Queensland Fishing Monthly - August 2016

ABT BARRA GUIDE 2016 • BRISBANE BOAT SHOW

Features

Gold Coast tailor tips • Fathers’ Day Gift Guide • Bobbing for bream •

Boating and kayaking

Yakking Lake Lenthalls • Sea Jay 488 Avenger • Tracker ProGuide 16WT • Lowrance/Simrad Structure Scan 3D • Deeper Pro+ Fish Finder • Boating terminology explained •

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August 2016, Vol. 28 No. 10

Contents

Whitsundays 51 Ayr 52 Townsville 53 Hinchinbrook 54 Lucinda 54 Cairns 56 Port Douglas 56 Cooktown 57 Cape York 57 TNQ Freshwater 58 BOATING AND KAYAK

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REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 14 Camping and 4WD 84 Cooking 86 Dam Levels 76 Freshwater 76 Fun Page 75 Hotspot kayak 112 Kayak 114 Sheik of the Creek 41 Track My Fish 88 Tech Tricks 18 Tournament News 91 Trades and Services 92 What’s New in Boating 124 What’s New in Fishing 80 SPECIAL FEATURES

QUEENSLAND FISHING MONTHLY Business Office: Unit 1, 11 Knobel Court, Shailer Park, Qld, 4128 Phone: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801 Managing Editor: Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au Editorial Manager: Jacqui Thomas Sub-Editors: Bob Thornton Nicole Penfold Cordelia Adams Field Editors: Jason Ehrlich Wayne Kampe Publishers: Steve Morgan Matthew Drinkall

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Advertising Enquiries: Steve Morgan ads@fishingmonthly.com.au Advertising Sales: Ph: (07) 3387 0800 Michael Fox mfox@fishingmonthly.com.au Printing: APN – Print Production: Jenna Milburn Karen Millward Keith Hawley Website: www.fishingmonthly.com.au Distribution: Gordon & Gotch Pty Ltd Subscriptions: Kym Rowbotham Office Manager: Marie Dykstra

Dean Thompson caught this fantastic bass while tagging at North Pine.

An Andy Mckinstray image.

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Australia’s recreational fishing community. We look forward to working constructively with the Coalition Government on the delivery of their commitments.”

In a nutshell: let us have input on the nationally managed fisheries, don’t lock us out, ban the super trawler and get rid of carp. Please!

Sounds like it’s a busy three years ahead. – Steve Morgan CORRECTION We have a correction to make for the Moreton Bay diver whiting feature in the June issue. The article contains a map that marks whiting hotspots, and one of these hotspots looks as though it falls within the Amity Bank green zone. This mistake happened because the hotspot mark on the author’s mud map was a bit shy of where he actually does fish – just outside the edge of this no-fishing zone. Please ensure your maps are up to date and avoid straying into this area.

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greater value to the Australian community, now and for future generations by leaving them in the water.

“Recreational fishers also welcome the commitment by the Coalition to eradicate European carp from Australia’s inland waterways. Carp rival the crown-of-thorns starfish as an environmental threat.

“We understand the Coalition will develop a national community-based plan aimed at controlling and possibly eradicating the European carp from Australian waterways, with the potential release of a carp control virus by the end of 2018. We would like to see this initiative supported by native fish restocking and habitat restoration programs aimed at ensuring our native fish have the best possible opportunity to win back our inland waterways.

“We have one final message for the Coalition – get on with it – as three years is a short period of time to deliver these important commitments to

AUST

Gold Coast tailor tips Fathers’ Day Gift Guide Bobbing for bream Boating terminology explained

at the table when it comes to the management of Commonwealth fisheries. We also understand the Council will allow anglers to have a say on how some of our... fisheries are managed. These include the southern bluefin, other tuna, marlin and small pelagic fisheries.

“We are also looking to the Coalition to honour its long standing commitment not to lock recreational fishers out of Commonwealth Marine Parks – unless the decision is based on peer reviewed scientific evidence of threats to marine biodiversity.

We are pleased that it will not support locking away large areas of oceans to prevent fishers from taking out a boat and casting a line.

“We urge the Coalition to fix the issue of industrial scale fishing of the small pelagic fishery by the Geelong Star. It is clear from the election result that this is an important issue for recreational fishers whose fishing grounds are affected by the vessel’s operations. The fish stocks of the small pelagic fishery provide

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TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND

With this issue of Fishing Monthly going to press just a week after the LNP Coalition claims a second term of government, the question you may be asking is, “How does the election result impact my favourite outdoor activity?” As we’re busily creating publications that help enhance your recreational fishing experience, we looked to the ARFF (Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation) to help distil just what the consequences are.

Allan Hansard, Managing Director of the ARFF said, “We congratulate the Liberal-National Coalition on their recent election win and their mandate to govern for a second term. However, we also call on them to honour the election promises they made to recreational fishers and the thousands of businesses in cities and towns across Australia that support recreational fishing.

“ARFF welcomes the commitment by the Coalition to give recreational fishers a seat

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Hervey Bay 45 Rainbow Beach 45 Fraser Coast 46 Rockhampton 46 Lake Monduran 47 Bundaberg 47 1770 48 Gladstone 48 Yeppoon 49 Mackay 50

From the Editor’s Desk...

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Tweed Heads 24 Southern Gold Coast 26 Gold Coast Canals 28 Gold Coast 30 Jumpinpin 32 Southern Bay 34 Brisbane 36 Brisbane Offshore 38 Northern Bay 39 Caloundra 42 Noosa 44

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A Black Magic 80g Red/Silver Knife Jig was used by John Libro, fishing off South Head in Sydney when he caught this nice kingfish.

Well done John.

This impressive 80cm flathead was caught on the Black Magic 4kg+ SSP® Fibre Glide Line. Leigh Jiang was fishing on board Castaway Estuary Charters in Port Macquarie, NSW. The charter operator tells us his clients are very impressed with the strength of the line and the way it casts.

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This great pearl perch was caught by Kent Walker over the Fraser Bar, just north of Fraser Island in Queensland. He was using a Black Magic 6/0 Bleeding Pilchard Rig and says, “Mate, they work unreal! I got four of these fish on one of those rigs”.

Giovanni Palmieri was fishing in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, with a Black Magic Whiting Whacker and says, “It was a slow day for most people but we managed 10 whiting and 6 flatties. Black Magic will always have a spot in my tackle box.”

Matt Harris landed this 5.5kg coral trout off Hervey Bay in Queensland. He was using a Black Magic 7/0 KL Hook and Black Magic 80lb Tough Trace.

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Tailor

Breaking down the basics of Gold Coast tailor GOLD COAST CANALS

Josh Dunn

Winter is prime time on the broadwater and the canals, as many species really fire up.

However, when I think of winter I think of trolling hardbodies for tailor, Pomatomus saltatrix, throughout the broadwater.

So let’s break it down into a few easy points to help you get onto a few chopper tailor!

Mainly caught from June to February, winter

want to have them hooked in the rear treble. If you aren’t keen on losing money on these fish, buy cheaper models and add some premium split rings and trebles. Despite the loss, tailor fishing can be seriously fun.

THE GEAR You don’t have to purchase surf combos and surf fishing gear to get onto tailor. You probably already have the gear in your garage storage area. Don’t make fishing too complicated. A graphite rod between 2-4kg and 3-5kg will do the job.

Match that with a reel size

setup consists of a Shimano Raider 3-6kg or a 2-5kg ACM Custom, size 3000 with Sustain FG, 20lb Sunline braid and 20lb fluorocarbon leader. This setup is great for flathead fishing too. Tailor love movement, so the more you can create in your lure from your rod, the better the result and hook-up will be.

LURES There are a heap of lures on the market that will do a great job, catch fish and also break the bank. Hardbody lures can be $10-30, or even $40.

Mostly there is great quality

This is the author’s PB tailor, around 50cm+, caught on an early morning session!

A fun little school tailor caught on a ZMan 2.5” GrubZ. Tailor love chopping plastics! proves most successful for catching tailor. They are hard fighting, predatory fish renowned for their razor sharp teeth. They have almost the best set of dentures in the game and are known to engulf lures and slice leaders, so be prepared to lose some tackle.

It gets expensive using premium lures, and you’ll

around 2500-3000, but not much lighter as you want to have some drag on the fish.

Don’t go heavier either.

Add braided lines like Powerpro, Daiwa J-Braid, Sunline and Spiderwire around 10-20lb.

For your fluorocarbon leader, 15lb is perfect for this style of fishing.

If you find it’s too light, try using 20lb. My usual

in high priced lures, but there are cheaper options that are just as effective.

Lures can be broken into three sub-groups: soft plastics, hardbodies and slugs (surface and divers).

Some successful lures and colours – that won’t cost you a fortune – are Lucky Craft G-Splash (for surface), ZMan 3” MinnowZ in opening night,

Cody Munro with a great tailor he caught on a stickbait while fishing a deep gutter off the beach.

Will Smedley with a solid headland tailor.

Tailor can’t resist fast wound silver metal slugs!

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Rapala X-Rap (Saltwater 120mm in silver blue mackerel), 9cm Rapala Skitter Pop and some of the ZipBaits minnows.

The metal lures and slugs are mainly for

bust-ups when tailor are feeding on the surface.

These are retrieved at a fast pace, so you don’t need anything special.

When fish see flashy metal they’ll automatically think

baitfish. I know of people who have used a spoon or wrench, with some maintenance, and actually caught fish on it! However, choosing a lure that swims properly is vital. The weight of slugs depends on your tackle, but 15-25gm will work perfect.

SPOTS Some areas on the Gold Coast fish better than others. Broadwater, the Seaway and early parts of the canals will produce larger tailor. Deeper in the estuaries, you’ll find the smaller fish searching for protection from larger species. Greenback tailor are usually larger than 60cm and 2.5kg, and are generally found in the Seaway and around headlands.

The north and south wall of the Seaway fish great in the early morning and late afternoons. Look for signs of birds working in the area and patches of bait on your sounder.

Sometimes you will get small fish before you get onto the larger models.

Sovereign Islands is a hot spot with the deeper water around the island.

Working plastics and trolling lures in the area should show some action.

The inlet of Brown Island also does well, especially on the high or incoming tide. Tailor seem to ambush the baitfish before erupting and getting a good feed.

You will also find solid tailor a fair way up the Nerang and Coomera River, as the dirty water can fire them up.

The headlands along the coast are popular and some spots produce awesome tailor! If you’re going to eat tailor, remember to bleed them instantly by breaking their neck or cutting their

throat. Tailor taste great bled, especially thrown into an esky filled with icy cold water. Remember to take only what you need.

Keeping one or two doesn’t hurt, but catch and release is a good habit for our waterways. We want the next generation to receive the same enjoyments we do!

BY-CATCH Trolling hardbodies and flicking plastics in the Broadwater won’t always get tailor. Don’t be surprised to find yourself boating a mulloway, trevally or flathead in the shallow areas, and if you’re lucky – salmon. The Seaway can hold exceptionally large fish, so be prepared!

sports require different techniques and lures for the occasion. In the headlands, you should be throwing metal lures into the surf, whereas, troll hardbodies in the Broadwater. The best time for targeting tailor is most certainly dawn and dusk. The exception is night, which can produce larger models at times.

Trolling hardbodies in the Broadwater and Seaway, you want a maximum of two lures around 15-20m from your boat. Change it up if you need to, depending on your speed, wake and lure depth. The speed you want to be sitting on is 4-6 knots. Remember to keep

plastics work great with the odd pause, especially suspending lures.

Tailor are predators – without doubt a baitfish’s worst nightmare. Whether you are land-based fishing from the headlands or beaches, boat fishing or even kayak fishing, tailor are an awesome species to target. These fish will become vastly active at certain times, and to ensure this, things need to come together. Practise fishing for tailor regularly and you will increase your knowledge on how these predatory fish work. When you have tailor chopping all around you, that’s when you know you’ve experienced a

GT are a common tailor by-catch.

Queenfish can easily be mistaken in a bustup. The main difference is that tailor congregate and compact more to feed, whereas queenfish are scattered and will hit the surface at random.

Anything you throw around that attracts the eye of a pelagic, they’ll smash!

HOW TO CATCH TAILOR Now using all the information you’ve gathered so far, we can get down to fishing. Most

your rod around 90º while your lure is out. This will require a rod holder. Your lure should be consistent in its movement through the water. The further back your lures are, the deeper they will dive.

Tailor move fast through the water, chasing baitfish.

Get your lure working at a fast pace through the water column. It doesn’t hurt to mix the technique with some unsystematic pauses here and there.

Both hardbodies and soft

new level of sport fishing in the estuaries!

Remember, fishing for tailor is exceedingly unpredictable. With these fish hitting high speeds, it can be hard to even find them! Sometimes you won’t see one fish or one bird in the area. It’s a good idea to keep a record of your fish captures and patterns you discover. Write down where, when and how you caught a fish. So the next time, you have a rough idea where to start searching.

Night time surface tailor are awesome fun.

AUGUST 2016

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Explore Australia Expo Brisbane Explore Australia Expo is an inspiring and innovative three-day consumer exhibition held at the Doomben Racecourse, 2-4 September, 2016.

The expo brings together the elite of the outdoor industries and overlapping

communities, all with a thirst for adventure. Whether it’s the winding roads of Australia’s spectacular coastline, or the adventurous and remote travels of our majestic outback, Explore Australia Expo is all about getting off the beaten track.

The event is a new approach to consumer exhibitions, offering visitors a spy, try and buy experience, all in the one place. With unique workshops, seminars, activities, educational platforms and challenges set to engage visitors of differing skill levels, the event delivers a truly interactive experience.

Industry-leading personalities and identities are on hand to offer advice,

solutions and inside tips, while the dynamic Adventure Track hosts demonstrations on recovery, driving techniques and 4x4 operation, as well as displays from a diverse team of stunt drivers.

Explore Australia Expo has been designed

visitors experienced three days of non-stop action, demonstrations, seminars and workshops. Initiatives such as the Oricom Adventure Track, Korr Lighting Show & Shine Competition and TJM 4x4 Megastore Club Corner were extremely popular with show visitors and will be back in 2016.

The relocation of the event to Doomben Racecourse offers a number of benefits, including easier access from arterial roads

AUGUST 2016

Australia Expo, with The Rod Train and Tacklebusters at this huge Brisbane event.

The Rod Train is an 18m

to engage, inspire, educate and entertain. The inaugural event, held at the Manly Boat Harbour in March 2015, was hailed as a huge success, exceeding the expectations of both consumers and exhibitors. Over 18,000

and public transport, and free onsite parking. With over 100 exhibitors displaying the latest products, services and destinations for 4WD, camping, fishing and adventure, Explore Australia Expo also delivers entertainment for the whole family.

The dynamic Adventure Track, presented by Oricom, will have standard, modified and extreme 4x4s performing a range of demonstrations. There will be demonstrations on recovery, driving techniques, 4x4 operation and more, as well as captivating performances from Austruck 4x4 Racing and ATV/ UTV demonstrations. Key show partners will provide tutorials on safe winching, diff locks and suspension, how to use a snatch strap and driving techniques.

The annual 4WD Show n Shine Competition, sponsored by Korr Lighting runs on the Sunday of the expo.

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Successful entries will be displayed along one of the main thoroughfares, with judges evaluating the vehicles in the afternoon and the prizes awarded at 4pm on the main stage. This category is open to all 4WDs, old and new, custom or stock.

Vehicles will be assessed on cleanliness, detailing, accessories, customisation, functionality and overall presentation. There’s over $2000 worth of great prizes thanks to Korr Lighting.

Prime Mover set up to showcase a huge display of quality fishing gear from the biggest brands, plus a 5x2.1m LED screen showing the latest fishing shows, playing non-stop all day. It’s the world’s largest mobile fishing tackle store!

Another visually spectacular attraction at this year’s Explore Australia Expo, is the Berkley Supertank, which offers an educational and entertaining experience that demonstrates different fishing techniques.

The fishing tank is a 21m long, 5m high glass tank holding 14,500L of water with live fish, usually barra.

The shows are interesting and informative for all who enjoy outdoor activities. As well as fishing information, they provide info on 4WD off-road safety, which

4x4 Clubs are an important part of our community and a major focus of Explore Australia Expo. The all new TJM 4x4 Club Corner, supported by TJM 4x4 Megastore and Four Wheel Drive Queensland, provides the opportunity to engage with your local club in a welcoming and relaxed environment. In the past, 4WD clubs have had minimal involvement with such events. Explore Australia Expo understands sunglasses are best under different conditions, boat safety, knife sharpening, motor maintenance, holiday destinations and of course lure fishing. The tank lets you see how a lure works in the water and which lures work best in different locations, under different conditions.

Explore Australia Expo offers the ultimate lifestyle experience, so don’t miss it! the importance of clubs, their sense of pride and achievement and how they represent a large and diverse aspect of our community, as well as the extensive community work they do.

For that reason, there will be a diverse range of 4WD Clubs on display, so come and have a relaxed chat with their members, share your 4WD and travel stories and sign up as a new member.

Fishing enthusiasts are in for a real treat at Explore

VISITOR INFORMATION Location: Doomben Racecourse, Ascot, Brisbane Show dates: 2-4 September, 2016 Opening hours: Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 9am-5pm 1-day pass: adult $13, senior $10, children under 15 free 2-day pass: adult $20 Parking: free onsite and street parking Bus: route 301 from Adelaide St, City to Doomben Racecourse Train: 5 minute walk from Doomben station www.exploreaustraliaexpo.com.au/brisbane www.events.ticketbooth.com.au/ event/ExploreAustraliaExpo

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The left verses the right NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

It’s an argument almost as old as fishing itself: which hand should you crank your reel with?

You might never have realised it, but almost every spinning reel or ‘eggbeater’ sold in North America or Europe has its handle on the left side. Many threadline reels that reach our shores are also set up this way, although

caught on here.

I’m right-handed, but I switched to using lefthand drive eggbeaters (as well as fly reels and centrepins) almost 40 years ago. Although I can still ‘switch-hit’ reasonably effectively these days when picking up a right-handed outfit, I’m much more comfortable cranking lefthanded on the reel styles described… yet all my baitcasters, overheads and Alvey sidecasts remain righthand drive. Why is it so?

For me, it all comes down to the mechanics of casting with a spinning reel.

Most of us who use them regularly cast these outfits by wrapping our dominant hand around the reel seat, with the reel’s stem emerging between two of our fingers: usually either the pointer and middle finger or the middle and ring finger, depending on the size and design of the reel. Whether we then go on to cast single-handed, or bring our non-dominant hand in to play on the butt

The author reckons that cranking spinning reels with his non-dominant (left) hand — and therefore not having to swap hands after every cast — has caught him a lot of extra fish over the years. Having your dominant hand holding the rod can also be especially useful when finessing lures such as this Cranka Crab.

The author made the switch to left-hand drive eggbeaters four decades ago and has never regretted it. the majority of Aussie buyers quickly swap the handle to the right-hand side after purchase. But look at photos or footage of American and European anglers in action and you’ll see that almost all of them crank their spinning reels with their left hand.

This isn’t because southpaws dominate in those other parts of the world.

Right-handed people are the clear majority over there, as elsewhere. It’s simply that the accepted practice in those countries is to wind threadlines (and some other reel styles) with the angler’s non-dominant hand.

Kids learn to fish that way and it’s seen as a perfectly natural thing to do. I have no idea why it never really

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end of the rod to perform a two-handed cast, it makes great sense (to me and many others) not to go through the motions of swapping the outfit from one hand to the other to begin the retrieve or fight a fish. That stronger, more dexterous dominant hand can stay right where it is after the cast is completed, while the non-dominant hand comes up to perform the relatively menial and mechanical task of turning the handle.

Over the past 40 years, Having your stronger and more dexterous hand on the rod seems to make sense.

Jo Starling learnt to crank spin reels left-handed and sees it as the natural, obvious thing to do.

I reckon cranking with my non-dominant hand while holding and working the rod with my dominant hand when using spinning tackle has caught me a whole heap of fish I would otherwise have missed.

Things are a little different with other styles of reel such as baitcasters (plug reels) and sidecasts, where the ideal casting grip differs from the preferred retrieving and fish-fighting grip. A change of grip is required on these outfits, and this switch is most efficiently achieved (in my opinion) by smoothly passing the outfit

from one hand to the other…

A subject we’ll return to in a future column.

In the end, there’s no ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way to hold an outfit or crank your reel, and you’re arguably better off sticking with what works best for you. That said, every angler I know who’s bitten the bullet and put up with the couple of days of uncoordinated discomfort required to switch their brain and muscle memory from dominant to non-dominant-handed reel cranking on spinning gear has said they would never, ever go back. It’s something worth thinking about…

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Suspending gigantic joint bait.

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Some items may differ in appearance from pictures and every effort has been made to ensure the advertised stock is available. No rain checks. Prices are valid until 31 August 2016.

Fathers' Day Gift Guide

Gift ideas for fishing fanatics this Fathers’ Day BRISBANE

Bob Thornton

If your dad’s anything like my dad, the gifts he’ll really appreciate are the things he’ll get plenty of use out of. Unfortunately, we can’t all have a Darryl Kerrigan type dad, who have poolrooms full of ‘sentimental’ gifts and an appreciation for the simplest of things.

Fathers’ day falls at a time of year where we have some of the best weather of the whole year. Warm, windless days are common through late August and early September, and rain events are at a minimum along most parts of the East Coast. If you ask me, there’s no better time to enjoy the outdoors, especially if you like fishing, boating, 4WDing and camping. It’s even more enjoyable if you can drag the old man out of the house and spend some quality time.

Because of this, it makes sense that anything you can buy that will encourage him to get out and enjoy the Aussie outdoors will make a for a great gift this Fathers’ Day. The past few months has seen some exciting new products come out, so let’s take a look at some gift ideas for your old man.

CAMPING AND OUTDOORS Wilson Backpack Spring is my favourite time of the year to put the boots on and hike into some of the most scenic places we have in my home state of Queensland. Sometimes I’ll even drag dad down into these places! There’s nothing more important in this sort of scenario than a good pack to carry all the essentials, and Wilson have you covered with their new backpack.

The Wilson Backpack has padded straps and back

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AUGUST 2016

panel, making it comfortable for old backs and shoulders, and will store everything you need for a day of hiking and fishing. The pack has a clear, water resistant front panel, which allows you to operate a smart phone or GPS while it stays dry. On

Black Diamond Moji Power Station For those longer camping trips, you may want to keep electronic devices charged. This may include smartphones, GPS, spotlights or laptops. Let’s face it, most of us like

for all the technoholic dads out there!

The Black Diamond Moji Power Station can run off either direct AC, an enclosed rechargeable battery, or regular AA alkalines, and has a USB port to charge your hand-

top of all this, it comes with two Wilson Tackle Trays to carry all the lures you’ll need for the trip.

to keep up with the news of the world when we go camping… Black Diamond have the perfect solution

held gadgets with. It also doubles as a light, putting out an impressive 250 lumens, which you can adjust with an easy-to-use dimming button on the side. The Moji is only the size of a coffee mug, so you’ll easily be able to cram it into your pack and have it ready to use once you’ve set up camp.

STYLISH FISHING APPAREL Zerek Dry Fit Jerseys No matter where you’re fishing in Australia, sun safety should always be a priority. Slipping into one Zerek’s Dry Fit Jerseys is a great way to keep the sun at bay, stay dry, and look like a pro. Not to mention, they look great, which will probably only appeal to some dads…

With a UPF rating of 25, you can rest assure that whatever this shirt covers will be safe in the harsh Australian sun. The Dry Fit Jerseys are available in sizes from medium, and the way through to 3XL.

With these great bits of kit, the old man will be able to safely fish for longer, stay comfortable, and do it all in style… whether he wants it or not.

Tonic Eyewear’s Slice lenses Tonic now boast the thinnest and lightest polaroid glasses on the market, in the Slice lens, and any dad would

which provides distortionfree vision at any angle.

The 1.3mm Slice lenses are scratch resistant, have antireflective coatings, Tonic’s own unique polarizing filter system and are 50% lighter than regular glass lenses.

You can choose from 12 different frames and four lens colours. Dad will look like he means business on and off the water with these

appreciate the ergonomics and aesthetics of these new lenses, and the stylish choices of frames.

Tonics are made in Japan and incorporate a de-centred lens technology,

bad boys, again, whether he wants it or not…

FISHING ACCESSORIES Deeper’s Fishfinder range If you want to get something that any

Fathers' Day Gift Guide

fisher-dad can put to use, regardless of whether he’s boat or land-based, then Deeper’s range of compact fishfinders are definitely worth a look. The small spherical transducer talks via Bluetooth to your smartphone and becomes a very handy little sounder.

either a wallet or a satchel.

The FG Deluxe Bait Wallet come with a removable caribiner to clip onto belts or other tackle bags. The FG Deluxe Bait Satchel comes with removable transparent sleeves, plus mesh pockets for terminal tackle.

Berkely’s tackle bags

Deeper’s newest model, the Smart Fishfinder 3.0, can be cast on most standard lines, making them very appealing for land-based anglers. How good is that?

You’re actually able to map out a waterway from the shore and save it onto your smartphone! Dad doesn’t have to be good with technology either, as setting up these devices is very selfexplanatory, so he’ll be out on the water (or the bank!) sounding up fish like a pro.

Berkely Fishin’ Gear Bait Bag Tackle storage is important when you’re out on the water, and the Fishin’ Gear Bait Bags covers a range of storage solutions to suit every angler… and dad.

Whether it’s only for a few packets of plastics, or everything needed for a day on the water. These bags are built to last, with corrosion-resistant zips and fittings. They come in

are an inexpensive way to carry your tackle, and make for a compact solution to bulky tackle boxes that dad will just love.

Black Magic Surf Waist Pack September isn’t too late to get stuck into a bit of relaxing surf fishing, and Black Magic has you covered! The Surf Waist Pack has all the accessories your dad will need to get down to the beach and wet a line.

The pack includes: Velocity Surf line; Tough Trace; Longreach surf rig; hooks and swivels; Wasabi fillet knife; Bait Buddy thread; and fish handling towel. And once you have the waist pack, you can refill it when necessary with whatever tackle you require for your next fishing adventure.

For under $100, you can get your dad kitted up and ready to tackle the

surf What’s not to love about that?

LATEST AND GREATEST FISHING TACKLE Dark Horse Bass series rods If you want to get your dad something fancyshmancy, NS Black Hole

There are six models (2 spin, 4 baitcast), and between them, they cover everything from bass and bream, right through to impoundment barra and metre-plus Murray cod!

even better just last year. The new metal frame delivers high rigidity, so there’s no flexing when under load and no loss of cranking power either.

Like everything Shimano make, all Stradics stand up to the harsh Aussie saltwater environment.

If it looks like the old man is in need of a new reel,

the Stradic FK will almost certainly fit the bill, regardless of the fishing he does. Stradic have just about every fishing scenario covered.

With all the latest technology, and a price tag that puts it in reach of most anglers around Australia, it’s a great gift idea for dad this Fathers’ Day. GET YOUR GIFT SORTED So as you can see, there’s plenty of great gift options out there for Fathers’ Day, and this article has only scratched the surface! For more great gift ideas, you can head over to www.tacklejunkie. fish and check out the latest fishing products. have recently produced one very fine piece of machinery.

With models ranging from tiny 4-8lb bream sticks, through to 10-20lb poles suitable for impoundment barra, these rods have your options covered.

Fitted with Fuji KR guides and a Fuji hook keeper, these things are built to last.

If your dad is a diehard lure chucker, these rods will definitely be right up his alley!

Leavey Lures Murray Moth While Fathers’ Day is in September, and Murray cod season in all rivers will have closed, there are some Murray cod dams that remain open during the closure. It’s still not too late to cash in on the topwater madness in the Murray Cod dams in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, and this is one of the best lures to do it with. The Murray moth is a jointed walking bait that’s 120mm long, has very sturdy Owner ST56 size 2 trebles and sports a beautiful finish.

Even if it doesn’t get wet this year, it might look nice in the poolroom (if your dad has one…) with all the other ‘sentimental’ gifts.

Shimano Stradic FK One of the best all-round reels ever made was made AUGUST 2016

17

Tech Tricks

Bullbar rod holders: make sure you are legal BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

During the latter part of winter and early spring, many anglers make the exodus to Fraser, Stradbroke or Moreton islands or further south to target tailor, mulloway and other beach and rock dwelling species.

Transporting your rods safely, especially those long single-piece models, has always been difficult. Decades ago the bulbar rod holder was invented to transport long rods.

This made it much easier for anglers with four wheel drive vehicles sporting bullbars to

carry their rods to the fishing areas and along the beach in safety.

It is only a matter of time before law enforcement start another blitz on bullbar rod holder legalities. Ensuring that yours is legal will save you the hassle of being pulled over and possibly copping a huge fine.

If someone became injured as a result of your bullbar rod holder being illegal, then you could be in all sorts of strife. We all want to get to our fishing spots with minimal hassle and have our rods in good condition when we get there, so take the time to sort out your rod transit issues now so you are ready to head out for that next trip at a minutes notice.

Bullbars used to be fairly flat across the front and anglers would simply put one or two rod holders onto their bullbar and they were set to go.

Bullbars are now more stylish being shaped to wrap around the front profile of vehicle. Commonly they are only square in relation to the length of the car in the middle, then wrap backwards on the angle of the bumper on both sides.

NOT LEGAL: Many have chosen to position their bulbar rod holders in the middle of the bulbar so that their rods go straight in line with the vehicle. As this bar is often thicker (commonly 75mm) than the 50mm bar often used on the side profile of the bullbar, many thought that their only issue was making the bullbar secure in this position. Commonly, adaptor plates with larger U-bolts were used to make a rod holder fit in this position. The problem was thought to be solved, as the angler could now transport their fishing rods to the site. However legally, this is not the case as you are not permitted to transport your rods in a holder placed in the middle of the bullbar.

NOT LEGAL: You don’t need to be Einstein to figure out that having your bullbar rod holders on the right hand (driver’s side) of the vehicle is not a wise choice.

This will greatly decrease your vision of the road which could lead to an accident. As such, it is illegal to have rods in a position that obstructs your view of the road.

NOT LEGAL: Bullbar rod holders cannot be left on the vehicle when not in use if they protrude forward of the bullbar. You can turn a standard model around so it is behind the front profile of the bullbar when not in use and this is legal providing it does not protrude above the bullbar either. Note the plastic pod inserts on this model, which helps to protect the reel stems and winch fittings on your rods. These can also now be purchased separately.

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AUGUST 2016

NOT LEGAL: However, even in this position, your rods cannot obstruct your driving lights or extend forward past the front profile of the bullbar where they could possibly cause injury to someone whilst the vehicle is underway or parked. Putting a turntable rod holder at a higher position will probably solve the driving lights issue but you will still need to ensure that the rod butts do not protrude too far forward.

LEGAL: Some rod holders, such as this one are designed to be easily removed. The locking pin is removed and the stem of the rod holder is slid out of the bracket and then stored away. All that is left is the mounting bracket, which is behind the front profile of the bullbar and not protruding above it which makes it legal. Additionally, this is much quicker and easier than having to get a spanner to remove the U-bolts, as is the case with conventionally mounted bullbar rod holders.

The tackle on your rods needs to be secured so that it doesn’t come loose where it can fly around and damage someone. A large sinker could easily smash a windscreen, dent your vehicle or damage the blank of a rod if it came free. My advice would be to unrig all your rods before highway transit. When on the beach, make sure your line is tensioned and use a Velcro strap (such as a rod wrap) to secure your sinkers or lures against the blank to stop them bouncing around.

ROD HOLDER LEGALITIES Fishing rod holders can only be fitted providing they comply with the following conditions: • The fitting allows the driver a view of the road and of traffic to the front and sides of vehicle.

• They must only be attached to the left hand side of the vehicle.

• They must be designed to carry no more than four fishing rods.

• Rods, hooks and sinkers must be properly secured.

• Vehicle lighting must not be obstructed by rods or holders.

• Rod holders must be either removed or retracted behind the profile of the bullbar when they are not in use.

For further information on this and other additions to your vehicle including bike carriers, spot lights and aerials check out tmr.qld.gov.au

Tech Tricks

NOT LEGAL: Having your rods positioned on the left hand side of your vehicle is the only legal position to carry them. However, with most bullbars not being square in relation to the length of the vehicle this poses further problems as the rods are now facing across the middle of the vehicle and almost across the driver’s vision. Additionally, the tips of long rods may actually extend past the cabin on the driver’s side (which is illegal) and will also heighten chances of your rods being damaged. This fixed type of rod holder can only work if the left (passenger) side of the bullbar is square in relation to the length of the vehicle so that the rods go straight up over the left hand side of the vehicle.

LEGAL: Removable Turntable Rod Holders are now available. Basically, the rod holder portion of the assembly can be set at any position regardless of its angle. The rod holder can bet set correctly so that the rods run straight over the left hand side of the vehicle. This makes them legal as they do not obstruct the driver’s vision of the road. Note that there are only four pods for rods.

Bullbar rod holders must be ‘designed’ to carry no more than four rods or they are illegal, even if you do not use all the rod holders. Only having four rods in a six pod holder is still illegal. Also this does not mean you can have three four-pod sets stacked on top of each other to transport twelve rods. One four-pod rod holder carrying a maximum of four rods is all that is allowed.

Your rods also need to be secured so there is no chance that they come dislodged during transit or if you were to brake suddenly. A stretchable strap can secure them into the rod holder and/or the tips secured to a carriage bar or other point on the roof of the vehicle. Even a piece of light rope tied to the tips and tensioned slightly to a rear point on the car will stop them wobbling excessively and getting damaged. It is your responsibility to ensure that your rods will not come adrift during transit. Additionally, you want to take care of your rods as you don’t want to arrive at your fishing destination and find that one or more of your rods is now damaged and cannot be used.

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19

Testing Booth

SSP Fibre Glide impresses fishing community BRISBANE

Bob Thornton

Black Magic have always been well known for their leader material and high quality fluorocarbon lines.

Now, they have come up with a low-stretch, high sensitivity PE line that’s not braided.

Black Magic’s new SSP Fibre Glide is intended for

or eight strands, hard coats or no coats… I just want it to do what I want. If it doesn’t, it generally gets stripped off the reel and into the rubbish bin.”

After spooling the line onto his reel, he was very pleased with how the line performed, and didn’t come with the problems of normal braided fishing lines.

“When casting poppers and stick baits for kingfish,

“The line itself is white with 1m markers in black, making it very handy to see when looking for bite detection through movement in the line.

Mark kept his eye out as clients unknowingly tested out the line aboard his vessel, watching how it performed under different skill levels.

“Firstly, being a single strand line it casts very well and I am sure it is giving more

This chunky little king was no match for the Fibre Glide, and allowed Greg Clarke to cast the distance to reach the feeding school.

A hefty 52cm bass pulled out of heavy cover by Mark Saxon using the 4kg stuff. use as a mainline. Despite not being braided, it has a fine diameter, casts like no tomorrow, and as a bonus it’s extremely supple and comes with 1m indicators!

Strength is not compromised with Fibre Glide either, and it has a breaking strain of up to 4x stronger than mono of a similar diameter.

Black Magic sent out spools to a few Fishing Monthly contributors for some ‘in-the-field’ and unbiased testing, putting this new line through its paces in some very different arenas.

IN THE FIELD Greg Clarke Greg Clarke was sent

tuna and mackerel, you can cast so much further, as it just slides over the runners and with zero stretch, the hooks set the instant a fish grabs the lure,” he said.

“Greater hook up rates equal more fun!”

It certainly seems that the Fibre Glide did what Greg wanted it to do, and after a few months of use it’s stayed on Greg’s reel.

“This one is a keeper and didn’t end up in the bin, far from it in fact! I went out and grabbed some 4kg for the snapper season ahead.”

Mark Saxon Mark got his hands on some Fibre Glide spools in

A 110cm mulloway caught around the pylons on 6kg line is pretty impressive stuff! Mark secretly got his clients to test the Fibre Glide out for him. a spool of 8kg Fibre Glide, with the intention of using it for throwing poppers at kingfish, tuna, mackerel and other pelagics.

“I’m not into the tech side of things, as I look for fishability,” he said.

“I don’t care about whether it is high density polyethylene, what the weight ratio is, whether it has three, four 20

AUGUST 2016

October last year and the testing platform was going to be on his sportfishing vessel for Castaway Estuary Charters.

“SSP stands for single strand polyethylene and is made from extruded high modulus polyethylene fibres.

The line itself has very little stretch and the 4kg is 0.13mm diameter, making it a fine line,” he said.

distance, as it is very smooth off the reel,” he said.

“Judging by my clients, it is certainly helping them, as I have used this line, only once have I had a dreaded wind knot which is outstanding considering the differing skill levels of my clients.”

“We have been using the FG knot as our leader connection, and this has had no issues whatsoever, again leaving me impressed by its strength.

Mark tried using it in a few different environments to really test out the capabilities of the line.

“Durability and performance results have been excellent,” he said.

“The 4kg was used for bass in some harsh environment, and accounted for at least two 50cm bass that came out of the snags, and it also performed well on the Glenbawn fish at night in amongst some very severe country.”

“The 6kg stuff has also stood up to some good mulloway, with a recent metreplus fish caught in against the pylons, giving no sign of wear after landing!”

Mark reckons that Fibre Glide is well worth checking out, and that the pricing is very reasonable.

“I know after the results I have had, we will be continuing our association with this product.”

Michael Hardy Michael Hardy is always on the lookout for something new in the world of fishing, so he jumped at the chance to wet some of the new Fibre Glide. At the time of testing, he was chasing impoundment bass land-based.

A very handsome yellowbelly that was subdued with Fibre Glide 4kg by Michael Hardy.

“My normal line of choice in this area is 10lb braid with a 15lb leader, and lot of drowned trees and other submerged obstacle courses warrant’s the use of something substantial,” he said.

“I thought to do a proper test on this line, I’d opt for 4kg and really give it a thrashing.”

Michael was very impressed with the line, and when it finally came to testing day, he was up early and trudging around the banks of his chosen dam in search of bass.

“Numerous small bass were interested in my slowly worked lure, and every tap and nibble transferred straight down the rod thanks to the lack of stretch in the line, allowing me to strike when needed,” he said.

He hauled in plenty of smaller bass without any dramas before he locked horns with a chunky yellowbelly.

Now the line was about to undergo a proper test!

“I went a lot harder to extract this fish than usual with a very tight drag, because after all this was a product test and after landing that fish, and many more since, I can say that this line is the

business,” he said.

“I’ve used a lot of brands over the years, some bad, some good, some great, some I wouldn’t floss my teeth with!”

“Let’s just say I’ll be getting more of this stuff and spooling up my other spin reels.”

Neil Slater Neil Slater of Victoria was keen to sink his teeth into some Fibre Glide, and his first impressions of the line were very positive.

“It’s a super slick line that absolutely belts through the runners and casts a mile,” he said.

“The line is smooth to the touch, and unlike those that have that ‘rope’ feel and hum or squeal through your guides when under stress, the SSP is dead silent.”

After a bit of testing around his home waters in Geelong, Neil made the pilgrimage north to the mighty Murray to test out the line’s capabilities on some Aussie natives.

“It was run around logs and came back unscathed,” he said.

“It knotted easily, although extra care needs to be made as it is quite slippery, so I just made another wrap in my knots to make sure it was

secure, but this really wasn’t an issue as it bites down well being so thin.”

“Distance and control was a notable improvement over the line I previously had on the spool, and with virtually no resistance it really flies out!

“I could not find anything that would be a drawback with the line, and said so as I handed it around the table with the lads we were staying with.”

Rod Shepherd Rod Shepherd on the South West coast of Victoria was also very impressed by how slick and smooth the Fibre Glide is.

“What I did discover as early as the first real test on the water is that the line is very slick,” he said.

“The end result is that on average I can cast further compared to braided lines and can only put this down to less friction occurring on the spool lip and through the guides.”

“This is extremely handy when casting very light weighted lures or soft plastics especially in calm, clear conditions when I need to put as much distance from my boat to any possible fish.”

Like Neil, Rod also found that he needed to make a few extra wraps with his knots.

However, once these wraps were made, the knot strength was as good as with any other line.

Rod also noticed that he hasn’t had a wind knot yet, as this line packs down quite nicely onto the spool, being very supple. He also appreciates the 1m indicators on the line.

“I often like to know exactly how much line is out there, especially when trolling or bottom bouncing, the 1m indicators are fantastic in my opinion,” he said.

“The retail price also seems quite competitive and apparently this is down to less production time as the line is single strand, not ‘braided’, so it should do well on the general market.”

“In summing up, I do believe this line is certainly worth investing in and I’m sure anglers won’t be disappointed in its capabilities.”

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Big time bonus snapper predicted for winter Joe Allan

Offshore of Ballina has fished consistently over the last month. This should continue, and all signs are pointing towards a bumper snapper season. Areas around Riordans Reef, Black Head, Lennox Point and the close reefs around the Ballina beaches are all holding quality numbers of snapper up to 90cm.

There are some big girls out there at the moment.

The best baits to throw are horse mackerel, fresh squid and bonito floating or very lightly weighted depending on the current. Soft plastics have accounted for the bigger fish. Try big plastics around the 6” size like the Atomic Jerk Minnows in ghost pearl, white or ghost orange. This time of year, the big girls are here to breed, that’s why there are so many in such good numbers. Only keep what you are going to eat and let those trophy ones go to breed.

Further offshore on the wider reefs along the 42-fathom line, there are pearl perch, amberjack and kingfish on the move. There

have been a lot of great fish caught on Lucanis Jigs and knife jigs. This is a really physical way to fish so don’t worry about going to the gym that day. Try to get in early before the wind gets up as it becomes too hard to hold onto the fish.

The beaches of South Ballina have seen plenty of tailor taken on blue pilchards.

When the westerly winds flatten the winter swell, it’s worth walking the gutters with 1/4-1/2oz blades to target flathead. You’ll get the odd bit of by-catch with some big snowy bream. These things pull hard on light spin tackle. There’s plenty of bait if you’re out for some fun with the kids catching pipis.

These can turn into some great baitfishing fun as the winter bream and whiting take a liking to them.

There are some reports of massive mulloway taken in the river. The town stretch has had some of the biggest fish taken in recent memory. Local gun angler Jake Stewart caught a 30kg beast while live baiting not long ago.

The river mouth has produced some great size and numbers of bream and blackfish. Try getting there

James Ansell with a beautiful snapper caught off Ballina at one of the close reefs. on the top of the tide as it starts to run-out for best numbers of blackfish. As always, green weed or weed flies are always best. The Gamakatsu Pan Fish Green hooks are best for this technique. For great numbers of bream, try cut baits along the south wall on light weights. The bream hole in behind the Police Station is also worth a shot.

Surface fishing for bream in Emigrant and North creeks will be worth a shot. It may not produce huge numbers but you’ll most likely come across some thumper winter whiting. The Atomic Pop 50 in yellow chartreuse or rock crab are the go for this technique. It ain’t no use if it ain’t chartreuse!

Until next issue, tight lines.

Jake Stewart with a 30.4kg mulloway caught from the town stretch of the river.

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Clarence gets a fresh start ILUKA

Ross Deakin

We needed some rain in the Clarence area, and we sure got it! The falls around Iluka and Yamba weren’t as heavy, but up the river system got a real dumping.

This has given the river the much-needed freshwater flush and with that, the bream have been going crazy. There have been some fantastic fish

caught, especially around the river mouth with a 1.4kg fish weighed in by Rod Hudson, and many other reports of fish around the 1.5kg mark. Most anglers are using mullet gut, fillet strips and blade lures.

Snapper are on, with some fantastic fish taken off the Iluka wall, Woody Head and offshore. A 6.7kg stonker was caught off Iluka Beach by Matt Sheelah and a 6.8kg fish was taken by Greg Phillips off the wall in recent weeks.

Tailor are doing well, with some very nice fish being taken off the beaches and headlands, especially in the early hours on pillies and metal lures.

Luderick are making a strong appearance with some very nice fish caught at the Bluff such as the 1.7kg fish caught by James Sorrenti.

Mulloway are around the river mouths and beaches, and the flathead are just starting to really fire up, so what are you waiting for?

The weather is great and the fish are bitting, so get out there and enjoy our beautiful Clarence River and beaches!

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

The snapper are biting, with several stonkers like this one being taken land-based.

Rains will bring Tweed to life THE TWEED

David Solano

The river fishing has been going great guns, and the recent rains have really brought it to life!

If you’re into bream, the Tweed is the best I’ve seen it in years. I mentioned the dirty water and all the muck in last month’s mag, and I said that a good rain should flush it all out. Well, it happened and the quality of the bream needs to be seen to be believed, as they have a shine and glow about them that’s not always there. They’re crazy fighters, and on light gear they fight like miniature snapper. You’ll find them out at the seaway walls, and pretty much throughout the river.

I’ve been in the canals chasing them on an ultra light rig and, by accident, I learnt a new and extreme way to cast. I let my finger go off the line way too early while firing out a cast, my soft plastic prawn smashed into the water a metre away from my target, but like you skip a rock as a kid the lure bounced four times, landed between a boat and a jetty and got smashed by a 30cm bream!

It’s not just bream though, as tailor are in good numbers and quality, with plenty caught off the beaches and also off the rocks from Duranbah, all

Fellow yakkers to the rescue! The author broke a pedal on his kayak and required a tow to get back to shore. the way down to the Fingal Headland. It’s pretty crazy, as guys have been catching snapper off the north sea wall and good ones at that.

Apparently it’s common after a lot of fresh.

Yellowtail kingfish are also showing up, and if you don’t mind fishing the wee hours, there’s some big trevally around too.

Just find a bridge that has a light source shining onto the water, and you should

EVANS HEAD DEEP SEA FISHING

be in business. They love the structure, as that’s where their food is.

Now I want to share a story about an incident that happened to me the other day.

Saturday and Sunday are my days off and if I’m not scrounging a ride with a mate who owns a boat, I’m in my

Hobie Pro Angler. We tend to take stuff for granted and after years of use, something broke and I was pretty much stuck, up the river without a paddle! I was right up the back of Cobaki, miles from home and my Mirage Drive snapped in half and all I could achieve with one fin

A nice, healthy bream taken from the Tweed. was to go round in circles.

I looked over at that thing I rarely use, a paddle, and tried my luck with it. I’ve got that much stuff attached to the yak that I literally had no room to move so to speak, so I ended up sitting on the bow (which made my rudder useless) and attempted to

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You just never know who you’ll meet on the Tweed.

paddle home and again, it was 360º Dave. This really brought home to me how heavy my yak is as I was pretty much going backwards. There was no one around to help. All I could do was drop anchor and wait for help.

After a lot of struggling and chaos, I made it to the Maritime Museum just on first light and went into a deep sleep, only to be woken by some fellow yakkers who were poking me to see if I was alive.

They scared me, and I scared them! Anyway, to cut a long story short, they towed me home behind their Hobie Revos.

What absolute legends. I didn’t know these guys, yet they went out of their way to help.

I just hope all this goodness hangs around for a while, because the Tweed is really rocking at the moment.

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Fish are loving windy waters SOUTHERN GOLD COAST

Danny Sands

This dry season the Gold Coast has seen plenty of rain, which has given our estuaries and rivers a good flush out. This will make great fishing in the next couple of months and August will see the

have been in central parts of the Broadwater from Tipplers to Crab Island with the water temperature still around 17°C. Flathead will move around a fair bit at the end of the month, looking to find a big breeding female.

The Berkley Gulp 4” Minnows, Squidgy Wrigglers and the ZMan 3” MinnowZ are good plastics to work

both entrances of Currumbin and Tallebudgera have been producing cricket scores. Flesh baits like herring, mullet, gar and bonito are working well.

Better class of bream have been taken at night leading up to the full moon.

Some hard-core anglers fishing the cold nights have produced a few mulloway.

