New South Wales Fishing Monthly - November 2015 by Fishing Monthly

CREEK BASS GUIDE • COD CLASSIC TIPS

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Clarence River erosion • Cod Classic info • Flathead Classic wrap up • Small stream bass guide •

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A Black Magic BMax ‘bully’ lure and Black Magic 8lb Fluorocarbon tippet were used by Rod Shepherd to catch this rainbow trout while fishing at Lake Bullen Merri.

A Black Magic KL 8/0 hook was used by Chris Hilder to take this gummy shark.

While fishing 25km from Ocean Reef boat ramp in WA, Sam Bray landed this 21lb snapper using a Black Magic KL 6/0 hook and Black Magic 40lb Tough Fluorocarbon leader.

A Black Magic C Point® 4/0 hook and Black Magic 40lb Supple Trace were used to catch this massive 11.5kg snapper. Slade Weston was fishing in Coffin Bay, SA.

This 128kg broadbill was landed by Thomas Duggan at Eaglehawk Neck. Thomas used the Black Magic Equalizer gimbal and harness.

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November 2015, Vol. 21 No. 4

Contents SYDNEY The Hawkesbury 14 Pittwater 16 Sydney North 17 Sydney Rocks and Beach 22 Sydney Harbour 18 Sydney South 24 BYRON COAST The Tweed 29 Iluka 30 COFFS COAST Ballina 34 Coffs Harbour 35 Coffs Game 36 South West Rocks 37 MACQUARIE COAST The Hastings 40 Forster 42 Harrington-Taree 43 HUNTER COAST The Hawkesbury 12 Pittwater 14 Sydney North 16 Sydney Harbour 17 Sydney rock and beach 18 Sydney South 20 Botany Bay 22 BATEMANS COAST Batemans Bay 54 Narooma 55

From the Editor’s Desk... If you can’t sense the excitement from nearly all of our NSWFM contributors at this time of year, you’re spending too much time looking at the pictures of what they’re catching and forgetting to read the text in between! Talking to the Queensland contributors to the northern version of this title and we’re hearing that the run of pelagics coming down the coast is strong this year. One of them mentioned the El Nino. “Last time we had an El Nino like this, the pelagic action was insane,” he said. And although the news of impending warm sea surface temperatures is usually bad news for those on the land, the silver lining on the cloud is the quality of inshore and offshore fishing at these times.

So let me clarify this even more. Now is the time to make sure that the boat is safe and seaworthy, stock up with your favourite pelagic gear and be ready! BASS AND BREAM BASICS We do know, though, that not everyone has the means to get out on the big blue, so you’ll find plenty of how-to inside this issue to get started on two of NSW’s favourite fishing targets – bream and bass. Starlo and Jamie Robley have tackled thee topics with style. And I know that I bang on about this a lot, but make sure that you take advantage of the extra material available by scanning the QR codes inside when they’re supplied. For instance, Starlo has a link in his article to a video he’s put together about the topic he’s written about. Use

your mobile phone to scan the code, which will take you straight to the video. If your smartphone doesn’t have the App to do this, give it to the nearest teenager to set it up for you! Increasingly, we’ll link to content that doesn’t fit or display in the printed version of NSWFM via these codes, so it’s worth the effort. Tackle, techniques and boat tests all receive this treatment. WEEKLY REPORTS You may or may not be aware that Fishing monthly compiles weekly reports from plenty of popular NSW fishing locations. These can be found at reports. fishingmonthly.com.au or by following the links on the fishingmonthly.com.au site. These are increasingly well read and give you an update that’s even more current that that in the pages here. And it’s free to read.

CHRISTMAS SUBSCRIPTIONS There’s nothing wrong with being organised, and it’s coming up to that time of year when you need to organise gifts for your fishing mates. We know that you reckon NSWFM is great read – you’re reading it right now – so there’s no gift that keeps on giving like a NSWFM Subscription! There’s a couple of ways to sign up. You can call the office in business hours on our toll-free number (1800 228 244), you can fill in the forms inside this magazine, or you can do it online. Follow the links on www. fishingmonthly.com.au. Or you can do what hundreds of subscribers do every year. You can mention to your significant other that a sub would be a great gift. We all know that it beats a pair of socks or undies! Until next month, tight lines.

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SPECIAL FEATURES Small stream bassing guide Flathead Classic wrap up Clarence River erosion

REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 10 Boating 90 Dam Levels 65 Fun Page 85 Kayak Fishing 86 Tides 94 Trade Directory 96 Tournaments 75 What’s New in Fishing 60 What’s New in Boating 88 News 74

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ING TRADE

bassing for beginners

Small stream bassing guide CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley jrobley@iprimus.com.au

As is the case with other popular angling species, there are several different forms of bass fishing. Flick through magazines or browse the Internet and you’ll soon see photos of bass caught from large inland impoundments, big tidal rivers and tiny creeks, which aren’t much more than a trickle meandering through the bush. For me, there is only one type of bass fishing and although I’ll admit to being biased, I reckon this is the only true form of bass fishing, while the others are simply ‘fishing for bass’. This is traditional small creek bassing in the natural habitat of our beloved Aussie battlers. The tight water of the upper reaches and branches of larger coastal rivers, where water dragons, kingfishers, platypus and the crisp sound of freshwater trickling over rocky runs between shaded pools is the arena. Throw in some lush bush surroundings, a few distant farmhouses, barbed wire fences, cow dung and

Still though, it’s hard to beat places that are further afield or off the beaten track. The South and North Coasts, Hawkesbury and Hunter regions all have plenty of wonderful spots worth exploring that all house fish. While a 4WD is certainly beneficial, there’s no problem accessing

KAYAK COUNTRY Plenty of nice bass spots can be accessed by foot and some of the very best actually require long treks in, with backpacks and preferably a mate or two. This can certainly be a test of fitness and despite the remoteness and beauty of some of these places, it

unforgiving boulders, logs and steep embankments. So it’s definitely a case of less is more. ON THE TOP Most keen bass anglers just love using surface lures and some refuse to ever tie anything else on the end of their line. From what I’ve seen over the years,

Prominent timber structure like this is always worth a few casts. If a fish doesn’t hit, come back and try the same snag just on dark.

Small, relatively lightweight kayaks, with minimal accessories are the best form of vessel for the skinny, upper reaches of bass creeks. In most cases, more weight and clutter only adds up to extra hassle and is of no great benefit. the hotter the weather and the shallower the water, the better surface lure fishing becomes. A lot of my favourite spots are no more than knee deep, and a small topwater offering is by far the most practical and effective thing to cast. Every keen bass angler will have their own favourite surface lures and I’m no different. My short list, in no particular order, includes the Maria Pencil 55, Ecogear PX55, Viking Lures Pop’n’Crank and both the small and large Megabass Sigletts. Some other quite

popular models are the older Heddon Torpedoes, Arbogast Jitterbugs and the more modern Lucky Craft Sammy, but the list does keep going! Surface lures will entice fish even when sitting completely motionless on the water, as well as during the retrieve. Sometimes faster, erratic retrieves score hits, while on other days a more subtle approach works best. Overall though, surface lures tend to do better early in the morning, later in the afternoon or after sunset. DOWN DEEP When fishing slows right up and hits are hard to come by, it’s often better to go deeper and slower. Spinnerbaits and similar sinking types such as chatterbaits can be irresistible to bass even when they’re in a sulky mood, but soft plastics and deep diving lures are other

options worth considering. Some rivers are full of fallen or drowned timber, so successfully working a lure near the bottom could be problematic, with snags and lure losses. In areas where the bottom is mainly hard rock, sand or gravel you can get away with bouncing a lure down amongst it. Slowly retrieving a spinnerbait along the edges of weedbeds or in clear pockets between dense weed is another deadly option, in creeks where this sort of scenario exists. Casting hard up against a deep, shaded rock face and allowing the spinnerbait to casually ‘helicopter’ down is another good idea. Of course, traditional diving hardbody lures have long been a standard in the bass angler’s tackle box. While I don’t use them so much these days, I always have a few on hand as

This bass smashed a Megabass Siglett cast into a heavily shaded pocket amongst the timber. During the fight it ran head first into a log, almost knocking itself out and leaving a scar above its head. the odd wallaby or kangaroo. This is bass country. Some of these spots are way up amongst the ranges, 100km or more from the coast, while others can be found quite close to populated urban areas. Even our largest city has some nice little pockets of natural bass habitat within a short drive of the CBD. It’s quite remarkable really, but I’ve enjoyed some first rate small creek bass fishing in a number of different places around Sydney. 8

NOVEMBER 2015

many of these creeks with a standard car. In most cases, small creek bass fishing comes good from early November, peaking during the hottest part of summer and drops off by the end of March. In very dry times bass may not be able to migrate too far upstream due to water levels being too low. However, the general theory is that more fish will be found in the far upper reaches right in the middle of summer.

doesn’t always mean more fish live there than spots closer to home. To get the most out of small creek bassing though, a kayak is an essential part of the equation. Forget those big, fully kitted out peddle craft. This is where smaller, lighter and very basic vessels have the edge. Most modern polyethylene kayaks are very robust and that’s also important as this sort of fishing and exploration often requires a lot of lifting, portaging and dragging over

The majority of bass found in shallow upstream sections of small creeks aren’t big, but they’re certainly spirited fish and very willing to hit surface lures.

This bass hit a brightly coloured diving hardbody cast around fallen timber. Although surface lures and spinnerbaits are the first choice of many anglers, old school hardbody lures will always have their place. they do work very well in a variety of situations. I generally prefer the slimmer models that also double up as bream lures, although lures with a more rounded body shape tend to have a strong wobbling action that often bring bass undone. OTHER STUFF As mentioned earlier, a very basic kayak set up is more user friendly when fishing small bass creeks. The more ‘clutter’, the more problematic things become. This is definitely the type of fishing where cutting back on what gets hauled along is a very good idea. A small landing net or lip grips, head torch, suitable footwear, wet rag to handle fish, basic first aid kit, drink and snacks as well as a phone are all important items that don’t take up much space in the yak or backpack. A very small tackle box housing a dozen of your favourite lures

is generally a much better alternative to a large box with 50 or 100 lures in it, as the majority of these won’t be needed anyway. Small creek bass fishing isn’t about scoring a trophy that will be the envy of all your mates. Sure, some big

fish may be encountered in some creeks, but the majority are small, feisty specimens that are lean, hungry and full of fight. This sort of fishing is all about the environment, experience and memories. It’s my kind of bass fishing and maybe yours too?

The author with a typical upstream bass. Whilst not huge, fish like this are common and always welcome.

A small selection of lures like this is all that’s really needed for a few hours on the water. So leave the big tackle box at home or back at the base camp so there’s more space in the kayak and less weight to drag around. NOVEMBER 2015

How to catch your first bream on a soft plastic! NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

Lots of anglers still struggle to crack the ‘bream on lures’ code. Truth is, these fish are no pushover. But if you follow Starlo’s simple, five-point plan, we’re confident you’ll be posing for a photo with your first bream on a soft plastic very soon! As I travel the country fishing, researching stories and gathering material for

this and the many other publications I contribute to, I come across an increasing number of anglers who’ve embraced lure fishing and, in particular, the use of soft plastic lures. The uptake of soft plastics has definitely been one of the most significant trends in Australian recreational angling over the past 10 to 15 years, and its popularity shows no sign of diminishing any time soon. Softies are great lures and they’re not all that hard to use. Most new chums start catching at least the

Small, natural-looking plastics and light jigheads with fine, sharp hooks are the way to go, especially when getting started.

Introducing

odd fish very early in their plastic-flicking careers. But some species are tougher nuts to crack than others, and the humble bream is perhaps the trickiest of the lot. It’s also the one I get asked about the most. The question typically begins with a statement along the lines of: “I can catch plenty of flathead on plastics, but I’m damned if I can work these bream out!” If you’re in that camp, I’m here to help! Below I’ve listed a simple, fivestep strategy for cracking the ‘bream on lures’ code. I’ve accompanied this with a short, no-nonsense how-to video clip on my ‘Starlo Gets Reel’ YouTube channel. You can go straight to that video by scanning the QR code at the end of this article, or by typing this URL into your browser: goo.gl/nEkBcO Okay… Are you ready to learn how to catch your very first bream on a soft plastic? Here we go! USE THE RIGHT GEAR The perfect tackle for chasing bream on soft plastics is a 1.9-2.2m ‘flick rod’ with a nice light tip, usually rated for 1-3kg line. Match this light rod

Bream love soft plastics, but unless you get the whole package just right, success may prove to be elusive. with a 1000 to 2500 size spinning reel and fill the spool with quality 2 or 3kg monofilament line, or braid carrying a similar strength rating. (If you choose braid, always add at least a rod length of clear monofilament leader of a similar strength to the end before tying on your lure.)

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You’ll never forget your first decent bream on a soft lure! properly rig every tail and if it’s not right, do it again. (Study the accompanying video on my YouTube channel for step-by-step instructions.) FISH WHERE THE BREAM LIVE You won’t catch ’em if you cast where they ain’t!

Bream love structure, including man-made structure. Concentrate on snags, rock bars, creek mouths, bridge or jetty pylons, weed bed edges, oyster leases, boat moorings, breakwalls, channel markers and the like, and cast

your lures close to these structures. WORK YOUR SOFTIES SLOWLY As a rule (unless the spot you’re fishing is very snaggy), start by letting your rigged plastic sink all the way to the bottom. Then work it

Prime bream habitat typically contains a mix of depths and plenty of hard structure. with a series of fairly slow lifts, hops and drops. Again, study my basic how-to video on the “Starlo Gets Reel” YouTube channel for more details and a demonstration. And that, folk, is about it! As I like to say, it ain’t rocket science! Follow this simple five-point plan, watch my accompanying video for additional information, and I can all but guarantee that you’ll start catching bream on soft plastics sooner rather than later. So, what are you waiting for? QR CODE

Light, sensitive spinning gear based around a 1000 to 2500 reel and 1.9-2.2m flick rod is perfect for bream.

Simply scan this QR code to go to Starlo’s how-to video on YouTube! NOVEMBER 2015

Getting your timing just right THE HAWKESBURY

Dan Selby dan@sydneysportfishing.com.au

This month will be a hive of activity on the Hawkesbury with the Hawkesbury Classic, Canoe Classic and multiple ski and boat races. When all this is mixed in with the usual recreational anglers and boaties, the river suddenly seems like it’s Pitt Street! Smart anglers should focus at the prime times of dawn, dusk and into night to secure the Hawkesbury’s prized capture: the mighty mulloway. You can catch these fish throughout the day but those prime low light periods are when that fish of a lifetime will most likely be searching for its next meal.

Live baits are readily available this month in the form of yakkas, herring, mullet, squid, tailor and prawns. Securing a variety or just a single type of bait can make a big difference when it comes to specifically targeting mulloway. Throwing soft plastics and vibes around the tide changes on prominent structures like bridges, reefs and drop-offs will also account for some nice fish, along with the usual run of soapies and the everpresent flathead. Flathead have been featuring in bags throughout most of the Hawkesbury and its tributaries, and are reasonably easy to encounter. This is their spawning time of year so please release any big flathead over 65cm. Prawns are the pick of the baits

SIZE MATTERS… MEASURE UP!

for those anglers wanting to relax and soak a bait, but the lure flickers are getting the better quality fish. Fishing areas like Upper Half Moon, Dads Corner, the mouth of Webbs Creek, the mouth of the McDonald River and the wind sock at Laughtondale with soft plastics and blades will score those better fish that are reluctant to take a dead bait. Drifting is the preferred method but you can also do well at anchor as the tide is starting to slacken off. Soft plastics and blades that resemble prawns and small baitfish in the 2-3” range are the best starting point. I really favour curl tail grubs when using soft plastics as they have action on the lift and the drop. This means they don’t need as much angler input, and

they produce great results time and time again. The flats will start to fire in Pittwater, Cowan and Berowra. Whether you’re using surface or sub-surface presentations, the bream, flathead and whiting should be willing to climb on. I prefer slightly larger surface stickbaits as they cast farther and seem to attract a better class of fish. I’ll take quality over quantity any day! Small crankbaits, blades and soft plastics will all have their day in the sub-surface realm; it’s just a matter of seeing what the fish want on the day. If you like casting around structure for your bream, the lower rock walls from Wisemans to Spencer have been consistent. The leases in Berowra, Marramarra and

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Some great bass fishing has been had after the fresh at the beginning of the season. Surface lures will be the most fun this month.

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Kingfish have moved in and are biting well on the headlands and into Pittwater and Broken Bay. Mooney Mooney creeks are good too, as they are always home to a few stud blue-nosed bruisers. You can get away with fishing heavier leaders in the dirty water found around the leases. Start with 10lb and go heavier if you’re losing more than you’re winning. Just remember that a thicker leader will affect your lure’s action, and this can result in fewer bites. It’s a bit of a trade-off sometimes. The kingfish have moved inshore in recent weeks. Live yakkas and squid are their preferred baits. Go loaded for bear as these hoodlums are getting bigger by the year. Downrigging and flat lining will be the best methods of presenting baits to active fish. Alternatively, if they are a little slow to take trolled baits, a slow drift with live and strip baits may be the ticket to get them to bite. Just make sure your rod holders are up to the task because these guys

hit hard and fast. FRESHWATER The bass are biting well in the freshwater reaches above Windsor and through the upper Nepean. They have been hitting most offerings, with the jig spinner/soft plastic combo being a standout. Early mornings and late afternoons have been producing some nice fish on surface lures also. The fishing should be good throughout summer in the gorge beyond Penrith due to the flush in early September. The sweetwater creeks will be holding some nice fish as well. There’s nothing better than grabbing a handful of lures, a spin outfit and a backpack with the essentials and hitting your favourite creek to get away from the summer activity on the main river. There’s something for everyone this month so get out there and enjoy the diverse fishing this mighty system has to offer.

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Tips for Pitts this month PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

Spring is upon us once again, and it’s time to start catching fish! Last month saw the water temperature slowly climb and even after the opening of Warragamba Dam into Pittwater it still remains a toasty 18°C. MONTHLY TIPS With warmer water, the small fry baitfish and micro squid are starting to be chased by kingfish, tailor, and salmon just to name a few. Kingfish are starting to come on the

Everyo

bite but most are feeding on those small 2mm long baitfish making them almost impossible to catch. There have been a few kingfish that we’ve been able to tempt by thinking outside the box. If you find a school of kings on the surface slurping on micro baitfish, get as close as you can with the motors off and throw around some small pilchard pieces towards the feeding fish. Throw the next small handful closer towards your boat and with the third handful a piece of pilchard on a hook to float down as well. It hasn’t worked every time but it is worth trying. These

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Carry THING EVERY ed in you ne ! one trip

fish are spooked by boats, not motors so it is important to be patient and create a sense of security for the fish. I have seen kayak frustrated fishermen paddle in towards the school only to have them dive and pop up 20m away. The other successful method has been to down rig live squid in the area of the surface activity. When the fish have been feeding on the surface we have only been lowering our baits to 10ft. Kingfish prefer to eat baits that are above them rather than below them and when they are feeding on the surface, baits higher in the water column have worked better than lower down. You only have to stay in the area of activity and by turning off the motors and drifting you are in with a real chance of catching a few. The usual areas of Stokes Point, Soldiers Point and through to Longnose Point as well as around the Scotland Island have all been areas of kingfish captures. The key has been to

Yvonne with a kingfish that couldn’t resist a small live squid. trust your sounder and have small live squid. Micro jigs will start to work very well in the next month or two as there are many thumb nail sized squid starting to come out of the weed beds to float around with the flotsam in the bays. The predators will be found hunting in these areas as well as anywhere with drifting weed.

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With the small squid imitation that is on most of the assist hooks, these lures will find quite a few fish over the coming month or two. Squid are hard to catch along Pittwater at the moment due to the brown algae that is covering the weed beds. The areas of faster water flow seem to be better. The areas to try for squid are The Basin, Palm Beach weed beds, Barrenjoey Headland, West Head, and Sand Point. These areas are home to small squid so small jigs are needed on most occasions. Squid jigs of 2g are perfect and the better colours have been changing from one outing to the next. My suggestion is to start with the fluoro colours of orange or pink but if you have no follows don’t be afraid to go to the natural olive green or brown colours. SPOTS TO VISIT Fishing for your bread and butter species is easier towards the mouth of Pittwater rather than towards Scotland Island. Algae makes it difficult to fish because as soon as your bait hits the bottom it is engulfed in brown slimy mess. The area on the Pittwater side of West Head is the better area to anchor and berley. In front of Portuguese Beach through to Sand Point has

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This kingfish was caught whilst drifting around the surface activity.

been a better drift. Check your baits often so you can remove any slime before fish have a chance to refuse it. If you are like me and prefer to avoid the algae, Broken Bay is fishing well for flathead, school mulloway, and bream. The drift from Patonga through to Lion Island is seeing flathead and a few lucky people have encountered the odd school of mulloway on squid. Flint and Steel is fishing well on the incoming tide for flathead and the odd school mulloway while fishing the edge of the reef. If you use a weighted berley bucket and lower it near the bottom there are a few trevally still about to catch. Flint and Steel sees a fair amount of current most of the tide and at the moment it’s the last and first hour of the tide change that seems to be working the best. OFFSHORE If you can poke you head offshore, the reef fishing is still producing some great fish. Morwong are again making their presence known when fishing 60m or more. There are a few snapper still being caught in a variety of depths but most seem to be just over legal. Flathead are starting to bite their heads off again in water from 50–70m and there is no best bait. When you find the area where they are laying they are chewing on just about anything. Micro jigs, soft plastics, prawns, squid strips and pilchard pieces are all working when dragged along the bottom. If you are after big kingfish this is the month when we start seeing them at the inner reefs making their way with the warmer water and baitfish into our harbours, rivers and bays. There are some spots left on our boat if you want to chase a few and have a chance at that fish of a lifetime. I hope this report sees you all revved up and eager to get on the water to enjoy our wonderful part of the world. • 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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Kings parade into Sydney SYDNEY NORTH

Darren Thomas

Our summer season is well and truly on its way! As the winds swing round to the northeast and the water temperatures rise plenty of species are looking to come on the chew, and if the early signs are any indicator this may be a cracker month to get right into ‘em.

down rigging live slimies when he hooked up on his Saragosa 10,000 and deep jig 200/80lb outfit. A torrid 15 minute battle had the fish boatside and after a few quick snaps had it back in the drink again. The boys over at OceanHunter Sportsfishing have been into the kings all year and this month is no different. Captain Mike Bamforth took Simon Chem

be a cracker in the king department so be sure to head out with these guys if you are new to fishing or just want to brush up on your kingfish tactics. We’re getting a few snapper from the offshore reefs now and some differing by-catch on the jigs. Oliver Evans was fishing the 50m line off Manly, just slow jigging a 30g jig on 15lb, when the

Emerson Spina with an inshore king from Long reef. The kingfish have moved back in from offshore to the local inshore reefs and there’s a few bruisers amongst them. Emmerson Spina fought a hard earned battle off Long Reef recently in 12m of water just recently. Emmo was

and his mates out to the 12 mile to slow drift some yakkas and slimies, and the first drop was all it took before Simon had himself hooked up to a 1.35m fish, which was landed, tagged, photographed and released. This season is promising to

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long slow tugging of a good squid was recognised. A nice even retrieve allowed the boys to get the net under the squid as it broke the surface, and I dare say that this squid would have been on the dinner table a couple of hours later. The soapy mulloway have been on the chew all winter with plenty caught on plastics, hardbodies and vibes. Matty Armistead took a run up to the mouth of Broken Bay recently targeting soapies on plastics and had some pretty reasonable success. Hopping 6.5” white glow Gulp Nemesis plastics along the dirty water line soon had Matt’s 20lb Power Pro ripping off his Stella 4000. If you come across some good water discolouration give this method a try, you may be surprised. Some reasonable marlin reports are filtering in as our waters warm and it looks like it might be a great season for our billfish. Paul Walmesley and his crew have landed a few stripes to 90kg lately on the smaller skirts in lumo and UV colours. Paul runs all single hooks and 200lb leader in his lures with Billmarks and Marlin Magics being his favourites. Paul and the boys fish out wide of the shelf chasing the current lines, water temperatures and feeding birds, and most of the action has been from the 300+ fathom line. Our beach fishing is also on the up as our waters get warmer with some good bream and whiting captures from the sand. Ernie Price and David Parker have been hitting the beach in

the afternoon at Collaroy beach with some terrific success. The boys have been using the king worms available here in the shop and landing whiting to 41cm and bream to 39cm. Fishing 4kg string over a 4000 reel on a 10’ light surf rod is perfect for this style of fishing. The light weight of this outfit enables you not only to feel every bite but to be able to fish longer and not tire so easily from holding too heavy a rod. The fish are going to be less than 30m away, so there’s no need for something you can cast to New Zealand with, although if a school of salmon or tailor come through, tying on a 40-60g metal slug will still have you casting well beyond the breakers and in the rear surf zone. Should you be lucky enough to hook something on one of these lighter outfits be sure to play the fish out and get off up the beach after him – there’s is only one secret to fishing… stay connected! For once the fish is gone it rarely comes back.

Oliver Evans with a squid on a slow jig, destined for the pan!

Top: Matty Armistead with a Hawkesbury soapy taken around a colour change. Bottom: Simon Chem with a 1.35 kingfish taken aboard OceanHunter Sportfishing.

King chaos for Sydney-siders SYDNEY HARBOUR

Craig McGill

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craig@fishabouttours.com.au

November is renowned for being a fickle month with water temps alternating between hot and cold. The East Australian Current should be pushing through by now with predominately warm water, but back eddies can creep in between with cold water. We have already had some promising early signs of kingfish, and salmon have been in big numbers around the heads. A fantastic blackfish run is continuing with some tackle-busting surgeon thrown in and squid have just been on fire. Kingfish and mulloway should be in full swing by now and if you are going to have a good season you will need to master the fine art of squidding. Squid are by far the best bait but they must be fresh. In the bays and harbours you will find both the southern calamari and common squid. The southerns make the best bait. Calamari squid are the bigger of the two and are found around structure. They are particularly fond of kelp beds but can often be located around jetties, bridge pylons and boat moorings. The best way to catch calamari squid is with a Yamashita jig. A good jig will have needle sharp jags and securely

Dust off the heavy gear, the kings are on their way. about 2m above the kelp. My recommendation to get to grips with it is to spend a whole day squidding. Don’t take any fishing gear other than your squid gear, so you won’t be distracted. Find as many kelp beds as you can and keep squidding until you have mastered it. It will be a lost fishing day but it will pay off tenfold throughout the season. The ‘beard of shame’ is a common occurrence amongst beginner (and sometimes even experienced) anglers – the result of a direct face shot of squid ink. To reduce the

The author wears the ‘beard of shame’. fastened jags and leads and most important of all, they will sink horizontally at a slow rate. The Yamashitas have all these attributes. The bottom line on squid jigs is, like most things, you get what you pay for. Calamari squid can be lured by working the jig very slowly, with the occasional sharp whip of the rod and regular stops,

incidence of exploding squid, careful handling is essential. You can either net squid and hold them in the water until they have expelled all their ink or lift them into the boat very carefully by the line. Most ink explosions occur when the squid is bounced around on the line or allowed to hit the deck or sides of the boat. When the squid is lifted aboard, carry

it very steadily to the tank by holding the jig only. To get it off the jig, slowly invert the jig and let the squid drop straight into the tank. There is no need to touch it with your hands until it’s time to cut it up for bait. If she does blow and cover your boat, clean it off immediately. Once the ink dries it’s ten times harder to remove. To get it out of your cloths try a couple of days in NapiSan. Blackfish are still biting furiously after a great winter season. We mostly only chase them through the winter months because they are abundant and are a great stand-by when all else shuts down. Once the kings and other gamefish come on in summer we usually leave the blackfish alone but they are definitely still available. In fact, some of the best black fishing can occur in the warmer months. Like most fish, blackfish’s metabolism speeds up as the water warms and I’ve experienced some hot bites mid-summer. Get ready for a season of really big kings. As discussed in this column over the last few seasons, the kings have been getting bigger every year for the last decade. Early season fish around the 1m mark and even some up to 1.35m have been lurking round the heads and close reefs. The harbour is full of bait and squid so it’s shaping up to be a cracker. Your typical, modern day king outfit consists of a heavy threadline spooled with 80lb braid. Colour coded braid is very useful for making sure your baits are sitting at the same depth as the kings you’ve located on your depth sounder. 50-80lb leader and a 5/0-9/0 heavy duty hook, like the Mustad ‘Hoodlum’ range completes the rig. Jig style rods seem to be the preferred stick, even in bait

fishing scenarios, but they aren’t absolutely essential. That’s a wrap for this month. Until next month, stay safe on the water and tight lines. • If you are interested in doing a guided fishing trip on Sydney harbour with Craig McGill please call 0412 918 127 or email craig@fishabout.com.au.

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Get into the summer species SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com

Spinning big poppers and minnows works OK but you have to put in the effort. For a more relaxed approach, try catching your own live bait like yellowtail at your local wharf or off the rocks in the early hours of the morning. Live mullet work well providing that they’re large enough.

Chris Rigby with his first ever pig. Fish this size and bigger can be expected this month. leader in some situations. For the more experienced angler, a 15-24kg outfit might get you out of trouble. Finding the eastern sea gar might be a little difficult but they will become easier to catch as the month progresses.

A light spin outfit with 8kg braid is good for small tuna species, with metals ranging from 15-45g. A live bonito, frigate or tailor up to about 1.3kg, roughly free swimming or under a balloon, works well on the bigger fish. A 0.5kg live

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As water temps start to get consistently warmer, those warmer water species we long to catch off the rocks, beaches and landbased estuaries are more readily available. For the Sydney region the inshore water temperature is still fluctuating around that 18-20°C mark, occasionally slightly more, but that should be more consistent by mid-November. Let’s check out what to expect for this month. The snapper run off the rocks can be great in October, with plate-size reddies and a run of better fish of 45cm+. I like to fish the sudsy white water with a bread berley mix and pilchard, squid strips, and tuna fillets just to name a few varieties of bait. Some good wash and distance casting spots I recommend are Bangally Head on the main ledge, Mona Vale Pool for a distance cast, Dee Why rocks, North Curl Curl and of course Bluefish. Some of these spots have rod holes so you can set your rod for a snapper out wide and fish in the white

water so you’re covering all bases! The kings are on now! This month we can expect good size specimens of 1m+. Having the heavy gear is vital if you want a decent chance of landing these tenacious, hard-fighting fish. It may be necessary to use 24-37kg braid with 80-100lb

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bait suits virtually any good size king, ranging from 6kg up to the whoppers. The big pigs are still on, and that’s thanks to the increase of cabbage weed. Big weed baits suspended under a roughly 10cm foam float at a depth of 1-3m will cover most spots. I recommend using a ball or bean sinker onto the swivel and 30-45cm of leader onto a 2X strong short shank hook like the Mustad 92554 or 540, with 10-15kg mono or braid. Berley up with cabbage weed for better results, and have your endeavour or banana prawns and your bread berley just in case. Try the Hat at Manly’s iconic Quarantine area, Little Bluey also at Manly, Long Reef Collaroy, South and North Whale headlands and Barrenjoey Head. Have you ever gone rock fishing for bream? Mate, they are one of my favourites, especially with light gear. In some situations you have to use 7kg line because of the very rough terrain, and apart from having the heavier line for that reason you may have to wind them up for several metres rather than wash a fish up onto the ledge. For those more user-friendly locations where landing a fish is easier, or in the shallows, 2-4kg line will give you a more satisfying result. Rock bream fishing also gets you onto other species like snapper, trevally, and tarwhine. And that light line challenge when you hook a big pig, decent groper or a king can be fantastic sport. Pilchard halves, fillets, pink nippers, red crabs, eastern school prawns and more can be used for this species. These baits are the general run-of-the-mill variety for rock anglers. Try Bluefish, South Curl Curl’s Flat Rock, Long reef, North Narrabeen, and Barrenjoey Head. BEACHES On the ocean beaches the whiting run is in full acceleration mode, with top bags from most beaches. As always, the best baits for these fussy fish are blood worms and squirt worms. Good alternatives are beach worms and pink nippers, and then after that fresh pipis and small peeled prawns. If you’re desperate you can resort to using skinny strips of squid. They look similar to worms and have accounted for some great fish at times. As a full time guide/ instructor I teach all aspects of rock and beach fishing, and that includes beach worming, and how to catch them by hand without pliers. After that I take my clients for a whiting and bream fish. In all, it’s a very nice way to spend a few hours! The best locations of late, starting from the northern end, are Palm Beach followed by Whale and Avalon beaches, which produce some good bags of whiting and bream.

A 74cm king caught recently on a ganged sea gar from Sydney Harbour. Mona Vale, Warriewood, north to mid Narrabeen, Dee Why and Manly are also good. Salmon can be a bycatch when whiting fishing, but for better results a ganged pilchard is very effective. A surf popper works well as the lure above your bait. Tie off approximately 20cm of leader on your first swivel, and then the surf popper. Alternatively, a 1/0 and a fillet of pilchard, pipi, or your favourite fish bait is good for a bream. Often the salmon will pick up the small bait rather than the larger whole ganged pilly. Virtually all beaches are doing well. Manly, Curl Curl and North Narrabeen are producing this acrobatic, hard-fighting fish. It’s a great month for a

mulloway! Live bait and the freshest squid are the top baits. Often anglers will overlook a whiting as a live bait, but it’s very effective (just remember that whiting have a legal minimum size of 27cm). The beaches I recommend are Palm Beach, North Narrabeen, Dee Why and Manly. So get into the summer species like snapper, kings, bream and more off the rocks, and whiting, sharks and mulloway off the beaches. Don’t miss out! • 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.

Peter Lopreiaco and Stephen Haddad with a good catch of luderick. These fish are great fun on a 3kg outfit, and the same gear suits bream and whiting fishing as well.

Quintrex’s top dealer TR Marine World, located at McGraths Hill, has been awarded the top honour of Quintrex National Dealer of the Year for 2015. Family owned and operated, TR Marine World is a standout in its class offering quality products and ‘a wonderful boating experience’. Dealer Principal Ian Tricker has over thirty years experience in the marine retail business and leads a team of experienced professionals committed to giving the best customer service possible. Ian said it is an honour and a surprise to be awarded Quintrex National Dealer of the Year twice in a period of less than ten years. “To look around the room at the conference at the calibre of dealers in the Quintrex dealer network only makes me prouder of my team at TR Marine, their hard work and dedication to Quintrex and Mercury is what I think sets us apart from the rest,” Ian Tricker said. The Quintrex National Dealer of the Year award is based on ten criteria, some of which are: customer feedback, dealership presentation, quality of staff, variety and number of stock on display, website, on water activity and marketing. Quintrex Account Manager Cameron Wood said TR Marine World excelled in each of the ten criteria and are worthy winners of the coveted award. “TR Marine World is the best of the best and has experienced impressive sales growth over the past year.

“Their customer service is outstanding with nine out of ten customers rating them in the highest category for customer service.

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“The staff members are always positive when liaising with the Quintrex team and because of this we have created a positive, successful business relationship. “Their display at Sydney Boat Show was certainly impressive as well as their on water day, it is clear their team truly are boating enthusiasts,” Cameron Wood said. Along with an impressive range of Quintrex boats,

water sports equipment. The dealership features an impressive 2,000m 2 showroom surrounded by a large outside tarmac purpose-built display area. Visit the friendly staff at TR Marine World at 4 Curtis Rd, McGraths Hill or give them a call on 02 4577 3522. For more information on the Quintrex range visit w w w. q u i n t r e x . c o m . a u . – Quintrex

Dane Lyons caught this flathead in Sydney Harbour, near Lavender Bay, while flicking for squid. Dane estimated it at close to a metre long. NOVEMBER 2015

Sussing out shore-based spots SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Even if you don’t have a boat, you shouldn’t be deterred from going for a fish in Southern Sydney. There are so many landbased spots that it would take a lifetime to fish them all. Sure – some are better than others, but if you take the time to suss out each one you will start to work out the best times to fish them. In this month’s article I’m going to give you some

good land-based spots worth a try over the next few months. BOTANY BAY 1. Bare Island This island is located on the northern side of the bay and is a very popular spot to fish for bream, whiting, luderick, tailor, Australian salmon, bonito, squid, groper and drummer throughout the year. Parking on the weekend can be a bit of a nightmare, but if you get there early you should get a spot. If not, you can park in one of the side streets and walk a few hundred metres. You don’t have to fish off

the actual island, as there are a number of spots on either side of the island where you can cast out onto a sandy bottom without the use of a rod any longer them 2.1m. 2. The Cooks River entrance Located on the northwestern side of Botany Bay, the Cooks River entrance has parking on both sides. Bream, whiting, dusky flathead, silver trevally and luderick can be caught here over the next three months. The main fishing possies are at the ends of the walls, so it can get a bit crowded at times. Take care when fishing off

The western side of Dolls Point is a great land-based spot at low tide because you can pump your nippers and fish for bream and whiting into the deep water.

the southern wall as it is fairly uneven, and you’ll need to find yourself a concrete block to either stand or sit on. It’s not much good in a southerly blow as it is fairly open. 3. Brighton-Lee Sands to Dolls Point This is easy to access by parking in one of a number of car parking areas found along this stretch of sand. At some of the places you can park your car, walk about 4-5m, cast out your line and rest it up against the rail, and then go and sit back in your car and wait for the fish to bite. Whiting, dusky flathead and bream are the most common catches here. However, at times the tailor and Australian salmon will chase the whitebait into the shore, so make sure you have a few metal slices on hand. 4. Silver Beach at Kurnell This is a great place to fish when the southerly winds are blowing. There are a number of groynes here where you can walk out to the end and cast a line out for whiting, flounder, dusky flathead, silver trevally, bream, tailor and Australian salmon. When you get there you will notice that there are a number of weed patches. When casting out, aim for

Tez won the SBS round in Sydney Harbour with a three-fish bag weighing 2.5kg. your bait or lure to land near the edge. It’s not a good spot to fish from when a northerly wind is blowing. GEORGES RIVER 1. Bald Face Point Located at Blakehurst, Bald Face Point can be fished on both the run-in and run-out tide, but you will need to have an outfit that will allow you to cast out at least 40m. Bream, dusky flathead, whiting and mulloway can be caught here during the day. The parking here isn’t the best, but if you get there early you should get a spot close by. If not you will have to walk from one of the side streets. 2. Oatley Point This is located on the northern side of the Georges

River, just downstream of the Como Bridge. When you get there you will find a large area that you can fish during both the run-in and run-out tides for bream, dusky flathead, whiting, mullet and mulloway. You will only have to cast around 20m to get out to the prime fishing grounds. Even though you can fish back towards the back of the bay from the point you will need to watch out for boat traffic, as there is a boat ramp up in the back of Oatley Bay. 3. Lugarno One of the best spots on the Georges River is right at the end of the Old Forest Road adjacent to the Lugarno Seafood Restaurant. Right at the water’s edge is a great fishing platform that will have

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you casting out into the deep waters of the Georges River. It’s a great place to bring the family for a fish. Bream,

whiting, crabs, dusky flathead and the odd mulloway can be caught here on both bait and soft plastics.

