NSW Fishing Monthly October 2018

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October 2018, Vol. 24 No. 3

Contents BYRON COAST The Tweed 24 Ballina 26 Yamba 28 COFFS COAST Coffs Harbour 30 Nambucca 32 South West Rocks 33 MACQUARIE COAST The Hastings 34 Forster 36 Harrington-Taree 39 HUNTER COAST Erina 37 Port Stephens 40 Swansea 41 Hunter Coast 42 SYDNEY The Hawkesbury 12 Sydney Rock and Beach 14 Sydney North 16 Pittwater 18 Sydney Harbour 19 Botany Bay 20 Sydney South 22 Western Sydney 23 ILLAWARRA COAST Illawarra 44 Nowra 45 BATEMANS COAST Batemans Bay 46 Narooma 48 Merimbula 49

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From the Editor’s Desk...

Wow! Such a lot has happened since we went to print last month. It was the day we sent the magazine off to the printers that the government released its Marine Parks plans for Sydney. And testament to the motivation of recreational anglers and the speed that we could mobilise through social media (the week we went to print for this issue there were 45,000 members of the Stop the Lockout group), things happened quickly.

And a few days before the October issue goes off to the presses we get the release from Niall Blair.

“The NSW Government has today committed that there will be no loss of fishing rights or access under the proposed marine park sites put forward by the NSW Marine Estate Management Authority (MEMA).”

That’s a pretty quick turnaround and the volume

of feedback was such that the announcement came before the end of the official consultation period.

And it’s a pretty amazing result, considering that the nation’s anglers’ response to the Commonwealth Marine Parks issue (which has only recently been put to bed for the time being) was relatively under-whelming in comparison.

I suppose that it really does need to become a case of ‘Not in My Back Yard’ before we get serious about becoming involved.

On the whole, the tone of the protest was fantastic – loud and on-message. The administrators of the social media side of the group would have been working tirelessly to rein in the 5% of people who want to get nasty.

As we all know, social media can get ugly quickly and overall, we all pushed in the right direction.

We do have to be careful about turning around people who already use their common sense. I remember in the marriage-equality debate, I, like most Aussies, were happy for anyone who wanted to get married to do so.

The only time I considered voting “no” was when advocates that were pro-marriage-equality were such in-your-face obnoxious loudmouths that it made me re-consider my choice.

Of course, Australia didn’t punish the majority for the vocal minority, but I thought that was the biggest weakness of the ‘Yes’ campaign. Loud, threatening in-your-face obnoxious loudmouths trying to ram their opinion down our throats.

Let’s make sure that in any future campaigns we don’t make our supporters think we’re the obnoxious loudmouths!

What’s the best way to do that?

Display a show of strength on our National Fishing Day. Gone Fishing Day is the 14th October. At the time of printing, there’s around 65 NSW-based events that have been listed on the official site (www.gonefishingday. org). But don’t be put off if there’s nothing near you – go fishing, take a pic, post it with #GFD2018 and tell the world about your day fishing. That’s the best way to celebrate the retention of our rights

EDEN COAST Eden 50 Mallacoota 50 Bermagui 50 Tathra 51

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Elii English with a quality kingfish that smashed a jig.

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Basics for jigging along the NSW coastline COFFS HARBOUR

Elii English

The technique of jigging has been around as long as people have been catching fish, although modern jigging has evolved substantially since then.

Whether you’re targeting back breakers in the depths of the abyss, or inshore pinnacles and reefs for a variety of table fish, the technique of jigging can be applied to almost every offshore scenario, with

such as snapper and pearl perch just to name a few.

In this article I will explain the basics of offshore jigging to give you a starting point to navigate this particular style of fishing. Hopefully it will land you some dinner or maybe even a trophy!

TECHNIQUES AND STYLE There are several dozen styles of jigs out there but they can be narrowed into two overarching techniques: mechanical/knife jigging and slow/fall style jigging.

Each style can be used in a

Make use of your plotter and sounder to look for pinnacles, bait balls and ledges in this depth range.

When you approach the reef, avoid motoring directly on top of where you intend to fish. Species such as snapper and mulloway are known to be shy, and the sound of the motor generally shuts them down in shallow waters.

Give your intended spot a wide berth, figure out what angle you’re drifting, then make your drift. Anything over 1 knot is considered a relatively fast drift, and you

Pearl perch are very responsive to slow jigs. Adding a lumo skirt to your assist hook can double your catch rate.

This kingfish was taken on a Missing at Sea 150g Drunk Skunk. The crew was slow jigging for snapper and a larger bait ball came through with big arches under it, and the first drop on the knife jig produced! styles of jigs and techniques constantly evolving! These techniques have been proven to be highly effective on the inshore and offshore reefs of this great country.

When starting out offshore jigging, the range of jigs, tackle, reels and rods can be overwhelming; especially with today’s market of fishing gear available. There are so many situations where a jig can be highly successful, such as schooled up kingfish in deep water or shallow water, micro-jigging for species

variety of scenarios or for a variety of species, however some styles are better suited to a particular species than others.

Slow/fall jigging Slow/fall jigs are best for inshore pinnacles and table fish, but can also used be for larger pelagic or sportfish, depending on conditions.

This technique is generally used in depths between 15-60m, with species such as snapper, pearl perch and mulloway responding well to jigs in this depth.

may need a sea anchor to slow you down, however if you don’t have one sometimes just stepping up the jig weight can help.

Anchoring should be avoided, as this causes you to fish vertically, reducing the area in which you fish.

Drifting enables you to cover as much ground as possible, and is therefore considered superior and more effective.

When it comes to the technique, it can differ from day to day, but reading your sounder is a key factor. If

the fish are sitting high on the sounder, simply match that depth with the retrieve of your jig.

A slow fall jig works best with an outwards roll with the wrist, moving the rod back towards your body, picking up the slack and repeating.

You’ll find it easier to repeat this action before you have contact with the jig (while your line is slack), otherwise you’ll just be dragging it through the water rather than ‘jigging’ it.

Snapper, pearl perch and mulloway will generally feed on the ocean floor, so keep your jig down there! Keeping the jig in the bottom third of the water will help target these fish. Moving the jig upwards from the bottom to the top third of the overall water depth, then dropping it back down is most effective.

For example, if you’re fishing in 15m of water, start your jig on the bottom and jigging it up 5m off the bottom before dropping it back. This takes practice, but there’s no point fishing 15m under the boat when you’re fishing a 50m pinnacle and the fish are on the bottom.

Current and wind should be taken into account when

drifting. Having a wide range of weights in your bag is key!

Generally in 15-30m of water, jigs could range from 20-60g, depending on the strength of the current and wind speed.

current and wind are strong and in the same direction, stepping up your weight will be necessary, as this will almost double your drift speed depending on the day.

In terms of outfits, this technique has some more options compared to mechanical and knife jigging, and with light line and lighter rods you can have a lot of fun. Thin PE braids are essential. PE 1.5-3 is perfect.

You can either use a spin set up around the 5000 size or a small overhead, preferably with a jigging handle. Match the rod to what PE line you’re using. The length is up to you and what you’re comfortable with. If you’re new to fishing, starting with a rod around 6’3” is ideal.

Mechanical/knife jigging Mechanical/knife jigging can be an effective but more difficult style for the NSW coastline and other parts of the country. The technique is mainly used in deeper water when fishing reefs

This amberjack was taken over gravel on a slow fall jig while fishing for pearl perch on 30lb!

Expect anything when fishing 60m or more.

In depths of 40-60m, between 80-120g is essential. You want a slow fall, but not so slow that you’re not getting to the mark on time. If the

and shoals. These jigs are better in 60-100m of water for larger sportfish such as kingfish, amberjacks and samsonfish, but you can

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Snapper are sometimes tricky when fishing with jigs. This guy was taken on a Palms Slow Fall left in the rod holder. Sometimes the motion of the swell is enough.

still catch snapper and other common reef species on these larger style jigs in deep water.

In these depths, the minimum weight that should be used is somewhere between 150-300g, depending on the current and wind speed. Some days, however, you will find an 80-100g jig will work as well. It’s always good to have a few options in your bag and some back-ups in case you get smoked!

When fishing for kingfish, amberjacks and samsonfish, sounding them is key. If your sounder isn’t showing feeding fish off the bottom or mid-water, you’re going to

have a very sore back by the end of the day, as dropping too many jigs down can be painful. Focus on finding the fish rather than fishing hard.

On these deeper reefs the fish are not so prone to being motor shy. This means you can do a few runs over a spot to figure out where they’re sitting before doing a drift.

When targeting these fish, it’s always a good idea to have live bait on board. In deep water, a live bait will find the fish faster than a jig, and once you’ve found them, send the jigs down.

This technique can be a game changer, as you can find fish

A tuskfish is not your average jig target, but a delicious by-catch nonetheless.

faster and save your arms.

When it comes to the technique, it can differ depending on what the fish are feeding on and how aggressive they are at the time. Starting off with a fast jig is always best. Drop your jig to the bottom and have a constant jig to the top. As with slow jigging, try to jig the rod with slack line. This saves your back, because you’re not dragging the heavy jig through the water.

Some days the fish may be timid, and a slower jig technique with more action will be most effective. When the fish are like this, it’s always a good idea to have some heavy slow fall jigs in your bag.

Similar to slow jigging, you should only fish the zone where fish are showing on your sounder. Fish smarter, not harder!

You should always pay attention to your drop, as many fish will take a jig while it’s falling. You can either pinch the line to feel it on the descent, or just watch the spool. If you see a sudden stop and you’re not on the bottom, or the line starts peeling off much faster, you’ve probably hooked up!

Because these fish are larger and fight hard, you’ll need a half decent set-up to stop them and make the jigging a little less painful.

An assortment of jigs you’ll need for a day offshore jigging. This should be all you need, unless you lose a few…

It all comes down to what weight you’re using and what fish you’re chasing. If you’re just getting into it, a 10,000 sized reel (depending on the brand) with a slow gear ratio will be best. Because a 10,000 or bigger reel has such a big bail arm, it grabs a lot more line than smaller reels with the same gear ratio are able to. Look for something around a 5:2.1 or 6:2.1. You’ll want to be fishing a PE 5-8 line, so look for something that has the capacity to hold enough line in deep water and enough line to fight a fish.

Match the rod with the PE line and jig weight you’re using. Look for something a touch shorter than your

slow jigging rod, as there is less movement of the jig needed. Generally between 5’6”-5’10” is perfect and ensures you don’t overwork your back!

CONDITIONS AND READING THE FISH Weather conditions and tide play an important role in offshore fishing. Obviously, the swell and wind can stop you from reaching deep water spots, but more importantly, tide, moon phase and atmospheric pressure can make a significant difference to your day.

Tide is most important, as almost all offshore species like a run-in tide or a tide change. Snapper, mulloway

and kingfish are most responsive to an incoming tide and tide change. They bite hard on the run-in, and some of my best offshore jigging days have been on a run-in tide up to a tide change. Being where you want to be on that incoming and tide change is very important.

Being familiar with multiple fishing locations is also important. Fish might be shut down on one reef, but biting hard 2km away on another reef. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to have a few locations in play if your first doesn’t work out.

You can fish at any time of day, as long as you’re in the right depth for that time of day. Starting in the mornings in 15-30m and progressively moving to deeper spots every hour or two (depending on the target species) is an effective approach. Keep working deeper and you’ll find the fishing will stay hot, but if you stay in shallow it might shut down. If you’ve caught fish in a spot early in the morning and it starts to shut down, simply move to a deeper mark.

Reading the tides and having a plan around tide changes can change an average day offshore to an exceptional day. A good tide is usually complemented by a good moon phase as To page 10

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From page 9

well. Snapper are the most affected by a full moon, and they can shut down during the day. Mulloway, on the other hand, can favour a full or new moon, as these bring big tides and a good tide change.

JIGS AND ACCESSORIES There is such a wide range of jigs on the market these days, it can be hard to select a handful and build a set that will suit your needs.

Three major factors should be considered when selecting a jig: colour quality, concave

catch you more fish and save you time and money.

When selecting a colour, you essentially want to match the hatch, which simply means to match what your target species is feeding on. If you’re slow jigging for snapper, pearl perch and mulloway, there are three main colour choices: pink, blue and lumo. Look for the ones with lots of flash.

For knife jigs, I use the same colours, with a touch more silver or green. You want to pay attention to the back side of the jig, as some brands will cheap out and only paint half the jig to keep their production costs low.

Secondly, for slow jigging, look for a jig designed with a nice concave curve on either

side of the jig. These will be grooves or crosses in the jig, giving it a flutter action on the sink, which is ideal. This isn’t necessary when selecting a knife jig, however, as you want the jig on the bottom and back up as quickly as possible.

When it comes to terminal tackle for slow jigs, you want to look for dual hooks. Assist hooks can be expensive if the jig doesn’t come with them.

Anything with extra flash on the hook is almost essential when slow jigging.

Tying your own flash on with thread works really well, and even adding a lumo squid skirt can almost double your catch some days, especially in deep water where the extra attraction works really well.

Mulloway are another species that can be responsive to jigs in the right conditions. This one was taken just before a high tide change on the new moon.

It’s no secret that most fish like a rising or high barometer reading. Some species can be highlyaffected by a sudden drop or low air pressure. For example, mulloway and snapper will shut down in a low pressure system, so when the weather favours a good day offshore but the barometer is low, start deeper than you usually would.

This can improve your catch rates and your day.

design and the terminal tackle you get with the jig, depending on the style of jig you are buying.

The quality of the paint and the actual colour itself is always important.

Unfortunately, you can only know the quality of the paint from word of mouth, reviews or when you use the jig. You want the lifespan of your jig to be worth it, without the paint chipping or fading too soon. This will eventually

Big snapper are lots of fun on jigs. The Shimano Lucanus jigs are always a great option when left sinking out the back. This guy was taken on the drop, and closing the bail arm on this big fish was tricky!

Sending live baits down soon found this fish and many others when fish couldn’t be sounded. This one was taken mid-water on a Samaki Choona 150g.

This isn’t as important for bigger knife jigs, as the added flash or skirt can drag through the water when jigging, making it harder to work.

After a full day you will notice the difference to your arms. Look for strong hooks with the knife jigs; most come with decent hooks. Anything with 200lb plus Dacron is necessary.

Finally, always remember to have confidence in what you use. If you’re ever wondering what you’re doing wrong or just want some handy hints, remember you can jump straight onto YouTube and check out heaps of footage!

CONCLUSION A good day jigging can be some of the most fun

you can have on the water, with multiple hook-ups on big kingfish, snapper, and other monsters from the deep. Fishing is all about flexibility, so remember to read the weather conditions on the day and be ready to adjust your fishing locations and strategies.

Just because you have had success with a particular technique before, doesn’t mean it will work again.

Consider your target species, the depth you’re fishing in and the type of jig you’re using. Practice with different styles of jigs and jigging techniques, and if something isn’t working, switch it up.

Have fun and always remember to set those hooks!

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FADs attract fast growing pelagic fish such as Mahi Mahi (Dolphinfish), Wahoo and Marlin and create an alternative fishing location for recreational sport and game fishers.

FADs are deployed in NSW by DPI using funds from the Recreational Fishing Trust.

Visit the FADs webpage for GPS coordinates of your nearest FAD, FADs distance off the coast and the best access point.

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Waiting for warmer water THE HAWKESBURY

Dan Selby dan@sydneysportfishing.com.au

If the rain holds off we will see the water temperatures rise significantly this month, and with it there will be an increase in activity in and around the main river and its vast tributaries.

Dry conditions will see the bulk of fish in the upper tidal reaches around Wisemans Ferry in the main river and towards Crosslands in Berowra and Bobbin Head in

Hawkesbury River or Sydney Harbour Specialised Charters!

Cowan, where the bait and fertile, nutrientrich water is.

Estuary perch and bass didn’t have to travel very far to spawn this past season due to the dry conditions, so they will still be found in the very upper tidal reaches from lower Portland to north Richmond. They tend to hold deeper on the snags and rock walls, and will continue to hold in schools until a good patch of warm weather will spread them out. To locate active schools try lipless crankbaits, soft plastics and spinnerbaits with willow blades worked

deep in areas like rock walls, along weed beds and major tree snags.

Bream have been biting well on the rock walls, from Slippery Rock through to lower Portland, with small 2-3” soft plastic grubs and minnows taking some quality fish. As the small black crabs start to reappear on the intertidal zones, throwing a Cranka Crab would be a great idea when the current slows up around the tide changes.

Alternatively, gathering some live crabs at low

the Hawkesbury. Casting and retrieving around creek mouths on a run-out tide is an age old but very effective approach, as is trolling along the mangrove-lined mud flats and over sand bars with deep divers.

Drifting with a few baits out and casting a soft plastic or blade ahead of the drift is another great technique for finding active concentrations of flathead in what can seem like an endless body of water.

Mulloway will be high on most anglers’ lists this

Some great estuary perch will be on offer in the upper tidal reaches. Soft plastic grubs and paddle-tails worked down deep is the preferred technique for finding active schools and trophy fish like this 49cm beast.

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Josh was switched on to big bream mode on a recent charter with the author. These hungry post spawners were eating 4” paddle-tails aimed at mulloway. tide and fishing them with a small sinker and size 1/0 hook on 8lb line will account for some good fish too as the tide floods back over the rocks.

Fresh Hawkesbury prawns are a great back-up and will take all manner of fish in the upper brackish reaches, as this is where the majority are trawled up. Like crabs, prawns should be presented on light line with minimal weight.

It’s very important when fishing light line to check your leader/trace regularly for any abrasion, especially if you are picking up a few flathead or fishing over rough terrain. Cut the abrasion out and retie your knots to dramatically increase your chances of landing fish.

Flathead numbers remained pretty consistent over winter, with higher than normal water temps, but they will really kick into gear with the rising water temps this month.

Soft plastics, blades, vibes, swimbaits, deep diving crankbaits plus live and dead baits will all account for good-sized table fish in

month. Keep in mind that the new bag limit for mulloway is now one per person, with a minimum size of 70cm, which came into effect from 1 September 2018.

Spring is a great time to encounter some bigger

20kg+ fish, and there should be some hungry and willing legal-sized schoolies to keep you occupied in between the bigger bites.

This can be bolstered by some good rain in the upper catchment, but let’s not hold our breath on that one.

Finding live bait starts to become easier as tailor and salmon schools push into the warming estuaries, and can be found busting up on smaller bait. Tailor of legal size (30cm) can be caught by casting and retrieving small metal slices and poppers into the feeding frenzy. Alternatively, you can troll some shallow diving minnows along the many foreshores around Broken Bay until a school is located. Live yellowtail can be caught from West Head and into Cowan around the public moorings. In most

bays squid can also be found in similar areas to where you find live yellowtail, so having a jig tied onto another outfit or hand line can come in handy while berleying up baitfish.

Kingfish will start to make sporadic appearances around the headlands, also into Pittwater and Cowan. They can be fussy feeders as they gorge on the microscopic baitfish referred to as ‘eyes’. Smart anglers will present a small fly or soft plastic on 30-40cm of trace behind a bubble float, which allows enough weight to be cast a significant distance into the feeding fish. Downrigging with small live squid and yakkas will also take some good fish as they start to take up residence on the deeper reefs, points and wrecks.

Mulloway can be very fussy, especially in colder water. Downsizing tackle and lures/baits can be the difference between success and failure. This fish was taken on 10lb tackle and a 3” pumpkinseed soft plastic grub after bigger presentations were ignored.

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Anglers enjoying great run of rock blackfish SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au

Minister for Primary Industries Nail Blair recently announced that there will be no loss of fishing rights or access from the 25 proposed sights from Newcastle to Wollongong.

2.8kg by some of the locals.

The bigger fish over 2.5kg can be a little on the chewy side, so it is up to you as to whether you keep them or not. The 1-2kg size fish are best, in my experience.

Good places to try include Barrenjoey’s south face between around 150m to near the southeast point, South Whales (the Inner Ovens as it

Jason Fay and Matt Foley with their first rock blackfish. This species really teaches you how to fish the ocean rocks. The author has over 80 locations for rock blackfish on the northern beach suburbs, and they all still produce.

So what is the next step?

Well, as the cliché goes, ‘You can’t trust the government to stand by their word’. We must maintain the powerful voice of anglers. We will be maintaining a huge presence, and will push to maintain the Fisheries management we already have, rather than lock-outs that are based on insufficient evidence.

One of the key things we will be proposing to the Fisheries Minister is more heavy policing and enforcement by Fisheries officers, in both large and smaller cities. NEMA should be reconstructed to have a more balanced panel, including land-based anglers, spearfishers, 4WD, caravan, boating anglers and of course, to maintain the balance, greens as well. This will make decision making fairer for communities.

Now let’s move on to the fishing report and hear about stuff that we love to do.

Off the ocean rocks, a great run of rock blackfish are on the chew for the spring run. They are currently schooled up in good numbers from virtually all substantial rock headlands in Sydney.

Barrenjoey, South Whale and South Avalon ledges are all producing sizeable pigs to 14

OCTOBER 2018

is called), and South Avalon from 50m past the pool to the big gutter. South Avalon is best fished in a swell size of well under 1m. The other two headlands can be fished in a slightly larger swell size.

Don’t get me wrong, you can technically fish these spots on a slightly rougher day, but there’ll be issues with entering and exiting some spots. Do your homework when you’re there – check to make sure you can get out of there on the high tide and if there is a slight rise in the swell.

At the Inner Ovens South Whale rocks main ledges there are some luderick being caught. You can also get trevally, bream, plate snapper and salmon, with a smattering of small kings in the berley trail when you’re fishing the white water washes for mixed species.

At Narrabeen rock gutters, at the Turimetta Beach side of Narrabeen Head there are good luderick, and bream also in the evenings. Fishing the ledge in front of the swimming pool, a paternoster rig with sinker sizes from 3-5oz is what I use.

I suggest a 40lb fluoro leader, and robust double strength 2/0 or 3/0 hooks (I use Mustad 92554s). The casting distance here is around 70-90m out to

get to the sand.

Moving further south at Long Reef, you can catch luderick off a ledge on the northeast face called Snapper Rock. it is roughly 350m right of the old cleaning tables.

There are sizeable trevally there as well in the white water wash.

Off the front ledge, another 700m further away, there are silver drummer, rock blackfish, luderick and some sizeable trevally. You should preferably fish in a swell size less than 1m as it is quite shallow, and it turns into crashing foam waves in a larger swell.

At Manly, the main ledge at a spot known as The Hat below the Quarantine wall has luderick. Weed is in reasonable abundance, and a reliable approach is to fish between 2.5-3m with a fixed float. If you would prefer to fish with a running float, you can fish even deeper. With the water at this location being about 6m+, it’s not unusual to have a running float fishing at a depth of up to 5m. In close to the ledge you fish shallower, but about 6-15m out try fishing deeper and you should find the luderick.

When it comes to bait for mixed species wash fishing, you can try half pilchards, peeled large prawns (endeavour or banana), and even trevally fillets. Yes, trevally fillets! These fish can often be caught in good numbers and are a firm bait for trevally, bream, snapper, bream and more.

In your berley, use bread, pilchard or chopped-up fish flesh. Put it in a bucket, add some water and get mushing.

You don’t want to be too

John Halford with a nice trevally. These fish are heading towards the end of their run. When you’re fishing the sudsy white water with your berley trail, you’ll catch a mix of warmer water migratory fish and winter species this month. liberal with your berley; it’s best to throw in small amounts frequently.

Very light ball sinkers and a rod/reel outfit suitable for 6-8kg mono or braid are great here. Preferably don’t fish the rocks with a rod shorter than 3m. It’s not as efficient and not safe, as you may risk getting too close to the edge of the rock ledge to land your fish if you have a shorter rod.

For luderick the best baits are cabbage and hair weed, and for the pigs you should use peeled prawns, large cabbage weed baits or bread.

Around this time of the year there’s a run of quality whiting, bream and tarwhine off the beaches.

SALMON Aussie salmon are in good numbers, and they are usually big at this time of year. I am

expecting fish to 3.5kg or even larger this month. Some of the reliable beaches to try for these larger salmon include Palm Beach, Bilgola and North Narrabeen. Ganged pillies are always a good choice.

It is important to have a carefully balanced outfit when you are chasing these fish. The rod length should be around 3.4-4m, to allow you to keep the line up high, well above the shore break. This will reduce line drag compared to a shorter rod, especially in moderate swell conditions.

Your rod should be able to fish a combined sinker and bait weight of 150-180g.

When it comes to suitable reels, a Daiwa 4000BG or Alvey 625B to 650 are great choices.

You should preferably fish with 8kg monofilament

Ben Morton with his largest rock blackfish to date. This month you could encounter fish this size in numbers. Large cabbage weed baits and large peeled prawns are the go for big fish.

or braided line. It will enable you to fish with heavier sinker sizes, and to fish the stronger currents associated with a moderate swell. This line weight is light enough to give you lots of sport and fun with large salmon, while still being heavy enough to land a cheeky mulloway or shark that might pick up the bait.

Providing you set the drag on your spinning reel correctly, or don’t palm the Alvey too hard when you hook up to massive fish, you stand a good chance of landing it.

WHITING, BREAM AND TARWHINE For the whiting, bream and tarwhine, beach worms are the go, preferably live of course.

If you don’t have any worms, pipis are a good backup option, along with peeled small river prawns, the type that come in 50-200g bags.

Blood worms are hard to get nowadays. You can pump them out of Narrabeen Lake using a yabby pump and a very fine sieve. You will need either a floating sieve or a mate holding the sieve while you’re pumping into it, and do it around the mud flats.

Because the yabbies are in limited supply, you again need to have your back-up baits to fall back on, or just purchase them from a reliable tackle shop that has live bait. Plan ahead and contact your tackle shop to get them to hold onto them for you.

That’s pretty much it for this month’s report. I love October! It is the grand opening of the warmer months ahead and the migratory movement of several species.

Prep up this month for October and for the spring/summer run.

• For rock and beach guided fishing or tuition in the northern Sydney region, visit www.bellissimocharters. com.au, email alex@ bellissimocharters.com.au or call Alex Bellissimo on 0408 283 616.

$500,000 Target the edges.

This photo shows exactly what we mean by fish the edge of the river channel!

By now you’ve all heard that GoFish Nagambie is giving away a guaranteed $500,000! And you don’t have to be the best angler in Australia to get you hands on a share of the cash.

This is a tournament for anglers of all abilities, and anyone can be a winner. All you need to do is turn up and catch a fish, and you’ll go in the running to win! Easy.

Here is how the GoFish Nagambie recipe works.

Step 1: Choose your craft This multi-discipline event has entries available for boat, kayak and land-based fishing. However, there are a capped number of anglers allowed, and boat entries are also limited. The beauty of the Nagambie Lakes and Goulburn River is that it is suitable for all three of the angling categories on offer.

Boat entries Fishing from a boat gives you the opportunity for trolling and casting in the competition. We are constantly asked what the best method is for Nagambie. Our answer is that you should use both techniques to give yourself the best chance of catching a winning fish!

Ideally, casting first thing in the morning and late in the afternoon have produced excellent results, using surface lures, hardbodys and spinnerbaits, cast into the shallow.

During the day while the sun is up, we’d recommend trolling the river and the deep channels in the lake to seek out the larger fish. If you’re after golden perch, trolling around the standing trees is your best option.

Kayak entries Nagambie Lakes is the perfect location for kayak

and canoe fishers. This shallow lake system has plenty of backwaters, river channels, anabranchs and open sections of water, which you can explore by paddle. Fishing the very shallow sections where a boat can’t go gives yakkers a huge advantage. The stealth factor also helps when stalking monster Murray cod.

Land-based entries You don’t need a boat to access fantastic water at GoFish Nagambie. Murray cod and golden perch stocking, combined with improved habitat and better waterway management, has led to amazing bank fishing opportunities along Nagambie Lakes and the Goulburn River.

Nagambie Lakes certainly has top opportunities for land-based anglers. The lake is loaded with standing

timber – every angler’s paradise! Murray cod and golden perch call this waterway home, and live in amongst all the heavy timber, structure and weed bed clusters that are close to the bank.

Step 2: Choose target species With four target species that can win cash and prizes at GoFish Nagambie, you need to carefully consider which species to go for in the tournament.

Redfin - There are even prizes for redfin at GoFish Nagambie. Although there aren’t huge numbers of redfin in the system, if you catch the biggest you have a chance

UP FOR GRABS AT AUSTRALIA’S WEALTHIEST FRESHWATER FISHING TOURNAMENT at winning heaps of prizes! Redfin can be found around standing trees and around the weedy edges. The best way to attract them to your lure is to use an aggressive retrieve such as hop-and-drop or burn-and-kill.

Carp - However, unlike the other species, carp are not allowed to be released back into the water. Carp are not big strikers, often they will play with your bait or sit on top of it for a little while, so you will need to pay close attention. The benefit of carp is that they aren’t too fussy, and you’ll be able to catch them all day long.

Murray cod - Nagambie might just be the best-kept secret for targeting Murray cod. There are some absolute monsters lurking in these waters. At first light, the best technique is to fish in the shallows, 1-2m, with 200mm+ surface lures. As soon as the sun hits the water, head to deeper water, the riverbed, channels, and large structure and cast, or troll, large spinnerbaits, soft plastics or hardbodied lures.

Golden perch - Golden perch love structure, and there is structure here in spades! With big money up for grabs, targeting yellas could be your best bet to cash in. Golden perch hang close to standing trees (especially the thinner twiggier trees), reedy edges and the spindly ends of fallen trees. Smaller lures are the best option, such as 1/2oz spinnerbaits, 50-70mm diving hardbodied lures and 60mm lipless crankbaits.

Step 3: Catch, measure, release At GoFish Nagambie, we are passionate about fish health and environmental health, and are using the latest in app technology to assist in increasing the survival rate and improving the catch, measure, release method.

The app, to be announced soon, will easily photograph and measure the catch, and automatically enter eligible fish into the running to win. Importantly, this process will ensure a fast release back into the water.

Step 4: Just keep fishing If you land a good fish, don’t throw the towel in. Keep fishing. You need to fish every second of the tournament and never give up. You just never know what’s happening, and when a big old girl will jump on your hook.

Happy Fishing and see you in Nagambie next April!

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Offshore going off!

SYDNEY NORTH

Paul O’Hagan

Fishing through the transition months has been good for some anglers while others are having trouble getting a feed for the table.

Recently there was a mako shark tournament held off Sydney, and a lot of fish were hooked but not too many taken. While the competition attracted a good number of anglers who covered a very wide area, there were no reports

of any tuna out there.

The electric reels around Browns Mountain have been working overtime as anglers hunt for the blue-eye and gemfish that are in good numbers at the moment.

The Twelve Mile Reef is still drawing crowds who are chasing kingfish, with some anglers reporting as many as 50 kings in a session! For some anglers the go-to method is using metal jigs from 150-300g, but with this method it requires a lot of effort to work these jigs for any amount of time. It is a good idea to mix it up by taking a breather and dropping down a live bait or two.

Both of these methods work very well, but it depends on the fish and what they are willing to take on the day.

While these are exceptional days there are still days where some boats will struggle to find or mark any fish – but that’s fishing.

Drifting along the sandy areas of Narrabeen has been very productive lately, with good numbers of flathead being taken.

Long Reef is still one

Alex Muller battled this kingfish to the boat. Kingies have been in great numbers over certain reefs. to take anything on offer.

Beach fishing has slowed down. However, for some who are brave enough to battle the cold conditions, there have been some good rewards, with tailor and mulloway on selected beaches in the evening. For the early morning risers there are some whiting and bream being taken from Manly to

Kath and Zane came across some good snapper in beautiful conditions, including this plastic-munching model.

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close to the heads at the moment, it will not be long before they filter into the harbour as they chase the hordes of baitfish that are present at the moment.

While the salmon are gathering in numbers it’s a good time to break out the saltwater fly gear, as the salmon are a great adversary on light tackle and they love taking things as small as a little epoxy minnow, which imitates a small whitebait.

There are still plenty of squid in the harbour being taken on small jigs in the evening around The Spit bridge.

Fishing from our rock platforms is very popular at the moment, with anglers using a range of methods to

dangerous sports and a lot of care should be taken.

Most of the anglers who fish these areas are very experienced and know when the conditions are just too dangerous. For all of the new anglers that are about to start this type of fishing, it would be a good idea to go and fish these areas with someone who has the experience and can show you the ropes.

When the sea conditions have not been perfect some anglers have been going up to Manly Dam. They have been throwing lures around for some early bass and having a bit of success.

Narrabeen Lake is still slow to get moving, as the lake has not been flushed out for some time now, but

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Ty Chung holds up two snapper destined for the pan. of the preferred spots at the moment. Fishing very small baits in a berley trail with a bit of current running should see some good numbers of snapper and rat kingfish, as well as the odd good one.

At this time of the year a lot of anglers are reporting that there is a large number of Port Jackson sharks in the area, which are willing

Palm Beach. With water clarity being at its best at the moment, very light lines and small baits seem to be the answer to picking up a feed.

Over the last few weeks there has been an increase in activity around North and South head, with very large schools of salmon patrolling up and down and giving our anglers something to target.

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The Twelve Mile Reef is still drawing crowds who are after kingies, like this one caught by Steve Carter.

catch luderick and drummer in the wash from the shore or from a boat. Luderick are usually taken with cabbage and weed with very light rods and line under a float, while drummer are taken on much heavier line and hooks, as they will fight to the end to escape, often using the swell and the rocks to get to freedom.

Rock fishing, although sometimes very rewarding, can also be one of the most

there are always a few estuary perch being taken in the evening by those fishing with small vibes and minnows.

Additionally, there’s always the chance of picking up a few flathead by working soft plastics around the wed beds further into the lake.

As we move into the warmer months things should improve dramatically with the fishing and the weather.

As always, stay safe and enjoy the fishing.

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Fun times ahead in Pittwater PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

Over the next month we should see a variety of baitfish come into Broken Bay in Pittwater, and hot on their tails should be a variety of predators.

October is a great month for offshore fishing on the reefs as well as along our rivers and bays such as Pittwater.

a similar product near the spikes. I find scent pastes seem to need replenishing less often than spray when it comes to scents. On many occasions we have landed squid that are hanging on to squid jigs without being hooked because of the scent pastes.

Once you have accumulated enough squid, the areas to try and catch kingfish seem to be at West Head and Careel Bay through to Taylors Point

the surface, the odd school of salmon and tailor. The easiest way to find working schools of pelagic species is to watch for a lot of bird activity on and just above the water.

Along Broken Bay we are starting to see some decent captures of flathead, and there is also the odd mulloway being caught as well.

If you are going to fish Broken Bay in a small boat please be aware of

using some micro-jigs, especially if you are going to head to the gravel. Microjigs are also worth using when over the sand or even reef; just watch your depths over rough ground. These great jigs allow you to actively work them or you can just put them in a rod holder to let the wave action lift and twitch the rod. One thing is for sure, snapper really do love them.

Baits to use are whatever fresh bait can be caught at the reefs, pilchards or squid.

When using pilchards I often cut the tail off before putting them on the hook, and this serves two purposes. The first is to help the bait not to spin while drifting, and the second is that it will ooze a scent trail.

When I cut up a squid for bait, I slice the hood into triangles. I then make lots of cuts in the bottom of each triangle to imitate squid tentacles. This little bit of extra movement can make all the difference if the day is hard when fishing some deep water. On the other hand, there are days when it makes no difference at all.

There is the odd reef that is producing the odd decent kingfish as well. We have run into a few schools of these fish on a couple of occasions, and they

Now that’s a squid! There are still a few big ones around. are devouring just about anything that is lowered to the depths. They are fat, well conditioned fish and should be heading inshore so we can play with them over the coming season.

I hope this report sees you excited and ready to hit the water. If you don’t have a boat and want to try a day of fishing on the water please give us a call on 0410 633 351. Going out with a local charter operator will not

only show you some great spots to fish but you also get information on what baits to use and what species can be caught. This information can help with the learning curve especially if you are struggling or new to an area.

• Peter Le Blang operates Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters, phone 02 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351, visit www. estuaryfishingcharters. com.au.

This king took a live yellowtail fished deep.

Along Pittwater we are starting to see the water temperature increase, and with that the fish activity.

There are patches of baitfish right along Pittwater, but most seem to be congregating near the moorings and weed beds.

Careel Bay, the Basin and Palm Beach are the areas to target squid at the moment because of all the baitfish that are near the edges of the weed beds.

Other areas that tend to produce squid are Towlers Bay, Portuguese Beach and Sinclair Point. All these areas are shallow so use 2-2.5g squid jigs in fluoro colours to attract their attention.

At the moment pink and orange jigs are working well, and don’t forget to swipe your jigs with S Factor or

amongst the moorings.

As the season progresses these areas will become more populated with kingfish, provided there are enough baitfish to keep them around.

The best way to target kingies on Pittwater is to cover ground by downrigging. Downrigging provides a great way to present live bait or lures at a specific depth that is set by you. This of course means that when baitfish are found you are able to put your livey in the right areas to give yourself a great chance at some very decent fish.

We should start to see a lot more surface activity first thing in the morning over the next month or two.

As the water warms even further we should start to see kingfish milling around on

how quickly this area can change from a calm, sedate waterway into a rough and hazardous bay. Small boats should avoid times when the tide is running against the wind and swell, as the waves will stand very quickly and make it difficult to get back home.

Offshore we are seeing captures of morwong, flathead and just legal snapper. Water depths that seem to be working at the moment are between 40-60m. There seems to be some very decent flathead at the moment. If you strike out at the reef, head over towards the 50m mark off Broken Bay and you’ll have a great chance of catching a few.

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Salmon and kingfish are putting on a show SYDNEY HARBOUR

Craig McGill craig@fishabouttours.com.au

The marine parks debate exploded onto the scene recently, with the announcement of 25 angler lock-out zones between Wollongong and Newcastle.

The backlash from anglers and the media was immediate and intense. The Facebook page ‘Stop The

around in huge numbers.

September through to January is traditionally the time when they appear in the lower reaches of the Harbour and Broken Bay. The closing of the cannery at Eden has seen decreased commercial pressure on stocks in the last decade, and it appears that numbers have increased dramatically. Salmon fishing has been sensational over the last few years and this should continue, providing

depth and the baitfish, but not the salmon. This is because the Hawkesbury pumps huge volumes of freshwater into the ocean. This creates two conditions unfavourable to salmon: lower salinity and turbid, low visibility water.

Pelagics are less able to deal with freshwater than estuary fish like bream or mullet, for example.

Pelagics are also visual hunters, so clear water is an obvious advantage.

A huge Middle Harbour kingfish that took a live cuttlefish.

Salmon are a great training fish for kids.

Lockout’ went from zero to 46,000 members in 10 days, and it is still growing.

Some of the closures were farcical, with lock-out boundaries stopping right on the boundaries of waterfront properties, effectively locking out kilometres of accessible shore-based angling options.

Most ridiculous of all was a ‘special purpose zone’ within a lock-out zone, to allow jetty anglers to continue to go fishing and boating. On closer inspection of the map, 90% of that special purpose zone was inside a public swimming enclosure, where fishing is banned by the local council. Clearly, whoever drew the map had never actually visited the location or consulted the council.

Since then we’ve been told that the lock-outs are off the table, but we can’t be certain that it will stay that way. It’s important to keep the pressure onw to protect anglers’ rights.

On the fishing front, Australian salmon have been

the commercial fishos don’t start hitting them again.

The lower reaches of Sydney Harbour is salmon heaven, mainly because it is also baitfish heaven. Another reason why Sydney Harbour fishes so well for salmon is because it’s a harbour and not a river. This might sound like a bad case of stating the obvious, but the differences are often overlooked. The Hawkesbury River has the

Having said that, the lower reaches around Broken Bay and Pittwater can be a salmon hotspot providing there hasn’t been too much rain upstream.

The harbour, on the other hand, has a tiny freshwater catchment when compared to the Hawkesbury and, except in times of severe flooding, remains clear.

Why depth is so important to salmon is not

Salmon will be abundant in the lower harbour for the next few months.

so obvious. It certainly gives them another option when fleeing from predators, but mostly it gives those sensitive, lidless eyes a break from the midday sun.

Coastal harbours are a baitfish magnet, being warm, still and clear. They obviously supply the nutrients that the baitfish require as well. So, Sydney Harbour has it all – masses of food and clear, deep, saline water.

Most people I know would rather cast to salmon than troll for them. What do you do though if you want to cast a lure or fly to pelagics, but can’t see them on the surface?

Troll until you find them, and then cast! Trolling lures is a legitimate fish finding tool, even if you don’t like or intend to catch them this way.

