Queensland Fishing Monthly - January 2014 by Fishing Monthly

A NEW YEAR OF FISHING OPPORTUNITIES INSIDE

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Stand up and fight • Shallow flatties • Faust for beginners •

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Features Rainforest magic • Spotlight on Cardwell • Flatty basics •

Tried and Tested Trailcraft 500 Pro Fisherman • McLay 671 plate • Mariner 12.5 Propel kayak •

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January 2014, Vol. 26, No. 3

Contents SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND Tweed Heads 11 Southern Gold Coast 14 Gold Coast 16 Jumpinpin 18 Southern Bay 20 Brisbane Offshore 22 Brisbane 24 Northern Bay 26 Southern Pumicestone 27 Caloundra Wide 28 Caloundra 30 Noosa 32 Teewah Beach 34 CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Fraser Coast 36 Rainbow Beach 38 Hervey Bay 38 Burrum Heads 40 Bundaberg 41 Rockhampton 42 Yeppoon 44 Mackay 46 TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND Bowen 48 Ayr 50 Townsville 52 Lucinda 54 Port Douglas 59 Cairns 60 Cooktown 62 Karumba 62 Weipa 63 The Cape 63

From the Editor’s Desk... A New Year and hopefully a new bag of fishing gear and some half-brained New Year resolutions that I guarantee will be broken. That sounds a lot like a typical year for me and I expect 2014 will be no different as I endeavour to get to PNG to chase a Papuan black bass (tell him he’s dreamin’!) and attempt to work a way to get up to a big barra lake and lock horns with another 110cm+ model. I feel a bit like the guy with all the gear yet no idea! Luckily though I know lots of anglers who have all the ideas and many of them write for this magazine and that makes the information contained in these pages enormously valuable to readers. QFM has a fantastic writer’s stable and many of our writers are long termers who have helped many hundreds of anglers discover a new spot, a new technique or simply allowed them to have their

fingers on the pulse. So to all my writers I hope 2014 brings you some great fishy rewards, you all deserve it. And with the writers in mind we’ve had a few new faces join the crew. Writers like David Solano, who has taken over the Tweed report, newcomers like Angus (Gus) James who has started off writing some features have added to our writers and in the coming months we will introduce some new talent. Sadly though we’ve lost a few writers. Roderick Walmsley moved up to Gladstone for work (and a whole heap of fishing judging by the pictures he’s sending me!), and this month Jack Reid heads south to Brisbane from Townsville. Thanks for your help guys, you’ve both been great – and yes I will hassle you for features when you get settled in your new digs. But onto more important things like the options in January. I think this summer it might all be about whiting for

me. I really want to get amongst some of these tasty fish, on bait and lures. I’ve had limited success with both methods but never really cracked a good pattern. I’ve fished with a few whiting anglers who have far more skill at it than me and learnt heaps. This year is the time to put all that passed-on knowledge into action and get on the water and into some fish. Exciting times with floppy rods, light mono and a bunch of worms and yabbies. Old school and loving it! The other fishery I have discovered, all by myself of course, is river bassin’. We drifted the upper reaches of the Brissie River a few weeks ago in a Predator 13 kayak from Old Town and I loved it. I have been punching myself several times a week when I think of how much of this I missed in the last few years while every other man and his dog were out there having a ball on these feisty escapee bass. Thanks to Gary Fitzgerald

I have found a new fishery to me that I find fascinating. Small-ish water, big-ish fish, light-ish rods and some great fun. I only landed 9 fish up to 42cm in a morning, but had a ball. Keen to get back and do that again out of my Viking kayak. Livo, the bell is ringing. Grab your yak, get to my house and let’s go! So with a couple of over the top dreams and some more realistic dreams for 2014 I hope that I can get right into something new for me. I am certainly not reinventing the wheel, but I am reinventing a wheel for me. And I think that’s one of the keys to fishing. Find your enjoyment in fishing however you want and go out there and pursue it. The only one you have to please on the water is you and only you will know what turns your wheels. Just go and do it. I hope everyone has a great 2014 and enjoys reaching a fishing milestone of your own.

NORTHERN NEW SOUTH WALES Iluka 66

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Nick Richardson used plenty of persistence to land this cracking Gold Coast jack.

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Rainforest magic Spotlight on Cardwell Flathead basics Stand up and fight Faust for beginners Shallow flathead trolling

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ING TRADE

Jump into January’s treats THE TWEED

David Solano

Just thinking about fishing the Tweed River in January gives me goosebumps! It is one of the best months of the year to fish the river, particularly this year as we haven’t had massive amounts of rain. Although we did get some cracker storms through November and December and that really livened things up. The bait in the river is awesome to see, there’s big mullet, prawns of all sizes, poddy mullets, everything that a marauding GT could want. And where would you catch a GT on the Tweed you ask? Well, just about anywhere, using a simple slug lure or popper and some heavy-duty gear. When I say anywhere I mean it, as I’ve caught these fish in every part of the river, however there are a few standout spots and the best time to fish them coincides perfectly with the January holidays. As the river in the middle of the day is pretty packed it can be hard to find a place to fish from the banks, so the best time to go out is night or very early morning. It was during the night I caught my PB 10kg GT and a PB 7kg tailor at the Jack Evans Boat Harbour next to Twin

Towns. It has two entrances to the river with pylons positioned in a way that they make a perfect casting platform. I was casting the slug as far as I could then ripping it back across the water – when these GT hit a lure on the surface it really

through the harbour in massive numbers. One night my mate Richard Creighton said to me, “Can you hear that?” I could hear something but I had no idea what I was listening to. Then I saw it – a massive school of

The Tweed can offer a variety of species this month, such as this great looking bass. gets the adrenalin going. You’d better be quick as they move fast. The good news is they often come

THE AUTHOR I’d like to introduce myself, my name is David Solano and I’m a local Tweed fisho. I live on the water and spend a lot of time chasing all the various fish the Tweed River has to offer. I’m going to share with you my tips, hot spots and always a good yarn as this place goes off.

The Tweed River is at its best in January with great catches like this flathead.

trevs smashing bait and heading straight for us. I’ve never seen anything like it, a luminescent blue/silver glow changing constantly, charging, stopping then switching directions, what a sight! We were standing on rocks right next to the water when they came straight at us, bait fish started jumping out of the water and landing on our feet, both our lures got smashed first casts on the drop. We caught a few each in quick succession then the fish moved on chasing the fleeing bait. All this while listening to a concert at the Roxy Pro over the hill – a pretty good fishing spot Another great and challenging place to catch trevs and jacks is the oyster leases in Terranora Broadwater near Seagulls. The fish love this place, maybe because they feel safe in amongst the narky, snaggy leases. I suggest you up your leader to at least 15lb, I use 25lb as I’ve been smoked so many times there. To extract a fish out of the racks, you’ve got to be quick and ruthless and that heavy leader allows it. I don’t use a slug, but a popper instead as this allows you at high tide to cast over the leases without snagging up. As I said, be ready to strike quick because it

all happens in the blink of an eye. I often see boats on the outside of the racks casting into them from the safety of the deeper water, but to fish them properly you’ve got to get in amongst them. My yak and Richard’s boat both have quite a few scratches from the racks. We’ve caught so many fish there from trevs to bream and once I ran into a school of jacks, but that’s another story, an expensive one. I can remember hooking up to a nice dish size GT right in the middle of the racks and I only had 8lb leader on. The fish proceeded to go screaming straight up the tram lines out into deeper water where I landed him, he could’ve done me any which way, but didn’t. To get to the leases be careful, as the Tweed is pretty shallow in some areas down that way, lift your motor up a little and take it slow. With predictions of warmer weather the big fish will start to show up around Barneys Point, which is another good spot. This time last year a local fisho caught a 19kg GT under the bridge, he reckoned it put up a good fight!

To extract a trevally out of the racks, you’ve got to be quick and ruthless – a heavy leader is a must.

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Rainforest magic FEATURE

Angus James

You’re walking beside a crystal clear stream in a tropical rainforest. All around you hear birdsong and the sound of water rippling over the rocks. It’s like a scene from a postcard and then… SURFACE EXPLOSION! Before you even have a chance to click the bail

on your reel, you’re on! A chrome-armoured predator has launched itself from the water to smash your surface offering, and what once was a peaceful environment has now turned into complete chaos, with linepeeling adrenalin! Welcome to jungle perch country. JP TACTICS Jungle perch (or JPs) are one of the most attractive freshwater species in Australia. With their polished sterling

silver scales and defined black tail markings, it’s no wonder many anglers put in the time and effort to target this iconic sportfish. Jungle perch inhabit the clearest of tropical waters. Being able to observe their surroundings from both under and above the water makes them one of the most cunning freshwater fish around. These sharp-eyed fish will always give the experienced lurefisher many opportunities to test his

Jungle perch are tremendous fun to catch.

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or her skills to try to tempt one into a strike. Jungle perch will take a variety of lures and on many occasions they’ll strike as soon as the lure hits the water. I like to approach my JP fishing with stealth, as if I’m stalking my prey. I try to work from the shadows, get behind structure, stay low, and keep out of the water as much as possible. Keeping out of sight is very important if you want to maximise your catch rate.

If you see the JP it’ll often be too late; chances are its already spotted you coming. The only thing the JP should see and hear is the splash of your lure. Using the flow of the water to make your lure appear as natural as possible is also a big factor. Anything that doesn’t look natural will cause the JP to swim the other way. Walking upstream is the way to go. Not only will it make your presentations appear realistic, the sound of

the water flowing will mask your noise and give you that extra advantage. GEARING UP When it comes to the gear for my JP fishing, I use a 6’6” G.Loomis GLX rod with a fast taper to give my artificial offerings the best action possible. I like to use a 2-piece, because when I head bush I’m often exposed to rough terrain that can require some intense climbing. A 2-piece rod also makes things

You couldn’t find a more picturesque place to fish than a rainforest stream. a little easier when trekking through the thick jungle to find the honey holes. Spinning gear is the way to go for this style of fishing. Reels I use range from 10002500, and I load these up with 4lb braid and 4lb-8lb fluorocarbon leader. The lighter you can go, the better. At times you’ll need to be able to cast your lightly-weighted presentations long distances to avoid detection. Overhanging vegetation, snags, deep pools, and bends in streams or rivers are all key elements to keep an eye out for when JP fishing. These fish love to hang under cover and wait for a small insect, lizard, frog or even a berry to fall

in the water. That’s why an accurate cast into these areas is sure to give you some action! My favourite surface lure is the new Halco Roosta 45. It’s the same colour as the berries I come across in the areas I fish, and let me tell you – it doesn’t last long in the water! Soft plastics also work well when JP fishing. A lightlyweighted approach in some of the deeper pools, or a heavier weighted jighead for the faster water, is sure to get the attention you’re after. I often land a lot more of the small model jungle perch when using softies, compared to the bigger ones I get on surface lures. My usual game plan is to walk

JUNGLE PERCH

Primarily a freshwater fish, jungle perch (Kuhlia rupestris) are commonly found in fairly fast-flowing, clear streams, and in pools below waterfalls. Adults move downstream to spawn in estuaries or inshore coastal waters. Their range has decreased due to deforestation and run-off, but they can still be readily found in rainforest areas north of Townsville. Their diet consists of small fish, insects, crustaceans and fruits that fall into the water. This fish has an olive-brown back merging into a bright silver belly, with distinct black markings on its tail. It looks similar to a spotted flagtail, except that the tips of a jungle perch’s tail are rounded (a flagtail’s tail has pointed tips). These fish can reach 45cm long, although the average length is around 20cm. In Queensland there is a combined in-possession limit of 1 jungle perch or spotted flagtail, and a maximum size limit of 35cm.

This Roosta popper was cast in tight to structure and got crunched. upstream with hardbodied surface presentations and then switch to soft plastics upon my return. I find that you can work a plastic to a more natural presentation when the flow is not in your favour. My must-have JP lures are: Halco Roosta 45, River2Sea Bubble Pop 45, Lucky Craft Sammy 65 (surface lures); Squidgy Bloodworm Wriggler and 2.5” Z-Man GrubZ (soft plastics); and Ecogear SX 48 (diving minnow). GOING BUSH To get that trophy jungle perch you’ll need

to do some serous trekking through some amazing country to find that untouched water. Before you set out on your JP adventure, you’ll need the following: water, first-aid kit, GPS, food, phone, torch, camera and of course the fishing gear. It’s also very important to let a few people know exactly what river system you intend walking up. It’s always best to fish with someone when going into the jungle, as there are so many things that can go wrong. Safety first!

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Also be prepared to tangle with a few of the other locals when out JP fishing. The grumpy old river sooty will most certainly like the look of your popper, and the odd mangrove jack might come along to test out your drag pressure! Jungle perch fishing is an amazing experience. It’s such a magical way to get away from it all and enjoy the beauty nature has to offer, while catching a truly amazing species. I recommend this style of fishing to anyone. Give it a go, you will love it.

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Ben Job

January will offer a wide range of species to challenge anglers from wide offshore to the upper reaches of our creeks, rivers and dams, so start gearing up because this month is always a boomer! The small black marlin will still be in numbers this month but may be a bit wider than previous weeks. Start searching around the back of the 36s and the 50s for big bait balls consisting of yakkas and slimey mackerel. Slow trolling live baits around the congregating schools will rarely be turned down by a passing marlin. These fish may not be as small as they were last month with some hefty specimens around the 100kg mark not being an uncommon contender. While trying to find these schools of bait it’s a good idea to troll some small to medium sized skirted lures such as Black Snacks and Pula Kais, and anything around 7-9” will do the trick nicely. It’s probably not a bad idea to leave your light 8kg rods at home and start bringing out the 15kg rods to try and avoid marathonstyle fights. If you’re keen to get the heavy gear out and start venturing past the shelf, there will be a few blues and stripies on offer as well as the occasional jumbo mahi mahi. The last few months have seen some great blue marlin fishing and I think it’s safe to say that January will be no different. Blue marlin are a black marlin’s much faster and angrier cousin. They are one of the most exciting fish to catch and if you’ve never experienced it, then put it down as a ‘must do’. When fishing for blues, 24kg outfits are considered light and almost inadequate. To seriously chase these speedsters 37kg or 60kg is far more suitable. These oceanic predators are mainly found in waters 70 fathoms or deeper, with the odd exception. When fishing out in these waters the most subtle differences can mean big things. A solitary bird or a pod of dolphins can be signs that lead to bites. When it comes to lures I find skirted lures from 9-14” are perfect. Elephants will eat peanuts though, so it’s always worth

Mahi mahi are a sensational fish to chase. They look amazing, fight super hard and come up superbly on the table. One of the great all round fish found offshore. putting a small lure out as well. There should be some Spaniards lurking around the Nine Mile, Fidos and the Gravel Patch with dead baits and bibbed minnows such as Halco Laser Pros and Lively Lure Blue Pillies being a couple of my favourites. The spotted mackerel will still in force at Mermaid and Palm Beach reefs and if you’re willing to face the crowds they can be a lot of fun. Plenty of berley and some short fine wire traces with 2/0 to 4/0 hooks and half pilchards for bait being a very effective method. When anchoring in these crowded areas be mindful to give other boats as much room as possible, remember they are there for the same reason you are! INSHORE This is my favourite month of the year to chase big river whiting; the Nerang and Tweed being my favourites but Currumbin and Tallebudgera creeks hold plenty as well. As always the Council Chambers and around Sorrento in the Nerang River are great spots to start the whiting onslaught. And in the Tweed around the Piggery is a very productive area. Bloodworms are the best bait, but not very easy to come by. So when you can’t get hold of any worms I use small black soldier crabs. The bigger blue ones mixed with sand are good berley, but the small ones are much better bait. Ill use anywhere up to a 5 ball when targeting whiting and downsizing when the current slows. A long trace of light 6lb fluorocarbon works best for me, finished off with a hook around size 6. This has proven

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JANUARY 2014

January is marlin time, so if you can, get out there and have a crack for one of these great battlers – whether that be a black, blue or striped.

a deadly set up. The mud crab season should be starting to flourish this month also with good catches coming from the upper reaches of our local rivers. Though we may experience some heavy rain and, if so, further towards the mouths will be far more effective. The rectangular collapsible pots are what I’ve had most success with. These pots are cheap but still effective. Unfortunately getting pots stolen is not uncommon especially on weekends and school holidays, so when the pots aren’t that expensive it lightens the pinch a little bit. Raw chicken carcasses are the most reliable bait around the place, but any oily fleshed fish should suit just nicely. Creek mouths, deep holes and drop off on mangrove banks are a pretty good place to start searching for crabs and don’t be afraid to move your pots around a bit. Mangrove jacks, trevally and tarpon will be still plentiful around most canal systems. I find anywhere where there’s a bit of tidal flow will hold these predators mix that with some structure and bait and you’ll be in with a shot. Rolling hard bodied lures through the structure is as good as any way of targeting these fish jacks especially, a general rule is if you’re not getting snagged you either don’t have a deep enough lure on or you’re not in the right spot. FRESHWATER There should be good numbers of bass lurking in January the upper, brackish reaches of all of our rivers hold bass. I find TN50 Jackalls as well as Ecogear VT55SP are a good lure when the sun is still high and any small poppers in low light conditions. The Hinze Dam should be firing and using spinnerbaits is always a very effective way of catching impoundment bass this time of year. I use 5/8oz Bassman spinnerbaits and colour selection varies trip to trip. Purple and natural olive colours are the best for me. When using spinnerbaits, try the more prominent points around the dam. These protruding areas will hold more and often larger fish. Until next month be safe on the water and good fishing.

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David Green

There is eager anticipation of the arrival of the annual small black marlin run on the inshore grounds off the Gold Coast. In early December quite a lot of fish had been caught in Hervey Bay, so by the time you receive this there should be quite a few small blacks being caught off the Gold Coast. I like to work the area east of Jumpinpin in January for

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marlin. The area from 25-50m often holds good schools of pilchards and slimy mackerel, and trolling rigged gar, small skirted lures or slow trolling live baits are all effective methods to get tight to a bouncing baby black marlin. Most of these fish are between 15-30kg and are a great target on 8-10kg tackle. Ideal conditions are a light 10-15 knot southeasterly and strong blue current running close to shore. Look for bait schools and birds and concentrate your efforts wherever you find bait. Most of the bites come on tide changes. As well as marlin, expect wahoo, tuna and plenty of mahi mahi this month. Generally it isn’t too hard to come home with a decent feed. Further out wide there should be plenty of blue marlin, if early reports are anything to go by. One to four bites per day from blues has been common through November into December and most of the fish have been around 120-140kg. Lucky Strike, skippered by Ross McCubbin, managed an unusual double header of a black marlin and a blue marlin in 280m recently, with the black being bigger than the blue. That’s the first time I’ve heard of a double header

There are some monster GT in this area and they take some stopping and they love big poppers and stick baits. Wahoo also commonly show up in this area and high speed trolling skirted lures is worth doing early in the morning when the current is running. For the bottom fisher, the action is dictated by the current. The 50 fathom line is hard to fish as the run is generally around 2-3 knots, but there are often a few

Charles Britton with a Spaniard. Mackerel season should be in full swing in January. kings, pearl perch and the odd juvenile snapper about for the persistent. In general trolling is a much better option this month.

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of marlin of two different species. Both fish ate trolled lures. Lucky Strike also caught a 140kg blue on the samea different day. In closer to shore the mackerel season should be in full swing. The spotted mackerel arrived at Palm Beach Reef in numbers in late November, with plenty of anglers catching their bag limit. By January there should be quite a few Spaniards as well. I like to anchor up and spin metal lures in a berley trail of chopped pilchards, with a live bait or pilchard on wire drifted out the back. The Tweed Nine Mile can fish well this month for a wide variety of species. Drifting live slimies over the reef can produce everything from jobfish to marlin, and casting big poppers is another great method.

Whiting should be active in the Nerang River this month and as the year has been quite dry a lot of the fish are quite far upstream at present. Try small soldier crabs, worms or yabbies if there has been a bit of fresh. Small shrimp also work very well in the Nerang and have the added advantage in that you can catch them around the mangrove fringes on almost any tide. It has been a good mangrove jack season so

RIVERS AND ESTUARIES January sees the water temperatures in the estuaries increase and on the top of the tides a lot of blue water pushes inside on the southeasterlies. This often brings in a lot of bait, such as white and frogmouth pilchards. These attract a variety of predators to the Seaway and Jumpinpin entrances and there is often quite good spinning using metal lures and plastics for great trevally, tailor, big-eye trevally and sometimes tarpon. At times bonito and mackerel tuna enter the Seaway as well as the odd mackerel. If you have a high tide at around 7am there is often quite good lure fishing on the last few hours of the push, but you have to get up early.

far, with quite a few fish in the 50-60cm bracket being caught. Most have been hooked on poppers and soft plastics casting to floating pontoons. The 4” Z-Mann SwimmerZ have been particularly effective and are a very durable lure. Hardbodies are another useful alternative. A lot of the jacks have been caught in daylight hours. The flathead spawned quite late this season and in early December there were still a lot of fish carrying roe, so there may still be some productive flathead fishing this month around the entrances and the first shallow banks inside the Jumpinpin and Seaway area. Small paddle-tail plastics have been effective at times although the fish have been quite fickle. I also recently caught a small cobia on a soft plastic fishing for flathead inside the ‘Pin Bar. Mud crabs and sand crabs should be in good numbers this month but the estuary needs a good flush as it has been quite dry. Work as far up the creeks as you can in the dry times and the deep holes after rain. For sand crabs work the run-in tide in the Broadwater between Crab Island and the Aldershots using mullet for bait. Overall, January is a great month on the Gold Coast with plenty of good options. Hopefully we should have a reasonable marlin season and there are some promising signs so far for both blue and black marlin. Remember to stay safe on the water and take care out there as the increased boat traffic can make the Gold Coast waterways a very scary place. Good fishing and tight lines.

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Whip up a warm water whiting of mulloway, tailor, jacks, cod, trevally and any number of other species that find their home in these waters. January is a great time for those who love to chase large whiting. I’ve had some great reports of a few topping the 700g mark in December and I would expect this trend to continue throughout January. A little berley often, a lot of patience, live worms or yabbies and fish as light as the

JUMPINPIN

Mick Morris gembait@tpg.com

Welcome to yet another year of fishing the Jumpinpin area. Its protected waters are filled with our favourite species of fish that we all love to catch. Bream, whiting and flathead will make up the bulk of catches this month, but there is always a chance

conditions will allow, will give you a real chance at nailing an elbow slapper. The bigger whiting don’t seem to mind if there is a strong current as they forage the bottom in search of a feed, so by feeding your line your chances of success should surely improve. Try around the Gold Bank, Jacobs Well Channel near Diner Island, where Squire Island used to be, south of Russell Island

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near the green beacons, the Logan River on Ageston Sands, near Marks Rocks or at the Junction. At the moment we’ve only had choppers and small greenbacks to around 2kg coming through the Pin Bar so fingers-crossed some bigger stuff is on its way. We usually get a few better fish at this time of year as they chase the bait schools up the coast. There are other pelagics chasing these bait schools as well, like mackerel, tuna, cobia and the odd marlin, which are great fun if the weather comes good and you can slip outside.

There will be lots of school mulloway caught this month. or try along the dirty waterline beyond the bar and then hold on as these fish can really test your gear.

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Top: There is still plenty of time for a late season snapper like this 10.2kg monster. Above: January is the perfect time for elbow-slapping whiting like this one. Look for birds diving into the water to locate the fish and try trolling skirts or diving lures, around the bait schools

Flathead have been consistently caught all summer long with reports of plenty of small- to medium-

sized fish on offer, and I’ve heard of a few of 75cm+ fish being safely released to ensure our flathead stocks for the future. The larger ones seem to love live bait at the moment. Live mullet, small gar and prawns are proving irresistible, with whitebait, pilchards and froggies also going well. Try Little Rocky Point, across from Cabbage Tree Point boat ramp, just off the south eastern side of Kangaroo Island, Kalinga Bank, the mouth of Behms Creek and Canaipa Passage near Willis Island. A couple of small mulloway, estuary cod and mangrove jack are being landed from the Logan near Marks and Pitts Rocks. The Pimpama and Coomera rivers too are starting to shine as they are heavily littered with structure (snags, rockwalls, jetties) and by using livies or trolling lures along these structures then a quality fish can’t be far off. Muddies have been going strong this season after the storms have flushed the system out and they are mostly being caught out of the rivers and more along the mangrovelined banks of Eden Island, Tabby Tabby, Mosquito Island, Redland Bay Channel and Long Island. • Thanks for all your reports and keep those fish coming in. If you’d like any advice or up to date fishing information drop us a line at Gem Bait & Tackle on (07) 3287 3868 or email gembait@tpg.com.au.

