NSW Fishing Monthly - September 2016 by Fishing Monthly

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Features

Bass opening guide • Flathead from dusky ‘til dawn • Buying a boat: new or used? • Crossing a bar safely • AFTA Show winners •

Tournament news

ABT BASS Electric at Hinze • ABT BASS at Boondooma • Eildon Big Fish Challenge • Flathead Classic tips • Hobie Kayak BREAM series results •

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September 2016, Vol. 22 No. 2

Contents 8

BYRON COAST The Tweed 24 Iluka 27 COFFS COAST Ballina 26 Coffs Harbour 28 Coffs Game 30 South West Rocks 31 MACQUARIE COAST The Hastings 32 Forster 34 HUNTER COAST Port Stephens 36 Hunter Coast 37 Harrington-Taree 35 Swansea 38 Central Coast 39 SYDNEY The Hawkesbury 12 Pittwater 14 Sydney North 13 Sydney Harbour 16 Sydney rock and beach 17 Botany Bay 18 Sydney South 20 ILLAWARRA COAST Illawarra 40 Nowra 41 BATEMANS COAST Batemans Bay

From the Editor’s Desk... THE AFTAMATH Wow. What a big week it was for Fishing Monthly Magazines at the annual Australian Fishing Trades Association (AFTA) Trade Show at the Gold Coast at the end of July. We had 11 staff covering the event and delivered our readers information in a multitude of ways. For the first time, through our new tackle engine www. tacklejunkie.fish, we covered the show with five LIVE broadcasts from inside the show – Simon Goldsmith and I ‘lived’ up the best tackle and the biggest personalities we could find to bring you the newest and the best, the quickest. The feedback from the coverage was awesome – so thank you to the thousands who tuned in – either live or in the subsequent days with the shows archived on the tacklejunkie.fish Facebook

page and indexed in the website tacklejunkie.fish. And that website was the next place the information ended up. Ever since the show, there’s been a stream of write-ups on the new tackle we found, and you’ll find them there before this magazine hit the shelves. Did you want more video

content? Yep, we’ve got that. Over 50 videos featuring the new products released are available to watch on the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel (search “Fishing Monthly” on YouTube and remember to subscribe). Finally, of course, there’s nearly a dozen pages in this issue dedicated to the best-

of-show. Literally, with the Best of Show award winners getting some space inside, but also the tackle that we thought was the coolest and most innovative. The Best of Show awards were voted on by the retailers themselves and there’s a fair assumption that if your local store thinks it’s cool, then you may just very well think it’s cool, too. Too much tackle? Maybe, but we’re all Tackle Junkies in here and there was no way we could sit still and shut up with that much going on. Incidentally, the weather on the Gold Coast was immaculate for the duration of the show. You can rest assured that as long as the public aren’t allowed a glimpse of what’s being released, then we’ll be doing our best to show you what’s coming to a tackle store near you.

EDEN COAST Merimbula 42 Narooma 43 Bermagui 46 Tathra 47 Eden 48 Mallacoota 48

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Flathead

Flathead from dusky ‘til dawn SWANSEA

Jason Scerri jayro@hotmail.com.au

Now is a beautiful time of year to spring into action. With a relatively wet winter behind us we now find ourselves heading towards spring for another year. Spring is a fantastic time of year to chase one of my favourite saltwater estuary fish – the humble dusky flathead. There is no denying that this is a fish that is certainly

topic? Certainly not, but I do continue to put countless hours into chasing these big estuary fish and I’m slowly getting things down pat. Hopefully after this article you too will be keen to get out and try your hand at scoring some real ‘crocsized’ dusky flathead. People will often say that flathead are an easy fish to catch or they are no fun because they don’t put up a fight. In the past I could see where these anglers were coming from, however after dedicating my

is something else. Flathead over 70cm really put on a much more spirited battle and fish over 80cm – well that’s a whole new level again. The sheer weight and power from these larger 80cm+ fish is just unreal and catching them on light spin outfits is a blast and a real challenge. ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE? Flathead are a great fish for anglers to target for many reasons. The fact that they are so easily accessible is one reason. Basically any

and I agree with looking after our fishery. However, there is nothing wrong with keeping some lovely fresh fish for the family, and flathead is a perfect fish for the table. It tastes great and it offers beautiful tailpieces that are totally free of bones, which makes them great for young children to eat. The best thing about flathead is there is usually enough of them around that you can pop a couple of 50cm fish in the esky for dinner then release the rest while you target that big girl. For myself, landing an 80cm+ flathead, taking some great pics and watching her swim away is about as good as it gets. Flathead are basically around all year, but spring is one of the better times of the year for those anglers who really want to get that big girl. The water temperatures are still cold and the bait is still schooling deep so I generally spend most of my spring sessions targeting deeper water around 8-10m. I cannot emphasise how important the bait schools

Not his go-to lure but certainly the pink plastics have their place in the author’s tackle tray. are. I always head to a few key spots that generally produce for me, but I have learnt over the years that after the first drift, if I’m not seeing signs of baitfish on the sounder then there is no use wasting time working this location and I’ll move

sessions. The number one must have for my reels is a smooth drag, and this is just as important with this style of fishing and this target species as with any other form of fishing. I like to spool my reels with 6-8lb braid and generally run a leader of

The author’s best flathead to date. At just over 85cm, this big girl fell for a soft plastic in white. readily available, and a great species for anglers to target on lures. They offer a lot of fun and a good feed at the end of the day but there is more to the unassuming flathead than meets the eye. Like most forms of fishing, anyone can go out and manage to get a particular species sooner or later if they try enough but if you want to consistently catch goodsized dusky flathead then you need to hone your skills and put in the effort to master this style of fishing. I have fished for flathead on lures on and off for over 20 years now, and it is one form of fishing that I love more and more each season as I learn new tricks and techniques. In the past I could go out for a session and maybe score a few flathead on lures in the 40-50cm range and think I had a good trip, but after reading and researching all I could on the topic of chasing large flathead I have now been able to catch some solid fish on a fairly regular basis. Am I an expert on the 8

SEPTEMBER 2016

angling experience over the past five years to chasing big flathead I can tell you how wrong those views are. The difference in finding, hooking and landing large dusky flathead compared to small to mid-range sized fish

of the estuaries up or down the NSW coast has a good supply of flathead. The fact they love to nail lures is another very appealing factor of flathead fishing. The importance of catch and release practice is growing

A solid mulloway is always a welcome by-catch when targeting large estuary flathead.

A recent hot session in the deep enabled the author to keep a few mid-size fish for the table.

on. The thing with these bait schools is that they are smashing up small whitebait and the like down deep and the flathead feed underneath on the scraps as they fall. This is a great sign for anglers chasing flathead. If the deep waters aren’t working for me I’ll then target drop-offs as my second choice. I’m not saying you won’t get flathead in the shallows during cooler months, but I certainly do far better in deeper waters and the drop-offs from shallow to deep in cooler times of the year. THE GEAR I only use 2500 size reels for this style of fishing. I find the reels have plenty of line capacity, enough grunt and remain light enough for me to hold and cast for long

12-16lb fluorocarbon. As for rods, I like to use 6’10”–7’ rods in the 2-5kg range. There is a wide range of lures that will catch flathead on our east coast estuaries. As a rule I use 4-6” soft plastics when I’m on the flathead hunt. Colour is critical when it comes to flathead fishing. Again I’m not saying that certain colours will never catch fish or that others will always, but it is a percentage game and if I’m investing my time and effort into chasing a big girl I want to use the tackle and lure offerings that will give me the best chance of achieving my target species. The reason I’m happy to persist with these lures for such a lengthy time, even without a hit is because I know they work and if the

Flathead fish are there then these lures will produce. I love white and silver lures in particular. If I’m having no luck after a solid effort then I will often find one of two other options will do the trick – either an all pink or lime green plastic offering. If they still fail to produce, I’m going home for a coffee! Jigheads are another key part of the puzzle. I love Impact Tackle jigheads. They offer a solid hook with a great shape for this style of fishing. I generally opt for a 3/8-1/2oz weight on a 4/0 hook. I often use heavier weights if need be, but it’s rare that I need to. One of the most useful pieces of equipment on my boat is a drift shoot (or sea anchor). I basically always deploy one when drifting for flathead as it slows my drift perfectly and allows me to offer lighter weighted jigheads and fish effectively on the bottom for longer periods of time. Another key thing to consider when chasing larger trophy flathead, is to invest in some scent. I am a real believer in the use of scents – I don’t think that using scent will get you a bite but I believe that it gives you a second, third and sometimes even a fourth bite at the cherry if the fish has trouble finding the hook. I cannot

get the plastic straight back down. I assure you that without scent 9/10 times the fish will not go for a second bite, but with scent they just can’t resist. Whatever brand you prefer should work fine and personally we do very well using Sax scent and Pro Lure scent, but I’m sure others work just as well. BY-CATCH The by-catch on offer is impressive, to say the least. Every year we come across some fantastic estuary mulloway as by-catch while

targeting flathead. You often find the hit from mulloway comes mid-water either as the lure is falling or on the retrieve. They don’t hug the bottom, instead they actively feed mid-water on chopper tailor bait balls. Mulloway are certainly the holy grail of estuary species and once you land one you will see why! I cannot explain how addictive it is to chase large flathead in our estuaries on soft plastics. Believe me, once you land that first solid croc at over 80cm you will

have a new appreciation for the humble dusky flathead and its fighting abilities. I know how tempting it is at the start to want to keep these big fish and brag to your mates, but they are certainly the ones to release. They are female breeders, and are much more valuable back in the water doing their thing. After all, they don’t taste great when they get that large anyway. Give her a kiss, take a pic and send her on her way. It’s a hard feeling to beat.

It’s worth investing in some scents when chasing flathead. It can really make a difference on a tough day. tell you how many times I have hooked a flathead only to have it shake itself

free within the first few moments. The key here is to open the bail arm and

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Beating the baitcaster blues NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

Mastering modern overhead reels isn’t so difficult, if you follow a few basic steps. Last century, when I was much younger, casting overhead reels was a challenge and proficiency with baitcasters and overheads was seen as a

badge of honour: something most of us keener anglers ultimately aspired to try. Modern baitcasters are much easier to tame than their predecessors. However, while reduced, the risk of muffed casts remains. That’s because an overhead’s spool must spin (at considerable speed) during every cast. Problems arise when a significant difference occurs between the rate of that spool rotation

and the progress of the lure or sinker through the air and into the water. The most commonly encountered problem in this regard takes the form of loose loops of line rising suddenly from the rapidly spinning spool as the passage of the casting weight slows. That’s called an over-run. In more extreme cases, these loops can tangle together, catch back on themselves and suddenly

Baitcaster reels are particularly popular amongst anglers chasing Murray cod and other heavyweight targets in both fresh and saltwater.

Keep your casting stroke smooth when using a baitcaster. 10

SEPTEMBER 2016

snarl into something known as a backlash (a phenomenon that also goes by several much less polite names!) Particularly bad backlashes can result in broken or damaged lines, not to mention ugly tangles that take time to carefully tease undone. In days of old, the only reliable safeguard against the dreaded backlash was something widely known as an ‘educated thumb’. The very same thumb that pinned and held the spool after the reel’s gears were disengaged, and then released it at the optimum moment in the casting stroke to send the lure flying on its way, would also hover gently over the whirring line load as it spun. That educated thumb felt for the first tell-tale brush of a rising loop, gently feathering the spool as the flight of the weight slowed, before clamping down to stop it completely as the sinker or lure hit the water. Over the years, baitcaster and overhead reel manufacturers have tried all manner of built-in braking devices to tame that wildly spinning demon. These have included mechanical, magnetic, centrifugal, friction and even digital

controls. All these clever systems work to varying extents, although none have completely removed the need for a little ‘smart thumb’ input from the nut that holds the rod. If you’re a new chum to casting with overheads, I strongly suggest hitting the park or beach and having a few practice sessions before your first serious fishing foray. It might also pay not to spool up with the most expensive line on the market to begin with! Make sure your sinker, lure or practice plug is heavy enough for easy casting, and that it falls into the suggested weight range of the rod (usually printed on the blank). As a rule of thumb, weights below 7g (1/4oz) are much harder to throw with an overhead reel, as are highly wind-resistant lures or complex rigs that tumble in flight. Begin by winding the weight up to rod tip before free-spooling the reel and allowing the weight to simply drop to the ground. Practise stopping the spool with your thumb as the lure or sinker hits the dirt. After doing this exercise a few times, tighten the bearing cap on the handle side of the reel until it’s just firm enough to stop the weight from descending. Free spool the reel and gently back the bearing cap off until the weight slowly begins to drop. As it falls, ease the bearing cap pressure up again until it stops. Play around with this setting until you develop a feel for

Golden perch are another popular target when using baitcaster reels, but their use is certainly not confined to freshwater. just short of it (nine or ten on many reels). On some baitcasters, you’ll need to open the end plate using a quick release mechanism and manually engage a series of sliding brake blocks or magnets. Refer to the reel’s manual or on-line videos for information on

described, but they’ll also limit your casting distance. You’re effectively riding a bike fitted with training wheels! As you begin to feel more comfortable, you can slowly back off the mechanical cast controls described to free the spool up and increase your casting

The bearing cap on the handle end of the baitcaster reel is clearly visible in this shot and should be your first point of adjustment when setting up for casting. that precise point of release (where the weight begins to slowly descend). Leave it set there for now. Next, move your attention to the opposite end of the reel, where there’ll be some sort of built-in cast control. If this mechanism has an external dial, crank the setting up to its maximum point, or

how to do this, but start out by engaging all of these spool brakes to their maximum settings before closing the end plate. You can now begin making gentle, smooth casts to get a feel for the reel. It should be quite difficult to suffer overruns or backlashes using the maximum settings I’ve

distance. Take it easy and be ready to re-apply controls if you change casting weights or face a headwind. Baitcasters and overheads are wonderful tools for many applications, but unless you follow the steps described here when you start out, the problems described can turn the process into a nightmare… Happy casting!

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Spring challenges and triumphs THE HAWKESBURY

Dan Selby dan@sydneysportfishing.com.au

As spring emerges and the chill is a distance past, anglers optimistically look forward to the challenges and triumphs to come. A new outfit, refined rig or prospective new spot to fish are all motivators for keen anglers, as the days get longer and warmer. Bass enthusiasts will be delighted with the rain in early June that spurred on the spawn run. This good dump helps the mature fish find their way out of swamps, lagoons and creeks that feed back to the main river, and downstream to the salt. Many have made an early trip back to the upper tidal reaches, in preparation to head up through the rapids and shallow rifles back to skinny water, where they will reside for the duration of summer. Most of these fish will hold deeper in the water column, which can frustrate anglers trying their hand at surface fishing or shallow divers. Try soft plastics, jig spinners, bibless minnows, blades and spinnerbaits for a deeper presentation. The weed growth should have died back a bit over winter, so there’s more opportunities for fishing this style until fish rise with the warming water. They’ll hold on structure, become territorial and

aggressive, later this month and into October. Estuary perch will be back on the agenda and this month will see sensational fishing. Large schools of fish hold on major structures like reefs, rock walls

soft plastic skills, especially when you find a patch that keeps biting. Get heaps of practice detecting bites and setting the hook with split second timing. Bream will push back upstream as far as lower

Portland, mixed in with the EPs. They feed on the abundant small baitfish, and increasing numbers of school prawns that filter into our estuaries and grow in the high nutrients delivered from floods.

Estuary perch are great sport on light spin tackle, and will respond to a variety of lures and retrieves. Most anglers choose to catch, photograph and release EPs, as did the author on this occasion. and weed beds. Locating structure that creates large back eddies is key in finding active concentrations of perch. A few retrieves, regular contact with the bottom using a 3” soft plastic grub or minnow, rigged on a reasonably light jighead of 1/8-1/4oz, will alert you to their presence. They have a quick suck-spit bite that will fine tune your

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Flicking lures to structure, or drifting lightly weighted baits down a berley trail, are great methods to find the stud bream that Hawkesbury is famous for.

Flathead will react to most techniques and will become more active as the month rolls on. This fish fell to a well presented ZMan” Slim SwimZ hopped down a mid river drop-off. Bait fish with lightly weighted baits in a berley trail, over broken ground like sand bars, cockle beds and worm beds. You can find these with a sounder, and they can be red hot at this time of year. Alternatively, set up along a rock wall, either landbased or from a boat. This can be very productive around the tide changes. Fresh or frozen Hawkesbury prawns are usually stocked in local stores and servos. They make great bait for bream, flathead, EPs and even school mulloway when fished on light line with minimal weight. Flathead will show from Brooklyn up to Wisemans Ferry, as they become more active in the warmer temperatures. The end of the month will be more reliable. It always takes time to see an increase in temperatures. Drifting or anchoring with baits, hopping a soft plastic or vibe and trolling deep diving hardbody lures, are all effective ways to catch a feed of flatties throughout the Hawkesbury.

Drop-offs, sand bars, deeper channel edges and major bends with eddies will all hold concentrations of flathead and other species. Move around a few different locations each trip to find the better patches of fish, as they move and feed in different locations each day. Shadowing all this activity in the river will be the elusive mulloway, seizing any opportunity to snaffle baitfish and prawns that stray from safety. Live baits, dead baits and lures are all successful at this time. Source baits and use them freshly dead, or better – alive. Prime times of the tide are key for catching larger specimens of mulloway around Sydney. Schoolies will head up the tributaries, actively seeking food for their ever-increasing appetites. Water clarity, food availability and warm water will all play a part in where the fish turn up each session. Keep an open mind and a mobile approach. You should cross paths soon enough.

Catch up with the good catches in Sydney SYDNEY NORTH

Darren Thomas

Southern bluefin tuna are coming alive this season, with captures in the waters off Sydney. Bluefin up to 130kg have been landed, and plenty of yellowfin in the 35-65kg range are being boated. Trolled skirted lures have been working well on big barrels, and so has cubing up a berley trail. Great fish have been caught this season on baits and

might be able to close this season with some decent captures. Regular reports have come in from Long Reef wide to the back of the southern canyons. Black Pete Marine’s James Thackeray was successful in landing a 90kg bluefin in recent weeks. James recommended paying attention to the top 200m of your sounder. When you find the fish working that area, watch the temperature breaks. Matt Wheeler ’s boat, Seize The Day was

Anthony Ball caught this swell snapper. lures, so be prepared to use both tactics. Reports of fish are sporadic, and a long way offshore we

on the spot earlier this month, landing marlin and yellowfin for Matty and his crew. After heading wide to

chase tuna, the guys soon found themselves hooked up to a marlin on a quiet morning. The afternoon bite didn’t take long to kick in with a four way hookup on yellowfin. With all fish landed, these feisty tuna put up a great battle on light gear and are good to eat. Great effort, fellas. Matt and the guys were out near Browns Mountain when most of the action took place. All the fish were hooked on lures. Schools of albacore tuna are working in the same areas, so a tuna grand slam is always a possibility. Landing a late season barrel is always on the cards. Don’t throw in your hand yet. Closer to shore, decent snapper and kings are being landed around the local reefs. Dave Rothwell fished baits of live yellowtail scad at Broken Bay wide. He landed five kingfish up to 93cm, and a very scrumptious John Dory. Anthony Ball has his fair share of angling on the reds, with great captures at the inshore reefs. Baits, jigs and plastics are all requirements for getting good fish to the boat. Sydney Harbour water temperatures are holding firm and ensure good bites. Flathead, squid and trevally are all on the chew, salmon and tailor schools are also working the surface. Grotto Point and Chinamans Beach are two locations where awesome captures have been reported. Plenty of fish are rising up in the berley trails. The everpopular trevally have moved in now and are hitting baits in berley trails throughout the harbour. Differing techniques, from working vibes and plastics on the bottom

Matt Wheeler and the crew did an epic job reeling them in! A renowned fish for putting up a good blue, these guys are great fun on light gear for kids and experienced anglers alike. They’re not bad on the tooth either. Beaches are still providing tasty feeds of whiting, dart and bream to those early morning anglers in the cold. King worms are the preferred bait for these anglers. Whiting up to 43cm have been recorded and most anglers bag a feed. Being on the move is the key to fishing the beaches, fishing four or five spots in an average 2-3 hour session. Also, take a few metal slugs to cast at any pelagics, should they pop up behind the surf. Be sure to pick the right conditions, as the wind chill factor can be a nightmare on exposed skin, once the temperature drops below 10°C. The rocks have been productive for chasing pigs. Awesome sessions are had up against the edge with good catches. If it’s a longer cast you prefer,

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Dave Rothwell with a very tasty John Dory.

Dan Klein and James Thackeray with a cracker Sydney bluefin. That fish sure looks heavy.

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Good times are ahead PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

Fishing along Pittwater and Broken Bay has been a little tricky to say the least over the last month. Over the next month, we’ll see better fishing, if you’re prepared to put up with the chilly mornings.

place to start fishing. If you’re on the water first thing in the morning, watch for working birds that will give away where fish are feeding. When you approach the schools of fish, it’s important to use stealth. Place your boat upwind of the schools and most of the time, if you turn your motors off, schools will work towards you. In the past, we’ve had schools of baitfish

that we forget to throw a bait or two, to see if there’s something bigger beneath. It can be a pain to remember when charging from one school to another, but it’s worth it, especially near live bait. There are some kingfish still in Pittwater, but with the huge difference in temperatures, it’s best to target them on the rising tide. As usual, the fish encountered at this time of year are larger specimens. They didn’t get that way because they eat everything that goes past them. These cagey beasts need to be fed small live calamari, if you can find both predator and prey. For kingfish, try areas along the bays of Pittwater. You need to cover a lot of ground to find an interested fish, but once the fish are on board, you know your time has been well spent. Small yellowtail are in, with a good chance of being swallowed. Small cuttlefish are definitely worth tracking down. Small cuttlefish are difficult to find and catch. With patience, a good pair of sunglasses and some confidence, on most occasions you will find a few. Try the rocky foreshores along the river and smaller jigs around 1.8g. Unfortunately, cuttlefish can be reluctant to rise more

Big squid like this one are sitting on the edge of weed beds, near deep water. than a metre off the bottom. This can equate to lost jigs, so make sure you take a few backups. Not only are these little ink machines difficult to find, but also difficult to keep on the jigs. They spin like a helicopter and somehow de-hook themselves on many occasions. As mentioned, they’re ink machines, so make sure you’re not fond of your clothes. Prepare for a big clean up on the boat. There are big squid to be caught along Pittwater, in the

deeper weed beds especially. If you can get out to Barrenjoey Head, there are nice specimens to be caught while drifting, once a patch of baitfish is located near the bottom. The natural colours, or flashy pilchard types are the better jigs to use, if you’re using hardbodies. Offshore, it’s been a lot easier to catch a feed. Although the bite is patchy, there have been great snapper caught on the closer grounds, in water depths of less than 30m and

Jazz with a lovely big flounder caught near the mouth of Pittwater. The next month or two should see the salmon schools arrive in Pittwater and Broken Bay. With all the surface activity, other species liven up as well. Normally, there should be salmon, but we’ll also see tailor and the odd kingfish show up as well. The water temperature along the coast and in Broken Bay is reasonable, but when travelling into the rivers, there’s a noticeable decrease in temperature. With the run-in tide bringing all the warmer water into Broken Bay, the mouth of Pittwater is a great

take cover hard up against our boat hull. This certainly attracts the predators: sometimes you don’t even have to cast out to hook-up. If the schools are playing hardball on the surface, try allowing your lure to sink before the retrieve. When the tailor and salmon no longer interest you, drop a few baits over the side, or lures, and work the bottom. There are normally flathead, trevally, sometimes bream, and if you’re lucky, a mulloway lurking. Quite often, anglers are so fixated with surface activity

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before the sun rises. The deeper reefs have seen good captures of snapper, morwong, flathead, trevally and even kingfish. It’s important to find baitfish before deploying your lines, so that you will be in with a better chance at a catch. The reefs in water depths of 20-40m are worth targeting, on the way to water depths around 80m. If you find fish in the first couple of spots you visit, stay in the area until the fishing slows. Try drifting the edge of the reefs wherever possible if you can’t find baitfish to drop on. The edge of the reef will give you the best possible chance to catch the above list of fish. Areas to try at the moment are Avalon Reef, Reggies and Mona Vale Reef first thing in the morning. As the morning progresses, try the Container, Esmeralda Wreck, the Ordinance Ground, the trap grounds off Broken Bay and the drifting grounds off Long Reef. Normal baits of pilchards or squid are working great. Take a handful of prawns as pan sized snapper love them, so do morwong, trevally and others. Grab a beanie and jumper, and hit the water to enjoy our wonderful part of the coast. • Peter Le Blang operates Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters, phone 02 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351, visit www.estuaryfishing charters.com.au

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SEPTEMBER 2016

Luderick are a favourite winter fish that can usually be relied on, even during the worst shut down. This doesn’t mean they’re not available through the summer though. I use them as a standby species, because of their reliability. As a species, they require a considerable degree of skill. They are hard fighting and good eating. They move into the harbour at this time of year and can be caught in good numbers and sizes. Primarily ocean blackfish, they’ll take cabbage weed, unlike the smaller river luderick who prefer the often hard to obtain riverweed. Cabbage can be found on most ocean rock platforms. You’ll need a bucket of sand as well, which is mixed with some chopped cabbage weed and used for berley. Sow and Pigs, the Wedding Cakes and the Spit are prime spots for boaties. Rocks around Reef Beach, the foreshore around Taronga Zoo, the Spit, Middle Head and inner South Head are all top spots for shore-based anglers. Luderick are one of the hardest fish to pin a tide on, and it varies dramatically from spot to spot, so it’s just a matter of getting to know each location. They are a top eating-fish if they are bled, iced, filleted and skinned. Don’t forget to remove the black lining from the stomach. SOW AND PIGS Caution: Sow and Pigs has a dangerous break in big seas. This mid harbour reef is a boat spot only and fishes well on both tides, although the last of the incoming is better. On the outgoing tide, fish on the city or upstream side of the reef. Drift baits back towards the upstream face of the reef. This face drops abruptly into about 25ft of water. Floats can be drifted right up to this face, but be sure not to go too close, as this will result in foul ups. The flow of water here usually comes downstream and then to the west. With practice, you can use this natural drift to take your float down the reef and then along the face to the west. To position the boat, place one anchor directly upstream and a rear anchor back on the reef itself. Pull back on the front anchor so you are 40m from the reef. On the incoming tide, fish the eastern side of the reef. Position your boat so you are on the edge where the reef drops into the deep water to the east. Fish your drifts so that your float runs parallel down the reef edge. WEDDING CAKES Both cakes fish well for luderick, but I prefer the eastern cake. Anchoring accurately

is critical, and difficult at the cakes. Anchor directly up current of the structure. You will need two sand picks and, due to the soft bottom and deep water, you will need to let out a lot of rope in front

that takes your float to the centre of the cake. By careful manipulation of your line, you can then manoeuvre your float, drift down to the cake along its face and finally around the sides.

and gets crowded. The water rips hard through the Spit, but luckily it eddies around the point and creates a good drift. This is best fished on the last of the run-in and first of the run-out.

Average harbour luderick can be taken on cabbage weed.

Luderick are one of winter’s most reliable fishing options. and back. Obviously you will have to anchor upstream on the outgoing, and downstream on the incoming. Find the drift

THE SPIT On the Mosman side of the bridge upstream, there is a retaining wall that fishes well

Flatties hang around in winter, but you need to fish deep with big live baits.

On the other side of the bridge downstream, is a long, deep and rocky shoreline that offers easy access and good fishing. Both tides work well with a preference for the outgoing. This spot is less crowded, which is great. The best method of fishing this spot is to drop your float in upstream, and walk down with it, letting it run parallel to the shore. The next few months are traditionally the slowest of the year. Nearly all factors work against fish and fishers alike. The variety of species is reduced and migratory pelagic species move away in search of warmer water. The fish that stay in residence are faced with cold, clear and still water. Metabolisms slow down, bright light penetrates deep and strong offshore winds push the water flat, reducing levels of dissolved oxygen. Large, slow moving pressure systems create extended periods of both very bad and very good weather. It’s not unusual, at this time of year, to experience a full week of atrocious unfishable weather, followed by a week ‘as good as it gets’. Whatever the weather, mornings are always bitterly cold and most fishers just stay at home. Naturally, fish will feed sooner or later. When a group of favourable conditions come together, there are fish to be caught. At times, it’s possible to take home a bag of fish like those in warmer months, but this happens less regularly. You can improve your odds during these quiet months. Make less trips – at first this might sound bad, but if you measure your success in fishless trips against the times you actually catch something, To page 17

Soaking up all the information SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com

Fishing is about putting things into perspective. To have a meaningful relationship with this pastime you need to acknowledge and appreciate the significance of what you learn. Then you can take it

fishing jargon for the first time is often difficult to recollect, let alone the vital basic steps. Don’t become perplexed with all the information you take from forums, videos, books and from anglers discussing complex techniques. Keep it simple, soak up the information and journey slowly. Just enjoy fishing. Fish as often as you can. Reputation’s important. This month will see more

blackfish of well over 2kg, and bury you under a ledge then sever your line. It’s good to have a backup heavy line, just in case. Bait has been the usual peeled endeavour or banana prawn. Sliced white bread with a bread berley trail is paramount for success. Use a combination of two rigs – one with the variable size ball sinkers sliding straight to the hook, and the other should have a small foam float with

should be above the swivel and your small float, with the desired depth you want to fish. Use a float stopper to vary your depth. The first to second square ledges at Little Bluey Manly, Freshwater swimming pool boulders, the high ledge at Warriewood near the iconic blow hole, and South Avalon rocks have been productive locations recently. Groper are on as well. Fish at least 6kg are fairly prolific. The

Lachlan Swinburne and James Tasovic are talented anglers in the boat. They tried their hands at rock fishing with some great success on the groper. They had enough snapper fillets from a previous outing, so these fish were released.

big pigs (black drummer) available for the rock angler. Fish ranging up to 4kg will be in the bag. Reduce your line class from the commonly used 9-12kg class to a 5-6kg. The run of fish may appear to be small, but don’t become complacent with this pugnacious fish. The next one you hook could be a stud rock

your swivel and 30-40cm of similar line. With the float rig, your hook and sinker

best bait is fresh crabs, which you can take from legal bait harvesting areas. Either whole

crab or segments are great. For more advanced anglers, using 15kg line or less is okay, but generally 24kg is preferable. It allows you more freedom to fish spots that are friendly to your gear, and areas less forgiving. Try Dee Why, Long Reef and Warriewood headlands. You may have to harvest crabs at a legal location then move to a better spot for fishing. Luderick are reliable, available lately at a range of locations. Green weed can be taken off the ocean rocks, the frilly type known as cabbage weed, or the stringy type known as hair weed or silkweed. Have both, as often fish can be picky about what they choose to eat. The Hat main ledge at Manly, up near North Head, has some good catches. Flat Rock at south Curl Curl, Long Reef in the shallows and the flat ledge on the northeast face,

the morning, the water is dead calm and crystal clear and the sun is shining bright. That’s bad. If you go that morning, chances are that you are going to have to record it as a fishless day. If you stay in bed, then that day doesn’t count as a fishing day. Sometimes, a day on the water is good enough reason to get out of bed. If we are talking fishless trips then August, September and October are the worst.

When you go out, make sure the days have a high percentage of favourable factors. These include early morning or late afternoon high tides, high pressure systems and cloudy days. The days after a strong sea has subsided or a fresh water flush has gone through are good. These both have the effect of clouding the water and stirring up some extra food. Knowing your species and knowing which ones are likely at be around

at this time of year is also going to help. There’s not much point targeting mulloway in the harbour if they’ve all moved to inshore reefs, or kingies if they have followed the warm water up north. Study your cold weather species and get to know their preferred baits, habitats, tides and moon phases. A few worth your time are John Dory, trevally, salmon, bream, tailor, drummer, blackfish and

leatherjackets. Versatility is a big plus during quiet times. Carry a variety of fresh baits and be prepared to move around. Try the options until you locate the species that are happening. This might mean starting the day with a troll for tailor, salmon or maybe even bonito. Bonito have proved themselves to be a highly unpredictable species and over the years I have experienced runs through all

This is David Phan’s very first fishing trip and what a way to open it – a 55cm rock blackfish on an Alvey! to the next level. Advanced anglers lose track of how much they know and don’t know where beginners sit. I had an adult client on his very first fishing experience. It’s easy to take experience for granted, to perceive things as obvious or logic. Talking basics can be difficult for a raw beginner to grasp. Hearing From page 16

then it might make sense to occasionally stay in bed. Let’s say your planned fishing day falls on Saturday 12 September. The tide chart says there’s a low tide in the morning, which is not really the best tide for Sydney Harbour right now. There’s a slow moving low centred over Melbourne, the cold westerly that has been blowing for the last few days is still blowing. When you get up at five in

Off the beaches there are many species – big salmon, tailor and bream in this bag. Father-son team, Russell and Oscar Jacobson went out for an evening fish.

approximately 300-400m past the old cleaning tables, are all producing. North Narrabeen gutters, around 300m north of Narrabeen lagoon entrance, has had some good bags as well. The trevally and some plate-size snapper, with the odd bream thrown in, are available on the deeper ledges. Blue Fish Point is a good spot, but there’s a climb involved. It’s an open area with waves larger than some of the other headlands. South and north Curl Curl are great trevally ledges. Mona Vale pool ledge is a reliable spot as well. Half pillies, peeled prawns and bread or pilly mush berley is necessary for trevally. • For rock and beach guided fishing or tuition in the northern Sydney region, visit www. bellissimocharters.com, email alex@bellissimocharters.com or call Alex Bellissimo on 0408 283 616. seasons. Tailor usually go off the bite within an hour of sunrise, so this option must be covered early if at all. The next option will have to be decided on depending on tides and conditions. This is where knowing your species becomes important. • If you are interested in doing a guided fishing trip on Sydney harbour with Craig McGill please call 0412 918 127 or email craig@fishabout.com.au.

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The Moons shine in September BOTANY BAY

Gabe Quercigrosse gabeandgabe@bigpond.com

As the name implies, the Moons have been shining during the last few weeks with excellent catches reported. Personally I have landed over 50 mixed species including whiting, bream, trevally, flathead and school mulloway over the past three months. For any reader that has not fished the Moons, the area we fish is roughly over a 2km radius, starting approximately 1km upstream of Lugarno old ferry ramp to Alfords Point Bridge. This is a magnificent stretch of water that can be fished on all but the harshest of conditions, offering many deep and shallow water possies sheltered by the undulating steep hills that protrude to the water’s edge. While it produces all year round, and is well known as a luderick hot spot, the light line breamers and whiting fishers do very well, especially just before sunrise or prior to sunset. Tides do not matter that much, providing there is a fair clip to move your bait around. I have found that bloodworms and live nippers are the dynamite baits, but if you can pump some of the local squirt worms then it is impossible to miss out. The best method has been to anchor on the edge of the deep channel, which runs from south to north on the eastern side, and allow the bait to move freely. As soon as you land two or three fish, pull the anchor in and move 100m with the tide. Repeat this procedure and you’ll have a dozen

good fish in the bottom of the esky in quick time. SUGGESTED LOCATIONS Bakers Rock This is located on the other side of the river opposite Little Moon Bay. The rock is separated from the shore and can be seen on the low tide. It is just past a weekender boatshed called Why Worry. It has a pretty rugged bottom, so you should expect to lose a little bit of gear. You’ll find bream, flathead, whiting and

approximately 20 houses. It is a good spot for the beginner as the tide runs a bit slower here. Anywhere in front of the houses is excellent fishing country. Big Moon Bay This is one of the main grounds. A top spot is the red gumtree right on the waterfront. This is a run-out ground and fishes best when you’re anchored close to the rocky shoreline. Russell Jones Russell Jones is a run-out ground at Manent

centre of the river, you’ll find a deep hole that has produced excellent results over the year. Elsewhere, the fishing has been only ordinary, with fewer numbers of fishos braving the rain and cold winds. This would have to be the worst month that I can recall as far as weather conditions go. LUDERICK Luderick have been taken from all the recognised spots, but they are very fussy, often

Ali and Natalie had a great luderick session in Sydney Harbour.