Big schools of mullet have

or the weed beds north of the Seaway.

OFFSHORE With the strong offshore winds usual for August, there are plenty of good fishing areas to try close to shore.

August is a great month because most species will feed heavily before and after their spawning run on the inshore reefs. Fish early mornings and late afternoons that coincide with a tide change. This also gives you a chance to catch different species, like mulloway, which like a dawn and evening bit.

Most species of fish are susceptible to a berley trail, which is another key factor when fishing outside. Run two systems and a steady stream of cube pilchard from the boat, with a berley cage deep in the water column as well.

Colder water temperatures have turned the snapper on.

They can be found on any part of reef from the 18 fathoms to

Jason Swain has a nice Broadwater school size mulloway.

Gold Coast. Try the 22 and 24 fathom reefs off Surfers Paradise, Diamond Reef, Fidos, the Mud Hole and Deep Southern for lots of snapper

close inshore reefs are perfect areas for these conditions.

Many teraglin have been on the close reefs and these greedy fish will eat just about

This pigeon pair of snapper fell victim to floatlining in a berley trail. dreadful start of annoying northwesterlies that turn clean water brown and lifeless in the estuaries with rough conditions on the outer reefs.

FLATHEAD With the fast approaching Flathead Classic, a lot of teams will be searching for new ground, refining their plastic and trolling skills. There have been excellent numbers of flathead caught already throughout the Broadwater system. The bulk of flathead

the weed edges and drains.

Trolling hardbody lures like the pink Micro Mullet and Zerek Tango Shad are effective in searching for flathead.

Flathead will be caught on the last of the run out and the beginning of the run in before they start to spread over the flooding banks. It’s been a very late spawning run for the bream so they have been popping up with lots of fish over the 1kg mark.

The Seaway, the pipe in front of Biggera Creek and

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entered the estuary system and the mulloway are hot on their tails, feeding on mullet schools when the sun goes down.

Hearing a mulloway crunch mullet off the surface at night is an awesome experience! Free-swimming mullet with no weight on top of the tide is a great way of landing a 20kg+ mulloway this month. For the best hook up rate, try snelling your mullet with the correct hook size for your live bait offering.

Tailor have been active both off the beaches as well in the main Broadwater. They’ve been aggressive, especially when the westerly wind blows. Spinning behind the breakers is producing good numbers still, and the 20-40g slugs are most effective with fish up to 3.6kg (8lb) being caught. Squid have returned after all the rain and many have been caught around the rock walls in the Seaway,

Fishing young-gun Hayden Swain is showing his dad how it’s done! the 50 fathoms the entire way along the coastline. When floatlining, use a two hook rig connected by a rolling swivel.

The Gamakatsu SL12 and the Mustard 7766 make fantastic ganging as both hooks are strong and sharp.

Snapper love a rock pinnacle that is surrounded by rubble or sand and these pinnacles can be found at just about any reef offshore of the

this time of year. These spots also fish well with plastics, micro jigs and octopus jigs.

Focus, Palm Beach Reef and the desalination plants are holding good numbers of cobia in July and this will continue this month. Plenty of berley and large baits like tailor and slimies work well on these hard fighters. Cobia bite better on a westerly wind on the Gold Coast and these

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everything. Many fishers prefer nighttime for getting better quality fish. Overall, early rains in winter have improved the fishing. Plenty of teams are already practicing for the Flathead Classic, and if you haven’t registered your teams go to www. goldcoastsportsfishingclub. com.au and click on the red register dot. How good is the Gold Coast!

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Bait bump up chances The water temperature is doing us some justice, as I found. The warmer the water, the hotter the bite with the bait - although mainly for species like bream, jacks and trevally. When the water cools down, tailor, kingfish and mulloway start coming into the factor. Remember, that’s fishing. Some baits will work differently on other days.

This time of year is when the tailor are in full swing. You’ll see tailor in the Broadwater crunching bait. It can easily become costly with

GOLD COAST CANALS

Josh Dunn

This month is set to fire!

August is a month where bait is all throughout the canal systems, estuaries, and the open water. The Seaway and Jumpinpin are two major systems with some insane fish. Mulloway, tailor, kingfish, flathead, trevally and bream: the list goes on.

With cooler weather still pumping us, boating a few can be tricky.

their razor sharp teeth! A good tip is to buy a cheaper model lure and pimp it with upgraded split rings and trebles! These fish are very unpredictable, one minute they’ll be smashing and you’ll boat plenty of solid fish, and the next they will completely turn off. Just keep changing up your style of fishing to see what works!

Will Smedley gave us a detailed report of southern Gold Coast this August: Plague of the Ts throughout the canals: trevally, tailor and tarpon are the three to be

Flathead can easily be fooled in dirty water using a ZMan 2.5” Slim SwimZ in bloodworm colour! mindful of when fishing the canals in the south. Usually winter takes the fire out of these species, but done right, you can add them to your target list.

Finding these fish can be difficult, but when located, you’re in the game! Use your sounder to find schooling fish. This is the easiest way to start your attack. Typically in winter, these species will school in a docile manner, they won’t really bust bait and they lay deeper in the

Will Smedley found a few fish like this great tarpon.

water column. This means your lure choice will be much more important. Keep in mind reaction bites and other methods that will agitate fish to bite. Lures such as TT Lures Switch Blades and Vector Jigs are a great way to increase your chances of a reaction bite.

Smaller soft-plastics will also work. Use the ZMan Slim SwimZ, as these plastics are a great all-round profile for most of the fish in the area. Once you find the fish and pick your lure,

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It’s all about the snapper GOLD COAST

David Green

August is the best month of the year to chase snapper off the Gold Coast. Water temperatures took a while to drop this year, but recently most of the offshore grounds are showing temperatures between 19-21°C, and snapper have started to bite. There are plenty of methods to try, but generally bait will out-fish lures once you get wide of 18 fathoms. The best time to target snapper is dawn and dusk, and if you find a good showing on your sounder, be careful anchoring. Plenty of berley is generally the best way to get a good feed.

Over the past few seasons, lots of undersized fish have become abundant, and it is sometimes difficult to get fish over 35cm. To target bigger fish, try live baits or larger baits such as pike, whole mullet or big strips of tuna. The best method is to use a minimal amount of lead and light leader with a maximum of 15kg. Soft plastics and micro jigs are also effective.

Out on the wider grounds

Mark Frendin holds a big squid.

beyond the 36 Fathom Reef, there should be plenty of snapper, pearl perch, amberjacks, samsons and kingfish this month. Slow drifts using big baits are very effective, and a paternoster rig is generally the best way to target pearl perch. Deeply fished live baits or jigging with metal jigs is the best way to target kingfish and amberjack. There are also black and striped marlin on the 50 fathom line this month and a live bait drifted out the back can sometimes connect you to bigger fish than the pearl perch you set out to target.

Cobia and mulloway are also good target species this month. The 18 and 20 fathom line are good places to fish, and the artificial reefs in 23m of water north of the seaway have been producing quite a few of both species.

These reefs hold a lot of bait and are increasingly popular spots. Big fish are lost when they head back into the structure, so be careful when you anchor. Most mulloway are caught after dark, and cobia are at their best early in the morning, particularly around the change of high tide.

For the game fishers,

is s t a o B x e d A a Se nce u o n n a o t D E EXCIT ew n e h t f o h c n u a the l

David with a wicked snapper. They are a top catch this month August can be slow.

Sometimes yellowfin tuna are out on the thousand fathom line, as well as some striped and black marlin on the edge of the continental shelf, but there can be a lot of water between them.

Covering the water using lures is generally the most effective method, and if you find striped tuna, birds and bait you are in with a very good chance.

Recently, there’s been a lot of local interest in targeting

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broadbill swordfish in daylight hours and hopefully this month will see some success coming from local recreational boats.

RIVERS AND ESTUARIES The main fish to target this month is flathead. As soon as the water cooled a bit, the flathead came on the bite, and a few catches of 40+ fish in a session have already occurred. A surprising number of big fish over 80cm are turning up already. The key is finding bait, clean water and having a nice calm day. This time of year the flathead are feeding hard to put on condition prior to spawning. The run-in tide often fishes better than the run-out tide in August. If the wind blows hard from the northwest, it dirties the water and fishing can be quite tough, but in most other conditions they bite freely.

Try a wide variety of lures over a day of flathead fishing. Do a lot of trolling when the fish are spread out, and cast when you find a good spot where flathead are localised in a small area. Great trolling lures for a depth of less than 2m are the Lively Lures Micro Mullet and the Zerek Tango Shad. These lures are like chips and gravy

to a flathead, bad for their health, but they all want to eat them!

When casting use a wide range of lures including blades, soft plastics in many styles, soft vibes and small poppers in the shallows.

Having a range of outfits rigged up and ready to go makes fishing easier. In August most of the flathead are 35-60cm long with the odd bigger fish. Most of them are concentrated in the shallow grounds and

A great flathead caught on a Zerek prawn.

near the end of the month, they will move into deeper water for spawning.

Squid are another good option this month, and there have been plenty of good ones around the weed beds near the Seaway and Jumpinpin. Use Yamashita jigs in brown and gold, and some of the squid in recent days have been close to a kilo in weight. The best time to chase squid is on hightide in calm conditions.

Plenty of flathead are also caught on squid jigs. A slow retrieve with small twitches works best for the bigger tigersquid whereas the smaller arrow squid seem to prefer a more erratic retrieve.

There should be some big mulloway around this month in the Seaway and Jumpinpin areas. Large live baits fished on the hightide change at night is usually the best way to target these bigger fish. Already a few over 20kg have been caught this winter. Mullet are the best bait and can usually be caught in a cast net around the south wall of the Seaway.

Overall, winter fishing should be pretty good on the Gold Coast this month, and despite the relatively cold conditions, the fishing is generally very reliable this time of year.

Andrew Newton with a hard-fighting red bass caught on a Norval charter to Marion Reef.

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Simply awesome August JUMPINPIN

Mick Morris gembait@tpg.com

This is one of the best times of year to fish the Jumpinpin waterways, as traditionally the westerly winds kick in, bringing cool clear days and great fishing. The tailor have turned up in good numbers along the beaches of South and North Straddie as they make their way up the coast.

with the odd 2kg greenback showing up as well.

Try using small metal slugs or any lure that looks like whitebait. Troll or retrieve the lure quickly where you see the tailor working. They can appear anywhere and have been seen schooling up as far as Ageston Sands in the Logan River, so try to have a lure handy or float the odd pilly when baitfishing.

This is my favourite time of year as we head into flathead season and the

a different story. I’ve been told by a free diver that the bank can hold hundreds of flathead at any time. Not that many actually get caught, so picking the right time of tide is the key.

For the baitfishers, try drifting over the drop offs and deeper holes with small pillies, froggies and white bait. Fish along Kalinga Bank, Cobby Passage, the Stockyards, the bottom of Kangaroo Island, Long Island and in the Logan River near Redbill Island.

Marc Madden makes the most of the tailor run.

Tina landed this monster 32kg cobia after an epic 15 minute fight.

Fishing the gutters of these beaches at low tide, late in the arvo and into the night, has proved fruitful on pillies, gar and bonito flesh.

Small schools are coming inside the bar to chase whitebait, and can be seen chomping on the surface with birds circling above.

They’re mainly choppers

big females start feeding up to breed. All flathead over 75cm need to be released and this is the time of year where your chances of catching these magnificent fish greatly improve. The deep drop offs along the bottom of North Straddie will usually hold bigger fish but getting them to bite is

Bigger fish are being caught in the deeper water, so try jigging bigger plastics in the deeper holes to score yourself a monster lizard.

Just remember the bag limit of five flatties each, as you can catch heaps in one session. Only take what you need.

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Rhiley shows her Dad how to catch tailor off the beach at South Straddie.

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time of year. The westerlies kick in around the Ekka and keep the water temperature low, which the big bream love. I always score better quality fish in August and they’re smashing baits rather than just picking. When the bream start to feed in this way, it’s a great time to test your skills at luring with either small plastics or vibes, and around good structure like rocks, jetties or snags.

If you’re looking for a feed of bream try around the Powerlines, Flat Rock, the bottom of North Straddie, the Stockyards or the structures of Steglietz and Rudy Maas. Large mulloway should be on the bite this month in the deeper water off Swan Bay, Marks Rocks, Pitts Rocks, Giants Grave and the eastern tip of Short Island. Big plastics or live baits like pike and mullet will work the best in these spots. Outside, there has been some quality snapper and trag on the close reefs.

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Cold weather catching numbers SOUTHERN BAY

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Cold weather has set in and things have slowed a little on the fishing front in the southern bay. This time of year can make things tricky, but there have been some good reports coming through for anglers that have put in the time! Just be sure to put on a few extra layers as it has been freezing!

SQUID Winter in Moreton Bay is great for chasing squid.

They will push up into the shallows looking for bait with the clear water we get this time of the year. All the southern bay islands are worth a try and the top choices are Goat, Peel and Coochiemudlo islands. Looking for areas with shallow reef or weedy bottoms will put you in the zone.

One of the most important parts of squid fishing is to use a good quality jig. They may seem expensive compared to

Some of the brands to look out for include Yamashita and Daiwa. When picking a size, 2.5 is popular with squid anglers fishing around the bay islands. These can be cast a long way and are great for covering water when you are locating the squid.

Often they will school up and you can easily tempt them to bite by working the jigs past them. Some days you can literally sit there and pick them off one by one, while others it can be tricky.

BREAM Winter is always a great time to target bream, especially the larger fish as they fatten up before going off to spawn. Like the squid, looking to the shallows is the most effective way of targeting them in the southern bay. They will inhabit the same haunts as the squid, looking for bait as the tide pushes up over the weed beds and shallow reef. This time of year, shallow crankbaits are the best lure to use, as they cast well and can cover

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They offer a much better action underwater, which the squid will find irresistible.

ground quickly when you’re looking for fish.

The Raby Bay canals are also worth a fish this time of the year. It can be

David Simmons holds a nice squid caught in the shallows. David got this one on a Yamashita jig and it was one of many caught for the day! red-hot one day and cold the next so the weather is mixed.

Lightly weighted soft plastics cast close to the pylons and pontoons, and will give you a shot at bream, flathead, squire and even trevally.

SNAPPER AND MULLOWAY Winter is tough when targeting snapper and mulloway. Many bait anglers seem to do well on the overnight sessions. I have spoken to different anglers about this lately and the general consensus is that live baits are the most effective for winter. Spots like the Harry Atkinson and Peel artificial reefs are good places to anchor up with live baits.

Better baits are pike and squid. There has been a heap of pike in the shallows lately, so they can be caught easily with soft plastics. Just look for the smaller bait schools and the pike won’t be far off. We actually had to move spots to

get away from them recently!

If you’re a lure fisher, throwing lightly weighted plastics and shallow crankbaits over the reef edges, either early morning or late afternoon, will see you with a good chance of getting into the squire.

There have been a few smaller schools of mulloway starting to show up, but they have been very hard to tempt. When they do bite, you can easily get a few. The key has been to look for them on the sounder and keep on top of them until they bite. It can be frustrating, but switching lures and varying your retrieve pays off.

As spring draws near, we should start to see some bigger fish roll in. It’s definitely my favourite time of the year in Moreton Bay and I am looking forward to it! If you have any success or a story you would like to share, send it through to nabs12@gmail.com and I will do my best to get in in the magazine!

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Ben Wallace is a keen angler and life-long surfer who tackles the Maroochy River Bar in his tinnie to travel approximately 1.5km to Old Woman Island when the surf’s rolling in.

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Fish smarter inshore BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Anglers fishing throughout August are generally faced with cool conditions and westerly winds. These winds tend to create clear water conditions inshore. While this is good for squid, it often makes it harder to tempt other species.

Anglers often need to fish smarter and employ finesse rigging to achieve consistent results in the inshore waters. Luckily there will be plenty of cool water targets to concentrate

look closer at the aquatic smorgasbord that awaits August anglers.

LUDERICK After many seasons of not targeting luderick (blackfish), I have been getting amongst them at several locations around Brisbane. They’ve been plentiful with most sizing between 37cm and 45cm in length – a solid fish in SEQ luderick terms. The rock walls at the mouths of most canals and harbours and the rock walls in the Brisbane River have all held quality luderick. Generally, the falling tide will provide the most positive bites, especially when the tide is

This is a decent bag of Brisbane River luderick plus a big mullet, all taken on weed baits and destined for the table. on during August and anglers will often be stuck for choice. Species such as bream, flathead, luderick, snapper, squid, mulloway and tailor will be around for anglers to enjoy over the coming months. Let’s

only flowing moderately.

Fast currents generally minimise the amount of bites and slow tidal flow makes them bite delicately.

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AUGUST 2016

float may only move a centimetre either way when the bite is forthcoming.

Blink and you may miss it.

Weed has been reasonably easy to find with most floating pontoons and submerged poles having a little cabbage weed on them.

Shallow saltwater drains are also a good source of luderick weed. Once you have secured your luderick, it’s best to keep them alive in a mesh bag in the water until you are ready to fillet.

If allowed to die a few hours before filleting, a bad weedy taste can be evident in the fillet. Fillet, skin and remove the black gut cavity immediately after death and you are left with some very tasty fillets. I also like to soak the fillets in some salty water for fifteen minutes or more before drying the fillets to eat fresh or freezing for later consumption. While targeting luderick, I have also been rewarded with a few large and tasty mullet.

For more information on rigging up for luderick, check out my techniques column in the July QFM. SNAPPER After a slow start to the snapper run this year, mid-June finally saw anglers consistently catching snapper at a variety of haunts throughout Moreton Bay. Additionally, the Brisbane River has also produced plenty of decent snapper on both live baits and wellworked lures such as soft plastics, vibration baits and even small jigs. Most have been taken along the ledges receding into the main river basin, the scoured holes at the fronts of the jetties (be aware of restrictions) and the dredge holes along the retaining wall at the mouth.

Anglers have achieved results even when fishing from the bank, especially around the Gateway Bridge and occasionally the Colmslie Jetty.

The kayakers have also been getting amongst a few at Claras Rocks, the oil pipeline and Caltex Reach.

Within Moreton Bay, snapper have been taken at a huge array of locations.

The usual haunts such as the artificial reefs (including Curtin, Harry Atkinson and Peel), Scarborough Reef, Benowa Track grounds, Comboyuro Ledge, wrecks and Bay Island surrounds have been well attended by both snapper and anglers.

However, thinking anglers (especially those with good electronics) are forever finding more grounds where snapper abound. Some of the larger specimens are often found near small isolated

Bay and Brisbane River snapper are responding well to a broad array of techniques including baits and artificials. This one loved the Samaki Thumpertail and was caught on the first cast of the day. patches or reefs, coffee rock or isolated ledges that hold bait. On the larger grounds, where numerous anglers congregate, stealth is often the key to good results and while you can do all the right things, other anglers can often ruin your chances by driving over the grounds repeatedly while trying to sound out fish or bait. Especially bad are the boats with noisy two-stroke motors, anchoring directly over their spot with the anchor chain constantly clanking as the boat rocks on the surface or shifting location repeatedly. These will scatter any fish on the grounds or put them off the bite. Find an area away from the hordes or go out during periods when the boat traffic is minimal, or

fresh or live baits, as well as numerous styles of lures, will all work for snapper.

Good presentation is the key to consistent results with snapper, no matter whether you are fishing baits or lures.

BREAM Decent numbers of bream have been around in most coastal saltwater locations.

Estuaries, including the creeks and rivers, often hold the best numbers, however many of the trophy specimens are taken on the beaches or in the canals. Quality fresh baits such as green prawns, herring, mullet fillets and whitebait yield consistent results, but other offerings such as chicken fillet, hardiheads, pilchard pieces, squid, worms (sand

finesse techniques (fluorocarbon leaders, fine gauge hooks and minimal sinker weights) is definitely worthwhile.

The scavenging nature of bream means that they are often caught on very simple tackle with basic baits. Lure fishing for bream has been popular for a long time and anglers are constantly refining techniques, discovering new lures that work well for bream in numerous situations.

Many lure manufacturers are working hard to make new offerings to satisfy the discerning tastes of bream aficionados.

Bibbed minnows, blades, small vibration baits, soft plastics, flies and other artificial offerings will all work well on bream

Paul has a cracker SEQ mulloway taken on a jighead rigged plastic. days when the weather is less than perfect.

A broad array of quality

or blood) and gar fillets and others can all reward.

Subtle rigging with

in knowledgeable hands.

Try working lures along the rock walls, around

STA15972SearangerFM_Layout 1 28/06/2016 2:32 PM Page 1

mangrove snags, adjacent artificial structures such as bridge pylons, pontoons and jetties plus the mouths of feeder creeks on the falling tide and the weed beds and mud flats of the estuaries.

FLATHEAD

As the month progresses, anglers will notice a big increase in the number of flathead appearing throughout the estuaries. The lower reaches of the bay and all the way down to Jumpinpin offers anglers a huge array of great flathead waters.

The shallow channels and edges of major mud and sand bank systems can provide some predictable fishing for anglers during the falling tide. Flathead will take up position in prominent ambush spots where water flow brings forth tasty morsels such as crabs, prawns and baitfish.

Predict where bait species will travel with the current as the water drains from the mud and sand banks and you have found some prime flathead water to fish.

Once the tide is low, flathead are commonly found out in the main channels where anglers can target them on lures, or with baits drifted close to the bottom. Trolling is a good way to cover an area of water, especially if you are not familiar with the myriad of channels and banks that make up the waterway. Trolling the edges of channels and creeks is a good start to locating a few flathead.

Small brightly coloured minnow lures that bang and rattle across the bottom are ideal for probing these areas in your search. It pays to have a deeper running lure on the outside rod (furthest away from the bank) and a shallower one of the inside rod (closest the bank) so that you are working different depths along the contour. Keep both lures close to the bottom. When travelling around the estuaries towards low tide, check out likely spots to return at a different tidal stage. Over the next few months, flathead numbers will increase remarkably, so stay tuned.

MULLOWAY Numbers of 70-90cm fish have been good so far and plenty of anglers cracked their first metre plus mulloway this season.

The Brisbane River has been a healthy fishery for this fish as have other rivers such as the Caboolture, Logan and Pine. Estuarine areas such as Jumpinpin and the Pumicestone Passage contain myriad deep holes and creeks where mulloway can be found. Within Moreton Bay, the artificial reefs, ledges and wrecks are all

likely to produce.

Live baits such as pike, mullet, yakkas, squid and slimy mackerel are popular and productive. A mulloway will rarely ignore a healthy, live offering within their vicinity. Live offerings are especially good for the larger mulloway in excess of 15kg, however only a few large specimens like these tend to show up in our neck of the woods.

If a large, trophy class mulloway is on your radar then you would be better off trying one of the deep channels or rivers coming in from the open ocean such as the Gold Coast Seaway or Tweed River.

The Brisbane River is easily accessible to most anglers and mulloway can be caught along much of its length from the mouth all the way past Saint Lucia campus. However, most of the mulloway fishing effort takes place in the lower reaches below the Gateway Bridge. Here, as well as in the bay, anglers use lures such as vibration baits, soft plastics (especially shad, curl-tail and prawn profiles), micro jigs, along with others.

Often the mulloway are located using good sounder techniques to pinpoint individual fish or find baitfish concentrations.

Vibration baits are commonly cast to fish located with side-scan and micro-jigs can be dropped to fish directly beneath the boat. Putting your offering in front of mulloway and fishing it well is more important than the type of offering or hue.

TAILOR Ta i l o r numbers have been fairly good in recent weeks with anglers locating and catching these voracious predators in a wide array of locations along the coast. Locally, fish have been taken around the Jumpinpin Bar, eastern facing beaches of Stradbroke, Bribie and Moreton, the Brisbane River and numerous locations throughout the bay, especially in the Sand Hills area, Browns Gutter, Rainbow Channel and the artificial reefs.

Pilchards have predominately been the downfall of better fish.

However, savvy anglers have been scoring on metal slices, plastics, blades and all manner of surface lures. Cast poppers, small stickbaits, wake baits and other topwater offerings for an exciting way to catch tailor with several fish often chasing and striking at the lure until one hooks up.

Schools are often located around the shallows of Mud and Peel islands and more than one angler targeting bream has had their small minnow lure or

blade engulfed by a tailor. A limp line is often the result due to sharp teeth. Landbased anglers have been scoring under the Gateway Bridge, the Woody Point Jetty, Hornibrook Bridge (mainly at night), Manly Rock Wall, Amity Wall, Dunwich Harbour and occasionally at the Boat Passage Bridge.

SQUID Plenty of squid have been caught recently and should continue to be for a month or two yet. The bay has produced some absolute thumpers with specimens well over a kilo reported.

These larger squid are great to catch and spectacular to look at, but the smaller models are often the sweetest to the palate. Most squid are caught by anglers using egi (prawn profiled squid lures), but baitfish, like pilchard, pinned on a skewer and suspended beneath a float is a lazy yet productive way to score a few. This works especially well when fishing around the bay islands or in the sand hills area.

Those targeting whiting will often be rewarded with several tasty tiger squid if they drift a skewered pilly behind the boat. Land-based anglers have been spotting and catching squid around areas such as the harbour, rock walls and the jetties at Manly, Wellington Point or Scarborough and Victoria Point foreshores. Highpowered head torches can be used to locate the squid in some of the shallows, however, blind casting is also very productive in the deeper areas. Out in the bay, egi between 2.5 and 4.0 are usually used. Inshore, anglers commonly use smaller offerings between 1.2 and 2.5. Colours can vary for both scenarios with squid in heavily worked areas often requiring several egi changes before a take is received, if at all.

CONCLUSION As winter tapers off, anglers will find the prominence of some cool water species waning.

They should be around for a month or two yet.

Although strong westerly winds can play havoc with the boaties’ chances to get out on the water during August, they are often a bonus for land-based anglers. You will still need to rug up for those early morning starts or night time sojourns, however the quality of fish that can be caught during August will quickly make you glad you made the effort. Whether it’s snapper, mulloway, bream, squid or one of the other quality species that is on your wish list, August is a great month to brave the elements to achieve your piscatorial prize.

AUGUST 2016

37

Snapper numbers on the rise Deep Tempest and the 90m line southeast of Shallow Tempest fill up with fish.

BRISBANE OFFSHORE

John Gooding

Snapper numbers east of the South Passage Bar have been encouraging, but the big schools haven’t moved in yet. Last year, the July full moon was the turning point of the season and we had good numbers right through until after Christmas. We were pulling out great numbers especially on the wider grounds until around February.

The pleasing thing so far has been the amount of quality fish caught with some nice 5-8kg specimens putting a smile on anglers’ faces. The 29, 33 and 35 fathom lines along with Shallow Tempest have been some of the more consistent areas of late. After the July moon, expect to see

When the snapper haven’t been playing the game on the charter, we’ve

of the south passage, all about snapper. We should see plenty caught at all

This charter bagged some colourful fish!

This great pair of juvenile snapper were caught on the 33 fathom line.

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been livebaiting some of the wider reefs or isolated wrecks and school-size amberjack in the 4-6kg range have kept us busy.

Getting quality livebait has been an issue some days, but you just have to move around and put the time in to find it. There’s also been some solid pearl perch caught on the 33 and 35 fathom lines mostly by anglers floatlining for snapper.

If you’re keen for a feed of pearlies, another couple of spots worth trying would be the wireweed grounds in around 70m of water, east of Flat Rock and the 100m line east of Point Lookout. The shallower grounds around Point Lookout continue to be a good option for a mixed bag of tuskfish, pearl perch, Moses perch and others.

The next few months are for most anglers east

their usual haunts between now and Christmas. As I’ve mentioned plenty of times

in the past, no movement in the water sees the snapper not bite as freely, so be prepared to try different things to make them bite.

Quite often when you pull up on a patch of fish, if there’s not much run or breeze pushing the boat along, you might get one or two drops before they shut down.

One thing you can do is turn the sounder off as soon as you find the fish and this will keep them chewing

longer. Also, if there is a little bit of drift away from the fish, don’t drive back over your drift line. Give your drift line a wide birth and come around to the top of your drift line again.

• Until next month, enjoy your fishing, take care on the coastal bars and if you’d like to join me on charter (max. 8 persons) give me a call on 07 3822 9527 or 0418 738 750 or visit my new website www. outlawcharters.com.au.

Here’s a solid catch of juvenile snapper from the wider grounds.

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Last month’s weather antics were enough to make a grown angler cry. We experienced all kinds of seasonal weather compacted into one month, and few fortunate anglers had work off at the right times to wet a line.

Blustery westerlies have been the common recipe for last month with days producing our trademark ‘Ekka winds’, which we are sure to see again later this month.

Westerlies are not all sad for anglers in the northern bay though, with this gusty cold sting often buffered by it travelling off the warmer land. This keeps estuary and inshore fishers rather happy to brave the conditions. Let’s see what’s been going down around the northern bay.

PUMICESTONE PASSAGE This time of year is a period many anglers in the area would rather forget. The abundance of weed is enough to irk the most patient of fishers and many are picking days with smaller tide changes to minimise their exposure to this snotty pest. Good reports of flathead have still been coming in with the mouths of Bullock and Ningi creeks being the choice spots, especially around the second half of the ebbing tide.

Poverty Point has also produced some decent flathead with anglers opting for fresh baits over lures and soft plastics.

Bream numbers have been stable over the last month at the Bribie end of the passage and the Banksia Beach canals are the prime area to target these spawning critters with less weed presence. Slow

presentations, like lightly weighted baits and soft plastics, have been the wise choice amongst anglers with some lure fanatics choosing the light Cranka Crab to extract bream out of tight structured areas.

The Caloundra side of the Pumicestone Passage has been busy for bream

choices amongst anglers with days around the full and new moons producing better numbers.

REDCLIFFE PENINSULA Juvenile snapper has been the ticket this time of year with diehard anglers rewarded for their bravery in the cooler weather.

and westerly winds that produce a vortex of baitfish to hold. Dawn and dusk have been the prime times of late to hit this area with

squid aren’t bias to any specific times of day. Tailor have been ripping through the peninsula at a rate of knots, busting through bait

and Bramble Bay being the pick of the areas.

Flathead numbers are good, but size is the issue.

This is sure to resolve in

Reece Thomas with a cracking Redcliffe snapper.

William Lukritz caught this great flounder while fishing on the school holidays. fishing with the annual spawn drawing fish to this destination as usual.

Green prawns, mullet strips and even chicken breast have been popular

North Reef, what some anglers call ‘The Carpark’ on good-weathered days, is the noted area this time of year that ticks all the boxes: good tidal flow

the shorter days playing into angler’s hands nicely.

Juvenile snapper have been holding nicely down the southern end of the peninsula at Woody Point with fishers targeting around the green zone to take home some legal fish.

Heavy fines have been issued lately for anglers caught fishing in this area, so be sure to check your position at all times to ensure your outing isn’t an expensive one!

Squid numbers have been good around the peninsula as the cooler water temperatures bring the cephalopods closer into the reefs for their annual spawn. Rocky outcrops and shallow reefs have been a score while the

schools at regular intervals.

Having an extra rod rigged with a chrome slug or larger soft plastic has been a rewarded move. Schools of tailor have been appearing around anchored boats and kayakers all the time, so fishers can take their minds off their cold feet!

PINE RIVER The Pine has been fishing really well over the cooler months, bread and butter species keeping fisherman very happy in the area. Bream, flathead and tailor are the flavours of the month in the Pine, and the run-out tide produces in both the upper and lower reaches of the river. Diver whiting have also shown face around the mouth of the river with Hays Inlet

Tune your sounder to find more fish

the next few months as larger breeders find their way to the area and the water temperature slowly rises. Good bream are being picked up around the highway bridge, with baits, soft plastics like ZMan GrubZ and Slim SwimZ, and Cranka Crabs working effectively around the pylons on the top of the tide.

TIP OF THE MONTH To combat freezing on the boat, be sure to keep your feet dry and covered at all times. Sneakers, socks and even old ugg boots will keep your feet warm when fishing, but ensure to keep them stashed in a dry safe hatch until you have launched the boat and got settled into your first fishing spot.

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RAY SCHOLES MARINE 146 Eumundi Road Noosaville, QLD, 4566 Phone: (07) 5449 7633 Fax: (07) 5449 9830 www.rayscholesmarinenoosa.com.au

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My better third starts to get concerned when she sees me cleaning the boat. And I mean cleaning the boat, not taking the rods, cast nets and dead herring out of it. It’s not a common thing for me to do and once she sees it, she knows there are traumatic times ahead.

Now Boobies and Skipper are not the sort of boat owners that leave a mess in their boat.

As soon as every trip ends, they’re out there cleaning the remains of the trip from the inside of the boat, while I tend to leave things for a while. Part of the reason for this, especially for Manboobs, is that unless he actually removes the empty cans and stubbies from his boat, it would be physically impossible to get into the boat on the next trip. In fact, after most trips there is more aluminium by weight needing to be thrown into the skip than is actually present in the hull.

And I say skip, not bin, for a reason. A bin is like, only half a cubic metre. Not even close!

Skipper is like your grandpa when it comes to his boat and keeping it ordered and clean. He uses the Dewey Decimal system to keep his gear organised, and he builds

those little wooden things to keep his gear straight and ordered; you know, the ones like your grandpa uses in the shed, where he leaves an outline so you know where to replace it when you use it.

Mostly, if I’m on his boat I don’t bother using anything because you can sense the tension. The elephant on the boat is are you going to put it back into the same place you borrowed it from. It’s not worth the drama of getting it wrong.

So while Manboobs has to clean his boat, and Skipper doesn’t have to because the damn thing is cleaner than Peter Sterling’s hairbrush, I tend to let things go on for a while. The occasional beer can or lollywater bottle will sit there for a while, and things like caps, shirts, pliers, knives, hooks, sinkers, empty chip packets, plastic bags, lost PNG tribes and tea towels tend to accumulate over time.

They’re fine to stay there for a while. They’re not in my way, and so most cleaning up after a trip involves running fresh water through the motor and making sure the worst of the mud is washed off the floor. I don’t bother with the everyday stuff, and that leaves the boat looking a little, let’s say, ‘lived in’.

That is, of course, of little use when you have to take

pictures of your boat to add to the ad you’re putting on the interwebs. Those pictures have to show a clean, well-presented hull, and most people wouldn’t understand that ‘lived in’ does not equal ‘run down’. So the extra baggage has to go.

So, the better third knows I’m going to be cranky about having to spend the better part of a fortnight wrestling rubbish into an overflowing wheelybin, but there’s also the drama of having to sell something that’s been your mistress. She knows you’re going to be in mourning and are likely to be cranky, unsettled and miserable.

So, actually, you’re going to be normal.

And also on the positive side, I also tend to find a couple of reels, some knives and a plethora of pliers, torches and headlights hiding in the side pockets and under the deck when the time comes to get down and dirty. The trick is not to let her catch a glimpse. There’s no use giving her ammunition. I’ve already spent considerable coin replacing those items I thought were lost. Maybe I need to copy Skipper and Boobies and clean up after every trip. Or maybe not.

After all, our motto is “sort it out later”. As far as I’m concerned, they’re letting the side down.

TULLY

CAVS MARINE & OUTDOORS 13 Watkins Street Tully, QLD, 4854 Phone: (07) 4068 2222 Fax: (07) 4068 0396 www.cavsmarine.com.au

CAIRNS

BILLS MARINE 136-138 Lyons Street, Cairns, 4870 Phone: (07) 4051 6733 Fax: (07) 4031 3080 www.billsmarine.com.au

KARUMBA

JONES MARINE 30 Yappar Street Karumba, QLD, 4891 Phone: (07) 4745 9159 Fax: (07) 4745 9366 www.jonesmarine.com.au

AUGUST 2016

41

Opportunities between rollercoaster weather anglers with the Caloundra 7 and 12-mile reefs being a favourite spot. I’ve had a couple of cracker arvo sessions with snapper, especially around moon phases combined with the run-out tides. There hasn’t been much current running, but there’s enough to maintain a consistent berley trail with a floating pilchard. This will result in a snapper cocktail.

Remember though: no run, no fun!

We are very fortunate here to have reefs like Murphys, Gneering Shoals,

CALOUNDRA

Damian Parker dpfishingmonthly@hotmail.com

So far, winter has been a weather rollercoaster with limited opportunities for an offshore fishing trip.

The few trips we’ve had have been very productive.

We’ve managed to visit most of our local reefs and the main species we’ve caught are snapper, tuskfish, sweetlip and pearl perch to name a few.

Afternoon has been the pick of the day for local

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Caloundra and Coolum 5-10km offshore. It’s easy to sneak out for a later arvo session, when the weather allows, and rustle up a feed of quality ‘reefies’. For those willing to head a little further out, the Barwon Banks and Caloundra Wide have fired up with many species on offer. Although it’s a 30-40km trip to the banks from the Mooloolaba harbour, a planned trip can produce great results.

I managed a trip recently with four people on board and we bagged a tonne of snapper, tuskfish and ‘pearlies’ by late morning. Fresh pilchards and squid have been the choice for success and as you probably know by now, I’m a sucker for live bait. I put them to good use across a few local wrecks lately and boated some quality cobia, mulloway and yellowtail kingfish. The presence of whales has also been exciting with large pods putting on a show close to anchored vessels.

Be wary not to cross paths with these majestic animals when moving around the water. The last thing you want is to collide, as it could be tragic.

Remember to pop down to one of the many local tackle stores across the Sunshine Coast for all your bait and tackle supplies.

Don’t forget to ask where fish are biting and what. The estuaries have slowed down a little and there are a few

reports of mud crabs being potted with fresh mullet for bait. Mullet is an all round good bait for all estuary species and muddies love it.

Always check your size and bag limits for muddies and throw the girls back.

There’s plenty of bream, whiting and mullet on the chew around the Pumicestone Passage. The most effective method for catching mullet is the good old cast net. Master how to throw one and nothing will hold you back. Flathead can still be targeted across the sand flats and around the Pelican Waters canals.

Reports of decent mulloway and tailor catches have been recorded around the Pelican Waters Bridge and Military Jetty. The best time is early morning with corresponding tides. There have been a few elbow-slappingsized whiting landed in the Currimundi Lake lately, with fresh yabbies for the bait of choice.

If early mornings and cold weather aren’t your thing, try fishing the deeper parts of the Maroochy River, Cod Hole or even try your luck through the day around the Mooloolaba Harbour.

Check your tides and moon phases to increase your chances. The same methods

Ethan holds a flathead caught from the passage. apply for beach fishing.

If you have a spare 10 minutes in your day, head to the Moffat, Wurtulla or Kawana beaches on a low tide to pick any deeper spots which will act as a gutter and hold fish on high-tide.

A vast array of species like whiting, flathead, dart and mulloway are on offer across all our beaches. These are great places for you to learn and teach your children the basics of fishing.

For this year’s final month of winter, there will be plenty of fishing of offer.

Be optimistic! The weather will improve and the fish will get bigger. Try and plan your fishing for two hours before or after the tide and fish around moon phases.

This combination with fresh baits (or lures) will produce results. If heading offshore, log on to coastguard VMF73 and stay safe.

Keep warm!

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Damian has a couple of tuskfish caught at Barwon Banks.

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AUGUST 2016

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Cooler weather really brings on the fish in Noosa NOOSA

Peter Wells

Noosa River has been firing in the colder weather!

There’s plenty of quality bream being landed off the rocks at the river mouth, around the dog beach and along Gympie Terrace.

Anglers are using fresh strips of mullet, whole small herring, prawns or pilchard pieces. There have been wonderful whiting off the dog beach and around the Frying Pan, caught on live worms and freshly pumped yabbies. Speaking of the Frying Pan, this is a great place to target elbow-slapper whiting on small surface lures. The Bassday Sugapen, Fish Candy Skinny Dog and Strada Virals walked across the surface have been coming up with the goods.

This time of year at the Frying Pan, you’ll often find good tailor following the large schools of bait brought in on the tide. Medium size

poppers and those walk the dog lures are good options.

They provide plenty of entertainment as you see these fish crunching. Woods Bay and the Noosa Sound have loaded with mixed schools of trevally species, including: golden, diamond, cale cale, tea-leaf, bigeye and giant trevally feeding hard in early mornings and late afternoons.

Micro jigs continue to be stand-out lures for chasing trevally through the river.

They allow you to cover a lot of ground and fish the entire water column. Blue Blues from Sea Ride are awesome jigs, as they come in great range of colours as well as three weights: 3, 6, and 9gm. Rigging them with an assist hook on top and treble on the bottom will also see a better hook-up rate.

With large amounts of prawns and baitfish in the river, soft plastics are another consistent producer. A great mix of predators fall for these imitations. Some of the

best have been the Keitech Easy Shiners and the Samaki Boom Baits. Always take the time to get your plastics nice and straight, and use scent for the best results!

Mulloway can be caught heading toward the ski runs, and fish up to 80cm have been taken on vibes like the Samaki Thumper Tails and Fish Candy Curly vibes. Both of these lures are designed to vibrate and send messages to the fish. Large flathead are in the same area, falling victim to well rigged soft plastics, vibes, and trolled diving hardbody lures.

In the Maroochy River, the cooler water temperatures have definitely brought on some great species. Bream are prolific in the river system with some solid fish getting caught over the 40cm mark.

The river mouth has been the pick of the spots for big bream and fresh mullet strips or small pillies being are go-to baits.

Chopper tailor and trevally have been making

Anthony was escaping the cool Melbourne weather, fishing the Noosa River for this 65cm brassy trevally. reefs. Off Sunshine Reef, we’ve seen winning snapper show up in good numbers, with sweetlip, pearlies, maori cod and the odd coral trout also hitting the decks. Jew Shoal is a great option for smaller craft with squire, sweetlip and cod on offer.

Up on North Reef, snapper, pearl perch, mulloway, cobia and cod have all been caught over the last month. The reefs off Double Island and the Barwon Banks have been a hotspot for larger craft when the forecast looks favourable.

Big snapper, larger pearl perch and monster cobia have been feeding on live baits, fresh strip baits, squid and pilchards fished close to the bottom.

Further south, Arkwright Shoals has been fishing

well on early mornings for sweetlip, red-throat, snapper, and the odd cobia.

Larger micro jigs and soft plastics have accounted for outstanding reefies in recent months, with anglers reporting amazing success.

As with bait, it’s vital that you get your gear to the bottom. Make sure you have the correct weighted jighead or micro-jig to do so.

It doesn’t seem to matter where you put your line in along the beaches, you will be sure to catch a fish. Dart, flathead, bream, whiting and tailor have been caught out of the gutters along the southern beaches, from Maroochy River to Noosa. Small pillies, worms, prawn and mullet have all had success. Decently sized mulloway have also been

taken over the past month with fresh tailor or mullet fillets as prime baits.

Up on Noosa’s North Shore, good number of tailor continue to be taken with good size schools reported north of Teewah. Don’t forget to switch from bait to slugs if you get onto a school. When these fish start a feeding frenzy, you can be pulling them in one after the other. Remember your size and big limits on tailor are a minimum size of 35cm, and a bag limit of 20.

• For all the latest information log onto www. fishingnoosa.com.au. Drop into Davo’s Tackle world Noosa or Davo’s Northshore Bait & Tackle at Marcoola to find out where the fish are biting, and remember tight lines and bent spines!

Young Kai Badger from Tewantin got this lovely mulloway from the reefs off Double Island.

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their way through the mouth on the run-in tide. Small slugs worked fast through the water column have claimed their fair share. Mulloway have been active in the river with the nights producing quality fish from the Cod Hole on livebaits. Heading offshore is great this time of the year with the light wind and less swell. It’s possible for small craft to make their way across the bars and head to the closer

Pitzy Falk did battle with this cobia at the Coffees.

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AUGUST 2016

Cracking cold weather RAINBOW BEACH

Ed Falconer

We are enjoying the best run of winter weather for the past few years and fishing to match.

OFFSHORE The fishing offshore

experienced, just awesome!

With the water temperature dropping, big snapper have started streaming in. We’ve had some great sessions on the snapper, especially with soft plastics or live yakkas for bait.

Coral trout are on offer again. One weighed in at a

full moon. Live bait has been the winner on the mulloway and we have also had good catches of amberjack and huge cobia up to 30kg. All fish have been on fire.

ON THE BEACH There have been heaps of action between

Pearlies keep pouring in!

There are heaps of cracking coral trout lately. the swimming area at Rainbow Beach and all the way down to Double Island Point. Thousands of

Big snapper are being caught in close.

The big chill is finally here HERVEY BAY

Scott Bradley marlin81@bigpond.com

The big chill finally got here and it’s just what we needed to stir up snapper and bream. Since the temperature drop, bream over 40cm have been caught at Gatakers Bay, Point Vernon, the Urangan Pier and River Heads.

Snapper numbers have increased around the ‘Arty’ and using the freshest of baits, soft plastics and micro jigs, you’ll have a good chance of finding just legal or even 6kg snapper.

Moon Ledge, Arch Cliffs, Wathumba, the Burrum 8 Mile, the 25 fathom hole, Rooneys and the gutters are all worth a go for snapper.

Winter whiting are always a popular target this time of year, and groups of boats huddled together show anglers where they are feeding. Gatakers, Point Vernon, south of Round Island and down the Straits have all been producing fish. Some big local squid have been caught around the Urangan Pier, the Boat Harbour and River Heads. Out further, they can be found around Big Woody, the Picnics and most shallow reefs. Take a selection of jigs in varying size and colour to see what works on the day.

The Flats have been a waste of time with netters flogging it. Recently, boats have set up nets along the coastline. One netter dropped his nets 50m from where I was fishing. Netting leaves a barren wasteland, devoid

of life for the next month. It breaks fishers’ hearts to fish an area, keep a few fish for a feed and let the bulk of your catch go to keep the fishery sustainable, when netters decimate the place in one fowl

swoop. They tear around on the plane, chasing mullet schools and disregarding the go slow zone. We want to keep the Great Sandy Straits great, for our kids to enjoy in the future.

longtail tuna have come in chasing baitfish right on the beach. You only need to look for birds working just above the water and the splash of fish breaking the

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whopping 13kg – a horse of a trout! Plenty of mulloway are about, particularly around the build-up to the

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The cold snap has brought the bigger bream on lately.

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has been nothing less than brilliant, with many bag-outs on pearl perch. It is one of the best years we’ve

surface. Add a southwest wind and a good long cast, and fishos have been landing them off the beach.

Fishers have been paddling out in their kayaks to get amongst the action and land a fish. Tailor have also been present in big numbers along the beach from Carlo Sandblow down to Middle Rock.

August was the best fishing month last year and if the run continues and the weather holds, it could be something very special.

• To enjoy a day on the water with Keely Rose Fishing Charters phone Ed Falconer 0407 146 151 or visit www. keelyrosefishingcharters .com.au.

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AUGUST 2016

45

Expect good fish, good weather and good times ROCKHAMPTON

Clayton Nicholls clay94_fishing@live.com.au

Team Rocky Refrigeration took out the Abu Garcia River Rumble, recently on the Fitzroy River. Big congratulations to them and everyone else that fished the competition.

Barra and threadfin have been fun for anglers with the blue salmon and flathead moving up the river. Out wide, you can expect the queenfish and mackerel are going ballistic, along with mulloway and other reef dwellers.

THE FITZROY The Fitzroy River has been strong as usual. Great specimens are being caught, and especially by anglers who put in the hours on the water. The blue salmon

have moved well into the river this year, which is great to see, and people have been taking some for a feed. These fish have typically been sitting in 6-10m of water, but can be found anywhere around rubble patches and other soft structure forms.

As the recent Rocky River Rumble proved, there are still heaps of barra around the river. The best lures of the competition were short deep divers, soft vibes and weighted weedless plastics such as Lucky Craft Pointer, Fish Candys and Atomic Plazos, respectively.

Barra and threadies have been a little slower to the take than normal, due to the temperature drop, so a slower, doughier action is required. A lot of short strikes can be turned into fish if the lure is worked a fraction slower.