4. Tom Uglys Bridge This bridge can be fished from both the northern and southern sides. The northern

Tez Grimanson with another mulloway. He is a master at catching these fish.

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If the area of La Perouse isn’t firing you can try off the break wall at the Port Botany boat ramp.

side has a concrete platform where you can park right next to where you’re going to cast from. The southern side has a small wharf that juts out towards the first pylon. Both of these land-based spots seem to fish better on the run-out tides for bream, whiting, mullet, luderick, tailor and the odd mulloway. PORT HACKING RIVER 1. Salmon Haul Bay Situated on the northern side of the entrance to the river, Salmon Haul Bay has a number of spots where you can cast a line for whiting, bream, flounder, squid, tailor and dusky flathead. Even though there are a few rocks in close, a decent cast will get you out onto the clean Port Hacking sand. It’s a great spot to fish from if the winds are coming from the north because the high rock ledge will give you some protection. Tailor and Australian salmon sometimes come into this small bay chasing the whitebait, so keep those lures handy. 2. Gunnamatta Bay Baths Nestled right up near the end of Gunnamatta Bay, this spot has a nearby park, netted pool, shops and plenty of parking. It’s just a short walk from the parking area to the baths, and once you’re there just cast out towards the boats on the western side for bream, whiting and dusky flathead. You could also try

walking along the beach to the south and fish the drop-off. Remember that even though you see nipper holes along this stretch of sand you are not allowed to pump for them here. 3. Gymea Bay Baths This spot is nestled in the back of the back. It can get quite cold during the afternoon because the high cliffs behind cause a shadow to appear as the sun goes down. Squid, whiting, tailor, Australian salmon, bream, dusky flathead, leatherjackets and silver trevally can be caught here throughout the day. I have even seen a few kingfish patrol past here. 4. Jibbon Beach To get to Jibbon Beach

you will need to travel through the Royal National Park. Parking is limited in nearby streets, but it’s a short walk down onto the beach. Bream, whiting, silver trevally and the odd flathead can be caught here. It’s a great place to flick out few soft plastics during the early morning or late afternoon. Well, there you have it – a dozen places for you to have a try at land-based fishing in Southern Sydney. If you would like more information on the fishing in southern Sydney, or you have something to report, or a photo you might like to see in the magazine, just send me an email at gbrown1@ iprimus.com.au.

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NOVEMBER 2015

Hot spots on the Georges River BOTANY BAY

Gabe Quercigrosse gabeandgabe@bigpond.com

The bay hasn’t reached its full potential, but the notice is on the wall. When the water temperature climbs a few degrees, this should set the scene for vastly improved catches. Anglers fishing the shoreline along the Grand Parade between Kyeemagh and Dolls Point found flathead in the 45-55cm class. These fish have been taking whitebait slowly retrieved on the edge of the weed corridors.

Good trevally have been taken from the dropover in front of the Novatel at Brighton Le-Sands on live nippers on the top of the tide. The little park at the end of the grand parade at Dolls Point has provided comfortable fishing for anglers seeking bream, whiting and luderick. Boaties have found the going a little tough, with school flatties taken at the entrance to Quibray Bay near the sanctuary zone border buoys. Squidgy Grasshoppers slowly retrieved have been accounting for the better fish. The sticks in the middle of the bay proved very popular at

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first light, with bream taking live nippers cast close to the structures, with the run-out tide the better option. Locally pumped nippers have been providing the spoils. The runways, as always, have been very popular with anglers chasing flathead and pelagics. Schools of salmon have also provided great sport close to the marker buoys for fishos using 10g slices, and prawn bait users have taken trumpeter whiting on the drift. The Georges didn’t live up to expectations, with limited catches of whiting taken at night, and luderick making up the balance. For some unknown reason, small bream have been around in droves, taking baits meant for larger fish. In all my years I have never seen so many; they’re everywhere. The best way to avoid them is to fish the shallow sand flats. November should see increased numbers of school mulloway filtering through, with fish around the 5kg mark chasing small baitfish. You’ll find them around the bridges and the deeper holes in the system. The Black Hole at Picnic Point, which is the deepest part of the river, will be the hot spot. Whiting should make an appearance along the Towra shallows, with numbers increasing further down the track. Expect fish around the 40cm mark to be on the chew in front of the Sans Souci Sailing Club and on the Caravan Head channel. The last of the run-out tide and the first of the incoming will be the preferred times. The full moon period will once again provide the better catches. I expect Watts Reef and its surrounding areas to provide good catches of bream at night. While the fish will not be huge there should be no shortage of them. I suggest fishing a

run-up tide reaching a peak high around 11pm. All you need is a small splitshot behind the hook to keep the bait down, and live nippers for bait. Stick to the lower areas of the bay if you’re chasing flatties, because duskies will be feeding between Molineaux Point and Bare Island during the outgoing tide. The last couple of hours prior to the slack water are the ideal time. GEORGES RIVER SPOTS Georges River is one of my favourite fishing haunts, having yielded many outstanding catches over the years. If fished correctly, it can always be relied upon to provide a good feed. Tom Uglys Bridge On any weekend you can see anglers packed like sardines fishing the Sydney side of Tom Uglys Bridge at Blakehurst. This spot is easy to get to and makes for comfortable fishing, hence the mob! You don’t need a ute to take away your catch but this spot does at times come up with the surprise packet in the shape of mulloway and big bream. Because of the run of water you need to fish with a heavy sinker, and the run-in tide which sweeps your bait towards the pylons is favoured. It’s a good spot to get to know your gear and practice casting with the bonus of a few fish. For the boat fishers, I suggest the third pylon from the city side on the western perimeter on the low tide for bream and school mulloway. Live or fresh bait in the shape of local squid, pink nippers or blood worms is necessary for a good catch. Woronora River Entrance The Woronora River, or ‘The Wonnie’ as the regulars call it, is probably the most underrated river in Sydney. Anglers who dismiss it in favour of the bigger Georges River often miss out on

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A couple of the author’s bream and whiting caught recently from Port Hacking. bream, blackfish, whiting and flathead catches. And on the upper reaches beyond the main road bridge you can catch perch. In a fresh, a lot of perch are washed downstream and are often picked up by bream fishers using lures. The Wonnie is for small boats only, and the entrance has been dredged to deepen the channel. The entrance is as good a place as any to fish, and just out from the big house on the corner is a good spot. So is the channel post. If you’re fishing the big tides, anchor in the middle of the sand bank and cast towards the drop-over. There are excellent mud crabs to be had, so take a heavy-duty dilly and place it close to the mangroves with a slab of mullet in it. The key to success in the Wonnie is the right bait. It’s pointless to fish there unless you have live blood worms or nippers, and keeping the line size down to 2-3kg breaking strain will give you a good chance of picking up a good feed. Liverpool Weir Since the construction of a fish ladder at Liverpool Weir early in 1998, bass are now able to travel up and down the Georges River to reproduce. I have lost count of the times that I’ve fished it armed only with a black Jitterbug lure and a pair of pliers to remove the trebles for bass to 50cm. Unfortunately, the water below the weir never seems to get too clear but this hasn’t stopped local fishos from catching mullet, bream and bass from the immediate area for years. The stretch starting from the two stormwater drains, down past the yellow post to where the big palm is set

against the riverbank is a great trolling or lure casting spot. Alternatively, you can cast a live mullet in the deeper water for a chance at catching one of the small bull sharks which frequent the area. If you’re berleying and targeting bread and butter fish here, use fine particles of moist bread and fish with a running float rig, similar to that used by luderick fishos. Milperra Bridge I know this area particularly well, having owned the tackle and bait shop next to the bridge. I recommend you fish this spot at night or midweek because of daytime boat traffic. Anchor on the upstream side of the bridge and set your baits down near the pylons of the bridge on the run-out tide. Alternatively, you can move down below the bridge and set your baits back downriver towards the first sharp bend, opposite Hind Park. These two spots can yield good bream and tailor, plus class school mulloway. A good quality line of around 6-8kg can be required to handle the added lead needed to reach the bottom on the run-out tide. This can also come in handy when school mulloway are around. Fresh prawns, squid, pilchards or a nice fillet of mullet produce the best results, and don’t forget to take a longhandled landing net with you. • For all your fishing needs, as well as the latest info on what’s biting, drop into Gabe’s Boating and Fishing at Narellan (4/1A Somerset Ave), or Silvania (268/264-276 Princes Hwy). You can also call them on (02) 4647 8755 or (02) 9522 5100 respectively, or visit the website at www.gbaf.com.au.

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Flathead

2015 Great Northern Brewing Flathead Classic FMG

Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

The 22nd Flathead Classic once again proved that the Gold Coast waterways are a prolific flathead fishery. A total of 551 competitors in 217 teams – the largest ever field – made their way to their favourite locations trying to catch a humble flathead.

For the first time in my memory of the Classic, the Queensland weather turned it on for competitors, and the predicted and usual windy weather held off and sunscreen was the order of the day. Teams were met with an early morning low tide each day with a high tide just after lunch. Competitors knew the key would be to get fish early and then hope that their traditional high tide spots

Hayden Swain won the junior prize draw. You couldn’t get the smile off his face!

we faced was trying to avoid the pocket of dirty water that inundated the waterway as the tide filled after the early morning low. We enjoyed a good start each morning, but found it difficult in the dirtier water. We did find the odd patch of cleaner water, however, which kept all on board in good spirits and happy with our efforts in 2015. TALE OF THE TAPE Once again credit must go to the Gold Coast Sport Fishing Club for running such a great event. It’s a huge task to feed and entertain 551 competitors, sponsors and organisers after a long day on the water. For the record, competitors enjoyed 7500 cans of the major sponsor’s product! This year’s presentation precinct not only provided anglers with a opportunity to relax and chat to other competitors, but gave the sponsors of the event a chance to show off their wares and explain their latest tools to catch a flathead and many other species. Thank you to the people who came over to the Fishing Monthly stand to have a chat and take advantage of the special subscription offer we had for the Classic. Competitors also got to take home a sample bag

Above and right: The Bluefin boat and Mercury outboard packages are always a huge drawcard for the event. Bonza Graphics put the wrap on the senior prize. I am always blown away by some of the facts and figures to come out of the Classic. This year 5786 flathead were caught – that’s 226 more than 2014. The total length of those fish was a bit over 2346m, so the average size fish for the event was 40.5cm. I know the boys and I could have used a few more 40.5cm fish! The best technique was trolling once again, with

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NOVEMBER 2015

fish in deeper water. Zerek Fish Traps and Samaki Vibelicious Thumper tails were popular amongst competitors. The biggest flathead was a 96cm fish caught by Ming Liu from Team Berkley 1. Prior to the event, Ming hadn’t caught many flathead, so this fish gave him an amazing introduction to this popular recreational species. The fish was caught on a Berkley Gulp 4” Jigging Grub in chartreuse

colour on a 3/8oz jighead. The team worked the dropoffs on the flats closer to the ‘Pin when Ming hooked up. Ming’s fellow team members were convinced the fish was a stingray until it showed itself at the boat. Following a bit of chaos, the fish was in the net. This fish was caught on the first day of the Classic, and although a number of fish hit the 90cm mark during the competition, none could beat it.

The trip was well worth it for Glenn Hurrey. He won the Bluefin Boat and Mercury outboard senior random draw prize. would allow them to take advantage of a good start. TEAM FISHING MONTHLY Representing Fishing Monthly was myself, Michael Fox and Chris Byrnes. Fishing Monthly teams have enjoyed some success over the years so we had big shoes to fill, but with Foxy as our illustrious leader we put in a consistent performance and came 25th overall in the teams event. Chris was our best performer in the individual stakes with a respectable 67th place. Like all of the teams, one of the challenges

that was chock-a-block full of lures, line, caps and magazines to give anglers a taste of the sponsors’ products. The Gold Coast Sport Fishing Club tells me they handed out 4400 lures and 82.5km of line to competitors. The random prize draw is always popular, and this year there were two Bluefin boats with Mercury outboards available for a lucky senior and junior angler. Glenn Hurrey and Hayden Swain were the winners this year, with plenty of other anglers walking away with thousands of dollars worth of prizes.

three brands standing out for anglers: Lively Lures Micro Mullet, Pig Lures and Zerek Tango Shads. So if you don’t have one of these in your tackle box, you probably should. It would be remiss of me not to mention soft plastics. The individual and teams winners certainly showed that trolling isn’t the be all and end all (see how they did it in the winners wrap). Bright colours seemed to be the key, with the chartreuse Berkley Gulp Minnow a stand-out. UV colours were also very popular with anglers, in particular those taking advantage of the

Alexi Delinicolis was all smiles after winning the Junior Angler division.

Flathead FISHING TIPS FROM THE EVENT As with most tournaments, a bit of preparation and time on the water prior to the event to prepare a plan of attack is the key to success. Knowing where the fish were holding and planning around the tides and conditions seemed to be

the theme coming from the leading anglers. Wilson Fishing had two teams that filled two of the top three spots in the Teams event. Both teams fished the Tipplers area as they found concentrations of fish holding in the channels at the bottom of the tide. They targeted them

either trolling Tango Shads or casting 110mm plastics at the mouths of drains. UV colours and dipping the tail of the plastics was a couple of keys to success. As the tide flooded over the banks, rather than leave to find other fish, the boys followed the fish and the

water onto the flats and targeted them in any deeper hollows or channels they could find. Although they did take the odd break and target fish in the deeper water, it was this faith in knowing the fish were in the area they were fishing that proved to be a winner.

Danny Sands was a popular winner of the Overall Individual Angler division. Grab a back issue of the September magazine to get his insights on how to win the Flathead Classic.

Katie Watsford won the Female Angler division.

Ming Liu’s 96cm fish caught on the first day of the Classic was the largest for the event.

Similar thoughts came from many of the other teams in the top 10. After they found concentrations of fish in an area, these competitors were determined to continue to fish the area thoroughly, no matter the time of the tide or the colour of the water. The deep bite was a little more hit-and-miss according to the people using this method. What was similar to the shallow bite was the need to continue to fish areas that had produced fish. It was not unusual to have two

WORLD CLASS FISHING IS ONLY A

or three boats in an area catching very little, and then have the next drift in the area produce a number of quality fish. Varying your lures and UV colours were a few keys to success. Fishing Monthly is proud to once again have been part of the 2015 Great Northern Brewing Flathead Classic, and we look forward to being part of it again next year. The club will be showing off its new purpose-built premises in 2016, which everybody is looking forward to seeing.

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Flathead

Flathead Classic Q & A FMG

Chris Byrnes

SHALLOW APPROACH – DEPTH NOT DESIRED Danny Sands, an avid angler and member of Gold Coast Sport Fishing Club, took out the Champion Angler title at the 2015 Flathead Classic. Sands amassed 1560 points to narrowly secure the title. Fishing in a three-man team (which included three generations of the same family!), Sands stuck to his shallow water plan and found the fish to secure the Senior Angler victory, while also anchoring his team to fourth place in the event overall. Sands’ pre-fish for the event was limited due to work commitments; nevertheless his experience of the tournament arena and knowledge of the conditions was never in question. Focussing on the two days prior to the event as key to identifying the correct locations and techniques, Sands quickly sketched a blueprint for the event and then put his plan into action. His key points were identifying bait in the location, and identifying the areas that held clean water. “With big tides and northern winds on the forecast, the key was finding the clear water and the bait congregating in the area,” Sands explained. “I find that the fish are more active and bite better in the clear water.”

The areas Sands focussed on are located between Sovereign Island and Crusoe Island. Tipplers and the Neverfail Islands were specific areas that produced fish during the event. Facing a run-in tide at the start of each day, Sands looked to make the most of each morning before the tide reached high. “The goal was to fish hard for the first two to three hours as this was the most productive period for the team,” he said. “As soon as the locations we were fishing had the first push of the run-in tide, the bite started to shut down.” Once the tide pushed towards high, the team relocated to Crusoe Island where they continued to target fish in the shallow water. “At Crusoe Island there weren’t as many fish, but the ones we caught were of good quality,” Sands said. “We focussed our efforts on fishing the edge of the dirty water line in no deeper than 6ft.” Sands’ technique involved making long casts into shallow water between 0.5ft to 8ft in depth. Using an aggressive presentation, with a focus on keeping the lure close to the bottom, Sands was rewarded with consistent bites throughout the tournament. He used only one type of plastic lure during the event: a Berkley Gulp 4” Minnow in chartreuse colour rigged on a 1/4oz 3/0 TT’s jighead painted pink (no scent was added to the

David Whyte with one of Lowrance Whyte Boyz kicker fish. Other visual features of Sands’ key spots were pelicans actively feeding in the area. 26

NOVEMBER 2015

lure). When a more finesse approach was required, he changed the jighead to a

1/4oz McCubbin football jighead. The McCubbin football jighead allowed him to fish the lure close to the bottom with the addition of a slower sink rate. “When using this presentation I was looking to keep the lure in the fish’s face for longer,” he explained. “It is a slower presentation with the action being to aggressively shake the rod rather than lift the rod.” When discussing the locations fished during the event Sands noted that the water remained reasonably clear, despite the dirty water encroaching around them. “The locations we selected were away or sheltered from the main run of the tide, so the water remained clear in those locations for longer than it did in more open locations,” he said. “We generally had enough clarity to see weed and bottom structure, which aided our approach.” The first two days of the event played out virtually the same, with the team finding early success fishing the start of the run-in tide before moving north to Crusoe Island. On the last day the team investigated Crab Island around the middle of the tide where they found fish. During the middle to high tide mark, the team focussed their efforts on identifying structure and weed beds where the fish were likely to be sitting in ambush. Trolling around the Aldershots and Crab Island provided only two fish for the team, with lots of waterborne weed hampering their efforts. Sands’ tackle included a G.Loomis Shaky Head 6’10” rod paired with a 2500 Shimano Twin Power reel spooled with 4lb Berkley Fireline braid and either 10lb Sunline FC Rock or 10lb Berkley Vanish leader. The team fished from a 4.8m Galeforce boat equipped with a single Lowrance HDS9 sounder (some other boats ran up to four units) and an 80lb Minn Kota electric motor. Sands said the first two days were similar, with a window of opportunity early, but added that Day 3 was different. “Day 3, when the tides were better, the action was thick and fast for periods,” he said. “The team was concentrating on getting two to three legal fish per hour. When the bite slowed we would still be thinking one to two fish per hour, with the thought process that the better bite windows would make up for any shortfall later in the session. “As a team we focussed on a particular area. This allowed us to move to

Winning the Flathead Classic after 19 years is enough to put a smile on your face. nearby spots if a specific location wasn’t working, as well as reducing time wasted travelling. As a team we tried to help one another, communicating when a certain lure or technique was working. It was a good vibe on the boat, which always helps in a tournament situation. “Fishing light definitely helped in the conditions, along with searching for the larger banks. If you think about it, the larger the bank is, the more bait has to come off it at low tide.” DEEP APPROACH – ROLLING IN THE DEEP Nick Whyte, a key member of winning team Lowrance Whyte Boyz (3571

points that have seen his team earn back-to-back victories at the 2014 and 2015 events. The Lowrance Whyte Boyz have long been recognised for their skills when fishing deep water, but it would be a mistake to pigeonhole them into the ‘deepwater’ category. The strengths of the team lie in their knowledge of the tournament arena, their ability to adapt to the prevailing conditions and their joint understanding of whether a location is working and why. By using all these elements together, the team is able to place itself in the most ideal location at the right time of the tide, thereby maximising the boys’ chances of catching

One of the strengths of Team Whyte Boyz is that the members fish independently. points), took time out of his hectic schedule to discuss the event and share some key

larger numbers of fish. The pre-fish (practice) for the event began around

six weeks prior, with the team aiming for four to five sessions out on the water in this time. Importantly, the team headed out the day before the event, focussing on what was happening on the water rather than confirming that fish were in selected locations. The boys cut the hooks off their jigheads to ensure fish weren’t stung (hooked), because a stung fish is unlikely to get hooked again for 24 hours or so afterwards. The team focussed the majority of their efforts on selected locations between the northern boundary (powerlines at Russell Island) and the 6 knot zone (south of Crusoe Island). The decision to focus on this area was based on a number of factors including the team’s pre-fish experience. However, with the onset of dirty water in the system the team made the decision to largely remain in the clean water near the mouth of system (Jumpinpin). As a consequence, the team focused on edges in the deeper water and the large bait showings in the area. “Our focus was deeper edges and secondary dropoffs in the area,” Whyte explained. “Come high tide we could be up in the shallows casting into 1ft of water, but regardless of the location we trusted in our approach and had confidence in the area we were fishing. The team operates very much under a majority rule situation, however just like in 2014, we didn’t encounter a situation where we were at odds with one another.” One of the team’s strengths is that the members fish independently. Each team member fishes differently (aggressively/passively) and has their own nuances with retrieves (slow/fast). Team members rotate through their favourite lures, and if a certain lure or retrieve is consistently successful, the member tells the others. Within this framework each angler fishes

Flathead to their strengths, maintaining confidence in their technique and approach and knowing their team mates are doing the same. So what features determine whether a location is selected? Bait in the area and structure (edges and snags) are key to identifying where a flathead may be located. Being an ambush predator, these are important factors in determining where the fish might be congregating. Once areas with fish are identified it was a matter of finding similar structure or locations that had the same features. By rotating between these locations during the same stage of the tide, the team maximised their opportunities to land more fish. Bait being present in the area always remained a key point. The lures used by the Lowrance Whyte Boyz included the ZMan 5” scented PaddlerZ, 4” SwimmerZ and 4” and 5” McCarthys plastics. The standout colour in the ZMan

“In the dirty water we use lures that have a bigger profile or provide greater vibration so that the fish can better home in on the lure,” Nick explained. “The team came into its own when positioning the boat when fishing deeper water. When an angler is fishing drop-offs and edges, positing the boat is key to be able to target the correct areas. “When you are sitting in 40-50ft of water and fishing vertically, it’s a very different scenario from, say, targeting a secondary drop-off of a steep bank,” Nick said. “Position is key to effectively covering the area and working out where the fish are sitting.” The team acknowledged the use of sounders to assist them while on the water. They used four Lowrance HDS 12 units on the 4.7m Attack boat used during the tournament. “We use the sounders for multiple purposes including sounding of baitfish and positioning of the boat,” Whyte explained. “The

braid between 20-24lb with a 16-20lb leader. “Snaggy ledges can quickly relieve anglers of multiple jigheads, especially if the leader is not up to the task,” Whyte said. “You can easily waste too much time retying leaders or trying to get your gear back off the bottom.” The team acknowledged that during the event the bite was tough, with no day being a particular standout for fish quality or numbers. The addition of dirty water in the system largely determined the locations fished during the tournament, with the team fishing within sight of the Jumpinpin bar for the first

two days. Come the last day the team also ventured to a number of positions closer to the northern boundary. “It was a tough tournament with no day a particular standout,” Whyte said, “although the bite was actually tougher in the lead-up to the event. “We had a solid first day and come the second morning our first two fish were 93cm and 84cm, so we thought we were on a roll. However, the northern wind came through and the fishing just became harder as we slowly ground it out. On the final day we hit a number of locations further up the system, confident that these spots hadn’t received

as much pressure due to the abundance of dirty water for the previous two days. The fish that followed were quality and in reasonable numbers.” Finally, I quizzed the Lowrance Whyte Boyz for helpful suggestions for anglers looking to emulate the team’s success. “Without a doubt, experience on the water is the most important thing,” Whyte said. “Experience allows you to trust your approach and have confidence in an area, even as anglers are leaving the area around you. Bait is always a key indicator, and often it’s reflective of the numbers of flathead in an area.

“Finally, working out the pattern will give you a lot of confidence as you will be able to identify similar locations that offer comparable opportunities.” VIDEO CLIP

Scan the QR code to see Steve Morgan’s interview with winner, Danny Sands.

Nick Whyte with one of the flathead that helped his team win first place. range was sexy mullet colour. Jigheads ranged between 3/8oz to 1oz, with the weight altered depending on the strength of current. Coloured jigheads were used to either contrast with the plastic or to match the plastic (the latter makes the plastic look longer). When the bites became harder to come by, Procure scent was added to the lure and then reapplied every 10-15 minutes. Casting lures was the name of the game for the team, with the boys choosing not to troll lures during the tournament. When the team focussed on deeper presentations, the standout lures were a 95mm Zerek Fish Trap and a 0.5oz TT’s Switchblade.

side imaging is imperative to locating and maintaining contact with baitfish as well as identifying ledges. Keeping the boat in the correct position maximises the opportunity to secure the bites on offer. The Insight Genesis mapping system provides contour depths to 1m, which is ideal for the style of fishing we focus on. You can’t put your head underwater, which is why we rely on the technology to be our eyes on and under the water.” With the team actively seeking fish in the high 50cm to early 60cm range, the tackle used is required to stand up to the test. The team members regularly used NOVEMBER 2015

Flathead

2015 Gold Coast Flathead Classic results table SENIOR RESULTS Rank Score

Angler

SENIOR RESULTS Rank Score

Angler

SENIOR RESULTS Rank Score

Angler

TEAM RESULTS Rank Score

Team

TEAM RESULTS Rank Score

Team

1560

Danny Sands

671

Luke Rafton

151

458

1553

Brett Doolan

669

Trent Hopkins

152

1552

Nick Whyte

667

Robbie Wells

153

1521

Chris Metcalfe

654

Brad Job

154

1464

Troy Dixon

651

Ross Dalzell

155

1439

Blake O’Loan

643

Matt Kair

156

1375

Daniel Hickey

641

Katie Watsford

157

442

1364

Michael Angus

638

Mark Grice

157

442

Gordon Wood

2627

Out for a Quickie! (Snr)

1363

Matt Fraser

637

Mark Ward

159

441

Cameron Golightly

2590

The Mad Hueys Heritage (Snr)

1335

George Sands

635

Nicole Sands

160

440

Alex Roy

2485

Victoria Point Bait & Tac (Snr)

912

G.C.P.F. (Snr)

1265

Mark Frendin

631

Aiden Cross

161

439

Charles Felsman

2445

Hella Marine Team On S (Snr)

909

Fullnetz (Snr)

1235

Robbie Payne

627

Pete Macgregor

161

439

Mark Czauderna

2432

Frayed Lines (Snr)

893

Bundy Bears (Snr)

1179

Jason Heller

620

Peter Jung

163

437

Garry Rayner

2411

TNT (Snr)

890

The 3 Stooges (Snr)

1174

Ross McCubbin

616

Ben Archer

164

436

Mathew Hubbard

2405

TMNT (Mixed)

875

Team C Worthy Marine (Snr)

1161

Stuart Grice

615

Tony Moore

165

435

Glenn Hurry

2323

Team Berkley 2 (Snr)

875

D Burt TackleWorld (Snr)

1129

Brenden Whyte

614

Greg Livingstone

166

428

Bruce Andersen

2122

The Mad Hueys (Snr)

872

We’ll Leave You Reelin (Snr)

1106

Franco Martinese

613

Tony McQueen

167

426

Michael Fox

2112

Beer & Bulls*** (Snr)

868

Flattie Wranglers (Snr)

1093

Bailey Heseltine

611

Shaun Forrest

167

426

Craig McKenzie

1998

Team Canberra Fishos (Snr)

866

Berserk Australia (Snr) Fish On (Snr)

Joakim Odlander

3571

Lowrance Whyte Boyz (Snr)

972

Two Dogs (Snr)

456

Neal Caruana

3333

Zerek Lures Wilson Fishi (Snr)

454

David Asmussen

3282

Wilson Fishing (Snr)

969

Great Nth. Super Crisp (Snr)

968

451

Fay Rohweder

3168

Team Sands (Snr)

Jizzabell (Snr)

966

Flattie Hookers (Snr)

449

Bill Longford

2998

Switchbait (Snr)

446

Julian Morrow

2951

Dead Fishy World (Snr)

963

Fishing World (Snr)

946

Ross Richards

2732

Team Next Year (Snr)

Triton Boats (Snr)

927

Wet Dreamz (Snr)

924

Team Kitchen Addiction (Snr)

922

Bonza Graphics (Snr)

1087

Christian Cross

608

Alan Osborne

169

425

Anthony Heiser

1985

Alias (Snr)

866

1059

Thomas Ryan

608

Paul Tamis

170

424

Gregory Hester

1945

Wobbler & Drag (Mixed)

863

Osso (Snr)

1047

Scott Fleming

594

Nathan Andersen

171

416

Kazi Rembacher

1904

Team Big Fish (Snr)

854

Wildfire (Snr)

1040

Theo Delinicolis

594

Trent Latter

171

416

Luke Rogash

1799

D. Burt Tackle World (Snr)

845

Tha Mootdangas (Snr)

1035

Shane Gartner

593

Darren Caldwell

173

415

Andy Gunn

1797

Lizard Poachers (Snr)

840

Beeracudas (Snr)

1029

Cooper Sands

588

Christian Pulvirenti

173

415

Darren Davis

1746

Bonza 2 (Mixed)

833

Team Payne Train (Mixed)

1020

Jay Cottrell

588

Michael Morris

175

412

Adam Barclay

1740

Fishing Monthly (Snr)

100

771

Dodgy Fishing Adventure (Snr)

1012

Alan James

101

587

James Mavroidis

175

412

Jack Gledhill

1729

Original Foul Hooker (Snr)

101

764

Flick and Troll (Snr)

1000

Kord Luckus

102

582

Shaun Harrington

177

410

Jesse Hill

1711

Cabbage Tree Point Bait (Snr)

102

761

Mighty Gull (Snr)

1000

Adam Meredith

103

579

Kevin Sands

178

408

David Cooke

1693

Team Berkley 1 (Snr)

103

756

Limited Ability (Snr)

973

Keith Woods

104

564

Deno Buchignani

179

407

Kim Jones

1693

Hardheaded Hookers (Snr)

104

753

Shimano PowerPro (Snr)

971

John Goodwin

105

555

Mick Kelly

180

406

Brett Dunkerley

1669

Rapala Storm (Snr)

105

750

Nulook Floors (Snr)

960

Christopher Gates

106

552

Nathan Sheiles

181

403

Luke Geale

1626

Team Patto (Snr)

105

750

The Long Rods (Snr)

959

Mick Horn

107

548

Kyle Paterson

182

400

Mark Jenkenson

1572

Pig Lures (Snr)

107

749

STS Marine (Snr)

939

David Green

108

544

James Priest

182

400

Robert Bekkers

1542

Team ZMan (Snr)

108

747

NuLook Floors Sunny (Snr)

909

Murray Rogers

109

539

Barry Lawson

184

397

Jeff Bromiley

1530

D. Burt Tackle World (Mixed)

109

712

Blu~C (Mixed)

903

James Nishida

110

537

Chris Brown

184

397

James Paterson

1463

Team Heavy Tackle (Snr)

110

708

Dusky Dingoes (Snr)

902

Dylan Heseltitne

110

537

Tom Mcdonald

186

395

Ben Gilbert

1446

Team Anglers Paradise (Snr)

110

708

Peter Griffin (Jnr U16)

896

Terry Ryan

112

536

Chris Henry

1435

Smacking Big Girls (Snr)

112

703

Flathead Fury (Mixed)

890

David Whyte

113

529

John Charnock

889

Chris Head

114

528

Mat Paterson

884

Con Voukelatos

115

527

Trevor Cassidy

880

Doug Burt

115

527

Damian Mann

869

Sean Conlon

117

526

John Hall

866

Ming Liu

117

526

858

John Lenne

119

524

848

Guy McConnell

119

842

Alex Hallam

121

JUNIOR RESULTS

1415

Flatty Dazzlers (Snr)

113

693

Mad Keen Fishing (Snr)

Angler

1409

The Flatliners (Snr)

114

682

Great Northern Original (Snr)

905

Alexei Delinicolis

1382

Jackal & Hyde (Snr)

115

680

Foul Hookers (Snr)

767

Jesse Hinder

1323

Lizard Wizards (Snr)

116

679

Two Anchors (Snr)

593

Nathan Huth

1309

The Notorious 2 (Snr)

117

664

Double Hook Upz (Snr)

Shane Levesconte

539

Joseph Sangster

1288

Team Unreel Kakadu (Snr)

118

663

The Reel Teasers (Snr)

Jan VanderKwast

490

Zac Marshall

1279

Anglers Connection (Snr)

119

656

Flatty Flickin Fellas (Snr)

524

Rhys Henkel

471

Drayzen Allen

1279

Lizard Tuggers (Snr)

120

644

Fish n Beer (Snr)

522

Andrew Lewis

394

Jaimee Horner

1271

Flatty Fanatics (Snr)

121

642

Reel Issues (Snr) The Gutted Mullets (Snr)

Rank Score

840

Brett Rayner

122

518

Nicky Burrows

354

Oliver Meadmore

1242

Boeties (Snr)

122

638

832

Phil Holtman

122

518

Jared Pearsall

354

Rourke Cooke

1235

The Plastic Surgeons (Snr)

123

612

Big-Deal (Snr)

826

Shane Holding

124

512

Shane McGrath

337

Liam Burt

1231

Plastics Paranoia (Snr)

124

610

Jacksons Bait n Tackle (Snr)

814

John Rafton

125

511

Andrews Steven

328

Tyne Cuttance

1218

Team RamRod (Snr)

125

608

Team BCF (Snr)

795

Paul Neilsen

126

510

Nick Bromiley

322

Hayden Swain

1204

M&T (Snr)

126

594

Team St. Bernards (Snr)

784

Damon Nichols

127

508

Darrin Crowley

313

Jack Burt

1196

Cool Runnings (Snr)

127

591

Fifty Shades of Flathead (Snr)

780

Luke Byron

128

506

Matt Savas

305

Ethan Cuttance

1186

Furious Flickers (Snr)

128

585

Crack-A-Flatty (Snr)

779

Eddie Kettley

129

505

Mick Mckinnon

294

James Dibben

1184

Simrad (Snr)

129

581

Bushremedy (Snr)

762

Ben Job

130

504

Luke O’Connor

262

Timothy Angus

1178

Tackle World Lawnton (Snr)

130

578

Dusty and Dusky (Snr)

757

Ian Phillips

131

500

Haydon Stokes

179

Madeline McKenzie

1160

Team Hay (Snr)

131

574

Team Dog (Snr)

756

Joel Scott

132

498

Mick Kelly

147

Blade Payne

1146

Two Tuggers (Mixed)

132

568

Lazy Lizards (Mixed)

756

Neil McDonald

132

498

Gary McCabe

140

Harry Cox

1143

Keoghs Marine (Snr)

133

567

Team Brumbs (Snr)

747

Peter Washington

134

494

Richard Morris

125

Poppy Macdonald

1137

Tactical Fishing (Mixed)

134

562

Pro Softies (Snr)

736

Mick Keogh

135

492

Douglas Tattam

123

Jasmine Horner

1114

Misfit (Snr)

135

554

The Jigspitters (Snr)

727

Mick Stewart

136

490

Frandon Heseltine

117

Dylan Boettcher

1111

Team Chuntas (Snr)

136

540

Fishfingerz (Snr)

725

Karl Rembacher

137

488

Nathan Frecklington

Clayton Bryant

1082

Gem Bait & Tackle (Snr)

137

538

Honeybadger (Snr)

724

David Hill

138

486

Shane Wohlsen

Maclay Vince

1067

Flat-ulence (Snr)

138

533

Soft On’s + 1 (Mixed)

720

Josh Pagura

139

483

Adam Barnes

Taj Austin

1062

Team Samaki V2 (Snr)

139

529

MM Marine Art (Snr)

711

Robert Hay

140

473

Colin Hinder

Clay Hoare

1048

Bundy Avocados (Mixed)

139

529

Knot Enuff (Snr)

705

Kenneth Thompson

141

472

Denis Chalker

Emily Templar

1022

I’m On (Snr)

141

518

Fish ‘n’ Bits (Snr)

694

Chris Byrnes

142

468

Jade Durand

Kaileb Rembacher

1017

Shimano Team Hagane (Snr)

142

510

Chuck ‘n’ Duck (Snr)

688

Jamie Mckeown

143

466

Scott Gregory

Broc Nickalls

1012

Hellfish (Snr)

143

508

TT Lures Tough TT’s (Snr)

686

Todd Payne

144

465

Dean Lewis

Ned Morgan

1009

Here4TheBeer (Snr)

144

506

Swainskis (Mixed)

684

Daniel McNeice

145

464

Josh Hambridge

Lucy Macdonald

1005

Gamakatsu/Bris. River (Snr)

145

498

TeamT (Mixed)

681

Chris Paterson

145

464

Jeff Robinson

Max Hanckel

1004

Flick n Duck (Snr)

146

495

Davo’s Tackleworld (Snr)

677

Mitchell Ferris

147

462

Jeff Bloomfield

Zali Seebach

995

Head Hunters (Snr)

147

493

Kurtev Constructions (Snr)

675

Micheal Aubrey

147

462

Shaun Dionysius

Charlie Bindon

986

Team Costa (Snr)

148

491

Team Wasabi (Snr)

673

Brett Dixon

147

462

Jacob Sands

Kiah Bean

979

DAD’s Army (Snr)

149

490

Team Ol’ Trout (Snr)

673

Robin Shearer

150

459

Peter Kerr

Adam Nickalls

973

Hayes Pots & Products (Snr)

150

489

The Salty Seamen (Snr)

NOVEMBER 2015

Tweed is at its best this month THE TWEED

David Solano

The Tweed River and the local beaches have been firing lately. I’ll start with Terranora Creek and Broadwater where I’ve spent a fair bit of time chasing flathead in the shallows next to the weed banks with a lot of success. Lately I haven’t caught big specimens, but have been picking up a few around the 50cm mark, which make a perfect table fish. I tend not to keep flathead caught in the shallows of Terra though, as they are pretty muddy. You only have to look at the difference in colour between a lizard caught out in clear water and one from the mud. I found Z-man GrubZ worked well, though the guy I was fishing with had on live yabbies. Interestingly, although he caught a lot more fish than I did, the fish I caught were of better quality. Cobaki Broadwater has been pretty similar to Terra but there are a few whiting hot spots in there. Look for the shallows with yabby holes everywhere. If you’re into popper fishing this is the place, or you can pump

Another good flathead about to be released. a few yabbies and hang on. It’s also an interesting place to explore, with Piggabeen Creek running into it. With the weather warming those creeks are jack country. If you’re into canal fishing, the Tweed always

offers a challenge as it’s pretty hard to predict how the fishing will be. So some days it will be on fire while on other days it will be dead. Lately it’s been on though. Be game and cast your lure as close to the structure as possible,

as lately the big bream have been sitting under structures and boats. I found that a really light 1/40oz jighead with a 2” Zman GrubZ works a treat. You can cast it anywhere but remember to give it time to sink. They take a while so be ready; I kept getting nailed on the drop. The canals in the Tweed all have their own characteristics. There’s one that I call Little Italy because Italians live there, and they love to feed the fish their leftovers. I avoid that one now as the fish seem to be whiter in colour and kind of flaky. Maybe fish and human food don’t mix well? Luderick have slowed right down, but greenback tailor mixed with the odd school mackerel are being caught off both walls at the seaway entrance with metal slugs and pillies on gang hooks. It’s the same story along the beaches around Fingal, and a mate caught two Aussie salmon off Devil’s Island (Fingal Light House) on slugs. Those fish seem to show up at different times every year; I can’t see any pattern to their movements. Bass season has opened and my mates have been catching a few around the 40cm mark at dawn around

Richard Creighton with a healthy mangrove jack. Now’s the time to get into them. Bray’s Park Weir. I’ve been told the bass are showing up around Condong as well. Condong either fires or it doesn’t, but that mill is always worth a squiz. The weeks ahead should see the place at its best. Summer means jacks! They are already showing up at the usual places but right now there’s a heap of little ones smashing the walls outside of Oxley Cove, so I’m thinking if you keep trying you’ll get the big one. Nobody I know uses bait there, it’s all deep diving lures smashing along the rock wall. Bang the lure into the rocks, let it float up and repeat. The most popular jack retrieve at the moment seems to be a slow retrieve

with a paddle tail lure rigged with a heavy jighead. My tip is to experiment. Lastly, the fishing community has lost one of its own. Warren ‘Wazza’ Struthers died in a car accident on his way to Bathurst. Wazza, father of Guy and Amy, and husband to Tracey, was a man I admired immensely. My dad once told me to never judge a book by its cover, and Wazza was a rough diamond all right. However, he had a glint in his eye, an infectious smile and a willingness to put himself out to help anyone. He also gave helpful tips to the up-andcoming comp kids, and had complete dedication and love for his family. Gonna miss you Wazza.

