outboards installed on existing boats as well as on new boats.

Raymarine’s integration with Yamaha outboards gives boaters a big-screen view of engine parameters, tank levels, battery status, and more.

Just about any boat with Yamaha Command Link or Command Link Plus can be integrated with Raymarine’s Axiom MFDs using Yamaha’s optional NMEA 2000 gateway and pigtail. Boats equipped with Yamaha Helm Master or Set Point systems can also integrate with Raymarine using Yamaha’s optional NMEA 2000 gateway (6YG) and Yamaha’s CL7 display.

The free LightHouse Annapolis 3.9 OS update is available now for Axiom, Axiom Pro, Axiom XL, eS Series and gS Series MFDs. www.raymarine.com

ROD HOLDER EXTENDER

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If your rod holder is just out of reach, or the rod butt is hitting the deck of your kayak, check out the Railblaza Rod Holder Extender.

The addition of a Rod Holder Extender to your rod holder will let you offset your rod holder too, adding another level of versatility. You can make your set-up ergonomically better, and get easier access to your rod holder. More importantly, you’ll have the rod in your hand faster when you get a strike.

The Rod Holder Extender will fit any Railblaza rod holders, giving 125mm (5”) of extension. It is fully adjustable, allowing the rod holder to be extended outwards or conveniently position your rod holder closer to you on your kayak or boat.

Care must be taken if you are using the Rod Holder Extender for trolling, as breakage can occur if drag is not set correctly on your reel.

For more information on mounting options, or to view more products in the range, visit the Railblaza website. www.railblaza.com

MAZU UPDATE FOR AXIOM

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Mazu has added powerful new functionality to its app available on Raymarine Axiom MFDs through Lighthouse Apps.

Raymarine Axiom users who have mazu’s m2500 satellite system can now view ROFFS (Roffer’s Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service) fishing forecast hotspots using the mazu app on the MFD. Users also get offshore access to up-to-date sea state data including sea surface temperature, chlorophyll, altimetry and currents. The app also has a new, streamlined user interface.

ROFFS provides a variety of the high-resolution satellite-derived fishing oceanographic analyses customised for anglers. These analyses are specialised for pelagics like tuna, marlin, wahoo, dolphinfish, sailfish, swordfish, sharks and more. ROFFS professional oceanographers analyse multiple real-time oceanographic datasets including but not limited to ocean currents, SST, clarity, ocean colour/chlorophyll, plankton, frontal boundaries, species habitat of targeted fish, and bottom structure to guide users to the most productive waters for a successful 86

JULY 2019

PRODUCT GUIDE

fishing trip. This data is integrated into hotspot locations detailed on an oceanographic map and a comprehensive text description that is easy to understand and use. www.mazu-marine.com/sportfishing

SEAFARER VICTORY 6.0

1 4

The Victory model has been part of the Seafarer family since the early days, and has evolved over the years. A pioneering sport-fishing craft, it is one of Seafarer’s most popular boats.

The new model Victory 6.0 has been transformed with a whole new above-thewater design, and has been kitted out with a plethora of new options, most notably the addition of a new hard top option which has transformed it into an exceptional offshore fishing boat. The hard top also includes two hatches in the roof for ventilation and a Hella LED deck light. A dive/side door also now comes standard.

A whole new layout has also been introduced with a redesigned transom, deck, dash and cabin, improving on what has been a highly respected fishing craft for many years.

Head to the Seafarer website to see the full list of specs and options. www.seafarerboats.com

SIMRAD CRUISE CHARTPLOTTER

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Designed for simple and straightforward navigation, the new Simrad Cruise features a simple, easy-to-use interface, sunlight-viewable display, preloaded Australia charts, mounting bracket and sonar transducer.

The Cruise combines essential GPS features with depth-finding capability to deliver safe and reliable navigation at an affordable price. Free from complicated fishing-specific sonar and networking features, Cruise eliminates the need for boaters to master complex electronics.

The user interface is controlled with a rotary dial and keypad, ensuring smooth navigation through menus, and provides the vital information needed for a safe and enjoyable time on the water. The included transducer provides CHIRP sonar with excellent automatic depth tracking for worry-free operation without the need for fine-tuning or pre-programming.

Available in 5”, 7” and 9” display sizes, this unit is IPX7 waterproof rated and ideal for installation in open boats, and can be flushmounted or bracket-mounted.

Price: SRP $699-$1099 www.simrad-yachting.com

WHITTLEY SL 20 OB

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The new Whittley Sea Legend 20 Outboard (SL 20 OB) is a Yamaha outboard powered model with a 6.3m, SL 20 hull. There’s also the option of a new Coast Tourer Edition hard top, with a full length screen and sliding side windows.

The SL 20 OB gives you the option to easily set your package up as an offshore weapon, a family overnighter, or both. There’s a new flat back transom offered to maximise the fishing area. It also comes with standard premium rear rubber flooring and twin ice/fish boxes (doubling as a seat), which can easily convert to a family area with the side seat and table option.

The package can be optioned up to suit customers’ budgets and needs, with prices ranging from $69,990 for the soft top model, to the Coast Tourer Edition available from $79,490. All SL 20 OB packages are factory rigged to be powered by a Yamaha F130 or F150 four stroke, and are packaged on a dual axle Mackay trailer. www.whittleymarinegroup.com.au

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

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TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY.

The Sydney International Boat Show

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, SYDNEY & COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR

1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

Everything’s swell in Sawtell URUNGA

Dayne Taylor

This month’s kayak hotspot takes you to the peaceful Mid-North coast town of Sawtell, situated a casual

plenty of accommodation options, including a variety of caravan parks, offering both powered and un-powered campsites. For the people wanting a little more comfort, there is a multitude of cabins and even a few resorts close

time, where the best places to launch are, and you’ll also have a few new lures to test out on the water.

Sawtell has plenty on offer for kayak anglers!

There are heaps of places to launch your kayaks in

Dave Barwise took this solid Sawtell snapper from his kayak.

15-minute drive south of the CBD of Coffs Harbour, and a leisurely 25 minutes north of Nambucca.

The town is right between Boambee Creek to the north and Bonville River/ Pine Creek to the south.

Although a relatively small town, Sawtell boasts

by, all of which are within walking distance to cafes, hotels, grocery stores and of course, the water.

It is definitely worth calling into the local tackle store in Coffs Harbour Mo Tackle & Outdoors. You will leave with some great info like what to chase at the

This is the perfect size flathead to keep for a feed.

both rivers, and the most convenient of these is at one of the many boat ramps.

Ramps are located off Lyons Road into Bonville Creek in the south, and at Boambee Bay Reserve off Sawtell Rd into Boambee Creek.

Boambee Creek and Bonville River offer a vast variety of estuary fishing options. In the lower tidal stretches of the river systems you will find kilometres of clear water covering sand flats, artificial and natural rock walls, bridges, pontoons and jetties. The area is perfect for chasing bread and butter species like bream, flathead and whiting. Some of these same areas mentioned also have mulloway, trevally and mangrove jack.

You can venture for

hours in the yak upriver.

There are miles upon miles of fallen timber snags holding plenty of feisty mangrove jack. Venture far enough and you’ll even find Australian bass in the brackish and freshwater. It’s the kind of location that kayak anglers’ dreams are made of!

If the weather is good and you are comfortable in the yak offshore, the waters off Sawtell are abundant with plenty of reef species, especially in mid to late winter! A great location to launch your kayak directly into the ocean is off Boronia Street. This spot offers plenty of room for car and trailer parking, and access to the beach where there is a protected bay ideal for launching kayaks.

This location is also used by locals to launch boats.

The access to the beach is well maintained and used regularly.

Expect to encounter snapper, pearl perch, kingfish, mulloway and samsonfish year round. The warm northern currents from late December through to June usually

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NORTHERN BEACHES MARINE 33 Mitchell Road, Brookvale, NSW T: 02 9905 2117 E: sales@nbmarine.com.au 88

JULY 2019

bring with them plenty of pelagic species, such as Spanish and spotted mackerel, northern bluefin tuna and even the odd black marlin.

A quick Google Earth satellite search of the area will show you just how much fishable reef is literally metres from the shoreline. You will not have to paddle or pedal far at all before you start fishing.