The author recently caught this mixed bag from the Moons in the Georges River. luderick approximately 10m out from the shore. Soily Bottom This is the little settlement comprising

Eddy underneath the overhead wires. Fish right in the eddy only 10m from the shore, and if you move out towards the

ignoring one type of weed to choose a lighter or darker colour depending on their taste that day. I did see a few taken at Muddy

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Creek in Kyeemagh, which were very undersize but still kept by their captor (where are the Fisheries officers?). On the plus side though, a boat and its owner were apprehended at Foreshore Drive boat ramp with 42 gemfish; the bag limit is only two. The boat and catch were confiscated and now the offender faces court charges. Well done to the Fisheries officers. BREAM Elsewhere in the system, we are seeing lots of silver bream just undersize being caught and released. They are proving to be a nuisance and tend to be a little costly when taking live bloodworms meant for bigger fish. I’ve found that by fishing the outgoing tide you tend to minimise these encounters. The upper reaches above Alfords Point Bridge are still being affected from recent rains and the water is still slightly discoloured. I would suggest you take clean saltwater with you and change your bait accordingly. You’ll notice by the colour of your bait if it has been affected. WORONORA RIVER The deeper parts of the Woronora River have been fishing well for school mulloway, with fish around the 5kg mark taken from the many holes and dropoffs. Good bream have been taken along the mangrove shoreline and oyster leases in Thompson Bay. I’ve mentioned before that this small tributary of the Georges River is often overlooked, but with a little berley and patience, you’ll find it will produce the goods. I’m sure

the Woronora RSL Fishing Club will be only too glad to assist with any newcomers to this area. BOTANY BAY Botany Bay has been a little on the disappointing side, with land-based anglers doing better than their boating counterparts. The eastern side of Bare Island has been productive for good size luderick up to 42cm. Please ensure you take your own cabbage or weed, as there is none on the island. Henrys Head has been successful for quality snapper, bream, tailor and rock blackfish and is one of the few spots that can be fished in the most conditions. Apart form the flat that is isolated and does not get to hammered. Flathead have been a little on the slow side. The ever reliable Yarra Bay has been yielding a few for whitebait users. Bigger specimens have been plucked form the drift between Inscription Point and Little Yena, and it’s imperative to stick within 50m of the shoreline for best results. Trevally are still around in good numbers, but their size leaves a lot to be desired. Sutherland Point, the eastern side of the oil wharf near the Drum, the Dropover in front of the new runway and Molineaux Point have been providing the spoils, but the larger fish are to be found under Como Bridge and Captain Cook Bridge. COOKS RIVER Cooks river continues to fish well with the Dog Leg Panel on the southern break wall providing good luderick during the day and

school whiting at night. Make sure you don’t lave any rubbish around as this will attract unwanted creatures. The floating pontoon next to the Kyeemagh Boat Ramp has proved a real surprise in the shape of big whiting taken at night. I did witness one fish going 51cm, and that’s a real honker. You won’t get much better than that. The parking area has been kept in good condition by Rockdale Council and still offers a good

don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Leatherjackets have been scarce, which has pleased a lot of anglers. For the newbie trying to get to the Peak without a GPS coming from Botany Bay, take a line of 45° magnetic north from the Kurnell water tower. This should get you close to the mark. Keep your eyes open for the ever-present boats and you’ll be fine. The Gai ground and middle grounds off Coogee have been fishing well for mowies and pan-size reds,

order to keep your livebait in prime condition. Berley one hour before and after slack water in order to keep a school of fish near your boat. Stick to the deeper water of estuaries as fish tend to get spooked easily in the shallows. You need to specialise rather than generalise, and concentrate all your efforts on a particular species. Ensure that the tide you are fishing coincides with any wind and not against it. The day before and after the full or new moon are

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Peter Barrett with a nice snapper under Captain Cooks Bridge. Not a regular spot to catch them but they are there. alternative to Foreshore Drive. It is a shame there is no cleaning table. If you would like to fish in comfort just outside your car, stick to the northwestern side, just above Cooks River Bridge. This area has been productive for good size whiting at night during the outgoing tide on blood worms. OFFSHORE The close offshore scene has been a bit on the tricky side, with fish biting one day and not the next. The 12 Mile Reef off Bond is harbouring good size longfin perch up to the 1kg mark, the odd kingfish around 80-85cm, a few snapper up to 2kg and some big morwong. The Peak has big trevally on the chew, with fish in excess of 1.5kg. The best method has been to anchor on 60m Peak and berley them to the surface near your boat. Smoked trevally is good tucker –

while big trags have been taken at anchor on the full moon. This is a good spot blessed with deep water not too far from shore. The deep hole between Yena and Tabbigai, around 1.5km wide, has been yielding a few big flathead, mowies and squire and is a great spot under the westerly wind’s influence. Paternoster rigs with 20lb fluorocarbon leader armed with peeled Hawkesbury prawns and strips of fresh squid are the go. THE MONTH AHEAD What the future holds in store for Botany Bay is anyone’s guess. It’s essential to put a bit more planning into your fishing trips. Lower the breaking strain of your leader a kilo or two. This will result in more bites as the fish become finicky. Use monofilament leaders instead of fluorocarbon if the water you are fishing is a little on the discoloured side. Take a container of fresh saltwater with you in

recommended times. I like the full moon if fishing at night for whiting in the Georges River. Ensure your knots are tied properly. Half blood knot, hangman’s noose, figure 8 – they are all good. You should also ensure your runners on your rods are not cracked, and give your reel a quick service. Do not use WD40 but stick to a silicone spray. These are just a few tips that can help you succeed on your next fishing trip. Remember that 80% of anglers that go fishing return empty handed, so be a winner and not a loser! • For all your fishing needs, as well as the latest info on what’s biting, drop into Gabe’s Boating and Fishing at Narellan (4/1A Somerset Ave), or Silvania (268/264276 Princes Hwy). You can also call them on (02) 4647 8755 or (02) 9522 5100 respectively, or visit the website at www. gbaf.com.au.

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Kids out for fish and ships SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

As winter sports come to a close, the finals have been won or lost, you’ll find the number of anglers out fishing will increase. Parents will think about taking their kids out on the water. Our kids fished right through the year. It’s just a matter of rugging up and finding somewhere in the sun. When it comes to taking the kids fishing, it’s not about catching the biggest fish. It’s about having fun and the possibility of getting a tug on the line. Our son Chris and his wife Alanna have twin boys, Riley and Lachlan. They love getting outdoors, playing in the water and on the beach, and going for rides in Chris’ boat. They haven’t been fishing yet, but I’m sure they will by this year’s end. So if you have kids or grandkids, why not take them out for a fish, the next time you get a chance. It may only be a couple of hours, but they’ll enjoy it. Our kids loved to help me

catch pink nippers or poddy mullet. Incorporate a picnic or BBQ in the outing, and maybe a bike or scooter ride. Here are some places in the Sutherland Shire to have a go.

GUNNAMATTA BAY BATHS The walkway of the baths is a couple of metres off the water, depending on the tide. The railing isn’t childproof. You can fish off

the walkway at Gunnamatta Bay for bream, whiting, flathead, leatherjackets and trevally. You can also fish on either side of the baths off the sand, and cast into the deep water

The author ventured out of the Shire to North Narrabeen Beach and managed to get a few whiting on king worms from Fish Outta Water at Manly Vale.

Andrew Humphries with a nice trevally caught on a 2” Minnow in pumkin seed rigged on a 1/20oz Nitro Pro jighead over the flats at Towra Point.

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of the bay. Try using pink nippers, live poddy mullet, chicken pieces or strips of mullet for bait. You will find nipper holes here, but you’re not allowed to pump for them. This is a great spot to teach the kids how to cast with soft plastics or blades. GYMEA BAY BATHS Parking here is fairly limited, and there’s a short walk to the baths. Much

like Gunnamatta Bay, the railing isn’t great. From here, you can cast into fairly deep water for bream, whiting, flathead, squid, leatherjackets, trevally and the odd salmon or kingfish. SWALLOW ROCK DRIVE AT GRAYS POINT At the end of Swallow Rock Drive, at Grays Point, you will find a boat ramp, parking, park, barbeques

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and a sandy beach. This is an awesome place to bring the kids and fishing rods for a picnic. There’s a fair amount of beach on the up-stream side of the ramp, where you can cast a line for bream, whiting and flathead. You could also try putting out a poddy mullet trap. Kids love to catch a few poddy mullet and then put them into a bucket and watch them swim around. THE GEORGES RIVER NATIONAL PARK Georges River National Park is fantastic for family daytrips, walks, fishing,

formations, steep forested hillsides, plateaus and riverside flats, and provides ample opportunities for outdoor activities. FRENCHMANS BAY AT LA PEROUSE La Perouse has a long beach that faces south – a great spot to fish during those northerly winds. Bream, whiting and flathead can be caught here on both baits and lures. You don’t need a long rod as the fish can be in close. If the kids get bored, you can always go for a walk along the beach, or

flathead and the odd mulloway or two, the water is fairly deep and can run strong. Take care fishing from here. You might need a couple of metal rod holders, so you can get the rods ready for that bite. SILVER BEACH AT KURNELL Here you will find about 2-3km of beach, where you can cast a line. If it gets too hot, you can go for a swim in the netted pool. This isn’t the best place to fish when the winds are coming from the north or west, but there’s plenty of parking

Riley Brown loves helping grandad rearrange some of his lures. or to take your boat out for a spin on the river. There’s a cost of $8 to bring your vehicle, and it’s open from 6am-7.30pm during daylight saving times. At other times of the year, it closes at 6.30pm. The landscape of the park includes striking rock

out to the bridge near Bare Island. They can look into the water to see the fish. I wouldn’t take kids out to the island, because the sea can be rough. CATTLE DUFFERS AT PICNIC POINT A lovely land-based spot for bream, whiting,

and places to have a picnic. Next time you’re at a loss for what to do with the kids, pack the rods, get some bait, put together a picnic lunch and head off to one of these spots for a few hours. Not only the kids will have a great time, so will you.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Solo Skiff USA’s latest stealth Americans are mad keen fishers, just like us. They are constantly evolving techniques to have the edge on competition, and the Solo Skiff is no exception. These self-bailing, super stable fishing platforms are becoming very popular with lure and bait fishers alike. The main difference between these skiffs and kayaks is stability. You can operate the vessel with outboard power and stand up to fish. That will straighten out your back! A 5hp electric or petrol powered outboard can push the solo skiff at around 30kph, making a smooth, quiet and comfortable way to get to your favourite spot. A large bin, esky, rod storage, and hatch seat storage are all standard with this skiff. It leaves you plenty of room to move around. Batteries, fuel, tackle and more is all stored away. The Solo Skiff can carry 250lb safely. These skiffs float

in a few inches of water, and can be paddled, poled or planed. It’s the ultimate solo mission, whether flyfishing for marlin and tuna inside Frazer coast, cast netting a few prawns, trolling a stealthy lure, or even teaching your children safe marine vessel practise. The new Solo Skiff will operate well with a 4hp. It can accommodate younger operators, and has no rego fees. Pricing is competitive with other leading

kayak manufacturers from the USA. The new Solo Skiff has landed in Australia. Redcliffe Marine are the Australian dealers – they welcome test drives, and have custom trailers to suit if your vehicle isn’t set up for kayaks. These boats are well made, insulated and designed to last a lifetime. If you wish to learn more about this awesome new concept, contact us at redcliffemarine.com.au. – Redcliffe Marine

The new Solo Skiff looks good on the water! SEPTEMBER 2016

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Fishing Fill-its

Snaggy sanctuary for EP Research in the Shoalhaven River estuary is providing valuable information on the importance of snags as habitat for estuary perch. NSW DPI Fisheries has released video footage showing large numbers of perch and other fish using the areas with woody habitat. SNAG MYTHS Snags are a natural part of waterways, and the aquatic environment has adapted to their presence over time. Millions of snags have been removed from Australian rivers in the past. They were mistakenly thought to have negative effects, including reducing the capacity of rivers during flooding; increasing erosion; hindering the navigation of watercraft; and reducing the efficiency of water delivery. Many of these impacts have been overstated or proven incorrect. We now know that snags do not significantly decrease channel capacity or lead to increased flooding, and are a natural part of erosion and deposition processes. RE-SNAGGING New habitats can be constructed out of woody material sourced from development activities (for example, subdivisions that involve clearing vegetation and road and bridge construction), redundant bridges or other infrastructure to imitate the roughness and structure of natural woody habitats. In-stream erosion control structure, such as timber groynes and other bed-control devices, can be extended to include submerged complexes that can act as a surrogate to natural woody habitats. Additional woody habitats can also be sourced opportunistically, for example timber washed up to weirs and bridges during floods. The effects of re-snagging on waterway

users can be minimised by identifying priority resnagging areas away from the most popular boating areas. Woody habitats can also be secured safely and positioned in a way that does not block the river channel. River restoration activities will not adversely impact on recreational fishing. Resnagging aims to

represent critical spawning habitat for estuary perch, and are important feeding and refuge areas for a number of key fish species. By putting woody habitat back in estuaries, the fish habitat can be rehabilitated, which will provide flow-on benefits to anglers. To view the video, go to youtube. com and search for ‘estuary

This footage was taken in the Shoalhaven River, in an area where trees fall naturally in the water. Image taken from video by Dylan van der Meulen, courtesy of NSW DPI.

enhance native fish habitat, thereby leading to a more robust fish community resulting in benefits for recreational fishers. ESTUARY HABITAT VIDEO Re-snagging projects have been extensively carried out on inland river systems. However, according to DPI Fisheries, no such work has yet been conducted in our estuaries. Estuary entrances are some of the most modified areas of our rivers, with rock groynes, launching facilities, marinas and so on. Fallen woody habitat is an important component of healthy estuaries but, due to land clearing, trees don’t fall into rivers as they did in the past. NSW DPI Fisheries’ new video is a compilation of underwater footage taken in the Shoalhaven River, in an area where trees still fall naturally in the water. These areas

fish on woody habitat’. OTHER REHABILITATION PROJECTS The NSW DPI plays a lead role in rehabilitating fish habitat and native fish populations in NSW through the Aquatic Habitat Rehabilitation Program (AHR Program) and the formation of strategic partnerships. Besides re-snagging, key ways to improve fish habitat include restoring riparian areas by removing weeds and replanting with native plants and fencing; and improving fish passage by installing fishways, making road crossings more fish friendly, removing weirs and actively managing floodgates. For more information on each of these initiatives visit the DPI Fisheries website at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/ fishing/habitat – NSW Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries

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Bream brawlers blessed in the Tweed River THE TWEED

David Solano

The tailor are on the bite big time and I’ve been doing a bit of exploring, walking the rocks of the Tweed chasing these classic fighters.

I was about halfway out the north wall fishing for bream with a 1/4oz jighead loaded with fresh chicken thighs. Generally speaking, bream bites are usually pretty light, a little ‘taptap’ – it might be a big fish, but normally not a big hitter. On this day, I

I got totally zipped, my 20lb leader bitten cleanly off! I retied and tried again, only for same result. It took me half an hour before I landed a tailor on chicken. That’s right… chicken. You know they’re around in numbers if they’re going to eat chicken.

Entrance to Jack Evans Boat Harbour is a great fishing spot.

The author with a nice size bream for lunch. Work’s been pretty slow, so I’ve had a few extra days off to explore.

was feeling the taps, then whack! The rod almost got pulled out of my hand, and

The first spot I looked at was the rocks at D-Bah at the bottom of the cliff

where the Maritime Rescue is situated. It’s not easy but you can walk the shore all the way to Snapper Rocks, which I found to be an awesome fishing platform. Care must be taken as the swell can be dangerous, so it’s a good idea to check out what the surf is doing before you start fishing. It’s too dangerous to fish there at night, but just around the corner is a real hot spot for night time lure fishing and that is the entrance to Jack Evans Boat

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Harbour. Both entrances fish well, but the wall closer to the sea entrance is the easiest to cast from. With so many tailor in the river, I’d be betting some nice school mulloway would be lurking around the Condong sugar mill in the middle of the night, so this area may be worth a try by boat. Some weird stuff goes down at this spot when the mill is in operation, sucking in water from one outlet and running it through the whole

factory, before it comes out steaming hot from a second outlet, and this is where the fish hang out. Both walls are good spots as well, just remember to take a gaff, because you might just hook one and not be able to lift it up! On the whiting front, a little known spot, and boy is it beautiful, is a little beach right at the end of the Fingal dirt road. You can pick up some live worms on the way, and it’s very To page 26

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Rich bags in the Richmond the Atomic Jerk Minnow 6” in ghost pearl, white or radioactive rooster. Don’t be caught up in chasing snapper in close on good days. If the weather allows, get out to the 100 fathoms and try for blue-eye trevalla and bar cod. Use fresh squid and cuttlefish. Fishing this deep can be hard work on traditional tackle so electric reels are essential. On the 32s, there are plenty of pearl perch and teraglin, but if you want your arms pulled off, try jigging

BALLINA

Joe Allan

Snapper have been in good numbers in the close reefs off south Ballina. Most of the fish are in the 35-50cm range with the odd bigger fish of around 70-80cm thrown in there. If you’re after a feed, then there is plenty around. are rawnorBlsquid a Pbonito bCut a d es “Yam the best baits for snapper, ” however, bigger ones will come on soft plastics, like

for amberjack in the 48s. Off the beaches and headlands, there are quality tailor showing up. Get out your spinning gear and throw metal slugs for these fish. This can be a great way to spend a morning and catch some fresh fish for brekkie.

of South Ballina and you’ll come across some pretty nice snowy bream too. Towards the end of September, when the westerlies start to blow the swell flat, throw soft plastics into the gutters. You’ll get everything from flathead to

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family friendly. After you catch your feed, you can even go for a dip – well worth a squiz! It’s been a special winter on the Tweed, with some fantastic weather and

whiting, tailor, bream and dart. It can be great fun with young kids. The luderick numbers will start to dwindle a clean river system. Bream are just starting to spawn and should only grow in numbers, so whether you’re bait fishing or tossing lures, the Tweed is the place to be. The beaches from

around the end of August, and the start of September. There will still be good fish around. the sand down to are worth just look

pumping jetty the headlands a fish as well, for the gutters

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Grant Clement with a cracking mulloway from the town stretch of the Richmond River caught on a live mullet.

Bream will be around a lot, through the middle reaches of the river, around Broadwater and Wardell. Fresh prawns and yabbies are always the best baits this time of year. Fresher is better. If you’re a lure thrower, 1/4oz blades are best at the moment. Aim deep and work your way shallow up the rock walls until you find the active fish. If there’s been some pressure on the fishery, drop your line size to 6lb and 4lb leader, 6-7ft. This should bring on a few more bites. Keep crankbaits handy as well – fish should start to hold on the rock walls rather than deeper holes. Towards the end of September, we should see the mud crabs show up. Leftover luderick skeletons are the best baits for these. Until next month, tight lines.

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A decent bream caught from rocks with chicken thigh bait.

PER PERSON

The rocks at D-Bah at the bottom of the cliff behind the Maritime Rescue is a great option at this time of year.

where the water is dirty. Some decent mulloway are also being landed off the

lures, as this is the best time of year to get amongst the big ones.

Cracking catches as the Clarence clears up ILUKA

Ross Deakin

The Iluka region has seen fantastic fishing and weather conditions. Recent rain has given the Clarence a good flush of fresh water, which has been much needed. Bream numbers and size have been excellent with many fish over a kilogram. Michael George caught a 780g bream at Browns Rocks in mid July with mullet. Flathead have steadily improved in numbers, and there’s some awesome catches happening. Fish are caught around Harwood and Browns Rocks. A delightful flathead caught at Woodyhead, by

Graham Ost earlier in July, weighed in at nearly 2kg. Earlier this month, we saw excellent tailor taken on the headlands and beaches, with pillies and lures. Barry Simpkins caught a huge 3kg fish off the Bluff. Trevally as big as 8kg are being taken off the headlands. Snapper and teraglin have been in good numbers. Greg Phillips took a 6.8kg snapper off the break wall, and Baily Ford caught a 3.2kg knobby off Woodyhead. Blackfish numbers and size are impressive and have been taken at the Bluff on cabbage. Currently, good catches happen in the river at usual spots. Mulloway have been quiet, but we still heard of

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some great fish caught near Yamba, and a massive 16.5kg fish weighed in by Iluka local Jeff Head. Weather and great fishing are set to continue through the last days of winter, into spring. Happy fishing everyone. • For all your fishing needs and up-to-date information

and tips for spots and fish drop into the shop for a chat. Iluka Bait and Tackle is located at 3 Owen Street, Iluka NSW 2466. Give us a call on (02) 6646 5217 or 0402 997 572. We are available online at www. ilukabait.com.au or visit our Facebook page.

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Hunting for bronze and silver COFFS HARBOUR

Stephen Worley info@tdsimages.com.au

The seasons are a changing. September signifies the start of spring, but more importantly for our freshwater anglers, it signifies the recommencing of the Aussie bass season.

Those by-catch bass in the upper estuary have been going on a wide variety of lures from small bream grubs and hardbodies, to larger swimbaits and paddletails aimed at mulloway. As the season heats up there should be more action on the surface, particularly as the fish get further up into the skinny stuff. Even now, there

closed to all fishing until November in order for the protected eastern freshwater cod to spawn in peace. If you were looking for a wild, big river bass adventure this month or next, it will need to be further down in the Clarence system. Further east, in more saline waters, the fishing has been very consistent. River

Sam Taylor has been putting in those cold night shifts, working on that river mulloway obsession. More than a few upstream trips will be planned by our resident bass anglers over the coming month, but I’m willing to bet that the majority of bass caught this month will be in the upper estuaries. Throughout the winter, there have been significant numbers of by-catch bass by many mulloway and bream anglers around the brackish sections. I’m sure that will continue this month unless we see a good rain event, allowing all the bass to make their way quickly back to their upstream homes. The potential for decent rain this month is not out of the question as we are leaning towards a La Nina system developing over the remainder of 2016. La Nina systems typically, but not always, result in higher than average rainfall on the east coast of Australia. After one of the driest 12 months in many years, it will certainly be a welcome change to have a wetter season this year.

will still be plenty of fish upstream that either didn’t spawn this year or spawned early and are already back to their summer homes. While the water is low and clear you may need to be stealthy and carry a little finesse in your game. Small bass grubs and hardbodies that you can get right in under the structure can lure out some wary fish. When there’s a bit of colour in the water, it’s the surface crawlers and larger profile hardbody lures that will get the attention of the bass, hungry after a long spawning run to the salt. Unfortunately there aren’t really many other options for the freshwater angler this month as the trout season is still closed until next month and the western rivers are now out of action during the Murray cod closed season. Please also note that the entire Nymboida and Mann river systems, upstream of their junction, are completely

mulloway have been a very common catch for those targeting the upper limits of the estuaries. Structure in deep holes as well as the road and rail bridges have always been successful mulloway locations, but to get away from the crowded and highly trafficked areas try looking for more subtle attractions: small drain channels flowing into deeper water, gentle sloping sand banks into dead end backwaters and the junction of fresh and salty water. All of these types of locations allow predators access to baitfish that will be herded by the tide into their waiting mouths. These locations move and change and are less reliable than the big structures like bridges, but they offer excellent fishing when you can time it right. Besides the smaller baitfish schools, it may be worth noting where the schools of larger fish are hanging. If you’re chasing proper size mulloway, then

having your lures under and around schools of luderick and mullet can be a reasonable plan. Unless they’re packing weed and a float, most anglers don’t look twice at a school of luderick, but I’m sure that mulloway, jacks and trevally aren’t as dismissive. Any action will gain the attention of the predators, whether it’s shrimp being harassed by bream or luderick sunning themselves above a snag. I’ve often seen jumbo bream and mangrove jacks swimming right in the middle of a school of luderick, actively swimming as part of the school. They tend to be hyper competitive in this position, perhaps with the perceived rival mouths they’re surrounded by. A subtle lure swimming through or underneath that school is going to undo many a fish. Around the headlands and beaches, it’s a similar technique that has been successful on the mulloway. Chase those schools of luderick, mullet, tailor and salmon and get a big hardbody or plastic in and around those schools looking for that stalking slab of silver underneath. Over the last month there have been mulloway by the dozen for those putting in the time and effort. Further offshore and the snapper have really been turning it on. Slow jigs and

The islands have been housing large schools of kingfish. Simon Voss got amongst it and picked out a decent one. plastics are still the most popular techniques, but the bait fishos are collecting a few too. They will likely start moving off the shallow gravel beds this month so you may find you have to find the reefs and slightly deeper drop offs but there will still be plenty on the near shore grounds. Out around the islands the kingfish have kicked up a gear. There are still schools of small rats, but there are also big schools of 1m+ fish that are ideal for targeting with stickbaits or larger plastics. Landing your lure amongst a school but quickly retrieving

Sometimes that expected silver flash comes up bronze when fishing for those upper estuary mulloway.

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it away before slowing into a normal twitchy retrieve should draw the school out so that hopefully the hook up is a little further away from the reef and allows you some breathing room in the fight. Even still, a big fish can obliterate you in seconds if it’s in the mood. There’s not too many more exciting forms of fishing than when you’re either going to catch a trophy fish or be blown away in an instant. No matter where you’re fishing this month, I hope you get to feel both the excitement of the latter and the exhilaration of the former.

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We’re over winter and looking forward to spring COFFS GAME

Glen Booth

There’s not a lot happening on the Coffs Harbour gamefishing scene, as bluewater attention is diverted towards inshore table species. Cold blowy weather also has motivations low, to punch wide on the off chance of finding some pelagic action. Remarkably, the water temperature never dropped below 21-23°C, even in the depths of winter. We might still be on track for a cold water hit, come spring, but that’s good for striped marlin to kick off the new season in style. Local charter boat, Better Than Vegas, has made the occasional sortie beyond the shelf and decked a big mahimahi. They’ve pulled the hooks on a 150kg blue marlin, after a 40 minute fight in winter. Victorian tackle shop owner and Fishing Edge TV show host, Lee Rayner came up for deep drop broadbill fishing in late July. He marked one fish at the North Canyons, but didn’t get a bite out of it. They pinned him on the second drift, but the braid broke not long after hook-up. This was dreadfully

disappointing, but it shows the southern techniques work here too. Aside from the usual gamefishing rod, reel and terminal tackle maintenance that’s on the cards for most of us, it’s now the ideal time to give the boat a thorough spring clean. It’s amazing how much equipment gets taken on board and is never or only occasionally used. By the end of the season, it really starts to mount up. Starting in the bow, swap the anchor rope ends around, or remove the anchor and chain then trail it behind the boat for five minutes, to get the twist out. It’s also a good idea to ‘mouse’ the shackle pins with some stainless steel wire so they can’t work loose under pressure. Replace heavy monofilament halyards on the outriggers, if they’ve seen a season or two of duty. Check that the pulleys and clips are rolling and releasing smoothly. In the cabin, start under the forward bunks. Drag absolutely everything out, and clean, re-pack or discard. Now’s the time to check the expiry date on flares, CO2 cylinders on self-inflating PFDs, and fire extinguisher charges as well. Gradually work your way aft and watch

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that pile of unnecessary equipment grow and grow! With all that junk gone — and amazing space left behind

— you’ll almost certainly pick up a bit of boat speed as a result. Of course, by the end of the coming season, it will

have mysteriously crept back on board. For a few months at least, you’ll be running a much leaner, cleaner boat.

Big mahimahi have been available right through winter in recent years.

The Coffs Harbour Deep Sea Fishing Club has closed its doors for the last time. The board hasn’t opposed the liquidation and club assets are gradually being sold off. Understandably, there are many angry people around town, who want to know how this situation arose when the club appeared to be saved from closure. Whether we ever get to the bottom of what went wrong with the Deep Sea Club saga remains to be seen. This resulted in the cancellation of the Coffs Harbour Game Fishing Club’s Hot Currents Tournament for 2016. With no clubhouse or marina berths for the bigger boats, it was going to be difficult to attract sufficient numbers, to make it a viable event – a shame. The switch of dates to the October long weekend promised better weather, solid striped marlin fishing, and a good chance of early blues as well.

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With the beginning of September comes the opening of the New South Wales bass fishing season, with longer, warmer days. The closed bass season, newly extended to four months, aims to allow a longer time frame for these fish to spawn.

situated above and below the riverside townships of Smithtown and Gladstone. Up-river migration after spawning has begun and some monster fish have appeared around Kempsey. Most of the structure from Smithtown Bridge up to Belgrave falls is starting to hold fish. Soft vibe lures have been the most productive and versatile. Samaki Vibelicious Thumper Tails

School mulloway, like this one of Sam Redman’s, are a common by-catch when chasing bass at night in the tidal zone. This spawning took place for most fish in the stretch of river between Kinchela Creek and the Belmore River, which are

are the stand out variety. Expect hard hits from these fish, as they have been mostly undisturbed for the last few months and

can be quite aggressive, especially if baitfish are present. Bream, flathead and whiting are on the cards when fishing the upper tidal reaches of the river using these lures. The lower Macleay has been loaded with bream and small school mulloway, from the entrance of the river up to Smithtown. Flathead are less lethargic now and can be found in shallows, around schools of small whiting and baitfish congregating on the flats. Presenting small to mid sized soft plastics along the drop offs and over the edges of the sand flats is a sure fire way to tangle with a big flathead, as they lay and wait in ambush. Good sized tailor are around the headlands and along most of the beaches during the afternoon and into dark. Bream are schooling up around the headlands in big numbers, and these areas have also been supporting a decent population of school mulloway. Many a bream pick has turned into a screaming mulloway run after dark. Out to sea, snapper are being found out wide and in close shallow reefs. Grassy Head and Point Plomer are yielding equally good fish. It’s been a cracker winter for kingfish this year, with good numbers of fish around Fish Rock. This fishery will improve as we head towards October and November, when the surface fishing heats up. For now, deep water and micro jigs, or Lucanus and octo-style jigs are doing the trick nicely on deeper holding fish. Find the bait schools and these fish are not going to be far away. Pearl perch, teraglin, mulloway and pigfish have all been on the deeper reefs. The leatherjacket situation this year didn’t seem to be as full on as

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Marty Nicholls with an early season Macleay River bass. in the past, although some days they seemed to turn up everywhere you went. On your sounder, large, tight shows of fish off the bottom are a dead give away these species are present. The deep drop fishery off our coastline has been reasonable this season. Finding the right weather is more of a challenge than finding the fish. Bar cod, bass groper, John Dory and gemfish are all possibilities, until the currents pick up in the summer months. So while it still might be a bit chilly, we’re well and truly over the hill of winter. The next few months should see temperatures increase significantly, bringing on a host of exciting species for anglers to target. Until next month, stay safe, and happy fishing.

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Back to Aussie bass THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

Many anglers will not miss winter – cold westerlies, early starts, numb fingers and face! It’s now September and the start of spring, which means mild days and the changing of the fishing seasons. What really gets

sure dedicated bass fishers have the lure boxes sorted and the rods and reels in tip-top condition, ready for another great season. Each year’s opening can pose questions like, which lure to use. I will definitely have a surface lure on for that first cast, and this year I will not be hesitating to put on some bigger surface offerings of a night, such as the Jackall Pompadour.

to try some spinnerbaits or hardbodied lures, as this is a consistent way of getting into some early season bass. RIVERS With the water temperatures starting to climb, a whole new pattern starts to emerge in our waterways. Baitfish and prawns will become more active, creating a shallowwater feed zone, which means flatties and bream will not be far away. This month will see seriously big female flathead encountered, so please use good handling techniques for all these fish destined for release. You shouldn’t have much difficulty securing a feed of smaller specimens, using either soft plastics or bait. Remember to put your lures or bait near a probable feeding area, like weed beds, and it won’t take long for an ambushing flattie to find. Bream fishers will now start to change from their

You never know what might show up. Jake and Brock got some cracking tailor on surface lures while fishing the racks! table fish and a great scrapper on the appropriate gear. As always, when chasing a feed, take only what’s required. Check the fisheries regulations regarding quantity and size.

OFFSHORE September will start to see the ramps get a bit more activity, as the weather is more inviting. This month, let’s look at bottom bashing: firstly, this is a great way of

There should be a few flatties getting around this month. Mandy caught and released this one from her kayak. my casting arm twitching this month is the time to re-acquaint ourselves with those bronze river brawlers, the iconic bass. Bass season opens on the first of September. I’m

This lure accounted for some big bass last year. Move to smaller cicada imitations for casting into the structure as the day progresses. If the surface bite slows, then it’s time

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The only thing that changes for bream is technique. Here Elliot and Jordan hold up some Samaki Vibelicious victims. winter deep-water tactics. A lot of fun and excitement can be had casting mid and deep diving hardbodied lures into the bankside structure. If your casting is not up to scratch, it also pays to throw divers around the shallow flats, especially if there is weed present. The complete Maria River arm with plenty of snags and overhang is an area of note. You can spend a full day exploring this bream haven. Whiting usually kick into gear this month and Lake Cathie will be high on the list of places to try. This lake is one of the best whiting fisheries in our area, and I’m certain there will be many skittering Sugapens to imitate fleeing prawns worked across the surface in coming months. Whiting are an excellent

securing a feed of fish and can be great fun. You never know what will take your bait next. I take a definite plan, start off in a desired depth and drift. Use several types of bait on different rods: cut baitfish, squid, a livebait if available and a humble prawn. These baits work on a simple paternoster rig with a snapper lead on the bottom. The current will decide weight, but usually a 3/0 Big Red is the preferred hook. When drifting, if fish are playing the game, then drive around the area and recommence the drift. If not, either move in or out 5-10m of depth, and again current will help you decide. It’s nothing to do a drift where you pick up a few nice reds, and then some sand flatties as you drift off the reef patch. If you do this a couple of times, your fishbox takes on a favourable look. Species that are caught doing this can be snapper, mowies, pearl perch, teraglin and flatties. If you secure some livies then anything is possible! Enjoy the warmth this September.

Spring is great for fishing mulloway on the Hastings. Here is one that Koolabung’s Eddie Studman caught with the author recently.

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Champing at the bit FORSTER

David Seaman dseamo@bigpond.com

I’ve heard the decree that it’s been the coldest winter in memory, and on the odd frosty morning, I’ve entertained the thought – but only on the day. To be truthful, this winter has been remarkably pleasant. More days have been over 20°C than I can remember in the winters I’ve lived in the area. Warm days make it pleasant to be out

fishing. If you get a chance to head offshore, take it. There are snapper on the near shore grounds and reefs. As you venture deeper, you’ll find good mixed bags and plenty of leatherjackets to top off the fish tubs. Collecting live baits at Haydens reef, in front of the Tanks, is worth the stop. While the jackets get a bad rap for being overzealous and destructive on terminal gear, they’re actually a good eating fish. The seasonal plague of leatherjackets offshore shouldn’t deter anglers.

It’s just a consequence of the season. Rock fishing has been odd over the last few months. Clear water has tempered the expected run of rock blackfish, but it’s only a matter of timing to extract a decent bag of fish. A good wash, a rising tide and a bucket of bread berley is the makings of a top session. Prepare to move if the fish are sparse. Seal Rocks, Blueys Beach and Elizabeth Beach are good locations to start fishing and Janies Corner and the Shark are good fallback positions. At this time of year, big bream are still roaming the ocean rock gutters and holes. Silver trevally will make an appearance off the rocks and beaches. Great tailor are being caught around the area, though 600g fish are the norm close to the coast. Salmon turn up in the mix while spinning, as do the odd, undersized rat kingfish. With a new moon on September 1, if you’re quick, you may be able to wrangle a cool mulloway from the beach or rocks. They love the cover of extra dark and bigger tidal movements. If you miss it, there’s a black moon in October (the second new moon in a calendar month), so start to plan a trip to

The weather this winter hasn’t been as cold as you might think. This lovely bass certainly warmed up to the hook.

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Early morning spinning for tailor and salmon is a good transition into a high tide pigs session. the beach on dusk for a few hours. A high tide around 8:30pm on September 1 and in October is ideal to get your game on. I recently fished the top of a tide and managed a 16kg fish that climbed on a hardbodied lure. Live bait, squid or flesh bait would have produced more fish, but you set your goals and take your chances. With big mulloway, set your goal and execute the plan. While the cooler months slow fish activity in the lake, there’s still plenty of fish to be caught. Tailor enter and hunt areas like the Step and Hells Gate. They’re often seen busting up balls of baitfish in the deeper channels. Bream returning from the spawn run generally congregate around the bridge pylons, and Paddock leases. Searching these areas will find schools of hungry bream. A mix of legal and trophy fish are spread over the lower lake’s entrance. Filter through the smaller fish to find the bigger ones. Baitfishing for bream can be frustrating with all the smaller fish around, but if you just want a feed of legal sized bream, now is the time to take advantage of their return to the estuary. The break walls will fish well for bream and blackfish this month. It will also fish well for mulloway that have been pushing into the estuary of an evening. I saw a school of mulloway cutting into mullet in the

Mulloway hunt the gutters and headlands of the beaches and rocks this time of year. This one is a great example of how big they get. The exercise and warmth of casting lures is key on the cold nights. Wallamba channel the other week and dismissed them as mahimahi until one of the fish cleared the water. Mulloway boofing bait on the surface is nothing new, but to see one break the surface was a first for me. I couldn’t raise one on the tiny offering I had rigged. I know there plenty of anglers champing at the bit to go bass fishing

after the no-take closed season. The post-spawn fish will be well on their way back up the rivers by now. Early season in the Wallamba should be good, before too much pressure and surface weed affects the fishing. Bulahdelah and the Myall River will get plenty of attention in the coming months. Early bird gets the bass.

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The mulloway have moved in to 800g are common, the average is 650-750g. Upriver, flathead have been taken on soft plastic

HARRINGTON-TAREE

Ian Pereira ianpereira@aapt.net.au

We have experienced a winter like the 1970s – plenty of cold weather, winds and frosts. In fact, one frost a week ago was right down to the beach, which is very rare in this area. We suffered a lot of erosion on our beaches and Crowdy Beach is flat to Diamond Head. This sort of winter will give us an excellent start to spring, not only for the fishers, but the farmers as well. Winds are blowing west to south and are keeping the seas flat. What we need are some northwesterlies, to set up the beaches with gutter, and white water to bring in the baitfish. Then we’ll get tailor. ESTUARY The Manning has fished well for the past few weeks. Bream have been plentiful along the wall at Harrington, and the spur wall at Manning Point. Mullet strips and fresh yabbies are taking fish. Luderick are also biting green weed from the wall at Manning Point. Fish up

lures, near the drop offs and edges of the weed beds. A good run of school mulloway have moved into the lower

When fishing Old Bar Beach with her husband, Janine Roberts caught the biggest fish, earning bragging rights for months to come. Image courtesy of Bohnock Bait and Tackle.

parts of the river and take live herring and soft plastic lures. The best of these fish are weighing 5kg, while the average is around 3.5kg. Some nice bags of tailor have been caught from the gantry on small, white soft plastic lures. These fish have come into the estuary chasing schools of white bait in the river. BEACH AND ROCK Our beaches have taken quite a pounding from the big seas a few weeks ago. The most damage was done by a very strong blow from the north east which eroded the beaches back a few meters and flattened them out so there are no gutters and sand banks to make good formation for bait fish and predators. Despite the poor beach formations school jew to 9kg have been landed from Crowdy Beach and the sand spit in the mouth of the river. Beach worms have been the top bait. OFFSHORE Fishing has been quieter for the boaties, but there are good catches. The northern grounds have produced plenty of small snapper at 1.5kg and the occasional fish at 6kg. Pearl perch and morwong have been boated

Local angler Janine Roberts with a brace of mulloway destined for the table. Image courtesy of Bohnock Bait and Tackle.

in the same area. Out wider, leatherjackets have been a nuisance to those fishing the bottom in 70m+ of water. By September, the beaches should be back to their normal formation. Chopper tailor will appear by this time. I expect a few salmon and bream to be on the beach as well. In the

estuary, luderick will be the main species to chase on green weed. Bream will be further upriver. There doesn’t appear to be any great falls of rain for our area coming up, so the river should be salty for a while. This will encourage fish to travel up river to hunt prawns and other crustaceans.

