New South Wales Fishing Monthly - May 2016 by Fishing Monthly

PRE-WINTER PREPARATION – MAY THE FISH BE WITH YOU

How to

Buy an offshore craft • Make an effective release weight device • Fish handling IV •

Features

Cracking the ‘Coota code • Finding pre-winter predators • Stuarts Point Holiday Park •

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This impressive 50cm bass was taken by Martin Denlow who was fishing with Port Macquarie charters. He used Black Magic 4kg+ SSP™ Fibre Glide to pull this fish out of the timber and weed without any ill effect to the line.

Craig Purcell used a Black Magic 5/0 KL Hook to land this 24lb gummy shark. He was fishing at Cowes Phillip Island, Victoria.

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Black Magic 6/0 C Point® Hooks and Black Magic 20lb Supple Trace “produced great results” for Neil Mackenzie once again. He was fishing in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria

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May 2016, Vol. 21 No. 10

Contents BYRON COAST The Tweed Offshore 24 The Tweed 25 Iluka 27 COFFS COAST Ballina 26 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 36 Swansea 37 Central Coast 42 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 44 Nowra 45 BATEMANS COAST Batemans Bay 46 Narooma 47

From the Editor’s Desk... If I’m ever writing this column sleep-deprived, it’s usually one of two reasons. It could be the mulloway down the river. When the bait runs and they start chopping on the surface, I can’t help myself. I find myself fishing like a troll – under a bridge at all hours of the night. I mean, is there anything more exciting than a silver river predator blasting a topwater bait? Maybe there is. Whenever Australian bass fishing pro Carl Jocumsen excels in a Bassmaster Elite event in the USA, I get insomnia. You see, even from Australia, fishing is rapidly becoming a spectator sport. When Carl fishes on the other side of the world, his Aussie fans – and there are many – are hunched around computers, tablets, mobile phones. They’re basically watching a spreadsheet. A couple of numbers. Each time Carl catches a bass, it’s

recorded, relayed and displayed in virtual real-time. Whenever Carl catches a keeper bass, the fans light up. If Carl approaches the top of the (estimated) leaderboard, Social Media lights up – even though it’s 3am. And if Carl is placed at the top of the heap

– above approximately 110 of the best bass anglers on the planet – then the system goes into meltdown. Why? Because he’s living his dream. And it happens to be a dream that Aussies, anglers and sportsman all share. To be kicking goals on the world stage.

But there’s more. If Carl’s sitting in the top five on the second, third or fourth day of competition, then he gets a live-streaming camera that runs for six hours of the fishing day – complete with a commentary team. That’s when the web goes into meltdown. For the first time in history, an Aussie, Carl, led a Bassmaster Elite event in April. From humble roots in Toowoomba, Queensland, he followed the ABT pathway and is now only a couple of steps away from the pinnacle of the sport. Of course, those last few steps are the hardest, but rest assured, Carl has the most vocal, protective, supportive, patriotic fans on the planet supporting him. And, of course, Fishing Monthly is a proud sponsor. We look forward to reporting on his first Bassmaster Elite win Stateside. We think it may be sooner rather than later.

EDEN COAST Bermagui 49 Merimbula 48 Tathra 50 Eden 51 Mallacoota 50

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Finding pre-winter predators CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley jrobley@iprimus.com.au

During the summer months and into early autumn larger oceanic predators like marlin, Spanish mackerel and sharks move down the east coast, often close to shore. Plenty of smaller

close, particularly along our coastal rocks, beaches and headlands. This is a good opportunity for shore based, small boat and kayak anglers to take advantage of the fishing on offer. While some of those traditional summer gamefish like marlin are still well and truly possible a bit further offshore, the more common

abundance of larger prey items that take up residence in sheltered bays adjacent to major headlands, river mouths and at the end of long surf beaches. Mullet, tailor, garfish and calamari squid may be present in such areas year round, but right now they are bigger and in greater numbers than any other month.

If catching a solid inshore kingfish is your goal then May is the month to put in the effort. Live calamari squid or live garfish are right at the top of the list for kingy baits. pelagic fish including bonito, kingfish and mac tuna also invade inshore waters during this period. However, the action doesn’t stop or fade away just because the days are getting shorter and cooler. In fact, the weeks leading up to winter are when some of the biggest fish move in

predators that move in close at this time of year are mulloway, kingfish, cobia, Spanish mackerel and tailor. May is the month when the very biggest of these fish are often caught and many anglers have scored their personal best specimens at this time. One of the main factors that spurs this on is the

MULLOWAY Many experienced mulloway specialists would probably agree that April and May are the prime months for pinning a big one from the rocks or beaches along most of the NSW coastline. Although, north of Port Macquarie the run of big fish often runs later, into July

This is also a prime time of year for big calamari squid and they make first class bait for big kings and mulloway. So it’s well worth spending some time gathering bait like this.

or even August, depending on the season. From Port Stephens, along the Central Coast and down to past the Illawarra though, May is the peak month for mulloway over 20kg. Bays, small beaches, headlands, inshore bommies and river mouths are the places to look for big mulloway, as well as any good gutters along open surf beaches. One of the key points when working out exactly where to try your luck is to look for a good amount of whitewash spilling over a deeper hole or gutter. This provides both prey and predator some form of cover where the bait may feel safer, but the predator can hide and ambush more effectively. The real danger period for hapless mullet, smaller tailor, calamari and so on is just as darkness falls or the hour before sunrise in the morning. This is the very best time to get out there armed with some sturdy tackle that will handle big fish. Tide changes are also important in some spots. Along open surf beaches the hour leading up to and particularly right on the high tide change is a crucial period to have a bait in the water. Around river mouths a high or low tide change can be good, although the very first of the run out is another danger period for mullet or

Some of the biggest tailor can be expected this month. They may turn up anywhere, but washy inshore reef and bommies adjacent to sheltered bays are potential hot spots. other potential food items. If there’s a bit of discoloured water coming out of the river so much the better. Of course, it makes sense to match the bait with food that is naturally occurring in the area. This means live mullet, tailor, pike or yakkas, fresh fillets of the same fish, mullet or tailor heads, calamari and beach worms. It’s vital that any of these baits be caught rather than purchased, so be prepared to set aside plenty of time to secure good bait. GREENBACKS Along with numbers of smaller to average tailor, the bigger models, often called ‘greenbacks’ are also on the prowl, with a taste for mullet, garfish and even

their smaller kin, as tailor certainly are cannibalistic! Solid 2kg tailor are reasonably common, but some spots also attract a better class of fish up to 5kg or more. A 30cm mullet or extra-large garfish makes a very appealing meal for these bigger tailor and they’re a more efficient predator than mulloway, being faster in the water, with a big mouth full of razor sharp teeth. So this means using a wire trace could be a good idea in some cases, especially when casting expensive lures. Just prior to writing this article, I spent a few hours enjoying a very intense session lure casting for tailor, and three lures were bitten off. Most of the time,

Mullet are an abundant food source that attract big inshore predators this month. Wherever mullet gather in numbers you can be sure those predators won’t be far away.

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a larger lure and leader of 15kg mono or fluorocarbon is enough insurance against bite offs, but a big tailor has no problem engulfing a 15cm lure. Like many other species, as tailor grow older they also become a bit harder to fool. So if scoring a big specimen is your goal, one trick well worth trying is livebaiting with a whole mullet, pike or average size tailor, using a short length of nylon-coated or single-strand wire and one or two 8/0 hooks pinned

through the back of the livie. Another option is a large whole garfish, small pike or decent size strip of mullet, tailor, pike or bonito fillet on a set of 5/0 or 6/0 ganged hooks and a short wire trace. Alternatively, casting bigger poppers around 15cm is another, quite exciting way of attracting the attention of a big tailor. As is the case when chasing mulloway, the prime time for big tailor is just after sunset or prior to sunrise. If the morning is quite overcast

then the peak feeding time is extended. KINGFISH The main problem with bigger kings is actually landing them, so the very first priority is to be armed with heavy-duty tackle. Overhead, threadline or sidecast reels all work, as long as they hold enough line and are built to deal with big fish. As for the line, 15kg braid or mono is a start, but 20-24kg line is better. A fluorocarbon or mono leader of 20-40kg should be employed and this

is a must when using braid. Drags need to be tightened up and your arms ready for a stretching!

fish that you can catch and that means bream, drummer, mados or sweep making sure, of course, they are of legal

NORTHERN VISITORS Spanish mackerel, cobia and longtail tuna are the big three northern visitors that

Hooked up to a rampaging inshore king on the mid north coast. Unfortunately the beast won its freedom on this occasion.

Smaller protected beaches like this are safe havens for mullet and garfish. Unfortunately for them, predators are well aware of their presence!

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Without question, the most irresistible baits for these larger inshore kings are live calamari, live pike and live garfish, with the calamari out in front. Closely behind these baits are live yakkas, live mullet, slimy mackerel and a whole salted garfish pinned to a set of 6/0 ganged hooks. If any of these baits are hard to come by, try fresh strips of calamari or any live

size. I’ve definitely caught a number of kingfish on live mados over the years. Although sunrise and sunset are good for any inshore predators, when chasing kings this isn’t as crucial as it is with mulloway or tailor. In fact, kingfish will take a bait at any time of day if it’s something they want to eat and it’s presented in their vicinity.

occasionally show up south of Sydney, but are much more common along the mid north coast between Port Stephens and Coffs Harbour at this time of year. Prominent points like Tomaree at Port Stephens, Korogoro at Hat Head and Perpendicular near Laurieton are well known haunts for shorebased anglers, but there are To page 10

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From page 9

numerous points, bommies and inshore reefs that attract these big fish annually. Once again, sturdy tackle is a must, but it’s not as important to have the reel spooled up with heavy line as it is when targeting kingfish. More line should be packed onto the spool though, as a big mackerel can seriously rip out 100m of line in a single run. A decent longtail is no slouch either, while a solid cobia will always be a handful to deal with. In some places it’s not always possible to target each of these fish separately,

as they’ll all take a live garfish, pike or tailor and they can frequent the same spots. However, Spanish are definitely more common from South West Rocks to Yamba, so at least anglers fishing to the south are unlikely to need wire at the end of the line. Cobia are also a bit more inclined to take baits deeper down towards the bottom near small patches of reef with surrounding sand. Once again though, it’s certainly not out of the question to hook all three species in the one session. So don’t pack that heavy tackle away just yet, as things are only heating up!

Mulloway patrol the surf beaches and semi protected bays at this time of year, as they follow the annual mullet run.

LETTERS

Ignorant fishers can cause major harm Dear Editor Over the 2016 Easter break, I had the fortune to get a few days fishing around Northern NSW at Casuarina beach. There were fish were everywhere, dart, whiting, bream, tarwhine, flathead and even some tailor running a muck on the bait schools beyond the surf line. Bait was also easy to come by, so catching a feed was a fairly easy task. I ventured down to Hastings Point to see if I could spin up some tailor or trevally, and was greeted by the sight of five small stingrays dead and decaying on the top of the rocks, discarded fishing line, plastic bags, a pair of socks and fish entrails strewn everywhere. Obviously, the stingrays were not the intended target, but why did these innocent creatures have to die due to the stupidity of the people who caught them? It is not their fault that they took the offering intended for other species but for them to then die in a very undignified and cruel manner is beyond any level of comprehension.

Considering the vast quantity of information that is broadcast in every type of media, it is bewildering that this sort of behaviour continues to blight the recreational fishing community as a whole. People like this are the reason that some of our favourite fishing spots get closed forever and usually the first ones to complain are the ones who cause the

problems in the first place. Return your unwanted catches to the water in a manner that causes the least harm, take your rubbish with you (including fishing line that kills birds and turtles) and discard the entrails of the fish you clean into the wash so the area doesn’t smell like a putrefied death pit. I tossed the rays into the ocean (at least the crabs

will have a feed), rolled up the line and put it with the rest of the rubbish in my bag, which took me all of 10 seconds, and then tossed it in the bins that are in the lower car park on the way out. It’s not a very hard or demanding task. Now the area is in a condition that the next visitor can enjoy. – Michael O’Loughin, irate recreational angler

Not the sight that anglers want to greet as they climb over the rocks to their fishing spot.

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Tech Tricks

How to make an effective release weight device BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Barotrauma is a condition that affects fish brought to the surface too quickly. The fish’s swim bladder controls its buoyancy and is inflated and deflated by gas from the blood. However, when an angler brings a fish to the surface too quickly, this gas can’t be reabsorbed fast enough and the swim bladder expands way past its normal limits. The consequence of this is that

the fish’s internal organs are crushed, causing the eyes to pop from their sockets and extending the swim bladder out of the fish’s mouth. This can be life-threatening for the fish, but not always. Studies have shown that these effects will fade and the fish’s organs will return to their normal state when returned back to the depths. Generally, if a released fish can get to deeper water it will survive. Releasing a barotraumaaffected fish back into the upper layers of the water column will rarely see it survive. Hampered by its

inflated swim bladder, the fish can’t dive. Instead, it will float off across the surface to die a slow death or be picked off by birds or other predators. Reef fish species, especially cods, gropers, groupers and sweetlip, are particularly susceptible to barotrauma, even from water as shallow as 15m. We get many of these species locally on our reefs and rubble grounds, however threadfin salmon is the species that is more commonly encountered and known to suffer these effects. Threadfin are a common catch in the Brisbane

River and many other systems. I have witnessed bloated threadfin drifting down the river several times, even though the angler had the best intention to release the fish in a healthy state. We all want our released fish to survive, to protect the health of the fishery, and there are several ways to do this. Numerous devices (some quite elaborate) have been used to drag fish back into the depths and then release them. Surprisingly, it is rare to find a release device for sale in a tackle store, as there are very few commercially-made

You will only need a small selection of materials and tools for this project. A large snapper lead (12-24oz), a stainless steel crab bait hook, an empty hand caster, 10m or more of 1-3mm diameter cord (or some heavy monofilament), a hammer, a file, pliers, a drill and a drill bit which is just slightly narrower than the wire of your crab bait hook.

Around the same distance down on the other arm, bend it in at a right angle with your pliers. Pass this arm through the eye of the snapper lead as shown.

Using a drill bit, which is slightly smaller in diameter than the stainless steel wire, drill through the snapper lead on a slight angle. Note that the lead will quickly clog up and bind with your drill bit (probably snapping it) so don’t attempt to drill straight through. Instead continually remove the drill bit for cleaning after you have drilled every few millimetres.

release weights on the market [the only one I know of is made by Sunset Sinker Supplies in WA – Ed]. Therefore, most angler’s fashion their own crude, yet effective, deeprelease devices made from all manner of materials. Some anglers use springloaded lip-grip devices. One of the simplest release tools is a large hook attached upside down to a weight. However, most large, wide gape hooks are made from fairly thick steel; as this needs to go through the lower jaw of the fish, I prefer to use something of thinner diameter

to minimise the impact on the fish. Some years ago I made a simple release device for my own purpose. After seeing Wayne Kampe’s segment on releasing threadfin in the last issue of the magazine, I have decided to share my version of a release weight with you. This was made from some bits I had lying around the shed, but the materials will be easy to source from any half decent tackle outlet if you don’t have them at hand. Hopefully you will want to make one to allow you to release more barotraumaaffected fish safely back into the depths.

Fold out the crab bait hook, leaving the loop in it, until it is roughly this shape with one side higher than the other. The loop is where we will attach our cord later.

Cut this arm off so that it is just slightly shorter than the width of the snapper lead. Again you can round off the end into a dull point to make it easier to punch through the lead.

Once you have drilled right through, place the snapper lead on a hard, firm surface, like the edge of your workbench. Insert the end of the stainless wire into the hole and bang it through the lead with the hammer. This will require repeated blows but persevere until the wire is flat against the side of the snapper lead.

Cut the higher side arm off at around 8-10cm of length and then sharpen the end slightly with the file. This will make it easier to insert into the fish’s jaw. If you have a decent pair of pliers then they should have a wire cutter on them. Otherwise use a hacksaw, side cutters or other cutting tool.

Establish where the end of the wire coincides with the side of your snapper lead. You can just scratch the lead with the end of the wire to mark this point.

Wind the cord onto your hand caster and attach the end to the wire loop with a sliding uni knot (or similar). Once inserted through the lower jaw, the release weight will drag a fish to the depths where it will return to its normal state, free of barotrauma. When you feel it kick, simply give the cord a sharp pull to eject the wire from its mouth and set it free. Such a simple device can go a long way to ensuring the health of our fishery! MAY 2016

Mega mulloway month THE HAWKESBURY

Dan Selby dan@sydneysportfishing.com.au

What a year it’s been fishing professionally and socially. There have been plenty of fish and great sizes to boot with ample bream, kingfish,

mulloway, flathead, estuary perch and bass to keep the avid angler busy on the rare day off. This month sees the early close of the bass and estuary perch season until 1 September. It’s said you may still target and catch these two species, but many aficionados will pack up

School mulloway on soft plastics are a popular target on my charters over the colder months of the year, and with plenty of by-catch, the sessions are usually action packed and full of fun!

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their bass/EP kit and look for other quarry through this period. Winter breaming can be a great alternative, but realistically, they too are in spawning mode. They can be found schooling deep on the lower rock walls from Wisemans ferry to Broken Bay and in the lower sections of the smaller tributaries that meet the Hawkesbury. I like to hop small soft plastic grubs, minnows and blades down the walls until I find the depth they are holding. Once there is a pattern emerging on a preferred depth, indicated by where the bites are being had, I will then direct more parallel casts to intersect this zone on a more frequent basis, thus keeping my lure in the strike zone for a longer period of time each retrieve. Anchoring up and wafting lightly weighted baits down a berley trail in these same areas will yield good results for those not interested in lure fishing. Chook pellets, bread, soaked wheat and barley all make great berley for bream, with a little bit thrown often the key to getting them on the bite. Whole or peeled prawns, nippers, half pilchards, bonito fillets and the odd ball of chicken breast marinated in many different concoctions are great baits for tempting that big, wily, blue-nosed bruiser onto your hook. Flathead will be starting to make their way back downstream after venturing as far up as Windsor through the summer months. They will be making the most of the other species’ migrations as they prepare for the cold depths of winter. Moving locations allows these fish an abundance of bait and warmer, more comfortable water temperatures, as the ocean water is far more stable than the estuaries. If in doubt, fish on the top of the tide and the start of the run-out, as this will see a peak of activity from these lizard like fish. Soft plastics and soft vibes for deeper areas are still the most versatile and effective way to secure a feed of flatties. Pinpointing major drop-offs and back eddies on major points and bends in the river will help you find better concentrations of fish so you can spend more time fishing and less time moving around looking for that next individual fish. May is mulloway time on the Hawkesbury, and for me a really busy time of year guiding clients onto their first and hopefully biggest ever fish! Casting and retrieving lures is the most effective method I have found over the years

Monster Hawkesbury mulloway are on everyone’s wish list. Adrian got his wish with this 140cm fish on his birthday in March. There will be some big fish to be had this month around Broken Bay for those putting in time to gather big live baits and fish the tide changes.

Big autumn bream are a standard attraction of the river and we will encounter plenty snaffling our larger lures aimed at mulloway. and I will fish this technique through to the end of the next spring when the live bait becomes easier to source. Live baiting is still an option and time spent

securing a tank full of baits is still well worth the effort if you are after that trophy fish of a lifetime. Legal tailor, big yellowtail or cowanyoung, large squid (arrows or southern calamari) and

pike make outstanding monster mulloway baits around Broken Bay. Time spent learning the habits and whereabouts of these species is time well invested when you are on the hunt for big mulloway. Most keen mulloway anglers have an intimate knowledge of not only their quarry, but the ecosystem as a whole and how everything interacts throughout all the seasons. Kingfish will still be on the bite around Pittwater if the water temperatures remain somewhat stable, around 20°C. Live yakkas and squid are the two main baits to secure at first light before you begin your search. Downrigging or anchoring up with a spread of baits set at varying depths are both effective methods at this time of year. Keep a good look out as there may be the odd surface bust up still occurring. Even if they are only salmon or tailor, the bigger cold water kingfish may be lurking beneath the school, so a prospective cast or two allowed to sink underneath or a quick downrig around the periphery may result in some drag peeling fun.

Kingfish will still be on offer in Pittwater this month with multiple fish an option once an active school has been located.

Drifting sees success PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

With the sporadic weather of late, it has been hard to find a day to get out on the water for most people. There are still fish to catch, you just have to try a few more things to get a reaction from your targets. Once you find what works, stay with it until the bite stops. For instance, lately we have been finding that drifting has seen more fish being caught than downrigging once the kings have been found. We have been finding one or two fish while downrigging, but after that they go shy until you drift

area near the point and into the first bay heading north, be careful to watch out for the mesh netters’ nets. There will be a buoy signifying one end of the net, so stay clear and preferably try another area such as Stokes Point or Taylors Point. Fish have been recently caught along the Kingfish Highway, The Supermarket, Currawong Beach area and the odd fish has shown up around Scotland Island. The better bait to use is squid, but there is the odd fish being caught on yellowtail. There should be the odd school of frigate mackerel starting to show up, so make sure that you have something to catch them and a rig to put them out live to target a big king. If you don’t run into

lift the rod 3-4 times like you we trying to hook a monster fish. Then, I ask them to let it sit just on the bottom for 5-10 seconds before doing it again. This method has not only caught a great variety of decent fish, but they seem to excite the fish while it is being worked along the bottom. If you see fish higher in the water column, these lures can be raised and the same scenario repeated as if fishing on the bottom. If you are fishing an area with a sea, place it in the rod holder, but just make sure that the rod holder is up to the task. Other species to target at the moment seems to vary from day to day, but there still are a few flathead about lurking in the shallows and around the weed edges, and some mulloway are still present around deeper water structures. If you are going to try for a mulloway, pilchard pieces and fresh squid heads and strips are attracting some attention. There are a few smaller pickers about, so check your baits regularly if you are not holding onto the rod. Squid are being caught in the bays such as Creel Bay, Towlers Bay, The Basin and in front of Portuguese Beach.

Kai and Mark showing the variety on offer around Pittwater. There are also some big squid coming from the Barrenjoey Headland area. Most of the squid seem more receptive to the flashy hardbodied jigs rather than the fluoro colours. My suggestion is to take a few different colours and change them over after trying a variety of retrieves. Confidence in your jig is essential, as is watching your jig all the way back to your boat. Quite often squid will follow your jig

all the way back to your feet without striking at the jig. If this happens, don’t take your jig out of the water. Let the jig slowly sink towards the bottom and on most occasions they will at least have a strike. If they aren’t interested, hop the jig along the surface away from the squid as if the jig was a fleeing prawn. The squid will normally fire up and start to be aggressive after being teased.

Clear the decks! Another kingy raid is underway! the same area using a simple running rig or paternoster rig. Pilchards have been the preferred bait for most of the fish caught, with fresh squid strips and pieces coming in a close second. Over the last month, kings along Pittwater have been heading into deep water because of the warmer water that was present, but after recent rains they have been more active and on the hunt most mornings. The better way to target them at the moment is to start near Longnose Point and watch for surface activity. If you are going to downrig this

a school of those frustrating frigates, try to catch a cuttlefish. Each year around April and May, bigger kings seem to materialise out of nowhere to smash a small live cuttlefish. With this in mind, it is also an opportunity to try around structure with microjigs. These jigs aren’t small like their name suggests, and are in fact a very effective fishing lure. I use the 90-120g micro-jigs and I get the customers to work them aggressively. I don’t mean to wind it quickly through the water column, but instead keep it near the bottom and

The smile says it all. Rat kingfish are a great species for the kids.

Squid can also be caught at many of the wharves along Pittwater, especially at night. The wharves with the lights shining into the water attract baitfish into the lit area and squid are lurking deeper in the dark waiting to pounce. Please remember to clean the ink off the wharves, there really is no excuse not to at least try. Take a bucket with you to wet the area and rubbing your shoe over the top will often see most inkwashed off if done promptly. The wharves to try are Careel Bay, Palm Beach, Newport and Church Point, and you can use the same hardbodied jigs mentioned above. Along our coast there are some great reef species to be caught if you find the baitfish first. Areas that we have recently targeted are The Container, Boultons reef, Newport Reef and Long Reef with all these reefs seeing a variety of species caught. Morwong, snapper, trevally, trag and flathead have all taken a liking to pilly pieces and squid. If you do catch a large sergeant baker, they are a great fillet bait for snapper. I hope this report sees you grabbing the rods and kids 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

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Sydney offshore action SYDNEY NORTH

Darren Thomas

As the seasons change in Sydney, some ripper fish are on the chew. Mulloway, kings and snapper are holding on the local reefs just offshore in reasonable numbers, but it’s the blue marlin bite that has everybody talking on the north side. Some cracker fish have been caught out wide trolling skirted lures of both the small and large variety, so when conditions prevail you may not get a better opportunity to tick one of these ripper fish off your bucket list. Vic from Oceanhunter Sportsfishing has been getting onto some awesome beakies out wide trolling Billmark skirted lures like Apollos and Big Dogs. These guys have been catching plenty of

marlin and mahimahi and this outfit is certainly worth every cent they charge for a day’s offshore fishing. Closer inshore, the north

Zane Levett and Jackson Coffey with a Sydney hoodlum.

Vic Levett with a big blue marlin taken out wide.

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side’s reefs are holding good numbers of mulloway, trag and snapper. Brad Verkerk and Anthony Ball had a good session on the mulloway

fishing in 30m of water. The guys were using butterflied yellowtail fillets for bait while fishing on the bottom. Both anglers landed good fish over a metre in length while fishing in the slow northerly heading current. There was more success for the Bonnici clan lately with Mike and Hayley teaming up with Peter Norris to land some great mulloway. Once again, it was the butterflied yakkas doing the damage, this time in 40m of water. Staff member Zane Levett and Jackson Coffey headed out chasing the hard-fighting kingfish recently and certainly weren’t disappointed. The guys hooked into some great fish in 30m of water while downrigging squid strips off Manly. Only one fish was kept for the table with the rest being tagged and released. The harbour has been providing good numbers of kingfish as well as mac tuna, tailor and frigate mackerel. Most of the drop offs are working well on the flathead too, with numerous anglers having tremendous success on plastic vibes. Whiting are still on the chew around Clontarf with king worms being a great bait. Further south over at Balmoral, schools of bait have been bailed up in the moorings. The predators are usually tailor and mac tuna. Small metal lures cast around will work to entice these fish to bite. Some good-sized schools of these fish have been sighted as far west as Bantry Bay in Middle Harbour, but usually at this time of year these pelagics are schooling bait and small metal lures are a terrific option for casting in their direction. Some great trevally are also being encountered right through the harbour with various soft plastic and vibe lures working a treat in the deeper holes and on the drop-offs.

Further north, Pittwater is holding patches of Watson’s leaping bonito at the moment, with quite a few anglers reporting captures. Rob Haslam and Bruce Newling landed a few of these speedsters using soft plastics and metal lures. This species often frequents sand flats and drop-offs while herding baitfish up in the shallows. As simple as small metal lures can be, they are a favourite choice for casting at these schools once located, with fly fishing being another successful option.

The beaches have calmed a little since last month’s wild weather and are getting back to normal quite quickly. Narrabeen, Curl Curl and Manly have been holding schools of bream and whiting with plenty of dart taking king worm baits intended for the big elbow slappers. Dee Why Lagoon has recently opened up, as have Curl Curl and Queenscliff. When these lagoons open themselves to the sea (generally after a big rain), be sure to head down and

get a few casts in near the opening. Bigger fish are often waiting over the back for all sorts of yummy baits exiting the lagoons, and these include school prawns, mullet, herring and white bait. Preferred times are around sunrise and sunset, and whether you cast lures or set a bait, you just never know what will be over the back. Favourite casting lures for most anglers are vibes and big shallow divers for the bottom feeders, while big metals are working on the surface species.

Peter Norris and Hayley Bonnici with a couple of great Sydney mulloway.

Brad Verkerk caught this mulloway offshore.

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Kingies still crunching baits SYDNEY HARBOUR

Craig McGill craig@fishabouttours.com.au

Small chopper tailor used to be very common on the surface in Sydney Harbour. Since the comeback of the kingies and salmon, they have become much less common and I’m guessing that they may have been outcompeted. All three compete for pretty much the same food supply, and a school of 35cm choppers would have little chance against 65cm kings and salmon. The winter months do, however, produce the bigger tailor, which still seem to be reasonably common. They main difference in winter is that they rarely feed on the surface. You can still take them on deep diving lures early in the morning or on live baits fished in the deep holes, but if you want some whoppers you should try night fishing around Sow and Pigs reef and the shipping channels. Generally though, trolling lures is a great way of finding tailor.

between Grotto and Dobroyd points is a good run to do. Further upstream at Garden Island has been fishing very well for tailor.

will still be available for at least another month. The compensation for fewer fish will be an increase in average size.

Big tailor will be in the deep holes and ready to smash a large live bait. Huge kings are suckers for gar, and there’s plenty of gar about. Trolling one deep and one shallow diver out each side and one chrome metal slug down the centre will soon sort them out. I rarely use live baits, but at this time of year it’s worth having at least one out with

Tactics need to change now, as will the kingies’ holding positions. You will still get them around places like the Wedding Cakes and other navigation markers. They have become fussy, requiring a bit of

Samson fish are more common than ever and can even be caught through winter! The headlands, particularly North, South and Middle heads are the preferred locations when the fish or the baitfish cannot be visually or electronically located in open water. They are very common along Middle Head, and the run

the chance of picking up big flatties, mulloway, dory, kings or big tailor. Numbers of smaller kingfish have started to thin out and move around, but based on previous years’ experience and this year’s warmer water, they

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around the heads. There are no really big fish, but average size is solid, around 45-55cm and there are stacks of them. Try drifting small gang rigged

berley and smaller, lightly weighted baits. There are more fish concentrated around the heads and Sow and Pigs reef as they commence their migration out to sea. The best bait in this area is still squid, but you should make good use of the prime baits like the heads and guts. Baits should be presented on lighter gear, lighter leaders, less sinker, smaller hooks and down a cube trail. Don’t discount gar as bait either, as they are around in big numbers at this time and are a top bait for any really big kings that might be loitering around the tail end of the season. Flathead and flounder continue to fire around North Harbour and the close drifts

whitebait on the deeper beds or small plastic jigs in the shallows. North Harbour, Rose and Double bays are the pick of spots. Flounder are a welcome by-catch when flatty fishing and generally favour the same areas, although they seem to prefer the deeper sand banks. They can be caught year round, but the cooler months seem to be the best, especially for the bigger fish. If you would like to specifically target flounder, drop down in lure size to something around 5cm. They are like flathead, in that they bury in the sand and are ambush hunters, so keep in contact with the bottom. They are also very receptive to baits, particularly whitebait on the drift. They seem to like the big open sandy expanses more so than the structured sand areas where you would more typically find flatties. The open sand drifts around Washaway Beach and North Harbour are quite productive at the moment. A mate of mine who does a lot of diving commented on the large number of tropical visitors he had seen this season. He is referring mostly to small colourful fish, the likes of which you might see in a fish tank. Normally, they die when the water in Sydney cools down due to their small size and lack of mobility. Larger tropical visitors retreat back north when the temperature drops. He did, however, observe a number of noticeably larger specimens of the ‘aquarium variety’ that he believes are last year’s stock that managed to survive through a Sydney winter. I have also noticed that samsonfish have become a lot more common through the winter months in Sydney. Amberjack and samsonfish used to

be too uncommon in Sydney Harbour to target specifically, but over the last 10 years they have become progressively more common, to the point that they are now a viable target. If you really want to catch one, the only advice I can give you is to fish exactly the same as you would for kingies. That is by using fresh squid fished in the bottom third of the water column. Just like kingies, they are all suckers

for fresh squid and respond to the same techniques. They really like the zone where a reef edge meets a clean sand bottom. While they are common enough to target, be prepared for a by-catch of kings, which isn’t such a bad problem! • 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.

Darcy is four years old and is already spending a huge amount of time with a fishing rod in his hands. It looks like the seed has been sown early!

Southern seas make for swell fishing in May SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com

This month is great for fishing in general. With cool conditions with mild autumn days, I find that it is not too draining because of the heat and not too cold yet. The water temperature is still nice with that 20°C average making it attractive for virtually all species. Let’s start off on the beach. From Manly to Palm beaches there have been all the species that you would want to pursue, except for the Australian salmon, which are yet to come on properly. Salmon should come on next month. The whiting, bream, mulloway, dusky whaler sharks and tailor are already there in good numbers. The tailor are averaging around 1kg, with some even larger on some beaches. To some, tailor are regarded as not really very good on the plate, but I find them sensational cooked in many ways and are a great bait or bream and mulloway. Manly Beach from South Steyne to Queenscliff is producing bream, whiting, tailor, mulloway and sharks. The often neglected Freshwater Beach has some great bream in the southern corner, with some good tailor also available after dark. Curl Curl Beach from the southern corner gutter parallel to the swimming pool has good bream, tailor and the occasional mulloway for those willing to put in the time. Further north along the same beach, the area is producing tailor, bream and whiting, and it’s definitely worth a go for a mulloway as well.

Dee Why beach has good quantities of whiting from the southern corner with some good bream as well. Sharks and mulloway are also a possibility further along the beach to Long Reef Surf Club. South Narrabeen Surf Club area is good for whiting and tailor, but I normally

you don’t mind the big hill. Avalon Beach as always has good whiting, bream and tailor, and Palm Beach from the north Palm Beach Surf Club to roughly Black Rocks, which are those massive boulders near the side of the road, is a good choice for mulloway, sharks,

I get lots of clients onto their first mulloway, and Michael Holland was absolutely stoked with his 11kg fish! prefer to fish it when the swell is a metre or less. North Narrabeen area from Octavia to the lagoon entrance for mulloway, sharks, tailor, bream and whiting is definitely worth some attention at this time of year. Warriewood Beach is fishing very well for whiting, bream and tailor, and Bungan Beach is also firing, providing

It just doesn’t get better for a fisher who has never caught a mulloway before – two on the first outing! Just Bellissimo for Richard Wilson.

bream, whiting and tailor. For the tailor, ganged pillies are your best bet. Generally, you should fish for them before sunrise to about an hour after and well into the evening time. For the whiting, live is best when using beachworms or even better, bloodworms. The mulloway and sharks love large fresh squid strips, live yellowtail, sizeable mullet in that 25cm+ size, and of course, tailor fillets. Fish for them during the full or new moon on the high tides in the evenings. Fish the run-up to the high to a couple of hours of the run-out as well. It pays to have good quality gear, as you will need a formidable outfit for any mulloway off the beach! The bream fishing off the rocks is great at the moment. The trevally and snapper are on as well with tailor in the evenings and kings throughout the day at selected rock spots. Clients have been doing well in Sydney Harbour, with good kings, quality tailor and bream. Luderick are also on in the harbour and off the rocks. Silstar Slapstix from Rapala have come out with a 9” red head, which has been producing some good kings. It has scent and ultraviolet colours, which excites those often finicky kings.

Other proven lures are the Pop Pro 180, with the ball bearing rattle in them from Williamson. Salted and fresh sea gars, fresh squid and medium sized live yellowtail. The bream have been getting caught on live nippers pumped from Pittwater or Narabeen lagoon, fresh yellowtail fillets and mullet fillet. If tailor are your target, try Chowder Head, or possibly the more dangerous Middle Head, but only if you’re up to it. Take into account that Middle Head involves a small climb with some narrow ledges, and it’s relatively exposed to an easterly and northeasterly swell. It fishes well in a southerly, when you’re on the north face. There are good luderick being taken from there lately as well. Take in your hair or cabbage weed and sand/weed mixture for berley and fish the several washes off this headland if you’re really serious about nailing a few blackfish. Off the ocean rocks, it’s a good time to try for kings, tailor, bream, snapper and trevally at Bluefish. Take into account that this involves a climb and the wave energy is powerful from the northeast and southeast. If you’re not up for rock hopping, Little Bluey near Shelly Headland in Manly is probably a safer option. Trevally, rock blackfish, luderick, bream, some kings and tailor are being caught there. North and South Curl Curl has tailor, salmon and some kings with trevally and bream in the washes. Snapper will also be taken for those distance casting. Turrametta and Warriewood Head has luderick in the big gutter at the Warriewood side. Take note that there is a climb involved to get into this location. Pigs have been taken in the boulders about 100m from the climb on the

Mat Sofi with a great Sydney Harbour bag of kings, all caught on salted sea gars fished on ganged hooks. Turrametta side near the old pipe. Large peeled prawns and bread berley are a winning combo for the pigs. Use white sliced bread, as this seems to bring better results. In rough seas from the south, fish the high ledge at Warriewood approximately 50-80m west of the climb for tailor, trevally and snapper on the long cast. Please note that this month the dominant swell is from the south. The waves are notably thicker, often called a ground swell. They have a lot more energy than a thinner wind wave. Have a

plan B and even a C location to go to if the first spot is risky. I often do that with clients. If the location chosen first is risky, I always have another location to go to. I teach my clients preventative measures for a safer outcome as far as rock fishing is concerned. Fish smart and you will be safe! • For rock and beach guided fishing or tuition in the northern Sydney region, visit www.bellissimocharters. com, email alex@ bellissimocharters.com or call Alex Bellissimo on 0408 283 616.

