Queensland Fishing Monthly August 2019

HUGE BRISBANE BOAT SHOW GUIDE INSIDE

Boating & Kayaking

NEW FIND THE

Breaming the Broadwater by yak • Paddling the skinny water • In the market for a new boat?

• The transition to a big boat •

LOGO COMPETITION SEE INSIDE

Features Saddle up for nannygai!

• Camping and fishing at Somerset • Fathers’ Day gift ideas •

August, 2019 Fishing Monthly G R O U P

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August 2019, Vol. 31 No.10

Contents NORTHERN NEW SOUTH WALES

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Yamba 18 Ballina 20 SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND The Tweed

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Southern Gold Coast

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Gold Coast Canals

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Jumpinpin 27 Gold Coast

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Southern Bay

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Brisbane 32 Northern Bay

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Brisbane Offshore

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Noosa 36 CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Hervey Bay

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Rainbow Beach

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Gladstone 42 Monduran 43 Bundaberg 44 Rockhampton 44 Yeppoon 45 Mackay 46 Stanage Bay

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TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND

From the Editor’s Desk...

DOORS OPEN TO AFTA SHOW FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 20 YEARS For decades AFTA (the Australian Fishing Trade Association) has been running a trade show. What’s a trade show? It’s when all of the manufacturers and distributors set up stands to show off their latest and greatest products and the tackle stores (retailers) come and check out the tackle that’s about to hit the market.

It’s handy to have nearly all of the big players in the tackle industry in the one place at the one time. Usually there are around 70 exhibitors at an AFTA Show, and brands from Alvey to Zerek are represented – complete with a fair smattering of product designers and inventors to add that star factor. At least to us tackle junkies!

Trade shows have always been closed to the public.

However, thanks to social media, what’s launched at the AFTA Show isn’t a secret anymore.

Usually by an hour into the first day, there’s all the information you could want available online.

This rise in awareness has prompted calls to let the public in to have a look. It makes sense for tackle suppliers to engage with their present and future customers. Sell the sizzle, even though the sausage may not be available until later in the year.

And this year, it’s happening.

There will be a Public Day at the 2019 AFTA Trade Show on the Gold Coast.

Does this mean that you’ll be able to come home with the latest and greatest tackle? Nope.

It’s not a retail selling show.

You’ll be able to buy some caps and catalogues, but it’s not like the Lure Show, so you won’t need to re-mortgage the house to satisfy your addiction.

Will you be able to go and see your local tackle store and get them to pre-order the gear for you? Hell yeah. That’s the way it works. Look at the show and buy from your retailer.

For me though, the show will

be so much more than product. I believe it’s the people who make the show. And by people, I mean that basically every fishing TV show personality, fishing journo of note, pro staffer and fishing celebrity should be there.

Want to meet ET, the Hook, Line and Sinker crew, Lee Rayner, Steve Starling or Rob Paxevanos? No worries – they’ll be kicking around the show. What about your favourite pro-staffers that you follow on social media? They’ll be there (unless they’re scared to do anything live!) Lure displays in casting tanks? There’ll be several.

And in what we think is an excellent move by AFTA, the admittance price is around half of cost of any boat show.

It’s just $10 a head, and kids under 15 are free, so you can have a cheap day out at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition centre. Public Day is on Saturday 17 August 2019, it’s open from 9am-4pm, and on-site parking is $12 per entry.

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We hope to see you there. It’s the celebration of the industry that you’re now invited to!

MATT DRINKALL MARKS 25-YEAR ANNIVERSARY Fishing Monthly Co-Director Matthew Drinkall has marked a significant milestone: 25 years working for the magazine. In 1994 he was hired to change the way articles were laid up on the page, dispensing with bromides (photographic paper) in favour of laying it up on a computer.

Now we have a whole design department to work on the magazines, which has freed Matthew up to spend more time doing what he loves most: photography. The best photos in our in-house boat tests are his handiwork, and many spectacular shots in corporate outboard and boating ads are his photos too.

Matthew is usually the first to arrive at work and the last to leave, and we appreciate all his hard work. It wouldn’t be Fishing Monthly without Matty!

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REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics

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Advertising Enquiries: Ph: (07) 3387 0800 Nicole Kelly nkelly@fishingmonthly.com.au Printing: APN – News Corp Australia

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Fun Page

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Editorial Manager: Jacqui Thomas

Sheik of the Creek

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Tech Tricks

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Tournament News

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Sub-Editors: Nicole Penfold Bob Thornton Lucette Eggleton Field Editors: Jason Ehrlich Wayne Kampe

Subscriptions: Kym Rowbotham

Dam Levels

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Track my fish

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Trades and Services

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What’s New Boating

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What’s New Fishing

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SPECIAL FEATURES

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Camping and fishing at Somerset

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Visiting Victorian angler Brad Medlyn took this beautiful trout from the Whitsundays to provide a fantastic dinner for his family.

A Mick Underwood image.

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OUR COVER

AUST

Saddle up for nannygai!

Publishers: Steve Morgan Matthew Drinkall

Production: Karen Millward Keith Hawley

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QUEENSLAND FISHING MONTHLY

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FOR SALE Once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase four of the best businesses in Yamba FOR SALE

# 1 TOWN

Voted Best Town In Australia

Reeltime Charters: Yamba’s most successful & longest running fishing charter and the only charter based in the famous Yamba Marina. Rated as one of the best charters in NSW. With 12 years of running charters from the port of Yamba/Iluka.

Comprising three custom built fishing vessels able to cater for over 30 anglers at a time: Silver Star 38ft Westcoaster by star boats, charter licence in all 4 endorsements (Game fishing, Offshore Deep-sea, Nearshore & Estuary) for 16 Odin 36ft Multicat, charter licence in all 4 endorsements for 14.

Avalanche 34ft Steber. charter licence in all 4

endorsements for up to 12.

All vessels are in perfect running order and in full survey.

Turnkey operation with all gear and skippers if needed.

Sale includes all websites, web addresses, social media sites, phone numbers and huge amount of existing signage and advertising as well as all future and annual bookings.

FOR SALE

Yamba Whale Watch: The only dedicated whale watch business in the area dedicating at least one boat (Avalanche) to whale watching for the season June to October every year. But with the ability to place over 30 people over 3 boats at a time if needed.

Sale includes all websites, web addresses, social media sites, phone numbers and huge amount of existing signage and advertising as well as all future and annual bookings.

FOR SALE Rated as the best tackle shop chandlery in the town!

Marina Boat and Tackle: One of the most comprehensive fishing tackle shops and boat chandlery in the area based right in the centre of Yamba Marina. Rated as the best tackle shop chandlery in the town with the only pro Humminbird and pro Minn Kota dealer in the lower Clarence. Selling most of the big name brands this is a walk in business with all stock and fixtures ready to go. Large established clientele and turnover.

FOR SALE

Yamba BBQ Boat Hire: Comprising of 3 custom built pontoon BBQ boats. The only business of its type in the area. This is a hire drive rental business run out of Yamba Marina. All vessels are fitted with new Suzuki 4 stroke engines and fully renovated. In perfect running order and full survey.

Sale includes all websites, web addresses, social media sites, phone numbers and huge amount of existing signage and advertising as well as all future and annual bookings.

Business is for sale as is with all 4 businesses under the one banner or can be split up as completely separate units at owner’s discretion.

Contact: Daniel Kelly | Ray White Yamba

|

M 0408 669 646

T (02) 6645 8000

F (02) 6646 2593 W www.raywhiteyamba.com

NANNYGAI

Saddle up for nannygai!

CAIRNS

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

Large-mouth nannygai are one of Queensland’s most sought-after offshore

snapper or small-mouth nannygai. It also goes by other names such as saddletail snapper, which comes from the dark saddle-like mark on the top of its tail stem that resembles a horse’s saddle. More uncommonly,

Jigging plastics at sun up is the best time to get a big nannygai off a wreck. recreational reef species, and it’s not hard to understand why. Growing to over 10kg and over a metre in length, these magnificent red fish not only pull like freight trains but also taste absolutely amazing.

They are one of those special fish species that can be found from inshore coastal habitats right through and beyond the deep waters of the continental shelf, up and down the East Coast of Queensland.

While mostly recognized as a tropical reef fish, catches of juvenile nannygai, which are characterized by their red-banded face, are becoming more and more common in places like Moreton Bay, showing just how widespread these fish are.

Large-mouth nannygai is named so due to having a larger mouth than their poorer tasting cousin, the crimson

it’s referred to as red or silver jew, which reflects the silvery red colouration they have when they first come out of the water.

While there are many draws to chasing large-mouth nannygai, the trump card would have to be the fact they live in big schools. This means when you find one fish, it can quickly escalate into one of those red-hot sessions where every rod is bent over in the boat. In fact, speak to any experienced offshore skipper and they will be able to tell you about certain areas that hold massive numbers of these fish which could be in the hundreds at times, especially during spawning in spring.

For this reason, they are heavily susceptible to overfishing, as when you get onto a patch it’s not hard to take 20 fish out of a school in under 30 minutes. As a result, the current bag limit of nine fish per person is under

Double ups are always on the cards and it’s uncommon to catch single fish.

Trophy-sized nannygai are often caught in close, not out wide. review, and it looks as though this will see a reduction of the recreational bag limit in the near future. While this may seem like a drastic measure for some, the reality is that large-mouth nannygai are not heavily fished commercially.

Its inconsistency in flesh and eating quality, as well as dory size restrictions, often limit the ability of commercial fishers to fish deeper, often weatherexposed areas where the fish are found.

In saying that, Queensland Fisheries have invested large sums of money into research and biomass counts of largemouth nannygai to ensure that an appropriate harvest strategy is in place. Hopefully this will mean there is plenty of fish for everyone to enjoy now and into the future.

Catching nannygai can be tricky, so if you are keen to feed your red fish addiction, read on. The first thing to remember is that you don’t need a massive offshore rig to get into the game. At certain times of year, nannygai will move into what is commonly known as the ‘middle grounds’ between the land and reef, which is often made up of shoal country, wonky holes and wrecks. These areas can be as little as 5-20km offshore and are quite accessible on a good weather day. In Northern and Central Queensland, this usually occurs in summer when monsoonal rains push bait schools out of creeks into the middle grounds and coastal areas, and in spring when fish

move back into spawn.

Don’t be fooled into thinking these areas won’t

The author with a pair of quality nannygai. hold big trophy models, as they tend to hold the smaller schools of extra oversized fish, especially on wrecks and wonky holes. Chasing nannygai on wrecks can be a little frustrating, as they do also hold lots of juvenile

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AUGUST 2019

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fish just under the legal size limit. If you find yourself in the position where you are

Heavy overhead combinations are a good idea for a quick catch when sharks are about.

catching one undersized fish after the other, put on a big live bait or even better, a soft plastic, to try and entice the larger fish. Squid and prawn style plastics are my go-to in this situation, as this is what they will be feeding on in these inshore areas.

Wonky holes are very different and tend to hold small numbers of oversized fish. If you are after a trophy nannygai, these are the spots to target. Wonky holes are usually found around 10-20km offshore, often in the old beds of large rivers. They are the remnants of rivers that were drowned and covered in silt when sea levels rose. Now underwater, they still flow underground and eventually push up from under the sea floor, leaving a giant hole that can spews out freshwater, silt,

NANNYGAI rubble and rock, creating fish and bait-holding structure.

They flow at certain times

bait is. For this reason, having a Spot-Lock on your boat is absolutely essential. Trying to

For offshore, a rig with a traditional paternoster dropper set up and fly is preferred. of the year, often during the monsoon, which can make them unfishable at times.

However, when they ease up, the bait quickly returns to feed on the nutrients being pushed out the holes and this quickly brings in nannygai.

When fishing wonky holes, it’s important to be right over the top of them as this is where the fish will be sitting.

They tend to sit in or close to the hole as it offers refuge and structure, plus it’s where the

anchor on a wonky hole is really difficult and will spook the fish, as you will be fishing relatively shallow water of 30m or less.

Squid or live fish baits are a good option, as well as squid and prawn style soft plastics. In these areas, getting busted off on the bottom is not an issue, so fishing light is highly recommended. As it’s such shallow water, you need to go ultra-stealthy with both line and sinker weight, and drift baits down as opposed to bombing them. I like to throw small pieces of cut-up squid over the side as berley and drift a bait down next to it, using a 9/0 circle hook with a small bean sinker for weight.

Circle hooks are my preferred hook choice on wonkies, as the fish tend to not bite the bait but swim away with it, sometimes even swimming upwards and leaving you with a slack line.

If you’re fishing a wonky hole, try a rig using a small bean sinker, with a double octopus or circle hook to present the bait better.

Big cod are often by-catch in the same areas as nannygai on the middle grounds.

This is where winding as quickly as possible to set the hook works much better than having to set the hook by ripping the rod upwards.

Finding wonkys is all about having the right sounder, and quality side imaging is the best wonky fishing tool I own. Being able to scan out 30-40m makes it easy to find them and all you need to look for are large holes on the sand.

If you do have the option of heading wider and closer to the reef and deeper shoals, finding and hooking largemouth nannygai can be a different story. The first thing to consider is that you need to find deeper water, around

40-60m at least. You don’t want to be fishing any heavy coral structure, as the fish tend to be in what’s known as the ‘paddocks’. Paddocks are the areas found off the reef where the hard structure transitions to shoal bottom or isolated pieces of small rocks and ground, with the odd isolated bommie. These areas are usually found in around 50-60m of water. The trick to finding good nannygaiholding structure is to study your bathymetric charts and to look for those contours in the areas off the reef that curve or shift. This can signify a change in the bottom or To page 12

This shot from a sounder shows nannygai in the red shades sitting over a school of bait.

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NANNYGAI From page 11

even the presence of gutters or holes, which are all deepwater fish-holding structure.

changes, gutters and most importantly, bait. Find the bait in these paddock areas and you will soon find the fish.

octopus hook, weighted with an 8oz sinker, is a good option.

If you fish a double hook rig, be prepared for the fact that you may get double hook-ups, which can cause bust offs if the fish are of a decent size and fight against each other. I always prefer to fish a single hook to avoid this problem. I also like to fish with a fly or fish attraction on the hook, as this gets their attention better in deeper water.

In deepwater applications, your biggest nemesis will be the dreaded taxman. Sharks are a major issue when chasing nannygai, and fighting your fish on light gear will often lead to it being mauled or eaten. It is best to fish pretty heavy spin or overhead reels and get them up as quickly

A wonky hole on a side imager. Spot-Locking on top of a wonky hole makes a big difference to your catch rate .

It really does pay to spend some time mucking around on Navionics, your chart plotter or even an old paper marine map if you can find one, to get an idea of where to look in the area you are fishing.

Having good electronics is an absolute must for you to read the bottom clearly and pick up bait schools at a decent cruising speed. While some of the new side imagers are pretty good in this depth of water, traditional sonars running lower frequencies such as 80KHZ or 50KHZ are better suited for deeper water applications. You don’t really want to be looking for big schools of fish, but more for the presence of bottom

Seasoned nannygai skippers often spend more time behind the wheel of the boat staring at the sounder than fishing. For this reason, drift fishing is a really good way to cover an area showing all the signs of possible nannygai. It allows you to move until you find where the fish may be.

Good signs to look for include by-catches of cod, which shows there is structure below; and jobfish, which live in the same areas as largemouth nannygai. Once you hook a few, you can anchor the boat and begin to draw them in with berley and baits. In these deeper areas, nannygai can be a little frustrating. If you found them in an area one trip,

as possible. Once the sharks move in, pack up and head to a new spot, as they will not let you get one red fish back to the boat.

The other issue when chasing nannygai is that when one is lost or ‘dropped’ by an angler, the distressed fish can often shut down the bite or drag the school away. It pays to ensure you make every fish count to keep the bite strong.

Large-mouth nannygai are special fish and if you haven’t had the chance to chase them, you really need to make it happen. There is nothing like chasing big red fish whether it’s in shallow or deep water, and once you get the taste for it you will be hooked for life. So, get out there and get amongst them!

Ian Seeto with a solid inshore snared nannygai. it doesn’t mean they will be there again and you will have to work until you find them.

Rest assured though, they will be in the area somewhere.

They tend to be more active at night and during the day they

can be stubborn to feed, even when you can see them in huge numbers on the sounder.

When fishing these types of areas, a squid-baited paternoster rigged with a single or double 10/0 circle or

While known as reds, most large-mouth nannygai, like this one, that come over the side are a silvery pink colour.

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A heads up on sounders NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

Modern, state-of-the-art depth sounders are fantastic tools, and a massive aid to any form of boat fishing, but it pays to remember that they are only one part of the bigger picture.

Years ago, when I was working on Rex Hunt’s

Perplexed, I turned to the back of the boat where the transducer was located and peered into the water, which was quite clear for a tropical billabong. I could just make out the muddy bottom below and the edge of the weeds. There were no fish to be seen, but there were a couple of long strands of weed waving about in mid-water. These were no doubt the ‘fish’ our skipper had excitedly

that important lesson. It’s one I’ve seen repeated many, many times in the years since.

Modern sonar units or depth sounders are wonderful pieces of kit, and they’ve completely revolutionised much of our fishing. Many anglers (myself included) would be lost without them in some scenarios.

That said, I fear that many of today’s anglers

This graphic StructureScan shot from the author’s Lowrance sounder shows a submerged tree in a southern estuary that’s loaded with fish.

However, the promising scenario failed to produce a single bite. Real world observation showed many of the targets to be schooling mullet.

Some of the deeper ones are possibly bream, estuary perch or blackfish, but seeing them and catching them can be very different things. that could directly impact their fishing success. This may well be a reflection of the ‘device dominated’ era we live in nowadays:

one that sees a lot of people (especially those from younger generations) glued to screens of various types for a huge chunk of

The two finest fish-finders ever created are the pair located on the front of your head… hopefully protected and enhanced by a pair of quality polarised sunglasses. Use them!

TV show, we were filming on a Top End billabong.

I was in the camera boat and at one stage we’d cut the motor and drifted so the cameraman could shoot some boat-to-boat footage of Rex casting from the other vessel. Our boat had slowly drifted sternfirst toward the bank, and eventually came to rest against a thick weed bed.

“Wow! This is where we should be fishing!” our boat driver suddenly announced. I looked at him with one eyebrow raised.

“Check out all the fish on the sounder!” he explained, gesturing excitedly at the screen in front of him.

I walked back to the console and looked over his shoulder. We were only in a metre or so of water, but sure enough there were a couple of very interesting targets on the screen.

identified. I was still pondering how to gently explain this to him when a shout from the other boat summoned us back to work and the moment was lost. But I never forgot

spend far too much time gazing intently at that magical electronic screen and miss a lot of the other things going on in the real world all around them, including vital information

Birds like this egret can often pinpoint the presence of bait. Study their behaviour carefully and take advantage of the clues offered.

Not so subtle signs! Golden trevally busting up on jelly prawns in a tropical estuary were clearly visible… but only if you look up from that mesmerising screen.

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their waking lives. I would respectfully suggest that they’re missing out on a great deal as a result.

The clues, cues and intel’ available to us as fishers runs the full gamut: from glaringly obvious signposts such as wheeling, diving seabirds over a school of feeding fish to far more subtle hints, like a barely perceptible change in the temperature of an aluminium boat hull detected through the soles of bare feet, or the flick of a single jelly prawn hard against a mangrove root caught briefly by our peripheral vision. Unless

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AUGUST 2019

you look up from that screen occasionally and open your senses to the bigger picture, you’ll miss a lot of these subtle inputs.

Hand-in-hand with this big picture awareness should go a certain degree of healthy scepticism about what you’re actually seeing on the sounder screen. Social media is full of amazing images revealing various species of fish and other aquatic life displayed in graphic detail on various sounders.

I love these spectacular screen shots as much as anyone else, but I also accept that the conditions needed to produce them are the exception rather than the rule. Far more often, we’re working with vague suggestions and tantalising clues rather than hard facts.

It pays to remember that a mullet or a blackfish can return a near-identical sonar signal to a bream or a snapper, that a carp looks very much like a golden perch on screen, or that strands of weed can pass as fish to the uninitiated.

Interrogate every assumption you’re tempted to jump to, and do your best to validate those assumptions with real-world experience and direct observation. In short, lift your head from time to time and have a look around… There’s a whole world out there beyond those dancing pixels.

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Tech Tricks

The Nuked Chook Clouser BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Ask any angler who has chased snapper, mulloway, flathead and numerous other species on soft plastics and chances are they have regularly used the nuclear chicken colour in either a jerk shad, curltail or paddle-tail style.

The first time I became aware of this colour was while perusing some Gulp soft plastics, which were new to the market at the time.

I wasn’t overly impressed with it at first but after hearing reports of its success I just had to try it myself.

Yes, it worked! Actually, it worked exceptionally well and would regularly get more bites than any other colour, especially in deep

or dirty water. Recently I decided to try and copy this colour in a fly and after a bit of experimenting I am rather happy with the result.

The Nuked Chook Clouser has the same colours and glow-in-thedark attributes as the nuclear chicken soft plastic does.

It swims similar to a jerk shad plastic and it gets bites.

Obviously, this colour can be tied with an array of different materials, however I have chosen the classic bucktail for this particular one. Sometimes, I will use polar fibre for the belly as it has a little more kick and movement when stripped, however you still need to use bucktail for the winging material as the polar fibre mats with the hook point regularly when tied in this position.

I use a relatively large,

weighted eye on this fly as I like to fish it deep for snapper, but will sometimes add even more weight (to get the fly to sink faster and deeper) by putting a 0, 00 or 000 ball sinker on the bottom of the perfection loop that I tie the fly on with. This is perfect for dredging flies at the artificial reefs or in deeper channels such as the Jumpinpin Bar. If you don’t want to go to the effort of making glowin-the-dark eyes, then you can just add glow pupils to a recessed real-eye or you may be able to source some pre-made glow eyes. I use glow powder paint, as it sets extremely tough, however my daughters assure me you can get glow nail polish, which would be a little easier and still relatively tough.

Let’s look at making a nuked chook clouser.

2

To coat the eyes you will need some heat source such as a paint stripper gun and something to hold the eye like fine point pliers or tweezers. Shake the bottle of powder paint before opening it. Heat the eye a bit and dip in and out of the powder paint quickly. Add a little more heat and dip again. Do not hold the eye in the paint or it will just come out with a big glob of powder attached. Dipping and heating it three or four times will be sufficient to get a thick even coat.

4

Cut six to eight strands of krystal flash which are approximately three times as long as the hook and attach these directly behind the dumbbell eyes. Whip finish and add a little head cement to increase durability.

16

AUGUST 2019

1

Materials required for this pattern include fluoro red bucktail, green bucktail, red krystal flash, green glow-in-the-dark sparkleflash and scarlet red flat-waxed nylon thread. I used the Gamakatsu SL113H as it is extremely strong, however any O’Shaughnessy pattern hook will suffice. The colour of the eye is not important, as I will be coating it anyway with glow powder paint.

3

Place the hook in the vice and attach the thread just behind the eye. Lay down a bed of thread for about 10mm behind the hook eye.

Attach the dumbbell eye about 5mm behind the hook eye using a series of figure-of-eight wraps then whip finish.

5

Cut a portion of the fluoro red bucktail with a tapered cut and tie in between the hook eye and dumbbell eye. Pass the bucktail over the gape in the eye and secure it to the hook shank just behind. Do lighter wraps as you proceed 5mm or so back to avoid the bucktail splaying out. Whip finish just behind the dumbbell eye.

Tech Tricks

6

Turn the hook over and re-affix in the vice as shown. Pass the thread forward over the top and tie in 10 to 15 strands of the glow-in-thedark sparkleflash just behind the hook eye with approximately the same number of strands passing down each side of the hook. The sparkleflash should be a fraction longer than the krystal flash.

8

Once you have cut away the remaining thread, coat the entire thread area and the bucktail between the eyes with head cement. I like this water-based one as it is thin and penetrates well yet dries hard.

Adding head cement will greatly increase the durability of the fly and if one strand of thread gets nicked by a tooth, the entire lot won’t unravel.

I will generally do two coats.

10

Under UV light there is greater contrast of the colours. The fluoro red bucktail really becomes obvious and both the glow eye and glow sparkleflsh are heroes of the pattern.

7

At this same position, tie in a decent portion of the green bucktail which is the same length or fractionally longer than the fluoro red. Taper the nose area to a cone shape and whip finish.

9

Once completed, the Nuked Chook Clouser is quite a good looking rooster, even under normal light. These bright colours really stand out in dirty water and the krystal flash adds some appeal due to reflecting light.

11

In the dark, the glow eye and glow sparkleflash are the most obvious attributes of the fly. In dirty water or depths where less light penetrates, this fly is still very obvious. In fact it is very obvious from the surface all the way down. The nuclear chicken colour is a hit in the soft plastic arena and now you have a fly with all the same appeal.

AUGUST 2019

17

The best month of the year YAMBA

Dave Gaden

August is my favourite month for offshore fishing.

With water

down to the top hook. It’s important to spend a bit of time adjusting the weight on your floater. If you are drifting fast or there’s excess current, bump it up as much as you need to

and leaving the reel in free spool until the fish runs, then slowing the fish down with my thumb enough to put the reel into gear avoids sudden breakoffs on big fish. I purposely use the

with mulloway and cobia very common this month.

They’re harder to handle on light gear, but it’s a challenge that most anglers would be happy to have.

If you can’t find a fish on the close reefs this month, head out to any ground between 50-70m deep and it shouldn’t be too long before the big yellow beasts, the Chinaman leatherjackets, find you.

I know some people hate these fish with a passion as they can destroy your gear if you’re not prepared, but they are great eating, fun to catch and can be the saviour of a quiet day fishing on charter.

Be prepared for them to turn up anywhere this month. Make the jacket rigs ahead of time and store them in your boat. The rigs I make are very simple, with

Dion from Guyra with his first ever snapper!

Bruce Simpson from Newcastle was happy to catch this pearl perch. temperatures dropping, snapper are coming in close to spawn on the edge of the kelp, and with this huge increase in numbers they are easier to target.

The best method for targeting bigger snapper is float baiting. I use a simple rig of two 6/0 circle hooks snooded about 50mm apart on 35lb fluorocarbon leader. I put two soft glow beads and a very small glow bean sinker of around 1/8oz running

get it down. On the other hand if you are anchored with little current, you should remove the sinker altogether.

I keep it simple and only use two baits. My preference is a strip of mullet flesh around 150mm long and 20mm wide hanging off the back of the hooks, but sometimes you will just get smashed on a whole pillie. I use a light 7’ rod with a small overhead reel. Casting it out the back

overhead over the spin reel, as it lets the line run free while the bait is sinking.

Usually on charter, we have been running two floaters out the back all day while customers fished the bottom with paternoster rigs while drifting. It’s been surprising how many big pearl perch and Venus tuskfish we’ve caught in the shallow water while trying to float bait snapper. By-catch on the floaters has been decent,

John landed this quality Moses perch.

90lb black nylon coated wire made into a standard two-hook paternoster rig.

The most important thing is to have at least one hard glow bead made into the rig on each hook. This takes the jackets’ attention away from everything but the hook and stops almost all bite-offs above the rig.

Fishing wide in August can be sensational, with pearl perch, pigfish, snapper, kingfish and big trag all in the 50-fathom line and the current slow enough to catch them. I know there are times when jackets are out there too, but more often than not they will be in that 50-70m mark, leaving the quality fish for your icebox.

ESTUARY In the estuary, it’s time to break out the weed and floats to chase luderick (blackfish). If you have

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never tried to catch these hard-fighting and great eating fish, you should give it a go. There will be anglers next to you who will be absolute guns and seem to have the fish trained, but even they had their first day once. Ask for advice,

as most fishers are happy to tell you what you may be doing wrong or how your rig isn’t set just right. The thrill of your first luderick will have you obsessively hooked in no time.

The lack of rain this winter has flathead spread

the stones, there should be good tailor around. The Yamba break wall and quarry will hold fish, but for some reason the north area has been fishing better.

Iluka Bluff, Frazer Reef

and Woody Head will be the go for those wanting a 3kg+ fish.

Enjoy the best month of the year! The fish will be great even if the weather is cold.

There are plenty of jackets this month.

Here is a typical haul from a charter.

Keith from Logan caught a great pearly.

all through the system as far upstream as Grafton.

We have been fishing the Broadwater upstream from Maclean with some success.

Many anglers have been chasing them on plastics as seems to be the norm now, but we were having no trouble getting a good feed drifting the channels at the entrance,

using frogmouth and white pillies on very small gang hooks and a pee sinker. The last hour of run-out and first two hours of run-in seem to be our most productive, with by-catch lately being larger than normal tailor, flounder and bream.

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Offshore and beaches going off BALLINA

Joe Allan

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The Richmond River and surrounds have been fishing pretty well over the last few months.

The beaches of South Ballina and Seven Mile at Lennox Head have seen plenty of tailor being taken on blue pilchards and metal slugs. When the westerly winds flatten the winter swell, it’s also worth walking the gutters with 1/4-1/2oz blades targeting flathead.

While you’re doing this, you’ll get the odd by-catch of big bream.

These things pull hard on light spin tackle. There’s plenty of bait if you’re out for some fun with the kids, with pipis being a great choice. These then turn into some great fun bait fishing memories, as the winter bream and whiting will love them.

The water clarity in the river has been beautiful,

Christian Booker with a cracker snapper caught off Evans Head. the Ballina beaches are all holding quality numbers and sizes of snapper up to 90cm. There are some big fish out there at the moment around the Evans

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At 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 make more snapper.

Further offshore on the wider reefs along the 42-fathom line, there are pearl pearch, amberjack and kingfish. There have been a lot of great fish

Harrison Clements caught this mulloway at night with a live mullet. but it could use a little flush to stir things up.

OFFSHORE The offshore fishing around Ballina has been consistent over the last month. This should continue, with all signs pointing towards a bumper snapper season. Areas around Riordans Reef, Black Head, Lennox Heads and the close reefs around

Head region.

The best baits to throw are horse mackerel, fresh squid and bonito (floating or very lightly-weighted depending on the current), however, soft plastics are accounting for the bigger fish. Try big plastics around the 6” range. Use as light a jighead as you possibly can. This will definitely help your catch rate.

A solid bream caught on an Atomic Crank 38 Deep in ghost green off the Ballina South Wall. caught on various jigs.

Using the big knife jigs is a really physical way to fish,

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so don’t worry about going to the gym that day. Try to get in early before the wind gets up and it becomes too uncomfortable.

RIVER AND CREEK Surface fishing for bream in Emigrant and North creeks will be worth a shot this month. It may not produce huge numbers, but you’ll most likely come across some thumper winter whiting.

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The river mouth has been producing some great size and numbers of bream and blackfish, with some thumping big mulloway showing up on the good tides too. There seems to be a fair bit of bait around, and with the dirty water in mid-July stirring up the mullet, it’s worth catching some livies and trying to capture one of these beasts.

For the blackfish, try getting there on the top of the tide as it starts to run out. As always, green weed and weed flies are the best methods.

For great numbers of bream, try cut baits along south wall and the Bream Hole in behind Police Station, fished with light weights.

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Mixed reefies make the most of cool conditions THE TWEED

Anthony Coughran

The Tweed has seen near perfect conditions over the past month, but the cold early starts have made even the hardiest of anglers freeze.

and bream have been making the most of the cooler conditions, feeding up on bait and fry schools in estuaries and on shallow reefs.

Fishers have had mixed results, with key species spawning around the full and new moons. Fishing after the full moon is seeing anglers

36s to the 200m line.

There have been lots of big cobia and mulloway if you look to the shallow reefs that hold bait. Find the arches around it and drop your lightly-weighted livies down to them. 36s, 24s, 10-Minute and Point reefs have been fishing the best for cobia,

whereas isolated wrecks and 5-Mile, 9-Mile, and South reefs have held mulloway.

Live baits are still the best way to score one of these big brutes, but whole squid, butterflied baits and whole fillets on multi-hook rigs have also been working well.

There have been a few

A decent flathead trolled from the upper Tweed River.

Mark Coleman with a beautiful Maori cod from a close reef off Tweed.

Winter species are in full swing. Mixed reefies, mulloway, tailor, flathead

score more and better quality fish, but only gun anglers have been producing trophy

fish by working the right tides in a perfect spot with the best bait.

Very little current offshore has seen a lot of anglers able to fish deeper reefs, wrecks and rocks with ease. The whales are in full swing, so smaller boats should be aware and make their presence known. All boats have a no-approach zone of 100m. Otherwise, it’s a great time of year to get the family and kids out the water and check out these majestic giants.

OFFSHORE Conditions off the coast have been excellent throughout July. The currents have come to a grinding halt,

which has the whales moving through but has also opened up more techniques. Whether micro jigging, using plastics or drift baits, all finesse styles are fishing very well and producing quality fish.

This time of year, we see a few northern species invade our reefs to fatten. Baby red emperor, fusilier, nannygai, parrotfish, cod and wrasse all visit the reefs and make for a surprise catch. Snapper and mixed reefies have been on close reefs out to 200m lines.

Drift baits, plastics, micro and octo jigs have worked best out to the 36 fathoms, whereas bottom bashing, jigs, plastics and drift baits have been effective from the

Dougie Lee Leong landed this solid Fingal Beach dart on mullet fillet.

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large AJs, samsonfish and kingfish out wide. Look for isolated wrecks, rocks, ledges and reefs in 100m to 200m of water, with jigs and live baits working best out deep.

Big bass grouper and bar cod have also been caught, but try ledges in 400-600m of water for them.

Decent packs of tuna have been coming through.

Look for where the birds are bombing and the barrels are flying! Positioning your boat windward side of these packs will see the fish come to you, and makes for longer casts so you can rip metals back through them. For live bait, try the usual spots like Kirra, Snapper Rocks, 10-Minute Reef and the yellow markers at Cook Island. Bait jigs and small unweighted baits have been working best. If you’re struggling, try crushing up a pilly.

ESTUARY The westerlies have got mulloway fired up and starting to feed this month.

Larger models have been taken off the rock walls around the mouth, but a few soapies have been off most bridges and the deeper holes in the upper systems. The key is to find the bait, as the mulloway are moving around a lot, chasing the baitfish.

Micro jigs, plastics, deep diving hardbodies and live baits are working well around the bridge pylons, the rock walls and in deeper holes in the upper section of the river.

Bream have been thick around any structure that holds small fry and bait.

Try Boyds Bay Bridge, Ivory Tavern, the trawlers, Nusics Hole, the oyster racks, Barneys Point Bridge, dry dock and any weed beds that hold bait. Small plastics, hardbodies, blades and vibes have all worked well, but mullet gut, strip baits, whitebait, pillies and worms have been catching more and bigger models this month. Big dinner plates have been caught with 6lb braid to 8-12lb leader.

Tailor and packs of trevally have started to work the tide and current lines in the rivers. Look for deep water with an eddy next to it for best results. Surface lures, blades, vibes, plastics and hardbodies have all been productive.

Matthew Saad caught this impressive pair of snapper, measuring 80cm and 90cm.

Some big lizards have started to sun themselves in skinny water. Working sand banks with weed patches using 2.5-5” plastics, trolling or casting 35-90mm hardbodies, 30-90mm surface lures in under 1m of water, vibes, blades, worms and yabbies have been effective.

Try sand banks in the Terranora, Cobaki, Piggery, houseboats, golf club, Pottsville and Hastings Point creek mouths and any skinny water under 1m. Remember, any flathead over 60cm is probably a breeding female and should be released for the repopulation of fishing grounds.

BEACH The beaches have really started to fire up. Tailor and the odd bigger dart have been running along the coast. The rock wall, headlands, sand pumping jetty and deeper gutters have all been producing.

Metals, hardbodies, poppers, stickbaits and ganged pillies have been working best at dusk and dawn, but there has still been the odd fish in the gutters on the filling tide during the day.

Mulloway have been pushing into the deeper gutters, around the rock wall and headlands, chasing the mullet and tailor run. Whole beach worms, ganged pillies, hardbodies, plastics and vibes have been effective. If you’re night gutter fishing,

Nick Dilon with a huge 98cm snapper off Tweed.

try using berley to entice big mulloway.

Great bream, squiresize snapper, luderick and drummer should be available off the rocks this month.

Early morning or night is prime time for snapper and bream, with half pillies your best choice. Try Brunswick Wall, South Wall Kingy, Tweed South Wall, Fingal Head, Froggy Beach, and Lovers and Snapper rocks.

FISHING IN AUGUST Mulloway will still be the main target for most anglers as we shiver our way through the end of winter.

Reefs will hold the biggest mulloway, but rivers will see a lot of soapy-size fish caught this month. Working those key spots with the right lure or baits will see the best anglers score these silver slabs. Either way, get those warm clothes on and get into them while you still can.

Tailor will thicken as they migrate up the coast with mullet and spill into our waterways. They are normally having one last feed up by the time they arrive, building up those fat reserves before they hit their spawning grounds off Fraser. So, if you want a feed of tailor, fishing the tide, rock walls, current lines, around bridges, headlands and gutters will be the go this month.

Bream will continue to dominate the estuaries and close reefs as they prepare for spawning. Baits at night around the rock walls will score quality fish.

Flathead will continue their dominance of skinny water, eating anything that passes them. Find the weedy sand banks and you’ll find them.

For weekly up-to-date reports, the latest techniques and all things fishy, head over to my page Fishing Fun Gold Coast on Facebook and Instagram. You can send in your pictures, ask us any questions or check out local catches. Have fun, stay safe and tight lines!

AUGUST 2019

23

Will this nasty winter rain ever go away?

SOUTHERN GOLD COAST

Mark Ward markward222@bigpond.com

With the Gold Coast drenched, time on the water has been limited recently.

The southern Gold Coast has a maze of canals and sheltered waterways that may still see us getting wet, but the protection from wind and the fact that they are usually close to home makes us very lucky.

I feel for the southerners that have to put the boat and fishing gear in storage for a few months over winter. We may be getting a little wet some days, but at least we are still fishing.

ESTUARY Flathead have been on the chew throughout the Tweed River, Currumbin Creek and central Gold Coast canals. If fishing with bait, drift from a boat or slowly retrieve the bait from shore. These fish lay in wait, and will be more aggressive and pounce on a moving target. Soft plastics are ideal for casting and retrieving, or you can troll small hardbodies like the Zerek Tango Shad, Tilsan Bass or Lively Lures Micro Mullet. The best colours are

pinks, bright green and white, but I also have a mate who does surprisingly well on black lures. Fish the cool, clean incoming tide and look for weed edges, shallow yabby banks and anywhere small baitfish, whiting or mullet can be found.

Bream are spawning now and good numbers of fish can be found around the mouth of the Tweed River all the way down to Jack Evans and along the gravel patch at Kennedy Drive.

Light line or leader during the day is a good option, as the clear water this time of year makes them shy away from heavier line. Big bream are great sport and will fall for a well-presented soft plastic fished with finesse. If bait fishing, use live or fresh baits to improve the quality of your catch. There are also good opportunities for night fishing this month.

Anglers fishing the upper reaches of the Tweed using soft plastics for bream might be lucky enough to find a few bass on the edges as well.

They move into this brackish water during their spawning run and can be caught on lures meant for bream. Most of the bream up there are small or just legal size, but

Jigged up from a deep rock ledge, this bream fell to a well-presented ZMan plastic. some good-sized bass can be found amongst them at times. I like to fish the long grass or reeds on the banks

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that drop into a metre or so of water. The fishing can be surprisingly good or equally frustrating some days. Keep line and lures small and stick to natural coloured lures.

Tailor and sea mullet have been making their way into the estuaries and the mulloway should not be too far behind. Schools of school mulloway have been seen around the Tweed beaches, with sandworms being the pick of the baits.

Live baits and pilchards will also account for some fish and always has a good chance to land a tailor or two.

Sharks can be a pain when fishing with live bait in the surf though.

The canals can be a mixed bag during winter. Trevally, cod, herring and tarpon are all available, as well as bread and butter fish like bream and flathead. Even small reef fish such as squire and small emperor can show up from time to time and these fish are great fun on light gear and soft plastics.

BEACHES Along the coast and headlands, anglers have been managing a few goodsized tailor and this is the best month for them on the Gold Coast. The traditional pilchard on ganged hooks works as well as throwing metal lures at sunrise and sunset. Schools of decent tailor have been caught from the sandbag reef at Narrowneck all the way down to the rock walls of the Tweed River. The sunrise bite has been more consistent, but there has been a hot afternoon bite for the last hour of sunlight.

Bream and flathead are also on the beaches, along with dart in the shallow gutters. Pipi or beachworm baits work well, and even

the big flathead love to pounce on a pipi. I used to work as a guide on the surf beaches and the number of big flathead I saw caught on pipis makes me think they are like cupcakes to big lizards. They just can’t resist them! You can skewer a few on a long shank hook to specifically target flatties, and you may even get 1kg+ bream doing this.

FRESHWATER Hinze Dam has been producing, with a lot of smaller fish very active on the edges and in the timber. The bigger fish are often found schooled up on the points or out in the middle of the dams.

They are still active though, and will be keen to take a lure if presented correctly.

Early mornings have seen some of these bigger fish chasing spinnerbaits on the weed edges and in the shallow timber. Working spinnerbaits very slowly so that the blades are spinning but no faster has been effective. You need to be careful not to work them too fast otherwise fish will follow the lure but refuse to take it.

There are so many fishing options if the good weather comes through this month.

It might still be a little chilly early in the morning but it’s well worth the effort.

Samantha Swanson with a typical Gold Coast winter flathead.

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Fish are more active in the inclement weather GOLD COAST CANALS

Josh Dunn Instagram: @josh__dunn__

The year is flying by, and the weather has been changing quickly too. On some winter days it feels like summer has returned, but the next day I can’t believe the Coast can get this cold. Despite the

fluctuations, the fish aren’t too fazed and in some cases are more active!

A few local anglers say there are some decent flathead on the bite, ranging from 50-70cm. Areas such as the Jacobs Well channel are fishing well. Target the mangrove-lined banks and retaining walls. Trolling seems to be the best option, as well as casting plastics

around the drop-offs. ZMan 5” Scented Jerk ShadZ in nuked pilchard glow and coconut ice glow have been some of my favourite colours. A good tip for fishing the weed beds is to use weedless jigheads. It will give you more confidence when throwing into heavily weeded areas where the larger predators lay.

Pilchards, prawns,

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Cool weather periods bring out the juvenile snapper, which are great fun in heavy structure.

whitebait and live mullet are working well for bait anglers.

Most river systems including Nerang, Coomera, Coombabah and Logan have been fishing quite well.

Whiting have been in good numbers, with bloodworms being the best bait. The Council Chambers in the Nerang River is a good spot to get some action, as well as most drop-offs throughout the river. Don’t be surprised to come across mulloway when flicking around lures for flathead in deep holes. They certainly aren’t afraid to scoff down a well-presented lure!

Trevally have been a hit-and-miss species throughout the cooler months, which is surprising due to so much bait flooding the estuaries. Most fish are holding along retaining walls, so try fishing deep into the canals rather than around the mouth. In the still water, baitfish will feel more confident to sit away from the jetty and sit around the bank or wall.

Fire your lures at the bank and work them the whole way back to the vessel.

Alternatively, land-based fishing isn’t a bad option either as you will cover plenty of ground casting along the banks. Walkthe-dog surface hardbody

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lures are something trevally just can’t resist!

With the warmer water on the way fishing will get better by the end of the month, so be sure to persist through the cooler periods.

August is probably one of

Father-daughter duo, Paul and Annie March had a great session on amberjack and trag jew offshore from Moreton Island.

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my favourite months for the all round species list – with most estuarine species on the bite. As always, remember to keep your presentation in the strike zone and you will be sure to see some action this month!

Variety is the spice of fishing JUMPINPIN

Mick Morris

A U S T R A L I A

gembait@tpg.com

Jumpinpin offers an array of different species to catch. Every time you head out to the ’Pin you never really know what’s going to jump on the end of your line.

There’s been so many times I’ve gone out to target a certain fish (usually flathead) only to catch 10 different species – none of which were flathead – like bream, juvenile snapper, whiting, tailor, trevally, catfish, longtom, pike, tarpon, sea toad and even a ribbonfish. But that’s fishing!

Flathead will be starting their annual run at the end of the month in preparation for their breeding season.

We can expect them to be feeding hard and

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Pantera II 2017 Anthony Lane’s longtom is just one of the many by-catch on offer around the ’Pin. in this area, so now is the time to target them.

Tailor are now making their way along the coast feeding on white bait and small pillies. They can be caught mainly out towards the bar and just beyond, and will take small metal slugs that look like the baitfish.

They move through the ’Pin area quickly in small schools that randomly pop up and can be gone as fast as they arrive. However, tailor are great fighting and tasting fish and always fun to catch.

Winter whiting are about in good numbers cruising along the sand flats of Tiger Mullet

Channel, the Gold Bank, Tipplers Island and from Cabbage Tree Point to the Powerlines. They’re fun on light gear and easy to catch for the kiddies. Just remember to use a bait that holds on the hook, like worms or squid, to give yourself a few goes at hooking the fish. Baits like prawns and yabbies are easily picked off and you’ll be constantly re-baiting.

• Thanks for all your reports and fish weighed in and if you’d like any up-to-date info on what’s happening at the Pin drop us a line on 3287 3868 or email gembait@tpg.com.au.

a hot bite, be sure to make the most of it!

The spots to try will be the SE side of Kangaroo Island, Whalleys Gutter, Pandannus Bank, Tipplers Island and the flats across from Rocky Point. The deep water from the Pig Styes to the dead trees at the bottom of North Straddie is littered with snags and drop offs.

This is a perfect spot for lizards to lie in wait for a feed of pillies, herring, prawns or mullet; lure fishers should use any lure that resembles these bait.

The deep water off the western side of Macleay Island is a great spot to try for bigger snapper with whiting frames, whole squid or big pillies. Snapper over 5kg have been caught

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Bones’ 47cm lizard was caught on a black and gold 4” plastic. There will be plenty of bigger fish on offer this month. fattening themselves up during August. There will be heaps of large 75cm+ females about, which must be put back in the water.

Be sure to handle them with care and release them to breed and pump up the flatty stocks of the ’Pin. The peak time to target flathead is on the last few hours of the run-out tide.

Focus your energy on the banks that are becoming exposed and look for drains and back eddies as the water drops away. You should get a few flathead in quick succession, which is why I troll a lot as it allows me to cover a lot of ground and find a patch of fish. This time last year I pulled five 50cm flatties off one patch of weed. When you’re on

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August is a great time of year for big inshore snapper. Dale Bourke with a 68cm specimen.

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Plan ahead for August GOLD COAST

David Green

The fishing off the Gold Coast has been excellent this winter and inshore conditions have been very good. This month, we will see the winds start to swing around to the northwest.

OFFSHORE GROUNDS August is one of the best months to chase snapper, mulloway and pearl perch on the offshore reefs. For the game fishers there are often striped marlin around, and out wide there are sometimes big aggregations of yellowfin tuna.

The 36-fathom line is a great area to fish for snapper. Early morning or dusk is the best time to fish, and bait, soft plastics and jigs all work very well. A lot of big fish over 6kg turn up in August and most of the adult fish are in the process of spawning. Float lining is usually the most effective method and a lightlyweighted pilchard, fish strip or squid drifted down on a small sinker will account for most fish. Snapper, pigfish, Venus tuskfish and pearl perch should all be available on the 36-Fathom

Reef this month.

Out on the 50-fathom line, pearl perch will tend to be the predominant

catch. There are some great spots in 100-120m of water that produce excellent pearl perch up to 4kg.

