New South Wales Fishing Monthly - June 2016 by Fishing Monthly

WINTER SQUID FISHING • COOL BEACH TIPS

Features

Braving the beach • Winter squid options • Buying an estuary craft •

Tried and Tested

Robalo 206 Cayman • Horizon 525 Scorpion • Leavey Lures Murray Moth • Ecooda Mini Pop •

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LET’S LET’S CUT CUT STRAIGHT STRAIGHT TOTO THE THE POINT POINT If you’re If you’re looking looking to increase to increase your your hook hook up up rate, rate, whywhy ® hook ® hook on on your your next next notnot try try a Black a Black Magic Magic C Point C Point fishing fishing trip? trip? TheThe chemically chemically sharpened sharpened point point withwith it’s it’s three three micro micro cutting cutting edges, edges, coupled coupled withwith a smaller a smaller than than average average barb, barb, gives gives youyou a hook a hook thatthat penetrates penetrates withwith ease. ease. You’ll You’ll hook hook them…and them…and you’ll you’ll hold hold them! them!

Billy Papageorgiou Billy Papageorgiou landed landed this 35lb this jewfish 35lb jewfish while while fishingfishing off the offFar theWest Far West Coast.Coast. Billy used Billy used two Black two Black MagicMagic 7/0 7/0 ® Hooks Hooks to take to his take fish. his fish. C Point C ®Point

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BlackBlack MagicMagic 6/0 C6/0 Point® C Point® Hooks Hooks and Black and Black MagicMagic 20lb 20lb Supple Supple TraceTrace “produced “produced great great results” results” for Neil for Neil Mackenzie. Mackenzie. He was Hefishing was fishing in Port in Phillip Port Phillip Bay, Victoria. Bay, Victoria.

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“I have “I have been been using using your your hooks hooks forfor thethe past past 2 years 2 years with with a lot a lot of success of success on on Jewfish, Jewfish, with with solid solid hookups hookups in the in the jawjaw bone”. bone”. - Clint >> >> - Clint Pavlidis Pavlidis - Newcastle, - Newcastle, NSW NSW A Black A Black MagicMagic 10/0 10/0 C Point® C Point® HookHook was used was used by Clint by Clint Pavlidis Pavlidis to land to this land33kg this 33kg jewie.jewie. He used He a used freshly a freshly caught caught squidsquid as a as live-bait a live-bait and was and fishing was fishing in thein Newcastle the Newcastle Harbour Harbour duringduring low tide. low tide.

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June 2016, Vol. 21 No. 11

Contents 08

BYRON COAST The Tweed 24 Iluka 26 COFFS COAST Ballina 27 Coffs Harbour 28 Coffs Game 30 South West Rocks 31 MACQUARIE COAST The Hastings 32 Forster 34 HUNTER COAST Port Stephens 35 Hunter Coast 36 Harrington-Taree 34 Swansea 37 Central Coast 38 SYDNEY The Hawkesbury 12 Pittwater 13 Sydney North 14 Sydney Harbour 16 Sydney rock and beach 17 Botany Bay 18 Sydney South 20 ILLAWARRA COAST Illawarra 42 Nowra 43 BATEMANS COAST Batemans Bay 44 Narooma 45

From the Editor’s Desk... THE ELECTION IS COMING With a federal election called just before we went to print, it’ll be interesting to see how the major parties roll out their recreational fishing policies. At all levels of government, there’s been some serious wins and some heavy losses in our battle for access and to protect our basic fishing rights. Remember that you do fish and vote and if there’s nothing else to swing you, why not make a decision on recreational fishing policy? I can think of worse things to tip the balance. Keep an eye on www. keepaustraliafishing. com.au for major policy announcements. HOBIE WORLDS 6 ANNOUNCED Symbolising the meteoric growth of competitive kayak fishing globally, the 6th Hobie Fishing Worlds has just been announced for 2016 –

to be held in Louisiana, USA this December. Australia will again be sending a strong contingent to contest the title – we’ve had Aussies win the coveted title twice in the last five years. Believe me – this is a big thing for the anglers involved. Qualifying events for the Worlds are hotly contested and places in the Australian team are coveted. Well done to Hobie Fishing for pulling it all together again in spectacular fashion. Keep an eye out for more coverage on hobiefishingworlds.com. Hobie’s coverage of these events is world class. WINTER FISHING HOTTING UP We’re increasingly aware of the awesome winter fishing options that present themselves in NSW every time the mercury drops. Our relatively new writer, Dave Allan from Copeton Dam in the state’s north is case in point. Never have we seen before such a fantastic freshwater wintertime

fishery from cod develop. Anglers from all over Australia are travelling to this picturesque lake to throw forearm-length topwater creations – usually locally made – at Murray cod the size of beer kegs. It’s an exciting fishery and just a snapshot of what can be achieved by not archiving the tackle when the days get shorter. COMING TO THE LURE EXPO? And with an eye ahead to next month, be prepared for

a great feature on the 5th Australian Lure and Fly expo at Ipswich in Queensland. Increasingly, this event is a ‘must attend’ for lure fishers, collectors and experts from all across Australia. It might seem a way to travel for a small show, but there’s never been a more concentrated assembly of Australian lure making talent. Anywhere, anytime, ever. So block out July 16-17 in your calendars and we’d love to see you there!

EDEN COAST Bermagui 46 Merimbula 46 Tathra 47 Eden 48 Mallacoota 49

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This squid was caught on a DTD Squid jig at Port Hacking.

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NEW SOUTH WALES FISHING MONTHLY

AUST

SPECIAL FEATURES Winter squid options Braving the beach

REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 66 Boating 86 Dam Levels 54 Fun Page 82 Kayak Fishing 80 Tides 83 Trade Directory 84 Tournaments 69 What’s New in Fishing 62 What’s New in Boating 77

PRO

FRESHWATER Mildura 50 Robinvale 50 Yarrawonga 51 Canberra 52 Wagga Wagga 53 Jindabyne 54 Batlow 55 Lithgow-Oberon 56 Hunter Valley 57 Tamworth 58 Orange 59 Copeton Dam 60

ING TRADE

Belmont: Belmont Affordable Boats | (02) 4947 0055 | belmontboats@bigpond.com.au Dubbo: Dubbo Marine and Watersports | 02 6882 2853 | bbeandel@bigpond.net.au Iluka: Iluka Boatshed | (02) 6646 6106 | ilukaboatshed@bigpond.com Albury / Wodonga: Border Marine | (02) 6040 9999 | bordermarine@westnet.com.au Shellharbour: Sunset Motors and Marine | (02) 4297 2888 | sunsetmotors@bigpond.com Merimbula : Merimbula Mowers and Marine | (02) 6495 4495 | sales@mmam.com.au

Squid

On the plate or use as bait, that is the question SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

I know that I don’t catch squid every time I target them, and that keeps me coming back time after time. When I do catch them, my major problem is whether I use my catch for bait or to take them home for a delicious meal.

Troll direction

DECISION, DECISIONS! WHAT TO DO? For me the decision of what to do will relate to what type of fish species I intend to target on the day, or if I am just after a feed of squid. If I am just after a few squid for a feed I don’t mind what size I get, just as long as I get about half a dozen. However, it’s a different ball game if they are to be used for bait.

As an example, I recently went out to target kingfish with my son-in-law Andrew in Botany Bay, and we only managed to get three squid in an hour. Two were around 100mm in body length and one was 400mm. We trolled the two small ones for almost two hours and never got a strike. I even tried stripping the squid and still had no luck, so the squid/kingfish session turned into a take

home and eat them session. On other days, however, the action has been fast and furious, which has made for some great kingfish catches. LOCATIONS Over the years I have caught squid over kelp beds, ribbon weed beds, off the rocks, around rocky headlands, offshore reefs, in clear and dirty water, cockle beds, deep and shallow water, sandy bottoms and

Downrigger

Bomb 1 metre

Make sure that you take care of the needle sharp points of the jig. I spray INOX on them after I have washed them with fresh water.

4 to 5 metres

swivel

4-5 turns of reel off bottom

even where the beach meets the rocks. The trick to find where the squid hang out is to make sure you don’t spend too much time at one location. If you haven’t found them after about 20 minutes it’s time to move on to the next spot. To give you an example, if you were fishing in Botany Bay you could start off fishing the patches off Towra Point, then move out into the deeper water at the edge of the drop-off. No luck here? You could go over to the end of the second and third runways, then the north-western corner of the retaining wall at Port Botany, Trevally Alley, the NE corner in Yarra Bay and then make your way over to the inside of Bare Island and Henry Head. Try over at Sutherland Point, Watts Reef and then over the groynes off Kurnell. If you still haven’t got a squid, just try for something else or call it a day. SQUIDING TECHNIQUES The next question is, ‘what is the best technique to catch squid’? The answer

is simple: the one that catches them on the day. The technique you use today may not work the next day. The same goes for the size, weight and colour of the squid jig. Rocky shoreline When working a rocky shoreline with kelp along it you can position the boat parallel to the shoreline, then cast along the shoreline and slowly work the jig in long, slow draws back to the boat. Allow the squid jig to slowly sink down and at the same time make sure that it doesn’t get hooked on the kelp. On the other hand, you could position the boat about 30m out from the rocky shoreline and cast to within a metre of the shore and slowly work the squid jig back out towards the boat. This time you will need to allow the squid jig to follow the contour of the bottom. Drifting When drifting down through a sandy channel you will need to cast out as far as you can. Allow the squid jig to sink to the bottom. Once it has hit the bottom you can either slowly wind (half

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Squid walking pace) the jig back to the boat. If that doesn’t work you can once again cast out as far as you can and once it has hit the sandy bottom, rip the squid jig back like you would when soft plastic fishing for flathead. Don’t forget to let it hit the bottom before ripping the rod tip back. Both of these techniques can be used to cast towards or away from where you are drifting. Dual jigs Set up the rod with a paternoster rig and instead of putting on a sinker and a hook, put on two different coloured squid jigs. Make sure the bottom one is heavier than the top one. Lower it over the side and down to the bottom and wind it up a few

turns. Then sit it in the rod holder and work a second rod with a squid jig on it. The rod that I prefer to use for this method is the Shakespeare Ugly Stik, as the motion of you moving about in the boat or the wave action will cause the squid jigs to bounce up and down. Make sure that when rigging the squid jigs that they can’t tangle with each other. Suspending Whether you are fishing out of a boat while drifting or at anchor, fishing off the rocks, or from the shore in the estuary you should try to suspend the squid jig about 1-2m underneath a bobby cork. Once again, the motion of you moving about in the boat or the wave action will

You can’t have enough squid jigs. Check out the different sizes, weights and colours I have in my boat.

LIVE SEARCH 490 GLOW STANDARD Colours: 8 Sizes: 2.5, 3.0, 3.5

LIVE SEARCH 490 GLOW DEEP

Bobby cork approx 1-2 metres

cause the squid jigs to bounce up and down. There are a number of other techniques that you could try when squidding, but these are the four main methods that work for me. As for size and colour of the squid jigs that work the best – I will leave that up to you. I mainly use 7, 10 and 15cm, in weights 2, 2.5 and 3 and always make sure I have at least one that is pink.

FISH SPECIES TECHNIQUES Kingfish If I troll shallow or downrig with my squid I usually make sure my squid bait is no longer than 12cm in length and whole. Any larger than that I will kill the squid straight away and then cut the body into 4-6 strips and the head into two. If by chance I get any bigger ones that are around 600g-

LIVE SEARCH RATTLE SYSTEM

I prefer to troll between 2-5 knots. When at anchor I just lower the bait to the bottom and then wind up about 4-5 turns, put the rod in the rod holder and wait for all hell to break loose. Sometimes you don’t have time to put a second rig in the water and other times you will soak the bait for hours, wind it up and take it home and eat it. To page 10

LIVE SEARCH 490 GLOW SHALLOW

Yamashita’s Live Search 490 Glow is a new and revolutionary squid jig . Equipped with a stainless steel bearing system and a special bone plastic body each jig is tuned to produce a rattle that is exactly 600hz. Through years of testing, a leading Japanese university discovered that squid can pick up the 600hz frequency. It is the optimum level to spike interest from squid.

490 GLOW LIGHT SYSTEM

Colours: 12 Sizes: 3.5

1kg I will cut off the candles, then cut the head into four pieces and cut the body in half (length-wise) and then into strips. This will give you about sixteen baits out of one squid at 600g. I prefer a trolling speed in deep water around 1-2 knots or in gear and then out of gear. Just so that the weighted bait is about a 1m off the bottom. When the bait is trolled near the surface,

Via the use of photometry – the study of light, in relation to a squids vision, Yamashita ascertained what wavelengths squid can best detect. Through this further research it found that 490nm (nanometres) of light is the optimal light wavelength, hence the name 490 Glow. Each jig outputs 490nm of glow which is the optimal wavelength for squid to see

For the full colour ranges please visit www.ejtodd.com.au

Colours: 12 Sizes: 3.5

490 GLOW NAORY Colours: 7 Sizes: 1.5, 1.8, 2.2

facebook.com/yamashita.australia JUNE 2016

Squid From page 9

Yellowtail kingfish love to hang around fixed markers or floating navigation buoys and wharfs. If you fish from the shore you could always suspend a live squid underneath a bobby cork and with a well-directed cast you could place the live squid and the bobby cork right beside the marker. If there is a kingfish hanging around the marker, it won’t take long for it to go off.

Flathead When I use squid for flathead I only use squid strips around 10-12cm long on either a single long shank or circle hook and drift, whether in the estuary or on close offshore sand and gravel spots. When I drift offshore I use a paternoster rig, and will hang onto the rod the whole time. In the estuary I only use the ball sinker down onto a swivel with a leader of no more than 50cm long and keep the rod

at the ready in the rod holder. I find that I have the best success when I am using an Ugly Stik rod with its hollow blank construction and a solid tip. To top this off, I only use braid for my mainline and fluorocarbon for my leader. This gives me so much more sensitivity in touch. Bream and whiting When I target bream while at anchor or on the drift I use two different rigs until I find which one

Left: This is what happens when you get the killing of the squid wrong. The colours indicate that the brain is still alive. Right: The whole of the RIG FOR RIG FOR ESTUARIES squidOFFSHORE will go white when you have found the correct spot in the brain.

RIG FOR OFFSHORE

works best on the day. When drifting or at anchor, use the sinker down onto the swivel rig. You will need to have a leader length of between 1-1.5m, and the sinker needs to be heavy enough to just keep it on the bottom. If you are using a ball sinker directly down onto the bait when drifting, the sinker needs to run freely and be heavy enough to have it slowly drag along the bottom and not get snagged. At anchor when using the ball sinker down onto the bait you will need to work out what size sinker best suits the current and whether the fish are feeding mid-water or on the bottom. Hook size for the bream will be a number 1-1/0 Owner circle or bait keeper and for whiting a number 1-1/0 long shank hook. Leatherjackets Whether I am fishing from the shore, out of a boat in the estuary, or deep sea for leatherjackets there is only one type of rig that I use – the paternoster rig. The only difference between fishing in the estuary and offshore is the size of the long shank hook that I use. Inshore I use a number 10-12 and offshore it will be a 1/0-3/0. The

RIG FOR ESTUARIES

15kg Gelspun

6 to 10kg Gelspun

15kg Gelspun Swivel

approx approx 1.2m 1.2m

10kg Fluorocarbon leader 10kg Fluorocarbon leader

Sinker to suit drift speed

Swivel

Spider hitch

15 to 20cm

Spider hitch

15 to 20cm

Hook and squid strip Hook and squid strip

Sinker to suit drift

No more than 50cm of 6kg fluorocarbon No more than 50cm of 6kg fluorocarbon

FLATHEAD FLATHEAD

Sinker to suit drift

RIG FOR OFFSHORE

* * * *

Swivel

Hook and squid strip Hook and squid strip

RIG FOR ESTUARIES

RIG FOR OFFSHORE

RIG FOR ESTUARIES

15kg Gelspun

Spider hitch

10 to 15cm

Sinker to suit drift

JUNE 2016

Sinker to suit drift

Hook and squid strip Hook and squid strip

* *

ApproxApprox 1m 1m

approx approx 1.2m 1.2m

Swivel

10 to 15cm

When trolling a live squid, I use a sliding, two-hook snooded rig and use a sinker as a poor man’s downrigger. target. I have to say that everything in the sea loves a feed of squid! Refer to the diagrams for species-specific rigging guides. OUFITS Sure, there are specialist rods on the market, but for fishing either out of a boat or offshore I prefer to use a 2.1m Shakespeare Ugly Stik rod with either straight through 6kg Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon or 4kg Berkley Fireline with a 2-3m fluorocarbon leader. This can be used for all four of the techniques listed above. The other outfit that I use is a 2-4kg, 6’8” Pflueger Trion rod spooled with a mainline of 3-4kg Berkley Fireline with a 2-3m fluorocarbon leader. If I am squiding off the rocks I use a rod with a length between 3-3.6m as this will enable me to cast much further. KILL AND STORE For me, this is an easy one. Catch them and then eat them! If it is a few days before I can actually eat the squid, I will clean them and place them (separately) into a snap plastic bag and store

Whether you are going to eat or use the squid as a dead bait (whole or stripped) you need to kill it quickly and correctly. The best way that I have found is to use a squid spike and stab the squid in the brain and twist. You will know that you have done it correctly as the whole squid will instantly go white. COOKING When cooking squid you can really get it wrong and it will turn out to be tough or chewy. My son-in-law Andrew is a Junior Sous Chef at the Hilton in Sydney and he has taught me to cut up kiwi fruit and squeeze it over the squid. The acid in the kiwi fruit will soften the flesh. Alternatively, soak it for a short while in a mixture of milk and honey. Whichever way you do it, you will need to make sure that you have washed off the excess before you start to cook. There are so many different ways to cook squid. I recommend that you go to www.sydneyfishmarket.com. au/seafood-school/recipescooking-info/recipes22, type ‘squid’ or ‘calamari’ into the search box, click and choose away.

6kg Gelspun

15kg Gelspun

Spider hitch

them in the bottom section of the fridge for up to five days. The only time that I may freeze them is when I want to put a few away for baits. To do this I put them into a snap sealed freezer bag and before closing up the snap I make sure that all the air is out. Then I lay them somewhere flat in the freezer.

6kg Gelspun

Swivel 10kg Fluorocarbon leader 10kg Fluorocarbon leader

Sinker to suit drift speed

size of the squid bait in the estuary will be about a half a centimetre square just pinned and sitting in the bend of the hook. Offshore I like to have strips of between 5-10cm in length and threaded onto the shank of the hook. RIGS Rigs depend on what fish species you aim to

* *

Swivel

6kg Fluorocarbon leader 6kg Fluorocarbon leader

LEATHERJACKETS LEATHERJACKETS

Swivel 10cm 10cm

Hook and squid piece Hook and squid piece

Sinker to suit depth and current Sinker to suit depth and current

This squid is destined for the pan.

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10.55%

Catch and release huge mulloway this season THE HAWKESBURY

Dan Selby dan@sydneysportfishing.com.au

The good run of fishing has continued with the action set to maintain right through winter. Forget

about packing away the fishing gear and get out for some laidback hours of fishing between 8am-4pm and enjoy some sensational winter weather and great fishing. Lighter line and leader coupled with a slower

approach when retrieving lures is the key to getting bites in the dropping water temperatures. Small vibes and blades can be a great asset with the ability to sink a small offering deep where the conditions seem to be more comfortable for most species in the estuaries. Adding scent to unscented baits or using heavily scented lures like Gulps could also be beneficial on the slower days. Big winter bream are schooled up along the rock walls and deeper reefs like Bar Point and Flint and Steel. Coincide your efforts around the tide change with lures or baits and fish no heavier than 10lb with fluoro leader and you should get some good results. There’s been a great start to the hairtail season in Broken Bay and Cowan Creek. It

running a 20lb leader with a set of ganged hooks. Be on the ball and set hooks to alleviate your bait from being swallowed deep and ensure a mouth hookup, hence no bite off. Flathead will start to slow down a little, but a feed will still be achievable. I tend to find them sitting at the base of the rock walls when I target bream and mulloway. The last few seasons have seen most flatties hit our lures close to the boat, so whether they sit further out from the structure, or are following our retrieve for a fair distance before biting is anyone’s guess. Make sure you complete your retrieve the whole way back to the boat if you aren’t having much luck finding the flatties where they normally should be. My clients managed quite a few larger

Tom White did a great job staying focussed during a tough bite on a recent charter with his dad Peter. He landed this 118cm mulloway on 8lb tackle. He had no second thoughts about releasing such an awesome fish so someone else could experience the thrill and excitement of catching it.

Big bream are a feature here on the Hawkesbury. They snaffle up well-presented lures and live bait aimed at mulloway.

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Creating lasting memories for mates and families is what chartered trips are all about. Chris, Gerry and James were pretty excited when this 125cm mulloway hit the deck, one of three over the magic 1m mark for the day! seems the season is getting a little earlier each year, and the better fish tend to be present at the very beginning of their run inshore. Suspending pilchard baits or small live yakkas at different depths beneath your boat or under a bobby cork is the best method to get a feed and a picture with one of these deep-water specimens. Wire isn’t necessary and will get you far fewer bites than

specimens this autumn with multiple fish in the 70–90cm category while lure fishing for mulloway. A few other reports of big croc-sized flathead have come from those live baiting with tailor, herring and yakka from Spencer back to Broken Bay. The river has fished very well for the elusive mulloway with fish found on most trips. Some great-sized fish have been encountered on lures and live baits with no difference as to the better method to employ on a daily basis. The one key factor is if you pick a technique, stick with it and do the best you can. This means if you are live baiting have good quality lively baits in the water at all times rigged on sharp hooks tied on good leaders and make sure your knots are solid. When lure fishing, you should ensure your soft plastic is straight when rigging it onto your chosen jighead. Have just enough weight to get you into the zone. Every time you bring your lure back in from a retrieve, inspect it to make sure there is no weed on it, and that your tail is still fitted up the jighead and that a chopper tailor hasn’t bitten your tail off!

Mulloway are a great species to catch and release. While they are in a recovery program, I highly recommend you release the models that are in prime condition. Keeping a feed of 40-60cm flathead is far more sustainable and will ensure that mulloway will be here to be caught well into the future and not just for our current generation. We can all do our bit to help this species recover from what was previously a meat and trophy based fishery. Modern technology (smart phones) with unreal camera technology built in, means you can take a quick picture and release them. A great way to capture that memory and fish of a lifetime to share with your friends, family, social media and great mags like this one!

Some sensational flathead showed up in our catches over autumn. Brett Penprase was delighted to boat this 86cm flathead on a ZMan soft plastic.

Don’t put the rods away PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

The coming month should see some great fishing along our coast and in the rivers. We have been lucky enough to have calm conditions, warm water, and blue skies but unfortunately the rivers have been pretty quiet. Thankfully it won’t stay like this for much longer. We should shortly start to see a changing of the guard. The summer species of fish will start to thin out and slowly disappear as the water becomes colder. In their place we will start to see the winter species show up and make their presence known. The currents that push along our coast and the baitfish and predators that are carried by them dictate the winter action.

cuttlefish. Once again, the best way to target and find these kingfish is to downrig Pittwater. Covering ground with the correct bait is a must at this time of the year as the fishing slows. I’m amazed at how these kingfish become so fixated on eating a particular prey each year and will turn away from anything that does not resemble their chosen food. Areas to find the big bruisers tend to vary from day to day, but if you start off fishing structure you should be able to find your targets. Try around Scotland Island, the Supermarket, the Kingfish Highway, West Head and Barrenjoey Head. To catch small cuttlefish head to areas that have rocks and weed. Cuttlefish can be difficult to catch because of their size, their environment and how closely they sit to the bottom. Quite often

cuttlefish are the rocky shoreline on the western side of Pittwater from Towers Bay through to The Basin area. Other species to target at this time of the year are tailor, bonito, trevally, bream, flathead and salmon. Once again, the best time to target these species seems to be first thing in the morning. Look for working seagulls and mutton-birds. There are few things that excite fishers more than seeing working schools of fish smash their prey on the surface. To get among the melee, cast lures to the side of the schools to see the quickest hook-ups. Matching baitfish with a correct size lure can be a task at times, but if you start off with a smaller lure and work your way up through the sizes I’m sure that you will find the perfect match. If you

A kingfish and mulloway caught from the same bait ball down deep at Pittwater. We should start to see kingfish disappear along Pittwater, but there will be some larger fish left behind. Each year on Pittwater from late April through to September we do run into some hoodlum kingfish, all of which seem to be fixated on eating either small fry baitfish or very small

cuttlefish will not move more than 1m off the bottom, which means that small slow-sinking squid jigs work a lot better than the larger, faster sinking jigs. I find at this time of the year that natural colours seem to work better than the fluorescent green or blue jigs. Areas to try for

are lucky enough to come across fish exploding on the surface don’t forget there will be fish underneath these schools that can also be targeted. Salmon often feed freely on the surface. Directly underneath them can be trevally, flathead and tailor. For a chance at one of these

This young man travelled from Helsinki to catch a kingfish with his dad – the smile says it all. other species simply let your lures sink towards the bottom before you retrieve. If you are after some breadand-butter species, drifting and covering ground is the best way to find your chosen species while fishing on Pittwater. If you are going to fish on Broken Bay at areas such as Flint and Steel, the use of berley will put you in with a real chance of catching some decent fish. If you are going to fish structure around Broken Bay at this time of year make sure that you fish as light as possible, with the freshest bait and during the prime times. The better times to fish a lot of structure along Broken Bay is one hour before and after the change of tides. Offshore, the reef fishing has been brilliant once you find the baitfish. A lot of the reefs have been bare of any baitfish or activity, but when you find a reef where baitfish congregate, the predators won’t be far away. A depth of 40m is the place to start, and if you can’t find baitfish here continue to wider grounds. Species that can be found offshore presently are morwong, snapper, tailor, kingfish, reef flathead, teraglin and trevally. The better baits to use have been pilchard,

squid and yellowtail fillets. If you tie your own paternoster rigs, try using pink lumo beads on one of your loops. Over the last couple of months it has not been uncommon for fish to swim past bait on a normal hook to attack a baited hook using a pink lumo bead. As you can see, there are still a lot of fish to be caught even though both the water temperature and air temperature are becoming cooler. In the next month

or two we may be lucky enough to once again get a good run of hairtail venturing into Cowan Creek, the Hawkesbury River and Pittwater. I hope this report sees you excited and grabbing your fishing gear to enjoy our wonderful part of the coast. • Peter Le Blang operates Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters, phone 02 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351, visit www. estuaryfishingcharters.com.au

Teraglin have been a great bonus for those fishing the reefs along this part of the coast.

JUNE 2016

Sydney beach species fire up through the cold SYDNEY NORTH

Darren Thomas

Some terrific captures have been reported on the north side with some real standout efforts by local anglers. Sydney Harbour is the healthiest I’ve ever seen it and is supplying some outstanding catches

including a northern bluefin tuna off the stones inside Manly. Kevin Harbord and Atila Uler were fishing live yellowtail under floats when Kev’s Spheros 20,000 started unloading string at a rapid pace. A solid 100m run had the boys thinking a rogue king had nailed the bait, but after a 20 minute

Darren Thomas with a whaler shark caught from the beach.

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battle the fish came into view and they realised the colours weren’t right. As it came up to the gaff, the boys were pretty stoked once they recognised the fish. We don’t get a lot of longtails in Sydney, and this is only my second recollection for Sydney Harbour in ten years from memory. This is a truly awesome capture – great work boys, cracker effort all round. The water temperature in Sydney Harbour is a little up and down this month and the annual migrations of various surface bait schools are beginning to show. Fish these schools to put you in the zone for tailor, salmon, kings and trevally. Casting metal lures into the bait with a quick retrieve works well. Another method is to drift unweighted baits of pilchard and squid. This helps boat anglers keep a little distance from a school of surface feeders so they can see where they are heading as these guys can spook easily. The inshore reef bite is heating up this month and some decent snapper have been landed on our local reefs. Jethro Lyons and Jarrad Howse hooked two fish in as many casts, both of which measured over 75cm. Popular methods are unweighted baits in the berley trail and soft plastics. Craig Butcher and Jake Levy also fished offshore in 34m landing mulloway to a metre using the ever popular squid strips for bait. These guys had a mad session before work and managed a few kingfish along the way. Our coastal rock platforms hold schools of kingfish and many rock fishers have been successful lately, with plenty capturing 70cm+ fish using baits and topwater methods. These fish will be prevalent while the water temperature remains high, and they put up a serious fight, particularly from

Dave Rothwell and Stuart Bedford look stoked with this cracker Pittwater amberjack. the stones. Be sure to use reliable equipment to target these fish. Another great capture came in recently of an amberjack caught behind Scotland Island that weighed 7kg+. Stuart Bedford fished with Dave Rothwell using live slimy mackerel for bait when the hoodlum jack

came along. We don’t see too many of this species at this size in Pittwater, so this was a great capture. The beaches have been solid this autumn in the lead up to winter, and if you haven’t been down for a while now is a good time to get some sand between your toes. Dee Why Beach

Kevin Harbord holds up a Sydney Harbour northern bluefin tuna – an unusual catch for the area.

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holds schools of whiting and bream as young Ruby Merrett found out while fishing with her dad, Jimmy. Ruby used king worms for bait and landed whiting up to 35cm on her favourite rod, great job! Narrabeen and Collaroy beaches have been exceptional, with numerous species

Jake Levy with a beautiful reef mulloway catch.

taking baits and lures, including salmon, tailor, tarwhine, bream, flathead and whiting. Staff member Paul O’Hagen has caught numerous fish this month with squid and fillet baits fishing both day and night. Schools of yellowtail scad are being herded behind the breakers by bigger predatory species including whaler sharks. These guys aren’t prejudiced as to which baits to take, as plenty of smaller offerings for bread and butter species are being belted. If you hook one of these guys, my best advice would be to just hang on and enjoy the ride, however long it lasts.

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Harbour mulloway on the run SYDNEY HARBOUR

Craig McGill craig@fishabouttours.com.au

The harbour is currently experiencing some of the best fishing of the season with water temperatures holding up longer than usual. Kings are still around in good numbers, and we’ve had some good runs of salmon, mulloway and flathead. The squid fishing has been phenomenal, and they’re a top mulloway and king bait. However, it’s worth putting out a variety of baits during the ‘change of seasons’ period. Now’s the best time of year to target mulloway in the upper reaches of the Harbour and Middle Harbour. The mulloway follow the mullet run upstream and it’s no coincidence that some of the best mulloway spots are near the areas of the greatest mullet concentrations. If you are chasing mulloway

through the daylight hours, there’s no question that fresh squid bait should be your first choice. Live squid aren’t necessary, as most daytime mulloway are caught on strips of the tube or ultimately

the heads and guts. If you are after really big mulloway, then live squid and big live baits like mullet or pike are the way to go. Night fishing is a different matter, and while

Blues Point, Balls Head and the deep holes around Gladesville. The mornings and evenings are starting to chill but water temperatures will remain high for quite a while

Now is the time of year to find mulloway as they follow the mullet run.

Big flathead are stalking their prey on the bottom and will be particularly susceptible to lures this month.

I’m sure that squid are still the best bait, they are hard to use because tailor and many other non-target species hammer them. Generally you can’t keep a bait in the water long enough to attract a mulloway. The good news is that tailor make great live baits so that if you do lose your squid baits to tailor at least you can put the tailor straight back out live. Don’t be scared to use big tailor for live bait, as even a 10kg mulloway will have no problem swallowing a 1kg tailor. In North Harbour, try Fairlight Point, Reef Beach and Cannae Point. Through Middle Harbour the hole at the Spit, Killarney Point, Seaforth Bluff, Pickering Point and under the power lines above Roseville Bridge will be the places to start. In the Main Harbour head to Neilson Point, Clifton Gardens, the red marker inside South Head,

after the land has cooled down. Due to the nature of the currents, winter in the water comes sometime after winter on the land. This means that our activity will slow down, regardless of the fact that there is still some excellent fishing to be had through May and June. I know it’s tough to

Squid are the gun bait for mulloway and kingies this month. Don’t be afraid to throw a few different baits though. be down, this time of year has always accounted for the best quality fish of the season. My diary shows that April - June produced the biggest mulloway, flathead and particularly bream for last year. So if you are after trophy fish then now is the time to concentrate your efforts.

There’s also some whopping flathead around at the moment that should continue into the cooler months. Flathead spend most of their lives buried up to their eyes in sand or mud. To their prey they are virtually undetectable and when you combine this with a

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Yellowtail kingfish will still make an appearance in June, as the water temperatures will remain warm for a while yet. drag yourself out of bed, but at least for the next month the fishing will still be worth the effort – especially on the lower reaches of the harbour where the currents have the most influence. The shallow upper reaches are more affected by air temperature, and will have begun to start to shut down about mid-May. Although fish numbers will

This time of year is also the season for mixed bags as the first of the winter species start to move in and mingle with the remnants of the summer fish. These species include John dory, tailor, trevally, morwong and drummer. The dory have already started to make an appearance with the odd one picked up around Balmoral Beach and North Harbour.

cavernous needle lined mouth and lightning fast reflexes you come up with what could possibly be the ultimate piscatorial predator. This makes them very susceptible to lure fishing and big live baits. • If you are interested in doing a guided fishing trip on Sydney harbour with Craig McGill please call 0412 918 127 or email craig@fishabout.com.au.

Rocking good fun this winter SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com

While beach worming for a client trip recently, I noticed a lady also catching the odd worm. I introduced myself to her – Alissa – who had just taken up the art of beach worming. Her elderly father had recently lost the majority of his sight, and longed to get back into beach fishing for whiting. Alissa told me she had decided to learn how to catch worms and take him fishing.

current places to set up. Trevally have appeared on selected beaches. There are good numbers of salmon and quality tailor after dark. They are picking up baits intended for mulloway, and some tailor are up to 2kg+. Fish a cubed pilchard trail with ganged pilchard before and into the dark on a run up to the high for tailor and salmon. This time of the year is notorious for southerly swells and winds, so try towards the southern sections of the beach like Collaroy from the pipe to Flight Deck apartment block, the south section of Dee Why and

Other hook varieties are fine provided that they are around 2x strong because of the strong jaws of a sizeable snapper. Find a sand patch, flat ledge or graveltype bottom generally from 35-100m out and sit your bait on the bottom. Fishing in that 6-15m water depth should get you on to a snapper. Success is subject to a lot of variables, such as swell size, water clarity, direction of the headland and more. A 4m+ rod with a medium taper and action like the 7177 from Wilson suitable for 10-15kg line class, a 650 Alvey with 25lb Platypus mono or Daiwa Surf Basia 25QD with 30lb TD Sensor braid will be a good set up to get you started. Salted slimy mackerel fillet, salted striped tuna fillet, squid or cuttlefish strips should see you on the right path to a good snapper. I strongly advise that if you are a beginner to seek the right advice before you venture onto the rocks. Feel free to contact me and I will be able to instruct you on catching a snapper or any other rock or beach species with a guiding trip. Places to try are South Curl Curl‚ Flat Rock (only a short cast is required – 40-50m), Dee Why about 100m past the swimming pool, Narrabeen Head Point in front of the swimming pool, and Mona Vale in from the pool. The trevally are on at the moment, with virtually all headlands producing

numbers of this tasty species. Bluefish, Little Bluey near Shelly headland, Curl Curl south and north, Long Reef, Mona Vale in front of the pool, Banally Head platform north of the track, and North Whale point are great spots. A great way to catch trevally, snapper, bream, and salmon is to mix a berley trail with pilchard pieces, bread, and some mashed up prawn heads soaked in water to form a mushy porridge-like mix, and consistently throw it into a white water trail. Use light ball sinkers, 1/0-2/0 size hooks, and a 4-8kgline class with a whippy but sturdy 3.2-3.6m rod. When you’re using prawns for bait in the berley you’ll find leatherjacket, rock blackfish, and even groper. It’s a great way to fish; you never know what you are going to hook next! Fishing is a sport that a percentage of the fishing population gives away during the winter months. Remember this isn’t necessary because the diversity of species that are caught during the cooler months is amazing. • For rock and beach guided fishing or tuition in the northern Sydney region, visit www. bellissimocharters. com, email alex@ bellissimocharters.com or call Alex Bellissimo on 0408 283 616.

This 83cm king was caught spinning salted ganged gars by Elton Inglis. He also caught three more that were just barely under-sized and a nice salmon. Live yellowtail was the successful bait in this instance.

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Nim Redmayne and Kate Henry with the run of whiting you can expect in June. Conditions are cool this month but the action is hot! After several attempts, with her Dad’s verbal tuition she now catches enough for her and her dad to go for a beach fish. I felt that Alissa’s beautiful story about getting her father back on the beach doing what he loves was so important to tell. Alissa says that now she loves joining him for the fish too! WINTER FISHING June has cold and mild days, but the water temperature is generally warmer than the atmosphere temperature. The whiting are still in good numbers, which will continue through the month. I have had cracker outings in June with other species featuring as by-catch on beach worm, bloodworm and pink nipper baits. Bream and silver trevally are part of the catch. Salmon often pick up bait intended for whiting. Manly, Curl Curl, Dee Why, Warriewod, Bungan, and mid Palm Beach are the

going back north to Bungan Beach. North Narrabeen in flatter seas will produce results from the lake entrance to Octavia St and even further south towards South Narrabeen Surf Life Saving Club. Because it is open, the area is subject to a southerly swell when it is over the 1m mark from the south. On the rocks all the species except pelagics like smaller tuna species are on. The snapper have been caught in relatively good numbers by anglers casting distance. For those that are not acquainted with distance casting it is the practice of using sinker weights from 2-6oz. You use a single hook paternoster or a different rig like a sinker sliding in between a leader and two swivels with a 40cm leader at the bottom swivel with your 2/0-3/0 Mustad 92554 or 92247 hook.

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Daniel Dekell with a nice snapper of 50cm. Several up to 38cm were caught as well. There are a few good fish from 48-52cm lately with bags of platesized fish too. These were caught distance casting.