The gear I recommend taking offshore is a fast action 7’ 10-20lb rod matched to a 4000 size spin reel. Anything similar in length for a nice long cast

in the 10kg weight range is ideal for throwing plastics around in search of a nice big shallow water North Coast snapper. Plastics such as the Berkley Gulp 5 and 7” Jerk Shads are a personal favourite of mine to trick these fish.

A quality sounder with a GPS/maps that also shows the water depth or even one that can mark bait and fish definitely makes life easier, but it is not necessary.

Whether you’re a bait or lure fisho, or even just looking for a relaxing kayak getaway, Sawtell has plenty on offer for everyone!

Jacks are a great target for the estuary-minded, and this juvenile specimen ate a Bassday Sugapen.

Contact your Local dealer

Aquamaster 420 Runabout

This snapper couldn’t resist the realistic action of a Chasebaits Squid.

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DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR INSURANCE COVERS?

YMI Marine making their mark at Sydney Boat Show Everyone gets caught up at the Sydney Boat Show looking at all the incredible watercraft available for purchase. But, as soon as you purchase your amazing new boat at Boat Show prices, you’ll need some quality boating insurance. Yamaha Motor Insurance has you covered, as the ultimate option for marine and PWC protection.

Located at the Show, their knowledgeable staff will be on hand to answer all your insurance questions. Their comprehensive boat and personal watercraft insurance packages are designed so that you can personally choose the insurance cover that best suits your boating needs.

YMI offers a range of insurance coverage for all boats (new and used) and personal watercraft.

YMI Marine policy includes a range of impressive coverage benefits. They cover accidental loss or damage (including malicious damage) to your boat or personal watercraft. If something happens in the first three years of registration to your Yamaha powered boat or WaveRunner, YMI Marine offer a complete replacement following a declaration of it being a total loss (Conditions apply).

They understand the importance of your craft and that accidents happen, so they have a New for Old policy on mechanical and electrical components of your Yamaha Outboard motor. This provides boat owners with peace of mind when heading out on the water, the second you have any issues just contact the YMI claims team.

You can go out without a worry, as they also cover personal effects owned by you and your passengers on board, covering clothing, shoes, waterproof gear and manchester, with $1,500 per item and $10,000 in aggregate.

YMI Marine understands the stress that comes with boating and that you cannot control where you are when accidents happen, so they offer emergency assistance for towing costs $5,000 in total. No matter what happens, help will be on the way and will get you to safety.

They also offer up to $50,000 cover to the named insurer from an accident occurring when using your boat

or personal watercraft, for death and permanent and total loss of sight, use of a limb, thumb or any finger. You can go out knowing that YMI puts your safety first.

No matter what the situation, Yamaha Motor Insurance promise a hassle free claims process. They understand that accidents are stressful enough, and want to work with you to ensure a quick and satisfactory resolution. Not only that, but they also offer 24/7 emergency claim service. You don’t get to pick when accidents happen, so their friendly staff is always available to help you.

YMI Marine offer a stress-free pay by the month option, but most incredibly, they offer an optional, innovative Lay-up cover, which is a premium discount for the months your boat or personal watercraft (WaveRunner) is not used.

The best thing about insuring with YMI Marine is that you know you are getting genuine Yamaha replacements on parts.

Your boat will be running better than ever, as quality is of the utmost importance. Yamaha prides themselves on having innovative and reliable products, and that won’t change when you need to replace part of the craft.

They offer competitive rates on all policies, and have something to suit owners of all ranges of watercraft.

In addition to all this, YMI offers premium discounts for age and boating experience. You cannot put a price on knowing you and your boat are covered, and when you insure with YMI Marine you know that you and your craft will be well looked after.

Yamaha understands that a boat is often an owner’s most treasured possession, and so they aim to provide you with the peace of mind that comes with quick and easy insurance solutions.

If you would like to know more, jump onto the YMI Marine website at www.ymia.com.au, call 1300 794 454 or email marinecustomerservice@ymia.com.au.

Make sure you stop by their stand at this year’s Sydney Boat Show. Their friendly and knowledgeable staff will be on hand to answer all your questions and make sure you choose the best policy for you.

Yamaha Marine Insurance is the ultimate in marine and personal watercraft protection.

They promise to provide the highest quality service at competitive rates. – YMI Marine

The Sydney International Boat Show

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, SYDNEY & COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR

1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

Preventing boat storage woes between trips BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

In last month’s issue of the magazine I looked at storage issues in smaller boats, and how to address the challenges of working with limited space.

This month I’ll take you through some of the issues that come with storing a

repairs trailer boats, and he said that if more people did the right thing before letting their boats sit for a while, he’d be far less busy! A fair proportion of his livelihood comes from neglect and sheer carelessness. He has seen boats come in for repair work that actually have fungi growing in damp areas – how bad is that? He’s also seen seats and other soft materials fall apart from

throughout the craft is likely to be restricted.

THINK THINGS THROUGH A dry boat is a good start but there are many other issues confronting a boat owner contemplating laying the boat up for a spell.

Let’s begin by looking at the average glass rig, climb aboard her on the trailer, and see what action we can take to prevent drama down the track.

To start with, pull the anchor and warp out and give them, and the anchor well, a thorough clean up prior to being put away. If the anchor well is within the front of a cabin, some

damp, salty ropes are going to promote moisture for sure.

Forward storage hatches should get a clean out next.

It’s surprising how a little bit of saltwater sneaking in now and again can make a mess, especially if a few emergency tools or other metallic items are stored in a hatch where salt residue has been lurking.

PRESSURE WASH This is the right time to also give the deck a thorough clean-up, especially if there is a non-skid surface up front. Non-skid areas seem to accumulate small particles of ingrained material that causes discoloration that’s very hard to dislodge. You can trust me

If you don’t remove the rope and thoroughly clean the whole area, you’ll end up with a damp anchor well. boat for extended periods between outings. This is something that boat owners don’t usually expect to happen, but it can certainly occur due to circumstances beyond our control.

I have a friend who

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mildew and other dampness related issues.

His number one recommendation is to ensure that the stored boat stays as dry as possible (throughout, not just on its outer surfaces), particularly if air flow

Every time the bucket is returned wet and salty, a layer of salt is added to the storage compartment.

This should not occur in an open bilge area that’s easy to clean and dry out. Note the small patches of dampness-induced mould in the top left corner. on this, as I’ve owned four boats with non-skid decks, and I’ve found that a pressure washer – the good old Gerni – is far more efficient than a scrubbing brush/sugar soap/ elbow grease session! Carpet is different, easier to clean and then dry properly.

If the craft is a centre console rig, now is the time to open the console doors and have a look in the storage space. Many consoles come with upper and lower storage via a central shelf, and if the uppermost shelf is most used it should be well aired, and all the unwanted material should be removed prior to extended storage. If

you see any nuts, washers or other assorted small pieces of hardware (vibrating free of an original fitting), these need to be reinstated without question. A half cabin boat often features under bunk storage, and this might also need a good clean out. If there’s any old food or drink bottles, take them out.

BEWARE FLOOR LEVEL STORAGE AREAS Many craft over 5m in length have floor level storage areas which can be a terrific place to store a handy bucket or other receptacle.

However, this can be a sneaky trap. A bucket that has saltwater dripping off it will cause a build-up of salt

The Sydney International Boat Show

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, SYDNEY & COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR

1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

in that compartment when it’s returned, to the detriment of anything metallic in the area. So while it’s quick and easy to dump the bucket back in the compartment, it’s best to wait until you’ve removed the salt first.

If you do see salt residue in the storage area, wipe it out with a damp cloth and then one with some vinegar on it.

Side pockets, especially lined ones, are also places where unwanted salt can later cause dampness and even mould if you leave them long enough. A sponging with some warm water and detergent prolongs useful life, and if there are drain holes you should ensure that they are open and free to do their job.

LET THE BILGE BREATHE Bilge access is not always easy in trailer boats, but if there’s reasonable access it certainly pays to clean the area out. Anything discarded in the cockpit can find its way to the bilge area before long, so lure packets, wrappers and the usual suspects of sand and soil often end up in a bilge sump. Also, boats stored near trees will certainly accumulate leaves, twigs or berries in a very short time. Removing the bung and allowing the whole sump area to dry properly can greatly reduce issues associated with storage.

Now we come to the outside of the hull – those exposed areas that tell the

world just how well we look after our boat.