Trolling lures is a great way to find salmon. Trolling the headlands, particularly North, South and Middle heads is the preferred option when the fish or baitfish can’t be visually or electronically located in open water. Of course, with their highly mobile nature, salmon can turn up anywhere. We have even caught them as far upstream as Bantry Bay in Middle Harbour. In fact, strong concentrations of baitfish have been known to lead them well up into the mangrove country, but this is the exception rather than the rule.

Salmon regularly work bait on the surface. At these times they can be visually located often kilometres

away by looking for the accompanying flocks of seabirds cashing in on the leftover baitfish. Not every surface feeding school has birds, but even they can be visually located just by looking for the surface disturbance. Obviously good sea conditions make the job a lot easier.

Lure selection in these situations is more a matter of size than type or colour.

You are all familiar with the concept of ‘matching the hatch’, but how do we determine the hatch?

Seabirds help a lot.

They won’t even show up unless it’s worth their while.

A birdless patch of feeding salmon usually indicates that the prey is very tiny.

And to the other extreme, the bigger the patch of birds, the bigger the prey.

When predatory fish are inhaling tiny bait whole, it doesn’t leave much for a seagull to eat. However, a 4” pilchard chopped in half or stunned by a crushing blow certainly provides an easy

and worthwhile target.

If you are lucky you might even see the prey as it showers from the water in an effort to escape. If all else fails, start with your smallest lure and work your way up. Fish that have homed in on a certain size prey will regularly eat something smaller, but rarely anything bigger.

The winter kings have continued to bite right through the cold season, despite some very cold water this year. We took a great fish of 115cm in Middle Harbour and there have been plenty in the 65-85cm bracket. Live cuttlefish and squid baits are the go. If last year is any indication, October should see some very good kingfish spark up in the middle reaches of Middle Harbour and the main harbour.

• If you are interested in doing a guided fishing trip on Sydney Harbour with Craig Mcgill please call 0412 918 127, visit www.fishaboutsydney.com.au or go to ‘Fishabout Sydney Harbour’ on Facebook.

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Fishing good as we pray for rain BOTANY BAY

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

The fishing has been slightly tough and spasmodic over the past month or two, and I reckon this is because of the lack of rain, which has caused the waterways in this area to become extremely clear. It’s so clear that you can sometimes see the undulations in the sand in 6m of water! I have been able to drop down a 5” soft plastic and watch it bob up and down over the sandy bottom. We might possibly get some rain to stir up the things on the fishing scene in the estuaries and rivers.

On the other hand, those anglers who have been able to venture offshore during the last month of two have been doing OK on the snapper, morwong and other reef species.

If you prefer to bait fish, I can’t stress enough that you need to berley when fishing in the estuary and bays.

Whether you are fishing from the shore or out of a boat, while at anchor I always berley. Berleying is the key

Sure, you could add cat food, tuna oil and many other ingredients, but I find that the simpler you keep it, the better the results. What does matter is the consistency that you throw out the berley.

Too much will feed the fish and too little will not attract

At all of the places you could try not wetting the chicken pellets and just throwing out handfuls when there is not much run in the water. What will happen to the pellets is that they will sink down to the bottom and slowly dissolve as they roll

Flounder are another possibility in the bay during October.

Riley and Lachie love going fishing for bream with their grandad and dad. anything.

In Botany Bay I would try fishing Trevally Alley on a run-out tide for trevally, bream and kingfish, and the latter will start to show up

When targeting bream in either deep or shallow water and there is a bit of a current running, try using a running sinker onto a swivel and then a long leader. to having a successful day on the water.

So, what should you use in your berley mixture? I try to keep it very simple by just using either dried or wet chicken pellets. Other great options would be smashed up pilchards, white bread and prawn shells.

Then I bait up a few rigs where the small ball sinker will run down onto the top of the bait and cast them out the back of the boat. These rods are then put into the rod holders with the bait feeder system set in bite mode on the reels.

soon. If the tide is running fast here, I mix the chicken pellets with a bit of water in a bucket. I then make them into a ball about half the size of a tennis ball, while squashing out most of the water. These are then left in the sun for about 10 minutes to get a crust on the outside.

Once I have about 10 or so, I will start deploying them into the water two at a time at about 5-minute intervals. You will find that as they start to sink there will be small amounts that break out as it goes down through the water column. About every ten or so minutes, I throw out a handful of dried chicken pellets.

Using this method, you could try using peeled prawns, pilly tails, whitebait, fillets of pilchards, pink nippers and worms for bait.

It is also worth rigging either an unweighted squid strip or a whole pilchard and cast it out the back and set it in a rod holder. Salmon, tailor, bonito and kingfish could also be swimming around in the berley trail.

This same method of fishing and berleying can be carried out at the Fisheries markers in Yarra Bay, the end of the third runway, The Drums, the oil wharf, The Sticks and wide off Towra Point. The only difference I would make at these spots is to have a running sinker down onto a swivel with a leader of between 1-1.5m in length.

along the bottom.

If you can only fish from the shore, I would go and buy one of those dog tennis ball launchers and use them to help get your ball of berley out wide from where you are fishing. These are also great for when you are fishing off the beach or the rocks, as you can get plenty of distance with them.

Places that would be worth a try in the bay

would be the Cooks River breakwalls, the beach from Brighton to Dolls Point, the Groynes at Kurnell and the north and southern ends of the Captain Cook Bridge.

Dusky flathead and flounder will also start to show up in numbers in the bay. Try drifting using whitebait, half and whole pilchards or chucking around soft plastics on 1/4-3/8oz jigheads.

Whiting and bream will be starting to school up in the bay along the end of the third runway, The Sticks, Watts Reef and Yarra Bay. Small soft plastics and blades would be worth a go.

Whether you’re fishing from a boat or the shore, it doesn’t seem to matter.

Salmon, tailor, bream, whiting and the odd flathead can be caught off Maroubra and Bondi beaches. The best bait by far has been the beach worm, followed

You could try working either hardbodied lures or small soft plastics off the groynes at Kurnell – there’s plenty of bream there!

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by tube worms, pink nippers and pilly tails. The salmon and tailor are either an early morning or late afternoon bet when using whole pilchards on a set of ganged hooks.

Further upstream in the Georges River, flathead, bream, mullet, garfish and crabs have started to show up at the junction of the Woronora and Georges Rivers, the Moons, Alfords Point and from Picnic Point to the Milperra Bridge. If you are not quite sure where to fish, you could try drifting parallel to the shore and then when you get a fish of two, mark it on your GPS or make a mental note of where you have caught it.

Don’t forget to keep those reports and photos coming in! If you have anything to report or have a picture of your latest catch just email it to me at gbrown1@iprimus.com.au.

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Clear water calls for finesse techniques SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Much the same as Botany Bay, the Port Hacking will be super clear if we don’t get some much-needed rain

Luderick will still be feeding along the edges of the weed beds and rock walls in the Port Hacking. The main thing is that you will need to find a good supply of green weed or cabbage.

If you can’t find any, you could always try suspending

works well when fishing off the ocean rocks when you can’t find cabbage or weed.

As the days start to warm up, you might want to check out the flats as the bream, whiting and flathead will cruise up onto the shallows as the tide rises to feed on

end of North and South West arms, Bonnie Vale and in Gunnamatta Bay. The beaches in Bate Bay will start to fire up on the whiting and bream front during the day and into the night. The best bait by far is beach worm, followed by tube worm, pink nipper and small pieces of squid.

Remember, if you are collecting pink nippers for bait, only take what you need for a fishing session. You should also remember that you need a fishing licence

places around the boats on swing moorings.

Tailor and the odd salmon and bonito will be about on the surface, so make sure that you have a few small metals in your tackle box.

The deeper bays will still have a few snapper about, and you can also try these deeper bays for mulloway and kingfish on live baits. Your best options for bait are either squid, the Port Hacking pilchards, yellowtail and

bream, trevally, salmon, tailor, drummer, luderick and groper on the rising tide.

Remember, for best results fish as light as possible and make sure that you berley. When berleying off the rocks, I prefer to use a combination of smashed up pilchards and white bread.

For those of you who prefer to fish at night you could try north of Wanda Beach for mulloway and sharks. Further south I would try the southern end of Garie Beach and

The looming dark cloud didn’t deter the author from getting a few pansized snapper and bream from the clear water of the Port Hacking River. soon. The Port Hacking can be a very hard place to fish due to the clarity of the water, but it can be made so much easier if you berley.

a green weed fly underneath your float. I was amazed at how effective they are, and I always have some in my boat just in case I come across luderick. This method also

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worms, nippers and crabs.

As the tide starts to fall, they will hang around the edges to wait for any unsuspecting baitfish to come off the flats.

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Flathead on live poddy mullet will be a great option this month, especially if the water is very clear. Or if you prefer, you could try using soft plastics or blades. Places to try would be the main channel just downstream of Lilly Pilly Point, Bonnie Vale, Maianbar and the deep waters of Yowie, Gymea, Burraneer and Gunnamatta bays. Try working those soft

slimy mackerel. I prefer to use baits that are about 10-12cm long.

When I’m looking for tailor, I will try trolling hardbodied lures along one of the many drop-offs and shores found here.

Leatherjackets will also be about in numbers along the shoreline and over the small reefs found in the Port Hacking.

The rocks in the Royal National Park are producing

Stanwell Park Beach. Whole or strips squid, yellowtail and pilchards would be my preferred baits. The whole fish don’t have to be live, so you could catch them somewhere else and turn up with your rod ready.

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OCTOBER 2018

Thomas loves his 76F Bent Minnows, and so do the bream.

Early season bass on the move WESTERN SYDNEY

Cameron McDonald

Spring is well and truly here.

Bugs are hatching, flowers are blooming, and the bass have fully woken up from their winter slumber. While

as the bigger fish have seen numerous lures and baits over the years and they wise up and will stop taking poorlypresented lures.

Leave the beetle spins and 3” plastics behind for the moment and load your box with larger diving lures,

Lures, however, are not the only important part of the puzzle, and location is also crucial. Focus on areas below fast-moving water and areas where you have a change in depth as they are often places where the larger fish hang out.

Throw into the mix undercut banks, overhanging trees and laydown timber and you have the perfect environment to house large fish. Be methodical in working these likely areas. A few casts are crucial to hit the snag from multiple angles, particularly with these reaction lures. You should also vary the retrieve.

Usually at this time of the year, creek mouths, drainage ditches and stormwater pipes would be the first places I look, but without the rain most of these will be dry, or at best have very little flow. They are still worth a cast, but I’d be looking at other areas as mentioned above.

I haven’t heard heaps of cicadas in the trees yet, but there are a few about. One of the young blokes who works in the shop caught a nice 38cm bass on a cicada lure just the other day, but said it was not as active a session as you would normally expect. The

Tyler was very pleased with his first trout on fly. the official season began a month ago, it’s around now that things start to fire up, with some solid bass starting to show up.

These early season fish are favourites here at Bass Angler.

As the larger specimens move through the local Penrith waters, we can reliably target good quality fish before the summer angling pressure and before they move right up into the upper reaches of the rivers and creeks. Targeting these larger fish requires a more focussed approach,

spinnerbaits, oversized clear poppers and stickbaits. Some patience is required as well – it’s not full summer yet, so the heady days of catching 20 fish in a quick session before or after work aren’t here just yet. The trade-off though, is a generally larger class of fish. Quality over quantity is the key, and any bass angler knows the difference between a 25cm fish and a 35cm fish is way more than 10cm. The power of the larger fish dwarfs that of their smaller cousins exponentially.

Daniel Burnitt with a nice bream caught on an Ecogear ZX40 blade.

Zach with a night Nepean bass. lack of rain is still a concern, with brown grass everywhere, so watch out for snakes if bank walking.

The brackish water of the upper Hawkesbury has seen a few bass caught between Windsor and Richmond, and some mid-sized bream and flathead have also been landed while chasing bass.

The trout action in the mountains has started to fire, with the creeks and rivers opening on the long weekend and the water temperatures in the lakes rising. The bug activity is picking up and any flying critters landing on the water are seeking salvation as greedy post-spawn trout are looking for an easy meal.

Using dry flies to imitate these trout delicacies is a very successful way to target these wily fish, but they aren’t the only option. The

warm weather also brings the baitfish and yabbies to life, so soft plastics and hardbodies that imitate this forage is the perfect way to pick up a few trout on lures. The Daiwa Double Clutch would have to be a go-to lure, but don’t ignore old staples such as Tassie Devils or Rapala CDs. If the trout follows it more than once (or even once) and doesn’t strike the lure – it’s time to change. This is the core reason behind carrying a variety of lures.

• The expert staff at Australian Bass Angler specialise in all fields of fresh and saltwater fishing. If you want to know about the latest tackle or techniques, kayak fishing, or tournament bass boats, drop into the store at 105 Batt Street, Penrith or phone (02) 4721 0455.

OCTOBER 2018

23

VELOCITY SPORTS

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THE TWEED

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This is the best time of year to fish the Tweed. A late winter and cold nights have seen winter species such as snapper, tuskfish, pearlies and spangled emperor hanging around longer this season on close reefs and has extended flathead season in the estuaries.

Warm days have raised the water temps and it seems to have brought out a few summer species and they are hungry after their little slumber. Mangrove jack and whiting are starting to wake and take advantage of fish

octa jigs around 80-160g, double paternoster rigs and down-rigged live baits to find deeper fish. The odd cobia, kings, snapper, spangled emperor and mulloway are up on closest reefs.

The isolated wrecks are fishing better for king cobia and mulloway with livies.

Dusk and dawn are still fishing best for these species.

Drift baits, plastics, micro jigs and stickbaits around the various bommies have been producing. Most anglers are going with 3-9” plastics rigged on a 1/4-2oz jigheads.

Bright plastics like pearl, nuclear chicken, lime tiger and chartreuse colour work best at dusk and dawn. Most

These species will thicken up with the current and the water temperature. You can also find the odd pack of tuna hanging between reef patches. Look for birds working and pegging metals, poppers and plastics at the boiling water with light gear.

This should see you onto some speedster fun.

ESTUARY The water is slowly starting to warm up and it’s bringing the summer species out of their slumber. They are starting to feed up on fish fry and bait schools in the estuary systems. Look for warmer shallow water around structure for the red dogs. Live baits and

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Andrew Strong with a nice cobia from the 36s. fry and bait schools, which are dominating the system.

There are still plenty of winter species in the system at the moment and we have a nice overlap of seasonal species. Trevally, tailor, luderick and mulloway are still being caught.

OFFSHORE With the late winter the current slowly starting to pick up on wider reefs, anglers have to adjust. Still, some good-sized snapper, tuskies, pearlies and larger kings are out on the 24s to 50s. Anglers are now using heavier methods of fishing, such as jigs from 80-300g,

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anglers are quick to change to natural colours once the sun is up with colours like bloodworm, pumpkinseed, pilchard, red bone and pink working well. If you think pink isn’t a natural colour, it actually becomes nearly transparent under UV light under water at depth. It’s a great colour to have in your kit at all times.

Some pelagic are starting to show up this month, but are still few and far between.

The FAD, backside of 9 Mile, has produced the odd mahimahi, but of no real size yet. The odd marlin can be found out on the 24s and 36s.

artificials fished during the day on the run-out tide and when water temps are at their highest seems to be catching the first of the season jacks.

Soaking small live bait, like 15cm poddies, while casting and slow rolling plastics over and around heavy structure will double your chances of an early season jack.

There have been a few mulloway and soapies in the systems over the last month. Live baits at night and artificals during the day has been working best.

Vibes, blades, hardbodies, plastics and even micro jigs are fishing well in the deeper

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24

OCTOBER 2018

The author with a 15kg mulloway caught off a close reef on plastic.

holes and around the bridges that hold bait.

Bridges are still fishing well at night for trevally, with live herring and artificials fishing well in this area. Try Boyds, Barneys, Cobaki, and highway bridges for best results. A few of these speedsters are working the

larger models and increase your catch rate. Using 8-12lb leaders makes most battles with these flat fish very fun. Baits, like yabbies and worms, are still catching some good flat fish and is a great way for the kids to get a good feed in the skinny water.

current for the bigger ones.

Bait is the go if you’re after a feed, and artificials are the go for a bit of fun.

Whiting are starting to move back in to the skinny water.

Yabbies and worms are catching a good feed this month. Look for

Jake Lord with a solid longtail.

Luke Tapfer with a snapper that was just shy of the metre mark from the 50s. rock walls in the river mouths on artificials of a morning during the run-in tide.

Flathead are still dominating the skinny water this month, with 2.5-5” plastics, vibes and blades fishing well. Trolling hardbodies between spots will help you catch some

Luderick are still schooling up around most rock walls, bridges and pillars. With the lack of rain, cabbage weed is fishing better this month.

You can find cabbage weed on most rocks and rock walls on the beaches at low tide.

Bream are still schooling up. Looks for structure with

shallow rough bottom for best results.

BEACHES With westerly winds still dominating and the tailor starting to run back south, the southern beaches are still fishing well. Headlands and rock walls are fishing well with metals, popper and hardz

at dusk and dawn. However, the larger and deeper gutters are fishing well with whole pilchards of a night. Using berley, cubing and crushing pilchards at your feet will hold fish in the gutter in front of you and get the fussiest fish to bite. Try Fingal and Kingy beach, Caba, Hastings and around Black Rock for a good gutter of a night.

Some good smaller species are being taken on light gear in the skinny beach gutters on most beaches with plastics, small metals and baits, especially white bait, half pillies, small strip baits, worms, pipis and yabbies.

Casting into the washing waves and letting it fall into these skinny gutters is catching the better fish. Cast beach

worms on Fingal, South Caba, and New Brighton beaches to see results.

FRESHWATER The fish kill a few months back at Clarrie Hall dam hasn’t affected the bass too much.

They are starting to wake up again now. Surface lures work at sunrise, but switching to vibes, crankbaits, hardbodies, spinner and jig spins once the sun is established works well.

The bass in the Uki stretch of Tweed are starting to wake up this month as well same surface lures at sunrise and mixed artificials are working better once the sun is up.

NEXT MONTH Summer species will come on the bite more over the next month. Wahoo, mahimahi and marlin will slowly start to visit

our reefs. The big snapper will move onto close reefs to feed up before they move on.

Jacks will start to dominate the estuaries and mulloway will still haunt deeper holes in the systems. Flathead will still bite consistently through out the next month. Plastics and hardbodies will be the go. Whiting will start to push up in the skinny water on the making tides and sit in the channels on the eb tide more this month. Yabbies and worms will be the go.

Bass will start to turn on more as the month goes on. Look for shallow pools, drains and overhangs with surface lures at dusk and dawn. Then change to hardbodies in the deeper shaded pools once the sun is up.

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25

Richmond River heating up this October BALLINA

Joe Allan

The lower reaches of the Richmond River should see some mud crabs fire

up as the warmer weather brings them in. Emigrant and North creeks are the spots to start looking for these tasty guys. Best baits are blackfish frames and any mullet frames

profile to use for these guys.

You may still get the odd tailor off the beach but these will still start to become scarcer as the season progresses. You will pick up the odd big sea-run bream

and flathead in the gutters as by-catch, and the big bream can really give you some stick on light gear.

The Aussie bass season is now open and in full swing. This is my favourite

Bassday Mogul Minnow is dynamite on sluggish flathead when up in the shallows.

The Atomic Shiner 60 is the perfect snack size crankbait for river dwelling bass.

left over from your bait fishing trips.

If you’re after a feed of flathead now is a great time to get out and get among them. The deep water right in front of the Porpoise Walls, the channel in front of the RSL Club and the deep hole upriver from the Burns Point Ferry are some good places to start looking.

Big bright soft plastics with tails that disperse a good amount of water are key.

Over the flats around the town stretch of the river the whiting should start to come on the bite for those using surface lures.

Try targeting the shallow flats as the water moves up with the incoming tide.

The best lure to try is the Sugapen from Bassday, it’s my personal favourite.

Beaches are fishing well and the dart have started to come on nicely. The Gorilla Big Eye slugs are a great

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OCTOBER 2018

time to get out and chase these feisty fish. They will be on the move to the upper reaches of the creeks and river arms, however don’t overlook the main river stretches. The fish are always hungry this time of year after doing their business, so try big spinnerbaits and vibes. As the weather warms up and the bugs start to come out, the surface action will heat up, but probably won’t be that great for a little while yet.

On the offshore front, try getting far out to the edge of the shelf to chase some blue eye trevalla and bar cod. The best bait is cuttlefish. Cut the backbone out of the cuttlefish and use big strong circle hooks.

Electric reels are a must.

Close in reefs will still produce good snapper, although towards the end of the month they will start to

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when the tide allows you to fish it. The northeast winds that will start over the next few months will make it harder to fish the deeper reefs. As the water does warm the cobia and mahimahi should start to move to the close reefs.

Getting some live bait such as yakka and slimy mackerel and throwing these around the FAD is always a good start. Gamakatsu live bait hooks are the best to give these fish some curry.

Until next month, tight lines.

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The FAD is starting to heat up YAMBA

Dave Gaden

Regular readers would have heard me say that October is my least favourite month of the year for offshore fishing. But for the past two years I’ve been proven wrong. So being the optimist that I am, I’m thinking that this October is going to be great.

Last season the first couple of weeks of October had some really nice snapper close to home. The closest reef from the river mouth is the North East Corner. This spot is about 6km east of Angourie and only about 8km from the bar. There is

a fair bit of reef here, it’s around 50m deep on average and is the first bit of rock in that line south of Evans Head reef (some 30km to the north). I believe the reason it fishes well this time of year is that it’s where the first of the northern current hit any substantial structure giving fish travelling with it a chance to stop off and feed. With the current being pretty good most days I like to anchor on the fish and the old reliable paternoster rig is the preferred method for these reef fish. Regardless you should always run a very lightly-weighted float line out to pick up that big rogue snapper sitting 10m off the bottom.

The FAD should be starting to produce this month. We had the FAD moved out into 70m of water further south, almost between Sandon and Broom Head. Last year we had some really big mahimahi taken from the FAD in the first two weeks of October. I know it can be daunting for some to have to travel 12nm out to the FAD with only the possibility that mahimahi are there or as with a lot of times, they are just too small, but the reef the FAD is on is very productive in October and November. You will find amazing plate-sized snapper and some huge blue spot flathead all around the FAD area.

From 500m to the north and 1km to the south is a good piece of reef made up of mostly broken rock and gravel that makes it hard to anchor, but easy to see the fish and easy to drift with next to no snags. There are times when this ground is absolutely covered in big trag, but you can bag out in an hour one day and not get anything the next.

The reef out in front of Broom Head in 40-50m should hold some nice pearl perch and venus tuskfish this month. I much prefer to drift when chasing pearlies, as they rarely shoal up enough to get good numbers on anchor, but instead seem to be spread out along the reef.

Once you find your first fish you have it worked out, as they all seem to be in that depth and in the current line that you will drift over. Once again, the old Paternoster rig with a big sinker to keep you close to the bottom and the

Peter with a pearly. preferred bait would be squid or mullet fillet.

For those wanting to go wide the Nursery Ground

about 19nm east-northeast in 50 fathoms will be the best ground this month. A couple of the local professionals

Craig with a beautiful Venus tuskfish.

Katrina from Grafton with a Maori cod.

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trap this ground, finding the traps doesn’t just tell you that you have found the reef

but will give you a couple of big mahi mahi to add to your catch. You can drift for

2km at a time out here and catch just about everything that swims: snapper, pearlies, morwong, pigfish, kingfish amberjack and more. They all live out here.

In the estuary with the lack of rain, as with most parts of the east coast, the water is very clear. This has pushed the fish all the way upstream to Grafton. That top part of the river has been producing some nice fish. The deep holes around Brushgrove and Ulmarra are holding some really good dusky flathead. a Prawn Blade Bobbing for them with a big“Yamb s” ball sinker, about 500mm of Russel and Garry with a snapper each. trace and a well-presented white bait will have you bagging out in no time.

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October options open up COFFS HARBOUR

Stephen Worley info@tdsimages.com.au

At the beginning of spring it seems most fisheries are in transition as they

move from winter to summer mode. Offshore things are a little delayed, we’re only just seeing ocean temperatures drop to their minimum, but in the freshwater and estuaries we’re steadily

slipping into the warm season mode.

The month just gone saw the opening of the native Australian bass season. The following month will see the season open for the ‘foreigners’

Elii English snapped this soft plastic snapper in the early morning light off Coffs Harbour. of this region’s freshwater fishery. The October long weekend starts in September this year, meaning that from 29 September brown and rainbow trout will again be the target for anglers

heading ‘up the hill’. This winter was one of the driest we’ve had on the plateau in recent years. The bigger fish will not have had much room to move in the smaller creeks.

It will pay well if you can find some nice gravel corners dropping into a good deep hole. Those fish attempting to spawn will have been chasing the gravelly corners to

This was Bethany’s first beach bream, on her first ever beach fishing trip!

Trout are on the target list again this month. Let’s hope for more rain and a milder summer this year.

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stake a territory through the winter, but due to such low water, it’s the gravel beds near a good deep hole that the best fish will have commandeered. Unless we get a good rain event, there won’t be a lot of movement from their winter positions, so if you can find those prime locations you should find the better fish.

Early in the season we get a small window where glo-bugs and other egg pattern flies will work well, but mostly it’s Woolly Buggers and other streamers that will get the attention of the bigger fish. Fishing deeper holes, especially when there’s little flow, is not very effective with dry flies or emergers unless you can spot a rising fish doing predictable laps. The fish will mostly be looking for food close to the entry rapid or down at the head of the exit rapid where there’s at least a little flow.

Once we get a good flush through the plateau it will be back to normal stations as fish spread out through each system.

The rainfall is going to be the deciding factor on the bass fishing as well.

We can expect only slow movement upstream from the bass until we get some decent river flows. Unless we have a really decent rain

event, we can likely expect to see the bass schools in the brackish water for a little longer this month. Some bass will be working their way up through the shallow races, but the majority will be waiting for some rain before retreating hastily up into the higher parts of each catchment. During this time bass will respond to very similar tactics to what you would use for bream.

Grubs, prawn imitations, hardbodies and vibes will all convince a schooling bass into a bite. If you can find decent schools that are feeding, particularly at night, you can fish a little more aggressively for them, but during the day when blind fishing the snags and other structure, slow and subtle wins the day as bass become a little more cautious and less competitive.

Anton Lupinski had this 58cm bass eat his ZMan GrubZ in a very estuarine stretch of the Bellinger River.

These same brackish areas will still be producing good numbers of mulloway.

The upper estuaries will be best on the top of the larger tides. Finding the bass schools is a likely signal that the mulloway will be somewhere near.

Soft plastics and vibes are being reported as the main performers. A live bait around the bridge pylons or deeper snags also has a chance of a good fish, but they will sometimes get lost amongst all the bait that has been in the water recently. Down in the lower estuary the break walls and drop offs have been holding good size schoolies, as well as semi regular 1m+ fish.

It’s the artificial baits that have been producing the best results.

The mulloway fishing on the headlands and beaches has been similar. Schoolies on the larger end of the scale have been common, with the odd larger fish showing up. Again, a good rain event would stir things up for this species and hopefully see some XL models caught around the river mouths.

Tailor are there for the catching at any headland or beach. Mid-sized hardbodies have been a handy option, with the chance of a mulloway or a decent tailor on the cards. You can cover

more ground with the metal slugs for tailor, but are far less likely to get some mulloway by-catch.

Off the headlands soft plastics have also worked well for both species.

Further offshore we have had cooler, upwelling water after seeing the northerlies start for spring. We will continue to see intermittent cooler, green water between warmer clear water as the northeasterly and southerly

winds take turns. The snapper, pearl perch and kingfish have all been active from the very near shore reefs, to the islands and outer deep reefs. We shouldn’t expect to see too much change from current conditions until the end of spring.

Whether chasing transitioning bass and trout, or the ever-present snapper, I hope you find where the fish are, and enjoy some spring days on the water.

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31

Plenty of action upriver NAMBUCCA

Riley Wilson

This month sees the estuary action really kick off! Cruising the banks of the Nambucca River or one of the surrounding creeks under the power of

a good time to start your efforts on the area’s local mangrove jack population.

Late afternoons and into the evenings seem to be best, as the fading light can disrupt the baitfish and send them looking for cover, which in most cases is exactly where jacks are hiding.

popularity over the years.

Lures are great just for the simple fact you don’t have to source and store live or fresh baits and fruitless trips are less wasteful because you can always use your lures again. Working areas like rocky walls and natural rock points is a great way to

Rob took this impressive snapper on a live slimy mackerel.

October is a good time to start searching for mangrove jack. an electric motor or even on foot, can see hours drift away as though they were minutes. it is a great time to try kayaking in the upper reaches, as it is a little warmer and the mornings can be quite still, providing easier control of both your line and craft.

While some consider it a little early, October is

While most anglers these days are using lures for jacks, live or fresh dead baits work well. Baits like poddy mullet, herring and small (but legal) whiting each have their moments of success and frustration. For their ease of use and time efficient nature, soft and hard lures are good choices. Even hybrids of the two have taken off in

find jacks in the Nambucca, while the more traditional snag bashing works a treat in the adjacent creeks and tributaries.

The bass action has begun. Locals are hitting the creeks and upper sections of the main river and seeing a few good fat bass. Last month the river was still fairly low, so quite a few

fish are still down below any major obstacles.

Fishing vibes and plastics has been the undoing for most bass, with flathead mixed in on some days.

When the good rains arrive we should start hearing some strong insect activity, and that’s when the surface lures

to the main river, as it flows down from Eungai Creek and Algomera. The country above here isn’t as steep, which promotes a much slower flow down through the cow paddocks at the back of Macksville. This in turn allows for some tremendous weed growth along the length

provides visual strikes to get your heart racing.

The end of winter saw a good run of offshore fish, one of which deserves a quick mention. Rob has been getting out lately and the fruits of his efforts was a cracking big snapper that ate a whole live slimy mackerel!

Surface lures will be very popular on bass over spring and summer. will come out, and for some they will stay on the rod until the end of bass season.

Cicada and frog imitations have been great in these situations before, and I don’t see why that won’t continue this season.

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of the freshwater sections, which is great for our Aussie bass to hide out and grab a bit of a feed. Fishing these expansive lilypads and weed beds can be just pure fun!

Running weedless plastics and frogs over the pads has been the undoing of some big bass for me, and always

It was released and swam away strongly.

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32

OCTOBER 2018

Waiting for some rainfall to fall SOUTH WEST ROCKS

Brent Kirk kempsey@compleatangler.com.au

The Macleay River is home to some amazing bass fishing and October is usually when the fishing really starts to fire up with fish starting to spread throughout the system. As with all of NSW, the Macleay Valley

moment majority of fish are being taken on spinnerbaits and divers as well as soft and hardbodied vibes fished tight to structure or around areas of schooling bait. Bait schools have been found around the bridge pylons as well as the deeper holes up around Bradbury Mountain.

Down in the salt around Smithtown, there has been good numbers of flathead

and Lunker City Shakers.

Big flathead, trevally, tailor and kingfish can also be an option along the rock walls at this time of year, even when using smaller lures, so it pays to always upsize your leader while still using light main lines.

Blackfish numbers have been good in the river again this year and fish are definitely about, with some of the smaller creeks in the region being quite productive at times. Whiting are starting to show up in the creeks and on the sandflats around Jerseyville as well as along the beaches.

Offshore the current is absolutely trucking south out wide. The hope around town is that these conditions will bring on an early pelagic season for the Mid North Coast, but as we all know things can change day by day.

Kingfish are in good numbers everywhere from in close around the headlands, around Fish and Black rocks and out on the deeper reefs

and wrecks. Locating schools of baitfish on the surface can lead to some awesome surface sessions on kings at this time of year, whether it be with stickbaits, poppers or large unweighted plastics.

Snapper are still coming in regularly, with some big fish coming off the shallow reefs down around Crescent Head.

With October being known for unpredictable conditions, we may even get a chance to sit in the sheds and prepare our gear for the upcoming pelagic season, which hopefully comes early this year – fingers crossed.

Tailor numbers are staring to dwindle now, although there has still been the odd patch of good fish being found along the beaches late in the afternoon until about an hour after dark. Mulloway are never far away from these fish either, so if there is a tide change after dark it is well worth fishing a decent bait through it, as this is quite often very rewarding.

Hoggy showing that the surface bite is on for the early bird.

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There are still some decent tailor along the beaches, as Georgia found out recently. desperately needs some decent rainfall and the upriver fishery will benefit greatly if we can maintain a higher water level throughout the season.

The bass season has started well this year, with cracking fish being caught from day one. The stretches of river around and just above Kempsey will provide the best numbers of fish. The surface bite that most anglers desire will increase as we progress towards summer, however fishing in the dark or at first and last light will still draw out a surface strike most of the year. For the

and bream, as well as a few straggling bass that are still in the area. School mulloway, as always, have been right through the lower Macleay.

The average size of these fish has definitely increased over the last few years since the size limits were raised.

Just remember that if you want to keep a mulloway you are only allowed one fish per person and it has to be over 70cm.

Small to medium-sized soft plastics fished around a high tide change have been extremely productive on these fish, especially paddle-tails like the Keitech Easy Shiners

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33

Getting prepared for the warmer months THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

October is the month you like to think you have all your fishing gear prepared for the upcoming summer season. Let’s face it, most

of us probably haven’t!

So now is a good time to do a rundown on things that may need your attention so that everything runs smoothly.

Check your rods and make sure all the guides are intact, then check the reels, as these may need servicing

or just a line change/refill.

Tackle boxes may need to be sorted, and checking the trebles on lures are not creating a rusty mess is a good idea. If they are, buy some new hooks and rings and change them. Make sure all your accessories are in good condition, that is braid

This crew had a great time vibing for bream on the Hastings.

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scissors, net, split ring pliers, fish grips and so on. Even check the zips on your tackle bags, as they may need a spray to keep them from seizing up.

A trick I use for cleaning rust off hardbody lures is to remove trebles and spray a lubricant on a rag and wipe lure over, replace trebles and your lure is brand new again.

RIVERS The Hastings has been patchy, with fluctuating water temperatures and a lack of rain. Eve so, the fishing can be quite good, with flathead the shining light, and most edges producing from Big Bay and further upriver. Some of the deeper holes are holding exceptional quantities in them.

As is often the case, if you find baitfish on your sounder, the predatory fish will not be far away. Schoolsized mulloway have been showing themselves upriver and soft plastics in the 100-150mm size have been the favourite amongst the lure fishos.

Anchoring up at night in some of these holes can be quite productive and can also give you a different perspective on what you sometimes miss during the day. A couple of rods set with a live bait while flicking around with some nippers on a lighter setup can see you catch mulloway, bream,

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Mandy with some great flathead taken upriver. of fish on both walls and town jetty last month, and I believe Lake Cathie was also producing near the bridge.

Lake Cathie has been open for a bit now and fishing has been reasonable, with a good mate of mine Martin Denlow recently landing a 90cm mulloway on a 40mm blade. It goes to show that anything can happen when you have a lure or bait in the water.

ROCK AND BEACH This has been one of the better years for tailor from the rocks and beaches, with consistent catches making for

a good season. Most headlands from Port to Laurieton have fished well. Rock blackfish have been patchy, with a few of the favourite local spots sanding up.

Bream and luderick have been consistent as well. Lighthouse and North beaches are two places where you can find a few bream at the moment and it should not be long before a few more whiting start to show up in catches. Lake Cathie Beach near the mouth of the lake should be a reasonable spot to try for some early season whiting.

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flathead and blackfish. Give it a try over the coming months and you might be surprised by what a freshly presented bait can turn up.

Down towards the front of the river the water has been very clear and this makes the change of light period important, especially when fishing with lures. You will find a reasonable bite in the low light, but when the sun comes up you may find the need to use some very light leader to tempt a response. At this time I head upriver with the tide.

The luderick crew were still getting good numbers

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All about that bass!

FORSTER

David Seaman dseamo@bigpond.com

It seems like it was a long spell without chasing bass.

The technical closed season, from killing fish, is over and the fish have seen the benefits of a little rain over the ranges that has kept the river flowing. Without a significant amount of water between now and Christmas, it’s difficult

and, of course, surface lures are the go, and as the season progresses slow and deep will be the key during daylight hours. Deep holes and wellshaded banks should be the target areas if you want to fish all day, and slowly hopped soft plastics or vibes are a great starting point.

The lake and the oyster racks are fishing well with the expected return of the bulk of the bream from their coastal run. A bit more feeding competition from the

next. This small whiting species attracts an enormous amount of attention, with boats drifting the areas and filling their buckets. A simple paternoster rig with a pair of No 6 hooks hanging from two droppers is your best bet to catch some, with sufficient weight to make the bottom.

Baits of beach worms, yabbies and prawns will get the job done, and the first of the run-out tide will set you up for a gentle drift over the aggregated schools.

If the area doesn’t recieve any rain soon, anglers should make use of what water is available before the pools start to become stagnant. only imagine how hard and fast the little bugger went on bream gear, and I’d say some fine angling skills and a bit of luck led to the fish landing in the net and being released after a quick photo.

blackfish, but they are so thick I reckon it will work. A more refined and traditional approach to the luderick will have the bag full in no time.

The breakwall is fishing well on the first of the run-out and

of them are hitting the fish tubs to make the effort worthwhile. From the end of this month the bonito should start to show up, and with them the big predators.

Tailor, salmon, trevally

A mixed bag from around the bridge flats and racks. to predict the state of the river come January. So, I would suggest you get onto the bass now, before the weed growth makes fishing difficult.

The lack of autumn rain means the fish didn’t move to the brackish in the numbers a good flood provides, so the fish have stayed where they were, perhaps shifted to lower pools or sought deeper water.

Early season will see the best of the bass fishing, before the water warms up too much, so you need to go and find the fish now.

A variety of soft plastics, purple and black spinnerbaits

numbers of fish will improve catch rates. However, the fish will be on the move, using the structure of the rack to hold up for a while before they progress to the tributaries and rivers of the system.

The deep edge of Godwin Island always seems to fish well with the lead up to summer, and there are a few kingfish still patrolling the area, as they do in Breckenridge Channel.

A concentration of red spot whiting and boats will gather in the Wallamba River, opposite the Tuncurry boat ramp and near Little Tern Island this month and

The number of legal flathead are increasing as they return to the lower sand flats and bridge area. While they don’t disappear totally over the colder months, they certainly thin out. Large females returning to the area are the main attraction for the smaller males and they will become a regular appearance from now until May. The lake never ceases to amaze me with the variety of species the coastal currents bring in as visitors. Recently, Shane Sypher sent me a picture of an amberjack he caught while fishing for bream in the racks. You can

MANNING RIVER MARINE N TACKLE

There are limitless opportunities along the coast and no excuse for not making the most of it.

The local blackfish anglers should be impressed with the numbers of luderick in the system. It seems that every weed bed and oyster lease has a mass of big blackfish bolting away on the approach of boats. A chunk of green weed or green weed flies suspended under a float is a ham-fisted way of tempting

the clear water will help to find the best holding areas for the luderick.

When there are clear windows of weather to get outside, the inshore reef areas will surrender pan-sized snapper and increasing numbers of flathead. The leatherjackets are still destroying tackle, but enough

and pigs are the targets for the rock fishos and any bump in the ocean will improve the catch if the water gets too clear again. Be very mindful when fishing in any amount of swell from the rocks. All in all I think it is shaping up to be a good spring season, although more rain is needed, desperately.

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Who knows what will happen this month!

ERINA

Aaron Donaldson

October can be a strange month in our area, as you never can tell how the fishing will be until it comes around.

waterways. These fish are super smart, so light line and minimal weight is the way to go when bait fishing.

Lures will usually start to work well from now on, and the fish will be hanging along the edges of the weed beds and into the deeper

suckers for a soft plastic and you can’t go too big at this time of year. Don’t be afraid to throw big lures.

There has still been some big kingfish showing up inside the lake, which is great to see, and some of these fish are up around 20kg.

Rock fishing has been awesome lately. I’ve never seen so many big bream about in shallow water, and it’s been a lot of fun. From Towoon Bay to Terrigal has been worth fishing, and I’ve mainly been using lures, but the bait fishos catch their share as well.

Blackfish have been thick and will be hitting their peak during October.

Areas like South Avoca fish well at this time of year, and it’s always easy to gather bait and berley, which is a plus.

Offshore has been fishing well, with a decent start to the jigging season off our coastline. Plenty of nice kingfish have been

Robert Johnson with a quality local bream. caught in 80-100m off Terrigal. It’s been crowded at times, but if everyone works together, there’s plenty for everyone.

Snapper have also been biting in a bit closer. Some of the anglers have been hooking some nice ones on 5” soft plastics.