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It’s whiting time in the Georges BOTANY BAY

Gabe Quercigrosse gabeandgabe@bigpond.com

The bay continues to fire on all cylinders, as we would expect at this time of year. However, there is one standout location that makes you stand up and take notice. I am referring to Bare Island. This landmark, located just inside Botany Heads, is a hotspot. It’s produced a wide variety of species including mulloway, kingfish, trevally, snapper, groper, luderick, leatherjacket and tailor. The odd salmon school also converges on the area when there are baitfish about. This area has a nasty bombora and must be treated with great caution and respect. I like fishing this position during the afternoon into the dark with a top tide peaking at around 8-9pm. Mulloway up to 12kg can be taken from this spot,

but the school variety are more prevalent. If you’re chasing kings, you’ll get them around the 3-5kg mark on live yakkas or locally-sourced squid. Trevally are around in droves and have become a bit of a nuisance, as they don’t give other species a chance. Be careful with your berley as the blurters respond to this passionately. Red morwong, groper and calamari squid are also found in this spot, and will take peeled prawns, red crabs and worms. Elsewhere in the bay, the channel markers between the new runway and the Port Botany reclamation wall have fished well for trevally, tailor and bream. Always carry a spare rod with a little heavier gear, as it is common to hook a big mulloway here on fresh squid or live yellowtail on the top and bottom of the tide. The centre moorings haven’t lived up to the expected visit from

kingfish schools, with only moderate catches reported and no size among the rats. You are better off anchoring about 200m west of the centre buoy and fishing the runout tide for bream, flathead and flounder. The best baits are live nippers and pilchard fillets. Watts Reef has been fishing well at night for tailor, trevally and bream with some nice fish landed. For some unknown reason, anglers tend to fish this location with heavier than necessary sinkers, and consequently miss out. I have fished this spot for over 50 years and have found that a size 0 sinker right on a size 1, Mustad 9555B bait keeper hook the ideal combination. And if you get yourself live nippers, you will find it very hard to miss out. Elsewhere in the bay, flathead have been on the chew on the old runway to Towra Point drift, with 40-50cm fish the common size. I would suggest a

Bob caught this tasty mixed bag at Oatley.

running rig, but place a second leader above the sinker and arm it with 4 x 1/0 Mustad 7766 ganged hooks. This is a deadly combination if you’re using salted or fresh whitebait. Bream have been schooling around in good numbers, and it hasn’t been uncommon to bag out in a typical four-hour session. The manmade trenches near the sticks have been the prime spots. Try to get there just on daybreak because they will be gone by 8:30. The artificial reefs, Cooks River break wall and the manmade break walls between Kyeemagh and Dolls Point have also yielded a few fish during the first of the outgoing tide. Luderick catches have started to filter through. I’m told good weed is only in moderate supply but growing longer daily. Good catches have been taken from the dog leg on the southern break wall of Cooks River, the eastern side of Bare Island, the main wharf on Captain Cook Landing Place at Kurnell, and the small groynes nearby. Mulloway catches have been a little below expectations, but a few good fish have also been lost at the boat. Bob ‘The Jewfish Guru’ Dean has been doing well, with fish around 80-90cm taken from the northern side of Como Bridge on fresh local squid. Other catches include a couple of good schoolies from Bald Face Point and one 13kg fish taken landbased from Fitzpatrick Park at Picnic Point. WHITING I thought now would be a good time to share some of my whiting knowledge. I am very passionate about

Peter with a couple of nice snapper off Bellambi. catching whiting and still hold two Australian records as credit. Contrary to many anglers’ opinion, my whiting season starts on the long weekend in June. In this period, between Captain Cook Bridge and Como Bridge, you’ll see many elbow-slappers caught

produce the larger fish, with elbow-slappers to 48cm. Tide and moon phases I’ve found the last few hours of the outgoing tide and the first few hours of the rising tide the best. You can also get them near the top of the tide but they’ll be smaller.

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Peter Whicker and his daughter caught a variety of fish at Botany Bay. if you’re fishing for them correctly. The reason for this is that the fish move upstream from the lower reaches and feed on the many cockle beds looking for nippers, worms and the like. While you can get some whiting during the day, night-time will always

The whiting tend to bite best one or two days before and after the new moon and full moon, so mark your calendar accordingly. Bottom formation You must look for a wave-like configuration if you want to catch these big fish; you won’t get them

on flat surfaces. It really pays to find these particular locations, because that’s where the whiting are. Tackle I use a very light 7’6” rod. The Shimano Whiting series by Bushy is excellent coupled with a 4000 series Baitrunner. This style of reel is vital as it allows the fish to bite without feeling any weight. The line I use is 3.6kg Sunline Siglon V, and I’ve found that 2.2kg FC Rock fluorocarbon leader works a treat. Size 10 swivels and size 4 Mustad Aberdeen hooks complete the tackle. And don’t forget size 2 or size 3 ball sinkers. Technique If you are the driver simply cast to your left as far as possible and engage Baitrunner mode. Your rig will normally form an arc and settle down in a desired position. Place your rod in a holder and make sure the rod is parallel to the water. When you get a bite, don’t strike or you’ll lose the fish. Simply open your bail arm and allow up to 10m free line. I know this sounds weird, but it works with 99% of fish deep hooked. Bait Live bloodworms are the best bait, followed closely by pickled bloodworms. If you’re using live bloodworms and have any left over, marinate them with methylated spirits and aniseed oil. You’ll be surprised at how well they work. Nippers account for the larger fish. You’ll rarely catch an undersized whiting on a nipper. JUNE FISHING Apart from the whiting you’ll see school mulloway chasing schools of mullet all the way to Liverpool Weir. They will also be found on the deeper dropoffs in front of the new runway, the Marsh Street bridge at Tempe, and Captain Cook Bridge under the lights.

Luderick will have moved into their winter destinations. Bonnet Bay, the Woronora Bridge, Boss Pits, Cranbrook, Bakers Rick at Lugarno, Bigmoon Bay, Blackbutt and Ironstones Wall will all have visitors in quest of these underrated fish. Bream will still be around but in reduced numbers. We will definitely see better quality fish though, which will make up for the lack of quantity. I recommend fishing the pylons of Captain Cook Bridge, Kangaroo Point, Watts Reef, the front wall of Point Botany, and the artificial reefs in the bay. These are all likely locations to snare these fish. If you’re after flathead, between Captain Cook and Tom Uglys bridges will be an excellent choice. Fish around 500g are the norm, and whitebait or prawns will do the job. OFFSHORE There hasn’t been too much action owing to the inclement weather. However, the anglers that have managed to get out wide have managed good catches of blue-eye trevally

and hake from Browns Mountain. The kings, although scattered have been on the chew on the 12-Mile Reef. Maroubra Wide has yielded good catches of flathead to the charter boat brigade, and the tank has provided mixed catches of morwong, snapper and bluespot flathead. The drift between Botany Heads continues to provide excellent catches of sandies, and it has to be the most consistent position around Sydney. The Banks Reef has pannies, kingies and mowies on offer as well. All in all, there is a bit for everyone this month. And don’t forget those whiting – if you have any questions I’m happy to discuss the best method for you. • For all your fishing needs, as well as the latest info on what’s biting, drop into Gabe’s Boating and Fishing at Narellan (4/1A Somerset Ave), or Silvania (268/264276 Princes Hwy). You can also call them on (02) 4647 8755 or (02) 9522 5100 respectively, or visit the website at www. gbaf.com.au.

Brad Cole had a good session down at Windang recently with a couple of mates.

A quality mixed bag of whiting and bream. JUNE 2016

Bread and butter fish SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

The weather has started to get a little chillier, the days will get shorter, and the fishing may start to slow down, but this shouldn’t stop you from going out for a fish or two. Not everyone can just get up and go for a fish at the drop of a hat. You will have to plan when you are going, what type of fish species you are going to target and where

is necessary to make this work is to have your gear in tip top shape and organised so that you can just wake up, pick up what you need and go for a fish. As much as I love fishing from a boat, there are times when I can’t be bothered to hitch up so instead I just grab a rod and reel, a bag of bait and a shoulder bag with a small tackle box and head off to fish somewhere from the shore. When I get home, all I need to do is put the fish in the fridge (hopefully)

In the boot of my car I have a four-piece rod, reel, a few soft plastics, hardbody lures, blades and jigheads at the ready. This is very handy when I am out and about and feel like stopping for a fish. Just the other day I was driving along Parramatta Road in Sydney and stopped off at the Wharf Road ramp at the top of the tide and had a flick with a few lures for an hour. You can only do this if you are prepared! So spend a bit of your spare time getting a few small

This remora was a surprise catch for the author while fishing in Botany Bay.

Carl Dubois thought this was a big whiting at first bite. It was caught while blading in the deep water of Yarra Bay in Port Hacking. you will go. These plans will have to be arranged around work time, family commitments, house chores and anything else that may come up. I am lucky in that that many a time I have woken up in the morning and just gone for a fish. However, in the back of my mind I will already have had some kind of plan or a series of plans in place. One of the major things that

wash the rod and reel down and put the shoulder bag and tackle box back where I found it. At home I have a small tackle box (40cm x 25cm with 24 adjustable co mp a rtme n ts ) fo r baitfishing off the beach, rocks and estuary. There is also a tackle box at the ready if I am called up to act as a deck hand on the local charter – ‘All at Sea Charters.’

tackle boxes together and a few outfits at the ready and you too may be able to go for a fish when a friend rings up and says, ‘Do you want to go for a fish?’ During June it’s a good time to target whiting, bream, salmon and tailor off the beaches on the southern side of Sydney Heads. Try Tamarama for whiting, Bronte for whiting and bream, and Bondi for whiting, bream and tailor.

Marley and Little Marley have produced whiting, bream, salmon and tailor. Check out Wattamolla for bream, whiting and tailor. Coogee, Maroubra, Garie and Stanwell Park are famous for whiting, bream, salmon and tailor, plus the odd mulloway and dart from Garie. Coalcliff has served up good numbers of bream and dart. The best baits are beach worms, pink nippers and half pilchards. If you prefer to fish off the rocks, you can target drummer, luderick, bream and trevally off Bondi, Tamarama, Coogee, Maroubra, Kurnell, Garie, north Stanwell Park and Coalcliff Point. The best baits here are peeled green tailed prawns, cunjevoi and white bread. For those of you who prefer to fish the estuaries, there are many spots you can fish from, sometimes so many it’s hard to choose.

I would try the northern and southern sides of the Captain Cook, Tom Uglys and Como bridges for bream, trevally, the odd tailor, dusky flathead and mulloway on the run-out tide. Botany Bay has a number of spots that are worth a shot. Try Bare Island, the groyne in Yarra Bay, the Cooks River breakwall, the Retaining walls off Dolls Point, the groynes off Silver Beach at Kurnell and the wharf at Captain Cooks Landing spot. I have found that over the years all of these spots produce good fishing from the top of the tide down. In the Georges River you could try the beach in the Georges River National Park, Picnic Point and at the back of Flower Power at Milperra. Bream, whiting, leatherjackets, squid and silver trevally can be

berleyed up at Swallow Rock Drive, Gymea Bay and Gunnamatta Bay baths, as well as the wharf in Yarra and Dolans Bay. Use either a small ball or bean sinker down onto the bait or a sinker down onto a swivel, and then attach a leader at least 1m long. Well, there you have it! Get prepared with a small, but simple tackle box, and an outfit at the ready and you too can get up in the morning or when you get that call and go for a fish before, during or after work. Or maybe you will just have to fit it in-between sport, family commitments or the household chores on a weekend. If you would like to find out more information on how to fish the Southern areas of Sydney, or anywhere else just send me an email at gbrown1@ iprimus.com.au and I will get back to you.

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Squid will be around in numbers during June, so don’t forget to have a few squid jigs at the ready!

Fishing Fill-its

2016 Adelaide Boat Show best for family fun

Family fun on the water will be the central theme of the 2016 Adelaide Boat Show, to celebrate the enjoyment that over five million Australians now find from recreational time afloat every year. The vast floorshow of latest release boats, kayaks, jet skis, engines, trailers and accessories, including stateof-the-art communications, safety and fish finding technologies, will be presented at the Adelaide Showground, Wayville from Thursday 30 June to Sunday 3 July. “Australia has 34,000km

of spectacular coastline, enticing estuaries, beckoning islands and beautiful inland waterways, and our State has many of the best of them,” said George Bolton, General Manager South Australia of the BIA. “The Adelaide Boat Show will demonstrate the affordability, flexibility and accessibility that boating and water sports bring to family lifestyles and the pure pleasure that people find in our marine environment and inland waters.” The show will appeal to people of all ages and

The Adelaide Boat Show holds an enormous display of recreational angling products to get you and your family onto the water.

interests – from power to sail, paddle and pedal – whether showgoers are new to boating or experienced in the ways they like to spend time on the water. It is the premier and proud showcase of the industry and expertise in presenting a huge diversity of quality boats and other recreational craft, along with a wide range of associated products and accessories. For consumers, it is an unrivalled opportunity to compare and buy products at the best prices in a single location. The winter chill will be left outside, as the show takes place in the air-conditioned warmth of the Goyder and Jubilee Pavilions and Duncan Gallery. Industry leaders will be available at all times to provide trusted advice and guidance. While there will be incredible show special prices, it is also an opportunity for people to engage directly with dealers about the recreational lifestyle investments they plan to make closer to the warmer months. All of our major South Australian dealers, including regional suppliers, will be at the show and able to offer many options for people entering the market for the first time, or others interested in adding the latest technologies to or investing in new craft.

The Show is the premier showcase of industry and expertise and presents a huge diversity of quality boats and other recreational craft, along with a wide range of associated products and accessories. The BIA is working with its South Australian industry partner (Kym Jones Exhibitions) to present an exciting and compelling show with many dimensions. “We are really excited that the Hobie Cat Company of California will be launching a fantastic new product onto the Australian market on the HobieCat/Binks Marine stand,” George said. “That in itself is a statement about the stage that the Adelaide Boat Show sets for Australian

families looking for fun on the water.” Hobie has married the renowned MirageDrive pedal system with 65 years of board sports heritage to create a new kind of fun – the stand-up pedal board. Adding value to the Adelaide Boat Show will be a range of fishing and boating seminars and workshops. “There will also be a major lifejacket safety awareness focus at the show, which highlights the fact that recreational boating is a safe,

environmentally sound and responsible leisure pastime for Australians.” The 2016 Adelaide Boat Show will be open on the Thursday (30 June) from 10am-5pm, Friday and Saturday from 10am-7pm and Sunday from 10am-5pm. Entry for adults will be $16, seniors $14, pensioners $12, and children under 15 will be admitted for free. For more information, go to www.adelaideboatshow. com.au. – BIA SA/Kym Jones Exhibitions

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Fishing Fill-its

Disco Marine win Stacer dealer of the year Stacer has announced Disco Marine as their New South Wales Dealer of The Year for 2015-2016. Disco Marine is a privately owned family business based in Grafton on the Clarence River in Northern New South Wales. Specialising in new and used boat sales as well as boating accessories and servicing, Disco Marine really is a one stop shop for all boating enthusiasts. Disco Marine is a second generation dealership originally opened by Neil ‘Disco’ and Judy Disson in 1987. Current Dealer Principal Jason Disson joined the business in a management role in 2000 before taking control of the business with his wife Tania in 2009. Stacer NSW Dealer of the Year is based upon multiple measures, some of which are: sales, customer satisfaction index, dealership presentation, website, market activity, staff training and marketing. Disco Marine has previously won the Stacer Customer Service Award in 2005 as well as the Stacer Mckeegan Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2014. Dealer Principal Jason Disson attributes their success to their strong relationship with customers. “Many of our customers have been with us since the start in 1987, we have watched their families grow and now their children

they never go through that experience again.” “We hope that providing that additional level of customer service is what stands us apart from other dealers,” Jason said.

Silver Level Sponsor of the Northern Region Westpac Helicopter Rescue Service as well as a sponsor and supporter of numerous local Schools, Sporting Clubs and charities.”

From left to right: Stacer Director of Marketing and Sales Damien Duncan, Disco Marine Dealer Principal Jason Disson, Stacer National Account Manager Drew Jackson. Stacer National Account Manager Drew Jackson said the Disco Marine team are very passionate about Stacer as well as supporting the local community. “Disco Marine attends the Westpac Rescue Helicopter 4WD, Caravan, Camping and Marine Show in Lismore as well as conducting an instore

The staff at Disco Marine are excited about their award and look forward to continuing their partnership with Stacer. Disco Marine will conduct their annual Disco Marine Instore Family Boat Show on Saturday 14 May, 2016 where they will showcase the 2016 Stacer range and celebrate their

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MERIMBULA MERIMBULA MOWERS & MARINE

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Disco Marine is a second generation dealership originally opened by Neil ‘Disco’ and Judy Disson in 1987. or even grandchildren continue to support our business,” Disson said. “We take our customers’ experience on the water personally so if they have a bad day, we do everything in our power to ensure

Family Boat Show at their Grafton premises,” he said. “Their commitment to the local community is outstanding, some of their sponsorships include: Corporate Friend of the McGrath Foundation, a

Dealer of the Year Award with their customers. Visit the friendly Disco Marine staff at 160 North St, Grafton NSW, or for more information on the Stacer range visit www. stacer.com.au – Telwater

Great winter whiting THE TWEED

David Solano

The Tweed area is producing a huge catch rate at the moment, and if you’re into crabbing, you’re in for a good time. The muddies are out in numbers, and so are sand crabs, try using a dilly for the sandies – you’ll find them out toward the middle of the river, whereas the mud crabs tend to hang in the mangroves and weed beds. I’ve mentioned pumping live worms and nippers for whiting, and it’s a good idea to get into this practice as there have been some crackers caught in the

shallows. I chase whiting on poppers on the high tide in the shallows – it’s a lot of fun so give it a go. If you’re unsure of what to use, ask at your local tackle shop for some advice. It helps to have a stiff, light, graphite rod to skip the lure across the surface. Bream are around in numbers, and the bigger fish have been caught up off the walls at Chinderah as well as both sea walls. What’s really surprising is the amount of yellowtail kingfish caught at the seaway. They aren’t big fish but boy, there’s a lot of them around. Big ZMan paddle-tails are my lure of choice. I haven’t caught any kings from the rocks, but I have from my yak. Look

for the roughest water you can safely fish in, then wait for the swell to push in and cast right up next to the rocks and let it drop. Slowly reel the plastic in and you’ll have some good fun on light gear. Flathead seem to be disappearing to Terranora and Cobaki, as I still can’t catch a decent one. I know they are around as I’ve seen them being caught! So many of my mates are catching jacks right now – and big ones at that! I’ve been spending my time fishing Boyds Bay Bridge and the surrounding boats and trawlers in the middle of the night to chase the elusive trophy red devil, so far all to no avail. I know I’m in the

Pete Kyvetos with a massive cobia caught offshore during a delightful weather window. right area as I remember seeing a photo that the previous writer for the Tweed, Roderick Walmsley posted on Facebook. I could clearly see he’d been casting from the shore next to the boats moored a few meters away. Those red devils are still around Chinderah way

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of the strong winds. Well, unfortunately for me the weather cleared during the week (when I was at work) and out he went to fish Fidos, Nine Mile and the Mud Hole. They managed to catch tuna, snapper and a massive cobia, which is quite a haul.

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Iluka region rustles up some stunning snapper very happy anglers. Catches have included spotty and Spanish mackerel north and south of Iluka that have taken pink trolling squid skirts, live bait and lures. Longtail have also been taken outside and off the main wall, often preferring live bait, especially garfish under floats. There have been some incredible stories of sharks getting in on fish

ILUKA

Ross Deakin

The Iluka region has experienced excellent weather over the last month and fantastic fishing – especially offshore, and on the beaches and headlands. Prawtourist n Bladinflux, a busy b m a es” “Y A and very kind weather conditions led to many

hook-ups and depriving fishers of some awesome fish. Good numbers of marlin were caught and

sized fish and numbers are a bit further up the Clarence around the Harwood Bridge and Maclean. This is also

the case for mud crabs, but there are still some nicesized specimens down the river.

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Matthew Hayden weighed in this 4.9kg snapper caught off Woody Head. released recently only a few kilometres offshore. Black Rock has seen excellent cobia, snapper and teraglin, as have the fishing grounds of Angourie and the FAD. The main wall and headlands have recorded trevally, awesome-sized tailor, snapper, bream and tarwhine. There has also been some very nice dart and whiting caught in gutters at Shark Bay on worms and nippers. There were weigh-ins for Kurt Murphy’s 5.1kg trevally caught at the Bluff, Ralf Karsten’s 7.5kg snapper taken at Black Rock, and Gordon Collins took a 15kg longtail tuna at Black Rock. The river has experienced nice catches of school mulloway, bream, flathead and whiting. Better-

Epic catches of the month go to Bob Gutteridge for his 4.82kg flathead caught at Browns Rocks (catch and release), Brian Sullivan’s 400g whiting caught up past Harwood, and Ralf Cutter’s 1.34kg blackfish. Please remember to take care if fishing the headlands and walls in Iluka and to please take your rubbish home with you. Unfortunately there has been a lot of rubbish left out on Iluka Wall, which just isn’t on. Iluka is beautiful, so let’s keep it that way. Happy fishing everyone. • For all your fishing needs and up-to-date information and tips for spots and fish drop into the shop for a chat. Iluka Bait and Tackle is located at 3 Owen Street, Iluka NSW 2466. Give us a call on (02) 6646 5217 or 0402 997 572. We are available online at www. ilukabait.com.au or visit our Facebook page.

Huge snapper like this one can be found around Black Rock this month.

FISHING FILL-ITS

13FISH call nets illegal cockle haul A phone call to 13FISH has helped Fisheries Officers apprehend two men allegedly in possession of five times the catch limit of blood cockles at Mallacoota, over Easter. Fisheries Victoria’s Director of Enforcement and Education, Ian Parks, said the two men were intercepted by Fisheries Officers and Victoria Police as their boat returned to the Main Wharf in Mallacoota on Sunday. “An inspection of their boat revealed 50L of blood cockles,” Mr Parks said. The daily catch limit is five litres per person. A further search of the men’s vehicle also revealed one undersize black bream. The two men, aged 33 from St Albans and

47 from Braybrook, will receive on-the-spot fines totalling $1365 for allegedly exceeding the catch limit and taking undersize fish. They will also receive three on-the-spot fines from Victoria Police for alleged offences relating to the Marine Act including not wearing life jackets and vessel registration. Mr Parks said reports of illegal fishing activity from the community played an integral part of their compliance strategy and helped to plan undercover, plain-clothed and uniformed patrols, day and night. In this instance, Fisheries Officers were participating in a joint operation over Easter with Victoria Police and Parks Victoria, throughout far

The two men were found to be carrying 50L of blood cockles. The daily limit is 5L per person. East Gippsland. People are encouraged to call 13FISH (133474)

to report illegal fishing anywhere in Victoria, anytime. – DEDJTR

Surprise snapper are spicing up the season BALLINA

Joe Allan

The lower reaches of the Richmond River are fishing well for mulloway,

and surprisingly, snapper which have also ventured in, pushed by the rougher seas. The mulloway seem to be more active on the larger tides at night. Check out the deeper

holes around the town stretch of the river, the South Wall and the rock wall above the Burns Point Ferry. Tailor have started to run in spits and spats, and should develop into some solid numbers towards the middle of June. Best baits to try are blue pilchards or to throw metal slugs. Looks for gutters along the open beaches with plenty of white water either side. Try these spots with a slice of tuna or bonito at night and you might be surprised at some of the fish you come across. The offshore stretch of the coast between Evans Head and Ballina has been on fire for pelagics such as mackerel, and some great numbers of snapper off

Kellie Stewart with a beautiful snapper from the Ballina town stretch of river.

Taylor Egan with a bream caught on an Atomic Prong.

Jake Stewart with a cracking mulloway from the Ballina town stretch of river.

the inshore reefs. Target them with plastics between 4-7” with the brighter colours proving to be more successful. As the water cools, the inshore will continue to improve. If you’re chasing flathead, try the stretches between Burns Point Ferry and Pimlico Island. Throw plastics over the flats on high tide and move into the deeper holes as the tide drops away. Like with snapper, the brightest plastics you can find seem to be the best like the Atomic Prongs in radioactive rooster and electric chicken. The old favourites of Carolina pumpkin and red pumpkin are always worth a throw. Good numbers of bream have moved into the rock walls in the lower reaches of the river. Float fresh prawns on very lightly weighted lines down the rock walls. You might pick up the odd small mulloway

doing this, and they’re great fun on light gear. If you’re throwing lures at them, the ever-reliable Atomic Hardz Crank 38 Deep in Tim’s prawn and Tristo ramjet are doing well at the moment. As the number of bream grow, switch to lures like metal blades and heavier plastics up to 1/4oz around the Porpoise Wall, Bream Hole and Dans Lane. There have been plenty of crabs caught in the mid reaches of the river around Pimlico Island and Wardell. Muddies are the most active. The bigger night tides that push the most water should get the best results. The winter whiting should start to come on towards the middle of June. Try the reaches of river either side of Pimlico Island where the shallow flats run into the deeper holes. Fresh beach worms and bloodworms are by far the best baits.

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Take a little getaway in the comfortable cool COFFS HARBOUR

Stephen Worley worleybirdfilms@hotmail.com

June is officially the beginning of winter, but in Coffs it rarely signifies a dramatic change in weather. The cool nights and mild days of autumn typically continue into the middle of winter, but this

year feels like we may get a little more chilly weather than usual. I can’t say I’m complaining. As soon as we get those first frosty nights, my thoughts turn to campfires, warm sleeping bags and crisp mornings fishing the creek or beach next to camp. There’s something about that sharp chill in the air that stirs the desire within to get

Dayne Taylor with a quality bass you’d expect from big river country.

out and away from the busy life. Fortunately here on the Coffs Coast we are blessed with plenty of great locations well within reach for a quick overnight getaway. BEACH GETAWAY Within an hour or so north or south of Coffs Harbour, there are several great camping locations right on the beach and away from the city centres. Station Creek, Sandon and Minnie Water are available to the north; Hungry Head, Scotts Head and Hat Head to the south. Not all of these campsites support my vision of campfire camping, as some are formal campsites with finer facilities, but all offer the chance of a getaway right next to great coastal fishing. Throughout this area in June we should see numbers of tailor and larger mulloway on the increase, both on the beaches and around the headland washes. In the beach gutters fish strips, pilchards or whitebait to target tailor, unless the diving birds give away the location of a baitfish ball under attack. In this case a metal slug of almost any kind will usually suffice.

Squid strips are my favourite off the beach bait for mulloway, but nothing says beach fishing and camping trip like fresh, self caught, beach worms. They’re one of the best possible baits off the beach for most species and it gives you something to do during the low tide. ESTUARY GETAWAY Only a short distance either side of Coffs are several great options for a riverside getaway. Only 20 minutes away the Mylestom and Urunga camp grounds give great access to the Bellinger and Kalang rivers. There are several camping locations around Wooli to the north, and to the south there are a selection of camping locations around Werrell Creek in the Nambucca system. Werrell Creek offers the best chance of a proper simple campfire camping getaway, but all of these locations should offer some excellent fishing this month. The bream fishing has been heating up as it’s been cooling down. As the summer of frenetic flathead and whiting fishing begins to wane, the finesse has to

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beds and rock walls in the lower end. If fishing with baits you still can’t beat

Nez Gaden enjoying a morning bream session on a local river. on the lures will land you plenty of bream through the winter. The bream are a little less focussed on the running prawns, and more focussed on baitfish and shrimp. They will favour upstream snags and structure, and the weed

the humble yabby, and once again, nothing says an estuary camping trip like pumping yabbies in the arvo, especially if it’s with the kids. INLAND GETAWAY One great feature of the Coffs Coast is that

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you don’t have to drive far inland to experience dramatically different landscapes. The top of the dividing range is only a couple of hours away, the other side of which offers the opportunity to fish for Murray cod and yellowbelly. There are totally different climate and landscapes there as well that differ to the coastline. Imagine the

fire crackling next to the swags, and the sound of the flowing river and insects only interrupted by the odd boof of a cod hook-up. There are a plethora of great locations on many of the western flowing rivers and impoundments within a few hours of Coffs Harbour. Your best bet is to do some research on the web and check out Google Earth to find a suitable

location for the fishing you’re after, whether it be dam or river fishing. CLIMATE GETAWAY Over the last month we have turned the corner when it comes to the weather. Not only does the air have a wintery feel to it, but the climate situation is destined for change this winter too. The weather over this last year has been dominated by one of the

Brad Pollard with one of the many longtail tuna responsible for snapping up live bait intended for mackerel. Image courtesy of Brad Pollard.

strongest El Nino events in recorded history. The resulting conditions has meant that for the last 12 months we have only had around half of our average annual rainfall and the coastal waters have been several degrees above average over summer. Because of this the fishing has been affected in different ways. The trout fishing has suffered greatly, but the offshore fishing has been very consistent. No matter whether your favoured fishing targets have excelled or failed this past year, you can’t argue that our area isn’t in great need of some rain. Finally now, over the last month or so we have begun to turn a corner. The climate reports and models are all pointing towards the El Nino easing, and a bit more rain is finally on the horizon. We still won’t likely be flooded out during winter, but by the time spring arrives we can look forward to some more water in the rivers for the trout and bass, as well as a return to the normal water temperatures off our coast. Whether you’re looking forward to a weekend getaway, and afternoon off work or just getting a break from the hot dry weather I hope you find the fishing well this month.

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Solitary Islands Game Tournament wrap up COFFS GAME

Glen Booth

There are so many variables that have to come together to make a successful game fishing tournament. There’s the weather, the fishing of course, but good facilities and an attractive prize pool helps to entice competitors. Fortunately, the Solitary Islands Game Fishing Club’s fifth Heavy Tackle Challenge ticked all the boxes and the event continues to go from

strength to strength. While the weather made it tough for the entrants, a turnout of 31 boats and 122 anglers was an excellent result in an era of declining interest in organised game fishing competitions. Due to Easter plonking itself down in March this year, the tournament was switched to early April. This had everyone pondering the quality of the fishing, despite it only being a week later than 2015’s standout event that resulted in 36 marlin tags from 21 boats. They need not have

worried. While catch numbers were down (largely due to the windy conditions), there proved to be an interesting mix of marlin out there, with more blacks than you’d expect given the time of year, a couple of stripes, and of course those bonus point blues. This species-specific event awards extra points for blue marlin (correctly identifiable by clear digital photos presented to the tournament committee), plus there’s an achievable minimum weight for tasty other game fish that

A rampaging blue did some damage to The Geeza’s outrigger. That was one mighty strong rubber band…

An escaped barbecue pontoon, complete with flat screen TV and wine bottles in holders (alas empty), was an unusual discovery during the Heavy Tackle Challenge.

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may not pass the ‘equal to line class or better’ test. By the start of fishing on the Saturday, boats were spread out from The Hole in the north to Smoky Cape in the south, as a contingent of larger boats from the Port Macquarie GFC fished their way up to Coffs. The first morning was somewhat slow, but then the hook-ups started to filter through, with marlin, wahoo and yellowfin tuna figuring in the stats. With a few boats on one marlin tag each, nobody

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A blue tagged by On Business stops briefly to have its photo taken. night raffle was donated to the Solitary Islands Game Fishing Club’s chosen charity, which

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The boys aboard Madzmia caught this very nice yellowfin tuna on a hellishly rough day during the Heavy Tackle Challenge. (Photo courtesy of Michellie McGinty)

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established a clear lead, so the field was wide-open going into Day 2. The most significant catch of the day, was the barbecue pontoon that had escaped from the Tweed River some time in the past and was found by the Mustang crew drifting about over the Continental Shelf! After getting pounded from the north on Saturday, Sunday saw a southwesterly gradually build in strength to 20+ knots and swing more southerly, which made it hard going for the boats that chose to fish up the coast. The hot bite was only a dozen or so miles from the harbour entrance, just inside the South Canyons. That’s convenience for you right there… Some boats found the marlin, while others in plain sight of them never had a bite. Wrong lures, wrong colours, wrong sizes, bananas on board, smelly crew — who knows? It’s just one of the puzzling frustrations of game fishing. It’s been a standout year for wahoo on the Coffs coast, and visiting Queensland boat Coconut Kiwi snared three on Sunday, with other boats achieving singles or copping shredded lure skirts for their trouble. The smallest boat in the fleet was Madzmia, a 445 Haines Hunter centre console, which won the bravery award with oak leaf clusters just for being out there, but some wahoo and a 46kg yellowfin tuna on 24 made it almost worthwhile! The champion boat was ultimately an ex-Solitary Islands GFC boat – Secret Men’s Business, which now calls Port Macquarie home. They had the ball on a string both days, with a blue on Saturday, followed by another two blues and a black on the Sunday. Local boat Foreign Exchange fished consistently all weekend to come in second with a black on Saturday, then a striped and a blue on Sunday. The recently refurbished On Business was third with a

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Inshore areas ensure big bags of winter fish SOUTH WEST ROCKS

Brent Kirk kempsey@compleatangler.com.au

June marks the turning of the season, as we start to get cold on the mid north coast of NSW. Although cold frosty mornings become the norm, the quality of fishing makes it easy enough to get out of bed and get among a few fish. The after effects of mackerel fever begin to kick in about now, and this becomes evident simply by looking at the uncrowded boat ramps through the region. It is safe to say that mackerel can still be caught in June, however their numbers will reduce drastically as the water temperature begins to drop. The focus for most offshore anglers will shift towards fishing the bottom where the inshore reefs are producing plenty of snapper. The majority

of these fish have been pan-sized, although there has been a few exceptions. Out into the 80–100m zones there are a vast array of species on the chew. Snapper, teraglin, pearl perch and pigfish have been as reliable as ever, as well as plenty of kingfish and mulloway getting in on the action – especially when fishing with live baits such as yellowtail and slimy mackerel. The southerly current has stopped now, and the main has been slightly ‘uphill’. With these northerly currents, encounters with pesky geardestroying leatherjackets are inevitable. We encountered some of these fish back at the end of April. The good news is that now the current has all but stopped, it will be possible to fish out wider than the leatherjackets and deep drop for some of the tasty species that dwell in the depths, which include bar cod, blue eye, hapuka, bass grouper and gemfish.

These fish respond to all types of live and dead baits, so it is worth mixing it up a bit. An electric reel is almost essential when using weights up to 2kg. If the conditions are not

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your chance of finding bigger fish, and they are definitely in there. Big mulloway and flathead, as well as tailor and kingfish are some of the bigger species that inhabit the river. Live bait is one of the more popular methods to target these fish.

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cobia, longtail tuna and big-eye trevally. Locating fish in the Macleay can be a bit tougher during the cooler months; however, when you do find them you are generally in for a good session. Find bait schools to dramatically increase

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too favourable, and you are moving from destination to destination at a slow pace it is still worth trolling lures, as yellowfin tuna have popped up all over the place as well as striped tuna for

bait. Kingfish are presently around Fish Rock, however the majority of these fish are only just above legal size at best. The beaches have been a hive of activity as the winter spawning run of bream, blackfish and mullet progress through the region. Some massive tailor, as well as mulloway and salmon have accompanied these fish. Throw large hardbody diving lures and soft plastics into the gutters to get into these larger predators, you may even encounter species you would not always expect like flathead and even kingfish. Calmer, more settled conditions without the blaring heat of the summer sun make for great rock fishing sessions. Target the usual species like tailor and mulloway and you could end up tangling with some hanger-on species like

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Vibe time on the Hastings River THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

Last season we used plastics with heavier jigheads and caught fish, but managed to also be

It’s the time of year when we look at the prospect of some great deepwater action in our local rivers, the Hastings and the Camden. With bream schooling and mulloway hanging close by, it definitely pays to look at deep-water fishing tactics. It is no secret that June produces some unbelievable action around the breakwalls, with cracking numbers and good-sized fish. Bream will be the main target, however whiting, mulloway and tailor will all play the game if you use the method I prefer – soft vibes. Yes, all vibes catch their share, but soft vibes slay bream and have an outstanding mulloway by-catch rate, which tips the scales in their favour on my boat!

hammered by the local leatherjacket population. I was lucky enough to get my hands on the Samaki

Deep-water soft vibes managed this nice bream for Tristan.

Mandy with a nice school mulloway upriver.

Lou and James got into the surface action on trevally recently, which has been great fun.

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beach. Some of our best beach fishing takes place in the cooler months and with the mullet, salmon and

Vibelicious in the whitebait pattern, which created an unreal run of fish for the rest of the season. This lure sinks perfectly without tumbling like others tend to, and even at 10g they still get hit on the drop. The 70mm size perfectly matches whitebait. It’s not too difficult to work them; a cast out and then a simple double hop retrieve near the bottom with plenty of pauses. Another retrieve you can try is a single long draw on the rod and then sink it back. Be prepared for a hit on the drop and while the lure is at rest. Seriously, get out there over the next couple of months and give a try. It may be cool this time of the season, but the fishing can be red-hot. BEACHES Rug up and stay warm, as we could be in for some entertaining nights on the

tailor hanging around, you just know a big mulloway will be available in one of the gutters or holes. I find a likely looking spot early and then set my game plan with a cast around for tailor to start with so they can then be used as fresh mulloway bait. Once I have enough, I make the necessary filleting so I have the slabs and head separate for use on a heavier rod. Beaches in the Port area that produce consistently are North Beach, Lighthouse Beach and the Cathie end. Even if you don’t get a mulloway, the salmon that are around over the cooler months will keep the action rolling while you wait for your silver ghost. OFFSHORE The offshore fishing over the last few months has been quite good. I’ve seen some big mahimahi caught this year, but none bigger than the specimen Dave

Wells captured. This time of year should hopefully see the boaties able to get out and chase a few reds around the lighthouse to Cathie grounds – there can be some real stonkers here every season and it wasn’t that many moons ago that my little boat pulled two 10kg models from this area on a morning where we only got two hits for the session. Try in close early and move out through the morning. Plastics will catch them, but give the jigs a

go as some great fish have been taken on these little jigs – check them out at your local tackle store, it could make a difference when the fish are a bit sick of seeing rubber in their face. If you stay comfortable in the weather conditions you will not only feel better but you will also fish better, so put on some good warm clothing, pack a thermos of hot coffee, and get cracking – the winter fishing is upon us.

Dave Wells with a great mahimahi caught near the FAD.