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Enjoy fishing the bay of plenty BOTANY BAY

Gabe Quercigrosse gabeandgabe@bigpond.com

First of all, apologies for omitting last month’s column; I was in hospital for three weeks with pneumonia. I’m back on track now though, and I can report that the bay has been firing on all cylinders. There are plenty of trevally about, and most boats are getting their bag limits. There’s no size amongst them – they’re mostly around 33cm – but they provide good sport and they’re not bad on the chew if they’re bled and cooked fresh. I’ve found the best way to keep them in good condition is to cut their throat, turn them upside down and bleed them, then place them on a bag of ice. Trevally respond very well to berley, and a simple keeper net hanging behind the transom filled with stale bread will do the job. As a rig I would use around 4kg line with a size 0 sinker right behind a size 2 bait keeper hook and let the trevs take it. They are easy to catch this way, and you can get your bag limit in quick time. You’ll find the trevs around structures, pinnacles, shoal patches, drop-offs and cockle beds. The artificial reefs in Gongwong Bay and Yarra Bay are good starting points and have been very consistent with larger fish. Molineaux Point and Trevally Alley have been congested with up to 30 boats fishing a small area, and it’s hard work getting through the crowd. Sutherland Point, just off the Captain Cook landing place at Kurnell, is a good option as other species such as

bream, snapper and tailor can be taken in good numbers. I’ve found the first few hours of the incoming tide to be the best period. Watts Reef, the hot water outlet at Kurnell, and the drop-off in front of the Novotel at Brighton-LeSands are all reliable fish producers.

found the best method to catch them is to anchor on a cockle or shoal bed in around 4m of water (Silver Beach is a great place) and berley heavily for 15 minutes. Sure, it takes a bit of time, but the fish eventually turn up. I use a long trace of 1.8m from the swivel to the hooks, armed with FC

A mixed bag of salmon and trevally. You’ll find the trevs around structures, pinnacles, shoal patches, drop-offs and cockle beds. Bream are scattered throughout the bay, with fish up to 40cm not uncommon. They are the blue-nose variety and are armed with sets of good teeth. I’ve

Rock 6lb fluorocarbon. I’ve found this line to be the best for this particular application. It will not let you down. Size 4 hooks in the Mustad Aberdeen pattern

are excellent and, although they’re a bit on the small side, they account for more fish. A size 10 crane swivel and size 2 or 3 ball sinker sliding down the line completes my rig, and it works. Nippers, bloodworms and prawns are the best baits. I believe Watts Reef is the best bream spot in the bay, and I recommend fishing it at night. During the day you’ll get mainly rubbish fish, but at night it’s not uncommon to catch bream up to 1.5kg. Sure, it’s not as good as it was 10 years ago, but it still produces the goods. Place a small split shot right behind the hook and allow the bream to run with it. You will lose a few fish on the rough terrain, but that’s to be expected. A light northeasterly with a rising tide is ideal for this spot. I try to stay away from the northern side of the bay if I’m chasing bream, and have found the stretch between Towra Point and Bonna Point to be ideal, with patches of weed and sand providing food and shelter for the bream. One spot which has been providing good bags is the manmade trench in front of the Novotel. This is only a small area, but it has been dredged by around 2m with manmade structures on it. It has been yielding bream and school mulloway. Other areas to try are the Middle Ground, Akeds Hole, Erics Reef and Barton Street Reef off Ramsgate for quality fish. Whiting have been on the quiet side and hard to find. You’ll get the odd thumper now and then, but schools have been hard to locate – and believe me, there is no more passionate whiting fisho than myself! My theory is that they move into the lower reaches of

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MAY 2016

Ryan was happy with this 71cm salmon, which was the biggest of five caught that day. Georges River before making their way upriver when the water cools. Flathead have been very consistent. Some of the old timers have been getting their bag limit of duskies in a couple of hours. Soft plastics are all the rage, and two of the most popular are the Squidgy Fish 80 in Garry Glitter and Squidgy Pro Fish 70mm in grasshopper rigged on a 3/8oz jighead. The old school anglers, however, believe that livebait like a small poddy mullet will always out-fish lures. The fish have been congregating in between Ramsgate and Quibray Bay. This particular expanse of water is ideal for drifting and provides the lizards with an ideal environment. Schools of pelagics have been working near the heads, especially at first light. They are mainly salmon, with the odd tailor and bonito. They are not easy to catch as there is plenty of food available, but if you catch one, have a look at its stomach contents and see what they are feeding on, then change your lure to suit. In most cases anglers use lures too big. Slices around 10g are usually a good start. These fish can be very frustrating until you find the right lure. Bonito have been taken on white 3.5 Yamashita skirts slowly trolled between Yena Gorge and Tabbigai on the southern Kurnell peninsula. Smoked bonito is a delicacy and well worth the effort. Elsewhere in the bay, there’s not much to report. There are blue-spot flathead around 2km straight out

between the heads, but anglers are keeping the results to themselves as they don’t want any trawlers in the area. I don’t blame them. There is also a small pinnacle in 53m straight off Cape Banks which has been producing kingfish and pan-size snapper. A good tip is to conclude your drift over the sand and then move on the edge of the reef. Georges River has been very popular, with most boat ramps filled to capacity. No doubt the congenial weather and festivities have contributed to this, with up to 100 boats fishing the river. School mulloway have been active at Captain Cook Bridge during the slack water period, with fish up to 5kg, but the better class fish have been taken on the upstream side of Como Bridge, around 50-60m from the second northern pylon. This area is blessed with a fair water depth and sits on the edge of a channel. Fish up to 10kg have been taken on fresh whole squid. Don’t forget to insert some styrofoam inside the squid to avoid it sitting on the bottom, otherwise you’ll only get vermin fish. MAY FISHING I expect the fishing to continue in a similar fashion right throughout May, but we should see a sprinkling of luderick make their presence felt. This very underrated fish provides an excellent feed and is very much in demand, particularly from the older brigade. Places like the Captain Cook pylons, San Souci Wharf, the northern side of Tom Uglys Bridge, and Bald

Face Point are usually the luderick’s first port of call before making their journey all the way to Chipping Norton Lake. Because they are vegetarians and feed mainly on green weed, they are highly sought after because they taste great and are inexpensive to catch. Weed can be scarce at times, and freshwater substitutes may be used in its place. You can also get synthetic weed from most tackle shops, and it works a treat. Good fresh weed can be obtained from the stormwater drain in Yarra Bay and Frenchmans Bay, Little River at San Souci, Roxburgh Park, Kelso Park and Deepwater Park, just to name a few. You can also get weed from most rocks along the Kurnell Peninsula. Improve your skill by discussing new techniques with your local tackle shop, who may suggest that you try changing your pattern. Some of the new lines, floats, rods and so on are excellent value for money. Bream will be schooling on the edge of the channel and will bite best on the incoming tide. Live nippers are definitely the best

bait for them. Use a long leader which will keep the bait moving. The Caravan Head channel, Connells Point Close, Kangaroo Point and the Moons will be very popular with anglers chasing them. Remember that first light or dusk is best. I’ve heard the odd salmon is filtering through the system, and working their way up to Prospect Creek and Warwick Farm, so if you get busted up there is a good chance it’s one of those.

Apart from that, take advantage of May because conditions are always good with light winds, favourable weather and plenty of fish. • 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.

Bream are scattered throughout the bay, with fish up to 40cm not uncommon.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Deep seas to feed the world The world’s deep seas are home to a vast array of species that are a rich source of biodiversity and, potentially, food – but careful and sustainable fishing is required, according to research involving the University of Strathclyde. The ‘twilight zone’, which daylight cannot reach, at depths of 200-1000m, is estimated to hold a community of fish, squid and crustaceans, including more than a million undescribed species, with a biomass that surpasses by far all of the world’s current fisheries. This accounts for up to 90% of the world’s total fish biomass and, even when squid and krill are excluded, is equivalent to 1.3 tons of fish biomass for every person on Earth. All of this offers a huge potential source of fishmeal and Omega 3 fatty acids needed to feed the world population. However, the species exist in a ‘no persons’ water’, where there is no regulation; furthermore, little is currently known about the biological processes in these waters, making it impossible to estimate accurately the fishing pressure the stocks can sustain, to assess the resilience of the community and, as a result, to develop sustainable management strategies. Professor Mike Heath, of Strathclyde’s Department of Mathematics, was a

partner in the study led at the Technical University of Denmark and also involving AZTI-Tecnalia in Spain, the University of the Azores, and the Southampton-based National Oceanography Centre. The research has been published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. Professor Heath said fish stocks in many parts of the world have been extensively harvested, often leaving them severely depleted. “While careful, sustainable management has been introduced in many cases to help arrest the decline, it remains a widespread problem,” he said. “The deep seas are a vast untapped potential source of new resource for fisheries, but lessons must be learned from the past, and further knowledge gained in the future, if any fishing activity in these waters is to be sustainable. The deep sea is an essential reserve of biodiversity and our study demonstrates that environmental, economic and legal considerations must be addressed before embarking on large scale fishing.” The new study warns that a better understanding of the role of the deep sea in the preservation of biodiversity, and its influence on climate regulation, is required if the ‘twilight zone’ community, currently one of the most understudied regions in the world oceans, is to be fished in a sustainable manner.

The study concludes that, to define the limits of sustainable fishing in this community, fundamental knowledge is needed on everything from population biology and controls on recruitment success to its role in the food web and for climate regulation. The ‘twilight zone’ fish and plankton species provide food for other key species, such as tuna, sharks and whales, but their importance in the ocean food web is not yet fully quantified. Furthermore, they play an important role in climate regulation. Many ‘twilight-zone’ fish migrate to the ocean surface at night to feed on plankton, descending back during the day to the depths, where they release carbon dioxide. The result is an additional mechanism for fast transport of carbon from the atmosphere to the ocean’s interior, dampening the effect of CO2 emissions on global warming. The study finds that there is no major fishing effort on the ‘twilight zone’ community, although test fisheries are in progress. Existing fishing techniques are marginally economical when the catch is used for fish meal; however, the high essential fatty acid content of some species will make fishing more economically viable. – University of Strathclyde MAY 2016

May fishing in Sydney rocks! SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

There are drummer everywhere, with a few bream, luderick and trevally mixed in for those who have ventured out onto the rocks. Off the beaches, there are still plenty of whiting taking beach worms and pink nippers,

there and it’s not as hot. All in all, it’s a great time to hit the water. For those of you who have never had the pleasure of fishing for drummer, you should take the opportunity to give it a go during May. The main thing you will have to remember is that you will need to take extreme care when fishing off the rocks, and don’t forget to always go with someone.

of the entrance to Botany Bay, you could try a variety of spots on the Kurnell Peninsula, Tabbigai, Boat Harbour Blackwoods at Cronulla, Shelly Beach, Windy Point, Jibbon Point, North Garie, Era Point and Coalcliff Point near the pool. To fish for drummer, I would suggest that you use a 3.6m rod with either a side cast reel or a threadline. Use at least 15lb line, a ball

Mixed bags can be common throughout May. while in the estuaries of Southern Sydney there are luderick in just about all the usual spots. Boy, I do love fishing in May. Not only are there plenty of fishing options, the crowds of summer are not

On the northern side of Botany Bay, you could try places like north and south Bondi, north Tamarama Beach just below the surf club, Clovelly Pool, Mistral Point, Long Bay and Little Bay. On the southern side

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sinker ranging from 000 up to size 2 and a 1/0-2/0 circle or bait holder hook on the end. When it comes to bait, I prefer peeled blue tailed prawns, bread, crabs and cunje. That’s about all you need when it comes to fishing for drummer. Just remember to keep it simple. Coogee, Maroubra and the beaches off Cronulla are still producing good catches of whiting up to 500g. The best two baits have been live beach worms and pink nippers. You could also try small strips of freshly caught squid and bloodworms. Early morning and late afternoon seems to be producing the best catches, but I would discount those overcast and drizzle type days. Further south you could also try Garie and Stanwell Park beaches for your whiting, but you will find bream and dart will also take a liking to your worms and pink nippers. If you are just after a feed of bream, you could try using strips of fresh mullet and small whitebait. Half pilchards will also do the job as well. It doesn’t seem to matter whether you are using a paternoster rig or a sinker, swivel leader and hook. Just remember to keep the leader length down to about 50cm as this will stop a lot of line twist. Botany Bay is also going strong on the bream and trevally front for those anglers who have been

fishing out of a boat. But don’t feel left out if you are fishing from the shore, as you could try off the northern side of the Cooks River breakwall, Tom Uglys, Captain Cooks Bride and the southern side of Como bridge further up the Georges River. Bream and dusky flathead are biting on both the northern and southern sides of where the old Lugarno ferry used to be. Hawkesbury River prawns, fresh mullet, chicken done in parmesan cheese and pink nippers have been their undoing. Further upstream at the Moons and Soily Point, there have been a few good bags of luderick coming in, but the hardest part will be locating good green weed. I would suggest that you try Macs Bait Bar at Blakehurst. Give them a call on 9546 1341. If you are looking to find your own green weed, I would suggest that you find where stormwater outlets enter the river. Bream, dusky flathead and the odd mud crab have been caught from under the M5 bridge. You could also try there for a mulloway or two. The boat ramp at the back of Flower Power is also worth a shot off the shore for bream and flathead when the tide is not running so fast. Chipping Norton Lakes is another place that you could try for luderick. You will also find some green weed nearby. The Woronora River near the old bridge is also producing luderick on the run-in and run-out tides. Further upstream, the mullet have started to school up, so it would be a good idea to get out those small bobby corks and bread and start getting a few. Further downstream at the back of the soccer fields at Bonnet Bay, there are a few bream and dusky flathead coming in by those

David Tosland with a beautifully marked dusky flathead. anglers who are using small whitebait on long leaders. As usual, the Port Hacking River has plenty of luderick swimming around. You are going to need fresh green weed or cabbage and plenty of berley to keep them on the bite. I have found over the years that the run-out tide seems to produce the better quality fish, but don’t discount the run-in tide, as the fish still have to eat. If you are after a few bream, whiting and dusky flathead, I would suggest that you try fishing the deeper sections of the river during the middle part of the day and the shallower sections either early morning or late afternoon. The best baits by far have been pink nippers. If you don’t want to take the time to pump some, you could always call in Mac’s Bait Bar. They should also have bloodworms and maybe some beachworms for sale.

Another place that you could try off the shore is Swallow Rock Drive boat ramp and the downstream side of the Audley Weir. Try berleying with mashed up old pilchards and bread to bring the fish on the bite. May is also the time of the year that there will be plenty of bream about over the flats at Towra, in the Georges, Woronora and Port Hacking Rivers, and if you are into or wanting to get into lure fishing for them you should check out the fantastic lure store at Miranda. Call into Shop 18, 29 Kiora Rd, Miranda, next to RTA, or you could go online and see the range that Adam has. It will blow your mind. 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.

Bare Island is a great land-based spot, but you will need to keep an eye on the conditions when fishing there.

Stuarts Point Holiday Park – a friendly hideaway FMG

Ryan Limpus rlimpus@fishingmonthly.com.au

I’m a sucker for small riverside/beachside fishing villages. They remind me of years gone by, family holidays in the early 80s when there was plenty to explore and options to try and catch a few fish. I have some great memories of staying at a similar sleepy fishing village with my parents. My days revolved around meeting up with other kids on holidays and

in a relaxing environment with plenty of options for fishers and their families. Located halfway between Sydney and Brisbane, the Macleay Valley region has become a popular destination for holiday-makers and grey nomads. Stuarts Point is a sleepy little fishing holiday village along the northern arm of the Macleay River, about 30 minutes from Kempsey and South West Rocks. The population of Stuarts Point is around 670 people, and I’m sure this figure doubles if not triples during peak holiday periods.

Stuarts Point is particularly popular for kayak-based anglers. going swimming and fishing all day and only heading back to the tent or van when it was time for dinner. Sadly, days like these are now rare. The holiday park at Stuarts Point however, provides an experience much like the one I have described. Here you can indulge in a carefree holiday

FISHING Stuarts Point offers some great opportunity for fishing. The estuary has plenty of fish, from your bread and butter species such as bream, whiting and flathead, through to your larger specimens. The boat ramp is located right next to the park and there are plenty of

locations that you can launch a kayak from. Land-based options along the river are plentiful as well as along the footbridge where you can see the fish before they see you! The river has a good population of fish as well as sand and mud crabs, so make sure you throw in a few pots when you pack up the car. If surf fishing is your thing, it’s only a few minutes walk across the footbridge to an uncrowded beach with plenty of gutters to throw your bait into. Offshore pelagic and reef species chasers will be happy with South West Rocks only 30 minutes down the road –we all know how good the offshore fishing can be there. Bait is easy to access as well. You will see the yabby (nipper) holes as you walk over the footbridge, so make sure you take the pump to collect some fresh and readily available yabbies on low tide. They are great bait! FAMILY For those who like taking the family away from the hustle and bustle of busy holiday towns, Stuart Point is perfect for you. The saying goes – kids should have more tackle boxes and less X-Boxes. So as you enter town make sure you turn off those iPhones and iPads and start making some memories to last a lifetime. If you are looking to stay at Stuarts Point then I recommend Stuarts Point Holiday Park. It’s the perfect location to take advantage of the attractions of this town. For the kids, there is a huge area to explore from the footbridge over the river to the quiet beach – there is so much to see and do. There were plenty of kids exploring the river on kayaks when I stayed and looked to be having a ball. With many shaded areas and picnic tables next to the park, as well as a kids’ playground for the littler ones, this park has it all. The local tennis courts located

The footbridge in town is a great spot to cruise along and spot fish and crabs as they pass under the bridge.

Stuarts Point Holiday Park is one of the best-kept holiday parks the author has stayed in. next door are also available for use by patrons and there is a great space for riding bikes or playing backyard cricket. What I liked the most about the Stuarts Point Holiday Park was the obvious feel of community the park offers. Many of the people staying there had met other holidaymakers during their stay and would end up catching up for a fish or a couple of sunset drinks by the river. IN TOWN There’s a few shops in town to help you stock up on supplies for your holiday. A small grocery/liquor store, newsagent, butcher, chemist and takeaway store will have you ready to settle in. The bowling club and tavern is also just up the road! If you need to stock up on fishing tackle for your trip to Stuarts Point make sure you drop into Compleat Angler Kempsey on the way. Brent and the team can put you in the right direction with what tackle you will need. Tell them Fishing Monthly sent you! STUARTS POINT HOLIDAY PARK Stuarts Point Holiday Park is one of the most well kept parks I have stayed in. The gardens and lawn are well kept and the amenities are clean and maintained. I stayed in one of the cabins on this trip and was impressed with how clean it was. The location was perfect – only a stones throw to the water. Rodney and Kate Russell are the park caretakers and do a great job looking after the park and the patrons spending time there. They love where they work and it shows! Powered and unpowered camping, caravan, or cabins, there’s plenty of accommodation options when staying at Stuarts Point Holiday Park. It’s located on Marine Parade, Stuarts Point (just follow the main road into town, when you hit the

river you’re there!) Give Rodney or Kate call on 1300 262 782 (option 4) or email stuartspoint@mvchp.

com.au to book a great time away. More information is available at: www. mvcholidayparks.com.au.

Top: This part of the world is famous for its beach and headland fishing, and the beach is only minutes from the holiday park. Middle: Boat and kayak access to the river is available just beside the holiday park. Bottom: The views from the park aren’t too shabby. MAY 2016

River fish going with the flow Fish are confined to isolated waterholes for much of the year in many intermittent, dryland rivers. It is only during these rivers’ brief flow events that fish are able to move between waterholes and explore surrounding habitat. Researchers recently studied how and where golden perch, eel-tailed catfish and bony bream move in response to brief flow events.

appeared in Freshwater Biology) by was the Moonie River, which is part of the Murray-Darling Basin in Queensland. Over three years, the researchers tagged 215 fish and they found that when flow events occurred, individuals from each species moved from their waterhole but showed no preference for upstream and downstream. Most travelled up to 20km in a few days, while others

The timing of the flow was more important than how big it was, with most fish movement occurring in response to the first post-winter flow event, independent of its magnitude and duration. Many of the fish later returned to their starting waterhole either by the end of a flow event or on subsequent events. This indicates that they have the ability to remember their route through the

Golden perch eggs collected during monitoring in the Goulburn River. Photo courtesy of Jim Castles, Goulburn-Broken CMA. The focus of the study (‘Go with the flow’ by Marshall et al, which

ranged over 70km. Many fish later returned to their starting waterhole.

waterway, and also that they prefer more permanent refuge pools.

GOLDEN PERCH SPAWNING A different study has been carried out on the fish habitat of more than 1100km of the BarwonDarling Rivers between Walgett and Wilcannia, NSW, mapping this whole area. The river bank shape and depth, vegetation and river snags were all noted because these affect how different species of fish use various areas of the river. It also shows how the fish respond to flows. Some native fish need deeper, faster flowing water to breed, while others prefer to lay their eggs on vegetation in the calmer waters of a wetland. Golden perch exhibited a strong spawning response to increased flows from the delivery of environmental water. In fact, the planned spring 2014 flow pulse induced golden perch spawning in numbers not previously seen, other than following the 2010 floods, and so can be regarded as an excellent example of managed flows achieving their aim. Silver perch also spawned in association with increased flows. However, although

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golden perch and silver perch spawned in the Goulburn River in 2014, no fish of that year class were collected in the 2015 fish monitoring surveys. Therefore, while increased flows can promote spawning of these species in the Goulburn River, it appears that the hatchlings may not colonise the spawning area. Given that golden perch and silver perch lay semi-buoyant eggs that drift downstream

on river currents, potentially over large distances, it is possible that eggs drift downstream into the River Murray, and that any recruitment into the Goulburn River occurs at a later stage by older fish, and also potentially by fish from other river systems. More info is available in the Wetlands Australia National We t l a n d s Update, Issue 28, at www. environment.gov.au. – Fish Habitat Network

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Make a run to the close reefs TWEED OFFSHORE

Jason Patane

The past month has been a great start of some productive fishing, and we live in a great part of the world for inshore and offshore fishing. After February, northeasterlies followed by a tropical low usually generates big swells. The Tweed Bar

has a big sand build up on the north side of the bar, so if you are going to head out proceed with extreme precaution. Work with the tides, and the making tide is preferred if there is a slight swell on… safety is paramount. All local offshore reefs have been producing quality fish for this time of the year, with good catches of wahoo and Spaniards on the Tweed Nine Mile.

Resident yellowtail kingfish are always there with the odd black kingfish or (cobia) thrown in. The 8” hexheads in bonito colour towed around 10-25km/h seem to get the wahoo going. For the Spanish mackerel, I like to tow dead and live baits such as a whole bonito, slimies or yakka rigged on a Predapro Fish Rig, these are the best thing since sliced bread!

Some great kingies have come aboard over the close-in reefs.

The weighted jig slots into the mouth of the baitfish, then pins the mouth closed. The other two pins are used to lock the gill closed. They give a great swimming action for all dead baits, and it’s always worth swimming a dead garfish in your spread. Small black marlin are still feeding close on the inshore reefs, and just recently I had my first sailfish sighting for the year. The FAD is still there and so are the mahimahi. They are only small but great fun on light gear. These fish can be very touchy when it comes to lures, but I have found that ZMans Diesl MinnowZ in pearl works a treat. If that fails, try using cubed pillies and place an unweighted hook in one of the cubes. I like to use Black Magic KS 3/0 as it hooks in the jaw and reduces mortality rate. Bulls sit deeper in the water column, so if you can get a livey past the rats you are in for a chance. The 50-fathom line east of the bar has had great water temperatures over the past 4 months with bull mahimahi in numbers and plenty of yellowfin as

Cobia have also been in good numbers in close. well. Surface stickbaits will usually being these guys aboard. My favourite is the Rapala X-Rap Long Cast Shallow in baby wahoo. It’s a great form of fishing and the surface strikes can be an amazing sight with fish leaping 3-4ft out of the water after hitting your lure. With cooler water temperatures moving in, the snapper will be about on the 18, 36s, 42s, and The Mudhole just east of

the bar producing. The occasional pearl perch and tuskfish should also turn up, which are great additions for the table. With the current flow (gentle and running south) try using some blade jigs or 7”soft plastics 1/2oz 6/0 jigheads for these bottom dwellers. There’s some great fun to be had this month, so why not get out and enjoy it? Fish on!

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Fresh flush shuts down the bite Z-Man paddle-tail is doing, loaded with a 3/4oz TT jighead. That’s a pretty scary concept, as you would think you’d snag up with a jighead of that weight, but no, for some reason it seems to avoid the

Dave with a nice flathead taken in the Tweed River. Iluka NSW 2466. Give us a call on (02) 6646 5217 or 0402 997 572. We are

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A local family beach fishing, with my kayak in background. 25lb Sunline Shock Leader, and so far all these have proven the goods. When chasing the midnight trevs, make sure your knots are good as you won’t get a second chance. Chinderah, Kennedy Drive, Tumbulgum and the Highway bridge all seem to attract the big fish, particularly on the end of an incoming tide.

rock. A point to remember is that a few meters behind me is an underwater cable, which is unrelenting to lures. In the past, I’ve seen people fighting the cable and thinking it was a fish! I think it must move a little… There’s been a lot of fresh up my end of the river, and it’s all coming from Cobaki and Terranora, which has turned the water

Craig catching live bait late at night. with no results, and your arms start to tire and your concentration goes. You have to hang in there, because when one hits you, it’s on. These bruisers go off, and they try and out run you, smash straight into pylons whilst going full bore, and try anything to bust you off. But it’s so much fun!

they are there is by all the bubbles coming to the surface. On one occasion the diver must have been able to see our lures dropping straight on top of him, not on purpose, and it was only after we started to

Fishing bridges might seem daunting at first, but if you do it properly it’s easy and a lot of fun. As I fish from a yak 90% of the time, I find myself on the west side of Boyds Bay Bridge, often sitting perfectly still in an eddy and casting parallel to the pylons and pretty much imagining what my

tea coloured and slowed the bite down. The other arm of the river is cleaner, but the seaway area on the incoming is the pick if you’re on a boat. Sometimes there are some cowboys out there who dive the wall parallel to the hospital with no flags, buoys or anything! The only way you know

hit the bottom did we spot the bubbles. I asked my mate Ricardo what’s a legal size diver fish, with that we both pulled our lines in quickly as there were that many bubbles it looked like the boat was having a spa. If you’re fishing the river, I highly recommend live or fresh bait to snap the fish out of their shut down state. As I mentioned earlier, there’s a lot of fresh water coming through the system. On the positive side of that is the seaway, the beaches and the rocks. Just be careful when rock hopping, and if you don’t have balance and a degree of fitness stick to the beach, which is full of fun at the moment with plenty of tailor action with the odd massive mulloway thrown in. If you’ve got a day off and are keen on catching a trophy mulloway, start out at Pottsville and slowly make your way north. This place is God’s country, and there’s so many good fishing spots between Potty and the Tweed. Definitely well worth a weekend of exploring. My brother’s going to kill me for this… but the great mulloway and tailor Hell Hole is situated out on the headland, only a short walk from the Broken Head Caravan Park down Byron Way! That’s all I’m allowed to say! • 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,

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If you’re a midnight trevally stalker like me, you are going to love the Tweed at the moment, as those big bruising bandits are running amok throughout the river system. As I have previously suggested, it seems that regardless of tide they are a nighttime predator, and in my experience you seem to catch bigger fish in the wee hours. At the moment they’re pretty much all over the shop, and I’ve even caught them from my back yard while trying out different lures (I live on the water halfway up the Terranora arm of the river). Although they’re mostly only small fish, they are very aggressive and seem to scare the other fish, which consequently shuts the bite down, a little like the dolphins do when they go on a binge. The big ones are often found moving through Jack Evans Boat Harbour, in fact I think that’s usually my first port of call. What’s better, is that you don’t even need a boat to fish it! Casting a medium sized metal slug as far as I can, aimed at the distinct water channel where shallow meets deep, then ripping it back as fast as I can seems to work most times. Sometimes it can get frustrating with cast after cast after cast

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Brilliant Ballina bream biting The tried and tested blue pilchards and metal slugs have been great during the day. In between the tailor, some quality big beach bream have been showing up. Offshore has been going off for mackerel and there’s no sign of these guys slowing down anytime soon. Trolling 100mm divers like the Atomic Shiners in silver wolf, ghost pearl tiger and purple shadow seem to be

BALLINA

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The beaches around Ballina have had some great activity over the last month. Tailor have been showing up in very consistent numbers with the best spots being out the n Blad Creek a Profaw b m Boundary a es “Y front and along the front of ” the Broadwater Rocks.

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Aiden Kane with a bream caught on an Atomic paddle-tail Plazo 2”. working very well. Once you’ve found the active fish, try casting lures for them. Out the front of Lennox Head, the 32-fathom line have seen good numbers squire and surprisingly, good numbers of flathead around the edges of the reefs. Out wider, there are also great numbers of quality amberjack being taken. North and south walls of the Richmond have been fishing well for bream. The pick has been the south wall on the run-out tide. Try fishing surface lures and crankbaits over the porpoise wall when the water is flowing over. There can be some great visual action as the fish come from the depths to hit your lures. As the tide gets lower and you can’t fish over the wall anymore, try hopping blades and prawn imitation soft plastics down the rock face.

The bigger holes behind the town have been producing good numbers of mulloway and this should continue as the water starts to cool down. Live mullet have definitely been the best bait, but you will get them on big soft plastics during the day. If you chasing these beasts, the best

Tayla Egan with a beautiful Spanish mackerel.

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fish have come on the making tide during the night time. You will find some big flathead will come along as by-catch. These guys are in the holes chasing anything that comes in front of their faces. Just remember, the big girls are the breeders, so please, please, please put them back.

A Bassday Bunny Cast on top with the bait spat out of a mackerel’s mouth on the bottom.

Once they get big, they’re not that nice to eat anyway. Take a couple of snaps and quickly get them back into the water. It’s great watching a big crocodile swimming back down to the depths. Crabs have been around in really good numbers. The dirty water around the Easter break has definitely stirred things up a bit and this should continue over the next month or so. Try mostly up river from Pimlico towards Wardell. The best baits have been whole mullet or mullet frames. One little secret from an old local crabber is save your luderick frames and use them for crab baits. The oily frames seem to bring good numbers in.

Offshore pelagics still on fire ILUKA

Ross Deakin

The Iluka region has experienced excellent weather over the last month, with an accompaniment of fantastic fishing – especially offshore, on the beaches and headlands. The Easter weekend and school holidays saw a busy tourist influx, with very kind weather conditions and many happy anglers. Catches included spotty and Spanish mackerel north and south of Iluka taking pink trolled squid skirts, live bait and lures. Longtail have been taken outside and off the main wall and prefer live bait especially live garfish on floats. There have been some incredible stories of fish hook-ups with sharks getting in on the action and depriving fishers of some awesome fish. Marlin were caught and released only a few kilometres offshore over the Easter weekend. Black rock has seen excellent cobia, snapper and teraglin, as has the fishing grounds of Angourie and the

FAD. The main wall and headlands have recorded trevally, awesome-sized tailor, snapper, bream and tarwhine. There have also been some very nice-sized dart and whiting caught in

include Kurt Murphy’s 5.1kg trevally caught at the Bluff, Ralf Karstens took a 7.5kg snapper taken at Black Rock, and Gordon Collins took a 15kg longtail tuna at Black Rock.

flathead and whiting. Better-sized fish and numbers are a bit further up the Clarence around the Harwood bridge and Maclean. This also goes for mudcrabs, but there are

This nice bream caught by Mal Butchart weighed in at 1.19kg.

An awesome morning of fishing for Ralf Karstens at Black Rock caught this 7.5kg ripper snapper. gutters at Shark Bay on worms and nippers. Great results this month

The river has experienced nice catches of school mulloway, bream,

still some nice size down the river. Epic catches of the month go to Bob

Gutteridge for his 4.82kg flathead caught at Browns Rocks (released), Brian Sullivan’s 405g 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 take your rubbish home with you, unfortunately there has been a lot of trash left out on Iluka Wall, which just isn’t on. Iluka is beautiful so let’s keep it that way. Happy fishing everyone!

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MAY 2016

Coffs Harbour still seeing summer creatures England stream arsenal. In these bigger rivers, it may be best to move to New Zealand style wet flies. Bead-headed streamers like Dirty Harry Woolly Buggers are capable of getting down in the strike zone even in the deeper pools and present a bigger profile, attracting attention in the large spaces. Alternatively, throwing hardbodies around on spin gear will be a very effective way of covering the water column. One thing to remember if you’re around the bass water this month is that the ‘no take’ season commences at the start of May. As of last year, the bass closed season has been extended to include this month to protect those

COFFS HARBOUR

Stephen Worley worleybirdfilms@hotmail.com

One criticism of the Coffs Coast climate from more southern residents is that the four seasons are not very well defined. I have to say that it feels a little like the fishing in this area is starting to lose some of its definition between seasons too. There are a few species that still follow strict historical seasons, but many of the warmer season visitors are starting to look a little like residents. The mackerel are here for much of the year, the whiting are hitting surface lures all year round and the giant trevally and jacks seem to be on the bite even in winter. Perhaps it’s just anglers discovering that they’re still here and targeting them more in the off season, or perhaps it’s just me hearing about more of the off-season oddities, but it certainly feels like fish are showing up where and when you least expect it. WHERE THE COOL WATER FLOWS May signifies the wrapping up of trout season

MAY 2016

norm. You don’t freeze at night, but you also won’t fry during the day. Catching your own beachworms and setting up the rod on your own personal gutter on a secluded beach out of town is hard to beat as a relaxing escape from the rat race. There are plenty of whiting, bream and mulloway that are happy to participate and you can probably convince a mate or two to tag along if you’re after some company. Inside the estuaries the winter transition is a little further along. The water is cooling slightly and some of the enthusiasm for topwater strikes is beginning to dwindle. The whiting are still active, but will be more likely to eat

There’s nothing like a topwater session to finish off the bass season. for another year. For the cold loving, foreign trout it has been one of the driest and hottest seasons for a very long time. Even the top of the range has not been spared from the scorching heat. There have still been fish around to catch, but the action has been a little

The mackerel are still on the charge this month. As long as the warm water stays around, they’ll be here.

will still be operating a little like summer this month. The warm current is showing no sign of slowing down significantly or moving too far offshore, so we should enjoy the warm water predators for at least the next month or so. Mackerel, longtail tuna, yellowfin and mahimahi should all be on the cards as long as that warm water is present. For the later two especially, you want to find temperatures upwards of 24°C, which will mostly be found from the outer islands and further offshore. The mackerel and longtail tuna will continue to be found around the inshore reefs, islands and headlands. The tailor are also present in

slower than recent years. Possibly one of the reasons it’s been quiet on the tablelands is the fact that a few weeks ago, I met someone out on the river who had just caught three quality rainbows (I saw evidence), the kicker is, it was almost down in bass country and well and truly off the highlands. This was not an angler targeting trout, but rather a kayaker relatively crudely trolling a bass hardbody in a deep hole near where he was camping. I have never seen trout downriver this far and I suspect it is a sign that they are chasing deeper holes for the cool water and a bit more flow. The only place those conditions exist at present is much further down in the river systems. This month may be a good chance to get into some areas that you wouldn’t normally fish for trout. We’re very used to fishing tiny streams for trout in this area. It might be nice to get out and fish some bigger rivers for a change, and going on the calibre of trout I saw that weekend, I’d say it could be a really fun end to the season. In the deeper pools it can be quite hard to raise the fish on the fly, especially using your typical New

Snapper are the staple target for anglers on the Coffs Coast. Chatterbaits and spinnerbaits are quickly becoming the author’s favourite method of chasing them. fish that migrate and spawn early. If you do catch any bass, ensure that you return them as quickly as possible. Also, think about ways to avoid capturing them in the first place, as that’s always going to be the best way to ensure they’re unharmed during their spawning season. WHERE THE WARM WATER FLOWS Although we are coming into winter, the Coffs Coast

numbers and are welcome fun around the washes. They make a great feed when fresh and also, when above legal size, make a great live bait for targeting bigger mackerel and kingfish. WHERE WARM AND COLD MIX In my opinion it doesn’t get any better along our beaches than this time of year. Crisp evenings and clear autumn days are the

sub-surface lures over the next few months. If last winter is anything to go by, the GTs and jacks will remain a target all winter, although they maybe a little harder to find than over summer. No matter where you’re chasing your fish this month, it’s always fun knowing that a surprise catch could be right around the corner.

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Well the blue marlin have finally arrived and right on cue for the Solitary Islands Game Fishing

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have really stepped up the pace lately, with multiple bites in a day being the rule rather than the exception. Best result to date was Matador with a very tidy 3-3-3 for a morning’s fishing. They’re not massive blues, mostly between 90 and 140kg, but there have been some real bubbas in the mix also, with fish as small as 60kg. This is quite unusual for Australian waters, but they still go hard. They’ve also been somewhat more aggressive in their approach to a lure than in the past, with less swishing and swiping and

Smallish blues have been a feature of the autumn bite at Coffs.