Lastly, I just want to mention that our area is currently under review for

marine parks that will see a lot of our most productive areas out of bounds. I hope everyone is making their voice heard where possible.

Let’s hope we can stop this from happening!

See you on the water.

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Sunrise and a big flathead on! What could be better?

It seems the wind plays a big part, and for me fishing in Brisbane Waters with any wind from the west is going to be a quiet day results wise.

Things on the whole have been quiet with super clear cold water, but this month water temperatures will be starting to climb again.

Some nice big bream have been caught lately, and there’s definitely no shortage of them in our

water, so deeper diving hardbody lures and soft plastics rigged on 1/12oz jigheads would be your best bet. Sometimes when it’s tough you just have to put the time in and grind it out, because you can hook some really nice size bream at this time of year.

Flathead have been in big numbers and as the water warms the big girls will start to feed and fatten up again after hibernating. They are

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Finally the rains have arrived, but not in the quantities that will do any good for the Manning River or the farmers of the district.

The Manning, above Wingham, is very low and barely running and this has allowed the river to become very salty right up to Abbots Falls. Consequently, most of

A few flathead have been caught on yabbies and strips of mullet in the backwater at Harrington and further upstream at Chinamans Point. Manning Point, on the southern side of the river, is also fishing well for the species mentioned above.

Mulloway have not been sighted in the lower parts of the river recently. They are all up river chasing schools of whitebait.

BEACH AND ROCK The fishing has been fairly quiet on the beaches

Leatherjackets and flathead have also been boated. The flathead have been close in, while the jackets have been out wider in 80m or so of water.

Surface feeding fish have not been around for some time, and only occasional schools of baitfish have been observed out wide.

October is the month to target big mulloway. There may not be many fish caught, but those that are will be 25kg or better. Mulloway can be targeted from the breakwalls,

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Luke Dwyer took these two excellent mulloway. the fish have moved upstream.

The bream, flathead and mulloway can be found in good numbers above Taree and up to the falls. We need a heavy fall of rain in the headwaters of the Manning to flush the river out and move the fish back down the river.

ESTUARY Despite the lack of flow in the Manning, there are still fish to catch in the lower reaches of the river. Luderick are still schooling along the river wall and can be caught on green and cabbage weed.

The best fish weigh 900g and the average ones go around 650g. Bream are taking lures, yabbies and strips of mullet either side of slack water on high and low water.

and around the rocks over the past few weeks. However, some anglers have been able to score some good bags of tailor by persevering into the late hours of the night and fishing pilchards and bonito strips.

Some salmon to 3kg have been caught from Crowdy Beach on pilchards and bream have been bagged from the southern end of the beach. Pipis and mullet strips have been the best bait.

Those anglers fishing the rocks at Crowdy and Diamond heads have had the best bags of tailor.

OFFSHORE Snapper, trag and pearl perch have been caught from the north and south grounds.

beaches and headlands.

Slack water on high tide is when you want to focus your efforts. The three days before the full moon and the two days after are the best times to fish. Mulloway can feed at any time, so any high water is worth a try. The problem is that the slack water can occur at odd hours of the day or night. At the time of the full moon the high tide in the evening occurs around dusk or a couple of hours later, so keep this in mind. The best baits are slabs of tailor, squid heads or half a tailor hooked up through the mouth with a 10/0-12/0 hook. Mulloway have big mouths and will easily get these hooks in their mouth.

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Col Trenamen looks very proud with his 3.38kg tailor!

OCTOBER 2018

39

Now is the time to get serious about the fishing PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

With winter now well and truly in the rear vision mirror, the fishing in Port Stephens will really step up few gears.

ESTUARIES In the estuary, mulloway will come to life this month and be a high percentage target in both the deep water around Soldiers Point and the shallow stuff around the bridges and rock walls.

Live baits will certainly be your best bet to get connected to a bit of silver, but larger paddle-tail plastics will also work especially well around

Port Stephens Estuary Charters

the shallow structure during low light periods. Please remember the new mulloway rules, with the bag limit of only 1 fish over 70cm.

Quality bream can be found around the rocky

shorelines, islands, oyster racks and breakwalls.

Anchoring up and creating a berley trail on the first of the run-out tide, and then casting a live nipper down, should prove deadly in these areas.

Bream should be available from most estuaries around a variety of structures.

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Luderick are still active, with some good fish being taken from the Nelson Bay, The Anchorage and Winda Woppa rock walls.

Dusky flathead will be thick upstream in all the tributaries, with Karuah and Tilligery the best bets at this time of year. Plastics around the 100mm mark will work best, as they represent their natural food of poddy mullet and other small fry. Cast these behind the oyster racks or around the mouths of any drains and feeder creeks and you should get some results.

Kingfish will be another target fish this month around the rock walls, especially on early morning high tides.

BEACH School mulloway should be hanging in the surf gutters, with the hot spots being the southern end of Stockton, Samurai and Hawks Nest beaches. Large beach worms are a good way to go this time of year for school mulloway, as they will also catch you plenty of welcome by-catch such as big bream, whiting, salmon and tailor.

The best way to use them is a paternoster rig and a large 5/0 long shank hook, with the worm threaded up about 6” onto the line.

It’s a good time of year to hook into some solid tailor from Fingal Spit and Hawks Nest beaches. Fish first and last light with whole pilchards or garfish for best results. Alternatively, walking the beach and casting and retrieving metals

Big flathead will be on the move in the estuary during October. or stickbait style lures around 120mm will also produce OCEAN ROCKS Drummer still haven’t slowed down yet, with good catches reported from Fingal Bay down to Rocky Point. The wash has also been productive for bream and squire, so you will usually pick up a mixed bag at this time of year when using large peeled prawns or cunjevoi for bait.

Tailor have been in good numbers from the headlands and points, with some of the hotspots being Tommaree, Fingal Bay and Sunny Corner.

OUTSIDE Snapper are turning it on around Broughton Island to Seal Rocks, with cracker fish

to 8kg being caught on both plastics and bait. The majority are being taken during low light periods, so get out there early for your best chance at hooking into a few reds. Focus your efforts around ledges and bommies holding baitfish in around 10-20m of water.

Kingfish to 6kg have been reported around the farms and cardinal markers, and some bigger models to an impressive 20kg are lurking in the shallows around Broughton Island.

Charter boats have been getting stuck into a few fish on the wider reefs, with nannygai, teraglin, sand flathead and smaller snapper all coming over the gunwhales lately.

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Lake Mac firing up for summer SWANSEA

Jason Scerri coloratolures@hotmail.com

The lake appreciates a good flush every once in a while and although it hasn’t had a great deal of fresh flushes lately, it has had some rain wash through, which has resulted in the lake fishing quite well.

The main species firing at the moment for lake anglers is bream, with some fantastic specimens about. Lures are scoring the majority of the fish.

As the waters are warming, the shallows are producing more and more, but as with every year during these transition months the deeper bays are still worth a flick. Shallow diving hardbodies are working best on the flats and lake edges, while soft plastics and blades are scoring good numbers in the deeper waters, with the windy days generally producing more action – a very common occurrence when bream fishing with lures.

Mulloway numbers have dropped off a little, however if you put the effort in you might be rewarded. It just seems that you will be putting in a few more casts before you feel that thump you’re looking for. The mulloway are there, but not in the numbers we have been seeing in previous months, but hopefully this is shortlived and they fire up again before we know it.

Squid are about in reasonable numbers, and this is great news. It’s hard to beat a nice feed of fresh

Lake Mac squid. Anglers are finding that drifting a squid jig down deep while you’re flicking your lures around or soaking bait is proving to be well worth the effort. There’s been some double digit bags of tasty local squid. If you keep the catch fresh and cook it up in a salt and pepper seasoning, you’ll find this is one of the best ways to make the most of them, and it’s a family favourite in my household.

Squid jig colours are important, but in saying that any of the bright

options seem to be working at the moment, with greens, pinks and other bright colours all working. The key to a successful squid trip is the jig size. Small jigs are working best and large ones often drift by being ignored, with small jigs getting hit in no time.

Flathead have been a little hit and miss of late.

Some mornings I can go out and bag a few nice fish in short session, but then the next I can hit the same spots and work them for hours to only scrape a few together, so it can certainly

Steve Dial from local boat Redemption with a nice SBT from their recent annual appearance.

be frustrating, but that’s what keeps it interesting.

For those who like their crabbing, it’s that time of year again! Dust off the witches hats, make sure you have new nets and fresh baits and get them out there. Many anglers think that any old bait will do, but I can assure you that a fresh slab of your chosen bait will out fish an old stinky option every time.

For those who enjoy their offshore fishing, we’re nearly there! It’s been a long winter and no angler feels it more than game fishers as they anticipate the hot summer bite coming up. Anglers were treated to a brief run of SBT during the recent coolers months, but they are now gone for another year.

We will see a few early marlin appear, and in the mix will be a few good mahimahi. Initially, most crews will be pulling skirted lures around until the bait balls start to appear as the season progresses, and then some crews will switch to live baiting. The marlin will certainly appear, but we all hope they appear in good numbers and a good inshore run of fish is always welcome, as it certainly helps to keep the fuel bill down. In saying that, if they don’t show on the inshore grounds, you’ve got no choice but fuel right up and head wide!

Shark fishos are also looking forward to the warm currents and the hope of big tigers. These crews put a huge effort into their pursuit of big tiger sharks and it’s certainly impressive seeing a truly big one come into the weight bridge. I

Brett is continuing his efforts on working out the local mulloway. have said it before; it may not be everyone’s idea of fun, but the crews that do have a crack really work hard for the captures and the preparation that goes into a trip drifting the wide grounds in hope of that big shark is huge and at times quite dangerous.

For those looking for a feed offshore, if the past month has been anything to go by then you’re in for a treat. The reefs have been producing some great bags of reds and kings.

Steve Dial has taken a break from his shark fishing during the off season to load the freezer with some tasty fillets and he hasn’t missed the mark. Steve and his crew, including his young son Nate, have had some ripper

sessions and good numbers of solid kingfish have been the norm.

A variety of techniques have been producing the goods. Bait anglers have been managing a few on fresh squid strips and live squid, while lure anglers have been scoring them on a few different offerings.

Soft plastics on suitable jigheads to get down to the depths required have been proving themselves and large heavy jigs are scoring good results on the deeper offshore reef systems.

As we move into the warmer months, with the arrival of the warmer currents anglers will also be scoring good fish on micro jigs over the inshore reefs and rubble sections along our coastline.

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OCTOBER 2018

41

Some great feeds on offer on the Hunter Coast HUNTER COAST

Shannon Malone

Over the coming weeks with the water temperatures starting to rise and the first prawn run of the year approaching, we should see the bream and whiting surface bite start to fire up again, which also coincides with the start of daylight savings – my favourite time of year.

The prawns usually run around ten days after a full moon cycle for around a

whiting on lures is addictive once you get the technique down, and once you crack the code, it’s only a matter of time before your reel is singing. Hardbodied surface poppers, shallow cranks and stickbaits are my choice, with the standouts being the ever-popular Bassday Sugapens, Ecooda and Saku poppers, Jackson EBI Panic and the Pro Lure S36 in matt black to name just a few. Don’t let a little chop on the water put you off fishing, as it gives the fish a sense of cover and they are

more productive, especially when using surface lures.

Try a few different methods of retrieving to see what excites them the most on the day. The main thing with whiting is they usually prefer a steady and consistent retrieve without pausing, where as bream often take a stationary lure, sometimes with a little twitch to get that attack response. One of the most effective retrieves for whiting is to ‘walkthe-dog’, but the action needs to be consistent, as they do tend to shy away if

Troy ‘the pig whisperer’ Terrill with a quality pair of pigs from a recent session off the stones. and Lake Macquarie are holding good numbers, with the best results coming to those fishing the gutters, so it’s worth taking 10 minutes to scope the beach from a viewing platform or an above sea level position to pinpoint the best spots.

Some decent tailor are coming off the beach, with late afternoons or early mornings the better times.

Using pilchards should be productive for the tailor.

Fishing these same areas should see some nice bream, dart and flathead featuring in catches as well.

live poddy mullet, and these tasty little morsels are also dynamite especially on flathead. They are fairly easy to catch using various methods such as a pencil or bubble float set above a small hook with a dough type mix as bait. Other options include a clear plastic bait trap or plastic container with a hole in the top, but just be mindful of regulations on trap size and the hole size.

Mulloway catches have been fairly consistent along Stockton, with some recent specimens coming from

mahimahi. Keep an eye out for any floating debris in the water in the form of branches or logs, plastic drums or even an icebox lid, as these will often be hangouts for mahimahi in good numbers.

Out wider may be an option for an early season marlin or yellowfin tuna.

There are still reports of decent kings about at the usual marks like North Reef, the FADs or The Farm. Most fishos are jigging either micro jigs or knife jigs, depending on how energetic you’re feeling.

A quality pearl perch from a recent outing. These fish rarely go back over the side. week, for those wanting to get the better numbers for consumption, but you can always get enough wading the shallow weed edges for bait purposes throughout the moon phase. Some good consistent rain would help to get them moving downstream.

Chasing bream and

more likely to strike at a lure racing past.

I mainly fish 4-6lb braid with 4-8lb leader depending on location.

When most people think of whiting they normally think of sandy-bottomed areas, but weeded banks or where the weed meets the sand are just as good if not

the action changes.

Fishing the beach for whiting has also kicked into full swing, with the reports saying most fish are eagerly taking both live beach and tubeworms, with other baits such as pipis and fresh prawns being devoured.

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What an awesome snapper for a junior angler, and the smile says it all! You don’t need to travel far to get good fish, you just need to know how to hook them.

Off the stones there are still drummer, snapper, kings, bonito and tailor about, so it’s well worth the effort to make a trip down.

Drummer have fished pretty well this year, with plenty of stonking pigs landed in recent weeks.

The harbour has been offering bream, flathead, tailor and mulloway. One of the best baits to use is

the usual haunts in and around the harbour on baits and lures. Working large paddle-tail type plastics or swimbaits along the rock walls has been delivering the goods. Places like Stockton Bridge and Horseshoe are worth trying with live baits such as yakkas or slimies.

Outside the fishing is also ramping up with striped tuna, bonito and

There are also a few snapper on the chew, and these guys will take micro jigs without too much trouble, but most anglers are targeting them with 5-7” jerk shads or 125mm soft vibes.

So pack up your rods and tackle and get amongst the action, remembering a bad day’s fishing is still better than a good day at work.

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Expect variety in catches ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke clarkey1@westnet.com.au

Thank goodness it is starting to warm up and we can head out with the hope of a little more variety in our catches, and while chasing snapper is great throughout winter, I like to chase a few other species for a change of scenery and action.

Game fishos love this month, as the offshore opportunities really start to get interesting. The bluefin did come in the middle of winter for a week or so, but they were well beyond the reach of most, with anglers almost needing to get their passport stamped to reach them, but for the lucky few it was exciting.

A few of the travelling oceanic yellowfin with the big sickles were captured as by-catch but this month there should be a few more around on the cool side of the temperature breaks if they come close enough to the shelf to warrant a look. In past seasons they have pushed even closer to the coast if the currents are right.

Trolling seems to get a few, but cubing will get more fish and keep them around if you find a patch, the key is watching for large concentrations of birds in a small area. Mutton birds, prions, petrels, gannets and albatross all gather over schooling fish.

It may not be yellowfin, but albacore, which respond

well to a cube trail as well, and these guys will hang around for hours if the cubes keep coming. They taste better than fin as well!

There should be a few toothy critters getting about, with makos always in good numbers during October, and they range from little babies of 1m to 3m+ thumpers that put on a real show. It’s even better when they swim right up to the back of the boat to give you a really good look at them first. It’s not so good when they start chewing on your boat and motor, taking off the paint and gel coat.

The flatties are starting to bite in the lake and they will get better next month.

Throw in a few dopey old blue sharks, the odd tiger and if there is a lot of bait about, some big whalers too! So if you like punishment, whalers are the way to go.

Finally, if the currents are friendly we could see the first few striped marlin appear and it only gets better next month.

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to start looking, and while you are laying down a trail, drop to the bottom. At this time of year the current is usually much slower than the summer months, offering access to gemfish with a few blue eye trevalla and the odd hapuka thrown in for good value, as well as other assorted deep water ooglies.

There should be striped tuna about during the run to and from the shelf, and there isn’t better cube or shark baits than fresh striped tuna.

Closer to shore, there will still be a few nice snapper about, but they have moved

out into slightly deeper water up to 60m, so slow jigs and plastics as well as baits fished deep will probably be better than the shallow inshore reefs. That’s not to say it won’t be worth a look around the close in bommies and gutters, as a few better snapper always hang about and take up residence in some areas after arriving for the cuttlies in winter. A berley

Drummer are all muscle and built for living in the shallow, rough white water around the reefs. few could show around the islands. Live baits are best fished close to the bottom and jigs work best over the reefs, with places like the Trap Reef in 60 fathoms being worth a look with big knife jigs as well. Put your sounder to good use and if you get a good show, then drop the jigs, rather than just randomly taking pot luck.

Be warned though, jigging is hard work in 60 fathoms.

Closer in along the coast from National Park to Kiama there are schools of salmon, trevally, rat kings and tailor all chasing small baitfish on the surface. Just keep an eye out for the giveaway sign of birds fluttering over the schools.

Very small lures cast and retrieved on light outfits will out fish any other forms and it is great fun. Small plastics fished under the schools pick up all manner of species including flathead, flounder and lots of sergeant baker.

The flathead have kicked into gear over the sand patches, with fair numbers of better than average fish showing up lately and with

land bream and drummer, but you’ll get smashed up by the groper. If you go heavier you’ll stand a better chance on the groper, but you’ll catch way less bream and drummer.

Groper don’t come into the equation if you cast unweighted pilchards or pilchard pieces from the deeper ledges for salmon, bream, trevally and the odd kingy. Keep a live bait out, however, as bigger kings always seem to cruise by this month and for some reason large mackerel tuna show up as well. No one knows why the mac tuna are here, but they have been coming in for decades.

October was always a good time to start chasing yellowfin from the stones, but those days seem to be well in the past.

The beaches are starting to get a move on too, with the first few whiting and flathead making an appearance. No numbers have been reported yet, just the odd fish, but they will get better later in the month and into November when they start to take off.

In the mean time, the

Most of this area could have been made a no-fishing zone if not for the backlash from anglers. trail during the late afternoon often brings them undone, as they get a bit hungry now the winter fat is burning off.

There are always a few smaller reds about that find their way into the trail along with trevally, bream, salmon, tailor and even the odd kingy and samsonfish.

Speaking of kings, they should start to make their presence felt later this month on the deeper reefs and a

plenty of mowies for the drifters on the gravel and reef edges. Throw in a few pigfish, trevally, reds and a samson or two and the drifting is on the up and up!

On the rocks, the drummer and bream are still going well in the washes, with crabs being the gun bait, but a few groper have been in on the act as well, making short work of most. If you fish lighter you’ll hook and

gutters on most beaches are holding a few bream, particularly on the falling tide. The rising tide in the evenings is a good time to start looking for a few school mulloway. There will be some by-catch of solid salmon and some good tailor as well.

Take your pick of beaches at the moment, as anywhere there with a good gutter is worth a try.

Every time I have driven

past the lake and over the bridge for the past few months it has been void of anglers, apart from the odd diehard taking on the wind and cold.

The only other life forms are the winter blackfish anglers around the northwest side of the bridge. But from here on in, that all changes, with the shallows now warming up and the baitfish and prawns on the move and with them come the flatties.

There will be a few at first at the beginning of the month, but by the end of October there will be good numbers coming in. The first few fish should come from the drop off and main channel, then all over the lake, particularly after the first dark moon and the prawn run.

Bream seem to be getting bigger as they move out of the creeks and off the weed beds, that is if they survived the pros’ nets. They will be in the deeper holes and around the bridge and breakwalls of the lake.

A few whiting will start to show and will take poppers early in the morning.

Minnamurra is much the same, with a few flathead on the move and a few whiting down around the entrance.

Now to politics, and by now every angler should know about the proposed marine lockout and sanctuary zones from Newcastle to Wollongong, and the backlash that we anglers had to make to keep pursuing our sport, pastime and livelihoods.

Locally, the whole area around Toothbrush Island was put forward to be a marine sanctuary, and a large chunk of the coastline was to become a National Park if this mess went ahead. It’s been taken off the table now, but why on earth was it proposed in the first place? There is nothing of significance there that’s any different from any other area along the coast.

I have fished and dived every centimetre around the islands, and know them like my own backyard, so I am perplexed.

This won’t be the last time our access rights are threatened, so we have to continue to make our voice heard and let the government know how we feel, and how they will suffer come election day.

Versatility finds the fish NOWRA

Johnny Nolan straydog1974@gmail.com

October is a pretty good month to be hitting the water in our local area, and if there is one thing I have learnt in my 40 odd years of living and fishing here, it’s that it’s all about being a versatile angler and making the most of the conditions and, more importantly, what’s on the chew at the time.

Although we do seem to have quite a lot of windy days on our stretch of the coast, I have found that if you want to go fishing bad enough, there is always somewhere to get out of the wind or take advantage of it for the fishing you are doing.

So here are a few options for your October of fishing and what you can expect to catch.

On our stretch of the coast there are numerous small hidden estuary systems, lagoons and creeks scattered throughout and in these little systems, some no more than the size of a footy field, there is some great fishing to be had. It’s a matter of grabbing yourself a map or in this day and age, looking on Google Earth and picking out a few spots, packing a spin rod and a couple of lures and going for a drive. A lot of these little systems are closed to the ocean from time to time, so take into consideration things like when the last heavy rain or big seas were, as these may have opened these waterways to the ocean. If they haven’t been opened in some time, there is a good chance you will find some very hungry fish pretty willing to take a lure.

Some of these areas can be accessed from the bank

or by wading, but a kayak or canoe will usually give you a lot more options and access. Your number one target in these systems is usually black or yellowfin bream, and if you do happen

the satellite option, as you can get a pretty good lay of the land and what tracks you can take to reach your destination.

Remember with rock fishing, there is always

Damo Monahan with a nice black drummer from a local rock ledge. to find some the action can come thick and fast.

For lure choice I’ve found small lures such as the old Rebel Crawfish, Attack Lures or the small floating 5cm Rapalas are a good place to start. For plastics, a lightly-weighted 2”grub will work wonders. So grab your lures and go for a drive! You may stumble across a fishing gold mine.

If conditions are favourable for rock hopping in October, I’ve always found it’s a good time to be hitting the stones in search of black drummer and groper. Again, you need to grab yourself a map, or in this case Google Earth is probably better with

Mark ‘Tubby’ Taylor with a pair of bream from a local South Coast system while on a recent trip.

another day if conditions are too rough and unsafe, and no fish is worth risking your life for. In my opinion, if you are fishing any ocean rock ledge these days, an inflatable life jacket is a must and you are a fool if you don’t wear one.

It’s a small price to pay to be safe, and worth a lot less than some of the lures we throw around these days anyway.

There has been plenty of black drummer around the rocks taking prawn or bread baits, as well as schools of salmon and even some stripy tuna to keep things interesting for the lure tosses.

The opening of the bass season has seen a few fish caught in the brackish section of the Shoalhaven around the animal park up to Crams Rock. We are now almost to the stage where a small flood is needed in our river to get things happening before summer. Every keen bass fisho loves fishing our upper reaches around Coolondel and Yalwal Creek, but with no rain for the second season in a row I dare say the fishing will be tough. There is still hope, as we are not right into the season yet.

If conditions are favourable for getting offshore this month, there are plenty of flatties on the grounds off JB and Shoalhaven Heads, and those engaging in the micro jig fad are getting some nice results on all sorts of species including snapper, morwong and nannygai, just to name a few.

So there are some October options!

Be versatile, stay safe and good fishing to you all!

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45

Hoping for a wet spring to bring back balance BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

It’s been a very dry winter and with more westerly winds than usual we are hoping for a wet spring to bring some balance back. The lack of rain and westerly winds has made the water very clear and a lot of weed is around in the estuaries. So a good flush out is much needed.

If we don’t see enough rain then our prawn season may be a lot thinner than last year, and it was fairly dry then too. It is looking like we will have a good run of mud crabs and blue

swimmers, which were in abundance last year.

The fishing should be heating up throughout spring, particularly in the estuary. Offshore we had a second opportunity at bluefin throughout the last month, and the commercial fleet made the most of it while the strong westerlies kept most recreational boats onshore. During September the water cooled down a couple of degrees and left us with albacore, which a few boats got into. Coming into October the water looks to remain cool and hopefully a few albacore are about. If the currents and weather are settled then

Maddie with a cracking snapper.

fishing the bottom will be quite popular and it has been very productive over the last couple of years.

Further inshore we have been seeing some good snapper from the shallows to the depths. Topcat Charters has been finding them in 40m and recreational boats anchoring up and berleying have been finding them in shallower. But boats out drifting the 60m+ depths have also been picking up some good snapper. These days anchoring is not needed when you have a decent electric motor on board with spot-lock on it, this is becoming a more popular option. Simply pull up and whack your electric motor in and hit the spot-lock feature. Some of the motors these days are powerful enough to keep you stationary in 2 knots of current.

My favourite time of year for snapper is spring and I really love the months of October and November as it warms up and you get those beautiful mornings that allow you to drift the 60-80m depths before the northeasterly winds start to blow. By summer these winds are like clockwork, everyday by 11am the northeasterly winds begin. But before then you can get some spring days where it is calm all day and the evening fishing in those depths can be magic.

Off the stones, snapper are still readily available and chase the bait showing up, so do the predators. At some stage kingies will start

to show and that will be a chance of bonito. But what’s probably more reliable is spinning for salmon and tailor, or bait fishing for drummer and groper.

The beaches have been relativity consistent this spring with small to massive salmon and tailor.

There is always one beach firing up with schools. So move around and you will find them. Pillies on gang is still the all time classic and spinning with metals.

The metals these days just keep getting more and more impressive and when you start experimenting with other hard and soft lures you’ll find some work quite well on bream, flathead, luderick and all kinds of other species. One to try is small hard vibes. Daiwa, Atomic, Rapala and Strike

Pro do some great ones.

The estuaries start coming back to life at this stage. The bait starts showing up and the jewie fishers start clearing the cobwebs off the aerators; the bream anglers start buying new shirts, 6lb fluorocarbon leader and polishing their boats; the flattie flickers pull out their favourite 3-6kg stick; and the whiting chasers start buying boxes of Sugapens and Bent Minnows. The Bassday Sugapen now comes in a 58mm version with some new colours that are going to be very popular over summer. The OSP Bent Minnnow now also comes with a rattle that will be equally as popular.

Upstream the bass fishers are starting get impatient and we should have a better report on bass next issue.

You cannot beat the soft shell Tiemco as a lure of choice.

For a cheaper option, the Kokoda Bat is successful and not as painful to lose. The Ausspin Spinnerbaits have been a proven bass killer over the years in our local streams.

They’re more a compact style weighing 1/8oz, with a single Indiana blade in black and purple is dynamite.

So with sunnier days ahead everything is starting to heat up, all we need now is a bit of rain and everything will be fine.

• For more up-to-theminute information on what’s biting where, drop into Compleat Angler Batemans Bay and have a chat to Anthony or one of the other friendly staff.

They’re located at 65A Orient St, Batemans Bay (02 4472 2559).

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It’s time to find the flatties NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson

The local estuaries around the Narooma region are starting to fire up after a lacklustre past few months with the coldish water, but with spring well and truly here it will only get better as the weeks pass by. Wagonga Inlet and the Tuross Lake

system are the places to fish with most species having a chew, but using a variety of techniques has been the key to more consistent results.

Flathead numbers are on the increase in both systems but the Tuross River has certainly been the pick to fish. With the slightly warmer weather of late, this has warmed the land up first and in turn the water, especially

in the shallows. Water depths from 1-3ft are a few degrees warmer than the main flow through the river and this is where the flatties are. Due to the water being so clear, long casts are needed ahead of the boat or if shore-based certainly cast your offerings way ahead of you. If it’s windy all the better as the cover of the ripples in the shallows will increase your

The sort of estuary perch that you can expect in the Tuross River this spring.

chances further. Smaller soft plastics and prawn imitations are the lures of choice, with blades catching fish too.

Up towards the main basin there have been a few mulloway caught on plastics, with Jonno getting a solid double with both around 87-88cm, so solid models for this system. These fish were caught on a relatively small presentation so anglers targeting them might want to follow that lead. Later this month the surface action for bream and whiting will commence though I expect it may be harder this season as both species wise up pretty quickly to techniques. You will still get fish but a little more work will be required.

At Narooma it’s big flathead time with fish to 95cm and bigger on the cards, with bait and lure anglers getting results. The lower sections should fish better. Concentrate around water depths of 8-10m outside the points especially on the southern part of the lake and use bigger lures.

You can expect a mulloway or two, I know of an 8kg fish caught there recently by a visiting angler. This fish was caught when targeting big To page 49

It won’t be long before these bad boys start hitting surface presentations with gusto.

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MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson

Merimbula and its surrounds are in the transition period from the cooler water temperatures that winter brings to warmer water and air temperatures during spring. This is certainly evident in the estuaries, especially in the shallows with sunnier afternoons sometimes making the water temperatures 2-4° warmer than that of tidal channel areas.

These areas are ideal to cast smaller soft plastics and hardbodied lures for bream, flathead and to a lesser extent whiting.

These systems have extensive shallow sand flats that are full of fish at this

baits for the whiting. A few fish are nudging 42-43cm so solid models that are a whole lot of fun and great on the plate. As the water warms even further it will only get better, with anglers using surface presentations like walk-baits and poppers getting amongst the action.

In fact there’s already been some surface action, mainly from bream with the weed banks in the main basins around the margins holding plenty of bream.

In the basins of both estuaries, flathead, bream, and blackfish are chewing quite well at times with lure anglers certainly seeing the best of the action. Pambula has seen some solid salmon and trevally in the lower river section with stick-style soft plastics rigged on 2g heads the go. I’d expect

Not all mulloway have to be big to bring a smile to the face.

some jumbo-sized flatties to 80cm plus in both estuaries, with water depths of 3-8m being ideal. Casting larger plastics to the edges of the ribbon weed will produce the goods but let those breeders go. There is the chance of

mulloway too, especially if smaller tailor are present.

Many good mulloway have come from beneath tailor schools so it’s certainly worth a few casts. The main basins of both estuaries are loaded with whitebait hence

the tailor and hopefully a mulloway or two as well.

On the beaches it’s been a little hit and miss with the calmer conditions, but that will change once we get some decent swell. In saying that salmon and tailor are still being caught but not in huge numbers.

This month will see an increase in bream, whiting and mullet numbers. Every October produces some solid results for those who put in the time. Fresh baits like beachworms and pipi are ideal with North Tura and Tura main the pick of beaches to fish. You should do even better with a little berley, but don’t overdo it or the ray population will drive you nuts.

Offshore the snapper are still doing the right thing, with most boaties getting a feed without too much trouble. Anglers using berley have been getting the best results, with chook pellets and frozen bread with tuna oil doing the trick.

Anchoring up on the edge of the reef and floating baits up the shallower sides of the reef has seen snapper to 3kg caught. There are not

side producing school fish to 3kg. One thing to remember with the kingies is they certainly bite best when the current is pushing hard from the north. If it’s only trickling south or no current at all the kingies can be hard to entice regardless on how good your offering is. If this happens, going down a few line classes in the tackle department can pay dividends. You’ll lose a few fish to the seals but you should also hook more.

Mixed in with the kings are bonito with some of these speedsters pushing 4kg. Those are solid fish in my books and aren’t bad on the plate if prepared the right way.

Inshore the snapper have been going great guns for months now, and this should continue. The close in reef at Brou fires up at this time of year, with fresh squid the best bait. Anchoring up here and using berley will increase catch rates. You can expect a few morwong and sand flathead if you’re fishing this reef. If you’re after a feed of flatties you should have little trouble, with the grounds off Kianga and Dalmeny holding fish. Focus on water depths from 35-40m for best results.

Every day is different, so just move around until you locate a patch.

The beaches have been a little hit and miss; some days

have been good while others have been very quiet. A lot depends on how much white water and gutter formations are present. Anglers that are doing well have been using fresh bait like live beach worms and pipi, and you can get bait like this from most local beaches. A little work has to be put in, but the end result makes it worthwhile.

Bream, yellow eye mullet and whiting are making up most anglers’ bags with some of the whiting pushing 42cm. The salmon action has been unusually quiet but this will change once we get the required conditions. There have been sporadic catches of these fine sports fish, but

Chris with a couple of solid yellowfin bream prior to release.

These fish are currently abundant in local waterways. time of year as these areas are the engines of the estuaries.

The fish get up there on the flooding tide, feeding on small prawns, yabbies and worms. A few locals have done particularly well using lightly weighted worm From page 48

flatties on the ribbon weed edges, so there must be a few jew getting around. The upper reaches of the inlet have been okay for bream and this will only get better.

Casting smaller hardbodies around the oyster racks has worked as has lightly weighted plastics. Those using bait have caught a few but the artificials seem to be working better at present.

At Montague Island the kings have fired up with jigs, live bait and fresh squid on flasher rigs all catching fish at times. The north end has seen bigger fish to 8kg, with the Fowl House reef on the western

stacks of them but enough to keep you interested. If the reds are slow there are plenty of morwong, pigfish and trevally to take home

no quantity to them. Fish that are being caught are averaging 2kg or better, so sizeable fish.

We can expect a few more tailor this month, with mulloway a real chance as well on those moonlit nights.

Beaches like Handkerchief, 1080, Tilba and Narooma Main are all worth a look.

On the rocks drummer, blackfish and bream will still call the suds home, but a lot will depend on conditions as to how they feed. Fishing a ledge with white water is ideal, and the rocks at Dalmeny are perfect for this, especially if the seas are calm. Fresh cabbage, cunjevoi, crabs and prawns

for a feed. Most reefs are holding fish, with Long Point and Lennards Island down south probably being the most consistent. There’s been a few reports of kings on the surface but I haven’t heard of any caught.

Hopefully this will change by next month.

Off the stones it has been tough. Some days the pelagics are there and in good numbers, especially salmon, but you go down the next day and it’s barren.

There is certainly no pattern to it, the only thing to do is to keep going and hopefully crack the day it decides to fire. At such times, casting whole pilchards on ganged hooks has been good with metal shiners up to 60g also worth a go.

We usually start to see bonito this month, and here’s hoping they are a bit better than last year. Better ledges to try are Tura Head, Short Point and the main wharf inside Merimbula Bay where the aquarium is.

A decent white shark just off one of the local beaches, estimated at 4m. are great baits, with berley a must. Expect these species to continue to chew over coming weeks with groper on the cards as well.

For the guys who target pelagics off the stones, this month is ideal. Bonito, rat kingfish, salmon and big tailor are all possibilities, with lures and live bait the best methods. Throwing ganged pilchards a long way out and slowly retrieving them will also pay dividends. Mystery Bay to the south of Narooma would be the pick, but the rocks at the golf course are worth a look too, as is the end of the northern break wall at the entrance.

OCTOBER 2018

49

Rain, rain, come this way MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

The Mallacoota Eden area on the far south coast is in need of a good drop of rain, with only 20mm of rain recorded last month. This time of

year is known for being windy, and this year is no exception with very few boats venturing offshore.

Given the water temperature, 13°C in Mallacoota and 14°C in Eden, you wouldn’t really expect to see much on the bite at the moment. This is the time of year when keen

The odd flounder is still being caught, and as the water warms they will be a more common sight.

offshore anglers prepare their fishing equipment, boats and trailers for the months ahead. Once the water warms the offshore fishing will start to pick up, and that is not the time to be doing maintenance.

Due to the lack of rain the entrance at Mallacoota is still closed, and it won’t open until the drought breaks. Unfortunately this is Australia, where the droughts can often last for months, and it’s not uncommon for them to last for years.

With the lake closed the summer months could be interesting as once the summer northeast winds start blowing they are going to deliver a steady stream of sand to the corner of Bastion Point (the boat ramp). It could mean busy times dredging the ramp trying to keep it operational over the busy tourist season.

Fishing the inshore reefs in the Eden area has seen a few boats venture offshore with a bit of protection from the wind.

There have been catches of snapper and morwong, along with a few sand flathead. On the whole things will only improve over the coming months.

Fishing the beaches at this time of year on the

far south coast is all about salmon and there is no shortage of fish about. A good gutter on a rising tide and you can expect to catch fish between 40-45cm. The common size odd tailor has also been caught. As the water temperature rises it will add a bit more variety to the beach fishing with yellowfin bream, sand whiting and other species starting to feature in the catch.

Fishing the Mallacoota estuary system has seen the black bream upstream looking for suitable conditions for spawning, and with little rain the fish will find their way well upstream. If you practice catch and release let these fish go where they are caught, as the common practice of releasing your five best fish at the boat ramp has ultimately taken them away from the spawning area. This means they don’t get to spawn this run and have to wait until the following year. It is always best to return fish where they are caught (it’s common sense really).

The odd flathead and flounder are still being caught, but on the whole the fishing for these species is slow and the long-awaited warmer water will see the fishing improve.

Greg was happy with his catch.

Silver trevally and tailor are still being caught, but these fish are always on the move so you can expect them to turn up anywhere at any time. Out towards the entrance area sand whiting are being caught, with nippers and fresh worm as the best bait choice for bait.

The Eden estuary fishing has also seen the black bream well upstream looking for the right conditions for spawning. Near the estuary

mouth you can expect to catch yellowfin bream and sand whiting, with some good blackfish also being caught.

The lack of rain often sees good growth of weed, which fish love. The tidal estuaries see good numbers of silver trevally around the weed beds near the entrance.

These fish can be caught on a variety of soft plastic lures along with fresh baits like nippers and worms.

Holidays are for fishing!

TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

School holidays are always great fun for the kids and the best place to spend this period is the Tathra Wharf.

There is plenty of fun to be had there for the kids at present, with those everpresent schools of yellowtail, silver trevally, the occasional slimy mackerel and some of

those lovely big sea garfish to keep them entertained.

Passing schools of Australian salmon are an added bonus for those wishing to toss a lure or drift out a live bait.

These salmon are also present on the beaches and rocks surrounding Tathra along with the additional tailor or two.

Out to sea the game fishing is quiet, although there may be a scattering of striped tuna mixed in with the odd small yellowfin or albacore

tuna. If these tuna are around, there is a very big likelihood that mako sharks will be in the vicinity. Berleying with tuna, you are likely to get these sharks interested, which can provide some exciting angling.

The best angling to have out at sea at this time of year is definitely the flathead fishing, as the tigers are starting to increase in numbers at present. You will find these fish from around 40m and deeper, north, south and due

A first for Brogo Dam and for NSW impoundments, Jan Redman releasing some of the 10,000 estuary perch into Brogo Dam! 50

OCTOBER 2018

Salmon are one sportfish you will encounter not only off the wharf but also along the coast. east of Kianinny boat ramp.

The deeper the water you fish the more likely you are to encounter decent specimen.

Mixing in with them are the odd sand flathead, quite a few gummy sharks and if you get up over some reefy areas there are still quite a few snapper and morwong to add variety to the catch.

Sadly the Bega River system is in a bit of disrepair due to the lack of rain, along with the bush fires earlier in the year. However, it is not all bad news, as for those anglers who wish to hunt there is plenty on offer. With the weather warming, upstream in the freshwater holes there are some excellent bass to be found. Early mornings or late afternoon is your best

chance and don’t be surprised to encounter some very large fish.

Down in the saltwater sections bream are in the shallows, allowing for some exciting visual angling. Small lures or flies will work well, where often you can observe these fish with their tails breaking the surface as they fossick for small crustaceans amongst the gravel. Whiting, flathead or mullet may also be in these areas and you may well be surprised as to what eats a lure.

It is also time to get back onto Brogo Dam and start exploring on any of the very warm days and into the evening, which have the fish active and they are just starting to feed more

intensely. Following the continuous stocking by the Far South Coast Bass Stocking Association, there are plenty of fish to be found in the dam and with annual stockings of at least 15,000 bass along with the first release of 10,000 estuary perch last December by NSW DPI Fisheries in conjunction with the association the fishery, it is in good shape for the future. These fish stock are as a result of funds raised be the yearly Bass Comp (BBB), which again will be a big one as it is the 20th anniversary of the comp. For anyone wishing to participate in this even can contact Jan or Darren on 0427 934 857.

NSW South Coast

Dry times for Wallaga BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Quite a few years ago, following drought breaking rains I wrote about how good the fishing was in Wallaga. Sadly, due to a dry period and the area now back in drought, Wallaga is closed to the ocean where it is proving hard to fish. With no tidal influence governing when or where to fish, and with no fresh stocks of fish entering from the ocean, it is tough angling.