MAINTAINING THAT FIBREGLASS LUSTRE Fibreglass craft are easy to clean both inside and out with detergent and warm water, except when you get those hard-to-remove marks on the hull from trailer rollers or from scuffing on the yellow edges of pontoons. Pontoon marks are

which is best applied with heavy-duty gloves to protect your hands, and always in a well-ventilated area. Just rub it onto the area, and it should clean it up. Rubbing alcohol such as Isocol can also clean up fibreglass, but I prefer acetone.

Small scuffs and scratches can be removed by fibreglass polish, and I have found that the Extra Cut stuff The Gerni at work: note the difference! The deck had been hand-scrubbed beforehand.

When the boat is going to be mothballed for a spell, you should thoroughly clean and dry out all the compartments.

Roller marks can be hard to remove, but acetone will do the job.

no big deal, but those roller marks are something else.

They are often associated with even a brand new trailer (usually if the tow vehicle has a diesel engine) due to a reaction between the diesel exhaust fumes and the rubber rollers. Removing these stubborn marks might require some acetone,

does a great job without too much effort.

The last job is to give the engine a once over and release the winch ratchet a tad. Why compress the boat onto the trailer when it’s not going anywhere? Summer storage requires engine inlet ports to be mud wasp proofed as well.

ALLOY BOAT STORAGE When it comes to alloy boats, completely drying the hull is equally essential, as is providing plenty of airflow through the stored craft.

Hatches should be opened and residue removed to see what’s going on under the debris.

If it’s possible to lift floor coverings it’s very wise to do so, just to see what’s doing down there! Any foreign material plus residual water, both fresh and salt, are the trouble makers. Discarded tackle is also a problem because if a battery is left connected to the rig (even when isolated completely) some corrosion through galvanic action might occur where sinkers and the like contact the alloy.

Diligently washing an alloy boat with a strong detergent mix might not be doing the alloy a favour, due to the alkaline composition of that detergent. From experience, a gentle baby detergent is a good choice for alloy craft exteriors and other soiled areas.

Again, the trailer should be well cleaned and all traces of salt removed from around the springs and brake units.

Some stronger detergent can be used to clear away salt traces.

Last but not least, the fuel tank needs topping up with a good dose of fuel stabiliser. Filling a tank when it’s not going to be used may seem unnecessary, but it will minimise the chances of condensation.

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The Sydney International Boat Show

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, SYDNEY & COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR

1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

Bar Crusher 615BR with Suzuki 150hp 4-stroke - SC

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Main: Is there anything better than a brilliant day on Port Phillip Bay, a Bar Crusher and 150 Suzuki horses pushing you along? Above: The 615BR is Bar Crusher’s first foray into a multi-purpose craft, although Matt Urzia will always find a way to fish in it. At rest the Gen 2 hull’s ballast tank takes on hundreds of litres of water and sinks the chines deeper to offer improved stability at rest. extra weight around.

“A lot of our customers want to go out or come home in rough conditions, and the Gen 2 hull lets them do that with maximum levels of comfort,” Pete explained.

If you’re thinking that the 615BR lacks some of its siblings’ fishing chops, you’d be mistaken. The bow riding section has removable cushions and a drop-in deck infill that makes the whole

RPM........ Speed.(km/h)....... Economy.(km/L) 1000 ........................... 3 ............................ 4.0 2000........................... 7 ............................ 2.8 3000......................... 11 ............................ 1.9 3700 ......................... 34 ............................ 2.3 4000......................... 38 ............................ 2.1 5000......................... 53 ............................ 1.6 6000......................... 66 ............................ 1.2 JULY 2019

are matched with Victorian built EasyTow trailers and, coupled with their BarCatch system, it’s a foolproof as possible to launch and retrieve these rigs, even if you’re boating alone.

Packages with the 615BR start from high $60K, and as tested, this rig weighed in around the mid $80K mark.

SPECIFICATIONS

PERFORMANCE

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It’s not often you get the head of a company to come out on a boat test, but Bar Crusher’s Peter Cleland showed up at the Launching Way ramp with their first foray into a multi-purpose boat in tow, the 615 BR (bow rider).

When questioned about the genesis of the craft, Peter said they wanted to design a fishing weapon that the family could also go out on, to enjoy a bit of fun with some towsports.

“We stand at a lot of boat shows talking to people, and this design came from that,” he said.

Built on Bar Crusher’s well proven Gen 2 hull, it features a ‘delta flare’, which is like an old style planing plank on a glass boat that gets the boat onto the plane quickly. The chines are wider than their original hulls to deflect more water downwards and the passive water ballast system reduces buoyancy at rest, dropping the chines further into the water and improving stability.

When the boat takes off, this water dumps out quickly and you’re not carrying the

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pseudo-cabin style feel and ride for when conditions get a little nasty.

Performance-wise, the 150hp Suzuki displayed the economy that they’re known for, delivering 2.3km/L at 3,700rpm and 34km/h. Drop the hammers and she got up to 66km/h at 6,000rpm at nearly half the

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for’ard section a flat casting deck. You can easily add a bow-mounted trolling motor to make this a boat that can easily sneak around any part of the country to cast lures in.

The rear cockpit is similarly transformable. Pull out the ski pole and add a bait board to turn this into a classic snapper rig – complete with the windlass up front to pull the anchor for you.

Importantly, there’s family-friendly shade, places to sit, and the ability to get in and out of this boat while on the water, which is all that most of us need to have a good time.

Well, maybe that, and a donut to tow the kids around on.

We particularly like the generous dash space in Bar Crushers that allow flush

mounting of electronics, and that these are viewable from the cockpit easily. With the addition of the soft top, bow cover and clears you get a

Length...................................................... 6.15m Beam........................................................2.25m Bottom.sheet ............................................4mm Side.sheets................................................4mm Fuel ............................................................ 140L Min.HP ......................................................... 115 Max.HP ........................................................ 150 Height.on.trailer ...................................... 2.15m Fuel ............................................................ 140L economy, 1.2km/L. This rig demonstrably likes cruising economically at the lower end of the planing speeds.

Finally, Bar Crushers supplied from the factory

For more information, get in touch with your nearest Bar Crusher dealer. You can find where your local dealer is by visiting www. barcrusher.com.au.

Suzukis are notoriously economical. This 150hp and 6m+ boat delivered 2.3km/L at 34km/h and 3,700rpm, and a 66km/h top end speed.

The Sydney International Boat Show

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, SYDNEY & COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR

1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

Inset and above: The Bar Crusher team is always looking at clever ways of using space. The under seat tackle storage here is just one of their additions.

Top: The bait board is simple with a removable Teflon insert. You can swap it out for a ski pole for the watersports days.

Above: There’s always plenty of space on a Bar Crusher helm for all of your electronics, so size isn’t an issue.

Bar Crusher’s solution to a rear bench is solid and reliable. It’s simple to deploy and has a smooth finish while stowed.

There is a distinct separation between the front deck and the anchor well, and hopefully no salt water makes its way into your cocktails.

With a bow area covered and locked down, the cockpit is quite sheltered. There are plenty of places to hang onto, which your passengers will appreciate.

If you’re headed off for a weekend of camping there’s plenty of space under the bow cover to stow camping gear.

All of these deck cushions remove to turn the 615 into a fishing platform. Leave the cushions in and remove the centre infill and it’s a lounge.

The 140L fuel tank gives a theoretical range at best economy of over 250km.

Add a bow-mounted electric motor here to really take advantage of the for’ard casting deck.

The slide-in transom door is as simple is it gets.

Designed by anglers, the additions such as the duckboard-mounted berley pot keeps the mess out back where it should be.

All this bait tank needs to work is a functioning water pump. It self levels and drains straight onto the duckboard.

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The Sydney International Boat Show

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, SYDNEY & COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR

1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

Revival 640 Offshore with Mercury 150hp 4-stroke - SC

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Length............... 6.40m Beam................. 2.40m Max.HP ................. 225 Tow.weight ..... 2000kg Capacity ..... 8 persons Fuel ..................... 200L The current fleet comprises 6 models from 5.25m to 6.5m each with unique editions that span a vast array of boating options and offer unrivalled value in their respective markets.

According to their website, “Revival currently builds around three (3) hulls per week in its Melbourne 94

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SPECIFICATIONS

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We’ve tested a few Revivals in the last year, ranging from their Cruiser to the crossover X-Rider.