If you’re lucky you can catch quality amberjack this month, like this beauty Mark Morlands landed.

Ralph Wilkinson caught this ripper cod from the 50-Fathom Reef.

The 50-fathom line can hold some big amberjack and samsonfish as well as yellowtail kingfish. Deep live baits are generally productive, but at times metal jigs can be deadly.

Working the areas at the back of the 50-fathom line can produce surprisingly good fishing for striped marlin, with the occasional black marlin turning up, particularly if the water temperature holds over 22°C. Out wider there is always the chance of

encountering a blue marlin, and around the 800-1000m line, yellowfin tuna up to 70kg often turn up in August and remain until October.

There are sometimes big schools of sauries in this area attracting tuna. At times it can be frustrating when you see large jumping tuna that refuse to eat the lures, but small bullet heads trolled well back can turn this around. Strikes tend to be multiples and having four 50kg+ yellowfin on at once can be quite chaotic!

In closer to shore, there have been good numbers of big mulloway on the close reefs at dusk. Using deep live baits has generally been effective and most of the bites come after sunset. Mulloway are very receptive to berley and in the late afternoon there is the chance of catching a cobia as well. The average mulloway on the offshore reefs is about 105-120cm long, although bigger fish can be encountered in select spots. Live pike, slimy

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mackerel and tailor are the best baits to use. In my experience, yellowtail don’t seem to work nearly as well. A tide change between 6-8pm and a bit of moon make for ideal conditions for mulloway on the close reefs.

RIVERS AND ESTUARIES August is a great time to chase flathead on the Gold Coast, and already we are starting to see good numbers of fish turning up in the central Broadwater and Coombabah Creek. As the month rolls on, a lot of the big breeding females and smaller males will start to move into the deeper water around the entrances in preparation for spawning.

There should be plenty of small bait around, with white pilchard and large herring schools throughout the estuary system.

Trolling and casting should be effective this month. A few good lures to try include the Zerek Prawn, the smallest Fish Trap and the ever-reliable Lively Lures Micro Mullet.

In August, there are often warm northwesterly winds and these can dirty the water considerably and make fishing hard. In this situation, look for cleaner patches and areas of low current flow where the silt

drops out and the water clears. Work the top of the flats at high tide and the draining channels as the tide drops. Pay attention to feeding birds such as pelicans, as flathead won’t be far from them.

In the deeper entrances near Jumpinpin and the

Seaway, big flathead should start to show up with the chance of a decent mulloway as well. Large soft plastics and big vibes should do the job. I find mulloway seem to prefer jerk shad style plastics, while big flathead respond well to large curl tail plastics. When the

Connor Frendin with a quality 80cm flathead.

current is running hard, it may require a jighead up to 2oz to effectively fish close to the bottom.

Mulloway, bream and tailor will be available this month. There are often good-sized tailor on the run-in tide close to the Seaway and Jumpinpin Bar, and casting metal lures is the productive choice. Look for the birds and breaking fish and you should catch plenty, especially if the tide is running in hard early in the morning. A few tailor over 2kg should turn up in the estuary. These are often caught at night using pilchards on ganged hooks as bait.

Drifting live baits such as pike can be a deadly method for mulloway, and you can catch pike by casting or trolling small lures over weed beds in 2-4m of water.

Used on a two hook live bait rig and drifted through the entrances, these deadly baits account for a lot of great fish. Alternatively, going to the close reefs offshore and returning with yellowtail and slimy mackerel is also effective.

Overall, August is a very interesting time to fish the Gold Coast. A lot of anglers are already in preparation for the upcoming Flathead Classic, and there are plenty of fishing options.

Bruce Stephens caught this beautiful Spanish mackerel on a live yakka baited on a floating wire rig off Rainbow Beach. He landed it three hours before a 30 knot southeasterly change and it measured in at a cracking 1.4m long.

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Bag a bream in the bay SOUTHERN BAY

Nick Whyte

Bream are everywhere at the moment. Their spawning run is well and truly underway, with fish stacked up in the deeper section around the ’Pin, the front of Short Island and along the deeper edge of Crusoe. The Logan River is also holding good numbers on the deeper rock bars, and the Amity Rock wall is a great place to find some quality specimens. Small vibes are deadly on them when they’re schooling like this.

rocky outcrops lately. The Rainbow Channel and all down the western side of Straddie has constantly produced full bags. We have been driving along and sight casting to the schools in shallow water, however we haven’t found any monsters yet.

Snapper have been in big numbers the last couple of months and should continue throughout the season. The deeper water in the bay around Harry Atkinson and the Peel artificial reefs has been producing better quality fish, with the reef edges around Peel, Mud, Green

lures to catch big fish when it comes to snapper in the bay. Matching the bait size they are feeding on is more important, and 3” lures have accounted for more than their share of decent fish.

Mulloway will be prevalent this month.

August is one of my favourite months to chase them in the bay and Jumpinpin areas. Work the bigger tides around the moons, as more water flow will get the fish hungry around the tide changes.

Work the current lines down the ‘Pin and find those isolated structures or

This bay snapper took a ZMan 5” PaddlerZ in the early morning. them off hot, dry carpet, and support their body weight when taking photos.

There are still plenty of tailor getting around, with truckloads of choppers inside the ’Pin bar, especially on the top of the tide. There have been better

quality models around the central bay islands. Larger fish are a great target on larger topwater poppers, ideally cup faced poppers in the 100mm range. Working the edges and flats of the shallow reefs are the best starting points. South West

Rocks, the Hole in the Wall and the Spit Beacon at Peel are all worth a look as well as Green and Mud islands.

• If you have a great capture from the Southern Bay you would like to share, email them through to nick@ techfishing.com.au.

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reef points in the bay. Live baits have been accounting for larger models, but some good fish around the 110cm mark have been reported on plastics.

For those chasing a feed, there’s plenty of winter whiting around. The best reports have been from the flats in the Rous Channel, and there are still a lot of fish on the Pelican Banks as well. Fresh worms will make a massive difference to your catch rate, so make the effort to dig your own or be sure you’re buying fresh.

Flatties are everywhere at the moment. Lures, plastics or baits – it doesn’t matter; as long as you have one in the water, you should see some activity. There are plenty of fish around the mouth of the Logan River, Jacobs Well Channel, Pandanus Island, along the eastern side of Garden Island and the weedy edges along the Rainbow Channel.

It’s the time of year when a lot of oversized fish are caught and these fish are our breeders, so please take care when handling.

For anything you plan on releasing you should use fish friendly nets, keep

A couple of hours over the weed beds will get you a decent feed this month.

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Get in on the amazing August action in Brissy BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

August is often a cold and windy month with plenty of westerlies and crisp mornings. It can produce numerous glassed out days, which are just perfect for getting out onto the water, especially in smaller craft. Even when the westerlies are blowing, there’s still opportunity for landbased anglers and those fishing the estuaries and close inshore on the shallow reefs.

The warmth of the day is great reward after a crisp early morning start. Quality targets such as snapper, tailor, mulloway, bream, flathead, luderick and squid will be on the hit list for anglers. With conditions beginning to warm next month, August may offer the best and final chance to get amongst these species.

SNAPPER It has been a good season for snapper in Moreton Bay, with most fishers reporting better quality than in past years. Popular haunts such as the artificial reefs, wrecks and bay island surrounds have produced decent fish regularly. Anglers have used a mix of baits and lures to secure snapper. The wide array of offerings that

have worked reinforces the scavenging and predatory nature of snapper and their willingness to eat most food sources they encounter.

Quality fresh baits which leach a bit of oil and scent are great offerings. These can include fillets from mullet, tuna, bonito, pike, slimy mackerel and gar as well as whole pilchards, squid, banana prawns and numerous other baits. Presenting these baits in a manner that has them wafting in the current instead of spinning will greatly increase your results, especially with larger and more wary snapper.

Using berley while anchored can be beneficial, however it needs to be used thoughtfully. Berley should be deployed close to the bottom using a weighted berley bucket on a rope.

Periods with slower currents will prevent the berley from spreading too far away from the boat, which would take the fish away from the vicinity of your baits.

Berleying should be done with small particles and not larger chunks – you only want to give them a taste, not feed them. Various types of pellets, tuna oil, blended fish offcuts, prawn shells, crab carapaces, bread and similar things can all be used in the berley mix. When using tuna oil I like to add a little sand in, as the oil clings to the sand and sinks to the

Anglers have been scoring some quality tiger and arrow squid throughout the bay shallows.

32

AUGUST 2019

bottom instead of floating to the surface.

Most choose to anchor while deploying baits, however in some areas it is best to drift and cover more water. Areas with a lot of bottom structure are difficult to fish on the drift and snagging is common.

Paternoster and running ball sinker rigs can be utilized while drifting, however quality bait presentation is crucial for consistent results.

I find that small whole fish baits such as whitebait, hardiheads, pilchards, pencil gar and herring offer great presentation when rigged on a snelled-hook rig, with the leading hook pinned up through the head in front of the eyes to keep the mouth of the bait closed. This prevents the bait from spinning and instead it will just waft rather naturally as you drift along.

If you are using strip or fillet baits, the leading hook should be in the very tip of the bait for the same reason.

Lure fishing for snapper has become a common practice over the last decade or so and anglers have found a broad array of lure styles will work. Initially, it was soft plastics that forged the way, however it wasn’t long before anglers were experimenting and refining techniques, with offerings such as casted minnows, soft vibration baits, blades, trolled minnows, micro jigs, flies and even topwater lures. Different situations require different approaches and anglers are constantly pushing the envelope to discover new ways of catching these awesome sport and table fish.

Casting soft plastics rigged on a jighead is probably the easiest way to enter the lure fishing arena.

Jighead weight will depend on the depth of water fished and the relevant current, but as a rule of thumb use 1/8-1/6oz jigheads in the shallows, 1/4oz around the bay island margins and shallower artificial reefs, and 3/8oz around the deeper areas such as the Harry Atkinson and Curtin reefs and most wrecks. If you have a selection of jighead weights between 1/8-3/8oz to suit your desired plastics then you should be covered for fishing most scenarios in Moreton Bay and the Brisbane River.

Jerk shads, curl-tails, paddle-tails and T-tails are easy to fish and will catch. Most anglers will have a favourite based on their experiences, and the broad array of offerings recommended by successful anglers just goes to show that snapper are not that fussy most of the time. Put the plastic in

Moreton Bay ‘snapper whisperer’ Chris Deeks has been scoring heaps of quality fish, with specimens like this a regular catch. front of them and work it well, and it will usually get bitten. The biggest mistake that anglers make when starting to fish plastics is that they work them too fast. Slow retrieves will always work better than a fast retrieve, unless you are targeting pelagic species.

Trolling minnow lures is a great way to cover ground. Micro jigs work well when you sound a fish below the boat and drop an offering directly in front of them. My preference is soft vibration baits in most areas I fish and I get good results on the Samaki Vibelicious Thumper Tails, especially the whitebait, pearl shrimp, pink head shrimp and chartreuse pink head colours. These can be slowly rolled or hopped through the water column and it often pays to mix it up a bit until you discover what works best on the day.

SQUID It has been a great season for squid, with plenty of big tigers and arrows on offer.

The shallows around the bay islands (Peel, Goat, Mud, Bird, Green and King) have been fairly reliable spots to try. Casting egi across the shallow reef and rubble areas and weed beds will soon have a squid out of hiding to snatch your jig.

In deeper areas jigs can be

worked by hopping or slow rolling, while in the shallows you are often limited to slowly rolling your offering or imparting small jerks and pauses.

Popular colours for jigs vary and while some anglers get fixated on using a particular colour, the best advice I can offer is to have numerous colours that cover the main options of pink, orange and green, plus a few natural colours and variations. Out in the bay, anglers will predominately use squid jigs in the 2.5-4.0 size, while land-based squidding is commonly done with egi in the 1.2-2.5 range.

However, having a selection of sizes and colours will increase your chances at any given location. If they aren’t interested in the jig you are casting, try a different colour or profile.

Land-based areas at Scarborough, Wellington Point, Manly, Wynnum, Victoria Point and Sandgate can be well worth trying.

Night efforts are often the best, as the squid will come in closer to shore at night to chase the small baitfish and crustaceans attracted by light. High lumen LED headlamps can assist with locating squid. The higher stages of the tide are preferable, however squid can be located and caught

at any time of the day, night or tide.

MULLOWAY It has been a good winter for anglers targeting mulloway.

Although numbers have been better in past years, the quality has been exceptional this year, with a lot of those caught close to or over the metre mark. The Brisbane River and the bay’s artificial reefs have been the main places worth trying, however some have also pried fish from the numerous wrecks and many of the other creek and river systems flowing into the bay. One angler even scored an 112cm mulloway while cast netting bait in the Pine River near the highway bridge. He was actually getting the baits to catch mulloway, but fast tracked success by getting one in his cast net. He had thought that there must be quite a few around, and yet after that he only caught a couple of flathead and a cod on the livies he secured.

The Brisbane River has been a little sporadic for some. The majority of better mulloway I have heard about have been caught on live baits, such as mullet, herring, banana prawns and pike. The dredge holes adjacent to the retaining wall at the mouth, Claras Rocks, the deep holes near

the Gateway Bridge, near the eastern end of the Oil Pipeline, and the Swing Zone have been producing.

Sounding around to locate a few decent spots away from where anglers usually anchor and fish will be rewarding. Any fish located can be presented with lures such as soft vibes, micro jigs, jighead rigged plastics (including curl-tails, paddletails and crustacean profiles) plus numerous other offerings.

Night sessions in the upper reaches of the river casting lures around the lighted areas can be rewarding for mulloway and threadfin. The artificial reefs in the bay have produced quality mulloway at times, with many caught on baits targeted at snapper, especially at night and early morning. Some anglers have been locating the schools of mulloway and then casting lures to them. The area around the Peel Artificial can hold a few decent specimens, however sharks can be a problem, even in winter.

There should still be decent numbers of mulloway over the coming months, with the Jumpinpin Bar area and the mouth of the Logan River often producing quality fish on lures and live baits.

BREAM Anglers targeting bream

have had great success over recent months, and this action should continue for a while yet. As the waters warm, bay anglers will notice an increase of bream in the shallows around the bay islands. These can be targeted with small blades, soft plastics, shallow diving minnow lures and walkthe-dog style topwater offerings. Often these fish are in less than half a metre of water and appear out of nowhere to engulf a lure.

The Brisbane River and most other estuarine and canal areas will also hold good numbers of bream, and while they are a species which sometimes require specific finesse luring techniques, at other times they will be taken on rather crude rigs with a chunk of almost rancid bait.

Bait fishers with prime baits of bloodworms, sandworms, yabbies and fresh fillet baits are in with a great chance of enticing better quality bream.

Fishing the edges of sand banks around the start of the falling tide, deeper holes in the estuaries on the lower tides, and on top of the banks on high tides should be productive. The canals have good bream numbers at this time of year and anglers use an array of lures to target them. Cranka Crabs are popular, with the dark colours great for

Andrew Tennant caught this great Mud Island snapper on light line. sinking around the jetties and pontoons. You can often use the current to drift the crab in under the jetties. Crabs are fished with minimal effort and the crunching strikes will often take you unaware. Jacks, cod, trevally

and several other species like these realistic artificials, especially during the cooler months. Small curl-tail soft plastics and micro minnow lures also work well in these areas.

Bream are one of

the most prevalent and widely spread species in Southern Queensland and can be caught by anglers of all skill levels using a variety of techniques.

Around the tug anchorages where the Boat Passage meets the Brisbane River, adjacent the numerous jetty pylons and wharves in the Brisbane River, plus the Sunken Wall are great places to try with lures.

OTHER SPECIES Numbers of flathead will increase throughout the rivers and estuaries over the coming months, as they get ready for their breeding run. Specific targeting can definitely increase your chances of scoring flatties and we will look closer at this species next month.

Luderick have been in decent numbers despite limited weed growth due to water temperatures being higher than normal during May and June, making it hard to collect bait. They are still a serious target when drifting weed baits along the walls in the Brisbane River, Boat Passage and the Jumpinpin area. If you like chasing luderick and are land-based, then going for a drive to fish the Caloundra Boardwalk, Gold Coast Seaway or Tweed River at Boyds Bay

Bridge are all great options during August.

Tailor have been sporadic over the last few months, however August should see better numbers of quality fish caught, especially from the eastern facing beaches.

Some solid specimens can be caught from the Amity Rock Wall, and the artificial reefs, and from Dunwich Jetty, around the Bribie Island and Gateway Bridges at night.

CONCLUSION August offers a variety of fishing options throughout Southern Queensland. Plenty of quality sport and table fish are on offer for the boaties and land-based anglers alike. There’s an abundance of quality squid and you even have a chance of scoring a feed of crabs.

While westerly winds can make it difficult to get offshore at times, there is plenty of good fishing to be had without venturing too far. On the glassed out days, anglers can venture out wider to target the offshore snapper, sweetlip, tuskfish, kingfish and numerous others that are common during August.

Conditions will begin to warm over the next month or two, so take the opportunity to get amongst the cool water species before their numbers dwindle.

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Pick your battles with the wild westerlies NORTHERN BAY

Grayson Fong graysonfong@bigpond.com

Last month’s weather antics were enough to make a grown angler cry. To say the least, we experienced all facets of seasonal weather compacted into one month, with few anglers fortunate to be off work at the right times to wet a line.

Blustery westerlies came in early last month, with days producing our trademark Ekka winds that I’m sure we will see again later this month.

Add solid blocks of southerly winds, and the opportunity to do the thing we love becomes pretty slim. Westerlies are not all sad for anglers in the northern bay though, with the cold gust’s sting often buffered travelling off the land, keeping estuary and inshore fishers happy enough to brave the conditions.

SQUIRE One species that has been a solid performer over July has been the winter stalwart, juvenile snapper. Notable hotspots have been Bribie Bridge, ‘the Ripples’ at Pacific Harbour, North Reef at Scarborough, Shields St Reef, the southern end of the

There’s plenty of decent juvenile snapper available throughout the bay. This specimen was caught in the Brisbane River. green zone at Woody Point, the mouth of the Brisbane River (reclaimed side) and Claras Rocks. Anglers have been getting quality fish on fresh bait and shad or minnow style soft plastics.

Peninsula fishers have been upgrading leaders to combat lost opportunities, as some bigger catches and bust-offs have been coming out of the reef-laden areas of Scarborough. Daylight hours have been less productive than dawn and dusk, so the early bird does catch the snapper!

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DIVER WHITING Diver whiting numbers have been respectable, with dedicated anglers using the cooler months to get a good haul of these tasty fish. Diver whiting have been available at the Cockle Banks, lower reaches of the Pine River, Bramble Bay, Deception Bay and the Sandhills off Moreton Island. Bloodworms and squid have been the pick of the baits, and sandworm style lures have worked well.

FLATHEAD Flathead numbers have improved as winter has

progressed. Good size female breeders and smaller males have been populating estuaries, making for fun times for kayak and boat anglers.

Drop-offs in the Pumicestone Passage around Toorbul, Glasshouse Mountains Creek and Buckleys Hole have been consistently good in the Bribie area, and areas like Deception Bay, Ted Smout Memorial Bridge fishing platform, the mouth of the Pine River and Cabbage Creek have also had good reports of flathead.

Run-out tides have been the most productive, with pilchard halves, mullet strips and whitebait popular choices for baitos, and for the soft plastic bandits, ZMan 4” DieZel MinnowZ, 3” Atomic Prongs, 3” ZMan MinnowZ and Berkley Gulp 4” minnows have worked well.

MULLOWAY Another ‘must chase’ fish in winter are mulloway. Fishers throughout the Northern Bay are pursuing these awesome fighters in the deeper waters around the mouth of Brisbane River, Bribie Bridge, the upper reaches of the Pine and Caboolture Rivers and even North Reef.

Night fishos have been braving the cold and the westerlies and reaping the rewards, landing some quality catches. Most anglers have reported using soft plastics and soft vibe baits, hopping them in the deeper waters.

The odd threadfin salmon has been caught, along with other surprising by-catch like big bream and flathead coming to the surface.

SQUID Over the cooler months, fishers have been catching decent tiger squid in the Northern Bay. Weed and rubble

flats have been producing good numbers, with anglers catching sizable specimens when chasing them in the shallows. The Redcliffe and Woody Point jetties have been producing at night, and patient fishers have been working the deeper ends with great success.

Adding a glow stick near the nose of your jig will help your catch rate, and a high rod tip on your retrieve will reduce the risk of snagging in shallow waters and reefy points.

TIP OF THE MONTH Hook sharpness is important and yet commonly overlooked, with fishers guilty of not checking all the time.

For single hook users, be sure to carry a small sharpening stone, which are available from your local tackle store and check your hook regularly when re-baiting, as snags and fish catches can take the point off any hook.

As for lure anglers, checking trebles after lures have not been used for a while is a must and washing lures in freshwater after use will combat corrosion. Storing lures and jigheads in rice can also work well, as the absorption ability of rice helps whisk away any moisture over longer storage times.

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Squid numbers have been on the rise.

Signs point to sensational winter snapper BRISBANE OFFSHORE

John Gooding

This month is all about snapper. East of the South Passage bar and most lines of reef off Moreton

previously, there is lot of good snapper territory in close proximity to Moreton Island. So if it’s not firing where you are, there is plenty of ground not too far away. The 29, 33 and 35 Fathom reefs are only

see big shows of fish on your sounder, just scattered flecks on the screen often means snapper are sitting just up off the bottom. Using a quality overhead outfit is the best way to target snapper – stick with mono for this style of fishing.

I’ve just updated our floatlining outfits on Outlaw and I’ve decided to stick with Wilson Live Fibre rods and Penn reels. The Penns are the new model Fathom II 30 LW level wind reel and, for charter use, are a quality reel with probably the lightest freespool I’ve even used on a level wind reel. This is important on a snapper reel as you need to be able to get the bait down with as fast with light as lead as possible.

The fishing lately has been consistent, with plenty

This happy group bagged out on amberjack, and also scored some snapper and yellowtail kingfish. of school-sized amberjack keeping us busy on live bait. When we’ve been floatlining there have been good numbers of juvenile snapper in the 35-50cm range eager to nail a pilly or a fresh strip bait. The only trips we found tough were around the full moon in June, when the current dropped out and there was a bit of northwesterly hanging around.

These next couple of months should see snapper continue in good numbers and, with any luck, they will hang around until Christmas time.

Amberjack and, to a lesser extent, yellowtail kingfish will continue to stretch anglers shoulders on both live bait and jigs

The taxman has caused lots of casualties lately. and North Stradbroke islands will hold good numbers of fish. The water temperatures should be down around 21ºC and, if we are lucky, we might see it drop to under 20ºC and more snapper will move in with the cooler water.

As I’ve mentioned

a few kilometres apart and it’s only if you want to fish Deep Tempest or the 90m line south of Tempest that you’ve got a fair run.

Floatlining (freespooling) is the best way to target snapper, especially the better quality ones. Remember you don’t always have to

This quality snapper was caught on a freespooled pilly.

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However, expect sharks to get their fair share.

Diehard mackerel fishers have still been pulling a few Spanish mackerel from Point Lookout and Cape Moreton areas, which should continue this month. If you’re fishing the Shallow Tempest area, don’t be afraid to spin any bait schools you find as there are often school and Spanish mackerel looking for an easy feed.

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Winter in Noosa – is there any place better?

NOOSA

Peter Wells

With the cooler weather, the fishing in the Sunshine Coast rivers and creeks has been outstanding.

In the Noosa River, it’s all about flathead. Quality flatties have been caught in the lower stretches of the river, with the best results seeming to be on the run-out tide.

have been losing gear with tailor biting them off!

Plenty of quality whiting have been caught around Weyba Creek, Munna Point, the Frying Pan and Gympie Terrace. Breezy conditions are perfect for chasing whiting with surface lures.

With ripples on the water, fish are happy to come up on the banks and feed. Poppers and surface walkers around 70mm have been successful.

The trick to catching whiting

anglers are more excited to catch them on a lure. Soft vibes have been the most productive option.

The bright winter mornings on the beach have been fantastic and there’s no shortage of fish on offer.

Tailor numbers have been relatively good with the best still to come, as the migration times seem to get later and later every year. The best time to head to Fraser will be late September through to early October.

We are still seeing good schools moving up the coast, with lots of great fish reported from the Noosa North Shore. Pilchards are the bait of choice, and metal lures like the old faithful Halco Twisty have done the job. Looking for those deeper gutters is key, and driving up the beach on the North Shore is a great way to cover ground and find those schools of tailor. The gutters have been also producing good-sized dart and bream with numbers on the high tides, and there are plenty of whiting on offer. Live worm baits, pipis and yabbies have been accounting for quality catches.

For those that like to fish at night, the new moon has been an exciting time to fish, as those bigger mulloway will move into the gutters

Anthony with a decent mulloway from the upper reaches of the Maroochy River. improve your catch rate is by making sure you are setting a berley trail. Small cubes of pilchard tossed into the water at regular intervals will create a berley trail and help to bring fish on the bite. Try fishing as light as possible with lightly-weighted bait the same size as the berley.

Sunshine Reef has been good for sweetlip and the odd trout, and again fishing with berley has produced

the best fish. Pearl perch have been in good numbers around Chardons Reef, along with cobia and mulloway.

Larger boats that made the run out to the Barwon Banks have been rewarded with amberjack, large snapper, goldband snapper, pearl perch, cobia, Venus tuskfish and quality Maori cod.

To the south, Old Woman Island is fishing well for smaller snapper,

John caught this nice snapper from the Barwon Banks.

Whole fish baits like whitebait, hardiheads and frogmouth pilchards have been the best dead bait offerings. For those who love chasing them on lures, soft plastics in the 4” paddle-tails and prawn profiles have been successful. Cast upstream on the run-out tide and work the lure back slowly, with the odd hop. Getting to the bottom is of utmost importance, so make sure you have the correct weight jighead – 1/6-1/4oz seem to be the most popular sizes for our rivers.

Good-sized tailor have been getting around in the lower stretches of the river.

Make sure you upsize your leader, as plenty of anglers

on surface is to keep that lure moving, because if you stop, the fish will be spooked and not bite.

Trevally catches have improved over the last month, with plenty of decent fish taken on the incoming tide. Micro jigs have been very popular and can be worked a number of ways, with the traditional hop and drop for fish down deep, or fast retrieving when fish are feeding close to the surface.

In the Maroochy River, the upper reaches have held quality mulloway. Fishing the deeper holes upriver from Coolum Creek has seen plenty of fish around 80cm.

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Craig did well on a recent trip, with a quality tailor and a trevally by-catch from the beach. under the cover of darker nights. Fresh bait is key for mulloway, so if you get a smaller legal tailor and have larger gear, send it back out as a live bait.

Alternatively, you can fillet the tailor and do some nice strip baits. Mulloway just love tailor – it seems to be their chocolate!

On the offshore scene, plenty of small snapper have been boated from around Halls and the shallower areas on North and Sunshine reefs. The low light periods with a high tide have been the key. Another great way to

sweetlip and some nicesized squid. The divers have told me there are some outstanding mulloway on the closer reefs, so if you can do an overnighter you have a great chance of bagging one. Large whole baits like mullet and local squid are perfect for mulloway.

Down on Currimundi Reef, snapper and sweetlip are in good numbers, with the occasional pearl perch taking a slimy mackerel.

Collecting live bait is a great way to ensure a quality catch and with schools of yakkas just off Mooloolaba and Sunshine reefs, it is worth the effort. Having a rod rigged with a live bait jig and a live bait tank (which can be as simple as a bucket with an aerator in it) will certainly improve your catch rates.

• Don’t forget to check in to www.fishingnoosa. com.au for all the latest up to date info on fishing and bar crossings. The knowledgeable teams at Davo’s Tackle World Noosa and Davo’s Northshore Bait & Tackle at Marcoola can provide you with the right equipment, bait and advice to ensure success!

Jack with one of many quality flathead taken up the Noosa River.

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New spots are the key to winter rewards HERVEY BAY

Dane Radosevic

Nowadays more anglers are trying to push their fuel range to the limit in search of less pressured areas and better quality fish. Consequently, this has drawn more pressure to the Break Sea and wider fishing areas. However, those who are investing time and effort into sounding and trying to locate their own spots have been rewarded, as virgin marks can often produce some better quality fish.

The currents have been up to the south, which has made fishing tough. The men in grey suits are reportedly being unbearable in certain areas, forcing crews to simply drive away, as there is no sense in donating quality fish to them. On the other hand, north of the shoals there have been some better reports of mixed reef species targeted throughout the 30-50m line with far less shark activity.

The Holy Grail of the reef, red emperor, has been the target species for most anglers and a few crews have been producing some quality fish exceeding the 10kg mark.

The majority of these fish have been caught in daylight hours while targeting the flat country with large baits.

Preferred offerings have been fresh mullet and hussar fillets. Use live pike to evade the ferocious pickers, as it will enable enough time for a big hungry red to make its way over to inspect the bait.

Some XL nannygai have been a welcomed by-catch of late with a few fish exceeding the 12kg mark. These fish are tentative feeders and often require you to feed the bait back to them before striking.

For this reason, it can pay to drop your sinker size down and float the bait back much slower down the berley trail to entice a bite. Sweetlip, cod, hussar, red throat, Maori cod, tuskfish and green jobfish have made up the majority

Above left and right: A juvenile black marlin getting some air time off Fraser Island. of the catches, which has provided a great variety of tasty fillets.

For those keen enough (conditions permitting) fishing these wider grounds at night can produce some incredible catches of mangrove jack, snapper and nannygai. On most occasions as soon as the sun sets, it’s as if the reef lifts and life starts to move around the water column making them a much easier target away from the gnarly structure. Floatlining is the preferred method and can be very effective using a heavy-duty jighead. I choose to use the TT Headlocks range in a 7/0-8/0 size hook and weight varying depending on the depth and current.

This allows me to present a more natural looking bait and have total control of my presentation as it wafts down the water column, where more often than not it is intercepted around the 20m mark.

Sandy Cape has been drawing plenty of attention from the billfish fleets, with incredible numbers of juvenile black marlin being successfully caught within a few hundred metres of the beach. Renowned boats Kekoa and Mistress have lead the pack with some crazy double digit days producing fish either side of 10kg on both the troll and switch

baiting. Don’t be fooled into believing this is for the big boats only, as this is a great way to start targeting billfish out of a trailer boat, and it’s not hard! Grab some form of teaser, preferably one with an exciter bird and squid daisy chain and troll around the 6-8knots, or to the conditions.

Start basic with a spread of four lures in varying colour shades of pink, blue, purple and silver and get amongst the action.

We can expect to have a run of Spanish mackerel shortly with good reports of fish being caught off Double Island. This means we should see these fish starting to turn up in our waters throughout Platypus Bay, wide of Rooney Point and the central bay reefs. Trolling for these speedsters is the most effective method, as it allows you to cover ground quickly to locate aggregations of fish.

Diving hardbodies like the Rapala X-Rap 30s and Halco Laser Pro 190s are proven performers and work well at speeds of around 6-7knots.

Swimming baits are another great option and for some the most preferred technique. Use a wog rig, pink squid skirt and garfish as bait trolled at much slower speeds to get the gar swimming.

The southern and northern gutters can be a

productive area this time of year, especially if the bait is stacked up along the ledge country. The trevally schools can often be that thick it is hard to get a bait or lure offering past them, with goldens, juvenile GT, bludgers and tea leaf all being amongst the mix. Not to mention the pack attacks from school size cobia with the odd

sweetlip and tuskfish have made up the majority of the bags being caught on squid, pilchard and slab baits. Night fishing for mangrove jack throughout the cave country will also be a great option, especially around a moon with an intense bite on the tide, this may also see some better model snapper hit the decks.

Kurtis ‘Guru’ Muller with a pigeon pair of XL nannygai caught while fishing the wider grounds off Fraser Island.

59 Torquay Rd, Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Ph: (07) 4128 1022

www.fishostackleworld.com.au info@fishostackleworld.com.au 40

AUGUST 2019

XOS model often hanging around. These species can be actively targeted by sports fishos on soft plastics and metal jigs and can make for an exciting day.

For the reef fishos who want to avoid the pelagics, targeting areas with smaller concentrations of bait will be a good start to hopefully tangle with the mighty coral trout. Tea bagging soft plastics has been a very successful method for the past few years now, although live baits are making a come back producing the better quality fish. Hussar, cod,

The 25 Fathom Hole in August can fish extremely well and is the ideal location for those a little hesitant or restricted to travel further distances. Nannygai are often in good numbers this time of year throughout the area and once found can be caught quite easily drifting baits. This should also see a few nice lipper and the odd trout if using livies. Around the dawn and dusk periods snapper will almost be a certainty for those hopping soft plastics or soaking fresh baits, especially if the yakka schools are in abundance.

Rooney Point’s reefs should offer those overnighting a crack at targeting a snapper in areas such as the Coral Patch and Red Neds, however there have only been a few reports.

Our water temperature is still hovering around 20ºC throughout the whole bay and the general lack of baitfish has been very noticeable. All this may change towards late July and early August for a late run of quality fish.

Some of the reefs off Rooney have produced very nice scarlets and juvenile snapper, along with big grunter, cod and a few reef jacks. Trevally, school mackerel, tuna and cobia can be an annoyance to reef fishos in these areas. Platypus Bay reefs haven’t been producing the usual expected numbers of large snapper this time of year but we can only hope that the situation changes as the yakkas and herring move in. Try focusing your efforts around the full moon period, as it will definitely increase your chances.

For sport fishos, trevally become a major target throughout Platypus Bay this time of year and a huge variety of trevs is possible in a session. Large goldens and diamonds are popular sort-after models, however smallish GTs, long-nosed, brassy and gold-spot trevally are very common. Obviously slow and fast-pitch jigs will account for good numbers of trevally, as will soft plastics, and any of these options can produce scarlets, grunter, trout, cod, tuskfish and snapper in the right locations.

Tuna activity appears to have slowed right down out wide at present. Small pods of longtail have been making brief forays to the surface in the eastern bay, with mac tuna more likely in the west off the Burrum Coast.

Mackerel are well scattered and are best targeted where a good bait source (yakkas or herring) are found in the vicinity of reef or weed.

To page 41

Last bits of winter fun to come There hasn’t been a great run of weather lately, but the fishing has been red-hot!

RAINBOW BEACH

Ed Falconer

OFFSHORE We have only managed a few trips offshore due to a late winter pattern, but when we

There are plenty of pearlies on the bite, like this pair caught by Dennis.

From page 40

Moving inshore, those targeting pelagics have been doing the miles trying to locate the bait, as it has been fairly scarce throughout our inshore waters; this may be due to the relatively high water temps for this time of year.

The Burrum 8 Mile, NU2 Beacon and Fairway, as per normal, have been popular haunts. When the herring have been there, anglers have tangled with school mackerel, trevally and some

down considerably, which can be expected this time of year. Reports of a few sweetlip are kicking about with cod and blackall making up the lack of numbers, especially for those fishing at night. Even though most wouldn’t consider them a great addition to the esky, there is no denying a blackall’s pulling power when they get a bit of size about them.

A few of the more clued-on anglers have been scoring some nice coral trout

our inshore waters. We can only hope it picks up late in the season and again efforts will be improved by targeting these areas at night on a moon.

The Burrum River is an exceptional fishery at this time of year, as it cleans up and usually holds an abundance of bait. The bait source is definitely down in numbers, which may have an impact on the usual schools of small GT, queenfish and tarpon that school up in the deeper reaches of the river

The author with a solid reef jack he caught while floatlining a pencil squid bait right on dusk. very solid northern bluefin.

Floating out live herring under a small balloon to keep the bait offering up in the water column is a popular technique ensuring your bait is presented as lively as possible.

For the inshore reef fishos, the bite has slowed

by tea bagging soft plastics over the wrecks and gnarled sections of reef around the change of tide. Even the odd bluey is still being tempted on fresh crab and prawn baits.

After an early start the snapper have tapered off again, which is undoubtedly due to the lack of bait in

and feed around the current lines. Light spin tackle and small curly-tail or paddle-tail soft plastics lightly-weighted and rapidly retrieved will draw their attention, as will a well-presented fly.

Bream have been caught in good numbers throughout the lower reaches of the

have gotten out the fishing has been brilliant. Pearl perch bag outs have been more consistent, with some great quality fish coming over the side. Whole pilchards on ganged hooks and small ball sinkers have been catching the bigger fish.

Snapper have been starting to turn it on, and we’ve found that 5” shad plastics have done the trick.

Tuskfish have been in large numbers, and slow drifting with fresh squid has filled iceboxes quite easily.

Spanish mackerel have been hanging on and providing some hot action on certain days, with live bait a sure-fire trap for them.

GREAT SANDY STRAITS Diver whiting have been caught from around Big Mick Beacon to the Bluff Reef. A bit of patience when drifting around is needed to locate the schools, but then you’re set for a great session. Mud crabs are still being potted, but sand crabs are in much better numbers around Kauri Creek.

AUGUST August is a great end to the winter fishing season.

Snapper, pearl perch, and all other reef fish are usually very reliably on the bite.

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

river with a popular area being around the snags at Black Bank, especially at night. Flathead and whiting numbers have been improving with the more experienced anglers taking the better quality fish at night on fresh yabbies or worms.

We can expect the usual run of large grunter to make their way through the main channel of the river and can be caught by both land-based anglers and boaties anchored up around all the moored boats. Grunter are scavengers and will eat most offerings, however they are suckers for a well-presented banana prawn or herring fillet.

Weather permitting, there will be a lot of boats trolling the river mouth and front ledge for tailor and school mackerel with small to medium diving hardbodies.

The usual favourite lures, such as Halco Laser Pro 120s and Jaz Rapide Shad 90s, in natural chrome colours are proving successful.

River Heads has been fishing quite well for landbased anglers, with the addition of the floating pontoon now making fishing options easier. Night has produced the best results for bream and mulloway with plenty of pencil squid hanging around the lights to keep you entertained between bites and also making great live baits.

Anglers drifting pilchards or spinning off the rocks during daylight hours have been catching mixed mackerel species and tailor, however brush up on your bag and size limits as there are a lot of small fish amongst them. The rivers

themselves have been a little quiet, with a few reports of threadfin being caught on live baits and vibes once a school is found.

Blue salmon will be a much easier target and congregate around the rocky outcrops and over the adjacent flats around the Heads and will eat just about anything offered in front of them.

The ledges that run parallel to the western side of Fraser Island down the Straits have been producing mulloway, cod, grunter and blackall. Queenfish can often hassle you in these areas and love a live bait or vibe hopped down deep and could also account for a winter barra that often stack up along these ledges during these cooler months. With gin clear waters throughout the Straits, the larger tides should see activity peak for your bread and butter staples. Smaller model GTs, queenfish and tailor will be roaming around the rock bars and pressure points.

These species can be great sport on light gear using soft plastics or, even better for that visual aspect, try small top water lures.

Urangan Pier, the popular haunt that it is, has been fishing a little hot and cold as the main run of northern bluefin seem to have dispersed and been replaced by mac tuna, which are easily caught around the change of tide on flick baits. Spanish mackerel can be expected to start showing up and are best targeted with XL live baits, such as small mac tuna, bonito or legal size school mackerel floated out under

a balloon. Bream numbers seem to have picked up and some larger models nudging 40cm have been reported with early morning and evenings producing the better catches. Mulloway are an option if fishing at night and love a slowly rolled soft plastic or free swimming live bait, with pike being the gun bait if you can get one.

The town beaches should fire over the full moon period with good numbers of whiting on offer from the Urangan Harbour west towards the rock groins. Flathead are also a viable option on a live bait or flicking a soft plastic. The regulars will start to get into the garfish as they school up along the coastline, however weather may be an issue.

The Fraser Island Retreat crew at Happy Valley have reported favourable conditions along the beach, with good gutters along much of its length.

The water remains gin clear though, so take this into account when timing your efforts. Some of the better tailor catches this week have come from the stretch of beach from Yidney Rocks to the Maheno, with some very nice fish coming at night for those that can handle the cold.

Big whiting continue to be a regular catch from the better melon holes and shallow low tide gutters on beach worms and pipis.

The same baits, along with whitebait and frogmouth pillies, will also account for good size dart, which are often easily spotted surfing in the clear waters.

Crystal with an outstanding Rainbow Beach Spanish mackerel.

AUGUST 2019

41

An end in sight to wild weather GLADSTONE

Liam Jones

Wind, rain, glass outs… July delivered it all. The start of the month saw strong wind warnings mixed with some unseasonal heavy rain, while mid-month saw a week of 5-10 knots.

Last month I had a fishing session about 60nm northeast of Gladstone. With the forecast predicting 5-10 knots all day, I decided to have a look at some deeper water on the other side of the Innamincka Shoal. I had a few marks in this area that I had previously caught good fish in 70-80m of water, and with the minimal tidal run I thought it would be a good idea to find some more ground.

It didn’t take long before the sounder lit up with a 10m rise and good shows either side.

My first two casts over the side hooked up instantly to what I thought were big reds, only to be let down with a pair of 15kg Chinamen. A few more

drifts resulted in some Maori and tomato cod and a few school reds.

We moved on to look for

school reds and some cracking goldband snapper there before it shut down. The rest of the day was hard work, pulling

Brendan Huth and Brandon Gillett with a pair of school reds caught at sunrise in beautiful conditions. some new ground between marks. After sounding for a half hour, we arrived at an old mark I had caught good reds on a few years ago, and we landed another couple of

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a few fish from each mark but nothing too exciting. With the small tides and westerly wind, I couldn’t see the day improving too much, so we spent a couple of hours sounding on the way home, finding some promising areas to have a crack at on better wind and tide. From all other reports, fishing on these smaller tides out wide has been tough.

Sweetlip have begun to slow a little as the water temperature continues to drop.

Reds have been hit-and-miss, with those who have been getting out on bigger tides managing to find a few. Some good reports are coming in from those chasing nannygai up north in gutter country, along with some cracking grunter off the wrecks.

Spanish have been caught in dribs and drabs. I haven’t had too many reports of big numbers, but the size has been pretty good. Fish of the 20-25kg mark are turning up at Rundle, Leachies and Outer Rock. Slow trolled wolf

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AUGUST 2019

herring has once again been the bait of choice.

In the creeks, the fishing has been steady at best. Those chasing blue salmon have been having an absolute ball, with quality fish turning up in the Calliope River and throughout the harbour. Live herring, poddy mullet and small soft plastics and vibes have done the job.

Barra have been quiet in most systems, with the odd fish landed in the harbour.

Finding the fish hasn’t been hard, but getting the bite has been. Schools throughout the harbour and Calliope River are heavily-pressured fish that are alert to most fishing methods. Changing it up and trying something different might be the key to enticing bites. Something as simple as changing to a new style of lure, identifying where the fish are sitting in the water column and ensuring the lure is at that depth is essential for success when the bite is tough.

Matt Kingman with a 2kg+ mudcrab! temperature to rise and the fish become active. Afternoon sessions around the timber and weed, slow rolling Happy Rock Softies, have been getting results.

Crabbing has been pretty good considering the time of year. Although the numbers

me is that small black marlin should start making their way through. Around 12 Mile and the gutters north of North West Island are good places to start looking, and trolling small skirts at 6-8 knots is the best way to cover a larger area. Spanish macks will be

Les Jones caught this typical Port Alma thready on a Yakamito Viper S Vibe.

Jacks are still popping up here and there but not in great numbers. Anglers have been using super small lures like the Rapala Shadow Rap Jack Deep and Yakamito SXY Shad. The Gladstone Kayak club has been having huge success using these smaller deep diving lures on everything from flatties to barra.

Quality flathead have been turning it on this month.

Turkey Beach, Colosseum Inlet, Pancake Creek and Yellow Patch have all been productive and slow rolling paddle-tail plastics have been the most effective option.

King salmon are in huge numbers throughout Port Alma at the moment. Working small soft vibes and prawn imitations has been accounting for most fish.

Awoonga is still producing the odd fish for those that put in the hours. Picking the days and time of day to fish is the key. Warm days, hot sun and little wind allow the water

aren’t there the quality has certainly made up for it.

Grahams Creek, Colosseum and Turkey Beach seem to be the areas holding the most numbers.

As we move into August, let’s hope for more consistent good weather. Fishing-wise, not too much should change from July. I expect the salmon schools will still be terrorising the harbour and barra will still be holding in deeper water looking for stability.

One thing that does excite

around all the usual haunts so get yourself some fresh wolf herring, rig ‘em up with a chin weight and a set of gangs, and hang on.

• For more information on what’s biting, or to stock up with all the tackle and bait you need, drop into LJ’s Compleat Angler Gladstone at the Gladstone Marina on Bryan Jordan Drive. You can also check out the latest news, photos and specials at Facebook Compleat Angler Gladstone.

Trent Mauloni with a trout from 60m of water.

Lots of colourful coral catches GLADSTONE

Dylan Christie

Over the past month, the weather has played the game. There have been a few more opportunities to head wide and locals have taken advantage. Spanish mackerel are still a prime target this month, as they have been showing up in decent numbers.

OFFSHORE With the kind weather of late, lots of reports have been coming in of quality red-throat and tuskies around Rock Cod Shoals, as well as Masthead Island. This winter has to be one of the best I have seen for coral trout, especially for those fishing Douglas Shoals and Sykes Reef. The by-catch has been quality too, with some beautiful red-throat, spangled emperor, and even red emperor. Reports from the wider shoals such as Innamincka, Haberfield and Guthrie are red-hot, with heaps of school size red emperor and a few larger ones, and all the red-throat out that way have been huge with some making it over the 60cm mark.

Snapper have shown up closer to the coast, with larger models being caught around Bass Shoals, 12 Mile and Jenny Lind Bank. School mackerel have been plentiful of late, with the hotspots being Turtle Street, Turkey Beach and around Seal

Mick landed this cracker red-throat emperor.

Rocks. There are many ways to catch these fish, including casting metal slugs, trolling hardbodies and the old faithful floating of ganged pillies. The wrecks have been fishing well, producing beautiful cobia, nannygai, grunter and all sorts of trevally species if you’re just after some fun throwing plastics, vibes and jigs.

THE HARBOUR Queenies should start to fire up any time now.

The bigger tides are always favourable, with bait around the current lines. You just have to get a feel for what they want on the day, whether it is poppers, stickbaits, jigs, vibes or plastics. Topwater is the best way to target these

fish and a great location is around Farmers Reef, especially on a making tide with clean water pushing in.

Blue salmon are in abundance around the gutters and up on the flats. If fishing neap tides, your best bet is to find congregated fish in the deeper water throughout the harbour, and if you are fishing building tides, push up onto the flats where the salmon can be sight fished in as shallow as 30cm of water. Shallow hardbodied lures usually produce in this situation, especially if you use a nice erratic action the salmon can’t resist. While targeting salmon, you can also find flathead and grunter right up in the shallows, and

they’ll both eat a lure worked past their nose.

The deeper structure in the harbour is always worth a look, as you never know what will show up next. You can expect golden snapper and black jewfish at least.

The bung walls are the perfect ambush point for many predatory species, so fishing these can be very effective with a trolled hardbodied lure or a hopped vibe or plastic. The channel markers at the southern end of the harbour are a great place for targeting grunter and jew, with some beautiful fish on the neap tides when there is a little bit less run, as it flows through there quite hard.

ESTUARY The estuaries are fishing well in the cooler weather, especially the Calliope around the hot water outlet.

Monster queenies have been caught on poppers and there have been big barra available if you tempt them to bite. Live baits and well-presented strip baits can quickly become the undoing of barramundi.

While you are targeting them, there is endless by-catch of flathead, salmon and grunter.