Out at sea it is time to hunt tiger flathead, as October is generally one of the best months to find these tasty fish. Anglers only need to travel a few miles east of Bermagui in 40m or deeper to acquire a decent bag. At this time of year with the northerly winds prevailing, an excellent north-south drift gives you the best opportunity not only for the flathead but for your other reef species such as snapper, morwong and perch. This drift will generally take you over small reefy patches before moving back over the muddy areas the flathead

metal lures, while trolling intermittently will pick up the odd fish not seen.

Trolling is also the best way to go out wide over the shelf where schools of albacore, the odd yellowfin and bluefin tuna have been encountered. A mixed array of skirted and diving lures should find anglers attached to these speedsters and remember, wherever there is tuna there is likely to be sharks of various species in the form of makos, blues or hammerheads. Berleying can become an option for anglers wanting to tangle with one of them.

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Kayaks are a great way to silently stalk the shallows.

It is not all bad news, as this creates different opportunities for fishing.

Sight fishing along the western side of the lake is an exciting way to encounter some large bream. Try getting out onto the bank; with a stealthy approach around the rocky outcrops, you can sight and cast to fish patrolling the edges. Here small lures worked across and in front of the fish will often bring an explosive strike. Kayaking along the shoreline is also another way to quietly approach your prey and is a very relaxing way to fish.

The Bermagui River is on the move, with many species available. There’s been some good flathead in the upper reaches taking a liking to lures, and over the shallower sections on a rising tide there are plenty to be caught on baits. Around the entrance, especially late in the afternoon and early evening, tailor are showing in numbers accessible from the rock wall or rocky headland, with a few good salmon mixing in with them.

These salmon are also in very good numbers along the beaches, providing hours of entertainment, and are also easily accessed from the rocks up on the main headland around the Blue Pool. This area is also still producing good numbers of drummer, the odd blue groper, plenty of luderick and a nice run of silver trevally.

prefer. This type of structure can continue for miles with the right drift, and more often than not only one drift for the morning is all that is required.

Further afield, Montague Island is starting to see the first of the kingfish for the season, which looks like it’s going to be a good one yet again. These fish are responding well to jigs and squid baits, with the odd better fish taken on a live yakka or slimy.

Following the good winter run of tuna, there still seems to be a legacy of small striped tuna around in various areas to keep anglers entertained on light sports gear. Surface schools can be cast to with small

Following the continuous stocking by the Far South Coast Bass Stocking Association there are plenty of fish to be found in Brogo Dam, with annual stockings of at least 15,000 bass along with the first release of 10,000 estuary perch last December by NSW DPI Fisheries in conjunction with the association. The fishery is in good shape for the future. These fish stock are as a result of funds raised be the yearly Brogo Bass Comp (BBB) which again will be a big one, as it is the 20th anniversary this year. Anyone wishing to participate in this event can contact Jan or myself on 0427 934 857. It is a ‘dam’ good comp!

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For more information visit www.stessl.com.au OCTOBER 2018

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Starlo’s five-step plan to catch more fish NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

We’d all love to be able to catch more fish, so here’s a very simple recipe intended to help you do exactly that!

During the hectic ‘show season’ this past winter I made public presentations on various fishing-related topics at a range of boat and 4WD expos in the eastern states. One of the subjects I covered was simply entitled “How To Catch More Fish”, and it seemed to strike a chord with a lot of people.

As part of this presentation, I introduced my ‘Five-Step Plan’, a bit of a tongue-in-cheek reference to the famous 12-step plan advocated by Alcoholics’ Anonymous. No, I didn’t kick off by having people

to distil what I see as the absolute core ingredients of consistent angling success down to just five key points.

Here they are.

GO LIGHT Most people know I’m a huge fan of ‘finesse’ fishing.

No matter where you wet a line or what species of fish you chase, you can almost always improve your hook-up rate by dropping the diameter of your main line and leader, and choosing smaller, lighter sinkers, jigheads or lures.

There’s a lot more to the essence of finesse fishing than just those three basic aspects, but they make a great starting point. Try it.

I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

USE THE BEST BAITS Whether you’re fishing in salt or freshwater, going to the trouble of sourcing the very best baits available (or closely imitating those

the seabed to the interface between the water and solid structural elements such as snags, rocks and pylons, on to more subtle edges such as colour changes, current breaks, shadows, temperature demarcations

You really can’t beat local bait presented alive and kicking — in fresh or saltwater!

Gathering your own bait from local waterways and using it fresh or alive is one way to ensure better fishing results. stand up and say “Hi, my name is Steve and I haven’t caught a fish in my last four trips” or anything like that (although, come to think of it, that’s not a bad idea!). Instead, I attempted

natural baits with your lures or flies) invariably improves catch rates. Typically, those best baits are locally-sourced and either fresh or (better still) alive. Often, this means you’ll have to catch or gather

with that whopper when it comes along. Keeping your cool and not panicking when you hook a monster is absolutely critical. So is having the right ‘landing gear’ on hand in the way of nets, gaffs, lip grippers,

your own bait rather than relying on buying it, but trust me, the extra effort pays off in spades.

GAIN KNOWLEDGE There’s an old saying that you never stop learning,

and this is especially true in fishing. I’ve been doing it for more than half a century and I still learn something new every single time I spend a day on the water! When I was a younger bloke, a lot of this knowledge came from books, magazines, videos and later DVDs. Today, more and more of it is sourced online, via the Internet. From studying aerial imagery of locations on Google Earth to following weather and ocean currents, reading forums and blogs or watching YouTube clips, there is a wealth of knowledge out there. Social media also plays its part, although you do need to be a little choosy about which bits you pay attention to!

FISH THE EDGES Finding fish within specific scenarios is very

You’re never too old, nor too young, to learn new tricks in fishing. Knowledge is power! and bubble lines. Edges are almost always where the action is. Work them thoroughly and you’ll hook more fish!

LAND THEM! Hooking more fish is one thing, but to actually

gloves, long-nosed pliers and so on, and knowing how to use them. This aspect of fishing success is far too often overlooked.

IT’S SIMPLE So there you go, five relatively simple,

Going even a little lighter in your line, leader and sinker will generally produce more bites and hook ups.

Having a game plan and keeping a cool head are vital keys to landing fish.

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often about identifying ‘edges’ and then presenting your baits, lures or flies along them. These edges take a multitude of forms, from obvious ones like the shoreline, the surface and

increase catch rates, you also need to land more and lose less. That involves being prepared, setting your drag, tying strong knots and having a game plan nutted out in your head for dealing

straightforward steps that I guarantee will result in you landing more fish. Are you going to join with me in pledging to apply them every time you go fishing this season?

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Cooking

Barramundi, skordalia mash potato and salsa verde SYDNEY

Andrew Humphries

METHOD For the skordalia mashed potatoes peel and cut in quarters all the potatoes

and place in a pot of salted water and bring to the boil.

Once boiled, simmer for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are cooked. While the potatoes are cooking blitz the garlic and olive oil in a food processor until the

garlic is finely pureed with no large chunks. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and mash them and mix through the garlic, olive oil, butter, chopped parsley and season.

For the salsa verde place

basil, parsley and capers in the food processor and blend until smooth. Add in the olive oil, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper and blend again to emulsify.

Lightly score the

barramundi skin and season with salt to crisp the skin.

In a medium-hot pan add oil and place the barra skin side down for 2-3 mins, checking to make sure it isn’t burning. If it is starting to get too dark, remove the

pan from the heat.

Once you have got the crisp skin, turn over the fish and cook on a low heat for about 4-5 mins.

You can also serve with some steamed asparagus or broccolini.

INGREDIENTS Skordalia mash ingredients 600g potatoes cut into quarters 2 cloves garlic 100ml olive oil 100g butter 2 sprigs parsley chopped salt and pepper to taste Salsa verde ingredients ½ cup olive oil 1 cup picked parsley 1 cup picked basil 2 teaspoons capers 1 lemon juiced salt and pepper to season 4 x barramundi fillets about 150-200g each

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Making the salsa verde in the food processor.

Once it starts turning golden brown around the sides it is time to flip the fish.

OCTOBER 2018

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The basil, olive oil, parsley capers and lemon for the salsa verde.

The fresh barramundi fillets. If buying the barra fillets, check to see that the flesh is firm and intact. If it looks waterlogged it has probably been frozen.

The skordalia mash seasoned and with the parley mixed in.

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The potatoes simmering away for the skordalia mash.

Cooking the barra fillets skin side down in the pan.

The finished product ready to eat.

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BLACK MAGIC

MASTER CLASS

/

W I T H PA U L L E N N O N

The lucrative luderick The humble luderick is a fantastic fish to target, especially during the cooler months when they are at their most prevalent.

This time of year they can be found schooling up in protected bays along the ocean rocks or inside the estuaries along rock

rocks, a big part of how a luderick gets its food is by catching bits of weed flowing past in the tide. For this reason slack water is generally a slow bite period for luderick with the prime time being either side of a tide change when there is good water movement but not too much. Many areas

or at the base of fresh water run-off points.

Imitation weed flies are also growing in popularity and really do work, especially when the luderick are biting well. Weed flies can either be fished traditionally under a float or in the shallow water using a 6w fly rod and strike

The author with a pair of quality luderick.

This luderick was taken on a traditional float rig. walls, over weed beds and around jetties.

Their abundance makes them a very popular species amongst anglers young and old, and fish-a-cast sessions are not out of the question even during the middle of the day. On top of that they put up a great fight on light gear and aren’t bad on the plate.

Despite all their attributes many anglers shy away from chasing luderick, because the way in which they’re targeted is

perfect bait presentations, cabbage or weed. They also are the perfect hooks for tying your own weed flies on.

I use the G10S inside the estuary and G8s for off the rocks, as fish are typically lifted out of the water rather than netted like inside the estuary. The larger size also has the benefits of being strong enough to not straighten out if you hook onto a drummer,

which are a regular by-catch when fishing for luderick.

From the hook I run a short length of around 60cm of Black Magic fluorocarbon leader, using 6lb for estuary work and 10lb off the ocean rocks. This leader runs to a swivel with a short 20cm length of 20lb line attached to another swivel. The short length of line between these two swivels is where you want

less than a couple of metres deep will be too shallow to fish at low tide, but come to life around the top of the tide.

Once you have an idea of where you’re going to fish it’s time to source some bait and prepare a bit of berley.

Luderick are predominately herbivores, however they will at times eat a yabby, peeled prawn or even attack a big plastic or hardbodied lure. For consistent results, however, there are only two baits to use – green weed and sea lettuce.

Fly fishing can be a very effective technique if the fly is presented naturally.

The secret to finding luderick is finding a good source of bait. a little unique compared to other styles of fishing.

The truth is that the art of catching these fish doesn’t take a long time to master, and as long as you’re set up right in the first place you should be able to get stuck into them right away. The first thing you need to work out is when you should be fishing for them.

While they love to graze on algae-covered 56

OCTOBER 2018

Neither of these can be found in the bait freezer of your local tackle store. They need to be gathered. Both are fairly abundant, and on any given day one can work better than the other, so it pays to have both at your disposal. Sea lettuce can be gathered from the ocean rocks on a low tide when there is little swell and are also often found growing on mooring ropes and around wharfs. Green weed can be sourced around creeks, drains

indicator.

A berley mixture consisting of either weed or cabbage mixed with sand can often help turn fish on the bite; throw a scoopful around your float every five minutes.

A good little trick to prepare rather than sitting there with scissors and cutting up your weed or cabbage into small pieces is to leave it out in the sun so it gets get dry and crispy, then just crush it over your sand and mix it in.

While there is nothing complicated about rigging up for luderick it’s very important to have everything right. By far the best hooks I’ve used for luderick are the Black Magic G10 and G8s. These Japanesemade hooks are super sharp and are the ideal pattern for

to add a barrel sinker, and the size of it will depend on how big the float is.

The aim is to weight the float just enough so just the stem is sticking above the water line and the luderick feels little to no resistance when it takes the bait.

The best mainline to use is a 12-20lb floating line, which won’t sink like normal mono line. This allows any slack in the line to be removed quickly when striking a fish as it’s coming off the surface.

Attached to the mainline is a float stopper to adjust your depth. It pays to play around with it when things are quiet, as you may find them feeding better hard on the bottom or higher up in the water column.

Centre pin reels still remain popular for chasing luderick, but threadlines, especially small Baitrunner styles, will also do the trick just fine. Your rods should be around the 10ft mark for the estuary and 12ft for rock work, and need to be quite soft in the tip as luderick only have small mouths, and the shock absorption of a soft rod helps keep the hooks in there.

The essentials for chasing luderick.

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Tech Tricks

Quickie wind-on leader BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

For anglers into game fishing and sport fishing, wind-on leaders are a very handy piece of terminal tackle. As the name suggests, a windon-leader can be wound through the guides and onto the reel because the join between the double of your main line and the heavy leader material is low profile.

A loop is spliced onto the leader material using Dacron or hollow core braid.

This loop is then attached to the main line double with a loop-to-loop connection. If you don’t wish to purchase pre-made wind-on leaders they can be made using one of several methods, the best being the double-wall method. However a quicker, less-complicated method exists that is ideal for lighter leaders up to 200lb.

This method is as strong as the more complicated double-wall method, but

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the uni knot can get a little bulky when using Dacron larger than 80lb, therefore we mainly use it for lighter leaders. For heavier leaders you are best using the double-wall method, which is lower profiled and will track through the guides or rollers better. Hollowcore braid can also be used instead of Dacron, although this is rather expensive and harder to acquire. For leaders up to 60lb you are best to use 30lb Dacron, for 80-120lb leaders try 50lb Dacron and for 150-200lb wind-ons use 80lb Dacron.

However, diameters between different brands of Dacron and monofilament lines can vary so you may need to experiment to get the best splicing combination. Let’s see how the quickie wind-on leader is made.

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STEP 1 To make a quickie wind-on leader you will need a few specific items. At least 70cm of Dacron (using 50lb for this one), some 80lb monofilament (I make my leaders around 3m in length), light high-tensile wire, a piece of 40-80 grit sandpaper, a fly tying bobbin, flat-waxed nylon thread, light flexible glue, pliobond, headset, vinyl cement soft dip and a Dacron (pipe) needle. These needles come in an array of sizes and the one I use is an 80-100lb model. The needle is not a necessity to make this leader but will more than half the time it takes to thread the monofilament up the Dacron.

Specialist tackle stores should have the needle and all other equipment for this project.

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STEP 2 Fold the sandpaper over the end of the leader between thumb and forefinger and pull the leader in short jerky movements to lightly roughen areas of the leader surface of the last 10-15cm. Cut the end on an angle and insert into the end of your needle.

If it is slightly loose then pinch the leader lightly between your teeth a few millimetres in from the end until the leader will hold firmly into the needle.

STEP 3 Insert the pointed end of the needle into the end of the Dacron and insert it 12-15cm through the middle. Push the needle point out the side of the Dacron as shown.

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STEP 5 Cut off approximately 8cm of thread and set aside for later. Next we need to bind over the end of the Dacron to prevent it from fraying further. Knot the thread around the Dacron and then secure the tag end against it with your finger. Spin the bobbin around the Dacron/mono, wrapping thread over the last centimetre (approximately) of the Dacron.

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OCTOBER 2018

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STEP 4 Drag the needle through the Dacron while gripping lightly up towards the exit point. The Dacron will bunch up slightly (which increases the diameter) and allow the roughened monofilament to pass through. Once the mono is dragged all the way through (as shown), pull the needle off the end of the leader. If you don’t have a needle then you will need to gradually work the monofilament up through the Dacron by hand.

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STEP 6 Lay the loop of thread you cut off earlier against the thread wraps. Wrap over it 8-10 times and then cut away the thread, only leaving a few centimetres of tag end.

STEP 7 Pass the tag end through the loop and pull the two ends of the loop so that you drag the tag end of the thread under the wraps to secure it. Trim the tag end and then apply a little glue over the thread to prevent it from all unravelling if one strand were to become severed.

Tech Tricks

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9

STEP 9 Push the tip of the wire tool through the sidewall of the Dacron about 1cm above the point where the end of the monofilament is inside the Dacron. Continue pushing it up through the centre of the Dacron to a distance of around 10-12cm.

STEP 8 Cut a 40cm length of your light, high-tensile wire. Fold it over in the middle and pinch with pliers so that it is a tight crease as shown. This will create a wire tool to make the Dacron attachment loop for the wind-on.

11 10

STEP 10 Poke the tip of the wire tool out the side of the Dacron and then pass the tag end of the Dacron through the loop in the wire tool.

12

STEP 12 Wrap the tag end of the Dacron around the main portion and tag end. Loop the Dacron 5-6 times to make a sliding uni knot onto the main portion of Dacron.

STEP 11 Reverse the wire tool back out, dragging the tag end of the Dacron back through with it. Pull the tool and Dacron back out the entrance hole where we initially inserted the wire tool. Remove the tool. Loop over the Dacron as shown in preparation for making a uni knot.

13

STEP 13 Pull the tag end very tight to create as small a knot as possible. You can bind over this with some thread to lessen the bump of the knot through the guides and then glue, although this will not add any strength to your wind-on leader.

14

STEP 14 Add a quality ball-bearing snap swivel to the other end and your wind-on leader is complete.

The Dacron loop is then attached to the double of your main line with a simple loop-to-loop connection or cat’s paw connection. This quickie wind-on leader is fast to make, strong and functional for all your lighter tackle needs.

OCTOBER 2018

59

Golden Perch

A trip to Windamere is pure gold WINDERMERE

Jacko Davis

Spring marks the Murray cod season closure, but luckily for many keen freshwater anglers, this period coincides with the prime time to target golden perch, or yellowbelly, in our freshwater impoundments.

be very sluggish and will often be found schooled up in deep areas, especially amongst timber. The result of the chain reaction of life throughout the ecosystem gets the fish in the mood to feed and move about more freely, in particular up into the shallower margins of the lake where the weed and abundant bait is present. This

powered sites and plenty of unpowered camping space around the park and edge of the dam close to the dual lane boat ramp. If the fish don’t cooperate or you want to see what else the region has to offer, you won’t be disappointed. Mudgee is quite a ‘hip’ township with plenty of great cafes, shops and of course wineries. The

Can you see why they call them footballs?

Giving the cod a wellearned break and the chance to breed means our gear needs to be downgraded to interest some of these freshwater ‘footballs’. Spring can be a great time to be on the water, with cool nights and warm sunny days, ensuring water temperatures will be on the

movement is why spring fishing for yellowbelly can be so fantastic, and there is no better place to do it then at Windamere Dam. WINDAMERE Windamere Dam is located a short drive from Mudgee, NSW, and around two hours drive from

region is famous for its highquality wine production and it’s well worth a tour or two.

THE FISH Alcohol aside, Windamere’s main attraction for most anglers by far is its abundance of oversize golden perch. For many years Windamere has been

and methods that anglers regularly use, but there are a few techniques that have proved bulletproof for many years and normally at least one of these will prove fruitful. The technological advancements of boats, lures, lines and most importantly electronics makes locating and targeting these fish a lot less complicated. Having a side-imaging capable unit on-board is a real bonus when locating the fish, but is not the be-all-end-all.

TACKLE A light spin combo will cover most lure selections and scenarios. A 2000-2500 size reel matched with a 2-4kg rod will handle any yellowbelly, while still giving you a good feel and comfort throughout the days fishing. Line is one of the more important factors to get right.

Like most situations, the lighter the line the more interest your offering will receive and it’s no different at Windamere. Personally, I opt for a 6lb braided mainline matched with a 6lb fluorocarbon leader of around two rods length.

In some cases, like when fishing heavily-timbered areas, I will up the leader to 8lb, but that’s as high as I’ll go. For some, this may seem a little on the light side, especially when you’re in combat with plump perch that are consistently 8lb and more. But with a quality drag set properly and a light forgiving rod, persuading these footballs into the boat is relatively easy. We’ve found over the years when fishing Windamere that our results have significantly increased as we have dropped our leader size.

TECHNIQUES Edges With the water temperatures rising and the fish becoming more active,

A quick photo before release for this lovely golden. the edge bite is the major allure when making the journey to Windamere in spring. Fish will commonly be found in 2-5m of water around the perimeter of the waterway. If you are without a sounder, ‘blind casting’ the banks is definitely the way to go. Yellowbelly in spring will often show up on featureless banks many would turn a blind eye to, but if you can find a few additional drawcards on a bank, your chances will increase.

The two Ws are the key here, being wind and weed.

Wind-blown banks and points at Windamere are the number one spot in spring, with large numbers of hungry fish congregating to these areas. By either sounding areas for fish or by ‘hit and running’ different banks, it won’t be long until you start to pick a few fish up. If these wind-blown banks coincide

with weed beds, then you can almost guarantee you’ve hit a ‘gold mine’.

Proven lures in these shallower margins start with blades, in particular the Ecogear ZX40 in ‘dark knight’ colour. For some reason, the fish seem to respond really well to black coloured lures in the lake.

Any small blade around the 40mm size will be effective, but the ZX40 has proven itself year after year to be a very reliable bait when fishing Windamere. The beauty of these lures is the assist hooks, which resist the Windamere weed a lot better than regular treble hooks.

Many anglers opt to add these assist hooks in place of trebles on other lures as well.

The best way to fish these blades is by allowing the lure to reach the bottom before commencing a slow lift and drop retrieve back to the boat. I like a long

This is what Windamere is famous for – 60cm of plump perch. rise along with the fishing.

As these water temperatures begin to increase, they spark life into the entire ecosystem, starting at the bottom of the food chain. The weed beds kick into gear, which gets the small creatures like small fish, shrimp and yabbies on the move. The next to travel are the dominant predators of the system – the ones we want to catch.

Yellowbelly throughout the cool winter period can 60

OCTOBER 2018

Western Sydney. This makes it quite an accessible location for the majority of the state, especially if you plan on the spending a few days or the weekend there – which I recommend you do.

It’s an excellent place to bring the family along, with plenty of great facilities at the park to accommodate all ages.

Mark and Deidre, who run the park at Windamere, are very friendly and approachable.

There are cabins available,

regarded as Australia’s premier golden perch impoundment, and I don’t think many would argue with its ability to continue to produce consistently exceptional fishing. These fish are commonly known as ‘footballs’, and it’s pretty easy to see why. Perch in excess of 60cm and 5kg are consistent captures at Windamere, with the average fish above the 50cm mark.

Over the years the fish have seemed to clue into lures

Keeping an eye on the sounder at all times will help you find what the fish are doing on the day.

Golden Perch pause of around 10 seconds between lifts while keeping a close eye on the slack line.

For pretty sizeable fish, these yellowbelly can be quite finicky and will often just tap the lure ever so slightly,

rolling technique can be really applicable when the fish are suspending up off the bottom. These fish are hard to target with a blade, as you will generally be fishing below the active zone.

You’ll be blown away at the girth and width of these fish. so you’ve got to keep your head in the game.

Lipless crankbaits are another effective choice that have accounted for a large percentage of captures over

Other lures like jerkbaits and spinnerbaits can work well on these suspending fish. Often you will locate these suspending fish on your sounder, which takes a

and due to their presence, a recent lure trend is the skirted jig. Big in the US bass scene, these skirted jigs can be quite an effective imitation of these crawfish, and have started to account for a few fish in Windamere in the last couple of years, especially along the edges. A lift and pause retrieve is the go with these lures, and they are really effective on the edge of weed beds.

Timber A technique that’s all the rage at the moment with yellowbelly fishing is rolling soft plastics amongst timber and for good reason – it’s very effective! It’s a year-round technique that is fool proof and will undo a yellowbelly in any impoundment in Australia.

Rolling soft plastics up the side of dead timber is a deadly tactic. If you struggle finding fish on the edges throughout spring, your best bet is to head to these lumber infested locations.

A sounder will help you decipher the good trees from the less fruitful ones, but if you jump from tree to tree you’ll eventually stumble across some fish. It’s a

Windamere is a great camping option, and an iconic location with good facilities.

1/8-1/2oz, depending on the depth. From there it is just a slow roll back from the bottom to the boat. If you locate the fish at a certain depth then it can pay to ‘bob’ your offering in this zone, however a slow roll will prove successful on most occasions.

Plastics of choice vary, but there is no denying the effectiveness of a black 3” Gulp Minnow Grub. Other grub style baits in this size range will work, as will creature and crawfish style plastics.

GET AROUND IT Windamere is commonly

known as ‘Windy’ and there’s a good reason for that.

Some spring days can be magical, while others make you wish you brought your kite surfing gear instead. For this reason, it can pay to plan your trip around good weather windows, but then again, any time on the water is better than sitting at work or on the lounge, isn’t it?

The fish in this lake are truly world-class for their species and the sheer size of them needs to be witnessed first-hand to be believed.

They’re called footballs due to the abnormal proportions they reach and the amount

of fat they pack on. For this reason, it’s logical to practice catch and release with these bigger model fish. Taking care when handling them by supporting their weight is critical to post release survival. They are trophies, so make sure you get a quick few photos and then send them on their way to make another angler’s day.

So, it’s time to put away that cod gear or give the saltwater a break for the weekend, and venture to this iconic location. Spring at Windamere can provide some lifelong memories, so go give it a crack!

Yellas are the perfect species to target while we give the cod a well-earned break. the years. The benefit of these lures is you can fish them either by hopping and pausing along the bottom or by slow rolling the lure back to the boat. This slow

lot of the guesswork out of it. Again, black seems to be the most productive lipless crankbait colour.

The lake is home to plenty of shrimp and yabbies

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Windamere can be rather brisk in the mornings, so be prepared.

OCTOBER 2018

61

Trout

Fish-rich NSW trout waters are open again BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

After a four-month fishing prohibition, giving the trout the opportunity to

Ebor/Dorrigo plateau and range system. With the onset of drought conditions throughout the late winter months, some of the more western streams (and perhaps the lower ones) will still hold numbers of

Stress is another influence on trout behaviour, as when trout are stressed they tuck away in their hidey holes and seldom venture out.

OK, that’s enough of the doom and gloom! It’s time to look at the positives.

Small water and nice fish are some of the joys of fishing around Ebor.

Back in the day New England waters were rainbow territory, but these days browns are caught in many streams. spawn, NSW trout waters are open again from Saturday 29 September.

It’s a time of year that sees excited anglers moving quietly about the stream banks with fishing tackle in hand and big

trout, but these fish will be very shy if the streams are overly reduced in level and flow rates. The slightest movement from the angler, whether it’s a clumsy footfall or bump, will cause a trout to tuck up under the

TROUT WILL BE THERE Trout, being cold water fish, will have endured the winter with ease, and despite any low water levels will have come through with flying colours. There

the course in spring – and suddenly everything has changed. With some decent rainfall there’s increased depth and water flow, while lots of interesting insects and other bits of tucker such as beetles, blowflies, spiders, yabbies, cicadas, mice (yes, trout eat mice) are suddenly about in the water and the dinner bells are ringing. It’s game on for both fish and angler.

Rainfall will occur, and you can bet that if I go down for a few days that will bring about some serious rain for sure! However, with such a good number of streams up on the top plateau area, anglers will find some trout water without much effort, whether the streams are just rolling along or raging with a fresh. Either scenario sees us enjoying the sport we have come to regard so highly.

HEDGING YOUR BETS Looking firstly at a high and possibly discoloured stream, we can take heart that this situation won’t last long after the rain stops, and

that’s when some of the best fishing occurs. As streams clear, trout are suddenly out and about. Still, even while

against the discolouration.

Lure or plastic anglers should rely on offerings that contrast against the

Enjoying the ambience of trout water, Denise Kampe takes a break from fishing. there’s a bit of colour in the water, fish will be feeding for certain. All you need is a lure or fly that stands out

surroundings, so that fish can notice them more easily. Fly anglers should delve into the wet fly boxes

The author’s wife Denise surveys one of the best browns she’s taken from the Ebor area. grins on their faces. Those stalwarts just love to stalk the high altitude streams and try to trick those tricky little trout.

TOUGH GOING? MAYBE In the New England region, anglers might find it a bit tough this season when it comes to finding good trout water to the west of the main Guyra/ 62

OCTOBER 2018

bank and remain there until all signs of potential danger have passed.

Moreover, the reduced steam flows can cause feeding to become sporadic.

Basically, unless conditions are just right, the trout won’t bother feeding. Fish don’t need to eat regularly like a warm-blooded animal does; they can fast for a long period without much worry.

should be no shortage of fish in the established trout waters. Hopefully the fish will have spawned successfully and not wasted that closed season.

As I write this article the drought hasn’t yet broken, but that may have changed by the time this magazine hits the shelves.

All it takes is a couple of storms – which are par for

Decisions, decisions. That last fly was rejected, so which one to try next?

Trout to select those wet flies most suitable for flooded or discoloured streams, again with an emphasis upon some contrast. Red and black Matukas, black or olive Woolly Buggers or any fly with some brightness about it would be ideal. An old favourite

of mine is the Alexandra.

It’s not seen much these days but it’s deadly in discoloured water for both rainbow and brown trout.

Ideal wet fly sizes are in the size 6-8 hook range.

If you’re fishing wet flies, don’t be afraid to upgrade the tippet (3kg may

not be too heavy) because discoloured water seems to encourage the largest trout in any pool to get into the action. New England streams were primarily rainbow waters back in the day, but it’s common to lead either a rainbow or a brown trout into the net these days.

That stream looks deceptively small, but with undercut banks it holds a very good number of trout.

LIGHT TACKLE DOES THE JOB When it comes to tackle, lighter is better, especially if the water is clear enough to require a very stealthy approach.

New England waters can clear within a couple of days after rain, and while fish will be feeding they will also be very alert.

Fine braid linked to fine but strong leaders will best suit the spin angler, while fly rodders can easily get by with either a 5wt or 6wt outfit in those high country creeks. I see it as 5wt water but others might think differently.

Trout are accustomed to eating very small morsels, so setting up trout spin gear with bass lures will be overdoing it. Tiny plastics on very light jigheads or tiny lures on well balanced spin tackle can avoid snagging, while a slow but quite erratic retrieve is the best one to induce a bite.

When conditions are right, fly anglers lucky enough to try their hand at dry fly fishing can rely on old faithfuls such as the Royal Wulff, Geehi Special, Adams or Red Tag, all in sizes 14-10, depending upon how fussy the fish are on the day.

So there you have it – an overview to help you on

Cicadas will be on the menu this month. your next excursion. Stream conditions are something we have no control of, but nothing can beat the feeling of being on a small, high country water at daylight on an opening morning.

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63

There is springtime gold in them there rivers ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

As the weather continues to warm we can expect the spring bite to hit its peak, especially below the weirs and regulators.

The golden perch have remained a regular catch and keep anglers interested amongst the carp. Around Swan Hill the regulators at Kangaroo Lake, Reidy Lake and Cow Swamp all fish well as the water starts to warm up. Lure or bait makes little

difference when the perch are on the chew.

Along the Murray River, Boundary Bend right through to Robinvale fishes well for golden perch on bait as the weather warms. Bobbing shrimp or small yabbies seems to be very effective in the pool water where it’s a little deeper.

Wemen on the Murray River has always fished well for golden perch on the edges of the eddies and backwaters close to the snags. The Wemen area is a regular bank fishing haunt for me should I crave a fresh feed of perch.

Below the weir at

Wentworth generally has a good run of perch during spring, with good mates easily bagging out on lures or bait on most sessions. It’s a similar story as you head downstream along the Murray, as almost every weir fishes well for perch once the waters starts to warm. Let’s hope it rains soon and our native fish have a good breeding season and the break they deserve.

COD SEASON WRAP UP Well that’s another Murray cod season done and dusted and the three-month closure should provide these iconic fish the respite

Clinton Hann with a nice size Murray cod caught from the Darling River on a StumpJumper lure before the close. required to propagate the next generation. The effects of the current drought might throw a hand brake on the breeding cycle, as there looks to be little chance of good rains and the follow up flows required to promote good recruitment. To look back on this past season in many of our local waters is to see a fishery that continues to feel the effects of the past two Blackwater events.

Fishing for Murray cod this season from just above Boundary Bend back up though Swan Hill was been very good. Good numbers of Murray cod up too and over the metre mark were landed in these waters on both bait

Pip Clement with a solid golden perch. These fish should continue to bite well as the weather warms up.

and lures. Once you get downstream Of Boundary Bend, cod captures quickly dropped away and those landed were small. This trend continued downstream along the Murray River through Belsar Island, Tol Tol and Robinvale. From there, Euston, Wemen, Hattah and Redcliffs was a similar story, with virtually no big fish captured the past two seasons.

It’s not until we got just above the Darling River Junction at Wentworth that we saw the odd sizable fish start to show. These have no doubt filtered back down from further up the Darling into the Murray River at Wentworth

and are slowly making their way back upstream. Very few large Murray cod have been caught in the next few locks down and its not until you venture into South Australia do you start to see large fish again.

The Darling River produced some very good cod on bait and lures this season, but without rain its days look numbered. The flow has stopped and a long hot summer will see it fall back to holes where the last time this happened the fish started dying. It was sheer luck that the rains came when they did last time, but what’s the odds of that happening again?

The final siren has blown for Murray cod YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

With the footy sirens echoing in the distance to signal the end to another season, stumps have also been pulled on the 2017-18 Murray cod fishing season. The best we can do this time of year is pray for some magic autumn days to bring on the yella early.

Traditionally, in Lake Mulwala and adjoining rivers above, around 20th October is the fire up date.

With minimal fishing activity at present, it gives us a chance to look back over the past cod season.

The season opened on a weekend that had the weather bureau predicting worlds end! Dire forecasts with 10+ inches of rain for the northeast put a bit of a dampener on things.

Ultimately, localised 64

OCTOBER 2018

predictions were that far wrong it was laughable and most anglers managed to wet a line.

Early season saw plenty of smaller cod captured, but as the weather warmed so did the fishing. The abundant amount of weed in the lake helped concentrate the cod and produced an incredible amount of meterys. Surface lures, wakebaits and swimbaits were all the rage. It seemed the bigger the lure the better the cod. Cod to 126cm were reported on a regular basis.

Mid May the plug was pulled on the lake in an effort to control the weed with prolonged exposure to frosts. During the dropping and eventual filling of the lake capture rates were exceptional, but in between pickings were slim due to limited access.

Those putting in kayaks had some fun but the boating brigade was left high and dry without any usable ramp. Once full the

final weeks of the season petered out with only the odd cod being caught by lure fishos. On the other hand,

the bait fishing brigade were landing cricket score numbers with plenty of quality amongst them. It’s

going to be interesting to see how the new breed of social media fishos adjust to a lake with no weed.

Matt Pejkovic with an 83cm late season cod!

“Casting structure, what’s that?” you say. It may not be as easy as cast it out, wind it in.

A general reminder to all that as of the 1 September through to 30 November inclusive, the targeting of Murray cod is not permitted, and the cray are off limits until next June. Fishing below the Yarrawonga Weir in the Murray River, through Cobram downstream to the traffic bridge at Tocumwal is completely closed to all forms of fishing.

Competition season is drawing closer by the day. If you are keen to get your name added to the Cod Classic, Golden Dollars, Dash 4 Cash, His and Hers Partners Classic or Cod Nationals mailing lists shoot me an e-mail at codclassic@ bigpond.com. For any info on upcoming events or fishing reports give us a call on 03 5744 3133.

We are yelling for yellas ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

The past month has seen rather slow results across the board, but luckily a few fish still made an appearance for me, which is always better than getting donuts every trip!

They say that our native species are fish of a 1000 casts, and if we are talking about recent results than I would strongly agree. But, that’s cod and yella fishing, you have to be prepared to work hard for results.

The areas I usually fish are the Albury and Wodonga regions, but as I said they have been quite slow. The Murray River is now flowing a lot more compared to when it was low in recent months. With plenty of structure exposed there are less areas for the fish to hide.

To better entice a hungry fish I’ve been trying to replicate natural presentations and bigger lures. Doing this usually makes the fish use their precious energy to feed on something worth eating.

I’ve spent plenty of time

casting, being cold and sometimes wet. Before closure, I caught a greedy yella on a swimbait.

I think next cod season will see plenty of yella by-catches, but hopefully a few more cod!

I’ve given trout fishing a bit of a crack lately. The Hume Weir spillway has been fishing okay, but not quite as well as it can fish.

A few fishos have been getting some decent trout down there from what I’ve seen and heard, but I haven’t managed to hook onto one there just yet. I also managed to fish the Khancoban Pondage, I only fished it using lures but other anglers using bait such as worms and mudeyes did much better than me. Early mornings and late afternoons were the best times to be out, which is usual for trout.

The Hume Weir has still been quite hard work from what I am told, there has apparently been the odd trout pop up for the people that are putting hours in, but it still hasn’t kicked into gear. I am planning to hit it up in search of some golden perch.

The end of cod season always means it’s time to put the cod lures away and get the trout and yella gear out.

At the end of September we had the

A greedy yellowbelly that couldn’t resist a swimbait.

Kuttafurra Challenge. I had the opportunity to fish Lake Eildon for three days with a couple of mates. It was great to fish for cod during the closed season, as at Lake Eildon you can chase cod all year round.

It’s time to find a few trout and yellas!

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Tori-Jane Kent caught this 1.2m Murray cod out of her kayak in the Namoi River near Gunnedah. After battling it out of snags and getting towed around the river, Tori finally got the lipgrips on and swam it to the bank for a quick photo before release.

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65

Gold rush has started!

CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

Lake Burley Griffin is fishing well. Although the action has been a little slow at times, overall the fish have been responding to lures, with redfin the

willing to put in a bit of work.

The condition of the fish that have come from ‘Lake G’ recently has been superb, and it is obvious that the weed outbreak during autumn had no effect on the fishes’ appetites. I have fished the lake several times over the last few months and haven’t

Redfin are usually easy to catch at this time of year using a variety of techniques, and are a lot of fun on light gear. predominant catch at present. October is a great time to target the oftenoverlooked ‘flats’ that line the shallow margins of the lake from Henry Rolland Park up to Recreation Hut. There are plenty of redfin pushing bait around in this area and these fish respond well to plastics, with a paddle-tail like the Ecogear Grass Minnow slow-rolled close to the bottom.

If you’re after a golden perch, cast vibes and blades 10-15m from the bank towards the middle of lake from the edges behind the National Gallery. A lot of big fish move through this area every year during spring and it is possible to land an absolute monster if you time your fishing around low light periods.

Lake Ginninderra has to be Canberra’s best spring fishery for those who want to target lunker yellas and are

landed a golden perch under 50cm, with some close to the 60cm mark!

The best place to start

around these areas should result in a bite.

Lake Tuggeranong continues to produce solid redfin for those working the flats around Greenway and the bay near Florence Taylor Street. These fish are responding well to plastics fished with a slow twitch and pause style retrieve, and the fish seem to prefer wrigglers as opposed to paddle-tail offerings. Keep the jighead really light, around 1/16oz, and downsize the leader to between 4-6lb, as the fish are skittish.

If after a golden perch, you can head to the boat ramp and cast at the structure around that area, as the better yellas are holding close to the reeds.

SURROUNDS Googong Dam is fishing quite well for golden perch and redfin. There are roving packs of redfin cruising the margins of the dam around Shannons Inlet, and these fish can be targeted with soft plastics in the 65-80mm range.

Usually these hungry fish will pick up the lure on the drop, but if they don’t, hop the lure a few times and

OCTOBER 2018

yellas school up in this area and can be caught by jigging blades on top of the school.

LOCKOUT WARNING The now withdrawn NSW recreational fishing lockout has had me thinking these

illegal fishing from the dam wall at Googong becoming an increasing problem this year. Opera house traps and set lines are also being used in the capital, despite the fact they are illegal and pose

doesn’t bare thinking about.

There is hope, however.

We are lucky in the ACT to have very active Parks Officers who enforce the rules and regulations pertaining to our native

ZX blades are a great choice when chasing goldens. casting from the bank or boat/yak is the old police jetty. Anglers should then work their way round to the flag pole near the Arts Centre. Plastics fished using a fast twitch retrieve or small vibes retrieved quickly

then pause the lure for up to 10 seconds so as to give the fish ample time to pick it up.

If fishing from a kayak or boat, head up towards the back of the dam and search for schools of fish with your sounder. Both reddies and

The fishing between the High Court and The National Gallery can be superb.

66

Lake Ginninderra is the author’s pick of waterways through spring. The numbers, size and condition of the fish on offer make it a great place to wet a line.

Googong is the perfect destination for spring yellowbelly action. last few weeks. Canberra is obviously not comparable to Sydney in terms of fish or fishing opportunities, nor indeed size and scale, but Canberra fishos could well face a similar ‘lockout’ discussion if a select few do not start doing the right thing.

