New South Wales Fishing Monthly - October 2014 by Fishing Monthly

SPRING INTO ACTION – THE FISH ARE BITING!

Tested

Bar Crusher 670 HTP Suzuki 200HP • Sea Jay 520 Velocity Sports • Gloryfy glasses • Vigil bung light •

Features

Estuary luderick basics • Beginner’s Kioloa to Lake Tabourie • Spring on the sweetwater • Trailer tips • Snelling hooks • DIY anchor weight •

Tournaments

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SBS Basin results • GTS Ballina • Grabine Classic results • Evans Head results •

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October 2014, Vol. 20 No. 2

Contents BYRON COAST The Tweed 14 Ballina 16 The Clarence 18 COFFS COAST Coffs Harbour Coffs Game South West Rocks

20 22 24

MACQUARIE COAST Port Macquarie 26 Forster 28 Harrington 30 Port Stephens 31 HUNTER COAST Hunter Coast 32 Swansea 34 Central Coast 36 SYDNEY The Hawkesbury 38 Pittwater 40 Sydney North 41 Botany Bay 42 Sydney Rocks and Beach 46 Sydney Harbour 48 Sydney South 49 ILLAWARRA COAST Illawarra 56 Nowra 58 BATEMANS COAST Batemans Bay

From the Editor’s Desk... What started as a simple request for a Reader’s Pic on our Facebook page turned into a flood pretty quickly. Thanks so much the dozens of people who volunteered their fishy pics for inclusion in the magazine. We got a couple into the September mag, but we’ve opened it up in October and plan to keep it that way – check out the couple of Facebook Reader Pics sections in this issue. We’ll have a call-toaction each month which you’ll get fed into your news feed by “Liking” the Fishing Monthly Magazines page. And we’ll do our best to print your submission! We know that there’s nothing like the instant response of Social Media to give you a warm and fuzzy feeling inside, but let’s face it – Nanna doesn’t frame a Facebook

post and show it off to her mates in the nursing home, does she! We’re sure that you’ll enjoy this month’s offerings – there’s plenty of features interspersed with the regular area reports and columnists. Starting with the cover pic. There’s always something special about luderick fishing. Watching a float being gently tugged under the water rings the bell of nearly every angler in the world. Vicki Lear gets you started on the pathway to (or back to) luderick inside. And then Gary Brown gives you a great insight into some places to do it. If you’ve ever wanted to visit the South Coast, his series of features upcoming in this and future issues are well worth a read. This month, it’s Kioloa to Lake Tabourie. Of course, we know that you all love a bit of

hands-on work, so you can follow the Hook Snelling, DIY Anchor Making and Trailer maintenance tips to get some dirt under the fingernails. We reckon that even the worst handyman in NSW can fit one of the new Bung Lights – check out the review inside and make sure you watch the video by scanning the QR code with your smartphone. Starlo sums up a lot of what’s going on in the sweetwater with his Backto-Basics piece in the front of this mag, and a lot of the freshwater report writers will confirm that it’s a great time to target freshwater species at the moment. Just make sure that you check the regulations about closed seasons and areas. Add a little boating – including the second instalment of Nabeel Issa’s series about getting the

best from your sounder and you have a great Springtime read! ARE YOU A TACKLE JUNKIE? We’re also proud to announce that one of our new projects – www. tacklejunkie.fish – has been launched and is ready to view right now. Derived from our discontinued Tackle Junkie print title, the site showcases all of the new and cool things launched in the fishing and boating spheres. And you get the information immediately. Log in and check it out. Subscribe to the email list to get a summary delivered to your inbox periodically or Like the tacklejunkie. fish page on Facebook to get updates about new stories on your News Feed. We love the concept and hope that you do, too.

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SPECIAL FEATURES Coated Tuna Steaks Custom Charting DIY Anchor Weight Estuary Luderick Kioloa to Lake Tabourie Snelling Hooks Spring Sweetwater Sydney 4x4 Show Sydney Squid

REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 12 Boating 90 Dam Levels 82 Fun Page 81 Tides 101 Tournaments 84 Trade Directory 98 What’s New Boating 95 What’s New Fishing 52

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ING TRADE

Spotlight: kiola to lake tabourie

Beginner’s Guide for Kioloa to Lake Tabourie SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

For this Beginner’s Guide I’ll start at a small coastal hamlet located about 30 minutes south of Ulladulla and 30 minutes north of Batemans Bay, called Bawley Point. Bawley Point is located in the Shoalhaven region of the South Coast of NSW, strategically located between the Murramarang National Park, Morton National Park, the Meroo National Park and the Kioloa State Forest. Travelling south from Bawley Point for around 8km you’ll find yourself at Pretty Beach in the Murramarang National Park, and travelling to the north for around 15km you’ll find yourself at Lake Tabourie. Whether you are looking to fish off the beach for whiting, bream, salmon and tailor or want to cast a line in one of the many rock washes for trevally, drummer, snapper, bream, tailor and salmon, this stretch of coastline has it all. If the beach and rocks are not your cup of tea you could always try chasing a few dusky flathead, bream,

The walk to Crampton Island will get the blood pumping and so will the fishing.

The water in Lake Tabourie at times can be very clear, so you will need to fish as light as you can.

Peeled blue tailed prawns, a number three ball sinker and a 1/0 Owner circle hook were the undoing of this bag of fish.

The

luderick, mullet, garfish and prawns in Lake Tabourie. Even though Meroo Lake is a much smaller waterway, it can hold good numbers of bream, luderick, mullet and garfish at times. WAIRO BEACH Wairo Beach is a 5km long, exposed beach backed by dunes reaching up to 30m high and extending a few hundred metres inland towards the Pacific Highway. This beach runs south until

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on past the lake entrance as a low spit to Crampton Island. Salmon, tailor, bream, whiting and the odd trevally can be caught from this beach. Try using whole or half pilchards, strips of mullet or beach worms for the best results. LAKE TABOURIE The township of Lake Tabourie is situated at the back of a few sand dunes and surrounds the lake itself. Even though this particular

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you reach the northern side of Crompton Island. The beach can be accessed in the centre via fenced walkways over the dunes from a caravan park and from the highway, and in the south where a 1km long park occupies the area between the beach and the narrow channel, connecting Tabourie Lake with the sea. The lake usually enters, but is not always open across the southern end of the beach, with the beach continuing

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Spotlight: kiola to lake tabourie the distance is worth it. From the island itself you can target snapper, tailor, salmon, bream, trevally, leatherjackets, luderick and drummer. You will need to take in all your bait and bring all your rubbish back out with you. The last time I ventured out to the island I took two blocks of pilchards, 1kg of either Hawkesbury River or blue tailed prawns, a couple of slabs of mullet and salted tuna. If you like targeting

A1 - LAKE TABOURINE

Munno Creek

2 Lake Tabourine

Brandaree Creek

1 Wairo Beach

LAKE TABOURINE Lake Tabourie Tourist Park

luderick you can harvest cabbage and green weed here, but I recommend bringing some of your own as it’s a long walk back if you get out there and there is none to get. Live yellowtail and slimy mackerel can be berleyed up on the southern side of the island. TABOURIE BEACH I have fished Lake Tabourie a few times and generally it can be a pretty hard place to fish, but there have been occasions when I have managed to

get bream, flathead, mullet and garfish. The lake will definitely fish better when it has been opened to the sea. This lake is very shallow

A2 BAWLEY POINT

Bawley Beach

lake is fairly shallow it at times can hold good numbers of bream, flathead, luderick, mullet and garfish. For those of you who don’t have access to a small tinny or a kayak there are a number of places where you can cast a line from the shore. All you need to do to find one of these spots is drive around the streets and keep an idea of where the water is. Once you spot a clearing you just hop out of your car and see if you can get a line in from there.

Tingara

Drive

A1 Lake Tabourie Cormorant Beach

Crompton Island

5 Termeil Lake

Kayaking seems to be the best mode of transport on the lake. You could try casting soft plastics and hardbodied lures along the shoreline for bream and flathead, or live baiting with poddy mullet. Prawning improves with each ‘dark’ between November and February. CRAMPTON ISLAND It’s a fair hike from the car park out to the island itself so you’ll need to prepare yourself for a long walk, but believe me,

8 9

Waitro Beach 3 Crampton Island

the southwest side of the highway bridge. At sunset with nippers and fresh worms some sizeable bream were around (biggest went

Meroo 7 Point

6 Meroo Lake Termeil

A2 Princes Highway

Bawley Point Brush Island 14 Kioloa

Racecourse Beach 13

15 Pretty Beach

with sporadic access to the ocean so the size of fish can be below average. The best way to get around there is in a kayak. This will enable you to work the shoreline with shallow hardbodied lures and lightly weighted soft plastics. One spot I used to have a lot of success on was on

45cm). Make sure you fish light as possible, as the water without current can be very clear and the fish are liable to be very finicky. You could also try with fly hooks, dough and floats for the many garfish and mullet that are found in the lake. TERMEIL LAKE Even though this is a

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Spotlight: kiola to lake tabourie very small lake it can at times produce good catches of bream, flathead, mullet and garfish. For the best results you will need to use either beach worms or pink nippers. There are not a lot of land-based spots so I would prefer to fish out of a kayak.

it is very shallow. I have found that over the year shallow running hardbodied lures and lightly weighted soft plastics are the go. During the summer months the bream fishing can be explosive. This lake is situated in the National

The author can’t resist a feed of freshly caught drummer. MEROO LAKE Meroo Lake is definitely a kayak lake as

Park and some of the land is also privately owned so you will need to get

permission to get in through the properties to fish it. MEROO POINT Walk-in camping is

years ago the lake at Meroo burst its banks after a week of heavy rain and literally thousands of prawns flowed

ACCOMMODATION GUIDE

Lake Tabourie Tourist Park Princes Highway, Lake Tabourie Phone: 1300 599 966 permitted at the Meroo Head picturesque camping area, just moments from the beach. The unsealed road through the forest to get here also makes it a great mountain biking destination. Just a 150m walk from the campsite and you’ll step onto a beautiful sandy beach where you can enjoy swimming, snorkelling, surfing, fishing, beach walking and exploring the rock pools. Go exploring around up to Meroo Head Lookout for some amazing coastal views. If you are feeling energetic you could then enjoy a short walk south to Meroo Beach and Nuggan Point. The beaches on either side of Meroo Point are known for salmon, tailor, bream and mulloway. My best fishing experiences in this area have been a couple of hours before the sun sets and the first two hours of the sunrise. A couple of

out of the lake. The four days the lake stayed open was sensational fishing off the beach. BAWLEY BEACH Bawley Beach is a slightly curving 270m long beach wedged between Willinga and the larger Bawley Point, which extends 1 km east and provides some protection from southerly waves. The beach faces northeast with waves averaging about 1m, which maintain a usually continuous low tide terrace, with a rip only forming against the northern rocks during higher seas. To do any good from this beach you will need to have either live beach worms, pipis or nippers. Whiting and bream can be caught here at night. THE GANTRY The jetty ruins remain, next to a large car park with small boat access onto the southern corner of the beach adjacent to a large rock. A second car park, park and

picnic area and a small dune lie immediately behind the beach, which is backed by the Bawley Point community. The Gantry produces bream, salmon, tailor, trevally, luderick and the odd whiting or two following big

seas and blow. Care needs to be taken when fishing from here even though the platform is fairly high off the water’s surface. BAWLEY POINT Care needs to be taken whenever you are fishing

Top: Alan was concentrating on watching the bobby cork go under while fishing the gutter near Cormorant Beach. Bottom: I still find it hard to decide whether to use the squid for bait or eat them.

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Spotlight: kiola to lake tabourie from this point as the rocks that lead to the water can at times be extremely slippery. Also as this is a very exposed point the swells do jump up out of the water so it’s best fished during calm seas. Salmon, tailor, snapper, luderick, bream, trevally, drummer, squid and bonito can be caught here year round. The Bawley Point shopping centre caters for all your basic holiday needs. There is Bawley Beach Café for great pizza and pasta, Liquor Bar, Village Take Away, Newsagency Bawley Point and Post Office,

Bawley Bakehouse, IGA Supermarket, Bawley Point Friendly Grocer and a PG Hardware, where you can purchase bait and tackle, gas refills and fishing licences. CORMORANT BEACH I have found that this beach works the best after there has been a bit of a sea. Bream and whiting are the mainstay of this beach. Beach worms, pink nippers and pipis are the go for bait. You could try at night with a whole pilchard on ganged hooks for a salmon or tailor. THE CRES Very much the same as Bawley Point, only that the

water depth out the front is a little bit deeper. RACECOURSE BEACH This is a broad, flat beach that has a headland at either end. I fished here with a group of anglers a few years back at high tide when the seas were as flat as a billiard table and we managed to catch tailor, salmon, bream, whiting and a couple of shovel-nosed rays. All were caught on either whole or half pilchards. KIOLOA The village of Kioloa, 6km south of Bawley Point, is home to the Edith and Joy London Foundation Kioloa Coastal Campus of the Australian

National University. This field station provides simple accommodation

Take zones accounting for 20% of the Park in which any form of fishing is forbidden,

so you’ll need to check out where you can and can’t fish in the area.

Care needs to be taken when chasing salmon off the southern side of Bawley Point.

The view south from the viewing platform at Tabourie car park shows you a number of gutters leading down to Stokes Point.

and laboratory facilities for instruction and research in the field sciences. The Edith and Joy London walking track passes through part of the Murramarang Aboriginal Area and down to the shoreline. BATEMANS BAY MARINE PARK In 2006 the NSW government gazetted a Marine Park all the way from 1km north of Brush Island and 5km from shore to 120km south. There are mapped (see I-Centre at Bawley Newsagency) No

The gantry on the northern side of Bawley Point can produce plenty of fish, but on this particular day it was the squid that were on the chew.

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Spring on the sweetwater NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling

fish become increasingly active and more willing to grab a bait, lure or fly.

and even flathead in the salt, especially after rain.) Rigs are best kept

snaggy areas, a dropper or paternoster rig with the weight at the bottom may

www.starlofishing.me

Spring is a fantastic time to wet a line in any of our diverse freshwater environments, from the cool trout waters of the deep south all the way to the jungle perch and sooty grunter streams of our tropical rainforests. This month, Starlo offers some valuable freshwater fishing tips for new chums and old hands alike. It was the legendary Australian outdoor writer and doyen of fishing journalism in this country, Vic McCristal, who first popularised the term ‘sweetwater’ to describe our more pristine freshwater angling environments. It remains a particularly fitting label for these magnificent places. Whether you ‘re keen

Soft plastics are spot-on for freshwater targets like golden perch, especially if the water is reasonably clear.

Spring is also prime trout fishing time, wherever these great fish are found. on chasing those speckled immigrants, the trout, in Tasmania, Victoria and the high country of NSW, inland natives such as cod and yellowbelly west of the divide, bass in the coastal rivers, or sooty grunter, jungle perch, saratoga and barra up north, the period from now until Christmas is prime time for a little sweetwater adventure. As the weather and water warm up, all of these

Bait fishing is a great way of getting started in the wonderful world of freshwater fishing. All of the species described so far will happily eat a range of natural and not-so-natural baits. Common, gardenvariety earthworms make a great starting point and will catch most freshwater species at one time or another. (As a matter of interest, garden worms also appeal to bream, whiting

simple and, as in most fishing, anglers using smaller sinkers and finer lines or leaders usually get the most bites. A simple running sinker rig with a small ball sinker sliding freely on the line right down to the hook works well in many freshwater scenarios, although some anglers prefer to add a small swivel 30 or 40 cm from their hook, with the sinker running above this. In really

be better. However, if at all possible, dispense with the sinker altogether and go weightless. You’ll catch more fish. One valuable tip is to keep your worms in a shovelful of soil taken from the bank of the creek or hole where you’re fishing. This quickly gives your wriggling baits a bit of local “flavour” and increases their appeal to resident fish. Catching other baits is also easy and fun. Check local regulations to find out what you’re allowed to use and how you’re permitted to catch it before securing supplies of shrimps, yabbies, cherabin and insect larvae such as mudeyes (dragonfly nymphs). But don’t rule out oddball baits, either. Frozen saltwater prawns, strips of skirt steak, chicken breast and cheese all catch their share of freshwater fish, so be prepared to experiment and mix it up. Many anglers will soon wish to move beyond bait soaking and begin casting or trolling a few lures in the sweetwater. This is an exciting and active way to fish. Start out with a small selection of basic lures and don’t spend a fortune

Golden perch or yellowbelly tend to be at their most active and catch-able in spring, particularly as the water temperature rises above about 17ºC. on bizarre and expensive offerings that you may never end up using. Talk to the staff at the local tackle store about the lures that work best in your area and also seek their input on sizes, colours and how best to present and work those lures. A couple of floating/ diving hard bodies, a few spoons, spinners or spinnerbaits and a handful of soft plastic tails with matching jig heads are about all you need to get started in freshwater lure

fishing. But be warned: it’s a highly addictive pursuit! Don’t be too surprised if you soon find that you need a much larger tackle box to carry all your shiny new acquisitions! I’ll return to the subject of freshwater fishing several times during the coming summer and offer some more specific clues on targeting various species. But for now, dig yourself a punnet of lively worms, grab a couple of lures and get out there… Spring has sprung and the fish are biting!

Australian bass — both wild and stocked fish — are especially active between now and Christmas.

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Catching estuary luderick WOLLONGONG

Vicki Lear

Often you will see a bunch of elderly people standing side by side along an estuary breakwater with long soft rods, light leaders and a float bobbing on the water. They are fishing for luderick. It makes me wonder though, why are so many luderick fishers elderly? Perhaps it’s because they have more patience and concentration in watching for the slightest movement of that float dipping under the water? Because that’s about as hard as it gets! Luderick are such a great fighting fish, visually fun to catch with very few snags and great eating. There should be more and more people such as families, kids and young men and women fishing for these fantastic sportfish and learning from the older generation. WHERE AND WHEN? Luderick inhabit estuary systems and inshore waters in southeast Queensland,

their face for as long as possible, increasing your chances of a catch. GEAR AND SET-UP You don’t need much to get started. A light spinning

strike indicator and use approximately 9ft of leader, and replace the hook with a weed fly. Again, adjust your split shots to keep a natural presentation.

cheating though! I have also been successful in catching blackfish on floating royal red prawns and bloodworms. As a by-catch while bream fishing, luderick

The weed/cabbage you can find on the estuary and coastal foreshores is good bait. rod up to 3m teamed up with a 1000-2500 reel would be ample. A typical bream set up. If you’re flyfishing you can use a 4-6wt rod and

The author with a quality estuary luderick.

BAIT AND LURES Before you start fishing you need bait, and collecting green weed is half the fun. If you’re taking kids make sure they don’t go running across

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NSW, Victoria and Tasmania. They can be caught pretty much all year round but the peak times are October to February where they start to move into our estuary systems for their spawning run. The areas to concentrate on include rocky shorelines – obviously where you find the weed growing is often a good starting point – and deep water holes in estuary systems influenced by tide and current. Because luderick normally live where a strong tidal flow is experienced, the best times for anglers to effectively fish for them is the last two hours of the run-out tide or the first two hours of the run-in tide, depending on the estuary system you’re fishing. This is because your float can drift at a manageable speed to keep the bait or lure in

reel combo depending on the territory you are fishing. If it’s a bit rocky you may need to beef this up. To present your weed bait you will need a float, some split shots, a size 6 or 8 hook, stoppers to stop the float from travelling up and down the line, a swivel and approximately 1m of leader. It’s best to use 6lb-8lb in leader strength, again depending on the territory you are fishing. Place the split shots on your leader below the float to weight the rig. It is critical that you only use enough split shots so the float is as close to being neutrally buoyant as possible. This will ensure a natural presentation and will allow you to detect subtle bites more easily. If you are using a fly rod, the rig is similar to that above. Just replace the pencil float with a foam

the rock ledges, as the rocks can be quite slippery. You will find green weed around the tidal mark and normally have to collect at low tide. Don’t turn your back, or have a spotter to watch for any swell. The weed can be found around the rocky shorelines and in estuaries like Sydney Harbour around the pools, and even the stormwater drains. A paint scraper is an ideal tool to remove the weed. The long green weed will only keep for a number of days so it is best to only take what you need for bait and just enough to mix through the berley. It’s best stored in a cool place in a damp hessian bag. There is also another solution if you don’t have time to gather the bait: you can buy it fresh from a tackle shop – although some people might say that’s

A classic luderick caught on a weed fly. have also been known to take blades, soft plastics and hardbodies although they are not are regular catch on these lures. Weed flies are the next option. With a size 6 or 8 hook, some ice dubbing, monofilament line and clear nail polish you can start tying your own. They are not hard to tie at all, and you shouldn’t be afraid to do a few different shades of green as some days the fish can be focused just on one particular colour. ‘Match the hatch’, as they say. Alternatively, you can buy

weed flies from some tackle stores or from tiers direct like BWC Flies. HOW TO FISH Now that you have collected your bait, let’s put it all together. Present the weed on a size 6 or 8 hook by wrapping it around the hook several times. Adjust the size of your presentation until you work out what the fish want. Cast your rig upcurrent and the let the float and bait/ fly drift back with the water flow through the strike zone. You may need to adjust your bait depth with your

float and sometimes change the distance that you are casting. This could mean the difference between finding the ‘sweet spot’ in the strike zone and catching fish, and not getting a bite. Berley helps but not too much, just a little at a time. To make some berley, finely chop up some of the weed you have collected for bait and mix it through half a bucket of moist sand. Form little balls in your hand and throw them out near your float. Remember you want the fish to be hungry enough to eat your bait so don’t over berley. Armed with all of these tips, it shouldn’t be long before you too can share your first luderick experience. And what’s not to love? The fight is great, there’s the visual aspect of watching the float, it’s fun for the kids, and you don’t have to worry about getting snagged. There’s easy access in most estuaries in NSW, Victoria and Tasmania, and these fish are fantastic eating with a nice, firm flesh ideal for crumbing. Get out there and have a go!

The author hooked up to her first luderick on fly. OCTOBER 2014

Staying safe around the rocks in October THE TWEED

David Solano

I’ve been struggling to catch anything worth a mention in the upper reaches of the Tweed, so after discussing this dilemma with my mate Pete, he suggested a rock wall expedition around Fingal Light House targeting tailor at a place known to the locals as Devils Island! Now I have to stress, rock fishing is one of Australia’s most dangerous sports! Really? Yep, sure is! Here’s why I haven’t fished the place for months, another mate, Dic and I were

Spots like this can be teeming with fish, but care needs to be taken when approaching and fishing them. fishing for tailor off Fingal Beach when we saw a group of panicked people heading past us to get to their car. One bloke was in strife, his

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chest was covered in blood and he had a nasty gash on his head, his mates were carrying what was left of his rod and reel - half a rod and 1/3 of an alvey - it turned out he suffered broken ribs and concussion and an obviously bruised ego. In my opinion, he’s lucky to be alive, as to get to Devils Island you have to cross a causeway, which on the high tide can be extremely dangerous in some conditions and it was like that on that particular day. Old mate panicked, lost it, then got worked by a big wave. Rock fishing will always pose risks but there are ways to counteract them. I’ve been a rock hopper for 4 decades, so I’d love to pass on some of

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Shane Parker regularly fishes off the rocks and wears shoes that are well-suited to the sometimes slippery rocks of Devils Island. the safety tips that I’ve come to develop and incorporate in the rock fishing hunt. ROCK FISHING SAFETY TIPS 1 Check out from a distance where you intend to fish, which is very easy to do at Fingal, watch what the waves are doing for at least 15-20 minutes, longer if you’re unfamiliar with the place. Trust me, if the unease is too strong, don’t do it, better to be safe than sorry! 2 Although I do it sometimes, I suggest never fish off rocks alone. 3 Definitely wear a life jacket. 4 The most important while observing your spot, pick an escape route in case you go in. If you can’t swim, don’t try rock fishing! 5 Let someone know where you are going. 6 The use of good shoes is recommended as it gets slimy. I prefer bare feet, but I noticed some guys the other day wearing boots with metal spikes, which would be ideal. 7 I always wear a pair of fingerless gloves and carry a phone in a water proof bag

8 If the worst happens, don’t worry about your gear, think of your escape plan; preserving your own life is more important! In all the years I’ve been rocking I’ve never gone in the water. I’ve fallen off my kayak about 20 times, but that’s a story for another day. WHAT’S BITING Luderick are running amuck in the usual spots and there’s been a significant drop in yellowtail kingfish numbers, maybe they’ve gone! I thought I’d try the popper out last weekend in

the shallows and within a half hour I’d caught 4 fish, 2 bream, a flathead and a whiting, all undersize but encouraging none the less. There’s been a lot of small trevally caught under the bridges, particularly Boyd’s Bay. The usual choppers, bream and school jew have been caught off the rock walls out front. Last month we were getting pounded by big swells, so maybe this month things in the river could turn around as the fish love a good wash.

Anglers need to keep their eyes on the water at all times to ensure that they don’t end up in any dangerous situations.

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To get to Devils Island, you need to cross this causeway. When the tide is high like this, it is recommended that anglers don’t attempt to cross it.

When it rains it pours! BALLINA

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This month’s report is a marked contrast from last month when I was moaning about the incredible water clarity and tough fishing conditions in the crystal clear Richmond River. Let me tell you, with two straight weeks of torrential rain and almost cyclonic conditions in terms of wind and swell we are now looking at a situation where we’ve had

too much rain! While most local anglers look for the silver lining on this type of weather, planning to catch mulloway from the walls and make the best of a bad situation, the hot bite didn’t really eventuate. Only a few big fish were caught over a week, and not the dozens that are normally landed when the river runs really high and dirty. I have a feeling that while the rain was consistent it wasn’t severe enough over a short period of time to push all the baitfish down to the river to where the

mulloway were waiting. Strangely, there were plenty of big bull sharks landed by anglers fishing live and dead baits in the lower river, but a definite shortage of mulloway. Every time I drive over Missingham Bridge and see the Learn to Surf school swimming in the chocolatecoloured water I wonder when one of them is going to receive a nasty bite. It’s only a matter of time. It isn’t all bad news though – the flood waters gave the river a muchneeded flush out, and there are still plenty of fish to

Due to the dirty water quite a few bull sharks are turning up in the lower river.

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be caught, especially if you fish the edge of the clean water as it pushes upriver on the rising tide. Yabbies are the gun bait right now in the cleaner water, especially for school jewfish and luderick. If you find yourself fishing the dirty stuff use oily and smelly baits like mullet flesh and gut and pilchards, and remember to restrict your efforts to the lower reaches unless you like catching catfish. There seems to be a plague of them in the river from

about Pimlico Island all the way upstream. OFFSHORE While the swell and rain kept boats from heading offshore there are always a few snapper caught this time of year from the rocks after a big blow. Good spots to try are Snapper Rock at Evans Head or The Chair at Cape

are particularly susceptible to a squid or octopus bait fished at first light around a tide change. When the boaties do manage to head out to sea I wouldn’t be surprised if the close reefs fire up for the next month or so. This year’s snapper season hasn’t exactly been red hot but the decreased water clarity and all the

BASS One of the saving graces of this month is that from September 1 the season for bass is finally open. I love fishing for these great sportfish, and they will be heading upstream into their summer haunts as you read this. All this rain will help these fish migrate upstream and allow them to pass some of the structures that normally block access for them due to low water flow. In summer these fish can be found in all the freshwater creeks and streams from Woodburn to the back of Lismore, Bangalow and Byron Bay. However, the trick to finding the fish at this time of year is to quickly prospect water and keep moving until you start catching fish, as the bass will still be travelling in schools. Once you find a school you can consistently catch fish until they wise up to your tricks. In this dirty water stick with lures that give out lots of vibration and noise. Brightly coloured hardbodies and spinnerbaits would be my first pick as

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All geared up and ready to go. Byron. These fish move in close to clean up the scraps washed off the rocks and

baitfish forced out of the river with this floodwater should liven things up.

the bass find it hard to locate the more subtle soft plastics in dirty water.

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pencil popper, which has accounted for many anglers’ BP tailor including my own. And the Caesar Lures stickbait is a gun lure to tie on and entice a bite from a dirty great big greenback tailor in those more challenging calmer conditions. In the river the whiting should start getting around this month. If bait is your thing, live worms and nippers will be the best baits to get some tasty whiting for the table. More importantly, if you’re a lure fisho the whiting will be hitting the surface as well, and by far my favourite lure for them is the Bassday Sugapen 70. This lure is more expensive than most but you do get what you pay for, and when you’re throwing it around the sand flats there isn’t much of a chance of losing it. That’s unless a big flatty decides to take a liking to it, which has happened on more than one occasion!

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My favourite colour in the Croaker lure range, new moon, has seen a bit of work of late.

Speaking of flatties, we should start to see better numbers of them in the lower reaches of the river this month, with places like Browns Rocks, North Arm and Oyster Channel producing good tablesized fish on soft plastics and blades. Chartreuse is a hands-down favourite colour of many a flatty hunter on the Clarence, and the go-to plastic of choice is the Gulp 4” Minnow. When it comes to blades, the TT Switchblade 1/4oz in the colour (you guessed it) chartreuse is the stand-out. We should also start seeing the prawns running in the river which means places like Oyster Channel bridge and Harwood should start producing consistent numbers of school mulloway. Working down deep and slowly hopping blades is a great way to get in to these fun sportfish. Hanging around the prawn schools as well should be some nice size trevally, and on light gear they can defiantly test your steel and skill, especially when hooked close to structure. They are another October species that likes to hit the surface, and working a 60-70mm popper around the prawn schools should see you connect up to a couple of these great brawling sportfish. October usually sees a couple of trips up to the sweetwater up past Grafton chasing another great brawling sportfish: the humble old Aussie bass. From now on as the weather starts to warm up over the next couple of weeks the bass will come alive, hitting surface lures as well.

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A little bit of everything winter, with extremely low water levels through most of the winter until August after a very dry and hot summer. The only way to find out will be to get up ‘the hill’ and let your lures and flies do some searching. The deeper channel creeks fished very well early last season

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on the gravelly bends, especially for larger fish, so they would be a good bet. Fishing brighter colours in the clearer streams works well at this time of year. However, rain frequently brings dirty water, in which case I prefer darker streamers. The bass season has had a month to settle in now, and most of the fish should be coasting high and not so dry with the good rain we’ve had in the early season. The upper creeks and tributaries will be the territory this month,

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Tailor have not been in any shortage recently. This one took a liking to something a bit different.

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have swung slightly more towards the tailor this year. This winter wasn’t dominated by the massive salmon schools that we’ve seen in previous winters. The salmon are still there and are certainly fun to catch but most anglers would much rather catch a feed of tailor, and there have been plenty on offer. Soft plastics, metals and hardbodies will all produce fish on the headlands and around the washes offshore. Metals have been the best option off the beach, allowing anglers to put in longer casts in the larger swells that dominated the last month. At the moment you can catch snapper anywhere from inshore to the offshore reefs and islands. The close reefs have been the go-to option for many anglers because the dash back to the harbour is shorter when the weather isn’t co-operating. Large schools of kingfish have dominated the washes around the headlands and islands but most have been smaller fish. This month is very much a crossover month where almost anything is on the cards, but not a lot is really firing yet. If you get out, stay safe in the weather and I hope you catch some fish.

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with darker hardbodies and surface lures starting to produce results in the dirtier water. The on-form fish for the last couple of months has been the mulloway. They have been present in almost all their forms. There are plenty of schoolies from up high in the estuaries to the beaches and headlands. Soft plastics along with hardbodied lures have been producing plenty of fish on the headlands and in the estuaries. Soft vibes have been producing good results also, especially in dirtier water where some vibration is essential. The under-50cm rat mulloway have been in numbers

inside most of the estuaries as well. They’re great fun on light bream gear but slightly annoying if you’re aiming for their larger brothers and sisters. Bream and flathead have been very active over the last month, and in October we should expect the whiting fishing to heat up as well. The lower estuaries will be the target area for each of these species, as the trevally and mangrove jack start to dominate the upper estuaries. It’s not just the school mulloway that have been active. Larger mulloway have been the reward for some of the more patient anglers as well as those willing to put in the time in less comfortable conditions. Rainy days at the swollen river mouths have resulted in some very nice fish being captured. Most fish have been between 10-20kg with not a lot of talk about larger fish being caught recently. Live bait has been the most popular choice for many targeting the larger mulloway, but squid baits and soft plastic lures have also proven successful. Tailor have been regular catches and will continue this month, and the good news is that the salmonto-tailor ratio seems to

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Mulloway are being caught everywhere at the moment. These two fish were caught by Nathan and Harley up in skinny territory in a local estuary.

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Hoping for a spring bite COFFS GAME

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It seems miles off at this stage, but some seriously encouraging numbers of juvenile black marlin being tagged in northern Queensland (150 plus in one tournament alone) suggests we might have a boomer black season here this coming summer. Of course, this is dependent on suitable current, bait, wind, rain (or lack thereof), and a number of other factors — like a useable boat ramp. Meanwhile, winter continues to linger here, with some welcome precipitation turning up to give the creeks a decent flush out in August — the best drop since March in fact. The currents along the shelf have been all over the place, running uphill one day, then south, then nothing at all, which for those who have ventured out has made it hard to formulate a workable game plan. The slack water has produced a couple of 30-35kg yellowfin tuna for those intrepid souls who have gone wide though. With spring just around the corner, expect more people to throw off the doona early and get up for a bluewater fish as the weather warms. The long anticipated winter striped marlin bite failed to eventuate again, but it may yet happen in spring. This has been especially frustrating when the Gold Coast has enjoyed steady marlin fishing right through winter — blues, stripes and even the odd black. Remarkably, the mahi mahi are still holding on the waver recorder buoy directly out the front of Coffs. Numbers have thinned out and the remaining few are getting a bit doughy about lures (and excessive boat traffic), although live bait still works.

Coffs’ wave recorder buoy has held good numbers of mahi mahi right through winter. While blue, the water temperature had dropped to 18°C on our last visit, which will hopefully kick our lamentable snapper season into gear at last. It’s just a shame that the FAD gets yanked out of the water during winter each year for periodic maintenance or whatever, because it would certainly help share the traffic around when the leatherjacket horde is making bottom fishing an exercise in frustration on the deeper reefs. It’s nice to be able to put a few fillets in the fridge without throwing away $100 of terminal tackle in order to do so! I’ve written in the past about how unusual it is to have the mahi mahi loitering this late in the season, but on second thoughts maybe it’s not so odd after all. With the same species shadowing the southern bluefin schools through SA and into western Victoria in water as cool as 16.5°C, they’ve obviously got a greater temperature tolerance than what we give them credit for. Still, I’d rather be

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catching them in shorts and T-shirt weather… Interestingly, the local winter fish have nearly all been females, with one we caught in late August even in roe. END OF AN ERA Well the Coffs Harbour slipway as we knew it is no more. After a couple of temporary lifelines to get the backlog of boats slipped and shipshape, it has finally shut its doors and we are now left with no haul-out options and no prospect of a new facility for a couple of years at least – if at all. With all the boats gone, the dimensions of the site

can really be grasped. It’s huge – and way too good a piece of prime waterfront real estate to be wasted by the inconvenience of a slipway… This whole sorry saga has been ill considered from the get-go, and the boating public and a working port have been royally shafted by Crown Lands and the EPA. Heaven help Coffs if there’s an emergency with a boat in danger of sinking. The skipper might just have to run it up on the sand at Jetty Beach just like the old days and let the EPA deal with the fallout, of which there will be plenty.

Top: Hopefully the stripes will show up during spring, as they were few and far between in winter. Bottom: One of the last remaining boats is craned off the hardstand at the Coffs Harbour slipway.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Bounty boost for Bli Bli Barra Park The new owners of the Bli Bli Barra Fishing Park are pleased to announce the arrival of 400 new barra to their park. It’s been nearly 12 months since the new owners took over the park formerly known as Suncoast Barra Park at Bli Bli. After extensive renovations to the park that included draining the Barra Creek and removing some of the sediment that had accumulated over the years and adding some aerators to improve the water quality and fish habitat, the new owners felt it was time to add some more fish to help improve the fishing experience. Mick, one of the new owners, said that the renamed Bli Bli Watersports Complex is designed to offer entertainment for the whole family and that is why the Barra Fishing Park has had new amenities such as BBQs, tables and shaded areas added. By recently stocking the park with an additional 400 fish of

around 40cm, it means the whole family can share in the joy of landing a barra. The Park is not an overstocked farm where people expect to catch a fish every cast, it is designed as a fishing experience, where there is a chance of not catching a fish. However, with Senior Fishing Guide Angus, new guide James and the other experienced staff on hand to deliver advice you know you’ll be getting the best advice and given the best chance of catching a barramundi. The Big Boys Pond has been reopened after being closed for several years. It has been stocked well below capacity in an effort to let the already big fish grow even bigger. There is a fish that when released in March was 96cm, last time it was captured in May it measured 102cm, not bad for a couple of months growth. Guide Angus said he’d like to see a few more ‘metery’s’ caught before adding more big fish and, with 20 fish

over 90cm already released into the pond, it shouldn’t be too long before more are added. So it’s still a work in progress but with enough big fish to keep the serious fishos honest.