Casey, Trevor and Ryan show off some of the mixed fish you can catch on soft vibes.

A very long goodbye FORSTER

David Seaman dseamo@bigpond.com

It has been a long autumn season with a lot of straggling bait balls and pelagic species belting around, as we slip into June. Tonnes of mullet were still staging around the leases until the middle of last month and bream were still hitting surface up the rivers. With a flush of

the surface and live bait action will dwindle, there is always a chance, early this month, to tangle with some speedsters from the rocks. Even if the tuna abandon you, there will be chopper tailor up to a 1kg to keep you entertained. I also had a report of a couple of salmon caught on Seven Mile Beach, which is always a sign that winter is on its way. For more bread and butter fishing from the rocks, the pigs are in full swing,

of blackfish have been thick, which isn’t surprising – and it won’t be long before their move north will envelop the headlands closer to Forster. I can feel a night potholing session will be on the cards soon, and the best bait for luderick after dark are yabbies pumped from the lake. The beaches will have transient tailor and salmon schools cruising the shore break, with a change of tide and a bit of moon there may

Pigs are the best eating fish from the rocks through winter and always worth a few hours of a run-in tide.

Big bream are what Forster/Tuncurry is renowned for, and winter is the best chance of a monster catch. fresh and a cooling of water temperatures, there should be some normality brought back to the winter season. The live baiting and spinning from the rocks for blues, mackerel tuna and even the odd Spanish mackerel has been insane, with one of the best years for tuna and worst season for sharks shortening the catch. The sharks follow the fish getting involved in feeding on the bait balls. I had a 6kg mack chewed in half at my feet the other day, and it was a little unexpected. While

along with some sizable bream and plenty of legal sized groper. I like to use a good amount of bread for berley in early season pig fishing, and at less than a dollar a loaf from Woolies it won’t break the bank. Early morning and even soft plastic fishing in the deeper gutters, behind bommies and rocky holes may produce a decent mulloway. The north end of Elizabeth Beach is a great spot to try, and a few fish taken casting back to the beach side. Reports

be a chance at a big mulloway if you’re lucky. I do find a late afternoon beach fish relaxing until the night air starts to freeze and my feet go numb, so don’t expect too much first hand information from the sand after dark. What I am looking forward to is the number of big bream that hang around the lower section of the lake. Winter is a fantastic time to target that PB bream in and around the structures of Wallis Lake. While the fishing can be slower than the summer

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months and the weather cold, the chances of finding a big blue nose that wants a slow rolled hardbodied lure are good. The flathead and whiting tend to retract further into the estuaries and rivers, though flathead will still be found around the flats and weeds along the channels and oyster leases. The breakwalls will fish well of an evening for big bream, some blackfish and school mulloway on plastic or live bait. There are still mullet in the lake that are staging to head to the coast so the mulloway will hang around. Some fish are moving into the rivers, especially the Wallamba, and I’ve sounded and recorded a deep hole where I know they are holding up. A retired commercial has given me a few other spots to try, so my winter mission is to extract a fish or two from the river – stay tuned.

All in all, it is a great month and start to the cooler months and for my money I’d be hitting the rock to

mackerel has livened up the deck. The pan size snapper and sand flathead have been playing the game, as have

It’s been a great year for tuna and sharks – sometimes there is no escaping the taxman. tangle with the tailor, bream, blackfish and pigs. Offshore the spotties have been good and the odd Spanish

the teraglin on the northern ground but you need to fish the moon and tide change to catch them.

Wonderful time of year HARRINGTON-TAREE

Ian Pereira ianpereira@aapt.net.au

The past month has been a great time for all types of fishing in the Manning area. The sea temperatures have been up, and all sorts of fish that inhabit warm water have been on the bite. The river has had a little run in it and the mullet have schooled just upstream from the mouth of the river. Bream have come down the river to school up, ready to spawn while flathead have moved into all parts of the river. The beaches have formed up really well with plenty of gutters and sand flats where the fish can hide. ESTUARY The wall at Harrington, is presently producing the best catches. Mulloway to 15kg have been caught on live bait (herring) as well

as bream to just over 40cm. Luderick have been on and off the bite with the best catches made at night. Boaties fishing the edges of reed beds and the drop-offs with plastics have scored plenty of flathead up to 65cm. The sand flats in the mouth of the river are fishing well for whiting to 35cm. BEACH AND ROCK The end of the sea wall has seen plenty of small mulloway to 10kg caught on soft plastics and live bait. There are also plenty of 1kg+ tailor to be bagged from the end of the wall. A couple of big tailor have been landed in the past few weeks. One 14lb model was taken from the end of the sea wall and another of 11lb was caught from the beach up near Diamond Head. The angler who caught the 11lb tailor scored a 4.5lb tailor and an 8lb mulloway on the next two throws. Crowdy beach is fishing well for tailor to 1kg and

the occasional salmon. Now that the mullet are moving up the coast, sharks have become plentiful and take baits fished for tailor as well as half mullet specifically fished for them. OFFSHORE Usually the Spanish mackerel arrive here at the end of January and stay for three weeks, however, they have arrived in March and are still here. Spotted mackerel, Spanish mackerel and wahoo have been caught on trolled live bait as well as dead tailor and bonito. Snapper and teraglin have been taken from the northern grounds, while bar cod and pearl perch have been caught out wide in 170m of water. Flathead are still on the bite on the drift if you get tired of pulling in pelagics. In June the tailor will still be on the bite from the beaches and headlands, while bream will be feeding along the beaches. Luderick

It’s worth getting out of bed PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

Winter has arrived, and while it may require a little bit more effort to get out of bed on those cold mornings it’s going to be well worth it, with plenty of fish on offer this month. Inside the port bream are on the go, and lure fishing with small plastics or hardbodies has by far been the most effective method to rack up numbers of them during the day. The

Point, island or oyster bar/ leases that hold bream. If you want to fish with bait, you’ll find success fishing at night, especially on the high tides. The pick of the spots is the torpedo tubes at Shoal Bay or along the Nelson Bay and Anchorage rock walls. Unweighted baits such as prawns or strips of mullet will work best, complement these with berley such as chicken pellets or bread mixed with tuna oil to greatly improve your catch. Luderick have taken up residency in the lower end

plenty of action that’s set to continue on for the next few months. While flathead have tapered off, if you work hard in the back half of the bay from Soldiers Point through to Karuah you should still be able to get a feed for a few more weeks yet, before the water gets too cold and shuts them right down. Mulloway are frequenting the deeper water around Middle Island, as well as a few smaller soapies holding on the Corlette wreck. The squid fishing has been good, with the weed beds at both Shoal Bay

Natural colours work best in the clear water. BEACHES On the beaches there will be some quality tailor to be caught on first and last light with Fingal Spit, and Box and Samurai beaches your best bet to get stuck into them. If you’re after a few bream, try fishing at night at the end of the beaches where they meet the rocks with places like Boat Harbour, Kiddies Corner and Kingsley all great spots to catch them. Off the rocks, drummer are starting to really turn it on, and the most popular stretch of coastline to find them is from Rocky Point through to Boulder Bay. Cunjevoi or large peeled prawns are the best bait you can use to target pigs, try to fish on the high tide and use as little weight as possible. The good thing about fishing

Spinning a few tailor up from the rocks shouldn’t be a problem this month.

Squid are in good numbers around the moorings at Shoal Bay. best areas to hit are between Tea Gardens and Garden Island with any Rocky

of the bay with the rock walls, Shoal Bay and Little Beach jetties all providing

and Jimmys Beach holding squid. Get a few today by using a quality 2.5 size jigs.

Bailey Williams with his buddy and a solid Middle Island mulloway.

this way from the rocks is you usually catch a mixed bag with juvenile snapper, bream as well as the odd groper by-catch. Tailor are another option for an early morning or late afternoon spin session from the rocks at One Mile, Fingal Head or Box Beach and don’t be surprised if you catch a couple of salmon while you’re at it. Outside the Heads it’s snapper time and the season has started with a bang already with some excellent catches of fish up to 9kg coming from Seal Rocks on plastics. Broughton Island also fishes well for reds, as do the bommies around Fingal and the closer islands. Both plastics and lightly weighted baits down a berley trail work a treat on low light periods. Out wide and the current has almost stopped, giving excellent conditions for fishing deep water, particularly for chasing kings around Almark Mountain with live baits and 3-400g jigs.

Massive

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This beautiful flathead was caught at the Farquhar Entrance. (Photo courtesy of Bohnock Bait & Tackle) will be on the bite in the estuary and around the rocks. The mornings will be nice and chilly but what

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Elusive mulloway undone by migrating mullet recently reported whiting to die for that they caught drifting along the mouth of Fullerton Cove using worms with a red bead on the line just above the hook. They told me it makes a big difference, so try it out in the warm upper reaches

HUNTER COAST

Gary Earl earlybird13@optusnet.com.au

The fishing has picked up to the point where if you can’t hook a fish you should sell your fishing gear and take up another hobby! Hairtail continue to school in the basin and there have been some big mulloway taken from both Nobbys and Stockton breakwalls. The bream are moving along the beaches, and the flathead have been on the bite in the estuary, what more could you ask for? It will be a bit harder to hook-up, but because of the warm water in certain places the fishing should still be great, especially in the shallows in the river and estuaries. Use fresh bait, especially mullet as they are in big numbers at the moment. You’ll find bream are with them as are schools of salmon. I watched two young kids catch a salmon a while back, and you couldn’t wipe the smiles from their faces. They were so happy that they must have thrown about another hundred casts to get another one, then ran to their dad to show him, screaming about their catches. That’s what fishing is all about – just real fun. There have been sharks around – mostly small bull and white tail species that cruise alongside the mullet then explode when they want one to eat. The mullet were flying left right and centre in a display I hadn’t yet witnessed before. The estuary is fishing well all the way up to the Terrace intersection with the Hunter. Bass have been a reliable by-catch, but these fish are mostly small so please put them back, as every year the amount we catch shrinks. This system now closes for their breeding run. Some anglers

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recently, and the fences are still stopping people from fishing there, so you need to go to the Stockton side if you’re looking for very deep water. Off the breakwalls use big heavy rods and good reels – either Penn, Shimano, Diawa, and ABU

The salmon have already hit the Hunter Coast and can be taken on many chrome lures, they fight well but aren’t great on the plate. wrapping a 5kg line around it so both side of the flesh are showing, then he cuts the bottom into a triangle so they flap around when the tide starts to run again – next time I will be giving it a go. He also noted to freeze the frames for when the blue swimmer crabs show up. I took another drive around Kooragang Island

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from the fishing co-op, and the guys who had spent hours catching livebaits couldn’t believe it! He got one on dusk, and if the tidal change is close to sunset it’s well worth the walk on both rock walls. He prepares his mullet bait by folding them over and

around Hexham to Sandgate and you may find them. Possibly alongside some nice flathead. The mulloway are going nuts around this area and they should hold in numbers to target over the month. I’ve been carting all the gear down to Stockton breakwall for very little gain, leaving those wily mulloway pending for another night. However, an angler fishing down from me got two well over 20kg. He said the trick is to fish with a rod and reel that’s able to let line off with no resistance to the fish, a technique I use for snapper offshore. This certainly worked for him on the Stockton wall! He used fresh mullet fillets bought

Thousands of these hairtail are in the mouth of the Hunter River. You’ll need a float with wire trace, and keep in mind they love pilchards.

Awesome cool weather game fishing ahead Work deep water jigs, live baits and even large oversized soft plastics up to 9” to get into some good fishing. Anglers will also find good numbers of snapper on these same offshore reefs. If the weather permits, a floating bait or lightly weighted bait can be very effective, however the old paternoster rig is still a

SWANSEA

Jason Scerri jayro@hotmail.com.au

As I mentioned in last month’s report, the temperatures have come down now and the full force of winter is finally upon us. To be honest, we can’t complain, as the summer and autumn period was a lovely long one, so a little relief in the form of some cooler weather is a nice change. Despite the cool weather, fishing remains fairly good and there is a little on offer for most at the moment. THE COOL CHANGE The salmon have started to come in for their annual run, which always provides plenty of exciting fishing for the whole family. Soft plastics around 3” in length on lightly weighted jigheads are effective for lure throwers. For bait anglers, the trusty pilchard floated out the back is another good option. Salts Bay should again be the number one go-to spot this year and the birds and crowds are usually a good indicator that the salmon are on the chew. Even when these salmon are about in big numbers, it’s still important to pay attention, as often you will find the odd solid kingfish lurking among the salmon schools. They are a very welcome by-catch during a salmon session. The winter bream are also about at the moment, which is great to see, and there have been some very nice fish in the mix. Plenty of respectable bream between the 35-42cm mark have been caught. I’ve been pulling a few from the shallows, but certainly not the numbers that were there over the warmer months. During these cooler times I like to work the banks that are affected

very effective option for bait anglers looking for a feed of quality reef fish. So yes, it is cold, yes, the water temperature has dropped, but on the plus side, the waterways have less boat traffic and don’t be fooled, there are still plenty of fish to be caught for those anglers who put in the time and effort.

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I recently returned from a trip to Tasmania for the SBT Championship. Quality tuna like this one will be off our part of the coast at some stage in the season as well – with a bit of luck. This one was taken on a Colorato Lures slant head lure.

GE marlin run is now done and For general GREAT RAN dusted. However, for anglers + chandlery & that have a large offshore boat AWESOME at their disposal, the possibility SERVICE boating supplies of hooking into some solid game fish is still very real. The fish will more often than not be quite wide over the cooler 638 PACIFIC HWY BELMONT months and tuna will be on most serious offshore anglers’ PH: (02) 4945 2133 www.unclerays.com.au minds at this time of year. You will often find the smaller tuna schooling and feeding out over the shelf and the Norah Head Canyon regions. Not all fish are smaller school size fish, and as we have seen in recent years both SBT and YFT up to 100kg are on the cards and a dream fish for many, if not all game fishing anglers. Several methods will find these models. One option is to set up a berley trail of cut fish pieces such as pilchard cubes and float out cube baits in the trail. The other option is15 to Wallarah Street 24 Paley Crescent 30 Gommera Street Watkins Road troll a spread of quality game Swansea Belmont South Blacksmiths Wangi Wangi Crescent Street 30 Gommera Street Street 15 Wallarah StreetRoad F3 lures. 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Bolton Point and Coal Mac mulloway. www.lakemacholidayparks.com.au Blacksmiths For the offshore fishoconvenient location. large campsites available. facilities. accommodation. holiday online today! holidayholiday online today! online today! andsettings Lake up the food supply and brings Point are both great locations OFFSHORE REPORTS chasing a little more accessible Macquarie Wangi www.lakemacholidayparks.com.au www.lakemacholidayparks.com.au www.lakemacholidayparks.com.au the fish on the bite. I make use – work large soft plastics OffshoreWangi fishing may not fish species, fishing some Scan this code towww.lakemacholidayparks.com.au book your or Freecall of the electric motor to anchor down deep in 8-10m of water have the same appeal for many deeper offshore reefs at this orFreecall Freecall or 626 Freecall Belmont holiday online today! 1800 438 or off from the bank and pepper it and you’ll be in with a good anglers as it does during the time of year will produce good 1800 626 438 or Freecall 1800 626 438 1800 626 438 with casts as I move along the chance of hooking some very warmer months as the inshore numbers of solid kingfish. www.lakemacholidayparks.com.au www.lakemacholidayparks.com.au www.lakemacholidayparks.com.au 1800 626 438 Sydney Swansea bank working both hardbody lures and lightly weighted small soft plastics and crab style lures. You will also find some nice bream around the deeper boat moorings through the lake and in bays such as Chain Valley Bay. In these particular locations I like to use slightly heavier weighted soft plastics and vibe or blade style lures. Slow your retrieve down during these cooler months and you will see far better results. Anglers who chase quality and less quantity will be best off working the bait balls in

large flathead and more than a fair chance of connecting to a lovely Lake Mac mulloway. Most mulloway will be around the 80-90cm mark, but there will certainly be a few over the magical 1m mark. By far my favourite option this time of year is working these deep locations with a 3-6kg outfit, 4-6” soft plastic on a jighead heavy enough to ensure I’m working the bottom sector. You will find plenty of 40-55cm flathead to keep you busy and to secure a feed for the family, but they are just to fill in time between the big

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Plenty of cheeky luderick around CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley jrobley@iprimus.com.au

It took a bit longer to cool down this year, but we are now well and truly in the grip of winter. Over the coming weeks, many aspects of fishing along the Central Coast will gradually change, some for the better, others for worse.

luderick are normally at their peak around the rocks at this time of year. Fishing with small baits in the washy zone close in around the rocks will score you a good mixed bag of excellent eating fish without too much trouble with winter regulars like bream, drummer and trevally featuring. I don’t bother with any sort of extra berley when specifically chasing

lower ledges and fish a rising tide. Things can get tough if westerly winds flatten out the seas and the water becomes too clear. The fish are still there, but they may stay down deeper, closer to reef, rock or kelp and it’s harder to get them to take bait. To combat this it’s worth experimenting a bit with the depth of your rig. Go deeper and cast out wider towards any

Rock fishing for luderick should be good this month, but if they are hard to find, bream, drummer or trevally are worth considering. ROCK FISHING For many years I’ve embraced what rock fishing has to offer through the cooler months, as one of my all-time favourite species,

luderick (blackfish) with green cabbage baits. Pick a regular luderick spot identified by the presence of lots of green cabbage and weed growth on the

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small patch of reef that may be visible. If that fails, get the bait much closer in and more particularly, under consistent patches of whitewash. Another approach is to use baits like white bread, cunjevoi, peeled prawns or crabs. These will interest bream, drummer and groper. Silver trevally and luderick may be attracted to these baits as well, but to appeal to trevally add cut pieces of pilchard, pink nippers and even pipi baits. White bread will attract all of these species apart from groper, crab baits will attract all, but

aren’t so good for luderick or trevally. In any case, regardless of exactly which bait is chosen, mixed bags can be expected. Bread, soaked in seawater and mashed to a fine pulp is undoubtedly the best form of berley for winter rock fishing. I’m happy to use just the bread itself, but some experienced rock hoppers also like to mix in other ingredients ranging from chicken pellets to chopped up green weed or old prawn heads and shells. One of the most important keys to successful berleying around the rocks is to throw in small amounts often, rather than large amounts infrequently. Another form of rock fishing that’s reasonably consistent along the Central Coast over the coming weeks is lure casting for tailor and salmon. This month there should also still be the occasional bonito and kingfish, with a chance of mulloway in some locations. Overall, winter rock spinning is largely about tailor and salmon. Be on the rocks early, just before sunrise will make for better fishing. Don’t worry about the cold; hurling lures from the rocks will warm you up in no time. Get into some action and it won’t take long to work up a sweat! BEACH FISHING Beach fishing can be reasonable this month, although most of us would probably be a lot more comfortable wearing waders than going barefoot. The water may still have a bit of warmth to it, but walking on sand early in the morning or at night can be pretty cold on the feet. Through autumn I hooked into plenty of tailor and salmon, while other

A lot of small whaler sharks were pestering beach anglers a while back. Although they put up a great fight and can be good eating when dealt with properly, most of us will be glad to see them gone. anglers caught sharks, mulloway, bream and whiting. It has been a pretty good run of beachfishing, so I see no reason for things to change this month. No doubt salmon numbers will continue to increase as the sea temperature cools down more. Offshore fishing generally remains good this month, although westerly winds can hamper things at times. Closer in we should have some reliable fishing around inshore reefs and bommies for trevally, tailor, snapper and flathead. Those using livebaits on heavier gear should also expect the odd mulloway and kingfish. Keen anglers with bigger fuel tanks may

prefer to head further out in search of yellowfin or do some jigging for kings and bonito around Texas and the perch grounds. Once again, it’s largely up to the westerly winds or lack of them, so keep a close eye on weather forecasts. Back inside calmer waters, bream and luderick are our main winter species. I walked over the bridge at The Entrance the other day and spotted plenty of luderick along the edges of the channels and saw a few caught as well, so the future looks promising. Bream shouldn’t be too hard to tempt, but if you’re using lures remember to slow down a bit and try deeper water as we move further into winter.

Bonito were in good numbers through the autumn months, and a few may still be within casting range from the rocks over the coming weeks. Once the water cools off, these speedy pelagics will move further offshore. 38

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Winter beach fishing basics CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley jrobley@iprimus.com.au

When beach fishing comes to mind, it’s only natural to associate this great Aussie pastime with other summer traditions like cricket and the good old backyard

need to be made in order to make the most of what each season offers. The colder weather and water temperatures mean we need to rug up and be prepared differently to the summer months. Thankfully our winters are very mild compared to many other countries around the world,

entire year, and it’s not too uncommon to encounter traditional summer favourites like whiting even in the very depths of winter. Realistically though, the main fish species to expect when beach fishing along the NSW coast at this time of year are salmon, tailor, bream and mulloway. Throw

foamy wash when making casts or landing fish. If you do wade out into water deeper than ankle height you should consider a wet suit rather than waders. Unless one of those seriously arctic cold snaps has just hit, I wouldn’t recommend going overboard with thick jumpers and beanies, as it’s often much warmer at the beach than expected. Once you’re walking around and hopefully hooking into some hard fighting fish, it’s easy to work up a sweat and feel overdressed. A fleecy top, with a spray jacket and thin beanie or cap is usually enough in average circumstances. TACKLE AND TACTICS Perhaps the single most versatile way to fish the beach through the cooler months is to cast whole pilchards pinned to a set of ganged hooks. Despite all the advances made over the past decade or so, this old school approach still remains incredibly effective for the dominant surf species

A few fish were kept for the fry pan. While tailor make excellent bait, some of us also love eating them. Remember to promptly bleed any fish that you intend to keep for the table.

The author with a typically chunky mid-winter salmon. Although they’re not everyone’s favourite fish, at least they provide some action that may be missing on other fronts at this time of year. BBQ. The truth is though, beach fishing can be a rewarding activity during any month of the year. Like other types of angling though, a few adjustments

but it still gets icy cold at night and just before sunrise can be particularly brutal on the fingers and feet. Some species cruise the surf zone through the

Mulloway are well worth chasing through the cooler months. In most cases, it’s best to target them once the sun has gone down and top quality bait is a must.

While natural bait is often the best way to go, casting lures shouldn’t be neglected as a great way to tangle with fish like tailor. 40

JUNE 2016

in the occasional silver trevally, tarwhine, snapper, flathead and gummy shark along some beaches as well. Most anglers using typical and popular beach fishing methods are more inclined to hook salmon, tailor and bream, with more emphasis on salmon south of Newcastle and tailor along the north coast. Some of the more dedicated folk who don’t mind putting in a decent effort after sunset will still catch the same species, but there’s also a reasonably good chance of mulloway on many of the beaches, with some of the biggest specimens hooked during the coldest months. WARMING UP Simply walking along soft sand, carrying some tackle and bait is a good way of getting some exercise and warming up. Sometimes though, the sand can feel like you’re walking on ice slurry and bare feet can really start to suffer. While I’ve known some people to say waders aren’t safe or they’re too uncomfortable, I wouldn’t fish the beach in winter without them. With socks and track pants inside the waders, legs and feet are kept very warm and completely dry. It’s important to be mindful that most types of waders are not at all ideal or safe for walking out into the surf, as this is when waves can wash right over them and when things can become problematic or hazardous. Stick to simply walking into the little bit of

The humble pilchard pinned to a set of ganged hooks is perhaps the most reliable beach bait to use during winter. Tailor and salmon love pillies, but they also attract bream, flathead and the occasional mulloway.

Fishing at night during winter may seem a bit masochistic, but in reality it’s generally much warmer at the beach than many of us would think. Temperatures are kept stable by the relatively warm ocean.

– salmon and tailor. Good quality pilchards can also be quite appealing to bream, mulloway and others. A simple rig that does a great job in most situations is a set of 4/0 gangs, with a 30cm trace of 10kg mono or fluorocarbon, swivel and a size 5-7 ball sinker running freely above the swivel. If bream are the main target species, then the same type of rig, with a single size 1/0 hook is normally spot on. For mulloway with bigger baits try a single size 7/0-10/0 Gamakatsu Octopus or two of these hooks snelled about 10cm apart. Exact hook size mainly depends on the size of bait to be used.

Many anglers still use nylon mono as the mainline, which works very well for soaking baits in the surf. Remember, it’s vital to incorporate a leader about the same length as the rod above the rig when you use braid or PE lines. Although fluorocarbon has become the accepted type of line to use as leader material these days, the extra stretch of a hard wearing nylon mono like Schneider or Maxima is beneficial when fighting big fish in a pounding surf. In short, more fish stay hooked with a mono leader than a fluorocarbon leader. Aside from pilchards, other top beach baits include

Tailor are one of the main species encountered along our beaches through the cooler months, particularly on the north coast.

calamari, strips of mullet, tailor, pike or bonito, whole garfish and for bream try pipis, beach worms and smaller cut pieces of fish flesh. Of all fish flesh baits, my favourite is tailor, especially when it’s freshly caught and cut up straight away. A whole fresh tailor or mullet head also makes a great mulloway bait. Lure casting is another option well worth considering. When a pack of hungry tailor or a big mob of sambos move into a gutter, lures can actually do a better job than baits, as it’s a faster form of fishing, and there’s no need to put on a new bait all the time. Once the action has died off, it may be a good idea to switch back to bait soaking. If forced to bring just one lure to the beach I would pack a 40g Surecatch Knight. These simple chrome lures have proven highly successful on tailor, salmon, bonito and other species time and time again over the years. However, there are times when different lures should be considered. Salmon often feed on tiny, slim profile baitfish at this time of year and small, thin metal lures in the 15-25g range can work quite well. Another sort of lure that sambos really like is a small, slinky soft plastic

such as a Berkley PowerBait Minnow pinned to a jighead that’s heavy enough to cast into the surf. Unfortunately, such lures don’t cast that well and it may take some experimentation with lighter rods, reels and line

to achieve a distance that acheives results. Sinking stickbait style lures have become more popular for rock and beach fishing lately, as they have enough weight to cast reasonably well, and a larger

It’s not too hard to stay warm at the beach, especially when a mob of salmon or tailor move into the gutter you’re fishing.

profile than a metal lure so they stand out in the surf. One that I’ve enjoyed great success with this year is the Daiwa Switch Hitter 85s. Such lures can be skimmed across the top like a popper, or allowed to sink and then cranked in at a variable pace. PEAK TIMES Regardless of the season or location, most fish are more active around sunrise and sunset. This is especially so for predators like tailor and salmon. Although activity levels may not remain as intense, fishing well into the night will still produce tailor, salmon and bream, but it’s often the best way to tangle with the mighty mulloway. As for tides, a rising tide is generally much better than a falling tide. Quite often, the peak bite will come in the hour leading up to high tide. Anglers trying their luck for mulloway should definitely make sure their best bait is in the water in the final ten minutes leading up to high tide, as the precise moment the tide changes is when mulloway bite best. So, if winter’s chills are dampening the enthusiasm, consider putting in some more time at the beach over the coming months. It could turn out to be better than expected, and probably a lot warmer than many other locations to fish.

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Early season snapper awaits brave adventurers ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke clarkey1@westnet.com.au

The weather so far this year has been kind to anglers with no really massive storms and wind, and prolonged periods of calm seas and low swells. If this keeps up for another few weeks, it will set conditions up nicely to chase big winter bream in the shallow bays and headlands along the coast. BREAM TIME Even better, if we get a good downpour that opens up all the creeks along the coast to the sea and then a calm period the fishing will be even better. There are plenty of good spots along the Illawarra Coast to chase them, and with a bit of berley and some quality, bait you

know you will be safe. There are plenty of little coves and protected areas where the waves will have little impact and if you are not familiar with the open areas these will be your best bet. A bit of berley, in small regular doses will get the bream right up to the back of the boat. Then, use light line in the 2-3kg class, with only a small split shot, or even better, no weight at all, and cast your bait out into the berley stream. If you can, it is always better to wait until you have several fish swimming around feeding behind the boat and competing, as more will come as the word gets around. If you hook the first one and lose it, the fish become wary, and you may then only catch the odd fish, but when they are competing you can almost pick and choose your

Some early snapper are about and when they make up their mind to grab something they don’t mess around. can’t miss. Fish in close, often in 2m or so of water for the best results – this means you have to be on your game if you are in the open ocean, and you must be very familiar with your spot. Larger waves can and do come from time to time, particularly during the tide change, so only fish on days and in places where you

target. Don’t be greedy – just take what you need, even though some unreputable professional beach haulers will in all probability, wipe the whole school out a few kilometres up the coast anyway. Places like, Sandon Point, the north side of Bulli bommie, behind Bellambi Pool (which is only 50m from

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the boat ramp) will serve you well. The shallow areas around Bellambi bommie, behind Wollongong Pool and the shallow areas around all of the Port Kembla Islands are also great producers. There are hundreds of places to look. Shellharbour behind the pool (I don’t know what it is about pools, but they certainly produce the goods), and all along the northern side of Bass Point and in the bay out the front will find you some fish. The Boneyard, behind the pool at Kiama Harbour and all the shallow bays down to Gerringong will do the same. Tuna cubes without the skin are the best bait to use but mackerel and yellowtail work too. Fresh pilchards filleted are a good standby if you can’t get the above. Even though you are chasing bream in this shallow water, you will be amazed what shows up in the berley trail, we often fish way too deep for many species who will travel right in the wave zone. Silver trevally can be a nuisance at this time of the year, as they are always responsive to a little berley. Snapper both large and small often show up in the shallow water, where the big fish either sneak in for a bite or just blast through grabbing a piece they have lined up from 20m away and you are left not quite sure what you saw. The smaller fish just mingle with the bream. Fishing in such shallow water can be a visual experience when the water is clear. Schools of salmon often come through as they travel along the coast and will hang around if they like what is on offer. Even the odd mulloway might poke its nose in, but they are usually out around

don’t always come in close to the boat. The bream will pick your bait to bits if no bigger fish are about, but that just adds to the berley effect but the chance of a bigger fish far outweighs this problem.

far they have been a bit quiet – all that can all change if the right current comes along holding fish. The bluefin will not be far away either and will be watched with great

When you drop bait down deep you never know what might grab it. This time it was a bar cod. FURTHER OUT The snapper are starting to gather over the reefs waiting for the cuttlefish spawning run. Quite a few cuttlefish have already arrived, but as yet are not in the mood so the snapper will have to wait. They will get involved with an early morning or late evening berley trail or if you’re into lures, work plastics and micro jigs over the reefs.

anticipation as they move up the coast from down south. Last year most went wide of here with only a few taken, but who knows? This year they might come right in close. If not, there are always the deep critters to play with now the current has backed off a bit after the summer rush. Blue-eye are always on the cards and gemfish are increasing in numbers over

Maori wrasse, pigfish and goatfish (or red mullet as some prefer), are common winter fare for the shallow water bottom bouncers. the edges. Whaler sharks will often make an appearance as well. The major nuisances are the big rays that vacuum the bottom in the shallows and are quicker than you think at grabbing your bait. Always have larger bait on heavier gear out a bit further for bigger fish, as they

Back in on the rocks it’s a case of chase the bread and butter cool water fish. Drummer are about in all the washes with the usual baits doing the job. They like the cabbage weed and have been

Some of the early season fish are quality, with fish to 6kg not uncommon, but towards the end of the month the bite will hot up as the cuttlefish start to do their thing and pop to the surface. Further out around the shelf there is the chance of a yellowfin tuna, but so

the coming weeks too. Closer to shore, the bottom bouncing is a bit slow with most of the flathead tucked up for winter, the saving grace is there are a few snapper starting to get about, throw in some mowies and pigfish and you can still get a feed.

giving the blackfish anglers a bit of hurry up on the open ledges. Salmon are around the deeper ledges, and even the odd bonito if you are tossing pilchards around. The bream will be in the wash at your feet picking up the bits. Throw in a few trevally, and there is certainly enough to keep you interested! On the beaches, the bream are again the target with good fish on any beach with a decent gutter. Throw in some solid salmon and a few tailor, and even a big whiting for a feed and some fun. The main target for many however, will be big mulloway. This is the time when the big fish frequent the beaches, and it can be worth the cold fingers when that big golden slab rolls into view in the shore break. All the good gutters along the coast will have dedicated mulloway anglers plying their trade over the coming weeks with excellent results. If the majority of fishers don’t hear about it, it’s because the good anglers who catch the big fish don’t post on Facebook. Fresh bait, and a deep gutter just on dark works well or even in the wee small hours if the tide is right. The estuaries are worth a shot for bream along the weed bed edges near Primbee if you need a fix, but most of the systems are pretty quiet at the moment. Good luck.

Winter punches out some massive blue-eyes NOWRA

Johnny Nolan straydog1974@gmail.com

Winter has finally caught up with us fishos! A few frosty mornings here and there, some harsh westerly winds no doubt and maybe even a hint of snow on the nearby hills of Sassafras make us all want spring and summer to hurry up and visit us once more! I don’t mind the cold, I love rugging up and hitting the beaches in search of that elusive winter mulloway or going onto the stones to chase big winter drummer from the ledges. Both of these are pretty good options, especially towards the end of the season when the westerly winds begin to puff. The majority of rock ledges offer shelter from winds and if the beaches are steep enough there will be shelter from the dunes. You can always rely on good numbers of salmon around this time of year, and usually of pretty good size. They are always fun to catch and give you a workout on the light gear. If you want to keep a couple for a feed the good old Thai fishcakes are an option here – mincing the fish up

helps to disguise the taste of this below-average table fish. If you’re after some of the best table fish the ocean has

for those in the know! The electric rod and reel outfit is a must for this form of fishing, as doing it the old fashioned

Peter Osterloh with a thumper inshore red! to offer, pick a good weather pattern with not too much wind and try and coincide your trip with a time when the current isn’t running too hard and hit the continental shelf with the deep dropping gear. A good season so far, the deep droppers have caught plenty of ling, cod, gem fish and some XOS blue-eye trevalla

way one to one on the good old Alvey deck winch is quite a workout and will quickly become tedious as the person next to you flicks a switch on his electric reel and sits back with a drink. There is definitely an art to this style of fishing as you have to take everything into account including your drift, the current, the tide

and the depth and knowing where your bait is going to be when it finally gets to the bottom – it’s no good to find the right location, drop your rig and then finding yourself 100m from that location by the time your bait descends the 500-600m drop. If you’re not into travelling miles offshore in search of a good table fish, then winter on the south coast is prime time in close for big reds, and we haven’t been disappointed so far. Some cracking fish have already been taken on the close inshore reefs and some very impressive fish have been found inside Jervis Bay. Both soft plastics and bait are working with the early morning bite proving to be the better time in conjunction with either a low or high tide change. If you’re after fresh bait for the reds or indeed a feed for yourself, squid have been plentiful in the bay since about March and are kicking on right through winter. Hopefully the plagues of leatherjacket don’t return that cost squidders hundreds of dollars in jigs. Moving into the Shoalhaven/Crookhaven system and from all reports it’s been one of the better seasons in years. The river has

held success for the mighty mulloway, usually you hear more about the soft plastic fishers having the results, but this season it’s been the bait fishos taking the glory with some anglers managing several large fish in a session. Live yellowtail and slimy mackerel, although hard to catch sometimes, have

accounted for most fish, fished in the slack of the tide or in the swirling eddies created by hard running tides. That should give you some sort of scope as to what’s happening and what you should be doing to try and catch yourself a feed this winter. Catch up with you all next month! Johnny out.

Masters of deep dropping – Cookie and Herbie scored a couple of quality blue-eye from a recent trip to their secret spot!

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Hard yakka pulls big mulloway BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

As we get into the swing of winter, start downsizing your leader in the estuary as the water cools and becomes clearer and clearer. You can also start to venture out to the coastal rock platforms where the bream are moving out and the snapper are flocking to.