Last October, I witnessed over a half dozen anglers lined along one edge of Lake Burley Griffin fishing with three rods each. In the ACT, each angler is allowed two rods when fishing.

Unfortunately, these anglers were also catching large quantities of golden perch and throwing the fish into buckets. Each angler had kept undersized fish and had reached their bag limit many times over. The rubbish situation around the group was also out of control.

Sadly, this incident is just the tip of iceberg, with

a significant threat to native fish and wildlife.

I recently heard that Googong could be shut permanently if illegal fishing continues at the dam. If this was to occur, I wonder how long it would be until other waterways around our region were closed to anglers. It

species and respond quickly to reports of illegal fishing.

I think reporting these anglers is the only way we are going to get on top of this increasing problem. If we all do our bit to stop illegal fishing, hopefully talk of lockouts here in Canberra will quickly die down.

Carp are an exciting by-catch in October and you’ll be doing Lake Burley Griffin a favour by humanely dispatching these pests.

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Golden days on rivers and lakes WAGGA WAGGA

Rhys Creed

The cool nights are well and truly gone and we now have amazing warm

so much to do in October!

There’s so many different fishing styles, places you can visit and species to target!

BLOWERING DAM October is a magical month to visit this beautiful

more aggressively. Try to find the balls of twiggy trees, as the fish will be schooled in these areas and usually in large numbers.

Casting small curl and paddle-tail soft plastics at

There are some big fat yellas in amongst the smaller school fish. weather, which makes for great fishing! October is an amazing month, as there is so much activity

lake. The golden perch should now be in full swing and will be schooling up and feeding throughout the

Fat golden perch like this one are common, and they love feeding on slowrolled soft plastics during October. above and below the water.

Golden perch especially react well to the warmer weather as they come out of hibernation. There is

lake. During September they begin to move and can be seen sitting in the shallows warming up, but now they will be feeding

all the gaps of the trees works best. The PowerBait and Gulp range are my favourite, with the Minnow Grub and T-Tails being the pick. Natural and dark colours work best when rigged on a 1/4oz jighead with a size 1 hook; I find this is a good all-round size.

When fishing the trees, try to cast past the sides or through the gaps and allow the plastic to sink. On the first cast only let it sink halfway down in the water column, and then slowly fish it deeper, because the fish could be sitting anywhere in the bottom half of the water column.

Blades, lipless crankbaits, small spinnerbaits and diving hardbody lures will work as well.

Some fish might start to school up on the rocky points, but this will most likely happen in late October and through to November.

As you will have heard by now, Blowering Dam is open to targeting cod year round, and October is a great month to chase some green fish! They will be extremely active, especially the smaller and mid-sized fish. After a long cold winter they need to feed up and will be a great target.

Fishing the rocky banks at the wall end will be the best option. Fishing close to the bottom with lipless crankbaits around 80-100mm, smaller soft plastics between 100-150mm and swimbaits should eventually see you hooked up.

TUMUT RIVER The opening of trout season means the Tumut River is at the top of the list! Nothing beats targeting trout in the spring and the fish in the river will be extremely active with the warmer days.

The river will be high, but this doesn’t mean you can’t catch quality fish.

Both spin and fly can be used and the best option is to target the edges of the river. If you are spinning, the best technique for fishing the high flows is to cast the diving hardbody

Tallis with a backwater brown trout that he spotted cruising in the shallow edges of the Tumut River. visual style of fishing. The best flies at this time of year are nymphs, as the fish won’t be actively hitting the surface yet.

MURRUMBIDGEE RIVER AND OLD MAN CREEK Golden perch in these two systems will be extremely active and worth

LAKE ALBERT If you’re after a quick spot to fish close to home, make sure you give the lake a visit. It will fish really well before it gets too warm, as it’s only a shallow lake.

Bait fishing and using small lipless crankbaits are perfect to target the mass of golden perch that call

Left: Mitch with a beautiful Murrumbidgee River golden that took a slow-rolled spinnerbait.

Right: Rubber knotless nets are the best for fish survival.

Tallis nailed this small school golden perch that came from the ball of twiggy trees in the background.

68

OCTOBER 2018

diagonally down and across river, engage your reel and allow it to swing across the stream and the lure will work due to the current flow. Continue to cast at different distances and then work your way downstream.

If you are fly fishing, the best technique is to look for cruising fish. This is an extremely addictive and

a trip this month. Be careful not to fish the heavy timber or use large lures to avoid catching Murray cod. With the closed season, we need to leave them alone to allow them to breed.

Try using small 50-60mm diving hardbody lures and small 1/2oz spinnerbaits. Fishing the willows and spindly timber is a good start.

the lake home. It’s a great place to take the kids for the afternoon. Try to fish the gutters and the deeper areas in the lakes. The drains on the eastern shore line are also good spots to find schooling fish.

There are so many options in the region this month! Make sure you get out and enjoy some great spring days!

Great trout fishing in a rising Tantangara SNOWY LAKES

Rod Allen

The lack of rain and need for power generation had the three main storages of Eucumbene, Jindabyne and Tantangara dropping in level over winter, but with a record snow season, things are beginning to change.

Eucumbene and Jindabyne have both steadied, while Tantangara has been slowly rising into the meadows and tussocks as the snowmelt makes its way into the lake.

pheasant tail nymph retrieved over likely soaks and drop offs or to sighted fish is as effective as ever. Boat anglers can launch with relative ease at the earth ramp near the dam wall and can cover a lot more area and more remote banks.

Trolling straight up along the steep edge adjacent to the boat ramp and on towards the Murrumbidgee arm with Tassie Devils, Cobras and Bullets is producing some great catches for the boaties.

EUCUMBENE Lake Eucumbene is still fishing very well, with well-

wall with ford fenders, cow bells and a trailing scrubworm is a bit of a forgotten tactic, but has pulled some rippers out of late.

Flyfishing Eucumbene has been excellent all winter and that trend looks to continue into and beyond spring. Tactics have been a little bit ‘horses for courses’, but the dull overcast days with a bit of surface ripple are perfect to confidentially search blindly with wets in fishy looking areas, knowing its only a matter of time before a trout intercepts

Sam Watts with a stunning Tantangara brown.

The author took this healthy brown from Tantangara.

TANTANGARA Tantangara has been a joy to fish and a great alternative to the muddy shorelines of Eucumbene. This rise in water is providing a smorgasbord of different food items to the trout. Tangy’s fish are keen to enter into these new areas to take advantage of the easy pickings. Shore-based anglers who walk high off the edge, looking for movements or nervous water in the grassed margins have done well by placing an unweighted worm, fly or small lure into the zone.

Casting soft plastics and working them with a slow roll or twitch and pause retrieve in amongst the grass has also been great sport.

Fly fishing the old faithful Woolly Bugger or

conditioned trout being taken on all methods. Bait anglers continue to take the cruising browns on the lake’s edge with scrubworms, grubs and PowerBait. Windy days on muddy banks are definitely the most productive, as the fish confidently patrol very close to the bank in the cover of murky water.

Soft plastics are a gun lure at the moment, especially when fished around the boulders and wave-pounded yabby beds.

Flat line trolling with Tassie Devils, Cobras and wobblers has been excellent in general, but on those rare still glassy days, it will pay to troll a bit deeper with deep diving lures, or use a down rigger.

Trolling at 8m around the dam

your fly. You can also take a more subtle approach of polaroiding the margins and flats on the still days.

Eucumbene’s trout are on the hunt, and rarely does a fish not put all its efforts into making sure prey item doesn’t get away from being its next meal. Largeprofiled wets like Buggers, Simpsons, yetis and Fuzzy Wuzzies are the usual first choices. We are starting to see a bit of spasmodic surface activity, but not quite enough to dedicate the day to dry fly, but it won’t be long before this is our game plan.

Launching of boats is restricted to old Adaminiby and the dam wall. Buckenderra Holiday Park has put in a lovely

new 130m long ramp that will cater to launching boats down to lake levels of 30%.

JINDABYNE Jindabyne is one of my favourite places to fish, and with great cafes and bakeries nearby it makes for an easy and convenient destination.

Huge Atlantic salmon to 7.5kg and feisty brook trout to 4kg are on offer and are the target of a lot of anglers.

The majority of the monsters are taking large flashy lures such as Rapalas, wobblers and Tassie Devils either trolled or cast from the bank. Flat line trolling is

accounting for great angling, with many achieving the Snowies grand slam of Atlantic salmon and brook, rainbow and brown trout in the one day. Salmon and brook trout hotspots are from Widows Creek to Wollondibby Inlet and from Hatchery Bay to Waste Point.

Bait fishing Wollondibby, Hatchery and Hay Shed Bays with PowerBait, scrubworms and grubs picking up good rainbows and browns.

Night or the low light periods of dawn and dusk been the best times with Jindy

Buggers, Bushy’s Horrors and Matukas. Otherwise, searching the depths of east Jindy and with sink tips and intermediates through the nicer days is another a great way to connect to a fish.

• The 45th annual Snowy Mountains trout festival will be running from Saturday 3 November to Friday 9 November. For your chance to share in $30,000 worth of prizes or more info go to www.troutfestival.com.au, or call us at Alpine Angler on (02) 6452 5538, find and message us on Facebook or drop in to the shop.

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Gaden Trout Hatchery A typical Tantangara ‘soak’.

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Closed Anzac, Christmas, Boxing day.

Guided tours 10 am and 2 pm.

Self-guided tours on selected days.

Small admission fee.

A prime example of a Jindy Atlantic salmon.

leaping fish * 4 species * aquaria, ponds, AV show * beautifulbreeding picnic–BBQ area * smoked trout sale * find out about for kids fishing workshops. *

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Gaden Rd (off Kosciuszko Rd) Jindabyne. 02 6451 3400 www.dpi.nsw.gov.au OCTOBER 2018

69

October is the month to chase yellas and trout BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

If you could only fish Blowering Dam one month a year then I think most

when pretty much every species in the dam is firing.

Mixed bags of fish are a common occurrence, and you can never anticipate what species of fish is going to hit your lure, bait or fly next.

find trout, redfin, hybrid carp and even Murray cod hitting their offerings. This makes for some very exciting fishing by anyone’s standards.

GOLDEN PERCH This month the golden perch will still be sitting up

Rattling lipless crankbaits, like the Slap Walker, will be the standout golden perch producer at Blowering Dam this month. anglers would have to choose October. It is one of the few months of the year

Although golden perch are the main target species at this time of year, anglers often

in the shallows and can be targeted a number of ways.

Land-based anglers will do

deeper areas or when the wind is really blowing, it pays to go heavier with a 1/4oz jighead.

TUMUT RIVER After quite a long wait the trout season is finally underway. What level the river will be flowing at is anyone’s guess, but whether the flow is low or high there will be plenty of anglers out getting their first trout fix for the year.

You will need your heavy trout gear to give yourself a fighting chance if the river is in high flow but if the flow is low (under 1000ML) then I recommend you go as light as you dare.

Lure fishing with the local favourite, the Tassie Devil, can be productive in the high flows, but it is always good to try something different to increase your chances of catching those big educated trout.

The river was in medium to high flow for the first month or so of the season last year and the gun lure and technique was casting down and across stream with a sinking minnow.

Small lipless crankbaits in natural and trout colours work well in the high flows, as do small soft plastics rigged on fairly heavy jigheads around the 1/8-1/2oz mark depending on the flow.

Bait drifters can have good results in the high flows as well. Rigging your bait so that it is slowly drifting along the bottom will also work in the low

Col Robinson with a beast brown trout from a tiny trout stream small enough to step over. If the trout fishing in our creeks is even half as good as last season it is going to be another memorable one. flows. However, if the river is in low flow it is hard to beat casting with small spinners with feathered rear trebles like Rooster Tails and Bling Spins.

To achieve the best results with these lures it is best to jump in the river and walk upstream casting ahead of yourself the whole way.

Flyfishos get good results from weighted nymphs, but glow bugs fished under a big dry fly

also have their moments at this time of year.

It is worth noting that regardless of flow the Tumut River fishes really well at the beginning of the season as most fish have just finished spawning and are keen to put some weight back, so they will be out gorging themselves on anything that fits in their mouths.

So, dust off the trout gear and go get amongst them. I know I will be!

It’s worth braving the cold starts associated with October when fish like this are on offer.

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OCTOBER 2018

well bait fishing with small yabbies or garden worms.

Anglers casting lures from the bank will do really well targeting golden perch that are tucked up against the banks and within easy casting range.

This early in the season it is hard to beat casting and trolling rattling lipless crankbaits like Slap Walkers and Mazzy Vibes.

If you find you are getting more follows then hits from the golden perch try using a lure without a rattle or too much flash.

Soft plastics in the 2-3” range are perfect and will get those followers to strike when all else is failing.

Match the weight of the jighead to suit the depth of water you’re fishing and you should catch fish all day long. On the really shallow banks and bays, a 1/16oz jighead is perfect. If fishing

One of the hundreds of big Tumut River trout fooled by the rainbow trout coloured SSO Minos last season. Break out the trout gear and go get amongst them.

Yellow fever is hitting us hard this October LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

It is like a disease of sorts, particularly in my neck of the woods at this time of year. It can strike early, and many believe it may be linked to late winter wattletree blossoms. It begins with a real itching, an itching for encounters

it is once the penny drops, usually after your first captured fish, then muscle memory kicks in and before you know it you’re catching them hand over fist.

If you ever get the chance to watch a golden perch in clear water, hold off trying to catch it, the observations you make will take you forward in leaps and bounds. The body position of the fish will tell you a lot. Head down

from very close range, herein lies my next bit of advice, light line and the outfit to go with it. Finesse fishing is king.

Dropping down to a very thin 4lb leader on clear bright sunny days with no wind, it can make a big difference.

Obviously hooking and landing them on such light gear can be challenging, but in open water with some smooth rod work it can be done. I wouldn’t recommend

Its potential to produce big golden perch has been proven many times, just a lot of water mixed in with them. That could change with levels and weather

get your reel into gear and you’re on.

Rolling black soft plastic grubs in the trees is by far the most consistent way of catching them, and you could

on. Lures used for both species generally cross over quiet well. One thing is for sure, you will know straight away when you hook a bass, their power and speed is

Wyangala’s golden perch are nearly always smaller, and quite often resemble the fish you catch in the rivers below. Very feisty on light tackle and a well-presented Viking Talisman.

Yellow fever can start at a young age – Muz was infected early. It’s a disease that’s definitely handed down from generation to generation. of the yellow kind. That’s right, golden perch are in Windamere Dam. I’ve had it bad for way too long and there’s not a chance I’d go looking for a cure.

and tail up is a defensive rest position, levelled out and slowly on the move is a feed position. They feed on much smaller species like the tiny baitfish, shrimp and

this approach grubbing in the trees, which could get very expensive.

Please take these two pieces of advice as being very general. Things change

predictions. Keep it on the radar, things could get very interesting there this spring.

Wyangala offers some great opportunities for golden perch fishing as well.

Generally speaking they will be smaller fish but this will well and truly be made up for in the numbers game. Bait fishing off the bank for them can be pretty hectic at times, so don’t count on reading any pages in a good book.

Lure fishing for them can be interesting, casting rocky wind-blown shores, sometimes they are so tight to the bank you don’t even

say that for all three of the dams mentioned. So much so that you will struggle to buy any black soft plastic locally, so I suggest you stock up.

WHILE ON THE SUBJECT OF ‘B’ Bass and brown trout are two species that you would not normally associate with catching together in the same place, but it’s a viable option during the month of October in Lake Lyell.

For most of the year they tend to generally sit or move at different water depths but that all changes in spring, especially early

unmistakable. All I can say is good luck, especially in the vicinity of any drowned black wattle.

Walking the banks of Lake Lyell polaroiding the big browns is totally underrated.

I’m surprised more anglers don’t participate, especially flyfishos.

In saying that, it’s no push over. With catch rates way down on what you see on a good day, but observing these fish for me is half the thrill.

Hope to see you on the water soon until then tight lines.

DAM LEVELS Bass and brown trout mix in water depths during spring in Lake Lyell. You’ll know when you’ve hooked a bass, but by then it’s usually too late.

In recent years I’ve enjoyed convincing and showing fishos from all over the country of its fishing potential, those who may have struggled in past years.

By far the biggest improvement anglers can make when fishing for golden perch with lures in Windamere Dam is slowing down. It sounds simple and

small yabbies. What they eat offers very little in the way of resistance. If they miss out on a feed because it’s too fast and gets away, chances are they won’t have to wait long for another hapless small critter to come into view.

Ultimately, they are very lazy fish.

In clear water they get to observe what they are eating

daily, hourly sometimes.

For example, aggressive spawning behaviour in a school of randy male golden perch can have them smashing lures nearly as big as them on line you’d use to pull the cruiser out of a bog.

THE BIG ‘B’ Burrendong is a massive body of water, intimidating, especially when full.

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

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

Dam July August Sept Blowering 68 73 73 Brogo 87 82 66 Burrendong 36 34 29 Burrinjuck 40 41 42 Carcoar 55 55 55 Chaffey 56 54 52 Clarrie Hall n/a 99 99 Copeton 27 25 23 Dartmouth 89 90 88 Eucumbene 24 12 20 Glenbawn 67 65 64 Glenlyon 49 48 46

Dam July August Sept Glennies Creek 69 67 67 Hume 44 47 52 Jindabyne 63 33 65 Keepit 11 11 11 Lostock 100 98 97 Oberon 58 55 54 Pindari 59 58 55 Split Rock 14 14 14 Tantangara 30 35 55 Toonumbar 100 96 91 Windamere 41 40 40 Wyangala 61 60 56

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

OCTOBER 2018

71

Out of their slumber and on to the reaction bite HUNTER VALLEY

Peter Phelps

Now that October is here, spring has really set in.

Looking at the long-range forecast is still scary, as always I am ever hopeful that heavy rains are just around the corner. The water will be starting to really warm up this month and the fish will start to become more aggressive with what they like to feed on. October usually stamps the beginning of the reaction bite in Hunter Valley. The majority of fish have lost their winter

NEW

weight and will now target a lot of different styles of bait. Even with the dry conditions the lakes and rivers in the Hunter should be fishing well. The water temperatures should be getting to around 20° and above. This will bring the golden perch in the lakes out of their winter slumber and on the chew.

Lake Glenbawn has suffered the worst out of the two lakes from the drought.

This will have bass slightly split on what depth they are relating to. The dropping levels will keep some deeper schooled fish pushed out off the banks and relating to

deep drop offs and creek bed swings. Trolling deep diving crankbaits is a great way to target these bass.

The schools can be quite mobile and move from spot to spot each day. Trolling is a great way to cover water and locate these fish. Staying close to tree lines and creek bed will see you catch bass and golden perch this month. For those wanting to cast, lures that produce some vibration will be key.

Tail spinners, blades and heavy spinnerbaits would be my first choice once you have found some fish on the sounder. It is best to try dragging a skirted jig and trailer or slow rolling a plastic if the vibrating lure doesn’t get any attention.

The other bass in the lake to target this month are the ones living shallow in less than 15ft. These can

a good place to start with an early morning topwater lure this month. St Clair is a renowned topwater fishery and the warming weather brings out the insect life, which gets the bass looking towards the surface for their next meal. Try fast-moving baits first up to encourage a reaction strike over the top of weed. Walkers, paddlers, and prop bait work well for this.

If that doesn’t work, slow down and add lots of pauses.

If your topwater is not getting attention a subsurface reaction or vibration lure is your next best bet.

Spinnerbaits and bladed jigs in the 3/8-1/2oz range and natural colours drifted over the weed and into gaps and holes should bring some fish. These styles of lures work well around weed with their ability to pop out of weed easily due to their semi

Chatterbaits

The author with a decent river bass.

Spinnerbaits

Clackerbaits

0428 462 397

www.obsessionspinnerbaits.com.au The author with a Lake St Clair bass caught over the weed.

Aberdeen Fishing & Outdoors LOOK FOR THE BOAT ABOVE THE VET CENTRE

“Tackle for real anglers!”

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LAKE ST CLAIR

ABERDEEN Phone 69 New England Hwy, [02] 6543 7111 Aberdeen NSW 2336

www.aberdeenfishingandoutdoors.com.au 72

OCTOBER 2018

be temperamental to get bites from and fishing the low light is always the best time. They will be spread out through the entire lake, if you can find any shallow weed, otherwise rock and timber will hold fish. In the right conditions these fish will take just about anything you throw at them. Any vibration lure like a spinnerbait, bladed jig, crankbait and even a plastic will work. With the dry conditions surface lures will also start to come into play this month on these shallow fish, as they may be looking up for food with the lack of bait.

Lake St Clair weed is just holding on with the dropping levels. This month there hopefully will still be a nice little band around the lake, which in perfect for targeting the bass and golden perch. With the weed that is left these areas will always hold the bigger fish at St Clair. The back of most bays should have weed in their deeper sections. These are

snagless setup of a single upward facing hook. Lipless crankbaits are another great lure for targeting fish in weed. Try using a retrieve with your rod at 45° upwards, hop the lipless crankbait into holes and down the face of

the weed. Once the shallow reaction moving bait bite slows up, try dragging a skirted jig and trailer along the weed and into holes.

Moving out slightly wider a hopped blade or crankbait swam along the weed drop off works well after the sun is up high as well. There will always be some schools of smaller fish sitting out just wide of the weed in 12-25ft.

These fish will be active as well taking 1/4-3/8oz jighead rigged plastics with blades attached and slow rolled or hopped blades.

The rivers and streams in the Hunter will start to fish well this month. The vast amount of bass that moved downstream to spawn will have started their migration back. Some of the smaller

creeks will start to see increased numbers of fish from now on, although water flow will restrict how far they can move up. These bass will be hungry after the spawn and travelling great distances. All your typical spring lures will come into play. A spinnerbait is a good search bait for locating bass in your local river. Moving quickly through sections until you catch a fish or get a bite, from here you can slow down and pick the area apart.

Where there is one fish there will often be more. Work weedless plastics or hop a small blade around these areas after the spinnerbait stops catching. Once the light gets low, these river bass love a topwater lure all the way through until summer.

The drought has certainly taken its toll on local lakes, but there are still fish to be caught.

Waiting for the rain to fall NEW ENGLAND RIVERS

Adam Townsend

The wattle has well and truly bloomed across the New England in recent weeks, however the frosty mornings and colder nights are still hanging around.

Little rainfall over the last several months has the rivers and impoundments in very low conditions compared to this time last year. In saying that there are some nice fish being caught throughout the area still.

Copeton Dam has been the pick of the lot with yellowbelly and Murray cod being caught around the dam lately. Yellowbelly have started schooling up in good numbers and a well-presented lure or bait can usually see some good quality fish being caught. My two favourite techniques for this time of year when targeting perch are hopping blades or vibes down rocky points mimicking a crayfish, or slow trolling vibes through bait schools trying to

replicate a spangled perch, or ‘bobby cod’, as some people may know them.

Both are really effective methods on any perch species and sometimes the Murray cod like to come along and eat the smaller lures as well, which can make for some pretty exciting fishing.

With that in mind, and with the warmer water temperatures around this time of year, I would recommend getting yourself a release weight if you are intending on looking after

A healthy Copeton Dam Murray cod that ate a lure intended for golden perch.

your catch, as our Aussie native fish are known to suffer from barotrauma if brought up from cold or deeper waters. This time last year Copeton was sitting at over 50% capacity, this year it is sitting around 24% leaving old fish haunts well up out of the water.

Pindari Dam is in a similar position with its water levels as it is currently sitting at about half the capacity from this time last year, just up over the 50% mark. There have been no updates from DPI Fisheries about the fish kill that happened several weeks back, but a recent trip to the dam was pretty disheartening with big fish of all species still laying along the edges of the dam, some only a couple of days old. Hopefully with little boating and fishing pressure and some solid spring rains in the near future the dam can recover and come back to life again in no time.

The Beardy River has now opened for trout fishing. If you are looking at fishing this waterway make sure you ask permission from landowners first as most of the rivers edge is privately owned.

The Severn River is currently closed for Murray

The spring bite is truly here ORANGE

Michael Collison thegurusgear@gmail.com

Golden are on the bite over at Lake Windermere. The fishing over there at the moment is great and with a good sounder you can find schools of fish. The fish are there and in numbers. The only tricky thing is actually getting one to bite. Once you get one fish to commit you are in. You will surely catch 3-4 in that many casts.

The best way to target yellas is by using ZX40 blades and targeting flats and the base’s of trees. You can also roll plastic up tree but I find it a bit harder as the weed on the tree is really thick. If you do, my go to lure is ZX40 as it has a

smaller profile and gets a lot of bait and fish into the boat.

As the old saying goes, ‘fish light to get the bite’. It is very true this time of year. An 8lb main line is as heavy as I will go and 6lb for the leader.

The best way to use ZX40 is a slow lift and lower, as the yella will sit behind your lure for five or six lifts before committing to your lure.

When I get to the dam I will drive around the water with my sounders and look for fish. It might take an hour or so but when I start fishing I am truly fishing. I am on fish all the time. The key to catching a lot of yellas is time on the water and using your sounder.

The technique will change day to day. It comes down to a few factors, with cloud cover and water temp being the two big one I use to find where the

Using a sounder is the best way to find schooling fish.

Small lure, big mouth! Downsizing can sometimes pay off. cod breeding season. There have been no golden perch catches reported of late.

Good luck to all getting

out on the water this month and I hope you get to enjoy some awesome spring fishing. Tightlines.

A perfect example of a pig golden perch, caught while hopping small vibes across the bottom.

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Golden on the first cast of the morning on a ZX40. yellas will be sitting and biting.

The best time of day is during low light if you’re wanting to get a lot more fish in your boat.

• For all your tackle needs, as well as caravans, camper trailers and marine and outdoor equipment, drop into Canobolas Caravan & Marine Centre. You can find them on 166-172 Bathurst Road, Orange, call them on 02 6361 3014 or visit their website at www.canobolasmarine.com. au. Canobolas is the local supplier for Jayco, Quintrex, XFI, Skicraft, Mercury, Evinrude and more.

• For all the latest info on what’s biting and where, drop into Tackle World Orange at 66 Peisley St, Orange or call them on (02) 6361 8924. You can also see the latest specials and catches at www.facebook. com/TackleWorldOrangeNSW.

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OCTOBER 2018

73

Cania Gorge’s Big 4 Holiday Park fishing haven BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Most of us have our favourite holiday destinations. Not surprisingly, many of these places are close to fishing areas, and that’s one of the reasons why the Cania Gorge Big 4 Tourist Park right is on the top of the list of my favourite camping/ fishing destinations. It’s 5km from the ramp on Lake Cania, making it ideally placed for access to this impoundment.

The park is 35km north of the town of Monto and

is situated virtually on the boundary of the 3000 hectare Cania Gorge National Park with its legendary buffcoloured sandstone cliffs.

The overall size of the Park is 9 hectares (23 acres for us old timers), and it’s set in a rural yet tidy bush setting far from any traffic or other noise. This quiet ambience is one of the things that draws us back each year.

The park is a no-fuss, quiet place to stay without any of the off-putting after-dark revelry (if an awful din can be called that) that has ruined a good night’s sleep at some of the other fishing/camping locations we’ve stayed at.

Cania Gorge’s sandstone cliffs, reflected in the water, are a fabulous sight.

The Kampe’s camp – modest but very enjoyable.

NO TENT OR CARAVAN; NO WORRIES The Cania Gorge Holiday Park is big on available accommodation.

There are 27 units, consisting of luxury Hillside Villas, 1 and 2 bedroom Villas, en suite cabins and units (some with air con), and studio and standard cabins for visitors who require on-site accommodation.

There

Cania Gorge

LAKE CANIA - ONE OF THE TOP

4 STOCKED DAMS IN

QUEENSLAND!

www.caniagorge.com.au

WOOD FIRED PIZZA SATURDAY NIGHTS

Bush Walks

Boating

Fishing

are also numerous caravan sites and general camping areas, with ample shade for the warmer months. 150 powered sites are available – many catering for caravans with concrete pads – and there are 100 unpowered sites as well spread over a large flat area interspersed with trees and neat roads.

Throughout the park there’s also Telstra phone service and an internet booth.

One of the most impressive features about this unique tourist park is the sense of freedom and friendliness that makes it so attractive to families as well as those of us that value relaxation as much as our fishing. The sound of youngsters laughing the jumping pillow or in one of the three swimming pools is limited to daylight hours, while at night you can just relax by the camp fire. There’s also live entertainment and outdoor movie nights (on the

house) on selected nights, as well as every night in school holidays.

BIRD LOVER’S PARADISE The resident wildlife is one of the big drawcards at this 4-star holiday park.

like creatures) turning up after dark to say hello. Birds abound as well, with doves, pigeons, apostle birds, grey-crowned babblers, currawongs, and assorted kookaburras all trying to cadge a few crumbs at lunch time. At virtually any given time there are colourful lorikeets and king parrots also moving around camp sites through the day, and they form big flocks to be hand fed in at 4.30pm.

CULINARY DELIGHTS For the enjoyment of visitors, the friendly staff provide free billy tea and damper at 10am. On Friday nights there’s fish and chips on the menu from the main kitchen, and on Saturday nights there’s pizza and wine tasting. The woodfired pizzas are turned out from a big baker’s oven set into the camp fire area at the rear of what’s quaintly known as the ‘Big Shed’.

It can seat up to 80 people in its dining area, making it ideal for weddings.

There’s also a conference room catering for up to 70

One of the park’s two well-kept camp kitchens.

Where else would you find a friendly whiptail wallaby sitting happily at the camp site, or a few little bettongs (small, wallaby-

people. Surround sound and an overhead projector are provided, along with an electronic white board and laptop connections. At

Kayaking

l Events Room l Bird Feeding l Jumping Pillows l Pools & Water Park Complex l Outdoor Movies l Bettongs l Wine Tasting l Tennis Court l Open Fires l Self Drive 4WD Trips tion Major Annual Fishing Competi l Camp Oven Dinner er emb on the 2nd weekend in Nov l Morning Tea l Challenging nine hole golf course l Plenty of Red Claw n Creek 5 kms from our carava Situated on the Three Moon ts. ris attraction to our tou park Lake Cania is a very big dams in Qld, and has been d It is one of the top 4 stocke ga.

Bass, Yellow Belly and Sarato stocked with fish including ation holds its...

Cania Fish Stocking Associ 07 4167 8188 Cania Dam Rd, Cania Gorge, QLD 74

OCTOBER 2018

info@caniagorge.com.au

One for the author from the main basin, note the sandstone cliffs in the background.

the main office there’s an expertly used cappuccino machine for tired travellers to revive themselves.

Campers can avail themselves of the extensive facilities at the two very well set up camp kitchens with their gas BBQs (TVs are also handy) for users to enjoy at their convenience.

At the big shed there are also camp oven cuisine demonstrations where you can watch the experts going about their business.

Pizza cooking is also a big

attraction, with wine tasting nearby of course.

Some of the other interesting features of the Cania Gorge Holiday Park are the tennis courts, par 3 golf course, walking tracks and 4WD tracks nearby within the National Park proper.

WHAT ABOUT THE FISHING? You knew I’d come to this – I have saved the best for last! Lake Cania is one of really great places to fish for bass, saratoga and red

claw. And because it’s some distance away from the main southern population centres, the fish don’t get such a hiding that they disperse and head for cover as soon as a sounder turns on over them.

Cania is an interesting lake, with quite a few bays off a main arm that stretches west, then north, then meanders like a giant snake as it shallows into heavily timbered areas. It isn’t one of those sprawling lakes where you can become confused or lost, but it’s

Bird feeding time at the Park is a great draw card for visitors and birds alike.

often get double hook-ups – something Denise and I experienced on our trip there recently.

A Stocked Impoundment Permit (SIP) is required to fish the lake, and there are no restrictions on engines, starting times or other impediments to a fun day on the water. The ramp is a beauty, with plenty of parking. In all, it’s a great place to fish.

At the time of our visit the entire Monto Shire was in dire need of rain, so things were a bit parched. However, by the time of publication there will doubtlessly have been storms, and the area will return to its usual emerald green state.

Water slides and pools, just the place for everyone to have fun. blessed with sufficient standing timber in most of the bays and smaller side arms to provide ideal habitat for both bass and toga as well as silver perch. Even anglers fishing from small tinnies have ample areas to fish in safety due to the sheltered water.

In many instances schooling bass can be found right in the main basin, virtually within sight of the ramp, which is handy. There was a massive toga feeding on bony bream right at the ramp when we launched last month, but we just could not tempt the rascal.

Doubtless many others have tried as well.

Because of the large population of bony bream,

Cania bass are fat strong. A 50cm fish is uncommon, and when fish are on the job you

and not the can

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75

Big family fun flathead fishing tournament The 2018 Berkley Urunga Sport Fishing Flathead Tournament is once again fast approaching. This is their fifth year; the

coastal town of Urunga to participate in this fun well-run event.

The coastal country town of Urunga, located

Brett with a winning fish at last year’s tournament.

Tournament has officially earned a permanent annual place on the calendar. Anglers from far and wide are eager to come back to the picture perfect

where the Bellinger and Kalang rivers meet the sea, provides a quiet and relaxed atmosphere in an area that is known for great all year round climate,

beaches and tranquil rivers.

Not to mention some of the best fishing the NSW north coast has on offer. And only a short 15min drive south of Coffs Harbour.

Their goal is to provide you with the best value for money fun fishing competition you can participate in. So together with their sponsors they have put together some mind blowing gift packs for the first 300 competitors to register.

Your entry automatically puts you in the entrant only random draw.

They really strive for this to be more than just a fishing competition, and are building on an already great reputation amongst the fishing community with their major prizes awarded via an entrant only random draw.

The success of their previous competitions is allowing them to raise the stakes every year and provide better and bigger prizes. They have collaborated with their sponsors to put together a massive prize pool including an awesome Clarke boat/ Suzuki outboard motor and trailer package valued at around $9,000 supplied by North Coast Boating Centre for the last ticket drawn out of the barrel.

This year we have organized a flathead info talk night on Thursday 8 November to be held at

the largest tackle store in the world, MOTackle & Outdoors in Coffs Harbour.

This will kick off after 5pm; there will be a BBQ on the night, with guest speakers from the Berkley Australia pro team and plenty of information to help you catch more fish.

As for the fishing side of the tournament, they have a ‘teams’ category, making this event even more fun for the whole family or you and your mates. This is in addition to the opportunity to compete as individuals in your respective categories.

All fish are to be caught on lure and fly, either by casting or trolling, measured on your supplied Softgaff Accumat, photographed, recorded and then released.

The primary target species is flathead, although they do offer four awards for by-catch species randomly picked over the weekend.

For more information including signing up and

Ross had a great time trying to land this flathead during the 2017 tournament. registering for the event check out their website www.urungasportfishing. com.au or jump onto

their Facebook page, Berkley Urunga Estuary Sport Fishing Flathead Tournament.

The opportunity to compete in teams means you can have fun with the family or a group of mates.

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR

Brought to you by

2018

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

13-14 Oct

ABT BREAM Series Round 9 South West Rocks

abt.org.au

20-21 Oct

ABT BASS Australian Open Lake Glenbawn

abt.org.au

21 Oct

GF WSBB East Coast Bream Series Parramatta River

www.wsbb.com.au

3-4 Nov

Round 8 Hobie Kayak Bream Series Lake Macquarie

www.hobiefishing.com.au

9-11 Nov

Berkley Urunga Sport Fishing Flathead Urunga Sailing Club

www.urungasportfishing.com.au

19 Nov

ABT BARRA Tour Round 1 Kinchant Dam (evening event)

abt.org.au

20 Nov

ABT BARRA Tour Round 2 Teemburra Dam (evening event)

abt.org.au

21 Nov

ABT BARRA Tour Round 3 Peter Faust (Night Championship)

abt.org.au

23-24 Nov

ABT BARRA Tour Round 4 Peter Faust (evening event)

abt.org.au

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au or calling 07 3387 0800 in office hours.

Just supply a date, venue, tournament name and a telephone number and contact name.

76

OCTOBER 2018

2018 Cod Classic reigns again Excitement is building in the lead up to the 19th Lake Mulwala Yamaha Cod Classic fishing competition. Off the back of a 2017 tournament that was decimated by dire

weather forecasts that never eventuated, this year is going to be huge, rain, hail or shine! The Cod Classic celebrates the opening to cod season and is an iconic event on the Australian fishing calendar, not to be missed.

An estimated 3000 anglers will be looking to share in the huge prize pool that totals in excess of $200,000. There will be seven boating packages on offer, as well as a Toyota Hilux ute, the chance to spend

30 seconds in a cash grab machine, a list of major goods too long to mention, along with 1000+ minor lucky door prizes. After the completion of this year’s event, a staggering total of 110 boating packages will have been given away

through the Cod Classic since its inception.

An enticing prize of a $60,000 Toyota Hilux ute is on offer for any competing angler who manages to catch ‘Rod the Cod’, a specially

tagged Murray Cod, no strings attached! Simply catch Rod and present him to tournament officials to claim your prize, thanks to Yarrawonga/ Mulwala’s newest business – Yarrawonga Toyota.

Designed for families,

with all levels of fishing skills catered for, everybody has a chance of winning one of the many great prizes on offer, whether you’re fishing from boat or bank, using either bait or lures. Most of the prizes are randomly drawn, so you don’t have to catch a fish to be a winner! Those anglers who are lucky enough to register either a legal size Murray cod or 45cm+ golden perch go into additional draws to win extra great prizes.

The entry fee for adults is $95 pre-paid or $100 on the weekend, and the junior entry is $50. This includes four meals, souvenir stubby holder, a free ticket in major boat raffle, Wilson Slickback lure and Bassman Spinnerbait (for the kids), entry into 1000s of lucky door prize draws and the promise of a great weekend.

Being run in conjunction with the Cod Classic is the Native Watercraft Australian Canoe & Kayak Cod Fishing Championships. Entering its eighth year, this event caters for the new breed of anglers who chose to fish from either a canoe or kayak, choosing paddle and pedal over petrol and power.

The Fishing & Outdoors expo will be a main feature, with the chance to grab a great

bargain. Other popular parts of the competition include iconic entertainer Flathead Fred for the juniors; ‘Cod Talk’ with Rod ‘Codmac’ McKenzie, and the Samurai Rods Australian Pro Casting Championships.

You would be crazy to miss this iconic event held at the home of the Murray Cod – Lake Mulwala. Sharpen your hooks, pack the boat, grab your swag and batten down the hatches as the 2018

Yamaha Cod Classic is going to be HUGE! See you all in Yarrawonga/Mulwala for the chance to catch a legend.

For more information check out www.codclassic. com.au, call into Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski (now at two locations – 74 Melbourne St Mulwala and 61 Belmore St Yarrawonga) the official Cod Classic stores or call Tony Bennett on 0439 441 667. – Cod Classic

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CHANCE TO WIN

1 7 of

BOATING PACKAGES + A HILUX UTE OCTOBER 2018

77

17th Annual Grabine Classic This year was the 17th annual Grabine Freshwater Fishing Tournament. It took place over the weekend of the 24-26 August. They had 889 entries and even though it was slightly less than last year they could not have been more thrilled. Grabine Fishing generously donated $5 from every entry to the Crookwell Community Trust, a charity that helps those in financial crisis and struck by tragedy in the Upper Lachlan Shire.

From this weekend alone they raised $4455.

Things started off a bit rocky for the tournament with some fuel dramas and a less than desirable weather forecast. But, the day turned around and entrants of all ages

GRABINE CLASSIC RESULTS Category Junior Longest Catfish Senior Runner Up Catfish Senior Longest Catfish Junior Longest Silver Perch Junior Runner Up Golden Perch Junior Longest Golden Perch Senior Runner Up Golden Perch Senior Longest Golden Perch Junior Runner Up Carp Junior Longest Carp Senior Runner Up Carp Senior Longest Carp Junior Runner Up Cod Junior Longest Cod Senior Runner Up Cod Senior Longest Cod Mystery Length Yellow Belly Mystery Length Murray Cod

Winner Cooper Craig Peter Southwell Ryan Dowling Emily Smith Archie McDonald Paton Lewis Gary Cassidy Kim George Grace Card Cameron Constable Gary Redman Gary Death Eli Garham Josh Crossman Darren Snowden Craig Hooke Snow Woods Harry Clarke

Length (mm) 493 515 520 355 476 520 517 580 590 757 650 684 757 930 1050 1070 382 710

had an amazing weekend and walked away with $20,000 worth of prizes.

This tournament is a great chance to get kids involved. Paton Lewis was the winner for Junior Longest Perch, with her fish measuring 520mm.