Don’t forget, if you’re not into fishing the Bli Bli Watersports complex is a destination in itself offering a huge range of activities for people of all ages. Apart from the fishing you can

The new owners are keen to try new ideas and after successfully running a winter barra comp, there are plans afoot to run a kid’s fishing contest and even opening later on certain nights to get that evening barra session in.

also try wakeboarding, stand up paddle boarding, tube rides or go on the very popular Aqua Park. Keep up to date via Facebook and our website as our hours will be changing as the days grow longer. – Bli Bli Barra Park

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A hive of activity SOUTH WEST ROCKS

Brent Kirk kempsey@compleatangler.com.au

After a dry winter the whole east coast of NSW received some considerable rain falls in late August and early September. This rainfall as well as some large southerly swells seems to have given everything the shake up it needed. Upstream, around the Kempsey area, bass are out in force. The top end of the tidal zone is holding the biggest congregations of fish. Deep diving lures and smaller

spinnerbaits are still producing the best catches. It will remain this way for a month or so until the summer bugs arrive and the bass feed more actively on the surface. If the deeper holes are a bit slow it is worth while running a spinnerbait over the shallower weedy sides of the river as at times these spots will hold some quality fish, especially if there are any sharks lurking around in the holes. Moving above the tidal zones, the river has risen a little with good flow and the fish are definitely making their way through the system. Access to most areas is good, and a lot

of snags that were high and dry are now back in the water, providing habitat for the bass to reside in. It is nice to see a bass season start with a good amount of water in the river as over the last few seasons we have experienced everything from drought to flood. Big mulloway have consistently been caught throughout winter in the lower Macleay and this pattern is continuing well into spring. They have been located in all their usual haunts, and some very big fish have been caught from random areas by unsuspecting bream fishermen leading to some very long fights on very light line. Bream and tailor numbers are very good in the first

Sam Redman with a juvenile sambo spun up off the rocks at Hat Head.

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Marty Nichols opens his account with a solid bass. kilometre or two of the river as well as up around the oyster racks of Clybucca Creek. Bait is in abundance in these areas, and school mulloway and flathead are present there too. The Stuarts Point arm has had a baby seal residing up there of late; he’s been having a field day on the baitfish while he recuperates from a large cut on his side! Luderick finally made an appearance in the river but how long they will be around is anyone’s guess. The smaller creeks in the area still seem to be holding fair schools, with Crescent Head being the pick. Consistent offshore fishing in October can be a challenging experience to say the least. You

can have a blinder of a session one day only to do the same thing a couple of days later for no result! The transition into summer is starting to take place and this is the key factor in these results, as the summer fish have not really started and the winter species have not fully shut down. Kingfish are the most reliable species at present and after a few quiet seasons Fish Rock has been producing the goods. Black Rock has also been worth a look and leaves the options open for anglers who want to fish using baits and live bait. Anchoring is also permitted in this area and setting a berley trail can provide some awesome fishing,

especially during low light periods of the day. Kingfish and snapper are the main species being encountered here, with mulloesy, bream, tailor and general reef fish always on the cards. The deeper wrecks and reefs are still holding bigger kingfish as well as bar cod, with the odd report of blue-eye and bass groper. The 30-60m reefs have been home to plenty of venus tuskfish and a lot of small to medium-sized snapper. The several headlands in the area are still holding

good amounts of tailor, most of which are not too far over legal length. School mulloway are accompanying these schools with best results on this species coming about half an hour either side of dark in the evenings. Bream numbers are still building along the beaches and around the rocks, although a bit of travelling can be required to find the quality fish. Blue spot flathead have been keeping the soft plastic enthusiasts entertained in the low tide gutters along most of the beaches.

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WINNERS IN HEAVIEST FISH CATEGORIES LIVE FISH Bream.......................Jim Armstrong . ........... 1.470kg Flathead....................Tegan Hancock ........... 5.710kg Luderick....................Ray Palmer................... 1.325kg Dart . ........................Noelene McAndrew...... 0.680kg Whiting.....................R Graham..................... 0.615kg Tarwhine...................Bryan Layton................ 1.220kg Snapper....................Klute Grant....................... 97cm DEAD FISH Mulloway..................Warren Bell................. 22.520kg Tailor.........................Edward Scredge........... 5.700kg Teraglin.....................Luke Pendrigh.............. 4.760kg Cobia........................Ben Bushell................ 24.740kg Yellowtail Kingfish.....Arthur Flynn................ 11.785kg Pearl Perch...............Ben Campbell............... 3.530kg

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Gear up for Fish-toberfest in the right locations, so this month’s tip is going to be on how to identify those locations and how to catch them.

PORT MACQUARIE

David Poulton pmbc@drsm.com.au

It’s October fest! I don’t mean the beer-swilling Oktoberfest in Germany, but the bevy of bream action on the Hastings River this October. With surface lures coming into their own there is no better time to crack into a few fish on surface lures. I remember years ago a famous Australian angler visiting Port Macquarie was sceptical that bream could be caught consistently and of quality during October in Port Macquarie. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe me, it was a tournament situation and pressure from tournaments can make fishing hard. Well, that year the tournament was taken out by anglers fishing surface lures, and ever since it’s just gone from strength to strength. BREAM Surface breaming has a few critics, and in my opinion they obviously don’t do it often enough, well enough or

Firstly there is cover. This is an area in which a fish can hold and feel confortable,

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overhanging trees, snags, and weed beds. The Hastings and Camden Haven Rivers have all of these and in plentiful supply. Generally if you can locate some good cover with some water flow you’ll find bream. Presentation is the key, and matching the hatch is always important. At this time of year it’s too early for cicadas and other insects, so prawns and injured baitfish are main food source. A pencil lure does a marvellous job at imitating both of these, and with all types of cover if you’re not getting caught up now and then, you’re not close enough. If you’re fishing a section of weed beds where some weed is out of the water, this is a great spot. Hit it close to the shallow water and retrieve it across the surface. Bream and flathead think it’s a prawn escaping the weed and are onto it like a flash. The same goes for any other type of cover. In close is the go. The fish will be in tight or sitting wider looking at the structure. In deeper water fish will often follow the lure out and then attack.

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OCTOBER 2014

Top spots this month for surface luring bream will be the canals, the oyster leases in Limeburner’s Creek and

Natural cover like this are great places to target bream.

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ready to feed. This could be a fixed manmade structure like a pontoon, jetty, wharf or an oyster lease, or natural like

A blade loving bream caught in deep water.

the jetties along Hibbard Drive and the weed beds at the mouth of the Maria River. If you’re looking to target whiting in the same manner, this month they should be starting to show up on the flats in Limeburner’s

5-7” plastic with a appropriate size hook. I find this partially eliminates catching smaller fish. Please remember to adhere to NSW DPI bag limits and take only what you need and leave the bigger fish to fight another day.

OFFSHORE Offshore action should move wider in October. The reefs off Plomer should yield a few reasonable snapper, pearl perch and teraglin, while the close-in reefs off Lighthouse and Lake Cathie should see

These bream couldn’t resist a Bassday Sugapen. Creek, Googleys Lagoon on the Camden Haven and Lake Cathie. FLATHEAD This month is when the big flathead come out to play, and with recent dry weather they should be right throughout our systems. They key this time of year is to locate feeding flathead. You’ll normally find them in patches, where you’ll catch a few fish of almost identical size. These are generally males and nearby should be a single female. I normally keep the same size lure and get myself a few flathead for the table. Then I up the ante and put a bigger lure on and go looking for the bigger fish. I’ll normally swap from a 3-4” plastic to a

BASS Bass season is well and truly underway and hopefully it will be a cracker season like last year. I like to use spinnerbaits as they are a great reaction bait and are excellent for throwing deep into cover and enticing fish to follow and strike. The upper reaches of the Hastings will be top spots for canoe and kayak trips, and runs from Ellenborough to Longflat are a good place to start. If you like to fish from a boat, the upper reaches of the Maria River will be a top place. At this time of year in the Maria they can still be in the lower reaches, and fishing spinnerbaits tight against reeds and lily beds along with snags is a great way to catch fish.

some snapper schooling. If you’re heading north out of Port Macquarie, make sure you stop on the bait grounds and collect some slimies because a few kingfish and mahi mahi could be on offer around the FAD. When going offshore this month please remember to log in with Marine Rescue and if you’re on town beach, drop into the kiosk and support the Marine Rescue by buying an ice-cream or a coffee and thank them for the great work they do in ensuring we are all safe. Bring on the festival of fishing this month, a few outings on the water should whet your piscatorial appetite and be a whole lot of fun.

Fishing Fill-its

Fishers trapped using illegal gear to face court NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) fisheries officers have sent a strong warning to those using illegal fishing gear across the State after a number of fishers have been caught red handed doing the wrong thing. DPI, Acting Director Fisheries Compliance, Tony Andrews, said three men have been apprehended after a routine patrol of the Gwydir River in the State’s north west uncovered a large number of set lines. “Fisheries officers were undertaking a mid-week patrol of the Gwydir River when they found numerous illegal set lines where it flows though private property, near Gravesend,” Mr Andrews said. “Officers commenced observations of the lines and allegedly witnessed three men come by boat to check the gear. “It is alleged that the three men had caught three prohibited size Murray cod using the illegal gear. “Fisheries officers seized the three Murray cod and 93 set lines with a total of 139 hooks attached. “It is anticipated that the three men will now be charged and face court action for a number of offences including use more than two

lines, leaving lines unattended, possess prohibited size fish, possess illegal fishing gear and possess fish illegally taken.” Anglers are entitled to use two fishing lines per person in NSW inland waters. Attended lines must be within 50 metres and in the line of sight of the person who is using the line. Mr Andrews said in another matter in the State’s south, fisheries officers apprehended two men after

Murray River, adjacent to a private property, upstream of Corowa,” Mr Andrews said. “An extended surveillance operation was undertaken by the fisheries officers to identify the owners of the trap. “It is alleged that after checking the trap, the two men tried to evade fisheries officers by discarding what is believed to be in excess of 15 Murray crayfish together with the fish trap into the Murray River,

It is alleged that the three men had caught three prohibited size Murray cod using the illegal gear they were allegedly found to be using a fish trap to take Murray crayfish. “Fisheries officers detected the fish trap in the

then driving away in a vehicle. “The men were later stopped and interviewed and officers from various jurisdictions conducted

a search of a property at Rutherglen where they located 13 gill nets, which were seized by fisheries officers. “Both men will now face court charged with unlawful use of a fish trap, possessing fish illegally taken and one of the men will face a charge of obstructing a fisheries officer in the course of their duties.” Mr Andrews said that the use of illegal fishing gear such as set lines, fish traps and gill nets showed a total disregard for the laws that are in place to protect our native fish populations. “It has been illegal to use fish traps and gill nets in NSW inland waters for many years as they exert excess fishing pressure of fish populations and frequently trap protected fauna such as turtles, water rats, platypus and water birds,” he said. “It is disappointing to see illegal gear being used to target our native fish species such as Murray crayfish, which have been listed as a threatened species. “People who make the conscious decision to engage in this type of illegal fishing activity are warned that fisheries officers patrol any day of the week and at any time of the day or night.

Anyone with information about suspected illegal fishing should contact the Fishers

Watch Phoneline on 1800 043 536 or your local DPI fisheries office.

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Has spring sprung already? FORSTER

David Seaman dseamo@bigpond.com

The rain that visited at the end of August and early September was the best thing that could have happened to the local fishing all year. While relief from the dry conditions was initially welcomed, after a week or so the coastal residents were over it. The benefit, though, of the prolonged run-off and coloured water, shifting back and forward with the tide, will help to improve spring over what has been an ordinary winter season. Big seas and the influx of the limited fresh has improved the fishing markedly, in both the lake and close inshore areas. Perhaps the only fishing that has suffered is the upper reaches of the tributaries that were holding a few good bream and flathead. It will bounce back though, and in a few months the bream will be pushing up the rivers to their spring and summer snags ready for surface action. OFFSHORE Talking to a few offshore boaties it appears

the catches are a little thin as far as the more desirable species like snapper, pearl perch and teraglin are concerned. Even the sand flathead have been patchy but I believe the long autumn season and aboveaverage water temperatures have had a lot to do with

it. The consensus, too, is that the leatherjackets were nowhere near as troublesome as last year but have added to the modest of catches. By the end of the month a few scattered schools of bonito should be turning up, trailing a few bigger

Dave Scarlett with a handful of good sized tailor from the Black Head stones. Poppers and metal lures are the go, with poppers winning the fun factor.

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predators close behind. The size of the snapper that have been caught of late should improve close inshore. ROCK FISHING The pig and bream fishing has been more consistent south of Forster around the Palms and Elizabeth area, while the best reports of tailor and salmon have come from Janies Corner on both baits and lures. Spinning any of the headland rock platforms is likely to produce tailor and salmon, with good schools of garfish in the wash fringes. Along with the tailor there are small to medium kingfish cruising. I thought they had left or passed through in August but they’re back, and a great way to scare one or two up is with a pencil popper first thing in the morning. As metal lures go, the Raider lures in 40-65g are a great cast weight and are perfect to fish a little deeper as the sun appears over the horizon. If you prefer a less energetic fish from the rocks I suggest you use a good berley trail of bread to concentrate the fish in any given area, and don’t be surprised to see silver trevally or silver drummer turn up in the mix. They are great fun but are generally useless to keep. Pigs, bream and female brown groper are better targets so fish with leaders of at least 7kg just so you have a chance of landing them. LAKE Before the rain the oyster lease areas and Coomba Bay had been suffering from a lot of snot slime that made lure fishing in and around the structure very difficult. Areas around and opposite Pitchford Island were so bad even the fish had abandoned the area. Hopefully it will thin out soon and the fish will recover to the leases. Lower in the lake, large whiting can be seen scooting off the sand flats

Small to medium kings are about from the rocks and offshore. This pup got too involved with the tailor school that was busting out on a bait ball. and along the drop-offs so at least we will be seeing a good spawning aggregation in late October to early November around the flats near the bridge. Perhaps the most prolific fish in the lake at the moment are the mass schools of blackfish. Kiloplus models are everywhere, and if there wasn’t a lack of good green weed I’d venture to the dark side and get the quill floats out. If you fish in the evening with yabbies over the weedy drop-offs and along the oyster lease washboards, I dare say you’d be in with a chance of a blackfish or big bream. Anglers fishing hardbodies between the leases would have noticed an increase in the number of flathead hitting. While the flathead have been there for a while, mooching around the shallows, they are becoming far more active with the longer days and steadily warming water temps. The last time I was out the water temperature in the lake and Wallamba arm

was 16.5°C, with 17.5°C being the high tide peak. Once we hit a constant temp over 20°C, the surface bream thing should be on for young and old so come on summer, show us what you’re made of! FRESHWATER Bass fishing season is well and truly on, with a few reports of winter-bound anglers busting out some new moves on the fish and coming up with the goods. Murray Dish pulled a PB 45cm bass first cast, first trip (new season) in a new spot. It doesn’t get better than that. The lack of autumn rain this year really impeded the spawn this winter. The large numbers of fish we are used to seeing just didn’t make it down to the brackish water, so anywhere in the river system is likely to produce quality fish. Heavy weed growth in the shallow water will make things difficult, but with some follow-up rain in November I reckon this year’s bass season could be a good one.

Fishing Friendly Accommodation Guide

Stuarts Point: The perfect fishing getaway Nestled on the banks of the magnificent Macleay River at Stuarts Point, between vast golden beaches, forest and rich pastures of the Macleay Valley, Stuarts Point Holiday Park is a secluded and serene riverside hideaway. Like all of the Macleay Valley

a boat ramp for launching and ample mooring for small boats, and there are fish cleaning tables and a camp kitchen to cook your catch. A boat wash bay is located near the main amenities block There is a wide range of choice for every angler with prime beach, river and blue

paperbarks, banksias and eucalyptus, or you can follow the beach around to Grassy Head Beach.

Coastal Holiday Parks, Stuarts Point Holiday Park offers clean, well-equipped facilities for the whole family, including a playground for the kids. The river is a great place to enjoy your canoe or paddle board and there are tennis courts available if you wish to indulge in a friendly game. Half-way between Sydney and Brisbane, the park offers

water fishing spots. If you wish to collect your own bait, yabbies (nippers) pipis and sandworms are abundant. For the everyday family fisher there is no shortage of bream, whiting, flathead, blackfish, mullet and mud crabs in the river. For the offshore angler there are rich grounds close by for snapper, mulloway, teraglin, mackerel, pearl perch, kingfish and

billfish. Charters are available at nearby South West Rocks. Stroll across the river footbridge, along the shady walking track through sand dunes to the beach and collect shells or swim,

surf or doing a bit of beach fishing for bream, tailor, salmon and jewfish. You can amble along the riverbank through peaceful, unspoilt native bushland until you reach Grassy Head through mangroves,

Take a short drive to The Pines picnic area Macksville, view the beautiful Macleay Valley from Yarrahapinni Lookout or travel by boat from the holiday park to the Riverside Tavern at South West Rocks or the pub at Smithtown for a relaxing meal and a beverage. The Stuarts Point Holiday Park is also only a short stroll to village shops, takeaways, the local tavern and the Workers Club and only 35km from Kempsey CBD or 25km from Macksville CBD. Stuarts Point Holiday Park also has pet-friendly accommodation (not in cabins, off peak seasons only. Conditions apply; contact the office before bringing your pet).

It’s time for the big jew HARRINGTON-TAREE

Ian Pereira ianpereira@aapt.net.au

At last we have experienced some typical winter weather for a change. Cold southerly winds, rain, thumping big seas and a few storms

thrown in for good measure. The rain has been confined to the coastal areas, and the headwaters of the local rivers have received very little precipitation and no run-off into the streams. Despite this the springs that feed into the Manning have opened up and the river has

risen a couple of feet in the past week. The Manning is still gin clear and the bottom of the holes are clearly visible. The ‘old timers’ from up the river assure me this often happens when the river has been down to a trickle in drought times. No doubt there will be some decent

If the conditions are right, there’s still a few mulloway around.

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falls of rain in the catchment areas of the Manning before this southerly weather abates. October is renowned for

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With the bass season in full swing, try a jerkbait like this Killer Bill for killer strikes. catches of mulloway over 25kg and I have no doubt that some decent fish will be taken this month. ESTUARY The Manning is teeming with luderick at present, with schools of fish moving up

they are being caught from the bank and also from boats anchored on the edge of the drop-off. Bream are still schooling along the river wall and also along the wall at Manning Point. They are all nearly

reaches of the river even though it is rather early for them to show up. The mulloway turned up on the last full moon and fish of 10-25kg were caught on live baits and soft plastics up To page 31

FISHING FILL-ITS

Marine stocking underway Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, has announced that fish stocks along the coastline will receive a major boost with the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government implementing a new marine fish stocking program to enhance recreational fishing opportunities. Ms Hodgkinson said the NSW Marine Fish Stocking Program will see about four million juvenile Eastern king prawns stocked in 10 locations along the coast during 2014-15, starting this summer. “This program will see widely sought-after Eastern king prawns stocked up and down the NSW coast, from Eden in the south up to Old Bar near Myall Lakes,” Ms Hodgkinson said. “Plans are also underway to initiate Mulloway stockings in the future. This will require

OCTOBER 2014

collecting wild caught broodstock and acclimating the fish to hatchery conditions before being ready to spawn. “This program of stocking of fish and prawns in estuarine environments follows on from previous research trials of stocking mulloway and prawns, which evaluated ecological aspects and effectiveness of marine stockings. “These successful stockings provided essential information for a comprehensive environmental assessment and development of a management strategy for implementation of an ongoing marine stocking program. “This new program will build on the successful freshwater native fish and trout stocking initiatives in rivers and impoundments which have been boosting recreational fishing opportunities during the last 50 years.

“The NSW Government is proud to support the recreational fishing industry, which generates about $1.6 billion in expenditure to the NSW economy each year and creates about 14,000 jobs. “This marine stocking project is another great example of how money raised through the sale of the recreational fishing fee is being invested back into projects and initiatives that directly benefit recreational anglers.” The following 10 locations have been identified as potential stocking locations for Eastern king prawns this summer: Curalo Lagoon, Wallagoot Lake, Nelson Lake, Lake Tabourie, Burrill Lake, Lake Conjola, Swan Lake, Narrabeen Lagoon, Wamberal Lagoon and Khappinghat Creek. – NSW Fisheries.

Quality flathead in spring PORT STEPHENS

Billy Gillon

We’re now halfway through spring and I’m really looking forward to the season to come. Hopefully through this month the water temperature should slowly creep up, and if we are lucky we may even see a few of our regular summer fish coming through later in the month if the currents are right. Inside our estuaries, predatory fish like mulloway are becoming a lot more active and there are plenty of nice schoolies coming from the deeper holes around the bay. The Karuah River bridge and Middle Island are two hotspots that regularly produce mulloway but it is worth marking any deep hole or drop-off you find and dropping a live bait down around high or low tide. Don’t rule out a daytime mulloway fish either as some of my best jewie sessions have been last-minute decisions when the weather has been too rough to head offshore. Live slimies and squid are my two favourite mulloway baits, and cloudy overcast days definitely fish better if you’re after a From page 30

around Chinamans Point. Some smaller specimens were caught at the gantry and from the end of the sea wall. BEACH AND ROCK The beaches have been a little quieter this month with salmon the only species biting well. Tailor have been scattered, with good catches coming in one day and the next only a few fish. I think the availability of bait is the problem. On some days the birds will be in large flocks on the sand and the next day you can drive from Crowdy to Diamond Head and not see a gull or a tern. They don’t bother hanging around areas with no baitfish.

daytime jew. Box Beach and Fingal Beach are worth a throw for mulloway and whiting, and Nelsons Bay Beach is producing some big flathead. Some nice bream will also continue to bite through September on the beachers and break walls. Sand whiting will now

beach fish, the whiting seem to really switch on an hour either side of low or high tide. It was certainly a good winter for snapper fishing, and that should continue this month. Broughton Island and the front of Fingal island are spots to hit up for snapper, and of course be wary of

reds for me before, and Boondelbah Island is also a top night spot for reds. A few good snapper are also coming off the rocks, with squid and bonito being two top baits. Try to use the lightest sinker you can get away with and present your bait as naturally as possible. There are plenty

Daytime mulloway will be a possibility this month, especially in overcast conditions.

Nervous times when a quality flathead nears the net. This fish took a Starlo plastic vibe. be starting to show up on the beaches and spots like the Fingal spit. Beachworms are top bait and, like most

the marine parks in those areas. Floating baits around Little Island has also been a producer of some quality

Some just legal mulloway have been caught on worms from Harrington Beach near the sea wall, and a few black drummer and blue groper have been bagged from the rocks at Crowdy Head. OFFSHORE It has been an interesting month for outside anglers, with leather jackets providing plenty of anguish for the bottom bouncers by nipping off their lines up near the surface. However, a feed of jackets is not to be ignored as they are quite good to eat. Snapper from pan size to 4kg have been caught from the southern grounds off Old Bar, and they have been there for weeks. Up north the

teraglin have been biting well on the grounds near Mermaid Reef. Some fish have been 4kg or a little better in weight. In October there should be luderick and flathead in the river and tailor and salmon on the beaches. The pigs should be plentiful from the rocks at Crowdy Head and Diamond Head on bread, cunje and prawns; red crabs will get a big groper interested. The main attraction, however, will be the big mulloway. They can be taken from the rock walls at the mouth of the river, from the beaches and the rocks of the headlands. Fresh squid, tailor slabs and beach worms are all good baits for these fish.

of bonito hanging around the headlands, islands and bommies and a couple of kingfish mixed in. Before

a bottom fishing session at Broughton I always troll some diving lures past Little Island, The Sisters and Cod Rock and more often than not it will produce my bait for the day. It may also be worth putting a few traps out for the blue swimmer crabs this month, and I believe there

is no better crab bait than a bonito frame. Allmark Mountain is still producing a few big kingfish, snapper and some big bar cod but we should expect the deep water kingies to slow up a bit as we head into November, and the bigger fish come on the bite much closer to shore.

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Hoping for a weather change HUNTER COAST

Gary Earl earlybird13@optusnet.com.au

As I get stuck into this month’s report the whole of the east coast of NSW is getting soaked with rain – 100mm in places on the south coast and the northern rivers district. In our area we haven’t missed out on the rain either; it’s been making rivers dirty and causing algal blooms. Newcastle beaches have been covered in bluebottles and the waterways are near unfishable, so this is going to be a hard month for predictions. I wanted to look at the extreme 4m swells coming in so I wandered along Horseshoe Beach to check it out. The water looked like dark coffee, not the clear sandy beach it usually is. Sand was getting dragged from the beach from the heavy swells, exposing deep rocks and old steel lines. The sea was amazing to see at that size. Hopefully by the time you read this the rain will have backed off and

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conditions will be back to normal. The rain has put the river in flood with a lot of debris and dangerous fast water flows so it’s going to take a few weeks to clear, but all is not lost – it’s just going to take a little travel offshore to find the fishing. Stockton Bight has been on the news here for over a week with warnings of a large algal bloom so fishing isn’t going to be great on the beach until that clears. Thanks to the bluebottle plague it probably isn’t somewhere you’d want to be anyway, but a few weeks can change everything and when the rain eases it may be worth fishing for mulloway that love the dirty water that will be flowing out of the Hunter River. Try tailor slabs or mullet slabs as getting livebait in close will be a real effort, if not impossible. OFFSHORE Offshore will be a whole different ball game. At the moment we have 4m swells with 2m seas over it so boating is well out, but there will be a window or two open with the lapse of the winds. It will be a ‘see it as you go’ affair. Those anglers who have managed to get out to the reefs have been getting fish. The kingfish are still around in numbers and are worth chasing, snapper have hit the cleaning tables and some big mulloway that have left the river looking for better water have also been taken. Bream are on the closer reefs but venturing out further will probably make for better fishing at the moment. A trick I was shown in my younger days was to troll the dirty water line that heads out to sea from the river. Try trolling both sides of the water, with dark lures in the dirty water side and bright lures on the clear water side. Sometimes fish will travel along the murky edge and spring out at lures in the clearer water. Bonito have been spotted in schools well out wide, and I am sure they will have moved in closer by the time you read this. So will the school tuna that were spotted smashing bait off the Southern Canyons. Hopefully they will hit town also. ROCKS The rocks will be fishing well but it’s going to be a dangerous if the weather stays the same. Look for high ledges and don’t turn your back to the sea. Try floating pilchards at different levels for bream, tailor and school kingfish. Berley with bread for drummer, which should

Flathead will still be laying in the river, but the water if it doesn’t clear will make it hard to get these fish on lures. Drifting baits such as mullet fillets will be the best option.

Bonito have been spotted well offshore. Hopefully they will come in closer as the swells and rain go north. be around with everything getting broken off the rock shelves. Don’t take risks though – no fish is worth your life or skinned hands and knees. RIVER As for the river itself, it will be up to the weather gods to let us know if we can fish it properly. Yes, you may get flathead by drifting baits in the dirty water, or a bream or two, but the mulloway should be a saviour as they love the cover of the water and hunt vigorously in it. It will be a bait fishing adventure though, as lures won’t been

seen in the dark waters. Kayak fishing is so big at the moment and everyone I know is getting into it, flicking soft plastics into very shallow water that can’t be accessed by a boat. With this in mind, I thought I’d pass on a clever idea a friend had for moving a canoe from the foreshore to the car or home: a small wheeled trolley. It can be attached so simply and built so easily I thought I would show you (see the photo on this page). Anyway, let’s all hope the fishing picks up again soon. Happy fishing, Gary.

A friend made up this simple trolley to get his canoe to the water by himself. It also works great for kayaks. The pram wheels ride over the sand better than hard wheels.

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Offshore action heating up SWANSEA

Jason Scerri jayro@hotmail.com.au

The fishing is a little like the weather at the moment, it just keeps

the improve. Hopefully the chill of winter is well and truly behind us for another year. LAKE MAC Water temps are now on the rise and so are fish numbers which is great to

releasing the bigger girls to continue with their breeding within our lake. Some good catches have come from the north part of the lake, with Bolton Point and the Toronto area producing its fair share of good bags.

Joel Edwards with one of seven Lake Mac jewfish he has tagged as part of the NSW RAP-ANSA mulloway research program. getting better. Regardless of whether you’re fishing Lake Macquarie, the local beaches or rock ledges or even offshore, things are certainly on

see. There is plenty on offer at the moment with some very good bags of flathead being landed. Most fish are around the 40-60cm size and it’s great to see many anglers

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Lately 3-5” plastics have been very productive, and by far the most popular for us at the shop have been the Damiki 3.2” Ghost Shads. The darker colours are doing very well in this particular range of lures. Bait fishers have also been doing very well, with pilchard cubes producing good numbers of flathead down along the drop-over area. Now the water temps have begun rising it’s

well worth concentrating your efforts in shallower waters, so anywhere from 0.5m-6m will be the pick for the next few months. Generally those 7-10 areas will start to go quiet now on the flathead front. I’ve been putting in some effort lately getting back into the bream action and I’ve been getting some good results. I did try some deep water marks but none of them produced, so I started hitting moored boats and even a few early season shallow sessions and they both produced for us. We picked up some solid bream to 40cm on lures, with slow sinking stickbaits such as the Strike Pro Sprat Stick working well around the moored boats. Over the shallows we have been getting our best fish off shallow diving hardbody lures, and the Asakura range has been producing for us. The bait brigade has landed some very healthy bags of bream over the past month. Prawns and pilchard cubes rigged on light running sinker rigs with small 1 and 1/0 hooks have been effective. Salts Bay has been a good location and this same area has produced some healthy blackfish bags as well over the past month. For those anglers who have been lucky enough to land a mulloway in this great lake of ours I’m sure you would all agree just what an important and valuable fish this is to have in our local system. I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Joel Edwards who has been participating in the NSW RAP-ANSA pilot mulloway tagging project. The information gathered

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Jeff Debono with his first bluefin tuna, and what a first it was! This fish was taken wide offshore from Jeff’s own trailer boat. by the anglers taking part in this research is extremely valuable with regards to knowledge of mulloway movements, growth rates and post release survival rates in NSW waterways. The program has seen over 120 mulloway tagged and released so far and Joel himself has been able to tag and release seven within Lake Macquarie. This is an ongoing program and I’ll continue to give updates of its success as they are passed to me. Kingfish in summertime has become a very popular activity for local anglers over the past few seasons, and the catches seem to start earlier each year. I know last year saw some great results produced during October so I would certainly suggest getting out now and giving it a go if the Lake Mac kingfish is on your list of wanted species. By far the most popular technique has been downrigging squid. Large frozen California squid, live squid and even squid strips all produce at times. OFFSHORE The action is heating up offshore. We’ve had some cracking tuna action over the past few months with both yellowfin and bluefin tuna over 80kg being landed wide offshore. Now as we move into warmer weather we’re hoping to see a solid marlin bite this season as well. It may be a little early for most crews at this stage but

it won’t be long now when a few early bite starts to be reported and the crews start putting in more hours chasing the mighty marlin. At the moment I’d suggest your best bet would be a spread of skirted game lures in the 6-9” size range. As we move more into summer itself and the true marlin bite kicks in, live baiting the bait balls will be the best option. Remember you don’t need a huge boat or need to run 35nm out to sea to tangle with marlin; plenty are taken off our waters in 30-60 fathoms so certainly don’t think you are missing out if you don’t have access to a 40ft vessel. ROCK AND BEACH The action is still a little in between seasons however some kingfish and other pelagics have started to be encountered by the guys fishing the stones. The past month has seen some very nice drummer being landed with large prawns producing great results. As the sea temps now start to rise the action for those flicking lures off the rocks will really pick up. Some very big kings and bonito are caught every year so take care and get out there and find a few. We have some very good specials on Tweed Bait at Jayro Tackle at the moment including WA block pilchards at ONLY $11/block so check us out at 1/396 Pacific Hwy Belmont.

You’ve got to be squidding SYDNEY

Dylan Ale

In the colder months fewer anglers hit the water because the fishing is usually a lot slower. It doesn’t stop me though because I have an older brother who is keen as I am to get out, even in the coldest of conditions. Recently my brother and I moved from flathead, kingfish and mulloway to targeting squid around different Sydney waterways. Fishing for squid is very different, where patience and persistence is the key to gathering a delicious feed of calamari. The great thing about squidding is that anyone can do it. You don’t need a boat, you can just go down to a jetty and have a go. SQUID SPOTS There are many spots around the Sydney region where people can fish for squid. Locations such as Bare Island and Yarra Bay are great spots to start in Botany Bay. The Spit Bridge and Middle Harbour are also great places to try in Sydney. Cronulla is another area which offers plenty of land-based spots. There are many wharves along the Port Hacking where people can try.

If you have access to a boat you can try Jibbon Beach, Jibbon Bombora or Shark Island on very calm days. CONDITIONS I usually fish with my brother on a 4.5m tinny which gets me to all the areas mentioned. We don’t need to use the GPS, we just look for broken sand and weed grounds where the squid love to hide. Fishing either early morning or late afternoon usually delivers the best results as this is the time when squid love to hunt. We generally head

Light gear is all that is needed to catch squid.

Let your squid squirt its ink in the net before handling it.

out when it’s high tide. High tide brings a big flush of fresh seawater, making the water more clear, and this makes it a lot easier for a squid to see your jig. GEAR You don’t need expensive gear when fishing for squid – you can use handlines or any rod and reel you have in the garage. I prefer to use a small 2500 reel with 8lb braid matched up with a soft graphite rod as you can feel the strike of the squid. You can usually find these combos in your local tackle shop for under $100. Always fish with light fluorocarbon leaders as the squid can sometimes be fussy.

My uncle and I landed these two squid on Yamashita jigs in natural blue. I reckon 10lb fluorocarbon leader is a great size to start with. I like to use Yamashita jigs because these are very high quality and don’t break easily. Any of the natural colours work a treat, with the natural blue being my favourite. I have seen people catch squid on cheaper ones but these tend to break and rip. I guess it all depends how serious you are on catching squid.

When it comes to working your jig, all you need to remember is to retrieve your jig slowly with a lift of the rod tip, as this represents a live prawn. On those bright, sunny days, pick jigs that have a natural lighter colour. On dark days, pick jigs with bright colours. Lastly, please remember to only take what you are going to eat so our waterways keep producing.

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Fun on springtime flathead CENTRAL COAST

Glenn Ellis-Helmers

It can be quite a mixed bag at this stage of the year, with some nice warm days and inside water temps on the rise. At the same time, the ocean is typically still very cold and fishing overall can be patchy.

FLATHEAD Flathead are a good species to chase this month within the lakes and Brisbane Waters, as they come to life with the rising temperatures. The Entrance channel always houses plenty of flatties in October but, as I often mention, their sizes are generally nothing to boast about, with the average fish

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being around 40cm. Still, it’s worth fishing there as you’ll probably end up with a couple of better ones worth taking home for a feed. These small flathead are widespread throughout Tuggerah Lakes as well. The mouths of Ourimbah, Wyong and Wallarah Creeks are some other spots worth a cast for flathead, as are Long Jetty, Toukley Bridge and Budgewoi. Brisbane Waters has plenty of tiddlers too, but there is a much greater chance of running into a larger fish over 60cm and the chance of a big one increases as we

flathead. It’s always important though to try to target the smaller fish which are better for eating, and leaving the large ones to swim free. These big girls can carry a lot of eggs which are the future of our flathead stocks. If you’re into lure fishing, the best way of trying to chase up fish to 60cm or so is to use lures, mainly plastics, in the 80-100mm sizes. Sure, there’s still a chance of a big one smashing a small lure, but that chance is less than when you’re casting larger 120-150mm lures. October is one of the best months around here for flathead, so

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Plenty of salmon are still around, like this one caught off the rocks near Wybung Head. get down the system to The Rip, Wagstaffe and Ettalong. Broken Bay and Patonga Creek are other places to chase flathead, and a big one in this area is almost to be expected if you put in the effort. The same goes for the southern end of Lake Macquarie, which has a mix of small, medium and large size

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OCTOBER 2014

while other species may not be so active it’s well worth chasing them. OTHER SPECIES Bream are starting to pick up as well. The majority of them have now entered the estuaries from their winter spawning run in the ocean, so some good sized slivery bream are normally encountered at this time of year. Providing the weather is warm, they’ll be keenly smashing surface lures, especially around the shallow weedy bays and rocky points. Fishing at night with fresh baits is the other way to go. I wouldn’t expect the same results as you would get through summer or autumn, but from this point on the bream fishing will be improving each week. Some blackfish can still be expected through The Entrance channel and around Woy Woy, but they may be a bit hit-and-miss. The best way to find out is of course to simply try your luck. Some other fish that have been taking baits or lures lately are whiting, flounder and a few mulloway. Of these, whiting

are probably the main species you will run into this month. ROCK AND BEACH October is generally a poor month at the beaches. Yes, salmon are out and about, so if you don’t care too much about other species then by all means take some pillies or small metal lures to the sand and there will most likely be some sambos there ready to bite. Still, you can never be too sure and some nice bream, tailor and mulloway have been caught from our beaches at this time of year in the past. I wouldn’t lay any serious bets though. Rock fishing can be similarly tough, but a pilchard or lure cast first thing in the morning should result in a salmon or two. There can still be westerly winds in October that flatten out the seas. If this happens it’s hard to get much to bite, but one species that doesn’t mind flat, calm water is the groper and they are in good supply along Central

Coast rocks. It’s almost a must to use red crabs though and these aren’t the easiest to find. Other types of crab, big cooked prawns and even squid can also work on the groper, so don’t despair if those red crabs are too elusive. COMPETITION Don’t forget to enter the Lake Macquarie houseboat competition! OFFSHORE This month is a poor time for most styles of offshore fishing. Those inshore salmon schools may provide some fun if you’re struggling to catch much, and as we move into November there should be a few more rat kingfish moving in close. Keep an eye on weather forecasts and sea surface temperature maps at this time of year to try to work out the best course of action.