Revival Boats create value-focused family fishing, lifestyle and off-shore-oriented craft that are meticulously handcrafted in the Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne, Vic. Launched in the wake of the GFC, Revival Boats is the creation of founder, Sam Catanese, former captain of iconic Aussie boat brand, Stejcraft.

Rather than merely replicate his previous efforts, Sam started with a clean sheet and crafted a tougher and more versatile family of hulls that could cater to every environment and boating experience.

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they’re on the water.

Weighing in at under 2,500kg, it’s eminently towable by a twin cab ute or 4WD. You’d probably need to leave the small family SUV at home on a trip with the 640.

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plenty of commentary and running footage there if you’re not within striking distance of Western Australia’s southwest.

For more information or custom pricing, give the team at Hitech Marine

PERFORMANCE

Main: There’s no way anybody would rather be at work on the test day – it was immaculate. Above: On the open ocean side, we could really get a feel of how this hull handled the ocean swells. A bit more wind would have been nice to run it through some swell plus wind chop. facility making it one of the most prolific manufacturers of fibreglass trailer boats in Australia. Each hull is painstakingly hand-crafted to exacting specifications and unlike many brand owners, Sam proudly has his hands (literally) on every hull produced in his factory.”

The test boat was powered by a 3.0L 150hp Mercury, which is a solid platform that’s been around for years and it’s pushing along a Revival 640 Offshore.

For those outside the industry, this ‘work/demo’ boat is one that the West Australian guys put together so that they can go fishing and boating on their days off. And the business gets to own it. After all, there needs to be SOME advantages of owning a boat shop..

The smooth water on the test day let us measure

some figures like speed and economy. With the hammers down, the boat reached 66km/h at a reasonably thirsty 1.1km/L and 5,500rpm. Drop it down to cruising speed, though (32km/h at 3,500rpm) and all of a sudden you’re getting just under double that range.

Combine that with a 200L fuel tank and well over 300km is on the cards for an extended fishing trip.

Pushing out into the ocean swell, the ride was very pleasant and it definitely punched above its price point. You can see the fit out in the images, but the test craft’s equally rigged for a fishing mission or a family day on the water and there’s not a lot of time needed to switch between the two.

Is the Revival the top-of-the-line all-singing, all dancing fishing

machine? Definitely not, but it does have all of the attributes of a highly capable offshore boat that keeps the less-keen anglers in a happy place when

RPM......Speed.(km/h).......... Economy.(km/L) 650 ...........................5 ............................... 2.5 1000 .........................8 ............................... 2.3 2000....................... 13 ............................... 1.7 3000....................... 28 ............................... 1.8 3500 ....................... 32 ............................... 1.9 4000....................... 45 ............................... 1.8 5000....................... 60 ............................... 1.3 5500 ....................... 66 ............................... 1.1 You can see the video of the boat test on the Fishing Monthly Magazines YouTube channel – or you can scan the QR code on your smartphone. There’s

a call (or visit www. hightechmarine.com.au. As tested, this Revival came in at $93,000, however, packages start from around $80,000.

The Mercury 3.0L has proven itself to be a real workhorse since its launch. Optimum cruising speed delivered 1.9km/L economy at 32km/h and 3,500rpm – decent for a 6.4m boat.

The Sydney International Boat Show

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, SYDNEY & COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR

1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

Top: The Revival boat features a folding rear lounge and a removable bait station. It’s pretty easy to convert this from a serious fishing rig to a family day craft. Below: With carpet lining and padded pocket fronts, it’s a reasonably luxurious cabin up front.

When the Mercury dealer puts the 150 4-stroke on their own demo boat, you know that they are confident with it.

Rounded seat bases aren’t as common as they once were, yet there’s still storage underneath for tackle you need close to hand. Folding seat fronts are becoming more and more common, offering support whether you are seated or standing.

The rig sits on a twin axle Dunbier Glider roller series trailer.

Ready for fishing, it weighs in at under 2,500kg.

There is a hard top in the Revival 640 range, however, the shop rig is a soft top.

There’s still plenty of shade and shelter from the elements with the added clears.

Left: The passenger seating is mounted on a stainless base that holds a cooler box underneath.

Right: You can mix and match seat base options.

With everything flush mounted, the helm is neat and tidy.

It is one of the more tidy layouts we’ve seen.

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1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

Whittley SL25HT with 200hp Volvo Penta inboard - SC

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Whittley, “ but this 25 is a very popular rig for both anglers and families.

“Also, it’s the deepest-vee 25 footer in its class. The low centre of gravity from the sterndrive offsets the high weight of the glass hard top, and gives this hull a great ride when the water is rough.”

Not that we could assess that on the test day at Queenscliff; it was the kind of glassed-out day where every hull rides as smooth as a hovercraft.

What we could test, though, was performance.

This rig jumps out of the hole and onto the plane, but what about the most economical speed?

As it happened, 3500rpm delivered 35km/h at 25L per hour, equating to 1.4km/L. Handy indeed for a 25 footer. Put the hammers down and you’ll reach 64km/h at 6450rpm, but your efficiency will

PERFORMANCE RPM......Speed.(km/h). Economy.(km/L) 650 ........................ 5.3 ....................... 2.1 1000 .........................8 ....................... 1.9 2000.................... 13.7 ....................... 1.3 3000....................... 24 ....................... 1.0 3500 ....................... 35 ....................... 1.4 4000....................... 41 ....................... 1.2 5000....................... 55 ....................... 1.1 5650 ....................... 64 ....................... 0.9 96

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Every time I get into a boat that’s powered by a 240hp Volvo Duoprop, it brings a smile to my face. Plenty of power from the V6 block is readily translated to the water through the six blades of the counter-rotating propellers, and the result is super mid-range torque and a fun boat to drive.

Most recently I test drove a Whittley SL25HT, so named because it’s in the Sea Legend range (SL) with a hard top (HT). While I was throwing it into turns and checking out the hole shot, I had to remind myself that it was a 25ft boat.

Whittleys are built in Melbourne, and we have tested plenty of them over the years, from their diminutive CW1650 through to the trailerable 28ft cruisers. This rig sits at the upper end of the Whittley range, but in the middle of the SL sizes.

Marine Director of Sales and Marketing Alan

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wide in the morning and then in the estuary later on in this boat,” Whittley said. “That’s what it’s designed to do.”

Indeed, if you’re

“There’s a 20 and 22SL under it, and a 26 and 28SL above it,” said Whittley

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test boat with all of its options checked out at a tad under $160,000.

For more information visit www. whittleymarinegroup.com.

SPECIFICATIONS

Main: Whittley’s Hard Top 25-footer in the Sea Legend range totes a sterndrive, which is why the model is called the SL25HTSD. It has plenty of torque when you put the hammers down.

Above: The rear duckboard is a spacious casting platform. There’s plenty of potential here to cover it in squid ink. plummet, yielding 900m per litre of fuel burned.

The hard top itself is very handy, with twin layered glass with magnificent visibility to nearly every quarter. The air flow is good for more humid climates, with sliding side windows and a sliding, lockable cabin door in the bulkhead to help secure your gear while you’re docked or travelling.

The routed SeaDek inside is virtually mandatory nowadays for a boat of this class, and Whittley does it well. The rig can’t escape its cruiser heritage either, with a sink and sliding fridge cleverly inbuilt.

The transom duckboard adds family flexibility to the unit, with easy access

for kids or other swimmers on either side.

“And there are no problems fishing out

Length.overall ............................................7.7m Length.on.trailer .....................................8.45m Height.on.trailer ........................................3.3m Beam........................................................2.49m Transom.deadrise ....................................... 23° Fuel ............................................................240L Water............................................................20L Dry.tow.weight ............................................2.8t Max.hp .........................................................300 Capacity ............................................ 8 persons looking for a versatile boat that’s half fishing and half cruiser, the SL25HT is well worth adding to the list.

This model is priced from the mid-$130,000s, and the

au, or like Whittley on Facebook for their latest updates. You can also scan the QR code hereby to see this boat in action on the test day.

The SL25HT has been designed from the hull up to accommodate the hard top. Just dropping a heavy top that high can be problematic on some hulls.

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INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, SYDNEY & COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR

1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

The 25 carries its 23° of transom deadrise well – probably due to the low centre of gravity afforded by the sterndrive installation.