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Troy Wegner twegner@tpg.com.au

I hope that everyone had a great Christmas period with a little bit of spare time to get out on the water and chase a few fish. Over the past month we have had our fair share of storms. This will work wonders for the fishing, it gives everything a good flush out and with that comes more bait. Along with the rain the

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winds have not been overly friendly either but it has allowed small windows of reasonably good weather. Over the past 2 months it has just been about being able to take advantage of those 1 or 2 days of good weather. If your days off have not coincided with them then it would have been a while between fishing trips on the bay. When I have had the chance to get out on the bay, the fishing has been awesome with many different species coming on board; anything from snapper, mulloway, school mackerel, yellowtail kingfish and Moses perch. There maybe plenty of species being caught at the moment but you can’t expect to just go out and catch all of them. You need to have a plan of attack in the bay depending on the tides and the wind. To carry out a plan you also need to know roughly at what time of the tides particular spots begin to fire. Some good fish have come from the reef edges around Peel of late. We always seem to get an awesome run of juvenile snapper along the shallow reefs when we have a lot of jellyfish coming through the bay. On calm, quiet mornings you will see juvenile snapper coming up and eating the tentacles off the jellyfish. Sometimes you may not even see the fish hit the surface, all you will see is the jellyfish bobbing out of the water. This is a give away that there the little snapper are around. When targeting juvenile snapper in this way the best thing to look for that

There have been some good juvenile snapper on the deeper reefs in the bay. This one was taken on the Maria Shore Tricker. will help you find the fish are current lines. This is where slower current runs alongside faster moving current and it creates a line. Current lines will always appear around the bay islands, they will always appear where the current changes direction. You need to find where this line runs over the edge of a reef or a corner of a reed. This is where jellyfish and baitfish will get caught and this is why predatory fish patrol these lines looking for an easy feed. When the juvenile snapper are up feeding near the surface the one thing to think about is downsizing to a light jighead. You don’t want to be using a heavy

jighead if the fish are high in the water column. When the fish are feeding up near the surface changing your approach will increase your hook up rate. Other areas to have a look around for this similar surface activity are Coochie Island, Macleay Island and Ormiston Reef. All of these areas have good tidal flow with great numbers of jellyfish floating around at times. It’s all about just getting out and having a look around, reading the tidal flow and looking for those current lines. Hope you enjoy the time off from work over this holiday period and you all get out and get amongst the fish.

Using plastics that look like a tentacle will also work in you favour. The Z-Man 5” Curlz in violet sparkle is a gun plastic in this situation. 20

JANUARY 2014

Reap the razor gang rumble OFFSHORE

John Gooding

So far this season we haven’t put the trolling gear in the water, but

reports coming in are promising with both Spanish mackerel and wahoo getting caught in the Point Lookout and Huchinson Shoal areas. There has also been

a fair number of mahi mahi caught out around the Wave Rider Buoy, so signs are looking encouraging across the board for a reasonable pelagic season.

In early November we struggled to find snapper on a couple of charters for the first time since around mid-May. So I decided to change target species and go live baiting for kings

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Mahi mahi have turned up around the Wave Rider Buoy. and ambos, but the live bait didn’t want to play and was tough to find. We were forced again to target snapper out in the deeper water. On the 7-8 charters since then we’ve found the snapper keen to feed again and getting our bag limit hasn’t been too difficult a task. We’ve also had a few bull mahi mahi turn up around the boat and managed to land a few with the best close to 12kg. I’ve been having a quick look for live bait most mornings and, to be honest, the close bait grounds have looked fairly barren. Most of the bait I’ve sounded over has been out in 30m+ in no man’s land. The next few months should see plenty of activity from the pelagic species east of the South Passage bar and the coffee rock close to

wahoo is the length of the wire trace. To prevent bite-offs from a hooked fish’s ‘inquisitive mates’, I keep the trace length to around 30cm on both lures and live baits and use as small as possible black rolling swivel to minimise air bubbles. When you make your own rigs, it’s easy to make whatever length leaders required, but a lot of skirted lures come pre-rigged on a couple of metres of heavy wire. You can crimp a stopper around 30cm from the lure to prevent the lure running the length of the wire leader when a fish is hooked and running or chop the excess off and reattach a swivel, which is my preferred option. On wire size, I use either 44lb or 58lb Mason single strand when live baiting and multi-strand between 80-100lb on my skirted lures.

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There’s plenty of action outwide for the New Year. Moreton Island. All the rocky outcrops around Point Lookout will see quite a bit of boat traffic, so don’t be afraid to move away from the main clumps of boats to again find fish once the boat noise has shut feeding fish down. One thing that’s very important when chasing Spanish mackerel and

The next few months is the time to chase the razor gang, so let’s hope the weather pattern gives us plenty of opportunities to head offshore. Enjoy your fishing, take care on the coastal bars and if you’d like to join me on charter (max. 8 persons) give me a call on (07) 3822 9527 or 0418 738 750.

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Early anglers catch tasty treats BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

With the Christmas rush over and many still on annual holidays, January is a great time for anglers young and old to get out and enjoy the aquatic action on offer. The weather can be a little volatile at times during

January with warm days and frequent storms being the norm over the last few years. However, hot, calm mornings offer a great opportunity for early risers to get amongst the hot angling action. A host of awesome piscatorial targets are on offer with pelagics, demersal species and crustaceans providing a lot of fun and some tasty seafood treats for a summer feast.

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ESTUARY OFFERINGS Warm, balmy days provide heightened activity amongst many estuarine species, especially mangrove jack and estuary cod. Warmer water increases their metabolism making them a lot hungrier and more likely to engulf your offerings. Both these species like structure, especially rock walls, mangrove snags, jetties, pontoons, bridges and the like. Most anglers who target the jacks and cod will do so with lures, however live baits are also highly effective. Getting your lure close to structure will greatly increase your chance of a strike but will also heighten the possibility of a hooked fish busting you off, so you need to apply maximum pressure to pry them away from their sanctuary from the offset. Good lures can include bibbed minnows (both floating and suspending models), soft plastics (mainly paddletails and prawn profiles) and to a lesser extent vibes and blades. Surface offerings have become more popular in recent years for those targeting mangrove jacks. Poppers and stickbaits are good choices with the Lucky Craft G-Splash being one of the more favoured poppers by many serious jack anglers. These are worked close to the structure or over the top of it and a lightning fast response will be required to set the hooks on the strike and also to get the upper hand on your quarry. However the

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savage surface strikes are worth the effort and there is great satisfaction when a plan comes together and you have a chunk of crimson assailant in your grasp. Many thinking anglers choose to release most of the mangrove jacks that they land, which is why their numbers have been increasing steadily over the last few years. Many of the land-locked lakes around Brisbane and the Gold Coast will also hold mangrove jacks with many of these being trophy specimens, better than 50cm in length. Sometimes these lakes have minimal structure in them, which makes landing a trophy mangrove jack a little bit easier, however none of them will subdue without a spirited battle. Large estuary cod also give a great account of themselves and what they lack in speed they definitely make up for in low down grunt and doggedness. It is often at the point when you think you have them beaten that they have one last lunge and reach the sanctuary of their snag or rocky crevice. These too are very palatable yet many anglers will release the majority. Both black-spot and gold-spot estuary cod can be caught within the estuaries of southern Queensland however the gold-spot is generally more common in the inshore estuaries and the black-spot is more commonly found on the shallow inshore reefs. Banging and rattling your lures over the rock walls and other structure is a great way to get amongst a few as they commonly hunt crabs, baitfish and prawns in these zones. The rock walls at the mouth of the Brisbane River and on the eastern and southern sides of Mud Island are good places to try. They are also commonly found around the bases of the jetty pylons in the Brisbane River, the various pontoons and jetties in the canal estates and around rock bars and mangrove snags in the estuaries. Live baiting in the estuaries will produce estuary cod and mangrove jack, as well as numerous other species including flathead, trevally, big bream and others. Best offerings include prawns, herring, mullet and pike. There are copious rigs that anglers favour for fishing their live baits but the main thing to keep in mind is presenting the offering as naturally as possible, and keeping it alive as long as possible, while providing the best chance of a hook up when the assailant strikes. Baitrunner style reels or baitcasters with a

This longtail tuna was caught on a fly. They are a highly sought-after species by anglers as they are a stubborn adversary, grow to over 20kg in weight and offer an awesome feed. ratchet will allow the best chance of success but you will need to strike quickly once the bait is taken. Trolling small minnow lures along the edges of sand and mud flats during a falling tide will provide you with plenty of opportunity to hook a flathead, bream or whiting during January. Trolling lures is also effective when working along mangrove-lined banks and rock walls and this method can take a plethora of fish species, including the aforementioned mangrove jack and estuary cod. However you will need to apply maximum pressure and swing the boat out into the main channel to give the best chance of getting the hooked fish away from the structure. A good degree of luck doesn’t go astray either. CLAWED CRITTERS Crabs are fairly prominent throughout the estuaries and Moreton Bay during January. If we have received any substantial rain then the mud crabs will be a little easier to locate than normal. They get flushed out of the creeks, drains and gutters when there are substantial downpours and are flushed into the larger rivers and estuaries where they can be readily caught in the traditional safety pots. Normally however, the best results will come by setting your pots well up the drains and creeks where the larger bucks like to reside. Those who go to the effort to access the more remote and hard to reach locations are most likely to get the biggest and gnarliest bucks. Sand crabs are most prominent throughout Moreton Bay but can also be located around the river mouths at times. The main gutters and ledges in the bay, especially those around the bay island margins, will provide some excellent opportunities for a haul of sand crabs. Setting your pots for several hours will generally be required for decent numbers. I always like to have my pots in during a tide change as I

reckon the crabs move around more during this time and are more likely to find the baited pot. Both sand and blue swimmer crabs can be caught in the bay as well as several lesser species. Safety pots are the main way to secure these now that the witch’s hat style dillies were outlawed several years ago. Setting these pots with mullet, tuna chunks, fish frames and similar baits will produce both mud and sand crabs. There are strict rules on the labelling of pots and differing size and bag limits for both mud and sand crabs so check before venturing out. Incorrectly or non-labelled pots may be seized by Fisheries Officers if you are in breach so it pays to make sure you are up to date with regulations. BAY PELAGICS Moreton Bay offers anglers ample opportunity to tangle with a host of pelagic species throughout January. Numerous mackerel and tuna species are on offer as well as cobia, trevally and yellowtail kings, which are becoming more common throughout the bay. Mackerel are the main target for many anglers due to their awesome fighting ability, relative ease of capture and more importantly their excellent table qualities. School and spotted mackerel can be caught but currently the spotties have been fairly scarce. Hopefully by January, the large surface feeding schools will have appeared and anglers are having a ball catching these silver streaks. The more open areas of the bay are where the spotted mackerel are generally found en masse, however schools can pop up at any time and smaller numbers of surface cruising fish can be located by the observant angler. Generally they respond promptly to a small metal slice cast in their general direction and retrieved back to the boat with a high-speed retrieve. If they are following yet

not striking your lure then you are simply not winding fast enough to excite them into action. Pilchards will also produce the goods on spotted and school mackerel and are often fished around the bay islands or the prominent shipping channel beacons. Going from beacon to beacon and dropping down a gang hook rigged pilchard or jigging with chromed slugs and slices is often a successful approach. Usually if you can catch one mackerel then there are several in the near vicinity so a little more effort is advisable before moving on. Anchoring near a prominent beacon, such as the Measured Mile beacons, and then drifting out some pilchards, while maintaining a berley trail with a steady supply of finely chopped pilchard pieces, is a very relaxing way to fish. A good feed of lightly barbecued mackerel steaks is a great way to finish the day. There will still be quite a few cobia knocking about the bay during January. Large live baits fished around the shipping channel beacons, the Curtin Artificial, Bulwer Ledge, Western Rocks, the reef balls off Moreton or Yellow Patch could produce trophy cobia which regularly exceed 20kg in

weight and are caught every year at weights better than 40kg. These are another excellent eating fish and one cobia can produce plenty of feeds for quite a few hungry individuals. Yellowtail kingfish numbers have been increasing steadily over recent years and now anglers are encountering them more regularly. There are quite a few large resident fish around the Curtin Artificial Reef and they will readily swim up and eat your berley, yet getting one to take a bait can be a frustrating exercise. If you do hook one then they will often head straight for the bottom and rub you off on the nearest structure. All the beacons in the northern bay and the NW and M series beacons can produce yellowtail kings on a random basis. Another good spot is around Dunwich where anglers hook them on live baits (pike, yakkas, slimey mackerel, etc.) as well as soft plastics and surface lures (stickbaits, poppers and small fizzers). They are also occasionally taken around the houseboat wreck near Peel Island and the old oyster leases north of Dunwich. Several anglers, including myself have been bricked around the Tiwi Pearl Wreck and other areas of the Harry Atkinson,

Mangrove jack love warm, balmy days. Most target them on lures but bait is just as effective. which is also likely to be the work of yellowtail kingfish, although I did land a small amberjack there recently. Tuna and bonito numbers can be fairly good throughout January with great numbers of mac tuna, frigates and bonito to be caught at times. Most anglers however are longing for longtails as they are a stubborn adversary, grow to over 20kg in weight and offer an awesome feed of sashimi if you decide to keep one. They can be exceptionally elusive at times although finding them is often the easy portion of the equation. Getting them to eat can be a frustrating task as they

will readily refuse anything other than exact replicas of the food source on which they are currently dining. Once hooked, you generally have a prolonged fight on your hands, providing the hook stays in and the sharks don’t engulf your quarry. However, the rewards are high enough to keep most anglers trying and it is hard to not chase them when you see them busting on the surface nearby. BRISBANE RIVER During the summer months, the Brisbane River generally fishes fairly well for an array of species including king threadfin salmon, bream,

flathead, estuary cod and snapper. There are even a few quality mulloway and the occasional tailor around as well, despite being renowned as cold weather targets. Threadies can be elusive most of the time, however on occasion you will find them schooled up and hungry. This generally occurs around some prominent underwater structure or ledge early morning or late afternoon when the barometer is rising. In this situation, most offerings worked throughout the area will produce strikes. Vibration baits, blades, paddle-tail plastics, Zerek Shrimps and a host of other plastics can be put to good use. Obviously these same lures can be worked anywhere to target threadies as well as most other desirable inhabitants of the river. Live baits, such as herring, mullet, prawns, gar and pike will also work a treat but will also get the attention of sharks, rays, pike eels and catfish. I have even seen quality threadfin over a metre in length caught on the humble pilchard so don’t discard these as worthy baits. Snapper numbers will vary depending on the amount of fresh in the

system but fishing around the Sunken Wall, Claras Rocks and the retaining wall at the mouth will generally produce the goods if things are favourable. Estuary cod and bream will also be common captures in these zones. Don’t forget the crab pots either as the Brisbane River can produce some respectable muddies and sand crabs. CONCLUSION January is a very warm month that can even be quite wet with frequent storms and high humidity, however this does not adversely affect the quality of the fishing. In fact, it often promotes many species to increase their metabolism and aggressiveness, which is a bonus for anglers. Large schools of baitfish also help to promote heightened activity in Moreton Bay and the estuaries. The heat can be a little too much for some at times so make sure you cover up and keep hydrated, as sunstroke is not a pleasant experience. This is especially important for the junior anglers as you don’t want to ruin their experience in the great outdoors. Conditions are hot but the fishing is hotter so get out and enjoy it while you can.

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Wind pushing the prey and predators north NOTHERN BAY

Grayson Fong graysonfong@optusnet.com.au

Afternoon storm activity and balmy nights are just the right ingredients to fire the fishing up this month in the northern bay. With water temperatures holding warm and steady, fishing activity has really heated up for estuary and inshore anglers of late with many taking advantage of the holidays to duck down early to their local fishing haunts before an afternoon storm arrives. Fishing in the northern bay has been up and down over the Christmas break but we have really benefited from days of good southeast winds, which has helped push bait schools up from the southern islands bringing along predators big and small to our waters. Redcliffe Peninsula is where I’ll start this month’s report with fishing holding very stable over the past month and is set to continue provided the NE winds stay absent. Flathead numbers have slowly increased lately with the southern end of the Peninsula holding better size. Try the Clontarf foreshore from Pelican Park to Woody Point, sand flats

outside Hays Inlet and the mouth of the Pine River and the mouth of Cabbage Tree Creek. Anglers are getting good fish on larger soft plastics in bright colours. Estuary cod have shown their gritty faces all through the peninsula with bait and lure fishos coming to blows with these aggressive predators. North Reef, Queens Beach, Drury Point and The Wells have been noted hotspots with aggressive fighting on the angler’s part allowing more cod battles to be won than lost. For the lure junkies, deep divers have been recipe for cod hook ups, for example OSP Dunk 48SP, Atomic Crank 38, Jackall Deep Chubby, Imakatsu IS Wasp 50 and Ecogear CX40HS with colour having no bearing. Bream numbers have remained stable of late with anglers having good days and bad depending on the direction of the wind. To combat this anglers have been forced to not rely on their usual bream spots but to venture to new grounds in search for better fishing. With North Reef being quiet on the bream front, the lower Peninsula, such as Suttons Beach, Woody Point, and the lower reaches of the Pine River, have been more fruitful with the mouth of

Nathan Newton cashed in at Cooks Rocks, Bribie Island. Cabbage Tree Creek at night even producing bream on the incoming tide, for those who can brave the mozzies! Good-sized snapper are still filtering through at the infamous North Reef with this year’s snapper season showing good wares, even as the water temps have increased. Early (I mean really early) mornings have been successful for the keen ones amongst us with larger shad style soft plastics doing the damage. Upgraded leader size has also benefited anglers in landing these prized reds as low light hasn’t impacted larger diameter leaders. Good summer whiting

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have been reported in the South Pine River over recent times with numbers reaching the 30s in a session being reported. Bloodworms and fresh yabbies have been the flavour of the month as per usual with afternoons being more prosperous for anglers loving an afternoon session. The Bribie end of the northern bay has been very kind to fishers over the festive season with increased boat and jetski traffic not affecting the fishing. Summer whiting and sand crabs have been the two outstanding catches with most whiting anglers being rewarded for dropping a couple

of pots before heading to their favourite spots. Red Beach and Skirmish Point are definitely worth a try for whiting in the early mornings along with the mouth of Ningi and Glasshouse creeks producing sizable catches as well. Sand crabs have been everywhere throughout the main channel so exercise caution when travelling around the passage as crab pot floats are nearly outnumbering the seagulls over these summer months! Flathead are being caught between Sylvan Beach and White Patch on the ebbing tide with bream reported in Pacific Harbour canals, Ningi and Donnybrook flats, lower reaches of Hussey Creek and also Cooks and Tiger Rocks

being the place to be at the top of the tide for the lure extremists. Reports of prized mangrove jack being caught around our creeks have been filtering through with anglers taking advantage of our hot humid weather to tame these toothy brawlers. Upper reaches of the Caboolture River close to the highway, Coochin Creek, Upper Pine River and Pelican Waters Canals have drawn many successes over these balmy months with eager anglers even resorting to night sessions to pursue these rewarding fighters. Live baiting (eg. poddy mullet) has yielded solid results with soft plastics like Z-Man 4” Diezel Minnows and 3” Atomic Plazo Prongs accounting for numbers as well.

Jason Garner with a nice early morning Redcliffe snapper.

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Clearer times ahead for Pumicestone anglers STH PUMICESTONE

Jason Wallis

Thank goodness the silly season is behind us. My predictions were not far wrong; the angling did get a little tough at times. Although we still have a lot of holidaymakers around in January, which brings hustle and bustle on the water, at least it will be on the decline and not incline. The ever-popular elbow slappers have been the go-to target species for most anglers wanting good consistent results, although the results have varied from location to location and day to day. Nine times out of ten you will get the results you are chasing with

the Passage being an awesome feeding and breeding ground for these guys, from the mouth of Bells Creek in the north all the way down to the south at Red Beach. Red Beach can hold a lot of fish at times and this month is no exception. Good numbers are being reported, and the size jumps up when you hit the creeks that feed the Passage. Glassy Creek through to Coochin Creek are without doubt the best piece of the Passage to target; the bigger the tide the better the results. Combine this with some self-dug worms or yabbies and you should have a whale of a time. Just remember the kids love this style of angling as there is a lot action from digging the bait to landing

Charlie and Ben, a couple of young local lads, showing the oldies how to do it. No skateboards required!

the fish. You will almost always encounter some great by-catch as well from flathead, grunter and estuary cod, just to name a few. There have been a few decent duskies taken over the silly season period from small just-legal stuff right up to the size people dream about – 70cm+. I consider these guys a target species all year round as you can nearly always pull a few out and you will never really know what the size will be. These too are a great fish for the kids to target. Soft plastics are the best way to create the desired numbers and catch results. There have been a couple of decent snapper being pulled from Donnybrook to the Bribie Bridge stretch of the Passage. Not in any numbers, but there’s been a couple of young fellas showing the old fellas how it should be done. They have been pulling some great fish out long after the old guys have given up and gone home. The old muddies have been a little tough to target so you’re way better off turning your attention to targeting the blue swimmers for more consistent hauls. The water south of the bridge is the go-to area for most chasing these

guys with numbers and size being great and consistant. Always keep one eye on your crabbing gear as we have a few undesirable people on the

water who think we should supply them with crabs and crab pots. This kind of activity is not great, to say the least. The world would be

a much better place without these people in it. Please remember to slip, slop, slap and slurp and always be safe and have fun.

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Despite wind, fishing blows up CALOUNDRA WIDE

Brendon Watson

As everyone knows, once again Mother Nature is against those wishing to get into some fish out wide. Another prolonged run of fresh northerlies followed by southerly blows has made getting a fishable day the hardest part of getting a feed, nevertheless the fishing has been pretty good. Incredible has a brand new set of 20ft outriggers and we are in for some serious

focus on the pelagics around Hutchies and some ground further north this summer trolling season. The poles have made light work of running 6 lines on the troll and first trip out recently saw Incredible regular John Wilkinson bag the first wahoo, 10kg+, for the year on the new configuration. It is an incredibly exciting way of chasing big fish – feet up and relaxing quickly turns to screaming reels and organised chaos! Great fun and will feature more action in the coming months.

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Plenty of great wahoo, mahi mahi and yellowfin about and best to get out as early as possible to get a few runs in before the place becomes a car park. An early tide turn is most productive and the excitement of this form of fishing is well known judging by the amount of boats running through the area on a weekend day. Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) live life in the fast lane and are short lived. Studies have found that the average lifespan is just 2 years and a female reaches

maturity at 92cm at just 7 months old. A recently tagged fish was found to have grown 10kg in just 10 months. The bigger fish you bag over 1.6m are most likely females and these big girls are the exception to the rule and can live to 9 years of age and reach over 2m in length. Speed? Well, they have it to burn. Studies have tracked smaller fish in the 113cm category at 77km/h, so the bigger 2m models are capable of speeds up to 100km/h. They need plenty of fuel for the fast life feeding on pelagic baitfish, flying fish and squid, and are voracious feeders and breeders with the girls producing up to 6 million eggs when spawning. They are found around offshore reefs, coral drop-offs, current lines and FADs. They’re sweet eating and great fun. Bottom fishing of late has

Cobia are pretty keen on floated plastics, especially the pink colours. wider deeper grounds has been difficult but when we’ve been able to get out there they have fished better than the shallower turf. The 90m ledge is worth a hit for quality pearlies, pigfish and juvenile snapper. Work along the line and you won’t be disappointed on bait or plastics. A great reference tool to gauge what current and sea

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Bottom fishing has been very good with catches of pearl perch dominating on the 60-70m line. been very good with catches of pearl perch dominating the box on the 60-70m line right throughout the area. Parrotfish and other summer type species, such as hussar, fusiliers and wrasse have also shown in good numbers around the rockier ground. Undersize juvenile snapper and pearl perch have been a menace and can be avoided to a certain degree by using plastics such as the 7” Jerk Shad pearl whites on a 1.5-2oz jighead. Great fish are being bagged using this method with pearlies up to 3kg quite common. Cobia are also keen to grab hold of a floated plastic and are especially keen on the pink colours in the various manufacturers’ ranges. Floated down at the start of the drift the plastics are very effective on cobes if there are any about. Current has been a problem over the past month with a strong flow to the south, which is pretty common in the summer months. Getting to the

surface temperature can be expected is to take a look at the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) website in the marine section. There you will find great interactive maps that demonstrate prevailing and forecast currents and sea surface

temperatures, salinity and sea level anomalies. From that, clues can be obtained as to where the currents are flowing, where the water is warmer and will assist greatly in planning your day out to maximise your chances while trolling and bottom fishing. Like the much travelled wahoo you can easily see what currents and flows you’d expect would bring them south into our waters. Rivers of current push warm tropical water south just like a highway, and the baitfish that use it are a food source for pelagic fish. It’s just like winter when the whales are up and down the coast. You won’t see any for weeks then spend all day dodging them. They are using the current flows and the water temperature associated with it to make their journey easier and have some tucker nearby. I’m no expert but the maps look very similar to a synoptic weather chart. Highs of warm water and lows of cold water and the interactions between the different systems. Something to think about to improve your chances. • If you would like to fish Wide Caloundra or other offshore or Moreton Bay destinations with Incredible Charters please call Brendon Watson on 1300 655 818 or 0431 332 468 or email brendon@ incrediblecharters.com.au.

John Wilkinson bagged the first wahoo, 10kg+, on the Incredible’s new configuration.