Bream numbers are slowly building as most of them have now come back in from the ocean. Those of us who enjoy casting lures for them should get better results with the onset of warmer weather.

Tech Tricks

Simple snelled hook rigs BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Effective rigging and good bait presentation can go a long way in determining the success of your next fishing trip. Being able to rig baits in a way that presents them naturally and promotes maximum hook setting potential will result in more bites and an increased bite to capture ratio. For many longer baits, including whole squid, pilchards, pike, mullet, fillet baits and the like, you need to have good hook coverage of the bait and also keep it straight without it bunching up, which would cause the bait to spin in the current and appear unnatural. Several smaller hooks will present a bait better than a single large hook in most situations. There are several ways to make a snelled hook rig, yet this month we are going to look at the Simple Snell, an easy and effective rigging option that will make these sort of baits a much more productive offering. WHY SNELL? Basically, a snelled hook rig comprises of two or more hooks which are knotted onto the line at a set length apart. This offers better flexibility than when rigging with hooks ganged in the eye-to-eye fashion and allows you to make rigs of any length with the hooks at any distance apart. You can even use hooks of different sizes in the one rig allowing you to have a larger hook at the head of the bait and a smaller one through the tail. Any type of hook can be used, however patterns with a turned out eye often present better than those with a straight eye, especially when using thick monofilament or fluorocarbon leaders (see image A). All types of leader materials including monofilament, fluorocarbon and even nyloncoated wire can be used when making snelled hook rigs therefore this type of rig can cover a huge array of bait fishing situations. Nyloncoated wire rigs are great for when you are targeting sharks and other toothy creatures and snelling the hooks to this type of wire is so easy. The snell knot we utilise for this rig is exceptionally strong and the more tension you put on the rig the tighter the knot locks. The only exception would occur if you were trying to use thin leader on large hooks, say a 10/0 hook on a 20lb leader. In this instance the knot may slip, however I can’t imagine why you would want such a large hook on such thin leader anyway. When using a sensible hook size to leader ratio, snelling will work a treat

2 1

Cut a length of leader that is a little longer than you want the finished leader to be. Pass the tag end of the leader down through the eye of the hook to the end of the bend.

Continue wrapping the main portion of the leader around the shank five to eight times. You should make more wraps in stiffer leader than you would in more supple leader, but never less than five times. Pass the main portion of leader up through the hook eye, from the back of the shank through to the gape side of the hook.

To attach the next hook, pass the main portion of leader up through the eye (from the back of the shank through to the gape side). Space the two hooks apart at the desired length, depending on the size and type of bait being used.

6 5

Again pass the main portion around the shank, just below the hook eye.

and personally I have never had a rig fail. In fact, the snell knot puts less stress on the leader than tying most other knots as there is no friction caused when the knot is pulled tight and no sharp angles on the leader material. HOOKS A wide array of hook styles, brands and sizes can be used for this rig. You will need to match the hook style to the bait and target species, and then choose a suitable leader material type and breaking strain. Be aware of some cheap, lower quality hooks where there is a gap where the eye curves around back onto the shank. These can sometimes damage the leader material or allow it to slip through the gap, causing the rig to fail. Circle hooks work exceptionally well with this type of rigging as they offer a semi-stiff connection between the leader material and the hook. This has proven to offer better hook setting potential with this pattern. Even circle hooks with straight eyes can work well but you need to ensure that the leader material exits the eye on the gape side of the shank (see image A). This should be the case with all your snelled hook rigs but

is especially important with circle hooks. I have used hooks as small as 6 and as large as 12/0 when making snelled rigs. When drifting with whole fish (herring, whitebait, frogmouth pilchards and suchlike) or fillet strip baits in the estuary, it creates a great presentation that can attract anything from whiting to mulloway. I commonly use hooks from size 2 to 1/0 for this application (often Mustad Penetrators) with one hook pinned up through the head laterally, and the other down near the tail. Other popular applications include float lining for snapper with baits of whole pilchards and squid (generally using a three hook snell-rig) and a twin circle hook rig on plasticcoated wire for whaler sharks in the bay and rivers. Just like any other rigging, you need to choose the hook style and size that best suits your application, yet this type of rigging works exceptionally well in a host of scenarios. Let’s look at making this extremely easy yet effective rig. (In the photos below I have used braid to make it easier for you to see the tying process, but I wouldn’t use braid as a leader material.)

Holding the tag end against the shank, wrap the main portion of the leader around the shank, just below the hook eye.

Wrap the leader around the hook shank five to eight times.

Pass the main portion of the leader back up through the hook eye. Subsequent hooks are put on exactly the same way with the spacing between each being any length you desire, depending on the bait being used. Attach a swivel, ring or loop to the other end of your leader and your snelled rig is ready for use.

ADAPTABILITY Snelling allows loads of options in hook style, leader type and overall size of the rig. I use this rig for a host of baits and a huge array of fishing situations, both inshore and offshore, for species as diverse as bream, snapper and billfish. It is extremely easy and you can quickly make a rig out on the water, depending on the size of the live baits you catch or the size of the bait you purchased on the way to the boat ramp. If it wasn’t so easy it wouldn’t be called the Simple Snell! OCTOBER 2014

Anticipation running high THE HAWKSBURY

Dan Selby dan@sydneysportfishing.com.au

With anticipation levels high for the season ahead, this month really is the build-up period to set the benchmark

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for the rest of the season. High on angler lists in the Hawkesbury would have to be the Aussie bass and their surface smashing antics. These fish will be pushing up into the sweetwater looking to ambush baitfish and unlucky insects that fall onto the surface. There’s nothing better than packing a small tub with a selection of surface plugs and shallow divers and footing it down to your local haunt for an

after-work flick. This will be made all the more easier with the start of daylight savings which coincides with the first Sunday of this month. If bass don’t do it for you then maybe kingfish, bonito, tailor and Aussie salmon might. They have been in good numbers on the headlands and will be starting to filter into the harbours and bays to harass the baitfish and test anglers’ skills. The bait can be quite small this early

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October is a great month to target trophy-sized estuary perch from the tidal water around Lower Portland as they gorge on the school prawns. Trevor Franks caught this 40cm specimen whilst working his soft plastic in a major back eddy along a weed bed.

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Australian salmon will be present in Broken Bay this month. Once you work out what lure is working best, results like this can be commonplace.

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in the season so I’d suggest some small 2” soft plastic minnows and a few of the smallest metal slugs you can find, just in case the fish turn their noses up at bigger, more conventional selections. Major points and reefs will hold their fair share of these species but keep an eye peeled for wheeling gulls and terns as they will be your best bet to point out active schools up on the surface. If the fish on the surface don’t like what you’re presenting, try sinking your offering beneath the melee for a shot at a trevally, bream and occasionally a good mulloway. Upstream from all of this commotion, bream are pushing into the arteries of the system seeking out favourable ground to forage. The oyster leases in Berowra and Mooney creeks are hot property at present and are serving up some smokings through the oysters! Other places to encounter bream this month will be on the abundant flats in Berowra and Pittwater, sitting high under moored boat hulls and on the rock walls and reefs up to and beyond Wiseman’s ferry. There are several new lures out this season so drop into your local tackle store and check them out. If all of these options confuse you, you can’t go past a 2” grub on a 1-2g jighead. The flathead are making their presence felt and there are some great fish in amongst the smaller table-sized

ones. They have distributed throughout the main river and its tributaries and are a reasonable proposition from Cliftonville back downstream. Well-known spots like Dads Corner and the Windsock will see the majority of anglers vying for their share, but the thinking angler will search out some ground of their own to fill their bag away from the crowds. Bait fishing with fresh live or frozen Hawkesbury prawns will see mixed bags of bream, flathead and soapy and school jew in the aforementioned spots. Employ a running sinker rig with a no. 1 bait keeper or wide gape shiner hook and just enough lead to hold bottom for best results. A handful of berley every couple of minutes has been the trick to get the fish around the boat and feeding aggressively.

With the influx of school prawns, juvenile tailor and herring things are shaping up well on the mulloway front. These fish will be encountered up to and beyond Wisemans ferry this month on most dropoffs and reefs. Staying mobile and searching out new ground can help to locate these elusive subs in the often turbid water in the upper brackish reaches at this time due to the increase in boat traffic and commercial net dragging. Soft plastics and blades offer an advantage over bait in that you don’t need to source them first thing in the morning – that’s if you’re organised! You can present fish with just about any type of bait these days be it a prawn, worm, or a baitfish add a little bit of angler input and you have deadly bait that will fool all but the most fastidious fish.

Some cracking mulloway have been hitting well-presented soft plastics and live baits over the last month. Peter Field used great skill to angle this 108cm fish on 5lb main line and 10lb leader on a recent charter.

Fishing Monthly Magazines Readers’ Pictures

Ash Brymer says, “Not a decent fish but a bloody cool experience to mark off the list. Two fish on one jig. Bottom bashing for snapper on 6lb gear.”

Isaac Galea caught this 39.5cm tip length bream in Sydney Harbour using a Cranka Crab Heavy in Olive.

Kane Graham and his dad’s jew. Dad’s went 10.9kg and Kane’s 8.6kg.

Daniel Line-Eyre’s tailor was caught at Tuross on a Gulp Nemisis whilst chasing jewies.

Jan Towning’s first ever flathead. It measured 72cm long.

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Thank goodness for spring PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

With all of the bad weather we’ve had over the last part of winter I hope the next few months sees calm seas and light winds. There are fish to be caught along the coast

and in the rivers, it really depends on where you want to go to wet a line. On Pittwater the water is still cold but with warmer water in Broken Bay, things are livening up on the incoming tides. We are still seeing salmon being caught throughout Broken Bay and Pittwater on small metals and trolled hardbodied

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lures. The salmon seem to be pretty active on the tide change and can normally be found by watching for working birds. Catching squid has become tricky of late as we wait for the micro squid to grow big enough to catch and use. There are still squid to be caught but you have to cover a bit of ground to find enough to catch kings. Drifting the ocean side of Barrenjoey Head can be the easiest way to locate a few squid to downrig for a big kingfish. The better colour has been orange but take a few colours with you as natural colours of olive gold or brown have occasionally worked better than orange on some days. The best size at the moment is the 2g size when fishing on Pittwater, but the 2.5g jigs are working around Barrenjoey Head. The areas to hunt for kingfish along Pittwater are numerous, and we have been starting most mornings towards the mouth of the river at low tide and working our way in with the tide. We have been seeing good fish on the sounder at The Motor at Palm Beach, Sinclair Point and around the Careel Bay area. We have seen 90cm+ fish cruise past us while we have been trying to catch squid, and when the school is active it gives everyone a chance to tangle with one. This month you should also think about trolling a few yellowtail or slimies along Pittwater. On some

spring days you’ll see the kings swim straight past a live squid to swallow yakka or slimy mackerel. OFFSHORE Offshore along our coast there are fish to be caught at the reefs in around 40-60m of water. We have been catching decent morwong, nannygai, flathead and trevally, and tangled with the odd salmon and kingfish as well. On most reef charters we have started at Boultons Reef and tangled with trevally and pan-sized snapper. Unfortunately, the odd day has seen leatherjackets as well. It’s worth a drift through the area before heading elsewhere as there has been some kingfish action on some mornings. The Mona Vale Wreck is another area that has been tossing up a mixed bag, with 40cm snapper, trevally, pigfish and tiger flathead all pouncing on squid strips or pilchards. This area is seeing a couple of seals showing up though, and they can turn a hot bite into a frustrating morning. It’s heart breaking to watch a customer’s best ever snapper get ripped off the hooks and have the gills and gut eaten in front of you while the rest of the fish sinks into the abyss. The least frustrating option for the smart angler is to move elsewhere, because with two of these seals on the hunt in the one area not a lot of fish make it to the boat.

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This 72cm salmon was found while fishing 70m of water. The best news for the offshore brigade has been the gathering of the flathead again. There are some very nice blue-spot flathead being caught along the 70m mark, and they’re marching towards the 50m mark. I find the best way to catch a few of these delicious fish is to use soft plastics and heavy jigheads while drifting and pulling them behind the boat. The action is a very easy lift to raise the lure off the bottom and then let it drag along the bottom. It really doesn’t take long for any hungry flathead to show themselves. For those anglers who like to use bait, pilchards are attracting a fair amount of attention. When you find some flathead, mark the spot on your GPS and make sure you use a plotting trail. By marking where you caught the first flathead you have a starting point for the next drift. You will be amazed at how many will be caught

between where you caught your first and your last flathead. Please remember to only take what you need for an immediate feed as it is easy to get your bag limit of blue-spot flathead when they are gathering to spawn. For those wanting to catch kingfish along the coast, the usual haunts are starting to see a few. The better area to try for some of these travelling kingfish seems to be from Dee Why through to Newport Reef. They still seem to be moving from one area to the next, but if you arm yourself with some small live yellowtail and a handful of soft plastics finding them is a bit easier. Try the headlands and around the bommies where possible. Look for balled up baitfish and your targeted species of kingfish won’t be far away. I hope that this report sees you out on the water enjoying our wonderful part of the coast.

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Sondra with a lovely 60cm blue-spot flathead that was caught on a squid strip at the 70m mark.

The skies might be bleak but the morwong are there to be caught in 40-60m of water.

Twice as many species to target SYDNEY NORTH

Darren Thomas

October is a month that mainly goes two ways – it’s either a beautiful start to spring and the encroaching summer season or it’s an absolute last ditch effort from winter to linger as long as possible. I think this year we may just get a bit of both, so I recommend you avoid jumping into the summer species too early. At the moment you have twice as many species to target so don’t put away the trevally and salmon gear just yet, particularly as we’re still getting some great reports here on the Northern Peninsula. We’ll hit up the report this month with some of the better offshore captures of late. Long Reef Pirate crew’s Tim Angus, Mike Bamforth and the guru Mike Bonnici headed out off Broken Bay in soggy conditions to 500 fathoms searching for yellowfin tuna and certainly didn’t disappoint. The guys landed albacore, striped tuna and yellowfin to 30kg using pilly cubes and live baits, while most of the crowds are down south at Browns Mountain there are still some cracker fish to be had just out the front. Closer to shore, some good fishing can be had when the conditions allow. Local reefs from Mona Vale to Curl Curl have been holding teraglin, snapper, kings and flathead. Anthony Ball has been getting into some good snapper using soft plastics and miro jigs while Vic Levett from Oceanhunter Sportsfishing has been putting his clients onto kingfish in similar depths using baits and lures. Rudy Habaus went out in search of a feed in the 18-45m zone and landed a good feed of flatties to 55cm while drifting

around off Dee Why using pillies for bait on a two-hook paternoster rig. Our rocks have copped a hammering this last month, and this breaks off a lot of new feed so fish the platforms as soon as conditions are suitable after a big swell for best results. Spinning off the stones is a popular method of targeting pelagics and surface feeders. Kris Pruessner went for one such spin and had a mad session on salmon pelting metals. Don Rixon landed some solid tailor from Dee Why and nearly got spooled by a shark that wanted his fish more than he did! Narrabeen Lake is slowly waking from its cold winter slumber. I headed out with

Darren Thomas with a Narrabeen Lake mulloway. Schooling trevally have been around in much smaller school sizes and can be berleyed to the boat at locations like The Spit and North Harbour using pillies and pellets. Finally I’d like to touch a bit on one of the new scenes taking off in Sydney: micro jigging. This newer style of jigging involves fishing in shallower water with lighter line, jigs and rods. A large variety of fish are falling to this method so it’s definitely worth giving it a go.

Mike Bonnici and Mike Bamforth with a pair of Sydney yellowfin. At Fishouttawater Tackle World we have dedicated an entire wall to jigging and all products associated with it, tripling the size of the current space. With Sydney’s game scene rapidly evolving, so has our game section – it

too has doubled in size and received a total revamp. The shop is moving forward in leaps and bounds and we are very interested to hear your thoughts on our product range because it’s your shop too and it’s here to stay.

‘‘I’ll fight for OUR fishing rights.’’ Kris Pruessner with a Sydney salmon. the 2kg kit chasing flathead in the yak and finally landed that mulloway I’ve been chasing in there for 20 years. It was a great size fish to open my account with (it took long

Anthony Ball with a couple of good snapper.

enough!) and I estimated it to be 25lb and over 1m long. It took a liking to a 3” nuclear chicken Gulp Minnow on 6lb Ocea leader. A 12-15 minute fight had the fish on the deck of the yak, and after a couple of quick snaps I released it. There’s a video of the fight on YouTube called ‘Daz’s Lake Jew’. Being towed around in the yak by a good size fish is a memory that won’t leave me alone, and it has just made me more hungry for this style of fishing. It goes to show that good luck is still a requirement while versing a competitor with no rules, as this capture could have ended a half a dozen times during the fight. Sydney Harbour delivered a wealth of species during the winter, particularly some of the surface feeders and mid-water species. Schools of tailor and salmon have been feeding at Harbour Central for a while now and are transitioning into their usual boat-shy mood, so be ready on approach and try to get in front of them and cut your motor so as not to spook them.

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OCTOBER 2014

The art of success Gabe Quercigrosse gabeandgabe@bigpond.com

Breaming in Botany Bay, unlike other areas, is a year-round proposition. For that reason it must be the most consistent spot on the NSW coast. However, many anglers miss out because they aren’t fishing correctly.

While good fish are taken from the shore, 90% of the bream caught in the bay and lower reaches of the Georges River are taken from boats at anchor. The right gear set-up is essential. You need a flexible tip rod between 2.1m and 2.25m in length (I like the Wilson Live Fibre series), a Baitrunner reel capable of holding at least 150m of 4kg line. The

The author has been fishing Woronora River a fair bit lately. These are two of his best from a catch of 16 fish a few weeks ago.

movement of the tide will determine the weight of lead to be used, so a range of sinkers is needed. I recommend an assortment of ball sinkers up to 28g. Use a size 6 black crane swivel to offset twisting. Hooks will vary, but if you’re using worms, prawns or pink nipper baits I recommend the no. 2 Gamakatsu Baitkeeper. This hook fits those three baits perfectly, and it’s also ideal for catching other species such as whiting and trevally. Rigging is simple but effective. Use a trace from the swivel the full length of the rod (around 1.8m). This trace allows the bait to move around and will help you get more good catches. In addition, a small lumo beat is very effective above the swivel as it minimises any noise the sinker may make in hitting the swivel. After baiting up, cast a good 25m out and then relax the Baitrunner to its minimum drag, thus allowing the line to have a smooth runoff. This will allow the fish to take the bait well down without feeling any resistance. I like to fish with two rods and let the fish hook themselves.

A good haul of bream and whiting.

SA022

BOTANY BAY

Once a fish has struck and the line is peeling off, give the fish plenty of time to swallow the bait. Simply lift the rod out of the holder, raise the tip and feel the weight of the fish. Because you’re using a Baitrunner reel your drag is pre-set and this makes for easier landing. When you’re using this technique you’ll hook more fish and have the bait well down, keeping losses to a minimum. If you’re fishing near oyster leases, bridge pylons or heavy structure you’ll need heavier tackle with

lines up to 6kg. You have to stop the fish in their tracks before they have a chance to cut you off. I like fishing with a size 00 sinker directly behind the hook and fish one hour either side of the high tide. The slower tidal movement allows the rig to present the bait more naturally and fool the fish. You may lose a few fish this way, but the overall result will make up for these losses. I don’t drift much for bream but when the fish are scarce it may pay to catch a fish or two then anchor,

then move 100m or so and repeat the process. Always ensure you have a landing net and correctly weighted anchor, plus plenty of rope and at least 2m of galvanised chain so it holds firm in windy conditions. When it comes to berley for bream, I like to use boiled wheat, flour, bran and fish oil. Mix it all together in a plastic garbage container and drop it over the side of the boat in tight handballs. This will reach the bottom very quickly and bring fish to the area.

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FISHING IN OCTOBER The weather over the past month has been very ordinary, restricting activities in the bay. Only the more dedicated anglers have been braving the conditions. They have been rewarded with good catches of trevally, with blurters up to 45cm, but mainly around 30-35cm. They have been coming from Molineaux Point, Trevally Alley and the Kurnell oil wharf. Flathead catches have been fewer but the size of

Luderick have been taken from Bare Island, Sutherland Point and Muddy Creek in the Cooks River, but they’ve been running a bit hot-and-cold lately. The best run of whiting I’ve seen for many years has been on the cockle beds from Kyle Bay to Caravan Head in the Georges River, with thumper fish to 48cm taken on live blood worms one hour either side of low tide. I have bagged out on these excellent eating fish a few times over the past month in

proved the most consistent possies. The close inshore reefs from Cape Banks to Long Bay in the north and Kurnell to the boat harbour in the south have provided fair catches of pan-size reds, morwong and leatherjackets, while the 40m mark of the golf tee in the middle of the water tank drift at Kurnell has yielded good sand flathead for anglers using pilchard baits.

October will see schools of bream replace the whiting on the mussel and cockle beds in the Georges River as the former slowly migrates towards the lower areas of the system. They will also congregate in locations such as Watts Reef, the weed corridors between Bonna and Towra Point and the scattered reefs in front of St George Hospital. You’ll find live nippers and the incoming

tide a deadly combination. School mulloway will show up during the full moon period, with the deep hole between the airport runways, the dropover in front of the Novotel at Brighton le Sands. The artificial reef in Astrobalis Cove and Apt Cook and Tom Uglys bridges are popular haunts. Flathead will be found on the ebbing tide from the bell buoy out from Kurnell to

halfway out on the southern shore between the heads. The drift from the refinery wharf to Quibray Bay, and Yarra Bay to la Perouse will also produce good catches. Tailor will be found at the hot water outlet at night on top of the high tide and the small break wall adjacent to the boat ramp on Foreshore Drive is the sneaky spot to fish at night for snapper and trevally.

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Sydney 4WD and Adventure Show this month The Sydney 4WD and Adventure Show is the most interactive 4WD Show in Australia, and will be on again from 17-19 October at Western Sydney International Dragway. This year the event will be even bigger with the introduction of the new fishing hub! The Fishing Expo element of the Show is deigned to give visitors something different. Show Director Peter Woods said fishing and 4WDing go hand-in-hand, and many show visitors will enjoy the new feature of the Show. “We wanted to give audiences what they want, which is more activity and interaction within the Show,” Peter said. “At the centre of the hub is the new Fishing Stage, the major attraction. Hosted by Al McGlashan from TV’s Big Fish Small Boat, the stage will be designed to look like a jetty with Al’s boat and 4WD parked alongside as an interesting visual aspect. The stage will feature guest speakers presenting on different topics, and will include video footage presented on the LED screen above the stage, plus a one-on-one Q&A area to the

main marquee and will include ample seating, plus refreshments available nearby. In addition, next to the stage will be the new Kid’s Casting competition, an interactive activity for children. “We are excited to be able to run the new Yamaha Kid’s Casting competition, which is a great activity to get kids interested in fishing,” Peter said. “The Casting Competition will be set up near the new fishing stage and will give kids a chance to have a go casting a rod, and if they hit the target they can win a prize.” 4WD AND CAMPING The Show has plenty more to see and do with special guests on the Engel Bush Camp Stage, the 4x4 Extreme Show, Team D Max stunt drivers, 4WD Test track and more. Show Director Peter Woods said visitors can check out all the new releases in camper trailers, SUVs and 4WD vehicles, camping gear, 4WD accessories and more. “Jayco will bring their range of Outback camper trailers, and all their products now have Jayco’s innovative JTECH Suspension for greater stability, smoother

Vista RV Crossover and Paravan. The Show will also have displays of new model camper trailers from big name brands including Aussie Swag Campers, Australian Off Road Campers, Cub Campers, Eagle Trailers and Campers, GIC Campers, Market Direct Campers, Marlin Campers, Mountain Trail Campers, Pod Trailers, Rhino Campers, Skamper Kamper, Trackabout Off Road Campers, Ultimate Campers and more. ARB will be at the 2014 4WD and Adventure Show with what will be their biggest ever display at any show in Australia,” Peter said. “Over 2500sqm display with 20 vehicles from most of the major manufacturers fully decked out with the latest ARB gear. Also within their super-marquee they’ll have a chill-out zone for people to simply come and hang out!” Peter said for the first time the Show had secured the LandRover Terra-pod which is unique in being able to show visitors the true capabilities of the LandRover. Peter said the Show would have more than 100 exhibitors, including those

VISITOR INFORMATION Dates: Friday 17 to Sunday 19 October Opening hours: 9am-5pm on Friday and Saturday, 9am-4pm on Sunday Location: Western Sydney International Dragway, Eastern Creek, NSW Ticket prices: Adult - $16, Concession - $13, Children (5-17yrs) - $8, Children under 5 – Free, Family (2 adults, 4 children) - $40 More info: www.4wdshow.com.au

Jason Andrews from TV show All4Adventure will be one of a range of special guests making presentations and answering visitors’ questions. side of the stage.” Some of the presenters on stage will include Nathan Walker, talking about flyfishing; Paul Carter presenting squid fishing; Sol Bannura on mulloway fishing and plenty more. The stage will also feature different presenters and different topics – how to catch different species, travel info and product info. Peter said the stage will be undercover in the 44

OCTOBER 2014

and safer driving,” Peter said. “Nitrogen-filled tyres also provide improved handling and safety with savings on fuel and reduction in tyre wear.” Peter said caravans that will be on display this year include the 2014 Eco-Suite Signature offroad caravan from Kimberley Karavans. Kimberley will also be bringing the Classic Camper and Special Edition. Other caravan exhibitors include Jayco, Camden Caravans,

specialising in camping accessories such as first time exhibitor Doble Outdoors, and long-time supporters Hillbilly Camping and Engel Australia. 4WD Accessories, travel information, tyre sales, fishing tackle and lifestyle products would also be on display. ENTERTAINMENT AND SPECIAL GUESTS Peter said Pat Callinan from 4x4 Adventures would be at the Show again this year. “Pat will speak on the Engel Bush Camp Stage and share some of his stories from his travels across Australia,” Peter said. “We also have Jason Andrews from the popular program All4Adventure. Jason is well recognised by anyone who loves a good, honest outdoor TV program, and Jason certainly has some interesting and funny stories to share!” Other special guests will include TV’s Ernie Dingo, who will host the Engel Bush Camp Stage, and well known presenter Allan Gray – Ask Allan – who will be part of the line-up on the new Fourby Forum information stage. “This year we are introducing the Fourby Forum, which is an interactive, information area that we put together to cater for demand,”

Peter said. “We got feedback from Show visitors that they want more information and know-how – not just to buy the gear, but to learn how to

demonstrate new vehicles. Show goers can watch the new vehicles take on the track, or can experience the ride themselves (with a

ENTRY FEE Entry tickets are $16 for adults and $8 for kids, then all the activities within the Show are free. Tickets and

There’s a lot more to see at the show than just 4WD and camping gear. use it properly. The Fourby Forum will feature different presenters and topics including setting up your vehicle, how to use recovery gear and more.” Well-known Aussie adventurer Graham Cahill will also be at the Show, speaking about his travels and giving tips on outback photography. Graham will be part of the Fourby Forum as well as appearing on the Engel Bush Camp Stage. The Engel Bush Camp Stage. The Club Marine Fishing Stage and the Fourby Forum will run continually across the weekend. IN FOR A THRILL! It wouldn’t be a 4WD Show without 4WDriving entertainment, and this year the entertainment has been super-sized! Always a huge show attraction is the Tough Dog Tuff Truck Extreme 4x4 Show, and this year Peter said there’s a new element added to the Show. “We have secured some amazing Tuff Trucks as part of the Extreme Show,” he said. “For the first time in 2014, we will have five Tuff Trucks tackling the track. Each vehicle is worth around $100,000 and has been modified for competition driving. You’ve never seen anything like it!” Peter said he was also excited to have Team D Max stunt drivers would be back at Show this year. “Team D Max are the best and most popular stunt driving team in Australia. Visitors can stand back and watch as the stunt drivers coast along on two wheels, and take on some mind-boggling inclines and descents – or if they’re game can get in for a free ride.” A major Show focus is the 4WD test track, which is available for exhibitors to

Top: Pat Callinan from 4x4 Adventures will be at the Show again this year, speaking on the Engel Bush Camp Stage. Bottom: This year’s show will feature over 100 exhibitors, including new exhibitor Jayco. demonstration driver) on what is the most authentic 4WD experience available at an event.

more Show information can be found on the Show’s website at www.4wdshow. com.au. – S4AS

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Snapper coming on the chew SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com

The beginning of October to the last week of this month will be vastly

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larger numbers. Snapper will be coming on the chew, especially towards the end of this month. Options are wash fishing or distance casting. Hmm, what should I do? Well, a good option is to have both outfits. Sometimes the snapper will not be in the washes, either because the washes are be too flat or simply the snapper have not ventured into the white water zone in numbers yet. Snapper are caught in the wash for at least eight months of the year but distance casting year round. Good spots to try for a red distance and wash fishing is off the front of Bluefish, South Curl Curl and Bangally Head. You should have a combination of wash fishing baits and berley and distance casting baits. In the washes I like to use pilchards or peeled or whole endeavour prawns. If you can catch some mackerel tuna or frigate mackerel they make great wash and distance casting baits. However, unless you have some of these in the freezer from last season that may not be an option. Bonito fresh or salted is more likely. Bread berley with your pilchard cubes

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for the wash fishing and a firm bait like a salted striped tuna fillet or slimy mackerel or squid strip when you’re distance casting. DRUMMER The big pigs are definitely a great option this month. I generally find the majority of anglers are trying their luck for other species by mid-October. Catching more than one or two big pigs over 3kg can be pretty rare on one trip, but this month that option can be available to hook several big fish. Big cabbage weed baits suspended between 1-3m under a float on 10-12kg mono work well, or you could try any of the traditional baits like peeled banana, king and endeavour prawns, and white sliced bread – and of course use your bread burley. Spots to try are Little Bluey in Manly, North Curl Curl, Warriewood Head, south Whale Rocks at the inner Ovens at South Whale and of course Barrenjoey Head north and south face. KINGFISH The kings should be on the bite this month providing the water temp has risen enough. Temps at this time of year are more prone to fluctuations than later on in the season, but it’s a risk worth taking because the fishing can be great. Eastern sea gars can be really hard to find, and an alternative is the robust gars that are available at this time of year. They are a shorter, thicker gar that requires larger gang hooks. The lure option or live bait option is more practical. The Williamson Jet popper or the 9” Slapstick soft plastic works well. Try Bluefish,

John Halford with a 53cm snapper caught in the wash zone. Fishing Safely DVD called ‘Don’t put your life on the line’. The Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW have also updated their website with the new rock fishing safety video that is subtitled in 28 languages. Here is a quick link to the video and short instructions on how to change the languages: www.brightsparkmedia.com. au/rockfishing/video-fulllength.html. Please check it out as it could save your life or stop you getting yourself into a bad situation. Please spread the message. WHITING Traditionally the whiting will be on the chew this month. When they first arrive they are really hungry and normally in rather large numbers too. A great beach to try is North Narrabeen from the lagoon

run-in tide right at the lagoon entrance. Blood worms are the obvious option if you can locate them, and beach worms and tube worms are great too. If you head further north, Mona Vale will have a few whiting along with some good bream and tarwhine. Palm Beach is often neglected and can fish very well. Normally the best gutters are from about a third of the way up the beach to the Barrenjoey end. South of Narrabeen to Colaroy from approximately the flight deck building to the big storm water pipe is worth a go. At Manly the surfers and swimmers can outnumber the fish but it’s still a great option. You’ll find there are patches of beach where the majority of the surfers congregate. Don’t

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October is traditionally a good month for whiting. South and North Curl Curl and North and South Whale headland. Just a reminder: please check out the remastered

entrance to the pines which are approximately around Octavia Street. The whiting can be in large numbers at night, especially during the

be intimidated by the water users. Just be mindful before you cast for pedestrians and of course surfers and swimmers.

MULLOWAY The jewfish are well and truly worth a go this month, and a live bait not often used is whiting (if you are going to use them make sure they are the NSW legal length – sand whiting must be at least 27cm). They also make great fillet and butterfly baits. After all, the whiting are likely what the mulloway are

The salmon are still going to be in reasonable numbers off the beaches. When I am fishing for whiting I carry some light to medium weight metals like the Snipers from 25-45g. Keep an eye on little boils and baitfish spraying and jumping clear of the water in the area you’re fishing and beyond.

water warms up. Generally they’re a better option in the evenings. OK, all I can say is be keen, get excited and go and target a specific species or two this season. You will find it way more rewarding than just trying to fish for a random species. As a fulltime guide I can certainly make you a much more

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So many fish love to eat worms. there for, along with other prey like dart and mullet, and chopper tailer later in the year when they are in greater numbers. Live yellowtail and fresh squid are the popular bait options as well. Manly, Dee Why, North Narrabeen and Palm Beach are normally the better beaches.

Also keep an eye on dark shapes when the face of the wave is steep. Using the traditional three hook 3/0 to 4/0s with a whole pilchard is a popular option. All the beaches that I mentioned above will have a few salmon. Expect the tailor numbers to increase as the

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lures imitate major food items such as shrimps, and cherabins in a very lifelike manner. All Zereks are made from a very flexible but tough plastic material with a Kevlar reinforced strip along the back section for maximum strength. Pre-rigged with extra sharp weedless hooks plus a built-in weight and rattle, the Zerek is virtually snagless thanks to the way in which the hook sits neatly against the back of the lure. In fact it’s this superior resistance to snagging that makes the Zerek so invaluable as a lure. These things can be worked virtually anywhere, from cod water to coastal snags, and are successful on virtually every species of fish. I’ve seen tuna taken on Zereks as well as bream, whiting and the whole gamut of estuary species. In the mangrove creeks up north the Zereks are deadly on barramundi and jacks; their inherent To page 49

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OCTOBER 2014

Find the warmer water SYDNEY HARBOUR

Craig McGill craig@fishabouttours.com.au

The days are starting to warm up but don’t be fooled – there’s always that lag between water and air temps, and sometimes we don’t see the water warm up until November or even December. However, despite the cool water anglers get fired up by longer, warmer days and

their expectations go up with the temperature. Unfortunately, reality doesn’t always measure up to expectations. The fish have slow metabolisms and are in lean condition from the long winter. Just like most other animals, cold weather lowers their resistance to disease and fish tend to be at their weakest at this time of year. Higher expectations and slow fish can lead to some disappointing trips. There is an upside

though. The classic winter fish that are still around are firing and usually in good numbers, and you usually have them all to yourself. I’ve had days where I haven’t seen another boat, even on Sydney Harbour. There’s no queue at the ramp and no one at even the most popular spots. With either dead calm weather or, at worst, prevailing offshore winds pushing close coastal waters flat, conditions can be very pleasant.

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A couple of nice trevally. Use plenty of berley and soft baits like pilchards. TIPS AND TRICKS There are a few tricks to success at this time of year. Fist of all, upstream is very cold and quiet. There are a few blackfish, some dory, the occasional mulloway and a few other bits and pieces upstream but all up it’s very quiet and hardly worth the effort. The trick is to fish downstream somewhere within the reach of ocean water, which is considerably warmer, on the incoming tide. Good stable high pressure systems and the full and new moon periods fish better. This also applies in summer but it’s much more important when the water is cooler if you’re trying to avoid the shutdowns. Fishing early in the morning or late in the arvo isn’t as important as the other variables at this time of year. Fish a variety of baits as you will find a mix of fish, some lagging from winter and some newcomers moving in for summer. The greater the variety of bait you offer, the better chance you have at all of these. If all goes well we might start to see a trickle of kings towards the end of the month, and the salmon schools should be firing. Already the trevally are showing up in

A double hook-up on flatties. They are thick at the moment. good numbers and they’re of a good average size. Prospects for the coming summer season are looking good. After three averageto-poor years the southern isolation graph is trending

back towards El Niño. This bodes well for a return of very good fishing in the harbour. The La Niña of the last three years coincided with the period in which the real benefits of the ban on

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A nice feed from North Harbour.

commercial fishing in the harbour were supposed to kick in. (Eight years is the magic mark, according to results from other rec havens.) La Niña may have dampened the upswing in fishing that we might otherwise have seen, but once it lifts I think we’ll see a dramatic improvement in harbour fishing. And on that note, we have just experienced some of the best flatfish fishing that I can ever recall. North harbour has been the hot spot and in one session we hooked somewhere around 25 fish. When you consider that the water temp was a mere 16°C you have to wonder what the action will be like when temps warm up. Mixed in with the flatties have been some very good flounder which have been just as eager to take a lure. Most of the action has been in 20-30ft of water and Collins Flat, North Arm, Little Manly and Store Beach have all been producers. A lot of these spots are accessible on foot for those who don’t have a boat. The trevally have arrived in good numbers and the average size has been bigger than normal, with fish in the 2kg class not uncommon. Once again, North Harbour has been the pick of the spots but the Wedding Cakes, the Pigs and Clifton Gardens

have been producing well. Traditionally, for reasons unknown, any kings that come in early tend to head for Middle Harbour. More often they are bigger fish and I suspect they head upstream for the little cuttlefish that are abundant there at this time of year. You can catch your squid in the shallows at Balmoral before heading up. Squid will be small and in the shallower water so

smaller jigs in the 1.5 to 2 size are best. Once you have your bait try areas like the hole on the downside of the spit, Pickering Point, Bantry Bay and the wreck off Beauty Point. • 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.