The drummer become a reliable catch at this stage of the year, and big mulloway swim the beaches at night. The game fishers rug up and head beyond the shelf for a chance at tuna and the currents slow down for the chance to deep drop. This year we have seen the broadbill swordfish become a popular target with some great captures already on the board. This

winter I am pumped for the bluefin tuna run! We leave autumn with a bang – the mulloway madness in the Clyde River is insane. This time last year we had schooling mulloway around the bridge and this year seems bigger and better. There must be hundreds of mulloway schooling and feeding through the nights as millions of yakkas are packed around the bridge

Sam Hay with one of the many mulloway around at this time of year.

area and are on the menu. Anglers have caught between 2-4 per night and some going out consecutive nights and successfully capturing fish around the 80-140cm range. John Hilyears had a standout capture – a 148cm beast that weighed 38.5kg. The bigger fish will start moving out of the estuary and more freely along the open beaches at this time of the year, and this is where anglers will be waiting for them with 12ft rods and fresh squid. Gummy sharks are a welcome by-catch. Bream begin to move out to the coastal bays and beaches and already there have been great catches along the beaches. My friend Aaron Knox, who can’t fish to save his life, is doing quite well on the bream at night – if he can do it, anyone can. More than likely, his girlfriend Sarah is actually getting the job done and he is taking the credit. Aaron has been collecting crabs and Sarah uses them as a great bream bait. She puts half a small crab on once through a nice sharp little octopus hook and feeds it out off the shoreline. They fish the holes, gutters and ends of the beaches at night to catch some nice healthy yellowfin bream. They reckon light 7ft rods have been enough, as they catch the bream right on the shore. The bream have been in massive numbers along the beaches already and you can expect to catch them from here through the rocky bays as well. The rocky beach bays and platforms have produced

John Hilyear’s 38.5kg monster mulloway! anglers using bait a lot more with greater success as they are fishing smarter and using fresher baits or live baits that match the area. Rather than chucking a frozen prawn into the water, use a crab, cunjevoi or octopus leg caught from the area you fish. Angler skills are improving along with lure fishing techniques. Staying on the rocks, the drummer are already off

as we have seen continual captures of massive whiting into winter as well. I didn’t get many reports on bass in for the last article, so either very few have been caught or the bass brigade have kept a tight lip, but boy there have been some show stoppers caught at the end of autumn going into winter. There have been some good numbers and lately they couldn’t help getting their

David was throwing lures for mulloway in the Clyde, and to his surprise he pulled up an amberjack! some great snapper as well, which should continue into the coming months. As much as plastics and lure fishing has taken off, I have noticed 44

JUNE 2016

to a great start this winter, and many customers have come in to show me pictures of their pigs. Back on the beach, don’t rule out whiting

phones out to show me how big and healthy they have been, with plenty of fish in the early 40s with the To page 45

Ocean offers up some surprises NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

The local beaches around the Narooma region have been nothing short of exceptional, with some monster tailor making a welcome return. These greenbacks have nudged 6kg on some beaches, brutes for this area and great fun on the right tackle. Most have fallen to bait fished on paternoster rigs with wire within the rig. Anglers who fish mono rigs haven’t had a chance against the tailor teeth. If you want to target them, wire trace is a must. Yes, you minimise the chances of catching other species, but at least you will land the greenbacks if they turn up. Salmon numbers are also on the increase, with bigger fish to 4kg succumbing to bait and lures. The salmon action will only get better as we head further into winter, these fine sportsfish love the cooler water temperatures that this time of year brings. The best bait to use for salmon and tailor are whole pilchards, blue bait, white bait and metal shiners. Most beaches will hold fish, but the better beaches are Tilba, Brou, Narooma Main and Blackfellows. Expect a few bream too, especially if you use beach worms or pipi for bait. Use a lighter outfit to target the bream – this will pay immediate dividends. On the stones, the action has varied with some days great and others a little slow. Blackfish and drummer numbers are on the increase now the water is cooling, From page 44

odd 50cm monster. These fish are thick as well. It seems the good weather has extended the bass season. Out to sea in the boats you should start seeing more consistency with snapper numbers. The sizes may vary a lot but there should be plenty around. Flathead have been in good numbers and are always the last option if you have nothing for the table. Autumn winter kings have been on and off, but if you want more consistency with them you should head

with some drummer pushing 3kg. At that size they are brutes to hold, and heavy handed tactics are required to land them. Most locals get the better bags when the seas are lumpy and with a lot of white water around. This has varied a lot as winter generally has flatter seas than other months. The

month is also the time to score a decent snapper from the rocks. These guys tend to move in close during June when the cuttlefish run. Try High Rock at Mystery Bay plus the rocks off Jamieson Point at Potato Point. Outside, the kingfish action at Montague Island has been consistent with

general rule is to find the white water and you will find the fish. The golf course ledges, Mystery Bay and Dalmeny headland are the pick of the spots to try, with cabbage, cunjevoi, bread and prawns the best baits. This

most anglers catching fish every day. Bag sizes vary from day to day, as does the size of the kings but overall they have been good. Fish are averaging 4kg, and have been quite particular to live baits with

the odd hoodlum up to 12kg caught. The smaller fish are prolific on jigs with the best action happening down the southern end of the island around the pinnacles. A lot of these fish are under-sized, so getting the legal models can be time consuming but a lot of fun. This month the bigger kings could be on the surface around the North West corner or Fowl House Reef. Every year some massive kings turn up here smashing saury schools – let’s hope this year is no different. Fish to 20kg are hooked regularly, but not many landed due to the shallow water. Troll live slimy mackerel or big bibbed minnows to target them. Expect some XOS bonito on live bait also! Out wider, yellowfin tuna and albacore can be expected with big fish on the cards. We have seen some solid tuna already and I believe we are in for a cracking season. The water is still 20°C out the front and if this stays around or gets slightly cooler, the action could be the best it has been for years. Troll big skirted lures and bibbed minnows, but for the bigger fish, berley, live bait and cubing is the dominant option. Look out for the vital signs –bait on the sounder, temperature breaks, working birds and current or tide lines. The estuaries continue to fish well for most species and flathead are still on the chew. Wagonga Inlet has been a standout, with flathead to 88cm caught regularly. I know local guru Hoots recently captured an 88cm fish – a superb effort on bream gear. Soft plastics

out to Montague Island. If you like offshore fishing, you will be happy to know the big yellowfin tuna that our south coast is famous for should soon be knocking on our doors. We have already seen some nice ones getting around in the 40-50kg range and we are hoping the 60kg ones are still to come. The last couple of years saw about one or two known tuna caught each weekend. This doesn’t seem like many considering the number of boats and hours spent chasing them. But

there are more caught that are not so publicised and quite a few smaller ones about. We always hope a few albacore get about that can make up for the trip if you miss a yellowfin. Marlin can also still be a surprise catch coming into winter. Last year coming into the end of June saw the best part of our bluefin run. Luckily I jumped at the opportunity last year and headed out exactly where they were in reasonable numbers to have what ended up being the best day of the year for me.

I thought the action would strike in July, as in previous years. However, it didn’t quite happen in July, so I was glad I struck while the iron was hot! This is a good bit of advice for this year – the day you hear there are reasonable numbers within your reach, is the day you phone work with a terrible illness that only tuna fishing can cure. A lot of you would have already heard of the broadbill swordfish action starting to occur that has been pulled off with reasonable

Tom Smith with a solid black bream he caught, which was released.

Flash with some nice eating ocean perch he caught while targeting blue-eye trevalla. work well with smaller presentations certainly out-fishing bigger lures. It’s interesting at times that these bigger fish will eat smaller presentations before bigger lures, I’m not sure why, but the old saying ‘elephants eat peanuts’ certainly rings true at times. Bream, legal snapper and big tailor have also been around in the deeper sections of the main basin with Barlows Bay a good starting point. Lures and fresh bait both work, with the run-out tide fishing best. Up the back of the system, the bream have been alright on soft plastics and hardbodies with quite a few fish caught on poppers. The mulloway action has slowed somewhat, but if you do get one this consistency in places like Tassie. It would have to be the pinnacle of game species and more anglers are ticking this species off their bucket list. With more research and time spent chasing them, we have found some interesting results. They aren’t just a winter species you target at night – you can find bigger ones during the day and they may be better targeted at different times of the day and night dependent on the time of year. Here is a species that is producing new and different information. Next

month it will be on the big side. The coolish waters seem to be best for big fish in this system. Concentrate around the tailor schools, which are abundant throughout the system. The main basin holds a lot of whitebait so this would be a good place to start. Up at Tuross, it’s business as usual. There’s plenty of smaller flathead through the system, with the lower reaches holding a few bigger girls to 80cm. There have been reports of mulloway encounters at night by bait fishers, so expect to see a few caught by anglers who fish soft plastics and bigger vibe lures. Again, the lower sections on the draining tide are the time and place to have a crack. issue we will talk about rigs, depths and time of the year. Winter is here, get out of the estuary and onto the beaches or rock platforms. Take the boat out for a snapper or chase tuna all day long. The main thing is there are still fish in the sea! • For more up-to-the-minute information on what’s biting where, drop into Compleat Angler Batemans Bay and have a chat to Anthony or one of the other friendly staff. They’re located at 65A Orient St, Batemans Bay (02 4472 2559).

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If you’re not sure – bream it! MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

Winter is here again, but don’t let this deter you as some excellent fishing still exists for those anglers prepared to brave the cold mornings and put in the time. June is the pick of the months to fish one of my favourite estuary haunts, Pambula Lake. Winter pelagics like salmon, tailor and big silver trevally call this place home over the coming months and the action can be fast and furious at times. Flathead, yellowfin bream, blackfish and legal snapper are also on the cards. These bread and butter species are year round prospects, but for some reason they really fire up in this system when that water cools down. There have been some great captures from this system over the last weeks, with bream to 43cm, which are solid models for this area. There’s still some decent flathead around up to 85cm, with a lot of good tailor coming from the main Broadwater itself. All of the fish we have caught lately have been on soft plastics, with anglers using bait finding it hard to get a feed. There are presently a few leatherjackets and smaller

snapper in the system and this is causing the bait fishos a little headache. I’d suggest fishing the margins for best results with the main basin in 3-5m a good place to start. Outside, the game boats have had a good time with yellowfin tuna to 62kg captured and a few bigger models winning their freedom. Good-sized albacore have been mixed in with tuna catches, with some fish pulling the needle down to 18kg. This action should continue through

dominate anglers’ sounders around the 70-fathom line. This is certainly the place to troll skirted lures or live bait, and cube for yellowfin and albacore. Depending on water temperature, marlin are still a possibility, it has happened this late in the season before, and I think the game seasons are definitely getting later in the year. Inshore, the action has been patchy, with sporadic catches of snapper, morwong and flathead. The fish that have been caught

if last season is anything to go by. We had a ripper winter run with reds to 5kg last year, so fingers crossed it happens again. Reefs to try are Horseshoe, Long and Lennards Island with fresh cuttlefish, squid and soft plastics the best baits and lures to try. If the reds are slow, there are ample flathead if a feed is what you’re after, it’s been a cracking season for the flats. The best depth to try is the 40m line off Pambula, it’s been firing nicely.

A couple of nice gummy sharks caught on spin gear – these were destined for the table. June, with the water still hovering around the 19°C mark. Large schools of slimy mackerel still

are of decent size, so it’s certainly still worth a look out the front. Expect the snapper action to get better

For the rock-hoppers, the bread and butter species will dominate this month. Blackfish, drummer,

It gets cold in winter, but that doesn’t deter the black bream. yellowfin bream and smaller snapper will make up most bags. As the water cools even further, bigger drummer will make their presence felt, with cabbage and cunjevoi the best performing baits. Spots to try are Short Point and Tura Head. June is a great month if a decent red off the stones is your caper. Tura Head and Long Point near the main wharf in Merimbula Bay are the pick with fresh squid and cuttlefish the gun baits. It’s even better to target these guys after a heavy blow, if this happens your chances will greatly increase. On the sand, the beach anglers have had a ball recently, which will certainly continue. Almost all beaches hold fish with Tura, North Tura, Haycock and the mouth of Pambula River all firing at certain

times. Big salmon to 3kg are the most common species being caught, but some XOS tailor have played the game. Expect a few bream on the beaches as they head out of the estuaries to do their thing. Paternoster and Ezy rig combinations on surf rods are ideal for these bigger fish. Pilchards, blue-bait and fresh squid are perfect for salmon and tailor, with live beach worms and pipis ideal for bream. A lot of the smaller salmon succumb to smaller laser lures up to 30g. They are great fun on lighter tackle with fish averaging 1.5kg on the metals. If you’re after bigger prey, a late night session with fresh tailor fillets might see a gummy shark or two, there’s been a few around and North Tura is the beach to fish.

Montague still worth a look BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

I remember a long time ago reading a comic strip in a fishing magazine of a police officer pulling up a guy towing a boat

for speeding. When questioned the fisher told the officer that there was a hot run of kings up at Montague Island – the response, ‘well I better give you an escort!’ Things haven’t changed, and Montague Island is still worth a look.

Up at Montague Island kingies and bonito are feeding on passing schools of sauries, alongside a few tuna. Troll live mackerel, or small bibbed and bibless lures to find some good models. Casting poppers on some heavy weight spin gear to get into some interesting and spectacular action. On

Take a look in the shallows of Wallaga Lake for bream like this. 46

JUNE 2016

the bottom around the island, snapper and morwong are the main captures, while back towards shore out from Tilba, sand flathead and the odd gummy shark are regular catches. The close in reefs south of Bermagui have good stocks of snapper hanging around that can be targeted in various ways. Soft plastic lure fishing is a popular choice close to the shore, while anchoring and berleying is popular on the slightly deeper reefs. Leatherjacket are still a problem, so you might have to move around a bit to avoid them. GAME FISHING Do you have a favourite species in a particular form of fishing? When it comes to game fishing, I love mako sharks – and now is the time to pursue them. I suppose the attraction for me is the unpredictable behaviour of these sharks, whether they are on a line or in their feeding manner. As you berley for tuna you will often see the first indication of one around the boat when you catch a steely black eye looking up at you. Makos

Morwong are just one species you can find around Montague Island. will take lures on the troll, live and dead baits in berley trails, or jigs intended for kingfish. Once hooked they may come rocketing out of the water in a series of spectacular

somersaulting leaps, tear line off the best game reels in uncontrollable bursts, or just sulk all the way to the boat like someone with a To page 47

Watching the sunrise TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

If you are into early starts and watching the sunrise, this is the time of year to do it. Although a little chilly, it’s a revitalizing activity and a great way to start your day – especially when you have a rod in your hand!

are bream around and you may need to downsize to capture them. Around the rocks, blackfish and drummer are the most sought after species in the area. Not only does their hard bulldog fighting attract anglers, so too does their eating quality. The areas from Tathra Wharf through to Kianinny Bay are the prime locations,

nippers or squid may even account for some, and I have had plenty of success around shallow rocks and adjoining beaches while berleying bream with striped tuna, a school of hard pulling pigs will find this bait to their liking too. Not only are the pigs on the chew, so are many other species, and luderick will often feature in bags, as will groper, bream, trevally, and wrasse. Keep a spin stick handy, as there are schools of salmon or bonito passing within range for anglers who are prepared. Most species have been captured around on the wharf with quite a few additional ones too. Yellowtail and mackerel are always good fun for the kids, as are some of the schools of garfish that visit here, while long casts with sinkers fishing the bottom will see some nice sand flathead added to the bag. In the Bega River,

Trevally are a fish regularly encountered at this time of year. The lower reaches have produced the best results, with estuary perch down around the rocky outcrops near the bridge and some lovely solid black bream mixed in. These bream are further up the system too, where they have responded

cooler water species like trevally and luderick supply the main entertainment for anglers around the bridge. Pushing out to sea from Kianinny Bay boat ramp, the bottom fishing is solid, if not frustrating. Leatherjacket have caused

some problems, and made it hard to find the better species. You may need to

move a lot to avoid them or fish closer to shore. The better species that are around will be flathead with sandies making up the bulk of captures out from most beaches. Around the moon, gummy sharks will become a regular capture, and provide some variety to the bag. The closer reefs are probably the best to avoid jackets, where you can use either baits or jig with soft plastics for snapper and morwong. The deeper reefs out on the edge of the Continental Shelf have seen some very nice Tassie trumpeter taken with mixtures of ocean perch, large tiger flathead, morwong and snapper. While out wide it’s also worth targeting the tuna in the form of yellowfin and albacore. There are plenty around, and whether you troll for them or berley, you will have a good time. Mako sharks are following the schools of tuna. These fish are one of my favourite, and can be targeted while berleying for tuna or fishing the bottom. Have a trace ready, or bait in the water and enjoy their antics.

find the tuna. If nothing else, striped tuna may be there, which will give you fresh bait for a day of berleying – and there is nothing that makes life better than fresh striped tuna! REEFS The deeper Twelve-Mile Reef has seen some nice trumpeter captured, mixed in with morwong, snapper, ocean perch, and some huge jackets. You can also berley for tuna and sharks at the same time to cover more options. From the shore, rock fishing is firing and some very nice drummer and groper have made the cut. The main rocky headland produces best and baits of cunjevoi, red crabs and cabbage weed have produced the goods. Early mornings and late evenings when the

shadows creep over the water are best; also keep a spin stick handy for passing schools of salmon and bonito. These salmon frequent the beach and provide good angling on the high tides. There has also been lots of small mulloway this season. Expect to encounter gummy sharks, schools of bream and tailor at night. Sadly, the estuaries are going quiet and most of the best fishing occurs around the entrances of most systems. Luderick are the mainstay with some excellent captures coming from the break walls around the bridge in the Bermagui River, while bream, trevally and the odd flathead have been taken in the warmer water of the rising tide.

An early morning hook-up on the beach, how can you beat it? Salmon have been taken off almost any beach that has a good gutter on it, with either side of high tide the best time to attempt a capture. Combine these tides on a full moon and you will be likely to encounter mulloway, gummy sharks and tailor in the much deeper water. If your baits are coming back tatty, it’s likely there

and for those who wish to do a little more exercise, walk south of Kianinny to find some more remote fishing. How you can fish for them varies too, a lot of the traditionalists like to use a bobby float with either cabbage weed or cunjevoi, while others may use the latter on a no.1 hook with a small ball sinker and drift it among the wash. Prawns,

Big bread and butter species are the reward this month. fishing is quiet, although still active enough to lure anglers to the system.

well to lures. Some flathead have been caught while the

From page 46

bad toothache. What ever occurs they are a fantastic fish to target. Both yellowfin and albacore tuna are around in good numbers, and the preferred way to target these species is to berley. Cubes of mackerel, and whole or half pilchards drifted back will account for most takes, while live bait may produce a better fish. Makos are a common by-catch while chasing tuna, so I recommend you have a shark bait in the water at all times. Sadly, not everything goes to plan and you may have to revert to trolling for tuna. This may be a result of bad weather or a means to cover some water to find where the fish are. Once you

Salmon will often feature in catches within the estuaries in the cooler months. locate a good concentration, try berleying to see if they will respond. The fish this

season have been in as close as 20 fathoms and the FourMile and Six-Mile Reefs are

holding fish. Run your lures out early and you may be surprised as to where you

JUNE 2016

Hi-ho little silver away! EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

The great autumn weather has felt more like summer than winter, with a good day of rain to keep things flowing, but with winter knocking on the door it won’t be long before it cools right down. The town has been busy with plenty of visitors to the area and with the good weather, there have been plenty of fishing options. Fishing the local beaches has been good with bream and whiting caught and good numbers of salmon starting to build as we head towards winter. Early winter is a great REVA G.T

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PE R RY

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time to fish the beach for mulloway, and many good fish are caught as the mullet start their migration north, with the mulloway in tow. Good fishing has been had from the rocky headlands with some big black and silver drummer caught. On the past month, the fishing out wide has been excellent with striped marlin, albacore tuna, and yellowfin tuna caught. This time of year brings some of the best weather for heading out wide. As yet there has been no sign of southern bluefin tuna, but it shouldn’t be too long before they make an appearance. Yellowtail kingfish have been caught, but are at times difficult to find – other times all you can

see is kingfish! Troll and cover lots of ground to find the fish while keeping an eye out for birds or any sign of fish. Good-sized snapper are around and fish caught by anglers who use fresh bait are unsurprisingly catching plenty of quality fish are been caught by anglers fishing with soft plastic lures. Some leatherjackets, morwong, and other reef fish have also been caught along with some good-sized tiger and sand flathead on the flathead grounds. This year the water temperature is warmer than usual, so fingers crossed the fishing will hang around a bit longer as well. The local estuaries have fished well; with the water temperature

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Silver trevally are about in good numbers and more fish will start to turn up once the water cools. still warm there are a variety of fishing options still on offer. Sand whiting continue to be caught, along with

dusky flathead. As the water cools, the bream start to fire up and silver trevally and tailor start turning up in numbers. Even though

it’s getting a bit cold to be out fishing all night, this time of year sees some good mulloway caught in the local estuaries.

The secret’s out for ‘Coota bream off the beach beach, lake and offshore fishing all firing up, the visitors will be going home happy and no doubt already planning their next trip back to Mallacoota. The fishing off the beaches has been good, and the warm water that has hung around has encouraged the silver bream and whiting to continue biting. The salmon have started to turn up, and over the next few months big schools of fish will be on

MALLACOOTA

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

Mallacoota has been Victoria’s best-kept secret and judging by the amount of visitors in town and how busy it’s been over the past few months I’d say the secret is definitely out. The fishing is the reason most visitors find their way to Mallacoota, and with the

all the local beaches. Quarry Beach has plenty of sand pushed up onto the beach, which means deep water is only a short cast away. This opens up a prime spot to find a big gummy shark especially at night. The past month has seen some excellent fishing had by those venturing offshore. The boats heading out chasing a feed of flathead have done very well with good numbers of quality tiger and sand flathead caught.

Winter is on the way, which means bream, bream and more bream.

Some good gummy sharks have also been caught and fish have come out from around Gabo Island and down around the Ariels. Some big game fish have been brought to the cleaning table over the past month with striped marlin a standout and the big news of a number of big broadbills hooked during the day a long way offshore by anglers targeting the depths with live bait. The southern bluefin tuna should put in an appearance soon as the cold water is not far away. The lake has fished well over the last few months, with a variety of fish on the go. Bottom Lake has offered up some great variety with whiting, bream (both black and yellowfin), trevally, flounder, and tailor all regularly encountered. Bait anglers have caught plenty of fish fresh local prawns the best choice of bait. Those using lures have had success on a variety of blades, soft plastics and hardbody lures. Mulloway are in the system, with the average fish caught in the Narrows weighing around 15kg with some bigger fish among them. The Top Lake has started to fire up as winter approaches, and the fish have

started to move upstream. The challenge will be to catch them. Recent rain has kept the

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Deep diving discussion MILDURA

Darcy Scherger

The thought that dominates the mindset of many anglers is that the deeper the water, the better, and the closer the lure gets towards the bottom, the better. However, we face the question – is deep too deep for lures? Are deep holes actually worth fishing? This is a situation that occurs in both fresh and salt water, and in many cases deep holes produce, but sometimes it pays to change things up when it comes to cod fishing. Especially during the winter months fishing around the Mildura area – changing things up could be the best thing you’ll do! The water temperature will drop significantly

leading into the winter months, and the smaller fish species will begin to die off due to that drop in water temperature, whereas the larger cod will be on the hunt to find food that will soon be scarce. Working for ‘Go Outdoors Mildura’ for over three years has given me the opportunity to listen and learn from those out there fishing everyday. Every day I use to listen to anglers’ stories and successes with different techniques and strategies on how to catch fish is a day well spent. I use my days off to experiment and play around with what people have been doing to test out their theories. Testing different depth divers in different depths of river, different lures for different trolling runs, and different

coloured lures at different times of year can pay off. Looking up to great local anglers such as John Menhenett from a young age was a great way to break into the industry. John Menhenett is a teacher, and a very successful angler that I listened to growing up while trying my luck at catching a 1m+ Murray cod. Every spare chance I used to get at school I’d be in his office talking about fishing and how he had achieved the monsters he had. Recently, he bought up using standard diving lures compared to deep divers. With the winter months coming up, the standard divers will be the go-to lure. The Koolabung Codzilla 6m+, and the JD Python 140mm standard diver will be two of the go-to lures while chasing the big boys

The author with a 90cm Murray cod taken on a 120mm Koolabung Codzilla. around this winter. The hard part will be pushing through the chilly morning and numb fingers this winter but to those that do will be the ones

ripping into awesome cod. The standard-to-deep diving concept is definitely worth trying over the winter. It is an important concept

that is worth keeping in mind when chasing your next monster Murray cod – you don’t always have to be deep to get that fish of a lifetime.

Ghosting surface cod ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

With the expected seasonal break running late this year, the intermittent hatching of ghost moths had our native fish looking top side for a feed.

Having just returned from a few days fishing along the Murray River, it was interesting to see the correlation between the hatching moths and the way Murray cod quickly see an opportunity to feed. As the chops cooked on the campsite barbeque, a slight sprinkle of rain bounced

dead or dying moths were drifting the river’s course. Their erratic flight patterns had seen many crash into the water and once wet they were doomed. As we made our way slowly down river, a distant explosion of water caught our attention. Had a giant cod just eaten one of the struggling moths as it

A ripper cod caught on the cast using a Bassman 4x4 spinnerbait.

Troy Harvey with a 114cm surface caught cod he landed on the Murray River. A few weeks ago, before the metamorphosis period was complete, these giant months were hidden in their underground chambers in the form of large white bardi grubs, one of the best baits going for Murray cod. The transition from bardi grub to ghost moth is triggered by the threat of rain. Over the coming weeks these large moths will continue to emerge from their underground chambers to mate and lay their eggs, completing the cycle of life. 50

JUNE 2016

and spat as each drop landed on the sizzling hot plate. At first it was just one giant moth that spiralled the overhead light ricocheting off almost everything in the well-lit radius. Within a few minutes, it was joined by several more and by barbeque’s end, there were dozens of out of control moths spiralling and crashing into anything including the embers of the glowing campfire. The next morning on the water, the true carnage of the hatch could be seen. Large

worked its way towards the safety of shore? I was fishing with Shepparton angler Troy Harvey and the prospect of catching a large cod from the surface had him scrambling through the tackle box in search of the right lure. His first choice was a jointed Cod Cracker, which has an excellent swimming action that displaces a lot of water at the same time, making the plop-plop sound of an easy feed. Cast after cast returned across the surface unscathed,

and we were beginning to question our technique when an explosion of lip clad water engulfed the struggling lure just feet from the boat. It was a heartstopping take to say the least, as the rod buckled to breaking point and the cod looked for depth. It was a great fight that ended with a massive cod finning beside the boat with the lure pinned neatly in the top of its mouth. At 114cm, it was Troy’s biggest Murray cod to date and one he will not quickly forget thanks to the close quarter detonation that moved enough water to wet us both. As we head into the cooler months, surface fishing still remains a good option for Murray cod. As expected, the cod fishing at most locations along the Murray River has been very good, lifting in tempo as the water temperature has steadily cooled. Swan Hill, Boundary Bend, Robinvale and Wemen have all fished

well for Murray cod and golden perch this past month and the good bite should continue into winter.

anglers are also catching their share with grubs and scrub worms working best on the cod.

Dozor Collins with a large ghost moth. These moths will continue to hatch in the lead up to the now late autumn break. Water clarity has been excellent along the Murray with most of the bettersized fish taking lures. Bait

It’s not too cold, make sure you get out and try ghost a big goodoo off the top!

Lake Mulwala worth a visit! YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

The Lake has resembled a ghost town over the past couple of months, and it’s sad to know many have missed out on some great fishing opportunities due to an ill-informed scare monger campaign over blue green algae. I hope our local and state governments spend as much on promoting our area as they have on keeping people away once the all clear is given. As the weather cools and the rains continue, it’s only a matter of time. The cooler months traditionally bring reduced catch rates, but overall the size of cod caught greatly increases. The trend these days is surface fishing. You are sure to see many great fish taken out of the shallows by those prepared to put in time on either a cool crisp evening or chilly morning. The 6th Cod Nationals was hotly contested through the month with 31 anglers gathering for five days of full on fishing. The cod were up and about with exactly 250 caught for the week and 84 of those of legal size or bigger. The standout fish for the week was a beautiful 112cm cod taken by Marty Smith off the surface on a cast Jackall Pompadour. Amazingly, this

was at 4.55pm when there was still plenty of daylight. The runaway winner for the week was Bryden Whitfield of Team Bassman Spinnerbaits who landed an amazing total of 47 cod, 24 of those were legal. In among these Bryden cracked the meter mark with a beautiful 102.5cm specimen. The runner-up team was Team Wilsons (Ian and Matt Rogers), while Anthony Pavlou from Team Venom took out the runner-up champion angler position. Murray cray season launched on 1 May. As per usual, effort rewarded with return. Make sure you are fully up to speed on bag, size and net limits before you head out and be wary that you can now only go cray-ing in certain areas along the Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers. Last month some anglers produced great fish. The following anglers deserve honourable mentions including – the Stephens family from Swan Hill, Steve and Tanya Cannon, Aaron Farrugia, Zane Heinjuis, Johnny Salvatore, Luke and Lola James, Paul Hobbs, Phil Cockshut, and Kev Wild and the Maryborough crew. Anita and Helen Wilson, Marshall Elliot, Daneka Robinson, Ben Sharp, Margaret Pollock and Jock Pilmore also found some crackers. Some smashed the

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Pantera II 2016 Daneka Robinson with an 80cm cod she caught off the surface. magical 1m mark including Matt Davis with a 116cm fish caught on a cast hardbody lure. Heath Hancock caught another 116cm taken on a Jackall Pompadour. Malcolm Argus gets the chocolates for his 117cm taken off the top on a King Hit lure. • If you are visiting town, I urge you to call into

Lake Mulwala Fish, Camp & Ski (opposite the post office) in Mulwala and say G’day. We are your largest Murray cod-specific shop in Yarrawonga/ Mulwala and specialise in all things ‘green’! For any information on the upcoming events or fishing reports, give us a hoy on (03) 5744 3133.

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FISHING FILL-ITS

Low flows in our North East waterways North East Victorian residents may have been noticing low flow levels in creeks and tributaries in North East Victoria recently. North East Catchment Management Authority (North East CMA) understands that this may cause concern about the impact of these low water levels to waterway health. The low flows currently occurring are as a result of Victoria experiencing very dry conditions in the last 10 months. The latest information from the Bureau of Meteorology suggests that an El Niño event, which has been influencing weather patterns, is now abating. Most climate models are suggesting a return to average/slightly wetter rainfall for April-June. North East Catchment Management Authorities Executive Manager, NRM Delivery, Adam Dyde said that the low flows will have a temporary impact on water quality. This can also impact on fish species.

“As waterways experience long periods of low flows, the quality of the water also often declines,” said Adam. “Rivers and waterways are more likely to become warmer when water depths become shallow, especially in the hotter months.”

“In these conditions, it is important that animals such as fish have areas of refuge that they can reside in,” said Adam. “This is why North East CMA instream habitat programs to create deeper pools, along with snags and rocks

flow through providing refuge habitat.” Adam suggested that if the predictions are correct we will slowly see our waterways return to normal flow levels in the coming months. “If residents have any

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Sabre FTD 2016

As waterways experience long periods of low flows, the quality of the water also often declines. Adam explained that in turn, this can reduce the amount of oxygen in the water which can become stressful to aquatic organisms such as fish.

are important. Rocks and snags can create larger pools behind them during periods of higher flow. This in turn assists native species to survive in periods of low

specific concerns regarding the health of a waterway in North East Victoria they are encouraged to contact North East CMA on 1300 216 513. – NECMA

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A U S T R A L I A

Phone: 0410 173 060 basscataustralia@gmail.com JUNE 2016

Giant cod in Canberra’s drinking water supply CANBERRA

Bryan Pratt

There has been a remarkable run recently of oversized Murray cod in Googong Reservoir, which is the backup supply of drinking water for Canberra and Queanbeyan.

to electric motors if they are boating. At the moment the reservoir is full and the water is extremely clear, which means it is in prime condition for lure fishing for the resident redfin, golden perch and Murray cod. The cod are the big attraction, especially since

yellow colour. This lure has caught some magnificent fish over the years and I use it only when I am looking for that one-off cod of the season. Sure enough, ten-minutes after we started to troll I hooked what could well have been the cod of a lifetime. I recognised it as a massive fish – 4ft of Murray

The annual pre-spawning run of browns in the Eucumbene and Thredbo rivers attracts large numbers of fly and lure anglers seeking a trophy fish on the classic Glo Bug and trailing nymph rig.

Large redfin are an acceptable by-catch in Googong Reservoir. They are relatively easy to find in deeper water, take a wide variety of lures and are excellent to eat. Normally anglers are prevented from fishing in terminal water storages for supposed health reasons but Googong is a special experiment, which has been running since 1976. Anglers are allowed access to limited areas of the reservoir during daylight hours only and limited 52

JUNE 2016

in recent weeks several fish in the 125-128cm range have been landed and a number of others hooked and lost. Most have been taken on spinnerbaits or big deep divers but on a recent trip I pulled out one of my treasured possessions, an ancient Heddon Magnum Tadpolly in fluorescent

cod – from the outset and settled down to what I knew was going to be a long fight. The fish was in magnificent condition and easily towed my 10ft tinnie around. I let him do it because I thought it might tire him out. But no such luck. He just kept pulling, showing relentless power and strength and I tried to respond in kind. Unfortunately, despite all my best efforts to control the fish it eventually tangled in a complex snag, deep down. I tried for ages to budge it and I could feel the line seesawing around the branches and the fish surging and kicking. Eventually the awful truth dawned on me and I had no choice but to snap the line and give the fish its freedom. I asked my son to do the honours and he did so immediately. He knew as well as I did that the fight was at a standstill. Not only did I lose the fish but with it went my treasured lure – the last one in my collection. It nearly broke my heart. In fact, for some inane reason the line borrowed from Banjo Patterson popped into my mind “the cod from Old Regret that got away.” But the fish won, and jolly good luck to it. That’s fishing, I guess. But if anyone out there has a yellow Magnum Tadpolly they want to sell, I would be very grateful if they would contact me. LOCAL LAKES The Indian summer we experienced this year meant

a useful extension of the Murray cod and golden perch season in Canberra’s urban lakes where some nice fish have been caught. The best baits have been scrub worms and yabbies. The best lures have been spinnerbaits and deep divers for cod, and Burrinjuck Specials, Jackalls and Yakamito bibless minnows for the goldens. The Gulp 13cm black grub soft plastics from Berkley, ZMan and StrikePro have been outstanding for goldens and smaller cod and are the new Holy Grail for lure throwers. Redfin have been everywhere, and have taken virtually anything that moves as long as it is noisy, shiny or both. Burley Griffin and Ginninderra have been the most productive locations. Anglers who fish the weedy lakes, Gungahlin and Yerrabi with surface lures have reported plenty of boofs during the day and at night they’ve had few hook-ups. We will have to do something with the existing hook arrangements to improve the performance of these otherwise excellent lures. WILDLIFE THIEVES On the shores of Burley Griffin at night, a friendly fox came sniffing around an angler’s gear on the lake edge, just a stone’s throw from Parliament House. Intrigued, the anglers tossed it a couple of small redfin, which it ate. It then picked up a rod and reel and tried to take off with it. It only dropped the gear when the angler gave chase,

Really large cod should be towed gently into the shallows for safe and easier hook removal, rather than lifted into a boat where they can be hard to handle and can cause a lot of damage to gear and themselves. but it is something worth remembering next time you are night fishing in Canberra. PRESPAWNERS MOVING Intermittent rainstorms in the mountain catchments have triggered a substantial movement of brown trout from Eucumbene and Jindabyne into the spawning streams. Fly and lure anglers, mostly armed with the traditional Glo Bug and

trailing nymph rig, have descended in droves on the Eucumbene and Thredbo rivers. The unseemly mad scramble to catch a trophy fish will be terminated by the season closure on the June long weekend and the fish can then continue their annual journey and spawn in peace. Let’s’ hope it is a successful breeding event with a good recruitment to follow.

Josh Carman shows off a classic large Murray cod, the likes of which dominate the fishery in Googong Reservoir, part of Canberra’s drinking water supply.

Keep a rod out, the fishing’s just getting started WAGGA WAGGA

Rhys Creed

It has well and truly cooled off now and it’s only going to get colder. This will be the time many anglers pack up the rods to collect dust for the next three months in wait for the warm spring. If you’re reading this report then you’re in for a few secrets

you?” I tell them it’s the best time to fish because less water means we are closer to the fish, especially in the Murrumbidgee River, as it is used for irrigation. When the farmers cry out for water the river runs high (especially in the last five years since the drought broke). This not only puts metres of water on top of the fish but it adds current. A raging current makes it

it might take to intrigue that big cod. Keep working at it and you will see results. At this time of year the water will start to clear up, so just make sure you keep a little extra distance from the snags than you usually would, just to ensure you don’t spook the fish. If you are looking to head out, I recommend you fish above the weirs in the pool water at; Berembed Weir,

Chris Cotterill with a beast of a trout cod caught under a willow tree in June.

This time of year is perfect to fish the weir and pool water. that will put you ahead in the fishing game and maybe convince you to keep the rods out for a little longer. Fish still have to feed, and what’s even better about winter is the big fish come out to play. It can be slow and hard fishing but the results are well worth the effort. Let’s start with the number one location in the region – the mighty Murrumbidgee River. The dams are below 30%,

almost impossible to get down to the big old resident fish, and no matter what the water height is, they will always be hiding out on the bottom. The river downstream of Wagga Wagga, all the way through to Hay is the place to fish this month. Casting spinnerbaits and hardbody lures at the biggest red gums and snag piles you can find is your best option. This is where the big fish will be. Look for the big

Gogeldrie Weir, Yanco Weir, Hay Weir, Maude Weir and Redbank Weir. It’s not long now until the Tumut River closes on the June long weekend to all angling. If you’re keen for a trout, make sure to head up that way for a fish soon. Most standard trout lures will work in the low water, but one in particular that I use with great success is the Powerbait TTail minnow. It’s perfect for trout, with an elongated body and a

The author with a healthy 55cm June Murray cod. remember the water is very clear up this way and you should use a rod length of fluorocarbon leader that’s no more than 6lb. Lastly, Old Man Creek is running very low and can be hit and miss at this time of year. It is susceptible

to the cooler conditions but can still produce on its day. Even though it’s hit and miss, it’s well worth the effort as the size in which some of the cod grow to in this waterway is insane, with some absolute monsters hiding in the deep

holes. Spinnerbaits and hardbody lures will work perfectly when fished down into the deep holes. Surface lures are always worth a crack at first and last light. It may be cold, but that’s no excuse when the fish are biting – happy fishing!