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the previous month. The best baits to use are the usual suspects with pillies and bottle squid doing the bulk of the damage. Still, the best lures to be throwing around are the flick baits in that 5-7” range which have been catching quality fish up around the 4-7kg mark. Out wide there are still some nice kingfish and some good table fish like pearlies and pigfish on offer. You can find these fish down deep on hardy baits like mullet and squid. In the river there is plenty of bream action as the prawns run. My personal favourite way of catching these fish is to throw surface lures for them around the weed beds, it’s always so exciting to watch the action unfold right in front of your eyes! Surface fishing offers an exciting visual style of capture – a great way to get kids into lure fishing. Who knows?

Ben Rampling with a healthy upper Clarence bass. green prawns will be an advantageous bait to use. However, if pickers are destroying you, hardy bait like good old mullet flesh is called for. Any other gut baits like chook and mullet

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Kaleum Gannon with a nice surface lure crunching bass. Instead of baiting hooks with prawns for the kids all day, you might even get to flick a lure in too. BAIT Because the prawns are running, uncooked

gut will last a lot better as well. With these prawns around, the local school mulloway population should start kicking into gear as well. Blades and prawn

the 2-3kg class which can be caught on spinners. Better quality 4-5kg greenbacks will be done on poppers, and with plenty of bait around and good conditions

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Sophie with a nice muddy.

hopefully the run of good fish will continue. LURES My favourite pick for poppers are the River2Sea 130 Bubble Pop as well as the Get Bent Pencil Popper. Both are also awesome lures for trevally which have been floating around with the tailor. The schoolie action has been hot off the headlands and walls as well as on soft plastics. My favourite combo for this style of fishing is an 8-9ft rod rated to 8-10kg, 40006000 sized reel running 20-30lb line and 40-50 leader. There have been some quality mulloway on the larger hardbodies. One of my favourite lures, the locally made Jewie Jewel by Croaker lures, has accounted for some good size fish. Upsize your gear if you’re throwing around these bigger hardbodies. Crabs have been good of late with nice muddies around, full of meat! The bass have been firing as well – in the lower creeks you’ll find plenty of smaller fish, but if you’re chasing size, head further up the river and get into those big bass the mighty Clarence is known for!

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Erosion problem on the lower Clarence River It’s come to our attention that one of our great rivers is currently under threat by preventable erosion of its banks. Thought to be largely the work of wake boats, it’s not only eroding the river’s banks, but also preventing access to the

river, as well as destroying important bankside habitat for native species, including Australian bass. Brian Gane, a concerned resident, wrote to the Maritime Management Centre, in hope of bringing this issue to the fore. Here are some abridged versions of the letters.

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I believe it’s reasonable to assume the key focus of this MMC draft management plan is to address riverbank erosion on the Clarence River, so understandably I’m disappointed that this issue has not been addressed in any way and in fact enshrines the practice of deliberate wake making activities into reaches of the river described in the MMC co sponsored WRL ‘Riverbank Vulnerability Assessment using a Decision Support System: Clarence River (Rogan Bridge to Ulmarra) as being highly erosive and in immediate need of a management plan (0 to 6 months). This would involve enforcing ‘no wash’ zones and buoy deployment across the study region. Nowhere in the supporting documentation tabled at the 10/07/15 Grafton presentation does MMC provide scientific advice that negates the WRL ‘no wash’ recommendation, nor was their any rationale presented to overrule the WRL advice that these reaches be immediately declared ‘no wash’ zones because of their erosion sensitivity.

MMC, as the strategic management representative of the NSW Government

a deliberate wake’ that damages property or causes annoyance is an offence

The eroded boat ramp at Seelands is a result of continual wave activity. on maritime strategic planning, has an obligation to uphold the principles of environmental sustainability, both in general terms and specifically related to maritime matters. The RMS regulations in this regard are specific and ‘creating

(page 43 NSW Boating Handbook). The MMC have not provided an explanation as to why the Clarence River Awareness Group CRAG (a pro wake boat lobby, made up of a resort developer, resort tenants, a B&B

n o c I e i s An Aus Since 1898 Some of the erosion between Rogan Bridge and Crowther Island on the Clarence River.

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owner and commercial wake boating interests) should be gifted 35km of uninterrupted

Wake boats of this size do untold damage to the banks of our confined waterways.

(minimally regulated) access to the Clarence River, exposing 70km of unprotected river banks to an unacceptable erosion threat. CRAG does not represent the Seelands community or the 14,000 NSW Northern Rivers recreational boaters. Furthermore, it is completely inappropriate for a business lobby group (CRAG) to develop a code of conduct for MMC/RMS that may adversely impact on residents, other boating user-groups or compromise environmental outcomes. The credibility of CRAG to self-regulate is naively unwarranted, given the abundant photographic evidence presented to RMS, CVC, LLS, NSW Water Police and MMC over the past two and a half years, showcasing a litany of erosion generating activities and non-compliance related to NSW RMS boating rules and regulations. When I arrived in Seelands in 2005 the pragmites cover on both sides of the Seeland reaches of the river were up to 4m thick and provided natural resilience to the regular (and massive) flood events that the Clarence is notorious for. This was despite hosting large water skiing pressure, dating back to the 1960s. What changed that usage pattern was the introduction of wakeboarding in the mid 1990s. Wakeboarding was first conducted behind traditional flat keel ski boats measuring 4.0-5.5m, weighing less than 1000kg, powered by modest 40-100hp outboards or mid mounted V8 inboards and carrying small passenger loads. Riverbank resilience was compromised to an extent by this new wakeboarding activity, but bid not reach a point of ‘no return’ until dedicated wavemaking wake boats were

introduced from America in the 2000 period. These oversize 7.0-8.0m long boats with massive 2.59m wide beams (illegal to tow in all states of Australia without a permit) 2500kg and beyond dry weight, plus 1,293kg water ballast tanks, under keel hydrofoil wedges to produce extra displacement, wave and surf gates to concentrate and direct the wake energy left, right and centre of the boat, 400-550hp motors to drive the boats at semi displacement speeds and an engineered ‘convex keel’ to drive the hull deeper into the water as speed is increased. Add up to 18 passengers and you have a deliberate wave-making machine capable of producing ocean size surf waves. I believe it would be irresponsible for any waterway management body, tasked with ensuring environmental sustainability and public safety, to facilitate this environmentally damaging activity.

and opposite at Old Punt Lane The Whiteman, are a disgrace and have been left to deteriorate at an accelerated rate since 2000 due to Council indifference (CVC claim they’re punt crossings and wake gouging has not undercut the concrete pads). These two ramps are the only public launching sites between South Grafton and Copmanhurst. They service the most used reaches of the river for the 1000’s of NSW bass fishers who visit the Clarence each bass season… and MMC propose to hand it over to a resort developer so he can advertise unfettered wake boat access to 35km of river in order to sell holiday cabins to interstate wake boaters. Bass fishers in tinnies and kayaks look for undisturbed water, as this activity requires delicate lure casting techniques, tranquil water that harbour ‘bank hugging’ bass and a silt free water column to allow bass to respond to the lure. There

the mayor and environment manager) and the intense lobbing from a resort developer and wake boat importer. Their lobby group (CRAG) have been allowed to highjack the agenda, scope the erosion study parameters and choose the body to do the study (it’s no coincidence that the WRL study author had earlier produced a study inferring there was no difference in the wake intensity of ski vs. wake boats). WORKING TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE As you can see, Brian is very concerned about the sustainability of this activity and he is not alone. His letters have not gone

unanswered. Getting your voice heard as Brian has done is a great way to show your support for healthier

waterways. Preserving native fish habitat is at the front of every angler’s mind and by working in numbers,

anglers can put pressure on the government and make our waterways better places. – FMG

Wake boats are designed to make large waves, which can be seen here.

Ocean-sized wave activity has all but destroyed some native fish habitat on the Clarence. Of the 120+ wake and ski boats photographically identified in the Seelands reaches of the river over the past 12 months, around 80% (96 boats) are Queensland registered. The assumption that wakeboarding is a financial benefit to Grafton is a myth. Interstate wake boaters pay no NSW boat or trailer registration, or boat licence fees. No NSW taxes and duties for the purchase of their boats, trailers and tow vehicles. Retail revenue from equipment, food, beverages and fuel, all stay in Queensland. What is manifestly unfair about this proposed MMC management plan is it gives NOTHING back to the 25,000 boat licence holders and 14,000 boat owners who live in the Northern Rivers Region and the 229,000 boat owners who live in NSW. Boat ramps on the Clarence are sub standard in design and function, unusable for elderly boaters or poorly sited (e.g. South Grafton). The ramps at Old Punt Road Seelands

is absolutely no way bass fishing or kayaking can co exist in the same reach of river as wake and ski boats. I’m in the largest (MMC surveyed) boating user group on the Northern Rivers (76%) who are aged 50 and over. MMC have a duty of care to ensure all boat ramps in NSW have a ‘wake free’ zone declared around all public boat ramps. The Old Punt Road and Lane ramps are a case in point, having poor entry points, a dangerous drop off, no boat tie-up areas, limited car parking and exposure to continual wake boat traffic in the warmer months. These ramps must receive priority MMC funding before any NSW derived boating revenue is used to reward interstate wake boat operators and resort developers. Throughout this 29 month process, since I first convened a community response, following the 2013 floods, I’ve been disappointed by the less than transparent response from Roads & Maritime Services-North, Clarence Valley Council (specifically NOVEMBER 2015

Looking good offshore BALLINA

Joe Allan

The Richmond River in the last month has seen some great catches of one of my favourite fish in the rivers, the estuary perch. I know a lot of anglers who reckon this species is right up there with the best, and feel like it’s the Holy Grail when one is landed. These fish are not as hard to get as you might think though. When the timing is right, you can catch these fish in great numbers. Some hot spots have been Emigrant Creek around most of the moored boats, and you’ll find that any other current breaks are also worth a try. Small hardbody lures or very lightly weighted soft plastics have been the best producers. A lot of bream fishers have been getting a big surprise when hooking these things on light tackle. They can give you some real curry. It would be interesting to see a tug of war between a 35cm EP and a 35cm mangrove jack. I think the jack might win but only just! Mud crabs have started to move up around Rileys Hill in numbers and even further up towards Woodburn. This

will continue if the water stays clear, which it has been for a while now. The best crab baits will be blackfish frames and fresh mullet. The flathead have also started to move upriver. Look for deep holes with freshwater flowing in. Live baits of

herring and poddy mullet are the best producers for the bigger fish as well as big jerk minnow plastics like the 6” Atomic Plazo Jerk Minnow in ghost pearl colour. There have been a few of our red friends showing up, with some good-sized catches

Josh Carter with a solid 89cm snapper.

Mackenzie Luck with a couple of bass caught on a Bassman Spinnerbait and Megabass Siglett.

of mangrove jacks coming in the past few weeks. They are certainly not biting their heads off just yet, but as the weather warms up and we get the balmy, sticky afternoons these guys will really start to fire. The more I chase them the more I catch, and as stupid as that sounds, it has a simple message: persistence pays. So many people get disheartened by not catching mangrove jacks consistently, to the point where they give up and start chasing something else. Talk to anyone who gets these fish consistently and they’ll all say that you need to hang in there to get the rewards. Nothing helps out more than time on the water. Just like flathead, a well-presented live bait will

always get interest. And if you’re a lure fisher, the ones that really produced last jack season were the Atomic Shiner 75 and 85 Double Deep and also the Lucky Craft Pointer 78. The best colours in the Atomics were blood red and silver wolf. The flash of the chrome in things is key. Get the lure bumping into the rocks, as this is often what triggers the strike, and hold on. Offshore things are looking good for a solid mackerel season. The water has started to heat up and there are some big bait schools moving into the closer reefs. If this continues and the water clarity stays good like it has been, the mackerel will most likely come on earlier. Reardons has

been fishing really well and the 32s are producing good numbers of snapper, while over the previous full moon there were some really quality mulloway caught. The bass are well and truly on the go at the moment. Locals around Coraki and Casino tell me there are good numbers of fish consistently being caught as long as there is tidal run. Crankbaits like the Megabass Mr Griffon X in kinkuro and GG gill have been some of the best performing lures, along with the everreliable Bassman Spinnerbaits. The surface action has just started so dust off the walkers and poppers and get out and amongst the action in the early mornings and late afternoons.

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Strap yourselves in; it’s going to be a scorcher. The climate boffins are predicting the strongest El Nino events since the 90s. What this generally means for us on the East Coast is a very hot and dry summer. These predictions have already seemed to be coming to fruition. We’ve had some very hot conditions throughout spring and scarcely any rain, which is going to have a varying impact on the fishing. For the bass fishing this likely means the bulk of those that spawned in the salt are still going to be stuck below features that require more water to get upstream. If you want to target those fish, hit the pools below the largest obstructions in the river systems. These bottlenecks will likely have hungry bass waiting for their chance to work up the rapid. There are still plenty of fish high up in the systems already that chose not to run this year. They have been providing plenty of entertainment for those fishing higher up, although they have been a little picky.

the fish respite from the heat, creeks with forested steep valley sides that increase the shade and reduce temperature and streams that have the most flow. Even exposed creeks

worms around in the gutters. The mulloway have been quite active in the same areas although a lack of wave action has made it harder to tempt these cautious fish. If you can

Hayden Elks has been putting some serious effort into these fish and he’s been getting the results. This 98.5cm flathead was undone by a well-worked 100mm soft plastic.

Nathan Medland has been having good success rolling large plastics around the break walls for mulloway.

A Koolabung Basswalker accounted for this night time fish for Andrew Lynn. Most of the action has only been after dark, with the waters so clear and shallow. Surface crawlers like the Tiemco Soft Shell Cicada, Taylormade Basscada and the Koolabung Basswalker have all been very successful after dark. The impact of the heat and lack of water is likely to have a more detrimental effect on the trout fishing up on the plateau. The reports from the early part of the season have been that there’s certainly good fish to be had on fly and while spinning. It remains to be seen how well the trout cope with the coming super summer. The most likely way to find healthy fish in good condition is to look for creeks with deeper pools that give

The hope is to have enough interest so that regular events can be held including fishing days, casting instruction, fly tying demos and just catching up with like-minded anglers. If

will still have active trout, but you should be able to increase your chances by looking to these kinds of streams. While we’re talking very much in the fly fishing dominated world that is trout fishing, there may be a new club that might appeal to anyone who fly fishes in the area or has an interest in taking it up. The Coffs Coast Fly Fishing Club is looking to host its first gathering later this month to gauge the level of interest in establishing a club. The intention is to form a club that would be a social club and therefore non-competitive and would encompass all facets of fly fishing in this area, from trout, to bass, estuary and offshore.

this kind of club would be of interest you can look them up and connect on Facebook or email Allan Ekert at ifffcci@ tpg.com.au. The estuaries will be the focus of a lot of attention this month. It’s right in the middle of peak flathead time with plenty of them around for you to get a feed or just have some fun. In some of the estuaries you will need to hunt around a little but once you’ve found one you’ve usually found many. That’s great news for those coming to the Berkley Urunga Estuary Sport Fishing Flathead Tournament this year, although everyone’s mostly looking for that one big girl to claim the trophy rather than heaps of smaller fish. This tournament will be held in the middle of the month and will be the second year the event has been run. If you’re looking for a fun weekend of fishing with mates and family it’s an easy event to enter, as it’s catch, photo and release only. If you want the inside scoop for getting your hand on a trophy, the largest flathead caught on fly trophy wasn’t given out last year as no one got one on fly. Focus on fly this year and you’ll have pretty good odds on being up there for a trophy. The beaches have been fishing very well for bream over the last month and the whiting should become more of a focus this month too. Most bait has been productive, but it’s hard to go past flicking

find a headland or gutter with a good amount of white wash then they should be there. On the plus side these calmer days make it a lot easier to flick around some lures on the light sticks. On a calm spring day, it’s just about

the perfect form of fishing – knee-deep in the waves, casting light soft plastics or vibes around the gutter edges. No matter what kind of fishing you’re doing this month, I hope it’s filled with many ‘perfect’ fishing days. Photo: Justin Gilligan

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Photo: Nicola Johnstone

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Prior to visiting the Solitary Islands Marine Park pick up a Zoning Summary and User Guide from the local marine park office at 32 Marina Drive, Coffs Harbour Jetty

For further information call 02 6691 0600 www.mpa.nsw.gov.au NOVEMBER 2015

All good news wide off Coffs COFFS GAME

Glen Booth

The game fishing season here in Coffs Harbour is off to a rollicking good start. The yellowfin out around

the 1000 fathom line remain moody, but there has been sufficient striped and blue marlin, and even a couple of spearfish, back along the shelf edge to keep everyone entertained and less inclined to go wide.

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Good water has pushed in as close as 20 fathoms at times (and may be holding a sneaky early/late mackerel if anyone cared to look), and with a slight northerly set it doesn’t look to be going anywhere anytime soon. There’s been plenty of bait holding along the 50-55 fathom contour, and with

What this El Nino cycle will bring over the warmer months is still up in the air, but you’d like to think small blacks inshore, consolation prize mahimahi from the FAD, the wave recorder and out wide, yellowfin in the deep, and plenty of blues chasing them. Well, we can always dream, can’t we?

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water already 22.5-23.5°C, the game fishing options list is vast. The colour hasn’t been that azure blue of summer, but certainly good enough for stripes and yellowfin tuna, plus early blues as we’ve been seeing. Mahimahi aren’t thick yet, but those that have been caught have been big males all over 15kg. What kills the game fishing here in summer though, is three knots of southerly tide sweeping all before it. Coupled with the afternoon nor’easters, it makes for an untidy afternoon as you attempt to fight the current. Not only does it shove all the bait and attendant game fish down the coast (you’re very welcome, Port Stephens!), it makes coming across those travellers riding the big blue highway south a real lottery. The last few summers have been mostly hard work, but when the current eases off or eddies around here, it’s game on for young and old.

CHERRY POPPERS That first marlin in an angling career is a big deal, because whether you game fish or not a marlin capture (or tag and release, as is more common these days) is regarded as a pinnacle angling achievement. Some anglers nail it on their first attempt, while others may have to wait for years for all the planets to align. Already

Adam Allaway with a slightly better than average spring yellowfin. this season though, Solitary Islands Game Fishing Club members Maddison McGinty, Bryce Young, James Cooper, Craig Want, Karen Garcia, Ian Gillespie,

A sizeable blue caught by Bryce Young being released from Better Than Vegas.

Emma Bevan and Steve Buhagiar have had their piscatorial cherries popped on a mix of blues and stripes. The latter four all fished on She’s A Dream, so skipper Bill Reider is definitely on song with the newcomers. It’s great to see, and the season’s only just begun. Of course, for the first time marlin anglers they’re faced with the immutable law of diminishing returns. After the first, do you then walk away with a 100% success rate on marlin, or try to catch more? The near universal response is “I want another one.” A couple of lost fish later and that once Bradmanesque strike rate makes you look more like a tail-ender than an opening batsman!

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Ronnie Smith hooked up to a hot running striped on a gloriously calm day.

Rock fishing season is bound to pick up soon SOUTH WEST ROCKS

Brent Kirk kempsey@compleatangler.com.au

November is the start of a transitional period for South West Rocks and the mid north coast. No species have been outstanding, but it’s possible to fish for both winter and summer species in the same outing and still have a successful day on the water. The current has already started running hard to the south bringing with it some beautiful warm blue water out wide. Big yellowfin

stay at a minimum. Cobia has been the first species out of the gates this year, with fish being caught as far back as September. Most of the cobia caught have been from the areas around Green Island and Blackrock as well as a few fish that showed up on the gaol grounds. THE ROCKS Fish Rock has generally had a lot of small but legal sized kingfish cruising around and some days it’s loaded with schools of bigger fish. This area can be hit and miss at times but you never know until you

periods before sunrise and late in the afternoons. Mulloway and kingfish

due to the arrival of the summer pelagic species of mackerel, marlin, and

by a solid run of school mulloway, the average size of which has been around the

Sam Redman has been finding school mulloway around the headlands and releasing a few too.

Nigel Soper with a double of solid pearlies caught in one drop out of the current. tuna have been absolutely demolishing schools of baitfish present in the region and have fished explosively out on the shelf. All signs are pointing to an early pelagic season this year with the arrival of good water early; hopefully mother nature will be kind to us and the rainfall will

give it a try. It is very easy to be tricked into fishing light when catching these just-legal fish but, rest assured, the second you drop down to lighter gear you are likely to get blown away by a monster. Black Rock is still holding some fair snapper, especially during low light

are a likely bycatch when chasing snapper here along the edge of the drop-off. With the current running like this it looks like the end of the deepwater fishery for this season. Perhaps with the exception of a few days here and there if the current lays off and you’re on the ball. Out to about the 60m depth, the current is still quite manageable especially if there are low winds. The leatherjacket plague has all but disappeared and there is a whole host of quality species to be caught. Snapper, pearl perch, teraglin and pigfish are all species that are still on the cards when fishing these depths. REEFS The bait reef waters in the region are alive with baitfish and are all holding plenty of slimy mackerel and yellowtail. However, the number of baitfish will decrease greatly because of increased fishing at this time of year, and mainly

wahoo that will feast on these fish at the bottom of the food chain. Tailor numbers are decreasing rapidly now, although the fish that are remaining are definitely of a better class. Rock fishers are being kept entertained

6kg mark – an awesome size to target on light to medium tackle. Soft plastics off the stones are a great way to target mulloway. It pays to keep mobile when fishing with plastics and cover as much terrain as possible until you find the fish, rather than

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being confined to one area and waiting in hope for the fish to come to you. If there is a mulloway in the hole you will generally find out within the first couple of casts. RIVERS The Lower Macleay has had some good sized flathead but the water is still fairly cool and they have not been overly active in the deeper holes and channels. Finding fish up on the sand flats and in the shallows has proven to be far more successful of late. Whiting are starting to appear up in the shallow areas pillaging through the yabby beds in search of food. Some cracking big whiting have already been taken on surface lures out of these shallow areas of the river. The bass are really firing now with good fish being found throughout the Macleay River system and its feeder creeks. Surface lures are currently recommended as after a few hot days and the influx of the summer bugs these fish are now actively feeding on the surface. Good water levels and not too much weed are making for some enjoyable bass sessions up river.

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A new research project looking at school prawn activity on the State’s north coast is underway to examine declining prawn conditions in the Camden Haven Estuary. The project, led by the Department of Primary Industries (DPI), was initiated following a substantial decrease in the average annual catch of school prawns at Camden Haven, which has resulted in the estuary being listed as a research priority area. It is thought declining catches could relate to poor water quality and the loss of habitat, a situation that is reported in other estuaries on the NSW north coast. DPI Senior Research Scientist, Dr Matt Taylor, said the project will determine whether school prawns are

still recruiting to certain areas of the estuary and if estuarine conditions are adversely affecting prawn growth and survival. “Fishers have reported that prawns have almost completely disappeared from some parts of the estuary, and since 2007 they have been substantially smaller,” Dr Taylor said. “We know from previous reports that the periodic presence of environmental conditions such as low dissolved oxygen, low pH and the occurrence of heavy metals can have deadly effects on prawns. “These conditions can occur in estuarine waters as a by-product of acid-sulphate soil oxidation. However, sub-lethal effects from degraded environmental conditions that compromise

growth and reproduction are largely unknown for prawns. “We want to understand the role this might be playing in the declining productivity of school prawn stocks.” The research project will guide future restoration activities in the Camden Haven estuary and act as a case study for other coastal estuaries in NSW. It is a collaborative research project with the University of Newcastle and is funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) on behalf of the Australian Government. The project is supported by DPI, the Professional Fishermen’s Association, Hastings River Fishermen’s Cooperative, Port MacquarieHastings Council and North Coast Local Land Services. – NSW DPI

Pipis not for humans The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is reminding recreational fishers that a longstanding closure remains in place for recreational fishers taking pipis from beaches to eat or to remove them more than 50m from the high tide mark, right along the NSW coastline. DPI Group Director Recreational and Indigenous Fisheries, Peter Turnell said the closure is in place because pipis may contain toxins due to natural algal blooms, which may not always be visible. “Algal blooms can occur anywhere along the coast and are normally the result of the upwelling of nutrient rich deep ocean water onto the continental shelf, and can often be seen after rainfall events

in estuaries and in river mouths,” Mr Turnell said. “Some of these algae produce harmful toxins that can build up in marine shellfish and the toxins are capable of making people very ill, and cooking does not destroy the toxins.” Ongoing sampling for algae by the commercial fishing industry has revealed that there is currently an algal bloom in the waters of Stockton Beach. “This sampling has shown high levels of potentially toxic species of algae and based on this finding, the local commercial fishery for pipis and other shellfish harvested from the beach has been closed,” Mr Turnell said. Mr Turnell said while toxin levels have not yet

been established from shellfish at Stockton Beach, it is a timely reminder for recreational fishers that these ongoing risks are the reason why the general recreational fishing closure for pipis is in place. Pipis should not be taken by individuals for human consumption and should be used for bait only. The NSW Food Authority is monitoring the situation at Stockton Beach and advises that all shellfish purchased through commercial seafood outlets are not affected as shellfish producers have ceased harvesting in the affected area. It is recommended only eating shellfish harvested under a recognised commercial program. – NSW DPI

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Hans Jensen with his first Richmond River mangrove jack.

NOVEMBER 2015

Yak attack for Port Mac THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

What a great time of year it is to be a kayaker! There are plenty of warm days and so many fish to target in and around Port Macquarie. We have an abundance of worthy yakking destinations. You can get on Google and check a few out, but for

the town road bridge, or you can go in at the ‘perch hole’ in between Cathie and Port. November is a great time to chase whiting on the surface and this spot is one of the best in the area. Stickbaits and poppers retrieved fairly fast and with consistent splashing of the lure will see you into these tasty fish. There is also a healthy population of bream and flatties to target as well

Mandy Saxon with a bass that took a liking to her Mazzy Popper.

spot for launching a kayak. The Wilson is great for bass west of the bridge and you can easily fill in a morning throwing surface or diving lures. Once again the fishing here is structure orientated so getting lures into the snags is going to result in more fish. There are plenty of bream to be caught too leading into Christmas, and if the cicada season happens to be good then this is the spot to be. Queens Lake is another spot made for kayaking. You can get there via Ocean Drive as you head out past North Haven going south or come in off the highway when heading north. I like to launch at the sailing club as it can get you to a few areas quickly. It is fairly shallow and is ideal for whiting and bream on surface. On the far shore from the sailing club there are vast weed beds and these will hold a lot of bream over the next few months. Try casting long over the top with stickbaits, poppers and other surface offerings as these will get you into the action. If you like fishing plastics this is a spot where rigging

Kayaking options around Port Macquarie are great with bass being a prime creek target. now I will let you in on three of the easier to get to ones. For the others you will have to do your homework. Lake Cathie is one of my favourites with very easy access and no shortage of fish in the warmer months. Launching your yak can be done at either the boat ramp just west of

so a full day on the lake can be very entertaining. Wilson River, Telegraph point is just north of Port Mac and you need to turn off at the Tele Point Club to get to boat ramp if you’re heading north. If you hit the Wilson River Bridge you have gone too far. The ramp is under the bridge and is a great

weedless is virtually the only way to go, with bream and some good flatties commonly taking plastics. Back to our local waterway, the Hastings, and the fishing has been reasonable and should continue to improve. Some nice whiting are showing up as well as bream and flathead

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throughout the system. The only thing of note is that the bridge area has been quiet. I think with the new bridge going in the vibrations emitted from the constant banging of pylons has scared them out of the area. These bridges will be fantastic fish holding attractions once completed but for the time being it may be quiet around them. Maybe a night fish is the go. Offshore, and while I haven’t seen any pictures lately from the anglers getting the good reds I do know a few boats have been getting some nice sized fish to 3kg on plastics. There have been reports of some good pearly action off the Cathie and Dunbogan grounds, and pillies were bringing them undone – definitely worth doing as they are a great table fish. The flathead grounds off North Beach are giving up some nice sandies, so if you don’t get a feed of snapper from the bay area you can always try for these on your way back in as they go well on the plate. The reports of kingies have been patchy but a few were taken around Trag Rock and according to reports there were a few that could not be stopped. Rock and beach fishing has been okay and a few rock blackfish are still being caught with the rocks around Bonny Hills area producing. The go-to bait has been big peeled prawns. The anglers have also landed some very good bream using this bait. The

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James Jackson with a bream caught on the surface while chasing bass in a sneaky back creek.

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trick is to keep it light, not so much the line but the weight of your lead. All you want is a pea sized ball sinker and a 1/0 or 2/0 hook and to let your bait waft down in the washes. Go too heavy and you will be in wirrah heaven, not so good. The beaches this month will be worth a try for bream and whiting if you can find the right formations on

Lighthouse or Cathie Beach. Try looking for holes, gutters or even slightly deeper water near sand spits as these areas will be prime spots to throw a beachworm. I think on my days off this month, and hopefully I get a couple, the yak will come out and I will try and do a bit more exploring on some of the great water we have here!

Top: One very happy bass angler Shae Rutherford with his first 50cm bass caught on opening day. Bottom: Good mate and lure maker Ed Studman with another great spinnerbait caught bass.

Time to get your crab on FORSTER

David Seaman dseamo@bigpond.com

The mid north coast of NSW boasts some fantastic fishing during all four seasons but I am partial to the warmer months and the variety and comfort they bring. As the air temperature rises and the water temps lag a little behind it opens up a tremendous variety of angling targets, not just in the lake but freshwater and offshore too. Blue swimmer and mud crabs become more active, the first of the school prawns run and daylight savings opens the window for a sneaky after work fish. Flathead and whiting are plentiful and both have moved out of the tributaries and over the sand flats. The spawning congregations of whiting around the bridge make them easy targets on poppers, the schools of fish love the sand flats that border the Tuncurry channel. Early morning with a run out tide is a good time to test the water before heading off into the lake in search of bream and flathead. The alternative is to

fish for the whiting over the sand depressions along the bridge length with yabbies, prawns or beach worms on a slacking tide of an evening. A run out tide and bait fed back to the bridge is killer on the big whiting and bream that hang out in the pylons.

frustrate those that want to target them. Blackfish weed is not easy to come by and those with local sources protect the location. Pacific Palms area and the pool on the Forster side break wall are two common locations for weed but don’t expect too much.

Measuring legal length on crabs in NSW is front to back of the carapace and a handle DPI measurer explains it all.

The quality of the bream in the lake is good to see and as the surface bite comes into swing…lookout lost tackle! Around the leases where there is a bit of current, the blackfish will entertain and

For the nocturnal anglers the blackfish can be caught on bread and yabbies at night, and

a run in tide fishing from the boardwalk pontoon (behind Gloria Jeans) is a good spot to start for the land based angler. In the lake the bream have made their way into the rivers and the Coolongolook is producing plenty of good sized fish around the snags. The number of small prawn schools is the reason the bream are there, thus prawn baits and yabbies are a good option. By the end of the month the surface bite should be in full swing as we hear the first of the cicadas belting out their drumming racket. Slow rolled hardbodied lures will get the bream going and it may well be a good year in the tributaries. On the way up to your chosen river it pays to stop and have a cast or two at the points of the islands and leading edges of land mass points. The shallow water will hold flathead and they are mostly in the 40-50cm range – a perfect table sized fish. One spot on the coast that does seem neglected for flathead is Smiths Lake. The shallow basin of water holds plenty of good flathead, crab, and stud whiting so if you’re looking for a sea change Smiths might be the

answer. Just remember there is a Marine Park Zone in Smiths so consult your maps carefully. A good boat ramp can be found off the Lakes Way near Tarbuck. The break walls have declined into the hit and miss effort that most walls do. Evening fishing is still producing roaming bream and the odd blackfish on yabbies. Mulloway are sporadic, one night may produce and subsequent evenings fail. The use of live bait will enhance your chances. A flurry of 90cm fish were hauled after the fresh water flush we got in late September but the quality and numbers of fish have dwindled since. Perhaps the best bet is to coordinate a dark moon and run out tide when the fish would be expecting a run of prawns, gather along the wall and take advantage. For visiting anglers over the coming holidays who are looking for a fantastic offshore trip, I would suggest you contact Shane Crockett of Forster Sport and Game Fishing Charters. You can email him at marlinshane@ hotmail.com or give him a call on 0413 475 233. Shane knows the water around Forster as

well as anyone and can find you the fish to make the day well spent. With the warming weather and water the seasonal kingfish and mahimahi will no doubt be close to the FAD and local reef areas. Local reefs from Blackhead to Seal Rocks will have flathead and the odd pearl perch or pinky snapper but it is almost essential that you have a good sounder to scour the area you intend to fish. This will save a lot of wasted bait and time. In the freshwater the emergence of thick weed will restrict the bass fishing in the lower reaches of the freshwater unless we get a good flood to rip it all out. The weed makes it terribly difficult to fish with only pockets of clear water available. Fouled hooks from the floating and fixed weed can make it difficult to fish properly and if it persists the only answer is to fish weedless with the hook point tight to a plastic. The weed does not bother the fish too much, if anything it provides good cover and increases shrimp as a source of food. Higher reaches might also be an answer if the weed situation gets too bad.

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Hope for a good bag of bream HARRINGTON-TAREE

Ian Pereira ianpereira@aapt.net.au

Weather wise, it’s been a ‘back to winter’ experience over the last few weeks with strong southerly winds, cold rain, and rough seas. The beaches have been flattened out and formations washed away by big seas. It will take a couple of weeks of north easterlies to form up the beaches again – consequently, very little fishing has been done from the beaches and headlands. ESTUARY The Manning has provided nearly all the action for the past few weeks. Bream to a kilo are still being bagged from the retaining walls at Harrington and Manning Point on baits of mullet, yabbies and prawns. Further upstream bream have been caught on baits and soft plastic lures from around the oyster racks, along the edges of the weed beds, and from the dredge beds up river. At the same time flathead are moving downriver and many have moved into the backwater at Harrington as well as along the shore at Manning Point. Some of the flathead are only just of legal size, however most are in the 38-42cm range. A few fish

up to 70cm have been caught just up river from the mouth of the backwater. Luderick have been fairly quiet during the bad weather but when the wind and rain ceases they will be back on the bite from all parts of the river. BEACH AND ROCK Due to poor conditions, not many fish have been taken from the beaches and rocks. The southern end of Crowdy beach near the surf club has fished well for bream late at night. This area of beach is not affected by the strong southerly winds and when the beach settles down at night – without the disturbance of vehicles, people, and surfers – the bream come on the bite. Tailor have been really scarce, with only a few bagged. However, good catches are being made to the south. Inevitably, these fish must make the move north though, so make the most of them. Big schools of salmon have also been found on beaches to the south, but will migrate north in the next few weeks as well. OFF SHORE Things have also been quiet for the offshore fishos with catches of small to medium snapper making up most of the bags. A few schools of bonito turned up

briefly before the southerlies set in but at present nobody is going out to look for them.

the salt water part of the river. Around the rocks, drummer and groper can be caught on

Bream are still being bagged from the retaining walls. RIVER November is usually a good time for river fishing with luderick and flathead on the bite from the rock walls and whiting on the sand flats in the mouth of the river. The further you travel up the river, the more bream and luderick appear moving up to the end of

cunjevoi and crabs, while tailor will take lures spun from the rocks, and garfish presented on a bobby cork rig. The north easterlies blow fairly consistently at this time of the year so there is usually a fairly calm period from daylight to midday, just before dusk, and into the night.