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New Year, new opportunities CALOUNDRA

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A new year on the Sunshine Coast brings great opportunities to catch a wide variety of fish. This year I intend to revisit the days where I enjoyed a minimum 100 or so days out fishing and set up another run of diary entries to assist

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anglers with information on exactly where to catch a feed. The weather has been the big stopper of late and hopefully the winds will slow down and allow us all to enjoy offshore action. With school holidays in full swing there will be plenty of competition for the best spots so an alternative plan may sometimes come in handy. When there are a lot of boats working the same area please be sure to show common courtesy and have patience so that everyone can enjoy their day. Mackerel are around in good numbers in close around the Gneering Shoals and out wider on the known reefs. The Barwon Banks has plenty of options, including reef species like snapper and pearl perch and if they go quiet then chasing tuna or fishing the bait balls will keep you busy. Mahi mahi are hanging around the markers and buoys and can be taken throughout the day provided you approach the areas with a little stealth. There is no need to head out wide as the closer areas like Brays Rock, Currimundi Reef and the Caloundra 5 and 7 Mile reefs all hold fish. Visiting in the early hours of the morning or at dusk will assist in catching some memorable fish. The best way to target the fish this month is to head out through the Mooloolaba Bar area; it is the safest way to access the ocean and there are excellent facilities around, including fish cleaning tables with running water, pontoons, double and triple ramp areas and toilet facilities at most major ramps. Parking can be a real issue during the holidays and you need to be careful if you are going to take up two standard parks with the car and trailer because you may get a ticket. You will need to be early and well prepared

Jai Hogan with a pair of snapper taken at the Barwon Banks. to get a park, so again, plan carefully. From Mooloolaba you can target the Gneerings and Murphys Reef areas or head north to Sunshine Reef or Coolum. Heading north is a good option if you are up early because the tuna are always up and running before they are down around our area. Alternatively, you can target coral trout or other reef species until the birds start to identify where the schools are hitting. The other option is the Caloundra Bar but if you have not done it before then there are only two options: go with a local or get the local coastguard to escort you out if they can. The Caloundra Bar changes within a week and can be dangerously shallow, making it important to use the tracking ability on your sounder so that you can come in over the same path. The waves draw very fast and can turn you over or go through you if you don’t time the crossing well. Caloundra is a good spot to fish because there are major reef systems in really close like Brays Rock, Currimundi Reef, Caloundra 5 and 7 Mile reefs and the

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JANUARY 2014

Roland Henkel with a cracking snapper.

12 Mile, which holds nearly every species you would want to catch on a good day. There are also a number of channel beacons that attract the smaller baitfish and will hold cobia, mahi mahi and mackerel. Along the eastern front of Bribie Island there is a run of coffee rock that is worth a look around for reef species. The spoil grounds are situated east of Caloundra and that is the spot where plenty of boats target the Spaniards throughout the holiday season. The estuaries are always quiet throughout the day for obvious reasons. I know if I was a fish I would be hiding from all the noise of powerboats and jet skis until they all went away. Look at a fishing trip in the early morning hours or around sunset when things are quieter. Of course, fishing the changing tides is important but it is all the better if they correspond with the times shown. There is a good deal of fresh live bait in the Pumicestone Passage with herring, yabbies, soldier crabs, mullet and prawns hanging around the shallow mangrove areas and they make sensational baits for bream, trevally, queenies and flathead. Fishing with the kids is always easy around the Boardwalk area with seating and washing facilities making it just the spot for everyone. The area around Happy Valley shares a dual purpose so once the fish stop biting you can dive in for a cool swim and tackle the fishing later. Overall it will be a great summer on the Sunshine Coast in between the winds, northerlies and storms. One thing is for sure, the fish will be out there waiting to take the best bait available so make yours stand out. Remember to be patient and time your fishing trip well and if it is a cracker day, then thousands of others will have the same idea. Have fun!

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Offshore options abound NOOSA

Peter Wells

For offshore anglers, Noosa should fish well this month. The opportunities available are quite vast – chasing exciting reel busting pelagic fish in the bay, hauling in a great feed off the many reefs or trolling around for the mackerel and many other gamefish. For the time being, some of the close inshore reefs have been providing anglers with cobia, snapper, sweetlip and many other reefies, along with the occasional large cod. Chardons Reef has been the go-to spot for those wanting Spanish mackerel and marlin. The fish haven’t been huge but there have been lots of them. Marlin reports have come in from far and wide, and it is shaping up to be the best season in years. Trolled skirts

and swimming gar have accounted for plenty of fish. Coral trout on Sunshine reef are in full swing now, and with the right gear and getting on the water early you can increase your chances of hooking some good fish. Trout fishing is a bit more complex than just sending a lump of squid down on a paternoster rig, as the trout prefer to take a bait laying on the bottom. A simple running rig with a couple of glow beads will increase your catch of trout or, if you want a more detailed run-down, chat to trout expert Chicko at Davo’s in Noosa. With 8 seasons as a pro trout fisherman under his belt, there isn’t much Chicko doesn’t know about catching these fish. Sweetlip and cobia should be on the bite at North and Massouds reefs along with tuskfish and Spanish mackerel on drifted baits. The Nearings

always produces well in the later months of summer, and some deep fished live baits will pick up anything from cobia to kingfish on the morning tides with a good berley trail going. For the kayak offshore fishers, try trolling a Davo’s Spanish Special lure on your way out to the reefs, as the big mackerel love nothing better. A feed of trag jew should also be on the cards for those fishing at North Reef, and you should keep an eye out for more marlin and mackerel here too. RIVER AND ESTUARY The upper reaches of the Noosa River at this time of year are home to hungry mangrove jacks. Trolled lures fished early in the morning will produce plenty of jacks for those fishing up past Johns Landing and around the mouth of Lake Cootharaba. Big threadfin salmon, mulloway and giant trevally are caught in the Noosa River

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Nate Bull from Cooroibah won the $50.00 Davo’s Fish of the Week prize with a 7kg Spaniard that he and his dad boated at Jew Shoal. each year and their numbers seem to be increasing thanks to all the people who practice catch and release. From Lake Cooroibah to the ferry you can expect plenty of flathead, trevally, mangrove jacks and school mulloway at this time of year, and this area is best fished with bait on the change of the tide. The ski run has been fishing well early in the morning for mulloway and trevally on soft plastics, and the Tewantin channel should still be holding cod, jacks and good trevally after dark. Big whiting are on the bite in both rivers, and those anglers perfecting the art of surface luring are taking some great specimens to 46cm. It seems unlikely that targeting whiting on surface lures could really work, but I’m

here to tell you that it does – even I can do it! If you want to find out how to get into this exciting and productive type of fishing, drop into the store and have a chat to one of the team. Crabbing in the upper reaches of both the Maroochy and Noosa rivers can be very productive in January, as the big bucks are out on the hunt for some female company. Fresh baits and regular checking of pots is the key to getting a good feed of crabs. Fresh mullet or (my favourite) flathead frames are as good a bait as any, and crab pot placement is essential to get them up into the deeper holes close to the bank and snags. We have had a cracker summer so far at the Maroochy River mouth with

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Jack, Matthew and Daniel Cashman boated flathead from 50cm to 65cm at the river mouth while on a Noosa River Fishing Safari.

some excellent captures of mulloway, tailor, the odd queenfish and bull shark just to keep you on your toes. The Twin Waters canals have been providing anglers with some hectic sessions down at the weir with big trevally up to 5kg crashing baits and lures. Those putting crab pots in at Twin and Noosa Waters have been having little trouble getting a feed of bucks, and casting a fresh, unweighted mullet fillet has also undone plenty of mangrove jacks in both waterways. BEACHES Whiting have been in good numbers from Mudjimba to Sunshine Beach. Small dart can get annoying in summer but don’t forget there are plenty of bigger fish out there with them – you may just need to switch to a bigger bait. Over on the North Shore, the third cutting has been fishing well for small tailor on sunset and daybreak. Up past Teewah, whiting and dart should be on the bite during the run-in tides, and there is always a chance of tailor or mulloway after dark as well. For info on what’s biting and where, go to fishingnoosa. com.au or drop into Davo’s Complete Angler Noosa or Davo’s Northshore at Marcoola. Tight lines and bent spines!

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Avoid busy times for better fish on the beach TEEWAH BEACH

Lindsay Dines

From an angling perspective, this month is one that can test the patience of the best of us. Weather windows are often only very brief in between lengthy spells of unfishable conditions, and competition for prime locations with other recreational users often intense. Making matters worse is that holiday traffic, whether it

be beach or boat has the potential to move fish away from the busiest regions. Teewah Beach is certain to be extremely busy as it always is during the holidays and finding a quiet location to fish, and the chance of catching fish, is invariably a challenge. While fish are caught from the beach during the day when the traffic is flowing, more fish are definitely caught in the first couple of hours after first light or during the night when traffic is minimal, and this

is when experienced anglers tend to focus their energies. These anglers also move from gutter to gutter to locate fish, which increasingly is becoming almost a necessity as fish become more and more scarce. Gutters that hold fish are not necessarily the obvious large and deep gutters that seem to attract most anglers, especially when beach traffic flow is high. Narrow drains adjacent to these gutters that rarely seem to be fished, regularly produce fish when

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the gutter itself does not. This is because there is more likely to be white water on the surface in these drains from wave action, and the drains tend to be further from the beach traffic and the wave action diminishes the sound of the traffic. Fish become shy with large volumes of traffic and they tend to look for protective cover and not occupy the calmer sections in the body of these obvious gutters that tend to be close to the beach. Anglers should look for any such drains and choose locations, if available, where sweep is minimal. Eugarie, worm, pilchard or flesh baits of mullet, bonito or mac tuna can entice bream, tarwhine, dart, whiting, tailor, trevally or even Spanish mackerel or snub-nosed dart in January. Metal lures are also effective in these locations and sweep is less of an issue when using lures. Following prolonged spells of calm weather through spring and early summer, enormous volumes of sand have pushed onto our beaches and this has filled to a large extent the formerly wonderful gutters that existed through winter and early spring. While this may seem to be a hindrance to angling success, it is actually an enhancement when heavy traffic is preventing fish coming into gutters easily accessed by anglers close to the beach. The increase in beach sand now provides improved access to the main channel that runs the length of Teewah Beach, which is some distance from the beach traffic. Depending on gutter formations, certain sections of the channel are more easily accessed than others. These sections that are free of large gutters and have a higher sand build up are fairly

obvious to see and provide anglers with deep water to fish in. Sand banks that have formed in the channel, and which narrow the channel, or provide eddies or white water that can be cast to, are the locations that are more likely to hold fish and can also reduce sweep. It is often the case that the best channel locations require wading through shallow and narrow gutters close to the beach. Where shallow beach gutters empty into the channel on outgoing tides can be particularly productive for bream and tailor. The same baits as mentioned above can be used in the channel for the same species. Metal lures retrieved around the formed sand banks with fringing white water can be effective, as they can also at the mouth of gutters draining into the channel. Rocky outcrops in the channel are also ideal locations for baits or lures, though are fairly rare along Teewah Beach. Other options available to anglers to escape beach traffic and angler congestion exist at Double Island Point and Rainbow Beach. Double Island point is a very large headland and much of it difficult to access and difficult to fish in anything other than calm conditions. In calmer conditions and towards the eastern extremities of the headland is where golden trevally are often taken on pilchard baits. Fish up to and over 10kg are not uncommon with unstoppable yellow-tailed kingfish inhabiting the same areas. Tailor, tuna, giant trevally and mackerel are also potential catches that can be taken during January on baits, but they are more likely to take metal lures. Bream, tarwhine and dart

should always be available on eugarie, worm, crab or cunjevoi baits. Rainbow Beach can be an excellent location to escape the crowds during holiday periods and an extremely pleasant location to do so. Although beach traffic is high during the low tide period, Carlo Rocks at the northern end of the bay in front of Rainbow Beach township and fallen trees at the southern end and just north of the Leisha Track, prevent through traffic on higher tides. To set up between these beach obstacles, a distance of 10km or so, over the high tide is a great way to spend a day. Minimal if any traffic provides safety along with opportunities for fish on a beach that is quite well sheltered by Double Island Point from southeasterly winds. Since last month’s report, surf algae has been present at times and sometimes severe enough to alter the surf colour to brown along sections of Teewah Beach. In the main however, the surf has had a green tinge from the algae and hasn’t been too much of a problem. Heatwave conditions could easily bring on a fullblown bloom and we are all hoping that these conditions don’t present. Fish numbers remain poor despite this year being slightly better than last in this regard. A few tailor have been caught around the full and new moons, the odd dart, whiting and tarwhine are available and flathead are still consistently being caught on whitebait. A couple of mac tuna schools have been sighted near Teewah and a few schools of spotted mackerel off Double Island during December.

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High hopes for early months FRASER COAST

Phil James p_j_james@bigpond.com

After a hectic tailor season along Fraser Island’s eastern beaches, fishing almost came to a standstill in early November. So rapid was the decline that Island regulars have been wondering why. I am inclined to agree with

others that the decrease in clarity of the inshore waters has something to do with it. Many species are reluctant to venture into this turbid water for reasons that evade me. I guess that in the first column of the New Year, it might be expected that after some crystal ball gazing, I might have some predictions for Fraser island’s beaches in the coming months. My

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attempts to do this in previous years have turned out to be disasters, no doubt due to the extraordinary forces of nature that eventuated in the last two years. So with more uncertainties ahead, I am not going to attempt it this year. Of course we can only hope that we will see a more typical pattern for the first months of the year. On the western beaches of the island, the persistent northerlies have made fishing difficult. Along many sections of the beach seasonal weed is lining inshore waters and being washed up. Frequently weed washed onto shallow flats at

high tide can accumulate to be up to 50cm in thickness. Build up of sand over this weed can produce one of the island’s most serious hazards for beach driving. This is particularly common on the western beach, but when weed has been a problem on the eastern beach, it is just as dangerous there. The build-up of sand along the ocean beaches has been most welcome although there are still a few tricky spots where high water gutters have eaten into the sand cliffs. On the other side of the island, there are still plenty of stretches of coffee rock that sand is yet to

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cover. The inland tracks have continued to be soft and rough due to the long dry conditions and the extent of traffic on the most used access roads. It will take a good deal of soaking rain, and attention, to get the tracks back to an acceptable condition. It has been good to hear reports of mac and long tail tuna coming in from all over the bay. The inshore reefs were quiet until the end of November but the persistent northerly winds didn’t produce too many opportunities for anglers. Until then the better catches were being made on deeper reefs like those at Boges Hole,

The steps of the sea wall at Urangan are particularly popular over the high tide. the Channel Hole, and the channel between the harbour and Round Island where coral bream, juvenile snapper and cod have been taken. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your preferences, giant salmon catfish are sill in residence. They give an extremely good account of themselves and are often scorned for the amount of time they take up when other species are being targeted. Apparently they make excellent eating but for the sake of putting up with the body slime and dangerous spines, they will for me remain catch and release species only. As part of our series on land-based fishing in Hervey Bay, we looked at the rocky foreshores between Gatakers Bay and Pialba. Heading east from here we have the broad stretch of sandy beaches that extend along the front of Hervey Bay’s popular esplanade. At the western end, extensive shallows extend out towards the fringing reefs. On very low tides, these reefs are great to explore. On the making tide in particular, these shallows can fish well for whiting. There are also yabbies to be pumped. Continuing east, the intertidal zone becomes narrower and extends almost as far as the Urangan Pier. In its earlier years, Hervey Bay built up a reputation for the abundance of whiting along its foreshores. Certainly they

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Land-based rock fishing has really produced good fishing recently.

are not as prolific as they used to be but given serious thought to conditions, bait and techniques, it is still possible to catch a good feed. Although all parts of this beach can fish well, the best catches are made along Shelly Beach and from the steps close to the pier. The very best set of conditions for catching whiting here is a high tide between 7-9am, from late August to late November, fishing from first light until the first of the ebb tide. Worms or yabbies are essential. Other times of the year can be almost as productive. Of course I have been referring to sand whiting, minimum length 23cm and bag limit 30. Diver whiting are sometimes taken with sand whiting. Occasionally big schools of divers come very close to the beach and can be caught in abundance. They have no legal length but have a bag limit of 50. At Torquay rock outcrops offer a little change from the Sandy beach. As well as producing whiting, bream and flathead are on offer. Small plastics worked along the edges of the rocks have taken care of some acceptable lizards. There are small jetties at Scarness and Torquay, and over the high tide they can be worth trying. As well as whiting and bream around the pylons, golden trevally are often taken by anglers using live baits or large plastics. At the eastern end of Shelly Beach, there are two groynes associated with storm water run-off. These popular vantage points not only fish well for whiting but they are great spots for chasing gar with floats, light lines and small hooks. Very small yabbies are out on their own for gar fishing. The steps of the sea wall at Urangan are particularly popular over the high tide when whiting move right in to the turbulence caused by waves crashing into the wall. This can be a very comfortable place to fish provided the seas aren’t too big. It can also be a very wet place to fish. A little further east is the iconic Urangan Pier, deserving of a thorough treatment in next month’s column.

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Cracker billfish season HERVEY BAY

Scott Bradley marlin81@bigpond.com

Just like the weather, the fishing keeps getting hotter on the Fraser Coast. It seems fitting that as 2014 goes off with a bang we are smack bang in the middle of another

cracker of a billfish and pelagic season. IN THE BAY The local reefs are producing sweetlip, blackall (morwong) and squire on strip baits and squid. Anglers are also catching cod, golden trevally and mackerel on live baits and plastics, and blue parrot on crabs. Hot spots include the Arti, Moon

Ledge, Maringa bommie and Bagimba ledge. The flats and creeks of Fraser Island are fishing well, with whiting numbers improving on the bigger tides. Stalking the shallows with hardbodies, plastics and live baits will get you connected to golden trevally, queenfish and large flathead and jacks. Cod, king threadfin salmon and flathead are taking trolled hardbodies, plastics and mullet fished tight in to structure. PLATYPUS BAY The quality of the fishing over the Christmas period never fails to amaze me. This year it has been world class. Even on the slow days when nothing is working the surface, you can find pelagics by sight casting the shallows or trolling a spread of lures. The Wathumba, Station Hill and Rooneys grounds are currently loaded with bait, and trolling a mixture of skirted lures, hardbodies and swimming gars has kept the ratchets howling. Recent

The bay is loaded with baby black marlin like this one caught at Rooneys recently. catches have included both longtail and mac tuna, spotted mackerel to 7kg and Spanish mackerel to over 15kg. Black marlin are the major drawcard when I head up the Island, and with multiple shots a day at fish between 10-40kg it’s

not hard to spend a day or 2 on the troll. The last 5 days trolling we have seen and hooked billfish every time, with free jumpers a common sight. If you want to catch a marlin, just work the bait schools and ledges between Wathumba and Rooneys

trolling at 6-8 knots – it’s that easy. The build up to the full moon and the week after and around the new moon are the pick of the lunar cycle, as the fish tend to feed harder around those times. However, any time is worth trying if you are in the area and keen to catch a marlin.

Live bait + patience = reds! RAINBOW BEACH

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We have been blessed with great weather lately. Calm seas, clear days and some hot fishing as well. OFFSHORE Fishing offshore in general has been red hot. We’ve had probably the best late spring and early summer fishing I have seen in a few years. We have had our first run of spotted mackerel which saw us with early bag-outs of top quality fish, many around the 5-6kg mark. Other pelagic species are also going off, with small Spanish mackerel, cobia and mahi mahi (dolphinfish) all becoming part of the day’s catch.

On the reef scene, we have managed very good catches of pearl perch, bagging out on quite a few trips. Parrotfish and moses perch are really on the chew in great quality and quantity. The moses perch we’ve been getting are some of the biggest I have ever seen. The fishing gets even better in the close offshore reefs. Do you want to know the equation for success? Live bait plus patience equals BIG reds! While live baiting we have also caught some big estuary cod. They just love live yakkas. January is a full-on action month with mackerel providing endless action and entertainment, but will

largely rely on the weather remaining fairly dry. If the reef fishing continues its current trend, I predict we’ll be in for some red hot summer fishing.

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Repeating a rewarding year BURRUM HEADS

Brad Dyason

2013 certainly has been a year to remember for us fishos. Looking back over some of the stories I have written and the events, it has been a richly rewarding year. We have had some great fishing adventures throughout the Burrum River system and offshore over the last 12 months, which has produced some wonderful fishing action. I feel truly blessed to live in such a wonderful (fishing) location in our great country, to have such a loving family

Hopefully, next year will give catches like this ripper tuna caught by JB off the 8 Mile.

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and really great friends – too many to name of course but you know who you are. I also start to consider tomorrow’s fishing what is possible? What opportunities are abound? And start to get excited about what could be. Obviously there are more aspects to life than fishing, but let’s face it what else would you rather be doing? So looking into the mystery bag of 2014 what have we got on the angling radar?

OFFSHORE Bait: Live bait with an accompaniment of mullet strips, whiting frames, and squid will be the order of the day. Rigs: Running ball with 20-40lb mono and braid line accompanied by 6/0-9/0 hooks off mono leaders have been most productive over wire. Species: Coral trout, red emperor, grunter, snapper, tuna, grassy sweetlip, mackerel, golden trevally (for sport), hussar, nannygai, cobia, parrot/tusk fish, cod, just to name a few. Tides: Early mornings just before sun-up historically have been great on the incoming tide along with the turn for the start of the run-out. RIVER ACTION Bait: Live bait herring, poddy mullet, and yabbies remain the staples with an accompaniment of mullet and squid strips should be the order of the day. Rigs: Running ball with 6-20lb mono or braid line accompanied by 1, 1/0-2/0 hooks off mono leaders. Tip: Having multiple rods on board helps to quickly shift the fishing focus for each species.

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Species: Bream (yellow, black, tarwhine), whiting (summer/winter), flathead (dusky and sandy), grunter (spotted and barred), mulloway, mangrove jack, sickle and bat fish, golden trevally, just to name a few. Tides: The incoming tide along with the turn for the start of the run-out, late afternoons/early evenings are quite productive. Tip: The Burrum River system is known for its pelagic species. Also, be prepared! THE FISHING AHEAD In looking forward to possibilities of 2014, the Burrum River system has

some of the best all-round fishing on the east coast. It certainly provides you with some great fishing tales while you catch up on some well-earned R&R. Locals love a chat so ask for some local knowledge. Local traders are well supplied with bait, tackle and all the fishing essentials to help all members of the family to have a great time. A big thank you to all who have contributed to the stories of 2013, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and may the New Year be a success for you all. Be safe and take care.

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Jacks are the mainstay AYR

Steve Farmer

While Burdekin fishing has been relatively quiet over the past month, occasional good catches of estuary and bluewater species have seen local anglers hitting the water whenever possible, despite some hot and blustery weather conditions. Bluewater anglers are carefully checking the weather before gearing up for the shoals or reef, with wise skippers opting for shorter day trips rather than dicey overnighters. Thunderstorms and small boats on an open ocean aren’t a good combination and it’s far better to head for home early rather than having to ride out a storm at sea. Steve McAuliffe and Dan Williams managed to strike good weather for a run to one of Mac’s secret inshore spots recently and while the quantity of fish was certainly down, they weren’t complaining about the quality. Their short trip produced ‘a handful’ of nannygai to around 10kg, as well as three cod weighing 7, 12 and 28kg. The two

JANUARY 2014

larger cod were released, with only the smaller one ending up in the icebox. Grunter, the mainstay of bay fishing for so long, have been patchy lately with their numbers and size being well short of what they were a few months ago. However, some anglers fishing Bowling Green Bay and the point are still regularly reporting scoring a feed of grunter to around 55cm. Mangrove jack are probably the main species targeted in Burdekin estuaries over the past couple of months, with most creeks producing fish in the 40-50cm range. The jack effort also produces the occasional golden snapper, although this species is usually taken on the shoals and rubble piles off Alva Beach, Cape Upstart and Camp Island. Anglers venturing past Camp Island to the Abbot Point coal jetty can also expect to find golden snapper in the deep waters around the pylons. JACKS IN JANUARY As already mentioned, mangrove jack and golden snapper are the two most desirable species in Burdekin estuaries during the barramundi closed season.

On some days, finding a jack or two can be as simple as fishing any clump of snags in the creek, but on other days they’ll be as scarce as hen’s teeth and you’ll need to refine your hunt if you’re counting on having a couple in the icebox at the end of the day. Here are a few suggestions to help you track down a jack. First of all concentrate your efforts (whether you’re bait fishing or casting lures) around the more prominent snags in the creek. If the creek is mainly devoid of snags, or even if the banks are lined with a maze of mangrove roots, a lone tree lying submerged, either against the bank or in mid-stream, will attract more fish per square metre of creek. It’s usually best to concentrate most of your fishing effort on the outside of the creek bends where the water is usually deepest and the snags most prolific. This is also where the water is likely to be the coolest (an important consideration during our hot summer months), thanks to the depth of the channel and the maximum flow of the tidal current.

Concentrate your efforts around the more prominent snags in the creek. When it comes to choosing snags to fish, fresh is definitely best. A recently submerged mangrove tree, still complete with its smaller branches and green leaves, provides shelter and food for prawns, crabs and small baitfish – and hence attracts jacks and other predators. Other features always worth fishing are creek junctions or gutters. These often have deep holes at their mouths in which fish, such as mangrove jack and golden snapper, can lie in ambush for passing baitfish.

These are an especially good bet if the bottoms are littered with timber. Backwaters are another feature I can’t pass without firing in a couple of casts. Jacks are likely to lay here out of the current waiting for food to pass by. Backwaters can be found on the inside of creek bends, in gutters, behind sand or rock bars and even behind a dense snag pile. Finally, timing can also be important. If you’re fishing a creek that breaks its banks and floods through the surrounding mangrove

swamps on the top of the larger tides, then make sure you fish the creek before it gets to this stage. Once the water spreads over the banks and through the mangrove roots so will the fish. You’ll be able to hear them chopping metres from the main creek, but you’ll have no chance of getting your bait of lure to them. You can also fish these areas on the falling tide when all the baitfish and predators will be forced back to the main creek. Concentrate your efforts around gutters and creeks that drain the swamps.