Jack Zyhalak with a lovely Murray cod caught in June casting a pink and purple Mud Guts Spinnerbait. which should help anglers with low water levels in the rivers. Many people who aren’t anglers ask me, “You wouldn’t be able to fish when there isn’t any water in the river would

snags outside bends and in deep holes. It will also pay to put in lots of casts. By this I mean up to and above 50 casts to each snag. The rule of thumb is the cooler the water is, the more casts

small paddle-tail that works exceptionally well in the shallow and quick water. Rig this on a 1/16oz Nitro Jighead and you’ll have the perfect combination for trout fishing. Just

Peter Brunt shows that there are some massive goldens to be caught during the cooler months. JUNE 2016

Plastic flavour of the month JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

June has arrived and we only have a couple of weeks before the end of the river fishing season in the Snowy Mountains. This year we get another week of fishing, as the rivers don’t close until the second weekend so we have until midnight on Monday 13 June for one last flick for early spawning trout. If we get a fair bit of rain leading up to the closing weekend then the fishing will be great, but if we don’t the fishing will be hard on the rivers. My suggestion is to fish the lake instead, as the trout fishing on the lakes has been

in the river early this year. If the river is flowing hard, lure spinners with bigger minnow lures will do best or spin rods with drift-rigging rigs consisting of weighted nymphs and glowbugs are best. As the river level drops, the fly anglers seem to do better with the same nymph and glowbug rigs. Flyfishing in June and July on Lake Jindabyne is the hardest and coldest months for flyfishing. With higher lake levels and fish hanging about the bays, the better areas are Creel Bay, Hayshed and Hatchery Bay, Mill Creek Inlet, The Claypits, and the Snowy Arm. Boat trolling over the last month has returned good reports with plenty of hard fighting rainbow trout in

represent the little gold fish in the lake are also great and a 7cm gold Rapala will do a similar job. Troll these and other gold coloured lures off leadcore lines (if conditions are bright) over the weed beds for the best results, as this is where the goldfish hide. Other lures to use in the middle of the day are Tasmanian Devils in pink number 55 or orange number 56 colours. These are aggression colours in winter and the trout will strike these hard. Keep in mind a number Y36 Yellow Wing for the sunnier days and Tassie Devil holographic or say a number 48 or Y48 are always worthwhile early and late in the day (off three colours or lead core line). The other

Luke Taylor holds up a beautifully colourful trout! great over recent months. Let’s have a look at what I think will happen over the month in more depth. If you do decide to target the spawning trout on the Thredbo River, then you should know that good rainfall triggers the trout into action. If the river water level is low and the water is clear then the fishing can be tough as the trout are spooky and not switched on. If it rains and the river level rises, the fishing can be fantastic – and not just for the early spawning brown trout either as there are rainbows

excellent condition giving the lake trollers a lot of fun. I would expect this pattern to continue. We might even see some of those big Atlantic salmon caught over the coming month or two, and if you are lucky enough the brook trout should also come on the bite. Winter trout are more aggressive and likely to take a bigger lure; so jointed minnow lures similar to the ones we spin the lake edges with are worth a try – the bigger the lure the better. We quite often troll 9-11cm lures for the bigger fish. Stumpjumpers in gold to

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good areas to troll are in the shallow bays like Hatchery and Hayshed Bay, or Sids Bay at East Jindabyne – a favourite weedy bay with lots of food for trout. Lure spinning the lake in summer is a great time to catch a trout as the fish are in closer now that the water temperature has dropped to a more comfortable level. You can spin lures all day in winter, however on sunny still days choose the deeper drop-off where the fish are cruising looking for something to eat. In winter, smaller 7g Tasmanian Devils are the best choice for the deeper water on still days and the 13g Tassies on windy days. Another lure that has been worth a throw is the 3” Stumpjumper (pink is a great colour in winter). Orange minnow spins are also great off the bank. Jointed Rapalas with a little bit of orange on the tummy are another lure that will get the trout to take notice, and if you work these jointed minnows like a wounded fish you will get a lot more strikes. Soft plastics are worth a try and the Strike Tigers in vodkar and orange

and princess pink colours do well. The Tasmanian Trout Frogs are also going great. Overall, soft plastics for trout would have to work the best in winter. Flick them out and work them slowly through the snags and above weed beds when the lake is low. Like bream fishing down the coast, blades work well on trout both in the rivers and the lakes and are well worth a try. Some of the better blades are TT Switchblade Golden Boy, Strike Pro Cyber Vibe 35 BLG and Cyber Vibe 50JU009. Some of these look like our lake goldfish and the trout love to eat them! Baitfishing – once again, with all the extra water this year I think the bigger trout will be cruising the bays and inlets for a feed so that is where you should also be fishing. You can fish all day during winter, but don’t fish too deep as the fish often feed in close to the shore. Baitfishing with scrub worms or artificial bait works well in winter, so long as you don’t mind sitting back and waiting, any time of day or night. Artificial salmon eggs have been very good for catching bigger trout at the moment. Both the worms and artificial baits are fished off the bottom with a running sinker. Remember to fish light and keep the bail arm open to let the trout run with the bait. Grease the line with muslin to reduce friction if the trout are running and dropping baits. Artificial baits are great in winter and you only need to use a small ball of artificial bait, just a little bigger than a pea, and a small size 12 hook will catch more fish than big hooks and big bits of bait. Gamakatsu do a fine wire hook called a single egg hook and these are great

Peter Winter’s first trout – happy man. for power bait. You can use a size 8 or 10 hook for trout in winter. Over the next few months, the areas to catch a trout on bait are Wollondibby Inlet and Creel Bay at Waste Point and Stinky Bay nearer to town. Just remember, the lake is weedy, but that’s where the fish like to hang out.

• If you would like some personal guiding, I will be available over the coming months for fly-fishing tuition and lake trolling trips. Lessons can be booked from 2 hours’ duration, and trolling trips from 3 hours to a full day. If you want to know more about the latest in fishing conditions, just give me a call on (0264) 561 551

JUNE ROUNDUP – THE BEST OF THE BEST Best method: Baitfishing with scrubworms teamed up with artificial baits Best depth: Bottom fishing baits Best lake lure: Tasmanian Devil in pink 55 or Rapala Brook and perch patterns Best lake area: East Jindabyne pumping station and The Claypits Best fly method: Black Woolley Buggers on the lake Best river: Rivers closed to fishing from Monday 13 June until October long weekend Rug up and enjoy your trip to the Snowys, and if coming down for a snow play trip – don’t forget your fishing rod!

or check out my website at www.swtroutfishing.com.au. You can also see our daily Facebook updates at https:// www.facebook.com/LJTFA.

DAM LEVELS

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

Blowering............................. 48

Glennies Creek....................... 86

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

Hume.................................. 19

Burrendong........................... 11

Jindabyne............................. 54

Burrinjuck............................. 32

Keepit.................................. 10

Carcoar................................. 8

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

Chaffey................................ 36

Oberon................................. 53

Clarrie Hall.......................... n/a

Pindari................................. 37

Copeton............................... 16

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

Dartmouth............................. 42

Tantangara............................ 11

Eucumbene........................... 32

Toonumbar.......................... 100

Glenbawn............................. 83

Windamere........................... 39

Glenlyon............................... 26

Wyangala............................. 39

(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.)

Hit the rivers before it’s too late BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

With only a couple of weeks left until the end of the trout season, my first recommendation for this month would be to go and get your trout fix before that option is taken away from you. Most anglers who have not already gone up will be heading to the Eucumbene River to get stuck into some XOS trout as they attempt their spawning run, but if you are not into shoulderto-shoulder fishing, then there are still plenty of options for you. The Tumut River, the Goobragandra River and all of the smaller trout rivers and streams in the area will be worth fishing this month. Most fish will either be starting to spawn or getting ready to spawn and anglers can legally take advantage of this. Fly fishers will find it very hard to beat the good old Glo Bugs this month, as a lot of fish will already be picking off the eggs from the early spawners. Using a floating one as well as a sinking one could see you hooking crazy numbers of fish. Alternatively, use large dries like big hopper patterns or big wets as there is a lot of food about for the fish at the moment and you really need to use something big to get their attention. Bait anglers will do well this month with big juicy grubs or any artificial egg bait like PowerBait. Use either, or both of these baits with a small split shot sinker just heavy enough to get you to the bottom of the creek or river you’re fishing and allow the bait or baits to drift along nice and naturally to bring plenty of fish unstuck. Lure fishers should also do well this month and large hardbodies like the Rapala CD5 and CD7s and even 9 and 11cm models are worth a throw. Alternatively, spinners like Rooster tails, Insanity Tackle Bling spins and Cocktails that are bright in colour and feature pink, red, green or yellow will also account for plenty of fish. Work these lures quickly to generate aggressive reaction strikes from the fish this month. TROUT LAKES A good alternative to the often-super busy rivers and creeks at this time of the year are the trout lakes. There are plenty of lakes to choose from in the area including Jounama, Tantangra, Talbingo, 3 Mile and Eucumbene dams to name but a few. The trout in these lakes that have not already shot upstream to attempt to spawn will be very active as they try to pack on as much weight as they can before they

do try to make the annual pilgrimage upstream. Fishing the shallower margins of these lakes can be done all day long this month, as the water temperature is right at the trout’s comfort zone, and as all good anglers know, the fish that are in the shallows are up there for a reason – to feed! So catching these fish is far easier than trying to catch the fish that are holding out deep in the lake. The best lures to cast around the shallows are the ones I described for the running water, as well as soft plastics like the Ecogear Grass Minnows and Power Shad and small blades. Alternatively, you can try and annoy the deep holding fish in the lake by hopping lures like Mask Vibes or Insanity Tackle Mini Vibes in their faces. BLOWERING NATIVES Blowering Dam’s Murray cod are most likely to be caught after dark during the warmer months and this can also be the case during winter,

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$37,000 PHOENIX 920 On the native scene the golden perch will have a short bite window each day this month, but the local cod population should be active most of the day as they try and make the most of it before the lean times of winter ahead. but at this time of the year Murray cod will quite often move up into the shallows during the middle of the day to bask in the sun, and like any opportunistic fish if there happens to be an easy feed around while they are up there,

they will make the most of it. The best way to target these fish is with big long casts, as cod can be very flighty in the crystal clear shallows that Blowering is famous for. Repeat casts with large lipless crank baits, shallow running

Another monster Jounama Dam brown trout, this one was fooled by one of the new Insanity Tackle Mini Vibes during extremely windy weather.

hardbodies, spinnerbaits and chatterbaits to see you in with a good chance of hooking a few Murray cod. Natural coloured lures like greens, golds and browns will work best when the water is clear but if we have just had a heap of rain and the edges are dirty, try very dark colours like blacks and purples or very bright ridiculous colours like the Elton John colour (fluoro pink, bright yellow, bright orange). Golden perch can also be caught this month, but the bite window can be very small at this time of the year. Generally they come on the bite for about an hour or so during the middle to late part of the day when the water is at its warmest. Just like Murray cod, these fish are best targeted in the shallows with long repeat casts, however using smaller lures will increase your chances with the golden perch.

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A redfin winter bounty LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

Inside the car is warm and toasty, a cocoon that isolates you from the elements you must brave for a winter bounty. The first moment outside the car is telling – not quite fully layered yet, you search for the arm holes in your jacket and think, ‘wow, it’s cool out here.’ You won’t use the word cold just yet though, because cold is a going home word, and your fishing adventure has just begun. GETTING STARTED In Thompsons Creek Dam (TCD) there will be a mixture of trout in pre-spawn and spawning mode, so you need to be adaptable. For those who have not experienced TCD, the dam is filled via pumps from water in Lake Lyell; inflows from other sources are minimal. The lake is exposed to high winds, and the rocky points that jut out into the dam that attracts rainbow trout to spawn; it’s quite unique to my knowledge. The pre-spawn fish are still actively feeding, you

JUNE 2016

can see them darting off to the side grabbing bits and pieces, rising, chasing this and that. It’s one of the great attractions to TCD, the clear water offers so much visual stimulus to anglers. It’s a two edged sword though, because if you can see them they can see you. It’s one of the main reasons so many walk away empty handed. There are a couple of little tricks to increasing your success – downsize everything, start from the business end (flies and lures) and work your way back, leaders, line, rods and reels. Low light and wind are the next two big factors to success, anything to mask what the fish see, both in the water and out. While on the subject of masking, drop the fluoro jacket and think dull drab and boring. The spawners can be tough, and flyfishing for them is definitely the best method. Glo Bugs and trailing nymphs will work and the above mentioned tips still apply, with maybe the addition of mid-week trips for best results, the fish can get hit pretty hard on the weekends. Rarely if ever, have I heard manufactures, anglers,

and distributors, talk about what goes into making a good soft plastic lure. I am not talking about what it looks like, its colour, or even how many ribs and appendages it has, I am thinking more along the lines of its internal make up – the blends and mixes, the temperatures at which it’s poured, the mould temperatures, and curing times, subtle little things that no doubt affect the molecular structure in the production process. I think in cold water it definitely makes a difference. LAKE LYELL BROWNS At only about 30 minutes away from TCD, Lake Lyell is well worth a visit, especially if you want to target a big brown trout. Don’t get me wrong, TCD has some great browns, but for weight of numbers, Lake Lyell gets the nod. To a certain extent the browns are untapped in Lyell; many more will die from old age than what gets caught. I have seen some absolute corkers, but catching them is another story, they are super cautious, especially in shallow water. I hardly ever see people target them by walking the banks, spotting fish in the early morning or

The size of Lake Wallace redfin in a few years time will be unbelievable. The record books could well be broken here at some time in the future. late afternoon, but this is one of my favourite ways to catch these fish, using lures mostly, casting small soft plastics and hand tied marabou jigs. On the right day you can see up to 6-8 fish on a walk and catch maybe 1-2 if you are lucky. Boat-based anglers have the opportunity to mix it up a little with trolling or lure casting as well. With spawning urges in full swing, look to target the upper reaches of the Coxes

River and Farmers Creek arm. The fish can be quite aggressive towards other fish shaped offerings; so big long minnows even out to 8-9cm in length – don’t be shy. A REDFIN PERHAPS Redfin to over 40cm that pull light string and circle under the boat like little tuna are working up a sweat. I love catching these models, and the added bonus is how good they are on the plate. Like them or loathe them, they are in Lake Lyell and

Lake Wallace (Wang Dam). It will be interesting to see what size they get to in both dams. Lake Wallace is packed with tucker; it’s a virtual fish food soup bowl. It may be a little early for bold predictions, but I reckon in a few years record sized redfin will be caught. Don’t pack your gear away, shed the winter cacoon status, get out there and enjoy a winter bounty. Hope to see you on the water soon, until then tight lines.

Hunter Valley hotspots HUNTER VALLEY

Peter Fogarty bakerods@hotkey.net.au

After a few frosty mornings a lot of fish are now sitting close to the rockwall or in the heavy timbered bays that retain heat from the day. Start in places like this to find some good Hunter Valley bass!

and slow roll it back with a twitch every 3-4 turns of the reel. As you fish these areas, throw lots of casts a 1/2-1m apart. It will take many casts to engage the fish, as they are lethargic from the cold conditions. I have also caught fish in this area simply by dropping the same plastic vertically and slowly winding up. Although you are casting to a shallow edge, you will

Mal Draper with a chunky specimen. At the western end there is a ledge about 15-20ft deep where 3” soft plastics shine. I like to cast a Keitech 3” Easy Shiner in lime/chartreuse colours tight to the edge

be sitting in about 60ft of water. Move along the rockwall heading towards the Boot and change your set-up. I recommend a 1/8oz jighead and a 1.5” Slider in grass minnow

colour. Cast to the edge and shake your rod while it sinks. The edge is about 15ft deep, so the fish will sit tight to the rockwall – I usually cast at the rock wall, don’t be afraid to let it hit so you stay close to the edge, and as soon as you feel a touch strike. June is a good time to ice jig during the day, as the fish move off the edge and sit deeper as the sun moves higher. I use a Nils Master 12g in colours 63, 86 and 52, a Smak 12g, or a Jackall 6g. Another area to fish is just into the 8 knot on the left side. Fish along the rockwall and cast around the edge of about 300m of scattered timber. This kind of fishing is fun and infuriating, as many fish will wrap you around the trees. A lure that is relatively new to bass and yella fishing is the swim jig; it looks like a spinnerbait without arms or blades. Some models have a weed guard and there are many on the market. Jigs mimic a yabby and fishers use them by dropping them vertically around trees and using a subtle flick of the rod tip. Another technique is American flipping where you short cast into heavy structure and hop it out. This is usually done around the edges with your boat parallel to the shore, and there are a number of videos on YouTube that will help. Another new lure to be used in winter is the Jackall Lizinc – it’s a slightly diamond shaped metal lure which can be used a bit like hopping a masked vibe, but with a little more vigour. It should work well on schooled fish or while working your way down a deep edge and

Keep an eye on your sounder for schooled fish.

What a perfect day to be fishing for some healthy Glenbawn bass! comes in multiple colours and weights. St Clair still has good weed covering much of the dam. Cast lipless crank baits and blades around the weed edge. The fish usually sit a little deeper as the day goes on, so try ice jigging in and around the timber in

the Carrow Brook Arm near Adams Point. Keep an eye out around St Clair Island and Connell Inlet. Trollers can also work deep lures off the points. Don’t forget to watch your sounder for baitfish and schooled fish and crack out the deep lures to target them.

• Peter Fogarty runs the popular Lake Glenbawn Kiosk - offering fuel, tackle, ice and the best food on the lake. Make sure you drop in when you visit the lake for the latest reports. You can also visit them on www. lakeglenbawnkiosk.com.au or call on (02) 6543 8355.

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Cod come out to boof durability and extra grip, but also keeping your feet warm and dry is essential if you are covering long distances on foot. Generally, winter time in the Tamworth region sees the fishing slow down a little, the once abundant golden perch almost disappear into their winter retreats and remain dormant until spring arrives. The tailing carp that have been cruising the edges are now down on the thermoclines feeding on aquatic insects and will be much harder to find and fool. Persistence will be the deciding factor as to whether you find a few or head home with your tail tucked between your legs. Murray cod encounters will

TAMWORTH

Adam Mears adam.mears@hotmail.com

There is something special about this time of year, the freezing cold air and early starts make for some of the most picturesque moments you could hope for while out on the river. Low fog and the crunchy ice covered flora make trekking the rivers an interesting affair, but if you’re keen enough, the rewards are well worth it. My one tip for fishing during winter is to spend money on a quality pair of water resistant boots. Not only will you get comfort,

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slow for the smaller fish that were present in large numbers this season, but the big girls will start to feed up so now is the time to beef up those baits, lures and flies and chase those trophy fish. You may have to work hard and fish longer hours for these fish, but the chance of tangling with a 1m+ fish (something many anglers aspire to achieve in their lifetime) will markedly increase – there is no better time of year to do it. Just a reminder for all you keen trout fishers – the season ends this month, so the long weekend will be your last chance to wet a line before the season re-opens again on the October long weekend. Small Celtas and any small hardbody or fly with some pink or orange on it will be a great late season imitation. Get out and make the most of these beautiful imports – they fight hard and are equally as tasty on the barbeque. SHEBA DAM The Sheba dams up near hanging rock are a beautiful place to take the family; they have shelters, barbeque areas and plenty of walking tracks to take a stroll on but it is also stoked with rainbow trout by the areas fishing clubs a few times a year and being a dam the closed season does not apply so if you need your trout fix before October this is one place you can scratch that itch, baits of worm small yabbies and Berkley power baits work well here as do spinners and small flies like egg patterns and nymphs. SPLIT ROCK DAM Split rock has had a huge resurgence in the last few months, with a hot yellowbelly bite that really took locals by surprise. I predict the winter months will see the big cod come out from hiding as Split Rock was once renowned for an abundance of huge

Flyfishing adds a new dimension to native fishing – this little cod smashed a fly before sunrise. fish but has seemingly been a sleeping giant for a few seasons. I’d say with the big yellowbelly boom, the cod might just wake up as well, so hit the edges early mornings and into the night with big spinnerbaits and diving lures and wrangle one

of these giants to the boat for a few quick pictures. Just make sure you return these big breeders to the water so they can breed more cod for future generations of fish and anglers alike. Proven colours in the Dam include purple/ black and blue/black, so

don’t leave home without a few variations. Drop in and see the team at Tamworth Fishing Tackle as they will have more than enough knowledge to get you started before your next outing, until then good luck and tight lines.

Hayley Macdonald sports a cold weather Murray cod taken slow rolling a spinnerbait early in the morning.

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Persistence is key! Slow moving spinnerbaits are kryptonite for cod, don’t leave home without a few in your box.

Gear up for a crack at surface luring in June ORANGE

Ian McLean

Fishing in the cooler months for golden perch and Murray cod is tricky

as their cold-blood means they take little interest in feeding on anything anglers have to offer as the mercury dips. In saying this, you will start to move closer to the

bank and will search for warmer water. I find that goldens and cod tend to sit around rocky banks as the rocks retain heat from the sun. The best time to fish for them is during

Left: Murray cod don’t have to be big to be fun, especially off the surface. Right: While most anglers are throwing spinnerbaits in our river at the moment, those who persist with topwater presentations are also getting results.

the afternoons as the water warms up. You will still be able to find some fish that behave similarly to summertime patterns. These fish are still actively feeding and are willing to chase fast-moving lures, but as a whole, they won’t be showing typical warmer month aggression. The best way to catch them is to cast in the shallows. Fish as much water as possible as the cod and goldens sit hard to the bank to get the heat from the sun. Sometimes, if you look hard enough you will see the odd fish in the shallows just sunning itself. However, if they sense any noise, shadow, or disturbance, they will scatter in a flash and won’t even consider your lure. I have caught my best goldens in winter, even though they are harder to catch. If you spend the time on the water, you will be rewarded – you will be surprised at what you can catch during the cooler months. The baitfishers always do well in the cooler months around the trees and off the bank using worms, yabbies and shrimp.

RIVER FISHING The cod and goldens in the rivers around Orange and Central West are going off at the moment and most anglers have found success on spinnerbaits. Surface lures have also accounted for many catches. Surface fishing is a hit

ORANGE

and miss method, but all I can say is that once you watch a cod hit your lure on the surface, you won’t ever go back! It is the best feeling. Jackall Pompadours are one of the noisiest surface presentations on the market and have an incredible hoook-up rate.

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Chase your dream over winter COPETON DAM

David Allen manager@copeton.com.au

Shiver with cold and excitement as winter is here and it’s big fish time. If you ever want to live your big Murray cod dream, then now is the time to be at Copeton. Now that the overnight temperatures are dropping to well below 0°C, bigger Cod will be looking for bigger food items. At this time they are willing to expend energy hunting large

prey items, so big lures are the go. Last week one of my staff members found a little area, in the back of a bay where water had been cut off from the rest of the dam, that was full of goldfish/ common carp. I have seen these in the dam to 30cm+ and weighing up to 1kg. I wonder if these may be the fish we see rising and broaching on the surface when the big Cod are on the chew. I also think now that there may be a much bigger population of these in Copeton than we have ever realised.

As part of this big fish phenomenon, I will be running a competition through our Facebook page to find the biggest Cod to be caught on Copeton Dam between 1 May 2016 and 30 November 2016. The fish will have to be caught in Copeton Dam and must be photographed on an approved measuring mat, clearly showing the entire fish and length in millimetres. If required, authentication of the date and site of capture may be required. The winner will be announced on Facebook and will feature in a future report in Fishing News. There will

Goldfish or the common carp (not European) have become quite populous at Copeton.

be some great prizes for the King or Queen of Copeton, so go to our Facebook page (Inland Waters Holiday Parks Copeton Waters) for all the details. The Copeton winter fishery is getting the Australian lure industry busy producing some exceptional lures that are specifically designed to suit local requirements. Some of the new prototypes are unlike anything that has been cast in Australian freshwater before and are real works of art. I would be very interested to hear whether anglers on some of the other inland dams have tried some of the

A brilliant sunset scene on Copeton Dam.

A beautiful bird surface lure, designed to catch the big girls. techniques that have become popular at Copeton, and what sort of success they might be having. It seems reasonable to assume that dams that offer similar conditions and forage species to Copeton, and that have a healthy population of Murray cod should experience a similar bite at some stage during the year. It is so important to be careful when handling these wonderful fish. To optimize survival rates please consider the following; use suitable tackle – these are big strong fish, heavy tackle will minimize fight times and fish will be fresher when landed. Bring rubber landing nets and wet your hands when landing and handling fish (only ever lay fish on cool wet surfaces). Support the fish and avoid lifting by

the jaw or gills, and take particular care to revive your fish before release. If you’re in a boat slowly tow the fish to flush fresh water through its gills. If shorebased, gently hold and push the fish though the water until it recovers, then release. The yellowbelly have pretty much shut down for the winter, but baitfishers will still pick a few fish in among the timber. Catfish will also become harder to catch as the water cools right down. • Copeton Dam is one of the best lakes in NSW to catch a trophy Murray cod. Dave runs the Copeton Waters Holiday Park and is a great source of up to date, local information on what’s biting. Contact the park on (02) 6723 6269 for information and accommodation bookings.

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What’s New FISHING

GEECRACK SWING CHATTER

The ‘Swing Chatter,’ manufactured by Japanese company Geecrack, is available in 22 colour combinations, and comes in three sizes (1/4oz, 3/8oz, and 1/2oz) with a size 2/0 hook. A compact lure that’s ideal for pitching, the Swing Chatter has been designed to easily probe different layers of water, from the bottom to the surface. The Swing Chatter sports a thin adjustable metal blade, realistic head with 3D eyes, and silicon skirt, which all combine to create a swimming action that freshwater predators can’t resist. Combine this with one of Geecrack’s proven soft plastics, such as the Gyro Star, Leaf Shrimp or Moon Curly, the Swing Chatter is a force to be reckoned with. Ideally suited to Australian bass, the Swing Chatter has also succeeded in landing other Australian freshwater predatory species such as bream, estuary perch, yellowbelly and Murray cod. The Australian distributor is Dogtooth Distribution, and you can find more info on their website. Trade enquiries welcome. Price: SRP $13.95 www.dogtoothdistribution.com.au

SUNLINE FINE FLOAT II

Sunline Fine Float II is a floating monofilament line with Sunline’s latest Plasma Ion technology. P-Ion processing improves slickness, water repellency, abrasion resistance and longevity of your line by chemically altering the line’s surface to allow resin processing to bond at a molecular level. This processing increases line performance and allows the line to float longer and stronger. This new line is ideal for float fishing for bream, blackfish and drummer. The bright yellow colour allows for easy tracking of your line. Sunline Fine Float II comes in 150m spools in 6-20lb breaking strains, and is available in all good tackle stores. Sunline is a Japanese manufacturer that produces every type of fishing line for every target and method. Materials include nylon, fluorocarbon, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, polyester (polyethylene terephthalate), and metal. Sunline is the top selling line in Japan, and exports to over 40 countries worldwide. Price: from SRP $21 www.ejtodd.com.au

VANFOOK ASSIST HOOKS

Vanfook’s Deco Twin Assist Hooks are short drop, heavy wire assist hooks ideal for upgrading or replacing the assist hooks on light jigs (up to 80g). They are fitted with Vanfook’s blue Jigging Assist Line and fish skin on each hook for added appeal and movement. They also have a solid ring with one long drop and one short drop hook for the best hooking potential. These Japanese-made hooks come in packs of two, and are available in sizes #1, #2 and #3. For those anglers who prefer to make their own assist hooks, Vanfook has created Jigging Assist Line. This top quality line is a tightly woven PE line which can be spliced back into itself to create professional assist hooks. Vanfook Assist Line is available in blue and comes in 80lb, 120lb, 150lb, 200lb and 300lb breaking strains. Price: SRP $12 (Assist Hooks), $17 (Assist Line) www.ejtodd.com.au

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

NEW STRIKE PRO HUMMERS

The Strike Pro Hummer 65 and 75 are bigger versions of the popular Hummer 45, which is a favourite with estuarine anglers. The Hummer is a plastic vibe that is perfectly weight balanced to allow the lure to sit on the bottom perfectly on its lip. It has a superb action on the drop and lift. The Hummer also has two top tow points so you can change the lure’s action. The front tow point is better for casting and retrieving, and produces a tighter, faster shimmy, while the rear tow point is better for vertical jigging and produces a slower wobble. The Hummer 65 is 6.5cm long and weighs 13.6g, and is effective on a range of species such as bass, yellowbelly, mulloway, jacks and flathead. The Hummer 75 is 7.5cm long, weighs 21.8g, and is dynamite on Murray cod, yellowbelly, barra and snapper. Both lures come with quality Owner trebles and are available in eight colours. Price: SRP $16.99 www.jurofishing.com

3” POWERBAIT PRO GRUB

GENERATION BLACK V2 RODS

2 3

The PowerBait Pro Grub features a wider profile body that generates volume while working the bait in the depths. The ribs on its body adds more surface area, allowing more scent release. The tail design adds fluid-like motion to tail on light twitches. On the drop or on the hop, the Pro Grub tail swims at the slowest of speeds, delivering continuous lifelike action. Each PowerBait Pro Grub is loaded with Berkley’s exclusive PowerBait scent and flavour formula. This potent combination causes fish to hold on for longer, so you can feel more bites and set more hooks. The 3” PowerBait Pro Grub now comes in nine fish-catching colours: black ice, firetiger, blue ice, chartreuse purple ice, opening night, pearl white, perch ice, pink ice and purple ice. Keep an eye out for them at your favourite tackle store, or for more information check out the Berkley Australia website. berkley-fishing.com.au Price: RRP $7.95

Daiwa’s Generation Black series have gained a popular following in recent years. Now Daiwa has released the next generation: Generation Black V2 Rods. They have the same looks and trusted actions, but now have Fuji K guides, improved reel seats and grips. Boasting some of the finest rod actions available at an affordable price, Generation Black V2 features Daiwa’s HVF graphite, Fuji’s lightweight K guides, high grip seats on the light models and custom made Fujis on the heavier models. The reel seats are complemented with tough minimalist EVA grips that provide excellent grip and help reduce the weight. There are 28 technique-specific spin actions and 10 baitcast options, with ultra-light through to heavy offerings. Travelling anglers are also catered for with several 3-piece travel rods. Generation Black offers tournament quality tackle without tournament quality pricing. If you have ever wanted one series of rods to cover all light tackle luring applications, check out Generation Black V2 rods. www.daiwafishing.com.au

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

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

What’s New FISHING

SURECATCH PREMADE RIGS

ZEREK BULLDOG CRANK

An entirely new range of SureCatch rigs has been released to make the complicated task of rigging up for different situations a breeze. Within the range there are rigs for all the popular species including bream, whiting, snapper and flathead as well as rigs to help you fish the deep reefs, surf, rivers, lakes and estuaries. All rigs in the range – there are 41 different rigs – are hand tied to give the best result time after time, and the range of hook sizes means that you can tailor your rig to the fish you are chasing. SureCatch ensure these chemically sharpened, circle, stainless and bronze hooks are used to create the perfect rig for each situation. Best of all, these rigs will not break the bank, giving you a cost effective way to make the most of your time on the water. www.wilsonfishing.com

The latest addition to the Finesse Craft Series, the Zerek Bulldog Crank is a 38mm floating crankbait that weighs in at only 4g. Ideal for targeting fish in shallow areas, this lure has a tight wobbling action as it dives to around 2m during retrieval. The Bulldog Crank’s forward profile makes it less prone to snags as the bib knocks into structure before the hooks and the floating nature allows the careful angler to rise the lure above the snag triggering bites and avoiding fouling. Available in 10 different colours, including ultra-violet highlighted colours to suit varying water conditions, the Zerek Bulldog Crank will make an immediate impact on estuary and freshwater fisheries country-wide. For more information on this and other models in the Zerek range, visit the Wilson Fishing website or like ‘Zerek Australia’ on Facebook. www.wilsonfishing.com

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FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

DAIWA 16 CERTATE

In 2004 Daiwa introduced the Real Four Concept in the original Certate – Real engine, Real control, Real endurance, Real custom, setting the new standard in spinning reel design and innovation. Since then, Certate has continually evolved and developed through its incarnations to become the world’s most advanced spinning reel. Now a great reel has been made even better with the introduction of the 2016 Certate. This innovative reel combines a one-piece Monocoque body design in the HD models, Magseal, Magseal Bearings, Air Rotor, ATD and Zaion, making it Daiwa’s most sensitive, powerful and technically advanced reel ever. You will feel more connected to lures, detect more bites and fight fish with ease. Other features include: Mag Sealed Line Roller, Airbail (one piece construction), ABS II, Rotor Brake, Silent Oscillation, Real Stopper and aluminium machine cut handle. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter www.daiwafishing.com.au

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

FISH ARROW FIN’S GILL

The Fin’s Gill from Fish Arrow comes in two sizes: a 120mm model that weighs 40g, and a 150mm version that weighs 78g. This realistic soft plastic swimbait is durable and is slow sinking, emitting medium vibration when retrieved very slowly. The Fin’s Gill has a magnet underneath its belly that holds the hook in position, and allows the lure to be dragged over structure. A swimbait weight can also be added to increase the sink rate. This lure was originally designed to replicate bluegill for largemouth bass, but it’s also the ideal shape and size to replicate a juvenile golden/silver perch, medium redfin or large bony bream. This makes it perfect for big Murray cod, barra and other large predators. Its realistic shape and action entices bites in the toughest of conditions. To see more info on the Fin’s Gill, or other lures in the Fish Arrow range, check out the Searing Tackle website. www.searingtackle.com.au

SAMAKI TORPEDO V2 SPINNERS

The all-new Samaki V2 Spinner has some serious attitude. With a range that starts from 10g all the way up to 85g, these spinners hit the bullseye with each cast. You can throw Samaki Spinner V2s into a school of baitfish and you’ll be attacked by every predator swimming around in anticipation. Alternatively you can re-rig them with an assist hook and drop them down into the depths to attract the more aggressive species. The elongated bullet design allows you to cast further, and additional features include lifelike colour combinations, a 6X strong treble hook, natural eye, an extra hard external coating plus the added feature of UV colours and glow properties. For more information and stockist locations head on over to the Samaki website, or like them on Instagram and Facebook. Price: from SRP $4.95 www.samaki.com.au

GULP NEMESIS NOW IN 3”

Combine the fish catching profile of a Jerkshad and the enticing tail action of a grub and you get the Berkley Gulp Nemesis. Designed in Australia, the Nemesis shape is now available in a bite sized 3” size. During testing by the Berkley Pro Team these lures have proven to be deadly on bream with an enticing tail action at any speed, easy to swallow profile and potent Gulp scent. The tail action of this shape has to be seen to be believed. On the drop or on the wind, the Nemesis tail swims at the slowest of speeds delivering continuous lifelike action. Each Gulp Nemesis is also loaded with Berkley’s exclusive Gulp scent and flavour formula, a powerful water based scent dispersion system that makes Gulp 100% biodegradable. Price: SRP $11.95 berkley-fishing.com.au

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

What’s New FISHING TESTED: Ecooda I recently had a quick visit from Fishing Monthly’s Ryan Limpus who was travelling back from a boat show down Sydney way. On this visit Ryan had in his possession some of the Ecooda Mini Pops, and it was a bad decision on his part to show them to me. I informed him that he was going to have his work cut out leaving with them all from my premises!

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

Mini Pops

The first thing that caught my eye was the colour schemes. I’ve used similar colours in the past with great success, so it’s clear the designers at Ecooda thought long and hard about getting eight colour schemes that will have whiting, bream and bass anglers salivating. The whitebait pattern stood out to me, and I felt sure this would be a winner. On initial trials this has definitely proved to be true. Being a fishing guide and basing your livelihood on teaching people lure fishing you come into possession of some great looking lures. However, when your business relies on getting results you have to be sure of the product – and this is where it is essential to go out and test the performance and effectiveness of each lure. Then, if it ticks all the boxes, it will get the nod for use by our clients. The Ecooda Mini popper now fills quite a few positions in our surface fishing arsenal. The first thing it has going for it is its size. At 50mm in length it is perfect for bream and whiting on most occasions. Weighing in at 4.1g means when fishing a flats situation you should have no problems getting the distance that is absolutely necessary at times when chasing whiting. Another reason this weight is so important is because when throwing into structure for bass or bream you don’t want to be struggling to load your rod for accuracy, as can happen with some of the lighter lures (especially if you’re just starting out). When looking at the Mini Pop you will notice the tow point is close to the centre of the lure, which makes for a sensational

popping motion. A fast retrieve will create a pronounced splashy effect, which is something that whiting and trevally

find irresistible. On the other side of the retrieval coin, when throwing into bass lairs you can cast it in tight to snags, and while it sits in position you can easily get a noisy fish-attracting bloop with the slightest of rod movements. On our first trials we have caught whiting, bream and trevally using the ghost bait, whitebait and pearl shrimp and we are looking forward to giving the brown prawn and olive shrimp a run on bass as those colour schemes are very bassy! Why don’t you check them out? With a recommended price of around $14 they represent great value for money. - Mark Saxon

TESTED: Murray Moth – perfect for mega cod When I dropped the news at work that I was taking time off to trek into cod country, it only seemed fair that I should take something to test out. NSWFM’s Ryan Limpus handed me Leavey Lures’ new Murray Moth, and looking back, I’m glad I didn’t leave without it! OUT OF THE BAG On first inspection, I was impressed with the finish on this gargantuan 120mm long paddler, and the strong Owner ST56 size 2 trebles looked like they could handle some seriously big jaws. The mad keen anglers who fish Copeton during the cooler months would love this thing! Mick Leavey is known for making big lures for big fish, and the Murray Moth is no exception. Mick’s other lures have proven their worth time and time again on big

This chunky cod was happy to scoff the Murray Moth in pitch darkness in surprisingly shallow water.

mulloway in the salt, and I’m predicting this newest member of the line-up will make a big impact on the cod scene. IN THE FIELD Once we got over the range and into our chosen pocket of God’s country, our spirits were slightly damped by some steady rain. The rain went into the night, but finally stopped at about 11pm. At this stage, my energy to pursue our original plan to kayak to a bank somewhere downriver and fish topwater had almost gone. I decided to tie on the Moth, and just mosey on down to the pool in front of camp and throw a few lazy casts, just to check out the action. Once I got down to the water, I couldn’t see a thing! I could only hear the rhythmic ‘plip-plop’ of the Moth and the clacking of the joints as I swam it back and forth at my feet. “That’ll get ‘em!” I thought to myself. I lobbed a cast out into the pool, which was about 3ft deep at the most. I commenced the steady retrieve with the rod tip up, to get the most audible paddling sound possible. About halfway back to my feet, the sound of several litres of water disappearing into a big mouth interrupted my sleepy stupor! I didn’t feel any weight. The silly bugger missed it! I wound the Moth back to my feet and called my friend Lachlan Hickey to come down to the water’s edge. “What is it?” he asked me. “Listen to this,” I said confidently. I cast back to the same spot, and started the same retrieve I’d done before. The almighty sound once again broke the deafening silence of the night. ‘Boof!’ This

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

The heavy hardware stood up to a dozen or so cod over two days of fishing. time, I felt weight. A lot of weight! I played the chunky Murray cod to the bank, measured her carefully and took a few happy snaps before release. At 76cm, this topwater terror was a good catch for these waters. Now I needed something to calm down! I walked up to camp to grab a beer, and as I started walking back down to the water to recalibrate myself, my friend was already peppering the water with a big fizzer. In a few minutes I was ready again, and I threw the same cast for a third time. ‘Boof!’ I couldn’t believe it! Surely it couldn’t be the same fish having another look? When I got this one to the bank, a careful measurement showed that this was indeed a different fish, measuring 70cm. At the end of the hour-long session, we had landed five cod between us. The Moth won the night against the fizzer, four

The Murray Moth and a real moth. There’ a fair size discrepancy, but to a hungry cod that just means a bigger meal!

fish to one. Lachlan was very keen to know where he could get one of these cod catching machines! BACK HOME The Moth is still with me, with many cod to its name, and sporting only a few small scratches on the thick plastic bill. This lure mixes elements of a classic Murray cod paddler with the craftsmanship and durability of hardbodies designed for big mulloway off the rocks. If you’ve ever wanted to throw topwater for big (or even small) Murray cod, you should definitely make a lot of room in your tacklebox, and slide this sucker in! At $26.95 it’s great value for money, and one of these should last you many big cod. I honestly can’t wait until I get the time to travel over the range again and lob one of these around in the dark… only this time I might remember to pack a good light! - Bob Thornton

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Norval spots filling fast!