Flounder are aggressive predators that will pounce on a lure.

From page 47

strength and resistance to snagging makes them a must-have for the tropical angler. On offshore reefs these lures are also irresistible to virtually anything that swims. And now there’s a new breed of Zerek. Referred to as the Hot Legs, these new style Zereks feature even more strength in their back sections, immense resistance to losing their very enticing shape plus they can be stored with each other (not with other brands of plastics) without sticking together. And of course, they have different coloured legs to make them even more attractive to fish. Available in a couple of sizes and a big range of colours, both the Cherabin and Shrimp patterns of Zerek offers the utmost in versatility. The new style has a slightly different hook pocket near the eyes which allows the angler to set them up with worm hook or jigheads of different weights for use in a wide variety of situations. Most tackle stores carry Zereks, and to use ‘em is to love ‘em. They’re the lure to use when you can’t use a lure.

Flexibility is a great feature of the Hot Legs Zerek. Rigged with a standard jighead, this Zerek took a cod from an offshore reef.

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Stick to your guns SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

It can be very hard to decide what species to chase in October. Maybe whiting off the beaches or the sand flats? Bream on surface lures or bait fishing in the channels? Maybe snapper on the close offshore reefs and rock platforms? Squid could be in with a chance over the kelp and weed beds or maybe the artificial reefs, and what about mulloway with soft plastics or baits in the deep water. Decisions, decisions, what to do? INCREASING YOUR CATCH RATE I recommend picking a species that you prefer to chase and concentrating your time and effort into mastering the art of targeting it. As I have stated in some of my fishing talks, if you stick to the following eight steps you will improve your ability to narrow down your time and effort to get amongst a few fish. 1. Know your target Know where your target species lives, what it prefers to eat, and the better time of the day or night to target it.

Do the moon and tides affect the feeding habits of this species? And if you’re using bait, you want to have access to the best bait possible. For example, if you’re going to chase whiting with bait you should make sure you know to use a nipper pump and where to pump for those nippers. Or, if you want to use worms as bait, learn how and where to catch them or which bait shop stocks them. 2. Choose the location It’s best if you make firm a decision on whether you’re going to fish off the beach, rock or in the estuary, as each of these areas has their own

lures I’d want to work out the maximum depth of water to best target bream over the flats. Can the flats be just a sandy or muddy bottom or does it have to have a combination of both, plus a sprinkling of cockle beds and ribbon weed? I find that a depth of not much more than 2m in all these areas will produce bream on surface lures. 3. Keep records They say that 90% of the fish are caught by 10% of the anglers, and that 10% consists of those anglers who keep some kind of record of their catches. It could

The perfect rig for snapper, kingfish or mulloway. particular characteristics. For example, if I was going to chase bream with surface

be an album full of photos with a few notes written on the back, or a detailed diary

Whiting, bream and the odd salmon and tailor are being caught off the beaches at Cronulla. of the days and hours they spent chasing their preferred fish species. This bank of information is invaluable to any angler who wants to be in that 10%. 4. Devise a plan While it’s true that you can make a snap decision to go for a fish and have an extremely successful outing, I recommend planning your fishing trips well before you set out. The vast majority of my trips are planned well in advance. Those of you who know me know that I compete in a number of bream tournaments, and before each of these comps I devise a plan of attack. First of all, I enter

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all the dates into my calendar and then check what the tides will be for the completion day(s). Once I have worked this out I look for a time that’s approximately two weeks before the comp and make sure the tides are very similar. This enables me to have a pre-fish at the places I want to fish in the tournament. One thing I have found over the years is to stick to the plan and try very hard not to deviate. Still, sometimes the weather will throw a spanner in the works so it’s always good to have a backup plan. 5. Pick it and stick with it Some years ago I had the opportunity to learn how

to fly cast at a week-long class. On the first night the instructor asked me for the keys of my car, and then he took my spin rod and hardbodied lures out of the car and kept them away from me for the week! He told me I there to learn how to cast a fly and to catch trout with one. I wasn’t there to spin with hardbodied lures as I already knew how to do that. This was some of the best advice I’ve been given, as it forced me to learn how to cast and catch trout on a fly. This newfound knowledge, in turn, led to me catching bream, flathead, whiting, bass, luderick, salmon, tailor and yellowfin tuna on fly.

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Unlike plastic baits Gulp! is water-based, dispersing scent as soon as it hits the water. It is this powerful, waterbased scent release system that makes Gulp! the most effective ‘soft plastic.’

The truly lasting R&D achievement is being a water based polymer made from 100% natural ingredients, Gulp! is 100% Biodegradable.

Check out the huge Gulp! range at your nearest stockist today and start catching more fish!

Scan to learn more about why Gulp! is the most effective ‘soft plastic.’ QR campaign by Mark HUISKEN the 2014-04-07 Gulp Effective YT clip You Tube

start time : 07-04-2014 end time :

You QR must be taller than 2 cm (on print support)

www.youtube.com/user/purefishtv short link : http://www.pfcatalogarc.com/qr-purefishing,283.html Long link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ruUABEkhgE

b e r k l e y- f i s h i n g . c o m . a u • fa c e b o o k . c o m / b e r k l e y f i s h i n g a u s t r a l i a • y o u t u b e . c o m / u s e r / p u r e f i s h t v

OCTOBER 2014

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Over the years I have found many participants in my fishing classes who want to learn more on how to use lures. They tell me they have tried it for a few casts, but after a very short while they revert back to using bait. It’s an easy mistake to make. The next time you want to have a go at lure fishing, don’t take any bait with you as a backup otherwise it’s too easy to go back to using bait. 6. Timing I don’t know how many times I’ve been asked what the best time is to go fishing! To me this is one of the hardest questions to answer. For example, if I’m targeting luderick in the Port Hacking I prefer an outgoing tide. The exact timing, however, is determined by the location. Spot 1 is best fished during the first 90 minutes of the run-out in the morning, but is terrible during the afternoon as there is too much sun on the water. Spot 2 is best fished for the first two hours of the run-out tide because after that time there is not enough water running over the weed beds where the luderick are feeding. Spot 3 can be fished during the whole of the run-out tide, but is hopeless to fish during a southerly wind. This spot is best fished when the wind is coming from the north. See what I mean?

7. Maintain your gear Keeping your gear in order with regular maintenance will help to avert gear failure at that critical time. I have just finished competing in a bream tournament down at St Georges Basin where I rotated between six outfits. After the comp I stripped off all the lures and soft plastics, wound the line back onto the spool, and lightly washed the rods and reels with freshwater. I then wiped off the water, lightly sprayed the reel with Inox and then wiped them down with a rag. Finally, I

loosened off the drags and then stored them away for next time. I never store my outfits rigged up from the last time. 8. Be patient Perhaps most important of all, you need to be patient when targeting whatever species you have chosen. A number of years ago I took my nephew out for a bream fish using bait. One thing I stressed to young Rob was not to take the rod out of the rod holder when he saw a couple of nibbles, because striking a fish too early often results in a missed hook-up. “Just

leave it alone,” I told him, “and the combination of the fast tapered rod, 1/0 Owner circle hook and peeled prawn will do the rest.” It worked. Leaving the rod in the rod holder was the best idea Rob had ever learnt. FISHING IN OCTOBER This month should see silver trevally in the deep water of Botany Bay, bream at the ends of the runways, and tailor and kingfish at the hot water outlet at Kurnell. We can also expect whiting and bream off the beaches and over the sand flats in the Woronora and Port Hacking Rivers.

Whiting and flathead fillets done on the BBQ. What could be better? Maybe snapper or squid! Snapper, morwong, leatherjackets and pigfish will be on the close and outer reefs along with sand flathead out to the 50m mark. You could also try trolling the washes along the coast for salmon, tailor, bonito and kingfish.

If you have any reports of fishing you have done and fish you have caught, send me an email and I’ll put the info in my reports – I won’t mention the exact location, of course. My email address is gbrown1@ iprimus.com.au.

COHOE MARINE PRODUCTS TOHATSU Outboards

Sales-Service-Repairs Dinghy/Tenders Boating Accessories 209 Australia Street Newtown Don’t forget to try off the groynes along the western side of the bay for whiting, flathead, bream and squid.

PH:

9519 3575

Fax:

9550 3617

cohoemarine@bigpond.com

The Original Life-Like Lures

Sonic Popper

Ultra Frox

Chipmom

JML Trading Pty Ltd

westinfishingaustralia OCTOBER 2014

What’s New FISHING

BALISTA S-POP

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

DAMIKI X10 ASSIST HOOKS

The Balista S-Pop wreaks surface havoc with a combination of large pops and big fizz from the holographic gills. Water squeezes through the gills on every pop, leaving a traceable trail of bubbles. It’s engineered to offer as many strikegenerating features as possible, allowing the Balista S-Pop to generate a strike when nothing else can. The 70mm S-Pop features a flashing red LED that’s water activated and scientifically proven to increase strike rates. The LED light grabs lurking predators’ attention, triggering both feeding and territorial strikes. The LED is at its most effective in lower light conditions. If you can notice the LED flashing in your hand you know it’s going to be highly visible to the fish. Whether you fish for barra, bass or anything in between, the UltraPoint Mustad #4 trebles are fitted for superb hookup rates. Price: $19.95 www.balista.com.au

Damiki X10 assist hooks, distributed by Searing Tackle, are high quality Owner hooks that use YGK Seahunter red line. These new hooks are primarily designed to go on smaller micro jigs from 20-40g in size. These hooks also have tinsel added to them for extra flash, maximising their visibility and attraction. They can also be used on hardbody lures, blades and also on ice jigs when chasing schooled fish. Damiki X10 assist hooks come in a pack of four in two sizes, and they’re available now. For more information or to find the nearest stockist, visit the Searing Tackle website at www.searingtackle.com. au or call 0404 719 944. Price: RRP $9.99 www.searingtackle.com.au

MIMIX CROX POP

The Shok Fishing Tournaments app was developed by two keen anglers who wanted to run a fishing tournament via smartphone. Not only can you compete in fortnightly tournaments where you can win prizes, you will also be able to connect with other anglers Australiawide to chat about fishing via the app blog. Once downloaded from the app store, you will see how user friendly it is. To register for the competition it costs $34.95 and this includes a free brag mat, stubby cooler and entry into the competitions for a year. All you have to do is catch a fish, access the camera phone through the app and take a picture on Shok’s brag mat and upload to one of four fishing categories. If you’re not a winner the first time around, don’t worry – the tournaments run back-to-back every fortnight. There are no restrictions on locations or times – just catch and upload for your chance to win. There’s also a free classifieds section for tackle, boats and camping gear. App Price: Free www.facebook.com/shokfishing

With a long body profile, strong and sharp double hooks and a special Long Cast feature, the Mimix Crox Prop certainly is the lure that you need to create the perfect surface commotion to attract and catch big fish! The Crox Prop can be fished like any other ordinary prop lure, or you can fish it with straight retrieve or twitch. This new lure has been designed and painted to look like a real baby crocodile found in the wild, so if you want to catch big nasty predator fish, you certainly need big nasty prop lure like Crox Prop! You can work the lure with the following retrieves: a straight retrieve with gentle twitching; a straight retrieve; or irregular twitching. The Mimix Crox Prop weighs 21g and measures 6.5cm. To see a video clip of this lure, hop on YouTube and search for ‘Mimix Crox Prop’ or scan the QR code on this page. To find your nearest dealer log onto www.jml.net.au. Price: RRP $19.95 mimixcorp.com

DAIWA SALTIST EXTREME

Replacing the popular Catalina and Saltiga Extreme ranges, Saltist Extreme takes the successes of its predecessors and combines it with the latest technologies and designs. The range includes models ranging from 5’6” power spin models, to lighter and longer spin sticks, and of course to the pint-sized 5’6” and 6’ overhead workhorses. There are 11 models in the series and range of styles to choose from. Daiwa’s carbon creates a rod that is lightweight yet very powerful, and X45 wrapping technology improves sensitivity and strength. 3DX allows the rod’s power to be located at the lower section of the rod for more power and less angler fatigue. Glatech construction features in many of the models and delivers an incredibly resilient blank, with backbone and lifting power to control and lead strong fish. V Joint technology ensures that multi-piece blanks match the performance of one-piece blanks in flex, power and responsiveness. Other features include gold accented custom reel seats with locking ring and Fuji SIC SUS guides. Price: too new www.daiwafishing.com.au

SHOK TOURNEY APP 2

SCATTER RAP JOINTED

Building on the classic articulated body of the Rapala Jointed, the Scatter Rap Jointed swims with an irresistible action. The jointed body combined with a Scatter Lip takes the legendary Jointed action to the next level when using a slow presentation, while speeding up the retrieve triggers the erratic evasive Scatter Rap action – and the bite. Measuring 9cm and weighing 7g, this lure is designed to swim at depths of 1.5m to 2.1m. The Scatter Rap Jointed is available in a range of natural baitfish patterns and comes fitted with premium VMC trebles. It’s available now, so keep an eye out for it during your next visit to your favourite tackle store. In the meantime, if you want to see underwater footage of the lure in action, search for ‘Rapala Scatter Rap Jointed & Shad’ on YouTube or scan the QR code hereabouts. Price: RRP $19.95 www.rapala.com.au

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What’s New FISHING

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FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE MAKO ROSE/ GREEN MIRROR

Mako’s new Rose lens with a Green Mirror (G2H5) and the Mako High Definition Filter builds on the previous top selling Copper and Blue Mirror combination currently available in the Blade frame. Initially available only in the GT frame, the G2H5 lens is exceptionally comfortable due to its use of ultra lightweight crown glass. The internal Green mirror also offers scratch resistance and durability in salty environments. The Mako Rose base colour has high contrast capabilities. It heightens the differences in brightness and colour that make objects discernable to the human eye, allowing you to see more structure and fish at a greater depth. The Green Mirror adds clarity and creates a lens that is wearable all day by reflecting just enough of that bright sunlight without inhibiting the operation of the Rose lens’ key attributes. Finally, the Mako HD Filter provides a better sight fishing experience by removing some yellow and orange wavelengths of light that cause blurring, especially at a distance. Price: RRP $289.95 www.makoeyewear.com.au

NEW FROM DAMIKI

INSANITY SLAP WALKER

Two of the latest releases from Damiki are the 6” Anchovy Shad and the 3.2” Ghost Shad. The 6” Anchovy Shad is a thin profile paddle tail swimbait ideal for barra, cod, flathead and snapper. It can be used as a spinnerbait trailer or rigged with a jighead. Its large paddle tail and high quality plastic construction allow the tail to come alive even at slow speeds. Available in a range of proven colours, the Damiki Anchovy Shad is great for targeting pressured fish. It comes in packs of four to suit jighead sizes from 1/4oz to 1oz (4/0-7/0). The 3.2” Ghost Shad has a soft texture and small paddle tail, providing a realistic action. This, combined with their inbuilt flash, provides an enticing action that fish can’t resist. Ghost Shads are ideal for bream, redfin perch, trout, bass, whiting and shallow water reef species like snapper. The 3.2” Ghost Shad comes in packs of eight and is available in five colours. Price: RRP $12.99 www.searingtackle.com.au

Insanity Tackle is the brainchild of Wayne ‘Mr Freshwater’ Dubois, and are uniquely designed to fool highly pressured, educated Aussie fish. First cab off the rank is the Slap Walker rattling lipless crankbait. These sinking lures feature amazingly detailed finishes and have three tow points which allow you to alter the amount of vibration, noise and running depth simply by changing holes. Running the lure on the back hole gives the most vibration and noise and also makes the lure ride more vertically in the water column, riding over snags much better then conventional lipless crankbaits. These lures appeal to all predatory fish in both fresh and salt water, and can be cast and retrieved, jigged or trolled. There’s a 13g, 60mm model and a 17g, 70mm model with six detailed colours to choose from. To find out more go to the Insanity Tackle Facebook page or contact Wayne on 0428 582 812 or waynedubois@ westnet.com.au. Trade enquiries welcome. Price: RRP $20 waynedubois@westnet.com.au

WILSON ROD CARRIER

The next generation of bull bar rod carriers is here. Wilson have developed this 100% Aussie made, fully adjustable rod carrier to suit all bull bars, straight or angled. It sits in the base, locked by the quick release pin that makes it easily removable when not in use. The Wilson Rod Carrier (#BBRC4RTB) is not only height adjustable but has a unique swivel action; with the stainless steel bolts it can be swivelled to any angle to suit the position of your bull bar. It has four rod holders with protective rubber caps on each to prevent friction on your rods in transit. It comes with 2” bull bar U-bolts as standard but has an option of a 3” bull bar conversion kit (sold separately) Powder coated in hammer tone black, this stylish and versatile rod holder ticks all the boxes. Price: from RRP $110 www.wilsonfishing.com

SAMAKI PACEMAKER

The Samaki Pacemaker sets the pace for high speed trolling lures. The Pacemaker’s sleek design has been tweaked and fine-tuned to allow you to troll faster with a wider trolling spectrum to attract a variety of aggressive fish species. The Pacemaker also has the flexibility to troll at high or low speed, with an ideal troll speed sitting at 6 knots for most pelagics. The Pacemaker handles this with ease and can even increase its speed up to 15 knots in most models. Structurally sound, the Pacemaker incorporates a one-piece stainless steel welded wire, heavy-duty split rings, VMC 3X Perma steel hooks, realistic fish-eye, prism tape insert and unique Samaki designed colour concepts including slimy mackerel, yellowfin tuna and mullet. This lure is dynamite on tuna, mackerel, wahoo, barra, kingfish and more. It’s available in 140mm and 180mm models and two diving depths, ranging from 2m to 8-10m. Price: from RRP $17.95 www.samaki.com.au

SHIMANO BOTTOM SHIP

Those sneaky Kiwis have been quietly going about catching a heap of reef and pelagic fish on Shimano Bottom Ship jigs for a number of years now, and Aussie anglers are finally getting the chance to try these deadly metals on our local species. A rear-weighted design gets Bottom Ship down fast, but colour and movement when slow jigged is the key to their success. Available in four colours including a luminous paint option, the trailing squid skirt hides a pair of in-line chemically sharpened assist style hooks rigged on Dyneema cord. Bottom Ship jigs come in three weights, 90g, 110g and 135g, and replacement skirts and hooks are freely available. Price: from RRP $19.99 www.shimanofish.com.au

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What’s New FISHING

Z-MAN 2” CRUSTEAZ

Is it a prawn, crab, shrimp, yabby, insect… no it’s the 10X Tough Z-Man 2” CrusteaZ. This crustacean imitation will appeal to fish species that eat any of the aforementioned prey and that means almost any fish that swims in our rivers, estuaries and impoundments! Designed with bream in mind, the CrusteaZ will also appeal to anglers chasing bass, golden perch, trout, redfin, saratoga, flathead, grunter and almost any other small to medium fresh or saltwater species. The body design of the CrusteaZ allows it to be effectively rigged on a small jighead or worm hook and its claws provide action and movement without aggressively spooking timid feeders. Fish it across the surface, sink it around structure on a TTs Hidden Weight System jighead or slowly hop and twitch it across the bottom. The realistic feel of the ElaZtech will keep the fish biting until they find the hook and the 10X Tough construction equals more fish per lure. It’s available in eight colours, with six per pack. Fish on! Price: SRP $8.95 www.z-man.com.au

SHIMANO AERNOS FB

Shimano’s new Aernos FB spin reels are certainly a cut above their predecessors. The compact XGT7 body (a Shimano exclusive material that’s 200% stronger than ordinary graphite) has delivered a substantial weight saving, which is complemented by the compact body design. There are five reels in the range — a 1000FB, a 2500FB, a 3000FB, a 4000FB, and an extra compact 5000FB. DC die-cast gearing, stainless steel shielded bearings and a machined aluminium handle combine to make winding, even under load, as featherlight as possible. Varispeed II delivers neat and uniform line lay, while the cold-forged AR-C Spool and its special lip design permits greater casting distances as well as preventing wind knots and backlashes from forming. Additionally, each Aernos FB comes with a spare spool, so it’s possible to carry another line breaking strain with you, or one filled with mono if that suits a particular fishing situation better. Price: from RRP $169 www.shimanofish.com.au

ZEREK HOT LEGS

The new Zerek Live Shrimp Hot Legs make a great lure even better! Made with softer material and a slender body, the Live Shrimp Hot Legs are ideal for estuary situations. With the addition of fluoro legs, the Zerek Hot Legs Live Shrimp can pull fish in low light or bottom-dwelling areas because the vibrations of the legs are visually enhanced by the bright tips. The fish can’t help but notice! The Zerek Hot Legs (#ZLSHL) is currently available in two new sizes, 3” and 4”, and more colours to widen the range of targeted species. This lure really is the perfect estuary prawn imitation and gives you the option to rerig it weighed or weedless. To see video clips of these lures in action, search for ‘Zerek Hot Legs’ on YouTube. Better still, subscribe to the ‘Wilsonfishing’ YouTube channel to see vids of all the latest Wilson products as they come out. Price: from $12.95 www.wilsonfishing.com

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

DAIICHISEIKO LINE RECYCLER

You’ll never need to pay for line spooling again – now you can do it yourself with Daiichiseiko’s superior quality Single Shaft Fishing Line Recycler available from jroctackle.com.au. Reeling in the new line and replacing line on an empty spool is simple and easy with the recycler. It has a 3.5 times faster highspeed handle with three built-in ball bearings for a smooth and easy action. With a tension adjustment screw you can alter the tension while spooling at any time. The easy fit clamp screw enables the unit to be fitted to any table or bench for spooling on or off anytime, anywhere. You can transfer a brand new line from the spool to a reel while adjusting the tension. Line from the reel can be quickly reeled onto an empty spool and stored. This product is made from premium quality materials. Visit jroctackle.com.au for more info on Daiichiseiko products, including the Double Shaft Recycler. Price: RRP $89.95 (free shipping) www.jroctackle.com.au

MIGHTY MIDGET ROD STAND

The Mighty Midget is an entirely new concept in rod stands. The ‘trick’ with this unit is that it sits below knee height. When assembled it becomes obvious that rod racks have always been made too high. Once you have seen this unit and placed rods in it, you are left scratching your head wondering why it took so long to produce an efficient rod stand. It makes sense that a rod stand should be less bulky then the rods it holds. With an RRP of $74.95 this is a system you need before you damage yet another rod within your arsenal. The Mighty Midget is also the perfect present for the angler who has everything, or for the significant other who is sick of the garage being cluttered with rods. Measuring just W 44 x 29 D x 39 H, it’s available now from quality retailers across the country. Price: RRP $74.95 www.vivafishing.com.au

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Z-MAN 3.5” GRUBZ

Z-Man’s 10X tough, buoyant, super-soft and flexible ElaZtech construction gave new life to curly tail plastics, creating maximum action, even with minimal movement and at slow retrieve speeds. The built-in buoyancy also gives the Z-Man GrubZ range a seductive tail-up action on the drop and a natural tail-up feeding action when at rest on the bottom, over time accounting for an incredible variety of fish species. Add to this the 10X Tough construction and you have a plastic that can be smashed and crunched time and time again, even by toothy critters. The Z-Man 3.5” GrubZ fills out the family, now consisting of a 2”, 2.5”, 3.5”, 5” and 9” GrubZ, and it is sure to be as popular as it is versatile. Its profile and action will suit everything from bass and golden perch in the fresh, to flathead, mulloway and mangrove jack in the estuaries and out onto the shallow reefs and rubble patches in search of snapper and other reef species. It’s available in 12 colours with six per pack. Price: SRP $8.95 www.z-man.com.au

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What’s New FISHING TESTED:

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

Light at the end of the transom

Just when you thought you had everything that a fisherman needs, you’re thrown a curve ball in the way of a boat bung LED light upgrade from the team at Marine Warehouse in Brisbane. That’s right, a bung light! We were lucky enough to have the chance to play around with a couple, and to say we were impressed would be an understatement. The Vigil LED bung light kit is very easy to install. You don’t need to be a tradesman or have an extravagant tool box to complete the job. We fitted one to our Bluefin Bass electric boat and one to our Vic & Tas Fishing Monthly rep’s Quintrex 435 Hornet Trophy. The Quintrex install was the easier of the two because the thread pattern was identical to that of the standard large size

Telwater bung housing. On the other hand, the Bluefin required us to replace the housing with the one that’s supplied in the bung light kit. It was as easy as drilling out the two pop rivets, removing the outer and applying a bead of good quality silicone around the hole, replacing the new base and fastening with stainless steel screws (you can re-pop rivet if you feel the need). Screw in the new LED bung and connect the positive and negative wires to your battery and you’re away. We wired ours straight to the battery but I would suggest going to your switch panel so it can be turned on and off easily.

On the water

The first outing was the Pine River for a spot of afternoon flathead fishing. We fitted the blue version to the Hornet and the spread area was bigger than expected; it spread out to about 3m in behind the boat. Baitfish were attracted to the light within minutes – a no-brainer for any style of fishing at night. Almost cheating! I have plans to venture out and see how the light will attract squid in the bay islands, and I also have some neat ideas for reef fishing with livies. I will be fitting one of these lights to my centre console with an on/off switch on the dash so I can use it for landing fish at night instead of using the old head torch when the fish come up to the boat. One thing to note is that these lights are not designed to run out of the water for long periods, as they need water to keep them cool. When we finished fishing for the night we left the light on by mistake, and I can tell you

TESTED:

it looks super cool cruising down the river with a bright blue wake! There are two colours available, white and blue. The kit includes 2m of tinned twin sheathed wire, and a waterproof Deutsch plug allows you to change your bung with no hassle and having to rewire so you can swap colours to suit your needs. Don’t worry about running your battery flat as these draw very little current. It’s great to have a product that not only is outstanding in performance but also incredibly easy to install. Check these out at your local marine dealer or visit www.marinewarehouse.com.au. - Greg Livingstone, FMG

Gloryfy unbreakable sunglasses

Every once in a while you come across a product that really stands out from the crowd. It can be something as simple as colour, it can be the shape or size. But in the case of Gloryfy Sunglasses it’s about the engineering, innovation and ground-breaking technology. I first met the guys from Eskimo Distributions (the company that distributes Gloryfy in Australia) at a boat show earlier this year. To say the product grabbed my attention would be an understatement! When you see a small lady swinging a hammer onto a perfectly fine set of sunnies you just can’t help but investigate further. Petra (the hammer swinger) was demonstrating the technology used in the construction of the Gloryfy glasses. These sunnies are unbreakable due to the patented materials used in both the body and lenses. Fishermen can be rough and tough with their gear at times and it’s not uncommon for expensive glasses to be broken while getting the boat

ready. Sitting on them, casting, stepping on them after they fall off your head… the list goes on. Now for someone like me who has a bad track record with breaking glasses, this was a great solution for my clumsiness. And when Petra from Gloryfy offered Fishing Monthly a pair of the G3 model to test I jumped at the opportunity. Gloryfy Sunglasses originate from Austria and were initially designed for the armed forces as glasses which were safety orientated and hard to break. From its beginnings to now having huge growth within the circles of extreme sports such as mountain biking and snowboarding, and due to their unique features, it was only a matter of time before the company moved into the marine and fishing market. Unbreakable frame and lenses: Yep, that’s right, you can’t break the frames or

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lenses. You can twist and turn them as much as you want and they’ll return to their original shape. The arms clip out when they get pushed to a certain degree, but they are engineered to do this and all you do is clip them back

in and they are as solid as before. The patented technology used to make the frames and lenses (G-flex and I – Flex technology) make the lenses and frames extremely flexible and they always return to their original shape (check out the YouTube clip showing how strong and unbreakable this product is!) Gloryfy lenses have the highest quality ratings and come optioned as polarised or not. You also have the option of getting them in prescription. These glasses are comfortable to wear with excellent wraparound clarity, which is what I like in my fishing sunnies. The comfortable and lightweight features of these glasses make is easy to forget you have them on while fishing. One thing I have noticed is you rarely need to adjust the glasses. When out on the water you can combine sweat, water and sunscreen which

sometimes results in heavier glasses sliding down my nose slightly which can be annoying – but this rarely happened with the Gloryfy frames. The G3 model I tested also sat comfortably when sitting on top of my head. This is important to me as I prefer to rest my sunnies there instead of taking them off when tying knots or applying sunscreen. This way, instead of wasting time looking for your glasses you can focus on making sure your fishing line is in the water as much as possible. You won’t catch fish if your line’s in the boat. As with other quality polarised sunglasses on the market, you will be looking to pay between $250-$279 for the polarised glasses. You get what you pay for with Gloryfy glasses, which is quality and innovation in all aspects. They’re great value and worth every cent. I’m not the only one to be impressed by these glasses, as they recently received the runner-up award for Best New Product in Accessories and Clothing at the 2014 AFTA (Australian Fishing Trade Association) trade show on the Gold Coast. To view the full range of glasses go to www.gloryfy.com. They are distributed in Australia by Eskimo Distribution, and they can be contacted on 0407 930 762 or email petra.tscherner@eskimodistribution. information. com.au for further - Ryan Limpus, FMG

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Prawning season kicks off ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke clarkey1@westnet.com.au

I love prawns, particularly Lake Illawarra prawns. They taste great, are fun to catch and are about the best bait you can use in any situation. Few fish in an estuary system or the beach can swim past a live kicking prawn. But first you have to catch them. With this month marking the start of the local prawning season, it’s time to get out there during the dark and scoop a few – or a lot if they are running. To get started you need a scoop net and an underwater light (both are easily purchased from

the local tackle shop), and to power your light you need a battery of one type or another. Most people choose to use a 12V motorbike battery. You place it in a floating container tied to your belt and it floats around behind you wherever you go. The container is usually big enough to carry a bucket to put your prawns in (it needs a lid because the little buggers can jump) and maybe a beverage or two. This activity is fun for all the family as the kids love walking each side of the light and scooping any prawns in their path. Timing is everything for a good catch of prawns, and when we talk about the ‘dark’ we’re not referring to the fact that it’s night

time, but rather that certain nights are best. The dark is usually about a week after the full moon, with the best time being when the tide is running out, as this is when the prawns run. The dark lasts until about a week after the new moon, so 10 days to two weeks. The run is what everyone wants as this when the entire population of the waterway lifts off the bottom at once and heads to the sea, and they head to the sea in their thousands. They can form thick columns or just be a moving mass over the entire width of the waterway. This is good and may last for an hour or all the tide, and it doesn’t happen all the time – you just have to be in the right spot at the right time for these occurrences. But for the most part there will be a small run on most nights of the dark. Runs are good but for the most part prawns sit

them from this position. Alternatively, you can do a thing called ‘kicking’ where you place your net behind the prawn and stomp your foot down close to it and it shoots back into the net. Some people are experts at kicking, and with a little practice you get the hang of it, and any that you miss can be netted by the kids get as the prawns shoot sideways. There are regulations on prawn catch so check out the NSW fisheries brochures for bag limits. Like all bait, prawns are best used live, and there are several ways to keep them alive. Many anglers use a bait pump aerator in a bucket of water, but you have to keep checking on the prawns, remove any that expire and hope the batteries don’t fail. It’s just too hard. The simple method used by the old timers is before you leave the lake,

The flathead will get moving now the water is starting to warm and the prawns are moving.

Ulladulla Headland Tourist Park • • • • • •

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Still some nice little take home reddies about on the reefs, and a few larger fish as well. or crawl around on the bottom or among the weed beds so you have to scoop

grab half a bucket of fresh (not smelly or dry) ribbon weed. There’s tons of it

at the water’s edge. Select your live prawns for bait, take half of the weed out,

place your prawns and then cover them with the remaining half of weed. You don’t have to add any water because the moist weed is all that’s needed. Place them in a cool dark place and they will last for several days. Alternatively you can also place the weed on a wet hessian bag, then the prawns and then more weed, and cover with another bag or double over the single bag. This works just as well. Keep them this way when you go fishing, and if you don’t use all your prawns you can just change the weed and they will last again. An unweighted live prawn cast into the snags in the creeks or floated into the bridge pylons is deadly on bream, and with a little weight cast into the deeper spots will score any flathead and bream over a large area. This month sees

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the start of the flathead season in the lake as the water starts to warm in the shallows and kick-start another summer season. Soft plastics will be the weapon of choice for most anglers, but live prawns and poddy mullet are still a big favourite with many locals.

the entrance and in the main channel. There have been a few mulloway taken around the bridge and along the break walls during the evenings, with a few salmon and quite a lot of tailor feeding on small baitfish from the entrance up to the bridge on

so the estuaries are worth a look from this month on. ROCK AND BEACH On the beaches we have the usual culprits of salmon and tailor on most beaches with a descent gutter during dawn and dusk. A few bream are making it interesting and the odd flathead is starting

Beware the dreaded leatherjacket. They can make life hell for the offshore flattie fishos but some anglers like them for what they are, very tasty. With the prawns running it means it is time to start using those little poppers for some added fun on the whiting, bream and flathead down around

the top of the tide and the first of the run-out. Minnamurra has the flatties, bream and the odd whiting from the entrance up to and around the bridges

to appear as well. There are no reports of any whiting as yet but they won’t be far off and could be worth a look on Windang and Warilla beaches.

A few school mulloway have been about but any captures are being kept quiet at the moment by those chasing them so they can’t be too thick. On the rocks it’s time for the land-based guys to dust off the gear and get rid of a few cobwebs on a few decent kings that are getting about the deeper ledges. Salmon will steal most of the live baits, particularly once the sun gets up a bit, and you should never underestimate the power of the pike. If you get one put him straight out – even better if it’s before daylight. Right at your feet in the wash is the best spot. If the currents are friendly we might even see an odd yellowfin down around Kiama blowhole point or some striped tuna to throw lures at on lighter tackle. The washes are still producing some excellent drummer all along the coast. The southern ledges around Bombo and Kiama and the northern ledges up around Coalcliff are the best. Bream and a few trevally will round out the catch quite nicely if you are using royal red prawns for bait. OFFSHORE Offshore things are

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starting to take shape with small baitfish starting to arrive. This not only stimulates the pelagics but gets the good old sand flathead active too. Some good catches have started to come in from up north around Stanwell Park, so they will be about over most of the sand patches along the coast. Try the double paternoster rig with bait on the bottom and a plastic on the top and you will be surprised at the results. You will score a few reds on the plastic into the bargain. As for snapper, they are not in the numbers as they were a month or so ago and they have moved into deeper water at 30m+. However, by using your sounder to find schools of bait and working your plastics at around the same level as the bait you can pick up some nice fish. A few mowies are showing over the reefs and there are plenty of nuisance leatherjackets about with the flatties. Some people like them though, so they’re not such a nuisance for everybody. With the baitfish come the pelagics and with a little current the kings should start to get into action. Last season was quiet with fish north and south but

few in the Illawarra, but every year is different so hopefully it will be our turn this year. Further offshore there were heaps of smaller ‘fin about in late August and early September, and with them were albacore, short-billed spearfish and can you believe mahi mahi so this month anything could happen. October has always been pretty good for yellowfin so it will be worth a look. The thing is they are a long way out, often closer to 1000 fathoms than 100, and that is getting to the limits of small boats. One big wind that is not predicted and we will have a major episode as more and smaller boats head east. Gemfish and trevalla are available on the Kiama canyons if the going on the ‘fin gets slow, and there are always plenty of makos and blue sharks showing up in the berley to keep you amused. Closer in and the bait is being rounded up by schools of salmon all over the coast with trevally underneath, and a few schools of striped tuna zipping around as well, so its all starting to look good as the weather warms up and we take advantage of daylight saving.

