New South Wales Fishing Monthly - October 2015 by Fishing Monthly

BASS OPENING BONANZA • UNDERSTANDING SPINNERBAITS

Tried and Tested Kingfisher Canopy • 13 Fishing Rods • Spooltek Lures • Morningstar 460 Bay Rover • Procraft 535 Centre Console •

Techniques

Shallow reef basics • Bass for beginners • Boat safety gear • Shucking oysters •

Tournament Results

Dave Irvine Snapper Classic • ABT BREAM Hawkesbury • BASS Electric Major •

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Gerry Hope landed this Tasmanian trumpeter using Black Magic 100lb Tough Trace. Gerry was fishing at Pedra Blanca.

Black Magic 8lb Fluorocarbon tippet was used by Neville Dean to take this flathead in Botany Bay.

A Black Magic BMax ‘bully’ lure and Black Magic 8lb Fluorocarbon tippet were used by Diego Gadea to catch this brown trout while fishing at Lake Toolondo.

Brett Johnstone landed this squid on a Black Magic Squid Snatcher® 2.5 ‘copper camo’ while fishing from the rocks around Low Head.

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Black Magic 40lb Tough Trace and a Black Magic KL 6/0 hook were used by Lee Rayner to catch this sailfish.

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October 2015, Vol. 21 No. 3

Contents BYRON COAST The Tweed 48 Ballina 47 The Clarence 46 COFFS COAST Coffs Harbour Coffs Game South West Rocks

44 43 42

MACQUARIE COAST Port Macquarie 40 Forster 38 Harrington 37 Port Stephens 33 HUNTER COAST Hunter Coast 34 Swansea 32 Central Coast 30 SYDNEY The Hawkesbury 14 Pittwater 16 Sydney North 18 Sydney Rocks and Beach 21 Sydney Harbour 20 Sydney South 24 Botany Bay 22 ILLAWARRA COAST Illawarra 49 Nowra 50 BATEMANS COAST Batemans Bay 51 Narooma 52 Bermagui 53

From the Editor’s Desk... While we’ve been producing the October edition (which happens in the first half of September) of NSWFM, there’s definitely been a lot of spring in the air. The bass season opened and while putting together the pages of the magazine, we were bombarded with images of readers and writers enjoying their time on the water with this iconic species. With this in mind, we thought it was time to give all of the readers who haven’t used one, a starter course on spinnerbaits. Undoubtably one of the most effective lures created for Aussie bass, yellowbelly and Murray cod, they’re worth having in your arsenal if you haven’t got some loaded already. There’s also some ideas to consider when you bring your boat out

of hibernation with a Boat Safety Gear feature. Please make sure that your kit is up to scratch BEFORE you run into any issues on the water. We don’t like losing readers. How many of you followed Aussie bass angler Carl Jocumsen’s journey through the Bassmaster Elite series this year? Proudly sponsored by Fishing Monthly Magazines, Carl did us all proud in his rookie year – making two top-10s in the toughest bass fishing competition on the planet. If this is the first you’ve heard of it, jump on www. carljocumsen.com and follow his journey. We’re sure you’ll love it. From across the border in Queensland, it’s heartening to note that they seem to have taken a leaf out of the NSW Fisheries playbook, successfully creating three net-free zones in Rockhampton, Mackay and

Cairns, which will be in force from November 1. Although not as comprehensive as our Recreational Fishing Havens, they’re a step in the right direction to ensure that if we want to drive north to catch a barramundi in a river, then we should only have to go as far as Rocky to experience quality river barra fishing that hasn’t been beaten into submission by gill nets. Finally, thanks to all of the readers who came and saw Gary Brown and me at the Sydney International Boat Show. It’s the first time we’ve exhibited at this show for a fair while, and it was great to have so many of you take us up on the offer of a free 13 Fishing OMEN Black rod with your two-year deal. Personally, I loved the trip over on the ferry each morning – even though all I could think about was how

I could get the driver to divert to try and cast a lure at the kingies. There was a really positive vibe at the show with over 50,000 visitors attending and we thank you for your support! For NSWFM, subscriptions have been stronger this year than in the recent past. There’s nothing like getting the magazine delivered each month. It’s like a little gift every month that usually comes in at the end of a long working day. Use the QR code below to sign up!

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Mauricio Parra was rapt with his 60cm blue groper caught on 9kg mono. It picked up a peeled prawn and was released. An Alex Bellissimo image.

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OCTOBER 2015

NEW SOUTH WALES FISHING MONTHLY

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SPECIAL FEATURES Inshore Reef Fishing 8 Bass for Beginners 10 13 Fishing 26 Kingfisher Canopy 28 Spinnerbaits 66 Shucking Oyster 70

REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 7 Boating 86 Dam Levels 58 Fun Page 91 Tides 101 Trade Directory 98 Tournaments 76 What’s New Fishing 72 What’s New Boating 90

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FRESHWATER Canberra 61 Jindabyne 63 Yarrawonga 64 Robinvale 64 Batlow 62 Lithgow-Oberon 60 Maitland 59 Copeton Dam 58

ING TRADE

Basic bottom bouncing NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

Whether undertaken by paying passengers aboard chartered ‘party boats’, or from private vessels of all

Things can become a little hectic at times when bottom fishing aboard a crowded charter boat! Tangles happen.

Wrapping heavy sinkers in tape or rubber tubing reduces damage to boats and tackle and is very common on some charter operations. The catch this time is a spangled emperor.

The black-spot pigfish is a reasonably common bottom fishing catch in southern waters, and provides a tasty meal.

sizes and shapes, bottom fishing with bait remains an extremely popular and effective style of offshore angling. But even this traditional branch of the sport has benefitted from modern ‘finesse tackle’ breakthroughs over recent years. Bottom bouncing, bottom bashing, plum bobbing… However you choose to describe it, dropping a couple of baited hooks to the sea bed with the aid of a fairly hefty sinker remains one of the most popular and productive ways of harvesting a fresh meal or two of seafood. From Tassie to the Torres Strait, you’ll find Aussie offshore anglers drifting or at anchor in boats of all shapes and sizes over reef, gravel or sandy sea floors, chasing everything from snapper, morwong, flathead and nannygai down south to emperor, coral trout, sweetlip and cod up north. Traditionally, bottom bouncing in this country has been undertaken using relatively heavy tackle. Thick, monofilament handlines or short, stiff boat rods mated to big overheads and direct-drive centrepin reels were standard fare until recent times, and still are in some regions. However, switched-on deep-sea anglers are increasingly turning to more sophisticated modern tackle in order to increase the efficiency of their pursuit, and raise the fun factor associated with bottom fishing. In particular, the adoption of thin-for-strength braided and fused gel-spun polyethylene (GSP) fishing lines has allowed offshore bait fishers to dramatically reduce both the overall bulk of their outfits and also the weight of their sinkers. These skinny, low-stretch “super lines” make it possible to effectively present baits on the bottom in 50, 100 and even 150 metres of water while using much smaller sinkers than in the past. Just as importantly, GSP main lines allow an angler to clearly feel the sometimes tentative tugs of a biting fish across that considerable distance, and to more easily set the hook with a sharp, upward sweep of the rod tip. It’s not just lines that have changed, either. Modern bait hooks are considerably sharper and thinner for their strength than those of old, while modified patterns such as the unusual-looking circle hooks mean that far less fish come unstuck from anglers’ rigs during the long haul back to the surface. Rods and reels have evolved, too. Today, most bottom bashers prefer lighter overhead or spin outfits built around 1.5-2m graphite or composite rods. Because their GSP lines

Jo starling with a very nice rubberlip or grey morwong taken while bottom bouncing with prawn baits. Note the three-way swivel: a viable alternative to tying dropper loops. are so much thinner, these anglers no longer need oversized reels. A 6000 to 10,000 size threadline or a 10-20 size overhead will easily do the job. Of course, a few really dedicated deepwater specialists will take things one step further and opt for an electric-powered reel, but unless you regularly fish in waters deeper than 150m, these expensive tools are far from essential. Terminal rigs and baits are probably the aspects of bottom bouncing that have changed least, beyond the general reduction in sinker weight already mentioned. Most anglers still use

somewhere between two and four hooks (check you local regulations to find out how many you’re allowed). These hooks (typically 3/0 to 7/0 in size) are attached to relatively short droppers as part of a Paternoster rig, with the sinker hanging at the bottom end. Streamlined bomb or snapper-lead style sinkers are best as they descend fast, without tumbling or spinning. Hook droppers may be created using knots such as the Blood Bite Dropper, or attached to three-way swivels. Keeping the droppers short (well under 30 cm in length) greatly reduces their

propensity for twisting and wrapping around the rig as it plummets through the water. Exactly what strength of GSP main line and mono leader you choose and precisely how you construct your Paternoster rig will vary depending on the terrain you’re fishing and the species list you wish to target, as will the baits you load those hooks with (popular choices include prawns, squid, octopus, pilchards and cut fish flesh). These minor variations aside, the basics of bottom bouncing remain the same… as does its deadly effectiveness as a technique.

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Stalking close reefs HUNTER COAST

Gary Earl earlybird13@optusnet.com.au

We are a lucky bunch of anglers in this country. We have reefs and wrecks and undersea outcrops of rocks ranging from lone pinnacles to vast rocky stretches of bottom. Most of these features are so close to our shoreline that we can all get out to them in a reliable trailer boat, and we have a vast array of fishing technology to maximise our catch rates. With a sounder, GPS or just your computer, there’s no reason why you can’t find close offshore reefs in your area, no matter where you are on our coastline. One look on the Internet and you can pick your own area and see what kind of structure there is and the distances involved. Once

closing one eye and lining up that mountain to that tree and that island! I remember when the old mud map from a mate who trusted you was the only way to find a speculated reef or wreck. And once you were there it was still a guessing game as to where the structure actually was. You could be 10ft off the mark and catch nothing. Now, however, you can get to a spot and fish with confidence as we have 3D sounders, wide views of reefs and every bottom type identified, whether it’s gravel, rock, mud or sand. Over time, as you get confident with using your sounder, you may even be able to tell what species of fish are under the boat. I’ve fished with anglers who can consistently identify large mulloway, snapper or kingfish by the way they school over a reef. The way in which the fish react to the

spending that extra time out on the water. Once you have found your reef, wreck, pinnacle or gravel ground there are no hard and fast rules as to how you fish it. To give you a general guide, however, here’s what has worked for me and other anglers at different times. SPECIES To write about every species that turns up on the reefs would be impossible, so I will concentrate on the main species targeted by most NSW reef fishers: snapper, mulloway, bream, tailor, morwong, trevally, teraglin, nannygai, squid and kingfish. They are the most often encountered species on the close reefs on the NSW coast. Of course there are many more species you can encounter, depending on the water temperature and other factors. I have been on reefs off Port Stephens and seen

A large blue morwong taken on a prawn dropped down over an inshore reef. Blue morwong are much better on the plate than their red cousins. They hold in schools, so if you get one you’ll usually catch more. you have a starting point, you can sound around to find fishholding structure. Fishing has come a long way from the old days of

OCTOBER 2015

current, or how they sit on the structure being fished, is what tips these guys off. It shows the value of really learning how to use your sounder, and

spotted mackerel, Spanish mackerel, pearl perch and mangrove jacks, mixed in with the typical schools of fish. However, I have to admit

Large snapper will readily take big baits after dark. This one grabbed a fillet of yellowtail on a paternoster rig and put up a great fight. that the years in which this has happened have been few and far in between. Warm currents are the major factor in the captures of more northern species in any area. Off the NSW coast you can encounter fish which are normally considered to be rock species – drummer and groper – throughout winter and spring. They hang over reefs around 2-5km offshore. Crabs, prawns and dough or bread can take both these species offshore, and it’s best to fish for them the same way you would for snapper. A berley trail can entice fish very close to the back of your boat, and at times with bait circling in the trail you can see big predators come up as well. Kingfish and trevally are the two that seem to follow the baitfish all the way to the surface, and a rod with a lure loaded can be cast straight to them. Mahi mahi can also come in close to shore at times, and can end up in the trail. Sometimes it’s the depth rather than the distance offshore that matters. BAIT The most popular way to fish the reefs is ‘bottom bouncing’ with a paternoster rig (typically two hooks spaced out above a snapper lead). It’s how anglers have caught bottom-dwelling fish for the last 50 years. When it comes to bait, obviously fresh is best, but that doesn’t always mean you have to catch it yourself. At times the bait from your local servo, fish co-op or tackle shop can be really fresh and can work wonders, so don’t discount it altogether. Check it out, assess the quality and buy some if it looks good. Some anglers won’t even think about fishing over reef without live bait, be it squid, yellowtail, yakkas, slimy mackerel, garfish, live pilchards, herring, small pike, or just legal whiting or tailor. Everyone has their own preference. I have found that if you start catching yellowtail, slimies, squid or garfish over a reef then you should use them

as live bait. No matter what structure I’m fishing, I have caught most of my better fish by sourcing whatever baitfish or cephalopods I’ve found in

are shad-style jerk baits, curl tails and grubs, all rigged on a jighead just heavy enough to get you to the bottom in the prevailing conditions. You can

A close look at the lures that will entice salmon, tailor, mahi mahi, bonito, and other pelagics. You can also jig them up and down for great results. the vicinity. They’re what the predators are feeding on, so it makes sense to use these baits – or to imitate them with a soft plastic or chrome lure. If you use a lure that’s the same size and colour as the bait the fish are feeding on, on most occasions you can’t go wrong. LURES Lure fishing has changed a lot. Many decades ago anglers jigged chrome lures in silver or gold colour, usually from a mate who worked in either sheet metal or steel work, as these lures weren’t available in tackle stores. Nowadays we have millions of lures to choose from and our catches have increased as a result. We can pick a lure that accurately mimics the bait the fish are feeding on – anything from a plastic crab for groper, bream and morwong through to a blue and silver lure for tailor, bream and snapper. Soft plastics are an increasingly popular option, and they’re good to have on stand-by if the fishing is slow. They’re cheap and easy – you just drift or anchor, drop your plastic down and jig it along the bottom, lifting it sharply and then letting it flutter down. Some of the most popular plastic choices for reefies

even try fishing a soft plastic on a two-hook paternoster rig if you like. You can put a bait on one of the hooks and a soft plastic on the other hook, and see which gets crunched first. Everybody has their favourite soft plastic colours, although it’s not clear whether the colour of a plastic makes a huge difference when fishing at depth. Soft plastics aren’t the only artificials you can try though. Blades, lipless vibes, chromies and deepwater jigs all catch their fair share at different times. ANCHORING AND DRIFTING When bottom bouncing you have the choice of drifting or anchoring. Drifting covers more ground, and it’s a good option if there’s a reasonable amount of structure, provided the current and wind don’t make things too tricky. The other bonus is that if you don’t catch anything, you can easily up and move somewhere else. Anchoring is good if there’s a small amount of structure with fish hanging off it. Another plus is that you can fish lighter to get to the bottom, set out a good berley trail, and don’t have to keep moving to keep on the mark.

A Maori cod taken over bumpy shallow ground. These are one of the best tasting fish in the ocean and can grow to an enormous size. Many anglers drift first to find the fish, and then anchor up. Having a good sounder is essential to make sure you can see the fish and where they are hanging. At times you may have to use a heavy anchor, and you might have to anchor as far away as 30ft from the structure and use a really heavy lead to feed your bait down to the fishing zone way back from the boat. When the currents are strong, running from north to south or south to north, that has to be taken into consideration. Sometimes places can just be unfishable because of this, but at other times it can help because the fish will come closer to the surface, feeding on what’s running past them. When the current is so strong you need a house brick to get down there, it’s usually a lost cause. Moving into closer reefs can help. HIGH PRESSURE Close reefs do get punished by a lot of anglers, but if you end up on them at the right time (which I admit can occasionally be just a fluke) and are happy to sit and berley, you can usually get a good bag to come home with. When it comes to getting the ‘edge’ over other anglers, there’s no limit on what you can try. A great way I livebait is to put a large float on, and put just enough lead to get the bait to the bottom of my line. I always use a good trace. The next step is to get a 1oz snapper lead, insert it over my hook and drop it down to find the bottom, then I lift it up about 4-6ft and put a stopper knot on the line above my float and then take the snapper sinker off. This way my livebait sits up away from eels and other undesirables. The float will dance around and even get pulled down a fair way by the live bait itself, but having a loose drag will let you know when something big does come along. I have caught some nice kingfish this way as well as some good mulloway. The livey dances around distraught, putting out signals of distress, and because it’s way above the

reef and snag city you have the chance of stopping the big fish ditching straight into the reef. You can put the stopper knot at any level so you can get surface feeders as well as reef feeders. The close reefs will at times be covered in undesirable fish such as leatherjackets, sweep and yellowtail, but you can keep them out of the catch by fishing higher in the water column. If you’re using dead bait, you can fish it unweighted so it slowly drifts down under its own weight. When used in a berley trail this can be the greatest way to

anglers who are new to outside fishing and are just learning. Smaller boats can be used as long as you’re carrying the right safety equipment. I have never gone offshore without a marine radio, either a hand-held model or one fixed to the boat. On every outing you should log into to Coastal Patrol or marine rescue services, as it it not only gives you peace of mind but in the event of trouble they will be the first people you will need. It’s no good just relaying a message via a mobile phone to someone at home and having them

Squid can be put out live for kingfish, jewfish, teraglin and mahi mahi or cut up for large bream and bottom dwellers. snag the fish. Light to medium gear is all that’s needed for this type of fishing. Just remember that floating baits do still have to be in proximity of a reef complex, and the berley trail has to be constant to lift the fish from the bottom. SAFETY No matter how you look at fishing in close, it’s a relatively safe option for

try to contact rescue units on your behalf. Your home contact won’t be able to relay what’s happening in real time, so don’t just depend on your phone. As I said we are pretty lucky in this country as far as reef fishing goes. Along any part of the coast you can find an array of species, so take the plunge and get amongst them. OCTOBER 2015

bassing for beginners

Bassing for beginners FMG

Simon Goldsmith simon@fishingmonthly.com.au

When it comes to freshwater sportfish it’s hard to go past the Australian bass. An iconic species that was instrumental in the evolution of sportfishing and catch and release tournament angling in Australia, few species can match the Aussie bass for angling diversity and fighting ability. Whether you’re a seasoned tournament angler or a budding beginner, Australia bass have a lot to offer. From tramping remote eastern flowing streams in search of near virginal bass water to battling crowded schools on flats at Lake Somerset and Glenbawn, the Aussie bass is a species that appeals to many, and can be caught by plenty. If you’re new to the world of bass fishing, knowing where and how to get started can be somewhat daunting. It doesn’t have

BE THE BAIT The place where most of us first discovered the joy of fishing, bait fishing, is as effective for catching bass as it is for catching bream, whiting, or flathead. A simple yet effective rig is the way to go when chasing bass on bait. While bass are an opportunistic feeder, proven freshwater baits are the way to go. Live garden worms and shrimps are the two staples if catching bass on bait is on your to-do list. The key when rigging both baits is to pin them so you don’t kill them. Through the tail for the shrimp, and through the side of the worm is where you want to pin them with the hook to keep them alive and kicking. Hook type wise those designed for livebaits are the way to go, with the Gamakatsu Shiner hook one of my favourites. The hook, line and sinker set is equally straight forward when it comes to fishing these two baits. There are three main set-ups that I recommend: a standard hook with running ball sinker, a float with a small split shot and hook,

THE SUPER SIX Soft Plastic................2 1/2” Ecogear Grass Minnow Spinnerbait....................1/2oz Bassman spinnerbait Surface.......................................... Megabass Pop X Lipless Crankbait................................ Jackall TN 60 Blade................................................... Ecogear VX40 Trolling.........................................Bill Norman DD 22

Marcel Krieger with a brace of solid Wivenhoe bass. to be though, and if you arm yourself with a few simple techniques and lures you’ll be on your way to bassing success. 10

OCTOBER 2015

and a paternoster set-up. Each are hugely effective and each are suited to varying fishing locations and habitat types.

The running ball sinker option is the great all-rounder whether you’re fishing rivers, creeks or dams, and it is suited to shallow to deep open areas that aren’t heavily vegetated or timbered. The float, split shot and hook set-up comes into its own in shallow to mid depth locations with vertical structure or features. An undercut river bank, steep weedbed face or flooded timber are three prime examples where a suspended shrimp or a cluster of worms will be in the strike zone for a hungry bass to eat. A paternoster rig is your go-to when fishing similar, albeit deeper, locations to where you’d fish your float set-up. Bass hugging the bottom at the base of a deep weed bed, deep timber or mid to deep rock walls and points are all suitable places to fish a paternoster rig with a live shrimp. TROLLING TIME If you want make the step from bait to lures there’s no better way than doing it than via trolling. Trolling helps foster your understanding of lures and how they work, and how fish respond to them. A technique that’s designed for fishing from a craft, and that includes boats, canoes and kayaks, trolling is a great way to cover a lot of water and put your lure in front of as many fish as possible. A sounder is an essential piece of equipment when trolling as it allows you to do two things. The first being to find fish, and the second being to identify important pieces of the puzzle that you need to know when trolling, namely the depth, bottom composition, and location of bait. Knowing these three important things allows you to match the right lure to depth you’re fishing, pick the right lure and fish it optimally for the type of location you’re fishing, and of course allows to you to find where the bait is located, and ideally where the bass will be holding. When it comes to areas to troll, flats, the edge of treelines, drop offs, and weed margins and points are all prime places to target. When it comes to lure selection three lures stand out. A deep diving crankbait, lipless crankbait, and heavy spinnerbait will all produce on their given days. The deep diving crankbait is by far the standout of the three, and a selection of lures in the 50-65mm size length that dive to a variety of

Deep plastics are the undoing of many a big bass like this 3kg monster caught at Lake Somerset. different depths are a must have. A tight shimmy rather than a wide wobble is the preferred cadence of the lure you use, while a silent to a mid range rattle is optimum. Colour wise, purple has been a long time favourite when trolling for bass, but it’s by no means the only colour that bass will eat. When it comes to covering lots of water quickly few lures match a lipless crankbait, and the Jackall TN60 is definitely king. In the past when I used to fish Wivenhoe a lot, finding schools to cast at proved difficult. I used to troll a chameleon craw coloured TN60 around until I found schooled fish on my sounder or the rod loaded up. It was a great way to locate fish, and was as simple as it was effective. Its only real limitation was the diving depth of the lure. The Jackall rarely swum any deeper than 12ft, but could be controlled to some degree by the speed that I trolled, how far back I trolled the lure, and the thickness of the line and leader I used. Trolling spinnerbaits is a regularly overlooked technique, but it shouldn’t be. A great way to present a flashy, big profiled spinnerbait is with extra heavy, 5/8-1oz models, trolled deep and slow. Suitable lures – Jackall Muscle Deep, Imakatsu IK 300, Manns 20+, Bill Norman DD 22 IN A SPIN If you want to learn how to catch bass on a cast and retrieved lure there’s no better lure to start with than a spinnerbait. As snag proof as lures come, a spinnerbait it a musthave in every bass angler’s bag, regardless of whether you’re fishing a shallow

creek, fast flowing river, or a large open water lake. A lure that presents a relatively large profile, a spinnerbait is incredibly versatile in where and how it can be presented. A sinking lure that can be fished super shallow, such as waked across the surface, or fished super slow and deep, a spinnerbait is a lure that’s controlled by the angler, and unlike a lure with a bib or inbuilt buoyancy, is dictated by the angler on where and how it swims. Fishing a spinnerbait is a simple process for the most part, and when it comes to fishing for aggressive fish on the

edges or fishing holding in timber or structure the spinnerbait has few peers. Easy to cast, particularly in heavier sizes, a standard spinnerbait presentation involves casting tight to the edge or structure, waiting a couple of seconds for the lure to sink, then slowly winding it back in. Allow the lure to follow the contour of the bottom, and ideally bump over structure as it goes. It’s this bumping over structure where the spinnerbait shines with its inward facing single hook allowing, in most cases, the lure to come through structure unsnagged. As we know, bumping structure

Lilies and weed gullies are prime places to target active fish.

bassing for beginners with your lure is a great trigger for a strike and a spinnerbait certainly allows you to do that. Whether you’re fishing water 2ft deep or 20ft deep in a creek or dam, you’ll want

to have some of these guys in your tackle tray. Suitable lures – 3/85/8oz Bassman, 1/2-5/8 OSP High Pitcher, Impact Tackle S-Baitz

Highly addictive and a great way to catch bass in low light conditions, surface lures are a must-have in a basser’s tackle box.

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RIPPING LIPS If there were a challenger to the spinnerbait as the number one reaction lure for catching aggressive bass on the edges in our lakes it would have to be the lipless crankbait. A style of lure that went from being a bit player to a big game player thanks to the Jackall TN60, this is a lure that every bass angler should have at least one of. A great searching bait for covering lots of water, particularly when fishing a new body of water, a lipless crankbait is a lure that in many ways is interchangeable with the spinnerbait in where and how you fish it. Sitting behind the spinnerbait when it comes to snag resistance makes a lipless less of a go-to when fishing timber and structure, but on open stretches and in deeper water it has the upper hand for its ability to sink quickly, be worked quickly when need be, and when used in their rattle form has the ability to grab the attention of bass like few other lures can. When it comes to casting and retrieving a lipless crankbait there’s plenty to choose from and they range from super fast and aggressive to slow and unobtrusive. A

slow rolling retrieve that follows the contour of the bottom is the go-to for a lot of anglers, and when interspersed with a series of pauses adds another

element of variance in lure movement that can help encourage apprehensive fish to strike. One of my favourites is a burn and kill retrieve, where you crank

A sounder is essential for locating bass in open water.

the reel hard for five turns then stop. You then burn it again and stop. This ‘fast, stop’ approach can really push the buttons of bass at times, and the strikes can be truly bone jarring. It’s a highly addictive way to catch them. Lipless crankbaits aren’t all speed and power though, and they are also effective when used with a lift and drop retrieve like you’d use when fishing a soft plastic or blade. A lipless crankbait that made this retrieve famous on Australian bass was the Jackall Mask Vibe. A soft flexible lipless crankbait, it’s a lure that perfectly replicates a bony bream, and is a must have on lakes that have bonies in residence, such as Somerset, Wivenhoe and Moogerah. Lipless crankbaits aren’t just a lure for dam fish though and in deep and fast flowing rivers are a great tool for reaching deep fish. Suitable lures – Jackall TN60 and TN50, Imakatsu Piranha, Jackall Mask Vibe, Lucky Craft LV GOING DEEP When chasing deep bass it’s hard to go past a jighead rigged soft plastic or blade. While they can both be fished in the shallows and on the edges it’s in deeper water, around 10ft and deeper, where they

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bassing for beginners really excel. While soft plastics come in a huge variety of forms and can be rigged a host of different ways it’s a paddle-tail grub rigged on a jighead that reigns supreme and has

jighead, a soft plastic can be a great presentation for finesse tempting timid and shy bass, or when rigged heavy, 3/8oz and heavier, can be cast long distances and used as searching bait

CHOOSING AN OUTFIT Two outfits will get you started and have you armed for fishing your new bass techniques. One spin and one baitcast outfit is all you need. Outfit 1 6’6”-7”, 2-4kg spin rod, 2000-2500 spin reel, 4-8lb braid with a 6-10lb leader, or 8lb mono/ fluoro mainline. Outfit 2 6’6”-7”, 2-4kg baitcaster rod, 100-200 size baitcaster reel, 10-20lb PE/braid with a 1014lb leader, or 10-12lb mono/fluoro mainline. stood the test of time. Rigged ultra light on a 1/8oz and lighter

for bass in deep or open water. A 1/4oz jighead rigged paddle-tail plastic

is a great all-rounder for those getting into bass fishing and is an ideal weight for fishing both shallow and deep. When it comes to the retrieve for a soft plastic there’s nearly as many options as there are types of plastics. By far the most popular and most often used is a slow roll. A presentation that simply involves casting the plastic out, sinking it to the bottom, then slowly and constantly winding it back to the boat or shore. For anglers fishing from a boat, having a sounder on-board is a huge advantage. A sounder will assist in locating fish and help identify where they

are holding in the water column, which in-turn lets you know where to put your lure. Once you know where the fish are, and where you need to put your lure the final piece to the puzzle is the retrieve to get them to bite. That’s where trial and error and swapping between retrieves comes into play. The other essential lure to have when chasing deep fish is a blade, a small metal sinking vibration bait that definitely matches the hatch when it comes to a baitfish imitation. An excellent lure for casting long distances and sinking quickly to the bottom, a blade is optimally worked with a lift and drop

retrieve. A lure with a strong underwater presence and plenty of vibration, blades are great for triggering active schooled fish to bite, yet are equally effective when dropped and finessed on the nose of single or small groups of fish sounded up with your electronics. A blade isn’t just a deep water hop n’ drop lure though, and they can prove just as effective as a subtle reaction lure

when gently fished through shallow weed and on open banks and shallow flats. Suitable lures – 2 1/2” Ecogear Grass Minnow, 3” Ecogear Power Shad, Keitech Swing Impact, Ecogear VX40, Evergreen Little Max SURFACE ACTION No article on bass fishing is complete without talking about perhaps the most addictive and fun way to catch them, on surface!

Another deep jigged bass makes its way to the net.

There are few better beginner bass lures than a deep diving crankbait. 12

OCTOBER 2015

bassing for beginners A gun approach in shallow waterways such as rivers and streams, surface lures also work on dam fish, with lakes with weed, timber, and without bony bream proving the most productive. While bass will take a surface lure during any part of the day, it’s during the low light hours where the technique really comes to the fore.

With a disdain for bright light, bass will gravitate towards shaded locations, with overhanging vegetation, timber, and shaded shorelines all happy hunting grounds for bass, and prime places to throw a surface lure. Locations such as these deliver shade and protection and also food from above. Falling prey such as grasshoppers

and cicadas are all on the menu, particularly when in peak abundance. Beyond overhead shaded features and locations, weeded edges and points are gun areas to fish, particularly on our lakes and dams. Providing a combination of comfort, protection and food, these vegetated structures are excellent ambush locations

The final stages of the fight is when bass can easily be lost. Patience and steady line pressure are two keys to success.

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for resident bass, or feeding zones for active roaming fish. Lure selection is varied with a paddle style lure in rivers and streams, or popper or walking stick bait on lakes and dams hard to go past as the number one choices. Landing the lure tight to structure, or right in strike zone is the go to approach, with a twitch,

twitch, twitch, pause, retrieve the optimum retrieve to trigger a strike. Patience, a strong nerve, and a healthy heart, of course, are essential for the heart in mouth style of angling that comes with fishing surface lures for bass. Suitable lures – Megabass Pop X, Jackall SK Pop, Lucky Craft Sammy

65, Megabass Dog X Jnr So there you have it – a run down on a selection of techniques and lures to get you on the road to bass fishing. It’s a start that will lead to bigger things, a greater addiction to one of Australia’s premier sportfish, and the array of techniques and methods available for catching this remarkable fish.

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Be prepared for sensational angling this month THE HAWKESBURY

Dan Selby dan@sydneysportfishing.com.au

Each year in September we see air temps rise, causing a hive of activity on land, but the large volume of water in our estuaries means they take longer to warm up. This month, however, the water

temps should get a proper rise. When it occurs, most fish will come on the bite with a vengeance. Anglers should be prepared for some sensational angling. As I mentioned last month, the bass will have made their way upstream with the help of some spring rain to settle into their summer haunts. In the main river there will be some

stragglers. These fish have a tendency to stay deep and hold in loose schools on the deeper weed beds and rock walls until the water temp gets to their liking. At such times they will move to the edges and into the top 2m of the water column. If the fish are still holding deep early in the month, soft plastic grubs, blades and bibless minnows are great for

Some big mulloway will be on offer around the lower reaches for those using fresh caught live baits and well-presented lures.

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searching the likely structure. If you don’t get any interest, move to the edges and try shallow divers, surface lures and spinnerbaits up to 1/4oz. Once you work out a pattern, stick to it and try to replicate the same scenario in similar places during your outing. I’ll never forget a session in the Nepean gorge one spring morning when I was hitting every likely looking piece of water. I got bites only when I came across major fallen timber snags. Once I realised the pattern I kept moving from snag to snag without bothering to cast at anything other than

fallen timber, and this turned a really slow day into a double digits session. The flathead always seem to respond well at this time of year as they push upstream towards Wisemans ferry following the school prawns. Most of the trawl fleet will be back out on the river searching for the best patches of prawns too, and they are good areas to start searching for your quarry. The old adage of ‘find the bait and find the fish’ is very true in such a large tidal river. I’m not saying you should anchor where the trawlers are working, but find a likely fish holding area like a drop-off, sand bar or a major rock wall in the vicinity of the trawlers as the fish won’t be far away from their food source. Live or fresh frozen prawns, soft plastics and blades all have their day when fished on light tackle around the tide changes. Other species like bream, estuary perch and the odd school mulloway are also likely catches, so be prepared for a mixed bag at times. The lower reaches around Broken bay, Cowan and Pittwater should have schools of salmon harassing micro bait on the surface. These fish can be frustrating at times but I reckon that’s all part of the challenge of working out what they want on any given day. Most times a small metal slug no longer than 1” in silver or white will get the results, while on other days it’s a clear coloured 2-3” soft plastic stickbait rigged on a light jighead, or a 2” clear popper dead sticked in the middle of the action. Having a selection of offerings that you can rotate through in your tackle box is the only option to getting a few runs on the board, and most are fairly cost effective.

Salmon should be common around Broken Bay, and small soft plastic minnows are a great option to match the hatch. As the season progresses the bait will get bigger, and the salmon will be more willing to take larger metal slices, soft plastics and poppers. Tailor and kingfish can be a nice surprise in the midst of a hot bite, so if you’re using light tackle be prepared for the odd bite-off or unstoppable smoking! Kingfish should become a more reliable target now that the water has started to warm, with downrigging a great technique to find active

schools of fish most days. Live squid and yakkas are preferred baits for downrigging, and most sessions begin with sourcing bait. If the bait is hard to find (this can happen to the best of us) switching to lure casting or jigging can turn your day around. Use your electronics to locate schools of fish, and then cast or vertically drop your lure/jig through the school and vigorously work it back to the boat. This approach can be very rewarding.

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Quality bream will be on the rock walls, reefs and flats this month.

Flathead will be chasing the school prawns up to and beyond Wisemans ferry, with quality fish and good numbers to be expected through spring.

Waters are warming PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

Finally the cold water has started to disappear from Pittwater. It’s being replaced with the warmer water from along the coast, and the difference in temperature has meant that the fish are starting to bite more often. Fishing along Pittwater was pretty dismal towards the end of winter, with only the odd day showing a good catch of fish. However, that all changed when the water temperature shot up from a chilly 13°C to a warmer 15.7°C. It’s still cold water but that 2.7° increase made a change to Pittwater. In recent weeks we’ve seen small schools of salmon in Pittwater, and mixed into the schools have been tailor and kingfish. These fish were only around 50cm, but they’re still great fun if you can convince one to bite a lure on light tackle. The schools have

been pretty shy of boats and have been chasing the ‘living eyes’ (small, clear baitfish about 10mm long) leaving most lures or baits cast into them. I have recently found that if you can get close enough to the school, throwing out pilchard pieces along a trail to lead the kings and tailor away from the small fry can work. By checking out the activity each day you will see bigger fish show up as well over the coming weeks. The bigger kings are still holding in the colder water along the moorings. This deep water is colder, and the kings need to be fired up out of sulking mode. They are often marked on the sounder but once again you really need a few small live cuttlefish to get them fired up. As soon as the big kings see those small, crunchy ink machines it’s game on. The areas to try are the moorings between Stokes Point through to Taylors

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Point, Careel Bay and around any surface activity that you see. If you have only squid to use, West Head and Barrenjoey Headlands have been seeing some action on the odd day as well. If you’re after breadand-butter species there are some trevally, the odd flathead and bream to encounter along the river. Some areas to try are at Taylors Point, Currawong Beach, Sand Point, Palm Beach and Mackerel Beach. Trevally are being caught out of the berley trail with light tackle, and the areas where sand meets the weed will give you the best chance. These same areas are also starting to see some bream being caught, along with the odd flathead. The better area for bream though has been on the Pittwater side of West Head, early morning, on a run-out tide. Use plenty of berley. For those wanting to travel offshore there is some great news: there are good captures of snapper starting to come in from our section of coast. There has been the odd stonker fish caught but most snapper have been around the 50cm mark. The bigger

This morwong couldn’t resist a squid strip. fish being caught are up to 80cm (unfortunately not on my boat) and the boys have been using soft plastics and light leaders for their best chance. Soft plastics around 6” long are catching some bigger fish, and smaller plastics of 4” are catching the smaller specimens. Drifting to cover ground is the best way to find the fish. To start with,

concentrate your efforts in the shallower water before sunrise. As the sun rises and as the skies become bright, head for the deeper water. The shallower areas (15-18m) are the go. The areas that are seeing fish are Avalon, Newport, Warriewood and North Narrabeen reefs. Further offshore there are flathead gathering on the 50-70m contour marks. The fish aren’t big yet, but with most at around 45cm they provide a feed for the family. There are trawlers working our part of the world from Broken Bay to Longy, which means there are fish to be caught. The best bait is pilchard, but soft plastics and micro jigs are also working well. The reefs around the 60-80m depths are also

fishing well. Once you’ve found baitfish over the reefs you can encounter trevally, morwong and nannygai. The odd tiger flathead has shown up as well. So, as you can see, the fishing is only going to get better from now on, both along Pittwater and our coast. The best run of fish seems to occur at this time of the year, and to have a chance at catching that fish of a lifetime you should spend as much time on the water as you can. I hope this report sees you eager to get out on the water over the coming months to chase some big fish along Pittwater and our wonderful coast. • Peter Le Blang operates Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters, phone 02 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351, visit www. estuaryfishingcharters.com.au

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Kingies more prolific SYDNEY NORTH

Darren Thomas

With that horrible cold weather all behind us, some ripper fishing is to be had this month out here on Sydney’s north side. You can expect the kings to become more prolific and the snapper bite to head into full swing, not to mention the flatties waking up and the arrival of the marlin offshore.