The stern duckboard is suitable for fishing, swimming or BBQing.

Advances in synthetic decking mean that now you can expect quality, durable, washable decking in a boat like this. Whittley do theirs well.

Supplied on a dual axle trailer, the SL25HT is not only impressive on the water, but great to tow as well.

Yep, that’s a TV up front near the access hatch. The SL25HT features a quite luxurious cabin that will keep the family happy.

The grab bar that runs lengthways along the hard top is a neat and practical idea.

At Fishing Monthly we love a good flushmounted sounder fit-out. The SL25’s dash holds a large display with ease. Big tick for the waterproof switch panels, too.

The all-round visibility of the windscreens is impressive.

See the slide-out drawer under the seat base? That’s a fridge.

Underfloor wet storage for swimming gear or fish is incredibly practical.

A dozen livies will survive in here… until you send them to their doom.

Combining stainless rocket launchers with deck lighting is neat.

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1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

Sydney International Boat Show is on again!

The Sydney International Boat Show returns to the International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney and Cockle Bay from the 1-5 August 2019. The show, organised by the Boating Industry Association (BIA) Ltd, is the largest recreational boat show in the southern hemisphere, filling the entire exhibition space available at the ICC, as well as the show’s purpose-built marina on Cockle Bay. Every year, more than 60,000 people visit the show, which is renowned for also being the largest public exhibition hosted at ICC Sydney, with more than 800 watercraft housed within the exhibition space, and another 200 on-water vessels berthed at Cockle Bay. Alan Blake, President of the Boating Industry Association Ltd, said the popularity of the show with exhibitors means available display space is always in high demand, with visitors to the show expecting quality presentations and gear to suit all budgets.

“The enthusiasm for the show is always remarkable,” Blake said. “We return to Darling Harbour this year excited to again make use of ICC Sydney’s remarkable two-level venue, the outdoor Event Deck, and marina at Cockle Bay.” “2019 is shaping-up to be as good as ever with plenty of new vessels and attractions for the entire family.”

As Alan points out, it’s important to remember that the ICC has two exhibition levels, both of which form part of the show, so be sure to check both the upstairs and the downstairs level. Last year, the BIA introduced ‘The Blue Line’ to direct people to the upper and lower levels of the show.

“It was a great success,” said Domenic Genua, General Manager of Events and Marketing at the BIA. “The venue allowed us to put markings on the floor of the foyer area, leading people to the various exhibition levels.”

“It worked a treat!”

The Event Deck adjacent to the top level proved particularly popular last year, and this year features an enormous 35m boating safety

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pool, with its own DJ island providing music, and a 7m tall lighthouse. The pool is devoted to demonstrating aquatic products such as kayaks, paddle and pedal boards, doubling as a great attraction for kids where they can enjoy free bumper boat rides.

The entire show always showcases the recreational boating lifestyle plus all the gear you need for a great experience on the water.

With almost 5 million people enjoying our waterways each year in Australia, this show is again expecting thousands to visit for their annual pilgrimage.

For the industry, the BIA acknowledges the effort made by all exhibitors by way of the Best Stand Awards, recognising excellence in displaying their products or services to the visiting public. The awards are an important way of rewarding the quality of presentations that reflect a positive and professional industry image. The winners are announced at the annual Boat Show Industry Breakfast, held on the morning of the second day, which is also an opportunity to catch-up with colleagues and network with others from the boating industry.

WHAT’S ON Beyond the absolute choice of boats, accessories and fishing gear, there’s plenty of educational and entertaining activities as well, as the BIA’s charter includes education, with water safety being a significant feature. Fishing masterclasses, the maritime museum’s historic boats, the Australia International Dive Expo included, are just a few of the many activities to be seen.

Although the show covers the broad range of boating as a lifestyle, a massive 60% of those visiting the show express an interest in fishing. The fishing clinics particularly reflect that interest, with presentations ranging from inland waterway fishing to the more adventurous offshore competitions, presenting videos, photos and stories to match.

The show also welcomes back Transport for NSW as the show’s Partner in Safety, hosting the Boating Safety Zone where government regulators and other associations are keen to discuss how they keep our waterways safe, and protect the ecological sustainability of the marine environment.

WATER SPEED RECORD – SPIRIT OF AUSTRALIA II Popular last year, The Spirit of Australia II returns as a major feature of the show this year, with Ken Warby’s son David challenging for the Outright Unlimited World Water Speed Record. Ken himself recorded two world records with the original Spirit of Australia, and has now made small improvements in the

hull design to ensure the new Spirit of Australia II will be a record breaker.

The vessel has close to 50% more power than the original boat, powered by a Rolls Royce Orpheus 803 ex-Italian Air Force jet engine, removed from a Fiat Gina G-91 jet fighter. It’s as much a rocket as it is a boat. See it at the show and have a chat to Dave about his ongoing record-breaking plans.

SOLO OCEAN ROWER Excitement and adventure can also be found at the Sydney International Boat Show, as ocean rower Michelle Lee with her boat Australian Maid make a special visit to the show this year. Michelle is the only Australian woman to row solo non-stop across any ocean, successfully crossing the Atlantic earlier this year, a distance of 5000km. Her story of tenacity, strength, survival and sheer determination is inspiring, along with the design and cost challenges of developing her own boat, and the will power required to make it to the start, let alone the finish line. Michelle will be at the show each day, giving talks and posing for selfies.

HISTORY The Sydney International Boat Show was first launched as a standalone event in 1968.

Prior to this it was common for boats to be displayed as part of a motor show or at the Royal Easter Show.

The first boat show site was at the Hordern Pavilion at Moore Park, where it remained until 1985. The show ventured to a temporary facility in Pyrmont from 1986 to 1988, where finally an on-water component was introduced. Most recall the halls leaking during rainy weather and the marina being rickety, but nevertheless those three years laid

the foundation for what would be a long stint at the nearby Darling Harbour.

1989 was a milestone year with the opening of the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre. This big, first-class facility had the added benefit of Cockle Bay being within a short walking distance.

Having the undercover facility and on-water displays working in tandem, the show grew tremendously at Darling Harbour for 25 years until 2013.

The major upgrade to Darling Harbour’s exhibition facilities started soon after the 2013 show. For the next three years, 2014-2016, the show moved to another temporary facility, this time located at Glebe Island. This required the show to be split for the first time, between Glebe Island and the now very large and popular marina component in Cockle Bay, with a ferry service transporting show guests between the two locations.

For the 50th Sydney International Boat Show in 2017, the event returned fully to Darling Harbour. Again in 2019, the undercover displays are located within the vast International Convention Centre – Sydney, and the spectacular marina displays just minutes away on Cockle Bay. GETTING TO THE SHOW Located in the heart of Darling Harbour, International Convention Centre Sydney and Cockle Bay Marina is easily accessible by public transport, including light rail, ferry and train and is an easy walk from either Central or Town Hall train stations. Secure car parking is available and conveniently located within the Darling Harbour precinct.

ENTRY PRICES

It’s great to see that the price for entry to the show remains the same as last year.

Adult entry: $22; Children (6-17 year old): $13 Kids aged five and under are admitted free Family tickets (2 adults + 3 kids): $49 Seniors: $20; Pensioners: $16 2 Day pass: $30; 3 Day pass: $40 A great initiative for those wanting to head to the show after work, if you arrive after 5pm all tickets are just $5 when purchased from any of the ticket booths at the show.

All other tickets can be purchased online, which is a good way to avoid queues on popular days. Visit www. sydneyboatshow.com.au to purchase.

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The Sydney International Boat Show

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, SYDNEY & COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR

1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

Get ready for exciting new releases at the Show!

NEW MODELS FROM BAR CRUSHER! Aussie fishing boat brand Bar Crusher is remaining tight-lipped about its display at the Sydney International Boat Show, but has confirmed the introduction of even more new models!

All we managed to get out of Bar Crusher about the new models making their debut at the show was, “We know people are going to love them, as we’ve always taken customer feedback on board and continued to innovate and keep pushing the boundaries of plate aluminium boat design and construction.”

Designed and built for Australian conditions, all Bar Crusher boats incorporate exclusive innovations such as the Waveslicer deep-V, non-pounding hull for an ultra-

BAR CRUSHER

including a wider negative chine running forward, optimised wider chine aft and the distinctive Delta Flare – a complex V-shaped planing plank that starts wider at the transom and narrows as it runs forward. The result is greater hydrodynamic lift for more efficient planing and improved fuel economy, a higher bow attitude and better spray deflection for a drier ride.