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Magnificent mulloway shine in the darkness trade off for pelagic species such as marlin, mahimahi and kingfish. As predicted last month, kingfish have shown up in good numbers along both the Anchorage and Nelson Bay Rockwalls, with fish ranging from undersize through to 15kg. The fish here are often spoilt by a seemingly endless supply of tucker such as yellowtail, pike, cuttlefish, squid, garfish, and mullet. This means they will regularly

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turn their nose up at lures and sometimes even a live squid thrown in their face will get rejected. To maximize your chances of getting them eating your offering, concentrate your efforts around early morning tide changes. Dusky flathead have pushed further downstream and are now being caught in good numbers around Corlette to Wanda Headland as well as the western side of Soldiers Point through to Garden Island. Mulloway are still hanging around the Corlette Wreck and while you will catch a few there during the day, it’s far more productive after dark. The good thing about the wreck is you will catch your live bait there too, which is very convenient as you can arrive an hour before sunset, catch your bait then get straight into the serious stuff. If you’re land-based the breakwall at Nelson Bay will also be a good option to get connected to a mulloway this month with again tide changes critical for success. Mud crabs have been active around the feeder creeks of both the Karuah and Myall river systems. With the new rules allowing you to now have two crab traps out you will have double the chance of scoring a few of these tasty crustaceans. Be sure however that your trap float is marked as “crab trap” with your initial, surname, and date of birth as well as postcode. BEACH AND ROCK Whiting are getting better and better with each week that rolls by, and it should only be a matter of getting yourself some worms and fishing a decent looking gutter on the high tide along Stockton, Samurai or Fingal Bay beaches. If you hang around after dark you will also be a big chance for a beach mulloway this month, especially around the full and new moon phases. Plenty of anglers have been taking full advantage of now being able to cross the spit and access Fingal Island and while it’s a bit of hike,

Plenty of anglers have been getting stuck into some quality tailor from Fingal Island. it’s usually worth the effort. The calm protected bays on the northern side of the Island have been producing plenty of squid as well as big blue grouper. The southern side of

Breakers racking up fish to 6kg for anglers throwing plastics in the early morning and late afternoon. Charter boats have also reported reddies on the 21 and Gibber Reefs with trag

quality than later in the season with specimens to 10kg and above not uncommon. Looking at the sea surface charts right now I can see a very promising patch of warm

The author with a chunky mulloway caught after dark from the Corlette wreck. the Island before the sanctuary zone starts has also been fishing well for snapper, tailor and kings. OFFSHORE Snapper are still in good numbers towards Seal Rocks with the ever consistent Edith

coming on the bite late in the afternoon and into the night. With the FAD back in the water, it shouldn’t take too long before the mahimahi find it. Generally, the first patch of fish for the year taken from the FAD are often of much better

water around the ‘car park’ area that would certainly be worth a crack at an early season marlin. I’m sure this month there will be a few caught, which will hopefully be the start of a cracker game fishing season off Port Stephens.

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Super season ahead HUNTER COAST

Gary Earl earlybird13@optusnet.com.au

I’m happy to report that this summer season is shaping up to be fantastic. There have been some great fish taken over the past couple of months and it doesn’t look like changing.

weekend searching the gutters and holes for fish along a stretch of beach. One thing about beach fishing is it doesn’t cost a fortune, as most bait can be found on the spot you are fishing. Worms, pipis, just legal tailor and whiting all make great bait. Most beaches allow you to have a small pit fire so cooking is cheap as well. An old

and hunt through the close deep water at this time. On nearly all beaches you will need a 4WD permit but they aren’t that expensive, and obviously they’re are a better option than a hefty fine! ROCKS Rock fishing is picking up, with some nice bream, tailor and squire being taken. Squid are being caught in

Craig Oaten with a lovely bream taken from a rocky washed ledge. Fish like this roam the beaches at this time of year. Fresh prawns, half pilchards and a bit of berley should do the trick. Rat kingfish have been coming along the ledges feeding, and 2-3” chrome

lures thrown off the stones where there’s some depth in the water will get you some.

taking flies and small lures cast to the edges of it. Use decent line because the

Prawns start their runs from now on. Not many people prawn that much anymore, but with a cheap licence and a few people you can get some lovely feeds. Whiting are showing up on the beaches, and some nice size bream and flathead are sitting just beyond the waves. And since the weather has been so good, I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do than spend a week or

frying pan will do the job. Afternoons or early mornings before the wind gets up are the best two times. Alternatively, fish at the change of tides, especially the high tide change. Mulloway, sharks and big tailor will come in

the quiet corners and there have been some big greeneyed models coming in. The fresh tentacles are excellent bream and snapper baits, and they stick to the hook like glue, making it hard for the small pickers to tear them off.

Most of us enjoy a feed of blue swimmer crabs. This one grabbed a bait, and after slowly lifting it then netting under it, it ended up on the dinner plate. Watson’s bonito have been taken off the back of the Merewether Baths. I love watching these fish dance as they come in. Normal bonito are also in good numbers in the schools. The hood tailor, some around 3kg, have been along most rock ledges in the evenings as well. In my book there’s nothing better than watching two or three hungry tailor chase a lure back to your feet. OFFSHORE The fishing is picking up dramatically offshore. Cobia, kingfish and mahi mahi are all out wide, and small black marlin have moved into the frenzy as well. I predict a good pelagic season ahead. On the reefs some nice snapper, nannygai, teraglin and morwong (mostly red ones) are schooled over the local reefs. Small kingfish are under the North Reef buoy and are

NOVEMBER 2015

numbers of fish that snap you off are unbelievable, and snapped off line likes to float up and wrap around props. It’s one of the worst things that can happen offshore. I have had to jump into the water over the shelf when I was young with a snorkel and goggles, untangling small diameter rope. The feeling of being shark bait is so intense that you know how the yellowtail must feel as they’re rounded into a ball as big fish hound them. It’s something I never want to experience again! This month I recommend fishing the washes for snapper, morwong, bream, tailor and kingfish, or you can head offshore for the outer reefs and hang on, because some big fish have been coming in. And don’t forget the crab pots because blue swimmers should be around now as well.

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What’s your bluewater game plan this month? SWANSEA

Jason Scerri jayro@hotmail.com.au

It’s certainly continuing to heat up now, both in and out of the water. The ocean temperatures are on the rise and offshore anglers are eagerly anticipating a great summer bite with a warm east coast current in nice and close this year. With it comes plenty of bait, and a hot black marlin bite would be the hope of many local trailer boat crews. From now onwards for the next five months or so can be a great time to hunt marlin off our coast. Every year sees plenty of these fantastic game fish landed off our waters. Certainly some years are better than others but

without fail they will be on the chew in some form. One of the good things about the run of inshore fish is that it gives many trailer boat anglers a good chance to tangle with these fantastic beasts. At times during the warmer months when everything lines up well for us it is not unheard of for anglers to come across these marlin in close, just a few kilometres offshore. But, before we get into the bluewater action let’s look inside the lake to kick things off. Lake Macquarie really fishes great during the warmer months and now is as good at time as any to get out there on the boat or kayak and start putting the hours in. Lure anglers in particular love this time of year. There

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Bryce Oliver managed this chunky Lake Mac bream on a ProLure S36. are plenty of good flathead in both size and numbers around the shallow waters at the moment and they will remain for months. Shallow diving hardbody lures are a great tool for casting at these fish. If you’re over weed then a lure that is just above the weed is ideal. If you’re over a sandy or muddy bottom, a deeper diving lure should be used for best results. Any of the bays around the lake’s edges are worth a cast in summer. I’m not one who likes crowds, that’s for sure. I often find a new spot simply by trying out some new territory where I find no boats and this happens on more than the odd occasion. Don’t be afraid to try new ground. Also, remember the weather plays a huge role for lure anglers. If you fished an edge one day and it was a calm day for example, and that spot did not produce then do not discard that spot altogether as you will often find that a bit of wind blowing onto this same edge can really turn things around, so keep at it. Bream anglers are champing at the bit to get on the lake at every chance they get from now until about April. Not only is it a good time to chase these great little sport fish on lures, but it’s prime time to start throwing around some surface lures to really ramp things up. This is a very addictive and challenging form of fishing and topwater lures are a little tricky to begin with, but once you get it sorted you won’t look back. It is a great adrenalin rush and very effective method for chasing bream on lures in warmer months. This method is particularly effective over weed beds and around the lake edges and weedy shorelines. Bait anglers are doing well on mulloway at the moment and live baits as

well as squid strips are particularly productive baits. The mulloway are being caught throughout all hours of the day. Anglers putting in the effort after hours are being rewarded, however so too are those anglers putting in the same effort during the daylight hours. November is usually the first month of the year that we start to see kingfish move into the lake. Every year there are plenty of great kings landed throughout Lake Macquarie and I think most anglers would be surprised at just how good this fishery is. Live squid is the number one bait for kingfish in the

There are plenty of small kings around the Swansea Bridge each year and poppers are most effective. However, if you’re after a better quality fish then get into the lake around Coal Point and Wangi area across to the nearby channel markers as this is home to many solid kings each summer. Rock fishing really starts to pick up now and many anglers who love their lure fishing from the stones really start to put the hours in from November onwards. It’s a great time to throw metals, poppers and stickbait lures from the ledges. There is plenty on offer with kingfish,

We will see an increase in bait activity with slimies starting to ball up as they are harassed by marlin and other warm water game fish. You really don’t need to run very wide at all to be in with a reasonable shot at a marlin during the summer months. A good spread of lures around 6-8” in length with three or four lures will be enough to see you in with a real chance at one of these majestic fish. Often the run of inshore fish will only be small black marlin around the 30-50kg range, so they are ideal for anglers who don’t have the vessel or the desire to head 30 nautical miles offshore for the chance to catch a marlin. Often anglers will elect to run a spread of lures until they come across these bait balls and then they will jig up a tankful in no time and start to slow troll. Sometimes just two live baits is enough to troll around and quite often the wait is not a long one. Circle hooks are fantastic for this style of fishing as they have a great hook-up rate, generally in the corner of the marlin’s mouth, meaning the fish is nearly always released in great condition to fight another day. It’s also that time of year when we start to see some big mahimahi landed. Often the larger fish will show up at the start and the end of the game fish season and

Local angler Greg Dent managed to find plenty of nice flathead on a recent outing, with soft plastics doing the trick. lake. Slow trolled live squid on a downrigger is extremely effective and will generally out fish all other forms of fishing when chasing these kings. However as with everything some days things don’t go to plan, so you must keep your options open. Often it will be a live yakka that will turn on the bite, or even cutting up your squid into strips.

bonito and even mahimahi making the odd appearance. Many anglers I talk to like to cover their bases so they will often have a live bait floating out under a balloon while they spin their lures around. These live baits will often be hit by kingfish, but are also often taken by sharks swimming past, which certainly provide plenty of sport and entertainment for these anglers.

generally they are a by-catch by those anglers pulling lures for marlin. They’re certainly a welcome by-catch as they are one of the tastiest fish in the sea and a great sport fish too. It’s usually a little too early to be trying the Fisheries FADs in November, although it shouldn’t be too long before they start to show a few fish, but more on fishing the FADs in coming months.

Industry Product

The making of a legend to catch a legend BRISBANE

Stephen Booth

I’m not often blown away by something, especially not by something that has been around for a few years. What I have experienced over the last 12 months with my initiation into the world of Venom rods by Wilson Fishing has been nothing short of amazing. I’ll state right here and right now that I work for Wilson Fishing, just so everyone knows – however, the sentiments I express here are from me, not from Wilson. I love my cod fishing, and Wilson Fishing has never really focused on inland angling. Design-wise, their real strength is revealed in the brutal world of offshore fishing and tropical mayhem. There is so much brilliant product to dominate the needs of these two fishing areas that the inland side of things has been slightly left behind. The Venom rod range is more than just a tropical and bluewater series though. There are models made that cross over and they cross over so extraordinarily well that you may even think they have been made to order for inland native anglers. I will discuss two rods I have used in the last year with no previous experience the Venom Heavy Baitcaster 6kg and the Venom Crankbait PE 3-6. Both of these rods were designed for barramundi fishing, which makes them more than suitable for Murray cod fishing. VENOM CRANKBAIT PE 3-6 This rod is an absolute cracking rod for general Murray cod fishing. Rated for lines between 30-60lb

the Murrumbidgee and the Darling this rod excels. Additionally, it’s a great rod for casting lures in among heavy timber stands in lakes and in all of the New England

else in the boat regardless of the lures being thrown. That 7’ length gives you extra metres every cast, but it does impact on your accuracy so that is why it’s a brilliant big water and lake rod. I couldn’t recommend you try this rod any more sincerely. An absolute weapon, I just love it for

told yet, but the technology is irrelevant once you get one on the water. Venom rods are not cheap. They are elite and the retail pricing reflects their quality. Wilson uses only the best components to ensure everything about the rods is first rate. All of the rods, including the

FACT BOX Model.............Description................................. Length RLFVCR6....... Venom Crankbait PE 3-6...........6’3” RLFVBC7/6.... Venom Heavy Baitcaster 6kg....7’

Scott Flemming used the Venom Crankbait PE36 to subdue this cod. This is a good illustration of the versatility of the rod fishing a lightweight 95mm Zerek Fish Trap vertically amongst the boulders. streams and rivers where a really long rod simply gets in the way and extra-long casts are rarely necessary. When accuracy is more important, this is the rod to choose. This rod will also troll quite easily. The 6’3” length allows the tip to register the lure’s action well and the angler can easily manipulate the lure when necessary. The

A perfect combination: Venom Crankbait PE 3-6 and Murray cod. (15-30kg) it certainly has the strength to dictate the terms when necessary but also has the soft action that allows easy casting of lures all day long. This Venom Crankbait PE is ideal in tight situations where casting distance is not a priority. When you are snag bashing in tight, fishing the Murray above Echuca,

medium sized hardbodies and 3/8oz spinnerbaits are no problem either. In essence, it’s a pretty versatile rod that can do a lot of things well and is my most

longer rod also gives you a really good drop back when your lures hit a snag and you need to give the lure slack to float it back and up off the snag. Lure-wise, this stick will cast just about any spinnerbait up to 3/4oz and most of the hardbodies that anglers are using for cod. Much smaller lures like

used Venom rod when I am native fishing – it’s always in the boat ready to go. VENOM HEAVY BAITCASTER 6KG This is not a muck around rod. It’s 7’ long and built for serious work. Designed with the aid of Peter Price (noted barra impoundment angler) this rod was built for the purpose of casting long and being strong – two design specifications it blasts out of the water. Used for swimbaits in barra impoundments, this rod is ideal for casting and retrieving large spinnerbaits, surface lures and wakebaits for mega-cod. It’s not a tight area casting rod, but it is a sensational stick for combing a bank with a surface lure or a spinnerbait and when that strike from Mr Big comes, this rod gives you the power to control the fish. These days anglers expect more from their tackle and I think the Venom Heavy Baitcaster delivers, it is fairly under-rated and fishes heavier than 6kg, which makes for a lot of happy anglers. I know the last trip I used this rod I put it through the paces hard to see where its limits were – I didn’t reach them! As a casting rod there are few peers for bigger lures. I was throwing at least 20% further than everyone

for a much higher price than is asked for a Venom that’s for sure. THE FUTURE Like everything that is Venom, these rods will develop and mature. There is already talk about a cod monster rod in the range and some other modifications to meet feedback from users. The Heavy Baitcast series also has an 8kg version and there are three lighter Crankbait rods in the range. It’s no surprise to anyone who knows me that

The 6kg Heavy Baitcaster was designed for barra but it has well and truly found a home in my arsenal for surface luring lake cod with big lures. fishing open water and I still smile like a little kid with a lollipop when I remember the first surface strike on my last trip. DISCUSSION The Venom range, as a whole, is exceptionally light weight. Do not assume this means the rods are not capable – they are the lightest, strongest and toughest rods I have ever used, regardless of where I currently work. Just why they are so strong and light is a secret even I have not been

brilliant Crankbait and Heavy Baitcaster have been designed in-house and they are all built in the factory at Wilson Fishing in Brisbane. This gives an unprecedented control over quality and allows the rods to be their best. Prices for both rods are usually under $500, which puts them right up there but they are worth every single cent. There are plenty of imported rods not designed in Australia for Aussie fish and conditions that ask

I might get a little excited about native fishing and with Wilson Fishing’s recent association with Dean Norbiato and Rod ‘Codmac’ Mackenzie, there is sure to be an incredibly bright future for Venom rods and inland anglers. It’s an exciting time Iam well and truly looking forward to being involved. Check out the Venom rods at your nearest tackle store or ask your local store to get one in for you – you won’t regret it.

This 79cm cod nailed a Kuttafurra Creeper on a long cast right on dusk. The ability of the 6kg Heavy Baitcaster to give you extra metres on every cast is essential when lure fishing big lakes with surface lures. NOVEMBER 2015

Mulloway madness to pick up CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley jrobley@iprimus.com.au

While it’s not officially summer just yet, it’s close enough for most of our favourite inshore and estuary species, with

warmer water not far away for those who like a bit of action with pelagic predators. Beach fishing is back on the agenda for a lot of anglers who don’t normally fish much through the cooler months. Those salmon that have made our beaches

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NOVEMBER 2015

any sort of ocean fishing, water temps can be a bit unpredictable at present, so quite cold water may be encountered one week, with warmer water the next. This can translate to hit and miss fishing, but hopefully things will continue to warm and whiting numbers increase as well. It’s still not exactly a fantastic time to try some rock fishing, especially if northwesterly winds are blowing. Having said that, some species worth considering are tailor, salmon, drummer, blackfish and groper. In the past I’ve enjoyed some reasonable success at this time of year off the rocks for salmon and blackfish, but have also encountered plenty of dead days. Back inside calmer waters, bream are very widespread and available to anyone casting baits or lures at the moment and the fishing is only going to get better as the weeks roll on. Although I target bream

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their home since June have thinned out a lot now, although you’ll certainly be in the running to hook a few on pilchard baits or lures this month. Realistically, it’s only from mid to late summer that salmon are absent from our waters, but even then the odd one is still caught in the surf zone. Historically, November can be reasonably good for mulloway and it’s what I would probably nominate as the start of the beach mulloway season, which gradually improves over the coming months. Having said that, if the water becomes extra warm late in the season it’s not uncommon for mulloway to be a bit hard to come by. However, that’s something that is hard to predict. For now though, I would highly recommend stocking up on bait by spending some time catching calamari squid or beachworms. Both of these can be stored in the freezer and still make excellent mulloway baits.

There’s always a good chance of picking up a school mulloway around Brisbane Waters at this time of year. Small vibes or heavily weighted soft plastics worked in deeper spots are in the running. For those who prefer a more laid back style of fishing, whiting can be caught through the day, along with the odd bream and flathead at this time of year. As is the case with

through every month of the year, it really is from now right through to the end of April that I look forward to the most. Not only do surface lures work well from this point on, they’re often the very best thing to chuck at bream in order to get a bite. Providing a cold snap or heavy rains haven’t hit us, the best places to try for some topwater bream action are the shallow bays and backwaters, rocky points and edges of weedbeds. Some of the many areas worth considering are Empire Bay, the northern side of Pelican Island at Woy Woy, Fagans Bay near Gosford and the weedy flats just west of the bridge at The Entrance. Flathead are well and truly around now and I’ve been enjoying a few on the dinner plate lately. Even when stacked up against the likes of snapper,

It’s a great time of year for flathead. The author picked up this Tuggerah Lakes model while chasing bream with small vibes. mulloway, pearl perch and whiting, I reckon it’s very hard to beat flathead around the 50-60cm mark for a tasty meal of fresh fish. Of course, larger models are normally released so they have a chance of making more baby flathead for the future. The Entrance is probably the pick for flathead through the warmer months, but the downside is the average size of the fish there, which tends to hover around the legal length of 36cm. Whiting are also around in good numbers, as they normally are at this stage of the season. A good type of lure to use if you like catching bream, flathead and whiting in the same session are the small 30mm vibes like the Ecogear ZX30 or Daiwa Gekkabijin 3S. This is especially so in water around 1m deep. The occasional mulloway is always a possibility in Brisbane Waters, but as with most other species, summer and autumn are best, particularly for the smaller schoolies. So the odds of hooking one should improve this month. If you’re keener on specialising in catching a feed of whiting for the dinner table then some

good quality bloodworms or beachworms are the best bet. Alternatively, surface lures marched across the top at a constant pace can also do pretty well. With baits or lures, remember that whiting like warm, shallow places with a sandy bottom. The same areas I mentioned for bream above are also excellent for whiting. November can be a reasonable month for offshore fishing, although I wouldn’t say great. Once again, this is all largely dependent on east coast currents delivering some warmer water. If that happens then we’ll see some early inshore pelagics like bonito and small kingfish show up. If it remains cold then it’s probably better to target bottom dwellers like snapper, morwong or flathead. Of course, the wider you go the greater the chance of finding some better water, although that’s not guaranteed. So keep an eye on sea surface temperatures via the Internet and listen to what others are saying about their day on the water. If unsure, it could be a better idea to just stay in close and try to pick up a mixed bag of small reds, trevally, morwong and flathead.

Plenty of bream are around now and they’re keen to hit all manner of bait or lures. Many anglers will be keen to target them over shallow areas with surface lures.

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Kings will reign this November ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke clarkey1@westnet.com.au

The kingfish scene has been quiet for some time now but at last a few have started to filter through to the local reefs to give us anglers a bit of an arm stretching. The best we could look forward to over the past months was spending hours going to the shelf to chase tuna – which was hit and miss at best. Now there is finally some local action on these hoodlums. KINGFISH – TIPS AND TRICKS There have been varied sizes caught recently with the 4-8kg range most prevalent, a fair few better fish at around 10kg, and the possibility of a cracker 15kg+. Live baits down rigged are scoring more and better fish with squid proving to be the best live baits. I would rather eat squid than catch a king! So I keep all my squid for dinner and use live slimy mackerel, a close second and

a lot easier to come by. Live yellowtail is next on my bait list, out-fishing the other baits on numerous days. What the kings feel on the day and what they are feeding on will make all the difference, so best be prepared for anything. When using squid, bigger is better as the rats will destroy a small squid in seconds. Smaller fish will leave big squid long enough for kings to get in on the action. Big mackerel are a bit more resilient and can take some punishment from the rats before a big fish gets interested, which is part of why they catch plenty of fish. I always have a yellowtail on the surface when slow trolling a slimy down deep as they will get any strays on the top, are low maintenance and stay healthy for ages. Additionally, when you hook a fish on the deep bait, the other fish in the school get excited and follow the hooked fish to the boat and, nine times out of ten, the yellowtail gets clobbered. If you don’t have a down rigger a few barrel sinkers

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above the leader will do the job but in fair warning, doing this will put stress on the line and create more drag through the water so when a fish is hooked it will belt the hell out of the paint or gel coat on your boat when you get them up close. GO-TO SPOTS The usual local spots that produce – Pig and Gap island (beware of the seals), Bellambi, Bass Point, and Rangoon – have all had a few fish recently. The deeper reefs like Bandit and Wollongong have had a few with knife jigs taking some fish. There are still some barracouta about, so it can get expensive quickly if you find them. As always, the stronger the current the better the kings like it. If you can’t get any big slimies, just use smaller ones. The salmon can be a problem, and there are plenty around the places kings hang out. They seem to be popping up just about everywhere along the coast at the moment. Up north past Stanwell Park they are in solid schools, then in patches all the way to the islands where they can be found schooling on the surface slurping down tiny baitfish. They are easy to spot – just look for the masses of seagulls hovering over the water. The schools are much the same down around Bass Point and Kiama only with less gulls. You can see them rippling along the surface as they feed in schools that are often the size of footy fields. When they are like this they can be extremely difficult to catch, but very small plastics and lead slugs will do the job with light line essential to use and to get any distance, with these lures creating a much better battle with the fish. The weight of the lure is a problem too as you will lose so many fish when they jump and throw the hooks. The two best lures were Stingsildas and Crystal Eyes but both are no longer available, so if you have some at home you already have a good head start on everyone else. OTHER SPECIES FORECAST Under the schools of salmon and over most of the shallow inshore reefs you’ll find good trevally cruising around. Let the lure sink below the salmon and retrieve slowly, or drop the pick over a reef in the area where the salmon are feeding and hit the berley. It shouldn’t take long for the blurters to arrive and you will also score any lazy salmon sick of chasing baitfish looking for an easy feed in the berley. A few snapper are about but most are out in the deeper water of 30-50m. Soft plastics will do the job here or you

can pick and berley. Both are effective if the current is not running too hard. Plastics seem to have the edge at the moment but it can get pretty boring on a slow day. Out wide on the shelf there have been a few yellowfin tuna about and heaps of striped tuna. Most anglers these days use pilchards to cube but don’t underestimate the power of the stripy. Cubes of striped tuna are lethal on ‘fin, particularly if you can get a heap of them and use the frames for berley in the pot at the same time. A fussy tuna will swim past a pilchard, but will rarely pass up a cube even with a heavy trace attached. A few striped marlin have been taken already and there were mahimahi around in August and September when some warm water pushed through, so really, anything could happen this month. A strange year so far, and with the warm water that looks to be pushing downhill early this year, we may get early blacks; here’s hoping. Back in close and the flathead have started to get a wriggle on over most of the sand patches off the coast. Fish to 50cm are pretty

Garry with an average king around the 5kg mark taken on a yakka. beaches from the pros. There are still some there, if you have the skills to catch them. Plenty of salmon are on the beache, sometimes making it tough on those chasing whiting as they love worms too. The evenings seem to be best for the sambos and tailor, with a few school mulloway about if you put in the time. These

The reds seem to be holding in deeper water at the moment among the ships waiting to enter the harbour. common with good catches coming from Stanwell down to Kiama. Over the gravel and reef the mowies are back on the chew and as usually happens around this time there have been quite a few more pig fish coming in. Throw in a few pan sized snapper, trevally, and a few leatherjackets and there are some fantastic mixed bags to be had. ROCK AND BEACH On the beaches, the whiting are starting to make their presence felt with better catches, as always this early in the season, coming from the beaches closest to the lake. Beach worms are necessary for good results, but they cop an absolute harvesting on the local

species will become more abundant as the weeks head into summer. The gutters in the corners of the beaches near the rocks are holding a few more bream than the middle sections and are being picked up by the whiting chasers. On the rocks it will get better over the coming weeks as the water warms and we get a few more pelagics moving down the coast, but for the moment we have a few kings hunting along the deeper ledges just on dawn and dusk. Live squid and mackerel are the top baits here, but don’t discount the power of the pike. A live pike has been the downfall of many a big king and they can be found on most ledges.

Throwing stickbaits from the stones will provide some fun on salmon and smaller kings with the odd bigger fish sometimes tempted. Metals will find any bonito that starts to get active this month. Pilchards on ganged hooks are very effective as well. The Kiama ledges are the main areas to target but the south side of Bass Point and Honeycomb should provide as well with the latter getting very crowded from here on in. Drummer are still about in good numbers if you work the washes with prawns and cunjevoi and throw in a few bream for a bit of variety. ESTUARY AND LAKE FISHING The estuaries are now starting to fire with the prawns running, and with blue swimmers increasing in size and numbers every week there is some top tucker available. Flatties are on the march and are biting over most of the lake and in Minnamurra. Plastics and poddies are the main weapons of choice accounting for some nice fish up to 60cm. We don’t get big flatties in the lake due to the sheer volume of pro nets that are laid throughout the system annually. If a flattie lasts a couple of seasons it is doing very well. Whiting are over the sand flats taking squirt worms if you can find them with bigger fish caught on poppers on calm weekdays. A few bream are on the bridges during the evenings and a mulloway may be on the cards around Windang for those persistent plastic tossing anglers. Salmon and chopper tailor have been regulars to the breakwalls at the entrance to the lake so there is fun all around at the moment.

Fishing Fill-its

Commercial crab catch causes court conviction A 40 year-old Port Macquarie man has been ordered to forfeit his boat, outboard motor and boat trailer after pleading guilty to possessing a commercial

quantity of mud crabs, in Port Macquarie Local Court earlier this month. Acting Director Fisheries Compliance Pat Tully said Department of

Primary Industries (DPI) fisheries officers were conducting a surveillance operation of the Hastings River in March when they apprehended the man.

Kayleb Buckingham with a good-sized brown trout from Lake Jindabyne.

“Fisheries officers found 39 priority species mud crabs in the man’s vessel, more than eight times the daily possession limit and considered a commercial quantity,” Mr Tully said. “The crabs were returned to the water alive and an application was made for the forfeiture of his fishing equipment, including his boat, which was successful.” Mr Tully said the conviction sends a strong message that illegal fishing in NSW will not be tolerated. “The Hastings River is a Recreational Fishing Haven closed to commercial fishing methods and fisheries officers will continue to crack down on illegal crab catching,” Mr Tully said. “Mud crabs have a high commercial value and the mid-north coast has had a good season for crabs resulting in some exceptional crab catches. “Fishers are reminded of the strict regulations and gear restrictions in place for crab catching, and that a bag limit of five mud crabs per person per day applies.” Recreational fishers are strongly encouraged to contact their local district fisheries office to find out the

rules relating to recreational crabbing in their local area, as tough penalties apply for breaches of this legislation. “Our S t a t e ’s aquatic environment is a community-owned

resource and we all have a responsibility to protect and safeguard this natural asset,” Mr Tully said. More information is available at www.dpi.nsw. gov.au/fisheries. – NSW DPI

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It’s getting hot in here... BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

So grab your surface lures! I am getting so hot I want to go bass fishing! Conditions are definitely hotting up. This year Mother Nature has apparently decided to forget spring and just go straight to summer. The fishing and weather really went up a few notches this spring, with warm water pushing hard down our coastline, bringing bait and beakies. Yes, we are already seeing marlin off our coast. I’m sensing it’s going to be another crazy marlin bite this summer. It’s been a long time since we were in with a chance of catching both yellowfin tuna and marlin together,

year. They have been very on and off. The best plan of attack has been heading out expecting nothing to really happen, take an electric reel with you and try the bottom. That way, if you miss out on tuna you at least take home a feed of ocean perch or better – and if you can’t catch yourself an ocean perch you’ll start to think about selling the boat! But the ocean perch have been plentiful and of decent size. Just remember to give these guys a good time on the pan until they’re cooked through. They tend to expand and are great eating when properly cooked. I’ve made the mistake where I’ve cooked 3/4 of the way through because I didn’t want to overdo it, only to find stringy flesh stuck to

Jem Abbott shows how good the drummer still are. but that’s the kind of waters we are experiencing at the moment. It’s all very exciting. Tuna have been a frustrating fish to target this

the bone. If you try to fix it by throwing it onto the pan again, it’s not going to win you a position on Masterchef. Give it a good three minutes

each side on medium to high heat and it should be cooked perfectly. The cream of the crop, the blue-eye trevalla, is the opposite. You need to be careful not to overcook it. However, as summer kicks in we will be experiencing fewer chances to fish the bottom as the currents speed down the coast, and our attention will turn to the marlin bite. The anticipation of this year’s marlin bite is growing as the memory of last year’s craziness is still fresh in the minds of all those who experienced it. This year the run looks to be starting even earlier, and we could be in for another great season of marlin fishing. The mahi mahi made a good appearance last summer and already a couple of 20kg+ monsters have been caught so it’s shaping up to be a good season for them also. The FAD off Batemans Bay will be deployed so that is always worth a visit over the summer months for fish. If we get a good run of kingfish we could be in for one of our best summers in a long time. The snapper have been going well through spring as they usually do out in the usual 60-80m depths. I noticed a lot more boats fishing in these depths this year and it seems like we have been having a great run on them. However, I think more boats and more people fishing deeper makes the run look greater. These good schools have always been out there during the spring months. Some people get overexcited with such schools and keep everything they catch, as opposed to keeping what they can eat fresh. Customers at the shop have told me of some disappointing sights at the ramp of people bringing in 20 to 30 snapper that they

Good gracious, bass is bodacious… Photo courtesy of Robert Thornton. couldn’t possibly eat fresh, distributing them amongst their extended family and random neighbours. They keep other species as well, which seems even more pointless after such a quality catch of snapper! I’m not judging anyone who wants to freeze down fish for a few weeks ahead (although I personally only keep enough to eat fresh). But when people find themselves throwing fish out, they should probably rethink their catch rate! Off the stones we are still seeing the odd snapper having a go, as well as drummer and groper. Schools of salmon and tailor are light to thick. They seem to be a bit light on the south of the Bay, and there’s more talk of better schools at Durras and further north. Speaking of Durras, the lake is open and seems to be fishing a lot better at this stage in comparison to last year. Whiting are already on the chew, and they have been caught on nippers and off the surface with poppers since the beginning of spring. Small bream and flathead in reasonable numbers are also being caught there. It’s also shaping up to be a good season on the prawns in our lakes, and we have sold plenty of crab traps lately, with muddies and blue swimmers being caught.

The estuaries are starting to warm up and a lot of bait is starting to show. Most of this is happening out the front as the back reaches still have some cold water, but it won’t be long before that turns warm. It looks like bream are out in numbers already; a lot of people targeting flathead under the power lines are finding bream instead. This is a familiar story in the shop, and it looks like we could have a good run of bream this year. With all the sudden warmth and movement of bait you’d expect the mulloway to be a sensible target in our estuary, especially after all that rain we had, but they seem to be on the down low. Septembers in the past have produced good captures, and this has persisted right into December. I think there haven’t been many anglers targeting them throughout the day lately. I expect with all the positive changes occurring though that the mulloway will be a hot species to target from now and into December. Further upstream, the special mad bushy bass breed have responded to this change in season. Even with the water still a bit cool they could smell a bass, and they weren’t wrong. With the flying ants already out and the temperatures soaring early, these guys have gotten

out to walk or kayak the back country with some success. So it’s all shaping up to be a cracker of a summer. It looks as though we have got the rain out of the way and Sussex Inlet can hang out their carpets to dry. Last year it rained heavily in November and into December. This year it’s rained already and the warm currents are here with bait and marlin. School yellowfin tuna from 20-40kg are out there, and the spring deepwater snapper fishing is on fire. Lakes are open from all the rain. Whiting are hitting surface poppers. Bass have come to life. Mud crabs and blue swimmers are about and they are calling for a good prawn season. So it’s all happening and there is a busy, positive vibe in the air. It’s a great time to be alive, so go out and live! • Here at Compleat Angler we now have such a great range of jewie lures you can’t go wrong. We just recently added the Samaki Vibelicious in 20-30g weights in 100-120mm lengths in whitebait and mullet colours. They will definitely be our biggest sellers and the biggest jewie catchers this year. To check them out or get more info on what’s biting, drop into Compleat Angler Batemans Bay at 65A Orient St, Batemans Bay, or phone 02 4472 2559.

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Fights on the flats! NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

The local estuaries around the Narooma region have well and truly fired up over recent weeks – partly due to increased water temperature from offshore currents hitting the coastline. More importantly, longer warmer days means more heat on the water with temperatures rising quickly, especially in the shallows. This has been evident by the increased action on the flats with bream and whiting starting to play the summer game. On a recent guide we saw a 15°C water temperature in the morning rise in the shallows to 22°C by early afternoon. With a warm day at around 25°C I wasn’t too surprised to see the water temp rise so quickly. As a flooding tide covered the flats, the fish life increased exponentially. You could see the prawns skipping around with bream and whiting darting everywhere. We were rigged up with smaller softies at the time but quickly changed to surface presentations with an assortment of walkbaits used. What followed was incredible, a two hour non-stop action packed session which included catch of bream, whiting, flathead, and EPs with 40

head towards summer with the Tuross River a good place to start. The upper reaches of Wagonga Inlet are firing up nicely with the area from the 4kn sign upstream the perfect place to throw a lure. If the surface action isn’t for you, then the lower reaches in the main basins of both estuaries have been fishing well, especially in Wagonga. For deepwater fishing, it’s a dynamite time to fish for mulloway and croc sized flatties on the cards. The place is loaded with whitebait and pilchard schools so it’s no wonder the bigger predators are about. I’ve already heard of some thumping flatties to 93cm caught and mulloway to 85cm as well so it’s definitely worth a look. The bait schools are moving about from day to day but once you locate them you should be in business. Their location is sometimes made more apparent by diving terns after the salmon and tailor have hammered them. These species are great fun to catch too while targeting the bigger prey. I expect this season to be a cracker, everything looks right, we’ve had a decent recent flush of the system, the bait’s there, the fish are there, we just need you there. OFFSHORE Offshore the game crews are getting a tad excited as we’ve experienced some nice yellowfin tuna action

hunting the same grounds, with the average fish being 10-14kg. The fish have been wide with most crews waiting until they reach the shelf before setting their lines. Any tell tale signs of life may change this approach but most crews I’ve spoken with have steamed straight ahead. Depending on water temperature, there’s every chance an early season striped marlin might make his presence felt. Last November saw a number of big stripes hooked with a couple landed. Trolling is the go with a mixture of skirted pushers in various sizes proving to be the best method. Quite often the smaller skirts in a spread are the fish takers. Closer to shore, Montague Island is heating up nicely with kingfish and bonito doing the right thing. The kings have been pretty good all spring so far and I can’t really see that changing any day soon. They have responded well to a mixture of methods but jigging seems to be getting the desired results. I would be looking at live bait for the bigger fish with the NW corner and FowlHouse reefs worth a look. Those after a bottom feed of flatties will have little trouble as these tasty morsels are in great numbers right along the coast. Further north off Dalmeny has been excellent with water depths of 35-40m the place to fish. I know of locals getting their

Not a monster, but your first mulloway is always great to get on the board. with chromed slices is a good fun way to catch them. Almost all beaches with a half decent gutter are producing with Narooma main a standout at present. There’s a cracking gutter to the south of the beach with bream, whiting and the odd gummy shark. Fishing the flooding tide late into the afternoon and evening

seems to be best, with beach-worms and pipi the preferred baits to use. Off the stones the bread and butter brigade like drummer and blackfish have been a little tougher to entice, mainly due to little wash at most platforms. Anglers are working hard for a feed but if you persist and the use the freshest of baits with a little

berley you should do well. Platforms l would look at include Dalmeny, the inside of the southern break-wall and the Golfie rocks in town. If you’re after the pelagic speedsters, expect salmon, bonito and smaller kingfish at times. Whole pilchards rigged on lightly weighted ganged hooks or chromed slices will work.