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Freshwater shakes things up NOWRA

Wes Murphy wesmurphy@bigpond.com

Spring is here and the bass are already on the chew. The big flush of

freshwater we had at the end of August gave the bass the opportunity to move upstream on their annual migration after spawning in the brackish waters over winter. Some keen anglers braved the

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we’ve seen the good run of snapper continue. This has been one of the best years we have seen for these fish in a very long time. Bait has been out-fishing the plastic army this year, with the guys who anchor and set up a good berley trail on the edge of the reefs and gravel beds taking the best fish. As soon as the seals turn up you might as well head home though. If you want to catch snapper on plastics, just look for a broken bottom on your sounder and set yourself up for a good drift. If you hit sergeant bakers and rock cod you’re in the right area and the snapper won’t be far off. However, if you stop catching these pests or stop getting hits it’s time to move or reset your position. Further offshore has seen the disappearance of the bluefin tuna, which were very sporadic in their attendance this year. However, the yellowfin tuna are trying to heal the broken hearts of those who missed out on catching their cousins this season. Medium sized skirted lures are the go, but be sure to set them back a little further

Johnny nabbed this beaut little bream in the Shoalhaven River. welcome rain has seen the crystal clear winter waters now lose their clarity and become a lot easier to fish. Big flathead are starting to appear again as the weather warms up, with the Squidgy Fish in black/gold being a good starting point if you want to catch one of these behemoths on a plastic. Just

(8m+) water when guys have been targeting deep water bream on 3lb and 4lb leaders and 1-3kg rods with blades and plastics. These fish get the heart pumping, putting in smoking runs and violent head shakes which may see you need to use the electric motor and make chase, and will take a

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cold and opened their annual catch count at midnight on September 1 with photos coming through of fish up to 45cm. The more laid-back anglers started their count later in the morning, with the guys catching fish on surface lures and spinnerbaits from some of the smaller creek systems around the northern part of the Shoalhaven. If you’re targeting the river, your best bet for bass and estuary perch would be between the ski club and a spot known as Big Red, which is at the bottom of the Longreach strait. Staying in the river, the freshwater has really shaken the bream into life. Around the canal fishing the rock walls with double deep hardbodies, blades, Cranka Crabs and plastics has seen plenty of success for those who put in the time and effort. Just be careful when throwing around those expensive lures as the tailor have also moved in, and they’ll happily bite through those light leaders and take your lure for keeps in one quick hit. Out the front on the mud and around the banks

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Tracey finessed this little kingfish on light gear. then what you have been used to in the past. Kings are still hanging around. They’re not big but they’re there. The middle ground and under the cliffs have been the go-to spots, and fresh live baits drifted over the marks appears to be a bit more productive than trolling them. The Basin is seeing a return to form, and the

remember that their teeth will easily cut through the typical light bream leaders when they get to this size, so up the ante to at least 10lb. With this method it’s also possible to get a by-catch of the elusive basin mulloway with the amount of tailor in there at the moment. There have also been good numbers of snapper turning up in the deeper

while to land. Conjola has seen a big influx of new saltwater to the system when the lake was opened up by the local council after the big rains. This has sparked a hot bite from all species that inhabit this system and has been well received by the local fishing community. Until next time, good times and tight lines!

Spring has sprung a leak BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

Spring started with some great weather but winter didn’t want us to forget her so she threw together some big swells and rainfall to rain on our spring parade. Durras Lake has opened, the whales are migrating back south and the bait should start coming in. It’s a beautiful time of the year when everything comes out of hibernation – the animals, the flowers, the fish and fishermen. The rain has made the fishing a little tough in the estuary but it’s also given it a good flushing and cleaned it up, and that snotweed that was annoying everyone so much should now be cleared away. By the time you read this it should be looking good to coincide with the numbers of mulloway to be targeted over the next coming months. BASS AND ESTUARY PERCH With all this rain we should see big numbers of estuary perch and bass coming out to play as well. A big rain at this time of the year should see them

happily breeding also. You will see the effects of this year’s breeding in about five years’ time when they will grow to 25cm. Then the growth rate slows right down where they might put on another 15cm over 20 years. I’m expecting big things out of the estuary this October. If last year is anything to go by, it’s going to be on! This month I recommend that you go upstream and

pepper the snags, rock walls and holes for bass and estuary perch. Hardbodied divers and 3” grubs have proven their success in the past. The schools of estuary perch tend to be tightly packed and you could only be meters away from a school, so if you are casting at drop-offs along rock walls make sure you cover the area completely. Once you find them, you can pull 10 or more out of that patch.

A happy customer on Topcat Charters. A lot of yellowfin are of this size of late and are fun on snapper gear.

SEASON XI

11.30am Sunday Morning

V V

Airs from October 12 Australian Fishing Championships 60

OCTOBER 2014

MULLOWAY If it’s the mulloway you are after, look for bait at the back of the eddies up and down the river. Last year we saw massive schools of prawns and bait in our estuary. This could be due to the drought on land being over, so if this is true we should hopefully see a repeat this year. Find the big schools of bait and the predators won’t be far away. You would think a

prawn imitation lure would be effective (and they were quite effective in the Tuross system) but the lure of choice in the Clyde has been hard and soft vibes. There are a lot of different vibes out there, ranging from 15-30g and 7-10cm. Shimano Sniper Vibes, Shads Lures, C’ultiva Mira Vibes plus a host of others will all work on any given day. Tony G caught two nice jewies ranging from 65cm and 75cm on little bream blades a couple of weeks ago out of Tuross. In this case they were probably feeding on small bait, and matching the hatch worked a treat. The 5” Gulp Jerkshads and 100mm Squidgy Fish have always been the most popular plastics and will catch you fish as well, but probably the most important thing is to put the hours in. For some anglers it’s difficult because work gets in the way, but if you can put in a good five days of fishing you’ll really give yourself an edge. You’ll start to live and breathe the system, you will track them down and your chances of catching the holy grail of the estuary will soar. REEF AND OFFSHORE Coming out of the estuary, snapper are still being caught in close and out wider now as we expected. There have been some good schools getting around in all depths. There’s the odd shark being caught and some flathead and the other usual reef suspects.

A nice early morning red caught on a trip with Topcat Charters. We didn’t get as hammered by the leatherjackets as they did further south but we should soon start to see the other tackle rat turn up, the barracuda. Kingies are still very quiet with the odd school getting around. Further offshore there have been some good 20-30kg yellowfin tuna getting caught from Jervis Bay to Sydney. We are hoping that water will push down to Batemans Bay. There would have to be the odd tuna off here but due to bad conditions few anglers have been getting out. When there has been a small window, a lot more guys these days are getting into fishing off the bottom just over the Continental shelf with electric reels. They have been bringing back some good catches of ocean perch and the odd gemfish but it’s the blue-eye trevalla that everyone is after and only a few have been caught recently.

BEACHES Back on our beaches there is a good steady flow of salmon and tailor, and if you fish out of the opening of Durras Lake you’ll be in for some action. During October and November Durras Lake itself should be fishing quite well. They are still getting big bream off the beaches, but as you read this you’ll see them moving back into the estuary, so it’s happy days. You can feel that extra warmth in the air, leaves will start appearing on the trees and the South Coast river and lake systems are coming back to life. Enjoy! For more up-to-theminute information on what’s biting where, drop into Compleat Angler Batemans Bay and have a chat to Anthony or one of the other friendly staff. They’re located at 65A Orient St, Batemans Bay (02 4472 2559).

Hudson Morgan shows he’s inherited some fishing genes!

Cooking

Coated tuna steaks This month’s processing sequence is for tuna steaks intended to be cooked in the frying pan. There is some debate

BRISBANE

Lynn Bain

over whether or not to allow the steaks to make direct contact with the iced water slurry – all will be revealed, read on.

These tuna back fillets have been stored in sealed plastics bags for two days in an esky filled with an iced slurry. The plastic satchels were fully immersed. If you are making sashimi or sushi, ensure that the flesh does not make contact with the water. It is not that critical if your steaks are intended for the frypan.

2 These steaks have been cut with the skin on.

Cut the tuna into thick steaks.

Cut away the blood line from the clear fleshed steak.

At this stage the steaks are ready for the pan, but there is an optional extra step. By putting the steaks in iced water in the fridge overnight, gives the tuna a ‘veal-like’ consistency.

Cut the skin away from the steak.

NUTTY ASIAN COATING I have used pistachios in this coating, however you could substitute macadamia nuts or unsalted cashews. The important thing is that the nuts are unsalted because there is also soy sauce (which is salty) in the coating. The quantities shown for the Nutty Asian Coating is for four tuna steaks (both sides). Ingredients 1 c up shelled unsalted pistachios 2 -3 g reen shallots, root end removed 1 teaspoon sesame oil 2-3 t easpoons soy sauce vegetable oil, for frying Prep Before applying the coating, gently pat the surfaces of the tuna steaks dry with either a clean tea towel or a clean chux wipe. In this scenario I prefer not to use paper towel because

it can leave a little ‘fluff’ on the surface of the tuna. In a food processor, process the pistachios and green shallots until ground to a crumbly consistency. I find that the best way to get a great texture for your coating, is to pulse the food processor until the right consistency is reached. Put the pistachio crumb mixture into a bowl and add the sesame oil. Stir well and then add the soy sauce, a little at a time, until the coating has formed a paste like consistency. It looks like a dukkah, and can be used as such. • Mt Stirling Olives www. mtstirlingolives.com.au of Queensland’s Stanthorpe wine region offer a great range of dukkahs\ coatings in their store and on their website. For a flavor variation give Mt Stirling’s Chilli Dukkah a try.

Press a generous amount of the coating onto the dry surfaces of the tuna steaks. A handy hint is to line a plate with plastic wrap and place the tuna steak, coated side down on the plastic wrap, while you coat the upper side of the fish. Chill the coated steaks for about an hour to firm up the coating and help it adhere to the steak.

Heat some vegetable oil in a heavy based frypan over a medium heat. Don’t make the oil too hot or the pistachios in the coating could burn. When the oil is hot, carefully lay the tuna steaks in the pan and cook until golden. Then carefully turn the tuna steaks over and cook on the other side until golden.

Serve with a little of the crust, either toasted from the pan, or straight from the leftovers in the bowl. OCTOBER 2014

Oodles of Options in October NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

Montague Island and its kingfish population should come out of hibernation this month with anglers targeting them on jigs and live bait.

October usually sees good numbers of these hardpulling brutes and if early indications are anything to go by, it could be a cracking time. The last few weeks has seen kingies to 7kg caught, not in huge numbers but when you do find a school

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bag limits can be reached on most occasions. Most fish are falling to jigs, but a few locals have found fresh squid rigged on lead lines a better bet. The fish are not really concentrated in one area, but the southern reefs seem to be fishing the best. You can expect more fish at the northern end of the island once the current starts pushing from the north southwards. This is when live bait will come into its own as kings find it hard to resist a well presented live bait. Mixed in with the kings are bonito, these under rated species are awesome fun on lighter tackle and not bad on the plate if looked after correctly. On the reefs, the snapper have been good with a big fish of 6kg caught recently. That’s a big fish for here and just goes to prove we do get the occasional thumper here, though not in the numbers as our southern cousins. Other snapper have been plentiful as well with fish averaging 2kg. Most reefs are producing fish, but I would expect the action to quieten down as we head further into spring. Reefs to try are Potato Point, Tuross, the southern end of

Montague Island and the SW corner; a hotspot over the gravel. Morwong, trevally, pigfish and sand flathead should make up the rest of the bag. If targeting the flatties, try fishing in 35m straight off Kianga Beach or Dalmeny Headland for best results. Out wider, the game fishos will be getting excited as another season is on our door step. Last October we had some great tuna action and I think this year will be no different. Smaller yellowfin tuna and albacore should be around, a lot will depend on water temperatures and currents but every year the early pelagic action is getting better. Trolling smaller lures is the go early in the season with bibbed minnows being a favourite of mine. There could be the odd mako shark around the tuna schools to, so have the wire ready. There’s been some thumping models getting caught of late, so the shark fishers should be happy. In the estuaries, Wagonga Inlet has been very quiet of late. That will change this month with big flathead and mulloway, the two trophy species to target. Using big soft plastics around the tailor schools is your best chance at a jew, while the flatties will be making there way downstream. Fishing the deeper weed edges in the various bays in the main basin should produce a fish or two. Please remember to let the big girls go and handle them with care, they are far too valuable a resource to kill. The sooner we adhere to the Queensland

Small running deep hardbodied lures are great for flatties and a fun way to target them. poppers and shallow running hardbodied lures will work around the racks and broken weed edges. Whiting could be on the cards, too, but water temperature will decide if they want to play or not. Anglers fishing the channels downstream of the Highway bridge have been rewarded with bream, trevally and blackfish. These species have been better on bait with green weed ideal for the blackfish. You should be able to get fresh weed from the golf course lakes near the main surf beach. On the beaches, things have been a little up and down depending on what you’re targeting. If after salmon it’s been great with anglers having a ball on most local beaches. Casting chromed lures has been effective on lighter outfits while fishos using bait are getting bigger fish. A whole pilchard rigged on ganged hooks has worked well, with surf poppers in red and white producing also. Bream and whiting will become more active this month as the water warms. Fishing the close in gutters

had, but you shouldn’t have any problems getting pipis. If getting your own bait is difficult, the local tackle store at Ocean Hut Narooma will look after you. Better beaches to wet a line include Brou and Tilba beaches just south of Narooma. With the flatter seas of late the pelagic action off the stones has been indifferent. Some days the salmon are in plague proportions and others non-existent. When there’s white water present, expect some fun, when there isn’t target something else. Casting lures and whole rigged ganged pilchards are the best methods at present. If you’re after the bread and butter species the drummer action should keep you happy. We have had a great season on the pigs with most ledges holding fish. Using lightly weighted baits with no float has been the key to bigger and better catch rates. Using crabs, cunjevoi or fresh prawns for bait and berleying heavily has been the gun method. Expect bream, blackfish

eurobodalla

Land ofmany waters South Coast N S W

This 45cm bream is the sort of fish that all bream anglers would like in their bag, this fish was one of 19 caught for the morning, all were released. flathead laws in our state, the better if you ask me. Bream will become more active as the weather warms, especially on surface presentations. Small 62

OCTOBER 2014

or rocky corners with fresh bait and berley will see some mouth watering fillets. Beach worms have been hard to get of late, mainly due to the flat seas we have

and groper when targeting the drummer. Better spots to try are Mystery Bay, the golf course rocks and the southern wall of the bar entrance.

Fishing Monthly Magazines Readers’ Pictures

Chris Simpson landed this quality snapper while fishing for bream!

Cameron Gall’s first kingfish out of Sydney Harbour went over 7kg and measured in at 95cm. STA15827 OR-FM_Layout 1 25/08/14 3:03 PM Page 1

Layton Brand subdued this killer jew of nearly 30kg in the Clyde River.

Holly Armstrong caught this mahi-mahi on a Gulp 7inch in pink. It went 98cm.

How’s this tailor caught by Rhys Nelson?

a serious boat for serious fishos 589 Ocean Ranger

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Dave Johnstone caught this quality tailor on a Rapala vibration bait.

Sam Johnson with a Spanish mackerel caught trolling a Halco Laser pro. OCTOBER 2014

Fire up the estuaries BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Heat and rain, the perfect remedy for late spring or summer, have resulted in conditions prime for an excellent fishing season. Land temperatures are increasing and so are the water temps in the estuaries, especially in the upper reaches. These are the areas to target, and both lures and bait will work well. Black bream after their winter spawning are now looking to condition and are feeding energetically over the flats, around oyster clumps and shallow weed beds. Anglers should pay a lot of attention to these areas and use polarised sunglasses to sight fish in these preferred

areas. Other species likely to be encountered in these areas are whiting, trevally, flathead, blackfish and mullet, which can be caught on a wide range of lures and bait. The best baits are fresh nippers, prawns and squirt worms. I recommend taking some time to explore Wallaga Lake as it is one system that benefits immensely from rain. Good rain events bring nutrients for the many crustaceans, molluscs and other invertebrates that flathead, bream, whiting and many more predators feed on. At present there is plenty of this food about, making for some excellent angling, and this should continue all season. Further down the systems, blackfish numbers seem to be increasing with every tide.

These fish are concentrating around the rock walls, bridge and harbour pylons. Both green and cabbage weed are being taken by these fish, nippers and worms also accounting for their share. ROCK AND BEACH Moving out of the estuaries to the rocks and beaches, large schools of tailor are gathering around the entrance to the harbour of an evening, and small metal lures and floating pillies will produce most fish. The adjacent rock

Whiting are on the short list for estuaries surrounding Bermagui following the recent rains.

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OCTOBER 2014

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Fishing the beaches has been consistent this year and nothing has changed for the month of October. Large schools of salmon are patrolling the coastline, providing anglers with an assortment of options to target these great little sporting fish. Lure fishing the beach is becoming more popular in our part of the world, mainly due to its simplicity. A handful of lures, a spin stick of your choice and a little trace material is all that’s required. Then you just find your beach, add water and have fun. If you find fish throwing the hooks after taking the lure you can try one of three things (or all three for best results). If you are using treble hooks, try offsetting the hooks by giving a little twist with a pair of pliers. You can also use two split rings joined together to give a chain-like effect or go to a single hook like a Black Magic KS series. All of these adjustments will improve hook-ups. REEF AND OFFSHORE Out on the reefs things are really heated with nearly all the more popular areas producing. Featuring prolifically in anglers’

bags have been good sized morwong, both blue and jackass, with the larger fish coming from the deeper 12 Mile and 6 Mile reefs. Some good snapper are also around and it’s definitely the time of year for those large, succulent tiger flathead. Tigers will be found just off the reef structure, more on the gravel and mud. Once you encounter them it can be possible to obtain a bag without too much effort, however if you find a good patch don’t be surprised to not find them in the same place next time. These fish tend to eat an area out and then move onto another before returning to the original area later on. Gamefish have been a bit up and down lately with nothing of significance being captured. Some large mako sharks have been sighted around schools of striped tuna and I suspect if you were to put down a berley trail you’d get some action. One option is to fish the 12 Mile Reef berleying for the sharks, and while waiting you can fish the bottom for some of those reef dwellers. Striped, albacore and small yellowfin tuna are providing some entertainment out wide for those trolling lures, with the odd better yellowfin being encountered. The most productive lures are the small skirted varieties,

with bibless diving lures taking the larger fish. These lures should always be used when tuna are about. FRESHWATER This spring has been early with birds nesting some time ago, and the willow tree blooming earlier than normal. Speak to the older generation out west and they’ll tell you when the willows gain their leaves it’s time to fish for freshwater fish. It’s the same on the coast for bass. Brogo Dam is starting to fish reasonably well, with most fish being taken on the troll as water temps continue to rise. In the river below the dam the fish are moving back up after spawning and are feeding energetically, particularly on the warmer days. For those who may be interested, the annual Brogo Bass Bash comp will again be held in December, which is now into its 16th year. Anyone wishing to enter this great fun weekend can contact the Far South Coast Bass Stocking Association via President Darren Redman (0427 934 688), Secretary Jan Redman (0427 934 857), email fscbsa_brogobassbash@ hotmail.com. Alternatively you can visit www.fscbsa. weebly.com and download your application form from there. Also check out their Facebook page at www. facebook.com/fscbsa.

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Lots of rain and lots of fish TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Late winter rain put the Tathra area in prime condition for all forms of fishing and it is delivering. Starting in the fresh, Brogo River is one of the feeder rivers which enters the ocean at Tathra. It was dammed in the 70s as an irrigation dam for the Bega Valley. Due to the efforts of the Far South Coast Bass Stocking Association it is now a very good bass fishery. With the weather starting to warm it’s now firing with some very nice fish already being captured, and it looks set for an excellent summer season. It’s also looking good for the annual bass comp held on 5-7 December, and you can find more info at the end of this article. The Brogo River joins the Bega River at Bega where it meanders its way to the coast to meet the ocean at Tathra. Bass can be found in the freshwater section of the river where any deep holes have occurred, especially if they harbour some structure. At times you may get smashed by some very big fish, as 50cm+ models do lurk here. Due to the rains the estuary section of this river and surrounding ones are producing some fantastic angling. All your usual species are on offer, with common catches of large flathead with plenty of bream as well. Throw in some whiting, luderick, tailor and the odd mulloway and things are primed for summer. You should also start looking around in the lakes or rivers as the prawns are starting to become active. Thanks to the rainwater filtering through the waterways, the beaches are already fishing well. There are plenty of salmon, tailor, whiting and bream on offer, with the odd jewfish also being caught. Some of these fish can also be found around the local wharf and rocks where they are joined by other popular species that are on the chew. These include luderick, drummer, silver trevally, mackerel and yellowtail with a few garfish starting to show. Although the fresh is filtered to salt once it reaches the ocean, it still carries a supply of nutrients and this produces excellent offshore reef and bottom fishing. Those juicy tiger or sand flathead in particular benefit from this, and now is the time of year to target them. Most areas are producing, with 66

OCTOBER 2014

the 30-40m line popular for sandies. The deeper 50m mark or beyond is best for the tigers, with the chance of the odd gummy shark or red gurnard for good measure. On the reefs, morwong (both blue and jackass) are the most common catch. Throw in a few snapper, ocean perch, the odd pigfish or nannygai and life’s good, thanks to the rains. The annual Brogo Bass Bash comp, now in its 16th year, will again be held in December. Anyone

Competitors preparing in the pre-dawn light for a day’s fishing in Brogo Dam.

14,000 Bass fry are being released into Brogo Dam as a result of the funds raised from the previous bass comp. wishing to enter this great fun weekend can contact the Far South Coast Bass Stocking Association via President Darren Redman on 0427 934 688, Secretary Jan Redman on 0427 934 857, or via email at

The result a few years after stocking: a quality Brogo bass.

fscbsa_brogobassbash@ hotmail.com. Alternatively you can visit www.fscbsa. weebly.com to download an application form. More info is also available on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/fscbsa.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Have a fish with Tim Tim is 26 years old and was born in Sydney with a rare genetic and mild intellectual disability. Tim also has type-2 diabetes. He lives at home with his parents, and for someone with a disability he is impressively

independent in many ways, as he is considered ‘high functioning’. Since the age of five Tim has had a passion for fishing which he says is his life. Tim is into all types of fishing from sport fishing, to rock fishing,

Tim loves many different forms of fishing.

Tim has extensive fishing experience and is no stranger to winning tournaments.

boat fishing, as well as game fishing. Tim has also been involved in several fishing competitions and even once took out first place in an ANSA state sports fishing competition. Tim has also fished for European carp and currently holds the Australian record for European carp caught on 1kg line at 11.35kg! Tim has also travelled extensively throughout the world and has fished at

many locations, including a fishing tournament in New Zealand where he caught a 5.4kg snapper and took out first place. Tim is looking for a like-minded volunteer who shares the same passion for fishing that he does. Tim would like to find a fishing mate who has a boat and who might also have an interest in rock fishing. Due to Tim’s disability he has a social worker/case manager and is receiving an

individualised government package that assists him with outings and expenses. Any potential volunteer can be reimbursed for their expenses such as fuel for their car and boat. For anyone interested and wanting more information on the package, please call Tim’s case manager Mitch at the Benevolent Society on (02) 9504 6670 or call Tim directly on 0432 040 913. – TBS

Fishing on the improve Salmon and tailor time EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

The past month has seen some great weather with clear skies and little rain. You still need to rug up though because its pretty cold! Fishing on the local beaches has been productive with plenty of good gutters. Good numbers of salmon have been caught on all stages of the tide, it’s just a matter of keeping on moving until fish are found. This style of fishing is best done with lures as it’s a lot easier to keep on the move. Lately

1kg fish have been common with plenty of fish above 2kg. Many anglers just catch and release the salmon as they are a great sportfish and not a prized tablefish. Still, if you are after a good feed try smoked salmon – you won’t be disappointed. A few yellowfin whiting and sand whiting are being caught, and fishing for these species will pick up in the coming months. Fishing the rocky headlands you can also expect to catch salmon and bream, with some good fishing for snapper being had by those fishing at first light by using a berley trail and fishing lightly weighted pilchards amongst the berley.

The cooler months are bream time but catching them isn’t always easy.

Plenty of good sized fish are caught this way. Those heading out chasing a feed of pinkies from the inshore reefs have been doing well with some good specimens being caught along with morwong, leatherjackets and some good sand flathead and tiger flathead. If you’re not catching, keep on moving until you find the fish. Fishing in the local estuaries at this time of year can be great, and there aren’t many people around so you’ll have the place to yourself. Black bream are being caught upstream, with bait fishers catching fish on nippers and squirt worms. If you’re fishing with lures you can expect a few fish but it can be hard work. You may need to keep changing lures until you get some results. Silver trevally along with tailor and salmon are been caught around the front section of the estuaries, with dusky flathead on the bite as the day warms up. With the weather warming up the coming months will see the fishing improve and with very few people around this is the time to enjoy a peaceful getaway on the far south coast. Good fishin’, Cap Kev.

MALLACOOTA

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

In recent months winter has really made its presence felt, and everyone has been looking forward to warmer weather. There has been little rain and this has allowed the water in the lake and ocean to clear right up after the heavy rains in winter. The ocean access via the lake is looking good as long as the swell isn’t too big. Work on the break wall is powering ahead, and is expected to be completed around October. This should see safer access for all anglers heading offshore. At this time of year there is little to report on the offshore fishing scene, and it won’t be until the water warms up that the locals will head out chasing a feed of flathead. Salmon are on all the local beaches, and with the cold water to their liking they will be around in good numbers right through until Christmas. Some good size tailor are also been caught amongst the salmon, and

both species are plentiful in the lake, terrorising the schools of whitebait. Silver trevally are right through the system with fish being caught as far upstream as Gypsy Point. You have got to enjoy hooking up to a good size trevally; for their size nothing pulls as hard. Some great fishing has been had around the entrance area to the lake, with bait fishers still catching some great sand whiting. The key has been both fresh bait and

being caught right throughout the system. If you’re fishing with lures it pays to work the lure slower over the colder winter months as these fish are half asleep and they won’t move too far or too fast to eat your lure. It can often take a few casts to wake them up. Yellowfin bream are being caught all around the bottom lake, with the back of Goodwin Sands a reliable spot for a few fish. The black bream are on the move, and over the coming months

Tailor are in the lake, terrorising the schools of baitfish. working out the best stage of the tide. The last of the run-out around dawn or dusk is a good time to chase a feed. Dusky flathead are still

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OCTOBER 2014

Lunker lizards and hope for YFT MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

The local beaches continue to fire with most beaches holding good concentrations of salmon. North Tura Beach has been a stand-out, with catches of a dozen sambos to 3kg the norm. The northern end of the beach towards Bournda Island has a deep gutter at present,

fishing this section early in the morning on a flooding tide has been excellent. Anglers using surf poppers on a paternoster rig with no bait are doing very well. Both a blue/white and red/white poppers have been the better colours of late. Those using bait like ganged pilchards are catching plenty to as are anglers casting a few metal shiners. Tailor numbers should improve this month, with the rocky foreshore near the island itself fishing better for bream.

Cut crabs and pipi are both great baits here if targeting bream. Using a little berley in the shore dump will also increase catch rates but don’t over do it or the stingrays and banjo sharks will become a nuisance. Offshore, the snapper are still doing the right thing, with most boaties getting a feed without too much trouble. Anglers using berley have been getting the best results, with chook pellets and frozen bread with tuna oil doing the

Tom Boyton with another cracking 91cm flathead, this fish fell to a small blade and was released in super condition.

abt E FRE

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Dig

trick. Anchoring up on the edge of the reef and floating baits up the shallower sides of the reef has seen snapper to 5kg taken. All reefs are holding fish with Long Point and Lennards Island down south probably being the most consistent. The reefs out wider have produced tassie trumpeter up to 8kg, with blue eye trevalla and hapuka available along the canyon walls. Fishing for the latter has been good of late, as the weather and tide has allowed anglers to stay stationary over the canyon walls and fish deeper sections. There hasn’t been any sign of tuna as yet, but this month could see that all change if last year is anything to go by. We did have a cracking SBT run but that has now completely tapered off. Towards the end of October, good yellowfin and albacore should make an appearance, so let’s hope as they are a whole stack of fun. Trolling both skirted and bibbed minnows is the only way to target these early season pelagics. Fishing the shelf to the second drop off is the place to fish, it’s a long way out but worth it if the tuna are there. The estuaries continue to produce with Pambula Lake

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OCTOBER 2014

a stand-out. This little system is only a puddle, but recent guides there have been nothing short of sensational. You can expect flathead, bream, blackfish and whiting with the pelagic species like salmon, tailor and trevally all there too. It’s not uncommon to get 8 different species in a day here and most of them quality fish. Casting smaller soft plastics and vibes around the ribbon weed edges in 3-5 meters of water will get you results. Merimbula Lake is fishing great guns also, with all the usual estuary dwellers having a chew. The top Lake is the place to fish with anglers catching fish with a number of different methods. The entrance to Boggy Creek has seen tailor and nice flathead on a run out tide with lures catching the majority of fish. The lower sections of the main channel on the eastern side of

the bridge has seen trevally, bream and good numbers of blackfish for those anglers who like soaking a bait. Most local rock platforms are still producing fish with Short Point the pick of them if targeting blackfish and drummer. I had a look down there the other day and saw two anglers with their bag limits for blackfish. They were using cabbage as bait and were berleying pretty hard. The fish averaged 800g with the odd bigger fish thrown in. There’s still a few salmon around the washes of most headlands, with whole ganged pilchards and chrome lures the best way of catching them. This month will see bonito turn up with Long Point and Tura Head the better places to fish. It’s a bit of work getting there but the rewards will come with bent rods and good times.

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s you may not be aware, from 2nd June, Australia Post will introduce 2 delivery timetables for their Print Post services, which will affect the delivery time of your magazines. The current delivery timetable continues but will be renamed “Print Post Priority.” The second Timetable will be named “Print Post Regular.” The names “Priority” and “Regular” reflect the different performance of the two timetables. Your magazines will be sent as “Regular” and Australia Post says it may take between two and four business days longer to be delivered than the “Priority” timetable. We will still endeavour to get your magazine to you before it goes on sale at the Newsagents but ultimately, we are at the mercy of Australia Post and have no control over them once they are lodged into their system. We welcome your feedback on your Australia Post experience to kym@fishingmonthly.com.au. OCTOBER 2014

DIY anchor weight AYR

Steve Farmer

There’s a fair chance that the first anchor ever invented was simply a lump of stone tied to a rope. According to Wikipedia, many such anchors have been found which date from the Bronze Age and the ancient Greeks used baskets of stones or sacks filled with sand to secure their vessels. Of course, these days anchors are much more refined, with a range of designs made from metals and even plastics to suit various applications. However, the humble anchor weight still has its uses and, I suggest, should have a place in your small boat. The advantages of a weight anchor are that it can be quickly deployed and can almost immediately hold you

when luring estuaries and it has proven quite successful. The idea was to allow me to quickly and quietly anchor the tinnie within casting distance of a snag or hole that required a little more concentrated attention. While the electric motor can be used to hold the boat in the desired position, the lead anchor weight is a handsfree, low-tech option that leaves everyone able to concentrate on the fishing or, hopefully, available to help land the fish. The anchor weight is especially handy when I’m luring alone for the same reason and it’s also handy when I hook a fish and need to stop the boat being dragged into the snag or creek bank. A quickly deployed anchor weight allows me to fight the fish from a stationary position and actually pull the fish clear of the snags. Such advantages can make all the difference

when battling structure-loving species, such as mangrove jack, barra or bream. I’m sure the same principles can be applied when working the flats in search of whiting or flathead. If you spot a drop-off, gutter or yabby bed that needs more attention, just quietly lower the weight anchor. You can control your drift by simply lifting the weight off the bottom and letting the current take you to your next likely spot.

The weight can be used as a stern anchor to position the boat on a snag or hole.

A large handle makes it easy to deploy the weight anchor.

The anchor weight adds a little security at the ramp when parking the car and trailer.

The lead weight anchor is ideal when luring for mangrove jack.

Left: The melting pot was made from an off-cut of box steel and has two handles for easy and safe pouring. Right: The handle is suspended in the tin into which the lead will be poured. Below: Pouring the molten lead into the mould. Protective clothing and eye and face protection is essential. in position. A weight anchor does not need as much scope as normal anchors (such as the Danforth and Plough) need to dig in and become effective. That said, there’s no doubt that weight anchors have their limitations. For example a weight anchor would have to be many kilograms in weight to match the holding power of a relatively lightweight Danforth and chain well bedded down in a sandy bottom. I made a lead weight anchor for my 3.95m tinnie and have found it ideal in a number of practical situations. My original reason for reverting to the old technology was to help control my tinnie 70

OCTOBER 2014

When you’re using the weight in any of these situations it helps to have the anchor rope tied off to about the depth of water plus a metre or two. That way you don’t have to worry about tying the anchor rope off when the weight hits the bottom. An alternative (which I haven’t tried yet) is to mount a cam cleat somewhere handy so you can quickly and easily cleat the rope off one-handed. I find my anchor weight is also handy when a little additional, short-term security is required, such as when I’m launching alone. I lift the tinnie onto the cement ramp and drop the anchor weight out as an

additional precaution while parking the car and trailer. I only rely on the weight for a short time and only if conditions are suitable. I have also used the weight as a stern anchor to position the tinnie side-on to a current or wind to more effectively fish a snag or drop-off. Provided the current isn’t too strong the weight does the job and is easier than deploying the proper stern anchor, which I also always carry. When tide or wind conditions are moderate you’ll usually find you need relatively little weight to hold a small boat. My anchor weighs only 4.5kg but usually does the job for me. By the way, it’s surprising how sore your hands can get when deploying and retrieving the weight time after time. I’m using relatively thin 6mm silver rope, which is part of the problem. A heavier rope (such as 8-10mm) or a softer, braided rope could be a worthwhile investment. MOULDING YOUR ANCHOR To make your own lead anchor weight you’ll need the appropriate amount of lead, a robust melting pot with a strong, secure handle, a gas stove, an old tin of the desired diameter for a mould and a handle made from 6 or 8mm stainless steel round rod. Safety is paramount so you’ll also need PPE (personal protective equipment) consisting of trousers and a long-sleeved shirt, boots, heavy-duty elbow-length welder’s gloves, safety glasses or goggles and a face shield. You’ll need a clear, well-ventilated area free of combustibles in which to work. To make the handle, bend a length of 6 to 8mm stainless

steel rod into a D shape with a couple of ‘feet’ to anchor the handle into the lead. You could just mould a short length of chain into the lead, but a handle wide enough to comfortably grip makes using the weight so much easier. Cut your tin (which you’re using for a mould) off at the right height and suspend the handle just clear of the bottom with a piece of timber. The inside of the tin should be lubricated with a smear of grease to ensure the poured weight will more easily separate from the tin mould. Now you can melt the lead and pour the weight. By the way, I made my melting pot from a short off-cut of 100mm RHS with a plate welded in one end. I formed a pouring spout and added two handles for safe and easy handling. An old but robust saucepan will also do the job, but make sure the handle is up to the weight you’ll be lifting. A pair of firmly attached vice grips can be used as a second handle. With all your PPE on, carefully feed the melting pot with small pieces of lead. It’s a good idea to weigh out the required amount of lead before beginning so that you only melt what you need. Pour the molten lead into the mould and wait for it to entirely solidify before moving the mould or the handle. Finish cooling the solidified lead in a bucket of water and then remove it from the mould. If this isn’t easily achieved try splitting the tin with a pair of tin snips. If you have a boat and a canoe or kayak, it’s worthwhile moulding different sized weights to suit each. The anchor weight might date from the Bronze Age, but it can still be handy in even the most modern of fishing boats.

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Going with the flow MAITLAND

Dave McLean djfmclean@bigpond.com

The season appears to be about two to three weeks behind last year’s, with the water temperature yet to get into the 20s. Providing the weather remains stable and as the days get longer, this should help improve the fishing.

expect the bass to take small diving minnows and lipless crankbaits around the rock walls and banks. Upstream where there is more cover and in the deeper sections, 1/4oz spinnerbaits, beetlespins and blades can be a better option. Further upstream where the rivers have rocky bottoms I have found the Jackall Chubby SSR and the Storm Gomoku Pencil to be two excellent lures.

lures can hold at the correct depth to allow time for the bass to strike, and can be cast quite long distances. This extra distance is handy as the water can be very clear and the bass easily spooked. Because this dam doesn’t have the cover around the banks to hold the fish in close, they move out deeper and quite often can be found along the old river channels during the day. This is

Pete from Glenbawn with an ice-jigged bass.

