New South Wales Fishing Monthly - September 2015

ALL THE LATEST PRODUCTS FROM THE AFTA TRADE SHOW

Features

Fish the Flathead Classic on the Gold Coast • Sounding yellowbelly on western lakes • 10 top lure tips •

NEW!

Find

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T ried and Tested Clark 4.27 Estuary Pursuit • Stessco 490 Bow Rider • Juro Lightning Stix Surf Rod • Spooltek Lures • Rod Runner • Mustad Dry Duffle Bag •

September, 2015 Fishing Monthly G R O U P

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A Black Magic 12gm Spinsect ‘golden grub’ was used by Rod Shepherd to catch this brown trout while fishing at Lake Elingamite. ®

A Black Magic 5/0 Snapper Terror was used by Bradley Stewart to take this morwong off Mossy Point, NSW.

Kain Puncher landed this murray cod on Black Magic 30lb Tough Fluorocarbon leader. He was fishing at Burrinjuck Dam, NSW.

Brad Shillitoe landed this 70lb mulloway on a Black Magic KL 7/0 hook while fishing from Yalata, SA.

For your nearest retailer and our full range visit our website at

www.blackmagictackle.com

YOUR PHOTO COULD APPEAR IN OUR ADS! If we use your photo in our advertising you will receive a FREE BLACK MAGIC CAP AND STICKER! Include your name, address, fish weight, where you caught it and which Black Magic or Wasabi products were used. Send a high resolution image to: photos@blackmagic.co.nz

Black Magic 60lb Tough Trace was used by Adam Epifanis to catch this 18kg spanish mackerel. Adam was fishing from Steep Point, WA.

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echoMAP 95sv ©2015 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries

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September 2015, Vol. 21 No. 2

Contents 19

BYRON COAST The Tweed The Clarence

47 46

COFFS COAST Coffs Harbour Coffs Game South West Rocks

44 43 42

MACQUARIE COAST Port Macquarie 40 Forster 38 Harrington 37 Port Stephens 33 HUNTER COAST Hunter Coast 35 Swansea 32 Central Coast 30 SYDNEY The Hawkesbury 20 Pittwater 22 Sydney North 23 Sydney Rocks and Beach 25 Sydney Harbour 24 Sydney South 28 Botany Bay 25 ILLAWARRA COAST Illawarra 52 Nowra 53

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From the Editor’s Desk...

SYDNEY BOAT SHOW It was great to have NSWFM attending the Sydney International Boat Show again after a decade absent. We had a great subscription offer for attendees and plenty of you took advantage.

I was helped on the stand by longtime columnist Gary Brown. It seemed that every second customer had been taught to fish by Gary at his old TAFE classes – or maybe they’d read one of his popular Sydney fishing books. Regardless, the feedback from readers was valuable for our future planning of articles and features.

We took the opportunity to film a few of the launches at the show.

If you search for videos on Garmin Panoptix and VIRB, Humminbird Helix and Minn Kota Ulterra

as well as the new 6.2L MerCruiser inboards you’ll see what I mean.

I also had the opportunity to interview Mark Schwabero, chief of American-based Brunswick Corporation.

Brunswick owns Mercury outboards and recently acquired BLA Agencies. You’d probably be familiar with BLA – they supply about half of what you see in any marine chandlery store across Australia, as well as popular brands Minn Kota and Humminbird. It was great to hear from the guy at the top that Australia is an important market for Mercury outboards and that by buying this distribution network, they are committing to a bigger presence in the Australian marketplace.

He had some pretty cool stories, too. Like getting guided onto his first 18” largemouth bass by Kevin

Van Dam. That’s like getting taught to hit a golf ball

by Tiger Woods… when he was good!

You can watch the full interview by scanning the QR Code at the end of this text.

AFTA TRADE SHOW As usual, the Fishing Monthly team through our www.tacklejunkie.fish website got busy at the 2015 AFTA Trade Show on the Gold Coast, compiling videos of the best and coolest gear to be launched for the new season.

As well as the biggest ‘What’s New’ section of the year in the magazine this month, there’s a little QR code beside many of the products. Scan this with an app on your smart phone (or get the grand-kids to set it up for you) and you’ll be taken straight to the product video so you can see it as well as read about it in print.

With over 20,000 views of this video content at the time of going to print (on the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel), you’ll find that Fishing Monthly will increasingly bring you this news across a variety of platforms.

QR CODE If you don’t know how to use these QR Codes, throw the iPhone to the closest teenager and they’ll set you up!

BATEMANS COAST Batemans Bay 54 Narooma 55 Bermagui 56 EDEN COAST Tathra 57 Eden 58 Merimbula 58 Mallacoota 59

Sub-Editors: Glen Booth, Bob Thornton, Simon Goldsmith Publishers: Steve Morgan Matthew Drinkall

Office Manager: Marie Dykstra

Published by:

Qld Fishing Monthly Pty Ltd ABN 72-010-542-195 IN

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All material is © copyright, and cannot be reproduced in part or in full, by any means, without written permission of the Managing Editor. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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New South Wales Fishing Monthly magazine goes on sale the last week of each preceding month (latest sale date 31st of the month).

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Make cheques payable to Queensland Fishing Monthly PO Box 3172 LOGANHOLME QLD 4129

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Distribution: Gordon & Gotch Pty Ltd

A Dan Selby image.

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Editorial Manager: Jacqui Thomas

Dan Selby is a NSWFM contributor and guide with some impressive catches in the books.

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Business Office: Unit 1, 11 Knobel Court, Shailer Park, Qld, 4128

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NEW SOUTH WALES FISHING MONTHLY

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SPECIAL FEATURES AFTA Show Winners 8-11 New AFTA Show Products 12-16 10 Lure Fishing Tips 18-19 Sounding Yellowbelly Out West 48 Want to Fish the Flathead Classic? 68

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REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 7 Boating 76 Dam Levels 64 Fun Page 86 Kayak Fishing 50 Tides 85 Trade Directory 82 Tournaments 70 What’s New Fishing 8 What’s New Boating 80

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FRESHWATER Canberra 64 Jindabyne 66 Yarrawonga 67 Robinvale 67 Batlow 65 Lithgow/ Oberon 63 Glenbawn/St Clair 62 Copeton Dam 60

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Sharp hooks are critical NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

There’s an old saying in fishing circles that the two most important keys to consistent angling success are a strong knot and a sharp hook. This month, Starlo gets to the point — literally — and examines the all-important subject of hook sharpness.

In my opinion — and it’s an opinion based on more than four decades of on-water experience — the use of hooks with extra sharp points is one of the easiest

fish is allowed to completely swallow a baited hook before the angler strikes. In those instances, there’s a reasonable chance that your hook will find its mark and establish a hold, even if it’s not razor sharp.

There’s even one specialised fishing style I can think of where excessive point sharpness might actually prove to be counterproductive.

This unusual situation occurs when using a so-called ‘circle hook’ or ‘tuna circle’. These unusually-shaped hooks with their extremely re-curved points are designed to catch around the jaw bone or jaw

into the correct position and lock around the jaw bone, as intended. However, in every other form of angling I can think of, sharp hooks offer significant advantages.

Nowhere is the importance of hook sharpness more critical than in lure and fly fishing, where a fish will often nip, snap, slash or grab at a moving artificial bait, offering the angler a single, split-second chance of obtaining a solid connection. The difference between a missed strike and a solid hook-up when lure or fly fishing typically comes down to the sharpness of your hook points, and this is an

Jo Starling with a small golden perch that was only very lightly pinned, thanks to the use of ‘sticky sharp’ hooks on her lure. and most effective ways to instantly boost your catch rate, regardless of where you wet a line or what species you target.

Certainly, there are a few styles of fishing where having a wickedly sharp hook point might not be so critical to success. The most obvious of these are specific bait fishing scenarios where the

hinge as they exit the fish’s mouth. They’re best used by simply allowing the line to draw tight gradually as the fish moves away, rather than striking to set the hook. If the point of a circle hook is too sharp (or if it’s offset from the plane of the hook shank and bend), it may catch lightly inside the fish’s mouth or throat and fail to slide

area far too often disregarded or under-rated, especially by novice anglers.

A fine file or sharpening stone is perfect for touching-up dulled hook points.

Here the author is re-sharpening the hooks on a spinnerbait after they lost their sticky edge due to repeated contact with submerged rocks.

Keen, experienced lure fishers regularly talk about the desirability of having ‘sticky sharp’ hooks. When they use this term, they’re referring to the propensity that really keen hook points have of literally ‘sticking’ to any surface they happen to touch, be it your finger, an item of clothing… or a fish’s lip. Sticky sharp hooks can make a huge difference to your day-to-day lure and fly fishing results.

In the bad old days, new hooks were rarely sticky sharp straight out of the pack and committed anglers were forced to spend time touching them up with fine files or sharpening stones. In this modern era of improved metallurgy and ‘chemically sharpened’ hooks (which have been etched in an acid bath to remove the imperfections left by the mechanical sharpening process), most quality hooks are keen enough to use when brand new, without any touching up. However, these very fine points are also highly susceptible to damage and deterioration from corrosion

Treble hooks on lures need wickedly sharp hook points in order to regularly find their mark… Check your hooks often! or contact with hard surfaces such as rocks, boat hulls and fish teeth.

Get into the habit of regularly checking your hook points by touching them lightly against the ball of

your thumb or dragging them across a fingernail. Really sharp hooks will instantly bite in. If they don’t, change them out or sharpen them… Trust me, you’ll catch a lot more fish if you follow this advice!

Quality lures like this Ecogear ZX typically carry very sharp hooks, greatly enhancing their ability to pin lightly-biting fish.

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Deeper fish finder is the first of its kind, portable, wireless sonar, compatible with 7000+ iOS and Android devices, specially designed to find the location of fish, depth, water temperature, bottom contour and more.

Enhance your fishing experience with the detailed view of the bottom terrain and fishholding habitat using innovative Deeper Smart Imaging technology. High accuracy sonar shots reveal most of the fish species with crystal clarity, allowing you to target your prey with confidence. This sonar is powerful enough to perfectly function in depths from 0.5m to ~40m below in both salt and fresh waters.

With castable Deeper and its mounting solutions you can explore the lake, river or sea from every angle. You can scan places other fish finders cannot reach, and Deeper’s temperature sensors also provide accurate fluctuations of the water temperature.

The smartphone app lets you adjust all sonar functions, add info and pics to a fishing log, and more. www.rapala.com.au SEPTEMBER 2015

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In designing the new Stradic FK, Shimano has made a great reel even better.

The first big feature is the Hagane Body. This metal frame delivers high rigidity, so there’s no flexing when under load and no loss of cranking power either. This is complemented by the Hagane Gear system — not cut gear teeth, but 3D design cold forging for increased resilience and longer durability.

The new Stradics have an additional SA-RB bearing and they’re all high 6:1 to 6.2:1 gear ratios, so cast lures will really motor on the retrieve.

Aero Wrap II, the AR-C spool, One Piece Bail and G-Free Body make these reels a delight for repetitive casters to use, with better balance in the hand. The presence of Coreprotect on the roller clutch, the drag, the body and the line roller make the Stradic FK stand up to the harsh Aussie saltwater environment.

Price: from approx. $270 www.shimanofish.com.au

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 Deeper smartphone fish finder

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FINS have released a revolutionary new braided superline: 40G. The unique composite structure of the 40G makes people think it’s mono the first time they touch it, and this durable braid has the smallest diameter-to-strength ratio ever offered.

To construct the line, FINS starts with a core of Spectra fibre and then over-braids this tightly with eight ends of smaller yarns. Pro-staffers report at least twice the wear compared to standard braids, and when 40G is close to wearing out you have an advance warning as the over-braid will show damage before the core. The colour will last as long as the line does, due to the colour being applied to the core fibres.

FINS 40G is scheduled to hit tackle stores in early October. This line is expected to cost about 20% more than others in the stable, due to the slower processing required to produce it, but from all accounts the benefits are worth it. www.jmgillies.com.au

BEST FISH FINDER

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 TwinPower / Ocea Offshore combo

Ocea Offshore Series rods are incredibly versatile, covering the gamut of bluewater fishing pursuits from jigging to casting stickbaits, switch-baiting for marlin, to inshore snapper fun on soft plastics and bait. What’s more, there’s been a significant weight saving – up to 20% – so Ocea Offshores are even more comfortable to use over the duration of a long fight.

The Twin Power SW features a Hagane body and Hagane gears, and an increased number of bearings and heavy drag capabilities have made the Twin Power spin reels must-haves for the elite saltwater angler.

The AFTA award-winning combo is made up of the TwinPower 4000 SWBXG (12kg260m mono capacity, 0.31mm-170m diameter capacity, 6.2:1 gear ratio, 95cm retrieve per crank, 10+1 bearings, 11kg drag power, 355g weight) and the Ocea Offshore Jig PE3 (5’3”, 1-piece, 30lb line weight, 100g lure weight, TC4 Toray graphite blank, Fuji/full length EVA butt assembly and Fuji K Alconite guides). www.shimanofish.com.au

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Using Shimano’s exclusive Hi-Power X construction graphite blanks, Zodias casting rods deliver incredible distance and accuracy. The lightweight blanks are complemented by custom shaped EVA grips, Fuji alconite guides — with a Fuji SIC tip to reduce heat buildup at a key point — and a Ci4+ reel seat for an additional weight saving.

Hi-Power X blanks have an acute sensitivity, which crisply transmit every tap from a snag, weed, or a cautious short-striking fish, especially when used in conjunction with reels spooled with zero stretch braid.

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 you're chasing 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 Zodias 702 Spin

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AFTA FISHING TACKLE, MARINE AND OUTDOOR TRADE SHOW

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 Squidgies Pro Prawn

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Squidgies has answered the calls of the angler with the release of their new larger sized prawn plastic, the Squidgy Pro Prawn.

Measuring in at around 115mm and available in two versions, paddle-tail and curltail, the new XOS prawn imitation are tailor made for large species such as barramundi, threadfin salmon, mulloway and snapper, and are destined to become a hit around the country.

Hyper realistic with striking eyes and protruding antennae the new Pro Prawn is available in six different colours, and with a price tag that is in reach of all anglers. Just about everything with fins eats a prawn and we're sure just about anything big with fins will eat the new Pro Prawn.

Price: under $10 www.squidgies.com.au G

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Angler requests have again inspired the latest addition to the TT Lures stable, the SnakelockZ jighead.

Combining the ‘chin lock’ system from their ChinlockZ hooks, with the free-swinging front weight concept of their Snake Head jigheads, the team at TT have enabled anglers to secure their plastic in place with the ‘chin lock’ while offering maximum action and the weight required to get the soft plastic deep in structure with minimal chance of snagging.

In the process of developing the SnakelockZ jigheads it was decided to use a stainless steel, through wire loop, with a locking system that enables anglers to twist and unclip the hook from the head. This gives anglers the freedom to swap hook sizes and weights as required, or attach a different hook to the head to suit a particular soft plastic or technique.

SnakelockZ are built tough on chemically sharpened Mustad, heavy duty worm hooks to handle hard hitting and strong fighting Aussie species and are available in 2/0H-6/0H and 8/0H, with 3 per pack (2 per pack 8/0) and weights ranging from 1/12oz – 3/8oz.

Price: from approx. $10.95 www.tackletactics.com.au TE

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The original Cranka Crab has been on the market for two years, and it’s been a big success on the bream tournament scene. Now, in response to angler demand, creator Steve Steer has released a larger version for anglers targeting the likes of permit, jew and snapper.

The bigger Cranka Crab still has those lifelike floating claws, which mimic the defensive behaviour of a threatened crab, but instead of trebles on the claws it has a bigger single through the body of the crab. There’s a locked split ring at the rear, and if you remove that you can dismantle the lure and switch its parts around to match the local crabs in the area you’re fishing. This customisation could include swapping out the lure’s soft legs, using different coloured claws or even different sized claws – and of course you can change the weight to suit the conditions.

Price: from RRP $18.95 www.crankalures.com

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 Cranka Crab New Single Hook Model

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JOHN DUNPHY AWARD FOR INNOVATION

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 TTLures SnakeLockz Jigheads

BEST TERMINAL TACKLE

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The Rapala X-Rap Diving Magnum 40 great addition to the Diving magnum family.

It is the deepest diving minnow that Rapala produces, and is one of the deepest available in Australia.

When you know the fish are down deeper, the Magnum 40 gives you that extra extension required to get your lure down to where the fish can notice it – the goal being to bring the fish up to not only your Magnum but also to other lures in your spread.

With this latest addition, Rapala X-Rap Magnums now come in six sizes: 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40. Each has lifelike scale detail and a massive diving lip to get the lure down deep, unassisted. Magnums run perfect right out of the box, and can be run up to 13 knots. Well known as an Australian favourite when it comes to bluewater trolling, these lures are available in specialised Australian bait imitations – lure patterns that are found nowhere else in the world. Exclusive colours include petrolero, red sardine and UV patterns. www.rapala.com.au

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 Rapala X-Rap Magnum 40 BEST HARD LURE

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Shimano have delivered anglers the ultimate backpack with the new feature packed Shimano Backpack.

Comfortable and functional, the Shimano Backpack leaves your hands free, which is especially useful when carrying rods and reels, or just tackling difficult terrain on the way to that next fishing spot.

This well-made and comfortable-to-wear fishing-friendly backpack holds a heap of fishing gear and comes with its own tackle boxes (4 trays in total) as well, making it essential item for all keen anglers on the go. At 25L in capacity and featuring classic Shimano styling, design and build quality, this new award winning Shimano Backpack sets a new standard in tackle storage and portability. www.shimanofish.com.au SEPTEMBER 2015

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AFTA FISHING TACKLE, MARINE AND OUTDOOR TRADE SHOW

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 RIO LightLine

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BEST FLY FISHING LINE

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RIO’s new LightLine is an award-winning (Best Fly Fishing Line – AFTA 2015, Best New Freshwater Fly Line – IFTD 2015) fly line that has been designed to load slower, more traditional action fly rods such as bamboo, glass and the more classic flexing graphite rods.

Built to precisely match the industry line standards, this line will not overload such rods – even at longer range. The weight distribution and short front taper ensures the line loads at close range, making it ideal for fishing on smaller creeks and streams, while the softer, supple coating ensures the line remains relaxed and easy to handle in the majority of conditions. The line will be available in WF and DT profiles, from #2 to #6. www.jmgillies.com.au

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Some guys look like they’re wearing their kids’ sunglasses – even when they try on the biggest pair in the store! Spotters has solved this problem with their new Freak model, engineered for Aussie blokes with Hulk-proportioned melons.

It has a massive 150mm girth from screw to screw and the expansion flexibility to accommodate any man-sized think tank. It also has a chunky frame front to balance out the lens surface area, and added sculpted temples.

A great match for the Freak frame is the Nexus Mirror lens. This iridescent blue/green mirror overlays a high definition emerald green polarised crown glass lens. The lenses use real metallic particles to reflect bright light and heat away from your eyes. To stop the mirror being scratched off, it’s sandwiched between layers of crown glass.

The high definition green base tint is soothing to your eyes, allowing for increased depth perception and improved colour awareness without altering your colour vision.

Price: SRP $289.50 www.spotters.com.au 10

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For the angler looking for a reel that is as adventurous and dependable as they are, look no further than the NEW Atoll Reel Series from Temple Fork Outfitters.

Precision machined from cold-forged 6061-T6 billet aluminium and hard anodized to a clear satin finish, Atoll reels are as tough as they are handsome. The revolutionary and unique “hubless” design of the Atoll moves the stacked delrin/stainless steel drag system away from the centre mass of the reel. What does this all mean? More efficient stopping power and greater heat dissipation, as the drag contact area is spread out over a larger surface area.

The Atoll is available in four sizes, ATL I (7-8 weight), ATL II (9-10 weight), ATL III (11-12 weight) and ATL IV (13-14 weight). All models feature easy left-hand/right-hand conversion and TFO’s legendary Lifetime Warranty.

Price: RRP $639 www.ejtodd.com.au

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Just like you wouldn’t pull out your driver when you need your 7 iron, the Sage Mod is optimized for the distances and scenarios most often encountered by the trout angler.

Thoughtfully crafted with contemporary line designs, fly patterns, and angling styles in mind, the Mod is a modern interpretation of a moderate action specific for trout fisheries. Designed between the deep loading Circa and fast action One, the Mod excels at measured distances to the short game, delivering delicate presentations with pin-point accuracy. Designed and handcrafted on Bainbridge Island, USA, the Mod features all the lightweight, strength, responsiveness, and accuracy benefits of Sage’s proprietary Konnetic Technology.

The Mod blank is jade coloured and has yellow-green thread wraps with black trim wraps. Fuji ceramic stripper guides and hard-chromed snake guides and tip- top complete the blank. The Mod singled-hand fly rods are available in 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 weights in 9ft lengths, and the Spey models come in a 6 and 7 weight in 13ft lengths. www.jmgillies.com.au

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The award-winning CapHat is a one-size-fits-all attachment that goes on top of your favourite cap or hat to provide ultimate sun protection. To put it on, you just slip it over the crown of your cap or hat, tighten the CapHat’s toggle and you’re away. For an evaporative cooling effect in hot conditions, just dip it in water prior to use. If there’s a lot of wind or blinding glare, close the Velcro tabs at the front to cover everything but your eyes.

Made from UPF 45 material, CapHats have been independently tested and rated as excellent sun protection, and recently got a seal of approval from the Melanoma International foundation.

The current model CapHat is just $14.95, and there’s a new model coming out called Extreme that will be $19.95. Check them out on the CapHat website or like them on Facebook.

Price: RRP $14.95 www.caphat.com.au

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With a 20% thicker drive gear, the new TwinPower SW delivers a new level of durability, allowing anglers to fight powerful fish with confidence.

Large precision cut gears with increased bearing support provide greater power transmission efficiency. Increased power combined with Hagane body results in maximum pressure on the fish. The Hagane metal body’s high impact resistance allows it to withstand sudden impact while minimizing flexing.

The shape and thickness of the aluminium rotor creates high rigidity for more fish fighting power. The increased mass of the aluminium rotor generates more inertia, resulting in easier fishing of heavy jigs and high resistance lures.

This new reel also has the most stable, tough and durable drag system Shimano has ever offered in Twin Power SW. Its superior water resistance, repelling both low pressure and high pressure water, holds up against the toughest conditions.

The award-winning TwinPower 14000 SWBXG has a 6.2:1 gear ratio, 134cm retrieve per crank, 10+1 bearings, 25kg drag and weighs 650g. www.shimanofish.com.au

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Viva Fishing Tackle Australia took out the Best Game Lure award at the 2015 AFTA Show with their Richter Lures Oscar with reflective wings.

This lure was the end result of Viva’s collaboration with Luke Ryan from Richter, based in Perth. With Luke’s input, Viva designed the bright UV Skirt and Wing combinations that wowed industry members at the Show. These reflective wings are now an optional addition to most of the Richter Lure range. The existing Richter range includes high quality pushers, plugs, skirts and terminal tackle. Richter also has its own pre-made rig inserts made out of top quality stainless hooks and wire. These rigs cover the entire range, from single 14/0 for giant cavitators right down to single 7/0 to suit the Tornado range. Richter lures have accounted for their fair share of record gamefish and it’s not hard to see why when you watch their action in the water. www.vivafishing.com.au

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Wilson Fishing’s legendary Live Fibre rod series has won an AFTA award for the second year running.This year it’s the Live Fibre Venom Game rods that have taken out the prize.

Live Fibre Venom Game rods don’t have a standard metal grip. New Venom technology enables the use of a Kevlar graphite system, which delivers both strength and light weight. This difference in weight is noticeable when compared to other game rods; the Venom Game rods are actually up to 750g lighter than Telaxiums. And as you’d expect, quality components are a feature, including Winthrop roller guides.

To see this and other recent releases from one of the best known and trusted names in rod building, head to your favourite tackle store.

Price: $1400-1500 www.wilsonfishing.com

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The feature-packed GoPro Hero4 Session is 50% smaller and 40% lighter than other Hero 4 cameras, making it the most wearable and mountable GoPro ever. Compatible with current GoPro mounts and featuring a new low-profile frame, and ball joint buckle, Hero4 Session provides ultimate mounting flexibility in any situation.

The Session captures 1080p30 ultra-wide video and 8MP time-lapse photos at 0.5 second intervals right out of the box. You can also access most of the modes of other Hero4 cameras using the GoPro App or Smart Remote. You can also use the app or remote to easily adjust settings like video resolution, frame rate, field of view and more.

Hero4 Session’s rugged and waterproof design, to a depth of 33’ (10m), eliminates the need for a separate housing. Easy one-button control provides unprecedented camera control; a single press of the shutter button powers the camera on and begins capturing video or time lapse photos automatically. A second press of the shutter button stops recording and powers off the camera.

SuperView, Auto Low Light, Protune for video, HiLight Tag, dual mic system, built-in battery, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GoPro Studio, complete this award winning camera’s list of features. www.vsport.com.au IN

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RinseKit is a portable, pressurised shower that’s like having a garden hose wherever you go.

With no pumping, and no batteries, RinseKit fills in 20 seconds and uses the pressure from the tap when filled to deliver pressurised spray for up to four minutes. The only product of its kind, RinseKit’s patented design features the eon pressure system that holds up to 8L of water, with a spray nozzle that offers seven different settings from jet stream to shower.

RinseKit can also be filled with hot or cold water straight from the tap. It comes packed with awesome features, including, compact design with a 8L pressure chamber, built-in ruler to measure fish, folding handle for one-handed carrying, and easy-to-remove lid to stand on for changing at the beach. www.vsport.com.au SEPTEMBER 2015

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What’s New FISHING

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SAMAKI BOOM BAITS

It can be a hassle trying to get your soft plastic sitting just right on the hook, and now there’s an easier way to do it. New from Samaki is a range of plastics called Boom Baits, which have a unique rigging system. The Booms feature marker dots along their backs to make it easy to line up specific sizes of worm hooks or jigheads.

Designer Josh Lowry said these baits also have a great action.

“I’ve used a special stretchy material in the Boom Baits, so they don’t just swim well but are durable,” he explained. “And of course the unique rigging system lets you match, say, a 2/0 or 3/0 with the marker dots, so these baits swim perfectly every time.”

There are 10 models, starting with little smelt for trout and bream, up to larger paddle tails and shads for barra and reef fish. All have UV inhibitors and impregnated scent, and they’ll go on sale in November.

Price: RRP $9.95 www.samaki.com.au

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COSTA SUNGLASSES

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FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

POWERED BY

ZEREK FISH TRAP

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The Zerek Fish Trap is a unique soft lipless crankbait with a curl tail. Available in 65, 95 and 110mm sizes, the Fish Trap’s tail undulates at the slightest of movement, giving off visual and acoustic cues to the fish. Even when the lure is sitting on the bottom, the slightest current will make the tail wriggle.

Built from virtually indestructible TPE plastic, the Fish Trap can take on the toughest of fish with the use of extra strong split rings and Mustad 4X Saltism trebles. A through wire connecting all tow points is moulded into the lead weight.

Working with a strong vibration, the Fish Trap can be cast and retrieved in any depth or trolled for a unique presentation that shallow rock bar and weed bed fish love.

There are 15 colours in the range, with UV accents and highlights, and some ultra-realistic colours designed for Australian species.

Price: SRP $19.95 www.wilsonfishing.com

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DAIWA SALTIGA AIRPORTABLE

At this year’s AFTA Show we saw a number of award-winning Costa polarised sunglasses on display.

The first was the durable Rooster, featuring a black frame and anti-glare green mirror lens – perfect for inshore conditions.

The rugged Cortez features flexible rubber called Hydrolite, whose special properties mean the more you sweat the more it clings to your face. Its dark lens allows only 10% light transmission, making it the go-to model for bright, high-glare situations.

The Mag Bay is a more urban style with an extra-large fit. The display model had a copper base poly lens, which is lightweight and repels water and oil.

Propriety Costa lens technology enhances optical acuity, making reds redder, blues bluer and greens greener. The plastic lenses are lightweight, impact- and scratch-resistant, and the glass lenses have the greatest clarity and are scratch resistant. All Costas are built by hand and have a lifetime warranty.

Price: from SRP $299 (poly) to $370 (glass) www.blackpete.com.au

Daiwa has introduced the latest Saltiga rod series, Airportable, providing anglers with a range of multi-piece, high quality offshore sportfishing rods.

Daiwa’s low resin, high strength, reduced weight, high density carbon creates a rod that is lightweight yet powerful and capable of punching well above its weight. X45 wrapping technology eliminates twist to improve sensitivity, increase strength and allow the blank to perform at its optimum capability. V Joint technology ensures that these multi-piece blanks match the performance of one-piece blanks in flex, power and responsiveness.

Fuji Super Ocean Silicone carbide guides provide extra strength, abrasion resistance and help to eliminate line wrap, and metallic blue accented custom alloy reel seats create an immovable fusion between rod and reel.

There are eight models, ranging from the C77MHS spin (3-piece, 231cm, mediumheavy action, 20-60g cast weight, PE 1.5-4 line rating) through to the J66XHB overhead (2-piece, 198cm, X-heavy, 80-200g, PE 2-5). www.daiwafishing.com.au

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BIG FISH ANGEL BAITS

The latest release from Insanity Tackle, the brainchild of Wayne ‘Mr Freshwater’ Dubois, is the Big Fish series of Angel Baits – the natural progression from the original Angel Baits.

Angel Baits can be used the same way and in the same places you would a spinnerbait, as they ride hook-up and can be worked over and through timber. Their spinning device and blades attract fish with a natural pulse and flash but, unlike other spinnerbaits, don’t scare them. Angel Baits are a great choice on highly pressured waters.

These lures have been built on the thickest wire on the market compared with spinnerbaits, so the lure won’t let you down no matter how big the fish is. Wayne has added 5” curl tail and paddle tail plastics (also available separately) making the lure 8” in total. They have natural ribbed silver blades and four skirt colours to mix and match with plastic colours. For more info check out Insanity Tackle on Facebook.

Price: RRP $15 waynedubois@westnet.com.au

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KING OF THE BEACH

The new collector’s edition 6500C8 is the most space age Alvey you’ve ever seen.

Launched at the 2015 AFTA Tackle Trade Show, the 6500C8 combines the traditional Alvey stainless steel back with super strong fishtail reinforcement for ultimate stability and strength when under load. Replacing the traditional Alvey composite constructed spool is a cold billeted marine grade aluminium CNC machined spool. It has a carbon fibre single 2” (50mm) clutch washer which generates 7.5kg of drag. There’s a rapid retrieve handle system, with both the handles and drag wheel genuine stainless steel alloy coated. For ultimate cranking power there’s a power knob on the top of the handle, and there’s also a rapid-retrieve knob for bringing in bait or for high speed luring.

As well as looking amazing, this limited edition reel has all of the durability and longevity that anglers have come to expect from Alvey.

Price: approx. $900 www.alvey.com.au

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

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S E T A M ES T A R ON SALE NOW!

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What’s New FISHING

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AUSSIE-MADE NINJA LURES

Ninja Lures are handmade in Australia with quality components at an affordable price, and cover all freshwater needs from redfin and bass all the way up to the mighty Murray cod.

Ninja also has a range of soft plastics and jigheads made from quality saltwater grade materials, with a realistic feel to keep the fish coming back for more.

Ninja spinnerbaits are durable and designed to stay connected with more fish.

All models come in a big variety of colours, with custom orders welcome. Hand moulded lead heads range in weight from 1/8oz up to 1oz, and each head has a hardy powder coat finish. Multiple blade combinations are available in all sizes, and stinger hooks come standard in basic models.

If divers are more your style, check out the hand-carved timber Ninja Assassin. It has an enticing, wide swaying action, and at 80mm long it’s ideal for bass, yellowbelly, Murray cod and more. www.facebook.com/ninjalures

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KERSHAW CAMP 18

From slashing a path through the bush to making kindling, the Camp 18 is the ultimate heavy-duty outdoor and survival tool. And for those of us who like a bit of extra badassery, it can also double as a pirate cutlass.

This full-tang 18” knife is made of carbon tool steel for toughness and wear resistance.

Cut, slash, hack, split, scrape – just about any task you ask of it, the Camp 18 can handle. A basic black powdercoat protects the steel and makes maintenance easier.

You’ll like the secure, contoured grip of the Camp 18, too. The handle has a built-in hand guard and is drilled in both front and rear so you can attach a lanyard at either the front or the back (or both) for carrying versatility. Like the other knives in Kershaw’s Camp series, the Camp 18 comes with its own moulded sheath with study nylon straps. The next time you’re out roughing it in the bush, or stealing booty from a hapless merchant vessel, make sure you bring the Camp 18. Check out the website for other Kershaw outdoor essentials.

Price: RRP $180 www.frogleysoffshore.com.au

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YO-ZURI 3DB CRAYFISH

The Yo-Zuri 3DB Crayfish is a slow sinking lure that’s designed to land in a level position. Its jointed tail moves as the bait is fished as a jig, or slow swimming action, just above the bottom. The tail hitting the bottom causes the gravel to stir up, attracting fish looking for yabbies or redclaw.

This lure has a weedless rig setup, with a piece of wire wrapping around a W hook, allowing you to fish dense structure for cod or yellas. You can throw the Crayfish up over a log, work it over the top and drop it down, attracting the attention of fish hiding beneath.

Other features include a patented Internal 3D Prism Finish, Wave Motion Technology, and a realistic prism egg sac with UV properties. The Crayfish weighs 23g and comes in six colours, including redclaw and yabby imitations. There are also brighter colours that have accounted for snapper.

Price: RRP $20 www.tacspo.com.au

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FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

POWERED BY

NEW FROM TIDE APPAREL

Tide Apparel has released some cool stuff for spring, including a new sun shirt with Tide and Fishing Monthly logos on the front and back. Like all Tide gear it’s made from top quality materials to provide the most comfortable fit possible, and its flattering cut allows you to look your best both on and off the water.

Also new on the scene are the Anchor Jigging Gloves. They’re nice and flexible, and the palms are thin, durable and provide a good grip.

Tide’s new black shorts are made from basketball-style material so they’re super comfortable whether you’re on the water or relaxing at home, and designer Nick promises they’re the most comfortable shorts you’ll ever wear.