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Weather leads the way TOWNSVILLE

Jack Reid

It’s the first month of the New Year and for many there are some

great fishing trips to look forward too. January in Townsville is a changing time with different weather patterns deciding which style of fishing will

be the best option. BLUE WATER Well, it may not be that blue if you can’t get out there! Offshore can be plagued by strong winds

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Golden snapper are a top catch this summer. and unpredictable weather patterns. With some reasonable storms normally buzzing around it can make planning offshore trips a little bit tricky as you don’t want to take the risk then get the hell beaten out of you or even worse getting into some serious trouble. When there is a clear break in the weather the fishing offshore can be great with all the main species coming to the table. Fishing the reef edges produces some of the best reef species, such as coral trout, red throat emperor and various others including trevally, spangled emperor, cod and nannygai. When you are in the right spot, with suitable current and ample amounts

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of structure, you can catch all the above fish and even more at times, which just shows how abundant life is on the reefs when all the right ingredients are there. Catching reef fish can be done in a number of different techniques. The most simple and effective is using fresh bait, such as squid and pilchards. Going that bit further and taking a slab off a mac tuna or trevally can get even better results. And remember the old saying ‘fresh is best’ is so very true. MORE INSHORE Anglers fishing the inshore bay and headlands can look forward to some top fishing on the horizon if we receive a good amount of rain. Hopefully, this should push heaps of bait out from the creeks and rivers to then reside around the inshore areas. As always, when there is bait there is fish, so locating the majority of the baitfish should see you hooked up to a few sizeable opponents. Expect to catch trevally, queenfish, salmon, mangrove jack, grunter, golden snapper and a few undesirables. It is

still the closed season for barramundi, so if you do catch one be sure to release it in the water as quick as possible. For all the other species, soft plastics are probably your most effective option. There are thousands of different styles to choose from and you can match any bait that the fish are feeding on. Paddle-tail and curltail models prove to be the most effective for catching a bit of everything and a simple jigging retrieve off the bottom will fool most fish. When the rain is around, the water can become dirtier so choosing bright colours will often get better results. On another note, I will be leaving the QFM writers team and relocating to Brisbane for future endeavours and hopefully tick a few new species off my angling list as well. I hope the readers have enjoyed my writing as much as I have loved writing it. I have learnt a truckload of new things about many different styles of fishing and keep the passion for fishing strong. Stay safe and tight lines.

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Getting older, not wiser BRISBANE

The Sheik

There is no question at all that age might bring wisdom, at least in some cases, but it brings plenty of other things as well. Like bad eyesight, hairy ears and a reluctance to do the tough things in life. The tough things that you used to do without even thinking, that now almost kill you to even attempt. Take this week. Please, take it. I’d rather forget it that’s for sure. I’ve come up to Central Queensland to do some work, and at the same time I’m doing a bit of fishing. Or, to look at it another way, I’m in Central Queensland to fish, and at the same time I’m doing a little bit of work. So it’s the usual story. I’m going to borrow Stuffer’s boat, but it’s too far away to pick it up, that is unless you count going to Brisbane through Roma as a shortcut to Happy Rock. Manboobs knows me too well to lend me his boat, and Skipper won’t even think about lending me his. Big useless, fat bottomed punt. The boat’s pretty ordinary too. Anyway, Skipper says he

has got his old boat in the shed, and I tell him I’ll pay for a service if I can borrow it. Fine he says. With good reason too I might add. As I discover, when he says it’s in the shed, what he means is it’s near the shed, on blocks, with the bungs still in and an old tarp over it that wouldn’t keep a duck dry. But anyway, what choice do I have? So I turn up at old mate’s to pick up the beast on my way up north, and the outboard’s in pieces. Just putting it back together, old mate says, give me an hour. In an hour I come back and the motor, which is so old Captain Cook might have had it on the back of one of his tinnies, is in more pieces than something that’s in a whole lot of pieces. It turns out that old mate has got the welder in to fix it, which the welder has tried to do, but he’s ground it down too much, so the problem is the same as it was, or worse. Get the welder back then, I say. Can’t, says old mate, he went prawning four hours ago. Which would be fine, except that it’s still only two in the afternoon, so the welder is either a plumber, or he grows funny herbs to make a living. So Skipper’s boat is out. So I have no boat at all.

But as it turns out, I do. The place I’m working at has an old tinny that they offer me. And when I say old, I mean this one might have been on the tender for Noah’s boat. Except he probably got sick of it cutting out so he got one of the new one-stroke models that were just released by Israel Marine. So this tinny has got none of the finer things that I’ve come to expect from the Dudd boats. It’s like the sort of boat we had when we were starting out. Gradually, as you get older and wiser, you spend a little more on your boats so you can fish in something approaching comfort. Well, this piece of equipment is not comfortable – I find that out after my first trip. Not that it’s the tinny’s fault. I have fished the area before, but have forgotten where the sandbanks are, and how low the tide gets, and how long you have to stay up in sandfly and mosquito infected creeks to get back out, and how hard it is to lift a tinny over a sandbank, and lift a motor without an electric trim and tilt from out of sticky river mud. And how quickly depth can change when you’re pulling a tinny along a creek you thought was shallow. And

how many stingrays scare the crap out of you. Also how hard it can be to find your way back to the boat ramp when you do get out of the creek with a thunderstorm up your date. And as for loading it onto the trailer… And that’s fine when you’re a young fella. But now, at my age, it’s just not something you want to do too much of. I felt like I’ve just

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played a game of footy with a team made up entirely of Greg Inglis clones. With no high shot rules. Completely knackered ten days after. But I suppose on the bright side, it’s given me a new appreciation for the comfort provided by the Dudds’ flash rigs. Now all I need is to work out how to get them to trust me enough to let me borrow one. With my

history, I think that’s a long shot. Won’t stop me trying though. Have I mentioned to you how much I respect Skipper and Boobs and what great blokes they are? How beautiful their children are; Frenzy and Nutter? What good fishermen they are and how knowledgeable about all things boating they are? And… ah bugger it. It’s too hard. I’ll fish off the bank.

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Bring on a brand new year LUCINDA

Jeff Wilton jeffwilton83@hotmail.com

A brand new year and something tells me that 2014 will be full of bent rods, melting drags and plenty of stories to tell. I was looking back through the fishing diary for the year that just passed and although not every trip was a success I learnt plenty and look forward to keeping records of this coming year. Plenty of very good anglers have talked about keeping records and, for good reason, it is a very powerful learning tool. So read on and let’s see what a new year will bring in Tropical North Queensland and the fishing paradise that is Lucinda. HINCHINBROOK CHANNEL The fishing in the channel is controlled by the wet season and how much rain we get. If there is plenty of rain and flooding then the channel will be running hard and dirty and fishing becomes very tough. Nevertheless, it is not all doom and gloom if this happens as it has plenty of advantages; it makes the fish go crazy after it all settles

down and for the barra it means perfect breeding conditions. I’m not the only one hoping for a big wet this year as last year was pretty dry and the barra fishing through 2013 showed with patchy results. A game plan for those wanting to fish the channel when it is running dirty is to get good live and fresh bait and run right up the channel to escape the brown freshwater. Heading up into Benjamin flats and creeks, such as Deluge or Sunday, will give you much better water coloration.

The jacks will be chopping trees down just to sharpen their teeth during January. They are a great fish to target as they seem to get more aggressive and feed actively during the rain and wind. Golden snapper are also very active during summer and the rocky areas that the Hinchinbrook Channel has in abundance will have them hanging about in good numbers. Again, good live bait, such as herring will put fish in the boat. Also fingers love smashing plastics and jigs so if you find good shows on the sounder then it is well

Trout will be around in good numbers and they love plastics.

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worth trying these techniques. REEF AND ISLANDS If there is plenty of flood water pushing out of the channel then stopping at the Sugar Loader jetty for some fun and games should be on everybody’s list. Turning up at high tide and fishing while the line of dirty water pushes out along the jetty can trigger amazing sessions. In fact as I type this, I remember a session where I was sight casting to XL golden trevally hanging about in packs and, it was as simple as dropping the plastic straight into the face of another one. This continued until I couldn’t handle another one. Big GT also love coming into the jetty to smash any bait that is pushed out of the channel with the run-off, so tighten those drags and hang on. With a lot of fresh pushing fish out of the channel, plenty of bait will head out and sit around the headlands and closer shoals and wrecks. This means the larger nannygai will be amongst them getting an easy feed, so don’t be surprised if a big one comes in and destroys you before you know what’s happened. Cobia will also push in closer feeding up on the baitfish. Heading out to the

Tag team trevally – fun for the whole family! Palm Islands and live baiting some deeper bommies could have you quick stepping around the boat. The reef will be on fire, and not just the fishing. A flat day with no wind will get really hot; plenty of water and some shade will help you fish through the day. I suggest fishing a morning session and get home before the middle of the day. Or head out after lunch and fish the afternoon and evening session, just keep your eyes open for storms that can really give you a battering if you get caught out. About this time last year a terrible storm came through on a perfect night on a weekend with plenty of boats out and it was very lucky that no one got seriously injured or worst. The reds will be on the

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bite and the trout will be about in good numbers. The secret is to fish at the time they will bite and that can be tricky. Plenty of times I have fished the morning for average results and talked to people that fished the afternoon and smashed them, but hey that’s fishing! For those wanting to try something different out on the reef then seriously working plastics can have great results on a vast range of species. Big bludger trevally can be found in great numbers and dropping plastics into schools will put a smile on your face, trust me. Trout are also suckers for plastics. Artificials, such as the Gulp 7” Jerkshad or the Squid Vicious, will get eaten by anything that swims on the reef.

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Golden glaze this summer HINCHINBROOK

Ryan Moody www.hookedonhinchinbrook.com

Hope you all had a great Xmas and New Year break. I’m sure you are all looking forward to what the following year brings to your fishing calendar. Hopefully a good wet up north will see the fishery prosper and we can enjoy some top class barra fishing throughout the year. A good wet will also ensure the king threadfin salmon give us plenty of visits during the year too as they are not that fond of very high salinity levels. The past month has been patchy in the estuaries with golden snapper and threadies being a little sluggish. However, we have had our fair share of northwesterly winds, which are a bit of a nuisance in the north as it tends to stop fish from getting too excited about nailing your bait or lure. We are not sure why this happens but any wind that blows off the land affects inshore fishing up here. The main reports I

hear have all been golden grunter with the odd golden snapper report. Most fish have been coming from deep waters around the islands to the north of Cardwell. Mangrove jack have also been on a number of people’s lips with some mention of fish around the 50cm. The upper reaches of the smaller creeks in Rockingham Bay is where some really good sized ones have been caught.

Jacks are a fan of the bigger making tides up to both moons, and at night they have been known to wander the sand flats at creek mouths where whole pillies or mullet fillet should do the trick. The reef has been a little quiet as it quite often is during hot northerly weather, but I have been treating some clients to some big scarlets on the wonky holes. Big soft plastics and live mullet

There will be some great golden snapper around in January.

have been the choice of worms. If you want to learn about wonky holes and how to find them you will have to wait for our new website, which will have e-courses available on many topics. In January the fishing scene does slow down a bit with hot westerly winds affecting the fishing and also the anglers. Many prefer to stay indoors and watch the cricket with a coldie rather than sit in a hot tinny all day with blisters on your bottom. So the best choice of fishing this month can be at night. The evening hours have always been the best time for fishing during summer. The fish are more aggressive and many will leave their daytime cover and forage for food. If you do have to fish in the day have an early start so you can get off the water around lunchtime and avoid the worst part of the day. I would also target species such as grunter and jacks as they will respond to berley and they don’t seem to get the summer sulks like other species do. Nothing like a fresh mullet strip and a

There have been some decent reds on the wonky holes. whole pilchard rig when it comes to jacks. Another popular way to target them is with small live mullet and mash up some pilchard berley and throw it just up current and let it drift through your baits. The jacks will wander in from everywhere, especially if you fish right on a junction. If you are going to fish the reef try it at night also but make sure you are an experienced navigator or have someone on board who is. If you are not experienced at night fishing you should always go with someone who is on your first few trips. Also, it’s

not a good idea if they are forecasting a thunderstorm front to move through, so be on your toes when it comes to the weather. Another form of fishing that is popular this time of year is chasing jungle perch and sooties in our local rainforest streams. While it can be a bit humid it’s very relaxing being able to take a swim in safety. • If you would like to book a charter for next year’s barra season better look into it soon as dates are disappearing Check us out at www.hookedonhinchinbrook. com and at Hooked on Hinchinbrook on Facebook.

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Spotlight:

Spotlight: Cardwell FMG

Stephen Booth sbooth@fishingmonthly.com.au

After the devastation of Cyclone Yasi, Cardwell has risen like the Phoenix with a redevelopment that is as staggering as it is beautiful. Cardwell, at the top end of Hinchinbrook Channel, has come back to life and is welcoming visitors with open arms. With this in mind, let’s take a look at what Cardwell offers the travelling angler

Cardwell Rainforest and Reef Information Centre is a must. Here you can learn all there is to know about the area, book tours, find a place to stay and definitely find a place to play. THE FISHING How do you sum up Cardwell’s fishing options? Diversity seems the best option and let’s examine why. How many other places in Australia offer access to protected waterways, pristine mountain streams, spectacular reefs, deep

Longtail tuna are thick at times and when the days are calm, go out and get into them. and their family as we shine the spotlight on Cardwell. HISTORY Cardwell is a town of impressive history and on January 22, 2014, this beautiful town will turn an amazing 150 years old. With Cardwell’s early history revolving around sea transport, the town, originally known as Port Hinchinbrook, became a centre for the transport of gold and later for beasts such as cattle. Never a town that reached dramatic highs, Cardwell has retained its character and charm through years of disruption, redevelopment, natural disaster and impressive rebuilding. These days, Cardwell is one of those places that you just have to stop and play at. With unprecedented access to Hinchinbrook Channel and Hinchinbrook Island, Cardwell offers safe passage for boaties and access to some world class fishing, the likes of which make for lifetime memories. With 150 years of history, a stop over at the 56

JANUARY 2014

channels and fish on tap? Not many. If you’re into barra, Cardwell is an obvious stepping off point for some world class barra fishing. Metre-plus fish are almost a given and the best barra guides regularly put clients onto these sliver-chrome jewels of the north. If those angry red jacks are your flavour, Cardwell gives safe access to unlimited creek fishing opportunities north and south of Cardwell for these hard fighting warriors. And what about the icon of flyfishing, the permit, or snub-nosed dart as we call it in Australia? That’s here too and in numbers that would surprise. In fact there is every chance that if you wanted an Aussie permit on fly, stepping off from Cardwell is likely your best option! If offshore fishing is your game, then Cardwell is located right on the doorstep of some of the best offshore fishing available in Australia. Reef fishing, headland fishing, deep reef and wreck fishing is all on the doorstep of Cardwell. In fact you can be fishing for GT, Spanish mackerel and marlin within half an hour of Cardwell. That’s impressive access! OTHER ACTIVITIES Cardwell is ideally situated to take advantage of the amazing natural beauty and splendour of World Heritage wetlands, islands and forests. For starters Hinchinbrook Island is

This Meunga Creek jack shows the quality of the fishing available at Cardwell. Amazing!

Popping up some GTs is not hard. This one came from Goold Island just out from Cardwell. an icon location and the Thorsborne Trail is one of the world’s great walks. Visitors set off from Cardwell and head south from Missionary Bay where they are met and transported back to the mainland via Lucinda. A walk with few peers, the Thorsborne Trail is a must if walking is your game. If walking is not your game, there are many tours you can take around the island to take in the splendour of Hinchinbrook. Croc spotting, beach hopping, romantic picnics, seclusion and wilderness experiences are all on offer from Cardwell. Inland from Cardwell are many waterholes and swimming areas in pristine natural settings. Reinvigorate the soul while tropical rainforest waters spill over your body washing away the stresses of daily life and the grind of the city. For those looking for a hit of something else, the Australian Coffee Centre showcases the regions amazing coffees. Connoisseurs rate the coffee produced in Cardwell’s hinterland some of the best in the world and a tour of the Australian Coffee Centre will delight. If underwater activities are your thing, Cardwell is the logical jumping off point for many of the best snorkelling and dive sites. Pristine coral reef, rocky ledges, wreck diving, free diving and swimming with the fish and mammals is all on offer and is spectacular. Cardwell has underwater activities covered in no uncertain terms. On arrival, vibrance of the Cardwell Foreshore hits you in the face. Children enjoying the playgrounds and skateboarding, the fitness conscience jogging along

The inland waterways are full of big angry sooty grunter and the rare jungle perch.

Heading offshore you can easily get amongst amazing coral trout like this ripper.

Spotlight: the new pathway, families picnicking and BBQ’ing at the various centres and locals cast netting hoping for a catch of tasty prawns. Highly recommended is a walk along the foreshore where the interpretative signage soon makes you an expert in local attractions. STAY AWHILE There are many options for those wanting to stay in Cardwell. From backpackers through to high class holiday rentals, Cardwell has an accommodation style and price to suit everyone. Caravan parks, selfcontained units, unpowered sites, motel units, resorts and cottages – Cardwell has them all and they all offer a tropical experience the likes of which you’ll remember for your lifetime.

Shayne ‘Cuddles’ McKee with the type of Spaniard found offshore from Cardwell. FURTHER INFORMATION 142 Victoria St, Cardwell 4849, Queensland Phone: (07) 4066 8601 info@greatgreenwaytourism.com www.cardwelltourism.com Top, Left and Right: The redevelopment of the foreshore has seen this area transformed into one of the most visually spectacular areas along the coast. Walking tracks, cycle paths, play areas and stunning views are all part of the amazing transformation of Cardwell since Yasi.

Cardwell and the Hinchinbrook Channel are renowned for the quality of their golden snapper.

I have been lucky enough to stay at a number of accommodation venues in Cardwell, from ritzy holiday rentals through to hostelstyle dongers at the caravan parks, and I have loved it all. The beauty is not where you sit at night, but what you do during the day that makes Cardwell such an amazing place to visit. MAD NOT TO Waterfalls, National Parks, State Forests, crystal clear swimming holes, fishing, bush walking, water sports or just relaxing. With so many activities on offer Cardwell is hard to beat. Contact the information centre where the friendly staff will assist you to plan your stay in Cardwell. Cardwell is the heart of the Great Green Way and as pretty as a picture. Add in world class fishing and you’d be mad not to visit Cardwell and make it the place to stay on your next visit north. Cardwell rocks – it’s back from the dead and ready to roll! JANUARY 2014

JANUARY 2014

Dry lead up to a big wet Jason Medcalf topwater@bigpond.com

It’s been a hot dry lead into January this year but I believe the forecast is for a bit rain for the start of our wet season. Of course we hope we don’t get last years version of a wet season and as the Northern Territory has actually seen their wet season kicking off this year, the big wet should stay up north. On the fishing front December was a bit quiet in the salt, which is a bit odd as the fishing all year has been pretty good. This should change this month just in time for the holidays. THE BURNETT RIVER The Burnett is always a popular place over the holidays and for the serious fisho should be fished early, late or avoided completely if you don’t like crowds. I would recommend an early start to fish the river as the baitfish are usually close to the surface, which tends to give away any potential predator activity. There have been plenty of baitfish schools moving around the river and over January there will be predators like mangrove jack,

golden snapper, queenfish and trevally lining up to have a feed. I love fishing surface lures and as the day breaks around 4.30am. There’s nothing better than casting a popper at nervous baitfish schooled up around the point of the north wall. I have caught tuna, mackerel, big trevally and some meter long queenfish of that point on day break. Be prepared to share the spot though as their are other like minded fishos who will be jostling for position. A tip is if you see another boat catching fish is that it may not be just the spot they are on, it could be the style of lure they are using or the retrieve they’re using. Keep an eye out, it may mean a change of tactic to get into the fish rather than crowding out another angler. In January the mouth can be a seething mess of baitfish schools and of course the predators won’t be on every school of bait, so keep an eye on any baitfish being chased to the surface. As the sun gets up the bigger fish will sit deeper, so watch your sounder carefully and when you see schools sitting on the bottom drop down a metal jig or heavy soft plastic. These fish will hit if you can get your

offering in front of them. Trolling also works but as the water depth ranges from 20-50’ it’s hard to get a lure to troll down so deep so jigging can be the only solution. THE MIGHTY BAFFLE Baffle Creek has been firing over the past few months, but then it too slowed in late November and early December, I would not be writing it off though as all it takes is a few storms to get some fresh running and the Baffle will fire up again. I had a few trips into the top of the Baffle lately and although I did get some ice jacks on surface lures as the sun rose, the fish became very wary and hard to tempt. Again this will change with a flush of fresh as the upper reaches are gin clear. The is still well worth look over the break as the tidal movement tends to stir up a few fish. Roger from Baffle Creek Caravan Park reports the flathead have been like a carpet and the jacks on the run out tide have been cleaning out his tackle box. He also said there have been a few barra caught by anglers staying in his park and he has let them all now you can’t target them and if you do hook one release it as soon as possible without

Tim McCrea with a typical cod from the kayak caught on a PrawnStar. any harm coming to the fish. Barra season is closed so we need to let these valuable fish get a chance to spawn and keep the good barra fishing going in our area. WOODGATE BEACH A more peaceful place you cannot find than Woodgate unless it’s holiday time then it’s hectic. It’s a good hectic though as our hectic is like Noosa having a very quite day so it’s still a great place to chill out and wet a line. The beach offers very safe and protected swimming and fishing, and there is a creek on the northern end and a large river

system on the southern end. Both mouths produce good whiting, flathead and dart and the run in tide usually produces the best results just

watch the water as it will chase you back to shore. Enjoy your holiday fishing keep hydrated and well protected from the sun.

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Lynton Heffer

As we enter another New Year we find ourselves in the tropics slightly ahead of schedule in regards to the wet season. The build up to the wet season began in mid November and a substantial amount of rain descended upon the region, which brought on some really steamy hot days. All within the industry agreed the seasons seemed to be about a month ahead of normal activity. Examples of this were reinforced with the rapid drop in big black marlin catches during the middle stages of November when it normally should be at its absolute peak. At the same time, local prawn trawler operations ceased operation a month ahead of schedule simply because the prawns had disappeared. On the reef, catch rates were very patchy leading into the December period, something you’d start to expect following the New Year. Along with the rain a lot of barra were sighted around the headlands and along the beaches at the breakthrough creeks, which probably suggested they were in for an early spawn this time around. The first cyclone formed across the top end was apparently the earliest on record in something like 50 years. All indications point towards a decent wet season, something that was lacking severely the previous year. There has been however some productive fishing and expect this to remain during the early parts of the New Year, obviously dictated by the amount of rain we actually receive. The rivers and creeks have been going gangbusters at times with plenty of mangrove jack and golden snapper to entertain us. The jacks have been quite active on the outgoing tide hard up against the mangrove banks holding good structure. The golden

Terry Murphy with a mahi mahi caught at Linden Banks on the shelf. snapper on the top and the bottom of the tide have been busy in the deeper holes. On the incoming tides, most of our systems are holding good numbers of mid-sized queenfish and trevally, which come raging through with the current. Further upstream the deeper holes have been a holding office for massive schools of tarpon that have been biting best on small lures on the first turn of the outgoing tide. They are quite easily spotted as the dorsal fins protrude the surface as they swim around. Across the open flats there’s been some good action on the golden trevally and grunter and have been partial to fresh dead or live baits. Our coastal inshore patches, which might be isolated rubble patches, bommies or wrecks, have been producing some superb catches. Big large-mouth nannygai, gold spot cod, trevally species and bar cheek trout have been regularly sourced by the locals. There’s also been quite a few school mackerel roaming the inshore waters and they have been subdued by casting and retrieving metal slices or small popper across the surface. As a bonus at times there’s been some cranking schools of longtail tuna cruising through as well and they go like the clappers when you hook up using light spin gear.

Offshore on the reef, the coral trout have remained fairly consistent but probably the most dominant species have been stripeys and Moses perch. They’ve been landed in healthy numbers and they are on the bigger size for these species. Even though they are smaller in stature compared to other fish but they are truly superb to eat on the plate. There’s been other species around including spangled emperor, long nose emperor, large-mouth nannygai, cobia, a variety of trevally and the occasional red emperor but nothing has come on the bite in any serious manner. The offshore stand up light tackle scene, particularly on the contours of the shelf, have been quite productive for likes of yellowfin tuna, wahoo, Spanish mackerel and mahi mahi. Some are lucky enough have come across sailfish as well and their numbers seem to be above par this season. Further off the shelf, there’s been some massive congregations of yellowfin tuna, which have been known to hang around in January as well. Good weather is totally essential to go beyond the horizon in pursuit of these fish. From this point on it all boils down to what the wet season has install for us and the opportunities it will present. Everyone is waiting with bated breath as to what our summer period will deliver.