(L-R) Mark Smith, Chris Clements, Ashley Smith, Geoff Nicholson, Kevin Lawler, Paul Reynolds, Nathan Charnock (winner of major prize), Kyle Betts (H2O Marine), and Mandi Smith getting ready to head out for the Grabine Classic Tournament.

President of Grabine Freshwater Fishing Tournaments Phil Cramp with Gary Death, winner of Senior Longest Carp with a fish that measured in at 684mm.

Grabine Classic is proud to be a catch and release tournament. All entrants for

the fish categories are judged based on photos taken. This allows them to have a junior

category and encourage environmental consideration when fishing.

Over the weekend they had many fish weighed in, including: 28 Murray cod, 138 golden perch, 8 catfish, 1 silver perch and 53 carp.

The Grabine Classic is appreciative of their sponsors: H20 Marine and RV Canberra, Stessco, Mercury Marine, Reflections Holiday

Parks Grabine Lakeside, BCF - Boating, Camping, Fishing, Tackleworld Goulburn, Ifishcomps, Gobsmacked Lures, Jolly Roger Spinnerbaits, Fabworx Welding and Fabrication, Jd’s Hardware and Rural Supplies, Studio 4 - Signs & Design and Crookwell Community Trust.

They make the event what it is and help them give back to the community. - Grabine Classic

#GFD2018

Go fishing on your own or take part in one of the many events happening around Australia - head to the Gone Fishing Day website to find an event near you.

Share your photos across social media with #GFD2018 and join Australia in celebrating Gone Fishing Day 2018!

www.gonefishingday.org 78

OCTOBER 2018

GRAB YOUR FISHING ROD AND CELEBRATE RECREATIONAL FISHING IN AUSTRALIA

20th annual Brogo Bass Bash Some years back a group of keen anglers from the South Coast of NSW instigated a meeting at the Bermagui

the annual bass comp known as the Brogo Bass Bash held the first weekend in December. This year is

planning to invite back as many competitors and those who have assisted in making the competitions and fishery a great success.

between 50-60cm. The dam provides exceptional angling with cricket score captures often produced in a session.

Most of these fish will

FSCBSA INFORMATION • FSCBSA Established 1995 • First Bass Release 1997 • First Bass Comp 1999 • Yearly Bass stockings average 20,000 • First Estuary Perch Release 2017 10,000 •10,000 Bass 2018 continuing yearly •10,000 EP 2018 continuing yearly THE DAM AND FISHNG Some of you may be wondering how have the fish survived and how is the dam fishing. Well, the survival of the fish has been formidable with the annual data completed each year at the bass comp for fisheries showing the annual stocking yearly age and survival rates.

Sadly due to the reproductive nature of bass many fish go

average between 30-35cm with the occasional 40-50cm specimen thrown in, but who cares what size these fish are when you are visiting a truly spectacular place.

The future for the Brogo Dam fishery is destined to continue with a dedicated committee working to keep the bass stocking ongoing and now fisheries are contributing with estuary perch stockings.

Brogo bass are solid and well conditioned.

Darren Redman on 0427 934 688, or Jan Redman on 0427 934 857. For information about the raffle and how to enter email fscbsa_

brogobassbash@hotmail. com. They are also seeking sponsorship for the 20th anniversary, if you can assist contact the above.

Brogo is a great fishery for all ages to enjoy.

Here is Kane proudly holding his fish.

Country Club with the aim of stocking the nearby Brogo Dam with Australian bass and creating a recreational fishery. This is how the Far South Coast

the 20th anniversary and it is looking to be a big one. There will be many prizes up for grabs with the usual raffles, door prizes and this year they have a

The funds for stocking are raised from competitors participating in one of the many Brogo Bass Bashes.

Bass Stocking Association was formed, succeeding in creating what is now a great fishery. It has been 22 years and it is still has regular stockings of bass.

Last year for the first time in NSW impoundments 10,000 estuary perch were stocked, with another 10,000 listed for 2018.

The success of the Brogo bass fishery would not have occurred if it weren’t for the hard working committee over these years, some of who have been there from the beginning. They are constantly working to raise funds for annual stockings, combined with NSW DPI Fisheries who also contribute with stocking of bass. In addition to this support, there is also the Dollar for Dollar Scheme coming from the funds for Recreational Fishing Licences. Combined they have now liberated over 500,000 bass.

The main fundraiser over these years has been

Quintrex F390 Explorer Trophy boat with a 2 Stroke 30HP Suzuki motor valued at $10,500 as an ongoing raffle to be drawn Sunday 2 December at the end of this year’s event. They are

Picturesque Brogo Dam holds a lot of bass and is a great fishery.

Pioneers of FSCBSA, the Caves family enjoying three generations of stocking Brogo Dam, this time with estuary perch. over the spillway (hence the annual stockings). However, these fish have not been lost, with anglers who fish both the Brogo and Bega River systems capturing trophy size fish, where it is not uncommon to encounter bass

It is up to us anglers to take advantage of this exciting and exceptional fishery.

This year the competition will run from 30 November until 2 December. For more information regarding the Brogo Bass Bash contact

www.fishin.com.au TOURNAMENT TACKLE STORE

ZX BLADES ZMAN GRUBZ CRANKA CRABS

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79

Hickson takes Lake Macquarie win

STORM

Kris Hickson re-affirmed his position as Australia’s number-one ranked bream angler. It seemed like deja vu for the second last round of the Costa BREAM Series, the Daiwa Lake Macquarie qualifier.

Kris Hickson weighed two magnificent limits to take first prize and a hefty winners’ cheque.

Hickson admitted that he ‘junk fished’ all weekend.

Junk fishing is about having a dozen rods on your deck with a dozen different baits and picking up the one that you reckon will get the bite on any particular cast.

Illustrating this perfectly was in the post-winning interview, where Kris was asked to grab his winning bait – he picked up five…

Hickson rotated between a 1/6oz Tackle Tactics blade, an HWS rigged Ecogearaqua (in white), a small, black Smith Camion shallow crankbait, a clear Stick Minnow and the ubiquitous Cranka Crab.

With 11 different rods on the deck, Hickson had

Plenty of cash, bonuses and kudos comes the way of an ABT event winner.

Here Kris Hickson tastes the spoils for the second event in a row. trouble picking out his favourite, however he settled on a 7’ Daiwa rod

fitted with the Daiwa Sol LT, 8lb Daiwa J-Braid Grand and 4lb Daiwa J-Thread leader.

“The Sol LT’s have the best drag I’ve used in a Daiwa reel – I can’t recommend them highly enough for the sort of fishing we do,” Hickson said, “and the J-Braid is super thin and

a great braid, especially for the price, I’ve been using the test product for the last 12 months between 6 and 50lb and it’s just getting better and better.”

He only landed five legal fish on the second day, but two of them were real quality and the 4.02kg limit easily propelled him to the win.

Above: Each day Kris Hickson landed a couple of quality kicker fish to distance himself from the rest of the field.

Below: To the victor goes the spoils.

Here’s the Daiwa J-Braid Big Bream winner, Michal Colotourous’ 1.52kg kicker.

DAIWA J-BRAID BIG BREAM It’s rare when a Lake Macquarie Big Bream doesn’t top 1.5kg and Michael Colotourous’ 1.52kg monster fit the pattern nicely. It ate an Ecogear blade in open water and earned him an extra $500.

TOP 10 BOATERS

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

80

OCTOBER 2018

Scan the QR codes to hear the winners’ interviews and watch the highlights packages from each day.

Place Angler

Fish (kg) Weight Payout

1 2

10/10 10/10

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Kris Hickson Steve Morgan

7.94kg 7.45kg

$3500 + $250 Mercury $1500 + $150 Mercury + $200 Pro Russell Babekuhl 10/10 7.07kg $1250 + $100 Mercury Cam Whittam 8/10 6.19kg $1000 Jason Mayberry 10/10 5.96kg $900 Brad Hodges 8/10 4.44kg $800 Todd Riches 7/10 4.41kg $700 Scott Towner 7/10 4.13kg $600 Michael Colotourous 5/10 4.09kg $500 + $500 Big Bream Tim Vickers 7/10 4.03kg $500 For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

Morgan sought shallow bream for second Brisbane’s Steve Morgan took the lead in the BASS Cat BREAM Angler of the Year race with a second place finish. Catching most of his fish on Cranka Crabs on shallow boats and adding a few key fish on

Scan the QR codes to hear the winners’ interviews and watch the highlights packages from each day.

shallow, black crankbaits on the flats, Morgan revelled in the gusty conditions and credited the performance to the nasty weather.

“At the start of this event, I’d have bet that this tournament was going to be won deep, but as it happened, the wind blew hard and the fish bit shallow.

All three of my kilo-plus kicker fish came in less than 5ft of water,” Morgan said.

Morgan relied on two baits for his bag, a heavy, olive Cranka Crab and a shallow, black Jackall Chubby. He fished the crankbait on 2lb Yamatoyo Spinning Fluoro and the Crab on 3lb Toray Bawo fluorocarbon spooled on a Daiwa Mebaru ‘crab rod’ and an old Gekkabijin reel.

“The more I fish the Daiwa crab rods, the more I like them,” Morgan explained,

“they’re long and soft enough to really cushion the line and those small, #14 hooks that the crabs use, and I’ve found that my accuracy casting isn’t affected at all.”

“When it’s your time to do well in events, the big fish stick. I landed the three big ones that I hooked and Kris landed four of them. Lake Macquarie is increasingly a wonderful venue to catch big yellowfin bream and a favourite stop of the Costa BREAM Tour,” he said.

There’s only two anglers left that can win the Bass Cat BREAM Angler of the Year race and that’s Morgan and Victorian Cam Whittam, and only four points separates the two. It will come down to how they finish at South West Rocks to decide the final placing.

BREAM SERIES

Steve Morgan live streamed his big fish catches – this one went 1.37kg on day 2 and shot him up into second place and into the AOY lead.

Cam Whittam’s Duffrods Big Bag was the basis for an epic day 2 comeback. He came from nowhere into 4th with a 4.63kg limit.

DUFFRODS BIG BAG Victorian Cam Whittam took the Duffrods Big Bag with a cracking 4.63kg bag of Lake Macquarie yellowfin on the second day of competition. He caught them cranking deep, brown Suji Chubbies on shallow weed and rock using a Duffrod Bream Multi Broken Bones (7’1”) with 16lb Sunline PE8 and a 3lb Bream Special FC Rock leader.

Simon Johnson claims maiden ABT BREAM win Simon Johnson was stoked to take his maiden ABT BREAM win at this event after a string of second and third places recently. It was particularly satisfying after only having fished at the venue once before.

“We fished big, open flats both days, so it was a non-boater friendly place,”

Johnson said. “With the different winds blowing over the two days, I used plastics both days, but changed between 1/16oz, 1/12oz, 1/8oz and 1/8oz depending on the conditions.”

On them he rigged an unnamed 2.5” motor oil coloured grub.

Simon fished the bait on a 7’ Kistler KLX Lite 4-10lb

rod and a Daiwa Luvias 2004 reel spooled with 10lb Daiwa Tournament Evo 8 braid and a 4lb Sunline v-Hard leader and made long casts with the wind to cover ground.

When asked what his tips were to budding non-boaters, he offered this sage advice.

“Make every cast count.

You only have a limited time to fish in these events

TOP 10 NON BOATERS Place Angler 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Fish(kg) Weight Payout

Simon Johnson 7/10 4.07kg Costas + prize pack Lindsay Pryke 7/10 5.96kg Prize Pack Stuart Walker 6/10 3.93kg Prize Pack Jeffrey Esperitu 6/10 3.7kg Prize Pack Richard Potter 7/10 3.51kg Prize Pack Mark Young 5/10 3.37kg Prize Pack Colin Wilson 5/10 3.06kg Prize Pack Grant Oliver 5/10 3.03kg Prize Pack Paul Langley 5/10 2.99kg Prize Pack Thomas McIntosh 5/10 2.76kg Prize Pack For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

Simon Johnson was stoked to get his first ABT BREAM win at Lake Macquarie. and more time you spend sitting down and rigging rods, the less chance you have of catching fish.

Time is precious and the more casts you make the better chance you have of catching. And if you be good to your boater, they will be good to you,” he concluded.

Scan the QR codes to hear the winners’ interviews and watch the highlights packages from each day.

OCTOBER 2018

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West wipes floor at Lake Wivenhoe

STORM

Charles West, a 36yo tradesman from Ipswich, has taken out the 2018 Casino Outdoor and Disposal Bass Electric Grand Final held at Lake Wivenhoe.

West won with 4/4 and a total weight of 7.55kg, making a great come back from 9th place. He took an indisputable win, with 1.45kg over his nearest competitor and he was the only angler to weigh a 5kg+ bag for the weekend. He completed his Bass Electric trifecta by adding this Grand Final win to his AOY title from 2017 and notching up Bass Electric win number 10. West will be packing his bags, as the top prize was a trip to Osaka Japan to attend the Osaka tackle show in 2019.

During the pre-fish for the event West chose to split up from his boating partner to search for those deeper schooling fish that unfortunately just weren’t there. After many discussions they chose to fish some of the shallower, more weeded bays about a 45 minute run from the start line.

Charles West with one of the bass that made up his winning bag.

Sitting in 9th place heading into the final day, West knew he had to capitalize on the wet and windy conditions that had rolled in over night, and with his knowledge of the lake he knew that he was only two bites away from a win. With these weather conditions, West tried the jerkbait he threw the day before, and

Lake Wivenhoe before the tournament began.

Day one saw them start in one of these bays, where he chose to throw a jerkbait through the weed.

After fishing the bay and not getting a bite, West chose to mix it up by slow rolling a Valleyhill Terri bull blade over the tops of the weed and soon after he had his first fish in the well. The second fish in his bag came on a vertically worked lure.

what a move that was as he bagged his first one in just 20 minutes. With the bay coming to an end, West decided to tie on a lipless crankbait and cast it across the approaching point where he picked up his second fish and the winning bag.

West’s tackle consisted of quite a mix but the first of his two favourite combos was a Raison Jaburo RJS70ML

matched with a Daiwa Steez Exist 2508 spooled with 16lb Sunline and 12lb fluorocarbon leader. On this combination he chose to cast a Valleyhill Terribull 3/8oz in colour 05.

His next go-to was a Raison Jaburo RJB70H matched up with a Steez T.Namiki ltd 103 spooled with 16lb Sunline and a 20lb fluorocarbon leader to muscle those bigger fish from the weed. On this combo, he threw his larger baits, including the lipless crankbait that landed him one of his big fish.

West also said that a huge part of his success was due to his good mate Adrian finding a good patch of fish during the pre-fish. “If Adrian hadn’t found this more consistent patch of fish it would have been hard resorting to the deeper, more scattered fish.”

SECOND PLACE Jesper Noiesen secured 2nd place at the 2018 Casino Outdoor and Disposal Bass Electric Grand Final. After sitting in 6th after the first session he made a charge for the top on the last day finishing with 4/4 and a total weight of 6.10kg.

Noiesen went in the opposite direction to West, heading toward the buoy line down the dam. He fished the same stretch of bank the entire weekend working it back and forward. Noiesen’s

lure of choice on day one was a 3/8oz Little Max. He worked this over the weed that came out from the edge in around 10-20ft using a slow roll retrieve. He opted to throw this lure on spinning tackle as it improved his casting distance and allowed him to cover more water.

Heading in to day two with some ground to make up, Noiesen decided to throw a Slider Grub rigged on a 3/8oz TT jighead. He slow rolled this through the fish just above the weed in around 10-20ft. With the changed weather conditions the lure change proved key to his success and this helped him jump up into 2nd place.

Noiesen had one go-to combo for the weekend. He chose a Wilson Live Fibre 2-4kg rod matched up with a Daiwa spin reel spooled with 10lb Power Pro and 12lb Sunline leader, which he threw with his blade of choice and soft plastic.

Noiesen took home a Raison Jaburo 69H casting rod for his efforts.

A massive thanks goes to all the competitors on such a fantastic grand final and series. We would like to thank our naming sponsor Casino Outdoor and Disposal for all their support. Stay tuned for the 2019 calendar release as it’s going to be another big year on the tour.

WIVENHOE GRAND FINAL RESULTS Place Fisher

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

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OCTOBER 2018

Scan the QR codes to see an interview with Charles West and to see him in action during the competition.

Total Fish Total Weight (kg)

1 Charles West 4/4 7.55 2 Jesper Noiesen 4/4 6.10 3 Chesley Lennon 4/4 5.74 4 Adrian Wilson 4/4 5.46 5 Aaron Kemp 4/4 4.99 6 Nick Nutley 3/4 4.85 7 Nathan Swanson 2/4 4.65 8 Michael Rowswell 4/4 4.29 9 Mathew Flynn 3/4 3.97 10 Drew Sharpe 2/4 3.55 For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS SCARY SEA CREATURES

DRAGONFISH FRILLED SHARK VAMPIRE SQUID BOX JELLYFISH GREAT WHITE COFFIN FISH GIANT SQUID STARGAZER CROCODILE AMPHIPOD

STONEFISH ANGLERFISH GULPER EEL FANGTOOTH STINGRAYS GRENADIER OCTOPUS VIPERFISH GOBLIN SHARK

Valley Hill Rocketeer Slicer

Name: Address:

P/Code:

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win the prize pack.

SEND ENTRIES TO: NSW Find-a-word Competition, PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129

NSW OCTOBER 2018

Phone (day):

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

The Rocketeer Slicer from Japanese tackle giant Valley Hill is a real feat of Japanese design and engineering.

The Rocketeer Slicer has a unique metal plate at the nose of the jig, which lets you secure line in two places, and ensures a superior swimming action even through debris. In addition, its tail system lets you cast more effectively into the wind.

The Rocketeer Slicer is available in two sizes (3.0 and 3.5) and 13 different colour combinations. It has proven to be highly effective on Australian squid. www.dogtoothdistribution.com.au

SPOT THE

10 DIFFERENCES

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

ORIGINAL

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to Laurie Wicks from Forbes, who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition!

Monthly winners receive a sponsor prize. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – NSWFM

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The subscriber prize winner for August is T Sullivan of Terrigal, who won a Platypus pack valued at over $300.

All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

of Berowa Heights, C Cooper of Boorowa, D Burgess of Elermore Vale, J Vagg of Tuross Head, R Chown of Glendenning, M Klumper of Nambucca Heads, G Hall of Grenfell, Z Mosessen of Wanniassa, B Schnitzer of Cooma, C Engelbrecht of Wagga Wagga, P Carroll of Ambarvale, J Nicolson of Burraga, B Hall of Balgownie, S Roweth of Millthorpe, J Cupitt of Sanctuary Point, G Newman

of Menai, I Dando of Tuggerawong, C Roberts of North Ryde, D Nacinovic of North Narrabeen, L Jeffs of Gateshead, R Bland of Forster, B Caunt of Baulkham Hills, G Sansom of Melrose Park, R Todd of Wahroonga , R Derrick of Barraba, R Hodges of Ballina.

Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

FIND THE DAIWA LOGO

© A Cordelia Adams original artwork.

The answers to Find the Daiwa Logo for August were: 12, 16, 20, 25, 30, 33, 39, 43, 46, 58, 68, 71, 76, 91, 103. – NSWFM

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: Murray Cod

The Find the Daiwa Logo prize winners for August were: L Stewart of Capalaba, I Necic of Glenfield, R Gear of Oberon, L Rayner of Melba, B Gardner of Hughes , M MacMurray of Eglinton, P Lyneham of Fern Bay, M Beney of Harrington Waters, A Hepper of Iluka, R Moore of Wingham, T Kennedy of Karuah, F Bubas of Albion Park, N Webster of Bilpin, R Coombes of Vemont, T Whiting

GUESS THE FISH?

Answer: OCTOBER 2018

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING BLACK MAGIC KLT HOOK

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ZMAN MIDNIGHT OIL COLOUR

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Black Magic’s new KLT hook has further strengthened their premium hook range.

Like the DX Point before it, the KLT is made in Japan from high carbon steel, and is coated with a super slip, non-stick PTFE coating, just like the coating used on nonstick frying pans).

This hook adds another option to their most popular hook pattern – the KL hook. It features the classic Black Magic KL circle hook pattern but with a non-offset point, meaning it meets IGFA recommendations, particularly for use in tournaments.

The PTFE coating means less resistance which assists penetration and prolongs the life of the hook. It also ensures they are highly corrosion resistant.

Black Magic KLT hooks are manufactured in Japan from high carbon steel ensuring superb strength. They’re available in sizes 1/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0, 6/0, 7/0 and 8/0, and in two pack sizes – small and economy. www.blackmagic.com

Following a heap of angler feedback and suggestions, comes one of the most exciting new colours in Z-Man’s range of plastics.

There are two colours that consistently win bream tournaments, bloodworm and motor oil, and these colours appeal to different patterns in fish behaviour.

These two colours have been combined to give that attractive and subtle translucency that shut down fish just love, and the reflective sheen that causes fish to react.

With midnight oil, an angler can give the fish the flash of the bloodworm colour, combined with the high UV of motoroil, and this colour is now available across the entire of the Z-Man soft plastics range!

If you want to get that extra edge on the fish on a tough day, make sure you stock up on this exciting new colour, and be amazed at the results. www.tackletactics.com.au

HALCO SLIDOG 150

YAMASHITA EGI OH K

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If you’re into launching a lure over the horizon and looking for that bonejarring, nerve-rattling strike as you rip it back, the all-new Halco Slidog is just the ticket.

Halco has developed an ultra tough, sinking, sliding stickbait that is sure to give you a workout from all the GTs, XOS mackerel, large tuna and many others that try to take it home to their trophy cabinet.

Featuring heavily reinforced side walls, Halco’s legendary ultra tough 7xx fish rings and Mustad 7/0 inline singles for great holding potential, the Slidog 150 comes with a bite that matches its bark.

The lure is 150mm long and weighs 85g, allowing long casts on medium/heavy weight casting outfits, avoiding the need to take a boat into areas that might have you risking life and limb.

Look for the all-new Slidog 150 at all good tackle outlets. www.halcotackle.com.au

HOBIE MANUAL INFLATABLE VEST

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The new 2019 Hobie Manual Inflatable 150 Vest (Yoke) is rated for offshore use while wearing foul weather clothing. The design is very lightweight and extremely cool. The newly designed collar folds down the back of your neck and shoulders, eliminating pressure on the neck and lower head.

The yoke is manually inflated by pulling a small cord that activates the replaceable CO2 cylinder in the side of the vest. The Velcrosecured receptacle allows for easy access to the cylinder for replacement and for servicing, or for additional manual inflation of the PFD after the manual cord has been activated.

Features include: 150 rated (40kg plus); comfortable slim multi fit (up to 5XL); mesh yoke back strap (helps prevent the collar riding up the back of your neck); easy access storage pocket (great for keys, phone etc.); whistle; water resistant headphone rubber port hole; 25mm D-ring for switch killer tether; accessory attachment straps; interior pocket; UML Pro Sensor (includes armed status indicator); self service; cylinder re-arm kit; and fishing comp key tag/key tag clip. www.hobie.com.au 84

OCTOBER 2018

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Yamashita have released a new colour range in their top-of-the-line K series of squid jigs. The K body is tuned to have the best stable sinking posture, and it excels in rough conditions where other jigs struggle to maintain a stable fall.

Features of the Egi Oh Q K include the Hydro Fin (attached at the rear of the jig for improved stability when sinking); Hydro Eyes (flat eyes with Keimura pupil and glow edge); Hydro Sinker and TIN sinker (tin sinker with tuning holes for adding or reducing weight); Warm Jacket (thermo storage cloth that transfers light into heat); Hydro Body (pentagon design for increased stability when sinking); tuned double crown hooks (the back crown of stainless steel hooks are opened wider for improved hook-ups); and G-Flash lateral line (strong tape running down each side for increased flash and appeal).

Egi Oh Q K jigs are available in 10 colours in sizes 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5, with shallow and super shallow options available in size 3.5. www.ejtodd.com.au

SUFIX X8 BRAID

PRODUCT GUIDE

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The new X8 braid from Sufix is an 8-carrier braid constructed of thin HMPE Japanese fibres. It’s a super strong, thin braided line that has high abrasion resistance and superb knot and shock strength.

This soft and silky smooth line has low friction through the rod guides, resulting in silent performance and long, accurate casts. R8 precision braiding technology with a high tension weaving process results in a round, supple and smooth braided line with consistent diameter and quality. Easy handling, X8 is designed for both casting and spinning reels. Currently available in an eye-catching hot yellow, it comes in breaking strains from 6lb to 50lb in 150yd spools and 10lb to 65lb in 300yd lengths.

Sufix X8 braid will be on sale in all leading tackle stores from September 2018. www.rapala.com.au

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

SCAN THE QR CODE!

PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING DUO HYDRA 220

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Long and lean and designed as the ultimate sinking stickbait for large predators, the new Duo Rough Trail Hydra 220 is the lure to pack for your next offshore adventure.

Slim-profiled and with a fixed weight in the tail to maximise casting performance and enhance its action, the Hydra 220 features a dynamic skipping action when worked across the surface, while a twitch and jerk retrieve will see it move from side to side to enhance strikes.

A hyper realistic garfish imitation when worked across the surface, the Hydra is ultra long (220mm) in length to reduce fishing swallowing and biting off the lure, while its tailheavy 58.2g body weight allows it for long, tangle free casting on the water.

If you’re looking to call up the predators to the surface, the new Duo Rough Trail Hydra 220 is the lure to reach for. www.daiwafishing.com.au

SHIMANO OCEA JIGGER REELS

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MCLAUGHLIN’S ADVANCED BERLEYS 10 McLaughlin’s have 77 years of bait experience, and this has been used to produce an impressive range of berleys in the newly developed Advanced Formula range.

All Advanced Formula berleys are scented with secret formula flavours before being impregnated with colour formulas, which dye the pellets in selected colours. This combination means that when you put the berley into the water it not only attracts the fish, but the colour creates a trail in the water.

This trail allows you to easily see where your berley is and the direction it’s going in, so you can fish directly in the berley trail. This then allows you to make full use of the berley and not have to guess what the tide and wind influences are doing to the berley.

The Advanced Formula range comes in a range of flavours and pellet configurations, for maximum effectiveness on different target species and locations. www.jurofishing.com

SUGARDEEP 90 FLOATING BOOST

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The new Ocea Jigger from Shimano has made an extreme make-over compared to the beloved ’11 Ocea Jigger.

This flagship of jigging reels comes with a host of exciting features such as the Infinity Drive and Micro Module gear, which results in 60% reduction of the reeling resistance compared to the old model, and a very smooth retrieve.

The newly designed handle is specially engineered to provide a firm grip, and to provide the ability to give extra power without losing grip. The combination of the Hagane body and S-Compact body results in an immensely strong and lightweight (595g) jigging reel. And due to the eight shielded A-RB ball bearings and X-Protect it is highly salt water resistant and durable. With a drag of 10kg, fighting the biggest fish is not a problem anymore.

For more information on this and other new releases from Shimano, visit their website or look them up on Facebook (facebook.com/ Shimano.Fish) or Instagram (@shimano.fish). www.shimanofish.com.au

The Sugarpen Deep 90 has the same profile as the Sugar Deep 90 Barra Tuned, but incorporates an innovative slide system to cast further and more accurately. Unlike the SugarDeep 70 and 90, it is also a floating rather than a suspending lure.

The unique weight system uses a sliding tungsten weight on a rod assembly moulded into the body of the lure. When casting, the weight moves to the back of the lure, delivering greater distance. When the lure is retrieved, the weight moves forward along the rod to weight the lure level when paused.

Like the SugarDeep 90 Barra Tuned, the SugarDeep 90 Floating Boost Shaft Glide has a tight wobble that will dive to 2.5m, making it ideal for impoundment and estuary fishing for a variety of species.

For more information on this and other new releases, visit the Bassday Australia website, or check them out on Facebook at facebook. com/BassdayAus. www.bassday.com.au

DEPS NZ CRAWLER

DAIWA BEEFSTICK

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The 134mm DEPS NZ Crawler is one of the largest Japanese surface crawlers on the market.

The lure’s jointed movement draws big predators from afar, and the distinctive sound can be adjusted via the two screws within the wings or by adjusting the wings themselves.

The NZ Crawler can paddle back on a fast retrieve, which gives an almost vertical action on the wings as it goes through its arch, or the retrieve can be slowed right down for greater time within a strike area without compromising the action. The thick resin walls can take a lot of punishment, and DEPS have upgraded the NZ Crawler – along with all models coming into Australia – with larger, sturdier hooks and rings.

This lure has been specially designed to entice predators that eat a diverse range of prey such as bats, rats, frogs, birds and lizards. The flash blade not only provides an attractant but also adds to the length of the lure. www.dogtoothdistribution.com.au

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Tradition meets contemporary looks and styling with the release of the new Daiwa Beefstick. With homage to the traditional solid tip fiberglass rods of the past, Daiwa gives the much-loved workhorse a makeover.

Featuring a matt black finish, the Beefstick has a graphite/glass butt, a carbon-wrap lower section, and a solid integrated tip, this is a series that will handle the rigors of angling, yet has the sensitive in design to deliver anglers unmatched feel for a rod of its price.

Shaped, ultra sensitive custom EVA grips blend perfectly with the Beefstick’s reel seats, while a composite cork butt cap contrasts perfectly in looks with the matt black blank, for a modern touch of class.

With 26 models available, there is a model available for nearly every conceivable scenario.

If you’re looking for a modern twist on the rod that your grandfather had when you’re a child, the new Daiwa Beefstick is the range for you. www.daiwafishing.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au OCTOBER 2018

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING ZEREK STREAM X

BASSDAY 13 SUGAPEN 58F

The Zerek Stream X is a beautifully crafted minnow lure that swims with an exaggerated beat to attract predators.

At 6.5cm long, the Stream X is an easy casting 8g and sinks at rest, allowing anglers to work this minnow in tight country where trout, redfin and bass reside.

But don’t think this lure is only suitable the freshwater rivers and lakes; the Stream X is built with high impact resistant ABS plastic and componentry that make it more than suitable for saltwater fishing. Species such as flathead, bream, tailor and salmon will find the small baitfish profile an easy to swallow meal.

There are 13 proven colours in the range, from bright attractor patterns to the most realistic minnow colours you could ever want, giving this little gem of a lure a place in any smallwater tackle kit. www.wilsonfishing.com

SUFIX X8 BRAID

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The new X8 braid from Sufix is an 8-carrier braid constructed of thin HMPE Japanese fibres. It’s a super strong, thin braided line that has high abrasion resistance and superb knot and shock strength.

This soft and silky smooth line has low friction through the rod guides, resulting in silent performance and long, accurate casts. R8 precision braiding technology with a high tension weaving process results in a round, supple and smooth braided line with consistent diameter and quality. Easy handling, X8 is designed for both casting and spinning reels. Currently available in an eye-catching hot yellow, it comes in breaking strains from 6lb to 50lb in 150yd spools and 10lb to 65lb in 300yd lengths.

Sufix X8 braid will be on sale in all leading tackle stores from September 2018. www.rapala.com.au

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OCTOBER 2018

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The Sugapen is synonymous with topwater fishing, with its iconic forward-facing cup and slender profile that perfectly mimics a fleeing prawn. Bassday has now increased the Sugapen range to include a 58mm length model. This new smaller size brings the range to a total of four lengths, all the way up to 120mm.

The 58 casts perfectly due to its slimline profile which produces little wind resistance. The action is the same as the larger sizes but this has a more subtle presence. The lure can be wound flat out or with a pause and wind technique.

The new model comes in all the current Sugapen colours and two completely new ones. A red tiger-striped clear and gold tiger-striped clear with a pink head.

Check out the Bassday Facebook page (www.facebook.com/BassdayAus) for more information on new releases, catch photos and prize giveaways. www.bassday.com.au

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WILSON GRAPHWRAP RODS 17 The Wilson Graphwrap is a series of rods designed to be durable and go the distance.

Designed on a graphite composite core with a solid glass tip, the Graphwrap series leaps beyond normal expectations with its custom designed, power-giving graphite outer spiral wrap. This unique spiral wrap gives these rods incredible strength, which adds to the durability of these tough, ocean thug busting rods.

Designed in Australia to meet the demands of our harsh fishing environment, the Wilson Graphwrap series brings toughness, durability and user friendliness together in the one package.

For more information on this and other new releases from Wilson Fishing, head to their website or like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LWilsonAndCo. www.wilsonfishing.com

WORK SHARP KNIFE 15 SHIMANO SHARPENERS How do you get the sharpest tool in the SLX

shed, to stay sharp when out fishing on your boat? Easy, just team up the Electric Knife and Tool Sharpener from Work Sharp with their Guided Field Sharpener and you have the perfect solution anywhere you go.

The Electric Sharpener is a 240V powered sharpener that uses flexible abrasive belts just like the professionals.

The easily replaceable grit belts give a perfect convex edge to any knife blade. Designed to cope with a heavyduty workload while delivering precision sharpening that won’t burn or damage blade steel.

But how do you transfer that precision sharpening when out on the water or on a camping trip? The Guided Field Sharpener has two diamond plates, two ceramic rods, a leather strap, and the all-important sharpening guides for fast, easy and consistent sharpening. The fixed guides create a constant repetitive angle to ensure the smoothest, sharpest blade possible.

Price: SRP $199 (electric), $67 (field sharpener) www.worksharptools.com.au

PRODUCT GUIDE

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New for 2018, the SLX series is the latest addition to the ever-growing Shimano baitcaster range.

This is a compact and highly versatile reel, suited to catching anything from bass through to barra. It features an aluminium Hagane Body, the same body size as the Curado 70, but offering the line capacity of a conventional 150 sized reel.

Inside the SLX’s Hagane Body, durable brass gearing delivers reliable cranking power and three SUS bearings and one roller bearing means everything turns smoothly. Casting is made effortless with the adjustable 6-pin VBS brake system, making it ideal for a range of different fishing styles and casting preferences.

A longer 45mm Throw Handle working in conjunction with two model options featuring gear ratios of 6.3:1 and 7.2:1 means that the slow and methodical lure worker and the angler who likes a bit of speed are well covered by the new SLX series. On top of this, max drag settings of between 5-5.5kg provides plenty of stopping power should it be needed. www.shimanofish.com.au

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

SCAN THE QR CODE!

PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

All hyped up by the Team Daiwa Hyper rod range Although I simply love fishing, I have to admit that I have become a little obsessed by the humble flathead.

I blame the team here at Fishing Monthly when I arrived. They caught a lot of them and it was pretty tough not to get involved when most trips involved being connected to lots of fish in the 50cm+ category. My arsenal of rods to target them has gone from a single outfit to at least six, with a few failed outfits in between.

I have been striving to find what I consider to be the perfect flathead outfit.

The key features being: it must be a minimum of 7” long, have a rating in the 2-4kg or 2-5kg range and be a fast or medium fast taper (at worst it must be powerful enough to get that hook through the top jaw of a flathead).

Cost in many ways is also a factor.

There are plenty of top end rods that would be amazing to use, but flathead are a bread and butter species, and I don’t believe a $1000 outfit is required.

Additionally, money saved on a rod means more can be put into a reel, which makes more sense to me. I have come close on several occasions, rods have been 85% there, but in the end the taper or power to bend ratio for me has not been right.

Too stiff and the hook set is great, but the finesse at the end of the fight is lacking and fish are lost. Too slow a taper and

TESTED Final thoughts Have I found the perfect flathead rod?

I am not prepared to say that as yet, but I am happy to say that I am closer than ever. It will definitely get plenty of use over the next few months, as it is prime flathead time here in South East Queensland.

Aside from what I have already said, the one thing that the TD Hyper rod has changed my thinking on is Nano Technology based rods. You cannot question the additional strength, power and resilience Nano resins add to any blank, however in most cases this is at the expense of the taper of a rod.

Certainly not the case with the TD Hyper rods and definitely something I prefer and look for in rods.

Too see the full range of TD Hyper rods go to www.daiwafishing.com.au and check them out in your local Daiwa retailer. – Peter Jung

The author chose the TD Hyper 701LXS rod when looking for a rod to target flathead.

He matched it with a Daiwa TD Sol III LT reel and is very happy with it so far.

This also translates into the casting ability of the rod. Size 3.0 squid jigs and 3/8oz jigheads have been cast easily.

One tip however is to ensure the hook keeper is kept facing downwards when you are casting. I have had the line loop and catch onto it when I haven’t, which can result in lost tackle. I love the fact that the keeper is there, but just have it facing down when you’re not using it.

Value for money If how light the TD Hyper rods are is impressive then their value for money is exceptional. In my travels and during the obligatory visit to the local tackle store, I have consistently seen the TD Hyper rods selling for $129.99. This is not the price point I would expect to see the quality of this rod in.

There is also a reasonable range of options within the TD Hyper range. There are 11 spin and 3 baitcast options covering the majority of your fishing needs.

The combination of HVF Nanoplus graphite and X45 blank technology create a dynamic blank with a taper that the author prefers.

Although purchased to target flathead, the TD Hyper’s first outing was out chasing squid. the hook set power diminishes and fish are lost (on larger fish) with the hooks not finding enough purchase.

This is where the Team Daiwa Hyper rods come in. I am always on the look out for a distinctive looking rod with the above attributes and the TD Hyper series of rods caught my eye. A quick call to Grayson Fong (a Daiwa pro angler who is using them) to get the good oil on them convinced me that they were worth looking at. I decided on the 701LXS model and matched it with one of the new Daiwa Sol III LT reels.

The first time I used the outfit wasn’t chasing flathead. I teamed up with Grayson and headed to the islands in southern Moreton Bay chasing tiger squid. Far from what I had purchased the outfit for, but the beauty of a 2-4kg outfit is that it translates to throwing lures for bass or jigs for squid. The rod

was christened on a stonker squid and has since done battle on a number of flathead.

First impressions The TD Hyper rods seriously feel as light as a feather. I don’t have another rod in my gaggle of rods that gets close to the weight of the TD Hyper. Matched with the Sol III LT reel (also a lightweight design) and you have something that is pleasure to use all day every day.

Power so far has not been an issue, with several solid flathead putting it through its paces. I am not quite so sure how to express this into words, but the power seems almost effortless.

Much of the marketing around this rod range has been about the HVF Nanoplus graphite and X45 blank technology. The combination of the two technologies creating a lighter and more dynamic blank for the rods to be built from.

The castability of the 701LXS is exceptional. It comfortably casts a 3.0 squid jig or a 3/8oz jighead.

OCTOBER 2018

87

Making the most of sounder data SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

Mapping data collected via echosounders comes in volume and comes in ugly. Automation and the emphasis on end-user experience on the echo sounder mean that things such as friendly file systems and easy

into the data collected by sounders is where the real power lies.

I have explored the wiles of the fishing brain more than anyone I am aware of, and there is no doubt in my mind a data-driven fisher is very different from traditional angler in how they structure their fishing. Post fishing review is where the datadriven angler has a real edge as they can be far

out essential elements of large datasets and automate tasks like data sorting and cleaning. Be in no doubt that AI will play a huge role in the future of fishing.

Echosounders will only get smarter, and those that learn how to use them to their full potential will have a severe advantage on the water.

REVIEWING DATA The best way to approach reviewing

Figure 1 – Artificial Intelligence learning how to identify tilapia nests. around the newly installed fish hotels, and to identify the species of large schools of fish found with another echosounder, our Biosonics unit.

What is a fish hotel? In crude terms, it’s a wooden structure put in to provide shelter for fish. In practical

Figure 2 – Biosonics unit detecting a school of tilapia. to identify filenames don’t happen.

To a large degree, I can understand that – the battle on the water for the best electronics is now fierce and a constant source of innovation. I had the opportunity to see the new Garmin live viewing system at the Sydney Boat Show; it’s awe-inspiring technology. Fish will only find it harder to hide as time goes on.

That said, I think that in their rush to capture the attention of fishers on the water, the sounder companies are missing the point of what makes their

more efficient, maximising the benefits of time on the water.

My view is that data-driven fishers will dominate in the years to come, provided they have the tools to take advantage of their new skills.

I can say that post review we have adjusted our survey methods a lot and improved success accordingly. Post review the picture of the fishery becomes clearer, and the next round of data collection can be used to fill in more detail.

Artificial Intelligence also has a role to play.

the bottom. That might be something to consider in managing their numbers – reducing nesting area is more likely to be effective than catching them because they breed like crazy.

The Biosonics sounder can mark and count fish in an area. As it turns out, the

Figure 4 – Reefmaster import options cover most units and activities. sounder data is with a question. not to say that exploration of

to start That is random sidescan

terms in this instance, it’s a cubic metre of various bits of wood anchored on a concrete base. One exciting thing we discovered about the fish hotels is that tilapia don’t like them. It looks like tilapia don’t like much in the way of structure at all, they seem to prefer shallow water and soft material on

species we identified were tilapia, a pest species in Queensland.