The top spots have been the mouth of Gavial, gravel patches near the Southside boat ramp and the rock patches near Moores Creek.

People have told me about good prawning sessions in the river lately, with some bloody big prawns being caught. Use the smaller ones as bait for the salmon and take the larger ones home for a feed. Many of the prawns have been gathered in the drains of the mud banks.

Tonnes of squid are in, and white or pink jigs appear to be the go to colours. For a good day on the water, grab a feed of big squid and smaller ones for bait on the reef. Afternoons are the best time for chasing squid while drifting weed beds. At night, anchor up and have a bright light in the water.

This draws the squid and other baitfish up close to the boat. Places like Liza Jane and Hummocky have been fishing well with many

Clayton has a flathead from the causeway lake, taken using Sunline Super PE and an X-Rap 8.

Connor landed this coral trout on his Samurai Elevate 25-40lb outfit.

Patrick Egan landed this wicked barramundi after his sounder lit up with activity while searching the area.

INSHORE REGIONS The Hummocky Island area and coastal headlands around Curtis Island have been fishing well. Some great catches are coming in with a lot of coral trout, reds, nannies and other bottom dwelling fish.

Decent mackerel are getting around lately, along with some brute giant trevally.

good reef species being captured and some horsesized Spanish mackerel caught off Ship Rock next to Hummocky.

ESTUARIES The estuarine regions have been awesome fishing for almost every species.

This time of year, the bream have moved well and the flathead will be more active

in a few weeks. There is a good deal of baitfish activity around now, especially on the flats around small structures. All it takes is an odd rock to hold a decent amount of bait, which in turn may attract anything from a bream to a barra.

One little rock recently held a bunch of big blue salmon while another small bit of dead mangrove held a sizeable flathead.

The pressure points formed by rock bars and trees around the estuaries have been fantastic to pull

grunter and cod. On the drops near the rock bars, some medium running hardbody lures have produced a great number of whiting.

CRABBING Crabs have been going well with many captures of big bucks around the Narrows and Curtis Island.

Left over reef frames make great crab pot bait, and GPS tagging your pots will make some easy work. Save them as waypoints in the GPS and delete them when you’ve collected the pot.

Dingoes make a difference FRASER COAST

Phil James p_j_james@bigpond.com

With recent reports of dingo deaths on the island, it’s time for another look at how visiting anglers are affected by their presence, as well as expectations and management rules laid down by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS). For Queensland’s dingos, there are two distinct sets of rules.

Firstly, there are dogs that roam the mainland causing havoc within the pastoral industries. Although collectively referred to as dingoes, the majority carry the genes of domesticated dogs as well. They are declared pests and are

routinely shot or poisoned to bring about their control.

Then there’s the Fraser Island dingo: claimed to be the most purebred, this dingo’s management is poles apart from that of a wild dog.

Here, they are fully protected. Management rules and guidelines are strongly involved with the interactions they inevitably have with people. There’s no doubt that dingoes have become part of the tourist experience on Fraser island, with some operators even using them for publicity. Of course, this isn’t the reason for total protection.

The debate about dingo management is ongoing. On the island, employees of the National Parks and Wildlife Service do their best to enforce the rules and guidelines. If you would like know more,

TOP FISH FOR AUGUST Fraser Island Ocean Beach Hervey Bay deep reefs River Heads Offshore reefs 46

AUGUST 2016

tailor snapper bream scarlet sea perch

take a look at the Fraser Island Dingo Conservation and Risk Management Strategy on the Queensland Government website.

Recent dingo deaths, including six at Orchid Beach, are unacceptable. Last month, how they died wasn’t publicised, but rumours have been running wild across the island and Hervey Bay. Likely, interaction with people was involved. Over fifteen years ago, nine year-old Clinton Gage was killed by a dingo at Waddy Point, not far from Orchid Beach and since then there have been numerous situations where people have been injured by dingoes to varying degrees.

Dingoes love fishers, particularly those who like to catch a few sea worms for bait, and who have a berley bag full of fish heads. Fishing from the beach can attract attention, particularly in an on-shore breeze. In an eastern breeze, waving a berley bag around in the surf wash will coax a dingo from the scrub. Mostly,

they’re are well mannered and content to sit on the beach watching. Occasionally, they make an attempt to come closer or grab at the bag. The dingo will sit and watch for a short time, until it decides you’re a lost cause and move off to check out other anglers.

The best practice is to avoid throwing an undersize fish into the wash, or on the beach. Given half a chance, the dingo will be into the wash to catch the released fish. Wade into the water far enough to make the release effective. Day or night, fishing in company is recommended.

Lone fishing at night is not on. Contrary to the guidelines on fish and bait storage, some anglers leave their bait and tackle on the beach behind them. Not only will a dingo steal the bait, but also rummage through anything else an angler leaves. Leaving bait in unsealed containers is a costly offence.

Disposal of fish offal is also a problem. The QPWS guidelines insist that offal be

This dingo is digging offal from the beach. A dingo’s acute sense of smell can locate ‘buried treasure’. buried when dingoes are not around, at least 50cm deep and just below the high water mark. Many offal holes are not deep enough, so this exacerbates the problem, as even buried this way, a dingo’s acute sense of smell will locate ‘buried treasure’ with little trouble. Availability of this food source enhances the reliance on people who bury offal. More importantly, the food could be detrimental to the dingo’s health, although fish make up a small portion of their natural diet. The dingo consumes lots of sand with the offal.

FISHING Recently, heavy seas have done damage further south, but claimed a lot of sand from the beaches and exposed rarely seen coffee rock outcrops. From reliable reports, the sand was replaced almost as quickly as it was removed. Overall, Fraser Island’s beaches have fared well and hopefully the harsh weather is behind us.

Next month we’ll see the annual September school holiday invasion, both on the island, and within Hervey Bay. Check out the best fishing options.

Winter Mondy fishing LAKE MONDURAN

Rob Howell

The previous months have produced some of the best winter’s fishing I’ve seen to date. The water temperature has been hovering at around 20°C, and the barra have been active.

Through these cooler months, the barra school up in big numbers, making them an easy target and persistence has been the key in getting them to bite. When these barra do bite, it’s not uncommon to get multiple bites and hook-ups throughout the session.

Slow rolling soft plastics and suspending hardbody minnows have also been the key to tempting these barra into a bite.

August and September are great months to target barra, and normally these two months are associated with northerly winds for weeks at a time.

These northerly winds bring warm weather and in turn,

boost the water temperature by a few degrees, triggering our barra into feed mode.

If you get the chance to head out this way, don’t hesitate to contact me on what’s been happening on the lake, the more info you can get the better, especially if it’s your first visit.

LURES Jackall Squirrels and Jackall Smash Minnows have been by far the most successful lures at Lake Monduran for a few years now. The reason these lures are so dominant is that they have a really tight vibrating action at a very slow retrieve rate.

Secondly, they are about the size of the baitfish these barra are feeding on. On a number of occasions when boating a barra, they’ve spat out baitfish, and these fish have all been between 50-100mm long.

Thirdly, they have natural looking colours. If you can’t source these lures in your

local area, you can purchase them here at our Holiday Park office/tackleshop, or if you want to get your hands on them straight away, we can send them to you.

I have also used these Jackalls in our local estuaries and found them to be very successful on mangrove jack, threadies and flathead, so it’s worthwhile having them in your tackle box at all times for any situation.

SIPS SCHEME PRICE RISES New stocked impoundment permit fees have been implemented as of the 1st of July 2016. A yearly adult permit will now cost you $50 per person and a weekly will cost you $10.

Pensioner discounts are still available at $36 per year.

Anyone 18 years of age and over must have one. This is a big price rise on previous years, and I hope it doesn’t deter anyone wanting to target impoundment fish.

The bright side to this

Kylie from NSW with a 85cm barra that she caught in winter. permit increase is that we should see a substantial rise in funds that will go directly towards replenishing our fish stocks. The best way to obtain your permit is online by visiting https://www.

Wet winter but wet lines too BUNDABERG

Jason Medcalf topwater@bigpond.com

Cold wet and wild, the weather bureau predicted a wetter than average winter.

Surprising enough, they have delivered.

Bundaberg has certainly felt a bit of winter this year, and August will pretty much continue the same.

In Bundaberg this month, westerly winds usually rule the weather patterns. It’s anyone’s guess as to what might happen this year. If we get those lovely cool westerlies, smaller boat owners will have a chance to sneak in close for a fish on the smaller reefs and rubble patches around Bundaberg.

BURNETT RIVER Most reports for the Burnett have been good.

Grunter and bream are being caught in most of the usual haunts. Over August, the bream will really fire up and the dedicated anglers will have their cold nights on the river getting into those big schools. The winter whiting are around and will only get more abundant. These ghosts of the flats lack a bit in size, but are very tasty and are usually in enough numbers to grab a decent feed.

The river water is usually clear now, but with the unseasonal rain there may be some colour

in the upper reaches. This dirtier water can fish very well, as predators like to use the dirtier water to hide and hunt out of, so keep an eye out and watch your fish finder. The mouth of the river is where I tend to fish, and it can be very hot or cold. If the schools of bait are moving around the river mouth, you can get into the big queenfish, big trevally and tuna that are hunting baitfish. If baitfish aren’t around, you will need to scale down and look for those schools of bream that hang along the north wall. Also keep an eye out for tailor.

OFFSHORE August can throw up all sorts of weather, from light westerlies and calm warm days to howling freezer south winds that chill you to the bone.

Pick your weather for an offshore trip. Close rubble patches produce some nice reef fish with sweetlip, stripies and snapper. You don’t usually get into the larger fish that you would offshore, but if you’re used to filleting bream for a feed, a nice legal sweetlip is just awesome.

Depending on size, the snapper or juvenile snapper come in close. They hunt and don’t necessarily sit on the best looking grounds, as big schools are found on very little structure.

Snapper will come up high in the water column, so keep an eye on your sounder and where the fish are sitting.

Drop nicely presented bait

to that depth and hang on.

I have written about the advantages of having and using a good fish finder around our inshore rubble patches before, and I can’t express how important they are to have when looking for fish.

Remember, when you are fishing areas with relatively snag free bottoms,

qld.gov.au>activities>dams alternatively you can purchase your permit from any post office or you can get one here at the Lake Monduran Holiday Park Office/Tackleshop.

• Our team here at Lake Monduran look forward to seeing you in the near

outfit with 4000 size reel.

Load it with 20lb braid with 40lb leader, and this outfit has caught plenty of decent fish, including a nice snapper last month on a lightly weighed IQF (Individually Quickly Frozen) pilchard about 12 miles out of the coast. The lighter you can fish with line and sinkers, the better

future for some barra action.

For Charter, houseboat and accommodation bookings please contact us email info@ lakem.com.au or call us on 07 4157 3881 or my mobile 0410 599 147. Check out my facebook page for up to date barra info, Lake Monduran Guidelines Fishing Charters.

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This snapper was caught on an IQF pilchard lightly weighed. you can fish with lighter leaders and lighter sinkers.

These will get you more bites. For bottom fishing, I use a 7ft, 5-7kg spin

the fish you will catch.

Yes, you will get busted up on the odd occasion, but you will hook more fish on light gear.

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Wreck and roll this August upright on the sand, with the tunnel between the cat hulls. This would be an obvious lurk for gold-spot cod. Get some live yakkas at the 2-mile bait grounds, drop them on the wrecks and hang on. Anchoring is the only way you will fish these wrecks. Achieve this without losing your pick and expensive chain, get yourself a regular house brick and 60m of light cord attached to two round foam crab pot floats. If the brick fouls in the wreck you won’t lose an expensive anchor and should get your cord back.

Sound out the hull of the wreck and drop your

1770

Des Carnell

1770 wrecks are fishing great. The deep water trawler wrecks, Shannon and Barcoola, are on fire with large cobia and yellowtail kingfish pulling your arms off in the winter months, if you can get through the schools of trevally. The wreck of the Spirit of 1770 cruise boat is still on the bottom with talk of salvage non-existent, but it could become another excellent place to fish.

Looking at a video of the wreck, the boat is sitting

Chris Carnell scored this great blue Maori.

brick right on top of it. This will achieve two things: it will give you the direction of the current by lining up the two floats, and show you where to place your boat anchor safely upstream from the wreck. Drift backwards, lining up your floats, so your boat is over part of the wreck where the fish are. When the tide turns, move accordingly.

This way, your valuable sand anchor and chain are away from the wreck and you can let out rope until you’re in position. Use a sand pick instead of a reef pick, as the surrounds of our wrecks are all sand.

Wayne said the secret is hightide with no run in the water and a good quality Asari, Yamashita or Yo Zuri jig. Wayne did well on an Asari EGI King 3.0 on light spin gear with a 12lb fluorocarbon leader.

Squid jigging is a revered art in Japan and they make the best lures with stateof-the-art technology. For catch technique, use a long cast, let the jig sink to the bottom and then walkthe-dog with rod flicks. Let it sink again and repeat.

INSHORE Cooler weather has

seen a change of species in our estuaries and coastal waters. Flathead have been arriving in good numbers with reports of fish size in excess of 70cm, both in the estuaries and in beach gutters. To target these fish, look for areas where the dropping tide channels baitfish off the flats and into deeper water, where these ambush predators can lay in wait. Flathead are somewhat lazy, preferring to lie in a good location and let the bait come to them.

Covering lots of likely ground with soft plastic shads, grubs and small hardbody minnows can be very productive.

Some nice captures of whiting have been up to 40cm, and there are heaps of them. Bait is usually the preferred option for these fish. Pippies, beach worms or fresh yabbies work a treat. For more adventurous anglers, try targeting them on the flats using light line and extra small poppers, in natural or clear colour patterns. They are great fun on the surface and you’ll find a few flathead in the process too.

Beach fishing has produced good results. Mulloway have been common captures of late, and will hang around for the duration of the cooler months. With a slow start to the season, good numbers

Laura Byrant with her huge tiger squid. of tailor have come through, and they’re decently sized.

Target these in the deeper beach gutters and close to rocky headlands using whole pilchards or garfish.

Spinning metal slugs and surface lures can also be very productive.

When camping in 1770

stay at the boaties’ paradise, 1770 Camping Ground.

– Josh Lunn • Stay at 1770 Camping Ground right on the beach at 1770, and for your local fishing advice call Tony or Josh Lunn at Agnes Water 1770 Bait & Tackle, phone (07) 4974 9304.

Gladstone shaping up GLADSTONE

Eve Malone eve.dave42@gmail.com

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AUGUST 2016

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Winter fishing has shaped up to be fantastic this season. The weather has settled down with less wind and far better boating conditions for all. Windows of opportunity have widened out considerably compared to the warmer months.

Rock Cod Shoals are fishing extremely well.

Throughout the cooler months, boaties need to place themselves in the deeper waters around the southern end of the area. Even though a shoal is classified as generally 11m or less, this expanse houses some deeper areas of 20+.

Nine times out of ten, drifting will out-fish an anchored boat. I’ve caught fish on the drift while anchored boats caught very little and not much of value.

So what are we catching out there? Some nice red emperor are showing up, nannygai and some great cod. On a recent trip, my brother Troy was astounded at the size of stripies and big Moses perch.

They were pulling into the boat using whole cuttlefish, and were also bringing good numbers of redthroat at 50cm and bigger.

Squid are populating around the Shoals. Both night and day are producing fairly sized specimens, and some happy fishos are enjoying fresh calamari on the table.

Have a jig running out the back of the boat while drifting, even if this isn’t your target for the trip. It makes a decent by-catch.

Erskine Island and Masthead are fishing well for coral trout and the odd red, but the deeper waters out near the shelf are the best place for targeting red emperor. Big snapper are loving the deep as well.

The Narrows and Grahams Creek are fairly predictable.

They are fishing well at night and some lovely winter barra are in these areas, hitting large soft plastics in darker colours.

Dan and Steve with a catch to weigh in for the competition.

To page 49

Fill the freezer with fish YEPPOON

Scott Lynch ifishcq2@bigpond.com

Tailor turned up again this year after a brief time off.

For whatever reason, they show up one year and not the next.

Up north, we’ve caught them at places like Five Rocks, Corio Heads, Bangalee and Farnborough Reef. The southern end is better at Quartz Rock, Mother Macgregor and Wedge. Tailor hit the back of Curtis Island at various locations, including Cape Capricorn and Rundles Beach. They are one of the

bonito and mac tuna. They follow schools of small white baits.

Small flashers do the damage, but you have to fight your way past the ribbonfish and smaller mackies to get them. Floating pillies will work well. Sometimes, chasing blue salmon up the end of Farnborough Beach, you’ll end up with a tailor caught on pillies with them.

Now’s the time to fill the bait freezer!

This year could be better for numbers, as the bay has cleared right up without the floods of previous years.

Smaller mackerel do the swap around now, when ‘doggies’

(school mackerel) move out and spotties move in. There are still ‘dogs’ and greys about at the moment, so any time the wind drops, give them a crack at the regular spots in the bay.

Spanish numbers will increase over this month, even though the year’s brilliant already.

Catches have been reported from nearly all the usual spots around the islands, and the headlands to the north. The biggest Spaniards have been at the wider grounds.

Red emperor, snapper and most of the popular reefies remain on the chew over winter. The big saddletail snapper have moved into closer spots, and recently great fish were scored close behind the islands, and up the coast. The smaller tides were best, as long as there was movement. There has been a welcome by-catch of golden snapper in some of the catches. Bluespotted coral trout are moving into shallower reefs, over the next month. End of July is the best time to get them without much travel. Bar cheek are abundant around the Keppels, and the clear cooler water brings them into shallow water.

Blue salmon numbers continue to rise in local catches, from up in the town reaches of the river and along the beaches into army country. Yabbies, whiting fillets, greenback herrings and pilchards can all attract salmon, but plastics and vibes also account for much of the catch.

Numbers of king salmon have dropped off substantially.

They’ve spread over a much wider area, down the Fitzroy River. Twenty or more catches in a session have been reduced to ones and twos. Plastic vibes are still the weapon of choice among regulars, and other plastics like swimmers or paddle-tails work well too. Many jetty fishers use livies for fairly good results.

When the prawns are on, it’s not long before salmon will smash them.

Bream are the most common winter species, going strong and the local ethic (only take a feed) should keep them in good numbers. One of the local places, Keppel Bay Sportfishing Club, held their annual ‘Corio Classic”’last week. The competition involved a photo and release to highlight local species. A large

good for trolling or floating baits for Spanish.

Our Facebook group, Gladstone Fishing Network, had its first social fishing competition, with all proceeds going to the local VMR. We were very impressed with the support we received and the fish that were weighed in.

We got great support from

sponsors such as Curtis Coast Marine, ELKAT Australia and local lure makers Happy Rock Plastics and Eden Lures.

We are going to make this an annual event to support the fishing community and those that support us, so here’s huge shout out to everyone who supported and participated. It was a great weekend!

Will Laurence caught this barra off the beach at Keppel Sands. best Spanish mackerel troll baits this time of year.

Often we’ve arrived at Bustard Heads while boats are towing gar and slaying Spanish mackerel. Once we set a couple of big tailor into the troll pattern, all other baits shut down. One of the pros there even asked if he could buy any tailor once we bagged out on mackerel. We don’t get large schools like down the coast, but we’ve worked out that they like small mackerel, From page 48

Firing at present in our harbour and estuaries, blue salmon are hitting lines in all areas. Peeled prawns are a popular option for bait, but with the systems housing good schools of herring keep a cast net handy. Mulloway are coming on the chew in the harbour. In deeper holes and around the pylons throughout the rivers, fish are up to 20kg, caught using fresh mullet. Use whole or stripped mullet, heavily weighted on 7.0 hooks. Night is presumed best and bottom of the tide is worth a crack.

Now is prime time to be targeting snapper and the big Spanish mackerel that we see at this time of year.

Snapper are biting very well in the deep water and they will be found around the 12-mile up Rundle Island way. Anywhere in between is

Sophie Robertson landed this fine bream at Coorooman Creek. majority of anglers fishing the competition averaged over 300mm per fish. The winning length for three fish was easily over a metre. The competition proved that bait and lures were equally effective catching bream. In fact, the biggest bream total was won on lures.

Prime spots at present are the local headlands, especially those close to the mouth of a creek where big fish go in with the tide, and return to shelter on the run-out. These include Rosslyn Bay Harbour, Corio Bay, Coorooman Creek, Ross Creek, Port Alma and The Narrows. The best local winter species is whiting, with plenty of fish around the 35-40cm mark in the creeks. Coorooman Creek has lots of yabby beds and the sandbanks around the mouth are local favourites. Rundles and Long beaches, in the Fitzroy delta, are great spots for large whiting schools, most of the time.

Corio Bay and Water Park have their share of whiting, as do all the beaches of the Cap Coast. There are yabby beds in most of the creeks where the whiting will be most active. Pump yabbies on the last of the run-out and use them in the

same spot on the run-in.

The disturbance will act like berley and bring the whiting to your feet.

The beaches in Yeppoon north have worms and further from town is better. Nine Mile and Three Rivers beaches have loads of worms, if you want the best bait available.

These spots are home to the biggest whiting in the area, because of the worms. We’ve caught a few whiting on plastics recently. The smaller size Squidgy Wild prawn works wonders.

Despite cold temperatures, barramundi are thriving.

There are some landed even on those cold mornings. Lures and baits are doing equally well, although the headlands fishers get better results on

live bait. The town reaches between the bridges continue to amaze. Fish are caught and released every day, and don’t appear to be phased by the attention.

Grunter are another favourite species for CQ residents, currently spread out in the area. Both inside and outside grunter are available, depending on the conditions and moon phase.

Black jewfish are the same, and either side of the moon is best for the offshore fish, but not as important for the estuary grunter. Black jewfish are still on the menu at Corio heads, Ironpot, Rita Mada, The Pinnacles and Double Heads. Live bait and dead bait both catch these fish and lately, they’re in form.

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Schools in for snapper MACKAY

Keith Day habdays@bigpond.net.au

School is in for snapper in Mackay waters. Plenty of anglers scored good knobbies over the past few weeks, when the weather was kind enough for offshore work in small boats. The annual snapper migration is in full swing into our waters and anglers can look forward to this type of action until the end of September, when the last of the stragglers will head south again.

In the meantime, snapper will be in thier usual haunts around the islands off Sarina, Hay Point waters, Taroba Rock, and Flat and Round Top islands. The odd fish can even be caught off the harbour walls. Main areas are easy to find by looking for other boats, or have a yarn to the local tackle shop staff for a good starting point, as they are all keen fishos who know what’s going off where.

Snapper are caught on baits like small whole squid,

extra large prawns and fillets of whiting, gar, mullet or ribbonfish. Anglers stock up on ribbonfish this time of year, as they make excellent strip baits for plenty of species and are very popular as large baits for Spanish mackerel. Ribbons can be found around the close islands in the Seaforth area, as well as near Slade or Flat and Round Top islands, just out from the river mouth. Small metal jigs, bucktail jigs and flies all work well with white as a dominant colour.

Rigging for snapper is pretty simple. Most anglers use either a paternoster rig or a straight bottom bouncing rig. Ultra sharp hooks always.

Make sure the point is not covered by the bait, even if you use dental floss or similar to keep the bait straight. This stops spinning in hard current flows and lets the bait ‘wave’ around in a more natural manner. If using fillets, partly split the end of the bait to get more movement in the current.

Lure anglers have also been into the snapper and soft plastics are popular. Stickbaits, curly and paddle-tails will all

score fish, but use the larger models around 150mm or bigger with sufficient weight to get down to the fish.

Remember, the snapper will be further down in the water column, but they show up on a sounder, particularly with a facility to expand zones to full screen feature. Work the lures within a couple metres of the bottom, with a slow lift and drop motion, then not all bites are tentative.

Queenfish and goldens have also turned up a lot around the close inshore islands, and are within easy reach of a 4m tinnie. They will invariably hang around bait schools or balls. Any show of bait on the sounder should be worked over with plastics, vibes or metal jigs. Wherever the bait is found, there will always be predators nearby, but starters for queenies and goldens would be around the southern end of Round Top and on the inshore side of Flat Top Island, as well as in the mouth of the Pioneer River. Small, nervous garfish up on the surface are a dead giveaway for queenfish.

Working a 90mm popper over a sandbank in the Pioneer River, Mark Trott picked up this beaut whiting among the flathead.

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Larger Spanish mackerel have so far been mostly offshore, but the outer islands have been producing plenty of good fish with the odd cobia mixed in. Spaniards will move closer inshore this month, chasing bait schools in places like Slade Point. Round Top Island and Danger reef will hold mainly school fish around the 5-10kg size with the odd 15-20kg specimen. Big baits like ribbonfish, school mackerel and gar are the most popular here. Any 150mm or larger hardbody minnow that can handle speed will work, with the old Rapala CD18 and 21 still very effective.

Small macks and tuna were hit and miss last month.

After our next cold snap, we usually have two or three each winter of a few days length, the seas should start to flatten out.

Mackay is snapper central at the moment with plenty of fish like this beauty that Troy Taylor caught, with a ZMan StreakZ, on the shoals out from the harbour.

That brings in the hardyheads, herring and others, which in turn will bring in mackerel and tuna. There has been early activity, mainly with longtail tuna out from the harbour, but once the weather settles into usual spring patterns, there should be some better results.

The local tackle shops staff will have their finger on the pulse and can provide up to the minute information.

Flathead have featured with good fish coming out of all our systems in the creeks and estuaries. The sand banks in Sarina inlet as well as Reliance, Constant and Murray creeks to the north have all produced fish. The Pioneer River upstream, between the bridges near Cullen Island, is also a safe bet. Yabbies, strip baits, small livies, prawns or even worms will all tempt the flathead, but keep the bait moving slowly.

Lure anglers can take their pick of hardbodies, plastics, metal and soft vibes, or small poppers. Most of the fish are in shallow water, so keep your gear light, 4-6kg is plenty strong enough to handle them.

A short flouro carbon leader will also help.

Elbow-slapper whiting have been around, and there are plenty of smaller school whiting about. The Pioneer

River is one of our most reliable whiting fisheries. Drift up with the tide, cast ahead of the boat and usually you will score a feed of these tasty little fighters. Small, clear minnows and poppers are effective and will often get larger fish.

Bream are now in spawning mode, so they’re plentiful and aggressive in the mangrove creek systems.

Look for them around rock bars and hard up against the mangroves. We mainly have pikey bream with the odd silver thrown in. Pikeys can be caught on a variety of baits and will also smack small hardbodies or soft plastics.

Blue salmon continue to school up in our creeks, like around the Reliance and Constant creek mouths.

They can be caught in large numbers. Remember the bag and size limits and leave them biting. Yabbies, prawns and small strip baits will work.

Small metal or plastic vibes go well on blue salmon too.

Mixed in with the blue salmon there will often be steelbacks, which look like a southern ‘chopper’ tailor. Steelies are not large fish, but fight well, and if bled and iced quickly they are acceptable table fare.

King threadfin are around too and there have been some sizing at the metre mark,

caught mainly on live baits.

The plastic vibes are still one of the most popular lures for threadies. A slow lift and drop routine should be to their liking.

Fuze and Threadybusters work on them, and it’s a good idea to have a variety of colours, especially the more natural, neutral colours that mimic small mullet or herring. Tackle shops will give you the good oil on colours and sizes that are working best at any time.

Finally on the freshwater scene, the drop in temperatures down to 8°C overnight had the dam barra bite just about shut down, although the shallower waters in Kinchant dam are still producing rare metre plus fish. Sooty in Teemburra dam and the river have been playing ball with several 50cm sooty coming from the dam last week. Most river fish have been smaller with average sizes around 30cm. There is good fun on light gear though, and the freshwater reaches of the Pioneer and Cattle Creek provide some great spots.

August in Mackay has a range of angling options with lots of saltwater catches, but the offshore stuff is weatherdependant. There’s plenty of variety in species and locations, so why not join us in paradise and escape the winter weather. See you at the ramp!

Offshore snapper are the big news with plenty on offer, but surprises like this golden snapper still turn up despite temperatures dropping.

Searching for scales WHITSUNDAYS

Luke Griffiths

We are in the final month now of our so-called winter, so let’s hope the weather gods work in our favour!

Last month saw some unseasonal, but welcome rain, which deterred many from heading out to catch a fish. Instead, they opted to try and catch imaginary Pokémon. We’ve had more good days than bad, which enabled many others to keep their school holiday dreams alive, and make their way into the blue in search of scales.

Spanish mackerel were the most prevalent species by far last month. They turned up in large numbers wide of the islands and in the reef, and a few were in close. This should continue in August, with hopefully a few more turning up closer around the islands.

Spaniards have been reacting well to all forms of deception, artificials doing most of the damage. The most common method used by anglers is trolling hardbody lures and with good reason – it works!

Trolling baits, and floating the

humble pilchard or live bait have also accounted for their fair share.

If you want to have some fun and see some awesome airborne assaults, try your hand at casting large stickbaits and poppers over the schools.

Watch the Spanish launch a vertical attack, reaching some serious height out of the water.

It’s a load of fun that gets everyone on board involved, and a little excited!

One thing that excited us, is the presence of yellowfin tuna with the mackerel.

They should continue into this month, so keep an eye out for them breaking the surface while you float around. For those sashimi lovers, they have to be one of the best. Putting in the effort to bring a yellowfin on board is a must this month.

Remember, quickly chill them to ensure optimum

A delicious combination of Spanish mackerel and nannygai caught in glassout conditions with Renegade.

Jacob Gray with a yellowfin which evaded the sharks. Keep a look out this month!

Andrew Cooke displays a red-throat emperor, one of the finer eating fish on the Great Barrier Reef.

boats, along with mangrove jack and flathead. The odd barra has been lurking about too, but less often with the water temperatures down.

As always, soaking a pot or two should see you taking home a crustacean, as we are still seeing good numbers of catches. If you intend to keep your hands, keep an eye out for those crocs, which have been ever-present on recent trips down to the local estuaries. Also, leave what isn’t yours alone.

Good luck if you are out and about this month. Watch out for the whales! Cheers.

• If you’re interested in a game, sport or reef fishing charters around the Whitsundays, give Luke a call on 0429 724 822 or email info@ renegadecharters.com.au.

A solid bag of Spanish mackerel, caught between the antics on a recent bucks party trip with Renegade.

An esky full of quality fish – coral trout, red-throat and Spanish mackerel could make up your icebox this month!

eating. Trolling lures and baits will work for them.

However, once hooked, get them to the boat ASAP, as sharks love to snack on them too. Mongrels!

The sharks have slowed a little and many anglers have been able to land fish from the bottom. The deeper bottom fishing has been characteristically slow this time of year, but some quality nannygai and red emperor have broken the surface. They should pick up again in the next month, but don’t rule out deep water bottom bashing as some ripper fish should still be in.

The reefs have been fishing well and with that in mind, make a trip to the reef if you can, not just to target delicious coral trout, red throat emperor and other fine quality reef fish,

This sailfish topped off a good day with Renegade last month. Keep an eye out for these guys! A few have been nosing about of late. but to tangle with yellowfin and mackerel. This coming month is a fantastic one to jump on that boat and target a wide, tasty variety of fish.

We really are spoilt up here.

Speaking of spoilt, I haven’t even mentioned the local creeks and rivers yet!

They have produced good fishing and have been a go-to for anglers, with the potential of a mud crab or two. Quality salmon have been finding their way into

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contact Ron Murphy (owner) 0413 148 554  norval1@norvalcharters.com.au AUGUST 2016

51

Luring less predictable waters TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

Little windows of calm weather between the hectic windy stints have revealed some great fishing to those braving the chop. Most outings haven’t been dangerous, but bloody uncomfortable.

The mackerel run is full swing now, and the inshore weed beds, markers and shoal patches are pretty consistent.

Berley has been effective to get a consistent bite, but

there is still the odd fish showing up on the troll around birds. Pillies and fish flesh will attract sharks, so use pellets and tuna oil mix. Allow it to wash around at the back of the boat and slowly disperse the slick down current. When mackerel show up, cast lures into the berley trail, or a lightly-weighted pilly, and that should deliver some action. Several trevally species, cobia, queenfish and even schools of small nannies are up in less than three meters of water, so getting a feed is no trouble.

Small to medium wolf herring and chin rigged or skirted gar have been consistent on the Spanish mackerel. White and red head squid skirts have made a difference. Pink is a close second to ‘bling’ your bait up. The use of wire definitely drops the action, and light stainless around 18lb has had the best results. Back off the drag a little when using the light wire, as too firm a setting will pop them.

Big longtail tuna are in and tight packed bait balls on the surface are a pretty good indicator they’re around.

There’s plenty of whiting that mooch around the shallows. This one took a small Gulp! Shrimp, fished lightly, while targeting the barra with Jelly Prawns.

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AUGUST 2016

Smallish 30gm slugs, or lightly-weighted plastics will effectively get you amongst them. A good technique is to get as close as possible, without spooking them, fire a long a cast right into the action and crank back quickly. If they go down, or you don’t have a casting outfit on board, you can troll a diver around the area to pick them up. Just stay far back from the school and drop your troll line in once you’ve passed the mass, so that your lure passes close to where you saw them. You can spend hours chasing these around with the fly rod, trying to anticipate where they come up next, and you can cover miles trying to intercept them. It’s a pretty exciting fight though, and the efforts are worth it.

Sharks are thick now and anglers are spending a day on the water without being able to land one fish from many hook-ups.

Anglers need shark numbers back under control and the problem needs exposure. In water less than a meter deep, we are getting sharked on a regular basis. The remote, untouched reefs are not the only healthy populations, as some might believe.

Ryan Tully with an average sized barra taken on a tiny plastic around a drain mouth.

BOTTOM FISHING The initial panic over the Lunds Squid shortage has subsided now, and in Akwa Pro Tackle we have a steady supply that may slightly smaller than the California squid. From all reports, they have been just as successful, so there’s no need to worry.

The shortage had some thinking anglers experiment with other options and the results were quite good.

Cuttlefish was an option that anglers explored with great results, but lesser known baits, such as half a butterflyfilleted gar, are catching fish too, as anglers look outside the traditional squid box.

Trout, and other bottom dwellers, are making up a fair amount of the catches.

If you can get a few aboard before the sharks move in, the shallow offshore reefs are super places to flick a plastic or diver. It’s also easier to beat the sharks there. This is prawn country, and an effective way to chase these shallow water species is to rig them on a 1/2oz head with around a 5/0 hook size. The increased water pressure from the fluffy skirt addition is less streamlined, so the head weight is good for shallows. Once the lure touches down, or nears the reef, start a lift then flick retrieve to get the action started. Be ready to get smacked on the drop and get that head pointing at you fast for the best results.

To page 53

From page 52

SHALLOWS AND ESTUARIES Whiting, bream and flathead are plentiful targets now the water has cooled considerably. The smallest of plastics are producing the goods here and light head weights are a must for the shallow, less than meter deep water. The Atomic Seekerz 1/11oz heads are very handy when fished on light 4-6lb gear with 6-10lb leaders.

Colour wise, the natural shades have been working, but when there’s colour in the water, the brighter colours are pulling more bites. Lures

Young Tannhym decided whether or not to throw a lure, as the sharks home in. that have been working are the 3” Atomic Prongs, 2.5” Flutter Shrimp from Madeye

The Atomic Prong is well established in lure fishing with good reason. Karl Ramano pulled this sweet trout hopping a ‘green ghost’ – translucent white with the tail dipped in Quick Coat. It’s an awesome combination in clear waters.

and the 2” Gulp Shrimp.

The clearer water gives anglers the opportunity to use surface presentations, such as the K9 Atomic walkthe-dog style of stickbaits, and small poppers. Keep the momentum and action up when you see them rise to your lure, and they should follow through on the attack. You’re not imitating a baitfish here, but a prawn, so translucent colours work well, like faded orange.

Subtle actions are good, so stickbaits are useful. Work poppers in a horizontal shaking of the rod tip, spit water rather than pop it, and maintain a steady wind to get results.

RIVERS AND SNAGS Jacks and barra are looking for a bit of warmth

now and keeping an eye on the temperature gauge can make all the difference.

If you happen to be at the mouth of a small drain on a runout tide, then do a u-turn and poke back in the mouth to have a closer look. For snags, traditional hardbodies like the Laser Pro 120, Tilsan Barra and the 85mm Hamma are great. Smaller plastics are even better in deep holes or along ledges, this time of year. A side scan sounder gives a massive head start in finding them, if the snags aren’t producing.

Once you’ve found them, sit back off the school, fire in small plastics up current with enough weight to get the tail bits moving on the descent.

Then work it back in slow hops keeping close to the bottom.

There have been some epic queenfish getting in on the action. This one came from a school of small mackerel near the river mouth in Townsville.

Use lighter leaders for this style of approach. You’ll lose the odd fish, but your strike rate will increase by a fair margin. You also get a wide range of species with small plastics including grunter, bream, and golden snapper

The anticipation of what you’ll catch next is always there.

This time of year can be less predicable, but it’s a pleasure getting out on those cool, calm winter days.

It makes you thankful to be a fisher.

Burdekin winter icons bring on the hot bite AYR

Steve Farmer

Burdekin estuary fishing is now truly in winter mode and most creeks are producing the classic species we associate with cooler months. To the delight of many local and visiting anglers, whiting, flathead and bream to a slightly lesser extent, have invaded Burdekin beach and estuary waters.

All these species are easy to catch with basic fishing tackle. Anything from a low cost handline to a light spinning outfit is all you’ll need, making them ideal targets for youngsters and beginners. They also appeal to relaxed anglers, content to sit back, drown bait and soak up a bit of winter sunshine. Does it get any better than this?

Boat anglers have been enjoying reasonable success on this winter run in local creeks, getting the goods from Groper, Hell Hole, Phillips Camp, Ocean and Plantation in particular. Some of the whiting have been measured in around 30cm and flathead have been caught at more than 60cm.

Land-based fishers have made the most of easy access at Wunjunga and Alva beaches, although strong winds have made the fishing a bit miserable.

Until recently, the flathead

were suffering lockjaw right across the district, refusing to take well presented baits and lures despite being about in good numbers. Fortunately, a few cold days by northern standards seem to have them fired up. One thing to keep in mind if you hit a hot bite of flathead, is that many are roed-up this time of the year, so consider limiting your catch.

That way, as many breeders as possible can do their job.

Further north in Bowling Green Bay, a few anglers are reportedly scoring well on large grunter, with the occasional bag-limit catch being made.

Rainfall a few weeks back seems to have stirred up the prawns in many estuaries, although better quality

than quantity. Cast netting is rewarding anglers with a tasty feed, as well as quality baits that could score them a winter barra.

Cape Upstart anglers are still catching coral trout and big squid in waters around the cape. Both species are being caught anywhere from Coconut Bay to the inside lining of Upstart Bay. Hut owners are simply strolling down to the water’s edge in early morning and luring up a few big squid for bait or the barbie that night.

On the bluewater, Spanish mackerel are still scarce. A few Spaniards have reportedly been taken within a couple of kilometres of Burdekin estuary mouths, but the schools are yet

to arrive in shoal waters.

THE MONTH AHEAD The best time for fishing in North Queensland is almost gone for another year.

It’s the last month of winter and temperatures are slowly increasing. Weather windows have been brief this year.

Hopefully the month ahead will give bluewater boaties a chance to hit the water and fish the reefs, shoals and other inshore waters.

The Spanish mackerel should be in local waters this

month and will provide exciting fishing for Burdekin anglers.

Cast poppers and metal slices, trolled minnows, and pilchards fished on ganged hooks under a float are all likely techniques to snare a Spaniard or two.

They could also attract the attention of other pelagics such as trevally and cobia.

In the creeks, there should be more of the iconic winter species like whiting and flathead, with bream numbers ramping up even more. Fresh bait is preferable for targeting

these species, but if this is hard to collect on the day, a good alternative is large table-quality prawns. Peel the prawns and cut them into smaller bait-size pieces for bream and whiting.

Fish them whole if you’re hoping for a winter barra or mangrove jack.

If you package the prawns in a hygienic container, keep them on ice, and only take out a couple at a time for bait.

You can cook and eat the leftover prawns that night.

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Aimee Farmer took this dusky flathead on a small deep-diving minnow at Phillips Camp.

www.livelyluresonline.com.au AUGUST 2016

53

Tougher times at Hinchy LUCINDA

Jeff Wilton jeffwilton83@hotmail.com

In the last few months it has certainly cooled off, especially in the mornings and at night. For a while there it seemed as though winter was never going to set in, as we were having humid days with rain nearly every night.

The fishing has become a lot tougher in the channel and it has certainly been the case of making plenty of casts for little reward,

plastics, it is very important to make pin point casts and I find a slow retrieve can still get bites. I like to use soft plastics and blades.

Use light gear and keep the lures close to the bottom.

Grunter, mangrove jack, barra and golden snapper all love eating a vibe or plastic.

Bait fishing is always a safe option that should always get results. Taking the time to gather some fresh baits and being patient in your chosen spot should pay off. This time of year normally has plenty of small to mid-range prawns flicking

and jacks. Both these fish will be hanging deep in structure on the bottom.

They may not be actively feeding, but if you troll lures over their heads enough they will eventually get annoyed and have a closer look. It is most important that whatever lure you choose to troll is only slightly running off the bottom. For instance, if the water depth is 6m, your lure should run at 5m. Using your rod tip to enhance your lures swimming action and the depth it runs is also important. Raising the rod tip high will make your lure swim upwards and a lower rod tip will have your lure diving deep. I prefer to find a stretch of a few hundred metres that holds good structure and bait and troll this back and forth many times instead of just trolling aimlessly.

JETTY, ISLANDS AND REEF I haven’t spent much time out on the bluewater recently, but the sessions

Micro-jigging goldens is great fun at this time of year.

I have had have been awesome. The stand out fish for me has been the golden trevally and a recent trip saw four anglers in two boats easily land 30+ big goldens. It was mayhem and I would have to put that day in the top three fishing sessions I have ever witnessed.

Golden trevally will happily eat most plastics and jigs, but the stand out

on that day was the 60g Vector micro-jig from TT lures. Golden trevally feed close to the bottom, so if you want to chase these fish, it is important to keep your offering in this zone.

The technique that worked on this particular day was simply a slow lift of the jig off the bottom about a metre and using the rod tip to lower it slowly back to the bottom.

Nannygai are always welcome for the table. but it’s a good thing that Hinchinbrook offers such amazing scenery, so a fish is a bonus. The bluewater fishing has been on fire, which is normally the case during winter, all we need is the wind to be kind and the rods will bend.

HINCHINBROOK CHANNEL If you’re going to fish the channel, don’t be thinking you are going to have mind-blowing sessions. It is slower and tougher because of the cooler and clearer water. For those fishing with lures and

around the drains, and these are the gun bait. Fish can’t resist a live or fresh prawn kicking around, so choose a creek mouth at low tide and fish the first few hours of the run-in. you could also head up a creek and fish a junction at the start of the run-out tide. The secret is to be fishing in areas that fish will pass through or be forced into due to water rising or falling. These spots will regularly produce fish and Hinchinbrook is full of these areas.

Winter months are also great for trolling for barra

A fourway hookup on goldens is truly a golden moment.

There has been a few mackerel caught, but in comparison to the previous years it has been slower. I don’t know enough about this species to understand why numbers are down, but I would guess it has a lot to do with the lack of wet season flooding rains.

As always, the north end of Bramble Reef has been the Spanish mackerel hot spot, and trolling lures and floating pilchards have been the best techniques.

The secret for catching mackerel is simple; find the bait and you will find the fish. Mackerel are ravenous feeders at this time of year, so they will stay close to the food. Strong currents will give away these locations, as it will force baitfish to stack up.

Nannygai have been about in the deep, but the best bite time is the afternoon and evening. Big squid baits on dropper rigs is all you need, but they will happily eat big flesh baits as well. Nannygai are not dirty fighters, but you want to be using strong gear to turn their head off the bottom and get them into the boat before the sharks find them.

Get to know where to look in Hinchinbrook HINCHINBROOK

Ryan Moody info@ryanmoodyfishing.com

In recent weeks, we have seen fluctuations in weather and water temperature that many shallow water demersal species are not too fond of. Some days are brilliant and others just don’t produce at all. This is the case with every winter season in the tropics, as we are prone to the colder wind bursts on some occasions. Then it warms up again before another cold front hits.

At least down south it stays cold most of the time. The fluctuations we get up here are a bit 54

AUGUST 2016

more spread apart and that’s what hurts the inshore species. When this occurs, you may be better off targeting queenfish, golden trevally and Spaniards.

Give the barra and golden snapper a miss.

Species that don’t mind the cold and the weather changes are golden trevally, diamond trevally and northern bluefin tuna.

All these can be caught around the inner islands as well areas in the shipping channel, such as wrecks, shoals and wonky holes.

Most of these species are fond of metal slices. The trevally are also good on vibes or plastics when they are closer to the bottom, during periods of smaller tide movement.

The estuaries have been a little up and down. I have still managed some nice barra in the 90cm bracket on better days, though. I’ve heard of drain fishers having some reasonable sessions too, but good days have been sporadic. Barra need a lot going in their favour to bite consistently during winter.

Other estuary species have had mixed results too.

Golden snapper, grunter and salmon show up here and there. If any one species has been a little more consistent, it’s the mangrove jack. They are still an easy catch in winter because they don’t move around or leave the estuaries. They always stay home where they have good cover. In other words, they are a species that’s always

there. You just have to persist on the harder days, and enjoy the rewards on the good days.

During August we enter the prime period for bluewater fishing, namely the juvenile black marlin and sailfish. The small black marlin are found around bait schools in the shipping lane, or what’s known as the inner lagoon of the Great Barrier Reef. The bait schools are usually yakkas and pilchards.

A good indicator to look for is gannets working an area. Always maintain a watch on them, if you can see them in the distance. As soon as one bird dives in, you know there’s definitely bait there. Head on over and have a good look around, while maintaining a troll pattern of skipping gar and

swimming baits. Use gar or mullet for the swimming baits. Try not to troll directly through the bait schools and instead keep your baits just wide of them, if at all possible.

Sailfish can also be found in these areas, but the best place to look for them is on the deeper waters around reef entrances. The southern end of most reefs up here seems to be a preferred location. The exact same bait patterns work for sailfish and it’s always handy to keep some live yakkas at the ready, to drop back to any fussy fish. This applies to both species.

As far as the estuaries go in August, it will be much of the same scenario. As the coldest month for us, I’m sure we will see some

shutdown periods once again. We have released our new site, www. fishsmarter.com.au, and there is good free content on there for those wanting to learn a few tips and tricks. We also have our online masterclasses, with their own private forums, and we have an open forum for visitors to the site too.

We’ll be building the site further to include more free content and more species masterclasses.

• If you would like to book a charter or join our fishing community for some great fishing competitions etc, head on over to www. ryanmoodyfishing.com.

And you could also win a free charter drawn twice a year.

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Mackerel high on most anglers’ minds CAIRNS

Garry Smith garrysmith@fishingmonthly.com.au

If the last couple of years are anything to go by, August should serve up sublime weather interspersed with howlers.

Ultimately, it depends on the eastward march of high pressure systems and how much reprieve there is between each arrival.

This is characterised by an extended period of howling southeasterlies, along the high ridges up the north Queensland coast.

with no real degree of consistency. When fish have cooperated, the results have been outstanding. Quality fish are coming from the estuary, inshore and the reef. However, reliability has been lacking – there are plenty of dud trips between the gems.

Mackerel will be high on most anglers’ minds this month, as traditionally, August serves up more than its fair share of silver bullets. The speedsters will be biting from inshore, to the outer reef, and doggies are the main player in close. The Spaniards are the headline act out wide.

There will also be spotties

regular species.