Extensive testing has proved that the 490, 535, 575, 585 and 615 have received significant performance benefits from the next-generation hull design, with the larger 670, 730 and 780 models continuing to be built on Bar Crusher’s high-performance deep-V hull.

Renowned for quality construction, superior performance and maximum fishability (with a range of standard features that other manufacturers charge as extras), every Bar Crusher boat comes on a custom-designed

next level. With exclusive Suzuki on sale offers for boat show patrons, you’ll be sure to find the perfect outboard for you, whether you’re looking to upgrade or buying your first boat motor.

Come and check out the limited edition SS Series outboard models with their edgy matte black styling and striking red graphics, as well as a full range of white outboards on display.

Suzuki’s outboards are known for their fuel efficiency, value and performance thanks to innovations such as Lean Burn, maintenance-free timing chains and offset driveshaft. To find out more visit the Suzuki Marine corporate stand at stand 606, or one of their three dealer stands, Blakes Marine, Northern Beaches Marine and Johnson Bros Marine Services across the boat show weekend. – Suzuki Marine

ANGLAPRO

Among an impressive fleet of fishing weapons on display will be a selection of models from the popular folding-roof cuddy cabin (C) series, centre console/walk-around (XS and WR) series, award-winning hardtop (HT) offshore series, and hardtop pilothouse (HTP) series.

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smooth ride, Rigideck engineered sub-floor system for maximum hull strength, and Quickflow water ballast technology for excellent stability at rest.

All models, from the 490 to the 615, are built on Bar Crusher’s industry-leading Gen2 hull. This design combines key features,

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trailer, which ensures towing, launching and retrieving is a breeze. Self-centering and aligning perfectly every time, Bar Crusher’s innovative Bar Catch system also allows for single-handed launch and retrieve.

Whether you’re a first-time boat buyer or have owned 10 boats and are looking for your next one, drop by and say g’day to the team. At the stand you will see all the special deals on offer, and you can pick up a copy of the useful boat buyer’s guide. For more information visit www.barcrusher.com.au. – Bar Crusher

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This year, Suzuki Marine is returning with a show-stopping corporate stand offering all the latest outboards, tech, gadgets, parts and accessories to really take your boating to the

ANGLAPRO – TOUGHEST BOATS AT THE SHOW Anglapro will be well represented at this year’s show with a versatile range on display.

It comes from the stable that delivers Aussie built, Aussie owned, value for money tough built boats (Merlin Marine & Leisure).

You’ll see the Freedom Sports Bowrider, which is a great day boat for taking family and friends for a cruise on the harbour, or enjoying a ski/tube or early morning wake session.

Also making an appearance will be the 484 Sniper Pro, which is a fishing weapon that comes packed full of accessories as standard and is ready to be put to the test.

The Sniper range starts with the ever popular To page 102

SUZUKI MARINE

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The Sydney International Boat Show

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, SYDNEY & COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR

1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

AQUAMASTER

From page 100

424 and extends right up to the massive 624.

Anglapro’s Bandit 554 Elite centre console is known for its poise, balance and superior on-water performance, and it has fishing room to burn. Built to go anywhere, the Bandit removes all the excuses for getting you on that elusive fish. Small enough to get into those shallow areas around debris, and tough enough to tackle open waters, models in the series range from the 434 through to the 624.

If sneaking away for a couple of hours after work sounds like you, take a look at Anglapro’s 484 Getaway Pro. This runabout offers plenty of protection from the weather, and has large floor space, easy to access anchor, and comfortable and flexible seating arrangements.

Be sure to check out this fantastic range of honest, reliable and bulletproof boats.

– Anglapro

MEET THE MASTERS BEHIND AQUAMASTER If you haven’t viewed Aquamaster Alloy Boats before, drop by Northern Beaches Marine on stand 608 Upper Level to see why these boats are loved by those who are fortunate enough to own them.

Designed and built in Queensland for Aussie conditions, an Aquamaster boat will not let you down. Made tough, the sub floor structure has more structure and welds than the competition, resulting in more strength and a longer life. It adds up to more time on the water and less time waiting for repairs.

The Aquamaster range suits all boating lifestyles. They range in size from 2.4-6.0m

and are available in open, console, cabin, runabout, bowrider and custom designs. So, whether you require a tinny for the kids, a cartopper for the next trip away or an offshore fishing boat, Aquamaster has got you covered.

Northern Beaches Marine will have various models on display at the show, such as the Aquamaster 4.9m Deluxe Centre Console and the 4.55 Abalone Side Console. They are a fishing enthusiast’s dream, optimised for a wide range of daily catches, and the open layout provides ample workable space. Strong, durable, and easy to handle, this model is quickly becoming a favourite among local fishers.

Another model on display at the NBM stand will be the Aquamaster 4.2 Side Console. The side-console helm configuration provides the best fishing layout for smaller boats.

The 5.3m Deluxe Bowrider is a family favourite. Easy to navigate, it’s fun to drive and is not only great for fishing, but also skiing, tubing, and diving. Aquamaster

Bowriders are comfortable, spacious, and designed to withstand Australian weather conditions.

There will be exclusive boat show deals on offer, and the team are looking forward to meeting you at the show to assist with up-to-date advice tailored to your needs. For more info visit www.aquamaster.com.au. – Aquamaster Alloy Boats

AUSSIE FAVOURITES AT AUSMARINE Sancho and the Ausmarine team are saying there’s a lot to be excited about at the Ausmarine stand in 2019.

Stand 406 will hold a huge range of affordable and value-for-money boating products, from car toppers to forward control boats.

The Ausmarine SeaTrail trailer range is continuing to grow, with a large range of galvanised steel including new C channel

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The Sydney International Boat Show 1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

frames, aluminium frame and folding trailers suitable for hulls from 2m right through to 7.8m.

So whether it’s a hot dipped galvanised trailer frame or an aluminium trailer with alloy wheels you’re after, the Ausmarine SeaTrail trailer, SeaCraft boats range will have exactly what you need – not to mention the great boat show specials. The team have promised that their prices will save you plenty of money. You can see the full range at www.ausmarine.biz. – Ausmarine

One of the many products you can see will be the Raymarine Element, a new generation of advanced, combination sonar and GPS displays. Building on the success of Axiom navigation displays, the Raymarine Element incorporates RealVision 3D sonar technology, with 3D bottom imagery and more precise location of fish targets. Element also introduces new HyperVision 1.2MHz sonar technology, featuring ultra-high CHIRP sonar frequencies. HyperVision

THE HAINES GROUP

HUGE SHOWCASE FROM THE HAINES GROUP Don’t miss your chance to check out an exciting array of show-stopping boats from Australian marine industry icon, The Haines Group.

From their flagship brand, Haines Signature Boats, you’ll see a great selection of models. The range offers everything from affordable entry-level options for families looking for their first boat, to tried-andtested offshore fishing rigs with all the bells and whistles for serious anglers. With six decades of boat building nous behind the brand, all built on the renowned and patented Signature Variable Deadrise Hull, there’ll surely be a model to suit your needs at the show.

Seafarer Boats has a legendary reputation amongst boaties and anglers for their hardcore performance and practicality.

If you’re interested in climbing aboard a Seafarer, there will be a great selection of models at the Boat Show including the all-new Victory 6.0. Recently released to much fanfare, the popular 6m Victory model has been transformed with a whole new above-the-water design and has been kitted out with a plethora of new options including a fully enclosed hard top. It also comes with a side/dive door as standard for easy on board access, and boasts premium finishes and materials.

With two boat brands, Haines Signature and Seafarer, as well as Suzuki Marine outboards under their stable, you’re sure to find something to get you out on the water from The Haines Group.

– The Haines Group

RAYMARINE MAKING A SPLASH At the Raymarine stand there will be hard-tobeat deals and amazing products on display.

enhances the DownVision, SideVision, and RealVision 3D sonar, displaying structure, vegetation, and fish with lifelike detail.

The new LightHouse Sport operating system and intuitive keypad controls let anglers quickly mark spots and create high-definition bathymetric maps using the RealBathy real-time sonar map generator capability. The quad-core processor delivers instantaneous chart redraw, smooth RealVision 3D imaging, and fast response.