The Biosonics is proving to be a compelling piece of technology. We get regular requests from fishers to ‘borrow’ the unit. The image in Figure 2 might not look like much, but when you get a map

with GPS marks for every fish, things seem a little different.

REEFMASTER I will focus on Reefmaster in this article, because so far it’s the best tool I have found that combines the three core needs of a data-driven fisher – data management, review, and mapping.

Reefmaster is very affordable at the $250-350 mark. There are other tools out there to do the job, and all the skills I will feature here will translate.

Nonetheless, I recommend Reefmaster as it has the complete package and is ridiculously easy to use.

For the record, I have never talked to anyone at Reefmaster, so my views on the product are based solely on real-world use.

One other thing I will note – this is a beautiful piece of software visually.

That may not seem an important detail, but as a long-term software designer and programmer, I appreciate software that feels like the people behind the software have a passion for the product they have created.

Figure 3 – Solix side scan view of the school of tilapia. systems so valuable. The real power of these devices is in the review, not on the water. On the water, there is only so much detail you can absorb in real time. No matter how good you are, there will be things missed.

Being able to dive 88

OCTOBER 2018

At Infofish, we are already using different machine learning approaches to interpret echosounder data out of necessity. If you can record tens of thousands of fish a day, making sense of that data is a gigantic task. AI can help to tease

data doesn’t have value, but in my experience, the best approach to understanding data to is to focus on a real problem.

In this survey we had two key questions – we wanted to know what types of fish are hanging

Figure 5 – Tracks named and organised.

DATA MANAGEMENT Echosounder files come in with really unhelpful names like ‘Rec00001’.

Even better, when we clear off our Solix data files from the Z-Line card, they reset the number portion of the filename, which makes working out which file goes with where a nightmare.

The second challenge after file names is to group the files from a day’s scanning into a single unit. It only takes a few days on the water before you have a mess of data files.

Reefmaster takes all the hard work out of handling all this data.

First, there is no need to worry whether you have a Humminbird, Garmin or Lowrance sounder because Reefmaster handles all of them. This feature was my initial attraction to Reefmaster as we had to combine scans from different devices into a single map – a task it handled with ease. I hate the incompatibility hijinks that go on in the tech industry, so I wasn’t keen on being tied to a specific echosounder vendor.

Fortunately, Reefmaster takes care of all that.

Copy the scan files onto the hard drive, point Reefmaster at them and it takes care of the rest.

The only option that is a little tricky is the tide

transects from different survey days together.

Now that the data is in Reefmaster, the fun begins.

REVIEWING LOGS Every survey session we record a list of objects and fish that we need to go back and have a look at post review. Reefmaster makes this process a piece of cake. Just switch on the sonar viewer and either play back like a movie or find a point in the track and zoom in.

One of the neat things that come with playback is we have solved one of the more annoying problems I have with sidescan – how

waypoints between units, especially between brands can be a real pain.

When first surveying Yeppen Lagoon, we asked for locations of the fish hotels and were given the roughest of directions that indicated where they should be. Even knowing where they should be, it took some time to locate them.

As soon as we had our first scan done we reviewed and added on waypoints and exported them for all sounder formats so that anyone else who to find the hotels can load them into their sounder.

One of the nice things

Figure 7 – Waypoints set on the fish hotels. to record a section of a survey to video. To do this, I just set up a video capture session, start the playback

about the way Reefmaster manages waypoints is the ability to group them and colour code each group.

Figure 8 – Reefmaster makes it easy to combine different tracks to create a map or mosaic. adjustment, which I won’t cover here, but requires additional data from the nearest tide station. Tidal data files are available on the BOM site.

Once the sounder transects are in Reefmaster, there is a handy edit feature that allows for changing names of tracks as well as drag and drop for organising them into folders. This data is stored within the Reefmaster data structures, so nothing is changed in the original data, which can be put back onto the sounder at any time safely. Once tracks are named, there is an option to group them in folders, which we use to keep

Figure 6 – Just press rewind to replay your scanning session.

for sidescan only and kick back and relax. On the main map, you can either show the track or the sidescan mosaic, giving you an extra view of the track.

As a good example, we had a screencap from the survey session that looked for all the world like it had recorded a snake.

The only problem I have found so far with the ability to review a session is that you can end up burning up the hours finding things missed the first time around.

WAYPOINTS Adding waypoints is pretty much a standard part of the software for sounders, but interchanging

This makes for easy switching on and off blocks of waypoints and, given we often need to mark different habitat features, it saves a lot of time locating essential details. I am also a big fan of the folder options, which allow us to group waypoints specific to a survey.

SIDESCAN MOSAIC AND BATHYMETRY MAPPING In my last article, I discussed the importance of breaking up transects by stopping and restarting the recording at the end of a run. Mapping is where that policy pays off. Reefmaster can select the different combinations

of tracks to use when creating maps. This feature enables us to use different combinations of tracks for Bathymetry maps versus Sidescan mosaics.

When creating a Bathymetry map, I combine transects that make up a hatching pattern, which significantly improves the accuracy of the contour lines. Sidescan mosaics, on the other hand, need good parallel transects, which is where the review tools come into their own. Post survey, it’s easy to compare transects and pick the best of the bunch then combine, producing the highest quality sidescan views.

Reefmaster also provides a bunch of tools to get the most out of mosaics, including a range of blending options to address conflicts where layers

overlap, noise reduction and a heap of colour and brightness controls. I tend to take the default options and tweak the blending, but there is plenty of support for the perfectionists to fine-tune the output until it’s just right.

EXPORTING DATA Would you like a super high detailed copy of your sidescan printed and used for wallpaper on your bedroom? Once you have generated a 100MB graphic of 3km of river, at the very least, you can make an excellent decal for the boat.

That is if you want to display your secret fishing spots for all the world to see.

Exchange of data is Reefmaster’s best feature.

This build adds even higher quality ouput. KML output is pretty much standard nowadays, but Google Earth tends to get in the way of the detail. The export to PNG option provides the kind of mouth-watering detail and zoom capabilities on a Mac that will make you wish you had a 4K monitor.

One of the things we wanted out of the Solix was the opportunity to train up image recognition – something you can’t do from screenshots as you need hundreds of images of the same thing. Reefmaster made this possible through the ability to save mosaic files as tiles, providing 40-50 high-resolution pictures per transect.

All up, no matter if you want to move data between units, export to mapping or just drool over gorgeous sidescan images – this is the only package you will ever need.

MAPPING IS A WINDOW INTO ANOTHER WORLD Our approach to sidescan has been to put it to use in solving realworld data problems. For example, sidescan has helped us to understand new ways we might better combat tilapia without the need for poisons or biological warfare. We have the advantage of having a high-powered sonar to flesh out the picture but nonetheless, without sidescan and bathymetric data we would be flying blind.

Recently we took the sidescan out into the saltwater. Using the combination of the Biosonics and Solix, we located over a thousand king threadfin in a couple of kilometres of water five minutes from the centre of Rockhampton that nobody fishes.

All fishers can benefit from learning more about the environment that fish use.

Every time you switch on the sounder, a massive amount of data is captured. Why not put that to good use?

Besides, watching the playback of a sounder session is way better than ‘Netflix and chill.’

How about trying out Reefmaster and chill instead.

Figure 9 – All of the mapping options in Reefmaster come with a complete set of export options.

OCTOBER 2018

89

Trades, Services, Charter COFFS COAST

HOLIDAY RENTAL MACLEAY VALLEY COAST

CRESCENT HEAD HOLIDAY RENTALS

A U S T R A L I A

www.southwestrocksfishingadventures.com.au

Margay 2017

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

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Phone: 02 6566 0500

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u Mid week packages from $420 p/p* u Weekend packages from $320 p/p*

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On board our fully equiped 38ft Randell TRIFECTA Contact: David Hayman (Stumpee) Mobile: 0411 096 717 info@swrcharters.com.au

SYDNEY

Wangi Point Lakeside Holiday Park (02) 4975 1889

Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters (02) 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351 Sydney Sportfishing Adventures 0405 196 253 Ocean Hunter Sports Fishing 0414 906 569

Blacksmiths Holiday Park (02) 4971 2858

CENTRAL COAST

QUEENSLAND

Central Coast Holiday Parks 1800 241 342

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CHART

Castaway Estuary Charters 0427 239 650

HUNTER COAST • • • •

PORT & REEF SFISHING GAME ERS

MACQUARIE COAST

Crescent Head Holiday Rentals (02) 6566 0500

$49,990

Freshest Fishing Tours 0421 405 221 Coffs Coast Sport Fishing 0434 517 683 Trial Bay Fishing Charters, 0427 256 556

Mikat Cruises Fishing Charters Swains & Coral Sea 0427 125 727

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

FRESHWATER Burrinjuck Waters State Park (02) 6227 8114 Grabine Lakeside State Park (02) 4835 2345 Alpine Tourist Park (02) 6454 2438 www.alpinetouristpark.com.au Milani Trout Cottages (02) 6775 5735 www.milanitroutcottages.com Wyangala Waters State Park (02) 6345 0877 Chifley Dam Cabins 1800 68 1000 • • • •

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

• 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

FISH TAXIDERMY Fish Taxidermist 0428 544 841

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Phone Dave today: www.fishingyamba.com.au 0428 231 962

$59,990

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

MANNING RIVER MARINE 13 Victoria Street, TAREE (02) 6552 2333 jim@manningrivermarine.com.au www.mercurydealertaree.com ABERDEEN FISHING & OUTDOORS 69 New England Hwy, ABERDEEN (02) 6543 7111 aberdeentackle@gmail.com www.aberdeenfishingandoutdoors.com.au

We Build Dreams...

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• 6am to 2pm $150pp • 3 boats – holds up to 30+ people • All fishing gear and bait is supplied • No fishing licence req.

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• • • •

Phone: 0410 173 060 basscataustralia@gmail.com

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

www.mikat.com.au

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

FISHING EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME!

OPEN 7 DAYS

MARINA BOAT & TACKLE, YAMBA MARINA

YAMBA’S LARGEST TACKLE STORE • Chandlery • Boat Sales • Ice & Gas • Bait & Tackle • Trailers Sales & Parts • Charter Bookings Ph: 6646 1994 or 0428 231 962 Email: dave@gaden.com.au Now Agents For

CLARENCE COAST Reel Time Fishing Charters Yamba 0428 231 962

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

KAYAK DEALERS The Life Aquatic - Mona Vale – (02) 9979 1590 Australian Bass Angler - Penrith – (02) 4721 0455 Hunts Marine - Yallah – (02) 4284 0444 Bunyips Great Outdoors - Lismore – (02) 6622 1137 Maclean Outdoors - MacLean – (02) 6645 1120 Wetspot Watersports -Fyshwick – (02) 6239 1323 Graham Barclay Marine – Forster – (02) 6554 5866 Hunter Water Sports - Belmont – (02) 4947 7899 Totally Immersed Watersports - Nowra (02) 4421 5936 Hunts Marine - Batemans Bay – (02) 4472 2612 Compleat Angler – Merimbula – (02) 6495 3985

MARINE MECHANICS COFFS COAST Coffs Harbour Marine (02) 6652 4722 North Coast Boating Centre (02) 6655 7700 Jetty Boating (02) 6651 4002

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.

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OCTOBER 2018

Boats & Guided Fishing Tours Directory SYDNEY

BAIT & TACKLE

Penrith Marine (02) 4731 6250 Cohoe Marine Products (Sydney) (02) 9519 3575 Blakes Marine (02) 4577 6699 Watersports Marine (02) 9676 1400 Marina Bayside (02) 9524 0044 Shannons Outboards (02) 9482 2638 Hi Tech Marine (02) 4256 6135 TR Marine World (02) 4577 3522

Lazer Lures Catch Fish

New Lazer 60g with premium VMC hooks, a must-have lure in every serious tailor fisherman’s tackle box.

CANBERRA/ACT H2O Marine (02) 6280 0555 Aussie Boat Sales ACT & NSW 0433 531 226

TWEED/BYRON COAST Tweed Coast Marine (07) 5524 8877 Ballina Marineland (02) 6686 2669

ONLINE TACKLE PRODUCTS

www.fishin.com.au TOURNAMENT TACKLE STORE

ZX BLADES ZMAN GRUBZ CRANKA CRABS

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

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ba Prawn Blade s” “Yam www.lazerlures.com CLARENCE

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MINN REPAIRS & SERVICING • All electric motor brands • Australia wide freight • Quick turn around • Authorised Minn Kota/Watersnake repairer Minn Repairs & Servicing Call Troy 0412 605 080 – W: minnrepairs.com minnrepairsservicing E: minnrepairs@gmail.com

MODIFICATIONS & REPAIRS // BOAT & TRAILER Salt Away 1800 091 172 www.salt-away.com.au

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

02 6646 1514

•

OPEN 7 DAYS

0425 230 964 – info@fishin.com.au SHOP 18, 29 KIORA RD MIRANDA NSW 2228

www.fishin.com.au 0425 230 964 Blue Bottle Fishing 0409 333 380 or www.bluebottlefishing.com MOTackle (02) 6652 4611 or www.motackle.com.au

“The Home of Leavey Lures” • Stocking all Major Brands • Experienced Local Knowledge • Tournament Bream Gear in Stock • Snorkelling gear in stock

Drop in to see Mick & Kelly

Marina Boat and Tackle (02) 6646 1994 Yamba Bait & Tackle (02) 6646 1514 Wooli Bait & Tackle (02) 6649 7100

Adrenalin Flies www.adrenalinflies.com.au Anglers Warehouse www.anglerswarehouse.com.au

N O W AVA IL A B L E ALL YOUR FISHING MONTHLY GEAR

MACQUARIE COAST Ned Kelly Bait n Tackle Port Macquarie (02) 6583 8318 Graham Barclay Marine (02) 6554 5866 Manning River Marine Taree (02) 6552 2333

SYDNEY Australian Bass Angler www.abafishing.com.au

FRESHWATER

Aberdeen Fishing & Outdoors (02) 6543 7111 Dubbo Marine and Watersports (02) 6882 2853 Loomzys Fish and Fix (Forbes) (02) 6851 1425

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Compleat Angler Kempsey (02) 6562 5307 MOTackle (02) 6652 4611 or www.motackle.com.au Rocks Marine Bait & Tackle South West Rocks (02) 6566 6726

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Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0800 or email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au OCTOBER 2018

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2018 2018 2018 Local Time

SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) – NEW SOUTH WALES SYDNEY(FORT (FORT DENISON) NEW SOUTH WALES SYDNEY DENISON) – –NEW WALES LAT 33° 52’ LONG 151°SOUTH 13’ JANUARY SEPTEMBER JANUARY Time Time m

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

Time m m Time m m Time Time 0213 0.53 0141 0.34 0812 1.96 0846 1.72 0045 1.23 0540 0.43 0213 0.53 0141 0.34 1451 0.19 1525 0.39 0636 0.59 1203 1.49 0812 1.96 0846 1.72 TU MO 2116 1.33 2049 1.48 TUSU 1312 1.47 1813 0.54 1451 0.19 1525 0.39 MOSA 19551.33 0.59 2116 2049 1.48 0233 0.32 0250 0.51 0904 2.04 0922 1.75 0145 1.14 0015 1.36 0233 0.32 0250 0.51 1544 0.12 WE 1559 0.37 0729 0.66 0625 0.49 0904 2.04 0922 1.75 TU 2144 1.50WE 2152 1.35 1410 1.43 1255 1.50 1544 0.12 1559 0.37 MO TUSU 21041.35 0.61 19151.50 0.56 2144 2152 0326 0.32 0327 0.50 0956 2.07 0958 1.76 0256 1.10 0115 1.27 0326 0.32 0327 0.50 1636 0.09 1633 0.35 0718 0.54 0831 0.70 0956 2.07 0958 1.76 WE TH 2238 1.50 THTU 2229 1.36 1355 1.51 1515 1.41 1636 0.09 1633 0.35 MO WE 22111.36 0.59 20301.50 0.56 2238 2229 0419 0.34 0404 0.50 1047 2.05 1033 1.75 0408 1.12 0228 1.21 0419 0.34 0404 0.50 1728 0.12 1708 0.36 0940 0.69 0823 0.56 1047 2.05 1033 1.75 TH FR 2331 1.48 FR 2305 1.36 1618 1.44 1502 1.56 1728 0.12 1708 0.36 WE THTU 23081.36 0.54 21501.48 0.50 2331 2305 0514 0.38 0444 0.51 1139 1.97 1109 1.72 0508 1.18 0348 1.22 0514 0.38 0444 0.51 1818 0.18 1743 0.37 1043 0.65 0935 0.54 1139 1.97 1109 1.72 FR SA 2345 1.37 1713 1.48 16120.18 1.64 SATH 1818 1743 0.37 WE FR 23541.37 0.48 2300 0.39 2345 0025 1.46 0524 0.53 0609 0.45 1146 1.68 0555 1.25 0501 1.28 0025 1.46 0524 0.53 1230 1.84 SU 1819 0.39 1134 0.59 1044 0.48 0609 0.45 1146 1.68 SA 1909 0.27SUFR 17590.39 1.54 1715 1.75 1230 1.84 1819 SATH 1909 0.27 0120 1.44 0026 1.38 0706 0.52 0608 0.56 0000 0.28 0034 0.42 0120 1.44 0026 1.38 1321 1.69 MO 1226 1.61 0634 1.32 0601 1.37 0706 0.52 0608 0.56 SU 1858 0.42 2000 0.36MOSA 1219 0.52 1145 0.39 1321 1.69 1226 1.61 SUFR 18390.42 1.59 18140.36 1.85 1858 2000 0215 1.42 0111 1.39 0806 0.60 0658 0.60 0052 0.18 0108 0.37 0215 1.42 0111 1.39 1415 1.53 1310 1.53 0655 1.46 0710 1.39 0806 0.60 0658 0.60 MO TU 2049 0.45 TUSU 1941 0.45 1241 0.31 1259 0.46 1415 1.53 1310 1.53 MOSA 19060.45 1.92 19150.45 1.63 2049 1941 0201 1.41 0313 1.42 0141 0.11 0141 0.33 0754 0.63 0913 0.66 0201 1.41 0313 1.42 1400 1.45 1513 1.39 WE 0744 1.55 0744 1.45 0754 0.63 0913 0.66 TU 1334 0.25 1336 0.41 2029 0.48 2140 0.52WE 1400 1.45 1513 1.39 MO TUSU 19570.52 1.94 19510.48 1.65 2029 2140 0411 1.43 0257 1.44 0226 0.10 0212 0.30 1023 0.68 0900 0.64 0411 1.43 0257 1.44 1615 1.29 1501 1.37 0831 1.61 0817 1.51 1023 0.68 0900 0.64 WE TH 1427 0.22 1414 0.37 2124 0.50 2230 0.56 THTU 1615 1.29 1501 1.37 MO WE 20450.56 1.90 20270.50 1.64 2124 2230 0508 1.47 0358 1.51 0309 0.12 0243 0.30 1133 0.67 1016 0.61 0508 1.47 0358 1.51 0918 1.64 0851 1.56 1720 1.23 1615 1.32 1133 0.67 1016 0.61 TH FR 1517 0.23 1452 0.35 2320 0.58 FR 2225 0.50 1720 1.23 1615 1.32 WE THTU 21330.58 1.80 21040.50 1.61 2320 2225 0600 1.52 0501 1.60 0351 0.19 0315 0.31 1237 0.62 1133 0.53 0600 1.52 0501 1.60 1003 1.65 0928 1.60 1820 1.22 1731 1.32 1237 0.62 1133 0.53 FR SA 16081.22 0.28 SATH 1534 0.35 2329 0.47 1820 1731 1.32 WE FR 2220 1.67 21430.47 1.56 2329 0009 0.58 0603 1.71 0432 0.28 0350 0.34 0647 1.57 1244 0.42 0009 0.58 0603 1.71 1049 1.62 1007 1.62 1329 0.56 SU 1841 1.35 0647 1.57 1244 0.42 SA 1700 0.36 16181.35 0.36 1913 1.24SUFR 1329 0.56 1841 SATH 23061.24 1.51 2225 1.49 1913 0053 0.56 0029 0.43 0512 0.39 0427 0.39 0730 1.63 0702 1.83 0053 0.56 0029 0.43 1134 1.58 1048 1.63 1411 0.49 MO 1345 0.29 0730 1.63 0702 1.83 SU 1754 0.45 1707 0.40 1958 1.27MOSA 1943 1.41 1411 0.49 1345 0.29 SUFR 23541.27 1.36 23121.41 1.40 1958 1943 0134 0.55 0127 0.38 0552 0.50 0509 0.45 0810 1.68 0758 1.94 0134 0.55 0127 0.38 1221 1.53 1135 1.61 1449 0.44 1440 0.19 0810 1.68 0758 1.94 MO TU 1851 0.53 1802 0.44 2038 1.30 TUSU 2038 1.47 1449 0.44 1440 0.19 MOSA 2038 1.30 2038 1.47 0221 0.33 0851 2.01 0221 0.33 1530 0.12 0851 2.01 WE 2130 1.52 0.12 WE 1530 2130 1.52

Time m m Time m m Time Time 0311 0.46 0315 0.30 0943 2.04 0936 1.75 0211 1.14 0005 1.30 0311 0.46 0315 0.30 1618 0.11 FR 1605 0.34 0740 0.71 0558 0.52 0943 2.04 0936 1.75 TH 2203 1.44 2220 1.54FRTU 1415 1.44 1229 1.59 1618 0.11 1605 0.34 MO TH 21171.44 0.59 19071.54 0.47 2203 2220 0348 0.44 0407 0.30 1032 2.00 1012 1.75 0110 1.23 0318 1.12 0348 0.44 0407 0.30 1705 0.14 SA 1638 0.33 0656 0.58 0845 0.75 1032 2.00 1012 1.75 FR 2310 1.55SAWE 2239 1.47 1330 1.57 1518 1.40 1705 0.14 1638 0.33 FRTU 20221.55 0.47 22211.47 0.58 2310 2239 0427 0.44 0459 0.33 1047 1.72 1120 1.91 0226 1.20 0429 1.15 0427 0.44 0459 0.33 1712 0.34 1750 0.21 SU 0808 0.61 0959 0.75 1047 1.72 1120 1.91 SA 2316 1.50 2358 1.54SUTH 1443 1.57 1628 1.40 1712 0.34 1750 0.21 WE SA 21381.54 0.43 23191.50 0.55 2316 2358 0508 0.45 0550 0.39 1126 1.67 1207 1.77 0346 1.23 0530 1.21 0508 0.45 0550 0.39 1746 0.36 1833 0.30 MO 0925 0.58 1107 0.71 1126 1.67 1207 1.77 SU 2357 1.51 15560.30 1.62MOFR 1730 1.43 1746 0.36 1833 SUTH 2244 0.35 2357 1.51 0553 0.48 0045 1.51 1206 1.60 0643 0.48 0453 1.32 0008 0.49 0553 0.48 0045 1.51 1824 0.40 1254 1.61 TU 1036 0.51 0618 1.29 1206 1.60 0643 0.48 MO 1916 0.41TUSA 1700 1.70 12040.40 0.64 1824 1254 1.61 MOFR 23400.41 0.27 1820 1.47 1916 0040 1.52 0134 1.48 0642 0.51 0738 0.57 0548 1.43 0049 0.44 0040 1.52 0134 1.48 1250 1.51 1341 1.45 WE 1138 0.41 0700 1.38 0642 0.51 0738 0.57 TU 1905 0.45 1959 0.50WESU 1758 1.76 1253 0.56 1250 1.51 1341 1.45 TUSA 19030.45 1.52 1905 1959 0.50 0128 1.53 0226 1.45 0838 0.64 0738 0.55 0126 0.39 0030 0.20 0128 1.53 0226 1.45 1431 1.31 TH 1342 1.41 0738 1.54 0736 1.47 0838 0.64 0738 0.55 WE 2045 0.58THMO 1952 0.51 1333 0.32 1335 0.48 1431 1.31 1342 1.41 WESU 19490.58 1.80 19430.51 1.55 2045 1952 0320 1.43 0223 1.53 0945 0.69 0845 0.58 0159 0.35 0215 0.17 0320 1.43 0223 1.53 1531 1.21 FR 1445 1.32 0811 1.55 0824 1.63 0945 0.69 0845 0.58 TH 2136 0.64FRTU 2050 0.56 1415 0.41 1426 0.25 1531 1.21 1445 1.32 MO TH 20210.56 1.57 20380.64 1.78 2136 2050 0419 1.44 0327 1.55 0231 0.32 0257 0.18 1057 0.69 1002 0.57 0419 1.44 0327 1.55 1643 1.16 SA 1602 1.26 0845 1.63 0908 1.69 1057 0.69 1002 0.57 FR 1455 0.35 1515 0.23 2235 0.67SAWE 2200 0.58 1643 1.16 1602 1.26 FRTU 21000.58 1.57 21260.67 1.72 2235 2200 0519 1.46 0437 1.61 0336 0.22 0305 0.32 1205 0.65 1122 0.51 0519 1.46 0437 1.61 1752 1.17 SU 1724 1.28 0951 1.73 0922 1.70 1205 0.65 1122 0.51 SA 1603 0.24 1537 0.30 2334 0.66SUTH 2312 0.56 1752 1.17 1724 1.28 WE SA 22110.66 1.63 21410.56 1.55 2334 2312 0615 1.51 0546 1.70 0415 0.29 0341 0.33 1300 0.59 1232 0.41 0615 1.51 0546 1.70 1033 1.73 1000 1.76 1851 1.21 MO 1835 1.34 1300 0.59 1232 0.41 SU 16521.21 0.28MOFR 16211.34 0.28 1851 1835 SUTH 2256 1.51 2225 1.50 0028 0.63 0018 0.49 0452 0.38 0418 0.36 0702 1.57 0648 1.80 0028 0.63 0018 0.49 1115 1.70 1042 1.78 1346 0.52 TU 1331 0.30 0702 1.57 0648 1.80 MO 1739 0.34 1708 0.28 1938 1.26TUSA 1933 1.43 1346 0.52 1331 0.30 MOFR 23411.26 1.40 23131.43 1.44 1938 1933 0114 0.59 0118 0.42 0530 0.47 0500 0.42 0745 1.63 0745 1.89 0114 0.59 0118 0.42 1156 1.65 1127 1.78 1425 0.45 WE 1424 0.22 0745 1.63 0745 1.89 TU 1828 0.42 1800 0.31 2018 1.32WESU 2026 1.51 1425 0.45 1424 0.22 TUSA 2018 1.32 2026 1.51 0155 0.54 0027 1.29 0004 1.37 0824 1.68 0155 0.54 0607 0.56 0547 0.49 1500 0.40 0824 1.68 WE 1237 1.58 2054 1.36 MO 1216 1.74 1500 0.40 WESU 19181.36 0.50 1857 0.35 2054 0233 0.50 0115 1.20 0102 1.30 0900 1.72 0233 0.50 0649 0.65 0642 0.56 1533 0.36 0900 1.72 TH 1322 1.50 2129 1.40 TU 1311 1.69 1533 0.36 MO TH 20151.40 0.56 2001 0.39 2129

m Time m m Time m m Time Time 0214 0.51 0213 0.34 0837 1.94 0832 1.69 0340 1.19 0323 1.25 0214 0.51 0213 0.34 1511 0.17 FR 1459 0.37 0908 0.78 0859 0.64 0837 1.94 0832 1.69 TH 2100 1.50 2114 1.58FRFR 1528 1.40 1525 1.61 1511 0.17 1459 0.37 THTH 2223 0.55 22201.58 0.39 2100 1.50 2114 0304 0.30 0251 0.45 0926 1.94 0909 1.72 0441 1.25 0435 1.31 0304 0.30 0251 0.45 1555 0.17 SA 1531 0.34 1019 0.75 1015 0.61 0926 1.94 0909 1.72 FR 2200 1.62SASA 2135 1.57 1633 1.39 1637 1.61 1555 0.17 1531 0.34 FRFR 2314 0.52 23211.62 0.35 2200 2135 1.57 0354 0.29 0330 0.41 1014 1.89 0946 1.72 0533 1.33 0537 1.40 0354 0.29 0330 0.41 1636 0.21 SU 1604 0.33 1126 0.54 1124 0.70 1014 1.89 0946 1.72 SA 2244 1.64SUSU 2211 1.62 1743 1.63 1731 1.41 1636 0.21 1604 0.33 SASA 2358 0.47 2244 1.64 2211 1.62 0443 0.32 0411 0.39 1059 1.79 1026 1.70 0617 1.42 0014 0.31 0443 0.32 0411 0.39 1716 0.29 MO 1638 0.34 1219 0.62 0630 1.51 1059 1.79 1026 1.70 SU 2327 1.63MOMO 2249 1.66 1821 1.44 1230 0.45 1716 0.29 1638 0.34 SUSU 18391.63 1.64 2327 2249 1.66 0531 0.38 0455 0.39 1143 1.66 1107 1.64 0037 0.43 0101 0.28 0531 0.38 0455 0.39 1754 0.38 TU 1715 0.37 0658 1.53 0717 1.61 1143 1.66 1107 1.64 MO 2330 1.69 1308 0.52 13260.38 0.37 TUTU 1754 1715 0.37 MOMO 1907 1.47 1931 1.63 2330 1.69 0009 1.60 0542 0.41 0619 0.46 1151 1.57 0115 0.39 0145 0.28 0009 1.60 0542 0.41 1225 1.52 WE 1754 0.43 0735 1.63 0802 1.70 0619 0.46 1151 1.57 TU 1830 0.48WEWE 1353 0.43 1417 0.31 1225 1.52 1754 0.43 TUTU 1950 1.49 20190.48 1.60 1830 0052 1.56 0015 1.69 0709 0.55 0634 0.44 0151 0.36 0224 0.30 0052 1.56 0015 1.69 1308 1.38 TH 1240 1.47 0814 1.74 0845 1.76 0709 0.55 0634 0.44 WE 1837 0.50 1907 0.57THTH 1437 0.34 1505 0.28 1308 1.38 1240 1.47 WEWE 2035 1.50 21050.57 1.54 1837 0.50 1907 0136 1.51 0103 1.67 0803 0.62 0732 0.49 0302 0.34 0230 0.35 0136 1.51 0103 1.67 1356 1.27 FR 1335 1.37 0926 1.79 0855 1.83 0803 0.62 0732 0.49 TH 1948 0.66FRFR 1928 0.58 1551 0.28 1522 0.27 1356 1.27 1335 1.37 THTH 21500.66 1.47 2121 1.49 1948 1928 0.58 0200 1.64 0226 1.46 0339 0.40 0310 0.36 0841 0.52 0904 0.67 0200 1.64 0226 1.46 1443 1.29 1453 1.18 SA 1005 1.79 0938 1.89 0841 0.52 0904 0.67 FR 1635 0.31 1610 0.23 2030 0.64 2040 0.72SASA 1443 1.29 1453 1.18 FRFR 22340.72 1.40 2211 1.46 2030 0.64 2040 0324 1.43 0306 1.62 0415 0.47 0355 0.38 1014 0.69 0958 0.52 0324 1.43 0306 1.62 1604 1.15 SU 1602 1.27 1044 1.76 1023 1.92 1014 0.69 0958 0.52 SA 1718 0.35 1700 0.21 2146 0.67 2146 0.75SUSU 1604 1.15 1602 1.27 SASA 23160.75 1.33 2302 1.43 2146 0.67 2146 0430 1.43 0420 1.64 0451 0.54 0443 0.43 1123 0.66 1112 0.48 0430 1.43 0420 1.64 1121 1.71 1112 1.91 1721 1.17 MO 1722 1.31 1123 0.66 1112 0.48 SU 1801 0.41 1753 0.23 2257 0.75MOMO 2303 0.63 1721 1.17 1722 1.31 SUSU 2358 1.38 2257 0.75 2303 0.63 0533 1.47 0531 1.69 0000 1.26 0534 0.49 1222 0.61 1217 0.41 0533 1.47 0531 1.69 0529 0.61 1203 1.87 1824 1.22 TU 1827 1.40 1222 0.61 1217 0.41 MO 12001.22 1.64 TUTU 1850 0.27 1824 1827 1.40 MOMO 1846 0.47 0000 0.70 0011 0.55 0057 1.34 0045 1.21 0628 1.52 0634 1.76 0000 0.70 0011 0.55 0632 0.55 0610 0.67 1311 0.54 WE 1313 0.34 0628 1.52 0634 1.76 TU 1259 1.79 1241 1.57 1912 1.29WEWE 1921 1.50 1311 0.54 1313 0.34 TUTU 1950 0.31 19341.29 0.52 1912 1921 1.50 0051 0.64 0111 0.47 0200 1.32 0136 1.18 0715 1.59 0729 1.81 0051 0.64 0111 0.47 0736 0.60 0659 0.73 1351 0.48 TH 1400 0.29 0715 1.59 0729 1.81 WE 1400 1.71 1328 1.50 1951 1.37THTH 2009 1.59 1351 0.48 1400 0.29 WEWE 2053 0.35 20281.37 0.55 1951 2009 1.59 0134 0.57 0204 0.39 0235 1.17 0308 1.34 0755 1.65 0819 1.83 0134 0.57 0204 0.39 0759 0.77 0846 0.63 1426 0.42 FR 1445 0.27 0755 1.65 0819 1.83 TH 1423 1.44 FRFR 1505 1.62 2027 2053 1.66 1426 0.42 1445 0.27 THTH 21261.44 0.57 2155 0.37 2027 2053 1.66 0254 0.35 0906 1.80 0254 0.35 1525 0.28 0906 1.80 SA 2135 1.71 0.28 SA 1525 2135 1.71

1 11

16 1616

2 22

17 1717

3 33

18 1818

4 44

19 1919

5 55

20 2020

6 66

21 2121

7 77

22 2222

8 88

23 2323

9 99

24 2424

25 2525

10 1010

11 1111

26 2626

27 2727

12 1212

13 13 13

28 2828

14 14 14 15 15 15

1 11

16 1616

2 22

17 1717

3 33

18 1818

4 44

19 1919

5 55

20 2020

6 66

21 2121

7 77

22 2222

8 88

23 2323

9 99

24 2424

10 10 10

1 11

16 1616

2 22

17 1717

3 33

18 1818

4 44

19 1919

5 55

20 2020

6 66

21 2121

7 77

22 2222

8 88

23 2323

9 99

24 2424

25 2525

10 1010

11 11 11

26 2626

12 12 12

Local Time Local Time APRIL DECEMBER Time TimeAPRIL m

m Timem m Timem m Time Time 0212 0.40 0241 0.34 0819 1.68 0851 1.74 0345 1.28 0414 1.39 0212 0.40 0241 0.34 1428 0.36 1502 0.33 0925 0.76 1000 0.62 MO 0819 1.68 0851 1.74 SU 2043 1.79 2115 1.73 1531 1.38 1615 1.56MO SU 1428 0.36 1502 0.33 SU SA 2214 2251 0.38 2043 1.790.53 2115 1.73 0327 0.36 0256 0.36 0934 1.65 0903 1.65 0514 1.47 0440 1.35 0327 0.36 0256 0.36 1538 0.40 1505 0.38 1113 0.58 TU 1034 0.73 0934 1.65 0903 1.65 MO 2155 1.73 2124 1.84 1720 1.52TUMO 1635 1.35 1538 0.40 1505 0.38 MOSU 2343 0.38 2302 2155 1.73 2124 1.840.51 0412 0.41 0344 0.34 1016 1.54 0950 1.60 0607 1.56 0530 1.45 0412 0.41 0344 0.34 1613 0.48 1545 0.42 1219 0.52 WE 1140 0.66 1016 1.54 0950 1.60 TU 2233 1.70 2208 1.86 1819 1.48WE TU 1735 1.35 1613 0.48 1545 0.42 TUMO 2347 2233 1.70 2208 1.860.47 0456 0.47 0434 0.35 1058 1.44 1041 1.53 0030 0.39 0616 1.56 0456 0.47 0434 0.35 1645 0.56 1630 0.48 0656 1.65 TH 1237 0.56 1058 1.44 1041 1.53 WE 2311 1.65 2255 1.85 1318 0.45THWE 1830 1.37 1645 0.56 1630 0.48 WE TU 1913 1.45 2311 1.65 2255 1.85 0542 0.54 0530 0.39 1135 1.44 1140 1.34 0113 0.40 0031 0.44 0542 0.54 0530 0.39 1718 0.56 1720 0.65 0741 1.72 FR 0700 1.68 1135 1.44 1140 1.34 TH 2346 1.80 2350 1.59 1410 0.39FR TH 1330 0.45 1718 0.56 1720 0.65 THWE 2002 1.42 1923 2346 1.801.40 2350 1.59 0631 0.60 0630 0.43 1226 1.26 1235 1.37 0153 0.42 0115 0.41 0631 0.60 0630 0.43 1800 0.72 1815 0.64 0823 1.77 SA 0745 1.80 1226 1.26 1235 1.37 FR 1456 0.36SA FR 1420 1800 0.72 1815 0.640.34 FR TH 2048 1.39 2015 1.43 0035 1.53 0045 1.75 0726 0.65 0739 0.47 0200 0.38 0231 0.45 0035 1.53 0045 1.75 1320 1.21 1345 1.32 0902 1.79 SU 0832 1.90 0726 0.65 0739 0.47 SA 1851 0.78 1921 0.70 1538 0.34SU SA 1509 0.24 1320 1.21 1345 1.32 SA FR 2131 1.36 2106 1851 0.78 1921 0.701.44 0130 1.48 0152 1.70 0829 0.67 0850 0.48 0308 0.48 0248 0.37 0130 1.48 0152 1.70 1428 1.18 1501 1.33 0941 1.80 MO 0920 1.98 0829 0.67 0850 0.48 SU 1958 0.82 2038 0.71 1618 0.34MO SU 1559 0.17 1428 1.18 1501 1.33 SU SA 2213 1.33 2158 1958 0.82 2038 0.711.45 0235 1.45 0305 1.67 0345 0.52 0338 0.37 0934 0.66 0956 0.46 0235 1.45 0305 1.67 1542 1.21 1612 1.39 1017 1.78 TU 1009 2.02 0934 0.66 0956 0.46 MO 1657 0.36TUMO 1649 0.15 2114 0.82 2154 0.68 1542 1.21 1612 1.39 MOSU 2253 1.30 2251 2114 0.82 2154 0.681.45 0345 1.46 0415 1.68 0421 0.56 0430 0.39 1034 0.62 1055 0.43 0345 1.46 0415 1.68 1645 1.27 1711 1.48 1054 1.74 WE 1100 2.01 1034 0.62 1055 0.43 TU 1735 0.39WE TU 1742 0.15 2222 0.78 2301 0.61 1645 1.27 1711 1.48 TUMO 2333 1.28 2345 2222 0.78 2301 0.611.43 0445 1.50 0515 1.70 0500 0.60 0525 0.42 1124 0.57 1145 0.40 0445 1.50 0515 1.70 1130 1.69 TH 1152 1.95 1735 1.35 1801 1.58 1124 0.57 1145 0.40 WE 1815 0.43THWE 1835 2319 0.70 1735 1.35 1801 1.580.20 WE TU 2319 0.70 0534 1.56 0001 0.53 0015 1.25 0043 1.42 1205 0.51 0609 1.70 0534 1.56 0001 0.53 0540 0.65 FR 0622 0.47 1815 1.44 1230 0.38 1205 0.51 0609 1.70 TH 1209 1.63FR TH 1245 1.85 1847 1.67 1815 1.44 1230 0.38 THWE 1857 0.47 1930 1847 1.670.26 0006 0.62 0054 0.47 0100 1.23 0141 1.41 0617 1.61 0658 1.68 0006 0.62 0054 0.47 0626 0.69 SA 0723 0.53 1243 0.45 1312 0.39 0617 1.61 0658 1.68 FR 1250 1.56SA FR 1342 1.73 1852 1.53 1930 1.74 1243 0.45 1312 0.39 FR TH 1942 0.51 2026 1852 1.53 1930 1.740.33 0048 0.54 0142 0.43 0150 1.23 0242 1.42 0658 1.65 0744 1.64 0048 0.54 0142 0.43 0717 0.73 SU 0830 0.58 1317 0.40 1349 0.41 0658 1.65 0744 1.64 SA 1337 1.49SU SA 1442 1.59 1928 1.62 2009 1.78 1317 0.40 1349 0.41 SA FR 2031 0.53 2121 1928 1.62 2009 1.780.39 0130 0.46 0227 0.41 0245 1.24 0344 1.45 0738 1.68 0827 1.58 0130 0.46 0227 0.41 0817 0.76 MO 0942 0.61 1351 0.37 1425 0.46 0738 1.68 0827 1.58 SU 1430 1.42MO SU 1547 1.47 2004 1.71 2047 1.80 1351 0.37 1425 0.46 SU SA 2123 0.54 2215 2004 1.71 2047 1.800.44

1 11

16 1616

2 22

17 1717

3 33

18 1818

4 44

19 1919

5 55

20 2020

6 66

21 2121

7 77

22 2222

8 88

23 2323

9 99

24 2424

25 2525

10 1010

25 2525

11 1111

26 2626

11 1111

26 2626

27 2727

12 1212

27 2727

12 1212

27 2727

13 1313

28 2828

13 1313

28 2828

13 1313

28 2828

29 2929

14 1414

29

14 1414

29 2929

14 1414

29 2929

30 3030

15 1515

30

15 1515

30 3030

15 1515

30 3030

31 31

31 0209 0745

1.25 0.62 WE 1414 1.64 2112 0.40

31 31

31 0445 1056

1.50 0.61 MO 1654 1.38 2308 0.47

 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2016, Bureau of Meteorology Copyright Commonwealth Australia 2016, Bureau Meteorology  Copyright Commonwealth of of Australia 2016, Bureau of of Meteorology Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Datum of are Predictions is Lowesttime Astronomical Tideor daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect Times in local standard (UTC +10:00) Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect New Moon First Quarter Last Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon New Moon First Quarter Last Quarter New Moon First Quarter Last Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon Tide predictions for Sydney (Fort Denison) have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material is supplied in good faith and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition that no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes. Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions.