October is generally the month when the warmer season fishos dust off their kit in preparation for the summer bite. Although fish have to eat all year round it’s commonplace in Sydney for many anglers to stay tucked up inside during the colder months thinking that the fish go off the bite. They don’t! All you have to do is apply different techniques and change species. Some terrific fish can be caught all year round.

Andy Young was happy with this inshore king.

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OFFSHORE The offshore scene has been improving dramatically after the lacklustre tuna bite during the winter. I say lacklustre because we had some very high expectations after last year’s season due to the high capture rate of yellow and bluefin, but conditions were harsher this year and the colder currents were just too far offshore for some boaties to venture. The 12 Mile Reef has been a fairly solid boat park this month, with the early arrival of schooling kingfish taking all sorts of baits, from slabs to livies, and jigs as well. Zane Levett has been into the fish again recently, fishing with the Oceanhunter Sportsfishing guys using medium to light gear. Some great fish have been tagged and released. Zane uses the Shimano OC4000 reel loaded with 30lb braid on the 15-30lb Terez rod and landed fish to 93cm. The bait of choice was unweighted slabs set on a 5/0 octopus hooks. Keep an eye out for this young fella in the future as he’s absolutely nailing it, and at just 13 years old he has a species list as long as your arm. The guys aboard Oceanhunter tag all of their released fish, so if you want a piece of the action call Vic on 0414 906 569. The kingfish have been around all year and are becoming more prolific as the years go by. Andy Young and his crew got amongst them on a recent trip to a local reef off Curl Curl in 50m of water. After recognising schooling bait on the sounder the guys dropped a variety of jigs over the side to immediately get a multiple hook up (the jigs were from 50-250g). The fish soon trekked up the water column where eventually a surface bite kicked in on poppers and

Zane Levett with a 12 Mile tagged kingfish. stickbaits. Strange things often happen, and on this day none of the fish would take any type of live bait! Hmmm. It pays to have a variety of styles available because bait fishing doesn’t seem to work as consistently these days, and sometimes the target species just need a little firing up. Springtime allows us to chase the bigger model squid before they shoot through, as well as catch some of the smaller kingfish candies we love for bait. Dane Marcell often chases the big fellas for a feed using the 3-3.5 size jigs down at South Curly off the stones, and landed five during an afternoon session recently. It was quiet for the first hour until someone thought to spray on some Stimulate attractant.

If you’ve never tried beach worming, you have to give it a go. Young Bailey O’Brien headed down to Manly Beach and plucked a 6ft+ worm from the soft sand. Beach worms are a terrific bait as Bailey also found out after converting that one worm into a great session whiting and bream. Beach worming can be difficult so if you’re keen on learning how call Alex Bellissimo (0408 283 616) for a charter. This guy is an absolute master at catching them. Sydney Harbour’s waters are warming now with all manner of species on the chew. Schooling salmon are visible on the surface (just look for the feeding birds) while down deeper the trevally have finally arrived in numbers and are taking soft plastics

and strip baits lightly weighted to slowly sink in the current. Anglers are still catching the odd mulloway, and they might remain all summer. I couldn’t resist the urge to head downstream again targeting these fish on the yak, and got lucky on another good soapy. I was fishing in 14m of water using a River2Sea Flexi-Babe vibe with a bit of S-Factor attractant when that little mulloway hit the lure. Being towed in the yak is quickly becoming my favourite pastime, and using the light kit ensures you’ll get a quality battle. If you require any info on this type of fishing just give me or one of the boys a ring in store on (02) 9949 9488 or contact us on the Facebook page Fish Outta Water Tackleworld. Happy spring fishing!

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The author with a soapy that took a River2Sea Flexi-Babe.

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Large lurking lizards SYDNEY HARBOUR

Craig McGill craig@fishabouttours.com.au

Flathead fishing seems to be getting better every year in terms of both numbers and size. Flatties have a reputation as being a poor sportfish, which holds true when using bait fishing techniques, but it’s a different story when you target them with lures. The skill, thrill and anticipation involved in hunting flatties on lures is just as good as that of any other predatory species, including the tropical glamour fish. The fight from a lure-caught flathead, while not as good as some other estuarine sportfish, is better than that of a flathead caught on bait. Some of the best areas in the harbour to lure fish for flatties include the shallows of Rose Bay, the banks around the mouth of Rushcutters Bay and North Harbour. The best time to work these areas in spring is on the run-in tide. It’s even better if this tide occurs in the early morning or late afternoon. Flathead congregate around channel edges, rock bars, weed banks and sand\mud bank drop-offs. They also like to lie in the shadows of moored boats. You won’t find flathead on your sounder but if you can locate schools of small baitfish there should be flatties hanging around. A single handed spinning or light baitcasting outfit loaded with 3-4kg line will handle any flathead provided you use a more substantial trace of about 10kg. Flathead will hit almost anything that swims past their face. The important thing is to present the lure close to the fish, so depth capabilities are the major consideration when choosing a lure for flatties. Considering you will be fishing a range of depths, you’ll need quite a large

selection of lures, should you opt for diving minnows. A more versatile and possibly more effective option is to carry two types of soft plastics. For the shallows (1-4ft), stickbaits like the Slug-Go are deadly on flatties, especially around weed. To cover all depths it’s hard to go past a jighead-rigged soft plastic, e.g. Gulps, Powerbaits and Tsunami plastics. FLOUNDER Flounder are a welcome by-catch of flathead luring in winter and they generally favour the same areas, although they prefer the deeper sand banks. Flounder can be caught year round but the cooler months seem to be the best, especially for the bigger fish. If you would

orientated sand areas where you would more typically find flatties. The open sand drifts around Washaway Beach and North Harbour are quite productive at the moment. TREVALLY Tr e v a l l y have traditionally been considered a winter fish but in my experience they are much more prolific and bigger in spring and early summer. They are a great fish to catch and very underrated as an eating fish. Cooked properly (rare) they are as good as any of the best pelagics, and are similar to their close relative the kingfish. Raw they are sensational, and in Japan they’re amongst the highest rated fish as sashimi.

Big flatties show up in the deeper holes in spring. like to specifically target flounder, drop down in lure size to something in the vicinity of 5cm. These fish are like flathead in that they bury themselves in the sand waiting to ambush prey, so you need to keep in contact with the bottom. Flounder are also receptive to baits, particularly whitebait on the drift. They seem to like the big, open sandy expanses more than the structure-

Trevally generally like deep, clean water and can be found well upstream during dry conditions. I’ve seen them caught as far up as Roseville Bridge in middle harbour and Cockatoo Island in the main harbour. The upstream fish are big but they’re usually on their own and not found in the large schools that are common on the lower reaches. They are mostly taken as a welcome

Bottle and Glass Point is a great place to target trevally. 20

OCTOBER 2015

Trevally can be caught all through winter but are at their peak in spring.

bycatch of bream fishing. Further down on the lower harbour they are widespread and are found around the channels, headlands, boat moorings and deep holes. At night and the low light periods of dusk and dawn they move into shallower regions. Sow and Pigs is a classic after dark spot, as are the shallows around Balmoral and Washaway Beach.

Spring flounder are usually big and respond to lures or bait. Unlike most fish, trevs are not so fussy about fresh bait. In fact, I’ve found they like salted mackerel, day old pilchard fillets and slightly iffy prawns more than live nippers or blood worms. Maybe it’s a symptom of the competitiveness created by living in large schools. Use heaps of berley and fish your baits as lightly weighted as possible. A light, 3kg eggbeater outfit works the best as it allows you to fish bail open and allow a natural drift down the trail. Don’t rush hooked fish as you will be using small hooks (I use no. 4 VMC baitholders) and trevally have soft mouths. There’s a good likelihood of a tear if you go nuts.

Occasionally you will see trevs feeding on top, at which time they can be caught by flicking small metals like 10g Raiders, or tiny soft plastic stickbaits at them. Sometimes the trevs will follow around under surface-feeding salmon, and you can pick them off by letting a small chrome slice fall through the salmon and bring it back with a jigging retrieve. As with all pelagic fish, make sure that they are bleed and iced quickly after capture to maximize their eating potential. • 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.

It’s worth the effort SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com

October is the start of great things to come! The beach fishing is really on the improve, with a variety of cross species like the Australian salmon in numbers, and normally they’re of good quality this month. There are plenty of whiting around, with some quality fish showing up. North Narrabeen Lagoon entrance is fishing well at the entrance as well as the first half a dozen gutters southward. In the lagoon entrance you can easily get away with using a light 1.5-1.7m rod suitable for 2kg mono or braid with your 2000 size reel. It only becomes a problem if you want to go into the surf zone with that type of outfit, especially if the surf is 1m+. It pays to take a 3m+ rod/reel 3-4kg outfit enabling you to use sinkers in excess of 2oz without the rod tip loading up too much before you even cast it. When you can get them, blood worms are the best bait. Pink nippers, beach worms and tube worms also catch their fair share. Further north, Warriewood beach, like Mona Vale is not fished as frequently as Narrabeen but is producing good results. Heading south of Narrabeen, Dee Why has a good population. Dee Why and Mona Vale have some quality tarwhine and bream as well. Curl Curl has good numbers of bream, and you can expect up to five fish an outing with a few whiting. This beach is very rippy, and that being the case nearly always has a gutter or two that have a depth of 2-3m. Manly has a mix of bream, whiting and some flathead. Mulloway have made a showing, with a report of a 12kg fish from Dee Why. It’s worth you putting in the effort. A few salmon have been picking up livies, butterflied fish baits and squid baits. The bronze and dusky whaler sharks have not shown up in numbers yet, with only the occasional one being reported. However, towards December onwards they will be the dominant predator on the beaches. There’s been another report of a good mulloway of nearly 1m from mid Palm Beach. My pick for mulloway in October is to fish the New Moon highs from Saturday the 10th to Sunday the 18th, then the full moon highs from Sunday the 25th to Saturday

the 31st. Take into account that it’s great to fish those really late tides, providing you have the next day off or you don’t mind having had hardly any sleep, especially for the weekday worker. The rock fishing is improving with an increase in species, especially towards the end of this month. The kings

of snagging. Besides that, between the sand and reef is a likely spot for a nice red. Fresh squid is nearly always a great option. I normally use strips and the head section. Bottle squid with a tube size of 5-10cm make a sensational snapper bait. As I always say though, it’s good to use a variety of baits. I normally

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Just a school-sized fish, but a beach mulloway is a good catch regardless! are making a showing, with fish to 80cm being reported from Flat Rock at south Curl Curl, a few from the Hat and some from Bluefish as well. Jet poppers, white Slapstix and small/medium sized live yellowtail are working OK. There’s luderick, salmon and some nice squid from these spots, too. We’ll see more snapper caught this month and, like the kings, they will increase in number as the month progresses. Distance casting and wash fishing for snapper is one of my very favourite forms of fishing. Bluefish, south and north Curl Curl, Warriewood, and south Whale rocks are some of the better locations for good snapper. It pays to stand up from a high vantage point, where you can see the dark and light patches indicating the sand and reef edges. Cast out to these lighter patches when you are distance casting to vastly reduce the chance

have two to three types. Salted slimy mackerel and salted striped tuna strips are a good choice, and cuttlefish sometimes catches fish when the squid fails – strange as that may sound to a lot of anglers. The rock blackfish and groper are still two of the main species with the luderick at this time of the year. The Hat and Little Bluey at Manly, north Curl Curl, Long Reef, Warriewood, Mona Vale Rocks, and Bangally Head have all been producing. This month have a go at the whiting, bream and mulloway off the beach. Off the rocks, the big pigs and an increase in snapper and king numbers should make it interesting. Good luck to all anglers • For rock and beach guided fishing or tuition in the northern Sydney region, visit www. bellissimocharters.com, email alex@bellissimocharters.com or call Alex Bellissimo on 0408 283 616.

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OCTOBER 2015

Cooks River busy BOTANY BAY

Gabe Quercigrosse gabeandgabe@bigpond.com

As we are heading towards the warmer months, I thought it would be good to share some of my possies that have produced good bags over the past few years. COOKS RIVER BREAK WALL On weekends, dozens of boats zoom out of Cooks River to Botany Bay, and often they go right past the fish. This area is well serviced by a 4-lane boat ramp in Mutch Ave, Kyeemagh

with ample parking and a floating pontoon. This ramp is well maintained and offers excellent launching facilities in all weather conditions. The twin break walls at the entrance to the river are top producers of a wide variety of fish. I favour the southern wall and like fishing right off the end. Because of the rough track it’s wise to leave your car back near the turn-off from General Holmes Drive at Kyeemagh. The northern break wall is shorter, and you can drive right to it off the little road on the city side of the bridge. At times I have caught

school mulloway, bream, trevally, blackfish, tailor and whiting off both these walls. I prefer to fish at night or at first light, and the run-out tide will carry your bait out. Both walls are too crowded on weekends. Fish light, around 3-4kg line with just a pinch of lead right behind the hook and make sure you take a landing net. Watch your footing on the southern wall at night. Alternatively you could try on the northwestern side of the main bridge. This possie holds the remnants of an old boat shed and is a favourite haunt for big bream and whiting. The submerged structures are a haven for these fish, and be prepared for bycatch in the form of school mulloway and trevally. Approximately 50m on the eastern side of the bridge is the place to be. Fish the outgoing tide near the new moon and full moon periods at night for best results. In you’re chasing luderick, the footbridge on Bestic Street at the end of Muddy Creek is the place

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Dominic caught this nice haul of flathead recently. to be. This popular spot offers comfortable fishing at your doorstep, and fishes best during the last couple of hours prior to the full tide. A sneaky spot that can produce excellent bags is the deep hole on the western side of the Princes Highway at Kendrick Park Tempe. There are always mulloway and big bream on offer and they can be tempted with live nippers, bloodworms or fresh strips of local squid. BALD FACT POINT A favourite spot where you can get away from the crowd and catch good fish is Bald Face Point in the Georges River. Here the main current of the river swings right into the shore and thus a rich variety of fish is available. It’s also sharky, so keep out of the water. The tide belts through here so

restrict fishing to the last of the run-out and the first of the run-up. Big whiting, school mulloway, bream and flathead can be taken here with the preferred bait being blood worms or nippers. Bald Face can be fished either from the land or by boat. If you’re on foot, it can be reached by driving to the end of Stuart Street off the intersection of King Georges and Princes Highway at Blakehurst. This road leads to a small reserve and it’s an easy walk down the narrow path in the reserve to the water. Directly opposite the Bald Face is the Dark Hole, strictly a boat location and an excellent spot in a southerly blow. CAPTAIN COOK BRIDGE

The Captain Cook Bridge marks the gateway to Botany Bay from the Georges River and not many fishers realise that the bridge itself can be a good spot. In fact, on any weekend you can see a number of anglers fishing from the bridge pylons in the eddies caused by the tidal flow. The second and third pylons on the northern side are my favourite spots and I have caught many bream and school mulloway here. The technique is to walk your bait along the pylons. You do have to fish a little heavier, otherwise you will lose the fish on the rough terrain. A 4-6kg line class is ideal, with pink nippers the best bait. The Jew Hole, which extends towards the centre

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OCTOBER 2015

Another good snapper from Bellambi.

of the river on the upstream side, is a favourite haunt on the slack water period and if you’re using live or fresh

dominating the scene. The hot water outlet at Kurnell produced nice catches of tailor to 42cm with the high tide

chopper size fish didn’t hang around too long. Nice flathead were landed by land-based anglers from

A nice red caught by Pete at Bellambi. squid it’s the one place in the period at night the best option. system where you are going to Molineaux Point had up catch a big mulloway. to 30 boats fishing within Boaties are also warned a few metres of each other, to take notice of the channel and only moderate results markers once past the bridge were reported. However, a and out in the bay. The few anglers in the know did area around Towra Point is manage better class blurters a dangerous in a run-out tide with little wider out of the point. a strong northeaster blowing. Land-based anglers WHAT’S BITING found tailor along the main The bay fishing in August beach between Ramsgate was spasmodic to say the and Monterey, with early least, with trevally catches mornings STA15827HP-FM_Layout 1 10/09/14 4:16best, PM although Page 1 the

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the weed beds in front of the Novatel at Brighton LeSands on plastics. The 70mm Squidgy Grasshopper has been doing the damage. Elsewhere in the bay, the Cooks River break wall produced luderick and bream during the outgoing tide, while nice whiting were landed along Wants Beach on blood worms. Georges River was dormant with water

temperatures bordering the 12°C mark. I found the fish were timid and hard to catch, with all the usual reliable spots failing to produce. Over four outings between Tom Uglys and Como Bridge my total catch was 12 bream, eight whiting and a couple of luderick. Very quiet indeed. Brick bats to the individuals who fish in no-wash zones close to Sylvania Waters boat ramp. If you’re going to fish near ramps, expect a fair bit of wave movement. The offshore scene was reasonably good, with the 12 Mile reef off Bondi providing bag limits of kingfish between 80-85cm. Whole slimy mackerel have been accounting for the better catches. The tank of Maroubra had snapper on the chew, with reds to 2kg taken by charter boat operators. THE MONTH AHEAD October should provide better catches with the start of the mulloway run in the Georges River. I would suggest the full moon period to yield class school fish at Captain Cook, Tom Uglys Bridge and both the railway and foot bridges at East Hills, with small live herrings the dynamite bait. Salmon should work their way throughout the system and be found all the way to

Chipping Norton Lake. Slicers and stickbaits in the white lighting pattern are a sure bet to provide the spoils. As usual, we can expect a small run of school bream to move on Watts Reef and Silver Beach, with specimens up to 35cm. They will be found on the reefy, gravelly bottom and shaley terrain, with the better catches taken at night on live nippers during the run-up tide. The luderick schools will slowly disappear and be replaced by the bream in the

upper reaches with The Moons, Alfords Point and Milperra Bridge the focal points. Late news: bag limits of flathead (40-45cm) have been taken on the drift between Dolls Point and Ramsgate near the yellow tidal gauge buoy. • If you have any questions about this article, feel free to contact the author on 02 4647 8755 or drop into Gabe’s Fishing & Boating on 4/1A Somerset Avenue, Narellan or 268/264-276 Princes Highway, Sylvania.

A beautifully-coloured luderick caught at Windang. The whiting are also on down at Windang.

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OCTOBER 2015

Latest current affairs SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

I have been fishing Botany Bay on and off since I was at primary school, and over the years you get to know the area like the back of your hand. So over the years has the fishing improved or gotten harder? I would say that in the years up until the trawlers were banned from working the bay, it got slightly harder. Then, once the

of a number of groynes, a desal plant where pipes were laid from north Brighton to Kurnell, and a number of artificial reefs put in Yarra Bay by NSW Fisheries. There have also been a few places where the sand has increased, and the yellow markers indicating the no-go zone around the runways and Port Botany were expanded. So do I think that these changes have affected the fishing in Botany Bay? I sure do. One of the major things I believe has changed the fishing in the bay is

from Cook’s landing place, and be fishing what is supposed to be an out-going tide. However, when you set yourself up at anchor and set your lines out you will find that the current is running in the opposite direction. It’s not just an eddy, it’s an incoming tide. You only have to look at other boats that are around to see the ones that are drifting are going out, and the ones that are anchored up at either Watts Reef or the port marker just northwest of it are fishing an out-going tide.

The author with a couple of silver trevally caught while berleying wide off Towra Point.

Frank Muscat with a small bream caught while bait fishing in the Port Hacking.

It doesn’t have to be some sophisticated berley mix; it can be as simple as a few handfuls of chicken pellets or soaked white bread. Another place that I have fished a lot is the oil wharf at Kurnell. Depending on where you are anchored, the currents can be a bit tricky here. I have been on the northern side of the wharf when the tide was coming in on top, but the current was going out on the bottom. This caused my lightly weighted line to drift back towards the wharf, but as it got deeper it came back out. To compensate for this all I did was put on a slightly larger ball sinker. As for the rig that was on the bottom with a long leader, sinker and swivel – it was coming up with the leader tangled back up the main line. To compensate for this I cast the bait way out to the side of the boat and let it drift back. That’s enough of my theories for the bay. Let’s look at where should you fish during October.

THE MONTH AHEAD Trevally Alley on the northern side is worth a shot for trevally, bream, flathead, leatherjackets and the odd kingfish or two during the day. Tailor should be on the chew during the night. Whether the tide is coming in or going out you could try anchoring up at least 100m out from the oil wharf for bream, trevally, pan-size snapper, flathead and the odd kingfish or two. Another place you could try is the mooring drums in the middle of the bay, the end of the third runway and wide off Towra Point for bream, trevally, whiting, flathead and flounder. A few octopus should also start to show up at these spots as well. If you would like to try fishing the NSW Fisheries artificial reef in Yarra Bay you will need to download the GPS spots onto your sounder and anchor up near them. If you don’t have a GPS or a sounder, try drifting the area and once you get snagged up take

a couple of land-based marks and note it down for next time. The Port Hacking has been firing on all fronts for luderick over the past couple of months, and even though it will start to quieten down a bit you will still be able to get amongst them. Whiting, bream, trevally, salmon, tailor and the odd kingfish would be worth a try off the sand bar at Lilly Pilly. If you’re landed-based you could try Lilly Pilly, Gymea and Gunnamatta Baths. The beaches off Cronulla, Maroubra, Coogee and Bondi will be worth a shot for whiting, bream and the odd flathead or two. Early morning and late afternoon would be the best time on the weekend, and if you can fish during the week the time of day doesn’t seem to matter. • If you would like more information on the fishing in southern Sydney, or you have something to report or a photo you’d like to see in the magazine, send me an email at gbrown1@ iprimus.com.au.

Remember you can only fish on the outside of the no go area (the drums) where the oil tankers moor up. trawlers were banned, the fishing got better as the sea grass beds came back and the condition of the water improved. Outside of the bay, the ban on kingfish traps saw kingie numbers increase ten-fold up and down the coast. This meant that the kingfish numbers increased in the bay so much that even bait anglers fishing with a few day old prawn were catching kingfish. Then along came a few more changes to the bay. These included the addition 24

OCTOBER 2015

the expansion of the Port Botany area and the back of the bay on the northern side of the airport runway. My theory is that it has definitely changed the way that the currents flow in and out of the bay. Sure – the tide comes in and goes out every six hours, but in some places where the tide should be coming in it’s actually going in the opposite direction. For example, you can be anchored up just off the shoreline at Sutherland Point, just out

So should this make any difference when fishing some of the spots in Botany Bay? I find that it does! If you have found that some of the places you have been fishing for a numbers of years have changed, you will have to re-think the way you fish them. Over the years I’ve found that if you want to increase your catch rates you need to berley. It’s simple – if you anchor up and are baitfishing, you need to berley if you want to catch more fish.

Trevally Alley on a quiet day during the week.

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Industry Profile

A brand to be proud of Brisbane and Tampa (Florida) may be a world apart, but the two cities have forged a connection through fishing that has become beneficial to all Australian anglers. 13 Fishing, a Florida born sportsfishing company, launched in Australia in late 2012 and I’ve been along for the ride ever since. When 13 Fishing launched in Australia we began with the release of our two bloodline fishing rods OMEN Black and ENVY Black. We incorporated the suitable actions from the American models and I then began work to develop Australian specific rods to complement our range. Australian fishing is unique and multifaceted with a variety of environments and species that therefore require very different rods, not to mention a range of differing

we wanted to do, and the INCEPTION has been kicking goals since its introduction. Right now the range consists of 5 rods. However, another 8 models are currently on my desk being prototyped as we speak. INTO THE FUTURE Now we are launching what is probably our most important release in our brand’s short history, our first update and overhaul of an existing product line, the introduction of the new OMEN Black. The new OMEN Black represents everything we’ve worked so hard on as a brand over the past 3 years. We pride ourselves on building fishing equipment for today’s angler, and we evolve our product to suit your needs. Technology is developing at an incredible pace, and we are using these

allows us to make a much stronger blank. This may not sound like a very big deal, but controlling that process can be the difference between the rod you can’t put down and the one you don’t take a second look at on the shelf of your local tackle shop. We made new reel seats that are more comfortable, offer better blank access for increased sensitivity and that look awesome! The new ALPS Double Diamond product is a different guide train that ensures that the line flows effortlessly from your reel to your lure without you ever having to worry about durability or performance. MUSE GOLD We have recently launched another great technology in a completely new series. The Zonal Action Theory debuts in our new MUSE Gold

Tom Slater and Dean Thomson with some cracker Somerset bass caught on the new Muse Gold. development to cater for all the bluewater fans out there. But we aren’t just a rod company - in 2014 we launched CONCEPT to a worldwide resounding success. CONCEPT is our take on the low profile baitcast reel market. This reel was not a cardboard copy of the current market. At 13 Fishing we take pride in the practicality and design of our products and so we created this piece from the ground up with our own tools, in our own way, just the way we like it! The next logical step in our reel program? Yep, you guessed it. A spinning reel is

markets. US Bass style rods are generally too heavy for our light tackle sportsfishing, but we enjoy their actions and taper. Trout rods are the right line weight, but often lack the feel and response we have grown to love for lure fishing. To conquer these limitations we started with the design of 16 additional models. These rods provided all sorts of solutions from light spinning rods for bream, through to heavy short baitcast rods for barramundi and cod. Adding these Australian specific models to our range had almost everything covered. In 2014 we launched OMEN Green, our rod for heavier sportsfishing use. Stronger actions and bigger guides were the backbone of the OMEN Green series. In March 2015 we launched INCEPTION Green, a specifically designed series for Australia, which allowed anglers within a budget to experience the 13 Fishing brand. The need for an entrylevel price point became evident, so the INCEPTION Green range was a real winner. A high performing rod at a price that the average Australian angler could afford was always something 26

OCTOBER 2015

Top Left: Up close and personal with 13 Fishing’s new Muse Gold. Top Right: The KP concept reel. Above Right: Concept reels and rods looking great on deck. developments to improve our equipment and bring you, the angler, something truly unique. The new rods are lighter and stronger thanks to a new graphite technology which we call PVG or Poly Vector Graphite. Essentially with PVG we have more precise control over how our graphite gets laid - a more evenly controlled graphite alignment in the blank rolling process

series. MUSE is sort of the in-between. Sitting between the OMEN and ENVY, the MUSE is the third child in our bloodline. MUSE Gold is a series of 9 very high performance, specialised spinning rods designed for light line finesse applications. Whether you’re a bream guy or a bass fisher; MUSE Gold will have something to offer you.

What helps us differentiate MUSE from our other lines is that by incorporating ZAT we can break the blank down into its parts and focus on them individually. This allows us to extract the best performance out of each part. We use the highest modulus – the most sensitive graphite on the tip sections. The mid-section graphite is laid more parallel,

resulting in the perfect ‘springy’ shock absorbing action. The butt-section uses a hex-axial wrap pattern resulting in more strength from the same material so you get that nice powerful backbone if you need to lean on one to get a fish out of some nasty cover. So we’ve gone from two to five ranges, with another new range already in

already underway at 13 HQ and we’re hoping to tease you with some progress in the not too distant future. While 13 Fishing might be the new kid on the block, we bring something pretty unique to the table and I think anglers in Australia will love what we’re all about. When it comes down to it, 13 Fishing is a brand based on one thing – the angler. – Tom Slater

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Industry Profile

Kingfisher Canopy FMG

Ryan Limpus rlimpus@fishingmonthly.com.au

As the days get hotter, we find ourselves out and about enjoying the sunny weather that comes with the typical Australian Summer. These days, being sun smart and protecting yourself and your family from potentially harmful UV rays is always of ultimate importance.

When you’re out on the open boat the best way of creating shade is to invest in a shade cover/bimini that fits your craft. There are plenty out on the market and they all share their purpose – but they are not always fishing friendly. This is what instigated the thought process and design of the Kingfisher canopy range by Ballina business owners Grant Jenkins and Phil Chapman. Phil and Grant are the owners of Undercover

Only quality components and materials are used in the construction of these canopies.

Canvas in Ballina and are renowned for their quality work and expertise in all things canvas, shade and vinyl upholstery. With their staff on hand they have over 60 years experience servicing the northern NSW and Southern QLD region. Both men are keen fishos who had issues when putting up and taking down their biminis while fishing. Frustrated with not being able to maximise the usable space, the boys put their heads together to design a boat canopy that is user and access friendly. From this the Kingfisher Canopy was developed and designed and has not looked back. The patented design has no struts at the front or the back of the canopy - which means you have more freedom to move around and fish within the shaded area. The product also has independently collapsible front and rear sections that allow you to fold up one area if you wish to stand up and fish while the other section of the boat stays under shade. Each canopy is manufactured individually

The guys at Undercover Canvas do more than just the Kingfisher Canopy. When it comes to vinyl, canvas and shade they have you covered.

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Out the front of Undercover Canvas stands the demo boat with the Kingfisher Canopy as well as a custom boat cover. to suit the boat it’s fitted to, and uses only the best quality materials, fixtures and fittings. The canvas used is Polyester Surlast which is UV rated. The quality of craftsmanship is second to none by the Australian owned and operated company with the product backed up by a lifetime manufacturers warranty to the original owner - which can’t be sneezed at. Another strong feature of the Kingfisher Canopy is its strength under speed. The Kingfisher has been tested to 60 km/hour in its fully extended position. As well as producing the Kingfisher Canopy range, Grant and Phil at Undercover Canvas also produce other quality custom made products to protect the angler’s most valued possession … the boat! From engine socks to boat covers and tops - these guys do some great work. For any information on the products and services they provide you can contact them on (02) 6686 5116 or you can check out their websites: w w w. k i n g f i s h e r c a n o p y. com.au or www.under covercanvas.com.au

The Kingfishing Canopy gives you options when out on the water, as show in the above two photos. Either extended to its full capacity or folded up to half capacity.

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Cruising on the Central Coast CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley jrobley@iprimus.com.au

What a great time of year we find ourselves in. Sure we’re still getting the occasional cool day and it’s a bit windy at times, but our local waters are now

warming up nicely and plenty of fish are kicking into gear. THE USUAL SUSPECTS The shallow lakes warm up quickly and places that were largely devoid of life only six weeks ago are now coming alive with prawns, mullet, bream, whiting, and flathead. A lack of rain

through the latter part of winter resulted in thick weed growth, however a lot of slimy plant matter will die off as the water becomes warmer. All the usual spots from Budgewoi to The Entrance are producing some reasonable bream on both bait and lures. As we progress through the month this trend should only get better. My picks for some bream action in the coming weeks are around the shallow weed beds in the lower reaches of the creeks or just outside from the mouths. The sandy

adjacent to weed and other structures in the middle and upper sections of the system should house bream, flathead, and whiting. Some winter favourites like blackfish, silver trevally and the odd salmon may also be active this month, particularly around the Woy Woy to Rip Bridge area. Mulloway are also a possibility in the same area. OFFSHORE OFFERINGS October isn’t one of the best months for offshore fishing but it is still worth

Jamie Robley with a solid trevally caught while chasing bream. There may still be some trevally around this month, although they tend to thin right out by the time November rolls around.

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Quite a few tailor have been swimming around Norah Head over the past two months. If they’re on your hit list, fishing around sunrise or sunset is nearly always more productive. channels and clearer pockets between the weeds at The Entrance, and from the bridge to the back of the islands should fire up nicely too. Plenty of flathead should also be found around The Entrance, but remember to take your measuring stick as at least half of the flatties hooked are just on or just under the legal size of 36cm. Hopefully a few bigger fish closer to 50cm will come your way! Brisbane Waters fishes similarly to the lakes at this time of year. Some parts may remain cooler than others due to depth and current flow. In general, the shallow flats

heading out when the weather or sea conditions allow. This is an ‘in between seasons’ period as October isn’t particularly great for any one species, apart from the hordes of inshore salmon. Having said that, trevally, along with a few snapper, tailor, flathead and the odd kingfish are still very much on the cards over inshore reefs, around headlands and bommies (bomboras). Get out on one of those super-flat days with clear water and better fishing will likely be down deep in 30m or more. Offshore water temps are probably still going to be quite cold this month and

temperatures out to 100m are still likely to be around 16 to 18ºC at this stage. Rock fishing can also suffer in very flat seas this month, as north westerlies are common. After a few days of these offshore winds the water clears right up, wash around the rocks is minimal and areas with lush green cabbage growth die off. Consequently, some fish move out into deeper water and others simply become difficult to catch. If this is the case and your chosen target species are bream, drummer or luderick, try to get onto the rocks nice and early or concentrate on late

afternoon when light levels are lower. Lighter line, careful use of berley and dropping baits right in close, adjacent to shaded ledges with a little bit of whitewash are other things that can be done to increase the odds in your favour. Of course, salmon are still around in numbers this month and despite the fact that some anglers don’t like them, sambos can at least save the day with some fun, sportfishing action. At this time of year they become easier to catch on lures, although the good old pillie on ganged hooks is still the best bet if just hooking into a few is the priority. The odd tailor, bream or trevally may also snatch a lure or pilchard bait while chasing salmon. Beach fishing over the coming weeks will see salmon become the dominant species in the surf zone. Once again, this is all largely dependent on water temperature and how flat the surf ends up being at the time of fishing. Prolonged periods with flat seas also affect sand formations and sometimes the simple task of finding a gutter to fish may take more time and effort. On the other hand, if nature is kind to us, the local beaches can also start producing a few more mulloway after dark from this time of year onwards. Normally, by November beach fishing is quite good, with a range of species on offer, so eventually we will see improvement.

Salmon certainly aren’t about to leave our waters just yet. They can still be around in big numbers during October, especially along the rocks and beaches. 30

OCTOBER 2015

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Fishy conditions ahead for Lake Macquarie SWANSEA

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Thank goodness that’s behind us for another year. The cooler weather should be well and truly over for 2015 now, and we can all look forward to a fishy summer ahead. It’s that time of year when gamefishing clubs look to the first marlin of the new season, we see the water temps on the increase and daytime temps also getting into much nicer territory. It’s also that time of year when bream anglers start to look towards their nearest flats and start thinking topwater. Bass anglers are getting excited as well, as it won’t be too long now until they start to hear that sweet sound of their cicada friends. Lake Macquarie becomes a hive of activity when summer comes around and the waters warm up, but the great thing about the area is that the fish don’t shy off. For many anglers, myself included, October is a great month to start chasing bream on hardbody lures in shallow waters. Much of the lake’s edges offer great bream

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fishing, and many anglers will throw shallow diving hardbody lures such as the Pro Lure S36, Austackle Ranger or the like. Another VERY exciting way to target the bream from now throughout summer is to plug away at the edges around the lake with surface lures. Walk-the-dog style lures or even small poppers are a great option and a very exciting way to chase the old Lake Mac bream. Fish light and you will certainly get better results. If you’re keen and trust your abilities, 2-3lb straight through fluoro is very effective. Equally effective and a little safer for expensive lures is 3-4lb braid and a nice long leader of 4-6lb fluoro. Flathead numbers are also on the increase, and the locals are catching plenty which is great to see. October is generally the last month that I put in any effort chasing flathead in deeper water, and from next month onwards I’ll start to chase them in shallow waters again. Generally a soft plastic around 4-5” will do the trick this month in the deeper waters, but don’t be surprised if a few flatties smash your hardbody bream lures as well as we move into summer. Fishing Point, Coal Point, Belmont Bay and Bolton Point are all great options to toss a soft plastic around in search of a feed of flathead. Bait anglers will score good results in these same areas, too. Mulloway are also about in good numbers, and lure anglers and bait fishers alike are getting into them. Gone are the days when it was thought you could only catch a mulloway soaking a livey at night. Many nice mulloway have come from the lake in the past month from anglers flicking lures during the day, but in saying that there’s been no shortage of nice fish caught at night by live bait anglers either. It’s great to see and shows the quality of fish that are in our lake. OFFSHORE Offshore fishing is what many locals are now turning their attention to, with the warmer currents and bait rich waters not too far off now. We should start seeing bait balls of slimies move in over the next month or so, and mahi mahi (dolphinfish) should start to make an appearance. We’ll also see marlin numbers increase. Shark anglers will see more current offshore, and with it more toothy critters will start to be boated. All in all, as long as the weather gods play ball we might just see another great gamefishing season off our part of the world. The key to gamefishing really is persistence. It’s not an easy sport; it’s often

rough and tough but the rewards can be astounding. There are few feelings that compare to being hooked up to a large gamefish, and it’s a rush that’s hard to imagine until you’ve experienced it

to go past. A slow trolled live slimy is hard for any marlin to resist. For lure anglers, a spread of 6-10” lures is ideal, and generally around 7 knots is a good trolling

Trent Goddard sent in this pic of a lovely Lake Mac flathead. It’s one of many he’s come across lately, which is a great sign for the summer ahead. yourself. I am by no means a hard-core gamefisher – I just dabble in it when the opportunity arises – but when I do go out and it all comes together, it’s such a buzz. If you’d love to give gamefishing a try, I recommend getting in touch with your local game club. In our area there’s no shortage of great gamefishing clubs, and I suggest you get in touch with Central Coast GFC, Lake Mac GFC or even Newcastle GFC. They are all great local clubs and will all be very happy to help out any new members wanting to get into the sport. If you’re looking to plan an offshore trip over the coming season, here are a few tips to help see you hook into the action. Firstly, if you are happy to chase a feed of mahi mahi, get out and hit the Fisheries FADs and any fish trap markers you come across. A live bait is a great option for the better quality fish. Cubed pilchards will see you have plenty of fun on smaller fish, and soft plastics are also a great way to enjoy these summer time delights. For those anglers set on nailing a marlin this season, there are a couple of options for you. Live baiting or lures – the choice is yours. If you are chasing the smaller inshore marlin, live baiting around the bait balls is hard

speed for these lures. Don’t be too focused on thinking you need to fish really wide to nail a marlin. So many anglers fish too wide during summer and come home with a zero when they could have spent their time more wisely working the inshore grounds. They would not only have saved plenty on fuel but would more than likely have seen more action as well. ROCKS Rock fishing anglers also have plenty to smile about, with plenty of opportunities ahead. The kingfish should start to move into the shallow waters, and that also means the rock ledges. Floating out a live yakka is a great option for anglers chasing a kingie or two. Another effective option is to spin with lures. Stickbait style lures such as Ocean Potion lures are a great option. They cast a mile on the right gear and are the perfect tool for stirring up a few inshore kings. As always, the fish won’t get caught sitting on the couch, that’s for sure! Just remember to take care out there this summer and enjoy the action that’s on offer. For the offshore anglers, make sure you have all your safety gear in order and head out with another boat or two when possible.