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more of the crashing strikes that we know and love. We mostly expect to find blues along the shelf edge and wider, but lately there’s also been a couple caught in 50-70 fathoms. This can prove a rude start to the day for a sleepy crew just setting the lures up! The nice thing about game fishing is putting a newcomer onto their first marlin, and the past month or so has seen a number of Solitary Islands GFC members and guests get their names on the honour roll. Jason Werrett, Andrew Mayo, Mark Kirkman, David Clarke, Brendan Wong, Tara English and Fiona McGinty all made the list, and most of them only had to wait a couple of hours (not days, weeks

Andrew Mayo with his first blue, caught on his first morning’s game fishing. or even years!) to do it. The water remains blue and super warm at 27-28°C. The current, which has been meandering about, not flowing at all, or even going uphill along the shelf has finally picked up, pushing down

south at 3-4 knots. This is what we’d expect to see in early summer rather than autumn, but the good thing is that it regularly brings a host of fresh blues down from Queensland waters and the Coral Sea. To page 31

This is your last chance at rampaging pelagics SOUTH WEST ROCKS

Brent Kirk kempsey@compleatangler.com.au

Within a blink of an eye, it seems that summer has once again passed and shorter, cooler days will become the norm. This year, 1 May marks the first day of the closed season for bass in NSW waters, meaning these fish can still be targeted, however, all fish must be returned to the water unharmed to provide minimal interruption to the species’ breeding cycle. The majority of the bass will move down into the salt water or at the very least, brackish zones, to spawn. Lack of rain in the catchment this summer may result in some fish remaining in the deeper holes where some of the rapids have become dry. However, one decent downpour could change that situation very quickly. From page 30

The little blacks remain a viable option inshore, but most of us have thrown the light tackle back in the shed and wheeled out the heavy artillery for blues. It’s worth swapping out the big lures for smaller ones on the way home as you cross the shelf though, as

Cooler changes in the lower Macleay will see a decrease in action on the sand flats with resident species like flathead and whiting returning to the

deeper holes, especially around structure where food will still be plentiful. Bream and blackfish are starting to be found in large schools down in the

first few kilometres of the river, concentrating mainly along the rock wall. Large mulloway and flathead will become increasingly active around these schools of

A stealth approach of no wire was required for these mackerel. a bonus black can really cap off a day — or save it. Just don’t fish them on full strike or you may have an angry little green fish trying to stab someone boatside or even climb aboard. There have been a couple of brave little 30kg souls encountered in deeper water, but they

Fiona McGinty hooked up to her first marlin on Alcatraz.

have proven hard to hook — they probably can’t fit their mouths around a 14” lure and an 11/0 hook… The odd sailfish has turned up anywhere from the mackerel grounds to 1000 fathoms and given anglers an opportunity to cross another species off the bucket list, usually leaving just spearfish and swordfish to go. The mackerel remain marvellously consistent for those chasing them, and it’s been another bumper year for both species. I haven’t heard of any real monster bar-ees, and the spotties have been all over the place sizewise, but they certainly taste good. The wahoo bite has tapered off, but again, it might be as a result of the fleet fishing wider, whereas Doctor ’Hoo has been most active in depths of 30-70 fathoms this year.

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spawning fish. Large soft plastics, hardbodied lures and live baits become almost irresistible to these fish when they are in this mode. Large schools of medium size kingfish have been residing in the Macleay River for the best part of a year now and they can be seen quite regularly busting up on any schools of bait that are present. A high tide change around dawn or dusk is a good time to locate these fish. Stickbaits, metal lures and 7” plastics are the best lures for trying to capture these fish, as well as a humble old live bait. It pays to fish quite heavy when chasing these kingfish from the rock walls, as they will duck for cover under the ledges if you give them half a chance. Moving offshore, and we are heading towards the end of the pelagic season for this area. Mackerel numbers are still fair and the majority

No better way to spend an autumn afternoon than spinning for tailor. of fish are of a larger class. Catching mackerel at this time of year can be quite frustrating at times as these fish have come a long way and have had just about everything thrown at them by the time they reach our coastline and the tail end of their run. Sometimes, it is even required to ditch wire completely and settle for fluorocarbon leader in order to even get a strike from these fish. Longtail and yellowfin tuna are around the place in good quantities. There have been some quite large longtail tuna, while the yellowfin have been quite small. Mac and striped tuna have also been in good numbers, and these fish are not so great on the table, however, they make great bait for the winter reef dwelling species. With the currents slowing right down now and the weather being fairly settled, deep dropping becomes a top

priority for a lot of local anglers these days. Bass groper, bar cod, gemfish and blue eye are just some of the species on offer when the conditions are right. These fish can be found from right out past the continental shelf into about 150m, depending on the species. Inside of these depths is another incredible fishery that fires at this time of year with pearl perch, snapper, kingfish, trag and mulloway all being in abundance. There is absolutely acres and acres of good territory in the 60-150m zones to be explored. May also marks a time when a lot of anglers dust off their beach rods. Many species of spawning fish will migrate along the beaches during the colder months. Not only do these fish provide a target for anglers, so too do the larger species of tailor, salmon and mulloway that are never too far away.

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A change of weather is causing May-hem THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

With the start of May we can now look forward to a change of fishing styles. The inshore reds are a great option for boaties; tailor, salmon and mulloway for the beach brigade; tailor, bream and luderick off the rocks; and the mulloway and bream will be moving about in the deeper parts of our estuaries.

The first requirement of winter fishing is appropriate clothing, and staying warm and dry will make the whole experience a lot better so dress to suit. When fishing the rocks, a spray jacket and life vest are both necessary as even the windspray off a washed ledge will soon chill you to the bone. Let’s take a look at some fishing styles. ROCK FISHING When I’m prospecting, I like to carry a couple of rods that will come in handy. I like to have one for luderick and

Troy Erland with two bream taken on Astro vibes.

then a rod that covers a few targets such as tailor, bream and pigs in the washes, and this will give me a few options for a morning session. Starting the day with a spin for tailor either using metals or ganged pillies can be rewarding. Try and get into it early as a lot of times when the sun comes up the bite stops. Then it’s time to change species, and all that’s needed is some small pea size ball sinkers and 1/0s and you are ready for bream and drummer. Baits like peeled prawns, cunjevoi and some crabs should be enough to let you get into a few fish. Remember, fishing the wash is the preferred area, if its calm and clear then you may find yourself in wirrah heaven. When fishing for the blackfish, you can usually find green weed or cabbage at your spot but in some places it may pay to take some in just for insurance. If the blackies are on, it should round out a good bag of fish. Places that will be well worth looking at will be lighthouse, Bonny Hills,

Koolabung’s Eddie Studman and his friend Michael Cooke with a few whiting from a recent popping session.

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MAY 2016

Plomer and Point Perp. There is a fair few spots north and south worth investigating, so enjoy and be safe. BEACHES This month when we get the mullet cruising, the beaches will be also a good time to soak a slab or a tailor head for a mulloway. My preference is to get to my spot earlier and try to spin up a few tailor, as this way I have a super fresh bait to use. I pre-rig my terminals at home prior to fishing and place them in sandwich bags, making it a simple matter for rigging on the beach. Again, for this style I will take two outfits. One I use for tailor and also bream when needed. The other is a mulloway rod, which commands my sole attention a couple of hours before the high and the start of the run-out. It’s great to have a mate fish with you, as this gives you more chance of action and also keeps you keen when it is a bit

Scott Fleming got a beautiful blue groper while microjigging in 20m of water off the lighthouse. quiet… a thermos of coffee can help as well. The beaches surrounding Port all fish well, but as usual, it is the formation of gutters and holes that make the difference, so it pays to check out beaches in daylight as this will let you know where you will have more chance of tangling with a few fish. The lighthouse all the way to Cathie end is worth checking, as is North Beach, but don’t dismiss some of the smaller beaches as they produce some great catches. Remember, formation is important and just because a spot doesn’t get mentioned, it can still produce if conditions are right. OFFSHORE This winter is going to be another season where we get to use a few tactics to catch our fish. Snapper are always a prime target and methods are continually changing and adapting. A plastic worked over an inshore reef has always produced great action and still does, but with vibration blades, octo jigs and the micro-jigging craze, we have more weapons than ever to play with. Recently, while Jason Isaac and Scott Fleming were giving the Zerek micro-jigs a

workout, Scott hooked up to what was thought to be a huge red, but it turned out to be a sweet blue groper, which in 2m of water put up a huge

Soft vibration lures like the Samaki Vibelicious were outstanding last season and they accounted for a very big portion of the catch and also

A very pleased author with a PB 52cm wild river bass to end the season! fight. It shows the potential of these lures, with pearlies, kings and flatties also readily taking micro-jigs. THE HASTINGS RIVER This is the month to start your deep water fishing for bream. I mainly fish vibration lures and after last season’s leatherjacket invasion, I don’t see that changing! Plastics work a treat along the walls, but take a bucket to throw your destroyed ones in as the jackets love them!

proved brilliant on the school mulloway, so make sure you have some of these in your kit. They come into their own on upsize bream. Astro Vibes and Koolabung X-ray Prawns have been worthy products to get into a few bream, with the metal Astros getting great results in the last few months. A tip with retrieving these lures is to slow down. With little movements it has proven deadly.

Young Eathan with his first fish on a lure.

And this little piggy went home FORSTER

David Seaman dseamo@bigpond.com

I’ve mentioned it before, but I need to say it again: I love this time of year. The significant holiday periods are over, the water is cooling and the big, black tanks (black drummer) are busting tackle along the coast. The mix of straggling warm water fish and the growing population of bream, blackfish and tailor along the

baits for the bream and rock blackfish. From the amount of scales on the Tuncurry breakwall path, I can only assume the mulloway fishing has been good, but I have heard of and seen a lot of small fish caught under 60cm, which is a good thing for the future. One significant fish of 34kg was taken on live bait at the end of April, and there have been plenty of stories of being dusted up on big fish along the walls. Along with the mulloway, the breakwall is a

Leases in The Paddock, around Regatta and Wallis Island all have their fair share of big bream right throughout the winter months. Some fish move out of the rivers but never make it to the sea, while early spawners come back in and hold on the lower leases before moving further into the lake. Either way, if you’re into bream to eat or for sport, the lower leases are the target areas you need to look at. Remember the seasonal movement of fish is the majority rule, and not all fish

The author with a kingfish from Wallis Lake that sucked down a 58mm Sebile Splasher fished on 10lb leader intended for bream. rocks makes it an exciting time to fish the coastal washes. April and May is traditionally the start of the mullet run but late starters are still trickling out onto the beach, even in to June. Bennetts Head, South One Mile, Blackhead and every other wash in the area will have a population of pigs that can be encouraged by a good trail of bread berley. The early morning arrival on the rocks could start with a spin season for tailor and as the sun rises,

good spot to fish yabby baits for big bream and nighttime blackfish. A no. 1 hook and a 00 ball sinker is all you need, and don’t be surprised if a small mulloway or two climb onto your bait. The mullet are not the only fish that make a move during winter. The bream and blackfish also take the opportunity to spawn in the cooler weather and as a result the staging fish (fish gathering in the lake before making a run to sea) are in the lower part of the system.

comply with what they should do. Flathead for instance are caught frequently when luring bream through winter; by rights they should be tucked up a river somewhere buried on a muddy bend. One species that many don’t know about is the school mulloway in the system, and May is a month they school up in deep holes in the rivers. The Wallamba River has plenty of pockets where the mulloway hang out and with a good sounder it is only a matter of scouring the river to find

them. Getting them to bite is up to you. This month is probably the last of the decent crabbing with a wane in numbers as the water cools off. The blue swimmers have been good again, and this season the muddies have offered plenty too, but you’ll have to be quick to catch them without a lot of effort and time spent. One thing May is good for is prawning for the larger kings that grow in the rivers and lake. While the school prawns thin right out it is the big prawns that make a run for it now. Some nights, in the right location in the lake, it’s possible to scoop a bucket load of the king prawns as thick as your thumb and up to 200mm long. I know a guy that does it consistently through May and the big prawns can often be seen, drifting past, from the breakwall as you spin for mulloway. The best thing about Forster/Tuncurry is the lake always manages to surprise me. I’ve mentioned kingfish in Breckenridge Channel before and they have hung around a little longer this year than others. Mostly they are caught on live baits, but occasionally they stray beyond the channel and I was lucky enough to hook and land one along Godwin Island, on bream gear, off the surface, and from the tree line snags. It is a great system of water, healthy, clean and often surprising; it’s also no wonder why so many people come here on holidays. LIFE JACKETS ON THE ROCKS I’ve been watching the debate about the possible mandatory wearing of life jackets while fishing from the

A couple of nice school mulloway and some fat pigs from Janies Corner for Paul Albery. rocks. The constant call of ‘nanny state’ and adversarial comment about “no one is gunna tell me what to do” astounds me. I wear an automatic lifejacket while on the rocks because I value my life, not because someone forces me to. I wear it because when you get washed over the rock and perhaps in the water, you don’t just get wet. You get torn up, broken and perhaps unconscious and no ‘plan’ to swim out and to the beach is going to help you. The auto vests are unobtrusive and at around $100 are cheap insurance. They don’t make you weak, they don’t make you a puppet to authority, they make you responsible for your own life. I’ve even read arguments from surfers that they are in

breaking waves and don’t need life jackets; you don’t surf in full wet weather gear, shoes, and a fish bag around your shoulders or wave breaking onto rocks; you surf with a floatation device and a buoyant steamer on. The reality is, as I type this column, I’ve had a call from a concerned friend, saying there is a search going on for a person lost from the rocks at Boomerang, south of Forster. A helicopter, search parties and, no doubt, distraught and emotionally crippled loved ones just waiting. Accidents and mishaps occur on the rocks, slips, trips and waves can all contribute to a tragic end… an automatic life jacket may not save you but it’s 99% better chance than not wearing one at all. What do you think?

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MAY 2016

Have you ever seen a mangrove jack this big? Lee Younan-Wise is lucky enough to have encountered a few of these big girls fishing the Tweed.

Crossover month yields some trophy catches PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

Make the most over the next few weeks because May through to June is always a very productive window of fishing as you have the tail end of the season for some species overlapping with the start of season for others. This gives plenty of options with fish like bream, luderick, drummer, tailor and snapper on the upswing while longtail tuna, kingfish, dusky flathead and whiting are all still worth targeting. ESTUARY Inside the estuary, flathead are still very active with the back half of the bay the best section to fish as lizards make their way upstream after coming down to spawn during the warmer months. This will mean anywhere west of Soldiers Point through to the mouth of the Tilligery and Karuah rivers will fish very well, particularly for those working soft plastics or hardbodies over the shallow flats. It’s travelling season for bream and luderick, meaning big numbers of both of these species will be pushing into the system this month. Luderick from here on through to around September will be a very

reliable target from the Nelson Bay and anchorage rock walls along with Little Beach Jetty and Tomaree Torpedo Tubes.

holding fish. There will be mulloway hanging in 20-40m of water around Soldiers Point with live baits or fresh squid

There’s plenty of fun to be had off the rocks right now for those casting 30-60g lures with good numbers of tailor, salmon

the shallow reefs around Broughton. The most important thing regardless of if you’re throwing plastics of floating lightly weighted baits down a berley trail

is to fish the dawn and dusk periods. Some big kings are still haunting the shallows around Broughton with live baits by far the best method to hook up to one.

Luke Cameron with a cracker hoodlum. Bream numbers will also be peaking over the next few months, with just about every bit of structure between The Boulders at Yaccabar to the oyster leases at the bottom end of the Karuah River

Joey Urquhart caught these beautiful bass on the Richmond river during ABT’s first ever river round! He placed third overall, great effort, Joey!

fished on a tide change being your best chance to get connected to one. The Corlette Wreck and both break walls will also be worth a crack at a mulloway this month with again tide changes being the key to success. BEACHES May is probably the best month for the entire year to chase a beach mulloway and it’s no surprise why. There’s so much tucker moving along the beaches in the way of schools of travelling mullet, luderick and bream. If you’re serious about catching one, get yourself some fresh squid or even better, a live bait, and spend the night fishing a nice deep gutter on either Stockton, Samurai or Hawks Nest Beach. Whiting are still on the beaches and with live worms you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting stuck into a few, and at the same time, pick up a few bream as well. Early mornings and late afternoons along Samurai, Fingal Bay and Box Beach spent casting garfish or pilchards should result in good catches of tailor with quality greenbacks to 2kg often around this time year. OFF THE ROCKS As long as there is some good water pushing in, it’s not going to be too late to get yourself hooked up to a longtail tuna with the legendary rock ledge at Tomaree without a doubt the best place to find one.

and bonito coming from most of the points and headlands anywhere from Middle Rock to the stones at Box Beach. OFFSHORE Offshore, the snapper fishing always steps up a gear or two in May and I managed to get out for a session a few weeks ago and scored some crackers to 9kg, which is a great sign as it’s very early in the season. While throwing plastics for snapper around Edith Breakers at Seal Rocks is hard to beat for consistency, you don’t need to go anywhere near that far to catch quality reds out of Port Stephens. There’s some fantastic snapper fishing to be had close by at Fingal, Big and Little islands as well as

The author with his hands full! Mulloway like this are on the beaches this month.

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Plenty of estuarine critters to enjoy this month HUNTER COAST

Gary Earl earlybird13@optusnet.com.au

The big news is the hairtail have returned in huge numbers and are filling up the waters in Newcastle. Nobody knows a lot about these eel lookalikes, as they only turn up once every now and again, and it’s probably been over four years since the last time we have had them move in. The funny thing is they only enter two estuaries along the coast, the Hawkesbury and the Hunter rivers. They are like a chrome eel with fangs like a dog, so they’re not the best fish to fool around with. If you want to target them, you’ll want a wire trace and a starlight stick on top of a float to see it being pulled down at night, and I have seen them at 6ft long, but the usual size is around 3-4ft. The basin looks like a fairyland at night, and it’s shoulder to shoulder with anglers trying to catch hairtail most days, but like all fishing they can take off at any day and may not be back for years. Offshore has been a very hard slog, as the water is green and cold one day and

blue and warm the next. It will cool from here though, and all our winter fish will be back again. The number of squid I have heard of being taken lately has been amazing, with some anglers saying you could walk across the top of them. Horseshoe Beach and the small sandy cay between the two rock walls on the Stockton side have been the place to be. When fresh they are a great bait and since they are in such great numbers,

I have been told some nice bream and school mulloway have come from the same two places. If they hang around we could be in for a good kingfish month. Further offshore, trevally, morwong, nannygai, the odd lost marlin and mahimahi are still around, and school kingfish are showing up with the tailor. The tailor are mostly just legal size, so please release them. I was shown a photo of a fish the other night on a phone

A squid lighting up just before being netted. Keep constant pressure on it and you will get it.

that a local at Redhead caught, and at the time I couldn’t identify it, but later I found out it was a stripped sea perch. It was taken over shallow reef, so we have had a funny month here with some strange fish species turning up! Let’s hope it stays that way through the rest of autumn and into winter. The flathead in the reaches up around Raymond Terrace have been playing ball lately, and this month will probably be the last time we will see them all year. Downstream from there to Hexham, some nice fish have come in, mostly on large prawns. Speaking of prawns, I have been using cooked prawns to good effect, especially on the bream, and what I don’t eat becomes my bait. I have been floating them along Honeysuckle Shoreline and doing quite well. When the tide starts to run, I add sinkers as I need them and it works pretty well as the water is deep in very close to the rock walls. ARCHIE’S CHARITY NIGHT In March, the benefit night that was hosted by the Charlestown Bowling Club for little Archie Percival went off with a bang. A lot of money was raised and it

A couple of nice bream from Raymond Terrace. They are moving down from way up the top of the river and should be travelling during May. was so packed that we just couldn’t believe it. I want to really thank Jacqui Thomas, Steve Morgan, Nicole Penfold, Josh Lowry, Marc Huisken, Kim Schneider,

Simon Walker and everyone else who got involved. It goes to show us anglers come to the party when someone is in need. I hope it helps and that Archie gets better soon.

Mullet run in full swing HARRINGTON-TAREE

Ian Pereira ianpereira@aapt.net.au

The past few weeks have illustrated how difficult it is to predict what fish are going to do. The tailor turned up in schools then disappeared for a while, then came back on the bite but in reduced numbers. The bream turned up along the river wall, and for a couple of weeks those anglers fishing the couple of hours either side of high tide slack water were scoring good bags of fish, with some weighing over 1kg. Then the bream moved back up the river and only a few stayed along the wall. The flathead did almost the same, with the fish moving back up the river and going off the bite for a while. I believe the fish went off the bite because of the southerly weather. I know southerlies can put the fish off the bite for a few days but two weeks is hard to believe. ESTUARY Thankfully the fish are back on the bite and good bags are coming in. Bream are biting well upriver, with bags of fish being caught up around Chinamans Point and further upstream. Flathead are being taken all the way upstream to Wingham on 36

MAY 2016

Maddy McCartney was happy with this tailor.

A 19kg bar cod taken from the deep water. These fish are biting.

bait and soft plastics. The sand spit in the mouth of the river has produced catches of whiting and school mulloway to 10kg. Beach worms and yabbies have been the top baits. The luderick are biting well up around the gantry on weed and also from the wall at Manning Point. BEACH AND ROCK It has been a surprising time with captures of Spanish mackerel made from the wall at Crowdy Head and the end of the sea wall at the mouth of the Manning. Fish to 21kg were landed, and this is the first time in years that they have come in close to the rocks and stayed for so long. Tailor are showing up on Crowdy Beach but they are small (around 33-38cm). Lures and bait are taking fish. At the moment there are many

schools of whitebait in the gutters on Crowdy Beach, and heaps of small black whaler sharks have been landed. The occasional larger specimen is hooked but these fish don’t take long to cut the line when they make their first big run. The smaller sharks are up to 70cm while the larger ones are up to 2m long. OFFSHORE It has been a better month for the outside boys with a variety of species being landed. Snapper have been caught from the northern grounds up around Mermaid Reef and down south at Old Bar. Bar cod and pearl perch are biting well out wide in 170m of water. Teraglin to 3kg have come in from the northern grounds while plenty of Spanish mackerel have been caught on live bait. Bonito and

slimy mackerel have proved to be the best baits. The sea mullet start to leave the Manning on Anzac Day and continue to run well into May. This is an exciting time for anglers as the big mulloway and sharks are patrolling the river and beaches, ready to attack the schools of mullet as they make their way north to spawn. Alive bait or a fresh slab floated around the rocks or off the wall will soon be picked up by the predatory fish. Usually the fight is short because if a shark takes the bait it is cut off on the first run, and if a mulloway takes the bait then you can take your time to tire out the fish. There will also be bream and luderick to chase in the estuary if you like quieter fishing.

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Cruise out deeper to blast a bruiser breambo SWANSEA

Jason Scerri jayro@hotmail.com.au

It certainly has dropped a few degrees, and this is the start of my favourite time of the year for fishing Lake Macquarie. The air temps are right down and the water temps are starting to drop really quickly. There are plenty of reasons to load the boat and hit the water from May for the next few months. Generally you will find the boat traffic will drop right off due to the cooler temperatures, and you will also notice a big increase in bait activity in the deeper parts of the lake and this will also mean some great fishing in these same deeper sections. Sure, you might need to throw on an extra layer or two of clothing, but trust me, it’s well worth it. This time of the year is the start of some great local fishing. I really concentrate on that deeper water around the 6-10m mark and work the bait balls. The bait is usually schools of tailor and the predators are generally mulloway and large flathead. You will find the mulloway working the edges of these bait balls and the flathead should be in good numbers under the schools feeding on all the scraps that are dropping to the bottom. I like using soft plastics around 4-6” and I prefer the paddle-tail style plastics for this type of fishing. I like a jighead with a hook size of 3/0-5/0 and usually a weight of 3/8oz if there is no

wind around, but I will use whatever weight is needed to get down, even if that means a 1oz weight jighead. In the latter case, I will stop spinning lures and start jigging them as I drift. Don’t be afraid of fishing when the wind is up, I simply deploy a sea anchor, up my jig weights and enjoy the fruits. If you are specifically wanting to target a mulloway,

huge, with the majority in the 70-100cm range, but certainly still great fish by any standards. Bream fishing is still very good during the cooler months, and although methods such as topwater luring are less effective, that doesn’t mean the fish are not there. As the water cools, the fish simply move to deeper locations like many of the

Deep set live baits are scoring some very solid fish and jigging deep has been scoring reasonable numbers of fish from as far north as Port Stephens down south to waters off Terrigal. There are also some nice table fish on offer and many anglers these days are opting for electric reels for their deep water explorations and for good reasons.

huge captures including a pending world record for the crew of Redemption and I’m sure there are still many more big fish to come this year. Again, more lives continue to be lost off local rock ledges. There are fish about the rocks at the moment including some really good

bream in the washes taking lightly weighted peeled prawns, but please, keep in mind the weather conditions. Unfortunately the odds are the next rock angler’s life lost here will not be the last. Please stay vigilant; don’t go out in bad weather and never fish alone off the rocks.

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Lovely settings forsettings for campsites and campsites and modern accommodation or options family friendlyoptions quiet settings for campsites and campsites and modern accommodation or options and family friendly quiet convenient location. large campsites available. facilities. and accommodation. convenient location. large campsites available. facilities. and accommodation. 24 large Paley Crescent 30 Gommera Street 15and Wallarah Street Watkins Road convenient location. campsites available. facilities. accommodation. options and family friendly facilities. campsites and accommodation. convenient location. large campsites available. facilities. and accommodation. flats,Valley even during the Belmont cooler Shark anglers are Belmont South Blacksmiths Swansea Wangi Wangi F3 Located on a peninsular Just a short stroll from A spacious tree filled park Nestled between the shores months and I’ll spend many still finding reasonable surrounded by the Lake, with the quiet and patrolled on the shores of the Lake. of Lake Macquarie and Scan code tobook bookyour yourquiet Scan this code toyour Scan this code tothis book waterfront accommodation Blacksmiths beach. 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Industry Profile

Uncle Ray’s Boating Warehouse is here to stay Around twelve months ago, Lake Macquarie couple Ray and Helen Leahy made the bold step of starting a new boating and chandlery business from scratch. After much thought and planning they came up with the idea to open a store, as there was need

T h e r e ’s many challenges with starting a business from scratch, and even more so when you’re not a part of a franchise or a rebranded business. But, after overcoming these challenges and putting in the hard yards, Uncle Rays Boating Warehouse is now a family owned and operated

The Fishing Monthly team first me Ray at the Sydney Boat Show last year a few months after they opened the doors and it was refreshing to see his enthusiasm for the store. When starting any business up from scratch, they had their challenges such as working out which

and demand for boating accessories and chandlery to supply the local area as well as adjoining regions. When the spot became available at Belmont along the Pacific Highway, within easy reach of locals and travellers alike, they jumped at the opportunity.

business – fully self funded, and based on hard work and passion for what they do. Ray, Helen and the team at Uncle Rays are all boating enthusiast, so they love assisting people to get out on the water and enjoy the lifestyle available on their doorstep.

products to stock, how much to stock and when to stock it. Due to higher then expected demand over key periods, they found it hard to keep stock of certain products, but from this they are able to work out what the locals want and need and

Ray and Helen Leahy, and the awesome team at Uncle Rays Boating Warehouse proudly pose outside the shop on opening day. 38

MAY 2016

continue to increase products on top of their core range. Ray said that he thought it was very important that they look after their customers and do what they

water,” Ray said. “After a year’s trade we have now got a good idea what our customers want, and this means we can make sure we have what our

quality products mixed in with good old-fashioned honest advice and customer service pop in and see Ray and the team and let them look after you.

can to get them out on the water. “We are all about providing the best products at the best prices – we get a kick out of helping out our clients and getting them to spend more time on the water and less time wishing they were on the

customers need over those busy periods of the year.” To celebrate the first successful year in business, the team at Uncle Rays Boating Warehouse plan to have a celebratory month of specials including a 10% sale on the weekend of 7-8 May. If you want some

Pop into Uncle Rays Boating Warehouse at 638 Pacific Highway, Belmont NSW for all your boating and chandlery needs. You can phone them on (02) 4945 2133 or visit their Facebook page for updates on specials and what’s new in store. – FMG

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Sea to Summit bags Sea to Summit has added more sleeping bags to its popular range, and two of the latest models are the Latitude and Basecamp. LATITUDE The versatile Latitude (from RRP $479) has a tapered rectangular shape and suits a range of temperatures. It is filled with 750+ Loft Ultra-Dry Down and protected by 2D NanoShell fabric. This bag is similar in weight to Sea to Summit’s traditional mummy bags, while offering additional internal wriggle room for increased comfort. The tapered rectangular shape is cut with a larger hood, broader shoulders, large chest area and a wider foot box to provide maximum comfort while keeping your warm. The oversized zipper draft tube is fitted with the anti-snag material, and a security pocket located inside

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Rockin’ it on the Coast CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley jrobley@iprimus.com.au

There’s certainly a bit of good and bad at this time of year, with the first few serious cold snaps racing up the coast, to chill our bones and remind us of what lies ahead. At the same time, fishing on all fronts can be red-hot and it’s common to get

extended periods of calm, sunny weather. Rock and beach fishing are the stand-out fishing formats during late autumn, and if recent weeks are anything to go by, the angling action could be outstanding through May. Every season is different, and I’m very happy to say that tailor have shown up in local haunts in numbers I haven’t seen for many years.

Try livebaiting around the headlands, bommies or inshore reef for kingfish this month. Some solid specimens are likely to be on the cards.

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When I first started beach fishing as a teenager, tailor were prolific along the coast and catching a salmon or two was a bit of a novelty. Over the years things have slowly changed. By the late nineties tailor numbers were noticeably in decline, while salmon not only became common, they started to outnumber the tailor. Overall, tailor are historically more abundant during autumn, before salmon take over from mid-winter through to the end of spring. I enjoy catching both species, but let’s hope these tailor stick around well into winter this year. North Entrance and Budgewoi beaches are no doubt the best tailor beaches along the Central Coast, and I’ve caught my biggest models at North Entrance in the past. However, any beach with baitfish present and a degree of whitewash should be worth trying and will probably produce some choppers this month. As touched on last month, it’s also prime time for mulloway on our local beaches. It’s quite possible to catch mulloway during any month of the year around here, and sometimes the middle of winter is just as good as now. Let’s face it, things are going to get very chilly soon, so if you’re keen to pin a mulloway, it’s a good idea to put in a solid effort this month. Bream, and of course a few salmon, are the two other main players to be expected from the surf over the coming weeks. The odd dart, whiting, flathead and a few different species of shark and ray are also likely to take the bait. Off the rocks, tailor will probably remain the main species caught when casting pilchards or lures, but a few bonito and kingfish, along with smaller frigate mackerel should

It’s been an excellent season for tailor along the beaches and May is definitely a prime month for them, so grab some pillies or lures and head out there! also be out and about this month. May is probably one of the best months to try livebaiting from some of the deeper rock ledges for kingfish. South Avoca, Terrigal, Wybung, Snapper and Catherine Hill Bay are the main places to try for a decent kingy in the next few weeks. I love rock fishing at this time of year, simply because we’re spoilt for choice and most species aren’t shy at all. This means casting smaller baits

reserve them for prime kingfish or mulloway bait. OFFSHORE Offshore anglers can rejoice, as winds will be a lot more favourable now that the north easterlies are gone. This means you should head back into the ramps at Terrigal or Norah Head, and you can stay out longer or head to wider grounds. On the flip side though, south westerlies start to ramp up as we head towards winter. Much like other forms of fishing

you’re after. Marlin, tuna and mahimahi are still very much on the cards out wide, along with a chance of kings and snapper. LAKES Inside calmer water, bream are still very much the dominant species around the lakes and Brisbane Waters. However, a large percentage of them will be heading towards the mouths of the systems to migrate out to sea. I would rate May as the last really good month for bream,

Rock and beach fishing is normally red-hot during the month of May. Almost every species is hungry and in good numbers. close in around the washes for bream, drummer and luderick can be rewarding, not only for fun, but it’s hard to beat any of these fish, pan fried with some chips and salad. If that’s not enough, May is also a great month to chase calamari squid from the rocks or inshore reef. The biggest calamari normally feature in catches at this time of year and you could throw those into a fresh seafood platter or 42

MAY 2016

along the Central Coast, it’s a good idea to get out as much as possible this month. It’s very much a crossover period for offshore fishing. Personally, I think sticking in close to target kings around the shallow reefs and bommies is a safer bet than heading out wide, which tends to be more of a gamble and obviously uses up more fuel. Of course, it depends what species

and although some of the biggest models are caught in the depths of winter, it’s unlikely to encounter a red hot session again until October or November. Flathead and whiting are still very much worth chasing at The Entrance and through Brisbane Waters. It’s normally a very good month for mulloway in Brisbane Waters and we’ll probably see an increase in blackfish numbers over the coming weeks.

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Anglers’ attention now turning to the estuaries ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke clarkey1@westnet.com.au

May means we have hit the transition period between the hectic hot bites of summer and autumn and must now brace ourselves for the colder and slower more sedate activities that winter brings. The fishing is still good, but not for fish that swim at incredible speed or leap out of the water or both at the

same time while tearing your arms out of their sockets. Having said that, if the currents are in our favour there could still be some excellent yellowfin action over the coming weeks and not too far down the track we will be looking forward to the bluefin as they move up the coast. In the meantime we have to make do with what we have and it isn’t all that shabby, with plenty of options to satisfy your fishing needs. Offshore, we

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still have a chance of a few mahimahi on the FADs as the past few seasons have seen them hang around right into June so you never know. The marlin season has been a cracker this year and we may see a few stripes come back up the coast as the warm water recedes but they much prefer the warm water as it pushed down the coast rather than when it slides back up the coast. A black is not out of the equation either, as the bigger ones will hang around in cooler water if there is plenty of food around. However, I wouldn’t go chasing them, as they would be more of a by-catch when chasing yellowfin tuna that like to sit on the cooler side of the temperature breaks. A massive body of fish moved down the coast during March in the hot water of 26°C with fish from 50-90kg launching out of the water for kilometres in all directions. These were from the tropics and probably stayed with the hot water and moved on. Hopefully, the currents will be in our favour and the cooler water fin will move up the coast as the warm water retreats and they are well worth a look this month. Back closer to shore, yellowtail kings will be

them off at every opportunity, and they are one species that doesn’t slow down at this time of the year. Like last month, they will probably be larger fish of 3kg or better and make for great fun on light tackle if you find a school of them. Salmon numbers will be on the rise as they like the cooler water. They should start to gather in larger schools on the surface terrorising the baitfish. The schools won’t all be salmon with the bonito getting in on the action and some solid mackerel tuna will be looking to get in on the action as well. So when you are casting lures into a school of boiling fish on the surface and one takes off at break neck speed on a screaming run, you will have a good idea of what is on the other end. Treat it with care when you get it as a large mac tuna can equate into lots of bream and snapper when used for bait. There are plenty of bream about in the shallows, so a mac tuna would be a godsend for bait and berley. Use small cubes of flesh for bait after berleying the area you intend to fish with the flesh on the frame. The same method works on the snapper, too, in slightly deeper water

If the currents are right, we may see more of these guys poking around out wide. On the rocks, the drummer are getting mobile and some of them are good fish with cunje and prawns working well, either fished in the wash with just a split

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The author caught two mac tuna and turned the first one into all these bream and kept this one for the table. around all the usual haunts this month, with live squid the go to bait. Yellowtail will pick up a few as the slimy mackerel become harder to find. A downrigger would be a very useful piece of equipment at the moment, as the fish lay lower in the water and are slightly less active. Some good fish to 15kg will be about but the majority will be in the 3-8kg bracket. Big bonito will make a nuisance of themselves, particularly if you do find a few slimy mackerel for bait. They love them and knock

over your chosen reef. They just can’t resist it and don’t be surprised if a stray red finds its way into the bream berley in the shallows either, particularly late in the evening. The drifters are getting their feeds of flatties over the sand but they have slowed a little over the past few weeks with the drop in water temperature. To make up for it, the mowies have made a bit of a run. Throw in some pigfish and quite a few nice little reds and the pickings aren’t that bad.

shot to get the bait down or a bobby cork to let you know when you get a bite. The blackfish are on the move along the coast with the harbours and headlands producing plenty of bronze beauties. There have been a few monumental bust ups as the drummer grab cabbage and green weed meant for the blackfish, making short work of the lighter gear. Bream and snapper are on the chew as well, with a little berley needed to really get them on the chew. The deeper ledges down south

and the more secluded spots up north are the places to be but most of the rock spots are worth a throw. The live bait guys really need to concentrate around the deeper spots this month with the longtails and big mac tuna on the prowl. All the spots around the Kiama area are worth a look as they come past every year, you just have to be there and have a bait out. You could wear yourself out throwing metals to the horizon and ripping them back or even better, both. Decent kings will be in the same area, so there are three large predators, and if you throw in all the salmon and bonito, there is plenty to keep you busy on the stones this month. Just a reminder to be diligent on the rocks, with three more anglers getting washed in at Honeycomb during Easter, all on the same wave. The sea was running with a 2m ground swell with 3m sets and to fish Honeycomb was suicidal, but fish they did and got washed in with one suffering a compound fracture of the leg, which is getting off lightly. The angel rings were again deployed and saved their lives and the close proximity of a local in a boat also went a long way to help. In the estuaries, it is starting to get quite a bit slower with the flatties backing off. There are a few for the persistent but it is hard work. The bream on the other hand are in enough numbers to make a trip To page 45

Rocking out this month NOWRA

Johnny Nolan straydog1974@gmail.com

I’m not quite sure I’m ready for winter, but I suppose I’m going to have to be coz guess what we are in it. The south coast of NSW is not the worst place to spend it by any stretch of the imagination, in fact May days down our way can be very pleasant, you’ve

Nowra/Jervis Bay area, and it’s looking to be a pretty good one if the weather holds it together. The squidding in Jervis Bay has certainly come along in the past month or so, with the southern side around the Murrays Beach boat ramp and surrounding waters producing some awesome catches. Just keep in mind that when in these waters the bag limit for squid is 10 per person, which is half the usual

The green Yamashita jigs in the natural series in size 2.5-3.0 have been doing most of the damage of late, but as always in squidding, it does pay to take a range of different colours and sizes for those tough days. They are very smart critters! Some good reds and some hoodlum-sized kingfish have also been encountered in the bay of late. The reds have been in some of the shallower water locations like

Andrew Follan with a typical sized Jervis bay red caught on a recent trip fishing the washes just outside the bay.