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Nathan Gittins with a very respectable 87cm stonker of a lizard on a plastic. This fish was released to fight another day. JANUARY 2014

Estuaries firing as the summer heat hits in Jan season targeting them. The lack of serious downpours and flooding (so far) means the water will be very salty and teeming with baitfish, like mullet, and will make the barra extremely active and give them that decent shiny body and yellowtail we all like to see on them. FRESHWATER LAGOONS The combination of summer heat, light rain and storms, and abundance of

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Clayton Nicholls clay94_fishing@live.com.au

After an eventful and enjoyable Christmas of stuffing ourselves with seafood, chocolate and other Christmas treats, it’s time to hit the water again and catch the first fish for the year. Why not make use of the afterChristmas sales, grab some new gear and set out to catch a fish you haven’t caught before? FITZROY AND NARROWS Closed season for our predominant sports fish is still in action but there have been reports of plenty of threadies, blue salmon and golden snapper around the river, predominantly up the front with all the islands and narrow branching creek systems. The salmon have been going well on lightly weighted plastics using a prawn-like pattern. I am predicting this will keep

small baitfish, has turned the fresh right up. The best areas are around the lilies or treelines. Small curl-tail plastics, such as the 3” Banana Prawn Swimming Mullet, make any fish in the freshwater lagoons come out and play! With a little more hot days getting into the middle of summer and continuing with the occasional rain, the freshwater areas should be

Flathead can be found lurking around many sand bank drop-offs. up unless we get another serious dose of rain like last year, hopefully not. RIVERS, CREEKS AND BEACHES In the creeks and on the beaches, there have been reports of large bream and flathead in the deeper

parts of the water, however the flathead are becoming somewhat harder to find. The bream on the other hand, especially the pikey bream ,have been a very common catch for people heading down to places like Wild

Cattle and South Trees, along with Moses perch and the odd grunter. I am predicting that when barra season opens up in February after only a little rain so far, the fish will be going off and it will be a cracker

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filled full of sportfish. Target them with grubs, hardbodies and, for whoever wants to take up a challenge with the smaller baitfish floating around, cast a fly around the lilies. CRABBING The crabs this time of the year are extremely active and full to the top of meat. With all the summer sales, crab pots are cheap as ever making it an affordable day on the water for anyone to give it go! Crabbing can be heaps of fun, especially when you’re trying to grab a big buck to put him in the cooler. Read up on your local rules and regulations or ask when you come in to buy some pots. Time to make that New Year’s resolution to target a species you haven’t targeted before! Fish light, get the bite.

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The end of last year was one of the driest for a while, and if we don’t get decent rain soon it could be hard fishing. Still, things aren’t all bad. Most of the summertime species are on the chew at the moment in the estuaries and offshore. Many estuary fish are fat because of the long run of prawn fry. The prawns are growing slowly and haven’t been pushed out into the ocean, as has happened in the wet years. Having said that, it will only take a few weeks of wet weather before the prawns grow up and leave home. Little prawns have still been caught at lots of places lately, such as Greenslopes and Solero during the low tides over the moon. Other places that will have prawns are The Causeway Lake, Coorooman Creek and Pumpkin Creek. The young prawns are continuing to build in size and quantity, and it should soon be worth the effort to chase them. In the river they are holding along virtually any of the sheltered banks downstream of Nerimbera, pushing up into the little muddy creek mouths on the edge of the tide and coming back out as it drops to spread out in the very shallow water. Here they can be found hiding behind any mangrove root or stick in the water. This is prime territory for big king threadfin salmon, which love to congregate in front of these gutters and along the tidal front, pigging out on the little prawns. Apart from prawns, the best option for catching threadies are small plastics. I keep going back to the old Atomic Prong

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John Boon with a very fine red emperor that weighed in at 13kg. in the smallest size available. Last month I had to resort to doing surgery on my dwindling supply of Prongs, using a razor blade to make them even smaller, because the kings would not touch anything bigger than 25mm. A good alternative is an unweighted yabby worked in a similar way to a plastic. These have been producing good catches right down the river and in all the creeks with yabby beds. Waterpark and Deep Creeks were top examples. BLUE SALMON Down in The Fitzroy Delta, reports of some quality blue salmon reached me. I decided it was time for a visit. Before I continue, a word of warning: you can access the beach at Joskeleigh, but it is very risky if you don’t have local knowledge (or bring a local with you). This part of the river mouth is home to many LandCruiser and Nissan skeletons. When you hit the wrong part of the beach any vehicle can sink, and the more you try to get it out the quicker it can sink. The sandy/muddy beaches such as Rundles and Long have had quite a few blue salmon at times, and yabbies and prawns have been the pick of the baits. On one occasion the fish were schooling up and you could see them running the shallows. Out came the Flashas and small chromies, which blues will readily take – almost like tailor. The Harbour and Ross Creek can be flooded with blues when the large schools of yorkies or greenback herring pass by. Often over summer the small tinnies work little Flashas in the harbour mouth just after work, taking home some quality fish in a short session. SQUID Whenever we have little rain at the start of summer we get a few out-of-season squid in close around or inside the harbour. The year before the last run of annual local flooding was pretty good, with regular catches right through until the first decent rain event, which moved the squid on. This is one activity that will get the kids busy. Any type of squid jig is fine, and any basic rod does the trick. If you look for lights shining on the water, the squid won’t be far

away. They like to dart out of the shadows whenever anything resembling food passes by. The main launching jetties or the old fuel wharf corner are usually the pick spots. GRUNTER AND GOLDEN SNAPPER Both the estuary and the blue water grunter are fairly active and nothing should change as the month proceeds. The Fitzroy River is again the preferred spot for the average local and there are enough spots to give everyone a shot. Heading downstream from Devil’s Elbow there are a couple of holes and a heap of undulations that grunter use for ambush points. Port Alma and Connors Creek both have rubbly, rocky patches where grunter have been caught regularly this month. Coorooman Creek has quite a few muddy banks dropping off to deep cockle beds that produce quality grunter at any time, although the locals prefer either side of the moon. The Causeway Lake, Corio Bay and Waterpark Creek are a couple of other spots worth a mention. The banks between Corbett’s and Kelly’s Landings hold plenty of standard grunter when they are around. The best baits for grunter are herring, prawns, flesh strips, pilchards and squid. The common summer bonus with all these grunter spots is that at the right time they hold big golden snapper. Golden snapper are often found in spots where you catch grunter in the estuaries, or grunter and mulloway along the coast and offshore.

Last year we scored some huge fingeries up to 900mm at the coastal grunter spots. They didn’t take the pillies and squid lines meant for the grunter, but they did take live squid and jigged plastics (we deployed those as soon as we knew the fingeries were there). Over the years some of the best estuary golden snapper I have seen were at Port Alma and Coorooman Creek in the grunter holes. They love slow trolled deep divers, live baits and slow jigged plastics. REEFS Many of our favourite reefies are normally about in numbers offshore at time this of year. Two of the best are red emperor and saddletail snapper (large-mouth nannygai), which are going strong, even in areas much closer than usual. The grounds starting around the 45km mark are showing good signs that we could be in for a very fine month or two ahead, if the conditions allow us to get out among them. Big baits mean big fish when you target red emperor. We use half hussars or iodine bream, both of which big reds love. Other guys fishing local stop at the servo on the way to the harbour to buy 6 or 8 whole mullet and then cut them in two for baits. The traditional squid and pilchards do work although the bigger baits always get the most fish. Coral trout, parrot, sweetlip and cod are all handy this month and even the islands are holding decent fish. As usual, the wider areas are the best option for the bigger stuff. SPANIARDS AND COBIA The Spanish mackerel run is continuing into the new year. Reports have been coming from all around the local area, from in very close to the shoal country and further. If the bay stays clean the Spaniards could move back in to places like Forty Acre and Conical, where some quality fish are taken in good conditions. Cobia have been reasonably consistent over the past few months right around the islands and reef grounds. They hit Findlays, Man and Wife, The Pinnacles and Liza Jane with regularity in summer, particularly when there is plenty of run in the water. All the best for the New Year.

Mick Jones with a decent Keppels coral trout.

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To rain or not to rain MACKAY

Keith Day habdays@bigpond.net.au

There are plenty of opportunities here in January but, like anywhere in the north, the wet season can be unpredictable and ruin the best-laid plans. Fortunately, our wet season proper usually doesn’t come in until February, and a moderate amount of rain in the meantime would be a

great help as it would stir up plenty of activity. This is particularly so in the mangrove creeks and estuaries as the rain gets the prawns running, and where there are prawns there is always a fish worth catching. In recent weeks the area has had good but patchy rains, with falls up to 250mm. This has started the crabs and prawns moving. The prawns have been tiny but they will quickly grow into good bait or pot size.

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Just about any fish worth catching will snaffle a prawn, but old frozen prawns aren’t nearly as good as fresh ones. A short session with a cast or drag net will get plenty of fresh, lively prawns, and just about every fish finds them irresistible. If you hang your prawn under a float, drift it with the tide, or anchor it with a running sinker and long leader, you are almost assured of a fish. Unfortunately, little undersized bream will happily smack a prawn. If the pickers become a problem, I recommend moving somewhere else. It’s better than losing all your baits. Good prawns can be found in all the creeks like Reliance, Constant, and Murray/St Helens to the north and Bakers, Sandy, Alligator, Plane and Rocky Dam creeks to the south of Mackay. As you motor along, keep an eye on the edges under overhanging mangroves and at gully mouths as the prawns will often jump as the boat wake hits the bank. A few throws and you’ll have one of the best baits going. CRABS Crabs are also getting on the move with the rain stirring them up in the creeks. If we get heaps of rain, look for the

Tackle World’s Clinton Hassan expects to catch more jacks like this beauty during January. Live prawns are a gun bait. crabs right out the front of the creeks on the flats, but stay close to your pots. You don’t want them to get stranded at low tide or get robbed. Crab stealing is pretty rife in our area, but many crabbers are now setting up digital cameras around their pots. One commercial crabber got clear images of a family robbing his pots, and they have been fined $1,200. An expensive feed of crab, but they got what they deserved. Almost anything will do for crab bait. You will get good results with fish frames, but I reckon a couple of pilchards are even better. Cut off their

tails so there is a natural mini berley trail, secure the pillies in gutter guard or similar close mesh and secure them inside the pot. Legal estuary cod and bream are often a by-catch with this set-up. THE CREEKS Fish-wise, the creeks will be wet weather dependant. After the big Christmas tides, the creeks often change and form new holes, banks and so forth, so it’s a good time for a bit of exploring before the barra season opens on February 1. The standouts during hot muggy weather are the mangrove jacks, golden snapper and cod, with

grunter and flathead being found in the more open water, especially over gravel beds. Any live bait will do for all these species, but with the run of prawns around, these tasty crustaceans are an obvious choice. Small live fish (watch legal sizes), strip baits and yabbies will all work well too. Ribbonfish strips or strips of the belly flaps of small macks are also a good choice. For the lure/fly angler, the choices are endless and range from soft plastic vibes to large hardbodies and surface lures. I always have a good supply of plastics, both

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paddle-tails and curl-tails, as well as vibes like Transams, Threadybusters or Quick Catch soft sports, which have been quite successful for me. The Z-Man range of plastics have a deserved reputation as fish catchers and I use them a lot, along with Tsunamis, Atomics, Squidgies and several others. Check with the local tackle shops for advice. Hardbody options are as varied as the plastics, but I use Rapala X-Raps, Reidy’s, 80mm Warlocks, Bombers, Richo’s, RMGs, Manns and Koolabungs to name a few. I use shallow or deep divers depending on the location, and I prefer floating types which can be drifted up and over snags and walked through some pretty rough stuff with a bit of care. Chuck in a few poppers and walkthe-dog surface stickbaits, and you have a good starting

selection. Always remember you can NEVER have too many lures! A selection of flies is also handy to have. Some Clousers, Deceivers, Tarpon Frogs, Whistlers (‘Pink Things’) and prawn imitations will cover most of your creek and estuary needs. An #8wt is ok for the mangroves, and a #6wt will give you plenty of fun in more open waters, such as around sand bars and mud flat drains. The minimum hook size that I tie most of my flies on is 1/0. On the bigger stuff I go as high as 6/0. INSHORE Close inshore there should still be some macks and tuna about but that will depend on the winds and rain. The fish will clear out quick smart if there is substantial run-off of dirty freshwater, but there will still be plenty of

A healthy 78cm Teemburra barra found this bright spinnerbait to his liking.

January in Mackay waters can be a real lucky dip, and mulloway like this are an unexpected but very welcome catch. trevally and queenies around, particularly near the close islands, like off Seaforth, the harbour and Pioneer River mouth. As always, I recommend visiting a tackle shop (who gets tired of doing that!) to get the latest info. FRESHWATER On the freshwater front, the big news is that MAFSA’s hatchery is up and running again after some upgrading and modifications to the spawning side of the hatchery. The mods are pretty much finished and the bio filters have been ‘seeded’ and are running sweetly. Members will now be on the hunt for sooties starting to roe up, and hopefully MAFSA will have a successful summer breeding season. Sooties bred by MAFSA will be used to top up

stocks in Kinchant, Eungella and Teemburra dams. Since the formation of MAFSA in 1994, over 2 million barra, sooty grunter and sleepy cod have been stocked. The proof of the success of MAFSA’s stocking program can been seen in the dams, with Kinchant rapidly becoming the go-to spot for big barra. Recent catches have been over 140cm and it won’t be long before some lucky angler pulls a 150cm+ barra from Kinchant. Nights around the full moon through spring and summer always see plenty of boat activity on Kinchant, while the barra fishery in Teemburra just keeps rolling along, with fish regularly coming from the open dam basin and in the timber as well.

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will also be hanging around weeds and lilies in among the timber, and that makes for heart-stopping fishing. Sooties are less particular. Any snag with some horizontal timber just above or below the surface will likely hold a sooty. Use your sounder to find them deeper around the timber as the sun gets higher, and use vibes or deep divers to get down to them. Jighead-rigged plastics jigged vertically will also get hit. With sooties, the main trick is to get the lure within 30cm or so and then hang on. Spinnerbaits seem a bit different though; sooties will chase after them well away from a snag. Barra don’t mind whacking a spinnerbait either. So 2014 gives us much to look forward to here in paradise, so why not mooch up and share it with us? See you at the ramp!

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Eungella is of course renowned as an extraordinary sooty fishery, and it is a reputation well deserved. I can’t wait for the first 60cm+ sooty to come from the dam. MAFSA’s premier comp, the World Sooty Championship, is coming up rapidly and will again be held in the first weekend in May. Further details will be released closer to the event. During January all of the dams will keep motoring along, and with plenty of 26ºC+ water around, the fish will be active and moving about. If you’re after barra, look around the weed beds where the water drops out into 5m or deeper, preferably with a sloping bottom with some old lay-downs or stumps. If you find this scenario and a prominent point or end of a bay, give it a good work-over because it’s prime barra habitat. Barra

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Break the summer hibernation BOWEN

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

In the heart of summer most people in the north hibernate in the air-conditioning in an attempt to escape the suppressive heat and humidity. Those anglers in the know however recognise these conditions as being prime fishing time as the extra heat and added humidity send the creek and reef fish into a hungry frenzy. It’s no secret that predatory fish like mangrove jack in the creeks and coral trout over the reef really come on the chew in summer and the hotter it is the better. While the oppressive conditions do take their toll on the angler, it can definitely be worth the effort to battle the climate especially when trophy-sized fish are on offer. In the creeks, I love January because the fish, especially the jacks, bite with so much extra aggression. These red fish are not shy or timid this time of year and will not hesitate to leave their snags to smash a lure. They

don’t take a lot of convincing either and casts close enough to the strike zone are usually good enough to see action. Soft plastic lures usually get smashed on the drop this time of year so make sure you remain tight to your lure at all times or you will find that the fight is over before you were even in it.

This is why I prefer to fish hardbodies this time of year as it allows for a little bit more directness to the fight and gives you a little bit more control of the lure in the first couple of winds. This is especially the case for mangrove jack who will typically maul you on the first couple of winds.

When the fish are this hungry and pumped up, you really need to step up the gear and having the right stuff, in particular line and leader, is essential. Firstly you want a braid that is strong yet light and thin enough to provide support in casting. Braid has always been a big plus to accurate casting but not all are the same and some of the better quality line offers thinner diameters, which really allow those lures to go where you want them to. Leader material is just as important and a quality fluorocarbon that is abrasive enough to contact a bit of timber and not snap, as well as provide a near invisible presentation, will go a long way to snaring big jacks. If you’re after a match to this criteria it is hard to go past Sunline and once you tie it on it will speak for itself. With the barra season still closed this month there are plenty of other species to target up the creek. One that is quickly making a name for itself as a viable

Big GT will be carving up lures as the big tides move in. for those chucking hard and soft lures. The trick is to fish light, especially on the leader (I use 16lb FC Sniper), and to use very small twitches with not a lot of retrieve. While I have caught more on fish patterns than prawn patterns, I think this twitch retrieve brings about a prawn style action that really fires the fish up. Whatever it is when you hook one be ready for the surprise of your life as they fight as hard as a golden snapper and smash a lure just as hard as a jack. I have

Grunter like this one snared on Z-Man DieZel are becoming a common catch on soft plastics and will be a viable target species in January.

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Jacks will be really aggressive in the heat of summer so make sure your gear is rock solid. target species on lure is the grunter. 2013 has been the best year yet for big grunter in the creeks right through Bowen and they have started to become a common catch

been snaring them on Z-Man DieZels and Delalande Busta Shads mostly and if you haven’t scored one yet they are definitely worth targeting on lures in January.

Out on the blue water my favourite species is the GT and they will be climbing all over top water offerings in summer. The extra run in the tide brings these fish into an almost chaotic frenzy and when conditions are right, and those big summer tides pump in, it becomes a case of hang on and hope you have enough drag. Top spots to target these fish include the corners of islands where current and bait are present as well as artificial structures like jettys and pylons. Thankfully Bowen has a plethora of both these areas and working a few poppers or stick baits even around the inshore islands will produce fish. I must stress though, make sure you are packing the right gear or else you really are just donating tackle to these grey beasts. Next month it will all be about the barra. The biggest influence on the fishing will be the wet and usually February is the start of the big down pours in Bowen. The fish will still be around but you will need to find the cleaner water to get a bite both inshore and offshore. The start of the run-off can be a pain to fish but it also brings the biggest fish so make sure all the big 130mm lures are ready as this is what the big barra will be after.

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Just suck it and see CAIRNS

Garry Smith garrysmith@fishingmonthly.com.au

Fishing in the Cairns area, like the weather, has been patchy, with some hot days and others not so hot. This pattern will continue through January, barring a major weather event. Cyclones are fairly common in January, so when it comes to planning a TNQ fishing expedition it’s

a matter of suck it and see. The ‘window weatherman’ is the most reliable indicator. Before you hit the water, have a look at the sky and then visit the major weather forecast websites to check for any major weather events. The default weather pattern here is calm seas with afternoon sea breezes. By all means take advantage of these conditions when you can, but work around the heat because it can become overpowering if you don’t

take care. Lots of water, sunscreen and protective clothing are an absolute must, even in the so-called ‘cooler’ parts of the day. In January there is no sure fire approach to get you onto some fish. The upside is that it’s a great time to look for new country and try new techniques as you search for some action. Working with and around the prevailing weather conditions is the most important factor. If there has been recent flooding, try There will be the odd monster trevally lurking in January, waiting to smash your offering.

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the river mouths, beaches and offshore. If it turns out to be a hot, dry January, work the deeper water, in the estuaries and offshore, where the fish will be heading to avoid rising water temperatures. FRESH IS THE KEY TO THE ESTUARIES A fresh in the systems is just the catalyst needed to stir some action, so take advantage of any heavy downpours and work the mouths of streams towards the top of the tide, when clearer water will be pushing back into the streams. Mangrove jack, bream, cod, grunter, trevally, queenfish

and every imaginable form of vermin will be feeding around the current lines separating freshwater and clearer ocean water. In heavy flooding, forget about the estuaries and focus on inshore waters and the Cairns Inlet. The Inlet can tolerate a huge amount of rainfall before the fish vacate, as there are limited streams feeding into it. Once the numerous breakthrough creeks along all the beaches have opened up, around the mouths is well worth a fish. You can expect to tangle with salmon, grunter, trevally and any odds and sods fish

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have noticed there is always a current on the beaches, albeit very slow moving. Fishing the upcurrent side of the stinger nets and rock outcrops will see you in with a better chance than fishing the downcurrent side. A lack of rain will mean high water temperatures, so go in search of deep water in the systems and use the change of the tide and the bigger new and full moon tides as the catalyst to stir the fish from their summer slumber. Golden snapper (fingermark) will be poking around the deep water in the systems, as well as offshore, with some real brutes on offer

for those willing to put in the time, effort and lack of sleep to reap the rewards. Golden snapper are not a fan of office hours when it comes to feeding, so night time is the right time, both comfortwise and action-wise, when it comes to chasing these elusive tropical trophies. Trevally love unsettled conditions and will be roaming the current lines, colour changes, drop-offs and bait boils. Most fish will be on the smaller side but there will be the odd monster lurking just waiting to attack the under-gunned angler. If you find your grunter outfit suddenly losing

line at freight train speed, a monster trevally will most likely be the culprit. On the other hand, if line is slowly peeling off the spool, with no end in sight, a massive stingray or shovel-nose ray will inevitably be on the end. Small sharks can be a real nuisance in January but don’t discount them for a feed if better eating fish are scarce. If you bleed and barrel a small shark quickly after capture, it tastes pretty good. It’s not in the same class as grunter, mangrove jack and golden snapper, of course. The other scourge of the wet season, the much maligned fork-tailed catfish,

is also a better eating fish than people give it credit for. The cheap basa fillets you see in supermarkets are actually catfish, and they taste just fine. Our catfish have the bonus of coming from clean water, unlike the aquaculture fish. MOVE AROUND AT THE REEF Reef fishing is pretty hit and miss in January, with some great days and others as sluggish as you feel under the summer sun. Moving around a lot is the key to success. Try to find areas out of the raging current that can set in at this time of year. The current can head north or south,

depending on the location of low pressure systems. By the same token, no run is no fun, so look for manageable current rather than dead still conditions. Generally speaking, fish will be deeper than normal to avoid the warmer water. Storms, quickly-forming lows and submerged logs all need to be taken into account when heading east in January. For the adventurous but cautious there are still rewards on offer, with coral trout, large mouth nannygai, red emperor, spangled emperor, reef jacks and the odd Spanish mackerel about. Don’t expect to come

home with big numbers of any species, but rather a mixed bag. There are usually enough pelagics around to keep the sportfishers happy, with mahi mahi (dolphinfish), wahoo, Spanish mackerel and yellowfin tuna out towards the Shelf. Closer to shore, tuna schools will be pushing the bait to the surface and birds will let you know where the action is. January offers plenty of fishing options if you work with and within the prevailing weather conditions. Don’t go pushing your luck if the weather is marginal.

John Wedrat with a brute of a golden snapper. These fish will be poking around the deep water in the systems, as well as offshore.

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Black jew in good numbers KARUMBA

Alan Gurney awes0me@bigpond.net.au

2013 was a unusual year in that the lack of a wet season changed the pattern of most fish. We found them in places where they had not been before, and we’re all hoping things will go back to normal and we will get an awesome flood. That will make life easier for all of you coming up here to catch a fish. Karumba has always been a great place to get a metre barramundi, and with the help of an experienced guide you’ll find it is even easier. Last year my resolution was to get calm winds. It worked, but we always seemed to get them when I had to work so this year I

Fish like this are why anglers come from all over Australia to fish here. have gone for calm winds on weekends. I am feeling confident that I have it right so feel free to thank me when you are up here in the calm conditions.

Good rain in December has alleviated our water restrictions and set us up for an awesome wet season to come. Our Barramundi Discovery Centre has had a

breed of barramundi fry that will restock the river and provide much-needed help for other restocking groups. We were able to supply the Mount Isa group with 250,000 fry that they sent to an east coast hatchery to grow out. We ended up with 1.4 million fry from one fish in two nights, which was incredible. I would like to thank James Cook University for their fantastic support. They supplied technical advice and hands-on help that was awesome. SUMMER FISHING When the winds are calm it is a good time to chase grunter out the front and even venture out to the rubble patches to catch some golden snapper (fingermark). Please remember to drink plenty of water and have shade as it will be 38ºC

This 130cm black jew was released. These fish are much more likely to survive release when caught in shallow water. and 98% humidity. Giant trevally will be there as well, and I have to warn you that inferior gear will not land these monsters. Black jew have turned up in good numbers and the easy way to catch them is off the beach. The best way is with a running sinker and a good size hook of at least 7/0.

Mud crabs are about and they have been full, so bring some pots and have a good time. The start of the wet season can mean that we get cut off for 4-6 weeks depending on the amount of rain, so please ring the Normanton police (07 4745 1133) before heading up to make sure you can get through.