The boys with a solid bag of bream from the flats. They managed over 50 bream for the day and all released. plus fish caught and all released. An unexpected furious session this early in the season goes to show that as the temperature rises the shallows become a pretty exciting place to fish. This surface action will only get better as we

recently. The fish aren’t thick but there’s enough there to keep you interested with a few models around the 50kg mark. Even at this size, on the right tackle you’re in for some serious fun. If the yellowfin are quiet there’s been plenty of albacore

10 fish bag in a drift so the fishing is right on track. BEACHES On the beaches salmon continue to rule the roost with most fishos having a ball. These pocket sized speedsters are responding to all methods but spinning NOVEMBER 2015

Is it the beginning or the end? BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

We may be coming to the end of spring, however it is the beginning of summer and better fishing is ahead, so bring it on. This is one of my favourite times of year as most forms of fishing are beginning to flourish. In the fresh Brogo Dam or the river just below is teeming with bass only too willing to feed after winter spawning and a lack of food. In Brogo Dam itself, concentrate around the weed beds as shrimp numbers begin to increase as are the native minnows or gambusia. In the river below, look for structure as it is not hard to find. In the estuaries it is full steam ahead with flathead being most prolific in both Wallaga Lake and the Bermagui River. Upstream is the place to be where the warmer water carries the nutrients for prawns

It looks like another good season for bream in our area. that need to feed. Fish like to eat prawns so expect other species like bream, whiting and luderick to

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also be lurking. Now is also the time to start looking for those tasty crustaceans if you like prawning, however, you may have to do some searching to find the best lakes and estuaries that are harbouring them. Salmon schools are moving along the coast, providing opportunities for beach anglers, off the rocks or boat fishing close to shore. Often all that is needed is a handful of lures, and casting from all these locations or trolling from a boat can often result in hours of entertainment. Out to sea, tiger flathead are on the move with most of the fish lurking in and around the 50m mark. Larger fish are out wider, however the ones closer in will produce a bag in quick succession. Out there too is where species like morwong or snapper are likely to be found and of late those tasty pigfish have also made their presence felt.

Now’s the time also to venture out to Montague Island, as there is a fair chance the kingfish should be showing. Check with the locals to see if this is so, or just go and give it a go, as if they are not feeding there are plenty of reef fish to be found around the island. The other option you have if it is quiet around the island is to go wide to chase game fish such as albacore, yellowfin or maybe even a bluefin tuna. After last year’s very warm water temperatures there is a big possibility of an early season marlin. Trolling is the best way to go with a good spread of both surface and diving lures, as this method allows you to cover more water to find where fish are holding. Maybe the last option while out wide with the aid of those electronic reels is to do some deep water fishing in depths of 200-400 fathoms of water. This form of fishing is like a box of chocolates; you just don’t know what you might get. Blue eye trevalla, jemfish, ling, ghost cod just to name a few… so go out

Is there some yellow on offer? Go find out!

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Don’t be a prawn, get fishing! TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Following good winter rains the estuaries and lakes along the coast are primed for the warmer months ahead, and the start of a great run of prawns. Estuarine fish species prey on prawns heavily at this time, which makes for some great angling in the months ahead. Hopefully there will

be plenty of these tasty crustaceans around for us humans to target for a feed as well! At this time of year the upper reaches of estuaries hold warmer water that cultivates the food source prawns need to grow. Here, fish species will congregate to feast upon the prawns and recondition after the winter chills. Expect species such as flathead, bream, trevally, whiting, and estuary perch to emerge.

Now is the time for anglers to find some exciting fishing – but how, and where to go about it? One prime area is the Bega River, where the salt water in the system reaches way inland. The Bega River is positioned with many back waters such as Blackfellas Lake that are heated by the surrounding warming land which creates a perfect nursery for prawns to grow. Even further up the river will also play host to prawns often up to the brackish and

Imitation prawns are deadly for flatties when prawns are on the go.

fresh water where bass seize the opportunity to feed upon crustaceans pushed up on some of the large high tides. Use your electric aids to seek the higher water temps and to sound out fish in the deep areas. Your most effective aid is your own eyesight and polaroiding fish in the shallow gravelly areas will be a good way to find them. METHOD Now that you’ve located the fish, what can you use, and how should you go about catching them? Obviously match the hatch if you are into lure or fly fishing. Many artificial imitations are available on the market. One of my favourites is the ZMan prawn which smells and feels

The end result of a successful night prawning. like the real thing. Of course, the best way to match what is on offer is to use the real thing. If you go this way you may need to go out the night before you fish to gather your prawns for bait. They can be kept alive with an

Bream will search the shallows for prawns.

aerator in a bucket of water or use them dead as often they can be just as effective. A good tip is to shell a few of the prawns, as the scent will increase and attract fish from a further distance. If you can’t acquire fresh prawns, nippers will often work just as well as these fish are now in hunting mode. For those who love eating prawns, get your act together, get out there, and start catching them! You don’t need a lot of gear – just a dip net, a good strong light, and a bucket. Search around a bit to find the better systems within the area that may be holding prawns like Wallagoot Lake (south of Tathra), and if you are new to this game, the more you go the greater the rewards.

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Plenty of fish to be caught EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

The past month has seen a bit more rain falling on the far south coast – great news for fishing in the months ahead. Big seas have stirred up the sand on all the local beaches and have created some great gutters which have truly ramped up the salmon fishing. Good numbers of fish are being caught with

the average size around the 1kg mark with bigger fish to 2kg caught on both lure and bait. A few yellowfin bream and sand whiting have been caught recently and with the water warming, the variety and number of fish caught on the beaches is set to improve. Out wide on the shelf the water temperature has warmed to 18-20°C – a temperature that indicates yellowfin tuna. The start of the game fishing season is not far away, with good numbers of albacore tuna already

caught and plenty of striped tuna about. The big seas of the past month have made it hard to get out wide but as things settle and some good conditions see boats heading out I am sure we will hear tales of fantastic fishing. Some good catches of snapper and morwong have been had on the inshore reefs with flathead (both tigers and sandies) on the catch. With the warming water, fishing in the estuaries is really starting to pick up – the flathead especially have

started to wake up in all the local estuaries. Silver trevally and tailor have been caught at the entrance area, which is fishing well particularly on the incoming tide. There have been a few reports of mulloway around. As we head into summer, the fishing for this species will only improve. Black bream are starting to spread out through the estuary system after spending the past month upstream spawning. With the rivers and creeks flowing, all is looking good for the

Fish are on the bite in the Eden area. coming bass season as the fish will be able to move upstream to their summer haunts. The town is quiet with

tourism not picking up until Christmas time, which makes now a great time to visit and enjoy the area.

Eating anything that moves MALLACOOTA

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

With spring here and summer in our sights, many are happy to see that cold winter weather behind us. Great fishing has been on offer over the past few months – with very few visitors to the area adding to the charm of fishing here during the cooler months. The local beaches have seen good numbers of salmon moving along the gutters with high tide fishing well. These fish will eat anything that moves, be

it lure or bait, with plenty of fish caught on a barrel sinker painted white, slid on the line and tied on a treble. This setup costs less than a dollar and will catch as many fish as lures that cost over 5x as much. The new jetty at the boat ramp at Bastion Point provides a great place to fish along with the break wall. As the growth on the rocks becomes more established, the fishing will only get better. Remember this is not the area to clean fish as it is only a couple of hundred meters away from the main swimming beach and attracting sharks to this area could be of concern in the future. Cold water

temperatures in the ocean have seen a few anglers chasing a feed. As things start to warm, the fish will begin to fire up and the boats will start to head out for a feed of flathead, gummy shark, and (fingers crossed) kingfish. The bottom lake has been fishing well with good numbers of yellowfin bream, silver trevally, and flathead caught. As per usual you’ll need to move around to find the fish, then concentrate your efforts in that area. A number of locals have set themselves up to fish for the luderick or blackfish that are in the system – there are numerous land based

locations to fish for them. Not only are they a good size, they taste great, and they are a challenge to catch. Flathead have been caught throughout the system and as the water warms, the fishing should only improve. Currently, the bays facing the north with slightly warmer water are fishing the best. Good numbers of black bream have been caught, with fish anywhere from the Top Lake to well upstream. These fish can be near impossible to catch one day and virtually jump into the boat the next! Bait fishers have had great success using fresh local prawn for bait while

Hurricane lures are smacking the bream in deeper water. those fishing with lures have had to chop and change to find the lure that works. With the rivers all flowing

well, the bass fishing in the months ahead should be good as the fish move freely from pool to pool.

Merimbula bread and butter species abundant MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

What a great time of year to fish the Merimbula area! A range of species are available to target so whether you’re a local or a visiting angler there’s something for everyone. BONITA BONITO The rock-hopper brigade are in full swing with great results for those targeting the pelagic species. There has been a great start to the bonito season with numbers and size at good levels. This energetic speedster is responding well to chromed slices fished flat chat. Casting these bullets towards the horizon and winding them back as fast as you can isn’t for everyone but there’s no better feeling when that lure gets slammed. The bonito are averaging a solid 2-3kg and at this size can be targeted on lighter gel-spun to enhance the fight even more. The only problem here is there are still some big kingfish hunting the shallow ground so use the light stuff at your peril! Mixed in with the bonnies are good sized salmon to 3kg, 58

NOVEMBER 2015

these bruisers are thick at times and can start to be frustrating when targeting the bonito. In saying that, they are still great fun on the light stuff and have rescued a quiet session into a solid session many a time. Like I mentioned before there are still some very big kings getting around that are hard to

kings around the rocky points so let’s hope that continues. The better ledges to try are Tura Head and Long Point. Both are a bit of a walk but worth a visit. FLATHEAD IN THE ESTUARY In the estuaries the big girls are waking up and starting

thankfully all released. These flathead are important for future stocks so, in my books, letting them go should be the law! Most anglers do the right thing but there’s still a minority that don’t and the sooner these restrictions are enforced, the better. Both the Merimbula and

Scotty and Luke with the type of species that can be expected when fishing surface lures. entice, but if you fish a live bait you may be in luck. The last few seasons have seen good

to play the game. I’ve heard of a handful of 80cm+ flathead getting caught recently, and

Pambula lakes are fishing well but Merimbula is definitely better for flatties at present.

Most of the bigger fish I’ve heard of are coming from there. The top lake is the best place to fish. I recommend casting 80-100mm fish style plastics towards the ribbon weed edges for best results. As the month progresses it will only get better and it shouldn’t be too hard to score a nice feed too. With the warmer weather approaching, surface presentations for bream and whiting around the margins and oyster racks will come into their own. There’s already been some nice surface action happening so if you haven’t tried it, give it a go – it’s a whole stack of fun. OFFSHORE Offshore, the bottom bouncers are having their usual success with flathead, snapper, morwong, and kingfish all chewing at times. The northern grounds seem to be fishing best with Long Point and White Cliffs producing good catches. Each day is different, it may take you a while to locate the fish but once you do it’s all systems go. My neighbour had a solid outing a few days back and said the snapper and reef species were fishing well. He took his bag of reds and came home pretty

happy with himself with some great fillets for the pan. A little further offshore the tuna action is just starting to fire up. Most crews from Merimbula are heading north where the action has been. It won’t be long before they’re on our doorstep and those monster miles won’t be needed. Those that have ventured out have done well – local charter skipper Nath Brown from Headhunter Charters has done the miles and reaped the rewards. Nath has got his clients onto some solid yellowfin tuna to 40kg, plus a heap of albacore. This tuna action is likely to continue improving as we head into summer and if those temperature charts are right there’s a sneaky chance at a striped marlin as well. On the beaches, the usual suspects like bream, whiting and mullet will respond well to pipi and live beach worms. I’d be using a lightly weighted bait cast just past the shore dump for best results. A lot of anglers cast past the fish unaware that the fish are right at their feet! A little berley will help too with Tura main, North Tura and Haycock beaches all fishing well.

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1 Nanda Street MARMONG POINT 2284 Phone: (02) 4958 4588 Email: sales@endeavourmarine.com.au Website: www.endeavourmarine.com.au

185 Hastings River Drive PORT MACQUARIE 2444 Phone: (02) 6583 5511 Email: sales@hastingsmarine.com.au Website: www.hastingsmarine.com.au

SANS SOUCI AQUATIC POWER 2 Wellington Street SANS SOUCI 2219 Phone: (02) 9529 8109 Email: aquaticpower@optusnet.com.au

SILVERWATER AVANTE MARINE 212 Silverwater Road SILVERWATER 2128 Phone: (02) 9737 0727 Email: info@avantemarine.com.au Website: www.avantemarine.com.au

What’s New FISHING

EVAKOOL PORTABLE TRAVELMATE

Evakool has announced the release of their new TravelMate range of portable fridge freezers, with models to suit almost all applications. TravelMate is available in two styles: a side-opening version (the TMX 35, TMX 45 and TMX 50) and an end-opening version (TMX 45, TMX 55 and TMX 65). Sizes range from 38-80L. Features include: a stylish, rugged cabinet; unique design that enables the lid to be opened from either side or removed completely, all in one action; no protruding hinges or latches; Secop (formerly Danfoss) compressor; low power draw; silent operation; multi-voltage operation DC 12V and 24V, and AC 240V; heavy-duty handle with built-in magnet to stop rattling; soft touch electronic control; USB port and bright LED internal light. These new fridge freezers are backed by a 5-year warranty and are available from all leading outdoor retailers. Price: RRP $1079-$1399 www.evakool.com

FACEBOOK FOR FISH

Catchability is the app for anglers in Australia, allowing them to follow friends, spots, check the tides, weather and more. The iPhone and Android app lets anglers upload their catches online and share with fellow anglers the species and its size, as well as info such as where it was landed, with what gear and when. Above and beyond the features, which track, locate and store, Catchability can even help you identify what kind of fish you’ve caught! The database of photography is shaping up to be one of the best online, and anglers from around Australia are contributing to the information on a daily basis. Sponsored by Shimano Fishing, the free phone app is available to all users who use any brand of fishing gear in Australia. The Catchability app is tracking some of the best fishermen in Australia, so log on and find out where and when those fish are biting! Available for download now for free on iPhone and Android devices. Price: free www.catchability.com

SAMAKI SPIDER PRAWN

The all-new Samaki Boom Baits have been well received since their launch at the 2015 AFTA Tackle Trade Show. Boom Baits are made of a 10X super stretch material that is designed not only to last but have enough suppleness to create the perfect action. The Spider Prawn adds to the range with its unique prawn imitation shape aided by soft legs that create a slow flutter action on the drop. The Prawn’s feelers are even softer, lashing and curling on the retrieve, enhancing the lure’s visual attraction and enticing even the most elusive of species. The Spider Prawn has been designed in two sizes, 40mm and 60mm, with a colour selection of watermelon orange, pumpkin seed orange, avocado pearl, motor oil, bloodworm and pearl brown. Like all other Boom Baits models, they are non-toxic, environmentally friendly and sport Samaki’s unique rigging system, allowing you to rig your plastic with ease. Price: RRP from $9.95 www.samaki.com.au

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

MEGABASS DERBY X

The Derby X, one of the latest creations from Japanese lure maker Megabass, is a retro mouse imitation that’s set to be a hit with the cod brigade. This 3/4oz surface lure casts well due to its metal wings folding back during the retrieve. It wobbles enticingly along the top on a slow retrieve, making a fair bit of noise due to its metal wings. The disturbance attracts attention from a fair distance, making it an excellent lure for Murray cod, big bass and more. The little wings fold away when cast, unfurl during the retrieve and then paddle away. Big bass on the Clarence and Richmond will also take a liking to this lure. As you’d expect, the Megabass Derby X isn’t cheap but it’s of really high quality. These and other premium Megabass lures are desirable for collectors of fine tackle. Price: RRP $83 www.megabass.com.au

WILLIAMSON SHORE PRO

No longer just a lure company, Williamson has introduced to the Australian market the Shore Pro rod for anglers who are serious about their land-based saltwater fishing. The Shore Pro is a result of many months of consultation with Australia’s top land-based lure fishers. At its core, Shore Pro is an ultra lightweight and responsive high modulus graphite rod specifically designed for spinning your favourite coastal spot with 30-70g lures. Casting, casting and more casting is the mantra of the successful rock angler, and Shore Pro brings casting performance to new heights. At a length of 9’6” (2.9m) and tipping the scales at barely 260g, it’s a genuine ‘all day’ rod for all experience and fitness levels. Shore Pro also features high density EVA grips to help transmit power for ultimate casting distance and comfortable fish fighting. It also has Fuji Alconite K guides and reel seat plus the new Fuji Back Stop lock nut. Price: RRP $239.95 www.williamsonlures.com

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4 5

DAIWA DROWN CICADA II

Topwater bream and bass will be crawling out of the water to engulf the new Daiwa Drown Cicada II. This lifelike cicada imitation features ultra realistic body/paint design, silicone legs and a perfectly balanced body. At the top of the body it has a hollow chamber to keep it floating and upright, and this chamber also collapses easily for solid hook-ups. To prevent the lure from rolling, the belly is solid weighted to keep a low centre of gravity. If you’re fishing open water, the combination of a worm hook and treble is ideal. In heavy cover or weed beds, you can rig the lure weedless with a size 1 worm hook. Rigging direction changes the action; reverse style allows the lure to walk across the surface, creating a paddling action. Nose rig it and it will slide delicately across the surface. The Drown Cicada II is 38mm long, weighs 4g and comes in a pack of two (unrigged). www.daiwafishing.com.au

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

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What’s New FISHING

SILSTAR BACKPACK

MOTOR OIL IN MORE MODELS

ABU GARCIA SALTY FIGHTER

The new Silstar Backpack is the ultimate storage solution for anglers who love to take plenty of tackle on their trips. A number of well thought out and easy access storage sections have been incorporated into the Silstar Backpack, making it ideal for storing extra fishing tackle, clothing, food supplies and even sunglasses. To keep your lures and hooks organised, this model comes with four tackle trays that are designed to fit the lower section of the backpack. When fully loaded, the large padded back section with adjustable straps makes this backpack extremely comfortable to wear during extended fishing sessions. A 420 denier PVC shell with a 210 denier padded liner ensures that all contents remain protected from the heavy intrusion of water. The true test of a good backpack lies in the durability and longevity of zips, and that’s why the Silstar Backpack has nylon zips that won’t corrode if exposed to saltwater spray. Price: SRP $129.95 www.silstar.com.au

ZMan’s motor oil colour has proven to be dynamite on a wide range of species, and it’s no surprise when you swim it in the water or shine a UV torch on it and watch it change from a transparent amber to an iridescent green (see photo). Previously available in 2” CrusteaZ, 2”, 2.5” and 3.5” GrubZ, 2.5” Slim SwimZ, 3” MinnowZ, 3.75” StreakZ, 4” StreakZ Curly TailZ and 4” DieZel MinnowZ, ZMan was flooded with requests that have led to the release of big fish favourites in this go-to colour, including 5” and 9” GrubZ, 5” and 7” Scented Jerk ShadZ and 4” SwimmerZ. Pre-release testing of the new models has exceeded expectations, with flathead, mulloway, snapper, barra, mangrove jack, trevally and a multitude of reef species falling victim to the good oil. If you’re yet to try a motor oil ZMan or have been hanging out for larger models, now’s the time to tie one on. www.z-man.com.au

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FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

Abu Garcia Salty Fighter Origin rods have been designed in Australia for the ultimate casting performance. Featuring the latest in Japanese rod design, quality components and striking cosmetics, they also represent good value for money. 30 ton graphite delivers a lightweight, sensitive and powerful blank. The lightweight properties of the SiC guide system retains blank action, while tight line control is achieved with reduced diameter SiC ring sizes. The increase in line control improves sensitivity and reduces wind knots. Salty Fighter Origin rods feature a sophisticated EVA grip design with cork inserts that deliver an ergonomic grip system that not only feels great but also looks sensational. The 16 model line-up consists of 13 spin models and three baitcast models. Actions range from ultra light 1-3kg through to ballsy 6-10kg spin models in 6’6” and 7’. Baitcast models are all 5’6”, from a lightweight 2-4kg through to a barra bashing 6-8kg. Price: RRP $79.95 abugarcia-fishing.com.au

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WOLF CHINING PENCIL

Bringing together the best of both worlds, the new Silver Wolf Chining Pencil blends a popper with a walking stickbait to deliver anglers a truly hybrid multi-purpose surface lure. The Chining Pencil has a shallow smallmouth cup face that delivers a natural pop and splash, and an effective walk-thedog cadence that enticingly zigzags across the surface. With a built in rattle and a silicon teaser on the rear treble, the Silver Wolf Chining Pencil will draw fish in from afar, and tempt those that are near. Super strong tin trebles add durability and increase lure flash, while its slim profile and aerodynamic design delivers troublefree long casts all day, every day. Trevally, queenfish, mangrove jack and even whiting will be tempted by this hybrid super stickbait. The Chining Pencil measures 75mm, weighs 4.6g and comes in four premium colours. www.daiwafishing.com.au

LIVE FLASH MINNOW WRIGGLY

The Live Flash Minnow Wriggly brings an entirely new concept and appeal to a lure shape that is already extremely popular. They say looks can be deceiving, and that’s certainly the case with the Wriggly’s small paddle tail. The paddle is tiny, yet the effect it has on this lure’s action is immense. On the fall the Wriggly swims to the bottom with a real kick of the last third of the lure. On a slow retrieve, the tail beat imparts an irresistible action. Of course the Wriggly can still be worked like a traditional jerkbait and can also be rigged weedless or with a jighead. The Wriggly comes in four sizes (70mm, 90mm, 110mm and 130mm) and eight colours, and has the same indestructible body as the original Live Flash Minnow. It also has the belly foil that enhances the plastic’s colour, and makes the Wriggly come alive. Price: SRP $16.95 www.wilsonfishing.com

COLOSSUS SPINNERBAIT

The Lurestrike Colossus, from Australian company Kingston Lures, is a quality spinnerbait manufactured using global brands such as Owner and Mikado. This is one big spinnerbait, and it will troll down to about 6m and is perfect for those deeper sections of rivers and lakes. The spinnerbait head has been specially designed to suit Australian conditions, with a super tough alloy lead mix, powder coated with a UV Blast Glitter Topcoat and finished off with large 3D eyes. Other features include a 1.57mm twisted eye stainless steel wire form, high quality blades (your choice of genuine gold plated Colorado or matching Goliath Willowleaf with candy coloured front and silver back), 54-strand wide cut Easy Pro Tarantula silicone skirt, HD Duel Spin ball bearing swivel, 11/0 Owner hook and your choice of a Mikado 130mm Fishunter or Lurestrike 200mm Mungo Grub soft plastic trailer. The Colossus weighs 4oz and comes in five colours. Price: RRP $21.95 www.kingstonlures.com.au

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

What’s New FISHING

NEW HEAVIER SPINSECT

The original Spinsect lures have proven their effectiveness on a range of species, particularly flathead, bream, trout and salmon. Building on the successful formula of the 6g and 12g versions, Black Magic has released a heavier 28g model. It’s ideal for fishing the river mouths, in fast current or ultra-deep water when you need something to get down very deep. This lure has an incredible action in the water and a highly UV-reflective finish to make it stand out to the fish. All Spinsects have a unique blade that spins on a ball bearing swivel, which helps to prevent line twist and also creates a very enticing action. Spinsects come in an array of colours, and have a strong, sharp treble hook matched to each individual lure’s size. Price: RRP $11.95 www.blackmagictackle.com

ABU GARCIA VERITAS 2.0

The updated Abu Garcia Veritas series continues the tradition of lightweight design and superior sensitivity with a renewed focus on strength. Available in 32 technique-specific actions including light jigging models, the Veritas 2.0 is stronger and more sensitive thanks to a new Spiral Carbon Core Construction. In testing, the 2.0 showed an average increase of 22% in overall break strength as well as a 30% average increase in tip strength over its predecessor. Nano Technology has also been incorporated to deliver 2.5 times the impact resistance of standard graphite rods. The end result is superior strength, durability and sensitivity without adding weight. Other features include a Fuji reel seat with custom carbon hood to ensure a secure connection, and Fuji K and KR guides with Alconite inserts. Updates to grip configurations provide a more ergonomic handle design. There are 21 spin models and three baitcast models in the series, covering a wide range of applications. Price: RRP $199.95 abugarcia-fishing.com.au

YAMASHITA LIVE SEARCH 490

The Yamashita Live Search 490 jig has just been released, featuring Yamashita’s “490” glow sticker. This was developed in conjunction with university researchers in Tokyo, who determined the best light for squid to detect. Like other Live Search jigs, the 490 has a 600hz rattle. Yamashita discovered that squid can pick up sounds between 400hz and 1400hz, with 600hz being the optimum level for squid to be most interested. To achieve this pitch, the Live Search is constructed of a bone plastic material with stainless steel bearings. This combination creates a rattle that no other jig on the market can replicate. Other features include Warm Jacket (thermo storage cloth transfers any light into heat), double crown stainless steel hooks, and a patented Slim Nose design to help impart a sharp darting action with minimal effort from the angler. The 490 is available now in 2.5, 3 and 3.5 sizes. Price: RRP $20 www.ejtodd.com.au

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

SUPER LIGHT GLASS SLICES

Tonic Polarised Eyewear, the new leader in high quality fishing sunglasses, has launched the centrepiece of its Gen2 range. The new Slice lens is the thinnest and lightest polarised glass lens in the world. Founder and designer Doug Phillips said the line separating heavy glass from lighter plastic lenses was gone forever. “We haven’t compromised on clarity and performance,” he said. “The Slice lens is so light you won’t believe you have sunglasses on.” The new lenses are available in photochromic* copper, photochromic grey, light copper neon, green mirror, red mirror and silver mirror. Made in Japan, Tonic sunglasses use the latest optical technology including de-centred lenses for distortion-free viewing at any angle. The scratch-resistant glass lenses are just 1.3mm thick, making them 50% lighter than regular glass. All feature anti-reflective coatings and Tonic’s own polarising filter systems. There are more than 12 wraparound styles.

*Lens automatically darkens or lightens in response to light levels

Price: RRP $279 www.toniceyewear.com.au

TEAM VENOM KIDS SHIRTS

The Wilson Team Venom sublimated fishing jerseys have shrunk in the wash and are now available in kids sizing. Featuring the same credentials as the adult jerseys, the kids Team Venom jerseys have a UPF rating of 25+, thumb holes in the arms to provide sun protection for the back of the hands, and a full collar that can be flipped up to protect the back of the neck. Made from 155gsm polyester birdseye fabric, these jerseys have the ability to manage moisture by wicking it away from the skin. The material can also breathe, keeping the kids cool while they concentrate on their fishing or just fun in the sun. Coming in kids sizes from 4 through to 14, the Team Venom kids jerseys are generous in sizing to allow the kids to grow into the shirts and not grow out of them too quickly. Price: SRP $69.95 www.wilsonfishing.com

GIN CLEAR AND MEDIUM RARE

In response to popular demand, Halco Tackle has made its ghostlike R48 gin clear colour available in a number of new models. Formerly available in just the two smallest Roosta poppers, the colour has proven very popular with anglers around Australia, prompting the rapid expansion of the colour into more models. Anglers looking for finesse presentations have found species like whiting in particular happy to inhale the almost transparent offering off the surface. This colour pattern is now available in the all-new Laser Pro 140 and 45, the C-Gar and Roosta Popper 60 and 45 models. Halco has also released a new colour called medium rare H84. Available initially in just the award-winning C-Gar and Skim Stick designs, these clear lures with ‘medium rare’ pink backs look the goods and work a treat in clear, shallow waters. www.halcotackle.com

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

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What’s New FISHING

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

TESTED: Okuma Azores Fishing offshore is a tough game. You’re fishing in a turbulent, salty environment where the things you hook will run hard, change direction in a split second, and every so often be eaten by something bigger and more powerful. Not only is it tough on you, but it also tests your gear to the very limit. Having gear that stands up to the punishment dished out by constant contact with saltwater and the blistering runs of pumped-up pelagic species is extremely important. It’s a domain where only the best will do, and this usually means spending a lot of money. Okuma has done its part to blow this theory out of the water by introducing a heavy-duty spin reel that retails for around $200, and comes with a lifetime warranty. When the Okuma Azores landed on my desk, still in its box, the instructions I was given were simple: “See if you can break it.”

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

Due to my work and uni schedule, as well as other tasks that eat into my fishing time, getting offshore to test this product was going to be hard, but I managed to put the reel through its paces. In preparation, I loaded its deep spool with 300m of 40lb Super PE with room to spare! A few tests with a soft toy and the family dog and I was confident this reel would stand up to the punishment it was about to receive. First stop was trolling for wahoo off Brisbane’s North Stradbroke Island in a 4.8m fibreglass boat. Doing anything offshore in a boat this size requires your utmost awareness, a little bit of madness and extremely tough fishing gear.

With my mate Kaspar and I trolling a Rapala XXX-Rap and a skipping gar respectively, we did our best to cover our options out on the deep blue, which was pumping out a hefty swell on our chosen day. We didn’t have long to wait until we were tight to our first wahoo. Kaspar was first to score on 24kg gear, which Kaspar believes is the only way to outrun the sharks this area is known for. In fact, Kaspar believes the sharks have learned what his boat looks like, and have taken to following him when he travels over the bar in his small tub. With 15kg of wahoo in the esky, it was now the Azores’s turn. It only took a few minutes before the screaming run of a wahoo woke me out of my little daydream. The pressure was on – there were hungry sharks out there, and even though the Azores has up to 20kg of drag, it was only me manning its gears… With all my stopping power and the fish’s hard running in equilibrium, it was only a matter of time before a hungry man in a grey suit put an end to the wahoo’s struggle. Sure

Battle ready! The Azores shows off its shine before a trip out onto the big blue. SCAN THE QR CODE!

This is what remained from a lot of mackerel, wahoo and yellowfin tuna hook-ups. enough, I felt my 15-30lb Terez load up, and the head shakes doubled in size. I now had a shark on. I daresay with someone more experienced and possibly of a more suitable physique, this shark could have been subdued. The lowdown torque of this beastly reel is quite amazing, but my back threw the towel in before I could turn the shark. Now I know why Kaspar uses 24kg gear! This kept happening, and the only fish I ended up landing were a few mac tuna, which were released boatside. I certainly put the reel through some pain – banging and clanging on the way out through the bar, locking horns with things maybe a size too big for the reel and showering it with saltwater. Everything about the reel held up, the only thing lacking in the system was a good operator… On our second trip we were focused on chasing smaller Spanish mackerel with the possibility of a yellowfin or two. As you would have guessed, the sharks were quick on the game, and having never done this style of fishing I struggled to turn the fish around in the early stages. The result was multiple sharkings for the day. I usually fish fly offshore, and pelagics will often use the softness of the fly reel drag to outrun the shark. The Azores’s drag is wonderfully smooth, but definitely not soft! As a casting reel though, at only 700g

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SPECIFICATIONS Size Bearings Gear Ratio Weight (g) Z-55 6BB+1RB 5.8:1

526

Z-65 6BB+1RB 5.4:1

700

Z-80 6BB+1RB 5.4:1

722

Z-90 6BB+1RB 4.4:1

722

and with a very ergonomic design, it felt extremely comfortable to throw around for a few hours. At no point did the braid spring off the spool and cause tangles; nor did the reel show any signs of wearing either, unlike me! This reel performed beautifully on fish that should have been tackled on gear a size or two up. Despite this, it made me realize just how tough these customers are. Having seldom used Okuma gear, I definitely think that they’re some of the toughest out there, if not the toughest. I never washed the Azores, and it’s still in fighting form, although this kind of neglect isn’t recommended with any reel. The Azores is perfect for anyone wanting a way into the world of offshore fishing, or someone like me who only fishes offshore occasionally and doesn’t like to spend hideous amounts on gear. A fairly inexpensive, all purpose reel like the Azores can be used for trolling, live-baiting, popping and stickbaiting, jigging, and even working over-sized soft plastics and paternosters down deep for reef dwellers. This reel will last forever, and at just over $200 it’s reachable even for anglers who are a bit hard of cash. To find out more about the Okuma A z o re s , v i s i t w w w. r a p a l a . c o m . a u - Bob Thornton

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

The snow is disappearing right on schedule CANBERRA

Bryan Pratt

as spring advances throughout the region, the deep snow covering the Snowy Mountains is melting at a rapid rate. Areas around lower altitudes such as Guthega and Kiandra are already free of snow, although there is still several metres on the Main Range. Anglers heading to the big alpine lakes or the higher-altitude trout streams, as they open for the season, now have free access to most areas. For another month or so there is still the risk of late season snowfalls and anglers should pack and dress accordingly. In this country it pays to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. It is routine and sensible to carry enough food, water, firewood and clothing etc. to cope with unexpected

events that otherwise could develop into an emergency. It is useful to carry chains if you don’t have a 4WD and to make sure your phone is fully charged in case you have to ring for assistance or reassure family back home of your whereabouts and status. SEASON OPENING It’s a great time of the year with all trout streams in the ACT and NSW now open. Most streams are in great condition, with high water flows and plenty more to come as the snow melts and water oozes from the alpine bogs. The bogs will also act as longer-term reservoirs, leaking water to the creeks and rivers for months to come. Insect life is at a peak since midwinter, as the sun warms the water and surrounding bushland. Eggs hatch, insects mature to the next stage in their development and overall there is a significant upsurge in activity.

Fish can be stored in the cold snow for considerable periods of time but be careful foxes and water rats don’t find your stash before you retrieve them. The trout have responded accordingly, feeding closer to the surface and closer to shore and rising more frequently. This

is a great time to be a bait, lure or fly fisher. Recent fishing has been good. In both Jindabyne and Eucumbene there have been good numbers of rainbows in the 27-32cm range and another group around 40-43cm. Many have already spawned and returned from their run up the Thredbo and Eucumbene rivers to the breeding grounds and are now hungry and keen to put on condition. Browns spawned some time ago and have since put on plenty of condition. They are feeding well on anything from chironomids to mayflies and larvae of a wide range of other creatures. They are mostly larger than the rainbows and many of the fish taken

Despite the snow the weather can be surprisingly warm when the sun comes out but it pays to keep the winter woolies handy for later in the day. have been around the 45-50cm mark. Bait fishers have fared well mostly with PowerBait, scrub worms and wood grubs for the rainbows and scrub worms and wood grubs for the browns. Light tackle, with a running sinker rig with two hooks fished just a little way outside the mud line

A good haul of browns and rainbows at Lake Eucumbene caught in delightful weather conditions and a superb backdrop of late winter snow.

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NOVEMBER 2015

Good-sized browns can be trolled in the mountain lakes on a variety of lures, including Tasmanian Devils and small hardbodied minnows but versatile lures such as Burrinjuck Specials, which accounted for this superb specimen, are also worth a try.

along the shore has been the most productive. Most fishing has been during the daytime as the nights are still very cold. Lure fishers have enjoyed success with Tasmanian Devils, small soft plastics and small hardbodied minnows from Rapala, StrikePro, Halco and Predatek and the formidable Burrinjuck Special. A few fish have been taken from the shore but most have been caught trolling. Flatlining has been successful for rainbows but lead core line has been useful for some of the larger browns, which stay deeper down. A worthwhile strategy has been to fish the shallow areas early in the day then the deeper water later on. Fly fishers have caught some nice fish, mostly on buzzers, dark nymphs and Woolly Buggers fished as a two-fly or three-fly rig. Best fishing has been in the middle of the day when there is a variety of insect life on the move. NATIVES AND REDFIN Redfin are spawning at present and there are just a few on the move. This will change as the water warms up. Golden perch are also stirring but waiting for warmer weather. The Murray cod season is closed until 1 December. In the meantime all the attention is on trout.

Full-stream ahead JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

November is upon us and it will be a big month of trout fishing for the Snowy Mountains, starting off with a bang with the annual Snowy Mountains Trout Festival. Participants are likely to find improved conditions this year with the water temperature and levels in their favour. The major annual Snowy River flushing release to Lake Jindabyne is now over and the lake is on the rise quite quickly. High lake levels have kept

the edge fishing on the lake at its best with plenty of trout caught on bait, lure and fly. The spawning run for the trout was excellent with the higher water levels in early spring on the Thredbo River. Gaden Trout Hatchery released some huge tagged rainbow trout into Lake Jindabyne this year ranging between 2-3kg with the biggest, a whopping 4.7kg. Please let Fisheries know if you manage to catch any of these rainbows, if you want to release the trout at least take the number from the tag and report that. FLY FISHING For the fly fishing enthusiasts, the rivers and

streams are seeing plenty of white moths and tea tree beetles as well as a start to the hopper season. You can still use a small nymph dropper in the faster water and double your chances at catching a fish. The fly fishing on the lake is still very good around the edges. If you’re careful not to spook the trout, fishing the small bays and inlets will get some results very early and late in the day. Woolley Buggers, Craig’s Night Time and Williamson’s Goldfish have been the flies well worth using at dawn and dusk. The shallow bays on the lake are worth a try early before the sun rises but after that you’re better off fishing deep. TROLLING The best method to get a trout at the moment, for lake boat trollers, is surface trolling lures at 2m deep wtih lead core lines at three colours or 30m. Try trolling some minnow lures early in the morning off the lead core

Ryan Clark, Emily Cruickshank, and Braydon Carr with their catch. and Hatchery Bay and up at Creel Bay. BAITFISHING Team your rig up with worms, artificial baits, or the underrated mealworm for good baitfishing. Put two hooks on the line and combine a worm and artificial bait to double your

Why not call into my shop next to the Shell Service Station at the intersection of Kosciusko Road and the Alpine Way or give me a call on 02 6456 1551 for more details and latest updates. Don’t forget that if you want the best daily

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

BEST METHODS TO CATCH A TROUT Best Best Best Best Best Best Best

Bob Bell with a 5lb brown caught on a Baltic Minnow spinning from the bank.

method:.......................................... Bank based bait on the lake with artificial bait or scrub worms. lake trolling lure:............................. Tasmanian Devil green and gold Number 111 and Holographic. lake area:............................................ Creel Bay and Waste Point area and Stinky Bay (The Haven). fly method lake:.......................................Black weighted Woolly Bugger and Williamson’s Goldfish. River Fly Fishing:.................. Black bead head nymphs and a size 12 Tea Tree Beetle or white moth. River Lures:............................................... Gillies feathertail spinner and Trout pattern Bullet Lures. lake spinning lures:........................................... Trout Pattern Dorado and Rayza 40 Blades in gold.

lines. Stumpjumpers have their 3.5” model out in some great colours now alongside Tassie Devils (Canberra Killer and the Willy’s Special with a brown bomber thrown in for good luck) and Rapalas. With an arsenal like this, you are sure to catch a few fish. Best areas to troll at the moment with the high lake level have been the East Jindabyne Islands, Hayshed

DAM LEVELS

Dam

% Full

Dam

% Full

Blowering............................. 50

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

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

Hume.................................. 47

Burrendong........................... 18

Jindabyne............................. 65

Burrinjuck............................. 71

Keepit.................................. 17

Carcoar................................ 19

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

Chaffey................................ 58

Oberon................................. 63

Clarrie Hall..........................N/A

Pindari................................. 34

Copeton............................... 22

Split Rock.............................. 8

Dartmouth............................. 64

Tantangara............................ 21

Eucumbene........................... 53

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

Glenbawn............................. 88

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

Glenlyon............................... 31

Wyangala............................. 61

(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.)

chances of a trout. Mealworms are most effective fished like a bunch of maggots by placing them about a metre and a half under a float. Best areas for bait fishing at the moment have been Waste Point area, the Claypits and East Jindabyne near Rushes Creek. LURE FISHING Lure spinning has been good early and late in the day and should continue that way for a while yet. The best fishing for trout happens in the shallows early and deep water later in the middle of the day. Trout love to chase minnow lures like floating Rapalas, Stumpjumpers and other minnow style lures. Try either natural rainbow trout and brown trout patterns or gold colours to represent the Jindabyne goldfish that the trout enjoy eating. Don’t stay in one place too long and only put in a couple of casts in each area. If you have been following Steve Williamson’s ‘Lake Jindabyne Trout Fishing Adventures’ on Facebook, you would have seen the new Bullet Lures that we have been trying out and the newer larger minnow have again proven to be very successful both in the lake and on the rivers.

updates you need to like us on Facebook. • If you would like some personal guiding, I will be available over the coming

at www.swtroutfishing.com. au. You can also see our daily Facebook updates at https://www.facebook. com/LJTFA.