These and other new releases will be rolled out soon. To check out the existing range, including winter gear, drop by your favourite tackle shop or visit Tide’s online store.

Price: $24.99 (gloves), $79.99 (sun shirt) www.tideapparel.com.au

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13 FISHING MUSE GOLD

The 13 Fishing brand has just released a new range in Australia called Muse Gold.

With slightly softer tapers and a slower action, these light spin rods are perfect for luring for bream and bass.

Designed with the most demanding anglers in mind, the 13 Fishing Muse Gold Spinning Rods excel at a variety of applications. Highmodulus 36-ton Mitsubishi graphite blanks feature Zonal Action Technology (ZAT), which divides the blank into three distinct zones – lower, mid and tip – for increased sensitivity, hook-setting power and forgiveness. Other features include lightweight yet sturdy Kigan’s 3D ZH guides with Zirconia inserts, ergonomic reel seat, winding check and trim pieces, and high-grade cork and EVA handles for a comfortable, nonslip grip.

There are nine rods in the range, all spin, ranging from 2-6lb through to 6-12lb. They’re perfect for the tournament bream and bass guys, or for anyone who likes light tackle finesse fishing.

Price: RRP $299 www.13fishing.com.au

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YAMASHITA TAIKABURA

Yamashita, distributed by EJ Todd, have released a new snapper jig called Taikabura.

“It’s easy to use – you just drop the jig to the bottom and slow roll it,” said Bryan Todd from EJ Todd. “It’s a line through system so the lure has a natural presentation as it falls, which results in more hits on the drop.

You can change weights quickly, and the weight breaks away on hook-up, so the fish can’t easily shake the hook out.”

These jigs come in weights from 60g up to 120g, allowing you to target snapper in deep water. Alternatively, in shallower water (say, 10m or so) you can hop the jig like you would with a soft plastic.

The Taikabura comes packaged as a set, or you can buy the heads or skirts separately so you can interchange them and find what works best on the day.

Price: RRP $18-$20 www.ejtodd.com.au

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

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What’s New FISHING FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE POWERED BY

Lightning Surf Bag Rod Mustad DryStix Duffle

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One thing that’s the same with all I have always enjoyed at fishing trips is the need beach to keepfishing valuable night, dry. especially mulloway. items I had targeting been searching for The best time to fish forfor them is on the a quality storage bag quite some darkest or around the new time, andnights really on wanted something moon phase. when you have waterproof – orHowever, at least very watertwo or three rodsrobust baitedenough up in the resistant – and towater and sitting in rod holders and down deal with the rough and up tumble the fishing beach it’s not that easywanted to see when of trips.

I also enough storage space you get practical an enquiry or a hook-up, so to hold tackle,used a camera, until nowsome I’ve always glow sticks. lunch and wet weather gear, but I On a recent trip to Fraser Island I had the didn’t want the bag to be too big. opportunity to try one of the new Lightning Otherwise I knew I’d be tempted Stix rods from Juro. This rod eliminates the to cram lots of non-essentials in it need for glow sticks because it has a builtand endthat up with a bulky, pack to in LED illuminates the heavy tip section of lug around. the rod. Turning it on and off is as easy as inserting a small, single alkaline battery that I then came across the Mustad Duffle Bag, and decided to take it on a work is housed in the base of the tip section. It’s trip to Fraser Island. Between fishing the easily accessible via a screw cap.

Kingfisher Bay jetty and chasing tailor on Will ‘Bream King’ Lee and I fished the the island’s beaches, I wanted to carry only Kingfisher Bay jetty after dark on the first one bag (plus a few rods). I wanted the bag night we arrived at the resort. to hold all the essentials I mentioned above, With the Lightning Stix we had plus an ale or two. problems seeing the tip no The bag spent a week bouncing around dancing I from pillar to in the ute with and every being bite; lugged was amazed at how much post, and I was happy with how it stood up light the LED put out. We used a live herring for bait, and the rod was well suited for this but it would also be at home throwing metal slugs or working soft plastics.

The rod is made from using a specially designed carbon and fibreglass blank. It loads up well, has plenty of grunt where you need it and casts a long away.

The rod we tested was the 13’9” Surf,

to this punishment. The zippers are large and sealed to stop water getting through, and there’s a

waterproof side pocket for essentials like keys, wallet and bottle opener so you don’t have to rifle through the main bag. The zipped mesh side pocket, which is ideal to put wet clothes, sandy shoes and empties in, so you don’t have to put them inside the bag. Having a meshed pocket that’s zipped is gold, as other bags’ mesh pockets don’t usually have zips so the contents can fall out. which was a bit cumbersome to use The on Mustad MB006 50L the duffle bag the jetty.

However, Lighting (RRP $79.95) is made of waterproof PVC Stix Surf rods do come in 10’ and and measures 24” x 11” x 12”. It certainly 12’ versions, which would be more did what I needed it to do. If I were to say suited to the jetty fishing we did. anything bad, it would be that it’s all white

This 3-piece rod is easy to and marks easily, but I consider each mark transport, and hopefully Juro will bring as a mark of pride! out a lighter 1-3kg model for chasing whiting up the river in the boat.

Mustad has a number of other sizes and All in all, I rate in this rod dry range well configurations their bag as range, worth a look for anglers who enjoy fishing and you can get more info at www.mustad. at night. To find out more check out www. no or ask for them at your nearest retailer. jurofishing.com. - Michael Fox Michael Fox

Spooltek Rod Runner Lures

TESTED: TESTED:

Tackle shops are full of We get plenty that of baits cometo across the accessories claim make your fishing desk for review, soexperience you can excuse me easier.

Some of these for being a little sceptical when a box accessories are graced genuinely of Spooltek lures the PO Box useful, while others much recently.

Like mostaren’t innovations, the more gimmick. theorythan was asound: the On baita includes recent trip to Fraser I a retractable trace Island that deploys on had opportunity to try the the strike, eliminating bite-offs and out the brand new Rod reducing the leverage that a jumping Runner rayembedded in arod fish has portable on M the antlure transporting its mouth. Thissystem, also 702 a bitee” Gmakes ik “Strmade and it definitely leader redundant. ed iz ss Polar there’s often a my lifepractice, easier. Glathough, In disconnect between theory and reality. So I The first thing I noticed about this rod grabbed a handful of 4” models and headed storage system was how light it was, which down the local to see if I could get them made me sceptical of how sturdy it would eaten and to test my theory that I wouldn’t be. I tested it on both the sand of Seventy get a hook-up. Logic was telling me that the Five Mile Beach and on the timber planks bait would be spit out between the hook of the Kingfisher Bay Jetty loaded up with disconnecting from three short spinning rods, a 12’ spinning the bait and rod and a 10’6” rod matched to an Alvey the trace reel. Fully loaded, the Rod Runner was very hitting the stable, and it seemed like the more weight it extent of its was loaded with, the sturdier it became. reach.

I always like to have my rods rigged and “Divot” But to I go was ready the night before a fishing trip, 9135 wrong. and in the past I’ve found it difficult to carry rised la o P The rigged way PC the multiple rods when setting off on a Spooltek baits work land-based mission.

They always seem to is that there’s a in robust miniget entangled one another.

However, spool inside the head that you need to with the shock cord strap that secures rods manually wind the trace up on to. When it’s in the Rod Runner, this was no longer a fully retracted, the hook eye slips firmly into problem.

It was great to start fishing with a notch in the hard head. Behind that point, five rods all ready to go with different lures a slip-in plastic booted tail paddles away and rigs. and gives the bait action.

With plenty of tourists and kids running about on the Kingfisher Bay jetty I found the My first outing resulted in three bites

Rod Runner was also a handy place to put my expensive rods and reels out of harm’s way while removing the fish from a hook, baiting up or tying on a new lure.

It was also great to have somewhere to put our spinning rods and reels and keep them away from the sand while fishing off Seventy Five Mile Beach.

You wouldn’t take your golf clubs around 18 holes without a golf and three hook-ups. I landed two fish and bag and I now wouldn’t go landbased fishing another fell off during the fight. This was without my Rod Runner. For more info call neither better nor worse than my average.

(07) 3889 3033, visit www.brismarine.com.

I’d lose that many on hard baits with a au or drop into Brisbane Marine in Clontarf, couple of trebles.

Qld. - Will Lee With threadfin up to 92cm hitting the deck, I was pretty happy with the robustness of the little spool.

Dead-lifting a 70cm+ fish was no problem, and the bigger fish played up like a footy player on Mad Monday.

I was impressed.

There’s plenty more testing to do, but over a month of leaving the baits unwashed and full of saltwater, they still fished, retracted and deployed just fine.

To find your nearest retailer, email Spooltek’s local distributor at sales@innovativefishingsolutions.com.

- Steve Morgan

designed carbon and fibreglass blank. It loads up well, has plenty of grunt where you need it and casts a long away.

The rod we tested was the 13’9” Surf,

All in all, I rate this rod range as well worth a look for anglers who enjoy fishing at night. To find out more check out www. jurofishing.com. - Michael Fox

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

Mustad Dry Duffle Bag Rod Runner

TESTED: TESTED:

One thing that’sarethefull same Tackle shops of with all fishing trips is that the need to keep accessories claim to valuable items your dry. fishing I had experience been searching for make a quality Some storage bag quite some easier. of for these time, and reallyare wanted something accessories genuinely waterproof or at least very wateruseful, while– others aren’t much resistant robust enough more than– and a gimmick.

On a to deal with rough Island and tumble recent trip the to Fraser I of fishing trips. I also wanted had the opportunity to try enough storage out the practical brand new Rod space to hold some tackle,rod a camera, Runner portable lunch and wet weather transporting system, gear, but I didn’t want the bag to be too big. and it definitely made Otherwise I knew I’d be tempted my life easier. cram lots non-essentials in it to The first ofthing I and endabout up with a bulky, noticed this rod heavy pack to lug around. storage system was how light it was, which I then came across the Mustad Duffle made me sceptical of how sturdy it would Bag, and decided to take it on a work be. I tested it on both the sand of Seventy trip to Fraser Island.

Between fishing the Five Mile Beach and on the timber planks Kingfisher Bay jetty chasing on of the Kingfisher Bay and Jetty loaded tailor up with the island’s beaches, I wanted to carry only three short spinning rods, a 12’ spinning one bag (plus a few rods). I wanted the bag rod and a 10’6” rod matched to an Alvey to hold all the essentials I mentioned above, reel. Fully loaded, the Rod Runner was very plus an ale or two. stable, and it seemed like the more weight it The bag spent a week bouncing around was loaded with, the sturdier it became. ute and being lugged from pillar to in the I always like to have my rods rigged and post, and I was happy with how it stood up ready to go the night before a fishing trip, and in the past I’ve found it difficult to carry multiple rigged rods when setting off on a land-based mission. They always seem to get entangled in one another. However, with the shock cord strap that secures rods in the Rod Runner, this was no longer a problem. It was great to start fishing with five rods all ready to go with different lures and rigs.

With plenty of tourists and kids running about on the Kingfisher Bay jetty I found the

to this punishment. The zippers are Rod Runner was also a handy place large and sealed to stop water to put my expensive rods and reels getting through, and there’s a out of harm’s way while removing the fish from a hook, baiting up or tying on a new lure.

It was also great to have somewhere to put our spinning rods and reels and keep them away from the sand while fishing off Seventy Five Mile Beach.

You wouldn’t take your waterproof side pocket for essentials like golf clubs around 18 holes without a golf keys, wallet and bottle opener so you don’t bag and I now wouldn’t go landbased fishing have to rifle through the main bag. The without my Rod Runner. For more info call zipped mesh side pocket, which is ideal to (07) 3889 3033, visit www.brismarine.com. put wet clothes, sandy shoes and empties au or drop into Brisbane Marine in Clontarf, in, so you don’t have to put them inside the Qld. Will Lee bag. Having a meshed pocket that’s zipped is gold, as other bags’ mesh pockets don’t usually have zips so the contents can fall out.

The Mustad MB006 50L duffle bag (RRP $79.95) is made of waterproof PVC and measures 24” x 11” x 12”. It certainly did what I needed it to do. If I were to say anything bad, it would be that it’s all white and marks easily, but I consider each mark as a mark of pride!

Mustad has a number of other sizes and configurations in their dry bag range, and you can get more info at www.mustad. no or ask for them at your nearest retailer.

- Michael Fox

Spooltek Lures

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

TESTED:

We get plenty of baits come across the desk for review, so you can excuse me for being a little sceptical when a box of Spooltek lures graced the PO Box recently. Like most innovations, the theory was sound: the bait includes a retractable trace that deploys on the strike, eliminating bite-offs and reducing the leverage that a jumping fish has on the lure embedded in its mouth. This also makes a biteleader redundant.

In practice, though, there’s often a disconnect between theory and reality. So I grabbed a handful of 4” models and headed down the local to see if I could get them eaten and to test my theory that I wouldn’t get a hook-up. Logic was telling me that the bait would be spit out between the hook disconnecting from the bait and the trace hitting the extent of its reach.

But I was wrong.

The way the Spooltek baits work is that there’s a robust minispool inside the head that you need to manually wind the trace up on to. When it’s fully retracted, the hook eye slips firmly into a notch in the hard head. Behind that point, a slip-in plastic booted tail paddles away and gives the bait action.

My first outing resulted in three bites

“Pelorus ” 9141 PC Polar ised and three hook-ups. I landed two fish and another fell off during the fight. This was neither better nor worse than my average.

I’d lose that many on hard baits with a couple of trebles.

With threadfin up to 92cm hitting the deck, I was pretty happy with the robustness the little spool.

“Eagof le” Dead-lifting a 70cm+ fish was 9137 and the bigger no problem, P C P olaris fish played up edlike a footy player on Mad Monday.

I was impressed.

There’s plenty more testing to do, but over a month of leaving the baits unwashed and full of saltwater, they still fished, retracted and deployed just fine.

To find your nearest retailer, email Spooltek’s local distributor at sales@innovativefishingsolutions.com.

- Steve Morgan

Featured style – Mantaray “Strike” by Sport Optics Available exclusively at www.sunglassclearancewarehouse.com.au visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS! visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS! 16

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au SEPTEMBER 2015

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Top 10 tips for luring CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley jrobley@iprimus.com.au

At this time of year, with warmer weather and more daylight hours many anglers turn their attention to casting lures rather than good old natural bait.

Common species such as bream, flathead and bass become more active now and will continue to do so as we move through spring, towards summer.

During this earlier part of spring though, many fish still haven’t fully woken from their cold water doldrums and may not yet be overly enthusiastic about hitting lures. Because of this, it’s easy to assume that lures may simply not be working and a switch back to bait soaking is a better idea. To some extent this may be true, but for those who really want to get this lure fishing business sorted, it’s best to persist.

Something else that is important to understand is that the lure fishing game is a bit different to using baits. The biggest individual difference is that lure casting is largely about the angler moving around and casting to seek out fish, while drowning a natural bait is a way of attracting fish towards your offering, which is generally in a stationary position.

Casting lures and actively looking for fish can be done from shore-based spots, by wading around shallows, from a kayak or a powered boat. Whichever approach the angler takes, the following ten tips are all valuable and when combined, that all important success or goal should be achieved.

SPECIFIC TARGET As with any form of fishing, from outback creeks through to your local estuary or deep offshore waters, aiming for a particular species will always have an advantage

over simply getting out there and hoping for ‘something’ to come along.

By specifically targeting one fish or another, you’ll be setting yourself up with appropriate tackle or lures for that species. Of course, doing a bit of research by talking to mates and reading fishing reports or articles should provide a clearer picture of exactly how to go about catching the fish.

Bream, flathead, tailor, mulloway, cod or bass all bite lures and all have some things in common, but they’re all different to each other and respond to different lures and techniques, so pick a target and aim for it.

LOCATION Of course, heading to a suitable location is the next step and once again, each species has its preferred habitat. While species like bream are very widespread and it’s not hard to find a spot worthy of putting in

quite a few hours spent just to reach a spot worth trying.

While this seems incredibly obvious, such basics are a vital part of the lure fishing game and repeatedly casting for hours in the wrong place can soon diminish an angler’s enthusiasm.

So firstly consider your target species, then factor in whether it’s worth chasing in your area or will it require time and effort to reach a place where the fish are more likely to be.

TIMING As a broad guideline, most fish in the fresh or salt are more active and looking for a meal around sunrise and sunset. So casting lures during these short periods for anything ranging from bream and bass to tailor or trout tends to be more successful than persisting through the middle of the day.

Most saltwater species also react according to tides

SEPTEMBER 2015

go off the bite and sulk during the slack water, around the top or bottom of the tide. In some places though, mulloway or other predators use this calm period to hunt their prey.

Using a nice, lightweight and balanced outfit translates to more enjoyable fishing, so the angler will probably keep up concentration and confidence levels. some time casting lures, other fish like mulloway or Murray cod are much more specific in their habitat requirements and this could mean a long drive or

and water movement. In many cases a rising tide is good, but a falling or outgoing tide may also be fine for some species in some locations. Most fish

As fantastic as most lures look, they won’t catch fish by themselves. It may take some extra thought and effort to present them where fish will take an interest.

18

Bream are one of our favourite lure fishing targets, but they can also be one of the most challenging. This solid fish nailed a brightly coloured hardbody lure in quite cold, muddy water.

Understanding a little bit about the target species helps an angler decide exactly when or when not to put in the effort.

If in doubt, simply concentrate

more around sunrise or sunset to begin with.

TACKLING THE TASK Nicely balanced tackle that isn’t too heavy to use for a few hours at a time goes a long way towards success.

A lightweight outfit is more enjoyable when casting and fighting a fish. In most cases, lighter gear also translates to more efficient casting to attain distant and accuracy.

The outfit needs to match the lure weights being used, the chosen target species and the environment. So an ultralight 2kg outfit may work great for bream out in open lakes, but when chasing the same species around oyster racks or a creek full of timber snags it’s best to use beefier gear, which may also be a bit heavier in weight.

Similar comparisons can be made when casting lures from a beach or boat for tailor compared to doing the same thing from the ocean rocks. You may be throwing the same lure weights for the same sized fish, but the rocks, cunje, kelp and wave action mean that a much longer and heavier rod is required to achieve similar results.

A small pair of spilt ring pliers makes swapping over to new hooks so much easier than trying to fiddle around with your fingers.

Good gear certainly isn’t always about using more expensive stuff. Replace the word expensive with ‘suitable’ or ‘appropriate’ and you’re on the right track.

LURE LOGIC We live in a world absolutely choking with an enormous variety of different lures, suited to all manner of fresh and saltwater applications. Thankfully, we also have access to plenty of excellent advice or ideas, courtesy of publications such as this, as well as all the TV programs, Internet websites and forums. So choosing a lure to match the situation or species shouldn’t be too hard.

The best piece of advice I can add to all of this is to stick with well-known brands or lures with a proven track record before trying lesserknown or more obscure types.

When considering soft plastics for example, this means taking a look at the Berkley, Squidgy or Atomic ranges to begin with, as these are very reputable brand names and I can honestly say they do have some brilliant plastics in their stables.

Lure size is another thing to think about if you’re new to lure casting or want to improve results. Overall, it’s generally best to try smaller lures, rather than larger. A lot of the time (and particularly so at this time of year), fish of any species are in a wary or hesitant mood.

This means they’re simply more inclined to bite a smaller, less threatening looking lure than something larger that could potentially bite back!

THE RIGHT RETRIEVE Regardless of the chosen target species, environment, tackle, time or lure being used, we must always remember that even the world’s best lures will not catch fish by themselves.

They only start working when the angler puts them in the right spot and then brings the lure to life, with the retrieve.

Occasionally, a very simple, straight retrieve catches fish. Obviously trolling a lure is a dead straight

retrieve, so yes it does work.

When it comes to many of our favourite fish like bream, flathead or bass, results will improve greatly when the lure is ‘worked’ in a manner that makes it look alive or like an injured prey item. So this simply means mixing up the retrieve with some sudden

stops, faster rips, rod twitches and even very long pauses where the lure does nothing, but just sit there motionless.

There is no one specific right or wrong retrieve technique and what works one day may be less effective the next. Lure fishing is all about trying to fool or entice a fish

into biting an artificial offering, rather than a real meal, which natural bait is. So it’s important that the lure is brought to life by the angler.

THE BUSINESS END Failing to pay attention to a few simple things down at the business end can easily waste all the money, time and effort put into lure fishing. In short, this means making sure hooks are pin sharp and not bent or buckled in any way, split rings and clips are closed up correctly and knots are firmly tied.

Bream are notoriously bad at destroying hooks, with their powerful crushing jaws.

So the serious bream angler needs to constantly check and replace defective hooks as

required. Sure, good quality hooks aren’t cheap, but there’s no point using a $20 lure if its hooks are rusted, bent or blunt.

WATER TEMPERATURE Some species, like Aussie salmon and tailor and trout are very active through the cooler months. Others such as bream and flathead also need to eat during winter or when the water is quite cold, but they’re normally easier to catch with lures when the water is much warmer.

So at any time of year, better results may be achieved by paying attention to water temps, via the sounder or even by dipping your fingers in the water. If it seems extra cold, move around and try to

locate some warmer water.

Chances are more fish will be in warmer places, even if it’s as little as 1-2°C warmer.

WATER CLARITY Another aspect of water quality is the clarity. Once again, each species or area is a bit different, but in general, fish become more difficult to fool in extremely clear water and a bit easier to trick if it’s a bit murky. Once water becomes overly muddy, after flooding rains, it’s still possible to catch fish, but some adjustments may be required.

A basic guideline here is to use finer, less visible lines and leaders in super clear water, with subtle or natural coloured lures. If the water is quite muddy the line or leader

becomes less important, but lures may need to be brighter, bolder colours in order for fish to see them in the first place.

Models that have inbuilt rattles can also be beneficial, as can scented or flavoured types such as Berkley Gulps.

CONFIDENCE Finally and just as important as all of the above, simply having the confidence to keep casting or trolling lures goes a long way towards success. It can be easy to think that the lure isn’t working and switching back to bait is a better idea. While this may be true at times, fishing with lures can be every bit as effective as natural bait, if you’re in the right place, at the right time, where fish are hungry.

Bass aren’t an overly difficult lure fishing target, but considering the ten tips outlined here will definitely help when trying to catch them.

Even aggressive predators like bonito can be frustratingly difficult customers at times. Downsizing lures and trying different retrieve techniques are a few things worth doing if bonito are only following and not hitting lures.

Bream are very good at destroying hooks, so it’s a good idea to check hook points as you’re fishing and swap over to another lure or replace the hooks if need be.

Aussie salmon are great fun to catch by lure casting. Unfortunately though, sambos can also be extremely fussy feeders and ignore lures. In this case simply fishing very early, before sunrise was what it took to get into some action.

SEPTEMBER 2015

19

Spring into action THE HAWKESBURY

Dan Selby dan@sydneysportfishing.com.au

The wattles are blooming, insect activity is increasing, and the days are becoming noticeably getting longer.

For Hawkesbury and Nepean River anglers this means one thing. Bass season is just around the corner.

from tidal water to the sweetwater creeks and streams where they reside over the summer months.

This migration will be brought on in earnest with a nice dump of spring rain this month or next. These inflows will help bass find their best location for their summer endeavours.

Following the best flows will ensure they will have enough water to swim and

School mulloway will be increasing their activity in the warming water temps. Lures are still producing good catches but live baiting will account for the better quality fish.

With the bass closed season opening this month, anglers’ thoughts will now start to focus on bass as they begin their migration

feed in for summer and this can mean that if there is no substantial rain they will follow the next best thing, treated sewage water.

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SEPTEMBER 2015

All day, every day, treated plant water is pumped down our fragile creeks from Sydney’s ever-expanding residential areas and developments. Being very adaptive the bass move into this water and thrive in the nutrient rich water. While strange and disgusting, it’s the reality of bass fishing close to metropolitan areas.

BASS TIME Many anglers will be hanging out to throw their first surface lure this month, but you may be a little disappointed as the water temperature is still quite low.

I’m not saying don’t have a try during the prime times of dawn and dusk, but if you fail to raise a fish I would switch to a deep diver or spinnerbait and look for deeper schooled fish. Over the winter months the weed growth tends to thin out substantially and it can be the only time of year you can work a deep diving crankbait without fouling up constantly.

Your best bet is to start searching water in the upper tidal reaches from Ebenezer to North Richmond, then follow the fish upstream as they push up in large schools through the rapids and into the deeper pool water.

The close cousin of bass and one of my favourite fish, the estuary perch, will be making similar moves this month, but they rarely venture further than North Richmond and prefer the flowing tidal water to reside and hunt their prey, school prawns. They will be in large schools and hanging on the deeper weed beds and rock walls. A few accurate searching casts will uncover their whereabouts. When you find one you will find lots so holding your vessel in position with an electric motor or anchor and firing multiple casts through the strike zone can unleash some red hot sessions in September. Soft plastic minnows, curl tail grubs and small blades are favoured when targeting EPs. Try to keep the size around 2-3”, in motor oil, pumpkin seed and bloodworm colours.

Adding some scent can be beneficial to keeping the fish on the bite longer, especially if they are being timid.

MULLOWAY MADNESS My other favourite species, the mighty mulloway, is still biting well in the lower tidal reaches from Brooklyn to Wisemans Ferry. School prawns will be high on the agenda for the bulk of the school sized population and at times it can be hard to find a legal 70cm+ fish through the abundant soapies. Larger baits and lures can aid your search for

Bass of this quality are high on many anglers’ agendas this month. Working the deeper pools with spinnerbaits and deep crankbaits can deliver some some great sessions in spring. that better class of fish and eliminate the ravenous little fellas. Live baiting will start to come into its own over the next few months leading up to Christmas. Yakkas, pike, tailor, squid and mullet are all producers of quality mulloway. Fish the key times around the tide changes either day or night, and at major points, drop offs and reefs, and your trophy mulloway won’t be far away.

Bream and flathead are starting to push up stream also with school prawns, and small, at times microscopic, bait fish their favourite food source in spring. Matching these baits with soft plastics, crankbaits and blades will allow you to match the hatch and cover water to find fish. The flathead tend to push right upstream at this time of year with some great fishing on the sand bars up to and above Wisemans Ferry. Use your eyes and sounder to locate the eddies around undulating bottom structure, and the fish should come with ease. Fresh prawn baits, soft plastics and blades will work equally well when good structure is located and fished around the tide changes.

Salmon and tailor will be active around Broken Bay and into Cowan Creek feeding on the always abundant micro bait that gets swept in and out with the tidal surges. Look for the wheeling birds and approach with caution to the up wind/current side to keep the fish in a feeding frenzy. Matching the hatch, especially when the salmon are fixated on this micro bait, is essential and can be frustrating when they refuse perfectly placed casts. Don’t despair as the bait will grow over the coming months and these fish will become easier to fool with more cast-able offerings like a 2-3” soft plastic minnows or 3-7g metal slices.

Estuary perch are great fun on light spin tackle and lures when an active school is located.

Dusky flathead are in good numbers from Broken Bay to Wisemans Ferry and beyond, look for fish holding structure and reap the rewards with quality flatties like this.

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Time to get prepared PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

Hopefully the coldest weather is now behind us and better estuary fishing is on its way. Pittwater has really had some cold water recently, but the rewards are still there for those anglers who

and blackfish, trevally and flounder at the mouth of Pittwater. Tailor and salmon have been showing up around Broken Bay and are best found by the working birds. Small 5-10g metals are working well as are small clear soft plastics (if you wish to lose them to tailor.)

Trevally are being caught at Middle Ground and the patchy reef area of

Big squid like this one are worth chasing, the tube for a feed and use the big head for a big king. are able to prepare for a few different species.

At the moment it’s about fishing, not catching, and with this in mind you have to hit the water with a few plans that you are willing to try.

The species that are able to be caught at the moment are salmon, tailor, trevally and flathead in Broken Bay

Flint & Steel. There are also a few bream being caught as well and are preferring pilchard fillets. Trevally are pouncing on squid strips or peeled prawns. To attract both species it has been important to use burly.

Both of these areas have only a short window of opportunity as the current screams through half way

through the tide change and the bite stops. If you have the opportunity to plan your trip, be anchored up an hour before the tide change through to an hour after for your best chance.

If you want to catch a flathead then the area of Patonga through to Lion Island is holding a few.

The better bait to use is pilchard and if you cut the tails off the bait will spin less and it leaves a scent path for any other hungry fish down there as well.

By covering ground you will find some fish and if you mark a plotting trail on your GPS you will have the opportunity of being able to go back over the same grounds to find more of their mates.

For those of you that are like me and prefer to get pulled around the boat by big fish try for a kingfish. There are some big kingfish that cruise in close along the coast at this time of the year and most years the visit Pittwater and Broken Bay. There are big kings marking in Pittwater but once again they are only hitting small live cuttlefish.

It is truly amazing to see the difference of downrigging a small live squid around for an hour whilst marking kingfish on the sounder and a cuttlefish that only lasts five minutes. It has been proven to me year after year that these bigger kingfish of a metre plus are fixated on eating those small crunchy ink machines.

The grounds to hunt for kings at the moment is The Supermarket and along the moorings towards Stokes Point. If you are going to sit and anchor at The Supermarket be prepared for your baits to be picked to death. There are a lot of small leatherjackets and other pickers willing to mangle your hard earned live bait. Be prepared with heavy tackle in this area

Plate sized snapper are always welcome on a chilly early morning. and by downrigging you can not only present your baits to all sides of the wreck, you have a chance to steer around your fish when hooked up.

The areas to try for cuttlefish are all along the rocky shore of Pittwater. If the area that you are fishing has rock and weed, you are in with a chance. Smaller lures of 5g or less are the ones to use and your lure will need to be less than

a metre off the bottom to have a chance at catching one. These small cuttlefish are called Morning Cuttlefish and don’t grow to the massive sizes of their offshore relatives. The biggest I have seen would only be 12cm long and they usually hang in pairs.

If you are after a feed of squid along Pittwater, Palm Beach weed beds are seeing a few caught towards the moorings at Barrenjoey

Morwong have been in great numbers this season. This one was caught at the Trap Grounds off Broken Bay.

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Headland. There are a few being caught on the edge of the deeper water near Currawong Beach and Mackeral Beach. I was also surprised to catch a couple up at Rowlands Reserve (boat ramp). If you can cruise out to the ocean side of Barrenjoey Head there are a few big squid being caught whilst drifting.

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Sydney shines in spring SYDNEY NORTH

Darren Thomas

As spring closes in and the weather begins to warm there’s plenty of fish on the chew and plenty of options for those keen to enjoy the excellent fishing that northern Sydney has to offer.

The cooler water temps have stabilised of late and some ripper fish are being caught offshore, inshore and land based. I’m finding over successive years the seasonal run of species varies from year to year with some species hanging around longer and some hardly making a show. I’ve noticed particularly that kingfish are being caught all year round now in good sizes and numbers. I believe this is due to an increase in population since the banning of fish traps, and also the different techniques used by anglers to catch them. With more fish being caught more reports obviously filter through, particularly on social media.

Flathead have also been prevalent this winter, even during the colder periods when they are supposed to be hibernating.

Joe Emmerton with a quality gemfish caught of Sydney.

Amy McAndrew with a 50kg yellowfin tuna.

Dane Neville with a Narrabeen Lake flathead.

OFFSHORE Offshore the fishing has been awesome to say the least with pelagics and bottom feeders all getting a run this month. Vic and the guys over at Oceanhunter Sportsfishing have been working overtime fishing both inshore and offshore with some great results.

Hooked and Hunted’s Joe Emmerton ventured

offshore looking to haul up some gemfish from the depths and he certainly didn’t go home disappointed. A large slab of slimey mackeral was dropped to the bottom in 450m of water on an electric reel and a solid hook-up soon followed.

The electric reel did its thing and 6-7min later a couple of nice gemfish

hit the deck. Gemfish are a stunningly good eating fish, albeit with a head only a mother could love. Solid albacore to 9kg were also trolled up on the same trip, with 6” skirted lures being the standout lure. UV skirts in a variety of colours also did the damage.

It’s not only offshore where this boat has been landing fish, with the inshore scene at The 12 Mile and closer at Long Reef also proving two reliable locations to catch kingfish. Live baiting and micro jigging have been popular methods on this species throughout the winter, and I expect the lighter jigging method will continue to grow in popularity during the summer months as anglers investigate the different styles and techniques that go with this method.

TUNA TIME The big tuna will begin to slow down as our waters warm and who knows when that could be, so while they’re here make the most of them. Amy McAndrew is a young up and comer in the game fishing scene who catches her fair share of quality fish. Amy fished out of Broken Bay recently and landed a 50kg yellowfin whilst trolling a 6” skirted Billmark lures in UV colour using a 24kg outfit. The fight took 40 minutes for the fish to be subdued and

hauled aboard. As well as the big tuna there were plenty of albacore caught as well. Chasing tuna can be exhausting but its well worth the effort when a big barrel rocks up to the boat.

Always be prepared with some pilchards as when these fish find you, and that’s how it often is, feeding them cubes, then sending a whole pilchard down on a weighted hook is a sure fire way of getting a hook-up.

KAYAKS It’s not just the boaties catching good fish with kayak anglers certainly catching their fair share fish too. Dane Neville recently fished Narrabeen Lake and trolled small hardbodies along the weed edges for excellent results.

Fishing light with 6lb spin tackle Dane hooked and landed a 82cm flathead.

The fish was landed after a fairly nervous battle on the light tackle and earning Dane a new PB. Like most anglers nowadays this fish was released after a quick photo. The light line slow

troll technique is a great method over these sandy/ weedy bottoms with fish hiding in the weed and ambushing passing prey

and lures. It is essential to remain aware of lure and bottom depth as this is a major factor in the success of this style of fishing.

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Cool water action Water temps have finally dropped down to their normal winter low of 16 degrees. This comes after

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an extended summer season where water temps held up around the 20 degrees mark well into June.

Trevally are abundant around Sydney and a fun on light tackle.

John Dory move in close when the water cools and are suckers for a livebait.

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Kingfish and other surface fish have cleared out but have been replaced with a strong influx of traditional winter species, particularly john dory and trevally. We are also experiencing a spectacular run of winter flathead.