Toolooa Bends (South Trees Inlet) is on fire with grunter, with models up to 75cm a common capture.

Let me tell you, they would have to be one of the most underrated fish in the estuary.

They seem to do everything

Catch monster bass and barra LAKE MONDURAN

Rob Howell

Winter at Lake Monduran is a great time to target bass and barra at the same time.

Over the years, we have learnt that both these species will school and interact together in the shallows through the cooler months.

When targeting bass and barra through winter, many anglers make the mistake of downsizing their mainline and leader to entice more bites.

However, barra are not leader shy and you don’t want to leave yourself open to a barra bite-off or bust-up. As a minimum, 40lb braid and 50-60lb leader is suitable all year round. This combination will not stop the big bass from biting and will give you a better chance when landing a big barra.

It makes sense to use bass lures to get the bass to bite, but just make sure they are rigged with barra

hardware. Upgrading the hooks and split rings will not interfere with the lure action, and most of these small lures are like little jellybeans for a barra.

Over the winter, we have seen bass up to 60cm and many more at around 45-58cm being caught quite commonly on shallow points and in the back of shallow bays where the barra feed most of the year round. While these fish are commonly

referred to as a by-catch at Monduran, these bass are of trophy size proportion and are an impressive catch by any angler’s standards.

On the barra scene, there have been many anglers boating up to 10-15 fish per session when the conditions are favourable; most of which have been 60-75cm in size. What’s more encouraging is there are another two generations of 80-90cm barra out there.

As the weather warms

leading into summer, these bigger models will show their presence.

To kick the summer season off, Lake Monduran has two of Queensland’s biggest freshwater comps set to commence on the same day in October. The first comp is the annual Tackleworld Bundaberg Family Fishing Comp that has taken place every October for the last 20 years. The second is the Golden Barra Comp that will be starting on the same day and finishes on Friday 31 January midnight. Both competitions will be bigger and better than they have ever been. More details on the competition will come to hand over the next month so keep a keen eye out for further info and grab next month’s QFM for the full details.

• We look forward to seeing you for the start of barra season, for further info on camping, accommodation and fishing charters you can contact our office on 07 4157 3881 or emails us info@lakem.com.au

Olly caught this beautiful coronation trout on a Samaki Vibelicious. right – they pull hard, will eat lures and bait, and last of all, taste unreal!

If it’s the bread and butter species you’re after, look no further than the Colosseum, as there are endless sand flats and yabby beds that hold good whiting all year round, as well as some beautiful flathead and big bream in winter.

At the moment, Turkey Beach and Pancake Creek have good numbers of flathead, which are a great target species for kids right through to the avid angler.

Sight fishing for flatties is awesome fun, even more so when you can get right up in the shallow water (anywhere less than 1m) and target them on surface lures such as fizzers and poppers.

When it comes to targeting flatties, there is no lure too big. In some situations down south, they throw 250mm swimbaits for larger fish.

LAKE AWOONGA Even though we are in the middle of winter, there are still anglers out there

testing their luck to capture the mighty Awoonga barra.

At the moment, the best times seem to be on the build to the full moon when the fish become more active, and in the afternoons once the sun has had a chance to warm the water. Another effective way to target these iconic sportsfish is to chase the more stable water temperatures in deeper water and sit over the top of them using vibes, prawn imitations and even jigs.

• For all the latest info on what’s biting and where, drop into Pat’s Tackle World at 23 Lord Street, Gladstone or give them a call on (07) 4972 3692. The team have their finger to the pulse to what is happening in the area, and are sure to point you in the right direction.

You can also find news, catch photos and special deals on their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ PatsTackleworldGladstone) or check them out on Instagram (@ patstackleworld).

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43

Offshore catches a break BUNDABERG

Jason Medcalf topwater@bigpond.com

It was a tale of woe for offshore fishers last month, but fingers crossed there will be more chances to get out in August. It has been a real winter this year with cold nights and wet windy days, but at least it should have given the offshore fish a break.

OFFSHORE August should give fishos a chance to get offshore, as we’re definitely due some cold gentle westerlies. At last month’s very successful VMR Fishing Classic, there were a few diehards that braved less than ideal conditions to catch some quality fish. Just to whet your appetite there were some great cobia, coral trout, snapper and mackerel weighed in.

When the opportunity arises, head offshore in search

of some big reds and sweetlip.

Big baits including cuttlefish, whole slimy mackerel and any big flesh bait should tempt the hungry hoards. Big 9/0 hooks set up on a paternoster rig is my favourite but there are plenty of variations that will work better when the fish are just playing with the bait.

There are three moons in August, with a new moon on the 1st, a full moon on the 15th, and another new on the 30th. This will give anglers three opportunities to fish the building tides throughout August – keep that in mind when planning your trip.

INSHORE The close in reefs produced some nice fish at the recent competition with the winning snapper and grunter coming from very close in. With hopefully some westerlies due to make their presence felt this month, our smaller boat contingent should get a chance to hit their secret spots.

Each year some inshore rock and reef patches are covered over by the evermoving sandy bottom. This means if you had a mark from summer three years ago and you can’t find the spot, it may well be just buried. However, don’t delete that mark, as the rock is still there and more than likely it will be exposed again at some time in the future. Once these areas are exposed, it doesn’t take long for the baitfish to show up, which is the key attractant for other predatory fish.

RIVERS All of our estuaries are fishing very well this month.

With the cool clear water, the deeper hole in most systems are a great starting point if you’re chasing a feed. Grunter have been sitting deep and have been responding well to fresh and live baits. I have also been catching a few on the smallest of the Zerek Fish Trap.

Flathead have started to

get hungrier and, with spring just around the corner, it won’t be long before these fish are schooling up and doing their thing. Look for weed beds, drop-offs, rocks and anything that diverts the flow of the tide and you will find a flathead. They are a great target for the beginner lure fisho as they will take just about anything at times and, even on light gear, they still put up a decent fight.

LAKE MONDURAN The land of a thousand casts is really producing some cracking fishing. Barramundi have been moving around in big schools and, once found, anglers that have tuned into what the barra want are having a ball. Jigging and hopping soft vibes amongst stationary schools can really turn them on.

Suspended hardbodied lures also work well on the barra; make sure to give some big pauses in your retrieve once you have your lure

Amity Rae Medcalf with a decent bream that took a liking to her pink soft plastic. down to the desired depth.

Check your lure beside the boat first, as some models weren’t counting on you upgrading the hooks or tying it onto 50lb fluorocarbon when they were designed.

The afternoon bite seems to be more productive as the shallow water has time to heat up during the day. My suggestion is to follow the warm water if the breeze is blowing it onto a point or bay.

Making the most of winter treats ROCKHAMPTON

Clayton Nicholls clay94_fishing@live.com.au

Over the past month the weather has been pretty drizzly and windy, but everyone has been making the most of the mid week calm weather and the odd break on the weekends.

Threadfin salmon are now up in the town reaches of the river with a few metre-sized schools and lots of smaller fish schools. The abundance of bait has really helped. The river is also producing a good amount barra and grunter. Out along the Cape Coast you can expect a good variety of species from queenies to jewies.

THE FITZROY Threadfin salmon seem to be everyone’s key target at the moment.

The author with a decent barra from the Fitzroy. It was tempted with a Gulp Shrimp off a rock bar. schools of salmon, but side imaging is a big advantage.

The schools are constantly moving around and never really hold long in one spot.

A good selection of jigheads is needed when fishing plastics for threadies.

We have been using 3/8oz 3/0 and with a bigger plastic

Trent with a couple of trout caught from the Keppel Group.

The neap tides are the key time to base your trips around, as they seem to push up better on them.

Any of the side imaging sounders/fishfinders on the market are able to find the 44

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or more flow switching to 1/2oz 3/0. The lighter you can go, the better, but you also want it to sink down into the school quickly and not get dragged by the tidal flow too much.

Barra have been holding tight to the rocky rubble structure but can be targeted with much the same lures as the threadfin. I tend to use a lighter jighead in the shallower structure, often tying on a 1/6oz 5/0 for them.

Up in town, it still doesn’t seem to have been salty for long enough for the flathead, grunter and blue salmon to push up yet, but it’s only a matter of time.

There are promising signs of a good prawn run in the river at the moment, with a lot of small prawns getting caught. If live baiting is your preferred method, the current prawn size will be great for targeting the salmon. Rigging the prawn just through the tail and sending them out with a lightweight will work well.

INSHORE REGIONS Keppel Bay has had some great fishing opportunities lately, when the weather has held out. There have been excellent reports of mackerel and GTs, to squid and coral trout. A few local anglers have been pulling snapper

from some rubble patches as well. The back of Keppel seems to be a good place to find them on the rubble lines.

There has been a showing of black jewfish around at the moment. Whether you head up to the typical marks, like Finlays, or just fish lures around Double Heads they seem to be in good size and numbers everywhere.

There have been decentsized trout caught at the Keppel Group on the shallow reef areas. Most of them have been targeted on spearing gear with quite a few spearos getting a great haul of fish.

Squid have been holding around the Keppels and will pick up with the next full moon. It’s no surprise to us that the Yamashita Warm

This solid 42cm jack was taken on a mid-sized diver. schools of bonito working around the area, which make great Spanish baits.

ESTUARIES Flathead have certainly been on the move, with some large models being caught, plenty in the 40-60cm size.

Crabs can be found with a little persistence and some good bait.

Jacket and the Savage 3D jig have been doing all the damage on the squid again this year.

The islands have had some great bait fishing activity with many large schools holding over rises and little structure points. There have also been plenty of big

A great place to fish for them is any drop-off in creeks and any of the channels out in the mouths of the estuary. More often than not, the little feeder creeks in a system will have a nice ledge out the front of it, all it takes is a sharp drop in water depth and they will be there. Slow rolling hardbodies

off the drop-off will work the best. Plastics will also work well enough but it is not a preferred method.

Another key fish in the creeks at the moment are the bream, which are holding on the flats. They are a very easy target for lures and bait fishers. My preferred method is a size 1 long shank and freshly pumped yabbies. Two lures with good success rates on the fathead lately have been the Bomber 14a and the Atomic Shiner 75 Mid. CRABBING Crabs have slowed down at the moment, but with persistence and good bait they will still show up in your pots.

Queenfish and mullet baits have certainly been producing well. Barra and threadfin frames have also been getting their fair share of interest.

Sit the pots in deeper water with low amounts of current. This often means forcing the boat through a tight creek until it has a bit of a deeper section and hoping for the best.

Fish right get the bite.

A determined angler’s dream YEPPOON

Scott Lynch ifishcq2@bigpond.com

It was midway through July before we got a real cold snap. In CQ, we have numerous species that rely on the drop in temperature to school up for spawning.

Black jewfish, flathead and snapper are probably the three most targeted.

anchor well back from your chosen spot and use as little weight as possible to slowly float your baits down. The best method I’ve found is to put out gear at different depths and change it up or down until snapper strikes.

Our fish in CQ are like greyhound versions of the thickset southern fish – our biggest catches are in the 5-6kg class. A recent run to some patches near the

makes all the difference.

Snapper tend to feed either side of a tide change, but not on dead water.

Doggie mackerel are at many of the patches around the islands at present. We seem to always find them at Greasy Ally, The Cod Hole, Barren Island and most of the local wrecks. Doggies can be a pain when you are jigging for livies. More than a few times, we have landed

Paul Mundey landed this solid thready down the river.

There are snapper at various locations in the area around and just past the islands. Here, the cooler temperatures trigger their annual move from the deeper areas to spawn in relatively shallow areas. This is totally opposite to south QLD, where in winter, the snapper move out to the deeper areas to spawn. The common factor is their shyness.

Quietness is the key to landing a decent snapper,

Keppels produced a couple of larger juvenile fish and not the knobbies we were expecting, however bigger fish should be on the chew this month.

Baits used for snapper need to be as fresh as possible, like large fresh green banana prawns, bonito and mullet fillets, fresh squid and live herrings. The risk of pickers and vermin is reduced if you fish up from the

Mark Thompson scored this fine coral trout out from Keppel. because the depth to catch them at is usually in the 10-16m range. Snapper are easily spooked and will not come back on the chew that session once they take flight.

Using tried and true tactics that southern anglers have refined has led to better captures here. It pays to

bottom. Fishing at night is best, especially if you can catch a few squid on the way. Over the years, I have tried various plastics and vibes with some success.

Finding the right depth is more important than any particular style. The ability to keep the lure in the zone

a doggie mackerel with three or four hooks stuck in various places around the body, or get a loaded bait jig completely taken on the way back to the boat.

They can be fickle at times and may not be very hungry when you first arrive. Slow release berley drifting down from the back of the boat is one of the better options.

Chop up a few pillies and drop over small amounts regularly. This will not only help turn them onto feed mode, it will bring them closer to the boat.

It pays to float a couple of pillies in the berley stream and cast chromies everywhere else. Throwing metals lures can attract the fish’s attention and draw them towards the boat or berley. The majority of fishers don’t bother with berley, but it is often the difference between a feed and striking out.

Spanish mackerel have been having a great season with no end in sight. If they aren’t at one spot, they will be nearby. The bigger fish have all been at places like Cape Manifold, and Hummocky and Perforated islands. However, I prefer the school size fish and would rather a few 6-8kg fish than the larger ones.

There are plenty of these at Conical, Outer, Man and

Wife, Barren, Humpy and lots of the patches between here and the shoals.

Black jew schools have hit spots at Corio, Ironpot, Quartz, the Pinnacles, the Rama and other areas over recent weeks. They will continue for a while yet and turn on like clockwork when they are there. We try to get to our chosen location around high tide before dark to get some fresh live bait and set up before the schools come in. Baits caught at the jew spots are the best. We often get ribbons or bonito in the same spot during the day and convert one or two into a big jewie in the evening.

Jewies seem to circle the structure or holes and it is not unusual to have every rod go off at the same time.

Be careful on numbers with the new bag limits, and remember that black jew suffer from barotrauma.

They don’t release well, so once you have your limit it pays to move on.

This is the best time of year to stock the freezer with baits for slower months. I try to put in a couple of days chasing bait instead of fishing. Watson’s bonito schools have started moving into the bay and just behind the island, and they will stay as long as the conditions suit. Chase them with small feather jigs, chromies and small hardbodied lures. They have been hitting patches at Bangalee, Farnborough and Forty Acre, where they can linger on for days. Either anchoring and casting or drifting in front of the schools works well depending on the situation.

A nice jobby for Tim Price from Double Threat Charters.

On a good day, you can get enough baits for most of the Spanish mackerel season.

Ribbonfish (wolf herring) are back in numbers, at spots like Ritamada, Ironpot and Quartz. Several times lately, I have gone chasing doggy mackerel and haven’t been able to get past the ribbonfish. There is a bag limit of ten per person and fisheries have been hot on checking. Once you have your quota of ribbonfish, move on and hope to find mackies in other spots.

This time of year, we start to get the early schools of rainbow runners and goatfish over the shallow rubble patches around the islands.

This usually brings the small marlin and big Spanish into places they don’t go for much of the year. September

is the pick of the months as a rule, but in the last week or so there have been a number of marlin sightings and a few hook-ups in surprisingly shallow water.

The bigger reefies like red emperor and jobfish have moved out wider of late. The best catches have been right out near the shoals or over the green zone. This involves doing lots of kilometres and should only be attempted on good weather in an appropriate boat. There are plenty of coral trout around the Keppels or any of the other local island groups.

In most of the local estuaries, you can find flathead, grunter, bream, whiting, queenfish, barramundi, king threadfin and blue salmon in good quantities over August.

Troy Newman landed this local barra recently.

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Results from the rainforest and out to the reef MACKAY

Keith Day habdays@bigpond.net.au

This month should see the last of the cold weather and a gradual move into spring, which opens up new species and possibilities for anglers.

August is basically a transition month with both winter and spring species around and intermingled.

The odd snapper and black jew will get in on the act too.

One of the more successful jigs of late has been the Slow Blatt 100g rigged with a solid extra strong treble on each end. The rocking action as it flutters down seems to be a great turn on and colours don’t seem to matter that much.

For the bait angler, the ever-reliable pilchard on a gang rig will still catch

have finished spawning and are on the move south. There are still fish to be caught around Hay Point and further south, but black jew are probably a better bet towards the end of the month.

In the creeks and estuaries, we have finally started to see a decent run of good whiting. They are later than usual, but the drift up the Pioneer River with the incoming tide is paying off

Mitchell James dropped a large vibe down on some bait he found on the sounder just off the harbour mouth. He came up tight to this 130cm longtail that he finally landed after chasing it almost to Slade Island.

Sooties are on the bite through winter and Balin Tweddle managed this 49cm beauty dropping a jig down beside the tree in the background.

There will still be plenty of good school size Spanish mackerel in the 10-15kg range available offshore and close in, as well as the larger ‘loners’ up to 40kg+.

Spaniards can be caught from the south wall of the harbour, most notably from the very end of the wall where there is deeper water and strong confluence of currents. The baitfish balls will sit right in close to the rocks and many anglers are surprised at the size of the Spaniards so close inshore.

At this time of the year, provided the winds stay favourable, a good tactic is to motor around slowly looking for bait concentrations showing on the sounder.

Find the bait balls and you can almost bet there will be a Spanish mack or two harassing them.

In the deeper water, metal jigs or big plastics on heavy heads work really well when they are dropped down along the edges of the baits or right through the middle.

However, the attrition rate of soft plastics on Spanish mackerel is very high and a stinger treble on wire will lessen the chances of a ‘chop off’.

Metal or composite jigs work really well on Spaniards and other species, like goldens and cobia, that will be working the bait balls.

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plenty of fish. Big ribbonfish, live gar, pike or small reef fish will all snare plenty of Spaniards and the other species mentioned. The baits can be trolled, drifted, or cast to specific bait schools.

Quality heavy-duty spin gear is probably the easiest set up to use, although for trolling specifically, an overhead set up would be best. No need to go overboard with the line class as a quality reel filled with 15-20kg braid and wire trace will account for even the biggest Spaniard.

So far this winter the smaller mackerel and tuna have been very hit and miss, as they don’t like strong southerlies that that tend to scatter the bait. Good days are those that have light N to NE winds and, if they persist for a few days, everyone can get a shot at the doggies, spotties, greys, and mac tuna and smaller longtails.

There have been some monster longtails caught while deep jigging around the close in islands and on the shoals. Again, find the bait balls and chances are the big longtails will be nearby. Longtails in the 1200-1400mm range are a very impressive fish and great fun to catch on medium spin gear.

For the bottom bouncer, late August sees the snapper season tapering off as they

and can even be caught well up past the hospital. Fresh yabbies are the best all round bait but worms and strips of squid will also work. Rig with a light ball sinker and a short fluorocarbon trace will get you plenty of action and good results with a ‘softer’ tipped rod. Plenty of bream and flathead will be mixed in with the whiting, so a good variety of fish is always welcome.

Flathead should also start to be more prominent in the creek catches, as they seem to become more prolific as the weather and water warms up. Yabby beds are good spots to check out at low tide for flatty lies and it is worthwhile revisiting these beds as the tide rolls over them. Again it is the old story, find bait and there will normally be fish there to eat the bait.

With the warmer waters, flathead also become an easier target for lure and fly anglers to target. Soft plastics, paddle-tails, prawns, hardbodies, vibes and any number of fly patterns will

get a response from a flatty.

August is still a bit cool for serious barra chasing.

However, towards the end of the month, if spring comes early, they will be a legitimate target. Recent wet seasons have seen good spawning conditions and this season I expect the barra fishing to be the best we have seen for quite a few years. The NFZ this year should really come into its own as a barra fishery. Over the last two years, there has been prolific numbers of undersize barra being caught and released by anglers. Fingers crossed for early spring high water and air temps!

Quality Spanish mackerel are around in good numbers and just love a 100g Slow Blatt jig worked around and through a bait ball.

Mid to late August the local wattles will start to flower and expect that to coincide with plenty of grunter or javelin fish being in the creeks and bays. Look for spots with gravel beds in the NFZ when chasing these very tasty fish. Strip baits, squid strips, yabbies or prawns will all be well received by grunter. Small vibes, plastics and flies are all taken with gusto by grunter and they give good sport and are usually in fairly open water. Landing a big one is a matter of patience and rod work.

Freshwater during August is similar to the estuary position and will depend on water temperatures and rain. The sooty grunter is the king during the cooler months when the barra tend to shut down. Sooties in the river are ready to mix it with anglers and the key is always to get your lure or fly hard in on the snag or under overhanging trees.

One thing to keep an eye out for is the fruit dropping from fig trees. When this happens anglers can have heaps of fun fishing small poppers in under those same trees. The strike usually happens as the lure or fly hits the water, so cast and hang on!

So while August is a transitional month, the weather is still quite mild and plenty of options exist for anglers from the rainforest to the reef. Why not come and join us in paradise? See you at the ramp.

Fortune favours the bay STANAGE BAY

Peewee

I hope that wherever you are, you have been blessed with perfect conditions and great fishing experiences over these past winter months.

Here at Stanage Bay, we can be very grateful not only for the awesome

weather, but for some top fish and excellent progress on our new boat ramp.

The Australian Defence Force should be wrapping up Exercise Talisman Sabre early this month, so you’ll be free to come and go again as normal. However, Stanage Bay Road is in average condition so drive

This angler was more than happy to land this vibrant nannygai.

accordingly and take it easy if you’re towing a load. The boat ramp has had a few hold-ups due to availability of certain resources, but slowly and surely it’s taking shape.

The new rules for black jewfish are in full swing. Fish numbers in the Jew Hole should rise, giving anglers more chance of catching ‘The Big One’. Creek fishing has been plentiful with some excellent bream, salmon and whiting being caught in areas from Porters Creek, Alligator Bay, Flat Rock and Quail Island. All fish have been chasing prawns.

Outside the bay, anglers have been successful at Hexham Island and surrounds, reeling in some great stripeys, cod, mackerel and snapper.

Trolling with lures has been popular, bringing in some huge fish. The Percy Isles have been living up to their reputation for having the best selection of reef species, offering the whole array including beautiful red emperor. All species have loved cuttlefish bait.

There has been top numbers of beautiful sweetlip getting about the outer of Sail Rock, and mackerel have been in closer. At night, Marble Islands have had some great quality squid within anchorage areas, and they are pretty fun to catch and even better to eat.

Crabbing in the bay

A beautiful snapper caught outside the bay. has been a little hit-andmiss due to the cooler water temperatures. The sizes are massive as usual, but numbers have been slightly lower. Crabs have been residing further up the creeks than typical.

The campgrounds are reasonably vacant with some top spots free at the moment, so I hope to see you up here soon!

• After a little extra comfort and warmth? Enquire about a holiday home to make your stay at Stanage Bay a little more pleasant.

Call us at Stanage Bay Marine & Accommodation on (07) 4937 3145, check out www.stanagebay.com, email stanagebaymarine@ bigpond.com or look us up on Facebook.

Kaiden with a top mangrove jack.

THE SHEIK OF THE CREEK

Faffing about with flies BRISBANE

The Sheik of the Creek

So, I had my first crack at fly fishing.

I’ve always thought of this as being a bit of a wank, what with the funny clothes and hats, the strange gear, and the requirement to scuttle along the water’s edge like a constipated cat, waving a surf rod full of cord at the water surface. But I have to say, after spending half a day wafting a wand around a trout lake with an 85yo Retired Irish Pig Farmer (RIPF) that I’ve been forced to change my mind. It’s not a bit of a wank at all. Actually, it’s a massive wank.

I mean, picture it.

Me being schooled in how to chuck a hook the size of a bee’s bits camouflaged in a bit of chook feather more than

two steps away from a punt, in order to try to convince a fish smaller than a Baffle Creek poddy mullet to chase and swallow it. It just seems like a slightly strange thing to do. Then consider that the particular rod I was using was worth more than a thousand quid and it gets even stranger.

I’ve spent most of my life fishing in boats that cost less than that.

It’s not that there is not a lot of skill involved in this type of fishing, I can see that there is. It just seems unnecessarily finicky. I mean, if you want to spend hours of your life trying to confuse a cunning but ultimately stupid life form into doing what you want, then surely watching reality TV is an easier way to achieve this. It would be less expensive too. Buying the gear required for this feather flinging festival is not the cheapest thing you’ll ever do.

The most insane thing about the whole deal was the time it took Mr RIPF to make one of these little lures. By the time he clipped the hook onto the vice, caught the chooks and pheasants and plucked them, wound little bits of string around the whole construction, and then coated the lot with some araldite, I could have carved a spinnerbait out of ironbark! At least I think that’s what he was doing...

I couldn’t see the bloody thing it was so small.

I guess I don’t want to give the impression I wasn’t grateful for Mr RIPF’s efforts. He was extremely patient, and it wasn’t more than a few hours before he had me flickin’ them flies like a fair dinkum fancyman. I only hope he’s forgiven me for turning his three piece into a four piece rod. But then, you get that in big jobs.

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING ZEREK ABSOLUTE SHRIMP

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Pre-rigged on a weighted hook and designed to be retrieved like a fleeing shrimp, the Zerek Absolute Shrimp features a tough TPE body that has a one-piece tail that is tear and puncture resistant, yet still supple enough to provide an enticing action.

Able to be swum with a fish-attracting pulse of the rod tip, or sunk through the water column into the fish’s face, the Absolute Shrimp responds equally well to subtle rod work or stronger rips and shakes.

This lure even performs on a straight retrieve, with its legs and tail swaying and pulsing throughout the retrieve.

There are three sizes in the range, a 3”, 3.5” and a 4.5” model, covering a very broad list of target species. The 3” version weighs in at 9g and features a 1/0 hook, while the 3.5” weighs 11g and has a 2/0 hook. The 4.5” Absolute Shrimp weighs an easy casting 20g and features a 3/0 hook.

There are 10 colour patterns in the range, including bright UV-enhanced colours along with some ultra-realistic patterns, and they are ready to be fished straight from the box! www.wilsonfishing.com

DAIWA AIRD LT

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Proving that gold medal performance doesn’t have to cost the world, the Aird LT will have you on the path to angling glory.

Combining many of Daiwa best designs, including LT Concept and Tough Digigear, the Aird LT performs as well as it looks, and looks as good as it’s designed.

Ultimate line control is delivered by two of Daiwa’s best technologies, with Twistbuster and Long Cast ABS combining for unequalled casting performance and line control on the retrieve, while Daiwa’s innovative Air Rotor adds high level design and performance with its precision engineered construction enhancing rotor balance, strength and sensitivity.

A Carbon Light Body, EVA Knob, and ATD drag complete the long list of features and prove that you can indeed get superior performance without the premium price tag.

The Daiwa Aird LT is available in six sizes from 2000 to 6000. www.daiwafishing.com.au

NEW STRIKE PRO VIBE COLOURS

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Strike Pro has released three new colours in its popular range of Cyber Vibe 35 and 40 lures, and two new colours in the Micro Vibe range.

The new Cyber Vibe has three tow points and two rear hook points, giving the lure up to six different actions! This gives the Cyber Vibe more diversity than its competitors. The Cyber Vibe comes in 35mm (4.6g) and 40mm (6.6g) sizes, and these lures have become highly popular with competition and recreational anglers alike.

They are very easy to use and create a great vibration on a small lift and hop retrieve. They are deadly on bream, mulloway, flathead, estuary perch, bass and redfin.

The Micro Vibe is a miniature vibe lure that has become a favourite amongst bream anglers, in particular when fishing around structure such as piers, jetties, boat moorings and boat hulls. It is perfectly weight balanced and has a shimmy action on drop and lift and sits head down, tail up on the bottom. It is particularly effective when the fish have shut down or become fickle. www.jurofishing.com 48

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PRODUCT GUIDE

NEW SAMURAI REACTION RODS

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The Samurai Reaction is where it all started – a premium rod range combined all the best components with new, cutting-edge build techniques. Multiple successful rod ranges later, and Samurai have circled back to their eponymous rod range.

The Reaction stable has been expanded with two new models that fill those little gaps within the range. The first is the RE-151 (7’4”, 2-6lb Extra Fast), and the other is the RE-212 (6’5”, 3-8lb Fast Action), which is perfectly suited to working light surface lures.

Both models feature a triple layer, machinerolled carbon blank, hot press baked to deliver a precise rod with no imperfections along its length. It is combined with totally new Carbon/ Duralon grip assembly called CD6 Grip Control that stiffens the butt end of the rod, providing enhanced sensitivity and exceptional balance.

The carbon quad Axial integrated blank wrap reduces torsion twist and results in a greater strength to weight ratio. It provides a crisp feel where the slightest flick of the line is transferred down the rod to the angler.

The rods employ class-leading Fuji Titanium Silicon Carbide guides, and the matt black finish provides an understated premium appearance. www.samurairods.com.au

JIG STAR BAGS AND GLOVES

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

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The Jig Star brand evolved after its founder and acclaimed jigging expert Chris Wong in NZ had spent many years jigging with some of the most renowned big fish anglers from all over the world. Hundreds of hours were spent testing products to the absolute limit.

Two of the latest releases from Jig Star are the Jig Bag and Jigging Gloves. The Jig Bag is the ideal way to transport deepwater jigs.

This easy to carry briefcase-style bag is marine proof, and easy to clean and rinse. It has 17 long pockets for jigs up to 38cm, 10 short pockets for jigs up to 21cm, and two front accessories pockets.

Jig Star Fishing Gloves have been designed by jigging and topwater experts. These gloves feature fast-drying synthetic microfibre materials which deliver outstanding wear, comfort and protection. Special attention is paid to reinforcement to thumb, forefinger and palm areas. Available sizes are M, L, XL, XXL in blue/ black or red/black. www.jurofishing.com

STORM TRICK TAIL MINNOW

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A great choice for classic, soft jerkbaitstyle fishing, the Storm 360GT° Coastal Trick Tail Minnow rigged on a worm hook will glide and change direction like a fleeing baitfish. On the pause, the Trick Tail’s whole body rocks and its tail wiggles as it descends. You can remove the tail webbing to increase the amount of tail wiggle on the fall.

Rigged on a jighead, the Trick Tail Minnow works particularly well for probing the bottom and fishing with a lift-and-drop technique.

The Storm 360GT° Trick Tail Minnow is 5” long and comes in a pack of seven. It is currently available in eight colour patterns: chartreuse pearl pepper, cayenne gold, electric chicken, gold glow, kickin’ chicken, pilchard, pearl and silver mullet. It has back and belly slots for easy rigging and maximising the hook gap. www.stormfishing.com.au

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BROUGHT BROUGHT TO TOYOU YOU BY BY

ZEREK AWAKE

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Wilson Fishing has announced the release of the Zerek Awake, a double-jointed swimbait measuring 160mm and is an easy casting 42g.

This floating swimbait can be worked in the surface, or retrieved a little faster to get it to dive to approximately 0.5m. This ability to be worked at two levels gives the angler a versatility that is difficult to find in other wakebaits, allowing real coverage of the water in multiple ways.

Equipped with 4x strong trebles and with a body constructed from tough ABS plastic, the Awake forms part of the new Zerek Evolution series of lures – the next step for Zerek.

Check out Zerek Australia on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ZerekAustralia) to see all the latest releases, catch photos and videos.

You can also find more information on the Wilson Fishing website. www.wilsonfishing.com

The Storm 360GT° Coastal Manta Tail has a baitfish profile with a lively tapered tail, and it has a slow rocking action on the fall.

You can rig the 360GT Coastal Manta Tail with a weighted worm hook and give it some twitches to make it change direction like a panicked baitfish. Stop the retrieve and let the Manta Tail glide to the bottom as the body rocks and the tail wiggles as it falls.

When targeting deep weed pockets you can rig a Manta Tail on a jighead and let it rest on the bottom, where the quivering tail action will entice even the most cautious of fish.

360GT Manta Tails are available in two sizes (4” and 5”) in packs of seven. There are eight colour patterns currently available: chartreuse pearl pepper, cayenne gold, electric chicken, gold glow, kickin’ chicken, pilchard, pearl and silver mullet. The body features belly and back slots for easy rigging, and to maximise the hook gap. www.stormfishing.com.au

SAMAKI RED EMPEROR SHIRT

DAIWA 5000 CERTATE LT

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Samaki’s Red Emperor shirt stands out from the crowd. The rich colours throughout the reef are saturated in natural light, which enhances the detail of the fish.

You can clearly see the red emperor’s detailed fins, wide mouth and watchful eye as it waits atop the coral, ready to inhale the Ecooda Live Shrimp as it travels by.

The lightweight fabric is perfect for all outdoor elements, protecting you from the harsh sun with Samaki’s UPF50+ resistant technology. The soft touch 100% polyester material is comfortable on the body, and has the added feature of being breathable, keeping you cool and dry.

Samaki designs are brought to you

by Australian anglers who love to design Australian species. Red Emperor shirts are available in adult, youth and kids sizes, from a size 2 through to a 5XL, allowing the whole family to get in on the action and out onto the water.

Price: SRP $59.95 (adults), $49.95 (kids) www.samaki.com.au

PLANO BRIGHT SERIES 11

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STORM COASTAL MANTA TAIL

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Plano’s new trio of brightly coloured tackle boxes can help any angler to organise their gear in a big way. These classic tray tackle boxes feature your choice of one, two or three shelves with a cantilever tray design that extends when opened to showcase the contents. A sturdy fold-down handle simplifies transport and storage while the brass-bailed latch tightly secures the lid, keeping items protected and organised.

The smallest model is the 6211, which has one tray with 7-13 compartments. It’s idea for the novice angler storing an assortment of floats, hooks, sinkers and a few artificial lures.

The bulk storage in the bottom can handle items such as soft plastics, sunscreen and pliers.

The next size up is the 6221, which has two cantilever trays that feature 14-25 adjustable compartments, plus bulk storage at the bottom. The largest model, the 6231, has three trays with 22-34 adjustable compartments. www.jmgillies.com.au

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The Certate LT line-up welcomes a new top dog to the family with the release of a 5000-sized model. Combining Daiwa’s most advanced technologies and designs to deliver anglers a reel with few peers, the foundation of the new Certate is its rock solid Monocoque body housing the Certate LT’s new super sized, ultra tough, machine-cut gears.

Big on power and performance, the new 5000 Certate features 10 CRBBs, 12kg of drag, a large EVA knob for optimum cranking comfort and control, while its 295g weight keeps things light and nimble for a reel of its size to minimise angler fatigue and maximise rod and reel balance and performance.

Daiwa’s new Long Cast ABS spool, Mag Seal, ATD drag, one-piece Air Bail, new Drag Knob, Perfect Line Stopper, Machined Aluminium Air Handle, and Air Rotor further enhances the reel’s list of features and combine to make the new 5000 Certate LT the ultimate lightweight, strong and precise workhorse. www.daiwafishing.com.au

BASSDAY BUN

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The Bassday Bun is the latest addition to the expanding range of Bassday lures in Australia. Bassday’s surface lure collection features some of the finest fish catchers available, and now the team have added this sub-surface wakebait to the range.

The Bun is a realistic beetle imitation. It is a floating, shallow running wakebait, designed to imitate a beetle in distress on top or just under the water’s surface. It has a wide wobble action and creates a large wake. This new lure will be dynamite on fish like bass, bream, estuary perch, jungle perch, sooty grunter, trout and anything else that eats a beetle.

The Bassday Bun comes in eight colours, measures 30mm in length and weighs 4.5g. It casts well and accurately due to the tungsten weight, and will prove irresistible when beetles and abundant.

To see more information on this and other new lures from Bassday, as well as catch photos, head to www.facebook.com/ BassdayAus. www.bassday.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au AUGUST 2019

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FATHERS DAY GUIDE NEW ATOMIC METALZ SIZES

HALCO 1 MAX 220

Atomic Metalz were launched years ago in a 35 and 40mm size. They became a hit with bream and bass anglers, and were used effectively by some teams to win events where the fish were holding deep.

The lure’s effectiveness is down to the careful design and the speed at which the blade works, sending out a vibration that attracts nearby fish. The designers have also worked hard to ensure action at slow speeds. Across the entire range, all sizes swim confidently and perform with that fish-attracting vibration.

With feedback from ambassadors, Atomic have added new larger sizes – 55mm, 80mm and 110mm – to cover the full breadth of inshore and offshore fishing as well as impoundments.

Team ambassadors have caught bass, bream and threadfin salmon on the 55mm versions during testing, and coral trout and sweetlip when fished deep off the reefs.

The models are 35mm (1/8oz), 40mm (1/4oz), 55mm (1/2oz), 80mm (1oz), 110mm (1.5oz), and they’re available in a slew of natural and striking colours.

Price: from SRP $15.95 www.atomiclures.com.au

HOBIE LIFEJACKETS

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If you love the sound of a reel screaming in agony as line pours off the spool, then Halco Tackle has developed the perfect lure for you in the Max 220.

Halco has developed an ultra tough, sinking, bibless minnow that will get the attention of any XOS Wahoo and Mackerel, huge Tuna and other massive predators that lurk out in the deep blue.

Capable of being trolled at very high speed (up to 20kt) like its smaller brothers, the lure features heavily reinforced side walls to resist punctures by the toothy brigade and able to withstand the incredible crushing pressure inflicted by the jaws of its intended victims. Halco rounded out the package by included their legendary ultra tough 7xx fish rings and Mustad 9/0 inline singles for great hook sets and the ultimate in holding potential.

The lure is 220mm long, weighs 175g, and is designed for heavy trolling and jigging applications.

If you are into fishing for the brutes of the ocean, look for the all new Max 220 at all good tackle outlets.

Price: approx. $15 www.halcotackle.com

SHIMANO TRAVEL STORAGE

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EGILICIOUS SQUID JIGS

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TACKLE CLUB

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Shimano’s latest tackle storage range includes two new releases for anglers on the go – the Travel Wrap and Soft Back Pack.

The Travel Wrap comes with a hard tackle tray and additional sleeves for soft plastic storage. This lightweight, minimal travel wrap can be filled in a variety of useful ways depending on the situation.

The travel wrap also doubles as a minimal soft plastic wallet – the tray is removable and the mesh pocket can be used to store braid cutters, catch scent, leader, or any other tools essential for fishing.

The Soft Tackle Back Pack has a versatile range of applications and features, which make it ideal for both diehard fishos and weekend warriors. With added benefits such as four included tackle trays, a heavy-duty mesh front compartment, hard sunglasses case, an elastic tool holder and drink pocket, this bag is sure to impress even the fussiest of anglers.

Price: approx. $27-$99 www.shimanofish.com.au

Tackle Club is Australia’s favourite fishing subscription box, sending subscribers the best lures from the best brands from around the world. It’s a fun way to discover new lures while saving money.

Each month you will get a variety of quality fishing products, with prices starting from $49.99 a month for over $80 worth of gear. There is also the option to purchase a gift subscription, with prices starting from $149.97 for a 3-month subscription.

Tackle Club currently offers four boxes: an Estuary Box, Freshwater Bass & Yellowbelly Box, Cod Box, and a Freshwater Trout & Redfin box. Each box comes with 5-7 fishing products curated by experts, and contains 40%-60% more value than you pay, so you know you are getting a great deal.

For all subscriptions there is free shipping, no lock-in contract and you can cancel at any time. You can also save 10% if you enter FISH10 at the checkout! To see our unboxing videos, search for ‘Fishing Monthly Tackle Club’ on YouTube.

Price: from SRP $49.99 www.tackleclub.com.au

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Why should Dad have to leave his best mate at home while he enjoys a day on the water? With the Hobie Pet PFD he can take his dog with him safely.

Features include added flotation, grab handles, adjustable fit, leash attachment, side pockets, grab handles and soft foam undercarriage support. It’s available in a range of sizes, from XS (12lb, 8”-12” collar, 13”-17” body girth) right through to XL (90lb-120lb, 22”30” collar, 30”-42” body girth).

And for Dad himself, there’s the Hobie Manual Inflatable 150 Vest (Yoke), which is rated for offshore use while wearing foul weather clothing. It’s very lightweight and cool, and the collar folds down the back of your neck and shoulders, eliminating pressure on the neck and lower head.

The yoke is manually inflated by pulling a cord that activates a replaceable CO2 cylinder.

The vest fits up to 5XL, has an easy access storage pocket (great for keys, phone etc.); whistle; headphone port hole; D-ring for switch killer tether; UML Pro Sensor; self service; and more.

Price: approx. $60-$120 www.hobie.com

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Gift

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The Fish Inc. Egilicious features a unique take on popular colour patterns, a tail design that is 3° higher than standard jigs to minimize snagging and fouling, and its fine Japanese Owner hooks.

These super sharp and ultra-thin stainless steel hooks not only mean a better catch rate but also fewer jigs lost.

They open with less force, so if you get snagged you just apply slow and steady pressure until the hook opens and the jig pops off the structure. Then you can straighten the hook and you’re good to go.

These squid jigs are designed with the perfect weight for long casts, while maintaining a slow sink and realistic swimming action. Other features include 3D eyes, side feathers, tightly-wrapped cloth covers and a buoyant tail-up action.

Many jigs sink flat to the bottom, reducing strikes and hook sets while increasing snagging, but Egilicious instead comes alive in the water. It’s available in 3.0 and 3.5 sizes and 12 colours.

Price: SRP $11.95 www.tackletactics.com.au

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Guide

FATHERS DAY GUIDE

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RAPALA SPLIT RING PLIERS

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Maria have an extensive range of floating and sinking stickbaits, but the new Rerise adds another dimension to the line-up.

This new concept lure measures 130mm long, weighs 70g and can search deep areas normal minnows can’t reach. It sinks at one second per metre, allowing the angler to fish any level of the water column with the appeal of a tuned Japanese stickbait. The heavy weight enables lets you drop the lure to the bottom, and the swimming action imitates a wound baitfish, resulting in explosive strikes.

Fitted with Owner ST-66 trebles and a strong wire through construction, the Rerise is ready to battle any pelagic you can target. It is available now in eight colours.

Price: approx. $35 www.ejtodd.com.au

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MARIA RERISE

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The new Rapala RCD 4” Mag Spring Split Ring Pliers offer easy to use, single-handed operation.

Unlike conventional split ring pliers, the new Rapala RCD series are built with two internally opposing magnets to hold the pliers open. The patent pending Mag Spring mechanism cannot fail, even in the harshest of conditions.

The split ring nose opens rings up to size 0, while the built-in cutter cuts all lines or tag ends with ease. Other features include stainless steel jaws with a gun metal finish, and ergonomic co-moulded Soft Grip handles for a comfortable hold.

In a nutshell, the RCD Split Ring Pliers are one of the easiest, quickest and toughest built split rings pliers on the market. Keep an eye out for them at your local tackle store.

Price: approx. $35 www.rapala.com.au

SAMAKI BIG GRIP DIGITAL SCALE

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The Samaki Big Grip Digital Scale has so many features that it’s hard to name them all.

For starters, the ergonomic big grip handle is ideal for weighing big fish, with the scale catering up to 50kg or 100lb. It’s very comfortable to hold in the hand while you ready your catch for the weighing process.

The casing is completely waterproof and holds a 100cm measuring tape for you to document your catch with ease. The Samaki Big Grip Digital Scale also has a backlit LED screen to give you readings in low light environments, plus a built-in thermometer in both Celsius and Fahrenheit.

For more information and stockists just visit the Samaki website, or you can follow them on Instagram (@samakifishing) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/samakifishing).

Price: approx. $50 www.samaki.com.au

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EUREKA GLIDE BLADE KNIVES

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Eureka Glide Blade knives offer an exceptional range of knives with outstanding features at affordable pricing.

The Eureka Glide Blades currently are available in a Straight Fillet 6” and 8” model. Each knife features a 3CR13 stainless steel Satin blade that is strong, flexible and holds great edge retention. The textured soft grip handles are comprised of nylon and rubber, enabling the handle to fit comfortably in your hand while also reducing the chance of slippage and injury.

Each handle also features a finger guard for added safety.

The Eureka Glide Blades come complete with a leather sheath with a belt clip to protect the knife and keep it within reach if required.

For more information on this and other products in the Eureka range, visit the Juro OzPro Tackle website. You can also check out the latest catch photos, tips and videos on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ JuroOzProTackle), and YouTube (www. youtube.com/user/JuroOzPro).

Price: from approx. $30 www.jurofishing.com

WILSON PLATINUM FISHING CHAIR

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The new Wilson Platinum Fishing Chair is rated to 150kg and built with a wider base to ensure anyone can comfortably sit in it. This folding chair also has some clever additions for anglers.

For starters there is a rod holder that can be easily attached to the left hand side of the chair on the legs, setting your rod at an easy angle. If you plan on getting up from your chair, the designers have included a peg for the leg to ensure the chair is secured to the ground, and a massive strike won’t tip the chair over.

There is also a drink holder and a lined cooler bag in the arms, and a small bottle opener attached to the arm on a lanyard. On the right arm there is also a mobile phone holder pouch, to ensure your phone doesn’t get damaged when the action heats up.

The comfy and strong Platinum Fishing Chair is available now in your choice of blue or purple.

Price: SRP $62 www.wilsonfishing.com

DUO ROUGH TRAIL HYDRA

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Long and lean and designed as the ultimate sinking stickbait for large predators, the new Duo Rough Trail Hydra 220 is the lure to pack for your next offshore adventure.

Slim-profiled and with a fixed weight in the tail to maximise casting performance and enhance its action, the Hydra 220 features a dynamic skipping action when worked across the surface, while a twitch and jerk retrieve will see it move from side to side to enhance strikes.

A hyper realistic garfish imitation when worked across the surface, the Hydra is ultra long (220mm) in length to reduce fishing swallowing and biting off the lure, while its tail-heavy, 58.2g body weight allows for long, tangle free casting on the water.

If you’re looking to call up the predators to the surface the new Duo Rough Trail Hydra 220 is the lure to reach for.

Price: approx. $40 www.duo-international.com.au

Reeling after the weather WHITSUNDAYS

Mick Underwood

The weather has been a bit topsy-turvy the last few weeks, as it has been beautiful one day, blustery the next and then beautiful again. They say that variety is the spice of life but as an angler, it makes it hard to settle in on any regular bite patterns. One day you’re out wide in 40m of water chasing deep reef fish, and the next you’re hiding behind a headland

cackle to myself watching the faces of jewie virgins, trying to do battle with a big silver torpedo that’s doing its darnedest to rip them out of the boat. In the same areas as the jewies, there has also been good grunter and nannygai activity.

Back inshore some cracker coral trout have been coming to hand, which is nice to see for this time of year. Bait schools have been starting to move inshore, and moving with them have been several pelagic species. The creeks have quietened right

up, and even the mud crabs aren’t coming out of their holes. You know when the pros are staying home that things are fairly quiet. With the water temperatures at their lowest for the year, it is pretty typical for estuary fishing to clam up. Not to worry though – it won’t last long as spring is on our doorstep.

In August, there are all kinds of piscatorial adventures to indulge in.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love to chase Spanish mackerel.

They haven’t shown up yet, but with any luck we’ll be getting stuck into them this month. Last mackerel season was a ripper and I have high hopes that this season will be the same. My macky gaff is glistening and razor sharp, ready for any upcoming mayhem. Once they do show up, the outer edges of Rattray, Gloucester and Middle islands are good places to hunt.

Out in the same country, the deeper reef fishing should continue to fire and with the way that the season has been going, I expect jewies to keep leading the charge.

When targeting deep reef fish, the best bite for most species is when the tide is in full flow. The only exception to this is coral trout, and you can expect the odd one to have a go as the tidal flow slows down. I don’t normally see big numbers of coral trout caught out in the deeper areas, but when you do get one, it’s been a beauty.