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Once again it’s a guessing game this time of year – when and where will the yellows fire in and around Lake Mulwala! As pen hits paper, we’re in the middle of a great spell of warm weather and that might be all that’s needed to get yellowbelly up and about. Traditionally the water above Majors Creeks up to Bundalong and surrounding backwaters or areas with increased current flow should be your first port of call. Hardbody lures in the 50-70mm size range or smaller profile spinnerbaits in natural colours would be my preferred option. Looking back, September proved to be an interesting month. Ethically it is wrong to target cod during the closed

season but if they happen to be caught as a genuine by-catch and are worthy of mention, I will give them a run. Starting at the top of the tree by sheer weight of size, a genuine Mulwala monster was landed by a fella who was fishing off the foreshore at DC On The Lake. Details of the capture are slightly sketchy but the ultimate outcome was a beast measuring a whopping 130cm being caught and released. Bendigo boy Mick Bateman was another to receive a pleasant surprise while fishing around the Kyffin’s area. Mick’s cast Bassman spinnerbait that was intended for golden perch sparked the interest of a healthy 98cm cod. The feel good story of the month undoubtedly goes out to the Crothers’ kids from Woodlands and their fishing posse. It all started when young Mia went fishing off their front

lawn in search of carp. An offering of corn was cast out with the cast ultimately going about 1m into the water! Low and behold the rod soon sprang to life and Mia landed a beautiful 69cm cod. This sparked the interest from the rest of her siblings and the neighbour’s kids. A huge two days of bait fishing followed with some amazing results. Carp, a yella and a couple more cod were all taken out of less than 3ft of water. Little sister Demi landed a 50cm+ model while young Jobe Fraser got in on the action as well. To top it off, 8yo Hudson Crothers took the ‘Champion Angler’ title when he got the surprise of his life landing an 85cm cod (again on corn!). Well done kids! A few Yarrawonga/ Mulwala locals started sniffing around up the top of the lake with varied results. George J came across a

few yellas while Glen Becker had some success in his new 455 Hornet Wildfisher; whenever he could get it started or hadn’t forgot his keys! Organisation is well under way for the 2015 Yamaha Cod Classic. Again the Cod Classic promises to be huge with the amazing prize of a potential One Million Dollars* (that’s right $1,000,000) on offer for somebody if they can catch ‘Phil’ the specially tagged Murray cod. • If you are visiting town, I urge you to call into Lake Mulwala Fish, Camp & Ski (opposite the post office) in Mulwala and say G’day. We are your largest Murray cod-specific shop in Yarrawonga/ Mulwala and specialise in all things ‘green’! For any information on the upcoming events or fishing reports, give us a hoy on (03) 5744 3133.

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Along the Murray River it’s business as usual, with the river producing great numbers of golden perch on bait. It’s a seasonal recipe that never fails. Just mix a month of warm weather with a high spring flow and you’ll get a run of golden perch that are relatively easy to catch. NO SHORTAGE OF GOLD ON OFFER. Numbers of shrimp in the Murray have begun to increase and a cocktail of these translucent crustaceans mixed with worms will tempt perch from their hiding places every time. The bite in along the Murray has been consistent on bait with Tol Tol, Robinvale, Euston and Wemen all producing good perch. The cod have sparked this last month and accidental captures lay the foundation for the open season yet to come. Water clarity along the Murray has been poor and has seen anglers shift to bait. With the river currently falling the Murray should begin to clear over the coming weeks and lures will once more come into play. All up it’s a typical spring bite with plenty of gold on offer in the eddies and snags for anglers drowning bait. COPETON DAM OPEN FOR COD DURING THE CLOSED COD SEASON While I don’t mind catching a few perch, the closed Murray cod season seems to have dragged on longer than those of previous years. While three months may not seem

long to your average Joe, it’s more like an eternity to those afflicted with green fish fever. So a few weeks back, a chance to wet a line and scratch the

itch saw us crammed in the ute for the twelve hour drive to Copeton Dam. Located in the New England region of Northern

NSW, Copeton Dam is roughly three times the size of Sydney Harbour and its crystal clear waters act as a magnet to those who fish

Bryden Whitfield caught this ripper cod on his third cast at Copeton Dam.

Chris Stiglic with an average spring run golden perch.

for Murray cod. There is no closed cod season at Copeton Dam as it’s believed the Murray cod do not breed in this large waterway. Copeton is regularly stocked with Murray cod, and the diverse size of fish from small to large in the dam shows that this stocking program is working well. Copeton’s banks and islands are made up of numerous granite boulders some larger than the family car and they provide the perfect cover for some absolutely thumping Murray cod. Our introduction to the Copeton cod population came on the third cast from the bank. It was mid-morning and the long drive had all but taken the sting from To page 67

Family fun at Mildura MILDURA

John Menhennett goobyfish@hotmail.com

The river around Mildura has been running dirty and low for the past month or so making lure fishing very difficult. Fortunately, water clarity is improving which should see lures work more effectively. In the meantime we have seen some nice yellowbelly caught on bait. YELLOWBELLY Yellowbelly are coming on the bite around Mildura due to the warmer water temperatures and weather we have been experiencing lately. As the sun continues to shine these fish will be caught particularly easily From page 66

three keen anglers. With camp set, a quick kip in the swag was interrupted as Jamie Stewart informed me that our fishing mate Bryden Whitfield was on the fish. I climbed out from the swag just in time to see Bryden wrestle a striking coloured cod of at least 15kgs from the water. Not a bad introduction to Copeton cod and a ripper catch from the bank! The fish had inhaled a

below the locks and weir structures. It is not unusual to see yellowbelly activity at a high around springtime and once the water clears up, all signs point to a bumper yellowbelly summer. The best way to pick up a yella or two is to fish with bait, particularly around Hattah. Shrimp and worms are proving the best of the bait and even though live shrimp are still difficult to find, the warmer weather should bring them out as the season goes on. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great to be able to take the family down the river for a few hours on a weekend and bag a few yellas or have some fun catching large carp on light gear. Backwaters have been producing some good yellas

particularly around snag piles and in eddy currents. Even though water clarity has been poor, a slowly-worked lipless crankbait or small hardbody in the right spot have caught a few fish. Another good method is to tie up to a snag, throw lures along the bank, and slowly retrieve. Murray cod season will once again open very soon and is set to be a cracker of a season with some very nice cod caught right up until the close in late August. In the meantime, anglers should not be targeting Murray cod in any way to allow them the ability to nest without disturbance of their breeding. Pick of the spots to target yellowbelly on bait at this time of year is around the

large soft plastic fish imitation that looked as lifelike as any lure I had ever seen in the water. Over the next few days we scored numerous cod from this excellent fishery including several large fish on surface lures during periods of low light. During our stay we camped by the waters edge in the Copeton Waters Caravan Park. There are several different locations throughout the park that have shower and toilet

facilities for those wanting to camp right on the waters edge. The main campground has a kiosk, powered sites and cabins. There are quality meals available on site at a great price and the park has numerous activities for all the family. With a great atmosphere, not to mention the chance to fish for Murray cod during the close, Copeton Dam is one location I will most certainly be returning to at least a couple of times a year.

Yellowbelly of this size are considered a very nice river fish. This particular one was caught around the Hattah area on a lure during the spring months. Hattah area and downstream Mildura, close to the banks and tight up on most major structure. Places like Wemen and Fort Courage are great spots to fish at the moment. Redfin should also come on the bite and are great fun to catch on light gear using soft plastics and blades. Most anglers around Mildura will be waiting for summer when the cod season officially opens. By then, waters should be back to normal levels and we should see a Murray cod season like no other. This summer should

also be a cracker for surface fishing, especially in the shallow waters of local billabongs and creeks.

Fly-casting is a great method of surface fishing as you can present really small lures into hard to get spots.

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Long leisurely days BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

You’d have to be mad not to enjoy this time of year! The days are getting longer but the temperature is still quite comfortable. This means the fish are generally at their most active during the middle to later parts of the day – great news for those with an aversion to late nights and early starts!

GOLDEN PERCH The golden perch fishing at Blowering Dam this year started a bit later than usual but is in full swing now with good numbers of fish caught and some absolute stonkers among them. Trolling has been working a treat for golden perch with quite a few trout encountered as bycatch while targeting goldens. Lure casting has been the most productive method of late with goldens cruising around standing trees and along the wind swept

food source for goldens at this time of year so a good frog imitation rarely gets refused. Additionally, these super weedy bays tangle almost every other lure style thrown – a lucky coincidence that the only lure you can throw happens to be what the fish are looking for! TROUT If natives aren’t your thing then go and get stuck into some trout. The season is firing and anglers now have the choice of fishing rivers, streams, and lakes so

Another golden perch landed while fishing the edge of a milk or mud line created by wind and wave activity. These areas are hard to fish, but they are fish magnets, so it is worth dealing with the wind if you want to land fish on those tough days. fishing is far better in the lakes anyway. Generally, the worse the weather the better when it comes to lake trout fishing. Rising water is a trigger for fish activity so don’t let a bit of rain hold you back! MR FRESHWATER DVD SERIES I am excited to announce that in the next month or so we will be releasing the new Mr Freshwater DVD ‘Trout on fly, the easy way.’ This

DVD has been a long labour of love and we are excited with the result – a DVD full of useful info on fly fishing for trout. Additionally, there happens to be some very cool footage of nice trout being landed on the techniques described and taught on the DVD. Even more exciting news is that we have not only decided to drop the price of this new DVD to just $20 but we have

also slashed the price of the ‘Murray cod on fly’ and ‘Luring for wild trout’ DVDs from $35 down to $20 as well. All of the DVDs in the series are packed with action and info and run for between 80-120 minutes. Excellent value and great entertainment on a rainy day – if you’re interested in a copy, check out the Mr Freshwater website or your local tackle store.

FISHING FILL-ITS The trout lakes make a great alternative when the streams and rivers are too high and dirty. Generally the worse the weather the better the fishing is in the trout lakes – so don’t let a bit of rain deter you from heading out. As the water is still warming the fish feel comfortable at all depths and are generally feeding hard. Rising water levels sweep all sorts of food items into the system so it is easy to see why the fish are so active in late spring. I suggest enjoying the last of this mild weather, as it won’t be long until it gets too hot for both humans and fish.

banks especially those that have created a milk line along them. These milk lines are true magnets for active fish. If you have no luck there, goldens are also in the back of some of the super weedy bays. The only real way to target them in there is with plastics rigged weedless and it is very hard to beat a frog imitating plastic. Frogs are a primary

there are plenty of options and fishing, especially in the running water, has been sensational so far. The trout lakes have also been fishing well and I expect nothing to change this month. The rivers and streams tend not to yield well when the running water is too high. When the running water is too high and dirty you generally find the

The trout fishing in our local rivers and streams has been red hot so far this season and should continue in this fashion. 68

NOVEMBER 2015

How to Use an Echo Sounder For the amount of high dollar electronics adorning the helms of boats big and small across the state, there aren’t many broad resources to fall back on when it comes to understanding the workings of a fish finder and what fish actually look like on one. That is, of course, discounting social media. Although others may not agree, you cannot master reading an electronic sounder by simply viewing or ‘liking’ photos on Facebook. Other people’s ability to recognise a fish on a sounder won’t help you when you’re out on the water by yourself. Correct setup and interpretation of what’s showing on the screen of your fish finder can make the difference between an awesome and a fishless day on the water. At Fishing Monthly, we’re a fan of John Adams’ book, How to Use an Echo Sounder/Fish Finder. This literature gifts you with a step-by-step guide to how a conventional fish finder works and there’s a large section that will help you interpret the images that come back from the deep blue.

Note that there’s no content in this version on side scan or 360-degree scanning – just the conventional, under the boat finding of fish.

I’ve been using fish finders since they changed from paper graphs to LCD screens and I still learned plenty from this book.

Nearly half the book is a collection of images collected in the real world with explanatory notes. In practice, this is a great way to connect the dots.

The best way to buy a copy is via John’s website: howtouseafishfinder.com where you’ll pick one up for $49.95 plus postage. – Steve Morgan

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Fresh options aplenty LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

My head is spinning! There’s so many options. Do I pack the spin rod and hit one of the local creeks for trout? Then maybe call into Lake Lyell for a crack at a bass on the way home? Do I pack the boat and head up to Windamere for a day on the golden perch? It’s a tough life… It really is a great time of year to be on the water somewhere, and with camping conditions the way they are, why not stay a few days and get in before the summer heat and rush. Those extra few days can

on the water, start moving with the rhythms, make adjustments, work on some patterns and experiment. A few consecutive days fishing local waters is so much better than half a dozen or more day trips. WINDAMERE BUSY Adjustments might need to be made when fishing Windamere this month. Fishing pressure does have an affect on fish, no doubt about that, so dropping down a line size or two helps. Keep an eye on the leader though and inspect it after each fish and change if necessary. Downsizing lures can be important and if using hardbodied lures, opt for silent models (no rattles) or something a little different,

just a theory, and I am not saying they remember it for days, years or months, but when a fishery is getting hit really hard, it pays to think along these lines. Soft plastic lures and skirted jigs have definitely got many advantages when it comes to shut down and pressured fish. If you have a backyard pool, or know somebody who does, do yourself a favour, jump in the water and get somebody to cast a lure and retrieve it while you go under. It’s quite an insight and it blew me away just how noisy some hardbody lures are, even those without rattles. Of course this can be a major advantage at times. With pressured fish, softly softly is the best

Sometimes in heavily fished waters, fishing a lure that has something a little different can make all the difference. The Balista juggernaut 65mm has a flashing LED light in the back end, now that’s different! make all the difference to catch rates, even local guys can benefit from it. Instead of rushing your day you can kick back, relax, take in the changes that happen

something the fish may not have seen or heard. The acoustic footprint of a lure can, in my experience, be recognised and avoided in heavily fished waters. It’s

Blade type lures such as the 3/8oz OSP Overide have been a real hit on golden perch in local impoundments. sounder off. Lighter outfits and line will allow you to cast further and putting a bigger buffer zone between the boat and the fish makes a lot of difference. Some anglers even keep caught fish in a livewell onboard, and release them away from the spot later on. It may seem a bit extreme, but on those really tough days when the conditions seem really good and you’re not catching fish, these little tips will help. MONTHLY TIPS Early mornings and late afternoon sessions on our trout and native fish will become more important as the month of November wears on. Cloud cover can extend the bite periods but most of the time, its early

perch, and a small live yabby gently bobbed in the trees at the right depth is rarely refused. As far as lures go, slow rolling soft plastic grubs in those same trees can also be deadly. Trout are very mobile and generally speaking are a lot more pelagic in nature, so if you have caught them or have seen them early in the morning, chances are that they will be quite a bit deeper by the middle part of the day. A QUIET RIVER WALK I mentioned earlier about packing the spin rod for a walk on one of the local streams, and with options such as the Fish, the Duckmalio, and the Campbells rivers close by, it’s always very tempting.

creeks from here is only minutes away, and rest assured, village life is very laid back, the beer and coffee is always good. The locals are very friendly and the scenery is to die for at this time of year. Fly fishing these very same rivers and streams can also be very productive, and the best part is the insect hatches need a little sun to start, so you can generally get away with a little sleep in. Afternoon thunderstorms can build up during the day, and the termite hatches during this time can be incredible, the trout just go absolutely nuts on them. Catching fish can actually be a little hit and miss and quite frustrating

approach. Back off well before your spot move in quietly, use your electric motor or if the breeze strength allows it drift in and if you know the spot turn the

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Soft plastic lures are the ultimate pressured water presentation. Soft in the mouth, scented, quiet and realistic. starters and late finishers that will fair best. Bait fishing can extend those bite windows, especially on the golden

Why not stay a few nights in one of the local villages like Tarana, Rockley or O’Connell. Access to the rivers and

but it’s a great event to witness in any case. Hope to see you on the water soon. Until then, tight lines!

The reaction action HUNTER VALLEY

Peter Fogarty bakerods@hotkey.net.au

Water levels are still on the rise in Lake Glenbawn and Lake St Clair, which will only improve the fishing. Water temperature is starting to rise and this month should be the start of the reaction bite period. To coincide with the reaction bite, Bassman have released a new spinnerbait called the Shorty, which was originally designed for small and large mouth bass in the USA with Carl Jocumsen. It is best described as a ‘finesse spinnerbait’. It is made with a lighter camo wire, smaller willow and Colorado blades and a 2/0 Gamakatsu hook, which will enable the angler to slow down your retrieve and still the same vibration. Also the weight has been more evenly spread, allowing the Shorty to fall with a horizontal flutter. Shorty is also designed with two keepers, which gives the angler a few options if you would like to beef up your spinnerbait with an extra skirt, put on

a rattle or you can slide on your favourite plastic. Shorty spinnerbaits come in 1/2oz with 12 colours. Techniques I find work well are a slow retrieve and sometimes a pause every five or six winds. You could also try dragging your rod tip 1m or so and when you point the rod tip back at the lure, wind up the slack, which will make your spinnerbait dip, and this can trigger a strike. There are no right or wrong techniques, just what works for you. Some of my favourite spots at Lake Glenbawn would be Yellow Buoy Bay, on both sides of The Narrows and also along the edge in front of the Goanna, just near the entrance to The Boot and the timber in and around the Eagles Nest. Make sure you beef up your line as the bass and yellowbelly will strike with venom at this time of year. Don’t forget as both dams continue to rise the gap between the weed and the waters edge will fish well, try throwing a beetle spin or crank bait with a slow retrieve and pause. Bait fishing is also great at this time of year try around

Cemetery Point in the trees in Boat Harbour and the timber on the left hand side of The Narrows. At Lake St Clair, I would try opposite the boat ramp at the cattle yards, then head into the 8 knot zone around all the timber. If you have a kayak, try Gindigah Point, then head into Reddy Cove. There’s also some great water behind St Clair Island and the entrance of Connell Inlet. Trolling or longlining is also good at this time of year. Longlining is casting out your lure and driving away for 50m or more, and then retrieving your lure as normal. A good lure for this is the Austackle Boomer or Big Boomer. Both come in about six colours and they were specifically designed for freshwater fishing. The Boomer’s and Big Boomer’s fat tail wobble is brutally appealing to native fish and non-native redfin. Another great trolling lure is a Smak Golden Child. It dives to 18ft on 6kg mono or 20lb braid and tracks strong and true throughout its speed range. It has received excellent reviews for its presentation,

Robert Black with a great reaction bite yellowbelly. strike conversion ratio and enticing wide action. It’s a true native specialist. Now’s the time when the bass are becoming more active around the edges, so

get out there and tangle with our great Aussie battlers! • 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.

NOVEMBER 2015

Copeton tournaments show off great fishing COPETON DAM

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With stable weather conditions and temperatures pushing up to 30°C in recent weeks, the fishing should only improve as water temperatures continue to rise. The Copeton Cod Classic was held the weekend of 19-20 September and attracted 53 teams with 135 anglers pitting themselves against each other and Copeton’s cod. Although the event attracted some of the country’s best cod fishers, it was local angler Josh Usher who took the title with a magnificent 120cm fish on Sunday morning trolling a Bassman Spinnerbait. Copeton was challenging over the weekend of the competition with only about 40 fish being caught, the three biggest fish were all well over a metre. The weekend produced very little surface action and what most competitors found was that the fish weren’t committed to their surface attacks, soft or short striking. What did work very

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well over the weekend were spinnerbaits, both cast and trolled. The great thing about spinnerbaits is their versatility. As a casting lure, spinnerbaits can work all levels of the water column and at all speeds, from helicoptering down to slow rolling or a lift and drop retrieve. The other advantage of spinnerbaits is their snag resistance. If you do happen to snag a spinnerbait it will often only be the head caught. Don’t jerk the rod trying to dislodge it, instead slowly load the rod by grabbing the line between the reel and first runner and pull away from the rod then release it. This will often flick the lure backwards enough to free it. Trolling spinnerbaits was also very successful during the comp. This technique allows the use of lures that are on the limits of castability, with oversized blades and up to 2-2.5oz in weight. Remember that willow blades will always run deeper than Colorado blades. The format for this comp saw anglers take to the water after the briefing on Friday night, with the option to fish all through the night and the next day. A BBQ on Friday night and fully catered dinner at the Northcott Function Centre on Saturday night were included in entry fees. Lucky draws and raffles on Saturday night saw $10,000 worth of tackle given away. For more information go to www. yellowbellychampionships. com or visit www. aycfishingtournaments.com. The following weekend (26-27) saw 80 anglers in 35 teams battling for the top spot in the Australian Yellowbelly Championships at Copeton Waters. The weather was good and the fish were on the bite. Nearly all the teams caught fish, with many teams bagging out in each session. The average length over the 283 fish measured was 484mm, with the biggest for the comp going 620mm

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5.2

5.11

Full Throttle

* This data based on 3-metre inflatable boat.

For more information call (02) 9532 0002 Email: info@islandinflatables.com.au

www.epropulsion.com.au NOVEMBER 2015

to find trees with the tops coming up to around 20ft below the surface, as the fish were sitting in the tops.

Josh Usher with the 120cm winning cod for the Copeton Cod Classic. Charlie Grills from Inverell, who measured a total length of 6151mm. In second place was another local team, Bigyellatime, made up of Tim, Jayden and Dylan Mutimer. They were just 94mm short, with a total length of 6057mm. The standout technique for the Championship was very slow rolling or trolling Mazzy Vibs or TN60 Jackalls in and around timber. The best scenario for success was

A slowly worked Mazzy Vib just over the tops of the trees saw many good fish hooked but the proximity of the timber meant not all fish were landed. • 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.

Australian Yellowbelly Championships winners Paul Simpson, Heath and Charlie Grills from team Ecogear.

Overflowing with yellas BURRENDONG

caught by Team Landmark. The Championship was taken out by Team Ecogear’s Paul Simpson, Heath and

Regular columnist Jason Kirk has been on holidays, so the following report comes from Brett Gleeson. Lately the water temperature has been around 19°C, so it’s definitely starting to get up a bit, which makes the fish a bit more active. The fishing has been going really well lately, and if you want proof you only have to look at the bin at the dam, which has been full of yellowbelly

frames. Lately there’s been a heap of yellas taken on soft plastics, Jackall Mask vibes, and yabbies. Some anglers are still using worms with some success, but worms are no longer the preferred bait now that the weather is warming up. Warmer water makes the yabbies and shrimp become more active, so these crustaceans are what the predators are most interested in. There haven’t been a whole lot of redfin featuring in catches but there are still reports of a few being taken here and there. Some catfish

are also around but not in big numbers. I’ve heard one report of a 91cm cod caught and released off the bank, so they’re still biting. The water is fairly clear at the moment – when I was fishing with yabbies from the bank recently I could see carp cruising 8-10ft away – and the level is around 17%. For all of your bait and fishing supplies, call the Lake Burrendong Holiday Park kiosk on 02 6846 7460. More information on the lake is available at www. lakeburrendong.com.au.

Now you can explore all of our parks. 34 remarkable fishing destinations. Choose the one thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perfect for you .

www.northcoastholidayparks.com.au

www.southcoastparks.com.au

News

Revolutionising the Research Angler program Now into its third big year, the New South Wales Research Angler Program (NSW RAP) is revolutionising the way information is collected and used to assess the stocks of recreationally important fish species. Through this innovative program, passionate recreational anglers and spearfishers have a vehicle to channel their enthusiasm into contributing to the longterm sustainability of their sport. Funded by the sale of recreational fishing licences via the Recreational Fishing Trust, the program started in 2013 with one of NSW’s most iconic recreational species, the mighty mulloway. Now in 2015 the program has really stepped up a gear with mulloway joined by four other hugely popular recreational species: snapper, yellowtail kingfish, dusky flathead and tailor. All these species are under considerable fishing pressure in NSW due to their importance to both recreational and commercial fisheries. There is an urgent need for biological data to monitor the health of their stocks. Simply by donating the frame, head or a single

Frames from any recreationally-caught mulloway, snapper, yellowtail kingfish, dusky flathead or tailor can be donated via a network of 30 tackle shop drop-off points between Tweed Heads and Bermagui. For full details of participating tackle retailers please visit: www.dpi.nsw.gov. au/fisheries/recreational/ researchangler/dropoff-locations. Frames can be donated fresh or frozen, but in order to maximise their usefulness to research must be accompanied by a label containing some capture details: Who caught the fish – name and contact details (phone number, postal or email address) so we can provide research feedback and enter you into the monthly prize draw; when the fish was caught; and where the fish was caught – a rough geographic location. For every frame donated to the program, we will

This tailor frame went a whopping 86cm! researchers get information on the length of the fish and by analysing the otoliths, we can estimate the age of the fish. These two simple pieces of biological data on each fish provide us with much of the information we need to assess the health

amongst them including a staggering 63 fish larger than 130cm all the way up to an enormous 168cm fish from Newcastle. Prior to the commencement of the NSW RAP, Fisheries NSW had collected data from just 10 mulloway

information collected from the fish they caught. Every frame donated also entitles the fisher to be entered into a monthly prize draw to win a $50 tackle shop gift voucher or a mullowayready lure pack. Recently, the NSW RAP has been expanded to include a tagging component (in collaboration with ANSA NSW) to provide information on movements, growth, post-release survival and tag retention; and a ‘Keen Angler Diary’ component aimed at improving estimates of the recreational mulloway catch (including released fish). Almost 1000 mulloway (up to 144cm total length) have been tagged as part of the tagging component and more than 120 avid mulloway anglers have been recruited to keep a ‘Keen Angler Diary’. For further information, please visit: w w w. d p i . n s w. g o v. a u / fisheries/recreational/ researchangler or contact

LARGEST MULLOWAY DONATED AND ASSOCIATED AGES OVERALL Total length (cm).........Estimated age (years)........ Region..............Season 168................................26......................................... Newcastle.........Winter 2015 164................................24......................................... Sydney..............Spring 2013 160................................20......................................... Sydney..............Autumn 2014 159................................21......................................... Sydney..............Spring 2013 156................................34......................................... Nowra...............Spring 2013 LARGEST MULLOWAY DONATED AND ASSOCIATED LENGTHS OVERALL Estimated age (years).....Total length (cm).....Region..................Season 34......................................156............................Nowra....................Spring 2013 26......................................154............................Newcastle.............Summer 2013-14 26......................................144............................Port Macquarie.....Autumn 2014 26......................................168............................Newcastle.............Winter 2015 25......................................147............................Sydney..................Spring 2014 24......................................164............................Sydney..................Spring 2013 24......................................151............................Port Macquarie.....Winter 2015 23......................................137............................Newcastle.............Autumn 2014 23......................................140............................Yamba...................Autumn 2014 dramatically improved our overall understanding of the mulloway stock in NSW.

send the donor a Research Feedback Certificate detailing the biological

the program coordinator at research.angler@dpi.nsw. gov.au - DPI

A donated snapper frame ready for examination. otolith (also known as earbones or jewels) from their catches to research, fishers involved in the NSW RAP are playing a vital role filling important knowledge gaps which exist in our understanding of the biology of these key recreational fish species. From each frame, 74

NOVEMBER 2015

of fish stocks and manage them accordingly. In just over two years, the program has contributed some amazing data on mulloway in the form of 800 frames donated to research by 250 dedicated anglers and spearos. There have been some seriously big fish

estimated to be older than 15 years with an oldest recorded individual of just 24. Donations in the past two years of the NSW RAP have more than tripled this figure to 31 individuals older than 15 with an oldest recorded mulloway of 34 years old. Not surprisingly, this information has already

A mulloway earbone (otolith). These bones are studied under a microscope and the growth rings are counted to age the fish.

The mighty Tomakin Bonanza The Tomakin Mighty Bonanza was a fantastic two day event with numbers of captures climbing back towards the old 300 mark with just about all trophies up for grabs being claimed. Two perfect days with awesome fishing, what more could you ask for? All the senior prizes were claimed with the exception of kingfish and john dory. The remaining prizes of $150 for the two species not caught were drawn for. The Senior Male Individual Catch went to John Jagelma, whose combined catch added up

Dillon Golden with his winning Junior Snapper.

to 18.03kg. The Senior Female Individual went to Annette Turner with 15.64kg. Junior Male Individual prize was awarded to Conner Purdon with 7.91kg. Junior Female Individual was awarded to A. Benicic with 2.18kg, and finally, the Sub Junior Individual category was won by Zac Milczarek with 8.15kg. Tomakin won the club section of the event with the average weight just edging out Malua Bay. The Shark trophy went to Rowan Rivett with a whopping 14.8kg. The Mystery Flathead weight for the Juniors went to Brendan Bingley at 0.353kg. It was

SENIOR

JUNIOR

Species............... Angler.........................Weight (kg) Snapper:.............. Annette Turner............5.408 Morwong:............ Scott Harrington.........1.933 Flathead:.............. Penny Lee Boudet......0.995 Tailor:................... Sam Kicks...................0.534 Salmon:............... Nathan Waugh............1.522 Leather jacket:..... Justin Evans...............1.104 Pig fish:................ Peter Barnes...............0.722 Bream:................. Peter Fantella..............0.883 Nannygai:............ Troy Jones..................1.048 Drummer:............. Jeremy Abbort............1.568 Whiting:............... Brian Evans................0.318 Trevallies:............. Steven Obrien.............0.665 Black fish:............ Adrian Connor............1.057 Tuna:.................... Trevor Brown..............4.041

Species............... Angler.........................Weight (kg) Snapper:.............. Dillon Golden..............2.865 Morwong:............ Dillon Golden..............1.263 Flathead:.............. Mitchell Beissner........0.730 Tailor:................... Reece Nye..................0.380 Salmon:............... James Nye..................0.973 Leather jacket:..... Jake Obrien................0.781 Pig Fish:............... Conner Purdon...........0.684 Bream:................. Reece Nye..................0.824 Nannygai:............ Connor Purdon...........0.466 Trevallies:............. Connor Purdon...........0.419 Black fish:............ Reece Nye..................0.750 Drummer, kingfish, whiting and tuna categories were unfilled and drawn for the juniors.

Annette Turner with the winning snapper! pleasing to see the turnout and most of the juniors that failed to score or win a prize were presented with small angling equipment sponsored by Charlieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tackle World so few were disappointed. The competition lived up to its reputation as a great family event, hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hoping we pass the 300 mark next year. The competition heads towards

its 35th year next year, having begun in its infancy all those years ago as the Fisharama and adopting the current name some 10 years on. The competition is well sponsored by many local businesses which will be advertised in a later addition. Next year promises to be a great event so mark this weekend down in your calendars now!

SUB JUNIOR Species............... Angler.........................Weight (kg) Flathead:.............. Harvey Develynes.......1.086 Morwong:............ Zac Milczarek.............1.154 Snapper:.............. Noah Milczarek...........1.458 Blackfish:............. Ruby Connor..............0.898

NOVEMBER 2015

Cod Classic goes large with million dollar fish! BRISBANE

Stephen Booth

The 2015 Cod Classic will be the biggest yet, with an unprecedented addition to the massive prize pool – a Million Dollar Cod! Yes that’s right, a cod worth a million dollars. Never before has the Australian fishing tournament scene witnessed as much excitement and anticipation in the build up

weekend of December 4, 5 and 6 to celebrate the most eagerly awaited social event on the fishing calendar, the 2015 Yamaha Cod Classic. HISTORY OF THE COD CLASSIC FISHING COMPETITION The Cod Classic is organised and run entirely by a dedicated and loyal band of volunteers from the Mulwala Football/Netball Club. The competition is used as a means to raise much needed funds to help keep the club

Release of a healthy cod during last year’s tournament. to an event as the upcoming 2015 Yamaha Cod Classic. There’s an amazing prize of a potential $1 million dollars* for catching ‘Phil’ the specially tagged Murray Cod. An ISUZU D-Max ute, seven boating packages, plus a list of goods too long to mention, make up the multitude of prizes on offer. The twin towns of Yarrawonga and Mulwala will come alive over the

NOVEMBER 2015

afloat, with the majority of funds raised going towards the maintenance and redevelopment of the new multi-purpose community centre based at Lonsdale Reserve. The idea of running a fishing competition for the club was first conceived by club president Brian McKee in early 2000. This idea was put to the committee and supported by all. Almost overnight the club was up

and running with the idea and ‘The Big Catch’ was born. This event was held in late February 2000 attracting only 44 competitors. From that day on, the direction of the competition and the date of the event has changed to make it into what it is today – the ‘Cod Classic’– Australia’s richest freshwater fishing event. The congregation of boats that can be trailered at the Cod Classic is an unofficial world record of the largest amount of fishing boats ever assembled at the one point at the same time. This is an amazing sight to see but surprisingly there is still plenty of room to fish on the lake and river. In 2001 a massive fish release was instigated by the committee of the MFNC, bringing together funds from Mulwala Football Netball Club, NSW Fisheries, Fisheries Victoria, and Rex Hunt Futurefish Foundation to see the release of 110,000 golden perch into Lake Mulwala. This was the first time cross border parties have come together in such a venture. In 2009 the first ‘Fishing & Outdoor Expo’ was held in conjunction with the Cod Classic. With the addition of this feature, along with a huge fireworks display to celebrate 10 years of the Cod Classic, the largest crowd ever of 3,113 competitors assembled. 2013 saw the introduction of a $20,000 cash bounty for a lucky angler if they manage to catch ‘Brian’, a specially tagged Murray cod. The bounty for the tagged cod ‘Henry’ increased in 2014 to the choice of either a Ford Ranger or Ford XR6 Ute for the lucky captor. 2015 sees the largest prize ever offered within the Australian fishing tournament scene of a potential $1million cash if somebody can catch ‘Phil’, the specially tagged cod for 2015. After the 2015 event, a staggering total of 89 boating packages will have been given away through Cod Classic history. FISHING OPTIONS Mulwala and the Murray River provide endless fishing options for those chasing a Murray cod, but don’t forget that golden perch and carp will all have you in the running for some great prizes. Many anglers love to troll or cast lures for their native fishing fix, but an equal number like nothing better than sitting back in this beautiful area and watching a rod tip while a carefully placed bait entices a fish or two. LURE OPTIONS There are two main methods of targeting cod in

There’s plenty of time to get lost among the beautiful creeks and tributaries in search of those big Murray cod. Mulwala with lures – trolling and casting. If trolling is your game, look to the edges of the Murray River and the tributaries in the lake. Edge water supports countless numbers of fallen trees, tree stumps and weed edges that can be trolled around, over and through. Choose lures that run to a particular depth and find that depth. For example, if your lures run at 15ft (5m), look for edge water that is around 4.5-5.5m deep. This will have your lure on or near the bottom and will have it crashing through the sticks and stumps that Murray cod call home. If you’re trolling down the river below Mulwala, you’ll need lures that swim a little more shallow as much of the water is less than 12ft (4m) deep. Concentrate on trolling at a slow walking pace in relation to the current. Obviously at this time of year if you are trolling with the current you are moving fairly quickly, but don’t be afraid to swing it around and troll into the current. Don’t forget to troll slowly in relation to the current – and not to the speed you are going in relation to the bank. Lure casting is a favoured option for many anglers and Mulwala presents one huge problem – there is so much structure it’s almost impossible to know where to start! A good clue is to work in water that is between 1-2m deep. Most casting lures (be they spinnerbaits or hardbodied lures) will cover this depth very well. If you’re just starting out, look towards the shallow edges of the main river course in the lake and cast at just about everything. Cod prefer a roof over their heads so pay special attention to fallen trees.

Keep your retrieves fairly slow to allow the cod (or golden perch) to see or feel your lure and react to it. Repeated casts to a good looking snag are sometimes warranted but I think most cod will smash your lure in the

first three casts. Golden perch on the other hand can take up to 20 casts to get interested. It’s your call if you want to target a cod or a golden – both are great fun on cast lures. In the Murray lure casting is a simpler process

Close up cod caught on a Zerek Flat Shad. FACT BOX The Yamaha Cod Classic will run from Dec 4 - Dec 6, 2015, with the actual fishing occurring on Saturday and Sunday with the pre-event briefing being held at 8:30pm on Friday night. Entry costs are Pre-paid Adult:...........$95 Adult (on weekend):....$100 Junior:.........................$50 Early Bird Entrants All adults fully paid by 5pm, 20th November will go into a draw to win a 3.9m Quintrex Explorer Boat, 15hp Yamaha Motor, Trailer and Lowrance Fish Finder. The winner will be drawn on Saturday 5th December at 9pm at Mulwala Football Ground. The lucky winner must be present. Junior early bird entrants will go into a draw to win a special package of lures. Don’t forget the essentials! Good fishing gear is crucial - rods, reels, terminal tackle, bait, and lures. You’ll need an Esky, camera, and cash. Not to mention, a Lake Mulwala map, a sense of adventure and a dose of good luck! For all information, please log into www. codclassic.com.au OR email codclassic@bigpond. com OR drop in to Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski – 74 Melbourne Street, Mulwala. The Cod Classic committee strives to make this the best fishing event on the calendar and guarantee anybody who makes the effort to attend the Cod Classic will not go home disappointed.