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SEPTEMBER 2016

September is sweet in sunny Port Stephens PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

September is a reset button on the fishing season in Port Stephens, once we hit it everything starts again. Winter fish fade away. At the same time, other fish are coming on with each month from here, bringing bigger numbers as well as new species to target. The good thing about fishing right now is a real cross over period with species like flathead, whiting and kingfish all starting to show up while predominantly winter species can also still be targeted. ESTUARY We should see an influx of kingfish in the harbour this month, particularly around Nelson Bay Rock wall and inside of the marina. Early morning high tides will be prime time to connect to a king. The best method is either to cast stickbaits and poppers,

Greenback tailor like this 3kg model are always a chance in early spring. or lob out a lightly weighted live squid. These fish are often 10kg or more and will make short work of inadequate

Rhys Pateman with a cracking blue grouper.

gear. Go for 30lb braid and 40lb leaders. Mulloway are worth putting some time into this month. The best areas are to fish the deeper 20m+ sections of water around Corlette to North Arm Cove, as well as both Karuah Bridges. A fish I always miss during winter will reappear, now the water temperature is warming up – dusky flathead. Early in the season, flathead can be found further up the back of the system. Tilligerry, Karuah and North arm are all good areas to find a few, this month. Luderick remain in good numbers and should continue to be caught from the Torpedo Tubes, Little Beach and both the break walls, for at least another month before slowing down. There are still bream hanging on the rock walls and oyster leases around Soldiers Point, through to Tea Gardens. Soft plastics and small hardbodied lures account for plenty of catches. Alternatively, anchor up and cast lightly weighted baits down a berley trail in these same areas. If you’re land-based, a good option will be fishing the break

walls, Corlette Groynes or Wanda Head. ROCKS Fishing the rocks won’t change too much from previous months. Drummer and bream will still be found in good numbers from the wash zone, particularly by those anglers fishing around high tides with conjevoi or royal red prawns. Luderick are still on the chew around Boulder Bay to Barry Park but won’t hang around for too much longer, as water temperatures quickly warm up. Grouper are always a popular option this time of year and can be found along most of the coastline from Anna Bay through to Fingal. The best way to target them is using heavy gear with a minimum 15kg line. Use whole or halved rock crabs on a 5/0 heavy gauge hook. Most of the rock points and headlands that stick out into open deep water should produce good tailor this month. Fish up to 3kg are not out of the

Luderick king Brent Dunlop displaying a better then average fish. question. Be sure to fish those dawn and dusk periods with either whole garfish on a set of gang hooks, or a 100-130mm metal or stickbait. BEACHES It’s well worth the effort to get up early and venture out to Fingal Spit. Arrive just before the sun gets up to chase a few tailor on lures or ganged garfish. The Spit has been fishing particularly well for tailor lately with abundant quality fish. Other beaches worth a look will be Samurai and Box beaches. Schools of salmon are moving within casting range along most of the ocean beaches. These provide

great fun for anglers flicking small metals on light gear. Fishing the surf gutters with live worms or pipis should prove productive this month and is another form of fishing that will get better the further into spring we go. Stud bream and whiting are on offer. OUTSIDE Trag will start to show around the Gibber, 21 and Vee reefs this month, as well as a snapper or two. Snapper fishing around Edith Breakers and Broughton Island should also be good this month. Plastics and baitfishing will do the job, during low light periods.

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Dusky flathead should fire up this month in the back end of the estuary.

Hunter round for some good fish HUNTER COAST

Gary Earl earlybird13@optusnet.com.au

The talk around the Hunter region is bream, lots of them, moving through, and flathead upstream around Hexham. Flathead aren’t usually a catch this time of year, but the water is warmer than usual. Luderick are on the chew, and in the harbour in good numbers. Teraglin

and school kingfish are out on the close reefs, so there’s something for everyone at the moment, you just have to put up with freezing conditions. The river is fishing a lot better, but it was dismal with howling winds and rain last month. If you’re after bream, try peeled prawns after dark in the basin. Use very little lead, as they can be touchy, and cast around the light reflections that attract little baitfish and tiny prawns. You

can cast small soft plastics or floating prawns for the bream, and sometimes lurking tailor can be caught too. Sink your lures and twitch them back with slow movements and hang on. One thing going for us here is a very deep river, so you’re lure cover a lot of water on the way back to the rod tip. The flathead around Hexham are just legal, but good fun on light gear. There’s a lot of water to cover.

This little snapper was hooked and mid-fight a flathead came up to engulf it.

As tough as they come

Anglers have been casting down where the trawlers tie up, and hooking school mulloway. Use some sort of trace, as it’s hard going to get the fish through reeds lining the bank. Mulloway are taking small lures meant for bream, so it pays to experiment and use bigger lures. Keep swapping to see what the fish will take. Luderick are around their normal haunt, Horseshoe Beach break wall. A handful of sand mixed with weed, a fresh strand of weed for the hook, and you should be on them. I’m always saddened by the number of homeless

A just-legal bream taken on a peeled prawn under structure in the river.

These are my feet after helping a bloke land his mulloway in the deep reeds – the things we do for people.

Now with

people staying there at night, and every time I go, the number rises. Offshore, teraglin are combing the reefs. Chris Jelfs and a mate got their bag limit, then came home and said they were red-hot for over an hour. Nothing happens sometimes for hours, then every rod takes off with something on it. School kingfish are around North Reef, the Marbles and the hospital mark. Small, legal squire are on all these reefs, and salmon are working baitfish into schools to eat off Bar Beach.

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plenty of nice bags of bream coming in, and most anglers are finding pockets of them in the 30-37cm size range, which is good to see. There are brutes in the mix at over 40cm. Anglers are getting into these bream with a variety of methods – lure anglers are finding the blades and vibe style lures working particularly well. It’s interesting to see a few anglers actually scoring lots of good fish on surface lures, such as bent minnows. This style of fishing is generally kept for the summer months, but it’s been stirring the fish throughout the cooler months as well this year. Boat hulls have been producing good numbers for bream. As the weather warms, we should see a rise in the number of bream moving onto the flats. It may be a couple of months before they really

SWANSEA

Jason Scerri jayro@hotmail.com.au

Welcome back to September, and the great spring weather that comes with it. This is many anglers’ favourite time of the year and certainly one of mine. Generally, September sees both ambient temperatures and water temperatures begin to rise, as we lead into summer. It’s still early, and as a rule there should be no big jumps in temperature, but it’s great to be on the upswing. Fishing here on Lake Macquarie can be exceptional during September and things are looking promising. The lake is fishing reasonably well and has done so throughout winter. There’s

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fire in the shallows. If I’m headed out for bream in the deep, I’ll generally give my shallow water spots a quick drift, to see if there are any about. Solid bream from the flats know how to fight, and they are always worth a try. Flathead fishing has been a little hit and miss recently. One day there’s heaps of big ones, then the next trip is a struggle to put a few in the live well. Big white soft plastics stand out this year, as is often the case. A nice big paddle-tail and a soft plastic around 5” is ideal for the deep water flathead. I use scent and find that every trip I go, I’m reminded why I love it. I can forget to put scent on a new plastic during the trip, and if a fish comes

of fun for anglers. Salts Bay and around Moon Island are two locations that are thick with these surface speedsters. Many anglers now find that flyfishing is a great way to hook salmon, and is a heap of fun. They’re not much chop as a table fish, but as far as a light tackle sport fish go, they’re right up there. For those looking for a nice table fish, it doesn’t get better than mulloway cutlets. The good news is that they too are about in reasonable numbers. Most fish are around 80-90cm and make for a great meal. Live baits, fresh squid and lures alike are all working well. They’re not thick by any means, but they’re about. Generally, those anglers who

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Local bream specialist, Mitch Martin with a very solid bass from a recent outing. He decided to give the bream a break for change. A nudge over 50cm is a great fish. combined with solid hooks are also scoring awesome fish. Great bags of reds have been spotted at the cleaning tables too. Over the next few months, we should see the kingfish population move inshore and make their way into Lake Macquarie, which is something local estuary anglers can’t wait for. Rock and beach fishing has been a little on the

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put the effort in are being rewarded. Offshore fishing is also improving. Winter hasn’t been disastrous for offshore anglers, but we’re looking forward to better conditions. Things are looking up. Marlin are around, so game fishing crews are hoping for a season like last one. The tuna run was a non-event unfortunately for most crews off our part of the coast. Many trailer boats were able to tow their vessels and follow the bite that was happening down the coast, so not all missed out. Tuna were sporadic – a few schools would appear one day, then vanish the next. It’s been a frustrating season for sure, and we look forward to warm currents, slimy schools and marlin bites. Those anglers fishing the deep stuff for a feed have been in luck, some fantastic kingfish are in. Many of the offshore reefs are holding lots of solid fish around. Live baits fished deep are doing the damage and soft plastics on heavy jigheads

Jack Hammond has been doing a fair bit of land-based fishing off Port Stephens and has come up trumps with some cracking catches, like this great calamari.

Tough times are in the past CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley jrobley@iprimus.com.au

It’s always great to say goodbye to the big deep freeze and look forward to a new season of fishing ahead. In recent years, it’s warmed up quickly in September and remained hot right through spring and summer. This season might be the same. Over the years, I’ve found flathead to be one of the reliable species around our lakes in September. Although the Tuggerah system normally yields small flathead, from tiny tiddlers up to 50cm in length, slightly bigger models from 60-70cm aren’t out of the question this time of year. I’ve sporadically run into them in all parts of these lakes. There’s no doubt most larger flathead are likely to be found closer to the channel mouth at The Entrance. Always release larger female flathead to help insure healthy stocks in the future. These lakes may be netted and you may ask what the point is. Recreational anglers also take a toll on fish stocks and many are inclined to keep bigger fish, rather than release them. This has an impact over time. Most of us are armed with a good camera in our phones these days, and we’re likely to take a photo of any bigger fish we catch. When the fun’s over, we

45-55cm bracket are about the best to eat anyway. If you get lucky and land a big one, consider taking a few photos and carefully releasing it to breed

to slightly deeper channels and holes, adjacent to shallower flats. Water from 2-5m or so is good at this stage, but by the end of the month it should

Bream don’t normally kick into gear right now, but they’ll spark up as things get warmer. This one took a small suspending hardbody lure, worked very slowly with long pauses, which is a good approach while water temperatures are still cool. Traditional winter species like silver trevally will still be out and about this month. This one is an average size for our local waters and took a small vibe fished down deep. and perhaps be caught again one day. Aside from The Entrance, flathead can be encountered all around Brisbane Waters and Lake Macquarie this month. How shallow they go depends on the weather. If it warms up quickly, with a few hotter days along the way, then

be worth hitting shallower water more. Despite many new soft plastics on the market, I’m confident with tried and proven old favourites, like the 100mm Squidgy Wriggler in the drop bear colour, 5” Berkley Gulp Jerk Shad in the lighter colours, and 4” Berkley

Despite the numbers of salmon around right now, a few tailor can be expected along the rocks, beaches and lakes this month. can always look back at photos, but fish that were killed and eaten are gone forever. Flathead in the

those amongst the best. Having praised soft plastics, there’s no question about the effectiveness of vibes on flathead. Smaller vibes also work so well on

shallows around our local waterways attract bait, which then attract flathead. For the time being, stick

Powerbait Minnow, in white or pearl watermelon. Flathead will take a swipe at most softies, but I rank

bream and whiting, so it makes sense to use them this season. You’ll still catch flathead, with increased chances of a mixed bag, which could include others like flounder, tailor or even mulloway. If all goes well and the lake water warms up enough, we may get an early show of prawns. No flathead will refuse a live prawn, that’s for sure. If lures aren’t doing the job, prawns are worth trying, especially around the bridges at The Entrance and Toukley. Luderick, trevally, tailor and salmon are likely to be caught this month. While they’re generally winter species, it’s common to encounter all of these during September in our waterways. Rock and beach fishing has been tough recently, as is normal for late winter and early spring on this part of the coast. We’ve copped a lot of northwesterly winds this year, which is the worst wind direction for rock fishing. It simply turns fish off. Having said that, salmon have been out in full force, with a healthy sprinkling of trevally, bream and tailor. With swell and weather conditions favourable, these species should be available this month, as well as luderick, drummer and groper. Don’t get too excited, or expect miracles along the

rocks and beaches this month. However, if some light tackle fun is the main aim, salmon won’t disappoint! Offshore fishing is typically slow this time of year. It’s likely that wind and sea conditions may be fine to head out, but the next problem is water temperature and quality. If the water is green and

pushing up from the south, it’s going to be tough. If it’s blue and trickling down from the north, then fishing should be better. Remember, we’re still between seasons, as far as offshore angling goes. So if there’s any boat, trailer or fishing gear maintenance to be done, now’s the ideal time to do it.

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The snapper are just about finished in the closer reefs, now that the cuttlies have finished spawning. The odd cuttlefish may still be around, but with their departure goes the snapper. A few bigger fish will remain around the bommies, islands and washes, but they will be picked off in coming weeks by the lucky angler fishing for other species, or those in the know who target them in these areas. Evenings are now the time to chase bigger fish, and the best time is the new moon, when it’s

black during the night. Some fish will be rippers up to that magic 10kg mark, so be prepared for a big run. Most fish have moved into deeper water, so it’s back to drifting plastics over deeper reefs, working the sounder and looking for schools of baitfish they may be targeting. Some pretty good catches will come in the next few months using this tactic. As a general rule, when you find one, you find a few. The big reef system around the rise of Wollongong Reef is always popular, as is the system out around Bandit. The smaller reefs and patches of hard ground south of Wollongong are good producers as well. Reefs off Windang,

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Minnamurra, and Kiama are all worth a look with the sounder. Even if you pick up just one fish, it’s worth the drift over. If in doubt, head to the hump off Stanwell Park, and mix it with the boat from Port Hacking. If this fails, you’ll run into schools of pelagics chasing down baitfish on the surface. Most are big salmon and rat kings, swimming shoulder to shoulder, picking off hapless baitfish. When they’re in this mood, they can be tough to interest with your lures. Small lures and light lines usually score the most strikes, but a big popper ripped through the school can often bring them onto bigger lures. The added attraction of the noise will get any deeper kings up and onto the popper. Alternatively, a live yellowtail cast into the school can get some action on bigger salmon and kings lurking beneath. Trevally are usually moving with these schools, so small plastics worked back under the schools will pick them off. If you let your metal lures drop down below the school, chances are you won’t get it back. There are barracouta starting to show, and when they arrive in any numbers they can put a hole in the lure collection quickly.

of salmon, trevally, tailor and even one of those thumping big snapper. Any wash with a bit of depth is worth a cast. Catches of flathead are on the increase and the usual spots off Stanwell Park, Port Kembla and Windang have produced some fair catches lately. These should improve over the coming weeks as the water warms a little. There are some nice pigfish and a few mowies for the bottom bashers as well, along with the ever present sweep. Further out around the shelf, there have been reports of a few albacore and yellowfin on the move, but they’re patchy. Most fish are being picked up on the troll, then a pilchard trail set up while fighting the fish to bring the school up under the boat. Bluefin and some sizable yellowfin made a brief appearance a few weeks back, but didn’t seem to move up around this neck of the woods for any length of time. When they did show off Kiama and Shellharbour, it was only for a few days. Then the weather and currents put an end to it. Some notable captures were made in those few days, for a lucky few just the same. You never know when they’ll show up again this month. If you miss the tuna, there

Now’s the time to head to deeper waters and chase snapper on plastics. This is an average catch and it nearly swallowed the lot. morning and evening. The odd king follows up hooked salmon down around Kiama way too, so a live yakka or pike fished close in very early could score the goods. Drummer are still about in fair numbers. Cunje and prawns prove to be their undoing, and most rock spots

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It’s best to move when you encountered them. Some of the better schools have been up off the national park, north of Stanwell Park. If the fish are moving fast across the surface, with a few terns in attendance but no seagull hordes, they are probably striped tuna. If you’re out a bit further, maybe it’s a stray yellowfin or two. Sometimes, just keeping up is a job in itself, let alone getting a cast in front of a moving school. Rather than chase fish around, try casting pilchards on ganged hooks into the washes all along the coast, for plenty

are plenty of gemfish around Kiama Canyons and a few blue-eye as well, if the current isn’t going too hard and you don’t mind the long drop. On the stones, there are trevally and the odd bream, for those using pilchard pieces and prawns for bait. Add a little bread or bran berley with a few pilly pieces mixed in for better results. The deeper rock spots, like Kiama and the south side of Bass Point, are providing better catches. Salmon and tailor are grabbing pilchards on ganged hooks off the deeper ledges in the early

with a descent bit of white water are worth a try. Some nice fish over 2kg have been landed with some bigger ones lost. Blackfish are a bit scarce at the moment, and only the hardcore fishers are watching their floats at the moment. Good green weed is hard to find, and anglers are opting to use cabbage weed, scraped from the lower rock platforms. The beaches are not quiet, but lacking variety. Decent salmon and tailor are on most strips of sand with a good gutter at high tide. Pilchards

are hard to go past for bait, but just about any fish bait will do the job at the moment. School mulloway are floating about for those putting in the time with good quality fresh bait. It can still get chilly in the evenings, and the water is cold, so wear the winter woollies and waders. It can be difficult beach fishing in Illawarra, as so many beaches without surf clubs are dog off-leash areas. To dog owners, this means let them run amuck and do as they please. It’s a tragedy – bait stolen, gear peed on and my cameras covered in sand, then being jumped on by some large and intimidating type of dog. Most owners think it’s wonderful, but only the odd responsible owner keeps their animals under control when passing. I had one nip in from behind me and grab bait I had just put on the hook. I was standing up when several hundred dollars worth of rod and reel went dragging through the sand until I got a foot on it. I thought a solid staffie would fight harder than that! The owner was irate, but he was 100m down the beach and not in control of his animal. Luckily the hook came out, just on dark too. Any earlier and it’s impossible to fish, as everything is destroyed by dogs. I now spray good old powerful household ammonia on the sand around my gear. Dogs hate it with their sensitive noses, but you must be careful not to get it on your bait, clothes or gear. Fish don’t like it either. In the estuaries, it’s quiet with a few bream around the bridges and rock walls, a few flathead will stir at the end of the month and get better as we progress through spring. Good luck.

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Johnny Nolan straydog1974@gmail.com

We’ve had one of the worst winters I can remember – cold, windy and wet. September is going to be most welcome, especially by fishos who are shore bound over the winter months when they couldn’t line up fishing trips in the short breaks we had from the weather. Now that’s all behind us, we can look forward to a fishy spring and summer season, with good weather and plenty of fish, or can we? September is now an exciting time for the river bass anglers. Once upon a time, fishing for bass or estuary perch in NSW rivers and streams was a year round proposition. A change of techniques was usually employed over the cooler months to catch the wily bass, which often have only breeding on their minds. These winter

Fynn Shirlaw with a beautiful winter Shoalhaven River bream.

Brendan ‘Brenno’ Gillan with a typical-sized winter albacore, caught on a bluefin expedition. months are typically the spawning season. As well as protecting the future stocks by allowing these fish to do

Fynn with an 8.8kg mulloway after the June floods.

Oxley with a huge ling hooked in the depths of JB. The masters of deep dropping have been at it again on the shelf.

their thing uninterrupted, the fishing closure gives die-hard bass anglers something to look forward to when the season opens. The upper Shoalhaven River has once again flooded, so traveling upstream for your first few trips should be done with caution. The river changes quite dramatically with larger floods – what was there yesterday may not be there tomorrow. Take care. A good place to start for your first bass outing is somewhere between the Ski Park and Crams Rock. Work your way up from there and remember, not all fish will migrate downstream in winter. Freshwater reaches will still offer some great early season opportunities. The lower Shoalhaven River has taken longer than expected to recover from the flood, but has now come good. There are plenty of flatties around the swirls. Along the edges of the canal, mulloway have returned to the river, leaving the safety of their hole or snag on tide changes in search of a feed. For a fish with almost zero predators, top of the food chain in our river, they are very cautious and lazy feeders. St Georges Basin has been a dead zone for a few weeks now and is only just starting to produce nice catches. I’ve heard of great early season lizards starting to show in around the 15-20ft mark, caught on slowly worked Squidgy Prawns. The Basin now has a reputation as a trophy flathead fishery – more than its fair share of 90cm+ fish are caught and released every year. From now until

Christmas is when the majority of the big girls are caught, so if you’re after a trophy fish, you better get your butt to the basin over the next few months. You won’t be disappointed. Offshore, no one knows what’s happening. It’s been a crazy winter season. Apart from a sporadic run of bluefin and yellowfin popping up and down the coast, there have been catches of summertime species like striped marlin and mahimahi. The current has been changing daily, making it hard to predict where the fish will be. Some anglers were lucky enough to come across fish here and there. Some sweet tuna were caught amongst them. Albacore were a savior for many anglers, frequenting the shelf line and giving fishos the opportunity to come home with a feed. The masters of deep dropping have been at it again on the shelf. Cookie, Herbie and ‘the Ox’ have been bringing in awesome blue-eye, ling, gemfish, and other deep-water species. They are passionate about this type of fishing and

pretty well have it down to a fine art, rarely coming home without a feed from the depths.

Have fun with your next month of fishing, be good and stay safe. Johnny out.

Oxley ‘the Ox’ with a big blue-eye from the depths of JB.

SEPTEMBER 2016

Kingfish on fire this spring MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

It’s been an incredible month for the rock-hopper brigade. The best run of kingfish I’ve ever seen is here in Merimbula, arguably for the last twenty-five years. The kings, or ‘hoodlums’ we should call them, are big. These turbo charged bruisers are averaging 15kg, as big as 22kg. Now there are big fish to land from the boat and shore, but this is what’s happening. Kings can be found from the wharf inside Merimbula Bay, right around to Long Point. Tura Head would also hold a few and I know of a couple shreddings from there this last week. It’s exciting how they’re caught. Anglers who fish big poppers have fared best. Some casts raise three and four fish at a time, which is crazy stuff. When a 40lb fish smashes a surface lure, you don’t forget it easily. To see it many times in a session is truly remarkable. There’s been catches on sinking stickbaits fished erratically back to shore. These shine when the sun gets a little higher. Over the last

week, I know of twelve big kings landed, but at least thirty lost. There’s certainly a few out there. Some fishers have used the boat, trolling close to shore, and have caught some on deeper bibbed minnows. Cast poppers back to the washes for some action. It’s anyone’s guess how long this will last, but if the bait and water stays the same it should continue in spring. Offshore, boaties have done extremely well on

southern bluefin, when the weather allows. Fish are out wide, so a decent sized boat is needed to get out there safely. Trolling is certainly the go and fish are averaging 40-50kg. A mixture of skirted pushers and bibbed minnows should do the trick. There’s been yellowfin mixed with the bluefin, which is great to see. Albacore numbers are great along the 100 fathom line. Troll smaller skirts for albies. Closer to shore, snapper

Kingfish galore is here – these two solid models were caught off Merimbula Wharf.

have been okay on inshore reefs, but they’re slow. Move around and use fresh baits, you will be rewarded. If you’re after a feed of flatties, their numbers have been excellent. The Sticks off Pambula is the hotspot at present. In the estuaries, the water is still pretty cool and clear, so fish slow presentations with small to mid sized soft plastics. You can expect flathead in the main basins of both Pambula and Merimbula lakes, but expect to work for them. Concentrate around the ribbon-weed edges for the best results on the draining tide. Anglers fishing blades have caught a few – bream, whiting and luderick also succumb to these little bits of metal. Small hops and draws are the go, as most hits come on the lift. Most of the action is happening in the channels. Cast smaller stick-style softies, these have accounted for most catches, including trevally, salmon, tailor and the odd bream. This next period going into spring is when we will see the estuaries really fire up. Those fishing the beaches have had the usual success with salmon and tailor. Beaches like Tura Main, North Tura and Haycock have

This 17.5kg king was caught on the rocks around 100m from the main wharf. been great. A solid gutter to the south end of Tura main is the best. Anglers using a paternoster rig have fared well, though casting smaller shiners will also work. Bream and whiting should start to fire up,

especially around the estuary entrances, after spending time on the beaches. These two species will be hungry after spawning, so a well presented live beach worm will be hard to resist.

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All-round Narooma fishing starts heating up NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

Spring’s here. With it comes the anticipation of warmer, longer days and a few more fish. Those who braved the winter elements, were rewarded with some solid results especially in the estuaries. Narooma’s Wagonga Inlet fished pretty consistently through the winter months with an abundance of estuary pelagics. Species like tailor, salmon and trevally kept anglers busy. The usual bread and butter species were bream, but flathead and whiting were hard to entice. This will change with the water warming every day, as we head further into the season. September sees the first signs of mulloway activity. They follow the blackfish schools as they re-enter the system after spawning outside around the rocky headlands. Mulloway love luderick, so when they school up big, you can expect the mulloway close. You tend to find bigger

mulloway at the start of the season with fish to 25kg quite possible, especially for anglers fishing big baits at night around tide changes. I remember last year, a visiting angler lost a cracking mulloway over the side, that would have nudged 50lb. Targeting one of these brutes isn’t hard, but you need to put in the time, or be lucky to snag one early. Look at the drop off. It’s easy to find as you come out of the channel, into the main basin on the flooding tide. Anchor in the shallows and fish your baits down the ledge into 8-12m of water. Big flathead are around, with the added bonus of a possible decent red playing the game. If the bait and night isn’t for you, then target them on softies and big soft vibes will work. Concentrate your efforts around the tailor and whitebait schools, but be prepared to go through a few lures. Again, tide changes are prime time. If the bait is there, you’re always in the game. The channels from the drop off to the charter boat wharf is an excellent area to fish for

bream, trevally, luderick and whiting. Concentrate your efforts on the flooding tide, anchoring up and fishing fresh worms or bass yabbies should see a fish or two for the pan. Anglers fishing the stones around Mystery Bay’s High Rock, and the Golf course rocks in town, have had a few shreddings from kingfish. Just like Merimbula, there are some greenback bruisers patrolling the stones. A mate of mine had a crack at Mystery the other day and got dusted up four times in the morning. The lost fish have some added jewellery. Larger poppers are the go to method. He told me at times, there were four or five kings following his popper. Some ate it, others didn’t. The action is certainly better around the full moon period. If the kings decide to play hardball, there’s plenty of salmon to keep you interested. If the big game isn’t you, then blackfish and drummer will keep you happy. There’s ample ammounts of both species at most rock locations with a decent wash. Fish fresh cabbage

or cunjevoi for best results. Outside anglers are doing it tough, especially on the tuna. The southern bluefin tuna have thinned out, only the sporadic patches turn up, 60mi out. With the windy weather we’ve had, the journey to the grounds is almost impossible for trailer boat anglers. We may see some yellowfin and albacore wide of the shelf, but a lot will depend on prevailing currents, temperatures and tidal movements. At Montague Island, there’s good snapper and morwong, with the kingfish playing hardball some days. The kings are there, but pretty finicky at present. It can be frustrating when you know they’re there. This should change as we head further into the month. Late September is traditionally the start of the jigging season. With a few bigger kings in close, the inshore reef at Lake Brou and Potato Point may be worth a look. It may just fire up. On the beaches it’s a salmon frenzy. Loads of fish are chewing on most beaches. If the beach has anywhere near a half decent gutter, then it’s all systems

go. It depends on how you want to catch them, there’s that many. Plenty of fishos are grabbing bream rods,

be surprised how many fish will make the sand. If salmon isn’t your go, then bream, whiting and

Solid snapper are around. These boys found out on charter with Nick and Benny from Playstation. with a handful of smaller chromed slices and having a ball on the sambos. This type of fishing is easy. It’s cheap, you can take the kids, and if you like making salmon patties, then you’re in for a decent feed. Casting lures, I like to change the trebles to a single straight shank 5/0. This will improve your lost fish count when the salmon jump. You’ll

yellow-eye mullet numbers will gradually get better, as the month progresses. Anglers using live worms and pipi baits will fare best. Rockier, protected beach corners are the pick of places to fish. Use a little berley, but not too much, or the unwanted sting rays and banjo sharks will drive you nuts. Better beaches to try include Narooma main, Tilba and Brou beaches.

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Yellowfin arrive but bluefin are still around BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

You tuna you over

never know with season. Just when think it might be and they’re too far

to reach, conditions are slowly changing day to day. All of a sudden those gradual changes can end up completely. It was a disappointing August with bluefin so far out, then packing bags and heading

south. We saw water starting to push back in, and with it came albacore and some good yellowfin tuna, and even the return of bluefin. Yellowfin off Batemans Bay and Tuross were on fire.

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SEPTEMBER 2016

Andrew Turner had an 80kg fish up to the boat in the early stages of the fight. This can often happen, the fish dived into the depths. He got it back up to 30m below the boat where it wouldn’t budge for some time. Then, the worst-case scenario, a 200kg mako claimed it for lunch. How did we know it was 200kg plus? Rohan ‘Stretch’ Rivett rowed his boat over and started the burley. After an hour or so, he got the bite and wrestled with a fat mako full of tuna. The tuna can be off our coast in good numbers, right through until spring. That’s what we hope for. Some years back, we had great numbers of albacore throughout November. I’ve had some great days on yellowfin from 10-20kg on light gear during November. Between now and then, those tuna species can be up and down depending on the water. As it looks now, September could be a reasonable month on the tuna front. There are plenty of makos around to keep shark fishers happy too. If you’re looking to fish the bottom, you won’t be disappointed.

This time of the year will have favourable currents. Daytime swords have become all the rage, particularly around autumn. Let’s not forget it’s the time of year that swords are targeted at night, as the currents favour this style of fishing also. Offshore fishing is definitely on the cards for September. Inshore reef fishing is usually quite consistent this time of the year. Snapper can be found in the shallows chewing on cuttlefish out to depths of 60m and deeper. Don’t be afraid of searching deeper for snapper, even though the bite heats up in the shallows this time of year. What also stays relatively hot is flatties. If you miss out on snapper, flatties are the go to fish for the table. There has been no shortage of them lately, and they’re good sizes. Kingies are fat and solid through the colder months. They seem to be more present than previous years. It’s just being in the right place at the right time. Kingies can just show up anywhere sometimes. One year they school hard here, and the next year they

school hard there. That’s a king for you. If there is plenty of food, then one of the predators will not be far behind. Merimbula wharf is a perfect example – the fishos in the area capitalized on a very impressive bite, with some nice kings getting caught over 10kg. Moruya had a little flutter of them and is worth a check every so often. Although it’s cold, the rock and beach fishing has time to shine. The everconsistent drummer off the rocks has been a true standout this winter. There have been snapper caught, but the bite isn’t been red hot. The beaches have had large schools of sambos with some tailor and bream on the chew as well. If you’re looking for consistency and results, drummer off the rocks and salmon on the beach can’t go wrong. The estuary can be a very quiet place on the fishing front, but hasn’t been too bad. Ray ‘the Whisperer’ Smith has been nailing late night estuary perch around the bridge. A handful of customers have been doing quite well on average size flathead. There have been anglers

braving the cold nights for the change of two tides, to double their chances on mulloway, but that bite has slowed down. If you love your estuary fishing, don’t

may get them in September, has been blue swimmer crabs. Finally the water is clear, and these guys have been getting around in cold water. Remember, it’s back

and the new gear is great. Go check it out! • For more up-to-theminute information on what’s biting where, drop into Compleat Angler

The boys on Opatunatee have been scoring some chunky yellowfin off Batemans. give up. The sun has been shining and it’s been a mild warm winter – the estuary isn’t a bad place to be. The surprise catch throughout August, and you

to four witch’s hats per person. I have mountains of stock ordering for the shop to do, for the fast approaching season. It looks good this summer,

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).

FISHING FILL-ITS

Compliance operation catches illegal fishers in breach of regs Several recreational fishers have been found in breach of fishing regulations along the Namoi, Castlereagh and Barwon Rivers in the State’s North West. New Sout Wales Department of Primary Industries (NSWDPI) Acting Director of Fisheries Compliance, Tony Andrews, said a recent compliance operation by Fisheries officers focussed on the Narrabri, Wee Waa, Coonamble, Walgett, Collarenebri, Dubbo, Tamworth and Inverell regions after rain improved fishing conditions in western flowing rivers. “The good recent rainfall in the area has brought new opportunities for recreational fishers,” Mr Andrews said. “However we also know that increases the opportunity for fishers to engage in illegal activities by use of fish traps, set lines, gill nets and bag/size limit offences.” Fisheries officers conducted checks

on 22 recreational fishers and detected 12 fisheries offences. “One of the offenders was a 63 year old man from Coonamble who was apprehended using three illegal fish traps set in the waters of the Castlereagh River,” he said. “The man was also found in possession of golden perch taken illegally from the set fish traps.” Another two male offenders were found using unattended set lines and in possession of golden perch from the Barwon River near Walgett. A number of other offenders were found engaging in fishing activities without a fishing licence. “The use of fish traps, nets and lines is a serious and ongoing issue throughout inland waterways. This type of fishing technique poses a threat to the sustainable management of native freshwater fish populations,” he said. Maximum penalties

for offences include $22,000 fines and 6 months imprisonment. DPI Fisheries will continue to patrol local waterways in order to promote responsible fishing activities. The use of two hand held lines per person is permitted in inland New South Wales waters, provided the fisher stays within 50m and line of sight of the lines. Make sure you are not caught in breach of the regulations and check out the latest changes and updates on the NSW Fisheries website. – NSWDPI

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Gaining the advantage BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

When fishing, all anglers want that advantage whether it be finding a new secret lure or fly, a particular way to rig or put a bait on, or some

special place that no one knows you visit, but where you always seem to come back with fish. For me it is the height factor, whether you are on a fly bridge of a game boat, a rock out crop overlooking a trout stream, on some sand dunes staring at a beach or manmade structure like

bridges, jetties or wharves, using the height advantage will make for easier angling. One such place at this time of year is the bridge across the Bermagui River where you can do so, and this can be done both at night or in daylight hours. What I have observed here on the start of a rising

One of several bream taken over sand flats in Wallaga Lake. These fish were located by standing on the bow of the boat taking advantage of the height offered.

Looking down on a luderick, which was sight fished by standing up high on artificial structure.

tide is fish species in the form of blackfish, bream, trevally, whiting and a few others, congregating on the eastern side of the bridge. They hold on this area for an hour or two, where a well-placed nipper or worm will eventually be seized upon. In this period of time it can be quite easy to rack up a reasonable one-day cricket score before these fish disperse up the river to feed over the flats where the fishing becomes more difficult. You can also be assured the next day this pattern will continue lasting for about a month. Not only will you catch fish here in daylight, but you will have similar results of a night under the lights on the same rising tide. Check out any of the other estuaries that are open to the ocean, as simular events can be seen in them as well. Offshore, not a lot is happening on the game scene and I don’t expect so for another month or two when the cooler 15-16°C water temperatures are replaced by 19-20°C, bringing with it an early run of yellowfin, striped and albacore tuna, with

also a hope of a stray striped marlin. So while game fish might not be on the go, the offshore reefs definitely are. Snapper are being targeted heavily, with fish being taken from the close inshore reefs through to the deep ones just inside the Continental Shelf. These snapper are now being captured in a variety of ways on the shallow reefs. Soft plastics are popular either on the drift or used at anchor in conjunction with berley. This covers both options for if the fish are not responding to the plastics and you resort to bait. Wider out towards the Shelf, drifting is your only option where bigger baits attract bigger fish. These species may include Tassie trumpeter, hapuka, large tiger flathead and plenty of morwong both blue and jackass. At this time of year, those tiger flathead start to show in vast numbers where they can be captured from as close as 20m water depth, right out to the Continental Shelf were the larger ones usually lurk. They are a popular table fish much sought-after by

anglers and this should be the start of the run of these fish, which will last for some months to come. Beaches are a little slow until you strike a patch of passing salmon, where things can often get a bit rushed for a while as you try to make the most out of the school before they pass. As mentioned earlier, vantage points on adjacent headlands may allow you to sight these passing schools thus giving you an indication as to which beaches the fish are frequenting. There have been some nice gummy sharks taken in the deeper gutters with the odd mulloway, while bream and mullet are starting to show more regularly. In the sweet water of Brogo Dam, the river below the dam and the upper reaches of the Bega River, bass are starting to move about, particularly in the rivers after spawning looking to regain the condition lost while doing so. Warmer days may find these fish on the chew although its early days and the fishing will only become better as the weather warms.

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Fish thrive after flush TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

The Tathra area got trashed again, with heavy rains, floods and damaging seas earlier this year, some of which will be to the advantage of anglers, but others not so. Last month the historical Tathra Wharf was still out of bounds to anglers after

especially the catchment of the Bega River, are all favourable to anglers. In all my years of living in this area, I have never seen the system looking or fishing so well. Deep holes in the river bed along with flood debris leaving structure with a wide open entrance to the ocean has the system fishing exceptionally. All the species are here, with cooler water ones like trevally, tailor or luderick

Not everything you catch in an estuary is wanted, but often it can be entertaining! suffering damage from large seas in the earlier storms. However, the effects it has had on the environment,

being more predominant at the moment, and others like flathead, whiting, mulloway and bream are also starting to

show themselves, providing more action for anglers. Also on the move are the bass in the upper reaches and the estuary perch throughout the river. Both species have finished spawning and will be wanting to put on condition after this event. Warmer days will see the bass on the chew, while the EPs may take a little more effort and plenty of moves to find a patch willing to have a crack. While targeting these species, anglers may be pleasantly surprised when some of the sizeable dusky flathead decide to strike, and some of these fish can be exceptional. Since the closures of commercial netting in the river several years ago, this system is now renowned for its trophy-sized flathead and its increasing numbers of estuary perch. Moving out of the river and onto the beaches, anglers are pleasantly surprised with the numbers of salmon frequenting the coast line. These fish can be seen moving along the beaches, allowing anglers a chance to sight fish them with lures. This is a great way to pursue them, providing plenty of exercise as you follow them

Whiting are just one fish thriving in the Bega River after the big flush. along the beach. Mixed in with these salmon have been some nice tailor, and there has been some bream and mullet taken on bait adjacent to the entrance of the river, plus the odd small mulloway. Around on the rocks, groper and drummer are the mainstay, with these fish responding well to baits of cabbage weed, cunjevoi and red crab. There have also been good schools of luderick that can be taken regularly on cabbage weed, with the best areas being from below the pub through to Kianinny Bay boat ramp.

Out on the ocean, the game fishing is non-existent at the moment, and should remain that way until we have a change in water temperatures. However, the reef and bottom fishing is improving daily, especially when it comes to flathead. Tiger flathead are starting to show in good numbers and should continue to do so leading right up to Christmas. These fish can be taken from about the 20m mark right through to the edge of the Continental Shelf. It can be difficult fishing out wide, although the class

of fish is a lot better and there is the added bonus of picking up other species like ocean perch, morwong, Tassie trumpeter and snapper. The close inshore reefs are producing a nice run of 1-2kg snapper and plenty of morwong. These fish seem to be scattered over most of the closer reefs so you may need to move about from time to time to find them. While you are doing so try trolling a lure for those salmon that are around. Even if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like them to eat, they make first class bait over the reefs.

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Getting past the cold points for more action boats to head out in these conditions. The boat ramp at Bastion Point is once again full of sand as work is underway to make it more user-friendly – an ongoing problem. Great gutters are along all the local beaches, but at present the water is still dirty after all the rain. Once it clears, we should start to see the salmon turn up in numbers. It’s worth a walk along

MALLACOOTA

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

Mallacoota is now at its quietest. With the cold winter weather, and no shortage of rain, there are very few visitors in town for the next few months. The water temperature in the lake has been freezing with a

feed has been hard. Fish can be found, but won’t bite. You need to fish slowly and once the water warms a few degrees they will liven up a bit. Tailor are everywhere with plenty of choppers about, along with some bigger models. They are so thick at times they become annoying by chopping up soft plastics and stealing blades or hardbody lures. Imagine

It’s great fun teaching your kids to catch fish, and Crystal is a fast learner. is another story. Many fish already escaped being caught. They are cunning and present a challenge even to the best anglers.