ADVERTORIAL

Fishing for pelagics and reef fish in virtually untouched waters – that’s what you get with Norval’s 9-day charter to the Coral Sea’s outer reefs.The MV Norval specialises in pelagics like dogtooth tuna, and it’s the only charter boat that fishes so far out. As well as stretching your arms on doggies and other pelagics, you can catch a variety of tasty reefies which the crew will freeze and pack in poly boxes for you to take home.

The 9-day charter, departing from Airlie Beach, costs just $3500. The primary destination is Marion Reef, but in unfavourable weather the back-up location is the Diamond Islets, which fish just as well as Marion. Here’s what you can expect on a typical 9-day trip: DAY 1: On the Friday night of departure you’ll be served a light meal and invited to partake in a cold beer with fellow passengers (canned beer is free on all Norval charters). The mothership will arrive at the first reef by 10pm, and anchor in a lagoon. You can then fish through the night, chasing reefies like red emperor and sweetlip or put out a livie for a GT. DAY 2: On the Saturday customers will fish their way through reefs at the northern end of the Swains up to the hydrographic channel. Then the boat will travel to Marion during the night, arriving early in the morning. Lures will be put out for a troll while you have breakfast. The crew will then deploy the 3 dories, including the 4.5m centre console fast boat (with sounder and 70hp motor) to get to the trolling gutters quickly. The other dories are stable 4.2m poly boats, fitted with safety gear and 150L eskies. Alternatively, you can bottom bash on the mothership. At 3pm trolling will resume, or you can stay in the fast boat or a dory until 5pm. Then the mothership will anchor for dinner and a night fish while the crew

5am while the boat trolls until 8am. At 8am there’ll be a hearty breakfast, and customers will enjoy the same unreal fishing from the day before. The reef is 24 miles long and 16 miles wide, with two cays and a long breaker reef. This reef has some incredible gutters and run-offs, and the snorkelling is amazing. All the reef fish available on the Swains are caught here, but in larger sizes. Large pelagics prowl the outside of the reef, including tuna, mackerel, wahoo and sailfish, and this is also one of the best places in Australia to catch dogtooth tuna. Down deep there are big reds, jobfish and longnose emperor.

great dane! ie - that’s a g g o d a t o n That’s

Not to scale

Marion Reef

Carola Cay

Lihou Reef and Cays

North Flinders Reef

Abington Reef

Diamond Islets Alternate route Marion Reef

Primary route

Airlie Beach Proserpine

NORVAL REEF CHARTERS

Mackay

Swain Reefs

DAYS 4-7: From Tuesday to Friday you’ll experience more unforgettable fishing at Marion. The mothership will then depart on Friday evening and travel south through the night. DAY 8: On Saturday the MV Norval will reach the reefs north of the Swains around mid-morning or early afternoon, with more good fishing en route to Shute Harbour. DAY 9: On Sunday morning there’s more fishing as the Norval continues back to Shute Harbour, arriving around 8pm. After a good night’s sleep you can grab your bags and your frozen catch and fly home. Everyone’s catch is packed in poly boxes ready to go! REVAMPED WEBSITE Norval has upgraded their website with an online booking facility, making the booking process simple. The form lets you select exactly what options you want, including the brand of free beer you want on-board! There’s also a stack of info on the different trips available, plus photos and videos including a 48kg dogtooth being wrestled to the boat! You can check out this and more at www. norvalcharters.com.au, or call 1800 771 234. – Nicole Penfold

TEST

Turtle Islet

Herald Cays

100km

ONLY 3 tri ps left fo r 2016 BOOK NOW for 2017! processes the day’s catch. DAY 3: On Monday the early risers will have a light breakfast at

Paget Cay

Marion Reef (large circular atoll composed of three main units on the Eastern side: Marion, Long and Wansfell; and smaller reefs on the west. Three small sand cays are located on the eastern side of Marion Reef: Paget Cay, on Long Reef, Carola Cay, south of Long Reef, and Brodie Cay, on Wansfell Reef. Saumarez Reefs

Contact Ron Murphy

0413 148 554

IMONIALS “I’ve done charters ou t from Glad from Airlie, stone and N and the latt orval trips er just kills an overall b out it! There’s b etter exper etter fishing ience. I’ve going back and done it thre in Decemb e times an er. “I love b d I’m ein reef fish, an g able to catch such a variety o d the social f p atmospher big mother e on the bo elagics and ship has co at is great. T mfortable around like he bed some other boats. The s and doesn’t bounce son loves to meals are g go out on t ood, too. M he boat, trollin y g or bottom dories but I like to sta y b o the choice. ouncing. It ’s great that n the main you’re giv “I had en been thinki ng of buyi waters aro n g a boat to und Melbo fish my h urne, but spend the ome my son sa money on t ys we sho hat – we sh every year!” uldn’t ould just go - Ian Kitso on a Norval n trip hard to Norval trip. It’s ipating my next tic charter. an s al rv ay lw No a “I am m your first fro t ge u yo that ng bu eli r charters, t describe the fe er Reef on othe ter rri ou Ba e e th th n to t o I’ve been nture you ge ve ad e th n to he ing . W th best spots experience is no es you to all the ak op r t I h pe g kip tin s es he er Coral Sea. T rticularly int g; the ay that looks pa llin r c o ke or on sn go o la g a I see imes I also ss it out. Somet in a dory and su l. this once in their visibility is unrea go on a trip like ld u ou yo w ff, dy o bo all ry it “I wish eve der. And to top this natural won m Li y lifetime and see rr La - catch home!” get to take your

Photos: Greg Reynolds

Take better fishing photos NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

Everyone loves to capture a great photo of their catch, and in the era of social media, it’s fun to share those images with friends, family and fellow fishers. But how

can you ensure that your fishing happy snaps are up to scratch? These days, just about every angler takes a camera with them whenever they hit the water, even if it’s only the one built into their mobile phone. Digital cameras (including the phone variety) are getting better, easier to use and more

affordable every year, so there’s really no excuse for not coming home with a few halfway decent images of your latest adventure. What you do with those photos is a personal choice. You might e-mail them to friends, post them on your Instagram account or Facebook page, show them to club-mates at

Here’s a well-composed grip-and-grin shot of Adam Royter holding a lovely Kiwi brown trout. Sometimes it makes a nice change to have the angler look at the fish and smile, rather than straight at the camera.

You don’t always need a person in the frame to capture an interesting fishing image. The author used his Nikon AW1 held in one hand, with the fish in the other, to snap this striking bream portrait.

a meeting night, put them on an internet forum, blog them, or even submit them to a magazine like this one. Whatever their fate, the better those images are, the more impact they’ll have… But what do I mean by ‘better’? Any good photo needs to be in focus and properly exposed: neither too dark nor too light. It also helps if the horizon is reasonably straight and the picture is composed so the subject stands out, and extraneous objects in the background don’t distract the viewer. Beyond these basics, there’s a world of difference

between an adequate fishing photo and a brilliant one. ‘Grip-and-grin’ is a term used (sometimes disparagingly) to describe the photos that dominate fishing magazines, websites and anglers’ photo albums. These images consist of a delighted hunter proudly showing off his or her prize catch while smiling at the camera. If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen a thousand! There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this style of shot, especially if it’s done well. In fact, grip-and-grins are the bread-and-butter of fishing photography, and most fellow anglers love looking at them. They also make great ‘brag shots’ and lasting memory joggers… if they’re any good! To produce a quality gripand-grin, you need a live, wet, healthy-looking fish that’s being supported by the angler, with no blood, mud or sand clinging to it. The standard grip-and-grin can be further improved by slightly angling the fish’s head towards the camera, and by minimising the amount of its body obscured by the angler’s hands. Avoid the exaggerated, extended-arm stance that supposedly makes the fish look bigger. Few people fall for this, especially when your subject’s hands appear twice the size of their

A reasonable grip-and-grin of a stud bream, but the image could be improved in several ways. Firstly, some flash or a different angle to the sun would help to remove the shadow on the angler’s face. Secondly, not having the other angler’s back and shoulder in frame would lessen clutter in the background. Thirdly, some would argue that the fish is being held too close to the camera’s wide-angle lens, distorting the proportions. basics right and your gripand-grins will start to sing. As an aside, I’ve spent my working life looking for the ‘perfect’ camera for anglers. I haven’t found it, but I’m currently using

Basics’ column each month (especially the underwater images) have been shot using Nikon’s AW1. If you’d like to see my full video review of this nifty camera, scan the QR code,

Using flash has really helped to pump some life into a snapper snap taken on a drizzly, overcast and very grey day, but getting the horizon straight would have improved the shot, as would moving that tackle box at lower left out of frame. heads! Instead, have your angler strike a comfortable, balanced pose with bent arms and encourage them to look genuinely happy. Work with the sun behind the photographer (so it illuminates the subject), or consider using flash to fill in the shadows under those ubiquitous hat brims. Finally, focus the camera on the eye of the fish, hold the shutter button halfway down to maintain that point of focus (or use the camera’s focus lock) and carefully re-frame (with a straight horizon) before shooting. Get those 66

JUNE 2016

something that comes close to achieving that mark. It’s Nikon’s AW1: a compact, mirror-less camera with inter-changeable lenses that’s capable of capturing high quality stills (both JPEG and RAW), as well as very passable video. But the best thing about the AW1 is the fact that it’s waterproof to a depth of 15m, shockproof if dropped from a height of 2m, and extremely well sealed against dust and grit. It’s not indestructible, but it is tough! A lot of the photos that accompany my ‘Back To

or search ‘Nikon AW1 Fisherman’s Review’, or go to http://goo.gl/WPHypg. Until next time, happy snapping! VIDEO

To see the full video review of the Nikon AW1.

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Tag-A-Fish promotion The pristine location of Bemm River will be the scene of an exciting winter promotion this year in the form of ‘Tag-A-Fish’ competition conducted by The Bemm River Progress and Improvement Association Inc. Entry is by registration, with no entry fee required. This promotion opens on 1 June and concludes 31 August.

Registration forms will be duplicated, so each business has records of participants. If you catch one of the five-tagged bream (tagged by Fisheries Victoria representative, Craig Ingram), you must present this fish (preferably alive) to the Bemm River Hotel. Anglers must not remove the tag! The tag will be removed, details recorded and you can choose to either

release your fish or keep it. You must be registered and hand your registration form into the hotel with the tagged bream. If entrants decide to return at a later date, they must officially re-register. Prizes include a boat, trailer and motor, BBQ, Karcher, miscellaneous rods, reels and tackle, sandwich maker, battery charger and lots more – sponsors have been extremely generous. At the conclusion of this promotion, a major draw will

A lovely Bemm bream tagged and ready for release.

TO REGISTER

The release of tagged fish encourages sustainability and researches the behaviour and population of local bream.

Registration forms are available from the following business houses: Bemm River Cosy Nook Flats Rob and Christina Foster 93 Sydenham Parade Bemm River Holiday Accommodation & Boat Hire David and Robyn Sturgess 41 Sydenham Parade Bemm River Hotel Ray and Debbie Bowen 3 Sydenham Parade Bemm River Caravan Park Greg, Mandy and Carl Forrester 2 Sydenham Inlet Road Bemm River Bungalows Gordon and Annie Pearl Point Road Bemm River Holiday Houses Lisa Fitzgerald Banksia Street

take place at the Bemm River Hotel at 2pm on 3 September, if any tagged bream have been caught. This is when we draw the lucky winners. Bream must be angled with the use of artificial lure, fly or legal bait only. The winner of the major prize (boat, trailer and motor combo) agrees to leave advertising details on the boat for a period of 12 months. Winners will be notified after the draw. When anglers register, they accept the ‘terms and conditions’ of this promotion. The tagged fish must be caught within the Bemm River and Sydenham Inlet system. Please also note that prizes are not redeemable for cash. Members

of The Bemm River Progress and Improvement Association Incorporated or their family members or anyone else connected in any way with the competition or helping to set up the competition shall not be permitted to enter this promotion. If no tagged bream are caught during the promotion, we contact all registered participants to offer them a ‘second chance draw’ to win the major prize of boat, motor and trailer combo. This will attract an entry fee of $25 per entrant. This also means that he boat package will definitely won by a participating entrant. –The Bemm River Progress and Improvement Association Inc.

Bemm River – Tag-A-Fish Promotion by Conducted gess Pro r e iv The Bemm R ement v and Impro Inc. Association

Over $10,000 in Prizes

The pristine tranquil location of Bemm River will be the scene of an exciting ‘Winter’ promotion this year in the form of ‘Tag-A-Fish’ This comprises 5-tagged bream, tagged by Fisheries Victoria representative, Craig Ingram. Entry is by registration, no entry fee required. This promotion opens on June 01, 2016 and concludes 31 August, 2016.

Registration forms are available from the following Bemm River business houses:

Bemm River Cosy Nook Flats Rob & Christina Foster 93 Sydenham Parade (03) 5158 4231

Bemm River Holiday Accommodation & Boat Hire David & Robyn Sturgess 41 Sydenham Parade (03) 5158 4233

TERMS AND CONDITIONS - BEMM RIVER – ‘TAG –A-FISH’ PROMOTION 01 JUNE – 31 AUGUST 2016 1. The promoter is ‘The Bemm River Progress and Improvement Association Incorporated’, whose registered office is at 41 Sydenham Parade, Bemm River, Victoria 3889 2. Members of ‘The Bemm River Progress and Improvement Association Incorporated’ or their family members or anyone else connected in any way with the competition or helping to set up the competition shall not be permitted to enter this promotion. 3. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this promotion. 4. Registration/entry forms for this promotion are available from the participating business houses: Registration covers for days competing. If entrant returns at a later date, they must re-register. 5. Closing date for entry will be 31/08/2016. After this date no further entries to the promotion will be permitted. 6. No responsibility can be accepted for registrations not received for whatever reason. 7. The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the promotion and these terms and conditions without notice in the

JUNE 2016

Bemm River Hotel Ray & Debbie Bowen 3 Sydenham Parade (03) 5158 4241

Bemm River Caravan Park

Greg, Mandy & Carl Forrester 2 Sydenham Inlet Road 0428 557 438

event of a catastrophe, war, civil or military disturbance, act of God or any actual or anticipated breach of any applicable law or regulation or any other event outside of the promoter’s control. Any changes to the promotion will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter. 8. The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this promotion. 9. No cash alternative to the prizes will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice. 10. The winners will be notified by telephone, email and/or letter within 28days of the closing date. 11. The promoter will notify the winner when and where the prizes can be collected. 12. The promoter’s decision in respect of all matters to do with the promotion will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. 13. By registering in this promotion, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions. 14. The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material. Any personal data relating to the

Bemm River Bungalows

Gordon & Annie Pearl Point Road (03) 5158 4225

Bemm River Holiday Houses Lisa Fitzgerald Banksia Street 0438 525 818

winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent. 15.Registration into this promotion will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions. 16. You are providing your information to The Bemm River Progress and Improvement Association Incorporated, not to any other party. 17. The tag must NOT be removed from the ‘fish’ and the ‘fish’ preferably kept alive. 18. The ‘fish’ must be presented to the Bemm River Hotel to have ‘tag’ number and details recorded. This will then go into the ‘draw’ at the conclusion of the promotion to determine the tag and the winning prizes. Prize draw will be Saturday 03 September, 2016 at the Bemm River Hotel at 2:00pm. 19.The tagged fish must be caught within the Bemm River and Sydenham Inlet system. 20. The ‘tagged’ fish must be angled with the use of artificial lure, fly or legal bait only. 21. The winner of the major prize, being boat, trailer and motor combo, agrees to leave advertising details on the boat for a period of 12 months.

Stoddard takes a stunning win at the ISIS event Round Two of the ABT Bass Electric Series was held on 17 April and

Stoddard came away with the win after a count back on big bass. Jordan caught

Slider Grub. Jordanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two fish weighed in at 1.22kg and his big bass weighed 670g.

Jordan Stoddart with his brace of Isis winning bass.

Local basser Tim Steenhuis secured 2nd place and booked a spot in the Bluefin/ePropulsion BASS Electric Convention. attracted 21 anglers to the Isis Balancing Impoundment. Local angler Jordan

two fish; his first lured by a camo coloured Berkley Gulp Minnow Grub, and his second on a pearl white

Second place went to Tim Steenhuis who worked the edge using an Evergreen Blade. His caught second

fish along the dam wall on a Bassman Spinnerbait colour 27 on an Austackle Master Class rod. Third place was awarded to Jeremy McConnell who worked a school in the middle arm of the lake. He was using Keitech Soft Plastics. He caught thirteen fish but only three keepers. The Big Bass was awarded to Jesper Noieson for his fish that weighed 730g. Thanks to all anglers who made the trip north to compete on the day.

TOP 10 BOATERS Place

Angler

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 10

Jordan Stoddart Tim Steenhuis Jeremy McConnell Robert Butler David Hine Adrian Wilson Jonathan Bale Les Smith Andy Gunn Rebecca Smith Jesper Noisen

Weight (kg) 1.22 1.22 1.14 1.11 1.10 1.03 0.97 0.95 0.95 0.89 0.73

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2016 JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

Jun 5

Rnd 8 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Gold Coast

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Jun 11-12

ABT BREAM Qualifier #6 Forster

www.abt.org.au

Jun 18-19

Club Marine Bream Classic Metung

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

Jun 26

Rnd 9 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Port Macquarie

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Jul 2-3

Rnd 10 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Mandurah

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Jul 8-15

Evans Head Fishing Classic Evans Head

www.evansheadfishingclassic.com.au

Jul 10

BASS Electric #4 Hinze Dam

Justin Thompson 0421 476 392

Jul 16-17

BASS Pro Qualifier #4 Boondooma

www.abt.org.au

Jul 23-24

Rnd 11 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Lake Macquarie

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Aug 6-7

Central West TackleWorld Fishing Masters Rnd 4 Lake Windamere

Ian McLean 0478083066

Aug 20-21

ABT BREAM Qualifier #7 Clarence River

www.abt.org.au

Aug 24-25

ABT BREAM Qualifier #8 Gold Coast

www.abt.org.au

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au or calling 07 3387 0800 in office hours. Just supply a date, venue, tournament name and a telephone number and contact name. JUNE 2016

Captain Risky crushes ‘em CE 1ST PLA Taree’s Kris Hickson weighed the only full limit of Richmond River bass to claim victory in the Spotters Sunglasses presented BASS Pro event – the first ABT BASS event to run in a river system. Hickson is currently the number one ranked BREAM angler in the country, and he could well be on the way to becoming the first angler in ABT history to be ranked number one in both species at the same time. Tim Morgan has been number one in both species, but has never held the titles simultaneously. Hickson piled on 12/12 fish over the weekend to take the win by over 2kg from local favourite, Ballina’s Adrian Melchior. After struggling to work out a solid pattern on the official pre-fish day, Hickson turned to his BREAMing roots, diving into his bag of tricks from years of experience catching bass on the tidal waters of the nearby Clarence River. “The only rivers I’ve ever fished run one way, and that’s out,” said Hickson, referencing his time spent on the local Manning River usually via his Hobie Kayak. “When I couldn’t find anything on the morning of the pre-fish, I ran downriver from Coraki and basically started doing the stuff I do on the Clarence, where we catch bass as by-catch chasing bream.” The approach worked almost immediately, with Hickson boating a number of bass in the afternoon. Morning of Day 1 saw Hickson start

THE FUTURE IS HERE Self-contained Electric Outboards

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

JUNE 2016

off in 3rd position. Being up the top he chose to make a start on the town bridge of Coraki, and it paid off with a nice bass just as the last boat went past. From there, Hickson worked his way downriver fishing grassy natural banks, which amassed a 4/4 limit with non-boater Tony Neal to have him sitting in first place after Day 1. Hickson

turned to what he considers an underused product for bass from one of his sponsors, TT lures. “I used the TT Rev Head rigged with a soft plastic. The difference was how I rigged it. The vegetation was so dense and the fish were really in the thick of it, so I had to rig the plastic weedless,” explained Hickson. The rig slightly

Hickson is starting to gather a rather large collection of 1st place finishes in ABT tournaments.

resembles what you’d see on the end of Carl Jocumsen’s line when he’s punching mats for largemouth, except the weight and hook are one item, unlike the sliding bullet weight and straight shank hook. The Rev Head features a small spinning blade slung underneath the main jighead and Kris was adamant that was the big difference in drawing strikes. “They definitely seemed to want the bladed baits, I missed fish on an Imakatsu Shakey Chatter on pre-fish, and a normal jighead rigged plastic didn’t seem to get the same attention. So the only thing I could put it down to was the extra flash put off by the blade.” Day 2 saw Hickson return to his milk run of spots and he and non-boater David Simmons filled their bag fairly quickly. “We worked really well as a team,” said Simmons. “I’d work the more active fish on the edge of the bank with an OSP

Kris Hickson and David Simmons with the Day 2 bag that put Kris over the line. High Pitcher spinnerbait, while Kris punched his plastic/rev head combo into the thick of it.” This style of heavy cover ‘punching’ hasn’t featured in a BASS Pro win yet, and it’s because of the move into rivers that has opened up a whole new world of opportunities for anglers and manufacturers alike. Hickson mainly used two combinations through the whole tournament, a Daiwa Black Label 701MLXS paired with a Caldia SHA 2500, and a Silverwolf Zantetsu 681MLXS paired with the matching 2500 reel. He spooled the reels with Daiwa Evo 8 braid with 10lb leaders. With the win, Hickson pocketed $2200 and has moved to second position in the Bassman BASS Pro AOY race.

Adrian Melchior settles for second CE 2ND PLA Local gun Adrian Melchior came into the event as the hot favourite. Having won the ABT Richmond River trial event in October 2015, Melchior was always expected to do well However, his first session failed to live up to the hype. “I started downriver around Woodburn and really struggled,” explained Melchior. “I had a backup spot up the Wilson River, but I’d run too far and committed myself downriver.” Melchior started slowly, finishing the first session with only one fish and lagging in 19th place. Choosing to weigh the one fish in early to maximize the afternoon session, Melchior ran the opposite

Event runner-up Adrian Melchior was the hot favourite coming into the event, and he lived up to expectations with a strong rally on Saturday afternoon and Sunday to finish 2nd.

direction up the Wilson River almost all the way to Lismore before pulling up and starting to fish. “There was a lot of boat traffic in the Wilson, and that had muddied up some of the banks, so I just kept driving until there was no more boats,” explained Melchior. Melchior put on a power fishing 101 course, diving into his collection of Bassman Spinnerbaits and choosing a 1/2oz Bassman TW in colour #25. He customized the bait with downsized blades so that the lure would run deeper in the water column. “I actually flattened my electric motor batteries on Saturday, I’ve never done that before” said Melchior. Choosing to fish fast and target the more active fish, rather than picking apart each piece of structure on the river. It was textbook power fishing, with Melchior and his non-boater catching fish

quickly and easily, even having a double hook-up at one stage. Day 2 started and Melchior returned to his honey hole up the Wilson River, quickly starting where he’d left off on Saturday. Although the bigger fish from Saturday afternoon eluded him on Sunday, he still weighed enough to overtake young gun Joseph Urquhart and claim second place and the $1200 cheque that went with it. Melchior relied on baitcasting tackle to deliver

-BOATER 1ST NON Tony Neal is making a habit of winning ABT BASS Pro events, as the NSW BASSer took his second victory in as many starts at the Spotters Richmond River BASS Pro. Tony fished with event champion Kris Hickson and Tom Slater over the weekend, and piled on enough weight on Day 1 to hold onto top position, despite weighing only one fish on Sunday. Day 1 saw Tony paired with Hickson, and the pair targeted various spots downriver from the event start at Coraki. All types of banks produced fish, from timber laden snag hotspots, to open grassy stretches, however it was the grassy stretches that proved most fruitful. Tony, like Hickson

the tide had risen, Tony managed a 780g fish on a weedless rigged plastic and beetle spin combo. Tony armed himself with his trusty Elite Industries 6-9lb rod by Gladiator Tackle, paired

Champion non-boater Tony Neal fished with Hickson on Day 1. to stay connected to the bites they encountered. Towards the end of the session once

with a Gladiator Psyborg 2000 reel. He spooled up with 10lb Super PE and

Winning Tackle

Rod: Daiwa Black Label 701MLXS, Silverwolf Zantetsu 681MLXS Reel: Caldia SHA 2500 Line: Daiwa Evo 8lb braid Leader: 10lb fluorocarbon

Winning Edge

Hickson turned to his BREAMing roots to identify a winning pattern. After failing to make the techniques he’d hoped to use work in the official pre-fish, Hickson went back to basics and ran downriver to find less pressured fish hiding among heavy cover on the riverbank. Rigging his plastics weedless on a TT Rev Head was the key tackle modification.“The Rev Heads are a standard shaped hook, so to rig a plastic weedless on them you need to nose hook it and then come back through the body so the plastic sits on a slight angle,” he concluded.

tied on 8, 12 and 20lb Sunline FC Rock leader through different stages of the weekend. Tony’s not going to be left in need of any product anytime soon, taking home a second swag bag full of staple bass tackle thanks to major sponsor Bassman Spinnerbaits. With two first place finishes from as many events to start his 2016 campaign, Tony is in the hot seat to dethrone current Bassman AOY leader Aimee Thompson if he makes the road trip north to Boondooma Dam in July to attend the final round of the season. “You bet I’m going to come to the final round, I’ve already spoken to my wife about the trip, with two wins from two starts there’s no better opportunity to win than this year, so I’ll be there with bells on!” Tony thanked his long time sponsors Gladiator Tackle, Barz Optics and Haswing Marine for their support throughout the year.

TOP 10 BOATERS

Austackle Big Bass

The Austackle Big Bass was caught by Steve Kanowski on Day 2. Kanowski caught the 1.32kg kicker off a single small stick on the bank of the Richmond River. The lure of choice was a Smak 1/2oz spinnerbait in a blue/purple/pink colour. His gear of choice was a long 7ft baitcast rod, paired with an Abu Revo Premier reel spooled with 15lb Spiderwire Stealth braid and topped with a 15lb Stren fluorocarbon leader.

OSP Rookie Reward

Paul Vandenboom won the OSP Rookie Award courtesy of his 4th place finish in the nonboater section. Vandenboom weighed in 8/12 for 4.87kg to edge out Dom Jordon by 50g. Vandenboom will take home a great selection of some of the hottest baits on the ABT tour courtesy of OSP and FishTec Solutions. Aimee Thompson has taken the leader in the Edge Rods Rookie of the Year race, with the winner at the end of Round 4 taking home an Edge First Strike rod valued over $500.

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

12/12 9/12 11/12 6/12 6/12 7/12 7/12 6/12 6/12 4/12

8.70 6.79 6.60 4.95 4.85 4.54 4.42 4.13 4.06 3.53

Kristoffer HICKSON Adrian MELCHIOR Joseph URQUHART Daniel BROWN Paul GILLESPIE Daniel CLANCY Mark LENNOX Brian EVERINGHAM Mitchell CONE Stephen KANOWSKI

the bait accurately along the snaggy banks of the Wilson, reaching for a new Samurai Infinite B16-F66 rod paired with a Daiwa Steez 103 reel. He filled the spool with Unitika 18lb braid and chose to run 12lb Unitika fluorocarbon leader for the entire weekend. Melchior thanked long time sponsors Frogley’s Offshore, Bassman Spinnerbaits and Ballina Marine Land for their continued support.

WINNING NOTES

Tony Neal wins two in a row relied on a bladed jighead with a weedless rigged soft plastic to catch fish throughout Day 1. On Day 2, Tony couldn’t replicate his winning technique and himself, along with Slater struggled

BASS

Presente SERIES d by Spo tters

Payout

$2200 + Duffrods Big Bag $1200 $975 $725 $550

$500 Austackle Big Bass

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

9/12 6/12 8/12 8/12 8/12 5/12 5/12 5/12 5/12 6/12

5.91 5.17 4.89 4.87 4.82 4.32 4.13 4.12 3.59 3.46

Tony NEAL David SIMMONS Matt CUSCHIERI Paul VANDENBOOM Dom JORDAN Paul PIPER Orton MARCHANT David WELFARE Brett HYDE Brendan PIESCHEL

Payout

Bassman Prize Pack 13 Fishing Rod & Prize Pack Spotters Prize Pack Spotters Pack + OSP Rookie Berkley Prize Pack Austackle Rod & Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au JUNE 2016

Gilly a bridesmaid no more CE 1ST PLA Steve Gill (Gilly) has had seven, third place finishes in ABT BREAM Qualifiers. He was almost the Gerald Swindle of BREAM competition in Australia, labelled the best to never win a BREAM Qualifier or Grand Final. Well, that monkey is well and truly off his back now with the Victorian blitzing the field at his favourite tournament arena. Gilly achieved an impressive 10/10 limit for an 11.65kg bag, which beat his nearest competitor by over 2kg. “I couldn’t think of a better place to notch up my first ABT victory,” said Gilly when interviewed after the tournament. “Things happen for a reason and this place is red-hot, it can be tough at times to locate the fish, but when you find them you remember why you travelled so far to get there.” Anglers were left cold and wet after a serious storm front rolled through on the Sunday morning, but that didn’t faze Gilly, who held the overnight lead. “At one stage I nearly got blown off the front deck of my boat, it was that windy.” The adverse conditions didn’t

THE FUTURE IS HERE Self-contained Electric Outboards

Scan this QR code to listen to Steve Gill and Rebecca Fazio outline their winning ways.

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

JUNE 2016

faze him though, as he brought the biggest bag of his ABT career and the biggest bag of the tournament to the scales on Sunday afternoon. Faced with challenging low tides early in both sessions, the key to success at the Costa Derwent River BREAM Qualifier was to find an area with sufficient depth to catch fish before the tide started to rise. “High tide on the Derwent makes it a much easier place

catching the biggest bream in Australia. Arming himself with two different colours (reflect ayu and half mirror smelt) of the popular Nories Laydown Minnow (Shallow), Gilly fired long casts out over the flat, and began to methodically work the area with a textbook twitch and pause retrieve. “You’ve got to fish slowly when fishing for black bream,” said Gilly. After watching his

Bridge proved perfect, with an almost 40cm bream caught on his first cast. Shortly after, the 41cm kicker came aboard and it was then that he knew he would be hard to chase down. Gilly’s equipment for the weekend consisted of a quiver of Howler Custom Rods that he paired with the new Shimano Twinpower reel, which he had bought new, especially for the trip across the Bass Strait. He spooled

Steve Gill with the champion fish that took out the Derwent round! to figure out, I knew I had to work something out for the low tide so I could at least catch a few fish early before looking for upgrades as the water came in,” explained Gilly. Starting each day on shallow muddy flats upstream of the Bowen Bridge, Gilly managed a number of fish early each session. As the tide rose over the rocky edges, he turned his attention to active fish that had moved up with the tide looking to feed. Reflective coloured slim profile jerkbaits have always been the popular lure when the ABT tour rolls into Tassie, and Gilly didn’t try to re-write the books when it came to

non-boater Rebecca Fazio get off to a flying start on the first morning, Gilly hit his stride, putting together his then current personal best ABT bag of 5.73kg. Not content with that, Gilly went on and broke his mark again on the second day, weighing an impressive 5.92kg limit, which included the tournament big bream. It wasn’t all high fives and smiles on Day 2 however, with four fish in the box early, Gilly struggled through until almost 1pm, when he knew the tide would be up. A move upstream of the Bridgewater

the reel with Yamatoyo Resin Sheller PE in 9lb and topped it off with Yamatoyo Rockfish fluorocarbon leader in 4lb. Gilly was well rewarded for his efforts, taking home almost $2500 in prize money and instantly qualifying for the St Georges Basin BREAM Grand Final. He also now finds himself in a three-way tie for the PowerPole Angler of the Year title with two other ABT veterans – Warren Carter and Steve Morgan. The race is well and truly on as the BREAM tour heads to Forster for Round 6.

The Norries Laydown Minnow was a massive asset in Steve Gill’s tacklebox.

Lister lets loose for a 2nd place finish CE 2ND PLA Canberra’s Alan Lister remained consistent through the two tournament sessions to notch a runner-up finish, thanks to a 10/10, 9.3kg limit. Lister finished a disappointing 17th at the first event at St Helens, but turned his tour around at the Costa Derwent River BREAM Qualifier by focusing on the area he found on the Friday pre-fish. “I actually came down to Tasmania with a friend of mine before the pre-fish ban started. We fished the Derwent for four days and caught a few fish. It’s such a big arena that come the official pre-fish day, I actually chose not to visit any areas I had explored on my

pre-practice trip.” said Lister. He’s not wrong – the Derwent system is expansive and encompasses plenty of small bays and coves, as well as a huge area near the mouth known as Ralphs Bay. During his pre-practice Lister located a small bay off the main river in which he’d experienced a double hook-up of 1.2kg Derwent River brutes. “I started the first day in that small bay. I had waypoints all over the place from where I’d caught fish a few weeks earlier, but it didn’t pay out during the tournament,” explained Lister. Turning to Plan B, Lister moved to a bank he’d found in the main river and the first fish he managed to boat went over 1.2kg. Lister had visited the local tackle store before fishing the event, and picked up a Daiwa Presso Minnow. He went on to use the lure for the entirety of the two tournament sessions.

“I had a box full of slim profile jerkbaits, but I don’t think I could have caught any more, or better fish by using something else. So I just committed to the Presso Minnow and it paid off,” he said. Lister went on to upgrade a number of smaller

fish through Day 1, and returned to the scales and was pleasantly surprised to find he’s weighed the magic 5kg bag. Sitting in 2nd place overnight, Lister was determined to continue fishing with the open mind that had led him to success the previous day.

Alan Lister came in 2nd with some monster fish.

BREAM Presente SERIES d by Costa

“I was a ball of nerves on the start line on the second day, I had to tell myself to just fish for fun and enjoy the day because I knew if I let it get to me I’d fish too fast and miss some opportunities,” he said. Fishing slow was the key, after receiving some advice from other competitors that emphasised the need to slow down when fishing for the big black bream that call the Derwent home. “I’d retrieve my lure with a twitch and pause retrieve, sometimes letting the lure sit for over 10 seconds” Lister said. On more than one occasion, Lister would turn his back to do something, and his braid would snap straight with the force of a Derwent kegger on the other end. “Every single bite I had over the two tournament days came when the lure was stationary,” he said. This emphasises the need for a patient mind while tournament

fishing in Tasmania. At one stage, Lister witnessed a 1kg+ bream inhale his lure in front of his eyes, yet he failed to feel or see the bite. Lister relied on a Shimano 3-Zero 1-3kg rod, paired with a Daiwa Aird 2000 reel. He strung up with 6lb braided mainline and his connection to his newly found Presso Minnow was 2 rod lengths of 4lb Sunline FC-Rock fluorocarbon leader. With qualification now locked away for the Costa St Georges Basin BREAM Grand Final, Lister can fish carefree through the rest of the tournament season. “Living in Canberra, if I had to name my local bream waters, it would probably have to be St Georges Basin. So I’m looking forward to hitting the water when I can over the rest of the year to prepare for the Grand Final.”

Fazio unfazed by the competition at Derwent -BOATER 1ST NON Rebecca Fazio has claimed her second ABT non-boater event win, four years after her first at St Georges Basin. The long-time non-boater was thrilled to

weigh her personal best 5/5 (5.07kg) bag during the first day of competition with event champion Steve Gill. With the pair catching an impressive 10.8kg combined limit for the day. Returning to the scales on Sunday with a 5/5 3.7kg bag, Fazio was sceptical if it would be enough to retain her overnight lead. “I didn’t think I had quite that much weight as I was

walking up to the bump tubs,” explained Fazio. In the end, it was more than enough to relegate St Helens non-boater champion Michael Alexander to second place. Paired with Steve Gill and Kris Hickson over the course of the weekend, Fazio was always going to be around the fish, it was up to her to convert them into weight on the scales. “The first day with Gilly started perfectly, flying off

the mark with a number of good fish early on a Jackall Colt Minnow. I couldn’t believe how well the day went with Gilly, I landed twelve legal bream with the biggest just over 38cm to the fork,” explained Fazio. Waking Sunday morning to the overcast and reckoning skies, Fazio was dealt a dose of the ‘who shares wins’ ABT motto. Hickson’s electric motor batteries had died within an hour of the start, and he selflessly paddled the boat around in blustery conditions so that Rebecca had the best chances of catching her five fish. “It looked really funny to watch someone paddling

a 20ft bass boat around, and I must say I really appreciate what Kris did for me during that second day,” said Fazio. Between the successful Colt Minnow from the previous day, Fazio also rotated in a Smith Panish and Cranka Crab to catch her Sunday limit and propel

her to victory. “I can’t wait to get back to St Georges Basin for this year’s Costa BREAM Grand Final, I missed last year’s Grand Final because I ran out of annual leave, so I’m making sure I’ve got enough for when the Grand Final rolls around.”

WINNING NOTES

Winning Tackle

Rod: Howler Custom Line: Shimano Twinpower reel Line: 9lb Yamatoyo Resin Sheller PE Leader: 4lb Yamatoyo Rockfish fluorocarbon

Winning Edge

The trick to Gilly’s win was having the confidence to rely on his spot to produce very late in the day. He relied on the action of the tide, that once it got over the structure he could upgrade the smaller fish he’d caught during the day for bigger models.

Big Bream

Rebecca Fazio was stoked to take out the 1st place in the non-boater competition.

The biggest bream of the tournament was caught by Steve Gill and weighed a whopping 1.65kg.

Scan this to watch the Facebook Live broadcast from the final weigh-in.