The Spit surfaces for the first time in years PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

October really is a top month for fishing in Port Stephens. The tail end of the season will see luderick, drummer, tailor, and salmon begin to taper off as flathead, mulloway, and whiting numbers surge. ALLWORTH FLATHEAD CLASSIC Reports from Taylors Beach through to Mud Island, and from North Arm Cove to the branch in the Karuah River all

beach at Soldiers Point. This month the Allworth Flathead Classic is being held again on the 24th and 25th. This is a great competition and is well worth attending as there is always a lot of fun to be had, and even better some great prizes to take home. With the promise of a great month of flathead fishing, this is a comp not to be missed! FIRING ON THE BEACH Mulloway should be a high priority on your hit list this month, particularly in the estuary with the

for mulloway. There are still plenty of squid among the moorings at Shoal and Nelson Bay as well as lurking in the weed beds on the other side along Jimmys Beach. Luderick are proving scarce along the Nelson Bay rock wall, however, make the effort to get fresh weed or cabbage and work the tide changes and you should be able to rustle up your bag limit. Kingfish usually start to make an appearance along the Nelson Bay rock wall this month and the best way to target them here will be with live or very fresh squid. When in the mood, especially around first light, kingfish can smack a 90-150mm stick bait or popper. Worth a throw! THE SPIT Whiting have started to show up in reasonable numbers around Fingal, Samurai and Stockton. To have the best success on whiting use live worms and fish the deeper gutters on the high tide, ideally late in the afternoon or early morning. Tailor have been active on first and last light towards the Spit at Fingal with both pillies

and metal spinners getting results. For the first time in years, the sand at the Fingal Spit has built up enough to allow crossing – something I was fortunate enough to experience. This is a fantastic opportunity to get some great fishing in for species such as: drummer, groper, tailor, squid, and snapper. If you are going to venture across to the island be aware that you are only able to cross it on the low tide. This means you either make a quick visit for a couple of hours, or stay for at least 8 hours until it’s safe to cross again on the next tide OFFSHORE While the snapper fishing in September didn’t really live up to expectations, October should be better with bait schools starting to stack up on the inshore reefs this month. This should mean popular areas like Edith Breakers, The Gibber, Broughton Island as well as Big, Little and Fingal Island will be productive particularly in the early mornings and late afternoons. The increase

in bait schools this month should also see reports of pelagics like kingfish become more frequent

around the islands. A slow trolled live bait will be your best way to connect with this freight train of a fish.

James Moss with a ripper flathead caught from the mangrove edges around Tilligerry Creek.

Benny Doolan with a solid mulloway plucked from a 20m drop off. indicate one thing – estuary flathead are really starting to fire this month. Shore based anglers should also be able to pick up a few flatties by throwing plastics or hard bodies along sunset

surrounding deeper water. Middle Island is worth a shot with a live bait or fresh squid during the tide change. The bridges at Karuah and the Corlette Wreck may prove fruitful

Great news! You can now cross Fingal Spit for the first time in years allowing anglers access to great fishing on the island.

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Flatties and bream are the mainstay this month HUNTER COAST

Gary Earl earlybird13@optusnet.com.au

Our part of the coast has seen some funny weather and some very unusual fishing. One week the water would be 17°C, and the next it would plummet, turn green and hit around 14°C on some southern current lines bringing water up from the south.

It’s amazing how a change like that can affect the fishing, turning it cold overnight. I had a gut-wrenching feeling on a recent trip into the city not long ago. I sat and watched a school of salmon move along the back of Newcastle baths, with clouds of birds hitting the bait the salmon were feeding on. Then the birds starting wheeling around about eight surfers who

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were sitting on the back of the swells looking for a wave. I’m glad I wasn’t out there, as it would have been unnerving sitting in the feeding frenzy, especially with the amount of coverage about the sharks that have been in close over the past few months all along the coast. Still, it didn’t seem to worry the surfers as the massive school went straight under them, and with birds diving all round these guys all stayed out there. (They definitely have bigger sinkers than me; I would have been on that shore in five seconds flat, wave or no wave.) Along with the salmon, which this month should start to thin out, there have been reports of big bream taken along the rocks on both sides of Newcastle harbour. Floating prawns out has been working, and a small split shot or no sinker at all has been the best method. There is no reason why you can’t get them from the shore, but you hardly see anglers along the harbour rocks inside the harbour, as most prefer to take the long walk out to the break waters. I’ve seen some large bream lurking around the rocks near the tugboat tying area and wished I had a rod in the car. Close around the pylons at the brewery there are some huge resident bream, and luderick haunt this area as well. I’m sure just a little up from the busy area you would get some if you had a bit of berley to entice them to you. This month, as the weather keeps warming up, the flathead and bream will be the mainstay for small boat anglers whenever it’s too rough outside. A bit of a bump on the water is good for the fishing in spring though. If it comes from the south or northeast, it can send the snapper into a better feeding mode as they move in close over the gravel beds to spawn. Washes around headlands can see them move in to feed, so a little chop (as long as it’s safe) is a godsend where snapper fishing is concerned. This month can really deliver fabulous fishing. Tide changes during the early morning, afternoon and into the night can see bags of bream, flathead, tailor, mulloway and teraglin coming in, so let’s keep our fingers crossed that the water warms up a little more and the fishing goes nuts. I recently saw a line of boats end-to-end around Stockton break wall, which pretty much confirms that the mulloway are moving into the harbour. If you ever

see the boats in numbers lined up here or out from the pilot station on the

have changed by the time you read this, and there’ll be some blue water from

a picture of what he said was a tassel snout flathead. At first I thought he had

A tassel snout flathead caught off the coast over a reefy area in shallow water. You just never know what you’ll pull out of the drink next.

Everything you need for night bream fishing, including a radio and lamp. Red rock crabs are one of the best night baits for huge bream off wharves and rocks. drop-over, you can bet that someone has spread the word that the mulloway are on. It’s first in, best spot. Live squid, yellowtail, legal size tailor and pike are the best baits at this time of year, as we haven’t got the influx of slimy mackerel schools down this way yet. They usually show up in numbers next month. REEF AND BLUEWATER Newcastle’s reefs are holding large nannygai, snapper, kingfish and trevally, and in some places leatherjackets and squire. The squire are up around the 1-3kg mark, and the best reefs have been the dumping grounds by far. Drifting with pilchards has been the way most anglers have been taking them. Try the Merewether reefs as well if the conditions are safe enough to get down to them. It’s best to anchor on these reefs rather than drift, as they’re mostly smaller reefs than the huge dumping grounds. North of the harbour in the bight, the water has been green. Hopefully this will

the north so we can get out amongst the kingfish that are usually schooled up over the small pinnacles like North Reef and the Marbles. WHAT IS THAT FISH? The other day I was introduced to a fish that I had

Photoshopped a dusky as a joke. To me it looks like a cross between a sergeant baker, flathead, gurnard and rock cod. One hellava weird fish! He got it drifting in close along the Hunter Coast reefy areas.

Drifting over sand and gravel in spring can see a few sand flathead taken for the BBQ. never seen before. Wayne Marsh, a keen Charlestown fisherman, showed me

Anyway, here’s hoping the fishing gets a lot better this month. Happy fishing!

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NEWCASTLE

Ian Pereira ianpereira@aapt.net.au

After a winter reminiscent of the winters of the ‘70s, with wind, rain, hail and very few warm days, October looks like being a great time for fishing. Mulloway aren’t as plentiful in October as they are in March, April and May, but they are usually larger. Interestingly, in the old days there were plenty of 50lb mulloway, along with some 60lb and even

beds and near any rock walls along the edges of the river. Bream are still on the bite in the lower reaches of the river, with fish to 1.4kg being taken on mullet strips and fresh yabbies. Flathead are biting well upriver on bait and plastics, but big fish are hard to find. Most of the best fish are around 50cm in length. Whiting have shown up on the sand spits in the mouth of the river, and some good fish of 35cm have been bagged. A couple of mulloway to 15kg were caught near Chinamans Point. No doubt these fish

plenty of them. Bream and whiting catches have been small and intermittent during the last few weeks. OFFSHORE Because of the rough seas, boats have been able to go to sea for only a few days in the past month. Snapper have been the most caught species, with both the northern and southern grounds producing fish. Most fish have been in the 1-2kg range but the occasional fish to 5kg has been boated. Leatherjackets are around in numbers in 60-80m of water, and some of them are

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The high tides on the beaches or in the river are the best times to chase mulloway. 70lb specimens. Nowadays though, fish of 20kg (around 44lb) are considered large. Quite a lot of schoolies have been caught from our beaches and from the Manning as well this year. In the old days you’d be lucky to find a school of small mulloway a couple of times a year, but now they are caught from the beaches and in the estuary nearly all the time. ESTUARY The Manning is packed with luderick from the mouth of the river to upstream above Taree. They are being caught from wharves and jetties, from along the edges of weed

were hunting the luderick that frequent this spot. BEACH AND ROCK There has been plenty of rough, southerly weather over the past month, and this has restricted catches from the beaches and rocks. Tailor are the only species to be caught in numbers from the beaches and rocks. During the daylight hours chopper tailor can be spun on lures or caught with bait. At nighttime the larger fish come on the bite, and tailor to 3.5kg can be captured. Bonito is the best bait. Salmon have completely disappeared from our beaches, but further south there are

now 1kg or better in weight. Surface fish have disappeared, as have the schools of baitfish. When the baitfish return the outside catches will get much better. In October the northeasterlies start to appear in the afternoons and then drop off at dusk. This means great mornings for all types of fishing, and good evenings for night time angling. There will be plenty of chopper tailor to spin, and a fresh slab of tailor makes a great bait for a mulloway. The high tides on the beaches or in the river are the best times to fish for a big mulloway.

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Bream are still on the bite, with reports of good specimens to 1.4kg. OCTOBER 2015

No excuses to not fish FORSTER

David Seaman dseamo@bigpond.com

Now that we have longer days regulated with daylight savings there is no excuse not to go for a fish after work! The bridge end of the lake and around the shallow edges of the numerous islands should be prime areas for the legal length male flathead that are starting to gather for spawning later in the year, through to autumn. A few large females have already been spotted so I hope this year’s flathead will be as good

as the pigs have been. Areas to look for the flathead include the western edges of Wallis Island, around Dago and Regatta islands and over the flats, at high tide, at the mouth of the Wallamba River. Perhaps the best way to target the flathead and to find shoals of them in any given area is to throw prawn or minnow pattern lures. The shallow, muddy, weeded areas around the islands need the lures retrieved over the weed and dropped onto or close to the bottom. Less weight is better and you’ll find a 1/6oz jig head will be enough to keep the lure at the right level.

Year round pigs from the rocks. You do have to work harder for them and berley more, but they are well worth the effort.

The water is generally clear, and seeing your lure disappear in a dust storm is a great sight. Fishing for flathead from the shore is a difficult thing around town, with Breckenridge channel off Little Street providing good wading access to the sandy channel. The alternative is to wade the sand flats near Pacific Palms and the Sailing Club, or wade the channel up from Tuncurry boat ramp to Tern Island and fish the channel fringe. The Tern Island option does see a lot of anglers and some reasonable fish too. There are encouraging signs of reasonable surface action from the bream, with a lot of fish already penetrating the tributaries and upper reaches. The good news is that the bream pushing up the rivers all take up station (for at least brief periods) on the lease structure in the system. Some of the fish stay on the leases while most filter off into the snags throughout the tributaries. It’s just a matter of working your way up the system until you hit fish, or laying down a steady berley trail and waiting for the fish to gather. While the pigs are around all year, the winter spawn is the best time to catch them. There is less competition for food though winter from rubbish species, and the water conditions and temperatures all contribute to the best conditions. The bream will thin out along the rocks from now and a skeleton crew of smallish males will be left to patrol the rocks and beaches, so don’t expect big or lots of bream. The first of the mac tuna and bonito will show up by the end of the month so a spin session from Bennetts, One Mile or Janies Corner will provide a bit of fun. You may even encounter a straggling

Mixed bags of pigs and bream from the stones at Seal Rocks are still available but you’ll have to be quick to get quality bream. big tailor or salmon during the session. Offshore has been up and down, and I’m not talking about the swell. The weather conditions have been good for venturing to close by reefs, but as Shane Crockett (from Forster Sport & Game Fishing) told me, you have to work for quality fish and be prepared to hit a few spots. Snapper, pearl perch, mulloway and teraglin are the key target species so fresh and live baits are essential. Next month I’ll bring you some background on Shane and his business for anyone wanting to venture offshore over the Christmas school holidays. By the end of this month there should be enough blue swimmers and mud crabs crawling around to make planting a pot or two worthwhile. The water temperature in the lake didn’t get much below 16.5°C so a few long, hot days will help bolster the temp and get them active. Now is the time to use all the pig frames stashed in the freezer. While many bass anglers may rejoice over the blossom of wattle and the opening of

the bass season last month, you’ll have be get in early if you want to fish without weed. The lack of rain and river flow will become an issue if we don’t get substantial rain soon and injections throughout the

summer. Nonetheless I’m sure there will be plenty caught and released through the warming months. The upper Wallamba gets choked out with weed early in the season so the smart money is to do it now.

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A quality snapper taken on a trip with Shane Crockett’s Sport & Game Fishing out of Forster.

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Time to take a break! THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

October is a great month to head to Port Macquarie, with the rivers and offshore fishing firing up. With the start of longer days and warmer weather, the local rivers the Hastings and Camden Haven will really start to come alive as bait moves through the systems. Prawns and mullet will be more predominant and active as the water temps climb, which means you’ll

start to see more feeding activity on the edges as well as around the weed beds. Bream, whiting and trevally are all now a very reasonable target on surface lures. In October I always have a couple of rods rigged with stickbaits and poppers, and you can end up with some great fishing. Recently Local angler Jeff Brunsdon was chasing bream in the Camden Haven River when his Atomic Vibe was engulfed by a rampaging mangrove jack. Jeff said the fight was unbelievable on the light bream gear, and

A great surprise for bream angler Jeff Brunsdon landing this 60cm jack on an Atomic vibe.

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at 60cm it was a cracking fish. He released it after some photos. Bass season is well and truly underway, and many anglers will chase these fish over the next few months. With the water a lot better than the end of last season, the bass will be spread out upriver in the Wilson section, Maria arm and Hastings, so there are plenty of options for surface action or snag bashing with hardbodied lures. Surface fishing in these systems will mainly involve casting your lures in very tight to the structure and working them out from there, and some very useful lures for this type of fishing are the cicada-style paddlers or fizzers. These lures land with a bit of noise and really do imitate the cicadas. Some days you can fish surface all day and by having your lure in the shady sections of the snags you can enjoy some superb fishing. However, what do you do when the fish aren’t rising? Well, they are still there but it may take a deeper presentation to catch them. You should try shallow or deep diving lures, or maybe a spinnerbait or soft plastic, but my recommendation at the moment is to use a soft vibe. They have been outstanding and will see you getting bream and bass – just remember that bass are aggressive and sometimes you just have to find out what they want on the day. All in all, it’s shaping up be a great season and hopefully we have plenty of pics over coming months of happy anglers releasing healthy bass. Of course, it’s not all about the bass. On a recent outing Colin Trenaman From Ned Kelly’s Bait and Tackle landed a very nice 7.1kg tailor and a few more reports of these have filtered in. Colin has also been getting a few mulloway around the local beaches up to 10kg using the tailor he had caught as fresh bait. If you’re keen on beach fishing there are plenty of options to try over the next month or so, and we should see some whiting start to turn up in catches soon. Look for gutters falling off sand spits and slightly deeper holes along the beach. These are good areas to launch a beach worm, and lovely silver bream are partial to the worms in these spots. Beaches worth trying are North Shore, Lighthouse, Cathie and Dunbogan. It does pay to have a drive and look at a few options before coming up with your plan of attack. OFFSHORE Snapper fishing has continued to produce some

Colin Trenaman with a 7.1kg tailor.

Snapper of this quality (8.26kg) have become regular catches for Jason Isaac lately. beautiful fish, and again Jason from Ned Kelly’s Bait and Tackle got onto a few. The largest from a recent trip went 8.26kg, with quite a few smaller models around it. It’s worth having a look, and there’s no better searching method than drifting over the reef and gravel patches using a 5-7” plastic. It’s a very mobile way to fish, and if the tide and wind are favourable you should be in for some great action. Good areas are plentiful from Lighthouse to Cathie, and if you’re visiting to the area drop in and see the guys from Port Tackle or Ned Kellys Bait and Tackle. Both will let you know which depths and areas are producing. MEMO FOR BOATERS I’ll wrap this column up with a memo for our summer boaters. Guys, if your boat has been sitting around over the winter months, get it started, check everything is in working order and get a service if needed. Check the trailer, especially if you’re travelling a fair distance for a holiday. Make sure all your safety gear is up to date as well. You don’t want to have your summer plans ruined by faulty equipment, a boat that won’t go or even a maritime fine. If you prepare now it can save you some last-minute panic!

The author caught this 96cm mulloway on a small Strike Pro Hummer vibe, before tagging and releasing it for Fisheries research.

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The 2015 bass season kicked off quite well with heaps of sizable fish caught in the first few opening weeks. The areas around Kempsey and up towards Belgrave Falls and the upper tidal limits of the river saw some of the hottest action. This is due to the fact that this area has the highest congregation of bass as they make their migration back upriver for summer after spawning. The surface action will heat up with the weather, however at present deep diving lures and spinnerbaits are definitely providing the most hook ups. Cicada imitation lures like Tiemco Soft Shell Cicadas and other surface lures are sure to grab the attention of the more active bass, resulting in plenty of chasers, although the majority will not actually strike the lure just yet.

The top end of the tidal zone usually becomes a hot spot for sharks at this time of year. The presence of these predators in the river can result in your

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OCTOBER 2015

also be exercised when releasing fish, as these river sharks are known to follow your boat looking for an easy feed, just as they do offshore.

Reports coming in from upriver say that a lot of bass have already moved well up the system, with plenty of fish in the deeper holes making everyone primed for an awesome season. Moving down into the salt, the Lower Macleay is firing quite nicely. Smithtown has been home to plenty of bream and flathead as well as some nice-sized whiting in the deeper holes. Soft vibe lures like the Samaki Vibelicious in the 70mm and 100mm sizes have been the gun lures for exploring these deeper holes, and are accounting for just about every species present. Down towards the entrance of the river, the first few kilometres of the system have been fishing well also. Bream have been thick along the rock walls and up around the oyster racks in Clybucca Creek. Big flathead are becoming more energetic as the water warms however, with the most consistent catches

coming from up in the rock walls only a foot or two from the water’s edge. Lightly weighted 5” soft plastics will usually draw a strike from these fish, which are lying in wait for unsuspecting prey to swim past. There have been plenty of baitfish in the river, attracting a range of predators to come and feed on them. Tailor and even kingfish and trevally have been popping up all over the place as they bust up through the baitfish schools. Around the headlands there have been plenty of drummer and blackfish. Tailor numbers seem to finally be slowing down after an awesome season. There are still plenty of school mulloway and decent bream to keep the rock anglers happy. October often brings unsettled and unpredictable weather with it. Even the weather bureaus struggle at times to predict what the weather will be like. When you monitor the weather forecast for the following weekend, it seems to change daily, leaving you unsure of what you’re in for. In these situations you sometimes have to make a decision on the day, and if you’re unsure you should either stay in enclosed waters or not go out at all. If you can get out, kingfish are the most reliable species offshore during October, and they are generally a bigger class of fish. We probably have another month or so of good bottom fishing time left before the current picks up again for summer. Good snapper and pearl perch are still on the cards as well as pigfish, venus tuskfish and a whole array of tasty bottom dwellers. Small leatherjackets have plagued us over the last month or so, but it finally seems as if there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

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Yellowfin tuna on the chew… sometimes COFFS GAME

Glen Booth

By the time you read this, the Coffs Harbour game fishing year should be in full swing. Local charter boat Better Than Vegas got the ball rolling back in late August though, with the first marlin of the season — an 80kg striped to Mark Bain, caught at the South Canyons on 24kg line. The first marlin is quite a feather in the cap for

obviously catchable on 24kg, 37kg is a better option for a healthy release, plus having the requisite drag pressure in reserve if a big one comes along. After an absence of a number of years, there have been encouraging numbers of yellowfin tuna about too, and well within range of trailer boats. No real monsters, but good, honest fish around 24-35kg, and a couple a touch larger. Getting them to bite has been another matter though! Some days

and showing complete disinterest in other forms of live bait, cubes or lures. Sometimes there would be 30 or more jumbos hurling themselves into the air in pursuit of these terrified baitfish, which was great to see, but frustrating because we couldn’t hook them. The next time we had an El Niño event, the same thing happened, although yellowfin numbers were well down by then (and have never really recovered). It isn’t just us that sometimes have trouble

Boatside, tagged, and ready for release, the first marlin of the season. (Photo courtesy of Peter English) Wave Recorder, the FAD, the Lump and down to the Patches looking for stripes, or go wider looking to put some tuna in the boat, with the very good chance of a blue? What a problem to have — and it’s all just starting. Roll on summer! ROC ART I might not know much about art, but I’m a sucker for a good gamefish painting, and I love the

Hooked up! Mark Bain gets stuck into his striped marlin on Better Than Vegas. (Photo courtesy of Peter English) all concerned, and gives the rest of the fleet the necessary inspiration to put away the snapper gear and head wider looking for pelagics. Interestingly, the water is a degree or two warmer than it usually is at this

they’re a chewin’, other days not. A few boats have reported seeing hundreds of yellowfin jumping, yet not so much as a sniff on the lures. Maybe this cussedness is due to us being in an El Niño cycle. Back

though. A former longliner I know told me about shooting 1000 hooks through tuna jumping all around the boat and boiling in the wake for a zero result. When asked, he commented that it was in an El Niño year.

one that’s pictured with this article. This underwater scenario was painted by fellow columnist Jamie ‘Roc’ Robley, and depicts striped marlin herding up bait, which is a common occurrence in NSW waters during summer and autumn. He’s certainly managed to capture the look, which is all the more remarkable since to Roc’s great shame he’s never caught a marlin!

Measuring 76 x 51cm, it’s acrylic on canvas. Given the number of hours that go into such work, at $700 an original like this is an absolute bargain. If you’re interested (he’s also working on bass and mulloway paintings at present, so his versatility with a brush knows no bounds), Jamie can be contacted at robley@ bigpond.com.

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A little bit of everything worleybirdfilms@hotmail.com

Spring started for us in September, but in terms of water temperatures we’re still in the depths of winter offshore. The current is not likely to return to the coast until we’re well into summer, and with an El Nino system kicking in for us it’s likely that the water

will stay quite chilly off the coast all summer. This month we can expect to see the snapper remain where they are, which is pretty much everywhere. The larger fish have tended to be out in the deeper water though, with large numbers but smaller sizes on the inshore reefs. In the deeper water, lures such as slow pitch and Shimano Bottom Ship jigs are working the best, especially as we start to get more wind and faster drifts. There aren’t too

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many days now that aren’t influenced by the northeast sea breeze, and that trend will likely continue this month with cooler coastal waters. The mornings will definitely be easier fishing but if you can stand the discomfort, fishing in more marginal conditions can often reap rewards, as long as you can present your bait or lure in the right spot. The smaller rat king packs have taken up residence around many of the local washes and inshore pinnacles. As always, they seem to stop biting once they get above 64.5cm in these schools. Larger kingies are around though, and if you find the bait and snapper you will likely find the kingfish too. Locating bait balls that are hemmed into a ledge or underwater pinnacle is the key. If you chase around the surface-dwelling kingy schools you will have fun, but you’ll often restrict your bite to only rat-size fish. If you can find those bait schools and get your soft plastic, slow jig or stickbait down in the action you’ll have a good chance at a decent king or a decent snapper. ROCKS Off the rocks the winter fish have still been going strong. Good mulloway are being caught on most Photo: Justin Gilligan

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The author putting the trusty spinnerbaits through some hard work in the salt on shallow water snapper. headlands amongst the many smaller school-sized specimens. Big hardbody lures and soft plastics have still been the best performers. Tailor are not being caught in huge numbers, but those few that are caught tend to be a good size. Fish up toward the 5kg mark have been showing up, with pillies and large lures aimed at mulloway accounting for the majority of them. The luderick have pretty much wound back down to normal after a particularly excellent effort over winter. You can still get a bag of luderick at their normal haunts around the washes and lower estuary rocky outcrops. Artificial weed flies have been a revelation to many luderick anglers I’ve met in the shop this year. For those who think chasing weed on the tides before a luderick session is a bit tedious, a weed fly is the perfect answer. They look almost identical to the real deal underwater, and they last a lot longer than a hook full of weed does. I love fishing them on the fly rod but they work just as well when fished on conventional luderick rigs. ESTUARIES Even though the offshore water is cool, the estuaries are certainly heating up. Flathead are in the breeding mood. If you find one flathead you’re certain to find a few more. In the warmer months of the year the smaller males are all trying to breed with the larger female fish. As many as 20 males can be found hanging around a single female fish. If you catch a few flathead between 30cm and 45cm in one location, it’s a sure sign that there’s a big female somewhere in the area. Now is the time to be collecting all the flathead tips and techniques that you can for the 2nd Urunga Estuary Sport Fishing Flathead Tournament coming up in November. The inaugural event was in 2014 and was a great success. With some new major sponsors in 2015 it’s set to be an even

bigger and better tournament this year. For more info check out the tournament page on Facebook. FRESHWATER Now that we’re back into spring I can talk a little more about freshwater. With water so low the bass will still be hanging low in the systems. You have two options when bassing this month. You could head up high and chase the larger fish that decided not to do the run this year. This option tends to be in nicer country, and from my point of view it’s more fun to fish. The other option is to fish the brackish and lower

mulloway or mangrove jack. The ‘other’ freshwater fish will be on the radar again as of the long weekend this month. Trout season is set to open and the key will be finding rivers with good flow and cooler pools. The winter has been very dry so the highland streams have been very low. Fishing slow and deep under the banks and in larger holes will be a top tactic for chasing the larger fish in the low-flow streams. With water temperatures not too high yet, the low-altitude creeks with a little more flow may be the best bet before they heat up too much. Forecasts indicate we

Luke Tinson with a cracking river bream. freshwater stretches for schooled up fish around the bridges and snags. There’s plenty of bait in these sections so anything that mimics a glass herring or mullet would be well worth throwing around, with an outside chance of a

have a hot, dry summer ahead. I love this time of year, with everything from wide offshore, coastal and hinterland coming online and hopefully onto my line. No matter where you’re heading for a fish, I hope you get amongst the action.

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Bass open season! ILUKA

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September is here and it signals open season on one of my favourite fish

to chase: the iconic Aussie bass. Here on the Clarence River we are spoiled for choice when it comes to water to chase these little Aussie battlers. At this time of year the bass push back up the river

towards the sweet water. After spawning and doing a lot of swimming, they are hungry. Often if you catch them in the right spot you can get really good numbers – I have heard of people getting 50+ in a session!

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To celebrate bass open season my mate Ben Rampling invited me on a canoe trip down the mighty Clarence River. Unfortunately I had promised my ute to someone that weekend and we were down a canoe. I thought that was the end of it, but Benny said that he knew a bloke and it was sorted. Enter Curtis Parker of the Mann River Caravan Park, who

doesn’t just hire out canoes but can also drop you off at your desired location along the river and pick you up at the end of your run. I will definitely be taking advantage of this service again this bass season. Our run down the Clarence River was a little slow on fish but what they lacked in numbers they made up for in size. Ben upgraded his PB to 52cm of stonking lure-crunching Clarence River bass. So all things are looking pretty good for another good bass season on the Clarence. Closer to the sea, off the rocks there have been good sized tailor up to around 3kg

on the old faithful spinner chucked around the washes. The Halco Twisty has been a good producer in recent weeks. There have also been a few better-sized trevally up to the 4kg mark hitting poppers. There has been a good sprinkle of soapy and school mulloway off the rocks as well on white 5-7” plastics, if throwing lures is your thing. If a nice, relaxing bait fishing session is more your style, strip baits of mullet and squid have been accounting for the same calibre of fish. With the weather starting to warm up there should be a bit more activity on the

flathead front in the lower reaches of the Clarence River. Any weedy drop-off will be worth a hit with soft plastics to produce a feed of these tasty flat fish. A gun colour in the Clarence for chasing flatties is anything chartreuse. It’s always the first coloured plastic I tie on when I’m out and about rounding up a feed of flatties. Also, don’t forget that for those of us who love crossing over the range to lock horns with the good old Murray cod, it is now closed season. Time for them to breed up so we can keep chasing these great Aussie sportfish for generations to come.

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established by Ross Cook, manufacturing his own designs of fibreglass canoe and kayaks. Over the next few years, Ross soon had the need to expand into a factory showroom on Brisbane’s Northside in Stafford. By the late 70s Rosco Canoes moved into the well-known premises at Windsor, which was to become the home of Rosco for over 35 years. Modern road works drove Rosco Canoes to find new

premises at Kedron, which was home for 5 years. For over 45 years Rosco Canoes have played a major part on getting people out on the water, including being the preferred supplier for many school camps across QLD, Scouts and Girl Guides, which means that every kids who has been canoeing probably would have paddled a Rosco! The Rosco range now boasts a huge 10 canoe models and 14 kayak models, all designed and

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Arrival of spring brings more big flathead BALLINA

Joe Allan

The start of spring has bought some great fishing opportunities with it. The wild Australian bass season opened last month, and it wasn’t long before we saw some quality captures around the area. The main river of the Richmond has been producing some really healthy fish in good numbers. They seem to be in very good condition, and have been willing to eat most things that pass them by. The best results so far seem to be from 1/2oz Bassman spinnerbaits in olive green/ white, with a combination of gold and silver blades. The best bite time seems to be from half tide up, when there is enough water on the snags and current breaks to hold the quality fish. Springtime always brings with it some big flathead, and this year it’s kicked off exactly on time. Jake Stewart recently caught two beauties in the Richmond River up from Burns Point Ferry (see photo). Jake says the trick is finding the deeper holes on the sounder that are holding bait balls. He uses live bait, a

40lb long trace to a running ball sinker and a Gamakatsu Octopus Circle 4/0 hook. If live baiting isn’t your thing, lures worth trying include any soft plastics in the 4-6” size range with either curl or paddle-tails. The more movement in the tail, the better. GTS BREAM RESULTS The last round of the Gamakatsu Team Series Bream competition was held in Ballina on 29 August, with some heavy bags weighed in. Team Gamakatsu-Atomic won the event, and the local father/son team of Nigel and Zac Skrying weighed 3.33kg, almost 500g clear of second placed team Samurai Reaction rods Dave Mackenzie and Tristan Taylor. Third place went to Bush n Beach/Berkley Chris and James Britton. Zac and Nigel stuck to the inside of North Wall most of the day and threw Atomic Semi Hard Minnows, with Assist hooks replacing the rear treble for a better hook-up rate. This combo has won the boys a lot of money this year, and as such they have taken out the Team of the Year for 2015. REEF AND BEACH The snapper are strong in numbers offshore around the 32 fathoms. The trick to

catching these fish on vibes is really to not do too much at all. Just let the current work the lure with a very subtle lift and

fall action, and it will be too much for the snapper to resist. The beaches are starting to fire up nicely. The north

end of Sharpes Beach is forming nicely from the rocks in the middle of the beach is funnelling out towards the headland. This is producing some nice catches of bream and flathead on fresh bait form the local tackle shops. Beach worms can be found by those who know what

they’re doing. If you’re new to worming, now is the time to start practicing, with the bigger tides come along towards the end of the month. The start of next month should really have the whiting on the chew. Until next time, stay safe and tight lines.

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OCTOBER 2015

Looking forward to warm water THE TWEED

John Van Eyk

Lately there have been reports of some reasonably large tailor taken down around Kingscliff area and Salt Beach. As well as the usual baits and metals, we’re seeing more anglers throwing Zman 5” JerkshadZ plastics, which can withstand damage from the tailor’s teeth. In recent weeks there

have also been quite a few flathead getting caught in the Tweed River down at Pottsville. A couple of good lures lately have been Fish Arrow Flash Js and Zerek Live Shrimp Hot Legs. Locals are still picking up a few tailor here and there around the Tweed Bar. If you’re after blackfish you can still catch the odd one, but you have to work harder for them now. In the coming weeks, mangrove jack will start

to feature in more catches. So far there have been some reports of a few fish getting caught in the upper reaches, probably because the temperature is a little bit warmer up that way. Good lures for the jacks include Lucky Craft Pointer 78DDs and Bevy Shad 75s. Summer whiting should be starting to appear soon as well. There hasn’t been too much news from offshore, although snapper are still

being caught on the close reefs. There have been some pretty good specimens reported, caught on a variety of baits and plastics. There have still been a few trevally and kingfish up around the Southport Seaway. For up-to-the-minute fishing reports drop into Tweed Tackle & Marine on 13 Greenway Drive, Tweed Heads South, or phone them on (07) 5523 3535 or visit www. tackleandmarine.com.au.

There are still reports of a few trevally being caught.

This bream snapped up a 3” Gulp Minnow in pumpkinseed.

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Feeling the need for a feed ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke clarkey1@westnet.com.au

Break out the plastics because the beaches, estuaries, rocks and offshore are all starting to warm up, and many of the species that were quiet during the colder months are now in need of a feed. Sure – we used plastics over winter, but it was mostly for a few snapper offshore and bream in the enclosed waters or, if we were very lucky, a local mulloway. You could have travelled to one of the bigger systems north and south but that isn’t local, so we have struggled a bit over the past few months. First cab off the rank is everyone’s favourite: the flathead. As the shallows warm these fish are starting to get a move on in the lake. They usually coincide with the first run of prawns on the first dark in October and get better as the months roll into summer. The prawns usually kickstart the bream into grabbing lures much more aggressively, as well as smashing live prawns put in the right spots. Some of the snags in the creeks are producing good fish, as are the islands in the lake and down around the bridge pylons in the evenings. The flathead, as usual, are in the main channel and up around the drop-off. Plastics that imitate prawns are the go-to lure, but these fish will hit almost anything when they get going towards the end of the month. Over the shallower areas you will often see a prawn skipping over the surface with a few frantic jumps before disappearing in a swirl. The swirl is more often than not a whiting, so get the poppers out and start working the sandy drop-offs around the main channel and down around the sand banks just up from the entrance. During the week is the best time because the weekends will start to get a bit crowded now that the weather is starting to warm up. Alternatively you can try a late afternoon look after dinner now that daylight saving is here. Chopper tailor are about in numbers as well, putting the cutters through your plastics and taking those little poppers in one bite. It can be expensive at times. A few mulloway have been taken around the bridge but they are here one day and gone the next. It’s very frustrating. Minnamurra is much the same, and with less boat traffic (particularly during the week) it makes a great alternative and is always picturesque. BEACHES Plastics have been scoring

a few early flathead and the odd school mulloway if you find the right deep gutter. Salmon are a constant on most beaches, grabbing plastics and baits at any hour of the day, and can make a very quiet day a bit more exciting when they move into the gutter you’re fishing. The big mover towards the end of the month will be the whiting. They really get going on the southern beaches either side of the lake before spreading out to all the beaches in the Illawarra. As always, beach worms are the number one choice for bait. With a bycatch of salmon, bream, trevally, mulloway and flathead you just can’t go past beach worms, so every minute catching this bait is worth it. With the whiting usually come the larger mulloway, so fishing a good, deep gutter on the top of the tide after sundown with fresh bait can be rewarding. It can be time consuming too because they aren’t always abundant. The most successful anglers are usually the ones who put in the most hours.

month, with some decent kings starting to patrol the rocks. If the currents are favourable you may even get a run from a stray yellowfin tuna. October used to be a prime time for ‘fin on the rocks but they are few and far between these days. They’re not out of the question though, and for some strange reason there often seem to be big mackerel tuna taken off the stones during October. I’ve never been able to figure that one out, but it still happens. To keep you busy between runs, keep tossing those metals at the horizon for plenty of salmon and a few tailor, bonito and smaller kings. Or for something different you could walk the deeper ledges and shallow bays tossing prawn plastics into the washes and working them slowly about. The amount of species that can pounce on your offering is astounding. Bream, trevally, snapper, salmon and kings are the staples, but there are so many others that love pretend prawns. Parrotfish and wrasse of all types and groper (from small to rip-your-arms-off

Top: A couple of happy chappies with their plastic-eating snapper. Bottom: Striped tuna are basically dynamite dipped in chrome. They’re great on light line and make sensational bait. On the rocks there have been plenty of bream in the washes, and over the past few months the drummer have just kept on biting. Some good fish are being taken on royal reds and cunje, but the old cunje seems to be harder to get thanks to some anglers taking more than required. In some instances people have cleaned out areas that used to hold plenty. Blackfish are still on the tooth on the ledges and in the harbours, particularly when there’s a bit of a bump on. Cabbage weed and green weed are both working well. Dusting off the land-based game gear and heading Kiama way could be worth a shot this

thumpers) love them. You can also encounter pike, drummer, blackfish, leatherjacket, silver drummer, mowies, samsonfish, mulloway, mackerel, sergeant baker, red rockies, yellowtail, pigfish and tarwhine. On some days you’ll get most of the above, and you’d be surprised how many flathead gather in the tiny patches of sand and gravel around what appears to be solid rock. OFFSHORE The fishing is hotting up as the water starts to warm. Out on the shelf there were heaps of albacore and a few yellowfin if you found the right patch of water, and this action will hopefully improve as the month goes on.