There has been some good lure fishing for school mulloway above Gladesville Bridge but those chasing them have found themselves plagued by flathead. Anglers have been nailing up to 30 in a session with fish up to 2kg being caught. The drop-offs on the flats in the lower reaches have also been producing, as have the sand patches amongst the moorings in North Harbour. Small plastics in the 3-4” range will produce the most fish. If you want to increase your chances of a mulloway then go to a 6” lure. This will also produce bigger flatties, albeit in smaller numbers.

Remember the critical thing with fishing lures for flathead and mulloway, keep the lure in contact with the bottom. Make sure you use a heavy enough lead head so that you can clearly see the touch down through your line as the lure hits the bottom. This is aided by using hi-vis braid lines. Detecting the touch down can get more difficult in either strong wind or current. The best remedy is to make sure you cast down current in a manner that ensures that the current is not applying any side pressure on your line. On windy days, keep

the wind on your back. You will need to re position regularly in order to cover plenty of ground.

JOHN DORY John dory are one of the classic winter immigrants.

They live on the offshore reefs in summer and move into the bays and harbours when the water gets cold.

They are mostly found around the lower reaches yet can be caught up stream when the water quality is good. They like deep, still, clear water and congregate around structure that holds plenty of baitfish. Boat moorings, bridge pylons, jetties, reefs and drop-offs are all prime spots.

It’s very rare to catch John dory on anything other than live baits. Best livebaits include yellowtail (with the tail trimmed) or any small reef fish like sweep or mado. John dory have an enormous mouth and will have no trouble swallowing a 15cm sweep.

They are not a good fighting fish but due to the possibility of picking up larger predatory fish on your live bait I would suggest using no less than 6kg line.

The rig consists of a size 4 bean sinker on the main line, terminated by a swivel.

A five foot nylon trace of about 10kg breaking strain is then tied to the swivel and finished off with a 4\0-6\0 Mustad Big Red hook.

The bait is then suspended directly under the boat or jetty about 2m off the bottom. The best time to catch John dory is on the turn of the high tide, early morning or late afternoon.

TREVALLY Trevally must have a wide temperature tolerance because they are very common in summer and winter. They are a very good fighting fish and very underrated as a table fish. Just like John dory, trevally like clear, deep water but will range well

upstream in dry weather.

Being an active pelagic fish they are happy to hold in the current, which makes them more common around the main channels and headlands. At times they will school and feed on the surface. When this happens they will readily accept

at the swivel that separates the mainline from the trace. Hook size should be somewhere between no.4 and no.1. A bait holder pattern is most suited to the type of baits used.

Best baits are small cuts of baitfish like pilchard, gar, bonito or slimy

Flathead love a well presented soft plastics hopped across the bottom. small lures and provide very good sport.

The most common method of fishing for trevally is with bait on very lightly weighted rigs.

They mostly feed from mid water to the bottom, so you must choose a sinker that will take your bait into that zone. The best rig is a mainline of 4kg with a nylon trace about the same. The sinker runs on the mainline and stops

mackerel. A good berley trail of pellets or mashed fish is very beneficial.

North Harbour, particularly around Flagstaff, and the channels around Sow and Pigs Reef and the Wedding Cakes are all producing plenty of trevally.

• 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.

Sydney Rocks in spring SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com

I must say I’m glad to see the back of winter. July and August in particular were incredibly cold, so the arrival of spring is truly welcome by many, myself included.

The usual cool water species are on the bite at the moment and rock anglers can expect rock blackfish, groper, leather jackets, trevally, luderick and the not so common silver drummer in selected areas. Off the beach Australian salmon are

any swell size above about 0.3-0.5m. A west to northwest wind is preferable to flatten the sea. Avoid southwesterly wind as it normal generates a southerly ground swell. Don’t fish in jeans, long cotton type pants, or heavy clothing.

Fish in nylon shorts or nylon long pant.

Obviously do not fish without the correct footwear.

Steel spike boots or stretch on spikes are the go for sandstone and volcanic rock, while Dunlop Volley type shoes are optimum for hard volcanic rock. Never ever fish with gumboots! Never fish with heavy Blundstone type boots either. If you end up in

Ryan Hayes enjoying his whiting fishing. the dominant species, while a run of whiting should start in September. Trevally will be caught off some of the beaches and bream should start increase in numbers.

LET’S ROCK Let’s start off with the rocks. When the westerlies flatten off the seas to the point that the swell becomes half a meter or less you’ll often struggle to find any decent white water to fish. When this happens being adventurous and venturing further afield to some of the bigger headlands can yield great results. These locations often can only be fished when the swell and seas are low and as a result receive less angling pressure.

When conditions are mild and close by locations aren’t producing is the time to travel and hit these hard to get to spots.

The nooks, crannies, ledges boulders and deep holes that you normally can’t reach are now fair game and prime places to hit. Take a light pack, one outfit, some berley and bait, and perhaps some lures and be adventurous.

Preparation is vital and avoid

the ocean they are difficult to stay afloat in and ultimately could be the reason why you ended up in the drink to start with. Remember all of this information is only very basic advice. As a full time rock and beach fishing instructor/ guide I am fully responsible for my client’s safety, so if you are taking anyone with you on a rock fishing trip you are equally responsible for their safety and wellbeing.

Be aware of their abilities.

Remember that the person/ persons that you are taking may not understand the dangers, so you are obliged to keep a very close eye on them. Always look at the sea and more importantly the direction the waves are coming from. Only ever fish those low-lying rock areas in very flat conditions. I have been saying this for decades; rock fishing can be safer than driving on the road. It certainly is more predictable.

ON THE MENU Now to what’s biting.

Luderick are along the oceanfront of Bluefish Point, along with trevally in the washes and the occasional

pan sized snapper. Salmon are also around as well. Around the corner further south some nice pigs and luderick are being caught at Tumbledown.

Salmon and trevally are also on the chew there as well.

South Curl Curl has salmon, pigs, a few groper, and some trevally along Flat Rock. Long Reef has been producing both luderick and groper.

Pigs and some silver drummer are being caught towards the island and on the island, while the South Boulders is producing pigs, groper and of course plenty of leather jackets. Warriewood Head has pigs on the north facing boulders, and luderick at the gutter below the climb. In between Bangalley Head and North Avalon is a platform that produces luderick in the small gutter on the right hand side of the platform. A couple of hundred metres south is a larger gutter that has pigs and luderick in residence. White sliced bread and peeled large prawns are the gun baits for pigs and trevally, while groper are suckers for a red crab. Salmon can be tempted by ganged pilchards or a 50g Knight metal lure. Pilchards, prawns, mullet fillet, and tuna fillet are hard to go past for snapper, trevally and occasional bream. And don’t forget the bread berley. For luderick hair weed, cabbage weed and a weed fly are the go. The later works surprisingly well.

ON THE BEACH The beaches are fairly quiet at this time of the year.

Salmon are without doubt the dominant species. Some cracker fish are on virtually every beach between Manly and Palm Beach. When I first started fishing at 13 the Aussie salmon was the first sizable fish I caught. I couldn’t believe it when I hooked one. They fight hard; they often jump clean out of the water and have incredible stamina. I find them quite a good table fish as well contrary to what most people think. When bled, cleaned, either filleted and skinned, or scaled and gutted, they are a good fresh fish to eat. Curl Curl Beach fishes well for this species.

There is the occasional tailor as well. Dee Why from the pole area onwards is a good location for a salmon.

There is some resident whiting there as well. Warriewood and Mona Vale have salmon, the odd tailor and tarwhine.

Bilgola is a reliable salmon beach, and although only small does hold a population throughout the winter/spring period. As I mentioned whiting sometimes run this month. Don’t really count on them, but they can turn up early sometimes. North Narrabeen Beach is a great place to start. They turn up

Dave Butfield from his great show Fishing And Hunting Australia with the legendary Beau Scott from the Newcastle Knights with part of a day’s catch. on this beach to migrate into the lagoon; so late September is a good time to check it out.

If not early October. Other beaches that fish early in the season are Palm Beach and Dee Why. THE HARBOUR A quick report for the harbour. Trevally are on offer at Manly Point, Marine Land Point, along with some luderick as well. Luderick can also be found on the northern

side of the Spit Bridge, while whiting are on the chew at Chinamans Beach. The snotty type weed can be a problem so move around and look for a clear bottom. For trevally pilchard fillets, small peeled prawns and bread berley are the go. Hair weed for the luderick and tube or bloodworms for the whiting are prime baits to use.

This month you will find the days quite pleasant to

fish and the evenings mild. I like to take the opportunity this time of the year to nail a big silver drummer, rock blackfish, groper and salmon.

Don’t miss out on it.

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

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Blue-spot lizards on the prowl spots. Sand corridors and variable bottom contours are excellent locations to fish for them.

These fish group together in large schools, and if you land one you can usually expect more to follow. You can get a bag limit of 10 in very quick time.

I like to fish for flatties with a medium to fast 6-10kg, 2.1m boat rod coupled with a medium size spin reel capable of holding 200m of 10kg line. I prefer using braid but low-stretch mono

BOTANY BAY

Gabe Quercigrosse gabeandgabe@bigpond.com

This is the right time of year to chase blue-spot flathead on the close offshore grounds near Botany Bay. Regularly taken around the 33cm mark, they generally reach their peak around 50cm, but have been known to grow up to 68cm. Colour varies, ranging from a light sandy brown with white spots to a darker configuration with blue

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I like to use the Mustad 92647NPBLN long bait holder hooks, which are chemically sharpened, along with size 6 oval fluoro beads and chartreuse Mr Twisters.

The size of sinker will be guided by the current, but I like to fish a little heavier weight so the baits remain as close to the bottom as possible. A simple paternoster rig is all you need but make sure the bead slides up your trace followed by the Mr Twister (or similar) which basically allows you to fish with bait and plastic enticer. I like to use Hawkesbury prawns as bait but make sure you nip the tail off to minimise twist on your line, then pinch the head of the prawn thus removing the top layer.

This will expose all the fragments and flavour of the head, which the lizards can’t resist.

The Mustad blue flash rigs in the Exterminator pattern also work particularly well and save a lot of time if leatherjackets are around, as these pests can cause a great deal of havoc by cutting lines.

When you get a bite, don’t strike. Instead, allow 1-2m of line as this will enable the flatty to get well hooked and leave enough time for a potential double hook-up. If you encounter patches of rough terrain, experience will teach you the difference between a fish and the drag of weed.

Grounds which are close enough for the small boat brigade extend from Maroubra Beach to Marley Beach in depths of 30-65m.

It’s wise to head out against

the wind in the morning and come back with a following sea when your session is over. Here are some options: Maroubra Beach (33.57.214S-151.17.202E) extensive contours from 40-54m deep, with mainly school fish around 40-45cm.

Little Bay Wide (33.58.956S-151.16.700E) a little deeper, but quality fish. The drift extends from 50m to 55m.

Botany Heads Close 34.00.791S-151.15.443E) my favourite drift, flatties are always here and close enough if the weather turns sour. The best drift is from west to east and if you proceed past the 55m

Now is the time to chase blue-spot flathead on the close offshore grounds near Botany Bay.

Bream are moving back on the sand flats and working their way into the estuaries. mark you will find patches of reef with snapper and morwong as by-catch.

Cape Baily (34.03.507S-151.13.352E) excellent ground when the northwesterly winds are blowing. A little deeper, but well worth the effort.

Little Marley (34.07.782S-151.09.884E) the most consistent possie south of the bay, and it fishes well under southerly influence. The Tuggerah wreck is only a few hundred metres south of this mark, and there are always

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with the clarity of the water, it made the fish very timid and cautious, even with the aid of berley.

As usual, the mainstay was trevally. There weren’t as many as in previous years but good fish were taken on the artificial reefs in Congwong Bay, Astrol Balis cove and Yarra Bay. Molineaux Point was consistent but overcrowded with boats on most weekends, with only just legal size fish taken. The better class fish were taken wide of the new runway on the Bunnerong Stacks mark, with specimens to 48cm boated.

Strangely enough, the better catches came from under Captain Cook Bridge during the incoming tide on peeled Hawkesbury prawns. The Cooks River break wall yielded a few fish at night during the run-out tide.

Whiting were non existent in the bay, but good catches were reported from the upper reaches of the Georges River, particularly at the entrance to the Woronora River, the Moons and the stretch between Milperra Bridge and the entrance to Chipping Norton Lake, with night time the best.

Bream were found wanting, although the structures of

the dwellings in Sylvania Waters produced the odd good fish on plastics.

Flathead were taken on the drift in Yarra Bay, but once again not in great quantities. The better results were obtained by drifting between Tom Uglys and Captain Cook Bridges, with fish up to 1kg recorded.

Luderick catches heralded proceedings, with fish between 35cm and 40cm common. Bare Island produced fish to 40cm on cabbage while Muddy Creek and the boat ramp near the Bestic Street boat ramp proved popular haunts.

Georges River was the pick of the spots with the south side of Captain Cook Bridge, the Caravan Head channel, Bald Face Point, Jannali Reserve in the Woronora River, Jewfish Point, Soily Bottom and Black Butt all producing good catches.

It is worth noting that the weed used to catch the luderick has been of excellent quality and available from all the established tackle shops near the water.

In September, we can expect a few changes.

The bream will move back on the sand flats and work their way into the estuaries for their annual spring run. They will push

the whiting out of their territory and establish their supremacy. You’ll find them closer to mangroves and shallow rock walls looking for crustaceans and worms. Places to look for them include Watts Reef and Horseshoe Reef near Kurnell, the stretch along Douglas Park flats, the Connells Point cockle beds and along the rocky outcrops of the western side of Como Bridge and Griffin Point. Whiting will still be available in the deep channels chasing nippers and worms, with night time the better option. Bald Fact Point near the starboard marker, the cockle beds close to Connells Point, the Caravan head channel and the deep channel rounding the Moons are likely possies for them.

Luderick will slowly disappear and move towards the lower reaches in places like Inscription Point at Kurnell, the groynes along Silver Beach and Ramsgate Beach. We should see a sprinkling of flathead along Brighton Beach and the yellow maritime buoy of Montere, whilst the drift east of the Kurnell Oil Wharf will produce better class fish. Woolooware Bay always fishes well under most conditions, with the lizards moving right into

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• For all your fishing needs, as well as the latest info on what’s biting, drop into Gabe’s Boating and Fishing at Narellan (4/1A Somerset Ave), or Silvania (268/264-276 Princes Hwy).

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Whiting will still be available in the deep channels chasing nippers and worms.

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Warm weather anglers emerge SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Spring makes many anglers get the feeling that they’d like to go for a fish again. However,

Bay, luderick in the Port Hacking and snapper on the close inshore reefs.

What you will find as the weather warms and the skies start to clear is that there’ll be many more anglers around, both on the water and fishing off the

In warmer weather I also see more boat trailers pulled off the side of the road with bearing problems.

To prevent this happening to you, it’s a good idea to get your trailer and boat serviced during the colder months. And make sure your

The boat traffic at ramps will start to increase this month. This shot was taken in June. it’s business as usual for those of us who have been fishing right through the year catching drummer and bream off the rocks, trevally and bream in the deep waters of Botany

shore. The bait and tackle shops will get busier, your favourite land-based spot like Gunnamatta Bay Baths will have fewer spots to fish, and the boat ramp activity will increase tenfold.

tackle is up to scratch too!

With the warmer currents starting to come into the Georges and Port Hacking Rivers the concentration of luderick will start to

decrease, but off the rocks the numbers should start to increase. We’ll also see more dusky flathead being caught in the upper parts of the estuaries as they start to move down towards the entrance. Try working the stretch of river from Chipping Norton to Lugarno with strips of mullet, tuna, salted slimy mackerel, soft plastics and blades. You can also try trolling a few hard bodied lures in close to the mangrove lined shore and drop-offs.

The same stretch of water in the Georges River will still produce the odd luderick or two, but I would be working the edges and deeper sections of the river for yellowfin bream. You could also try chucking a few soft plastics around the base of the bridge pylons for mulloway.

The deeper bays like Gymea, Gunnamatta, Burraneer and Southwest arm will see trevally and tailor start to school up, so I recommend that you slowly drive your boat around and look for schools of baitfish with your sounder. Anchor up and start a small but steady stream of berley going out the back, and fish as light as possible.

The best baits will be pink nipper, blood worms,

The skies will start to clear and hopefully the fishing will start to hot up as well.

Beach at Kurnell. The ocean rocks from Kurnell and down through to Stanwell Park Beach will be worth a shot for bream, silver trevally, salmon, tailor and the odd snapper of two. My preferred rig is a sliding ball sinker down onto the bait, and I always berley the washes with smashed up old pilchards and bread.

Another species that’s worth a shot during spring is whiting; as the water temperature increase so do the numbers of whiting.

Tube, blood and beach worms are my preferred baits, but don’t forget that a strip of fresh squid

and pink nippers will also catch whiting. Places that are worth a shot are the beach that stretches from Brighton the Dolls Point, Silver Beach, La Perouse, Maroubra, Bondi, Coogee, Wanda, Cronulla, Jibbon, Wattamolla and Stanwell Park beaches. They’re all worth a try.

While it’s true that September brings an increase in boat traffic, and more anglers at your favourite land-based spot, the compensation will be (hopefully) an increase in number of whiting, dusky flathead, bream, trevally, tailor and mulloway.

The upper reaches of the Woronora River would be worth a shot for dusky flathead as they start to move downstream.

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strips of fresh squid and peeled prawns.

If you prefer to try Botany Bay you could anchor up on the western side of the oil wharf and fish the run-out tide for bream, trevally, dusky flathead, the odd pan-sized snapper and kingfish. Remember to stay at least 100m away from the wharf. You could also try the drums in the middle of the bay, Mono Point, the end of the third runway and the channel drop-off just out from Dolls Point.

For those of you fishing from the shore you could try the entrance to the Cooks River, Dolls Point, the Captain Cook and Tom Uglys Bridge and Silver

Leatherjackets are a great species to target in the Port Hacking River.

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Flatties kick into another gear CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley jrobley@iprimus.com.au

In the past two years the weather warmed up quickly as soon as September rolled around. Let’s hope it happens again this year, as we’ve just had the coldest winter on the Central Coast I can ever remember.

Flathead are one of the first fish to really kick into gear as soon as water temps begin to rise. Although August isn’t a bad month for flathead, September is usually better. It seems as though the little bit of extra warmth is just what they need to spark up and feed a bit more aggressively. They also begin moving from deeper or upstream areas towards shallower water or down towards the lower reaches where flathead prefer to spawn. Even 55cm fish may be females with eggs in them at this time of year, so it’s a good idea to release them to help maintain local stocks.

As for specific places,

The Entrance is the pick of the bunch for Tuggerah Lakes anglers, and while the flatties are always

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about hitting a variety of different lures, rather than being fussy and only biting slinky soft plastics.

Seabirds hovering over a mob of feeding salmon off Norah Head. This should be a common sight this month. Although it looks like they’ll be easy to catch they won’t always take a lure unless it’s a small soft plastic stickbait. Failing that, a pilchard on ganged hooks is the best thing to throw at them.

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widespread around Brisbane Waters it would be hard to go wrong from Woy Woy through to Ettalong and St

Huberts Island and down towards Half Tide Rocks.

Luderick are certainly still around and taking weed baits this month. However, as I’ve said before, they often become a bit fussy towards the end of the season and won’t always take the same type of baits that worked only weeks before.

My personal choice of bait is the soft, fluffy type of brown weed, which isn’t too hard to find around the shallow margins of the lakes.

It can also pay to walk out in the water to find the best quality brown weed, rather than trying to just scrape up what you can find right on the shore. Being so soft it can be a bit tricky to keep it on the hook, but the fish really like it.

Bream and whiting also begin to stir up as the water warms. Last year bream suddenly sprang to life around the lakes here in the first week of September, and I think the same happened the year before. As mentioned though, warmer than average days were obviously the catalyst, as some years we didn’t experience good bream fishing in the lakes until late October or even November.

Salmon are exceptionally thick now around all of our local headlands, rocky points, bommies and along the beaches. Although the salmon have been around for a few months, it’s not uncommon for them to show up in the greatest numbers from late August through to early October. As ocean water temps begin to warm just a fraction, salmon also become more enthusiastic

Of course, anglers casting pilchard baits from the beaches can expect plenty of salmon, whether they’re wanted or not. While I do enjoy hooking into them, it doesn’t take long before I’d rather something else like a tailor or mulloway latch onto the bait. However, I’d still rather catch salmon than nothing, that’s for sure!

Unfortunately, the reality is that beach fishing doesn’t produce much else

September is generally a reliable month for flathead.

As water temps begin to rise these fish should become easier to catch on baits and lures. avoid salmon and attract a bream. Fishing after dark also increases the odds of a jewie, although salmon still take baits at night.

Rock fishing can be another tough game in September, with salmon being the most abundant target for those casting pilchard baits or lures. If the seas are very flat and wind is

chance after a southerly blows through and some whitewash is around the rocks. Without that all-important wash, fish become quite wary customers.

Offshore isn’t overly great either, as we’re starting to reach that between seasons period. Still though, try close in around the bommies and headlands for tailor, trevally,

Getting up early to chase bream with lures won’t be as harsh on the fingers as it was in winter. at this time of year. With a bit of persistence though, it can be possible to catch the odd mulloway, bream or tailor. Small baits cast very close, just beyond the shore dump, are the best bet to

blowing from the northwest, don’t expect much else apart from a couple of salmon and the chance of groper with crab baits. On the other hand, bream, drummer and blackfish are a reasonable

pan-sized reds and of course, salmon. Wider out, kings, snapper, morwong and the dreaded leatherjackets are the main species on offer, if you can pick a good weather day.

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Fun-filled sessions on tuna SWANSEA

Jason Scerri jayro@hotmail.com.au

Isn’t it nice to see a few tuna about for the offshore guys and girls! Although the tuna aren’t exactly what you would call ‘thick’, there are certainly plenty around to keep anglers entertained.

And what about the lake?

Some fantastic catches have coming from there as well.

Yes, yes I know – it’s still a bit chilly and water temps are down. Even so, at the end of the day if the fish are on the chew I don’t know many anglers who would care about the weather.

The Lake has been producing some great bags for anglers. Everything from

nice bream, a good feed of flathead or some reasonable mulloway – it’s all on offer at the moment. Both bait and lure anglers have been getting into the action, which is great to see. The fish are less aggressive in this cooler weather, that’s for sure, but anglers with the right approach will certainly be rewarded nine times out of 10.

There are plenty of mulloway in the lake at the moment, with the majority of fish around 70-90cm.

Soft plastics and lipless crankbaits are producing in deeper waters around the bait school, but there has also been a good number of smaller specimens landed on hardbody lures by anglers targeting bream in shallow waters, and they are not

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complaining at all. Anglers putting in the time with live baits have also been also scoring their share of mulloway, and generally have been accounting for the better sized fish. It’s a waiting game at the moment but worth the wait, as I’m sure you’d agree.

Flathead are plentiful at the moment in Lake Macquarie, with lure anglers scoring loads of fish. Most fish have been 40-60cm and perfect for a feed, however there are still plenty of big girls being caught that are over 70cm, and its fantastic to see the majority of these big breeding fish being released these days. The deeper water is prime for these fish during the cooler months of the year, and generally a 4-5” soft plastic on a 3/8-1/2oz jighead fitted with a 2/0-3/0 hook will be sufficient for the job. The trick is to really slow that retrieve down during cooler months because the fish are far less motivated to hunt down a feed. A range of colours have been doing the trick. Bright colours such as lime green, bright yellows/ oranges, pinks have all been

working, and a white lure will rarely be refused.

Bream are also around in reasonable numbers.

Some days the shallows still produce, but more often than not a deeper bite is more likely at this time of year.

Working windswept rocky shorelines with soft plastics in 2-3” range or deep diving hardbody lures such as Pro Lures D36 are great ways to chase some winter bream.

Slowly hopping blades along the bottom is also very effective, and areas such as Bolton Point, Belmont Bay and Chain Valley Bay on the southern part of the lake are great areas for some deep blade action. I generally prefer more subtle/natural colours and I like them with Red Eyes. If the water is a little murky then certainly switch to a brighter lure for some good results.

Rock and beach anglers have been getting into a little action themselves, which is great to see. It takes a brave angler to stand out there on the cold beaches and rock ledges at this time of year, but they have been getting some great results. Many good bags of bream have

CCGFC President Nathan Bajada with a Central Coast albacore that couldn’t refuse his Colorato Lure offering. have been good numbers of reds in the 2-5kg range, which is ideal for the table.

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Kayak angler Bryce Oliver with a Lake Mac flatty that took a liking to his Bait Breath soft plastic. been landed of late. Bait anglers have been scoring well, with prawns and fish pieces proving productive.

There have also been some great catches of mulloway by dedicated anglers putting in the time flicking large lures.

There are generally plenty of casts between fish but this I’m told it’s a very addictive form of fishing, and the results don’t look too shabby either, with plenty of jews in the 5-10kg range being caught lately. Many anglers also now starting to tag these fish for fishery research.

Offshore fishing has been pretty good, with some great catches of snapper in the past month. The fish have been in close and there

Kingfish anglers have also been scoring some great results, but their fish have been coming from wider grounds. There have been good numbers of kingfish about, with most fish coming from southern locations such as the perch grounds, Texas and other reef areas out from Terrigal to the south. Jigging is popular once again, and deep set live baits have been scoring some solid fish as well. Make sure you rig up right if you’re chasing these fish as they are one of the toughest fish out there.

They will reef you in no time if you’re under gunned.

Game fishers have found that the shark fishing

has gone a little quiet, but most offshore anglers aren’t complaining as the tuna fishing has more than made up for it. The fact that the tuna are out there is the good news, but it’s not all good news. There is loads of water between land and fish, that’s for sure, and these fish have at times been found anywhere from 30-60nm offshore.

Trolling lures is by far the best method of ‘locating’ these fish, but by all means once you find the fish, switch to cubing and you will have a fun-filled session.

There is a mix of tuna on offer at the moment. One day you might be landing a heap of albacore that can be as small as a few kilos through to a reasonable 10-15kg, but the next day you might find yellowfin tuna and the next bluefin.

It’s a real lucky dip. The great news is they all fight hard and they all taste great.

For anglers who aren’t sure what lures to troll but who are keen to have a go, I’d suggest a spread of lure in the 5-8” range. Keep the larger lures in closest to the boat and run the smaller ones further back in the spread. A variety of colours seem to be working, so ensure you have a good range as some days green colours might work well but the next it could be pinks and purples. The tuna bite generally doesn’t last too long off our part of the world, but the good news is that soon we’ll be counting down until the start of the summer gamefish season, which brings other great target species like marlin and mahi mahi.

Best mulloway month PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

With winter now behind us we can look forward to longer days, warming weather and water temps and some great fishing.

It’s a good time of year because all the typical winter fish are still being caught in good numbers while plenty of other species are starting to appear from their winter hiatus.

Flatties should become a more frequent catch this month, particularly in the back half of the estuary around the Karuah River and Tilligerry Creek areas.

With the water still a bit cold I find the flatties tend to switch on best in the afternoon rather then mornings. This is especially the case after a nice sunny day when you have a late afternoon high tide, as the shallows get heated up and become a degree or two warmer then the surrounding water.

If you time it right, working these areas with 3-5” plastics or shallow diving hardbodies around 100mm

should prove deadly, especially around the mouths of feeder creeks and edges of rock bars.

Mulloway are another fish that always seem to grow in numbers once spring hits. In fact, I would rate September right up there with the best month of the

year to target mulloway in the estuary. The bridges at Karuah are always worth a shot, as well as both the rock walls. The place where they really fire up at this time is in all the deeper holes and dropoffs in 20- 35m of water.

It’s hard to fish these deeper environments for

Luderick won’t slow down for a while yet.

The author releasing a solid mulloway caught from the deeper water.

Flathead come out to play in September.

jew with lures as they are extremely tide affected.

Unless you fish around the tide changes you’re wasting your time as the current simply runs too hard. A live bait or fresh squid is the best option here, and a reasonable size sinker around 8oz will ensure at least an hour of fishing time before the tide rips too hard.

There are still Luderick and bream being caught around the Torpedo Tubes and Nelson Bay breakwall, as well as over the other side of the bay on the rock walls from the short cut through to Tea Gardens.

Off the beaches there’s plenty of activity on the tailor scene from Box Beach and the Spit, as

well as good reports from Hawks Nest Beach through to Little Gibber. I’ve also heard of a few mulloway caught recently from Little Gibber and Stockton, which is a good sign of things to come over the coming months.

On the stones the washy zones from Fingal through to Rocky are still consistently producing mixed bags of drummer and bream, along with the squire and groper.

Luderick are another species that hasn’t slowed down yet. However, they will slowly taper off over the next few months so you should make them most of them around areas such as Barry Park, Boulder Bay and Cemetery Point.

Outside, snapper remain the number one target. You don’t need to go far to find a few, with the shallow reefs around Big, Little and Fingal islands all productive spots within a few kilometres of the heads. Launching your boat from Boat Harbour can also net you some good results without traveling very far, as there is some fantastic shallow water snapper territory between Fishermans Bay and One Mile.

In saying that, you do need to travel a bit further if you want to consistently catch those larger 6kg+ specimens, with Broughton Island and Edith Breakers the pick of the places to run to.

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Mountains of baitfish HUNTER COAST

Gary Earl earlybird13@optusnet.com.au

Winter really reared its ugly head around this part of our coastline, with very cold mornings and afternoons keeping a lot of fishermen from trekking out looking for fish. For this reason I haven’t received a great

pit have kept anglers warm on the beach. Yellowtail kingfish have been spotted schooling over the close reefs but they are just of legal size, so measure them carefully if you decide to keep them. Squid have been by far the best bait. Jigging lures will also work while drifting over the top of the reefs. Try the Marbles and Pine reefs or the dumping grounds for them.

groper, but they haven’t been common catches.

Things are certainly are very slow along our part of the coast at the moment, but tomorrow is another day and fishing can change overnight.

The amount of baitfish in the river is amazing so hopefully the tailor, flathead and bream and mulloway will start lurking in these areas this month.

Tailor will hopefully start moving through this month. A few have been in with the mass of salmon schooled up off Newcastle. deal of fishing reports, but hopefully by the time you are reading this things will have changed for the better.

Salmon and bream have been the main two fish that have been taken lately,

One fish that has been in plague proportions is the good old luderick. I have spotted anglers watching their floats intently along the Horseshoe Beach rock wall, and off the old mariner at Stockton. If you’re keen

The baitfish are mostly yellowtail and yakkas, and they are so thick in areas you can just about walk on them. That at least is one good sign of what can trigger the fishing into a higher gear.

Some nice squid have been caught around wharfs in the mouth of the Hunter River. The smaller ones would make great baits for jewfish, so you can always try that if the fishing is still slow. along with large squid, and most have been in close offshore waters or off the beach. Winds with very cold chill factors have kept the boats in close, and a small open fire in a sand

on getting some fish in the cool weather I think this maybe the mainstay for you. Some luderick have been taken from the offshore rocks along with a few drummer and

That’s it for my report this month – short and sweet. We need to pray the fishing picks up through September and we get some warmer weather.

Happy fishing!

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A few snapper and the occasional pearly made up the rest of the catch.

It was a different story on the Sunday. Very little current but heaps of fish.

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The past few months of winter have had some of the coldest days and nights that we have experienced in many years. In between

on lures and bait while those tough enough to put up with the cold at night have been catching fish in the 2-4kg range. This is the best run of larger tailor that we have experienced in the past 20 years. It could be that the tailor are on the way back to what they were many years ago.

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Bill, Gerry and Steve got into some great snapper on the Sunday of the competition. the cold weather there has been some unbelievably warm days and nights.

There have been a lot of southerly winds and plenty of big seas and swell. Despite this, fishing in the Harrington area has remained very good with the river being the best out of the options of river, beach, rock and offshore.

ESTUARY At the present time the flathead have moved upriver and are biting on plastics and baits in the areas around Coopernook, on the Lansdowne River, and up stream from Jones Island to Cundletown and further up.

The fish being taken are all good sized, about 38-50cm and in good condition.

Bream have remained on the bite from the river wall at Harrington and good catches have been made in the daylight and dark. Mullet strips are the best bait. Some of the bream caught in the last couple of weeks have made it up to 1.3kg whole and have been in great condition.

Luderick are schooling along most of the wall and daytime anglers using weed have been scoring good bags of fish.

A couple of mulloway around 10kg were taken at the gantry on soft plastic lures on the last moon and unconfirmed reports of big fish being caught upstream have been filtering in.

BEACH AND ROCK Although the tailor were quiet while the big seas were on they are back on the bite now. Anglers fishing Crowdy Beach are scoring 1kg tailor

The northern end of Crowdy Beach has produced plenty of small mulloway on worm bait while the moon is rising.

the first day scored big on the Sunday.

September used to be a rather poor month for fishing in these parts but with the

Terry York with a beautiful snapper of 8.4kg.

OFFSHORE Outside angling has improved as winter has progressed. The NSWFCA held their offshore championships at the end of July and the results were very good. On the Saturday there was 3 knots of current and this did not suit those heading out wide. Despite the current bag limits of leatherjackets were weighed.

tailor showing up in force perhaps results will be better.

The Manning will be good for flathead up river and the bream will be up stream as well. Crowdy Head will be worth a go for rock blackfish and groper and perhaps a tailor on the spinner. The early mornings and late afternoons will be the best times to fish.

Have fun an stay safe!

SEPTEMBER 2015

37

Spring into action FORSTER

David Seaman dseamo@bigpond.com

There is little doubt that the coldest of the year’s weather is behind us and spring is on its way. Bass anglers have already made plans for early season sessions and the bream have all but made it back into the estuaries and starting to push up the rivers. The glassy days on the lake will soon be tempered with seasonal northeast winds and the best of the pig fishing should be had this month.

It has been a great winter on the mid north coast with plenty of blackfish holding

October. The bream have certainly been the stand out in the last two months with good-sized fish scattered throughout the lake and leases.

Even the rivers have fished better than expected with the Coolongolook River being the best of them. The Paddock leases are the first structure the returning bream hit as they enter the estuary, apart from the bridge, and they will hold up for a while before venturing further into the lake.