Out wide isn’t the only good option in August. Back inshore, around the inner

Logan Birks took it to the next level, catching this beast of a bar-cheek coral trout. in that when the weather gods go sour and make it blow, we still have a vast

and if the bait stays, they should too. During warmer months when I’m sight

Local lad and regular on Reel Addiction Philip Wells couldn’t resist coming out for the hot jewfish bite. in 2m of water, trying to coerce some pelagics into playing the game. Never mind though – as anglers, we need to be able to duck and weave and adjust to whatever curve balls good old Mother Nature throws at us.

Catches over recent weeks haven’t been too bad, with decent fish caught in just about every corner of our backyard. If I had to pick out one species as the star performer, it would have to be black jewfish. When we’ve been able to get at them, the bite has been fairly reliable with double and treble hook ups common.

The strength and speed of these fish is quite amazing.

I regularly have a little

Jewies aren’t the only critter on the chew down deep. There have been some solid grunter coming aboard as well.

Robert ‘Munga’ Anderson had a blast fighting this solid golden trevally on 7lb string. I bet this goldy won’t be keen to eyeball soft plastics quite so closely again!

islands and the waters of Edgecumbe Bay should have great fishing, and if southeast trade breezes persist, then that’s where the majority of us will be fishing. We are blessed here in the Dingo Beach/Hideaway Bay region

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amount of flat productive ocean available to play on.

Hopefully the bait schools will continue to hang around in close so we can enjoy some good light tackle fun. Species such as golden trevally have been plentiful

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AUGUST 2019

casting golden trevally on the flats, they can as fussy as all hell, but at this time of year when the bait is all congested and hanging together anyone can catch them. They never fail to impress and every To page 53

Secret bait bags Burdekin bream AYR

Steve Farmer

Winter is bream time right along the tropical coast and Burdekin estuary waters are no exception, producing good catches of these hard-hitting little fish during the cooler months. The good news is that August is often the most productive time of the year in local waters to chase this ubiquitous, often-voracious species.

They can be taken on both baits and lures, making them ideal for beginners and experienced anglers alike.

Preferred baits are usually yabbies, fresh peeled prawns, crabs or slabbed baitfish such as mullet or herring and I’m guessing a little fresh squid would do the job as well.

However, four-year-old Ellie Sutcliffe didn’t use any of these usual baits to catch her bream last weekend. Instead she used a super-secret bait that can’t be revealed to the angling masses. You see, her Dad, Russell, was told about the super-effective secret bait, but was sworn to

absolute secrecy.

All the secrecy didn’t worry Ellie. She was just pleased with her catch and especially excited that she had a fish to weigh-in at the Burdekin District Sportfishing Club’s monthly competition.

The rest of the Sutcliffe family (including Mum, Simone, and 18-month old sister Izzy) also used the secret bait to add another couple of bream to the esky during their day’s fishing at Ocean Creek.

While bream can easily be targeted with lures, most Burdekin lure fishers are more likely to take them as by-catch when luring for flathead, mangrove jack and, to a lesser extent, barramundi. If you fancy targeting bream on lures, try going down a size or two in your jack gear – that is lighter leaders and smaller lures. However, if you’re targeting bream in the sticks on lighter tackle then you’re bound to tangle with the heavyweight by-catches of mangrove jack and barra sooner or later, meaning you can count on getting seriously smashed up or rubbed off from time to time.

When it comes to choosing bream lures, many of the smaller soft plastics and hardbody minnows (40-70mm) will appeal to this species. The hardware on some lures may be a little light for this hardhitting species and it may be worthwhile beefing up the split rings and trebles a little. Just don’t overdo it and dampen the lure’s action too much.

Target structure with your casts and vary your retrieve rate until you get results. While bream typically frequent structure such as mangrove roots, submerged logs and trees, rocks, jetty pylons and moored boats, keep an eye out anytime you’re fishing the flats. Bream often move in schools and can be easily spotted up in the shallows.

THE MONTH AHEAD Strong winds over the past couple of months have mostly kept Burdekin bluewater boaties landbound, restricting access to local bluewater hotspots such as the Alva Shoals, Cape Upstart and Camp Island. The end result is that fishers have had few opportunities to target the

Spanish mackerel that move through local waters at this time of the year.

While a fair chunk of the mackerel season is behind us already, there should still be Spaniards cruising local waters for a couple of months yet. All we need is a bit of that magic winter weather to get out and chase them.

Estuary anglers have much to look forward to over the next month with flathead and bream and to a lesser extent, whiting still frequenting the creeks. At the same time, we should see mangrove jack and barramundi catches begin to increase in anticipation of the warmer months ahead.

Grunter and blue salmon should also make up part of the estuary anglers catch during August.

Dedicated freshwater anglers have had a rewarding winter with steady catches of quality barra falling to diehard fishers putting in the hours at secret holes along the Burdekin River.

This is probably because river conditions are as good as we’ve seen for many years, with the water a very fishable, clear, green colour

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one is guaranteed to pull like a bus.

On the inshore areas, golden trevally won’t be the only pelagic to be found, with various species of tuna, mackerel and queenfish also on the cards. On the right days when things are stirred up nicely and there’s baitfish scurrying everywhere, it can be a piscatorial lucky dip. Once you cast your lure in, you never know what’s going to come back out.

August is prime time for shore-based anglers to get into the game. Our region boasts some of the most picturesque and userfriendly beaches in North Queensland and at this time of year, they are littered with flathead and whiting.

There are other fish to

Lawrence Clements got into the deepwater action and was happy to catch his first jewfish.

Four-year-old Ellie Sutcliffe used a secret bait to catch this bream. and levels at a good height.

Results should improve as the weather warms.

If you’re keen to score a barra or two this open

season, now’s the time to get started. There are only a few months until the season closes again and they’ll slip by in no time.

be caught off the beaches but right now whiting and flatties are the mainstay. I’ve noticed that a lot of anglers, especially the grey nomad brigade, like to target these species with bait. Those astute enough catch a good feed on a regular basis.

I prefer to cast lures, in particular small soft plastics and poppers. This allows me to keep moving around, searching for where the best concentrations of the fish are, and once found it’s game on. Flathead are fairly gullible and will eat most well-presented lures.

Whiting can be a different story, as they are one hell of a cagey critter and a challenge for any angler, but that’s what I play the game for. I don’t care how many I take home, it’s all about taking on that one snooty fish that

thinks they’re smarter than me and then showing them who’s the boss.

• Reel Addiction Sport Fishing Charters specialises in light tackle fishing for all tropical sportfishing species on fly, lures and bait. Reel Addiction operates from the beautiful Cape Gloucester Beach Resort, 40 minutes’ drive north of Airlie Beach.

Combined fishing charter and accommodation packages are available.

For more information, contact Mick Underwood on 0413 882 153 or email mick@reeladdiction.com. au. Resort enquiries can be directed to Julie Houston on (07) 4945 7242 or at info@ capeg.com.au. To stay in touch with what’s biting, check out the Reel Addiction Sport Fishing Whitsundays page on Facebook.

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Barra and jacks hitting hard in the snags TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

Over the past month we’ve had short windows of opportunity that have been very welcomed by locals suffering from cabin fever. All the enthusiasm in the world doesn’t make it possible to hit the water when the wind is blowing 15-30 knots.

of time, effort and fuel to find these spots. Anyway, I’ll leave that up to you.

Barramundi have been very active since the floods, and most of us believe this will continue for a long time to come. However, while the fish will probably be there, catching them may take a bit of persistence and lateral thinking. Small lures tend to be more productive during the colder months.

This fish grabbed a mongrel fly that’s a cross between a Deceiver, a Pink Thing and something else that the author tied up on the first cast.

Early mornings have been the best bet to get on the water, if only for a brief time before that damned wind picks up again. The reward for the early birds has made it worth the effort with good numbers of golden snapper (fingermark), mackerel, barra, grunter and just about anything else you can get a bait or lure to.

The bay is still full of bait and the increase in numbers of black jewfish has been incredible. Some jew have even been seen in the shallows of less than a metre of water.

This phenomenon has been unpredictable, but it’s starting to happen more often.

A 70cm black jew can look like quite a big fish if you haven’t caught one before. It might seem big enough to keep for dinner, but they actually have a minimum size of 75cm and bag limit of two. Quite a few anglers have unwittingly put undersize jew in their esky because they assumed it would be legal size. No matter what the species, do your research and ensure you’re within the legal requirements.

Regular by-catch while chasing the jew is the golden snapper. Most anglers use live baits, but vibes and soft plastics also work well in deeper water. There was a consistent mark in the bay that was a well-kept secret until a drongo pinged other anglers and then broadcast his ‘discovery’. The practice of pinging someone’s marks and then broadcasting them to the world has anglers very upset, as it can take a lot 54

AUGUST 2019

Still, while there’s a definite increase in numbers encountered with this ‘jellybean’ approach, having several options at hand is also advised.

For instance, recently my good mate Mick Rennie, my son Tannhym and I went for a look on a river we just haven’t been on for many months, and having several lure options to choose from made it a very enjoyable and successful day in the colder than normal conditions. As the sounder clicked into gear it showed a chilling 16.4°C, which made us sceptical about what the day may hold for us.

and queenfish were on the surface.

My young bloke doesn’t care what he catches, and he was happy throwing the 60mm Roosta Poppers and watching them get smashed, while Mick and I opted for the snag dwellers. After a few smaller jacks hit the deck, the young bloke decided that he’d join in. In less than a metre of water he skipped in his 5” Paddle Prawn rigged weedless and gave the traditional yelp when he got smacked in tight to the snag. The fish missed the hook, but slow and controlled twitching drew the suspect to the surface.

In a boiling bite that reefed the rod downwards, he was battling what I thought was a big jack. As we blurted out words of encouragement like, “Give it to him mate” and “Don’t let him get his head turned” he did a good job to stop the fish by letting his 10-16lb rod load over its full length and absorb the head shakes before ‘short pumping’ him that bit further out.

While all this was going on, I tied on the same luminescent Paddle Prawn rigged weedless and with the lead powder coated, and let it sink next to the snag. The bite was an obvious jack, and it headed for timber with my lure pinned in the corner of its mouth. With the net in one hand ready to get the young fella’s fish and the loaded rod in the other, I was too slow, and the fish wrapped itself around a branch in easy view on the surface. It was a nice jack of around 47cm, but the young fella’s turned out to be a 55cm golden snapper.

As it was swung aboard I kicked the Motor Guide into gear and headed to my jack, which was now relaxed and ready for the net. With

Tannhym Hodge hooked this golden snapper off the surface as it chased his Paddle Prawn from the snag to the top and nailed it. Smooth rod work stopped the fish from getting home again.

We didn’t need to worry though, as the first snags produced solid hits from jacks. Fish activity was obvious in every direction, and tarpon, GTs

just a metre to go, it gave a quick shake of its head and the hook dislodged, leaving me empty-handed.

That scenario played out a few times over the day, and

several double hook-ups that kept us on edge.

When finding fish amongst snags you shouldn’t put too much faith in the sounder, no matter how expensive or well defined the images are. Many of our fish came from snag clusters that held fish tight and obscured from the transducer’s penetrating reach. Yes, down scan does give better definition of what’s beneath, but by the time you have done this in shallow, clear water you’ve spooked every fish in the snag. I believe that every snag is worth at least a few casts, and on that day there was one snag in particular that looked prime, but there wasn’t much on the screen to get us excited. Eight barra later and a serious smoking by a monster gave us the proof that all structure is worth a cast!

Once the soft Atomic Prongs and Paddle Prawns had been fished deep in the snags and started the bite happening, it wasn’t too long before the fish woke up to the deception. A quick

While chasing the winter whiting around Townsville you often get a range of by-catch. In this case it was a nice golden trevally that ate a peeled prawn sent out for whiting or bream on the 6lb gear. trollers busy. Many anglers use berley to concentrate schools near their boat and within easy reach, while others work their way from marker to marker, casting 20-40g metals to cover water looking for active fish.

As is often the case during winter, several big Spanish have been caught along the channel marking poles, and mixed in with them have been some monster queenfish and GTs. From all reports, the further

If a bite shuts down a bit, changing your lure can sometimes kick it back into gear again. change to the Tilsan Barra got an instant result, and the bigger fish got more serious.

We would stop the Tilly’s momentum as it approached the snag, and then give a subtle twitch and let it sit for 4-5 seconds, and that did the job. Hook-ups are often brutal when you’re using this delicate retrieve, so be ready.

Having a range of lures to cater for different snags is important if you’re to make the most of every available situation. This day was one of many that have proved that more options results in more fish landed.

OFFSHORE As far as the offshore fishing goes, it’s been great – if you’ve gotten the timing right between blows. Mackerel are thick, and the Spanish, doggies and even greys and spotties are keeping both bait anglers and lure casters and

you go out, the less of a shark problem you’ll have.

Plenty of smaller 6-8kg mackerel are about, and there have been enough 20kg+ models landed close to the bay to make it well worth the effort. Wolf herring are the obvious choice of

serious mackerel fishos, but plenty are getting taken on the faithful old Laser Pro 190 also. Just a bit of advice for those trolling the deeper Crazy Deep model – the bib alteration was originally designed for the brisk, but not fast, trolling pursuit of coral trout around reefs. As such, it won’t handle the warp speeds of 7-8 knots, being more suited to the 4-5 knots range. In saying that, plenty of big macks fall for them at these speeds, so they’re worth having for those times when the macks hang deep.

Other species that have made up anglers’ catches are the big grunter, and some anglers have been consistently landing fish over the 60cm mark. That’s a good fish in anyone’s books.

Live herring and prawns are working very well on them, as are the bigger California squid and gar fillet dead baits rigged on two snelled 4/0s left to waft around on the bottom. Around 30lb mono leader is a good option for this approach. If it’s soft plastics you’ll be using, I recommend 3-4” prawn imitations, rigged on a 1/4oz jighead with around a #1 or #2 hook size. Light 6-10lb braid and no heavier than 20lb fluorocarbon leader seems about the best all rounder option, as you can hit some decent fish of other species while doing this.

All in all, if you can align good weather with your days off, you should be able to get a fresh feed of some of the best eating fish on the planet.

Reaction times need to be quick at the moment with the jacks, as they are hitting hard close to home, and know where every twig is.

Looking to the Cape and Gulf CAIRNS

Garry Smith garrysmith@fishingmonthly.com.au

What has been an annual pilgrimage to the Cape and Gulf for many held a lot more significance for anglers this year, as it has allowed a concentrated period of good fishing – something that has been lacking at home all year due to the weather.

figures, while other boats in the same party have failed to land a single legal-sized barra. It still pays to do your homework if you want to get amongst the fish, even in the remote areas.

Trolling is considered the go-to method in the Gulf but many anglers have had far better success flicking lures, hardbodied and soft plastic.

Live baiting is still the most productive method but many anglers stick to luring on

mackerel have been around in good numbers. The wind has been the only limiting factor. Here’s hoping August will finally bring payday, after one of the wettest and windiest years in memory.

On the odd days when the wind has dropped, Cairns anglers have been making the most of it and more than the average number of sickies have been recorded across town. The times that flat seas have coincided with a weekend have been as rare as a happy Blues supporter at Suncorp Stadium.

The Cairns Inlet continues to produce far better than it did for many years prior to the Net Free Zone, especially for golden snapper and barra. While there have been quite a number of trophy golden snapper taken in the deeper parts of the inlet, on the

whole they have been in the 35-50cm range. Barra have slowed with the water temperature cooling, but they are still being taken by those prepared to put in the effort.

The headlands to the north and south of Cairns have had plenty of barra for those able to vary their strategy. Any period of sunny weather has turned barra on. When it has also involved a rare period of light winds, barra have really come out to play. Some of the better fish have been caught in the middle of the day. A super slow retrieve and bouncing the lure along the bottom have been two key ingredients to success, along with a good dose of perseverance.

Mackerel are the main focus for anglers in August and there should be lots on offer, provided the winds

Terry Thimios, from Cairns, caught and successfully released this PB 127cm barra on a recent trip to the Gulf.

The large majority of the anglers who made the trip have reported outstanding catches. The big wet at the start of the year has certainly paid dividends for most.

Barra have been around in good to excellent numbers but they still require a fair degree of know-how to get results. Some parties have seen a number of boats catch barra way into the double

these trips. While barra are the main target, anglers have been getting amongst plenty of golden snapper, golden trevally, queenfish, mangrove jack and threadfin and blue salmon.

Back on home soil, the fishing has been good out wide when anglers have been able to get there. Reds have been biting in deep water, trout up shallow and

Queenfish, like this beauty caught by Barry Wedrat, have been biting in the Gulf and around Cairns.

Better quality golden snapper have been taken at night, like this one caught by Rob Ferris on a recent Gulf trip. allow small boat owners the opportunity to get out amongst them. Boatie s who braved the winds and seas early in the season reported great catches of Spanish mackerel out wide, so here’s hoping the wind plays the game this month. The lesser mackerels should be turning it on in closer to shore, with Double, Fitzroy, High and Snapper islands along with the Cairns Inlet leading the favourite haunts. It’s been a while since Cairns anglers have experienced a bumper mackerel season, so let’s hope this month is the icing on the cake.

Queenfish and giant

trevally have been providing plenty of entertainment around the estuary mouths this winter and August is usually a good month to chase them, provided that nets haven’t decimated them.

Many years have started off in fantastic fashion, only to come to a sudden halt with the arrival of the nets.

Crabs should still be around, though they have been getting quite a hiding in recent months as reports of good catches have gotten out.

All up, there is plenty on offer for anglers around Cairns this month. It’s just a matter of hoping the weather gods finally shine on us.

Wind won’t keep us away from the fishing PORT DOUGLAS

Lynton Heffer www.fishingportdouglas.com.au

It has been one of those winter spells that won’t quite settle down, with winds and a lot of cool, overcast days.

The upside has been that the southeasterly trade winds haven’t taken a full stranglehold, allowing a lot of trips to go ahead, particularly offshore.

The weather still never really eased off and most of our trips recently have been in 15-20 knots. We are extremely hopeful the sun will make more of an appearance and the winds will let up soon.

At this time of year, fishing is all about the Great Barrier Reef, with a myriad wonderful tropical species available. Bigger vessels have almost been necessary but the moderate to windy weather hasn’t affected the exceptional fishing one bit. I can’t remember

Anglers on Saltaire Charters have been tapping into the rich supply of Spanish mackerel on the reefs. the last time we have been disappointed in the number of fish we caught on any given day.

It has been a very mixed bag with a variety of species

turning up at different times.

There wouldn’t be too many we haven’t caught over the last month or so. Coral and bar-cheek trout have been caught by the truckload,

with numbers of nannygai at times. There has been a big run on solid spangled emperor, green jobfish, cobia, Spanish mackerel, spotted trevally, sweetlip,

reef mangrove jack and red emperor, to name just a few.

Cobia are a strong contender for ‘Fish of the Year’, as we have caught six off one location. Normally you would pick up one or two, but nailing half a dozen beauties was something to remember.

Our light tackle game fishing days have also been up there and have seen us rip into Spanish mackerel.

They are really concentrated at the moment and if you can source them, it is awesome fishing. An example of this was plucking 14 Spanish from a deep pinnacle, all of them ranging from 6-15kg. They would have eaten an old shoe if it was thrown in front of them but they just demolished our diving lures and wog head garfish rigs time and time again. If the weather can settle down, our fleet of game boats are extremely keen to fish the small black marlin grounds south of Port Douglas as we come into prime time. Unfortunately, bumpy weather has delayed this plan but we are well overdue for

good conditions.

With a lot of families visiting the area recently, river and estuary trips have been extremely popular.

Even though winter can be more difficult, there’s been ample action to warrant a trip or two. Fresh dead bait and live baits have accounted for numerous mangrove jack of decent size up to 50cm, followed by an even spread of estuary cod, golden snapper, bream and grunter.

On the bigger tides, there’s been some good-sized GTs and queenfish moving into the systems as well.

A reasonable run of mud crabs has been a welcome bonus at this time of year, particularly in the estuaries.

It’s still worth the time and effort to set some pots to add to your session on the water.

With additional tourists flooding the area since July, we are hopeful for a bit more sunshine and calmer seas to showcase our wonderful region, complimented by its awesome fishing opportunities.

AUGUST 2019

55

Plenty of cool water options CAIRNS

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

August requires anglers to have a different game plan in the Cairns NFZ. Cold water tends to shut down the usual suspects and the fishing can be a little tougher. However, there is still plenty on offer, especially if you change it up a little.

Barramundi and mangrove jacks are still being caught in the Cairns Inlet, Barron River and Moon Creek areas and fishing very small soft plastics seems to be the trick. Downsizing lures during these cool periods is a good way to get bites and I have been fishing from 3” down to get fish to chew. One lure in particular has been the 3” Molix RT

Small prawn profiles are a good way to get barra to bite in cool water.

Mud crabs are thick at the moment, so don’t forget to drop your pots in!

Shad fished on a 3/0 Owner Flashy Swimmer. The little silver blade has been proving to be a big point of difference in getting the fish’s attention and getting them to bite.

Other plastics that have been working well have been prawn imitations, which can be fished really slowly and right into the snags. It is best to fish your plastics very slowly at this time of year and casting in and letting them drop through structure is a sure fire way to get the bite. This is why you will need to have a plastic, which will work on its own on the

drop. Be ready and in touch with your line because when the jacks and barra do strike you will need to be able to get them out quick.

On the flats, threadies have been around in better numbers and most anglers are getting them on lightly fished herring baits and vibes.

Rough weather has seen inshore waters really dirty, so live baits are proving to be the best options over the lures at the moment.

Trevally and queenfish have been abundant, especially around the mouths of the rivers and creeks. These

If you’re targeting threadfin salmon in cool water, live baits fished on the flats are a good option. fish love this time of year and tend to school up, making for plenty of action. Look for surface chopping and action, and when you do find the fish it’s important to fish with plenty of speed, as they love to chase down a lure.

The other target species that has been red-hot this time of year has been the mud crabs. They have had a bumper year and are still moving well this time of

year. Drop your pots near small soaks or drains and give them at least six hours soaking for best results. The other tip is to not use too much bait, as the crocodiles love an easy feed and will easily tear your pot to shreds to get to it.

Next month will see the water warming up again and the NFZ creeks, rivers and beaches will begin fishing at their best.

Hit-and-miss during the cold HINCHINBROOK

Ian Moody info@ianmoodyfishing.com

In earlier columns I said that conditions should improve over the next few months. They are starting to slowly, but those strong southerlies are still hanging around.

up to 90cm started to get my mind onto a more positive outlook, but as I write this those nasty 25-knot cloudy days are back. They cause a dip in water temperature to around 20°C and a sudden massive rise in barometer.

It shuts down the bites and makes for very long, difficult days. The fish are still around but are just very lethargic,

Bruce with a 95cm barra. These fish need a different approach in winter.

Recently I had a few days of charters where the conditions eased and sunlight came back out, and it showed quite an improvement in the fishing.

A few days of up to 16 barramundi caught per day 56

AUGUST 2019

as expected.

We have encountered quite a few flathead captures as a by catch lately, some of which are nudging close to the 70cm mark. If you don’t mind filleting them, they are quite nice to eat. [There’s an

article on flathead filleting at wp.fishingmonthly. com.au – Ed.] During the calmer periods there have been a few good golden snapper (fingermark) and the occasional black jew caught around the area. Fishing the neaper tides in the deeper holes and ledges with live greenback herring and vibes or squid at night have been doing well, producing some above school-sized golden snapper. During the day I have heard reports of some black jewfish up to 1m being caught. Please remember that new regulations are now in effect for black jew. They have a minimum size of 75cm and a possession limit of one per person, and they must also be kept whole.

Around 20 years ago large jew used to be prolific in the Hinchinbrook area before they were heavily fished to a point that they became a rare capture. They fight very hard and do taste quite good, but they don’t release well.

It’s good to see that they are making a comeback and,

with the help of the new regulations, this comeback should speed up even further.

During August I’m hoping we will get more windows of opportunity to get further offshore with some longer periods of calm weather. Inshore areas around Cape Richards and Gould Island have yet to see those big queenfish schools as well as golden trevally and Spaniards. I have seen the odd big grey mackerel free jumping about, but have not seen any evidence of large numbers. Perhaps we will see them during the tides leading up to the next full moon. Here’s hoping.

Anglers that get out towards the reef during the next lot of calm days should do well on trout, nannygai and red emperor. Spanish mackerel have now moved a lot closer inshore, and areas like near Eva Island are hotspots for encountering them, providing you can get them past the sharks.

Trolling lures at 6-8 knots or drifting out ganged hook bait rigs will do the job.

Quite a few flathead have been caught lately.

• There are only a few months left for the barramundi season so now is the time to get in and secure your spot. To book a charter,

you can email us at info@ ianmoodysportfishing. com. You can also find more information at www. ianmoodysportfishing.com.

There are always options no matter the conditions LUCINDA

Jeff Wilton jeffwilton83@hotmail.com

In the last few months we have experienced tough fishing due to the unstable weather patterns. Every time I sit down to type up this report, it’s blowing 20 knots and drizzling with rain. The persistent winds are a trademark of winter but the lack of any real windows to get out is becoming too much to handle.

On the positive side, at least we’re saving money on boat fuel! Likewise, the fish have not had a lot of fishing pressure, so when we finally can get out, it should be pretty good. Let’s have a look at a few options for August around Lucinda. If there is one shining light for this area, there are always options no matter the conditions.

Winter means fun in the bluewater, if the weather allows. is the secret to success and anyone just relying on old store-bought frozen bait isn’t giving themselves the best chance to get amongst better quality fish. Golden snapper are not overly fussy, but talk to anyone who regularly catches these fish and you will hear the same thing about live squid or sardines as the baits to use for quality results. This may mean a few hours with the trusty cast net but it’s time well worth spent when you have bent rods and a few fish in the esky.

For those new to the area,

spend some time researching marine maps or behind your sounder GPS studying the depth contours. There is plenty of structure and broken bottom littered throughout the entire channel, spending a few hours motoring around with your eyes firmly on the sounder is necessary to get some good marks in the sounder. It is then as simple as getting a good anchor down and making sure you are fishing in the right area.

Keep in mind that as the wind changes direction or the tide changes, you will hang differently on anchor.

This means you may not be dropping baits where the structure is. If this is the case, it can be best to pull the anchor up and re-position yourself. If you have an electric motor with spot lock then this job becomes very simple.

The mighty mangrove jack will still be about.

We’re so lucky in TNQ as we can chase these great fish all year round.

Barra are still about, but are very difficult to get consistently as the cold, clear water makes them very lethargic. If you can get a good tide change and a hotter day you will still catch them but I’d suggest saving yourself a long stressful day and give them a few more months to get active again.

JETTY, ISLANDS AND REEF Jetty fishing is going off, and it’s in winter when the best fishing is to be

had consistently. Queenfish are the standout, and can normally be found in massive schools. Once they get active, anglers can find themselves hooked up multiple times in a session. They are such an underrated sports fish – they run hard and their acrobatics are spectacular.

The best way to get connected to a queenfish is by simply running a jerk shad style soft plastic, such as a ZMan 5” StreakZ. Matching it to a 3/4 or 1oz jighead will get it to the bottom easily, then work it back to the boat with a fast erratic retrieve.

This rig can also be fished slowly with hops and subtle lifts off the bottom, which puts you in with a good shot of hooking golden snapper, and there are some big ones out there, trust me!

Trolling for Spanish mackerel around both the jetty and the islands is a great way to spend a few hours and should see a few rods bending. Finding baitfish is the secret to getting amongst most predators. Mackerel feed hard during winter so they won’t stray far from their next meal. As a rule they will hunt close to the surface during periods of low light and this is when it can be great fun using surface lures, such as poppers and stickbaits.

When the sun rises, mackerel normally head deeper so dropping soft plastics and metal slices to the bottom and ripping them up at warp speed will get them feeding again.

The cold weather won’t stop Toni catching jacks.

HINCHINBROOK CHANNEL There have been some good captures of fingermark bream (chopper) from anglers fishing the evening and night tides up in the deep areas of the channel.

The best tides for this style of fishing are about 1-1.5m

variations. There’s enough run to get baitfish pushed around and predatory fish active, but doesn’t mean you need half a house brick as a sinker to hold bottom. The current that pushed through the channel on larger tides is pretty impressive and some sections can resemble a white

SEASON

7

water rafting type situation as the fast moving water hits underwater structure and causes upwellings.

Plan your trip around a tide change and try your luck at night as it seems this is when the larger fish get active.

As always, fresh bait

IS HERE!

Every Saturday 5.00pm on

Sean had great fun chasing this averaged-sized spotted mack.

OUTDOOR & FISHING SHOW

Listen on 5am-6am Every Saturday AUGUST 2019

57

Clouds part for great fishing COOKTOWN

Justin Coventry

It’s great to see the weather finally clearing.

The fishing has improved and it looks like there is going to be some hot action in the next few months.

Mackerel have already made an appearance at the local wharf, so things look promising.

showers came and went but the sun broke through to reveal a rainbow while he was there.

We’ve had beautiful sunsets too, which are worth a drive up to the Grassy Hill Lookout to watch. With the colours bouncing off the light clouds around, it is spectacular.

Cooktown Wharf is a good place to throw out a live herring for mackerel.

Unlike barramundi, which are ambush predators, mackerel

Josh and James were excited to land this decent pair of barra.

Our resident wharf fisho Roly caught a quality mackerel off the wharf recently. The

cruise through the river looking for a meal and a lone herring twitching away out

in the channel is irresistible.

So, don’t hold back – let that herring fly out into open water to be shredded by those razor sharp teeth.

Make sure to use a small amount of wire, otherwise you will be feeding the fish rather than catching them. Too much wire can spook the fish, so 10cm is plenty. Be ready to set the hook and remember what lies beneath the wharf...

Gropers love mackerel season and Roly was lucky to keep his fish. As the shadow of the deep was rising up to claim his meal, a friend helped him quickly get the fish in.

Queenfish have also been on the chew, so you never know what could be out there waiting for an easy meal.

Queenfish are great sport and make for a good fight, as they put on quite a show jumping out of the water. They aren’t the tastiest fish but they are best fresh. Don’t freeze your catch and if it’s too much to eat in one sitting, pass it on to a friend to enjoy. They also make nice fish cakes.

Barramundi have been slow to feed and hard to get on the bite. Roly has had some success on small soft plastics

but it’s been very hit-and-miss.

I was fortunate to do a fishing walk with some friends up one of the upper reaches of the local rivers and found some small fish that were hungry.

Walking the riverbanks is exciting and it’s always in your mind that soon or later you will find that prize fish.

Usually, you end up catching the smaller ones in the upper reaches but they are still fun. They are so aggressive and will often boof the lure nearly at your feet as you lift the lure clear of the water. It might be an idea to leave the lure at the bank for a second before you pull it clear. I will try to see if this gets results and report back.

I know of one angler who likes using soft plastic prawns.

When he retrieves them in, he always lets the prawn rest on the rock wall and he has had fish pick it off the wall many times. So, be patient and let your lure linger at the end, as you never know what might happen. Instead of hearing that unexpected boof as you lift your lure clear of the water, you might just catch that prize fish!

The Cape has opened

Persistence is key to landing even rat barra like this one Tony caught. and traffic is picking up accordingly. The national park sites are mostly open with more opening next month, so get out there and enjoy the opportunity to camp and fish some of the pristine fishing rivers of Cape York. I’m looking forward to heading there soon. Although I’m

always hoping to catch a few and find some more potential fishing spots to explore, it’s great just to get out with family and friends and go camping.

I can’t wait to be sitting around the fire, going over the adventures that we had that day. I hope you get the chance to escape as well!

Fun times chasing black jew in the dry season CAPE YORK

Tim O’Reilly wildrivercompany@gmail.com

Catching black jewfish up in Cape York can be both frustrating and rewarding in equal doses. When that firm jaw-lock chomp is felt up the line and things suddenly come tight, it’s a great feeling. What follows is a first surging run before turning towards the boat with violent head shakes.

The next run is where the

seems to be the mainstay for these fabulous sportfish. They will take lures, live bait and dead bait with equal gusto when they’re in the mood, and will require anglers to move past light gear to something mid-range just to stop them.

I have suffered of late being a little under-gunned on bigger jewies, and the reality is that many of the bigger models are lost to the bottom, sharks or through tackle failure. We have found them in shallow country many times down the west coast and up near the tip of

A jig with a few squid tentacle additions is effective. to the bottom and entice the strike of a slightly reluctant jewie. The bite can actually be soft and the hook-up less than intense, but the resulting run a few moments later makes everything worthwhile. Just slow lifting flutter-type jigs up off the bottom and wafting them back down can be a great way to entice a strike.

Soft plastics worked in a flicking motion close to the bottom with an ‘up-up-up’

them to change course away from structure.

Jewies are a firm but pleasant fish to cook with, and they carry quite a nice texture for a range of cooking methods. The fish quite often don’t release well, because their swim bladder can become bloated coming up from even shallow depths. Don’t keep them out of the water for long, and try to release them

it isn’t strongly swimming away, it’s best not to keep targeting the same school.

Finding baitfish will be crucial to your success as well as understanding where the fish position themselves in your particular chosen area, be it the mouth of a river, a rock bar, shoal or offshore reef.

A change of tide is often a good a place to start as any.

sink-type motion will also entice a bite, as the fish either watch a fleeting meal or a sinking one before taking a chomp. When they hook-up, it’s nice to make a few meters of line in the first few seconds while they wake up, before the inevitable run. Lifting their head in this situation may be impossible, but using sideways rod angles and some hand pressure on the drag can sometimes cause

Getting stretched by a black jew. fight is won or lost as the jewie chases cover and a firm hand is needed.

Nothing beats seeing those dazzling purple-lit flanks coming into view.

There is a multitude of places where black jewfish will reside within Cape York, although huge areas will be almost devoid of these fish.

The west coast of Cape York 58

AUGUST 2019

the Cape, sometimes hovering in packs at around the 3-4m mark. This is intense fishing and requires a pretty sturdy approach to getting them in.

Using fresh whole baitfish and squid baits are a fantastic way to target the best fish.

Throwing a couple of squid tentacles onto the assist hook of a vertical jig is a fantastic way to cover ground, fish close

When you’re connected to a jew, the fight is over quickly, but it’s intense while it lasts.

A nice one taken on light threadline gear.

with a good head-first plunge back into the depths. Avoid just slapping them in on their side. If you are having trouble getting a jew de-gassed, or

Jewies are a year-round prospect in the Cape, but it is lovely to chase them in the cooler, cleaner waters of the dry season.

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Camping and fishing is great at Somerset Dam BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

September is always one of the great months for the angling fraternity.

In Queensland we have holidays towards the end of the month, which always seem to coincide with warming days, and before long the winter chill is a distant memory!

That means it’s a cracker time to take a look at Lake Somerset (Somerset Dam) to see just what this grand old lady of a dam might offer the keen angler, especially if the family will enjoy camping out at this fabulous time of year.

THE FISH This all concrete dam, established around 75 years ago and set up with its own power station, has been a renowned fishery for bass, golden perch and the odd cod for over three decades. Cod are hard to come by here, and you don’t hear of many being caught. However, I suspect

There’s never a shortage of somewhere to camp at Somerset Park camping area. Note the handy picnic sheds at the northern end. of Somerset, called Somerset Park. With very spacious grounds having both powered and unpowered sites on hand, and lots of lovely trees for some shade, there should always be just the right spot to set up camp

koalas, as a couple of my mates have done!

Somerset Park back camp grounds are right across the road from the local store and excellent eatery which also has small goods, some tackle and fuel. They also make a

A picnic table with BBQ at The Spit. that some of the unexpected break-offs that occur in this dam – often in the midst of a hot bass session – come from big cod that take a liking to a lure and decide to take it with them.

Joining these fabulous native fish are hordes of tilapia, which these days are commonplace in virtually any body of water south of Cairns and into upper NSW. Tilapia are a mixed blessing, and I’ll talk more about them later in the article.

SOMERSET PARK Camping grounds are well established on the western side of the dam. The two major ones are easily found on the road between Esk and Kilcoy, and they are well signed, well set up, well established and have staff that run things unobtrusively and excellently.

If you’re approaching from Esk, the first camp grounds will be at the town 62

AUGUST 2019

if you take a look around.

Be aware that the trees often harbour a koala or two, so don’t be surprised to hear these furry rascals grunting at night. That said, don’t let your snoring mate blame the

pretty good cup of coffee.

At Somerset Park, there’s the possibility of scoring a fish down in the Stanley River on the east side of the grounds but the bank is a bit steep. It’s far better to go

for a few minutes’ drive and fish the dam proper via The Spit, which is a couple of kays away.

One thing that’s really great about camping here is the lack of formality and easy choice of camping areas. A fire at night is fine, and there are also some large shelter sheds complete with tables and seating.

THE SPIT As the major day use area on the southern end of the dam (the wall is within sight here), The Spit is a major launching area for fishing craft, water sports aficionados, and a huge attraction for people enjoying a picnic in a very scenic locality. The public have access only during daylight hours, but that aside, this is a great place for a day out. The ramp is wide, has sufficient gradient, and there’s ample parking. A fish cleaning table is right next to the ramp, and along the road running out to the end of The Spit there are picnic tables, some even with wood-fired BBQ plates.

Take some firewood and fire up the barbie.

There’s plenty of parking at the boat ramp, and with such an ideal set

Don’t forget the red claw pots! These youngsters were very happy with their catch.

Alan McGrath took this great Somerset bass on fly. up it’s very easy to launch the boat and search the bays and points nearby for bass schools, or cast lures or a bait into the shore features for golden perch.

The bass schools form up regularly at this time of year down towards the dam wall, and it’s not unusual for some great fish to be taken right out from the very

launching. Access to the main 45ha camping area is via a boom gate so you have to register and book in to gain entry at the kiosk, which also has some basic groceries on hand, as well as ice. Once inside, there’s hectares of space available to find just the right spot to set up camp.

By the water? Why not?

There are around two dozen

Camping right by the water, or with a lake view, is an attraction at NRMA Lake Somerset Holiday Park. end of The Spit, usually in 10m of water. As elsewhere in Somerset Dam, a boat is a great asset to find fish, but I’ve seen anglers using worms as bait scoring some very large tilapia from the shore. These fish are noxious pests and cannot be returned to the water. I’m told they are great to eat, but the law states they need to be either buried or put in a nearby bin.

NRMA LAKE SOMERSET HOLIDAY PARK There’s now a new name for a very old camping ground! I first camped there when it was known as Kirkleagh, but these days NRMA have the naming rights. There’s a huge area set aside for campers, great amenities, plus ease of

powered sites available, and there’s also the option of a safari tent or log cabin if you want to bring your boat but not the camping gear.

In the park there are playgrounds, a cricket field, BBQ, camp kitchen, laundry plus the all-important fish cleaning station. Amenities are always spotless.

This park is very well run, and late check out is good when the day is a bit damp due to mist or fog.

About the only drawback to enjoying camping here is the possums. Any item that has the slightest smell of food on it will attract possums, who will scratch, tear or otherwise open it if you leave it outside the tent or camper. They have nimble paws and know how to undo

things – and all this while you are trying to sleep. They will cheekily go into the tent or camper after tucker as well if given half a chance.

there’s another ramp on the northern side of the camping area just outside the fence.

This one is within the day use area, and is open during

those worms do work a treat on the tilapia, which are quite good sport in their own right.

However, the

The launching area at The Spit is as easy as it gets.

Big fat bass are the drawcard at Somerset Dam at this time of year.

On a positive note, docile kangaroos do roam the grounds and these are always enjoyable to see.

DAY USE BOAT RAMP Park residents will appreciate the ease of launching at the multi-lane boat ramp on the southern side of the Park. For those people not staying in Lake Somerset Holiday Park,

daylight hours for all comers.

The day use area is also boom gate controlled, but open during daylight hours. A reasonable slope plus ample parking areas make this ramp a pleasure to use.

TAKE THE BOAT As is the case down near The Spit, a boat is a virtual necessity to catch a golden or bass. Still, for shore anglers

real drawcard at this impoundment is the big bass, and each year some whoppers are taken. All methods work: bait, lure and fly. Lots of anglers catch their bass using live shrimp around the timber, but sports-minded anglers will suss out the bass schools with their sounders and then see how up-to-date their skills are when it comes

to tempting a fish. We fish fly and this works well, but vibes, ice jigs and spoons will also take their share. Finding the right approach on the day can require some trial and error. When it comes to flies, you want something that looks like a bony bream or the ubiquitous Bass Vampire.

Remember that a Stocked Impoundment Permit is necessary to fish this dam.

SUMMING UP Somerset Dam is sitting around the 75-76% mark these days so there are plenty of great areas to fish. On a recent visit, the water was pretty clear and the bass were easy to locate around the magic 10m depth mark. Searching

the Stanley River Bed and nearby contours with the sounder revealed the bait, fish and the drop-off areas next to the river bed, which is where we located the feeding bass schools.

Another thing to be aware of is that the tasty redclaw yabby has made a resurgence here. Some very large ones have been taken, so it’s worth bringing a few pots.

A sounder full of fish: just what every angler wants to see when fishing Somerset Dam.

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63

Good fishing has fired up a little bit early TOOWOOMBA

Jason Ehrlich fishability1@bigpond.com

Last month the fishing was quite good by winter standards, with a few lakes really firing up. While the action can be red-hot on the nicer winter days, some of the other lakes remain hard work. This is just the nature of fishing at this time of year.

The fishing also tends to change a lot on a daily basis.

When a nicer weather system moves through with warmer days and light winds the

fish tend to perform better.

This is great news as usually we only start to see better widespread action towards the end of this month.

Bass are leading the charge. Bigger fish with fat bellies containing roe are now common – 2kg, 3kg or even 4kg fish are possible and make winter angling worthwhile. The bigger fish are most likely to come from Lake Somerset, but I expect to see some pushing 3kg from quite a few of the other lakes this year.

Barra catch rates also increase around the better weather. Still days with

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND CRESSBROOK CLOSEST TOWN: CROWS NEST Great news, Cressbrook is open to fishing again! After a long closure due to high levels of blue-green algae, the Council has reopened the dam to all water-based activities.

The reopening was

enjoyed by plenty of keen boaters in the first few weeks. Some were having great success while others were struggling. Big bass to over 50cm can be common and, on the right day, these fish chew cast after cast for anglers lucky enough to be using the right gear at the right spot. I have heard some sensational

plenty of warm sun really fires the fish up a notch. This action will become more common and predictable over the next couple of months.

Goldens continue to take lures on some lakes, but are near impossible to fool at other spots. It is hard to understand why; many of the cod lakes are very low so the fish must be stacked on top of one another. Most of these lakes have stopped doing big releases so the more stable levels could be what is needed to produce better fishing action.

Until next month, buckled rods from The Colonel!

13

15

16

14 31

Weipa

17

28

34

18

Toowoomba

BRISBANE

IMPOUNDMENT DAM

dominating winter catches with their slow swimming action and flutter on the drop. Even altering the hook setup on these can make a difference on the tougher days. Mix it up and try assists on the rear of the lure instead of a treble.

Fishing should be much the same this month with the amount of action changing on a daily basis. Schooling bass can be found in the middle reaches of both arms.

These schools favour 10m of water and can usually be

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

27

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23

reports of multiple 50cm+ fish with plenty of high 40cm models mixed in. The same anglers have worked the same areas on other days to get barely a bite.

The weather really seems to be influencing the mood of the fish. The calm, sunny and stable weather has been waking the fish up.

Spoons and tail spinners have been doing most of the damage. These lures are

Lake Cressbrook has certainly turned it on with some big fat mumma bass being caught.

Gympie

12

25

Cairns 1

26

19

33

20

Townsville 2

3 4

Proserpine 6 Mackay

5

32

Rockhampton

Emerald 29 7

10

Highlighted dams are covered in this issue

Gladstone

30 8

Bundaberg 9

11

Maryborough

Roma

found around predominant points. Trust your sounder and keep moving until you locate the fish. At times, they will be hard to see when they are hugging the bottom. Sounders today do a good job of spotting these fish, which show as a small lump or pimple on the bottom. These fish can be the big ones, so don’t give up hope thinking because they are lying on the bottom they are uncatchable. Slow the retrieve down or use hops and slow draws to

BRISBANE

keep the lure in the zone.

• For all your fishing supplies and the latest reports on the surrounding dams, call in to see Fish’n’Bits in Alderley Street. They have a great range of lures and fishing gear. The boys can sort you out with the right gear and give you some tips on where to find them.

SOMERSET CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY This is the month To page 65

QLD AND NORTHERN NSW DAM LEVELS Dam............................ % Full

        

DAMS Atkinson Awoonga Bjelke-Petersen Boondooma Borumba Burdekin Falls Callide Cania Clarendon Cooby Coolmunda

MAY JUN JUL 5 5 5 74 72 71 7 6 5 30 28 27 96 95 96 101 101 99 49 47 45 74 72 71 0 0 0 33 33 33 10 9 8

Dam............................ % Full           

Copeton Cressbrook Dyer/Bill Gunn Eungella Fairbairn Glenlyon Hinze Julius Kinchant Koombooloomba Leslie Macdonald

11 9 9 39 39 38 4 3 3 101 100 102 20 19 18 9 9 9 94 93 93 96 93 90 99 100 99 79 84 76 5 5 5 103 102 104

Dam............................ % Full           

Maroon 78 76 75 Monduran/Fred Haigh 80 78 77 Moogerah 61 58 55 North Pine/Samsonvale 71 69 69 Peter Faust/Proserpine 81 80 80 Pindari 6 6 5 Somerset 77 76 77 Teemburra 101 100 101 Tinaroo 100 96 94 Toonumbar 72 67 67 Wivenhoe 58 56 55 Wuruma 87 85 85

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 17/07/19

(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.)

64

AUGUST 2019

From page 64

to be at Somerset Dam. The monster bass will be schooling up and munching on bony bream.

I often refer to the good bite starting like the flick of a switch. The fish can be tough for ages and then after a run of good weather, they will be out of control.

We have already had a few tastes of this over the winter months. Huge bass have been caught but then days later they seem to disappear and are almost impossible to find let alone cast to.

On these harder days, finding single fish or small schools hugging the bottom and annoying

open over holidays and otherwise from Friday to Sunday. Orders can also be made online via the website www.somersetfishing.com. au. They have an excellent range of gear suited to fishing for bass and golden perch.

WIVENHOE CLOSEST TOWNS: FERNVALE, ESK So far, the schooling fish have been frustrating.

Out on the flats west and north of Billies Bay, bass have been found on a few occasions. Lure trollers were picking up reasonable numbers of bass and golden perch when trolling the edges of the drop-off or open flats of 8-11m deep.

Deeper divers capable of

just up the road. Wivenhoe can also produce some whoppers but you’ll need to work just a little harder for them. Keep in mind there is a 6knot speed limit on this lake and you need a 4-stroke or low emissions outboard.

• The guys at Charltons Bait and Tackle at Redbank are the boys to see about Wivenhoe, Moogerah and Maroon. Their impressive wall of lures is enough to make any freshwater angler drool. Call in, stock up and get a few tips on where to head before your next trip to the lakes.

MOOGERAH CLOSEST TOWNS: BOONAH, RATHDOWNEY Moogerah was a little

are ideal while the water is still cold.

Skirted jigs fished on the steeper banks or on the weeded edges will also take their share of fish.

This is a very different style of bass fishing, which I am yet to master. The fishing can be slow but their effectiveness comes into play when fish aren’t moving around much and want a subtle presentation.

Larger schools should form outside the weed edges and on points; especially towards the end of the month. These schools often hold smaller fish but leading into spring, expect some bigger ones.