Rapala, Jackall and Nils Master ice jigs with the correct colours for spring. ZX hooks have been added to the Nils Master jig. Towards the end of winter and into spring all the dams received some good influxes of water which scattered the fish but they should start to settle down very soon. Both Glenbawn and St Clair had been fishing fairly well until the inflow which shut them down. Until then there were good catches coming off the edges and down deep. There aren’t any good signs of weed forming at either dam but hopefully this will change. The rivers in the Hunter also received some good rainfall, which was just in time as this will allow the bass to move back upstream now that their spawning is completed. The trout season has opened and the streams up in the Barringtons have all got good flows which should help the trout. These fish are stocked each year by the Barrington Gloucester Fishing Club with fingerlings from the Ebor trout hatchery. The Hunter and Williams rivers are in excellent condition and have just started to produce some nice bass. As the days continue to warm up, the action can only improve. The bass usually hold down around the lower reaches in spring and in the area not too distant from the top of the tidal zone, the ideal place to start fishing. In these lower reaches you can 72

OCTOBER 2014

For the surface I like the Paul Nicel Crickeye. LAKE ST CLAIR Lake St Clair has risen a bit but hasn’t got any real good weed around the edges to hold the fish. However, if the dam holds its current level this should improve. With the lack of cover around the edges for the fish, this means if you want to fish the banks you will need to do so in the very low light periods. I have found spinnerbaits and blades to be a very good option as

usually around the 30-40ft mark, as this is where the thermocline finishes. There are two options to try here: deep plastics on 1/4-3/8oz jigheads or ice jigs. My favourite plastics are the Slider in crawdad/ copper and Jackall Cross Tail. In the ice jigs I like the Jackall HL black and the Rapala Jig Rap in black, yellow and red. This is also a good time to do some trolling to help locate the fish or bait schools using lures that get

Tom Mclean with a nice bass caught off the bank at Glenbawn on a plastic. Bait fishers should also have a bit of luck this month dropping some yabbies down around the timber around Andrews Point, Walker Bay and Camden Cove for goldens and catties. GLENBAWN Glenbawn had been fishing pretty well but a

This 45cm bass fell to a shallow Jackall Chubby on the Paterson River. they can attract fish from a reasonable distance. Another option is to fish suspending lures. These

down around 6-7m. The old river that runs up both the Fallbrook and Carrowbrook is worth a try.

couple of weeks ago had a lot of water come into it from the Barringtons which affected the water

clarity up the back and set the bass on the move. This month can be seen as transition time for the bass as they start to increase their metabolism as the water temperature rises, and start looking for a good supply of food. The dam should have settled down by now, with the back of the dam a good area to attack first, especially where you can see a difference in water clarity. The bass seem less spooky when there is some colour in the water, and they can easily move away from the snags and cover in search of food. The steep walls where there is good hidden cover are prime spots using lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits and Bassman Mumblers. I have found during spring that these reaction lures can account for really good bass and they have a good hook-setting ability. They can be fished using 10-12lb leader on 20lb braid, which means fewer lost fish. Another good area to target, especially while there is water coming in, is Narrows. This is where there is usually a lot of current flow, so the bass tend to hold up there to target the baitfish as they

move around in the current flows. If the bass appear to be shut down, try moving to the steeper banks and rock walls down around the main basin and use 1/4oz jigs with plastics. Sometimes you may even have to use stinger hooks on them. If you come across schooled bass out in the 30-40ft regions, blades around 6g are a very good option, as are ice jigs. If you’re using blades they need to be dark patterns, while ice jigs should have some orange on them around the gills, as this is what a gudgeon can look like this month. Trolling can also be very productive in October for goldens, especially along the walls and the entrance to Boat Harbour. This month I will also be distributing bass fingerlings with the DPI boys from Port Stephens into Lostock, Glenbawn and St Clair. I will give you the numbers next issue. The 24th Annual Glenbawn Classic is on again this year from October 3-5. This is a top event and the proceeds go to stocking the dam with bass. For further information visit aberdeenfishing club.com.au.

Fishy activity hotting up TAMWORTH

Adam Mears adam.mears@hotmail.com

Spring has sprung and with the return of the warm weather the activity around our local waters is heating up. The golden perch are on the move and feeding heavily after doing their best to continue the bloodlines of one of our favourite inland sportfish. One thing I have noticed lately is the ever-increasing number of eel-tailed catfish returning to our rivers. That’s a great sign that the ecosystem is making a comeback, and once again these beautiful creatures can flourish. The carp are ever present and can be seen very close to shore mooching around the shallows looking for a easy meal or 10. Places like Chaffey Dam and the Peel River are great places to look, just remember the wall behind the dam is off limits and anyone caught in the area may receive a hefty fine, so look for any signs before you go exploring. SHEBA DAM The small but picturesque dam located near Hanging Rock is a great place to spend a warm spring day. The picnic

areas are a great place to take the family to enjoy a nice lunch and have a fish while enjoying the view. The dam is often stocked with rainbow trout which put up a great tussle on light lines. Be sure to fish early mornings or later in the afternoon for best results. Baits of worm, corn or witchetty grubs will have you in with a good chance, or small hardbody lures and spinners for those who like to walk the edges. There is a good walking track around the dam so covering a lot of ground is quite easy even with the kids. Rainbow trout can be difficult to tempt at times though, and light mainline of 6lb or less is often required to entice some of the bigger fish.

LAKE KEEPIT With water restrictions about to push past Level 3, the dam is looking a little worse for wear. The levels are low and has restricted it to two different sections – the main basin and the ski gardens. Travelling the dam will require a little more thought and a slower approach for now as the last thing you want to do is hit a submerged stump or boulder so please be careful out there. Not all is bad though. The golden perch are hungry and have become more frequent catches, and casting or trolling the rocky points and tree lines will bring in some quality fish. With shrimp becoming more readily available, the local bait fishermen have been doing

The golden perch are currently feeding up heavily.

The rainbow trout stocked at Sheba Dam are a great tussle on light lines. well, with reports of some full bags starting to become the norm. I find casting to be the most rewarding way to connect to a few golden perch though. Fishing lipless crankbaits cast up into the shallows and hopped back into the deeper sections is a great way to spend a warm afternoon and it often produces some buckled rods and happy anglers. PEEL/NAMOI RIVER This month may be your best shot at landing some quality golden perch in the Peel, as the shallower water will be warm and rich with shrimp and gudgeons. Look for some shaded pockets just out of the main pools and the

eddies just behind any rapids, as these sorts of areas provide shelter and are great ambush points for any active fish. Unfortunately, when fishing these areas there’s a good chance you will bump into a cod or two. If you do catch one of our beautiful green fish, please release it as quickly as possible to avoid stressing the fish and preventing it from breeding. The Namoi River in the upper reaches is very clear. On a recent trip we found the shallow water to hold good numbers of small cod and golden perch, and downsizing our leaders to around 12lb seemed to make a huge

difference. Fish of these size won’t bust you off as the granite boulders and shallow pebbled bottoms around these areas are a little more forgiving than the river gums and log jams further downstream. When in these areas always put safety first as one wrong step can see you treading on our old friend Joe Blakes (snakes). Remember to pack a first aid kit and preferably a snake bite kit and give yourself the best chance of getting to some help in these remote parts. And that’s it for this month. Get out there and enjoy the sun, have a fish and have a good time as that’s what it’s all about.

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Soaking up the sun LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

I may be slightly premature with this headline. I have lived in the district long enough to know that we can still get stung by a cold front from the deep south, but for the most part the tables have turned weatherwise. The fish know it too, especially the natives. Cod are of course off the agenda until December 1, so golden perch, silver perch, catfish, and bass in the impoundments will become the mainstay for most freshwater anglers. With the opening of the trout season in the rivers on the

long weekend in October, the options are almost endless! WINDAMERE THE MECCA It’s hard to go past this impoundment in October and November. People travel from far and wide to fish this great impoundment, which is arguably the best golden perch fishery in the country. Bigger fish may get caught from other impoundments but the consistency of 50-60cm Windamere fish is hard to beat. I have fished the impoundment for over 20 years, mostly in October and November, and know it well, but I still learn something new on nearly every trip. I have been fortunate to fish the dam with some very

good visiting anglers from all over the country in their boats, and doing this is a great way to open your eyes to a fishery you thought you knew. Everybody fishes a little differently, everybody works their boat a little differently, and everybody brings a different skill set. If you approach things with an open mind it’s amazing what you can pick up and learn. As water temperatures rise in Windamere there is an explosion of life. The food chain really kicks into gear from the smallest tidbit

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to the higher end predators – ourselves included! Boat traffic and fishing pressure have definitely changed the way the dam has fished in the last few years, and a bream angler skill set is definitely an advantage – smaller lures, lighter leaders and so forth. It’s been interesting watching these guys featuring high up in the leader board at the annual Windamere Golden Classic. Guys such as Dave Welfare, Dean Hammonds and other talented anglers are

always raising the bar. TROUT STEAMS With trout opening this October long weekend it gives everyone the opportunity to walk the steams casting lures, flies and baits. It’s such a great

a long, cold winter and want to enjoy the sun. For the most part they are petty good and will move on, it’s usually when we try to intervene that things get ugly. Those anglers who are

Make the first cast count because you may not get another chance. The trout lakes should not be forgotten either. Lake Lyell will produce some good fish before it gets too busy with other water uses. Keep your bass gear handy as well. It can be touch and go with the bass; they’re totally different fish when you hook up. I’ve found that 50-60mm lipless crankbaits and small surface lures on the right afternoon can be deadly. Keep your casts close around the downed black wattle and bush, and don’t say I didn’t tell you! Thompson’s Creek Dam has been really busy over the winter period. The false spawn rainbow trout will slowly move off the gavel banks and disperse around the dam this month, and brown trout will start to feature more in anglers’ photos. For lurefishers, micro plastics are had to beat in this dam. The water is very clear so 3.5lb leader is the go – or lighter if you dare. Play the fish with

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Sharing your boat with somebody new is a great way to get a different spin on a fishery you think you know. This time Craig Collie is the visiting fisherman. space to be in at this time of year with everything in blossom, the water bubbling around your feet, and birds whistling in the trees. Just be mindful of who you may be sharing your bank and water with! Snakes have also had

prepared to sit back on a pool before they approach will do best, especially flyfishers. Take in the serenity, the water movement, the insects above and below the water, maybe even a fish rising, and plan an attack and presentation.

this in mind. Fighting curves in fishing poles, micro drag settings and the like need to be taken into account for best results. I hope to see you on the water soon. Until then, tight lines.

Spring slow in coming CANBERRA

Bryan Pratt

A month or so behind the rest of Australia, Spring is underway in the Canberra-Monaro district. It’s always slow. That’s because there is so much high country, so much snow and so much cold weather to dissipate before the warming sun drags us out of our warrens. Now it has, and we are in full fishing flight again. WATTLES IN BLOOM Every year we watch for the wattles to bloom, because that’s supposed to be when the cod come out to play. Well sure enough, that’s what happened back in mid-August. Lake Yerrabi yielded a couple of 75 cm fish on fly, a couple of small ones on spinnerbaits and two on surface lures. Some of the fish were caught late at night, when the temperature was near or below zero, so the anglers really earned their fish. In fact, it was so cold another fisher went home because his spinning reel froze up! Surface lures have become immensely popular in our local lakes because they skim over the weeds without a problem, they can be used day and night and are productive. It is an enormously fun way to fish because of the great noisy, crashing strikes the fish make, even though it can be hard to get a hook-up. Lake Tuggeranong also has yielded some nice cod. Matt Barton normally fishes a special spot at the same time of the year, every year, for big golden perch

scar on its face, and it will be interesting to see how much it has grown if and when it is caught again in the future. Cod have been on the move at Burrinjuck Reservoir, especially at Macys Bay and in the Main Basin between the dam wall and the State Park. They have mostly been in the 60-75cm range and have been taken on hardbodied deep divers and spinnerbaits. The cod season is now closed until 1 December in both the ACT and NSW, and any fish caught accidentally must be returned to the water immediately. It is unlikely that any cod breed in our urban lakes but

Nathan Walker nailed this fine rainbow on his first cast at Pejar Reservoir but it was the only fish he saw all day.

A 2.5 kg brown, well recovered from spawning was a welcome catch on a Woolly Bugger at Buckenderra; hopefully there will be more to come.

Anglers will be flocking back to the trout streams now that the season is open. With large amounts of snow yet to melt the streams should be running high and fishable for some time to come. they certainly do in waters immediately downstream in NSW, and it makes good law enforcement sense to

This is a scene which we won’t be seeing again for a while as the Murray cod season is now closed until 1 December. Most cod caught these days also are released to fight another day rather than killed for the table. on lure. This year he missed out on the perch but instead landed two cod 89cm and 115cm in length, about 10 minutes apart, using a bibless minnow. One of the fish had a distinctive

doldrums. Only the odd one has been taken on lure and others on bait, but they should start becoming more active this month. Scrub worms and yabbies have accounted for the few taken to date. The water level in Burrinjuck also has risen quite a bit in recent months, and finding the trees where the goldens shelter has become increasingly difficult. Burrinjuck currently is 77% full, with visibility up to 1m. The water temperature is 10°C. REDFIN SPAWNING Redfin also have been quiet. They should have finished spawning by now so we can expect a lot of activity in the coming

extend the closure to both state and territory waters. GOLDENS MOVING Golden perch have been fairly quiet in the local lakes but are gradually stirring out of their winter

weeks. Kids and adults all enjoy catching redfin because there are so many of them and they can be caught so easily on fly, lure or bait. They also are excellent to eat and have graced many a table in Canberra in recent years. PEJAR PUZZLING Lake Pejar continues to mystify local anglers. Despite being heavily stocked in recent years with browns, rainbows and some bass, few fish have been caught. Bait anglers report an occasional fish, and two lure anglers caught two trout on one trip, but that was almost the total catch for several months. Nathan Walker and Mark Sawa, both expert fly anglers, have thrashed the lake to a foam without landing a fish, except on one trip when they actually saw a fish rise. It was a 2.5kg rainbow a long way offshore but took Nathan’s fly on the first cast and put up quite a tussle. It’s a mystery as to what has happened to all of the other fish stocked there. MOUNTAIN FISHERIES

Eucumbene has been steadily improving after a lean winter spell. Browns returning from spawning provided most of the late winter fun, taking scrub worms and bardi grubs from the shore at Braemar, Seven Gates and Buckenderra. Fly fishing was indifferent but one angler landed a 3kg brown on a Woolly Bugger at Buckenderra, and a group fishing from a boat in the same area landed seven fish on large wets fished with sinking line. Trollers fared best, with Rapala Spotted Dogs and Tasmanian Devils fished on downriggers or lead core line. Jindabyne also has fished slowly. It was dreadfully quiet in mid-winter but it slowly came good as the weather warmed and the snow began to melt. Some nice fish were taken on bardi grubs at East Jindabyne, mostly in the early morning, but polaroiding has been uncharacteristically disappointing. One flyfisher tried 12 fish in a morning session but

never got a response. He is mystified as to which fly he should try next. To date it looks like there is still a distinct shortage of rainbows in both lakes but we will wait until the August-September spawning run has finished and the fish have returned to their usual haunts before making more definitive comment. Rough visual counts made intermittently during the spawning run suggest there really is a shortage of rainbows this year, but we will wait until we hear from the Gaden Hatchery chaps who will do more accurate counts as they trap fish for stripping at the hatchery.

PRE-SEASON ACTIVITIES We’ve also had some pleasant pre-season activities. Fly casting champion Peter Hayes came up from Tasmania to give a presentation on casting techniques to a packed and enthusiastic audience at The Anglers Art, and ran a series of casting classes for local anglers. The Canberra Anglers Association also ran their free pre-season fly casting classes on the three Sundays prior to the opening of the trout season. These classes are always well appreciated and well attended, and account in part for the large number of male, female and junior fly anglers in Canberra.

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Set for a great trout season BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

The trout season is finally here. October 4 will see the official opening of the 2014/2015 trout season, and the staggering results during the last half of last season indicated what could possibly be a great season ahead. There will be no shortage of water in our creeks and rivers either with a record year of snowfall up top which will help keep those streams running high for at least the first couple of months of the season. All that water brings lots of food so most fish will be in good nick, and with so much food about you’ll find that upsizing your lure or fly is often the ticket to success. As most anglers will be targeting the trout in the streams and rivers this month, the trout lakes will be relatively crowd-free. If you don’t like crowds it might pay to give the running water a miss for another month or so before

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running water with plenty of fish in full gorge mode after returning from their annual spawning efforts. These fish aren’t too fussy and can generally be caught quite easily on most techniques. Although flyfishing can be great at this time of the year as well I prefer to use lures and cover heaps of water quickly, searching out any of those big hungry fish. Any small fish pattern is always worth a chuck, with the ever-reliable Rapala CD range being the pick of the bunch closely followed by the Ima Sukaris.

As the fish are often still very hungry this month I also find that larger lures like lipless crankbaits work very well. They often out-fish smaller, more natural presentations so don’t be afraid to throw a few of these around this month. GOLDEN PERCH This month should also see plenty of golden perch being caught in the dams. These fish can get very feisty, not only from the water warming (which makes them much more active and keen for a feed after slim pickings all winter), but they will also be attempting to spawn. When golden perch are in this mood they can become quite aggressive at times. At Blowering Dam you have two main options to try to entice some golden perch. First off you can try polaroiding the shallow margins of the dam, especially the weedy bays. Golden perch will congregate in these areas to sun themselves and take advantage of whatever food they come across in these often food-rich shallows. Alternatively you can target the massive schools of golden perch that congregate along the dam walls, and at Blowering in particular around the Islands area as well. The huge schools of fish around the wall areas are almost completely fixated on spawning and can be very difficult to catch at times, but persistent casting or trolling in this area will often result in fish. If you’re on the water when they decide to bite you will often catch plenty of fish.

The trout season is finally starting on October 4. With a record year of snowfall and great catch rates of both big and small fish, this season could be a corker. As for tactics, in the shallows I’d suggest light lipless crankbaits less than 60mm, shallow running hardbodies (especially suspending models), small lightly weighted blades, small profile spinnerbaits or soft plastics rigged on 1/16oz to 1/4oz jigheads. In the deeper water around the wall and Island the best lures are heavy lipless crankbaits, especially Mask Vibes.

a fish is caught on a certain type of lure they get that little bit smarter and therefore harder to catch on that type of lure. You can sometimes fool these educated fish with something as subtle as a different lure colour, but the more wily fish will often need a lure that is totally different to fool them again. A lure with a totally different action, different sound or different flash may be needed.

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If you don’t like crowds it may pay to stick to the trout lakes this month. On top of no crowds, the fishing is normally excellent so it makes a great back-up at this time of the year. They will get you down quickly and hold you down there. Heavily weighted soft plastics or blades are good as well. As I said in last month’s issue, it really pays to start throwing something different as the goldens have seen a lot of pressure already this season, and that fishing pressure will only continue to grow as the weather warms more and more. Part of the reason these fish become harder and harder to catch is so many anglers now practice catch and release. Each time

It is for this very reason that I started to hunt down new lures that no fish in Australia has ever seen. Luckily for me I came across some sensational new lure designs, and after extensive field testing I’ll be making them available to the greater public. You can check them out on my Facebook page, Insanity Tackle, or email me at the address above. If field testing is anything to go by these lures will be must-haves in every native fisho’s tackle boxes.

Early starts to bring best results with trout JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

October of course is the month that river fishing anglers look forward to with another river season opening on Saturday 4th October. It will be a busy time on the rivers with anglers lining up, hoping that the river will be full of late spawning trout and that is something no one can predict. This past winter we saw a more normal weather pattern, although a little colder than normal. The brown trout that spawned earlier in the season had what could be described as a normal run and the rainbow trout just last month were just about to take advantage of the rain and snow melt to do their thing also. With the extra water flow in the rivers at the moment, the best flies to use have still been weighted nymphs and even a few fish will be caught on glowbugs. You might like to also try some bigger flies like weighted Woolley Buggers in the faster water. You will find that while not as traditional, it is a very successful way of getting a shy trout to bite. Those that like throwing lures into the river will need to make certain the lure is getting close to the bottom in the running water as the fish are still a bit lazy and will not rise too far in the water to take a lure. I still prefer my minnow lures that will dive to the bottom on retrieval. You might like to try the Rapala Spotted Dog or a Rapala Pinkie or even try a bigger size than normal, as bigger lures often catch the bigger, more aggressive trout at this time of season. Meanwhile on the lake, the fishing has been fantastic and most anglers will agree that we have had the best winter fishing we have seen in many years and there is no reason that that will not continue given the lakes water level is rising. With the snow melt we also see the water level of Lake Jindabyne rise and cover some new ground, bringing the trout in closer to the shore to feed and giving anglers some excellent bait fishing, spinning and of course a start to the fly fishing season on the lake with a much more predictable pattern of fishing. At some time of the day the fish are coming on the bite and you just need a line in the water to catch them. Local scrub worms are best for brown trout while artificial baits of various colours are proving itself for rainbow trout and salmon. If you want to catch yourself a big brown trout, then the best baits are still going to be

well-presented scrub worms and these are fished with a greased line to stop it from sinking into the weed and getting caught up. Lake fly fishing should be interesting this season. The lake water levels are great at

the morning. The best colour Tassies to use will be darker lures early with the number Y48 Yellow Wing Red Nosed Brown Bomber or even Y94, they are both great. Try trolling the Yellow Wing Tasmanian Devils a little later as the sun is

Justin Hoffman with a 52cm brown trout caught fly fishing on the lake using a Steve Williamson Snowy Mountains gold fish fly. the moment and the lake will fish well. When the days warm up and as we get a few more insects hatching, we may get some good early morning rises on the lake. If fly fishing the lake at the moment, spotting fish first with the aid of your polaroids is the best way to work out a strategy on how to catch the fish as they cruise along the banks of the lake. I find casting small green nymphs to be best in the shallow water. Other flies worth a try are green or olive flies like Hamills Killers, small shrimp patterns and olive nymphs. Lure anglers can also spot the fish before casting and you will do best with smaller lures like Celtas, Vibrax spinners, Wordons Rooster Tails or Gillies spinners and of course minnow lures like floating Rapalas, but keep them small, lures that are too big will make a big splash and spook the trout in the shallow clear water. If the day is brighter than you can switch to some Tasmanian Devils for casting a little further and green and gold is a good colour to try. This month, the boat trolling will be best near the edges early and late in the day, but you may have problems spooking the fish over shallow water so make sure your line is out further than normal with 80 metres being the least you will need out. The usual techniques of fishing on the surface in shallow water at first light and then moving out into deeper water using lead core with 20-30m of line out will extend the better fishing well into the late morning. You will do best using minnow lures early before sunrise and then switching to Tasmanian Devil lures later in

about to rise over the horizon. Willies Special, named after some trout fishing guide in the area has been a very good lure over recent weeks and always a summer winner with trout! Minnow lures like Rapalas or Stumpjumpers in brown trout and rainbow trout patterns are also good, but there are many good brands of lures on the market that will do the job if you know what speed to troll to get the best action out of the lures. It is not a good idea to try to mix and match different brands as no two brands of lures will work at their best at the same speed. After the sun hits that water, it’s time to change to a number 36, Y82 Yellow Wing Tassie or my Steve Williamson Red Nosed Yellow Wing and as the sun gets higher, then it’s time to get the lure lower into the water and lead core lines or downriggers are the way to go. The best lures to try and catch those trophy brown trout will be small minnows and you need to troll these over the weed beds using longer dropbacks and lighter line or braid to keep the lures at the deepest depth possible. You need to do this well before the sun comes up to get the bigger fish. Trying to run a Tasmanian Devil and a minnow lure for example will not get perfect results from both lures at the same time. There are no fishing spots much better than others at the moment with the trout cruising the margins of the lake; they can be in one place one day and another the next. Let’s hope the season is a good one with regular rain to freshen up the streams and cooling the water. NEWS. On Saturday 8 November, I am holding a

one day fishing competition and presentation dinner as part of the celebration for the 25th Anniversary of my business Lake Jindabyne Trout Fishing Adventure. I have a few spots available for the event but you must contact me to join in on the celebration. There are very limited positions and you will not be able to join up on the day. Email sales@swtroutfishing.com. au if you are interested in finding out more about the 25th Anniversary celebration. BEGINNER FLY FISHING SCHOOL It’s not too late to sign up for my beginner fly fishing school and the date for that is 18 and 19 October. Our schools are the first in Australia to offer a National Certificate of Recognition which can be used to help gain employment in the recreational fishing industry. • For any information and booking forms for these courses please call my shop on 02 64561551 or email me your postal address on swtrout@airlan.com. au. More information can be found on my website at www.swtroutfishing.com.au.

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Sirens blow on another cod season. Yella time. YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

The last siren just sounded for the end the 2013-14 Murray cod fishing season. If you missed out on any wild fantasy or ambition you had of tangling with some mighty green beast over the past 9 months, it may be time to re-hash your plans, re-stock your tacklebox and start planning ahead for the new season that is only a couple of months away! All anglers must keep in mind that as of 1 September through to 30 November inclusive, the targeting of Murray cod is not permitted while the crays are off limits until next June. The best northeast bound anglers could hope for over the next month is a good dose of sunshine to bring on a run of early spring yellas.

Fishing the top end of Lake Mulwala around the Bundalong area where you find a little more current is traditionally more productive than the open waters of the lake itself. For anyone that does encounter a cod over the next couple of months, it should release unharmed as quickly as possible. To minimise cod encounters while targeting yellas, lures no more than 80mm should be used. If fishing the waters of northeast Vic in search of a yella or two, keep in mind that the Murray River below Yarrawonga downstream to Tocumwal it totally closed to all forms of fishing for this period also. August proved to be a tough month with only limited fish being reported. Kev Brooks finished the season off on a high landing a beautiful 107cm cod on a cast Koolabung lure. Kev has proved time and time

A net full of crays, a nice reward for the Lowe family. again that if you put in the effort, rewards will come. You do not have to be travelling hundreds of kms downstream if specifically looking for BIG cod.

Mark Greenhalgh was another to put a nice bend in his rod and was rewarded with a new PB of 87cm. Nace Lowe along with kids Amarlie and Archer

spent a weekend chasing the crays around the Bundalong area. The crew were quietly surprised at how easily they managed to achieve their bag limits and encountered

numerous massive females in the process. One net alone produced a staggering 7 large crays with 6 of them being of legal size! Fisheries management must be applauded as it could have been easy to ban cray fishing season but a reduced bag limit, increased size limit along with a couple of other changes has allowed anglers to enjoy a favourite pastime, hopefully for many years to come. Coming up on 25 October is the popular Golden Do$$ars fishing competition, an event designed to specifically target yellas. Entry forms are now available for this and the Cod Classic. Again the Cod Classic promises to be huge and shouldn’t be missed. Call in and see us at Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski, the official Cod Classic shop (Opposite the Post Office) or call 0357 441667 for further information. Until next edition, happy fishing.

Seeing plenty of red and gold this spring MOAMA

Ian Page

As we get deeper into spring with the days both longer and warmer, its hard not to appreciate how special and diverse the waterways in our region are. Wether you are a die-hard lure man or bait angler the opportunities are endless. From recent reports coming into the shop, it seems the yellowbelly are obliging in Kow Swamp and Gunbower Creek with the ever popular Jackalls accounting for many good catches. For those able to troll these areas with small to medium hardbodied lures, these fish are aggressive

and territorial so sweep the area a few times and I tend to change lures or at least colours every 20 minutes, unless I am getting constant action on a particular lure and as we all have our favourites. I tend to start with those that have given me results in the past. I think keeping records of past catches including time of year, water heights and water temp are vital in determining the type of fish and techniques required for different times of year. The Murray from above the Goulburn junction to Torrumbarry always gives solid results during October in and around the snags. If bait fishing, try scrub worms, shrimp or yabbies, my preference would be a running sinker rig and a circle hook, which I find

excellent for both yellow belly and redfin. If fishing in an area with little or no current, try an unweighted shrimp or yabby with a gentle lift from the bottom. Redfin have been good in the Campaspe and in parts of the Goulburn with both lures and bait in the irrigation channels around the area. If fishing the lakes, I like to troll some smaller lures until you get some action, then angle with worm or yabbies. I always enjoy this time because it gives the opportunity to lighten off the gear and enjoy some different methods and target different species of fish in waters that we may not tend to try over the summer months . So take advantage of the beautiful spring season and

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This yellowbelly was caught and released at Mathoura by Callum Harding-Davies.

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HAWK FISHING • FIND-A-WORD COMPETITION

Fish you don’t boast about catching

Name

BLUBBERLIPS LEATHERJACKET SLEEPY COD BULLROUT

LONGTOM

SMALL SHARK

CARP

PIGFISH

SPANGLED PERCH

CHINAMAN

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The first correct entry at the end of each month will win a Hawk Fishing cap, Hawk Fishing line, Hawk HB Lure, assorted Panther Martin lures and 3 packets of Youvella chemically sharpened hooks. SEND ENTRIES TO:

NSW Hawk Tournament Competition PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129 NSW SEPTEMBER 2014

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE The subscriber prize winner for August was J Palmer of New Lambton, who won a Korr Lighting 120w LED Row Light Bar valued at $369. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

FIND THE SPECIALTY FISHING FISH WINNERS BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

BITE ME by Trisha Mason

The Find the specialtyfishing.com.au logo prize winners for August were: W Short of Hamlyn Terrace, B Lidelle of Wallsend, R Cooper of Forster, R Chown of Glendenning, T Ryan of Wagga Wagga, G Waugh of Greystanes, D Walker of Thornton, S Mulcahy of Taree, O King of Pitt Town, J Scanlon of Croudace Bay, T Hainsworth of Warwick, J Szabo of Penrith, M Markham of Singleton, W Lewis of Bella Vista, P Allen of Beacon Hill, O Ross of Albion Park Rail, F Beetham of Forster, R Hall of Balgownie, N Dean of Camden Park, D Evans of Macgregor , K Hester of Beverly Hills, K Chubb of Caringbah, R Tyler of Peakhurst, P Kennedy of Raymond Terrace, G Galvin of Warabrook, T Kennedy of Summerland Point, W Hazelton of Bulli, R Waters of Temora , K Finch of Mulgoa, D Ayling of Swansea, A Simmons of Terranora, A Sinclair of Lalor Park, C Engelbrecht of Wagga Wagga, D Jones of Morisset Park, M Ryall of Singleton, B Newham of Penrith, P Stever of Austinmer, G Minett of Taree, C Ramage of Davistown, J Page of Wingham. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM FIND THE SPECIALTY FISHING AUGUST LOCATIONS

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

The answers to Find the Specialtyfishing.com.au logo for August were: 7, 23, 24, 27, 28, 33, 34, 40, 44, 50, 55, 70, 76, 79, 93. – NSWFM

FIND-A-WORD WINNER Congratulations to Keith Whittall of Taree, who was last month’s winner of the Hawk Tournament Finda-Word Competition! Monthly winners receive Hawk Tournament Tested Bayer Perlon IGFA line, assorted Panther Martin lures, Youvella hooks and a keyring. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – NSWFM 2

• DECEMBER 2010

OCTOBER 2014

The season that was ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

With the Murray cod season finished its hard not to smile as I look back over the past nine months and reflect on the many captures and lessons learned. Two decades now I have stalked these iconic fish and still marvel at the

special angling moments in these waters including several mega sized cod topping the 100lb mark! Brydan Whitfield landed such a fish trolling a large timber lure near Mildura back in April. The fish of monstrous proportions battled long and hard before finally coming to the net. It was all Whitfield could do to hold it for a photo as his legs shook under the massive

Some good perch are being caught along the Murray on bait. This one took a yabby after dark. smaller things taught every season. Most important as an angler, never let your head outgrow your hat as you can never know it all in fishing, especially when it comes to Murray cod. It’s was a ripper season highlighted with some mega fish caught in our local water that are quickly becoming known as some of the best big cod locations around. I was privy to many

fish’s weight. This was the first of several giant cod. The next was landed by James Edmunds from Shepparton. Edmunds was already having a great trip, landing his first metre plus cod on a lure the previous day. Next morning, the powerful strike reverberated up the line almost ripping the rod from his grip. Nothing could prepare Edmunds for what

would about to unfold as he fought the giant fish from the depths of the Murray. He admits to feeling a little faint as the cod appeared on the surface beside the boat. Never had he seen such a fish nor dreamed of ever catching one. Edmunds was fishing with a group of good mates who got in on the photo shoot before the catch of a lifetime was returned to the river. Several other monster cod come to mind, all caught and released throughout the season. These fish still reside in the depths of our rivers and remain a chance for any angler that’s ever dreamed of catching that fish of a lifetime. Local businesses have also fared well on the back of what’s been an excellent cod season. Allan Hutcheon from Got One Mildura says it’s been a great season where bait and lure sales signified a massive resurgence of interest amongst anglers keen to land a Murray cod. It seems a general trend with many local businesses benefiting from an influx of angling related revenue that looks set to be even bigger next season. I know of anglers that travelled from as far afield as Canberra to chance their hand in our local waters and all were suitably impressed with the excellent cod fishing on offer. Along the Murray anglers are enjoying an excellent run of golden perch, although mostly on bait as the water clarity is still a little poor. Any pocket of backwater on the edge of the current line will hold fish and amongst then some rippers to 55cms and more.

DAM LEVELS

Dam

% Full

Dam

% Full

Blowering............................. 71

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

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

Hume.................................. 74

Burrendong........................... 24

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

Burrinjuck............................. 81

Keepit.................................. 19

Carcoar................................ 31

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

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

Oberon................................. 65

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

Pindari................................. 17

Copeton............................... 33

Split Rock............................. 20

Dartmouth............................. 95

Tantangara............................ 44

Eucumbene........................... 44

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

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

Windamere........................... 49

Glenlyon............................... 37

Wyangala............................. 56

(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.) 82

OCTOBER 2014

Rod Mackenzie with a sizable golden perch caught on a Bassman Mumbler. With shrimp numbers growing by the day as the water continues to warm a ready supply of bait can be easily procured in a mesh bait trap clearly marked with your name and address. A handful of dry dog food placed in the trap will lure in as many shrimp as needed. Small yabbies and scrubworms will also tempt a bite and a cocktail of worms and shrimp is dynamite bait when things are a little slow. Of course, the carp are running rampant and have

acquired a bit more length and pull since last season. They have now reached a size where they will test you out and often do you over when fishing tight to the timber. They are a bloody nuisance but at the same time hone angling skills that may one day come in handy when fighting more desirable fish. A few catfish are also eating baits and must be returned to the river regardless the size as they are fully protected. Some

good perch are being landed below the Euston and Wentworth locks on lures with vibes and spinnerbaits working best. It’s amazing how easy these fish can find lures in dirty water when they are stacked in numbers. Anglers fishing baits at these locations are also doing well. As the weather continues to warm we can look forward to some excellent spring fishing before the heat arrives driving our angling addiction towards the coast.

Brydan Whitfield with just one of many giant cod that was caught last season.

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Flathead on plastics PORT STEPHENS

Billy Gillon

Flathead fishing for me used to be all bait. Whenever I did take soft plastics out to give them a half-hearted go, the bites on my bait rod would continue to distract me and I never got to give plastics a real chance. However, after hearing continually about the success of plastics I decided to have a soft plastics only trip. With me casting a 5” Gulp on one side and my father fishing with bait on the other, the stage was set to find out which was truly better. The results really proved to me how much I had wasted my time with bait over the years! The total was five lizards averaging 65cm on the plastics, compared with seven undersize bream on bait – all in an hour of fishing. If I had

only been using bait I would have been convinced there was nothing around, and moved somewhere else. Since that day I wouldn’t even consider targeting flatties on bait. I have had resounding success because of my switch to plastics, and no more smelly bait fingers! TACKLE Braided line is essential when plastics fishing as the stretch in mono lines will limit the plastic’s action and hook penetration when you strike. Anything from 6lb to 12lb is fine, and remember that most braids will break over what they are rated anyway. I find 8lb perfect as it is light enough to enjoy the fight but heavy enough to knock over any school jew you might hook as by-catch. When it comes to leader, 10lb is as light as I go for flathead. They aren’t very leader shy and have very

sharp, raspy teeth which can wear through lighter leaders easily. I find 15lb fluorocarbon to be about perfect, and I tie it to the braid with a slim beauty knot. I also believe graphite rods help a lot for the same reasons as braided line – they are a lot more responsive and don’t have the flex that the fibreglass rods do. A 3-6kg graphite rod matched with a 2000 reel is my favourite flathead outfit and it will handle the largest of lizards. The size of jighead you use will of course vary depending on the depth you are fishing, the size of plastic and how much current is running. You need to get the lure in the strike zone quickly but also allow it to have a natural sink to the bottom, as most flathead will hit the lure as it sinks. TECHNIQUES Drifting is the best way to fish plastics as you can cover

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Lachlan Ma with a solid deep water flatty. a lot more ground and find where the fish are holding. If the wind is an issue, anchoring and berleying in a likely area will work, as will vertically jigging the plastic while drifting. In summer and autumn when the water is warmer you will get a lot more flathead in shallow weed beds and sand bank territory. Smaller prawn imitation plastics are better in this situation, and in water less than 1m deep I use a burn-andstop retrieve which is which is basically four quick winds of the reel then a slight pause and repeat. You can spice it up a bit with a few flicks of the rod tip, but remember to aim your rod parallel to the water so the plastic doesn’t flick out of the water. This style of fishing will usually produce smaller platesized fish, and remember they will hold in some surprisingly shallow water at times. In water deeper than 1m my favourite plastic is a 5” flickbait. I cast in the same direction the boat is drifting so the plastic doesn’t get dragged along by the boat. Once it hits the bottom I give the rod tip two or three flicks up, then wind down the slack and wait for it to hit the bottom. I watch the line the whole time, waiting for a flick or any change in the line movement which could indicate a bite. Most flathead will hit the plastic on the drop, and the line will often give only the smallest of flicks which indicates a flathead has sucked it in. If you lose a fish close to the bottom, open your bail and drop the plastic straight back down. I have had flathead come back and eat my plastic up to three times before they were solidly hooked. Let’s be honest – flathead aren’t the smartest fish in the estuary. In the colder months when the strong westerlies start, flathead usually hold in much deeper water and become very inactive and lethargic. When this happens I usually use larger curly tail plastics and use a slow lift-and-drop retrieve, making sure the lure

makes contact with the bottom after every lift. After you have hooked a fish and it nears the surface it’s important to keep its head underwater, especially with bigger fish. As soon as the flathead breaks the surface of the water it will start shaking its head, and this is when most fish are lost.