Getting in close is the key to success for this style of fishing, but a good skipper and a reliable motor is a must when wash fishing from a boat. just got to get past about 10am when the sun starts the warming the place up. May offers some great fishing options around the From page 44

worthwhile, mainly in the evenings in the deeper spots or around the bridge pylons in both the local systems, or you could start looking in the feeder streams. On the beaches there are good numbers of bream gathering in the deeper

limit per person, which when you look at it is enough for several feeds, especially with some of the monster squid being taken!

Plantation Point, and inside Longnose Bommie, which makes for some great soft plastic and micro-jigging fishing. When fishing these

gutters, particularly around the edges of the rocky headlands. Salmon will keep you busy on most beaches and there are some nice tailor up to 2kg getting around just on dark. The big draw card is the big mulloway are starting to get about and they will be

even more prevalent if we get a bit of rain and some of the creeks break out. In the mean time, just work the deeper gutters during the evenings on the bigger tides and there are good numbers of schoolies to keep you keen along with the inevitable sharks and rays.

The bigger bonito that are around make it hard going when using live slimies for kings, they simply beat them all the time. At this size though, they are great fun on light gear.

shallower locations, you can have some great fun on lighter gear, but if the big boys decide to move in on the action, make sure you have that dedicated snapper/king outfit ready for battle. There is no prize for coming off second best, except for a hurt ego and shredded braid! It’s no secret now that the mulloway are making a good showing on the beaches this season. I’m not going to give exact locations, but it’s pretty easy to put two and two together and work out what beaches fish well. The first clue I’ll give is ocean beaches with big gutters and holes within casting distance at high tide are a good start. I like not too much run, as I’m a bit of a lazy angler and don’t like walking too far. The second clue is reef or rocky headlands nearby are definitely a bonus, giving the fish plenty of cover and aren’t too far to retreat to once the cover of

darkness is compromised. The third and final clue is to find somewhere with a good supply of fresh bait to help attract these very clever predators. They love feeding on tailor, salmon, mullet, beachworms, squid and even crabs, so go do some reconnaissance! On the rocks, it’s prime drummer and groper time and there are always a few luderick around our ledges for the hard luderick fishers! Remember, on the rocks it’s all about safety first! Please wear a life jacket when on the rocks. In this day and age, with life jackets being so compact and comfortable, you’re mad if you don’t wear one. Besides, I’m pretty sure within the next 12 months or so, it will be law! Always fish in numbers, because it’s no good going into the drink and then not having anyone to call for help. Big B, the Hat on the north side of the bay, and the ever faithful Moes Rock and Stoney Creek on

the south side of the bay are some of the more popular locations, but all can be very dangerous on their day, so watch the water for a while before wetting the feet. Also, never ever turn your back on the sea, or chances are you will probably find yourself on it and getting dragged into the ocean! In the Shoalhaven River, bass and estuary perch are well and truly on the move downstream for their spawn run and with only a few days left before the three month closure to creeks and rivers in NSW, you may just have one last chance to catch and release a couple of beauties, which are being caught between Crams Rock and the Nowra bridge. Spinnerbaits and soft plastics or a very slow rolled crankbait should get you a show in on a high tide with a steady barometer. Good luck for May, stay safe and make time to hit the water. Johnny out.

Danny Turner getting one of many kingfish sharked by a big bronzie at the banks when they showed up at the end of March. MAY 2016

Plenty of fish in the sea BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

Last article we were a little concerned about the drop in the marlin bite as autumn hit with calls of “It’s over for the season” or “they have all gone”, with the constant northeasterly wind turning the water over. Then, a lack of bait got us a little worried, but since then we have seen some southerlies blow and a return of bait to see the marlin season kicking along. It’s this time of the year when we should see some big blues coming down with this last big current push from the north before the season does eventually cool off. It’s been another sensational marlin bite matching last year, or maybe even better, and it’s been great to see it carrying well into autumn. The current off the bay at the moment looks good for chasing some big blues. It would be a good idea to travel over the shelf and pull some lures to the east for about 10km, before coming back down that same line. Fishing the one line all day with the current moving south means you’re fishing different water all day, and eventually big blue

has to come down that current with whatever else may be swimming down it. An exciting skirt to pull that’s on the market these days is the Baby Blue by Marlin Magic. It is a heavy weighted jet head. I’m not a huge fan of lures but when there is no bait on board and lures are all you have got, then this lure is one to have. Just recently, we were trolling into pretty ordinary seas and it wasn’t the best conditions, but this lure’s heavy head kept it in the water and tracking, plus it was emitting a great smoke trail that brought a marlin up into the mix. The marlin turned away from the skip bait we had out and took the Baby Blue lure instead. These lures can be run in any position and are great in shotgun position where the lure can swoop down to a metre at times. Another fish that doesn’t say no to these lures is yellowfin tuna, and when you are trolling for blue marlin this autumn you can expect the odd yellowfin. There has been the odd one getting caught, with some nice sizes and numbers being recorded by commercial boats. These guys are a welcome surprise coming off the back of summer.

Now we are going into the tail end of the marlin season, you will find them start to taper off with some being caught towards the end of autumn, with some black marlin in close and the chance of mahimahi as well. In all, we are very pleased with such a great season that certainly did not disappoint. It would be great if this little run of yellowfin tuna is a sign of what’s to come in the tuna department. May and June are the months I like to target yellowfin, and that’s not far away. Closer to shore, snapper have been plentiful and afternoon bites have been great by the sounds of some reports. There are still plenty of boats going out and coming home empty handed. If you want to change that, then you are going to have to change what you are doing and usually it starts at the basics. Go lighter on leader, berley, anchor and catch livies. Make sure you sound out the area, and one of the biggest factors, which probably hasn’t been mentioned this century is change your bait. Get radical people, live on the edge, take a walk on the wild side and change your bait.

A great autumn marlin taken aboard Topcat Charters! Use prawn, or even better fresh prawns, which is possible after our great prawn season. You can also use tuna fillet, again preferably fresh and if you picked up some slimy mackeral for livies, you can use butterflied slimies. What has been working a treat for some as well is slimy mackerel heads. You can have your old faithful out or livies with berley and not get a touch, only to drop down slimy mackerel heads and boom! So get creative with your bait, sometimes sometimes you just need to make a change. Kingfish! Yes, they are on and off, but that’s what kingfish do. They are out there and you could score, but you have to put in the hours and work for them. It would be good to have them in numbers schooling off Moruya like we did a few years back, but that I can’t promise. You might be best to go catch some flathead if you want fish for dinner. On the beaches, the salmon have been popular and they are in massive schools at certain destinations along the south coast. With them, you’ll find tailor and also along the beaches have been some very

seems the beaches are fishing the best they have been for a while. You also have a chance of mulloway and sharks during dawn, dusk and night hours. The beaches are on fire! The rock fishing has also fired right up. There were a lot of good snapper caught from the rocks over the warmer months, which overshadowed the kingies, which we also hope to catch over the warm period. There have been some great snapper caught including Jarrod Ward’s 6kg stonker and we would expect that run to continue into the cooler months. Another species that is considered a winter species is the drummer, and the boys are already hooking into them and the blackfish will be starting to show up too from now on. Estuary fishing is still reasonable, with massive bream getting caught in some of our local hot bream spots. Another welcome arrival is the mulloway. Mulloway are still a fish being targeted mostly at night, and this is in full swing and it’s now that you’ll start catching them

Mulloway will still be targeted in the estuaries and hopefully there continues to be an abundance of them. I’m hoping to get some time off work this September to October to give them a good crack during the day when they start chasing bait in the estuary again. The back reaches have been reportedly quiet, with not much to report on in the way of bass. There has been a bit of attention on the trout though, and some customers out further west have been chasing cod. Mud crabs are about and blue swimmers are around in this clearer water. For the prawns, it seems the madness has subsided with a few still giving it a go. We are on cusp of seasons, and we can kiss our summer good bye. Autumn is a great time of year with a bit of everything, and there’s still plenty of fish in the sea. So get out and enjoy our lovely part of the world. • 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

Jarrod Ward and his 6kg land-based reef donkey! impressive catches of bream with a few flatties thrown in. Whiting are still a target species this month, and it 46

MAY 2016

around our ocean bays and headlands. A nice one was recently caught off Durras, so they are definitely there.

one of the other friendly staff. They’re located at 65A Orient St, Batemans Bay (02 4472 2559).

Action to write home about NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

The last few weeks has seen some exceptional fishing around the Narooma region with local and visiting anglers having a ball. Most angling techniques are working a treat, it’s just a matter of what you want to target and how. The Tuross River lake system to the north of Narooma has been a standout with all species chewing at different times. Flathead is probably the main target species for most anglers and they won’t disappoint. Some quality bags have come from the shallower banks both in the river section and lower parts of the main basin with soft plastic fishers faring the best. The size of the flathead varies day to day, but the majority are legalsized fish with the average at 40-50cm. At this size they are great for the plate but there are bigger fish about. I know of a handful of 80cm+

a few school mulloway caught. These schoolies are anywhere from 65-90cm – not big fish, but still a whole stack of fun if caught on lighter gear. Most fish have responded well to softies, bigger soft vibes and a few on bait. I expect these mulloway to come and go with the tides as the entrance at the moment is quite deep for this system. If the bigger prey isn’t for you then there are plenty of bream and whiting to be caught. It’s been a cracking season for both these species, the rain came at the right time late last year and gave the system a good flush and now we are reaping the rewards. These bread and butter species are great fun to catch on surface lures, and this is one method anglers are using to target them. It’s not uncommon to get 20-25 fish a day, with plenty more lost. Wagonga Inlet has been a little slow compared to the usual standard, but if you work hard you will get fish. The lower sections in the channel from the Highway

two hours of the run-out tide if casting soft plastics, with smaller stickbait models the go. If you use bait keep in mind that fresh prawns or Bass yabbies will work, and tuna cubes are excellent for bream. Tailor numbers are increasing in the main basin as the water cools further with some decent greenbacks getting around. Every May big tailor enter the system with fish to 3kg and bigger possible. What gets me excited though is what’s following the tailor – mulloway, and big fish too! I know of a few studs already lost the last few weeks by bait anglers fishing big livies at night. It’s just a matter of time until someone gets a 20kg+ fish and I for one hope it happens on my boat. Concentrate your efforts around the early morning tide changes and around the dense bait schools. If you see tailor crashing on top then cast softies to the back edges of the schools. Offshore, the game crews are still getting among the beakies, though

The author and Ian ‘Hoots’ Cowie with a legal kingfish from Wagonga Inlet. There have been quite a few kings this year within the estuary system. fish with one at 96cm caught recently. Sure you have to work for them, but the rewards will be awesome. The lower sections towards the boatshed area from 4-10m has seen quite

Bridge to the entrance have been solid for bream, whiting, blackfish and trevally. Both bait and lure anglers have had success, with the draining tide best. I’d concentrate on the last

they have thinned out a bit. This is to be expected as the marlin season draws to a close. There will still be the odd fish caught right through May as there always is, and quite often they

are bigger solid fish. If I recall last May there were a handful of 140-150kg striped marlin caught. Let’s hope this season is the same. Yellowfin is what everyone wants, with fish to 90kg and bigger on the cards. These jumbo sized turbo bruisers don’t get to that size for no reason and can be cagey buggers to catch, just like a humble bream on the flats. If the hard yards and time on the water is spent it can be done. Trolling a mixture of deeper divers and skirts should work, though the traditional berley/cube method is foolproof and accounts for the majority of big fish. Where they are is a lottery in itself, a lot will come down to prevailing conditions like bait, water temperature, tide and the like. The shelf is where a lot of crews will start, but if we get the right conditions near Montague Island it may be worth a look there also. There were some solid fish caught last May/June, not jumbos but 50-60kg fish so don’t overlook the northern end of the rock, it just may pay off. Anglers after kings have done it tough, as they are there one day and not the next. They’ve become notorious for this but when they do play the game, fishers using live bait and jigs have done well at times. Bottom fishing for snapper, morwong, flathead, and in the deeper water blue-eye trevalla has been excellent, so getting a feed shouldn’t be too hard. Most of the inshore reefs are holding fish, it may take a few drifts to locate them but persist and you will get the desired results. The rocks and beaches continue to fish well for bream, whiting, salmon and tailor. The beaches in particular have been good with Narooma Main, Brou and Tilba to the south the pick of them. Each of these beaches has plenty of deep gutters close to shore so all are worth a look. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few gummy sharks come from Brou Beach either, it’s this region’s hot spot for them and it’s a great time of year to target them.

Chris Hilton with his first black marlin. It measured 2.7m long and was caught on a live slimy mackerel.

Tait Thomas-Matthews was over the moon to catch his first whiting, and what a catch it was! He caught his fish from the beach on frozen prawns. Great job little buddy!

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Offshore is going off! the reefs and caught a variety of quality fish. Snapper are one species high on anglers’ lists and these delicious fish haven’t disappointed. The majority of reds are averaging a kilo or slightly better – not big fish, but what they lack in size is certainly made up for in numbers. I know a few crews have been getting 20+ fish a session, which is solid fishing, and if you throw in morwong, pigfish and the odd gummy shark you’re in for a feast. There’s been the odd kingfish about also, especially off Haycock Point to the south of Pambula. These turbo charged bruisers are quality fish with the odd king nudging 12-14kg. Most have

MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

After a busy Easter period around Merimbula, some sort of normality has returned as the visiting fishos head home. I expect quite a few will have beaming smiles on their faces as the fishing has been excellent over recent weeks, a trend which will continue. Offshore anglers have been fortunate and the bottombouncing brigade are licking their chops. Deciding on what you want to target will determine what bags you get, but a lot of crews have drifted

A rare catch from Pambula Lake, this 2kg protected estuary cod was released after a quick picture.

fallen to trolled big divers, although livebait and bigger soft plastics should work, especially if you see them on top chasing bait – which has been the case lately. If the bigger pelagic fish are not for you, then a good feed of flathead will be easy to find. I’d be looking in the 35-40m mark straight off Pambula Beach; it’s been excellent there and should continue to be great. Further offshore the marlin action has slowed up but certainly isn’t over with crews still getting a few shots a day. It’s definitely not what it was like last month but that’s to be expected with the water cooling down further. The good news is it’s May and that means yellowfin tuna. The end of autumn is prime time to target these speedsters, and there’s already been a few caught by marlin anglers while trolling skirts, so all looks promising over the coming weeks. We should see albacore in numbers, plus the odd mako shark mixed in with the tuna, so let’s hope the fish gods do the right thing for all. The estuaries have fished very well. Both Merimbula and Pambula continue to fire with most estuarine species playing the game. We had a

Kai Brooks and Dad Steve with Kai’s cracking yellowfin bream from the top lake in Merimbula over Easter. It was caught on a blade and released. morning session in the top part of Merimbula Lake with my daughter and her cousins the other day, casting smaller softies and blades. We caught 25 legal fish which included bream, flathead, trevally, flounder and snapper. The kids were stoked as the smaller snapper to 30cm keep them amused between the bigger fish. This is a great way to get kids into fishin. It’s easy, clean and a whole stack of fun for them and you too. For those after bigger flathead there’s a few big girls getting around. We managed a 93cm breeder there a week ago with another croc lost so they are there and active. We have found smaller presentations around 70mm

have acheived the results, not bigger presentations, as you would think. Try concentrating around the ribbon weed margins in 4-5m for best results. On the beaches salmon numbers are on the increase as the water cools down close in. This month should see some solid greenback tailor make their presence felt as May is the month these toothy critters make an appearance along our coastline. You will need to use wire for the choppers, as even 40lb leaders won’t survive a fight with their denture sizes. The usual paternoster rig will work, though a single dropper rig with a wire trace might be a better option with

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Wallaga bream are set to fire in the shallows BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Since Wallaga Lake reopened to the ocean back in 2009, fish stocks have thrived, especially the bream. The reason for this? It’s the food that’s available there. All sorts of shellfish can be found like

Bermagui is abuzz with trailer boats jostling on the bait grounds before venturing wide to tackle the mighty yellowfin tuna. That’s how most days start here in Bermagui at this time of year, as it’s important to gather fresh bait to be used either live or as cubes in berley trails. Once each boat has their bait they all head off in

too willing to eat a live mackerel or a drifted cube. As a bonus, albacore, striped tuna, sharks, mahimahi and marlin are also around in numbers, and can be caught in many different ways. Makos, blues and whaler sharks will regularly visit berley trails, so if you don’t already have a bait in the water, have one ready to

trolling lures or live baits produces the strikes. Around Montague Island, large kingies and bonito like to get in on the act, feasting on the sauries

the reef and bottom fishing. Snapper are starting to show in good numbers, and anglers are targeting them in many ways, including drifting, berleying or using

while of a night tailor and gummy sharks will join them. Bream are still in good numbers however the whiting are starting to taper off.

Light spin gear and a well-placed bait resulted in this good bag.

The record books say longtail tuna used to show up regularly around Montague Island. cockles, oysters, pipis or mussels around the shores of the lake or over the tidal flats. Along with these are the many species of worms, nippers, crabs, prawns and shrimp making up a smorgasbord for not only the bream but most other estuary species like mullet, luderick, whiting and those tasty garfish, along with a host of other species. Surface lures imitating prawns have been working well in the shallows, but for the best results you should use fresh baits like nippers, worms or prawns. They are guaranteed to catch fish, you just have to sit back and wait.

different directions to sea. There are several methods that can be employed to catch yellowfin. Most anglers start their day trolling lures trying to find where the fish are concentrated. Sometimes lures may be the only way to go when fish are up on the surface chasing sauries. When tuna feed on these baitfish it can be very frustrating as their focus is on those small fish and they refuse all other offerings. Thankfully they don’t read the script, and a well-structured berley trail will often have the tuna up feeding in the trail, only

toss once they arrive. Albacore will definitely turn up in trails, so have some light 4-6kg gear handy to play with these little speedsters. They will often respond to surface poppers cast on spin gear, providing plenty of entertainment while you wait for the larger yellowfin. Marlin will often show their bills as well, so use heavier 200-250lb mono on your livebaits to prevent any break-offs from them. You are probably more likely to see the marlin busting up on schools of sauries, where the more conventional method of

as they pass by the island. Slow trolling live mackerel may interest them, or you can troll skirted or diving lures. Casting poppers can attract aggressive strikes as well. It’s not just the pelagic activity that’s good – so is

soft plastics. Morwong, flathead, gummy sharks and perch are all there to be taken, and out wider Tassie trumpeter can be found on the Twelve Mile Reef. On the beaches salmon can be found in any decent gutter on the high tides

Around on the rocks the drummer have returned in numbers, and the average size is good as well. They can be taken on cunjevoi, weed or crabs, which are also favoured by the many groper patrolling the shore line.

A good bream from shallow water. MAY 2016

We are spoilt for choice TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

The Bega River has many deep holes and with water temperatures cooling, fish will seek the deep water looking for warmer temperatures. This is when anglers need their electronic devices to search out the fish down deep. Often at this time of year, estuary perch are one species that follow this pattern and once found, several or more may be caught in the one area before spooking. Locating them on the sounder may be the easy part, but getting them to take a lure or bait is another thing, so perseverance may be necessary. Other species that are likely to also frequent the deeper sections are bream, flathead, mulloway, tailor or even at this time of year, Australian bass prior to their breeding season. If chasing tuna is your style, then it won’t get any better than now. Whether you’re land-based or have a boat, there are tuna to be found all along the coast. Offshore anglers can expect to encounter yellowfin tuna in good numbers. You can target them by trolling or

cubing in berley trails, and generally the wider you go, the better your chances. For most, Tathra Canyons are the pick of the spots.

featuring more often. Not to be outdone, marlin are still around in numbers while makos, blues and whaler sharks readily

Perfectly matched to their habitat, flathead often show up along the beach.

Nice flatties will often come from the deeper water. Mixed in with the yellowfin are albacore, striped tuna and more recently, big eye tuna, which up until now have been a very rare catch, but are

appear in berley trails. If you are shore-based, tuna can be taken from the rocks adjacent to the wharf on live baits or lures. These species not only include

yellowfin, you are also likely to find bonito, northern blues, stripies, frigates, kingfish and salmon. Frigates and salmon often get deployed by locals on a wire trace under balloons in search of one of the many whaler sharks that patrol the shoreline. While on the rocks, you may like to target some of the many drummer that call this part of the coast home. Try using cunjevoi or cabbage weed, add some berley and you could find yourself mixing with solid trevally or bream. These trevally are prolific around Tathra Wharf at present, providing plenty

of entertainment for kids and adults alike. Keeping the fun going are slimy mackerel, yellowtail, garfish near the rocks and salmon or tailor, usually at night, while kingfish are always a chance on live bait. There are plenty of options for those who like fishing the bottom offshore with large numbers of both sand and tiger flathead to be taken. Out from most beaches, you will find the sandies while further afield in 50m and deeper, the tigers are on the chew. Snapper are showing more readily now down south out from White Rock and north out from

Nelsons Headland. Drifting, anchoring and berleying, or when conditions allow, jigging with plastics will account for most. Mowies will feature in your bags and on some of the wider reefs close to the Continental Shelf, big Tassie trumpeter can be targeted. Another option not yet touched on is the magnificent beach fishing on offer. The main beach will host most species which include bream, whiting, mullet, salmon and tailor but by exploring some of the other beaches like Bournda South or Gillards and Middle to the north, you may find yourself with less competition.

Plenty of exciting opportunities in Mallacoota MALLACOOTA

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

The town has recently come alive, with visitors to the area enjoying great weather and a variety of fishing options through the Easter and school holiday period. The past month has seen some action out wide with striped marlin and striped tuna about, and anytime now you can expect the yellowfin tuna to make an appearance. Closer to shore there has been some great fishing on offer with big yellowtail kingfish in vast schools. There are plenty of rat kingies R E V A L LY . S N A P P E R . E S G.T TU A PE R RY

. WH AD

around, but if you find the right school you will find yourself surrounded by 1m+ models. Fish have been caught trolling and jigging; casting to a school on the surface is also a reliable way of getting in on the action. Good catches of tiger flathead and sand flathead have been had, along with the odd goodsized gummy shark. Take care when launching from the boat ramp at Bastion Point as it is shallow at the end and the waves can come up quickly. Presently, the harbour is being dredged and this will be an ongoing process. Some good fish are still being caught around the boat ramp area. Fishing with fresh bait will catch yellowfin bream, whiting

(both sand and King George), along with sand flathead. Schools of salmon have started to move along all the local beaches, with a few fish caught in the bottom lake. The coming months will see more fish showing up as the water cools. A few good gummy sharks have been caught by anglers fishing into the night; Quarry Beach is a reliable spot. Fishing in the estuary has been awesome; it’s amazing when you see just how many fish have come out of that lake in the past two months. Yellowfin bream are about in big numbers and fish caught in the bottom lake and the top lake are taking a variety of lures. Bait fishers have also done well with prawn

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King George whiting have been caught around the harbour at Bastion Point. for bait. Mulloway are about and a number of fish around the 16kg mark were caught on a recent charter. We were lucky enough

to hook one but the 6lb trace wasn’t enough on this occasion. Plenty of eatingsize flathead are about, but getting the big ones will

take a bit of luck. Goodsized silver trevally are about in good numbers with fish caught around the weed patches.

Get in quick before winter arrives EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

With the school holidays, plenty of visitors have come to the far south coast and this time of year is one of the best times to visit. The warm water encourages a variety of fishing options and the weather is still warm. Another month will see the cold winter weather. The offshore fishing has been excellent, with the water temperature at about 20°C in close and getting warmer as you go out wider. The game fishers have had a ball chasing the striped marlin, and plenty of fish are about. Striped tuna have also been caught, and once the water cools the yellowfin tuna shouldn’t be far away. With any luck, the bluefin tuna will show up in the months ahead. Kingfish are about in good numbers with fish caught down towards Green Cape. They seem to be on the move as fish will be caught one day and not seen the next. Tiger and sand flathead have been caught and snapper and morwong from the local reefs. Some good gummy shark and school shark have also been caught.

When heading offshore keep an eye on the weather, as it doesn’t take much for it to turn pear-shaped. Good fishing has been had on the local beaches with salmon starting to show up in numbers. Bream and whiting are also being caught and

and estuaries all fishing well over the full moon cycle. The rocky headlands have also fished well with drummer, snapper and groper all caught. There are plenty of rocky headlands and gutters to fish so getting a good fishing spot to yourself is no problem.

with the early morning the best time to fish. Good fishing has been had in the local estuaries with flathead, bream, trevally and sand whiting all available. The water is clear and little rain has fallen on the far south coast. As we head into winter the bass fishing

Plenty of bites and action is the key for kids when lure fishing. beach worms are the number one bait. The Easter period is always a great time to fish for mulloway with the beaches

The salmon are also caught from the headlands and with the use of berley some good snapper can be caught,

slows down once again and the rain is needed to allow the fish to move back to the estuary to breed.

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Come and crack the ‘Coota code SWANSEA

Jason Scerri jayro@hotmail.com.au

For many anglers, bream anglers in particular, a fishing trip to a place such as Mallacoota is as good as it gets. Unfortunately for many of us, it is a very long trip to get there so it’s just not practical to fish it as often as I would like. I am hoping that by reading this article, you can get a little insight to help prepare for your own trip to Mallacoota and hopefully, I can provide some useful info and tips that allow you to make the most of your time there and hit the ground running. It really is one of those places where a month of fishing it would still leave most of it untapped. The thing I love about Mallacoota (‘Coota) is that not only can the fishing be fantastic, but the scenery is just mind blowing. It really is such a pretty waterway to navigate around. There are ample small arms that branch off the main body of water and the entire place is lined with snaggy banks that just scream ‘big black bream’. I think it’s best to break the place down into four main areas. There is the bottom lake, which is a large volume of water between the ‘Narrows’ and the outlet to the ocean. The Narrows, as the name suggests, is a short, narrow section linking the bottom lake to the top lake. Then there’s the top lake, which is slightly smaller than the bottom lake

All four locations can really turn it on at times, but just as is the case with any waterway, certain areas fire better at different times of the year. ‘Coota is a special kind of place that can produce both black

MAY 2016

to pepper your lures at, it has some really good flats throughout it, and it can be fished any number of ways, so if you like soft plastics or blades or your hardbodies then you’re in luck. It’s all on offer here.

The author’s daughter Bella with her first ever solo lure caught fish where she cast the lure and retrieved the fish unassisted. A very proud daddy indeed.

The author managed this solid black bream a little over the mid 30s on a shallow dive Pro Lure S36. and yellowfin bream in huge sizes. THE BOTTOM LAKE The bottom lake is the pick of the spots if you’re wanting to try your luck at some solid yellowfin. You will certainly still get into plenty of blacks in the bottom lake,

Caroline with one of many black bream she landed on the Asakura Lures during our recent trip to ‘Coota. but no less productive. Lastly is the section of river that runs from the top lake up past Gypsy Point.

The bottom lake offers some great options. It is home to the largest and most popular flats area known as Goodwyn Flats. It also has the main boat ramp, so launching your rig and getting to the fishing

but it really is a great spot for large yellowfin bream as well, which are far less common in the upper reaches.

grounds quickly is as easy as it gets. There are a couple of options with fishing these flats. You can work the slightly deeper waters around the flats or you can fish over the flats themselves, and working topwater lures during summer months is another great option. Working shallow diving small hardbody lures is also very effective. The bottom lake (like the entire lake) has a huge amount of snag lined banks that are prime bream haunts. I like to fish those banks that have the breeze blowing onto them, as this really stirs things up and brings the bream on the chew. Peppering the banks with hardbodied lures is a great method for fishing ‘Coota. There are literally hundreds of different lures around these days. THE NARROWS The Narrows can be a productive spot but it does suffer a little too much from boat traffic for my liking. It does have some great deep water leading up to the banks of this stretch of waterway and at the right time of year, when boat traffic is at a minimum, it’s certainly worth a throw. THE TOP LAKE We then head up into the Top Lake, which is also my favourite part of the Mallacoota system. This part of the system is just littered with small fingers or arms of water that branch off all around the lake. It has ample snaggy banks

You will find some very productive open grounds here that vary in depth. It’s a good idea to ensure you have multiple rods rigged and ready to go to minimise time spent re-rigging as you hit different locations. As a minimum I

hardbody that will run to around 2-3m deep. I also like one rod rigged with a lightweight jighead for soft plastics, and a fifth rod rigged with a small blade lure. This way, regardless of what area of the system I choose to fish, I’m rigged and ready to go. This section (along with all parts of this system) can produce some cracking black bream. I find some days the fish numbers are down but the size can be unreal and other days

Again, a very pretty section of water to fish. It is always important to keep your noise to the lowest levels possible, but for me I really try extra hard in this section to keep the noise down. It is a very calm, peaceful stretch of water and working it as quietly as possible will do your results no harm at all. This section of waterway is not really home to sand flats as such, and it is more about fishing the edges. You’ll find

The author’s PB bream from ‘Coota. This big black went 42-43cm and was plucked off a submerged tree in a few feet of water near Gypsy Point. would suggest that you have at least three rods rigged and ready to go, but four or five is preferable if you can. I have the following rods rigged. I have three with hardbodied lures. I like one shallow hardbody that runs around 0.5m, then a second that is around 1-1.5m and I like a third deep diving

you find you’re just getting a very constant run of fish with most loads of fish generally in that 30-35cm range. UP TO GYPSY POINT AND BEYOND We then head up into the stretch of water that heads from the upper section of the top lake up all the way past Gypsy Point and beyond.

kilometre after kilometre of tree lined banks with snags and old fallen trees littering this place. Many areas here offer very deep water leading up to the edges and will often hold good numbers of schooling fish down deep at certain times throughout the year. Soft plastics and blades come into their own during

these periods and you will mark these schooling fish very clearly on your sounder, so keep an eye on things down deep and persist with these schools of deeper fish. You will also score some very good fish throwing hardbodied lures around the edges. I like to mix it up a little with shallow and deep diving hardbody offerings, until I find a pattern and generally work that option while it continues to produce. OTHER SPECIES? ‘Coota is also a very productive place for flathead anglers looking to nail that trophy fish. There is no shortage of table size flathead in this system, for those chasing a feed, but it is also home to some very large flathead for those anglers who love chasing big fish in the estuaries. It’s also a place that offers some nice mulloway throughout the year. Generally, I fish larger soft plastics if chasing these big flathead and mulloway, and be sure to use adequate leader as your 3lb fluoro is not the gear for chasing these solid fish that ‘Coota offers. It’s no different to any other waterway, so make sure you do the right thing by the system and release those fish that are big breeders and just keep a few eating size fish for the table.

TACKLE SUGGESTIONS For those anglers chasing bream, I suggest rods with a rating of 1-3kg around 6’107ft is generally a good bet. I use reels from 1000-2000 size as a rule. The most important thing is to ensure your reel has a very smooth clean drag, as this is what will cost you fish if you don’t have one. I generally have two options with my line. I use 3lb straight through fluoro on some of my outfits

and 2-4lb braid with 4-8lb fluoro leader on the others. If I’m chasing mulloway and large flathead, I run rods that are around 7ft, 2-5kg rating and usually a reel size around 2500. I like 4-6lb braid and leader of around 10lb. There are no hard and fast rules with your tackle, and these are just a guide and insight into what I use and find effective. All anglers have their preference.

MAKE THE TRIP! Well there it is, my quick guide to fishing Mallacoota. As with all forms of fishing, there are many different techniques and methods that will work. The one piece of advice that I’d like to finish off with is if you don’t have an electric motor on your boat, then get one. It is a must if you want to fish this place to its full potential.

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That trophy fish isn’t far off! MILDURA

Darcy Scherger

Mildura fishing has definitely not cooled down like the weather! There have been many reports coming in of good-sized Murray cod and golden perch caught on bait and lures. Anglers have been active in this lovely weather and have enjoyed the magnificent Murray at this lovely time of year. The weather is pleasing and a lot better for the fish upon release, avoiding heat damage. Radiation and heat direct from the sun hurts the fish

just like it hurts the angler. When a 1m+ Murray cod gets been pulled up from 8m of cool, pitch black water, then is handled by the angler trying to get a good picture will damage that fish. As much as you try to look after the fish, you will hurt it the longer it is out of the water in the sun. With the large specimens, especially that may not have been caught before, you’re better to stick to the South Australian rules and keep them in the water while de-hooking them and get a happy snap. Hopefully this weather is moving on and it will not be a problem for those catch and releasing the mighty Murray cod.

Small Murray cod have been consistent on bait upstream of Mildura around Nangiloc area, which hasn’t changed much at all from last month. Solid numbers of Murray cod have been caught, generally between the sizes of 30-60cm, but the larger trophy fish are a different story. Catching that fish of a lifetime isn’t easy – it takes time, it costs money, and did I mention time? Time on the water plays a massive role in catching that 1m+ Murray cod. I used to think each and every hour I spend out here is an hour closer to that stream train hit from a 1m+ fish. The fish that peels 50lb

braid off your reel, bends trebles and bends your rod in half, is worth the endless amounts of money and time. Persistence and patience are key when chasing that trophy fish. There have been several of these fish caught trolling lures upstream of Lock 9 within the deep bends. Cast large profiled hardbodies and large spinerbaits and expect to be smashed by cod. Upstream of Lock 9 consists of amazing cod territory. The bends and snags are unreal cod habitat. Luke Jensen from GO Outdoors Mildura reports that golden perch have been smashing large lures at the

Luke Jensen with a nice Murray cod trolled upstream of Mildura. moment. They have been smashing lures up to the size of 140mm, but they don’t

seem scared to have a crack at the large lures at this time of the year.

Get yourself an armload of green! ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

A continuous trail of river bound traffic rolled through town in the lead

The opportunity to sip a brew around the glowing embers of a bank side campfire is an Aussie tradition that’s set to the aroma of a slow-cooked camp oven or a char burnt billy of gum smoked tea.

refuse to cooperate. I love the Murray at this time of the year and the awesome camping and fishing to be had there. The smiling faces of children eagerly gathering bait from the numerous shrimp traps

Brad Clark with an early autumn monster Murray cod. up to the Easter holiday break. Despite the hype and hysteria surrounding the blue green algae, the traditional Easter camp along the Murray River was alive and well.

With rods at the ready a feed of fresh fish for Good Friday lunch was planned and the stakes were high, even though a packet of fish fingers were carefully stowed in the esky should the fish

set in front of camp is a prize in itself, let alone the catch at the end of the day. A container of worms or a finger thick grub will do the job, as will a bucket full of pincher armed yabbies. All

A glowing fire and camp ovens are an Aussie tradition over the Easter break. 54

MAY 2016

manner of these are carefully rigged and cast from boat or bank, and the waiting game begins. In the lead up to the Easter break the fishing was good in most areas. Swan Hill had good numbers of cod on both bait and lures near the Floodway. Local tackle proprietor Jim Credlin said the fishing has been excellent, and with the river on the rise he expects good catches of perch on bait. Credlin also said the Wakool River at Kyalite has fished well for both perch and Murray cod. Credlin went on to say Boundary Bend has fished well for several weeks now with Murray cod to 90cm landed on trolled lures. Black and yellow StumpJumpers have been the lure of choice, with Old Mates and Codzillas not far behind. Cheese still continues to tempt a few fish and is not bad on a biscuit either should the angling be a little slow. The Murray River at Wemen has seen good numbers of cod to 80cm caught on lures. Some solid perch have also been caught

Finger thick grubs are excellent bait for large murray cod. in this area on bait fished tight to the timber. Several big cod have been caught in the pool water both above and below Mildura this past month on trolled lures. Perch have been having a crack as well, especially on smaller lures and bobbed baits of shrimp and small yabbies.

As the water temperature continues to cool, we enter what I consider to be the start of the big cod season. Crisp mornings and cool nights make for excellent camping, so from an angling perspective what better time of the year to be out chasing a monster cod along the Murray River.

Second cast with the new Venom PE 3-5 and Tim Polis had himself an armload of green fish.

Rampaging codzillas still active on surface! YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

The powers that warned every man and their dog in the land to avoid all blue green algae affected waterways had little education behind their poorly planned advisory campaign. What they forgot to tell us is that it does not affect the fishing or the fish themselves – fish have lived in it for millions of years Unfortunately, March and Easter in particular has been a write-off in both fishing and boating visitor numbers. Reports have been limited, but those who have

put their lives on the line (tongue in cheek) have been rewarded more often than not. Looking forward, we have now entered a period of cooler weather and the blue green algae (BGA) is expected to disappear over the next few weeks. Traditionally, as the temperature cools, so does the catch rate – but the quality of cod we see tends to improve. This season fishing the shallower areas has been more productive, and there is no reason why that won’t continue. Casting any style of lure or surface lures in particular will see you in with the best chance of tangling with a Mulwala monster or two. Looking back, early March saw the running of the

NOTABLE CATCHES: MARCH AND APRIL Angler Rob Stranger Matthew Wallis George Jovanovic Matt Pejkovic Corey Banfield Thomas Pinter Paul Klien Marshall Elliott Daneka Robinson Macca McDonald Luke James Scott Towner Glen Becker Jason Williams

Length (cm) 106 104 100 98.5 93 91 90 84 80 65+ 65+ 65+ 65+ 65+

‘His & Hers Partners Classic’. A huge 49 diehard teams tackled the BGA on a 41°C day to make things extra fun! The lake fished amazingly with 120+ cod measured and released. Jackie Crossley got the chocolates for the ladies’ biggest cod with a cracker measuring 70cm. Nick Dobinson pulled a mighty 102cm to take home the gentleman’s honours while Derek Blow was close behind with a 99cm bruiser. Derek and Sue Blow had a massive day, and landed six legals – easily taking home the winning team prize money. The 24th Invitational Mulwala Classic was run in mid-March in some trying conditions with 60km/h+ winds greeting competitors on the first day. Paul Healey managed to find cover in some sneaky backwaters and landed an absolute stonker that measured in at 116cm. This fish fell victim to a cast Gangster spinnerbait. To top it off, the following day his fishing partner Kyle Dalrymple had a blinder, landing six nice cod and taking out the Champion Angler title in the process. Compliments to organisers Mick Massier, Simon Abernethy and their band of happy smiling helpers.