TOP 10 BOATERS

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

Place

Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Steve Gill Alan Lister Mark Crompton Cameron Whittam Gary Alexander Warren Carter Andrew Krushka Adam Crick Steve Morgan Jason Harrlock

10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10

11.65 9.30 9.26 8.84 8.63 8.57 8.34 7.93 7.86 7.69

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

Payout $1900 $1300 $900 $700 $550

Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10/10 10/10 8/10 10/10 7/10 8/10 6/10 7/10 7/10 6/10

8.77 8.42 6.66 6.21 6.04 5.46 5.29 5.06 4.91 4.74

Rebecca Fazio Michael Alexander Bernard Kong Grayson Fong Mark Hayes Neil Chegwidden Josh Carpenter Paul Siemaszko Blake O’Grady Alex Franchuck

Payout

Costa Sunglasses Pack Samurai Reaction Rod Berkley Prize Pack Spotters Sunglasses Austackle Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au JUNE 2016

Hobie reveals World Championship location The details of the sixth annual Hobie Fishing World Championship (HFW6), presented by Rhino-Rack and hosted by Hobie Cat Company have been released. Anglers from 25 countries are expected to compete for the chance to be crowned this year’s Hobie Fishing World Champion. Steve Morgan caught up with Matt Petrie, the Australian Hobie Team Captain of 2015 and Hobie’s Keeton Eoff to find out more

to fish the final event at Wallis Lake on 27-28 August. Matt reports the camaraderie between the Aussies including Scott Baker and Richard Somerton, and the spirit of the competition, with many anglers sharing trade secrets and techniques to keep each other fishing successfully. “The team we’ve taken over to China have worked together and shared information so we can get the best knowledge of the fisheries we are working.”

grand announcement in the location of the Hobie World Championship to be held in La Fourche Parrish, Louisiana, on 4-10 December this year. Located 45-minutes south west of New Orleans, La Fourche Parrish is the gateway to Cajun Country and the Gulf of Mexico, and offers a distinctly Louisiana ‘bayou’ way of life. This series promises a memorable experience for both U.S. and international competitors. According to Hobie’s Keeton Eoff, it is the kayak fishing capital of the world. The target species for the Championship include redfish, flounder and speckled trout. Keeton describes the conditions as semi-salt water shallow flats surrounded by deep marsh with plenty of fresh water inflows from the Mississippi. “The brackish area is prime for good food sources such as crab, shrimp and oysters, and the fish are in there feeding like crazy!” he says. Matt Petrie is confident in the ability of Aussie anglers to handle these Louisiana surroundings; “It’s right up our alley, just like bream fishing on the flats – we just have to upsize our tackle and lures,” he says. Keeton says, “I would definitely say that the main target species in Louisiana and, most of the Gulf, would

The shallow flats are the perfect zone for fishing, as the salt water mixed with fresh inflows from the Mississippi call all sorts of aquatic life to breed and feed. be the redfish. These fish have a keeper slot of 20-28” and anything over that limit would be considered a ‘bull’ and is a fish we would prefer to be returned to the water so as not to interrupt the breeding schedule.” Redfish are a phenomenal tidal fish, which resemble an Aussie mulloway, and go great guns on the topwater action. Keeton tells that the experience of hooking up to a 1m+ redfish from a kayak is called a “Cajun sleigh-ride.” We’re sure many anglers are

dead-set keen on trying that out! Speckled trout belong to the same family as the redfish (the Croaker family) but look very different, school up more and respond to slightly different tactics. The real make or break catch of the day will be flounder. Keeton describes flounder as resembling a “dinner plate” on the bottom of the water with a similarity to Aussie flathead, as an ambush predator reliant on currents for a feed. He says any angler “versatile” enough to crack the code of

Another prime target species in Louisiana, the speckled trout will be on the list during the Championship. about the qualification process and the competition specifics. For Australian anglers looking to qualify, there is only one round left. The rules have changed this year and selection is now points-based and depends on an angler’s top three performances in the qualifying rounds. If you’ve already competed in two qualifying rounds you’ll have

With the development of the World Championships, the rivalry has increased between anglers, and this has been noted by the massive increase of competitors in the recent Scamander qualifying round. It’s definitely turning out to be a red-hot competition, with a golden ticket promised to six lucky qualifiers. Hobie has made a

A Hobie angler gingerly pulls a massive redfish aboard. Enter the last round, and this could be you!

The opportunity to fish completely foreign waters does not present itself often. Now is the time to try and win yourself a golden ticket. 74

JUNE 2016

all three species will be in with a great chance. “I think the local anglers have an advantage but when it comes to versatility and travelling experience, the Aussies have done more, they’ve been there and have experienced catching different species in different countries. We are going to put them through a couple of days of enrichment and education on this waterway and I have no doubt they’ll be competing in contention,” he says. “We can’t believe we’ve come this far and we’re really excited to have our Aussie mates over,” concludes Keeton. All competitors will fish from identically rigged Hobie Mirage Pro Angler 14’s, provided by Hobie Cat Company and outfitted with Lowrance Electronics and Power-Pole MICRO Anchors, which Matt believes is a great way of levelling the playing field between anglers. Don’t forget to get your entry in for the Wallis Lake for your chance to qualify for this fishing experience of a lifetime! For more information visit www.hobiefishing worlds.com. – FMG

A prime example of a ‘bull’ redfish. Anglers who qualify for the Hobie World Championship in December can look forward to hunting a few of these amazing fish.

2015/16 Canberra tournament season wrap up Canberra’s tournament season started in September 2015 with the Big Burley Bash, continued with the Pride of Perch and wrapped up with the Native Cup in March 2016. Each event took place on Lake Burley Griffin. These three events were created by Adam Samios the host of My2Hooks and these tournaments receive significant sponsorship from Shimano, BCF, Native Kayaks, The Compleat Angler and Noxious

an eight week event where anglers spent Thursday nights chasing golden perch and redfin due to Murray cod closed season. Each angler was provided with a numbered brag mat and were then asked to photograph their catches on the brag and send them in via SMS. The top 10 anglers from the first eight weeks go through to the final. The tournament attracted some of the ACT’s best anglers

the opening weeks of the competition. That said, the action started to slow as the water warmed up making the final weeks of competition difficult. Ultimately, Mick Kochy took out top prize after a consistent tournament and strong effort in the final. PRIDE OF PERCH The Pride of Perch, which took place on 29 November 2015 attracted a similar number of anglers, but unlike the Big Burley

Dane Osman used finesse to connect with shut down fish during the Pride of Perch. as the fish had moved to deep water after a run of hot days but those in yaks caught some good fish. I spent the day fishing with Dane Osman and Chris Troth. Both anglers quickly realised that a finesse approach was needed to connect with the good fish so both switched to plastics with instant success. However, it was Kristal Priestly who took out the competition after producing the goods in the final few hours of the competition.

eight weeks. But this time, anglers could use bait or lure. Points were awarded for captures of Murray cod, golden perch and a pest species chosen on the day (either carp or redfin). The amount of fish caught over the competition was incredible, with many anglers reporting over a dozen fish coming to the net during each round. Lake Burley Griffin does fish incrediblely well during late summer and into

massive golden perch to 56cm and plenty of medium sized cod. However, he could not repeat his efforts in the final. In the end, newcomer Peter Soldo won the ‘opens’ category while Kevin Hodder took out the ‘lure only’ category. Kev also decided to donate half his winnings to restocking. Second prize went to Pete Mackenzie and third prize went to young gun Codey Flack.

Kristal Priestly won the Pride of Perch and promptly donated half her winnings to restocking. Spinnerbaits to name a few. The prize pool is therefore enormous with anglers competing for cash prizes as well as spin combos and kayaks. BIG BURLEY BASH The Big Burley Bash, a lure only competition, was

including Adam Le Dieu, Mick Kochy, Chris Troth and Dane Osman, so the competition was fierce from the outset with kayak anglers and landbased anglers catching good numbers of golden perch and redfin during

Bash, was run over one day and was again, a lure only event. Prizes were awarded for largest golden perch and redfin in both the male, female and junior categories. The tournament proved tough for land-based anglers,

Tom Gaukroger spent the preliminary rounds of the Native Cup cleaning up.

Mick Kochy with a good cod taken at night.

Kristal decided to donate half her winnings to restocking Canberra’s lakes. CANBERRA NATIVE CUP The Canberra Native Cup closed out the tournament season last month and again, this competition was run over

autumn making for thrilling tournament fishing. Tom Gaukroger and Tegan Alberts took an early lead in the men’s and women’s category and proved unstoppable up until the final. Tom won $500 at the end of the preliminary rounds after catching some

The tournament scene in Canberra is growing rapidly and that is in part to the great work done by Adam Samios and his partner Sash. These three competitions are attracting more and more anglers and will be bigger and better come September this year. JUNE 2016

FIND THE

LOGO COMPETITION There are 15

MAJOR PRIZES

MONTHLY PRIZES

Logos hidden throughout the pages of Fishing Monthly.

PLACE

Logo and page number, fill in the entry form and go in the draw to win! The first 40 correct entries drawn at the end of the month will win a packet of 2.5” Grubz in Motor Oil Colour. All entries will go into the major prize draw. (Drawn November 30, 2016)

VALUE OF TACKLE TACTICS PRODUCTS

500

$ ND

• PACKET OF ZMAN 2.5” GRUBZ IN MOTOR OIL COLOUR • Value RRP: $9.95 each www.tackletactics.com.au PAGE NO: 1

1000

$ ST

Find the

PLACE

VALUE OF TACKLE TACTICS PRODUCTS

200

$ RD

PLACE

VALUE OF TACKLE TACTICS PRODUCTS

NAME ............................................................................................................

MAIL ENTRIES TO:

NSWFM Find the Zman Logo Competition, PO BOX 3172, Loganholme QLD 4129 Entries must be received by 30TH JUNE 2016 Original entries only. No photocopies. Images for illustration purposes only.

SUBURB .................................................................P/CODE ........................... PHONE ..................................................................MOB ............................... EMAIL ............................................................................................................

NSWFM JUNE 2016

ADDRESS .......................................................................................................

What’s New BOATING

YAMAHA VMAX SHO

Yamaha Motor Australia has announced the introduction of the full range of 4-stroke VMAX SHO engines to the Australian outboard line-up. The VMAX SHO engine platform was previously only available in Australia in the 4.2L V6 models, which included horsepower variants from 200-250. The range will now include inline 4-cylinder models, VF115, VF150 and VF175. The line-up also includes 25”, extra-long transom models in the VF150 and VF250. In addition to the VMAX SHO’s proven tournament credentials, these outboards are also extremely versatile and offer a reliable, high performance alternative for a wide range of boats. When the VMAX SHO range was first launched in the USA, the engines range were billed as “game changers” and promoted as faster, smarter, stronger and lighter. Time has shown this to be true, with all engines in the range delivering on their game-changing design philosophy. www.yamaha-motor.com.au

HOOKED FISHING APP

GoFree, part of the Navico family of brands including Lowrance and Simrad, has released a new fishing app: GoFree HOOKED. This free app is a mobile tracking solution for anglers, with the capability to record and share every fishing trip – whether from a boat or the shore. HOOKED automatically saves the time, location and navigation track of each outing. The ‘Catch’ functionality quickly logs catch details like photos, size, weight and species. After you log a catch, you can share the details via text or social media. The app also merges GPS data with catch details to provide a clear picture of catch patterns. All data is stored on secure GoFree cloud servers for easy access anywhere. This lets you overlay personal catch details as waypoints on your own private layer of the Insight Genesis Social Map, where personal catch details are kept confidential. This app also has a “Compete” feature, so you can create and customise your own tournaments with friends. www.gofreemarine.com

NEW PORTABLE SUZI 4-STROKES

The Haines Group, distributors of Suzuki Marine outboards, has again released the world’s lightest 4-stroke outboard motors in their class with the introduction of the DF4A/5A/6A. Lighter, faster and with greater manoeuvrability, these motors are packed with features and have a sleek new look. Re-engineered from the popular DF4/5/6 range, they showcase the latest in compact and lightweight design while featuring 3-way storage (port, starboard or front), a new tilt system and improved portability. At just 23.5kg (S-shaft models), the DF4A/5A/6A is lighter than any other 4-stroke in its class. The carry handle at the front of the engine is integrated into the lower cover, and the rear handle given a rounder shape, making it easier to carry the compact motors with both hands. Other features include easy afterstorage start, reliable lubrication system, quiet operation, new tilt system, offset crankshaft, first-in-its-class oil filter, excellent handle operation, lower emissions and efficient operation. suzukimarine.com.au

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

NEW GARMIN PANOPTIX MODELS

Garmin has released two new Panoptix transducers. Compact and lightweight, the Panoptix PS21-TR is optimised for mounting on an electric motor to deliver LiveVü Forward sonar technology, allowing anglers to see real-time moving sonar images ahead of and around the boat. LiveVü Forward shows images of fish swimming and moving toward or away from the boat – even while stationary – in real time and up to 30m away. Anglers can see their lure and watch the fish react to it. The Garmin Panoptix PS21-TM is a new transom-mount transducer that adds FrontVü for collision avoidance. It shows upcoming obstacles within a 100m forward range. It can be displayed on split-screen with LiveVü Forward or RealVü 3D Forward (offered on the PS31). Like the PPS21-TR, the PS21-TM provides a digital depth number, so there’s no need to purchase a separate traditional transducer. No black box is needed either. A free software update will also be available for other Panoptix Forward transducers to add FrontVü. Price: SRP $1499 www.garmin.com/panoptix

1 2

YAMAHA CUTS PRICES

Yamaha Motor Australia has announced a pricing adjustment on selected 4-stroke models from F4 to F130. Changes to Yamaha’s production process have increased the production, efficiency and streamlined stock supply, allowing Yamaha to lower its prices. “You could say this pricing adjustment goes against the grain of current economic conditions,” said Nicolas Kitchen, Yamaha’s National Sales Manager. “With the changes to our cost structure, the time was right to review the recommended retail pricing of our engines. The price decreases are great news for our customers and dealerships. The market response from the implementation has been very pleasing.” Yamaha has one of the most extensive ranges of outboard engines in the market, covering both high tech and innovative four stroke technology as well as trusted, traditional two-stroke engines. There are also competitive finance terms from Yamaha Motor Finance. www.yamaha-motor.com.au

MERCURY ACTIVE TRIM

Mercury’s ActiveTrim system automatically and effortlessly trim an engine or engines. It doesn’t just make boating easier, it also improves engine performance and cuts fuel costs – while delivering a better overall driving experience. “The integrated GPS-based control system takes into account both your boat speed and rpm when deciding on the ideal trim position,” said Paul McLean, Mercury’s Accessories Director. “It also solves issues with the engine trimming up too early or too late while the boat is getting up on the plane.” Active Trim has five selectable trim profiles that accommodate nearly any boat application, so there’s no need to manually enter trim settings vs rpm – you just select the best profile for any application. You can then personalise Active Trim to your driving style and/or compensate for changes in boat load, operator preference and weather conditions. Active Trim is compatible with any new Mercury Outboard or MerCruiser engine with SmartCraft capability, and can also be retrofitted to earlier model engines. www.mercurymarine.com

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

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

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Kayak camping – planning and preparation BRISBANE

Justin Wilmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

Recently we caught up with friends who were planning to hike The Overland Track in Tasmania. After digging through the lightweight camping gear and gadgets that I carry on my adventures camping, they selected a few items that may make their adventure more comfortable, safer and more enjoyable. One thing led to another and by the end of the night we also had a basic plan together for an upcoming overnight kayak camping and fishing adventure. Planning and preparation are key components of any successful kayak camping adventure, so I thought I would take this opportunity to break down these components while planning our upcoming adventure. Camping lightweight from a kayak allows you to make the most of available time, spend more time on the water at peak bite times (dawn and dusk), and base yourself further from your launch site, often in less pressured and more productive waters. It’s also a great way to explore this magic country, escape the hustle and bustle of the everyday and catch up

with mates, sharing a few fishing tales around a fire or lantern. Whether it’s being dropped off at a local river and picked up downstream a day or two later, paddling to a picturesque island

GETTING STARTED Always remember safety first – assess the level of risk before making any decisions. It is important to consider your skill and fitness level, along with the payload of your kayak

GEARING UP When it comes to selecting gear it’s often a balance between the available space and payload of your kayak, and the weight and pack size of the gear that you

Some more lightweight gems from Sea to Summit – pocket towel, ultralight backpack, pocket soap, folding bucket and even the kitchen sink! campground to make the most of a weekend, or embarking on a multi-day kayak touring adventure, a quick Google for camping areas in your region of interest or a search for commercial kayak camping tours anywhere in the world could see you on the water.

and whether it is designed to carry this payload over long distances. Then it’s time to select a destination, taking into account your launch point, distance to be travelled, weather, available facilities, booking and permits, insects and wildlife, and the timeframe that you have available.

Kayak camping can put you right where the fish are.

wish to carry. You need to tick all of the basic needs, such as shelter, bedding, cooking, lighting and food and water. If you are travelling with others, sharing gear such as an icebox, cooker, area lantern and bug spray, can allow you each to carry a few more luxuries. The evolution of hiking gear has created a multitude of equipment options that are perfect for kayak campers. Let’s take a brief look at each category of gear that you may want to consider. FOOD AND WATER If you’re doing an overnighter you may be able to carry standard meals in an icebox. Alternatively you may opt for packet or tinned options. We often carry freeze dried meals designed for hikers and these are pretty tasty, nutritious, come in a wide variety of meal options, are lightweight and simply require the addition of boiling water. These can be eaten straight from the packet to minimise dishes, or we often carry bread wraps and spoon these meals into the wraps for additional fuel.

Left: Just one of the many lightweight-cooking options, the Mini Trangia, packs inside itself to minimise packing space. Right: The Mini Trangia set up and ready to cook – just add methylated spirits. 80

JUNE 2016

Top: Even your cutlery can be lightweight – hard anodised aircraft grade aluminium on the right and polycarbonate on the left. Middle: A lightweight bedding solution – air mattress, sleeping bag, inflatable pillow and fitted sheet. The total weight of this set-up is under 2kg and fits in a medium dry bag. Bottom: The Light My Fire Meal Kit 2.0 is ideal for kayak camping. Bowl, plate, spork, two waterproof containers, Pack-up-Cup, cutting board/ strainer and harness all packs up inside itself. Always carry more water than you think you will need for your trip. It’s a good idea to store water in multiple smaller containers rather than one large container, just in case this container leaks or is contaminated. Carrying a means of making safe drinking water, such as water purification tablets, a Steripen or Lifestraw is also a good idea. SHELTER Hiking tents are the most popular shelter option for kayak campers and important things to consider include the erected size and configuration, pack size and weight, and depending on your destination, mesh screens and ventilation. BEDDING Sleeping bags are the most commonly used bedding option and it’s important to consider fit size, pack size and weight, temperature rating, left or right hand zip, tapering, hood and I would suggest,

a quality synthetic bag over down (feathers) as they retain their loft and therefore ability to capture air and keep you warm – even when wet. Sleep mats are the most common bed option for kayak campers, including lightweight foam mats, inflatable mats and selfinflating mats. In cooler weather, insulated mats are needed to reduce the cold rising from the ground, while in tropical regions you can go extremely light with simple uninsulated inflatable mats. To minimise weight and bulk further you can opt for a tapered mat or 3/4-size mat that run from the head to the hips. Sea to Summit has an excellent range of mats, pillows and pumps for kayak campers. COOKING There are a range of cooking options available, with fuel options that include butane, methylated spirits,

wood chips, fuel tablets such as hexamine and more. A couple of my favourite options include the Jet Boil butane cooker, which is simple, fast and ideal for short trips and the Trangia which is ideal for larger groups, longer adventures and you can cook a lot of meals on a single Trangia bottle filled with methylated spirits, making it extremely inexpensive to run. When it comes to lighting these appliances, or lighting a campfire for cooking, check out the Fire Steel from Light My Fire, designed to produce high temperature sparks when struck with the included striker, even when wet. KITCHEN When it comes to kitchen items it’s hats off to Sea to Summit again, a company that develops innovative, functional solutions for lightweight adventurers. I have a lightweight kitchen kit loaded with their products, including ultralight cutlery,

It’s all about location, location, location. folding plates, bowls, cups and pots, folding bucket and sink, spice holder, environmentally friendly wash and more.

LIGHTING There are two forms of lighting we carry, a headlamp each and an area lantern for the group. We

Water drums and iceboxes are just a couple of storage options.

Top: Hiking tents are a popular option, and this one only weighs in at about 1kg. Bottom: The author’s MacGyver Kit. Safety first.

prefer headlamps that are waterproof, LED and battery operated, allowing us to carry a spare set of batteries. Area lanterns are available that are lightweight, compact and LED, offering longer run times. We use a lantern that pops open to spread and diffuse the light over a larger area for use when cooking. TOILET AND SHOWER For overnight adventures you may be able to rough it, have a swim or use body wipes such as Wilderness Wipes. When travelling with your partner though, it may be worth including a Sea to Summit Pocket Shower in the kit to keep them smiling. Simply warm up some water, pour it into the lightweight shower bag, hoist it in a tree, turn the nozzle and away you go. Pocket Soap and Trek & Travel Liquid Soaps are ideal options for showering lightweight and a lightweight Tek Towel will see you dry, without the weight and bulk of traditional towels. No one really likes to talk about the toilet, however this has been made more user-

friendly with products such as the Pocket Trowel, Outhouse Toilet Roll Holder and hand sanitisers. SAFETY AND FIRST AID When selecting a first aid kit it’s important to consider how many people are in your group, how long you will be away for and how far you will be from assistance. Most of the major first aid kits have tables on their website to assist you with your selection, along with supplementary kits that may be relevant to your adventure, such as snakebite kits. We also carry a ‘MacGyver Kit’ that includes items such as a signal mirror, whistle, emergency blanket, multi-tool, zip ties, electrical tape, chemical lights, sunscreen, bug spray, fire starter, length of venetian blind cord and a few other items that could get us out of a sticky situation. I also have an EPIRB that joins us on our adventures, while many adventurers prefer a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon). NAVIGATION AND COMMUNICATION Navigation is made simple with modern GPS units, however it’s a good idea to have a backup such as a chart

of the area in a waterproof map case, a compass such as those that can be mounted on your kayak and an idea of where the sun will track in relation to your travels and launch point. In terms, of communication a mobile phone is a good starting point and it’s a good idea to carry one of the portable charging options that are available. There are now attachments available that can convert your mobile phone into a satellite phone, for those on more extreme adventures. We also carry a pair of waterproof 5W handheld UHF radios, with VHF radios – an excellent option for those in remote and offshore areas. An EPIRB or PLB provides great peace of mind and is another option to alert the authorities should something go wrong. Most importantly, let someone know where you’re going, when you expect to return, how many in your group and your contact numbers. Safety first. CLOTHING The environment in which you are adventuring will often dictate your clothing, so consider heat

breathable outer layers, thermal base layers, a combination of layers rather than one heavy layer allows you to add or remove layers to better adapt to changes in temperature. Sun protection options include headwear, buffs, sun shirts, gloves, footwear and sun pants such as the quick dry Stealth Wear from Sun2Sea UV Protection. When it comes to storing your kit, iceboxes, water drums, waterproof boxes, crates and dry bags are all good options, along with octopus straps and tie down straps for securing them. We use different coloured dry bags to easily sort, manage and locate particular items. Whether it’s the fishing, adventure, wildlife, escape, mateship, exploration or whatever else drives you and recharges your batteries, kayak camping can be as simple as an overnighter locally or a more involved multi-day adventure further afield. On our adventures we have landed some cracker fish, watched some amazing sunrises and sunsets, interacted with wildlife such

Looks like we’ve found our campsite. and cold, humidity, wind and sun exposure. Technical developments in hiking clothing can be used by kayak campers, including lightweight waterproof and

as dolphins and dugongs, and made some awesome memories. Stay tuned for a wrap up of our upcoming overnight adventures in coming issues.

Kayak camping can allow you to explore some amazing locations. JUNE 2016

FIND-A-WORD COMPETITION THE MANY EMOTIONS OF A MULLET

AFRAID

FRETFUL

SCARED

ALARMED

FRIGHTENED

SHOCKED

ANXIOUS

JITTERY

STARTLED

APPREHENSIVE

JUMPY

TENSE

CONCERNED

NERVOUS

TERRIFIED

DISTRESSED

PANICKED

UNEASY

EDGY

PETRIFIED

WORRIED

FEARFUL

RESTLESS

Win a pack of Pocket Balls – instant reusable pocketsized heat packs that are safe, waterproof and available in a variety of sport themes, including footy, cricket, golf, tennis, soccer and more! Activated by simple click of the disk inside the ball. To find out more visit www.take5energize.com.au/Pocket-Balls.

Name: Address:

P/Code:

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

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

NSW JUNE 2016

Phone (day):

FIND-A-WORD

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

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE BITE ME by Trisha Mason

The subscriber prize winner for April was S Malcolm of Ashtonfield, who won a Daiwa RZ Ballistic-X combo. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

FIND THE ZEREK LOGO

The answers to Find the Zerek Logo for April were: 8, 10, 15, 22, 26, 31, 35, 38, 46, 49, 50, 69, 88, 91, 92.

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

JUNE 2016

The Find the Zerek logo prize winners for April were: P Bak of Monash, K Finch of Mulgoa, J Cupitt of Sanctuary Point, M Callaghan of Teralba, T Polley of Burrell Creek, S Cook of Seven Hills, F Sear of Junee, P Stever of Austinmer, S Davis of Emua Plains, D Wiggins of Penrith, J Stranner of Rose Bay, J Paul of Inverell, J Thompson of Ermington, B Whyte of Myers Flat, R Rich of Hamlyn Tce, M Ryan of Aberglasslyn, B Fisher of Pacific Palms, T Kennedy of Karuah, M Witherspoon of Kurri Kurri, G Smith of Weston, R Chown of Glendenning, G Simonis of Thurgoona , A White of Dapto, R Waters of Temora, C Engelbrecht of Wagga Wagga, D Nesbet of Tuncurry, P Lyneham of Fern Bay, D Kennedy of Edgeworth, P Owens of North Nowra, M Ryall of Singleton, J Hewitt of Lyndhurst , A O’Keefe of Grafton, K Bell of Laurieton, D Turner of West Pennant Hills, R Wicks of Forbes, A Hepper of Iluka, M Baker of Gorokan, J Zivcic of Oak Flats, M King of Bellbird, E Ristau of Ilford. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

2016 2016 Local Local Time Time

SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) NEW SOUTH WALES SYDNEY DENISON) – – SOUTH SYDNEY (FORT (FORT – NEW NEW SOUTH WALES WALES LATDENISON) 33° 52’ LONG 151° 13’ MAY MAY mMAY

Time Time Time 0238 0238 0927 0238 0927 1540 0927 1540 2126 1540 2126 2126 0345 0345 1023 0345 1023 1640 1023 1640 2234 1640 2234 2234 0448 0448 1115 0448 1115 1732 1115 1732 2336 1732 2336 2336 0545 0545 1203 0545 1203 1823 1203 1823 1823

m m 1.58 1.58 0.52 1.58 0.52 1.38 0.52 1.38 0.71 1.38 0.71 0.71 1.61 1.61 0.45 1.61 0.45 1.50 0.45 1.50 0.61 1.50 0.61 0.61 1.67 1.67 0.38 1.67 0.38 1.64 0.38 1.64 0.50 1.64 0.50 0.50 1.72 1.72 0.32 1.72 0.32 1.77 0.32 1.77 1.77

0033 55 0033 0641 0033 0641 1251 TH 1251 TH 0641

0.38 0.38 1.74 0.38 1.74 0.29 1.74 0.29 1.90 0.29 1.90 1.90 0.29 0.29 1.74 0.29 1.74 0.29 1.74 0.29 1.99 0.29 1.99 1.99 0.23 0.23 1.70 0.23 1.70 0.32 1.70 0.32 2.03 0.32 2.03 2.03 0.21 0.21 1.63 0.21 1.63 0.38 1.63 0.38 2.03 0.38 2.03 2.03 0.24 0.24 1.55 0.24 1.55 0.46 1.55 0.46 1.98 0.46 1.98 1.98 0.30 0.30 1.47 0.30 1.47 0.55 1.47 0.55 1.89 0.55 1.89 1.89 0.38 0.38 1.40 0.38 1.40 0.65 1.40 0.65 0.65

SU SU SU

22 MO MO MO

33 TU TU TU

44 WE WE WE

1912 TH 1251 1912 1912 0130 0130 0734 0130 0734 1339 FR 1339 FR 0734 2000 FR 1339 2000 2000 0224 0224 0830 0224 0830 1427 SA 1427 SA 0830 2049 SA 1427 2049 2049 0318 0318 0924 0318 0924 1515 SU 1515 SU 0924 2139 SU 1515 2139 2139 0414 0414 1019 0414 1019 1604 MO 1604 MO 1019 2230 MO 1604 2230 2230 0510 0510 1115 0510 1115 1656 TU 1656 TU 1115 2321 TU 1656 2321 2321 0608 0608 1214 0608 1214 1749 WE 1749 WE 1214 WE 1749

77 88 99

10 10 11 11

0015 0015 12 0707 0015 0707 12 1314 TH 1314 TH 0707

1847 TH 1314 1847 1847 0111 0111 0805 0111 0805 1416 FR 1416 FR 0805 1952 FR 1416 1952 1952 0211 0211 0900 0211 0900 1518 SA 1518 SA 0900 2101 SA 1518 2101 2101 0314 0314 0951 0314 0951 1615 SU 1615 SU 0951 2208 SU 1615 2208 2208

13 13 14 14

15 15

1.78 1.78 0.46 1.78 0.46 1.35 0.46 1.35 0.73 1.35 0.73 0.73 1.66 1.66 0.53 1.66 0.53 1.33 0.53 1.33 0.78 1.33 0.78 0.78 1.56 1.56 0.57 1.56 0.57 1.35 0.57 1.35 0.80 1.35 0.80 0.80 1.50 1.50 0.59 1.50 0.59 1.40 0.59 1.40 0.78 1.40 0.78 0.78

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

Time Time Time 0412 0412 1038 0412 1038 1703 1038 1703 2307 1703 2307 2307 0503 0503 1119 0503 1119 1746 1119 1746 2358 1746 2358 2358 0549 0549 1158 0549 1158 1825 1158 1825 1825

m m 1.47 1.47 0.59 1.47 0.59 1.47 0.59 1.47 0.73 1.47 0.73 0.73 1.46 1.46 0.57 1.46 0.57 1.54 0.57 1.54 0.67 1.54 0.67 0.67 1.46 1.46 0.56 1.46 0.56 1.61 0.56 1.61 1.61

0043 0043 19 0632 0043 0632 19 1232 TH 1232 TH 0632

0.61 0.61 1.46 0.61 1.46 0.55 1.46 0.55 1.68 0.55 1.68 1.68 0.55 0.55 1.46 0.55 1.46 0.54 1.46 0.54 1.73 0.54 1.73 1.73 0.51 0.51 1.46 0.51 1.46 0.54 1.46 0.54 1.77 0.54 1.77 1.77 0.48 0.48 1.44 0.48 1.44 0.56 1.44 0.56 1.80 0.56 1.80 1.80 0.46 0.46 1.43 0.46 1.43 0.57 1.43 0.57 1.81 0.57 1.81 1.81 0.46 0.46 1.40 0.46 1.40 0.60 1.40 0.60 1.80 0.60 1.80 1.80 0.47 0.47 1.38 0.47 1.38 0.63 1.38 0.63 1.77 0.63 1.77 1.77 0.49 0.49 1.36 0.49 1.36 0.67 1.36 0.67 1.73 0.67 1.73 1.73 0.51 0.51 1.35 0.51 1.35 0.71 1.35 0.71 0.71

16 16 MO MO MO

17 17 TU TU TU

18 18 WE WE WE

1900 TH 1232 1900 1900 0122 0122 0713 0122 0713 1306 FR 1306 FR 0713 1934 FR 1306 1934 1934 0200 0200 0751 0200 0751 1340 SA 1340 SA 0751 2008 SA 1340 2008 2008 0237 0237 0830 0237 0830 1414 SU 1414 SU 0830 2043 SU 1414 2043 2043 0315 0315 0910 0315 0910 1449 MO 1449 MO 0910 2118 MO 1449 2118 2118 0354 0354 0951 0354 0951 1527 TU 1527 TU 0951 2156 TU 1527 2156 2156 0435 0435 1034 0435 1034 1608 WE 1608 WE 1034 2236 WE 1608 2236 2236 0519 0519 1120 0519 1120 1652 TH 1652 TH 1120 2320 TH 1652 2320 2320 0607 0607 1211 0607 1211 1743 FR 1743 FR 1211 FR 1743

20 20 21 21 22 22

23 23 24 24 25 25

26 26 27 27

0009 0009 28 0700 0009 0700 28 1307 SA 1307 SA 0700

1842 SA 1307 1842 1842 0105 0105 0755 0105 0755 1408 SU 1408 SU 0755 1949 SU 1408 1949 1949 0208 0208 0852 0208 0852 1511 MO 1511 MO 0852 2102 MO 1511 2102 2102 0315 0315 0947 0315 0947 1610 TU 1610 TU 0947 2214 TU 1610 2214 2214

29 29

30 30 31 31

1.68 1.68 0.51 1.68 0.51 1.36 0.51 1.36 0.73 1.36 0.73 0.73 1.64 1.64 0.50 1.64 0.50 1.40 0.50 1.40 0.73 1.40 0.73 0.73 1.61 1.61 0.48 1.61 0.48 1.47 0.48 1.47 0.69 1.47 0.69 0.69 1.60 1.60 0.44 1.60 0.44 1.58 0.44 1.58 0.62 1.58 0.62 0.62

Time Time 0421 0421 1040 0421 1040 1705 1040 1705 2320 1705 2320 2320 0523 0523 1131 0523 1131 1759 1131 1759 1759

m m 1.60 1.60 0.40 1.60 0.40 1.71 0.40 1.71 0.51 1.71 0.51 0.51 1.61 1.61 0.37 1.61 0.37 1.83 0.37 1.83 1.83

0022 33 0022 0621 0022 0621 1222 FR 1222 FR 0621

0.40 0.40 1.61 0.40 1.61 0.36 1.61 0.36 1.94 0.36 1.94 1.94 0.31 0.31 1.60 0.31 1.60 0.36 1.60 0.36 2.02 0.36 2.02 2.02 0.25 0.25 1.58 0.25 1.58 0.39 1.58 0.39 2.05 0.39 2.05 2.05 0.24 0.24 1.54 0.24 1.54 0.43 1.54 0.43 2.04 0.43 2.04 2.04 0.26 0.26 1.49 0.26 1.49 0.49 1.49 0.49 1.98 0.49 1.98 1.98 0.31 0.31 1.45 0.31 1.45 0.57 1.45 0.57 1.89 0.57 1.89 1.89 0.38 0.38 1.40 0.38 1.40 0.64 1.40 0.64 1.77 0.64 1.77 1.77 0.46 0.46 1.37 0.46 1.37 0.71 1.37 0.71 0.71

WE WE WE

22 TH TH TH

1850 FR 1222 1850 1850 0119 0119 0718 0119 0718 1313 SA 1313 SA 0718 1941 SA 1313 1941 1941 0215 0215 0815 0215 0815 1402 SU 1402 SU 0815 2030 SU 1402 2030 2030 0308 0308 0909 0308 0909 1453 MO 1453 MO 0909 2120 MO 1453 2120 2120 0400 0400 1003 0400 1003 1543 TU 1543 TU 1003 2210 TU 1543 2210 2210 0452 0452 1056 0452 1056 1633 WE 1633 WE 1056 2258 WE 1633 2258 2258 0543 0543 1148 0543 1148 1724 TH 1724 TH 1148 2345 TH 1724 2345 2345 0633 0633 1242 0633 1242 1817 FR 1817 FR 1242 FR 1817

55 66 77 88

10 10

0034 0034 11 0722 0034 0722 11 1335 SA 1335 SA 0722

1915 SA 1335 1915 1915 0125 0125 0810 0125 0810 1430 SU 1430 SU 0810 2016 SU 1430 2016 2016 0221 0221 0857 0221 0857 1525 MO 1525 MO 0857 2124 MO 1525 2124 2124 0319 0319 0944 0319 0944 1616 TU 1616 TU 0944 2229 TU 1616 2229 2229 0417 0417 1029 0417 1029 1704 WE 1704 WE 1029 2326 WE 1704 2326 2326

12 12 13 13 14 14

15 15

1.64 1.64 0.53 1.64 0.53 1.36 0.53 1.36 0.77 1.36 0.77 0.77 1.53 1.53 0.58 1.53 0.58 1.37 0.58 1.37 0.80 1.37 0.80 0.80 1.44 1.44 0.60 1.44 0.60 1.41 0.60 1.41 0.80 1.41 0.80 0.80 1.39 1.39 0.61 1.39 0.61 1.47 0.61 1.47 0.77 1.47 0.77 0.77 1.36 1.36 0.60 1.36 0.60 1.54 0.60 1.54 0.71 1.54 0.71 0.71

Time Time 0511 0511 1111 0511 1111 1747 TH 1747 TH 1111 TH 1747

m m 1.36 1.36 0.59 1.36 0.59 1.61 0.59 1.61 1.61

Time Time 0507 0507 1107 0507 1107 1740 FR 1740 FR 1107 FR 1740

m m 1.47 1.47 0.42 1.47 0.42 1.83 0.42 1.83 1.83

0015 0015 17 0600 0015 0600 17 1152 FR 1152 FR 0600

0.63 0.63 1.37 0.63 1.37 0.57 1.37 0.57 1.67 0.57 1.67 1.67 0.57 0.57 1.38 0.57 1.38 0.56 1.38 0.56 1.74 0.56 1.74 1.74 0.50 0.50 1.39 0.50 1.39 0.55 1.39 0.55 1.79 0.55 1.79 1.79 0.46 0.46 1.39 0.46 1.39 0.54 1.39 0.54 1.83 0.54 1.83 1.83 0.42 0.42 1.40 0.42 1.40 0.54 1.40 0.54 1.85 0.54 1.85 1.85 0.40 0.40 1.40 0.40 1.40 0.55 1.40 0.55 1.85 0.55 1.85 1.85 0.39 0.39 1.40 0.39 1.40 0.56 1.40 0.56 1.83 0.56 1.83 1.83 0.39 0.39 1.41 0.39 1.41 0.59 1.41 0.59 1.79 0.59 1.79 1.79 0.40 0.40 1.41 0.40 1.41 0.62 1.41 0.62 1.73 0.62 1.73 1.73 0.41 0.41 1.43 0.41 1.43 0.64 1.43 0.64 0.64