Of course, not all bream head out to spawn and while the 25-27cm males tend to thin out significantly, it does leave fish in the 0.8-1kg range hanging on structure. I

that was well away from the entrance and possible spawning. Just like bass, not all big bream spawn every year so winter and early spring is an ideal time to target the trophy fish around the lake’s leases.

With the prompting of a slight fresh pushing down the rivers more flathead will slowly move down onto the entrance of the lake and the shallow sand, weed and mud flats that make up the maze of channels that filter the water in and out of the system every day. The schools of poddy mullet that we will start to see are part of the reason the flatties are so prolific, that and the chance to mate with one of the large females that tend to appear from

Andrew Howard and Shane Sypher with part of their winning catch at the Gama bream tournament at Forster. The quality of the winter bream in the lake has been outstanding. their ground in the lake and flathead should be more plentiful as we approach

was lucky enough to hook and land a 2.2kg bream from the racks in July

October through to May. Weed edges and channel drop offs are prime target

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School mulloway like this are always a chance from the walls. Whether on soft plastics or bait, models over the 70cm size limit are great BBQ meals. areas as are the edges of the numerous islands that scatter the lake. Persistence is the key and when you find one you will find more. Gulp Shrimp or the Zerek Shrimp are my go-to lures but Ripple Shads and Squidgy Fish can be deadly too.

Mulloway from the breakwalls are always a possibility and while live slimies or yellowtail are often preferred, a well rigged squid hood or whole squid is a great alternative.

The squid baits can attract large rays but from the wall you pay your money and take your chances. I watched two young guys pull three 10kg fish off the Tuncurry wall earlier last month and despite my best efforts with all manner of soft plastics I couldn’t raise a fish. So if you’re heading down to fish the walls have a range of lures and baits just to cover the possibilities. An hour either side of the slack water is the prime time and evening or early morning are the times to do it.

The rock fishing in the area is always a great way to kill your fishing time and this month is generally where the best of the pig fishing is had. The average rock blackfish this year has been around the 2kg mark, which is great because they are the ideal eating size.

Any bigger and they are a little tough so pick a slot size and stick to it.

While the bag limit is more than generous at 10 fish per person, you’ll find 5 fish (a far more appropriate bag limit, I believe) can be a struggle to carry home.

Cooked prawns on a 1/0 hook and a light ball sinker is the easiest rig to target the pigs and if you’re not fishing 20-30lb braid and 30-40lb leader, you will lose fish.

Along with the pigs there are still bream, silver drummer, tailor and silver trevally knocking around the rocks along with schools of blackfish that love yabbies after the sun sets.

There should be a few jumbo tailor migrating along the coast so if you

told, hot and cold. Some anglers have been braining the snapper, trag and flathead with the expected plague of leatherjackets not so thick at present, or not as prolific as years gone by.

I’m not sure if that is a good thing or not. Blackhead is consistently mentioned as a hunting ground though I

Bass session is here after a long winter and keen anglers will be dusting their gear off in anticipation. catch one, you can email it to me so you can get your face in the mag and we can show others what they are missing out on.

The offshore fishing has been, from what I’m being

suspect the close inshore reefs close to Forster are fish just as well.

The official bass season is soon to open so we’ll see what news comes up next month.

Bring on the new season!

THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

The winter chill should be out of the air and the gear should be in tip-top shape after the winter maintenance. For anglers up here on the mid north coast, things are going to start to fire up.

Bass season opens on 1 September, and I for one am anxiously looking forward to chasing these great Aussie natives. Is there a species of fish more responsive in our rivers to different lures and styles of fishing than the iconic bass? Nope! So guys, get your surface lures and your vibes, spinnerbaits and divers ready as it all kicks off this month.

OFFSHORE The snapper have come

on with a vengeance. It had been a little slow for the boys earlier in the season but definitely some quality reds have been available to the lure and bait fishers since then.

Jason from Ned Kelly’s Bait & Tackle has been sneaking out for a few trips in recent weeks, and he’s been landing some good reds. Jason has been using plastics like the ever-reliable Gulp 7” and 5” Jerkshads, which have been catching a lot of snapper.

If you’re heading out south of Port Macquarie, Lighthouse down to Cathie has been producing the goods. Any depth from 20m to 60m of water has been worth trying. I like to start off in really close in the early morning light and move out as the morning progresses.

I do the reverse if I go in the afternoon. Remember that a tide change is just as

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important in offshore fishing as it is in our estuaries.

RIVERS In springtime the Hastings and surrounding rivers on the mid north coast start to warm up, and the baitfish also start to become more active.

This means that the mainstay of our systems, the dusky flathead, will be a great target in the coming months.

These ambush feeders are quite at home in the shallows and also the deeper water, but with some warmer water temps we can start thinking of some flats fishing. Although you can catch plenty of flatties in the cooler months, the fish are a bit more docile then; a lot of time you need your plastic right on top of the fish to get them interested.

However, from now until April they’ll be a lot more active and will attack a well-worked plastic without hesitation.

Fishing around weed beds will also be an option. The fream have all moved back into the upper reaches and that’s great news for anyone

year and, provided the water quality in this section is OK, it should fire again! All your favourite surface lures plus shallow or deep diving lures will get some attention if put in the right places.

Chasing mulloway in the upper river at this time of the year is another worthwhile option. Fishing the holes from 4m to 8m puts you in the game, and I recommend trying plastics for them.

Choose a plastic from 100mm to the bigger 175mm models, match them with a jighead in the 1/4oz to 3/8oz size and you’ll have your bases covered. Also try using some of the soft vibes that are on the market. These have been exceptional this year, and the Samaki Vibelicious is my standout at the moment, with the Thumper Tail and the Minnow style both accounting for fish.

Most of the mulloway you encounter will be between just pups up to a metre, so you don’t need to go exceptionally heavy.

Try a 3-5kg rod and a good

Sean Doyle with another cracking Port Macquarie red taken on a plastic.

ROCK AND BEACH Recently there have been reports of a few nice mulloway coming from North Beach, along with a few good ones coming from Dunbogan. This moon coming should be good, and if weather and formations stay OK then a throw from these beaches as well as Cathie and Lighthouse beach may get you onto a

Don’t underestimate a nice size beachworm on a 5/0 Mustad long shank, as plenty of jewfish are caught with these juicy baits.

Rock fishing has remained steady with drummer, bream and blackfish still being taken.

Lighthouse Rocks has still been turning up a few tailor for guys spinning and popping the stones.

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You can have a lot of fun also as lot of bigger lizards are brought undone by anglers chasing jewfish.

fish. The boys have been using freshly caught tailor of late, but these fish may be a bit patchy at this stage of the year so gather some fresh bait before you go.

So with the warmer season kicking in and plenty of fishing options, I think the next few months on the Mid North Coast should be exceptional. Enjoy!

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Bass chewing and currents slowing this month SOUTH WEST ROCKS

Brent Kirk kempsey@compleatangler.com.au

September not only comes with longer, warmer days but also marks the opening of the NSW bass fishing season.

For the first time this

year the closed bass season was extended to four months instead of three in an effort to allow these fish a longer period to reproduce with minimal interruptions from anglers.

Most of the spawning took place this season down around Smithtown as there was enough water in the system

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this year to allow the bass to take part in their normal spawning migration. Bass Kempsey, a local recreational fishing club holds a catch and release fishing competition in conjunction with NSW Fisheries during September, which is solely aimed at surveying and recording the size and numbers of the Macleay River bass population and where they are located in the system.

Some of the bigger, deeper holes will be the best places to start looking for bass this month using deeper diving lures, spinnerbaits and soft vibes. Expect hard hits from these fish as they generally have been undisturbed for the last few months and can be quite aggressive. Areas adjacent to weed beds and around heavy structure like bridge pylons will also be productive.

Night time has by far been the most productive period to fish the Lower Macleay with big bream and mulloway being present and feeding very actively in the dark.

Big kingfish have also been lurking around the river reeking havoc on unsuspecting and under gunned anglers.

Flathead, bream and whiting are also in the river between Jerseyville and Smithtown, however the water is still cold and these fish are not overly active and are not always playing the game.

Fishing tide changes in the middle of the day will increase your chances of success when fishing in this stretch of the river.

Good-sized tailor are around the headlands, along the beaches and at the mouth of the river. Some 3kg fish are still being caught quite regularly especially off the rocks when the conditions are a bit rougher but remember to exercise caution when fishing in adverse conditions.

Big bream are schooling up around the headlands of a night time, which is good for bream fishers, however bait fishing for larger predators like

mulloway is tough as a bit will only last on the bottom a couple of minutes before it is ravaged by these schools of bream.

which is a great sign for the future. Leatherjacket numbers seem to be thinning out now however this situation can

out wider still along with acres of big nanygai and gemfish.

The current should still lay off for another month or so

Micro Pearl Perch are everywhere. This is a good sign for the future.

There is still time to catch a cod before the current starts again.

Out to sea, bait has been plentiful with slimy mackerel, bonito and striped tuna all over the place.

Snapper are being found from out wide right into the shallows, and thousands of tiny pearl perch are out wide, too,

change on a day-to-day basis.

Kingfish have been quite reliable throughout winter in around Black Rock and Fish rock as well as out on the reefs out past 100m.

Bar cod, bass groper, and hapuka are in good numbers

if all goes well allowing for plenty of deep water fishing opportunities before it kicks back into gear, bringing with it a whole array of pelagic species that call this area home during the warmer months of the year.

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Coffs Harbour game COFFS GAME

Glen Booth

The weather and a lack of readily accessible game fish has kept most bluewaterbound boats on their trailers or tied up lately, but there are definitely some promising signs out there. Surface bait is thick from the wave recorder up to the FAD, with gannets diving and dolphins pushing it about, but no significant billfish activity as yet. It certainly looks like a good buildup for the start of the game fishing season commencing this month though, so watch this space!

There was a striped marlin caught (or should I say, nearly caught) on a paternoster rig out at Leatherjacket Central just recently, and a little black was seen free-jumping by some surfers off Boambee Headland, so you just never know at this time of year.

After a staggering amount of dicking around, even by local council and state government standards, the expanded basin at the boat ramp has finally been completed. I’ve been down quite a few times to inspect its performance under a variety of conditions, and you know what? I for one couldn’t see any difference; it is every bit as surge-effected as it was before.

Nor has it addressed the silting up of the entrance, or waves breaking across it, which is even more dangerous than the surge.

Three years ago an engineer’s report stated that a 40 metre long north-south breakwall would be needed to protect boats entering and exiting the basin, and to prevent sand buildup.

if the wall gets extended as it should’ve been, we may end up with the sort of facility Coffs deserves and needs. Of course that costs money, so I guess trailerboat owners will have to start pressuring the relevant

Coffs’ million-dollar hole in the water. It doesn’t seem to have made much difference to the surge problem, but did anyone really think it would?

Flashback to earlier this year. The new basin at the boat ramp isn’t going to stop this happening if Coffs Harbour Council fails to stay on top of the dredging. How it ever got to this state still amazes locals and visitors alike.

Unfortunately a million bucks wasn’t going to buy one.

So has it been a colossal waste of money? Possibly, but

The now-barren slipway site. Don’t hold your breath waiting for it to reopen, folks.

government departments once again to complete the project.

You can bet though, that the council bean counters are now just itching to slap a boom gate across the front. If they deliver what is needed to make it work, then no boat user would have an issue with that, but the job as it currently stands is only half done.

SLIP SLIPPING AWAY Meanwhile, the Coffs slipway is now without any sheds after the wrecker’s ball was swung through them last month. Granted, they were well past their use-by date, but it underlines the fact that Lands don’t want the slipway used at all while the

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intervention of local hoteliers, and see out the remaining six years of the lease if certain conditions can be met.

This is great news and keeps it out of the hands of our shameful local council who were positively salivating at the thought of having this incredibly valuable asset fall right into their laps.

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so-called ‘remediation works’ are being undertaken, and are working hard to see that it disappears forever.

A year and a bit after the slip closed, there’s been a sudden upsurge in the number of air berths in the marina, as boat owners acknowledge that they won’t be slipping their vessels locally any time soon. This leaves something of a Hobson’s Choice of Port Macquarie or Yamba. We actually had the potentially dangerous and completely unacceptable situation of both the Water Police and Marine Rescue boats out of port for maintenance not so long back, leaving Coffs precariously exposed in the event of an emergency. Fortunately, this didn’t eventuate, but still…

The irony of having representatives from the Sydney Fish Market visiting the co-op praising the quality of locally caught seafood recently was not lost on anyone who works or has a boat in the harbour, as without a working slip, a number of commercial fishermen reaching retirement age, and uncertainty about restructure of the industry, supply is going to dwindle pretty quick.

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Coffs comes to life worleybirdfilms@hotmail.com

September 2015 will once again see the World Rally Championship arrive on the Coffs Coast along with hoards of rally team members, staff, volunteers and spectators. Therefore I’ll direct this month’s report in two directions: something for the locals and something for the visitors.

For locals it’s a good idea to get some fishing done in the first half of the month before the crowds arrive.

The bass season is open again and this month is the best opportunity to get at the them while they’re still down in the brackish water with the bream and mulloway.

They won’t really be fired up on surface feeding yet, so deeper reaction baits like spinnerbaits, vibes and larger hardbodies will be the best bet around the structure.

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One subtle difference in bass fishing down in the tidal reaches is that the bass tend to school up and move around a little more than they do higher up in the fresh where they can be found in the same locations day in day out. Look for the eddies behind bridge pylons and snags, as well as curtains formed by two currents colliding. If they are there one day during the run out they may be somewhere very different on the run in. There have been good schools of mulloway in similar locations throughout the entire length of our estuaries. Soft plastics with a lot of movement or vibration lures have done the most damage but they are more than likely by-catch on anything you might throw for bass too.

For visitors the bass fishing in the area is a fantastic way to see some of the hinterland that the world rally cars will be hurtling through.

Almost any freshwater river you cross in the valleys west of the Coffs Coast will hold bass. Many can be accessed on foot, or in a kayak, from road bridges and public areas. Google Maps would be your best friend for finding somewhere to explore.

Bellinger, Nambucca and Photo: Justin Gilligan

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

For further information call 02 6691 0600 www.mpa.nsw.gov.au 44

SEPTEMBER 2015

Photo: Nicola Johnstone

COFFS HARBOUR

Floating a pilchard out the back turned out to be a great fall back option for Jason O’brien while he was throwing his micro jigs around.

Orara River valleys contain hundreds of kilometers of quality bass water.

The Bellinger and Nambucca River estuaries have also been very productive of late. Bream along the walls and oyster leases have been responding well to hardbody lures and soft vibes. Flathead have been fairly prolific in the same areas but mostly are on the smaller side. The smaller estuaries closer to town have been very clear, so with a bit of boat traffic and fish already skittish it’s been finesse that wins the day here. Light leaders and careful movement will help you in these creeks where there’s plenty of good bream and flathead as long as you can avoid spooking them.

The whiting will become more active in the estuaries during these months. If you’re drifting a yabby around the sand banks you should be able to pick up a feed.

Offshore the snapper are still very active in close. Soft plastics, vibes and slow jigs have been accounting for many fish, but in the cool, clear water light leader has been the key to larger fish.

Floatlining a pilchard down a berley trail has resulted in good reds in the shallow water. Any of the inshore reefs are holding good snapper, Bundagen, The Patches and around Split have been the most popular. Slow jigging has also been working well on the kingfish out on the deeper reefs, as well as sinking stick baits and hardbodies around the washes. The schools of rats have been less dominant recently with some good fish up to 1m being caught.

Around the headlands and beaches we are still seeing plenty of mulloway. Throwing hardbody lures has been increasing in popularity lately and this technique has been responsible for many of the better fish in the area. As I mentioned last month, the key is getting lures into the right areas, which also happen to be the most snaggy areas. Using large lures that only dive just under the surface and have a high buoyancy will help and so

do cheap lures. It’s well worth paying the $25+ for some of the high quality hand made mulloway lures but it’s also worth having a few in the box that you don’t mind losing, something you can chuck right into those crevasses without worrying too much about losing it. That’s where the fish have been recently, especially when the water is clear and

there isn’t a lot of wave action for cover. If throwing lures isn’t your thing a good slab or squid bait has been the most successful bait recently for the mulloway anglers.

Whether local or visitor, there should be plenty on offer around the Coffs Coast this month. If you’re struggling for ideas jump in to the local tackle store and ask what’s about.

The Cranka Crab has bought out the smiles for Craig ‘Handles’ Hanlon with this bream from the Belllinger River.

Rob Gaden captured this flatty’s attention with a big paddle-tail plastic around the Urunga wall.

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The inshore fishing has still been good for a few squire and snapper in the same old haunts like Woody Head, Black Rock, Angourie and Shellys and further a field down around Wooli and Minnie Waters in that 30m mark seams to be the magic spots for them at the moment.

On the bait side of things pillies and bottle squid seam to be doing the bulk of the damage from what I hear but on the lure side of things flick baits have been accounting for quite a few quality fish getting up in the 5-7kg models.

Out wide there are still some nice kingfish and table fish like pearlies and pig fish down deep.

In the river some bream are still around in the bottom end of the river and the usual plastics and blades down deep have been working well. For the bait brigade some good bream baits are mullet flesh and any of the gut baits like chook and mullet gut.

There’s still some nice blackfish around as well.

Along the walls in the lower

reaches have been producing the goods.

Off the stones there have been some very nice tailor around in the 2-3kg class on spinners with better quality 4-5kg green backs on poppers and with plenty of bait around and good conditions hopefully the run of good fish will continue. My favourite pick

Get Bent Pencil Popper. Both have accounted for plenty of quality fish for me.

On the mulloway front, there have been some nice shoolies still around the headlands and walls, and the best results have come from soft plastics. We have found the best combo for this kind of work to be a rod in the

leader. There have been some better quality model mulloway on the larger hardbodies again on of my favourite lures, the locally made Jewie Jewel by Croaker Lures, which has been accounting for some good size fish. Definitely upsize the gear if you’re throwing around these bigger hardbodies. And who can’t help but get excited

The quality of snapper currently running around is up there at the moment, with specimens like this common. for poppers to get in to those quality fish are the River2Sea 130 Bubble Pop as well as the

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Tweed River fishing on fire THE TWEED

David Solano

We finally got our first serious cold spell for winter on the Tweed a week or so back, with the temperature the coldest it’s been in ages, and the river is in the best shape that I have seen for quite some time.

School mulloway are starting to show up with plenty of mullet in the river for them to harass and they

are being caught pretty much everywhere, with the biggest ones being around one metre caught near the Maritime Museum. The bream are still spawning with some absolute crackers being landed off both walls. The incoming tide is firing at the moment, and as I mentioned last month the bream are loving the chicken and don’t bother with a conventional bait rig as a jighead works just fine.

The river’s holding a lot of small flathead with

some truly monster fish being landed around the Tweed Hospital on big 7” Z-Man SwimmerZ soft plastics. The odd kingfish are also being caught in the mouth of the river with the sand pumping jetty the top spot to try.

Again there’s a lot of little tailor in the river, while the greenbacks are being landed off the beach around Fingal.

When you drive to Fingal keep your eye out for a little stream that flows

into the Tweed, it’s worth stopping for a squiz as there’s big barracuda in there smashing bait fish that are trying to get to the river. Very exciting stuff I reckon.

Outside has been fishing great. How would I know? I always have a chat to the locals on their way in and the other day I was totally blown away by the quality of pearl perch one crew had and one cod had an eye bigger than my fist. Well done boys.

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47

The golden age of technology ORANGE

Chris Frith

Australians are increasingly embracing technology in our day-to-day lives, and the same can be applied to fishing. It is those anglers who embrace the technology who will reap greater rewards. If

SOUNDERS Traditionally sounders (fish finders) were used simply to gauge depth.

Their transducer transmits a sound pulse (ping) through the water column which then bounces back to the transducer, providing a measurement of water depth.

Originally working through a paper scroll feed, sounder technology has developed to

Sometimes keeping your head down and focusing on the boat electrics can be your best bet at picking up impoundment golden perch. you’re a novice when it comes to using sounders and electric motors, or fishing for goldens, this article is for you. As a predominantly golden perch and bass angler, I will focus on how you can use sounders and electric motors to improve your catch rates. for sale on

a point where 12” screens with 3D scanning features are commonplace, but you don’t need thousands of dollars of equipment to see real results. Any modern colour sounder can be a great asset when you have a bit of know-how.

We all know that golden perch are a structure

oriented fish. Their prime When at rest, the habitat consists of fallen fish will appear as a or standing timber, boulder horizontal line on your gardens and steep drop-offs screen. The thicker the and ledges. While most line, the bigger the fish, anglers rely on visually and the strongest readings seeing this structure, a are those directly in the sounder will act as your sonar cone. Holding over eyes under the water. The these fish and vertically key advantage of this is presenting vibration lures that submerged structure (I like Atomic Metalz receives far less angling blades) is often effective. pressure than semi- Otherwise, rolling plastics submerged structure does. through suspended fish is Not only does this make the a safe bet. fish generally less finicky, If you can identify fish but from my experience spread out in a particular these submerged locations area, such as off a point or produce more trophy fish. along a creek bed, casting To find these targets, out and hopping vibes simply cruise at 4-8 knots back to the boat is ideal. I and look for any anomalies prefer hybrid soft vibes for on the sounder screen. this, like the Atomic SemiLarge dead trees are easy to Hardz Vibe. identify, but some smaller A finely tuned unit can laydowns (horizontal even allow you to dangle fallen trees) can require a your offering in front of keen eye. Depending on your target’s nose. It’s the colour palette you’ve a bit video-gamey but it selected on your sounder, produces! With practice Lipless vibration lures are a good option timber will generally it’s possible to adjust your when the sounder displays fish hanging display with a softer/lighter lure position based on the on the bottom, particularly if you have an colour, while rock will arch movement, which electric motor to hold over the fish. This fish appear harder/denser. Most is an invaluable skill for was caught on an Atomic Semi-Hardz.

GPS units allow you to targeting finicky goldens. position the cursor exactly on the structure and save the location as a ‘mark’, so you can return to it later.

Identifying fish

Finding hidden structure is a big bonus, but being able to identify the fish on your screen is a next level advantage.

While you’re moving, your sounder will display fish as a crescent shape on the screen; this crescent shape is created as the sonar cone moves over the fish. These arches are easy to spot when the fish are holding in mid water. However, golden perch often hold very tight to structure, so you have to look carefully. Boat electrics come in all sizes and price brackets, depending on size and features, but it doesn’t take an expensive unit to improve your chances on the water.

I recommend selecting a palette with a broad colour spectrum because it will help you to differentiate density readings.

Yellowbelly often read as a half-crescent extension off the structure.

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Navigating thick timber can be difficult, but with an electric motor you can easily manoeuvre through the structure and get to prime habitat.

Scanning Most sounder manufacturers now have some form of 3D imaging or scanning technology, which delivers a much sharper picture of what’s down there. Down scanning is common, while some units have side-scanning functions. These can be used to easily identify submerged structure as well as individual fish in unmatched clarity. When yellowbelly fishing, scanning vertical timber for fish (they appear as white balls hanging off the trees) can pay dividends, especially if you note the depth they’re sitting at.

Once you’ve identified a fish-harbouring tree, try casting lures and retrieving back past the tree. Alternatively, slowly winding soft plastics up the side of the tree is a reliable technique. I recommend 1/4oz jigheads matched with curl tail grubs on 10-14lb line as a good starting point.

Side scanning is an efficient method to cover large areas of water for hidden structure or schooling fish.

GPS-equipped combo units allow waypoint marking anywhere on the sounder display. If you’re motoring along and identify a specific structure or patch of fish you can mark it accurately and return to investigate it further.

ELECTRIC MOTORS Electric motors, also called trolling motors, are an essential accessory for avid yellowbelly anglers. In many scenarios, including slowly working a bank or targeting any specific structure (especially in wind), my Minn Kota is more valuable than my sounders.

Unlike outboards, an electric’s measurement of power is denoted in pounds thrust, with 30lb being suited to smaller tinnies and the upper end of 112lb ideal for large fibreglass bass boats.

There are three main types of electric motors: tiller, servo and cable steer.

Tiller steers are transom mount motors, much like small tiller steer outboards.

They’re very simple to set up and are appropriate as an auxiliary motor on smaller boats.

Cable steers are basic bow mount units, which work manually through a foot pedal-controlled cable that moves the motor head.

The main advantage of cable steering is the rapid responsiveness to foot pedal movement.

Electric/servo steer motors work off a servo, and can be controlled by a foot pedal or hand remote. These motors are becoming increasingly popular due to the increase

in added features, such as GPS-integrated units.

These models can hold your boat in a particular spot (e.g. over a submerged snag) or move your boat along a recorded track (e.g. when you’re fishing bankside structure).

Using your electric Working banks is an enjoyable form of fishing that can produce prime golden perch. With the aid of an electric, you can maintain an ideal distance from the bank and easily adjust your movement.

Most electrics are equipped with a constant speed feature to allow you to

focus on your fishing while being propelled parallel to the bank.

An electric motor allows you to navigate to areas that would be impractical with an outboard alone, such as weaving in and out of thick timber and accessing prime structure that would otherwise be difficult to reach.

Furthermore, the dynamic positioning and movement cannot be overstated when a trophy catch is trying to run you around timber. An electric allows you to better direct the fish away from gnarly structure.

When paired with a sounder, you can use their

electric to hold position in open water where fish are present, whether it is above a completely submerged tree, boulder or creek, or simply holding position off a long point or flat that may be holding schooled up fish. This is of particular benefit during spring when fish will congregate in prominent areas to spawn.

And of course, electrics are quiet so they give you that stealth factor as well.

There you have it – some great technology to give you an extra advantage over the fish.

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Top: A well tuned sounder can easily show fish separate from the bottom. Vertically jigging for isolated fish is a popular and effective technique. Middle: Scanning technology provides superior definition. Here you can see a school of baitfish with a lone, bigger fish sitting below the school. Bottom: It can be difficult to identify fish hanging tight on structure. This image shows a few ways that fish will read on a side/down scan. With practice you can identify even the tightest holding fish.

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49

Begin with the end in mind BRISBANE

Justin Wilmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

There’s a best-selling book titled The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and one of the habits outlined in this book is the title of this month’s article, ‘begin with the end in mind’.

several occasions recently while discussing and planning fishing trips with other kayak anglers. On one occasion, after asking where the guys launch, they responded with “at the boat ramp”, the look on their faces making me feel as if my question was ridiculous.

After some discussion though it appeared that

produced fish, meaning more time in productive waters and it also allowed us to explore some new water on the way.

The more kayak anglers I speak to (many of them new to kayak fishing) the more common it seems that kayak anglers are launching from ramps and just floating around flicking

The author was happy with this handful of bream from a weed and rubble patch.

A nice little flathead in the net from the mouth of a drain.

This is a great habit to embrace in terms of general life, but especially so if you are an angler and even more so a kayak angler.

What’s the plan, where am I heading, what’s the weather forecast, how long will I be gone for and what species will I be targeting?

For starters, questions like this will assist you in selecting the fishing gear, safety gear, accessories, clothing, food and drinks, etc. that you take with you on your journey, ensuring that you enjoy the end result in terms of safety, comfort and the productivity of the session.

The value of this habit has been reinforced on 50

SEPTEMBER 2015

they had always launched at the ramp, paddled half a kilometre before making their first cast and then caught most of their fish in a canal system about 2km from the launch point. Yes, this was the closest ramp, but we don’t need a ramp to launch our craft and that’s a great advantage.

After a quick scan of the area on Google Maps, a plan was made to launch from a park on the other side of the canal estate, an area that also turned out to hold some flats that produced plenty of flathead. By launching at this alternate location it was a shorter paddle to the canals that consistently

lures or baits in the hope that they bump into a fish or two. Speak to experienced and successful kayak anglers though and you find a couple of common themes running through the discussion.

One has been catching plenty of trevally around moored boats on soft plastics, another catching school mulloway around the bridges on hardbodies and a third angler has been catching loads of bream fishing blades where a long rock wall meets the rubbly bottom of the river.

These guys have a plan and their plan tends to be based around a target species, tide, selection of lures and number one in the equation, structure.

There’s another old saying and that is that ‘structure is king’.

Structure offers shelter, marine growth and breaks in the current that attract bait and in turn predators.

When beginning with the end in mind, that end often revolves around the structure that I am targeting.

By effectively targeting structure you increase your chances of catching more and better quality fish.

Let’s have a look at a few types of structure that have become my favourites over the last 20 years of fishing from a kayak.

CANALS If you’re lucky enough to have canals close to home, get the yak in there! Canals offer shelter from the wind, a myriad of manmade structures and commonly hold bait and fish. When fishing canals it’s all about getting your lure as close as possible to structure, with some of the most productive structure including stormwater drains, the ends of private boat ramps, moored boats and pontoons. Throw in some shady pockets and there’s sure to be a predator in there waiting to ambush bait.

Rock walls hold marine growth and bait that in turn attracts predators.

When fishing canals a great place to start is with 2-3” soft plastics, rigged on 1/20-1/8oz jigheads so that they sink slowly and naturally around structure.

A good tip is to watch your line as the lure sinks and strike if the line speeds up or stops suddenly. A series of small hops and pauses should soon see you hooked up. Species you may encounter include bream, trevally and flathead, with many surprises turning up, such as tailor, mulloway, mangrove jack and estuary perch, depending on where you are in the country.

Again, don’t rely on a boat ramp being nearby, jump on Google Maps and look for parks and public land within the canal system that is suitable for launching.

BRIDGES Bridges are a great place to target bream, mulloway, trevally and a stack of other

species. Take some time to check out the bridges in your local area as they are common fishing spots for land-based anglers who clear tracks down to the water, often making them suitable launch spots for kayak anglers at certain times of the tide. How’s that, a launch point right beside the structure! Safety first though, you may need to carry a rope so that you can lower your kayak down and also retrieve it on steeper inclines.

When it comes to bridges, I carry a selection of plastics from 2-5” and jighead weights from 1/8-1/2oz to cover a variety of depths and currents.

When the current is running harder, position the kayak so that you can cast up current, past the pylons and retrieve the lure back close to the pylons and through the eddies created by the current that hold bait and

As the tide covers these rock bars they’ll definitely be worth a cast.

Forget the ramp... let’s launch right beside the structure and fish it! predatory species. When the current slackens off, position the kayak parallel to the bridge so that you can throw long casts and retrieve your lure back past as many pylons as possible. Vertically fishing blades beside the pylons is also extremely effective.

Try short hops of just a few inches, on or near the bottom.

MANGROVES Over the years there’s not too many river and estuary species that I haven’t been connected to while casting lures along mangrove edges. Commonly it’s bream, flathead, grunter, trevally, tailor and cod, but I have also found myself connected to threadfin, queenfish, mangrove jack and snapper.

I have recently had great success casting plastics hard in against the mangroves and twitching them out quickly for the first couple of metres, before allowing them to drop to the bottom just past those annoying, snaggy mangrove roots and then hopping them back along the bottom to the kayak.

When targeting mangroves I stick with plastics around 2-3” and jighead weights around 1/8-1/4oz. Keep an eye out for features in the mangroves, such as points, open or shady pockets and especially drains, as these all break up the consistent mangrove line and commonly create shade, current lines and different structure that holds bait and attracts predators.

OTHER STRUCTURE That’s just three common structure types that I target from the kayak and it’s often more important that you are targeting structure, rather than what type of structure you are targeting. Large sections of our waterways are just muddy or sandy wastelands that hold few fish or only occasionally produce as fish

Bream love structure, so get your lure right in there.

A flathead caught patrolling a mangrove edge, just beyond the snaggy root spikes. travel through the area. Find the structure and you will often find the bait and the fish. Other structure to plan an assault on would include moored boats, oyster racks, rock walls and broken weed and rubble patches.

Next time you are travelling to the boat ramp keep an eye out for alternative launch points and possible target structure.

Boat ramps are often situated on esplanades that run for several kilometres and these are characterised by development, higher populations and increased fishing pressure.

Try driving to each end of these esplanades to explore the launch point options and available structure as these areas will often be less pressured and it will save you the extra paddle from the ramp.

Whatev er yo ur adventure, take some time to begin with the end in mind and you should find your adventures to be safer, more comfortable and more productive.

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51

Emerging from hibernation ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke clarkey1@westnet.com.au

For many anglers now is the time to come out of winter hibernation, dust off the boat and gear, and have a poke around to see what’s happening. The fishing is certainly more enjoyable when you’re not being cut in half by a freezing southwesterly blowing off the snow. There can still be a bit of wind from the west at this

time of year, so caution will still be needed when heading to sea, but for the most part the weather will get better with each passing day.

Of course, anglers are not the only creature to come out of hibernation. Spring sees the first traces of warmer water start trickling down the coast, kick-starting the fish into gear.

One of the best and easiest places to check out what is happening is the lighthouse hill at Wollongong, which is just a five-minute walk from the city centre. From this elevated

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area you can scan the ocean in every direction, and more often than not it throws up a heap of information on what’s happening.

Water colour, current, bird and boat movements and of course fish can all be spotted from here, which makes your fishing decisions a whole lot easier. At this time of year it is a rare day when you don’t see big schools of salmon, at times right in close to the headland.

You can see them either rippling or splashing on the surface, often covered in huge flocks of seagulls which give them away even to non-fishos.

Or you may just see that slow moving black smudge as it moves up or down the beach just behind the breakers.

All this and more further to sea can be enhanced with a quality pair of binoculars.

These will allow you to scan the islands to the south and the bommies to the north and see what the boats in the area are targeting.

Once you have an idea of where the salmon are you can head out later or the next day and target the areas, because it’s not all about the salmon.

Under and amongst them are all manner of species including kings, trevally, snapper, bonito and, often nearby feeding on the same baitfish, striped tuna.

All in all, a Friday lunchtime on the hill can be time well spent, and there are many places like Flagstaff Hill all along the coast. Hill 60 is an ever better spot because you’re higher and can see a greater area, particularly with binoculars. That’s why the coast guard are stationed there.