Paul Healey’s 116cm monster caught during the Mulwala Classic. May really is the last month before w get into th bitter cold of winter down our way. Remember to rugging up, and take care on the foggy mornings on the lake around the timber - we don’t want any accidents. Make sure you make a trip into town and get all the good oil from the locals so you too can pull tight to a Mulwala monster! And even if you don’t catch fish, it

really is a beautiful part of the world and it’s here to be enjoyed. • If you are visiting town, I urge you to call into Lake Mulwala Fish, Camp & Ski (opposite the post office) in Mulwala and say

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Burrinjuck and Wyangala reservoirs have dropped alarmingly in recent months as water is bled off for irrigation, but this should have ceased by now and hopefully enough water will remain to enable the fish to survive and thrive, which really should be (but isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t) an essential part of the management aim of the water authorities. Both impoundments have fished well this year, with good catches of cod and golden perch in each, with a few catfish and silver perch thrown in at Wyangala. Burrinjuck still produces a cod over the magic one metre mark each week, and these fish usually take spinnerbaits or ultra-large deep divers, most commonly after dark. Surface lures also are now a normal part of the arsenal and account for some good fish. ODD FISH LOCATION Anglers are quick to check out isolated

As soon as there is substantial rain in the catchment, masses of brown trout will enter the Eucumbene and Thredbo rivers on their pre-spawning run and attract anglers from far and wide for the annual madness. waterways in the hope of finding a fish. Recently, some Canberra anglers

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Trout have been largely confined to the deeper layers of water by the hot weather in the mountains and fishing has been tough. A few large browns, however, have been taken by deep trolling with lead core line or a downrigger.

local Norwood Cemetery. In no time at all the area became crowded on a daily basis with cod chasers, but unfortunately the inevitable happened and the noise and yahooing began to interfere with funerals and anglers were banned from the area. This situation was exacerbated by anglers leaving rubbish behind and vandalising advisory signs erected in the area. This is just one more instance of a few reprobate anglers spoiling it for the general majority. MOUNTAIN LAKES Warm weather has kept fish in the deeper layers of water in Eucumbene and Jindabyne and fishing has been tough. Trollers have caught a few browns to about 2kg using lead core lines or a downrigger. Bait fishers have scored a few smallish rainbows and an odd brown on PowerBait, wood grubs or scrub worms, mostly late at night. Fly fishers have had few evening rises to fish to and have had to wait until late at night or early morning in the hope of finding a fish. STREAM EXPERIENCES A few large browns already have entered the Eucumbene and Thredbo rivers in anticipation of a later spawning run and more are expected as soon as there is substantial rain in the catchment. We can then expect the usual madhouse as anglers from all over Australia descend on the area for the annual cull. Whether this is good or bad for the fishery is a matter for each person to decide.

Low flows and big cod WAGGA WAGGA

Rhys Creed

Welcome to the all-new column for the Wagga Wagga region! It’s great to be on board writing this report for you all and I hope I can help share some secrets and tips that will help you catch more fish! The report I’ll be writing will cover a range of different locations in the Riverina region. May as you all know is the beginning of winter around Wagga Wagga,

to Hay is the pick of the locations. If the weather is clear, sunny and warm, than the start of May will fish the best. These are the conditions we received in early May last year and the fishing was the best it had been all year. The reason May can be good fishing is the irrigation season has finished and the water flow is minimal – this means we have plenty of big logs and structure to fish, without the added flow. The preferred method by far is casting 5/8oz

saying that, in can be hit and miss in May, but if you put in the effort you will reap the rewards. OLD MAN CREEK Old Man Creek is another option at this time of year, and should fish very similarly to its big brother, Murrumbidgee. It too will be low and clear, which makes for the perfect surface fishing location. Last year we managed to land a 90cm Murray Cod on a surface lure on first light in the heart of May. So if you are keen to walk the bank and target cod on the surface, Old Man

The author with a cracker surface cod caught in Old Man Creek. have been feeding brilliantly over the past few weeks with the low water flows. They have been caught on all methods of fishing, including fly, lures and bait drifting with worms. If you are going to be lure fishing, make sure you have a 6lb fluorocarbon

leader and try a mix of small hardbody lures, small spinners or Tassie Devils. A lure I’ve been using with success in this water on the trout is the Sebile Flatt Shad Mini 4g. It just works brilliantly on trout and is well worth having in your lure collection.

That’s it for my very first Fishing Monthly report for the area, and if you’re in the area and looking to fish hopefully this report will now point you in the right direction. Thanks all for reading and I’ll be back next month with even more great fishing news!

The golden perch don’t mind the cold weather and Chris Cotterill fooled this beauty on a cool morning. and for most anglers, it’s time to put up the rods and sit at home in front of the fire. However, with the right knowledge there is some good fishing to be had throughout this month. THE ‘BIDGEE The Murrumbidgee River is a brilliant location to be fishing, especially at this time of year. You will find on many days that you will have the river to yourself, which can help with catching more fish. Downstream of Wagga Wagga and all the way

spinnerbaits, as they can be cast tight in against all the timber that we can now see and are the most snag resistant option. The water will be clear, so opt for natural colours in mixes of greens, blacks, purples and blues. These are my favourite to use at this time of year. It will even be worth casting surface lures in against the still water late in the afternoon. The Gobsmacked Rattlesnakes and Leviathans are my choice of surface lure. In

Creek is well worth a shot. The Gobsmacked series again is the pick of the lures and walking up and down from any of the reserve access is the best way to fish. The rule of thumb for this creek is to make sure you target the snags! It’s very important to make sure your lure is running past, over and near all the submerged timber. If you find big willow trees, work these as well. TRICKY TROUT Only a little way up the hill and the trout in the Tumut will be on fire! They

Spinnerbaits with big Colorado blades are the way to go this month.

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MAY 2016

Dawn of the spawn JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

Welcome to May, the month when we really see a change in the weather in the Snowy Mountains. The mornings are often frosty and close to 0°C and the days see temperatures between 15-24°C. The cooling water makes now a great time to catch trout. The rules for spawning rivers like the Thredbo and Eucumbene rivers change in May to only one trout over 50cm to be kept. Keep this in mind and always check with the local NSW Fisheries regulations before fishing a waterway. Last year I wrote about late summer and early autumn being cooler and wetter – in 2016 we’ve had the opposite so the lake water temperatures have been a little slower to cool down. Without any heavy rain, it is possible we may see a much later spawning season for the trout this year. Only time will tell.

Bullet minnows will work better from now on as the trout move into spawning mode. After rain when the river is high, use sinking or deeper diving minnows and stick to smaller lures when the water is low and clear. Don’t worry about the size of lures if the river is in flood because you might find that bigger is better. The Thredbo River is my river of choice from now until rivers close in June. If we get rain and the brown trout start to run on the Thredbo River, then you might like to use the drift rigging technique to catch the trout as they sit in the deeper faster water. Team up a fly like a weighted black nymph with a Glo Bug and let the rig bounce along the bottom with the aid of some split shot is one way to catch trout on artificial flies using a normal spinning outfit. If you don’t know how to drift rig then call into my shop when you are down and we can set you up, or you can book a tour and learn from me personally.

start to get nasty in the mountains as we head into winter and snow. Recently in the mountain streams fish have been taken on brown or black nymphs out of the running water, but you never know, a sunny day with insects about might even get a fish to take a dry fly. As the rain comes, and more trout move into the Thredbo River to spawn, anglers will begin to chase big trophy fish and fly anglers will have the best success using Glo Bugs and nymphs. Black and brown nymphs in about a size 10 or 12 are good. Make sure you have some weighted flies for when the river is flowing hard, as you need to get the fly down to the fish to catch them. Lake Jindabyne will fish better this month as the edge water cools down. Water temperatures have a big effect on how close to shore the fish hang, but it’s cooler now and the fishing is much better and will continue to improve as the water cools even further.

MAY ROUNDUP - THE BEST OF THE BEST! Best method:............... Surface trolling early and then using lead core lines at 30m out. Best depth:.................. Trolling at 10ft deep in the middle of the day. Best lake lure:.............. Rapala ‘Pinkie’ and Tasmanian Devil pink number 55. Best lake area:............. Creel Bay and Snowy arm at the pumping station. Best fly method:.......... Glo Bugs and nymphs on the Thredbo River once we get heavy rain. Best river:.................... Thredbo River for the bigger brown trout when the spawn run starts. Let’s look at what to expect with the fishing over the coming month. RIVER SPINNING Minnow lures like the small StumpJumpers or

FLYFISHING The streams and rivers will still have good days even this late in the season, and all depends on the weather as it can often

Flies to try over the coming months will be the purple/black Woolly Bugger and Mrs Simpson. Don’t forget the Williamson’s Gold Fish

DAM LEVELS

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

Blowering............................. 40

Glennies Creek....................... 87

Brogo................................ 101

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

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

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

Burrinjuck............................. 36

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

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

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

Chaffey................................ 39

Oberon................................. 55

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

Pindari................................. 36

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

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

Dartmouth............................. 43

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

Eucumbene........................... 36

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

Glenbawn............................. 85

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

Glenlyon............................... 27

Wyangala............................. 41

(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.) 58

MAY 2016

Amanda Walshaw with a brown and a rainbow accompanied by a girl’s best friend – Chloe the dog. around the creek inlets during the late evening. BAIT FISHING This month the shore based lake-fishing gets better for the bait angler. Big brown trout cruise the edges looking for a feed before they head into the rivers on their spawning run. Worms teamed with artificial baits and fished off the bottom is a method that is working well at the moment on Lake Jindabyne. The best areas to try over the next couple of months will be Waste Point at Creel Bay and the Snowy Arm near the pumping station. LAKE SPINNING As the water starts to cool down the lake spinning will improve. Tasmanian Devil lures in brown colours such as number 48, the Red Nosed Brown Bomber and Holographic will catch you fish. My Steve Williamson orange and black Tasmanian Devil also work a treat at the moment. When the water temperature gets below 14°C, pink or orange lures always work well. On the lake, good spinning areas to try are Creel Bay, Waste Point, The Snowy Arm and for fish still actively feeding

try Curiosity Rocks, Wollondibby Inlet, Hatchery Bay and The Claypits area. TROLLING Lake trolling is interesting in autumn as some days the fish will strike out of aggression and some days they will be feeding and different lures will work at different times. Knowing what the weather is about to do will help. As with spinning on the lake, big lures are well worth a try for big browns when they are in aggressive mode. The weed beds are close to the edge now as the water level drops a little, so troll early in close with lures that don’t dive too deep. Tasmanian Devil lures are still well worth a try, and this month is the time I often change to pink or orange coloured lures. Tasmanian Devils in colours 55 pink or 56 orange are good lures to try for non-feeding fish. Even at this time of year the day will often warm up and the fish will still go deeper. Lead core lines and downriggers will still be very useful over the coming month. Remember all the photos in the magazines of big

fish caught off downriggers with big minnow lures trolled slowly? Dual depth Tasmanian Devil lures rigged through the side hole to troll deeper to 4m will also help during he middle of the day, but make sure you don’t troll too fast when this lure is rigged in the deep dive hole. The dual depth lure works best when trolled under 2km/h. Lion and Cub Islands always fish well in autumn for rainbow trout, and as the brown trout move to the end of the lake ready to spawn, Creel Bay and the Snowy River Arm are well worth trying. • 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 or check out my website at www.swtroutfishing.com. au. You can also see our daily Facebook updates at https://www.facebook. com/LJTFA.

Pre-spawn madness ramps up BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

The weather might be cooling right off but the freshwater fishing in the greater Batlow area is just getting hotter. There are so many fishing options this month it is hard to choose where to fish or what species to target. Big Murray cod are starting to feed hard before the long winter ahead, trout are starting their spawn runs and redfin will be starting to form massive pre-spawn schools. REDFIN AND MURRAY COD There isn’t a great deal of tucker around at this time of the year, so Murray cod in our impoundments like Blowering and Burrinjuck will often hang around redfin schools, picking off any slow moving, sick or injured fish. Quite often when you are onto a hot redfin bite, you find it’s not just the redfin that get into a frenzy. The cod often fire right up and are at times a common catch. We have caught goodsized Murray cod on ice jigs, small plastics and blades while targeting the redfin, so it pays to keep an eye on the sounder and if you do notice a big arch sitting below the school, you will often find they are Murray cod. Although we have caught many cod on the above mentioned lures, if a big arch is noticed it pays to have a heavier rod rigged and ready to go with any large sinking lure that somewhat resembles redfin like a lipless crankbait, blade, soft plastic, chatterbait, spinnerbait or Angel Bait. Baitos targeting the redfin should do well with small yabbies and worms rigged on a double paternoster rig. Start with a yabby on one hook and a worm on the other and see what the fish prefer on the day.

If you find they are mostly hitting one type of bait, take the other bait off and rig both hooks with the preferred bait for the day and there is a good chance you will be bringing them in two at a time. Just like lure fishing for

If you’ve never fished the spawn run before, I suggest heading up and having a look as the fishing can only be described as insane. It is not for everyone, as the amount of anglers can at times outnumber the

this month and depending on what your favourite species is, this month could be the best month of fishing for the entire year. So rug up and go get amongst some sensational fishing before it does get too cold.

Most cod anglers know that May is the beginning of the unofficial big cod season as these fish start to feed hard before the slim pickings of winter. Rug up and go get amongst some of our Aussie icons. A beautiful trout landed on one of the new Insanity Tackle Bling Spins. The Tumut River is a great place to fish at this time of the year and it doesn’t have the massive crowds associated with the spawn run rivers. redfin, when bait fishing it pays to keep your bait moving with a gentle lift and drop back to the bottom action. If you aren’t getting bites or hits within the first five minutes, move spots until you find an active patch of fish then fish it hard until the action drops right off. If you are up to specifically target the big cod in the lakes at this time of the year, daytime captures are now much more likely with the water and air temperatures dropping to a more comfortable level for these massive fish. SPAWN RUN The infamous Eucumbene River will be a super popular place this month as the annual pilgrimage of spawn run anglers converge on its banks.

fish, but once they really start spawning, even with the massive crowds there are plenty of trophy sized fish for everyone. Drifting Glo Bugs and nymphs is the order of the day up there and it can be done with either fly or spin gear. If like me you go fishing to get away from everyone there are some alternatives to the crowded spawn run rivers. The Tumut River, both down below Blowering and above Talbingo Dam, is a great river at this time of the year. Some other less crowded alternatives are the Goobragandra and Goodradigbee rivers and down on the upper Murray or Swampy Plains rivers. So as you can see there are still quite a few options again

If trout and cod aren’t your thing, head out for a redfin session. These fish will be forming massive pre-spawn schools this month and can be easy to catch once located.

For even more up to date fishing reports or if you’d like to ask Wayne any specific fishing questions

check out his website www. mrfreshwater.com.au or like his ‘Mr Freshwater’ Facebook page.

FISHING FILL-ITS

New study may help fish stocks According to a new scientific study, most of the world’s declining fish populations could recover in just ten years, while at the same time fishers can make more money. The solution is for more countries to adopt systems for sharing rights to harvesting fish, which have been effective in a handful of countries, including the U.S. and Belize. “I’ve spent my career working on fisheries issues and I did not expect such a dramatic finding,” says Amanda Leland, a co-author of the study in the journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The team ran computer simulations on 4713 fisheries, representing about 78% of worldwide fishing activity. By 2050, global fish populations could double if all countries switched to the best management practices. The percentage of fisheries that are considered biologically healthy would grow from around 47% today to 77% in 10 years. Ensuring there are more fish in the ocean would improve food security for the three billion people worldwide that rely on seafood as a major source of protein. At the same time, fishers would make an additional $53 billion a year (on top of the current value of $270

billion for global fisheries, which employ 260 million people). That’s a growth of 204% by 2050. Leland calls the prediction a triple win: for fish, human food security, and jobs. “People thought fisheries were all about trade offs,” she says. “But we have shown there can be an upside to all these things if we get the management right.” Daniel Pauly, a leading fisheries scientist at the University of British Columbia who was not involved in the team’s research, calls the new paper “excellent and methodically sound.” Most previous analyses only looked at a few hundred fisheries, so the scale of this work adds new weight, he notes. “Most of the world’s fisheries are in bad shape, with the business-as-usual scenario heading toward a collapse of all stocks in a few years,” says Pauly. GIVING FISHERS INCENTIVES According to Pauly, the difference between recovering and collapsing fish stocks is simple: a wellenforced quota system. That’s something that is lacking in most fisheries but is now working in a few examples. Under traditional fishery management systems, fishers can catch as much as they want

from specific areas, or during specific periods of time. But that means they all “try to compete with each other, resulting in a race to the bottom,” says Leland. The result is removing more fish than the population can replace. A quota can prevent overfishing, but it matters how it is set up, says Leland. Giving each fisher a cap can set up an adversarial relationship with regulators. Fishers push for the largest quotas possible, sometimes even skirting the rules, and they have less incentive to improve the overall health of the ecosystem. In contrast, in a catch share system (also called a fishing rights system), each fisher is entitled to a percentage of the total allocated haul. The catch is set by scientists based on the best evidence at the time. If the number of fish in the ocean rises, the number that can be caught can quickly be revised. That gives all fishers an incentive to use best practices and police their own waters, says Leland, so everyone’s piece of the pie gets bigger. More than 200 such efforts have been underway over the past few years, in Australia, Belize, Chile, Denmark, Namibia, the United States, and elsewhere. And the results are encouraging, says Leland. – FMG MAY 2016

Late autumn fishing set to fire up success direction, start you in the right spot, and even help you decide what you tie on. Fly anglers get it big time. For the good ones, I think its tied into their DNA. They educate themselves by reading entomology books, getting hands on study in stream beds turning over rocks, dragging fine mesh scoop nets through lakeside weed beds. Some bait anglers get it too, but most lure anglers have a lot to learn; myself included. Too many times we just tie stuff on without too much thought in regards to the life cycles that are happening around us and below us, or in front of us! The good anglers, the ones that always seem to catch the fish, I can tell you right now are fully tuned.

LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

Around the gardens the colours of autumn are fading fast. Leaves seem to cling to branches, hanging on with every last ounce of strength, but the inevitable will come soon enough, a graceful fall back to mother earth, another cycle of life will be completed. The same happens in water, cycles of life, the beginnings and endings of creatures and critters that feed the fish we chase. Understanding these changes as an angler is underrated in my books, as it can point you in the right

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PRE-SPAWN BROWNS May is a great time of year to target brown trout in Lake Lyell, Thompsons Creek Dam and Oberon Dam, with a spawn coming, the fish are building up reserves in preparation for the lean period. These fish will be travelling long distances, tussling for prime spawning position and partners. Add to that the removal or reduction of certain warm water food items and it means working harder, moving more, taking risks. A boom time for savvy anglers I’d say. Bank walking can be the best way to target these browns I would recommend working in pairs, as four eyes are better than two. This way you can take it in turns and one can sit higher spotting, and the other lower and ready to cast. Low light periods are the key, these are early mornings, late afternoons and cloudy or misty days. Wear drab coloured clothing, walk slowly, sit and watch scanning the water ahead, concentrate on the water and bottom where you can see. Don’t make the mistake of looking for

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Winter and late autumn cod are very much an open book, still so much to learn. a whole fish, look for bits and pieces. Look for things like the white of the mouth, the flick of a tail, a shadow on the bottom. Be ready and remember your first presentation is your best chance. The fish and your mate will let you know when you get it wrong! COD CLUES Winter cod are still very much an open book for many of us, still so

insulate them from it? If so, this would surely place them at a greater advantage to smaller native species, and maybe that’s why some real big ones get caught in late autumn and winter… Locally, Wyangala has been on everybody’s lips, and the mind boggles at the number of quality fish that have been caught over the last few years – a big thumbs up in my books

cod will no doubt seek a level of comfort that suits. They may not feed as often, especially the bigger ones, and one decent size carp may hold them over for a week or so, which is about the time it takes for one low pressure frontal system to move across this wide brown land. The oncoming high pressure system is the one to get on, it’s like catching

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Fly anglers are very much in tune with their surrounds, and guys like Juan Luis Del Carmen (the Spanish Master) even takes the full fly tying kit for changes on site. much to learn, still so much potential. Do the bigger cod have a higher tolerance to colder water temperatures? Does their body mass help

to NSW fisheries and the stocking program that has taken place. As surface water temperatures cool rapidly,

a wave; get on it, stay with it and it’s all thumbs up. Hope to see you on the water soon until then, tight lines.

Variety of lures holds the key HUNTER VALLEY

Peter Fogarty

A U S T R A L I A

bakerods@hotkey.net.au

May is one of my favourite times of the year to fish for a number of reasons. Firstly, it’s a lot cooler; the water temperature is dropping and you can use a variety of lures and techniques. lf we get an early start to winter, usually after the first frost, fish will start to move to the edge or will sit shallow. This is when we cast paddletail plastics. Some of the popular ones are Keitech Easy Shiners in 2” and 3”, Keitech Swing Impacts in 2” and 3”, Sliders in 3” or 1.5”, and Ecogear 3” Power Shads. There are a few different techniques to use with the 1.5” rigged on a 1/8oz jighead, one of which is to cast to rock walls or deeper edges and shake vigorously as the lure falls. Quite often you get a strike on the drop and don’t always feel the bite until you take up the slack or you notice your line peeling off your reel. Sometimes, on a good quality rod all you feel is the slightest touch. When fishing this style I usually strike on all touches, because the first touch is when the fish takes your lure and the second touch is when the fish spits the lure out. This can cause you to go through some tackle because you might brush on a tree or twig, think it’s a fish and strike. Still, we all don’t mind losing tackle as long as we catch fish. Another approach is to rig a 3” paddle-tail on a 1/4oz jighead and cast it

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Riley Fogarty with another good bass. into deeper water around 20-25ft. Let the lure hit the bottom then do a double hop with two turns of your reel while waiting for the bow in your line to straighten, then repeat this all the way back. As with the other technique, I usually strike when I feel a touch. Trolling is productive at this time of year, with the fish moving back up through the water column. The Smak Golden Child in camo and Glenbawn purple are my picks, also an Australian Crafted in magic knight or colour 44 or 77. Try trolling around the rock walls, as the fish tend to sit close to rock walls in the cooler months because the sun warms the rock. At Glenbawn I like to fish the heavily timbered bays all over the dam, because timber also holds

heat. You’ll usually find these bays are a degree or two warmer, even the timber near the Eagles Nest. While you’re there you could throw a suspending jerkbait like the Toray Dunk or High Cut at the rock wall. At the Eagles Nest you will also find schooled fish around the 40-60ft mark. Try deep jigging and also ice jigs, such as those from Nils Master, Smak and Jackall. Ice jigs should be fished vertically using a moderate/fast action rod, usually 6-12lb. Some anglers like to drop the lure into the middle of the school while others like to stop the lure about 1m above the school. A gentle flick of the rod tip will make the lure rise about 1m, and when it drops it will dart around, provoking

Anna Fazio kisses a bass goodbye. May is a great time to fish the dam.

the active fish to strike. Everyone has their own twist on this technique; some flick harder, while others just lift the rod tip 1m and let it fall. I believe it’s best to be flexible, so if the fish don’t bite straight away you can try different techniques until you find what works. The fishing at St Clair will be much the same. There is weed all over the dam, and in some areas it comes out of the edge about 50m. Early on you should fish the inside edge of the water; there is still a 5-10m gap between the water’s edge to where the weed starts. Try a variety of lures from suspending jerkbaits (Jackall Squirrel 51 in ghost gill) to Beetle Spins with 1/6oz jighead (Slider in muscadine) and if you fish very early try surface lures. As the day goes on and the fish move out deeper, try positioning your boat over the weed and cast back out to the fish using a 1/4oz jighead and Gulp Minnow Grub. Let it hit the bottom (around 25ft) and slowly retrieve it, the same as when you fish vertically. Remember to let the rod load up and don’t strike early. Another technique is to use a 3/8oz Bassman Beetlespin. This approach elicits a reaction bite, and the fish really give it a whack. • 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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Steamy nights keep anglers up TAMWORTH

Adam Mears adam.mears@hotmail.com

The hot weather has dragged on into late autumn; these steamy nights keep anglers awake with the heat and the thought of catching some beautiful native fish. This anticipation eventually leads to euphoria when that bait, lure or fly gets nailed and the hand-to-hand battle of fish versus angler is won!

Over the last month, afternoon thunderstorms have brewed up some great fishing in the Tamworth region. Surface lures still work a treat, and smaller lures that imitate frogs, crickets or mice have accounted for many feisty goodoo that lay in ambush around dawn and dusk. Even though we have had a few storms there is still very little water in our local rivers, small pools of very weedy holes have become the norm, and unless we get decent

rain soon I fear a fish kill could occur due to such low oxygen levels. LAKE KEEPIT Lake Keepit has been a tough nut to crack for me in recent weeks, and my go-to techniques have struggled to get any bites or interest at all. From all other accounts, anglers fishing deep around the trees with shrimps have weighed in a few golden perch. Another productive technique is to fish soft plastics very slowly, almost on the bottom

Murray cod tend to have very raspy teeth – Hayley MacDonald shows how to combat this by supporting the fish correctly.

MAY 2016

puffing up silt to imitate a yabby or shrimp foraging around the bottom. Those in the know have caught the odd trophy cod, these bigger fish in the 80-100cm range have been taken on large trolled spinnerbaits and deep divers around drop-offs and weed beds around the main basin. CHAFFEY DAM Chaffey Dam is alive and well. The carp seem to have gone quiet but the golden perch have been on fire – it’s not common at this time of year to have such aggressively feeding golden perch, so relish it while it lasts! Schools have been feeding actively around the weed beds and rocky points in the last hour or so before dark, and small vibrating lures like the Jackall TN 50 have been a clear standout, but TT switchblades account for a good number of fish as well. These nugget shaped goldens will also respond well to baits of shrimp and worms, baitfishers should expect some by-catch as well, with eel tailed catfish and silver perch the repeat offenders. PEEL/NAMOI RIVER The rivers around our Tamworth are looking dismal at best with the lack of rain and flow really making things tough. Small pockets of water

Topwater yellowbelly catch – you don’t see that everyday! followed by the odd larger pool make the scenic views somewhat unappealing but there are still fish to be caught if you go in with confidence, patience and persistence, switch up the way you fish, as shallow divers like the models commonly used for barramundi

can often turn these cod on in the shallow pools. Colour choice is personal, but I have been doing well on gold or browns and greens and these imitate the European carp that they commonly feed on. Be flexible and don’t limit yourself to the standard lure types.

Work the timber for Windamere whoppers ORANGE

Ian McLean

I am lucky to live in Orange in the Central West where it only takes me one hour and a bit to get to the best golden perch dam in Australia. People come from all over Australia to fish here and all over the world to Lake Windamere located near Mudgee in Central Western NSW, and it’s is widely considered a greatest place to catch some whopping golden perch up to and over 60cm. The dam level doesn’t change much, and that’s good because when you go there one year and catch fish, they are usually there next time you go. Like any fishery, the earlier the better, however, fish will feed at nearly anytime of the day given the opportunity and right presentation. The light

changing periods can be all the difference in laying a beautiful big fat golden on your brag mat or plugging away for hours hoping for that whopping 65cm golden perch to assault your lure. Working the banks early morning and late afternoon is generally the most productive when fishing this dam. There are several techniques and tips to increase your catch rate or even just land your first golden perch. Angling the boat at a 45° angle and casting in at the shore with lipless crank baits, plastics or blades is a wellknown method of targeting yellowbelly. Working the shoreline with a slight breeze has also proven to improve catch rates with the fish pushing over towards the bank following the warmer water. Look for single trees, yellowbelly like to school up in large groups at the

base of these trees. Make sure you cast as close as possible to the base or tip of the tree, depending on how deep it is. If it stops on the way down on a branch, give it a quick flick to free it from the branch. Most of my yellas have come as the lure is falling lifeless to the bottom. If you get a sharp whack from the fish and you miss the strike, don’t give up on it, just give the lure a quick hop then free spool it for a few seconds and then begin the same retrieve. Most times the perch will come back for a second go. Work each tree from every angle possible, mixing your retrieve and having at least 10-20 casts probing and hammering it for a minimum of ten minutes, trying to induce a strike or annoy one enough to bite. When you do nail a fish, keep working the area as goldens usually feed in schools or pairs, and if fishing with a mate or

Fishing around timber is a popular way of finding quality yellowbelly.

Yellowbelly of this calibre can be expected from Windamere. partner, cast in the exact area where the last person hooked up. If you catch a fish doing one thing or using one lure, you should be able to use it all over the dam on a particular day. BURRENDONG EASTER CLASSIC Tackle World Orange was one of the big sponsors of the Burrendong Easter Classic catch and release photo comp this year, and it was a good time for fishing. There was over 3,200 people in the park and 1,200 fishing in the comp, so it was a big weekend for all. It was also good to see some big yellas get pulled out of the dam, and the top three golden perch were all over 600mm. It’s good to see that the stocking program’s working well for the goldens at Burrendong, and I can’t wait until next year!

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Lee Younan-Wise caught this magnificent kingfish on the Tweed Nine Mile. What a brilliant fish!

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Big topwater Murray cod month set to explode COPETON DAM

David Allen manager@copeton.com.au

May is the real start of the big cod on surface season at Copeton. As the water cools and overnight temperatures start to drop towards zero, the big fish come out to play! Let’s have a closer look at this fantastic fishery. First thing to consider is that the Copeton winter cod bite is all about big fish, it is unusual to catch fish under 70cm and you will regularly tangle with fish over a metre and potentially even larger. Now is the time to check line loads, upgrade leaders and retro-fit super strong hooks to your big surface lures. Most of the local anglers are fishing 30-50lb braid with 40-60lb leader, and this will most often be mono. Fluorocarbon sinks

for this job. You are now ready to attach your surface lure of choice, and this can be done one of two ways; a clip or a knot. A clip allows quick lure changes, whereas a well tied loop knot is the most secure. I have been using a Lefty’s Loop knot for years and it has never let me down. I have also used some very good clips over the years with those made by Halco being some of the best. For fishing surface lures, I stick with a good loop knot. Before you tie that lure on, you should think about upgrading the hooks to the sharpest you can find in at least 2x strong. We are currently using ST56 Owners with excellent results, but Mustard also have some good looking new hooks out that should fit the bill. It is also worth thinking

rods for casting and fishing the super-sized surface lures that are used on Copeton’s mega cod, including a seven footer rated at 8kg, and a 6ft model rated at PE3-6. It pays to remember that from now on, the cod will be mainly hunting the edges, and this means at times they will be in as little as a few feet of water. If fishing from a boat, the idea is to cast right in close to the edge and work your lures back to the boat. The other sign that you are in the right area is surface activity. This is small fish breaking the surface, and they could be redfin, silver perch or even smaller yellowbelly that appear to be feeding on some sort of emerging insect. This is why the cod are in these areas. It seems that at this time of year, if they are going to expend energy to feed they want a

Rick Peel, creator of the Mudeye Snake and 200mm triplejointed paddlers with one of many cod from last year. and this has allowed the weed to establish around the shallower banks. At the moment the weed extends out about 10-20m, and the outside edge will be an area to concentrate on this year, but it will restrict the areas we can fish from the banks. This activity happens

mainly around the new moon at Copeton, although last month a lot of fish were caught leading up to the full moon. It just goes to show that you should get out and fish whenever you can because there are no hard and fast rules in fishing. • 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.

A range of surface lures suitable for Copeton cod. The Snake is 250mm long and the triple-jointed paddler is 200mm. and can dampen the action of your surface lures. There are a number of connections that can be used between braid and leader, so try and use the smoothest that you are confident in tying – there is a lot of casting in this fishery. The FG knot is very good, and if you jump on the internet and search ‘quickest or simplest way to tie FG knot’, you will find details on what I think is the best connection

about the style of outfit you use to target these fish. A lot of anglers are now switching to spin outfits as they can make casting some of the really big surface lures easier. Look for a rod rated at around 6-10kg and between 1.8-2.1m in length. There are also some purpose designed baitcasting rods coming onto the market, so have a look at Wilson’s new Venom range. There are some cracking

full meal, and not a snack. Last winter, I had a fish of about 30kg spit out a catfish over a foot long as it was being bought into the bank to be released. One issue this year will be the weed beds around a lot of the shoreline. Copeton doesn’t normally have a lot of weed due to the constantly changing water levels. The dam has spent the last 12 months or more between 16-24%

Where else in Australia would you see two Murray cod of well over a metre in the one photo? Only at Copeton.

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Fish handling how-to: importance of ice brining PART IV FORSTER

Blake Hudson

Welcome to the fourth and final part of the fish handling series. This month we take you through a critical and concluding step to sophisticated handling. I guarantee you will be taking home premium quality product for the dinner table! Experts have identified that there is an inexpensive and easier way to handle fish and avoid damaging them. These include; selecting an appropriate landing surface to eliminate flipping, wearing a cotton glove to your bait hand to effectively control your catch, and using ike jime

way the skipper insisted we maintain our procedures. The next phase of the process that was taught was the ice brine – the technique of bringing the temperature of the fish down to around freezing point, without actually freezing the flesh. Although any reasonablysized ice box is suitable for the task of ice brining, in the main ice box aboard the wet liner, underneath the lids (that doubled as sponge covered kill tables) were insulated compartments (nine compartments at 110L each) that were used to contain a ‘slurry’ of ice and salt water. This slurry was mixed at a ratio of approximately equal parts premium flake ice and salt water, and strictly adjusted throughout the day as fish

the fish. This optimizes quality and negates the necessity of immediate gut and gill removal. All the fish we exported had the gut and gills intact, and I was amazed that they could apparently keep this way after being ‘set’ in the slurry, simply refrigerated for up to two weeks. Once we had returned to the harbour, we began to remove fish from the brine before packing carefully (to avoid scaling) into bins in a deliberate sideby-side, head-tail fashion. When removed from the brine, a ‘set’ fish was more stunning than when first caught, the colours of snapper, emperor and coral trout were dazzling. I have yet to find a fish for sale at the supermarket or seafood outlet that compares. A fillet taken from a fish treated in this manner of soft land, spike and brine, will be as firm as a chicken breast and the polar opposite in appearance, texture and flavor of a fillet taken from a fish caught and dispatched using any other method. As previously stated at the introduction of this series, like many of us, I’ve been an angler my whole life. However, my entire fishing perspective was changed significantly once

Correct brining – this is the perfect ratio of ice and saltwater. The fish remain fully submerged and don’t touch. had we not implemented some careful and sophisticated fish handling techniques. Techniques that don’t require expensive equipment – (a piece of wet sponge foam, a sharpened screwdriver and a few bags of ice won’t break

techniques are easy to implement and the least we can do to acknowledge the magnificence and bounty we harvest. Ultimately, if you implement these techniques you will engage in responsible fishing practice

Premium flake ice may be harder to source than cube ice from the servo, but either are suitable. the bank!) This made the fishing far more productive and will certainly allow you much more time with your bait in the water! These

and contribute to the longevity of our oceans. So get out there and be willing to change to a better way. Contrary to

popular belief, an old dog is never too old to learn new tricks – think back to the introduction of soft plastics and the skepticism that surrounded it. Learn how to adopt these simple changes into your fishing routine and you will be stunned at the results. I know I was! That’s why I have kept them up, whether I’m fishing from a beach, a bank, or a boat. We can all make a significant contribution to sustaining a healthy future of fishing for generations to come, and it is our responsibility to employ correct fish handling practice. Once you have mastered the art of handling, killing and brining, you will be eating the best fish you have ever experienced in your life, putting everything else to shame. Make it your duty to also share these techniques, so that all anglers and all fish can benefit, and you’ll certainly be doing your bit in putting some certainty back into an uncertain fishing future. Until then, see you in the soup!

Top: Here’s an example of incorrect brining – these fish are touching and not fully submerged. Above: Another incorrect technique is a disproportionate ratio of seawater to ice, with far too much ice. (lethal brain spike) as a killing method. In this series, I have shared techniques I learned during seasons working aboard a professional wet liner off the west coast of Australia. At the time, we were being paid more money per kilo for our catch on the Tokyo fish market auction floors than any other boat in Australia and New Zealand. This ongoing result can only be attributable to the diligent and respectful 66

MAY 2016

were added – according to both the warmth of their body melting the ice, and the temperature of the water added. Once the fish had been killed, we would carefully lower the fish into the ice brine and assemble them to ensure that no part of the body touched another fish in the brine. Bringing the temperature of the fish down to such a low thermal reading simply preserve

I worked professionally. In just two seasons fishing for snapper off the coast of Carnarvon, and calculating what we returned to the ocean (around 4/5th) and what was kept for export, plus the addition of an abundance of mixed reef fish catch, it was averaged that my share of the haul alone was a staggering amount of well over 200,000 fish. It would have been absolutely impossible to manage such sheer volume of living fish,

A pan-sized snapper in rigor mortis, freshly removed from the ice brine post expedition.

Cooking

Perfect chilli mud crab BRISBANE

Lynn Bain

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taken 20 years of experimenting to create and refine this recipe for chilli mud crab.

1 2 3 4

Ingredients 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 3 tbsp soy sauce Chilli jam Spicy tomato sauce 2 onions, chopped Red chillies, finely chopped

Ingredients

Garlic, grated Fresh ginger, grated Cooking oil Flour 3 tbsp brown sugar 2 cleaned green (uncooked) mud crabs

Coat the crab pieces with flour.