The small boat brigade will be taking advantage of any opportunity to shoot out to the inshore reefs, wrecks, islands and channel leads, whenever the wind backs off. Maximise your fishing with a pre-dawn start, line out to coincide with the first sign of daylight. Often, there’s a couple of hours of relatively light, offshore winds before the southeasterlies set in for the day. Most days, winds from 15-20 knots down are fishable for at least a couple of hours after dawn.

Choose your location based on the likely scenario and when things look like

Spanish mackerel, like this beauty caught by Kelvin, will be the star attraction in the mackerel arena.

Between highs, so far this winter, the fishing has varied from average to sensational,

and grey mackerel on the bite, depending on the location and good luck with these less

blowing up early, stick to more protected locations, like the Trinity Inlet leads. The good

thing about the leads is that you can go out as far or as little as you like, depending on the conditions on the day.

While the mackerel fishing is usually better at the Fairway marker, there are still plenty of mackerel, especially doggies, caught along the channel and even in the inlet itself.

Generally speaking, the clearer the water – the more likely mackerel will be closer to the inlet. The presence of bait schools is another big swinger along the channel markers. Look for bait schools on the sounder and focus your effort around them for the best results.

Bait selection is a big consideration. While a good old pilly on chained hooks will do the trick, the more reliable bait is live sardines. Flick them out on a light single-strand leader, about 30cm long, with a 3/0 long shank main hook.

Add a small sliding keeper hook and let them drift down to the bottom. You can even feed out more line as it sinks, if the current is strong. Quite often the doggies are sitting deep, but this method will still find them.

In strong currents, you can use a small sinker above the swivel to get the bait down, but it’s preferable to avoid doing, if you can. Cast at right angles to the current and let the bait sink as it drifts with the current, to help get the bait down deeper without the use of a sinker.

Spanish mackerel will

be the star attraction in the mackerel arena, and they should be on the bite from close inshore to the outer reef.

Trolling livebaits like large sardines, mullet, gar, hussar and fusilier are the big producers when they’re quiet. After that, trolling rigged deadbaits of gar, mullet, wolf herring and pilchards will see plenty of action at times. Finally, trolling lures or jigging are okay. All methods will have their day in the sun – it’s just a matter of having a few options up your sleeve when hitting the water.

The more options you can present the more likely you are to pin down the flavour of the day, and increase your chances of success.

Float a pilchard, gar, mullet or wolf herring out the back as a fallback strategy for reef fishing. Concentrate on the more sought after bottom dwellers. In past years, fishing at the reef has been sensational when the weather cooperates, and many anglers have hit their bag limits on reds and trout. Plenty of fish push into the trophy category.

Trout up to 5kg, red emperor and large mouth nannygai in the 8kg+ range will hopefully be on the agenda. Reds and trout won’t be the only players, but certainly star attractions. There will also be a sprinkling of reef red bream, Moses perch, spangled emperor, long-nosed emperor, Robinsons sea bream, cod and trevally of all shapes and sizes and even a

stray red-throat emperor or two coming over the side.

Light tackle enthusiasts will be hoping for a repeat of the last couple of years, on the billfish scene. Figures like 168 black marlin, 10 sailfish tagged and released in the Cairns Bluewater Billfish Tournament 2014, and over 100 small black marlin tagged last year in the same tournament, are a great indicator of how the light tackle fishing has been in August. Here’s hoping for a three-peat.

Don’t discount the estuary and headlands fishing for barra, jacks and golden snapper this month, especially when the weather is warm and winds calm. The start of winter has had plenty of quality fish taken off the rocks, the deep water in the inlet and estuaries, by those willing to put in the time and effort. Serious golden snapper have turned up along the headlands recently, along with great barra. Livebaits and lures have been producing at various times, so heading out with both options available will improve your chances of nailing a trophy fish.

The estuaries will continue to produce the odd barra, jack, golden snapper and grunter, but the main dish is bream, which should be around a lot. Those chasing a bit more action and adrenalin can target monster queenies, giant trevally and golden trevally, which will be patrolling the river mouths, while the water remains clear.

Sail on the hot tropics PORT DOUGLAS

Lynton Heffer

As highly suspected about the tropics, we have basically passed the winter months without a hint of traditional dry season patterns. Land and water temperatures remain well above average over this period, and the rainfall is usual. It has been a very pleasant time and the fishing has proved exceptional. Now we look forward to what is considered the most favourable time up north, for both pleasure and fishing opportunities.

As to be expected, the reef fishing has been the strongest performer over the last month or so with some power-house results coming back into the docks of Port Douglas.

Quantity and quality are the norm, all our prized fish are fired to their full potential, and there has been a wide range of species on the bite.

Many times, coral 56

AUGUST 2016

trout have delivered in big numbers and sizes.

They have easily been the most consistent fish for some time. Charter vessels have returned with excess of twenty or more trout at times, and the chiller has resembled a strawberry rainbow of big colourful fish. Of note, the smallmouth nannygai have returned to the area. They have become a staple catch as well. For a few years, they seemed to disappear off the face of the earth, but now we are glad to say they are in healthy numbers and around the 5kg range.

When these fish are on the bite, they become a guaranteed plentiful source to tap into. Charter vessels love them as their bread and butter species to ensure punters return home with the goods. Largemouth nannygai have been about, but remain in the shadows of the smallmouth nannygai and coral trout. In saying this, there are always a few thumping largemouth amongst the catch for the day. There’s a plethora of

other species on the march and they have included the likes of cobia, red emperor, gold-spot trevally, sweetlip, Moses perch, stripies, baldy bream, venus tuskfish, cod species, red-throat emperor and spangled emperor. All add icing to the cake of trout and nannygai.

On the pelagic scene, the Spanish mackerel picked up some good momentum in recent times. They are quite prolific in our local waters. We have also just experienced a run of spotted and school mackerel, which suggests that we’ll see some good action on these fish for a while to come, both inshore and offshore.

Interestingly we have also seen a run of yellowfin tuna inside the reef, and the average size is around 10kg.

They add another dimension to the sportfishing side of things. Small black marlin have been late starters this year, remembering they turned up in May last year.

The wide grounds south of Port Douglas and the waters south of Fitzroy Island have a good population of these

The smallmouth nannygai have been a welcome return to our local waters. fish, and the Bluewater Billfish Tournament out of Fitzroy Island, later this month, has a reputation for producing high numbers of stallion marlin. I look forward to having a go myself this year, as catching them on light tackle gear is a whole heap of fun.

Our rivers and creeks never really shut down as they normally would, this dry season. Directly responsible,

are the warmer than average water temperatures. Barra, mangrove jack and golden snapper have trickled along nicely and have been accompanied by some good action on the queenfish and trevally. Bream, grunter, sicklefish and flathead stay consistent.

With only warmer weather on its way, our local rivers and creeks will quickly return to peak performance!

The mud crabbing in the local area has been very good this year with many handsome reports filtering through. Looking ahead, and with winter a faded memory already, fishing in the tropics will spike in the next month or so, and there will be heaps of opportunities to target a wide range of excellent fish. Where else would you rather be?

Cool catching in Cooktown COOKTOWN

Ben Stack

Cooktown is experiencing magical weather at the moment. The nights are cool, skies are clear and the days are sunny and warm.

If you haven’t already made it to Cooktown, then make sure you do over the next few months, because it’s very rewarding and well worth it.

The geographical layout

of South East Cape York has a massive variety of things to offer, for both the locals and the visitors who have already arrived in droves lapping up this luxurious weather. You don’t have to be a keen fisher to enjoy what Cooktown has to offer: mountains, freshwater streams, rainforests, inhabited beaches and coral reefs.

For keen anglers, the McIvor, Endeavour, Annan and Bloomfield rivers are clean and clear. Trolling

The mad-keen fishing Grandmas came to visit, and got amongst some great fish. Grandma Robinson had a metre-long queenfish!

for queenies, trevally and mackerel around the leads of the Endeavour river, or the mouths of the other rivers, near the top of the tide is very successful at this time of year. If you are landbased, skip surface lures or float weightless livebaits.

Stay around the river mouth, near the top of the tide and you should experience some great hook-ups.

Further up the rivers will have grunter, pikey bream and estuary cod chewing baits around the snags, rock bars, junctions and deep holes. Try burley with small broken chunks of soft flesh, like pilchards or prawns, in these structures. Then send down an unweighted flesh on a hook. If you persist with this strategy, it will bring the fish on the bite and soon attract the bigger fish to come investigate. Just last week, a mate caught seven awesome mangrove jack from one large snag down deep in a creek that fed into the river.

Remember to always be prepared for that strike, because these big fish will hit the bait hard. They know the shortest way to having you bricked under

a snag. Barramundi fishers will have more success using live baits at this time of year. If you’re keen on catching a barra, try further up the rivers, while searching for waters that are 1-2°C warmer than the rest.

The reefs off Cooktown have produced exceptional catches of coral trout, nannygai and spanglies.

Chase the coral trout around the reef edge bommies that hold bait. You don’t need to be fancy with a trout rig, simply use a bean sinker running to a large straight shank hook, with a pilly baited onto it. Sportfishers might like to bounce plastics, blades or trolling deep divers across the drop offs, because this is also successful with coral trout.

Move out to the deeper rubble patches for nannygai.

If there are sandy edges around the rubble, you may end up with a mix bag of spanglies and nannys.

Spanish mackerel are being caught at random pressure point locations, but they don’t seem to be schooling in huge numbers as is the norm in Cooktown. Make sure you float a bait out the back of the boat at all times,

The author with a pretty spangly. while fishing the bottom, because if the macks don’t take it then there’s plenty of big cobia to catch lately.

Lakefield is experiencing cool nights and clear days, which are perfect for camping. The barra have been few and far between this year and some reports are of large numbers, while other reports can barely brag of one barra over a whole weekend. Barra are always in Lakefield, and most times you may get to spot one before you flick your lure on its nose. However, the barra don’t always bite, which can

be very frustrating. It comes down to the right place at the right feeding time. Try covering a lot of ground and different waterholes until you find the barra that are actually chewing the lures.

Remember to be croc savvy near the water.

• If you’d like any current information while you’re visiting Cooktown’s region or more information about a particular place in the neighbourhood to fish, then simply like my Facebook page, Stacky’s Fishing Adventures or send me a message.

Dry times and blue skies reward anglers CAPE YORK

Tim O’Reilly wildrivercompany@gmail.com

August in Cape York can be a real break-out month as we move into a few of the driest, most settled months of the year. By the end of this month and heading into September, a few calm periods will be restoring faith to East Coast anglers that the weather could ever be good again.

During this period, many of shallow offshore reefs and shoals on both sides of the Cape will fish well. Taking a look at some of the fishing presenting itself though a range of shallow to medium depths is a good way to tackle some iconic species.

Spanish, grey, school and broad-barred mackerel are a fantastic and fuel efficient way to put a few fillets on the table. They present some of the most consistent tasting and best edible-fillet recoveries

Check out this big GT taken on a small vibe on the West Coast.

of all the fish species. Even the smaller mackerel prove delicious if bled and put in an ice slurry immediately after capture.

August, September and October are a great time to target mackies on a variety of methods, right the way around Cape York. On the West Coast in particular, finding inshore schools of baitfish with sporadic birds flying overhead is usually a signal that grey and school mackerel are underneath, terrorising their prey. Small spoons, metal slices and soft plastics will account for these zippy little fish. Unfortunately, bite-offs are common, however mono leader definitely produces more bites than wire.

Their big cousins the Spanish mackerel are a different fish altogether.

Growing from spirited little toothy critters right up to oceanic monsters, these are a welcome catch to most angers.

Far northern anglers have nearly all been out chasing Spaniards at some time or another. They are the mainstay of the far northern sports fishing scene.

Mackerel like a bit of run-in the tide, preferring to ambush prey around pressure points created by rocks, reef and current lines. Towing baits, bibbed or cranking lures, poppers, spoons slugs and large plastics are great ways to tussle with a big Spanish.

Just remember when they are chasing something they can travel supersonic speeds, so wind and troll quicker after you see a marauding pack close in on your lures.

Large cobia are always a possibility on any piece of offshore structure right the way down the West coast. Certain spots seem to congregate cobia on the East Coast, rocky reefs and inshore shoals being amongst some of the more common. Caught on a huge variety of methods, they are an interesting fish in that they can be caught just as readily on the surface as they can near the bottom. Some of the more pleasing ways to catch cobia is throwing a large soft plastic or spoon at a fish sighted on the surface or pitching flies at smaller cobia hanging behind manta rays.

Golden snapper are a great adversary for those who love to fish baits and soft plastics on shoaly grounds and rocky patches almost anywhere offshore. They are a fish that feeds readily on certain stages of the tide and can make for some truly memorable fishing when large models start feeding up through the water column. The bigger fish need to be treated carefully and are not quite as good eating as the smaller specimens.

Golden trevally cover quite large distances with the tide and will often school up adjacent to reefs and shoal

patches. Like cobia, decent sized golden trevally can be caught in 1m of water or 35m of water on the same day. They are a greedy fish on occasion and can be caught on just about any technique except up on the surface.

Walk enough beaches and you will find goldens tailing in the shallows on both sides of the Cape. This is a fantasy moment for most fly anglers and a heap of fun watching lit-up golden trevally chasing a fly right into the shallows.

Black jewfish put a nice end to this grouping of fish, caught on the rocky, shoaly and shallow reef grounds of the Cape. From the tip right

the way down the West Coast and into many of the larger river systems, black jew are a fearsome competitor on light tackle.

Depending on their mood, a good-sized jewie might eat a little plastic not much bigger than a jellybean, but the next meal might be a foot long live mullet. They pull hard, they often find structure and can be caught with a variety of jigging techniques, live and fresh baits.

• For information on remote charter operations for tailored fishing adventures, please email Tim on wildrivercompany @gmail.com

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AUGUST 2016

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Jungle fever for perch fishing FRESHWATER

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Pantera II 2016

Angus James Instagram: @jimmygusjames

How good is fishing?

You can enjoy it so many ways. From the hardcore physical sportfishing, to sitting back and relaxing on the jetty, fishing is a great pastime – the number one pastime on the planet! The best way to wet a line is to trek deep into the jungle in search of untouched country.

Reach those places that are hidden away from it all. It’s an awesome feeling when you find a new place, spectacular scenery and, not to mention, the amazing fishing!

The ‘red dogs’(mangrove jacks) are attacking artificial presentations in full force.

The cooler weather can slow things down a bit, but there are tricks you can do to increase your chances on a few sweet water pups.

We all know jacks are very territorial, so using colours that resemble a jack will often get the attention from a well-positioned

Here’s a jungle perch caught in a gorgeous hidden area. the rainforests. These little footballs hit hard and fast, so some fancy rod work will be required to keep you in charge of the situation! They are a really cool species that will take anything in their mouth!

There are solid fish that reside in the jungle systems that will

by just how healthy the system was. The JPs were in big numbers and there were plenty of juvenile fish on every snag. It’s great to see how well these systems are thriving. If you haven’t done this style of fishing, I highly recommend it. These

beautiful country and are also a great sports fish on the light gear. It pays to take a good underwater camera with you, because the water they come from is crystal clear. You can capture some breathtaking underwater shots!

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A juvenile sooty grunter caught on some ZMan GrubZ.

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Phone: 0410 173 060 basscataustralia@gmail.com

snag. They take a number of artificial presentations.

Superb to flick is a Zman GrubZ rigged on a TT Lures HeadlockZ. Attach a jig spin and this gives you the best of both worlds, with a grub tail action and a nice bit of bling to create the ultimate presentation!

When you find a good snag, go over it with your lure thoroughly. Working it from every angle will get a territorial reaction bite, if there’s someone home.

During the cooler times of the year, observe where the warmer water is going to be in system. Often fish will be close. Look for where the sun heats up the water, sand bars or certain rocks that might draw more heat from the sun. All these observations will get you more fish. It’s all about taking notice of the environment you are fishing and working with it to get the results.

Jungle perch are always a fun customer when trekking

get your adrenaline pumping with a finesse fishing battle.

I went for a jungle perch recently and was impressed

Jungle perch are a really cool species that can fit anything in their mouths. fish are such a stunning species and really test your hunting skills. They take you into some of the most

I hope everyone gets out for a flick and remember to stay safe. Fish on, and I’ll see you there!

Check out this awesome underwater shot! Bring your cameras with you, because these things are a beauty.

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• Get into tournament fishing

• Barra Tour Calendar inside

Australian Bass Tournaments

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2016 zerek barra tour calendar

The BARRA Tour returns after a record-breaking year in 2015, expanding to four events across the three northern impoundments of Kinchant, Teemburra and the barra mecca that is Peter Faust.

Zerek are the headlining sponsors of the tour this year, planned in conjunction with anglers, the 2016 tour is slated to be the best ever.

BARRA Tour debutants will have the red carpet rolled out for them on this year’s tour courtesy of Zerek.

Each Rookie Team (you are a rookie team if both anglers in the team have never fished a BARRA Tour event) will receive a Zerek Rookie Pack at their first event of the 2016 tour. In addition a

2

Champion Rookie Team at each stop of the tour and a Zerek Rookie Team of the Year will partner the overall round winner from each of the four rounds, and the Costa BARRA Tour Team of the Year, as the ultimate accolades of The Tour.

If brushing shoulders

with some of Australia’s best barra tournament anglers and learning the tricks of the trade is up your alley in 2016, plan the time off and organise your gear for a week of the best barra fishing Australia has to offer.

Entry Fee $250 per team/per event

DATE

LOCATION

EVENT

SPONSOR

8-Nov

Kinchant Dam

BARRA Tour Round #1 (Evening Event)

Spotters

9-Nov

Teemburra Dam

BARRA Tour Round #2 (Evening Event)

Zerek

11-12 Nov

Peter Faust

BARRA Tour Round #3 (Evening Event)

Sunline

14-15 Nov

Peter Faust

BARRA Tour Round #4 (Night Championship)

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Don’t be a one hit wonder John Millard

Barra fishing isn’t a one-card trick. Whether as a social or tournament angler, to be successful and consistent you must be versatile. Work on being a multi-skilled angler with many techniques in your bag of tricks and you will find your success.

In the past it seemed if you weren’t throwing Squidgy Slick Rigs, you weren’t in the game. More ABT Barra tournaments have been won using Slick Rigs than any other technique.

This isn’t likely to change soon, but as time goes on, techniques evolve and new methods find their way into the spotlight to claim their fair share of success. If you need affirmation of this look no further than recent tournament results, which in

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many ways reads as a roll call of tried and burgeoning tackle and techniques.

GUT INSTINCT Don’t be afraid to throw a game plan out the window and run with your gut instinct when it comes to crunch time. Tides, wind direction, water clarity, and current are constantly changing dynamics that can and will change the behavior of fish in an instant, rendering a previous day of pre-fishing or tournament preparation useless. It’s a matter of seeing and reading these elements and changes and adjusting your game plan as you see fit.

At the 2014 Peter Faust round of the ABT BARRA Tour, my teammate Ethan Farrell and I were in all sorts of trouble late in our first session of fishing. Clearing the slate and starting fresh we focused our attention on seasonal movements of fish and the constantly changing

weather we were faced with.

Going old school, slowing things down and changing to a slow moving Strike King Shadalicious swimbaits, while not as exciting as burning a plastic through the weed, got the job done and rewarded us with a first place finish.

Ethan Farrell has always been an angler willing to try new things, he believes that, “while tournaments won on a single lure are not quite a thing of the past, the growing trend is likely to be tournaments won on a multipronged approach.’’

I am constantly reminded of the value in trying and throwing something different than the norm, whether it be the latest jig, chatterbait or a hand carved swimbait. When things get tough and the run of the mill techniques and tackle draw a limited return, anglers like Ethan have the ability to fish each new creation with

Top: Slowing down your retrieve can make the world of difference when things get tough. Above: Ethan Farrell with the rewards of another successful session at Faust. the confidence that’s needed to crack a pattern. This thinking, confidence and practice can bring fringe techniques to centre and in some cases can see them become proven tournament winners.

MAKE IT HAPPEN Craig Griffiths is another

angler unwilling to wait and just watch things happen. I can remember many competitions fishing with Craig, dodging the million lures he has tried lying all over the deck.

“Many of things that have brought me success in tournaments are things

that are best described as ‘one-percenters’. Success can be as simple as a quick lure change, and while maybe only one fish is the result of the change, sometimes it can be the difference between second or first place on the scoreboard,” explained Craig.

Learning new techniques and becoming confident with them does not happen overnight. You can’t expect to simply try something new and gain immediate results.

Learning where to employ it, how to employ it, what changes to make, when to change up and why that change worked or didn’t work, are all things that can only be learnt from time on the water and time using the new technique.

Asking yourself these simple questions and learning from them will help put more fish in the boat.

TOURNAMENT TIME Tournament fishing is an arena that helps speed up the learning process, and an environment that can help you evolve as an angler much faster that purely social fishing. During tournament fishing hours, there is no hiding what is working and everything is fully visible for people to learn from each other. Information is more readily available with people willing to share and discuss their different ideas, thoughts and strategies. The pressures of competition, and the transparency of competition techniques, tackle and results are important factoors with benefits that can’t be replicated anywhere else.

STAYING AHEAD While there is no doubt,

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Tournament Angler Guide

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Trying something out of the box when it comes to lure selection can be the trigger to turn things on. watching and learning from others is a successful way to gain more versatility in your fishing, it will always pay to lead from the front. New techniques have to come from somewhere and your own personal experimentation can be as good a start as any to discover new things. I find myself constantly researching through both foreign and local fishing resources in search of

new techniques and tackle to try. Magazines, websites, catalogues, and videos are all sources of new ideas and are regularly evolving providers of food for thought. While not everything you find or try will work, it will help keep you at the forefront of anything new, and situate you that one step ahead of the pack. It is the little things that make the difference come

competition day.

Fishing, like many things, revolves around cycles and patterns. Dam levels fluctuate, seasons return and weather changes, which result in a variation of fish moods.

The only thing certain is that history repeats and past conditions will reoccur. So it is very important for an angler to remember what techniques worked under a specific set of

conditions. These conditions may change by the hour, by the day or by the year; one thing is for sure they will never only occur once. While replicating these techniques, it is not a certainty that they will prove successful, but more often than not, it is a fast way to gain results.

SWITCH IT UP Instant results are not always found when previous

techniques are replicated; sometimes it pays to vary your approach. These variations do not always need to be major changes, but more of a subtle adjustment. A good example of this is when I reach for my ever-reliable, tournamentwinning box of jerkbaits. I will always start with three twitches (pause, two twitch, pause technique) repeating this throughout the retrieve.

While more often than not this method will work, sometimes a slight adjustment will result in even more bites.

This may be to a constant twitching retrieve, slow roll or a violent erratic rod twitch.

Applying this theory to other successful lures will work and constant experimenting with retrieve methods will result in more fish.

Fishing is evolving faster than ever before, information is more readily available and easier to find. Most tournament angler’s arsenal these days is far broader than a simple gold Bomber.

Anglers must learn from the past, look at the present and look to the future.

Accumulating a complete repertoire of techniques will set you apart from the rest of the field, becoming a jack-of-all-trades, rather than a master of one is the key to consistent tournament angling success.

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BARRA Tour Bootcamp ABT

Everything about fishing for the iconic barramundi is nothing short of breathtaking.

The anticipation, the strike, the battle, and the all-important brag once the deed is done makes catching a barramundi at the top of almost every Australian angler’s bucket list. There’s no better way of being dropped into the thick of it than packing up some gear, and making the

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trip north for the 2016 Zerek BARRA Tour.

The BARRA Tour, now in it’s 11th year is without doubt the best way to immerse yourself in barramundi tactics and techniques. The BARRA Tour is held over the November full moon, and coincides with the best fishing time of the year in the North Queensland impoundments.

The BARRA Tour consists of four tournaments, over 7-days and nights and is held on Australia’s premier barramundi fishing impoundments – Teemburra Dam, Kinchant Dam and Peter Faust Dam.

The events coincide with moon phases and tide changes, to maximise the chance of all attending anglers doing battle with the 1m+ barramundi that reside in these impoundments.

The past two years have proven this formula true, with 1m+ averages in several events and a list of returning anglers lining up year after year to take on the tour.

So, if you want a slice of the pie at the end of 2016, here’s all you need to know to get prepped and ready for the Zerek BARRA Tour.

WHAT TO EXPECT If you’re a barra

Top: Big barra abound on The Tour. Above: There’s wet and wild times on the Zerek Barra Tour.

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abt.org.au newcomer looking for some 101 education, you will learn stacks of new tricks and leave the Zerek BARRA Tour a totally new angler. Likewise, if you’re a seasoned pro, you never stop learning this game, and there’s plenty to absorb about our most iconic sportfish.

The BARRA Tour is your chance to rub shoulders with a group of Australia’s best barramundi anglers. You travel with them, fish with them, fish against them and ultimately learn what makes them Australia’s best. It’s easy to write off a session as a failure when you fish by yourself, but when there are 30 boats on the water, someone will always figure out a productive pattern, location or technique.

That information immediately filters down to everyone

who’s attending, and all of a sudden you have some great information about what you can try in the next session or event.

This sharing of knowledge is the cornerstone of what ABT was built on, and our BREAM and BASS tournament trails are testament to that fact.

The BARRA Tour hasn’t been around as long, and the events don’t happen as often.

This makes the BARRA Tour a week-long information overload, and you can be sure you’ll be a better angler for attending.

The other thing you can expect is that you’re going to have one hell of a time, fishing aside. Everything about the BARRA Tour is fun, the road trip, the afternoons at the pub talking fishing, and that’s all before you’ve even wet a line.

ACCOMMODATION Name Pioneer Valley Hotel/Motel (Gargett Hotel) Criterion Hotel Finch Hatton Kinchant Waters Caravan Park Lions Camp Kanga Travelling in a group as big as the BARRA Tour is truly a rewarding experience. Oh, and you’re going to catch barra!

WHERE TO STAY Every year ABT release dates almost six-months in advance. This allows everyone time to plan, and there are plenty of options for everyone attending.

For the Teemburra Dam events, you’re going to need to stay down the range at one of the pubs. There’s the Criterion Hotel just up the road at Finch Hatton, and the Gargett Hotel a further

Address 1 Jim Moule St, Gargett, 4741 9 Mackay-Eungella Rd, Finch Hatton 4756 Kinchant Dam Rd, Kinchant Dam, 4741 2396 Crystalbrook Rd, Crystal Brook 4800

10-minutes down the road.

The Criterion is the host for the Teemburra and Kinchant events. The Criterion is where the session’s scores are posted up, and the hotel essentially serves as the headquarters for those events.

For Kinchant Dam events, you also have the option of some of the facilities available on site. There are cabins and campsites right on the edge of the water, and for those that want to stay a little closer to town the lake is less than an hour drive from Mackay.

When the tour rolls out

SHOPPING AROUND Getting supplies while on the road, especially out of standard shopping hours, can be a challenge.

Here’s a list of places to visit when on the hunt for food, fuel, tackle and general supplies.

Kinchant and Teemburra Finch Hatton General Store Meals and groceries 7am-5pm BP Finch Hatton Fuel and vehicle/trailer supplies 7am-6pm Gargett General Store Fuel, groceries and Post Office 7am-10pm Kookaburra’s Store Mirani Meals, fuel, and groceries 5am-8pm Tackle World Mackay Tackle 8am-5.30pm, 8am-4pm (Sat) 8am-3pm (Sun) Compleat Angler Nth Mackay Tackle 8am-5.30pm, 7am-4pm (Sat) 7am-2pm (Sun) Peter Faust Caltex Proserpine Fuel and limited groceries 5am-8pm BP Proserpine Fuel and limited groceries Open 24 hours Woolworths Proserpine Groceries 8am-9pm (closed Sun) Barra World Tackle 8am-5.30pm, 6.30am-1pm (Sat), (closed Sun)

and heads north to Proserpine and Peter Faust Dam, there’s only one place to stay, and that’s Camp Kanga. It’s arguably the best tournament venue we visit every year.

Plenty of cabins, great food and a short 10-minute drive to the boat ramp. If you want the

Phone Number (07) 4958 5106 (07) 4958 3252 (07) 4954 1453 (07) 4947 2600

jerkbait among timber, yet is not disadvantaged too much on an open point casting a soft plastic to a weed edge.

You don’t need to worry too much about how many million modulus the blank is, as long as it’s comfortable and light enough to cast for 8-hours

TRAVEL TIME Here’s a breakdown of some of the travel times for the Zerek BARRA Tour.

Brisbane to Mackay 12 hours Mackay to Kinchant Dam 45 mins Mackay to Teemburra Dam 1 hour Teemburra Dam to Peter Faust Dam 2 hours Proserpine to Peter Faust Dam 20 mins

easiest and most convenient BARRA Tour experience, Camp Kanga and Peter Faust are your best bet.

GETTING TACKLED Rod A medium-heavy rated baitcast around 6’6” in length would be the first item to pack for a week on the Zerek BARRA Tour.

Something of this length can be used for tip down presentations like twitching a

without fatigue, you won’t have any trouble detecting a bite from a hungry barra.

A spin rod of a similar rating around 10-20lb and the 7’0” mark would be the second stick in the quiver. This rod can mainly be used for long casting on open points and bays, but could be equally useful for slowly winding a lure through structure. A key with spin rods is to make sure the guides are To page 8

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Tournament Angler Guide

From page 7

suitable to pass your chosen leader knot, if you tie a large knot like an albright choose a rod with larger guides, likewise if you’re familiar with the FG knot, (which you can watch by clicking the QR code) you open up a few more options with smaller guides.

Unsure of where to start looking? There’s a Wilson Venom to cover every scenario you’re likely to encounter on

the BARRA Tour.

Reel So now you’ve got your rods sorted, you’ll need some reels to match. Look for a low-profile baitcaster with a good smooth drag. You won’t have any problem casting the standard heavy-weight barra lure. But when a barra starts running you’ll want a reel that can dispense line smoothly without shuddering.

Same goes with a spin reel,

aim for something of 3000 size that can hold plenty of 30lb braid and not flex under heavy drags.

Lures When it comes to lures, there are plenty of options on the market. But there

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• Moderate specific gravity reduces wind & tide influences, improving contact with lure.

• Low stretch, high sensitivity • Excellent visibility in dark or light conditions.

• Colour: Pearl blue

are more than a few musthaves. Not surprisingly, Zerek have a number of absolutely essential lure styles for barra fishing. The new BARRA Tour sponsor saw the connection their products and brand had with the fisheries of northern Queensland and they’ve returned the favour in a big way.

Soft plastics ‘Soft plastics’ is a pretty generalized term for what is a very diverse style of lure. There are a myriad of shapes and sizes which can be perplexing on a shop wall.

From flukes to frogs and everything in-between, soft plastics encompass some of the most effective and reliable barra lures we’ve seen on the tour.

• Low stretch (max 5%) • High sensitivity • Super high strength • Excellent durability and abrasion resistance • Smooth surface manufacturing • Tight braiding for enhanced durability • 4lb to 40lb is 4 strand • 50lb to 80lb is 8 strand Available in bright green and light blue.

150m 4lb to 30lb 300m 15lb to 80lb 1800m 20lb to 80lb

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Thumbs up if you love barra. past few tours has been the soft vibration bait. These baits have boomed over the last few years, and have proven successful time and time again. Zerek’s Fish Trap is available in both 95 and 110mm versions, while the Jackall Transam is a must have in your box.

If you’re looking to compile the ultimate BARRA Tour box of baits then there’s no better place to look than the ‘Barra in a Box’ feature in this magazine.

BRING A MATE, BARRA TOUR AWAITS With almost five-months to plan your northern barra sojourn, there’s plenty of time to get a teammate and get everything ready. The Zerek BARRA Tour will advance your skills faster than five

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Swimbaits A range of paddle-tailed swimbaits with matching jigheads will see you through the vast majority of the BARRA Tour. These can be hopped, burned or simply slow rolled. You can rig them with a heavy jighead and fish deep, or use a weighted worm hook and fish them through the weeds.

The Zerek Flat Shad is a great choice and can be rigged with exposed hook or weedless.

The Squidgy Slick Rig would also have to be a walk-up starter, but be prepared to rip it through the weed, as you can’t rig it weedless.

Hardbodies Hardbodies have been the first choice of so many barra anglers throughout Australia, and they hold their own at the forefront of tournament angling. There are so many different shapes and sizes to choose from on the wall of your favourite tackle store, and while they all have their place, you could do far worse than to have an assortment of long, slim profile minnows in both shallow and deep-diving bibs and not much else. You don’t get the adage of ‘no wobble, no gobble’ for nothing and a hard twitched jerkbait is one of the most effective ways to catch barramundi.

Soft vibes The other lure style that’s been hard to ignore over the

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years of social fishing. Think of it as arguably the cheapest barra charter in Australia, it lasts a week and you can fish with your mate.

The ABT BARRA tour is the pinnacle of competitive barra angling and attracts anglers from all over the country and world.

Travelling alongside some of the country’s best anglers, listening to them share tips and strategies, watching them as they select which lures to use and how to approach a certain location is invaluable to becoming a better angler.

So pack your gear and plan the time off, the dates and entry forms are out for what will surely be another week to remember as the Zerek BARRA Tour heads north in November.

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Barra in a Box Simon Goldsmith, Karim De Ridder, Craig Griffiths

Trying to condense a boatload of lures down to one box is no easy task.

With that exact goal in mind we thought whom better up for the task than current BARRA Tour Team of the Year, Karim De Ridder and Craig Griffiths.

The team that all teams fear on the BARRA Tour, Karim and Craig have boxed up their go-to barra baits for the 2016 Zerek BARRA Tour and are giving us the low down on essential baits for life on the tour. There’s perhaps more barra caught with this one box than any other box in BARRA Tour history. Look at it, study it, and learn it, because if the 2016 Zerek BARRA Tour is on your to-do list then there’s something in this box for you.

1 LUCKY CRAFT SKT MAGNUM, 5” STORM SUSPENDING SHAD The lure that became a staple in our barra box courtesy of its success in the 2015 BARRA Tour, and one of the contributors to our

Teemburra round victory, the SKT Magnum is a lure that’s suited to variety of locations.

From fishing between weed pillars, through hard stumps and on deep points this is a lure that’s at its best in 3-4m of water and worked with a constant slow roll, crankin’ retrieve.

A slow tapered rod and a slow retrieve reel such as a Daiwa Zillion Crazy Cranka is the outfit best suited to throwing the Magnum. A great lure when there’s a reaction bite on.

A long time favourite and a lure that’s perfect for fishing over the top of weed, the Storm Suspending Shad needs some upgrades out of the packet, and a size 4 Decoy split ring and 1/0–2/0 treble will make it fit and ready for action. One of the great things about this lure is its action, a regular body roll and seductive tail beat makes it a gun barra bait.

Sloping points are the prime locations to fish with this lure, with a twitch and pause retrieve down the slope and dynamite retrieve.

A great lure through weed, yet a lure that needs to be worked, rather than just chucked and wound to get

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A box of winning baits for barra catching success. the best results.

2 SQUIDGY 110 SLICK RIG, 3” STORM SUSPENDING SHAD The great all-rounder and a must have in any barra box, the Slick Rig is a lure that’s super easy to use and super effective at catching barra.

One of our go-to baits to dial in fish during the prefish (we actually fish it with the hooked folded in so we don’t sting fish), to modify our Slick Rigs we add a, 1/2oz TT Area 51 jighead or a Craig Griffiths custom jighead, Decoy Y-S21 treble, and dye the tail (orange or chartreuse), as well as trim or melt the tail wrist with a soldering iron.

Black and gold, and white and blue (a favourite night colour) are our favourites. One of the best lures going around for barra, a chuck and wind in most cases is all that’s needed to get success with a Slicky.

The little brother of the 5”, the 3” Storm is perhaps our favourite finesse barra bait.

This lure stays high in the water column, which makes it ideal for shallow water, the Suspending Shad is a great lure to reach for when things get tough.

3 LUCKY CRAFT POINTER 78 XD, & 100 XD, MARIA MJ-1 DD 90F, Every barra box should have at least one, or a dozen Pointers in it. The smallest one in our box, the 78 XD (XD stands for Extra Deep) is a gun lure when a

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smaller-sized deep jerkbait is required. We like to fish the 78XD by cranking the lure down, then working it with a series of twitches and pauses.

This is a lure that comes through weed with ease.

The Pointer 100XD is what we reach for when we need to get a little deeper and when the barra are looking for something a little bigger.

This lure is perfect in 8-12ft of water, and a simple slow wind or rip down and pause works fantastic. It’s also our go-to lure when fishing deep, standing timber. As is the case in this country, be prepared to donate a few to unstoppable monsters.

Natural coloured XDs are our preference in clear water, while we tend to go a little brighter such as the orange gold and disco

colours when the water is darker and dirtier.

By contrast the Maria MJ is a lure with a slightly different action (and very unique) compared to the XD. A great point of difference to the Pointer and lure that we find works best in white or natural colours.

4 JACKALL TRANSAM, LUCKY CRAFT LV RTO-150, CULTIVA TANGO DANCER, RICHO STREAK 9 You can’t go barra fishing these days without a Jackall Transam. The essential plastic to have, and while we’ll often use other brand soft vibes available, it’s usually only ever the original Transam that we’ll use in a tournament. Deadly on shutdown fish and capable

When it comes to catching big barra, Karim DeRidder knows his stuff!

of being ripped and fished through weed, they’re at their stickiest and strongest when the hooks are upgraded with either a number 4 or number 6 Decoy Y-S81 trebles.

Used in the same situation as the Jackall, the LV RTO is your go-to when you need a Transam with a rattle. We only tie one of these on when the barra are eating rattling lures, and just like the Transam we upgrade the trebles.

The number one topwater bait for the barra, the Tango Dancer is a lure that makes plenty of noise and is ultra easy to walk across the surface. A great early morning lure and to use in places where weed grows all the way to the surface.

Walk this lure through an alley in the weed or a slot in the lilies if you want to experience an explosive barra surface strike.

When it comes to hand carved timber barra lures the name Richo says it all. The Richo Streaker has pulled fish when many others lures, including soft plastics, have drawn a blank. With a unique action and sound that barra just love, the Richo come through timber incredibly well, withstands a lot of punishment, and when retrofitted with Owner 4X trebles become a slow

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Craig’s box of baits catches him plenty of fish like this. float lure. Crank the lure down to the desired depth, then work it with a twitchpause retrieve.

5 LUCKY CRAFT POINTER 100 SP, LUCKY CRAFT FLASH MINNOW 110 SP, LIVE TARGET 115 SMELT The Pointer 100 SP is our shallow water jerkbait staple. A lure that dives to 5-8ft, the Pointer is excellent for targeting fish moving through an area mid-water at that depth.

We use the Flash Minnow when and where many anglers use a Rapala X Rap. An excellent lure around shallow weed beds, this lure dives around 1-4ft deep and has lots of roll

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and flash. This pronounced behaviour will draw fish from a long way making it a great searching bait. You need to keep the trebles light on the Flash Minnow though; an upgrade to heavy hooks will negate the action and the performance of the lure.

The Live Target Smelt is similar to the Pointer in many ways and is lure that we’ll often reach for when we’re looking for something just a little bit different.

Shallow diving and distinct with a walk-the-dog action this is great lure to work along deeper weed edges.

6 6. 5” BERKLEY HOLLOWBELLY, 6 ½” STRIKE KING

SHADALICIOUS, 8” HAPPY ROCK Soft, subtle, and capable of being worked at dead slow speed is the best way to describe the Hollowbelly.

With an enticing body roll and a tail beat that continues to work at slower speeds than other plastics such as the Slick Rig, the Berkley is an essential plastic for life on the BARRA Tour.

A hollow tube plastic like the Berkley, the Strike King exhibits more vibration on the roll than the Hollowbelly and is a great choice when a larger profile is necessary.

For those times when you need to go bigger again the 8” Happy Rock has you

covered. Finding a large enough jighead to go in the plastics however can prove a challenge. A homemade jighead can be used with a stinger attachment for when the tournament kicks off.

7 EVERGREEN ES FLAT, SQUIDGY BONEY BREAM A dynamite bait that barra absolutely nail when fished correctly and in the right location is the ES Flat.

It’s a big fish magnet at Kinchant. The key with the ES Flat is to throw it out, let it sink, then work it back mid-water with a slow snaking retrieve. When fish encounter this lure mid-water they’ll inhale it like a lolly.

If you’re talking barra lollies you can’t go past the now discontinued Squidgy Boney Bream. In the right hands and in the right location this lure is lethal.

In among the weed and lily channels at Kinchant this lure has few contenders.

Silver and gold are the pick of the colours and if you can track any down to buy, buy them, and buy as many as you can afford, as you can never have too many of this lure.

So there you have it, a box of some of the best, and proven lures on the BARRA Tour tournament trail. Lures

used by the best, to perform at their best. If you’re packing your tackle bag for the 2016 Zerek BARRA Tour we suggest you grab a few lures out of Karim and Craig’s tackle tray.

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The road to tournament success - tips and tricks Karim De Ridder

Most competitive tournament anglers have specific goals, whether to win that first tournament or even achieve a pinnacle AOY/TOY title. One thing is for sure, the road to glory is a path of many curves and every learning opportunity will move you closer towards your tournament goals.

Pre-fishing, whether done months, weeks or days prior to a tournament is an essential element to your game plan to maximise performance and help you achieve your goals. Outlined below are some vital factors that will give you some direction to ensure you get the most out of your preparation, and the most from your BARRA Tour.

PLANNING AHEAD The importance of simple tools such as Google Earth, seasonal outlooks, short and long term weather observations, current water levels and even historical data are often underestimated. Use them to plan ahead and you

will save time on the water.

Speaking to local tackle shops and anglers in regards to recent conditions facing you prior to arrival can also help. With the multitude of information available, draft plans can be discussed

with your team mate and provide some direction and relevant starting points to kick your pre-fish off to your advantage.

The transition of seasons will challenge most anglers. Although

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blowing in constant velocity and direction can magnify fish numbers in some areas and void them completely in others. Keep a careful eye on those factors to develop strategies that effectively raise your results to the top.

The author looked absolutely stoked with this barramundi caught amongst the trees.

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North Queensland’s barra impoundments don’t generally have the radical seasonal variations of other areas, the subtle changes should be noted and taken into consideration to locate fish. The movement between

seasons will see the types of forage change, which in turn will influence your presentations directly. The locations of major food sources such as bony bream and redclaw will fluctuate considerably depending on spawning schedules, seasonal factors, temperature fluctuations and elements such as wind direction and strength, which in turn also contributes to water quality and flow.

MOVE AROUND The mass movement of barramundi is another factor to keep in mind as the season approaches the humid summer months. Big numbers of barramundi will school and locate themselves naturally towards spillways and dam walls, and will behave on instinct – driven and feeding hard. Ignorance to such movements and behaviour could make or break your campaign; therefore implement strategies to identify these patterns as much as possible. Within these mass movements of barra, independent ‘staging’ locations of barramundi can also occur, resulting in dense schools of fish. Find these schools and increase your chances exponentially in comparison to anglers ignorant of those behaviours.

Wind directions and dam stability influenced by seasonal change is something that is easily perceptible to most anglers.

The southeast trade winds

TOURNAMENT TIME MANAGEMENT The confining time limits of a tournament are a stressor that often makes or breaks a team’s confidence.

Fish are constantly moving, so the key during your pre-fish is to identify common factors to locate feeding fish that mirrors the tournament times. It would be impractical to fish all night if your tournament is planned for daylight hours, as fish movements and bite periods will most likely be very different between day and night.

Another benefit to scheduled pre-fish sessions is the consideration of rest times to ensure you are fresh, rested and thinking straight while pre-fishing. There is

nothing worse than burning the candle short before the tournament even kicks off.

TECH HEADS When Humminbird introduced side-imaging technology to the recreational market in 2005 the tournament scene for barramundi was revolutionised in ways of unseen proportions. With competitive pricing and multiple manufacturers bringing out technology, most anglers will have a range of displays from 5-12” screens strewn across the decks in a variety of arrangements. Effectively using your technology is the key to consistency in the pre-fish phase that will lead to consistency during the tournament. Simple things such as the identification of directional fish movements from deep water to shallow, through structure or edges, or highways to and from are possible with this technology.

Next level additions such as Humminbird’s 360° imaging give anglers another step up by allowing fish movements to be tracked in a way that may help ensure cast accuracy is maximised via the tracking of movements and patterns in a set range.

Even though this technology has developed exponentially, don’t forget your developed instinct and that ‘gut feel’ factor.

A combination of usable technology and your developed instinct is a powerful weapon.

DON’T OVERDO IT – ARE YOU PRE-FISHING OR OVERFISHING? Fellow tournament anglers always ask how many fish you caught during a pre-fish to establish potential competition.

However, catching a grand number in your pre-fish is completely unnecessary – if you land a significant number of fish then you are going beyond the task.

A pre-fish is a short learning process to optimise

Craig Griffiths is thorough in his tackle preperations and his results show it.

your tactics and direction for an impending tournament.

A very common mistake a lot of anglers make is to get bogged into certain areas or just a couple of spots and land a number of fish driving their confidence and thus their direction for the competition. Realistically you have just limited your learning process and results to a very small location. It is fundamental to your success in a tournament to maximise the ability to back up areas, deal with changes and maintain consistent captures.

To know when to pack up and leave an area, or to work out the finer details of an area is a happy medium

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integral to the success of the tournament. Tournaments are rarely won by bashing the fish in practice time, and negative impacts abound.

A simple approach worth applying is presenting hookfree lures, a valuable way to avoid ‘over-fishing’ and still provide the data required to decide on the potential of a spot. A modification of the lure in regards to balance will be required to ensure presentations are still optimal.

Another important factor is to avoid making a spectacle of your fishing and avoiding other competitors during pre-fish. Those who have less public displays of action during pre-fish, will find their

There’s nothing better than the crunch and swallow of your lure by a stonking barra.

Check out the gob on this thing!

spots are much less crowded.

PLANNING THE ATTACK Once the hours or days of pre-fish are spent, it is important to make careful consideration of the plan most likely to put a limit in the boat. If a run and gun pattern of hitting multiple areas is on the cards, careful route planning is a must for safety, time considerations and effectiveness along the tournament time line. Always bank on the need for a Plan B,C, D and so on, as common areas will usually be found by other switched on anglers. If the area has a steady flow of fish over a long period of time it may be worth setting up and fishing to the tournament completion. A combination of these two strategies is effective if the areas hold differing sizes of fish and you are looking for upgrades.

Another factor often overlooked is competitor psychology. The mental dynamics of your opposition with knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses is important to take note while planning your angle of attack.

Commonly found/known areas may need to be hit first to pick the cream, prior to targeting lesser known or new areas that you may need to keep up your sleeve for different times or multiple

Craig, the author’s teammate displays the quality of barra found on BARRA Tour. day events.

The number of areas you find is important, but so is finding variety and differences between your areas, as this will drive consistency in your results. With the changes that occur on the dams constantly, your technique and area during a pre-fish may turn barren very quickly and require the variety basket to pull a rabbit out of your hat.

Do not limit yourself to a sole technique and area, as eventually your consistency will drop and damage your overall performance.

WHEN THE WHEELS FALL OFF Whether an area has

changed due to environmental factors or that you never really cracked a stable bite pattern, it is important to keep the mind open and accept changes. If you look at anglers who have maintained a high degree of consistency, the common factor in their performances is the ability to let go of preconceived strategies when the action isn’t happening.

Fishing on the fly with continual adjustments for conditions is a must-have skill of any angler dreaming of top-level achievements. Don’t be afraid to pull the electric up and start pre-fishing in a tournament, this has and will continue to win tournaments

for anglers with confidence to just catch fish.

SELF REFLECTION The tournament has ended, the winners have been crowned and most people have packed their belongings and started the long trek home. Evaluation of your tournament results and pre-fish is a must to ensure that mistakes don’t reoccur.