Nicholas with his first fish on a lure – a good bream. good flow of freshwater heading into the system. The temperature stays right down at 9°C on the run-out tide and 12-13°C on the incoming and along the beaches. There’s very little to report on the offshore fishing scene, as there have been few opportunities for REVA G.T

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the local beaches on hightide, because if the fish are there, you will have no problem catching a few on baits or lures. Salmon will enter the lake, terrorise the schools of whitebait and find their way upstream as far as Gypsy Point. Flathead have been really slow, so catching a

the impact they have on the bait schools and any other small fish in their path. The real action this time of the year has been the black bream. Fish are being caught in the bottom lake as far upstream as Gypsy Point, depending on how the rain pushes them up and down the system. Catching

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Bait fishing has been hard. Lure fishers are doing their best on soft plastics and vibes. Some good size yellowfin bream are still

Sun brightens fishing EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

It’s the time of year when the town gets quiet and few visitors come over the winter months. After the recent bad weather, it’s been great to see some sunny days without much wind. The water in the rivers and ocean has finally cleared, which is great news for the fishing. Along the beaches, plenty of salmon have shown up. With good gutters on the local beaches, fish are being caught at all stages of the tide. Average fish are around a kilogram, with a few bigger fish up to 2kg. Some decent tailor

are also being caught on the beaches. In local estuaries, the winter months can see some big models. In most encounters, the fish gets away, takes your lure and leaves you wondering how big it was. Water temperatures have been up and down with the low temperature around 15°C, and reaching as high as 18°C. Around Christmas it should really start to warm up. Offshore, the southern bluefin tuna have arrived. Big schools of baitfish (pilchards) are about too. Find the food, and that will put you where the fish are. On the inshore reefs, there’s been sweet kingfish caught, which is unusual for this time of year, but there’s nothing usual about the weather we’ve experienced

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being caught and the back of Goodwin Sands is a good spot to start looking – just have to be in the right spot at the right time.

– some really warm winter days. Tiger flathead and sand flathead are still around and the snapper are starting to bite. Some cracker fish around 4kg have been caught. Fishing around daybreak has seen cool snapper caught from the local headlands. Fish are moving out deeper once the sun comes up. Local rivers are running, and will do for some time yet. Fishing for black bream has been good as the fish move upstream during their annual spawning run. At times, it’s hard to catch them – they have other things on their mind. Remember with these fish, when they come on the bite they near commit suicide. Good fishing.

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BEST OF SHOW AWARDS

best of the afta show

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display. We’re taking you inside the show in three ways: behind-the-scenes Facebook Live videos; individual product videos; and written reviews. You can find our Facebook live videos on the Tackle Junkie homepage at tacklejunkie. fish. The individual product videos are on our YouTube channel at www.youtube. com/user/FishingMonthly, and we’re adding the written reviews to the Tackle Junkie website every day. And of course, we have created a big magazine feature for you. In this issue you’ll be treated to nine pages of new products, including the winners of the Best Of Show awards. We hope you enjoy checking out these great products as much as we did!

came from as far away as Japan, the USA and Europe, and they were bursting with enthusiasm for their latest innovations. And of course, Australian tackle designers and manufacturers were also on hand to explain what went into their designs. It’s always interesting finding out why someone decided to make a particular lure (or other piece of tackle), and the challenges they faced along the way. When you look at any original lure design, you can pretty much be sure that a lot of frustration and headscratching went into its creation! We had 11 staff at the show, which has allowed us to provide comprehensive coverage of the most interesting products on

The 2016 AFTA Tackle Trade Show is the premier event on the Australian tackle industry’s calendar. The 2016 show was the biggest yet; the whole show floor was buzzing with tackle retailers and media who came to see the latest innovations. The 2016 AFTA Show was well timed, being held just after the ICAST trade show in the USA. That meant the latest products unveiled there were able to be fast-tracked to Australia, and they certainly turned heads! The best way to get an insight into any new piece of kit is to speak to an industry expert, and there were plenty of those at the show. Tackle designers and representatives

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RPM Innovations’ P6000mA/h Powerbank is portable charger with a torch built in. The Powerbank can store enough energy to charge a smart phone twice, and it’s a great device to take with you anywhere, not just camping and fishing. There are two USB out ports, which means you can charge two devices at once, and it also has an in port, which means you can charge it from a car cigarette lighter or a powerpoint. The Powerbank also has a solar panel as a bonus feature. The panel won’t charge the battery completely, but it can help to top it up at a pinch. Another great feature is if you hold the button down for three seconds, you get a 280 lumen LED light, which will last for eight hours. If you press it again, it will go down to 140 lumens, which will last for 16 hours. There’s also the standard emergency strobe setting. Finally, there’s a battery meter on the unit, so you know when to start charging it up again. www.rpminnovations.com.au

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BKK now have a super strong, rust resistant treble that you can use both inshore and offshore for a wide rage of species. The hand ground points mean these hooks come super sharp straight out of the box, so nothing is left to chance, and the Ultra anti-rust technology ensures that constant use in saltwater won’t see these hooks slowly deteriorate from corrosion. With sizes ranging from no. 4 to 5/0, there’s options for just about any angler with these incredibly strong trebles. From mangrove jacks in the creeks to jumbo-sized GTs offshore, these hooks will always have you covered, and the bit of extra coin you pay goes a long way and will result in less lost fish to terminal tackle. The Nomad boys recently tested the no. 1 size on black bass in Papua New Guinea, and needless to say, they weren’t let down in the hook department. www.nomadtackle.com

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Halco Tackle Company has released the highly anticipated big brother to the award-winning Max 130: the all new Max 190. The Max 190 (190mm/7.5”) has an incredibly wide effective operating envelope, working well from a fast cast and retrieve speed, all the way to a 14 knot troll. This lure dives to 2m, and the slender rear profile allows for increased hook clearance, vital for effective hook-ups on pelagic species. The larger Max 190 features #7/0 inline singles, providing a larger hook gape and less leverage on tackle exerted from the fighting fish, as well as increasing angler and fish safety when handling large pelagic species on board. This lure is forward weighted for a long cast into the strongest of headwinds without tumbling. Weighing in at 163g (5.75oz) with ultra-thick walls and a reinforced nose for extra strength, the Max 190 is cast in Halco’s high tech polymers. This lure is the ultimate in strength and durability, reflecting the usual high quality Halco standard. The Max 190 is available in six fish catching colours. www.halcotackle.com

Halco Max 190

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Fish Candy Smash Crab Following the success of Fish Candy’s Crusty Crab, the demand for a larger

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model was so great that the Smash Crab was born. This lifelike crab is made from a durable and flexible 10X material, and it’s easy to use, even for baitfishers. When cast it falls naturally onto its belly where it remains as it slowly sinks, with its legs and claws vibrating to simulate a real crab. When it reaches the bottom it sits with its claws raised in a typical defensive position. It can be slowed rolled, jigged or just left in the rod holder where it can drift through the water column or bounce along the bottom. The Smash Crab is already proving to be particularly effective on mulloway, and it’s sure to be irresistible to snapper, sweetlip and other reefies. Just about any fish will eat a crab, so the potential is endless. The Smash Crab has a custom made forged 4/0 hook rated to 40kg that’s located in the perfect position to reduce snagging and facilitate secure hook-ups. This lure measures 100mm and weighs 39g. There are five colours available including natural, UV, glow and translucent. Price: SRP $19.95 www.river2sea.com.au

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Plano’s redesigned Guide series Plano’s popular Guide series is redesigned for 2017, with the integration of the

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Shimano Ocea Fishing Gloves Shimano’s new Ocea Gloves are designed for the offshore anglers wanting to

protect their hands from the harmful elements that offshore angling can dish up. Ocea fishing gloves provide extra grip in wet conditions, while also protecting the wearer from abrasive materials like braid and sharp scales and spikes from fish. Anyone throwing big poppers for big ooglies out on the blue will appreciate the protection they offer. These Ocea Gloves have an ultra-thin titanium alloy, which provides insulation and warmth to the wearer on cold days while letting your hands breathe on the hotter days. They also create the perfect cover from the suns harsh rays to hands that are always exposed while on the water. With a reinforced non-slip material on the index finger and palm increasing casting and jigging grip in wet conditions. They come in sizes ranging from large to extra large. www.shimanofish.com.au

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Rapala Floating Aerator

The new Floating Aerator from Rapala gently mixes air into the water, combining effective aeration with the advantages of a compact size. Features of this award-winning product include automatic activation when submersed in water; air release stone at the base; durable construction with stainless fittings for saltwater use; 18-hour continuous run time; and 36-hour runtime with 15 minute intervals. The Floating Aerator aerates 1.5L of water per minute. This handy product measures approximately 10cm wide by 18cm long, operates on 3 x C batteries (not included); and is ideal for most bait storage containers. Price: approx. SRP $60 www.rapala.com.au IN

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new moulded Utili-Tackle Rail System. The innovative top securely holds one StowAway, while the perimeter features anchoring points for attaching and organising other fishing necessities. The new redesigned Guide series has 17 attachment points for accessories and other bits of gear. So you can keep pliers, knives, clippers and other potentially dangerous pieces of equipment stowed away from trouble. This unique moulded component is duplicated on the base of the bag, for attaching longer items like rod holders, and it features overmoulded rubber feet to prevent your gear from sitting in puddles or sliding off decks. So whether on foot or fishing from a boat, the Guide series with its Utili-tackle Rail System will make your tackle management much easier and convenient, and keep everything organised. The more organised you can be on the water, the more time you can spend fishing! www.jmgillies.com.au

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Shimano Zodias spinning rods Using Shimano’s exclusive Hi-Power X Construction graphite blanks, Shimano’s

Zodias rods deliver incredible distance and accuracy. The lightweight blanks are complemented by custom shaped EVA grips, Fuji ‘K’ series Alconite guides — with a Fuji SiC tip to reduce heat buildup at a key point — and a CI 4+ reel seat for an additional weight saving. Hi-Power X blanks are really something else. Their acute sensitivity crisply transmits every tap from a snag, weed, or a cautious short-striking fish, especially when used in conjunction with reels spooled with zero stretch braided line like Power Pro. There are four light to medium spin rods of 6’ 8” and 7’ lengths, the latter in two piece, and a pair of 6’ 6” baitcasters to choose from. So whether it’s black bream in the Gippsland Lakes, or barramundi in a muddy tropical creek, you’ll be impressed with the performance characteristics of the new Zodias series. www.shimanofish.com.au

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Shimano combo kit Shimano have devised the perfect combo for anglers all around the country, and

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whether you’re land-based or fishing from a boat, you’ll agree that this is a real winner. Imagine taking all the best features of Shimano’s legendary Symetre, Aernos and Technium spin reels, combining them into one super spin reel series with some high tech accoutrements —that’s what you get with the new Nasci spin. There are five reels in the lineup, from the 1000 size for fine line finesse work in freshwater and the estuaries, right up to the saltwater standard 5000 with its generous braided line capacity and powerful gearing. The ever-popular Raider rod line-up has been given an exciting freshen-up for the 2016 season, with new cosmetics, custom Shimano reel seats, ergonomically-shaped EVA split grips where applicable, and Fuji aluminium oxide guides. These two have been combined to make for a fantastic rod and reel combo, and there’s a combo to cover almost every fishing situation. www.shimanofish.com.au

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Kairiki PE Braid Smooth, supple and sensitive — these keywords sum up Shimano’s new Kairiki

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Shimano Stradic Ci4+ Shimano have taken a favourite reel in the fishing community and made it even

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better. The newest member of Shimano’s Stradic range, the Stradic Ci4+ is made from lightweight carbon material. With reels, it’s hard to find a balance between being light in weight, but also staying tough. Shimano have achieved this with the ingenuity of this reel's design. This new Stradic comes with an asymmetrical rotor shape because the line roller and the bail trip mechanism are now on different sides of the reel. This now balances it out and means the overall weight of the reel can be reduced. Along with being lighter, this technology also allows the angler to enjoy a lighter-feeling retrieve. The Stradic Ci4+ is 30% more rigid than the previous model, meaning there’s less rotor play under higher drag pressures. Finally, the CoreProtect technology applied to this reel will help to keep the water out, meaning you’ll get a much longer life with this reel. www.shimanofish.com.au

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XDS offers the same saltwater reliability and brute strength of its predecessor in a new lightweight design. There are many features that make this latest model the latest and greatest in fly reel technology, and a very tough customer for tackling saltwater sportfish. A reduced weight design will aid casting for long periods, and will prevent angler fatigue when the fish are few and the casts are many. Setting up the drag is convenient, with the easy to use 340° colour coded drag control, which in the largest model can be cranked up to 30lb of pressure! The Fortuna XDS comes in 4 sizes, an 6/7/8, 8/9/10, 10,11,12 and an absolutely monstrous 12/13/14. So whether you’re on the flats chasing tailing bonefish, or out on the ocean chasing blue marlin, these reels will shine above the rest when it comes to saltwater fly reels. www.purefishing.com.au

Hardy Fortuna XDS fly reel With all the legendary strength of the original Fortuna series, the new Fortuna

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off huge swells to a beer and a BBQ with your mates. Rebel is the only eyewear that fuses ultimate visual clarity with comfort and classic style. The design for Rebel took its inspiration form the iconic movie star styling of the 50s – James Dean, Marlon Brando and Marilyn Monroe. Classic retro styling incorporates an embracing lens shape to comfortably wrap your face and deliver ultimate glare protection. The lines of the frame have been selectively moulded to incorporate classic fluid elements – eliminating flat and boring. Spotters have developed a slim temple design with a sweeping curve to keep your eyewear secure and removed any barrier to sliding these sunglasses on quickly and effortlessly. Rebel’s finishing touch is the bold temple branding. Frame finishes are available in gloss black, matte black or crystal brown. www.spotters.com.au

Spotters Rebel Rebel will take you seamlessly from fighting big marlin and penetrating the glare

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SX 8 braid. Being an eight-carrier Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) PE braid, its smooth finish means it creates less friction over rod guides when cast, and it slips through the water with reduced resistance and thrumming on the retrieve or when trolled. Kairiki SX8 is well behaved on the reel spool, with even lay and less propensity to throw off annoying wind knots. Sensitivity is brought into the manufacturing process by reducing overall stretch and having less elongation than competitors’ brands. An exclusive process that the raw material undergoes before braiding enhances abrasion resistance. It’s available in 11 breaking strains from 6-80lb on 150m spools at the lighter end and 300m from 20lb upwards. Its neutral Mantis Green colour means it is every bit at home in an impoundment as it is on a trout stream, or down in the estuaries and offshore. www.shimanofish.com.au

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Lowrance Elite-7 Ti series New touchscreen displays deliver incredible performance at an affordable price,

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Rio Big Nasty fly lines The Rio Big Nasty is a fly line specifically designed for casting big flies. Originally

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used the US to throw big streamers at big river brown trout, word got out and now Australia is bringing them in to cast big flies for our natives! As the name suggests, the Big Nasty allows an angler to throw big nasty flies at big nasty fish. They come with a very short and heavy head, and a diagram of the taper profile can be seen on the back of each of the boxes they come in. The line is actually heavier than the industry standard, and this is to load modern rods up faster. Anyone looking to throw flies at Murray cod or impoundment barramundi will find that the Big Nasty will make light work of what used to be an incredibly arduous task. For ease of use, it comes with pre-welded loops at both ends of the line, so setting up is a piece of cake. www.jmgillies.com.au

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JOHN DUNPHY AWARD FOR INNOVATION

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JOHN DUNPHY AWARD FOR INNOVATION

Sage X fly rods

Sage have just unveiled the newest in the line of Flagship fly rod models, with their 10th update, the Sage X. The X is the Roman numeral for 10, which is where this rod’s name comes from. Using Konnetic HD (high density) technology, Sage has removed the resin between carbon fibres to create a slower action in the rod blank. Because if this, there’s more feel in the blank, and the bend is deeper and longer, bending all the way to the butt. The rod butt is made from the highest quality cork, meaning that water and other nasties like fish slime won’t get in as easily, and can quickly be washed off. In the X range there are 22 models, ranging from a 7’6” 3# to a 9’ #10, so whether it’s stream trout or offshore pelagic species, this rod is up for the challenge. www.jmgillies.com.au

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and has been designed and tested by one of the best in the business: Simon Rinaldi from Red Hot Fishing Charters. Mark Richter, owner of Richter Lures, said Simon is one of the best tuna anglers in Australia. “He tested the Splash Medium for over a year before the launch, and has reported exceptional results on southern bluefin tuna,” Mark said. The design of the head gives it a unique action, creating a great bubble trail, and it holds well in rough water. Simon reports that it works very well on the short rigger, but you can run it anywhere in the spread. As well as SBT it has accounted for big blue marlin at Port Stevens and is set to smash wide range of pelagics. “The Smash Medium’s bigger brother has proven to be a well-balanced lure for all pelagics,” Mark said. “It’s caught every popular pelagic species, and we expect the Medium to perform just as well.” The Splash Medium measures 240mm and comes in 11 colours, including UV and lumo. Every part of the lure is handmade in Richter’s factory in South Africa. Price: SRP $54.95 www.richterlures.com CT

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Richter Splash Medium The new Splash Medium from Richter is based on the successful Splash Large,

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and Lowrance has launched the new, premium Elite-7 Ti standalone fishfinder/ chartplotter. The Lowrance Elite-7 Ti touchscreen fishfinder/chartplotter offers anglers highperformance at an incredible value. With an easy-to-use touchscreen interface, Bluetooth and wireless connectivity, proven Lowrance navigation technology and high-performance sonar – including CHIRP sonar, StructureScan HD and DownScan ImagingTM – the Elite-7 Ti Series is a robust, feature-rich, yet compact solution. The Lowrance Elite-7 Ti is designed for anglers who want a complete view of the area beneath their boat. CHIRP Sonar offers improved fish-target separation and screen clarity, while the StructureScan HD sonar imaging system with exclusive Lowrance DownScan Imaging delivers photo-like images of fish-holding structure on both sides and directly beneath the boat. The Elite-7 Ti is available now, so make sure you give them a look if you’re currently hunting for a sounder. www.navico.com

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Deeper Pro+ Fish Finder Following on from the original Deeper Fish Finder released last year is the new

Deeper Pro+ Fish Finder. This newest version from the Deeper range can be synced to your smart phone like the old one, only this one talks to your smart phone via WIFI signal, and works even when you don’t have mobile reception. It can be cast on most standard PE lines, and in the process will automatically start mapping out the terrain of your chosen waterway, even if you’re land-based. The Deeper is water activated, so it automatically turns on when it hits the water. All you need to do is to download the Deeper App, which is free. The moment you have connection, the app will look like a fish finder, giving you depth, structure, fish, water temperature etc. You can also use the GPS on your phone to mark waypoints, and save spots and map for future reference. www.rapala.com.au

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NEW PRODUCTS

STORM R.I.P MULTI DEPTH SCREW SYSTEM

New from Storm is their multi-use, multi-depth, R.I.P. Screw System. Designed to cater for the boom in oversize soft plastics, the R.I.P Multi-Depth Screw System allows anglers more rigging options for truly giant baits than ever before. The heart of the system is the long, wide pitch rigging screw, which can be inserted into the nose of any suitable soft plastic. The next step is sliding over the twin VMC treble hook rig, crimped on strong, stainless steel multi-strand wire. Finally, anglers select their desired weight and slide it on in front of the hook rig. This simple yet ingenious modular design allows anglers to adjust weights and rigging position to get the optimal performance for their chosen species. Perfectly suited to ferocious feeders like barramundi, the Storm R.I.P Multi-Depth Screw System is ideal for baits 6-8” long, and is shipped with 3 different weights in each package. www.rapala.com.au

PELICAN 2780R LED HEADLAMP

Meet the Pelican 2780R LED Headlamp – the most powerful Pelican headlamp available. With this new light you can own the night with main, downcast, flashing and main/downcast combo LED modes. With 558 lumens of bright LED light, you’ll have the perfect companion for your fishing adventure. Whether it’s an early launch, night fishing or walking along dark terrain to get to your favourite fishing spot, the 2780R Headlamp will lead you safely through the dark. A USB lithium ion rechargeable battery is just one of many great features. The 2780R is one of the most versatile headlamps on the market, with three brightness modes, 11-hour battery life, downcast LED technology, pivoting head for directional beam and three interchangeable covers. It is also water-resistant and comes with a lifetime guarantee. Price: RRP $149.95 www.afn.com.au

KUTTAFURRA JOE THE RAT

BASSDAY SUGAR SLIM 55

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One of the award-winning lures taking pride of place in the AFTA Show foyer was Joe the Rat from Kuttafurra. Designer Aaron Young was recently awarded the Best Commercial Lure at the Australian Lure and Fly Outdoors Expo for this lifelike rodent imitation. The paintwork and attention to detail on Aaron’s lures has always been second to none, and Joe the Rat is no different. Although simple in design, the addition of leather ears and a leather tail brings Joe the Rat to life. This 110mm surface lure effectively mimics a rat or a mouse swimming in the water, with a paddling motion that’s enhanced by the tail seductively wiggling along behind. This creates a larger profile for the lure and also makes it very realistic in the water. It’s a must have for any Murray cod surface lure enthusiast. For more information on this and other Kuttafurra lures, give Aaron a call on 0418 349 782, look up Kuttafurra Lures on Facebook or check them out on the web. Price: SRP $39.95 australianlureshop.com.au/kuttafurra/

Designed to imitate a dying minnow, the Bassday Sugar Slim 55 is equal parts precision, performance and refinement. A lure that casts like a bullet, courtesy of its internal weight transfer casting system, the Sugar Slim 55 has a distinct and enticing action, with a slow wobble and wide action, replicating perfectly a baitfish in distress. A perfect imitation of an estuary baitfish this is the go-to lure to reach for when fishing shallow sand flats. The Sugar Slim 55 isn’t just the domain of saltwater anglers though, and will prove equally as effective on the rivers and streams for trout. Trout in the south and the highlands, and jungle perch and sooties in the north will all line up to eat this slim-lined snack. This suspending style lure is 55mm and weighs 2.3g. It swims to a 1m depth with a wide slow wobble action. Price: RRP $26.95 www.frogleysoffshore.com.au

MAKO APEX SUNGLASSES

Designed for top end work, the new Apex sunglasses from Mako lead the way in eye protection. What separates these sunnies from the pack is their innovative new gradient colour lenses. Providing darker shading on top where you need it most, the lighter shades below give clarity for close-up work. Available in light polycarbonate or tough crown glass distortion-free lenses in grey or rose tint, Apex shows Mako’s top notch technology at its best. Made from tough warp-resistant nylon composite, the Mako’s sleek, matte black frames look fashionable and are designed for all outdoor situations. The Mako Apex will be available from November 2016. Price: RRP $299 (glass lenses) www.makoeyewear.com.au

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The new 240mm Jack Slammer is one of the latest additions to the Black Magic range. This slim lure has a long head, which means it runs very well in rough seas. It’s also light enough to swim well in calm conditions. In field testing, the Jack Slammer has already accounted for yellowfin and skipjack tuna, as well as small black marlin. It’s an excellent result for a lure that has been available for only a short time, and testers predict it will be dynamite on striped marlin as well. The skirts have a high element of UV for maximum attraction, and the five colour patterns are unique to Black Magic. No matter your skill level, you can put the Jack Slammer anywhere in the spread and it will run well. These lures are great value for money with no sacrifice in quality, and they are available both rigged (8/0 closed gape hook, 200lb ToughTrace) and unrigged. SRP from $49.95 unrigged, $59.95 rigged www.blackmagictackle.com

For a great quality spinning reel that comes at a more than reasonable price, you should look no further than the new 13 Fishing Creed GT range of spinning reels. With power to match the finish of these great pieces of machinery, there’s plenty of reasons to pair these with your most used spin rods. Boasting an incredible 11lb of drag for the 1000 and 2000 size models, and 13lb for the 3000 an 4000 sized models, they will stop most inshore predators with ease, and are exceptionally smooth under that much load as well. This is due to the carbon washers, which help the reel last longer and reduce the weight. Starting at 8.7oz in weight, they are very light and comfortable to use, and all come with EVA handle grips. With four models, from 1000 to 4000 sizes, they cover most inshore light tackle applications. Price: RRP $159 www.nomadtackle.com

PULSATOR FLAPPER TEASER

GRUNDY RUN SINKERS

The Pulsator Lures Flapper Teaser is a chain of five tuna cut from black rubber, creating a tuna silhouette that attracts billfish. The black rubber cut-outs are designed to be trolled at speeds upwards of 6 knots, and will draw fish right to the back of your boat. This impressive teaser was on display at the Pulsator Lures stand at the AFTA Trade Show, and Australian Pulsator agent Luke Tompsett was on hand to talk about how effective it is. “This is a fantastic teaser,” he said. “No billfish will resist looking up at the tuna silhouette and not be drawn to the back of your spread. It’s a fully crimped teaser that’s attached to a leader line with a breaking strength of 300lb, and it’s suitable for tuna, marlin and sailfish.” The Flapper Teaser (#PFT1) is 170” (432cm) long, weighs 47oz (1.33kg) and comes with its own bag for neat storage. Price: SRP $142 www.pulsatorlures.co.za

Grundy Run Sinkers have a patented one-way nylon insert that runs through the middle of the sinker. When a fish strikes, the sinker slides away from the bait, allowing the fish to run without being hindered by swivels, seaweed or braid-to-nylon knots. As well as giving fish more time to get hooked, the nylon insert won’t damage the leader or mainline, so you get fewer snap casts and bust-offs. These sinkers are particularly good for rock fishing, as they allow you to sit further away and retrieve closer to the rocks without snagging. You just remove the nylon insert, exposing the wide hole through the middle of the sinker. When you get baited, the sinker slides over the eye of the hook and comes to rest in the gape, flush with the hook point, thus reducing snagging. Each sinker is individually marked with its weight, and available weights are 45g, 55g, 75g, 115g, 145g and 165g. Price: SRP $6.50-$9 www.grundyrun.com

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REIDY’S RENEGADE

The Reidy’s Renegade is a bigger version of the popular Judge, and in field testing it has been deadly on big mackerel, tuna, and even big barra. “We wanted something to go a little bit deeper,” said Colin from Reidy’s. “This lure can also be trolled at high speed – around 7-8 knots comfortably. And like all Reidy’s lures it has had to pass strength tests to make sure it can stand up to XOS fish.” The Renegade has a rolling, very tight action with a loud sonic rattle, and in the right conditions will dive to around 4m. Its bib is spear shaped rather than rounded. “This bib really holds in, so you can troll at high speed,” Colin explained. “We’ve also made it part of the body to give it extra strength.” In the initial release there are five bluewater colours, plus one for barra. The barra pattern is kryptonite, a colour that has proven itself on barra in other lure models. Price: SRP $22.95 www.reidyslures.com

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RAPALA URBAN CLASSIC SLING BAG Rapala are known for holding more world record captures than any other lure brand,

but the company has also been producing exceptional quality accessories for some time. The new Urban Classic Sling Bag is one of the newest additions to their luggage line up. Honoured with the Best New Tackle Box/Luggage award at the 2016 EFFTEX show, the Urban Classic Sling Bag has a revolutionary design and has been designed for the mobile fisherman. Comfortable to carry out of the way on the back, the sling design allows freedom of movement through the cast and retrieve, yet the bag swings to the front when you need to access its contents. Both of the main compartments hold 3600-sized tackle boxes and open to form a work tray when changing lures. The bag also features a secondary compartment for large accessories and additional pockets for smaller items. A Quick Draw plier holster and retracting tool holder offer fast and easy access to the most used tools. The adjustable across the shoulder strap and 3D mesh back panel offer maximum comfort so you can comfortably wear the bag all day. www.rapala.com.au

KERSHAW 8700 SHUFFLE The Shuffle is a compact knife and multi-function tool for everyday adventurers.

When you first look at this little knife you might wonder just how useful it can be at that size. However, when you hold it you realise how incredibly secure your grip is, thanks to the finger contours and textured handle, and how useful that compact blade is. On top of that, this knife also has a flat head screwdriver at end of the handle that doubles as a lanyard attachment. There’s also a bottle opener built into the back. The Shuffle has a nested steel liner lock, securing the blade open when you’re using it, and then allowing you to close the knife easily. It also features a reversible, deep carry pocket clip. The Shuffle's blade is made of 8Cr13MoV stainless steel, chosen for its hardness and its ability to hold an edge. The blade is 6cm, and the knife measures 8.3cm closed and 4.3cm open. www.frogleysoffshore.com.au

NEW SEMI HARDZ VIB SIZES The popular Semi Hardz Vib is back bigger and better. Featuring the same attention

to detail and innovation in design and action as the Semi Hardz range that preceded it, the 70mm and 110mm models answer the calls from anglers for a large lure to catch large fish. From bottom bashing down deep, to casting long and far for pelagic species and even trolling out wide and in close for fasting moving target species, these lures will grab the attention of anglers and fish alike. Soft and subtle in feel yet powerful and robust in action, these are lures that every offshore and estuary will need to have in their tackle box. Available in a range of eye catching, fish loving colours, this multi-purpose lipless vibration lure comes in smaller sizes, starting from 40mm. www.frogleysoffshore.com.au

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ABU GARCIA PERFORMANCE JERSEY Now you can look like a pro out on the water with Abu Garcia’s Performance Jersey,

designed to be comfortable, quick-drying, and extremely sun protective. Made from 100% UVTect Microfibre, this smooth, soft fabric is made for total comfort, all day long. Smooth chafe-free seam construction allows for freedome of movement without discomfort. The breathable material keeps moisture away from your skin and the material used allows it to dry quickly, meaning you won’t be stuck out there sopping wet all day. Of course, sun protection is at the forefront of most anglers’ minds, which is why the Performance Jersey is UPF 30+. You don’t have to worry about burning though the shirt as you would with a shirt that doesn't have a UPF rating. Comfort and sun safety are two of the key factors when choosing fishing apparel, but if you can get these two things guaranteed, as well as have it look good on you, you’ve really found a winner! www.purefishing.com.au

ZEREK SPEED DONKEY The Zerek Speed Donkey is so named because it holds in extremely well at speed

and attracts large ‘donkey’ fish. At 140mm long, the Speed Donkey is the perfect baitfish profile for offshore waters, estuarine waters and big rivers where mullet and gar are found. This new lure has through-wire construction, 6x Mustad trebles and forged split rings so speedsters like mackerel, trevally and tuna can be tamed and brutes like mulloway and barra won’t tear the lure apart. The Zerek Speed Donkey has exceptional casting abilities, and sonics that include high and low pitch rattles. Its underwater sonic profile attracts predators of all types. This makes the lure perfect for trolling in the wide open blue water and also in dirty barra and mulloway waters. Trolling to 15 knots, the Speed Donkey is a true hybrid, taking on offshore and river fish with equal ease. It’s available in 15 colours developed by Wilson Fishing to represent all the major baitfish species, and allow the lures to be located in dirty water. www.wilsonfishing.com

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RAPALA HUSKY MAGNUM 25 There’s something about trolling out in the deep blue for speedsters like mackerel,

tuna and wahoo. There’s also few lure companies more versed in the technique than legendary Rapala. Their attention to detail and ability to make lures that swim straight at high speeds has made them relied upon for more trophy captures than any other hard bait. Now the company is extending its line of Husky Magnum trolling lures by introducing the Husky Magnum 25. A larger version of the Husky Magnum 15, the new 25 size dives to 7.5m and can be trolled at speeds exceeding 12 knots. The Husky Magnum from Rapala shares a lot of DNA with the company’s premium line of trolling baits, the X-Rap Magnum, and delivers the same fish catching action at a more affordable price tag for the average angler. Available in eight great trademark Rapala holographic finishes, and armed with needle sharp and extra strong VMC trebles, the new Husky Magnum 25 will sure to feel right at home straight out in the prop wash, or riding shotgun out back waiting for its time to shine. www.rapala.com.au

WFT STRONG BRAID Now WFT have a braid specifically made for heavy-duty fishing, with their new

Strong Braid. WFT Strong Braid is made from pre-stretched PE fibres for an incredible strength to diameter ratio, so it’s much stronger than it looks! Amazingly, 15 years went into the development of this braid to achieve the maximum pitch per inch without the unwanted diameter or stretch. The result is a braid that’s very thin for its poundage. To cope with abrasion, Strong Braid has a slick coating to give you that extra insurance when fighting trophy fish. Strong Braid comes in weights from 10kg all the way through to 67kg in a very easy to see chartreuse colour. What’s also great is that you can pick them up in either 300 or 600m spools, so you can fill up even the deepest of spools with this fantastic braid. www.jarviswalker.com.au

PENN OCEAN ASSASSIN For general-purpose offshore work, Penn’s got a rod that has you covered.

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Penn’s Ocean Assassin is a real winner with its high modulus SLS carbon blank, and its inner and outer layer graphite spiral wrap. It’s also fitted with high quality machined aluminium and graphite fittings, making it fairly light and easy to use all day. Like all of Penn’s products, it’s built super tough and will see you though many epic battles with big angry fish. These rods are quality, down to the finest detail, so a Fuji DPS graphite reel seat for increased blank contact and sensitivity, and the latest machined aluminium and carbon lock nut for improved reel fit comes standard. Angler comfort is not forgotten either, so contoured EVA grips for better ergonomics finish off a fantastic rod that will shine above the rest of the pack for versatility and toughness. www.purefishing.com.au

DAIWA BLACK GOLD After nearly half a century of reliability, the original Daiwa Black Gold (BG) reel series

has undergone a major overhaul. Daiwa’s newest heavy-duty super reel series is available in sizes 2000 all the way through to 8000. Its aluminium body and side plate are precision machined and highly corrosion resistant, making the BG perfect for the offshore environment. Rigid, strong and highly durable, the body supports seamless gear function and prevents twisting when the reel is under load, resulting in greater cranking force. The Digigear drive system achieves perfect gear meshing and ultra-smooth performance, and the ATD drag system reduces spool twist under load, promoting even wear of the drag washers and reducing ‘pulsing’ of the drag when fighting the fish. ATD also reduces initial drag startup inertia and results in a smoother drag from the initial hook up. BG also uses Daiwa’s latest version of Air Rotor, which dramatically decreases weight, stress and flexing while significantly increasing strength. www.daiwafishing.com.au

LURED 3D PRINTED PUSHERS When you’re making resin heads for skirted pushers, there’s not a whole lot you can

do to the internal design. With 3D printing, however, the sky is the limit! Lured 3D is taking full advantage of this creative freedom in their new range of skirted lures. The heads feature curved internal tubes – something that’s not possible in a resin head – which puts the air under pressure to create a bigger, explosive smoke trail. These lures float, which makes them excellent for switch baiting. Unlike a traditional skirted lure, they will swim when you’re feeding them back, making them look a lot more appealing to the fish. The lures’ design and buoyancy also means they can be trolled at a vast range of speeds, from around 3.5 knots to 15 knots. The heads are very durable, UV resistant and have been over-engineered to ensure maximum strength. The two models launched at the AFTA 2016 show were the Maximus and Razorback, in sizes ranging from 6.5” to 12.5”. The Maximus excels in rough conditions, and in close in the prop wash, and the Razorback creates a very high water wall like a popper. Both have a cup face and create a phenomenal smoke trail. Price: from SRP $23.95 www.facebook.com/lured3d/

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DANNY THE DUCK The new Danny the Duck from Westin is set to be a hit with anglers chasing Murray

cod and impoundment barramundi. A lot of research and development went into this new lure, which has been designed to look like a real duckling that’s swimming and diving. Danny the Duck is 14cm long and weighs 44g so it casts a mile. It features a sturdy through-wire design, soft webbed feet and a bib that extends naturally from the beak. With a slow retrieve, Danny the Duck has a wobbling, side to side action on the surface like a real duckling. If you crank it a bit more, the diving lip integrated into the beak makes it dive up to 1.5m. The duck’s floating body means that it slowly rises to the surface when you pause the retrieve. You couldn’t imagine a more lifelike duck imitation, or one more likely to get eaten by a big cod. Price: SRP $25 www.jml.net.au

PULSATOR TUBE The Pulsator Tube is one of Pulsator’s most popular lures, and it’s dynamite when

pulled in flat sea conditions from outriggers. The Pulsator tube has an enticing, erratic surface action, and is available in four sizes. The larger two sizes are ideal for targeting big blue marlin, and the two smaller sizes for smaller marlin. The are three models: PT1A (16”, 14oz, 12/0 suggested hook size, no. 22 skirt size), PT2A (15”, 10oz, 11/0 suggested hook size, no. 21V skirt size), and the PT3A (13”, 6oz, 10/0 suggested hook size, no. 17 skirt size), and there’s a multitude of colour combinations available. For more information check out Pulsator Lures Australia on Facebook, or visit the Pulsator Lures website. Price: SRP $72.50 www.pulsatorlures.co.za

SCOTTY 282 ROD HOLDER The Scotty no. 282 Baitcaster/Spinning Rod Holder is a versatile rod holder for any

angler. This rod holder accommodates a baitcaster reel sits in a cushioned cradle while a front slot allows for a spinning reel. The open bottom allows for the rod holder to accommodate trigger grips as well. Rods can be secured with a soft latching strap which snaps over the top for baitcaster or under the bottom for spinning reels. The 438 Gear-Head Track Adapter quickly slides into place and locks down Scotty Rod Holders and Accessories. This allows you to quickly change rod holder positions with a simple twist. The Scotty 440-4 Low Profile Track is made from high strength composite material, so you know it will last. The track can be quickly and easily installed on a kayak, canoe or any other watercraft. The kit includes the 282 Baitcaster/Spinning Rod Holder, 438 Gear-Head and 440-4 Low Profile Track. Price: SRP $85 www.jmgillies.com.au

HARDY DEMON SMUGGLER Hardy’s new Demon Smuggler is a six-section travel rod for those who like to search

the globe for a fly fishing challenge and keep the rod compact. SINTRAX 330 technology has been applied to the rod’s design to deliver unprecedented durability for the adventurous angler. The Hardy Demon Smuggler is available in a range of sizes, covering many applications in a convenient travel size package, from tiny mountain streams chasing stream trout, all the way to the bluewater chasing pelagics. Features include American Tackle titanium stripper guides, medium fast action with high recovery and a built-in reel seat hook keeper. In the current range, there are five single-handed rods and one double-handed models to choose from, meaning there’s a Demon Smuggler in the range for just about sort of fly angler in the world. If you’re a keen traveller, or just like keeping your rig compact, have a look into the range and see which one suits you. www.purefishing.com.au

WILSON TACKLE STORAGE UNIT Wilson Fishing has developed a complete tackle storage unit that is transportable

and allows you to keep all of your fishing gear organised, whether you’re at home or on the road. Built around a lightweight and super strong aluminium frame, the Wilson Tackle Storage Unit is packed with storage options and features. Able to store eight rods either rigged or unrigged, the unit also has three internal storage shelves and a top shelf/work bench. Two handy removable bags that can fit up to four standard tackle trays are also included with the Storage Unit. A zippered front flap allows the unit to be closed up, preventing annoying pests from getting inside. A mesh vent in the rear allows water vapour to escape, as we all know water leads to mould and rust. Coming in a flat pack that makes this unit ideal for transportation in a car or boat, the Wilson Tackle Storage Unit can be easily assembled in just a few minutes. It measures 105cm x 57cm x 47cm when set up, and folds down to 52cm x 42cm x 20cm. www.wilsonfishing.com

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bass

Tips to bump up your bass game this season CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley jrobley@iprimus.com.au

A new bass season is upon us and keen anglers have stocked up on new lures and serviced their reels, all ready for the good times ahead. Unfortunately, things might not kick into gear just yet, as water temperatures are still on the cool side.

mode. However, their habits in warm and cold water are different. A gradual increase in temperature will take place over the coming weeks, and generally equates to reasonable fishing, providing there are other favourable factors, like decent weather. A gradual decline in water temperature, during the autumn months, is still good for bass fishing in rivers and impoundments. That’s the

more likely to drop to the bottom and sulk for a day or two, until they adjust to the temperature or simply get hungry. Catching bass immediately after a strong cold snap can be quite a challenge. Sudden, heavy rainfall may also cause river or impoundment water to drop a few degrees. Rain that causes flooding may bring water from a stable 22°C down to 15°C or less within

Bass generally bite best when the water is warm, but right through the warmer months we can experience weather that turns water cold. This is when a change of tactics and persistence are required.