A few early striped marlin should start to show and maybe even a large mahi mahi or two. They seem to come down on the first of the warm currents, and the little ones come in en masse when the water gets hot much later. The canyons have plenty of gemfish and blue-eye, with the odd hapuka thrown in for good measure. The current will start to pick up soon though, making it tough to get down to them in the warmer months. Closer in the flathead seem to have woken from their winter slumber, with all the sand patches reporting good numbers of larger fish for the bottom bouncers. Small snapper and good-sized mowies are over the gravel and reefs, with lots of pigfish coming in too over the past few weeks. The leatherjackets haven’t been too bad but they are still about. However, the barracouta are making up for them, chopping off hooks and sinkers, and generally making a nuisance of themselves in many places. Some nice snapper are grabbing plastics on the deeper reefs as the fat store from the winter cuttlefish frenzy starts to wear off. The area to try is in 30-50m of water. Drifting plastics is so boring but at the same time so damn effective in the local area. If only it were like Coffs Harbour and areas north, but you have to play with the hand you are dealt! Waiting for that hit is the only option. If the barracouta are about it isn’t boring, but it can get expensive as they slice your rubbers to bits on every drop within seconds. When that happens it’s time to move. A few kings are starting to show around the islands, Bass Point and Minnamurra and even the odd few over the deeper reefs, but they have been few and deep. Live mackerel are the bait if you can find them, with squid good too but harder to find. Knife jigs are worth a try only if the dreaded ‘couta are not about. A few striped tuna are skipping around on the surface and are worth chasing for bait, as they are hard to beat at this time of the year for everything. In closer there are schools of salmon popping up all along the coast, with a few trevally and kings sitting underneath them, and you guessed it: more barracouta. They seem to be everywhere this year. They can be crazy to catch as they will jump into the boat chasing your lure on some days, but with razor teeth and needles in their gills and fins they are nasty to handle. A few decent snapper to 3kg are hanging around the shallow bommies if you berley early or in the evenings, and use unweighted baits. The odd samson will like your berley as well. Good luck.

The salmon are popping up all over the place, and often only a few hundred metres from the centre of town. Check out the school rippling in the background.

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Good flush-out helps the bass get moving NOWRA

Johnny Nolan

The river received a good flush with the recent flooding rain, as have all the estuaries in the area. In the upper river the extra flow should have been good for the bass making their annual migration upstream. When it comes to the beaches, the openings to lake Wollumbulla and the

Shoalhaven River have been fishing well due to plenty of feed being flushed out of both systems. It has attracted salmon and tailor, and hopefully it will also get a few mulloway moving on the beaches after a pretty lean season. There were a lot of bream for a while but they’ve thinned out a bit. In St Georges Basin the water has been very dirty but fish are still being caught regardless. The

bream have been feeding on the bait schools, which have been concentrated in the more salty areas of the basin. Drains running in are also a good spot to check out, as the predators lie in wait for food being washed in. When it comes to offshore fishing, there isn’t all that much to report. It has been quiet for pelagics; the yellowfin missed us this year. There have been a few snapper on

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the inshore reefs though, taking the usual baits as well as plastics. Along with the ubiquitous 5-7” Gulp Jerk Shads (and similar shad-style plastics), anglers are also getting a few snapper on Gulp Nemesis curl tails. Right out wide we’re seeing captures of tasty blue-eye, hapuka and ling for those anglers with electric reels. There are a few mako sharks around out wide, too. St Georges Basin is still fishing OK for bream. Surprisingly, bigger flathead started to show up early, with a few

anglers getting good fish around the 90cm mark. A couple of lures that have been working well on the flatties are the Samaki Vibelicious Thumpster soft vibes and Juro Astro Vibe 45 blades. The mouth of Jervis Bay is a good option for drifting for flatties, and there are still good squid coming from there as well. There have also been a few snapper inside Jervis Bay in recent weeks, and that should continue. THE MONTH AHEAD With the river flooding allowing the bass to push

well up into the fresh, October should see a good early start to the bass season. It’s unlikely that the lake and Shoalhaven will stay open, but the fishing will stay good. We really needed that flood! For more information on what’s biting where, drop into McCallum’s Tackle World Nowra on 47 Kinghorn Street, Nowra. You can also phone them on (02) 4421 2418, email mccallumssports@ shoalhaven.net.au or check out the McCallum’s Tackle World Facebook page.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Berkley Fishin’ Gear Giveaway Buy $25 of Berkley Fishin’ Gear and have 50 chances of winning $1000 of Berkley Fishin Gear! That’s $50,000 in prizes. HOW IT WORKS During the promotional period of September 1 st through to December 31st 2015 purchase any Berkley product to the value of $25 from a participating store to be eligible to enter to win some amazing prizes from Berkley. Come down and do some shopping to receive your entry form,

which is awarded to the customer by friendly store staff. To enter, just visit the promotional website, enter the required personal details and the unique code on the entry form, and submit the completed entry during the promotional period. You can receive an entry form for every $25 purchase of Berkley product during the promotional period, so feel free to come by a few times, just remember to keep your receipts!

PRIZES Awesome Berkley prize packs will consist of -Berkley plastics, jigheads, line and leader. Each prize contains: 31 packs of Gulp! 30 packs of PowerBait; 20 packs of Nitro jigheads to suit; 4 spools of Fireline and 4 spools of Vanish leader. Lucky winners will be able to choose from some exciting pack including light estuary, medium estuary, and offshore packs. For more information visit www.berkleyfishing.com.au

OCTOBER 30th -1st NOVEMBER, 2015 BRIEFING RSL OCTOBER 30th @ 6PM

* *

Cheryl Ewing with a cod that she caught while fishing in the Kimberleys while staying on the Kimberley Quest.

OCTOBER 2015

Snapper into action! BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

After a bit of a slow tuna run we are looking at targeting inshore snapper and deep dropping for blue eye trevalla. Hands up who is sick of wintery conditions! The colder months aren’t so bad if the fish are biting and the tuna are running, because it’s not long after a hook-up that the layers come off and you’re in a T-shirt and loving life. Especially if it’s also a sunny day, then it’s magic! Winter is very bearable when you get days like that. This past winter was a bit slow though, and it’s only now that we’re seeing some good water returning, giving us hope for some yellowfin and albacore. Don’t rule out a bluefin as the odd one is still showing up, and off the rocks around Jervis Bay they are swimming around in all depths. However, if I were heading offshore now I’d be getting out to the 151 line and looking for albacore with a chance of yellowfin. I would also be putting the electric to work as the fish on the bottom have been exceptional this winter, coming into spring. We have seen some very good catches of blue-eye trevalla and some gemfish. Some grenadier, bar cod and the usual ocean perch are around as well, and they seem to be much bigger than

they usually are. The Ulladulla and Jervis Bay area is performing well, and Batemans to Bermi has had good bottom fish also. So winter hasn’t been all doom and gloom, although it would have been good to have seen more bluefin. We can move on more easily now that we have more daylight and sun shining on

good schools of late. The cuttlefish are in and we expect a good bite in close, with the plastic flicking crew looking to catching that elusive 8kg monster. However, lately the depths have been producing, and our customer and all-round good bloke Miro got a few nice ones to 7kg+ out a bit wider. So it might

Don’t write tuna off. Matt Walton and Craig Rushby will still be chasing them.

Miro was happy to score this 7.3kg snapper. us. What also helps is a good showing of snapper in the 60-90m depths. This depth has had some very

be a good idea to give a flick in close, and if that doesn’t yield results then have the gear to head out deeper and try for some of the larger schools out wide. The flathead run seems to have eased but are always a possibility. Off the stones there has

been the odd snapper but you’re more likely to catch a salmon or tailor. If you want a feed off the stones, drummer are the performer and are more reliable. A lot of people have been getting a few grouper as well. Don’t even consider a kingfish at this stage. Who knows where they have gone! The beaches have been producing salmon and tailor, and there are still good bream in coastal bays. Tailor have been the standout species of late, and they’re probably what the mulloway have been chasing. The mulloway seem to have moved out or quietened down, but lately there’s been an increase in captures… and losses. John Hillyear hooked up to the biggest fish he has ever caught out of the Clyde only to be cut off by someone else’s line. Not mentioning any names… JOSH! They didn’t speak for days! The mulloway should start moving into the estuary again soon, as should the bait, as spring approaches.

A bit further into the estuary the perch have been big, fat and abundant. We have had a massive amount of rain leading into spring but let’s hope this year we get the right amount and the system will flourish and be loaded with bait. Last year the rain seemed to wipe it out, pouring through November into December. Here’s hoping it runs enough but not as much as last year.

Well, I’m about to fly out to Singapore and have my annual two-week break. Enjoy the new season’s fishing! • For more up-to-the-minute information on what’s biting where, drop into Compleat Angler Batemans Bay and have a chat to Anthony or one of the other friendly staff. They’re located at 65A Orient St, Batemans Bay (02 4472 2559).

Jamie Gordon with the spoils of his Clarence River whiting session.

OCTOBER 2015

Awesome October NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

The Narooma region has received buckets of rain over the last week with an excess of 200mm falling in some areas. This has left the estuary anglers a little light on options in the meantime, but the journey ahead looks nothing short of sensational. NAROOMA SYSTEMS LOOKING GOOD Every system needs a good flush from time to time and the estuaries that have been closed to the ocean most of the year are now open which is awesome for fishing. Bait anglers fishing the lower sections toward the entrances of lakes such as Mummuga and Corunna Lakes will do extremely well especially for bream. Fresh bait like striped tuna and mullet strips will work better as they sit a little tougher on the hook. This is important as the water will be flowing quite quickly. Use a heavier sinker than normal to keep that bait near the bottom. You might have to change it up a bit as the current

slows, but if you get it right you will reap the rewards. The next few months will be exciting fishing for the Narooma and Tuross systems, especially after this rain as both will fire up nicely. October is the start of it all for the mighty mulloway and I can’t wait for them. Mulloway will be on everyone’s list with fish up to 15 kilo and possibly bigger to be expected. Both bait and plastic throwers will get amongst them, but I would expect more to be caught by those casting soft plastics and bigger vibed lures. The main basins will be the place to fish -concentrate your efforts around whitebait schools and if tailor are present you’ll do even better. Fishing deep bait is a dynamite way of targeting mulloway here so use your sounder to increase your catch rate. If the mulloway aren’t playing then monster flathead are another option to chase as they head to the lower sections of the systems to do their thing. Fishing the baits schools is again a great way to target them, but I find the weedfringed edge in 6-8m of water is the best place to

start. Using bigger softies around 80-100mm is the go with fish patterns and natural colours are your go to lures. You will get plenty of eating models too so a feed shouldn’t be too hard to get. Up at Tuross the river is the place to fish for bream and estuary perch early in the season. Casting smaller hard-bodies and plastics among the snags and various rock-walls that litter the river is a good method The recent rain will do a world of good, although the water may still be a little dirty it will certainly be fishable. Flathead should be a good chase in the shallow parts of the river. I would suggest fishing the slightly deeper gutters around 1.2-2 m and with smaller soft plastics. OFFSHORE FORECAST Offshore anglers haven’t had the best run of weather especially those fishing wider for early season yellowfin tuna. When it does improve there is certainly an increased chance of finding them, but this will depend on water temperature, current movement, and bait activity. Personally I would be waiting a few more

The coming months will see some happy anglers catching croc sized flatties like this 92cm model which was released in great condition. weeks, keep a close eye on reports from fishers to the north of us and maintain knowledge of temperature satellite charts to know when to get out on the water. At Montague Island the kingfish over the winter period have been fairly good, not on fire but some days have been exceptional. This seems quite promising as spring arrives with October - usually the month the jig fish turn up. The fish are generally around that 65-75cm mark and jigs are generally the preferred method. You will still get them on live bait but jigging is easier, you get more time on them and it’s a stack of fun even though you have to put your back into it. There’s plenty of bonito still at the island and this will continue right through spring and summer, jigs, livies and trolling should see you get as many as you like.

For those after snapper and other bottom eaters you’re in luck as the heavier seas of late has really turned them on. I know a few locals are doing extremely well off Potato Point which is famous as this region’s hot spot for reds. There’s so much awesome looking ground up there, with reefs and gravel beds from 20 - 60m all producing at times. The fish don’t leave the general area, they might move around a bit and can be tricky to locate but once you do it’s all systems go. Fresh bait like squid, cuttlefish and tuna strips will work, and anglers casting softies when the currents allow will also get among them. You can expect morwong, trevally, pigfish, john dory and heaps of sand and tiger flatheads just off the hard ground. In fact the bottom fishing continues to get better every year now the trawlers are gone.

Those beach anglers after a feed will do well on bream, whiting, and yellow-eye mullet as they patrol the gutters looking for food.A lot of these fish will start to enter the estuaries again so I’d recommend fishing beaches that have an estuary entrance close by. My suggestions would be Brou, Tilba, and Blackfellows towards Tuross. Using beach-worms, pipi and tuna cubes will work and don’t underestimate the chance of mulloway. These silver beasts will be following the blackfish schools as they head back into the estuaries. If you have the patience and time to fish the flooding tides into the evenings with fresh bait you have a serious chance of hooking one. Coila beach is also a great option as it’s now open to the ocean after recent heavy rains. Good Luck!

The boys with a few sambos caught up the Tuross River just before the rains. 52

OCTOBER 2015

Bass bust out in Bermagui BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

As we move on into spring fishing options are opening up to anglers and one of these options are bass fisheries. The best in the area is Brogo Dam warming up ready to get hot!

distraction from the fishing is spectacularly beautiful natural surrounds. If you can tear your eyes away from the scenic beauty try working a variety of lures around the weed beds where most of the aquatic species to be found thrive including shrimp, galaxias, gambusia, mudeyes, and many a nymph. Keep a watchful eye on the sounder

as these spots are where the warmer water is and therefore where the prawns live. These prawns provide food for the predator fish in this instance - flathead, bream, whiting, luderick, trevally and many more. This is great news for anglers both those who enjoy lure fishing or for those who just like to soak a bait. All you have to

as are morwong, nannygai, perch, and kingfish. Out wider over the shelf, a few game fish are being encountered. Mostly albacore or striped tuna although the odd yellowfin may also appear. What is favourable amongst anglers at present is burleying for mako sharks as they follow tuna schools and -with the aid of electric reels - fishing the canyons for those deep water blue eye trevalla, ling, hapuka, gemfish and many more odd ball species from the abyss. Just a reminder to those who have been before or wish to participate in the annual Brogo Bass Bash fishing competition it is on again the weekend of 4th, 5th & 6th December with funds raised going to the ongoing stocking program. For further information contact Darren Redman - President on 0427934688.

The end result – a beautiful big bass taken in the dark on a surface lure.

Anglers of the bass competition waiting for the start flare. BASS STOCKING IN THE BROGO Thanks to the efforts of the Far South Coast Bass Stocking Association, this fishery has now been stocked for the last 19 years with an average of 20,000 baby bass annually. As you would expect, with so many fish in the impoundment it is not hard to catch a bass, the only

to find the warmer water and try there in the evening as the sun fades with surface lures – a technique that can produce spectacular results. ESTUARY SEASON Fishing in the estuaries surrounding Bermagui is also improving with the warmer weather. At this time of year focus on getting into the upper reaches of the systems

do is look to match the hatch and you should have some excellent angling. OFFSHORE Not to be out done, the offshore scene is pretty active too and spring is the time for tiger flathead. In, around or beyond 50m water depth is where you are likely to find these fish. Reefs are scattered in the depths and you’ll encounter flathead and many other reef fish as you drift over them. Snapper are a likely find

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Tathra turning up the heat TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

The water is warmer and the fish are feeding in the upper reaches of the estuary systems – exactly where you should be as a keen angler at this time of year! RIVER SYSTEMS The warm water provides prawns, shrimp, nippers, and small bait fish nutrients which in turn provide a wholesome food source for the predator fish. Estuary perch, bream, flathead, whiting, and luderick all follow this post-winter diet with the intention of regaining body weight after the cold season. The Bega River provides excellent angling up towards the brackish water and even into the fresh - whether you’re into lures or bait this is the place to be. Often these fish will be found mid-stream in the shallow gravel areas of the river where a good pair of sunnies is all the technical help you need to locate fish. Several fish may be taken from the one area before the rest are spooked.

OCTOBER 2015

Once they have moved to another area - often not far away - the action is likely to start again. Move further upstream into the fresh and you are likely

to encounter quite a few bass. Bass released into Brogo Dam escape down the spillway when the dam overflows into the Brogo River, this in turn flows

Luderick will often take a plastic prawn imitation.

into the Bega River. As a result the Bega is full of bass. As the weather warms up, any deep hole is likely to host many bass only too willing to attack a lure. BEACH AND OFFSHORE TIPS Currently there are other hot options on offer in the Tathra area - one of them being the local wharf. This place is a lot of fun, with locals and kids on vacation capitalising on the harvest. So what are they catching? Well just about anything, but the species that make the short list are likely to be slimy mackeral, yellowtail, trevally, garfish, tailor and maybe a salmon here and there. Small lightly weighted fish baits drifted down off the wharf is all you need to catch these species while cabbage weed fished under floats closer to the rocks may produce luderick or drummer. Offshore - lets go catch tiger flatties! This is the time of year these fish start to congregate around the 50m water depth or deeper where drifted baits on the bottom will do the trick. The best areas are south out from Bournda

Flounder are just built for shallow water feeding. -this area is famous for its flatties and doesn’t look like disappointing any time soon. The other advantage to this type of angling is that you just don’t know

what to expect as other species like snapper, morwong, gummy sharks, gurnard, perch, and many more are all likely to make up some mixed bags.

Merimbula making a splash in springtime MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

With spring well and truly here and the water temperature on the rise, now is great time of year to wet a line around the Merimbula region. It really doesn’t matter what you target or where, there’s something to catch for everyone. ENTERTAINMENT IN THE ESTUARIES For myself and many other anglers, these estuaries will be high on our hit lists. Almost all species will play the game at some time throughout the month and I for one can’t wait. The recent rains have flushed the estuaries creating perfect conditions and I expect the next period to be exceptional for angling. Those after monster flathead are in for a good time as both the Merimbula and Pambula basins will produce. These big girls will be hungry for big soft plastics, vibed lures, as well as live bait, which is sure to catch fish at all times. There have been a handful of 75-85cm fish caught over recent weeks, which is great

to see so early in the season. I’d recommend concentrating around the ribbon weed edges on the perimeter of the lake with ideal water depths of 3-7m. You will get plenty of 40-50cm fish as well, so if you’re after a feed you will be appreciate this spot. Cast smaller plastics and you can expect trevally, bream, tailor, and smaller pinkie snapper when casting to these same edges. Those using fresh bait like live nippers or worms will start to see some solid whiting and bream on the flats and channels. The lower sections of both systems towards the estuary entrances are a good place to start with the flooding tide offering the best. As the water warms during the month, surface lures for bream and whiting will be another option and are a whole stack of fun. BEACH BONANZA Salmon are still in numbers with most beaches holding a few fish. These speedsters are responding to all methods, it really just depends on how you want to catch them. Anglers using baits like blue-bait and pilchards have certainly accounted for the bigger fish. Using a paternoster or single hook rig is the go when

using larger baits. For those who want some sport, cast small chromes into the suds

of a few mulloway caught up to a meter in length, so it may be worth a look. I’d expect

that will change quickly as the northern currents push south. North of Merimbula,

Gotta love kids getting into fishing. Here’s young gun Ryan with a pair of cracking bream prior to release. on light gel-spun for some serious fun. You can lose a fish when it throws the hook, to combat this, try replacing the treble with a decent straight shank single hook for better hook up to landing ratio. Mixed up with the sambos are some nice tailor and it won’t be long before the mulloway start to show. I have recently heard whispers

a few decent gummy and school sharks to be caught also. Better beaches to try include North Tura, Tura Main and Haycock. Outside anglers have done it tough of late but that will certainly change this month. We’ve had some cold, dirty water off Merimbula lately mainly from the estuaries cleaning out, but

the temperature charts are looking promising and hopefully those warmer fronts could hit our shores soon. When it does arrive, yellowfin tuna and albacore are possible appearances along the shelf and the wider area. Trolling a range of bibbed minnows and skirted pushers should do the trick early in the season.

Closer to shore the kings have been a little sporadic, but there’s still been the odd big fish close to the headlands. Keen sport fishers with poppers, large soft plastics, stick minnows, and unweighted live slimy mackerel have caught these fish. This type of fishing isn’t for everyone but if you locate a good patch you’re in for some serious fun. Those anglers fishing the stones have also enjoyed themselves. I know of kingfish up to 8kg coming from Tura Head, mainly caught on live bait. There have also been a few caught on poppers and bigger chromed slices. I had a look there recently and though I didn’t land one, I saw some extremely big boils on the surface which I knew were kings in excess of 10kg, exciting stuff. These are solid kingfish and there’s a few there so it’s worth a look. If you’re after a feed then Short Point, Long Point and Tura Head has seen a few pigs and blackfish caught. Better baits to use include cunjevoi, prawns, and cabbage. Those who have done alright are using berley sparsely, although a bit more preparation berley is certainly worth doing.

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OCTOBER 2015

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Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

Everyone is over what was one of the coldest winters experienced in a long time and it feels great to know that spring is just around the corner. The rivers and creeks in the Eden area have all cleared up after the recent rains and are still flowing well which should make for some great fishing in the coming months. The days may be starting to warm up but the ocean is still cold. When the ocean gets warm, the fishing will really take off. Fishing the

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morwong that will in the coming months see the boats heading out wider to the shelf. Here’s where you’ll find game fish species that put in an appearance as the water starts warming. The local estuaries have really cleared up after the recent rains and some good fishing has been reported towards the fresh at the top of the system. Black bream are plentiful in these spots but are there to spawn and thus catching them can prove tricky. Dusky flathead have been caught in their wintering spots but will start spreading out through the system as the water warms. Fish are about in numbers so its looking good

With the lack of visitors to the area this time of year you can expect to be the only car at the boat ramp! To have a day undisturbed on the water is always special and at the moment you can expect some quiet time out on the water. There are not too many spots on the East Coast that deliver such a luxury as this and Mallacoota won’t get much busier until Christmas. Now is the time to take a personal day on the water. The new boat launching facilities at Bastion Point have made it easy for big boats to head to Mallacoota for the offshore fishing. The winter months has seen the cold water slow

the big flathead – both tigers and sandies – that the area is known for. Around the same time there is every chance that the kingfish are about; if the bait schools

blackfish, yellowfin bream and salmon. These are just a few of the species you can expect to catch. Salmon are been caught along all the local beaches,

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OCTOBER 2015

‘When the wattle’s blooming the bream are moving’. the fishing right down, but once the water warms it will be well worth heading out and chasing some of

first thread the sinker onto the line, then tie on a treble hook. This works really well as the sinker slides up the line it makes it very difficult for the fish

A solitary vehicle haunts the boat ramp car park – the joys of fishing in winter.

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for the summer months. Some healthy sand whiting are still being caught in the front section of the local estuaries - their numbers will increase over the coming months as more fish arrive with the warmer water. Good silver trevally are making an appearance and can be caught on a variety of lures or fresh bait. For their size they are one of the hardest fighting fish you can expect to catch in the estuaries on the South Coast. Some great estuary perch have been caught over the winter months with keen perch anglers. To be successful in your endeavours, you have to put in the time.

Lake has finally cleared up Kevin Gleed

only

beaches for salmon has been excellent, choose any of the beaches in the area and you’ll find yourself with a good bag. Fishing a good gutter on a rising tide will set you up among the fish. At this time of year big tailor and salmon are found on the beaches. These fish enter the local estuaries to chase the whitebait as they school over the winter months. Landing one however, isn’t easy – their teeth will cut through trace like it wasn’t there, and they will almost always reject a wire trace. The inshore species are all being caught. Snapper, tiger and sand flathead along with some good size

are around they won’t be far behind. The break wall and jetty have proven to be good fishing spots producing

they are in good numbers and an easy catch. One of the cheapest lures to catch salmon on is a barrel sinker;

to throw the hook. Paint the sinker whatever colour you like and there you have a lure that will catch plenty of fish with very little cost. The lake has finally cleared up after the recent rains with good fish caught in the Bottom Lake including silver trevally, yellowfin bream, and flathead. The Top Lake, up as far as Gypsy Point has been fishing well for black bream and flathead with some good size flounder also caught. As always, the key is to keep moving until you can find the fish. A variety of lures have been working, blades, soft plastics, and hardbodies as well as plenty of result on local prawn bait fishing. Fish have also been caught in the rivers above Gypsy Point - as the saying goes ‘when the wattle’s blooming the bream are moving.’

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Finessing for yellas COPETON DAM

David Allan manager@copeton.com.au

I can’t believe that winter is just a memory and summer is around the corner! October is one of my favourite times of year at Copeton; we can see daytime temperatures into the 30s and water temps on the increase. This can see a real spike in yellowbelly activity, especially if we get some continuing water inflow into the dam. At this time of year you never know what you will hook next. It might be an 8kg yellowbelly or a 50kg cod! It certainly makes things exciting. The yellowbelly in Copeton will now be starting to school in preparation for spawning, and this will see them moving up onto the flats where they will sit in water between 20-50ft deep. As you move around the dam it pays to keep one eye on your sounder at all times because the areas that will attract fish change each year with the changing water levels. The big advantage with

yellowbelly is that they do show very strongly on modern sounders, so when you move over some likely country and see the big arches start to move onto the screen you can be very confident that you have found a concentration of yellowbelly. Once you have located fish, it’s time to set up your gear. A 4-6kg spin or baitcast outfit has been the weapon of choice for many years, and will still catch a lot of fish. You can fish the way we have for years – trolling or casting deep divers. Some good choices include the locally-made Hard-At-It’s, Kingfisher Tempest and Radar Lures along with lures from a host other Aussie companies such as Halco, Predatek, Custom Crafted and StumpJumper. All have deep divers to suit yellowbelly. Spinnerbaits can also be very successful on Copeton’s yellowbelly. If you’re casting a spinnerbait, allow it to sink to the bottom and then slow roll it back to the boat or bank. You will find that willow or Indiana blades will let your spinnerbait run deeper

for longer. Spinnerbaits can also be good when water level is rising and fish are feeding on the edges. When it comes to catching yellowbelly, you will see an increase in your results by adding some finesse to your tackle. What we are seeing these days is a move away from the traditional 4kg and 6kg baitcasting tackle in favour of light 2-4kg spin tackle. Many of today’s anglers use light spin sticks matched to 1000 to 2500 size reels loaded with 2-3kg braid and a rod length of 4kg fluorocarbon leader. This setup is capable of landing some amazing fish. With this outfit you should land most of the yellowbelly you hook, and you will definitely hook more fish. Combining this light gear with some of the new lures on the market like some of the bibless minnows, blades and soft plastics has certainly changed the way we fish. Finesse will give you more consistent results on Copeton yellowbelly, so it’s worth making the switch. Cod have continued to thrill anglers through September, although the

Rowan Harris from Wangaratta in Victoria is a regular at Copeton. He caught over 100 cod this winter, with 12 over a metre. This one measured 126cm. surface bite did slow down. Most fish have been taken using more traditional methods like cast and trolled spinnerbaits and hardbodies. Keep in mind that Copeton Cod average around 80-85cm so hardbodies should start at around 10cm and go right up to 18-20cm body length.

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• Copeton Dam is one of the best lakes in NSW to catch a trophy Murray cod. Dave runs the Copeton Waters Holiday Park and is a great source of up to date, local information on what’s biting. Contact the park on (02) 6723 6269 for information and accommodation bookings.

Simon Johns from Tamworth scored this beautiful 58cm yellowbelly on a Mumbler chatterbait.

DAM LEVELS

Dam

• New products • Reviews • Videos

If you’re trolling spinnerbaits, which is popular at Copeton, choose willow blades and head weights from 3/4oz to 2oz. Willow blades will run deeper than Colorado blades Remember that Copeton is the only destination for cod fishing in NSW until 1 December.

% Full

Dam

% Full

Blowering............................. 46

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

Brogo................................ 102

Hume.................................. 49

Burrendong........................... 19

Jindabyne............................. 63

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

Keepit.................................. 15

Carcoar................................ 18

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

Chaffey................................ 56

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

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

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

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

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

Dartmouth............................. 68

Tantangara............................ 35

Eucumbene........................... 51

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

Glenbawn............................. 87

Windamere........................... 44

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

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

(All levels correct at time of going to press. Dam levels can change at any time, so please check with local authorities to ensure safe boating and fishing.) 58

OCTOBER 2015

Dust off the trolling lures HUNTER VALLEY

Peter Fogarty bakerods@hotkey.net.au

Fishing is only going to get better with the slow rise of water in Lake Glenbawn as well as St Clair. I stated last month as the water rises it provides new sources of protein such as spiders, grubs and

some good starters are the AC’s Slim Invaders in colour ‘magic night’ and Smack Golden Childs in a new colour ‘Glenbawn purple’. If casting, I would suggest beetle spins, crankbaits, spinnerbaits and by the end of the month you could also be using lipless crankbaits. Spinnerbaits are a

up to the entrance of Boat Harbour. Another area to fish is the left hand side of Big House Bay in the timber, and working around to the front of the house another popular area, Soil Conservation Shed Bay. Don’t forget the anglers should be rewarded with some knee-jerking surface action. There are so many different types of surface

of the rod tip to make your lure rattle. Lake St Clair is great for surface lure fishing and a good place to start would be the Cattle Yards opposite the boat ramp and also anywhere you find a gap between the weed and the water’s edge. On a different note, bass fingerlings were released last month. There were 70,000 at Glenbawn, 50,000 at St Clair and 20,000 at Lostock Dam. While we are on fingerlings, the Aberdeen Fishing Club will be running the Glenbawn Classic on 3-4 October over the long weekend. It is the 25th year the event has been running, but this year is the first time the event has a naming sponsor it will be called Anglo American Glenbawn Classic. Anglo American are happy to support an event where profits go to stocking a community Recreational Area.

Now is the time to be out looking for yellowbelly like this one caught by Simon Hodge.

Josh Kattau loves a bit of bass action, and with the smelt and fire gudgeon spawn, there should be plenty of action to come! worms. This month, as the temperature starts to rise, smelt and fire gudgeons are breeding and the bass and yellowbelly are becoming more active. It’s time to brush the dust off your favourite trolling lures. At this time of year, 3-5m lures are fine, and

favourite for many anglers and with hooks facing upwards they can be thrown into heavy structure. At this time of year anglers are fishing from the main basin up to the 8-knot zone, and one area I like to fish is from the end of the wall past the drowned cabins

lures on the market, but some of my go-to surface lures are the Cultiva Zip N Ziggy, Kokada Bats and Jackall SK Poppers. When fishing impoundments I find it best to retrieve your lures about 2-3m at a time with a long pause and the odd twitch

Grant and Harrison Clements found some chunky bass trolling around.

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OCTOBER 2015

Sussing out the surrounds at Windamere LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

For me Windamere in October is hard to get away from. It’s a social thing just as much as a fishing thing, as most people know the boat and are happy to chat. It’s great to catch up with people you haven’t seen for months, swapping stories and techniques. In October at Windamere the fish spread through a relatively shallow band of water from 1.5-6m give or take. Most banks will have fish on them, and trees will as well. There

are features to look for on both pieces of structure, and sounders can take the majority of the guesswork out of it. Obviously there are other factors such as boat noise, your approach, and what you throw. Something that has always been a big help to me is taking in your surrounds above the water. That big yellow box tree up on the hill is the same style of tree that you’re fishing. It might not mirror it exactly, but in combination with your sounder picture it gives you a much better understanding of what’s down there. Where do the majority of the limbs start on the trunk? Does it have three or four

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main branches? Little things that all help. It’s the same with banks above the water. What’s the composition of the soil? Is it able to support weed growth underwater? What size are the rocks? Is there a reef running down into the water? Are there blackberries, and woody weeds above the water line that might extend underneath? These are just some of the factors I take into account before even throwing a lure. A Windamere golden perch may not pull drag every time like a bass; they might not zip and zag like a silver perch; they might not always hit like a Murray cod – but in October for me it’s the place to be. TROUT SEASON Hopefully with some good spring rains the opening of the trout season on the long weekend in October will be a cracker. The last opening was a bit of a letdown for us. The section of creek we fished was virtually devoid of trout, and I’m not sure why. A bit more scouting this year could make all the difference. There is definitely something special about chasing a trout on a warm spring day. It’s a feast for the senses, with the deep green of grass and willow against a bright blue sky, the smell of pollen on the breeze, the gurgling water in the rapids as you sit, and of course the sight of that wild cagy brown trout sipping mayflies in the pool above. After sitting and watching for a short while, it’s time to hatch a plan. If I keep low and make a cast from behind that bush, you think to yourself, maybe we might be having trout for tea. You just have to remember that you rarely get a chance with these

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Blue skies, green grass, wispy white clouds, good mates and bent fishing rods. It’s what Windamere Dam is all about in October.

Fast moving rainbows will gate crash a well presented soft plastic, in this case a 2” OSP Do Live Craw. It was cast well ahead of a slower moving brown and never reached the bottom. fish so you have to make it count. No pressure! Early season fish in the Duckmaloi, Campbells, and Fish River are great fun. They’re small for the most part but the numbers can add up, and on the right day you can fish all day with fly or spin. The mid-morning sun will generate insect hatches, with small trout throwing caution to the wind and sipping down everything that lands on the water. Bigger fish are a little bit more cautious, so watching and waiting is the key for them. Walking and lure casting with a small spin rod is a great way to investigate new water. If you and a mate make two or three casts each run and pool and move on, you’ll soon cover heaps of water. An assorted collection of spinners and hardbodies with maybe the odd soft plastic thrown in is all you need. IMPOUNDMENTS Don’t discount a visit to one of the dams at this time of year either. Lake Lyell, Thompsons Creek Dam

(TCD), and Lake Wallace (Wang Dam) all produce great fish at this time of year. Poloroiding fish from the bank as you walk, especially in Lyell and TCD, you’ll see mostly brown trout and just

the odd fast moving rainbow, disappearing as quickly as they showed. Small soft plastics and hand-tied minilead head jigs work a treat. Hope to see you on the water soon.

Trout opening on the long weekend in October is pretty special. Fishing the small streams is always enjoyable, whether the fishing is good or not.