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OCTOBER 2018

boats & kayaks

In the skipper’s seat 94 Worth doing? Worth Durras Inside story...

Stessco is an Australian owned and operated family business. With a love of fishing and boating, Stessco has built a wide-ranging network of dealerships, with the goal of providing customers with dependable, value-for-money aluminium boats. Stessco prides itself on the wide variety of options available which can be added to the already wide range of different vessels.

Made for...

Anglers who are after a reliable tinny that can be customised to suit their individual requirements and fishing style.

This month...

Editor Steve Morgan climbs into the Stessco Bowrider 520 with Yamaha F90hp.

Check it out on page 102!

Toby Grundy checks out another beautiful South Coast fishery in search of a kayak fishing fix!

96 SUP progression

Justin Willmer shares what he’s learnt in the nine months he’s had his SUP.

98 Staying alive!

Wayne Kampe discusses live bait tank options for small boats – something often forgotten about in the buying process!

100 Cruise Craft 595EX

Editor Steve Morgan has a run in this amazing looking rig, powered by a Yamaha F200hp 4-stroke.

OCTOBER 2018

93

Durras Lake is perfect for kayak anglers CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

This is my last kayak column. My wife and I recently welcomed our first child into the world

fish in locations that rarely see angling pressure. Stealth is the name of the game in kayak fishing, from the light lines and leader and small lures through to the kayak itself. With that in mind, I thought I’d finish

Catching estuary perch requires stealthy tactics and clever retrieves. and it turns out that these little people require a lot of work. So I am not able to travel as far as I once could and overnight trips are off the table. I’m sad

with a ‘hotspot’ that is pretty much made for yak anglers: Durras Lake.

FACILITIES Durras Lake is located about 20 minutes from the

or conditions. If the lake has been open for a while, you can expect good numbers of blackfish, trevally and tailor to chase and harass your lure during most retrieves.

For me though, the best species to chase in the lake has to be the estuary perch, which are especially prevalent in early spring and will hit topwater lures with abandon.

TECHNIQUES I only recently discovered EP. I have been chasing bass for a few years now and cannot get enough of the little bronze warriors, but estuary perch were always a fair way down the list of targets.

This changed very quickly after one memorable visit to Durras where we had to use very specific techniques to get them to bite.

Durras is a shallow system that means the fish can spot a kayak from a mile away, so when you do find a productive bank sit a fair way off and cast parallel to the bank a distance from the intended strike zone. The

Michael Wilson with a decent EP. to finish up as this has been my first regular column and something that always provided me with significant challenges, because finding and fishing a new location every month is not always easy.

Over the past two years I have taken my trusty Native Slayer 13 to a variety of locations around Canberra and New South Wales including Gloucester, Copeton, Eden, Moruya and Googong to name a few. I reported on each location as accurately as I could and always erred on the side of caution when describing the fishing action.

I have learnt so much about kayak fishing over these two years and the chance to visit a variety of locations to pursue a number of different species from a yak has made me a better angler.

Fishing from a kayak enables an angler to genuinely sneak up on unsuspecting 94

OCTOBER 2018

heart of Batemans Bay, which is around two and a half hours from Canberra. The town of Durras (which lines one side of the lake) is very small so I would suggest buying all food and tackle in Batemans before heading to the lake.

In Batemans you will find a couple of good tackle shops along with cafes, restaurants, a variety of accommodation and petrol stations. I recommend packing a lot of tackle, especially soft plastics because if the fish are on, you won’t want to run out of lures and have to head back to the bay.

SPECIES Durras is a tidal lake and not always open to the ocean, so the species on offer vary depending on what has been happening tide and weather wise. That said, the lake does have a good population of flathead and bream that always seem to be buzzing around no matter the season

strike zone will be easy to identify as the EP sit right in the weed and these weed patches are small, meaning you’ll know that when the lure comes close to a patch of weed, a bite won’t be far away.

Ready to launch.

The best technique to use when fishing these strike zones is to allow a soft plastic lure (such as a Squidgy Wriggler in 65-80mm) to sink to the tip of the weed. Once you feel the lure touch the weed, twitch the lure fast up the column then pause the lure near the surface. The fish usually pick up the lure as it sinks back to the weed.

Alternatively, if the fish are racing up the column and smacking the lure near the top, switch to a paddler like a DStyle Reserve and cast the surface lure on top of the weed and jig the lure on the spot.

THE KAYAK Durras is a relatively sheltered lake, is wide in a lot of sections and shallow which means it is possible to fish the lake from even the most basic paddle craft. It is actually a really good place to introduce kids to the sport as even on windy days, there are bays and shallow edges that offer a lot of shelter and excellent angling opportunities.

I used my Native Slayer 13 but any yak with a bit of storage would do the job.

THE SOUNDER It is possible to find fish and catch large numbers of fish without a sounder

on Durras. The lake has a lot of easily identifiable, fishy looking structure and there will always be fish in these areas.

That said, having a sounder would be advantageous if you decide to fish the deeper pockets. These areas contain submerged,

reeds. There are always plenty of flathead in this area and the EP often push bait towards the bank.

TACKLE I used my Daiwa Harrier 1-3kg spin stick matched to a Daiwa Certate 1000 spooled with 4lb fluorocarbon. This is a very light stick but the

These are the kinds of snags that hold the best fish. significant snags that hold the better fish. I used my Lowrance Elite7ti and the side scan was particularly beneficial; I was even able to sound a few decent jewies.

LOCATIONS As soon as you launch from the ramp, start fishing.

There is a really great little bay to the immediate left of the ramp that is lined with

The trevally are big and often buzz around the EP.

fish respond better to finesse tactics and very light line.

TIMING Durras fishes well year round, but is especially good in early spring. Now is the time to hit the lake.

THANK YOU I would like to take this opportunity to thank a few people. Cheers to Michael Wilson, Scott Goodman, Bill Dunn and David Pidcock for coming with me on so many of these crazy kayak trips; your constant optimism was a source of great motivation even when the weather turned nasty! Thank you to my excellent sponsors JML Anglers Alliance, Lowrance and Spotters for providing the best gear that always produced fish. And finally, a massive thank you to my editors Steve Morgan and Jacqui Thomas for giving me the opportunity to write this column, it has been a blast and I can’t thank you enough.

I’ll be continuing my monthly report on the Canberra region and will from time to time add in the odd kayak update.

WHAT’S NEW BOATING RAYMARINE AXIOM UAV APP

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Raymarine Axiom users can take to the skies with the LightHouse 3.6 OS update.

The new Axiom UAV app combines the power of Raymarine navigation with advanced aerial imaging. Compatible with the DJI Mavic Pro drone, the Axiom UAV app automates many tasks.

The Virtual Tuna Tower feature lets the Mavic scout for fish ahead of the boat. With the optional polarised lens, the 4K UHD camera can see gamefish, baitfish and structure.

The Fish-On feature launches the UAV, starts video recording, and flies the camera in an orbit around the boat. On-screen controls let you fine-tune the altitude, radius, speed and camera angle.

With the Goto command, the Mavic flies to the GPS location you selected and hovers.

You can see it on your navigation chart along with its course, altitude and more.

Axiom UAV is a free update for Axiom, Axiom Pro and Axiom XL MFDs. www.raymarine.com.au

NEW MERCURY V-8 SEAPROS

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Mercury is now offering 225hp, 250hp and 300hp V-8 SeaPro commercial outboards, expanding the commercial FourStroke range from 15-300hp.

The 225-300hp models offer higher displacement and horsepower at a lighter weight than their competitors. The new models produce plenty of torque at lower rpm levels, while the compact, lightweight design and Advanced Range Optimisation maximises fuel economy at cruise. The heavy-duty components are built to cope with the demands of commercial operation, and are validated at three times the lifespan of a recreational engines.

Also available is the new Verado V-8 300hp SeaPro equipped with Advanced MidSection (AMS) which moves the engine mounts aft and outward. It virtually eliminates all vibration from being transmitted to the boat. Models equipped with the AMS also feature electrohydraulic power steering and are compatible with Mercury’s Joystick Piloting system.

The new models are backed by a 3 Year (2+1) warranty for commercial users, which includes protection against corrosion. www.mercurymarine.com.au

HOBIE FOLD AND STOW CART

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Hobie’s Fold and Stow Cart weighs in at just over 2.5kg and is designed to make transporting your kayak easy.

The Cart functions well on a variety of solid surfaces, and breaks down to stow inside Hobie kayaks equipped with a large front cargo hatch. You simply wheel your kayak down to the water, break the cart down and stow it away, eliminating trips back and forth to the vehicle. At the end of the day, the cart reassembles in seconds.

Features include: collapsible frame with removable wheels for easy stowage; lightweight frame (complete cart assembly weighs in at just over 2.5kg); a quick release cart keeper which holds the cart into the scuppers of your kayak; retaining bungee that keeps the cart frame in the collapsed position; load rating of 80kg (suits most models’ fully rigged weight); carrying bag with shoulder strap for easy transport; and post collar clamps to help reduce direct hull load on the cart by displacing load at scuppers.

Price: SRP $250 www.hobie.com

PRODUCT GUIDE

MASTERVOLT MLI-E 4 BATTERY The new Mastervolt MLI-E 12/1200 is a fast-charging, mid-size lithium ion battery offering long life and deep-cycle discharge in a compact waterproof case.

This 12V battery offers 1200 Watt-hours of energy (90 amp-hours). By using the very safe lithium ion phosphate chemistry, the MLI-E saves up to 70% in space and weight, recharges in less than an hour and can discharge 80% of its capacity up to 5,000 times without damage – a lifespan that is ten times longer than an equivalent lead acid battery. This makes it ideal for mobile applications, and for powering small electric motors for propulsion.

Features include: integrated monitoring for reliable battery status information; quick installation and commissioning with no maintenance needed; monitoring via a Bluetooth app; and CANbus communication for automated and intelligent energy system integration.

Price: SRP $3650 www.bla.com.au

MOTORGUIDE LINKS TO MFDS

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MotorGuide’s Xi5 and Xi3 trolling motors can now be operated through selected Mercury VesselView and Simrad multifunction displays.

The improvement, driven by upgraded system software, means MotorGuide will be even more popular as the trolling motors can now connect with all of the ‘big three’ – VesselView, Simrad and Lowrance screens.

However, boaters with VesselView displays will benefit particularly as VesselView screens now allow drivers to monitor and control both their main engine and their trolling motor through the one multifunction display.

The software upgrade is suitable for VesselView 502/702/703/903 screens. Owners just need to download the data from the Mercury Marine website to a micro SD card, which is then used to transfer the update to the VesselView or Simrad unit. www.mercurymarine.com

RAYMARINE WIRELESS RADIOS

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Raymarine’s new Ray90 and Ray91 modular VHF radios offer the convenience of two wired handsets and three optional wireless handset stations.

Both models feature a commercial-grade marine VHF radio transceiver with the latest Class-D Digital Selective Calling, as well as a built-in loudhailer and fog-signal generator with an optional hailing horn.

The 91 model also has a built-in Class B AIS receiver. Connect the 91 to your MFD and instrument network to see the position and identity of nearby AIS-equipped vessels.

The basic system comes with a blackbox transceiver module and a wired handset/ speaker kit. The transceiver hides out of sight and offers connections for an optional second wired station or wireless hub.

Wireless handsets have built-in lithium ion rechargeable batteries. To recharge, just place the handset back in its supplied dock. Each wireless handset even has a locator alarm in case you misplace it.

Both models have an onboard GPS receiver and a connection for an external GPS antenna.

The radios communicate with your other MFDs and instruments via NMEA2000 or NMEA0183. www.raymarine.com.au

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

SCAN THE QR CODE!

OCTOBER 2018

95

Stand up paddleboard fishing BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

It’s coming up to about nine months now that I have been fishing from my stand up paddleboard

from an elevated position, operate with stealth and also have minimal impact on the environment around you. Time on the water has allowed me to refine my SUP setup and kit, while also learning more about the craft,

C-TUG TROLLEY The C-Tug Trolley is constructed from corrosion resistant materials, making it low maintenance. It pulls apart so that you can store it easily, even in the hatch of some kayaks. It can be used effectively on SUPs,

A net and lip grips make fish handling much simpler and safer.

(SUP) and I’ve found it to be an enjoyable, simple and effective way to fish. It’s perfect for the

so here’s a breakdown of my SUP setup and some tips I have picked up along the way.

A fish measure secured inside the raised deck. You can leash the ruler if you don’t have a raised deck. shallow waters that I fish, and by working the tides and picking your weather windows you can cover reasonable distances, fish

From tail to tip, here’s a look at what I carry on my SUP and why, then we’ll look at a few tips to make your experience more enjoyable.

kayaks and canoes, and it is awesome quality. I live a short walk from the water, so the SUP can be on the trolley the night before and ready for action. It’s also handy for setting your SUP up in the car park and then rolling it to the water, rather than doing multiple trips to and from the water.

ICEBOX The icebox on my SUP doubles as a seat, and to be honest I spend a fair bit of time sitting and relaxing while I drift with the tide.

Even when seated on the icebox I am still elevated and have a great view of the structure, bait, fish and other points of interest around me. I selected a 35L Yeti Tundra cooler because it marries up perfectly with the recessed attachment points on my SUP. It features built-in slots for

Fishing plastics along the edge on a well-organised SUP. 96

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tying down, allowing me to leash it down with the straps from the Yeti Tie Down Kit, and the rubber feet on the icebox ensure that it doesn’t budge. This was not the cheapest option out there and you can work out what works for your SUP, however I was impressed with the quality and also a few other cool features I’ll discuss in more detail.

ROD HOLDERS The first few trips out I simply laid a couple of rods on the deck and they stayed pretty dry thanks to the raised area around the deck of my SUP. Most SUPs lack this and I could see rods and reels getting pretty damp. One option would be a couple of Railblaza rod holders attached to your icebox, however I am lucky enough that Yeti have rod holders available that slot into the same slots that are used for leashing it down, secured 100% by the closed lid of the icebox. These rod holders are rock solid and allow quick and easy access to either rod as required, allowing me to have two different lures rigged so I can switch to suit the depth, environment, target species or wind.

The C-Tug trolley is ideal for transporting your rigged SUP to and from the water. leashed on and I found that the more items I used during the session, the more times my leashes crossed over and made a tangled mess.

I no longer leash my dry bag of tackle onto the SUP,

holding on longer, allowing me to set the hook. The first time I took the SUP out I stowed the scent within easy reach in the centre recessed carry handle, and this is still my preferred

A landing net with an accessory float, just in case it is lost over the side.

WATER BOTTLE It’s important to stay hydrated, and after trialling a few options I have settled on a double walled, stainless steel water bottle that is rugged, functional and, due to the double wall, stays cool even when in the sun.

Plastic bottles are definitely an issue in the sun and with the amount of plastic in our oceans, single-use plastic bottles are definitely off the list. This water bottle is stowed between my feet, within easy reach and on the centre line of the SUP for balance.

DRY BAG OF TACKLE When I first started SUP fishing I had everything

I have simply increased the size of the dry bag slightly and I roll it up with enough air sealed inside to float the bag, should it find its way into the water. This dry bag contains a small tackle tray loaded with jigheads and blades, a handful of soft plastics, leader, Boomerang Tool line snip, sunscreen and a snack.

SCENT I am a big believer in scent as a means of masking foreign odours, like fuel and sunscreen, while also attracting fish and triggering strikes. Time and time again I have added scent and found the bite more aggressive and the fish

location. I prefer to apply a small amount of scent more frequently, every 30 or so casts, rather than one large coating every couple of hours, and this home location keeps the scent handy and also reminds me to apply it regularly.

FISH RULER A fish ruler makes it quick and easy to measure your catch, whether keeping a feed, tagging and releasing fish or keeping track of PBs. I have again done away with the leash and simply position the ruler inside the raised area of the deck to keep it secure.

You may opt to leash your ruler or alternatively attach

an accessory float that will float the ruler should it be knocked or dropped into the water. Measure mats are ideal for boat and landbased fishing, however I

icebox for easy release from either side of the SUP. Once setup with landing net, ruler and lip grips within easy reach it’s simple to land, control, handle and

I was hoping to sneak out for a couple of hours on a recent Sunday afternoon, so the SUP was setup and on the trolley. I kept an eye on the weather; with wind forecast, and rain falling, I knew it could go either way, as we often get a glass-out

to drift right in along the edge of the drop off and cast ahead of the drift, changing to a small soft plastic craw and reducing the jighead weight. Fishing the plastic with slow hops and shakes it didn’t take long until I had a solid take

A quality paddle makes paddling and controlling the SUP much easier.

When fighting a fish, point the rod tip toward the front of the SUP and enjoy the ride. find them cumbersome on the SUP and difficult to handle in windy conditions.

LANDING NET A small landing net is handy and I carry mine on the deck in front of me, with an accessory float attached in case it is lost overboard.

You may wish to store your net in a rod holder on the icebox if you have a smaller SUP with less deck area. It’s important that you select a net that has mesh that doesn’t tangle with hooks as the last thing you need is your lure stuck in the net and a fish thrashing around, knocking items into the water and putting yourself and the fish at risk of injury.

measure fish within a short window of time and with minimum fuss, ensuring the quick release of a wellconditioned fish, should you choose to release that fish.

PADDLE Make sure you select a decent quality paddle to go with your SUP as it makes paddling easier and more efficient. There is a paddle stow point in the front deck of my SUP, along with some bungee that I could slide the paddle under, however as I often sit and fish I prefer to rest the paddle across the deck or across my lap. This allows me to make a few paddle strokes as required

This solid whiting nailed a slow rolled ZMan 2.5” Slim SwimZ in midnight oil colour. after rain. The rain stopped, sun came out and I couldn’t believe how good the afternoon was becoming.

To make it even better it was a dropping tide, with an hour and a half of run-out to fish, before drifting back with more current as the tide was then rising to a high tide.

I launched, moved the SUP into enough water to float it and then stepped

and the drag screamed.

A quality flathead had grabbed the little craw and screamed off in the shallows. I swung the rod tip toward the nose of the SUP to ensure that it tracked after the fish and stayed stable, rather than turning sideways and becoming unbalanced. Take your time when you’re fighting fish from a SUP as rushing things can see fish lost. As a quality flatty came into view, I made note that it was hooked securely, taking time to use the rod angle to steer it into the net. Once in the net, the rod can be stowed in the holder, lip grips attached to the fish and then it’s easy

to measure, photograph and then stow or release.

I stood up as I drifted the edge, making the most of the elevated position and making note of the structure that I was fishing. There was a defined weed edge, dropping away to a mud, sand and rubble bottom, so I switched to my go-to 2.5” paddle tail plastic. I opted to roll the plastic along the weed edge as experience has shown me that fish love to patrol the weed edge and pounce on anything that ventures outside of this weedy curtain. This produced a couple more flathead and a solid whiting.

The tide turned and I began my quicker drift back home. With the water rising rapidly it’s even more important to pay attention to bait flicking, fleeing and moving in the water. Fish make the most of the rising water to push up into the shallows and hunt, before there is too much water and the bait has escaped into the mangroves and other

structure. The next two fish fell to casts made to bait flicking on the edge, firstly a bream and then another quality flathead. I made the call to put that fish in the icebox and head for home, leaving time to clean up and fillet the fish before gearing up for another week of work.

It had been another fun and productive SUP fishing session. I had again heard a few comments from passing boats and people on the shore about fishing from the SUP: “why”, “how”, “is that a surfboard”, “that’s strange” and so on. Pretty much the same conversations I had heard 20-plus years ago when launching and fishing from my fitted out kayak. The SUP is definitely a viable option as a fishing craft and there are plenty of places that hire them out, should you want to give them a try yourself.

All the best with the fishing. See you on the water.

This bream was stirring up prawns in the shallows and couldn’t resist a plastic cast into the strike zone.

LIP GRIPS One item that remains on a leash is my lip grips, as they are too heavy for an accessory float. A long leash is handy as it allows you to transfer a fish from the net onto the grips for a photo and dispatch into the

to adjust my position and distance from the bank or drift angle.

ON THE WATER Here’s how a typical session unfolds for me, including a few tips for fishing from the SUP. Let’s hit the water.

aboard, took a seat and paddled a short distance to start my drift. I was casting plastics toward the bank and hopping them down the channel edge and back out toward the SUP. Conditions were too good and the fishing was slow, so I opted

An icebox makes an excellent seat, attachment point for accessories and storage for a feed or your catch.

OCTOBER 2018

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Small boat live bait tank options BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

We rarely see much fishing media coverage of live bait usage. There’s the odd

account and the tank might be a beauty, likely having a clear top or front, and maybe even an LED light. There’s nothing like some mood lighting for your livies!

When we survey rigs between $15,000 and

aren’t made from glass) to a small icebox with a 12V portable aerator rigged up to keep the bubbles coming.

Even a bucket with an aerator in it will work as long as you follow a few simple rules.

from collapsible metal mesh that was fine enough to keep really small baitfish in check.

The floating push-down style lid was big enough to accommodate a big, fat luderick, and to allow me to extract livies when required.

Collapsible wire fish keepers of this style are a bit hard to come by, but they are still being made by Sure Catch (Wilson Fishing), Seahorse and Jarvis Walker, so it just comes down to finding a tackle outlet that stocks them. Wire keepers aren’t expensive, and if you wash them after each use they will give you years of handy service.

Rough but ready While on the subject of external livey tanks, there’s nothing wrong with

Young Amelia McEntee having fun. One of the great things about bait tanks is that they entertain kids, who love to watch the activity. take out a livey whenever you need one.

I’ve seen a couple of really good DIY units made

The trick is to construct a squarish tank using stainless screws and waterproof glue, and drill as many small holes

Now that’s a live well! With a clear lid and plumbing, this tank is the bee’s knees. mention of ‘livies’ here and there, but any mention of that essential item – a bait tank that actually works – is as scarce as scales on a squid.

$25,000, however, there’s no guarantee of a bait tank – and for boats under $15,000 the only tank fitted is probably one the owner has installed.

The good news is that

This bait well is on a $35,000 boat. It comes with plumbing, as you’d expect for a boat of that price.

Spend upwards of $25,000 on a boat and there might be a bait tank of some form or other. Over $40,000 from the

a DIY bait tank set-up is actually not that hard; there are many small boat owners using live bait to very good effect, and who have all sorts of interesting methods of keeping everything from yabbies to yakkas alive.

I’ve seen livies in everything from an adapted aquarium (the best ones

A collapsible wire fish keeper, like this one from Jarvis Walker, is a cheap and easy way to store livies.

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CLEAN WATER IS THE KEY Whether you’re using live worms, yabbies, prawns or small fish, you need to provide a flow of clean water and keep it oxygenated to keep your livies in good condition.

A flow of water doesn’t necessarily mean that a hose has to be running, but it’s vital that the water is kept clean. I’ve kept fish going strongly for hours in livewells in various boats – even really big livies with a high demand for clean oxygenated water – simply by using a bucket to take water out and pour fresh water in. The splashing from the incoming water traps a lot of oxygen.

Another thing to consider is to not overcrowd your livebaits if you want to keep them in good condition. You don’t want too many small fish competing for limited space and oxygen.

EXTERNAL TANKS Small boat owners have the choice of an internal livey tank or an external one.

That’s right, an external unit.

They certainly do work as they keep the bait totally immersed within its own environment, and they need next to no cleaning out to prevent pong, unlike other styles of tanks.

Collapsible fish keepers A few years ago I bought several external live fish keepers that were quite suited to storing and keeping alive anything from bream or luderick right down to hardiheads, gar or herring.

Tethered alongside the boat and totally immersed except for the lid, these ball-shaped keepers were constructed

There’s scope for some DIY installation here with this comprehensive set-up. constructing a DIY unit. The main requirements are that it should have a really free water flow, plus a lid that floats to keep the tank on the surface. The lid should also be large enough to let you

from marine ply. It sounds primitive, but they work just fine. The idea is to make the tank large enough to hold a few fish at a time. Pike, gar, yakkas – the system is ideal for all of these fish.

This system is a little rough around the edges, but it works well simply because the water is bucketed in and out. It’s enough to keep the water fresh and aerated.

in the sides, top and bottom as possible. These holes will keep the water flowing while the keeper is tied up and floating beside the boat.

The lid should have some floatant material (such as closed cell foam attached with Sikaflex) to keep it on the surface. As far as hinges for the lid go, a strip of heavy truck inner tube works a treat. It’s smart to make the lid large enough for you to use a little mesh net to extract the livies.

I have used one of these wooden wonders which was 450mm long and 400 deep.

It kept small fish alive for hours, simply because water could flow freely from start to finish. At the end of the day it could be washed out and left to dry until the next use.

The baitfish seemed to settle down within it very quickly, and sat quietly swimming into the current coming through the holes.

When moving to another location, I simply lifted the keeper out and put it in a plastic box with water in it to keep them going.

You do the same thing with the collapsible wire mesh keepers.

STOREBOUGHT OPTIONS Internal bait tanks can take many forms. Most can be snugged into a suitable spot without too much trouble, but you need to be careful about overdoing things. An overly large tank brings issues, mostly weight. Remember, 1L of water weighs 1kg.

Your tank will need

a lid to stop both water slopping out and the livies jumping out. Also, the lid must be large enough to accommodate a small dip net when it’s time to grab a fresh livey, to make life easier. The funny thing about live baits is that none of them want to be next!

Whitworths, Boating and RV plus many other boat accessory outlets usually offer

several bait tanks of different sizes. These units come complete with a lid, and have plumbing as well, if required.

I found a 30L Florite unit at Boating and RV which looks to be ideal for fitting into a small boat, and it would be ideal for manual filling, given the size of its lid. As a bucket fill unit, I’d also set up an outflow pipe to handle any

External aeration for a live well can be as simple as slipping a Rapala aerator into the mix. If the aerator can keep bass alive it will certainly do an excellent job with live bait.

There’s something for everyone in this selection from a marine chandlery outlet.

excess water, and have an aerator close by to keep the air flow going.

That aside, anglers who enjoy DIY projects could just as easily set it up with a pump as well as the outflow and aerator.

And if there’s a need to attach any gear to the outside of the bait tank or close by, simply use Sikaflex.

This marine sealant sets like rubbery concrete. From my experience, anything glued in place with Sikaflex usually stays there. If you accidentally get some in the wrong spot, use metho while the Sikaflex is still nice and fluid.

KEEP THOSE LIVEYS ALIVE! Whether your chosen bait tank is a store-bought item or a DIY Sunday morning masterpiece, there are just a few things to remember when keeping livies for bait.

Firstly, it’s important that only the best bait items should go in the tank. If you’re catching small fish with a bait jig, hold the jig over the tank inlet and try to flick or wriggle the fish off without touching them.

If you’re catching small fish or prawns with a cast net, try not to handle them

excessively; just shake them gently into the tank without excessive trauma.

As soon as one critter throws in the towel the whole lot are likely to do so, which means it’s important to quickly remove any that are dying or dead.

Changing the water and keeping plenty of air in the system is also vital for their performance.

Finally, remember that while a bait tank is pretty important, spending lots of money on one is not always necessary. Besides, there’s a lot of satisfaction in DIY projects!

One Revolutionary Ride!

The Crossfire range is the most versatile boat yet.

Designed for 80% fishing and 20% fun meaning the entire family will be happy out on the water.

The Crossfire comes in multiple configurations with a side console as standard but can be fitted with a second twin console.

Contact your local dealer for more information.

CENTRAL COAST

DUBBO

GRAFTON

LAVINGTON

425 The Entrance Rd, Long Jetty Ph (02) 4333 3444 stacerboats1@aol.com

36 Bourke Street, Dubbo Ph (02) 6882 2853 bbeandel@bigpond.net.au

160 North St, Grafton Ph (02) 6643 1199 sales@discomarine.com.au

474 Wagga Road, Lavington Ph (02) 6040 9999 bordermarine@westnet.com.au

IN TUNE MARINE

www.intunemarine.com.au

DUBBO MARINE

www.dubbomarine.com.au

DISCO MARINE

www.discomarine.com.au

MID NORTH COAST

SYDNEY SOUTH

SYDNEY WEST

537 Ocean Dr, North Haven Ph (02) 6559 9344 enquiries@camdenhavenmarine.com.au

1-13 Mangrove Lne, Taren Point Ph (02) 9524 0044 sales@marinabayside.com.au

1 Railway Rd North, Mulgrave Ph (02) 4577 6699 sales@blakesmarine.com.au

CAMDEN HAVEN MARINE

www.camdenhavenmarine.com.au

MARINA BAYSIDE

www.marinabayside.com.au

BORDER MARINE

www.bordermarinecentre.com.au

BLAKES MARINE

www.blakesmarine.com.au OCTOBER 2018

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Cruise Craft 595EX with Yamaha F200 4-stroke - SC

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Main: At full cry, the Cruise Craft 595 looks, sounds and feels great. It’s what you’d expect from a premium Australian boat builder. And Cruise Craft have a sound relationship with Yamaha – the F200 is an ideal power plant for the type of fishing you’d do in this rig, delivering just under 1.9km/L at cruising speed.

Above: Although the test day on Port Phillip Bay was glamorous, the rough water ability and quietness of the Cruise Craft hull is legendary. We can report that it goes well on flat water! outboard, the test boat was fitted with the maximum 200hp. At over 2t on the trailer, it’s not a light rig, however the F200 delivered maximum economy of 1.8km/L at 3600rpm and a comfortable cruising speed of 40km/h.

Want to drive this rig flat out? No worries, it’ll give you a smooth 77km/h at 5900 rpm and 1km/L, so ease up on the throttle if you

Length.......................................................5.95m Length Overall..........................................6.35m Length on trailer.........................................7.5m Height with targa.....................................3.22m Height with screen..................................2.43m Tow weight............................................. 2100kg Beam.........................................................2.44m Transom deadrise........................................ 20° Transom height..............................................XL Max hp......................................................200hp Recommended hp................................... 175hp Capacity.......................................... Six persons Fuel............................................................. 190L OCTOBER 2018

but folded down you can fit it into a garage with a 2.45m clearance. That’s important if you need to store your boat undercover in an area with limited height.

Want to know more about this rig? You can watch the video review on

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If you’re a fan of Fishing Monthly boat tests, you may remember the test that Streaker Marine’s Sean Savage and I did on the $200,000 Cruise Craft 685HT. Powered by a 300hp Yamaha, it’s a dreamboat for plenty of anglers out there, and Sean has seen plenty of them roll out the door ever since. This time, we’re taking one of the smaller Cruise Craft models for a spin – the 585EX with a 200hp Yamaha.

Built in Brisbane to exacting standards and factory fitted with motors and trailers, Cruise Craft boats have a reputation for quality and a price tag to match. Incidentally, the Cruise Craft factory also makes the Streaker boat brand now in Brisbane. This test is for Streaker Marine.

It’s a small world in the boating industry.

The 595EX (Explorer) is the third smallest and third largest fishing boat in the Cruise Craft range.

Designed to run a 175hp

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“What I also like about the hull design is that it was made from scratch from the water up and it carries its beam a long way forward.

That gives it the ability to stay on the plane at slower speeds, which helps while driving in rough water.

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want less pain at the bowser.

From bow to stern, the build and design quality is obvious and the boat rides quietly on the water.

At the helm, there’s ample space for whatever suite of electronics you want to fit to be flush mounted. The helm seating is comfortable and designed to store coolers underneath.

I’m a particular fan of the soft top fitted with a slide out sunshade, especially in northern climates where it’s virtually mandatory to fish undercover. The test boat was also fitted with clip-in carpet, which makes life easier at the wash-down stage, especially if you’ve had a busy day on the fish.

Sean Savage has sold plenty of Cruise Craft packages and rates the 595EX as “The best bang for buck in the Cruise Craft range.”

“And the resale value of these rigs is also amazing.

The fact that everything is plush and factory-fitted means that there’s ultimate confidence from both the dealers and the customers that everything is done right. We love selling them,” Savage continued.

RPM................... km/h.................... km/L 700............................5........................ 1.7 1000..........................7........................ 2.5 2000........................ 15........................ 1.9 3000........................ 24........................ 1.6 3600........................ 40........................ 1.8 4000........................ 45........................ 1.7 5000........................ 61........................ 1.3 5900........................ 77........................ 1.0 *As tested with a 17” S/S propeller When looking at the differences between the base model price (packages start from low $90K) and the test boat ($111,850), a lot of the cost is made up of the stainless steel, factory-fitted folding Targa top. Erected, the boat’s height tops out at 3.22m,

YouTube on the Fishing Monthly Magazines YouTube channel, or by scanning the QR code on the page hereby with your smartphone.

Or, of course, you can check out this and all their other models at www. cruisecraft.com.au.

At wide-open throttle, like all boats, the economy drops. If you want to go 77km/h at 5900rpm, the fuel calculations become easy – you get 1km/L burned.

The 595 is supplied from the factory on an Australian built Easytow trailer with twin axles.

Indeed, the whole boat/motor/trailer is factory rigged for the best in quality control.

There’s plenty of cockpit space and removable carpet to aid cleaning after a big day on the water.

Here’s the rear bench seat deployed. The mechanism is strong and neat to pack away.

You can store a few rods or gaffs in the side pocket as well as tackle in the bottom section.

This model comes with a sliding, lockable cabin door for privacy and security.

Now there’s a helm that’ll hold all the electronics you’ll want to put into a $100K+ boat.

Cruise Craft cabins are always a combination of style and practicality. This one takes an optional toilet for a weekend away.

The 20° of deadrise at the transom and a 2.44m beam combine to offer good ride and stability at rest.

Cruise Craft’s bait stations have evolved over the years to this design, and it’s removable for family days.

The slide out shade option on the targa top is wonderfully practical and you can keep your excess rods out of the way above it.

The Stressfree electric anchor winch is bordering on a standard inclusion rather than an option.

Once you’ve had one, you’ll never go back.

Cruise Craft’s Yamahas are factory fitted in Brisbane for the best in quality control.

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Stessco Bowrider 520 with Yamaha F90HP - SC

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Length..........................................................5.1m Beam..........................................................2.29m Bottom.sheet ..............................................3mm Side.sheet....................................................3mm Hull.weight ................................................500kg Max.HP .......................................................... 115 Fuel .............................................................. 110L Capacity .............................................. 6 persons Main: Chasing a locally made aluminium plate boat that will keep the whole family happy and not break the bank? You need to check out the Stessco Bowrider 520.

Above: The bowrider was right at home in the Noosa River on the test day. means that it’s affordable for plenty of families. It also means that you probably won’t have to upgrade the family car to tow it.

S e c o n d l y, the configuration is pretty easily interchangeable between ‘fishing mode’ and ‘fun mode’. Drop in a few cushions up the front and add the removable ski pole and

RPM................... km/h.................... km/L 1000 ...................... 6.5 ....................... 3.4 2000.................... 10.7 ....................... 2.3 3000.....................27.9 ....................... 3.4 3500 .................... 35.6 ....................... 3.4 4000.................... 42.2 ....................... 3.3 5000.................... 54.8 ....................... 2.7 6000.....................67.2 ....................... 1.7 * fitted with SDS alloy 13 1/4 x 16” propeller OCTOBER 2018

easily interchangeable,” Biel continued.

And that’s exactly what they’ve done. Tweaked a great seller to make it just that little bit better.

For more information on the 520 Bowrider, or any of the 2018 Stessco range, visit their website on www. stessco.com.au, make sure

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Stessco’s Adrian Biel reckons that when your hull is a good thing, you don’t change it. And that’s exactly what Stessco has done with their 520 Bowrider hull. They’ve kept the popular shape and improved the layout.

But let’s backtrack a few steps before we dig into the details. Where does the Bowrider sit in the Stessco range and why would you buy one?

Well, it’s definitely a more comfortable boat for the less hardcore anglers in the family. Especially compared to something like the Gulf Runner. And sometimes, the fishing alone isn’t the reason you buy a boat.

Yes, I know. It’s a strange concept, but shade, comfort and the ability to use a boat for a variety of activities ticks a lot of boxes with modern outdoor families and this Stessco fits right into the hitting zone.

Firstly, it weighs in around the high $30K mark (and at around 1,000kg on the weighbridge), which

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formula from the Brisbane based company.

There aren’t many drawbacks of this rig, however the fact that most of your underfloor storage will still let water dribble through in the rain is a problem for local manufacturers.

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you’re ready to go tubing.

If you’re really clever, you’ll even have an electric motor on a bracket that takes a few seconds to pop off and on, which will really turn this into a fishing machine.

Thirdly, this boat is cheap to run. A boat over 5m in length with this level of fitout and that delivers well over 3km/L at cruising speeds really is giving you great value for money. The 110L tank fitted in this boat will get you over 300km of range at cruising speeds. The best we saw was at 3,5004,000 RPM where it nearly reached 3.5km/L. And finally, it’ll definitely turn heads at the ramp. The smooth plate aluminium sides look great with Stessco’s standard

colours, or alternatively take a vinyl wrap if you really want to make a statement.

Other improvements like the new, smoother windscreen just add to an already winning

nothing much we wanted to change in this boat,” said Adrian on the 2018 Media Day at Noosa, “so it’s just the small things that we’ve made better.”

“Things like the removable ski-pole and bait board, these needed to be

you Like their Facebook page (Stessco Boats) for social media updates and definitely scan the QR Code hereby to watch the video review of this rig on your smartphone.

It’s also available direct on the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel.

Everything is economical in the rig – from the mid-to-high $30K purchase price (depending on options) to the best fuel economy of 3.3km/L at 4,000rpm.

Driven at the best economy, the 110L fuel tank will give over 300km of theoretical range.

Back in the cockpit you can sit in the shade and swivel the seats around to watch a skiier or talk with your passengers on the bench seat. The ski-pole is removable.

Obviously, there’s a mountain of storage space under the front seats, although it’s not totally waterproof.

Drop some batteries in here if you choose to add an electric motor to the front of the rig.

Stessco’s Bowriders are a fun and good-looking rigs that really hit the spot with family boaters.

Here’s what the front deck looks like with the foam cushions on top of the infill.

You can remove the centre cushion and the deck section to allow for comfortable seating forward.

You can shut the split windscreen and the bulkhead door to keep the breeze and spray out.

The rear bench sits starboard while the transom door allows easy loading and is on the port transom side.

The helm is simple and can hold smaller electronics flush-mounted.

Here’s how you transform the bow into its various forms. First remove the cushions and stow under the decks. Next remove the floor infill. It provides everything from lounging to fishing in a bit of a swell.

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- JOIN THE FOURSTROKE –

REVOLUTION

UNBEATABLE SAVINGS UP TO $1150 ON SELECTED 2.5–115HP FOURSTROKE It’s time to join the Mercury Revolution and get out on the water this Summer.

With UNBEATABLE savings across a range of 2.5 – 115 horsepower FourStroke models and great Mercury Finance offers also available…Why Wait?

So, go online to find your nearest participating Mercury Dealer and join the Mercury FourStroke Revolution today.

HURRY OFFER ENDS NOVEMBER 23RD 2018. mercurymarine.com.au