They can be lured with small blades, spoons and tail spinners.

NORTH PINE (LAKE SAMSONVALE) CLOSEST TOWN: BRISBANE, LAWNTON, PETRIE North Pine has always had a reputation of being a great winter fishery. This year has been the first winter that kayaks have been able to head out from Forgans Cove to access the schooling winter bass.

With big schools starting to appear last month, there were some excellent catches with some guys landing well over 50 bass per session. Expect plenty more of this action in the coming months.

The Lowery boys had some fun at Cressbrook Dam after it reopened to fishing.

The trick to catching big numbers is to search for signs of schooling fish.

The drop-offs where the bottom drops away from 8-10m into deeper water concentrates the fish. At times it has only been a matter of pulling up on a few fish and once one is caught, others just seem to turn up under the kayak.

You can then keep fishing the area and good numbers will play the game. Spoons and soft plastics have worked the best and not much should change as we get closer to spring.

North Pine has been quite consistent through the ordinary weather when other lakes fish poorly.

The fact you are chasing bass from a kayak becomes the trickiest part when the

wind blows or rain falls.

Another option is to walk the banks around Forgans and Bullockys Rest. The points here are good land-based spots.

Like kayaking, spoons will be the best approach.

These heavier lures cast a mile and can be hopped or wound back across the bottom. The Gang Banger G2 and Nories Wasabi have been two of the best with heaps of 40-50cm bass on offer.

• Tackleworld Lawnton is an ideal port of call for all your fishing needs if fishing the lakes on the north side of Brisbane.

The guys can point you in the right direction and help you experience some awesome fishing close to the heart of Brisbane.

Exploring the flats of Wivenhoe Dam with a deep diving trolled lure is sure to pull some golden perch. them with an ice jig can turn them on. A hooked fish will lift his mates off the bottom and once they are more active, the bite gets better.

When the schools turn up, try your luck with spoons. The fish feed up on bony bream at this time of year and a spoon is hard to beat for producing both numbers and size.

Most 20-30g spoons will work provided you dress them up with bass sized hooks. Each style is different and you need to work out how the fish like them best. Slow winding off the bottom or a slow draw to hop the lure off the bottom are often the best way to get the bites.

There have been a few winters where soft plastics have been the answer to fooling big bass. A dead slow roll to keep the lure tickling the bottom where the big fish live is all that is needed. This style of fishing can be very slow but it can result in very big fish. Using 3” paddle-tails rigged on 1/2 or 5/8oz jigheads will get you in the game.

• Somerset Fishing has their store based at the area above the day use boat ramp. The store is

reaching 7-10m were doing the damage around the bait schools when groups of fish could not be found.

The few times good schools of fish were found, they were almost suicidal on cast lures. Spoons worked well for several groups of anglers with fish being caught rolling and hopping them. The action was also good when fishing them close to vertical under the boat.

When the schools are hard to find, try your luck along the edges of the lake. Here you can troll hardbodies or cast to the medium tapering banks.

I like the rocky banks on this lake but not the steeper ones at the lower end.

Casting lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits and chatterbaits to the edges will draw interest from bass and golden perch. Wivenhoe is a massive dam with plenty of ordinary edges, so pick wisely and spend a bit of time on each spot before moving on. This run-and-gun style of fishing is necessary to locate the fishy spots.

Wivenhoe will be a good spot to try if you are looking for a quieter location to fish.

A lot of focus will be on the huge bass at Somerset

slow over the last couple of months. Plenty of bass around 40cm have been caught but the action is unpredictable. This should only get better this month as we lead into spring.

The long point stretching out towards the dam wall from the northern boat ramp has been holding good numbers of fish. Spoons and 1/4oz blade baits should entice these bass once they are found. Once you hammer this spot, try the bay to the east in case there are fish schooling on the points and ledges in this area. If you manage to find more than one school and there aren’t too many boats about, you can rest the fish to let them regroup before trying your luck again.

MAROON CLOSEST TOWNS: BEAUDESERT, BOONAH Maroon is a very different fishery from most of the other Queensland lakes. The nice weeded edges are a great place to lure bass out waiting to ambush their next feed.

Suspending hardbodies and lightly-weighted soft plastics can be fished over the top of the weed, through deeper pockets and along the weed face. These more subtle presentations

Nathan Palmer cuddles this hefty Copeton Dam cod that was caught on a swimbait.

Gary’s Marine Centre

3201 6232

217 Pine Mountain Road, BRASSALL AUGUST 2019

65

SUNSHINE COAST REGION MACDONALD CLOSEST TOWNS: TEWANTIN, NOOSA Lake Macdonald will be worth a visit this month.

Being closer to the coast, it often warms quicker and comes to life just before spring. If you can find the schooling bass in the main basin, you are in for a treat.

One of my best ever bass sessions (with 16 fish in 16 casts) was on this lake a few years back in August.

While moving about, study the sounder across the flats in the main lake body. There is some great country just out in front of the Botanical Gardens.

When the bass schools are found, try working them with 1/4oz blades or spoons.

You can also catch on soft

plastics, vibes and other lures but the numbers are not likely to be as good.

If those schooling fish are hard to find, you may be left with no choice but to resort to fishing old methods. Head to the weed edges and start working blades, suspending jerkbaits, silent lipless crankbaits and chatterbaits.

BORUMBA CLOSEST TOWNS: IMBIL, NOOSA Good numbers of bass should now be holding on the flats and points in the main basin. There were still fish scattered through the timbered arms of the lake last month but hopefully these have made their way out to join the schools.

Ice jigs are a great way to get the fish fired up. A lot will be smaller but if you play the

DARLING DOWNS GRANITE BELT REGION COOBY CLOSEST TOWNS: HIGHFIELDS, TOOWOOMBA Cooby Dam remains closed due to the outbreak of blue-green algae.

Hopefully winter will help to kill it off. Unfortunately the great fishing isn’t likely to come back on line until mid-spring when things warm up again.

Keep up to date on the Toowoomba Regional Council’s website.

LESLIE CLOSEST TOWN: WARWICK Leslie has been flying under the radar this winter.

I thought the action would be slow due to the low lake level last month, but plenty of fish were caught on lures. Golden perch are often a good option in this lake through winter.

I was only guessing that due to the lower lake

level the action would be slow this year. How wrong could I be?

Hopping soft vibes and blade baits vertically on top of rocky structure seemed to be one of the better ways to get the yellowbelly to bite. This vertical fishing means you will need to move about to locate prime fish holding spots. You will often need to move about to try your luck on a range of rocks, trees and hard structure in 3-7m of water.

Another way the bigger fish have been caught is casting spinnerbaits up near the rocks at the dam wall. Slow winding them back along the bottom has been getting timid bites from the big fish. The Hot Bite Midget spinnerbait is a smaller presentation and carries small assist hooks rather than the standard spinnerbait hook. Golden perch love to pick at these

WIDE BAY AND SOUTH BURNETT REGION BOONDOOMA CLOSEST TOWNS: PROSTON, KINGAROY Boondooma has been one of the more reliable winter fisheries this year. Bass schools in the middle reaches of the lake are performing well. You can play all day with them by mixing up techniques.

The action is a bit slower in the mornings so stick with ice jigs until the fish really start to school up in numbers. As the school lifts off the bottom more, you can switch it up and try blade baits.

Later in the afternoon, give other lures a try as well. Spoons and soft vibes hopped and slow wound through the fish should get the bites.

The hot action should 66

AUGUST 2019

only continue this month.

Trolling will be quiet due to the fish schooling in tighter formations. Stick to casting when the fish are found bunched up and you will get into some great fishing. There are some big bass on offer too. Boondooma has been producing a few fish over 50cm long so be prepared for some drag peeling action.

• 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 an excellent range of proven

numbers game, a few bigger fish will be mixed in.

Often there will be better quality fish schooled together and it is a matter of sorting through the schools to find them. The more seasoned bass anglers can actually pick these bigger fish by studying the returns on their sounders. The bigger fish produce a stronger return with brighter colours at the centre of the arch.

Bigger fish will be responsive to soft plastics, blade baits, tail spinners and spoons. If you have the luxury of having several rods, rig them with the different lures to rotate quickly and see what the fish prefer.

• Davos at Noosaville has all the gear you’ll need to tackle the fish at Borumba and Lake MacDonald. They can be found in the Homemaker Centre on the corner of Mary and Thomas Streets.

Bass are big at North Pine Dam and this one took a G2 Gang Banger spoon. Todd Rasmussen has been getting well acquainted with them in the boating area, kayak zone and off the bank. If this bloke spends any more time near the water, he’ll grow fins and scales!

assists and the conversion rate is much better than when fishing the standard spinnerbait presentation.

The 1/2oz size would be ideal for slow winding across the bottom on spin tackle. If you prefer to use heavier line and a bait caster, try the 5/8oz model.

It is going to be a while before we see any significant change in the fishing. The water will take a few months to warm up enough to reliably catch the fish trolling hardbodies. Bait fishing with saltwater yabbies and live shrimp will start to improve too as the water warms.

Murray cod reports have been few but you really need to put time in specifically targeting these big fish. Trolling bigger 1oz spinnerbaits is one of the best ways to fool these 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 ten minute drive from the dam and you can pick up any supplies you might need.

COOLMUNDA CLOSEST TOWN: INGLEWOOD You may have seen the fish kill at Coolmunda on social media around a month ago. This wasn’t really covered too well in the media and based on what was seen, it is a little misleading. I talked to some people who saw firsthand just how many fish died and there certainly was a lot. The good news is a lot of the natives, like golden perch and Murray cod were not badly affected.

Tonnes of dead fish were removed from the water after they were killed in a roll over event.

These roll overs occur

in some lakes during the cold months. The bottom layers of warmer water, which are deoxygenated rise to the surface where the water is cooler. It is a sudden occurrence and any fish caught out in the deoxygenated water cannot survive. The majority of the fish killed were bony bream. The catfish population also copped a fair knock. Golden perch and Murray cod were also killed but when you consider the percentages found to what would actually live in the dam, things are still looking bright for the future.

So what can we expect as far as fishing the lake?

When the water rolled, the already dirty lake was discoloured even more.

Knowing Coolmunda, this is certainly going to take some time to clear up. Lure fishing will be slow until the visibility improves and you can see those lures at least half a metre below the

fishing tackle.

For campsites, cabins and bunkhouse rooms call (07) 4168 9694.

• For the latest information jump onto Facebook and check out Matthew Mott Sport Fishing for Motty’s latest fishing reports.

BJELKE-PETERSEN CLOSEST TOWNS: MURGON, GOOMERI Not much has changed on this lake apart from the fish biting a little better. The lake is still very low and launching smaller boats is best.

The fish are mostly all down the bottom end in the deep water of the old creek bed.

You can start a day off by tossing blades, spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits at the dam edges. This can pull a bass or golden perch

before you head back to the middle of the dam and the deep water of the old creek bed. Between the boat ramps holds plenty of fish and they have been biting a little better. Smak ice jigs and blade baits hopped on the bottom are likely to score the most fish. If they do fire up a bit more, try using spoons as well.

• For help catching Bjelke and Boondooma fish, call into Bass 2 Barra. 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.

CANIA CLOSEST TOWNS: MONTO, BILOELA The fishing at Cania slowed down a bit over the last month. We are approaching the most awesome time of year so be ready for all hell to break loose once those fish bunch up and decide to bite.

Bass were a bit scattered last month, with fish being caught from edges, as well as several schools around the lake.

As we move into spring, the fish may get harder to locate as they tend to form bigger schools. This means there will be less fish spread around the dam and time needs to be spent

surface. Bait fishing will be the first to kick off and by spring, golden perch, silver perch and Murray cod should be all back in the game. Try working the edges of the drop-off of the old creek bed. The lake is very low so it is a good time to study the layout of the dam and see where the creek and rivers run, as well as where all the logs are.

Take care when navigating, as there will be some prop busting stumps outside the safe, deeper water.

• The Coolmunda Caravan Park is only around 1km away from the lake. It offers camping sites, cabins, caravan facilities, tennis courts, a swimming pool, BBQ shelter and a camp kitchen. 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, give the park a call on (07) 4652 4171. locating the mother lode.

If edge fishing tickles your fancy, you can work the edges of the lake with spinnerbaits, suspending jerkbaits, soft plastics, blades and lipless crankbaits. This is best done earlier in the day before the fish move deeper.

The schools will, be found from the middle reaches in the main basin up to the timber.

There should still be several schools but expect the numbers of fish to be higher. When these fish decide to chew, the action should be insane – blades, spoons, tail spinners, soft plastics, vibes, spinnerbaits, you name it, they should all produce fish! It is however a case of rotating through your lures to see what they want to eat the most.

MACKAY REGION KINCHANT CLOSEST TOWNS: MACKAY, MARIAN Some sad news for those Kinchant loving anglers has been announced.

The campground and accommodation, Kinchant Waters, will soon be closed. At this stage there is no further information as to what will happen with

WHITSUNDAY REGION the area. This is certainly a shame as there are few places you can camp right on the water beside big impoundment barramundi.

There was already a lack of accommodation and camping offerings around the Mackay lakes. It is certainly something the Council need to address if they want to attract visitors to their region.

Double trouble! When barra decide to chew, you have to make the most of it. Hours of fruitless casting can suddenly turn into mayhem out on our barramundi impoundments.

PROSERPINE CLOSEST TOWNS: PROSERPINE, AIRLIE BEACH Let’s start things off with an update on the accommodation options for those thinking of travelling to the dam this year. Camp Kanga is now back up and running! The new dongas are located just a few kilometres from the dam. Everything is pretty basic but that’s all most anglers need. If you need daily supplies or more comfort, head back to the town of Proserpine where you will find motels and caravan parks. Of course, for your fishing tackle and information can also be sourced at Barra World.

Some other exciting news is that a new campground will be opened right on the lake.

Whitsunday Regional Council planned for the new recreation facilities after taking over management of the recreation area from SunWater. It is scheduled to be open sometime this spring so stay tuned for more information.

A run of ordinary weather has made fishing the lake a bit tough over the last month. When the days are still and warm, the fish certainly play right through the cooler months. It is as bit hard to

guarantee action and good weather if you are a visiting angler. The local anglers have the ability to hit the windows in the weather and crack some excellent winter barramundi. As the weather warms back up, the fishing will become more reliable even when the weather isn’t as favourable.

Fishing the tree tops near the old creek beds is a good way to start your day.

This water is pretty open so this is another reason the calmer days are best. In these trees, crank hardbodies well down into the branches and pause them, allowing them to slowly float back to the surface. Long pauses are the key. You can use suspending lures but be prepared to get hung up on the timber more often. A

pole retriever is a handy bit of gear to have in the boat to recover these snagged lures.

Getting stitched through the timber by a big fish is a regular occurrence so fish heavier tackle. Braid of 50lb and leader of 60-80lb will help you unwind the fish without the line connection failing you.

While out in the timber, keep a close eye on the sounder. Fish use the old creek beds as highways and if they are seen moving through in numbers, you can switch things up. Tossing big soft plastics in the open country is one way to get some action.

The alternative is to fish hard and soft vibes more vertically over the fish. The vertical vibing technique has really taken off and a lot of success must be attributed to the ability to locate fish on the sounder.

Nicholle Smith from Brisbane broke the metre barra mark several times in Faust. Her PB settled on 108cm.

Rather than covering water blindly, you are working a very tight area you know to contain fish. This technique will certainly be explored more and I already know the gun anglers are having success on other offerings like spoons as well.

Who knows what the next technique to dominate will be? Maybe drop shotting soft plastics to these fish has its place. It was something I played with 15 years ago but back then I didn’t have the sounder technology to make it a success. I’m keen to have another crack running current technology.

With lake levels quite high, the edges of the dam up in the timber will also be worth prospecting first thing in the morning or very late in the afternoon. The banks and points in behind the dead standing tree line can be explored with plastics and hardbodies. I would run a hardbody lure and fish it a bit slower this month.

The fish will still be a bit lethargic and not willing to chase anything moving too fast down, so adapt to suit their mood.

• If you need some help and guidance call in to see the boys at Barra World. For all your fishing supplies or a guided trip on the lake call Lindsay at Barra World on (07) 49454641. Lindsay’s barra tours can be busy in peak times so book ahead.

You can also keep up to date by visiting their Barra World Facebook page.

Barra biting at Lake Tinaroo LAKE TINAROO

Warwick Lyndon

The air and water temperatures are still quite cool at Tinaroo, however this winter has been relatively mild so far, with overcast and misty conditions being the norm.

When this type of weather occurs, the minimum temperatures don’t get as low as when the days are completely clear. Because of this, some

anglers have been able to tempt barra successfully throughout the winter months. This has been the case during the lead up to, and around the full moons. Anglers need to focus their fishing efforts around these peak times, and take the time to find the fish. As always, this is best done using a side scanning sounder.

If you don’t have a side scanning sounder, then good places to look for barra are the edges of the old river and creek beds,

Hopefully this becomes a common sight over the following month. Side scanning sounders are an extremely valuable tool in locating fish, especially when searching an impoundment the size of Tinaroo.

around rocky ledges and points, and adjacent to large flats where there is a drop-off and some timber.

As the dam is still quite full, many areas around the margins of the lake have good grass and weed cover within casting distance, so land-based barra are certainly possible. If you are going to attempt this amazing feat, you must fish where there is bait.

Watch the water and listen for the bait, as bony bream in particular become quite agitated when barra are around, and you will be able to see and hear them flicking on the surface. Of course, a tell-tale ‘boof’ of a barra consuming something is always an even better indicator that you should be casting in the vicinity.

The end of August is usually the time when the fishing starts to improve.

As the water temperature rises heading into spring, barra will feed more actively around shallower parts of the lake and can be targeted with all techniques.

This includes a variety of lure fishing techniques, as well as the old faithful

bait fishing.

Many locals still rate live baiting as the best way to tangle with a big Tinaroo barra, and luckily the lake has an abundance of suitable baitfish. The most popular style of live baiting in Tinaroo generally involves fishing a mouth almighty or bony bream on a short length of line under a float. If you want to give this style of fishing a go and are intending to release the fish, please use a circle style hook to ensure a jaw hook up. This style of hook serves two purposes – it will prevent gut hooking (and subsequent death) of the fish, and reduce the chance of the fish throwing the hook during the fight.

If you prefer the challenge of luring one of Tinaroo’s chrome giants, then some subtle changes to your approach can turn things in your favour.

When working lures, be sure to include extended pauses, or if trolling, kick the motor out of gear every now and then to slow down the presentation.

My favourite way of targeting barra this month

Suspending hardbodies, like the trusty Barra Classic, should work well if fished slow in August. is by using large suspending hardbodies worked with long pauses. There are a variety of suitable lures for this job ranging from fancy Japanese works of art through to the old faithful Aussie-made ones. Some of the most consistent fish takers in Tinaroo include the Lucky Craft Pointer, Duo Realis Fangbait and, of course, the trusty old

Barra Classics and Gold Bombers. Whatever lure you choose, remember to fish it slow, and be ready to strike when you feel the tell-tale ‘tick’ of a barra engulfing the bait.

• If you want to keep up with more of my FNQ adventures, you can like ‘Wazza’s Fishing Page’ on Facebook or ‘Wazza’s Fishing’ on Youtube.

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Hyundai Kona Electric SUV leading the way BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Hyundai don’t allow other manufacturers much time to steal their thunder. Having done quite well with sales of the 1.6L petrol Kona, the South Korean company has put forward the same small SUV powered by a 150kW/395Nm electric motor fed by a big 64kWh lithium-ion battery. The Kona has a range of 450km, well ahead of the

rain-sensing wipers, leather seats, camera and radar based autonomous braking, lane keeping assist, blind spot monitoring, LED head lights, heated and cooled front seats plus wireless phone charging, Apple car play and Android auto. An 8” touch screen in both grades of Kona electrics begs for menus to be explored.

To set the new Kona apart from the petrol models, there are some interesting changes to both exterior and interior

transmission tunnel would be. A storage compartment under this bridged section looked very futuristic, as did the small cluster of buttons which activate the electric drive system.

EXTRAS FOR THE HIGHLANDER The Highlander costs $4,500 extra, and it has front parking sensors, LED head and tail lights, high beam assist, moon roof, heated and ventilated front seats, a heads-up above dash display showing speed limit and vehicle speed plus

Straight from storage and ready to roll. The future is now with Hyundai’s great little Kona.

Electric engines aren’t cheap, but that will change in the coming years.

Nissan Leaf (270km) and BWM i3 (260km). That’s some serious electricpowered motoring.

A LEAP OF FAITH While there’s no doubt the electric Kona is a big leap into the future, it’s also a pretty large leap of faith

by Hyundai that buyers will be prepared to pay over $20k more than a petrol Kona for the privilege of owning the base Kona Elite electric model.

Two things might seal the deal: firstly, the very serious range provided by the big 64kWh battery, and secondly, the absolute pleasure of driving the electric Kona, with its smooth, rapid power take up and very good handling and ride. If you want to move off quickly this little car will certainly do so, with a conservative 0-100km/h in around 7.6 seconds. There’s no build up, no sound, just a feeling of some torque from the front wheel drive doing its stuff as the power surges to the wheels.

HIGHLANDER MODEL I was privileged to drive the top spec Highlander – moon roof and all – which came with a full suite of Hyundai luxury and safety kit.

Mind you, the Elite (at $59,990 before on roads ) is by no means a bare bones vehicle. There’s an impressive array of luxury equipment in true Hyundai style. As with the Highlander, there are 68

AUGUST 2019

body styling. Right up front there’s no grille to allow air into a radiator, just a small section of the plastic front panel to the left, which opens to

a Qi phone charging pad.

There’s also a standard smartphone app that integrates with the car’s ECU for various useful things such as booking services,

and enjoyably nimble but very steady feel about it.

Wheel mounted paddle shifters provided levels of battery regeneration/ recuperation, with the left one actively working as a brake. Level 2 was fine, and level 3 drastically slowed the vehicle once the foot left the accelerator pedal. The only downside was the pronounced rumble from the tyres on certain surfaces. With a silent car, there’s no stopping tyre noise from intruding at times!

CHARGING The Kona comes with a charging pack that slots into a port in the front bumper.

This certainly works but it’s slow from my experience. I

had lowered the kilometres remaining from 450 to 350, and hooked the charger up to an A/C lead at home, only to be informed by data on the dash that I needed to wait over 12 hours for a full recharge. It’s far better to use a dedicated DC fast charger on the alternative dual point

more 50kW public chargers become available (they are starting to appear at shopping centres), electric cars are going to offer some definite advantages.

SUMMING UP The Kona isn’t cheap – the battery alone is reputed to cost around $16,000 – and

The electric Kona’s grille is different as there’s no need for slots to feed air onto a radiator. The included charger isn’t the fastest way of getting the battery up to full charge again; DC chargers are far more efficient.

Top Left: A wide driver’s door allows easy access into the front of the small Kona SUV. Top Right: The Kona’s rear seat passengers might be challenged for leg room but the leather seating was comfortable at any rate. accommodate the charger that is provided with the vehicle. Air flaps within the bumper also provide cooling to the electric motor under the bonnet.

The rear of the Kona has also been treated to an upgrade, with changes to the bumper, and there are 17” wheels plus standard roof rails.

Inside the cabin, the Kona’s dash and console configuration have also changed, with upgraded aircon controls plus a totally reworked area where the petrol model’s

checking on performance data, and remotely locking or unlocking the car.

A TREAT TO DRIVE In real world driving, the Kona electric is one of the best small cars I’ve enjoyed, thanks to a complete absence of NVH and terrific linear acceleration.

The easy performance from the direct drive electric system is very addictive, and the ride and handling were right up there thanks to the steadying weight of that big battery under the floor, plus the work Hyundai have done to get the suspension just right. As such, the Kona had a very satisfying

charging system next to the A/C one. This set-up can install 80% charge from dead flat in less than an hour.

The Kona will accept charge at 100kW, and a Hyundai wall box quick charger running on household AC at 7.2 kW is available for around $2,000, which will top up the battery from nil to full in less than 10 hours. Also, as more and

The driver’s view. Note the power button and the small pop-up screen above the steering wheel that displays speed limits plus vehicle speed when moving.

The 8” screen sports a digital instrument cluster.

the reviewed Highlander costs around the same as a top-shelf diesel Santa Fe 7-seater. However, this kind of pricing is pretty typical of quality electric vehicles at this point in their development, and the Kona is a serious car with real world driveability and range. Take a moment to think of how expensive flat screen colour TVs were a few years back, and compare that outlay with today. As batteries become cheaper and better, in a few years Kona’s equivalent will be far easier on the bank balance.

The thing I really enjoyed about the Kona was that it felt complete, not at all like an ongoing experiment in electric propulsion but more akin to a car that fulfils a lot of driving requirements with ease. Services are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, and are only $125 per visit. The warranty is five years with unlimited kilometres, and the battery’s warranty is eight years or 160,000km.

Cooking

Preparing pasta with pipis BRISBANE

Lynn Bain

The contrast in flavours in this recipe is wonderful – the saltiness of the pipis, the bite of the chilli and the earthiness of the oregano all partnered with the freshness of the parsley.

Throw in the comforting texture of the pasta and this is a meal that will have you coming back for seconds.

A handy hint when making this recipe is to soak the pipis in a bowl of cold water for a couple of hours to purge out any sand that may still be present.

Likewise, please be

1

Heat the oil in a large pot with a tightfitting lid over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir fry for a few seconds. Then add the red chilli paste and sauté until fragrant.

aware of the regulations regarding how many pipis you can have in your possession. In Queensland,

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extravirgin olive oil • 1 clove garlic, minced • 1/2 tsp red chilli paste • 1/2 cup dry white wine • 400g pipis

2

there is a limit of 50 pipis per person. This includes what you have in the freezer at home.

• 1 tbsp dried oregano • 1 tbsp butter • Freshly ground pepper • 250g angel hair pasta or linguine • 1/2 cup roughly chopped parsley

Add the white wine and stir.

3 4

Cover the pot with the lid. Cook the pipis for about five minutes shaking the pan occasionally to stop them sticking to the bottom. Once cooked, transfer the opened pipis to a large bowl and discard the unopened ones. Leave the sauce in the pot.

5

When all of the pipis are removed from the pot, reduce the heat to medium low and add the oregano and butter. Stir well and season to taste.

Pour the pipis into the pan and increase the heat to high.

6

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the packet.

7

Add the cooked pasta to the mixture and toss to coat.

8

Turn off the heat and return the pipis to the pot, include any juices that have collected in the bowl. Toss to coat.

9

Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the pipi pasta for presentation.

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TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2019

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

10-11 Aug

ABT BASS Round 5 Somerset Dam

abt.org.au

7-8 Sep

ABT BREAM Round 7 Gladstone

abt.org.au

8 Sep

ABT BASS Electric Round 5 Wivenhoe Dam

abt.org.au

14-15 Sep

ABT BASS Round 6 Richmond River

abt.org.au

14-15 Sep

Hobie Kayak Bream Series Round 8 Port Macquarie

hobiefishing.com.au

20-22 Sep

ABT BREAM Queensland Open Moreton Bay

abt.org.au

21-22 Sep

Bowen Family Fishing Classic Bowen’s Front Beach

Ross McCabbin on 0428 776 653 or bowenfamilyfishingclassic@yahoo.com.au

21-22 Sep

Hobie Kayak Bream Series Round 9 Albany

hobiefishing.com.au

23-28 Sep

Baffle Creek Family Fishing Festival Baffle Creek

familyfishingfestival.com

28-29 Sep

ABT BASS Electric Round 6 Borumba Dam

abt.org.au

5-6 Oct

Hobie Kayak Bream Series Round 10 St Georges Basin

hobiefishing.com.au

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au or calling 07 3387 0800 in office hours.

Just supply a date, venue, tournament name and a telephone number and contact name.

Have you got what it takes to be the first?

BARRA AUSTRALIAN OPEN

BARRA Australian Open Champions?

• Lake Awoonga • 10-12 Sept • 2pm-10pm • $500 entry fee • 100% cash payback

• Team of two • Casting only • Live Scoreboard • Run on ABT app

see www.abt.org.au 70

AUGUST 2019

Casino Outdoor BASS Electric: Round 3 A cool foggy morning saw 62 eager anglers line the shores of Maroon Dam for Round 3 of the Casino Outdoor and Disposal

rigged on a 1/4oz jighead.

As the sun rose and pushed the fish deeper, Lucas adapted and switched to a Storm Gomoku vibe which

Lucas not only won but also secured the Big Bass prize with a 0.915kg fish. For his efforts he took home $860 and a $150 Casino Outdoor Big Bass Voucher.

BRETT KLEINSCHMIDT Finishing in 2nd place was BASS Electric veteran Brett Kleinschmidt with his 2/2 limit for 1.71kg.

Bass Electric Series presented by

it, but if I wasn’t hitting the weed that meant I wasn’t in the right spot,” he explained.

Brett used a Daiwa Black Label spinning rod matched with a TD Sol III spooled with 10lb braid and 8lb leader. Kleinschmidt took home $380 for his efforts.

Event organiser Joey Urquhart would like to

Charles West with a brace of Maroon bass.

Dale Lucas with one of the fish that earned him first place and the Big Bass prize.

BASS Electric Series.

With such a big field on such a small lake, bright blue skies and no wind, all the competitors knew that it was going to be a tough day.

DALE LUCAS As always at this level, someone always catches a standout limit. In this case it was Dale Lucas who took out 1st place with his 2/2 limit for 1.74kg. Fishing in his first ABT Bass Electric round, he was eager to get on the water and headed straight to the back of the dam where he fished to the edge in less then a metre of water.

Lucas capitalised on the early bite window, landing six fish in the first hour on a Berkley Gotam Shad

he slowly hopped along the bottom to add some key upgrades to his limit.

Lucas opted for a spin approach, using a Shimano Jewel 1-4kg rod matched with a ci4 Stradic spooled with 14lb Major Craft Dangan braid and 8lb leader.

It was a beautiful winter’s day at Maroon Dam. Kleinschmidt also fished the back section of the lake where he opted to throw a Keitech Swing Impact on a 1/4oz jighead. Brett said that slow rolling it through the sunken weed proved to be vital.

“I had to keep de-weeding

The runner-up for the event was Brett Kleinschmidt.

thank everyone who helped out on the day to make it run smoothly.

Please note that the ABT BASS Electric Grand Final venue has changed to the Richmond River at Casino.

You can find out more on the ABT website at www. abt.org.au.

Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The fishing was tough; less that half of the competitors got their limit of two fish.

Fisher Dale Lucas Brett Kleinschmidt Jake Schwerin Nathan Swanson Dylan Hockey Trent Blake Tom Reynolds Aaron Kemp Glenn Swanson Dean Thomson

RESULTS Fish 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2

Weight (kg) 1.74 1.71 1.66 1.57 1.53 1.52 1.50 1.46 1.45 1.45

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

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Taylor chutes to victory in the Bribie Round Brisbane-based dentist Tristan Taylor managed to take out the Nu Look Floors Bribie Island qualifier in the 2019 Costa ABT BREAM Series with a total bag weight of 5.14kg, an impressive score for this arena.

Taylor has his fair share of finishes up the pointy end of the scoreboard, and after a short hiatus from tournaments, he’s come back with a bang!

Taylor said he’d found spawning fish in the Caloundra area on the pre-fish day, where three weeks before he couldn’t find any bream at all! This would prove to be the key for his win.

Taylor started his efforts at the Bribie Island Bridge on day one for just one fish, and after a bit of consideration, he decided to make the run through Pumicestone Passage to Caloundra in his Phoenix at low tide. Taylor took care to make sure he didn’t get stuck on a sand bank, as some other boaters had unfortunately done.

Upon arrival, Taylor and his non-boater found the same school of spawning fish he found on the pre-fish day near the Caloundra Bar

TRISTAN TAYLOR’S WINNING TCKLE Rod: Reel: Line:

Samurai Infinite 4-10lb Megabass Idaten Racing Condition 2506 10lb Unitika Aorika PE and 6lb Unitika Aiger fluorocarbon leader Lures: 2.5” ZMan GrubZ in motor oil rigged on Atomic Seekerz jigheads (1/11, 1/8 and 1/6oz) and 35mm Cranka Crab in olive

Champion boater and non-boater, Tristan Taylor and Stephen Maas, celebrate their respective victories. in around 15ft of water. He went to work fishing a ZMan GrubZ in motor oil.

“They came on for a one-hour window,” Taylor said. “The key was to keep tight with the lure and feel every little touch of the lure to set hooks.”

“This was difficult in the strong wind and current,

so I varied the jighead size accordingly. “ Taylor said he landed around 20 fish for the day, and ended up with a day one bag of 2.23kg.

Day two saw Taylor come up with a different plan, and he decided to make the run to the Brisbane River mouth in horrendous conditions.

“I got in behind Shane Wolhuter’s boat [the biggest boat in the field] and it made for a great shield!”

Taylor said. “I thanked him for his camaraderie and sportsmanship.”

Taylor managed to catch fish tight to structure initially, but then found spawning fish spread across a nearby flat

in 10-20ft out the front of the Luggage Point Sewage Treatment Plant, known locally as the ‘poo chute’.

Obviously, there’s no actual human excrement flowing into the bay here…

Taylor caught all his day two fish on ZMan GrubZ, bar one, which ate a Cranka Crab, and weighed in a bag of 2.91kg for day two.

“I didn’t think I had enough to take the win – I thought I would have needed one more kicker fish,” Taylor said. “So I was pleasantly surprised to take the win.”

“My non-boater Michael Maas slayed them too, and we would have caught at least 60

Scan the QR code to see the Bribie day one highlights.

fish between us on day two.”

Taylor thanked ABT and the other competitors and took home $2500 for his efforts.

BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Tristan Taylor 2 John Siggs 3 Peter Cashman 4 Denis Metzdorf 5 Kristoffer Hickson 6 William Lee 7 Scott Wilson 8 Jamie McKeown 9 Mark Crompton 10 Charlie Saykao

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 5.14 $2500 10/10 4.97 $1500 + $500 Mercury Bonus 10/10 4.95 $1000 10/10 4.83 $750 + $300 Mercury Bonus 10/10 4.69 $500 + $200 Mercury Bonus 8/10 4.17 8/10 3.92 8/10 3.72 $500 Daiwa J Braid Big Bream 8/10 3.47 8/10 3.37

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888 72

AUGUST 2019

It was Shane Wolhuter’s big boat that provided the weather shield Taylor needed to make the run south.

Clearly there was big bream to be caught there!

Siggs lights up Caloundra canal fish Gold Coast local John Siggs had never fished Bribie before, so his pre-fish was based around what he knows best, fishing artificial structure in canals!

He started his pre-fish by making a quick run to the Caloundra canals and caught six decent fish in fairly quick succession.

He left them, knowing

that was his spot for day one.

Day one saw Siggs heading to the Bribie canals for a quick prospect, where he managed one keeper fish, waiting for the tide to come

in so he could make his way through the Passage to the Caloundra canals.

By 9am there was enough water to make his run north.

Once at Caloundra, he stayed there all day throwing a Gulp Crabby on a 1/50oz hidden weight jighead, skipping it under boats, jetties, ropes and any artificial structure he thought would hold fish.

He caught his limit and even upgraded a few times.

That gave him a day one total of 2.31kg, and had him sitting in 5th place.

On day two Siggs had a plan to go back to the Caloundra canals, but on

BREAM SERIES

Scan the QR code to see the Bribie day two highlights. his way he noticed that only Kris Hickson had gone into the Bribie canals. With the bay being opened, most of the anglers had made their

JOHN SIGGS’S TACKLE Rod: Reel: Line: Lure: Siggs did what he does best for the Bribie Island round, fish hard around artificial structure for big angry bream!

Samurai Reaction 101 Daiwa SOL 2000 Major Craft 6lb and 3lb FC Rock leader 2.5” Gulb Crabby in camo rigged on a 1/50oz TT Lures Hidden Weight System jighead

Stephen finds critical ‘Maas’ Stephen Maas and his cousin Michael Maas took out 1st and 2nd in the non-boater division respectively, proving that bream fishing must run in the family.

Stephen Maas knew he was in for a great Bribie Qualifier when he got paired with two reasonably local guys to the Bribie area, with Steve Morgan on day one and and Denis Metzdorf on day two.

Day one saw Maas fishing with Steve Morgan.

Unfortunately, the bay was closed due to strong winds.

With the arena being reduced by virtually half, they went straight to the canals, fishing boat hulls and jetties.

Before Maas would cast he was mindful of the areas Morgan would fish, trying to put his lure in places that Morgan had not hit, usually hitting the back jetty poles with a Gulp Crabby. By doing this he managed to box two legal fish. He also tried a Cranka Crab and a popper with no result.

Once they fished the canals, Morgan took them to the Ningi Flats, where Maas

picked up one more legal bream on a Cranka Crank Shallow in ghost bluegill, which saw him finish day one with a bag of three fish for a weight of 1.24kg.

Day two had Maas fishing with his good mate Denis Metzdorf, and the pair were happy to find out that the bay was open. This meant they could make the run straight to Redcliffe’s North Reef, which

took about 40 minutes.

It was still a little rough making the journey south, but they realised the effort was worth it when Metzdorf caught three keepers straight away. Maas didn’t catch a legal fish until about 10:30am, when they made a move further south.

Maas had noticed there were no baitfish on the shallow reefs, so he switched

way there, leaving the canals nearly free of angling pressure.

He stayed there all day, mirroring his day one pattern using his Gulp Crabbies and casting at pontoons, poles and boat hulls. Once again, he got his limit of bream with a few upgrades and ended up weighing a day two bag of 2.66kg.

For his 2nd place finish, Siggs took home $1500, plus a $500 Mercury Bonus. He also congratulated Tristan Taylor for his win, and thanked ABT and the other competitors.

STEPHEN MASS’S WINNING TACKLE Rod: Reel: Line: Lures:

G Loomis DL/SR 7ft Okuma Helios SX 30 Platypus P8 6lb and FC Rock 3lb leader Gulb Crabby in camo, 2.5” ZMan GrubZ in motor oil, Cranka Crank Shallow in ghost bluegill

Sandstone Point, where he got a few needed upgrades on his Cranka Crank Shallow. This had him bringing a limit of bream to the scales with a weight of 3kg, and combined with his day one bag gave him enough to win!

Maas went away from the event with a Daiwa Prize pack and a $200 Hobie Bonus. Maas was grateful to both his boaters, Steve Morgan and Denis Metzdorf, and thanked ABT and the other competitors.

DAIWA J BRAID BIG BREAM Jamie McKeown managed to weigh a 1.3kg stonker, which he caught on a Cranka Crab.

He took home $500 for his efforts.

Stephen Maas had a great weekend on the water at the back of the boat.

NON-BOATER RESULTS

Place Name

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8/10 8/10 10/10 9/10 7/10 5/10 7/10 7/10 5/10 5/10

Stephen Maas Michael Maas Aaron Sarna Justin Reeves Jordan Armstrong Darren Murphy Sam Peck Grant Oliver Neil Kelly Glen Sturrock

to a ZMan GrubZ in motor oil rigged on a 1/12oz jighead, and begun casting at the reef drop-offs and letting his grub slowly sink down the reef face. Doing this saw the bream shoot out from cover to eat his lure.

Filling his limit on the first drift, he sat so his boater could do the same.

He did not fish again until they got to Cooks Rocks at

BREAM Series presented by

4.24 3.81 3.67 3.43 3.21 2.90 2.57 2.51 2.22 1.87

Daiwa Prize Pack + $200 Hobie Bonus Fishtec Solutions Prize Pack Cranka Prize Pack + $100 Hobie Bonus Tackle Tactics Prize Pack $75 Hobie Bonus Sufix Prize Pack Ecogear Prize Pack Shimano Prize Pack Lucky Craft Prize Pack Keitech Prize Pack Sunline Prize Pack

Jamie McKeown managed this stonker 1.3kg bream to take out the Daiwa J Braid Big Bream prize.

AUGUST 2019

73

Ferguson flies to boater victory Mark Ferguson will be the one to watch at the Sufix BASS Pro Grand Final after taking out the Evinrude Qualifier on Lake St Clair, held on 22-23 June.

Mark Ferguson is local to the Port Macquarie area, only an hour and a half away from Lake St Clair. It’s his closest bass dam and he classes it as his local, spending as much time there as he can. When the 2019 Sufix Bass Pro calendar came out, he was stoked to see that St Clair was on the list, and that the event was being held around his favourite time of year to fish it.

On Friday’s pre-fish, Mark went out with only small soft plastics rigged up, and he soon found out that the deeper banks were holding much smaller fish and more fishing pressure than the shallowest flat banks he could find. He caught a few bigger fish off these shallow weedy banks and decided that that would be his pattern for the competition.

Going into Day 1, Ferguson had a spot where he knew he could fill his bag of five fish fairly quickly.

Taking only 20 minutes, he

BOATER WINNER’S GEAR Rod: Abu Garcia KRX Reel: Abu Garcia Revo MGXtreme Line: Berkley X9 braid Leader: 6lb Berkley Vanish Lure: 1/8oz and 1/6oz Berkley Dam Deep jighead on a 2.5” Keitech Easy Shiner in ayu

BOATER 2ND PLACE GEAR Rod: Reel: Line:

A pair of winners – Mark Ferguson took out the Boater division, and Mark Caneris was the top non-boater. was off to his shallow weedy banks to try to upgrade his bag. He looked for these key areas where he hadn’t seen anyone fish, and set about running and gunning the edges, fishing them fairly quickly. He cast his soft plastic into just inches of water most of the time, and if he didn’t get bit in the first 10 winds he burned it back and repeated the process. He

even caught fish off banks other anglers had fished, casting in a lot shallower than they had fished it.

Mark said only one in 100 casts wouldn’t foul up with weed, and that other anglers would leave the banks for this reason.

He ended up catching over 40 fish on Saturday and upgraded by 10-20g at a time. He made the scales

on Day 1 with five fish and a weight of 4.46kg.

Mark said that Day 2 was much harder than the day before, and he didn’t change anything to start with. He went to a bank that he knew was holding much smaller fish, and after getting four from there he went to one of his key banks. Here he picked up a better fish, taking around

Millerods XFLC 7’3” Shimano Rarenium 1000 8lb Sunline Siglon and 6lb FC Rock leader

an hour to fill his limit of five bass. To get the bigger fish, he really had to sink his plastic deep into the weed and rip it out. He ended up with some other upgrades for the day.

Ferguson said that after the Friday pre-fish and Saturday’s first session the kicker fish all moved deep into the weed and were a lot harder to get to bite.

These fish have been in the dam a long time and most have been caught before, and they know the sound of comp boats. Being a local to Lake St Clair was key to Mark’s bag. He caught a limit of five bass weighing

4.27kg on Day 2, bringing his total weight to 8.73kg, and gave him his first ABT BASS Pro win.

Scan the QR code to see Mark Ferguson Interview.

BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Mark Ferguson 2 Kyle Lewis 3 Philip Nix 4 Graham Ford 5 Jonathan Bale 6 Keeghan Painter 7 Russell Babekuhl 8 Robert Tilley 9 Steve Chang 10 Peter Phelps

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 8.73 $3,000, $250 Evinrude Bonus 10/10 8.39 $1,750 10/10 8.34 $1,500 10/10 8.02 $1,250 10/10 7.90 $1,000 10/10 7.72 $900 9/10 7.57 $800, $500 Garmin Big Bass 10/10 7.55 $700 10/10 7.52 $600 10/10 7.51 $500

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888 74

AUGUST 2019

Russell Babekuhl won the Garmin Big Bass cheque with a 1.15kg fish.

Local Lewis nabs St Clair second place Kyle Lewis took out 2nd place in the non-boater division. He pre-fished the main basin, trying to find some back-up areas, as he fishes St Clair regularly in the winter and finds better fish up the Carrowbrook Arm, right up in the old creek bed.

He said there aren’t a lot of fish up there but that it’s worth working for them. Lewis had a pretty average pre-fish without checking his key areas, and it left him wondering whether they would be up there.

On Day 1 he didn’t go straight up the Carrowbrook arm; he noticed no one went up the arm on the other side of the start, so he went there while a few boats went up the Carrowbrook. He caught his bag using a Keitech rigged on a 1/8oz Nitro Dam Deep jighead with

Kyle Lewis’ 8.39kg bag earned him 2nd place in only his second comp of the Sufix BASS Pro. a 2.5” in about two hours, and decided to go up the Carrowbrook. It didn’t take

him long to start upgrading, and after an hour he had caught another bag of five

bass, upgrading everything from his first spot. It left him wondering whether he

Caneris catches dream draw

The winning non-boater was Mark Caneris from Ipswich in QLD, which is a long way from Lake St Clair. On the Friday briefing he got a bit of a dream draw

– Jonathan Bale, a fellow Queenslander, and Mark Ferguson, a local to the area. In only his second ABT season Mark never thought he would take a win so quickly.

On Day 1 he headed out with Jonathan, and they went out with a plan that Jono would fish a 2” Keitech soft plastic, and Mark would fish a Nories Laydown Minnow Deep jerkbait. Looking for

Jason Martin finished in 2nd place in the non-boater division with his 8.16kg bag.

weedy edges fishing as a team, Bale would fish in front with the plastic and Mark would follow up with the jerkbait, trying to fool anything Bale missed.

Winter bass seem to have a bit of a one-track mind, and 90% of the field fished the same technique. On Day 1 Mark made it in with five fish for 4.20kg.

On Day 2 heading out with Mark Ferguson, the Day 1 leader, Caneris knew he was in for a good day. He started out fishing the same jerkbait from the day before, but soon realised he need to change things up and go to the 2” Keitech that Ferguson was using. From that point on, he started putting fish in the well too.

The pair worked as a team, with Ferguson targeting very shallow water and Caneris targeting the face of the weed, catching fish as his lure dropped down the face of the weed.

Catching around 20 fish for Day 2 of the 2019 Sufix BASS Pro, Mark Caneris weighed five fish for 4.27kg and a total of 8.47kg giving him his first ABT win in only five events.

should have gone straight there. Non-boater Paul Dunlop caught 30 legals for the day, and they were still happy with the bag of 4.36kg.

On Day 2 Kyle went straight up the Carrowbrook Arm, fishing pretty much the same as the day before using a 1/8oz Dam Deep jighead and Keitech soft plastic along the weed edges. He would sink his lure into the weed and aggressively rip it through the weeds, and the fish would hit it as it sunk back down. The bite was a bit slower on Sunday, as expected, but Lewis still landed about 20 bass for the session. He brought a bag of five bass weighing 4.03kg and a total of 8.39kg giving him second place in only his second comp of the 2019 Sufix BASS Pro.

Bass Pro Series presented by

Scan the QR code to see St Clair day two highlights.

NON-BOATER WINNER’S GEAR Rods: Reels: Line: Lure:

Samurai 252 and Ian Miller XFLC Shimano Ci4 1000 Sufix 8lb braid, 8lb leader Nories Laydown Minnow Deep, 2” Keitech on 1/8oz jighead

Phillip Nix’s 8.34kg bag earned him $1,500 for finishing 3rd in the boater division.

NON-BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Mark Caneris 2 Jason Martin 3 Paul Dunlop 4 Curtis Black 5 Raffi Demirjian 6 Tim Steenhuis 7 Shannon Hush 8 Sam Parbery 9 Macoy Hansen 10 Blake Chivas

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 8.47 Bassman Pack, $300 Sufix Bonus 10/10 8.16 Fishtec Prize Pack 10/10 7.79 Tackle Tactics Prize Pack 10/10 7.79 Sufix Prize Pack 10/10 7.75 Daiwa Prize Pack 10/10 7.73 Sunline Prize Pack 10/10 7.72 Keitech Prize Pack 10/10 7.70 Lucky Craft Prize Pack 10/10 7.67 Ecogear Prize Pack 10/10 7.44 Shimano Prize Pack

Leaon Walker and William Schloss with a couple of healthy St Clair bass.