The Element series consists of 7”, 9”, and 12” display models.

You have all this and more to look forward to when you stop by the Raymarine stand. To find out more about the range visit www.raymarine.com.au. – Raymarine

BIGGEST SHOW EVER FOR YELLOWFIN PLATE BOATS There will be over 10 hand-built Yellowfin Plate boats at the Sydney International Boat show. These boats are built in a specialized plate factory by 17 of Australia’s most skilled builders. These superior individuals are what make the Yellowfin Plate Boats safer, stronger and smoother than other plate boats.

Yellowfin Plate offers the most complete range of any plate boat builder, with 27 models to suit the specific needs of serious anglers. There will be the all new Folding Hard Top and Centre Cab as well as the ever popular Southerner Hard Top. The all new Folding Hard Top is a manoeuvrable fishing machine that is easy to fit in most standard garages. Available in 5800, 6200 and 6500, all will be on display at the show.

Delivering the best of both worlds – the fishability of a centre console with the protection of a cabin – the Centre Cab gives fishos 360° fishability.

For the chargers out there who want to go to new destinations and get there faster,

RAYMARINE

JULY 2019

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The Sydney International Boat Show

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, SYDNEY & COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR

1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

the Southerner Series is the boat of choice.

Serious plate boat anglers can choose between the 7000 and the 7600 Southerner, the most popular boat in Yellowfin Plate’s range.

“We have worked over the past months to select the perfect range of boats to show NSW boaties at the Sydney International Boat Show,” said Drew Jackson, Yellowfin Plate Account Manager. “Yellowfin Plate are the best riding plate boat on the market, and now that the range has expanded, there is a boat that suits all NSW fishos.”

At the Boat Show, come and see the new Yellowfin Plate boats and talk to TR Marine and Hunts Marine about what sets them apart. In the meantime, you can view the range at www.yellowfinplateboats.com. au. – Yellowfin Plate Boats

10-YEAR WARRANTY FOR EVINRUDE, QUINTREX AND STACER

EVINRUDE

The industry’s best factory backed warranty offer is back for only five days at the Sydney Boat Show, and other participating boat shows including Brisbane and Perth.

It’s the only true factory backed 10-year warranty. Backed by the BRP Marine Group, customers can walk away from SIBS with a complete boat motor trailer package. The

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recent acquisition of Quintrex and Stacer by Evinrude’s parent company BRP makes this deal a no-brainer.

As a result of the unique Direct Injection and Dynamic Power Steering technology, Evinrude confidently offers customers a better warranty with outboards that have more torque, less emissions and better fuel economy. These engines feature best-inclass fuel efficiency, best-in-class torque, no break-in period and no oil changes ever.

“Recently we joined BRP, and this major acquisition solidifies our leadership position when it comes to innovative boat-motortrailer packages,” Drew Jackson, Director of Sales and Marketing for Evinrude said. “The industry leading 10-year warranty combines the most innovative outboard engine with Australia’s most esteemed and valuable boat brands.

“BRP, the owner of Evinrude, Quintrex and Stacer, builds the best personal watercraft (Sea-Doo) and the best snowmobiles (Ski-

Doo) in the world, with market shares of 54% and 50% respectively. Evinrude is destined to be the best outboard in the world when paired with the best boat brands in the Southern Hemisphere: Quintrex and Stacer.”

This offer is available at all eligible boat shows by participating dealers and on factory fitted BMT packages. For full terms and conditions visit evinrude.com.au. – Evinrude

QUINTREX RELEASES FISHABOUT PRO Australia’s favourite runabout just got better with the release of the Quintrex Fishabout Pro. Available in 430, 450 and 470 models, the Fishabout Pro has more space, an increased flared bow and the inclusion of a pod transom with a duckboard.

The Fishabout Pro boats have a maximum capacity of five people and horsepower

We hand build every Yellowfin with a perfected and balanced layout so you get the ultimate ‘soft and dry’ ride.

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We can only do that because our superstructure is superbly balanced and designed. And with 6mm bottomsheets we can take any landing.

With the sharp entry point of our Offshore HD hull and reverse chine design our captains always experience a predictable and stable journey.

‘Soft and Dry’. ‘Safe and Strong’.

‘Australian Made.’ Take your pick.

To find out more visit yellowfinplateboats.com.au To have your mind blown, visit your local Quintrex Yellowfin dealer.

The Sydney International Boat Show 1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

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windscreen provide good shelter from the elements, and the new opening walkthrough hatch gives you much improved access to the bow. The Platetrix hull is foam filled, and the ride is quiet and efficient.

In other news, Horizon and Stessl boats have moved into a new custom-built manufacturing facility in the Gold Coast Marine Precinct. This facility is three times the size of their current factory and will enable them to streamline production and improve their manufacturing processes. All orders taken at the show will be produced from this new facility.

To see some of the boats that will be on display at the show, visit www.horizonboats. com.au and www.stessl.com.au, and be sure to check out their stand to see the special deals available. – Horizon Boats

YAMAHA RETURNS WITH EXCLUSIVE DEALS Yamaha Motor Australia, in conjunction with their NSW dealership network, continue to exhibit the latest in outboard technology alongside some exclusive offers at the 2019 Sydney Boat Show. With the largest display of outboards covering all horsepower ranges, there will be something for everybody. As with all Yamaha engines, legendary reliability and unmatched quality comes standard.

The display will be dedicated to the various marine lifestyles that can be enjoyed in Australia. From camping to offshore fishing and more, Yamaha’s display at the show will capture the best of living an on-water lifestyle.

Complementing the complete Yamaha Outboard range is Yamaha’s leading range of outboard technology. There is a selection of products packed with all the features to provide a seamless boating experience.

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NEW FOR HORIZON AND STESSL Horizon Boats and Stessl Boats will be flying the flag at this year’s Sydney International Boat Show. They will have a number of boats from both brands on display and are excited to have the new Stessl 530 Bluewater Runabout, which will be making its debut at the show.

This popular Platetrix model has undergone a redesign and now has a fully welded raised aluminium deck area and a modern, swept back look. The 530 Bluewater is a perfect boat for the bay – the raised deck and tinted

Exhibiting Yamaha dealerships are also offering exclusive deals at the show on a range of their premium products. It means you can get the quality that Yamaha is known for, at competitively low boat show prices.

Yamaha Motor Finance are making ownership easy with super low comparison rates on eligible repower options over 24-60 months and on WaveRunners over 24-36 months.

Completing the suite of offers is Yamaha Marine Insurance. Their policies come with a range of benefits, and they also offer three years of new for old replacement on your new Yamaha. A hassle free process and guaranteed use of Yamaha parts on all repairs are just some of the reasons YMI is the ultimate in

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ratings of 60hp, 60hp and 75hp on the 430, 450 and 470 respectively. These boats feature the current Blade Hull with a new and improved Flared Bow. The stretch formed aluminium side sheets have more curve that runs further down the length of the boat to deflect more spray.

The greater internal space is immediately noticeable. As a result of a wider beam and more space between the dash and the transom, boaties can enjoy more elbow room. To add to the increased space, each boat no longer comes with a motor well that intrudes into the rear lounge area. Instead it is fitted with a pod transom that allows the outboard to be mounted further back, with useful duckboards on either side of the engine.

Quintrex has reconfigured the dash and bow space to be more user-friendly. The Lean Through Dash and Step separates the captain and navigator panels, allowing for easy access to the bow anchor or optional drumwinch.

Every Fishabout Pro now has a bimini, fully welded side decks, two transducer brackets and Premium Hookless carpet as standard in addition to current features like rod holders, folding rear lounge, and side pockets. It can be optioned up to have a ski pole, sounder or stereo.

“The Fishabout dates back to 1945, so as you can imagine improvements are incremental on a boat that has been a best seller for years,” said Drew Jackson, Quintrex Boat’s National Account Manager.