However, once they wake up they give short, line-peeling runs and powerful head shakes. Remember that if you give them even a little bit of slack line they can easily throw a soft plastic out of their mouth. EASY FEED Flathead are one of the best eating fish you will catch in an estuary, and plastics have to be

The new Squidgy Whip bait in drop bear colour is my favourite flatty softy. Another important thing to note is that flathead usually lie with their head facing the current. This is so they can quickly ambush any prey coming down with the current. THE FIGHT You can usually tell the size of the fish by the amount of time that passes between head shakes. Smaller fish give out a lot of smaller head shakes very close together. When you hook a big fish it can almost feel like a snag at first, and they can be a real dead weight for the first part of the fight.

the quickest and easiest way to collect a feed of flatty fillets. All you need is a packet of plastics, some spare jigheads, a rod and reel and you’re away. Just remember that any fish over 65cm is probably a breeder, so it’s better to keep smaller fish for a feed and let the breeders go. And that’s it! Whether you’re new to plastics fishing or you’re looking to refine your techniques a little, I hope this article has inspired you to catch more flatties on plastics. Good luck and tight lines. OCTOBER 2014

GTS Ballina results The final round of the Gamakatsu Team Series was held in Ballina, and very poor weather conditions met the anglers on the pre-fish. Few teams had a successful day

locating the fish but this didn’t stop the anglers as they all knew what was at stake: those all-important TOY points to get into the Grand Final with a $20,000 cash for the winner!

Fish like these helped Team Atomic take out second place.

The morning of the event gave the anglers hope that the weather would ease off and let them get some good fishing done. Luckily this ended up being the case, with almost every team who entered catching fish. The team that pulled ahead of the rest was Team Minnow (Peter Jones and Gavin Harris) who caught a good bag of 2.85kg! Last time the team fished here in Ballina they pulled away with a win so they obviously know the area and they said they didn’t change their game plan from last time. The team went straight to the walls where the water was a lot cleaner compared to the rest of the river. Their plan was to use Atomic blades which were custom painted, and some very heavy jigheads so they could cast right against the wall and get the lures to drop down as quickly as possible. The team were using 4lb braid and 4lb fluoro leader

To everyone’s relief, the weather came good for the comp and almost every team caught fish. and were using a very slow lift-and-drop technique. Peter and Gavin also pulled off catching the biggest bream of the comp. Weighing in at .92kg, this beautiful bream was caught using a Bassday Kangoku Vib in the C66 clear colour. The boys from Team Minnow drove away from the event extremely happy

RESULTS Team........................................................... Anglers............................................. Fish..... Big Bream (kg).....Weight (kg) 1 Minnow.................................................. Peter Jones, Gavin Harris................ 5......................................................2.85 2 Gamakatsu/Atomic................................ Zac Skyring, Nigel Skyring............... 5.......... 0.84.....................................2.59 3 Continuum Financial Planners.............. Peter Cashman, Alex Bailey............. 5.......... 0.69.....................................2.50 4 Ballina Marineland/Honda Marine........ Adrian Melchior, Ken Fitzgibbons.... 5.......... 0.66.....................................2.31 5 Pontoon 21/Mark’s Custom Fishing..... Denis Metzdorf, Khoi Phan.............. 5......................................................2.27

NOVEMBER 29th & 30th, 2014 BRIEFING RSL NOVEMBER 28th @ 6PM

OCTOBER 2014

and had $750 cash as well as two Samurai Rods. The team would like to say a special thank you to their new sponsor, Shedzone, for helping them out when they needed it. Coming in a close second place was local team Gamakatsu/Atomic (Zac and Nigel Skyring) who went straight to the porpoise wall near the entrance, again to get the bream in the fresher water. They found their success using the Atomic Semi Hardz Minnow in matte ayu and Atomic Hardz metals in muddy prawn, and used Megastrike scent on their lures each cast. They worked their lures with small hops, quick twitches and short pauses. The team kept using this technique while they were travelling around to mid reef, jetties and other walls. The pair continued to upgrade all day, although at one stage there was a mix up on the boat and Nigel managed to throw out an extra fish near the end of the day which caused a lot of stress until he redeemed himself by catching another! Continuum Financial Planners (Peter Cashman and Alex Bailey) came in third place with their bag of 2.5kg. In the morning they went to where the fish were, at the mouth of the river, trying to catch an early bag. They managed to catch a few early on blades and plastics, very slow hopping, and then they moved onto the middle reef trying the same technique which got them a couple more fish.

Peter Jones and Gavin Harris from Team Minnow took out the event with a 2.85kg bag. Michael Maas managed to beat the other kayakers bringing in his bag of three weighing 1.21kg. He had a game plan which was to go straight to the canals to try to get a bag quickly. However the bream just didn’t want to take any lures he had, so after two hours of catching nothing in the canals he decided that it would be good to go closer to the mouth of the river where most of the other anglers headed in the morning. He went to the middle reef and found some fish by hopping plastics. He was very pleased with the

result as he was the only kayaker to catch a full bag. The Gamakatsu Team Series organisers would like to thank Lowrance for sponsoring this round and providing a Lowrance HDS9 with side imaging valued at around $3500 as a random draw prize. The lucky winners of this fantastic prize were the anglers from team Ballina Marineland, who couldn’t keep the smiles off their faces! We would also like to thank all the anglers for supporting our events this year, and we look forward to bigger and better things in 2015! – GTS

Plenty of lucky anglers took home prizes from the comp.

Grabine Freshwater Fishing Tournament The 14th Grabine Freshwater Fishing Tournament was held at Grabine Lakeside State Park on August 29-31. The final three days of winter were absolutely stunning, to the delight of the 916 strong crowd that attended – especially for those who had attended the 13th Grabine Classic and could still remember last year’s wet and wild conditions. With this strong attendance it was clear that our change to catch and release had not adversely affected the number of competitors. In fact, according to our survey

of 101 entrants, 84% were pleased with the change. The water level was 55.9% on Thursday afternoon and had risen to 56.3% on Sunday with the fresh inflow after some rain earlier in the week, and the park was looking good. Some anglers found the fishing to be impossible in the 10°C waters, while others recorded some impressive catches. Scott Murphy from the ACT, for example, landed an 82cm cod to be crowned this year’s champion. All six cod entered this year were entered by seniors. Our senior golden perch winner was Luke Webber

Scott Murphy’s winning cod.

with a 51.5cm fish, and our junior golden perch winner was Cooper Cross at 49cm. Robert Fazl caught the biggest silver perch at 44.5cm, and young Sam Cramp’s 38cm silver was long enough to put him in the top spot for the juniors. All four catfish entered were prize winners; the biggest at 54.5cm was entered by Mick Ryan, a senior, with Cooper Cross coming in again for the juniors with his 41cm catfish. No trout were entered this year and there were no reports of any redfin either. A total of 140 native fish were caught and released this year with 114 golden perch, 15 silver perch, six Murray cod and four catfish. The biggest carp bag and senior largest carp prizes were both taken out by Steven Webber with a total of 72 fish, with the longest measuring in at 74cm. In the junior longest carp category Dean Cerovac took the honours with a 62.5cm fish. Steven, Dean and the rest of our fine carp anglers did a good deed by removing a total of 314 of the pest species, down from last year’s 492. This year when our

This 44.5cm fish caught by Robert Fazl took out the Biggest Silver Perch category. contestants entered native fish we asked them what they had used to catch their fish. This year the trusty old worm prevailed at 69%, followed by lures at 20%. Around 8% of fish were tempted by crayfish, 2% went to wood grubs and less than 1% on cooked prawns. To be fair, the cooked prawn landed a 72cm cod! Peter Hempel of Blayney is now the proud owner of this year’s prize boat, and

Graham Hughs was the lucky winner of this year’s trailer full of camping equipment. All 42 prize categories were awarded at Sunday’s presentation, the prizes totalling over $20,000, with the unfilled fish prizes going to lucky entrants who had their entry forms drawn from a barrel. The tournament committee wish to thank our sponsors for their support, in particular Goulburn

Tackle World for our new leaderboard and also to Dick Elvins (Gwydir Gobblers) for his continued support over the years. A special thanks also to Grabine Lakeside State Park for their hospitality and support throughout the tournament. We look forward to welcoming everybody back to Grabine on the 28 August, 2015 to compete in our 15th Annual Grabine Classic. – Chris Wray

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Pirtek Challenge raises $130K The world’s biggest fishing competition isn’t all about catching fish. The Pirtek Fishing Challenge is a charity event supporting Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. This year’s Challenge had a record 8500 competitors and raised an incredible $130,000. The CEO of Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, Associate Professor Anthony Lowe, accepted the cheque, and said the funds would go towards further research and awareness programs. The Prostate Cancer Foundation

of Australia is a community organisation that works to reduce the impact of prostate cancer on Australian men, their partners, families and the wider community by promoting and funding research into prostate cancer; implementing awareness campaigns and education programs; and supporting affected men and their families. Michael Guest, Stephen Dutton CEO Pirtek Fluid Systems and Dr Lowe were invited to join the crew from the Matty Johns Show which airs on Foxtel every Monday

at 9pm. Gorden Tallis, Nathan Hindmarsh and Brian Fletcher are regular panel members on the show and are also great supporters of the Fishing Challenge. Stephen Dutton commented, “It was great to have three Pirtek Brand Ambassadors together for the cheque handover. Both Nathan and Gorden have been fishing with Michael and have firsthand experience on what the Challenge is all about. Pirtek are very proud to be supporting prostate cancer research and awareness

programs.” In the last six years the Pirtek Fishing Challenge has raised almost $650,000 for prostate cancer. The Challenge is an annual event held in late March every year. The competition is open to anglers right across Australia with 20 target species and $150,000 in cash and prizes. Michael Guest, Director of the Pirtek Fishing Challenge said, “$130,000 is a figure all fishos should be proud of. It’s amazing what a group of keen anglers can do when they get together. We’re looking to make the

The $130,000 cheque presented to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. Challenge even bigger for 2015 with a target of 10,000 competitors.” Pre-registrations are open now at www. pirtekfishingchallenge.

com.au. Every month one lucky person will win a $100 Berkley tackle prize. Pre-registrations will be open until 1 December, 2014. – PFC

Hawkesbury Fishing Classic Once again the Pitt town Fishing Club will host the Annual Hawkesbury Fishing Classic over the weekend of 14-16 November, 2014. This is our 22nd year and the Hawkesbury Fishing Classic has become the largest, dedicated estuary competition in the southern hemisphere. With entries capped at 1000 and truckloads of spectators at the weigh-in, it’s sure to bring a smile to any angler’s face. Each year it attracts entrants from all over NSW and interstate. Blakes Marine at Mulgrave NSW are again this year’s major sponsors, donating some awesome prizes in conjunction with Suzuki Marine, Stacer Boats

and Fusion sound systems, including a complete boat motor package. Thanks must also go to all the other sponsors who donate not only goods and services but also their time to help make the Classic such a huge success. Money raised over the years through sponsorships, entries, guessing competitions and so on have benefited local charities and organizations such as Windsor Park Public School (special education unit for underprivileged kids), Camp Quality, Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol, local schools and Hawkesbury Living Trust (cancer clinic). To date we have given away over $430,000 (100% of proceeds go to charity). As well as being a fishing competition with categories

for men, woman and children, the Classic is also a massive social day with a carnivallike atmosphere for all the family to enjoy, with plenty of food, drinks, entertainment and jumping castles etc. for the kids. There are also heaps of prizes in the way of raffles and lucky draws. One lucky entrant will take home a brand new boat-motor-trailer package, with safety gear, all fully registered, just for entering and being present at the weigh-in. Just fill-in and post the official entry form and be in attendance at the weigh-in on the Sunday, check in at the registration table before 2pm and you’re in with a chance. There is also another boat-motor-trailer package,

fully registered and complete with safety gear to be raffled on the day. A huge auction will also be run where fishing gear, 4x4 accessories, outdoor entertaining furniture, tools and much more can be snapped up at bargain basement prices. Be sure to pick one up an entry form from your local tackle store or jump on our website at www. pitttownfishingclub.webs. com and print one off. You can also find us on Facebook under ‘Hawkesbury Classic’. I’ll see you at the weigh-in on 14 November 2014 at Pitt Town District Sports Club 139 Old Pitt Town Rd, Pitt Town. For more information you can contact me on 0408 464 945 or via email at brett@ klcc.com.au. – Brett Chain

The 21st Hawkesbury Classic Open winners L- R: Craig Williams (first place) , Ben Donzow (second), Nick Waltisbuhl (third).

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

Oct 4-5

Mighty Annual Fishing Bonanza TSSC – 02 4471 7327

Tomakin www.tomakinclub.com.au

Oct 18-19

Gamakatsu TS Kayak GF GTS - 0459 401 612

Urunga fishingcomps.com.au/gts

Oct 25-26

Jackall Yellowbelly Championships Series Bruce Anderson - 0419 011 333

Windamere www.yellowbellychampionships.com

Oct 31

Gamakatsu TS Grand Final GTS - 0459 401 612

Gold Coast fishingcomps.com.au/gts

Oct 31-Nov 2

ANSA Burrinjuck Convention Sarah Borman - 0439 601 097

Burrinjuck www.canberrafishos.com/events

Nov 1-2

Lake Hume Classic Rob Lees - 0417 400 651

Lake Hume www.lakehumeclassic.com.au

Nov 1-2

Gamakatsu TS Grand Final GTS - 0459 401 612

Gold Coast fishingcomps.com.au/gts

Nov 11-12

ABT BREAM Classic Championship ABT - (07) 3387 0888

Sydney Harbour www.abt.org.au

Nov 14-16

ABT BREAM Grand Final ABT - (07) 3387 0888

Hawkesbury River www.abt.org.au

Nov 14-16

Hawkesbury Classic Brett Chain - 0408 464 945

Hawkesbury River www.pitttownfishingclub.webs.com

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. 86

OCTOBER 2014

Southern Bream Series R6 Round 6 of the Southern Bream Series (SBS), held by Basin Lure and Fly Anglers, was staged at St Georges Basin on Sunday 24 August.

Boating section was Team FG Blades/Fireline Exceed (Fred Green and Lindon Thompson) with a 5/5 bag totalling 3.52kg. The runners up were Team

place went to Team Compleat Angler Batemans Bay/ Shimano (Jason Mayberry and Terry Parmenter) with a 5/5 bag that weighed 3.14kg.

Runners up John and Issac Galea from Team Father & Son. Photo courtesy of Peter Hewitt The comp was held in what only could be described as perfect weather conditions, especially after all of the bad weather that had preceded the event. The event was supported by 63 boating teams and 30 kayak anglers, which was a great turnout. The final winner in the

Father and Son (John Galea and Issac Galea) with a 5/5 bag that weighed in at 3.40kg, and third went to Team Stealth Blades with Peter Cook and Phil Cook with a 5/5 bag totalling 3.40kg, Fourth went to Team Attack Apparel (Logan Wilson and Dylan Shepherd) with a 5/5 bag totalling 3.19kg. Fifth

2014

In the Boating section only 22 teams achieved their full bag of five fish in what was described as a tough bite. Overall the total for the boaters was 178 fish for a combined weight of 91.39kg for 126 anglers. The cash payouts for the top five boaters were $2457, $1228, $614, $368 and

$246. The Hobie Big Bream prize was taken out by young Issac Galea with a solid 1.30kg fish, which was the highlight of the event, especially as young Isaac is only eight years old and has been a regular competitor along with his dad John throughout the Series this year. The Kayak section was won by Team Prolure Australia (Luke Kay) with a bag of 3/3 totalling 2.07kg. Second went to Team Totally Immersed Watersports/Duff Rods (Craig Coughlan) with a bag of 3/3 weighing 1.96kg, and third went to Kane Terry with a bag of 3/3 totalling 1.78kg. In the Kayak section there was a total of 40 fish for a combined weight of 22.33kg for 30 anglers, and the Big Bream prize was taken out by Luke Kay with another solid 1.04kg fish. Cash payouts for the top three were $750, $382 and $233. I would like to say a big thank you to all those who competed and showed their continued support for this great series. It is getting bigger and better as each round passes, and the positive feedback filtering back is greatly appreciated. We would like to thank all the competitors and

First place winners Fred Green and Lindon Thompson of Team FG Blades Fireline Exceed. Photo courtesy of Peter Hewitt sponsors: Fishing World, Shimano, Lowrance, Tonic Eyewear, Searing Tackle/ Damiki, Custom Lure Art, Skeeter Boats/Power Pole, Hobie Fishing, Compleat Angler Nowra, BCF, Totally

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The Hobie Big Bream prize winner Issac Galea with a solid 1.30kg fish. Photo courtesy of Peter Hewitt

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Bostock jigs to win Peter Bostock claimed victory in the 2nd Haswing BASS Electric Major of the 2013 Bluefin Boats BASS Electric Series with the

42year old BCF Manager fishing a deep water ice jig approach to catch his fish. Fishing a 16m deep timbered area of Moogerah,

BASS EL E Presente CTRIC SERIES d by Has wing

Bostock filled his limit early, catching his bag by 8am and then finding a red-hot patch around 11am that blew everything he knew about bass

5-6 ‘ Short hop to keep on the bottom

fishing out the water. “We’d catch the occasional fish, then we found this tree with our side scan that was simply loaded with

Rapala Jigging Rap (colour GFR) fish. We caught one fish and that just fired them up, and the action was insane until we left them biting to head back to the weigh-in,” explained Bostock. Bostock’s technique to catch his bass was textbook ice jig fishing, with the Moogerah champion finding the fish on his sounder and then dropping his ice jig straight down and working it with a lift and drop retrieve. “Initially the fish would eat the lure on the sink back down, but once they really fired up it didn’t mater how you worked it, they’d eat it, and eat it at any part of the retrieve,” explained Bostock. The bass blitzkrieg delivered Bostock 20 fish, while the two companions he had fishing with him both caught over 15 fish each! While the bass were aggressive to say the least, they did exercise a level of

discern in the lures they ate. “One lure stood out, an orange coloured Rapala Jigging Rap. We only had one of them, so we all took turns catching fish on it then passed it to the next guy in the boat,”

Bostock said. That bass-slaying Rapala eventually got towed home by a bass that Pete just couldn’t stop. With the victory, Bostock secured a $300 Haswing vocher, 13 Fishing rod and reel, and free entry into the Bluefin BASS Electric Convention in October.

It was smiles all-round before the 7am take-off. Thity-five anglers made their way Lake Moogerah for the 2nd Haswing BASS Electric Major for the year.

WINNING NOTES

Winning Tackle

Rod: Lox 2-5kg Reel: Shimano Stella 2500 Line: 4lb Berkley Nanofil Leader: 4lb Vanish Lure: Rapala Jigging Rap (colour GFR)

Hot spot shines

Winning Ways

Bostock used his sounder to locate fish, and used the side scan feature on his unit to pinpoint exactly where and how many fish were holding on an individual tree.

Big Bass

Peter Bostock claimed the Flow-rite Big Bass for the event, with the Moogerah victory catching his 1.70kg kicker early in the session on an ice jig. Lightly hooked, the ice jig fell out of the big fish’s mouth as soon as it slid into the landing next.

e 2nd Plac For event runner-up Les Smith, it was his best result to date on the BASS Electric tour with the 51year old Ipswich basser catching a 2/2, 2.64kg limit to claim a podium finish. Fishing a 30ft deep flat in front of the campground, Smith came

BASS Electric: Haswing Moogerah BASS Electric Major Angler Results Place Angler

Fish Weight Payout

1 Pete BOSTOCK 2/2 3.02 Prize Pack 2 Les SMITH 2/2 2.64 Prize Pack 3 Callum TEWES 2/2 2.62 Prize Pack 3 Nathan SWANSON 2/2 2.62 Prize Pack 5 Charles WEST 2/2 2.53 Prize Pack 6 Tom REYNOLDS 2/2 2.51 Prize Pack 7 Kym BALDWIN 2/2 2.36 Prize Pack 8 Hamish DUTTON 2/2 2.33 Prize Pack 9 John NOBLE 2/2 2.3 Prize Pack 10 Philip FITZGERALD 2/2 2.26 Prize Pack For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au 88

OCTOBER 2014

across his hot spot while motoring towards his preferred location on Sunday morning. “We were electricing across the flat and I spotted a couple of fish on the sounder, so we stopped to have a closer look,” Smith recalled. While his first cast produced a yellowbelly, it was the next cast that he and his daughter Rebecca each made that resulted in a double hook-up. “Once we caught that first fish they bit their heads off, and did so for next half an hour,” explained Smith. The technique that did the damage was a lift and drop of a gold coloured Ecogear ZX40. “The bites were rather tentative and would come either at the very top of the lift, or at the start of the drop,” said Smith. The approach delivered 12 fish for the session and secured Smith a spot in October’s Bluefin BASS Electric Convention.

ABT, PO Box 7196, LOGANHOLME, QLD 4129 Alternatively you can download an entry form from www.abt.org.au At any time you can call ABT on (07) 3387 0888 for help with your entry during business hours.

IES ASS SER KAYAK B d by Daiwa Presente On Sunday 31 August, 2014 Moogerah Dam in southwest Queensland’s scenic rim hosted round 3 of the Hobie® Kayak Bass Series presented by Daiwa. Located 2 hours inland from the Gold Coast, the 37.8m high wall of the dam holds back an area of water spanning 878ha, supplying local towns and agriculture. The word Moogerah is said to be a local Aborigine word meaning “place of thunderstorms”, a great place for a water catchment, but the picturesque area has much more to offer including camping, bush walking, stand up paddle boarding, kayaking and of course fishing. The dam, stocked with

Noble wins at magical Moogerah Australian bass, golden and silver perch, Mary River cod and saratoga is a rich and diverse freshwater fishery. An average depth of 10.8m and plenty of standing and submerged timber in the water make Moogerah Dam a perfectly suited venue for a round of the Hobie Kayak Bass Series. The round kicked off early Sunday morning with 24 competing anglers from 4 states and territories pedalling off from the Power-Pole starting line. Despite the picture perfect conditions that continued throughout the day, many anglers found the bite slow until the early afternoon when the bass switched on close to finishing time. Employing a catch-photorelease (CPR) system, anglers placed their legal size bass on a

The 12g Smack Ice Jig in red and black that did the damage for 1st place prize winner John Noble. standard measuring stick, took a photo to record the length and then released the fish back into the waterway. At the conclusion of the tournament session, anglers arrived back on shore, eager to place their key tags on the board, complete their catch cards and hand their camera cards to the tournament scorer. When all results were

finalised and confirmed by the tournament director, 19-year-old John Noble from Queensland, having caught a total of 40 legal bass over the course of the day, took out the major prize with a 3/3 124cm total aggregate fish length. Richard Somerton from Victoria finished the day with a 3/3 122cm aggregate catch while Glenn Hayter from New

South Wales, brought home a 3/3 120cm bag that was good enough to take out 3rd place in what was an amazingly tight finish. When asked about his plan of attack for the tournament. John Noble said, “I followed a pattern that worked for me in an ABT Bass Electric round that I fished in early August. I caught most of my fish just to the left of the boat ramp where it drops off from 38ft to about 40ft and there’s a little flat. You see one or two fish on the sounder and when you catch one about 20-30 fish follow him up from the bottom, so there is a lot of fish there”. Outlining the techniques he used to help unlock the mouths of some quality Australian Bass to win the tournament

CE 1ST PLA Noble said, “It didn’t matter what you did this morning. You’d just drop it to them and hop, hop you were on. I used double hops, let it sit there for 5 seconds, then big double hops, really slowing it down as the day went on. Later in the day they shut down and it became a case of less is more”.

Scan this QR code to watch the winner’s interview.

Somerton reels in second place CE 2ND PLA Richard Somerton, who is a regular competitor in the Hobie Kayak Bass Series, measured up short of the tournament winner by a mere 2cm. Illustrating how tight the event was the fact that Somerton was only 2cm over the 3rd place finisher Glenn Hayter. Somerton summed up

his trip to the Moogerah event by saying, “I managed a 2nd place on what I found to be a tough arena. The pre-fish didn’t go well with over half a day’s fishing only resulting in a yellowbelly and one bite that I dropped. After regrouping, Tanya (my lucky charm) and I went out again in the late arvo, which didn’t start well with of all things, a tortoise. But I found some bait in a bay and then a couple of fish and a plan was hatched for comp day! Comp day was a grind with nothing coming in the first hour, then it was

Tournament winner John Noble with his prize pack.

a fish about every hour after that. Then with an hour to go it was bite time! I’m happy with 2nd on a venue I hadn’t previously heard of, it was a challenging but fruitful day”. Richard has already

qualified for the 2014 Hobie Kayak Bass Series Grand Final so his and winner John Noble’s (also pre-qualified) grand final qualifying spots from this event will step down to lower placed finishers.

WINNING NOTES

Winning Tackle

Rod: Daiwa Redback Reel: Daiwa Redback 2000 Line: Shimano Power Pro 8lb Leader: 6lb Lure: 12g Smak Ice Jig in red and black with assist hooks

Winning Edge

Noble’s early morning location selection and getting his full bag before 7:30am set him up on his way to victory in a day when a lot of anglers struggled.

HOG’S BREATH BOSS HOG

Jason Garner won the BOSS HOG Big Bass Award with this stonking specimen.

ABT, PO Box 7196, LOGANHOLME, QLD 4129 Alternatively you can download an entry form from www.abt.org.au At any time you can call ABT on (07) 3387 0888 for help with your entry during business hours.

Special Thanks

Next Round

Thanks to Mal and Trish Gray from Sunstate Hobie for providing dealer support at the event and ABT and Fishing Monthly’s Steve Morgan for his special assistance this weekend. Like all of the events in the Hobie Kayak Fishing Series presented by Daiwa, this round could not have gone ahead without the great support of our generous sponsors Berkely, Atomic, Lowrance, Rhino-Rack, Strike Pro, Austackle, TT lures, Yamatoyo, Ecogear, Power-Pole and Hog’s Breath Café.

It’s time to start planning for the final round of the Hobie Kayak Bass Series presented by Daiwa, which will be held at Toonumbar Dam on September 14. The twoday October 25-26 Bass grand final venue will be announced soon.

Queenslander Jason Garner followed up his recent Hog’s Breath Café Big Bream win TOP 10 NON-BOATERS in the Redcliffe round of the Hobie® Kayak Bream Series presented by Daiwa BASS ELECTRIC SERIES taking the biggest bass from Moogerah, which measured in at a nice 49cm. The 49cm Australian bass took an Impact Tackle 1/2oz cracker colour spinnerbait with a green/copper Hooked On Plastics Grub attached to the stinger hook. HOGS BREATH BOSS HOG PAY TO:

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TOP 5 KAYAKERS

Place Name

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1 2 3 4 5

124 122 120 117 114

John Noble Richard Somerton Glenn Hayter Denis Metzdorf Nathan Swanson

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$280.00 + Prize Pack $215.00 + Prize Pack $140.00 + Prize PacK $80.00 + Prize Pack Prize Pack

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au OCTOBER 2014

Bar Crusher’s 670HTP BRISBANE

Stephen Booth

What a great boat! Yep, that’s my impression after spending a day on the bay in the 670HTP from Bar Crusher. Our last trip to Victoria included a day on the water with the boys from Bar Crusher and we were fortunate enough to get some time in this rig. The HTP version is the Pilot House model of the popular 670 hull, and this model will prove very popular for those looking for a towable boat that will make a meal of adverse ocean conditions and allow skipper and crew to get out of the weather in comfort.

anglers. Keep in mind, if you want to have a true overnighter that is set up for this purpose, take a good look at the impressive 780HTP, as it comes with all the bells and whistles for overnighting. The 6 7 0 H T P ’s pilothouse is functionality at its best. The toughened safety glass windscreen and all-weather pilothouse allows full standing room and an unobstructed 360° view from the helm. At the core of the pilothouse is the ability to completely enclose you from the weather with bar-style rear doors and handle-locked windows up front. These two designs allow excellent airflow when needed, and are completely watertight

SPEED RPM.................................................................Knots Idle (700)...............................................................2.9 1,000.....................................................................4.5 2,000.....................................................................6.9 3,000...................................................................14.9 4,000...................................................................25.5 5,000...................................................................32.3 WOT (5,800)........................................................39.9

The bait station drains straight into the berley muncher and bucket that is located on the rear boarding platform within easy reach. PILOT HOUSE Given that this is the same hull as the other 670 models, let’s take an in-depth look at what the pilothouse offers for

when needed the other way. The starboard (skipper’s) side of the front windscreen also sports a windscreen wiper to ensure the best visibility at all times.

I really like the helm area of this boat. It’s massive and fits the largest of instrument panels easily. It was designed specifically like this to ensure the skipper had all the tools of his trade within easy reach and easy sight. There are few things worse than looking over to the port side of the boat to check on a GPS or sounder while you’re concentrating on where you’re going. In this case, larger is better. Both the skipper and the first mate have deluxe helm seating that is confortable in any weather and to add a degree of security, there are foot rests built in for both of these seating positions. The heavy-duty seat boxes are built with tackle storage underneath and you can carry 10 trays of tackle here. This is a handy use of space and allows more-than-youneed tackle storage for most trips out. Forward of the foot rests is the cabin space, an area that has bench seating with cushions and enough space to have a quick lay down if needed. In fact a couple of kids would easily find a bed on either seat. Underneath the cushions is more storage space suited to safety gear, spare clothes or spare tackle storage. There is also a very large forward hatch that gives users access to the anchor well, although I would take the option to install the Stress Free Anchor winch. Although this would make the hatch somewhat redundant, it’s nice to know if there is an issue up forward, you can easily access the anchor well and sort it out on the spot. WORKING AREA The working area on the 670HTP has deliberately been made as large as possible. The pilothouse configuration and foldaway rear bench seat creates a huge cockpit fishing area that’s ready for serious action.

for sale on

2007 Nitro 428 115HP Mercury, plenty of options. ............................................................................................ NSW $29,000

Allycraft 3.95 Shadow 20HP Honda (80 hrs), 11 months rego. ......................................................................................... QLD $5,900

2009 Skeeter SX170 Evinrude 115 E-Tec, Humminbirds and MinnKota. ......................................................................... VIC $23,750

2006 TABS Territory Pro 75HP E-Tec, 55lb iPilot, 2 x Lowrance sounders. ........................................................................... VIC $24,900

Ranger 188VX Mercyry 175HP ProXS, Lowrance electronics and Maxxum. ........................................................ NSW $34,000

LIKE ‘TOURNAMENTBOATS.COM.AU’ ON FACEBOOK FOR AUTOMATIC UPDATES

OCTOBER 2014

The 670HTP will prove very popular for those looking for a trailerboat that will make a meal of adverse ocean conditions. Generous internal depth with secure toeholds, stepthrough transom, marlin board with berley bucket, rod holders, plumbed livebait tank, in-floor fish storage tank and large-volume storage pockets which will easily accommodate tag poles, gaffs and other essential equipment are all there for you. The fullywelded checkerplate deck is extremely easy to clean after a solid day on the water, and with the optional FishMat flooring, there’ll be no slipping at vital times when you’re setting lines or fighting it out with the big one of the day. I like larger boats that have deck washes included, and the 670HTP has a saltwater deckwash installed to help keep everything clean while you’re on the water. Blood, guts, berley and slime can all be hosed off the flooring and bait station easily and quickly before it dries and becomes a pain to clean when you get back to port. The bait station drains straight into the berley muncher and bucket that is located on the rear boarding platform within easy reach of anyone wanting to use it. I like berley munchers as it means you can work a fine mist of berley into the water without having to spend hours chopping up pilchards or bait scraps, and the fact that the bait board drains to this means your rig will stay cleaner for longer. On the other side of the berley pot is the boarding ladder and a step-through transom door. This gives you access to the boarding platform if extra large fish need attention or if you are diving, swimming or retrieving people from the water. It’s simple and convenient and simply not overdone like some can be. And of course this is all powered by the 200hp Suzuki 4-stroke strapped to the back that simply made this rig fly.

ON THE WATER I was impressed with the stability of the 670 at rest and underway. Phil from Bar Crusher has had years of experience in this style of boat and you can tell when he takes the helm and shows you what this lady

can do. We managed to do some speed testing and fuel use figures thanks to all the gauges on board, and found that at 4000rpm, the 670HTP ran at around 48km/h (about 26 knots) and used barely any fuel. The boat also ran so smoothly at this speed

Top: The 670HTP’s high-tech Waveslicer nonpounding, deep-V hull delivers an ultra-smooth ride. Middle: The toughened safety glass windscreen and all-weather pilothouse allows full standing room and an unobstructed 360° view from the helm. Bottom: There very large forward hatch gives users access to the anchor well.

that it was easy to walk around without holding on to the grab rails anywhere on board.

driving training, Phil showed me the difference using the trim tabs can make. Keep in mind this is Phil’s passion

SPECIFICATIONS Hull length (m)......................................................6.7 Beam (m)............................................................2.35 Internal freeboard (mm).....................................800 Bottom sides (mm).................................................5 Top sides (mm)........................................................4 Transom length................................................... 25” Fuel capacity (L).................................................190 Tow weight (dry weight) (kg).......................... 2,000 Minimum hp........................................................150 Maximum hp.......................................................200 Overall trailer length (m).....................................8.1 Overall trailer width (m).....................................2.35 Height on trailer (m)...............................................3 Towing.....................................................Large 4WD

The pilothouse has the ability to completely enclose you from the weather with bar-style rear doors and handle-locked windows up front. As an experiment and to prove a point that maybe some people need some boat

and lifestyle and he can drive a boat bloody well, but as he adjusted the trim tabs

at 4000rpm, the incredibly pleasant ride turned into a thumping, noisy and much slower ride that would lead you to think the hull was terrible. It was a real eye opener for me just how much the ride could be influenced. Phil also took us into a full lock turn at around 2000rpm. This was a tight turn that had the 670 circling in less than 15m. He slowly bumped up the rpms as we spun around and as we hit full noise we were spinning in the same space without cavitation and without the boat feeling like it was out of control. The boat was so in control that as we exited the sharp turning circle, Phil drove us over the cross wakes and the rig stayed true to course and just glided on its merry way. OK, I was sold! So to sum up the performance, we maxed out the speed at just under 6000rpm at around 73km/h (around 40 knots) and cruised comfortably and very fuel efficiently at 48km/h (about 26 knots) and never once looked like making this boat skip a beat and put us in danger. I loved it. GET INTO ONE Constructed from heavy-duty, high-tensile 5mm (bottom sides) and 4mm (top sides) marine grade plate aluminium, the

670HTP measures 6.70m overall with a 2.35m beam. Its high-tech Waveslicer non-pounding, deep-V hull delivers an ultra-smooth ride, the expertly-engineered Rigideck sub-floor system ensures maximum hull strength and Bar Crusher’s exclusive Quickflow water ballast technology ensures the boat is extremely stable at rest. All up, it’s a very impressive fishing rig that makes no bones about its purpose, and that’s just fine with me. If you’re going to build a boat for fishing,

build a boat for fishing – and this is exactly what Bar Crusher has done with the 670HTP. I’d happily fish from this boat for anything offshore. Marlin, tuna, deepwater baitfishing, snapper in the bays and offshore, even squidding and whiting fishing a little shallower – I reckon the 670HTP could handle all of it. The fact you have a pilothouse to get out of the weather in is simply a massive bonus. Check out more about the 670HTP by logging onto the Bar Crusher website at

www.barcrusher.com.au or at Sydney’s Bar Crusher dealer, Blakes Marine, who can package the boat as tested with a Suzuki or with one of the new model E-Tecs. Now THAT would be a great looking package. • 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.

With a 200hp Suzuki 4-stroke on the back, the test boat ran at around 48km/h (26 knots) at 4000rpm and used barely any fuel.

1 Railway Road North Mulgrave NSW 2756

www.blakesmarine.com.au OCTOBER 2014

Sea Jay 520 Velocity Sports BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Factory fresh from Sea Jay’s Bundaberg factory, the new 520 Velocity Sports with its newly designed Samurai hull, on a dual axle trailer, slipped into the Burnett River for a morning of water testing last month. This is a side console with attitude, not the least being the classy wrap enveloping the hull’s sides.