AUGUST 2019

75

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76

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77

Constructing a plan to be competitive SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

On my last visit to Rockhampton I had an engrossing conversation on planning for a competition.

I love those sorts of conversations, I learn a lot about the way fishers solve problems, but also I get insights on what the problems are. Now it’s true, I have insights from my own time on the water but from my years spent in sports science and human performance a sample size of one is not a great sample size. The problem with using your own experiences as a baseline is that you don’t know what you don’t know.

The fortunate part about travelling around to competitions all over the country is you get a much bigger sample size than one.

What I am always trying to do is separate of the process of fishing, from the magic of the angler – what are the important habits that other fishers should have?

I think planning for competitions is one of the most important parts of a competition. That said, there is a huge gap between the preparation that happens with fishing and other more professionalised sports.

Fishing like all sports has a genetic component, and some people are naturally gifted, but the core attribute that defines professional sport is the system of athlete development. In the US basketball for example they have whole teams of people dedicated to analysing every micro element of a basketballers performance to provide the athlete with the insights they need to maximise their performance. It’s not just a case of maximising physical fitness, decision making is every bit as critical to getting the most out of a fisher.

What they have learned in professional sports is that the better the system, the less effect natural talent has on final results. Genetics still have a big say, but modern professional sports get the most out an athlete regardless.

In fishing, talent does tend to stand out because there are no athlete development programs.

Motivated people with skill have a natural advantage that can be hard to catch.

While this article does not provide the system for development of a fishing athlete, it does provide the key elements for one.

FIRST THINGS FIRST If you want to compete in an event and win, there is no excuses for not investing the time on the water. You get out what you put in, and there is 78

AUGUST 2019

no excuse for not putting in the time on the water, not work, family – nothing. Now it may sound like I am being harsh, but really I am helping you make a decision. If you can’t get around those things, if there is absolutely 100% no way you can get the time on the water you need, then you need to change your goals. There is no shame in competing, learning, enjoying, being midfield with the odd shot at glory where the stars line up.

However, if you want to be successful or more importantly, successful over a long time you need to be on the water, no ifs buts of maybes.

Having said that, how you spend your time on the water is critical.

TIMELINES It’s important to set timelines in your planning and that isn’t just for the events coming up, but also the longer term cycle. Wherever you are in your own fishing progress, it takes time to become the fisher you need to be for success, so it’s important to set meaningful goalposts on progress and that shouldn’t be wins.

MENTAL PREPARATION I am going to ask a question that is probably best not answered in front of partners. Do you sleep with a fishing rod beside your bed? I am being deadly serious.

The brain is a crazy thing that doesn’t really operate on logic, and that’s coming from a person driven by logic. Your brain is a bit like a puppy, it likes to give you what you want, and that can be a conscious thing, but more often what we want is driven subconsciously. There is a process in the brain that is often cited by motivational speakers called the Reticular Activation System. Now, I don’t think the terminology is being used correctly but the concept is sound. What the RAS does is it acts as a filter, deleting unimportant information and if you think about it in an evolutionary sense, that is a really important function. The world is one giant explosion of data, if you really took in everything that was going on all the time then you wouldn’t be able to function, because one, your brain is not that big, and two, if everything is important nothing is important.

One of the challenges of the modern world is it’s good at giving us ‘important’ things to think about. Pretty much every social media system is designed to give you a small dopamine hit every time you visit, because that makes it addictive, keeping you focused on checking in. What they are trying to do is to drug you into bypassing your brain’s prioritisation processing. The brain has a way of prioritising what is ‘important’ and high performing sports people are really good at focusing this

prioritisation. Partly that is a feeling, things we like we tend to be prioritised, but we also need reinforcement. That is where the RAS filter comes into play, once you have identified something that is important, information on that subject bypasses the filter. By focusing on something, your brain will take in everything it can on that subject. Remember when you took No-Doz at school to study? This is the drug free version – so how do you do kick in this natural process?

You think about fishing all the time.

Got a five-minute break?

Read a fishing article. Stop off at the tackle store on the way home from work. Get home, forget the dog, get a fishing rod in your hand or open the tacklebox. What’s the last thing you should think of before you go to sleep? You guessed it…

Immersing yourself in fishing culture when you aren’t fishing helps to point your brain in the right direction – to let it know that fishing is the most important thing to focus on. Before you know it you will be picking up things about fishing you never dreamed of because that filter will be working in your favour, filtering out the non-fishing facts and letting the fishing facts through.

One small note, if immersing yourself in fishing becomes a chore that’s not a good thing. At that point, backing off and taking time for something else is important to refresh yourself.

PLAN FOR THE THINGS THAT DON’T HAPPEN It pays to set the scene for planning. Part of that is clearly defining the outcome you are looking for – is that to improve your placing, win, get a PB? Problem is, that goal won’t fulfil itself, the real world has a way of throwing all sorts of road blocks in the way.

Here are the things you can’t assume will go your way.

• You will have less time than you think you will.

• That conditions will be just as good as they were in practice.

• The first lure in your tacklebox will do the job.

• That magic spot will be available.

• The best fishers will have a crap day.

Think of these things as obstacles to be overcome to achieve your goal and it’s important to think about them if you want to focus your energy. Your brain is a problem-solving machine, if you focus on the right problems, success will be closer than you imagine.

PROBLEM SOLVING Defining the problem is the first step to progress. The first hurdle all fishers will need to overcome is to catch a certain number of fish and

potentially a certain number of fish at a certain size.

Catching fish is the first and biggest hurdle to overcome and to illustrate I will reference one of my favourite fishers to see in action – Craig Griffiths.

Craig led teams to wins at the Barra Nationals two years in a row and has a stack of barra comps to his name. He is one of the most consistent

fishers will have fished in many of these conditions, but relatively new fishers will only have recent conditions to work with. There is nothing wrong with that, especially if you have spent plenty of time on the water, but if the fishing season includes a lot of away trips it pays to get some local intelligence on the longer term patterns in the fishery

Craig Griffiths is one of the best at using technology to work out fish behaviour. performers, and has a brilliant process that has been refined over years. Craig fishes a very mobile style, using his Humminbird sounder to detect fish and the finely tuned skills of his team to pick them up fast. I have chatted to fishers who have fished with Craig and it’s not unusual for him to spend long periods of time just sounding up fish. Now it’s easy to think what’s going on is Craig collecting GPS marks, but that is only a small part. What he’s mostly doing is studying the fish behaviour.

As Sun Tzu observed – know your enemy.

This is the most fundamental part of fishing, but as I go around I see a lot of fishers focusing on techniques to catch fish while not really knowing all that much about fish behaviour. They know how to catch them when conditions line up, without knowing how to read the conditions, or understanding how fish respond to them.

Personally, I think this is the defining difference between the best and the rest.

The rest may know how to catch fish but the best know what the fish wants.

Having said that there are a bunch of other problems that need to be solved, but without this knowledge, the tools to solve them will inevitably be very limited.

KNOW THE CONDITIONS Weather is a variable that is beyond your control, but knowledge of the longer term cycles is not. Australia has long-term cycles of wet and dry that affects things like fish populations and bait loads, and make impoundments go up and down. Longer-term

and where current conditions sit in that pattern. The harder the conditions, generally the bigger advantage to local tactics – which just means an obstacle to be planned for and thought put into how to overcome it.

Note, there will be days where conditions don’t suit you and that is just how it is. It’s important not to just abandon the plan just because things aren’t happening – instead focus on how to refine your game, and make it up when conditions do work.

TIME IS EVERYTHING No matter if the competition is a month away or year away, time is the most important resource you have at your disposal. Time is your also your most limited resource – you will never have enough so maximising use of time is critical.

There are two phases of time that will make all the difference: time in prep, working out how to find the fish/what turns them on, and time in the comp, maximising the bite period.

The relationship between these is important. In my experience of competitions, which includes a lot of post data review, the winners are most often the ones that maximised the bite period. By maximising the bite period, I am not necessarily thinking the period where the biggest fish are present, more that the best fishers have more time in the fishing day where catching fish is possible.

Some achieve this with knowledge and GPS marks, more and more achieve this through mobility, targeting a wider range of areas that produce fish either following

the tide or targeting a range of areas that are productive across the tide.

In the end, it’s not the number of casts you make but the number of casts that are likely to catch fish that make all the difference. If you can increase time in front of fish in a day, you will make progress in competitions.

STRATEGY I once had a fascinating conversation with Russell Conway, a Victorian legend and long-time advocate for fishing on the topic of competitions and strategy.

Russell is a guy who in his time dominated competitions, and how he went about it is instructional on how strategy is more than what you do on the day.

Russell fished with a wide array of other fishers in his formative years, targeting different species and in the process picked up a lot of skills that came from a variety of sources. Learning a wide array of skills, he became a much more adaptable fisher, able to find success in a wide range of species and conditions. In his prime, Russell was very successful, taking on a tour that would have him on the road regularly with lots of results required away from home. Russell is a great guy to talk to when it comes to the strategy of how you build yourself into the fisher you need to be.

The lesson – how you go about building your skillset is every bit as important as how you fish on the day. There are lots of fishing resources out there, make use of them.

PRACTICE There are three purposes for practice and none of them are strictly about catching fish.

They are tightening techniques and refining skills, learning fish patterns and behaviour, and adapting to pressure.

Never underestimate the importance of practice, and practice is what you are doing every time you put in on the water whether intended or not. There is a mountain of long-term evidence to suggest that the focus of your practice, not the amount, is what determines success.

AWAY FROM HOME When it comes to practice, there is a world of difference on the approach to fishing away vs fishing home. By that I mean multiple venues verses a single. If the target event is a single location, most likely close by, the focus of practice will be to know where the fish will be at different times and what turns them on. If there are a lot of venues, then the focus of practice needs to be on adaptability – how do you assess a fishery fast and work out where the fish will be.

Most fisheries will have common elements, but every now and again there will

be a fishery that doesn’t hit your zone. Steve Morgan for example doesn’t generally do well down in some of the Victorian venues, where his shallow water techniques don’t deliver the same results. That’s okay if you can make up the numbers, but in general if there are a larger number of arenas, it’s the most adaptable, that is those that can modify their approach to the conditions, who take home the glory.

USE DATA WISELY Data plays an important role in fishing and we don’t record enough. It’s important to always record as much as possible about practice, the simple things – the fish caught, times and length, but also fishing conditions and technique. The purpose of collecting the data is not to get marks, so much as better understand where you are weaker and stronger and to see long-term patterns in your performance that may not be obvious on the day.

Generating a spreadsheet is not too hard, and the more elements you record the easier it is to then filter the data based on time of tide, weather or technique. It also pays to plot simple charts – bar or pie that show the differences graphically so it’s clear how the results differ and to see how things have changed.

One of the elements we don’t track that most

professional sports do is our own performance. I did some ground work on this a couple of years ago, tracking Steve Morgan through the video of his livestreams and there was a definite measurable difference on things like cast counts throughout the day and that pattern was relatively consistent. In Steve’s case his cast rate was typically highest at beginning and end of day.

Steve likes to get fish in the box early, so that is not a surprise but my suggestion is that if your personal performance is in a drop off phase coming into the peak periods, you might need to tweak things up.

DIRECTED PRACTICE I have always advocated for directed practice – that is practice with a measurable goal. Dedicated practice means you are focused on continuous improvement, changing focus when you hit a plateau.

Include casting sessions where you practice casting into difficult situations like low hanging trees.

Allow a maximum four hours on the water to get your bag. Don’t do all day sessions, focus instead on perfecting the different parts of the fishing day.

Mix up practice for the first half of the day and second half of the day sessions, different tides, all the conditions you will see in competition.

Practice a single technique/

lure each time on the water with only the odd session where you swap between all methods.

Compare results of each of your techniques and focus on the weakest ones until you get improved results. Then rotate back to improving your favoured method.

Practice across the tidal range and record success.

Where possible, focus on improving outcomes during the worst part of the tide and cashing in on the best part.

Practice first and last hour only sessions to be clear on how you want to start and finish.

INDIVIDUAL VS TEAM EVENTS Team events are a special category that has taken me time to get enough data to make a judgement on. I have come to the conclusion that team selection is vital, as are the roles. If everyone on the team is good at the same thing, then when the stars line up you will be hard to beat, but the downside will be erratic results otherwise.

In general the results bear out that teams that have a combination of skills that complement each other – particularly specialisation in different parts of the water column, are most successful overall.

Why? Simply put, they provide the most chances

to catch fish by maximising coverage.

In general, if you are forming a team, dividing the tasks and maximising coverage of the water column is critical. If the fish are on, you can always tag team on the same technique, but when the fish have to be worked for, that’s when

having more than one option brings the biggest benefit.

YOU WON’T ALWAYS WIN My last observation is that the best fishers always want to win, but more than that they want to execute their plans well.

Sometimes you can execute flawlessly and still loose, and sometimes you can balls it up

and win. The important part is not to make winning the goal, but the execution. If you execute well, there will be satisfaction no matter what the placing. Do that long enough and the results will take care of themselves.

Now – get out on the water, the fish won’t catch themselves!

DEALER CONTENT

Caloundra Marine’s top deals With so many deals happening at this time of year it can be hard to know if you’re getting a great price, a great package, or a deal that has more room to move. Even at the big events it’s worth getting on the phone and shopping around.

Something many boaters don’t know is that many dealers now run their own in-house events, allowing customers to get the best of both worlds – a larger selection of boats to choose from, and still with the special deals you’d expect from a boat show.

Caloundra Marine on the Sunshine Coast are an example of a dealership who are focussing more on their local marketplace, using in-house events to support and promote the local community.

“In-house events have allowed us to provide boat

show beating Quintrex pricing to our customers all year round,” said Steve Minahan, Caloundra Marines Dealer Principal. “We prefer to stay local and pass on those savings to our customers.”

When asked for tips on buying a boat, Steve said that no matter how good a deal seems to be, you should shop around and not sign anything until you check out all the dealers’ offers – including the ones not at the show.

“It’s the only way to check

you’re truly getting a good price,” he explained. “We’re always happy for customers to call us and price check, as it’s all part of the service we provide. Also, if it’s the end of the month, waiting until the last few days can really make the difference to getting a deal at the right price.”

If you have any Quintrexrelated questions, the team at Caloundra Marine are happy to help. You can reach them on (07) 5491 1944.

– Caloundra Marine

CALOUNDRA BOAT SHOW

Better than Boat Show Prices

Call 07 5491 1944 AUSTRALIA’S BEST QUINTREX PRICES

AUGUST 2019

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FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS THINGS TO PACK FOR FISHING

CAMERA BRAGMAT FISHING ROD LURES BAIT SCISSORS SNACKS WATER TOWEL NET TACKLE BAG

DTD - REAL FISH OITA

BUCKET PLIERS A SMILE FACE BUFF INSECT REPELLENT THE BUNG LIP GRIPS EXTRA TACKLE SAFETY GEAR ICEBOX

Name: Address:

P/Code:

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win the prize pack.

SEND ENTRIES TO: QLD Find-a-word Competition, PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129

QLD AUGUST 2019

Phone (day):

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

The ‘Real Fish Oita’ is an incredible, award winning squid jig manufactured in Europe by leading Croatian company - DTD. Taking out the coveted ‘best new product’ in its class at the EFTTEX 2015 Expo in Warsaw, this wonderful range is now available in Australia through Dogtooth Distribution.

The product imitates real fish species. This coupled with DTD’s use of only the highest grade materials available, ensures great balance and results in superior catching ability. With the unique ‘fish parasite’ feature, aimed at luring predators in for an ‘easy kill’, these truly unique jigs are set to explode into the Australian market.

FEATURES - Double weight system with inner weight designed to produce sound while squid jig is in action.

COLOURS - 7 different designs representing popular fish species.

ADDITIONAL - Luminous body, fish parasite, great balance, sound effect, quality stainless steel hooks SIZES - 5 Sizes available www.dogtoothdistribution.com.au

SPOT THE

10 DIFFERENCES

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

ORIGINAL

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to R Schefe, who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition!

Monthly winners receive a Fishing Monthly prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – QFM

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The subscriber prize winner for June is G Horn of The Range, who won a Tackle Club 4 month gift subscription valued at $320.

All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM

Poor of Godwin Beach, J Goody of Mt Berryman, G Anderson of Emu Park, T Ferrari of Deception Bay, B Haines of Laidley, M Goodwin of Cardwell, J Bowyer of Blackall, I Campbell of Fairfield, J Conte of Tullera, A Adams of Newport, D Coombes of Mango Hill, R Power of Scarness, D Richter of Toogoolawah, L Dewar of Roma, M Gillett of Boonah, J Vieritz of Taroom, B Frankel of Urangan,

D Hutchins of Bundaberg, B Chappell of Miriam Vale, G Cull of Burrum Heads, A Hall of Lucinda, G Poor of Taromeo, R Schefe of Point Vernon, G McGrath of Avoca, J Rogers of Tambo, M Gloede of Boyne Island, B Newton of Trinity Beach, M Boyle of Slacks Creek, C Robinson of Edmonton, A Wood of Burdell.

Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

© A Cordelia Adams original artwork. Instagram: clausdoesart

FIND THE DAIWA LOGO

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GUESS THE FISH?

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: Brown Trout

The answers to Find the Daiwa Logo for June were: 10, 14, 16, 18, 22, 24, 30, 32, 36, 44, 50, 58, 63, 71, 89. – QFM The Find the Daiwa Logo prize winners for June were: K O’Brien of Burrum Heads, A Svaikauskas of Grasstree Beach, E Adams of Burdell, C Parker of Roma, C Thorne of Roma, W Sommerfeld of Toowoomba, M Calleja of Greystanes, E Johnson of Maroochy River, R Brown of Edmonton, A Scott of Proserpine, R

Answer:

boats & kayaks BRISBANE BOAT SHOW • 23rd – 25th August 2019

SHOW GUIDE

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116 Sea Jay 468 Navigator with Yamaha F70 4-stroke

2019

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118 Seafarer Victory 6.0 with Suzuki 200hp 4-stroke 120 Bassco Hurricane with Mercury 115hp Pro XS 122 Stessco Amberjack 520 with Yamaha F90hp 124 Surtees Game Fisher 650 with 150hp Yamaha

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124

126 Aquamaster 530 Half Cabin with Suzuki 140hp

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BRISBANE BOAT SHOW

BOATS • FISHING • WATER SPORTS 23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019

Family fun at the 2019 Brisbane Boat Show

The Brisbane Boat Show returns to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from 23-25 August 2019. The show, which is one of the largest recreational boat shows in Queensland, fills more than 20,000 square metres of floor space across four halls at the South Bank venue.

Given that the show’s history spans over 50 years, this three-day celebration of fishing and recreational boating is much anticipated and always satisfies both committed anglers and new boaties.

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While plenty of visitors come to the show from across the state, locals from the city’s surrounds also enjoy this show where industry comes together to display and offer the best in recreational boating. While the boats are naturally the show’s heroes, all the fishing gear you might need or just want, plays a big part too. It’s the one place in a convenient location where all your boating needs can be met.

Andrew Fielding, Chairman of the Queensland Council of the Boating Industry Association (BIA) Ltd who organise the event,

said given Australia’s recreational boating manufacturing powerhouse lies at Brisbane’s doorstep, visitors can be assured of seeing the best and latest designs at this show.

“Boat manufacturing plays a big part of the Queensland economy and this event showcases the quality and innovation that Australia has to offer,” he said.

As Andrew notes, given the Brisbane Boat Show holds the honour of taking place nearby Australia’s boating manufacturing epicentre, the show promises to present a combination

of excellent Australianmade rigs, together with brilliant products from overseas showcasing all the gear and gadgets

there will be more than 500 vessels, representing an excellent array of boats catering to various interests.

Not only for fishing, they

up of government agencies to ensure anglers have the opportunity to better understand how to stay safe and maximise their

you need for a superb day aboard. The Brisbane show always features the latest electronics, safety equipment, fishing tackle and other gear, with worldclass aluminium and fibreglass boats.

Over 60 organisations have booked exhibition space, with many more being turned away due to high demand. Even the foyer area of the convention centre has been employed to meet exhibitor space requirements. On site

include water skiing and wake boarding vessels, personal watercraft, canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards as well as others. Once again, family cruisers are proving as popular as ever at the show.

While the show is the best place to see boats and the best place to buy boats, the BIA also aims to entertain and educate at the show. With a commitment to safe boating, show organisers have pulled together an excellent line

time on the water. On stage will be a mix of educators and entertainers, and the fishing masterclasses make a welcome return.

Learn how to fish like never before at these masterclasses, which are included with the cost of entry. A massive 83% of people visiting the show express an interest in fishing.

The fishing masterclasses at the huge demo tank reflect that interest, with presentations ranging from inland waterway fishing

BRISBANE BOAT SHOW

23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019 to the more adventurous offshore competitions, presenting videos, photos and stories to match.

stops to the show.

Citycat and ferries The public transport ferries CityCats operate every

airports are 30 minutes drive from the Centre.

The AirTrain connects South Brisbane station to

Darren Vaux, President of the BIA, said fishing is a major part of the Australian lifestyle of enjoying the outdoors with friends and family.

“The Brisbane Boat Show brings together

day and stop at the South Bank River Terminal on the Clem Jones Promenade. The innercity ferry travels between the CBD, North Quay and Kangaroo Point, stopping at South Bank Terminal 1 and 2 on the Clem Jones Promenade.

Brisbane’s international and domestic airports with stops in the Brisbane CBD and Fortitude Valley.

Tickets and a timetable for this service can be found at the Information Desk at the airport

the leading dealers and manufacturers from across Australia and beyond, ready to present the latest in fishing, boating and marine technology,” he said. “This is the show where all your questions about spending more time on the water and catching bigger and better fish can be answered.”

TRANSPORT Train The South Brisbane Railway Station adjacent to the Convention Centre on Grey Street or South Bank Railway Station are the most convenient stations to the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Bus services The Cultural Centre Station on Melbourne Street and the South Bank Busway Station, on the corner of Colchester and Tribune Streets, are the closest bus

Taxi Taxi ranks are located outside the main entrance to the Centre on Merivale Street and a taxi drop off is located at the Convention Centre Grey Street entrance.

From the airport Flying in to see the show? Both Brisbane domestic and international

On foot The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre is a short stroll across from the Brisbane CBD connected by Victoria Bridge.

Hotels, restaurants and bars, South Bank beach and its parklands are all within walking distance from the show.

SPECIAL EDITION

TICKETS • Adult • Children (6-17 years) • Family • Seniors and Pensioners

$15 $5, under 5’s are free $35 (2 adults - 3 children) $12

The popular ‘5 after 5’ deal returns this year, with individual entry after 5PM being just $5 when you purchase the ticket at the show (family tickets excluded).

The show opens at 10AM daily, and runs from 23-25 August 2019, so bring along your family and friends and plan your next big adventure at this year’s Brisbane Boat Show. See www.brisbaneboatshow.com.au.

AUGUST 2019

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BRISBANE BOAT SHOW

BOATS • FISHING • WATER SPORTS 23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019

Yakking the Broadwater for breaming success BRISBANE

Troy Brown

The Gold Coast Broadwater is an iconic destination for the Queensland fishing community. With simple access to the Southport Seaway, complex canal systems, diverse structure, numerous jetties and moorings, this is truly a fishing wonderland. All of these are easily accessed by kayak, with several handy launch points, and it’s only a short paddle to fishing hotspots.

I have never been a fan of bream, but that changed

However, having now experienced the difficulty of targeting these fish during a competition round, I have far more respect for bream, as well as the anglers who specialise in chasing them.

Finding bream in the Broadwater is one thing, but finding them during a competition, in locations which have been heavily pre-fished, is another matter completely. On a typical day out in the kayak, I would consider a bag of 10-20 fish to be reasonable, with roughly a third of those being bream bycatch.

The bream are mostly an annoyance, with 6-10lb gear making them an unexciting

on the Broadwater would be a breeze. I posted my intentions to compete on the Qld Hobie Crew and Yak Hunters Facebook pages, and I was overwhelmed by the number of tips received.

The recommendations all followed a similar theme; ditch the 10lb gear and fish very, very light. Nearly everyone recommended Cranka Crabs, which have won a number of bream comps. Line weight was in the 3-4lb range, matched with ultralight rods and thin leaders. Hidden weight jigheads, small hardbody lures, crab imitations and small minnow-style plastics were also recommended.

The Sundale bridge is typically an excellent spot for bream. During this competition, the fish proved they don’t always play by the rules, so the bridge did not produce large numbers of fish. prior to the event, I decided to fish on the last available weekend to find some spots for the competition. I added a

couple of the recommended plastics such as the Ecogearaqua Bream Prawns and Z-Man CrusteaZ.

PRE-FISH DAY 1 So where to fish? The Broadwater is enormous, and even though I had plenty

The many sand banks are home to good populations of bream.

The key once you find a school is to work from a distance, as they will disperse easily if spooked. Photo: Gordon McGillivray when I competed in the Gold Coast round of the Hobie Bream Series. Before that event I saw bream as merely a distraction; fish which appeared frequently while I was fishing for flathead, snapper or more desirable species.

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prospect. There is no sport in dragging in a small fish on medium sized gear.

Fast forward to two weeks prior to a bream competition. Because I had caught a lot of bream on lures without even trying, I figured a bream competition

Sounds easy, right?

Especially when you catch bream on nearly every trip, purely by mistake?

What followed was a series of errors on my part, which I hope fellow kayak anglers can avoid. Knowing that there is a pre-fish ban

Not exactly the fish you need to win a tournament. The author was cursed with small fish throughout the comp.

BRISBANE BOAT SHOW

23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019 of experience fishing there in my boat, I had never lure fished there from a kayak.

The advice I received was focussed around pontoons in canals, the trawlers across from our launch point, the Sundale bridge and the Seaway. Deciding the canals were the best option

PRE-FISH DAY 2 I decided to discard all the excellent advice I’d received and move back to lures I was familiar with.

Over time, we all become adept at finding the best methods of making certain lures work for our target species, so I didn’t want

SPECIAL EDITION

the place the competition would be won or lost.

Conditions in the Seaway were hideous. This area is normally a parking lot for fishing boats, but my kayak was the only rig in the area. Fortunately, the Hobie treated the waves with disdain and was riding

Light gear, structure and angry bream equals fun for any angler. in breezy conditions, so I pedalled my Hobie furiously towards Runaway Bay and set the timer for seven hours, which is the time limit for the competition. Pushing hard against the tide and wind, I had a vague thought I perhaps should have used the tide to my advantage, but that logic was rapidly discarded.

Stopping at every point along the way which I thought should hold bream (large boat moorings, deep channel markers, canal entrances and rock walls), I didn’t catch a fish of any species. Moving into the canals, fishing with my new toys and sending hundreds

to persist with the new products with such a short learning curve. I went to my car to retrieve my trusty soft plastics, only to discover that in my haste to pack, I hadn’t brought them. With all tackle stores closed for the day, I once again left with an entirely new tackle box. The wind was howling, so I avoided the more exposed areas of the Broadwater and headed back into the canals, albeit this time just short of Runaway Bay. The donut of the previous day was quickly forgotten. In short order, I had caught and released six fish. They were small but

perfectly, although holding position was difficult. While flicking small soft plastics and prawn imitations on light gear I managed some solid morwong, flathead and small snapper, but unfortunately no more bream.

Running out of time, I moved towards the Sundale bridge, which is renowned as a hotspot for bream.

With legs burning, I got to the bridge faster than I thought possible and started working the current eddies behind the pylons.

Flicking prawns, crabs and small minnows from every angle, I once again failed to catch a bream.

Quality flathead like this are superb sport on light bream rods.

This beast was pulled from directly under the bridge and required a lot of patience to extract from the heavy structure. of casts around pontoons, I got not a single fish. As it had been a very long time since my last donut, I was dejected and questioning my own ability. Still, I had one more day to learn how to fish the new lures, plus find some locations holding fish.

it was a start. Braving the wind, I pushed out towards the Seaway to try my luck with the larger bream which are known to congregate in the area. Around this time bream move to the deeper sections of the mouth to spawn, so this seemed like

Pulling a 68cm flathead over a rock pile with 4lb line was a highlight, but my confidence was fading. Was my fishing mojo totally broken? How could I not find a bream big enough for the livewell?

To page 86

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BRISBANE BOAT SHOW

THE COMPETITION While the Broadwater is an amazing fishery, I managed to make a series of rookie errors.

Day 1 saw me targeting the same canal areas I had hit during the pre-fish, because I felt comfortable in an area I knew. Seeing as these areas hadn’t produced for me, I

of at every pontoon and bridge I could find. Small wonder I did so poorly.

Seeing the awesome fish on stage only heightened my sense of failure.

Day 2 came and went in essentially the same manner as day 1. While I tried new locations, working around the trawlers, Sundale bridge and

BOATS • FISHING • WATER SPORTS 23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019

saw no anglers near me boating a bream either. This was consistent with the previous day, as everywhere I went, the fish seemed to be absent. Even those around me seemed to be plagued by my bream curse.

There were a number of other competitors who also did not manage to lift

When fishing a competition, you need to be the first person to find the school before they become lure shy. Photo: Gordon McGillivray

The Broadwater is an ideal location for a serious competition, or for just a casual fishing trip. Photo: Gordon McGillivray should have followed the crowd who headed deep up the Nerang River. Next, I continued to cast lures which I had no knowledge

some of the pontoons nearby, no fish came onboard. Apart from some bream which were pulled from near the trawlers as I arrived, I also

a bream into their live well.

The successful competitors, for the most part, pedalled incredible distances to find their fish, spending

far more time moving than fishing. Unlike me, they knew that fish move, and get put under a lot of pressure during pre-fish. These guys did their homework properly, knew their gear and wouldn’t think of throwing lures unless they had full confidence in them.

Since the competition, I have got my bream mojo back. I have successfully targeted them, albeit with the tackle I know

intimately. I will now take the time to learn the gear recommended by experienced bream anglers, as their performance during the event proved that their favourite lures are dynamite in the right hands. While all of the advice I was provided with will benefit my bream angling in the long term, it was unwise of me to test it in the heat of competition.

Despite my lack of

success, my experiences still give me reasons to appreciate the Broadwater as a kayaker. Catching quality flathead, morwong, snapper and other species on light tackle is a fantastic bycatch when chasing bream. Fighting these same fish on light line is an absolute pleasure. So grab your light gear, drive to the Gold Coast and chase some bream. It will improve your fishing skills.

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So we fly over waves, we don’t plough straight into them like a submarine!

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We can only do that because our superstructure is superbly balanced and designed. And with 6mm bottomsheets we can take any landing.

With the sharp entry point of our Offshore HD hull and reverse chine design our captains always experience a predictable and stable journey.

‘Soft and Dry’. ‘Safe and Strong’.

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BRISBANE BOAT SHOW

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BOATS • FISHING • WATER SPORTS 23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019

How to kayak fish the super shallow stuff day on the water, the edge was crowded with boats and the last thing I needed was to battle the crowds.

BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

With the cooler weather we’ve had, I hope you’ve all been making good use of your wet weather gear and layering your clothing to effectively manage your body temperature while out fishing from the kayaks. I also hope you’ve been making the most of some of the glamorous, glassy winter days that we’ve had to get out and chase a few fish.

Before we get into it this month and hit the super shallow stuff that is

Celebrating the life of a wonderful and adventurous woman.

Fishing the super shallow stuff requires stealth, which the kayak is made for. often reserved for those in paddle craft, I just wanted to tip my hat to a lady that we recently farewelled, my grandma Lillian May Jeppesen who passed away aged 97. We made the most of one of these beautiful winter days to hit the water in our kayaks to pay tribute to her and scatter her ashes and rose petals across the

to test drive and R&D new products, and I was excited to give this little creature bait a swim. Two casts into

waters where she enjoyed many a family gathering and feed of freshlycaught seafood.

Mardi, as she was known to us, instilled in us a sense of adventure from when we were young, taking us on bus and train trips, to the movies, museum, the city, shopping, and loading us in her little

car to visit relatives who lived hours from home.

She taught me to get out there and experience things, make the most out of life and overcome the hurdles along the way. Her generation were pioneers that were continually problem solving and creating solutions to everyday issues. Although Mardi didn’t teach me to fish, I did embrace her spirit and her sense of adventure and I’m sure that this led me to attach a primitive sounder, anchor running rig and rod holders to a kayak in the early ‘90s and set off on my kayak fishing adventures… shrugging off the strange looks and comments at the ramp, before returning with a feed of fish.

We had a gathering of family and friends at our house to celebrate Mardi’s life. The following morning, we dragged a mixed bag of half a dozen kayaks out of the shed and were joined by two boats on the water, where

a tribute was read and her ashes and rose petals were scattered on the water. I would like to thank Mardi and all of her generation for the work they did to build this country and the practical skills they taught us, as we built tree houses, made billy carts, built and repaired bicycles, and rigged and repaired crab pots, fishing gear and boats in our quest to explore the world and catch a fish.

It’s our turn now to ensure that we are instilling in the next generation that same

Flathead from clear water often have very pretty markings.

A flathead safely in the net.

A beautiful day and a beautifully marked fish.

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spirit, sense of adventure, ability to overcome hurdles and the love of the sport of fishing and all the challenges, rewards and joys that it brings us all. In short… take a kid fishing!

After a big cook up with family there was no better way to clear the head and remember the good times than to get out and join Mardi on the water, experience a truly magical winter day and chase a few fish. I had planned to work a weed edge on the last of the run-out tide, however being such a magnificent

I opted to do my own thing and head to an area of extremely shallow flats, including a shallow drain that drained a large expanse of weed beds. By extremely shallow, I am talking a kayak blade-deep at one point when I landed a nice flathead, so I’m guessing water between 30-60cm.

As it was so shallow, I selected a light 1/10oz NedlockZ jighead and rigged it with a soon-tobe-released ZMan plastic, the 2.75” TRD BugZ. One of the opportunities when working in the industry is

the drain, hop, hop, and the plastic was nailed by a nice bream that bolted across the flats. Man, I love shallow water fishing!

The kayak is perfect for working the shallow stuff and there was no way the boats were going to be interested in getting in here and crowding me out. After a short tussle, I had the fish in the net and was stoked that the little plastic had been inhaled to the jighead, showing the bream was keen to eat it.

During winter the water often becomes super-

BRISBANE BOAT SHOW

23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019 clear, however this doesn’t stop the fish feeding in extremely shallow water. In fact, there is often an influx of bait into the system and the shallows encouraging larger predators to move into the shallows for an easy feed, as the bait has such a small column of water to move in, making it more difficult to escape.

Species encountered in my region often include bream, whiting, tailor, trevally and some quality flathead.

When the water is clear and shallow though, fish can also be easily spooked, especially from a boat, so make the most of the low profile and small shadow of the kayak, along with the lack of noise. Try not to bang around in the kayak, as this noise transfers through the water. If you are quiet and use the wind or tide to carry you along, you will often see fish shoot off when you are almost on top of them. Make note of the tide and wind direction so that you can utilise this to fish the areas and structure that you wish to target.

I often fish natural colours, make long casts, fish light leaders and jigheads, and fish with smaller movements of the lure, especially in very shallow water, as aggressive movements will seem unnatural in such a narrow column of water.

As so often is the case, bait, structure, or even better, both, is the key to success.

Find plenty of bait in the area and there likely are predators lurking. You may not think there is much

SPECIAL EDITION

A bream pinned on a ZMan TRD BugZ rigged on a TT NedlockZ jighead.

As I drifted into the drain, a perfect piece of structure lay ahead of me.

It was a sandy patch in the weed that looked slightly deeper, and there was no doubt in my mind that there would be a flathead in this pocket. Always try to position yourself a cast away from the structure so that you have plenty of time to make a few casts, rather than drifting onto the structure and spooking the fish. This also allows you multiple drifts of the area if you believe the water looks and feels productive.

As I approached the pocket, I made a long cast right to the edge of the weed at the back of the sand pocket, giving my plastic maximum time in the strike zone. Hop, hop,

of aggressive head shakes in the shallows, I had a decent flathead in the net.

The shallow drain produced a couple more flathead and another bream, with the lure test deemed a success, before I switched to my go-to 2.5� paddle-tail just to mix things up. Moving out of the drain, I pushed up onto a large weed flat and made note of pilchard size bait being chased out of the water from time to time. With very little water movement and an extremely slow drift, my plan was to move the kayak into the area where the bait was flicking and make casts directly to the disturbances. The water depth was still around the 30-60cm range and I was

The last flathead came out of just a paddle blade of water. structure in a foot or two of water, however a patch of weed or rubble, clear patch in the weed or a pocket of water that is 10cm deeper are all worth a few casts.

pause, hop, hop, pause, now approaching the deeper section at the front of the pocket and fish on! I love it when a plan comes together and after a couple of solid runs and plenty

running a 1/4oz jighead, which many would feel is too heavy. However, my plan was a quick reaction, long, fast cast to the disturbances and then rod To page 90

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From page 89

tip up and a rapid shake and retrieve to keep the plastic out of the weed to imitate a

had too much time to process what my lure actually was.

The first couple of casts came and went before a cast

BOATS • FISHING • WATER SPORTS 23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019

a couple of shakes of the rod tip and a turn of the handle.

A short tussle and another bream was in the net. This

Contemplating a wonderful life on a beautiful glassy day.

It doesn’t take much water to hold a flathead. fleeing baitfish, hopefully triggering a reaction strike from the predator before it

landed on point. A second after the disturbance the plastic was crunched within

was followed moments later by another baitfish leaping from the water, so another

cast and another almost instantaneous hook up.

This was a more serious opponent and after a few solid runs I had another quality flathead yak side in a foot of water. I admired this beautifully marked fish that had snuck up onto the weed to hunt in the super shallow water.

It was time to turn the kayak and head for home, however it was such a beautiful winter glass out and I was really enjoying the serenity, so I slowed the kayak up near a moored boat and made a cast about hallway along the hull, right on the waterline.

Almost as if scripted, as the lure passed the rear

corner of the vessel the line went tight and drag peeled off as the hook found its mark. It had the signature head shakes and runs of a bream and sure enough another bream was landed and released.

Further on I fished a spot that holds yellowtail pike, landing a few quality models before calling it a day and heading for home. Yellowtail pike are readily available around weed beds, jetties and boat ramps in many areas during the winter months, and by the end of the season fish around 50cm can be common. They are great fun, especially for kids, and are an oily fish that smoke

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extremely well.

Back at the ramp, I reflected on the day as I watched the sun melt behind the mountains. I farewelled Mardi, grateful that I had her in my life for so many wonderful years. I was also grateful for the life that we have thanks to her generation, and the opportunities that are available to us to kayak and fish this magnificent country. I had a feed of fresh fish in the icebox, and after loading the kayak on the trolley, it was a short wheel home. Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that really are the most special. Hug your family and take a kid fishing.

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s at u e e s e m o C Stand 108

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BRISBANE BOAT SHOW

BOATS • FISHING • WATER SPORTS 23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019

In the market for a new boat?

BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Whenever you go to a boat show you’re presented with a whole lot of beautiful shiny new boats on display to tempt potential buyers. Which is the best one? Which one will give best value for money and be able to perform in complete safety and with as much comfort as possible?

Life is full of big decisions that you really don’t want to

take things step by step in this article to fast track your knowledge. In this article we can look at some of the most important things to consider when buying that new boat.

First of all, you need to consider whether the boat you’re looking at will be too big for the family car to tow with ease. You are buying a boat, not a boat and a car to tow it! In any case, it’s easier to start off with a smaller craft in which to learn what boating is all about. Your goal is to tow it and launch/

always involves some!

If you’re planning to fish in more sheltered waters, a smaller rig will be fine.

However, if you’re heading offshore there are different considerations. There needs to be freeboard (plenty of side height), plus sea keeping ability (riding well in unfavourable conditions) while keeping occupants dry.

You’ll also have to make a choice between alloy or glass. Each material offers certain advantages and disadvantages. Smaller boats

area and immense stability, are great for sheltered water work. Fishing from transom to bow is what punt ownership is about. However, they’re not suitable for bluewater due to their lack of freeboard and their design as totally open boats.

On the other hand, a half cabin craft is good offshore due to the protection of the cabin and their overall larger size. However, they don’t have as much fishing room in proportion to their size, as the cabin takes up a significant amount of space.

The configuration and size of a half cabin boat also makes it a somewhat clumsy when it comes to ghosting into less than a metre of water in search of a flathead or bream along a sand bank, or an impoundment barra warming itself on a shallow flat.

Conventional style open boats, whether tiller steered or helmed from a wheel up front, are more versatile.

They can be equipped with an electric motor for stealthy shallow water work, and larger rigs might well manage an offshore run in suitable conditions. There are some very capable 4.2-4.5m craft

An electric motor plate is essential for most small boat fishing, yet not all small craft are set up with them. injected 2-stroke (following the banning of conventional carby style 2-stroke engines as of July this year). Note though, that every boat has a minimum and maximum engine rating as a guide to the safest performance. It’s usually fine to go with a smaller capacity engine (but not necessarily the minimum)

the throttle grip is in an ergonomically suitable position, or if it’s necessary to sit off to one side to steer the boat. Consider how things might be after 30 minutes in a driving situation, especially if you’re on a fixed seat! Will it be necessary to actually lean back a little to keep

Glass hulls provide a quality ride plus enough freeboard to make offshore work a possibility. get wrong. Buying a brand new boat is one of the major ones to fall into that category.

There’s just so much to consider, and for many prospective boat owners it can be difficult to understand just what will make their choice the correct one.

After the purchase, time on the water will soon show whether your judgment was sound or not. Nobody wants buyer’s remorse.

ASSESS WITH CARE: ENJOY AT LEISURE It takes years of experience to really understand all the things a buyer should look for when choosing the right craft for their needs. However, I will

retrieve it with as little stress as possible, and that’s easier when there’s less boat to handle. And you’ll want to store the rig out of the weather to keep it in as good a condition as possible, and this is less of a hassle with a smaller boat.

So get out that pen and paper and jot down a few notes on what you’ll mainly be using the boat for, and then buy the smallest boat that will suit your needs, rather than the largest. The idea is to decide on a size range rather than an exact size as this will give a lot more flexibility to the project.

Don’t forget there will be compromises.

Boating

(say, under 4.5m) are usually alloy while larger rigs tend to be fibreglass. Glass hulls can have intricate shapes moulded into their final form, and that extra weight can improve ride quality, which is why many boats over 4.5m are fibreglass. Ultimately though, it’s the buyer’s choice. Just remember that neither style of boat will be entirely maintenance-free in the long term.

Next, let’s consider the style of boat to choose. Most people have a certain style of fishing in mind, such as fishing impoundments, rivers, estuaries or dedicated offshore work. Open punt style boats, with their total fishing work

Put yourself in the picture: a new boat coming off its trailer.

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A common complaint about glass hulls is that you need to take extra care around the ramp. The inbuilt rubbing strip, shown here, provides peace of mind and is something a lot of manufacturers can provide. on the market today that will fish up to four in comfort yet can cover a huge range of fishing requirements.

Naturally, if you want to do shallow stealth style work with fly or plastics, the boat must have an electric motor pad up front. Not all small boats have one.

THE FINER POINTS With the overall design and size range of the new acquisition firmly in mind, it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty and start looking at finer points that can make or break your decision to buy a particular boat.

The choice of motor could not be easier – it’s either 4-stroke or fuel-

unless you’ll regularly have a full compliment of passengers on board. A smaller capacity engine will save you money and put less weight on the transom.

Whether your chosen boat will be tiller steer or helmed from upfront, there is one essential criteria: the driving position must suit the prospective owner. The only way of making sure is to get aboard the boat, either on the stand at the boat show, or maybe later on the water.

You want to see if things will be comfortable, perhaps for long stints on the water.

If you’re considering a tiller steer rig, you want to determine whether

your hand on the throttle, or have the end of the tiller arm slightly ahead of your position? These factors can influence long-term comfort.

If you’re driving from up front, have a look at where the ignition switch and forward controls are in relation to any fixed seat. I’ve sat in skipper’s seats which, while comfortable, placed my right knee virtually on the forward controls on the side of the craft. On some other boats, the ignition key was up against my knee. Either situation is not good.

You also need to consider all round visibility when you’re at the helm.

Anything at eye level that

BRISBANE BOAT SHOW

SPECIAL EDITION

23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019 cannot be moved may well be an issue.

Then we might consider the crew. The first mate might need somewhere to store personal items, plus

Fully flexible seating is also a great asset when you expect fishing to be full on; you can opt to leave a seat at home to free up more fishing space. Pedestal bucket-style

LASTLY, THE LIST Finally, remember that although a boat is a serious purchase, if you choose wisely it will provide a vast amount of entertainment and

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When considering a smaller alloy rig, consider the general size range rather than actual size, as a lot of excellent smaller rigs are available today. The 435 Bay Cruiser transports four people with ease. have a hand-hold for rough going. The needs of other regular passengers should be considered as well. It’s good when the weight aboard the rig can be adjusted via flexible seating from in-floor spigots.

seats are popular today, especially as these seats can be swivelled to face in a chosen direction for ease of fishing. Just make sure that the seat can actually swivel without bumping into another.

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• 4mm High Tensile 5083 Plate Bottom • Samurai Hull • Self Draining Deck with scuppers • Wide Body 2350mm Beam • 90L Under Floor Fuel Tank

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recreation. Boating is very enjoyable, and choosing the right rig for the job will add to the fun factor considerably. Make The List, tick off the must-haves, and live with the decision to scrap the might-haves.

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An example of a versatile boat. This hull offers plenty of freeboard on all sides (plus the transom) for offshore work, and it’s fitted with an electric motor plate so you can go stealth fishing in the shallows.

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For further information visit www.seajayboats.com.au An alloy hull around the 4.2-4.5m range is a great fishing boat for a lot of different situations.

To like us on Facebook visit www.facebook.com/SeaJayBoats AUGUST 2019

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WHAT’S NEW BOATING PURSUIT OFFSHORE 1 BOATS American premium fishing and family boat brand Pursuit will be launched in Australia this coming summer (2019), with Cobalt’s Boats of Australia partnering with the US brand.

General Manager of Cobalt Boats of Australia Andy Clayton says his team are excited to be bringing these boats to Australia.

“The Pursuit boat is a premium offshore fishing boat that has crossed over into a versatile family boat while also offering pure sportfishing models in its range,” Andy says.

The brand evolved from its start 42 years ago into a high-end brand in the vein of Boston Whaler and Grady White. The range is an award-winning product line of Centre Console, Offshore, Sport and Dual Console models, and extends from 23ft to over 40ft, with dual console family runabouts, enclosed cockpit models and hard top sportfish offerings.

The first Pursuit models to arrive in Australia in November will be the 235 DC, S288 and OS 325. www.pursuitboats.com

RAYMARINE ELEMENT 2 HV SONAR/GPS The Raymarine Element HV sonar/GPS delivers seven distinct sonar channels including three ultra-high frequency 1.2MHz HyperVision channels (SideVision, DownVision and RealVision 3D).

RealVision 3D combines with precision GPS to construct the most accurate 3D model of the underwater world, and updates it in realtime. All three models (7”, 9” and 12”) feature quad-core processors for instantaneous chart redraws, seamless menu/page transitions and smooth sonar rendering.

Element HV supports charts from Navionics and C-Map, and users can create maps while underway with Navionics SonarChart Live and Raymarine RealBathyTM personal sonar map recording.