Hot, humid glassed-out days win! COOKTOWN

Nick Stock

The good news about the New Year in Cooktown is that with it comes glassed-out seas, hot and humid days (and nights), freshwater run-off and red hot fishing action. January is my favourite time to fish in Cooktown as the favourable weather conditions open up so many diverse fishing options. In good glassed-out days we have literally done 3 different types of fishing in a single day. The morning usually consists of flicking timber lures around the headlands between the Endeavour and Annan River mouths for jacks from Russell’s 5m Hornet, and then we shoot home and grab The Lure Shop’s Haines 702 centre cab. From the Endeavour River, we

then head out to the reef spearing trout and crayfish for the arvo. We then have a feed while watching the sunset over the mountains before heading to the rubble patches to chase saddletailed snapper (nannygai) and red emperor. It almost sounds too good to be true doesn’t it! This is a similar scenario for many of the town’s local fishos and the town can appear deserted on a glassy week of 5 knot winds. The reality of it is that after 9 months of 25 knot trade winds, you make hay while the sun shines as it can be months between offshore trips! Another favourite thing about the summer months is the amount of jacks that can be caught inshore and offshore. They can be seen in clear water schooling up like sardines as they prepare to spawn. Catch and release after you have enough for a feed is your

best bet as they are so easy to catch if you are using bait. As per usual with most northern estuary species a small running ball sinker on a 2/0 Gamakatsu SL12is my go-to bait rig. At either the top or bottom of the tide, you can switch to live unweighted sards/herring around 75mm. When the jacks are schooling up, it is not uncommon to catch over 20 jack in a session, however many will be undersize rats. This is where the lures come into their own as I rarely catch jacks under 350mm long on hardbody lures when flicking snags in Cooktown. Shad profiles around 75-90mm are also the go, however jacks of all sizes often cannot refuse a Leads Hijacker even though the 150mm profile may seem like a big jack hardbody. Most of the time when using a Hijacker, the lure

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Shane Miller with a great reef jack about to be released. will get smashed within the first turn of the handle if there is a jack sitting on the snag. We often get asked by grey nomads in The Lure Shop about how to catch their first mangrove jack. People have often not put the hours in to try and sort out a regular jack fishery in their home town, and after pointing them in the right direction and armed with a few kilos of pilchards, they usually have nailed 20 odd jack in a few days of bait fishing the Annan and Endeavour. When it comes to small jack, up to 400mm long, the waterways between Starky and the Bloomfield are riddled with them. When chasing saddletailed snapper at night in 18-28m, it is not uncommon to come across big numbers of reef jack in the 650-900mm range. These fish are pound for pound the hardest fighting reef fish out there and are

big breeders once they get over the 750mm mark. As hard as it may be, keep one or two for a feed and release the rest or move on to another mark. These fish actually release okay from the 18m range and I have never seen swim bladders or any other sign of barotrauma when caught under 20m. One session we caught and released 18 jacks over 650mm from one mark in 15m; we even caught and released the same fish twice! We eventually moved on to a deeper mark as the jacks were coming over every drop and nailing everything from Jazz Deka Vibes to 7” Gulps. Until the barra season opens up most of the fishing will be directed offshore, and January is a good month to chase sailfish inside the Ribbon Reefs. Russell has raised them on a few occasions around Dawson Reef, which is less than 3nm from land.

While billfish in that close may be the norm in other southern areas and on the west coast, however it is not the norm for Cooktown outside of the Dec/Jan window. Skipping gars are a good option, however they are usually cagey in the 10m depth in close. Until next month stay safe on the water and be sure to check out the range of handmade timber barra lures I make. Check us out and hit the like button on Facebook by searching Twin River Lures. • Before planning a trip to Cooktown and its surrounding areas why not give us a call at The Lure Shop and let us fill you in on what is biting and where the action is. The Lure Shop is located at 142 Charlotte Street, Cooktown and we can be contacted on (07) 4069 5396 or via email on fish@thelureshop. net.au or russell@ thelureshop.net.au.

How to beat the heat CAPE YORK

Tim O’Reilly aggott88@gmail.com

January can be a tough month for anglers in Cape York, with unsettled weather and often the first real clean-out of creeks and rivers under the first decent rains of the wet season. You can’t fish for barra either, of course. Still, there are options available. Here are my tips for this month. SHALLOW REEFS My best tip, and one taken up by all those keen enough to jump in the water in the tropics, is to cool off by fishing under

the water instead of above it. Pick a nice window of calm weather and shoot out to some shallow reef or rocky ground and have a hunt around with snorkelling gear and a spear. Just be careful to pick an area which is distant enough from creek mouths and territorial crocodiles to avoid danger. The next few months are also prime stinger months, so staying a safe distance offshore and covering up are good options. A big mixture of coral reef species can be found over shallow reefs at this time of the year. Keep a close eye out for mangrove jack, fingermark and also Maori sea perch, which can be easily mistaken for other less desirable fish. In

fact, Maori perch are beautiful looking and tasting, especially the larger models out on the edge of the Barrier Reef. For some of the serious diving, snorkelling and spearing enthusiasts out there, January can present some of the best chances to push a long way out under calm weather. You just need to be mindful of the weather, as it can turn nasty quickly. CRAYFISH Crayfish tend to be at the end of their cycles by this time of the season, and the chance to grapple with a few large models in comparatively shallow country is on the cards. Crayfish tend to repopulate the same holes, cracks and

Crayfish like to hide under big boulders and coral bommies in shallow water. crevices over time, so try to remember the spots and indeed the individual rocks and coral

Fresh livens the fishing up WEIPA

Josh Lyons thesportfisher@gmail.com

Another new year is upon us and once again I really cannot work out what happened to 2013. The 2013 fishing season here in Weipa was a ripper. Happy clients fished the rivers as well as inshore and offshore for consistently good results. Barra were a consistent standout, particularly early in the year with a bit of patience and local knowledge helping to get into them during those cooler winter months. A good early hit of the wet season in late November and early December saw a good fresh in the Wenlock and Archer rivers, which no doubt helped the barra get up and down the rivers during the prime time to spawn. The rain and monsoonal weather did play havoc with the fishing locally during this time. Consistent storms and rain poured dirty water into the creeks and rivers, while a steady northwesterly kicked up a decent swell and made

Coral trout anyone? Dinner is served and coral trout are one of the greatest eating fish found on our majestic reef. offshore uncomfortable for a week or so. While these seas are not at all rough compared with southern standards, they really do stir up the waters of the shallow Gulf shutting down the beaches, inshore reefs and generally putting nearly all fish off the chew. Once the weather cleared a bit I fished a final week for the fishing season and

Bluefin trevally are as pretty as a picture and are very aggressive towards poppers in rarely fished waters.

found it to be consistently inconsistent, but with each day the weather improved so did the fishing. Out wide the billfish seemed to spread during the swell with a hook-up missed on a lone sailfish the only excitement for the morning on our boat. An afternoon on big queenfish just outside the river mouth made for a top day though. Weipa Sportsfishing’s new guide Wade Alene fared much better, trolling within a mile or two of where we were he and his clients had a big black marlin turn up in the spread behind the 6m plate boat. After getting it excited with a teaser mullet the boys fed back a little live bait on a small circle hook and came up tight. A 4 hour fight eensued on a big Saltiga Dogfight and an estimated 500lb black was bought boatside for a few photos and a prompt release. Wade’s vast billfish experience no doubt was a factor in the hook-up and capture of this fish and was a top capture by the boys as Weipa’s billfishery continues to amaze.

Fishing into the new year will depend on the presence of the monsoon, cyclones and rains. In early December the weather had settled into a usual build up routine of a light southeasterly swinging to a westerly sea breeze in the afternoon. This should mean some top fishing as most fish species get active in these conditions and feed up before the next bout of northwesterlies start. Beaches and inshore reefs will be clear and calm in the mornings while glass outs in the middle of the day is the time to go wide chasing pelagics, leaving for a nice run home in a following sea back to port. During some nice weather a couple of weeks ago a couple of mates and I headed over to the east coast of Cape York for a fish and spearfish on the outer Barrier Reef, we only managed a couple of days over there but made the most of it with some great fish taken. In the mornings we spearfished taking some lovely coral trout and Spanish mackerel for the table. Some of the 30-70m ledges we dove were insane and we even saw dogtooth tuna in the water. The afternoons consisted mainly of GT popper fishing. Some of the strikes and bust offs were insane but we all managed to land our fair share of these brutes. By catch of bluefin trevally and red bass were a bonus. The first two hours of darkness were spent fishing for red emperor and large mouth nannygai, which were around in good numbers not far offshore. They were tough days to take but someone had to do it and all this was done from our vessel of choice, a 5m Hooker Dory. I hope 2014 is good to you all and one to remember on the fishing front.

heads that you find them under. Smaller crays can be found even over the surface of the reef in amongst soft corals and under plate corals. The larger models tend to be a little deeper down. The first time you see 2 long antennae quivering back and forth, and long, colourful spindly legs creeping underneath, you’ll be mesmerised. To consistently spear crayfish you’ll need a short pneumatic or rail gun so you can more easily search under structure. One of the best things about jumping in and looking for crays is that you can do it in relatively shallow water. This makes the experience of

them. Experimentation is the key to enjoying them over the long run. I have started thinly slicing the clear, soft meat which surrounds the head as the body comes off, and soaking this in a mixture of chilled lemon juice with raw sugar (the citric acid in the lemon juice ‘cooks’ the meat). The next time you catch some crays, try serving up tiny portions of these lemonsoaked treats after 15 minutes in the fridge, and see what people think. As for the tails, cutting them down the middle and chucking them on the BBQ with plenty of garlic and butter never seems to go badly. Or

Spearing crays takes a bit of practice, but it’s not as hard as you might think. searching around the intensely colourful and fish-filled arena of the Great Barrier Reef even more rewarding. A pair of gloves (or at least a glove on one hand) makes removing stubborn crays possible, and a wetsuit or rash vest will help prevent the inevitable coral scrapes during the process. Painted and ornate crayfish are both quite rich meat, and there are many ways to prepare

you can just cut your cray tails into pieces and cook them in whatever sauce tickles your fancy. During those mirror calm, hot, flat days in January, it’s much nicer to be below water than above it. What better way to spend a Sunday morning than hovering over a patch of brightly lit corals, looking for the tell-tale quivering antennae of tonight’s dinner! JANUARY 2014

Cooking Corner

Fish n chips pizza BRISBANE

Lynn Bain

This is a homemade take on two favourite take out options - fish n chips and pizza. The various parts that make up the Fish and Chip Pizza can all be prepared ahead of time and assembled when you are ready to bake your pizza. The lemon tang to this finished dish is the special piece de resistance that brings it all together and registers the fish n chips taste in your mouth. I worked on this recipe for months, searching for the appropriate taste sensations. When I tried the lemon ‘spritz’ it was my ‘eureka’ moment. I have veered away from the traditional tomato-based sauce on this pizza and have used Thousand Island dressing instead. The TI dressing rounds out that seaside fish n chips experience. PIZZA BASE •••••••••••••••••••• 2 1/2 cups plain flour 7g fast acting dry yeast 1/4tsp salt 1 cup warm water (approx. 120F/50ºC) 1tsp honey 2tsp extra virgin olive oil

Steps 1. In the food processor bowl (with a metal blade fitted), place the flour, yeast and salt. Combine the water, honey and olive oil in a measuring cup. With the food processor running, pour the liquid through the feed tube in a steady stream. You need to pour at a slow enough rate so that the flour can absorb the liquid as you pour. Turn the food processor off when the dough forms into clumps and before it forms into a ball. At this stage, the dough should feel a little sticky. 2. Hand-knead the pizza dough for 30 seconds or so. Alternatively you can use a dough hook attachment in your food processor until the dough is soft and silky. 3. Shape the dough into a ball and place it into an oiled bowl. Rub the dough gently with a little oil to coat. Place the bowl in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size. 4. Punch the dough down and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then roll the dough out to a size that will fit your pizza dish. THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING •••••••••••••••••••• 1 cup mayonnaise ¼ cup tomato sauce

2tbsp white wine vinegar 1tbsp vinegar 1tbsp very finely chopped gherkin 1 golden shallot, finely chopped Steps Combine all of the ingredients for the Thousand Island dressing in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. FISHY PART •••••••••••••••••••• 6 pieces of fish (fish finger sized) 2-3 tablespoons plain flour 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs Vegetable oil, for frying Steps 1. Set up an assembly line with separate shallow dishes for the flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs. Dip the fish pieces into the flour, then the egg and lastly into the breadcrumbs. Refrigerate the coated fish pieces for half an hour to firm up the coating. 2. When you are ready to cook the fish, heat some vegetable oil over a medium heat in a frypan. When the oil is hot, add the crumbed fish pieces to the pan and sauté until the coating is a pale golden colour. The fish shouldn’t be cooked all the way through because the fish will have a period of time

in the oven before serving. 3. Remove the fish from the pan and drain on some paper towel. You can refrigerate the fish until you are ready to assemble the pizza. CHIPPY BIT •••••••••••••••••••• 2 large potatoes, peeled Vegetable oil, for frying Steps 1. Cut the potatoes into chips and then soak the chips in cold water for about half an hour. When you are ready to cook your chips, drain them well and pat dry with a clean tea towel. Heat vegetable oil to a depth of 1/2cm in a heavybased frypan. 2. When the oil is hot, gently add the chips to the pan. Cook the chips until they

are a pale gold colour. As with the fish, the chips will also be getting time in the oven when you cook the pizza. Remove the chips from the pan and drain on some paper towels. After cooking, refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the pizza.

your pizza dish. Generously spoon some Thousand Island dressing onto the base and spread it evenly over the base with the back of a spoon. Slice the mozzarella and place in a random fashion over the base. 3. Place the fish and chips in segments on the pizza base, ASSEMBLING alternating between a row of THE PIZZA fish and row of chips. Then •••••••••••••••••••• sprinkle the lemon cubes over Pizza base both the fish and chips. Arrange Thousand Island dressing a few pieces of mozzarella over Mozzarella cheese the top of the pizza. Crumbed Fish 4. Pop the pizza into the Potato chips oven and cook for about 10 1 lemon, skin included, finely minutes or until the cheese is cubed (about half the size of bubbling and the fish and chips your little fingernail) are golden. Remove the pizza from the Steps oven. Serve by cutting between 1. Preheat your oven some of the rows so that you to 220C/F. have some fish and some chips 2. Place the pizza onto on each slice.

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Junior

Summer bassing time SUNSHINE COAST

Lane Hoffman lane_h_96@hotmail.com

Australian bass are a great fighting sportfish and are a very popular species for recreational and tournament anglers. Even though they can be caught all year round in creeks, rivers and impoundments, summer is the best time to target them. During summer the bass become more active near the surface, feeding close to and amongst the weed patches, reeds and fallen or standing timber. As well as surface lures, you can catch them on shallow divers, plastics, spinnerbaits and blades worked a little higher in the water column. Although these bass can be quite wary, especially in smaller waterways, they hit lures aggressively. WHERE In Southeast Queensland there are many places to target bass. These include stocked impoundments such as Lake MacDonald, Borumba and Somerset Dam, and all the freshwater rivers, creeks and streams in between. If you want to fish an

impoundment, you’re better off fishing from a boat or kayak to cover the larger area of fishable water. Just remember that anglers 18 years or older can’t fish a stocked dam without a stocked impoundment fishing permit (SIP). And some dams don’t allow outboard motors, only electric motors or paddle power. If you want to fish the creeks and streams, it can pay to be adventurous. If you’re willing to trek through the bush to the more ‘untouched’ fishing spots, you’ll often get better fishing action. GEAR Bass can be targeted easily using baitcaster and spinning set-ups. I like baitcaster set-ups because they let me make more accurate casts within dense weed patches and fallen timber – definitely an advantage! Still, it all comes down to personal preference. If you prefer to use a spinning outfit, a quality, lightweight graphite rod around 4-8lb, with a length of 6’6”-7’, matched up with a 2000-2500 reel is a good ‘all-round’ bass set-up. If you want to use a baitcaster outfit, 6-12lb rod is ideal, matched with a 100-sized reel.

Your choice of mainline and leader should depend on where you are fishing. Think about the structure you’ll be fishing around. Light lines, big bass and dense structure do not go well together. If you’re fishing in impoundments, 8lb braid and 10lb fluorocarbon leader will usually prevent bust-offs, without being so heavy that the fish get spooked. If you’re fishing very dense structure down the rivers, creeks and streams, it obviously helps to increase the leader a bit just to be sure no fish will take you around a branch or log and bust you off. HOW During warmer summer mornings and evenings, you can target bass using surface lures such as various poppers, walkers, Jitterbugs, surface frogs and unweighted soft plastics. Cast close to structure, or at pockets within the weed beds around the edge of a dam, and you will certainly be in the zone. Bass hit surface lures hard, creating a loud splash, and you have to fight to keep the fish out of the structure that it calls home. When you’re fishing a little deeper in the water column, when the sun is

Big bass like this fight hard and are great fun on light gear. higher in the sky, switch to shallow diving lures such as the Jackall Chubby, Smak spinnerbaits or 1/8oz blades slow-rolled out of the weed beds or snags. Taking lure colours into account helps as well. Purple, black, dark brown, or bright fluoro colours are best suited for dirty or murky water conditions, while more natural colours are best for cleaner water. My favourite presentation to use is a plastic such as a Keitech Swing Impact rigged on a 1/8oz TT jighead, with a

TT Jig Spinner attached to it. Using a slow-roll technique out of the weeds or snags makes it work effectively. Like blades and spinnerbaits, you can work these lures up toward the surface, or allow them to sink deeper before retrieving them slowly. This is when using a sounder is very important. A sounder can be used to see how deep the bass are in the water column. Once you know where they are, it’s not hard to judge or time how far your lure has sunk,

so you know when to start retrieving it. This knowledge will maximise your chances of being in the strike zone so you can catch more fish! Bass are a great target species and a lot of fun when hooked, especially in tight structure! It’s easy to see why they are such a popular freshwaterspecies. If you’re around the Noosa area, drop into Hooked on Angling and Outdoors in Tewantin, as the team will give you helpful advice and set you up on how to target the Aussie bass!

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couple. The crowds will be out in force and the traffic everywhere on the beach, river and outside. If you want to get a bit of quiet time, early starts are essential. Get up in the dark and be at the spot you want to fish as the first rays of the sun come over the horizon. This is key if you want to have quiet at this busy time of year. Late afternoons are also a good time. When everyone heads back to the campfire for a few cold ones to end the day, you can often sneak a fish in by yourself if you’re lucky. Another hint to help everyone get along at this stressful time of year is a bit of etiquette. I know it gets crowded but you don’t need to pull up 2m from someone and start fishing. Give everyone a bit of space

be pipis, but worms will do a lot better for the whiting. Z-Manshave been dynamite on the flatties, but if you want to throw some bait around then use anchovies or whitebait. While we are on the subject of the beach, just because you have a 4WD doesn’t mean you can drive it anywhere. If you haven’t driven on a beach before it is best to have a go with a more experienced mate that can give you a hand if you get

Some of the author’s favourite colours in the Croaker Lures Jewie Jewels range to entice a bit better size mulloway in Iluka and Yamba.

in over your head. Generally 1-2 hours around the high is all right to hit the beach. Off the rocks there should be some school mulloway around on plastics. However, if you want to chase some decent-sized specimens local lure maker Steve Patti of Croaker Lures Jewie Jewel has been doing very well on the local population of late. The Jewie Jewel is a great quality locally made product. There have also been a few nice trevally around hitting surface lures. The standout lure would have to be the Money Works 140 stick bait in colour galaxy; it has a great erratic darting action and has accounted for fish up to 6kg. Up river there should be a few of those mighty Clarence bruising bass hitting the surface in the low light period of the day. The last couple of cod trips have seen them also very active on the surface, with the average fish around 65cm. They provide plenty of fun on light gear.

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Craig Roser caught this very silvery 104cm barra in North Queensland trolling a Koolabung 100mm live bait.

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Toowoomba Waterskiers Warehouse 91-93 Neil St Toowoomba Phone: (07) 4637 9511 | Fax: (07) 4637 9513 Email: rod@waterskierswarehouse.com.au Website: www.waterskierswarehouse.com.au

Meridian Marina Horizon Shores Onshore Marine Cabbage Tree Point Rd,Woongoolba Phone: (07) 5546 2480 | Fax: (07) 5546 1362 Email: onshoremarine@ozemail.com.au Website: www.onshoremarine.com.au

Bribie Island Bribie Boat Sales 217 First Ave Bribie Island Phone: (07) 3408 0055 | Fax: (07) 3408 0805 Email: danny@bribieboatsales.com.au Website: www.bribieboatsales.com.au

Brisbane South Springwood Marine 3366 Pacific Hwy Springwood Phone: (07) 3297 8200 | Fax: (07) 3297 8290 Email: michaelb@springwoodmarine.com.au Website: www.springwoodmarine.com.au Brisbane South Coorparoo Marine 57 Cavendish Rd Coorparoo Phone: (07) 3397 4141 | Fax: (07) 3397 6339 Email: info@coorparoomarine.com.au Website: www.coorparoomarine.com.au Brisbane West Karee Marine 1851 Ipswich Rd Rocklea Phone: (07) 3875 1600 | Fax: (07) 3875 1622 Email: sales@kareemarine.com.au Website: www.kareemarine.com.au Brisbane Holt Marine 25 Queens Rd Everton Park Phone: (07) 3353 1928 | Fax: (07) 3353 4548 Email: info@holtmarine.com.au Website: www.holtmarine.com.au Brisbane North Cunninghams Marine 23-25 Snook St Clontarf Phone: (07) 3284 8805 | Fax: (07) 3284 8813 Email: ian@cunninghammarinecentre.com.au Website: www.cunninghammarinecentre.com.au

Sunshine Coast Northcoast Boating Centre 264 Nicklin Way Warana Phone: (07) 5493 9376 | Fax: (07) 5437 6144 Email: mail@northcoastboatingcentre.com.au Website: www.northcoastboating.com.au Bundaberg Adrians Marine Centre 28 Ritchie St Bundaberg Phone: (07) 4153 1819 | Fax: (07) 4153 1819 Email: adriansmarinecentre@bigpond.com Website: www.adriansmarinecentre.com.au Gladstone Curtis Coast Marine 40 Chapple St Gladstone Phone: (07) 4972 0135 | Fax: (07) 4972 0136 Email: curtismarine@netscape.net.au Website: www.curtiscoastmarine.com.au Rockhampton Rifen Boats Unit 11-12, 10 Dooley St, North Rockhampton Phone: (07) 4927 9150 | Fax: (07) 4921 3502 Email:rifen.boats@bigpond.com www.rifenboats.com.au Yeppoon Seabreeze Marine 150 Scenic Hwy Yeppoon Phone: (07) 4933 6366 | Fax: (07) 4933 7590 Email: info@seabreezemarine.com.au Website: www.seabreezemarine.com.au

Whitsunday Cannonvale Whitsunday Outboard Centre 1 William Murray Dr Cannonvale Phone: (07) 4946 7286 | Fax: (07) 4946 7848 Email: woc@whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au Bowen Reibel Marine 34 Don St Bowen Phone: (07) 4786 2944 | Fax: (07) 4786 6606 Email: remarine@bigpond.net.au Ingham J&B Marine 79 Herbert St, Ingham Phone: (07) 4776 1188 | Fax: (07) 4776 1288 Email: jbmarine@bigpond.com Website: www.jandbmarine.com Cairns Aussie Marine 5 Wellington St, Cairns Phone: (07) 4033 8800 | Fax: (07) 4033 8810 Email: sales@aussiemarine.com.au www.aussiemarine.com.au

Fishy smells that stink so well NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.me

The sense of smell is a welldeveloped and important one for most fish species, and plays a significant role when it comes to fooling and catching these critters. We know that dogs have a far superior sense of smell to humans, but it would seem that many fish leave dogs floundering in their wake (pardon the pun!) when it comes to scent detection. In fact, some scientists believe that a fish’s sense of smell is, on average, up to a thousand times keener than a dog’s, and more than a million times better than

a human’s… Perhaps customs officers should be using ‘sniffer mullet’ at our airports instead of their trusty canine companions! The low concentrations at which some marine creatures can detect substances is the stuff of legend, and it’s true that certain sharks can effectively detect a few drops of blood in an Olympic swimming pool full of seawater! Fish species with good eyesight that hunt near the surface in clear water generally rely less on smell than those grubbing around the bottom in murky conditions. For example, we can reasonably assume that a marlin’s sense of smell is probably less refined than, say, a catfish’s. Species like bream, trout, Murray cod

Adding scent additives or feeding stimulants to lures is becoming an increasingly common practice amongst keen anglers. At worst, these agents probably help to mask human odours. At best, they could spell the difference between getting a bite and missing out altogether.

and mulloway will rely on a combination of sight and smell when hunting. But the fact is that most of the species we pursue as anglers do rely to some extent on their generally excellent sense of smell when it comes to finding food, avoiding being eaten and successfully reproducing (the three key motivators of all fish behaviour). Scientists have also demonstrated that many fish can determine differences between groups of chemicals, and even between separate compounds within those chemical groups, especially when amino acids are involved (amino acids are essential building-block compounds found within the cells of living organisms). Incredibly, it seems that fish have the ability to recognise the smell of specific amino acids, and that they will respond differently to each of these scents. One amino acid called L-Serine, found in natural oils on the skin of humans, has been identified as a significant repellent to some fish species. If transferred to lures, flies or baits when handling and rigging these items of tackle, L-Serine could definitely turn fish off striking. Interestingly, it has also been shown that

some people have much higher concentrations of L-Serine on their hands than others. This fact alone could help to explain why some individuals seem to be consistently ‘luckier’ anglers than others! To backtrack for a moment, we need to understand that fish ‘smell’ things in a slightly different way to humans and other air-breathing creatures. The senses of smell and taste are closely related in most animals, and this link is especially important beneath the surface of the water, where ‘odours’ are effectively tiny bits of stuff tasted by fish. This involves minute concentrations or traces of materials being carried by the water before coming into contact with receptors in the fish’s nostrils, mouth, any whiskers or barbles they might have, and even via special sensory pores on the skin. To aid in this task, the nostrils (nares) found in most fish are quite different to those of humans and other mammals. We use our nostrils as part of our respiratory (breathing) system, whereas fish use theirs exclusively for detecting scents. A fish’s nostrils are typically positioned between its mouth and eyes and are connected to an olfactory organ that contains millions of odour-sensing

Could chemical ‘fear and flight’ pheromones released into the water by hooked fish be one of the reasons that species like bream become harder to fool with lures over the course of time? cells. Water must be constantly passed through the nostrils and over these olfactory cells for scents or particles of material to be detected. Many of the fish species we pursue have U-shaped nostril canals, with water being forced in one end and out the other as the fish swims, or simply holds position facing into any current flow. The sense of smell is important in other ways, too. Fish species that aggregate in schools are known to communicate with each other using chemical secretions called pheromones that are detected via the senses of smell and taste. These pheromones are not only sensed by fellow school members, but also by potential

predators. Furthermore, some species produce distinct fear, feeding and reproductive pheromones, depending on prevailing circumstances. Many experienced anglers believe that this is one of the reasons why freely-striking fish may suddenly go off the bite if one of their school mates is hooked and (especially) if it’s then released in the vicinity of the school. The existence of pheromones may even help to explain how entire populations of fish can effectively ‘wise up’ to fishing pressure and become much better at avoiding hooks or nets over time… It’s a fascinating subject and one we’ll be returning to in this series.