Combine the spicy tomato sauce to the wok and a spoonful of the chilli jam.

Heat a little canola oil into the wok. Cook the crab one piece at a time, as cooking times will differ according to each pieceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s size.

Once all the crab pieces are cooked, place to one side. Add the onion, chillies, ginger and garlic and cook until soft.

Add the soy sauce and rice wine.

Mix in the brown sugar and one cup of water and heat through.

Return the crabs to the wok and cook with the lid on. Serve buffet style. MAY 2016

Learn to overcome your fear of fly fishing today! NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

Flyfishing has a reputation for being a mysterious and difficult art, mostly

and feathers lashed to a hook with thread, they’re virtually weightless. This presents a challenge from the casting perspective. That challenge has been overcome down through the centuries by incorporating

the necessary casting weight into the line instead of the lure. So, a fly line is effectively no more or less than a long, skinny sinker or float! It’s weight or mass is used to deliver that lightweight lure to a fish.

Carp were made for the fly rod. It’s also a great way to ‘cull’ these pest fish. The best way to throw such a long, skinny casting weight is to swish it back and forth through the air in order to form a travelling loop that can be extended and then unfurled onto the water, presenting the fly at the end of a leader that’s attached to the fly line. Get it into your head

Hey, you can even catch trout on fly if you want to! practiced by crusty, pipesmoking old toffs in tweed jackets resplendent with leather elbow patches… But the times have indeed changed! These days, flyfishing has largely been demystified, and it’s no longer solely about catching trout! The biggest trick to breaking down any remaining misconceptions around flyfishing is to accept that it’s no more than a specialised form of lure fishing in which the lure is too light or too wind resistant to be cast any serious distance using conventional spinning or baitcaster tackle. Simple as that! Flies are just artificial baits, like any other lure. However, being made from fur, fibres, tinsel

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4-weight to 9-weight range. Fly lines also have differing densities so they either float, or sink at varying rates. An ‘intermediate’ line (which sinks quite slowly) is a great all-rounder for anything other than dry flyfishing for trout. With a 6 or 7-weight outfit carrying an intermediate line you could happily target trout, bass, redfin, carp, bream, flathead, whiting, trevally, mullet, luderick, tailor, Australian salmon, garfish, pike and a whole bunch of other common targets. So, if you’ve been put off having a crack at flyfishing because of all the hype surrounding it, think

Flathead love a fly, especially one presented close to the bottom.

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lure casting tackle. Fly rods are generally long (2.53.5m) and have a slow, progressive taper. And that fat fly line along with some backing (in case you hook a whopper) is best stored on a simple, centrepin reel with either a drag or at least a clicker to stop it spinning too freely and spewing out line. Fly lines come in varying weights (designated from 0-20 weight) and rods are made to match them, just as our spin rods are best suited to a specific range of lure or sinker weights. Heavier fly lines are best for casting large, bulky flies, especially on windy days.

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that this is the real crux of flyfishing – not the generations of tradition, nor the reams of literature surrounding this branch of the sport. While this description may offend some ‘purists’, flyfishing is no more or less than lure fishing with ultralight lures! And while flyfishing originally developed in the Old World to catch trout and salmon, it’s equally applicable to any other fish — in fresh or salt water — that will eat a lure. I’ve literally targeted everything from mullet to marlin on fly! Granted, the gear needed is a little different to our standard

Catching big bream on flies is challenging, but also incredibly rewarding! But the majority of fishing you’re likely to do (in fresh or salt water) will be easily covered by an outfit in the

again! It’s no more than another way of skinning the same old catfish… and it’s great fun!

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TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2016 MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

Apr 30-May 1

Bayford Volkswagon Bream Classic Mallacoota

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

May 7

Central Coast Mini Bucks Hawkesbury River

Michael Shaw 0431344656

May 7-8

BASS Electric #3 Toonumbar Dam

Adrian Melchior 0415 587 900

May 14-15

Central West TackleWorld Fishing Masters Rnd 3 Wyangala State Park

Ian McLean 0478083066

May 15

Rnd 7 Hobie Kayak BREAM series St Georges Basin

www.hobiefishing.com.au

May 21-11

SCFCA Rock Berry

southcoastfca@yahoo.com.au

Jun TBA

Kings of the Lake Classic Lake St Clair

Michael Shaw 0431344656

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 11-12

Malua Bay Fishing Competition Malua Bay

Andrew Turner 02 4471 3979 or 0415 652 345 www.maluabayclub.com.au

Jun 16-17

BASS Pro Qualifier #4 Boondooma

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 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

Aug 27-28

Rnd 12 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Wallis Lake

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Aug 27-28

BASS Electric #5 Borumba Dam

Steve Noble 0409 239 065

Sept 3-4

Central West TackleWorld Fishing Masters Rnd 5 Lake Burrendong

Ian McLean 0478083066

Sept 10-11

Rnd 13 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Nelson

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Sept 10-11

BASS Pro Grand Final Bjelke-Petersen or Borumba

www.abt.org.au

Sept 17

Central Coast Mini Bucks Brisbane Waters

Michael Shaw 0431344656

Sept 25

BASS Electric #6 Lake St Clair

Daniel Clancy 0419 690 418

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. MAY 2016

Austackle Lakes Entrance Flathead Classic FMG

Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

The Labour Day long weekend in March saw the Austackle Lakes Entrance Flathead Classic held for its third year. Run by the Lakes Entrance Game

winner as it has something for everyone, regardless of skill level or age. A BIT OF TIME ON THE WATER I was lucky enough to have a fish at Lake Tyers on the second day of the competition. Lindsay and Steven Pryke generously agreed to have me on board

and distinct drop-offs, so hopefully our luck would change. And change it did, as Lindsay very quietly let us know he was on. Lindsay wasn’t giving much away, but it was pretty obvious it was a good fish. Using just 6lb leader, it took a while to get the fish into the net range. There was a sense of relief and exhilaration as an 88.5cm monster flathead was safely lead into the net. Amazingly, this massive fish had taken a small Ecogear ZX lure in black knight colour in about 6ft of water. Finally things went our way and we consistently picked up fish until our fishing time was up. I snuck in a 51cm flatty, while

Team Tyers Tryers won the overall event for the third year in a row. Tyers with his Pa, Barry Smith. They were casting and slow rolling lures across the many shallows of the lake. Barry had

already caught a 71cm fish when Conner hooked up. His Bass-X lure got smashed in pretty shallow water and it took more than

Lindsay Pryke with his 88.5cm flathead caught in Lake Tyers. It was the largest fish caught in this year’s event. and Sport Fishing Club, the event, as the name suggests, targets flathead in the waterways of Lakes Entrance and Lake Tyers. It is a catch and release event open to all types of fishing. Teams can be up to four people, with the four largest fish length counting towards the final result – the largest average length per four fish bag is the overall winning team. There are also many other prizes on offer, such as the largest fish per day, junior winners and a mystery length prize. This tournament is a real

MAY 2016

for the day and show me around the lake. I had not fished Lake Tyers before and its reputation as a big flathead fishery had me pretty excited. We were met by overcast conditions and misty rain, but this didn’t dampen the enthusiasm on board. Steven quickly got the first fish and followed it up with a few fish that were not the target species. The first hour had been a bit slow so we headed to a bay that had a rocky point at each end. There were lots of little patches of weed

Conner Talbot was stoked to catch his 67cm fish while fishing with his Pa Barry Smith. Steven added a couple more about the same size. Our team total was a healthy 60cm average for the day. Lindsay’s fish ended up being the largest fish for the competition – well done Lindsay and thank you for getting me out on the water. LARGEST FLATHEAD – JUNIOR In a hotly contested Junior section, Conner Talbot took out the largest flathead by 1cm from Paige Hamilton. I had a quick chat with Conner and he was pretty excited to catch the biggest flathead at 67cm. He was fishing Lake

Winners are grinners, Conner Talbot with the spoils, after catching the largest flathead caught by a junior in the event.

There were plenty of prizes and giveaways for the kids who entered and they were pretty happy about it too.

Paige Hamilton caught the second biggest flathead in the Junior section of the Classic. At 66cm it was only 1cm behind the biggest caught. RESULTS Top Team Lake Tyers Tryers Largest Whiting Lindsay Pryke

38cm

Top 3 Junior 1st 2nd 3rd

Conner Talbot Paige Hamilton Jackson Smith

67cm 66cm 61cm

Top 3 Senior 1st 2nd 3rd

Lindsay Pryke John Burke Ashley Harley

88.5cm 87.5cm 85cm

10 minutes before Pa was able to slip the net under it. A few quick photos and his beautiful fish was released to fight another day. Conner said they had a great day, with Barry getting another good fish later in the session. He said he couldn’t wait to get out and fish in the comp again next year. TEAMS WINNERS Team Tyers Tryers made it a ‘th-repeat’, for the third year in a row they took out the Overall Team winners’ trophy with an average fish size of 67.5cm. The team consisted of John Bourke, John King, Ray Schmidt and Vic Forugla, who enjoyed fishing the tournament and targeted the larger flathead using live baits or pilchard cubes. LOOKING FORWARD TO 2017 The committee of the Lakes Entrance Game and Sport Fishing Club is looking forward to this event becoming bigger and better as their membership grows and the word gets out there. There is no doubt that the fishery is exceptional and with the ongoing support of great sponsors like Austackle, success is almost guaranteed. To find out more about the clubs events go to www. legsfc.com.au or contact the club on 0497 432 982

Many of the competitors stayed for the presentations, enjoying a sausage sizzle and a chance to win a prize in the raffles.

Steven Pryke with a solid Lake Tyers flathead.

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2016 Riverina Classic Catch and Release comp The third annual Riverina Classic Catch and Release fishing competition was held over three days on Valentine’s Day weekend in February. Anglers headed to the banks of the Murrumbidgee River

weekend featuring helicopter flights, catering, kids’ activities, lure casting competitions, boat displays, major raffle draw, release of native fingerlings, river train rides and much more.

assistance to those living with the disease. Over 7000 Murray cod and golden perch fingerlings were also released at the closure of the competition in order to help secure a sustainable fishing future

An aerial view of Darlington Point township.

An aerial view of the venue for this year’s Riverina Classic, Lions Park. at Darlington Point in the Riverina NSW, located 30km south of Griffith and 150km west of Wagga Wagga. The Riverina Classic is designed to cater as a complete family event

The event transpired to be a great success again this year with $20,000 donated to Motor Neurone Disease NSW and the local Griffith support group for MND, who service a large section of the Riverina, providing

in the Murrumbidgee River ecosystem. This year the competition was designed to run as a photograph entry competition in order to minimise any negative effects on fish welfare

and cumulative length. Each category had both Junior and Senior sections and every single junior that entered the comp went home with a prize. Jack Smith and Brodie Kenningale took the crown of Senior and Junior Champion Angler respectively for 2016. This year we also delivered a prize for the best represented fishing club in attendance with Griffith Northside Leagues Fishing Club taking home $1,000 cash to put towards their club. The Riverina Classic offers one of the largest prize pools for inland fishing competitions in New South Wales with $50,000 worth of prizes given out over the three day event. The major prizes that were given out as part of the raffle draw included

a $10,000 Flight Centre Holiday Voucher, won by local entrant Jeanette Bagatella of Griffith; a platinum 40L Engel fridge package and a Weber Q BBQ. Lucky entrants in the fishing competition went in to the draw to win a complete Stacer 399 Proline Angler Boat with 2-stroke 30hp Mercury motor and trailer package, with Andrew Kocaj taking home the goods. Additionally the committee was able to give away an additional lucky entrant prize of a Stacer 3.5m punt and motor package to winner Trent Royston during presentations, thanks to Griffith Marine Centre. Thanks to the sponsors, they were also able to giveaway a dinner and movie Valentines package and a getaway, including

flights to Mungo Lodge, in the Mungo National Park, NSW. Thanks to everyone who entered, helped out, attended the weekend and had fun! The event was made possible by the hard work and dedication of volunteers from the Riverina Classic Fishing competition and their partners and friends who help organize the weekend. The event would not have taken place without the generosity of all our sponsors whose support will help ensure the community and the event continue to thrive. We hope to see you all at next year’s competition 10-12 February 2017. For more information on the Riverina Classic Fishing Competition weekend like us on Facebook or visit www.riverinaclassic.com - Riverina Classic

The lucky entrant prizes were very impressive.

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MAY 2016

and ensure anglers have maximum opportunity to chase that elusive big one, with entries coming in around the clock over the weekend. Overall there were 500 entrants into the competition, with a total of 94 fish of legal size entered over the weekend. Categories in the competition included: Biggest Yellowbelly, Biggest Cod, Biggest Carp

Over 7000 Murray cod and golden perch fingerlings were also released at the closure of the competition.

IES CTRIC SER E L E S S A B Competitors were greeted with cloudy skies for the first round of the 2016 Bluefin/ePropulsion BASS Electric Series. Throughout the session anglers were subjected to numerous squalls, but this did nothing to dampen the mood of what was a fantastic event. Anglers that adapted to these conditions reaped the rewards, with 41 bass brought to the scales with an average weight of 705g â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a fantastic average for this fishery.

Thorley throws onetwo punch for victory

Taking out top honours amongst was ABT veteran Tony Thorley with a 2/2 limit for 1.77kg. Thorley targeted fish in the back of a weedchoked bay, where he used the overcast conditions to his advantage. Throwing a top-water presentation of a Jackall Mask Frog, Thorley would cast the lure deep into the water lilies and work the lure slowly, waiting for a bass to explode from underneath the vegetation. Once his surface bite had slowed, Thorley moved to the

THE FUTURE IS HERE Self-contained Electric Outboards

Tony Thorley took out top honours on what was a rainy and overcast day at Clarrie Hall Dam. edge of the weed and worked a small jerkbait, namely an Imakatsu RipRizer, which helped him capture a few late upgrades, one of which was the events big bass of 950g. Thorley relied on a Daiwa Zero rod, paired with a Daiwa Luvias spooled with Toray Light Jigging PE to present his offerings to the hungry bass.

2015 Clarrie Hall champion, Chesley Lennon, took out second place, missing out on the top spot by the smallest measureable margin, a mere 10g. Weighing a 2/2 limit for 1.76kg, Chesley targeted a small area in the middle reaches of the lake were he worked a small section of bank with two techniques.

ABT veteran Jack Gold finished in third place.

WINNING NOTES

Winning Tackle

Rod: Daiwa Zero Reel: Daiwa Luvias 2000 Line: Toray Light Jigging PE Lure: Jackall Mask Frog, Imakatsu RipRizer 60

Winning Ways

Thorley identified the surface bite was only active when the clouds and rain were present, as soon as this ended, he quickly switched to the subsurface jerk bait presentation to secure a few late upgrades.

Sue Barber claimed fifth place out of a field of 45 anglers.

RESULTS Place

Angler

Fish Weight Big Bass

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Tony Thorley Chez Lennon Jack Gold Ben Biggs Sue Barber Chris Osley Matt Johnson Alex Roy Dean Thompson Trent Jepson

2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2

1.77 1.76 1.70 1.67 1.49 1.46 1.45 1.43 1.42 1.40

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

0.95 0.92 0.94

He opted to fish a OSP I-Waver when the clouds would come over and then switched to a deep Jackall Chubby when the sun would burn through the clouds. Jack Gold took out third place with 2/2 for 1.70kg. Jack fished the upper reaches of the lake to find his limit. Jack positioned his boat so he could target the small weed pockets with his Mazzy Popper, catching plenty of fish off the surface to great success.

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888. MAY 2016

Cone grubs his way to victory CE 1ST PLA For Willow Tree’s Mitchell Cone, October last year at Glenbawn was both a day of heartbreak and joy. Joy that his long-time friend and camping partner Peter Phelps had just punched his ticket to the USA as the 2015 ABT BASS Pro Grand Final winner, and heartbreak as he relinquished his overnight lead, struggling to find the big bites that had come so easily in sessions one and two. Fast forward to March 2016, and Cone has taken one back, coming from second place to dethrone Phelps and claim his maiden ABT BASS Pro victory as champion of the BassCat Lake Glenbawn BASS Pro round. Weighing a full 12/12, 11.65kg limit in

THE FUTURE IS HERE Self-contained Electric Outboards

the new shared-weight format, Cone’s margin of victory was over 300g. Cone rode the deep bite all the way to the top of the podium, by targeting fish staging in 45-55ft of water inside Glenbawn’s timber ridden main basin. Cone relied on the vertical presentation of a single tail grub plastic slowly wound off the bottom to trigger active fish to bite. A 2.25” Pontoon 21 Pillo Grub and a 3” Berkley Minnow Grub were his lures of choice, matched to Bassman jigheads in 1/4oz and 1/8oz. Cone is a big believer in finding new fish for every session, especially after his fish eluded him in the final session of the 2015 BASS Pro Grand Final. Rather than staying stationary, Cone prefers to move very slowly along the depth line he is targeting, pitching his lure ahead of his boat 20-30ft and moving over the top of the lure by the time it has sunk to the bottom.

This was Mitchell Cone’s first ABT BASS Pro victory, and he was understandably excited.

“I think finding fresh fish was the key this weekend,” said Cone. “I’ve been caught out in the past and even a few weeks ago trying to make fish bite, when I should have kept moving and found active fish.” Contrary to the popular

The moment of victory! theory ‘fish light – get the bite,’ Cone prefers to fish heavier to ensure every bass he hooks has maximum chance of landing into the livewell. “I don’t think you need to go down to 3-4lb leaders to make these fish bite. I think if you were sitting over the same fish constantly it may make a difference but with the way I fish, I’m constantly over new fish, so I prefer to fish heavier to make sure I don’t lose them in the trees.”

Slow roll retrieve

MAY 2016

opts to spool the reel with 4lb Fireline Crystal braided line and finishes it with a 6lb Gamma fluorocarbon leader. “The key is to find fish sitting close to the bottom in 45-55ft,” said Cone, adding that getting fish to follow his lure to the bottom was usually a good indication that the fish were active and he would be able to make them bite. The technique to turn follows into bites was fairly simple, a dead slow roll off the bottom, just

Damiki and Berkley Grubs ruled for Cone at Glenbawn.

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

Cone’s preferred outfit for the technique is a Millerods Finesse Freak spin rod, paired with a small 1000 size Shimano Rarenium spinning reel. “I like the smaller 1000 size reel because it forces me to slow down,” Cone said. He

fast enough to make the curl tail of the plastic swim. “The Pillo Grub swims straight out of the packet,” Cone said. “It’s got a super thin tail and it works great, the Gulp on the other hand needs a bit of work.” Mitch trims his Gulp Minnow Grubs just behind the eyes, then thins the tail out by cutting a crescent moon shape out of the inside of the curl, this allows the plastic to swim at much slower speeds, which entices more bites. Mitchell was a fan of the new shared-weight format, saying it was rewarding to share information with his non-boaters and together maximise their chance of the biggest bag possible. He credits his non-boaters Cameron Ley and Brenden Pieschel for their assistance over the weekend. Mitchell would like to thank Searing Tackle and McKnight Signs for their support.

Phelps relegated to runner-up position CE 2ND PLA 2015 BASS Pro Grand Final champion Peter Phelps was relegated to runner-up position after taking the lead into the

final session. For Phelps, second place was as good as a win, watching good friend Mitchell Cone take the title. Capturing a full 12/12 limit for 11.34kg Phelps took home $1,100 and continued his unbelievable record in ABT events at Glenbawn, having finished 1st, 1st, 3rd, 4th, 1st and now a 2nd in his last six ABT BASS Pro outings on the dam.

Phelps employed the same pattern as event champion Mitchell Cone, targeting fish holding close to the bottom in 50ft of water. Again like Mitchell, Phelps chose to stay in the main basin where he found the majority of his fish. “Most of the fish seemed to be in the basin in that 50ft depth, so I just knuckled down and focused all my attention there,” said Phelps. He relied on a Berkley 3” Minnow Grub in black colour, paired with a black 1/4oz Bassman jighead, which he pitched ahead of the boat to try to maximise his chances of being bit on the drop. “The idea behind pitching the lure ahead of the boat is to try and stop the lure spiralling as much as possible on the way down,” said Phelps. “The drag of the line on the surface pulling from the reel helps prevent the lure from spiralling. Combined with the shape of the Bassman head, it’s the perfect way to get bit on the drop.”

Peter Phelps finished runner-up and continued his hot run at ABT events on Lake Glenbawn.

It also means Phelps is constantly presenting his lure to new fish, a trait he had in common with event winner Cone. Phelps’ equipment consisted of a 2000 size Daiwa spinning reel, matched to a 13 Fishing ENVY Black 71LM rod. He spooled the reel with 8lb Amigo Plus braid and topped it with a long 6lb Gamma Fluorocarbon leader. “I like a long leader length when I’m fishing like this,” Phelps explained, “I also like to colour the first 20ft or so of my braid from bright orange to black with a permanent marker, just to help it disappear.” Phelps was paired with non-boater champion Joshua Higgs on day one, and fished with long time ABT BREAM Series non-boater Rebecca Fazio on day two. The new format is definitely indicative of the ‘Who Shares Wins’ motto of ABT, and Phelps proved that at the opening round by giving both his non-boaters a crash course in deep grubbing to help them all towards the

biggest four fish bag possible each session. “I definitely wouldn’t be in this position without the help of Rebecca and Joshua, and to see Josh come away

with the win after our first day is just as rewarding for me as my second place finish,” said Phelps.

Tim Oakley claimed the Austackle Big Bass award in his first ABT BASS Pro event as a boater.

Higgs takes out non-boater title

WINNING NOTES

Austackle Big Bass

Another ABT newcomer Tim Oakley bagged the Austackle Big Bass of the event with a 1.4kg brute. Oakley caught the Big Bass on a Berkley Minnow Grub rigged on a 1/4oz Bassman jighead in 50ft of water on a main basin rock wall. Oakley lent on the bass with a 13 Fishing ENVY Black 71LM rod paired with a Daiwa 2500 Freams. Oakley took home $500 cash for his efforts and ended the event in 10th place.

-BOATER 1ST NON Joshua Higgs from Dubbo, NSW took out the non-boater title with the largest 12/12 fish limit of the whole tournament weighing an impressive 11.82kg. Fishing with Peter Phelps on day one and Brian Everingham on day two, Higgs knuckled down on the deep grub bite for the entire tournament to take home the win and an impressive bundle of swag courtesy of ABT sponsors. “I had prepared to fish the deep grub bite coming down to Glenbawn, so I was ready when Peter and Brian said that would be our main tactic over the course of the weekend,” said Higgs. He

BASS

Presente SERIES d by Bas sCat

Winning Tackle

Rod: Millerod FinesseFreak Reel: Shimano Rarenium 1000 Line: 4lb Fireline Crystal Leader: 6lb Gamma Fluorocarbon Leader Lure: Pontoon 21 Pillo Grub, Berkley Gulp Minnow Grub

Winning Ways

Cone was always on the move, looking for active fish and fish that hadn’t been pressured. Slowly working along the 50ft contour line, Cone would pitch cast his plastic out in front of the boat allowing his boat to slowly move so that it was directly over his lure by the time it reached the bottom.

Non-boater champion Joshua Higgs (left) bagged some great fish over the course of the weekend. Like these specimens for session three with Brian Everingham. used the ever-popular Berkley Minnow Grub (again in black) to catch fish between 45-65ft of water. “I really committed to fishing vertical all weekend,

and trying to get those fish to follow my grub to the bottom was the key, if I could do that, I knew I had a good chance of getting a bite.” There was no better start

to his ABT career, winning the first event he attended. With the win, Higgs secures himself a start in the BassCat BASS Pro Grand Final slated for 10-11 September.

TOP 10 BOATERS

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

Place

Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mitchell CONE Peter PHELPS Mark FERGUSON Craig SIMMONS Simon MARCHANT Malcolm STEWART Daniel CLANCY Tom SLATER Kristoffer HICKSON Tim OAKLEY

12/12 12/12 11/12 12/12 11/12 10/12 11/12 12/12 10/12 9/12

11.65 11.34 10.17 9.90 9.76 9.74 9.70 9.32 9.06 8.01

Payout

$2,000 $1,100 $900 $700 $500+ Duffrods Big Bag

Austackle Big Bass

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

Place

Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

Payout

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Joshua HIGGS Cameron LEY Paul ALDOUS Ben RANDELL Robert TILLEY Ryan JONES Brett HYDE Luke DRAPER Simon JOHNSON Brian BOCHOW

12/12 12/12 11/12 12/12 11/12 11/12 11/12 9/12 10/12 10/12

11.82 Bassman Prize Pack 10.95 Samurai Prize Pack 10.43 Spotters Prize + OSP Rookie 10.33 Spotters Prize Pack 9.47 Berkley Prize Pack 9.46 Austackle Prize Pack 8.60 Prize Pack 8.55 Prize Pack 8.05 Prize Pack 7.54 Prize Pack

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

Lennox second win at St Clair CE 1ST PLA

beetle spin arm, and was lucky not to lose it as he only had one! Once the sun rose high and the clear waters of St Clair became apparent, Lennox employed the

ABT stalwart Mark Lennox has claimed his second victory at Lake St Clair, taking out the Haswing Lake St Clair BASS Pro event, the second stop on the BassCat BASS Pro Series 2016. Lennox stormed home from fourth position on day two to dethrone overnight leader Tom Slater with an astonishing 4/4 limit that weighed in at 3.71kg, besting the next heaviest bag by almost half a kilo. For Lennox, the victory is a special one. His fatherin-law owned the land used to build Lake St Clair and he has family who live on the dam. Lennox is no stranger to success, having won the ABT BASS Pro Grand Final in 2012 on St Clair. He’s also won ABT BREAM qualifiers, and he’s featured on the Australian Fishing Championships.

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. 78

MAY 2016

“The fish were biting timidly, which is not too uncommon for a deep summer bite, so the stinger hooks worked well to convert those timid bites to solid hook-ups.”

Mark Lennox and Tony Neal took top honours at the second event of the BassCat BASS Pro Series.

Lennox relied on these two baits to take the title. A Yamba Blade dressed with a beetle spin, and a Berkley Minnow Grub. Lennox started the tournament fishing the Carrowbrook Arm of the dam. He threw a dressed Yamba Prawn Blade to the weed edges to catch his early limits. From there, Mark and his non-boater changed tactics and opted for a Berkley Gulp Minnow Grub slow rolled as the sun rose higher. It turned out to be the perfect one-two punch for Lennox, who delivered a full 12/12 limit for the tournament and the Duffrods Big Bag for his final day heroics. “I started with the dressed blade because you tend to catch a lot of fish on them at this time of year,” said Lennox. “You don’t necessarily get the bigger bites, but it was a good option to fill the bag before looking for upgrades.” Lennox chose to use a black coloured fluted Indiana blade on his

popular tactic of slowrolling a grub style plastic on the outside of the weed. “The weed stops growing once you get to around 25ft of water,” Lennox said. “I would

Sink and slow wind

find the outside edge and just work my way around, casting the grub out, allowing it to sink and then slowly winding it back through the fish.” Most of the fish Lennox targeted were holding mid-water, around 15-20ft down. The slow wind off the bottom with a 1/4oz jighead meant the plastic would hang in the strike zone for the longest period of time possible. Lennox also rigged his grubs with a stinger hook, a modification that many NSW BASSers swear by for this time of year.

Mark relied on a Duffrods Kustom TBS72114 rod matched with a Megabass Luvito 256 reel for his plastics outfit. The connection to his plastic was 6lb Unitika PE with an 8lb Toray LEX fluorocarbon leader. For the dressed blade, Lennox upped the class of his rod, opting for a Duffrods Kustom X-851SP rod, he upped his braid to 8lb Unitika to match and continued with the 8lb Toray LEX leader. With the win, Lennox secures his place in this year’s BassCat BASS Pro Grand Final for his shot at winning the big-show twice.

Everingham consistent for runner-up CE 2ND PLA NSW’s Brian Everingham held second place over the two days, weighing some very consistent bags to finish the tournament with a 9.05kg 12/12 limit.

Coming off the back of a solid final day bag in the opening round of the NSW BASS Pro double-header, Everingham had all the momentum he needed to carry him to a podium finish at the Haswing Lake St Clair BASS Pro. Everingham focused on one particular pattern more so than a particular spot or area to produce his bag weight.

“There were thousands of fish throughout the dam holding in 15-25ft,” said Everingham. He chose to target the fish with a Berkley Gulp Minnow Grub, which he pitched 20ft ahead of the boat. This technique ensured Everingham always moved slowly along the bank, and targeted new fish to maximise his chances of finding the active fish that would follow and bite

his presentation. Once his bait sank to the bottom, he began a slow retrieve to allow the lure to pendulum from the bottom ahead of his boat, to underneath his trolling motor. Covering water was the name of the game for Everingham, who left his trolling motor on

BASS

low and mooched along the bank with every pitch. “Paralleling the bank in around 30ft of water was the key for me this weekend, I was really stoked to work out the pattern on the pre-fish day, and execute my plan into a second place finish.”

Presente SERIES d by Has wing

Everingham chose to use an Austackle Featherlight 1-3kg rod, paired with the matching Austackle Verto 2000 reel spooled with 4lb Krypto braid to convince the timid fish into biting.

Neal nails big victory -BOATER 1ST NON ABT veteran, Tony Neal took the non-boater title at the Haswing Lake St Clair BASS Pro event, by accumulating a 12/12, 9.23kg limit to best his nearest competitor by 360g. Fishing with Brian Everingham on day one, and local guru Peter Phelps on day two; Tony had the perfect pairing for success on Lake St Clair. “Day one was all about the Berkley Gulp Minnow Grub, that’s how Brian was catching them and that’s what I relied on all day,” said Tony. “On day two, Peter had me fishing a little differently to the day before. But when I saw the opportunity, I picked up the grub and started catching fish again.” Like Everingham, Tony targeted the fish that suspended off the bottom in 20-30ft of water. The slow roll presentation with the Gulp Grub proved to be the perfect method for getting the fussy fish to bite. “On day one I casted wider than Brian, to present my lure to the odd fish hanging outside of the key depth zone. It was a team effort and we covered all options,” said Tony. Tony opted to rig his Gulp Grub on a 1/4oz jighead, a staple piece of tackle for NSW impoundment

Simon Johnson and Tom Slater hold up their four biggest fish that had them leading after two sessions. bass. His rod and reel set up consisted of an Elite Industries rod by Gladiator Tackle, he preferred the 1-3kg model to feel the bites. Neal paired the rod with a Psyborg Reel, which he spooled with 4lb

braid and 4lb leaders. For his efforts, Tony will take home a huge assortment of product from Angler of the Year naming sponsor Bassman, making sure he is fully equipped for the

Brian Everingham occupied second position for the entire tournament, taking home $1,000 for his efforts. remaining two regular season events and the Grand Final later in the year.

Austackle Big Bass

Non-boater Cameron Ley took home the $500 Austackle Big Bass Award, along with a respectable ninth place finish. Ley currently also holds down first position in the coveted non-boater Angler of the Year race after starting the year with a second place and ninth place finish.

Winning Tackle

Rod: Duffrods TBS72114 Reel: Megabass Luvito 256 Line: 6lb Unitika PE Leader: 8lb Toray LEX Fluorocarbon Leader Lure: Berkley Gulp Minnow Grub (Camo) Yamba Blade with Beetle Spin arm.

Winning Ways Lennox equipped his soft plastic with a trailing stinger hook, which was the difference in converting timid bites to solid hook-ups.

Non-boater champion Tony Neal shared a boat with Brian Everingham on his way to victory.

TOP 10 BOATERS

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

12/12 12/12 12/12 12/12 12/12 12/12 11/12 12/12 10/12 11/12

9.33 9.05 8.65 8.38 8.32 8.20 8.15 7.46 6.86 6.66

Mark LENNOX Brian EVERINGHAM Tom SLATER Peter JENKINS Mitchell CONE Craig SIMMONS Peter PHELPS Owen MCPAUL Kristoffer HICKSON Simon MARCHANT

WINNING NOTES

Payout

$1900 + Duffrods Big Bag $1,000 $850 $650 $500

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

Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

12/12 12/12 12/12 12/12 11/12 12/12 12/12 12/12 12/12 12/12

9.23 Bassman Prize Pack 8.87 13 Fishing rod & OSP Rookie Award 8.83 Spotters Prize Pack 8.56 Spotters Prize Pack 7.97 Berkley Prize Pack 7.94 Austackle Rod & Prize Pack 7.69 Prize Pack 7.48 Prize Pack 7.42 Prize Pack + Austackle Big Bass 7.08 Prize Pack

Tony NEAL Simon JOHNSON Jason MARTIN Mark KING Aimee THOMPSON Luke DRAPER Rod THOMPSON Robert TILLEY Cameron LEY James REID

Payout

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

yak Hobie Ka ries Se BREAteMd by Daiwa Presen

The weekend of 5-6 March saw 93 kayak anglers from New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia hit the legendary fishing town of Mallacoota in Victoria’s East for what was to be an exceptional weekend’s fishing. The Mortgage Corp Round 3 of the Hobie Kayak Bream Series delivered the goods and a massive 134 full bags of three bream was a

Carl Dubois dominates at Mallacoota On both days, anglers headed off from the PowerPole Start Line, splitting up with half the field heading for Top Lake and The Narrows and the other half opting for Bottom Lake and the flats leading to it. It was Carl Dubois from Sydney who scooped the top prize with six bream for a total weight of 5.47kg. Tony Pettie held on to second place with six for 5.44kg and third place went to Josh Kilmas from Victoria with six for 5.20kg.

Winning Tackle Braid: Gosen PE 9lb. Leader: Reloaded BASS FC 6lb Rod and reel: Gladiator Psyborgmatched to a Psyborg 2000 reel Scent: Squidgy Lure/s: Gladiator Shiver Vibe in purple and black, Jackall Chubby Vibe in purple and black and Evergreen Tiny Predator

Mortgage Corp Monster Mover The Mortgage Corp Monster Mover for Round three went to Alan Osbourne, who improved his day one score by 1.8kg and took home a Mortgage Corp picnic pack for his efforts. highlight for the weekend. A total of 458 fish with a combined weight of 307.42kg were brought to the scale, which is just great to see. While anglers were looking for the round win, they were also chasing a spot in the Australian Championship as well as qualifying points towards the 6th Hobie Fishing World Championship to be held later this year and another, yet to be announced international event.

Dubois pushed through from second place on day one to take the title, scoring himself a sponsors prize pack, a $2,590.00 pay cheque and 100 points towards qualifying for the 6th Hobie Fishing World Championships for his weekend’s work. Dubois also took out the Hog’s Breath Cafe Boss Hog Big Bream award with his 1.20kg bag kicker on day two, adding another $100.00 to his prize tally.

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888. 80

MAY 2016

DUBOIS ON TOP When asked about his tournament Dubois said he loved it. “I’ve had a great comp!” he said. “Pre-fish was a fairly average day, I only got about six legals, but the actual competition days were just great! I got my bag nice and early and caught about 10 or 11 legals each day.” PLAN OF ATTACK “My plan was to get to the flats for the early bite while the light was still low. I thought they’d be on the flat and they were,” Dubois said. “Using 2.5” Z-Man GrubZ in bloodworm, I had my bag within 20 minutes each day. I just wanted to lock in my bag early and search for the bigger ones later.” Day one “The big fish all came from about 2.1m depth on a Gladiator purple and black Shiver Vibe. The rest of my bag came from over the flats in around 1.5m on an Evergreen Tiny Predator, they look a bit like an OSP Dunk with a green back and a cream belly.” Day two “On day 2 the bream were going after the Shiver Vibe and it seemed like they went after a bit more noise so I put on the Jackall Chubby Vibe in Purple and Black and I think that bit of extra noise was what they wanted and they just zeroed in on it and that’s what I got the big fish on.” WINNING WAYS “With the Tiny Predator I was going for long casts and cranking it down quick to get it deep to the bottom and then used a slow roll to keep it digging into the

bottom. With the vibes I was using subtle, little, lifts only 4-5 inches, and keeping the slow roll going as well,” Dubois said.

This is Dubois’ second Worlds qualifying round after fishing Bemm River in January, with another 100 points towards his qualifying

score Dubois is sitting on 159 points with the Forster round still on his calendar, there’s still plenty of work to do to claim a spot for Worlds.

RESULTS Place

Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Carl Dubois Tony Pettie Josh Klimas Richard Somerton Paul Malov Chris Burbidge Glenn Allen Neil Carstairs Kane Terry Jim Barrie

6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6

5.47 5.44 5.20 5.09 4.80 4.75 4.69 4.68 4.68 4.62

Grand Masters: Masters: Women: Youth:

Brian Rutledge Gary Hanson Tracey Wright Stephen Pryke

Payout $2590 $1350 $870 $400 $340 $300 $270 $240 $200 $170

4.42kg 4.35kg 3.08kg 4.45kg

Round winner Carl Dubois also took out the Boss Hog Big Bream prize with this 1.2kg monster.