The ultra-bright screens are easily viewed in all lighting conditions, even when wearing polarised glasses.

All models are powered by Raymarine’s LightHouse Sport operating system, and all seven sonar channels are delivered via a single, all-in-one transducer. Element HV features NMEA2000 connectivity, and comes with a 3-year warranty.

Price: from SRP $1149 (incl. transducer) www.raymarine.com.au

GARMIN FORCE ELECTRIC MOTOR

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Thanks to its unique brushless motor, the Garmin Force electric motor operates with almost undetectable levels of sonar and steering noise both below and above the water. It’s also the first trolling motor to include built-in Garmin CHIRP traditional and Ultra High-Definition ClearVu and SideVu scanning sonars.

The Force is 30% more powerful than other freshwater trolling motors. It can move you from one structure to the next more quickly, throttle back with ease when you need to fish slow, and stand up better to winds and currents. It’s also the most efficient trolling motor available, so you can count on it to fish all day. It operates at either 36V or 24V, and when running at 24V, delivers comparable thrust to competitors’ 36V motors.

Other features include wireless integration with a Garmin chartplotter and built-in autopilot functionality, and a wireless foot pedal that provides instant responsiveness yet feels and steers like a cable-steered pedal. The pedal’s resistance is adjustable, and it has buttons to control speed, heading and anchor lock. It can also be wired. Alternatively, you can use the

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PRODUCT GUIDE

included wireless remote, which also floats.

Force is available with a 50” or 57” adjustable shaft.

Price: from SRP $4999 www.garmin.com/force

QUINTREX FISHABOUT PRO

The new Quintrex Fishabout Pro is offered in three sizes, the 430, 450 and 470. Each has a max capacity of five people and ratings of 60hp, 60hp and 75hp respectively.

The new Fishabout Pro features the current Blade Hull with a new and improved Flared Bow. The stretch-formed aluminium side sheets have more curve that runs further down the length of the boat to deflect spray. It has a wider beam and more space between the dash and the transom.

Instead of a motor well that intrudes into the rear lounge area, there’s a pod transom that allows the outboard to be mounted further back with duckboards on either side. The Lean Through Dash and Step separates the captain and navigator panels, allowing for easy access to the bow anchor or optional drum winch.

Every Fishabout Pro now has a bimini, fullywelded side decks, two transducer brackets and Premium Hookless carpet as standard in addition to current features like rod holders, folding rear lounge, and side pockets. www.quintrex.com.au

SIMRAD RS40-B

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Simrad has announced the release of the new RS40-B, the first VHF marine radio with AIS transmit and receive capability.

Featuring a sleek design with wireless handset capability, removable fist microphone, Class D DSC functionality, built-in GPS and a Class B AISTransceiver, the Simrad RS40-B takes VHF marine performance to another level.

The integrated Class B AIS transceiver in the RS40-B can receive position data from other vessels like the original RS40, but is the first VHF marine radio capable of sharing its position with nearby AIS-equipped vessels, improving collision avoidance in crowded waterways. Position data of other vessels is clearly viewable on the Simrad RS40-B screen or can be overlaid on top of a chart or radar through a compatible multifunction display over NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000.

Price: SRP $1335 www.simrad-yachting.com

STACER 589 SEA MASTER

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With the addition of the 589 Sea Master, Stacer’s runabout range now has six models: 429, 449, 469, 499, 519 and 589.

The 589 boasts a massive 2.35m beam and 5.96m length, and was created in response to consumer demand for a good open fishing boat that could handle offshore conditions. The cockpit space measures 2.3m from the back of the helm chairs to the transom, and 1.8m of internal beam from the inside of the port and starboard rolled side decks.

To make it the ultimate offshore runabout, the 589 Sea Master has 0.67m of freeboard, and has a transom that is fit for an XL outboard engine shaft. The comfortable helm and dash area make it easy to control the vessel, and there’s a drop-down floor in front of the seat positions for maximum comfort.

The 589 is equipped with the soft riding Revolution hull as well as a comfortable rear lounge and Maritime Seats as standard.

Popular options include a transom door and electric drum winch. www.stacer.com.au

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SPECIAL EDITION

BRISBANE BOAT SHOW

BOATS • FISHING • WATER SPORTS 23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019

The transition to a big boat BRISBANE

John Loeskow

You’re fishing at one of your regular spots, with agreeable weather allowing

at the range of options available in the 5.5-6m range, with both imported and Aussie-made models well represented in the market. In this article I’ll take you through the goals,

boats. I was browsing some of the larger vessels when one boat in particular caught my eye.

Although I had only limited experience with bigger boats, and fibreglass

hallmark of this range of locally-made boats. The 20° deadrise hull, centre console layout, ample room and full walk-around fishing setup had me hooked from the outset.

The boys from Wynnum Marine and Cruise Craft were only too happy to get me up in the boat for a better look. A quick lunch and another perusal of the boat ensued before I was on the road out of Brisbane.

Within weeks I had organised an on-water test with Brent Ferguson from Wynnum Marine who suggested I take a tour of the factory at Hemmant Park to see how the boats were put together. The Nichols group built the first fibreglass Cruise Craft boat in 1967, and the range they currently produce showcases the innovation and build quality that are synonymous with these boats. What became evident was the staff’s pride in the quality of the product,

At the bow is a Stress Free freefall anchor winch with a No 2 SARCA anchor.

With a larger boat you can push out wider to areas that receive less fishing pressure. you to get that mid-sized tinny out near the limit of its range. A few nice fish have come aboard, and as the morning wears

choices and compromises that led me to deciding on my new boat, and discuss the options I chose and why I chose them.

boats for that matter, I had fished in a couple that impressed me. A Haines Hunter Patriot 800 and Cruise Craft Explorer 685 were both great to fish out of, but they were a little bit outside my league. The Wynnum Marine stand had a great selection of Cruise Craft boats on display but there was one boat I hadn’t previously seen: the 6m Cruise Craft Fish 360 M. I’m sure I looked like an infatuated teenager as I walked around the boat, admiring the fine lines and attention to detail that is a

The dash setup allows for single or multiple screens for your marine electronics.

There are rod pockets along each side under the gunwales. on the wind drops and conditions start to glass out. As you look towards the horizon, some of the bigger boats are taking advantage and pushing out wide to access some of the more productive areas.

You can’t help but think to yourself, “wouldn’t it be nice to get out there?”

With most of my fishing starting to focus on chasing reef fish and pelagics on bait and lures, I made the decision to upgrade to a bigger boat with a fibreglass hull to make the most of the windows of good weather. It was a bit daunting looking 96

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IN THE BEGINNING… I had initially decided that a 5.5m hull would provide the best compromise between fishing in open water while still being able to navigate the medium to large estuaries I fished on windy days. With a clear picture in my head I drove down for the Brisbane Boat Show to get a hands-on look at some of the boats I was considering.

As I walked through the doors I was a bit taken aback by the number and range of boats on display, covering everything from small aluminium punts up to the biggest offshore and cruising

The boat sits on a Redco dual axle galvanized trailer with a Hydrastar HBA-12 EOH braking system.

and their willingness to collaborate between the customer and the factory in order to deliver the best final product. The on-water test exceeded my expectations, and after a couple of weeks of consideration I committed to a new era in my fishing and boating adventure.

THE BOAT After a couple of months of fine tuning the interior layout and options, the boat was ready for pickup just prior to Christmas.

I arrived in Brisbane on Friday morning and Brent went through the standard pre-delivery checks and information at the dealership before I hooked up the boat for the journey home. The boat towed well on the trailer and I made my way home without any problems.

BOATS • FISHING • WATER SPORTS

23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019 As I nervously backed the boat into the shed, I was relieved to find I had 100mm of clearance on the console

waters when conditions are favourable, but a degree of confidence comes with a boat that will prove safe when

enter the boat as speed is increased. The first run in the boat encountered these conditions, but even in a

Although it’s common for offshore boats to have a cabin, the author preferred to have unimpeded fishing access around the full perimeter of the boat. height to the roller door, and the boat was now in its new home.

At 6m to the start of the bowsprit and 6.35m overall, the boat sits at the start of what would be considered an offshore capable craft.

I won’t argue that smaller boats can and do make the journey into offshore

conditions take a turn for the worse. With a 20° deadrise at the stern and 2.44m beam, the hull punches through chop and swell efficiently while still maintaining a good level of stability at rest.

Like all centre consoles, if conditions are poor and cross winds are strong enough some level of spray will still

messy sea the hull felt solid, and the impact on the driver and passengers was easily tolerable. Calm conditions will allow the hull and motor to show what they are truly capable of as far as performance at WOT and fuel economy are concerned.

The hull is rated for outboard motors between

BRISBANE BOAT SHOW 150-200hp. Identical weight between the 175-200 Yamaha XCA made me lean towards the 200 in the hope of slightly increased top-end speed and better fuel economy at optimal cruising speed. Time will tell. These motors are ridiculously quiet at idle, and even at mid-level throttle you can have a normal conversation between the driver and passengers without shouting.

The binnacle digital control utilises Yamaha’s ‘drive by wire’ digital control to allow extremely smooth adjustment and noiseless shift between neutral and in-gear operation. The command link high-definition gauge gives real time information on all of the stats like speed, fuel flow, economy and more in an easy to use and adjustable format. The stainless Reliance SDS Series prop features the new Shift Dampener System which helps to contribute to the smooth shifting in and out of gear.

The dash setup on the console allows the option for single or multiple screens for your marine electronics.

I opted for a Lowrance HDS 16 Carbon with a Totalscan transducer on the transom and a Thru Hull xSonic

SPECIAL EDITION

With a 20° deadrise at the stern and 2.44m beam, the hull punches through chop and swell.

B150M medium frequency CHIRP transducer. The large screen size allows for two or three displays to be shown simultaneously at a reasonable size. The customisation options with screen setup

allow endless possibilities for users to display all of the information they need.

The number of features available on this unit will take some time to work through, To page 98

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anglapro.com.au AUGUST 2019

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BRISBANE BOAT SHOW

BOATS • FISHING • WATER SPORTS 23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019

From page 97

but like all technology you will need to take some time to determine what you need for your particular fishing situation. The new generation of touch screen units make marking spots on the sonar pages and navigating through chart options seamless. A VHF radio sits under the SST steering wheel and a neat storage compartment on the starboard side folds away nicely to sit flush with the console. The EPIRB and fire extinguisher are housed in an easily accessible position above the stainless foot rail

Above left and right: The hatches are well sealed against water intrusion. The SeaDek traction pads are easy to clean, provide good support for bare feet, and allow good traction wet or dry.

The Minn Kota Terrova 80lb will be used to move around reefs and drop-offs in shallow water, and to slow down drift rates. at the helm position.

The 360 M has used the same hull design as the extremely popular Explorer 595, with the obvious exclusion of the cabin. This

has opened up the fishing room on the boat to create a true 360° fishing platform.

I know some anglers will bemoan the absence of a sheltered cabin on an

All hatches have rubber seals to stop water from getting in.

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offshore fishing boat. The compromise between having a dry and sheltered area and all-round fishing access is down to personal preference, but the choice for me was simple. This boat will be used for all manner of bait and lure fishing scenarios, and the same trip may see popper fishing from the front cast deck, trolling lures and baits for pelagics, dropping jigs and plastics for reef species and good old bottom fishing with live and dead baits.

Unimpeded passage around the full perimeter of the boat is a real bonus in the 360 design. The front cast deck is raised sufficiently to give a better view of reef edges and bommies and also sits high enough to provide temporary seating when travelling short distance between spots.

The Relaxn T Top is made from hi-tensile anodised aluminium, providing a sturdy frame for the console and canvas top. The 5-rod rocket launcher fits neatly to keep rods up out of the way but may be a little difficult for shorter anglers to access easily. A 210L fuel capacity will allow for a range in excess of 350km under optimal conditions. Dual fuel fillers on both the port and starboard side are a good inclusion.

Storage on this boat is extensive. Rod pockets along

each side under the gunwales are spacious but realistically only cater for one large capacity spin or overhead combo per side. Additional accessories like gaffs, pliers and other bits and pieces will sit comfortably out of the way.

The front deck features five hatches giving access to three massive storage areas, all with a bung for drainage depending on how you want to use the space. The centre storage compartment measures at around 1200 x 600mm with a hatch lid fore and aft. This would function as an ideal kill tank for longer fish like Spanish mackerel and cobia, and would serve equally as well as a cold storage in the cooler months.

All hatch lids were fitted with stainless hatch folding springs to provide support in lumpy seas, so the lids won’t close on your fingers or arms.

A hatch on the front of the console opens to reveal even more storage and access to all wiring for electronic accessories. Yet another storage compartment is located on the stern floor immediately forward of the outboard. All hatches are designed to prevent water ingress, with rubber seals and channelling to drain water to the rear of the boat.

A built in 3-drawer tackle box in the rear port side next to the transom door comes as standard.

A FEW CREATURE COMFORTS A plumbed live well sits in the rear starboard position.

The black lining in the well will aid in keeping live baits calm to maintain them in optimum condition.

The deluxe cutting board provides an effective work space for bait preparation, and the hanging bait tubs are a good option. A knife rack sits on the back of the bait board but you may need to add a section of insertion rubber between the rack and the bait board to keep fillet knives secure while travelling and in rough conditions.

I opted for full padded coamings that run the entire length of the boat on the inside of the gunwales. This will give

far more comfort when fishing in a bit of swell, and is a handy back rest when sitting on the front cast deck.

The boat was fitted with SeaDek traction pads instead of marine carpet, and early impressions are extremely good. This blended foam material is easy to clean and provides excellent support for bare feet, and allows good traction wet or dry.

Lenco Auto Retract trim tabs were included to allow constant adjustment of the boat’s ride. This is especially important with a full live bait tank, and eliminates the need

bottom quickly. Rope can be let out or retrieved to adjust your position, and the anchor can be effortlessly recovered where it sits neatly on the 6” bow roller. Needless to say, the deckies were quite happy without the task of pulling in the anchor manually.

The most recent addition to the boat was a Minn Kota Terrova 80lb 24V electric motor. This will be used to move around reefs and dropoffs in shallow water, and the Spot Lock feature will be useful for checking a spot for a short period without the need to deploy the anchor. Slowing down drift rates while jigging and bait fishing will also be extremely useful.

The boat sits on a Redco dual axle galvanized trailer with a Hydrastar HBA-12 EOH braking system.

AND THEN THERE WAS WIND Unsurprisingly, after picking up the boat the wind has blown relentlessly for weeks on end. The first trip was made in ordinary conditions when the wind dropped back to 15 knots, and while the fish were a bit quiet and the sharks were out in force, a few nice fish made their way to the boat in one piece. Travelling

With an offshore boat you don’t have to wait for perfect weather to catch a feed of reef fish. for moving weight around the boat to level the ride.

At the pointy end there are a few options for anchoring.

After a bit of deliberation I decided to go for a Stress Free free-fall anchor winch with the No 2 SARCA anchor. While this was a bit of a luxury, the advantages were obvious after just one trip. Push button control allows easy deployment, and the free-fall feature gets the anchor to the

at 15-20 knots out and back while constantly adjusting speed for the conditions, we clocked up 78km for 66L which wasn’t too bad.

When the weather improves I’ll get a better idea of how things are going to work on the water. Once a few fish come over the side, the pros and cons of how the boat has been set up will become evident and I’ll let you know what I would have changed.

Craftsmanship Since 1946

S N O P A E W R E T A W E BOLN DUISPLAY AT BRISBANE BOAT SHOW WHY CRUISE CRAFT? POWERED BY YAMAHA - FACTORY FITTED FOAM FILLED - STRONGER, QUIETER, SAFER COMPLETE COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION - NO WOOD! ZERO TOWING RESTRICTIONS - NOT OVERWIDTH!

QLD DEALERS NTH QLD Townsville Marine 43 Ingham Road, Bohle QLD 4818 sales@townsvillemarine.com.au 07 4774 3777

SE QLD Wynnum Marine 31 Fox Street, Wynnum QLD 4178 info@wynnummarine.com.au 07 3396 9777

www.cruisecraft.com.au

COME AND SEE WYNNUM MARINE AT THE BRISBANE BOAT SHOW 23 - 25 AUGUST, 2019

SPECIAL EDITION

BRISBANE BOAT SHOW

BOATS • FISHING • WATER SPORTS 23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019

Get ready for exciting new releases at the Show!

• • • • • • •••••••••••• • • • • • • • • •

AUSTRALIAN MARINE CENTRE

and the Brisbane Quintrex stands,” Mr Goodchild said.

“Remember Brisbane Yamaha knows boats! And we always offer peace of mind when buying a boat because of our quality products, excellent service and unbeatable boat show deals backed up by the best warranty.”

Check out the Brisbane Yamaha YouTube channel for heaps of honest on-the-water reviews or call 3888 1727.

For more information visit www. brisbaneyamaha.com.au.

AUSTRALIAN MARINE CENTRE

• • • • • • •••••••••••• • • • • • • • • •

Australian Marine Centre (AMC) will be exhibiting a huge range of premium quality boats at the 2019 Brisbane Boat Show at unbeatable boat show pricing. On display will be two of the best built, reliable alloy boat brands available in Australia: Bar Crusher and Aquamaster.

Bar Crusher are a high tensile plate alloy boat and are known are as ‘Fishing Weapons’. Aquamaster boats are locally built pressed tinnies. Both brands deliver awesome performance and are suited to all types of Australian conditions, appealing to the serious angler and their families.

AMC will also have the range of Haines Signature fibreglass boats on display. The legendary Haines Signature boat brand are known to build a range of boats that are exceptional in every category – fishing boats, sports boats and cruisers that will appeal to all anglers and families alike.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

NORTHSIDE MARINE •••••••••••••••••••••••••••

and will provide honest advice and a boat package that you have been dreaming about!

As always, there will be boat show deals on offer across the whole range to every customer who purchases a boat package or new Suzuki Outboard. So be sure to drop by

AUSTRALIAN MARINE CENTRE

full range of Quintrex aluminium boats on display at the show, including the new hand-built Yellowfin range of true plate fishing boats.

“The new Yellowfin offshore range was the indisputable show-stopping range at the recent Sydney and Melbourne shows,” said dealer principal, Aaron Goodchild.

The Yellowfin range is a true 5083 alloy boat with 6mm bottoms and welded-rib structure and self-draining tread plate floor. They are available in 5800, 6200, 6500, 7000 and 7600 models in four configurations with the half cab, centre cab, centre console and rear console models.

The other great news is the Australian launch of the all-new Baysport 705 walkaround model, which has been

The Brisbane Boat Show is one of the top-tier boat shows in all of Australia. It not only showcases leading boat brands and dealerships, but it also features all the newest marine tech and fishing gear available to customers. Northside Marine have the top brands in all things boating at great prices.

Northside have been in business for over 50 years, and have been supporting the Brisbane Boat Show right from the start. This year they will be featuring all their major brands, which includes Whittley, Surtees, Stabicraft, Malibu/Axis, Stacer and Sportsman Boats. Taking pride of place will be the Sportsman Masters 207; Sportsman has a reputation for building premium boats with one of the best rides on the water in a fibreglass build.

Other notable features of their stand are the brand new Stabicraft model, the

NORTHSIDE MARINE All these brands are built by Aussies for Aussie conditions. They have been proven within our harsh environment, built strong and hold a great resale value. Whether you are a first time boat-owner or a seasoned veteran, AMC will have a boat to suit you.

All of AMC’s boat packages are powered

by Suzuki engines. Their lean burn technology, unique to Suzuki, sets them apart from all other outboard brands and delivers industry leading fuel economy and reliability. If you are not looking to purchase a new boat package, then AMC is an elite Suzuki dealer and can guide you with repowering your current pride and joy. Suzuki supply a range of 4-stroke outboards from 2.5-350hp.

The team at AMC are highly knowledgeable with combined marine experience of 80 years

BRISBANE YAMAHA

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and say hi to the AMC Team on Stand 309.

For more information about the boats we will have on display at the Show and pre-boat show sales, contact AMC on (07) 3808 7333, or drop by the yard at 3491 Pacific Highway, Slacks Creek.

For more information visit www. amcboats.com.au.

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BRISBANE YAMAHA’S SHOW STOPPER! • • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Brisbane Yamaha, located on the northside of Brisbane, and its brother company on the southside, Brisbane Quintrex, has the

a culmination of years of research and development with family and fisher in mind.

“This boat has been in development for 10 years and is a 7m hardcore fishing boat, and includes high-level electronics and the legendary Yamaha 225hp outboard – all for less than $100K,” said Mr Goodchild.

Baysport is the largest selling range of fibreglass boats in Queensland and the complete range will be on display with the 565, 595 and 640 Weekender and Fishermen models, including the popular 600 Offshore model.

Brisbane Quintrex, located on the southside of Brisbane in Loganholme, will also be displaying the latest range from Quintrex boats with the best-selling Evinrude range of outboards.

“Come and see the huge range at the best prices at the Brisbane Yamaha

2250 Centrecab. This is a long awaited model, spending two years in design.

Another exciting mention is that the Whittley SL22 Coast Tourer edition will be on display. This comes with the creature comforts of the SL22SD, but with the reliability of an outboard to power it.

Northside Marine will also be featuring a range of the latest and greatest marine tech. They will be featuring most of their main tech brands, including Minn Kota, Lowrance, Simrad, Garmin, Raymarine and more. Northside has the biggest and best range of marine electronics on show, from massive radars to autopilots. They have it all!

The stand will be featuring the new Minn Kota trolling motor, which has an 87” shaft.

This provides 112lb of thrust – perfect for the To page 102

Let’s Fishing GO

Apache

Edgetracker

Everything Estuary to Offshore

CALL YOUR LOCAL DEALER TODAY

Seahawk

Bluewater

For full range see your local dealer.

Rising Sun Townsville

BlueFin Sports

Gold Coast Boating Centre

35 Bowen Road, Rosslea, QLD, 4812 Phone: (07) 4779 0211 marine@risingsuntownsville.com.au

57-59 Musgrave Street, Rockhampton Nth, QLD, 4701 Phone: (07) 4922 2211 sales@bluefinsports.com.au

64 Kortum Drive, Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast, QLD, 4220 Phone: (07) 5576 7388 sales@goldcoastboatingcentre.com.au

Whitsunday Outboard Centre

Holt Marine

Bribie Boat Sales

1 William Murray Drive, Cannovale, QLD, 4802 Phone: (07) 4946 7286 woc@whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au

25 Queens Rd, Everton Hills, Brisbane, QLD, 4053 Phone: (07) 3353 1928 info@holtmarine.com.au

Precision Marine NT

30 Deviney Road, Pinelands, Darwin, NT, 0829 Phone: (08) 8931 1140 precisionmarine@outlook.com.au

143 First Ave, Bongaree, QLD, 4507 Phone: (07) 3408 4621 bribieboatsales@gmail.com

For more information visit www.stessl.com.au

AUGUST 2019

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SPECIAL EDITION

BRISBANE BOAT SHOW

From page 100

larger saltwater boats that need a bit of extra force to assist in positioning. They’ll be the only vendor at the boat show showcasing this fantastic new model. Speak to the pros at the stand about the new Lowrance LiveSight, and be one of the first to purchase this innovative transducer.

For more information visit www. northsidemarine.com.au.

• • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

SEA JAY BOATS

BOATS • FISHING • WATER SPORTS 23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019

STESSCO BOATS

• • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Sea Jay Boats are a family owned and operated business based in Queensland.

From humble beginnings in 1989, Sea Jay

STONES CORNER MARINE

future-proofed Samurai Hulls used on the Vision, Velocity, Crusader, Ranger and the Trojan cabin boat ranges.

On the stand, they will be showcasing the 630 Trojan HT, 630 Vision, 550 Velocity Sports, 490 Ranger Sports, 488 Avenger •• • • • ••••••••••••• • • • • • • • • •

STONES CORNER MARINE

SEA JAY BOATS

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

STESSCO GULF RUNNER

•• • • • ••••••••••••• • • • • • • • • •

Stones Corner Marine will again be showing off their range of Sea Jay and Bar Crusher boats, all matched with Yamaha outboards, with some new models that weren’t at last year’s show to get excited about.

Troy Wegner from Stones Corner Marine said he’s looking forward to the show, and anyone in the market for a boat should stop by for a look.

“We’ll be taking a lot of the Bar Crusher range, from the 535 Cuddy through to a 780 Hard Top, with a couple of new models that we are featuring at this year’s boat show, including the 585 Hard Top and the 615 Bow Rider,” Wegner said.

“So there will be more Bar Crushers at this year’s show.”

But the display won’t be limited to those looking for bigger offshore rigs, with Sea Jay covering the inshore work nicely.

“If you’re looking for an entry-level boat package, there’ll be plenty of Sea Jays on display, and there’ll be some new models in there too,” Wegner said.

Of course the prices will be sharp for the show, so there’s no reason not to get down and say g’day to the boys at Stones Corner Marine. You can find them at stand number 105.

For more information visit www. stonscornermarinecom.au.

Ask them to point out the features of the Samurai Hull and Adrenalin Hull, then go compare how these stack up against the other brands. You will soon see why Sea Jay Boats are known as the best alloy boat made in Australia.

For more information visit www. seajayboats.com.au.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Stessco Gulf Runner is built in Queensland for Queenslanders. No wonder it is their most sought-after range of boats!

The Gulf Runner is an open side console all rounder with miles of room to fish, ski, snorkel, or simply lounge around. This boat is packed full of features that are ‘as standard’, unlike some other manufacturers who list them as optional extras. Boasting a massive front cast deck, super tough by design and by use, this boat is the full monty that represents great value for money.

The classic side console is as much at home on the rivers as it is on the high seas. have grown to be one of Australia’s largest boat manufacturers, building everything from small roof topper tinnies, open boats, console boats and runabouts right through to dedicated offshore cabin boats - their range is massive!

Proudly representing the Sea Jay Boats range at the Brisbane Boat Show is Stones Corner Marine. These guys sell a huge range of Sea Jay Boats from the popular roof topper models, like the Nomad and Angler, to open and console boats, such as the Avenger and Navigator ranges built on the Adrenalin Hull. They also have the latest generation of 3D designed and 4-stroke

SEA JAY BOATS

STONES CORNER MARINE

Sports, 460 Ranger, 448 Avenger Sports, 428 Avenger, 428 Bay Seeker, 408 Magnum and 3.7 Nomad.

The team from Sea Jay Boats will be there, so you’ll be able to talk directly to the designers/manufacturers throughout the show.

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This boat is built on the outstanding SRH Stessco soft ride hull, delivering a reverse chine that again gives you the best of both worlds with a great riding hull and stability to burn. This is truly an all rounder that delivers. The boat comes standard packed full of features that will impress.

BOATS • FISHING • WATER SPORTS

23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019 The range of Gulf runners comes to you from the Merlin Marine and Leisure stable.

They are known as tough built Aussie boats that represent great value for money – there isn’t a short cut taken with this range of boats. From the Gulf Runner 490 up to the Gulf Runner 580, the Stessco range of Gulf Runner boats just might be the best valued bang for your buck at the show.

Be sure to check the range of Stessco boats at the show. They will be on display at both Karee Marine and Gold Coast Boating Centre stands.

For more information visit www. stessco.com.au.

BRISBANE BOAT SHOW

Come check out the limited edition SS Series outboard models with their edgy matte black styling and striking red graphics, as well as a full range of white outboards. They’ll also have the brand new Suzuki Katana on display from their friends at Suzuki Motorcycles.

Suzuki’s outboards are known for their fuel efficiency, value and performance thanks to innovations such as Lean Burn and offset driveshaft. To find out more about the ultimate outboard motor, visit the Suzuki Marine corporate stand at stand 106, or one of their five dealers – Australian Marine Centre stand 309, Bayside Suzuki Marine stand 303, Laguna Boating Centre stand 115, Surf Coast Marine at stand 210–212 and Motorsport Marine stand F428.

STESSCO BOATS

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SUZUKI MARINE • • • • • •••••••••••• • • • • • • • • • •

This year, Suzuki Marine is returning with a show-stopping corporate stand offering all the latest outboards, tech, gadgets, parts and accessories to really take your boating

HAINES SIGNATURE

SPECIAL EDITION

To page 104

to the next level! With exclusive ‘Suzuki on Sale’ offers for boat show patrons, you’ll be sure to find the perfect outboard for you whether you’re looking to upgrade or getting on the water for the first time.

HAINES SIGNATURE

• • • • • • •••••••••••••••••••••

MATT SUZUKI MARINE • • • • • ••••••••••••••••••••••

QUAD4 BALLAST

™

ACTIVE TRANSOM

TRUE SELFDRAINING DECKS

AUGUST 2019

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BRISBANE BOAT SHOW

BOATS • FISHING • WATER SPORTS 23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019

From page 103

Haines Signature boats From The Haines Group’s flagship brand, Haines Signature Boats, you’ll see a great selection of boats on display at the Australian Marine Centre stand. The range offers everything from affordable entry-level options for families looking for their first boat, to tried-and-tested offshore fishing rigs

It is the only true factory backed 10 Year Warranty. Backed by the BRP Marine Group, customers can walk away from the show with a complete boat-motor-trailer package. The recent acquisition of Quintrex and Stacer by Evinrude’s parent company BRP makes this deal a no brainer.

A leader of innovation, Evinrude stands

EVINRUDE

HAINES SIGNATURE

acquisition solidifies our leadership position as the most innovative boat-motor-trailer packages,” said Drew Jackson, Director of Sales and Marketing for Evinrude.

“And we prove reliability by our 10-Year Warranty offer.

“Customers are able to take advantage of an industry-leading 10-Year Warranty with all the bells and whistles for serious anglers. With six decades of boat building nous behind the brand, all built on the renowned and patented Signature Variable Deadrise Hull, there’ll surely be a model to suit your needs at the show.

Exciting offers from Seafarer Boats Seafarer Boats has a legendary reputation amongst boaties and fishers for their hardcore performance and practicality. If you’re interested in climbing aboard a Seafarer, Laguna Boating Centre will also have a great selection of models on their stand including the all-new Victory 6.0. Recently released to much fanfare, the popular 6m Victory model has been transformed with a whole new above-the-water design and has been kitted out with a plethora of new options including a fully enclosed hardtop. It also comes with a side/dive door as standard, for easy on board access, and is executed with premium finishes and materials.

With two boat brands, Haines Signature and Seafarer, as well as Suzuki Marine outboards under their stable, you’re sure to find something to get you out on the water this summer from marine industry icons, The Haines Group.

For more information visit www. suzukimarine.com.au.

•• • • • ••••••••••••• • • • • • • • • •

EVINRUDE 10YR WARRANTY •• • • • ••••••••••••• • • • • • • • • •

The industry’s best factory backed warranty offer is back for only three days at the Brisbane Boat Show.

EVINRUDE

behind its one-of-a-kind technology. As a result of the unique Direct Injection and iSteer technology, Evinrude confidently offers customers a better warranty with outboards that have more torque, less emissions and better fuel economy.

Direct Injection is more environmentally friendly than competing 4-stroke engines, which is important to maintain a sustainable future for boating.

With best-in-class fuel efficiency, bestin-class torque, no break-in period and no oil changes ever, Evinrude has set out to rewrite the record book for outboard engine performance standards.

“Recently we joined BRP. This major

outboard of the future. Offer available at the boat show by participating dealers and on Factory Fitted BMT packages.

For more information visit www. evinrude.com.au.

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QUINTREX FISHABOUT PRO •••••••••••••••••••••••••••

that combines the most innovative outboard engine with Australia’s most esteemed and valuable boat brands.”

Australia’s favourite runabout just got better with the release of the Quintrex Fishabout Pro. The Fishabout Pro is offered in three sizes, the 430, 450 and 481, and each has a maximum capacity of 5 people and horsepower ratings of 60hp, 75hp and 75hp respectively.

Maintaining tradition, the new Fishabout Pro will feature the current Blade Hull with a new and improved Flared Bow. The stretch formed aluminium side sheets have more curve that will run further down the length of the boat to deflect more spray away from its passengers.

The greater internal space is immediately noticeable in the new Fishabout Pro. As a result of a wider beam and more space between the dash and the transom, boaties can enjoy more elbow room.

To add to the increased space in the Fishabout Pro, each boat no longer comes with a motor well that intrudes into the rear lounge area. Instead it is fitted with a pod transom that allows the outboard

QUINTREX

EVINRUDE

BRP, the owner of Evinrude, Quintrex and Stacer, settles for nothing but the best.

It builds the best personal watercraft (SeaDoo) and the best snowmobiles (Ski-Doo) in the world, with dominating market shares of 54% and 50% respectively. Evinrude is destined to be the best outboard in the world when paired with the best boat brands in the Southern Hemisphere, Quintrex and Stacer.

Invest in reliability, and experience the 104

AUGUST 2019

to be mounted further back with useful duckboards on either side of the engine.

Quintrex has reconfigured the dash and bow space to be more user friendly. The Lean Through Dash and Step separates the captain and navigator panels, allowing for easy access to the bow anchor or optional drum winch.

Every Fishabout Pro now has a bimini, To page 106

DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR INSURANCE COVERS?

YMI Marine making their mark at Brisbane Boat Show Everyone gets caught up at the Brisbane Boat Show looking at all the incredible watercraft available for purchase. But, as soon as you purchase your amazing new boat at Boat Show prices, you’ll need some quality boating insurance. Yamaha Motor Insurance has you covered, as the ultimate option for marine and PWC protection.

Located on stand 207 at the Show, their knowledgeable staff will be on hand to answer all your insurance questions.

Their comprehensive boat and personal watercraft insurance packages are designed so that you can personally choose the insurance cover that best suits your boating needs.

YMI offers a range of insurance coverage for all boats (new and used) and personal watercraft.

YMI Marine policy includes a range of impressive coverage benefits. They cover accidental loss or damage (including malicious damage) to your boat or personal watercraft. If something happens in the first three years of registration to your Yamaha powered boat or WaveRunner, YMI Marine offer a complete replacement following a declaration of it being a total loss (Conditions apply).

They understand the importance of your craft and that accidents happen, so they have a New for Old policy on mechanical and electrical components of your Yamaha Outboard motor. This provides boat owners with peace of mind when heading out on the water, the second you have any issues just contact the YMI claims team.

You can go out without a worry, as they also cover personal effects owned by you and your passengers on board, covering clothing, shoes, waterproof gear and manchester, with $1,500 per item and $10,000 in aggregate.

YMI Marine understands the stress that comes with boating and that you cannot control where you are when accidents happen, so they offer emergency assistance for towing costs $5,000 in total. No matter what happens, help will be on the way and will get you to safety.

They also offer up to $50,000 cover to the named insurer from an accident occurring when using your boat

or personal watercraft, for death and permanent and total loss of sight, use of a limb, thumb or any finger. You can go out knowing that YMI puts your safety first.

No matter what the situation, Yamaha Motor Insurance promise a hassle free claims process. They understand that accidents are stressful enough, and want to work with you to ensure a quick and satisfactory resolution. Not only that, but they also offer 24/7 emergency claim service. You don’t get to pick when accidents happen, so their friendly staff is always available to help you.

YMI Marine offer a stress-free pay by the month option, but most incredibly, they offer an optional, innovative Lay-up cover, which is a premium discount for the months your boat or personal watercraft (WaveRunner) is not used.

The best thing about insuring with YMI Marine is that you know you are getting genuine Yamaha replacements on parts.

Your boat will be running better than ever, as quality is of the utmost importance. Yamaha prides themselves on having innovative and reliable products, and that won’t change when you need to replace part of the craft.

They offer competitive rates on all policies, and have something to suit owners of all ranges of watercraft.

In addition to all this, YMI offers premium discounts for age and boating experience. You cannot put a price on knowing you and your boat are covered, and when you insure with YMI Marine you know that you and your craft will be well looked after.

Yamaha understands that a boat is often an owner’s most treasured possession, and so they aim to provide you with the peace of mind that comes with quick and easy insurance solutions.

If you would like to know more, jump onto the YMI Marine website at www.ymia.com.au, call 1300 794 454 or email marinecustomerservice@ymia.com.au.

Make sure you stop by their stand at this year’s Brisbane Boat Show. Their friendly and knowledgeable staff will be on hand to answer all your questions and make sure you choose the best policy for you.

Yamaha Marine Insurance is the ultimate in marine and personal watercraft protection.

They promise to provide the highest quality service at competitive rates. – YMI Marine

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BOATS • FISHING • WATER SPORTS 23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019

From page 104

fully welded side decks, two transducer brackets and premium hookless carpet as standard in addition to current features like rod holders, folding rear lounge, and side pockets.

Going above and beyond, the Quintrex Fishabout Pro can be optioned up to have a ski pole, sounder or stereo. That way the Fishabout Pro is perfect for any day out fishing, cruising or simply lazing about.

“The first Fishabout dates back to the beginning in 1945, so as you can imagine improvements are incremental on a boat that has been a best seller for years,” said Drew Jackson, Quintrex Boat’s National Account Manager. “Making improvements to a perfect product is hard, but once we focused on what is most important to the customer, we made great leaps to enhance the ever so popular Fishabout Pro.

SAVAGE BOATS

QUINTREX

forget a smooth ride in a Fishabout Pro.” For more information visit www. quintrex.com.au.

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SAVAGE BOATS COMES BACK •••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“From families to fishos, the Fishabout Pro is my favourite all-rounder. This boat has a great use of space, for fishing to water sports to cruising,” said Jackson. “This boat is the memory machine; boaties will never

For the first time in five years, Savage Aluminium Boats will be on display at the Brisbane Boat Show. The company is excited to show off its 120-year history of boat building and to work with Brisbane Marine.

Savage, which built its first boat in 1898, now boasts a range of over 40 models, from dinghies to cabin boats, built to suit a range of boating styles – all from budget friendly price points.

With no expensive extras, Savage aluminium boats are great value and contain all the essentials you need for a great day out on the water. Make sure to check out the carpeted casting platforms,

SAVAGE BOATS

120 years is a long time to be around.

Want to know how we do it?

We build the qualities people want in a boat. Strength. Safety. Great design.

Practical Innovation. Unbeatable value for money. Simple, huh?

It’s a formula that’s kept us building amazing boats, and our owners getting the most out of life, for 120 years.

The weekend’s coming, talk to your closest Savage dealer now.

Be prepared. Get Savage.

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Find out more at savageboats.com.au SAVFM120YRS001

BOATS • FISHING • WATER SPORTS

23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019 the light car toppers and high-sided tinnies at the Brisbane Boat Show.

Brisbane Marine will have a wide range of the Savage product on display, including the popular Raptor Extreme open boat, the trusted Scorpion Side Console and the Kestrel, a true workhorse.

The dealership is conveniently located at the gateway to Moreton Bay, and is a one-stop shop for all boating needs. Troy Wood and his team are boaties themselves

boats customers are after in our area, and we are excited to bring back this historic Australian brand to the Brisbane Boat Show,” said Ben Penfold, National Sales Manager of Savage Boats. “Savage Boats will stand out at the Brisbane Boat Show because people will see they are built with options that customers actually want – a true fishing boat.”

For more information visit www. savageboats.com.au.

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YELLOWFIN PLATE BOATS

YELLOWFIN PLATE BOATS

with plenty of firsthand experience on the Savage range.

South East Queensland is ideal for Savage boats because of the abundance of places to go and wet a line. With heaps of dams, rivers, and the vast estuary system, Savage boaties have plenty of opportunities to find their own secluded fishing spot.

“We keep a close eye on what types of

• • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

YELLOWFIN PLATE BIG DISPLAY • • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

There will be over 10 hand-built and tested tough Yellowfin Plate boats at the Brisbane Boat Show. Yellowfin Plate boats are built in a specialised plate factory by 17 of

Australia’s most skilled builders who make them safer, stronger and smoother than any other plate boat.

Yellowfin Plate offers the most complete range of any plate boat builder, with 27 models to suit the specific needs of serious fishers. There will be the all new Folding Hard Top and Centre Cab, as well as the ever-popular Southerner Hard Top. The all new Folding Hard Top is a manoeuvrable fishing machine that is easy to fit in most standard garages. Available in 5800, 6200 and 6500, all will be on display at the show.

Possessing the best of both worlds, the fishability of a Centre Console with

the protection of a cabin. Yellowfin Plate Boat’s Centre Cab gives fishos 360º fishability. Brisbane Quintrex will have the massive 7600 Centre Cab on display at the show, and it is a sight to see.

For the chargers out there, who want to go to new destinations and get there faster, the Yellowfin Plate Southerner Series is the boat of choice. Serious plate boat fishers can choose between the 7000 and the 7600 Southerner, the most popular boat in Yellowfin Plate’s range.

“Yellowfin Plate has raised the bar and stepped up to the plate,” said Drew Jackson, Yellowfin Plate Account Manager. “We have worked hard over the To page 108

Our new Apex Hull is amazing.

In the rough, it’s smoother than any tinnie we’ve built before – thanks to the radical flared bottom sheet that extends to the bow gunnel, as does the wide chine.

Add the thicker and higher topsides and the raised deck and you get a softer ride with less spray. And it looks fantastic – don’t you reckon?

Discover MORE at Quintrex.com.au *Size and features comparison made with 2016 Quintrex models.

QXFMMORESMOOTH 001

AUGUST 2019

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From page 107

past months to select the perfect range of boats to show our local QLD boaties at the Brisbane Boat Show.

“Yellowfin Plate are the best riding plate boat on the market, and now that the range has expanded, there is a boat that suits all QLD fishos,” Jackson said. “They can get exactly what they want.”

At the Brisbane International Boat Show, come and see the new Yellowfin

BAR CRUSHER BOATS

will also be on display. This rig needs to be seen to be believed and really shows what’s possible when compromise is not an option!

Cruise Craft ambassadors Bats Fishing (Instagram @batsfishing) will also be on hand on Saturday and Sunday to talk everything fishing, so come and say hello to the boys and get some hot tips!

If you’re looking at getting into a new tinny, or even just looking at repowering your

YELLOWFIN PLATE BOATS

current boat, then make sure you stop by to check out the range of Stacer aluminium boats and market-leading Yamaha outboards.

When it comes to Stacer boats and Yamaha outboards, Wynnum Marine pride themselves on their competitive pricing. They will have factory representatives on hand supporting their extremely experienced salesmen to ensure your next purchase is the right one!

Established in 1946, Wynnum Marine is Plate boats and talk to Brisbane Quintrex about what sets them apart.

For more information visit www. yellowfinplateboats.com.au.

WYNNUM MARINE

•• • • • ••••••••••••• • • • • • • • • •

a truly unique dealership that was built on the solid foundation of traditional excellence.

More than 73 years later, the company remains in the hands of the Nichols family – a family synonymous with first class marine service, development and supply of industry leading products and delivery of ethical trading practices. ‘Traditional Excellence’ is a badge that the Wynnum Marine team wear with pride, so their customers can be confident in dealing with a company that both understands their passion for the boating lifestyle and is driven to exceed all their boating expectations.

For more information visit www. wynnummarine.com.au.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

WYNNUM MARINE

NEW MODELS FROM BAR CRUSHER

•• • • • ••••••••••••• • • • • • • • • •

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Last year Wynnum Marine went all out and ended up winning the hotly-contested ‘Best Boating Display’ at the 2018 Brisbane Boat Show, and they are aiming to take the title again this year. With the country’s leading brands, including Stacer, Cruise Craft and Yamaha outboards, they really have all your boating needs covered.

Wynnum Marine will have almost the entire range of Cruise Craft boats on display, from the ‘little giant’, the Cruise Craft Explorer 568, right through to the flagship Cruise Craft Explorer 720 Hardtop. Wynnum Marine’s very own demo Cruise Craft F360M centre console

Aussie fishing boat brand Bar Crusher is remaining tight-lipped about its display at the Brisbane International Boat Show, but has confirmed the introduction of even more new models!

Among an impressive fleet of fishing weapons on display will be a selection of models from the popular folding-roof cuddy cabin (C) series, centre console/ walk-around (XS and WR) series, awardwinning hardtop (HT) offshore series, and To page 110

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AUGUST 2019

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BUNDABERG Adrian’s Marine Centre – 07 4153 1819

TOWNSVILLE Rising Sun Honda Marine – 07 4759 3218

CAIRNS Aussie Marine – 07 4033 8800

SOUTHPORT Nitro Marine – 07 5532 5812

BURPENGARY Brisbane Yamaha – 07 3888 1727

CANNONVALE Whitsunday Marine – 07 4948 3298

GLADSTONE Curtis Coast Marine – 07 4972 0135

NOOSAVILLE Laguna Boating – 07 5442 4872

MODELS

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SUZUKIMARINE.COM.AU AUGUST 2019

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From page 108

hardtop pilothouse (HTP) series.

All we managed to get out of Bar Crusher about the new models making their debut at the show was, “We know people are going to love them, as we’ve always taken customer feedback on board and continued to innovate and keep pushing the boundaries of plate aluminium boat design and construction.”

Designed and built for Australian conditions, all Bar Crusher boats incorporate exclusive innovations such as the Waveslicer deep-V, non-pounding hull for an ultra-smooth ride, Rigideck engineered sub-floor system for maximum hull strength, and Quickflow water ballast technology for excellent stability at rest.

All models, from the 490 to the 615, are built on Bar Crusher’s industry-leading Gen2

technology alongside some exclusive offers at the 2019 Brisbane Boat Show.

With the largest display of outboards covering all horsepower ranges, there will be something for everybody. As with all Yamaha engines, legendary reliability and unmatched quality comes standard.

The display will be dedicated to the various marine lifestyles that can be enjoyed in Australia. From camping to offshore fishing and more, Yamaha’s display at the show will capture the best of living an on-water lifestyle.

Complementing the complete Yamaha Outboard range is Yamaha’s leading range of outboard technology. There is a selection of products packed with all the features to provide a seamless boating experience.

YAMAHA MOTOR AUSTRALIA

YAMAHA MOTOR AUSTRALIA

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ••••

MASSIVE DISPLAY FROM MERCURY MARINE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ••••

Mercury Marine is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. Over the last decade, Mercury has invested more than $1.4 billion into the expansion of its R&D and manufacturing capabilities, and the fruits of that hard work are on display at the 2019 Brisbane Boat Show.

Starring at the show will be Mercury’s new range of V-8 and V-6 outboards, from 175hp all the way to 300hp. Highly configurable, hull. This design combines key features, including a wider negative chine running forward, optimised wider chine aft and the distinctive Delta Flare – a complex V-shaped planing plank that starts wider at the transom and narrows as it runs forward. The result is greater hydrodynamic lift for more efficient planing and improved fuel economy, a higher bow attitude and better spray deflection for a drier ride.

Extensive testing has proved that the 490, 535, 575, 585 and 615 have received significant performance benefits from the next-generation hull design, with the larger 670, 730 and 780 models continuing to be built on Bar Crusher’s high-performance deep-V hull.

Renowned for quality construction, superior performance and maximum fishability (with a range of standard features that other manufacturers charge as extras), every Bar Crusher boat comes on a custom-designed trailer, which ensures towing, launching and retrieving is a breeze. Self-centering and aligning perfectly every time, Bar Crusher’s innovative Bar Catch system also allows for single-handed launch and retrieve.

Whether you’re a first-time boat buyer or have owned 10 boats and are looking for your next one, drop by and say g’day to the team. At the stand you will see all the special deals on offer, and you can pick up a copy of the useful boat buyer’s guide.

For more information visit www. barcrusher.com.au.