Loaded with all that information, the salmon are pretty thick out there at the moment and are easy pickings for small lures cast among them. Salmon always fight hard and are better on the chew than many think. When I was kid no one looked at kingfish.

That’s changed a bit!

Now that the cuttlefish have all but moved on, the snapper are looking for different prey. When you’re a hungry snapper, moving along under a big school of salmon has its benefits because the small baitfish ball up, making easy pickings. There are still a few about the shallow reefs so a bit of berley will get them going. They have moved onto the slightly deeper reefs too, so the drift with plastics is again an attractive option and some quality fish are being caught.

The same deeper reefs were always prime kingfish producers but they seem to have fallen out of favour with the kings of late. Just north at Sydney and areas to the south the kings still gather over the traditional spots. Some say it’s not just the kings but many other species as well, and I have to agree.

One theory is it all went

pear shaped around the time the Sydney deep water sewerage outfall was commissioned. You can see it from the air, and all that poop and other chemicals washes straight down over the reefs off Wollongong with the northern reefs most affected.

We still get the run of marlin in the late summer but the water has to be just right, and usually only for a few days.

We used to have fish on the northern reefs all through the summer months, but kings just don’t show at all these days – yet down at Currarong and the Banks they still fire, most likely because the poisons are more diluted there.

Kings still gather in close around the bommies, headlands and islands of the Illawarra but this is out of the main flow, and they’re probably fish that move along the coast rather than that bit further out. A few should start to show up for those anglers who get a few slimy mackerel and downrig them around the islands and bommies. These fish will get bigger and better

The snapper have moved out into deeper water and are keen to take plastics. all else fails. The islands and Bass Point out the front around the crankshaft are always prime spots.

Further offshore, the albacore and yellowfin have been great over the past couple of months and are still about with some fish up to 80kg coming in. If the currents stay favourable, these fish should hang around for another month

the bottom for gemfish and blue-eye trevalla. These are heaps of these tasty fish for those anglers with the gear to get to them.

For the bottom bouncers closer in, the flathead have started to get moving as they definitely don’t mind a feed of tiny baitfish. The northern sand patches up off Stanwell Park and south off Bombo

On a recent outing, tossing small lures on light line at schools on the top produced good kings, striped tuna and bonito.

Blue eye trevalla are in good numbers, along with heaps of gemfish on the shelf. over the coming weeks.

Trevally will be in berley trails and grabbing plastics all along the coast, so they are a pretty good back-up if

or so. A few striped marlin should show this month, and numbers will only get better as we head towards Christmas.

If it’s quiet you can fish

seem to be best, with Windang and Port slowly coming on.

Pigfish are another fish that’s going well, along with some nice mowies and good

numbers of smaller snapper out a bit further on the deeper reefs.

ROCKS On the rocks the salmon have been a target, with pilchards on ganged hooks doing the damage in most locations. A couple of snapper have fallen to the same method on the deeper ledges down south, and more than a few rat kingfish. Most have been undersized, with only a few better than 65cm, but they still go really hard for smaller fish. The odd monster king has been spotted under hooked salmon, but so far nobody has reported catching one.

In the washes the big drummer are going well, with the Kiama area producing heaps of excellent fish. The rocks up north around Coalcliff are much the same, with fish to 3kg not uncommon and bigger fish giving anglers a bit of a touch up on good days.

Bream are a nice bycatch when drummer fishing, and there’s also a chance of a few trevally and the odd snapper.

If you can get a few crabs and the westerlies are blowing, the deeper ledges should be worth a throw for some groper this month as well.

BEACHES On the beaches we’ve had a few good months on the mulloway, and this should continue this month. Most fish have been schoolies up

to 10kg with the odd bigger fish thrown in to keep anglers on their toes. As always, fresh bait is a must. The evenings are still a bit chilly when the westerlies blow, but if you’re patient and willing to put up with having cold fingers, the rewards are there.

Bream have been busy picking away at jewie baits, and the salmon as always can be a nuisance, but if they are what you chase then there are plenty about to keep you busy.

A few big tailor up around the 3kg mark have been getting around the northern beaches, but most are the usual justafter-dark run of fish just under 1kg. They have been pretty consistent in recent weeks on most beaches, with Windang producing on a regular basis.

ESTUARIES In the estuaries it’s still a bit slow, with some nice bream being taken in the lake feeder streams and down around the bridge on peeled prawns. The blackfish are still in good numbers too but you have to get to Windang early to get a good spot; they are that popular. The flathead are still a month away from any real action.

Minnamurra has a few bream along its length, plenty of blackfish along the weed edges, and the odd salmon and trevally sneaking in on the top of the tide around dark.

Good luck.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Makeover for Watson’s Bay Pilot Station Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Duncan Gay and Member for Vaucluse Gabrielle Upton has officially opened the boating safety education centre at the former Watsons Bay Pilot Station to help educate young boaties on how to be safe and responsible on the water.

Thousands of young people are expected to visit the centre and learn about boating safety through education and practical training from experts.

“It is critical children learn boating skills early and what better way to teach them than with other children and in an interactive and fun environment,” Ms Upton said. ““The NSW Government has worked closely with key partners such as Boating Industry Association (BIA), Marine Teachers Association, Yachting NSW, Paddle NSW and Sailability to turn this boating centre into a reality.”

Minister for Disability Services John Ajaka was delighted that the upgrade also gives

kids with disability access into the harbour from an iconic location.

“Everyone deserves to access one of the most beautiful harbours in the world – and through initiatives like this and organisations like Sailability – there are no boundaries,” Mr Ajaka said.

BIA president Alan Blake said that kids from all walks of life would come to the facility to learn more about boating safety.

“Getting into the right safety habits from an early age, like putting on a lifejacket before you go out on the water, can save lives,” he said. “One of the great things about this initiative is that it will provide opportunities for people with disability to enjoy on-water activities.

Giving everyone the chance to excel and reach their full potential is what it’s all about.”

The new boating education centre is now fully operational with a purpose-designed ramp and floating pontoon allowing access to the water for children of all abilities.

The NSW Government provided $1.2 million towards the project.

Restoration work started in 2014 and included complete refurbishment of

the building, installation of change room facilities, boat storage on the lower floor and a large pontoon and ramp for the launching and recovery of vessels. – RM&F

SEPTEMBER 2015

53

Tuna right out of this station?

BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

I repeat: tuna out. We tried to tuna in but it’s been a bit of a letdown this year. The currents and water didn’t quite go our way and it looks as though the best of the bluefin run was late June to early July for recreational boats.

That’s not to say it may not happen through August or into September though; there is a possibility it can turn on. Two years ago we had an awesome afternoon on bluefin in August 80km out to sea, and there’s still is a chance to come across them in September.

However, at this stage it looks as though the majority of the fish are out very, very wide. We did have currents bringing smaller schools in quite close and there were some fish around Tuross Canyons, but that’s what they were – smaller schools – and the fish remained very scattered.

This suited long-lining style of fishing as numbers of fish eventually swam by hooks on the string. They had and are still having an amazing

54

SEPTEMBER 2015

year on the tuna. At least some of us are doing well with them.

The yellowfin have been like previous years with some OK ones being caught and a few albacore, but again nothing to write home to nana about.

Another thing that hasn’t exactly gone our way is the weather. We have had quite a bit of wind, which hasn’t encouraged many anglers to head out. What has been quite good is the bottom fishing and if you have got out on one of the more favourable days and found a nice slight current pushing down from the North and bounced your gear down the decline you were in the game for some nice blue eye trevalla, bar cod, hapuka bass, gemfish or ocean perch. Ulladulla has seen some good catches of blue-eye up to 30kg and Narooma, Bermagui has been doing OK also.

INSHORE Inshore reef fishing has seen a few snapper and the odd winter king, but it looks as though they have slowed down and are few and far between.

The snapper, however, should start to fire up in

close more and more, with cuttlefish making their appearance. Anchoring up in close and berleying the old school way is still the go for a lot of fishos. If you are casting plastics the 5-7” jerkshads are still our biggest sellers, mainly in the white and BBQ chicken colours. White jerkshads still catch the odd kingie and snapper, and are as white as a cuttlefish candle.

The BBQ chicken colour looks just like cuttlefish to me. Use 7-9g jigheads to get down or 1/8oz jigheads if you are casting at floating cuttlefish.

If you don’t get onto any snapper or kings, there have been some good mowies and big schools of flatties. Moruya to Burri seems to have fished well of late. The 30-40m depth have seen a good run of flathead.

ROCKS Off the stones the most productive fish through the winter months would be the reliable drummer. If you are starving for fish, target drummer. Mix some bread with a bit of sand from in a moist to wet salty rock pool for berley. Throwing it out into a wash zone

off the rocks in a fishylooking headland or deep drop-off around a corner will see fish coming around for a feed.

Cunjevoi collected at low tide or cooked prawns are good baits; whack them on a small but strong hook and away you go.

Cast your bait amongst your berley unweighted or with an appropriate running ball sinker to the hook, with the size of the sinker depending on depth or current. Throughout a handful of berley every 12 to 15 minutes and start hauling in the fish. To haul them in you’ll need a 9’ fun stick or a 10’ solid glass or strong graphite rod. There is an amazing selection of 9-10’ rods these days.

We have some Shimano ones which are as light as a feather and can pick your car up!

BEACH The beaches are alive with the sounds of salmon screaming drags and still the odd whiting. There are no massive schools but they are found at most of the local beaches, along with some bream that have moved out of the estuaries to spawn. There are some good bream around our coastal bays and headlands.

Speaking of headlands, that’s where you’ll find winter mulloway, which can be found along coastal beaches and coves also.

These guys will move back into the estuaries over September and October.

ESTUARY Our estuary is quiet but that hasn’t stopped people from having a go. Those anglers who persist are finding the odd blackfish and flathead. You could run into a bream or tailor in the process.

However, the standout fish in numbers (if you find the school) has been the estuary perch. As of 1 August you can keep one over 35cm or two in total, as some people like to do as EPs are their favourite eating fish. To find the estuary perch fish rock walls, snags, holes or the front of oyster racks.

Well, best of luck out there. I’m going to put the heater on and make a pumpkin soup. With lots of garlic, so if you come into the shop and I stink that’s why.

• If you’d like to get into deep sea fishing we currently have the Shimano Plays electric reel, Deep Drop rods and braid on special. The Shimano Plays 9000 has been our biggest selling electric reel since the price drop. They have a larger screen, narrower reel, longer line capacity

Ethan with a Tomakin flathead that’s almost as big as he is. and are quieter than their competitors. One of our customers caught a massive mako on one the other week and the reel is still going fine. If you want to check

them out or get info on what’s biting, drop into Compleat Angler Batemans Bay at 65A Orient St, Batemans Bay, or phone 02 4472 2559.

The author and Rush on the bluefin. At this stage most of the fish are out very, very wide.

Shake off the winter doldrums NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

With spring on our doorstep it’s all systems go on the fishing front with most species getting out of their winter slumber and ready to feed. The estuaries in particular will be hotting up as each week passes, water temperatures will start to increase and in turn summer techniques will return.

Both Narooma and Tuross estuaries are firing up nicely and I think this spring period will be one to remember. There’s a stack of bait in both systems, and they have both had decent flushes from winter rains and the fishing over the previous cooler months was quite exceptional. This all adds up to promising times and I for one can’t wait for my rod to be bent.

Up at Tuross the river section fishes better early in the season especially for flathead and bream. Due to it being quite shallow, the water warms quicker than the deeper tidal areas and the fish seem to respond accordingly. I’d be concentrating from the main Highway bridge to Four-ways fishing water depths of 1-3m with smaller prawn imitations and blades the lures of choice. There’s

already been some solid flathead caught with a few models nudging 85cm, so all looks good.

For those targeting bream, slow-rolling hardbodies over the flats will work and if the water is warm enough an early season surface session is not out of the question. I’ve regularly caught bream on surface presentations in 15°C water, especially when smaller jelly prawns are evident. I’d expect to see EPs in the snags with bream too, again, hardbodies and plastics will work but accurate casts to the structure will be needed in the crystal clear water.

At Wagonga Inlet the big breeding female flathead will start to stir, heading downstream getting ready to spawn. This month is the start of it all for them and I’d expect some cracking fish to 90cm and possibly bigger to be caught over coming weeks.

Concentrating around the basin margins in 6-9m of water is a good place to start.

This month will see an increase in tailor numbers and that means mulloway.

These silver slabs will be stalking the tailor schools, so cast your plastics near them and you’re a great chance at getting connected.

Sure, you will lose a few lures to the choppers, but the end reward might just be worthwhile. You should

get a few decent reds and bream under the tailor also, so a lighter outfit with a smaller plastic or blade may be worth a cast or two.

Outside, anglers fishing the bottom have had good results with snapper, morwong, sand and tiger flathead and kingfish all chewing at times. The reds have been excellent off Potato Point with water depths between 40-60m the go. Every day has been different with where you will find them, drifting first then anchoring once you’ve located a patch has worked for some switched-on local crews. Catches of a dozen fish hasn’t been unusual with the average fish around 1.5-2kg but there’s still the odd better nugget to 5kg being caught. This action should continue for a while yet but I’d expect the reds to spread out a bit.

At Montague Island there’s been the odd patch of kings turning up, which is great to see. These fish are anywhere between just on legal size, 65cm, up to 90cm, so there’s some pretty solid fish around. Jigs, live bait and squid have all worked but live bait seems to be getting the bigger fish at present. The Fowlhouse Reef and SW Corner over the rip has been the place to fish.

Later on this month both yellowfin tuna and albacore

Tomakin Bonanza The Tomakin Mighty Bonanza annual event brings families together and is recognised as one of the premier events on the Far South Coast of New South Wales. It has been running for 34 years with thousands of dollars in cash prizes for Senior anglers and great angling equipment for all the Junior competitors.

The juniors are categorised into two sections: Juniors and Sub-Juniors. There are also special prizes for Senior

and Junior females as well.

There are special handouts for Juniors that have met with little success and I have not seen a Junior leave the competition disappointed.

The event is run over two days on the October long weekend and the weigh-in is 2pm Saturday and 1pm Sunday. Entry fees can be paid on Friday night for the whole weekend,

or after the weigh in on Saturday for a Sunday-only entry, at the Tomakin Club.

There is a nominal fee for Juniors and special rates for

families.

Many local businesses get behind this event with great sponsorship. Should the competition be a total wipe-out the Senior cash prizes are drawn against the entry certificate on Sunday, the same applies to the Junior anglers. Should any prize not be won, it will also be drawn on the Sunday after the presentation.

All prizes are on display prior to the competition start, so we all know what we are competing for. There will be a sausage sizzle and BBQ available on both days at a very reasonable price.

The event is for competitive fishing clubs and, more importantly, is an open invite for visitors and families – an event for all to enjoy. Set the weekend aside and be sure to enjoy what the great South Coast has to offer. ave prizes for all fishing (i.e.) Rock, Beach and estuary, Blue water, Game fish and most of hook line and sinker bottom fishing. Just come on board and have a great weekend. – Tomakin Mighty Bonanza

should be patrolling the shelf line with trolling certainly the way to go early in the season. Anglers have been getting a heap of albies north of us so it shouldn’t be long before they’re on our doorstep.

If sharks are your thing then get out there now.

There’s a heap of mako and blue sharks along the shelf, their numbers haven’t been seen like this for a number of years. Some of the bigger biteys are upwards of 180kg, solid fish in anyone’s books.

On the beaches it’s been a little hit and miss, we’ve had very calm seas of late making the salmon fishing quite tough at times. In saying that, they are still being caught but fishing the peak periods with time of day and tides being important for consistent results. Those that have done OK have been spinning the beaches with chromed slices up to 50g. Doing this enables you to fish each gutter along a beach fishing the more productive areas and not waiting for the salmon to come to you.

When we get the right conditions the beach fishing will really pick up for bream, whiting and mullet.

Tom and Kenno got amongst the bream with 33 fish caught for the day, great fun in the shallows and all fish released.

This month is ideal for all these species with pipi and live beachworms the gun baits. Better beaches to try include Brou, Tilba, Coila and Narooma Main.

The rock hoppers are also in the transition period with a good mix of all species playing the game at times. If a feed is what your after then blackfish, drummer, bream and snapper can be found on most headlands with Mystery Bay to the South and the Golf Course Rocks in town the better places to try. I’d be using fresh crab, cunjevoi, peeled or cooked prawns and cabbage

TOMAKIN Sports & Social Club Ltd.

as bait. For the reds fresh squid or whole pilchards should suffice.

For the sport-fishers who like throwing medium-sized chromed lures then you’re in for a treat. Bonito numbers are excellent at the minute and will only get better as the month progresses. These speedsters are solid fish with the average at 3kg.

On the right tackle this is great sport and if you look after them correctly they are pretty good on the plate, especially when smoked.

You can expect the odd kingfish mixed in with the bonnies and if all else fails, salmon are a great back up.

It’s got the lot!

October Long Weekend 3rd-4th Tomakin Sports & Social Club Fishing Club Presents

MIGHTY BONANZA Fishing Competition

COME AND HAVE A GREAT ANGLING WEEKEND FAMILIES WELCOME AT A SPECIAL RATE

Thousands of Dollars in Prizes

This once a year competition has been running for over 34 years, half of all prizes go to the Junior section.

“TAKE A KID FISHING” THIS IS A 2 DAY COMPETITION ON THE OCTOBER LONG WEEKEND. • Free give-aways for Juniors who do not win a prize.

• Weigh-ins are 2pm on Saturday October 3rd and 1pm on Sunday October 4th.

• 18 species are eligible in the rock, beach, estuary and bluewater sections.

All are welcome and can register at the club on Friday from 4-10pm for the weekend, or after Saturday’s weigh-in for Sunday only.

• Club registration can be organised by phone, call John (02) 4471 7653.

For further information contact Phil Boneham on (02) 4471 7167 (President) You can also call (02) 4471 8029, leave a message and someone will return your call. A full list of prizes which consist of CASH, RODS and REELS are on the Clubs web site - SEE BELOW

www.tomakinclub.com.au SEPTEMBER 2015

55

Snapper are lingering BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Offshore reef fishing is very good with morwong dominating most bags.

Mixed in are tiger flathead that are starting to make an appearance and should increase in numbers as we advance into spring.

Snapper have lingered on from the cooler months to provide anglers with some nice bags. Some of these fish have been taken on soft plastics jigged in varying depths while others have been caught drifting with paternoster rigs and a mixture of different baits with squid and tuna being the best. Water depths around 50-70m seems to be the prime depths, so start on the edge of reefs for snapper, mowies and as you drift wide of them, tiger flatties will take over.

Our reefs are not prominent structures as they may rise only a couple of metres so pay careful notice to your sounder and be prepared to drop on any lump no matter how insignificant it may be as these little service stations

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SEPTEMBER 2015

in the middle of nowhere host some very nice fish.

Conditions at this time of year are usually, lovely and calm mornings building up

to north east winds of a fresh nature in the afternoons, so early starts will be necessary.

Further beyond the Twelve Mile would be worth

Winter can see some southern imports visit our estuaries like this King George whiting.

Wallaga is still fishing well check out the shallow water in the back ground from which this fish was taken.

a look for Tassie trumpeter.

Not only will you find these fish here but others already mentioned and even more species, which favour the deeper water. By the way some good news for those fishing the reefs, is the plague of leatherjackets that have been affecting anglers seemingly have moved on, at least for the moment.

With water temperatures down there is not a lot to report on the game scene, a few small albacore and striped tuna are around with those willing to put in a berley trail attracting the odd mako shark. Keep in mind if berleying, do so around the Twelve Mile Reef where you can also fish

the bottom for reef species.

Since the winter rains the estuaries, rocks and beaches have taken their time to recover, but have done so brilliantly. Channels have been carved in the estuaries exposing structure for fish to congregate around with new snag piles being formed.

Further up the system where the water is warmer is best at present with an array of species being taken on both lures and bait. In fact, as a result of the rains the beaches have now exposed rocks that obviously had been covered by sand for who knows how long.

Anglers should look for this new structure both on the beach and the adjacent

rocks as these areas provide good cover and feeding areas for fish like bream, drummer and a surprising amount of different species.

One way to target these fish within this area is the use of berley. Often fish species not accustom to eating certain types of food will respond to what is on offer.

For example striped tuna or pilchards used as both berley and bait off the beach close to exposed rocks will attract the usual predators in the form of bream, salmon, tailor, trevally or mullet. However, fish like drummer, luderick or even groper may be attracted by the scent so expect the unexpected.

Debris turns into snags TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Most people love a feed of fresh reef fish, and those anglers who live in or visit the Tathra area know just how good these reefs fish at this time of year.

Leaving Kianinny boat ramp, you have the choice of whether to head north or south. This is easily decided by wind direction, so boaties can get a smooth ride home. Both directions have good reef fishing, or you could just try some of the grounds straight out in front. Travelling some distance north to the last point you can see will put you off Goalen Head and some of the best reef fishing along the coast.

Slightly south Goalen Head at Aragunnu is a scattered bottom of gravel and mud, which continues down the coast out from Wapengo.

Closer to home, out from Nelsons Headland is some great reef structure that produces regularly.

South of the ramp out from Bournda in around 50m of water there’s a sandy, gravely bottom, which is

a good area to drift. North of there back towards the ramp, White Rock area has some lovely reef structure which produces excellent bags regularly. And often overlooked is straight out from the ramp where there’s a mixture of reef, gravel, sand and mud which holds a variety of fish species.

REEFIES IN SEPTEMBER What you can expect to encounter on the reefs at present is schools of morwong, both blue and jackass, with reasonable amounts of snapper, ocean perch, nannygai, wrasse and plenty more varieties.

Moving over the sand and gravel, flathead are on the short list, both sandies and tigers. Gummy sharks are very sought after here.

They are found among the flatties, with some of the best red gurnard along the coast mixed in.

WHARF, ROCK AND BEACH Around the wharf, trevally are dominating catches, and this should continue right through to the school holidays, keeping the kids entertained. Ever-present schools of yellowtail

provide plenty of fun, and salmon passing on a regular basis add a larger variety to target. Tailor are present at night with barracouta also lurking around the pylons. You can catch squid here too, with night time producing best.

Moving around onto the rocks between the wharf through to Kianinny Bay, anglers are getting good bags of drummer on cunjevoi, cabbage weed and red crabs. The most productive approaches are fishing with free floating baits or with a small ball sinker, or using weed suspended under a float.

Schools of salmon are moving along the coast, providing anglers with some good beach fishing.

Some of the best beaches are south at Bournda, the main beach adjacent to the river and Gillards Beach north of Nelsons. Simple paternoster rigs fished on beach rods with pillies or cut baits will account for any number of salmon, but if you want excitement and exercise try walking the beach with a light spin rod and a handful of lures casting in the deeper gutters. It’s lots of fun.

The use of burley will attract fish in cool conditions, like this bream.

RIVER AND ESTUARY

Winter rains have breathed new life into the estuaries, especially the Bega River system. For those anglers wishing to target bass in the fresh to brackish water, new structure has been created providing many options for anglers. It’s still a bit cool for the bass, but as the spring warms up so should the fishing. Next month should be a ripper.

Estuary perch also benefit from these conditions, moving throughout the river and providing excellent fishing.

Lures worked around any form of structure or weed beds will produce, and once encountered you can expect to catch quite a few out of one area before moving on.

The floating debris from the rains are forming new structures and snags. Also formed from the run-off are

new channels, providing plenty of feeding grounds and cover which bream especially like. Whether you fish lures or bait, the bream fishing could never be better than it is now.

Flathead are throughout the system, with the better fishing in the warmer shallower water. With the anticipation of a great prawn season, fishing will only get better as the weather warms.

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SEPTEMBER 2015

57

South coast estuarine shallows switch on MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

Merimbula and its surrounds are in the transition period from cooler water temperatures that winter brings to warmer water and air temperatures during the spring period.

This is certainly evident in the estuaries, especially in the shallows with sunnier afternoons sometimes making the water temperatures 2-3°C warmer than that of tidal channel areas. These

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

Both the Merimbula and Pambula Lakes have extensive shallow sand flats that are full of fish at this time of year. The fish get up there on the flooding tide, feeding on small prawns, yabbies and worms. A few locals have done particularly well using lightly weighted worm baits for the whiting.

A few of these fine table fish are nudging 42-43cm, so solid models that are a whole lot of fun.

As the water warms even further it will only get better with anglers using surface presentations like walk-the-dog baits and poppers getting amongst the action.

In the basins of both estuaries, flathead, bream and blackfish are chewing quite well with lure addicts certainly seeing the best of the action. Pambula has some solid salmon and trevally in the lower river section with stick-style soft plastics rigged on 2g heads the go. I’d expect some jumbo-sized flatties to 90cm and beyond in both estuaries with water

fortunes of late. Some days the salmon are prolific and others very quiet. The only thing to do is keep going and hopefully you get a

have slowed up somewhat, but some good fish to 3kg are still being captured if the hard yards are put in.

Most reefs are holding a

before wasting hundreds of dollars on fuel. If the tuna are there and you do get out, trolling will be the way to go with both skirted

Tom Williams with a couple cracking bream taken on plastics before release. Tom and his dad John managed 31 bream for the session. All fish were released.

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depths of 3-8m being ideal.

Casting larger plastics to the edges of the ribbon weed will produce the goods. It’s important to let these breeders go.

There’s the chance of mulloway too, especially if smaller tailor are present.

Many a good mulloway has come from beneath tailor schools so it’s certainly worth a few casts.

Anglers fishing the stones have had mixed

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It’s great to see smaller soapy mulloway in good numbers in our southern estuaries, which is promising for future years to come.

good day. When we get the right conditions on the stones the salmon action will pick up.

We have had reasonably flat seas of late, not ideal for these pelagic species.

The fish that have been caught are responding well to ganged pilchards fished slowly on a continual wind in. A few snapper have fallen to the same technique so it’s still worth ago.

The place to fish is Tura Head, it’s a deep headland and this region’s LBG hotspot. It’s a decent walk in from Headland Drive, but totally worth it, especially when the fish are on!

If a good feed of fresh blackfish and drummer fillets is more for you, then Short Point is the place to fish. I’ve heard of some nice fish taken there on cabbage and cut black crab. There’s been reports of grouper from Long Point also, so that in itself may be worth a look, again crabs and cunjevoi the better baits to use.

Offshore the snapper

few fish but the deeper reefs have certainly fished best.

You can expect morwong, pigfish and the odd kingfish when targeting the reds.

Sand flathead are also in good numbers in 30-35m of water straight off Bournda Island. There’s been good reports of tiger flathead coming from 60-70m, so that too is worth a look.

I have heard of some quality gummy sharks being caught out the front of Lennards Island by the guys fishing for snapper too. Some of these fish have nudged 12kg with the odd bigger fish lost also.

At that size they’re pretty good sport and not bad on the plate either. Fresh squid has definitely been the gun bait!

Out wider the game season has slowed to a crawl, SBT are still possible but from what we are hearing the fish are a very long way out, too far for most trailer boat fishos anyway. It might be worth waiting for a few weeks yet and see what the currents and water temperature does

and bibbed minnows bringing results.

If sharks are your thing there has been a heap of smaller blue sharks and some decent sized mako sharks. This type of fishing isn’t for everyone but they are abundant at present. A few makos have nudged 200kg, not to be taken lightly, that’s for sure.

On the beaches it’s been a little hit and miss with the calmer conditions but that will change once we get some decent swell.

In saying that, salmon and tailor are still being caught but not in huge numbers.

You do have to work for them with anglers fishing the early flooding tides getting the better results.

This month will see an increase in bream, whiting and mullet numbers, every September produces solid fishing for these species as they feed up before entering their estuary haunts for the summer period. Fresh baits like beachworms and pipi are ideal with North Tura and Tura Main beaches the pick of beaches to fish.

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Warmth spurs action EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

As we head towards spring we can be thankful that winter is all but behind us with the shortest day being 22 June well and truly gone.

It won’t be long and we will start to feel things warming up. All the rivers and creeks are flowing well after all the recent rains the estuaries are just starting to clear up after spending a few weeks the colour of a cup of coffee.

dropping to around 15°C, the only species on the go has been the salmon and until the water warms there will be very little variety in the species caught.

If game fishing is your thing the next few months is the time to maintain your fishing gear, as this cold windy time of year sees little opportunity for game fishing.

There’s time to get prepared, and that way you will be ready to go when things fire up.

Closer to shore the inshore reefs have been providing a feed of fish for the anglers prepared to get out there

There have been plenty of black bream around, and the boys enjoyed a day targeting them recently.

The big seas haven’t missed the Eden area and as a result there are great gutters on all the local beaches. But with the water temperature

and give it a go, and species like snapper, morwong and flathead (both sandies and tigers) are being caught. Good catches of snapper are coming

from in close with a few good fish caught by anglers fishing from the rocks at first light.

Fish are being taken out deeper as the sun gets higher, and when you see the cuttlefish shells washed up on the beach you know it’s worth wetting a line for a snapper.

The local estuaries have been fishing well and dusky flathead have been caught with the best place to look being shallow muddy bays that face the north. The extra few degrees in water temperature can see the fish come on the chew.

Yellowfin bream are also being taken with the best area to fish being the front section of the estuary. In the same area there have been a few sand whiting.

This time of year sees the black bream heading upstream in preparation for spawning at this time, and they can often be hard to catch. A bit of discoloured water makes it easier than the crystal clear water often experienced over the winter months.

The winter months can see some good catches of perch, and it’s great to see these fish being released as they spawn in spring. They are a great sport fish and a real asset to any estuary system.

Muddy water clears MALLACOOTA

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

Winter is always a quiet time of year with very few visitors to the area, this year, however, is one of the quietest in recent years.

It’s not just the Mallacoota area, it’s the same right along the far south coast.

This winter has been cold wet and windy with consistent big seas pounding the coast and as a result there hasn’t been a boat heading offshore fishing in the past few months. With the cold water temperatures, you could be doing better things than heading offshore fishing.

The consistent big seas have created plenty of gutters on all the local beaches and salmon have been moving along the beaches but big numbers of fish are yet to put in an appearance. Some good fish have been caught from the new jetty at the Bastion Point boat ramp.

This is a good safe spot to fish offering a variety of species including blackfish, yellowfin bream and salmon.

With all the rain we’ve had the lake has been brown.

It managed to clear up but it

didn’t take long before we had more rain and it was all brown again. All the small creeks and rivers are open to the ocean pouring out dirty water and as a result it will be a while before the ocean clears.

move the lure too fast.

The silver trevally are still around but with the recent rain the fish have gone scarce, no doubt they will show up once again when the water has cleared.

Schooling black bream are easily caught on blades once a school is located.

Both the Bottom and Top lakes have been fishing well, which is typical for the winter months. Yellowfin and black bream are being caught in both lakes. A variety of lures have been working well, such as soft plastics, hardbodies and blades. The black bream are well up the system with fish being caught in the Gypsy Point area and above.

The flathead are being caught throughout the system, you just need to find a school of fish and target them. At this time of year, it pays not to

It’s fingers crossed that over the summer months the weedbeds will once again start flourishing as there has been no weedbeds since the floods of 2010. This could be the reason we haven’t had a decent run of prawns for as many years.

The recent rains should benefit the system as we head into spring with good flow allowing the bass to move freely from pool to pool. Wilderness Fishing Tours is now on Facebook check us out!

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Getting consistently bigger fish COPETON DAM

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David Allan manager@copeton.com.au

Spring is here, and for the first time Copeton Dam is the only NSW waterway that’s NOT closed for cod fishing. In years gone by we’ve had to put away the cod lures for those three months, and it’s going to be very interesting to see if the fish throw caution to the wind from 1 September.

Here’s hoping so.

The cod fishing through the last month has been exceptional, with many fish over a metre caught and released. One of the big advantages of our winter cod bite is that the fish we are catching are being released in great condition, and this is due to a number of factors.

Firstly, most of the fish are being caught in relatively shallow water, from around 5-25ft, so no barotrauma.

Secondly, there’s very little difference in surface and deeper water temperature, and this eliminates the shock to the fish (temperature differences can cause problems for released fish in summer when surface temps can exceed 30°C).

This month Copeton Waters Holiday Park will be hosting the inaugural Copeton Cod Classic. Held on the weekend of 19-20 September, it will pit some of the best cod fishers in the country against each other. I can’t wait to see the results, and also to check out some of the methods and lures that will be used by the competitors. It may be that someone who thinks outside the square will come up with the next go-to technique or latest crazy new lure for these amazing fish.

LURING Last month I promised to talk about lures. I have fished Copeton for 35+ years, and I have consistently caught bigger cod over the last few years – and the only thing

I have changed is the size of the lures I use. For years we “fished to catch fish”, meaning we used lures that

would appeal to any fish that happened to swim past. We mostly used hardbody deep divers between 50-100mm long or spinnerbaits up to 5/8oz. These did catch lots of yellowbelly to well over 60cm and 8kg, and plenty of cod up to about 80cm, but that metre cod eluded me for 30 years.

It’s only over the last few years at Copeton that the use of large lures has really become popular. I think some locals knew and have been keeping it to themselves for years! This change in what is considered an effective size for a cod lure follows on from the work of some of the cod fishing gurus down south, Rod McKenzie and friends, who have pioneered trolling big lures in the Murray River for monster cod. The catch rate in Copeton has gone through the roof now that these big lures have become the standard.

Copeton’s winter surface bite has created the need for big surface lures, and as a

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when they hit; it tends to push the lure away from their mouth. I have had a scorecard that has read 11 strikes for no

A range of surface lures that are proving effective at Copeton. The Snake is 250mm long.

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Rick Peel from Mudeye Lures doing some field testing. This fish went 116cm.

A tricked up 110mm Mantis with triple split rings, upgraded and upsized hooks and a solid ring added to the tow point. amazing and inventive lures to satisfy the demand. Rick Peel from Mudeye Lures has been at the forefront of design and production of lures for the Copeton surface cod fishery, and some of his new lures are amazing. The Snake is a four-segment wake bait that is nearly a foot long (30cm), and the way some of Rick’s big jointed paddlers work has to be seen to be believed.

The Kingfisher Mantis is another local favourite in both the 110cm jointed and the revamped 120mm sizes.