Pick apart you approach and strategies, discuss them with your teammates or peers, and let the lessons of the tournament sink in to develop you as an angler.

Hopefully, each tournament will get closer to achieving your goals.

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FIND-A-WORD COMPETITION NRL PLAYERS

J THURSTUNA DARIUS BUOY ASH TAILOR GREG ICEJIG JUSTIN OREEL BEN BARRA DANE GARFISH JORDAN WAHOO COOPER DONK

MATT SPLITSHOT CAMERON FISH JOSH MCGAR MATT FILLET JOSH MANSAURI ROBBIE BARRA JAMES TAMAHI GREG BAIT PAUL GAFFEM

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Name: Address:

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The first correct entry at the end of each month will win the prize pack.

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Congratulations to Billie Mitchell of Murgon, who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition!

Monthly winners receive a Pocket Balls prize pack.

Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – QFM

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE BITE ME by Trisha Mason

The subscriber prize winners for June were: E Osborne of Logahnholme, J Shanahan of Jubilee Pocket, A Adams of Scarborough, M Bain of Woombye, N Hayes of Kippa-Ring, M Miller of North Lakes, who won a Gamakatsu prize pack valued at $50.

All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM

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The answers to Find the ZMan Logo for June were: 10, 14, 20, 22, 25, 31, 42, 47, 50, 68, 74, 79, 96, 98, 100. – QFM The Find the ZMan logo prize winners for June were: B Mitchell of Murgon, D Burton of Moorooka, A Jones of Warwick, W Adamson of Tallegalla, P Fels of Cushnie, E & V Jackson of Long Flat, J Davis of Austinville, T Jordan of Highgate Hill, B Schnitzer of Cooma, A Moody of Collinsville, B O’Connor of South Bingera, K O’Brien of Burrum Heads, T Ramm of Kawana, R Peake of Gympie, F Heiniger of Woombye, M Handley of Pacific Haven, A Traynor of Tewantin, R Treacy of Frenchville, T Davidson of Guyra, S Della Santa of Agnes Water, G McGrath of Avoca, W Newall of Cumnock, S Grainger of Barcaldine, J Chandler of Calliope, D Hutchins of Bundaberg, A Hewlett of Mothar Mountain, T Hodges of Ballina, J Blundell of Redcliffe, P Ferguson of Surat, B Mackey of Parkwood, J Goody of Mount Berryman, E Lezuchowski of Darra, R Schefe of Point Vernon, B Evans of River Heads, M Kras of Goodna, B Newton of Trinity Beach, A Jorgensen of Kippa-Ring, J Bugno of Bardon, P Loyd of Lake MacDonald, J Palmer of Draper.

Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM AUGUST 2016

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Lose the winter blues Winter has taken its toll on the freshwater fishery.

The lakes have finally cooled down and the fish must be feeling the effects.

While they can still be caught, the action is much slower now and you will have to put in some work to turn their heads.

They’re not impossible, although on the bass scene some days it may appear so. This is pretty typical for this time of year. Some days they eat, some days they don’t!

With spring just around the corner, we can expect to go from slow fishing to sensational and this can happen as if somebody has just flicked a switch.

Bass are usually first to respond to the change in

season. In the dams, they don’t breed, but at this time of year they school up and tend to feed ravenously.

While they are tough, slower presentations like soft plastics and ice jigs will entice the bites. Once they fire up, it’s hard to beat tailspinners, blades and vibes.

Golden perch will still be a little slow, but there are a few spots where they have been biting lures and baits all winter.

Cod are on the prowl and tolerate the cooler temperatures better, so now is a great time to put your beanie on and toss some bigger lures for these fish.

Look to lakes like Leslie, Glenlyon and Coolmunda or head across the border to where the monsters have

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND CRESSBROOK CLOSEST TOWN: CROWS NEST Cressbrook has been one of the more reliable lakes for bass fishing over winter. The schooling fish seem to be showing up more widespread on the deeper points and flats all over the lake. Having more than one school to target has been a blessing, as sitting on the same school of fish in this lake tends to shut them down.

Spinnerbaits and blades have been accounting for a few fish around the edges of the dam, but the better numbers are coming from schools. Ice jigs are a good way to fool these fish when they are reluctant to hit faster presentations. If they are a little more active, I’d be reaching for a tail-spinner or soft vibe to try and weed out the smaller fish.

Look for fish in areas like the main points in the dam’s basin, Bass Bay (between the boat ramps and pump tower), Deer Island

(opposite the pump tower) and out from the toilet points up both arms. Use this as a guide as the fish have been turning up in different areas, which is a great change for Cressbrook.

Sounding in 7-10m of water should reveal the schooling fish. When they are up off the bottom,

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experiment with a range of lures. If you see them sitting hard on the bottom switch to an ice jig, a small blade (using small hops) or a deeply presented fly.

The quality of the bass has been getting better and better. While most are still around the legal size of 30cm, there have been plenty caught over 40cm in length. These bigger fish are sometimes in a school

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Copeton Cressbrook Dyer/Bill Gunn Eungella Fairbairn Glenlyon Hinze Julius Kinchant Koombooloomba Leslie Macdonald

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IMPOUNDMENT DAM

of similar sized fish or out cruising on their own.

Lure trollers have had a lot of luck on the bigger bass, which suggests they are a little more scattered. Deep diving lures like the Blitz Baga, Golden Child and Little Rippa are ideal to target these scattered big fish.

For all your fishing supplies and the latest reports on Cressbrook and the surrounding dams, call in to see the specialist tackle stores in Toowoomba. Tackle World Toowoomba in Ruthven Street on the north side and Fish’n’Bits in Alderly Street closer to the south side have a great range of lures and fishing gear. Support these tackle stores because they will

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Cairns 1

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19

33

20

Townsville 2

3 4

Proserpine 6 5

Mackay

Rockhampton

Emerald

32

29 7

10

Highlighted dams are covered in this issue

be able to direct you to where the fish are biting and offer invaluable advice.

Just remember there is a speed limit of 8 knots and a restricted area at Cressbrook Dam. Check out the signage to ensure you stay out of trouble and abide by the rules.

The gate hours for the boat ramps and day use area are under winter hours, which are 7am until 6pm.

SOMERSET CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY Somerset fish are up to their old tricks again. Just when it looked like they would bite reasonably well all winter, they have given us a demonstration of their lockjaw. In typical Somerset

Gladstone

30 8

Bundaberg 9

11

Roma BRISBANE

fashion, the bass will bite one day and not the next, although it does seem the days they do bite well are becoming less common. This isn’t out of the ordinary for this time of year, and on most days the fish can seem impossible to tempt. Come spring, when the switch flicks, this will all change and they will start feeding well again.

An early morning start and braving the cold is your best chance of turning their heads on the tough days. It is not uncommon to start the day with a flurry of fish before they get really tough to entice. The middle section of the main basin has been holding fish for over a month To page 77

Dam........................................ % Full

         

May Jun Jul

Maroon 94 94 98 Monduran/Fred Haigh 95 94 94 Moogerah 87 82 92 North Pine/Samsonvale 65 64 68 Peter Faust/Proserpine 63 62 63 Pindari 36 35 45 Somerset 78 78 80 Teemburra 88 88 92 Tinaroo 56 56 53 Toonumbar 100 100 100 Wivenhoe 84 83 82 Wuruma 94 93 92

For fortnightly updates on Sunwater dams visit www.sunwater.com.au This symbol indicates that a Stocked Impoundment Permit is required to fish these dams.

All figures are % readings Current as of 20/07/16

(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.)

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AUGUST 2016

Maryborough

www.bargainboatbits.com.au

May Jun Jul

15 16 18 80 78 97 7 7 9 99 98 101 39 39 44 26 26 26 93 98 100 95 93 90 91 89 102 53 63 57 13 12 12 99 99 95

Gold Coast

22

24 1 Tinaroo Falls Dam 2 Peter Faust Dam 3 Burdekin Falls Dam 4 Eungella Dam 5 Teemburra Dam 6 Kinchant Dam 7 Cania Dam 8 Lake Monduran 9 Isis Balancing Storage 10 Wuruma Dam 11 Lenthalls Dam 12 Boondooma Dam 13 Bjelke-Petersen Dam 14 Lake MacDonald 15 Gordonbrook Dam 16 Borumba Dam 17 Somerset Dam 18 Wivenhoe Dam 19 Pindari Dam 20 Copeton Dam 21 Moogerah Dam 22 Maroon Dam 23 Leslie Dam 24 Connolly Dam 25 Coolmunda Dam 26 Clarrie Hall Dam (NSW) 27 Hinze Dam 28 Lake Cressbrook 29 Callide Dam 30 Lake Awoonga 31 Lake Samsonvale 32 Fairbairn Dam 33 Koombooloomba Dam 34 Cooby Dam

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21

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Dam........................................ % Full

May Jun Jul Atkinson Awoonga Bjelke-Petersen Boondooma Borumba Burdekin Falls Callide Cania Clarendon Clarrie Hall Cooby Coolmunda

been chewing topwaters, wakebaits and swimbaits for the last few months, Copeton Dam. Barra will be tough to fool this month, but if you time your trips around the better, warmer weather, you’ll greatly improve your chances. Next month will see them fire up a notch and the action will only improve the following month.

So, while things may be slower now, great fishing is just around the corner.

Dust off your rods, polish your reels and change those rusty hooks. The freshwater will have plenty to offer next month. Until then, let’s see how and where you can get a fishing fix. Until next month, buckled rods from The Colonel!

brought to you by

Dam........................................ % Full

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Jason Clark and his mate had a crack at some Cressbrook Dam bass, landing these quality fish on tailspinners. Who said reaction baits don’t work in winter?

DAM LEVELS

Gympie

12

From page 76

now. Look around the flats and drop offs from Bay 13 to Kirkleigh. The schools have been quite good once found, which means there will be quite a bit of barren water to rule out before you start fishing.

Once those bass are found, try hopping a tailspinner or vibe through them.

The reaction bite is usually an early morning thing and a good way to get a few fish in a row. As the action slows, move off the school and try to find another at least 100m away, as they can also turn it on if you show them the first lures they have seen for the day.

When all is slow, you can either pack up and go home or put in the hard work to tempt them into biting.

Ice jigging is one of the best methods, apart from using live shrimp. Keep jigging the bottom around areas where the fish are sitting tight to the lake bed. Occasionally the fish will fire up in windows and take other lures and it may be worth staying until late in the afternoon to see if they have another feed before dark. All you can do is keep a lure in the water and fish with confidence in the hope they will switch on.

Lure trollers are still able to manage bass and the

occasional golden perch.

The same mid-basin flats are ideal for lure trolling.

Pushing lures down deep in the fish is the trick to getting the bites. The Little Rippa and Blitz Baga are two of the best lures around for this style of fishing. Colour does matter and some days the fish will only eat one lure out of a spread of three. Make sure you carry lures with yellow or chartreuse, brown, black

the timber and inside it on the flats. At the wall end of the lake, the Spit and the flats to the east are also worth a look.

Sounding around in 7-11 metres of water should

reveal some fish. It can also pay to move in closer to any prominent weed edges and sound around the base of the weed where it drops off into the deeper water.

It will be a guessing game as to what these fish will eat. If they don’t respond to reaction lures like soft vibes, blade baits, spoons and tail-spinners, make the switch to ice jigs and soft plastics.

When it is tough, slow it down and see if keeping it in front of their face longer is enough to make them bite your lure.

MAROON CLOSET TOWNS: BOONAH, BEAUDESERT Soft plastics and suspending jerkbaits are about all you’ll need at Maroon Dam. These two lure styles continue to catch the bass around Maroon’s weed beds. Earlier in the day, jerkbaits fished around the face of the weed and inside any deeper pockets are a fun way to fish. Allow the lure to pause between twitches and jerks as this stop-start action is the key ingredient to switching on the bass in the cooler water.

Soft plastic anglers can downsize their jigheads to less than 1/8oz and try their luck popping plastics through the weed. This ploy can work well in the mornings and

Tackle, lures and saltwater yabbies can be purchased from Highfields Bait and Tackle on the New England Highway

and off the bank. Last month a legal sized cod was landed on a frozen shrimp. If you plan on targeting cod, lures are

Chris Achilles managed five bass while fishing Moogerah Dam from his Hobie kayak. This 40cm specimen fell for a Bassman Spinnerbait. and purple and mix it up to find the best one.

For the latest reports, check out Somerset Fishing Tackle online and on Facebook. The store is in

DARLING DOWNS GRANITE BELT REGION COOBY CLOSET TOWNS: HIGHFIELDS, TOOWOOMBA The action at Cooby has been pretty slow. A few golden perch are being caught on saltwater yabbies. The mornings and afternoons have been the best times to try your luck. The better fishing has been taking place in deeper water around 13m deep.

Lure trollers and casters haven’t had a lot to report.

If you are working lures around the edges, it may be worthwhile forgetting the golden perch and targeting Murray cod. There aren’t heaps around, but the few that are will be more willing candidates for lure

Kilcoy but they mail order fishing gear all over the place. For some of the most competitive prices around visit the website www. somersetfishing.com.au.

MOOGERAH CLOSEST TOWNS: BOONAH, ARATULA Moogerah is going to be a bit tougher this month.

Schooling bass will still be found around the lake. Try to locate them at the start of

munching. In the deeper areas, stick to hopping small blades like the ZX40 for the golden perch.

Cooby Dam’s proximity to Highfields and Toowoomba makes it a very popular fishery. If you are looking for somewhere close to home to drop the boat or kayak in, Cooby is definitely worth a visit. The dam hours are now 7am until 6pm. Just remember, no outboard motors are allowed to be used on the dam. The concrete boat ramp is on a shallow angle when the dam is full and can be slippery in places, but a big electric powered boat can still be launched with care.

Outboard motors can be left on the boat but must not be used.

Copeton Dam in Northern NSW has been the place to go for big cod over the few months.

Brett Howie caught this 101cm brute on a JJ’s Plague Topwater Rat wakebait.

afternoons in the shallower areas, but as the light level increases, the fish tend to go deeper. You can persist with the same method and allow the lure longer to sink or target fish outside the weed.

Schooling bass can often be found where the weed bed ends and meets the lake floor.

If you add to this a point or nearby drop off, there is even more chance the fish will be there.

Slow rolling soft plastics on 1/4-1/2oz jigheads through these fish should get the desired response. If this fails, switch to the gun cold water lure, the ice jig.

This chunky Cressbrook fish hit a deep diving lure at the start of winter.

2 Dams

1de stination H

South Burnett

H

· Boondooma Dam · Bjelke-Petersen Dam ·

Nathan Wolhuter landed this impressive Murray cod from the timber in Coolmunda Dam several months ago. The water level is much lower now so anglers will need to explore new areas to find fish like this. in Highfields. Call in and see Doug and check out the great range of fishing gear, kayaks and accessories he has on display.

LESLIE CLOSEST TOWN: WARWICK Leslie still remains one of the better winter fisheries.

The golden perch have been still taking lures with some regularity. Hopping vibes and small blades has accounted for quite a few golden perch in the main basin of the lake. The deeper water here and up past the Washpool Reserve seems to be the most reliable are.

Bait anglers are still catching a mixed bag of silver and golden perch from boats

probably a better option than bait. Another nice cod also fell to a spinnerbait. You can cast these around the rocks and edges or just slow troll them with the electric motor in about 3m of water. Cover plenty of water in the hope you drag it past the nose of a big hungry green fish.

Along with getting a fishing report, stock up on all your gear while at Warwick Outdoor and Sports at 115 Palmerin Street Warwick. For a small store, it carries a great range at a very competitive price. Warwick is only a 10minute drive from the dam and you can pick up any supplies you might need.

To page 78

The BEST place in QLD to catch Australian Bass and Yellowbelly

STAY

3

NIGHTS AND

SAVE CATCH of the month

BJELKE-PETERSEN

BOONDOOMA DAM

Terry caught these during a recent pre fish for a tournament at Boondooma hoping lures on the flats.

Trevor landed this great golden perch using a austackle spinnerbait at BP on his last trip to the dam.

www.lakeboondooma.com.au www.yallakoolpark.com.au AUGUST 2016

77

From page 77

COOLMUNDA CLOSEST TOWN: INGLEWOOD

There haven’t been many reports coming in from Coolmunda. Due to the cold weather, a lot of anglers have been a bit too uncomfortable to take on the challenge.

The golden perch will take frozen saltwater yabbies, but

if I was heading there, I’d be chasing the cod.

With a lot of focus on Copeton Dam over the last few months, Coolmunda’s big Murray cod should have had a bit of a rest. We are now moving into the time when the dam went crazy last year with heaps of big fish boated.

The water level has changed significantly to last year, so the

habitat will also have changed a little.

Try casting and trolling around any deeper timbered areas or along the old riverbed drop offs. Cod love structure, so keep your eyes glued to the sounder for any sign of sunken logs or tree roots.

When trolling, move up onto the flats out of the creek bed in the vicinity of any snag areas.

fishing to the edge, keep an eye on the sounder. Often schooling fish will move up to the shallows to feed.

If you have fish in deeper water under the boat on the sounder, there’s a better chance of finding them up in the shallows nearby.

Schooling bass will also be found in the lake’s second basin. Areas like the Junction and Pelican Point are definitely worth investigating. The bass do move about so a slow sound around the banks and point in 6-9m of water should reveal a few schools.

If the bass are up off the bottom, try your luck casting reaction lures like soft vibes and tail-spinners. If they are hugging the bottom, persist with ice jigs and try to annoy them into biting. When the fish school up thick below the boat and refuse to eat, a soft plastic rolled through them can do the trick. Small grubs worked vertically are ideal for this technique. Rig them on a 1/4oz jighead and wind them dead slow up through the fish and then drop back to the bottom and repeat. Switched on grubbers watch the sounder closely to see their lure going up and down and watch how the fish follow and respond to it. Sometimes they can even

WIDE BAY AND BURNETT REGION BOONDOOMA CLOSEST TOWNS: PROSTON, KINGAROY The fishing is likely to be a bit tougher this month.

Bass and golden perch can still be caught but you’ll need to work that little bit harder. Boondooma does present a lot of opportunities for catching fish with several techniques worth exploring.

In the timbered arms, spinnerbaits are standout lure. Casting around the edges and working the lures back in up to 5m of water will see a few golden perch and bass loading up.

In the basin of the lake, the edges are also worth a shot. Suspending minnows and jerkbaits are performing well. Deeper divers are ideal and even though you are

Ethan Cross caught this quality Boondooma yellowbelly and a few others dredging 5/8oz spinnerbaits off points.

If you can find any significant hideouts up on the flats, you can almost guarantee there will be a cod living there.

Try working in 3-5m of water.

When trolling, big hardbodies with strong action get best results. Shorten the line up if the lure is ploughing in to the bottom too much so that it is thumping away just out of the mud.

The Coolmunda Caravan Park is only around one kilometre away from the lake. The park is just off the Cunningham Highway but far enough away from the noise of trucks to get a good night’s sleep. It offers camping sites, cabins, caravan facilities, tennis courts, a swimming pool, BBQ shelter and a camp kitchen. The park now has

Lure caught goldens are still encountered over the winter months. This solid Boondooma fish belted Nigel Middleton’s silent TN60 Jackall fished over the top of a weed bed. predict the second a fish is going to bite it!

Boondooma is a great place to camp right near the water and sit by the fire while enjoying the view. You could also stay in more style and comfort by booking into one of the cabins overlooking the dam. The kiosk at the main office does hot food and other basic items including fishing tackle. For campsites,

cabins and bunkhouse rooms call Corey and Niki on (07) 4168 9694.

BJELKE-PETERSEN CLOSEST TOWNS: MURGON, GOOMERI Bjelke is still fishing pretty tough. Bass and golden perch are still being caught but it takes quite a bit of effort. Some are coming from the deeper water around Bass Point and the

an extra two new wheelchair friendly cabins to add to their older ones. Camping is also available near the boat ramp with toilets and hot showers to make your stay more comfortable. To take advantage of this and the great fishing opportunities in the lake and the river below, give the park a call on (07) 4652 4171. nearby hump. These fish will eat small blades and ice jigs.

Around the edges of the lake, spinnerbaits can be tossed to the shoreline and wound back. The action will be slow, but you stand a chance of nailing a big golden perch or a few bass.

Next month, this should all change and the fishing will pick up. It’s unreal how quickly things can turn around from being dead to going nuts. You don’t want to miss it when it does, so get the boat ready.

For help catching Bjelke and Boondooma fish, call into Bass 2 Barra. The store stocks an awesome range of gear suited to chasing our freshwater fish and the boys have all the knowledge to guide you on how to use it. You’ll find the stores at 119 Youngman Street Kingaroy. Matthew Mott also runs fishing charters on the dams and you can reach him through the store for bookings and enquiries on (07) 41627555.

The Yallakool kiosk is all set up with a great range of tackle if you don’t happen to have the right lure or lose one. Be sure to call in and check it out. Give them a call for accommodation and camping bookings on (07) 4168 4746.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Boost for rec fishing in dams Recreational fishers will have the chance to cast a line in an additional 31 dams and weirs from 1 July.

The Palaszczuk Government is almost doubling the number of stocked impoundments where anglers will be allowed to fish under the popular Stocked Impoundment Permit Scheme (SIPS).

Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Leanne Donaldson said the

expansion of the programme will give fishers access to 63 dams and weirs throughout the state.

“The addition of these fishing spots will see a boost to freshwater recreational fishing right across the state,” the Minister said.

“Anyone over 18 who wants to fish in these waters will require a permit but the good news is that at least 75 percent of the money received in permits will be directed back into the system.”

GREAT FO R A D AY EV E N B E T T E R W H E N Y O U S TAY

• Great fishing, bass, yellowbelly, cod, saratoga, garfish…

• Windsurfing, boating, beach volleyball, playground, BBQ’s.

• Level tent sites, showers, toilets, hot and cold water.

Only 50 kms from Toowoomba For more information on camping or fees: Call Toowoomba Regional Council on 131 872 during office hours or visit www.toowoombaRC.qld.gov.au 78

AUGUST 2016

“This means this money is being used to enhance the stocking programme and for the first time, it will allow stocking groups to apply to use some of this money to enhance the recreational fishing experience at their local dams and weirs.”

“The expansion of the SIPS will provide increased recreational fishing opportunities to regional communities through the provision of world class freshwater fishing.”

This is a win-win for recreational fishers, local fish stocking groups and regional communities right across Queensland.

“Currently the scheme generates revenue of approximately $1 million each year through the sale of some 50 000 permits,” the Minister said.

“SIPS will also move into the 21st century from 1 July with permits becoming digital making it fast, easy and

convenient for anglers.”

“Digital permits for freshwater fishing will arrive by email or text message and are less likely to be damaged or lost compared to the old paper permits.

“When fishers are asked to produce their permit, they will simply be able to display it on their phone.”

Australia Post will manage the sale of permits, which can be purchased online, at any Australia Post outlet or sub-agent in Queensland and from limited locations in northern New South Wales or over the phone.

An annual permit will cost $50, $36 for an annual concession permit and a weekly permit is $10.

Permit fees have been fixed for the next five years.

Fishers who hold an existing paper-based permit can continue to use it for freshwater fishing until the expiry date. – Queensland Government

NEW SIPS STOCKED DAMS AND WEIRS • Aplins Weir Townsville (North Queensland) • Caboolture River Weir, Caboolture (Moreton Bay) • Goondiwindi (Hilton) Weir, Goondiwindi • Miles Weir, Miles (Western Downs) • Baroon Pocket Dam, Maleny (Sunshine Coast) • Cecil Plains Weir, Cecil Plains (Toowoomba) • Hinze Dam, Gold Coast hinterland • Surat Weir, Surat (Maranoa) • Beebo Weir, Texas (Goondiwindi) • Chinchilla Weir, Chinchilla (Darling Downs) • Inglewood Town Weir, Inglewood (Goondiwindi) • Talgai Weir, Clifton (Southern Downs) • Beehive Dam, Wallangarra (Southern Downs) • Claude Wharton Weir, Gayndah (North Burnett) • Jones Weir, Mundubbera (North Burnett) • Whetstone Weir, Inglewood (Goondiwindi) • Ben Anderson Barrage, Bundaberg • Ewen Maddock Dam, Landsborough (Sunshine Coast) • Koombooloomba Dam, Ravenshoe (Tablelands) • Woodford Weir, Woodford (Sunshine Coast) • Ben Dor Weir, Inglewood (Goondiwindi) • Gill Weir, Miles (Western Downs) • Lake Belmore, Croydon (Gulf Savannah) • Wyaralong Dam, Beaudesert (Scenic Rim) • Black Weir, Townsville (North Queensland) • Gleeson Weir, Townsville (North Queensland) • Lake Kurwongbah, Petrie (South east Queensland) • Yarramalong Weir, Milmerran (Toowoomba) • Bonshaw Weir, Texas (Goondiwindi) • Glenarbon Weir, Texas (Goondiwindi) • Lemon Tree Weir, Millmerran (Toowoomba)

FIND THE

LOGO COMPETITION There are 15

MAJOR PRIZES

MONTHLY PRIZES

Logos hidden throughout the pages of Fishing Monthly.

1

PLACE

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

The first 40 correct entries drawn at the end of the month will win a packet of 2.5” Slim Swimz All entries will go into the major prize draw. (Drawn November 30, 2016)

2

3

4

5

VALUE OF TACKLE TACTICS PRODUCTS

500

$ ND

2

* Note winners receive one packet of 8 one colour

6

7

8

9

PLACE

VALUE OF TACKLE TACTICS PRODUCTS

200

$ RD

3

• PACKET OF ZMAN 2.5” SLIM SWIMZ • Value RRP: $9.95 each

www.tackletactics.com.au PAGE NO: 1

1000

$ ST

Find the

PLACE

10

11

12

VALUE OF TACKLE TACTICS PRODUCTS

13

14

15

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

MAIL ENTRIES TO:

QFM Find the Zman Logo Competition, PO BOX 3172, Loganholme QLD 4129 Entries must be received by 31ST AUGUST 2016 Original entries only. No photocopies.

Images for illustration purposes only.

SUBURB .................................................................P/CODE ...........................

PHONE ..................................................................MOB ...............................

EMAIL ............................................................................................................

QLD AUGUST 2016

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

What’s New FISHING

1

DAIWA LAGUNA 5BI SERIES

The 2016 Laguna 5Bi series is the smoothest, highest performing budget reel that Daiwa has ever released.

Featuring Daiwa’s innovations like Twistbuster II, Silent Oscillation and Infinite anti-reverse, this reel also employs five ball bearings, a high-speed retrieve ratio and Digigear II gearing system for ultra-smooth rotation and feel.

The ABS spool has a maximized core diameter and reversed taper, meaning there is 100% useable line. There’s no ‘dead’ line buried deep in the spool, so you can fill it with line right up to the edge of the spool lip without fear of tangles. The rearward taper of the spool’s core helps prevent tangles caused by excessive loops of loosely wound or stiff line falling forward from the spool on the cast.

This huge diameter spool lets line flow freely in larger coils and produces less line memory coil. The result is less casting friction for longer, easier casting.

The new Laguna series includes 2000, 2500, 3000 and 4000 sizes, and also features a 5000 size budget surf reel. www.daiwafishing.com.au

2

NEW FIVE-0 MINNOW COLOURS

With the popularity of the Bullet Lures Five-0 Minnow, there was a need for more new colours to expand the range of this effective Aussie lure – and Bullet Lures has delivered.

One of the latest patterns is the trout fry, a natural, realistic colour. This pattern, along with the new gold fish, has already made its mark on hooking freshwater and estuary fish.

The fire tiger colour, which was previously only available in the 3cm Bullet Minnow, is also now available in the Five-0. This colour was an excellent addition as the little brother in the same colour accounted for many hook-ups when other colours were quiet.

The Five-0 Minnow comes in three versions: Silent Sinking, Silent Floating and Slow Sinking/Suspending. There are now over 20 colours to chose from, including trout and redfin colours right through to prawn colours for bream and flathead. Each Five0 Minnow is equipped with two Owner #10 ST36 trebles and Owner split rings.

Price: SRP $15.99 www.bulletlures.com

3

HALCO MADEYES OCTOSKIRT

Designed in Australia, the Halco Madeyes Octoskirt is enhanced with natural squid scent, and constructed with Rubber Stretch Technology – a super-stretchy compound that enables the Octoskirt to withstand repeated strikes.

This versatile skirt can be layered on top of metal lures like the Halco Twisty and Twisty Jig, can be used in conjunction with bait or in a paternoster rig, and it can also be rigged with other Madeye soft plastics to create unique combinations that maximise attraction. It can also be rigged on a standard jighead.

The Octoskirt’s strong and stretchy legs wriggle with the slightest touch, yet remain strong when attacked. And like other models in the Madeyes range, it’s enhanced with 100% natural squid scent, which oozes into action as soon as the lure hits the water. All models in the range have been rigorously tested around the country with excellent results.

Halco recommends pairing Madeye lures with Halco Catch Scent (available in saltwater, saltwater fluoro, and freshwater). www.halcotackle.com

4

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

POWERED BY

AUSTACKLE TUFFIES AND DEEP TRIX 1 Austackle Tuffies are made using a special

formula which makes them buoyant, stretchy and almost indestructible. Tuffies stand up to the rigours of hooking toothy critters better than regular plastics.

Leatherjackets, pike, flathead and even tailor are no match for them.

The action is not compromised – Tuffies are soft and flexible, making sure of an exaggerated tail action.

There are four shapes and seven sizes in the current range: the Whiptail Grub (65mm and 85mm); Paddleworm (65mm and 100mm); Ringtail Minnow (65mm and 95mm); and Fishy Thing (85mm). Tuffies have a natural fish scent, come in packs of six and are available in your choice of individual colours or a multicoloured pack.

The tail sizes are matched to Austackle Deep Trix jigheads, which are built on Mustad hooks. These jigheads are now available in both unpainted and UV-painted versions in a large range of sizes.

Price: from SRP $9 (Tuffies), from SRP $7.5 (Deep Trix) www.austackle.com

5

3

DTD WOUNDED FISH

DTD, a fantastic producer of fishing equipment that specialises in squid jigs has just brought out a new jig for the upcoming season.

The Wounded Fish is a powerful squid jig with some superb squid catching characteristics.

This product imitates live fishes. It is wrapped with a special strong cloth with realistic a feel and great life-like details.

The Wounded Fish look like a weak, slow fish, and makes the product like an easy prey for squid.

DTD’s double weight system gives it perfect sinking position and the inner weight produces sound while squid jig is in action.

It comes in eight and five sizes: 2.2 (7.5 sec/m); 2.5 (6.5 sec/m); 3.0 (4.5 sec/m); 3.5 (5.0 sec/m); 4.0 (3.8 sec/m).

This jig was just presented on EFTTEX in Amsterdam, where it entered Best New Product competition in the hard lures and finished on top amongst squid jigs. www.dtd.hr

6

2

4

HALCO MAX 190

Halco Tackle Company is releasing the highly anticipated big brother to the awardwinning Max 130: the all new Max 190.

The Max 190 (190mm/7.5”) has an incredibly wide effective operating envelope, working well from a fast cast and retrieve speed, all the way to a 14 knot troll. This lure dives to 2m, and the slender rear profile allows for increased hook clearance, vital for effective hook-ups on pelagic species.

The larger Max 190 features #7/0 inline singles, allowing larger hook gape and less leverage on tackle exerted from the fighting fish, as well as increasing angler and fish safety when handling large pelagic species on board.

This lure is forward weighted for a long cast into the strongest of headwinds without tumbling. Weighing in at 163g (5.75oz) with ultra-thick walls and a reinforced nose for extra strength, the Max 190 is cast in Halco’s high tech polymers. This lure is the ultimate in strength and durability, reflecting the usual high quality Halco standard.

The Max 190 is available in six fish catching colours. www.halcotackle.com

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

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

What’s New FISHING

POWERED BY

7

PRO JIG WORM AND T-TAIL SHAD

8

GEECRACK BEAT CRAW

Two of the latest Powerbait releases are the Pro Jig Worm and 2.5” T-Tail Shad.

The Pro Jig Worm features a classic worm body profile with the unique wobbling, padded tail. The beaver-like tail creates a wide, thumping action when it is worked through the water.

On the drop or on the hop, the Pro Jig Worm tail vibrates and flutters, exhibiting a lifelike action that’s irresistible to a range of species. It comes in six colours: black ice, opening night, purple chartreuse, emerald shiner, pink ice and watermelon pearl.

The 2.5” Powerbait T-Tail Shad features a classic ribbed worm body profile, with a slim, soft body for a fuller action. The T-shaped tail has a tight vibrating action at the slowest of retrieves. It is suited to Berkley Nitro jigheads, and you can fish it for trophy trout and mega bass with confidence. There are six colours: black silver fleck, watermelon, green gold, sardine shiner, pink glitter and brown pumpkinseed fleck. www.berkley-fishing.com.au

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The Geecrack Beat Craw is a soft plastic yabby/shrimp imitation, now available in Australia through SAbased tackle wholesalers Dogtooth Distribution. Originally designed to service the Japanese and European bass fishing scene, the Beat Craw is now making a splash here in Australia, and is already having a massive impact on our native freshwater predators.

The 3” Beat Craw closely imitates the movement of its real life counterpart. Six small legs produce a spontaneous, life-like flapping and vibrating motion with the slightest jigging movement. The two large arms and thinner antennae add even more action, and provide a level of stability when the lure is lying on the river bottom or lake bed. The soft yet durable material combines with original flavour and is impregnated with salt to keep those big fish holding on forlonger. Available in 17 different colours, the Beat Craw is ideal for a Texas rig, drop shot or as a jig trailer.

Price: SRP $11.95 www.dogtoothdistribution.com.au

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ALVEY GUNNELL ROD

The Alvey Gunnell Rod is a new concept in offshore and deep sea fishing. It negates the need for a normal fishing rod, so instead of having to hold heavy game gear in an unstable boat, you can just hold onto the Gunnell Rod and wind with your other hand. It makes fishing in a rough sea safer, easier and more comfortable.

The Gunnell Rod takes the weight of the fish, so it minimises angler effort. This makes it ideal for older anglers, novices and pretty much anyone who doesn’t want to be floored by a prolonged battle with a big fish.

This clever rod alternative fits into strong metal rod holders, and can accommodate any medium to large overhead reel. It has a handle for the angler to hold while cranking the fish (you can switch between left and right hand operation), and it can rotate to follow fish movement. It’s great for recovering teasers quickly, and you can also opt to match it with an electric reel for ultimate ease of operation. www.alvey.com.au

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DAIWA SALTIST COMMANDER

The Saltist Commander is the ultimate light tackle jigging rod, featuring the latest cutting-edge technology from Daiwa.

Daiwa’s high strength, reduced weight HVF carbon creates a rod that is lightweight and capable of punching well above its weight. X45 wrapping technology eliminates blank twist, which increases rod sensitivity and strength.

3DX further enhances blank performance.

By creating a six-wrap rectangular weave, the power is distributed evenly in all directions, allowing the blank to maintain its form when loaded.

This new system allows the rod’s power to be located at the lower section of the rod for more power and less angler fatigue. This leaves the upper section of the blank to absorb all the weight during a battle, rather than the angler.

Fuji K Concept guides eliminates line wrap, particularly with braided and PE lines. Fuji reel seats with custom alloy components provide a rock solid connection between rod and reel, while their ergonomic design ensures supreme comfort for long days on the water. www.daiwafishing.com.au

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JURO FLASHER RIGS

Juro Flasher Rigs are professionally tied rigs for snapper, flathead, mulloway, gummy sharks and reef species.

Juro Flasher Rigs are available in two sizes (4/0 and 6/0) featuring quality circle hooks. Each rig also features high quality 70lb trace material, and large, soft glow-in-the-dark beads.

Both sizes are available in eight colours designed by Juro Ozpro Tackle for Australian species including bleeder, pinky, red devil, shiner, squidder, sunset, yakka and zulu.

These rigs are a must for any angler fishing for snapper and reef species.

Price: from SRP $6.99 www.jurofishing.com

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BKK RAPTOR HOOK

The concept for the Raptor hook began when BKK engineers were asked to design a hook to withstand all conditions and a range of applications. The job requirement called for a hook with not only superior impaling power, but an unmatched level of both reliability and durability.

The process begins with BKK-81WV steel wire which undergoes a proprietary heat treating process. Next, the hook point is meticulously sharpened by hand, and finished with BKK’s resilient Ultra Antirust coating. The final result is a hook that is unprecedented in the ease of both penetration and strength. The Raptor’s combination of curved hook point and a wide hook gape minimizes the chances of pulling hooks. With the further incorporation of compact sealing, this increases the elasticity of the hook which further reduces the possibility of it being pulled.

For more information on this and other BKK hooks, check out the Nomad Tackle website. www.nomadtackle.com

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

What’s New FISHING

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FISH INC. PROP

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The latest addition to the Tackle Tactics stable of brands is the Fish Inc. Lures range of stickbaits and poppers. These lures feature quality finishes, durable construction and come fitted with genuine, heavy duty Owner trebles.

One of the latest Fish Inc. releases is the Prop. This 140mm, 62g sinking stickbait casts like a bullet, tracks well at speed when worked on the surface and can be sunk to the desired depth and retrieved with short strokes or a sweep of the rod tip to vary the action of the lure. This versatile size stickbait has already produced a range of Australian species, including mackerel, trevally, tailor, mahi mahi, tuna and more. The addition of a spinning blade on the centre hook attachment point creates additional flash and vibration, both on the drop and when retrieved, that draws fish and attracts strikes.

The Prop is available in four colours: natural sardine, bronze mullet, pink shiner (lumo) and dorri.

Price: SRP $33.95 www.tackletactics.com.au

The incredibly popular Zerek Tango Shad has grown up; there are now two new, larger models, which will be released at the AFTA Trade Show.

The two new models are the 69mm and 90mm Tango Shads, and they both come in suspending and floating versions. Borrowing heavily from the original Tango Shad, the 69mm version was designed to run at around 2.4m with the same enticing action of the 50mm version. This opens the 69mm Tango Shad up to species such as flathead, big bream, jacks, golden perch, trout and barra.

The 90mm version was designed to tackle bigger snag-dwellers like barra head-on. Built uncompromisingly tough, the 90mm version will troll down to around 3m but when cast into snags, it can be worked with subtle tweaks or fast jerks to bring the strikes.

Both new versions are fitted out with the sensational Mustad 4x Saltism treble, specifically designed for lure fishing with an inline eye to position the hooks perfectly around the lure. www.wilsonfishing.com.au

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TICA SCEPTER GTX 10000K

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LIGHTER ANGEL BAIT

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CHINLOCKZ AND SNAKELOCKZ

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POWERBAIT PRO SHAD

The TiCA Scepter GTX 10000 reel is a fantastic reel for anglers surf fishing and deepwater fishing when you need a reel with massive line capacity.

The Scepter GTX reel is crammed full of features including a high tensile body, Longcast aluminium spool with a massive line capacity, worm shaft system that makes the reel super smooth and helps lay the line perfectly, thick bail arm system, instant anti reverse system and seven of TiCA’s RRB rust resistant bearings.

The Scepter GTX reel also features carbon drag washers that produce a maximum of 8kg drag pressure, to help stop large fish in their tracks. It also features a large power handle that aids in cranking in stubborn fish, and create less fatigue on the angler’s hands.

The TiCA Scepter reel is an excellent value reel for anglers wanting a reel with large line capacity. www.jurofishing.com

TT’s ChinlockZ Finesse and SnakelockZ Finesse jigheads are new weedless jigheads for smaller plastics.

ChinlockZ Finesse are built on quality Mustad black nickel, chemically sharpened hooks and are available in sizes 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0 and 3/0 for those wishing to fish small plastics on the surface or slow sink them into structure.

TT Lures’ Chin Lock system secures the soft plastic in place when casting, working the plastic aggressively and during strikes, making these jigheads ideal for Z Man plastics.

SnakelockZ Finesse offer anglers the same ChinlockZ Finesse jighead, free-swinging from a front weight via a sturdy stainless through wire. This through wire features an easy twist clip that allows you to swap hooks and head weights, or add a different style of hook that suits the diameter of the through wire.

SnakelockZ Finesse are available in 1/12oz, 1/8oz and 1/6oz in hook sizes 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0; and 1/4oz and 3/8oz in sizes 1/0, 2/0 and 3/0.

Price: SRP: $9.95 (ChinlockZ), $10.95 (SnakelockZ) www.ttlures.com.au

In response to angler demand, Insanity Tackle has released a lighter version of the popular Angel Bait. The new 3/8oz model has all the same fish-catching features as the 1/2oz original, including the unique spinning device, which creates a lifelike flash and pulse. The 3/8oz version is ideal for slow moving creeks, rivers and estuaries, working the shallow margins of lakes or when a super slow retrieve is required to elicit strikes.

If you’ve never seen Angel Baits before, you can think of them as blinged-up plastics or very toned down and more realistic spinnerbaits.

They appeal to a whole host of fresh and saltwater species.

This new model is currently available with gold blades, with silver blade models in the pipeline. All Angel Baits come in four colour schemes, and come pre rigged with twin curl tail plastics.

For more info, contact Wayne Dubois on 0428 582 812, or like Insanity Tackle on Facebook. Trade enquiries welcome.

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

The Powerbait Pro Shad features a wider and bigger body profile that mimics a deep-bodied baitfish, and its jointed, sleek tail profile provides realistic movements.

On the drop or on the hop, the Pro Shad tail vibrates and flutters with a lifelike action that is irresistible to fish.

Each Powerbait Pro Shad is also loaded with Berkley’s exclusive Powerbait scent and flavour formula, which causes fish to hold on for longer, so you can feel more bites and set more hooks. Having a big profile on bite-size bait makes it look particularly lifelike, and its brand new, pro-designed colours add fish catching flair. Its high energy, tight action calls fish from far away.

The Powerbait Pro Shad comes in 2.5” and 3.5” sizes. There are currently nine tried and proven colours in the range: black ice, firetiger, blue ice, chartreuse purple ice, opening night, pearl white, perch ice, pink ice and purple ice. www.berkley-fishing.com.au

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

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What’s New FISHING TESTED: Getting Atomic Lures are an Australian brand that make lures for Australian fish.

These days we import a lot of high quality tackle, so it’s nice to know that the lure you’re using has been made in consideration of the species you’re targeting.

Atomic are certainly no stranger to the Australian tackle scene, and perform up there with the most respected and wellknown brands used in the country. Where Atomic’s lures are particularly deadly is on our light tackle sportfish, and the their new range of Hardz Vib 60 Rattle are testament to this.

When I pulled the few I’d been given out of their boxes, they didn’t strike me as being much different to other lipless crankbaits on the market. Sure, they come in heaps of fancy colours and are equipped with high quality Gamakatsu trebles, but we expect these sorts of things in the modern world.

They didn’t really raise my eyebrows until I dropped one over the side of the boat while chasing schooled bass. Upon finding a good school on the sounder, I opted to tie on the curiously named ‘Tristos Proton’ colour, which I thought looked a bit like the lovechild of a bony bream and a shrimp. When it found its way to the bottom in around 40ft of water, I gave the rod tip a gentle lift.

“What was that?!” my fishing partner for the day asked suddenly, now well awake.

“That was the vibe I just tied on!” I replied, very surprised at how much noise this little lure could emit with its ball-bearings.

That vibe caught half a dozen fish before the school started to wise up and shut down, and after cycling though several changes

It would be an understatement to say that I love catching and eating squid. I have been very lucky over the years, as our family has a holiday home where the squid fishing is exceptional, and every time I visit I take full advantage.

Although my family and extended family enjoy it as well, their enjoyment doesn’t extend to cleaning squid. Until recently, this slippery and sometimes messy chore always fell on my shoulders. This has never really fazed me but, after speaking to friends and other anglers, I’ve discovered I am unusual in my willingness to clean squid. Some of my friends tend to avoid targeting squid, not because they don’t like

good vibes from Atomic’s new lures

of lures, I eventually found myself reaching for the vibe again. This time, I let it sink to the bottom, and instead of imparting erratic lifts with my rod, I wound it slowly to where I believed the school was suspending, and just let it sit in their faces.

Out of nowhere, I heard the sound of the ball-bearings in the vibe rattle, but I wasn’t moving the lure… I eventually realised that what I was hearing was the sound of the bass just bumping the vibe as it sat there motionless, about 40ft below the boat!

That’s pretty amazing, considering that by this stage a sturdy southeasterly was coming across the hills and I could barely hear my mate cursing it at the back of the boat.

After a few of these curious ‘bumps’, one finally found a hook point and I was on again. Normally, I would have left this school after they stopped eating the other offerings I was dropping down, but the motionless vibe seemed to persuade these tentative fish to come and have a nibble.

I believe that the natural colour of my chosen vibe, in conjunction with its unusually small profile for a lipless crankbait were the game changers. Having small, sharp hooks also made pinning fish a heck of a lot easier.

On top of all this, I had an audible ‘cue’ to let me know when to strike.

The school finally agreed that the big floaty thing above them was to blame for all the sore mouths, and went quiet. As we moved off to find another school, I felt a renewed sense of enthusiasm for vibe lures in general, but couldn’t help admiring the craftsmanship of these tiny lures. The realistic scale and gill patterns certainly wouldn’t hurt if the bite suddenly got a bit tough.

TESTED: Squid

This was the first cab off the rank for the Atomic Hardz Vib 60 Rattle, which kick-started a red-hot bite.

Throughout the day, I noticed that I wasn’t getting the usual tangles, where one of the trebles catches the leader, causing the lure to spin or swim unnaturally. I attribute this to the smartly designed weight distribution in the lure, which allowed it to track straight as it descended to the bottom. There was no spiralling on descent, just a straight nosedive. At 10.4g, it’s pretty heavy, but the sink rate could be controlled depending on line tension.

Simplicity is something else to consider when making lures, and the single tow

point on the vibe was no hindrance to versatility. I found I could cast, jig, and dead stick it and still achieve a life-like and tangle free action.

As much as I would like to, I can’t spend huge amount on fishing lures, and at a reasonable $20.95 RRP, a handful of these isn’t going to break the bank or turn your tacklebox into a jewellery box…

For more info about these fantastic little lures, or to check out the rest of the Atomic range, visit www.frogleysoffshore.com.au – Bob Thornton

Ezy – no more frustration cleaning squid

catching or eating them but because they dislike cleaning them so much!

Enter the Squid Ezy. Not for a minute am I saying that it removes all the difficulties of cleaning a squid. However, it does make the process simpler and the most difficult aspects easier. Let me explain.

There are four real battles when it comes to cleaning a squid: they are very slippery, it is difficult to remove the quill and internal organs, removing the skin and wings is a slippery and painstaking job, and you have to make sure there’s no guts left in the hood to surprise you (best done by inverting the hood).

The Squid Ezy’s design immediately assists with the first of these issues. When you

The Squid Ezy kit has three tools of differing sizes to make the process of cleaning your squid a much easier and faster one.

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insert one of tools into the hood of the squid, it acts as a handle, making it less likely for the squid to slip out of your hands. The tool also separates the quill and guts from the hood, allowing it to be removed in one piece. If done carefully, this can be done without breaking the ink sac and avoiding the inevitable black mess that comes with it.

Once the internals have been removed, the Squid Ezy tool remains in the hood and one of the other tools is used on the piece of skin at the tail of the hood. You can then easily peel the skin and wings away, continuing to use the tool as a handle. I’ve found this is the most difficult part of the cleaning process. It’s a very slippery task without the Squid Ezy tool.

Once the skin is removed, it is now a simple matter of inverting the hood and removing any guts that may remain. Place the tip of the tool on the tip of the hood and roll the hood down the tool, inverting it. Clean the hood and rinse, cut the tentacles away from the head, remove the beak and you now have a clean squid ready to cook.