Tony Pettie takes it to the wire The winner of last year’s Mallacoota round, Tony Pettie came extremely close to a repeat performance for 2016 and took it all the way to the wire, following up his impressive day one bag of 3.01kg with another 2.44 kg on day two that eventually landed him in second place. Tony had a great weekend on the water from pre-fish through to the final results. “I started off on pre-fish and went to Goodwin Sands and found some fish, so I marked them up and moved on to Tea Tree Point. I found fish there and then went around towards Howe Bight, I couldn’t scratch a fish there so I struck a plan to go to The Sands first up on day one and it paid off, “ he said. “On day one, I headed to ‘The Sands’ and found a patch. I had my bag and my big one within eight casts. Then I went behind The Sands and picked up a

couple more and then picked up another couple here and there over the course of the day. “On day two, I wanted to mirror my day one plan so I went to The Sands again but there were no fish there. I managed to get a couple of small ones but it struck me it was going to be tough. “I went behind The Sands to where I’d fished in last year’s competition. I got three fish there and upgraded a couple of times, then from 11:30 that was it, only small ones from there. “I was in the second group to return for weigh-in and as I was coming in I could hear what Carl had weighed in and I knew there was only 40-50 grams in it and it was going to be close. I was actually speed fishing for the last 10 minutes to try and get another upgrade out the front, but unfortunately it didn’t happen, but it was still an awesome comp.

Congratulations to Carl on a great Result.” SPECIAL THANKS As with all of the events in the Hobie Kayak Fishing Series, this round could not have gone ahead without the generous support of our series sponsors Daiwa, Berkley,

Atomic, Lowrance, RhinoRack, Strike Pro, TT Lures, Power-Pole, Mortgage Corp, Hog’s Breath Cafe and ABT. Thanks also to Leaf and Vicki from Compleat Angler in Merimbula for providing Hobie dealer support. – Hobie

HOG’S BREATH BOSS HOG BIG BREAM AWARD Round winner Carl Dubois TOPand 10 NON-BOATERS pigged out weighed in the tournament’s biggest fish, a 1.20kg bream, taking ELECTRIC SERIES another $100.00BASS home for his efforts with the Hog’s Breath Cafe Boss Hog Big Bream cheque. He caught the Boss Hog on day two of the tournament using a Jackall Chubby Vibe in Purple and Black. HOGS BREATH BOSS HOG PAY TO:

Hogs Breath Boss Hog

FOR THE SUM OF:

One Hundred Dollars Fishing Tournaments bass • bream • barra

DATE:

$ 100

Brad keeps his chin up in testing conditions Sunday 20 March saw the numbers of the Sydney round doubled from the 2015 season, with 66 kayak anglers from New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. Anglers blasted through the Power-Pole

There were 27 anglers in Atomic round four who hauled aboard full bags, which was four bream on the day. A total of 149 fish with a combined weight of 78.32kg were brought to the scales after a day of fishing. Tough conditions tested

Winning Tackle Line: Unitika Bream Super PE Jr 8lb Leader: Unitika Silver Thread FC 4lb Rod: Samurai Reaction RE181-70 7ft 3-6lb Reel: Shimano Stradic CI4 1000F Lure/s: Atomic Hardz Metalz 35 1/8oz in ‘hay u’ colour, and Hardz Bream Crank 38 Double Deep in ghost brown shad

Brad Chin with his belter 1.43kg bream, which took out the Boss Hog Big Bream for the day. starting gates and out onto the head waters of the Georges River and the southwestern reaches of Botany Bay in the first ‘One Day Wonder’ of the 2016 season.

anglers’ kayak handling skills with strong winds and driving rain coming in around midday, adding an extra unpleasant condition that lasted until the end of the day.

Anglers were chasing the round win and a place in the Australian Championship, Angler of the Year and rankings points as they headed to their preferred starting locations at 7am. The vast majority headed to Woolooware Bay with its oyster racks, mangrove, flats and derelict boat hulls. Others split in small numbers heading under the Captain Cook Bridge to fish boat hulls around a number of mooring sites and a small group headed into the edge of Botany Bay itself. At the end of one of the toughest days on the water this season, the Lowrance Leaderboard was headed by Brad Chin from Heathcote in New South Wales with an impressive four bream bag weighing 3.28kg, taking home $1100. Chin also picked up a bonus $100, taking out the Hogs Breath Cafe Boss Hog Big Bream (the biggest fish of the tournament), the monster weighed in at 1.43kg, the heaviest bream caught at any round so far in 2016. At the end of the day, Chin held a 350g weight advantage over second place finisher Simon Morley, from Bulli in New South Wales, who bagged four bream for 2.93kg and round three winner Carl Dubois from Sydney continued a successful run of performances, netting a four bream bag at 2.86kg and third place, his second podium finish in the last two rounds of the series. CHIN’S ATOMIC EXPLOSION Decked out in Atomic gear, it was a touch of irony

RESULTS Place

Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Brad Chin Simon Morely Carl Dubois Jim Barrie Luke Key Chris Seeto Terry Grima Mark Muggleton Jason Meech James Rogan

4/4 4/4 4/4 4/4 4/4 4/4 4/4 4/4 4/4 4/4

3.28 2.93 2.86 2.73 2.69 2.69 2.65 2.47 2.28 2.23

Women: Grand Masters: Youth: First Timer:

Tracey Wright Brian Rutledge James Morgan Allen Delaney

that Chin blasted his way to win the Atomic round, his first time ever to compete in the bream series. Chin said that he went into the one day tournament with a well thought out game plan in mind. “I was always going to fish Kogarah Bay, blading around the boat hulls and hitting their anchor blocks and using deep cranks along the edges,” he said. “I stuck to my plan and for most of the day and I was basically there by myself, I only ever saw a couple of other competitors. The plan worked well, but the wind was a bit of a factor because I was using the Hobie MirageDrive the whole time when I was facing into the wind, casting into the bow of the boats and bringing the blades back. I couldn’t have done it without the MirageDrive.

Payout $1100 $570 $370 $170 $140 $130 $110 $100 $90 $70

1.37kg 1.84kg 0.87kg 1.49kg

“When I moved from the boats, the edges I found today were pretty bouldery, so I was throwing the hardbodies at them and slow rolling over the boulders waiting for the hit to come on. “I had a few mishaps during the day, my home made livewell broke while I was out there. I overcame the problem by emptying out my drinking water bottle and continually topping up the water with it. It was a homemade livewell and so now I’ve won, I’ve got myself a bit of money to buy myself a new Hobie Livewell XL… a proper one. Despite the draw backs, I ended up getting some good fish, so overall I had a cracker of a day. “I got back early because there were a couple of fish I was a bit worried about so I ended up standing out in the water for an hour and a

half swimming a couple of fish in a net to keep them healthy. I was happy to see them swim away strongly after the weigh-in. “What a great event this was despite the weather, Hobie has the reputation of putting on great kayak events, and I mainly do boating events, but I reckon this would have to be one of the best events going around, a great production. I’ll definitely be having a go at a few more. “If I get permission from my wife I might have a go at the Hobie Fishing Worlds rounds next year!” WINNING WAYS. “I think the blade gave me the edge today. The Atomic blades are my go to lures and seem to work really well, especially in that ‘hay u’ colour, it’s definitely one of my favourites.”

Morley monsters opposition to claim second 2015 Australian kayak Angler of the Year Simon Morley worked the magic that won him many podium finishes last year, landing him into the top three for the first time in the current series. “I was pretty happy really with how I went, I got a fair few fish. I caught two legal fish early and a lot of small fish and I jagged my big one at about a quarter to nine, which was really good,” Morely said. “It took a bit longer to get my fourth legal to fill my bag. From then on, I slowly upgraded all day and overall I probably caught 10 legals and maybe 15 smaller fish.

“From the start I headed straight over from the event site to the Woolooware oyster racks and I stayed there the whole day. I fished using a Daiwa Steez 2560 reel on 13 Fish Envy Black rods and I caught most of my fish on Atomic Hardz. That combination really worked for me today, just slow rolling the Atomic hardbodies. “The weather was fantastic, everybody loves a bit of rain, right? There was plenty of wind too, but I actually like the wind because it makes the fish feel safe and lets them come out and play a bit better. It can be a bit painful in heavy wind and because of it I had to keep pedalling

Mortgage Corp Monster Mover The ‘One Dayer’ Mortgage Corp Door Prize for round 4, went to Justine Belobraydich who was able to finish her first Hobie tournament, a day that was a real struggle, on a high note taking away the Mortgage Corp Picnic Pack.

The top ‘First Timer’ at the end of the tournament taking home a Hobie Fishing Jersey and a Hobie Cap was Allen Delaney from NSW. SPECIAL THANKS As with all of the events in the Hobie Kayak Bream Series, this round could not have gone ahead without the generous support of our

sponsors Daiwa, Berkley, Atomic, Lowrance, RhinoRack, Strike Pro, TT Lures, Power-Pole, Mortgage Corp, Hog’s Breath Cafe and ABT. Thanks also to the team from Sailing Scene in Mona Vale who sat through a day of wind and rain to provide Hobie dealer support. – Hobie

HOG’S BREATH BOSS HOG

Anglers were met with testing conditions, however most still managed to catch fish. non-stop all day. But I used the wind to my advantage and I think the fish were more interested when I threw low trajectory casts into the wind and worked it back slowly with the wind and waves. I reckon without that technique, I wouldn’t have caught nearly as many fish”. FIRST TIMERS This year, Hobie Fishing have been encouraging

‘First Timer’ competitors to enter tournament kayak fishing with free entry into the Hobie Kayak Bream Series events. The Atomic round over the weekend saw the largest number of new entries this season with seven new anglers joining the old hands. Well done on a really hard day on the water to the whole group and Hobie Fishing hopes to see you all back in future rounds.

BIG BREAM AWARD Round winner Brad Chin TOPthis 10 NON-BOATERS pigged out round and weighed in the tournament’s biggest fish, a 1.43kg BASS ELECTRIC SERIES bream, taking another $100 home for his efforts with the Hog’s Breath Cafe Boss Hog Big Bream cheque. He caught the Boss Hog using an Atomic Hardz Metalz 35 1/8oz in ‘hay u’ colour. HOGS BREATH BOSS HOG PAY TO:

Hogs Breath Boss Hog

FOR THE SUM OF:

One Hundred Dollars

DATE:

$ 100

Fishing Tournaments bass • bream • barra

MAY 2016

Yakking about flathead BRISBANE

Justin Wilmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

If there was one species that has been designed with kayak anglers in mind, it would have to

rates and make the most of the glassy winter days. The size may not be there when compared to the spring breeding period, however, if you go looking for flathead in winter you will find them. Although flathead are often caught in deeper water in

the drift and almost onto the bank, and then hop the plastic down the drop off. Hits will often come within the first 5m of the retrieve and depending on the speed of the drift and steepness of the bank, you may wish to wind the second half of

Get up on the flats when the tide is high!

A landing net and lip grips make handling fish safer and easier. be the humble flathead. They are easily accessed by kayak anglers, inhabiting rivers, creeks, estuaries and bays, and they love to get up and feed in the shallows. They respond well to all types of lures and are easily handled in the kayak with a landing net and lip grips. As a bonus, for those that like a feed of fish, they are also a favourite table fish for many. One of my favourite techniques for targeting flathead from the kayak is fishing soft plastics and in this article, I hope to pass on some of the tips that I have picked up over the last 20 years in the kayak seat. Flathead are a year round option, with many anglers choosing to chase other species in winter, while I still record some of my best catch

southern parts of Australia, I have successfully used these shallow water soft plastic techniques from Townsville in North Queensland all the way down the coast to Coffin Bay in South Australia. WHERE AND WHEN Low Tide The prime time to target flathead is around the last two hours of the run-out tide and first hour of the run-in. At this stage of the tide flathead are concentrated on the edges of channels, drop offs and sand bars. Here they lay in ambush, waiting for the bait to be forced off the flats and banks with the last of the falling tide. There are a few options for the kayak angler when targeting these fish. Firstly, you can position the kayak a cast distance from the bank. Cast slightly ahead of

Downsizing your plastic will see bream by-catch increase. 82

MAY 2016

the retrieve in quickly and cast again. In saying that, persistence in hopping the lure into deeper water can often lead to a mixed bag of other species, including mulloway, snapper and trevally. A second successful technique is to position your kayak on the edge of the drop off, in a metre or so of

water and cast up current, bringing your lure back with the current, so that it presents more naturally. You can fan your casts from the shallows to the deeper side of the drop off, effectively covering that first 5m where many of your strikes come when sitting a cast distance out and casting toward the bank. The downside of this technique is that you are

Jaki with a pocket rocket flathead. Remember, when you catch one, give the area a good work over.

drifting over the water that you are fishing and when the water is clear, you can spook a few fish. If you notice a few puffs of sand and flathead heading for deeper water, revert to the first technique. Finally, if you are in a pedal kayak then you have the advantage of being able to slowly work your way into the current while using the second technique. This means that you are hopping the plastic back with the current, covering that key section of water, with the advantage of fishing water that you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t drifted over. High Tide When the tide is higher, I have still had success chasing flathead and the key has been to get up on the flats, targeting areas that hold bait as the flathead that are here have moved up with the tide to hunt. Casting to the edge of the mangroves and retrieving with a few quick hops and winds, keeping the lure above the spiky and snaggy mangrove roots, before allowing the lure to sink to the bottom near the edge of these roots and then hopping it back will produce a range of species.

Having a few rods on board makes switching lures easy.

Some big flathead patrol the edges of these mangrove roots in search of baitfish, crabs and prawns that stray too far from cover. Other prime high tide structure includes the edges of rock bars, drains

your kayak along a fishy looking edge or near a sandy patch on the flats. I use an anchor running rig (anchor trolley), so that I can swing the anchor to the front of your kayak and fan casts in front of

gets swept down current and I l lose touch with it. After I have covered an area, I usually take 10 steps and fan my casts again. This methodical approach will produce results and your kayak allows you to reach

If it’s not working, change it up! Here the author is downsizing his plastic.

Sheri works a flat, hopping her plastic back with the current in search of flathead. depressions on the flats, and the sandy sections that can be found dotting broken weed and rubble flats. The kayak holds advantages over other vessels as it allows you to traverse extremely shallow flats to reach drains and deeper sections of water, while also accessing the flats first and remaining on the flats

the kayak. This helps with hopping the lure back with the current and covering the area thoroughly. If you land a fish, then give the area more of a work over before upping the anchor and moving a cast distance further along the bank. Dropping and retrieving the anchor can be a little tedious, however

banks that aren’t pressured by shore-based anglers. GEARING UP Rods of 6’6”-7’ in length and 2-4kg rated are a popular option, fitted with a 2500 size spin reel, loaded with 6-10lb braided line. Leaders vary from 6lb when the fish and plastics are smaller and the bite is tougher, through to 10-12lb when larger

When the bait is small or the bite finicky, I downsize to a smaller paddle tail in the 2.5” size range. This also produces a lot more bream by-catch than the larger plastic. Paddletails have proven deadly in both Queensland and NSW waters. I have found a jerkbait profile in the 3.75” size range comes into its own further south, especially when twitched across the top of weed beds. Colour can also make a difference. Try fishing natural, lighter colours when the water is clear, and change to a darker colour that offers a better silhouette when the water is dirty. If neither of these

colours are working, a switch to a fluro colour like chartreuse or pink may save the day. Adding scent can make a difference when the bite is tough. It seems to create a more aggressive bite and encourages the fish to hold on a little longer, in turn giving you more time to set the hook. JIGHEAD SELECTION A 3/0 jighead is popular for 3” plastics, and I usually downsize to a 2/0 or 1/0 as I decrease the size of my soft plastic. A 1/8-1/6oz is a good starting point for the shallow flats and mouths of drains, and you can step the weight up to 1/4oz for fishing the edges and 3/8

or even 1/2oz when fishing down the drop off into the channels. LAUNCH THE YAK If you haven’t given lure fishing a go, flathead on soft plastics is a great place to start and once you catch a few, it all clicks and it becomes easier to locate them. If you’re a lure and flathead fishing tragic like me, I hope I have given you something to try next time you’re out on the water. On those days when the wind is blowing or the tides aren’t great and you’re still keen for a fish, don’t forget the fish that has been designed for the kayak angler, the humble flathead. See you on the water!

Want one of these? Price

99 . $ 79 Drains like this funnel the bait to awaiting predators. longer than the boat anglers. A few things to remember include, giving the area additional attention once a flathead is landed, as they commonly school. Something else to try is to mix up your retrieve until you find what the fish want, while still ensuring your lure is on or near the bottom. Finally, keep an ear and eye out for baitfish flicking in the shallows as this often signals that there is a predator in the area. ANCHORING AND WALKING If the wind is blowing or the current I too strong to position your kayak, don’t be afraid to anchor

this systematic approach can produce plenty of fish in tough conditions. A drift chute is another option for slowing your drift in the wind. Another option is to slide your kayak up on a good-looking bank on a dropping tide. Make sure you anchor it securely, and then can walk the bank flicking soft plastics. Again, it is important to cast up current and hop the plastic back with the current, with strikes often occurring right at your feet. I usually fan 4-5 casts, slowly casting further out from the bank without going beyond about 60° to the bank, or my lure

fish are more common and structure is likely to be a factor in the fight. A landing net is a good idea, as flathead have raspy mouths that can wear through leaders and spikes on each side and the top of their head that should be avoided… you don’t want them in your lap in the kayak. Lip grips are handy for handling fish for photos. SOFT PLASTIC SELECTION My go-to plastic is 3” paddle-tails rigged on a 3/0 jighead. Most realistic baitfish profiles with a lively paddle-tail action have proven themselves on flathead of all sizes.

Order today at www.tideapparel.com.au MAY 2016

What’s New FISHING

DAIWA BALLISTIC X

Rocketing onto the scene is Daiwa’s latest weapon – Ballistic X. Combining cutting-edge blank design with unmatched value, the Ballistic-X series is undeniably impressive and built to perform. Light, powerful and designed for ultimate strength and performance, this is the rod series that delivers unrivalled value. Featuring HVF graphite combined with Daiwa’s X45 and Bias Wrap construction, Fuji lightweight O Ring guides and reel seats, Ballistic X delivers performance, sensitivity and strength. If you’re looking for a great value for money baitcaster or spin rod, without compromising on quality, then the Ballistic-X series is well worth a look. www.daiwafishing.com.au

PILLO GRUB PONTOON 21

Pontoon 21 has updated the traditional grub design with the release of the 2.25” Pillo Grub. A series of ribs varying in width, diameter and number offer a unique presentation to fish, while complementing the curl tail. The Pillo Grub also features an entry/exit point for your hook of choice, enabling you to thread your plastic onto your hook dead centre, which is important when it comes to your lure swimming naturally and straight. Most commonly the Pillo Grub is fished on a jighead. It can be fished very lightly, still retaining its important tail action while managing to stay in the optimal strike zone for longer. A mixture of pauses, slow winding, single, double or triple hops have all been catching fish. Just chop and change your technique to find the best retrieve on the day. The Pillo Grub is available in eight colours and is great for most inshore/estuarine species such as bream, bass, mulloway, perch, whiting, tailor and more. To see a number of ways to rig these soft plastics, visit the Searing website. Price: SRP $11.99 www.searingtackle.com.au

BERKLEY WALK N WADE BAG

The Berkley Fishin’ Gear Tackle Management range offers a variety of storage solutions to suit every angler. The range features heavy-duty fabrics for style and durability, comfortable handles and corrosion-resistant zips and fittings. The FG Walk N Wade is for anglers on the move! It doesn’t matter if you’re walking the banks of a stream stalking trout, wading the sand flats of an estuary for flathead, or rock hopping with metal slugs for pelagics, the Walk N Wade is going to give you mobility and easy access to your gear for a great day on the water. You can wear this bag as a shoulder bag or around your waist, thanks to its adaptable straps. The front and top tackle compartments have been designed for fast access, so it’s easy to quickly grab a lure or jighead. The bag also has accessories holders and two tackle boxes – everything a landbased angler needs. Price: RRP $69.95 berkley-fishing.com.au

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

DAIWA FREAMS Z

The original Freams set a new standard for light tackle spinning reels, introducing Zaion technology to the everyday anglers. Zaion is a material that is incredibly strong and corrosion resistant. Now in 2016 Daiwa is upping the ante, introducing the Freams Z with Zaion and Magseal. Daiwa’s Real Four is where it all begins when it comes to what’s inside, with Real Engine, Real Control, Real Endurance and Real Custom. Featuring a plethora of innovations like Magseal, Zaion, Air Rotor, ABS II and Airbail, Freams Z brings high end technology to the mid-range prices, and is now lighter, stronger, and more sensitive and feature-packed than ever before. Other features include UTD (Ultimate Tournament Drag) and Twist Buster II. Check out the Freams Z at your favourite tackle store. www.daiwafishing.com.au

MONSTER PENCIL NEW COLOURS

Originally designed for targeting big tuna, the heavy-duty Monster Pencil from NS Black Hole has also proven to be deadly on mackerel, kingfish and giant trevally. Now the range been expanded with the addition of five new colours. Four of the new colours are natural baitfish imitations – flying fish, mackerel, mahi mahi and pilchard. The fifth is a zebra glow stripe pattern. You can troll these lures, retrieve them with twitches and pauses to make them dive and shimmy, or burn them across the surface to make them skip along like a fleeing baitfish. If you work them with a sweep they will snake enticingly through the water. Available in both 182mm (75g) and 200mm (110g) versions, these floating stickbaits feature a strong wire through construction and #8 split rings. They are unrigged so you have your choice of fitting singles or trebles. With a retail price of under $40 they are a quality lure that will stand up to the harshest punishment without breaking the bank. www.ejtodd.com.au

2 3

STRIKE PRO FINESSE GRUBS

Designed and developed in Australia by Strike Pro’s Pro Tournament Team, Strike Pro Finesse Grubs produce a truly tantalising action. Finesse Grubs feature a powerful secret shellfish formula infused into the plastic so there is no messy liquid in the bag. This potent scent attracts fish and triggers them to strike. The smooth body has ribbing added to increase vibration, and if you want to add extra catch scent the ribs will help retain it for longer. The tail has been designed so you don’t need to trim it for modern jigheads, and they feature a top rigging slot so they’ll be rigged perfectly each time. The 2” Finesse Grub’s ultra-fine tail will work on the lift and drop using ultra light jigheads, even 1/32oz or lighter, and are superb for finesse fishing for ultra flighty fish in shallow water and around structure. The 3” Finesse Grub can be rigged on a standard jighead or on a worm hook as it has neutral buoyancy for use across the top of oyster racks or for surface fishing. These lures come packed in a tray, and they’re ideal for bream, bass, EPs, flathead, whiting, snapper, trevally, trout and redfin. Price: SRP $11.99 www.jurofishing.com

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

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

What’s New FISHING

8 9

NEW COLOURS FOR FAT DOGS

WILSON OCTOPUS SKIRTS

A classic fat slow roller or twitch bait, the 3B Fat Dog now comes in four new colours: redeye express, 12 gauge, toxic sushi and linch pin. This lure comes in deep and shallow versions. The Deep Fat Dog is a gun rock wall and tree snag specialist. With a crazy deep bib to smash into the structure and wake the fish up letting you know when you’re right in the mix, this fast diving HB will serve you well when you have a deep short strike zone. The Shallow Fat Dog is an excellent lure for fishing the flats or over weed beds, targeting everything from trout to bream. The 3B Fat Dog series comes with Owner #14 ST36BC trebles and an #0 P04 ring. The 3B Shallow Fat Dog is 38mm long, weighs 3.5g and dives to 1m. The Deep Fat Dog is 38mm, weighs 4g and dives to 2.5m. berkley-fishing.com.au

For those chasing the ocean’s predators, trolling baits has always been a fantastic way to make the most of your time on the water, and the Wilson Octopus skirts will enhance any trolled offering. Made from durable materials and coming in a range of colours to suit different applications, the Wilson Octopus skirts are available in six colours that include green lumo, pink, blue, pearl, pink/white and red blue. The size range also allows anglers the option to fish small to large baits, with sizes including 3”, 4”, 5”, 6”, 6.5” and 7”. If you’re keen on trolling baits, whether you’re chasing salmon and kingfish down south or mackerel and billfish up north, the Wilson Octopus skirts are worth a serious look. www.wilsonfishing.com

12 SCAN THE QR CODE!

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

SIENNA FE AND SOCORRO SW

Shimano have revolutionised two of their spin reels, delivering more performance without compromise. The Sienna and Socorro are two spin reels that have played an essential part in the Shimano line-up for years, and now they have received an upgrade. With substantial improvements over their predecessors, the Sienna FE and Socorro SW have you covered for all the big fish applications from inshore to offshore, surf to pier, kayak to boat and saltwater to freshwater. Punching out 4kg of drag, the Sienna FE’s AR-C die-cast aluminium spools hold a generous amount of mono and a lot more braid. The Sienna FE range is super smooth thanks to Shimano’s Dyna-Balance technology. The Sienna FE range is ideal for novice anglers who want something more sophisticated than the basic spin reel. The new centre of gravity (M-Compact Body) has increased balance by moving the oscillation gear closer to the rod, gifting you more comfort while fishing. The versatile Socorro SW reels are great for inshore and offshore fishing for multiple species, whether you’re using bait, hardbody lures or jigs. Available in four sizes ranging from 5000 to 10,000, the Socorro has a waterproof cross carbon drag so you can maintain complete control, even when battling the strongest of fish. The series incorporates Shimano’s highend technologies such as Hagane, their waterresistant drag, and X-Ship. Price: from $64 (Sienna), from $129 (Socorro) www.shimanofish.com.au

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

KUTTAFURRA REDFIN

Aaron Young from Kuttafurra lures is recognised as one of Australia’s premier lure makers. He has won numerous awards acknowledging his skills as a lure designer, for his artistic flair and his attention to detail. The Kuttafurra Redfin is another feather in his cap. The lure is 90mm long and dives to 3m. Aaron has cleverly painted each colour with a focus on mimicking the redfin that are in our waterways. With an enticing action that appeals to our native species, the Redfin can be fished in many situations. Slow rolled or retrieved with small sweeps of the rod tip see this lure come alive. And like all good Australian native lures, the Kuttafurra Redfin can be thrown in the thickest structure and retrieved back through without hanging up as it bumps and bounces its way through letting the fish know it’s there. Kuttafurra Lures are available at selected quality tackle outlets. kuttafurralures@outlook.com

ZEREK MEASURING TAPE

Most measuring tapes are large and cumbersome but the Zerek Marsh Slider Measuring Tape is not. It’s a pocket-sized measuring tape that will go anywhere and fit anywhere, giving all anglers the chance to measure their fish in any situation. Constructed using durable PVC and with large numbers for easy reading, the Zerek Measuring Tape measures fish up to 120cm, and it rolls up to a very compact 13cm high by 7.5cm wide. Conveniently small, easy to use and easier to store, including in your pocket while you’re walking and fishing from the bank, the Zerek Marsh Slider Measuring Tape is a handy and simple tool to help you know the length of your catch anywhere at any time. www.wilsonfishing.com

SHAD

RAPALA SHADOW RAP

Big fish can’t resist the tantalizing, slowrising action of new Shadow Rap Shad from Rapala. Swimming with the infamous horizontal struggle with a vertical ‘rise’ on pause, they perfectly mimic a shad in trouble. The larger profile presents more flash and the option to fish from a finesse to more aggressive retrieve. Kicking almost 180° right then left, with very little forward travel, the Shadow Rap Shad stays in the strike zone. With its head up and ready to rise, the fixed weight system allows lure to rise slowly like a dying shad. After a sharp snap and generous slack line, it will actually spin around and look backwards. Features include: textured scale body; translucent and frosted colours; sharp left to right turns; slow rising on pause; and premium VMC thin wire black nickel round bend hooks. Weighing 12g and measuring 9cm in length, the Shadow Rap Shad is available in a shallow and deep model that dives to 3-4ft and 5-6ft respectively. www.rapala.com.au

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

Product Profile

Features of the Deeper castable fishfinder Traditionally fish finders have been available only for anglers who own boats, but land-based anglers can now enjoy the advantage of seeing what’s hidden below the surface. If you’ve ever wondered what’s really going on down there, the compact Deeper castable fishfinder is for you. To use the Deeper, you just screw an attachment bolt, tie it on your line and cast it to any spot you like. It will display its readings on your smartphone or tablet in real time. This portable, wireless sonar is compatible with over 7000 Apple and

Android devices. As well as displaying the fish and structure, it also displays depth (up to 40m), water temperature, bottom contour and more. Innovative Smart Imaging technology provides detailed and crystal clear information. The Deeper app also helps you mark all the good fishing spots and spend less time wondering and looking for the right place to cast. This little sonar is the size of a cricket ball and weighs only 100g. That means it fits in any size tackle box, making it easy to carry it anywhere. Developed in Europe

and distributed in Australia by Rapala VMC, this clever product has won several

SPECIFICATIONS Size.............................................. 2.6”/ 6.5 cm diameter Compatibility............................... From iOS 8.0 and Android 4.0 to the latest iOS and Android devices Construction............................... ABS Weight.......................................... 100g Connection.................................. Wireless Bluetooth Bluetooth range.......................... Up to ~50m, depending on the OS and smartphone model Depth range max/min................ 40m/wide angle - 1.3m; narrow angle - 0.5m Temperature................................ water temperature sensor Temperature unit........................ Celsius / Fahrenheit Operational temperature........... -20°C to 40°C Battery......................................... Lithium polymer, 3.7V rechargeable; lasts for six hours of non-stop usage; takes two hours to fully charge Power adapter............................ compatible with 110V/240V. Micro USB Sonar type................................... Dual beam Frequency.................................... 290 kHz (15°) / 90 kHz (55°) Colour.......................................... Black

MAY 2016

awards, including Best Boating Accessory at the 2015 AFTA Trade Show. SMARTPHONE APP Before purchasing a Deeper sounder, it’s worth downloading the free Deeper app to get a better idea of what this fishfinder’s features are and how to use it. After you download the app you can run the sonar simulation to see how everything works and what the display will look like. This all-in-one mobile application provides owners with unique content and the latest features which can be accessed anytime, anywhere. It’s compatible with Apple, Samsung, LG, Sony, HTC, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Huawei and over 7000 other smartphone models and tablets. Boat Mode 4.0 is the name of the latest app update, available for both iOS and Android users. This update has two longawaited features: mapping and unlimited history. This means you can create personal bathymetric maps which allow you to monitor bottom contour and depths, therefore helping you find the best fishing spots in the

area. Unlimited data history means you can store the maps and sonar readings so they can be accessed at any time. The Boat Mode 4.0 app update is free and is compatible with all Deeper sonar versions. Here are the other main features of the Deeper app. Know when to fish A primary feature is a a detailed fishing calendar based on lunar phases for your chosen location, along with the best biting times by hour. This means you’ll always know the best fishing time. Be prepared for any weather Up-to-date weather reports based on your favourite locations provide accurate 5-day forecasts, including air temperature, cloud cover, wind speed and direction, humidity, pressure and even the position of the sun and moon. Save the best spots With Smart Fish Finder you get an integrated map function complete with fish location saving option, so you always know exactly where you should be fishing next time. Track data history Review your recent

sonar history by simply moving the screen or the cursor to the left until the screen starts to move in reverse. Share your catch Smart Fish Finder is fully integrated within social media networks so you can share your fishing stories and pictures quickly and easily at the touch of a button. ACCESSORIES There are two handy accessories available, catering to anglers who fish at night, and those who fish from kayaks. The flexible arm accessory is perfect for yakkers; a universal 1/4 20” male screw makes it compatible with RAM mounts and most paddle sport gear. And if you’re fishing at night, you can swap out the original cover case for a night fishing transparent one. Select ‘night fishing mode’ on the mobile application, and your Deeper will light up so you can clearly see it. WHERE TO BUY The Deeper fishfinder has a recommended retail price of $339.95. For more information or to find the Deeper stockist nearest you, visit www.buydeeper.com.

Product Review

Using a Deeper for the first time FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

It’s always a good test of how intuitive a new piece of gear is when you can crank it up and use it effectively without the instruction manual. That’s exactly the position I found myself in on a hectic day of tagging on North Pine Dam, just north of Brisbane.

it sounds. Volunteers tagged over 1000 fish on the first day with all of the data contributing to better knowledge of the population dynamics of the fishery. It’s tough work, but someone has to do it. After nearly exhausting our tag supply, I opened the little black bag that contained a spherical transducer. My brother Tim, who had supplied the test

installed the free Deeper app from Apple’s App Store. The process was trouble free. After that, Bluetooth pairing to the unit completed the setup and we were ready to go. And by that, I mean we were ready to drag around the little floating ball on the VB cord. Since then, I’ve found that there’s a variety of mounting options that are suitable for basically anything that floats. Immediately, we were able to get an accurate depth on the Deeper. I know this because I was

checking the reading with a Humminbird 1198 running right next to it. It didn’t take long to find some fish, and because they probably hadn’t ever seen a lure before, it took even less time to hook one up for the camera. You can see the sequence on the video review we produced by scanning the QR code hereby. In practice, fish showed up exactly the same on the Deeper as they did on the Humminbird, and although it’s probably not as powerful a solution as the ‘bird provided, it

The Deeper fishfinder uses the processing power and Bluetooth connection of your smartphone to display an accurate image of what’s under your transducer. Now and then, keen taggers get a small window of access to the hyper stocked bass lake where the bass are big and greedy. And yes, it is as good as

unit, also kindly provided a length of venetian blind cord to tow around this little ball of technology. When I picked up the unit, I’d searched for and

For a $300 price tag, you can turn your smartphone into a fully capable fish finder.

Once you download the app and pair the device, you can start sounding straight away. Admittedly it’s not too hard to find and catch bass in North Pine Dam, but the unit was still pretty impressive. sure is a convenient and economical one. It’s literally a sounder in your pocket. So, with only half an hour of testing, I can say that we’re looking forward to more time on the water with the Deeper products. You can see the options and extended capabilities of the latest versions of these units in the article on the opposite page. The next time you’ll hear from us about it, we’ll have given the Deeper sounders a serious flogging.

Check out the range at www.buydeeper.com. Trade enquiries locally to Rapala Australia. VIDEO

To see the full video review, scan the QR code on your smartphone.

MAY 2016

SURF LIFE SAVING FUN PAGE LESS TASTY FISH BITS

ANAL FIN

INTESTINE

SLIME

BLADDER

KIDNEY

SPINAL CORD

BRAIN

NARES

SPLEEN

DORSAL FIN

OVARY

STOMACH

EYE

PANCREAS

TONGUE

GILLS

PECTORAL FIN

TOOTH

GILL RAKER

RIB

VENT

HEART

SCALE

Win a prize pack from Surf Life Saving Sunscreen. Save your skin and save the fish…so there are more for you to catch!