Very beamy at 2.4m and with an overall length of 5.3m, the Velocity Sports will fulfil a multitude of roles thanks to a careful balance of features that will appeal to a wide cross section of boaters. A 150L fuel tank is standard, and that generous fuel capacity will be a big selling point for northern anglers that see a couple of hours’ travel to a good fishing area as par for the course. Powered by a 115 Yamaha four-stroke (recommended power) the craft was no slouch

either, with top speeds around the 65kph mark recorded on the Burnett River. LAYOUT A close look at the layout of the 520 Velocity Sports reveals that Sea Jay have covered quite a few bases with this newcomer to their line-up. While the company is renowned for their well set up and well appointed fishing boats, I reckon it won’t just be keen anglers who will be drawn to this craft – familyoriented anglers will like it

as well. It’s beamy, strong, solid as a rock, and has a lot of freeboard thanks to a side depth of 1.29m. Five seating positions are standard, as is useful storage within the front deck areas and within the side console with its windscreen and surrounding grab rail. Up front there’s a good sized anchor well (and a bow rail there of course). A pair of hatches within the front casting deck allow easy access to the storage area below, which is large enough to hold

An attractive vinyl wrap highlights the 520 Velocity Sports. Humminbird state-of-the-art Onix 8S1 unit graced the

Left: Jumping a swell in the Burnett River, the Velocity Sports struts her stuff. Right: With a hull design as smooth as the Velocity Sports’ there won’t be much displaced water coming aboard.

M AU ADE STR IN AL IA

♦ Independantly collapsible front & back ♦ No Straps or struts front or back ♦ Top quality frame & materials ♦ Large coverage area

Lifetime Manufacturers

WARRANTY

6686 5116

www.undercovercanvas.com.au 92

OCTOBER 2014

an ice box, as well as offering a handy area for tackle trays and the like. Stepping down from the 400mm high cast deck there’s ample room to easily select a rigged rod from the six upright rod holders in front of the console. Roominess is certainly one of the big pluses with this

console of the test rig with a trio of Yamaha multi-function gauges immediately below. The main switches were set neatly to starboard of the wheel linked to hydraulic steering. With a central shelf for odds and ends and ample leg room below it, the console was well thought out. It

in an open boat of this style. With such a wide area of cockpit space to use, the ability to move seats is an important feature of the craft as it creates a great deal of flexibility and ease of weight distribution. Also of importance were the very high cockpit sides, three rod holders per side, a deep side pocket to port and full carpet on all floor areas. Transom features consisted of a plumbed live well, a transom door and boarding ladder to port, boarding platforms and rails each side of the smooth Yamaha fourstroke, plus cleats. RIDE AND HANDLING I was interested in how the wide side console would perform. Sea Jay recommend the 115 Yamaha four-stroke as power for the craft and I think that’s about right. This is, after all, a quite solid plate hull with its 4mm bottom and 3mm sides, 13 under-floor cross ribs all contributing to the craft’s 575kg weight. The smooth running 1.8L four cylinder Yamaha eased the craft onto the plane at 22.3km/h at 2800rpm, with 3000rpm giving the rig a speed of 28.7km/h. Other speed readings were 43.2km/h

Recommended power, the Yamaha 115 really shone. craft; nothing is cramped or cluttered. Features are set up for maximum comfort and ease of use throughout. CONSOLE I noticed that the side console with its grab handles on the side and top was just the right size – not overly large, nor too small to be useful. On the flat upper section there was ample room for large sounder screens or other nav aids. A

balanced both the appearance and handling of the craft in fine style. Seating aft of the console consisted of paired, folding pedestal-style seats for skipper and first mate. I found the skipper’s pedestal seat to be strong, handy in that it swivelled, and in the correct position to helm the craft. Visibility was, of course, totally unlimited, as expected

at 4000rpm, 55.8km/h at 5000rpm and 65.6.km/h at 6200km/h. With its 18° deadrise and well-formed underhull pressings, the Velocity impressed me with the way it handled the swells rolling up the Burnett River at Burnett Heads. Even when travelling at full throttle I felt little impact from the swells we encountered, and it was

Here you can see just how much fishing area there is in the 520 Velocity Sports.

some spray if travelling with wind and waves on the quarter. However, the Velocity’s quite high sides should assist in keeping water out of the way. FISHABILITY Virtually every aspect of the Sea Jay 520 Velocity Sport’s design and the numerous angler-friendly features make it an ideal fishing craft for up to four anglers. A raised platform up front, ample room aft, flexibility in seating layout, high sides for maximum sea

orange wrap was undoubtedly the icing on the cake. The price (from Stones Corner Marine in Brisbane) with Redco Sportsman dual axle trailer and fitted with the Yamaha 115 would be in the low forties without the sounder. For more information visit www. seajayboats.com.au.

• Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

Left: Easy access to under-floor storage up front is a feature of this craft. Right: It’s not hard to imagine four anglers working in comfort when looking at this spacious layout. pleasing to note that the hull refused to bang or cause any noise other than a hiss of displaced water. Handling was also a strong point with the hull turning sharply with minimal lean. Family anglers wanting to have some tow sports fun

would warm to this aspect of the Velocity’s handling. Good stability at rest would make the craft suitable for all manner of fishing, whether in the estuary or heading offshore. It was easy to move about without causing the craft to lean. Even when things became a

bit boisterous from passing trawlers the Sea Jay remained very steady. Purposely pushing hard into the large wash from some of the trawlers caused no issues while the ride remained quite dry. As an open craft, of course, you might expect

keeping and an enjoyable, predictable ride all combine in best Sea Jay tradition to ensure owners will enjoy their time on the water. The finish was of a high standard. Welds were full all round, smoothed but still quite visible while the brilliant

Taking our standard Nomad to the next level...

A right sized side console is a useful feature of this boat.

CREEK MASTA Available in three hull sizes 3.5 - 3.7 - 3.85

• • • • • • •

Battery Rack Carpeted Tank Rack Sounder mount plate 1 x Short Side Pocket Carpeted Plywood floor Minnkota plate on front deck Part Front Cast Platform and hatch

For further information visit

www.seajayboats.com.au To like us on Facebook visit www.facebook.com/SeaJayBoats OCTOBER 2014

10 things to check on your trailer before you go SYDNEY

Christian Bold

Anglers who use their boat and trailer over the colder months generally check their trailer

LIGHTS If you still have globed lights on your trailer make sure you check them to ensure all lights are working. Although your lights may have been marketed as ‘submersible’, I believe that if you can remove a lens to replace a globe then it is not fully submersible. If you have LED lights, make sure that on each light more than half of the diodes (round things in the light) light up on each light.

regularly. However, for those of you who migrate in doors for winter and venture onto the water

once the temperature hits over 25°C, this is a must read for you. A lot of people neglect

RUST Although most boat trailers are galvanised they are still prone to rust. You will usually find that cross members are the worst offenders for rusting. If you notice some rust on your trailer, grab a wire brush and start rubbing it back. If you see raw metal that’s good. Grab a can of cold gal (galvanised spray paint) and give it two coats for protection. If you can’t see raw metal, grab a solid object (like a screw driver) and start poking the rusted area. If you can poke straight through the rust then it’s time to have the trailer repaired.

to service their boat trailer every year, and these trailers end up on the back of a tilt tray tow truck. I’m going to

BRAKES For those of you who have a trailer with a Gross Trailer Mass (GTM) over 750kg you must have a braking system on your trailer. If you don’t have brakes on your trailer and the GTM is over 750kg, get them fitted ASAP (it’s the law in Australia). Make sure your brakes are adjusted properly and there is plenty of brake pad left in your callipers. If you have rusted brake cable or brake line, have them changed before they break. It’s one thing to have brakes fitted to your trailer; it’s another for them to work.

Tyres should be checked for signs of wear.

TYRES Most trailer owners don’t think to check the condition of their tyres until it’s too late. Check the tread on your tyres for wear and the side walls for any cracks. If cracks appear in the tyre it’s an indication that the tyre is getting on in age and it’s time to change it.

Cancerous rust on rear cross member.

TOW COUPLING/SAFETY CHAIN Trailer owners rarely think to check their coupling and safety chain before they hook up to their car. The coupling can easily detach from a tow ball if its worn out and not locked on properly. Make sure your coupling fits onto the tow ball nicely and there is no play (movement) between the two. Ensure that there is grease in the coupling head and in the spring housing if you have an override coupling (used on trailers with brakes). Check the safety chain for any wear or warping. It is common to see chains too long and dragging on the ground when towing. This will weaken the chain.

give you 10 trailer checks you can do yourself to help keep your boat trailer on the road.

Mechanical brake calliper with worn and rusted brake pads.

MUD GUARDS A lot of people use the mud guards on their trailer as a step to get into the boat. Make sure there are no cracks or sharp edges on the mud guard as these can cause injuries to feet and legs if the guards give way.

This trailer has had replacement mud guards added.

BEARINGS Bearings are the cause of most trailer issues! To check the bearings jack the tyre off the road, place one hand at the top of the tyre and one on the bottom of the tyre, and move the tyre back and forth to feel for any play (wobble). If you can feel play in the bearing then there’s a good chance that the bearings need to be changed. Better to do it now then be stuck on the side of the road en route to your holiday destination.

Top: A damaged bearing. Above: A severely damaged bearing. 94

OCTOBER 2014

Trailer owners rarely think to check their coupling and safety chain before they hook up to their car.

WINCH STRAP/CABLE The winch strap or cable can start to fray over time. Straps can tear, which although annoying, will only cause you to lose your boat back into the water. Cables, however, can cause serious injury if they break while winching under load. The cable can flick back into the direction of the person winching and cause lacerations or worse still, loss of eyesight. Make sure you extend the strap or cable to its full reach and inspect for wear and tear. Although this is a checklist you can do yourself, if you are ever in doubt about the condition of your trailer it’s best to get your trailer looked at by a specialist. Make this

summer hassle-free and enjoy our beautiful waterways. • Christian Bold, also known as ‘The Trailer Guy’, is one of Australia’s leading trailer and caravan repair

SPRINGS Suspension on a trailer is vital for Australian roads. If your trailer doesn’t have the right springs or they are damaged then it will cause the trailer more harm than good. If you notice gaps appearing between the leaves of the spring and they’re compressed in the centre, it’s time to get a new set. Springs are what hold the axle, bearings, hubs and tyres to a trailer. If they break it can cause a lot of damage.

REGISTRATION It’s becoming more and more common now for people to forget to register their trailer. Now that rego stickers don’t need to be displayed on a trailer, people are forgetting to take their trailers for rego check and paying the registration. Make sure you keep your rego renewals in a visible spot until it’s due, that way you won’t be the one getting fined for not having your trailer registered.

specialists. As the director of Bold Trailers he is a licensed motor mechanic, auto electrician and automotive body builder. Christian is also an AUVIS and e-safety

examiner for the RMS. You can contact Christian at Bold Trailers on 02

8544 8114, or for more information visit www.

boldtrailers.com.au.

What’s new boating

SEA JAY SAMURAI HULL

Sea Jay’s Samurai hull is designed with precision and accuracy using the latest manufacturing techniques. It makes for a stylish and streamlined hull that slices through the waves. Like all Sea Jay hulls it has been designed using 3D modelling to achieve the best performance. The Samurai hull is available in the Vision and Velocity models, both with a raised sheer line and Sea Jay’s reverse chine with 3mm sides and 4mm bottom. The Vision centre console has a sharper entry to improve the ride. It comes in three lengths with an optional T top. The Velocity’s increased deadrise and sharper entry means it parts the water like no other. It has a larger high front cast deck with lots of storage within the hatch. It can be fitted with a small centre or rear console, and a side console Sports model is available. It comes in three lengths. For more info visit www.seajayboats.com. au. – Sea Jay.

FORMOSA MK4 AND V2

Brisbane-based Formosa Marine (manufacturer of the popular Classic and Tomahawk Aluminium plate boat ranges) have launched the Classic MK4 and SEA-ROD V2 Hulls for their 520, 550 and 580 models. The boats will be officially revealed at this year’s Brisbane Boat Show (Sep 11-14). While maintaining the great performance and key design and strength features of the current range (4mm bottoms with longitudinal stringers, marine grade plywood floors and 32mm hand rails) Formosa has added some new enhancements. These include: • 4mm sides as standard in 520, 550 and 580 models; • Pillar post side ribs – allows for cables and hosing to be neatly run out of view; • No side sheet pressing – sleeker look; • Reinforced transom – upgrade in horsepower capacity available; and • New internal fittings. All models 430,455, 480 and 500 will still be available as a MK3 and V1 Deluxe hull. Further details can found at www. formosamarineboats.com.au. - FB

HUMMINBIRD AUTOCHART LIVE

Humminbird’s AutoChart LIVE is a DIY mapping program that allows anglers to create their own precision digital contour maps, live and on the fly. For anglers fishing waterways that haven’t been accurately surveyed or not surveyed at all such as estuaries, rivers, lakes, inshore areas, even offshore features – AutoChart LIVE comes into its own. On rivers and streams where changing water levels and underwater topography are frequently altered; in estuaries where storms change the landscape and create new channels and structure, AutoChart LIVE lets boaters navigate safely while discovering new fishing hotspots. Offered as a free software upgrade for users of Humminbird’s ONIX and ION Cross TouchTM touchscreen units, AutoChart LIVE provides eight hours of mapping data. After eight hours of data have been compiled, users can either erase the data and commence mapping, or buy a Zero Line Map Card (BLA Code 103648). The RRP is $179. For more info visit humminbird.com.au/technology/ humminbird-autochart. – BLA

MEGA FLOW EXHAUST OUTLET

These highly polished, 316 marine grade stainless steel exhaust outlets from Marine Town provide excellent protection against water intrusion. Each outlet incorporates an integral, pivoting 316 grade stainless steel flapper valve which is specially designed to inhibit water intrusion back into the exhaust system. To ensure engine exhaust water has minimal contact with the hull an ingenious stand off collar has been incorporated. This collar has been designed to keep residual drips, which have a tendency to streak and stain, away from the hull. For additional corrosion protection an earth/anode grounding wire connection screw has been incorporated into the retaining nut while a silicon hull gasket helps to provide a watertight seal. More detailed information and specs are available at www.bla.com.au. – BLA

SAVAGE’S 305 PUNT

Savage’s 305 Punt is every outdoor enthusiast’s best friend. The perfect size to take away on all your holidays and camping trips, this little boat will provide you with hours of on-water fun. The flat design and lightweight 42kg hull makes the 305 Punt the perfect car topper for your 4WD and is easy to launch and retrieve by yourself. This elementary boat has the bare essentials for boaters who want an easy, no-fuss boating experience. Standard features include bow and transom handles and rear and front bench seats, and the 305 Punt can also be optioned up to include a bimini and envelope, navigation lights and switch, a painted hull and full-length side rails. The Savage 305 Punt is available as a complete boat, motor and trailer package with a 3-year limited warranty. For more information on the 305 Punt or the entire Savage range visit www.savageboats.com. au. – Savage

GARMIN ECHO DV

Ideal for kayaks and smaller boats, Garmin’s new Echo DV fishfinders deliver near photographic views of structure and fish at a price that’s as compact as the units themselves. Comprising four models – Echo 551DV, Echo 301DV, Echo 201DV and Echo 151DV – the high-resolution Echo DV series includes an all-in-one transducer for 77/200kHz Garmin HD-ID sonar and DownVü scanning sonar, which can be displayed simultaneously on a horizontally or vertically split screen. The Echo DV series provides incredible underwater definition in shallow and deep, freshwater or saltwater – with remarkable below-the-boat views of bottom structure such as rocks, vegetation and drop-offs, as well as thermoclines, baitfish and target fish. Capable of displaying isolated targets and difficult-to-find secondary structure, DownVü’s finer, concentrated sonar signal allows users to see bottom structure more clearly, and helps anglers recognise variations bottom composition/hardness. Garmin Echo DV fishfinders have an IPX7 waterproof rating, with RRPs starting from $249 for the Echo 151DV. For more info visit: sites.garmin.com/clearvu-scanning. – Garmin

6 OCTOBER 2014

Make-your-own charts, made dead easy BRISBANE

Nabeel Issa

We all have our little secrets and tricks that help us get onto the fish, such as a particular lure, a rig

or that special spot that always produces the goods. For most of us, time on the water is limited so every little advantage we can gain on the fish is like gold! Now there’s an extra trick you can add to your

How it helps Most coastal waterways around Australia are available on mapping cards that slot into our sounders. These maps provide details such as basic contours, sandbanks and navigational markers. What Insight Genesis allows you to do is get a much clearer contour image of the areas you fish. If you’re into freshwater fishing in impoundments, you are probably aware that when it comes to mapping, there aren’t too many (if any) chart options for these areas. Insight Genesis allows you to create maps for these systems, so now when all the fish you find are in a certain depth, you can easily look on your maps and find every location in the dam with that same depth! It doesn’t take much of a change in topography for an area to hold fish, and being able to view your spots at 1ft contour intervals will give you a whole new understanding of what’s underneath you.

arsenal. A relatively new tool available to Lowrance and Simrad sounder users called Insight Genesis is helping anglers to increase their catch rates and make better use of their time on the water. Here’s the lowdown.

So what is it? Insight Genesis is a mapping tool that allows you to create custom maps of the waterways you like to fish. It can be used on any water system; all you need is a compatible Lowrance or Simrad sounder. With Insight Genesis you can create topographical maps with contour intervals as detailed as 1ft. The software also overlays bottom composition as well as vegetation, meaning it can show you on your map where the harder and softer bottom areas are. Definitely a valuable tool to have with you on the boat!

This image shows part of the Gold Coast Seaway that I mapped on a recent fishing trip. There are a few spots I missed that I will cover on my next trip.

MAKE MY MAP! Creating maps is simple and straightforward. You just Record, Upload, Review and Download. Record To record the data your sounder needs to be set to ‘Log’ and the data needs to be saved to a blank SD card. As you drive the boat around, anything the sounder sees will be recorded. I like to set my sounder to record while I’m moving between spots or just sounding around at slow speeds. This process won’t work if you’re travelling at more than 32km/h, so try to reduce your speed if you want to map the area. Make sure you don’t record to your current mapping card as you could lose information off the card! Always use a separate card for recording.

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Depending on the model sounder, it will show up differently. This is how HDS Touch models will show the Log Sonar Screen. Upload Once the data has been saved to the SD card it needs to be uploaded to the Insight Genesis Software. When uploading you will be given the chance to select whether you want to keep the map private; this way no one else will have access to your own secret map. Select the files from your SD card, click Upload and just wait for the magic to happen!

• New products • Reviews • Videos www.tacklejunkie.fish Fishing Monthly Magazines

When you upload you have the option to keep your map private or add it to the shared pool of maps already uploaded by other anglers. 96

OCTOBER 2014

Review Now it has been uploaded, Insight Genesis will create the map for the area that you have covered. You can review it or merge it with other trips to create larger maps. I usually wait until I have covered a substantial area before downloading the map. Whether this takes one or a few trips will depend on how much recording you have done. A cool feature with the software is that you can also review your sounder readings. Click anywhere on the track and it will show you the corresponding sounder reading. I find it’s a good way to check if there were any fish about when I went over certain areas of the map.

LIST OF SOCIAL MAPS There’s a wide range of areas currently being covered, all thanks to anglers getting out there and hitting record! NSW: Berowra Creek, Berrara Creek, Botany Bay, Brisbane Waters, Chipping Norton Lake, Clarence, Clarence River, Clyde River, Copeton Dam, Dawson River, Hastings

River, Hawkesbury River, Kalang River, Lake Burrendong, Lake Conjola, Lake Glenbawn, Lake Keepit, Lake Lyell, Lake Macquarie, Lake Oberon, Lake Windamere, Lake Wyangala, Lake Yarrunga, Lansdowne R i v e r, Manning River, Manning River South Channel, Maria River, Marramarra Creek, Mooney Mooney

Creek, Moruya River, Murray River, Myall River, Parramatta River, Pindari Dam, Pipers Creek, Pittwater, Shoalhaven River, Swan Lake, Sydney Harbour, Toonumbar, Tuross Lake, Tuross River, Tweed Reservoir, Wallamba River, Wallis Lake, Wandandian Creek, Wang Wauk River, Wilson River.

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SCAN THIS 1800 228 244

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An example of a map created by Insight Genesis.

Sharing is Caring! I mentioned earlier about selecting the map to be ‘Private’, but if you choose to leave it public you are helping contribute to a library of mapping available for everyone to share. Social Map is where all public mapping is displayed. Anyone with an Insight Genesis account can view Social Maps and download these to their sounders. Currently a huge range of areas throughout Australia have been recorded and mapped to Social Map. It’s a great tool to use when travelling to areas you have never been. For instance, I plan on fishing Maroon Dam in the coming weeks. I have never fished there and have no idea about where to start. By looking on Social Map, I can get a great understanding of the dam and already know which parts I’m going to fish.

QX064

DOWNLOAD Once you are happy with the map you can download it back to your SD card, extract the file and put it into the sounder. Simple!

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See the full range and find your nearest dealer at quintrex.com.au OCTOBER 2014

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.

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

www.fishin.com.au

Boat / Trailer Modifications & Repairs

ONLINE BREAM TACKLE STORE

Bold Trailers (02) 8544 8114 www.boldtrailers.com.au Salt Away 1800 091 172 www.salt-away.com.au

FLUSH YOUR ENGINE WITH Specialising in “Tournament Quality Lures” 0425 230 964 CORROSION CONTROL SALT REMOVING TREATMENT

Bait & Tackle

WARNING!

BYRON COAST Yamba Bait & Tackle (02) 6646 1514

9 out 10 engines fail from salt corrosion

COFFS COAST Compleat Angler Kempsey (02) 6562 5307 Rocks Marine Bait & Tackle South West Rocks (02) 6566 6726

MACQUARIE COAST Graham Barclay Marine (02) 6554 5866 Manning River Marine Taree (02) 6552 2333 Port Macquarie Tackle World (02) 6584 9972

ACT NOW AND PROTECT YOUR VALUABLE BOAT, ENGINE, TRAILER, FISHING AND DIVE GEAR. SALT-AWAY IS A MUST FOR:

ENGINE FLUSHING JETSKIS TRAILERS

FREECALL For more info

HUNTER COAST Port Stephens Tackle World (02) 4984 2144

WASHING BOATS FISHING & DIVE GEAR

SHOP 18, 29 KIORA RD MIRANDA NSW 2228

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

TRADES AND SERVICES ADVERTISING

1800 091 172

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

VISIT www.salt-away.com.au SYDNEY

SYDNEY Gabes Boating & Fishing Centre Narellan (02) 4647 8755 Gabes Boating & Fishing Centre Sylvania (02) 9522 5100

The Boat Pimpers (Sydney) (02) 9792 7799 CMC Marine Sales www.cmcsales.com.au

Windybanks Bait and Tackle (02) 9477 1520

3Gelcoat repairs 3 Insurance repairs

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

Chandlery & Accessories Anchor Right (03) 5968 5014 Korr Lighting www.korlighting.com.au

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME EDENS COAST Bermagui Bait and Tackle (02) 6493 5444

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Marine Mechanics SYDNEY 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

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

Cohoe Marine Products (Sydney) (02) 9519 3575

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Blakes Marine (02) 4577 6699

Import USA Boat 0435 476 177

Watersports Marine (02) 9676 1400 Neken Marine (02) 9979 9649

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Family Boats (02) 9622 0222 Boat Assist 24 - On Water Mechanic (02) 9746 6224

ads@fishingmonthly.com.au NOW OFFERING TAKE HOME LAY-BY! www.hunterwatersports.com 02 4947 7899 Hunter Water Sports (02) 4947 7899

Online Tackle Products www.fishin.com.au 0425 230 964

Fish Taxidermy Neptune’s Treasures - Your Catch Reproduced 0405 226 282 www.neptunestreasures.com.au Fish Taxidermist 0428 544 841

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Marine Mechanics Cont...

MOBY MARINE

S E R V I C E S

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PENRITH MARINE

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Your Mates on the Water Providing on water marine assistance to boating enthusiasts in the Sydney Harbour region  Salvage  Fuel drop offs  Battery jump starts  Battery replacements  HIN numbers

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

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

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Iluka Riverside Tourist Park (02) 6646 6060

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SLIPWAY AVAILABLE

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ENQUIRE NOW. 0427 908668

COFFS COAST HUNTER COAST Wangi Point Lakeside holiday Park (02) 4975 1889

CENTRAL 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

ILLAWARRA COAST

PH: 02 4731 6250

COFFS COAST

Currarong Beachside Tourist Park 1300 555 515

www.penrithmarine.com.au

MACQUARIE COAST

BYRON COAST

Blacksmiths Holiday Park (02) 4971 2858

133 Coreen Ave Penrith • sales@penrithmarine.com.au

COFFS COAST

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Macleay Valley Coastal Holiday Parks 1300 COASTAL

Central Coast Holiday Parks 1800 241 342

Jetty Boating (02) 6651 4002

or 0402 055 034

Pelican Park Nambucca Heads (02) 6568 6505

PAID FOR USED BOATS & JETSKIS

Limited availability only a small number remaining.

Calypso Yamba Holiday Park (02) 6646 8847

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Brooms Head Caravan Park (02) 6646 7144

Service Centre: All outboards and jetskis

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www.clarenceholidayparks.com.au

Specialising in: Mercury Outboards and MerCruiser Engines

Unforgettable parks...

Sussex Inlet (LJ Hooker) (02) 4441 2135

Coffs Coast Sport Fishing 0434 517 683

Riviera Caravan Park, St George’s Basin (02) 4441 2112

Oceanic Sea Urchin II Charters (02) 6566 6623 or 0428 650 321

Killalea State Park, Shell Cove (02) 4237 8589

South West Rocks Fishing Charters (02) 6566 5298 or 0429 995 390

Holiday With Us, Sussex Inlet (02) 4441 2135

The Rocks Fishing Charters 0412 074 147

Surf Beach Holiday Park (02) 4232 1791 Kendalls on the Beach (02) 4232 1790

Graham Barclay Marine (02) 6554 5866

Werri Beach Holiday Park (02) 4234 1285

Manning River Marine Taree (02) 6552 2333

Seven Mile Beach Holiday Park (02) 4234 1340 Kiama Harbour Cabins (02) 4232 2707

Wooli Deep Sea Tours (02) 6649 7100 Trial Bay Fishing Charters, 0427 256 556

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

Advertise here - $195 + GST for 6 months Email: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au ILLAWARRA COAST Sunset Motors & Marine (02) 4297 2888 Nowra Marine (02) 4423 3440 Dave Hill Marine, Nowra (02) 4423 6137

FRESHWATER Dubbo Marine and Watersports (02) 6882 2853

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 30 words within a 5x2 ad size. Email : ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

HUNTER COAST Tailermade Fishing Adventures (02) 4928 2653 or 0411 096 717

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

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

WANT IN? EMAIL : ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

Trades, services, charter boats & guided fishing tours directory Greenwell Point only 10 mins from

SILVER STAR FISHING CHARTERS

NOWRA NSW

Game and Deep Sea, Charters ing Reef Fish

Choice of

Snapper

3 BOATS

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

MIKAT CRUISES

Swains & Coral Sea Fishing Charters

Boat Hire Boab Boat Hire (NSW) 1300 002 622

Fishing Guides ILLAWARRA COAST Bay & Basin Sportsfishing 0413 610 832

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

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

Mowong Flathead Kingfish NSW Recreational Fishing Licence.

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Jervis Bay Marine Park permit.

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

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IDEAL GIFT!

Michael Ph: 0427 125 727

Fax: (07) 4972 1759

www.mikat.com.au

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 30 words within a 5x2 ad size. Email : ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 30 words within a 5x2 ad size.

DVD’S -

Series 2 through 8

$19.95 each GST INC. - with FREE P&H

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

FREEDOM CHARTERS EDEN

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TIDE PREDICTIONS FOR SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) OCTOBER – 2014 EASTERN STANDARD TIME TIDE PREDICTIONS FOR SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) Add one hour to the predicted times during periods of Daylight Saving

OCTOBER – 2014

EASTERN STANDARD TIME

Add one hour to the predicted times during periods of Daylight Saving SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

0628 0.55 THURSDAY 0734 0.58 WEDNESDAY

1.5m

1 1

0041 1.23

12 18 0 0130 0.14 0743 1.75 12 1355180.160 2005 0.14 1.72 0130 0743 1.75 1355 0.16 2005 1.72

1301 1949 0041 0628 1301 1949

1.53 0.47 1.23 0.55 1.53 0.47

2 2

FRIDAY

0149 1.20

1409 2101 0149 0734 1409 2101

1.52 0.44 1.20 0.58 1.52 0.44

SATURDAY

3 3

0305 1.22 0.56 1522 1.56 2208 1.22 0.37 0305 0849 0.56 1522 1.56 2208 0.37

12 18 0 0257 0.22 0915 1.81 12 1537180.190 2143 0.22 1.54 0257 0915 1.81 1537 0.19 2143 1.54

0849 FRIDAY

4 4

0415 1.31

1002 0.49 SATURDAY 1630 2306 0415 1002 1630 2306

1.63 0.28 1.31 0.49 1.63 0.28

1.0m 1.5m 0.5m 1.0m

5 5

0515 1108 1730 2358 0515 1108 1730 2358

0.5m 0

126 12

0.5m 0

196 19

0.5m 0

266 26

0.5m 0

1.5m

6 6

0607 1206 1824 0607 1206 1824

0422 0.40 1045 1.72 12 1718180.340 2321 0.40 1.31 0422 1045 1.72 1718 0.34 2321 1.31

136 13

12 18 0 0505 0.50 1130 1.63 12 1811180.430 0505 0.50 1130 1.63 1811 0.43

1.42 0.40 1.70 0.21 1.42 0.40 1.70 0.21

1.55 0.30 1.75 1.55 0.30 1.75

7 7

0.5m 0 0045 0.15 0656 1.66 1301 0.210 1915 0.15 1.75 0045 0656 1.66 1301 0.21 1915 1.75

86 8

96 9

0214 0.16 0830 1.80 12 1446180.160 2054 0214 1.64 0.16 0830 1.80 1446 0.16 2054 1.64

106 10

12 18 0 0210 1.14 0745 0.70 12 1411181.390 2106 0210 0.56 1.14 0745 0.70 1411 1.39 2106 0.56

116 11

12 18 0 0339 0.31 1000 1.78 12 1628180.250 2231 0339 1.42 0.31 1000 1.78 1628 0.25 2231 1.42

1.0m 1.5m 0.5m 1.0m

1.5m

NSW tides 6

146 14

12 18 0 0012 1.22 0551 0.59 12 1218181.540 1906 1.22 0.50 0012 0551 0.59 1218 1.54 1906 0.50

156 15

12 18 0 0107 1.16 0644 0.66 12 1311181.450 2005 1.16 0.55 0107 0644 0.66 1311 1.45 2005 0.55

166 16

176 17

12 18 0 0316 1.16 0855 0.71 12 1516181.370 2201 1.16 0.54 0316 0855 0.71 1516 1.37 2201 0.54

186 18

12 18 0 0416 1.22 1001 0.67 12 1616181.390 2251 0416 0.50 1.22 1001 0.67 1616 1.39 2251 0.50

1.0m 1.5m 0.5m 1.0m

1.5m

0507 1.30 1100 0.61 12 1709181.420 2333 1.30 0.46 0507 1100 0.61 1709 1.42 2333 0.46

206 20

12 18 0 0548 1.38 1149 0.54 12 1754181.450 0548 1.38 1149 0.54 1754 1.45

216 21

12 18 0 0010 0.41 0626 1.47 12 1232180.470 1834 0.41 1.48 0010 0626 1.47 1232 0.47 1834 1.48

226 22

12 18 0 0044 0.38 0700 1.54 12 1313180.400 1913 0.38 1.49 0044 0700 1.54 1313 0.40 1913 1.49

236 23

12 18 0 0116 0.36 0735 1.61 12 1351180.350 1951 0116 1.49 0.36 0735 1.61 1351 0.35 1951 1.49

246 24

12 18 0 0149 0.35 0810 1.67 12 1430180.310 2030 0.35 1.48 0149 0810 1.67 1430 0.31 2030 1.48

256 25

12 18 0 0224 0.36 0846 1.72 12 1511180.290 2111 0224 1.45 0.36 0846 1.72 1511 0.29 2111 1.45

1.0m 1.5m 0.5m 1.0m

1.5m

0300 0.38 0926 1.74 12 1554180.290 2155 0.38 1.41 0300 0926 1.74 1554 0.29 2155 1.41

276 27

12 18 0 0341 0.41 1008 1.73 12 1641180.310 2243 0.41 1.36 0341 1008 1.73 1641 0.31 2243 1.36

286 28

12 18 0 0426 0.46 1054 1.71 12 1732180.340 2336 0.46 1.31 0426 1054 1.71 1732 0.34 2336 1.31

296 29

12 18 0 0516 0.51 1145 1.66 12 1830180.370 0516 0.51 1145 1.66 1830 0.37

306 30

12 18 0 0035 1.27 0615 0.56 12 1243181.610 1933 0035 0.39 1.27 0615 0.56 1243 1.61 1933 0.39

316 31

12 18 0 0142 1.27 0722 0.59 12 1348181.570 2039 1.27 0.38 0142 0722 0.59 1348 1.57 2039 0.38

1.0m 1.5m 0.5m 1.0m 12

 Copyright: Commonwealth of Australia 2012, Bureau of Meteorology (ABN 92 637 533 532) 0 Disclaimer: 6 12 18These 0 tide 6 predictions 12 18 are 0 supplied 6 12 in18 18 to 0 be 6correct. 12 18 0 good0faith6and12 believed No warranty is given in respect to errors, omissions, or suitability for any purpose.  Copyright: Commonwealth of Australia 2012, Bureau of Meteorology (ABN 92 637 533 532) Disclaimer: These tide predictions are supplied in good faith and believed to be correct. No warranty is given in respect to errors, omissions, or suitability for any purpose.

Tidal information is provided courtesy of the Sydney Ports Corporation. Copyright in the Tidal Predictions is owned by the Bureau of Meteorology. Users of these tables should be aware that the heights shown in this publication are predictions only and that the actual water level height may vary due to meteorological conditions (including barometric pressure, wind effect and storm surges) and seasonal variations. Sydney Ports Corporation is not responsible for the average time differences for other locations.

OCTOBER 2014

101

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Central Coast Central Coast Boat World 19 Lake St Budgewoi Phone: (02) 4399 3568 E:ccbw3@bigpond.com Website: www.centralcoastboatworld.com.au Cowra Cowra Marine Centre 29 Grenfell St Cowra Phone: (02) 6342 2904 | E:info@cowramarine.com.au Website: www.cowramarine.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

Mercury Portables. Lightweight and built to last. Mercury’s Portables range provide the power that you can carry, run and depend on. With eleven horsepower options ranging from 2.5hp to 30hp, these compact units punch well above their weight.

Coffs Harbour Jetty Boating 7 Keona Circuit Coffs Harbour Phone: (02) 6651 4002 | E:info@jettyboating.com.au Website: www.jettyboating.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 Riverina Maverick Boats Hammersley & Theiss Road, Corowa Phone: (02) 6033 3222 | E:sales@maverickboats.com.au Website: www.maverickboats.com.au Far South Coast Merimbula Outboards 382 Sapphire Coast Dr Tura Merimbula Phone: (02) 6495 9634 | E:info@merimbulaoutboard.com.au Website: www.merimbulaoutboard.com.au Sydney West Penrith Marine 4/133 Coreen Ave Penrith Phone: (02) 4731 6250 | E:sales@penrithmarine.com.au Website: www.penrithmarine.com.au Sydney North Shore Shannon Outboards 3/41 Leighton Pl Hornsby Phone: (02) 9482 2638 | E:sales@shannonoutboards.com.au Website: www.shannonoutboards.com.au Sydney North West TR Marine World 44 Curtis Rd McGraths Hill Phone: (02) 4577 3522 | E:sales@trmarine.com.au Website: www.trmarine.com.au Sydney North West Watersports Marine 11 Binney Rd Kingspark Phone: (02) 9676 1400 | E:info@watersportmarine.com.au Website: www.watersportsmarine.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 Northern NSW / Gold Coast Tweed Coast Marine 147 Pacific Hwy Tweed Heads South Ph: (07) 5524 8877 | E:admin@tweedcoastmarine.com.au Website: www.tweedcoastmarine.com.au Dubbo Dubbo Marine & Watersports 36 Bourke St, Dubbo Ph: 02·6882 2853 | E:bbeandel@bigpond.net.au Website: www.dubbomarine.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 Sydney South Go Boating Liverpool 142 Terminus Street, Liverpool Ph: (02) 9601 3022 | E:info@goboating.net.au Website: www.goboating.net.au

unbeatable

savings $3,500 on the 25-350hp

fourstroke range plus an unbelievable

mercury finance

5.99% comparison rate

offer ends 15 nov 2014

visit mercurymarine.com.au for details *Terms & conditions apply. Savings are based on RRP and is subject to change without notice. Prices exclude local freight charges, Fit up and local statutory charges. Offer available on selected new consumer outboards from 25 to 350hp purchased from participating dealers from Sept 12 to Nov 15, 2014. Offer is subject to availability and engines must be 2013 & 2014 build product and installed and registered by no later than Dec 31, 2014. Offer available to recreational and commercial use customers and is not subject to any further promotional offers or rebates. **Terms, conditions and credit criteria apply, offer available over a maximum 36 month term. The comparison rate is based on a secured loan of $30,000 for a term of 5 years at an annual percentage rate of 5.08%. The amount of credit provided to you and the term of the loan may be different to this. WARNING: The comparison rate only applies to the example given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might results in a different comparison rate. Finance is provided by Mercury Finance Pty Ltd ABN 28 156 248 092. Australian Credit Licence Number 421347