I have watched Rod from Squid Ezy do this in very quick time (check the video out at www.squidezy.com.au), but for me, it was more about getting the rest of the family involved in cleaning the catch. I can thank the Squid Ezy tools for reducing emphasis on me doing the cleaning, as my girls and their friends now volunteer to clean the squid, and even get cross with me if I clean the catch and they haven’t been told!

The Squid Ezy set consists of three tools of different sizes to suit small to large squid.

There are instructions on how to use the tools, and the only other thing I would suggest is to have a container of saltwater to rinse as you

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The author’s daughter and her friend were more than happy to help clean the squid as the Squid Ezy made handling them much easier. go (or you can just clean your squid by the water’s edge). Also, it is a lot easier to clean squid if they have been firmed up by being on ice or in a fridge for a little while.

To purchase your set of Squid Ezy tools, go to their website at www.squidezy.com. au, or check out your nearest stockist.

– Peter Jung

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

Isuzu D-Max SX auto BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Gone are the days when a work ute sat idle over the weekend, the engine cold until Monday morning.

These days the humble ute is a rising star in the

recreation scene, with some of the more upmarket utes now giving the large 4x4 wagons a run for their money when it comes to market share. Thanks to high levels of creature comforts and enhanced tow capacity to 3.5 tonnes, modern utilities are now a common sight in front of

caravans, camper trailers and boats.

Other big reasons for this resurgence are easy to find.

They are called dollars. While the big 4x4 wagons such as Patrols, Land Cruisers, Pajeros, Everests and Prados make a meal of this kind of work, they also make a meal of your bank balance.

Easy power from the Isuzu 3L diesel saw a fuel consumption of 8.3L per 100km on a run to and from Moogerah Dam.

Tidy frontal styling is a feature of D-Max design.

“Tinnie Tosser” Want to take your tinny on holidays and catch the big one but can’t because you are towing a caravan?

Well here is the answer!!

Features include: Single person operation, electric and manual models, custom made to suit vehicle and boat, built for off-road conditions, aluminium and stainless steel construction.

For further information contact Bowline on

Ph: (07) 5498 7339 Fx: (07) 5498 7351 Mobile: 0419 674 343

www.tinnietosser.com.au

set-up is pretty refined. True, there are springs at the rear (most competitors have these) but the ride around town won’t be too hard – and if there’s a bit of gear in the rear pay load area (rated for up to 600kg) the ride just gets better all round.

With ample models to choose from there seems to be a D-Max for everyone.

While Isuzu does offer high-end models with all the bells and whistles, I have tested the somewhat down

By contrast, virtually all of the ute manufacturers offer their products in four door configuration, offer auto drive trains (with either 4x4 or 4x2 transmissions) and deliver savings of tens of thousands of dollars.

In the hotly-contested utility market segment, the Isuzu D-Max shines thanks to a combination of a laid back 3L turbo diesel engine and excellent comfort levels.

Whether towing or doing some easy cruising, the D-Max four cylinder diesel takes hills in its stride just as easily as long straights.

Additionally, for a vehicle that doubles as either a workhorse or recreational pony, the D-Max suspension

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spec SX, in 5-speed auto guise. The SX is a long way from a poverty pack sort of vehicle, thanks to a decent standard of finish throughout – although cabin tonings are practical rather than fancy – and it has a couple of handy dash features such as Bluetooth, aux and a USB port. There’s also a 12V outlet in the higher of the two gloveboxes on the left side of the dash area.

Also standard were wellmade cloth seats, basic air

conditioning (no climate air), electric windows, cruise control and a decent radio with a couple of speakers.

Rear seat passengers won’t be short of room in the 4-door SX, as Isuzu have achieved an excellent balance of space for both front and rear seat travellers.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS So, without sat nav, rear view camera and the like, you might be thinking that the SX D-Max is a bit Spartan – and perhaps it is. However,

A neat centre console set-up sees the 4WD and other controls conveniently placed for the driver.

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A truly portable, travel anywhere pressurised camping shower system. The flow of the Cape Yorker is 11 l/min and the pressure is a massive 50PSI. The Cape Yorker is available with or with out a stainless steel sand filter.

Sand filter is also sold separately.

The Cape Yorker can also be paired with a Glind heat exchanger or drawn from a fire drum for hot water.

www.glind.com.au Ph: 07 3408 6226 84

AUGUST 2016

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* Military Style Breather

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it’s a well performing, easy pulling and easy riding 4WD with both low and high range options available at the touch of a centre console switch, and that’s more important than the little bells and whistles. With its free running, 4-cylinder 130kW/

380Nm turbo-charged engine complete with all-oflife steel timing chain, the diesel engine never seems stressed, taking everything easily in its stride.

On the highway, with our 4.3m TABS Bullshark and trailer on the tow ball, the

Isuzu ran sweetly at 1800rpm for 100km/h and returned a fuel consumption on a trip to Moogerah Dam of 8.3L per 100km. With a braked towing rating of 3000kg and unbraked being a generous 750kg, we hardly noticed the boat at all.

D-MAX KEPT ME DRY Our fishing trip to Moogerah gave me the perfect opportunity to try out the 4WD system of the D-Max. A nasty 20 knot westerly wind blew in at lunch time, and I reckon when it’s necessary to tie the boat to a tree just to keep fly fishing, it’s time to give it away! Returning to the ramp near the camping area was easy enough, but from there things were looking tough.

A nasty set of breakers had become established right

across the ramp, so we had no choice but to avoid the ramp and move around the corner to the north to load the boat, to avoid me getting drenched with cold water.

We backed the D-Max well down, winched the boat up, and with the ute’s console switch engaging 4WD the boat and trailer came out of the mud and weed with ease.

That is what’s great about all ‘proper’ 4x4s – when you need it, you’ve got it!

So that’s my take on the Isuzu SX D-Max. This

ute may not have all the upmarket bling and fancy creature comforts of the other D-Max models and competing brands, but at around $39,000 drive away it certainly has a lot going for it. A 5-year, 130000km warranty is standard. Bear in mind that Isuzu has sold over 9000 D-Max utes for the first half of this year so they certainly have some serious runs on the board. If your plan is to work all week and play on the weekends, it will definitely fit the bill.

There’s plenty of rear leg and head room in the D-Max.

The D-Max’s interior is plain but it’s easy to keep clean, and is in keeping with a work vehicle’s layout.

The SX in action just north of the Moogerah boat ramp. When we needed it we used the 4x4 capacity of the D-Max ute.

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Don’t get too tied up dealing with muddies BRISBANE

Kim Bain

Crab tying will save you lots of time and trouble when

cooking a muddy or a nice sand crab. Tying is a very important skill if you plan to catch and cook crabs, and it’s well worth learning.

Remember to check rules

and regulations though, as female sand crabs and mud crabs aren’t a legal take in Queensland. Here is a stepby-step on how to tie your crab for cooking.

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Pull both ends of the twine all the way back to the rear top of the carapace.

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Cut a piece of flat twine about 1m long. Lay the middle of the string under the crab making sure the twine is under both front claws, aligned between the front legs and the claws. This shows the location of the twine. Pull the twine’s running ends upwards and around the front of the crab –the twine should run above where the claws join to the body, but below the carapace. Then pull the twine out to the front of the crab.

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On each side, tuck the ends of the twine under the shell in front of the rear leg.

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Pass the twine between the pincers of each claw.

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Pull back on the running ends of the twine so that each of the two front claws are drawn into the front of the body.

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With the crab flipped upside down, pull the running ends of the twine into the centre. Tie the ends together with a few overhand knots, or any old knot will do.

Cooking

Crab meat extraction made easy for cooking BRISBANE

Lynn Bain

There’s so many classic crab meat delicacies: seafood

lasagne, crab meat lasagne, the legendary crab sandwich and the cook testing benchmark that is the crab cake.

Everybody should have a crab cake recipe in their repertoire,

Tools required: 1 cooked crab, oyster knife, cleaver, nutcrackers/crab crackers, paring knife, crab pickers, kitchen shears (optional), brush (not shown).

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First, bring a pot of water to boil.

Add crabs to the pot and cook for 7 minutes. Once cooked, take the crabs out of the water and remove the two large claws, by breaking them off at the body. Set the claws aside for cracking and removing the meat later. Lift up the tail flap, to start the removal of the top shell (carapace). An oyster knife is handy for cracking apart a crab, and slots in well under the tail flap in order to pry it up.

as an example of kitchen skill and understanding of local ingredients. If binders like potato or bread are used, it indicates whether you’re getting a crab cake or a cake

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5 Prise the rear of the carapace away from the body. If you’re having trouble, relocate your effort to one of the ‘points’ and then to the point on the other side. The carapace may also prise away from the front. Don’t despair, it will lever off.

flavoured with crab. This month, we look at extracting the meat from a sand crab.

Blue swimmer crabs (‘sand crab’in QLD, ‘blue crab’ in SA) inhabit coastal waters

Grip the eye-socket frame and mouth.

Pull or cut off the face, mouth and eyestalks where they join the body.

Remove the internal organs by scraping them out with a knife, brush or spoon.

Pull the gills, ‘dead man’s fingers’, off from both sides and discard them into the compost or berley, along with any intestines. If you are in a location where female crabs are a legal take (not Queensland), then any roe should be removed as part of the cleaning. Rinse the crab to remove any muck.

Use your cleaver to split the body down the centre. Much of the white meat is located in the chambers, separated by thin walls of cartilage, or shell. To access this meat, use a paring knife and make a flat cut from front to back on the underside of the crab, just above the leg joints. This cut shaves the shell-like ‘top’ off the body, exposing the flesh. Repeat the process on the other side. The legs will give you something to hold onto when making the cut.

Lever off, don’t pull, the remaining legs where they join the body. Keep a thumb pressed securely over the body meat when removing the legs. Once the legs are off, use the crab picker to remove meat from the body pieces. Make sure you don’t get cartilage mixed in with the body meat. Crack the joint to give you the biggest part of the claw to work on.

Crack the shell less, to avoid the risk of getting small pieces in your cooking.

Crack the claw near the scissor joint with either crab crackers or nutcrackers.

of Australia. They are caught from northern Queensland to Eden in New South Wales, and from Cape Naturaliste in Western Australia around to the South Australian gulfs.

6

7

8

Those areas are subject to different state legislations on what can be caught, so you should check the laws in your state. Otherwise, it’s time to get crabby!

Gently break the claw open with your fingers and remove the shell, then remove the exposed meat. Remove any flecks of shell and the internal clear membranes. Do this for the other claw.

(Alternatively, you can tap the claw with a heavy steak knife or small hammer just below the pincer on both sides, to make a straight, clean cut/crack in the shell.)

Open up both pincers to get the meat out. There isn’t much meat inward from a sand crab’s pincers, but you will get a reasonable return on a big mud crab.

Crack the knuckle joints, away from all the long pieces, so you only have one section of crab leg to work on. Some of the joints are best sucked out – peeler’s perks!

Crack the outer shell of the long piece you are working on, all the way around. Pull the broken pieces apart and lift out the meat. Hopefully it will come in one piece – if not, then employ crab pickers and push the picker through from one end, which will force the meat out of the wider open end. You can also use a crab claw.

Some of the smaller leg segments are better squeezed to get the meat out.

The crabmeat ready to be used in your crab cakes, next month, should be approximately 125g of meat per blue crab.

AUGUST 2016

87

Track My Fish - the future of fishing SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

Welcome to the very first Track My Fish Report, hopefully the first of many. What is Track My Fish and why does it need a report? In simple terms, the report will look at fishery issues, available data, and it will also take a closer look at a fisher.

For the first edition, I think it’s appropriate that we explore what Track My Fish is and for our first fisher profile, we will look at a man that takes obsession to a new level, Mick Dohnt.

THE PUBLISHING PROBLEM The fishing industry around the world has a problem. Some would say many problems, but the one I have focused on, in particular, is the the publishing lag for information. By that, I mean information in a

At a political level, everybody is on notice that transparency and being consultative is something people are demanding.

It’s 2016, can’t we do it differently?

I wonder if Justin Trudeau will ever regret using the current year to answer a question?

The bottom line is the technology does exist for us to get data to fishers much, much faster, within seconds even.

TRACK MY FISH There have been applications for following fish in different ways.

Almost all act as a diary that records a fishers progress. They all lack the ability to pull together the collective effort to give a useful picture of the fishery.

Track My Fish will do that as you fish.

Say for argument’s sake you’re taking a visit to the newly-minted Net Free Zone in Rockhampton and catch a 600mm barra in a days fishing. How well have you done?

The average catch rate

Mick Dohnt has a very impressive tagging record. useful form.

The reality is that fisheries departments worldwide do not want to publish something that isn’t scientifically defendable.

That is understandable and is the cause of the publishing lag. The challenge though for bureaucracy is the delay in getting information in the public arena, and this means there is no real chance for the industry to use the data in decisions.

Worse, when a report supports a management decision after the fact, it’s impossible to develop trust in the process.

88

AUGUST 2016

per person per day there is 3.5 fish, so on that score, it’s below par. On the other hand, only 21% of fish reported are legal fish, so on the front, you are ahead.

The largest fish reported is 150cm, and that fish was around four years old.

These are all things that the app will tell you when you lodge a catch.

Queenslanders are the big winners, because they have around 250 areas logged with around 50 key species. If you want to check out some great Queensland fishing based on real data, go to www.crystalbowl.com.au.

The app is going Australia wide, as is Crystal Bowl. Our aim is to provide a low-cost, high-quality service to fishers and the fishing industry.

THE DIARY PART? We built the diary separately to the app, but everything you record is available for you via the Track My Fish Community portal.

The portal includes the ability for fishers to track each other’s progress, there is a variety of built in awards and even community leaderboards.

The diary is one area we have booked for some big enhancements over the coming year. Right now though, you can access your records for free and participate in the Track My Fish fishing community.

The single biggest objection I have heard in all my time in the fishery to data collection is “You will tell everyone about my spot!”

Infofish Australia has been doing this sort of work for 30 years, so that is something we built into the core of the application.

When we report back information to users of the app, we only report on the river system or area level. So if you catch a fish in the Yarra River, we report results across the whole Yarra River, not any particular point.

Distribution maps are an important part of the fish reporting process though, so we do publish maps that include hot zones around 2km by 2km region via Crystal Bowl. They are available now so you can check them out for yourself.

If an individual is collecting data, then it will be used in public reporting.

There are alternative apps for collecting private data if that is a big concern. We are collecting data for the benefit of all fishers.

If a person has a concern about an area, there are options. Fishers can request a zone exemption: not to report on fish in that region.

Yes, we do that. There are areas with sensitivities. If it’s a general public high traffic area, we may not agree to that, there has to be a good case, but we will always protect critical areas.

If you want to mine the data for fishing spots, other apps do that.

What does this mean for fishing groups?

The app is built to work for fishing groups as well as individual fishers.

One group to check out for an example is the Suntaggers group.

Suntaggers are individuals that tag and release fish in

Queensland. There is a page on the Suntaggers website that allows the Suntaggers to see how they and their mates are going. Anyone can check it out. There are some pretty amazing fishers in the group. Visit www. suntaggers.com.au/results/ to check it out.

The app itself is free and always will be as this is an investment in our fishery.

There is a mechanism built into the app for fishers to log catches and a low-cost community program that assists the club in pulling together that data automatically.

If a fishing group doesn’t wish to include their records in public data, then we won’t add them.

It’s all a matter of choice.

We would prefer people to see the benefits of being part of the track my fish community rather than be forced into it.

WHAT ABOUT HISTORICAL RECORDS? Historical records are one of my biggest personal concerns. With the baby boomers now passing retirement age, the records of one of the most productive fishing generations remain on paper or spreadsheets. There is no mechanism to preserve them, much less use them.

Track My Fish offers a free service to store those records digitally.

Records can be accessed via a dashboard available to all club members or club executive (at the club’s choice).

Once again, there are low-cost options to turn that data into useful information.

Historical data is a vital part of understanding the future. The Track My Fish Digital Archive is our commitment to ensuring that information is available to future generations.

COMPETITIONS Competitions have very different needs to general fishing. All that analysis tends to get in the way when you are on a hot bite.

That is why we brought together some top brains to build a tournament version, which is in development right now. The competition version reduces the work of managing a tournament, and yes, it works even if you are out of mobile range when fishing.

TMF – Tournament Edition enables community and professional tournaments to remove the need for weigh-ins as well as use the data collected to track how the fishery is going.

Instead of arguments to stop a tournament, there

is a compelling reason to hold one.

EVERY CATCH MATTERS My personal motto is more fish, better fishing.

That is not merely a case of removing nets and lots of stocking. Recreational fishers have their part to

is funny and a fountain of stories and knowledge about the fishery. On a briefing night at a recent event, I was chatting to a couple of the young gun fishers and pointed to Mick, letting them know he had tagged over 30,000 fish in his lifetime. Their

There’s only a few fields to report, so using the app is very simple. play in ensuring the health of the fishery – if we don’t, we run the risk of losing our social license, and there are green groups that would take it away.

The recent greyhound experience in NSW is a timely reminder that social license can be taken away if you don’t respond to community concerns.

Collecting data and being the first to highlight issues is a part of that social license. It’s always better to have demonstrated you are doing the right thing.

That, in the end, is what we are aiming to help fishers achieve. More fish, means better fishing. I want fishing to be a part of Australian life long past my grandkids.

Check out Track My Fish at www.trackmy.fish FISHER IN PROFILE – MICK DOHNT Our first Fisher in profile is Mick Dohnt. Mick has been around a long time and has published articles both in Australia and internationally. I recently had the fortune to spend a day fishing with him on Lake Samsonvale. Mick

jaws dropped, and I think they learned a valuable life lesson in not making assumptions about people.

There will never be another Mick Dohnt. There is one fisher among the current tagging crew who might match his numbers, but that is in an era of technological advantage.

Mick still fishes old school, trusting his knowledge of the fishery over any machine.

While illness has slowed him in the past few years, his record is imposing. I have Mick’s records from Suntag, though they miss a big chunk of his fishing experience before the 1990s. That is scary.

While he has 140 species from 35 locations, it’s in the Pumicestone Passage that Mick has been a one-man research project.

Mick has recorded nearly 17,000 fish in The Passage over 30 years. That effort alone is larger than the combined efforts of fishers in many areas of the state.

Mick is a quiet man and doesn’t seek attention for his deeds. He lets his fishing rod do the talking.

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Online - ANYTIME

Breaming the bobby cork way BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Bream are a highlight of fishing at this time of year.

With a reputation of being tricky, picky, and generally shy biters, there is one situation where bream can become outright easy, and that’s when fishing around wash.

Wherever wash occurs around ocean walls and headlands, bream become opportunistic feeders, moving quick as a flash to devour any likely bait offering that’s become unstuck from the waves pounding in. Bream can be very finicky if they can get a

good look at a bait, but if the food item is on the move, as is always the case in a wash, they either grab it quick or lose it to a mate.

This situation makes for easy bream fishing, providing the angler uses their head and keeps the bait from snagging up and keeps it on the move so the fish has to eat it. The bobby cork technique is perfect for this scenario as the bait is suspended to avoid snagging, and if the angler casts into the right spot the bait will drift about until a fish finds it, which from my experience is not going to be very long.

As for the resistance of the float, it’s not worth

The Kia fishing team youngsters enjoy eating bream for tea!

worrying about. When bream find a bait drifting tantalizingly in all those suds, they don’t pick or feel if it’s attached to anything, they just gobble it down!

IN THE WASH So what do we need to get some action? Obviously, you need an area with a wash. Rock walls are okay, but you will need to find just the right spot to lift that fish for landing. Select carefully, but don’t go too low or you might get very uncomfortably wet.

Usually, somewhere just behind the wave break is the right place, as there will be plenty of suds in this area.

Another really good situation occurs around the ocean rocks where little bays or coves form plenty of cover for these canny fish to dive in and out of with each wave.

The trick is to locate a small area that is hardly ever short of wash – if possible, without too much back and forth surge – and such a place is absolutely perfect. Bream will be there for sure, and waiting for some tucker to be washed free by wave action.

Crabs are high on the menu, as is any other critter washed in, but if a crab is found it’s top tucker. Even a crab leg, makes for a good bream bait.

If crabs are hard to come by, it’s hard to go past strips of unfrozen mullet. A mullet

that’s been filleted with the flesh then cut into small sections, perhaps salted to toughen it up, makes very good bait. Making each bait about the length of a postage stamp, but not as wide as one is ideal and the clue is to use a no. 4 hook threaded through the strip of mullet a couple of times and then suspend it around 1.5m below the bobby cork. ] Even if the water is 3m deep, a bream will be on that bait like a shot, as these fish are always on the lookout for anything, anywhere in that wash, that they can eat.

Prawns are also very good bait in this situation, and there’s no need to peel them, as the fish will not be fussy.

THE RIG The bobby cork needs to be highly visible at all times in that wash, so a fluoro coloured one is perfect. Understand that this is not like luderick fishing, meaning the bobby cork does not need to be well weighted at all, it’s merely there to suspend the bait. Therefore, even a fairly large one will still get dragged under when a big bream latches on to the bait.

A small sinker or split shot placed near the baited hook will ensure that the bait sinks rapidly once the rig is cast into the wash, ideally

Bobby cork, hook with small sinker and a bead working up against a bit of floss. It’s the simplest of rigs yet works wonders on bream around wash areas. with the wave or swell having just arrived and broken on the rocks. This is important, as the bait will be drifting out after the wave breaks and needs to get down quickly.

The means of keeping the depth just right is as easy as sliding a small bead on the line just above the float and with a bit of dental floss or similar material tied onto the 6-8kg mainline the bead contacts this stopper, in turn, and stops the line from running further down through the float. This means that the bait’s location under the float is adjustable, and this is helpful, as bream will even feed in less than a metre of water if it suits them, or might be out in deeper water where a good bit of wash is hanging in.

A fairly strong rod around 3m long is required, as a big bream is not going to want to be washed up into a small gutter or pool prior to

being lifted out of the water and will put up a good fight.

Retying the hook after each fish is also smart, because they can scuff your line on the rocks after the fight.

LOCATION IS EVERYTHING The last word is to very carefully select the right spot to fish on the rocks.

If the rocks are wet, forget it, as the next wave could cause real trouble. There are sufficient excellent spots on any headland or rock shelf on our ocean front areas to find a bit of bream attracting wash, without getting into difficulties.

On a trip to Woody Heads last year I picked just the right location for my wife’s grandchildren and I to have a great time catching bream on bobby cork gear without the slightest issue, even with waves or wash. The youngsters enjoyed eating those fish for tea at night!

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2016 AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

Aug 7

BASS Electric #4 Hinze Dam

Justin Thompson 0421 476 392

Aug 20-21

BREAM Qualifier #7 Clarence River

ABT 07 3387 0888 abt.org.au

Aug 24-25

BREAM Qualifier #8 Gold Coast

ABT 07 3387 0888 abt.org.au

Aug 27-28

Rnd 12 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Wallis Lake

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Sept 10-11

Rnd 13 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Nelson

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Sept 10-11

Rnd 13 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Nelson

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Sept 17-18 Bowen Family Fishing Classic

Bowen

Russ McCabbin 4786 3899 www.bowenfamilyfishingclassic.com

Sept 23-24 WTF Women That Fish Barra Classic

Shara 0429923243 Fitzroy River

Sept 25 BASS Electric #5

Daniel Clancy 0419 690 418 Lake St Clair

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au or calling 07 3387 0800 in office hours.

Just supply a date, venue, tournament name and a telephone number and contact name.

90

AUGUST 2016

The Bowen Family Fishing Classic is on again Don’t miss Australia’s biggest Family Fishing Classic at the top of the Whitsundays, along Bowen’s Front Beach.

Join in the fishing and the fun at the famous Bowen

Australia’s premier Jimmy Buffett tribute band, Montserrat, are well known for taking you on a musical voyage through the islands of the Caribbean with their unique

The Bowen region is a great place to wet a line, as can be seen from the results each year.

ENTRY PRICES Senior entry........... $28 Junior entry.............$15 As The Voice Australia first runner up, household name Shannon Noll and his band have fans all over and are sure to have everyone racing to the front row!

Hailing from Melbourne,

style of country rock music.

They will have everyone rocking and singing along to many old time favourites.

Pop Standen, Phil Emmanuel and sax player Dave Hoffmann combine together to bring a new sound for the music lovers around the country – some country rock, swing and blues. Christian Power and Lonesome Train have been delighting audiences

The Junior Lucky Nomination Prize Boat is worth $6675 – Bluefin 3.5 Blaze Bandit. The traditional vee-bottom dinghy has never been simpler, easily driven and stable at rest. Distinctive aqua silver paint, like the senior boat, in keeping with the 25th Silver Anniversary Classic theme this year. This boat offers stability and is fitted-up with the portable power of the HONDA 2.3 HP with a seven-year warranty.

The BANDIT, with its level floatation, is also very safe.

This great Junior Prize Boat has standard features, anchor shelf, grab handles, bow eye, transducer bracket, side pockets, two thwart seats and has added options of a drop-in floor and two rod holders. It comes on a Swiftco 3.6 trailer.

Make sure you mark your calendar, book your accommodation early, – have your holidays booked so you can dust the cobwebs off that fishing gear, and make your way to beautiful Bowen on 17-18 September 2016. Take part in Australia’s biggest Family Fishing Classic, in its 25th year! Keep it local!

Entry / nominations are available from tackle stores – see our website for the

full list of outlets. You can also enter online at www. bowenfamilyfishingclassic. com. Check out the facebook

page for Bowen Family Fishing Classic, for all our exciting news. – Bowen Fishing Classic

25th ANNIVERSARY A not fo organisatior profit n local and re helping gion charities al

the Hosted by EW CL ASSIC CR ED LU and our VArs sponso

Check out our Website and entries available online

www.bowenfamilyfishingclassic.com

th

- 18

17

Family Fishing Classic and Wet Weekend - to be held this year on the 17th and 18th September 2016.

The entertainment of the year will be enjoyed by the whole family, throughout the weekend. The XXXX Beach Party begins on Saturday afternoon from 12.45pm, following the Blessing of the Fishermen. The show kicks off with a local Gospel Band.

Across the weekend XXXX Beach Party, seven bands from Bowen to Melbourne will play on Bowen’s Soundshell to entertain all ages, from the young to the young at heart.

Local band 1984 start the evening of perfect and powerful music, and they’ve been rocking Bowen crowds since they were teenagers.

Having just reunited in the last couple of years, they play everything from old rock to new country. Always ready for a party, 1984 will have your dancing shoes on before you know it.

Undeniably, Shannon Noll has captured the hearts and minds of music fans around Australia and overseas with his raw, gifted rock-voice.

He remains one of the most recognisable faces in the Australian music industry and only a few match his success.

This is all interspersed with a huge range of activities from Cake Crunchin’ Contest, Sand Sculpting (new time this year due to tides), Lolly Drop, Crawchie Races, Bush & Beach Craft for the kids, Yabby Pumping Competition, Cast Net Casting Competition, Dash for Cash and Kids Hand Ball Competition. There will be heaps of rides for the young at heart, as well as games, displays, food and three bars.

You will enjoy two weigh-ins over the weekend and fish are filleted, packaged, and delivered to Meals on Wheels. Proceeds from the Classic assist local and national charities, with a significant donation each year allocated for Fish Stocking.

CATEGORIES AND PRIZES There are sixteen categories for fishing, including Crabs, Highest Weight Prize, Secret Weight for all senior and junior anglers. There is a top prize for the heaviest fish weighed in by a female angler from Centrepoint Traders. The Senior Lucky Nomination Prize is seven nights accommodation at Montes Reef Resort, valued at $1820 and Lucky Weigh-in Prize is a trip from Cairns to Cooktown from Bowen Transit. Trans North Presentations are at 4pm Sunday, and end with the Senior and Junior Lucky Nomination Boat Draws. We have trophies and prizes for Champion Junior and Senior, tagged fish prizes for the juniors and thousands of dollars in prizes and giveaways.

$28 SENIOR (16 years and over) $15 JUNIOR (15 years and under)

6 th SEPT. 201

Australia’s BIGGEST Family Fishing Classic at the Top of the Whitsundays SENIOR BOAT worth

The Bowen Fishing Classic always sees a great turn out. across the world over 15 years with their highly entertaining, original and interactive performances.

Lonesome Train play a fantastic mix of originals and classics, all cooked up to an infectious, high energy, rockabilly beat.

They love to invite audience members up on stage too, so if you have a talent you’re happy to share, there’s more fun for everyone!

Don’t forget to look to the sky for the Grandview Fireworks that are sure to delight the young and old at 9pm. Then, come on down for Brekky Beachside on day two, before leisurely music and family fun. Weigh in, and wonderful prizes must go home with a lucky winner.

Senior Lucky Nomination Prize is a boat worth $37000 – the BLUEFIN 4.8 Silver Edition. This Plate-sided hull has a centre console with screen and grab rail. It’s built tough with high sides and full motor well – a no nonsense sportsfishing boat that is at home in estuary or offshore waters. This boat is fitted-up with the ultimate four stroke HONDA BF80 ENGINE with a seven-year warranty. On the dash is the Humminbird Helix 5 DI GPS and GME entertainment System. The painted Bowen Classic Silver Edition is finished in a distinctive custom wrap and aqua silver paint, set up on an Swiftco 5.0 Hot Dip Galvanised trailer.

$39,700 WIN2

1 OF TIC S FANTA ONDA/ /H BLUEFINIFTCO SW G BOATIN GES PACKA

Compered by

HAMMO & LEON MITCHELL

The

2016 XXXX Beach Party

★Simmer Down ★Rok n Dean ★1984 ★The Cadillacs

✶Christian Power and Lonesome Train

★Shannon Noll BOWEN

JUNIOR BOAT worth $6,770

TRIFECTA CHALLENGE

★Pop Standen, Phil Emmanuel and Dave Hoffman ★Monserrat - Jimmy Buffet Parrot Head Party ★Roving Kids Entertainment by Hoozat

Entertainment “Whales Tails” WEIGH-IN WITH SPECIAL GUEST PERSONALITY

SENIOR LUCKY NOMINATION PRIZE

Catch one each of a nominated species closest to a specified length in both senior and junior sections.

Qualifying species and nominated length is on Page 5 and Innisfail Trifecta Challenge rules are on Page 2 of the flyer.

7 NIGHTS FOR 4 ADULTS

SENIOR PRIZE $1500 value - JUNIOR PRIZE $1000 VALUE

$1820 value

advocate express advocate observer independent miner The Herbert River

(OFF PEAK)

The

The

Bowen

The Northern

AUGUST 2016

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boats & kayaks

In the skipper’s seat 96 Brisbane Boat Show Inside story...

Tracker Boats are built in America, and are imported locally by Fishing & Leisure Boats in Molendinar. They are amongst some of the best quality aluminium fishing boats in the world. Each year, thousands of Tracker owners give useful feedback, continually inspiring them to build better boats.This assures you that each Tracker is the finest boat it can be.

Made for...

Tracker Boats are perfect for both tournament fishing and family use, and even make boats that suit both of these applications.

This month...

We’re checking out Tracker’s ProGuide 16WT with a Mercury 75 4-stroke on lovely Lake Moogerah.

Get all the lowdown on what’s hot at the 2016 Brisbane Boatshow.

114 Boating terminology Wayne Kampe gives you all the right lingo for checking out all the boats at the show.

118 Punchy Polycrafts Stephen Booth tells the tales of a Polycraft with lots of mojo - Wilson’s very own Brumby.

120 Deeper Pro+ review Victoria’s Robbie Alexander tests out an exciting new fish finder for land-based anglers.

126 Sea Jay 488 Avenger Editor Steve Morgan puts this tough customer through its paces on Brisbane’s Moreton Bay.

Proudly owned and organised by the Boating Industry Association

Friday 19 - Sunday 21 August 2016 The door to getting Australians onto the water

Halls 2, 3 and 4, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Southbank • Open Friday and Saturday 10am - 8pm • Sunday 10am - 6pm

2016 Brisbane Boat Show Welcome to the Brisbane Boat Show for 2016!

This event is steeped in tradition and its heritage goes back to the early 1960s.

Over time it has been hosted at numerous locations, with the event returning this year to the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre at Southbank.

Queensland is the heart of the recreational marine industry’s boat manufacturing, and is the state where recreational boating is in the DNA of most of its residents, so one can understand the importance of the Brisbane Boat Show for so many people, for so many reasons.

The return to the Brisbane

VISITOR INFORMATION Show Dates: 19-21 August Show Hours: 10am to 8pm (closes 6pm Sunday).

Entry prices: adults $15, children $5 (under 5 free), family $35 (2 adults and 3 children), seniors and pensioners $12, all tickets $5 after 5pm.

Visit www.BrisbaneBoatShow.com.au for more show, transport and parking information.

Exhibition venue also coincides with a change in timing for the show. Moving away from the Fathers’ Day weekend, the event has found a new slot on the calendar that has been highlighted by many boaters as being more convenient and desirable: August 19-21.

The show is a festival of recreational boating, with an

emphasis on trailable vessels.

Data shows that while we admire the many large craft that adorn our waterways, the reality is that more than 90% of all registered vessels are trailer boats, like those on display at this show.

Our research also shows that while the diversity of trailer boats will fill the exhibition halls, over 50% of

people have a primary interest in fishing. This will be evident with the vessels on display.

However, the other sectors will not be left behind.

Water ski, wake boats, personal watercraft, family cruisers, canoes, kayaks and more will be plentiful.

And while the boats remain the show’s heroes, you can also expect to be able to get all your gear for your boating and fishing as well.

To complement the boats and gear for them, we are also pleased to deliver a program of education and entertainment. Come along and bring your family or friends. Everyone is sure to have an enjoyable experience, as well as see or learn something new. – BIA GETTING TO THE SHOW The Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre is an easy 10-minute walk from the CBD and has direct access to an efficient transport network. For information about public transport visit translink.com.au or call 13 12 30.

By train: The nearest train station is South Brisbane Railway Station adjacent to the Convention Centre on Grey Street. The city to airport Air Train also operates from the South Brisbane train station.

By bus: South Bank is serviced by two bus stations: the Cultural Centre Station on Melbourne Street and the South Bank Busway Station on the corner of Colchester and Tribune streets, South Bank.

By CityCat ferry: This is a popular and speedy way to travel along the river.

CityCats operate every day and stop at the South Bank River Terminal on the Clem Jones Promenade. The inner-city ferry travels between the CBD, North Quay and Kangaroo Point, stopping at South Bank Terminal 1 and 2 on the Clem Jones Promenade.

By car: There is an undercover carpark at the Convention Centre which accommodates 1500 vehicles with three additional carparks. Carparks 2 and 3 are best for Exhibition Hall access.

By taxi: taxi ranks are located outside the main entrance to the Convention Centre on Merivale Street, and at Mantra South Bank on Grey Street. There is a taxi drop-off located at the Convention Centre’s Grey Street entrance.

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96

AUGUST 2016

Proudly owned and organised by the Boating Industry Association

Friday 19 - Sunday 21 August 2016 The door to getting Australians onto the water

Halls 2, 3 and 4, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Southbank • Open Friday and Saturday 10am - 8pm • Sunday 10am - 6pm

BRISBANE MARINE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The team at Brisbane Marine pride themselves on customer service, and helping customers to find the perfect boat for their needs.

To get you started, Brisbane Marine has provided some information on buying a boat and what questions to ask.

First of all, you need to

have a clear plan on what activities you want to do with your new boat, where you want to take it and what it has to do. Discuss your budget with your partner and agree on what you can afford. If you plan to store your new boat in a garage or shed, take measurements. You should also bring a tape measure to the show; you don’t want to trust the numbers on the side of the boat. If you are trading in an old boat, bring plenty of photos.

When you actually

start looking at boats, talk to multiple people from the same dealership and get the full story. There are no silly questions! Is the price quoted on-water and ready to go?

Is the level of safety gear enough for what you and your family want to do with the boat? These are just a couple of the questions to ask.

You should also be wary of buying a gutless, underpowered boat. Get a guarantee that the boat will perform to a standard, not a price. And if possible, buy the

exact boat you are looking at, not a boat ‘just like it’.

Make sure the boat has an Australian builder’s plate and it is foam filled, meeting Australian standards.

Remember that a warranty is everything, and the longer the better. It’s an indication of the build quality of the boat, motor or trailer.

Also, don’t overlook the trailer. See if it has brakes

and is Australian made. A quality trailer has a walkway, is self-centring and has a spare wheel.

Finally, when in doubt, talk to Brisbane Marine and they will set you straight!

YAMAHA • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Yamaha will be exhibiting the latest in outboard and

rigging technology at this year’s Brisbane Boat Show.

Debuting for the first time in Queensland is Yamaha’s latest VMAX SHO series, with the new game-changing inline-4 VF115 and VF150 joining the Australian range.

Also on debut in Brisbane is Yamaha’s new-addition F90 4-stroke, To page 98

The door to getting Australians onto the water

19 to 21 August 2016 BRISBANE CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE Southbank

BRISBANE

If you love boats, fishing and water sports, you don’t want to miss this fantastic forum for boaties.

New releases and show only deals from major suppliers Huge clearance of fishing tackle Education, expert advice and plenty of entertainment for all the family Open: 10am to 8pm (closes 6pm Sunday) More info:

BrisbaneBoatShow.com.au Follow us

Member of

Presented by

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR AUGUST 2016

97

Proudly owned and organised by the Boating Industry Association

Friday 19 - Sunday 21 August 2016 The door to getting Australians onto the water

Halls 2, 3 and 4, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Southbank • Open Friday and Saturday 10am - 8pm • Sunday 10am - 6pm

From page 97

which is proving to be exceptionally popular with savvy boaters looking to extract the maximum performance from their 90hp rated trailer boat.

On display across the show through Yamaha’s Queensland dealerships will be an array of Yamahapowered, locally-built and imported boats. Powering a number of these boats is Yamaha’s all-new lightweight F130A, which will be positioned front and centre on the Yamaha display.

Complementing the new outboards, is a new selection of Yamaha-exclusive rigging.

A new range of propellers dubbed the Talon Series joins the exclusive Yamaha selection. This new propeller benefits from Yamaha’s shock and noise-reducing, Shift Dampening System (SDS), which gives boaters a ‘clunk-free’ propeller option in either alloy or polished stainless steel. SDS propellers are now available on all Yamaha outboards from FT60 through to F350.

Yamaha is also exhibiting the new all-in-one, highdefinition, colour LCD

gauge which relays realtime information from the outboard(s), fuel tanks and sensors back to the helm.

The new 6YC CommandLink Digital gauge is compatible with Yamaha’s complete EFI 4-stroke range, from F30-F350.

For more information visit www.yamaha-motor. com.au/outboard, or visit Yamaha at the show next to Gate 318.

BRISBANE YAMAHA • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Brisbane Yamaha has a number of new model releases at the Brisbane Boat Show from the best-selling Baysports range of fibreglass boats and the Australian-made Quintrex range of aluminium boats. Dealer Principal Aaron Goodchild said that every model in the Baysport range has been upgraded for 2016.

“Queensland-built Baysport Boats have proven build quality and the soft and dry ride of the Baysport hull makes it unbeatable on the water,” he said. “New features include a full composite transom and combined with the proven

foam-filled fibreglass stringer system, ensures piece of mind for the life of your boat against any chance of structural failure that you would find in other brands with wooden transoms.

“This attention to detail is why Baysport is the largest selling fibreglass boat range in Queensland for the past five years! I say ask the question when you are buying a boat.”

Baysport Boats has also introduced a new range of fishing models equipped with bait tank, kill tank and tackle and rod storage plus an easy-clean fibreglass floor all included in the package.

In addition to this, Brisbane Yamaha has the new upgraded Weekender range in the 545, 585 and 640 models – all suitable for overnight stays with full length bunks and camper covers.

And new for 2016 is the Baysport 545 Cross Sports model which features additional horsepower, wakeboard tower and custom fittings for family adventurers who love watersports.

Brisbane Yamaha will be passing on some manufacturer boat show only specials to customers who

purchase a boat at the show.

You can secure a free Stress Free anchor winch with the Baysport 640 Fishermen and Weekender models.

“Combined with free outboard horsepower upgrades, this guarantees you the best value best performing fibreglass boat in Australia,” Aaron said.

“Before you buy any other brand of boat, do yourself a favour and water test a Baysport with the Brisbane Yamaha team. I guarantee you will be impressed.”

Brisbane Yamaha is

also Australia’s biggest selling dealer of the awardwinning Quintrex range of aluminium boats.

“And there’s a reason for this,” Aaron said. “We offer unbeatable prices and once again we will have the biggest display of any brand of boat at the show.”

He added that Brisbane Yamaha will have a number of highlights from Quintrex at the 2016 show. The new Quintrex 460 Renegade, which is fully decked out for the off-road adventurer, will have pride of place among

the all-new Hornet range for inland anglers. The full range of Trident offshore plate fishing boats and the new Yellowfin 740 Hardtop will also be on display.

“Brisbane Yamaha stands by its brands and I believe that this 740 Hardtop is the best value, best riding true plate boat in Australia,” Aaron said. “And as with previous years at the boat show, Brisbane Yamaha has come up with some unbeatable value on drive away packages.”

To page 100

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99

Proudly owned and organised by the Boating Industry Association

Friday 19 - Sunday 21 August 2016 The door to getting Australians onto the water

Halls 2, 3 and 4, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Southbank • Open Friday and Saturday 10am - 8pm • Sunday 10am - 6pm south to Cairns in the north and everywhere in between.

This boat is also tournament ready but will fish the lakes and rivers one weekend and then the next you will see them 50km offshore chasing bluewater species.”

Come and say hi to Tim at Fishing and Leisure Boats on stand 431 next to the Cafe between Hall 3 and 4, and get yourself a great boat show deal. For more information on the Fishing and Leisure Boats range visit fishingandl eisureboats.com.au.

Tahoe bowriders and Mako offshore fibreglass centre consoles.

buy boats from Tim over the last 25 years.

“At this year’s show we have a good range of brand new 2017 models from both Tracker and Nitro boats,” Tim said. “We will have the Nitro Z-18 bass boat that is fast becoming a favourite with bream, bass and barra anglers. This boat has a very impressive Simrad set-up with all the options ticked, as well as a custom colour that you really have to see.

“Along with the Nitro we will have on display the 2017 Tracker Pro Team 195 TXW – the very first one to arrive in Australia. It’s a tournament ready boat, and you won’t believe it’s actually an alloy boat!

“Other boats we will have on display include the Tracker Pro Guide V-16WT (walk through) that is a great crossover boat for a family that needs two boats

This year’s Brisbane Boat Show is the 25th show for Tim. Ever since he was a young man Tim has been giving the people of South East Queensland his knowledge on what style of boat their family will need, not just what is on the floor at the show. This has lead to many repeat customers coming back to

(one for fishing and one for the family) but can only have one boat. This boat performs both roles and is still affordable.

“Another boat we will be displaying is the Tracker Pro Guide V-175SC side console. At 2.46m beam and 5.3m long this is one big all-round boat that we have sold from Victoria in the

and 200 horsepower range to bring a new era of outboard engines to even more boaters.

Combining superior performance with an intelligent design and the cleanest outboard engine combustion technology available, the new Evinrude E-TEC G2 models deliver up to 30% more

From page 98

Brisbane Yamaha is the largest selling Yamaha outboard dealer in Australia and offers an exclusive 6-year warranty on four strokes when purchased and serviced at Brisbane Yamaha.

Brisbane Yamaha also offers in-house Yamaha Motor Finance (YMF) and Yamaha Marine Insurance (YMI) making Brisbane Yamaha a one-stop shop for expert advice and servicing on boats. Come and see the huge display at the show or visit www. brisbaneyamaha.com.au.

COORPAROO MARINE •••••••••••••••

The team at Coorparoo Marine say they can’t wait to showcase their new range of Clark Boats at this year’s Brisbane Boat Show.

“We aim to cater to the needs of everyone, from fishing and crabbing tinnies and family runabouts to fully loaded tournament boats,” said Caren Neville from Coorparoo Marine.

“All our boat packages are powered by Mercury outboards. Come and talk to us about your outboard needs. Whether you’re after a 2-stroke for your tinnie or you are thinking of upgrading to a 4-stroke, we have got you covered.”

Coorparoo Marine will have a range of Clark aluminium boats

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on display, including the Sun Seeker bowrider, the Navigator Runabout and, in the Sportsfish models, the Dominator and the Kakadu.

For more information on the range of boats that Coorparoo Marine will be displaying at the show, you can contact them on (07) 3397 4141, or drop into their premises at 57 Cavendish Road (next to the train station) at Coorparoo. More information on the range is also available at www. coorparoomarine.com.au.

FISHING & LEISURE BOATS •••••••••••••••

Two friends with a passion for all things fishing and boating came

together in 2013 to form Fishing and Leisure Boats. One had extensive experience working for a supply company, while the other came from a family of boat builders. Together Tim Stessl and James Neilsen have built up a major distribution centre for all styles of boats, including both mono hulls and power cats.

Fishing and Leisure Boats are the Australian distributors for Tracker Marine Group, the largest boat manufacturer in the world. They are also the Australian importers for World Cat and Glacier Bay power cats.

Mono hull brands distributed by the company include Tracker alloy boats, Nitro bass boats, Suntracker pontoon boats,

EVINRUDE •••••••••••••••

Get a glimpse of the new Evinrude E-TEC G2s, expected in Australia by the end of 2016. Evinrude has introduced the E-TEC G2 150, 150 H.O., 175

Proudly owned and organised by the Boating Industry Association

Friday 19 - Sunday 21 August 2016 The door to getting Australians onto the water

Halls 2, 3 and 4, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Southbank • Open Friday and Saturday 10am - 8pm • Sunday 10am - 6pm

torque, up to 15% better fuel efficiency, and up to 75% fewer total regulated emissions compared to leading 4-stroke outboards.

The new models also feature a distinctive, customizable look that allows consumers to perfectly match their boat.

Caloundra Marine, Springwood Marine and Whitewater Marine will all

be attending Brisbane Boat Show with a large number of Evinrude outboards on display, so be sure to visit the teams to bag a great deal.

HOBIE

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Inventing new ways to enjoy the water is a way of life at Hobie. Their latest creation, the Hobie Mirage Eclipse, is the world’s first

stand up pedalboard. Rather than using a paddle, riders use the patented MirageDrive technology at the heart of Hobie’s hands-free kayaks to power these stand-up boards with their legs.

These boards are very stable – you just get on and go using leg power. You’ll soon be reaching high speeds, nimbly carving turns using fingertip steering controls.

There’s minimal setup, and you can go from the car,

the dock or your boat to the water in minutes. You can cruise solo, with your partner or with a group. The board is lightweight and durable and full of thoughtful features such as gear tie-downs and a carefree kick-up rudder. It’s a great way to take fitness out of the gym and onto the water and under the sun.

Come and see the Hobie Mirage Eclipse for yourself on stand 428 at the Brisbane Boat Show, or visit www. hobiecat.com.au/stand-ups/ mirage-eclipse.

HONDA MARINE

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Honda Marine has announced the extension of Australia’s leading 7 Year Domestic Warranty and 3 Year Commercial Warranty – available free of charge, on any outboard that is purchased between now and March 31 2017. To qualify, the outboard must be serviced for the entire warranty period by an authorised Honda Marine dealer, in line with the recommended service schedule.

Chris New, National Sales Manager for Honda

www.coorparoomarine.com.au

Marine, said Honda was committed to ensuring that the end user has complete ease of mind.

“Honda outboards are the toughest and most reliable on the Australian market, so why wouldn’t we back our product with an industry leading warranty?” he said. “Honda outboards are designed to be depended on day in, day out and shine in the harshest operating conditions. With

QLD’S NEWEST

the extension of Australia’s industry leading warranty, Honda is showing its commitment to the customer.

Best of all the warranty does not change – you will receive the same fantastic coverage on the last day of your warranty that you would on day one!”