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 MAY 2016

Phone (day):

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to Gary Wade from Empire Bay, who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition! Monthly winners receive a Surf Lifesaving 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 March was D Ryan of Sawtell, who won a GME Marine AM/FM Bluetooth Stereo pack valued at $328. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

FIND THE ZEREK LOGO

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

March locations: 9, 12, 15, 16, 24, 34, 52, 59, 62, 65, 70, 75, 78, 82, 88. – NSWFM The Find the Zerek logo prize winners for March were: P Skinner of Tuross Head, J Hewitt of Lyndhurst, P Price of St Georges Basin, B Schnitzer of Cooma, D Ross of Albion Park Rail, D Collister of Tamworth, W Forbes of Nambucca Heads, D Miller of Cobar, D Rombi of Green Point, S Ayre of Denman, M Thompson of Hillvue, G Smith of Weston, K Peterkin of Taylors Arm, P Gallagher of Dungog, I Errey of Leeton, D Appleby of Macquarie Hills, B Hall of Balgownie, S Davis of Emu Plains, S Cook of Seven Hills, M Markham of Singleton, N Bryant of North Albury, F Seal of Junee, C Cooper of Boorowa, R Pretty of Blackheath, W Lewis of Bella Vista, K Jones of Narromine, L Wicks of Forbes, T Kennedy of Karuah, R Waters of Temora, K Carter of Shepparton, B Whyte of Myers Flat, J Cross of Mondrook, J Lollback of Ballina, H Turner of Telarah, R Cooper of Forster, B Mannering of Leumeah, A Bock of Wollongbar, P • New Byrne of Windeyer, V Dimentoproducts of Caringbah, D Reddy • Videos of Bonnyrigg. • Indepth Prize delivery takes up toReviews 8 weeks. – NSWFM

check out! 88

MAY 2016

2016

SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) – NEW SOUTH WALES LAT 33° 52’ LONG 151° 13’ Times and Heights of High and Low Waters JUNE JULY

MAY Time

Time

Local Time AUGUST Time

2 0152 0748

17 0126 0720

3 0235 0834

18 0205 0802

4 0315 0917

19 0245 0845

5 0354 1000

20 0325 0930

6 0430 1039

21 0408 1017

7 0505 1118

22 0452 1106

8 0540 1159

23 0538 1158

9 0617 1244

24 0015 0629

25 0606 1222

10 0042 0659

25 0117 0725

11 0038 0713

26 0028 0656

11 0137 0749

26 0230 0829

27 0045 0725

12 0128 0758

27 0128 0750

12 0244 0846

27 0348 0936

13 0221 0857

28 0145 0819

13 0226 0846

28 0236 0849

13 0356 0945

28 0500 1042

29 0105 0755

14 0319 0944

29 0251 0915

14 0330 0937

29 0350 0950

14 0500 1042

29 0000 0558

30 0208 0852

15 0417 1029

30 0400 1012

15 0432 1028

30 0500 1050

15 0003 0552

30 0049 0647

1 0421 1040

16 0511 1111

1 0507 1107

16 0529 1115

2 0345 1023

17 0503 1119

2 0523 1131

17 0015 0600

2 0015 0609

17 0033 0617

3 0448 1115

18 0549 1158

3 0022 0621

18 0059 0644

3 0112 0707

18 0115 0702

4 0545 1203

19 0043 0632

4 0119 0718

19 0139 0726

4 0204 0801

19 0154 0745

5 0033 0641

20 0122 0713

5 0215 0815

20 0216 0807

5 0254 0853

20 0232 0826

6 0130 0734

21 0200 0751

6 0308 0909

21 0255 0848

6 0341 0943

21 0312 0909

7 0224 0830

22 0237 0830

7 0400 1003

22 0334 0930

7 0426 1030

22 0352 0954

8 0318 0924

23 0315 0910

8 0452 1056

23 0415 1015

8 0509 1116

23 0435 1041

9 0414 1019

24 0354 0951

9 0543 1148

24 0459 1102

9 0551 1201

24 0519 1130

10 0510 1115

25 0435 1034

10 0633 1242

25 0545 1152

10 0631 1248

11 0608 1214

26 0519 1120

11 0034 0722

26 0633 1245

12 0015 0707

27 0607 1211

12 0125 0810

13 0111 0805

28 0009 0700

14 0211 0900

15 0314 0951

1.67 0.38 TU 1732 1.64 2336 0.50 1.72 0.32 WE 1823 1.77 0.38 1.74 TH 1251 0.29 1912 1.90 0.29 1.74 FR 1339 0.29 2000 1.99 0.23 1.70 SA 1427 0.32 2049 2.03 0.21 1.63 SU 1515 0.38 2139 2.03 0.24 1.55 MO 1604 0.46 2230 1.98 0.30 1.47 TU 1656 0.55 2321 1.89

0.38 1.40 WE 1749 0.65 1.78 0.46 TH 1314 1.35 1847 0.73 1.66 0.53 FR 1416 1.33 1952 0.78

1.56 0.57 SA 1518 1.35 2101 0.80

1.50 0.59 SU 1615 1.40 2208 0.78

Time

16 0046 0638

16 0412 1038

1.61 0.45 MO 1640 1.50 2234 0.61

Time

1 0103 0659

1 0238 0927

1.58 0.52 SU 1540 1.38 2126 0.71

1.47 0.59 MO 1703 1.47 2307 0.73 1.46 0.57 TU 1746 1.54 2358 0.67

1.46 0.56 WE 1825 1.61 0.61 1.46 TH 1232 0.55 1900 1.68 0.55 1.46 FR 1306 0.54 1934 1.73

0.51 1.46 SA 1340 0.54 2008 1.77

0.48 1.44 SU 1414 0.56 2043 1.80

0.46 1.43 MO 1449 0.57 2118 1.81 0.46 1.40 TU 1527 0.60 2156 1.80

0.47 1.38 WE 1608 0.63 2236 1.77 0.49 1.36 TH 1652 0.67 2320 1.73 0.51 1.35 FR 1743 0.71

1.68 0.51 SA 1307 1.36 1842 0.73

1.64 0.50 SU 1408 1.40 1949 0.73

1.61 0.48 MO 1511 1.47 2102 0.69

31 0315 0947

1.60 0.44 TU 1610 1.58 2214 0.62

1.60 0.40 WE 1705 1.71 2320 0.51 1.61 0.37 TH 1759 1.83 0.40 1.61 FR 1222 0.36 1850 1.94 0.31 1.60 SA 1313 0.36 1941 2.02 0.25 1.58 SU 1402 0.39 2030 2.05 0.24 1.54 MO 1453 0.43 2120 2.04 0.26 1.49 TU 1543 0.49 2210 1.98 0.31 1.45 WE 1633 0.57 2258 1.89 0.38 1.40 TH 1724 0.64 2345 1.77 0.46 1.37 FR 1817 0.71

1.64 0.53 SA 1335 1.36 1915 0.77

1.53 0.58 SU 1430 1.37 2016 0.80

1.44 0.60 MO 1525 1.41 2124 0.80 1.39 0.61 TU 1616 1.47 2229 0.77

1.36 0.60 WE 1704 1.54 2326 0.71

1.36 0.59 TH 1747 1.61 0.63 1.37 FR 1152 0.57 1827 1.67

0.57 1.38 SA 1230 0.56 1905 1.74

0.50 1.39 SU 1308 0.55 1942 1.79

0.46 1.39 MO 1345 0.54 2018 1.83 0.42 1.40 TU 1425 0.54 2057 1.85

0.40 1.40 WE 1506 0.55 2137 1.85 0.39 1.40 TH 1550 0.56 2218 1.83 0.39 1.41 FR 1638 0.59 2302 1.79

0.40 1.41 SA 1730 0.62 2351 1.73

0.41 1.43 SU 1827 0.64

1.65 0.43 MO 1343 1.47 1932 0.66 1.58 0.44 TU 1444 1.53 2045 0.64

1.51 0.44 WE 1544 1.62 2200 0.59 1.48 0.43 TH 1643 1.72 2311 0.50

1.47 0.42 FR 1740 1.83 0.41 1.47 SA 1200 0.41 1833 1.91 0.32 1.47 SU 1253 0.40 1925 1.98 0.26 1.48 MO 1344 0.41 2015 2.00 0.24 1.47 TU 1433 0.43 2102 1.98 0.26 1.45 WE 1522 0.47 2148 1.92 0.31 1.43 TH 1609 0.53 2231 1.82 0.37 1.41 FR 1656 0.59 2314 1.71 0.44 1.39 SA 1743 0.66 2355 1.59 0.50 1.38 SU 1833 0.72

1.48 0.55 MO 1337 1.38 1930 0.76 1.38 0.58 TU 1430 1.40 2035 0.77

1.31 0.60 WE 1525 1.44 2145 0.75 1.26 0.61 TH 1618 1.49 2251 0.70 1.25 0.60 FR 1709 1.56 2346 0.62

1.27 0.58 SA 1754 1.63

0.54 1.30 SU 1159 0.55 1836 1.70

0.47 1.33 MO 1241 0.52 1916 1.77 0.40 1.37 TU 1323 0.48 1956 1.83

0.34 1.40 WE 1405 0.46 2036 1.87 0.30 1.43 TH 1449 0.44 2117 1.88 0.27 1.46 FR 1535 0.44 2200 1.86

0.27 1.48 SA 1625 0.45 2246 1.80

0.29 1.50 SU 1718 0.49 2334 1.71

0.33 1.51 MO 1816 0.53 1.60 0.38 TU 1318 1.53 1921 0.56

1.48 0.42 WE 1418 1.57 2035 0.57 1.39 0.46 TH 1522 1.62 2153 0.54 1.33 0.47 FR 1627 1.69 2306 0.47

1.33 0.46 SA 1726 1.76

0.31 1.39 MO 1241 0.41 1912 1.88 0.26 1.42 TU 1330 0.40 1959 1.89 0.25 1.44 WE 1417 0.40 2043 1.87 0.26 1.45 TH 1501 0.42 2124 1.81 0.30 1.44 FR 1545 0.46 2202 1.72 0.35 1.43 SA 1626 0.51 2240 1.63 0.41 1.42 SU 1709 0.57 2317 1.52 0.46 1.40 MO 1755 0.63 2357 1.42 0.52 1.39 TU 1847 0.68 1.32 0.56 WE 1333 1.39 1948 0.71 1.24 0.60 TH 1430 1.40 2100 0.71 1.18 0.63 FR 1530 1.43 2212 0.67

1.17 0.62 SA 1629 1.49 2314 0.59

1.20 0.59 SU 1720 1.56

0.51 1.25 MO 1132 0.54 1806 1.65

31 0009 0603

0.39 1.35 SU 1147 0.44 1821 1.83

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

0.41 1.31 TU 1218 0.48 1849 1.74

0.32 1.38 WE 1302 0.41 1931 1.81 0.25 1.45 TH 1347 0.35 2014 1.86 0.19 1.51 FR 1434 0.31 2058 1.87

0.17 1.56 SA 1522 0.30 2143 1.84

0.18 1.60 SU 1614 0.31 2230 1.76

0.22 1.61 MO 1708 0.35 2320 1.64 0.29 1.61 TU 1807 0.41

1.50 0.37 WE 1254 1.60 1915 0.47 1.37 0.45 TH 1356 1.59 2030 0.50 1.27 0.51 FR 1504 1.59 2149 0.48

1.24 0.53 SA 1613 1.63 2300 0.43

1.26 0.51 SU 1715 1.68

0.37 1.31 MO 1140 0.46 1809 1.73 0.31 1.37 TU 1232 0.42 1857 1.75

31 0131 0731

0.28 1.42 WE 1319 0.39 1941 1.76

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. MAY 2016

What to know when buying a boat: offshore craft BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

This article is the first in a series designed to make things easy for the angler keen to own a boat for a particular style of fishing:

day to ensure those specs are not exceeded. The next move is to give some thought to where the boat will be kept. Boats don’t do well if left out in the weather for prolonged periods, so undercover storage for an item involving a significant

the amount of freeboard of an offshore craft and tend to be mainly open boats. A large centre console can satisfy both estuary and offshore work, but with entirely open boats there can be issues with rain or bad seas. The only option is to break out the wet gear and grin and bear it. By and large the most favoured offshore rigs are larger boats because they can combine freeboard, interior space and cockpit work area in harmony. Accordingly, to see these features melded seamlessly off shore rigs are at least 5m in length, and while most are either centre cab or cuddy cab styles of craft

A Haines Signature 650 F, powered by a 250 Suzuki in its element. At 6.5m in length this cuddy cab rig offers many desirable features.

An Offshore Marine Master plate alloy rig going through the Caloundra Bar. With a centre cab or cuddy cab craft, protection from water and the elements is a big advantage. in this case, heading offshore for a crack at the big stuff. Obviously, an offshore rig needs to have very specific features for work out on the ocean and we’ll look at them in detail shortly, but let’s first start with tow and stow. TOW AND STOW Safe towing is vital and it’s important to have a favourable margin between the weight of the chosen craft and the tow capacity of a vehicle. While it’s pretty easy to tow anything, stopping becomes the issue. Car manufacturers provide tow capacities and boaters should always consider full fuel loads, topped up eskies, and everything else carried in the boat on the

capital outlay is important and a fold down T top, bimini or other over head frame work is a blessing if overhead storage room is going to be tight. Tow and stow are minor considerations, but can have a big impact on the degree a boat is used from my experience. If transportation away from or a return to home is awkward or difficult, the boat won’t get much use. BASIC OFFSHORE REQUIREMENTS There’s a vast difference between a craft that’s suited to offshore fishing to one that is best used in the bay or estuary. Estuary or bay craft slot into the smaller side of the ledger and do not require

Bunks, or even full beds, are featured in all cuddy cabs, and offer shelter plus storage space as well.

There’s a trade off in overall fishing room due to the cabin’s intrusion, but the comfort and protection offered by that cabin plus the bimini usually associated with it is a huge bonus. DESIRABLE FEATURES FOR OFFSHORE WORK Moreover, the cabin will feature bunks where you can enjoy a sheltered rest or sleep, make use of the storage under them and that of overhead shelving if it’s provided. Again, a toilet may be an option as well and this combination

of features is what makes a cuddy cabin style of craft so favoured by off shore anglers. The dash area should be large enough for anticipated navigation aids and sounders with all instruments and gauges easily read. Forward and side visibility should be unobstructed from the helm seat. Within the cockpit work area, a live bait tank, an aft seat that can be folded down when fishing to compliment the seats for skipper and mate, a deck

I’ve reviewed a couple of really large bow riders that easily doubled as offshore fishing craft. Larger boats of all styles can readily double as a bay or estuary craft suited to family boating due to the combination of comfort levels, protection from the elements and the capability to readily store expensive tackle when on prolonged runs out to sea. CENTRE CAB OR CUDDY? Centre cabs are a step up from the standard centre

An exception to the rule; the big Sea Fox is a bow rider. It’s a fun craft, but the sheer size, ample freeboard and over all comfort levels would see it well offshore with ease.

Plate alloy offshore perfection. Sea Jay’s great 618 Pursuit flying along in fine style. Every desirable offshore feature is packed into the big Sea Jay, which has a dedicated following among boaties who love their offshore fishing. 90

MAY 2016

console rig as they offer a mini cab amidships. They also offer walkaround areas from front to rear and when the craft is a larger one there can be quite reasonable storage within the centre cab. Some even feature a toilet! But when it comes to overall protection from the elements, it’s near impossible to beat a cuddy cab craft. Size is everything in these craft and it’s no surprise that few manufacturers offer models under 5m, and many offer craft right up to 7m for the dedicated offshore anglers among us.

Some of the necessary features for offshore work are on hand here: there’s a livewell to starboard, a bait station with rod holders amidships, a full height transom, side pockets, folding rear seat and decent side padding.

wash and maybe in floor storage for ice and drinks or the day’s catch will also be desirable features. Most manufacturers offer all or at least some of these features in their cuddy cab models and with the certain knowledge that a lot of these rigs will be used offshore, they ensure that cockpit and transom heights (the overall freeboard as it’s called) are sufficient to inspire confidence in an owner. The higher those sides, within reason, the less chance of water or spray intrusion. THE RIDE IS EVERYTHING As mentioned, cuddy cab craft are usually on

The Evolution 552 is another cuddy cab that combines plenty of excellent offshore fishing features ability with a compact size.

Some of the main features of a well-designed offshore rig are outstanding here in this image of the Offshore Marine Master 610 Ultra Vee. Note the high sides of the OMM 610 centre cab, the full height transom, twin livewells aft, ample rod holders and the shelter provided by the centre cab amidships.

the larger side, which in turn – whether the craft is a plate alloy or fibre glass rig – equates to some serious mass. On the water, mass is not a bad thing at all as it softens the ride, adds stability both at rest and underway and gives a great feeling of solidarity in that the boat is travelling in rather than just on the water. What’s more, today’s boat owners also have the benefit of many years of competitive hull development and current hull styles in both alloy and glass ensure that ride quality is everything it should be.

That’s not to say that the boat owner can just head straight into metre and a half swells with the throttle lever down and the tacho showing 5000rpm! After the first couple of impacts that throttle lever will come back very quickly! The key is to drive the boat sensibly according to conditions with faster travel in calmer sea conditions, less pace equating to a more comfy ride when things are rough. Sufficient power for the job is vital, which is why many manufacturers are recommending top engine power for their larger craft. When a wave is coming astern there are times when a rapid engine response provides

peace of mind and this is never more important than when a bar crossing is being undertaken. CONCLUSION When selecting a suitable boat for offshore work it’s pretty obvious that some hard and fast rules are involved and over riding all is the dollar factor. Larger craft do involve more expense but the enjoyment when offshore fishing on a great day is hard to beat. My advice is to shop around, looking for as many features as possible in a rig from a well-established manufacturer and make sure the chosen boat fits as many of your requirements as possible.

The Tournament 2000 is a 6m cuddy rig with the lot, and is ideal for offshore fishing in every respect.

The perfect boats for barra, bass or bream

You’ll find them where the fish are... since 1967 Mako 214 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! 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

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

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

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.

COME AND VISIT US

AT THE

1 9 - 2 2 M AY 2 0 16 ON MASTHEAD W AY MAY 2016

What’s New BOATING

STACER PROLINE STRIKER

Stacer has updated its Proline range with the release of the new Proline Striker Series, which features Proline models 399-429. These tinnies are budget friendly, and have new and improved features. Stacer National Account Manager Drew Jackson said Stacer have widened the chines for excellent stability at rest and underway. “The new hull also provides a deeper entry point to ensure a soft ride and improved spray deflection to make sure passengers stay dry,” he said. “Additionally, the innovative arrow-shaped bow design has effectively increased the cockpit size by 11%.” Standard features include a glove box, fitted drink holder, bow and transom handles and bench seat flotation, with the option of a bimini. Models 399-429 have enough room for five people with front and rear bench seats. Prolines are available as a boat, motor and trailer package, and come with 3-year warranty. www.stacer.com.au

SOLVENT-FREE FLUID FILM

Fluid Film corrosion control and lubrication products were originally developed for the US Navy, who were concerned about the use of solvents in confined spaces. This lanolin/wool wax base product line works where other products don’t last or don’t work at all. These are non-toxic, long lasting, thixotropic liquids (they liquefy when shaken, and then solidify when left standing). They have been used for over 50 years in the highly corrosive environment of ships and offshore drilling rigs. Because Fluid Film products have no added solvents, except for a small amount of propellant in the aerosol, they are safer for users and the environment. Additionally, they won’t dry out or stop working, they have a higher flash point (less chance of a fire), won’t evaporate, and won’t go tacky and gummy. Fluid Film is available in various grades of thickness (six plus an aerosol can) to suit different application methods and environmental conditions. www.stottind.com.au

IHOUND GPS TRACKERS

iHound GPS devices are small, waterproof and discreetly concealed on your trailer. iHound will report to you once a day on your PC, tablet or smartphone with a status and location report (can be more frequent if you require). If your equipment is moved or leaves its digital ‘geofence’ it will instantly let you know by an SMS message to your phone, an email, an alert on your iHound user interface or all three. If the equipment is moving it will send regular updates to tell you where it is so you can chase it down or notify the authorities. The battery will last up to six months reporting once per day, and will recharge itself when your trailer lights are connected to your vehicle. When connected to the vehicle the device will report its location every three minutes. Another potential benefit of fitting an iHound is that it may greatly reduce your insurance premiums, so it’s worth checking with your insurance company. Price: SRP $249 + $15 per month maintenance www.ihound.com.au

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

GARMIN QUATIX 3 SMARTWATCH

The Garmin Quatix 3 streams NMEA 2000 data – including speed, depth and wind data – from compatible Garmin marine electronics. Users can also start and stop recording video or take still images with a Garmin VIRB camera, control their FUSION stereo, and there’s also a dedicated MOB hotkey. Other features include a 3-axis electronic compass, barometer, auto-calibrating altimeter, anchor alarm, alarm clock, anchor rope calculator, a fishing tournament timer and fish catch log. You can also receive tide data through a smartphone. The Quatix 3 is water resistant to 100m, and has a tough lens with reinforced housing. It has an omni-directional EXO antenna and high-sensitivity GPS with GLONASS support, and its colour display is sunlight readable with an LED backlight. The battery life ranges from 20 hours to six weeks, depending on settings. You can customise your Quatix 3 with sport functions, daily activity tracking and more, which can be synced with your phone. The watch can also deliver notifications for calls, texts and emails, and is Connect IQ compatible. Price: RP $899 w w w. g a r m i n . c o m / e n - AU / e x p l o re / onthewater/

MINN KOTA DRIFT SOCK

The Minn Kota Drift Sock is a great addon product for electric motor users. “A device similar to the offshore sea anchor or drogue, the Drift Sock is a helpful tool to use when shallow water fishing for estuary or impoundment species,” advises Justin Welsh, Brand Manager. “For example, you could use it while drifting over an area of shallow saltwater flats, maybe fishing for bream or flathead. As the wind pushes you, you can start to go quite quickly, particularly in a light aluminium boat. The Drift Sock allows you to slow that drift down. You can position yourself with the Minn Kota, and tied off mid-ship you can have the Drift Sock out to slow you down.” The Drift Sock is built to last, with 210 denier ripstop nylon and heavy duty strips. Price: SRP $72.90 minnkota.com.au

MERCURY VESSELVIEW LINK MODULE

In partnership with Mercury, the full lineup of Lowrance HDS Gen3 and HDS Gen2 Touch multifunction displays, as well as all Simrad GO, NSS evo2 and NSO evo2 multifunction displays, will receive a software upgrade that adds powerful functionality with the new Mercury VesselView Link module. This will provide boaters with fully integrated Mercury engine data combined with their chartplotter, sounder or radar display. The touch-friendly interface will offer quick access to data like RPM, speed, fuel remaining, battery voltage and trim tabs. The VesselView Link control bar also provides quick access to Mercury smart modes including: Eco, Smart Tow, Troll Control and Cruise Control, and a quick-access bar displays clear warnings and alerts such as fault notification, identifying the affected engine on multi-engine boats, descriptive fault text, and maintenance reminders. To maximise the combination of engine data with sounder, chartplotter or radar displays, users can also enable split-screen functionality with automatic panel adjustment. VesselView Link will be available in June 2016. www.lowrance.com

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

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G2 Tournament 2000 Bluewater with Suzuki 200 BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

The second generation 2000 Bluewater sits mid range in the Tournament range of pleasure craft manufactured by the busy Haines Group. At 6.29m in length and with a 2.34m in beam it’s a lot of boat, sure to be appreciated by many people – especially those who need to have a great all rounder suited just as well for family pursuits as for dedicated fishing. The addition of an optional

hard top, built on a very strong framework, is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the new G2 Tournament 2000 Bluewater range. Next comes extra cockpit fishing room – some 22cm – plus substantial redesign of the transom area to incorporate a locking door, live bait tank, fold down rear lounge plus hatches providing access to both batteries and bilge for utmost end user convenience. Up front, there’s provision for a drum winch to handle ground tackle although the option of walking around the hard top via the cuddy’s wide

Here you can see the Tournament’s clean lines, large work area for anglers plus the very tidy arrangements around the transom. 94

MAY 2016

side decks is certainly viable in calm conditions. I used the walkaround to exit the craft onto a beach and it was quite satisfactory. Tucked below the massive hard top, the skipper and mate’s seats, on their massive hinged storage boxes, were far enough apart to allow easy cabin access via a sliding door. Bunks within the cabin were large enough to sleep on, an infill was available, and useful storage under bunks was sure to be appreciated, as would be the cabin’s full-length side shelving. A Porta Potti is also available. At the helm the skipper and mate would appreciate the comfort and support of the Bluewater’s slide-adjustable bucket seats. The sliding windows on each side of the craft’s four-piece, wiperequipped windscreen would be great in hot weather or in times of bad visibility. Whether seated or standing, the visibility from the helm area was perfect. The Tournament’s 3m long, full-length cockpit side pockets, of very generous capacity, extended right up to the cuddy cab so both skipper and mate could easily access the storage area by their sides. Very handy indeed. The Tournament’s raised dash layout was as modern as tomorrow, with state-of-the-art dedicated Suzuki gauges providing every possible piece of information, from engine revs to helm positioning, even exact global position! Suzuki certainly packed a lot of usefulness in those gauges! The pride of place on the dash went to the craft’s big Garmin GPS map 7407XSV unit. It was located above the

wheel with banks of switches somewhat lower. Up to four anglers could work in the large, 800mm high cockpit of the G2 Tournament Blue Water (the boat’s rating is for six people). Highlights of the cockpit were the generous amounts of side padding, the stainless foot rests atop the long side pockets, two rod holders per side in gunwale tops, along with large hand rails, a non-skid cockpit floor plus a boarding gate to port. The Tournament’s live well was to starboard within the redesigned transom, while a drop down three-person aft seat provided comfort underway yet could be lowered when fishing to form a brace point. Incidentally, the Tournament 2000 Bluewater’s 960kg hull proved very stable at rest, well suited to all manner of fishing or family pursuits. A large bait board aft was also equipped with rod

Strong under-hull strakes, visible here where they start at the bow section, serve to keep the Tournament level and stable at rest, and right on track underway. six cylinder 200 counterpart, and on the transom of the Tournament it certainly proved its worth. Planing occurred at 2800 rpm, travelling at 17.8km/h. I saw a sensible cruising speed of 38.5km/h (3500rpm) with the Suzuki 200 sipping 16.75L per hour.

SPECIFICATIONS Length: ...................................................................6.29m Length overall (including bowsprit):....................... 6.5m Height on trailer:.......................................... approx. 2.4m Height on trailer with hardtop:..............................2.85m Beam: .....................................................................2.34m Hull weight: ...........................................................960kg Power rating: . ...............................................130-200hp Max persons: ................................................................ 6 holders. Adding those to the six mounted on the rear of the fibreglass hard top and those in the gunwales brought the total of rod holders aboard to 12. Plenty of rod storage there! Engines range from 130-200hp and power was courtesy of a Suzuki’s new four cylinder DF200A. Interestingly, the new 2.9L four weighs 30kg less than its

Full throttle application saw 76.4km/h recorded, 6300rpm on the Suzuki gauge. The Tournament was a pleasure to drive thanks to electric/hydraulic steering, which was extremely direct yet fingertip light. Ride and handling were spot on, as expected of a 21° vee hull with plenty of grip on the water. I see this boat as being

well suited to bay, estuary and offshore fishing as well as all manner of family boating. The finish, as per usual with Haines Group products, was up with the very best on offer anywhere, and the hull’s 10-year structural warranty should please owners as well. The price of the craft as reviewed with all options including the Suzuki gauges, enclosed hard top, bait board, EPS steering, Garmin sounder, and Dunbier tandem trailer was $97,217 (base BMT package is $66,872). If you’re nterested in one of these deals drop into Bay Boat Sales in Salamander Bay or call them on (02) 4982 7899. More info is also available at www.tournament pleasureboats.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.

Left: There’s room to spare on the dash area for even larger sounders or nav aids. The test boat’s layout featured state-of-the-art Suzuki gauges and the Garmin 7407XSV unit, on upper levels wheel and switches lower down. Right: A cavernous under seat storage box is a handy feature of the G2 Tournament 2000.

A drop down seat in the cockpit provides more fishing room, a bolster to work against when fishing, and a seat for up to three people underway. In this photo you can also see the boarding gate, bait board and bait tank to starboard within the full height transom.

Angler-friendly features abound in the Tournament 2000 Bluewater Gen 2, including massive side pockets with footrest, cockpit side coaming and handy grab rail.

Standing to drive is easy when you have a sliding helm seat with a drop down bolster section. Note the size of the seat storage boxes, strength of the hard top supports and the neat fitment of the sliding cabin door.

K C O ST !

IN OW N

Come and check out the new Tournament 2000 Bluewater – in stock now. Contact us now on (02) 4982 7899 for complete drive away package prices. 332 Soldiers Point Rd, Salamander Bay | www.bayboatsales.com.au/tournament-pleasure-boats Test drive available by appointment.

Tournament 2000 242x165 Ad FishMthly BayBoat 04-16.indd 1

MAY 2016

13/04/2016 3:16 PM

Stessco’s new Renegade 480 with Yamaha F70

FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

As a boat company, Stessco seems to be on a bit of a roll at the moment. The factory is busy, there’s some keen, young managers in there getting things done, and they are kicking out some great product. This was no more evident than at the most recent Stessco boat test we completed – the launch of the Renegade 480. We were met at the ramp in Caloundra by Stessco’s Adrian Beil. Adrian was very enthusiastic about the boat, and with good reason. For starters, the Renegade 480 is a good-looking boat. The test boat was fitted with a tasteful vinyl wrap, a bow mounted Minn Kota, a flash Humminbird Helix and Yamaha’s swanky digital all-in-one gauge. Boarding over the transom, we noticed the polished rails. All the rails 96

MAY 2016

on the boat are polished alloy and add a classy touch. The next thing you notice is how beamy this boat is. The Renegade carries the 2.2m beam nearly all the way to the bow, giving you a mountain of cockpit space, and the simple deck layout lets you use nearly all of it effectively, no matter what your intended purpose of use is for this boat. Powered by Yamaha’s superlative F70, this is one of the most frugal boats I’ve been in recently. One-up, I cruised at between 3-3.5km/L of fuel burned, giving a cruising speed range of well over 200km for the

80L underfloor fuel tank. That’s more than enough for nearly every weekend trip I’ve ever done. The design of this hull reflects a modern trend of pressed aluminium boats with pressed bottom and sides, and smooth top sides. They look the goods and perform just as well. This Renegade used 3mm thick marine grade aluminium for all of the outer sheets – pressed or not. Reverse chines help with stability at rest, lift when you put the hammers down and are a virtual necessity on modern boats. At the bow, there’s a

PERFORMANCE RPM.................. Speed (km/h)............... Fuel (km/L) Idle................................6........................................ 0.8 1000........................... 7.5...................................... 1.4 2000............................12....................................... 4.0 3000............................17....................................... 8.0 4000............................32......................................11.6 5000............................44......................................18.2 5700............................53..................................... 21.8 Note: Figures with three adults on board.

substantial anchor well with a chain-silencing rotomolded liner and beside this is the optional electric motor bracket. The front deck is as wide as it is long and offers plenty of space for the lure-casting angler. Under that deck is a 109L livewell/kill-well and more storage. The console is as well designed as I’ve seen on local boats of this type – with room for bracket mounted large sounders and in-dash controls from any motor manufacturer. Yamaha’s colour screen Command Link gauge is fantastic, but possibly a luxury for a boat this size. The rear deck conceals a smaller live-well (30L) and the cranking battery and fuel filters. Performance wise, this rig was set up for economy rather than blistering speed. Quick out of the hole, it cruised nicely at anything over 3500rpm with fuel economy bordering on the ridiculous.

Stessco build their own trailers and this hull was matched neatly to one of their single axle models. With only a moderate level

by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine

SPECIFICATIONS LOA....................................................................5.2m Beam..................................................................2.2m Depth.................................................................1.1m Max HP..............................................................80kg Max Transom weight....................................... 180kg Capacity....................................................5 persons Hull only weight..............................................438kg of skill, drive-on retrieval should be achievable. In short, if you’re looking for an all-purpose boat that’ll be just at home drifting over an estuary flat as it is chasing mackerel on a calm day, then you should definitely have the Renegade 480 on your list of hulls to check out. BMT packages start from $28,000, and the test boat package was from $35,000. More info is available at www.stessco.com.au. • Quoted performance figures have been supplied

installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications. VIDEO

Scan this QR code with your smart phone to see the Renegade 480 in action.

The Renegade carries the beam well forward and you can see this on the front casting deck.

Left: Yamaha’s F70 is a reliable and economical power plant that gets 3.23.5km/L of fuel burned at standard cruising speeds (one-up). Just calculate the range with the 80L underfloor fuel tank – ridiculous! Right: Yamaha’s all-in-one digital gauge fits perfectly into the helm. Between the Helix and the Yamaha gauge there’s a mountain of information to help you boat and fish economically.

The aerial shot shows just how beamy the Renegade 480 really is, and how far for’ard the beam carries.

Supplied on a Stessco trailer, which is built in-house, the Renegade will certainly turn heads at the ramp as well as down the highway.

The cranking battery and fuel filter lives in a small hatch in front of the motor well.

Adrian Beil is at the helm and you can see the polished aluminium grab rail around the windscreen. All of the rails on the Renegade are finished like this and it looks great.

The big livewell (109L) lives under the front casting deck. Replace the standpipe with a plug and you can use it as a kill-well as well.

The small live bait tank (30L) in the rear casting deck comes with a standpipe that you can cut to suit the height of water you want in the well. MAY 2016

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

COFFS COAST Compleat Angler Kempsey (02) 6562 5307 Rocks Marine Bait & Tackle South West Rocks (02) 6566 6726

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

HUNTER COAST Port Stephens Tackle World (02) 4984 2144

SYDNEY Gabes Boating & Fishing Centre Narellan (02) 4647 8755 Windybanks Bait and Tackle (02) 9477 1520

MARINE MECHANICS

NEED REPLACEMENT MARINE ENGINE PARTS OR ACCESSORIES? has you MOBY MARINE covered P T Y

L T D

For Spare Parts & Accessories

EDENS COAST

BOAT IMPORTS Import USA Boat 0435 476 177

KAYAK DEALERS Hunter Water Sports (02) 4947 7899

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

SYDNEY

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

(02) 9153 6506 sales@mobymarine.com.au

44 Barry Ave, Mortdale, NSW

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

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

CENTRAL COAST Central Coast Holiday Parks 1800 241 342

ILLAWARRA COAST Jan’s Retreat (02) 4441 7000 Currarong Beachside Tourist Park 1300 555 515 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 Kendalls on the Beach (02) 4232 1790 Werri Beach Holiday Park (02) 4234 1285

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

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

www.holidayhaven.com.au/ Ulladulla

SOUTH COAST NSW

www.holidayhaven.com.au

Ulladulla Headland Tourist Park 1300 733 021

MACQUARIE COAST

FRESHWATER

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

FRESHWATER

Burrinjuck Waters State Park (02) 6227 8114 Providence Lodge (Eucumbene) (02) 6454 2200 Winter Keep (Snowy Mountains) www.winterkeep.com.au

Dubbo Marine and Watersports (02) 6882 2853

BOAT HIRE

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

HOLIDAY RENTAL

Chifley Dam Cabins 1800 68 1000

ONLINE TACKLE PRODUCTS

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

www.fishin.com.au ONLINE BREAM TACKLE STORE

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

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

Fish Taxidermist 0428 544 841

Boat Assist 24 (02) 9746 6224 or www.boatassist24.com.au

Blacksmiths Holiday Park (02) 4971 2858

Discounts for Fishing and Boating Club Members

FISH TAXIDERMY BREAKDOWN RESPONSE

Wangi Point Lakeside holiday Park (02) 4975 1889

Kiama Harbour Cabins (02) 4232 2707

NORTH COAST

3Gelcoat repairs 3 Insurance repairs

HUNTER COAST

Seven Mile Beach Holiday Park (02) 4234 1340

Boab Boat Hire (NSW) 1300 002 6221

The Boat Pimpers (Sydney) (02) 9792 7799

South West Rocks Tourist Park 1800 666 264

Surf Beach Holiday Park (02) 4232 1791

• Huge range of spare parts • Sterndrive & Outboard Specialists • Servicing All Makes & Models

AUSTRALIA’S #

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

Grassy Head Holiday Park (02) 6569 0742

Sussex Inlet (LJ Hooker) (02) 4441 2135

• We are one of Australia’s largest suppliers of after market spare parts & accessories • Trade Enquiries Welcome

FRESHWATER

Horse Shoe Bay Holiday Park (02) 6566 6370 Stuarts Point Holiday Park (02) 6563 0616

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

S E R V I C E S

Bermagui Bait and Tackle (02) 6493 5444

Hat Head Holiday Park (02) 6567 7501

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

Crescent Head Holiday Rentals (02) 6566 0500

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

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 Techni Ice www.techniice.com J Roc Tackle www.jroctackle.com.au Jayro Tackle www.jayrotackle.com.au

EDEN COAST

SWAINS

Esprit Fishing Charters 1300 556 658

QUEENSLAND

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

MV CAPRICORN STAR EXTENDED FISHING CHARTERS

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

INDIVIDUAL ENQUIRIES WELCOME Swains Reef • Bunker Group • Coral Sea • Shoal Waters and Beyond

W capricornstar.com.au • E info@capricornstar.com.au MV Capricorn Star 0408 755 201 or www.amytiadventure.com.au Mikat Cruises Fishing Charters Swains & Coral Sea 0427 125 727

www.southwestrocksfishingadventures.com.au

PORT & REEF SFISHING GAME ERS

CHART

EXTENDED QLD REEF TRIPS

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

CHARTER BOATS

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

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 40 words within a 8x2 ad size.

u Mid week packages from $420 p/p* u Weekend packages from $320 p/p*

*Minimum 6 people

On board our fully equiped 38ft Randell TRIFECTA Contact: David Hayman (Stumpee) Mobile: 0411 096 717 info@swrcharters.com.au

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

HUNTER COAST Tailermade Fishing Adventures 0411 096 717

DEEP SEA & GAMEFISHING

FISHING EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME! • Reef, Deep Sea and Sport Fishing • Swains, Samurez, Cap Bunker Group • Dories available • LUXURY 20m Cat. New V8 Scanias. Large comfortable and stable. • Air conditioned and fast (cruise up to 16 knots) • Professional crew (over 22 years experience) • Cater for groups up to 12 people from 3 to 10 days • BYO or fully licenced bar • Desalinate unit • Trips designed to suit your requirements

SATELLITE TV INSTALLED

ads@fishingmonthly.com.au FISHING GUIDES ILLAWARRA COAST Bay & Basin Sportsfishing 0413 610 832

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

TRIPS INCLUDE

All Bait, Fishing Rods and Reels Sunscreen and Morning Tea

BATEMANS COAST MONTIQUE

40ft RANDELL. Fishing capacity 12 persons.

Phone: 0427 125 727 I Fax: (07) 4972 1759 michael@mikat.com.au

www.mikat.com.au

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

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

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

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

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 Email: rlimpus@fishingmonthly.com.au

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

Kath had a fantastic day and caught this amazing kingfish (her first ever) onboard Oceanhunter Sportfishing Charters.

Shell Harbour Fishing Charters 0425 216 370

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

MERCURY

DEALER SALE SAVE UP TO $750 ON THE 40-75HP FOURSTROKE RANGE *

LOW 3.99%

COMPARISON RATE

NO DEPOSIT

PLUS FREE STAINLESS PROP UPGRADE ^

Visit mercurymarine.com.au to find your local participating dealer HURRY OFFER ENDS 23RD MAY, 2016. *Terms & conditions apply. Savings are based on RRP including recommended Accessories Kit and subject to change without notice. Prices exclude local freight charges, fit up and local statutory charges. Offer available on selected new consumer FourStroke outboards from 40 to 75hp FourStroke purchased from participating dealers from 21st March to 23rd May 2016. Ask your participating dealer for full list of models in the program. Offer is subject to availability and engines must be 2014 build onwards and installed and registered by no later than July 29, 2016. Offer not to be used in conjunction with any other offer or rebates. **Terms, conditions and credit criteria apply, offer available over a maximum 36 month term on Motor and Repower only. The comparison rate is based on a secured loan of $30,000 for a term of 5 years at an annual percentage rate of 3.22%. WARNING: The comparison rate only applies to the example given. Different amounts and terms will result in a different comparison rate. Finance is provided by Mercury Finance Pty Ltd ABN 28 156 248 092. Australian Credit Licence Number 421347. ^Terms & conditions apply 40-60hp Standard gearcase models upgrade to Vengeance 3 blade or Trophy Plus 4 blade. 40-60hp Command Thrust models upgrade to Vengeance 3 blade or a Trophy Plus or a Spitfire X7 4 blade. The 75hp Standard gearcase upgrades to a Trophy Plus or a Spitfire X7 4 blade and the 75hp Command Thrust model upgrades to an Enertia 3 blade or a Trophy Plus 4 blade.