•• • • • ••••••••••••• • • • • • • • • •

YAMAHA RETURNS WITH EXCLUSIVE DEALS •• • • • ••••••••••••• • • • • • • • • •

Yamaha Motor Australia, in conjunction with their Queensland dealership network, continue to exhibit the latest in outboard 110

AUGUST 2019

YAMAHA MOTOR AUSTRALIA

Exhibiting Yamaha dealerships are also offering exclusive deals at the show on a range of their premium products. It means you can get the quality that Yamaha is known for and at competitively low boat show prices.

Yamaha Motor Finance are making ownership easy with super low comparison rates on eligible repower options over 24-60 months and on WaveRunners over 24-36 months.

Completing the suite of offers is Yamaha Marine Insurance. Their policies come with a range of benefits, and they also offer three years of new for old replacement on your new Yamaha. A hassle-free process and guaranteed use of Yamaha parts on all repairs are just some of the reasons YMI is the ultimate in marine protection.

Be sure to stop by their stand at the show for exclusive deals.

For more info visit www.yamahamotor.com.au/outboard.

MERCURY MARINE

these engines meet the needs of a wide variety of boat lovers – from the Verado’s refined performance, and the FourStroke’s fuel efficiency and rigging versatility, to the competitive edge of the Pro XS models.

These engines are naturally aspirated, durable, powerful and provide options that boat owners have never had before.

The new 250 and 300hp V-8 Verado outboards provide exhilarating performance across the rpm range. The 300hp Verado is up to 20% quicker than its closest competitor, while still providing up to 8% better fuel economy. The Verado driving experience has been further enhanced by class-leading reduction in noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH).

The new 250 and 300hp V-8 FourStroke engines are high-tech without being highstress. The high-displacement, quad-cam design of the new V-8 powerhead generates plenty of torque, especially at mid-range.

Indeed, the 300hp FourStroke delivers up to 9% more torque than the nearest competitor at 3500-4500rpm. It boasts class-leading 4.6L displacement, yet is the lightest in the 300hp class by more than 4.5kg.

The new 175hp V-6 along with the 200, 225, 250 and (for the first time ever) 300hp V-8 Pro XS outboard engines are the next generation of performance.

Featuring Mercury’s new compact cowl, these engines boast ample torque from their high-displacement powerheads and superior acceleration due to their quad-cam design and Transient Spark technology.

Boat show visitors will also be able to inspect Mercury’s new line of 3.0L diesels for sterndrive, inboard and water-jet applications.

Available in 150hp, 230hp and 270hp variants, these engines have been engineered,

BOATS • FISHING • WATER SPORTS

23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019 developed and tested over three years to lead their class in: acceleration; reliability; ease of installation and maintenance; and reduction in noise, vibration and harshness. A new watercooled, variable-geometry turbocharger and common-rail fuel delivery provide exceptional performance and substantial improvements in

lightest outboard in the 400hp+ category by more than 130kg.

The 400hp Verado will exclusively use the 5.44” 1.75 HD (heavy duty) gearcase and is compatible with Mercury Joystick Piloting for outboards. It will be available in the same model variations as the 350hp Verado.

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MERCURY MARINE

MERCURY MARINE

acceleration and top speeds. With impressive low-end torque and exceptional durability, these engines deliver the best of both worlds – high performance with lower emissions.

Mercury subjected these diesels to intensive testing including ‘accelerated life’ tests that exposed the motors to greater rigors than any customer would impose in normal operations.

These new engines are fully compatible with Mercury SmartCraft technologies, so users have instant access to a broad array of engine-related information, as well as maintenance alerts and troubleshooting guidance. The engines also integrate with Mercury’s Joystick Piloting for Inboards (JPI) and Joystick Piloting for Sterndrives (JPS).

The all-new 400hp Verado outboard is the most powerful Verado on the water. Built on Mercury’s proven L6SC Verado platform, it’s suitable for a wide range of applications, and the added power has not taken away the smooth and quiet operation that Verado outboards are known for.

Weighing just 303kg, the same as the 350hp Verado, the newest Verado is the

At the Mercury stand at the show, visitors will also be able to check out Mercury’s range of ultra-lightweight portable outboards, which range from 2.5-25hp. Featuring battery-free EFI for fast, dependable starting, instant throttle response and better overall performance, these

NAVICO

small engines pack plenty of power. They are easy to install and operate, with reliable starting, low vibration, and instant throttle response, and there are engine protection warning systems for low oil pressure and over revving.

With all that and more, the Mercury stand is a must see.

For more info visit www. mercurymarine.com.au.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

NEW RELEASES FROM NAVICO •••••••••••••••••••••••••••

This year’s Brisbane Boat Show is another big one for Navico, who will be displaying a huge range of Simrad, Lowrance, B&G and JL To page 112

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From page 111

Audio products.

From Lowrance, for the first time in Australia, the newly launched Ghost freshwater electric motor will be on display. Reliable, rugged and built to last, the new ultra-quiet Lowrance Ghost helps anglers fish longer, run faster and get in close without making a sound. Ghost has a newly designed brushless motor with the most thrust and the longest run time of any electric motor on the market, plus other benefits including integrated Lowrance sonar options, waypoint anchoring and an industry-leading 3-year warranty.

In addition to this, Lowrance will have sounder demonstrations on the newly available Lowrance LiveSight. LiveSight is real-time sonar with live views of bait and fish movements and is the perfect addition to the HDS Live systems.

The newly launched Simrad Cruise is Navico’s most affordable chartplotter available. Designed for simple and straightforward navigation, Cruise features a simple, easy-to-use interface, sunlightviewable display, preloaded Australia and NZ charts, mounting bracket and sonar transducer. Available in 5”, 7” and 9” display sizes, this unit is IPX7 waterproof

rated and ideal for installation in open air vessels, and can be flush-mounted or bracket-mounted.

Come down to the show and chat to the Navico team.

Find more information visit navico.com.

BOATS • FISHING • WATER SPORTS 23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019

FISHING MONTHLY

• • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

FISHING MONTHLY SHOW OFFER • • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Fishing Monthly will again this year be at the Brisbane Boat Show, giving away some fantastic show-only subscription deals!

If you subscribe or renew an existing subscription with any of the four state magazines (QFM, NSWFM, V&TFM and WAFM), you’ll receive more than just great fishing info!

Purchase a 2-year subscription and you’ll receive a Fishing Monthly shirt, neck scarf, stubby cooler, carry bag, three AFC DVDs and a special edition StumpJumper lure!

This is a very special offer, and will only be available at the show, so come down and have a chat to our team and the people behind the magazines!

The Fishing Monthly Magazines crew will be at stand number 108 every day of the show, and we will be more than happy to answer any question you may have.

For more info, check out our Facebook page ‘Fishing Monthly Magazines’ for updates. You can also find out more on our website at wp.fishingmonthly.com.au.

Horizon and Stessl: bigger and better factory Queensland aluminium boater builder Horizon Boats, which now also includes Stessl Boats, has recently moved their factory to a bigger space in Coomera to keep up with the demand and facilitate their continual growth.

The move was completed in June this year, and the new factory is now putting together and fitting out boats as they did before, and the team are all very excited.

more boats being built, but there’s also a strong focus on improving research and development, meaning there will be new models available soon.

“We’ve got a dedicated R&D bay down there, so the quality of the product will increase and will be ever-evolving as a result of this focus on R&D,” James said.

“As we expanded the range we needed a space to facilitate that growth, particularly with the bigger boats that we will be releasing very soon.”

But the team at Horizon Boats aren’t going to stop there, and there are plans to develop the facility even further, to ultimately make Horizon and Stessl even better and stronger brands.

“Our new facility only covers half of the total area of the site, so we still have the capacity to double the amount of factory area we have available to us in

General Manager of Horizon and Stessl Boats Scott James is very pleased with production so far.

“With the new premises we can expect improved efficiency and quality, an increase in production, and overall a better workplace for our staff,” he said.

“I see this as a huge growth opportunity for both Horizon and Stessl. I think the market both wants it, and needs it, and it’s something we’ve been talking about for a long time as a family-owned business.”

This isn’t just good news for the team and Horizon Boats, however, as the increased production will obviously mean 112

AUGUST 2019

the future,” James said.

You’ll be able to check out Horizon and Stessl’s range of boats at this year’s Brisbane Boat Show. Make sure you talk to the team at Gold Coast Boating Centre, who will be showing off these Aussie favourites, many of which will have been built in the new facility! – FMG

515 Northerner For more information visit www.horizonboats.com.au or call your nearest dealer Barney’s Marine

Neptune Marine

Bluefin Sports

Townsville Marine

Shed 3A, Nissan Street Pialba QLD 4655 Phone 07 4124 3170 realservice@barneysmarine.com.au 57-59 Musgrave Street North Rockhampton QLD 4701 Phone 07 4922 2211 bluefinsports@bluefinsports.com.au

Bribie Boat Sales

143 First Avenue Bongaree, Bribie Island, QLD, 4507 Phone 07 3408 4621 bribieboatsales@gmail.com

Unit 1, 3361 Pacific Hwy Slacks Creek QLD 4127 Phone 07 3290 6370 sales@neptunemarine.com.au 943 Ingham Road Bohle QLD 4818 Phone 07 4774 3777 sales@townsvillemarine.com.au

Whitsunday Outboard Centre

1 William Murray Drive Cannonvale QLD 4802 Phone 07 4946 7286 woc@whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au

Scan the QR Code to view the complete boat test

Gold Coast Boating Centre

64 Kortum Drive Burleigh Heads QLD 4220 Phone 07 5576 7388 sales@goldcoastboatingcentre.com.au AUGUST 2019

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Lowrance’s first freshwater electric motor Lowrance has announced the release of the new Ghost freshwater electric motor.

Reliable, rugged and built to last, the new ultra-quiet Lowrance Ghost helps anglers fish longer, run faster and get in closer without making a sound. Ghost has a newly designed brushless motor with the most thrust and the longest run time of any electric motor on the market, plus other benefits including integrated Lowrance sonar options, waypoint anchoring and an industry-leading three-year warranty. The combination of reliability, power, efficiency and quiet performance give the Ghost a winning combination that ticks all the boxes for what anglers want in a premium electric motor.

“Because Ghost is Lowrance’s first trolling motor, we started completely from scratch, which gave us a unique opportunity to ask anglers what was most important to them in a trolling motor,” said Lucas Steward, Navico’s Trolling Motor Product Group Owner. “To get the quality we needed, we had to design and build it in-house. That resulted in the production of a trolling motor that delivers exactly what our consumers want: the most power, greatest efficiency and quietest performance – the ultimate trolling motor versatile enough to fit any bass boat.”

BRUSHLESS MOTOR Ghost’s unique propulsion technology in its brushless motor generates thrust that is 25% greater than current competitors and delivers 45% longer run times on the same

charge – equivalent to nearly one additional day of operation. The combination of precision manufacturing, rare earth materials, and a cutting-edge weedless prop design provides high-output thrust with long running efficiency.

ZERO SONAR INTERFERENCE Ghost’s brushless motor helps eliminate noisy operation and unlike common brush motors, has no brushes to wear out, ensuring greater reliability and longer life. The brushless motor emits no electromagnetic interference – giving anglers the clearest sonar views possible with zero onscreen interference.

INTEGRATION Users can steer, adjust speed, set up route navigation or anchor at a current location with touchscreen control from a Lowrance display using the SmartSteer interface. Ghost pairs easily with HDS LIVE, HDS Carbon and Elite-Ti2 displays via a simple NMEA 2000 connection.

PLUG-AND-PLAY LOWRANCE SONAR Ghost offers two integrated sonar nosecone options, including HDI (CHIRP and DownScan Imaging) and optional Active Imaging 3-in-1 (CHIRP Sonar, SideScan and DownScan Imaging) transducers. All motors ship standard with an HDI transducer, but can be upgraded with a different nosecone at any time.

FLY-BY-WIRE STEERING Instant and smooth fly-by-wire steering control gives Ghost the feel of a cable-steer motor, but without the mechanical cables that can wear out over time. Regardless of the brand of electric motor used before, anglers will quickly get comfortable with the innovative Ghost foot pedal, which is completely user-configurable. The pedal can be customized to suit any preferences with programmable shortcut buttons and a Flip Switch that can be moved to allow the electric motor to be engaged from either side of the pedal. The mode buttons have LED lights and an indicator beep to provide feedback when

a mode is engaged. The foot control also features a battery-level indicator.

RUGGED CONSTRUCTION The 360° breakaway mount is designed to take the brunt of any impacts and will automatically realign itself once clear of impacted structure. A composite shaft with lifetime warranty assists in withstanding impacts, and an integrated stabilizer bar reduces bouncing when on plane in rough water. The foot pedal cable is secured to the mount with robust clips, preventing it from moving around on the deck, damaging rods

and reels and blocking the view of fishfinders installed nearby. Ghost is currently available in a 47-inch shaft model with future shaftlength options coming soon.

INSTALLATION VERSATILITY The motor weighs 6lb less than brushedmotor equivalents, making it easier to install, deploy and stow. Ghost is designed to work in either 24V or 36V systems with up to 97 and 120lb of thrust, respectively, and allows for future battery and charger upgrades.

The Lowrance Ghost is expected to ship in late 2019. – Navico Asia Pacific

Hobie MirageDrive 360 and new Pro Angler 2020 For 2020, Hobie has announced a revolutionary 360° rotating pedal drive.

It allows anglers to easily manoeuvre their 2020 Mirage Pro Angler 360 12 or 14 kayak in every direction—backwards, forward, sideways, diagonally—or even effortlessly spin on its own axis.

Also featuring the new Kick-Up Fins, which automatically retract upon impact with submerged objects, the MirageDrive 360 is designed to help anglers catch more fish. Infinitely more manoeuvrable, anglers will quickly discover they spend less time positioning their boat, and more time catching fish. Boat control is brought to an entirely new level, affording anglers the ability to surgically position themselves to make the best cast and presentation to the fish, as well as staying right on top of fish once found.

The MirageDrive 360 allows access to tighter quarters and more fishing scenarios.

Imagine being able to turn on a dime in

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kayaks can be easily outfitted with additional angling equipment.

For more information visit www. hobie.com.au, or watch all the latest 360 videos on the Hobie Asia Pacific YouTube channel. – Hobie

every direction. It also allows you to follow shorelines or underwater structure in a way kayak anglers have never experienced.

“The MirageDrive 360 completely changes how you engage with your boat and the environment,” says Philip Dow, Lead Design Engineer for Hobie. “For example, if you’re fishing along a shoreline or highly contoured underwater structure, you can follow those nuances exactly with boat placement. Similarly, with the Kick-Up Fins, shallow and structure-filled waters become far more manageable.

“In the same way a trolling motor can hold an exact point, you can do that with the MirageDrive 360. You can hold an exact location and direction against wind or current, too. When you’re sitting idle, if you turn the drive and start to pedal you’re immediately turning. It’s extremely effective

for place-holding in an exact location. You feel like a sniper. If you want to swing the bow past a rock, you can do it exactly and make your next cast without any unnecessary boat movement.”

Designed to accept Hobie’s vast array of accessories, the Pro Angler 360 fishing

NEW MODELS SEE US AT THE BOAT SHOW • STAND 105 • BOAT SHOW SPECIALS

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Sea Jay 468 Navigator with Yamaha F70hp 4-stroke - SC

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The price, however, is what will raise the eyebrows of plenty of anglers looking to get into the bluewater. As tested, this painted Navigator and the 70 Yammy came in at $28,990. Packages start from around $26,000.

Give the team at Stones

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Main: The Sea Jay 4.68 Navigator is a simple and versatile centre console that’s powered by one of Yamaha’s most popular 4-strokes – the reliable and economical F70. Above: A glamour day on Moreton Bay was great for photo taking but not that hot for testing the rough water ability of this rig. narrow centre console, there is a mountain of useable space in this boat. Whether this is used to hold crab pots, camping gear or a couple of your fishing mates (or all

SPECIFICATIONS Length......................................................4.68m Bottom.sheet ............................................3mm Side.sheet..................................................3mm Beam........................................................2.24m Depth ....................................................... 1.14m Floor.ribs ....................................................... 11 Capacity ............................................ 5 persons Weight.(hull)............................................. 352kg Max.HP ..........................................................75 Similarly, the Navigator Centre Console that we got to take for a ride is just that – a great platform for those of you who like a mix of river and bay fishing, as well as being able to duck offshore on good days.

With a single level floor throughout the boat and a

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Queensland boat builder Sea Jay’s heartland is the Queensland coast, and they have built their reputation on simple, no-fuss boats that won’t let you down.

Their dealer network has been handpicked to suit the product, and they all understand the value of simple, good looking boats that you can use as a platform to set up exactly as you need to for your fishing style.

Recently, we tested a Sea Jay Ranger that the team from Stones Corner Marine fitted out to suit their lurecasting fascination. It was loaded with all of the electronics and accessories that they needed to turn a great hull into a great fishing rig.

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K-Series 13” pitch propeller, the Yamaha F70 revved out to 6,400rpm where it hit 58km/h and travelled 2.5km/L of unleaded burned. Drop that down to 4,300rpm and the efficiency peaked markedly.

37km/h at a rate of 3.1km/L is pretty bloody good in

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three) is up to you.

For me, the three things you need in a centre console are somewhere to hang on, easy access around the console and as little as possible to get in the way when you’re casting at the fish, no matter where you are in the boat.

The Navigator ticks all

three of these boxes, with the narrow console with plenty of grab rails and a small console footprint with nothing above a standing driver’s head height.

With no front casting deck, it’s likely buyers would look at other boats in the Sea Jay range to satisfy their need to throw artificials. In that light, the anchor well and well access become important. In the Navigator, you can lean right against the bulkhead wall to exercise your anchoring muscles.

The negative of the low floor, however, is a lack of underfloor storage space.

There’s a bit of dry storage under the seat base, but apart from that you’ll need to pack your gear in its own, independent dry storage if it can’t take a salty bath. Not that this is a wet boat, it’s just an open boat, and you will find situations where spray from a quartering sea will blow across the bow.

As a matter of fact, we tested this boat the same day as we did the Ranger, and it was the more comfortable of the two when it came to punching back into a reasonable northwester after a calm morning.

Spinning a Yamaha

RPM.......... Speed.(km/h)........ Economy.(km/L) 700 ............................... 3 ............................. n/a 1000 ............................. 5 ............................. 3.6 2000............................10 ............................. 3.0 3000............................14 ............................. 2.1 4000........................... 31 ............................. 2.6 4300 ........................... 37 ............................. 3.7 5000........................... 43 ............................. 3.1 6000........................... 55 ............................. 2.4 6400 ........................... 58 ............................. 2.5 anyone’s language.

With no underfloor fuel, a standard 25L remote tank would get you around 75km of range. Drop one of these each side and there’s plenty of gas for a full day on the water.

Corner Marine a call or visit www.stonescornermarine. com.au for more information.

Their Facebook page is ‘Stones Corner Marine’, and if you Like it you’ll see regular updates.

Two up, this is a great rig for expanding your range past what your basic tinny would do, and the price of the package makes that goal more achievable.

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Top: The Navigator isn’t particularly steep in the transom deadrise, meaning you’re more likely to have to ease it over the waves rather than punch through them to get the best ride. Below: There’s room for small sounders and gauges flush mounted in-dash, however bigger electronics are best kept on a bracket on the top of the dash.

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Top: The traditional anchor well up front is made from rotomoulded plastic with some basic storage underneath. Below: There’s definitely room for more than a pair of Crocs thongs up here. What a fashion statement!

There’s a whole lot of space to fish in this boat, with the pathway around the console unencumbered. I can imagine battles with northern bluefin lapping this rig.

There’s nothing groundbreaking about the console design, though there are plenty of places to grab on. Being narrow, it offers the driver some protection, but the passengers are all on their own.

There’s storage under the simple seat and lots of room in the rear cockpit to load gear or fish from.

Top: A large splash well for the motor runs to the full transom height, and you won’t bang your Yammy cowling on it, even trimmed up all the way.

Left and Right: There’s storage under the simple seat and lots of room in the rear cockpit and side pockets to load gear or fish from.

Painted navy/grey, this is pretty much the dream boat for a lower-budget angler wanting to get out further than their basic tinny will allow.

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Seafarer Victory 6.0 with Suzuki 200hp 4-stroke - SC

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business starts. Other options like a raw water deckwash and bait rigging station make the operation of an efficient fishing area pretty easy.

Finishing off the practical side is a SeaDek-covered cockpit floor that is easily

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Initially developed and built on the Gold Coast by boat builder Lindsay Fry, it was around a decade ago that the Brisbane-based Haines Group took over this iconic brand. Indeed, not a weekend went by down on the north coast of NSW when I didn’t see a fleet of Seafarer V-Seas dodging waves on the river bars on their way to slaying piles of reefies.

The boats were legendary, so it was good to see that they went to a good home and to a company that would continue to refine the product.

The latest version of the Seafarer Victory 6.0m is a case in point. Recognising that the hull didn’t need to change, the new Seafarer chiefs decided that top deck modifications were needed to modernise the offering and include viable options like a hard top and

PERFORMANCE

Main: Seafarer’s latest version of the 6m Victory features a hull with no changes and a rebuilt top-deck that will hold an optional hard top. A stalwart in the Seafarer line, the Victory looks to continue the tradition well into the future. Above: Paired with the lightweight 200hp Suzuki 4-stroke, the Victory reached 74km/h at wide open throttle. That was fun.

Chris explained the changes to the boat in his video boat test we filmed (scan the QR Code above on your mobile or search Seafarer on the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel), however we will summarise it here.

“The cabin is bigger with a higher roof to accommodate

SPECIFICATIONS Length...........................................................6.0m Beam.............................................................2.4m Transom.Deadrise ......................................... 21° Fuel ...............................................................200L Max.HP ...........................................................225 Capacity ...............................................7 persons bigger cabin into the range.

That’s how this iteration was born.

We got to take out the new Victory for a run on Moreton Bay with Seafarer expert, Chris Thompson on an average day in July – a calmish morning with building breezes that pretty accurately emulate what you’d go through on a day’s fishing, a rough ride home.

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Packages start at $79,770 with a soft top and down spec fittings, so there may be a combination between the two that suits your budget and needs. There are currently six dealers nationally that can get you into a new

the optional hard top,” Chris said. “The transom has also been cleaned up; we no longer have a need for oil filling ports and the like with the dominance of modern 4-stroke outboards.

There’s also a redesigned anchor well and a dash capable of simultaneously holding a 16” flush-mounted sounder and 9” outboard gauges.”

The test rig was powered

by Suzuki’s Lean Burn

200hp 4-stroke outboard, which comes out of the same Brisbane warehouse as the boat, so naturally the two were a nice match.

And with the optional hard top fitted on the test boat, we got the full ‘enclosed’ experience on a run around the southern bay. Both with and against the chop, there was always a comfortable speed to travel, and it often aligned with the most economical cruising speed.

On the test day, 3,500rpm delivered 1.9km/L at 32km/h and this was right in the comfort zone for traversing a paddock of wind chop versus tide. The rig didn’t want to dig in when quartering a sea downwind, and the steering was light and responsive. I would have liked a place to rest my forearm while riding the throttle, but this was a small criticism of what was otherwise a very comfortable drive.

Standard in the boat now is a side door. Great for loading the boat while on the water or on the trailer.

The door eliminates the need for a transom door, allowing easy placement of dual live bait tanks on either side of the transom.

Right in the middle of the transom is a padded, retractable lounge that tucks neatly out of the way when the fishing

RPM......Speed.(km/h)............. Economy.(km/L) 650 ...........................5 .................................. 3.8 1000 .........................6 .................................. 2.5 2000....................... 10 .................................. 1.4 3000....................... 18 .................................. 1.3 3500 ....................... 32 .................................. 1.9 4000....................... 45 .................................. 1.8 4500 ....................... 52 .................................. 1.8 5000....................... 59 .................................. 1.7 6000....................... 72 .................................. 1.2 6300 ....................... 74 .................................. 1.0 maintainable with a hose, and really makes the interior look the goods.

Up front, the lined cabin is very comfortable, and has a level of fit-out that reflects the $106,990 bill for the test rig.

Seafarer package.

For more information on the range, visit the Seafarer website at www.seafarerboats. com.au or Like Seafarer Boats on Facebook to get the latest updates.

A remodelled transom and several other cosmetic changes were added, as well as a higher cabin.

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The optional hard top is made of fibreglass, and is supported by some flash stainless tubework. Some might argue it could be longer, but on the test day there was plenty of shade.

Unlike many other hulls, the side door is standard in the Victory and it’s a handy addition, both on the land and the water.

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Custom-routered SeaDek adds style and function. At the end of the day, the Victory is still a fishing boat.

The helm is comfortable and supremely capable of swallowing up some pretty large screens for sounders and engines. I would have liked somewhere to rest my forearm while on and off the throttle in rougher waters.

There was no surprise that the test boat was fitted with the highly efficient 200 Suzuki.

Both the motor and the boat come from the same address in Wacol, Queensland.

The transom features matching live bait tanks with clear sides to assess how your yakkas are faring.

Top: A deck wash helps you keep the rig in order while out on the water.

Above: There’s plenty of room up here for your anchoring gear. We assume that nearly all Victory orders will tick the ‘add an anchor winch’ box.

The rear lounge is small and functional, and it folds away to let you get down to business at the transom.

The cabin is fully lined and long enough to stretch out and take five.

You can get the air flowing with the twin clear hard top hatches. All of the fittings are premium.

What you get with a refined top deck are little niches that are all built for a purpose. These items need to be at hand but can easily get in the way.

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Bassco Hurricane with Mercury 115hp Pro XS - SC

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advantage in a saltwater boat.

Want to see the Hurricane in action? Scan the QR code at the top of the page on your smartphone or search for the video test on the

PERFORMANCE

Main: Although Peter Nord has a $100K imported bass boat, you’ll most likely see him fishing Gippsland waters in his Bassco Hurricane. It’s smaller, cheaper to run and does nearly everything his bigger boat does – except in shallower water.

Above: Wide open, the Hurricane hit 76km/h powered by the Mercury 115hp Pro-XS 2.1L 4-stroke bolted on the back. designs. They just couldn’t fit the volume of tackle that a standard tournament angler takes. Or, if they did manage to provide enough storage, it was often not waterproof, resulting in lure boxes with thousands of dollars worth of baits being left in a soaking,

SPECIFICATIONS Length........................................................5.0m Beam........................................................2.07m Capacity ............................................ 4 persons Transom deadrise ....................................... 20° Fuel ............................................................ 140L With my history as co-founder of ABT Tournaments in Australia, I’ve seen plenty of local manufacturers have a crack at making a tournament boat that rivalled the American imports.

Few have done a good job.

Primarily, tackle storage was the Achilles heel of their

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Bassco is an Australian-built fibreglass fishing boat created

by Gippsland veteran boat builder, Michael Boag. With a lifetime of building big boats under his belt, Michael decided that he wanted to diversify into smaller fishing craft, and we tested the Tornado (a hybrid centre console and lurecasting boat) earlier in the year.

The Hurricane is the Tornado’s sister craft, and was developed in a partnership between Boag and avid tournament angler Peter Nord from Lakes Entrance.

Peter wanted a boat that was smaller, more nimble and more economical than his big American bass boat, and the Hurricane was born.

Incidentally, Hurricane is also Peter’s lure brand, and the boat is finished in Hurricane’s corporate colours. Well played, gents.

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we couldn’t find any rough water to test the bad-weather ability of this craft.

“I just love this little rig,” Peter said, “which is why I use it more than my big rig.”

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rusting mess after a rough or rainy day.

I’m pleased to report that the Hurricane has nailed this part of the design, with a centrepiece tackle locker that will take the kit of the greediest tackle rat and keep it in good nick. Held up with sturdy gas struts, the lid makes up a

proportion of the front deck.

The top deck layout is standard bass boat design with a front deck several times larger than the back deck.

Interestingly, in the cockpit, the sliding seat bases can clear some room for a lower fishing position in the cockpit. This is handy when you’re fishing more open and rougher waters.

Supplied on a single axle trailer, this boat will fit in plenty of suburban garages. It’s powered by a 115hp Mercury ProXS 2.1L 4-stroke outboard, so performance was never going to be an issue.

Hammers down, the Hurricane reached 76km/h at wide open throttle (6,200rpm) achieving 1.62km/L. At the most economical cruising speed (4,000rpm and 46km/h) it delivered much better range at 2.4km/L. With a 140L underfloor fuel tank, that equates to over 350km of

theoretical range, which is much more than you’d use on nearly all tournaments or trips.

This Bassco is pretty fun to drive. It takes trim well and handles nicely. Unfortunately the test day was breathless and

RPM .....Speed (km/h) ...........Economy (km/L) 650 ...........................4 .................................... 1000 .........................8 .................................... 2000....................... 12 .................................... 3000....................... 29 ................................. 1.8 4000....................... 46 ................................. 2.4 5000....................... 61 ................................. 1.7 6000....................... 74 ................................. 1.6 6200 ....................... 76 ................................. 1.6 * fuel metering not accurate at low RPM with gauge available It might have something to do with the ability to simply hose out the boat and not have to contend with wet carpets for days on end. The Hurricane ditched carpeted decks in favour of synthetic decking material. It dries and cleans up with ease, and is a real

Fishing Monthly Magazine’s YouTube channel.

For more information on Bassco boats, you’ll have to visit their Facebook Page (Bassco Boats) or just call Michael Boag directly on 0417 545 593, as they don’t yet have a website.

There’s plenty of fishing room in this 5m rig, with anglers up front and down the back having their own casting decks to fish from.

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20° of transom deadrise gives you a soft landing when it gets a little rough.

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Cradled on a single-axle trailer and with nothing higher than a PowerPole, the Hurricane will be able to fit in most garages.

The centrally-located rod and tackle locker chews up a pile of rods and lure boxes, and keeps them safe and dry. Plenty of boat manufacturers don’t understand that anglers don’t want their expensive gear soaking in saltwater.

Twin consoles keep you and your passenger comfortable while underway, and the glovebox keeps your wallet and phone dry.

The livewell lives under the rear deck and is secured with twin folding decks.

The helm is minimalist with the sounder mounted on a Ram Mount.

The helm seat is adjustable. Move it forwards and you open up some cockpit space for fishing rougher waters. Move it back and you can sit in it to travel and drive.

Batteries and isolators are inside a rear hatch and protected from the elements.

The internal wiring is neat and hidden.

There’s no doubt that the Hurricane will turn heads at the ramp and on the water. It’s a good looking, Aussie-built fishing boat.

An automatic bow eye catch mechanism locks the boat in place while retrieving.

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Stessco Amberjack 520 with Yamaha F90hp - SC

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RPM......Speed.(km/h)...........Economy.(km/L) 1000 .........................7 ................................3.9 1500 .........................9 ................................3.1 2000....................... 12 ................................2.8 2500 ....................... 13 ................................2.1 3000....................... 26 ................................3.2 3500 ....................... 33 ................................3.4 4000....................... 39 ................................3.3 4500 ....................... 47 ................................3.1 5000....................... 53 ................................2.8 5500 ....................... 60 ................................2.2 5900 ....................... 65 ................................1.7 122

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PERFORMANCE

us up to 65km/h, and a fuel economy of 1.7L/km, and this is a fair clip for a family boat.

To conserve fuel but also get where you need to on time, the best cruising speed was around that 3500rpm, which delivered

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I was recently told that South East Queensland is the largest boating market in Australia, and Brisbanebased boat manufacturer Stessco definitely take advantage of that. This may not sound very important or interesting to you, but to me it means that by buying a Stessco you’re buying a boat that’s made for people who love boating! That’s exactly how I would describe the Amberjack 520.

The 520 represents a line of high-quality boats, and is the middle size of three models, the others being the 490 and 550. The Amberjack is one of Stessco’s ‘premium’ runabouts, and is perfect for a more experienced boater who likes mixing fishing, water sports and time with friends and family.

TRAILER A premium boat needs a premium trailer, and if the buyer chooses to sit the boat on one of the propose-built Stessco trailers (built by Dunbier) there’s a structural warranty of five years. The 520 sits on a single-axle braked trailer, meaning despite it’s large size it could still be fairly easily manoeuvred in a garage

for storage. It also makes sense to sit a boat on a trailer that is built specifically for that boat, as this will contribute to the boat’s longevity.

ALL-ROUND SPECIALIST All-round specialist is the only way I can describe the boat’s intended purpose, with everything to accommodate the skier, fisher, camper, crabber, or someone who just like to lounge around on other peoples’ boats.

The bow is kept clean and simple, with a tidy anchor well and grab rails either side to guide the boat in shallow water.

The windscreen door means quick and safe access to the anchor well, and also allows people to enter from the bow.

Behind the windscreen, the cockpit is laid out logically, and also provides relative comfort for the skipper and mate. Stessco’s Bolster seats are incredibly comfortable, and will be hugely appreciated on slightly longer trips. Flushmounted gadgets are always going to be much easier to look after, and it means you don’t have to worry about brackets and other annoying protrusions. The 520 will flush-mount a sounder up to nine inches, which is perfect if you want to download maps of your chosen hunting ground.

There’s also a dry lockable glove box on the passenger

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you certainly don’t want your prized craft spending more time in the shop than out on the water.

Although perfectly capable of heading offshore, weather permitting, these boats

SPECIFICATIONS

Main: A little bit of chop didn’t worry the Amberjack out on Pumicestone Passage.

Above: The Softride hull ensured that anyone aboard would be comfortable when underway and at rest. side for phones, wallets, maps, watches and so on, and storage for larger items, such as camping gear, under the bow.

The bimini is an excellent addition, especially in sunny states where sun protection is a priority. The bimini covers the skipper and mate comfortably, while leaving the work area open.

The work area behind the cockpit is left open deliberately to allow room for extra passengers, gear and somewhere to enjoy being out on the water. If you want to keep smaller items out of the way, the side pockets are a handy addition, and the only under floor storage – the kill box – means there’s no need to bring extra ice boxes or eskies on board.

There is a padded block for two to sit comfortably, which opens up for extra dry storage, and the added back rest makes the ride comfortable for passengers. The block can be tilted forward to expose two hatches built into the stern.

The high sides, transom and splash well means that passengers in the rear will stay very dry, even in choppy conditions, and the positioning of the seating at the very back

of the work area ensures that the already very soft ride is even softer.

The transom offers access to the craft via a small ladder and door, and the shallow draft of this boat allows a user to spin it around easily and climb in without difficulty.

YAMAHA F90HP Powering this craft was a Yamaha F90hp. These engines are known for their quietness, reliability and fuel economy, and on the day, in around 10-15 knots of breeze on SEQ’s Pumicestone Passage, the engine lived up to that reputation.

Full tilt into the breeze got

Length.(mm) ..............................................5420 Beam.(mm) ................................................2290 Depth.(mm)................................................ 1210 Bottom.sides.(mm) .........................................4 Top.sides.(mm) ................................................3 Max.hp ......................................................... 115 Max.Transom.weight.(kg) ...........................270 Transom.height.(“) ........................................20 Max.people......................................................5 Base.boat.hull.weight.(kg) .........................485 3.4L/km /h at 33km.

Of course, the ride was comfortable for skipper, mate and rear passengers in the les than ideal conditions, and everyone stayed dry… until it rained while I was in the rear.

FINAL THOUGHTS This tough contender offers everything you need for a general-purpose boat. The ease of use and logical layout makes it perfect for those who just love being on the water, without going all out on a more expensive fibreglass boat.

With the simple layout comes the ease of maintenance, and

are designed for bays, lakes and rivers, and Stessco have other boats in the range that better suit offshore work.

Coming in at around the $40,000 mark (as tested) this is very reasonable considering the top quality gadgets and design, and will no doubt last you many years of enjoyable boating, with added peace of mind when you have a 5-year structural warranty.

For more info about any boats in the Stessco range, visit www.stessco.com.au, or find them on Facebook or Instagram at ‘Stessco’.

The Yamaha F90hp delivered excellent speed and economy, and the quietness at idle will be appreciated on those fun ‘non-fishing’ trips.

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Flush-mounted electronics means that there’s no annoying protruding brackets that often just get in the way.

Left: Stessco trailers (built by Dunbier) come in both aluminium and galvanised steel models. Right: Although capable of taking up to 115hp, the F90hp seems adequate for the craft’s intended use.

Driving this craft on and off was a breeze, and could easily be done solo if need be.

The cockpit was simple yet comfortable, and the uncomplicated finish means there’s far less to go wrong.

Sitting a boat on a trailer designed specially for it makes sense, and extends the structural warranty to 5 years, or 60 months.

Boats of this size will tend to need a braked trailer, but that’s not to say the Amberjack 520 is difficult to trail.

The underfloor kill box is a great alternative to an external esky or icebox, which usually only gets in the way.

A drained anchor well up front, accessible by the door in the windscreen, makes parking up and enjoying the sunshine much easier.

Rear seating is not only comfortable, it also doubles as extra storage for anything you may want to keep dry.

The cranking battery sits out of the way but not out of sight, meaning any field work can be done quickly and easily.

Padded rear seating will be appreciated by those relegated to the back of the craft on longer journeys.

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Surtees Game Fisher 650 with 150hp Yamaha - SC

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Main: Not exactly the day you test the rough water abilities of the Surtees 650 Game Fisher – and it was just as calm the whole way to Moreton Island!

Regardless, we were able to gauge some calm-water performance and economy figures on the tough, New Zealand-built hull. Above: Powered by a Yamaha F150 4-stroke outboard, the rig jumped out of the hole with ease.

This is usually the case with dealer test boats, which are often empty of all gear apart from the necessary safety kit, and have near-empty tanks.

Length.........................................................6.50m Beam.........................................................2.375m Water.ballast ................................................300L Bottom.sheet ...............................................5mm Side.sheet.....................................................4mm Max.HP ...........................................................200 Fuel ...............................................................250L Dry.hull.weight ...........................................890kg Transom.deadrise .......................................... 20° Capacity ...............................................6 persons Tow.weight.(approx.) ..............................1,690kg

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Northside Marine package a local outboard and trailer with this imported hull, and offer full warranties on all of the gear. As tested, this rig came in at $91,933, however packages start from $81,356.

PERFORMANCE

SPECIFICATIONS

Paired with a 150hp Yamaha 4-stroke outboard, it’s not just a good looking rig, it’s economical and practical as well.

“They don’t run any strakes or chines underneath the hull apart from the 50mm reverse chine right at the edge of the hull, giving you a clean skin and a great ride,” Mark

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This is the first Surtees boat I have ever been in. The New Zealand built hull is made from plate aluminium and boasts a water ballast system that floods while at rest, offering extra weight for cutting through waves and pulling the hull down onto the chines while at rest. You can keep the water ballast in the chamber when you manually lock down the rear chamber door.

We took the Game Fisher 650 model out for a run with Mark Golden from Brisbane’s Northside Marine. Mark is a great advocate of these hulls – he sells them and loves both the build quality and the ride that these boats offer.

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of the raw aluminium surfaces are coated with Nyalic, which helps to limit oxidation and keeps these surfaces looking brand new.”

This is handy, because the 650 boasts a huge cockpit

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said. “Also, the narrower hull gives it a really good ride while underway, but when you stop, the flooded keel takes in water and pulls the boat a little deeper in the water, giving you great stability.”

Surtees has a manual system that can lock the ballast water in place, offering an even smoother ride while the

boat is running and it seems as though the Surtees designer is a fan of keeping that water there while running.

Mark was also happy to demonstrate the stability while at rest. While dropping a line and standing in the port rear corner, listing was imperceptible. Box ticked.

Powered by Yamaha’s F150hp outboard, the 650 was quick onto the plane and delivered a top speed of 69km/h at 5,900rpm. At this pace, it yielded 1.1km/L, but this stretched out to 1.87km/L at a more moderate 3,500rpm.

At those cruising revs, the Game Fisher travelled at 34 km/h.

Unfortunately, the calm day didn’t let us really test the 20° of transom deadrise built into this hull. The theory is that

the steeper this angle, the more the hull will cut the water rather than pound down on it.

Beautifully welded, the Surtees boasts a 5mm bottom sheet and 4mm side sheets, ensuring a durable and long lasting shell.

Supplied on an Australian built, twin axle aluminium I-beam trailer, this boat falls into the zone of twin-cab ute or larger to really tow it effectively. The twin axles, initially a legal necessity, become a real advantage when towing longer distances to better fishing spots. They dampen some of the instability of a loaded single axle and provide a little peace of mind when it comes to dealing with any potential blowouts.

“The Surtees is very easy to maintain,” Mark said. “Most

RPM......Speed.(km/h)............ Economy.(km/L) 1000 .........................7 ................................. 2.6 2000....................... 12 ................................. 1.6 3000....................... 24 ................................. 1.7 3500 ....................... 34 ............................... 1.87 4000....................... 42 ................................. 1.8 5000....................... 56 ................................. 1.5 5900 ....................... 69 ................................. 1.1 * running a 15” Yamaha SDS propeller area that primarily made up of unpainted aluminium.

This workspace can be easily maintained with a garden hose, and you don’t need to be scared when the action becomes thick and fast and the bait and fish are flying.

Make sure you visit Northside Marine’s yard, or check out their website at www.northsidemarine.com.au for more information. Their Facebook page is ‘Northside Marine - your boating partners for life’.

You can see that the hull hardly moves with the weight all on one side for fishing.

Granted, Mark Golden isn’t Hulk Hogan…

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This Surtees comes on a locally (Australian) built aluminium I-beam trailer. It needs a double axle and benefits from that while towing.

You can see the forward chines working here. On calm days you can really see how that works, and you can see them in action on the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel (just scan the QR code hereabouts).

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SPECIAL EDITION

There’s no doubt that the Surtees looks the goods, both on the trailer and in the water. The cabin and the hull look like they’re meant to be together and aren’t just an afterthought.

There’s not much room for a flush-mounted sounder of any consequence in the dash, yet there’s plenty of room on top of it. Visibility is great and the windows are in the right place, especially for a Queensland boat.

It’s no good up here for a family of four, but there is room to stretch out when you’re done hauling in a feed.

This boat has cockpit space in spades!

The port side seat base holds some clever storage and a padded lid to sit on.

On the starboard side there’s a frame with an aftermarket cooler underneath, which is good for fish or food.

Although the transom holds a lot of gear and storage space, it all folds down to be a smooth area to lean against while working at the bait board.

With 20° of transom deadrise and the water ballast system, the Surtees offers the best opportunity for a smooth ride in a plate aluminium hull.

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SPECIAL EDITION

BOATS • FISHING • WATER SPORTS 23RD-25TH AUGUST 2019

Aquamaster 530 Half Cabin with Suzuki 140hp - SC

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Aquamaster are South East Queensland’s quiet achiever when it comes to aluminium boats. Established nearly 30 years ago, they’ve been quietly going about their business hand-making dependable hulls south of Brisbane.

Anyone remembering the start of ABT’s BASS Pro series may remember that the inaugural BASS Angler of the Year (Brett Thomson, 1999, 2000) fished from a custom built Aquamaster punt. It showed that at the time, these guys were willing to listen and that’s what’s kept them in business for so long.

The boat we tested here, however, is about as far from a bass punt as you can get.

The 5.3m half cab is one of four half cabins in the range that vary from 5-6m in length in the Aquamaster range.

With a roomy cabin and plenty of cockpit space, it’s right in the middle of the zone of craft that are great for taking the family cruising, yet still have the ability to do an

overnighter on the bay with a mate or two.

Rod Elliott is Queensland’s only Aquamaster dealer, and he happily took us for a ride on Moreton Bay in the 5.3m version.

“Aquamasters feature a fully welded hull, which means that they are basically trouble and warranty free from a dealer point of view,” said Rod when explaining the ethos of the brand.

“You’ll also notice the upswept bow, which is a feature that Aquamaster boats have had for years. You’ll see more and more competitive brands agreeing that this is both good looking and practical.”

Arriving on a single-axle trailer, the rig will tow behind most family vehicles. You’ll rarely see an Aussie rig more than 1.5 tonnes supplied on a single axle trailer.

Fitted with Australian Marine Centre’s own test outboard (a 140hp Suzuki), we set off on a day on Moreton Bay that was way too calm for rough water boat testing.

As such, we can report that it rides very nicely on calm water, if a little sensitive to internal weight changes.

PERFORMANCE RPM......Speed.(km/h)............ Economy.(km/L) 700 ...........................4 ................................. 4.0 1000 .........................7 ................................. 4.2 2000....................... 11 ................................. 2.8 3000....................... 23 ................................. 2.8 3500 ....................... 31 ................................. 3.1 4000....................... 38 ................................. 2.8 4500 ....................... 46 ................................. 2.7 5000....................... 51 ................................. 2.3 6000....................... 61 ................................. 1.6 6500 ....................... 66 ................................. 1.3 126

AUGUST 2019

the bunks and the optional transom door, which make it easier for boarding both on and off the trailer.

The rear lounge is folding

$40,000s, you can check out this Aquamaster at Australian Marine Centre at Slacks Creek in Brisbane. Their website is www.amcboats.com.au or

SPECIFICATIONS

Main: Aquamaster may not be the most well known brand of boat, but they have been built in South East Queensland for the last 30 years, and their upswept bow design has become popular amongst many of the brands over the last decade.

There are several half cab models in their range.

Above: Powered by a 140hp Suzuki 4-stroke, the 530 maxxed out at 66km/h and 6,500rpm.

With all crew on one side underway, the hull would lean while at cruising speeds.

Performance wise, the Suzuki delivered exactly what we expected – a very economical ride with a real sweet spot at 3,500rpm where several repeats in the test showed a spike in economy to 3.1km/L. At those revs it was cruising at 31km/h.

Wide open, expect 66km/h at 6,500rpm at a significantly more thirsty rate. That speed yielded only 1.3km/L. With 100L of underfloor fuel, best economy gives this rig a theoretical range of over 250km.

As far as levels of fit-out go, this is a reasonably basic package at a price to match.

Noteworthy are the seat bases with inbuilt storage, the cavernous areas under

Length........................................................5.3m Beam..........................................................2.3m Hull.weight .............................................. 580kg Depth .........................................................1.1m Fuel ............................................................ 110L Min.HP ...........................................................70 Max.HP ........................................................ 140 Bottom.sheet ............................................3mm Side.sheet..................................................3mm Capacity ............................................ 6 persons and fills two thirds of the transom, leaving a space for boarding through the transom door.

Priced from mid to high

www.aquamaster.com.au for the boat site. Alternatively, you can Like their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ AustralianMarineCentre.

The guys from Australian Marine Centre checking out the wreck of the Platypus at Peel Island. The 530 is ideal for family cruising around the bay as well as dropping a line.

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Left: 140 is the maximum horsepower rating for this boat, and the big Suzuki did the job with ease. It delivered over 3.1km/L at the most economical cruising speed at 3,500rpm. Top Right: Queenslanders love pulling up anchor by hand and the for’ard hatch and built-in anchor well allows this to happen as easily as possible. Below Right: Standard side pockets eat up all of the gear that needs to be easily accessible.

The soft top is long enough to cover the travelling positions for the driver and passenger, and the side clears keep the rest of the weather out.

Left: Both seat bases feature plenty of internal storage.

Right: The front hatch is well sealed and will handle some rough weather, even if the family won’t.

There’s plenty of cockpit space in the back with a foldable rear lounge that can be tucked away when the fishing starts.

The shop boat demo motor was well worn in and offered the type of fuel economy that Suzuki owner have come to expect.

Its sweet spot was at 3,500rpm.

Under the cabin side bunks there’s a mountain of storage for items that should be kept dry.

The cabin is deceptively large for a 5.3m half-cab boat.

The transom door is a popular option for getting in and out of the boat.

The helm is simple and there’s a lot of room to mount electronics on brackets on top of the dash.

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mercurymarine.com.au AUGUST 2019