Unlike other brands that exclude many high value engine components, every To page 102

DEALER *Images for Illustration Purposes Only

VISIT US AT THE BRISBANE BOAT SHOW FOR THE LAUNCH OF OUR NEW & IMPROVED MODELS STANDS 301 AND 302

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• Mercury outboard motor • Clark Heavy duty trailer • 12 months registration on boat and trailer • Inshore Safety Gear for 2

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• Mercury outboard motor • Clark Heavy duty trailer • 12 months registration on boat and trailer • Inshore Safety Gear for 2

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Pro XS FourStroke Performance Redefined Built on the legendary Pro XS reputation for superior hole shot, top end speed and durability. Mercury’s new 115HP Pro XS FourStroke redefines outboard performance.

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101

Proudly owned and organised by the Boating Industry Association

Friday 19 - Sunday 21 August 2016 The door to getting Australians onto the water

Halls 2, 3 and 4, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Southbank • Open Friday and Saturday 10am - 8pm • Sunday 10am - 6pm

From page 101

Honda part is covered. If it is a manufacturing fault, it is covered under the warranty. Honda’s range of 4-stroke marine outboard engines are supported by Honda’s extensive national dealer network and Honda Australia’s dedicated aftersales support team.

To view the range get down to the Brisbane

International Boat Show, where you can learn more about the industry-leading warranty, and get a great deal! To be eligible for the last two years of the warranty, the outboard must be: sold and set up by an authorised dealer; serviced for the entire warranty period by an authorised dealer, in line with the recommended service schedule; and serviced for the entire warranty period

using genuine Honda parts and lubricants.

For more information visit www.marine.honda.com.au.

NITRO MARINE

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Established in 1980, the Nitro Marine dealership is based in Smith street, Southport. It includes a workshop, hardstand, indoor and outdoor showroom totalling 2400sqm. In 2015, Nitro Marine’s Mercury and Mercruiser workshop was awarded Mercury premier status, and is the only Mercury premier service centre on the Gold Coast. In our 35 years they have had the opportunity to partner with the best brands in the industry, and the team are excited to bring all this to visitors at the show this year.

“In the last 10 years we have been awarded Mercury Dealer of the Year for Australia and New Zealand three times and three times QLD dealer of the year,” said Robert Waugh from Nitro Marine.

“We focus on customer service, professional finance and insurance and flawless installations.”

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One of the brands on display at the show will be Crownline. Their sleek sports car styling and lustrous gelcoat attract attention wherever they go, and Nitro Marine will be displaying an 18SS and 19SS at their stand.

Visitors to the stand can also check out a range of Bluefin Boats, an established leader in aluminium boats.

The Bluefin range covers over 125 models, including dinghies, punts, runabouts, bow riders, cabin boats and market leading sportfishing boats. Whether you’re into family boating, recreational angling, skiing, diving, tournament fishing or just enjoy spending time on the water, there’s a model to suit. Nitro Marine will be displaying a range of Bluefin’s fishing and runabout models.

Pioneer boats, built in the USA, are constantly pushing the envelope in design and construction methods, delivering tough and eye-catching boats.

Nitro Marine will be showing Pioneer’s 180 and 197 centre console models at their stand this year.

Triton’s state-of-the-art materials and construction methods give their boats tremendous strength without excess weight. This means you get faster acceleration, greater top-end speed, a soft, dry ride in rough water and increased fuel efficiency for both your outboard and your tow vehicle. Nitro Marine will have the Triton 179 TrX on display at their stand.

Polycraft boats are available across the full midsize range spectrum, from the 3.00 Tuff Tender, right through to the flagship 6m 5.99 Frontier.

A comprehensive range of layouts are available, including Cuddy Cabin, Runabout, Centre Console, Side Console and Open, and show visitors can check out select models at the Nitro stand.

CSB Huntsman boats are built for cruising, fishing and family fun. Built to highest quality standards in New Zealand, these boats are filled with great features such as electric anchor winches, showers, stainless bimini top system and more. Nitro Marine will be displaying the CSB

Series 6000, which is sure to turn heads.

All in all, it’s definitely a stand you don’t want to miss.

QUINTREX • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Quintrex dealers Caloundra Marine, Brisbane Yamaha and Springwood Marine will be displaying all the latest and greatest from Quintrex at Brisbane Boat Show.

Earlier this year, Quintrex revealed the revamped Yellowfin range of offshore fishing boats. The range is made up of eight new models: 5800, 6200, 6700 and 7400 in both hard and soft top versions. Make sure you check out these fishing rigs at the show. With 6mm plate bottom sheets (5mm for the 5800), 5mm transom material and 4mm side sheets, these are some seriously tough boats.

If you’re after something a little smaller, there will be plenty of the legendary Explorer tinnies on display.

The Explorer range offers boaties an affordable and reliable tinny versatile

Proudly owned and organised by the Boating Industry Association

Friday 19 - Sunday 21 August 2016 The door to getting Australians onto the water

Halls 2, 3 and 4, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Southbank • Open Friday and Saturday 10am - 8pm • Sunday 10am - 6pm

enough to fish creeks, use as a tender or even use as a car topper for the keen camper. The forked bow design features wide chines, generating better stability at rest and extra storage room for your fishing gear, while the sharp entry point creates an even softer riding hull.

Visit the friendly teams at Caloundra Marine, Brisbane Yamaha and Springwood Marine to get the best deals on a Quinnie.

For more information on the full range visit www. quintrex.com.au.

MERCURY MARINE •••••••••••••••

The Mercury stand is going to be packed with a full line-up of cutting edge marine power technology – including a full range of outboards from of 2.5-400hp, MerCruiser inboards and sterndrives, quiet and clean diesels, and MotorGuide trolling motors.

Mercury’s new 115

Pro XS 4-Stroke outboard will attract huge interest, as it delivers significantly better performance than any other 115hp outboard on the market today.

Tested mercilessly to ensure reliability, the new 115 Pro XS FourStroke is 4% lighter than its nearest competitor and boasts a 2.1L displacement to deliver an superb combination of torque and performance.

No doubt visitors will also be eager to learn more about MerCruiser’s new 6.2L V8 towsport inboard, created to provide towsport enthusiasts with a flawless blend of torque, pulling power, and launch propulsion.

Available in either a 320hp or 370hp configuration, MerCruiser’s new 6.2L V8 is highly durable, reliable, fuel efficient and delivers more of the muscle needed to pull people out of the water and get them carving a line through it.

But Mercury’s not just about power, it also leads the way in controlling that power, to ensure the best performance for everyone on the water.

For example, visitors

can check out Mercury’s new Active Trim system, which automatically and effortlessly trims an engine (or engines) while also improving engine performance and cutting fuel costs. Active Trim leads the competition because its patented integrated GPS-based

control system takes into account boat speed and rpm when deciding on the ideal trim position.

Mercury also has the largest range of propellers in the world, with something suitable for every boat and every application. There will also be a selection of inflatable

boats, from tiny tenders to serious blue-water craft.

A massive range of parts and accessories will also be available and expert staff will be on hand to discuss Mercury’s finance and insurance products, which have been specially created by Mercury to take into account the special

needs of both commercial and recreational boaters.

For more information visit www.mercurymarine.com.

NORTHSIDE MARINE •••••••••••••••

This year’s Brisbane Boat Show is going to be massive for Northside Marine; they have decided to bring all their boating brands and accessories together to provide customers with the best possible experience.

Located centrally in Hall 4 of the BCEC (Stands 415-417), they will have on display all your favourite brands, including three of the biggest alloy brands on the market today: Stabicraft, Stacer and Surtees Boats.

These boats are suited to serious anglers and families alike, with safety and performance a key feature across the board.

An exciting new release will be unveiled at the Brisbane Boat Show: the all-new Stabicraft 2750 Supercab Centrecab. It will be on display for the first time anywhere in Australia, and will definitely be a show To page 104

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103

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Friday 19 - Sunday 21 August 2016 The door to getting Australians onto the water

Halls 2, 3 and 4, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Southbank • Open Friday and Saturday 10am - 8pm • Sunday 10am - 6pm specialists at the show, as they have extensive knowledge on configuring a set-up to suit your needs.”

Northside Marine will also have boats from three world renowned, industry and sector leading fibreglass brands: Axis, Malibu and Whittley.

“These boats are all famous for their high quality, revolutionary designs that put you at the helm of a boat you and your family will surely love,” Rick said. “Be sure to see all the latest models, have

From page 103

stopper, so be sure to check out this fishing weapon!

“These packages are all powered by ever-reliable and class-leading Yamaha outboards to provide one of the best packages that money can buy,” said Rick Gleeson from Northside Marine. “If you’re looking at getting a new outboard, have a chat to one of the trained Northside Marine Yamaha Outboard

a chat to one of our boating professionals, and immerse yourself in the boating lifestyle with Northside Marine.”

NORTHSIDE MARINE BOATING PARTS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The Northside Marine Boating Parts & Accessories will also be showcasing a great range of well priced

boating bits. On display will be the latest marine electronics from all your favourite brands, including Garmin, Fusion, GME, Furuno, Lowrance, Simrad, and lots more.

“Northside Marine are one of the most experienced and awarded teams in the marine industry,” Rick Gleeson from Northside Marine said. “For quality advice and great prices, be sure to have a chat with the Northside Marine Boating

Parts Team. They are always happy to help.”

SEA JAY BOATS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Family owned and operated since 1989, Sea Jay Boats are renowned for strength, workmanship and customisation. Popular models include everything from their popular roof toppers like the Nomad and Angler, to open and console

boats such as the Avenger and Navigator ranges built on the Adrenalin Hull, right up to the latest generation of 3D designed and 4-stroke future proofed Samurai Hulls used on the Vision, Velocity, Crusader (runabout) and new cabin boat ranges. These will be available through the Stones Corner Marine stand which will be displaying a huge range of Sea Jay Boats.

Models earmarked for display are the Avenger, Avenger Sports, Crusader (runabout)

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Proudly owned and organised by the Boating Industry Association

Friday 19 - Sunday 21 August 2016 The door to getting Australians onto the water

Halls 2, 3 and 4, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Southbank • Open Friday and Saturday 10am - 8pm • Sunday 10am - 6pm sure to check this one out!

The 8.1 Pursuit GS is the feature of the Sea Jay Plate Xtreme display. The Pursuit is a true offshore plate boat with long range capabilities.

Masterfully engineered in house using the latest in 3D modelling, the Pursuit boasts unrivalled strength and handling that is absolutely paramount when heading out into open waters.

Vision, Velocity Sports, Nomad, Magnum 2 and the new 398 Creek Masta.

And then there is Sea Jay’s impressive Plate Xtreme range. The side console 4.8m Enforcer has been the entry point to the Plate Xtreme range, however the all new 6m version is set to be unveiled at the Brisbane Boat Show. Be

The full plate construction leaves nothing to chance with safety coming in the form of foam-filled cavities and a full buoyancy chamber due to the fully sealed, self draining floor. With sleek lines and eye catching graphics, the Pursuit turns heads wherever it goes.

The 8.1 Pursuit GS (glass screen) hardtop is the largest of the Plate Xtreme hulls.

This model is an impressive

offshore cab, with long range capabilities. The 8.1 Pursuit GS built to true plate construction guidelines, and is worthy of being the new flagship of the Sea Jay Plate Xtreme range. The structural strength of this hull is superior with 6mm bottoms and transom and 4mm sides. The Pursuit Hull also features Sea Jay’s reverse chine technology which, combined with perfect weight distribution throughout, assists in making

this a very soft, quiet and extremely comfortable riding craft. Call in to see Col and Troy Glass to ask about a Plate Xtreme model to suit your needs.

STACER • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Stacer has launched a host of new models and upgrades for 2016. Northside Marine, Wynnum Marine

and Whitewater Marine will be all be displaying a large range of Stacer models at this year’s Brisbane Boat Show.

Stacer has updated its successful Proline range with the release of the new Proline Striker Series, which features Proline models 399-429 and Proline Angler models 409-449.

The Proline Striker Series are the perfect entry level fishing tinnies. They are budget To page 106

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105

Proudly owned and organised by the Boating Industry Association

Friday 19 - Sunday 21 August 2016 The door to getting Australians onto the water

Halls 2, 3 and 4, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Southbank • Open Friday and Saturday 10am - 8pm • Sunday 10am - 6pm to the Brisbane Boatshow.

The Yamaha RiDE Challenge is a fast-paced WaveRunner simulator which gives showgoers the chance to race against the clock to win some cool prizes.

2016 also marks the 30th anniversary of Yamaha WaveRunners. To celebrate this milestone, a wide range of Yamaha WaveRunners will be on display, along with a selection of key historical models.

Yamaha’s award-winning TR-1 Marine Engine and SVHO Marine Engine cut-away will also be on display, giving enthusiasts a rare glimpse into what beats in the heart of Yamaha watercraft.

From page 105

friendly, and have new and improved features that really pack a punch. Additionally, the innovative arrow-shaped bow design has increased the cockpit size by 11% for even more fishing room.

The new Proline Anglers are a fisho’s dream. You can guarantee a soft and dry ride as the new Proline Anglers feature a deeper entry point and improved spray deflection.

The new bow design increases the casting platform size by over 10%.

Other new models on display from Stacer will include the revolutionary Crossfires, Ocean Rangers, Sea Rangers, Nomads and Bay Masters. Other Stacer favourites, ranging from small tinnies to large offshore boats, will also be on display at the show. For more information on the new range visit www. stacer.com.au.

YAMAHA WAVERUNNERS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Yamaha WaveRunners will be showcasing the latest

in PWC technology and a new fishing concept at the Brisbane Boat Show.

For 2016, Yamaha has reinvigorated the line-up with a new model, the reintroduction of the championship-winning FZR, a new TR-1 Marine Engine and some of the freshest colours and graphic combinations on the water.

Yamaha’s complete range has something for everyone.

At one end is the legendary Superjet, a raw and engaging

good as glass boats, with the benefits of added durability.

And, as you’d expect from a NZ-built boat, they’re designed to eat up rough conditions. At the Karee Marine stand you can check out the 645 and 605 Game King cuddy cabins, designed to provide the ultimate gamefishing experience for anglers heading offshore.

If you do most of your fishing inshore or around the estuaries, you’ll like the Extreme 545 side console.

There will also be more great side consoles available from Stessco, with the Renegade and Fisherman side consoles on special at the show.

machine that has thrilled for decades. In the middle of the range is Yamaha VX and FX HO models, combining family-friendly fun, versatility and features in an affordable package. At the pointy-end is Yamaha’s SVHO powered models, featuring championshipwinning powertrains and lightened hulls for unrivalled excitement. All VX and FX models feature Yamaha’sexclusive RiDE dual throttle control system, which

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Front and centre of the Yamaha WaveRunner stand is the new JetFish brand concept. JetFish ties together a range of personal watercraft fishing ideas and innovations and will form the basis of Yamaha’s future activity in this area. Along with the new brand, a concept model will also be unveiled for the first time in Queensland.

Yamaha’s Time-Trial RiDE Challenge is returning

KAREE MARINE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Karee Marine is the exclusive Queensland dealer for award-winning New Zealand brand Extreme Boats – the number one selling plate boats over the Tasman – and there will be some great models on display at the show. These boats look every bit as

Karee Marine will have the popular Stessco Sun Seeker cuddy cabins on display as well.

All of Karee Marine’s boats are powered by Mercury outboards and come supplied on Dunbier trailers – top quality, Australian built trailers.

As we’ve all come to expect from Karee Marine, there will be exclusive show-only specials to take advantage of, so stop by the stand and bag a bargain!

Proudly owned and organised by the Boating Industry Association

Friday 19 - Sunday 21 August 2016 The door to getting Australians onto the water

Halls 2, 3 and 4, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Southbank • Open Friday and Saturday 10am - 8pm • Sunday 10am - 6pm

HORIZON BOATS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Horizon Aluminium Boats has grown to become a well respected and quality brand in the marine industry.

The business began in 1992 in a little shed in Burleigh, producing just a couple of models, and has grown to the point where Horizon now produces 84 different models

catering for all markets, producing approximately 1500 annually.

Horizon Boats has a strong commitment to research and development, with new models being released and constant improvements to production techniques to stay at the forefront of boat design, and to suit all brands of motors.

Horizon Boats will be represented at the Brisbane Boat Show at the Marine Tune stand, and will have a

range of both Horizon and Stessl boats on display. In the Horizon range, there will be a complete range of bowriders, plus the 525 Scorpion cuddy cabin.

In the Stessl range, show visitors can check out the new 620 Coastrunner Platerix centre cabin, as well as the 530 Trophy centre console and the 450 Apache Pro side console, the 440 Apache runabout, 435 Edgetracker Tournament and 430 Warrior.

There will be special promo deals for show-goers, so stop by the Marine Tune stand and see what’s on offer.

SPRINGWOOD MARINE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Springwood Marine is under new management with a fresh new outlook, new staff and a focus on superior customer service.

At this year’s show, Springwood Marine will

MARINE

have two stands side by side, with Evolution boats on one stand, and Quintrex on the other. Springwood Marine boats are powered 50-50 by Evinrude E-Tecs and Mercury outboards, and there will be exclusive showonly deals for visitors to take advantage of.

The reputation of Evolution Boats rests on their deep vee/wide reverse chine hull design, which results in an extremely smooth ride while underway and rock solid stability at rest.

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All fibreglass is hand-laid for ultimate hull strength, all hulls are sub-floor filled with high-density foam and the highest-quality fittings and accessories are used throughout. At the Springwood Marine stand, show-goers can check out the Evolution 600 Extreme cuddy cab, 552 Axis centre console and more.

The big head-turner on the Quintrex side of the Springwood Marine stand will be the new To page 108

440 Breezway DROP IN AND SEE US

W W W. K A R E E M A R I N E . C O M . A U

440 Breezway

449 Fishermen SC

• Mercury 50 hp 4 stroke • Dunbier Trailer • Under floor fuel tank • Custom Bimini • Nav lights • QLD rego $ • Safety gear 4 people

21,500

• Mercury 50 hp 4 stroke • Dunbier trailer • 10 side ribs • QLD rego • Safety gear 4 people

$

17,990

440 Renegade SC

• Mercury 60 hp 4 stroke • Dunbier trailer • Under floor fuel tank • Live well • Live bait tank • Electric bow mount bracket • Front and rear cast decks $ • Stainless steel prop • Plus more

22,000

510 Sunseeker Cuddy

• Mercury 90 hp 4 stroke • Dunbier trailer • Custom Bimini • Bunk cushions • Rear lounge • Transom door • QLD regos $ • Smooth water safet gear 5 people

36,800

Pro XS FourStroke Performance Redefined Built on the legendary Pro XS reputation for superior hole shot, top end speed and durability. Mercury’s new 115HP Pro XS FourStroke redefines outboard performance.

Visit mercurymarine.com.au to find out more.

Can’t make the yard? Shop online for quality new and used boats! www.kareemarine.com.au AUGUST 2016

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Proudly owned and organised by the Boating Industry Association

Friday 19 - Sunday 21 August 2016 The door to getting Australians onto the water

Halls 2, 3 and 4, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Southbank • Open Friday and Saturday 10am - 8pm • Sunday 10am - 6pm

From page 107

5800 Yellowfin. Quintrex’s Yellowfin range of offshore plate boats are packed with the features that make a difference, and the 5800 model, although the smallest of the bunch, is just as impressive as its bigger brothers. It has an excellent ride and a host of fishing features included as standard.

Springwood Marine will also be displaying the Quintrex 610 and 650 Tritons

with the new Evinrude E-Tec G2, and the full range of Quintrex Renegade open boats at their stand. There will also be a full range of smaller tinnies available, all on and off trailers.

WHITEWATER MARINE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

With over 25 years experience in marine servicing and sales, Whitewater Marine stands at the forefront of Southeast

Queensland’s growing marine industry. Combining quality and professional advice with first class service, Whitewater Marine provides its customers with a complete range of resources from new and used outboard sales, complete boat and trailer packages to servicing of all engine makes and models.

At the Brisbane Boat Show this year, Whitewater Marine will host the Australian debut of Buccaneer fibreglass boats.

Buccaneer is a long-trusted name in New Zealand boating, and all models are fully fibreglass, totally foam filled, and are built to New Zealand standards. One of the first models to arrive is the 605 Exess XL half cabin, a boat that has really made its mark with NZ anglers.

More information on this and other boats in the Buccaneer range is available at www. buccaneer.co.nz.

Also at the Whitewater Marine stand will be Stacer’s new 619 Hardtop; the ground-breaking 150 Evinrude E-Tec G2; and the RZR and NAZ1 from Tiger

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Wake Boats. There will be boat show specials across the board, with exclusive deals on finance and insurance, so be sure to drop in and see what’s on offer.

THE HAINES GROUP • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The Haines Group (THG) will again be showcasing their range of award-winning outboard motors and trailerable fibreglass boats to the crowds at this year’s Brisbane Boat Show.

THG are the world’s

biggest private distributor of Suzuki Marine outboard motors and with four dealers on display, visitors will be spoilt for choice to catch a glimpse of the latest innovations from the Japanese manufacturer.

Australian Marine Centre (AMC), Bayside Suzuki Marine, Motorsport Marine and Laguna Boating Centre will all have stands at the show, and are ready to help show-goers learn more about what makes Suzuki Marine a unique outboard brand.

These dealers will have the latest DF4A/5A/6A To page 110

COME AND SEE THE NEW HOBIE MIRAGE ECLIPSE ON DISPLAY AT STAND 428 OF THIS YEAR’S BRISBANE BOAT SHOW.

Proudly owned and organised by the Boating Industry Association

Friday 19 - Sunday 21 August 2016 The door to getting Australians onto the water

Halls 2, 3 and 4, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Southbank • Open Friday and Saturday 10am - 8pm • Sunday 10am - 6pm

motors on display. Recently released to the market and weighing just 23.5kg (S-shaft models), these motors are the lightest in their class and are packed with a range of new and improved features while boasting a sleek new look in pearl nebular black. They boast three-way storage, improved portability and a new tilt system.

THG’s flagship boat brand Haines Signature Boats will also feature at the show. Catch a glimpse of the newest member of the Signature family – the 550F – the ultimate family

or Suzuki power for your boat, The Haines Group has the product for you at this year’s Brisbane Boat Show.

W A N D O O S T.

FORTITUDE VALLEY

From page 108

offshore fishing boat with an increased beam more than a foot wider than its predecessor (the 543F) and greater range, thanks to its 177L fuel tank. The 550F will be on display alongside a range of Signature Boats at the AMC stand.

This will also be your chance to check out legendary boating brand Seafarer Boats at the Laguna Boating Centre stand. 100% Australian owned and manufactured, Seafarer have been made for generations and continue to be loved for their quality and workmanship.

Whether you’re after a complete package to get your family out on the broadwater,

C H E S T E R S T.

7

B R O O K E S S T.

53

QLD FISHING MONTHLY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

QLD Fishing Monthly is famous for fantastic offers at boat shows around the state, and this year’s Brisbane Boat Show is no different.

Sign up or renew your subscription to QFM for 2 years for $99 and you’ll not only get the next 24 issues of QFM delivered to your door each month, but also get a free gift from us. This

21

year, it’s a Daiwa 3-piece Phantom travel rod (that 17 sells for $99 at MO Tackle) that’s not only easy to stash in the car for a sneaky fish,

but is also easy to tote around the show. There’s 2 both spin and baitcast 37 36 versions available and we should have enough stocks 25

to ensure that you’re able to pick a Phantom that’s right for you from the rod racks at the stand. See you at 3the show!

30

41 24

BCEC Location & 33Inner Map 43 34 City Accommodation

54

CREEK STREET

FELIX ST EDWARD STREET

15min walk

MARGARET STREET

VICTORIA BRIDGE

KURILPA BRIDGE

QUEE

NS W HAR

CITY B O TA N I C GARDENS

Parliament House

WILLIAM STREET N O R T H Q U AY

ALICE STREET

M A RY S T R E E T

CBD

GEORGE STREET

C H A R L OT T E S T R E E T

A L B E RT S T R E E T

ELIZABETH STREET

TANK STREET

HERSCHEL STREET

T U R B OT S T R E E T

ADELAIDE STREET

ROMA ST PA R K L A N D

QUT Gardens Point Campus

F

10min walk

GoMA

S O U T H B A N K PA R K L A N D S LITTLE STANLEY ST

H GO BE TWEE N

Cinema

BRID GE

more personal - more choice 21/02/11

www.bcec.com.au

CREATE YOUR ADVENTURES 525 SCORPION CUDDY

For more information visit www.horizonboats.com.au or call your nearest dealer

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Barney’s Marine Shed 3A Nissan Street Pialba QLD 4655 Phone 07 4124 3170

Marine Tune 64 Kortum Drive Burleigh Heads QLD 4220 Phone 07 5576 7388

Tackle World Toowoomba 224 Ruthven Street Toowoomba QLD 4350 Phone 07 4632 9770

Bluefin Sports 57-59 Musgrave Street North Rockhampton QLD 4701 Phone 07 4922 2211

Neptune Marine 7 Judds Court Slacks Creek QLD 4127 Phone 07 3290 6370

Townsville Marine 943 Ingham Road Bohle QLD 4818 Phone 07 4774 3777

AUGUST 2016

Whitsunday Outboard Centre 1 William Murray Drive Cannonvale QLD 4802 Phone 07 4946 7286

The perfect boats for barra, bass or bream

Fishing with Nitro is a blast!

Whether you’re a tournament pro or a weekend warrior, Nitro boats will ignite your passion and pack more fun into your day. Just getting there is half the fun!

For more than 20 years, Nitro have continually refined and delivered serious fishing boats for serious anglers.

Nitro boats are foam-filled to exceed US Coast Guard survey requirements.

This gives you the safety of level floatation, security and comfort – and additional fishing stealth – all backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

The world’s #1 aluminium fishing boats!

Tracker’s outstanding quality and unique manufacturing process have made them the world’s largest boat builder – producing more than 40,000 aluminium fishing boats per year. Their foam-filled, unsinkable, 3mm plate alloy hulls are robotically welded to deliver superior quality at a lower cost – and are backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

Tracker’s Pro Guide series is designed with a deepvee hull for exceptional performance, even in rough waters. Their Diamond Coat finish is a Tracker exclusive that resists oxidation, providing protection and a shine lasting 70% longer. Standard features include a Minn Kota trolling motor and Lowrance colour sounder, plus tournament-ready live well systems and rod lockers.

Come and see the all new 2017 Models in both Tracker and Nitro at Fishing and Leisure Boats stand 431 with the Australian release of the all new Tracker Pro Team 195 TXW Alloy Bass/Bream boat that you have to see to believe just how well fitted out and finished these boats are.

COME VISIT Hopefully it will be rough, as you’ll be stunned by the performance of these boats when the weather gets challenging!

US AT THE BRISBANE Fishing and Leisure Boats, 167 Currumburra Road, Ashmore, QLD 4214 www.fishingandleisureboats.com.au BOAT SHOW Call Tim Stessl now on 0429 680 504 to arrange a test drive or em:tim@flboats.com.au

Loading up at Lake Lenthalls DALBY

Olivia McKenna

Lake Lenthalls is situated 30km northwest of Maryborough, along the Bruce highway. This Lake is one of the most pristine bodies of water available

predominant stocked species caught, although barramundi are on the rise and becoming an attraction to the dam.

Along with bass and barra, the dam is stocked with yellowbelly, silver perch and saratoga have also been reported as by-catch. As with most impoundments,

a Stocked Impoundment Permit will be needed to fish here. SIPs can be purchased online or at tackle stores.

Access to the lake is along an unsealed gravel road, so a suitable vehicle is necessary. Most family SUVs will handle the road in good weather, but sedans

there are also some camping restrictions to adhere to.

Maximum camping capacity is eighteen people, no fires are allowed and there is no drinking water on sight – you must bring your own.

However, there are picnic tables, toilet blocks and a cold-water-only shower.

These restrictions keep the lake in immaculate environmental condition, provide a phenomenally serene camping area, and make it an ideal getaway spot.

You don’t have to paddle far to come across areas screaming to be fished.

This makes an ideal kayak dam. Being a comparatively shallow dam, the surface fishing can be the best

You can hop out of your kayak and enjoy the pristine views. access hours will restrict surface fishing slightly because the best surface bite is generally dawn and dusk.

Don’t let this deter you, especially on overcast days.

Getting out there and pushing

Frog lures dragged and hopped across lily pads are great fun and will usually result in a barramundi strike. might find it treacherous.

Lake opening hours are 6am-4pm daily. Powered boats are restricted to 6knots and no wash across the entire lake. Skiing is also prohibited to ensure the water quality.

The low boat traffic is great for kayak and canoe anglers.

Camping at the lake is a relatively new feature – previously the only camping nearby was at the Wongi State Forest Park. The Wongi State Forest Park is only 10km away and serves as a great backup when lakeside camping is full. As the lake is primarily a supply dam,

This beautiful bass is one of many that can be found in the weedbeds at Lake Lenthalls. along the Bass to Barra trail. Primarily used as a water supply dam for Hervey Bay, restrictions have been implemented to ensure water quality is of the highest standard.

What makes Lake Lenthalls such a remarkable fishery is mainly the abundance of lilies, weed beds, rocky edges and timber structure. The Fraser Coast Fish Stocking Association works hard to make sure the lake continues to produce unreal angling opportunities.

Australian bass are the most

Look at this cracker bass!

4

IS HERE!

Every Saturday 4.30pm on AUGUST 2016

around. Casting small to medium sized poppers over weed beds will quickly show hungry bass and barra. Don’t be afraid to send lures right into the vegetation. Frog lures dragged and hopped across lily pads are great fun and will usually result in a barramundi strike. The

Australian bass are the most predominant stocked species caught, although barramundi are on the rise and becoming an attraction to the dam.

SEASON

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Bass are everywhere at Lake Lenthalls.

try something different.

Lipless crankbaits are a great all-round lure and appeal to all the species stocked in the lake. There are many different types of structure at Lenthalls and it’s an ideal arena to try new things. Spinnerbaits and vibes around the timber, both standing and sunken, are a good, reliable approach to tempting big fat bass all year round. Yellowbelly and silver perch are partial to a well presented lure, aimed at the resident bass, and can keep the fishing exciting. You never know what’s going to bite in such a diverse dam.

Lenthalls also provides great flyfishing action for beginners and experts alike.

With plenty of structure easily seen above water, the need for a sounder on your

to a spot when the sun is low is well worth it to see some crazy surface action.

Once the sun is higher, try shallow diving lures tight up against the vegetation.

Minnow type divers with a tight shimmy action do well with barra, but if the fishing seems a little slow,

vessel is minimal compared to other lakes. Being such a well-stocked and diverse fishery, paired with tranquil camping, Lake Lenthalls is a great spot to get away and focus on the simple things in life. This dam is a kayaker’s dream, and you’re sure to have a great time.

OUTDOOR & FISHING SHOW

Listen on 5am-6am Every Saturday

BIGGER IS BETTER UNIQUE

TO SUZUKI

WHAT DRIVES YOU SUZUKI TECHNOLOGY IS RIGHT BEHIND YOU GREATER POWER: The two stage gear reduction found on Suzuki Outboards enables the outboard to spin a larger diameter propeller at a higher pitch resulting in propulsion power for quick acceleration and greater top end speed – up to 2.59:1 gear ratio. The final drive ratio is achieved buy a two stage gear reduction system. Standard from DF70 and above.

Fuel saving efficiency.

See the facts at suzukimarine.com.au

Scan to see the facts

Boating made easy with common boating terms BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

The weather is warming up.

Flathead, bream and tailor are on the job! The mackerel mob are going nuts in the bay and fat bass are hitting lures in the impoundments.

There’s never been a better time to own a boat, or to look at the range at the Brisbane Boat Show.

The Boat Show is a great place to bag a bargain but you can expect to encounter a lot of boating jargon there, which can be overwhelming if you’re not familiar with it. If you haven’t owned a boat before, this article will help you to understand exactly what some of the main terms mean, and how they can give you an

exceptional stability. These craft are usually cheap, but come with compromises.

You don’t get many storage options as standard, and weather protection is not a feature either, so you should take your rain gear along on your fishing trips.

Runabouts are open boats with forward seating and a windscreen. These are great boats, but if the hull design is not up to scratch the driver and passenger will sit too close to the bow’s impact area. This can make for a rough ride.

Windscreen-height seats tend to be fairly low as well, and can be uncomfortable on long runs. Weather protection will be improved with a bimini (a fabric cover or shade area set up on a metal frame).

Side consoles are open boats with a small driving

other tow sports. Bowriders are also very handy fishing rigs and often come with live wells, plush seating and a great ride.

Centre console rigs have their steering and engine controls set up on an upright centre console. These consoles usually offer storage space and room for measuring controls.

Seating is often attached, but many boaters prefer to remove the seat and stand.

Centre console rigs optimise fishing space, and dedicated anglers love the ride quality. A boat with centralised weight is very easily managed and rides well. Side pockets provide storage space, which is always a premium in this style of open boat. An attached shaded framework to the console can offer limited protection from the harsh sun.

The Procraft 6.2 has a smaller cabin, which makes it a cuddy cab.

This craft features a walkaround area beside the cabin. lighting, a marine toilet under a bunk or even a central in-fill, which is a cushion designed to stretch between bunks and increase the bedding area. The central forward cabin hatch should provide easy anchor access at all times. Due to the weight and helm further back in the craft, ride quality is awesome with half cabin rigs.

Fishing is largely confined to the rear cockpit, but weather protection is brilliant! For offshore work, these are hard to beat.

Generally, the cuddy cab will not have sleeping bunks.

Some weather protection is still featured, but the ride quality can be compromised, as the driver and first mate are further forward and closer to wave impact.

THE WALKAROUND The walkaround is a feature of some half cabin craft. Walkarounds in various craft are far less likeable in bad weather. There’s walking space around the outside of the cabin, and handholds, to

you need to access the well in unfriendly conditions.

THE HELM This is the steering position. Driving a boat is often referred to as ‘helming’ it. If seated driving is the norm for your intended purchase, try sitting at the helm and check all-round visibility. Remember, dealers often adjust seating to suit a customer. In a half cabin or cuddy cabin craft, standing is an asset in times of bad visibility. A seat with a bolster front section, which

Prominent strakes are eye-catching on the bottom of the big Sea Fox Voyager’s hull as she jumps a wave. insight into which rig is right for your needs.

CATEGORIES OF TRAILER CRAFT Outboard trailer craft come in several different styles. Open dinghy-style boats are common, and you drive them from the rear seat via the engine’s tiller handle.

Many fish are caught from small open boats, and these popular craft range from 3-5m or so in length. They can come in dinghy-style rigs to pointy punts, which offer

console, windscreen and somewhere to set up navigation aids and switches set to the starboard side. These boats offer plenty of fishing room, but no weather protection.

You’ll need a raincoat when driving into waves. This craft tends to lean if you’re alone in the rig.

The bowrider is another popular craft. It’s open, fun to be in and has great seating up front as well as astern of the mid-section helm position. It’s great for touring, skiing and

Centre cabin craft have oversized centre consoles and are usually over 5m long. Ride quality and extra storage are the big attractions, and in some centre cab craft the cabin is large enough to feature useful out-of-the-weather seats, and possibly a toilet. These boats also provide lots of fishing room.

Half cabin boats devote around half of their space to a cabin up front. There are bunks with storage underneath, plus goodies such as interior

The Stessco Bowrider 490 offers forward and aft seating with lots of fishing room.

This set of awesome pedestal seats with strong back rests have useful lift up bolster on the skipper’s seat.

The Stacer Outlaw is a good example of a side console rig. Features include a windscreen, instruments on the console’s face as well as a top mounted sounder.

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Cuddy cabs are similar to the half cabin rig, but are smaller with a shorter cabin.

When you look at larger cuddy cab rigs, the lines between these boats and half cabins can get a bit blurry.

access the bow area. There’s usually a non-skid area to walk on and a step at the rear of the half cabin. A great addition to any walkaround is a wide forward cabin hatch near the anchor well, for when

drops down for extra bracing, is brilliant for standing drivers.

SEATING SITUATIONS In smaller craft, seats can be as simple as cross members, or thwarts, which serve to brace and add rigidity to the hull, set up with flotation material. In cabin and larger craft, seats also offer height adjustment, a slide adjustable base, and a swivelling capability, which is useful for keeping an eye on trolling rods or towing water skiers. If the seating feels supportive and the helm seat provides ample legroom, with good visibility, then this one’s a go.

WELL KNOWN WELLS Most manufacturers make bigger, useful catch wells.

Aeration systems are standard these days, but there’s always the option of simply loading it with ice to make a slurry and keeping your catch well

chilled. At the end of the day, the well needs to be drained and cleaned or it will stink. A satisfactory drainage system won’t feed waste and debris into the boat’s under floor area – which also stinks – but will drain through a pipe. Bait wells are not standard in all craft, but are a must-have in a dedicated fishing boat. They should also be plumbed.

DON’T BE FLOORED

BY THE FLOOR In smaller alloy craft, a good floor is worth considering. A floor fitted above the bottom sheeting and cross ribs of a tinny is great; it’s a lot easier to fish out of a craft with a level floor. Sloping alloy sheet floors with exposed ribs tend to flex a bit when somebody is standing to fish,

which means that things tend to get under those ribs. Move your feet, and the ribs ease back into place, so if a sinker or swivel is trapped out of

sight, there’s a starting point for havoc.

COMING TO TERMS WITH TERMS Beam refers to the

has a considerable amount of vee throughout, and is fairly light, the boat may lean when it’s at rest and passengers move to one side or the other.

SeaJay make a lot of useful boats. Check out their side console 520 Velocity Sports.

Deadrise is easily seen here, along with a central planing plank and quite prominent under hull strakes.

width of a craft. Length is the straight-line measurement from the back of the transom (the area at the stern where the motor is usually bolted on) to the bow extremity. Overall length is measured from the transom to the end of the bowsprit (a protrusion at the front of the boat for an anchor) or additional fitting up front.

Deadrise is the angle of the vee under the hull. It starts at the bow where the angle is quite sharp, then works back to a flatter vee right at the transom. Some vee at the transom area can assist in a more gentle ride, but if the hull

Such a hull is sometimes regarded as ‘tender’.

A pod is an extended area behind the transom where an outboard motor is bolted. Pods effectively extend the length of a boat’s waterline and provide further buoyancy at the stern.

Strakes are longitudinal extrusions moulded or formed under the hull. They provide extra grip on the water at rest, and reduce surface tension of the water when underway by allowing some air to get in.

Freeboard refers to the height of the boat’s sides. Ideally, freeboard is proportional to the craft’s length. Too little can make the ride wet, while too much will mean the craft is easily

blown about by wind, which makes it harder to drive.

A planing plank is a flat underwater section in the centre of the hull, which is widest at the transom.

It tapers near the bow and finishes where the bow’s finer deadrise section begins.

A planing plank is designed to aid stability and assist in lifting the hull out of the water and onto the plane (skimming over the water) once power is applied. This advanced design innovation is mainly seen on fibreglass craft, but some alloy craft feature it as well.

So there you have it – you now know all the main boating terms. Get ready to enjoy all the fun that comes with boat ownership!

The Procraft Alloy 470 is a neat runabout craft and looks great with a bimini.

NEW FOR 2016

IS THE STACER PROLINE • INCREASED STABILITY • SOFTER RIDE • DRYER RIDE • MORE SPACE

The Proline Striker Series are the perfect entry level fishing tinnies as they are budget friendly, but with new and improved features they really pack a punch. The Proline Striker Series models are packed with practical standard features including: glove box, fitted drink holder, bow and transom handles and bench seat flotation.

GOLD COAST

BRISBANE

BRISBANE

SUNSHINE COAST

SUNSHINE COAST

10 Hinde St, ASHMORE Ph 07 5532 4402 sales@whitewatermarine.com.au

31 Fox St WYNNUM Ph 07 3396 9777 info@wynnummarine.com.au

2294 Sandgate Rd BOONDALL Ph 07 3265 8000 sales@northsidemarine.com.au

264 Nicklin Way WARANA Ph 07 5493 9376 mail@northcoastboating.com.au

16 Project Avenue NOOSAVILLE Ph 07 5442 4872 info@lagunaboating.com.au

WHITE WATER MARINE

www.whitewatermarine.com.au

WYNNUM MARINE

www.wynnummarine.com.au

NORTHSIDE MARINE

www.northsidemarine.com.au

NORTH COAST BOATING

www.northcoastboating.com.au

LAGUNA BOATING CENTRE

www.lagunaboating.com.au

HERVEY BAY

BUNDABERG

GLADSTONE

ROCKHAMPTON

MACKAY

19 Islander Rd PIALBA Ph 07 4124 6988 enquiries@buccaneers.com.au

28 Ritchie St, BUNDABERG Ph 07 4153 1819 adriansmarinecentre@bigpond.com

40 Chapple St GLADSTONE Ph 07 4972 0135 sales@curtiscoastmarine.com.au

6 Dooley St NORTH ROCKHAMPTON Ph 07 4927 9150 rifen.boats@bigpond.com

24-26 Grandview Dr MACKAY Ph 07 4963 4500 redline1@bigpond.net.au

BUCCANEERS

www.buccaneers.com.au

ADRIANS MARINE CENTRE

www.adriansmarinecentre.com.au

CURTIS COAST MARINE

www.curtiscoastmarine.com.au

RIFEN BOATS

www.rifenboats.com.au

REDLINE MOTOSPORTS

www.redlinemotosports.com.au AUGUST 2016

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Product Profile

All new Lowrance/Simrad Structure Scan 3D SOUTHERN BAY

Nabeel Issa

It seems that almost yearly there are new advances in sonar technology.

back one step. If you have any experience with fish finders over the past few years, you will have heard about or used or even owned a sounder with Side Scan capabilities. That is,

the front and side views and 3D perspectives that you can fully understand and appreciate what it is you are looking at.

This is where structure scan 3D comes into its

The new Structure Scan 3D Module and the new Transducer.

Both similar to their predecessors. The new transducer is slightly deeper to include for the additional elements.

For long periods, small changes were the norm with nothing out of the ordinary coming out, that is to say, nothing mindblowing. Now we are lucky enough to get to see exciting new products almost yearly!

Much like how smart phones develop, so is our fish finding technology!

Some may call it an unfair advantage, but I think any advantage we can get over the fish is worth using. I enjoy catching fish! Having said that, this review is on a product that Navico (the parent company of Lowrance and Simrad) have recently launched – Structure Scan 3D. WHAT EXACTLY IS IT? So what do they mean by 3D? Well, firstly let’s go

a sounder that can scan either side of the boat, not just directly underneath.

These images appear flat as they are basically a floor plan view. There are cues you can use to gauge the depths and heights of objects, but for the most part, gaining information on the height of an object in the water column was achieved by going directly above.

Structure Scan 3D now adds the height aspect of what we see on Side Scan to help anglers better understand what is going on beneath us. As an example that I can easily relate to, as an architect, looking at floor plans of a house can only give you so much information. It is only once you read the floor plan in conjunction with

We can see the boat in the middle of the screen, this represents where we are. The cone is covering a large area to the left and right of the boat, this represents what we are scanning.

You can see the contoured ‘jagged’ nature of the bottom and where it meets with the flat ground.

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AUGUST 2016

A typical Side Scan image showing the left and right hand side of our boat. In this image we can see a boat wreck on the left hand side.

own. Anglers often struggle to grasp how to read the Side Scan images, as it can be tricky to understand the concept from just one image. The new 3D now makes things a little easier by putting the seabed and the boat into perspective, basically adding an extra view to help us understand.

As we drive around, we are given a 3D view of what is underneath and to the side of the boat. Any objects that protrude from the bottom will be easily detected. This is great for sounding reef or bommies.

Fish are also shown on 3D as small dots in the water column. We can now see how far away from the boat they are and in what depth of water they are sitting. These fish can be easily marked by touching the screen and creating a new waypoint.

SHOTS IN ACTION To give you a bit of an idea, below are a few screen shots with some explanations of what you are looking at. These were taken on the Gold Coast.

Below is a typical image that Structure Scan 3D will display. The orange cone also known as the ‘Leading Edge’ shows the area that is currently being scanned.

We can also see that any current waypoints we have will show up as we drive through the area.

This is handy when you have marked a school of fish and are positioning the boat to anchor or drift through the school.

The next image was taken at the same time, although this time the screen was panned to change the direction of the view. We are able to move

180° around the boat to view from different angles.

The last image shows a view from behind the boat, on the left hand side we can see the structure coming up. This was actually a rocky reef that met with a sand edge. You can see the contoured ‘jagged’ nature of the bottom and where it meets with the flat ground.

INSTALL AND COMPATIBILITY The Structure Scan 3D is an addition to Lowrance HDS Gen3 and Simrad NSS Evo 2 models. It comprises of a Sonar Module and a new Transducer. This new transducer now has 7 elements as opposed to 3 in previous models. These now allow for greater coverage and clarity.

Side Scan is now greatly enhanced, with the ability to scan more than double the area that we were previously able to.

The installation process is simple, fit the Lss3 (3D) transducer and plug it straight into the Sonar Module. The sonar module then connects to your HDS or Simrad unit. The sonar module will need to be powered and wired up to a power source.

It will be very interesting to see how anglers use this new technology to help them locate and catch more fish.

For me, the enhanced Side Scan coverage and clarity is just mind-blowing. That in itself has made the upgrade worthwhile! It is only very new tech, and in it’s early days, so I’m sure there is still plenty to learn, it is definitely a handy tool to add to the arsenal and I’m looking forward to playing with it more.

AVAILABLE NOW

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And now see underwater like never before with the new StructureScan 3D*.

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*Optional accessory sold separately

Polycrafts punching well above their weight BRISBANE

Stephen Booth

Polycraft Boats is a Bundaberg-based company that has been around since 2001 and is a branch of the very successful Poly Industries company.

The boats are tough, so tough that in the early days the Polycraft team would bring a 10kg sledge hammer to boat shows and actually let visitors have a

crack at breaking one of the display boats. It was pretty impressive stuff!

My initiation into the world of Polycraft Boats began around 2003 when Jason Medcalf got his first one and I was a mad keen jack chaser. It stood to reason that I’d visit the Bundaberg area to sample their jacks and Jason was just as mad keen as myself and Trent Butler. We had some super times in Jason’s Poly and I learnt a few valuable lessons about the

boats – the biggest being how well they handled shallow water as we screamed over rock bars, sand flats and mud to the next fishy bank.

These days Polycraft has extended their range of boats significantly to include six models from the small but strong Tuff Tender through to the large 5.99 Frontier. Since moving on to Wilson Fishing in 2015, I have been re-immersed in the Poly world. The Wilson Fishing work boat is a 4.80

The Brumby handles offshore work very comfortably.

The 4.8 Brumby Centre Console has been on some real adventures, which includes a stint on a mothership!

KEY FEATURES • The unique hull design features pronounced reverse chines which contribute to unmatched stability at rest. The reverse chines also promote lift when accelerating onto the plane and allow for tighter cornering at high speed.

• Polycraft boats feature a unique, soft ride. Polycraft boats flex to absorb the impact of the sea, just like the shock absorbers on your car absorb and deflect the jarring from potholes in the road.

• Polycraft’s dual wall hull absorbs both engine noise and the noise of the sea. This results in a quieter ride and a more enjoyable day on the water. If fishing is your passion you may benefit from quietly approaching you favourite fishing spot.

• Polyethylene has natural buoyancy and will float unaided when placed in water. The unique dual wall construction traps air in the cavity between the dual walls and helps contribute to buoyancy.

• Polyethylene has been shown in independent tests to have five times the impact resistance of fibreglass. This makes Polycraft one of the strongest boats on the market providing trouble free boating for many years.

• Polyethylene is very easy to maintain, clean and repair. In addition, it is less susceptible to marine growth than many other materials.

Brumby Centre Console, the most popular of all the boats Polycraft build.