Snow fishing just fine CANBERRA

Bryan Pratt

If you want to be a yearround angler in our part of the world you will eventually find yourself fishing in the snow. Although that might sound cold and miserable, on a good weather day it can be quite enjoyable. With warming winter sun, a picture-postcard landscape and fish frolicking in the cold water that they love it can give you a day to remember. And that’s exactly the weather we have had during the past few weeks. It’s been good weather and good fishing. It’s not without its hazards, however. One angler recently complained that during a blizzard the snowflakes were so large they were knocking his fly out of the

sky. A slight exaggeration, but an interesting observation all the same. Then there was my champagne. On one trip to the upper end of Lake Eucumbene I buried two bottles of champagne in the snow in the morning, anticipating a pleasant victory lunch later in the day. Unfortunately, while I was fishing the snow kept falling and when I went to see the champers I couldn’t work out which load of fresh snow it was under. I finished up drinking snowmelt for lunch and I bet some lucky bastard would have got my champers after the spring thaw. Such is life. MOUNTAIN LAKES COME GOOD After a lean spell, fishing has improved dramatically in recent weeks in the big mountain lakes. At Jindabyne there were some good rainbows and a few

Top: Trout are well adapted to cold water conditions and some outsize fish sometimes show up unexpectedly in the coldest weather, especially when you are fly fishing. Bottom: When the roads look like this you need chains or 4WD and you need to drive with great care to get to your fishing spot safely.

browns caught on Powerbait, and more browns on scrub worms and wood grubs. The best locations have been Hatchery Bay and Kalkite. One group also did well with Z-Man soft plastics. Unable to fish from the boat because of high winds, they parked in the Snowy Arm and walked the bank tossing out the soft plastics. They had an unexpected response, getting 12 hookups and landing six fish in about two hours. The haul included an 8.4kg Atlantic salmon, a 2.6kg brown and four good rainbows. It should be about time for polaroiding, but to date that has been slow. One angler put in a whole day for nothing and had to compete with school holiday tourists enjoying themselves chucking rocks and sticks into the water. Lovely manners, I must say. Eucumbene, too, put on a good show. One group who fished Yens Bay were delighted to see a lake-wide rise as soon as they got there. Thousands of fish were rising simultaneously, hungry for the natural goodies in the water as well as anything the anglers could throw in. The first throw with Powerbait yielded a 4kg brown and subsequent casts resulted in another brown and five fat rainbows. It was a day that every angler dreams of and has occurred several times since as the fish feel the first tickles of the impending spring. Fly fishing is also improving. One angler seeking shelter from the wind fished behind some tall rocks in the Middlingbank Arm in Eucumbene and landed six nice rainbows on cased caddis fished under an indicator. Interestingly, all of the fish were males. Trollers have started to get a few fish, mostly on Tasmanian Devils and small minnow patterns. Most have been taken flatlining but one group fishing extremely deep with a downrigger caught some lovely big browns. They recently fished about 20m down and landed five large browns on a day when most other anglers went home fishless. It just goes to show the value of trying different techniques when the fish are otherwise hard to find. LOCAL LAKES QUIET In Canberra’s urban lakes, golden perch, redfin and even carp look to have shut down. It’s too cold for the fish to move and the redfin are probably spawning and too busy to feed. At Burrinjuck, with deeper and stratified water, a few fish are still active. Some redfin schools have shown up in the Murrumbidgee Arm at Maceys Bay and Scrubby and the fish will take jigged scrub worms. A few golden perch

Doris Pratt enjoying a break in the snow with a couple of nice fish for the table. have been taken from the bank on scrub worms, with the best fishing late in the afternoon and at night. The old bushys’ adage that the Murray cod move when the wattle blooms is turning out to be correct, yet again. The wattle is out and some nice cod have been seen and taken. At Googong Reservoir, several anglers chasing redfin

with small lures have been startled to see a huge cod lunge at the lure at the last minute, predictably always just missing getting hooked. Several fish in the 75-90cm range were also caught in the Main Basin at Burrinjuck and two 90cm fish were caught on scrub worms near Taemus Bridge. All were released. The closed season now starts and

the fish are to be left to spawn in peace until 1 December. In the meantime, we will continue to enjoy our fishing in the snow and some delightful feeds of fresh trout as we look forward to the countdown to the opening of the stream season on the October Long Weekend. Oh, and give me a call if you found my grog.

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Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

Spring is easily my favourite season of the year, because on top of the near-perfect daytime temperatures the fishing is nothing short of sensational. Whether it’s polaroiding monster golden perch in shallow water through to catching trout in our streams, there is something to whet everyone’s appetite. Well, that’s unless you like your Murray cod fishing; they are still off limits for another month or two. Other than that, there are plenty of options and most of them are very good. BLOWERING YELLAS Every year more and more anglers converge on Blowering Dam during the spring months for a chance at tangling with some of the biggest golden perch in the country. Another drawcard is the water clarity, which allows anglers to watch these monster golden perch and Murray cod cruise around in the shallows of the lake. Even if the fish aren’t biting, watching these monsters cruise around the shallows sure gets the adrenalin flowing. As the water temp and air temps are still on the rise and the nights are still cool, most of the goldens will seek that warmer water near the surface, so you won’t have to fish too deep to get some golden action this month. If the lake continues to rise there’ll be an abundance of drowned weed beds in the backs of bays and along shallow banks, so the fish will be spread out around the margins of the lake. If the lake doesn’t rise enough for this weed to be drowned, the fish will seek shelter in the trees rather than the weed pockets so it will pay to concentrate on any timber, especially standing timber. You will often see the goldens and sometimes cod sitting in the tops of the trees not far below the surface. They are here to warm themselves up, but because they’re opportunistic feeders (especially after a lean winter) a good cast in their direction will often bring them undone.

If you can’t see the goldens in the tree tops though, don’t despair. They will have just moved down the tree further and will still be catchable,

you just need to get your lure down to them. The best lures to chuck around the trees and weed beds for goldens are lipless crankbaits. The new Insanity Tackle Slap Walkers, when rigged on the back tow point, are the best on the market for fishing weed and timber because they ride more vertically than any other on the market. This makes the lure swim with the trebles behind it, meaning you can ride them over structure and through weed more easily than with conventional lipless crankbaits. Alternatively you can rig your favourite lipless crankbait with swinging assist hooks, which will also create fewer hang-ups and snags. Generally the best time of the year to target golden perch in our lakes is during the cod closed season, so it makes sense to hit the lakes while they are fishing at their best. Sure, you will still get a few goldens in the rivers during spring but you will also catch the potentially breeding Murray cod, which is not what we want if we want even better fisheries in the future. I personally give the rivers a rest during the closed season.

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anglers, there are usually a lot more fish, albeit smaller ones. There will more than likely be some late spawners around so fly anglers will do well deep

Another beautiful Blowering Dam golden perch fooled by one of the new Insanity Tackle Slap walkers.

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With the awesome golden fishing in the lakes you should get amongst those monsters whilst the going is hot. You will still catch a

The trout season re-opens on 3 October. Time to break out the running water trout gear!

Jounama Dam is a great place to fish in spring. Along with trout there are plenty of oversized redfin and golden perch to keep anglers entertained. few cod in the lakes, even while using the smaller profiled lures, but these fish are heavily dependent on stocking so you will do less harm catching a lake fish then you will catching a river fish. TROUT SEASON OPENS Finally, river and stream trout fishing will be back on the cards when the season opens at the beginning of the long weekend this month. I among many keen anglers will be out in force trying to get that first running water trout fix for the season. The Tumut River will be good if it is low. The Eucumbene River could still have some big rainbows in it so it would be worth a visit as well. If, like me, you don’t like the crowds then the small streams will be your best bet. Not only are there fewer

drifting with a nymph and glow bug combo. The fish that have finished spawning will be hungry and they haven’t been fished for a while, so they should be quite aggressive and fairly easy to catch. Lure anglers should do well, and your usual spinners and minnow-style hardbodies will do the job. Bait anglers should also catch their share drifting worms and or dough baits like Powerbait. Trout lakes will also be worth hitting this month, with the pick of the lot being Jounama Dam. The trout there should go well, along with the redfin and golden perch which both attain trophy size in this lake. I love fishing everywhere at this time of the year but especially Jounama as you just don’t know what’s going to smash your offering next.

Jindabyne lure and fly tactics JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

Spring is definitely here and all eyes are now on the opening of the rivers once again on Saturday October 12th this year. The good news is that the rainbow trout spawning run was very good this year as a result of high

regardless of a late run of rainbow trout. Overall I love spring river fishing because everyone does well. Lure anglers get the goods when the Thredbo levels are up and when the water is lower the fly anglers do better. Anglers shouldn’t forget about the abundance of rivers and streams other than the Thredbo and Eucumbene that are all great fun to

Meanwhile, the fishing has been fantastic on the lake with some of the best winter fishing we’ve seen in years and there is every reason that this will continue given the water level is rising. Fly anglers should attempt to spot the fish first with the aid of polaroids, as they cruise along the banks of the lakes, as this is the best way to work out your catch

OCTOBER ROUNDUP THE BEST OF THE BEST Best method: ...................................................................................... Lake Trolling Best depth:.................................................. Surface lures early and late in the day Best lake lure:............................... Tassie Devils with yellow wings or Holographic Best lake area:............................................ East Jindabyne Islands and Creel Bay Best fly method lake:....................................................................... Hamills Killers Best river for fly:............................................ Thredbo with olive or black nymphs Best river for spinners:................. Thredbo with small deep divers in brown trout rainfall in late August and a good snowmelt that created the perfect spawning conditions. I visited Thredbo River at least once a week last month to establish how many fish I could see and there were plenty! We will have to just wait and see what the river offers up for the opening weekend. WHAT TO EXPECT With the snow melting and the extra water flow river fishing will be good

fish in spring. River lure anglers are going to do best in October using minnow style lures like Rapalas, 3.5” Stumpjumpers, Dorado Minnows and also the new Bullet 5cm minnows. Natural brown trout and rainbow trout patterns are most popular but I also like gold or gold and black colours as well. Fly anglers on the river would be advised to make use of weighted nymphs and maybe even glowbugs.

Brian Flint with a 38.54kg cobia caught at South West Rocks in 1977. It was a sportfishing record that still stands to this day.

strategy. I recommend casting small green nymphs in the shallow water. Lure anglers can also spot the fish before casting and will do better with smaller lures like Celtas, Vibrax spinners or Gillies spinners, and of course minnow lures like floating Rapalas, Bullet Lures, Stumpjumpers etc. Make sure to keep them small, lures that are too big will make a big splash and spook the trout in the shallow clear water. On windy days you can switch to Tasmanian Devils for casting a little further. Green and gold, number 111 or Y48 Yellowwing Brown Bomber are just a couple of colours worth a try. TROLLING AND LURE CHOICE As the lake continues to rise this month the boat trolling will be best near the edges early and late in the day. Take care not to spook the fish over shallow water by making sure your line is out further than normal – 80m is the least you will need out. 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 a good fishing period well into the late morning. This month boat trollers will do best using minnow lures early before sunrise and then switching to Tasmanian Devil lures later in 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. Try the yellowing Tasmanian Devils like 111 “Willies Special” named after a trout fishing guide in the area - it was by far the most successful lure over summer last season. Minnow lures like Rapalas or Stumpjumpers in brown trout and rainbow trout patterns are also good.

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. Don’t try to mix and match different brands. After the sun hits that water, change to a number 36, Y82 yellow wing Tassie or my Steve Williamson Red Nosed Yellowwing. As the sun gets higher 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 - you will need to troll these over the weed beds using longer drop backs 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. Lake bait fishing has been nothing short of excellent for months now. Fish are coming onto the bite at all times and all you need is a line in the water to catch them. Local scrub worms are best for brown trout while artificial baits of various colours are proving great for catching rainbow trout and salmon. If you want to catch yourself a big brown trout then the best baits are still going to be bardi grubs or scrub worms. Fish these with a greased line to stop them from sinking into the weed and getting caught up. Don’t forget to fish mealworms like maggots under floats for a good result. One angler got a great bag on this kind of bait in just over an hour last month but it would seem that mealworms are still very underestimated as a successful bait for trout in this country. There are no fishing spots doing noticeably 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. The biggest problem with the lake so high is finding easy access as many of our normal tracks are under water. Those that have a boat will have the advantage of being able to get to spots where others can’t access. We are in for an interesting fly fishing season. The lake water levels are great at 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 sessions. The best flies have been green or olive flies like Hamills Killers, small shrimp patterns and olive nymphs.

Byron Boehm with a brown caught on mealworms. One of 5 fish in just over an hour of fishing. When the water flow slows on the streams the dry fly fishing will improve but for now, brown and green nymphs are best. Let’s hope the season is a good one with regular rain to freshen up the streams and cool the water. NEWS It’s not too late to sign up for my beginner fly-fishing school. Due dates for enrolment is 31st October and 1st November. 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 or booking forms for these courses please call me on 02 6456 1551 or e-mail me your postal address on swtrout@airlan.com. au More information can be found on my web site www.swtroutfishing.com. au. For latest updates on lake levels go to www. snowyhydro.com.au

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Cod season done and dusted ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

Well there you have it, another cod season done and dusted and now the three long closed months begins. The wait will come and go fast enough but until then we will need turn our focus and target

other fish species that are still in season. COD SEASON WRAP UP There may be ‘plenty of fish in the sea’, but for me none are as meaningful to the angler soul as the Murray cod. While we may not be able to catch Murray cod during the close it doesn’t mean we can’t ponder on these fish and reflect on the season that

was. What did you learn about these iconic fish in the last nine months? If your answer is nothing then you have missed a whole other world of opportunity. Regardless of how many seasons come and go the quirky nature of these fish has no end and the lessons learned are infinite. The season started with a boom. Multiple big

Dean Norbiato finished off the season with this ripper cod taken on a Bassman 4x4 spinnerbait.

cod caught on lures were common of early season sojourns to water that had not seen lure traffic for the entirety of the close. These same fish were quick to respond and return visits would see most lures left wanting by educated cod that were now lure aware. As the season went on little changed with most trips yielding a strike or two from fish a little less cautious. Other catches came from sections of water ventured outside the usual line of the mob. Pushed from their known holds by an endless bombardment of lures these fish would seek the sanctuary of water that did not fit the angling norm. These locations were gold and on more than one occasion two rods buckled to the cork simultaneously as both lures were monstered by meter plus cod. Other hot bites came in the rise of water pushed between locks. This oncoming rise is the Achilles heel of all Murray cod, regardless of size, and is a true genetic weakness that leaves them wide open to anglers. Not until the rise passes does the cautious nature of these fish return.

Rod Mackenzie with a ripper cod that scoffed a well weighted soft plastic just on dark. Soft plastics were another revelation for me this season. I found plastics were useful to tempt cod that would otherwise snob all other presentations. At this stage we fished in slow motion as large plastics took time to find depth and were retrieved in a staggered lift - drop - sink routine. Deadly on the cod as long as you could find the right plastics, something that is not as easy as it seems. Look for large plastics that move fluently with minimal weight and speed. Sounds simple enough but believe me it’s not that easy, especially out here in the bush. Surface cod were another discovery and several fish over a metre off the top had sparked somewhat of a surface lure collecting spree. A mixed box of paddlers all the way

through to a giant jointed snake-like wake bait are now a must have on every outing. That strike has few equals - especially at point blank range from a big fish. With that said the warm spring run of golden perch has already begun to fire along the Murray and its adjoining waters. From Robinvale through Euston to Wemen and beyond, all are excellent perch fishing locations where you will put a bend in the rod. As the water quickly warms, natural baits like shrimp will multiply and become available on location in a baited trap. Scrub worms always work well on the perch, as do small yabbies if you can get your hands on a few. There is always a fish to be caught and spring is a great time to get out on the water and wet a line.

The Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

Trying to inspire anglers about any native fishing opportunities that exist in and around Lake Mulwala throughout September and into early October is nigh on impossible. With Cod season closed until December 1 and a few more weeks of warm weather required to get the yellas up and about, this is the time for a bit of gear and boat maintenance. IMPORTANT SEASONAL RESTRICTIONS Looking on the positive side though, it’s less than 90 days until the new season opens and within that timeframe somewhere, the yellas are guaranteed to fire. Traditionally, the top end of the lake around the Bundalong area is more productive than the open waters of the lake itself. If you do encounter a cod over the next couple of months, you should release it unharmed and as quickly as possible. All anglers must keep in mind that as of the 64

OCTOBER 2015

1st September through to 30th November inclusive, the targeting of Murray cod is not permitted while the crays are off limits until next June. The Murray River below Yarrawonga downstream through the Cobram area to the Tocumwal traffic bridge is totally closed to all forms of fishing from 1st September through to 30th November inclusive. Looking back throughout August, reports were pretty slim once the lake filled completely. Unsettled fish along with cold and dirty water led to minimal encounters. Benalla fishing legend Reggie Smith spent a week or two fishing his traditional haunts returning numerous cod with 3 that measured in excess of the magical 1m mark. Bryden Whitfield seemed to have had the best individual day, by targeting shallow waters and casting spinner baits. He was rewarded with four 55cm plus specimens with the best measuring a very healthy 98cm. Phil and Riley Hickey were another pair who gave the lake a fair work out on the final weekend of the season with some good results. Phil got a couple of good cod while Riley bagged

himself a nice 59cm cod on a trolled “Old Mate” lure. The “Old Mates” are a new cod lure to hit the market and are certainly making their presence felt. Graeme Jarvis and Steve Hogan had an entertaining weekend with a few hits and bumps along the way but Hogan was the only one who managed to pull a scale! RESULTS OF THE CENTRAL VIC LURE CASTERS SUPER SERIES 2015 The final weekend of the season saw the final round of the Central Vic Lure Casters (and trollers) Super Series hosted out at Kyffins Reserve. 102 anglers hit the water with great expectations. By the end of the 7hr session, 20 cod and two yellas had been recorded. 1st Place went to Russell Aston who cast Mumblers that did some damage returning him 3 cod measuring 54, 65 and 69cm respectively. 2nd place went to Simon Burke who landed the cod of a lifetime stretching the tape out to a healthy 114cm. Jason Lilly’s bag of smaller cod left him in 3rd place. Coming up on the 24th October is the popular Golden Do$$ars Fishing Competition, an event that

specifically targets yellas and golden perch. Entry forms are now available for this event and the Cod Classic. The Cod Classic

to catch “Phil” the specially tagged Murray cod. Call in and see us at Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski, the official Cod Classic shop

Mulwala Fish, Camp & Ski (opposite the post office) in Mulwala and say G’day. We are your largest Murray cod-specific shop

Riley Hickey with his 59cm Cod. promises to be huge with the potential and amazing prize of One Million Dollars (that’s right $1000000) on offer for the lucky person who manages

(Opp Post Office) or call 0357 441667 for further information. Until next edition, happy fishing! • If you are visiting town, I urge you to call into Lake

in Yarrawonga/Mulwala and specialise in all things ‘green’! For any information on the upcoming events or fishing reports, give us a hoy on (03) 5744 3133.

Yellowbelly river fever MILDURA

John Menhennett goobyfish@hotmail.com

The Murray has recently dazzled anglers with clarity of water and a number of good fish. The water is proving even better in the Darling and Wakool rivers where anglers can fish lures or bait to equally great results. YELLOWBELLY ON THE RIVER Yellowbelly activity is forecasted to increase in the coming months. Due to the cold water, yellowbelly have been quite inactive however, as the temperature rises some nice fish will be caught on lures especially around Lock 11 and below the Mildura Weir. At this time of year the fish make their way upstream and start to school

up below the weir structures. Spring will definitely herald a boost in yellowbelly activity. According to local angler reports, working with bait around Mildura has been a good method to pick up a yella or two lately. A cocktail of shrimp and worm seem to be the best baits to use (although shrimp is still difficult to find). Johnson’s bend, just below Apex Park, has produced some good yellas, particularly in the slower moving backwaters and eddy currents. A wellcast lipless crankbait or small hard-body has seen 5 or 6 yellas caught in no time at all. Position your boat in a way that allows you to throw lures to the bank and slowly retrieve. Casting large lures into snags and around permanent structures like the weir and lock for

yellowbelly is usually the best method at this time of year. My pick of spots to target yellowbelly on bait is around the Mildura weir and Merbein area. Get close to the banks and tight up on most structures. Luring for yellowbelly from the bank is also best around the new rock structure at Lock 11, particularly at the point where the lock gates open on the down side. COD CLOSURE Murray cod were active in most spots around Mildura during the season, however, fast water toward the end of the open season put an end to good cod fishing in the main river. Anglers should be wary that Murray cod season is closed and will re-open on 1 December. Hopefully when the season reopens, the water will remain clear

This lucky Mildura angler had a day out finding yellowbelly. Spring is by far the time of year to snag a few yellas around Mildura on lures or baits. and we should see Murray cod activity really start to heat up. Most anglers around Mildura will be waiting for the cod season to officially open again. By then, waters should be back in their banks

and we should see a Murray cod season like no other. Redfin should also come on the bite during the warmer months. These little fish are fun to catch on light gear using soft plastics and blades. Carp are a bit of fun

on light gear too, especially when fishing with the kids. In the meantime, anglers are gearing up for the springtime yellowbelly frenzy in the beautiful sunshine Mildura has to offer at this time of year.

MV Norval goes all out The MV Norval is going where no charter has gone before! Well, certainly where no charter has travelled for a long time. Permission from Fisheries and Maritime Safety Queensland has granted the MV Norval permission to fish the outer reefs in the greater Coral Sea. MV Norval is the only charter to travel directly to the area. Where other charters are restricted by fly-in, fly-out, the team has access to unprecedented waters and reefs. Rare

untouched waters, such as Kenn Wreck, Fredric, Summarize, Cato, and the Marion Group (a Marine Park). The charter has permission to fish all the reefs in the 200 mile perimeter and beyond. The MV Norval was designed for this type of long distance charters. She has long-range fuel tanks, has her own water, has an 8 tonne freezer for food and produces two generator sets for power. She is also fitted with the latest navigation. Long distance charters are the MV Norval’s speciality. HEADING OUT The 9-day charter

The kids have a great time on the MV Norval.

departs at 4pm on a Friday night from Shute Harbour, Airlie Beach and returns Sunday evening. On departure, passengers are served a light meal and an enjoyable cold beer (all canned beer is supplied free of charge) and will arrive at the first reef by 10pm. Anchoring in a lagoon, passengers can fish through the night chasing bottom fish like red emperor, spangled emperor, sweetlip or put out a livie for giant trevally. On day two, the boat heads to The Swains to Hardline Reef taking in T-Line and Ribbons Reef. The evening meal is served in a lagoon so passengers are able to fish as they did the night before. The crew will retire to rest but get up at midnight to travel to Marion. The MV Norval will arrive approximately midday at Marion Reef. And now begins the trip of a lifetime! The reef is 24 miles long and 16 miles wide, comprising of two cays and a long breaker reef called Long Reef. Inside this breaker reef are some incredible gutters and run-offs – a dory fishing snorkelling dream. All the reef fish you catch on the Swains are there, only bigger! You can catch ocean bream, clown fish, and more coronation trout than The Swains. On the outside of the reef, the large top feeders are found like mackerel, wahoo, dogtooth tuna, sailfish, and a variety of deep feeders in the 100m drop-offs like big reds, rosy jobfish, and snapper. There are three dories

The MV Norval waiting to be boarded! on the MV Norval and, on the 9-day charter, they are run out in the morning with six passengers on board while six stay on the main boat. Heading to the outside, everyone will troll for the top feeders and, if the weather is good, drift fish for the big bottom feeders along the 100m water drop-off zones. Over the next few days, the team will target bigger and better catches at Marion Reef – all with the added bonus of taking home your catch! The team from Norval Reef Charters will even fillet, bag and snap freeze for transport. On day seven, the charter heads for the

T-Line, and the next two days are spent at The Swains and arriving back at Shute Harbour at 4pm on the last day. This is a fishing adventure you will talk

about for the rest of your life. For more information contact Norval Reef charters on 0413 148 554 or you can book online at www.norvalcharters. com.au – FMG

NORVAL REEF CHARTERS

NEW  Operating out of Extended Airlie Beach & the Whitsundays. Marion Reef 4 3, 5 & 6 day trips for  & Kato Island max 12 passengers. Trips Fishing & diving 4Whitsundays  the outer reef. 4Bunker Group  Father & Son 4Great Barrier School Holiday Trips (special pricing) Reef BOOK ONLINE

Your catch is filleted, bagged and snap frozen for transport

www.norvalcharters.com.au

contact Ron Murphy (owner) 0413 148 554  norval1@norvalcharters.com.au OCTOBER 2015

Spinnerbaits

An in-depth look at spinnerbait specifics FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Around fifteen years ago, spinnerbaits weren’t very popular at all. Of course, there were a few clued-up

anglers throwing lures that looked like minicoat hangers around – and catching great fish on them – but it wasn’t until the inception of the cast-and-retrieve bass fishing tournaments that spinnerbait use became more mainstream. And although Australian bass were the focus of these initial journeys into spinnerbaitland, it so happens that most Australian native species – from sooty grunter and saratoga in the north through to Murray cod and yellowbelly in the south – love a spinnerbait. In the subsequent 15 years, spinnerbaits have become commonplace on the walls of tackle stores and a burgeoning cottage industry has developed to supply this local market. But if you’re not into the spinnerbait thing, what are they and what are you missing out on? WHAT IS A SPINNERBAIT You can see on the enormous spinnerbait anatomy pic here that there’s a few parts to a spinnerbait, but the end result is a lure that creates a lot of flash and vibration, rides hook-up, is easy to cast and catches fish on a straight retrieve. You don’t need to add any extra action for these lures for them to be effective and you can fish them on wither braided or monofilament line. Frequent spinnerbait users will most likely tell you that braided line will give you more feel. You can usually feel the blades of a spinnerbait vibrating

through braided line and a mono leader and if it gets fouled with weed, you know to rip the bait to get the lure free of the gunk and spinning freely again. Wind a spinnerbait fast as soon as it lands and it’ll work right under the surface. “Buzzing” a spinnerbait like this lets you cover water fast when the fish are up and feeding. Alternatively, let the spinnerbait to the bottom and wind it ‘low and slow’ to tempt fish that are near the bottom. All in all, the spinnerbait is a great all round bait that have now caught countless people bass, yellowbelly, cod, saratoga and sooties. ANATOMY OF A SPINNERBAIT Although there can be some wild and wacky variations on the theme, the spinnerbait consists of a basic collection of parts, and the parts control its action, appearance, running depth and overall

fishability. Let’s look at them one by one. Wire The wire is the backbone of the bait, but it controls a lot about how the spinnerbait swims. Fine wired spinnerbaits have less resistance in the water and tend to swim deeper. This can be an advantage when fish are holding deep

on a lake but you want to run a spinnerbait past them in 20 feet. Fine wired spinnerbaits with a heavy head an low resistence blades are good for this. Head The spinnerbait head holds most of the weight of the spinnerbait. It’s usually molded from lead and painted with a set of eyes. It

Swivel

Blade

Tow point

Head

Top: Yellowbelly love a spinnerbait slow-rolled past their nose. Above: The ability to fish your spinnerbait through the nastiest of structures makes them a primary tool for many cod anglers.

Kicking everybody else’s for over 10 years

• Custom Made Spinnerbaits • 35 Skirt Colour Options • Sizes 1/4 - 21/2 Ounce Models • Trade Enquiries Welcome

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OCTOBER 2015

Australia’s Premier Spinnerbait & Lure Component Store

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bassmanspinnerbaits.com.au

Spinnerbaits holds the hook securely to the wire and also provides a place for the skirt to mount. Nearly all spinnerbaits have a head that allows them to brush across snags and obstacles without hanging up. Obviously, heavier heads run deeper and cast further and lighter heads will run shallower. Hook Spinnerbait hooks are usually rounded and wide gaped. Since they are

can gain against one hook, so it’s rare for a well hooked fish to fall off mid-fight. Some anglers counter shortstriking fish by adding a ‘trailer’ or ‘stinger’ hook ganged to the main hook. There are special, wideeyed hooks available for this and they can be kept in place by a lumo bead or something as simple as a tab of milk-bottle plastic threaded onto the main hook after the stinger has been added.

of strands included can increase or reduce the bait profile in the water. Personally, I think that a sparse skirt looks more realistic, but there are situations in dirtier water where the bulk can be advantageous. In lieu of a skirt, you can mount a paddle tailed soft plastic or even tie some bucktail on the head to create the baitfish profile. The world is your oyster in this regard.

A ‘tandem’configuration of blades with a small Colorado and a larger willow blade is the most popular on the tackle store walls, however it may not be the best suited for the area you’re fishing.

Blade

Anatomy of a spinnerbait

Stopper Aussie bass were the catalyst for early spinnerbait uptake in Australia.

Australia’s LARGEST Range of Spinnerbait Components! Trailer hook

Spinnerbait Starter Kits

FULL RANGE of spinnerbait components Skirt

supplied with only one, it needs to be a gauge strong enough to handle the fish you’re likely to encounter. On the other side of the equation, though, there’s not much leverage a fish

Skirt This is one of the two areas where spinnerbaits can differ a lot. Traditionally, spinnerbait skirts are made from a bunch of silicon strands, and the number

Trailer If you hear people talking about a ‘trailer’ for the spinnerbait, it’s when they add a soft plastic in addition to the skirt. This creates a bigger target for

the fish and also makes the spinnerbait run a little shallower, due to the greater resistence. Single-tailed, paddletailed and shad-style plastics are all popular

Ph: (02) 6258 7515 Mob: 0400 587 515

email: info@u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au OCTOBER 2015

Spinnerbaits to use as trailers and yellowbelly and cod anglers are more prone to using them. BLADES Blades really define the action of the spinnerbait and the number and type of blades give the bait its own, unique action. There are two, basic types of blades, a rounded “Colorado” blade and an elongated “willow” blade. And the most popular spinnerbait configuration is a “Tandem”, which consists of a small Colorado blade up front and a bigger willow blade at the end of the wire. Colorado blades offer more vibration and more resistance while the longer willow blades feature less resistence and more flash. With this in mind, you can then construct (or choose) a spinnerbait configuratiuon that suits your style of fishing.

Bass in manmade environments love a spinnerbait as much as those in a natural river system.

Surprisingly, saratoga are suckers for spinnerbaits fished around the wooded margins of toga waters.

Some local manufacturers boast blades on multiple arms - mimicking a tightly packed pod of baitfish.

There are endless configurations of spinnerbait heads, skirts and blades available. Make sure you use the one that suits your situation and species the best.

Golden perch take on vivid colouration in clear water. Spinnerbaits can elicit a strike in all water conditions - from clear to turbid. 68

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If you’re fishing a shallow, snaggy, dirty river for Murray cod, you may choose a ‘double Colorado’ configuration spinnerbait with a bulky skirt and a fat trailer plastic. Likewise, if you’re trying to fish a spinnerbait down deep for an impoundment bass on light line, you might opt for a heavy head, sparse skirt and a single willow blade. DO-IT-YOURSELF Making your own spinnerbaits is quite a popular pastime for anglers who like catching fish on lures they’ve made themselves. It’s not as hard as you’d think – although it is more complicated than molding your own soft plastic lure. Kits and molds are available in Australia and the process involves casting the head around the hook and wire, painting the head, adding the skirt and finally adding the right combination of blades. So if you’ve never tried them, you should add some spinnerbaits to your freshwater kit. When that first, crunching strike comes, you’ll be glad you did!

Sooty grunter are famous for being not fussy when it comes to lures that grab their attention. I once said they’d eat a shoe if you threw it in the water. Spinnerbaits are a great substitute for shoes if you need them to walk out of your sooty local.

Spinnerbaits  Bassman Bassman Shorty 14.95 

RRP

Small Fry RRP

13.95 2

Shorty

The Bassman Shorty is an all new Bassman spinnerbait that has been developed over the last 5 years in partnership with Carl Jocumsen – Australia’s First Bassmaster Elite Angler, and avid spinnerbait user. The Bassman Shorty is built using a super strong but lighter camo wire unique to Bassman, making this a tough little spinnerbait ready for use straight out of the packet. Coupled with the light wire is the smaller blades, ensuring that this finesse spinnerbait delivers all new acoustics and extra vibration. This is great for those hard pressured areas and super clear water, tempting bites from timid fish. This new addition to the Bassman range will be great for all Australian Natives, including bass, Murray cod, Golden perch, sooty grunter, barramundi, saratoga and more. The Bassman Shorty is available in 12 fantastic colour combinations to cover a range of angling situations. Price: RRP $14.95 www.bassman.com.au

Small Fry Spinnerbait

Spinnerbait Starter Kits 4

U-Make-Em Softplastics has been around for a few years now and their range of luremaking products continues to grow. On top of their soft plastic making parts, they also have a huge range of all the spinnerbait components and tools you need to make your own spinnerbaits without complication. Included in their range they have put together some Start Up Kits for those who want to have a taste of putting together their own spinnerbaits from scratch. There are two options to chose from: The standard Start Up kit for beginners and the Deluxe Start Up Kit for those wanting to develop their spinnerbait making skills. These kits include everything you need to get started and put some lures together. There is plenty of satisfaction in catching some fish on a lure you have made yourself and this is the best way to get started. Price: From RRP $41.15 www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au

Jackpot RRP

14.95 3

U-Make-Em Starter Kit RRP

41.15 4

Kingston Lures is a family run business based on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. Their brand Lurestrike encompasses quality spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and Rumblers (chatterbaits). Operating for over 10 years, Kingston have grown to be one of the largest spinnerbait manufacturers and suppliers of components in Australia. The Lurestrike Small Fry spinnerbait is a tournament quality spinnerbait manufactured using global brands such as Sampo and Owner. The spinnerbait head has been specially designed by Lurestrike to suit Australian conditions, powder coated and finished off with 3D eyes. The high quality hammered blades come in various colours and configurations and a quality 44 Strand silicone skirt, Sampo ball bearing swivel and Owner hook finish off this top of the line spinnerbait. The Small Fry spinnerbait comes with a stinger hook. It comes in weights of 1/8, 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2oz, with your choice of gold, silver or copper lacquer blades and 20 different skirt colours. Price: RRP $13.95 www.kingstonlures.com.au

The Lucky Craft SKT Spinnerbaits are a result of years of fine-tuning from Professional USA bass angler, Skeet Reese. Built with a compact, yet hefty, profile the Lucky Craft SKT Spinnerbait Double Willow offers excellent casting distance and the ability to reach greater depths with comfort and ease. Complete with two super-bright willow blades, the Lucky Craft SKT Spinnerbait Double Willow delivers an abundance of flash that will attract fish in a wide-range of water conditions, from gin clear streams to dense and muddy ponds. Adding to its attraction, the Lucky Craft SKT Spinnerbait Double Willow is fitted with a banded skirt that perfectly accents its life-like colour scheme and a soft plastic hook keeper. This amazing spinnerbait is available in four life-like colours that are sure to excite Aussie natives. Price: RRP $15 www.ejtodd.com.au

Jackpot Spinnerbaits 3

Lucky Craft SKT RRP

TT Lures FroggerZ RRP

17.95 6

15.00 5

Jackpot Lures have been producing spinnerbaits for over five years. They have an extensive range comprising of single, twin and quad spinnerbaits. All of their spinnerbaits are made from the highest quality components sourced locally and from America. Choose from our standard range of 35 skirt options in weights ranging from 1/4oz to 2.5oz or have them custom make your spinnerbaits to suit your fishing requirements. Their spinnerbait is best for catching Murray cod and yellowbelly in dirty water, due to the contrast of the colours in the skirt and the deep pulse given from the Colorado blades. Jackpot Spinnerbaits can be used and worked in a variety of ways for a range of different species, and have proven their charm on many native species. For quality Australian-made spinnerbaits designed for Australian natives, check out Jackpot Lures’ range. Price: RRP $14.95 Facebook ‘Jackpot Lures’

SKT Spinnerbait

TT Lures FroggerZ

TT Lures FroggerZ Jnr Spinnerbaits are built from quality components and designed for targeting Murray cod, golden perch, bass and saratoga. They are available in 3/8oz and 1/2oz weights and feature a hand-sculptured, realistic frog profile with 3D eyes and lively, 10X Tough ZMan ElaZtech web foot trailer. Quality nickel and 24K gold plated Colorado blades create a frog leg thump in the water to attract predators and the FroggerZ Jnr is finished with a stinger hook for maximum hook up rate. FroggerZ Snr Spinnerbaits are built tough for taking on Murray cod and will also find themselves in the mouths of other large fresh and saltwater predators. They feature a realistic frog profile, along with a 10X Tough ZMan 4” Hard LegZ trailer and double Colorado blades for plenty of flash, vibration and a frog leg thump in the water. Other features include 3D eyes, quality silicone skirt, 24K gold and nickel blades, heavy-duty hook, included stinger hook and that crazy leg action. Price: RRP $17.95 www.ttlures.com.au OCTOBER 2015

Technique

Serving smoking hot tuna BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Smoking, one of the oldest ways of cooking, flavouring and preserving meats and fish, combines the effects of salting, drying, heating and smoking. While meats and fish can be cold smoked to preserve them, this process can take several weeks and requires generous salting and a substantial smokehouse to complete the task, especially with larger volumes of product. Hot smoking is easier, and is the most common method used. It can be completed with a minimum of equipment and ingredients, and it doesn’t take long. WHY SMOKE When you burn wood (pyrolysis) and break down its combustible carbonbased components, it releases hydrocarbons into the air: smoke. Smoke has antibacterial and antioxidant properties, which is why it helps to preserve meat and fish, but nowadays smokers are used mainly for flavour. Another advantage of smoking is that it can lock in both flavour and moisture, thereby improving meats and fish, which can often be fairly dry when cooked with conventional methods. A prime example of this is tuna. When cooked all the way through with conventional methods, such as frying or baking, tuna becomes very dry and almost unpalatable. It is best eaten raw (sashimi style) or partially cooked and consumed immediately once it is taken from the heat – or smoked. Whilst almost any fish can be smoked, some of the best ones include the more oily species, such as mackerel, mullet, tailor, tuna, bonito, trout, herring and salmon. CHIP OFF THE BLOCK During the smoking process, wood is burned slowly to create both heat and smoke. Any wood can be used for this but it’s imperative that you don’t use treated timber, or any wood that has come into contact with chemicals or pesticides of any sort. This could poison you. While there are plenty of great smoking wood mixes available from places such as tackle stores, Bunnings and some BBQ and camping outlets, there are no issues with sourcing your own clean, dry product from non-poisonous timbers. Some of the more popular timbers for smoking include hickory, mesquite, gum, bloodwood, apple, cherry, alder, oak and beech. Sometimes old oak wine or port barrels are used for a different flavour. 70

OCTOBER 2015

These popular timbers are generally used as chips (small chunks), however finer shavings will give a much more intense smoke flavour as they will burn faster and more intensely, creating more smoke. Small blocks of wood are sometimes used when you want to smoke something for a longer time at a lower heat. Many people soak their wood chips in wine, port, masala or other liquids which permeate the wood and impart a greater depth of flavour to the smoked product. How long you smoke your fish will depend on the heat generated by the burners, the size and amount of wood being used and also the density of the flesh being smoked. I like to use chips of wood rather than shavings, and I initially move the burners away from the base of the smoker (probably between 10-15cm) once the chips have started smoking up. Be sure to check on the fish regularly to ensure you are not overcooking it, which will make it too dry. If it’s cooking too fast, move the heat further from the base of the smoker or decrease the flame size by adjusting the air vents on the burner, to slow down the cooking process. There are so many variables to take into consideration during the smoking process, however a lower heat and longer smoking time will generally produce a better end product. Just check your burners and product regularly and regulate where necessary to avoid too much heat. Burners have a habit of flaring up after a while because the metho used in them burns more efficiently as it gets hotter or when it receives more oxygen, so keep an eye on them. BRINING Brining is done before you smoke the fish to remove excess blood and moisture. There are a lot of brine mixtures and recipes available and these generally include salt, water and brown sugar with the possible addition of soy sauce, wine, garlic, teriyaki sauce, port or other ingredients. Although I generally make my brine to taste without measuring the ingredients, I have included a basic recipe here for you to follow to get started. Don’t be afraid to experiment a little. Sometimes when smoking chicken I simply use a mix of soy sauce and brown sugar to immerse it in for an hour or so before smoking. This is also good for tailor or mackerel. For fish such as tuna however, I generally stick to a classic brine recipe because tuna flesh has a lot of moisture and blood to draw out before smoking.