Happy anglers all round! because you can target snags and eddies more easily. Look for bulges in the water in front of prominent snags as well as swirling water behind prominent snags. Both areas are likely to hold cod and goldens with the cod usually associated with thicker snags and the goldens found more often on the thinner snags. But the next cod or golden could throw this general rule out the window so expect anything! BAIT OPTIONS Bait fishing is one of the best ways to connect to a cod or golden (or a carp). Bait fishing can be as simple as using a running

sinker rig with the lightest sinker you can get away with (really light in the lake and much heavier in the river below), a short 30cm trace and a sturdy bronze hook that suits the bait being used. You can also change it up with a paternoster rig with one or two droppers or even dispense with the leader and run the sinker right to the bait. Popular baits include worms, shrimp, yabbies and bardi grubs, but in recent years baits such as cheese, chicken breast and fillet steak have been used with surprising success. The biggest tip when bait fishing is to use a hook

2015 BREAKING

NEWS

that matches your bait. For bardi grubs a long shanked hook is perfect. For worms, shrimps and yabbies a suicide pattern is great. For the alternative baits, you can use whichever hook you like as most of these baits can be cut to suit the hook – one of the great advantages of non-traditional baits. It’s a good idea to strike a little earlier than normal to reduce the likelihood of the fish swallowing the bait too deeply, but if this does occur, cut the line as close to the hook eye as you can and let the fish get rid of the hook itself. It’s not perfect, but it is the best way to reduce mortality of released fish.

BOAT OR BANK All of the above tips and tricks can be used whether you’re fishing in a boat or from the bank. The structure and areas you look for remain the same, however a boat allows you to cover a lot more area. If you are restricted to fishing from the bank don’t be worried! My last trip to Mulwala saw a bank angler catch a metre-plus cod on a chicken piece from the bank. At last year’s Cod Classic we actually walked the bank below Mulwala and landed two cod and three golden perch on cast lures, so it’s always worth having a crack

The whole family can get onboard for the Cod Classic – even this lucky pup got a day out on the water.

RECOMMENDED ACCOMMODATION SUPPLIERS Yarrawonga Holliday Park (Free courtesy bus).......... Burley Rd Yarrawonga ............................................. 03 5744 3420 Lake Mulwala Holiday Park........................................ Melbourne St Mulwala..............................................03 5744 1050 Paradise Palms Motor Inn.......................................... 119 - 121 Melbourne St Mulwala ............................ 03 5743 2555 Capricorn Motor Inn................................................... 255 Melbourne St Mulwala.......................................03 5744 3813 Lake Edge Resort....................................................... 146 Melbourne St Mulwala...................................... 03 5743 8400 Sun Country Holiday Village....................................... Cnr Toc & Corowa Rd Mulwala..................................03 5743 1074 Club Mulwala Motor Inn............................................. Melbourne St Mulwala.....................03 5744 2333, 1800 035 347 Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort Units............ Weir Rd Mulwala........................................................03 5744 1911 Lakeside Caravan Park............................................... 102 Corowa Rd Mulwala.......................................... 03 5743 2888 Victoria Hotel.............................................................. 35 Belmore St Yarrawonga....................................... 03 5744 3009 Westside Caravan Park.............................................. 254 Murray Valley Hwy Yarrawonga...........................03 5744 3314 Royal Mail Hotel Mulwala........................................... Cnr Melbourne & Bayly St Mulwala..........................03 5744 3121 Ashleigh Court Motor Inn........................................... 36 Corowa Rd Mulwala ........................................... 03 5744 2261 Yarrawonga Mulwala Accommodation Centre ........................................................................................... 1800 188 879 Woodlands Motor Inn................................................. 8308 Murray Valley Hwy Yarrawonga ...................... 03 5744 2355 Lake Mulwala Hotel Motel.......................................... 88 Melbourne St Mulwala ....................................... 03 5744 2499

LAKE MULWALA & THE MURRAY RIVER

DECEMBER

4·5·6

$ $ $ N O I L L I M ONTEAGGED COD *

+$150K PRIZES INCLUDING AN ISUZU D-MAX UTE & 7 BOATING PACKAGES

Enquiries 03·5744 1667 | www.codclassic.com.au

*Conditions apply. See website for details NOVEMBER 2015

BP shines for Toray BASS Pro Bjelke-Petersen Dam, located near Murgon in Qld, has long been a favourite of bass anglers from around the country. BP, as it is affectionately known, has been rested as an Australian Bass Tournament venue for a number of years to give the budding stock of Australian bass and yellowbelly plenty of opportunity to grow and flourish. So it was with a little trepidation that anglers attended the Toray BASS Pro event on 29-30 August. Would the dam produce the number and quality of bass that were a hallmark of years past? Or would it react to the pressure of Australia’s best tournament anglers going full throttle in their quest for success? In hindsight, anglers needn’t have worried – the bass came to play and they left nothing in the tank. A DREAM RUN FOR CLEMENTS Grant Clements (6/6, 8.63kg), a 32-year-old builder from Heddon Greta in NSW, stormed home in the last session to secure his maiden ABT victory at the Toray Bjelke-Petersen BASS Pro. Clements produced a consistent effort across the first two sessions, boating 2/2, 2.36 and 2/2, 2.38kg, which had him sitting in contention (fourth) as he headed out for the final session. It was very much ‘cometh the hour, cometh the man’ with Clements finding the fish in that last

session to rocket up the leader board, eclipsing his nearest competitor by over a kilo and in the process securing the Austackle Big Bass (2.60kg) and Duffrods Big Bag (2/2, 3.89kg)! Clements took the opportunity to pre-fish before the tournament as he had previously never fished at Bjelke-Petersen Dam. Unable to find schooling fish, he made a move to the edges. Finding only limited structure or featureless banks, Clements focussed on areas that had pelicans and birds chasing baitfish. In the end though opportunities were limited. “I worked a lot of banks with only three really producing anything,” he said. “After five bumps and one legal bass I thought ‘man I am in trouble!’” In the first session Clements headed to his first position, located at the back of the dam. “The location was about 10-15ft in depth on the edge then dropped off quickly down to 28-35ft to an old creek bed,” Clements said. “I found that the fish were moving out of the deep and up into the shallows feeding. I positioned the boat in about 30ft of water and cast back to the edge.” Clements and his non-boater employed different techniques to establish what presentations the bass would go for. The spinnerbait presentation received several bumps, which prompted Clements

to change his plastic presentation. The change delivered immediate results.

the pre-fish, which all had the same setup with 10-15ft on the edge and a

Grant Clements took out the Austackle Big Bass prize with this beauty at 2.6kg. “I changed my plastic to a 4” Berkley Gulp Jigging Grub in pepper prawn colour rigged on an Impact Tackle 1/2oz jighead, and that’s when things started moving,” he explained. “I landed two fish pretty quickly and spent the rest of the session upgrading. “I moved between three banks I had found during

steep drop-off into an old creek bed. I caught fish at each location using the Jigging Grubs.” A return to the same locations in session two saw Clements jump straight back on the horse, rotating through his selected banks with the same presentation. His efforts were rewarded with a tournament limit and multiple upgrades.

Berkley 4” Gulp jigging grub in

pepper prawn colour rigged on

an Impact Tackle 1/2 oz jighead

15 feet

STORM

Bass moving

into shallow area to feed

Old Creek Bed

VENTAFISH®

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888. 78

NOVEMBER 2015

30 feet

In the final session Clements’ objective was to replicate his Day 1 efforts and to pursue a top place finish. A return to his Day 1 money banks saw Clements fill his limit and then start to upgrade. “I was finding the fishing a lot tougher on the Sunday morning with the water temp about 2.5°C warmer and the wind a lot stronger then the day before,” he said. “With an hour to go I went to one of the banks I had been working over the last two days. It was a bank that had a weed edge that came out about 2m from the edge with the water depth at 10ft, and slowly got deeper over about 30m. I noticed birds in the water pulling up to the bank, and using the sidescan and downscan on my Lowrance sounder – there were a lot of bait being balled up in the water

the Jigging Grub off the bottom. After about 15 casts and two hits I felt a thump. I instinctively loaded the rod and off it went with two or three massive runs following. I chased it with the electric until it came to the surface and I immediately knew it was the biggest bass I had caught, the bass that would win me the comp if I landed it! I netted it by myself (I didn’t have a non-boater for the final session) and let off a massive cheer, which just about everyone on the dam probably heard! I put the bass in the livewell and went back to the weigh-in with half an hour left – I didn’t want anything to go wrong with that fish! “A big thanks to Fishtec solutions for their ongoing support, Ballina Marineland and to Adrian Melchior for lending me his boat!”

Michael Thompson came in as runner-up in the boater division. in about 18ft – I noticed small dots underneath the bait which I thought may be bass. “I pulled up and started casting at the bait balls, slow rolling the lure through them and hopping

THOMPSON EDGES INTO SECOND PLACE Michael Thompson (6/6, 7.50kg), finished runner-up at the Toray Bjelke Petersen BASS Pro. Thompson, a 32-year-old self employed concreter, quickly zoned

into the predominant bite pattern and pushed the leaders all the way, only for Clements’ final session heroics to overtake him. Thompson said it was hard work identifying the bite during the pre-fish. “I started looking for schooled fish, but after about an hour I realised I could not get them to bite,” he said. “The majority of bass were sitting in 14-20ft of water, closer to the bank than where I was fishing. Using a spin rod I tied on an Imakatsu Piranha lipless crankbait and cast to the edge. As soon as it hit the water I gave it a little hop and started winding using a reasonably quick retrieve, and quickly hooked up to a kilo fish. Straightaway I worked out that the schooled fish weren’t biting, and that the active ones were going to the bank to feed. Realising it would be an edge reaction bite saved me plenty of time and frustration.” Thompson’s key location was a gentle tapered bank with timber in the area. Thompson targeted bass between 12-16ft around 15-20m from the bank, and used the Imakatsu Piranha lipless crankbait (colour 23) to catch his fish. With a bass caught first cast each session, and a tournament limit in the boat within the first five minutes of each session, the fishing was red hot on all fronts. Thompson said he kept the boat in 12-16ft of water and cast within a couple of meters of the edge. “As soon as the lure hit the water I gave one short hop and a reasonably quick retrieve,” he explained. “All the bites came halfway back to the boat in about 6-8ft.” Thompson used a 7’2” 2-5kg custom Duff Rod paired with a Quantum EXO 25 spin reel spooled with 15lb Toray Seabass braid and 8lb Toray super hard leader. Thompson said it was a combination of all of the above that helped with his success on the day. “It was good to have quality gear I could rely on, supplied by my sponsors Duff Rods, Fish Tech

TOP 10 BOATERS Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

Payout

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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

8.63 7.50 7.39 7.11 6.92 6.88 6.81 6.37 6.20 6.09

$1800 $900 $500

Grant CLEMENTS Michael THOMPSON Tony THORLEY Stephen KANOWSKI Peter LEGGETT Greg BEATTIE Dean SILVESTER Mark LENNOX Kristoffer HICKSON Craig SIMMONS

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

Solutions and Warwick Outdoors and Sports and Basscat Australia,” he said. “Also a huge thanks to Sean Haynes for the loan of his Legend boat, as without it I could not have attended the comp as my new Basscat Cougar is still on its way!” RANDALL ROLLS ON FOR NONBOATER VICTORY Ben Randall (6/6, 6.44kg) took out the

bag and a couple of upgrades within a couple of hours. “Come the afternoon I found it a little more difficult to pick up my second fish, but with a little help from Grant we soon picked one up,” he said. “Come the second day I caught my first fish on the first cast! The bites continued and I had my first upgrade within 15 minutes of the start of the session.”

BASS PR O Presente SERIES d by To ray

on a 3/0 size 3/8oz TT’s jighead. The lures were fished on two different outfits. For the spinnerbait, a Pagotto custom rods 3-6kg, Daiwa Type R Tatula baitcast reel, 15lb Shimano Powerpro braid

In the non-boater division, Ben Randall came up trumps. non-boating division at the Toray Bjelke Petersen BASS Pro. Randall, a 29-year-old security guard, fished with event winner Grant Clements and local Trevor Stead. Randall had the opportunity to pre-fish with Tony Thorley and Barry Reynolds, exploring the lower parts of the dam around the quarry, the dam edges and finally the timber. Randall found the going a little tough, boating two fish during the day. During the tournament Randall focussed his efforts on the dam edges. The characteristics of the locations fished were similar: edges in 10-15ft, with weedy patches with the odd timber snag. The technique used was to slow roll the lures back to the boat. Randall used spinnerbaits in the morning, and then switched to plastics later on in the day. Randall said during the first morning session he had his

Randall’s key lures were Bassman Spinnerbaits Carl’s Compact colour TW2, and a modified (approx.. 10mm cut off) Berkley 4” Gulp Jigging Grub in pepper prawn rigged

and 14lb Sunline leader. For the plastic lure, a G. Loomis Dropshot 2-4kg rod, Daiwa 2506 Luvias, 10lb Shimano Powerpro braid and 8lb Daiwa leader. – ABT

WINNING NOTES

Winning Ways

Clements attributes the use of a subtle, plastic lure presentation and selection of locations that continually replenished as keys to his victory.

Winning Tackle

Rod: Edge rod 703 4-12lb Reel: Daiwa Certate 2500 reel Line: 10lb Toray Super Strong PE Leader: Toray super hard spinning fluorocarbon leader Lure: Berkley 4” Gulp jigging grub in pepper prawn colour rigged on an Impact Tackle ½oz jighead.

Austackle Big Bass

Clements cashed in during the final session with his 2.60kg bass claiming the event Austackle Big Bass.

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg) Payout

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

6/6 5/6 4/6 4/6 3/6 1/6 2/6 1/6

6.44 5.84 4.81 4.27 2.94 2.36 1.60 0.98

Ben RANDALL James REID Owen MCPAUL Peter MORGAN Marnie WATSON Deborah KOWALCZYK Luke DRAPER Jason MARTIN

Toray Prize Pack Toray Prize Pack Bassman Prize Pack Spotters Prize Pack BassMafia Prize Pack

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au NOVEMBER 2015

AM OPEN QLD BteRdEby Power Pole

Team Samurai slay opposition

Presen chor by Hobie Micro An

Tristan Taylor and David McKenzie from Team Samurai Reaction once again showed their dominance on Moreton Bay with the formidable breaming duo racking up their 4th Queensland Open win in the PowerPole Micro Anchor/Hobie Fishing presented event. Fishing tried and true locations that had served them well over many years and in multiple QLD Opens the pair hit the water focused on making this year their year. DAY 1 “We finished last in last year’s event and we wanted to bounce back with vengeance,” explained Team Samurai’s David McKenzie. Heading to the southern end of the bay on day one the pair fished a collection of locations, with Ormiston and Peel Island both receiving the Samurai treatment. “Our approach was straight forward with one of us throwing a topwater and the other a crankbait,” explained McKenzie.

fish for the day the pair found themselves in 2nd place at the end of day one of the Power-Pole Micro Anchor/Hobie Fishing presented event. DAY 2 Wi t h calmer conditions predicted for day two McKenzie and Taylor changed tact and headed north. “The southern bay

1. Tristo’s Ramjet coloured Atomic Crank 38 deep

3. Modena bone coloured Megabass Dog X

Tristan Taylor and David McKenzie secured their 4th QLD Open win with victory in the Power-Pole Micro Anchor. The approach paid off with the pair filling their limit by 7.30am, a

host of upgrades then followed through out the day. Catching close to 50

Enter the MICRO Anchor. This all-new, all-electric wonder is the first of its kind – a super-compact powerhouse that was built to give you the ultimate shallow water fishing experience.

Available now from your local Hobie Cat dealer. Visit: hobiecat.com.au/micro for more details and to find your nearest dealer. NOVEMBER 2015

Bream Shad so it ducked and darted just below the edge of the pontoon,” explained McKenzie. The approach paid off with the pair picking up two key upgrades, a 30 and 31cm. While their day didn’t deliver the size and numbers of the first two days of competition their mobile and thought out approach once again

2. Ghost green shad coloured Atomic Bream Shad.

Nothing gets you closer to the fish than your small craft. And nothing anchors you better than a Power-Pole made just for your vessel.

another 4kg bag foremost in their minds the pair returned to Redcliffe. Picking up where they left off from the day before, second cast saw Tristan come up tight on a solid fish. A hard battle ensued and a 1.30kg fish soon graced the livewell. “Tristo’s fish was the only real standout early on. The fishing was a lot hard and it wasn’t until

With a variety of mounting options, the MICRO quickly mounts to any small boat or kayak. The adjustable mounting bracket allows you to mount to the transom or deck. The optional adapter plate, clamp-on bracket or rail system (not shown) give the MICRO the versatility to mount to almost any small vessel. All these mounting options mean you can easily transfer the MICRO unit from one boat or kayak to another.

3 really needs the wind to blow to get the bream to bite and we were also keen on resting it for day three, so we went north and fished Redcliffe,” explained McKenzie. With North Reef at Scarborough has their target area the pair once again hit the ground running catching their limit by 6.50am, once again with a two-lure approach. “The topwater didn’t work but we got our fish on a combination of a deep Atomic Crank 38 and an Atomic Shad 40. The Crank we fished with a slow roll while the Shad was work with a twitch and pause retrieve,” explained McKenzie. Working their way through all the fish holding locations at North Reef the pair once again had a double-digit fish day, catching close to 50 fish for the session and weighing in the heaviest limit (4.16kg) for the day. DAY 3 Sitting pretty in 1st place with close to a two kilo lead heading into the 3rd and final day the question was would the guys take their foot of the pedal and cruise to a seemingly inevitable victory. “You can never rest easy on the bay because you know on any day someone can deliver a four kilo plus bag to scales, so you have to fish hard right to the end,” explained McKenzie. With the thoughts of

about two hours in that we completed our limit,” explained McKenzie. With conditions glassed out and the fishing only getting harder the pair pulled the pin and headed north to fish the canals at Bribie Island. “We focused on the front edge of the pontoons and twitched and paused an Atomic

delivered them the heaviest limit for the day, and secure them their 4th Power-Pole Micro Anchor (sponsored by Hobie Fishing), QLD BREAM Open. With four wins, and three seconds in the QLD BREAM Open to their names McKenzie and Taylor can comfortably be considered the bream kings for Moreton Bay.

Tristan Taylor with the spoils of victory.

Team Atomic bridesmaids again proved the peak period with the pair picking up five upgrades. Weighing in a 2.76kg limit, Sharp and Eldred sat in 3rd place heading into day two. DAY 2 Day two very much proved a carbon copy of day one with a quiet start to the day on the back of the last of the run out tide, followed by a flurry of activity late in session as the run in tide started to reach its peak. “As expected, the bite

CE 2ND PLA

Claiming the bridesmaid was Team Atomic’s Aaron Sharp and Steve Eldred who once again showed their brilliance at Moreton Bay but for 5th time fell one spot short of claiming victory in the PowerPole Micro Anchor/Hobie Fishing sponsored event. Over three days of competition, team Atomic managed to gather 15/15, 9.12kg bag fishing Atomic

QLD BRE

15 minutes were hectic. I just wish we had another 15 minutes to catch a few more upgrades,” explained Sharp. Weighing in with a 3.37kg limit for the day, the pair sat in 2nd place as they heading off from the start on the 3rd and final day. DAY 3 “Day three was a much better start than the first two. We found a point at Mudd that held bait and the bream were ready and willing to eat our cranks, and in six

Presented AM OPEN by Micro Anc Power Pole hor by Ho bie

On stage at the boat show Eldred and Sharp weighed in a 2.99kg limit to finish second, and wear the bridesmaid dress for a 5th time. “We’ll be back again next year you can count on that. The fishing in the bay is unmatched and the chance to compete against this field over three days of competition is something

Team Atomic were once again the bridesmaids in The Open. “While we picked up some fish on surface early it was the Atomic Crank that

consistently produced fish,” explained Sharp. The last half an hour

A slow rolled Atomic Crank 38 deep was the undoing of multiple bream during the QLD BREAM Open event.

Team Atomic and Samurai ready to roll on the final day of competition. window at the end of the day was even smaller due to the later tide. The last

Rocky bottom

Hardz Crank 38 crankbaits around Mudd Island to catch their competition fish. “Mudd Island holds the fish needed to win you just need to cover water and wait for the big fish bite window to open,” explained Sharp. Early on day one this thought process saw Sharp and Eldred fishing the drains, targeting the fish who were ambushing food sources pushed off the flats. “We caught some fish but it wasn’t until the tide started to run in that the bite really kicked in and filled our limit,” explained Sharp. The pair fished their way around the island picking fish off as they went, but it was on the points that they really picked up their best fish.

Winning Tackle

Anthony Wishey and Chris Britton were as consistent as ever in the QLD Bream Open, finishing 3rd.

Place Team

Anglers

Tristan Taylor and David McKenzie 15/15 11.33

Aaron Sharp and Steve Eldred

Chris Britton and Anthony Wishey 15/15 8.39

Steve Morgan and Peter Leggett

Release N Em

that we’ll never turn down,” concluded Sharp. Congratulations to all competitors for fishing the 2015 QL Bream Open and sincere thank you to PowerPole Micro Anchor and Hobie Fishing for once again making the event one of the premier teams events on the tournament bream calendar.

WINNING NOTES

RESULTS QLD OPEN

cast we filled our limit,” explained Sharp. As expected, the bite slowed throughout the day then spiked again at the end. “The bite at the end was insane, we had packs of fish charging after our surface lures as we electric motored away to head back for the check-in”, explained Sharp.

Denis Metzdorf and Luke Rogan For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

Fish Weight

15/15 9.12

15/15 7.74 15/15 7.47

Payout

$2500 + prizes $1,000

Dave McKenzie Rod: Samurai Reaction 181 Reel: Megabass Luvito Line: 10lb Unitika Aorika Leader: 6 and 8lb Unitika Aiger Lure: Modena bone coloured Megabass Dog X (rear trebles fitted with size 10 Gamakatsu Wide Gap trebles), modena bone coloured Megabass Dog X Jnr (rear trebles fitted with size 12 Gamakatsu Wide Gap trebles), Tristo’s Ramjet coloured Atomic Crank 38 deep, ghost green shad coloured Atomic Bream Shad. Tristan Taylor Rod: Samurai Reaction Infinite 6’9” Reel: Megabass Luvito Line: 10lb Unitika Aorika Leader: 6 and 8lb Unitika Aiger Lure: Modena bone coloured Megabass Dog X (rear trebles fitted with size 10 Gamakatsu Wide Gap trebles), modena bone coloured Megabass Dog X Jnr (rear trebles fitted with size 12 Gamakatsu Wide Gap trebles), Tristo’s Ramjet coloured Atomic Crank 38 deep, ghost green shad coloured Atomic Bream Shad.

Winning Ways

Fueled by the experience of past successes in The Open, McKenzie and Taylor knew exactly where to go, when to go there, and what combination of lures to throw to get the bigger fish to bite. NOVEMBER 2015

Urquhart all class at convention Joseph Urquhart, a 23-year-old patio installer from the Gold Coast, took out the season ending Bluefin BASS Electric Convention held at Lake Cressbrook. Urquhart, who won with 4/4, 6.45kg, was the only angler in the field to find his tournament limit each session and accounted for his nearest competitor by over 1.40kg. One of the most respected anglers, and electric organisers, on the BASS Electric circuit, Urquhart secured the top prize of a 3.7m Bluefin Estuary Pro with Haswing electric bow mount motor. In addition he was the recipient of a limited edition Christopher May Australian Bass print as a

plenty of bony bream in the area, the decision was made to focus on the location during the tournament. “The location we found was at the back of the dam; it is a 20m section of water with a depth around 40ft. The point we targeted was a gradual slope that dropped into the creek bed, it was an easy location for the bass to move up to feed on the bony bream. There were good concentrations of baitfish in the area, and importantly the profile of the bait was quite small”, explains Urquhart. Come the first session, Urquhart headed straight to the location. Arriving first at the position the action was fast and furious with a two

Urquhart proudly displays his limited edition bass print.

The Convention class of 2015 surrounds the Bluefin/Haswing Prize boat. memento of the victory. During the prefish for the event Urquhart travelled around the entire edge of the dam in search of bass. Fishing with fellow competitor Prue Rodriguez (8th overall), Urquhart was searching for fish when Rodriguez spotted a good fish on the sounder. Soon after a cast was made they came up tight on a 50cm fork length fish. Sounding up

fish limit in the livewell after only 10 casts. The key lure used was an OSP HP Shad Tail rigged on a 1/4oz Impact Tackle jighead. The retrieve was varied between slow rolling the plastic and aggressively ripping the plastic off the bottom. “My limit came slow rolling the plastic, with the one upgrade coming on the more aggressive retrieve”,

Urquhart explains. The quality of Urquhart’s bass was evident at the weigh in with his 2/2, 3.39kg limit the standout in

the field. Come day two it was always going to be a question of if the bass were still in the same location or had the pressure of day one shut down the bite. Urquhart didn’t have to wait long to reveal the answer. “The bite on Sunday was exceptional, with my first six casts delivering my limit for the session. The only downside was a shoulder strain I picked up from fist pumping too energetically! It was truly an amazing bite”, said Urquhart. The 2/2, 3.06kg limit secured Urquart his first Bass Electric Convention victory! Urquhart says the tackle used was pivotal to getting the bass to cooperate. “My Edge 701 ISR 4-6lb rod was crucial in feeling those tentative bites and setting the hook. I used a Megabass Luvito reel spooled with 10lb Toray

STORM VENTAFISH®

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888. 82

NOVEMBER 2015

Winner Joseph Urquhart with two stonking Cressbrook bass taken from deeper water.

Winner Joseph Urquhart and competitor Prue Rodriguez ready their catch for the weigh-in.

BASS Electric Convention. Manolea sat in fifth place after day one, but then rocketed into overall second position courtesy of his second session tournament limit (3.40kg), the largest of the tournament. During the prefish Manolea, fishing with his father Cristian, found the fishing tough, only catching one fish off the edge at the back of the dam. They also identified a couple of schools to be used as back up in case the anglers couldn’t secure their limit early off the edges. Manolea hit the edges straight up at the start of each session. When the bite went quiet Manolea moved into deeper water to focus on schooled bass. “We primarily fished the edges of the dam. The schools were located in the middle of the dam. On the edges we focused more on rocky banks that sustained more structure and the schools that we were fishing were throughout the water column at 35ft,” Manolea said.

Adrian Manolea came in second and focussed his efforts around the edges. super strong braid and 6lb Toray super hard as leader. The OSP HP Shad Tail worked so well in the clear water because of their slim tight swimming action,” he explained. The key for Urquhart during the tournament was spending the time on prefish to find the bass. From that point onwards it was a question of getting to them and catching them before they shut down. The use of his Humminbird 898 proved pivotal in finding the bait and the active bass

BASS EL E SERIESCTRIC jugular in an attempt to pull off the seemingly impossible. In the end he couldn’t quite catch the leader, nevertheless he highlighted the tenacity and depth of skill present in the BASS electric series. “On both days the bass that I got caught off the edge came within the first hour. On the second day I caught my second fish halfway through the day from a school. When targeting the edge I would cast the Jackal as close as possible to structure, letting it sink all the way down before slow rolling it back to the boat with a couple of short pauses halfway back. In the deeper water the technique was hopping as well as slow rolling blades off the bottom,” Manolea explained. The key lures were a silent Jackall TN60 in

A U S T R A L I A

Margay 2016

$49,990

• 17’7” • Single axle Basscat trailer • 115 hp Mercury 4 stroke • 24v electric motor (Minn Kota or Motor Guide) • 2 x sounders (Humminbird 597cxi HD Di or Lowrance HDS 5)

Pantera II 2016

OSP HP Shad Tail rigged on a 1/4oz Impact Tackle jighead

$74,990

feeding on them. MANOLEA ON SONG FOR SECOND Adrian Manolea, a 19-year-old student, was runner up at the 2015 Bluefin

Manolea brought one bass to the weigh in for the first session. On day two it was always going to be a battle to chase down Urquhart, however Manolea went for the

Cutting water, BASS Electric style.

‘ghost ayu’ colour and an Impact Tackle Bladez in bluegill colour. Manolea had two individual outfits for presenting his lures; a Megabass Destroyer X7F2 rod teamed with a Daiwa Steez 2506 spinning reel and a Megabass Destroyer X7F4 rod teamed with a Daiwa Steez baitcast reel. Both outfits were spooled with 10lb Sunline saltwater special castaway braid and 8lb Sunline leader. A big thankyou to all participants of 2015 BASS Electric Series, especially to the BASS Electric organisers who made the events possible. Finally, a massive thankyou to Bluefin Boats, Haswing and all ABT sponsors for making these events possible. Stay tuned to www.abt. org.au for the 2016 BASS Electric calendar and some exciting innovations for the forthcoming BASS Electric series. – ABT

• 19’1” • Single axle Basscat trailer • 200 hp Mercury Optimax • 24v electric motor (Minn Kota or Motor Guide) • 2 x sounders (Humminbird 698cxi HD Si or Lowrance HDS 7 GEN2)

Yar-Craft 1785BT 2016

$59,990

• 17’5” • Single axle Basscat trailer • 75 hp Mercury 4 stroke • 24v electric motor (Minn Kota or Motor Guide) • 2 x sounders (Humminbird 597cxi HD Di or Lowrance HDS 5)

Sabre FTD 2016

RESULTS Place

Angler

Fish

Weight

Prizes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Joey Urqhart Adrian Manolea Adrian Wilson Jonathon Bale Robert Butler Les Smith Justin Thompson Prue Rodriguez Brett Renz Tim Steenhuis

4/4 3/4 3/4 2/4 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4 2/4

6.45 5.02 2.36 2.21 2.01 1.97 1.8 1.64 1.47 1.42

Bluefin Estuary Pro 3.7m, Haswing electric motor $300 Haswing Voucher & Prize Pack $200 Haswing Voucher & Prize Pack 13 Fishing Omen Envy rod & Prize Pack 13 Fishing Omen Envy rod & Prize Pack Bass Mafia Prize Pack Engel Prize Pack Engel Prize Pack Engel Prize Pack Prize Pack

$59,990

• 18’1” • Single axle Basscat trailer • 115 hp Mercury 4 stroke • 24v electric motor (Minn Kota or Motor Guide) • 2 x sounders (Humminbird 698cxi HD Si or Lowrance HDS 7 GEN2)

We Build Dreams... It’s a Family Tradition

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au A U S T R A L I A

Phone: 0410 173 060 basscataustralia@gmail.com NOVEMBER 2015

Aussies compete at the China Open tournament Once again, and for the third consecutive year, we had a team of Australians off to compete in China at the Shengzhong Lake China Open Championship. With Aussies taking the honours in 2013 and 2014 events, including the trifecta on last year’s podium, taking home more than $110,000 USD, we looked forward to this year’s event with a few changes. This year, the China Angling Association along with their sponsors, informed us that there would be a reduced Australian team of four competing against 16 internationals, and 60 Chinese with total prize money reduced from $80,000USD to $50,000USD. First prize was

reduced from $30,000USD to $15,000USD. All competitors would again be fishing out of identical Hobie Pro Angler 14 kayaks fitted with Hobie livewell, Lowrance sounder and a wide angle camera mounted at the front of the kayak. This year’s event would be telecasted live on national television, using the camera footage from the kayak for the live feed. The Aussie team selected was Scott Lovig, Carl Dubois, Richard Somerton and myself after we took the top four positions from last year. Although numbers were stacked against us and expecting some Chinese followers on the water,

we were still confident one of us could steal top spot again. The rules were the same this year with the traditional five fish weigh-in, with the total combined bag weight from both days. Red tail and top mouth culter were the main targets, but the elusive catfish was always going to be a tournament winning catch as a single catfish in the well was sure to outweigh a bag of five culter. OPENING CEREMONY / PRE-FISH DAY The opening ceremony didn’t disappoint us, with a big crowd of around 20,000 watching on in steamy conditions. The next day we headed out on the water for a six hour pre-fish. With

FINAL RESULTS (TOP 10) Place.........Name...............................................Weight (kg)...............Prize Money 1................Xiaohong Ma (China)........................5.01...........................$15,000USD 2................Richard Somerton (Aust.).................3.50...........................$9,000USD 3................Carl Dubois (Aust.)............................3.43...........................$6,000USD 4................Chris Floyd (NZ)................................2.99...........................$4,500USD 5................Jinbin Wu (China).............................2.96...........................$3,500USD 6................Matt Petrie (Aust.).............................2.84...........................$2,500USD 7................Joseph Kraatz (USA)........................2.75...........................$2,500USD 8................Max Tan Kheng Yeow (Sing.)............2.66...........................$2,000USD 9................Sean Brickland (NZ)..........................2.54...........................$2,000USD 10..............Lars Lundberg (Sweden)..................2.53...........................$1,500USD

An exciting opportunity to meet competitors from all over the globe!

only a four man team, we aimed to cover as much of the fishing area as possible trying different lures and techniques. Knowing that we may have some followers, we left our ‘honey holes’ for Day 1. Confidence was high at the end of the day with all of us finding fish, falling to our ‘go to’ lures and technique. As expected, the Chinese had done some homework, or watched our on board cameras from last year, and happily showed us that they were now using similar lures. It was going to be an interesting competition! DAY 1 Day one started with the alarm chiming at 4:30am for a 5:30am bus ride to the event

The Australian team arrive in China for the Shengzhong Lake China Open Championship. waters. We were concerned how event staff and volunteers would get 80 anglers onto the kayaks in time for the start, but to their credit it all went reasonably smoothly. We began, legs pumping to beat others to our spots, with the usual three or four Chinese anglers riding our tails! At the end of the day, three of the four Aussies had full bags, but news spreads quickly and we soon learned that one of the Chinese anglers (Xiaohong Ma) had caught two catfish with a bag weight of 4.23kg! This put a serious dent in our quest for a 3rd title position. At the end of weigh-in we had three Aussies in the top 10. DAY 2 With a win looking unlikely, we set out to get solid bags of culter, knowing that a pressured system may not fish as well as Day 1. I struggled, battling through the day to find only three fish, but of better quality. Richard also had to tough it out, managing to finalise his full bag in the last half hour of the day and Carl, also filling his bag early and putting both in contention for a podium finish. After

RESULTS Place.................Name..................................Weight (kg) 1st.....................Xiaohong Ma......................4.23 3rd.....................Carl Dubois.........................1.81 6th.....................Richard Somerton..............1.57 10th...................Matt Petrie..........................1.45 final weigh-in, Richard and Carl held on to finish on the podium with 2nd and 3rd respectfully and myself lucky

enough to secure 6th. Excellent effort by the Australian team, and our international competitors!

A nice example of a Shengzhong Lake top mouth culter!

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Nov 6-8

Berkley BREAM Series Grand Final Clarence River

ABT (07) 3387 0888 www.abt.org.au

Nov 6-8

ANSA Burrinjuck Convention Burrinjuck Waters State Park

info@canberrafishos.com

Nov 6-8

Hawkesbury River Classic Hawkesbury River

Brett Chain changa@ol.com.au

Nov 14-15

SCFCA Freshwater Competition Eucumbene

southcoastfca@yahoo.com.au

Nov 21-29

Rapala BARRA Tour TNQ

ABT (07) 3387 0888 www.abt.org.au

Dec 4-6

Yamaha Cod Classic Lake Mulwala

Tony Bennett (03) 5744 1667

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing nsweditor@fishingmonthly.com.au or calling 07 3387 0800 in office hours. Just supply a date, venue, tournament name and a telephone number and contact name. 84

NOVEMBER 2015

FIND-A-WORD COMPETITION BEATING THE BLUES

ANGELFISH

MAORI

ROCK WHITING

CATFISH

MARLIN

SPRAT

DAMSELFISH

MORWONG

STREAK

DEVIL

MUD HOPPER

TANG

GRENDADIER

PARROT

THREADFIN

GROPER

POINTER

TUSKFISH

HAKE

PULLER

WHALER

Name: Address:

P/Code:

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

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

NSW NOVEMBER 2015

Phone (day):

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE The subscriber prize winner for September was C Watts of Girvan, who won a Pflueger combo valued at $400. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

FIND THE BERKLEY LOGO SEPTEMBER LOCATIONS BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

The answers to Find the Berkley Logo for September were: 7, 11, 20, 23, 24, 37, 38, 44, 49, 52, 63, 67, 69, 73, 82. – NSWFM

FIND THE BERKLEY LOGO WINNER

BITE ME by Trisha Mason

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

The Find the Berkley logo prize winners for September were: P Herbert of Emerald Beach, J Vagg of Sunshine Bay, R Todd of Wahroonga, B Watsford of Robertson, R Crossman of Torrumbarry, T Gounder of Macquarie Fields, C Carter of Richmond, C Snowden of North St Mary’s, K Boxsell of Marmong Point, J Kettley of Woonoma, J Haddow of Brandy Hill, M Blundell of Wallsend, W Short of Hamlyn Terrace, J Warburton of Kelso, D Jones of Morisset Park, A Walters of Goodwood Island, S Snowdon of Buff Point, B Schnitzer of Cooma , I Necic of Glenfield, L Rojahn of Banyo, J Cupitt of Sanctuary Point, N Webster of Kurrajong Heights, S Willis of Lake Cathie, I Errey of Leeton, D Townsend of Pambla Beach, M O’Hare of Rouse Hill, K Beckhouse of Wyee Point, B Hall of Balgownie , J Fletcher of Woy Woy, A Sinclair of Lalor Park, D Allen of Gorokan, A Higgins of Helensburgh, E Jones of Narromine, Z Mehmet of Ingleburn, R Waters of Temora, G Hall of Young, B Keogh of Bathurst, G Sanson of Boronia Park, S Green of Padstow, J Mackay of Greenwell Point. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

FIND-A-WORD WINNER Congratulations to C. West of Dapto, who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition! • New Monthly winners products receive a Fishing • Videos Monthly prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 • Indepth Reviews weeks. – NSWFM

check out! 2

• DECEMBER 2010

Kayak sounder success BRISBANE

Justin Wilmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

Whatever the application, from locating bait, structure, thermoclines and schooled fish, to selecting an appropriate lure for the depth you’re fishing, working a drop off or navigating safely to and from your fishing spot, there’s no doubt that sounders have made fishing more productive and water travel safer. I have been running the Dragonfly-5 PRO Sounder/ GPS for a few months now and have been impressed with the quality of the unit, the simplicity of operation, and the number of high tech features packed into this navigation and fish finding powerhouse. When I fitted this sounder I started with the

‘bloke test’. The bloke test involves unpacking the unit, fitting it to the kayak and then spending a day on the water fishing – all without opening the instruction book. I don’t recommend doing this, but at the same time I know that many will and I’m happy to say that there aren’t a million tiny confusing parts to somehow build together! The assembling and mounting was quick, easy and made sense, and once on the water the menu system was intuitive and in no time I was switching between sonar, GPS, and DownVision, or a combination of these via a split screen. I could also adjust the depth range, zoom, mark waypoints and save screen shots to the micro SD mapping card housed securely in the rear of the unit. Recently I’ve spent the majority of my time fishing

the edge for flathead without a sounder, on the last few hours of the run out tide. This is an extremely effective way to make the most of available time, catch fish and bring a couple home for a feed. However, there were some days when the flathead weren’t schooling in the area I was fishing. Whether this was due to moon phases, rainfall, tides, or one of the many mysteries of fishing, I suddenly had a couple of fishless sessions. After I mounted the Dragonfly to the kayak I was excited to see how useful it would be when the flathead weren’t playing the game. None of it is rocket science, but the detail of what is below the kayak, that the Dragonfly provides, has seen me change things up and while I still fish the edges for flathead, I now have the ability to locate fish, bait and

Even in shallower water, the Dragonfly shows you where to cast.