Nice fish like this can be tricked into taking smaller or more subtly worked lures when water temperatures are down. Bass eat and can be caught in cold water, but angling outcomes depend on a few different factors. Overall, bass are more inclined to be active and on the prowl in warmer water, especially during the height of summer when insects and aquatic life are out in full force. Bass also eat during the guts of winter, when they’re in spawning

time of year bass may be trying to gain body fat for the upcoming winter. A sudden drop in water temperature really switches bass off, though. If an unseasonably severe cold snap hits during the warmer months, then bass react accordingly. Anglers that aren’t used to it, or not properly prepared, can be switched off a too! Bass are

a few hours. That’s too much for fish to cope with, and they’ll seek out warm water down deep, or take refuge from strong currents rather than look for food. That’s ok, as we’re unlikely to be out there fishing during a major rain event anyway. A week or more after a flood, food becomes important to bass again. They may be pushed downstream,

The author with an average creek bass that took a surface lure in water that was a touch cooler than expected for the time of year. Surface lures certainly work if the water is cool, but it may take some extra thought and effort to score bites. 60

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Spinnerbaits are proven performers on cold and warm water bass. If it’s cold, work them down deep in a similar way to bouncing a soft plastic along the bottom for flathead in saltwater. or move to deeper sections of a river or impoundment. Anglers have to look for them, but once found they are likely to be caught. Bass can also move to shallower places, as higher water levels allow them access to potential food sources they couldn’t normally reach. The way bass move in creeks or rivers when it floods largely depends on the time of year. In a flood during late autumn or early winter, they’ll take advantage of the free ride and head downstream for spawning. If a similar rain event occurs in September or October, the opposite is likely – bass will use the higher water levels to negotiate weirs, fish ladders or rapids as they head into the upper reaches. Looking at temperatures alone may not hold the real key to success. In 2014, we experienced a hot start to spring and a number of September days over 30°C. The heat kept increasing as October came around. Enthusiastically, I made the trip to a favourite north

coast river in early October, hoping all the warmth had the bass sparked up. In two sessions, I failed to see any sign of bass at all. I decided to abort plans and head back home. The mistake I made was not taking the exceptionally dry weather into account. With little rainfall during the second half of winter, in the weeks leading up to my trip, bass simply hadn’t migrated to the places I was trying to fish. Sure, the water was nice and warm, with plenty of insects around, but the bass weren’t there. A month later, after some rain, I made the same trip and, sure enough, the fish were there. Success came my way, even though the water wasn’t actually as warm as the previous trip. Although water temperature is one of the most important things to consider when it comes to bass fishing, we always need to see other factors in the equation. The barometer, wind direction, moon phases and weekend or holiday fishing pressure all have impacts.

LURE SELECTION If the water only seems marginally cool, then usual bass favourites will work. Be persistent, but if it’s noticeably colder, some lure types tend to be better than others. The main cold water bass lures to consider are spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, small vibes, soft plastics and suspending hardbody divers. If the water is a stable cold, as opposed to water that’s suddenly dropped in temperature, surface lures still work ok. It’s better to try a really small, subtle type of surface lure, or a much larger, noisy model, with spinning blades or paddlers that make some commotion. Usually, surface lures are best reserved for warmer water. In timber lined rivers, where bass are found in snags, a suspending hardbody lure is good. It can be cast into the timber without too much risk of getting snagged. Spinnerbaits and lightly or unweighted soft plastics are also reasonably snag resistant. Out in open water on bigger rivers or impoundments, snags are less likely, so a full range of sinking types can be put to use. Of these, my first choices would be spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and small metal vibes like the Ecogear ZX30 or 35. If it’s extra cold, and you’re using a sounder to locate deeper or schooled up bass, consider small plastics or ice jigs, as they are better for vertical jigging presentations. Clear, cool water may mean it’s necessary to employ a light 2kg fluorocarbon leader or mainline to help score bites. Of course, ultra-light leaders should be avoided

bass around snaggy timber or dense weed, but they’re great for the open water, away from trouble. RETRIEVE TECHNIQUES The general theme of cold water lure fishing is slower and deeper. Bass fishing is no exception, so that’s the first thing to remember. With any sort of fishing, there are no hard and fast rules that always work, or should

be adhered to, so it’s worth experimenting to see what’s best on the day. Early in this season when water is warmer, but mainly on the cool side, it’s hard to go past a spinnerbait, chatterbait or sinking vibe, slowly and methodically bounced along the bottom. This is a similar approach to working a soft plastic for flathead in the salt, with a series of lifts and sinks,

while cranking to wind up the slack in the line as you go. Colder water means a slower retrieve. Even in typical upstream creeks, this works well, quite often if you cast out into the middle, rather than the traditional approach of hitting the banks. If that doesn’t work, cast to the banks again or vice versa. If you’re using suspending hardbodies, cast into timber,

Theories that work for wild river bass can be applied to impoundment bass fishing and vice versa. Regardless of location, paying attention to the water temperature is important.

This fish smacked a brightly coloured suspender in cold, muddy water a week or so after minor flooding. If the water is clear though, a more natural or subtle lure colour could be better.

up against an undercut bank or into a clear pocket among weeds. Rather than a straight wind, crank the lure down quickly, with four or five turns of the handle, then leave it motionless for as long as possible. This is where the appealing, suspending side of things comes into play. While the lure is motionless, it’s also important to avoid a slack line between the lure and rod tip. This can be achieved by very slow and subtle winding, or by moving

the rod tip back a bit, without pulling the lure away. Pauses can be as long as you like, but even the most finely tuned suspenders will eventually sink or rise a bit. As a starting point, pause for five seconds and see how things pan out from there. If it works, the fish will soon let you know. As is the case with selecting a location, time and lure, finding the right retrieve technique can be a matter of experimenting

on the day. Fishing with a mate or a small group always helps, as someone is bound to strike the goods. The others can then try the same. I’m a solo man when it comes to bass fishing, so this advice has been learned over many years, under all manner of weather and water conditions. We can all get it wrong and make mistakes, but that’s the challenge of chasing bass, or any fishing. Good luck, have a great bass season!

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A shift in angling dynamics ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

Good rainfall has transformed dry arid landscape to one of carpet green. It’s a great start to the cropping season, and one that has more promise to come. As the wet continues, many smaller creeks and rivers have swollen and the good flows have carried into the main body of the Murray River. The Murray will continue to rise over coming weeks and much of the water clarity will be lost to anglers using lures, but it doesn’t take much to change the dynamics of fishing. Anglers need to adjust in order to catch their quarry. Dirty water and good flows have many angling positives. If the flow gets high enough, yabbies will scurry free from their hidden chambers and begin to feed en masse. There’s nothing better than a good yabby session, other than the chance to dine on these delicious crustaceans. High flows also aid the future recruitment of native fish, especially if the waters run into spring, when both Murray cod and golden perch breed. Research shows the best years of native fish recruitment coincide with good flows and high water levels. The good flows will see the Darling River get a long overdue drink. Forced into holes, the numerous

In dirty water conditions, yabbies and grubs are great bait for Murray cod.

Several reports of cod have come in from around the inlet at Euston, since the dirty water arrived.

cod and perch will be free, swimming the course of the river for many years to come. Bait fishing is now the most effective way to tempt a fish. If you’re chasing Murray cod, a large grub or yabby will often draw them from cover. Fish your baits on the top side of the snag, as this allows the current to drag bait juices and aromas down along the structure. Once cod have picked up the scent, they’ll swim out of the snags to grab your bait, into open water. Large scrubworms and cheese are good baits for cod in dirty water. Murray cod are particularly fond of cheese, but it’s a

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If the dirty flows get high enough, perhaps the yabbies will run.

on the edge of eddies and backwaters will tempt a bite. Perch tend to take bait slowly and mouth it for a minute or two before they eat it. Catfish seem to feed in dirty flows, and while they fight well on rod and reel, they are a protected species that must be returned to the river. In the pool water at Robinvale, fishing has been slow with only a few cod landed on bait. The perch have been cooperative and biting well, when the barometric pressure has been on the rise. Below the inlet at Euston, downstream to Wemen and beyond, it’s a similar story with all the fish taken on bait. High dirty flows provide new angling opportunities and favourable conditions for future native fish recruitment.

matter of getting it to stay pinned on a hook. Perch will often bite well when the flow is up and dirty. Some of our best captures have been taken under similar conditions. Large scrub worms fished

Dean Norbiato landed this fantastic cod in the Darling River on a Bassman spinnerbait. Good rains should see long overdue flows in the Darling River over the coming months. 62

SEPTEMBER 2016

Cod season now closed so chase a redfin golden perch have pushed up to chase food in the cooler months. If luring was your thing, and chasing yellas tickles your fancy, use small vibes and blades in silver or white. These have produced solid yellowbelly up to 50cm in the river. Golden perch and Murray cod are chasing small bait, which can be closely represented by a Bone Jackall TN60 or TN70 lure, as well as white Daiwa Woofers 65mm, Sebile Flat shads. Other cranking vibes will also work. Local anglers are trying different styles of fishing in areas such as billabongs, dams and impoundments, chasing redfin on soft plastics. Redfin are a beautiful table fish and great fun to catch with small soft plastics on a light spin rod. Soft plastics like 80mm Squidgy Wrigglers, Strike Tiger 3” Curl Tail Grub and or even a Squidgy Worm or Critters, will do the job in clear water. Soft plastics will work the best in clear water, but if it’s stirred up, small TN50 Jackalls, small blades and or even Small Celta spinners will turn

MILDURA

Darcy Scherger

With the close of cod season, now is the time to get your arms stretched by golden perch around the region. Cod season will open up again on December 1. Hopefully those months provide time for Murray cod to breed and the water to clear up around Mildura region. Recently, Mildura has been hard to lure fish, with the clarity so poor. The flow is quite high though. This time off should do the river good. Cod anglers are hoping to have steady river pools, or at least clear pools to fish. On the other hand, golden perch have been active around the Mildura region. Merbein to Coomella, and further downstream of Mildura, good size perch have been caught on bait. Many local fishing reports mentioned live yabbies or live shrimp are the go-to bait, during this time of the year with dirty water hanging around. A shrimp and worm cocktail has also been effective angling in the shallows, where the

some redfins heads and entice a hit. Many anglers itch to get back on the cod, but now it’s time for them to do their thing without any disturbance. We need to respect them if we ever encounter them unexpectedly. Release them, without taking them out of the water and minimise harm. Less pressure put on the fish at this time of the year is better for our fishery and its future. Anglers need to respect the breeding season as much as possible, to make it better for us in years to come. Research has show that if roed-up female cod are handled excessively, they can reobsorb their eggs, meaning they won’t breed that season, and many small codlets are lost. A tip is to down size your lures you are throwing. Most yellowbelly don’t want over-sized spinnerbaits and hardbodies anyway. Remember, it is an offense to actively pursure Murray cod in their closed season. Do the right thing, and you won’t find yourself in trouble.

Redfin are a beautiful table fish and great fun to catch.

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Three cracker options to try CANBERRA

A U S T R A L I A

Bryan Pratt

Living in Canberra, there are three attractive options for fishing this time of the year. You can head to the coast and chase the enigmatic bluefin tuna migrating through our most accessible waters. Try Burrinjuck Reservoir

Margay 2016

of petrol money and favourable weather, all in short supply at the best of times. Burrinjuck offers a cheap, easier alternative and is well worth a try for cod, golden perch and redfin. Most people are opting for a trip to Eucumbene or Jindabyne, because many of the brown trout have finished their spawn up the rivers,

the big controlling factor. There’s a layer of deep snow over the Main Range, and an intermittent cover of snow on the foreshores of Eucumbene and Jindabyne. Some days you can expect the worst – hail, rain, sleet, cyclonic winds, bitter cold down to about –9°C, and heavy snowfalls that can stop you going to your favourite spot or send you

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home. The next day could be clear, bright and sunny, and a delight to be involved in. Without the wind, lakes become sparkling gems and the fish are obliging. Beat the cold by dressing for it. Wherever you fish, the golden rule is dress appropriately. Dress badly, you’ll freeze your butt off and swear to never go fishing in the cold again. FLY, BAIT OR LURE You can toss in a bait of wood grubs, scrub worms or PowerBait and confidently expect a hookup. Do the same with a fly and use small black or brown nymph. Use a red and black Matuka, Woolly Bugger or yabby pattern

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on floating, sink tip or sinking line fished with a slow retrieve. If you’re a lure fan, Tasmanian Devils fished off the bank, Rapala Spotted Dogs or StrikePro Minnows trolled at slow speed on two or three colours of lead core line should give you good chances. HAVE THE SMOKER HANDY One of the more pleasant ways to fish is to have a portable smoker ready for use nearby. As soon as you catch a fish, clean it, pop it in the smoker and light it up. In twenty minutes time, while you fish, you’ll have a delicious smoked fish. Paired with a glass of Riesling or Chardonnay, this is a feast to remember. All you need is a glass and fork to appreciate how pleasant life can be in the Snowies on a crisp day. BURRINJUCK WORTHWHILE Burrinjuck is nearly 70% full after steady rain in the catchment, and fishing well. Cod are being caught daily, including a 105cm fish taken on a large lure cast at the aptly named Billys Delight Bay. Others in the 55-76cm range have been taken on trolled deep divers and spinnerbaits. Surface lures have worked well in some of the quieter bays, especially during lowlight periods at dawn, dusk and night. Golden perch up to 45cm have been taken on the troll, and larger fish at 58cm on yabbies and scrub worms. Favoured locations have been steep rock faces and flooded trees in 15-20m of water. Redfin have been relatively easy to find with scrub worms fished from the shore. Most are little fellows, but an occasional larger specimen around 40cm can brighten up the day.

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Brown trout return from spawning hungry, and feed strongly to put on condition. There’s good sport with the resident rainbows as well. for a native or redfin. Or if you want to take a punt on the weather, you can visit the Snowy Mountain lakes and try for a prime brown or rainbow trout. Chasing bluefin requires a big boat, lots

and are back in the lakes chasing food hungrily. Add those to the hungry resident rainbows and you have a heady mix of trout to fish for on lure, bait or fly. MOUNTAIN WEATHER Mountain weather is

Golden perch slow down in wintertime, but can be taken on lures and bait in locations such as steep rock faces and flooded trees.

Yella season springs into action WAGGA WAGGA

Rhys Creed

Warm weather is finally here and that means the spring golden perch run is on. This is an exciting time of year, as we get warmer, more enjoyable days with plenty of hard pulling impoundment goldens. Unfortunately, the Murray cod season has now closed for three months, so make sure you aren’t targeting our iconic species. They go into their breeding cycle now, and we need to leave them undisturbed until December. This is an excuse to tackle the fat resident perch. BLOWERING DAM A unique place to fish! To the locals, it’s known as

Jim with a great Blowering perch taken early in the season.

The author with a chunky golden taken from some trees on a slow rolled Gulp Minnow Grub in pumpkinseed colour. one of the toughest locations in the state to fish, but it’s beautiful, and produces the healthiest and fattest fish. We have just come off the back of a cracker August month, with catches of monster Murray cod. Now we’re warming up for the spring golden perch run.

September is usually the transition month where fish start to move again and come out of hibernation. The first two weeks are hard work and slow fishing, as the temperature rises from single digits back to double. If you want to chase golden perch, make

sure you fish your lures extremely slowly. The best choice of lure right now is definitely a small soft plastic. I use Gulp Minnow Grubs and PowerBait T Tail soft plastics, rigged on a 1/4oz or 1/6oz jighead with size 1 or 2 hook to match the plastic size.

A light spin outfit is vital for casting small soft plastics.

Cast to the standing trees, let the plastic sink right to the bottom and make sure you wind slowly, all the way back to the boat. In September, a one fish day will be a success. Later in the month, the fish will pick up. Every year, there’s a week when the perch just fire – it usually falls in late September or early October, and it just depends on the weather. To be sure you don’t miss this insane bite, be on the water. MURRUMBIDGEE RIVER The Murrumbidgee River is finally on the mend in terms of good fishing. The fishing was poor towards the end of the winter, but now the rains are slowing down and the weather is warmer. The fishing will follow suit. Golden perch will migrate upstream, and need to feed in the process.

A river golden taken by the author on a Mud Guts spinnerbait. Warm weather makes them active. Flows will start to rise in preparation for irrigation season. Cast small hardbodies against the twiggy snags. The back flows are best. Small AC Invaders like the 50mm or 70mm would be my first option, or the Strikeforce 80mm Cod Stalker. OLD MAN CREEK This gem is probably the pick of locations this month. It’ll warm up the quickest due to the shallower water, and

become a great place to fish. The same small hardbody lures cast right across the creek, and slow rolled back, will work. Small 1/2oz Mud Guts Spinnerbaits are a gun choice for this little creek. These lures were actually designed for this waterway – they’re always worth a try. Always have lures in purple for yellas. That’s the wrap for September – action will be full swing in spring. Until next time, happy fishing!

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Dam June July August Blowering 55 69 75 Brogo 100 102 101 Burrendong 11 27 72 Burrinjuck 33 60 87 Carcoar 8 18 45 Chaffey 34 64 84 Clarrie Hall n/a n/a n/a Copeton 15 17 21 Dartmouth 43 46 54 Eucumbene 31 31 36 Glenbawn 81 82 86 Glenlyon 26 30 26

Dam June July August Glennies Creek 85 85 87 Hume 26 42 74 Jindabyne 56 66 77 Keepit 9 18 31 Lostock 98 100 104 Oberon 51 60 71 Pindari 35 42 46 Split Rock 5 6 7 Tantangara 14 32 47 Toonumbar 98 100 99 Windamere 38 39 40 Wyangala 38 59 92

(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.) SEPTEMBER 2016

Jindabyne strategies based on high water levels JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

Welcome to spring – big news this fishing season, Lake Jindabyne’s water level is extremely high already, and there is still more snow to melt. Recently, the rain and snow melt has put water in the lake and a great thing for anglers is that with water up into last year’s grass, the trout are in close. Anglers are having the time of their lives. Anglers coming down for the Snowy Mountains Trout Festival, to fish at Lake Jindabyne this year, will be happy to know there are no planned environmental releases into the lower Snowy River during the latter half of October. In the past, it hasn’t helped the fishing. The Snowy River environmental water release for 5 October will be the only planned big release until December. If you want to know more, check out the Snowy Hydro website. WHAT TO EXPECT THIS MONTH There is no doubt, shore based baitfishing has been the best it’s ever been in recent months. Cool water and plenty of cover have the trout cruising the shallows all day long, and even on the stillest and sunniest

days, anglers are catching wonderful trout with a sprinkling of good size Atlantic salmon as well. With the high water level, good spots are wide and varied. Structure or rocky points are better places for bottom fishing, while the float anglers can suspend bait over the weedy and grassy areas. Hold on when you get a strike, as there’s a lot of trout being lost to snags. Areas for float fishing are Wollondibby Inlet, Hatchery Bay, Taylors Bay and the Haven. The lake flyfishing has been great. Trout can be seen fossicking around the grass in the water, and are now more responsive to flies cast delicately in front of them. You can grab a polaroid of these fish in the shallows. Stay high on the bank and try to spot the trout

patterns, and maybe a Jindy Bugger or a Tom Jones. When the trout are on the bite, it doesn’t matter all that much. A hungry trout won’t be selective, this time of the season. Choose bays like Creel Bay, Hayshed Bay and Wollondibby Inlet, to name a few. Lure spinning is working well at the moment, but stay aware of snags, with all the long weeds and grass in the water. Remember, trout are often seen cruising close around the edges in amongst these snaggy spots, so shallow lures or floating minnows that dive a metre deep when retrieved are better choices. It’s worthwhile spinning close around rocky outcrops. In deeper water, try Tasmanian Devils in number 48 Brown Bomber, and Willy’s Special number 111 is a spring-

Lake Jindabyne is a sight to see in the early spring mornings.

BEST METHODS FOR SEPTEMBER Trolling Bait fishing Fly Fishing Spinning

Troll surface lures close to the shoreline early in the morning. Float scrub worms and PowerBait about 2ft off the bottom. Polaroid fish to work out their cruising direction, drop a small olive nymph well in front to not spook the fish. Use small spinners and floating minnows that dive to 1m and work the shallows

first. After watching their movement for a while, you will get an idea of what ‘beat’ the fish are doing and the best position to cast a fly. While some anglers prefer larger flies like Woolley Buggers and the like, I like smaller nymph

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Use minnow lures with a good action and troll at low speeds below 3kph. Soft plastics, even the Gulp 1” Crickets, trolled behind attractors like Ford Fenders or Cowbells are well worth a try. I prefer to fish the township end of the lake in September, as water coming out of the rivers is very cold and the fish can be less active. Other areas that have been fishing well are Sids Bay and Rainbow Beach. The sheltered bays are holding sweet brown trout amongst the weed. Hatchery Bay and Hayshed bay have a lot of rainbows in the shallows, early and late in the day especially. Use darker coloured lures as the sun rises, then yellow wing Tasmanian Devil lures have been better. Again, 48 Brown Bomber and Willy’s Special number 111 are great. Best areas for bait fishing at the moment are the boat ramp, Wollondibby

Inlet in deeper water, Curiosity Rocks Bay, the Haven and Rushes Bay over at East Jindabyne.

Trout are out and about this season! • If you would like some personal guiding, I will be available over the coming months for fly-fishing tuition and lake trolling trips. Lessons can be booked from 2 hours’ duration, and

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Treasure trout and goldies BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

As soon as wattle starts to blossom, I know it’s that time of year again. To me, and many other southern anglers, it means yella season. Golden perch, yellas, will be on most anglers’ hit list this month, for good reason. This time last year, my partner and I did a trip to Windamere. In typical springWindamere fashion, we cleaned up with well over 20 golden perch landed each day we were there. Blowering Dam is considered the southern Windamere, due to its abundance of big golden perch that go nuts in spring. Blowering doesn’t quite match Windamere for numbers, but our size is on par, often bigger. On top of that we get polaroiding opportunities, which most other lakes don’t get. Being able to spot a big golden perch more than 10ft below the surface is enough to get anyone’s adrenaline going. When you actually get to watch them eat your offering, the excitement is hard to

water for your best chances of hooking a few big fat yellas. GOLDEN STRATEGIES This early in spring it pays to keep everything moving slowly, and the slower the better. When you think you’re going slow enough, slow down some more and you’re on the money. Rattling lipless cranks are worth a shot, early

in the season. The fish haven’t been targeted with them for a while, and they’ll be super hungry. Anything that swims close enough will be eaten. Other lures that imitate yabbies or shrimp will be best this month, hopped lures especially. Rubber vibes like Jackall Mask Vibs, Berkley MF50’s and Insanity Tackle

Mini Vibes will be fantastic. Blades like the ZX style that many companies are doing now will work great as a yabby or shrimp imitation, when slowly hopped along the bottom. Skirted jigs and plastics, both yabby and baitfish imitations, are also good lures to hop in search of gold.

For most anglers, this is what September is all about – golden perch.

A beautifully marked brown trout fooled by an Insanity Tackle Mini Vibe. Big lake fish like this will keep trout anglers happy while they wait for the running water to open. Baitos will like yabby or shrimp, as these tasty morsels have been off the cards for so long. The natives are almost craving them. Keep the bait off the bottom with a paternoster rig – this prevents the yabby from burying itself in the mud, or in a hole. Keep the bait kicking around all the time. This creates action and draws fish to your

TROUT Trout anglers are getting itchy feet, as they await the opening of running water trout season, on the October long weekend. Rather than wait for the new season, why not dust off the trout gear now and go for lake fish. There are so many lake options nearby, including Blowering, Jounama, Tantangra, Eucumbene, Three Mile and Talbingo dams to name a few. All of these lakes remain open while the streams and rivers are closed. There’s no need to put your trout gear away at all.

also work, especially after significant rain events. If you want big numbers of trout, go for maggots, or ‘gents’ as they are politely called. Berley the area you’re fishing with maggots and rig a couple of them on tiny hooks, like the size 10 single egg hooks from Gamakatsu. Use a light line, no more than 6lb, preferably 3-4lb. If you have to add a sinker, make it the smallest possible for the area and conditions you’re fishing. Keep your rod in hand as much as possible. Once the action starts, it gets full on. On a hot bite, you will often

Blowering Dam has surprised many anglers. Good numbers of trout are encountered, especially by those targeting them like Mark Chaplin and his mate. They’ve been getting their fair share at Blowering this winter. explain. Don’t be too deterred if you can’t make it all the way up to Windamere this year – get stuck into golden perch in Blowering instead. The water is still cold this month, but it’s on the rise and the golden perch will seek warm water. They’ll be sitting in the tops of trees early, sunning themselves. They will still eat, however, late in the day is when the water is warmest and fish will be at their most active for the day. This time of the year it’s hard to beat the late afternoon bite. The last hour of the day in particular is the best. Be on the

Why wait for the creeks and rivers to open? Trout fishing in our lakes can be sensational this month.

Whether it’s Blowering or Windamere, big fat golden perch like this will be on lines regularly.

bait. Alternatively, cast and retrieve your yabby actively like you would a soft plastic, rubber vibe or blade. Watch your results sky rocket. All good bait anglers know you can’t beat moving bait.

Most of the year, trout can be easily targeted from the bank with bait, lures or flies, which makes them accessible to anyone. Baitos do well with PowerBait, but a wood grub is a cracker. Garden worms

find your bait doesn’t get to the bottom. Don’t sit around waiting for the season to open. As you can see, there’s still plenty of options. Dust off the gear and get amongst it. SEPTEMBER 2016

In praise of spring LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

It’s early to be jumping for joy in praise of spring around these parts. Winter’s grip is tight and the uncurling of its fingers takes some time. With the sun’s warming rays, you can watch them slowly unfold – the first signs are like pointers. The more you look, the more you see – green buds on the

because the calendar says it’s spring. WINDAMERE Windamere and spring fit like a glove together. People travel from far and wide to experience the fishing for golden perch at this time of year, and it’s easy to see why. Large golden perch are caught on a regular basis by anglers from all walks of life, using a collaboration of techniques. From the humble hand line and worm off the bank, to an expensive rod reel and lure outfit fished

one another and clash quite violently at times. With so much aggression and testosterone around, reactions to lures, flies and baits are predictable – even larger offerings can get hammered. Obviously, the aggression and conditions change from day-to-day, and hour-to-hour. Good anglers adapt quickly to these conditions and keep catching fish when others don’t. The clever use of depth sounders has had the biggest effect on catch rates in

The technology that exists in boats these days is astounding, particularly when it comes to depth sounders. Used right in Windamere, they can cut down on unproductive times. filters down to everybody that chases golden perch in some form or another. New techniques or forms of technology are passed down so much quicker theses days, with the use of social media. It’s not days of old where information could take years to filter through. For some of us, the hurly burly of technology and a change in techniques to

lift catch rates are not why we go fishing. In fact, it could be quite the opposite, but that’s the attraction of fishing. It means so many different things to so many different people. COD SEASON CLOSED With the exception of Copeton, a place on everybody’s lips, the cod season will be closed until December. Incidental

captures will take place from time to time on small lures. I have heard quite a few being caught on ZX Eco Gear blades in Windamere. Those little twin trailing hooks really put up with some punishment, but treat the cod with respect and return them quickly to the water. Hope to see you on the water soon. Until then, tight lines.

Big smiles, big fish, Windamere in all its glory – that’s what it’s all about. willow down by the creek, a warbling magpie chasing another on the wing, wood duck pairs landing in trees, all signs that spring is on the way. Waterways are changing too, larvae and crustaceans under rocks and in holes are beginning to stir. Tell-tale mud lines on underwater clay beds rise out of holes like the smoke from chimneys, weed beds sprout. Colours change from dull boring blacks to fresh and green. It’s a good time to be on the water. Just don’t leave the jacket at home

off the deck of a $70,000 bass boat. It matters little to the fish. Early in spring, golden perch have a definite migration pattern towards shallower water, and towards each other. Two or three large female golden perch will attract the attention of quite a few male fish. Male fish will tend to be a little smaller and will jostle for position around the females, you’ll often see the face scales rubbed off on the hard gill plate covers, used as a kind of shield in battle. I’ve watched them swim beside

Windamere, in recent years. The technology that exists today allows you to actually search for golden perch, or schools and groups of golden perch where aggression levels in the fish can be higher. Straight away, your odds of catching something have skyrocketed. The fishing tournament scene has also had a huge change in techniques and tackle for golden perch in impoundments. Anglers at the top of the game are always looking for an edge, and that technique adjustment eventually

Incidental captures of cod will occur while chasing golden perch on smaller lures during the closed season. Treat them with respect, and return them to the water quickly.

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Fishing banks is Tamworth it TAMWORTH

Adam Mears adam.mears@hotmail.com

It’s the time of year when birds are chirpy and bees are buzzing. Sleepy golden perch that lay dormant in winter have come out of the corner swinging like prize fighters. With the abundance of water that flowed through our inland rivers, both the dams and rivers are looking healthy and promising. Spring produces a bite unlike any other time of the year. Goldens are moving up on the edges, aggressively feeding on shrimp and yabbies, that are also actively working the margins. It’s the perfect time to get out to the dams with a shallow diving lure or fly. As the season moves on, catch these feisty natives as they look to put on condition before spawning up off the rocky points and weedy edges. PEEL AND NAMOI RIVERS The official close of Murray cod season starts September 1, so make sure the surface lures are sidelined. Make a drastic downsize of your lures to decrease the catches of our beautiful green fish. Lures around 60mm or less are the only way to go during cod close. Rattling vibration

lures are effective, or the Kokoda G-Vibe and Jackall TN50 and 60s are some of the more popular lures around Tamworth. Don’t be fooled – these

Small lures still catch cod. When the season in closed, leave the fish in the water at all times. Remove the hook and let them get back to breeding. lures will catch the smaller cod. If this happens, leave fish in the water, unhook them and let them go with minimum handling. Blades and soft plastics are other types of lures gaining huge popularity within the spin brigade. The subtle vibration and slow nature of these lures has been a real bread winner for the AYC anglers.

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If you’re fishing from the bank, shallow divers worked just above the weed will be good. Most of the hits will come within a few feet of the bank, so don’t be too quick to lift the lure out. Skirted jigs will also fool a bulk of oversized footballs. Slow and steady is the aim of the game – short hops and drags along the bottom is all you need, with these American imports. They are really underrated on our local waters. If you fish back towards the banks from a boat, shallow rocky bans and weedy drop-offs are key targets. Vibration lures like the Jackalls and Mazzys, as well as blade style lures, will be more effective worked slowly around the bottom. For those casting out bait,

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there won’t be a better bait to get your hands on other than shrimp. These crustaceans are piscatorial gold and a must have on your next outings.

Small cod like this can only mean good things for our future stocks.

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Make time for these lures, as they can be dynamite. LAKE KEEPIT AND SPLIT ROCK DAM Edges are going to be where the action is.

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CARP ON FLY Spring weather means one thing – carp on fly. These golden hard fighting ferals are amazing sportfish that really test your light line angling skills. Seeing a 20lb fish cruise up to your fly in 2ft of water is exciting. The line burning run that follows is

powerful and unforgiving. A good 5wt outfit and a handful of shrimp flies or woolly buggers will have most situations covered. Any river or dam around Tamworth will hold good populations of carp. Try Chaffey Dam, Lake Keepit, the Peel River and even Quirindi Creek.

Pocket water gold is both fun and addictive. Get out there and enjoy the sun. FISHING FILL-ITS

The Gillies Young Guns program JM Gillies, we’re passionate about getting kids out fishing and looking after the future of our sport. With this in mind, we’re excited to announce our new Gillies Young Guns program. We’re looking for the best and keenest young anglers, all across Australia, to join our exclusive Young Guns team. In return, we’ll support them on their fishing adventures. We’ll provide a platform for the Young Guns to share their photos, stories and experiences with

others, and assist them in becoming the best possible anglers they can be, while inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. If selected as a part of the Gillies Young Guns team you will have your own angler profile on our website, you’re your images on our dedicated social media channels, write up stories of your fishing adventures for publication on social media and our website. You will also receive a Gillies Young Gun fishing tackle package, tailored to your fishing

needs and opportunities to fish with some of Australia’s greatest. That’s not all.

If this sounds like you, or someone you know who’d love to be involved, please fill out our survey at https://www.surveymonkey. com/r/NCVPSVK or scan the abovet QR code. Applicants must be aged between 13-18and will need parental consent if selected. – JM Gillies

Ice jigs are cool for the lakes HUNTER VALLEY

Peter Phelps

This month is a time of change for the fishing in Hunter Valley. You’ll find the fishing very different from the start of the month compared to the end. The local impoundment bass will transition from their winter gorge on small baitfish, lose all their roe and make their way into spring patterns. The river bass season opens as well and most of the larger bass will be downstream finishing the spawn, ready to make their way back up river. Glenbawn was on fire last month. Bass fed ferociously on plastics and ice jigs, anything that resembled a small baitfish was getting eaten. The start of September will be very similar to last month. You’ll be able to catch bass throughout the whole lake on a jighead rigged plastic, either swimbait or grub in the 2-3” size range. Typical Glenbawn bass are very light orientated. On low light and cloudy days, fish shallower water, and in bright sun target deeper water. A 1/4oz jighead with your favourite plastic cast towards the edge, focusing on bottom

plenty of schooled bass beneath the boat, off points and around trees. It shouldn’t take much effort to get a response out of these fish. Drop down straight to them and work the ice jig with a constant hop. If you get no response after a few minutes,

try moving on to fresh fish. Sometimes they’ll only react in the first couple of drops. Golden perch will fire up as the water warms. They can sometimes outnumber the bass catches this time of year. They love anything with vibration, so small

The author with a St Clair bass caught on a topwater popper.

Here’s a perfect example of an ice jig reaction bite – the lure made it to the bottom with one hop and brought up a quality Glenbawn fish.

Mitchell Cone with a Glenbawn plastic fish. Expect to see chunky size bass this month. contact will catch you some bass. Similar to a flathead retrieve, this has fooled countless fish. Bass bite when the plastic falls. This technique can be troublesome for anglers new to plastic fishing. With Glenbawn’s abundant tree population, I suggest making your way further up the dam, past the Narrows. Fish the upper end of the lake, as the barren banks there will hold plenty of fish. Focus on points and bays that are easy to fish. You can keep your plastic close to the bottom without any hassle of snags. Targeting bass with ice jigs will still catch plenty of fish this time of year. Keep an eye on your electronics. This will show

blades or lipless crankbaits hopped down banks work well. They won’t turn their nose up at a plastic fished for bass. Near the end of the month, the water should be close to 17-18°C. We’ll start to see a more typical spring pattern, where reaction style

lures come into play and even some top water. Lake St Clair followed a similar pattern to Glenbawn, it was just in front by a couple of weeks. Bass have been devouring baitfish. This month, abundant weed beds will thicken after their winter die-down. This will get the fish up nice and shallow again. A jerk bait and top water lure will work wonders in the low light periods. As the sun gets up, try moving to where the weed edge drops into deeper water. Fish hold here during the bright daylight hours, before making their way shallow at sunset. A slow rolled plastic will catch fish along this weed drop off. Keep in contact with the weed

the whole way through your retrieve, and a upward twitch of the rod will pop your plastic free of the weed when it gets caught up. This will hopefully bring a strike. Nearing the end of the month, reaction style lures like spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits or a Bassman Mumbler will be awesome. Lake St Clair has a very good population of fish and you don’t have to go far to locate some. The whole lake has weed around the edges. Any bank you pick will have fish within casting distance. September denotes the start of the river bass fishing season. In the Hunter River and all its tributaries, a large number of spawning bass will still be

downstream, making their way back up. This doesn’t mean there aren’t fish to be caught throughout the whole river system. A lot of bass, smaller fish, will hang around upstream. A top water lure is one of the funniest and easiest ways to tell if there’s fish in the area. Backing this up with a small spinnerbait or crankbait cast tight to structure and worked slowly back will turn some scales. A skirted jig with a plastic craw trailer, deep into some snags and worked back slowly with dragging and small hops, will surprise the most devoted river bass fishers with how well they work.

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Copeton is cod central! COPETON DAM

David Allen manager@copeton.com.au

The winter cod season has been an absolute cracker with amazing numbers of big Murray cod taken and released. We have seen many fish over a metre long caught each week – probably a couple hundred since the beginning of the year. Copeton has definitely become the cod capital of Australia and will be the only waterway open for cod in NSW. This winter has been the year of the wakebait. Australian lure producers couldn’t keep up with the demand. The Copeton kiosk has been stocking Mudeye Snakes and New England wakebaits, and when each shipment arrives they have been either pre-sold or sold out within 24 hours. Wakebaits have been the go to this year, but paddlers, fizzers and stickbaits are all working. My good mate, Gary Lamrock, got the fish of a lifetime when we landed a 125cm monster on a new 140mm Water Stalker Spook surface paddler. We estimated this fish to be around 45kg. The winter surface bite has been quiet this year, without high pressure systems moving across our

part of the country. This has led to the use of more surface presentations. Two other big selling lures this season have been swimbaits and chatterbaits. Jackall Gantarels, Chibitarels and Gantias have been the most successful swimbaits, while the Bassman Mumblers and

some significant inflows during July. An increase in dam level of over 1.5m, or 3.5%, with a warmer than normal winter has resulted in different fishing this year. This will have contributed to the quieter surface bite. Swimbaits were something I hadn’t

This yellowbelly was caught on a Jackall Chibitarel.