“Making improvements to a perfect product is hard, but once we focused on what is most important to the customer, we believe we made great leaps to enhance the Fishabout Pro. It has a great use of space, for fishing to water sports to cruising, and boaties will never forget the smooth ride in a Fishabout Pro.” – Quintrex

from

Trailers

• Suits Aluminium

From

hulls up to 5.6m

$28,999

•Ford Bearings

AG BOAT PACK E

• Web strap winch

& hubs •Submersible LED

Boat trailer & 75hp 4 stroke fwd control electric start

lights FINANCE AVAILABLE

ALLOY TRAILERS RANGE FROM 4M TO 6.5M PWC13A

FIB5.7M14TA • Alloy Frame • Alloy Wheels • Painted options available • Ford bearings + hubs • Web strap winch • Submersible LED Lights

• Dual Axles •Alloy Wheels • Skid Version Available • Ford bearings + hubs • Web strap winch • Submersible LED Lights

FINANCE AVAILABLE

FINANCE AVAILABLE

ALL PRICES GST INCLUSIVE, EXCLUSIVE FREIGHT, REGISTRATION & DEALER DELIVERY CHARGES.

JULY 2019

105

The Sydney International Boat Show

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, SYDNEY & COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR

1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

YAMAHA

marine protection.

For more info visit www.yamaha-motor. com.au/outboard, and be sure to stop by their stand at the show for exclusive deals.

– Yamaha Motor Australia

MASSIVE DISPLAY FROM MERCURY MARINE Mercury Marine is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. Over the last decade, Mercury has invested more than $1.4 billion into the expansion of its R&D and manufacturing capabilities, and the fruits of

that hard work are on display at the 2019 Sydney Boat Show.

Starring at the show will be Mercury’s new range of V-8 and V-6 outboards, from 175hp all the way to 300hp. Highly configurable, these engines meet the needs of a wide variety of boat lovers – from the Verado’s refined performance, and the FourStroke’s fuel efficiency and rigging versatility, to the competitive edge of the Pro XS models.

These engines are naturally aspirated, durable, powerful and provide options that boat owners have never had before.

The new 250 and 300hp V-8 Verado outboards provide exhilarating performance across the rpm range. The the 300hp Verado is up to 20% quicker than its closest competitor, while still providing up to 8% better fuel

economy. The Verado driving experience has been further enhanced by class-leading reduction in noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH).

The new 250 and 300hp V-8 FourStroke engines are high-tech without being highstress. The high-displacement, quad-cam design of the new V-8 powerhead generates plenty of torque, especially at mid-range.

Indeed, the 300hp FourStroke delivers up to 9% more torque than the nearest competitor at 3500-4500rpm. It boasts class-leading 4.6L displacement, yet is the lightest in the 300hp class by more than 4.5kg.

The new 175hp V-6 along with the 200, 225, 250 and (for the first time ever) 300hp V-8 Pro XS outboard engines are the next generation of performance.

Featuring Mercury’s new compact cowl, these engines boast ample torque from their high-displacement powerheads and superior acceleration due to their quad-cam design and Transient Spark technology.

Boat show visitors will also be able to

inspect Mercury’s new line of 3.0L diesels for sterndrive, inboard and water-jet applications.

Available in 150hp, 230hp and 270hp variants, these engines have been engineered, developed and tested over three years to lead their class in: acceleration; reliability; ease of installation and maintenance; and reduction in noise, vibration and harshness. A new watercooled, variable-geometry turbocharger and common-rail fuel delivery provide exceptional performance and substantial improvements in acceleration and top speeds. With impressive low-end torque and exceptional durability, these engines deliver the best of both worlds – high performance with lower emissions.

Mercury subjected these diesels to intensive testing including ‘accelerated life’ tests that exposed the motors to greater rigors than any customer would impose in normal operations.

These new engines are fully compatible with Mercury SmartCraft technologies, so users have instant access to a broad array of engine-related information, as well as

MERCURY

Our new Apex Hull is amazing.

In the rough, it’s smoother than any tinnie we’ve built before – thanks to the radical flared bottom sheet that extends to the bow gunnel, as does the wide chine.

Add the thicker and higher topsides and the raised deck and you get a softer ride with less spray. And it looks fantastic – don’t you reckon?

Discover MORE at Quintrex.com.au *Size and features comparison made with 2016 Quintrex models.

QXFMMORESMOOTH 001

106

JULY 2019

The Sydney International Boat Show 1st to 5th August, 2019 – 10am to 7pm

maintenance alerts and troubleshooting guidance. The engines also integrate with Mercury’s Joystick Piloting for Inboards (JPI) and Joystick Piloting for Sterndrives (JPS).

The all-new 400hp Verado outboard is the most powerful Verado on the water. Built on Mercury’s proven L6SC Verado platform, it’s suitable for a wide range of applications, and the added power has not taken away the smooth and quiet operation that Verado outboards are known for.

Weighing just 303kg, the same as the 350hp Verado, the newest Verado is the lightest outboard in the 400hp+ category by more than 130kg.

The 400hp Verado will exclusively use the 5.44” 1.75 HD (heavy duty) gearcase and is compatible with Mercury Joystick Piloting for outboards. It will be available in the same model variations as the 350hp Verado.

At the Mercury stand at the show, visitors will also be able to check out Mercury’s range of ultra-lightweight portable outboards, which range from 2.5-25hp. Featuring battery-free EFI for fast, dependable starting, instant throttle response and better overall performance, these small engines pack plenty of power. They are easy to install and operate, with reliable starting, low vibration, and instant throttle response, and there are engine protection warning systems for low oil

ranges to cater all your fishing requirements, with hard tops, cuddy cabins, walkaround, side and centre consoles. See the latest Bar Crusher boat test on page 90-91 for an idea on just how much you can do with these boats.

You can customise your new boat purchase or re-power your existing boat with Blakes Marine by choosing either a Suzuki engine or Evinrude E-Tec, with a wide variety of colours and stripes that you can choose from to suit your own tastes.

Make sure you come and see the friendly Blakes Marine team at the show. To find out more about some of the boats that will be on display, visit www.blakesmarine.com.au. – Blakes Marine

NEW RELEASES FROM NAVICO This year’s Sydney International Boat Show is another big one for Navico, with a huge range of Simrad, Lowrance, B&G and JL Audio products on display.

From Lowrance, for the first time in Australia, the newly launched Ghost freshwater electric motor will be on display. Reliable, rugged and built to last, the new ultra-quiet

BLAKES MARINE

pressure and over revving.

With all that and more, the Mercury stand is a must see. For more info visit www. mercurymarine.com.au. – Mercury Marine

BEST BRANDS FROM BLAKES MARINE For over 25 years Blakes Marine in Mulgrave have been one of Australia’s most reputable marine dealerships, and you can see everything they have to offer at the Sydney Boat Show. This family owned and operated business services the greater Sydney and NSW boating community. Renowned for service and after sales care, they make boating easier.

Blakes Marine are the sole NSW and ACT dealer for some of the best brands in the industry, including Bar Crusher, Chaparral and MasterCraft Boats. They have also recently added the Stejcraft range to their already impressive line-up.

Bar Crusher plate aluminium boats have

Lowrance Ghost helps anglers fish longer, run faster and get in close without making a sound.

Ghost has a newly designed brushless motor with the most thrust and the longest run time of any electric motor on the market, plus other benefits including integrated Lowrance sonar options, waypoint anchoring and an industryleading 3-year warranty.

In addition to this, Lowrance will have sounder demonstrations on the newly available Lowrance LiveSight. LiveSight is real-time sonar with live views of bait and fish movements and is the perfect addition to the HDS Live systems.

The newly launched Simrad Cruise is Navico’s most affordable chartplotter available.

Designed for simple and straightforward navigation, Cruise features a simple, easyto-use interface, sunlight-viewable display, preloaded Australia and NZ charts, mounting bracket and sonar transducer. Available in 5”, 7” and 9” display sizes, this unit is IPX7 waterproof rated and ideal for installation in open air vessels, and can be flush-mounted or bracket-mounted.

Come down to the show and chat to the Navico team at stand 617 or visit navico. com. - Navico

NAVICO

JULY 2019

107

Nobody knows your engine like we do

PROTECT YOUR BOATING LIFESTYLE WITH MERCURY AUTHORISED SERVICE Keeping your Mercury running 100% has never been easier with a Mercury Authorised Service Centre… you can expect • Courteous, expert service • Fully trained technicians using only genuine Mercury replacement parts and lubricants.

• The added peace of mind that all genuine replacement parts come with a full one year warranty.

Simply put, no-one else has the knowledge and diagnostic equipment to ensure the best possible service.

So why would you trust anyone else...

www.mercurymarine.com.au