You can smoke both freshly caught tuna as well as previously frozen fish, however you are best to wrap the chunks in absorbent paper towel overnight to draw some of the blood out. Also cut off any of the bloodline, as it tastes like dead buffalo butt when smoked. Cut your tuna chunks across the grain into slices of between 15mm to 25mm thick. I prefer thicker chunks because they’re likely to dry out. Ensure all slices are very similar thickness otherwise they will smoke unevenly.

Take the wood chips out of the fluid and drain. Coat the bottom of the smoker with the wood chips, with a little more concentration over the area where the burners will sit underneath. Place your rack inside the smoker. I like to use a rack that sits up high in the smoker as this keeps the fish away from the heat, allowing it to smoke slower.

Light your burners and place them under the smoker to start the smoker heating and the chips eventually burning, which will create the smoke we want. The burners will only produce a small flame initially until they heat up. Once an orange flame is produced, turn the dial to close the air vents on the burners and decrease the flame.

To prepare the brine I generally use roughly 1/2 cup of cooking salt, 3/4 cup of brown sugar and eight cups of room temperature water for a large amount of fish (a couple of kilograms). However you can adjust the quantity of each depending on how much brine you’ll need for the amount of product you have to soak. Additionally, I add around four or so tablespoons of soy sauce to my brine, but this is not essential. Mix it all together, ensuring that all the salt is dissolved. Place all the tuna chunks into the brine and stir around a bit, then leave it to sit for at least 45 minutes.

Remove the tuna from the brine and allow it to drain on a rack, or wipe it with some absorbent paper towel.Sometimes I coat some of the tuna with additional brown sugar. This gives a different (yet not sweet) taste to the tuna.

While the tuna is brining, put some smoker chips into a bowl and cover with water or wine. This will ensure that they do not burn too quickly. You will need just enough chips to lightly cover the bottom of your smoker. These need to soak for 20-30 minutes.

Once you have the wood chips burning nicely and a good amount of smoke inside the smoker, place all the tuna chunks on the wire rack. Avoid having them touching so the smoke can encompass them evenly. Ensure you do not have too much heat present. It’s best if the tuna cooks and smokes slowly. Move the burners further from the base of the smoker or stunt the flame by starving it of oxygen to decrease the heat if necessary. As it smokes and cooks, the tuna will change colour to a brownish-grey. I like to check the tuna regularly to ensure it is not overcooking, and often turn it over when I think it is around half done.

Next get your smoker ready. Fill the burners with some methylated spirits. The burners will often have some gauze and cloth compound in the bottom. Fill the burners until the metho just covers these. I line the inside base of the smoker with alfoil to make clean up easier. Spray the rack or racks with a little olive or vegetable oil to avoid the fish sticking to it.

If you think it may be ready, break a piece to see how well it is cooked. When the tuna chunks are cooked most of the way through, with just a small tinge of pink remaining in the middle, remove the entire rack from the heat. You can eat your tuna immediately, or allow it to cool and eat it later. It’s a great addition to pasta, salads and sandwiches, and divine when served with cottage cheese or cream cheese on crackers while having a few coldies. I sometimes cryovac a portion and freeze it for future needs when doing a large batch.

Cooking

Easy oyster shucking BRISBANE

Lynn Bain

I have childhood memories of my Dad and I harvesting oysters off

a friend’s oyster lease. I loved them back then and the love affair continues to this day. Oysters are a healthy food, rich in vitamins and high in omega-3

oils, calcium, iron, zinc and copper. The oysters in the following article were kindly supplied by City Oysters, Phone (07) 3277 0270.

Useful equipment for shucking oysters. Including a scrubbing brush (for removing any mud or grit from the oyster’s shell), oyster shucker (specialised knife for opening the oyster shells), gloves and a tea towel (to protect your hands from the shells and the shucking knife).

Scrub the mud and grit off the oyster shells using protective gloves to avoid any cuts from the shells.

Recipes

OYSTERS IN THE SHELL

The quantities in each of the following recipes\ concepts will each be sufficient for four oysters ‘in the shell’. Oysters with Smoked Salmon and Capers Arrange four oysters, in their shells, on a platter of rock salt. Placing the shells on a bed of rock salt will keep the shells upright when serving. Place a half teaspoon of capers in a bowl of water for a few minutes to allow them to plump up slightly. After a couple of minutes, remove the capers from the water and drain. To the oysters in the shell, spoon a small amount of either crème fraiche or sour cream onto each oyster. Finish with a small swirl of

very finely sliced bacon rasher (rind removed). A grind of black pepper over the top, and then pop the loaded oysters under the grill for about three minutes or until the bacon is sizzling. Oysters with Thai Flavours Arrange four oysters in their shells on a platter of rock salt. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, a dash of Squid brand fish sauce, a tiny amount (to suit your taste buds) of deseeded and finely chopped red chilli and a tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves. Stir to combine and then spoon a little of this Thai sauce over each of the oysters.

Hold the oyster shell in the palm of your hand in a folded tea towel. Have the hinged end of the oyster shell nearest to you. Hold the shucking knife in your other hand and place the point of the shucker at the hinged point of the oyster shell.

5 4

smoked salmon and a scatter of capers on top. Oysters Au Naturale Arrange four oysters in the shell on a platter of rock salt. Oysters natural are eaten with very little in the way of additional flavours. Perhaps just a spritz of either fresh lime or lemon juice can be added to the oyster. From your preferred citrus fruit, you could also add just a small dab of fluid-filled flesh. Oysters Kilpatrick The oysters in the following recipe are grilled before serving so please preheat your grill to a medium heat. Arrange four oysters in their shells on a heatproof platter of rock salt. Sprinkle each oyster lightly with Worcestershire sauce. Then top each oyster with

Insert the blade, with moderate force and wiggling it if necessary, at the hinge between the two valves. The shucker is then inserted into the shell at the hinged end and given a twist to break the hinge. Twist the blade until there is a slight pop. Slide the blade upward to break the muscle that holds the hinge closed.

Twisting the shell open, run the shucker around the edge and cut the oyster muscle to open the shell.

The oyster ‘meat’ is flipped over and presented in the shell. OCTOBER 2015

What’s New FISHING

BLACK MAGIC ENTICERS

The continued expansion of Black Magic’s freshwater range has seen the introduction of the Enticer range of spinners. These new lures feature startlingly lifelike finishes which imitate a number of juvenile fish species. When coupled with their fluttering action, they are particularly attractive to predatory fish. There are five colour options to choose from in either a 7g or 12g weight. The lures are manufactured from high quality components including chemically sharpened treble hooks, strong split rings and a swivel to help prevent line twist. Enticers are very effective for both trolling and casting from the shoreline for a number of species, including trout and salmon. Price: RRP $8-10 www.blackmagictackle.com

SAMAKI SILVER BULLET

Silver Bullet has taken surf rod technology into the future, and now there’s a new blank concept available to the Australian fishing market. It’s called Oval Blank, and when incorporated into the base section of the rod it enables you to make greater and more powerful casts to launch your lure further. Combine this with a tip that’s been designed for greater sensitivity, so you can feel the strike as it happens, and you have a serious weapon for surf casting. Built to withstand the elements, the Silver Bullet consists of Japanese Toray Carbon Fibre 36 and 40 Tonne combined, Fuji K Guides and Fuji reel seat for longevity, and super hard EVA grips for comfort. There are four models available, all 2 piece, from a 9’0” heavy to a 12’0” extra heavy. For more information visit the Samaki website, or like them on Facebook or Instagram. Price: RRP $299.95 www.samaki.com.au

RAINBOW BRAID ELITE

The Black Magic team have released an upgraded version of their popular Rainbow braid. The new product is called Rainbow Braid Elite, and it’s available in six different line tests: 12lb and 16lb on 150m spools; and 20lb, 30lb, 50lb and 80lb on 300m spools. Like the original Rainbow Braid, Elite has 10m colour changes with a 5m marking and then 1m indicators. Rainbow Elite is still braided from 100% Japanese PE fibre, but unlike many alternatives on the market it’s an 8-carrier braid (8 braided strands). This provides greater strength from a finer diameter, and its smooth, round shape allows for long, accurate casts. The new product retains its renowned abrasion resistance, low stretch and high sensitivity when it comes to feeling bites in deeper water. Whether you’re casting, bottom bouncing or jigging, Rainbow Braid Elite is a ‘best by test’ high performance braided line. Price: RRP $49.95 (160m of 12lb) www.blackmagictackle.com

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

REPEL BUGS WITH NOSILIFE

Available as a long sleeved or short sleeved shirt, the NosiLife Anglers Shirt won’t just keep the sun off your skin – it will also keep biting insects at bay. The patented insect repellent NosiLife is woven into the fabric, and won’t wash off. NosiLife is a breakthrough technology in textile innovation that weaves permethrin – a synthetic insecticide – into the fabric itself, meaning it will keep bugs away no matter how many times you put it through the wash. NosiLife technology is also non-toxic, so it won’t irritate your skin. Other features of the Anglers Shirt include UPF40+ sun protection, a vented back and underarm gusset to help keep you cool, and multiple pockets for easy storage of your essentials while you go hands free. There’s also a hidden zipped security pocket and a buttoned sleeve pocket to keep your valuables safe and secure. Price: RRP $109.99 (short sleeve), RRP $119.99 (long sleeve) www.craghoppers.com

X-RAP LONG CAST SHALLOW

Weighted for extreme casting distances, the new Rapala X-Rap Long Cast Shallow will not let you down when the fish are busting bait further than most lures can get to. This lipless lure is fast becoming the ultimate stickbait, with its irresistible darting baitfish action on an aggressive retrieve, combined with a sinking action that flutters on the pause. Now Aussie anglers are given the ability to change tactics with a single lure when targeting fish that are constantly changing their feeding depth. When you get a strike, the heavy-duty through-wire construction of the X-Rap Long Cast Shallow and in-line VMC 7266 single hooks will ensure you remain connected to any hard fighting predator. Available in 12cm and 14cm lengths, and weighing 36g and 53g respectively, the X-Rap Long Cast Shallow will be available this October. www.rapala.com.au

RAPALA AGGRESSOR

The all new Aggressor reels embody all that is synonymous with Rapala – quality, reliability, function and performance. This series of heavy-duty spinning reels features an aircraft grade alloy body and rotor, making it ultra tough yet light enough to fish with for extended periods. Incorporating 5+1 ball bearings into the body ensures faultless performance and all internal components are subject to a 72 hour anti-corrosive treatment to maximize saltwater durability. A ported big capacity braid ready spool with carbon drag washers produces between 19kg and 25kg of relentless drag pressure. Such a high output a drag gives you the ultimate confidence as you take the fight to the fish and become the aggressor. Available now in a 3500, 5000 and 7000 size, the Rapala Aggressor series is ideal for all medium to heavy jigging and casting techniques. All Rapala reels come with a limited 5-year warranty. Price: RRP $350 www.rapala.com.au

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

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What’s New FISHING

SCAN THE QR CODE!

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

DAIWA ISLA SPIN

Daiwa’s newest heavy-duty super reel starts with Daiwa’s Real Four design formula. An amalgamation of Real Engine, Real Control, Real Endurance, Real Custom, Real Four delivers the ultimate in performance and quality. Rigid, strong and highly durable, the Isla’s unyielding body allows for seamless gear function and prevents twisting under load, and results in greater cranking force. The super aluminium alloy material is also highly corrosion resistant. The Hyper Digigear system, made from a corrosion resistant new age alloy, is lighter and stronger than any gear that Daiwa have developed before. Added protection is provided by Mag Seal, with its magnetized oil that forms a seal against dust, water and salt intrusion, and eliminates oil spray associated with traditional seals. Available in 4000H, 5000H, 7000 and 7000H sizes, and topped with 10-30kg drag (model dependent), Daiwa delivers saltwater spin reel excellence with a value packed price tag. www.daiwafishing.com.au

Japanese company OSP have created a top quality spinnerbait range called Highpitcher. The Highpitcher features the very best in spinnerbait design and performance. Its compact design means it casts beautifully and is also perfectly suited to Australian conditions. The top quality blades spin faster than others on the market, and this allows these spinnerbaits to be fished slower without affecting the fish catching abilities of the lure. Thinner, stronger wire transmits vibration better, thus making the whole spinnerbait vibrate for a more realistic presentation. Add to this top quality skirts held in place with wire, and you have spinnerbaits are both durable as well as highly effective. The Highpitcher comes in 1/4oz (7g); 5/16oz (9g) 3/8oz (11g); 1/2oz(14g) and 5/8oz (18g) weights, and a range of colours. For more information visit the Fish-Tec website or email sales@fish-tecsoultions.com. Price: RRP $22.95 www.fish-tecsolutions.com

UNBREAKABLE GLORYFY 3G AIR

The Gloryfy G3 Air, with its gradient shiny finish and streamlined style, is one of the highlights of Gloryfy’s 2015 collection. Air Flow 90° technology prevents the lenses from fogging, and at the same time protects your eyes from draughts at high speeds. And of course, these sunglasses provide complete protection from UV radiation. The G3 Air is available in Black and Yellow versions. Both have interchangeable, unbreakable lenses, and an unbreakable frame. Anglers will like the polarisation option, plus there’s the option for lens tinting, accessories and prescription lenses. Other features of Gloryfy unbreakable eyewear include: highest optical quality equivalent to the human eye without colour falsification; 100% UVA/UVB protection; blue light blockers; and ‘colour-fastness’ lens technology. Lightweight Gloryfy lenses weigh 1.11g/ cm2, outperforming usual materials. Made in Austria to the highest European quality standards, they deliver the latest technology in eyewear. Price: from RRP $225.85 www.gloryfysunglasses.com.au

The new Quantum Smoke Speed Freak baitcast reel features a screaming-fast 8.1:1 gear ratio—which rips in 89cm of line for every turn of the handle. It also features Quantum’s new PTX frame, designed to add rigidity while reducing overall weight, which is just 181g. The new Micro Infinite ACS external centrifugal cast control has a 250° rotation, adding 13 new settings for an even wider range of control for precise adjustments. Plus, when casting, the new Smoke Speed Freak design disengages from the pinion gear completely, allowing the spool shaft to ‘float’ freely for zero friction, adding even more distance to your casts. The new CSC2 drag system delivers a silky smooth and impressive 25lb of drag power. Other features include an aluminium PT main gear and drive shaft, titanium-nitride coated line guide, spool tension click knob, 10+1 bearings, and a lightweight aluminium frame and gear-side cover. The aluminium spool holds 155m of 30lb braid. Speed Freak spin reels are also available. www.quantumfishing.com.au

SAMURAI REFRACTION

Refractions are the new and improved baitcaster series born from the original. Tuned and built specifically for lure casting, the range combines incredibly light blanks with the finest Fuji components. New models have been added to create a versatile range of rods for barra, bass and everything in between. The Refraction series is built on a lightweight, class leading Samurai blank with the new PTS reels offering real-time sensitivity from its pioneering exposed blank construction. Add Fuji Titanium SiC guides, and Samurai have crafted the most refined and comfortable baitcasters in their class. Carbon highlights and the iconic Samurai camo grips maintain a nostalgic nod to the past while firmly looking to the future. Price: $429.95 www.samurairods.com.au

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OSP HIGHPITCHER

QUANTUM SPEED FREAK

3” GULP NEMESIS

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

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

What’s New FISHING

ABU REVO MGX SPIN

Abu Garcia has added the Revo MGX (due out in November) to its list of finely tuned spinning reels. A new AMGearing system and X-Mag gearbox highlight a bevy of new features that set this reel apart from its competitors. The AMGearing system is a finely tuned, machined gear that has better tolerances and better performance throughout the life of the reel (available on all Revo models except the Revo S). The X-Mag gearbox design provides a super light yet extremely strong gear housing. Each Revo is equipped with the Rocket Line Management System – a combination of bail angle, spool lip design and slow oscillation that lets you cast farther and manage line more effectively. These reels also feature a Carbon Matrix system for super smooth, consistent drag pressure throughout the entire drag range. Other models in this latest release are the Premier, STX, SX, S and Inshore. Price: $219 (S series) to $400 (MGX) abugarcia-fishing.com.au

ZMAN 10” HEROZ

The new ZMan 10” HeroZ jerk bait is ideal for a wide range of big fish applications. Its buoyant ElaZtech construction makes it perfect for everything from walking across the surface through to weighting it to fish the depths, where its buoyancy and super-soft construction brings it to life on a jighead or paternoster rig. When retrieved at speed, the HeroZ have a lifelike, snaking swimming action that has already proven effective on tuna, cobia, trevally and more. Unlike other slug-style plastics, the HeroZ is 10X tough to stand up to brutal strikes and hard fought battles, making it a go-to when chasing toothies or fishing through schools of toothy species to access fish holding deeper. Whether you’re chasing pelagics like kingfish, tuna, mackerel, cobia and trevally, or fishing deep for snapper, dhufish, coral trout and other reefies, the 10” HeroZ is a great choice. HeroZ are available in six colours, with three per pack. Price: RRP $27.95 www.z-man.com.au

G.LOOMIS E6X RODS

For decades now, the G.Loomis name has been associated with brilliant casting and fish-fighting tools, but the latest G.Loomis E6X rods are something else again. What makes these rods so special is a G.Loomis exclusive blank that draws upon other proprietary materials with low resin content and high strain rate carbon fibre. Most importantly though, they have the right weight balance, sensitivity and actions for Australian fish, techniques and conditions. There are six rods in this new line-up — four spin of single piece design from 6’3” to 7’, and two single-piece baitcasters of 5’8” and 6’. The grips are fine density cork with customised Fuji reel seats, and quality lightweight Fuji guides to keep the actions sharp. Line weights are 2-17lb for the spin rods and 10-20lb for the baitcasters, so for freshwater, estuary and inshore coastal fishing situations, you’ve got it covered. www.shimanofish.com.au

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

MAKO G0H2 LENSES

Mako has released their newest lens in the Blade frame, the G0H2. This grey lens base recipe with a red mirror has been carefully crafted using feedback from customers to deliver a comfortable lens suitable for a wide range of outdoor activities. The grey lenses accurately and naturally represent the colours seen with the naked eye, and this low colour distortion makes them very comfortable over long periods. The downside of grey lenses traditionally is that it’s the darkest tint and therefore cuts more light out, sometimes making objects in shadows and low light more difficult to see. However, by carefully manipulating the light coming through the lens, and adding their proprietary HD filter, Mako have successfully addressed this problem. A wider active viewing window has also been created, meaning more hours of viewing time during the day. www.makoeyewear.com.au

TD BATTLER SPIN REELS

To complement the popular TD Battler light tackle rods, Daiwa has introduced the ultimate reel: TD Battler, available in 2000, 2500 and 3000 sizes, from midspring 2015.

The first thing you’ll notice when you pick up the Battler is its weight. The machined Zaion body and rotor is incredibly lightweight, strong and is completely corrosion resistant. The precision engineering of TD Battler supports the re-vamped, high-accuracy Digigear II drive and silent oscillation system to produce smoother rotary efficiency and increased cranking power. It also features Magseal, a membrane of magnetic oil, which prevents dust or saltwater intrusion, avoids friction, eliminates oil spray and improves reel life expectancy. Combine this with a Magsealed Line Roller, Air Rotor and ATD, and this is one of the smoothest, most sensitive and technically advanced reels in the Daiwa range. The end result for the angler is feeling more connected to lures, detecting more bites and fighting fish more easily. www.daiwaaustralia.com.au

N.S BLACK HOLE AMPED

The N.S Black Hole Amped series is the result of a collaboration between the US designers and Australian distributors, and is fine tuned for the Australian market. The new blank technology used in the Amped series results in feather light rods with impressive sensitivity and performance, and they’re also priced very competitively. There are 12 models, covering everything from light bream spin models, short lengths for kayak anglers, barra spin and barra baitcast, and some bass in between. The butt section has been designed to be comfortable to use even when you have a big fish on. There are seven spin models and five baitcast models. The spin models range from the S-602UL (6’, 2-piece, 2-6lb rating, 2-8g lure weight, ultra light) through to the S-701XH (7’, 1-piece, 15-30lb, 15-50g, X-heavy); and the baitcast models range from the C-602L (6’, 2-piece, 2-8lb, 4-15g, light) up to the C-681H (6’8”, 1-piece, 10-20lb, 7-28g, heavy). Price: RRP $150 www.ejtodd.com.au

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

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What’s New FISHING TESTED:

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

Beachmate trolley

I love finding products that make certain tasks easier, whether it’s a new type of tool for handyman work around the house right through to the functionality of a reversing camera on large cars. I wouldn’t say I’m a lazy person, I just don’t like overcomplicating tasks that should be simple! And it’s for this reason I enjoyed using the Beachmate trolley. Around the time this package turned up at Fishing Monthly I had just been given the all clear from the doctor after hobbling around with a broken leg for seven weeks. I was keen to get out and about again without crutches and go fishing – so it was the perfect time to check out the functionality of the Beachmate and put it through its paces. If you’re like me you always pack too much gear when you go fishing. I have this nagging worry that if I don’t take something I’ll be guaranteed to need it – and when it comes to land-based fishing or fishing off a pier, jetty or beach, there’s nothing worse then overloading yourself with gear and having to stop a thousand times to rearrange and shift what you’re carrying.

Enter the Beachmate!

This trolley was designed to assist in carrying gear to and from the beach, but it’s also perfect for carting your fishing gear to and from other fishing destinations. The trolley

TESTED:

Saving coin with Stingray Eyewear

I think I was chosen to review these glasses when on a recent trip chasing squid, a colleague I was fishing with saw me struggling with servo quality sunnies… Not that it was worrying me greatly, I mean, I’ve tried (but never owned) some very expensive lenses, and they offered great protection, but sunnies just need to keep the sun out of my eyes, right? All the ‘good’ quality eyewear is well out of my ‘student-living-just-above-the-povertyline’ budget anyway…

to test, the Mackerel, as it made me look like a Floridian flats guide! But looks aside, I was very keen to see how a sub $100 lens compared to the other glasses on the market. Being a sight-fishing addict, I knew that my usual fishing habits would provide an adequate testing field. Where cruising targets are swimming in and out of shadows cast by trees, pontoons, bridges and rocks, quality sunglasses are invaluable. Glare on the water seems to render the naked eye practically useless, and while cheap sunnies are some help against glare, the Mackerel lens manages to First impressions deflect most glare from going into your eyes That was the first thing that struck so you can keep a visual on that feeding me about Stingray’s range of fishing fish. That’s the idea, anyway…

The Testing field

specific sunglasses – they don’t cost hundreds of dollars, but they boast a stylish look that makes them appear like their more expensive counterparts. I was immediately taken by the lens I was given SCAN THE QR CODE!

doubles as a seat, so once you unload all your gear you can sit down, relax and crack a frothy one while you wait for the fish to bite. The Beachmate also has a compact, inbuilt shade canopy to give you a bit of relief from the sun’s glare. A lot of thought has been put into the design of this product. It’s very user friendly, so any numbskull can use it – even me! It packs up flat and can easily be stored in your car or cupboard. The materials used are of a high quality and are designed to withstand the elements. The trolley also has several pockets, which are great for storing valuables like your keys and wallet. Also supplied is a cargo net, which you can attach over your load to stop gear falling off as you move between fishing destinations. What I like about this product the most though is that its functionality is perfect for my needs. Not only is it great for taking all the gear I need when fishing off the river banks, jetty or the beach, it’s also great in other aspects of my life. I have a young family – a 2-year-old and a fresh little 2-month-old – and when we head out for a birthday party, BBQ, or even a trip to the beach, this product is extremely useful in carting our ever-increasing bits and pieces from A to B. The Beachmate retails for $129. For more information or to order this product go to www.ezybeach.com.au or freecall 1300 822 469. – Ryan Limpus

Having tested these lenses across a variety of environments targeting different species, I’m more than impressed by the fish-spotting and glare-deflecting qualities it has to offer, not to mention the protection it offered. At first I tried a bit of simple land-based squidding in Moreton Bay, where your ability to see not only underwater structure, but also the squid themselves is important. Squid are masters of camouflage and even in shallow water, they can be quite tricky to spot. At all stages of the day, I was able to spot

squid through glare, even when they tried to be clever by swimming into a shadow or diving down a few feet. Elsewhere, they proved their use while fly fishing for carp in shallow water. Where I fish, the brown colouration of the carp makes them difficult to spot against the muddy bottom, and their inability to stay still sees many targets lost to glare or turbulence in the water. Cutting out that glare made spotting cruising carp very easy, especially with the sun rapidly dropping and the shadows lengthening. Spotting fish was easy, getting them to eat, of course, was another matter. Even when not spotting fish or squid though, having your eyes protected during those long days out on the water is very important. I’ve done a few full day trips out in the dams and in the bay with the Mackerel lens and I haven’t ended up with the sore eyes that were a part of fishing with my servo sunnies. As a plus, they haven’t caused any discomfort when on my head, even though they sit fairly tightly around my skull. Being a tight fit means there’s no need for extra lanyards to prevent them from falling off your face.

Final thoughts

Stingray Eyewear is absolutely perfect for anyone looking for affordable, fishing specific sunnies that demonstrate quality far beyond their price. For the years of use an angler can get out of them if looked after, it’s not a huge investment,

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For long days out on the water, the Mackerel definitely provided the protection it promised, and made me look as though I knew what I was doing as a bonus! especially when you consider the protection they offer and underwater features you’ll see that you would have otherwise missed. The Mackerel is Stingray’s ‘all rounder’, but they have other more specific lenses available, to check them out you can visit www.stingrayeyewear.com.au. – Bob Thornton

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

What’s New FISHING TESTED:

Lightning Stix Surf Rod

I have always enjoyed beach fishing at night, especially targeting mulloway. The best time to fish for them is on the darkest nights on or around the new moon phase. However, when you have two or three rods baited up in the water and sitting in rod holders up and down the beach it’s not that easy to see when you get an enquiry or a hook-up, so until now I’ve always used glow sticks. On a recent trip to Fraser Island I had the opportunity to try one of the new Lightning Stix rods from Juro. This rod eliminates the need for glow sticks because it has a builtin LED that illuminates the tip section of the rod. Turning it on and off is as easy as inserting a small, single alkaline battery that is housed in the base of the tip section. It’s easily accessible via a screw cap. Will ‘Bream King’ Lee and I fished the Kingfisher Bay jetty after dark on the first night we arrived at the resort. With the Lightning Stix we had no problems seeing the tip dancing with every bite; I was amazed at how much light the LED put out. We used a live herring for bait, and the rod was well suited for this but it would also be at home throwing metal slugs or working soft plastics. The rod is made from using a specially designed carbon and fibreglass blank. It loads up well, has plenty of grunt where you need it and casts a long away. The rod we tested was the 13’9” Surf,

NEW:

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

TESTED:

Spooltek Lures

We get plenty of baits come across the desk for review, so you can excuse me for being a little sceptical when a box of Spooltek lures graced the PO Box recently. Like most innovations, the theory was sound: the bait includes a retractable trace that deploys on the strike, eliminating bite-offs and reducing the leverage that a jumping fish has on the lure embedded in its mouth. This also makes a biteleader redundant. In practice, though, there’s often a disconnect between theory and reality. So I grabbed a handful of 4” models and headed down the local to see if I could get them eaten and to test my theory that I wouldn’t get a hook-up. Logic was telling me that the bait would be spit out between the hook disconnecting from the bait and the trace hitting the extent of its reach. But I was wrong. The way the Spooltek baits work is that there’s a robust mini-spool inside the head that you need to manually wind the trace up on to. When it’s fully retracted, the hook eye slips firmly into a notch in the hard head. Behind that point, a slip-in plastic booted tail paddles away and gives the bait action. My first outing resulted in three bites

which was a bit cumbersome to use on the jetty. However, the Lighting Stix Surf rods do come in 10’ and 12’ versions, which would be more suited to the jetty fishing we did. This 3-piece rod is easy to transport, and hopefully Juro will bring out a lighter 1-3kg model for chasing whiting up the river in the boat. All in all, I rate this rod range as well worth a look for anglers who enjoy fishing at night. To find out more check out www. jurofishing.com. - Michael Fox

and three hook-ups. I landed two fish and another fell off during the fight. This was neither better nor worse than my average. I’d lose that many on hard baits with a couple of trebles. With threadfin up to 92cm hitting the deck, I was pretty happy with the robustness of the little spool. Dead-lifting a 70cm+ fish was no problem, and the bigger fish played up like a footy player on Mad Monday. I was impressed. There’s plenty more testing to do, but over a month of leaving the baits unwashed and full of saltwater, they still fished, retracted and deployed just fine. To find your nearest retailer, email Spooltek’s local distributor at sales@innovativefishingsolutions.com. - Steve Morgan

Abu Garcia Revo MGX

I’m the first to admit that we can be a little spoiled here at Fishing Monthly, and the best example of this is our yearly pilgrimage to the AFTA Trade

Show. Even though we work hard over the three days of the show, the bonus is that we get to see and feel first hand the new products about to

Abu Revo AFTA launch

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

enter the market. And this year one of the new products I took a strong liking to was the new Abu Garcia Revo MGX. Abu Garcia have always produced some great reels, and this year they released a new range in the Revo series, and the benchmark reel in the series – the Revo MGX – certainly stood out as a reel I would love to get my hands on. Some cutting-edge engineering and great design features stood out, and you can feel it straight away with the first turn of the handle. Incorporated into the new Revo range are some advancements such as the new Rocket Line Management System and the AMGearing System, which makes these reels very smooth, lightweight and functional. These reels are due to be in tackle stores from 1 November. Some anglers are luckier then others though with some Abu Garcia Pro Staff getting their hands on these reels early for testing. Ross Cannizzaro only recently won the ABT Hawkesbury River Bream Qualifier using this exact reel. Scan the QR codes accompanying this write-up to check out videos ABT Hawkesbury of the MGX winner Ross Canizzaro launch plus a

ABT BREAM Pro Ross Cannizzaro shows off his new Revo MGX. recent interview with Ross Canizzaro. Alternatively, you can check out these same videos by visiting www.tacklejunkie. fish/abu-revo-mgx-spin or hop on YouTube and search for ‘Hawkesbury Winner Interview 2015’. – Ryan Limpus

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

Dave Irvine Memorial Snapper Classic 2015 As the Coffs Harbour Deep Sea Fishing Club closed its doors, the fate of the Dave Irvine Memorial Snapper Classic for 2015 became uncertain and the tournament was postponed from its regular June long weekend date. The fishing community waited to see how many people would follow the comp as the location changed to the Coffs Harbour Yacht Club in

Classic is a unique competition. The rules follow a ‘catch, photo and release’ tournament style. No fish are kept during the competition, all are released after being measured and photographed on a ‘bragmat’ (another of Dave’s inventions). Fishing is with lures only, and strictly cast and retrieve, which almost always results in mouth hook ups - another contributor to healthy catch and release fishing. Prizes

prizes for all has made the Irvine Classic one of the most popular and enjoyable fishing events for offshore anglers in Australia. THE BRIEF The Friday briefing cleared up a few of the uncertainties anglers were worried about. There were 173 anglers signed up and 69 teams that made for a good turn out at late notice. The facilities set up at the new venue were

Andrew Burke with a deep water snapper that was bumped out of the top by 4mm.

Thai Chan getting onto his 3rd place, 89.5cm snapper early before the wind. August. Questions were raised – how would the event run at a new venue? What mood were the snapper going to be in late winter? As the date got closer, one thing grew completely certain, unlike previous years, the weather forecast looked good and the competition would certainly be run on both days. But we learned - never count your snapper before you’ve caught them! THE CLASSIC Dave Irvine was a Northern NSW local, a big supporter of sustainable fishing - in particular catch and release fishing – and was the inventor of the Enviro Nets, which improve survival rates for fish after being released. Unfortunately, Dave passed away in 2007 at the young age of 44. The Dave Irvine Memorial Snapper Classic was created as a tribute to his contribution to sustainable fishing practices. The Irvine

for the tournament are drawn out of a barrel, so everyone’s in with a chance no matter how well they performed fishing. Respect for the fish, a fun atmosphere, and great

excellent, as was the service. After a run down of all the rules and the distribution of gear packs we were ready to find some snapper. DAY 1 In the days leading up to the classic the weather forecast had deteriorated with a moderate sea breeze predicted, so competitors knew they were in for a bit of a slog in the afternoon. With that in mind, most teams got out on the water early to find light winds, clear skies and very clear water inshore. Those trying to hide from the wind in the shallows mostly found smaller fish, if they found any at all. By mid morning the wind had already exceeded predicted strengths and continued to build into the afternoon. Those that were stubborn enough to stay out in deeper water, and had packed a drogue, or seven, were able

to get some good fish on the bragmat even in the face of 25kts of ,or’easter. The wind had pushed much of the field off the water by mid afternoon with only a few hardy snapper anglers pushing on for the day. At the weigh in there were rumours of good fish amongst the submitted photos, but as always, the teams were quiet as they anxiously tried to keep their cards close to their chest, or busily avoided eye contact to keep others from noticing their lack of photos. DAY 2 The forecast for the second day predicted strong winds in the afternoon but better conditions for the morning so most teams planned an early trip to the boat ramp to get the jump on the conditions. It was not until logging on with marine rescue that most found out that the Bureau of Meteorology had called a strong wind warning for the area, which unfortunately signalled the cancelation of any competition for the day. Some who had already launched decided to head out anyway to take advantage of the early conditions that teased competitors with much calmer winds and seas than the previous morning. Murphy’s Law ensured that the many teams who scored donuts on the first day had no trouble finding the fish they had searched so hard for the previous day. The cancelling of day two however, meant that the trophies would be decided on the results of day one alone, but what a day of snapper fishing to decide the winners. THE WRAP UP The end result of the Saturday was 450 snapper entered in total, at an average of 48.48cm. Last year’s Snapper Classic only resulted in 122 fish caught in total. The presentation saw every junior entrant walk away with a $50 Fishing Tackle Australia voucher and a Shimano Junior fishing pack. Over $30 000 worth of prizes were drawn including the major prize of a Bluefin boat and

Michael Spina’s block headed red was pipped at the post by 3mm. Evinrude motor package. The four biggest snapper were announced and had to be separated by millimeters with Christopher Smith taking out largest snapper with a 91.3cm fish. Dominic Thornley defended his title as top male angler with 1790 points but was unable to hold onto the overall Champion Angler title as this year the major trophy was taken out by Chloe Taylor, the top female angler for the tournament on 1835 points.

Congratulations to Chloe on a dominant angling effort and to all those involved in the competition whether it be competing or organisation of the event. Overall the 2015 Snapper Classic put to bed any uncertainty about the tournament being anything other than a ‘must attend’ event for any self respecting snapper angler. We look forward to another great year in 2016. – Stephen Worley

One lucky angler checking out his brand new boat, motor and trailer package. FULL RESULTS Largest Fish 1st............... Christopher Smith.......................91.3cm 2nd.................Michael Spina.............................91cm 3rd.....................Thai Chan.............................89.5cm 4th..................Andrew Burke..........................89.1cm Male Angler 1st...................Dom Thornely................... 1790 points 2nd................ Sam Gilchrisst.................. 1577 points 3rd................ Michael Bonnici..................1117 points Team 1st............. Edgewater/Lowrance.............2693 points 2nd................... Tomahawk......................2546 points 3rd....................By The Gills..................... 2312 points Women 1st.................... Chloe Taylor..................... 1835 points 2nd................. Hayley Norris.....................545 points 3rd...................Gina Cleaver...................... 175 points Kayaks 1st................... Dale Johnson..................... 149 points 2nd.......... Ryan Colin Thompson............... 148 points 2nd................Nathan Watson.................... 124 points Juniors 1st................. Shaun Cameron...................788 points 2nd............... Sonny Bootland...................283 points 3rd.................. James Munro.......................80 points

1st, 2nd, and 3rd placed teams. “Edgewater/Lowrance”, “Tomahawk,” and “By the Gills” respectively.

Champion Angler 1st .................. Chloe Taylor..................... 1835 points 2nd................. Dom thornely.............................. 1790 3rd................. Sam Gilchrisst.............................1577 OCTOBER 2015

Generosity wins at Greg Whitehead Challenge The Greg Whitehead Memorial Challenge took place from the 21-23 August at Lake Burrinjuck. The competition was created by Stuart Cattanach to honour the memory of his best mate Greg who died of brain cancer in November 2014. Greg was a gun fisho and local identity in the town of Harden who was much loved and is very much missed as evidenced by the 350 anglers who entered the competition to show their support for

Greg, his family and the Brain Cancer Foundation. Prizes were awarded for longest carp, redfin, yellowbelly and Murray cod in both the junior and senior categories. There was also a mystery length prize. With $18,000 worth of gear up for grabs from Shimano, Native Watercraft, Noxious Spinnerbaits and many other fantastic sponsors, along with all proceeds going to the Brain Cancer Foundation, anglers came from far and wide to

pit their skills against winter natives. Competition was fierce from the opening day with good captures of Murray cod, yellowbelly, redfin and carp being reported from boats right across the impoundment. Casting spinnerbaits at the entrances to the bays proved a good tactic for many fishers and resulted in some big yellas while the biggest cod on the first day (an 88cm specimen caught by Kyle Murray) was taken on the troll. That said,

Ryan Osman and Jason Williams with their prizes.