Gary Lamrock with his 125cm fish of a lifetime on a new Water Stalker 140mm Spook. AusSpin Cod Botherers have been the best of the chatterbaits. Most cod have come off the weed beds, which are now harder to find after

experienced until this year, and they are lures with very subtle actions. They can be manipulated and twitched in a way that is ultra-realistic. I used a Chibitarel recently

and had a big yellowbelly follow the lure into view. I stopped the retrieve and watched the fish react – with each twitch of the lure, the fish became visibly more excited until on the fourth or fifth twitch. Unable to resist any longer, the gills flared as the fish engulfed the lure only a metre off the rod tip. We’ve had fishers from all over Australia visiting Copeton Waters Holiday Park to sample the quality of our cod fishing. The other day I booked two people in, one after the other. One was from Mackay in QLD and the other was from Melbourne, 2,600km apart. We’re also seeing fishers coming back

time after time to upgrade their PBs. Fascinating, in Copeton, your next cast may well be a metre long monster weighing over 100lb. It’s only a matter of time until a 1.5m fish comes out of Copeton. Remember, take a photo of your fish on a brag mat and enter your King & Queen of Copeton Competition, on the Facebook page, Inland Waters Holiday Parks/ Copeton Waters. September will see the weather starting to warm a little and this will reignite the yellowbelly fishing at Copeton. Early in the season, yellowbelly will start in the trees then will start to school and move onto the flats. Grubbing

the trees will be your go to technique in early September. At the first sign of fish schooling on the flats, it will be time to bring out the lipless cranks and blades. In Copeton, Mazzy Vibes rule, both rattling and Ninja sound depending on the mood of fish on the day. As for blades, the EcoGear ZXs and VXs are hard to go past. • Copeton Dam is one of the best lakes in NSW to catch a trophy Murray cod. Dave runs the Copeton Waters Holiday Park and is a great source of up to date, local information on what’s biting. Contact the park on (02) 6723 6269 for information and accommodation bookings.

Fishing the rising water ORANGE

Michael Collison thegurusgear@gmail.com

The central west dams have had a big rise in the last few months,

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as the fish have moved up into the freshly flooded ground to feed. I mostly fish points when the water is rising, as I find the bait gets more concentrated. As they move around the point, the big fish move up as well, and sit there, as it’s a great opportunity to score an easy meal. The best way to target the points is with lipless crankbaits and blades, and three you can’t hit the water without are the Jackall TN60, The Jackall 60mm Mask Vibe and ZX40 blades. These have been the real game changers for me over the last few months. When it comes to fishing these points, I like to make my way around the point, from one side to the other, and I sit my boat about 20m off the bank. From here, I cast as close to the edge as I can, and most of the time I’ll work my lures back with a slow hop retrieve, trying to send out those irresistible vibrations that yellowbelly find hard to ignore. There are three

Jerkbaits can be a useful lure to have if the fish are sitting shallower. retrieves I like to use when targeting yellowbelly around point. These retrieves are the slow hop, the burn and kill, and one I like to call bottom bashing, where the lure gets dragged very slow along the bottom with small lifts in the mud or sand – fish just can’t resisted a slow moving meal.

When fishing the dirty water, colour of lures can really make a difference. I like to use bright colours that stand out when the water is dirty. However, when the water is clear, I like use dark and natural coloured lures. Have fun this month. This is the month when the yellas really come out to

play, so make sure you get out there! • 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.

The 20-80 rule of fishing SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

There is a rule in fishing that almost everyone I have talked to believes: 20% of fishers catch 80% of fish. In this issue, I am going to have a look if that rule is true, as well as look at the conditions that might change that rule. The 20-80 rule is interesting to me, because it is a vital part of the core issue that is driving our business plan. There is no future in which harvesting more wild fish is acceptable or achievable in Australia or Globally.

Track My Fish plans to play a pivotal role in assisting communities to take advantage of lower harvest, more ecologically sustainable fisheries that produce better catch rates and allow fishers to get what they need while taking less. While this article is not specifically about Queensland, I am using data from Queensland to provide an understanding of the effect on the 20-80 rule. Answering these sorts of questions is a big part of the reason why it’s important for recreational fishers to collect data independent of researchers and government. It would be interesting to see how other data sets that exist out there stack up.

A POINT OF REFERENCE First, a baseline. I had a look at the Suntag database covering 25 years of data. To ensure a consistent sample, I am only looking at tagged fish caught as a part of typical fishing, so excluding fish tagged for stocking or surveys. That comes up to a sample of 308,433 fish captured by 4782 fishers. That is in all fishing conditions. If anything, this set looks as though the 20-80 rule may not be enough, but when I looked closer at individual river systems the data evened out a lot more, with a few locations showing the top 20% taking less than 80%, but most hovering around the 85% mark.

GENERAL SUMMARY 25 YEAR OF SUNTAG DATA All fishers Top 20% of fishers Top 1% of fishers Bottom 20% of fishers

Catch rate (fish/fisher/day) 5.52 6.14 8.97 1

% of total catch 100% 94.3% 44.6% 0.3%

SUMMARY FROM TWO SAMSONVALE TAGGING SURVEYS (OUT OF BOUNDS AREA) All fishers Top 20% of fishers Top 1% of fishers Bottom 20% of fishers

Catch rate (fish/fisher/day) 27.19 49.41 124.5 6.8

% of total catch 100% 49% 8% 3.6%

SUMMARY OF SAMSONVALE OVER EIGHT YEARS (AVAILABLE WATER) All fishers Top 20% of fishers Top 1% of fishers Bottom 20% of fishers

Catch rate (fish/fisher/day) 11.36 11.93 10 1.91

% of total catch 100% 85% 31% 0.54%

SUMMARY OF FITZROY BARRAMUNDI OVER 25 YEARS All fishers Top 20% of fishers Top 1% of fishers Bottom 20% of fishers

Catch rate (fish/fisher/day) 4.0 4.61 5.74 1

% of total catch 100% 88.4% 41.8% 0.6%

SUMMARY OF FITZROY BARRAMUNDI DURING 2011 All fishers Top 20% of fishers Top 1% of fishers Bottom 20% of fishers

Catch rate (fish/fisher/day) 5.53 6.40 7.97 1.20

% of total catch 100% 77.4% 26.5% 0.9%

In general, the worse the condition of the fishery, the higher the ratio that the top 20% takes. If that is the case, what happens when the fishery is in excellent condition? LAKE SAMSONVALE 2015/2016 How great does the fishing have to be to be considered mind-blowing? Lake Samsonvale, just 40 mins out of Brisbane, has some mind-blowing fishing. In the course of the last two years of monitoring events, 23 boats have raked in 3718 fish. That is 161 fish per boat. Unfortunately, the monitoring area is only accessible once a year. On the other hand, that restriction is part of the reason why the fishing is so good. It’s the perfect example of what happens when fishing effort is restricted, in this case, down to near 0. The mind-blowing fishing has the effect of spreading out the catch more. Fish that don’t know what a lure looks like allow less capable fishers into the game. So much so that the 20-80 rule no longer applies. So is this just a fluke? Time is a factor here, in that there was focused fishing but having surveyed all fishers, none deviated from their regular fishing plan. All reported greater success just doing what they would normally do. As a comparison, here are the monitoring results at the impoundment in the part of the impoundment where fishing is allowed. As you can see, while the results are slightly better than the baseline, all in all, the results line up pretty well with the baseline, just with better catch rates. So, even though this is a better fishery than the average, the same dynamics apply. For the record, this is a sample of 8521 fish and 114 fishers over eight years. FITZROY RIVER 2011 In 2011, the Rockhampton wild

Awoonga barra making a bolt for freedom! barramundi fishery entered a zone not seen for over 25 years. With three years of high recruitment and little harvest by commercial fishers, it left the river as to full of barramundi as has occurred in living memory. During 2011, catch rates improved considerably and there was a corresponding bounce in improvement for the middle tier of fishers. The improvement was not of the same quantum as in Lake Samsonvale, but that is understandable. The event at Samsonvale had no tidal influence, was in a small area and required no additional knowledge of the fishery, whereas the wild barramundi fishery does. The Rocky Barra Bounty is an event held each year to monitor the river and promote the local fishing. In 2011, the Bounty lasted two days with a broad array of community fishers of varying skills. As it happened, the Bounty experienced near perfect fishing conditions for the two days making for the most successful bounty ever by quite some margin. In fact, it was a factor of six improvements on the previous best. In these perfect conditions, again it was the middle tier of fishers that benefitted the most. AWOONGA ESCAPEES 2011 Also in 2011 there was a large-scale escape of barramundi from Lake Awoonga. An estimated

SUMMARY OF THE TWO-DAY ROCKY BARRA BOUNTY IN 2011 All fishers Top 20% of fishers Top 1% of fishers Bottom 20% of fishers

Catch rate (fish/fisher/day) 6.80 14.65 26 1.72

% of total catch 100% 49.5% 4.4% 3.6%

SUMMARY OF LONG-TERM DATA FROM AWOONGA AND BOYNE RIVER All fishers Top 20% of fishers Top 1% of fishers Bottom 20% of fishers

Catch rate (fish/fisher/day) 2.85 3.14 3.95 1

% of total catch 100% 85.8% 28.4% 0.7%

SUMMARY OF AWOONGA AND BOYNE RIVER AFTER 2011 FLOODS All fishers Top 20% of fishers Top 1% of fishers Bottom 20% of fishers 74

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Catch rate (fish/fisher/day) 3.67 4.21 7.07 1

% of total catch 100% 62.6% 9.8% 0.9%

Stephen Pill from Barra Jacks with a beast of a Fitzroy barra from the Barra Bounty.

30,000 big hungry barramundi charged into the wild fishery in the space of a few days. If that isn’t the definition of ‘improvement’, I don’t know what is. Needless to say, the commercial fishers had a field day, their take growing a massive 1600% before fish health issues intervened. After the mass escape, the fishing in the river improved considerably with the top fishers nearly doubling their catch rates. Once again though, it was the middle tier of fishers that benefited, with many experiencing the thrill of a big barra for the first time. CONCLUSION The 20-80 rule of fishing is an interesting concept. Looking at the data, in general, it holds true where there is a traditional fishery. When there is less harvesting or another means of improving fish stocks, the 80-20 rule starts to break down, giving less-skilled fishers a bigger slice of the expanding pie. The most interesting thing I discovered though is the top 1%, in general, make up the largest part of the 20%. So maybe there should be a rule for the top 1% of fishers. The takeaway lesson is that more fish improve the fishing for the middle tier of anglers both in numbers and catch rates. It’s in this middle tier of fishers that the ‘more fishing’ occurs as they fish less under normal circumstances. In other words, less take benefits all fishers, not just the elites. The other big winner from a better fishery is the top 1% who see their catch rates skyrocket. If you aren’t catching fish as often as you like, then you might be in the 80%. The simple answer to that, from my observations, is to know a range of techniques on the day. In almost all the monitoring events I have worked at in the past six years, it’s been the most flexible fishers that fit in the 20%. The top 1%? Well, they are just obsessive.

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TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2016 SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Sept 3-4

Central West TackleWorld Fishing Masters Rnd 5 Lake Burrendong

Ian McLean 0478083066

Sept 10-11

Rnd 13 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Nelson

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Sept 10-11

BASS Pro Grand Final Bjelke-Petersen or Borumba

www.abt.org.au

Sept 17

Central Coast Mini Bucks Brisbane Waters

Michael Shaw 0431344656

Sept 25

BASS Electric #5 Lake St Clair

Daniel Clancy 0419 690 418

Oct 1-2

Tomakin Mighty Fishing Bonanza Tomakin

www.tomakinclub.com.au

Oct 8-9

BASS Electric #6 Borumba Dam

Steve Noble 0409 239 065

Oct 8-9

Hobie Bream Classic Nelson

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

Oct 8-9

Rnd 14 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Bribie Island

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Oct 15-16

Eildon Big Fish Challenge Lake Eildon

www.eildonbigfishchallenge.com.au

Oct 15-16

South Coast Fishing Clubs Inc. Freshwater comp Wyangala Dam

www.nswfca.com.au

Oct 15-16

Central West TackleWorld Fishing Masters GF Lake Windamere

Ian McLean 0478083066

Oct 22-23

BASS Electric Convention Maroon Dam

www.abt.org.au

Oct 22-23

2016 Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic Lake Hume

Adrian Kent 0490 049 111

Oct 28-30

Hobie Kayak BREAM Aus Championship Queensland

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Nov TBA

Kings of the Lake Lake Macquarie

Michael Shaw 0431344656

Nov 11-12

Berkley Urunga Sport Fishing Flathead Tournament Urunga

Dayne 0467675076

Nov 19-20

Central West TackleWorld Fishing Masters GF Lake Burrendong

Ian McLean 0478083066

Nov 19-20

South Coast Fishing Clubs Inc. Estuary comp Gerringong

www.nswfca.com.au

Nov 26-27

Atomic Bream Classic Series Grand Final Marlo

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

Dec 2-4

ABT BREAM Grand Final St Georges Basin

www.abt.org.au

Dec 10-11

Central West TackleWorld Fishing Masters GF Wyangala State Park

Ian McLean 0478083066

2017 FEBRUARY

Feb 18-19

South Coast Fishing Clubs Inc. Beach comp Kiama

www.nswfca.com.au

MARCH

Mar 18-19

South Coast Fishing Clubs Inc. Deep Sea comp Berry

www.nswfca.com.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

SEPTEMBER 2016

Eildon Big Fish Challenge 2016 That time has come again! On 15-16 October, the Eildon Big Fish Challenge will be on again, attracting hundreds to its shores. It’s hard to believe that it’s the event’s 4th year, but 2016 is going to be their biggest and

which has already created an amazing response on social media and for locals alike. Let’s face it, how many fishing comps can you enter for $25 and be in the hunt for a boat, motor and trailer package?

Now that the lake is open, they will have trophies plus cash prizes for biggest cod, yellowbelly, trout, redfin and European carp, all of which will be measured on

a supplied brag mat and sent via test message to a phone number that will be supplied closer to the event. This is such an exciting addition to an already well-respected

There’s some very impressive catches each year at the Eildon Big Fish Challenge.

Live music is always a big attraction to the Big Fish Challenge, where they sample some of the finest local talent. best year yet for one simple reason: for the first time, the Big Fish Challenge, due to popular demand, will also encompass the other ‘jewel’ of the beautiful area… Lake Eildon! You can fish from Bonnie Doon if you choose, which is further up the lake. This will interest loads of anglers who want join this very popular and well-run event. The Pondage section of the challenge will be exactly the same as the past three years, but it’s the excitement of opening up the lake,

Whether you’re an avid lure tosser, or just like to sit back and soak a bait, you’re sure to have a good time at this year’s challenge.

This October, hundreds will flock to what is a very beautiful part of the world.

event, and will only add to the vibe of the whole weekend. A whole lot of thanks and appreciation should be roundly passed on to our amazing friends at Fisheries who have made our region one of the best all round fisheries in Australia, let alone Victoria. So get all your native lures out and make sure they are in tip-top shape, or go out and buy a can of corn for the carp! The fun doesn’t stop there! This year they will be having a twilight market on the shores of the Pondage, all kicking

off at 4pm. They will have all types of market stalls and trade sites for you to look at, live music all throughout the night, food will be available, and there will be an auction and a fireworks display to finish the night off with a bang going into the second day of fishing.

On top of that, there will also be a food and wine expo sampling some of our fantastic local food and local wine. For more info www. eildonbigfishchallenge. com.au or for live updates Eildon Big Fish Challenge Facebook page. – Eildon Big Fish Challenge

Day one will go out with a bang before day two of the competition.

Tea Tree Snapper is on the way Every year the snapper begin entering the bays for the late spring and early summer run. That signals that it’s time to think about entering the Tea Tree Snapper Competition! The Snapper Point Angling Club’s 33rd Annual Tea Tree Snapper competition will be held on 28-29 October and the timing is perfectly set at the beginning of the snapper season. Every year this is a great event, with anglers jumping on the chance to get out there amongst the fish and get in the pool of anglers competing for more than $140,000 in prizes including three fabulous boat/motor/ trailer packages. Fisheries research indicates that 2016 will again be a good year for snapper and a great opportunity for anglers to get one of those fabulous big reds. For a long time, the Snapper Point Angling Club has promoted responsible angling, and for this reason, has again set the competition limit of two fish per angler, each of which must to be over 40cm in length. To be in the running to be drawn for one of the many great prizes, all you have to do is enter the

competition before the closing date, catch one or two fish over 40cm and take them to one of the weigh stations – it’s that easy. Each fish, big or small, has the same chance at winning one of the fantastic random weight prizes. Upgrading fish size provides no advantage in the competition. Fish to be weighed should be kept in good condition, be promptly despatched and placed on ice to make sure they remain in top eating condition. Returning unwanted fish to

the water quickly or releasing them at the side of the boat greatly improves the chances of released fish surviving. Start early by servicing your trailer and boat, having your safety equipment checked, getting your crew together and preparing your gear. Most importantly, enter the competition early as entries close well before the competition dates. Fish can be weighed in on Friday night 28 October at several ramps and on Saturday at the Mornington

Some truly massive fish came to the weigh-in last year.

Racecourse. The Entry Form and Rules need to be read carefully and the times strictly adhered to as no fish can be accepted under any circumstances after the published competition times. The Racecourse gets busy towards the end of weigh-in time and traffic can cause delays so be early to avoid disappointment. Plan to check out the Trade Display area at the Racecourse before the presentation commences. Many of the sponsors will be displaying, tackle, boats, trailers and other equipment, and some will even be demonstrating their products. There will be entertainment for the kids and a juniors casting competition. The Tea Tree Competition is a fantastic family day, so why not plan to be there and be part of the excitement? All you have to do now is to enter the competition either by completing an entry form that can be obtained from most tackle shops in the South Eastern area of Melbourne or by getting on the web at www.teatreesnapper. org.au and either entering on line or sending in an entry form. – Snapper Point Angling Club Inc

The Tea Tree Snapper Competition is a great way to introduce kids to fishing.

SEPTEMBER 2016

Tips for the 2016 Gold Coast Flathead Classic The Great Northern Brewing Co Flathead Classic now in its 23rd consecutive year and now Australia’s premier catch and release tournament. The popular social tournament notably features an excellent random prize pool, giveaways, entertainment and much more. This 2016 event is more than the fishing with a great new precinct at the Broadwater Parklands atmosphere and lots of giveaways on a random basis anyone can walk away with a swag of prizes including a great Estuary fishing package. Don’t hesitate, this is Australia’s premier estuary fishing tournament and it is targeted at anglers at all levels. Get on board by pressing the big red button on our home page, which takes you through to a secure online payment

The Wilson boys regularly make an appearance at The Classic. to Broadwater Boating Centre and Surf Coast Marine for this boating package and all the

they can catch small numbers of big fish in the deep at certain parts of the tide. Whereas other teams have the confidence to fish in shallow water and catch big numbers of small flathead, and might get lucky to snare a big girl. Having confidence in the lure that you are using is another important point. I have that many lures in my bag that I use while pre fishing, but when push comes to shove and we have a slow period, I always go back to the go-to lure that I have confidence in, because this lure feels good mentally and you know how to work this lure to its full potential.

almost have the same flick or trolling twitch and they will catch fish one after the other, and you are left with. Having belief in a spot goes a long way too. Some anglers possess that fish-like instinct, which comes very natural to them. They know when, where and what particular tide they have a chance in catching a lot of flathead. All of this comes back to one thing, and that is time on water. The best thing about the Flathead Classis is that, while you might have a shocker fishing wise, you’ve always got a sniff at winning an awesome boat, motor and trailer package worth $31,000

Competitors will be looked after both on and off the water. form, so be sure to mark this year’s Flathead Classic on your calendar. Dates are set for 28 September to 1 October, so don’t miss out on $250,000 of random prizes for this year’s event. This year marks a new venue, new boat sponsor and the 40th year for the Gold Coast Sport fishing club. Some lucky angler will drive away a new 460 Quintrex Renegade powered with a 75hp Evinrude E-tec and this sits on an aluminium trailer worth $31,000. A big thank you goes

other sponsors that support this great tournament. In a competition like the flathead classic, some teams will be thinking about where they should fish. Its up to the individual angler and what they’re confident with. Confidence is probably the biggest asset that you’ll need, because thre are so many talented anglers and teams that could win this competition. Look at the Whyte boys – they have won in 2014 and 2015; and they do so well because they have the confidence in themselves that

Even if you have a shocker on the water, you can always unwind and enjoy yourself in the evening.

Anglers will be starting early to get in amongst the flatties.

There’s heaps and heaps of prizes to giveaway. 78

SEPTEMBER 2016

I have fished a few Flathead Classics and I’m still amazed on some days how you could be next to your team mate, fishing the same lure

and the beers are always cold. I wish everyone tight lines and good luck in this year Flathead Classic. – Danny Sands

yak Hobie Ka ries Se BREAteMd by Daiwa Presen

On July 23-24, from New South Wales, ACT, Queensland and Victoria, 53 anglers gathered to take part in Round 11 of the 2016 Hobie Kayak Bream Series, presented by Daiwa. They descended on the Yamatoyo Event Arena, at Rafferty’s Resort in Lake Macquarie. After forecasts of winds over 50km/h, the competition was reduced to a one day event, in the interest of safety and the wellbeing of competing anglers. It was a difficult call, but the right decision. Winds howled across the lake from the northwest in early morning, peaking at 52km/h by midday. With the winds mostly blown tout on Saturday, day two brought considerably better conditions – early morning clear blue skies, a frosty temperature ranging

Cliff hooks the big prize at Macquarie Macquarie won him the top prize in the tournament. “I just started out shallow cranking along a shore line of Crangan Bay, south of Cams Wharf. I was focusing on the windblown shores and found a patch of fish, so I just stayed there. I lost my go to lure on a flathead, so I switched out

so it was really good to do well here”. The winning tackle was a 13 Fishing Omen Black 7’1” rod and a 6’10”, Yamatoyo 3lb Spinning Fluro line and a Diztek FB 35 lure. Pettie was asked how he felt after taking out second position in the tournament.

These anglers made an impressive run after tough weather.

These events are a load of fun. Anglers travelled a long way for a good time.

The ‘round of the year’ was held at Wallis Lake in NSW, 27-28 August.

Nathan Cliff snared the major prize, and a hefty sponsor prize pack. His four bream bag weighed in at 2.72kg. from 8-12°C and a relatively light breeze blowing at 16-20km/h. The hopeful anglers pedalled off from the Power-Pole starting line, on Sunday morning, charged and ready to make up for the missed day of competition. After a solid day’s work fishing on Lake Macquarie, bags were removed from the Berkley Bump Tub and taken to the scales for weigh-in. On a day when anglers needed to muster every ounce of skill in their kit, an impressive performance, Nathan Cliff from New South Wales snared the major prize of $1490, and a hefty sponsor prize pack. His 4/4 bream bag weighed in at 2.72kg. Second place went to Tony Pettie with 4/4 bream at 2.52kg, and Michael Halliday from Queensland took the final place on the podium, with 4/4 for 2.23kg. Tournament winner, Nathan Cliff gave a brief outline of how his day on Lake

to another lure with purple in it, and then later to a black Pro Lure. This was my second Hobie event – I fished one about a year ago at St Georges Basin and didn’t do too well,

“The last time I was up here and fished Lake Mac, was the Australian Championship late last year. I only caught one fish then, so to get a full bag and take out second place

is an amazing improvement on that. It was worth the long drive up”. The Mortgage Corp Monster Mover, picnic hamper and backpack, went to Chesney Fung from Victoria. Usually awarded to the angler who moves the most places up the leaderboard, on the second day of a two-day competition, the prize was handed to Fung for moving himself the furthest distance to fish the event. BIGGEST FISH Luke Kay bagged the tournament’s biggest fish, which weighed in at 1.03kg. He took home the Hog’s Breath Cafe Boss Hog Big Bream cheque. He used a G

The Rhino-Rack round was held at the Gold Coast on Sunday August 7.

Lumis GL2 2-6lb rod with a Shimano Sustain 1000 reel, Berkley Exceed 4lb line, FC Rock 3lb leader and a Pro Lure Oil Grub rigged with a 1/12 jighead, for the lure. OTHER EVENTS The re-scheduled RhinoRack round was held at the Gold Coast on Sunday August 7, followed by the

‘round of the year’ at Wallis Lake in NSW, 27-28 August. The Hogs Breath Cafe Round 12 is the final qualifying event for the selection of the Australian team. The team will compete in the Hobie Fishing World Championship, in Louisiana USA this December. If you hope to upgrade your current point score, or lock in your necessary third qualifying round, you’ve got to be there. It’s going to be massive. SPECIAL THANKS Like all of the events in the Hobie Kayak Fishing Series, this round could not have gone ahead without the great support of our generous sponsors: Daiwa, Berkley, Atomic, Lowance, RhinoRack, Strike Pro, TT Lures, Yamatoyo, Ecogear, PowerPole, Mortgage Corp, Hog’s Breath Café and ABT. Thanks also to the team from Hunter Water Sports for providing Hobie dealer support.

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

McPaul overcomes fickle bite CE 1ST PLA Taree’s Owen McPaul claimed his spot in the ABT record books after winning the Austackle presented Lake Boondooma BASS Pro, the fourth and final round of the BassCat BASS Pro Series. McPaul’s 9/12 limit of 7kg wouldn’t have gotten a look in at last year’s event, but thanks to a dropping lake level, a fickle bite saw the majority of the field struggle to identify any pattern that rivaled McPaul’s for consistency. For his efforts, McPaul took home $2500 cash, as well as the OSP Rookie Reward for being the highest placed angler competing in their first season of ABT BASS Pro competition. He weighed fish in all three sessions, a feat only five boater competitors managed. It was this consistency that secured victory for McPaul, in a tournament where he was by far and away the best on the water. McPaul had travelled to nearby Bjelke-Peterson Dam before arriving at Boondooma to sample the waterway for this year’s Grand Final, and it was there he began formulating a strategy for the Friday prefish. “BP fished differently to Boondooma and it really threw me a curveball for prefish day,” explained McPaul. “At BP, they ate jerkbaits and spinnerbaits really well, which is what I was expecting for Boondooma, but I think the dropping water level really put the fish off, and I struggled to replicate that pattern all morning on Friday. It wasn’t until I abandoned that idea and ventured into the timbered area of both arms that I landed my first fish.”

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

SEPTEMBER 2016

McPaul had a one-two punch that triggered almost all his bites, targeting fish staging between 15-30ft among the labyrinth of standing timber. “I really had two go-to baits for this weekend, one was the ever faithful Z-Man Slim SwimZ rigged on a matching TT DemonZ jighead and jig spin. The other was a Keitech Easy Shiner, which I also rigged on the DemonZ head.” His technique was pretty straightforward – locate the fish in the suitable depth range between 15-30ft, and cast the offering out as far as possible, allow the bait to reach the bottom and then commence a slow retrieve back to the boat. “Some bites would come away from the structure but the vast majority of the fish I was catching came from really close to sunken timber,” explained McPaul. He wound his baits so slowly he could feel as the lure began to ride over a sunken limb of a submerged tree. This also ensured that he was able to gently ease his bait over to avoid snagging, and this was the time to anticipate the bite. “You really had to be in the thick of it to draw a bite, the fish were shutdown with the weather and the dropping water, so I think anything short of force feeding them your bait wasn’t going to get you very far.” His choice of tackle

Owen McPaul with a pair of his tournament bass. consisted of two main rods of choice, the first a Daiwa Generation Black Albino, the second a prototype Dusk rod that he is helping to develop. He paired both rods to Daiwa Caldia 2508 reels and spooled them with 8lb Daiwa TD Sensor braid, topped off with 4lb or 6lb Gamma fluorocarbon leaders. McPaul noted the light line was delivering more bites,

McPaul’s winning baits were a combination of TT, ZMan, and Keitech products.

which is more typical of our southern impoundments, a theory that’s hard to argue with if you look at the stats. “I am really lucky I didn’t hook any fish that Boondooma is famous for, there’s no chance I would have landed them in the country I was in with the gear I had. I fished the conditions of the weekend, the bite was tough and as it turned out, 9/12 small fish was enough to fend off a really great bunch of anglers.” McPaul thanked his longtime sponsors of Tackle Tactics, and also heaped praise onto Switchbait, Manning River Marine, and the soon to be available Dusk rods. McPaul now turns his attention to the 2016 BassCat BASS Pro Grand Final, where he will be vying for the trip of a lifetime, travelling and competing alongside Australian Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Carl Jocumsen for almost two weeks in the United States next year.

Hickson takes AOY with second place CE 2ND PLA Perennial podium occupier Kris Hickson stamped his name as a certified dual species specialist, securing a runner-up finish to end his season as the Bassman BASS Pro AOY points champion. Needing to improve on two 9th place finishes at the Hunter Valley double header, Hickson almost achieved perfection, securing 199/200 points at the last two events of the season to overtake previous leader Mitchell Cone. It was a tough slog for Hickson over the weekend, with his second session 4/4 2.49kg bag anchoring his 7/12 6.11kg limit to beat third place Simon Marchant by almost 500g. Hickson’s tournament didn’t revolve around one specific spot, he relied on areas that stretched from right near the boat ramp, to Pelican Point and up into the Stuart Arm timber. He identified schools and areas during the Friday prefish that were paramount to Hickson’s

success over the tournament. “I fished a lot of places during the event. I spent a lot of prefish just looking, watching my Humminbirds for anything that looked like a good group of fish. I managed to find a few places I thought I could count on, but, bass being bass, a lot of those fish moved throughout the tournament weekend and I either couldn’t relocate them or didn’t relocate them quickly enough.” Session one saw Hickson start on a ledge in the Stuart Arm just before the timber. He chose to target the area with plastics and tail-spinners, occasionally dropping an ice-jig to fish that had grouped under the boat. It was the vertical approach that scored his first keeper, a solid 1.2kg Boondooma bass. Persisting with the technique, Hickson was unable to trigger another bite. With the area now dormant, Hickson moved up back towards the boat ramp to a rockwall where he’d located fish the day before. His school was still there, albeit unwilling to cooperate for the most part. Opting to again lean on the vertical presentation of an ice-jig, Hickson was able to scrounge up two undersize bass and one small legal to leave himself with 2/4 for Saturday morning.

After weighing his catch towards the end of the weigh-in window, Hickson chose to target a fresh patch of fish he’d located inside the timbered area of the Stuart Arm. “I’d found a good patch of fish inside the timber in

the Stuart, but for the life of me couldn’t find them again in the tournament. I wasted an hour of the afternoon session looking for those fish to no avail.” Then began a procession of fruitless stops, as Hickson cycled back through

his successful locations from the morning. With twenty minutes to go before the 4pm weigh-in, Hickson travelled down towards Pelican Point, to a mark he’d placed in prefish and found a group of small but willing bass. The first drop produced a double hook-up for himself and non-boating partner Joshua Evans. The pair quickly turned their session around landing five legal bass in a red-hot flurry, which pushed him into 3rd place entering the final session on Sunday. Sunday saw Hickson cycle through all of Saturday’s locations with nothing to show for it. He ended back at the rock wall near the boat ramp where he’d managed to re-locate the giant school he’d found in prefish. “I couldn’t get those deep fish to eat straight away, so I thought I’d leave them for a bit and come back. I quickly

-BOATER 1ST NON Local favourite Josh Evans came back to the sport of tournament fishing with a bang, winning the non-boater title at the Austackle Boondooma BASS Pro. Fishing with Kris Hickson on day one, and Warren Carter on day two, Evans’ weekend was a testament to the benefits of the shared weight format. “I learnt so much this weekend from those two guys, I did some techniques I don’t often use personally, and came away a better fisher

grabbed my jerkbait rod and started working some shallow areas nearby. On probably my tenth cast I connected with the 1.86kg kicker and I decided to throw away the deep bite and stay shallow the rest of the day, as it ended up, that was the last bite I got.” It was the only bite he needed to secure the runner-up finish and the Bassman BASS Pro AOY award that went with it. Hickson now finds himself in the same situation as Warren Carter did in 2015, having successfully transitioned to an accredited multi species ABT champion. Hickson’s ice-jig outfit consisted of a Daiwa Harrier baitcast rod, Daiwa Alphas SV reel spooled with 15lb J-Braid and a long 8lb fluorocarbon leader. His Sunday kicker fish fell to a Jackall Squirrel 79 jerkbait in Boney colour.

WINNING NOTES

Winning Tackle

Rod: Daiwa Generation Black Albino, Dusk Prototype Rod Reel: Daiwa Caldia 2508 Line: 8lb Daiwa TD Sensor Leader: 4lb or 6lb Gamma fluorocarbon Lure: Z-Man Slim SwimZ on TT DemonZ jighead and jig spin, and Keitech Easy Shiner on DemonZ head

Kris Hickson finished 2nd at Boondooma to claim the Bassman BASS Pro AOY Boater title.

Evans back with a vengeance for it,” explained Evans. Saturday’s mega session saw Evans on the boat with eventual runner-up Kris Hickson. Evans is no slouch when it comes to the technique of ice-jigging, so when the ice-jigs came out Evans went to work. A double hook-up to kick start the afternoon charge was the best way to get on the board. “I’ve always loved fishing deep in South Burnett impoundments,” explained Evans. “Ice-jigging is something I’m really comfortable with, and it’s a great technique to get shutdown fish to bite when they’re holding tight to the bottom. Often I don’t even think they are really biting it out of a feeding reaction, more so that I’d just annoyed

BASS

Presente SERIES d by Aus tackle

them into biting by whizzing my ice-jig in front of their face repeatedly.” Going into Sunday, still shy of overnight leader Robbie Rayner’s and boating partner Simon Marchant’s whopping 5.65kg Saturday morning limit, Evans needed a solid day on the water. Paired with 2015 BASS Pro AOY champion Warren Carter, Evans stayed shallow the whole day. “I think we stayed in under 8ft of water all day,” said Evans. “Warren is a master at the jerkbait, and it was awesome to be on the boat with him working together to maximise our chances.” The pair caught a 1.81kg Boondooma giant, which was enough to propel Evans over the line, and

Winning Edge

McPaul located fish that were willing to bite, even though they weren’t the 2kg+ Boondooma bass that draw anglers from all over Australia. Light line, slow retrieves and methodical presentation were the cornerstones of McPaul’s successful technique.

relegate Robbie Rayner to second. “Weighing fish like that 1.81kg bass really makes you appreciate the work that the South Burnett put into these dams. Boondooma has got to be one of the best places to come and catch truly giant bass. It has it all, from deep bites to shallow edge bites and gnarly fishing in the timber. I’m really lucky to call this my local dam and really thankful to take the win.” Evans walked away with a prize bag bulging with products from ABT’s list of generous sponsors. He has secured himself a spot in the ABT BASS Pro Grand Final, which is at the other South Burnett fish hotspot, BjelkePeterson Dam, in September.

TOP 10 BOATERS

Austackle Big Bass

Tom Slater caught a gigantic 2.26kg bass on the first cast of the tournament. The fish fell to an OSP Asura jerkbait. “At 92.5mm, it’s very much a large bait for bass, but even small bass hit the lure with gusto,” Tom said. Tom pocketed $500 and an Austackle prize pack.

OSP Rookie Reward

Owen McPaul claimed the OSP Rookie Reward along with his win. Eligible anglers battle it out at every BassCat BASS Pro event for a chance to win a pack of OSP lures. At every tournament, eligible rookies accumulate points from the AOY tally towards the Edge Rods Rookie of the Year (ROY) award.

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

Place

Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

Payout

Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

Payout

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Owen MCPAUL Kristoffer HICKSON Simon MARCHANT Shaun FALKENHAGEN Brian EVERINGHAM Joseph URQUHART Tom SLATER David YOUNG Matt JOHNSON Paul GILLESPIE

9/10 7/10 4/10 5/10 5/10 5/10 2/10 2/10 3/10 3/10

7 6.11 5.65 4.59 3.73 3.51 2.96 2.93 2.84 2.51

$2500 $1,400 $1000 $900 $700 $450 Big Bass $500

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

7/10 4/10 6/10 5/10 5/10 5/10 5/10 3/10 2/10 1/10

6.06 5.65 5.21 4.66 4.36 3.73 3.17 2.59 2.33 2.26

Bassman Prize Pack Samurai Prize Pack Spotters Prize Pack Spotters Prize Pack Berkley Prize Pack 13 Fishing Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

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

Joshua EVANS Robbie RAYNER Paul ALDOUS Grayson FONG Shaun EGAN Brett HYDE Aimee THOMPSON James HOWARTH James REID Mark KING

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

West hits the wall to take win Gold Coast plumber Trent West has claimed victory in Hinze round of the 2016 Bluefin/ePropulsion BASS Electric Series. Fishing within eye sight of the lake’s dam wall, and adjacent to the dam quarry, West called on his extensive prefish experience on the lake to pin point where the fish would be holding. “I fished the place hard for the two months leading into the event, so I was confident I knew where the fish would be positioned,” explained West. West’s thinking was spot on, and after a short 15-minute run thanks to his ePropulsion, he was at his first spot, a flooded grass bank, and soon casting. He didn’t have to wait long to get in on the action and he soon had two fish in the well.

THE FUTURE IS HERE Self-contained Electric Outboards

to Hinze. Starting his day fishing the flooded timber and lilies at Ians Island with a combination of a spinnerbait, and a Molik Supernato, a weedless crankbait. “We got bites at Ians, but we just couldn’t make them stick,” explained Graham. With nothing to show for spot one, Dodds moved, this time heading to two points close to Bass Bay. Leaving the Molik on the deck of the boat, and solely throwing his spinnerbait, a 3/8oz Kingston Fry in a natural green colour, Dodds soon found the bites he was looking for, where he and his fishing partner quickly put four fish in the boat. “Fishing the edges might not produce as many fish as fishing out deep, but they’re generally better quality. I like to cover plenty of water

Trent West dominated at Hinze to claim his maiden BASS Electric win. St Clair beckons for the next round of the 2016 Bluefin/ePropulsion BASS Electric Series. For all the

event and series information visit www.abt.org.au, or ABT’s Facebook page www. facebook.com/ABTFishing.

WINNING NOTES Cool, calm, and still conditions awaited anglers at round five of the 2016 BASS Electric Series.

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

SEPTEMBER 2016

“The fish were sitting in the flooded grass and a 3” Keitech Easy Shiner worked tight to the grass was enough to tempt them,” explained West. With the sun getting higher in the sky and the light intensity increasing, West’s shallow grass fish moved deep and West followed suit. “I moved around and fished a couple of other spots, such as the old car park, then eventually moved to a collection of trees that the grass fish tend to move to throughout the day”, explained West. West’s thinking was on the money, and later in the session he picked up an all-important upgrade, replacing a 38cm model for a 43. West’s technique on the trees was textbook, vertical grubbing for bass. He would drop a ZMan Grubz to the bottom, then slow roll it straight back up to the surface. “It can be slow and tedious, but it works, and the upgrade that I got doing it ultimately was the fish that gave me the weight to win”, explained West. DODDS DINES OUT BASS Electric stalwart Graham Dodds once again showed he’s always an angler to watch when the tour travels

and when I find a couple of fish, I like to slow down and work that area thoroughly”, explained Dodds. Dodd’s technique with the spinnerbait involved throwing it super tight to the edge in all the cover, then slowly rolling it back through the flooded vegetation and hopefully into the path of a waiting fish. A quiet period dominated throughout the day after Dodds’ initial early flurry, and it wasn’t until late in the session that he caught up a vital upgrade. Caught once again on a Kingston spinnerbait, it brought him the additional weight needed to move him onto the winner’s dais.