Don’t discount any surface lure, especially if you know a fish is there and has seen some of the more aggressive surface lures. You may get some renewed interest with something more subtle like a saltwater stickbait worked slowly in a walk-the-dog fashion. I also know a guy who regularly uses a large GT popper just slowly retrieved across the surface with little or no action, and he gets very good results.

Cod can be frustratingly hard to hook when using surface presentations, probably because of the amount of water they move

fish landed. Very frustrating!

To try to help with this situation I recommend an upgrade of hardware to chemically sharpened 2x or 3x strong hooks. I have been using ST41 and ST56 Owners with good results. It can also help to upsize hooks.

Another trick that I have tried, which David Green made popular some years ago for barra lures, is the use of double or triple split rings.

By doing this on the rear hook and upsizing (say, from a 1/0 to a 2/0) the hook can hang much deeper under the lure, which seems to increase hook-up rates.

I guess the take home message is to always think about what’s happening and what you might be able to do to improve your results.

Don’t be afraid to try something new.

• 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.

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New writer for the Hunter Valley HUNTER VALLEY

Peter Fogarty bakerods@hotkey.net.au

My name is Peter Fogarty and I will be taking over the Glenbawn reports from Dave Mclean. I own and manage Lake Glenbawn Kiosk with my wife Carol.

I enjoy all types of fishing, both freshwater and saltwater, having lived on Moreton Island for seven years and now at Glenbawn for six years.

I wish Dave all the best in his retirement. After contributing 163 continuous reports, as well as tireless work with fish stocking programs, he’ll be a hard act to follow.

SEPTEMBER FISHING Glenbawn and St Clair dams have been slowly rising over the last three

months due to snowfall at the Barrington Tops and generous winter rain. The weed growth is the best I’ve seen in recent years.

As the water slowly rises on new ground it opens up a new source of protein in the form of worms, spiders, insects and so forth. A good approach at this time is to cast plastics to the edge or weed early before the sun hits your bank. Because the dams are so clear the fish are easily spooked as the day goes on, so you need to switch tactics. As the sun gets higher try fishing the weed edge. Native fish like to sit in the cover of weed, waiting for a tasty morsel to come past. This action should continue into next month.

Another technique is casting parallel to rock walls or steep banks, shaking your

rod as it sinks. Then, with a slow retrieve, shake the rod tip every couple of turns.

This should produce the strikes you’re after.

Keitch Easy Shiner and Swing Impact in 2”and 3”, and Slider 3” and 1.5” Sea Grubs have been working well. Try dipping your tails in Spike-It or Berkley Bio-Dip for added attraction.

Ice jigs are also popular, and Jackall, Nils Master and Smak are just some of the ones used in a flicking motion into schooling fish.

The best areas at Glenbawn are deep rock walls (8 knot zone) and around the Pan Handle, One Tree Point or in the Main Basin starting at Cemetery Point and concentrating on points and the back of little bays. Also try the timber around the Narrows as timber holds heat and fish

like to sit in these areas and ambush your bait or lure.

At Lake St Clair try the Upper Fall Brook Arm going through the Dog Leg, and fish along both sides in around 20ft of water. This action should continue into next month. In the Carrow Brook Arm try around Perkins Point as well as the bays opposite the Boat Ramp. Look to see where there is a 2-3m gap between the water’s edge and weed.

Some quality fish have been coming from this area. Use a 1/8oz or 1/6oz jighead with a size 2 hook depending on the wind.

When the water temperature starts to rise fish will become more active. Put your plastic on a Betts Spin, try blades or even a small spinnerbait.

• Peter Fogarty runs the popular Lake Glenbawn

NSWFM’s new columnist Peter Fogarty with a Glenbawn bass.

Kiosk - offering fuel, tackle, ice and the best food on the lake. Make sure you drop in when you visit the lake

for the latest reports. You can also visit them on www. lakeglenbawnkiosk.com.au or call on (02) 6543 8355.

Fish feeding along banks as water level rises LAKE BURRENDONG

Jason Kirk

In most years, fishing through the dam during winter is slim pickings.

However, those anglers who braved the cold mornings of July and

picked their run on the dam in between the bouts of miserable weather were rewarded.

Early July saw a number of cod being caught across Eagle Beagle and towards the base of the Burrendong Dam. Although there was no real size recorded amongst them, with the largest being around the 450mm mark, it bodes well for the fishing here because cod have always

been a rarity in the dam.

The dam has come up 3% in recent weeks, and this has brought the fish feeding towards the banks, with yellowbelly and catfish landed off the banks with bait. Most of these fish have been picked off just after dark, with both species landed being around the 300-400mm mark.

For those anglers boating and heading towards the

structure up the Macquarie arm, it has again been bait that has landed both yellowbelly and the occasional redfin.

Some trees contain fish that are still dormant.

For those anglers looking to stay for a couple of days on the dam, the Park is still offering winter specials on its cabins. For more information you can contact the office on (02) 6846 7435 or visit www. inlandwaters.com.au.

Retiring St Clair Mayor FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Wellington angler David Aries with a 580mm yellowbelly.

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Our Lake Glenbawn and St Clair columnist, Dave McLean, is hanging up the biro after 168 continuous columns. Affectionately known by the FM crew as The Mayor of St Clair,

Dave’s devoted more time and effort than many would imagine to fishing and especially fish stocking in the region.

Testament to his toughness, Dave never missed a beat through his recent cancer treatment and is now back on the water enjoying the fruits of his efforts. You may not know

that for years, Dave’s been involved in the collection of broodstock and the distribution of fingerlings into the two lakes that the loves to fish.

The team at NSW Fishing Monthly wishes you a fish-filled retirement, Dave. The readers and the team all appreciate your efforts!

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It’s a spring thing LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

Early September can be real trap for visiting anglers from lower altitudes.

Spring may have sprung down your way but up here on the central tablelands of NSW it’s still cold. We’d be lucky to get three or four days out of the month that feel like spring. That’s not to say the fish don’t or won’t bite though! It can actually be a very good time to fish.

effective, and the tactics are pretty simple – keep trying different trees at different depths, spending 15 minutes on a tree, lowering baits down the main trunk and under large limbs. Try bobbing at different depths, and if you get no action try another tree. Sometimes the larger trees out on their own can be a bit of a magnet, so keep this in mind.

For lure anglers it can be a little hit-and-miss depending on the weather, especially early in the month. Those anglers who persist and know their

Early September can still be a good time of year to target big redfin. It’s important to have a boat, a quality sounder and the knowledge to interpret what you’re seeing. When it comes to tackle, think finesse.

Water temps are starting to climb slowly, triggering some native species spawning urges. Cod are off the agenda of course with the closed season kicking in from 1 September, but golden perch are very much on the radar for anglers.

Impoundments such as Windamere, Wyangala and Burrendong are very popular with golden perch anglers, and a mixture of techniques can be effective.

Bait fishing has been working a treat on the not so good days. Bobbing yabbies (small 30-50mm specimens) in the trees can be very

techniques will always do well, of course. Those same fish in the trees can be targeted with soft plastics.

Slow rolling scented grubs up from the bottom can be very effective. Making the most of sounder technology can have you on the right tree in no time; it’s so much easier when you can see the fish on the sounder screen.

No guesswork needed.

SKIRTED JIGS Hitting bankside structure can also work well.

I feel that yabbies are a very important food item early in the season for golden perch.

Yabbies like to spend the

colder months tucked away in their holes, off the fishy menu, but the first little rise in water temps can have them stirring. I am sure the golden perch hear and see the rumblings going on in the holes and rocks.

Bottom contact with lure presentations is very important in these places, and there is no better lure than a skirted jig for this style of fishing. I have a real affinity with these lures, having fished with them for over ten years, and early spring is the time to fish them for golden perch.

Rock jumbles and reefs, ledges with broken rock, and gravel slides are the places to fish them. This is where the yabbies are, and the golden perch home in on these locations.

Something that has really helped me with my jig fishing (this is going to sound a bit weird) has been to cast my jig at home in the yard.

Try it! Retrieve your jig over grass, gravel and rocks; lay out some sticks and crawl the jig back. It’s amazing what transfers through the rod blank and braided line, and because you can actually see what the obstacles are you’ll quickly learn how each one feels on the end of your line.

Transfer what you have done at home to the water and it will help you no end. It’s a style of fishing that requires concentration, and it’s possibly not for everyone, but I reckon it’s the bomb.

TROUT SPAWN FINISHED There will still be a few rainbow trout cruising the gravel runs of Thompsons Creek Dam (TCD) but most of the fish will have dispersed. Lure fishing takes a bit of a back seat up at TCD over the spawning period, with fly anglers catching most of the fish. Now, with the majority of rainbow trout

With rainbow trout now spreading out and feeding in the dams it’s time for the lure fishers to shine. O.S.P Do Live Shrimp are trout lollies at this time of year. spread out and feeding up, it’s time for lure anglers to shine. Small minnows, soft plastics and spoons are all worth a try. The water is clear so light leaders and main lines are the go.

Bottom contact presentations with small soft plastics are hard for the brown trout to resist, so keep this in mind if you’ve had your fill of rainbows over winter.

Lake Lyell will be on the improve as well. It can be very busy during summer so if you prefer your fishing

mixed in with some serenity, get up there now. A boat really opens up your options at Lyell, but don’t be afraid to get out and walk the banks. Some of my best trout have been caught doing just this, and the other plus is the visual aspect.

BIG REDDIES We are more than likely on the tail end of it by now, but some of the biggest and heaviest redfin are caught at end of August and early September. Fully roed-up females can weigh quite a bit more than later in the year.

Ben Chifley and Carcoar dams hold some quality fish, although I haven’t heard too much out of Carcoar recently.

Boat-based anglers with quality sounder technology and the knowledge to interpret it will do the best.

It’s gotten to the point where I’ll rarely drop a jig over the side unless I see bigger fish on the screen. Yep, I’m spoilt! But hey – seeing them and catching them are two very separate things.

I hope to see you on the water soon. Until then, tight lines.

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White mantle for Canberra-Monaro Peaks CANBERRA

Bryan Pratt

We had a fair bit of snow in the mountains this winter, and with the promise of more to come this augurs well for later run-off, which will keep the trout streams running for many weeks in springtime.

We’ve gotten used to fishing in some of the difficult winter weather and there’s always a spark of humour to brighten up the day. A colleague was fishing in a blizzard at Eucumbene recently and said “the snowflakes were so big they were knocking my fly out of the sky”. He still managed a couple of rainbows and I think they were well earned.

Winter has one particular downside for us locals: tourist traffic. The mob from Sydney and elsewhere heading to and from the ski fields on weekends create a significant hazard on the roads. They often are poor drivers, unused to snow and ice on the roads, tired from a full weekend on the slopes and often with a car full of tired, wet and whinging, hungry spouses and kids. We have learned to be very wary of them and realise that our normal two-hour fishing trip to Eucumbene or Jindabyne can now easily stretch to three and even four hours. It’s something to bear in mind if you’re planning a visit.

FISHING PATCHY Fishing has been patchy in the mountain lakes. Bait fishers have fared best, using

PowerBait, wood grubs and scrub worms. The best locations in Jindabyne have been East Jindabyne, Kalkite and Hatchery Bay. Waste Point also has yielded a few nice fish, but remember that this location is inside the Kosciuszko National Park so you’ll need a valid entry permit.

In Eucumbene the best locations have been Seven Gates, Yens Bay and Anglers Reach, with some recent good catches at Braemar and near the dam wall. The majority of the fish taken have been rainbows, but increasing numbers of browns, hungry and returning from spawning, are showing in catches.

A paternoster rig with two hooks and two different baits is the most effective.

Most anglers put PowerBait on the longer leader to the bottom hook, which enables it to float up above the frass on the bottom. The theory is that a fish wandering along looking for food on the bottom suddenly comes face to face with a juicy piece of PowerBait and inhales it.

A small ball of polystyrene foam similarly can be used on the line to help float scrub worms or wood grubs up from the bottom.

Lure fishers have taken a few fish. One angler made me feel proud when he bagged out in Jindabyne on the Y82 Canberra Killer Tasmanian Devil I designed for the company a few years ago.

A few other fish have been taken on small Halco, Strike Pro and Rapala minnows,

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SEPTEMBER 2015

MAIL ORDER

with the best fish caught on one or two colours of lead core line.

Boaters should remember to wear properly serviced life jackets when fishing.

A recent blitz revealed a number of anglers either not wearing an approved jacket or one that was out of service. It’s not just the monetary fine that’s at stake, it’s your life.

Fly fishers have had a poor run of it lately, but that should change soon. We are now coming into a prime polaroiding period and can

for a fish in the shallows.

Polarised glasses are essential for good vision, and any shadow or darkish object in the water is treated as a fish. A fly cast just beyond the shadow often results in a strike, which can be quite spectacular in the shallow water. It’s very exciting and rewarding fishing.

Tantangara is a prime destination for anglers aware of the big population of trout in this small reservoir, but it can be a challenging location in winter. Visitors can easily

Most of the fish being taken are rainbows, but increasing numbers of browns, hungry and fresh from spawning are showing in catches.

The fishing can be productive at this time of year, but it pays to wear warm protective clothing, especially good waterproof waders. expect to catch some nice fish. Polaroiding is simple fishing, easily practiced by one or two anglers. The trick is to walk slowly and carefully along the bank, as high up as possible, looking

get snowed in by sudden storms which are difficult to see coming because of the high surrounding terrain and it can be at least several days before the snow ploughs clear the road. Visitors

Murray cod have been quiet in the cold weather, but occasional catch-and-release specimens have been taken in Burrinjuck and Wyangala. should bring extra water, food, clothing and firewood to ensure their safety and comfort and always leave details of their visit with somebody safe at home.

DAM LEVELS

Dam

% Full

Dam

% Full

Blowering............................. 40

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

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

Grahamstown......................... 98

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

Hume.................................. 39

Burrinjuck............................. 58

Jindabyne............................. 60

Carcoar................................ 14

Keepit.................................. 12

Chaffey................................ 52

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

Clarrie Hall.......................... NA

Pindari................................. 31

Copeton............................... 19

Split Rock.............................. 6

Dartmouth............................. 71

Tantangara............................ 37

Eucumbene........................... 48

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

Glenbawn............................. 85

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

Glenlyon............................... 30

Wyangala............................. 46

(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.)

NATIVES QUIET Murray cod and golden perch generally have been quiet. An occasional golden perch has been caught in Canberra’s urban lakes, with yabbies and scrub worms the best baits. In Burrinjuck a few fish have been taken from the bank where anglers can relax alongside a good fire, and with soft plastics jigged alongside flooded trees. Black, 13mm Gulp minnows are still the most successful lure but a few fish have been taken on trolled Burrinjuck Specials.

An occasional Murray cod has turned up. An angler using a small minnow lure for redfin at Googong Reservoir was startled when a cod estimated at well over a metre trailed the lure to shore and made a last-second futile grab at it.

Predictably, when the angler changed to a more suitablesized lure, the cod showed no interest in it and was not seen again.

At Wyangala, an angler trolling a large spinnerbait had better luck when it was snaffled by an 81cm cod, which he photographed and then released.

Goldens bask in the sun BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

After what feels like the longest and coldest winter in history, we finally have some temperatures that are good enough to get us pumped and out there amongst it.

These warmer conditions are a trigger for some fish species and none more so then the golden perch.

In the lakes like Blowering, Jounama and Burrinjuck the resident goldens will move into the shallows, both to warm themselves up after a long, cold winter but also to take advantage of the springtime abundance of food. Most of the lakes will be slightly on the rise, resulting in freshly flooded areas and a smorgasbord of food being swept in. This is probably the main reason the goldens move in here.

It’s not just about food though, they also move in to sun themselves, and if there isn’t enough sun to warm the water up enough for them

they often won’t feed until the weather comes good again. This can make for some frustrating times on the water, as you can see these giant football-shaped goldens sitting there but when they just won’t open their mouths and have a feed. It can challenge the patience of even the most seasoned anglers. I personally don’t mind it much because seeing them is almost as much fun as catching them.

When the fish are in this mode I generally fish deeper areas and/or find a bank or point that’s being swept by wind – the more windswept the better. If there is a milk line created from the wash you are almost guaranteed there will be fish present, and they will almost definitely be active.

Alternatively, if this isn’t working for you, head out even deeper and target the redfin with jigs, blades, plastics, tail spinners and ice jigs.

BAIT If you are bait fishing this month, hit the areas I just mentioned and as much as possible try to keep your bait

moving. If you are using small yabbies (which will be hard to beat this month) try to use them actively. Rig them on a hook with no sinker at all and cast it into a likely looking area. Let it sink, then after it hits the bottom give it a short time to rest in case a fish saw it sink. If you don’t get a bite lift the yabby up off the bottom a metre or so; this will give any fish in the area another chance to notice it before it sinks. If there was a fish sitting on it from the initial cast, he will think the yabby is trying to flee and will smash it before it gets a chance to hit the bottom again. Using this technique can work incredibly well at this time of the year, and the key is to stay in contact with the yabby as it sinks because this is when the goldens will hit it most often.

Alternatively, if that sounds like too much hard work you can still have success with a fixed bait. Just make sure you use a paternoster rig to keep the yabby from burying itself, and also to keep it up kicking about in the goldens’ faces.

This is what spring in our lakes is all about: giant footballshaped golden perch. These fish will be up around the shallows, and on warm days they’ll be very active this month.

JOUNAMA DAM With all the creeks and rivers closed, anglers keen to get a trout fix are restricted to the lakes – and what better lake to target big trout both rainbows and browns then Jounama Dam? This picturesque little lake is a great place to take the kids for a fun-filled day beside the water. The big trout in this lake start to fire right after the official close to the trout streams. This is a bonus

for those addicted to trout fishing in the area, as you can successfully fish for good sized and good numbers of trout all year round.

The lake has fished reasonably well over the last couple of months and this should continue this month.

Casting lures or flies from the bank is very productive and is my preferred way of fishing the lake, but bait fishing with Powerbait, grubs or worms is also a

great way of hooking a trout or two.

On top of the great trout fishing in the lake there are also trophy-sized redfin and golden perch that can turn up. You just never know what you will hook next.

If you’ve never been to Jounama I strongly recommend you take the time to head there or stop in next time you’re on your way to the snowfields or more wellknown trout dams.

Want better fishing?

Well do something about it!

GRANTS CLOSE 16th October 5pm Get in Quick!

A typical sized rainbow trout from Jounama Dam. This little landbased only dam hardly gets fished yet it holds good numbers of

HABITAT ACTION GRANTS are now OPEN for projects to improve fish habitat in your area.

Projects of direct benefit to recreational fishing and involving recreational fishers will be given preference.

Habitat makes fish happen!

Grants of up to

40,000 are available

$

For more information contact PH: 02 6626 1107 or PH: 02 4916 3817 or email: fish.habitat@dpi.nsw.gov.au

or visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/hag

Another cracking clear water redfin. Love them or hate them, they make a great alternative when nothing else is biting.

SEPTEMBER 2015

65

Lake fishing still fantastic JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

After a very mild winter in the Snowy Mountains there is still a fair bit of snow on the mountains to melt yet and provide water for the rivers and streams over summer.

Of course Lake Jindabyne’s water level remained quite high over winter, and as the snow starts to melt this month we can expect the lake level once again to rise quite high. This will remain until Snowy Hydro do another environmental release down the lower Snowy River, maybe sometime in October.

This release of about 5052ML in one day is the flushing flow for the Snowy River downstream of Jindabyne, and every year it has improved the conditions. The fishing is also getting better downstream every year, with some very good stocking programs taking place.

The release may take the water level of Jindabyne down by about 1m, but this drop in water level has never had a detrimental effect on the trout fishing. Water releases are good both for the lower Snowy River and good for the trout fishing.

While the lake fishing is still going fantastic at the moment, just remember our rivers and streams will remain closed for the trout spawning season until next month, when they will reopen

on the Saturday of the NSW October long weekend.

Make certain you always carry a current fishing licence on you when fishing; quite a few anglers have been fined this year for not having their licence on them, even though they did have one at home.

Now let’s look at what to expect when fishing this month.

FISHING IN SEPTEMBER Once again this year, due to lake water levels rising slowly, the trout will be close into the banks. If you are out in the boat trolling you’ll need to slow the boat down and hit the shallows. Jointed Rapalas have been best when trolling through the shallows, as they have better action at slower speeds, with either rainbow or brown trout patterns best. The Spotted Dog Rapala has been good and so has the Rapala Scatter Rap in natural trout and perch colours, and again in the spotted dog pattern. The Rapala Scatter Rap’s unique action is working well on the Snowy Mountains trout.

The sheltered bays are also holding some good brown trout amongst the weed, and Hatchery Bay and Hayshed Bay have a lot of rainbows in the shallows early and late in the day especially. The first hour around daylight has been best and the weather hasn’t been that cold, so it’s been great watching the sun rise while you land a trout.

Use darker coloured lures early in the day, and as the

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sun rises the yellow wing Tasmanian Devil lures have performed better. Number Y48 and Y96 Tasmanian Devils have been the best.

Soft plastics, even the Gulp 1” Crickets, trolled behind Ford Fenders are also well worth a try.

I prefer to fish the township end of the lake in September because the water coming out of the rivers is very cold and the fish can be a little less active. Other areas that have been fishing very well are Sids Bay and Rainbow Beach area.

Lake bait fishing has been good, and artificial baits once again have been catching most of the fish.

Because the artificial baits float, leave about 2ft of trace between the artificial and a big scrub worm sitting on the bottom. This twin hook rig has been producing better catch rates because the scented artificial often helps attract the trout, even if they do take the worm.

It’s always best to put some line floatant like Mucilin on your line to keep it floating and to reduce the drag when the fish take the bait. Always fish with the bail arm open on your reel to allow the trout to run with the bait. Strike only when you think the fish has had time to swallow the bait.

The areas for bait fishing lately have been The Boat Ramp, Wollondibby Inlet (deeper water), Curiosity Rocks Bay, The Haven and Rushes Bay over at East Jindabyne.

If you’re spinning with lures around Lake Jindabyne, remember the

fish are cruising close around the edges, and on a bright sunny day are very spooky.

It’s better to fish the deeper water unless you know how to cast small floating minnow lures without spooking the fish. Spin close around rocky outcrops for best results later on in the day and use smaller lures. Spinning lures like Celtas, Vibrax Spinners and Gillies Spinners are also worth a try around the shallow bays after dark.

Don’t stay in one place too long and only put in a couple of casts in each area.

On the days when there is a little wind, the better lures have been Tasmanian Devils in number 48 brown bomber and pink sparkler Tassie Devil S12, and don’t forget the ‘Willys Special’ yellowing lure I developed with Wigston’s Lures a few years ago. I predict this lure will be amazing on the lake this spring and summer.

With the fly fishing on the lake, the polaroiding is most definitely improving as the lake level rises, and we should see some great fishing over the next few weeks. On bright days use small green nymphs under an indicator and fish it very slow. Fish caught in the shallows have been full of small shrimp.

Bigger flies like Woolly Buggers allowed to sink and then stripped quickly will work best at night.

Wollondibby Inlet has been fantastic for fly anglers as the trout cruise amongst the grass.

BEST METHODS FOR SEPTEMBER Trolling - Troll surface lures close to the shoreline early in

13-year-old Ethan Montagnino was happy with this quality brown. the morning.

Bait fishing – Powerbait floating about 2 feet off the bottom.

Fly Fishing – Polaroid fish working out the direction they are cruising and drop a small olive nymph well in front so as not to spook the fish.

Spinning – Small spinners and floating minnows in the shallows will give you some exciting takes.

FLY FISHING LESSONS My next beginners Fly Fishing Course will be held in Jindabyne on the weekend of the 30 October and 1 November. Contact me if you are interested. The weekend course of 16-hour instruction

is $390. All tackle is provided free and there are specials on tackle purchased during the weekend school. For those who book early there will also be a special Fishing Monthly Readers Special of a free fly rod if you book and pay by the end of September.

• For more information on the latest fishing conditions, call into Steve Williamson’s Tackle Shop, Shop 1 Snowline Centre, Kosciuszko Road Jindabyne. My website is www.swtroutfishing.com. au, and if you’dd like to receive a copy of my ‘Trout Tales’ newsletters you can contact me on swtrout@ airlan.com.au.

Mildura returns to normal MILDURA

John Menhennett goobyfish@hotmail.com

Since the boards were placed back into Mildura Weir after a period of being out for maintenance, river levels have finally gone back to normal. After what has been a productive winter for Murray cod, things are looking even better for September.

The maintenance of the Mildura weir and removal of the weir structure in July/August meant that river levels above Mildura were extremely low making it difficult to launch the boat. The weir maintenance has now ceased and river levels are re-gaining some normality.

Some nice Murray cod have been caught recently around Mildura over the past couple of months, but

were a bit hit and miss toward the later part. Water clarity has been good since the start of the year making lure visibility very good, but the Murray River has since started flowing faster, making fishing with lures difficult.

A flush of water has been affecting the way in which the fish, in particular Murray cod, have been behaving. It has resulted in some slow fishing for most anglers leading up to the season close. The few fish that have been caught recently have been very healthy looking, obviously feeding up on copious amounts of baitfish with a few of these fish reaching well over a metre.

In order to catch that monster Murray cod, time on the water is the key. Cast spinnerbaits of all sizes and colours have been working well where water clarity has improved. Whites and silver

heads with nickel oversize blades have been working best in this clear water.

Trolling large lures in the deeper parts has been slow of late, as can often be the case during winter, but has still been producing results.

Bait fishos have been enjoying some good fishing with yellowbelly up to 50cm caught on shrimp and worm around Mildura and below.

Of course, there have also been plenty of carp being caught everywhere.

Quite a few reports of smaller cod around the 50-60cm range are still being caught on lures and bait in several locations around Mildura and up the Darling River.

These smaller cod have been enjoying the flows that this river can bring being active, especially around eddy currents and the downstream side of snag piles.

Spring is up on us and it can be a special time of year for yellowbelly fishers around Mildura. Spring can be a very busy time of year for recreational anglers as they flock around the weir structures in great numbers for an easy catch on bait or lures.

This is the time is when golden perch start to swim upstream and school in readiness for spawning. Luring with lipless crankbaits around the lock structures during these times can be fun and quite productive and a good alternative with cod season closed for another year.

Good yellowbelly set-ups for the river are typically 10-20lb braid on 1-4kg rods.

Smaller spinnerbaits like the Bassman 1/4oz and 1/8oz models and smaller hardbodies are ideal for casting in and around snags, lock structures and rock bars.

Last hurrah for cod ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

We’ve just passed the slippery dip side of winter spiralling headlong into the welcome warmth of spring.

It has been a long cold

them up into a higher feeding gear.

Perch, too, must feel the pending seasonal change as they too begin to feed with a little more vigour. On bait and lure these silver flanked fish become a regular catch that increases as the weather continues to warm.

Kyalite some good sized perch have been landed on bait with scrub worms working best.

In the Kerang Lakes the redfin are starting to fire and the bite will only get better as the temperature starts to climb.

Both Lake Boga and Lake Charm are fishing well with some surprise catches of

Rod Mackenzie with a nice sized Murray cod taken on the troll during winter.

Dozer Collins has had a great season scoring numerous winter cod like this beauty landed on the cast using a 120mm Codzilla lure. winter along the Murray and while the fishing has been tough some awesome fish have been landed by those prepared to brave the elements.

With the close of the cod season time has run out for that last hurrah and the chance to land one more monster cod is over until December. I have found in seasons past that the last few weeks before the close will often provide an excellent bite window. Perhaps the pending threat of warmth is enough to wake the fish from their otherwise stubborn winter doldrums and kick

Robinvale has fished well this past month with sizable perch caught upstream of the road bridge to the cut and around the Nine-Mile. Bait fishos have done well bobbing small yabbies or large scrub worms close to structure.

A few fish have also been landed on the cast and troll using lures.

Perch have been a consistent catch from below the Euston weir, downstream to Wemen and beyond. There’s a lot of smaller fish I the mix and these smaller perch are a good sign for the future and the good fishing to come.

In the Wakool River near

While the fishing had been slow in the cold waters large lures like the new 170mm Codzilla were a meal not to be snubbed.

perch and cod in the mix. Best methods will depend on water clarity at the time with bait working best when the water clarity is poor. If the waters settled and clarity is good then

small minnow styled lures and blades work a treat.

All up it’s been a great winters fishing at most locations with numerous giant cod landed and released. I for

one look forward to the coming warmth of spring and while the cod door swings closed for three months other doors open that offer some awesome angling opportunities.

Tough month for predictions YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

Lake Mulwala is filling at a steady pace, by the time this report goes to print the lake will be full – so guessing at how the lake will be fishing is nigh on impossible!

Water clarity and temperatures will have a strong impact on the fishing activity, along with how the cod settle back into their home snags. Traditionally, after a drawdown/refill, action is a bit slow for the first couple of months. As the water warms and settles, reports return to normal where Lake Mulwala can be very rewarding one minute and ‘the lake of 1000 casts’ the next. One thing that never changes is Lake Mulwala’s dense population of natives assures us it will be forever known as ‘The home of the Murray cod’.

A better option for the last week or two of the season would be to head downstream in the river.

Trolling your 100mm+ sized lures could see you in for some genuine rod bending action.

Looking back, July was a tough month as varying water conditions mixed in with some very cool weather made for a challenge. The best cod reported came from a very keen David Foster. Dave’s cast Bassman Mumbler was brutalised by a 113cm beast that made for

a memorable day out and some lasting happy snaps.

Another to come up tight on a great green specimen was Sasha Jovanovic. Under the watchful eye of the old man George, Sasha’s trolled lure was gobbled up by a healthy 105cm cod. All up during the draw down period, over 20 cod measuring in excess of the magical metre mark were caught, along with many other 70cm+ quality specimens.

While talking draw down, credit must go to either (or both, whoever is responsible?) Goulburn Murray Water or Moira Shire for the work they did at extending the Yacht Club boat ramp. While the lake is drawn down, access was still possible but only via 4WD, which was still fairly dodgy and in some situations risky at best. We now have a newly extended ramp that remains usable when the lake is at its lowest. Great job to all concerned.

Cray season has been steady without having much to jump up and down about. Since the new laws increasing minimum size limit and reducing bag limits came into place in 2014, the novelty for many has worn off. Credit must go to Fisheries for allowing the targeting of these tasty critters to remain when it would have been easy to ban ‘craying’ altogether.

Cod and cray season closes September 1 through until November 30. Make sure you’re aware of all

rules pertaining to fishing for natives this time of year.

Also note that all water from downstream of the Yarrawonga Weir through Cobram downstream to the Tocumwal Bridge are totally closed for all fishing activities.

Some of the biggest news on fishing tournament scene has just been announced by the Cod Classic organising team. This year they will

this is one event not to be missed.

• If you are visiting town, I urge you to call into Lake Mulwala Fish, Camp & Ski (opposite the post office) in Mulwala and say G’day. We are your largest Murray cod-specific shop in Yarrawonga/Mulwala and specialise in all things ‘green’! For more information on the Cod Classic, the upcoming

Sasha Jovanovic with an impressive 105cm Murray cod. have up for grabs a potential $1 million cash bounty* for some lucky angler if they can catch ‘Phil’, the specially tagged Murray cod. Throw in a Ford Ranger Ute and seven boating packages,

Golden Dollar$ in late October or anything else relating to fishing Mulwala, feel free to give us a call at Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski on 0357 443 133.

SEPTEMBER 2015

67

Gold Coast Flathead Classic

2015 Flathead Classic GOLD COAST

Danny Sands

Move over Gold Coast Marathon and the Super V8s. The biggest annual event happens in spring on the Gold Coast – The Flathead Classic.

This year is the 22nd year the Flathead Classic has run and it has become one of the biggest catch and release fishing tournaments in the country. It is so popular that anglers make their annual pilgrimage far and wide from Australia and even overseas to fish this iconic tournament.

The Gold Coast Sport Fishing club ran a survey after the 2014 Flathead Classic, and the economic value to the Gold Coast community was estimated around $500,000 for a four-day event. This is not bad for a humble flathead.

It’s a great ‘bang for your bucks’ tournament and Gold Coast Sports Fishing Club committee do a wonderful job in keeping the entry cost to a minimum.

The Flathead Classic attracts a diverse range in fishing teams. Some are pro anglers, some fish as a family and some are just good mates getting together for a good time fishing.

A real feature of this tournament is the increasing number of juniors getting involved in the sport. Being the school holidays it is a great time to get out and have a fish as a family.

This is my 19th consecutive Flathead Classic and for all 19 years it has been a family affair as Team Sands. I started off in the early days fishing with just my brother George, but the last couple of years I’ve fished with my uncle Kevin who is 73 years old, and still travels all the way from Tasmania, and my son Cooper.

George and I started 19 years ago by trolling

up and down Coombabah Creek. We did pretty well but we were way off the top 20 place-getters. Those 3 days of fishing the Classic and going back every night and catching up with fellow anglers sharing stories, this tournament reeled me in hook, line and sinker.

I was pretty lucky in

Between these boundaries the environment and habitat changes dramatically from south to north. The environment that the flathead are in can determine the size of the fish you are catching.

Flathead are an ambush predator with lighting fast speed. Those that are caught

PRIZES Whether you’re a first-timer or a pro angler everyone has the chance of getting into the major draw. The major prizes in the Flathead Classic are allocated on a lucky draw for both juniors and seniors. The last junior and senior walked away with a Bluefin boat fully kitted out worth $30,000 for the senior and $3000 for the junior. two ways; I was born in Runaway Bay and fished for flathead from an early age and, secondly I worked in a printing business and worked three days on and four days off. On my days off I would troll and cast plastics up and down the Broadwater from the seaway all the way up to Russell Island. I kept a diary of all I learnt, such as what colour lure I used, what tide, where I caught them, what size they were and what lure I used to catch them on.

THREE FLATHEAD PER HOUR The teams that do well put in the hours in the lead up to the Classic. Some teams work on three legal flathead per boat, per hour.

With 26.5 hours of fishing time that’s roughly 80 legal flathead for the tournament.

So it’s best you get out there and work out a game plan and keep a diary. This might be handy if you get stuck and need something to fall back on if you get a mental blank where to fish next.

LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION The boundary area for the Flathead Classic is from the Nerang River, in the south, all the way to Russell Island in the north.

2014 random draw winner Richard Fry testing his awesome looking Bluefin boat package worth $30,000. on hard sandy bottoms are usually small and lack in numbers. They like areas that have soft bottoms, like mud, silty bottom, soft sandy patches in between sea grass and coffee rock.

There is no big secret that you can catch any size flathead from rats to 90cm+ fish from the seaway and Jumpinpin Bar. Fishing the last two hours of the run-out and the first hour of the run-in is the most productive, as the flathead are concentrated due to them being pushed from their lies on high tide.

Our biggest flathead in the Classic has come from

A half cut PVC pipe makes easy work on flathead when taking a photo.

68

SEPTEMBER 2015

This 93cm flathead was caught on the ever popular pink Micro Mullet.

mangrove-lined banks at high tide and the numerous drains that run from banks and mangrove systems at low tide. Flathead are like barramundi, last to leave and first into a drain.

Drains provide a very easy meal for a flathead.

These flathead are usually dark brown to almost black in colour but more important they are all good point scorers.

Fishing the flats for flathead is still the mainstay of catching flathead at high tide. A good pair of polarized sunglasses are a must so you can concentrate casts on weed beds, deep gullies and, one of my favourite spots, prop marks that have been dredged out from boats that have hit weed patches at low tide.

When fishing the flats I still like to use small

ENTRY INCLUDES • Meals from professional catering service (extra meals available, please enquire) • Commemorative 21st Anniversary Event Shirt for every competitor • Team Bag containing lots of lures and other goodies courtesy of our sponsors • Tournament Handbook for every competitor • Opportunity to share in $250,000+ worth of prizes

plastics anywhere from 2-4” in size with a 1/4oz jighead. Another great lure on the flats are lipless crankbaits. It’s a pretty simple technique, the secret to using these lures is in the retrieve. The best retrieve is a fast wind with long sweeps, or cast it out as far as you can, let it hit bottom and crank it back at a medium pace, with a few twitches along the way, just like using a plastic.

FISH LIGHT Downsizing definitely seems to get more bites; it gives better lure running depth and a faster sink rate.

The lighter the main line and leader you use, the more bites you will get.

Over the years, the technology in fishing lines for braid and fluorocarbon

Fun times on the water during the Flathead Classic.

Gold Coast Flathead Classic leaders have improved a lot, which has given me the confidence to fish really light. I like to use 4lb mainline and 8-10lb leader when fishing on the flats and drains. Because I fish small plastics, a lot of flathead tend to swallow the lures so I need a good abrasion -resistant leader.

I have found FC Rockfish

leader by Yamatoya and Vanish by Berkley are really good and have caught heaps of flathead over 80cm.

WEATHER Usually around the Flathead Classic, we cop a lot of wind.

The southerly wind is the kindest wind we could have as it keeps the water relatively clean throughout

the Broadwater, and with clean water comes good fishing.

The northwesterly winds combined with large tides and boat traffic can turn the Broadwater from crystal clean water into lifeless brown water making flathead fishing very tough, especially on a run-out tide. Fishing places that are out of the

2014 Junior random draw winner sitting in his new Bluefin Scallywag Tinnie.

DETAILS When Sign on ......................30 September to 3rd October Briefing and dinner ................... 4pm, 30 September Fishing and dinner ................................. 1-2 October Fishing, dinner and presentation .............. 3 October Where Southport Amateur Fishing Club, GR Thompson Park, Broadwater Parklands Southport (adjacent to Howard’s Landing Tackle Shop) Accommodation Rays Resort and Thornton Towers are offering a discount on mention of the Flathead Classic for competitors.

main run of water flow can be dirt-free. Places like Tipplers Passage and the mouth of south and north arms of the Coomera River are great places to fish.

Flathead respond well to trolled hardbody lures in these conditions. Lures like Micro Mullets and Zerek Tango Shads work extremely well in bright colours like pink and bright green.

MIX IT UP If you are trolling hardbody lures or casting

soft plastics or lipless crankbaits always try to mix it up. When casting plastic lures we never have the same lure on or shape or style. I like to use jerk shads in bright colours like pink or chartreuse worked on a erratic retrieve. Another person has a paddle-tail on and the third person usually has a plastic that has scent on it.

We like to work an area that we know holds fish until we can crack a pattern, then we change our profile of lure to that shape and retrieve. We never leave biting fish until we know that we have covered all bases, including trolling the same area with hardbody lures.

BOATING NEEDS Fishing for almost three days in the wind and the glare of the water then backing it up every night at the tournament venue can take its toll on your body. Make sure you cover up every day with long pants and a long sleeve shirt, a wide brim hat, a Buff, a pair of sunglasses and lots of sunscreen every two hours.

Make sure you have a little esky on board with heaps of water and food.

I like to carry a couple of bags of lollies to keep the sugar levels up and wash it down with a couple of cans of coke. A half cut storm water PVC pipe may take a lot of room on a boat but it is worth it as a flathead have less time out of the water and can be released in good condition. Always carry two pairs of braid scissors, pliers, lip grips

and two nets, just in case you lose one overboard like me a couple of years ago.

Flathead are a people’s fish and the Flathead Classic is a people’s tournament for all to have a great time. You don’t have Pannikin Island

to spend a lot of money on gear and anyone could walk away with a $30,000 Bluefin boat package.

Hopefully these tips will help you catch a few and I will see you at the Flathead Classic.

Russell Island North Stradbroke Island

Long Island Logan River

No fishing above this line Short Island

Woongoolba

Tipplers Passage Jacobs Well

Woogoompah Island

Pimpama

South Stradbroke Island

Coomera River Hope Island

Coomera

Paradise Point

Helensvale

Biggera Waters

Pacific Pines

Flathead Classic Fish Zone

Southport No fishing beyond M1 Highway Bridge Surfers Paradise

Highland Park

Nerang River Broadbeach

Not to scale

Flathead often sit up in shallow water amongst weed, coffee rock and mangrove roots, and by targeting these areas, you can increase your flathead catches.

Wind

Weedy bottom

Flathead fishing is for all ages as a young Jamiee Horner shows us a cracking flathead.

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FLATHEAD LURE SELECTION Many lures have proven their worth or fallen by the wayside during the Flathead Classic. So we asked some of the top tackle makers, which lure would they recommend to take on the Gold Coast flatties! Here are some old favorites and some new options that could help you to succeed in this year’s Classic.

SOFT PLASTICS 1 ZEREK LIVE FLASH MINNOW WRIGGLY The Live Flash Minnow Wriggly is not simply an addition to the range, it brings an entirely new appeal to a lure shape that is already extremely popular.

The Wriggly is a small paddle-tail that really is a ‘looks can be deceiving’ tail. The paddle is tiny, yet the effect it has on this lure’s action is immense. On the fall the Wriggly swims to the bottom with a real kick of the last third of the lure. On a slow retrieve, the tail beat imparts a fish attracting action that is hard to beat. Of course the Wriggly can still be worked like a traditional jerkbait and can also be rigged weedless or with a jighead.

The Wriggly are available in 4 sizes (70mm, 90mm, 110mm and 130mm) and 8 colours and features the same indestructible body the original Live Flash Minnow is constructed from. It also has the impressive belly foil that enhances the colour of the plastic and gives the Wriggly a more ‘alive’ appearance in the water.

Not simply an addition to the range of Live Flash Minnow lures, the Live Flash Minnow Wriggly is an entirely new concept that allows a completely new look at this amazing range of lures. www.wilsonfishing.com.au

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TT LURES HEADLOCKZ HD JIGHEADS

Built on brutally strong, chemically sharpened black nickel Mustad hooks, HeadlockZ HD jigheads combine the perfect balance of needle point penetration and hook strength required when targeting flathead.

They feature a unique locking grub keeper, designed to lock the soft plastic in place on the jighead, so that you can cast hard, work the plastic aggressively and, even after a rattle, there’s a good chance that your plastic is still in place, swimming and fishing for you.

HeadlockZ are available in a comprehensive range of weights and hook sizes to cover all Flathead Classic scenarios, from finesse fishing the flats to deepwater plastics fishing. When it comes to the crunch and you need to set the hook on that big lizard, make sure you’ve tied on Australia’s most trusted jighead. Bring it on!

Sizes: 1/20oz #4 – 3oz #8/0 www.ttlures.com.au

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TT LURES SNAKELOCKZ JIGHEADS

The AFTA Award winning TT Lures SnakelockZ jighead 70

SEPTEMBER 2015

is the perfect jighead for two techniques that have seen teams finish in the Top 10 on multiple occasions.

When the tide gets high, the fish spread out across the weed flats and the bite gets tough, here the SnakelockZ allow you to effectively fish weedy areas without the weed continually fouling your soft plastic. The other technique involves targeting flathead around structure in deeper water and the SnakelockZ will ensure that you don’t donate your entire jighead box to the snags on the first morning of the Classic.

This weedless jighead features a heavy duty, black nickel, chemically sharpened Mustad hook, ‘ChinlockZ’ system to secure your plastic in place and a freeswinging front weight that allows your plastic to produce maximum action. The head weight and hook sizes are interchangeable, thanks to the 75lb test, stainless steel through wire.

Sizes: 1/12oz #2/0 – 3/8oz #8/0 www.ttlures.com.au

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Z-MAN 3” MINNOWZ

One of the most popular flathead plastics in Australia and a lure that has produced a ‘Longest Flathead’ in the Classic previously, the Z-Man 3” MinnowZ is the perfect bite size baitfish for flathead of all sizes. Being constructed from ElaZtech means the MinnowZ is 10X Tough, often producing over 50 flathead per lure. But more importantly, it has a super-soft and flexible realistic feel that keeps fish biting and the material is buoyant for a lifelike, ‘tail up’ feeding action when at rest on the bottom.

With 27 colours in the range there’s something for everyone, but a hot tip for the Classic would be to grab a couple of light natural colours for when the water is clean on the run-in tide (opening night and pearl blue glimmer), a couple of darker silhouette colours for the dirty water of the run-out tide (gold rush and red shad) and if the flathead still aren’t chewing then a fluoro will normally get the bite (electric chicken and glow chartreuse). Killer tail action and the benefits of ElaZtech, tie one on! www.z-man.com.au

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Z-MAN 4” STREAKZ CURLY TAILZ

Constructed from Z-Man’s ElaZtech material, the 4” StreakZ Curly TailZ is dynamite in the hands of even beginner anglers and deadly in the hands of the experienced flathead fisho. This is due to its long curly tail that produces loads of action on the lift, drop and due to the buoyancy of the ElaZtech it even gets eaten while resting tail up on the bottom, with its tail moving seductively in the current.

It is again effective on flathead of all sizes and has produced the goods on larger fish, including Mick Horn’s 91cm beast that took out ‘Longest Flathead on a Soft Plastic’ during a Flathead Classic, inhaling a 4” StreakZ Curly TailZ in natural colour.

This plastic features a belly slot, and a good tip is to squirt a little extra Pro-Cure Super Gel into the slot if

the bite is tough. Minnow body, long lively curl tail and a proven Classic performer that you can trust to produce the bites! www.z-man.com.au

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BERKLEY NEMESIS

Combine the fish catching profile of a minnow and the enticing tail action of a grub and you get the Berkley Nemesis. Designed in Australia, the Nemesis shape is available in both Gulp and PowerBait formulas. It is available in 4” and 6.5” and newly released 3” size. With such a huge range of sizes and colours anglers can match the hatch in any situation.

Why do flathead love the Nemesis? The tail action of this shape has to be seen to be believed. On the drop or on the wind, the Nemesis tail swims at the slowest of speeds delivering continuous lifelike action. Rip it and the slim profile of the tail flattens out, allowing the Nemesis to be used at any speed depending on what mood the lizards are in on the day.

As with any Berkley soft plastic, the scent and flavour technology is second to none. Gulp’s scent dispersion allows 400 times more scent dispersion than plastic, while PowerBait flavour means fish bite and won’t let go. www.berkley-fishing.com.au

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DRAGON MAGGOT

The popular Dragon Maggot is back in stock with some exciting new colours throughout the range.

The Dragon Maggot 2”, 2.5”, 3” and 4” were introduced early in 2014 by JML Anglers Alliance (JML Trading) and soon became the secret weapon in all keen anglers’ tackle boxes. The new wave of Dragon Maggot is available in 12 great colours in 2”, 8 colours in 2.5”, 9 colours in 3”, and 4 colours in 4”.

Dragon Maggot unique fin-tail comes alive once it hits the water. It dances with any small lift of the rod tip. Being so easy to use it is prefect for first time soft plastic users through to the proven tournament anglers.

The Dragon Maggot rigged on heavy jigheads can be devastating when targeting bottom dwellers using high speed lift and drop action. Many strikes occur on the drop so a tight line is recommended. Equally successful is retrieving the lure quite slowly, along the bottom. Sand and silt particles will attract attention and repeated attacks, often quite delicate are the result so it’s recommended to watch the rod tip at all times. Whichever way you fish it, the Dragon Maggot will increase your bag!

It retails for approximately $9.95 2” (20pcs), $9.95 2.5” (15pcs), $7.95 3” (8pcs) and $9.95 4” (8pcs) . www.jml.net.au

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WESTIN HYPOTEEZ 5”

Hypnotise them with HypoTeez. Named after the Latin name of the smelt (Hypomesus olidus), this lovingly-hand painted little critter looks so like a real smelt its mother

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couldn’t tell them apart.

Cast it out and it starts swimming as soon as it hits the water. It then fixes its quarry with its realistic fishy eyes and outstanding swimming action, flathead are going to be helpless to resist.

Its key features are optimised flexibility, realistic eyes, lifelike-lure, tapered body with tail-joint, belly foil on selected colours, easy action paddle-tail and handpainted detailed colours. www.jml.net.au

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SAMAKI VIBELICIOUS THUMPER TAIL

If you’re looking for a secret weapon at this year’s Flathead Classic, then you can’t go past the Samaki Vibelicious Thumper Tail – except of course it’s not really secret, just ask the winning team from last year!

The fork-tail vibe was a key ingredient in their winning tackle bag.

The Samaki Vibelicious Thumper Tail is designed to lift and thump on the drop, putting your lure in the strike-zone for longer. This proven flathead catcher is made from super stretch material, premium Japanese wire, super sharp hooks and provides a lifelike shimmer action. This is all complemented by lifelike colours and a realistic fish eye.

It comes in various sizes starting from 70mm/11g, 100mm/20g, and 125mm/30g. www.samaki.com.au

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ATOMIC PRONG

What plastic range wouldn’t need a prawn imitation and the Atomic Plazos Prong is a unique shape designed right here in Australia. Available in a variety of sizes suitable for offshore down to estuary fishing, the lure can be cast and allowed to sink slowly while the soft plastic tendrils will wave enticingly in the current, attracting all manner of fish.

They can be rigged unweighted or on a heavy jighead making them a versatile presentation in any depth of water.

Flathead love them and they can be fished super slow or twitched like a fleeing prawn. They are available in a range of lifelike colours and size 2, 3 and 4”, so they will be suitable for flathead up to XOS size. They are one of the most versatile plastic lures on the market. www.atomiclures.com.au

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STORM SX-SOFT VIB

The Storm SX-Soft Vib is soft on the outside and tough as steel on the inside, making it ideal for targeting big estuary flathead.

The popularity of soft vibes has been increasing due to the lure’s versatility, giving you the ability to target fish in a range of different environments, whether it is a deep river mouth or set of shallow sand flats. A slow lift of the rod tip brings the SX-Soft Vib to life, causing it to swim with a silent and tight vibrating action that flutters slowly

on the drop.

When descending through the water column, a sharp and aggressive reaction bite will follow, giving you a split second to set the VMC treble hooks and begin the anxious fight.

After you have landed your prized flathead, the non-memory 135lb through wire construction ensures that the lures holds its original shape and is ready straight away for the next cast.

Available now in a 70mm and 90mm size that weighs 18g and 28g respectively. www.rapala.com.au

HARDBODY 12

AUSTACKLE’S SHRIMP JIG

Austackle’s Shrimp Jig is pre-rigged and ready to go with twin assist hooks buried in the skirt. Shrimp Jig offers a deadly representation of one of the most frequently eaten baits – a tasty prawn!

Free moving, mobile assist hooks make it much harder for that big flat fish to throw a hook when it inevitably starts shaking its head.

Rigging options are endless, however, you’ll do well just tying to the head and dropping it to the bottom where big lizards lurk. Use a slow lift and drop technique, making sure it hits the bottom between lifts, or whip it fast imitating a frantic prawn.

With 3 sizes/weights to choose from, you’ve got every depth and current speed covered. The small sizes are suited to skinny gutters and lagoons at thebottom of the tide, and in the deeper holes as the tide slows. The heavier models can be fished throughout the tide and are perfect for the depths of the Seaway and Jumpinpin bar.

Spot hopping between structures like navigation beacons is another good option, as is bouncing jigs around the mouths of the canals. All are likely haunts for ambush predators like flathead.

And don’t be surprised if you land some mulloway by-catch, amongst other things. After all, what fish doesn’t eat a prawn?

There are six colours including glow and UV in sizes 16g/49mm, 33g/58mm and 74g/78mm. www.austackle.com

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AUSTACKLE’S BONEHEAD

The number one flathead assassin! Bonehead boasts a history of top ten finishes in the Classic, including back-to-back wins in the two-person team category.

Cast, or famously trolled at around 2 knots, Bonehead is a proven performer on the flats. Austackle is a long term FHC sponsor, so if you’ve fished in the Classic before, you’ve probably found one in your show bag!

For best results, troll with the current in under 2m of water at idle speed. As long as you’re bumping the bottom frequently, you’re in the zone! Fish with light

line (6-8lb braid and leader) on a lightweight rod to get the best action. If you’re hunting a monster, use a 15cm tippet of 10-15lb fluorocarbon at the end of your leader. This will provide some extra abrasionresistance without dampening the action of the lure.

Work those flats!

When all else fails, you know you’ll get them on the Bonehead. The floating crankbait is 60mm long and weighs 5g. www.austackle.com

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ECOODA JERKBAIT

The Ecooda Jerkbait has an ultra realistic swimming action, rolling on the retrieve whilst giving off a vibration through the water. It can be cast and retrieved or slow trolled.

Its magnetic long casting system allows a greater distance cast as the magnetic weights shoot to the end of the lure.

With a diving depth of 3ft this lure is suspending and available in two sizes, 65mm/7g and 85mm/10g. www.ecooda.com.au

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DAIWA TD VIBRATION WOOFER

The dogs of war have been unleashed with the return of the famous TD Vibration Woofer. Back and better than ever, the new Woofer has received the full Type R treatment to make it more dynamic and performance driven than ever before.

Featuring a lower centre of gravity, super-tuned body and improved balance, the TD Vibration Woofer Type R casts with perfect balance for maximum casting performance, and swims with Pro Tuned precision for optimum lure vibration, both on the drop and when cranked.

A weapon of mass destruction on a range of Australian freshwater native species, the new Woofer will be equally as lethal in the salt, especially on big flathead.

Tuned to perfection and featuring Daiwa’s innovative SaqSas hook technology the Woofer is back and ready to attack. www.daiwafishing.com.au

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HALCO LASER PRO 45

The Laser Pro 45 is a slow sinking minnow that can be cast long distances for its size. When it sinks, it has a slow rolling vibration from side to side that is often very enticing to many species including flathead.

Featuring very sharp, Mustad black nickel trebles the lure is suitable for fishing a drop-off where larger fish tend to congregate, and with its sinking action the lure receives plenty of attention from predatory species.

A slow rolling retrieve after the sink gets the small offering working really nicely.

The Laser Pro 45 is available in one size, 47mm/6g. www.halcotackle.com SEPTEMBER 2015

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THE WARLOCK RANGE

The Warlock range of lures have developed over the past 2-3 years to largely suit those targeting flathead.

The shape and sonic amplifying features of the lure have always been a favourite for those either casting or trolling for big lizards.

And now with some new colours and some new sizes added to the range, these lures have become the go-to lure when chasing flathead in the Queensland estuary systems Warlock are some of the most unique hard baits currently available on the market. The key feature of the Warlock series profile is the signature S.A.P.™ or Sonic-Amplifying-Panels that are moulded into the underside of the lure’s flanks. These scalloped panels reflect ultra-strong micro-vibrations that create an irresistible sonic footprint that is unlike any other hard bait on today’s market. This series swims with a tight, rolling action and unsurpassed cycle rate, sending out a strong signal that triggers an instant strike instinct in any nearby predators.

Quite simply, the Warlock is unlike any hard bait you’ve ever used before - the fish just won’t know what’s hit them when you unleash the Warlock series on your local waterway. www.jmgillies.com.au

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STRIKE PRO GALAXIA MINNOW

that trophy fish. It is 4.5cm long and weighs 9.6g. www.jurofishing.com

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BERKLEY POWERBLADE

This blade was designed in Australia by Matt Fraser and rigorously field tested by the Berkley Pro Team.

Precision engineered to trigger more strikes, the PowerBlade emits a high frequency, fish attracting vibration with minimal rod action.

On the drop, the PowerBlade glides naturally through the water column enticing fish to follow it down and strike. The 44 and 49mm PowerBlades are designed for species such as flathead. Weighting in at 8 and 11g respectively, the 44 and 49mm PowerBlades are well suited to working the depths of an estuary system where the flathead lay in ambush. Available in proven flathead colours, such as chartreuse and hot pink, the PowerBlade is a must for any flathead fisho’s tackle box.

Built on super tough, laser cut 0.9mm stainless steel frames, the PowerBlade can withstand the toughest abuse. Colour range includes proven tournament winning colours, all with lifelike 3D eyes and fish attracting UV accents. Armed with Owner trebles (ST36BC) and rings for ultimate penetration and grip. www.berkley-fishing.com.au

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YOZURI 3DS SHAD MR

The Strike Pro Galaxia Minnow is a superb deep diving baitfish pattern that has a proven track record at the Flathead Classic, landing one of the largest fish at last year’s event.

The Galaxia Minnow is an amazing lure, in particular when it is trolled. It gets down to great depths for a lure of its size and runs around 15ft deep when trolled at slow speeds.

It has a tight shimmy action and its sonic rattle can be heard from a great distance, making this lure very appealing to flathead. This floating lure is 6cm long, and weighs about 7g. www.jurofishing.com

The Yo-Zuri 3DS Shad Mid-runner is a suspending shad style bait with an extremely tight wobbling action.

It is most effective when stop-and-go or slow retrieved, and this bait has proven very effective across a wide range of species.

The slender features and high arched back of the 3DS Shad, along with the available Internal 3D Prism Finish, etched laser lines and fine underbelly scaling, make for an irresistible bait presentation. With its ability to dive to 1.8m, its natural baitfish profile and colour range and matching action makes it an ideal shallow to mid water flathead lure. It’s 65mm in length. www.yo-zuri.com

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STRIKE PRO ASTRO VIBE 45

Metal blades are a great way of covering water and are very successful on many estuary species. The new Strike Pro Astro Vibe combines the best of both worlds: a metal blade and a rattling vibe.

The Astro Vibe incorporates a polycarbonate belly with small inbuit-rattles. It also allows for a transparent finish to be achieved in a metal blade and the belly section is UV for added attraction.

The Astro Vibe is superb when fishing deeper water or casting on shallow flats where it can cover vast distances due to its weight.

The Astro Vibes are fitted with either quality Owner or Decoy trebles so you have the confidence in landing 72

SEPTEMBER 2015

ZEREK TANGO SHAD

The Zerek Tango Shad now comes in floating and suspending models and will only be available in a 50mm version. 15 new colours in the suspending version and 10 new colours in the floating version combine natural and attractor patterns, including UV colours that make these brilliant lures even more appealing.

The 50mm Floating Tango Shad has been a raging success on a host of estuary and freshwater species.

From flathead to bream, trout to redfin, this floating lure is responsible for some amazing captures.

Floating slowly in salt water, this version can be cast and retrieved or trolled with equal effect in estuaries, rivers and lakes. Especially deadly in shallow water, the

50mm Floating Tango Shad is a very valuable tool for anglers targeting timid fish.

The 50mm Suspending Tango Shad is built for those who like to sit lures in the faces of cagey flathead.

The 50mm Suspending Tango Shad combines a brilliant body profile with an action that screams to fish ‘Eat Me!’ Suspending horizontally in saltwater, this version of the popular Tango Shad can be cranked down to about 1m before being paused and allowed to sit neutrally in the water. Pause the Tango Shad in front of snags, let it sit in amongst the weeds or simply slow roll this lure across the flats before pausing it in front of following fish.

The technique options opened up by this brilliant lure will allow tournament and social anglers to catch more fish – and that’s what it’s all about. www.wilsonfishing.com.au

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LIVELY LURES MICRO MULLET

The Lively Lures Micro Mullet was designed to work hard at slow speeds with a high cadence (frequency of the wobble). The frequency of the wobble is a huge attractant to flathead.

A key feature of the Micro Mullet is that they are designed to dive down and run along the bottom flicking up sand and mud just like a small whiting does when feeding. With a bib designed to dig, a trolled Micro Mullet will appear to pause for a small moment on the bottom before flicking away quickly leaving a cloud of sand or mud in its wake.

Micro Mullets can be fished in water as shallow as 2ft all the way down to 10ft.

Another feature of the Micro Mullet is that they have great weed clearing abilities and a lot of this is to do with the high cadence and bib design. Being able to clear the weed off your lure with a simple flick of the rod means you’ll spend more time with your lure in the water, resulting in higher catch rates. Available in 12 colours there is a pattern for every water condition. www.livelyluresonline.com.au

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STORM GOMOKU POPPER

The Storm Gomoku Popper is micro in size yet it packs a serious amount of top water action.

Targeting flathead in super shallow water on surface lures is proving to be another highly successful technique during the warmer months.

Camouflaged under a blanket of sand in only a foot of water, flathead are highly opportunistic feeders that will break out of stealth mode and aggressively snap at fleeing prey.

The splashing action of the Gomoku Popper from above is proving to be dynamite on flathead as it imitates a flickering poddy mullet or prawn.

Available now in a 40mm model that weighs 3g. www.rapala.com.au

How to: Mastering the Australian double plait BRISBANE

Kim Bain

The basic technique of this knot is braiding, as in braiding hair. It is quite small in profile and can

be very useful when using relatively large diameter line and small guides.

It allows the angler to wind the double knot and double line through the rod guides and onto the reel.

TO BRAID THE PLAIT To get started, I like to have the rod in the rod holder with the rod tip in the air, the reel set on strike drag, and I have the mainline tight to the rod tip in order to keep tension on the line.

KNOT LENGTH TO BREAKING STRAIN CHART • Line up to 6kg breaking strain........................................................................5cm knot • 8kg & 10kg ......................................................................................................7cm knot • 15kg line ........................................................................................................15cm knot • 24kg and higher ............................................................................................20cm knot QR CODE

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Loop the main line back on itself and allow a very long tag end; each side of the double loop is a strand thereby providing two of the required three strands for braiding. The long tag end provides the third necessary strand. Pass the tag end around over then under and behind the mainline so that the tag end goes from left to right when it goes behind the mainline.

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Then get the sequence going by wrapping the outside right-hand strand, which in this first instance is the tag end, from the right over the top of the centre strand to bring this outside strand into the middle of the three stands. Once the new middle strand is in place, pull upwards on it, sort of back along the mainline towards the rod tip in order to tighten the knot.

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Next, bring the left-hand outside strand, from the left, over the top of the ‘new’ central strand and thus the former left side strand of the braiding now ends up into the middle. As each new centre strand is placed in position, continue with the technique of pulling each new central leg ‘up’ in order to tighten the knot’s internal crossovers.

Scan the QR code to watch a step by step guide on how to tie an Australian double plait

After you’ve achieved the required length, ensure the tag length strand has found its way into the centre; then fold the tag length in half (double it over) in order to form a loop (this loop is called a bight). Keep the sequence the same – including the bight – ‘outside-in’ for another two complete sets of outside wraps.

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Braid the tag length loop/ bight into the plait knot.

braided plait

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Continue to braid for the required length of the knot (see factbox for guide).

main line to rod tip tag end

tag end ‘bight’

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bight

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Thread the full length of the double loop through the tag bight.

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Lubricate the knot (with saliva from your mouth) and pull the free end tight. Trim the exposed tag end and now you are done.

Pull the free end tight after lubrication

double loop

HOW TOUGH ARE WE? after 2 complete sets, pass the double loop through the tag end bight

Check out what we do!

Your Polycraft Dealer:

Free Call: 1800 336 603 Fax: 07 4155 2088

89 Childers Rd, Bundaberg QLD 4670

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For more boats visit: www.polycraft.com.au SEPTEMBER 2015

73

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

Sep 19-20

BASS Electric Convention Cressbrook Dam

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

Sep 24-27

North Coast Fishing Bonanza Ballina

AFT www.fishingcomps.com.au

Oct 3-4

Tomakin Mighty Fishing Bonanza Tomakin

Phil Boneham (02) 4471 7167 www.tomakinclub.com.au

Oct 10-11

SBS Bream Grand Final TBA

Basin Lure and Fly www.basinlureandfly.org.au

Oct 17-18

Hobie BREAM Kayak Series R14 Georges River

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Oct 17-18

SCFCA Estuary Competition Kiama

southcoastfca@yahoo.com.au

Oct 24-25

Toray BASS Pro Series Grand Final Lake St Clair

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

Oct 24-25

Allworth Fishing Club Flathead Classic Karuah River

Kristy 0428 327 678 aadsf@hotmail.com

Oct 24-25 Leigh Martin Marine Lake Hume Classic

Adrain Kent 0490 049 111

Oct 30 - Nov 1

Sussex Inlet Bream Classic Sussex Inlet

(02) 4441 2017 fishingcarnival@hotmail.com

Nov 6-8

Berkley BREAM Series Grand Final Clarence River

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

Nov 6-8 ANSA Burrinjuck Convention

Burrinjuck Waters State Park info@canberrafishos.com

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing nsweditor@fishingmonthly.com.au or calling 07 3387 0800 in office hours.

Just supply a date, venue, tournament name and a telephone number and contact name.

O U TLAW The MOST- WANTED model on the water! Stacer’s Outlaw range is available as a tiller steer, side or centre console and stand out on the water with smooth plate-look sides. Each model comes packed with nothing but the best fishing essentials – tough 3mm bottom sheets and side sheets, EVO Advance Hull, front and rear casting platforms.

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER FOR MORE INFORMATION. SYDNEY

BLAKES MARINE 1 Railway Rd North, Mulgrave Phone (02) 4577 6699 sales@blakesmarine.com.au www.blakesmarine.com.au

36 Bourke Street, Dubbo Phone (02) 6882 2853 bbeandel@bigpond.net.au www.dubbomarine.com.au

ILUKA

537 Ocean Dr, North Haven Phone (02) 6559 9344 enquiries@havenmarine.com.au www.camdenhavenmarine.com.au

2 A Charles Street, Iluka Phone (02) 6646 6106 ilukaboatshed@bigpond.com www.ilukaboatshed.com

GRAFTON

CENTRAL COAST

160 North St, Grafton Phone (02) 6643 1199 sales@discomarine.com.au www.discomarine.com.au

425 The Entrance Rd, Long Jetty Phone (02) 4333 3444 stacerboats1@aol.com www.intunemarine.com.au

DISCO MARINE

SYDNEY

HUETT MARINE CENTRE 1131 Pacific Hwy, Cowan Phone (02) 9456 1444 info@huettmarine.com.au www.huettmarine.com.au

SEPTEMBER 2015

DUBBO MARINE

MACQUARIE COAST

CAMDEN HAVEN MARINE

74

DUBBO

ILUKA BOATSHED AND MARINA

IN TUNE MARINE

THE ILLAWARRA

SUNSET MOTORS & MARINE 240 Shellharbour Rd, Warilla Phone (02) 4297 2888 sunsetmotors@bigpond.com www.sunsetmotorsandmarine.com.au

2015 Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic Early indications are that things are shaping up for a great 2015 Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic.

The lake is rising and some good quality fish are being caught. Trout in the 2-4kg range, 70cm+, along with yellowbelly around the 45-60cm and redfin up to 4lb have all been caught in the past few weeks.

Trolling winged style lures in amongst the trees is producing the trout, while 50mm deep divers trolled around the edges and points are producing the redfin and yellowbelly.

This year’s event will be held on the weekend of the 24-25 October. Last year’s competition saw 332 anglers produce 104 yellowbelly.

This event is primarily a

yellowbelly event, and as such the organising committee have put the focus on this fish this year. The champion angler for each of the categories, adult and junior, will only be based on yellowbelly, unlike previous years were all fish except carp counted. This year carp will not count towards the team score, only yellowbelly, trout and redfin.

Prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd places for the biggest fish in the four fish categories: yellowbelly, trout, redfin and carp, for both adults and juniors. There will be a stack of random draws on the Saturday night. There is a section for teams of up to four anglers, based on the number of fish weighed excluding carp. There is also a section for the best-represented angling

Jackie Webb with a great looking Lake Hume from last year’s Classic.

2015 BREAKING

NEWS

club for the weekend.

This year’s major prize is again a magnificent boat, motor and trailer package supplied by our major sponsors, Leigh Martin Marine, Mercury and Quintrex.

There will be several weigh stations based around the lake

along with mobile stations on the water. The mobile stations are for yellowbelly only as they are strictly catch and release. Anglers are reminded that for this event, trout, redfin and yellowbelly must be 30cm or greater to be eligible for measuring. There is no size

limit on carp.

Anglers are also reminded that all the backed up waters of Lake Hume are Victorian waters for the purpose of holding a recreational fishing licence. All anglers are required to hold a current Victorian fishing licence, unless exempt,

to fish the event.

Merchandise for the event will again only be by pre order.

More information about the event, along with entry forms and merchandise order forms, can be found at the event web site www.lakehumeclassic. com.au. – Adrian Kent

Cod Classic $1M tagged cod Never before has there been such excitement in the lead up to a fishing event than the upcoming 2015 Yamaha Cod Classic with the amazing prize of a potential $1million cash* on offer for anybody who can catch ‘Phil’ the specially tagged Murray cod. You would be crazy to miss this iconic event held at the home of the Murray cod – Lake Mulwala.