Ryan with his comp winning cod.

bait fishers also caught their fair share of good fish. Once off the water though, it was all about mateship and helping out the younger fishos. A number of lure makers attending the event lent a hand at the marshalling point and offered helpful hints on how best to connect with a beast out on the water. This gave the competition a friendly atmosphere and the organisers are to be commended for fostering a sense of community, which

was maintained throughout the duration of the event. On Saturday, the rest of the competitors arrived, were greeted by stunning weather and most headed up the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Bidgee arm in search of that elusive metre fish. However, the rewards were in the main basin and for those who stayed, the fishing was incredible. Michael Shanahan and brothers Dane and Ryan Osman from Capital Fisho took their kayaks out near the bluff in the morning and

within twenty minutes Ryan had hooked and landed a metre cod on a Skeleton spinnerbait. Dane then caught a 71cm cod on a Jackall and Ryan followed up his huge cod with a 49cm yellowbelly. Michael kept the fun going with plenty of redfin. Other anglers who stuck it out in the basin also landed plenty of great fish with Alex Roberts catching a great cod on the troll and Shannon Cattanach latching onto a big 51cm yellowbelly.

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

Oct 3-4

Tomakin Mighty Fishing Bonanza Phil Boneham (02) 4471 7167

Tomakin www.tomakinclub.com.au

Oct 10-11

SBS Bream Grand Final Basin Lure and Fly

TBA www.basinlureandfly.org.au

Oct 17-18

Hobie BREAM Kayak Series R14 www.hobiefishing.com.au

Georges River

Oct 17-18

SCFCA Estuary Competition southcoastfca@yahoo.com.au

Kiama

Oct 23-25

Hobie BREAM Kayak Championship www.hobiefishing.com.au

Lake Macquarie

Oct 24-25

Toray BASS Pro Series Grand Final ABT (07) 3387 0888

Lake St Clair www.abt.org.au

Oct 24-25

Allworth Fishing Club Flathead Classic Kristy 0428 327 678

Karuah River aadsf@hotmail.com

Oct 24-25

Leigh Martin Marine Lake Hume Classic Adrain Kent 0490 049 111

Lake Hume

Nov 6-8

Berkley BREAM Series Grand Final ABT (07) 3387 0888

Clarence River www.abt.org.au

Nov 6-8

ANSA Burrinjuck Convention info@canberrafishos.com

Burrinjuck Waters State Park

Nov 6-8

Hawkesbury River Classic Brett Chain

Hawkesbury River changa@ol.com.au

Nov 14-15

SCFCA Freshwater Competition southcoastfca@yahoo.com.au

Eucumbene

Nov 21-29

Rapala BARRA Tour ABT (07) 3387 0888

TNQ www.abt.org.au

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. 78

OCTOBER 2015

Jason Williams caught plenty of good redfin on Jackpot Spinnerbaits proving that trolling these types of lures can be the difference to winning and losing.

The final day was tough going. Heavy rain over night kept many anglers off the water and for those who did go out, the wind made casting difficult. I fished with Josh

RESULTS Murray Cod Senior..................... Ryan Osman................... 100cm Junior...................... Alex Roberts..................... 47cm Yellowbelly Senior..................... Robert Miller..................... 52cm Junior...................... n/a Redfin Senior..................... Jason Williams............... 29.5cm Junior...................... Tyler Rayner...................... 27cm Carp Senior..................... Kellie Abnett...................... 70cm Junior...................... Greg White........................ 62cm Greg Whitehead Memorial Trophy Mystery Length........................................ Guy Abnett

There were plenty of big cod on offer for those willing to mix it up.

2015 BREAKING

NEWS

Buckingham from Jackpot lures. We hit the rocky points and I lost a good cod in the timber but I did land a good redfin on a Jackall Doozer. Otherwise, it was very quiet, although a couple of anglers caught a few yellowbelly bouncing yabbies around the sunken timber. Ultimately though, this competition was about Greg and raising money for brain cancer. Greg was larger than life, he loved his fishing and he cherished his time on the water chasing big barra and Murray cod. Stuart created this competition to keep Greg’s memory alive and raise money for Brain Cancer. Judging by the huge fish caught, the jovial nature of the anglers and community spirit during the event, this competition will continue to achieve these two outcomes for many years to come. I think every angler who attended the competition would like to thank Stu for his passion and for organising such a brilliant weekend on the water. Thanks should also go to all the sponsors who came on board and gave so generously, they are all listed on the promo page. The event raised over $10,000 for Brain Cancer, which is unbelievable. – Toby Grundy

Don’t miss Cod Classic The Cod Classic juggernaut is gaining some serious momentum as the days tick down to what is surely going be one of the most exciting fishing events held within Australia. There’s a million reasons why you shouldn’t miss this iconic event and that comes in the form of a $1,000,000 cash bounty* on offer for some lucky angler if they can catch ‘Phil’ the specially tagged Murray cod. The only one thing on the minds of all serious anglers should be how they are going to catch ‘Phil’? Bait or lures, deep or shallow, in the timber or out in the open are some question to ponder. To claim the $1,000,000, anglers must meet 4 criteria: 1. Be a competing angler in the 2015 Cod Classic; 2. Spend a minimum of $50 at Lake Mulwala Fish Camp Ski; 3. Catch ‘Phil’ the tagged cod; and, 4. Choose the single correct envelope from a set of 100 that contains the $1 million cheque. Thanks to Blacklocks Automotive Albury/ Wodonga, catching ‘Phil’ will see you become an instant winner as an Isuzu D-Max Ute valued at $45,000 is a consolation prize even if you

don’t claim the million! Entering its 16th year, the Cod Classic is a fishing competition and a festival to celebrate the opening of cod season. A huge Fishing & Outdoors Expo, the Samurai Rods Australian Pro Casting Championships, the Native Watercraft Australian Canoe & Kayak Cod Fishing Championships, Cod Talk hosted by Rod McKenzie, the Great Northern Bar and Flathead Fred for the kids will see everyone kept entertained. Entry fee for adults is $95 pre-paid ($100 on weekend) and $50 for juniors (aged 15 or under as of 5 Dec). For the adults, this includes four meals, the chance to win six different boating packages, over 100 major lucky door and fishing section prizes along with 1500+ minor lucky door prizes. All juniors receive a Bassman Spinnerbait and L. Wilson & Co lure upon entry. Throw in a chance for the kids to win their own boat as well,

this provides great value for all. Amazingly after this year, the Cod Classic has given away a total of 89 Quintrex/ Yamaha/Lowrance boating packages. Competitors have until 5pm 20 November to get their early entries in. This makes them eligible to claim the early bird prize of a boating package. Entries can now be submitted on line at www. codclassic.com.au. If you are looking at paying in person call into Lake Mulwala Fish Camp Ski (opposite the Post Office) in Mulwala or call 0357 441667 for more details. Sharpen your hooks, pack the boat, grab your swag and baton down the hatches as the 2015 Yamaha Cod Classic is going to be huge! See you all in Yarrawonga/Mulwala for the chance to ‘Catch a Legend’ in mighty Lake Mulwala and the Murray River. apply. *Conditions Check web site for details. – Tony Bennett

LAKE MULWALA & THE MURRAY RIVER

DECEMBER

4·5·6

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

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

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

*Conditions apply. See website for details OCTOBER 2015

Redemption is finally served CE 1ST PLA

ABU Garcia’s Ross Cannizzaro completed a fairytale story at the fifth and final qualifying round of the 2015 Berkley BREAM Series. The 32-year-old Sydney tournament pro went wire-to-wire to claim victory for the event naming sponsor (ABU Garcia) and find redemption for his loss in last year’s Hawkesbury BREAM Grand Final. Making up for missed opportunities was a strong motivation heading into the event and Ross hit the ground running from the moment he touched the water. “The fog thwarted my efforts to head upriver and hit my number one spot so I started off at a secondary spot, the wash boards at the racks at Marramarra Creek,” said Ross Cannizzaro. While it may have been his less preferable spot it only took Ross 30 minutes to catch his limit. His go-to techniques were a combination of 37mm Berkley Power Blades and 2 1/2” Berkley Gulp Crabbies. With the fog clearing, Ross stowed his electric, started up the big motor and headed upstream to Spencer to fish natural rocks walls. It was a location that had been be productive for him many times in the past. “The spot needs current for the fish to fire and when I got there the tide had pretty much maxed out at the top, so I waited an hour for the tide to start to run before I started fishing it,” said Ross. After killing time for an hour and his money bank now primed to hit, Ross positioned his boat out from the shoreline in 30-40’ of water

AUSTACKLE BIG BREAM

STORM VENTAFISH®

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

OCTOBER 2015

Kris Hickson secured the Austackle Big Bream claiming the $500 prize for his 1.55kg fish caught on day two with a brown coloured Cranka Crab.

Ross Cannizzaro with a pair of his Hawkesbury winning bream.

Creek. There was no repeat of day one’s lightning start however and with no fish to show for half an hour Ross bit the bullet and headed into the fog and upriver. Fishing his way upriver, Ross slowly filled his bag, include two large key fish that he picked up in Berowra Creek. “Those two fish (37 and 36cm fork length) were crucial on day two, and very much anchored my overall weight,” said Ross. Returning to Spencer around 12pm Ross found his location under increased angling pressure and as a result he adjusted his approach and refocused his efforts on other spots in the area under less pressure. Adjusting his approach on the fly paid off with Ross catching three more fish and adding one more all-important upgrade to his limit. While quietly confident that he had enough to claim

Berkley PowerBlade

30-40” deep

and bombed the bottom, focusing on the transition zone where the rocks met the silty bottom. “The key was to keep the Power Blade tight to the bottom and move the lure with small subtle hops,” said Ross. The approach paid off with Ross upgrading six times and weighing in a 3.71kg limit to grab the lead heading into day two. “I was happy to be leading after the first day but to be honest I was a little worried. How can you not be when you have Warren Carter breathing down your neck in second?” said Ross. With the fog greeting anglers again on day two, Ross once again started his morning hitting the washboards at Marramarra

the win, on stage it was a different story with his nerves well and truly evident. “You can never be too sure, and while I thought I had over 4kg it’s not until you see the numbers flick up on the scales that you can rest easy,” said a relieved Cannizzaro. The win added another victory to Ross’ impressive tournament resume and provided a level of redemption from his 2nd place in last year’s Hawkesbury BREAM Grand Final, and his 2nd place from the Mallacoota round in June. “It’s great to have a Hawkesbury River win to go with my Sydney Harbour win from last year. As a Sydneybased breamer there’s no two more rewarding events to win,” sais Ross. – ABT

Gillett blades deep CE 2ND PLA

Lake Macquarie’s Shayne Gillett had a dream tournament at Hawkesbury, with the 45-year-old Hobie Fishing tournament pro compiling a 10/10, 7.45kg

limit to add $1,500 to his career earnings and punch his ticket for November’s Berkley Grand Final. Fishing an Ecogear ZX Blade to catch his fish each day, Gillett started day one fishing edges near the junction of Wiseman Ferry and Berowra Creek. His first fish didn’t come until 8.30am, and despite taking some time to catch it made up for it in size (1.30kg), and his second soon followed at 9am.

Anglers queued up each afternoon to present their fish to the weighmaster and gathered crowd.

Unfortunately, that was it for the next two hours, until at 11am when the fish turned on just like flicking a switch. The adage of no-run-no-fun was definitely the case, especially on the rock walls at Spencer where Gillett was fishing. “You get a distinct bite window where the bream will bite their heads off and that was definitely the case on day one,” said Gillett. In 30 minutes Gillett caught his limit and upgraded multiple times. The flurry of activity delivering him a 3.46kg limit and had the Hobie Bream pro sitting in 4th place at the end of day one. His day one technique involved drifting the blade down the face of the wall with current, staying in contact with the lure at all times, and imparting a series of small hops. “Contact with the lure was crucial to minimise snagging up on the bottom and ensuring you could feel the bites,” said Gillett.

Loftus racks up win

BREA

Presente M SERIES d by ABU Garcia

Shayne Gillett bagged the big fish to claim second place. Greeted by the fog again at the start of day two, Gillett slowly fished his way up the system, spot hopping rock walls and picking up fish as he went. Just like day one his first fish of the day was a standout, another 1kg+ fish to kick start his day’s bag. Falling once again to a lift and dropped

TOP 10 BOATERS Place

Angler

Fish

Weight

Payout

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Ross CANNIZZARO Shayne GILLETT Kristoffer HICKSON Simon SCZEPANIAK John TIMBRELL Graham FRANKLIN Nigel WHITE Todd RICHES Steve GILL Warren CARTER

10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 9/10 8/10 8/10 10/10 8/10

7.90 7.45 7.24 6.13 6.09 5.96 5.86 5.84 5.30 5.27

$2800 $1,500 $1100 $1,000 $750 $650 $500 $500

CE 1ST PLA TER A NON-BO Sydney’s Alan Loftus claimed victory at the Hawkesbury with the ABU Garcia sponsored tournament breamer compiling a 6/10, 4.08kg limit to secure his maiden BREAM Qualifier win. Fishing with Daniel Saunders on day one, Loftus fished oyster racks near Bar Point throwing a 37mm Berkley PowerBlade along the rack rails to catch his fish. “It was perfect coloured rack fishing water, discoloured so the fish weren’t shy, yet enough

Ecogear ZX40 it was followed by more fish. By 12.15pm he had four fish in the bag, one shy of his full limit. “The tide was later on day two and I wasn’t expecting the peak bite to kick in until around 12-ish, so I waiting until about 12.30pm until I moved to my best spot,” said Gillett.

His timing was spot on with Gillett catching seven fish in quick time. His calculating running and timing of locations paid off with Gillett weighing in a 3.99kg limit to occupy the hot seat on stage for a long time during the weigh-in before ultimately being evicted by event winner Cannizzaro. Gillett’s tournament tackle included an assortment of Daiwa Black Label rods, and Daiwa Certate, Steez and Sol reels, black Ecogear ZX40 blades, and his beloved Ranger Bass boat. “The Ranger makes it easy to cover lots of water fast, and allows you to spend more time fishing and less time travelling,” said Gillett. – ABT

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

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

Alan Loftus secured the non-boater title at the ABU Garcia Hawkesbury River event. visibility that they could pick up the lure in the water,” said Loftus. Loftus’ technique

ABU Garcia’s Ross Cannizzaro and Alan Loftus completed a fairy tale finish for the event naming sponsor.

involved working the Power Blade with a series of small, slight hops. The approach paid off on a very tough day with Loftus picking up two fish for the day. Fishing with Wayne Robinson on day two, Loftus was once again back at the rack, this time however using a different technique. “I tea-bagged the washboard, trying to tempt the bream with a vertically presented and shaken blade,” said Loftus. Two hours in and with very little to show for their efforts, the pair changed location and hit edges. Loftus fishing a deep running Berkley Fat Dog in bruiser colour. Another two hours followed and still with little to show, the pair moved once again, this time hitting boat hulls at Brooklyn. Fishing a 2 1/2” Berkley Gulp Crabby rigged on a 1/24oz Nitro jighead, Loftus’

Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

6/10 6/10 5/10 6/10 5/10 5/10 4/10 3/10 2/10 2/10

4.08 3.71 3.65 2.84 2.80 2.77 2.64 2.38 2.00 1.98

Alan LOFTUS Robert KNEESHAW Ben SHUEY Blake O’GRADY Gavin JOYCE Shaun EGAN Clint VOSS Jamie JOHNSON John THORLEY Nicholas SCOTT

Payout

Berkley Pack Berkley Pack Rod/Prize Pack Rod/Prize Pack Flying Fisherman Prize Pack Spotters Prize Pack Bass Mafia Prize Pack Z-Man Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

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

technique was textbook shutdown breaming. “I’d cast the Crabby in tight to the hull then simply deadstick it, letting it sink all the way to the bottom, looking for any tick of the line to indicate a bite,” said Loftus. His less-is-more approach paid off with Loftus picking up multiple fish late in the session. Try as he might, he couldn’t crack his 5th fish to deliver him his full limit, but in the end it wasn’t needed with his 4/5, 1.69kg bag enough to deliver him the win. Loftus’ win completed the fairy tale win for ABU Garcia, with both he and champion boater Ross Cannizzaro long time friends, team mates, and ambassadors for the ABU Garcia brand. – ABT

WINNING NOTES

Winning Tackle Rod:

’10”, 1-3kg, ABU Garcia Salty 6 Stage Reel: ABU Garcia REVO MGX20 Line: 4.4lb Berkley Exceed Leader: 2 rod length of 4lb Berkley Sensei fluorocarbon Lure: 37mm and 40mm Berkley PowerBlade (tiger prawn), Berkley Gulp Crabby (camo) rigged on 1/24oz Nitro jighead, 3” Berkley Gulp Nemesis (watermelon/red fleck) rigged on a 1/24oz Nitro jighead.

Winning Ways

Water movement was key for Ross’ fish to bite at their best. Each day he waited until the tide was running hard before he hit his number one fish spot.

OCTOBER 2015

West dives down deep to win CE 1ST PLA

Ipswich’s Charles West reined supreme in the 2nd BASS Electric Major with the Haswing sponsored tournament pro fishing a deep water approach to secure victory in the Haswing Lake Moogerah BASS Electric Major, 2 August. Keying in on a strong pattern and the location to fish during a prefish the day before, and the week before the tournament. “I found fish the week before but they weren’t overly big. So I went out the day before the tournament hoping to find some larger fish. I was lucky and picked up a couple of bigger fish in the 30 minutes,” said West. With his tournament location locked in, West went straight to his deep water spot, a 61’ deep area located between the lake’s two boat ramps.

“The fish were not far from the flooded river, and appeared on the sounder anywhere between 30’ and the bottom [61’],” said West. With the fish holding super deep, West used a heavy lure approach, throwing both a Keitech Fat Swing soft plastics rigged on a 1/2oz jighead, and a 19g Jackall Mask Vibe. His deep technique involved sinking his lure all the way to the bottom then retrieving it with a dead slow retrieve. “I cranked the Mask super slow, working it just fast enough to get the lure to vibrate. The Keitech I could work even slower due to the fact that the soft small paddle-tail needs little movement to get it to wiggle,” said West. West picked up his first fish 40 minutes into the session; it fell to a Mask Vibe. Despite fish continually moving through the area and constantly appearing on his sounder West struggled to catch another fish. “They were incredibly flighty, and despite there being plenty of fish and bait in the area they wouldn’t bite,” said West.

Charles West claimed another event win with victory at Haswing BASS Electric Major. Three hours after catching his first, West finally picked up his second fish. This time falling to a slow rolled Keitech. No further fish or bites followed for the session.

Jackall Mask Vibe

61’ Dead Slow Retrieve

STORM VENTAFISH®

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

OCTOBER 2015

Keitech Fat Swing rigged on a TT jighead

Weighing in a 3.05kg bag, West in the end claimed a comfortable win, securing a 550g win over his nearest challenger, Christian Manolea.

Manolea goes soft for second place

BASS EL EC MAJORTRIC

CE 2ND PLA

Springwood’s Christian Manolea secured a podium finish at Moogerah with the BASS Electric pro fishing a deepwater soft plastic approach to claim second. Locating the fish with his sounder, Manolea fished the 60-65’ depth range close to the lake’s northern boat ramp, with a technique that was typical deepwater soft plastic fishing. “Most of the fish were suspended at around 30’ so I’d sink the plastic to the bottom then slow roll it

Glassed-out conditions greeted anglers as they headed off to their fishing locations. back through the suspended fish,” said Manolea. His go-to lure was as a 3” Keitech soft plastic rigged on a 3/8oz jighead. Picking up two undersize fish early it wasn’t until 9.30am that Manolea put his first fish in the well. “They were hard to get to bite, you just needed to stay confident, and wait for them to eat,” said Manolea. Picking up his first fish

Christian Manolea with his second place bag of bass. 3 1/2 hours after the start of the session, his second soon followed 30 minutes later. Weighing in a 2/2, 2.51kg session Manolea won

a $300 Haswing voucher, prize pack, and secured a free entry into September’s Bluefin Boats BASS Electric Convention. – ABT

A Haswing electric motor poised and ready for action.

TOP 10 ANGLERS Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 1/2 1/2 2/2 2/2 2/2

3.06 2.51 2.13 1.85 1.73 1.69 1.68 1.68 1.52 1.45

Charles WEST Christian MANOLEA Patrick CONDUIT Brett RENZ Adrian MANOLEA Colin LINTON Adrian WILSON Tom REYNOLDS Jonathan BALE Chris OSLEY

Payout

Haswing Electric Motor $300 Haswing Prize Pack $200 Haswing Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au Lined up and ready to go for the 7am take off.

WINNING NOTES

Winning Tackle MASK OUTFIT Rod: 13 Fishing 7’11” Crankster Reel: 13 Fishing Concept C Line: 16lb Sunline Castaway Leader: 12 Sunline FC Lure: Jackall Mask Vibe (black/chatreuse)

Winning Ways

KEITECH OUTFIT Rod: 13 Fishing Envy Black medium/light Reel: Daiwa Luvias 2004 Line: 4lb FC Sniper fluorocarbon Lure: Keitech Fat Swing (ayu), rigged on a 1/2 oz TT jighead

FLOWRITE BIG BASS Colin Linton claimed the Flow-Rite Big Bass at Moogerah, with the Brisbane basser securing the $100 prize with his 1.69kg fish caught near the ski zone flats on a vertically presented camo coloured Berkley Jigging Grub.

West picked up his first on a Jackall Mask vibe then changed to a finesse presentation when the fish really shutdown. Fishing a soft plastic and fishing 4lb fluorocarbon straight through. OCTOBER 2015

Soo impressive at Gold Coast Comp The Queensland saying “Beautiful one day, perfect the next” held true for Round 10 of the Hobie Kayak Bream Series in what was an exceptional weekend’s kayak fishing! Almost the entire field of 27 anglers returned to the Daiwa event site with full bags of 4 bream on both days and total of 196 bream were brought back to the scales with a combined weight of 91.07kg.  DAY 1 Competitors took off from the Power-Pole starting line in near perfect conditions with a light breeze and good cloud cover on the first day of competition. Spreading out across the arena, many anglers worked the canals in Sovereign Island, while others went further afield as far as Sea World near the Nerang River and even a few bagged-out directly in front of

the launch site under Ephraim Island Bridge.   The bream were on the bite early with many anglers getting their bag of 4 bream by 11am and then spent the rest of the day working the numbers and upgrading. At the end of day one, 23 anglers returned to the Hobie Event Trailer with full bags of 4 bream. It was Kendal Soo, from Brisbane, who was the TT Lures Leader of the day with 4 bream weighing 2.54kg, only a slight lead over nearest competitor, fellow Queenslander, Michael Maas with 4 for 2.23kg.   Only 500g separated the top 5 going into day two of the competition when a tight field of anglers would battle it out for one of two qualifying spots in the Hobie Kayak Bream Series Australian Championship to be held in Lake Macquarie later this year.

HOG’S BREATH CAFÉ BOSS HOG BIG BREAM

Hobie K BREAM ayak Presente Series d by

Pro, Austackle, TT Lures, Yamatoyo, Ecogear, PowerPole, Mortgage Corp , Hog’s Breath Cafe and ABT. Thanks also to Mal Gray

Daiwa

and Hooper from Sunstate Hobie for providing Hobie dealer support.

RESULTS

Warren Cossell held on to his Hog’s Breath Café, Boss Hog Big Bream from day 1 and walks away with $100 for his efforts. He landed the 820g bag kicker on a Berkley Crabby, in chocolate sparkle, fished on a 1/60oz hidden weight jighead. “I was just flicking it up against the pontoons, letting it slowly sink down and the bream were taking it as it got to the bottom. DAY 2 The quality conditions continued into day two and we saw another great day on

the first time, Mark had no real plan of attack coming in to the comp but got some advice off a mate that paid off! “Bryce Beechy, who’s a local here, gave me a bit of advice and told me I’d find the bigger fish out in the running water on the east side of Sovereign Island. I fished the canals of Sovereign Island early and got a small bag and then headed around the back where Bryce mentioned and Rhino-Rack, Strike

Place Angler

Fish Weight

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8/8 8/8 8/8 8/8 8/8 8/8 8/8 8/8 8/8 8/8

Kendall Soo Mark Young Tyson Hayes Michael Maas Bryce Beechey James Howarth Luke Rogan Stephen Maas Warren Cossell Jusin Desmarchelier

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

WINNING NOTES

Winning Tackle

Lure: Ecogear SX40s green colour similar to a mullet and Cranka Crabs in brown Rod: Custom Rod by jDez Customs Reel: Daiwa Luvias 2506 Line: 5lb fluorocarbon straight through

Winning Ways

“Just consistently working the canals. I just went up and down it for the whole two days.”

Kendall Soo dominated on the Gold Coast to claim the event win.

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888. 84

OCTOBER 2015

the Gold Coast with 25 anglers bring full bags to the scales for weigh-in.   At the end of the weigh-in it was Kendall Soo from Brisbane, Queensland who took the top prize of Round 10 and qualified for the Australian Championships. Kendal caught 8 bream over the two days weighing a total of 4.79kg and received $810 plus a Daiwa sponsor prize pack for his efforts.   Kendall fishes the Gold Coast often and had a good idea of his plan of attack going into the competition.   “I knew coming into the tournament that they’d been pulling good bags out of Sovereign in the last few comps and that there’s always big fish in there too. I fished it all day! “Coming in to day two with a 500g lead I Central Coast of New South Wales took second place with 8 bream for 4.72kg closing the day one gap, giving Kendall a run for his money and securing himself a place in the Australian Championships. Fishing the Gold Coast for

4.79kg 4.72kg 4.34kg 4.22kg 4.18kg 4.16kg 4.09kg 4.06kg 3.97kg 3.74kg

The Gold Coast top three place-getters.

Mark Young with two of the fish from his 8/8, 4.72kg bag.

Morley successful at St George’s Basin comp Round 7 of the Southern Bream Series (SBS), run by the Basin Lure and Fly Anglers Inc., was held on 9 August on St Georges Basin, sponsored by Skeeter Boats/Power Pole. There was a fantastic turnout of both boating teams and kayaks, with 60 boating teams entered and 47 kayak anglers involved. This was the last round for the 2015 Series, with the Grand Final to be held in October. The Basin really turned on a great day with lovely weather and some good fish, with 26 boating teams and 11 kayakers managing to present a full bag of fish. The final winner in the Boating section was Team 4BRIMIN_2 (Brad Williams & Matt Owen) whose 5/5 bag weighed in at 3.92kg. They took home $2345 for their efforts. Second went to the ever consistent Team Stealth Blades with Peter Cook and

Phil Cook (who also took out Raiders (Peter Dent and the AOY award). Their 5/5 Nathan Thornthwait) who got bag totalled 3.51kg, and they a 5/5, 3.26kg bag and took took home $1170. home $234. Third place went to In the Boating section Team STRYKR with Doug the competitors presented a Phayer and Peter Stephens, total of 172 fish to the weigh whose 5/5, 3.43kg bag earned master for a combined weight them $585. Rounding out the of 99.13kg for 120 anglers. top five were Team Bream The Austackle Big Attack (Geoff Borg and first- Bream prize was won by timer Nicholas Borg) with a another extremely consistent 5/5, 3.28kg bag that earned competitor, Steve Nedeski, them $351, and Team Flats who presented a great fish TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

weighing 1.52kg. This was the biggest bream for the series leading into the Grand Final. The Kayak section was won by the ever-popular Team 13 Fishing/Searing Tackle – Simon Morley with a bag of 3/3 totalling 2.05kg. He took home $1176 for his efforts. Second place went to Team Black Diamond –

Kane Terry with a bag of 3/3 totalling 1.860kg, earning him $599. Third went to Team Ten20 Rods/Pontoon 21 – Jason Lambert with a bag of 3/3 that weighed in at 1.78kg, taking home $363. In the Kayak section the 47 competitors weighed in a total of 48 fish for a combined weight of 24.79kg.

The Austackle Big Bream prize was taken out by Luke Kay with a 1.13kg fish. The Grand Final will be held on the weekend of 10-11 October at St Georges Basin, for the top 40 boating teams and Top 15 kayak competitors. For more information go to www.basinlureand fly.org.au. – BL&F

HOG’S BREATH BOSS HOG BASS ELECTRIC SERIES

Hog’s Breath Café Boss Hog Big Bream: Luke Kay (1.13kg)

HOGS BREATH BOSS HOG PAY TO:

Hogs Breath Boss Hog

FOR THE SUM OF:

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Fishing Tournaments bass • bream • barra

RESULTS Place...............Angler............................ Bag............... Weight (kg)................ Payout 1.....................Simon Morley................ 3.................... 2.05........................... $1176 2.....................Kane Terry..................... 3.................... 1.86........................... $598 3.....................Jason Lambert.............. 3.................... 1.78........................... $363 4.....................Brian Hunt..................... 3.................... 1.67........................... 5.....................Kevin Varty.................... 3.................... 1.61...........................

Basil Haddad with a quality 75cm snapper that he caught off Thirroul.

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OCTOBER 2015

Make sure your safety gear is ready for summer At this time of the year, when the boat is coming out of hibernation after the footy season, it’s well worth doing a little bit of a stocktake on your safety gear. After all, when you need it, you’ll be glad that you did. Do you have the required gear? Is it in working order?

a few of the items under the spotlight and see if they’d make your boat a safer place to be while out on the water. KAPTEN BOAT COLLAR You mightn’t think that a boat collar for your tinnie is a piece of safety gear, but the people at Kapten

Make sure you check your fuel and batteries, as you don’t want to be stranded when out on the water, especially with little ones onboard.

Always make sure that the CO2 cannister for your inflatable PFDs hasn’t fallen out. Also, you need to ensure that these jackets are serviced in line with your state requirements.

The addition of a Kapten Collar can turn a roly poly tinnie into a safe platform.

A Kapten Boat Collar adds positive flotation and stability to your tinnie. Are the batteries charged and ready to use? Is there anything more than the prescribed gear that you’d like to have on board when things get nasty? These are all the questions you should be asking yourself each time your safety gear collection comes under the microscope. As an example, let’s put 86

OCTOBER 2015

realised this early on and developed their product with this in mind. NSW Department of Transport found that falling overboard and vessels capsizing accounted for 60% of all fatalities while recreational boating (20022012). The addition of a Boat Collar to your tinnie adds a reverse chine and a

massive amount of flotation that drastically reduces the risk of falling out of your boat or having it capsize. The Kapten collar is a shaped piece of foam that is fitted to the gunwales of your boat and can be fitted to most hulls. Check out www. kaptenboatcollar.com for more details and pricing.

NAVIGATION LIGHTS It’s usually when you’re getting a written ticket by your local Maritime authority that you realise that your all round white ‘anchor’ light should be on at all times – not just when you’re anchored. Indeed, a set of fully functioning, well fitted navigation lights are essential if you want to do any boating

Fuel filters are only effective if the water they catch is removed from them.

WARNING WARNING ON UNAUTHORISED BATTERY REPLACEMENTS ON EPIRBS Periodic battery replacement is essential to maintaining the compliance of EPIRBS and PLBs beacons with applicable ANZ standards. These standards are produced in order to maximise the likelihood of the beacon functioning correctly in the adverse environments in which distress and emergencies generally arise. Only the manufacturer or its authorised service centre has the necessary equipment, access to the factory approved parts and technical information to carry out battery replacement or repairs and then confirm that the beacon continues to meet the relevant standard. Serious risks arise if batteries are replaced or repairs to beacons are undertaken by someone other than the manufacturer (or its authorised service centres). In recent weeks it has come to our attention that a number of non-certified beacon service centres are offering a low cost EPIRB and PLB battery replacement service. While such offers and operations are not technically breaking the law in replacing beacon batteries, they are certainly exposing themselves for liability particularly if the beacon owner is unaware they are non-compliant and the beacon may not function correctly in an emergency. Australian/New Zealand standard 4280.1 (EPIRB) and 4280.2 (PLB) mandate that beacons must be returned to the manufacturer or a manufacturer’s approved service centre when repairs or battery replacement are required. This standard document is available from www. standards.org.au. Furthermore, if a beacon is required to meet carriage requirements under CASA or Maritime regulations the standard requires the beacon must be compliant with AS/NZ 4280.1 for EPIRBs or 4280.2 for PLBs. Consequently if the beacon battery was replaced or serviced by a non-certified service centre then the beacon is non-compliant for mandatory carriage requirements in Australia. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has provided further clarification and guidance on beacon maintenance. www.beacons. amsa.gov.au/maintenance/ Should there be any doubt regarding the status of companies offering battery service on GME EPIRBs, please contact us directly on 1300 462 462 or by email at servadmin@gme.net.au. – GME

and fishing at all between sunset and sunrise. This includes pre-dawn launches. Just ask ABT’s Simon Goldsmith, who copped a fine one morning in Sydney Harbour around 5 minutes before the prescribed ‘sunrise’ time for having his red and green lights on but not the all round white light! PFDS Each year, you should check your PFDs in a few key areas. If they are a foam PFD, you need to check that the coverings are not ripped or wearing. This could mean that when you go to use them, they’d fall apart when you jump in the water. If they’re an inflatable type PFD, then you need to get them certified and tested every year or two – depending on the manufacturer’s instructions or the regulations of the state you’re boating in. In practice, I’ve seen people wearing inflatable PFDs where the canister of CO2 has worked its way loose and dropped off the mechanism. This would mean that when you pull the cord, then absolutely nothing would happen. That’s the last thing you’d want. You only pull the cord when you need to. FIRST AID KIT There’s nothing worse than being in a situation where you need a first aid kit and yours is missing or depleted. Make sure that you check the contents at least every season to make sure that you have what you need when there’s trouble. Remember in particular, that you may need treatments for seasickness, sunburn and getting impaled by a fish hook. On a boat, it’s definitely best to have your first aid kit packed in a waterproof box or container. CHECK YOUR FUEL… You should make sure that your fuel supply is not compromised – especially if your craft has sat idle for a while. There is a suite of additives that keep the octane level boosted and mechanically, you need to keep an eye on your fuel filters to check for the presence of any water. Once

RELAXN NEXT STEP IN LED NAVIGATION SAFETY The durable Relaxn LED Navigation Lights are ultra-low power consumption. Using the latest technology in LED lighting using the 5050 SMD LEDs, not only are they ultra-bright but have low power consumption at just 1.1watt per light. All Relaxn LED Navigation Lights are internationally approved ABYC-A16, USCG, 2nm visibility suitable for vessels up to 12m. Each light is manufactured from ultra-durable UV resistant polycarbonate, with an IP67 rating. The LEDs have an ultra-long service life and are purpose-built for the harsh marine environment. They’re prewired for easy installation and come in black, white or high polished stainless steel housings with models designed for horizontal or vertical mounting. You can relax knowing you have a Relaxn product. – Sam Allen Wholesale

a fuel filter is full of water, it stops working. … AND BATTERIES Lastly, and probably obviously, you should make sure that your batteries are charged and capable. But we’re not just talking about your motor starting battery. If you have a Jump Starter, these only work as well as the charge you give them. And what about the EBIRP? Have the batteries passed their use by date? You know what if you ever need to flip the switch, you’ll want them to be at full strength, so take the time now and make the investment in your own safety by making sure that these are up to scratch.

LED NAVIGATION LIGHTS Ultra Bright LED’s Long Service Life Ultra Durable CE Certified ABYC-A16/USC6 2NM

Now available from your leading marine stores or contact Sam Allen Wholesale for your nearest stockist. Ph: 07 3902 7222 sales@samallen.com.au www.samallen.com.au

CHECKLIST • Prescribed safety gear for the waters you’re boating in • EPIRB • Flares • PFDs • Radio • Lighting • Batteries • Fuel filters • Jump starters • Boat insurance • Anchors • First-aid kit OCTOBER 2015

Australia’s first trout cod fisheries is now open BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

Friday 14 August marked a very special day in Australia’s fishing history, as it was the day that

that some anglers questioned this new fishery but the wild fish will remain protected and the only place in the country, or the world for that matter, that you can legally target this fish species is these two lakes in and near Beechworth.

makes great sense. Fish any smaller are not worth eating and fish any bigger will be too highly sort after for sports angling and potential breeding so it is a good compromise. These fish were put there for the purpose of anglers

out of your hands, you will understand why so many people are salivating at the potential of these two fisheries. WHAT ELSE IS IN THERE? On top of the stocked trout cod in the two lakes, both lakes have a population of redfin in them that will keep anglers occupied between trout cod bites. Both lakes also have a population of golden perch in them, some of which are quite large. Lake Sambell also gets stocked twice yearly and soon to be three times yearly with catchable trout, so in this particular fishery you just never know what is going to attack your lure, fly or bait next. Lake Kerford is the water

Brood stock trout cod being released by the Victorian Premier And Fisheries Minister.