Winning Tackle

Rod: 7’ N.S Ones Reel: 2004 Daiwa Certate Line: 8lb Daiwa JBraid Leader: 8lb Sunline FC Rock fluorocarbon Lure: 3” Keitech Easy Shiner in violet colour rigged on a 1/4 jighead, 2 1/2 “ ZMan Grubz in gudgeon colour

Winning Edge

West’s extensive prefish on the waterway was the key to his victory. Knowing exactly where the fish were located, where they would move to throughout the day, and what they were best caught on was essential to his win.

Big Bass

Graham Dodds secured the Big Bass Prize at Hinze with the event runner-up catching the prize winning fish at 8:30am on a Kingston Small Fry spinnerbait in natural green colour.

RESULTS

Place

Name

TW (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Trent West Graham Dodds David Young Paul Philips Dean Thompson Nick Gooding Jeremy McConnell Callum Tewes Les Smith Jesper Noiesen

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

2.06 2.02 2.02 2 1.92 1.86 1.84 1.8 1.73 1.71

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

Big Bass (kg) 1.19

FIND THE

LOGO COMPETITION There are 15

MAJOR PRIZES

MONTHLY PRIZES

Logos hidden throughout the pages of Fishing Monthly.

Logo and page number, fill in the entry form and go in the draw to win! The first 40 correct entries drawn at the end of the month will win a packet of 2” CrusteaZ All entries will go into the major prize draw. (Drawn November 30, 2016)

PLACE

VALUE OF TACKLE TACTICS PRODUCTS

500

$ ND

2 7

VALUE OF TACKLE TACTICS PRODUCTS

200

• PACKET OF Zman 2” CrusteaZ • Value RRP: $9.95 each 6

PLACE

$ RD

* Note winners receive one packet of 6 one colour

www.tackletactics.com.au PAGE NO: 1

1000

$ ST

Find the

PLACE

VALUE OF TACKLE TACTICS PRODUCTS

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

MAIL ENTRIES TO:

NSWFM Find the Zman Logo Competition, PO BOX 3172, Loganholme QLD 4129 Entries must be received by 30TH SEPTEMBER 2016 Original entries only. No photocopies. Images for illustration purposes only.

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

NSW SEPTEMBER 2016

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

Teaming up with time and tides BRISBANE

Justin Wilmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

Over the years I have had the pleasure of introducing many a keen angler to the sport of kayak fishing, helping them to get their head around handling the kayak, working with the wind and tides, anchoring techniques, using lures and most importantly, having a plan for the session. Recently, my cousin Alex has been getting out in the kayak a bit and he has started to crack the flathead code, so we planned a session chasing flathead on the second half of the run-out tide. More importantly, we planned to explore the higher stages of the tide where fish

I made a point of talking to Alex about what I look for when I’m fishing the flats. Many rivers, creeks, estuaries and other systems are loaded with banks and flats that are completely dry at low tide, and flood during the incoming tide. The rising water allows fish to access the crabs, yabbies, pipis, cockles and other food items that call these areas home, along with prawns and baitfish seeking safety in the shallower water. The feeding frenzy can be spectacular at times! The water was crystal clear thanks to the westerly winds, and this assisted with breaking down the flat. On the up current end of the flat, we had a small patch of rock and a sand bank, both of which created visible

the water dropped a few feet, and I even noticed a school of undersized bream holding in one depression. From here, the flat was a mix of sand, rubble and broken weed beds. I opted to drift the flat and investigate further, while Alex deployed his anchor, positioning the kayak within casting distance of the eddies and on the edge of one of the depressions. Both of these techniques are effective. I was covering ground and looking for fish, structure and bait movement, while Alex was positioned near the prime structure on the flat waiting for schools of fish travelling through with the tide. My initial thoughts were that bream would be the target species, however

bream and flathead and a bite off occurs, try speeding up your retrieve a little, with a continual wind and plenty of twitches. This will often see fish hooked in the jaw hinge and front of the mouth, rather than taking the plastic deeper and biting you off. Fish on! I was soon unhooking a tailor, followed by another, and then three in three casts! Although they weren’t big fish, they were still great fun from the yak, especially on light spin gear. Over the next couple of hours we landed 23 tailor, two flathead and a bream. The lure of choice was a 2.5”paddle-tail rigged on a 1/4oz 1/0 finesse jighead. When the fishing slowed we simply moved to a different section of the flat in search of bait and actively feeding fish. As the water level changes on the flats, the bait and fish will move, so if it slows down, try a series of short moves until you find more active water.

Don’t forget your fish measure and an understanding of local rules and regulations. THE DRAIN As the water level dropped on the flat, we knew that bait

Often there is minimal current running out of these drains and you can start at

Sometimes it’s not even about the fishing. Alex at anchor enjoying the glassy conditions. can be harder to come by. The plan was to launch on the last hour of run-in and hitch a ride with the incoming tide to our first spot, where we would target a section of flats on the first couple of hours of run-out. From there we would travel across the tide and down current to work an awesome looking flathead drain that I had made note of the day before. We would then wrap things up by drifting with the last two hours of the run-out, positioning the kayak a cast distance from the bank and hopping plastics down the drop off. We had made our plan based around the tide and involving three different types of environments and structure, all of which would potentially hold fish and in turn maximise our chances of catching fish as at least one area should fire. THE FLATS I speak to plenty of anglers who struggle to catch fish when the tides are high and the fish spread out through the system, so 84

SEPTEMBER 2016

eddies and we could see bait flicking and the occasional fish feeding. Slightly down current, we located some depressions in the flat where

after two hops of the plastic and a bite-off, I suspected that tailor were on the flat harassing schools of bait. If you are hopping plastics for

Rigged and ready for kayak luring session.

The 10X Tough ZMan 2.5” Slim SwimZ are the go-to for toothies like this tailor.

would be funnelling off the flats via the drains that run into deeper water. It was time to paddle over to the large drain or blind gutter that I had made note of the previous day. This drain was perfect, with a sandy bottom and weed edges on each side. The weed edges ensure that there will be baitfish, prawns and other food around, while the sandy bottom makes it easy for flathead to move into the drain and bury themselves ready for ambush! If the bottom was weedier, I would have switched to a SnakelockZ weedless jighead and 3” paddl-tail, however I stuck with the rig I had used on the flats. A sounder makes finding the drains simple, however even without a sounder you can use quality polarised sunnies to separate the dark water covering weed with the lighter coloured water covering sand.

the mouth, cast up the drain and hop your plastic back to the yak, slowly working up the entire length of the drain, with a few paddle or pedal strokes followed by a few casts. If there is more current, it’s worth anchoring and working a section thoroughly before moving further into the drain and anchoring again. Often these blind gutters are wide enough that you and your kayak fishing mate can fish side by side and each work one side of the gutter. One point that Alex made is that he is understanding that the plastic doesn’t always need to be moving, and this is probably the main mistake that anglers make when fishing plastics, retrieving them too quickly. Don’t be afraid to mix up your retrieve and slow things down, or pause the lure on the bottom for a few seconds

until you find what the fish want. It’s amazing how often a few quick winds, a long pause, an aggressive hop or series of subtle shakes of the rod tip will switch on the bite and it can often encourage

I keep a few flathead for a feed, however anything over 60cm is handled with care and released to make more flathead. This one measured in at 71cm, and I soon had it back in the water attached to

edge and back to our launch point. THE CHANNEL EDGE When fishing the channel edge, it’s all about covering ground, throwing plenty of casts and keeping an eye out

This was one of several flathead from a low tide channel edge, which the author made a plan to fish before the session.

A falling tide, a blind gutter and a planned approach resulted in this quality flathead. the bite of a different species to the main target. I hopped my little paddle-tail a couple of times, paused, went to

my lip grips while I readied the camera for a photo. A few photos and we decided to commence our drift along the main channel

Yellowtail pike are great bait or cooked in the smoker. Ruby enjoyed learning to fillet fish. hop the plastic again and crunch! The headshakes and initial run signalled to me that this was a quality flathead and I let the rod and drag do the work, taking it easy on the big girl, as I knew I was only connected with a 1/0 finesse jighead and 10lb leader. After a few good runs and one sighting that confirmed it was a nice flatty, I slid the net under the fish, fired off an uncontrolled fist pump and called Alex over to grab a couple of photos. Part of me wished that Alex had hooked this one, but at the same time, flathead over mid-sixties aren’t commonly encountered in my local waters and I was over the moon to lift this one into the kayak.

for key structure that might hold fish, such as points, drains, logs, rubble, crab pots, eddies and patches of sand amongst broken weed. Fish will often school, so if you land one, it can be worth retracing your steps. We cast to the edge of the weed beds, or into the shallows, across or slightly ahead of the drift if the current is stronger and hop the plastic down the drop off and into the channel. It didn’t take long before we came across a school of yellowtail pike, and it was visual fishing, watching them chase down and eat a plastic in the clear water, even coming out of the water on several occasions as we lifted the lure from the water. They’re not as large as the southern snook, but these oily fish are still excellent bait, and great tasting when cooked in a smoker, and we kept about twenty to hopefully turn into a mud crab or two.

Alex with one of a couple of dozen tailor for the session.

Alex gave me a touch up on the drift home, landing five flathead to my three and I was stoked to see him nailing a few. This bank often produces much higher numbers, but we went into this session knowing that the tides weren’t quite right, so we were still happy for the action we had encountered. It’s worth making note of the date, tide, moon phase, wind and temperature when

you do have successful sessions in particular areas or on particular species, as it’s amazing how often these same conditions will produce similar results – even years later! So overall, we had a pretty successful day, and weused the tides to carry us to our spots and home again. We fished some different structure, landed a few different species and solved the problems of

the world on a glassy day, while drifting around with an awesome backdrop. Alex took a flathead and five tailor home to his family, and I had a flathead for dinner, yellowtail pike for the crab pots and the photos and memories of a cracker flathead. So it might be time for you to grab a mate, check the tides and conditions and plan your own adventure.

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99 . $ 79

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

New or used: the perks, problems and pitfalls BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

A conundrum that usually confronts someone buying a boat is whether to buy new or used. Let’s face it, new is lovely – clean and polished, everything spick and span, but cost is the major factor with the very slight chance of some component or feature of the new rig not quite working as it should. On the latter point, boats are not like motor cars, which are mass produced by the millions to a rigid schedule of robotic assembly, which ensures that things rarely differ thanks to rigid quality control. With boats there are few variables in the actual construction of a hull, but once into the fit out and finish, the fun commences. Engine

out and it’s a going concern. With those matters in mind, a second hand boat might make a lot of sense, especially if it’s with an original owner, or in a reputable dealer’s yard with full history and mechanical background on display. Even a rig that has had a couple of owners and still looks to be in really good condition is worth some consideration, even if all precautionary checks come through with flying colours. WITH THE DEALER A suitable craft from a well-known manufacturer is spotted in a well-known dealer’s yard and it’s within the proposed price range. It’s important that the boat is on a trailer that, while there might be some discoloration of the springs and axle or perhaps even some dulling of the galvanizing here and there, is otherwise in good nick. Remember that the trailer must have brakes if the total weight

New boats are great! Everything’s shiny and brand spankers like everything on this TABS I reviewed, but some serious dollars can be saved if you can find the right used craft. of hull, trailer, engine and full fuel load is over 750kg. Trailer considerations aside, the boat should be

Launching most small craft will see the springs in the water, hence the minor discolouration, but if the rest of the trailer looks OK, you shouldn’t write it off. ratings vary for a start, so a hull can be under-powered, adequately powered or over powered, the latter being a real cause for concern. Selected fittings, equipment and other items are all manually fitted by fellow humans, so it naturally follows that sometimes there’s a mistake or mismatch in components. I was once reviewing a brand new craft – a massive plate alloy rig – where the trim tab controls were reversed causing a very bad situation once we started to move quickly, and was only solved by a very slow return to the ramp in total silence. While that’s a very extreme example, there’s no denying that teething troubles can occur with brand new rigs. In contrast, the situation with a used craft is different, all bugs are generally ironed 86

SEPTEMBER 2016

exactly the type you had in mind in that it will fulfil requirements in regard to anticipated use, crew capacity,

interior storage and comfort levels, and the engine’s within manufacturer’s limits, as set out on the builder’s

readings of all cylinders are within 10% of each other. If a factory warranty still covers the hull and/or engine, such warranty is transferable and the dealer can explain how to facilitate this procedure. Next will be a test run and the dealer will easily arrange this very important part of the procedure. If all goes well, the transaction is finalised, and with the registration transferred the rig’s on its way home. THE PRIVATE PURCHASE A dealer needs to cover staff wages, maintenance of financial transactions, insurance and a host of other things, all of which must unavoidably add cost to any craft in the yard. A private sale avoids this kind of overhead and, as we are all dollar driven, it follows that a lot of purchases are directly from a private owner rather than

When the trailer shows this sort of neglect, it’s likely the rest of the craft won’t have been given too much TLC either.

Rod racks, rod holders and other useful equipment installed in a used rig will always add both interest and perhaps value to an intended sale.

plate which will outline year of manufacture along with passenger ratings. If a near maximum crew capacity is likely most of the time, it’s probably best if the engine is towards the upper limits of power rather than lower, or the rig might struggle to perform well. Taking interest further, the dealer will explain the craft’s history and draw your attention to the extra components or features that have upgraded the rig from standard. A mechanic’s inspection report of the engine will show the engine computer’s hours, list any components they replaced such as oil within a four stroke engine, a water pump impeller or spark plugs along with the fuel filter. An engine compression check can be provided and it’s important that the compression

a dealer. In truth, many boats are sold this way and if the buyer goes about things correctly, everyone wins. Remember though, it’s buyer beware! Due diligence does apply to boats – the same as other major purchases. Peace of mind comes from a standard REV check – via the craft’s Hull Identification Number – which can reveal if it’s free and unencumbered. Again, first impressions are very important. The boat for sale should look clean, tidy, and well-presented and if it does, it’s well worth considering. Understand though, that many of the things I mentioned previously in regard to purchase from a dealer still make perfect sense, although some of the more involved checks and investigations, that of

the engine specifically, will require arrangement by the buyer and should be sorted beforehand. ASSESSING FIBREGLASS HULLS When surveying the hull’s condition, a well maintained fibreglass hull should still look quite shiny with metal fittings, clean and corrosion free, thanks to being kept washed and polished. Likewise, any bimini or other frame work should be corrosion free while fabric, clears, and the like are free of mildew or marks, which are both a sure sign of some neglect. A walk around inside the hull should not reveal any saggy or soft areas on the floor. There’s something wrong there if it is! A good look under the hull might reveal some minor scuff marks or longitudinal scratches, which are very hard to avoid on glass rigs, and tell only of use rather than outright neglect or abuse. Deep indentations or dings are another matter and cause for second thoughts, especially if the gel coat is deeply scarred, which can lead to water absorption and deterioration of the fibreglass. Fibreglass, however, is highly repairable, so if there is any sign of repairs, full disclosure should set a buyer’s mind at rest. A glance inside storage compartments such as those under the floor or under bunks or seats will be reassuring if such areas are totally clean, dry, and without any odour.

should snick in and out of gear with only a small jar. ELECTRONICS All wiring, switches and links to important accessories or functions such as lights, bilge pumps, bait tank plumbing and marine radios where fitted

One area where a bit of grease should put in an appearance is the engine’s pivot point at the transom. sizes that alloy rigs are. ALLOY HULLS Alloy hulls are a different proposition again. Alloy craft have come ahead in leaps and bounds in the last decade and many are fast approaching the ride quality of their glass rivals. In truth, most smaller trailerable alloy craft have a ride that is more than satisfactory for general fishing and boating pursuits. They are offered in both painted and unpainted styles, so there are pros and cons. Unpainted alloy is designed to take on a dull appearance over time, and this minor oxidisation actually protects the hull. Painted hulls look great but can quickly

The builder’s plate reveals all. It’s well worth checking if the engine and hull match in age, and that the proposed capacity is correct. The main advantage with fibreglass hulls pertains to the ride, which is usually superior, due to the enhanced shape, particularly in regard to larger off shore style rigs, than that of alloy. At the same time, glass hulls always require more care around the ramp and fixed obstacles to avoid damage. And, of course, they are not available in the small

of consideration in any deal. LAST THOUGHTS A boat is a major purchase in many instances, so choosing correctly and wisely is very important from the outset to ensure money is not ill spent. Whether from a boat

show up areas of accidental contact. Remember that scratches, scuff marks and the like are all signs of use, rather than outright neglect. Neglect will involve large areas of salt build up, corrosion under things that can be lifted up, damp or smelly areas within the anchor well or within any storage hatches. Big dings or dents under the hull along with

gouges along the keel proper also are indicative of a very hard working life. Electrolysis is a factor with alloy hulls and shows up as powdery residue around add-on fittings, which, if made of disimilar material to the alloy hull, can cause electrolysis. Note there might be corrosion or severe bubbling of paint work in a painted craft, or some powdery residue near fittings in an unpainted craft. Consider this though. Alloy hulls, even if only a few years old, might well display tiny areas of random bubbling of paint here and there, the size of a five cent piece perhaps. When of a minor nature, these should be no real cause of concern. On the other hand, large areas of such corrosion are indicative of neglect and are a red flag to a buyer. Something to remember is if you do buy a used alloy craft and the floor is removable, lift it up once home and look for any loose or foreign metallic objects down there, as these will certainly cause electrolysis down the track. THE ENGINE Boat engines work very hard in an extremely hostile environment and demand some TLC to maintain top performance. So with the chosen hull looking good and the trailer up to scratch, it’s time to assess the engine. Few buyers have the nous to really assess an engine other than look under the cowl, check on how easy it starts, give the nod to a steady stream of water from the tell tale and to ensure the year of manufacture matches the hull’s. To provide more involved engine assessment and general condition, there are plenty of properly certified mobile marine mechanics able to do just that and provide a written report for consideration. It’s a wise move to arrange a mechanic’s inspection prior to finalizing a purchase, and if the mechanic specialises in the brand of motor involved, so much the better. An experienced mechanic can also run an eye over

the whole rig and make a generalized report on its overall condition. Also, if an hour meter is fitted, it’s always interesting to have the mechanic compare actual hours (via a dedicated computer) with those of the meter. However, if the seller seems uncooperative for a mobile mechanic to be involved, the upshot is obvious, and it’s time to look at another boat. There are a few small things about the engine worth considering as well. The overall cleanliness under the cowl is indicative of regular servicing and ample TLC from the owner. Tell tale indications of salt residue (powder showing) are pointing to a leaking gasket. One area where it certainly is good to see a bit of grease is around the engine’s pivot point, near where it’s bolted or clamped onto the transom. There are grease nipples there and if the owner has kept the engine in good nick, it’s nice to see a bit of grease showing. Unpainted areas on the bottom of the skeg and removal of paint from the prop reveal plenty of sand contact. Note that the engine should start within 6-10 revolutions when the key is turned, run smoothly, and

Big sounders are a bonus in any second-hand craft, but should not be regarded as standard equipment. The same goes with sound systems. are expected to be fully functional in any boat, new or used. It’s fair to say that items such as nav aids, sounders, in-built battery chargers or sound systems are only a possibility and really not to be expected as part of a sale. If provided, they can be fairly regarded as a bonus and whether sounders and nav aids are working perfectly or otherwise will be debatable, perhaps, until the craft is off its trailer. That aside, additional electronics are still worthy

yard or a private sale, a test run is mandatory to finally assess performance and the craft’s suitability for intended use. Ease of removal from, and entry back onto, the trailer is quite worth noting as well. Overall, it’s very important to make the right choice, as passengers in the boat are going to remember with great detail exactly what happened if things go pear-shaped later. If this happens, it may be hard to coerce them into another fun time on the water.

What an engine should look like: no leaks in sight and no excessive oil or grease. SEPTEMBER 2016

Crossing a bar safely BRISBANE OFFSHORE

Kaspar Lenigas

Coastal bars are extremely scary to a lot of boaties and they have every right to be worried about crossing them, particularly in big seas. But with a good understanding and knowledge of how a bar works, bar crossings can be very safe and easy. WHAT IS A COASTAL BAR? A coastal bar is where the sheltered waters of rivers or bays meet the swells of the ocean. Bars are inherently dangerous and at times, very unpredictable. Even on a good day, conditions on a bar can change quickly and without warning. There are many coastal bars located around the Australian coastline, and they are a fact of life for most offshore anglers who intend to fish for large ocean going pelagic and reef fish. HOW A COASTAL BAR WORKS There are many different bars located around the Australian coastline and none

are exactly alike. And anglers often have their own different ways of crossing them, but there are a few key things that bars have in common. Most bars will have some form of channel, where the water is at its deepest. Channels are the safest and only way to cross a bar, but can be hard to spot and it is always best observing at a distance before crossing a bar to see where the waves do and do not break to locate a channel. Some boaties watch where other more experienced boat drivers cross and follow them. There are also shallow banks on most bars. These areas are where the waves break, but sometimes these banks aren’t often clear depending on the stage of the tide and the amount of water on the bar. Usually, with a decent set of swell they will reveal themselves, and it is best to avoid these shallow banks, as this is where people can become stuck. It’s also worth remembering that coastal bars are ever-changing places; they hardly ever stay the same for very long. There

is a lot of sand movement under the surface of the water where you can’t see, and a channel that was there one week will be gone the next. Every time before you cross the bar, make sure you have a good look and assess what’s happening. Bars will usually have swell on them, and the height of the swell, direction, periods between swells as well as the tide will drastically affect how bad the bar will be. Both incoming and outgoing tides can cause pressure waves on a bar as there’s large volumes of water coming in and out of the bar. Usually, the safest time to cross a bar is around the top and bottom of the tide, where tidal flow is at its slowest. As most know, the moon drives the tides, so around the full and new moons the tides are bigger with a lot more current flow, which can make bars extremely dangerous. So be careful crossing a bar when there are bigger tides. PRESSURE WAVES Pressure waves can be dangerous and make a bar very unpredictable. These mainly occurs on outgoing

Looking out through a channel at a bar with shallow banks either side of the image. With larger swell, the banks would be easier to see. tides around full and new moons, or after heavy rain and flooding. Swell size and direction isn’t the only thing that governs the wave height on a bar, the swells can almost double in size and become very unpredictable when they meet the pressure created from the large volumes of water pushed out

by an outgoing tide. More often than not, it’s best to avoid crossing a bar on an outgoing tide and waiting until either the top or bottom of the tide to cross. Usually the top of the tide is the safest time to cross. The incoming tide on some bars can also create deadly pressure waves as it can push swell up and

over shallow banks, or the fast tidal flow can become undertoed going over a drop off, creating pressure waves which push back into a bar and into the oncoming swell. You can still cross a bar if there are pressure waves, but be extremely cautious when coming in or going out and always travel at a safe speed.

Safest routes

Large River or Bay

Shallow unsafe channels River

Shallow unsafe channels

Shallow unsafe channels Safest routes

KEY

Waves breaking KEY

Waves breaking Beach

Beach Bank/sand bars Land

Bank/sand bars Land

Deeper safe channels Rock wall

Deeper safe channels

This diagram shows an example of the safest channels to cross a bar around the mouth of a large river or bay. You may see small channels where it may look safe to cross, but it is best to stick to the deeper more open channel, as there’s less chance they will seal up and have breaking waves go through them. 88

SEPTEMBER 2016

This diagram shows an example of the safest route to cross a bar around a river mouth. This example of a bar crossing is one of the most common and safest types of bars to cross, as the water is generally much deeper in them. Just be aware of where the sand bars or banks are, and try to avoid them, sticking to the deeper channel or channels.

WHAT TO DO BEFORE CROSSING A COASTAL BAR Before even crossing a bar, it’s crucial to have the right kind of boat that is sea worthy enough. Usually anything over 4m can do it safely on a good day. I personally use a 4.8m SmartWave centre console. Even though it’s a smaller boat, it can handle a bar extremely well as its very sea worthy, incredibly manoeuvrable and is virtually unsinkable. There has been many times where I have been able to cross a bar in my boat but much larger boats are unable to. This mainly comes down to knowledge, experience and knowing how to handle your boat. It is also crucial to make sure your boat has a good bilge pump, in case you cop a wave over the bow and need to remove the water fast. I highly recommend taking a good bucket as a last resort to bail out water. In my opinion, most boats should have a good bucket on board, as they are an extremely useful bit of kit to have. On the day or days prior to planning a trip offshore , check the conditions, as you can usually tell how bad a bar will be by checking tides, swell size and direction and winds. All the info you need to check the conditions is available on numerous

websites such as Bureau of Meteorology, Coast Watch, Seabreeze and Willy Weather. The general rule of thumb I find is when swell is under 1.5m and coming in on a slight angle to a bar with an incoming tide, and winds are under 15 knots, a bar is generally pretty safe to cross and go offshore. If the swell is coming straight in on a bar, it can make it very dangerous as there’s no shelter or refraction to minimize the swell, so the swell will come head on into a bar. If can time your trip with a high tide when you leave and come in, it makes crossing very safe. It is possible to cross a bar in worse conditions, but it will take more experience and knowledge over time before attempting. HOW TO CROSS A COASTAL BAR When crossing a bar you must keep a level-headed approach. Never freak-out or rush your approach. As per the law, always wear a life jacket when crossing a bar in any boat at any time. A boat can capsize quickly and it is almost impossible to put on a life jacket when the water is choppy. When I approach a bar, I will make sure any loose items in the boat are secure or stowed away. Then I will

assess the condition and look for a deep channel to cross. If I can’t really see what’s going on, I will approach with great care to take a better look. Remember, waves will generally break in one spot and lose most of their energy, so keep a safe distance between you and where waves are breaking when getting a closer look. Once I have found a safe channel, where waves aren’t breaking, I will radio the VMR and advise them of my intentions to cross. I will then approach the channel at a safe and reasonable speed. When going through a channel, you may come up against breaking and cresting waves, and if you’re not comfortable, you should abort. If you do, do so decisively and between sets, so you don’t get caught side on. If you can’t abort and turn away, its best to take a slow front on approach when hitting a breaking or cresting wave – getting airborne can get you into a lot of trouble. Most of the time when crossing a channel though, you’ll come up against unbroken swell. I find it best to angle your approach when going over unbroken swell, as you get a smoother ride and won’t become airborne or loose speed. Once through the bar,

On this typical river bar, you can see waves breaking over a sand bar in front. radio back to VMR letting them know you have crossed safely. With a GPS, it is wise to mark your track, so you have a safe route to follow when you head back in, and also make a land mark of where you came out of the bar. Coming back in through the bar is much safer than going out in my opinion. Once you’ve had your day’s fishing and decide to head in, make sure you radio into VMR again letting them know your intention to cross. Before committing to head in, it is best to wait for a decent set of swell so you can ride in on the back of the biggest wave, this is so that there’s as much

water as possible under the boat so you don’t run aground. When heading back in through the bar, make sure you follow your track and look for the clear channel. When sitting behind a wave, it’s a good idea to have your engine trimmed down a little more than usual, and never run over a breaking wave, as it can be disastrous. When the wave you have followed has broken never go over it too fast. The aerated water from the wave can cause the engine to cavitate and stall. If you can hear the motor slightly cavitate, trim the engine down and reduce the

speed a little. Once you are in the safety of sheltered waters, radio back into VMR letting them know you are safe. STAY SAFE I hope you find all this information very useful and it gives you that bit of confidence to cross a costal bar. Always remember to keep a level head, stay cautious and aware at all times and if you’re not sure or aren’t confident, don’t do it. Wait for another day or get an experience boatie to show you. It’s never worth risking your life and the lives of others. Stay safe and good luck out on the water.

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www.fishingandleisureboats.com.au SEPTEMBER 2016

Fishing Fill-its

Raymarine announces brand new weather app FLIR Systems has announced that the latest Raymarine LightHouse OS now includes a graphical weather forecast (GRIB) viewer app, which enables boaters to access global weather data on-demand directly on a Raymarine multifunction navigation displays.

The LightHouse GRIB Viewer app utilises Wi-Fi connectivity to download and display high-resolution Theyr weather forecast information on- screen. Raymarine users simply connect to a marina Wi-Fi, a mobile hotspot, or satellite internet to download the latest forecasts. Theyr is recognized as a leader in

delivering precise weather and ocean forecasts for recreational and professional mariners, commercial shipping, and the offshore wind energy industry. The high-detail Theyr weather forecasts include important meteorological information, including wind speed, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, air temperature,

Raymarine’s LightHouse OS now includes a graphical weather forecast app.

sea surface temperature, and wave heights. Boaters in northern Europe can also access tidal stream data, and United States boaters have access to NEXRAD Doppler weather radar. “We are thrilled to offer boaters around the world access to current weather forecast data on-demand” said Grégoire Outters, Vice President and General Manager of FLIR Maritime. “Knowing what the weather will bring is vitally important to boaters everywhere, whether they are coastal cruising, or making an extended offshore passage. The high resolution weather data from Theyr makes it possible for our customers to navigate safely and more efficiently.” To take advantage of Theyr weather, Raymarine MFD users can download the latest LightHouse OS update at Raymarine.com. Theyr’s Global Precision Weather forecast service is available as a 30-day free trial and monthly for $14.95 USD or $99 USD for annual subscriptions through Raymarine.com/weather. In addition to receiving weather forecasts on Raymarine MFDs, subscribers can also

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access Theyr’s professional weather and ocean forecasts via Theyr’s GRIBview mobile and web applications. For boaters that currently use a free GRIB weather service, the LightHouse GRIB viewer app is also compatible with

internet sourced GRIB weather forecasts. Learn more about the GRIB Viewer, Theyr Global Precision Weather, and LightHouse II Release 17 at www.raymarine.com.au/ lighthouse. – Raymarine

Ned Hampson, 10yo, from Grafton with his first mulloway. He caught it on his first trip to sea on board Reel Time, Yamba.

FIND-A-WORD COMPETITION HARRY POTTER FISHING SPELLS

ACCIO COD CATCHIFY BIGGUS BASS JEWCIO UNI KNOTA ENGIN STARTO CODFUNDUS RAIN STOPPUS INK BEGONUM MUFFLIATO

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NSW SEPTEMBER 2016

Phone (day):

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Congratulations to J Mackay of Greenwell Point, who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition! Monthly winners receive a Pocket Balls prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. - NSWFM

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE BITE ME by Trisha Mason

The subscriber prize winner for July was D Ty of Emerald Beach who won a Mo or Jo Frames from Tonic. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

FIND THE ZMAN LOGO

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

The answers to Find the ZMan Logo for July were: 10, 12, 19, 20, 30, 37, 43, 47, 48, 99, 103, 105, 106, 123, 124. – NSW The Find the ZMan logo prize winners for July were: J Seymour of Narrabri, G Smith of Werris Creek, T Hodges of Ballina, J Mackay of Greenwell Point, M Newell of Worrigee, S Roweth of Millthorpe, B Fisher of Roma, P Dobson of Glenmore Park, W Cumming of Bass Hill, D Jones of Bathurst, J Smith of Toobeah, D Spinks of Scone, L Thomson of Kurri Kurri, S Davies of Emu Plains, J Da Costa Andrade of Spence, B Bush of The Oaks, D Conroy of Page, G Minett of Taree, K Finch of Mulgoa, R Robb of Gundagai, B Gear of Coffs Harbour, W Chapman of Pomonal, D Appleby of Macquarie Hills, M Hughes of Uralla, M King of Bellbird, D Micallef of Llandilo, G Haynes of Lake Heights, J Stranner of Rose Bay, R Davies of Bonny Hills, M Claydon of Karuah, J Petterd of Jamison Centre , B Wyatt of Ulladulla, P Gardner of Halliday Point, D Holman of Bacchus Marsh, D Chandler of Theodore, S Gifford of Thurgoona , B Schnitzer of Cooma, L Gorham of Toronto, J Smith of Kelso, M Foy of Gillieston Heights. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM SEPTEMBER 2016

Sea Jay’s 488 Avenger – a lot of boat for the money

FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

There’s no denying it – the Sea Jay Avenger 488 is one big tinny. Derived from the ever popular Avenger range from Sea Jay, this locally built aluminium boat is sure to turn heads at most boat ramps across the country. If not for its pretty wrap, then just for its sheer size. It’s deep and it’s wide. Especially compared to the nuggety Garry Fitzgerald, who met me at the Raby Bay boat ramp for the morning’s test run. Of course, being a week day, conditions were glassy – totally inappropriate for boat testing. However, we still managed to get out and have some fun over a couple of hours on the water, and highlight some of the things this boat does well. The first of these is economy. Ridiculous economy. Doing the performance runs in southern Moreton Bay, the Suzuki gauge touched 4km per PERFORMANCE RPM................... Km/L Idle.......................... 4.2 1000....................... 5.2 2000....................... 3.7 3000....................... 3.5 3700....................... 4.0 4000....................... 3.7 5000....................... 2.7 5500 (WOT)............. 2.4 *Fitted with a 17” pitch propeller

SEPTEMBER 2016

litre of fuel burned. Great figures for a boat touching 5m in length. The second was stability. The 2.3m beam is not only apparent in the Avenger’s cavernous cockpit, it’s evident while moving around on the water. Sure, reversed chines help a little, but it’s just the massive width that makes this such a stable platform on the water. At the waterline, the Sea Jay carries less beam to the bow, resulting in a narrower, wave-cutting entry. I thought that this might make the boat less stable, but I couldn’t notice the difference. Unfortunately, the billiardtable-like Moreton Bay didn’t provide conditions to see if the sharp bow rake did

what it looked like it would do. It looks like it would cut the water better than your run-of-the-mill tinny. LAYOUT Fitzy said one of the attractions of the Avenger is its practical simplicity. “Sea Jay likes to keep things simple,” he said, “and the rear livewell is as simple as they come.” With no powered pumps and water draining straight through to the outside through strategically placed holes in the hull and transom, it’s a classic design that’ll never let you down. And that design theme continues throughout this boat. The side console is simple and functional. Electronics

need to be bracket mounted on top of the console behind the windscreen, but there is a handy little covered box for your valuables (keys, wallets and mobiles). Otherwise, the design is minimalist. Fitzy is also a big fan of the Sea Jay system of seat mounts. “I’ve had Sea Jay boats for nearly 20 years and I’ve always loved this seat mounting system,” he said. “There’s nothing protruding up from the deck, so if you’re packing something on top of a seat mounting position, it sits flush.” Indeed, Sea Jay’s seat bases are built in house and look strong enough to ski from! Up front, there’s an ample casting deck for those

Adding to the existing Avenger range, the 488 boasts massive beam and depth. The factory-installed wrap adds a touch of class.

SPECIFICATIONS Hull thickness...................................................3mm Gunwale thickness...........................................3mm Beam..................................................................2.3m Depth...............................................................1.22m Floor ribs...............................................................12 Capacity....................................................5 persons Hull weight......................................................435kg Rec hp...............................................................70hp Max hp...............................................................90hp Max motor weight.......................................... 175kg who like throwing plastics at predators, but Sea Jay has also mounted the Minn Kota battery up front, too. Distributing the weight like this pushes the bow down and makes the bow rake do what it’s supposed to do, and that’s cut water. The test model was supplied on a special Sea Jay trailer that’s been custom made by Dunbier trailers. Featuring a C-section frame, it’s designed to not hold any saltwater, thereby eliminating any points where corrosion can gain a foothold. It’s something I’ve seen previously in imported trailers but I have rarely seen it locally in galvanised steel. There are plenty of

alloy I-beam trailers made in Australia. Priced in the high $20,000s for a basic package and in the low $30,000s for one kitted out like the test model, the Avenger is cheap for a boat of this size and most definitely cheap to run. You can get more information at your local Sea Jay dealer or by visiting www.seajayboats.com.au. • Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

VIDEO

Scan this on your smartphone to watch Steve Morgan and Garry Fitzgerald test the Avenger 488.

Scan this QR code to watch Garry Fitzgerald do a walk through of the Avenger 488.

This self-filling and draining livewell has no plumbing apart from a bung and holes to fill and maintain a level. No pumps to burn out and no pipes to burst here.

Not many boats of this ilk leave a dealership without a bow-mounted electric motor nowadays. The test Sea Jay sported a Minn Kota model with a for’ard mounted battery to balance the ride.

It’s not rocket science to build a boat with traditional and virtual anchoring systems to work side-by side.

This is not trick photography – but Garry Fitzgerald is fairly height challenged and the 488 is an incredibly beamy boat with high gunwales. Now THERE’S a mountain of deck to work with. Huge casting decks and a beamy cockpit mean that this boat opens up plenty of options – no matter where in Australia you’re fishing.

As usual, here’s a calm weekday for boat testing. Yes, the weekend following it was windy. Typical.

Side pocket storage is simple – just like the build. Big, beamy and simple means trouble-free boating.

The side console is simple and effective. Bracket mounting the sounder is the best option.

Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference. Realising that a tie-down strap isn’t the best solution for most boats, these little tie-downs let you use a short strap to the trailer, minimising damage and straps humming down the highway.

Wow – a place specifically designed to hold keys and mobile phones. I doubt it’s completely waterproof but it is splashproof. SEPTEMBER 2016

Cruise Craft EX 685 HT FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Streaker Marine – a Melbourne dealer for iconic Cruise Craft Australianmade trailer boats – had a fairly simple goal with this EX 685 HT. To set up the ultimate snapper fishing boat and display it at the 2016 Melbourne Boat Show. With Sean Savage from Streaker Marine at the helm of this project, there was zero chance that it’d be done half heartedly, so it was with excitement that Fishing Monthly met him at the ramp in the Patterson River. To be honest, it was with a little disappointment, too, as Port Phillip Bay had turned

on a glass-out for us. There wasn’t going to be any whiteknuckled wave jumping. But that wasn’t really the focus of the day. This test is about taking a well-established and popular hull, paired with the industry-leading naturally aspirated 4-stroke in Yamaha’s F300 and doing what you’d do to it if you were left with the options list and someone else’s chequebook. So this is what the finished product looks like and what you’d get if you plonked around $200K on the front counter of Streaker Marine and told them to ‘go nuts’! There’s a couple of videos we’ve compiled in tandem with this test (scan the QR codes to watch them, or visit the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel) – one is

SPECIFICATIONS Hull Length..................6.95m Length (with bow sprit). ...... 7.2m Length (overall on trailer).....8.7m Weight BMT...............2850kg Beam..............................2.5m Deadrise transom........... 20° Transom height............ Extra Maximum hp.............. 300hp Recommended hp......250hp Max persons.......................7 Fuel capacity................. 310L 94

SEPTEMBER 2016

Scan to see the full boat test video.

a detailed walk-through with Sean Savage and the other is our standard Boat Test compilation. They’re well worth the watch – even if only to dream. For me, it’s no use having the best looking and fitted out boat in the world if it’s not practical. And it’s evident that this package has evolved to a point where everything is done for a reason. Let me explain further. I love the fact that the battery management system is accessible, well-labelled and addresses the most common problems boaties encounter – a flat cranking battery. The fact that you only need to take a few seconds to remove the rear bench seat and you have access to all of the pumps and stopcocks you need to deal with a problem at sea is reassuring. Little things – like the snapper rod racks being built with a hinge to allow access through the transom door. Mint. And both fresh and salt running water? There shouldn’t be a boat of this size without it. The 310L of fuel underfloor gives this boat a range of around 300km at cruising speeds – ample for

Unfortunately on the test day, Port Phillip Bay was as flat as the Patterson River. Still, the Cruise Craft provided superior levels of comfort and convenience. the biggest of day trips. If you like being informed at the helm, you can be supplied with everything you need via the two screens – one on the Simrad NSS12 (sonar, GPS, radar) and the Yamaha colour screen engine gauge. The helm is remarkably simple and well organised with nothing getting between you and your wast windscreen. Supplied on the top-ofthe-line alloy Easytow twin axled trailer, this rig comes in at just under three tonnes. Although I could technically tow this with my twin cab Triton, but I’d feel safer doing it with a larger 4WD. Do yourself a favour and make sure that you drop in and see this rig at the Melbourne

Boat Show in 2016! Yamaha/Cruise Craft packages with the EX685 HT start from approximately $165,000. For a package similar to the one we tested, you’re looking at around $196,000. Visit www. cruisecraft.com.au for more details.