0015 22 0015 0609 0015 0609 1200 SA 1200 SA 0609

0.41 0.41 1.47 0.41 1.47 0.41 1.47 0.41 1.91 0.41 1.91 1.91 0.32 0.32 1.47 0.32 1.47 0.40 1.47 0.40 1.98 0.40 1.98 1.98 0.26 0.26 1.48 0.26 1.48 0.41 1.48 0.41 2.00 0.41 2.00 2.00 0.24 0.24 1.47 0.24 1.47 0.43 1.47 0.43 1.98 0.43 1.98 1.98 0.26 0.26 1.45 0.26 1.45 0.47 1.45 0.47 1.92 0.47 1.92 1.92 0.31 0.31 1.43 0.31 1.43 0.53 1.43 0.53 1.82 0.53 1.82 1.82 0.37 0.37 1.41 0.37 1.41 0.59 1.41 0.59 1.71 0.59 1.71 1.71 0.44 0.44 1.39 0.44 1.39 0.66 1.39 0.66 1.59 0.66 1.59 1.59 0.50 0.50 1.38 0.50 1.38 0.72 1.38 0.72 0.72

16 16

1827 FR 1152 1827 1827 0059 0059 0644 0059 0644 1230 SA 1230 SA 0644 1905 SA 1230 1905 1905 0139 0139 0726 0139 0726 1308 SU 1308 SU 0726 1942 SU 1308 1942 1942 0216 0216 0807 0216 0807 1345 MO 1345 MO 0807 2018 MO 1345 2018 2018 0255 0255 0848 0255 0848 1425 TU 1425 TU 0848 2057 TU 1425 2057 2057 0334 0334 0930 0334 0930 1506 WE 1506 WE 0930 2137 WE 1506 2137 2137 0415 0415 1015 0415 1015 1550 TH 1550 TH 1015 2218 TH 1550 2218 2218 0459 0459 1102 0459 1102 1638 FR 1638 FR 1102 2302 FR 1638 2302 2302 0545 0545 1152 0545 1152 1730 SA 1730 SA 1152 2351 SA 1730 2351 2351 0633 0633 1245 0633 1245 1827 SU 1827 SU 1245 SU 1827

18 18

19 19 20 20 21 21

22 22 23 23 24 24

25 25

26 26

0045 0045 27 0725 0045 0725 27 1343 MO 1343 MO 0725 1932 MO 1343 1932 1932 0145 0145 0819 0145 0819 1444 TU 1444 TU 0819 2045 TU 1444 2045 2045 0251 0251 0915 0251 0915 1544 WE 1544 WE 0915 2200 WE 1544 2200 2200 0400 0400 1012 0400 1012 1643 TH 1643 TH 1012 2311 TH 1643 2311 2311

28 28 29 29 30 30

1.65 1.65 0.43 1.65 0.43 1.47 0.43 1.47 0.66 1.47 0.66 0.66 1.58 1.58 0.44 1.58 0.44 1.53 0.44 1.53 0.64 1.53 0.64 0.64 1.51 1.51 0.44 1.51 0.44 1.62 0.44 1.62 0.59 1.62 0.59 0.59 1.48 1.48 0.43 1.48 0.43 1.72 0.43 1.72 0.50 1.72 0.50 0.50

1833 SA 1200 1833 1833 0112 0112 0707 0112 0707 1253 SU 1253 SU 0707 1925 SU 1253 1925 1925 0204 0204 0801 0204 0801 1344 MO 1344 MO 0801 2015 MO 1344 2015 2015 0254 0254 0853 0254 0853 1433 TU 1433 TU 0853 2102 TU 1433 2102 2102 0341 0341 0943 0341 0943 1522 WE 1522 WE 0943 2148 WE 1522 2148 2148 0426 0426 1030 0426 1030 1609 TH 1609 TH 1030 2231 TH 1609 2231 2231 0509 0509 1116 0509 1116 1656 FR 1656 FR 1116 2314 FR 1656 2314 2314 0551 0551 1201 0551 1201 1743 SA 1743 SA 1201 2355 SA 1743 2355 2355 0631 0631 1248 0631 1248 1833 SU 1833 SU 1248 SU 1833

44 55

66 77

88 99

10 10

0038 0038 11 0713 0038 0713 11 1337 MO 1337 MO 0713 1930 MO 1337 1930 1930 0128 0128 0758 0128 0758 1430 TU 1430 TU 0758 2035 TU 1430 2035 2035 0226 0226 0846 0226 0846 1525 WE 1525 WE 0846 2145 WE 1525 2145 2145 0330 0330 0937 0330 0937 1618 TH 1618 TH 0937 2251 TH 1618 2251 2251 0432 0432 1028 0432 1028 1709 FR 1709 FR 1028 2346 FR 1709 2346 2346

12 12

13 13

14 14 15 15

1.48 1.48 0.55 1.48 0.55 1.38 0.55 1.38 0.76 1.38 0.76 0.76 1.38 1.38 0.58 1.38 0.58 1.40 0.58 1.40 0.77 1.40 0.77 0.77 1.31 1.31 0.60 1.31 0.60 1.44 0.60 1.44 0.75 1.44 0.75 0.75 1.26 1.26 0.61 1.26 0.61 1.49 0.61 1.49 0.70 1.49 0.70 0.70 1.25 1.25 0.60 1.25 0.60 1.56 0.60 1.56 0.62 1.56 0.62 0.62

Time Time Time 0529 0529 1115 0529 1115 1754 SA 1754 SA 1115 SA 1754

m m m 1.27 1.27 0.58 1.27 0.58 1.63 0.58 1.63 1.63

0033 0033 17 0617 0033 0617 17 1159 SU 1159 SU 0617

0.54 0.54 1.30 0.54 1.30 0.55 1.30 0.55 1.70 0.55 1.70 1.70 0.47 0.47 1.33 0.47 1.33 0.52 1.33 0.52 1.77 0.52 1.77 1.77 0.40 0.40 1.37 0.40 1.37 0.48 1.37 0.48 1.83 0.48 1.83 1.83 0.34 0.34 1.40 0.34 1.40 0.46 1.40 0.46 1.87 0.46 1.87 1.87 0.30 0.30 1.43 0.30 1.43 0.44 1.43 0.44 1.88 0.44 1.88 1.88 0.27 0.27 1.46 0.27 1.46 0.44 1.46 0.44 1.86 0.44 1.86 1.86 0.27 0.27 1.48 0.27 1.48 0.45 1.48 0.45 1.80 0.45 1.80 1.80 0.29 0.29 1.50 0.29 1.50 0.49 1.50 0.49 1.71 0.49 1.71 1.71 0.33 0.33 1.51 0.33 1.51 0.53 1.51 0.53 0.53

16 16

1836 SU 1159 1836 1836 0115 0115 0702 0115 0702 1241 MO 1241 MO 0702 1916 MO 1241 1916 1916 0154 0154 0745 0154 0745 1323 TU 1323 TU 0745 1956 TU 1323 1956 1956 0232 0232 0826 0232 0826 1405 WE 1405 WE 0826 2036 WE 1405 2036 2036 0312 0312 0909 0312 0909 1449 TH 1449 TH 0909 2117 TH 1449 2117 2117 0352 0352 0954 0352 0954 1535 FR 1535 FR 0954 2200 FR 1535 2200 2200 0435 0435 1041 0435 1041 1625 SA 1625 SA 1041 2246 SA 1625 2246 2246 0519 0519 1130 0519 1130 1718 SU 1718 SU 1130 2334 SU 1718 2334 2334 0606 0606 1222 0606 1222 1816 MO 1816 MO 1222 MO 1816

18 18

19 19 20 20

21 21

22 22 23 23

24 24 25 25

0028 0028 26 0656 0028 0656 26 1318 TU 1318 TU 0656 1921 TU 1318 1921 1921 0128 0128 0750 0128 0750 1418 WE 1418 WE 0750 2035 WE 1418 2035 2035 0236 0236 0849 0236 0849 1522 TH 1522 TH 0849 2153 TH 1522 2153 2153 0350 0350 0950 0350 0950 1627 FR 1627 FR 0950 2306 FR 1627 2306 2306 0500 0500 1050 0500 1050 1726 SA 1726 SA 1050 SA 1726

27 27

28 28

29 29 30 30

0009 0009 31 0603 0009 0603 31 1147 SU 1147 SU 0603

1.60 1.60 0.38 1.60 0.38 1.53 0.38 1.53 0.56 1.53 0.56 0.56 1.48 1.48 0.42 1.48 0.42 1.57 0.42 1.57 0.57 1.57 0.57 0.57 1.39 1.39 0.46 1.39 0.46 1.62 0.46 1.62 0.54 1.62 0.54 0.54 1.33 1.33 0.47 1.33 0.47 1.69 0.47 1.69 0.47 1.69 0.47 0.47 1.33 1.33 0.46 1.33 0.46 1.76 0.46 1.76 1.76

0.39 0.39 1.35 0.39 1.35 0.44 1.35 0.44 1.83 1147 SU 1821 1821 0.44 1.83 1821 1.83

MO MO MO

TU TU TU

WE WE WE

TH TH TH

FR FR FR

SA SA SA

SU SU SU

MO MO MO

99 TU TU TU

Time Time Time 0103 0103 0659 0103 0659 1241 0659 1241 1912 1241 1912 1912 0152 0152 0748 0152 0748 1330 0748 1330 1959 1330 1959 1959 0235 0235 0834 0235 0834 1417 0834 1417 2043 1417 2043 2043 0315 0315 0917 0315 0917 1501 0917 1501 2124 1501 2124 2124 0354 0354 1000 0354 1000 1545 1000 1545 2202 1545 2202 2202 0430 0430 1039 0430 1039 1626 1039 1626 2240 1626 2240 2240 0505 0505 1118 0505 1118 1709 1118 1709 2317 1709 2317 2317 0540 0540 1159 0540 1159 1755 1159 1755 2357 1755 2357 2357 0617 0617 1244 0617 1244 1847 1244 1847 1847

Local Time AUGUST AUGUST AUGUST Time m

0042 0042 10 0659 0042 0659 10 1333 WE 1333 WE 0659

m m 0.31 0.31 1.39 0.31 1.39 0.41 1.39 0.41 1.88 0.41 1.88 1.88 0.26 0.26 1.42 0.26 1.42 0.40 1.42 0.40 1.89 0.40 1.89 1.89 0.25 0.25 1.44 0.25 1.44 0.40 1.44 0.40 1.87 0.40 1.87 1.87 0.26 0.26 1.45 0.26 1.45 0.42 1.45 0.42 1.81 0.42 1.81 1.81 0.30 0.30 1.44 0.30 1.44 0.46 1.44 0.46 1.72 0.46 1.72 1.72 0.35 0.35 1.43 0.35 1.43 0.51 1.43 0.51 1.63 0.51 1.63 1.63 0.41 0.41 1.42 0.41 1.42 0.57 1.42 0.57 1.52 0.57 1.52 1.52 0.46 0.46 1.40 0.46 1.40 0.63 1.40 0.63 1.42 0.63 1.42 1.42 0.52 0.52 1.39 0.52 1.39 0.68 1.39 0.68 0.68

Time Time 0046 0046 0638 0046 0638 1218 0638 1218 1849 1218 1849 1849 0126 0126 0720 0126 0720 1302 0720 1302 1931 1302 1931 1931 0205 0205 0802 0205 0802 1347 0802 1347 2014 1347 2014 2014 0245 0245 0845 0245 0845 1434 0845 1434 2058 1434 2058 2058 0325 0325 0930 0325 0930 1522 0930 1522 2143 1522 2143 2143 0408 0408 1017 0408 1017 1614 1017 1614 2230 1614 2230 2230 0452 0452 1106 0452 1106 1708 1106 1708 2320 1708 2320 2320 0538 0538 1158 0538 1158 1807 1158 1807 1807

m m m 0.41 0.41 1.31 0.41 1.31 0.48 1.31 0.48 1.74 0.48 1.74 1.74 0.32 0.32 1.38 0.32 1.38 0.41 1.38 0.41 1.81 0.41 1.81 1.81 0.25 0.25 1.45 0.25 1.45 0.35 1.45 0.35 1.86 0.35 1.86 1.86 0.19 0.19 1.51 0.19 1.51 0.31 1.51 0.31 1.87 0.31 1.87 1.87 0.17 0.17 1.56 0.17 1.56 0.30 1.56 0.30 1.84 0.30 1.84 1.84 0.18 0.18 1.60 0.18 1.60 0.31 1.60 0.31 1.76 0.31 1.76 1.76 0.22 0.22 1.61 0.22 1.61 0.35 1.61 0.35 1.64 0.35 1.64 1.64 0.29 0.29 1.61 0.29 1.61 0.41 1.61 0.41 0.41

0015 0015 24 0629 0015 0629 24 1254 WE 1254 WE 0629

1.50 1.50 0.37 1.50 0.37 1.60 0.37 1.60 0.47 1.60 0.47 0.47 1.37 1.37 0.45 1.37 0.45 1.59 0.45 1.59 0.50 1.59 0.50 0.50 1.27 1.27 0.51 1.27 0.51 1.59 0.51 1.59 0.48 1.59 0.48 0.48 1.24 1.24 0.53 1.24 0.53 1.63 0.53 1.63 0.43 1.63 0.43 0.43 1.26 1.26 0.51 1.26 0.51 1.68 0.51 1.68 1.68

16 16 TU TU TU

17 17 WE WE WE

18 18 TH TH TH

19 19 FR FR FR

20 20 SA SA SA

21 21 SU SU SU

22 22 MO MO MO

23 23 TU TU TU

1915 WE 1254 1915 1915 0117 0117 0725 0117 0725 1356 TH 1356 TH 0725 2030 TH 1356 2030 2030 0230 0230 0829 0230 0829 1504 FR 1504 FR 0829 2149 FR 1504 2149 2149 0348 0348 0936 0348 0936 1613 SA 1613 SA 0936 2300 SA 1613 2300 2300 0500 0500 1042 0500 1042 1715 SU 1715 SU 1042 SU 1715

1.32 1.32 0.56 1.32 0.56 1.39 0.56 1.39 0.71 1.39 0.71 0.71 1.24 1.24 0.60 1.24 0.60 1.40 0.60 1.40 0.71 1.40 0.71 0.71 1.18 1.18 0.63 1.18 0.63 1.43 0.63 1.43 0.67 1.43 0.67 0.67 1.17 1.17 0.62 1.17 0.62 1.49 0.62 1.49 0.59 1.49 0.59 0.59 1.20 1.20 0.59 1.20 0.59 1.56 0.59 1.56 1.56

25 25

0.51 0.51 1.25 0.51 1.25 0.54 1.25 0.54 1.65 1132 MO 1806 1806 0.54 1.65 1806 1.65

30 30

1948 WE 1333 1948 1948 0137 0137 0749 0137 0749 1430 TH 1430 TH 0749 2100 TH 1430 2100 2100 0244 0244 0846 0244 0846 1530 FR 1530 FR 0846 2212 FR 1530 2212 2212 0356 0356 0945 0356 0945 1629 SA 1629 SA 0945 2314 SA 1629 2314 2314 0500 0500 1042 0500 1042 1720 SU 1720 SU 1042 SU 1720

11 11

12 12 13 13

14 14

0003 0003 15 0552 0003 0552 15 1132 MO 1132 MO 0552

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

26 26

27 27

28 28

0000 0000 29 0558 0000 0558 29 1140 MO 1140 MO 0558 1809 MO 1140 1809 1809 0049 0049 0647 0049 0647 1232 TU 1232 TU 0647 1857 TU 1232 1857 1857 0131 0131 0731 0131 0731 1319 WE 1319 WE 0731 1941 WE 1319 1941 1941

31 31

0.37 0.37 1.31 0.37 1.31 0.46 1.31 0.46 1.73 0.46 1.73 1.73 0.31 0.31 1.37 0.31 1.37 0.42 1.37 0.42 1.75 0.42 1.75 1.75 0.28 0.28 1.42 0.28 1.42 0.39 1.42 0.39 1.76 0.39 1.76 1.76

Last Last Quarter Quarter Last Quarter

Tide predictions for Sydney (Fort Denison) have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material is supplied in good faith and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition that no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes. Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions. JUNE 2016

Trades, Services, Charter BAIT & TACKLE BYRON COAST Yamba Bait & Tackle (02) 6646 1514

COFFS COAST

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MACQUARIE COAST Graham Barclay Marine (02) 6554 5866 Manning River Marine Taree (02) 6552 2333

HUNTER COAST Port Stephens Tackle World (02) 4984 2144

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www.mobymarine.com.au COFFS COAST Jetty Boating (02) 6651 4002

MACQUARIE COAST Graham Barclay Marine (02) 6554 5866 Manning River Marine Taree (02) 6552 2333

FRESHWATER Dubbo Marine and Watersports (02) 6882 2853

EDENS COAST Bermagui Bait and Tackle (02) 6493 5444

FRESHWATER Loomzys Fish and Fix (Forbes) (02) 6851 1425

BOAT IMPORTS Import USA Boat 0435 476 177

KAYAK DEALERS Hunter Water Sports (02) 4947 7899

FISH TAXIDERMY

BOAT HIRE Boab Boat Hire (NSW) 1300 002 6221

HOLIDAY RENTAL NORTH COAST Brooms Head Caravan Park (02) 6646 7144 Calypso Yamba Holiday Park (02) 6646 8847 Iluka Riverside Tourist Park (02) 6646 6060 Wooli Camping & Caravan Park (02) 6649 7671

MACLEAY VALLEY COAST Macleay Valley Coastal Holiday Parks 1300 262 782 Crescent Head Holiday Park (02) 6566 0261

CRESCENT HEAD HOLIDAY RENTALS

Fish Taxidermist 0428 544 841

CHANDLERY & ACCESSORIES Anchor Right (03) 5968 5014 Korr Lighting www.korrlighting.com.au

MARINE MECHANICS SYDNEY Greg’s Mobile Marine 0424 046 060 Penrith Marine (02) 4731 6250 Moby Marine (02) 9153 6506 or www.mobymarine.com.au Aqua Marine 0415 600 301 or www.aquacash.com.au Cohoe Marine Products (Sydney) (02) 9519 3575 Blakes Marine (02) 4577 6699 Watersports Marine (02) 9676 1400 Neken Marine (02) 9979 9649 Boat Assist 24 - On Water Mechanic (02) 9746 6224

For all your accommodation needs, house, units & townhouses for every budget. Contact the friendly team at Crescent Head Real Estate for your free holiday brochure.

www.crescentheadholidayrentals.com.au

Email: holiday@crescentheadrealestate.com.au 6 MAIN ST, CRESCENT HEAD NSW 2440

Phone: 02 6566 0500

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Holiday Haven Tourist Parks Culburra Beach Swan Lake Bendalong Point Lake Conjola Ulladulla Headland Burrill Lake

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Crescent Head Holiday Rentals (02) 6566 0500 Hat Head Holiday Park (02) 6567 7501 Horse Shoe Bay Holiday Park (02) 6566 6370 Stuarts Point Holiday Park (02) 6563 0616 Grassy Head Holiday Park (02) 6569 0742 South West Rocks Tourist Park 1800 666 264

HUNTER COAST Wangi Point Lakeside holiday Park (02) 4975 1889 Blacksmiths Holiday Park (02) 4971 2858

CENTRAL COAST

www.holidayhaven.com.au

Central Coast Holiday Parks 1800 241 342

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

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

Mikat Cruises Fishing Charters Swains & Coral Sea 0427 125 727

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

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Ulladulla Headland Tourist Park 1300 733 021

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

MODIFICATIONS & REPAIRS // BOAT & TRAILER Bold Trailers (02) 8544 8114 www.boldtrailers.com.au Salt Away 1800 091 172 www.salt-away.com.au

SYDNEY The Boat Pimpers (Sydney) (02) 9792 7799

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

ONLINE TACKLE PRODUCTS

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PORT & REEF SFISHING GAME ERS

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MACQUARIE COAST

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

SWAINS

HUNTER COAST Tailermade Fishing Adventures 0411 096 717

EXTENDED QLD REEF TRIPS

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

TRADES AND SERVICES ADVERTISING Line listing from $90 + gst 6 months* 2cm x 2 from $195 + gst 6 months* 4cm x 2 from $320 + gst 6 months* 8cm x 2 from $590 + gst 6 months* Rates exclusive to Trades and Services Directory *Conditions apply Call (07) 3387 0833 or email rlimpus@fishingmonthly.com.au

If you have any other trades or services that you would like to see in this section please don’t hesitate to give us a call

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Email: rlimpus@fishingmonthly.com.au

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www.fishin.com.au 0425 230 964

Blue Bottle Fishing www.bluebottlefishing.com info@bluebottlefishing.com Ph: 0409 333 380 Mo Tackle (02) 6652 4611 or www.motackle.com.au Specialty Fishing Products www.specialtyfishing.com.au U-Make-Em Soft Plastics www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au Adrenalin Flies www.adrenalinflies.com.au

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

EDEN COAST Esprit Fishing Charters 1300 556 658 Freedom Charters Eden (02) 6496 1209 or www.freedomcharters.com.au

QUEENSLAND

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

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EDEN COAST MV Capricorn Star 0408 755 201 or www.amytiadventure.com.au

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

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

Buying an estuary rig – what you need to know BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Estuary rigs cover a whole range of boats, from the standard dinghy right through to the pointed punt style of rig. The most popular sizes are from 3.2m right up to 5m, which means there’s a great variety of boats to choose from depending on the kind of fishing you want to do. Most of the time estuary rigs will be used in waters that, while sometimes a bit choppy, are going to be user-friendly in average conditions. That said, some of the larger estuary/bay craft will find themselves offshore on the right day – such is the diversity of size in today’s estuary rigs.

Stacer’s Outlaw is a conventional dinghy that fulfils most estuary fishing requirements. Note the side console driving position. If you want to save some money, a used rig can be just as good if you know what points to look for in a pre-owned craft – or if you know someone who can lend you their expertise. You definitely shouldn’t overlook the monetary benefits of getting a used boat.

standard open dinghy (the ones we all knew so well for years before pointy punts took over) usually has seating arrangements for up to three or four, a sharp bow and open layout. Some hulls feature a near flat configuration aft, while other larger ones are more sophisticated and sport

craft right up to side console modules for the larger jobs. This sort of rig can handle a variety of water conditions and will suit a lot of people. Additionally, if it’s high sided enough it will manage within a bay or estuary quite well. Alloy is the most common construction material due to weight advantages and maintenance-free durability. Storage space is virtually everywhere in a ‘standard’ dinghy. It’s an open boat so you bring along your own storage box or boxes and snug things into areas where they will be out of the way. Modern craft offer much improved rides these days and are relatively cheap, especially in the 3.65-4.5m range. Many get by nicely with low powered engines, which means that a lot of crabs, fish or prawns can come home for little outlay. At the end of fishing you just give the boat a hose down inside and out, pull the bung aft and let it drain and dry. Dinghies also come in larger sizes, right up to 5m, and power can range well up towards the 90hp mark.

The Quintrex Renegade 460 is one estuary craft that could easily fulfil everything from sheltered to more exposed water fishing. THINK BEFORE BUYING Like every other facet of boat ownership, it’s always best to look at your budget first. Then you should consider where you’ll use the boat most of

the time, how many people will usually be aboard, and finally where the boat will fit in your yard or garage. When it comes to the initial outlay, a basic package for a new estuary style craft that will take

3-4 anglers is relatively affordable. Prices range anywhere from $20,000 - $30,000 in the smaller sizes. However, that price will increase significantly when you start looking at a larger rig.

Modern vee-nose punts come with under floor storage, and electric motor brackets are either fitted standard or are high on the options list. 86

JUNE 2016

The best attributes of a punt are seen here: a large work area, side pocket, under floor storage space and a centrally-located live well. DINGHY STYLE RIGS Choosing the precise style of boat comes down to a couple of things. The

some vee along with small reversed outer chines. Driving positions vary from tiller steer in smaller

This extends the boat’s use from estuary to offshore in calm conditions. There’s definitely a lot of choice on

Stacer’s Proline has many of the desired features that characterise modern punts.

the market – it just boils down to what you want to use your boat for and what you can afford. PUNTS MUCH IN DEMAND Vee-nosed punts offer just as much work room due to entirely open areas all round, plus the advantage of a casting deck up front which conceals a lot of useful storage space. As with some dinghies, many punts come with an electric

motor pad standard, or at least optional, which then opens the door to a world of thoroughly enjoyable stealth fishing. Seating is usually something along the lines of buckets on pedestals. You get a choice of placement, courtesy of additional in-floor spigots. So we have virtually all of the boat as a fishing workspace, thanks to the great storage under the

deck and variable seating. Could it get better? Well… yes! Punts also have tremendous stability, and that’s a huge selling point. I’m not suggesting that standard dinghies aren’t stable, I’m just saying that the vee-nosed punt has a design that makes it more stable due to the extra in-water contact the punt has. In a well designed punt the ride won’t be

compromised as there’s usually enough rake (the angle of the bow) and clean entry up front to iron out chop. Moreover,

it along and there’s some extra cost to consider. That said, a lot of folk enjoy their punts these days and virtually every serious

you need covered storage and want a stand-and-fish casting deck up front, which is handy for a lot of finesse and sports style fishing.

Horizon’s 438 Stryker is an estuary craft with potential to cater for a lot of fishing scenarios.

Open dinghies allow full work room. Some upmarket versions provide side pocket storage, but in most dinghies you just put your gear wherever there’s space.

most punts have some additional weight about them due to the casting deck and other framework up front, and that bit of extra weight assists in ride quality as well. Naturally, the punt style rig is going to require a bit more horsepower to kick

alloy maker has one or more models on the books. THE CHOICE So there we have it: two basic styles of boat for the same job. The choice comes down to how much money you want to spend, the sort of fishing you’re planning to do, and whether

Either way, provided the rig is a proven brand and comes with plenty of kudos from reviewers and owners past and present, it won’t be far off the buyer’s mark. Remember, all boats involves some compromises. The trick is to minimise them.

The perfect boats for barra, bass or bream

You’ll find them where the fish are... since 1967 Mako 214 CC

For more than 20 years, Nitro have continually refined and delivered serious fishing boats for serious anglers. Nitro boats are foam-filled to exceed US Coast Guard survey requirements. This gives you the safety of level floatation, security and comfort – and additional fishing stealth – all backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

Mako 234 CC Mako 284 CC

Fishing with Nitro is a blast! Whether you’re a tournament pro or a weekend warrior, Nitro boats will ignite your passion and pack more fun into your day. Just getting there is half the fun!

The latest offerings from Mako feature the deepest internal freeboard of any boats in their class, while still providing large underfloor fish boxes, and the huge safety benefits of a true self-draining cockpit and foamfilled hull. You’ll enjoy your offshore fishing more knowing that Mako’s 100% composite construction is totally rot-free, enabling Mako to give you the best warranty in the business – the Mako Assurance Life Time Warranty

The world’s #1 aluminium fishing boats! Tracker’s outstanding quality and unique manufacturing process have made them the world’s largest boat builder – producing more than 40,000 aluminium fishing boats per year. Their foam-filled, unsinkable, 3mm plate alloy hulls are robotically welded to deliver superior quality at a lower cost – and are backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty. Tracker’s Pro Guide series is designed with a deep-vee hull for exceptional performance, even in rough waters. Their Diamond Coat finish is a Tracker exclusive that resists oxidation, providing protection and a shine lasting 70% longer. Standard features include a Minn Kota trolling motor and Lowrance colour sounder, plus tournament-ready live well systems and rod lockers.

Call Tim Stessl now on 0429 680 504 to arrange a test drive or em:tim@flboats.com.au Hopefully it will be rough, as you’ll be stunned by the performance of these boats when the weather gets challenging!

Fishing and Leisure Boats, 165 Currumburra Road, Ashmore, QLD 4214

www.fishingandleisureboats.com.au JUNE 2016

Horizon 525 Scorpion cuddy BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

The Horizon 525 Scorpion has a family-oriented layout, so with this in mind we tested it with three aboard. Scott James of Horizon Boats showed how easily the craft could be launched, while Fishing Monthly’s Steve Morgan and myself enjoyed the ride. BAD DAY: GOOD BOAT The weather was bad during our review. Admittedly it wasn’t raining, but it was blowing hard enough, and with enough wind against tide chop on hand, to make me doubt the wisdom of heading out in a 5.25m craft. However, once we were out and on the Southport Broadwater, my concerns vanished due to the top quality ride the Scorpion was treating us to, along with the shelter from the stiff southerly the cuddy cab and bimini provided. For a 5.30m long cuddy craft, the Scorpion does offer quite a lot of comfort and features. And, thanks to the punchy F70A Yamaha 4-stroke on the transom, respectable performance as well. None of this was really surprising given the many years of boat building experience and practical know-how that’s behind each 88

JUNE 2016

Horizon 525 Scorpion. Also of interest was the Scorpion’s hull rating of 70-90hp with the 70 Yamaha being ideal power in every way – but more on this later. Once aboard, I saw the rig as being ideally suited to family cruising, bay and estuary fishing, exploring estuaries, impoundments and the like as well as overnight camping with the ice box and lunch box stove aboard. Plus – wait for it – a run offshore in suitable sea conditions. Mum, Dad and up to three youngsters would suit the craft admirably, while a more dedicated fishing team would be ideal at three persons. FEATURES FOR ALL The Scorpion’s features included a decent bow rail, a cabin hatch amply large enough for a person to easily enter or exit from the craft as well as provide full access to the self draining anchor well, comfortable cabin bunks for both seating and shelter from the weather along with deep storage areas beneath them, sufficiently high cockpit sides with aft rails to make parents comfortable when youngsters were aboard, a fully carpeted floor and full height transom with locking door, ladder, and swim platform to starboard. Seating was yet another highlight. Up front very comfortable and sturdy high-backed swivel-style pedestals allowed both

skipper and mate to either stand or be seated underway, with bolster sections to provide support when travelling. A folding seat aft offered seating for two persons – or a brace point courtesy of the backrest when folded down – with sufficient padding for plenty of comfort underway. A FISHING BOAT AS WELL As well as being a great family boat, the Scorpion would make a very handy fishing rig as well. Rod holders in gunwales complemented those on the cutting board, and side pockets were set up off the floor to provide a decent toe-hold under them. Metrehigh interior sides also offered brace points, and with a large area of boarding platform aft of the transom gate it would be easy to haul a decent fish in via that entry point. The 525 Scorpion’s dash layout saw paired gauges for the Yamaha F70A directly ahead of the skipper, and switches handy nearby. The craft’s Lowrance sounder was set up atop the dash which is exactly where a larger unit could also find itself as there was plenty of room aft of the one piece windscreen. Small pockets up front, each side of skipper and mate, allowed for storage of personal items, such as keys, phone and the like.

70 YAMAHA THE WAY TO GO As mentioned earlier, engines rate as high as 90hp but I was more than satisfied with the performance of the Yamaha 70 4-stroke. An acclaimed engine from its release thanks to its light weight, punchy performance and economy, the 70 was whisper quiet at idle, hardly noisy when working hard, and made easy work of powering the 450kg Horizon hull with its 3mm bottom and side sheeting. Even with three aboard the rig was out of the hole and planing in around two or three boat lengths when pushed hard. Test runs saw the craft planing freely at 16.3km/h, cruising very sweetly at 4000rpm at 31.5km/h, and with a top speed of 53km/h. Of course, nobody wants to run around on 6300rpm WOT for long, and with a fuel consumption of a recorded 10.45L per hour at a sensible 4000rpm (31.5km/h) the 110L under-floor tank would provide a very handy cruising capability when travelling at around 30km/h. SUMMING UP All in all, the Horizon 525 Scorpion is as highly desirable family or fishing rig. It packed in a lot of features for its modest 5.30m length and 2.20m beam, and offered high levels of comfort. The fit and finish of components and overall

Sleek lines and a well balanced mix of cuddy area and fishing work room are characteristics of this well turned out craft. general finish was of a quite high level. Looking at the complete package, I saw it as an absolutely ideal rig for a family, beginners to boating, or for really keen and dedicated anglers to enjoy as well. The price as reviewed, including a braked Dunbier trailer, was a modest $31,990. Horizon Boats can be contacted on (07) 5598

1033 or on the net at sales@ horizonboats.com.au. • Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

SPECIFICATIONS Length overall.................................................5.35m Beam................................................................2.20m Depth...............................................................1.16m Weight hull.......................................................400kg Fuel.................................................................. 110kg Horsepower............................... 70 Yamaha 4-stroke Max transom weight....................................... 155kg Persons...................................................................5

A couple of things are evident here: firstly the height of the back rests on the comfortable seats, secondly the great forward visibility.

The Horizon 525 Scorpionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rear seat, so handy for passengers underway, also offered drop-down capability with the back rest as a handy brace point when fishing.

The Horizon has a roomy interior with wide bunks, high cockpit sides and aft features.

A wide cabin hatch within easy reach of the anchor well make it easy to enter and exit the Scorpion.

The 525 Scorpionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cockpit pockets provided both storage plus a handy brace point for the feet when fishing in chop or swell.

Decent sized strakes and a reversed outer chine combine to provide a soft riding and predictable hull.

While the test rig featured a modest dash layout, there was still plenty of room behind the windscreen for a quite large sounder/GPS unit if required. JUNE 2016

Robalo 206 Cayman – dream Aussie inshore boat FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

I first saw a Robalo Cayman 206 at the Melbourne Boat Show in 2015. Like a lot of other patrons, I thought, ‘man, I could take that to some pretty awesome places and catch some kick-ass fish out of it.’ Seriously. Dreaming about American-styled bay boats is virtually mandatory if you like casting lures and flies at inshore predators anywhere in Australia. Bream and trout anglers in Tassie, bass and flathead flickers in NSW or barra botherers in the north could all insert this Robalo into their daily fishing routine. From what we’ve seen, they’d enhance their fishing experience because of it. Imported by Scott O’Hare from Aussie Boat Sales, Robalo is a brand VIDEO

Watch the QR code to see Steve Morgan’s interview with Scott O’Hare.

JUNE 2016

with serious Stateside history. Founded half a century ago and owned by Chaparral – the world’s largest sports boat manufacturer – Robalo’s DNA is characterised by all of the little things that make a good boat great. Bronze through-hull fittings, tinned wire and the soft, dry, stepped Hydra-Lift hull with Kevlar combine with the highly evolved deck design to make the Robalo a pleasure to fish from and own. The smallest of the Cayman bay boat range (its bigger siblings are 22’6” and 24’6”) was put to the test, and the test hull performed remarkably well with a 135hp Honda. Given that the maximum horsepower is 200, the sub six-second hole shot was quite remarkable. Scott O’Hare attributes this to the extended v-plane hull, where the planing surface extends past the transom where the outboard is attached. SPECIFICATIONS RPM...... Speed (km/h) 650..........................3.7 1000........................6.5 2000......................... 11 3000.........................24 4000.........................39 5000.........................52 5500.........................61

The front casting deck is all business when the lids are shut, and all storage when the lids are up. All of these hatches are lockable, which means that your rods are safe on extended road trips. “Some anglers who want to keep the purchase and running costs down will opt for a smaller outboard and it’ll perform just fine. Of course, if you’re a petrol head who needs the maximum horsepower, the hull will handle it no problems,” he said from Robalo’s home base – the Anchorage Marina in Williamstown, Victoria. The first thing I noticed when I jumped aboard was the port side gunwale mount for the bow mount Minn Kota iPilot. In a massive

victory for common sense, there’s a place to stow this reasonably delicate and important piece of machinery that’s not right at the bow of the boat when making long and/or rough runs. And that includes trailering. Many features of this boat have been refined to make your boating easier. The rear boarding ladder folds away under a cover on the step and there are concealed buckets that aren’t banging around on the deck between spots.

The rear seats also fold away to clear, flat decks. Anchor storage for instance, is a standout. Vertical, hanging anchor storage has been a feature of this style of boat for decades, yet is difficult to find in locally produced versions. Self-draining, all hatches and decks are made to be waterproof while being hosed down. Rods, tackle and dry gear don’t need to be soaked every time the boat is washed or it rains, so another big tick from me there.

Luckily, it was a wild and windy day at Port Phillip Bay when we tested the Robalo, and as expected, the hull ate up the smaller chop with ease. Of course, it wasn’t as seaworthy as the 26ft centre console Robalo that we also tested on the day, however, its rough water capabilities would be at home in any inshore waters Australia wide. Of course, my inner petrol-head yearned for 200 ponies on the back, but I was quite surprised at the ease with which the 135 Honda got this boat up and running. To keep prices under control, all Robalos in Australia are currently sold from Aussie Boat Sales’ headquarters in Williamstown, Victoria. As tested the boat sells for $90,000. Packages start from around $75,000. You can call Scott direct for more information on 0417 511 340 or visit these sites: www.aussieboatsales.com. au or www.robalo.com. • Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

Designed and built in the USA and imported by Aussie Boat Sales, the Robalo Cayman 206 is the smallest in their three-strong bay-boat range. With Kevlar incorporated in the hydralift hull and the planing surface extended past the transom line, this boat operated quite well on seemingly small horsepower outboards.

The deck layout seems simple and flat, but there’s a place for everything in this boat and the rig is self-draining – a feature of all Robalo craft.

Although the Cayman 206 is rated to 200hp, the 135 Honda fitted to it by Aussie Boat Sales delivers 5-6 second hole shot and a top speed of 61km/h. Naturally, it becomes a weapon with the 200hp outboard, which is the maximum for this hull.

What about a hatch that includes a removable bucket? Another example of the practical design of the Robalo.

Robalo livewells are built for comfort. With rounded corners and a dark blue colouring, your bait or catch will be blissfully unaware of their near future.

Go on – tell me that this isn’t the dream inshore boat for a lot of Aussie anglers. It’s able to travel comfortably across some nasty water, has a place for everything, and is the pinnacle of nearly 50 years of design.

R206

www.robalo.com 03) 9397-6977

Time to get serious.... JUNE 2016