And this boat has some tales to tell.

So we thought, what better way is there to take a look at Polycraft Boats than to have a chat about one that has been to hell and back, a boat that is still producing fish and a boat that really has lived a charmed life. And clearly the best place to

The Wilson boys love their flathead, and have used this rig to fish the famous Gold Coast Flathead Classic.

POLY TRAVELS QUEENSLAND • Huge dogtooth tuna at Cato Reef • Bass, barra, goldens and cod in the dams • Mackerel, tuna and snapper offshore from almost every port in South East Queensland • Flathead in the Gold Coast • Threadfin and mulloway in the Brisbane River NORTHERN TERRITORY • Barra in the Northern Territory (6 month stint) • Black jew in Darwin Harbour • Saratoga and barra in Corroboree Billabong

• Polyethylene is an inert material that is not affected by electrolysis that may be found in aluminium boats or osmosis that can affect fibreglass boats. In the harsh marine environment a Polycraft will keep looking good for longer.

NEW SOUTH WALES • Murray cod in Lake Mulwala • Flathead, bream, whiting and crabs in Big River country • Offshore fishing from the Tweed and Evans Head for snapper, mulloway and mackerel

• Polycraft boats are manufactured from UV stabilised marine grade polyethylene designed for extended use in direct sunlight. The colour is part of the material so your boat should retain the original colour and will never need painting.

VICTORIA • Snapper in Port Phillip Bay • Whiting and squid in Western Port • Estuary perch, salmon and whiting in Andersons Inlet

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do all this is on the waters around Bundaberg, where Polycraft Boats are born.

Sounds like a perk? Yeah you’re probably right, but you get that every now and then on the big jobs.

HISTORY The Wilson Fishing Polycraft 4.80 Brumby was purchased in 2006 and fitted out with a 90hp E-Tec. This was an ideal combination for a lot of the fishing that was to be done, which included bar crossing, reef fishing and shallow water trolling.

The expectations of this rig were pretty steep to say the least.

I spoke to Kord Luckus and Troy Dixon about the boat I was currently fishing from to find out just what they had put this boat

through in its relatively short, but certainly interesting life.

“The best memory I have of this boat is one of the most recent. We took this rig out to Cato Reef with us on Big Cat Reality Charters. The Polycraft was ideal for loading and unloading on the mothership because it can take the knocks and bumps really well. That trip we filmed from the Poly in horrendous conditions and it never once let us down.

It says something about the rig,” Troy said.

“My next memory is the complete opposite.

From 600nM offshore to fishing the Jumpinpin area for flathead in the Gold Coast Flathead Classic, the Poly allowed us to troll

These days, the Brumby is mostly used for local estuarine work in the salt.

the versatility of this rig.”

Kord, who has used this boat more than anyone else, had some interesting memories of the boat.

“I love this boat. I have taken it to hell and back and even to some places further than hell. It has never faltered when I needed it and some of the bar crossing this boat has endured will live with me forever,” Kord said.

“I love fishing for mackerel offshore from the Gold Coast and most times I am crossing the Currumbin Creek Bar. This bar is not for the faint-hearted and can really test a skipper and his rig. Being airborne at times and crashing back into the sea has not phased this boat one little bit.

“Apart from the regular offshore duties during mackerel season, the Poly is my main crabbing rig. I love crabbing and a lot of the time I am demanding the boat to take me into, and sometimes through, the mangroves. I’ve done things to this boat that would wreck a fibreglass boat and leave hundreds of dints in an aluminium boat. It’s a real workhorse,” said Kord.

While I am typing this in air conditioned comfort after a day’s fishing, I can

This green machine has been a part of some memorable catches for many people. the shallows, deal with the weekend and holiday wakes and gave us the platform to finish second overall in the event.

“The difference between the two memories could not be more extreme and shows

CONTACT DETAILS Polycraft Boats Address: 89 Childers Rd, Bundaberg QLD 4670 Free Call: 1800 336 603 Phone: 07 4155 2457 Fax: 07 4155 2088 Email: polycraft@polyindustries.com

While a little beaten around the edges, it still provides a comfortable fishing experiences to those who use it. vouch for the fact this boat is quiet on the water and is not afraid of the occasional scuffle with a rock bar, of which the local Bundaberg waters have plenty. It had been far too long since I’d visited these waters and they’ve changed after years of floods and scouring and depositing.

Luckily the jacks were still there along with plenty of flatties and prawns, and even luckier was that there were barra as well, a fantastic by-product of the floods that were so devastating for so many.

There is a fact box hereabouts of the adventures the Polycraft 4.8m Brumby, and the list reads like a Guide to the Best Fishing in Australia. It’s done a lot in its 10 years and continues to be the main filming platform for Wilson Fishing as well as Kord and Troy’s product testing boat. Most recently the green Poly has been haunting the Brisbane River as the boys work out the threadfin and mulloway tricks with the Zerek Fish Trap. Needless to say, it’s been a fantastic platform for this as well.

OVERALL It’s not often you get to have a good play in a boat that is 10 years old and still going. Most boat reviews take the form of a brand spanking new one with the manufacturer or supplier making sure everything is fitted out to perfection.

It was a real treat to spend a few days playing around in this boat. The history, the fun and the work this boat has done is a clear indication of the durability of the Polycraft boats.

The Brumby is also perfect for more relaxed styles of fishing, like soaking a few baits in the estuary.

Is she a little beaten around the edges? Yes she is, but you’d expect worse considering what she has been put through.

Overall this boat is a remarkable testament to the Polycraft brand.

If you want a long term boat that is simple and easy to maintain, then take a look at the Polycraft

range. There are six models and numerous build options (centre console/tiller/cabin) to suit your needs.

They ride quietly, handle a fair amount of sea and waves, and definitely provide the buyer with a rig that, if you’re like me and are not the best at maintenance, can provide years of faithful service.

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Product Profile

Deeper Pro+ Fish Finder review WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

Not since Jesus played full back for Jerusalem has the fishing industry seen such an exciting new piece of gadgetry as the Deeper Fish Finder, or the Deeper smart sonar.

Let’s go back to the start of my Deeper experience.

Earlier this year I was contacted by a man with a very long name, so I replied back to him and asked whereabouts he lived, and his reply was Lithuania.

There really is a first time for everything!

Anyhow, this gentleman had told me about an exciting product that he had, which was a compact fish finder that fits in the palm of your hand, can be cast out onto the water and sends a WIFI signal back to your smart phone or other smart device. He told me he liked the presence that I had in the fishing industry and asked me if I would be interested in using one, and field testing it here in Australia.

Now, like a lot of fishing journalists, I get offers for different things from time to time and have learnt to keep my wits about me over the years. So rather than pounce on a new free toy, I sat on the decision for a few days while I made up my mind.

I had a look at the Deeper Facebook page and saw that this device is very popular overseas, particularly in the USA and Britain, but also in many more countries.

Based on the fact that it is such a popular device, I decided on entering into a contract with Deeper to become an Australian Ambassador for their Deeper Smart Sonar devices.

But, it was a two way contract, I had my terms and conditions to add. I told Deeper that if I did not think it was a decent product, I wanted to be able to send it back without telling anybody about it, as I have worked hard for around 10 years building up my profile in the fishing industry and did not want to give that all away by promoting a cheaply made

• Ideal for bank fishers • Extremely compact, lightweight and versatile • Quality – this unit is built to last.

• Bathymetric mapping • Does not require a phone or internet connection to operate, and uses no internet data The deeper unit is not heavy to carry around, but is heavier than most large fishing lures, so you will probably need a heavy rod to cast it properly. I use mine with a 6-10kg baitcaster rod. (NS ONES). If you are bank fishing, and do not own a heavy rod, you can open the bail up on your spinning reel and throw the deeper unit like a tennis ball. ALWAYS use a clip or swivel of some kind and do not tie the line straight to the tow point on the deeper.

When putting the cover on, it is important to ensure that the words ‘water’ and ‘proof’ line up nicely, as indicated in this photo to ensure maximum waterproofness.

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Deeper unit, this flashing light is not visible, but you can purchase a night cap for the Deeper unit. The cap is fluorescent orange and transparent, and while the unit is on the flashing red light is quite visible at night time.

On your smart device, you will have the Deeper app (a free app and is available from the Play Store and App Store). You click on the app to open your fish finder display.

To connect the Deeper unit to the smart phone via

The Deeper unit sealed and ready to use is not much bigger than a large bubble float.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DEEPER UNIT

This photo shows the small WIFI transmitting aerial, the micro USB port used to recharge the device and the tiny flashing light that looks like a black line on the unit.

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imported gadget. I also told them that I wanted to be able to use it at my leisure, not theirs. In other words, if I needed to use a fish finder, I would use the Deeper, but if I’m in a waterway where I do not need to use a fish finder, then I will not be using it just for the sake of exposing their product.

Deeper were more than happy with my terms and conditions and pretty soon my new toy was in the post!

On 1 June my parcel arrived, my new Deeper unit.

Excitedly I opened the box for a look. The first thing that jumped out at me was the quality. It is European made to European standards. This unit is extremely strong and robust. I knew straight away that there was not going to be any quality issues.

HOW DOES DEEPER WORK? Basically, Deeper is no different than any other conventional fish finder.

Most fish finders are mounted to a boat with a transducer underneath. The transducer does all of the work (sonar, temperature, speed etc.) and then sends the information back to the display unit in your boat.

With the Deeper, the small hand held ball is the transducer. Instead of being mounted on to your boat, it can be tied to a fishing line and cast out into the water from the bank, or even lowered from a bridge.

Then, instead of sending the signal back to your display screen via a cable, it sends it back to your smart phone or other smart device via a WIFI connection.

The Deeper unit does not display the speed, but this is more than compensated for by the inclusion of a GPS, built into the tiny Deeper unit, which can not only flag submerged areas which you like such as snag piles and drop offs as way points, but can also be used to create bathymetric maps, which I will explain in more detail a little further on.

The unit also has a tiny little flashing light. When you have the black cover on, which comes with the

In still water the Deeper unit can be cast out and allowed to sit stationary, keeping an eye on what is underneath. The moment a fish swims under the unit the Deeper app sounds an alarm and a fish icon shows up on the screen (If you have the fish icons turned on) to indicate the depth of the fish. the WIFI, all you need to do is turn the Deeper unit on. This is simple… just sit it in the water. The Deeper unit is water activated, and has a red flashing LED light that comes on as soon as it gets wet.

As soon as it is on it will send out a WIFI signal which your smart phone or device will detect. The WIFI on your smart will turn on automatically if it is switched off.

If you have the app open when you put the Deeper unit in the water, it will connect automatically and usually takes between 1-15 seconds.

If you put the deeper unit into the water first, and then open the app, you may have to push the ‘connect’ button on the screen. It’s very easy to connect.

The moment you have the connection, your app will look like a fish finder, displaying the information that it is detecting. Depth, structure, fish, water temperature etc.

That is the basics, you are now using your Deeper fish finder to show you where the structure is, the drop offs, the likely looking fish holding places, the fish themselves and the water temperature. And, you are

doing it all from the comfort of your favourite deck chair without a life jacket on and with a cold beverage of your choice. Awesome!

Now let’s step away from the basic uses and focus on the more in depth functions.

Possibly the most exciting function on my Deeper unit is the bathymetric mapping function. Please be advised that the Bathymetric mapping function is only available on the Deepr Pro+ model.

A bathymetric map is the same thing as a contour map, but it is underwater.

A standard contour map

the Deeper unit, and follows it, recording the depth and automatically creating the map on your Deeper app as you go. While it is doing this, it is still showing you the soundings as it would any other time. The app splits the screen in half, creating the bathymetric map on the left hand side of the screen and displaying your sonar image on the right hand side.

As with any sonar use of the Deeper app, the bathymetric map is automatically saved to your Deeper app for later use.

You can lay in bed at the end of the day and review

CHARGING Once fully charged, the Deeper unit will last for around four hours of continual use before requiring a recharge. It recharges via a micro USB port, and can be charged from your car cigarette lighter, laptop USB, wall socket or even a portable power pack. displays contours to show hills, steep terrain, etc. and a bathymetric map works exactly the same way, but under water. The closer the contours are together the steeper the bank is, or the drop off is. This bathymetric map is created with the use of the GPS receiver in the compact Deeper unit. The GPS detects the position of

your favourite waterway that you mapped out. Or next time you visit the same spot, you can look at your app to get a visual of what is under the water without even using the Deeper unit.

With the bathymetric map, you can scroll left to right with the sonar image on the right hand side of the screen, and the little Deeper icon

Product Profile will move around on the bathymetric map on the left hand side. That way, if you see a snag pile or object that you like the look of on the sonar, you can see exactly where it is by looking at where the deeper icon is on the map.

To use the bathymetric mapping function firstly you need to open your deeper app and click settings. Scroll down until you see SONAR. Underneath the sonar title you will see ‘sonar mode’, Click on that and then select onshore GPS mode (PRO=+only). When you go back to your main screen you will see that it has now been split into two sections (mapping and sonar) and is ready to go.

All you do is cast the unit out and use it as normal.

Although, one thing worth remembering is that like all handheld GPS units, the Deeper unit needs to lock into enough satellites in order to function properly.

This can take anything from 10 seconds to 2 or 3 minutes.

Usually, the longer it has been since it was used the longer it takes to lock in. This

is known as a ‘cold start’.

There is a little satellite icon on the screen, when you first cast the Deeper unit out, the satellite icon will be red.

Don’t begin your retrieve until it turns green or the mapping function will not work properly.

With each cast, look at the satellite icon and ensure it is green before retrieving your Deeper unit.

If you are making successive casts to map out an area, it usually retains its satellite connection, however it may drop out from time to time, and usually only takes a few seconds to reconnect.

The Deeper app itself is absolutely brilliant. It is free, and even without the Deeper unit it is one of the best fishing apps out there.

You can use the GPS on your phone to mark waypoints.

You can save your favourite fishing spots on an offline map, complete with photos and information. It has a fishing diary for you to record your catches, complete with photos if you wish, and has an in-built calendar. Well worth the download! It does everything you want it to do

ACCOLADES Deeper has recently won awards at trade shows in both the USA and Europe for best new device, a clear indication of the quality and versatility of this product.

without actually owning a Deeper unit, except provide details of what is underneath the water.

There are a few extras available for the Deeper unit, such as a night cover and a mobile phone holder for your fishing rod which can be used horizontally or vertically. Both of which are very handy. There is also an adapter, which can be attached to the side of a boat or kayak, enabling the Deeper unit to be used while out of the water. This adapter ensures the Deeper unit remains rigid and does not bounce around in the water as your boat or kayak is moving.

The Deeper unit has an in built battery that lasts up to four hours of continual use.

To charge the battery, you need to open the Deeper unit by unscrewing the top half and removing it. This cap is very tight and pure quality, ensuring that no water can get into the electronics.

Inside you will see the tiny red light, which flashes when the unit is on and a rubber flap covering the micro USB port which is where you charge the battery.

On the top cap you will see the word, ‘water’. On the bottom half of the unit you will see the word ‘proof’.

When putting the lid back on, you need to ensure that the

two words ‘water proof’ line up, this ensures that the lid is on properly.

One of the things that I have been asked quite a few times since receiving

around 500mb for Australia and 300mb for New Zealand, so you may wish to use a WIFI connection to do that.

But once you have the app, and the maps installed you

the lure like a steam train, make a lot of noise and have a poor hook-up rate. I have never seen a single lure smashed by a Murray cod.

If a cod cannot break a lure,

The Deeper unit sitting on the water with the night cap on. my Deeper unit, is how much mobile data it uses.

The answer is none. It does not use any mobile phone data and does not require any phone service to operate.

The Deeper unit creates its own WIFI signal which is detected by your smart device. Obviously, you will need phone service, or a WIFI connection for the initial download of the app. Then, you may wish to download the offline maps which are

no longer require any internet connection to use the Deeper to its fullest potential. In fact, I usually turn my mobile data and Bluetooth settings off on my phone while I am using the Deeper Pro+ just to avoid any interference from other devices in the area.

Another thing that I have been asked a lot is “what happens if a Murray cod smashes it?”. Murray cod are a well known aggressive surface feeding fish. They hit

it sure as hell isn’t going to break a Deeper unit, and if hook-up rates are poor on lures with 6 hooks (2 lots of treble hooks) what chance is there of a cod swimming off with a perfectly round device with no hooks? At the very worst, if a cod hits the Deeper unit it will likely only leave a few teeth marks, and even then, I doubt that will happen.

It would be exciting if it did happen though!

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Evinrude launch 150-200hp Generation 2 E-Tecs FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

I must admit, I’ve never been that big on attending live music events – I could count them all on one hand, even if I lost a few fingers to braided line related injuries.

On the other hand, I’ve been a fan of Apple products over the years. We have used them for over 20 years desktop publishing Fishing Monthly magazines.

Watching an Apple product launch online seemed way too over the top for the marine industry.

descending on the Milwaukee Theatre. At the entrance, a marching band crashed out favourites to applauding delegates while inside the foyer another drum-heavy ensemble shook the foundations of the local landmark.

Swept inside by the human tide, hundreds of Evinrude staff greeted the dealers with cheering, joy and a sea of rainbow coloured glowsticks.

While a country covers band belted out the best of Garth Brooks and modern dancers set the scene for the impending release.

I would have only been half surprised if Donald

Want all of your engine telemetry on your smartphone or tablet? Buy the optional E-Link and you can see all of the data as well as control certain parameters.

So I was amazed when I attended the recent global launch of new Evinrude product in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where much anticipated smaller horsepower classes of Evinrude’s second generation (or G2) were set loose at their annual dealer conference.

They’re V6, 2.7 litre iterations in 150, 175 and 200hp, but more on that later.

Trump jumped from behind the screen, loitering with intent centre-stage.

If I’d ever defended Americans from being over the top, this outboard launch made me change sides. It was way over the top, and I loved every second of it!

Cutting to the chase, Evinrude’s hierarchy pushed the button on the reveal and a dealer network of over 30 countries was exposed to a

EVINRUDE = TWO-STROKE Evinrude has taken a bold stand in two-stroke technology, whereas a tide of fellow manufacturers are pushing punters down the four-stroke path.

For the consumer, this is great. As both technologies vie for market share, engine builders push each other to make their product lighter, stronger, smoother and more fuel efficient than ever before.

Just think about it. Right now in the marketplace, you can buy a 150hp class motor in two and four-stroke, supercharged or naturally aspirated, carburetted or electronically fuel injected, with analogue or ridiculously smart gauges. You can get them in different shaft lengths, rotation directions and colours. And, of course, at a variety of price points.

There’s never been more choice or more ways to tick the boxes with features your next motor needs.

But, if you want cutting edge two-stroke, then Evinrude’s G2s must surely be at the top of your list.

Let’s have a look at why.

FEATURES At the core of the G2 philosophy is the fact that every time a piston cycles in the cylinder, injected petrol combusts and acts as a ‘power stroke’. This doesn’t happen with four-stroke outboards.

Evinrude freely admit that the incumbent 2.6L first generation E-Tecs don’t do this as efficiently as possible.

Hence a full re-design of the cylinder shape to maximise the burn of fuel happened while these 2.7L G2s were developed.

Burning fuel as efficiently as possible is at the core of nearly all of the benefits that G2 has over

Now that’s just some boat porn for you. Twin rigged 150 HOs on this Tidewater would turn heads anywhere in the world. And the performance was spectacular.

The launch was a fusion of both of these spectacles.

As media representatives, we joined over a thousand dealers in a river of humanity 122

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much sought-after product.

Generation 2 E-Tec, 2.7 litre, V6, 2-stroke outboards in the 150hp, 150 H.O. HP, 175hp and 200hp classes.

And they loved it.

G1 (and over some of the technologies on the other side of the fence).

TORQUE There’s no doubting that these E-Tecs have low

The much anticipated global release of the Evinrude E-Tec Gen 2 motors from 150 to 200hp happened in Milwaukee, USA in June.

Expect these outboards on Australian shores in December 2016.

Quiet at idle and not smoky at all. Characteristics of a 4-stroke demonstrated in a 2-stroke outboard. end grunt. Although we didn’t have the opportunity to derive our own figures in the half-day we spent on Okauchee Lake I did get the opportunity to drive a variety of craft – some that I’m familiar with and others I wasn’t.

Evinrude weren’t shy to let you comparatively test performance, either, with several doppelganger hulls docked with same horsepower engines, same propellers and staff that encouraged you to compare for yourself.

Not surprisingly, none of the comparison boats saw the G2s beaten out of the hole.

In fact, if they did, I’m sure heads would roll. Across the board, the performance on a variety of hulls was impressive. Fuel use was low and performance was high.

Where I did feel right at home, though, was at the helm of an 18ft Ranger

bass boat powered by the 150hp G2. Definitely not at the ‘light’ end of the range of bass boats, the G2 not only presented a low, sleek profile on the transom, but the Evinrude threw the hull up and out of the water within seconds of stomping the foot throttle.

And control was so light and easy that I could do it one handed… which leads me to the next point.

VIDEO

Scan the QR code for the in depth interview with Jason Eckman, Global Product Manager for Evinrude outboards.

POWER STEERING Nearly every 2.7L G2 Evinrude comes with integral power steering.

Although not the first to incorporate fly-by-wire steering into the outboard, these G2s are first to do it with a 150hp. Of course, there are after market power steering kits available, but these are bulky, noisy and expensive. Especially if you want them on motors this size.

It’s hard to explain the difference in on-water experience that power steering makes – especially if you’re under 40 and haven’t driven a car without it. Or if you haven’t driven a boat with it.

To me, the steering is lighter than in a car through nearly all positions and speeds. And I could only hear it while the boat was at idle.

With the helm and throttle only sending digital signals to the motor, the mechanism is obviously housed in the engine.

But you need more than power steering to drive a boat efficiently one-handed.

That’s where iTrim comes in.

ITRIM AUTOMATIC TRIMMING You could never honestly use the analogy ‘it’s like driving an automatic car instead of a manual’ if you had power steering and not iTrim. iTrim is Evinrude’s version of automatic trimming. Like the steering, it’s fully digital and built in to the engine.

Turn it on and it self activates when the engine is trimmed all the way down.

Then you don’t touch the trim button at all.

Not at all.

If you do, it reverts to manual mode – just like the cruise control on your car when you tap the brake.

Like all know-all boaters, I reckon that I’m the best boat trimmer on the planet – especially when it’s

on my own craft – but let me tell you that I found it very easy to let go of control of this motor function.

Seriously. After about 5 minutes I wasn’t reaching for the trim button at all. I was doing things like I was supposed to be doing, like avoiding collisions with other crazy international media and holding a camera while driving a bass boat one handed.

You can’t do that safely on any of the bass boats that I’ve ever owned. Fact!

dash mounted ICON LCD displays on your device. And you can do it from anywhere in the boat.

Engine telemetry, including RPM, trim levels, fuel use, voltage and water depth can be displayed on the main page. Another page summarises the data into useful Trip Log metrics, showing distance travelled, total fuel used and average speeds.

Pocket economists will love the Eco page, showing instantaneous and average

transmitter. It’s not a standard inclusion.

LOWEST EMISSIONS EVER You’ll probably re-read this bit, because I did a double take when we saw the graphs in the presentation. Evinrude claims these are the cleanest petrol outboards in their class on the planet. And yes, they are a two-stroke.

It makes sense when you listen to the next claim. One fill of XD100 oil will last you 50 hours with normal boating use.

Now that’s a neat setup. This 150HO was fitted to a Key West and performed admirably.

The Key West was sort of out of place on Lake Okauchee – a recreational lake west of Milwaukee where Ole Evinrude first spawned the idea for an outboard motor – but the historical significance of the marina wasn’t lost on the BRP staff.

And yes, I do understand that other media may have been saying ‘watch out for that crazy Australian’. I did it for my country. We have a reputation to protect.

I think that the industry will very quickly drive this technology down through their ranges. Competitive manufacturers already have add-on systems that are backward-compatible, but require an extra switch panel on the console.

These Evinrudes have it all built in.

E-LINK Now, while the under 40s may not have driven many cars without power steering, I bet all of them have an Apple (iOS) or Android device in their pocket.

Evinrude’s new E-Link dongle (which plugs straight into the backbone of the engine instrumentation network) allows you to mirror all of the data shown on an Evinrude

I bet you just read that bit again, too. I asked the question.

50 HOURS At Australian XD100 prices, that’s a relief to all G2 owners – current and future.

As an indicator first-up, I didn’t see a puff of smoke all day on the test engines.

Or smell the traditional two-stroke odour.

That might be a negative to seasoned two-stroke

VIDEO

Scan to watch the on-theminute launch video, which was embargoed until the global reveal. fuel use as well as data to help you get the best possible efficiency out of your engine.

You can even use it to send data from the engine to a dealer.

That might not be impressive to the Facebook generation, but it sure beats hitting the engine with a hammer, which was Outboard Repair 101 for me with my first carbied 6hp!

Of course, the app is free – you just need to buy the

The E-Link dongle connects to the data backbone of the outboard network and can sit out of sight. The app is free.

‘Ice Blue’ is a new coloured cowling that suits saltwater boats to a tee. The customisable covers are a unique option for G2s.

lovers, but the fact remains that these engines are remarkably clean.

It all comes back to the inherent efficiency in combustion. Burn the fuel properly and there’s no waste or by-products of an incomplete burn leaking through the exhaust system.

AMENITY And that makes for a pleasant boating experience all round. We found these G2 E-Tecs to be quiet, efficient, good looking and a pleasure to drive.

You’d be mistaken for thinking that they behave like a four-stroke at low revs – there’s no discernable smoke and they’re comparatively quiet – leading to a pleasant boating experience.

DISTRIBUTED

BY TELWATER It was only recently (earlier in 2016) that Gold Coast based Telwater took over the Australian distribution of Evinrude outboards from BRP. The news of the Evinrude E-Tec G2 product moving down to lower horsepower classes was music to the ears of this iconic Australian boat builder.

“We’re selling a lot of big block G2 Evinrudes at the moment and the response to this new product is going to be mind boggling,” said Sam Phelan, another Aussie at the event Stateside and part of the Telwater management team.

“In Australia these motors will come with a 3+2 year warranty. Three

years if you choose a no-maintenance pathway or an extra 2 years if you drop in to your local Evinrude dealer for annual maintenance checks.”

Telwater’s Jason Draeger – National Sales Manager for Evinrude – agrees.

“The existing G2s are well accepted by customers and dealers, but let’s face it, that 150 to 200hp range is where it’s at for us. That’s a 5-6m boat and Telwater dominates that market share, so there’s no reason that we won’t see an increase in market share for Evinrude in the near future,” he said.

Jason forecasts that these G2, 2.7L engines will be available by December in Australia. In the meantime, visit www.evinrude. com for specifications, performance data, videos and model range.

VIDEO

Scan to watch our crazy Publisher hooning around an American lake, driving with one hand and filming with the other.

Also, you can scan the QR codes hereby on your smartphone to watch the content that Fishing Monthly created at the Milwaukee event.

SPECIFICATIONS (150HP) Engine Type................. 66° V6 E-Tec Direct Injection Displacement.....................................................2.7L Gear Ratio....................................................... 2.17:1 WOT RPM................................................5000-6000 Weight...................................................225kg-232kg Starting..........................................................Electric Controls.............. Integrated digital shift and throttle Fuel induction......E-Tec direct injection with stratified low RPM combustion mode Alternator... 133A total/50 net dedicated/14A at idle Steering............ Remote (hydraulic for TRAC model) Trim.............................................. Power Trim and Tilt Shaft Lengths.........................................20” and 35” AUGUST 2016

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What’s New BOATING

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NEW STACER NOMADS

Stacer has released two new Nomad models, the 449 and 469, building on the success of the 489, 509, 539 and 579 models. The entire range now features 4mm bottom sheets and 3mm top side sheets.

The new standard Stacer Sports Side Console has a modern sporty look with more dash space, allowing for larger sounders and electronics to be fitted. An extra seat spigot has been added to the front casting platform, taking the total to four seating positions for maximum fishability.

Stacer National Account Manager Drew Jackson said new features will keep the Nomad range a favourite among anglers.

“Fishos will love the new features like the new Shark Carpet which is soft underfoot and provides excellent grip,” he said. “These boats offer great value for money with many features coming as standard including carpeted floors, bimini and envelope and four rod holders.” www.stacer.com.au

2

COMPACT REACTOR AP

Ideal for outboard-powered boats up to 9m, Garmin’s GHP Compact Reactor autopilot is based on solid-state 9-axis AHRS technology.

The Compact Reactor Starter Pack includes the core autopilot components needed to install and use alongside a compatible chartplotter. Another configuration is available with a GHC 20 Autopilot Control Unit, and the third option adds both the GHC 20 and the Garminpatented Shadow Drive. Shadow Drive allows users to disengage the AP with a turn of the wheel, allowing them to always remain in control of the vessel.

Fully integrated with compatible Garmin electronics, the Compact Reactor series can be controlled directly from the chartplotter.

The AP can also be engaged to follow Garmin’s Auto Guidance technology, which eliminates the hassle of entering different waypoints. Simply move the cursor on the map to where you want to go and the AP will plan the route from your current location – avoiding shallow water and other charted obstructions – and then engage.

Price: SRP from $1799 www.garmin.com/en-AU

3

NEW STRESSFREE WINCHES

Stressfree Marine, based in SA, was born in the mid-1990s when engineer Dean Forster wanted a system that would allow him to release and retrieve his anchor much faster. This led to the development of Stressfree Marine’s standard drum anchor winch range, and their patented Freefall range, featuring one-touch precision anchoring at five times the speed of standard winches.

In their most recent anchor winch developments, Stressfree Marine have continued to focus on safety, durability and functionality. By increasing the size of their satin finish 316L marine grade stainless steel base plate from 6mm to 8mm, Stressfree Marine has found a way to deliver an even higher level of stability in unfavourable weather.

Further solidifying their lead with the highest torque gearbox on any drum winch, the Drive Shaft has increased from 18mm to 25mm, and the pivot bolt has been reengineered to deliver an extra 8mm of engagement. Choosing to use the Quick-50 series double anodised gearbox has also increased protection against corrosion and saltwater exposure. www.stressfreemarine.com.au

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

POWERED BY

4

SIMRAD NETWORK DIAGNOSTICS

Available for all NSS evo2, NSO evo2, and GO multifunction displays with GoFree connectivity, the new Simrad Network Analyzer and Service Assistant with integrated wireless diagnostics tools allow boaters to easily send system info to the service team. As long you can connect to a wireless network, this new update gives immediate access to the latest features, support and service.

The Network Analyzer tells you when new software is available, and the Service Assistant can transmit a detailed report of ethernet and NMEA 2000 network devices so tech support can troubleshoot issues more quickly. GoFree cloudenabled technology lets users receive automatic software update notifications and download and install these updates directly to their display.

These new free tools are available in the latest Simrad software release via a one-time manual download and update to compatible equipment. www.simrad-yachting .c om/en-US/ Support/Downloads

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SEAFARER HEAVYDUTY X-SERIES

Australian fibreglass boat brand Seafarer and The Haines Group have unveiled a new range of heavy duty, performance-driven boats with the launch of the X-series.

Revolutionising its brand of state-of-theart, quality fibreglass trailerboats, Seafarer has transformed a selection of its standard models and beefed them up with the works. Extra resin, stainless steel and almost 100kg of glass have been added to their structural design, along with a massive increase in fuel capacity.

Included in the range are the popular Victory 6.0 and Vagabond 6.2, which have been ‘overbuilt’ to be the ultimate fishing vessels.

These boats have an impressive list of standard features including stainless steel rails and steering wheel, heavy-duty rod holders, live bait tanks and moulded seats including a tackle cupboard and hatch.

The Victory and Vagabond X-series have also been fitted with 270L fuel tanks. The max power for the Victory is 225hp, and the Vagabond is available with a twin configuration for more options. www.seafarerboats.com.au

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MERCURY IMPROVED REMOTE CONTROL

Completely redesigned, Mercury’s new and improved Mechanical Remote Control is now available for owners who want to upgrade the handling and styling of their boats. The new look side-mount control makes boating both easier and more efficient for all drivers, regardless of their experience behind the wheel.

The re-engineering of the control box delivers an upgraded performance all around. An enhanced shift mechanism makes shifting smoother and easier, and provides drivers with an improved feel when they are at the controls.

The unit’s external cables have been upgraded to increase their flex endurance, extending their lifespan and reducing the chance of any servicing issues. A redesigned handle provides state-of-the-art ergonomics for long days on the water, and improves the aesthetics of the whole unit. www.mercurymarine.com.au

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

6

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

FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

There’s no denying it – the Sea Jay Avenger 488 is one big tinny. Derived from the ever popular Avenger range from Sea Jay, this locally built aluminium boat is sure to turn heads at most boat ramps across the country. If not for its pretty wrap, then just for its sheer size. It’s deep and it’s wide.

Especially compared to the nuggety Garry Fitzgerald, who met me at the Raby Bay boat ramp for the morning’s test run.

Of course, being a week day, conditions were glassy – totally inappropriate for boat testing. However, we still managed to get out and have some fun over a couple of hours on the water, and highlight some of the things this boat does well.

The first of these is economy.

Ridiculous economy.

Doing the performance runs in southern Moreton Bay, the Suzuki gauge touched 4km per PERFORMANCE RPM................... Km/L Idle.......................... 4.2 1000....................... 5.2 2000....................... 3.7 3000....................... 3.5 3700....................... 4.0 4000....................... 3.7 5000....................... 2.7 5500 (WOT)............. 2.4 *Fitted with a 17” pitch propeller

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AUGUST 2016

litre of fuel burned. Great figures for a boat touching 5m in length.

The second was stability.

The 2.3m beam is not only apparent in the Avenger’s cavernous cockpit, it’s evident while moving around on the water. Sure, reversed chines help a little, but it’s just the massive width that makes this such a stable platform on the water.

At the waterline, the Sea Jay carries less beam to the bow, resulting in a narrower, wave-cutting entry. I thought that this might make the boat less stable, but I couldn’t notice the difference.

Unfortunately, the billiardtable-like Moreton Bay didn’t provide conditions to see if the sharp bow rake did

what it looked like it would do. It looks like it would cut the water better than your run-of-the-mill tinny.

LAYOUT Fitzy said one of the attractions of the Avenger is its practical simplicity.

“Sea Jay likes to keep things simple,” he said, “and the rear livewell is as simple as they come.”

With no powered pumps and water draining straight through to the outside through strategically placed holes in the hull and transom, it’s a classic design that’ll never let you down.

And that design theme continues throughout this boat.

The side console is simple and functional. Electronics

need to be bracket mounted on top of the console behind the windscreen, but there is a handy little covered box for your valuables (keys, wallets and mobiles). Otherwise, the design is minimalist.

Fitzy is also a big fan of the Sea Jay system of seat mounts.

“I’ve had Sea Jay boats for nearly 20 years and I’ve always loved this seat mounting system,” he said.

“There’s nothing protruding up from the deck, so if you’re packing something on top of a seat mounting position, it sits flush.”

Indeed, Sea Jay’s seat bases are built in house and look strong enough to ski from!

Up front, there’s an ample casting deck for those

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

SPECIFICATIONS Hull thickness...................................................3mm Gunwale thickness...........................................3mm Beam..................................................................2.3m Depth...............................................................1.22m Floor ribs...............................................................12 Capacity....................................................5 persons Hull weight......................................................435kg Rec hp...............................................................70hp Max hp...............................................................90hp Max motor weight.......................................... 175kg who like throwing plastics at predators, but Sea Jay has also mounted the Minn Kota battery up front, too.

Distributing the weight like this pushes the bow down and makes the bow rake do what it’s supposed to do, and that’s cut water.

The test model was supplied on a special Sea Jay trailer that’s been custom made by Dunbier trailers.

Featuring a C-section frame, it’s designed to not hold any saltwater, thereby eliminating any points where corrosion can gain a foothold. It’s something I’ve seen previously in imported trailers but I have rarely seen it locally in galvanised steel. There are plenty of

alloy I-beam trailers made in Australia.

Priced in the high $20,000s for a basic package and in the low $30,000s for one kitted out like the test model, the Avenger is cheap for a boat of this size and most definitely cheap to run. You can get more information at your local Sea Jay dealer or by visiting www.seajayboats.com.au.

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

VIDEO

VIDEO

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

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

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

Not many boats of this ilk leave a dealership without a bow-mounted electric motor nowadays.

The test Sea Jay sported a Minn Kota model with a for’ard mounted battery to balance the ride.

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

This is not trick photography – but Garry Fitzgerald is fairly height challenged and the 488 is an incredibly beamy boat with high gunwales.

Now THERE’S a mountain of deck to work with. Huge casting decks and a beamy cockpit mean that this boat opens up plenty of options – no matter where in Australia you’re fishing.

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

Side pocket storage is simple – just like the build.

Big, beamy and simple means trouble-free boating.

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

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

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

AUGUST 2016

127

Tracker’s ProGuide 16WT with Mercury 75 4-stroke

FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

They say you only get about a week of winter in Queensland. Some social media commentators say it was a Wednesday this year, but I disagree. It was definitely the Thursday that we took Fishing and Leisure Boats’ Tracker Pro Guide 16WT for a spin on Moogerah Dam. In the amphitheatre of the Scenic Rim, a cold southerly chopped up the lake and even at 9am, we were reaching for the jackets.

For your information if you’re not a Queenslander, jackets are usually off just after the sun comes up.

And as hard as the wind tried to blow, it couldn’t scuff up the surface enough to really test the 20° deadrise in this 16-footer. That was fine,

though. This boat was built for comfort and fishability, and that’s exactly what we got to test on this wintry day.

Arriving on a locally built, single axle Dunbier trailer, the package towed easily with Tim Stessl’s work ute and definitely looked the part with the colour co-ordinated paint job that complemented the Mercury strapped to the transom.

Admittedly, I’d never ridden in an American aluminium Deep V before: plenty of aluminium bass boats, but this was the first I’d driven that was designed for rougher water than a freshwater pond.

“It’s been forty years since we riveted aluminium boats in Australia, and Tracker boats have been fully welded since 2012 onwards,” said Tim Stessl, who works for the local importer, Fishing and Leisure Boats in Molendinar.

“This hull is made from two, big sheets of marine grade plate aluminium. It’s strong

SPECIFICATIONS Length (hull)....................................................4.88m Beam................................................................2.24m Bottom width..................................................1.78m Max hp...............................................................90hp Capacity....................................................5 persons Weight Capacity..............................................567kg Fuel (underfloor).................................................56L and has the best warranty in the industry,” he continued.

Indeed, the hull seemed tough as nails and very quiet when bouncing across the worst that Moogerah had to offer.

The consequence, though, of such a deadrise was the fact that the hull banked nicely into turns. Definitely not punt-like, but I felt right at home driving it. It may be because my first plate bass boat was copied – design-wise – from an image of a Tracker boat in an old American catalog.

Regardless, after a while it was off to the shelter of Moogerah’s famous Gorge to wet a line and test the

Mercury’s 2.1L 4-strokes keep on impressing. Not only do they look the part on these Tracker hulls, they pop the boat up and on to the plane with ease.

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AUGUST 2016

fishability.

The first bit I loved was up on the front deck, there’s a compartment to hold the foot control for the electric motor.

It’s a small thing, I know, but there’s nothing worse than the pedal bouncing around when the going gets rough. It’s no good for the pedal and no good for your boat.

Secondly, I found the gunwale height was actually low enough (or conversely the deck was high enough) to be able to pitch-cast underhand.

Again, it’s another small thing, but it’s the ability to do this that helps define the functionality of a fishing boat.

And the more fishing boxes this boat ticks, the better.

Under the front deck, there’s a plumbed and divided 87L livewell that also folds a bait bucket – great for keeping anything from yabbies through to your tournament haul.

Walk through the windscreen, and that’s where the comfort starts. The height of the screen keeps you on the calm side of the elements and the lower floor in the cockpit helps to keep you (and the kids) in. The rod box lids running down each side also act as seats and overall, there’s a whole lot of comfort back there for those who aren’t that keen to be standing on the front deck casting all day.

The ability to really customise your back deck

layout comes in two ways – the VersaTrack inner gunwale system allows you to mount a variety of options – from rod holders and rod racks through to cutting boards and cup holders. You can slide them along to wherever you want them positioned and then lock them off with the twist of a

just need to go for a ride in one to feel for yourself, and that’s exactly what you should do if you’re interested in researching this style of boat further.

Visit www.fishingand leisureboats.com.au for plenty more information. The price of this boat as tested was just

With the 20° vee, you can definitely feel the hull banking into turns. Reminds me of my first everbass boat, which was modelled from a picture of a Tracker bass boat. No surprises there. nut. You can see it in action in the accompanying videos that you can watch by scanning the QR codes.

Overall, the quality of the Tracker hull and fitout was much better than I’d expected it to be and the strength and quietness of the hull was equally impressive.

Tim Stessl says that you VIDEO

Scan to watch Tim Stessl and Steve Morgan put the Tracker V16 through its paces.

under $40,000.

• Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith.

Performance of individual boat/motor/trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

VIDEO

Scan to see Tim Stessl take you on a tour of the Tracker Pro Guide V16 WT.

At rest, there’s surprisingly little roll. Tim Stessl isn’t a petite ballerina and although you can see the port side riding a little deeper in the image, the roll feels negligible from the casting deck up front.

The 20° hull deadrise at the transom creates a soft ride and unique ‘banking-into-turns’ attitude, which make it a pleasure to ride in, whether you’re in the passenger or driver seat.

Get rid of any memories of Tracker boats being riveted – the Pro Guide V16 hull is made from only two, large, marine grade aluminium sheets and is bulletproof.

Internally, the cockpit is quite deep and small-kid-friendly.

The tops of the rod boxes act as seats and there’s a variety of seat mounting bases – for travelling and for fishing.

The helm layout is simple and fluent. There’s modern additions like a mobile phone holder with a power outlet adjacent. Nailed it. With the wraparound windscreen, the phone even stays dry on a rough day.

The VersaTrack rail system offers infinite possibilities for mounting rod holders, cutting boards, tackle boxes and drink holders. Twist the knob, slide them to wherever you want them and tighten.

The test Tracker is fitted with a splashwell that collects a little water when you kill the power while on plane.

Now that’s a glove box. Plenty of nearwaterproof storage in there and wind protection for the passenger.

Anyone that runs an autopilot-style electric motor will love this – a nook for the control pedal to travel in while underway. Amen.

AUGUST 2016

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See your authorised Mercury Marine Dealer today.

BRISBANE SOUTH See your authorised Mercury Dealer today.

MANLYMarine HARBOUR MARINE

NORTHERN NSW / GOLD COAST TWEED COAST MARINE 32 Machinery Drive, Tweed Heads South Phone: (07) 5524 8877 | Fax: (07) 5524 3324 Email: dan@tweedcoastmarine.com.au Website: www.tweedcoastmarine.com.au

570 Royal Esplanade Manly Phone: (07) 3893 2199 | Fax: (07) 3893 2188 Email: info@manlyharbourmarine.com.au Website: www.manlyharbourmarine.com.au

BRISBANE NORTH CUNNINGHAMS MARINE 23-25 Snook St Clontarf Phone: (07) 3284 8805 | Fax: (07) 3284 8813 Email: sales@cunninghammarinecentre.com.au Website: www.cunninghammarinecentre.com.au

MERIDIAN MARINA HORIZON SHORES ONSHORE MARINE Cabbage Tree Point Rd,Woongoolba Phone: (07) 5546 2480 | Fax: (07) 5546 1362 Email: onshoremarine@ozemail.com.au Website: www.onshoremarine.com.au

BRISBANE BAYSIDE MIKES MARINE 9 Smith Street Capalaba Phone: (07) 3390 3418 | Fax: (07) 3823 5856 Email: sales@mikesmarine.com.au Website: www.mikesmarine.com.au

BRISBANE NORTH BRISBANE MARINE 306 Duffield Road Clontarf Phone: (07) 3889 3033 | Fax: (07) 3889 5390 Email: info@brismarine.com.au Website: www.brismarine.com.au

BRISBANE SOUTH SPRINGWOOD MARINE 3475 Pacific Hwy Springwood Phone: (07) 3297 8200 | Fax: (07) 3297 8290 Email: mercury@motosport.net.au Website: www.springwoodmarine.com.au

BRISBANE WEST KAREE MARINE 1776 Ipswich Rd Rocklea Phone: (07) 3875 1600 | Fax: (07) 3875 1622 Email: sales@kareemarine.com.au Website: www.kareemarine.com.au

TOOWOOMBA WATERSKIERS WAREHOUSE 91-93 Neil St Toowoomba Phone: (07) 4637 9511 | Fax: (07) 4637 9513 Email: rod@waterskierswarehouse.com.au Website: www.waterskierswarehouse.com.au

BRISBANE SOUTH COORPAROO MARINE 57 Cavendish Rd Coorparoo Phone: (07) 3397 4141 | Fax: (07) 3397 6339 Email: info@coorparoomarine.com.au Website: www.coorparoomarine.com.au

BRISBANE HOLT MARINE 25 Queens Rd Everton Park Phone: (07) 3353 1928 | Fax: (07) 3353 4548 Email: info@holtmarine.com.au Website: www.holtmarine.com.au

SUNSHINE COAST NORTHCOAST BOATING CENTRE 264 Nicklin Way Warana Phone: (07) 5493 9376 | Fax: (07) 5437 6144 Email: mail@northcoastboatingcentre.com.au Website: www.northcoastboating.com.au

Pro XS FourStroke Performance Redefined aLL new 2.1L modeL

Torque (Nm)

UNthiNk

115hp FoUrStroke torqUe compariSoN

previous 1.7L (L) modeL

Engine Speed (rpm)

See your authorised Mercury Marine Dealer today.

WIDE BAY THE BOAT PLACE 1872 Tin Can Bay Rd Goomboorian Phone: (07) 5486 5865 Email: yaltacraft@live.com.au Website: www.theboatplace.com.au

INNISFAIL COASTAL MARINE & OUTDOORS 178 Edith Street Innisfail Phone: (07) 4061 8272 | Fax: (07) 4061 7718 Email: joel@coastalmarine.com.au Website: www.coastalmarine.com.au

CAIRNS AUSSIE MARINE 5 Hannam St, Bungalow Phone: (07) 4033 8800 Email: sales@aussiemarine.com.au Web: www. aussiemarine.com.au

HERVEY BAY BAY CITY MARINE 82 Dayman Street Urangan Hervey Bay Phone: (07) 4128 9944 | Fax: (07) 4125 2350 Email: sales@baycitymarine.com.au Website: www.baycitymarine.com.au

BOWEN REIBEL MARINE 34 Don St Bowen Phone: (07) 4786 2944 Fax: (07) 4786 6606 Email: remarine@bigpond.net.au

MARYBOROUGH FRASER COAST BOATING 120 Richmond Street Phone: (07) 4122 1770 Email: sales@frasercoastboating.com.au Web: www.frasercoastboating.com.au

BUNDABERG ADRIANS MARINE CENTRE 28 Ritchie St Norville Phone: (07) 4153 1819 | Fax: (07) 4154 4808 Email: adriansmarinecentre@bigpond.com Website: www.adriansmarinecentre.com.au

INGHAM J&B MARINE 79 Herbert St, Ingham Phone: (07) 4776 1188 | Fax: (07) 4776 1288 Email: jbmarine@bigpond.com Website: www.jandbmarine.com

ROCKHAMPTON RIFEN BOATS 6 Dooley St, North Rockhampton Phone: (07) 4927 9150 | Fax: (07) 4921 3502 Email: rifen.boats@bigpond.com Website: www.rifenboats.com.au

KARUMBA JONES MARINE 38 Yappar Street, Karumba Phone: (07) 4745 9159 Email: jonglo@bigpond.com Web: www.jonesmarine.com.au

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