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

PERFORMANCE RPM 600 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 5600

Speed Economy (km/h) (km/L) 6......................... 3.8 8.5...................... 2.3 13.3.................... 1.2 23.......................... 1 52....................... 1.1 70....................... 0.8 78....................... 0.7

Scan to see the full walkthrough with Sean Savage.

Yamaha’s F300 has always been a strong motor. You don’t need a 300hp on the back of this boat, but given the level of fitout in this rig, there was no way that this Cruise Craft was going to leave the fitout bay with anything less.

From this angle, you can see the vast amount of fishing room in the cockpit. Got some mates you want to take for a fish? No worries. We’ve seen more switches in a 14-foot tinnie. The helm dash layout is super clean and practical. The enormous Simrad takes pride of place and nothing occludes the visibility through the windscreens.

Top: The rear bench seat folds flat in about 10 seconds. Nothing protrudes to get in the way of your activities at the bait board. Above: Deployed, the rear seat fits a couple of passengers comfortably. It takes only a couple of seconds to remove it and gain access to the stopcocks in the bilge.

The Cruisecraft was kitted out for snapper fishing. Keeping live baits fresh can be the key at times. The plumbed livewell was large enough to hold the largest of live baits.

Clever design here – a stay-free shade system slides out under the rocket launcher. “I don’t like the look of that deck,” said nobody. Ever. The dual cooler/fridge system is practical and bordering on luxurious for longer trips.

There are a couple of options when it comes to closing the side door – you can use a Teflon panel or fill it with the original piece of cut-out gunwale. The Teflon option would suit most anglers and divers, as it’s small and easily stowed.

This is the bit that lands you softly when conditions get nasty. The trim tabs level out an uneven load, the Simrad side scanning transducer gives you imagery like you’ve never seen before and the Yamaha gets you where you want to be – quickly. SEPTEMBER 2016

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SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) NEW SOUTH WALES SYDNEY DENISON) – – SOUTH SYDNEY (FORT (FORT – NEW NEW SOUTH WALES WALES LATDENISON) 33° 52’ LONG 151° 13’ SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER Time Time m

Time Time 0132 0132 0736 0132 0736 1331 0736 1331 1950 1331 1950 1950 0213 0213 0820 0213 0820 1420 0820 1420 2037 1420 2037 2037 0255 0255 0906 0255 0906 1511 0906 1511 2125 1511 2125 2125 0339 0339 0953 0339 0953 1603 0953 1603 2215 1603 2215 2215 0424 0424 1043 0424 1043 1700 1043 1700 2309 1700 2309 2309 0512 0512 1134 0512 1134 1800 1134 1800 1800

m m 0.19 0.19 1.56 0.19 1.56 0.27 1.56 0.27 1.82 0.27 1.82 1.82 0.14 0.14 1.65 0.14 1.65 0.21 1.65 0.21 1.82 0.21 1.82 1.82 0.13 0.13 1.71 0.13 1.71 0.19 1.71 0.19 1.77 0.19 1.77 1.77 0.16 0.16 1.75 0.16 1.75 0.20 1.75 0.20 1.68 0.20 1.68 1.68 0.22 0.22 1.75 0.22 1.75 0.25 1.75 0.25 1.55 0.25 1.55 1.55 0.31 0.31 1.72 0.31 1.72 0.32 1.72 0.32 0.32

0006 0006 22 0604 0006 0604 22 1231 TH 1231 TH 0604

1.42 1.42 0.42 1.42 0.42 1.67 0.42 1.67 0.39 1.67 0.39 0.39 1.30 1.30 0.51 1.30 0.51 1.61 0.51 1.61 0.44 1.61 0.44 0.44 1.23 1.23 0.57 1.23 0.57 1.57 0.57 1.57 0.44 1.57 0.44 0.44 1.22 1.22 0.59 1.22 0.59 1.57 0.59 1.57 0.42 1.57 0.42 0.42 1.27 1.27 0.56 1.27 0.56 1.59 0.56 1.59 0.38 1.59 0.38 0.38 1.34 1.34 0.50 1.34 0.50 1.61 0.50 1.61 1.61

Time Time 0209 0209 0812 0209 0812 1401 0812 1401 2020 1401 2020 2020 0245 0245 0849 0245 0849 1442 0849 1442 2058 1442 2058 2058 0317 0317 0926 0317 0926 1521 0926 1521 2133 1521 2133 2133 0348 0348 1000 0348 1000 1600 1000 1600 2208 1600 2208 2208 0419 0419 1036 0419 1036 1640 1036 1640 2245 1640 2245 2245 0452 0452 1113 0452 1113 1723 1113 1723 2323 1723 2323 2323 0527 0527 1154 0527 1154 1812 1154 1812 1812

m m 0.27 0.27 1.46 0.27 1.46 0.38 1.46 0.38 1.73 0.38 1.73 1.73 0.28 0.28 1.48 0.28 1.48 0.38 1.48 0.38 1.68 0.38 1.68 1.68 0.31 0.31 1.49 0.31 1.49 0.41 1.49 0.41 1.61 0.41 1.61 1.61 0.35 0.35 1.49 0.35 1.49 0.44 1.49 0.44 1.53 0.44 1.53 1.53 0.40 0.40 1.48 0.40 1.48 0.49 1.48 0.49 1.45 0.49 1.45 1.45 0.45 0.45 1.47 0.45 1.47 0.54 1.47 0.54 1.36 0.54 1.36 1.36 0.51 0.51 1.44 0.51 1.44 0.59 1.44 0.59 0.59

0007 88 0007 0607 0007 0607 1240 TH 1240 TH 0607

1.27 1.27 0.57 1.27 0.57 1.42 0.57 1.42 0.63 1.42 0.63 0.63 1.19 1.19 0.62 1.19 0.62 1.40 0.62 1.40 0.65 1.40 0.65 0.65 1.14 1.14 0.66 1.14 0.66 1.40 0.66 1.40 0.62 1.40 0.62 0.62 1.13 1.13 0.66 1.13 0.66 1.43 0.66 1.43 0.56 1.43 0.56 0.56 1.18 1.18 0.62 1.18 0.62 1.51 0.62 1.51 0.47 1.51 0.47 0.47 1.25 1.25 0.54 1.25 0.54 1.60 0.54 1.60 1.60

23 23

0.37 0.37 1.35 0.37 1.35 0.45 1.35 0.45 1.70 0.45 1.70 1.70 0.27 0.27 1.45 0.27 1.45 0.35 1.45 0.35 1.78 0.35 1.78 1.78

29 29

TH TH TH

FR FR FR

33 SA SA SA

44 SU SU SU

55 MO MO MO

66 TU TU TU

77 WE WE WE

1908 TH 1240 1908 1908 0100 0100 0657 0100 0657 1334 FR 1334 FR 0657 2015 FR 1334 2015 2015 0205 0205 0757 0205 0757 1437 SA 1437 SA 0757 2129 SA 1437 2129 2129 0320 0320 0904 0320 0904 1544 SU 1544 SU 0904 2233 SU 1544 2233 2233 0429 0429 1009 0429 1009 1643 MO 1643 MO 1009 2326 MO 1643 2326 2326 0524 0524 1105 0524 1105 1734 TU 1734 TU 1105 TU 1734

10 10 11 11 12 12

13 13

0011 0011 14 0610 0011 0610 14 1156 WE 1156 WE 0610

1820 WE 1156 1820 1820 0052 0052 0654 0052 0654 1244 TH 1244 TH 0654 1905 TH 1244 1905 1905

15 15

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

16 16 FR FR FR

17 17 SA SA SA

18 18 SU SU SU

19 19 MO MO MO

20 20 TU TU TU

21 21 WE WE WE

1908 TH 1231 1908 1908 0112 0112 0703 0112 0703 1334 FR 1334 FR 0703 2023 FR 1334 2023 2023 0227 0227 0813 0227 0813 1445 SA 1445 SA 0813 2138 SA 1445 2138 2138 0345 0345 0925 0345 0925 1556 SU 1556 SU 0925 2244 SU 1556 2244 2244 0451 0451 1033 0451 1033 1659 MO 1659 MO 1033 2338 MO 1659 2338 2338 0545 0545 1131 0545 1131 1751 TU 1751 TU 1131 TU 1751

24 24 25 25

26 26 27 27

0023 0023 28 0630 0023 0630 28 1222 WE 1222 WE 0630

1837 WE 1222 1837 1837 0102 0102 0709 0102 0709 1306 TH 1306 TH 0709 1917 TH 1306 1917 1917 0136 0136 0745 0136 0745 1346 FR 1346 FR 0745 1955 FR 1346 1955 1955

30 30

0.35 0.35 1.41 0.35 1.41 0.45 1.41 0.45 1.62 0.45 1.62 1.62 0.33 0.33 1.47 0.33 1.47 0.41 1.47 0.41 1.62 0.41 1.62 1.62 0.32 0.32 1.52 0.32 1.52 0.38 1.52 0.38 1.60 0.38 1.60 1.60

Time Time 0208 0208 0819 0208 0819 1424 0819 1424 2030 1424 2030 2030 0338 0338 0952 0338 0952 1600 0952 1600 2205 1600 2205 2205 0407 0407 1025 0407 1025 1638 1025 1638 2241 1638 2241 2241 0438 0438 1059 0438 1059 1716 1059 1716 2317 1716 2317 2317 0510 0510 1133 0510 1133 1758 1133 1758 2357 1758 2357 2357 0545 0545 1213 0545 1213 1843 1213 1843 1843

m m 0.33 0.33 1.55 0.33 1.55 0.38 1.55 0.38 1.56 0.38 1.56 1.56 0.35 0.35 1.57 0.35 1.57 0.38 1.57 0.38 1.51 0.38 1.51 1.51 0.38 0.38 1.58 0.38 1.58 0.40 1.58 0.40 1.45 0.40 1.45 1.45 0.43 0.43 1.58 0.43 1.58 0.43 1.58 0.43 1.39 0.43 1.39 1.39 0.48 0.48 1.56 0.48 1.56 0.47 1.56 0.47 1.32 0.47 1.32 1.32 0.53 0.53 1.53 0.53 1.53 0.51 1.53 0.51 0.51

0041 77 0041 0626 0041 0626 1256 FR 1256 FR 0626

1.25 1.25 0.59 1.25 0.59 1.48 0.59 1.48 0.56 1.48 0.56 0.56 1.19 1.19 0.65 1.19 0.65 1.44 0.65 1.44 0.58 1.44 0.58 0.58 1.15 1.15 0.69 1.15 0.69 1.42 0.69 1.42 0.58 1.42 0.58 0.58 1.16 1.16 0.70 1.16 0.70 1.43 0.70 1.43 0.52 1.43 0.52 0.52 1.21 1.21 0.65 1.21 0.65 1.49 0.65 1.49 0.44 1.49 0.44 0.44 1.31 1.31 0.56 1.31 0.56 1.57 0.56 1.57 1.57

SA SA SA

SU SU SU

33 MO MO MO

44 TU TU TU

55 WE WE WE

66 TH TH TH

1935 FR 1256 1935 1935 0132 0132 0714 0132 0714 1346 SA 1346 SA 0714 2036 SA 1346 2036 2036 0234 0234 0814 0234 0814 1446 SU 1446 SU 0814 2144 SU 1446 2144 2144 0345 0345 0923 0345 0923 1555 MO 1555 MO 0923 2247 MO 1555 2247 2247 0454 0454 1034 0454 1034 1700 TU 1700 TU 1034 2343 TU 1700 2343 2343 0550 0550 1137 0550 1137 1758 WE 1758 WE 1137 WE 1758

10 10

11 11 12 12

0030 0030 13 0639 0030 0639 13 1232 TH 1232 TH 0639

1849 TH 1232 1849 1849 0115 0115 0725 0115 0725 1325 FR 1325 FR 0725 1938 FR 1325 1938 1938 0158 0158 0810 0158 0810 1415 SA 1415 SA 0810 2028 SA 1415 2028 2028

14 14

15 15

0.35 0.35 1.43 0.35 1.43 0.45 1.43 0.45 1.65 0.45 1.65 1.65 0.26 0.26 1.56 0.26 1.56 0.34 1.56 0.34 1.72 0.34 1.72 1.72 0.19 0.19 1.69 0.19 1.69 0.23 1.69 0.23 1.75 0.23 1.75 1.75

Time Time 0241 0241 0855 0241 0855 1507 0855 1507 2117 1507 2117 2117 0325 0325 0942 0325 0942 1600 0942 1600 2209 1600 2209 2209 0411 0411 1030 0411 1030 1654 1030 1654 2302 1654 2302 2302 0459 0459 1121 0459 1121 1751 1121 1751 2359 1751 2359 2359 0549 0549 1214 0549 1214 1851 1214 1851 1851

m m 0.15 0.15 1.79 0.15 1.79 0.16 1.79 0.16 1.74 0.16 1.74 1.74 0.16 0.16 1.87 0.16 1.87 0.12 1.87 0.12 1.68 0.12 1.68 1.68 0.20 0.20 1.90 0.20 1.90 0.13 1.90 0.13 1.59 0.13 1.59 1.59 0.28 0.28 1.88 0.28 1.88 0.18 1.88 0.18 1.48 0.18 1.48 1.48 0.38 0.38 1.83 0.38 1.83 0.26 1.83 0.26 0.26

0058 0058 21 0644 0058 0644 21 1310 FR 1310 FR 0644

1.38 1.38 0.48 1.38 0.48 1.74 0.48 1.74 0.34 1.74 0.34 0.34 1.29 1.29 0.57 1.29 0.57 1.64 0.57 1.64 0.40 1.64 0.40 0.40 1.25 1.25 0.63 1.25 0.63 1.56 0.63 1.56 0.44 1.56 0.44 0.44 1.26 1.26 0.65 1.26 0.65 1.51 0.65 1.51 0.44 1.51 0.44 0.44 1.32 1.32 0.62 1.32 0.62 1.49 0.62 1.49 1.49

16 16 SU SU SU

17 17 MO MO MO

18 18 TU TU TU

19 19 WE WE WE

20 20 TH TH TH

1957 FR 1310 1957 1957 0203 0203 0745 0203 0745 1411 SA 1411 SA 0745 2105 SA 1411 2105 2105 0315 0315 0854 0315 0854 1519 SU 1519 SU 0854 2213 SU 1519 2213 2213 0427 0427 1007 0427 1007 1629 MO 1629 MO 1007 2313 MO 1629 2313 2313 0529 0529 1115 0529 1115 1731 TU 1731 TU 1115 TU 1731

22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25

0004 0004 26 0619 0004 0619 26 1215 WE 1215 WE 0619

1825 WE 1215 1825 1825 0047 0047 0703 0047 0703 1307 TH 1307 TH 0703 1910 TH 1307 1910 1910 0124 0124 0742 0124 0742 1350 FR 1350 FR 0742 1950 FR 1350 1950 1950 0158 0158 0816 0158 0816 1430 SA 1430 SA 0816 2028 SA 1430 2028 2028 0230 0230 0849 0230 0849 1506 SU 1506 SU 0849 2104 SU 1506 2104 2104 0300 0300 0922 0300 0922 1543 MO 1543 MO 0922 2141 MO 1543 2141 2141

27 27 28 28

29 29

30 30 31 31

0.43 0.43 1.39 0.43 1.39 0.57 1.39 0.57 1.49 0.57 1.49 1.49 0.42 0.42 1.46 0.42 1.46 0.51 1.46 0.51 1.49 0.51 1.49 1.49 0.41 0.41 1.53 0.41 1.53 0.46 1.53 0.46 1.49 0.46 1.49 1.49 0.40 0.40 1.58 0.40 1.58 0.42 1.58 0.42 1.48 0.42 1.48 1.48 0.40 0.40 1.62 0.40 1.62 0.39 1.62 0.39 1.46 0.39 1.46 1.46 0.42 0.42 1.66 0.42 1.66 0.38 1.66 0.38 1.43 0.38 1.43 1.43

Time Time 0330 0330 0954 0330 0954 1619 0954 1619 2217 1619 2217 2217 0402 0402 1028 0402 1028 1657 1028 1657 2256 1657 2256 2256 0436 0436 1103 0436 1103 1737 1103 1737 2336 1737 2336 2336 0514 0514 1142 0514 1142 1819 1142 1819 1819

m m 0.44 0.44 1.67 0.44 1.67 0.38 1.67 0.38 1.40 0.38 1.40 1.40 0.47 0.47 1.67 0.47 1.67 0.39 1.67 0.39 1.35 0.39 1.35 1.35 0.51 0.51 1.66 0.51 1.66 0.42 1.66 0.42 1.31 0.42 1.31 1.31 0.56 0.56 1.62 0.56 1.62 0.46 1.62 0.46 0.46

0020 55 0020 0555 0020 0555 1223 SA 1223 SA 0555

1.26 1.26 0.61 1.26 0.61 1.57 0.61 1.57 0.49 1.57 0.49 0.49 1.22 1.22 0.66 1.22 0.66 1.52 0.66 1.52 0.52 1.52 0.52 0.52 1.21 1.21 0.70 1.21 0.70 1.48 0.70 1.48 0.52 1.48 0.52 0.52 1.22 1.22 0.71 1.22 0.71 1.47 0.71 1.47 0.48 1.47 0.48 0.48 1.29 1.29 0.67 1.29 0.67 1.49 0.67 1.49 0.42 1.49 0.42 0.42 1.39 1.39 0.59 1.39 0.59 1.54 0.59 1.54 0.35 1.54 0.35 0.35 1.52 1.52 0.48 1.52 0.48 1.59 0.48 1.59 1.59

TU TU TU

WE WE WE

33 TH TH TH

44 FR FR FR

1907 SA 1223 1907 1907 0110 0110 0643 0110 0643 1310 SU 1310 SU 0643 2001 SU 1310 2001 2001 0207 0207 0739 0207 0739 1405 MO 1405 MO 0739 2100 MO 1405 2100 2100 0311 0311 0846 0311 0846 1509 TU 1509 TU 0846 2201 TU 1509 2201 2201 0415 0415 0959 0415 0959 1616 WE 1616 WE 0959 2258 WE 1616 2258 2258 0515 0515 1107 0515 1107 1721 TH 1721 TH 1107 2349 TH 1721 2349 2349 0607 0607 1210 0607 1210 1818 FR 1818 FR 1210 FR 1818

66 77

88 99

10 10 11 11

0037 0037 12 0656 0037 0656 12 1307 SA 1307 SA 0656

1914 SA 1307 1914 1914 0124 0124 0744 0124 0744 1402 SU 1402 SU 0744 2007 SU 1402 2007 2007 0210 0210 0832 0210 0832 1457 MO 1457 MO 0832 2100 MO 1457 2100 2100 0258 0258 0921 0258 0921 1550 TU 1550 TU 0921 2155 TU 1550 2155 2155

13 13 14 14

15 15

0.28 0.28 1.67 0.28 1.67 0.35 1.67 0.35 1.63 0.35 1.63 1.63 0.23 0.23 1.80 0.23 1.80 0.24 1.80 0.24 1.65 0.24 1.65 1.65 0.21 0.21 1.91 0.21 1.91 0.15 1.91 0.15 1.63 0.15 1.63 1.63 0.23 0.23 1.98 0.23 1.98 0.11 1.98 0.11 1.59 0.11 1.59 1.59

Time Time 0346 0346 1012 0346 1012 1645 1012 1645 2250 1645 2250 2250 0436 0436 1102 0436 1102 1741 1102 1741 2346 1741 2346 2346 0529 0529 1154 0529 1154 1838 1154 1838 1838

m m m 0.27 0.27 2.00 0.27 2.00 0.11 2.00 0.11 1.52 0.11 1.52 1.52 0.34 0.34 1.97 0.34 1.97 0.15 1.97 0.15 1.45 0.15 1.45 1.45 0.42 0.42 1.90 0.42 1.90 0.23 1.90 0.23 0.23

0045 0045 19 0624 0045 0624 19 1248 SA 1248 SA 0624

1.38 1.38 0.51 1.38 0.51 1.79 0.51 1.79 0.32 1.79 0.32 0.32 1.32 1.32 0.60 1.32 0.60 1.66 0.60 1.66 0.40 1.66 0.40 0.40 1.30 1.30 0.66 1.30 0.66 1.54 0.66 1.54 0.45 1.54 0.45 0.45 1.31 1.31 0.69 1.31 0.69 1.45 0.69 1.45 0.49 1.45 0.49 0.49 1.35 1.35 0.69 1.35 0.69 1.40 0.69 1.40 0.50 1.40 0.50 0.50 1.41 1.41 0.65 1.41 0.65 1.37 0.65 1.37 1.37

16 16 WE WE WE

17 17 TH TH TH

18 18 FR FR FR

1937 SA 1248 1937 1937 0145 0145 0723 0145 0723 1345 SU 1345 SU 0723 2036 SU 1345 2036 2036 0249 0249 0828 0249 0828 1445 MO 1445 MO 0828 2135 MO 1445 2135 2135 0353 0353 0936 0353 0936 1548 TU 1548 TU 0936 2230 TU 1548 2230 2230 0452 0452 1045 0452 1045 1650 WE 1650 WE 1045 2318 WE 1650 2318 2318 0544 0544 1149 0544 1149 1746 TH 1746 TH 1149 TH 1746

20 20 21 21

22 22

23 23 24 24

0002 0002 25 0629 0002 0629 25 1244 FR 1244 FR 0629

1836 FR 1244 1836 1836 0042 0042 0709 0042 0709 1330 SA 1330 SA 0709 1920 SA 1330 1920 1920 0117 0117 0746 0117 0746 1412 SU 1412 SU 0746 2001 SU 1412 2001 2001 0152 0152 0821 0152 0821 1449 MO 1449 MO 0821 2041 MO 1449 2041 2041 0226 0226 0855 0226 0855 1526 TU 1526 TU 0855 2118 TU 1526 2118 2118 0300 0300 0930 0300 0930 1602 WE 1602 WE 0930 2157 WE 1602 2157 2157

26 26

27 27 28 28 29 29

30 30

0.49 0.49 1.48 0.49 1.48 0.59 1.48 0.59 1.37 0.59 1.37 1.37 0.48 0.48 1.55 0.48 1.55 0.53 1.55 0.53 1.37 0.53 1.37 1.37 0.47 0.47 1.62 0.47 1.62 0.47 1.62 0.47 1.38 0.47 1.38 1.38 0.47 0.47 1.67 0.47 1.67 0.43 1.67 0.43 1.38 0.43 1.38 1.38 0.47 0.47 1.71 0.47 1.71 0.39 1.71 0.39 1.37 0.39 1.37 1.37 0.48 0.48 1.73 0.48 1.73 0.37 1.73 0.37 1.36 0.37 1.36 1.36

Local Time DECEMBER DECEMBER Time TimeDECEMBER m

Time Time 0334 0334 1004 0334 1004 1640 1004 1640 2236 1640 2236 2236 0411 0411 1041 0411 1041 1718 1041 1718 2316 1718 2316 2316 0450 0450 1119 0450 1119 1800 1119 1800 1800

m m 0.50 0.50 1.74 0.50 1.74 0.37 1.74 0.37 1.34 0.37 1.34 1.34 0.52 0.52 1.74 0.52 1.74 0.38 1.74 0.38 1.32 0.38 1.32 1.32 0.56 0.56 1.71 0.56 1.71 0.40 1.71 0.40 0.40

0000 44 0000 0532 0000 0532 1200 SU 1200 SU 0532

1.30 1.30 0.59 1.30 0.59 1.67 0.59 1.67 0.42 1.67 0.42 0.42 1.28 1.28 0.63 1.28 0.63 1.62 0.63 1.62 0.44 1.62 0.44 0.44 1.28 1.28 0.66 1.28 0.66 1.56 0.66 1.56 0.45 1.56 0.45 0.45 1.31 1.31 0.68 1.31 0.68 1.52 0.68 1.52 0.44 1.52 0.44 0.44 1.37 1.37 0.66 1.37 0.66 1.49 0.66 1.49 0.41 1.49 0.41 0.41 1.47 1.47 0.60 1.47 0.60 1.48 0.60 1.48 0.37 1.48 0.37 0.37 1.59 1.59 0.50 1.59 0.50 1.50 0.50 1.50 1.50

TH TH TH

FR FR FR

33 SA SA SA

1844 SU 1200 1844 1844 0047 0047 0620 0047 0620 1245 MO 1245 MO 0620 1931 MO 1245 1931 1931 0140 0140 0714 0140 0714 1334 TU 1334 TU 0714 2024 TU 1334 2024 2024 0238 0238 0816 0238 0816 1432 WE 1432 WE 0816 2119 WE 1432 2119 2119 0339 0339 0927 0339 0927 1538 TH 1538 TH 0927 2215 TH 1538 2215 2215 0439 0439 1039 0439 1039 1646 FR 1646 FR 1039 2311 FR 1646 2311 2311 0536 0536 1149 0536 1149 1752 SA 1752 SA 1149 SA 1752

77 88

10 10

0003 0003 11 0630 0003 0630 11 1253 SU 1253 SU 0630

1853 SU 1253 1853 1853 0055 0055 0722 0055 0722 1352 MO 1352 MO 0722 1951 MO 1352 1951 1951 0145 0145 0814 0145 0814 1448 TU 1448 TU 0814 2047 TU 1448 2047 2047 0236 0236 0905 0236 0905 1542 WE 1542 WE 0905 2143 WE 1542 2143 2143 0327 0327 0956 0327 0956 1634 TH 1634 TH 0956 2237 TH 1634 2237 2237

12 12

13 13 14 14

15 15

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

0.33 0.33 1.72 0.33 1.72 0.38 1.72 0.38 1.51 0.38 1.51 1.51 0.30 0.30 1.85 0.30 1.85 0.27 1.85 0.27 1.53 0.27 1.53 1.53 0.29 0.29 1.95 0.29 1.95 0.18 1.95 0.18 1.53 0.18 1.53 1.53 0.29 0.29 2.01 0.29 2.01 0.13 2.01 0.13 1.51 0.13 1.51 1.51 0.32 0.32 2.03 0.32 2.03 0.12 2.03 0.12 1.48 0.12 1.48 1.48

Time Time 0418 0418 1045 0418 1045 1726 1045 1726 2330 1726 2330 2330 0510 0510 1135 0510 1135 1817 1135 1817 1817

m m m 0.37 0.37 2.00 0.37 2.00 0.16 2.00 0.16 1.44 0.16 1.44 1.44 0.43 0.43 1.91 0.43 1.91 0.23 1.91 0.23 0.23

0023 0023 18 0602 0023 0602 18 1225 SU 1225 SU 0602

1.40 1.40 0.50 1.40 0.50 1.80 0.50 1.80 0.32 1.80 0.32 0.32 1.36 1.36 0.58 1.36 0.58 1.66 0.58 1.66 0.40 1.66 0.40 0.40 1.34 1.34 0.66 1.34 0.66 1.52 0.66 1.52 0.48 1.52 0.48 0.48 1.34 1.34 0.71 1.34 0.71 1.40 0.71 1.40 0.53 1.40 0.53 0.53 1.36 1.36 0.73 1.36 0.73 1.32 0.73 1.32 0.55 1.32 0.55 0.55 1.41 1.41 0.71 1.41 0.71 1.28 0.71 1.28 0.56 1.28 0.56 0.56 1.47 1.47 0.66 1.47 0.66 1.26 0.66 1.26 0.55 1.26 0.55 0.55 1.54 1.54 0.59 1.54 0.59 1.28 0.59 1.28 1.28

16 16 FR FR FR

17 17 SA SA SA

1908 SU 1225 1908 1908 0116 0116 0657 0116 0657 1314 MO 1314 MO 0657 1958 MO 1314 1958 1958 0212 0212 0754 0212 0754 1404 TU 1404 TU 0754 2046 TU 1404 2046 2046 0307 0307 0855 0307 0855 1459 WE 1459 WE 0855 2135 WE 1459 2135 2135 0403 0403 1001 0403 1001 1558 TH 1558 TH 1001 2224 TH 1558 2224 2224 0458 0458 1110 0458 1110 1659 FR 1659 FR 1110 2312 FR 1659 2312 2312 0547 0547 1213 0547 1213 1758 SA 1758 SA 1213 2357 SA 1758 2357 2357 0633 0633 1306 0633 1306 1850 SU 1850 SU 1306 SU 1850

19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22

23 23

24 24

25 25

0040 0040 26 0715 0040 0715 26 1351 MO 1351 MO 0715 1936 MO 1351 1936 1936 0120 0120 0754 0120 0754 1431 TU 1431 TU 0754 2019 TU 1431 2019 2019 0158 0158 0831 0158 0831 1509 WE 1509 WE 0831 2059 WE 1509 2059 2059 0235 0235 0908 0235 0908 1545 TH 1545 TH 0908 2137 TH 1545 2137 2137 0313 0313 0945 0313 0945 1621 FR 1621 FR 0945 2216 FR 1621 2216 2216 0352 0352 1022 0352 1022 1659 SA 1659 SA 1022 2257 SA 1659 2257 2257

27 27

28 28 29 29

30 30

31 31

0.54 0.54 1.60 0.54 1.60 0.52 1.60 0.52 1.30 0.52 1.30 1.30 0.52 0.52 1.66 0.52 1.66 0.45 1.66 0.45 1.32 0.45 1.32 1.32 0.51 0.51 1.72 0.51 1.72 0.40 1.72 0.40 1.34 0.40 1.34 1.34 0.49 0.49 1.76 0.49 1.76 0.36 1.76 0.36 1.35 0.36 1.35 1.35 0.49 0.49 1.78 0.49 1.78 0.34 1.78 0.34 1.36 0.34 1.36 1.36 0.49 0.49 1.79 0.49 1.79 0.33 1.79 0.33 1.36 0.33 1.36 1.36

Last Last Quarter Quarter Last Quarter

Tide predictions for Sydney (Fort Denison) have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material is supplied in good faith and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition that no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes. Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions. SEPTEMBER 2016

Trades, Services, Charter BAIT & TACKLE CLARENCE

MARINE MECHANICS SYDNEY

Yamba Bait & Tackle (02) 6646 1514

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

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

HUNTER COAST Port Stephens Tackle World (02) 4984 2144

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

Greg’s Mobile Marine 0424 046 060 Penrith Marine (02) 4731 6250 Moby Marine (02) 9153 6506 or www.mobymarine.com.au Aqua Marine 0415 600 301 or www.aquacash.com.au Cohoe Marine Products (Sydney) (02) 9519 3575 Blakes Marine (02) 4577 6699 Watersports Marine (02) 9676 1400 Neken Marine (02) 9979 9649 Boat Assist 24 - On Water Mechanic (02) 9746 6224

P T Y

L T D

• Huge range of spare parts • Sterndrive & Outboard Specialists • Servicing All Makes & Models

AUSTRALIA’S # For Spare Parts & Accessories

ONLINE TACKLE PRODUCTS

www.fishin.com.au ONLINE BREAM TACKLE STORE

has you covered

MOBY MARINE

• We are one of Australia’s largest suppliers of after market spare parts & accessories • Trade Enquiries Welcome

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

(02) 9153 6506 sales@mobymarine.com.au

Discounts for Fishing and Boating Club Members

44 Barry Ave, Mortdale, NSW

www.mobymarine.com.au COFFS COAST Jetty Boating (02) 6651 4002

MACQUARIE COAST

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

FRESHWATER

Dubbo Marine and Watersports (02) 6882 2853

HOLIDAY RENTAL

Specialising in “Tournament Quality Lures” 0425 230 964 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 Mo Tackle (02) 6652 4611 or www.motackle.com.au Specialty Fishing Products www.specialtyfishing.com.au U-Make-Em Soft Plastics www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au Adrenalin Flies www.adrenalinflies.com.au Techni Ice www.techniice.com J Roc Tackle www.jroctackle.com.au Jayro Tackle www.jayrotackle.com.au

NORTH COAST Brooms Head Caravan Park (02) 6646 7144 Calypso Yamba Holiday Park (02) 6646 8847 Iluka Riverside Tourist Park (02) 6646 6060 Wooli Camping & Caravan Park (02) 6649 7671

SYDNEY The Boat Pimpers (Sydney) (02) 9792 7799

cabins, caravans, camping & fishing … all year ‘round

Holiday Haven Tourist Parks

MACLEAY VALLEY COAST

Macleay Valley Coastal Holiday Parks 1300 262 782 Crescent Head Holiday Park (02) 6566 0261

CRESCENT HEAD HOLIDAY RENTALS

MODIFICATIONS & REPAIRS // BOAT & TRAILER Bold Trailers (02) 8544 8114 www.boldtrailers.com.au Salt Away 1800 091 172 www.salt-away.com.au

South Coast NSW

NEED REPLACEMENT MARINE ENGINE PARTS OR ACCESSORIES?

S E R V I C E S

FRESHWATER

stay & fish

ILLAWARRA COAST

For all your accommodation needs, house, units & townhouses for every budget. Contact the friendly team at Crescent Head Real Estate for your free holiday brochure.

www.crescentheadholidayrentals.com.au

Email: holiday@crescentheadrealestate.com.au

Culburra Beach Swan Lake Bendalong Point Lake Conjola Ulladulla Headland Burrill Lake

1300 733 026 1300 555 517 1300 733 025 1300 133 395 1300 733 021 1300 555 525

Relax. Enjoy. Explore.

6 MAIN ST, CRESCENT HEAD NSW 2440

Phone: 02 6566 0500

3Gelcoat repairs 3 Insurance repairs

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

Crescent Head Holiday Rentals (02) 6566 0500 Hat Head Holiday Park (02) 6567 7501 Horse Shoe Bay Holiday Park (02) 6566 6370 Stuarts Point Holiday Park (02) 6563 0616 Grassy Head Holiday Park (02) 6569 0742 South West Rocks Tourist Park 1800 666 264

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

CENTRAL COAST

www.holidayhaven.com.au

Central Coast Holiday Parks 1800 241 342

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

Boats & Guided Fishing Tours Directory Jan’s Retreat (02) 4441 7000 Currarong Beachside Tourist Park 1300 555 515 Sussex Inlet (LJ Hooker) (02) 4441 2135 Riviera Caravan Park, St George’s Basin (02) 4441 2112 Killalea State Park, Shell Cove (02) 4237 8589 Holiday With Us, Sussex Inlet (02) 4441 2135 Surf Beach Holiday Park (02) 4232 1791 Kendalls on the Beach (02) 4232 1790 Werri Beach Holiday Park (02) 4234 1285 Seven Mile Beach Holiday Park (02) 4234 1340 Kiama Harbour Cabins (02) 4232 2707 Ulladulla Headland Tourist Park 1300 733 021

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

FISHING EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME!

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

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

SATELLITE TV INSTALLED

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

BYRON COAST

www.mikat.com.au

Evans Head Deep Sea Fishing Charters, 0428 828 835 Reel Time Fishing Charters 0428 231 962

FISHING GUIDES

COFFS COAST Coffs Coast Sport Fishing 0434 517 683 Oceanic Sea Urchin II Charters (02) 6566 6623 or 0428 650 321 The Rocks Fishing Charters 0412 074 147 Trial Bay Fishing Charters, 0427 256 556 South West Rocks Fishing Adventures 0411 096 717

Fishing Monthly SPECIAL Offers!

SHOP ONLINE 24/7

www.bargainboatbits.com.au or IN-STORE WITH YOUR LOCAL BBB MEMBER!

ILLAWARRA COAST Bay & Basin Sportsfishing 0413 610 832

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

KAYAK DEALERS

BONUS

Senator Multi-Tool Valued at $54.90

Hunter Water Sports (02) 4947 7899 www.southwestrocksfishingadventures.com.au

FISH TAXIDERMY PORT & REEF SFISHING GAME S

CHART

Fish Taxidermist 0428 544 841 u Mid week packages from $420 p/p* u Weekend packages from $320 p/p*

*Minimum 6 people

On board our fully equiped 38ft Randell TRIFECTA Contact: David Hayman (Stumpee) Mobile: 0411 096 717 info@swrcharters.com.au

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

SAMPLE AD BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 40 words within a 10x2 ad size.

HUNTER COAST

Striker 7sv 2 YEAR WARRANTY!

ONLY

789

WHILE STOCKS LAST!

LED 18W 2999 Work Lamp

Tailermade Fishing Adventures 0411 096 717

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

ILLAWARRA COAST

FROM ONLY

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

3 GREAT MODELS!

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

QUEENSLAND

MV CAPRICORN STAR EXTENDED FISHING CHARTERS

G-Clamp $44.99 Medium $59.99 Large $79.99

ads@fishingmonthly.com.au BOAT IMPORTS Import USA Boat 0435 476 177

INDIVIDUAL ENQUIRIES WELCOME Swains Reef • Bunker Group • Coral Sea • Shoal Waters and Beyond

W capricornstar.com.au • E info@capricornstar.com.au

99 44 Burley Mincers $

BOAT HIRE Boab Boat Hire (NSW) 1300 002 6221

STORES STRONG

WE YOU BUY MORE PAY LESS

www.bargainboatbits.com.au

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

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

PROTECT YOUR BOATING LIFESTYLE WITH MERCURY INSURANCE

Genuine Replacement Parts* 3 Year New for Old Replacement 5 Year Agreed Value* Monthly Payment Option 24 Hour Emergency Assistance

Visit www.mercuryinsurance.com.au to locate your nearest authorised representative.

*Terms and conditions apply, see the PDS for full details or go to www.mercuryinsurance.com.au. Mercury Insurance is administered by Club Marine Limited ABN 12 007 588 347, AFS Licence No. 236916 and underwritten by Allianz Insurance Limited ABN 15 000 122 850, AFS Licence No 234708.