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Basic flathead tips and tricks NOOSA

Mitchell Fredericks

When spring arrives, one of my favourite species of fish starts hunting for food and getting ready to spawn. Yes, I’m talking about flathead. There are actually over 30 species of flathead in Australia, but only 15 are caught by anglers. The most common are dusky flathead, sand flathead and bar-tailed flathead, which can be caught right around Australia in rivers and estuaries, and even on the reefs. These ambush predators are a bottom dwellers, which means they both live and eat off the bottom. When on the bottom, flathead bury themselves just far enough under the sand so no prey can see. When a prey item such as a whiting cruises past or even over the flathead, the flathead shoots out and grabs it before settling itself back on the bottom as it swallows its food. Flathead are a lazy fish, only moving on tide changes and to find food. If you come across a flathead mark (the shape a flathead leaves behind in the sand, also called a ‘lay’), try throwing lures 15m around the mark. When I’ve done this I’ve often caught the flathead that left the mark, judging by the fish’s size. In spring, flathead often hang together in small groups consisting of around four or so males and one big female. A lot of customers ask me (I work at Davo’s in Noosaville), “Why am I only catching little flathead in one spot?” My answer is this: If you’re getting little fellas, there is most likely a big female lying a few metres away. Put on a bigger lure or bait – ‘big lure and bait equals big fish’, as they say – and luck might just come your way. LIKELY LOCATIONS Flathead like to live and feed on shallow sand flats because a lot of prey swims by, such as whiting, mullet, herring and even garfish. Another well-known flathead haunt is on mud flats. These fish camouflage very well with the mud, making them practically invisible. It’s the perfect place for them to launch surprise attacks on the resident mullet and gar. I also like to throw lures and baits off sand and mud banks, as the flathead like to sit on the edge waiting for the bait to drift past, and also to stay out of the fast-flowing water. If you’re struggling to

get them off the flats, try something different such as flicking and drifting baits in small and big eddies. Eddies hold no current, which mean the flathead don’t have to use much energy to stay in one spot. If you want a good chance to get a few flathead, fish on the run-out tide and the change of the tide. At these times the baitfish get washed down from upriver, giving the flathead an easy meal. Flatties also like to sunbathe in the

better. That’s unless you’re drifting, as it looks natural. When using soft plastics make sure you let your lure hit the bottom before you start the retrieve. A flathead won’t discard its camouflaged ambush point on the bottom to come up 1-2m to have a closer look at your plastic swimming by. After your soft plastic hits the bottom, do a double twitch with the rod tip and let the plastic sink back to the bottom for five seconds.

My go-to flathead lures (from top to bottom): Transam 95, Squidgy Wriggler, Z-Man MinnowZ in redbone, Z-Man SwimmerZ in pearl white, and Gladiator Smash Bait Prawn. shallow water and warm themselves. Through the last weeks of winter, flathead feed a lot more to prepare for their breeding season in the spring. When flathead fishing you’ll notice that you’ll start to get slightly larger ones, hopefully one over 75cm, as they feed up. When spring arrives you’ll catch many more bigger ones. Female flathead grow significantly larger than males do, so if you catch a large fish in spring you’ll know it’s a big girl with a belly full of eggs. To release her, keep her horizontal, gently supporting her belly while you remove the hook, and she’ll go back healthy to contribute to the next generation. Some of these big females can reach over 1m in length and weigh over 7kg. Now that’s a huge fish! TECHNIQUES Flathead aren’t an aggressive feeders so longer the lure or bait is in the strike zone for the

Continue that technique back to the boat. You will find that the flathead will swim after your plastic and then, when you have paused it, they’ll grab it and sit on the bottom. Sometimes you won’t even realise this has happened until you wind up the slack. If you have no success with that retrieve, try a slow roll with a paddle-tail, with no pauses. If you’re using a jerkshad, try a slow lift up and let it sink back, continuing that retrieve back to the boat. If none of those techniques are working, there are several reasons why that could be. There could be no flathead in the area, or you’re fishing the wrong spot at the wrong time and tide and they’re not hungry. When trolling for flathead, it’s all about speed. These are lazy fish, so the speed to be travelling when trolling for them is 3-5 knots, with a couple of twitches every 30 seconds or even a minute. The best lures to use are hardbodies that dive from 1.5-3m, such as gold Bombers. LURE CHOICES When using plastics I tend to use a reasonable sized ones, starting from 65mm right the way through to 140mm. I have found that 140mm and 100mm Squidgy Wrigglers work well for bigger flathead, as these are larger plastics and have a long curly tail which will get the flathead’s attention and annoy them, resulting in a hook-up.

A 70cm sand flathead. Flathead like to live and feed on shallow sand flats because a lot of prey swims by, such as whiting, mullet, herring and even garfish.

There are actually over 30 species of flathead in Australia, this one is a 69cm dusky flathead. Another plastic that works well for me is the 4” Z-man SwimmerZ in pearl white colour. You will get all sizes of flathead on them as the SwimmerZ aren’t too big or too small and have a great tail action. If you’re finding the flathead won’t take big baits, try the 3” Z-man MinnowZ in redbone. It glows underwater and looks natural, also it’s a perfect bait size to a herring, whiting and a poddy mullet. This plastic also works on a day if the flathead are being fussy on what they eat. However, my all-time favourite soft plastic would have to be the Gladiator Smash Bait Prawn 8.5cm in gold fleck. It looks just like a prawn, and as anglers we all know that every fish eats a well-presented prawn. When it comes to jigheads, I prefer TTs Headlocks and standard TTs jigheads as they are a strong jighead, built on a strong Gamakatsu hook. I use a weight ranging from 1/8oz right the way to 3/8oz with a 2/0 and a 4/0 hook, as I like my lure to get to the bottom quicker and keep it in the strike zone longer. If you find the soft plastics aren’t working, try a soft vibe lure like a Jackall Transam 95mm in 13g. It closely imitates a fish when worked in the water correctly. The best way is to slow roll or give it one or two gentle hops off the bottom and let it sink back down. GEAR CHOICES Because flathead love big plastics and hardbodied lures, I use a 2-4kg rod with a 2500 size spin reel when I’m fishing my home waters around the Sunshine

Coast. Down in NSW people tend to use a 3000 or even a 4000 spin reel matched with a 6-8kg rod, as the flathead are a lot bigger down there. When it comes to braid selection, I go for the expensive stuff. It’s much thinner, more durable and has better knot strength. My picks are Daiwa Saltiga Surf 15lb or Sunline Super PE 15lb, as both are super tough, super thin and super abrasion resistant when nicked or frayed. Those two types of braids are all PE which means they have a very thin diameter and cast amazingly well and never fray. With these thin diameter braids, you can run as low as a 6lb or even a 4lb leader, but for flathead I tend to run a rod length of 12lb right the way through to 25lb. My leaders of choice are Sunline FC Rock Fluorocarbon leader and Icon Fluorocarbon leader. TOP SPOTS The top places to fish here on the Sunshine Coast for flathead would have to be the Noosa River and the Maroochydore River. These two rivers have great structure, banks and well created drop-offs which the flathead adore. These rivers also have great tidal flow which means more bait gets washed in, attracting large numbers of predatory fish. I hope my article will help you land some quality flathead for the dinner table, as these are beautiful fish to eat crumbed or battered. If you have any further questions about flathead, feel free to come in and have a chat to me and the boys at Davo’s Complete Angler Noosaville. Tight lines and bent spines. JANUARY 2014

All Outlander models upgraded BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

2014 is going to be an interesting year for car manufacturers and local distributors alike. Competition in the compact SUV market is white hot; dealers are having to work extra hard to complete a sale with buyers reaping the advantage with dollar savings sweeteners. While some carmakers have elected for total facelifts and, in some instances, redesigned their offerings completely, Mitsubishi have made few external changes to their Outlander SUV range. The somewhat bland exterior styling introduced in 2013 has been retained but the addition of 18” five-spoke alloy wheels plus black roof rails is now featured on all models. But it’s the extra unseen features right across the Outlander range that are the really big news, such as Active Stability Control, but before we delve into this aspect a quick look at engines and power plants is in order. PETROL AND DIESEL ENGINES Mitsubishi has wisely

maintained the stance on alternate engines and power trains for both petrol and diesel engine derivatives. In recognition that these engines require entirely different gearing to offer best performance, Mitsubishi wisely maintains the different power plant/drive system for each class of vehicle. Rather than simply shoe horn alternate engines under the Outlander’s wellshaped bonnet and link them to identical drive trains, the company retains the 2.4 petrol engine’s link to a CVT unit while the 2.2 diesel engine comes mated to a smooth shifting 6-speed auto. This is a smart strategy, as the petrol

engine needs more revs to reach its performance power band, while the diesel punches out more torque at reduced revs, and with reduced fuel consumption. Both models feature steering column paddles that allow manual selection of 6 ratios for those who enjoy selecting gears, but my view is that D for Drive is the way most drivers will go. ENHANCED EQUIPMENT LEVELS The main changes involve upgrading of equipment levels within Outlander’s base ES, mid spec LS and the top of range Aspire flagship. The resulting additions now see the ES gaining $1,500

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value in extras, examples being the display audio system with its link connectivity to radio, CD player, MP3, USB and iPod, Bluetooth connectivity. A large reversing camera and linked sensors is also part of the value-added package. The mid range LS gains $2,500 value according to Mitsubishi. There’s a top spec Mitsubishi Multi Communication System with 7” touch screen, Sat Nav system with 3D mapping functionality. SD card input is also standard. Rain sensing headlights and dusk sensing headlights also tempt the LS buyer. The 4WD Aspire, as reviewed, gains the most

The Outlander’s exterior styling changes are minimal, prominent items being the five spoke alloy wheels and dark coloured roof bars. centre console with a button shift selector for 4WD Auto – used where drive might need to involve rear wheels as well as front rubber, plus 4WD Lock when all wheels are required to drive in order to maintain traction.

One of the winning features of the Outlander is the impressive rear cargo space, something that family owners will find useful. goodies with an extra $5,750 value added to an already feature-packed package, including: an electric sunroof is press button controlled, HID headlights with washers, power (closing) tailgate Forward Collision Mitigation System, Adaptive Cruise Control, leather trimmed seats, heated front seats, driver’s sports electric adjustment, and virtually every major system is electrically operated and passenger and driver have separate climate control air conditioning. The 7-seater also comes with hill-start assist, auto brake assist, plus a bag full of safety features. The sound system is simply brilliant, one of the best. PETROL ASPIRE IMPRESSIVE The 2.4L 124Nm/220Nm petrol engine Aspire test vehicle was a 7-seater, access to rear seats via a sliding centre row seat section. The Aspire’s interior exhibited a high standard of fit and finish, although I’m not quite certain what the small panels of simulated timber were there for. Upholstery had neat stitching all round, ample storage space plus a plethora of cup holders. Up front had a large expanse of soft touch dash that was off set nicely by the Multi Communication System’s wide screen with intuitive Sat Nav system, crystal clear and wellcalibrated reversing camera. A leather trimmed gear selector was prominent on the

DRIVEABILITY/ COMFORT The Outlander Aspire is a very comfortable vehicle in every respect. The car-like ride is smooth over virtually all surfaces with little body roll intruding, thanks to its low centre of gravity. Hard cornering can produce a hint of understeer if the wagon is pushed too hard but is easily corrected with a touch of brakes complementing the Active Stability Control system. Seating is supportive, perhaps not the best in its class, but an improvement on the pre 2013 model. Second row passengers enjoy excellent legroom plus a tall rear seat that offers panoramic views all round. Third row seating is for youngsters, agile ones at that. There’s no shortage of load space at the rear. With third and second row seats lowered, there

The Aspire’s reversing camera was clear and its graduated scale allowed easy estimation to obstacles. Lock mode would be handy for paddock or bush trail work, not the beach. The Outlander is too low, and tyres somewhat skinny for soft sand. I found the Aspire’s fourcylinder petrol engine/CVT gearbox an ideal set up. Noise and vibration levels were remarkably low, with only some tyre noise intruding, with Mitsubishi having geared the engine and drive train to work in perfect unison. Cut and thrust traffic work was a breeze, the petrol engine making very easy work of anything required of it. Cruising on the M1 at 110km/h saw the adaptive cruise control earning its keep with comfort. Fuel consumption on a mix of city and extensive highway work was noted as 9.2L/100km. The Outlander features an interesting Eco display within the main instrument cluster. When selected, this display monitors fuel consumption in an enticing game-like manner. In standard Eco mode all drive is via the front wheels.

is 1800mm of long load cargo space available. With second row seats upright it is reduced to 1100mm in length, which is still quite useful. Tow capacity is rated at 1.6 tonnes for a braked trailer, which will see ample boats and campers on the draw bar, and runs to the tip with the net enclosed box trailer on a Saturday morning just as easily accomplished. In summing up, the 2014 Outlander is a capable and comfortable SUV with car-like road holding and drive characteristics. It can go offroad to a degree, and certainly swallows up enough cargo to make a weekend camping or fishing trip a lot of fun. The Aspire has all the bells and whistles and certainly pampers the driver and passengers. Mitsubishi’s 5 year 300,000km warranty applies to the Outlander that enjoys a 5 star ANCAP rating. Cost of the Aspire is $43,790.

Baffle Creek camping and fishing holiday BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Tucked out of the way around one hour’s drive north of Bundaberg, roughly halfway between Bundaberg and Gladstone, is a fairly large waterway known as Baffle Creek. This pristine and totally unpolluted system is regarded as having the highest concentration of mangrove jack in any Queensland waterway. Excited? Read on… Most southern Queensland anglers have heard of this estuary system but few would understand there’s 70km+ of tidal influenced water to explore. Moreover not many would have enjoyed a stay at the Baffle Creek Caravan and Camping Park situated at 1384 Coast Road, Baffle Creek. That said, those anglers that had visited would no doubt be planning a return trip. The very peaceful surrounds, the spectacular wild life and the attraction of excellent

are inhabited by quite a few somewhat careless kangaroos, so be alert for these fellows. Travelling from Bundaberg, cross the bridge to North Bundaberg and head towards Gin Gin. The turn off to 1770 is just a few kilometres from Bundaberg’s outskirts. Again, this is a back road but a welcome marker will be Rosedale with a turn off to 1770 and then (further on) Baffle Creek. Again, watch the signs; don’t turn off to Winfield. Once on the East Coast Road you’ll pass the towns of Baffle Creek and Wartburg and you can purchase food stuff, small goods, fuel and ice or visit the Baffle Creek Hotel for cold drinks. A few more kilometres of travel and the Caravan Park sign is on the right. Additionally, if you continue down the East Coast Road you will get access to the very beautiful Rules Beach area, which has unique attractions of its own. A walk in solitude on an unspoiled and totally pristine expanse of sand is what Rules Beach is all about.

cleanliness and neatness that’s not overdone but adds to the enjoyment. With so much room in which to set up a tent, camper or caravan, a degree of privacy – sometimes hard to find in popular camping grounds these days – is a bonus. Boat owners will enjoy the spacious layout with ample room for their pride and joy at the camp. Power sites are available to keep electric motor batteries charged. Visitors will enjoy the very clean amenities, there’s a neat outdoor kitchen with power, a BBQ and TV facilities and for those without camping gear (just the boat and a big grin) there are fully self-contained on site vans, a cottage and a bunk house for larger parties. These facilities should be booked well in advance. Campfires are permitted in selected areas, and there are laundry facilities as well. Hosts Roger and Sally are only too willing to show first time visitors around and to assist in the selection of an ideal campsite. Small goods, some food lines, refreshments and

habitat for fish from the tropics to areas further south. Fish regularly taken include bream, whiting, flathead, threadies, jacks and, yes, even barra. Queenfish and GT also visit the system, as well as mulloway. It’s the complete fishery! As a heads up, don’t go too light on the braid, stick with the 30lb and hang on tight. And don’t forget the mud crabs… For more info visit bafflebobs.com or call (07) 4156 6421.

The ramp at the rear of the caravan park is quite suited to small craft, which is ideal for exploring this estuary system.

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Ithaca Ice Works Left: A welcome sign after a fair amount of country road travel. Right: Baffle Creek Caravan and Camping area offers plenty of shade for visitors to make the best of their holiday. fishing in Baffle Creek, which adjoins the camping area, are not to be forgotten easily. GETTING THERE Travelling to the Baffle Creek camping grounds can involve a great deal of back country travel but road signs are for the most part fairly prominent. The secondary roads leading to the Baffle Creek area from either Bundaberg or Gladstone are wide enough to make car and trailer travel stress free and comfortable. For those travellers who don’t have a GPS in the vehicle I’ll give brief directions. The caravan park/camping area is on the northern side of Baffle Creek. Winfield is on the southern banks. If travelling south on the M1 from Gladstone there’s a left turn from Miriam Vale leading to 1770, Lowmead and Baffle Creek. The turn off to Lowmead and Baffle Creek will be found after the turn off to 1770. It will take around an hour travel time to reach the Baffle Creek camping area with a couple more signed turn offs en route. However, the last few kilometres of travel on the Coast Road, between Baffle Creek and Wartburg,

WHAT’S IN A NAME? The Baffle Creek Caravan and Camping area was formerly known as Baffle Bobs; it was renamed when Roger and Sally Erlich became owners. So if your GPS is showing the way to Baffle Bobs, then follow its directions! ROOM FOR ALL At the quite large Caravan and Camping Park there’s an air of informality and tranquillity that’s immediately noticeable. There’s a long drive way into the main camping area and it’s not all that unusual to dodge a wallaby or kangaroo. Perhaps even detour around a curious pair of beautiful shelducks, their immaculate black backs and white breasts highlighted by a prominent chestnut/brown breast band. These magnificent wild ducks are rarely seen so far south but are friendly enough in these campgrounds to visit sites in search of treats. Additionally, as I drove into the park last November a pair of brolgas were dancing in an adjoining paddock. Visitors will find plenty of entirely level, shaded campsites. There are ample concrete pads for caravans, with an overall atmosphere of

ice are on hand at the camp office kiosk, as well as bait and tackle. At the office the enticing line up of photos – quite a few featuring host Roger holding a quality fish – is indicative of what awaits the angler in Baffle Creek. FISHING OPPORTUNITIES Like many estuary systems, Baffle Creek tends to be influenced by seasonal conditions to produce its best. That said, the creek is renowned for mangrove jack and these are truly an all year round possibility. A boat is mandatory to explore this magnificent waterway, a sounder and GPS tracking a must to keep abreast of the many rock bars and sand spits that seem to materialise magically out of nowhere. An exploratory high water trip might be wisest for new-comers to find their way around. From the launching ramp behind the caravan park you can travel down to the mouth of Baffle Creek with its plethora of deep sections or head upstream to fish the many holes, rock bars, and small islands that appear with considerable regularity. Remember that Baffle Creek is virtually an overlap

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The lowdown on stand-up gear BRISBANE

Kim Bain

From Port Stephens NSW to Prince Edward Island Canada, Kim Bain has

fought and caught large sharks, black marlin, blue marlin, striped marlin, yellowfin tuna and GBT on stand-up tackle. In this pictorial she shows some of the latest gear she uses. Above: This is a homemade chafe tube. Chafe tubes are taped to the rod and break free in order to slide down the line and into the fish’s mouth when using tuna hooks, and they reduce the incidence of getting bitten off or worn through. Far Left: Kim exerts some extreme angles during her fights, and in these situations it helps to trust your ‘second’; her dad Steve stands behind her just in case. A broken line can spell disaster, and when you fall you need to be careful of what you may bump your head on. Some harnesses, like the latest AFTCO harness, have handles on the back of them. Left: The author, Kim, uses an OTR (Ocean Tackle Research) seat harness to fight a fish with 45lb of drag. . Below: These little plastic ‘coils’/spring-tubes make great hook point covers, and they are also great for securing coiled up leaders to prevent them from tangling. There are probably plenty of other uses as well. Bottom: Gloves for the angler (rather than just the crew) have been around for a long time now. A glove on the left hand makes spreading the line on the reel a little easier on your skin (most anglers will get a line cut on the skin about 50% of the time when fishing super heavy drags of 60lb/27kg). A glove on the right hand makes gripping the reel handle easier on wet days, especially the olderstyle ‘hard’ handles that can get pretty slippery.

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facebook.com/River2seaaustralia 72

JANUARY 2014

With a push of the button, this new Winthrop bent butt is adjustable between bent-butt and straightbutt; the system still needs a little refinement in our use because the 2 set-ups so far have proven to require different harness adjustments. It seems a good idea, it just needs a little more tweaking in its use.

Extenda-butts are one way to fit short stand-up butts into rod holders suited to longer butts. An alternative is to use drop-ins that sit on the gimbal pins inside the tube of the rod holder. Some of the drop-ins have a friction swivel to allow the rod to follow the line when a strike occurs.

The Smitty gimbal plate is very wide and is worn low across the thighs (but above the knees) on drop straps. We have a plate with extra padding and also different plates with different gimbal heights.

Note the lower gimbal height on this plate. The different heights allow sizing up to different anglers and for different gunnel heights. Continued page 74

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JANUARY 2014

11/12/13 4:01 PM

From page 73

Stand-up rod blanks are designed these days to take many of the larger framed guides. The guides have been refined as well.

This grander (1000lb+) was taken on stand-up tackle fishing 63lb of drag. FISHING FILL-ITS

Gold Coast closed waters Gold Coast fishers should take care when picking a fishing spot, as choosing unwisely could result in a fine. Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol officer Philippa Newton said a number of fishers had been fined recently after they were found fishing in closed waters. “There are six declared fish habitat areas (FHA) on the Gold Coast – Jumpinpin, Pimpama, Coomera, Tallebudgera and Coombabah,” Ms Newton said. “Three of these areas

– Jumpinpin, Pimpama and Coombabah – have areas within their boundaries that are declared closed waters which mean they are no fishing zones. “These areas include McCoys Creek, Duck or Never Never Creek, Swan Bay, Freshwater Creek, Coombabah Lake, Coombabah Creek including fishing around the Coombabah Creek Gold Coast Highway overpass. “Any form of fishing in closed waters can result in a $440 on-the-spot fine or a maximum penalty of $110,000. Ms Newton said the

closed waters were in place to manage the sustainability of the fishery. “These areas may be where a population of endangered or threatened species lives, where fish congregate for spawning, or where fish may mass or get trapped and be susceptible to overfishing,” she said. “If you see someone fishing in one of these areas, report it to the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116.” For the latest closure information including boundaries, visit www. fisheries.qld.gov.au or call 13 25 23. – DAFF

Going fishing interstate? If you’re planning a fishing trip across the border these school holidays, don’t forget to check the state rules to avoid an unexpected fine. Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) district officer Coby Walker said fishers travelling interstate needed to fish responsibly and know the rules of the area they intend to fish. “Fishing rules and regulations can be different across state borders,” he said. “In some areas, such as the Border Rivers, fishers need to abide by the rules 74

JANUARY 2014

set by both Queensland and New South Wales depending on which side of the river they are fishing or staying. “Fisheries officers on both sides of the border work collaboratively throughout the border regions to ensure effective monitoring of all areas. “If fishers are unsure which rules apply, the best thing they can do is to contact QBFP or NSW Fisheries to check.” Mr Walker said authorities on both sides of the border rely on the support of the public to report suspected illegal fishing activities.