A deeper drop off and the 3-8oz jighead comes into play. Here you can see the trusty Dragonfly situated at the front of the kayak. structure, while also using the sounder to make adjustments in jighead weight that have seen me catch more fish. There are many benefits to fishing from a kayak, however the inability to just start the motor and travel long distances to our next spot means that we need to make the most of the area that we are fishing and use the sounder to assist us wherever possible. STRUCTURE In an earlier issue I wrote about secondary structure, specifically that by keeping an eye out for structure on the sounder, while working the edge for flathead, you can catch more fish. I now seek out structure when travelling to my fishing spot, moving between spots and exploring new water. By taking the time to position the kayak down current and casting soft plastics back over this

structure I have caught more fish and a wider variety of fish species. BAIT Never underestimate the importance of bait. Often when there is no bait on the sounder, there is little fish activity in the area. Find the bait – find the fish. When travelling, drifting, fishing the edge or exploring new water, bait is at the top of

if there’s a series of drains along a mangrove edge, look for the drains that are holding the bait as they are the ones that produce the fish. FISH While chasing flathead I have a few areas that commonly hold schools of bream and grunter. If I see the fish on the sounder, then I’m pretty confident that I will

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the list of things to look for. If I find a drain, flat, pinnacle, drop off or any other section of water that is loaded with bait then I will give it some more time. On the other hand, if I am not seeing bait on the sounder then I will run and gun through the area. I still cover those areas with casts but won’t give them any additional attention. When fishing my local river there are a few sections that I travel through, including a rocky patch and a deep hole, and if the bait is there I am confident that I will land a few bream on 2.5” curl tail or paddle tail plastics. Likewise

catch them on plastics or at least get a few rattles. If I don’t see fish, or at least plenty of bait on the sounder, then I continue through these spots and onto the next. On other occasions I have located schools of fish on the sounder and after persistence, have been rewarded with yellowtail pike, school mulloway, trevally and a variety of other species. After numerous successes I trust that if the Dragonfly says there are fish under you, there are and it’s worth spending some time changing up soft plastic sizes, colours and styles, along with retrieves, until you are

convinced that they simply aren’t eating. SOFT PLASTICS On the topic of changing things up until you find what

third rod comes into play along sections of bank that drop away to 3-4m below the kayak, where previously I would move quickly through

mind when monitoring your sounder and have a few different soft plastics rigged and ready for action! See you on the water…

This drain was loaded with bait and produced bream, grunter and flathead. works, my experiments with the Dragonfly have seen me changing from two rods in the yak, rigged with 1/4oz jigheads and 3” paddle tails in different colours, to three rods rigged with three different jighead and plastic combinations: a 1/6oz 1/0 jighead with a 2.5” paddle tail, a 1/4oz 3/0 with a 3” paddle tail and a 3/8oz 3/0 with a 3” paddle tail or 4” curl tail. This combination allows me to adapt to what I see on the sounder. I still sit a cast distance from the edge of the bank, but if the area is shallow I swim the lighter weighted, smaller plastic, producing a more natural presentation, and increasing the number of bream, whiting and other smaller mouthed species that I catch. If it’s between 1-2.5m deep, which is common in the areas that I fish, then I will run my favourite 1/4oz 3/0 and 3” paddle tail. The

the area, fish the first couple of metres of edge or spend more time fishing the lighter jighead slowly down the drop. The 3/8oz head allows me to fish these deeper drop offs quicker and more effectively, especially if there is bait or fish showing on the sounder. This three rod setup also allows me to mix up my presentations when fish, bait or structure is located on the sounder and more effectively fish the visible fish, bait and structure in a wider range of water depths. If you’re looking at fitting a sounder to your kayak, check out the Raymarine Dragonfly-5 PRO Sounder/ GPS. The next step is to spend some time getting to know your sounder and learning to trust it by turning what you are seeing on the screen into bent rods, happy snaps and a fresh feed of fish. Keep the checklist of fish, bait and structure in

Gearing up for a big day!

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A nice bream I may not have captured if I hadn’t seen the bait and fish on my sounder! NOVEMBER 2015

What’s New BOATING

GARMIN GHP REACTOR

Designed to be mounted just about anywhere and in any orientation, Garmin’s GHP Reactor autopilot series sets the standard for performance, ease-of-use and safety. The GHP Reactor’s unprecedented performance is the result of Garmin engineers integrating a new solid-state nine-axis attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) that yields less heading error and course deviation, reduced rudder movement and lower power consumption, providing a smoother ride and overall better experience for boaters. Installation is easier than ever with mounting options nearly anywhere on the vessel. Once installed, the GHP Reactor autopilot also reduces configuration and calibration time from 20 minutes to as few as 5, allowing you to get out on the water with more confidence and in a shorter timeframe. Using the Garmin-patented Shadow Drive feature, the GHP Reactor automatically disengages the autopilot with a turn of the helm wheel. For hydraulic installations, the SmartPump can also be implemented, providing improved reliability, lower power consumption and further installation simplification. Price: RRP from $2,999 www.garmin.com.au

MERCURY FESTIVAL OF FOURSTROKE

More and more boat owners are moving to Mercury FourStroke technology – and now there are literally hundreds of additional reasons to make the switch. For a limited time, participating Mercury Dealers are offering up to $700 off FourStrokes from 2.5-75hp. Boaters can now enjoy the many benefits of world-class, leading-edge technology at even more affordable prices. Better still, this offer is available to recreational and commercial customers – no restrictions. By combining performance, superior corrosion protection, efficiency and peace of mind, these engines will take your time on the water to a whole new level. Mercury FourStrokes are so popular because they do exactly what you need them to, hassle free. No matter the size or job, Mercury’s 2.5-75hp FourStrokes all have one thing in common: uncompromising reliability. And they are also very easy to operate. Offer ends on 20 November. www.mercurymarine.com.au

LATEST UPGRADE TO LIGHTHOUSE II

FLIR Systems, Inc. announced the release of the latest upgrade to its acclaimed LightHouse II operating system for Raymarine multifunction displays. LightHouse II Release 15 gives captains the ability to monitor their engine room using the new FLIR AX8 marine thermal camera system, improves collision avoidance with completely new graphical representations of AIS targets, and now supports direct software updates over Wi-Fi to keep Raymarine users up-to-date with the latest technology. Boaters can gain an entirely new view of their vessel’s mechanical systems with the FLIR AX8 marine thermal monitoring system. Combining thermal and visible cameras in a small, affordable package, the AX8 integrates with Raymarine MFDs to keep a watchful eye on such critical equipment as engines, exhaust manifolds, and shaft bearings. With LightHouse Collision Avoidance tools, both expert and novice captains can now monitor potential dangerous crossing situations with easy-to-interpret on screen graphics, called target interception zones. Price: RRP $1,750 www.raymarine.com.au

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

BENNETT SLT TRIM TABS

Now you can have the durability of a Bennett trim tab system with a simple, quick and easy installation. There is nothing to do inside the boat – only the mounting of two actuators and two tabs at the transom. It’s an affordable, simple solution for small boats from 3-5.5m (10-18ft). The SLT uses some of the high-quality, proven materials and durable design used in Bennett standard hydraulic systems. Quick and easy installation – no template needed! You can change the position of the actuator with adjustable mounting options that are available on the trim tab. The SLT reacts instantly to boat speed and water pressure by adding trim when it’s needed. At slower speeds, when the boat is trying to get on plane, the actuators hold the trim tabs down, which automatically lifts the stern and simultaneously puts the boat at planing attitude. On plane, the boat’s speed increases, and water pressure pushes the tabs up. Price: RRP from $269 www.harroldmarine.com.au

SUZUKI’S NEW DIGITAL GAUGE

The Haines Group, distributors of Suzuki outboards have just released a new digital engine management gauge to the Australian market. The team is delighted to announce Suzuki’s next generation standard equipment gauge that features a colour, 3.5” LCD display. Suzuki Marine outboard engines showcase the very best technology available and this is certainly apparent in the new engine management gauge. It provides users with information such as engine RPM, speed and trim angle as well as a whole range of diagnostic data received from the outboard motor such as fuel consumption, economy data and warning alarms, so you’re always up to speed with what’s going on. The new gauge’s easy to read display offers a variety of modes including day or night settings and the option for digital or analogue display of information. www.suzukimarine.com.au

QUINTREX’S TOP ENDER 510

Quintrex’s Top Ender series is back with more features to help you land that next big catch. Claiming its place as the ultimate fishing rig the 510 Top Ender now features 4mm bottom sheets and 3mm side sheets; both increased by a 1mm for extra strength and durability. New practical features to the 510 Top Ender also include full-length side pockets, underfloor storage bins and a large anchor well opening. With the Blade Hull the Top Ender range not only beats the best in the fishing department it offers the smoothest and driest ride on the water including superb stability at rest. The 510 Top Ender comes standard with an impressive line of features including rod holders, a live bait tank in the back deck, scupper drainage system and a rear ladder. The 510 is available as a Quintrex Instant Boating Package including boat, motor and trailer complete with a threeyear factory backed warranty. www.quintrex.com.au

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

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Sydney North Shore Shannon Outboards 3/41 Leighton Pl Hornsby Phone: (02) 9482 2638 | E:sales@shannonoutboards.com.au Website: www.shannonoutboards.com.au

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

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

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

Mid North Coast Disco Marine 160 North St Grafton Ph: (02) 6643 1199 | E:sales@discomarine.com.au Website: www.discomarine.com.au

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Northern NSW / Gold Coast Tweed Coast Marine 32 Machinery Drive, Tweed Heads South Ph: (07) 5524 8877 | E:admin@tweedcoastmarine.com.au Website: www.tweedcoastmarine.com.au

Stessco Catcher SFX450 with 60 Suzuki 4-stroke BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

The Stessco Catcher SFX450 Side Console is an angler’s boat through and through. Being a side console alloy craft, it offers a large amount of useful fishing room within its modest 4.5m length. It’s powered by a 3-cylinder, 60hp Suzuki 4-stroke so it was no slouch on the water either.

easy assessment of the boat’s ride and handling attributes. This is a solid rig. With 3mm construction all round there were no vibes, hums or metallic thrums at any stage of the test runs. I quickly decided that the Catcher SFX450 side console would be an ideal boat for a complete beginner yet just as useful to an old hand looking for a handysized boat for a couple of anglers to spend time in.

carpet-covered cast deck up front featured two underfloor compartments. The compartment nearest the bow was suited to general storage, while the second (109L capacity) was a dedicated well set up for the catch. An extra seat spigot to provide both easy weight distribution plus a comfortable fishing station up front was located between these hatches. A neat bow rail was there to assist around the ramp.

The Suzuki 60 was a perfect power choice for the 4.5m Catcher.

The Catcher SFX450 is a no-frills but very capable craft with a lot of appeal to the angler. SPECIFICATIONS Length..............................................................4.50m Beam................................................................2.08m Hull construction..................................... 3mm alloy Hull weight......................................................365kg Engine ratings............................................. 40-60hp Persons...................................................................5 Engine fitted................................60 Suzuki 4-stroke Fuel......................................................................60L Towing...........Family six or big four sedan or wagon The Catcher is rated for up to five people, and the test boat was supplied by Motorsport Marine of Burpengary on Brisbane’s northside. I conducted the test within the Bribie Passage on a fine day with a bit of breeze kicking up some chop, which allowed

There was no vice about this rig whatsoever – everything worked readily and with plenty of comfort given its modest dimensions. LAYOUT Within the bow an open anchor well provided plenty of room for anchor and warp. A 300mm high

The craft’s alloy side console was set up with a neat grab rail plus a windscreen to offer some protection against slipstream for the driver. The console’s upright section proved a convenient mounting point for a GMI 20 gauge to monitor the Suzuki 60, while a bank of switches plus the craft’s steering wheel was also close by. There was plenty of room up on the horizontal section behind the screen for a sounder to be mounted as well. Being an open, floormounted unit the side console had ample leg room for the driver and as a bonus also came equipped

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with a central storage shelf. Engine controls were side mounted within easy reach of the skipper. Seating options are part of the Catcher’s attractions, with one base right beside the skipper, and another installed to port of the console. Again, very useful for weight distribution when you have more than two people aboard. Seating consisted of wellcushioned and supportive pedestal-style units, which were able to swivel aft to facilitate fishing. Aft of the skipper and mate’s seats, the main features were 1m long, off-floor side pockets which obviously provided a brace point under them, a sizeable cast deck at the transom in which several compartments were set up, along with 250mm wide side decks and grab rails. Rod holders within the 750mm high side decks are options for this rig. Areas adjacent the transom were carpeted and set up as an alternative casting platform which would be ideal in calm conditions. Under the rear deck area there was a 30L live bait tank to starboard, general purpose storage compartment to port, and battery and other items centrally. In all, excellent use put to this area. Aft of the transom with its wide splash well was a checkerplate boarding platform, with accompanying rail, on each side of the 60 Suzuki. TOP POWER SUZUKI 60 With its moderate vee hull featuring several strong pressings plus an outer reversed chine, the smooth running Catcher was very well powered by the (maximum hp) 60 Suzuki on the transom – to the extent that with two aboard the craft jumped onto the plane in a little over its own length. The Catcher drove and handled very freely with its

mechanical steering set up, and it turned out some quite impressive performance figures all round. With three aboard the Stessco planed at 3000rpm at 12.2km/h, which is a very modest speed. 4000rpm saw a speed of 32.4km/h on the GMI 20 gauge, with 5000rpm

4000 rpm/32.4km/h fuel use figures as well – just 7L per hour. Owners would no doubt find that cruising at around 30km/h at mid range revs would make a lot of sense. And with a 60L under floor tank, fuel consumption of 7L per hour would give a range of 240km+. Awesome!

Flexible seating arrangements allow for ease of passenger positioning.

A plumbed live bait well is one of the Catcher’s handy features. recording 46.2km/h and 6000rpm a feisty 58.3km/h. They’re impressive speeds for modest power, and I was also impressed with the

RIDE AND HANDLING Another of the Catcher’s attractions was a very good ride. A hull weight of 365kg saw the boat settled

and nicely balanced on the water, and with three aboard it was a lot of fun to turn the craft rapidly, push over wash from other boats travelling in Pumicestone

Passage, then see how quickly the craft returned to a level attitude to assess both handling and overall ride quality. While I could hear a bump as we crossed

Under the forward casting deck there’s a 109L catch well and general storage compartment, plus a seat position.

some of those waves – some were fairly large – there was certainly no upsetting impact to contend with. Metre high sides kept all spray away from us as we crossed wash and chop, and with any displaced water being turned away from the hull around halfway along its length I was more than pleased with this aspect of the craft’s sea-keeping ability. In all, I saw the Catcher as a well handling and well riding craft. Stability was very good as well, and it was no issue whatsoever to walk around the rig, tucking into various corners or positions while we were in mid channel, to take my photos. I believe that the average angler fishing

The Catcher’s excellent hull at work: note the way spray is pushed back around half of the craft’s length. from the Catcher would find nothing to complain about as far as stability is concerned.

Left: Additional storage within the port quarter is a useful feature. Right: The catcher’s off floor side pockets also provide a brace point for an angler working on a serious fish.

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FISHABILITY Stessco have packed quite a few features into the no-frills but very capable Catcher SFX450, with about the only thing missing being rod holders. Given that there’s a large catch well, a plumbed live well aft plus four seating positions and both fore and aft storage compartments under decks, the angler has been quite well catered for. Backing these useful features were a very good ride, easy performance and handling plus excellent stability. Finish was quite good with welds quite well smoothed although visible. The Catcher SFX450 is an unpainted craft, with a

neat decal catching the eye and highlighting the craft’s straight sides. Motorsport Marine are offering the Catcher SFX450 and 60 Suzuki on a Stessco trailer, with safety gear and registrations for $21,990. Motorsport Marine can be contacted on (07) 3888 0555 or on www. motorsportmarine.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.

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Harris Grand Mariner SL 230 FMG

Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

In the car heading to Echuca to do this boat test, I tried to picture how I was going to tackle a boat test on a pontoon style boat – a style of boat often referred to as a ‘party boat.’ I tried my best not to have too many pre-conceived ideas, but that proved to be impossible! I went into the test with some positive expectations in regards to comfort, space and family orientation but found myself unable to find too many angler friendly thoughts to go with them. I met Paul Eade from Xtreme Marine the following morning and was introduced to the Harris Grand Mariner SL 230. Aside from the obvious comfort and luxury of the fit out, my eyes were immediately drawn to the Mercury Verado 300 PRO supercharged 4-stroke on the back of it. With that, some of those preconceived ideas I had were already being blown away and I could see this was going to be a lot of fun.

The Harris looks and performs with excellence.

The ability to sidle up to a bank and enjoy what a waterway has to offer is a huge advantage of this style of boat. LAUNCHING AND RETRIEVING The Murray River at Echuca was the destination for the boat test and launching facilities there are excellent. First impressions are always important and the ease in which Paul launched the boat by himself was impressive. In less than a couple of minutes the SL 230 was nudged against the bank and you could just walk on and off through a front gate. Not a wet foot in sight and we were ready to take it for a spin!

Putting the boat back on the trailer proved to be just as easy. The SL 230 has a drive on trailer and once the boat is lined up, driven all the way onto the trailer and locked into place you are ready to head off to your next destination. ON THE WATER As you can imagine, many of my fixed ideas about a pontoon style boat at 25ft long, related to handling and manoeuvrability. I was full of questions for Paul and getting a feel for what the handling would be like prior to getting behind the wheel myself was

of great interest to me. Paul conceded that many people who had come for an on water test had similar doubts to mine and he enjoyed seeing their thoughts change just by the look on their faces. It didn’t take me long to understand this change of heart. The transition onto the plane was very smooth and it didn’t take long to get to a very respectable 42.5knot top speed. Considering the size of the SL 230, it manoeuvred more like a small craft. I do not consider myself to be an

Grand Mariner SL 230 to your every need. First and foremost is the floor plan and seating configuration. Options for this area include a fishing pod with bait station, rod holders and live well at the rear of the boat, and that’s just the beginning. Layouts can include a ski tow bar, ski locker, entertainment bar, changing room with curtain, deluxe seating and multiple floor plan options. There is clever storage in and under all of the seating and above floor fittings. The attention to detail to ensure the end result is user friendly and meets the purpose they are designed for is second to none. Paul showed me the battery housing and to say that it was immaculate would be an understatement. There was not a wire out of place and this was the same with every aspect of the fit out.

didn’t stop there either, with plenty of floor lighting, lighting in your cup holders and even in the bimini if you wanted, so you would never have an issue with not being able to see what you are looking for or navigating around the boat. THE HULL The Grand Mariner SL 230 is part of the performance package range of the Harris Pontoon boats. Basically this means that a third pontoon is incorporated into the hull design to allow for larger motors (150hp and above). There are three levels of performance package dependent on the motor configuration. The tested boat had a level 3 package hull, which included a full-length centre tube that is lower by an inch, creating more of a V-hull design. This further improves handling, increases fuel capacity, improves the hole shot and increases the horsepower rating of the vessel to up to 350hp. Considering the size of the SL 230, the handling and manoeuvrability is hard to believe. Until you get behind the wheel and take it through its paces, you can’t understand how well it performs and how easy it is to drive whether at top speed or cruising. Harris has been around for 55 years and continues striving to improve its hull designs. I have to say it would be pretty amazing to improve on what we tested. QR CODE

The tested boat had a changing room option.

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immensely experienced boat driver and the beauty of this craft is that you do not need to be. The ride was incredibly soft, as you would expect from a pontoon style hull. The air pocket created by the pontoons cushions the boat from any harsh landings and the dolphin nose cones ensure you slice through any chop with ease. Although we were testing on the Murray, there is no doubt that the Grand Mariner SL 230 would be at home in a saltwater environment and would deal with any wind chop, boat wake or swell with ease. FIT OUT It will be difficult to fully explain just how many options are available to personalise the

The boat we tested had a double bimini top, which zips together to provide a serious amount of sun protection. You can also option to have mesh sides to keep the bugs out or full clears to give you even more protection from the elements. It also had a full multi-media system fitted, with LED lights in all the speakers. The LED lighting

Scan the QR code to watch Harris Grand Mariner

SPECIFICATIONS Overall length:......................................................25’ Pontoon length:...................................................23’ Beam width:....................................................... 8’6” Weight:............................................................ 3743lb Weight capacity:............................................2900lb Max persons:........................................................14 Max hp:........................................................... 300hp

MERCURY 300HP VERADO PRO FOUR STROKE No matter the hull, a quality outboard is required to bring all of the elements together. Mercury’s 300hp Verado Pro 4-Stroke is an incredible piece of kit. A supercharged air-cooled inline 6 motor, it is one of the lightest in its class. The DTS (Digital Throttle and Shift) gearshift system provides a smooth power transfer and the electrohydraulic power steering further enhances the ease of driving the SL 230. The Mercury is perfectly suited to the SL 230 and had plenty of power to get us on the plane quickly, to tow a skier or slowly cruise and troll a lure behind the boat. FISHABILITY The Grand Mariner SL 230 is not a lure caster’s dream boat. Heading up shallow backwaters is not what it is designed for. However it does come into its own as a platform to fish from and as a base to explore a waterway. There would not be a more stable platform anywhere to fish from and if you included the fishing floorplan that has a bait station and live well you have some serious fishing options available to you, whether it be in an estuary system, on the Murray River or larger inland waterways. The ability to easily park it

on a bank, set up the biminis, sneak out for a bit of lure casting in the smaller boat you have towed behind you and then return knowing that there is a cold drink, shade and plenty of comfortable seating to come back to – a bizarre scenario where being left behind has its benefits! TOWING The SL 230 is a large vessel and – with the additional weight of the

Mercury 300hp Verado as well as extra fuel storage – it is not something that can be towed by the family sedan. However, any vehicle with a 3t towing capacity would easily tow it. There are no additional width towing requirements, so if you have the vehicle, you can get out and get on the water. CONCLUSION After three hours on the water my thoughts on

what the Harris Pontoon had to offer had changed dramatically. The obvious things like family orientation, comfort and versatility had only been enhanced. I know my family would thoroughly enjoy getting out on the water, running a tube or skiing behind it, then sidling up to bank for a bit of lunch and wetting a line, before further exploring the waterway. My reservations about

launching, retrieving, manoeuvrability and handling had been totally dispelled. In fact, everything was hassle free. The versatility of adapting the floorplan to meet your needs is a serious bonus. It can be set up to cruise, to fish, to ski or any variation of that. There are not too many boats that can offer this amount of choice.

other boats in the range include: Crowne, Solstice, Sunliner, Cruiser and Omni. To find out more about the SL 230 and the range of Harris pontoon boats you can contact Paul Eade at Xtreme Marine in Echuca on 03 5482 2333 or you can go to their website www.xtrememarine.net.au • Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith.

Above Left: There is lots of practical storage everywhere. Above Middle: All of the seating is comfortable including the skipper’s chair. Above: LED lighting is a feature of the boat. There is enough to put on a fantastic light show. Far Left: The seating in the Grand Mariner SL 230 is absolute luxury. Left: One of the options is to have a fishing station at the rear of the boat including a bait station, rod holders and live well. If I had to use one word to describe my last impression of the Harris Grand Mariner SL 230 it would be ‘excellent.’ The Grand Mariner is second in line as far as what Harris Pontoon boats offer –

HARRIS

Performance of individual boat/motor/trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

GRAND MARINER SL230

SL230 Overall length 25’ Beam 8’6” Max HP 300

T R A N S E N D

T O

L U X U R Y

Phone: (03) 5482 2333 24 Sturt Street Echuca VIC 3564 www.harrisboats.com.au

See it in action! NOVEMBER 2015

SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) – NEW SOUTH WALES SEPTEMBER Time 0349 1000 TU 1604 2219

Time

m 0.10 1.71 0.20 1.77

0335 0951 WE 1558 2203

Time

0.37 1.52 0.42 1.47

0406 1026 TH 1649 2257

0.41 1.52 TH 1639 0.46 2241 1.39

2 0454 1117

17 0508 1133

3 0545 1211

18 0004 0547

4 0054 0741

19 0053 0633

5 0302 0845

20 0150 0730

6 0415 0954

21 0257 0836

7 0521 1101

22 0408 0951

8 0003 0614

23 0513 1102

9 0046 0658

24 0609 1206

0.22 1.81 0.20 1.51

0432 1055 FR 1720 2320

Time 0036 0617 SU 1242 1928

0.48 1.61 SA 1803 0.43

2 0133 0711

17 0040 0615

3 0235 0811

18 0136 0712

4 0340 0917

19 0238 0817

5 0441 1025

20 0344 0930

6 0534 1129

21 0446 1043

7 0619 1224

22 0544 1152

8 0037 0700

23 0015 0637

9 0114 0736

24 0104 0728

20 0420 1027

6 0533 1146

21 0520 1140

7 0619 1242

22 0617 1247

8 0030 0700

23 0040 0711

9 0108 0740

24 0131 0802

25 0152 0817

10 0145 0816

25 0220 0851

11 0220 0845

26 0240 0906

11 0223 0854

26 0308 0938

27 0219 0837

12 0253 0918

27 0327 0954

12 0301 0932

27 0354 1022

13 0258 0914

28 0305 0925

13 0327 0954

28 0415 1042

13 0342 1013

28 0439 1104

29 0234 0847

14 0328 0946

29 0352 1014

14 0403 1030

29 0501 1128

14 0426 1055

29 0523 1145

30 0320 0936

15 0359 1019

30 0439 1102

15 0443 1111

30 0014 0549

15 0512 1139

30 0029 0607

6 0219 0812

21 0107 0657

7 0336 0919

22 0216 0802

8 0445 1024

23 0330 0915

9 0541 1121

24 0437 1023

10 0025 0626

25 0533 1123

10 0124 0735

25 0045 0700

10 0147 0811

11 0102 0704

26 0017 0624

11 0157 0810

26 0133 0748

12 0136 0740

27 0104 0712

12 0228 0842

13 0206 0813

28 0149 0800

14 0236 0845 15 0305 0917

1.25 0.54 WE 1748 1.58 0.41 1.31 TH 1210 0.49 1832 1.60 0.37 1.37 FR 1253 0.45 1911 1.62

0.35 1.42 SA 1331 0.42 1946 1.62

0.33 1.46 SU 1407 0.40 2020 1.61

0.33 1.49 MO 1444 0.39 2053 1.58 0.35 1.51 TU 1520 0.40 2128 1.53

5 0443 1044

20 0010 0602

0.46 1.50 FR 1723 0.50 2322 1.32

0.51 1.48 SA 1813 0.54

1.24 0.57 SU 1236 1.45 1912 0.58

1.18 0.61 MO 1334 1.44 2021 0.57 1.16 0.62 TU 1441 1.46 2131 0.52

1.19 0.59 WE 1549 1.52 2235 0.43 1.27 0.52 TH 1651 1.62 2329 0.32 1.39 0.41 FR 1746 1.72

0.21 1.52 SA 1218 0.30 1839 1.80

0.13 1.64 SU 1312 0.20 1930 1.84

0.09 1.74 MO 1405 0.14 2020 1.83 0.09 1.80 TU 1459 0.11 2111 1.76

0.14 1.83 WE 1553 0.14 2203 1.65

0.33 1.75 FR 1748 0.29 2353 1.38 0.45 1.67 SA 1852 0.38 1.26 0.55 SU 1409 1.58 2100 0.46 1.19 0.62 MO 1514 1.50 2208 0.50 1.18 0.65 TU 1621 1.46 2311 0.50 1.22 0.64 WE 1724 1.45 0.48 1.28 TH 1200 0.59 1817 1.47 0.45 1.35 FR 1251 0.54 1901 1.49 0.41 1.43 SA 1334 0.48 1941 1.51

0.39 1.49 SU 1413 0.43 2017 1.52

0.37 1.54 MO 1449 0.39 2053 1.51 0.37 1.58 TU 1526 0.37 2128 1.49

0.38 1.61 WE 1602 0.36 2203 1.46 0.40 1.63 TH 1640 0.37 2241 1.41

1.30 0.53 SU 1215 1.57 1852 0.46

1.24 0.59 MO 1303 1.53 1948 0.49 1.21 0.63 TU 1400 1.50 2052 0.49

1.21 0.64 WE 1506 1.50 2159 0.45 1.26 0.61 TH 1616 1.53 2300 0.39 1.35 0.53 FR 1723 1.59 2355 0.30

1.48 0.42 SA 1822 1.66

0.23 1.62 SU 1305 0.31 1917 1.70

0.17 1.74 MO 1401 0.21 2010 1.72 0.16 1.84 TU 1455 0.14 2102 1.69

0.18 1.90 WE 1548 0.11 2155 1.62 0.24 1.92 TH 1642 0.13 2248 1.53 0.32 1.89 FR 1736 0.19 2342 1.43

1.26 0.61 MO 1334 1.59 2027 0.45 1.22 0.68 TU 1431 1.49 2126 0.50 1.22 0.71 WE 1533 1.42 2222 0.53 1.25 0.71 TH 1636 1.38 2313 0.52 1.32 0.67 FR 1733 1.38 2358 0.50 1.40 0.61 SA 1823 1.39 0.47 1.47 SU 1311 0.54 1907 1.41 0.44 1.55 MO 1353 0.47 1947 1.43 0.43 1.61 TU 1431 0.42 2026 1.43

0.42 1.67 WE 1509 0.38 2103 1.42 0.42 1.71 TH 1545 0.35 2142 1.41

0.44 1.73 FR 1624 0.34 2222 1.38

0.46 1.74 SA 1705 0.34 2304 1.35

0.50 1.72 SU 1748 0.36 2349 1.32

1.29 0.58 TU 1242 1.64 1929 0.41

1.28 0.62 WE 1336 1.59 2027 0.41 1.29 0.63 TH 1439 1.55 2127 0.40

1.35 0.61 FR 1547 1.53 2226 0.37

1.44 0.55 SA 1656 1.54 2322 0.32

1.57 0.46 SU 1800 1.55

0.29 1.69 MO 1255 0.35 1858 1.57 0.26 1.81 TU 1353 0.26 1954 1.56

0.26 1.90 WE 1447 0.19 2048 1.54 0.29 1.95 TH 1540 0.16 2141 1.50

0.33 1.95 FR 1630 0.17 2232 1.45

0.39 1.91 SA 1720 0.22 2324 1.39

0.47 1.84 SU 1809 0.29

1.34 0.55 MO 1214 1.73 1858 0.37

1.26 0.69 WE 1346 1.50 2034 0.50

0025 0603 WE 1227 1909

19 0317 0912

5 0109 0709

1.20 0.58 TU 1656 1.55 2341 0.45

Time

m 1.29 0.62 1.62 0.45

4 0348 0935

19 0518 1146

1.18 0.59 MO 1555 1.53 2245 0.49

0104 0639 TU 1259 1945

18 0216 0801

4 0008 0614

1.22 0.55 SU 1446 1.54 2137 0.51

Time

3 0251 0830

18 0441 1104

1.32 0.48 SA 1340 1.58 2021 0.49

0527 0.54 1154 1.69 MO 1836 0.38

17 0118 0700

3 0523 1144

1.46 0.38 FR 1239 1.63 1908 0.43

1.34 0.52 1.71 0.37

Local Time DECEMBER

2 0157 0731

17 0407 1026

0.27 1.68 TH 1801 0.34

Time

0.44 1.63 0.39 1.36

2 0435 1051

0.17 1.71 WE 1701 0.26 2312 1.62

2015

LAT 33° 52’ LONG 151° 13’ Times and Heights of High and Low Waters OCTOBER NOVEMBER

1.26 0.73 TH 1439 1.41 2124 0.54 1.29 0.75 FR 1537 1.35 2214 0.55 1.34 0.73 SA 1639 1.31 2302 0.54 1.41 0.67 SU 1737 1.31 2347 0.52 1.49 0.60 MO 1830 1.32 0.50 1.57 TU 1330 0.53 1916 1.34 0.48 1.64 WE 1411 0.45 2000 1.35 0.47 1.71 TH 1450 0.39 2041 1.37 0.45 1.76 FR 1530 0.34 2122 1.38

0.45 1.81 SA 1609 0.30 2204 1.38

0.45 1.83 SU 1650 0.28 2248 1.38

0.46 1.82 MO 1733 0.28 2334 1.37 0.49 1.79 TU 1819 0.30

31 0527 1152

0.41 1.81 SA 1831 0.28

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

m 1.37 0.52 1.73 0.32

1.37 0.56 TH 1318 1.66 2001 0.34 1.39 0.58 FR 1416 1.58 2057 0.37

1.44 0.59 SA 1522 1.50 2154 0.38

1.51 0.56 SU 1631 1.45 2251 0.38

1.61 0.50 MO 1741 1.42 2347 0.37 1.71 0.41 TU 1845 1.42

0.36 1.80 WE 1347 0.32 1944 1.43 0.36 1.88 TH 1441 0.25 2037 1.43 0.37 1.92 FR 1530 0.22 2128 1.43

0.39 1.92 SA 1616 0.22 2215 1.41

0.42 1.89 SU 1700 0.25 2301 1.39

0.47 1.82 MO 1741 0.30 2345 1.36 0.53 1.73 TU 1821 0.37

1.34 0.59 WE 1224 1.62 1900 0.43

31 0113 0653

1.32 0.65 TH 1304 1.52 1941 0.49

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.

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Trades, Services, Charter Calypso Yamba Holiday Park (02) 6646 8847 Iluka Riverside Tourist Park (02) 6646 6060 Wooli Camping & Caravan Park (02) 6649 7671

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

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Port Stephens Tackle World (02) 4984 2144

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MACLEAY VALLEY COAST Macleay Valley Coastal Holiday Parks 1300 262 782 Crescent Head Holiday Park: 02 6566 0261 Hat Head Holiday Park: 02 6567 7501 Horse Shoe Bay Holiday Park: 02 6566 6370 Stuarts Point Holiday Park: 02 6563 0616 Grassy Head Holiday Park: 02 6569 0742 • Cabin Accommodation • Caravan and Camping

• Activities for the whole family • Resort pool with deck and wading area

Fish Taxidermist 0428 544 841

Gabes Boating & Fishing Centre Narellan (02) 4647 8755 Windybanks Bait and Tackle (02) 9477 1520

BREAKDOWN RESPONSE Boat Assist 24 (02) 9746 6224 or www.boatassist24.com.au

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

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Bermagui Bait and Tackle (02) 6493 5444

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

BOAT IMPORTS Import USA Boat 0435 476 177

KAYAK DEALERS Hunter Water Sports (02) 4947 7899

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FLUSH YOUR ENGINE WITH

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

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CORROSION CONTROL SALT REMOVING TREATMENT

WARNING!

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ENGINE FLUSHING JETSKIS TRAILERS

FREECALL For more info

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

CENTRAL COAST Central Coast Holiday Parks 1800 241 342

ILLAWARRA COAST

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Book today on

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

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

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

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Dubbo Marine and Watersports (02) 6882 2853

BOAT HIRE Boab Boat Hire (NSW) 1300 002 6221

HOLIDAY RENTAL NORTH COAST Brooms Head Caravan Park (02) 6646 7144

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

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 CHIFLEY DAM

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

Wooli Deep Sea Tours (02) 6649 7100 Trial Bay Fishing Charters, 0427 256 556 South West Rocks Fishing Adventures 0411 096 717

FREEDOM CHARTERS

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PORT & REEF SFISHING GAME ERS

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Contact: David Hayman (Stumpee) Mobile: 0411 096 717 info@swrcharters.com.au

Right on the peaceful shores of Chifley Dam

Freecall 1800 68 1000 Book online at visitbathurst.com.au

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QUEENSLAND

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TRIPS INCLUDE

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

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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

MAKE YOUR OWN

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

Greenwell Point only 10 mins from

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

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

EDEN COAST Esprit Fishing Charters 1300 556 658

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

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NSWFM NOVEMBER 2015

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

Black Pete Marine Pty Ltd PO Box 3094, Allambie, NSW 2100 blkpete@bigpond.net.au www.blackpete.com.au | 02 9905 7888

SAVE UP TO $700 ON THE 2.5 TO 75HP

FOURSTROKE RANGE 2.5

Save $100

8hp

Save $200

30hp

Save $400

3.5hp

Save $100

9.9hp

Save $200

40hp

Save $500

4hp

Save $125

15hp

Save $250

50hp

Save $500

5hp

Save $125

20hp

Save $300

60hp

Save $600

6hp

Save $150

25hp

Save $300

75hp

Save $700

HURRY OFFER ENDS NOV 20, 2015. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got to be Mercury this summer www.mercurymarine.com.au *Terms & conditions apply. Savings are based on RRP and subject to change without notice. Prices exclude local freight charges, fit up and local statutory charges. Offer available on selected new consumer Four Stroke outboards from 2.5hp to 75hp purchased from participating dealers from September 18th, 2015 until November 20th, 2015. Offer is subject to availability and engines must be 2014 build onwards and installed and registered by no later than December 31st, 2015. Offer not to be used in conjunction with any other offer or rebates.