An estimated 3000+ anglers will be looking to share in the staggering prize pool that totals in excess of $150K plus the $1million cash bonus*. An Isuzu D-Max Ute, seven boating packages plus a list of goods too long to mention will see the twin towns of Yarrawonga / Mulwala come alive over

the weekend of December 4-6th. In its 16th year, the Cod Classic celebrates the opening to cod season and continues to go from strength to strength being a bench mark for many other tournaments to follow.

The Fishing & Outdoors Expo will be a main feature with the chance to grab a bargain not to be missed.

Other popular parts of the competition include iconic entertainer ‘Flathead Fred’ for the juniors; ‘Cod Talk’ with Rod ‘Codmac’ McKenzie and Gus Storer, and the Samurai Rods Australian Pro Casting Championships. The ‘Native Watercraft’ Australian Canoe & Kayak Cod Fishing Championships enters its fifth year. Catering for the new breed of fisherman who chose to fish from either a canoe and kayak, this event is a must for

those who chose paddle and pedal over petrol and power.

Designed for the family with all levels of fishing skills catered for, everybody has a chance of winning one of the many great prizes on offer weather fishing from boat or bank, using either bait or lures. Majority of prizes are randomly drawn with you not having to catch a fish to be a winner! Those that are lucky enough to register either a legal size Murray cod or golden perch go into additional draws to win extra great prizes. There will be over 1500 prizes (adults) and all juniors will receive several prizes.

Entry fee, adults $95 pre paid/$100 on the weekend and juniors $50. This includes four meals, souvenir stubby holder, a free ticket in major boat

raffle, Wilson Slickback Lure and Bassman Spinnerbait (for the kids), entry into 1000s of lucky door prize draws and the promise of a great weekend.

Sharpen your hooks, pack the boat, grab your swag and baton down the hatches as the 2015 Yamaha Cod Classic is going to be HUGE! See you all in Yarrawonga / Mulwala for the chance to ‘catch a legend’ in the mighty Lake Mulwala.

• For more information check out – www.codclassic. com.au. Call into Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski, 74 Melbourne St Mulwala (Opposite Post Office) the official Cod Classic shop or call Tony Bennett 0439 441667. *Conditions apply.

Check web site for details.

LAKE MULWALA & THE MURRAY RIVER

DECEMBER

4·5·6

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

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

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

*Conditions apply. See website for details SEPTEMBER 2015

75

Clark 4.27 Estuary Pursuit FMG

Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

One of the things I have enjoyed doing while working for the magazines for the last 4 years has been going out to experience and test a wide variety of watercraft and boats. It has given me a real sense of how far boats have come since my first boat purchase over 30 years ago.

There is no better example of this than the when you test out some of the start up packages available in the marketplace. The Clark 4.27 Estuary Pursuit is

The 427 Estuary Pursuit sat beautifully on the water whilst on the plane. exactly that, a quality entry-level package that provides you the ability to add options over time, to make it a very special first boat purchase.

The first thing that struck me about the boat we tested was the ease of which Simon from Boats and More and I launched the boat. It slipped off the Dunbier trailer into the waters of Lake Mulwala with little fuss, ready for us

on immediately or just somewhere else to throw your bits and pieces. There is an ample casting deck at the front that also has under floor storage for safety equipment and the like.

The foredeck has an anchor well and is fitted with a cleat. This keeps the anchor out of the way when not in use, gives you the ability to tie of to a tree or other structure when required and also incorporates an

The Suzuki DT40 has all the power you need to get you where you want to go. it had plenty of up and go with 2 people on board.

An impressive 40hp is the maximum horsepower rating for the boat, so it is not surprising that getting on the plane was no issue and to do this with the maximum 4 people would be a doddle.

The Estuary Pursuits vee-nosed hull ensures minimal spray from the hull will affect the driver and passengers.

Top: The 427 Estuary Pursuit has 2 side pockets that are really handy to put pliers and all those things that you need to have handy. Middle: The front cast deck has plenty of storage for bulkier items and is a great platform for those of us that like casting lures.

Above: A standard feature on the 427 Estuary Pursuit is the electric motor bracket. Fantastic if you want install one now or have the option down the track.

76

SEPTEMBER 2015

to take it for a spin.

I think on many occasions your first impressions are everything and my first feeling when stepping into the 4.27 Estuary Pursuit was a sense of space. Although it is only a relatively small boat, the lower carpeted floor area provides a nice even open area to walk around and to store eskies, fishing equipment etc.

There are side pockets on each side to store all things that you may need to get your hands

electric motor bracket, if you wanted to install one or put one on down the track.

The overall length of 4.33m with a beam of 1.95m also explains this feeling of size and space. It provides the room for gear, fishing space, a safe area for the kids if required, as well as ensuring you have a stable fishing platform at rest or plenty of room for 2-3 anglers to sit and troll lures out the back.

The boat we tested was powered by a Suzuki DT40 40hp 2-stroke motor and

FISHABILITY It is apt that we were testing the Clark 4.27 Estuary Pursuit at Lake Mulwala; it would be the ideal small craft to fish waterways or systems like this. It is small enough to get into all of those backwaters and little pieces of water that we all love to find and explore. The space as discussed would have 2 anglers fishing comfortably from the front casting deck or one front and one back. A drop anchor would hold this boat in place and give you

the option to either cast at likely snags or to drop a bait in likely looking areas to catch a fish without having to use the main anchor.

Having said that the open expanses of an alpine lake or somewhere like Lake Eildon would be great places to investigate in the Clark. The 40hp motor would certainly get you around pretty quickly and the ‘V’-Nose design reduces the amount of water coming over the side if the wind throws a little chop at you. It would also be equally at home on any of our estuarine systems around the country, making it a very versatile boat for the end user.

RIDE The main lake at Mulwala was a no go zone on our testing day. The 40-knot breezes meant we had to find an area out of the wind to put the 4.27 Estuary Pursuit through its paces.

I enjoy driving tiller steer boats, you have a direct feel for everything that is going on and a true indication of what a package is capable of. In the case of the Clark the Suzuki got it onto the plane easily and it sat on the water nicely. The steering was responsive, but not too light, ensuring inexperienced drivers wouldn’t get themselves into trouble.

Although we had found a nice area out of the wind, we did create enough wake with the boat to realise that the ‘V’-Nose hull design cut through the chop nicely pushing any spray away from the driver and passenger.

TRAILER AND TOWING The 4.27 Estuary Pursuit package and trailer is easily be towed by a

small family vehicle and is easily to launched and retrieve. The team at Boats and More prefer to use Dunbier trailers and I have to say that the set up for this package was fantastic. You would have no problems at all launching and retrieving this boat on your own,

which is exactly what you want with a small boat.

OVERALL I have said entry level package throughout this test and it feels odd to write that as much as this is a price pointed package, it has enough features and options that for some, it may

STANDARD OPTIONS • 2 x Welded thwart seats with floatation • 3mm bottom and 1.6mm side sheets • Bilge pump Bracket • Carpeted floor between the seats • Casting Platform with hatch • Electric motor bracket • 2 x Side pockets • Transducer bracket

Simon from Boats and More at Shepparton was really happy with how the Suzuki DT 40 powered the boat.

SPECIFICATIONS Overall length..................................................4.33m Beam................................................................1.95m Depth...............................................................0.75m Boat only weight............................................. 185kg Recommended hp............................................30hp Max hp...............................................................40hp Bottom sheet....................................................3mm Side Sheet......................................................1.6mm Capacity....................................................4 Persons

We tested a painted version of the 427 Estuary Pursuit and I thought it looked really sharp.

be the boat that becomes part of the household for a very long time. I can hear a few people sniggering, but it is true.

The area between the two seats is deep enough that it safe for the kids to

join you fishing – family boat. With the addition of an electric motor you have a stealthy, maneuverable boat – fishing machine. You can fish by yourself or with friends – versatile boat. It is inexpensive to run and

maintain – cost effective boat. Buying it wont break the bank – value for money boat. With a 3mm bottom and 1.6mm sides it will take the inevitable knocks you have on the water – tough boat.

In all seriousness I would have been over the moon to own anything like the Clark 427 Estuary Pursuit as my first boat and the way the team at Boats and more have put the package together I may well have been able to afford it. We tested a painted version with the standard options in the fact box that would retail from $12,490. You can get the same boat unpainted with the same options from $11,490.

To find out more about this boat and the other boats in the Clark range you can contact Boats and More at Shepparton on 03 5822 2108 or go to their website www. boatsandmore.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.

SEPTEMBER 2015

77

Stessco 490 bow rider with Suzuki 70hp 4-stroke BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Stessco have been turning out excellent alloy fishing craft for years. I actually owned one for quite a while, and that no-frills but very functional little boat brought me a lot of enjoyment.

These days Stessco are turning out some far from basic craft, and the 490 Bow Rider is a great example of the sort of attention to detail and easy performance that Stessco pride themselves on.

Presented by Motorsport Marine of Burpengary, the 490 Bow Rider impressed me as the sort of craft that could fulfil a number of roles. It’s ideal for family boating, and for the more serious family angling team the bow rider section up front offers a second fishing area, with ample storage underneath. In many respects bow riders are all-rounders, and the 490 Stessco is an excellent example of the genre.

under these seat bases.

Interestingly, a companionway door divided the forward area from the remainder of the craft. I liked this concept as it meant that when underway (and with this door closed) all slipstream was diverted away from aft occupants thanks to the craft’s three piece windscreen with its centre opening section and strong hand rails.

Paired modules for skipper and mate neatly combined alloy craftsmanship and fibreglass moulding in fine form.

Because the modules were entirely open in their lower sections, full leg room ahead of seating was available.

The first mate was treated to a storage area with drink holders just aft of the windscreen, with an open glove box area lower. Side storage was also on hand via the craft’s port side pocket.

The skipper’s module had a neatly formed, moulded dash section set up with gauges to monitor the Suzuki 70hp plus a bank of switches.

The steering wheel is lower

The 490 Bow Rider, so easy on the eye, goes as good as it looks. when necessary. The long side pockets of the 490 Bow Rider allowed both skipper and mate to keep items within easy reach.

Additional seating was provided aft, to starboard, where a padded box doubled as either a lounge seat (with backrest) or as a storage area for catch or

gear. The hinged box lid could be tilted forward for access to the Stessco’s fuel filter and other items.

Again, quite satisfactory seating with its dual purpose capability a bonus.

Other features in the cockpit area included a carpeted floor, wide neatlyformed decks featuring

one rod holder per side, grab rails and a full height transom with boarding gate and associated ladder to port. The boarding platforms were formed onto the engine pod’s outer extremity each side of the Suzuki, with boarding rails extending over the transom to make it easy to climb aboard.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION Length..............................................................5.29m Beam................................................................2.25m Hull construction..................3mm alloy throughout.

Deadrise hull....................................................... 18° Weight of hull..................................................480kg Fuel......................................................................80L Engine ratings............................................. 60-80hp Engine fitted................................Suzuki 70 4-stroke Persons..........................................................max. 5 Towing............... Family six sedan or big four wagon LAYOUT Aft of the rig’s large anchor well and bow sprit, the bow rider seating caters for up to three people to enjoy the ride with breeze in their faces. The entire bow rider area was cushion equipped, with the central cushion and its hard in-fill base easily removed and dropped down onto the floor to provide leg room for passengers. A handy amount of under-seat storage was also available 78

SEPTEMBER 2015

but handy to the driver, with controls for the engine side mounted. There’s room to mount quite a large sounder, and in all it was a convenient and sensible set-up.

Forward seating was quite plush. Paired deluxe seats on pedestals sported two-way backrests which allowed skipper and mate to either face forward underway or simply slide the back rest section towards the windscreen to look astern

Top Left: The option of closing the door between modules is handy to deflect slipstream away from rear passengers. Top Right: The 70 Suzuki 4-stroke was an excellent power choice for the 490 Bow Rider. Above: The Bow Rider’s plush seating offered alternatives of forward or rearwards back support via the movable back rest.

70HP SUZUKI The 70hp Suzuki fourstroke was a very capable power source for the 490 Stessco Bow Rider. Engines are 60-80hp with the 1.5L four-cylinder 70hp Suzuki being mid-range power.

With three people aboard, the boat turned up some very respectable speeds without much fuss or engine input so far as noise was concerned.

The rig planed at 3000rpm at 15.5km/h; 4000rpm was 35.7km/h; and 5000rpm (the engine was new) recording 45.8 km/h.

Test runs were carried out in slight chop within the Bribie Passage. It was quite busy at the time so it was easy to find some wash to jump to assess ride quality.

The ride, to my enjoyment, was entirely smooth and quite predictable for a craft of such modest dimensions.

True, the hull weight of 480kg greatly assisted ride quality, but hull shape also undoubtedly had a large input into the ride. We felt little impact as we drove briskly over some decent wash from passing craft.

Stessco have obviously put some R&D into the hull with its 18° vee form.

Very large strakes and outer reversed chine are featured, and the resulting ride quality is very pleasing. In this style of boat passengers might well be sitting right over the hull’s entry section, but if the test run is any indication there won’t be any nasty surprises for passengers up front.

DRY RIDE When powering along and jumping wash, the craft’s interior remained quite dry. It would only be when quartering waves with wind pushing them along that some spray would come aboard, as expected from open boats of this style.

An exterior side height of 1.18m would also assist in sea keeping and the dryness of ride for occupants.

I found the hull to be

very stable when I was moving about taking photos, and that gets full marks from me. Handling was also a strong point of the rig, and it was great fun to throw the bow rider into sharp turns to experience a bit of G force, then watch how rapidly it recovered to a level attitude.

SUMMING UP Although not primarily designed as a fishing craft, the Stessco 490 Bow Rider with its 70hp Suzuki 4-stroke would please a lot of anglers looking for a boat that can double as a family

The Bow Rider’s central infill is easily removed to provide ample leg room for front passengers.

The main aft features of the 490 Bow Rider include a padded seat box to store your catch or equipment, as required.

unit and capable fishing rig, depending on the day’s requirements. With the bow rider section opened up for business there’s fishing area there to compliment the section aft.

Ride and handling excel all round, and an interior side depth of around 85cm sees plenty of freeboard for people wanting to stand and fish, or for families taking youngsters out. The addition of something to keep a few liveys in would see the package complete.

The finish of the Stessco was very good with welds neatly finished, high quality upholstery (there’s a lot of padding in this boat), and excellent overall presentation. The Bow Rider looks good and goes just as well in my view. Supplied on a Stessco dedicated trailer, this baot would come home for a modest $29,990.

Motorsport Marine can be contacted on (07) 3888 0555 or on the net at www. motorsportmarine.com.au.

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

Top: The drink holder and glove box arrangement are there for the front passenger’s convenience.

Middle: Because side pockets run right to the front of the boat, the skipper and mate can slip a few of their personal items into them with ease.

Above: The Stessco’s wide under-hull pressings are easily noted in this transom image.

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79

What’s New BOATING

1

HUMMINBIRD HELIX 7

With the launch of the Helix 5 earlier this year the Helix 7 is sure to impress the boaties out there! Humminbird is known for its super clear imaging and the Helix 7 is the perfect 7” platform to showcase these technologies, in the ‘all in one’ transducer!

The Helix 7 is easy to use, dependable under any circumstances Australian waters can dish out and unbelievably clear, bright and fast – not to mention built in the USA, so you can be sure this piece of machinery is built to last.

Experience jaw-dropping 480x800 resolution and 1500nit brightness, delivering a clear and precise picture of fish and fish-holding structure. The ultra-wide 16:9 ratio gives you ample room to view two screens side-by-side, making fishing and navigating easier. The builtin quick-release gimbal mount makes angle adjustments and removal easy.

No matter your target, no matter the conditions. Game on! – BLA

2

WATERSNAKE SHADOW MKII

Watersnake has released its Shadow MkII Bow Mount foot-controlled electric motors. The four new models have the same DNA as the top-selling predecessors in the Shadow range but with new design features.

The most noticeable is the small and sleek head design that also incorporates a digital voltage meter, so you can monitor your battery’s condition throughout the day.

The other big change is the new variablespeed wired foot control unit, which has a water-resistant design and precision functions for responsive control over the direction and speed of your boat. It comes with a five-metre cable for flexible locating options. Other features include a composite shaft that is unbreakable under normal conditions, a corrosion-resistant bracket, a weedless propeller design, plus a stainless steel prop shaft and large cradle for ultimate safety in transit.

All have large turning boxes for more control in steering, fully encapsulated circuit boards, sacrificial zinc anodes and anticorrosive treatments; ready for harsh saltwater environments. – Jarvis Walker

3

MERCRUISER’S NEW 6.2L STERNDRIVES

Mercury engineers have again shown the boating world how it’s done – creating two new engines which deliver truly impressive power and torque while providing a remarkably quiet and smooth ride.

MerCruiser’s new 6.2L V-8 300hp and 350hp sterndrives are purpose-built specifically for marine use, which is why Mercury has been able to create a perfect blend of power, reliability, superior corrosion-resistance and a quiet, pleasurable ride.

“With the introduction of our new 6.2-litre V-8 sterndrive engines, Mercury continues to build on its success of designing and manufacturing propulsion systems that deliver the most intuitive, powerful, worry-free, smooth and quiet boating experience,” said John Pfeifer, President of Mercury Marine.

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

4

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

POWERED BY

OPTIMAX DIESEL – READY FOR DUTY

Mercury has released a second ‘stealth’ outboard – a unique OptiMax Diesel, which has been developed exclusively for the U.S. Department of Defense.

This spark-ignited, direct fuel injected twostroke has been designed to run on ultra-lowsulphur diesel, which is readily available around the globe.

Following a ship crash, resulting in an explosive petrol fire, Mercury created the new 3.0 litre, V-6 OptiMax Diesel. Generating 175 horsepower at the propshaft, the new engine shares 95% of its components with the petrol version.

The OptiMax Diesel boasts an advanced 3.0L powerhead, which has been customised with a unique cylinder head designed specifically for combustion of diesel fuel. This is matched with high-performance cylinder liners for maximum horsepower and optimal running quality. To ensure maximum practicality, OptiMax Diesel outboards are available in both right-hand and left-hand rotation. – Mercury

5

STRUCTURESCAN 3D

Lowrance has announced the release of a game-changing, sonar-imaging system – Lowrance StructureScan 3D. Lowrance StructureScan 3D allows anglers to easily see fish, underwater structure and bottom contours in a stunning threedimensional display on their HDS Gen3 fishfinder/chartplotter.

StructureScan 3D imaging quickly scans underwater terrain and fish-holding structure to create high-resolution, 180-degree super-wide, three-dimensional views – in depths to 300ft and as far as 600ft port and starboard.

Yielding captivating images with unprecedented detail, StructureScan 3D gives anglers a better understanding of where fish and structure are located in relation to their boat.

StructureScan 3D sonar provides multiple viewing options including boosted DownScan Imaging, even more detailed StructureScan HD and the new revolutionary three-dimensional views. Using virtual point-of-view angles or ScanTrack pan-tilt-rotate control, anglers can combine custom HD and 3D views to increase situational awareness and search fishing areas as never before. – Navico

6

2

3 4 5

NIFPRO NIFTY BOAT

When it comes to convenience and versatility, the Nifty Boat from NifPro has some significant advantages over a kayak.

For starters, this 30kg inflatable boat fits easily into a bag to be stowed in your car boot – even if your car is as small as a Holden Barina – or you can stow it on a larger boat for use as a tender. The Nifty provides comfortable seating positions for two people, and you can put on a 3.5hp motor to take you to places you can’t always take a kayak. It’s narrow so you’ll get good speeds, and it has a flat bottom to get you up those small estuaries. If you put a 55lb electric with a good battery on your Nifty you’ll get some good hours out of it.

The base paddle power option for this boat is RRP $1799. Optioned up with an outboard or electric should cost no more than $4000. Available colours include camo, yellow, red, blue and orange. For more information visit www. compactfishing.com.au. - CF

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

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

6

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Trades, Services, Charter BAIT & TACKLE BYRON COAST Yamba Bait & Tackle (02) 6646 1514

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

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1

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Advertise here - $195 + GST for 6 months Email: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au MACQUARIE COAST Graham Barclay Marine (02) 6554 5866 Manning River Marine Taree (02) 6552 2333

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

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Fish Taxidermist 0428 544 841

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

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

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

HOLIDAY RENTAL 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

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

• Cabin Accommodation • Caravan and Camping

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

BOOK A GREAT GETAWAY TODAY!

1800 666 264

www.southwestrockstourist.com.au 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 Central Coast Holiday Parks 1800 241 342

ILLAWARRA COAST

Jan’s Retreat

St Georges Basin

• The perfect family/fishing holiday location • Renovated 2 bedroom house • Fully furnished • Combustion five & spa • Laundry facilities

Book today on

(02) 4441 7000

FISH TAXIDERMY Neptune’s Treasures - Your Catch Reproduced 0405 226 282 www.neptunestreasures.com.au

HUGE RANGE OF LURE MAKING PRODUCTS AVAILABLE!

Jetty Boating (02) 6651 4002

FRESHWATER

3Gelcoat repairs 3 Insurance repairs

Soft Plastics & Spinnerbaits

COFFS COAST

Hunter Water Sports (02) 4947 7899

MODIFICATIONS & REPAIRS // BOAT & TRAILER

MAKE YOUR OWN

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

Blue Bottle Fishing www.bluebottlefishing.com info@bluebottlefishing.com Ph: 0409 333 380 Out of the Blue Tackle 0417 608 344 or www.outofthebluetackle.com.au Mo Tackle (02) 6652 4611 or www.motackle.com.au Specialty Fishing Products www.specialtyfishing.com.au

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 1285Seven Mile Beach Holiday Park (02) 4234 1340 Kiama Harbour Cabins (02) 4232 2707

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 BATEMANS COAST

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

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

www.holidayhaven.com.au/ Ulladulla

SOUTH COAST NSW

www.holidayhaven.com.au

Ulladulla Headland Tourist Park 1300 733 021

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

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

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

EDEN COAST www.southwestrocksfishingadventures.com.au

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

PORT & REEF SFISHING GAME ERS

CHART

Bay & Basin Sportsfishing 0413 610 832

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

EDEN COAST

au 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

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

HUNTER COAST

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

COFFS COAST Oceanic Sea Urchin II Charters (02) 6566 6623 or 0428 650 321 South West Rocks Fishing Charters (02) 6566 5298 or 0429 995 390 The Rocks Fishing Charters 0412 074 147 Wooli Deep Sea Tours (02) 6649 7100 Trial Bay Fishing Charters, 0427 256 556 South West Rocks Fishing Adventures 0411 096 717

BEST VALUE FOR MONEY ON THE NSW STH COAST! • Reef, Game and Kingfish • Shared and private charters • Bait and tackle supplied • Homemade morning tea • Packages available • Owner operated

WE CATCH FISH!

Tailermade Fishing Adventures 0411 096 717 E:

DEEP SEA & GAMEFISHING

Ph: (02)

6496 1209 or 0415 602 446

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

QUEENSLAND

MV CAPRICORN STAR EXTENDED FISHING CHARTERS

BOOK NOW FOR MARLIN, MAHI-MAHI AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

MONTIQUE

BOOK YOUR

40ft RANDELL. Fishing capacity 12 persons.

TRIPS INCLUDE

All Bait, Fishing Rods and Reels Sunscreen and Morning Tea

2015 TRIP NOW

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

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

Swains Reef • Bunker Group • Coral Sea • Shoal Waters and Beyond

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

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

SILVER STAR FISHING CHARTERS

Greenwell Point only 10 mins from

NOWRA NSW

Game and Deep Sea, Charters ing Reef Fish

Choice of

Snapper

3 BOATS

Mowong

SILVER STAR FISHING CHARTERS

SATELLITE TV INSTALLED

SWAINS

Kingfish

Plus more!

• 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

www.mikat.com.au

Flathead

Tuna

FISHING EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME!

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

Boab Boat Hire (NSW) 1300 002 6221

CHARTER BOATS

EDEN

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

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

TRADES AND SERVICES ADVERTISING

FREEDOM CHARTERS

MACQUARIE COAST

FISHING GUIDES ILLAWARRA COAST

Esprit Fishing Charters 1300 556 658

NSW Recreational Fishing Licence.

EXTENDED REEF TRIPS

NSW Maritime Surveyed.

Jervis Bay Marine Park permit.

Phone John 0412

977 000

www.silverstarfishingcharters.com.au

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

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

Subscribe and WIN! A Pflueger Combo - fantastic for flathead!

New Trion XT rod 7’, 3-6kg 2 piece and Supreme Spin reel 35

3 COMBOS TO WIN EACH VALUED AT $400!

Supreme Spin reel The Supreme is truly “The Smart Choice™” in lightweight performance. This is the only magnesium spinning reel in the marketplace at this price point and it packed full of high-end features. Its braid ready spool allows anglers to skip the backing and hold a lot more line. Its aluminum handle, and aluminum bail wire is extremely strong and corrosion resistant providing years of quality performance.

New Trion XT rod Trion XT rods have long been a favourite of Australian Anglers. A combination of graphite performance, quality components and great actions has established the Trion name in this country.

The Trion series features technique specific actions developed for Australian fish and conditions. The Trion series now includes Fuji K Alconite guides and a new Hybra-Cork handle design that provides increased grip, feel and comfort.

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

1

Time

m 0.10 1.71 0.20 1.77

0335 0951 WE 1558 2203

m

Time

Time

m

0.37 1.52 0.42 1.47

0406 1026 TH 1649 2257

0.41 1.52 TH 1639 0.46 2241 1.39

2 0454 1117

17 0508 1133

3 0545 1211

18 0004 0547

4 0054 0741

19 0053 0633

5 0302 0845

20 0150 0730

6 0415 0954

21 0257 0836

7 0521 1101

22 0408 0951

8 0003 0614

23 0513 1102

9 0046 0658

24 0609 1206

16

1

0.22 1.81 0.20 1.51

0432 1055 FR 1720 2320

m

Time 0036 0617 SU 1242 1928

0.48 1.61 SA 1803 0.43

2 0133 0711

17 0040 0615

3 0235 0811

18 0136 0712

4 0340 0917

19 0238 0817

5 0441 1025

20 0344 0930

6 0534 1129

21 0446 1043

7 0619 1224

22 0544 1152

8 0037 0700

23 0015 0637

9 0114 0736

24 0104 0728

16

1

20 0420 1027

6 0533 1146

21 0520 1140

7 0619 1242

22 0617 1247

8 0030 0700

23 0040 0711

9 0108 0740

24 0131 0802

25 0152 0817

10 0145 0816

25 0220 0851

11 0220 0845

26 0240 0906

11 0223 0854

26 0308 0938

27 0219 0837

12 0253 0918

27 0327 0954

12 0301 0932

27 0354 1022

13 0258 0914

28 0305 0925

13 0327 0954

28 0415 1042

13 0342 1013

28 0439 1104

29 0234 0847

14 0328 0946

29 0352 1014

14 0403 1030

29 0501 1128

14 0426 1055

29 0523 1145

30 0320 0936

15 0359 1019

30 0439 1102

15 0443 1111

30 0014 0549

15 0512 1139

30 0029 0607

6 0219 0812

21 0107 0657

7 0336 0919

22 0216 0802

8 0445 1024

23 0330 0915

9 0541 1121

24 0437 1023

10 0025 0626

25 0533 1123

10 0124 0735

25 0045 0700

10 0147 0811

11 0102 0704

26 0017 0624

11 0157 0810

26 0133 0748

12 0136 0740

27 0104 0712

12 0228 0842

13 0206 0813

28 0149 0800

14 0236 0845 15 0305 0917

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

0.35 1.42 SA 1331 0.42 1946 1.62

0.33 1.46 SU 1407 0.40 2020 1.61

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

16

5 0443 1044

20 0010 0602

0.46 1.50 FR 1723 0.50 2322 1.32

0.51 1.48 SA 1813 0.54

1.24 0.57 SU 1236 1.45 1912 0.58

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

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

0.21 1.52 SA 1218 0.30 1839 1.80

0.13 1.64 SU 1312 0.20 1930 1.84

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

0.14 1.83 WE 1553 0.14 2203 1.65

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

0.39 1.49 SU 1413 0.43 2017 1.52

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

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

1.30 0.53 SU 1215 1.57 1852 0.46

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

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

1.48 0.42 SA 1822 1.66

0.23 1.62 SU 1305 0.31 1917 1.70

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

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

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

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

0.44 1.73 FR 1624 0.34 2222 1.38

0.46 1.74 SA 1705 0.34 2304 1.35

0.50 1.72 SU 1748 0.36 2349 1.32

1.29 0.58 TU 1242 1.64 1929 0.41

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

1.35 0.61 FR 1547 1.53 2226 0.37

1.44 0.55 SA 1656 1.54 2322 0.32

1.57 0.46 SU 1800 1.55

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

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

0.33 1.95 FR 1630 0.17 2232 1.45

0.39 1.91 SA 1720 0.22 2324 1.39

0.47 1.84 SU 1809 0.29

1.34 0.55 MO 1214 1.73 1858 0.37

1.26 0.69 WE 1346 1.50 2034 0.50

0025 0603 WE 1227 1909

19 0317 0912

5 0109 0709

1.20 0.58 TU 1656 1.55 2341 0.45

1

Time

m 1.29 0.62 1.62 0.45

4 0348 0935

19 0518 1146

1.18 0.59 MO 1555 1.53 2245 0.49

0104 0639 TU 1259 1945

18 0216 0801

4 0008 0614

1.22 0.55 SU 1446 1.54 2137 0.51

16

Time

3 0251 0830

18 0441 1104

1.32 0.48 SA 1340 1.58 2021 0.49

m

0527 0.54 1154 1.69 MO 1836 0.38

17 0118 0700

3 0523 1144

1.46 0.38 FR 1239 1.63 1908 0.43

1.34 0.52 1.71 0.37

Local Time DECEMBER

2 0157 0731

17 0407 1026

0.27 1.68 TH 1801 0.34

Time

m

0.44 1.63 0.39 1.36

2 0435 1051

0.17 1.71 WE 1701 0.26 2312 1.62

2015

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

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

0.45 1.81 SA 1609 0.30 2204 1.38

0.45 1.83 SU 1650 0.28 2248 1.38

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

31 0527 1152

0.41 1.81 SA 1831 0.28

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

m 1.37 0.52 1.73 0.32

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

1.44 0.59 SA 1522 1.50 2154 0.38

1.51 0.56 SU 1631 1.45 2251 0.38

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

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

0.39 1.92 SA 1616 0.22 2215 1.41

0.42 1.89 SU 1700 0.25 2301 1.39

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

1.34 0.59 WE 1224 1.62 1900 0.43

31 0113 0653

1.32 0.65 TH 1304 1.52 1941 0.49

Last Quarter

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

SEPTEMBER 2015

85

FIND-A-WORD COMPETITION I SEE RED!

BASS BREAM BULLSEYE COD CORAL EMPEROR FIREFISH GOBY GROPER

GURNARD MOKI MORWONG MULLET PERCH RAINBOW FISH REDFIN ROCK COD SCORPION COD

SNAPPER SQUIRREL STINGER THROAT TRIGGERFISH TROUT VELVETFISH

Name: Address:

P/Code:

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win a Fishing Monthly selected prize pack.

SEND ENTRIES TO: NSW Find-a-word Competition, PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

NSW SEPTEMBER 2015

Phone (day):

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE The subscriber prize winner for July was J Leonard of Clarence Town, who won a new Wilson Magnum combo valued at $325.

All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

FIND THE BERKLEY LOGO WINNER BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

BITE ME by Trisha Mason

The Find the Berkley logo prize winners for July were: K Hester of Beverly Hills, J Littlewood of Harrington, P Osborne of Perthville, M Blake of Walcha, E Walters of Goodwood Island, C De Boer of Valentine, M Dunford of Young, V Dimento of Caringbah, A Goldrick of Mooney Mooney, G Pattison of Corowa, J Wicks of Cootamundra, D Miller of Cobar, K Finch of Mulgoa, M Clarke of Wingham, B Stokes of Morwell, M Markham of Singleton, J Cupitt of Sanctuary Point, R Chown of Glendenning, B Bailey of Ulladulla, J Kugler of Surf Beach, R Lewis of Sussex Inlet, Z Mehmet of Ingleburn, M Hughes of Uralla, P Kennedy of Raymond Terrace, T Kennedy of Karuah, M Ryan of Aberglasslyn, G Trinder of Emerald Beach, A Sinclair of Lalor Park, C Englebrecht of Wagga Wagga, M Quigley of Bega, I Dando of Tuggerawong, B Hughes of Wallalong, E Howarth of Cowra, R Allen of Umina Beach, D Walker of Thornton, S Horan of Orange, A Bird of Wattle Flat, A Higgins of Helensburgh, W Olsen of Sans Souci, M Harriman of Towradgi.

Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

FIND-A-WORD WINNER GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

Congratulations to Bruce Keogh of Bathurst, who was last month’s winner of the Find-aWord Competition!

Monthly winners receive a Fishing Monthly prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – NSWFM

check out!

2 86

• DECEMBER SEPTEMBER 20152010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UNTHINK

everything you know about 75-115hp FourStrokes.

Unbridled power, unexpectedly compact, uncompromising reliability, unbelievably fuel efficient.

Mercury’s all new 75-115hp FourStroke Range. Unlike anything the world has ever seen.

Delivering stronger low-end torque and quicker acceleration.

ALL NEW 2.1L MODEL

ALL NEW 2.1L MODEL

Engine Speed (rpm)

90hp produces up to 16% MORE TORQUE over previous 1.7L FourStroke.

unthink.mercurymarine.com.au

Engine Speed (rpm)

115hp produces up to 23% MORE TORQUE over previous 1.7L FourStroke.

6500

6000

5500

5000

4500

4000

3500

3000

2500

PREVIOUS 1.7L (L) MODEL

2000

6000

5500

5000

4500

4000

3500

3000

2500

2000

PREVIOUS 1.7L (L) MODEL

Torque (Nm)

115HP FOURSTROKE TORQUE COMPARISON Torque (Nm)

90HP FOURSTROKE TORQUE COMPARISON