One of the exciting new legal trout cod fisheries Lake Sambell at Beechworth. This and Lake Kerford just up the road are Australia first official trout cod fisheries. Victoria opened the first official trout cod fishery. I was lucky enough to be invited to this very special day and could not wait to lay my eyes on these new fisheries. It was a short but sweet opening ceremony with all sorts of dignitaries present including the Victorian Premier, Fisheries Minister, heads of fisheries and VRfish as well as plenty of media. Although the fish were already stocked, this day marked the official opening of the two new trout cod fisheries. Victorian fisheries as well as VRfish have worked extremely hard to set up these 'put and take' trout cod fisheries and after years of hard work have now established a catchable population of the elusive trout cod in both Lake Sambell and Lake Kerford. Their hard work started way back in 2008 with the first batch of trout cod being released and regular stockings have occurred since. More than 45,000 trout cod have been stocked into the two lakes and the bigger fish are now nudging 50cm in length. Extensive studies were done on a host of things before the decision was made to open this fishery. There will be more regular trout cod stockings and work will eventually start on improving the lakes' habitats even more to accommodate for this species. In the wild, trout cod are a highly prized fish but are highly protected and must be released to the water as quickly as possible with the least amount of harm to the fish. It is because of this protected status in the wild 88

OCTOBER 2015

RULES AND REGULATIONS A lot of consultation was done with fishos to try and work out the best bag and size limits and they have come up with a good set of regulations. For starters, anglers can only keep one trout cod per day and only ever have one in possession with a slot size limit of 40-50cm, which

being able to keep one for the table, so if you like the taste of fish or are interested in seeing what a trout cod tastes like, then go for it and certainly don’t feel bad for doing so. Those of you that have never caught a trout cod are probably wondering what all the fuss is about but when you finally catch one and have that rod nearly ripped

The premier of Victoria was present for this big day in Australia’s fishing history.

Top: Up close and personal with a beautiful trout cod. On top of being great fighters they aren’t bad on the eye either. Above: Lake Kerford is the water supply dam for Beechworth and as such has a no boating policy.

supply dam for Beechworth, so there is no boating on this lake and anglers are restricted to bank fishing at this lake. The wall area is the deepest part of the lake and is probably your best area to fish if you want to really target the trout cod. Lake Sambell allows boats but has restrictions on speed and possibly horsepower, so check rules and regulations before launching. If you are bank bound there is really good bank access to this dam anyway, so a boat will not give you that much of an advantage. HOW TO CATCH THEM I’ve never specifically targeted trout cod before but I have caught hundreds over the years while targeting Murray cod from places such as the Ovens River, the Upper Murray River and the Murrumbidgee River, so I can certainly offer a few tips to increase your chances of catching one when you visit. Trout cod are often super aggressive, so you can’t really go too big when it comes to lure, fly or bait choices. As for baitos, just like Murray cod, trout cod can’t resist a juicy bardi grub but if you can’t get these then wood grubs are worth a shot

or the increasingly popular cheese bait. Fly anglers will pick them up on large Woolly Buggers intended for trout, golden perch or redfin but to specifically target them, I would be throwing cod specific flies. There is a countless array that will work and for your best selection of cod specific flies, get onto Kaos Cod Flies, their range is second to none. Lure anglers will find it very hard to beat spinnerbaits and although Double Colorado Spinner Baits will work great in the dirty water, it is hard to beat single willow bladed spinnerbaits when targeting trout cod. We have also caught dozens recently on the Angel Baits from Insanity Tackle. Lipless crankbaits like Jackalls, Mazzy Vibes and Insanity Tackle Slap Walkers are another great option and they appeal to all species, so you will cover all bases by throwing this style of lure around. Both of these fisheries lend themselves to some potentially great surface fishing as well so chuck your favourite surface lure in when visiting. At this stage these lakes only have trout cod up to 50cm in them but once they get above that size they will be protected and to continue to grow bigger and bigger. Trout cod in general are highly sort after but being able to go and have a chance at trophy sized trout cod will have anglers lining up for miles. So as you can see, both of these lakes are already great fisheries but throw in legal trout cod fishing as well and you have two fisheries that anglers will soon be travelling from near and far to get there first trout cod fix. I know I will be back again this summer, so I might see you there!

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What’s New BOATING

ET80 AND ET100 EMERGENCY TORCHES

In any maritime emergency, a reliable and quality-made torch can always lend a hand. The ET80 and ET100 Emergency Torches from GME are constructed from high visibility yellow polycarbonate, so they’re easy enough to find. The ET80 and ET100 are near indestructible, with a buoyant contruction, they have waterproof casing and are multi-function LED torches with a unique ‘Twist to Charge’ functionality. A USB cable (included and stored within the torch body itself) can also charge the torch or other USB devices. On top of all these great features, the ET100 also comes with a can opener, which doubles as a knife, a compass, a whistle and a signal mirror (heliograph). A metal bottle opener is also moulded into the base of the torch on both models. GME’s Emergency Torches are just another simple way of making your marine vessel safer. – GME

ANGLAPRO RELEASES TRIXSTA RANGE

Anglapro has carved a unique reputation for building strong and functional fishing boats with excellent on-water performance and flexible internal designs. They have been working on a project for those keen fishers who love all things on and in the water. This boat is full of tricks and the success of the design means fun for everyone. This versatile new range of boats is called TriXsta. TriXsta uses our market leading Sabre hull design and incorporates a space generating interior that provides fishability, comfort and internal room to move. From the entry level 39, 42 and 44 to the plush 43, 45 and 48, the TriXsta line up leaves no questions unanswered. You won’t see any limits to the fishing options available. You can be sure that everyone will be satisfied with the diverse options to make their boating experience fun! – Anglapro

GEN 2 TOURNAMENT 2000 BLUEWATER

The Tournament 2000 Bluewater sitting in the middle of the Tournament Pleasure Boats range as the ultimate family boat. Ideal for fishing, skiing or just cruising, this magnificent boat ticks every box and has just been given a major facelift with the release of the Generation 2 design. The cockpit area now benefits from almost seven inches of extra room thanks to a redesign of the rear coaming that now extends internally to the floor and comes standard with a transom door, live bait tank, split rear folding lounge and access hatches for batteries and bilge. When it comes time to anchor, the 2000 Bluewater Generation 2’s anchor well area has been reconfigured to house the latest optional drum winches. There is now the ability to host all the modern electronics available on the market, and more options that allow you to make your Tournament 2000 Bluewater truly unique to you are available. – The Haines Group

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

SAVAGE’S NEW 485 SCORPION

Savage’s brand new release, the 485 Scorpion, is hot off the production line and set to make a serious bite into the fishing market. Available as side and centre console with a large variety of options the 485 Scorpion is set to suit every angler’s needs. Featuring new 3mm smooth look side sheets and fitted out with a rear casting platform with a live bait tank as standard, the 485 Scorpion will have you reeling in that big catch in no time at all. Complete with a 77L fuel tank and plenty of storage options including large side pockets and storage bins in the front casting platform, the 485 Scorpion offers a practical and reliable boat for your next fishing trip. “The great thing about the new Scorpion range is we’ve packed them with standard features like extra rod holders, live bait tank and an extra transducer bracket – all at a competitive price,” Savage Director of Sales and Marketing Damien Duncan said. – Telwater

WHITTLEY EXPANDS IN NSW

In response to steady and sustained growth, Whittley Marine Group has appointed a second dealer to cater to the boating families of New South Wales. Effective immediately, Terrace Boating joins Sydney-based Hunts Marine, doubling the presence of the brand in New South Wales – Terrace Boating will cater to the central and northern regions of the state and long-term Whittley dealer, Hunts Marine, will continue to service the region south of the Hawkesbury River including the Greater Sydney area. Located at 2382 Pacific Highway Heatherbrae, Terrace Boating is owned and operated by the Padmos family and has been servicing the boating community of the Hunter Valley for the last 35 years. “We are excited to have Whittley Marine onboard to complement our extensive Quintrex range”, said Terrace Boating’s, Josh Padmos. “We believe the Whittley line-up is ideally suited to the boating environment central and northern NSW offers. – Whittleys Marine

4 5

QUINTREX 610 TRIDENT HARD TOP

Quintrex’s newest release into the plate market is the much anticipated 610 Trident Hard Top. After demand from customers and dealers Quintrex has expanded their ultimate offshore fishing range, which now includes 6 models. The 610 Trident Hard Top offers customers a slightly more versatile and affordable option while still incorporating all the features and practical layout design of the larger Hard Top models. Featuring a fully enclosed hardened windscreen complete with sliding side windows and a windscreen wiper kit all as standard the 610 Trident Hard Top is still the perfect match for unruly weather conditions. The only offshore range to feature Quintrex’s renowned Flared Bow and Blade Hull the 610 Trident HT cuts through rough water with ease by deflecting spray and offering stability at rest and underway. Constructed with 5mm marine grade aluminium bottomsheets and an underfloor rib structure the 610 Trident HT is made to handle and manoeuvre through Australian waters and weather. – Telwater

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SUBSCRIBER PRIZE The subscriber prize winner for August was G Rutledge of Orange, who won a Hard Korr Lighting XD S340 and XD60 valued at $343.99. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

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The Find the Berkley logo prize winners for August were: M Fullagar of Liverpool, M Kelly of Waratah West, L Cupitt of Goulburn, P Donohue of Branxton, R Cooper of Forster, A Brayshaw of Tumut, T Gounder of Macquarie Fields, R Derrick of Barraba, B Markham of Tea-Gardens, R Waters of Temora, M Baker of Gorokan, J Robinson of Cowra, M O’Hare of Rouse Hill, G Waugh of Greystanes, J Kugler of Surf Beach, J Gill of Laurieton, A Sinclair of Lalor Park, J Wicks of Cootamundra, M MacMurray of Eglinton, S Matthews of Edgeworth, D Appleby of Macquarie Fields, P Giles of Worrigee, M King of Bellbird, A Zoneff of Aberdare, C Wood of Penrith, J Morante of Singletom, D Darwick of Wentworthville, T Winter of Cardiff, R Wheatley of Baulkham Hills, M Kojic of Penrith South, R Bochdal of Shoalhaven Heads, J Cupitt of Sanctuary Point, D Chandler of Theodore , S Stockton of Leeton, L Boyd of Hawks Nest, J Taylor of Wollongong, G Arnold of Sunshine Bay, A Higgins of Helensburgh, G Sanson of Boronia Park, K Lee of Concord West. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

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• DECEMBER 2010

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OCTOBER 2015

ProCraft 535 Centre Console with a difference BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

This alloy craft is a radical departure from the norm. As a centre console rig powered by an 80 Suzuki 4-stroke, there’s nothing out of the ordinary there, but the Procraft 5.35 has a cuddy cab up front under the cast deck. Granted, the cuddy is lower than what we have come to regard as standard, and best suited for youngsters who want to rest out of the weather or for storage of fishing equipment, clothing etc. But it’s still a useful adjunct to an already excellent craft. PORT DOOR INTO CUDDY At first glance the 5.35 with its 2.37m looks good and is enhanced by a stylish wrap and more than acceptable finish, presented as an alloy centre console rig with the forward casting deck, which is higher than usual at around 10cm below the craft’s front rails.

A closer look reveals a door up front of the console to port, providing access under the very high cast deck into what is essentially a forward cabin, complete with bunks and carpeted floor. The door (complete with insect screening) was a two section set up; the top opening upwards and towards the strong alloy bow sprit, the bottom section opening towards the outer side. Entry for adults is a ‘wriggle-in’ sort of affair (which I managed without much effort) while youngsters will easily move into the area with its 1.8m bunks with storage under them, deep central floor area, ventilation from large side and rear vents. I did not have sufficient head room to sit straight upright on a bunk with my feet in the central floor area, but I could move around sufficiently, if I wanted to, to remove items from the storage areas easily enough. Note that the cuddy even had a light! The question arises then, what’s the best use the buyer

This shot of the Procraft under way gives an insight into the hull’s excellent design. could make of that cuddy area? And that is precisely the major selling point. Buyers can do as much – or as little – with it as they choose. This will include storing gear out of the weather in security, or for the youngsters to have a nap, perhaps to enjoy time with their electronic gadgets, or just having the underfloor

space for when it’s needed. It’s a very unique proposition in a centre console rig but one that I believe is going to receive a lot of scrutiny from intending buyers. SEATING OPTIONS AVAILABLE With around 1.8m of the rig devoted to the forward cast deck, very easily accessed via

At any rate, the bench style helm seat on the 5.35 reviewed saw the skipper right at home with the craft’s dash set up, which consisted of a Lowrance Elite 7 sounder/plotter uppermost, twin GMI 20 gauges monitoring the 80 Suzuki astern with marine radio, switches and ignition key

sufficient room for at least three anglers to work in comfort within the 650mm high sides. A fully carpeted floor, twin 1.3m long off floor side pockets, as well as four rod holders in gunwales completed the main cockpit’s fishing attributes. Note that a lockable boarding gate was located

Left: Who’d believe there’s a cuddy up front of the Procraft’s well-designed hull. Right: The Procraft 5.35’s high casting deck is virtually the only sign that there’s useful cabin storage below it.

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non-skid steps to starboard of the console, I saw the Procraft offering room for a couple of anglers to comfortably work up front, the same in the rear cockpit area. The windscreen equipped console was a neat affair with a small rod holder equipped hard top providing shade, the wind screen and hard top’s (folding down) frame work offering useful hand holds when moving about. Seating in the test rig provided for the skipper at the helm with another person seated aft on a soft-top ice box. Note that seating options are quite varied with a rear fold down lounge on the options list, or a wider helm seat also possible.

lower, just below the craft’s wheel. Engine controls were also handily located on the starboard side of the console. COCKPIT WELL SET UP FOR FISHING The main cockpit area, which was carpeted, offered

to starboard on the full height transom while twin boarding platforms with accompanying hand rails graced the rear section of the transom. The fuel filter for the Suzuki 80, as well as the

TECHNICAL INFORMATION Length..............................................................5.35m Beam................................................................2.37m Length on trailer.............................................6.25m Height on trailer................................................2.3m Hull construction...... 3mm plate sides and bottom. Hull weight......................................................460kg Deadrise.............................................................. 16° Engine ratings...........................................70-115hp Engine fitted...........................Suzuki 80 four-stroke. Persons..................................................................5. Towing...........Family six or big four sedan or wagon

Procraft’s engine battery, were both accessible at the transom area. In essence, I saw the 5.35 Procraft as very much a ‘standard’ centre console craft, with all of the expected fishing room for a boat of that size with about the only item missing to enhance its potential as a fishing craft being a live well, which, I’m advised, is certainly an option. IMPRESSIVE STABILITY AND PERFORMANCE Procraft boats have a southern Queensland heritage and have proven hull designs intended to both maximise engine performance and offer the best ride possible given the design parameters. The 5.35 featured a 3mm plate side, 3mm plate bottom (with under floor flotation) and a hull design incorporating ample longitudinal strakes in the wetted surface to provide easy travel, smoothest ride and, at rest, ample stability. In fact, I walked all around the craft when taking my photos and was very impressed with stability at rest, as would anglers enjoying time aboard the rig. Exterior side height was 850mm, providing an excellent bulwark against water intrusion.

SUZUKI 80 AMPLE POWER The four cylinder 1.5L Suzuki 80 – with the Procraft’s engines rated from 70-115hp – was mid range power, yet I saw it as an ideal choice for family fishing, or entirely suited for a team of three keen anglers heading out for a crack at the fish. Whisper quiet at idle, the Suzuki easily planed the rig at 14.6km/h at 2700, with two aboard. At 3000rpm the GPS recorded 16.2km/h, 4000 saw 34.1km/h, 5000 a speed of 47.2km/h and 6000rpm a feisty 58.4km/h. Willing engine performance was also

matched by a very sweet handling hull. No matter how hard I turned the craft the Suzuki 80 refused to cavitate and I was impressed by the smallness of the turning circle plus the readiness of the hull to return to a level attitude when straightened up. Family tow sports would certainly be enjoyable with this great handling rig yet it would also be ideal for family cruising with a 110L fuel tank offering a great range from the frugal Suzuki four-stroke. Test runs were carried out in the Tweed River, which gave us plenty of opportunities to assess the Procraft’s ride on wash from

passing house boats, plus other large craft on the water at the time. The Procraft’s hull, with it’s 16° ‘V’ aft handled all wash with ease and there was a minimal of displaced water noted as well. My view is that a soft riding hull is always a soft riding hull and nothing changes except driver input. Accordingly, I would have no hesitation in recommending the craft for bay or estuary work, even a run offshore in suitable conditions. SUMMING UP In summing up, the Procraft 5.35 centre console with its neat cuddy set up

I have given the craft full marks all round. As a standard centre console rig the craft has definite appeal so far as fishing room, ride and handling are concerned. With the cuddy also in the equation there’s suddenly extra storage area, even somewhere to dodge the weather in the picture. As an aside finish of the Procraft was excellent, welds were full, easily visible but very neat. Upholstery was excellent, standard of fit and finish over all very good. The best part was the price. As reviewed with the stylish wrap graphic, sounder, fish finder, braked

Dunbier trailer, safety pack, 12 months registration and turn key start price was $40,990. Downsizing to a Suzuki 70 would see the rig come home for $34,990. For more information visit www.coastalpowerboats. com.au or email info@ coastalpowerboats.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: How’s that for cheeky – a cuddy cab up front of the centre console. Right: A neat dash set up was in line with the rest of the well-appointed Procraft.

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Mercury MerCruiser’s 6.2L V-8 sterndrives Mercury engineers have again shown the boating world how it’s done – creating two new engines which deliver truly impressive power and torque while delivering a remarkably quiet and smooth ride. MerCruiser ’s new 6.2L V-8 300hp and 350hp

“Like the purpose-built 4.5-litre V-6 sterndrives we introduced a year ago, we’re extremely proud of the remarkable reliability and ease of maintenance delivered by the 6.2. This is a terrific engine platform that will improve boating everywhere.”

The engine’s high displacement ensures it produces an outstanding power-to-weight ratio, which means boats get onto a plane more quickly, stay on plane at lower speeds and handle rough seas better. The 6.2L V-8 also

Axius Joystick Piloting. “This new V-8 platform is another outstanding example of a Mercury product designed from the ground up with technologies, design features and materials that deliver unmatched value to our

A number of technical advances in the 6.2L V-8 combine to create the most enjoyable boating experience on the water. An air-intake resonator suppresses harsh sound frequencies across the engine operation range making it dramatically

contributes to the engine’s long-term durability, corrosion-resistance and easy maintenance. SIMPLIFYING MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE Ease of maintenance on the MerCruiser 6.2L includes a maintenance-free

The new 6.2L sterndrives from MerCruiser. These machines are set to be smooth, easy to maintain and built or power! sterndrives are purposebuilt specifically for marine use, which is why Mercury has been able to create a perfect blend of power, reliability, superior corrosion-resistance and a quiet, pleasurable ride. “With the introduction of our new 6.2-litre V-8 sterndrive engines, Mercury continues to build on its success of designing and manufacturing propulsion systems that deliver the most intuitive, powerful, worry-free, smooth and quiet boating experience,” said John Pfeifer, President of Mercury Marine.

Engineered with new innovative features and state-ofthe-art technology, the MerCruiser 6.2L sterndrive platform was designed, and is manufactured, at Mercury Marine’s world headquarters in Wisconsin. POWER, ACCELERATION AND PERFORMANCE With the MerCruiser 6.2L, a long runner scrolled intake manifold optimises airflow for higher torque, which translates into greater acceleration and improved boat performance.

offers Adaptive Speed Control (ASC), which automatically maintains a set rpm point regardless of load or changing conditions such as tight turns, lower speeds on plane and tow-sport activities. This gives increased throttle response and a ‘sportier’ feel for the driver, who no longer has to make continual throttle adjustments. For the ultimate in docking experience and manoeuvrability, the new engines with Digital Throttle and Shift (DTS) can be partnered with

marine customers,” said David Foulkes, Chief Technology Officer for Brunswick Corporation and Vice President of Mercury Product Development, Engineering and Racing. SMOOTH AND QUIET QR CODE

QFM Steve Morgan talking to Justin d’Offay from Mercury about the new 6.2L sterndrives. 94

OCTOBER 2015

Scan the QR code to listen to the full interview with Justin d’Offay from Mercury.

quieter, while an all-new aft-facing throttle body directs noise away from the cockpit so conversations are easier. Also, the larger, optimised engine mounts isolate undesirable engine vibrations and sounds, making the ride quieter and smoother than ever. UNCOMPROMISING DURABILITY AND CORROSIONRESISTANCE The 6.2L V-8 comes with the ultimate anti-corrosion protection system. Durable cast-iron componentry has been used wherever the engine encounters raw water. Elsewhere in the engine, composites and marine alloys provide lightweight efficiency. A convenient and easy freshwater flush system

valve train for the life of the engine and a maintenance centre near the top-front section of the engine, ensuring that touchpoints are easily identifiable and accessible. The result is a reliable engine that is more affordable to service. The 6.2L is available with optional freshwater cooling and the SeaCore drive corrosion protection treatment, which provides extra corrosion protection only when needed, such as saltwater environments. Freshwater cooling uses a heat exchanger and coolant fluid to maintain engine temperature. The coolant travels through the entire engine and the exhaust manifolds, and prevents internal corrosion of the cooling passages. The SeaCore protection treatment is a hardanodizing process that alters the surface layer of the aluminium drive casting to prevent saltwater penetration that leads to corrosion. WARRANTY Because Mercury designed and makes these engines, Mercury backs them with two years of Mercury Limited Warranty. The 6.2L also enjoys a three-year anti-corrosion warranty. – Mercury

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Morningstar 460 Bay Rover With 40hp Yamaha

BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Morningstars a re somewhat unique plate alloy boats, being manufactured in a Korean automobile factory. There are actually significant benefits to employing this technology, including some very innovative metal forming and rolling, the likes of which I’ve never seen in plate alloy rigs. This is particularly

evident around areas such as the decks and underwater surfaces. The decks are sleekly rolled from the gunwales down over sides, while the bottom is formed from a single plate formed under immense pressure. The end result is a neat reversed outer chine and no keel whatsoever. Construction of this style, plus a really great paint job, gives the Morningstar 460 Bay Rover the appearance (at first glance) of being a glass

rather than plate alloy craft. A closer inspection reveals plenty of neat robotic welds throughout, while a high standard of overall finish completes the picture of a boat that would fish a family. It could easily tow behind the family’s sedan or wagon as well. LAYOUT The reviewed Morningstar 460 Bay Rover was provided by Stefan Boating World of Coomera. Complete with a 40hp Yamaha two-stroke outboard, this well set up

When it’s necessary to stand at the helm, the Morningstar makes it easy. You just flip up the bolster section of the skipper’s seat and then brace against the very strong pedestal seat. Note the interesting axe-like forefoot section at the bow, designed to assist entry into all sea conditions. 96

OCTOBER 2015

rig came stock standard with quite a few features that the average angler would appreciate. Starting up front, the Morningstar ’s interior features included a step under the centre hinged, rail-equipped windscreen to allow easy anchor well access without leaning forward. Top shelf forward seating saw deeply padded bucket-style seats offering slide as well as swivel capability, complete with bolster front sections and sprung pedestals to deliver the best ride at all times. You could either stand against the uplifted bolster section or choose to remain seated to drive; the visibility is fine either way. Rear seating consisted of a drop-down padded bench at the transom. The Morning Star’s dash area provided ample room for a sounder/GPS to be fitted atop the area set aside for the steering wheel and instruments. Aft of the seating, a carpeted cockpit floor provided room to fish, and there was the addition of a substantial fish box to stow the catch or tucker for the day. I noted reasonably long but fairly narrow side pockets along each of the rail-equipped sides. At the transom area, a bait station came set up with paired rod holders to complement

SPECIFICATIONS Capacity....................................................5 persons Length..............................................................4.65m Beam.....................................................................2m Max hp...............................................................90hp the paired holders in the aft sides. A plumbed live well was installed to port, while very large boarding platforms were set up on each side of the 40 Yamaha. RIDE AND HANDLING I saw the rig as an easy going outfit entirely suited to an absolute beginner to boating in that it drove without vice. The mechanical steering was very light, and the craft very sure footed. Admittedly, the three-cylinder 40 Yamaha two-stroke was a fair step away from top power of 90hp, yet the rig ran so capably, with the two of us on board, I’d see it also being suitable for family-style boating with mum, dad, and a couple of youngsters. A top speed of almost 47km/h was recorded at 5000rpm, while 4000rpm saw a very frugal and sensible cruising speed of 34.5km/h. It was good to see just how easily the Yamaha 40 lifted the rig onto the plane, powered out of sharp turns, and cruised easily without excessive noise or vibration. The Bay Rover’s generous cockpit area had

enough room for an ice box, which would free up the drained under-floor compartment for the catch. I found the craft, with its 19° vee hull, to ride pretty well, not inclined to pound or bash when heading over wash in the Coomera River. And, thanks to the wellformed reversed chines on the bottom, the rig was just as stable underway as was at rest. This is a quite roomy five-person craft with a length of 4.65m, beam of 2m and depth amidships of 700mm. With a fuel capacity of 60L it would suit family boaters and more dedicated anglers equally well. To view the full range of Morningstar Boats or to find your closest dealer go to www. morningstarboats.com. • Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

The Morningstar is a plate alloy craft like no other. High pressure forming machinery sees the decks, sides, and even the under hull sections pressed into shapes that would normally be found only on glass boats. Fewer joins make for fewer welds, and fewer issues in the long term.

With David Robinson at the helm, the Bay Rover exhibits a clean pair of heels in a sharp turn to starboard. With its large and well-formed reversed chines on a 19° vee hull, the craft is just as stable underway as it is at rest.

There’s ample room up front of the Bay Rover for the skipper and mate to enjoy time aboard. Note the forward step to facilitate anchor work, the hinged to port centre windscreen section and grab rails on all windscreen sections.

Morningstar have excelled in their Bay Rover’s seating. It’s rare to see a small alloy craft such as this with such well formed, strong and versatile seats for skipper and mate. In this photo the bolster section of the mate’s seat has been lifted up.

Flexibility in layout is always a bonus in a good fishing boat. A dropdown, three-person rear bench seat gives the Bay Rover’s skipper the ability to provide more work room when necessary. There’s also a very handy bait station, plus a live well, to make fishing even better.

With engine ratings as high as 90hp, the 40 Yamaha 2-stroke was modest power. However, the 3-cylinder engine did such a good job of powering, I believe it would be well suited to family boating in both bay and estuary waters.

There are some very interesting design features in the Morningstar Bay Rover’s hull, not the least being this very impressive looking forefoot section. It gives the hull an axe-like entry into waves and chop.

The Bay Rover’s dash layout provides ample room to install a good-sized sounder/GPS combo. Note the easily monitored position of Yamaha and other gauges, plus the forward controls being right by the skipper’s arm.

Is this the future shape of plate alloy craft? Designed and formed in an automobile factory, with its huge dies and hydraulic presses, the Morningstar features lines usually seen in fibreglass boats of this size. OCTOBER 2015

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

• close to boat ramp and Harbour • boat parking for park guests • accommodation for fishing groups • large outdoor areas and BBQs • 27 cabins and 140 powered/ • short walk from Ulladulla town unpowered sites centre

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

FRESHWATER

www.holidayhaven.com.au/ Ulladulla

SOUTH COAST NSW

www.holidayhaven.com.au

Ulladulla Headland Tourist Park 1300 733 021

Dubbo Marine and Watersports (02) 6882 2853

BOAT HIRE Boab Boat Hire (NSW) 1300 002 6221

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

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

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

Boats & Guided Fishing Tours Directory CHIFLEY DAM

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

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

FREEDOM CHARTERS

Cabins

EDEN

www.southwestrocksfishingadventures.com.au

PORT & REEF SFISHING GAME ERS

CHART

*Minimum 6 people

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

Right on the peaceful shores of Chifley Dam

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

Ph: (02)

6496 1209 or 0415 602 446

fishing@freedomcharters.com.au W: www.freedomcharters.com.au

QUEENSLAND

MV CAPRICORN STAR EXTENDED FISHING CHARTERS

HUNTER COAST

Comfortable affordable accommodation Close to Bathurst and all its facilities Talk to Bathurst Visitor Information Centre for details

Tailermade Fishing Adventures 0411 096 717

po ts

ea Gr

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

• Reef, Game and Kingfish • Shared and private charters • Bait and tackle supplied • Homemade morning tea • Packages available • Owner operated

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ONLINE TACKLE PRODUCTS www.fishin.com.au 0425 230 964

www.fishin.com.au ONLINE BREAM TACKLE STORE

2015

DEEP SEA & GAMEFISHING

INtGing

MONTIQUE

40ft RANDELL. Fishing capacity 12 persons.

TRIPS INCLUDE

All Bait, Fishing Rods and Reels Sunscreen and Morning Tea

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

PHONE: 0411 096 717 www.tailermadefishn.com.au DEPARTS STOCKTON BOAT DOCK...

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

ILLAWARRA COAST

Specialising in “Tournament Quality Lures” 0425 230 964 SHOP 18, 29 KIORA RD MIRANDA NSW 2228

Blue Bottle Fishing www.bluebottlefishing.com info@bluebottlefishing.com Ph: 0409 333 380 Mo Tackle (02) 6652 4611 or www.motackle.com.au Specialty Fishing Products www.specialtyfishing.com.au

MAKE YOUR OWN

Soft Plastics & Spinnerbaits

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

Greenwell Point only 10 mins from

SILVER STAR FISHING CHARTERS

NOWRA NSW

Snapper

3 BOATS

(02) 6258 7515

0400 587 515

MOB www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au

U-Make-Em Soft Plastics www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au Adrenalin Flies www.adrenalinflies.com.au Techni Ice www.techniice.com J Roc Tackle www.jroctackle.com.au Jayro Tackle www.jayrotackle.com.au

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

COFFS COAST Oceanic Sea Urchin II Charters (02) 6566 6623 or 0428 650 321 South West Rocks Fishing Charters (02) 6566 5298 or 0429 995 390 The Rocks Fishing Charters 0412 074 147

Flathead Kingfish Tuna Plus more! SILVER STAR FISHING CHARTERS

SATELLITE TV INSTALLED

Phone: 0427 125 727 I Fax: (07) 4972 1759 michael@mikat.com.au

www.mikat.com.au SWAINS

EXTENDED REEF TRIPS

Mowong PH

• Reef, Deep Sea and Sport Fishing • Swains, Samurez, Cap Bunker Group • Dories available • LUXURY 20m Cat. New V8 Scanias. Large comfortable and stable. • Air conditioned and fast (cruise up to 16 knots) • Professional crew (over 22 years experience) • Cater for groups up to 12 people from 3 to 10 days • BYO or fully licenced bar • Desalinate unit • Trips designed to suit your requirements

Game and Deep Sea, Charters ing Reef Fish

Choice of

HUGE RANGE OF LURE MAKING PRODUCTS AVAILABLE!

FISHING EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME!

NSW Recreational Fishing Licence. NSW Maritime Surveyed. Jervis Bay Marine Park permit.

Phone John 0412

977 000

www.silverstarfishingcharters.com.au

FOR UP TO 10 PEOPLE •Swains Reef •Port Clinton •Stanage Bay •Island Head Creek •Shoalwater Bay •Pearl Bay P: 0419 789 921 www.inyadreamscharters.com

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 Esprit Fishing Charters 1300 556 658

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

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

FIND THE

LOGO

COMPETITION There are 15 Find the

Logos hidden throughout the pages of Fishing Monthly.

Logo and page number, fill in the entry form and go in the draw to win!

The first 40 correct entries drawn at the end of the month will win a packet of Gulp Lures. All entries will go into the major prize draw. (Drawn Nov. 30, 2015)

MONTHLY PRIZE

v Berkley Gulp Pack * Made in the USA * Scented + 100% biodegradable * Value $12.95 per packet

MAJOR PRIZES PAGE NO: 1

600 2

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VALUE OF BERKLEY PRODUCTS

400 3

ND $

PLACE

VALUE OF BERKLEY PRODUCTS

200

RD $

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

MAIL ENTRIES TO:

NSWFM Find the Berkley Logo Competition, PO BOX 3172, Loganholme QLD 4129 Entries must be received by 31 OCTOBER 2015 Original entries only. No photocopies. Images for illustration purposes only.

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

NSWFM OCTOBER 2015

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

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

Time

m 0.10 1.71 0.20 1.77

0335 0951 WE 1558 2203

Time

0.37 1.52 0.42 1.47

0406 1026 TH 1649 2257

0.41 1.52 TH 1639 0.46 2241 1.39

2 0454 1117

17 0508 1133

3 0545 1211

18 0004 0547

4 0054 0741

19 0053 0633

5 0302 0845

20 0150 0730

6 0415 0954

21 0257 0836

7 0521 1101

22 0408 0951

8 0003 0614

23 0513 1102

9 0046 0658

24 0609 1206

0.22 1.81 0.20 1.51

0432 1055 FR 1720 2320

Time 0036 0617 SU 1242 1928

0.48 1.61 SA 1803 0.43

2 0133 0711

17 0040 0615

3 0235 0811

18 0136 0712

4 0340 0917

19 0238 0817

5 0441 1025

20 0344 0930

6 0534 1129

21 0446 1043

7 0619 1224

22 0544 1152

8 0037 0700

23 0015 0637

9 0114 0736

24 0104 0728

20 0420 1027

6 0533 1146

21 0520 1140

7 0619 1242

22 0617 1247

8 0030 0700

23 0040 0711

9 0108 0740

24 0131 0802

25 0152 0817

10 0145 0816

25 0220 0851

11 0220 0845

26 0240 0906

11 0223 0854

26 0308 0938

27 0219 0837

12 0253 0918

27 0327 0954

12 0301 0932

27 0354 1022

13 0258 0914

28 0305 0925

13 0327 0954

28 0415 1042

13 0342 1013

28 0439 1104

29 0234 0847

14 0328 0946

29 0352 1014

14 0403 1030

29 0501 1128

14 0426 1055

29 0523 1145

30 0320 0936

15 0359 1019

30 0439 1102

15 0443 1111

30 0014 0549

15 0512 1139

30 0029 0607

6 0219 0812

21 0107 0657

7 0336 0919

22 0216 0802

8 0445 1024

23 0330 0915

9 0541 1121

24 0437 1023

10 0025 0626

25 0533 1123

10 0124 0735

25 0045 0700

10 0147 0811

11 0102 0704

26 0017 0624

11 0157 0810

26 0133 0748

12 0136 0740

27 0104 0712

12 0228 0842

13 0206 0813

28 0149 0800

14 0236 0845 15 0305 0917

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

0.35 1.42 SA 1331 0.42 1946 1.62

0.33 1.46 SU 1407 0.40 2020 1.61

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

5 0443 1044

20 0010 0602

0.46 1.50 FR 1723 0.50 2322 1.32

0.51 1.48 SA 1813 0.54

1.24 0.57 SU 1236 1.45 1912 0.58

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

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

0.21 1.52 SA 1218 0.30 1839 1.80

0.13 1.64 SU 1312 0.20 1930 1.84

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

0.14 1.83 WE 1553 0.14 2203 1.65

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

0.39 1.49 SU 1413 0.43 2017 1.52

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

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

1.30 0.53 SU 1215 1.57 1852 0.46

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

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

1.48 0.42 SA 1822 1.66

0.23 1.62 SU 1305 0.31 1917 1.70

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

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

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

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

0.44 1.73 FR 1624 0.34 2222 1.38

0.46 1.74 SA 1705 0.34 2304 1.35

0.50 1.72 SU 1748 0.36 2349 1.32

1.29 0.58 TU 1242 1.64 1929 0.41

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

1.35 0.61 FR 1547 1.53 2226 0.37

1.44 0.55 SA 1656 1.54 2322 0.32

1.57 0.46 SU 1800 1.55

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

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

0.33 1.95 FR 1630 0.17 2232 1.45

0.39 1.91 SA 1720 0.22 2324 1.39

0.47 1.84 SU 1809 0.29

1.34 0.55 MO 1214 1.73 1858 0.37

1.26 0.69 WE 1346 1.50 2034 0.50

0025 0603 WE 1227 1909

19 0317 0912

5 0109 0709

1.20 0.58 TU 1656 1.55 2341 0.45

Time

m 1.29 0.62 1.62 0.45

4 0348 0935

19 0518 1146

1.18 0.59 MO 1555 1.53 2245 0.49

0104 0639 TU 1259 1945

18 0216 0801

4 0008 0614

1.22 0.55 SU 1446 1.54 2137 0.51

Time

3 0251 0830

18 0441 1104

1.32 0.48 SA 1340 1.58 2021 0.49

0527 0.54 1154 1.69 MO 1836 0.38

17 0118 0700

3 0523 1144

1.46 0.38 FR 1239 1.63 1908 0.43

1.34 0.52 1.71 0.37

Local Time DECEMBER

2 0157 0731

17 0407 1026

0.27 1.68 TH 1801 0.34

Time

0.44 1.63 0.39 1.36

2 0435 1051

0.17 1.71 WE 1701 0.26 2312 1.62

2015

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

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

0.45 1.81 SA 1609 0.30 2204 1.38

0.45 1.83 SU 1650 0.28 2248 1.38

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

31 0527 1152

0.41 1.81 SA 1831 0.28

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

m 1.37 0.52 1.73 0.32

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

1.44 0.59 SA 1522 1.50 2154 0.38

1.51 0.56 SU 1631 1.45 2251 0.38

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

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

0.39 1.92 SA 1616 0.22 2215 1.41

0.42 1.89 SU 1700 0.25 2301 1.39

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

1.34 0.59 WE 1224 1.62 1900 0.43

31 0113 0653

1.32 0.65 TH 1304 1.52 1941 0.49

Last Quarter

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

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

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