“People who suspect illegal fishing are urged to report it as soon as possible,” said Mr Walker. “Information on illegal fishing in NSW should be reported to the Fisher’s Watch Phone Line on 1800 043 536 and in Queensland to the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116.” For more information on NSW fishing rules go to www.fisheries.nsw.gov. au or find out more about Queensland fishing rules at www.fisheries.qld.gov. au. - DAFF

Waiting for kick-off CALOUNDRA

Rob Smith

At the time of writing the light tackle season is yet to fully kick off. The odd black has been caught with some wahoo and mahi mahi, but there has been no consistency. Things have been all over the place with regard to water quality, temperature and bait. As things settle down into a normal pattern the fishing can only improve. Two tournaments were conducted during this period. The Hervey Bay Tournament was a repeat of last year with Rob Wood’s 340 Deep V Black and Blue taking out the big

boat section and Run, Josh Saunders’ Striper taking out the small boat section with both boats on 10 each. Viking, Chris Thirkettle’s 2400 Kevlacat made a late charge on the third and final morning, tagging 7 fish at a hot bite at the 4-mile bar crossing. Most of the action was at the 13-mile bar crossing. The 18 teams ended up tagging 58 black marlin, 5 sailfish and 4 blue marlin, which was not red hot fishing but a reasonable amount. With lots of the blacks going 8-12kg there were a lot jumped off as well. The first weekend of December saw the MGFC hold their yearly Billfish Bash Tournament. A total of 11 teams fronted with a

dubious weather forecast. The Saturday morning was the only good period before a 30 knot southeast change hit the fleet. Luna, a 35’ Bertram from the MGFC club, was able to tag a blue to mostly scoop the pool for angler Connor Lynch. Reel Action, Col Hombsch’s 56’ cat, also caught a blue for junior Trent Rooney to win the junior category. On the same weekend as the Hervey Bay Tournament I fished with a crew of Sunshine Coast Gamefish Club anglers off Breaksea Spit as well. We just did an overnighter to keep the cost down on Matt Collinge’s 7.5m plate boat Ruff N Tuff. For 2 days we saw about 13 billfish behind the boat as well as at least 4 freejumping sailfish a day. We

BJ Tompkins with a black caught on 4kg line.

BJ Tompkins and Tim Bidencope on a recent trip to Fraser Island on Ruff N Tuff. ended up tagging a sailfish for Matt, his first on 8kg, a black for BJ on 4kg, a black for me on 6kg, one for Tim on 6kg and another pitchbaited black on 8kg for Tim off a Shimano Baitrunner spin reel. Matt also landed a respectable mahi mahi on 8kg, Tim landed a nice cobia on the same line class and that night we stayed on the reef and put a few reefies in the ice box. The second day, after finding the best bait I had ever seen off Breaksea Spit, we invented new ways to lose fish. BJ hooked a 30kg sailfish on 4kg line that we popped off about 50m later with no real tag shots. Both Tim and I jumped a black off each on 6kg and we generally had a bit of bad luck and missed the bite fighting the sail for so long. Photos should be nearby from this trip. On the local scene all the talk has been about blue marlin. Grant Cooper’s 25’ Luhrs centre console Jubilado crewed by Lachlan Downes opened

their heavy tackle account with a striped marlin. Paddy Dimond’s 3100 Noosacat, Cat-a-pult and Old Salty Dog, Nick van de Merwe’s 40’ Luhrs are locked in a head-to-head brawl for heavy tackle honours in the SCGFC end-of-year points race with Nick on 6 blue marlin and Paddy a handful as well. Over at the MGFC, Tim Starling is still Mr Consistent with his Barcrusher Big Wave Dave. Tim has been getting a few light tackle fish when others have been struggling. Alex Fenwick’s CruiseCraft Never Home landed their maiden blue marlin recently as well. Off Brisbane it has been quiet but Reel Action did get a couple of blues at the northern Cape Moreton Canyon recently. Down at the Gold Coast everything has been heavy tackle as well. Ross McCubbin fresh from his Cairns season has been straight into the marlin down there, with heavy tackle blacks and blues

on whatever boat he is driving on the day. Matt Stehman christened the new Murphy’s Law tri hull with a multiple blue day. Other boats getting fish down there include Ryan Goding’s Trophy God’s Hands, and Sam and Andrew Lythgo’s Albemarle, Sea Eagle. Traditionally the black marlin turn up the week before Christmas on the Gold Coast, so by the time of my next report they will hopefully be there in force. On charters there were a couple of days when the spotty mackerel made their presence felt. Before they turned up we had a couple of good days on the Spanish mackerel as well. The reef fishing has been tough however, especially on half days, so chasing pelagics over summer is going to be the best bet. Give me a call at Smithy’s Fishing Charters on 0407 574 868 or check out my website (www.smithysfishing.com. au) to get out there and get into some action!

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2014 DATE DETAILS

CONTACT

JANUARY

Jan 18-19 MTA Barra Summer League Rd 4

Geoff Newby Peter Faust 0430 344 485

Jan 18-19

ABBT, Basstasstic Bush Bash Barra all nighter Awoonga Dam

Russell Nowland 07 4167 8183

FEBRUARY

Feb 1-2

MTA Barra Summer League Rd 5 Teemburra

Geoff Newby 0430 344 485

Feb 1-2

ABBT X-Factor Australian Team Series Somerset

Russell Nowland 07 4167 8183

Feb 8-9

Boondooma Dam Yellowbelly Fishing Competition Boondooma Dam

Terry Allwood 0400 860 122

Feb 15-16

ABBT Basstastic Bass Fishing Qualifying Monduran Dam

Russell Nowland 07 4167 8183

MTA Barra Summer League Rd 6 Teemburra

Geoff Newby 0430 344 485

MARCH

Mar 1-2

For listings please email sbooth@fishingmonthly.com.au JANUARY 2014

2013 Daiwa-Hobie Kayak Bream Series HEAD HAULS FOR GRAND FINAL WIN Darryl Head, a 46yo Basin View Hobie Fishing Guide, claimed the ultimate prize in kayak tournament fishing with victory in the 2013 Daiwa-Hobie Kayak BREAM Grand Final. Claiming a wire-to-wire victory, Head grabbed the lead on day one on the back of a 3kg+ bag then never let it go as he stormed to victory.

Fishing just inside the first lake heading upstream, Head fished shallow (50cm of water) and threw an assortment of different lures and used a host of different techniques to catch his fish. Day one in particular was the day when he threw his whole tackle box. “The fish didn’t turn on until the middle of morning when the tide turned and there was no real pattern

or lure that stood out. As a result I just rotated through my lures and mixed up how I worked them,” said Hedge. Throwing blades, deep diving crankbaits and soft plastics and using retrieves that ranged from slow rolls to twitches and pauses, it was a multi approach that delivered him 15 fish for the session. Weighing in a 3.46kg limit for the session it was

Kayak Grand Final Video Playlist http://goo.gl/bxlhMm

Darryl Head’s winning bag was anchored by the event’s Hogs Breath Boss Hog, a 1.74kg fish that fuelled his maiden Grand Final win.

The entire field fished from Hobie factory-supplied Power Pole, Lowrance and Ram Mount fitted out Hobie Pro Angler 14 kayaks. a 1.74kg kicker fish in his bag that anchored his leading margin heading into day two. Heading off on day two with a 690g lead, Head had a feeling that the fishing would be tough, especially with the deteriorating weather, and had suspicions that one fish would be enough to keep him in front of his challengers.

“I was happy when I caught my first fish in the first hour, then I was over the moon when I got my second fish in the last hour,” said Head. The last angler to hit the stage, Head’s 2/2, 1.14kg in the end proved enough to relegate a strong finishing Scott Baker to second place and claim his maiden Kayak

BREAM win. “To claim the win in such strong company is truly amazing,” said a jubilant Head. Head now becomes only the forth angler to call themselves a Daiwa-Hobie Kayak Grand Final winner and joins Scott Lovig, Daniel Brown and Shane Taylor on the honour roll.

Jackall Squirrel - suji shrimp

Pause

Twitch

2013

DAIWA

HOBIE KAYAK BREAM SERIES

For more information visit www.bream.com.au or phone ABT on ( 07 ) 3387 0888 76

JANUARY 2014

2013 Daiwa-Hobie Kayak Bream Series BAKER CRANKS INTO SECOND I n a u g u r a l Hobie Fishing WorldsChampion Scott Baker produced another solid tournament result to finish second and claim his best result to date in a Kayak Grand Final. Compiling a 6/6, 3.8kg limit to secure his podium finish, Baker fished to his strength and threw a deep Jackall Chubby for the entire tournament. “The Chubby has been my go-to lure for a long time now, so when the weather was bad and the fishing tough I tied one, knowing that if any lure would get me fish it would be that one,” said Baker. Fishing a 1.7m deep

flat near the first island upriver of the start line, Baker religiously used his Power Pole to hold his Hobie in position and allow him to fish the area thoroughly. “Without the Power Pole I wouldn’t have been able to fish the area as I did, and I wouldn’t have caught the fish that I did,” said Baker. With his Power Pole deployed and his Hobie facing into the current Baker would make long casts then retrieve his Jackall with a dead-slow slow roll, bumping the lure across the bottom. “You couldn’t work the lure too slow, you just wanted it to touch its way across the bottom as you

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

cranked it back in,” said Baker. While the technique was crucial for success so was the choice of lure colour. “I could only get fish on the pink eyed, brown suji shrimp colour. While other colours looked great, I just couldn’t get fish to eat them,” said Baker. His choice of technique and lure colour produced seven fish on day one and four fish on day two. One of only two anglers to catch their full limit for the tournament, Baker’s consistency and results once again confirmed his status as an angler to look out for in a big event.

BASS ELECTRIC SERIES

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS It was action stations each morning with over 100 kayaks hitting the startline.

TOP 10 KAYAKERS Place Angler 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Fish Weight Payout BASS ELECTRIC SERIES

Darryl HEAD Scott BAKER Stephen MAAS Craig COUGHLAN Daniel BROWN Richard SOMERTON Chris BURBIDGE Chesney FUNG Nick MACE Grayson FONG

5/6 6/6 4/6 4/6 5/6 4/6 4/6 4/6 5/6 5/6

4.60 3.80 3.54 3.45 3.25 3.17 3.12 3.04 3.03 3.01

2013 Prize Pack, Duffrods Prize Rod Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

For full result listings, see www.bream.com.au Scott Baker once again produced the goods in a big event, finishing second, his best result to date in a Grand Final.

BASS ELECTRIC SERIES

WINNING NOTES

Winning Tackle Rod: 7’6” Millerod Control Freak Reel: 1000 Shimano Stella Line: 8lb OH Dragon PE Leader: 4lb flurocarbon Lure: Jackall Squirrel, Ecogear VX30, Jackall Chubby, Berkley Gulp Shrimp, Berkley 3B Sub Dog Winning Ways With a clear bite pattern undefined Head rotated through varying lures and techniques to maximise his chances of giving the fish something that they would eat. “There was no one lure that dominated (especially on day one) so I threw a heap of different lures in the hope of increasing my chances of giving them something they wanted.” TERS TOP 10 NON-BOA

IC SER IES BAS S ELE CTR

HOG’S BREATH BOSS HOG Event winner Darryl Head claimed the Hogs Breath Boss Hog, with the champion’s day one 1.74kg kicker fish falling to a twitched and long paused suji shrimp coloured Jackall Squirrel.

2013

DAIWA

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For more information visit www.bream.com.au or phone ABT on ( 07 ) 3387 0888 JANUARY 2014

BREAM SERIES

ABT BREAM CLASSIC CHAMPIONSHIP Mallacoota delivers for Team Gamakatsu/Atomic Father/son team Paul Malov and Alex Franchuk (Team Gamakatsu/ Atomic) have taken out the 2013 ABT BREAM Classic Championship at Mallacoota, VIC. Malov and Franchuck come out of the blocks quickly on day 1, posting an imposing 5/5, 4.58kg tournament limit. They then backed it up with a 5/5, 4.51kg limit on day 2 to take the victory by a margin of 1.29kg from their nearest competitors. On the pre-fish day the team checked out 6 possible locations for fish. The goal was to just observe and monitor activity as opposed to actually catching fish. “We actually had 4 key areas that we just left alone,” Malov explained. “We found fish, but it was all about just observing if they were in any numbers and how they were behaving. With 68 teams on the water we knew the key would be to manage our locations to maximise our chances.” On day 1 the team headed to Bottom Lake. They targeted bream around rock clumps and tea tree snags in depths up to 2.5m. By 8.30am the team had boated 3 bream. “We used 2” Atomic Fat Grubs in green gord/ avocado colour rigged on a Gamakatsu 1/22oz round ball head,” Malov explained. “The technique was to cast tight to the edges and let the lure sink on a slack line. If there were no takes on the drop we gave the lure two little hops and then a pause before retrieving it using a slow roll/hopping/ pause retrieve.” The team alternated the presentations with a hardbody presentation. “We used the Atomic Crank 38 in ghost green shad,” Malov said. “It was especially

effective around shallow rock points.” Gamakatsu/Atomic then made the move to Top Lake, targeting a rock wall. Using the Atomic Crank they secured 1 fish slow rolling the lure down the side of the rock face. The team then moved to a bay where they found fish muddying in 10ft of water. “The water was quite green and we could see fish digging on the bottom,” Malov said. “In all, we caught 5-6 legal fish from the location and filled out our tournament limit.” On day 2 Gamakatsu/ Atomic decided to follow the game plan that had provided them with fish on the first day. The initial signs were good, with 2 fish in the livewell by 8.30. The rock wall proved fruitless, but a move to the bay saw the team begin to gain momentum. “At the bay we caught 2

Classic Championship Video Playlist http://goo.gl/aM8Sez

First place winners Paul Malov and Alex Franchuk from Team Gamakatsu-Atomic.

Atomic 2” Fat Grub

Cast tight to edge

Sink on slack line

Two hops and pause

bream including a 1.56kg fish. By 12pm we had 4 fish and were looking at filling our limit and potential upgrades.” In an effort to find their fifth fish, the team decided to fish deeper in an area of Top Lake. Using their Lowrance HDS-12 Touch sounders, the team found fish holding tight to the muddy bottom. “Using 1/8oz Atomic Metalz in ghost green colour we attempted to get the fish to bite,” Malov said. “We also added Megastrike in craw scent to the lures. The technique was 2 small hops tight to the bottom. Using this technique we filled our tournament limit.” The team then hit the edges in hope of finding further upgrades. When this proved unsuccessful they returned to

their original location. The fish were active, but the team was unable to land 3 successive hook-ups. In a final move they hit a timbered location that had previously fished well. “It sounds cliché but on the last cast we got a fish,” Malov said. “It upgraded a 29.5cm fork bream to a 36 fork bream.” Team Gamakatsu/Atomic headed back to the weigh-in in an apprehensive mood. Even though they had filled their limit and upgraded, they knew the quality of fish available at the tournament location. “We were worried those lost fish would cost us,” Malov explained. “The one thing I wasn’t worried about was the condition of the fish; with the recent addition of livewell vents from V-T2, the fish were livelier at the end of the day than they were when they were caught! “Our limit was comprised of 3 good fish and 2 legal fish. Watching the weigh-in was still nerve wracking. This is a big, prestigious event that all teams dream of winning. “When we realized we had won, we felt this huge mix of excitement, relief and accomplishment all at once. Doing it with Dad as my partner made it all the more special. We have a great partnership and it made the whole event an experience to remember.” Malov and Franchuk took away a Mercury 4-stroke 150hp engine for the victory. The team thanked Frogleys Offshore, Lowrance and Evinrude for their support. They also thanked all the 68 teams who had assembled from around the country for attending.

Atomic Metalz 1/8oz Atomic Crank 38 Deep

Rock bar

Short little hops to keep on the bottom

JANUARY 2014

Lure tight to rock bar edge

Breamski take second Team Breamski (Steve Nedeski/ Jarrod Lye) found their limit each day, but were unable to haul in Team Gamakatsu/ Atomic. Breamski were in contention for the day 1 lead with their 5/5, 4.51kg tournament limit. On day

of water, and the key lures were the Jackall Chubby in suji shrimp and the Berkley 3B in brown/red.” The bream were active straight away, with the team filling their 5 fish limit by 8am. A 100m stretch of bank proved to be the key area, with the bream sitting on the

Runners-up Steve Nedeski (and Jarrod Lye not pictured) from Team Breamski. two, however, the team found conditions tougher and their 5/5, 3.56kg limit saw them fall short of the tournament leaders. “During the prefish we just took the time to look around and revisit places where we had previously caught fish,” Nedeski said. “On day one we headed to Top Lake to fish edges. There was a proliferation of baitfish in the area. We targeted fish on the snaggy edges in up to 3ft

drop-off into deeper water. The team then made a move to Top Lake flats where they targeted fish in 7-11ft of water. “We used a 2” Berkley Shrimp in camo colour rigged on a 1/32oz Nitro jighead,” Nedeski said. “The key was to make long, wind-assisted casts. This allowed us to cover a lot of ground and not spook any potential bites. “If the bites didn’t come on the drop we employed

an aggressive hop, pause and sink retrieve. The big rod lifts brought the fish on and resulted in 3 upgrades.” The team finally relocated to Bottom Lake, specifically Goodwin Sands, where they caught their final upgrade on the Berkley 3B lure. On day 2 team Breamski decided to revisit their day 1 locations. In Top Lake the baitfish that were prolific on day 1 had moved on. The team explored the area but was unable to secure any bites. A move to the Top Lake flats saw the team begin to catch fish using a slightly different technique. “The bream responded to a much slower retrieve,” Nedeski explained. “Also, the bream were the larger yellowfin which bolstered our limit. By 11am we had our 5 fish.” He added that a move to Goodwin Sands proved fruitless. “It was too calm,” he said. “We basically pulled up, looked around and left again.” The team finally returned to the Top Lake flats where they continued to catch fish, albeit the same size school fish around 32cm fork length. “Patience was the key in this tournament,” Nedeski said. “This included sorting through smaller fish to find the larger models. From a technique point of view, long, wind-assisted casts allowed us to cover a lot of ground. We got a lot of bites as the lure was on the drop.” Team Breamski’s tackle included G. Loomis 8205 Dropshot rods teamed with 1000 and 2500 size Shimano Stella reels spooled with 3lb Power Pro braid and 3lb/4lb Sunline V Hard leader.

TOP 10 TEAMS Place Team

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

Fish Weight (kg)

1 GAMAKATSU/ATOMIC

Paul Malov & Alex Franchuk

9.36

8.07

8.03

7.9

7.56

7.55

7.39

7.37

2 BREAMSKI Steve Nedeski & Jarrod Lye 3 MINN KOTA Warren Carter & Cameron Whittam 4 BERKLEY Brad Hodges & Michael Hodges 5 AMAZON OUTDOORS/GLADIATOR TACKLE Jason Grace & Steven Cefai 6 BLACK LABEL

Mark Gercovich & Wayne Friebe TOP 10 NON-BOATERS 7 GLADIATOR TACKLE Anthony Thorpe & Rodney Thorpe 8 COMPLEAT ANGLER BATEMANS BAY/SHIMANO Jason Mayberry & Terry Parmenter 9 COLAC TACKLE Stephen Parker & Declan Betts 10 BRUM Danni Suttil & Antony Suttil

WINNING NOTES Winner’s tackle: plastics outfit Rod: Samurai Reaction 201 Reel: 2508 Daiwa Steez Line: 10lb Unitika Aorika II braid Leader: 6lb Unitika Aiger leader

Winner’s tackle: hardbodies outfit Rod: Samurai Reaction 203 Reel: 2000 Daiwa Sol Line: 10lb Unitika Aorika II braid Leader: 6lb Unitika Aiger leader

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

Winner’s edge “The keys were persistence and experience gained in other events at the same venue.. We knew the tournament couldn’t be won in the deep because the fish on the edges were much bigger, so we focused 95% of our effort on the edges. The deep water was the fall-back for filling our limit each session.”

BIG BREAM TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

Cohen Morante (Team Majorcraft) secured the event Big Bream on day 2 with a cracking 1.62kg specimen. The bream came from Allen Head at 12.30 in 6ft of water. “I was using an Atomic K9 Pup in mud prawn colour,” Morante said. “The technique was to make long casts and work the lure for around 4ft before pausing it. It was a good strike and I knew it was a good fish by the fight it was giving. In all it took around 10 minutes from hook-up to landing.” Morante used a Majorcraft Crostage CRK-T702M rod teamed with 8lb Unitika Aorika braid and 3lb Unitika FC leader. - ABT

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

Cohen Morante Majorcraft) TOP 10(Team NON-BOATERS with his 1.62kg fish that took out the Big Bream title.

JANUARY 2014

BREAM SERIES

HUMMINBIRD BREAM GRAND FINAL Parker claims wire-to-wire win Victorian tackle store owner Steve Parker (10/15, 8.49kg) claimed the ultimate prize in tournament bream fishing in Australia with a comprehensive win in the Humminbird BREAM Grand Final, 8-10 November. Grabbing the lead in the Gippsland Lakes hosted event on day one, Parker held his calm on the final day to secure the win and in the end achieve a very comfortable victory. Fishing in amongst the trees out the mouth of the Tambo River on day one, Parker didn’t have to wait long to find out if he was on the fish. His second cast of the session delivered him his first fish. The action wasn’t a one off with Parker quickly catching his second, and then continuing on to fill his bag within the first hour and a half.

Surrounded by a host of other boats that weren’t experiencing Parker’s level of action it was his choice of lure and how he worked it that made all the difference. “The fish were there you just needed to get their attention, otherwise they wouldn’t eat your lure,” said Parker. Fishing an OSP Dunk crankbait in 1.5m of water, Parker’s technique involved ripping the lure aggressively 2-3 times then pause it. It was on the pause that the bream would eat it. The approach not only delivered a rapid-fire limit for the day but also an additional four upgrades. Weighing in the only 5kg+ bag for the day, Parker headed into day two with a comfortable lead, and high

hopes that the Tambo would fire once again. His hopes were thwarted though with gale force winds and dangerous conditions resulting in the cancellation of day two. “I didn’t get any sleep the night I was leading, so to get a chance to catch up on some sleep and make sure I was completely ready for day three wasn’t such a bad thing,” said Parker. With improved conditions on day three and the anglers permitted to start, Parker headed straight back to Tambo in the hope that things would have remained the same as day one. An hour into the session and still with no bites Parker was begging to think about plan B and C. “I left and hit the Mitchell Flats for half an hour for no

TAMBO MOUTH PATTERN

fish, then went to Duck Arm, also for no fish, then cut my loses and went back to the Mitchell,” said Parker. At 10.30am he had no fish, but his dry spell wasn’t to last much longer with his first fish soon to follow. An hour later and he had four in the well. Fish number five proved the toughest though. “I dropped my fifth fish two times, and it took another hour and a half to catch it,” said Parker. Two upgrades followed, delivering Parker a positive end to a day that started frugally. While day one’s lure and technique was an aggressively ripped OSP Dunk, day two’s was the opposite end of the spectrum with Parker catching his fish on a slowly retrieved deep Jackall Chubby bumped across the bottom.

http://goo.gl/7JqfxN

Steve Parker dominated at the Humminbird BREAM Grand Final, winning breaming fishing’s biggest event. The last angler to hit the stage Parker needed 1.23kg to secure the win. Hefting a solid 3.06kg limit onto the scales in the end he did it easily. Parker’s win delivered him a bounty of prizes, including a Yamaha SHO outboard motor,

OSP Dunk, retrofitted with size 12 Decoy YS25 trebles

1 .5

metres deep

Rip

Fish eat lure on pause Pause

Rip Ri p

Deep Jackall Chubby (brown suji shrimp), retrofitted with size 10 Owner ST11 UL trebles

™

JANUARY 2014

AFC outdoors spot, perpetual BREAM Grand Final shield, and a highly coveted bream on a stick. The win also secured Parker the Mercury Cup for 2014, and added his name to a highly regarded list of former Grand Final winners.

BREAM Grand Final Video Playlist http://goo.gl/Fnzye2

Healey Hauls for Second Victorian angler and Humminbird supported tournament pro Jarrod Healy was Mr Consistency at the Grand Final, to secure his best result to date in a Grand Final. Fishing the Nicholson River flats and Duck Arm

early on day one it wasn’t until a late session change to the mouth of the Mitchell River flats that Healey found his fish for the tournament. “It was a late run, I caught my limit in a 400m stretch in the last hour and a half of the session,” said Healey. Healey slow rolled a

Jarrod Healey performed well in the final finishing second.

Jackall Chubby deep across the bottom and giving the lure the occasional twitch. The bite came as the lure was paused. With a day’s rest under his belt due to the day 2 being called off, Healey headed off on day 3 rested, and keen to improve his fourth place. “I headed straight back to the Mitchell hoping that they’d still be there,” said Healey. His wishes went unfulfilled, and with no fish he moved to Duck Arm, a move that paid off. With nothing else to show for an hour he moved back to the Mitchell. This time it produced giving up two fish. Eager to continue his momentum he moved to the Nicholson River flats, and with 30 minutes left he picked up fish number four. Only weighing-in four fish for the day, it was a a result that Healey was more than happy with. “It was hard to find fish on the final day, and getting them to bite was really hard. To finish second in a Grand Final full of very good anglers is very satisfying,” said Healey.

Cribbes Gets Cranky to Win Bairnsdale Glazier Mark Cribbes (5/10, 5.43kg) secured victory in the non-boater division with the local using an Austackle crankbait approach to catch his tournament winning fish. Restricted to a single day on the water due to strong winds Cribbes caught his fish on day 1 fishing the mouth of the Tambo River with day 1 leading boater Steve Parker. Fishing 1.2-1.5m deep snags Cribbes threw an estuary prawn coloured Austackle DD40F Project B Crankbait and worked it with a slow rolling retrieve interspersed with three to four twitches followed by a pause. Cribbes didn’t have to wait long to get a response

to his approach with his first fish coming in the first 10 minutes of arriving at his spot. A string of fish followed with Cribbes and Parker filling their limit by 8.30am. The second fish in the limit was the standout, a 40cm fish that anchored Cribbes win. Cribbes’ winning tackle included an Austackle Featherlight, 2-5kg, rod, Austackle Cruz PBi reel, 8lb Austackle PE mainline, and 4lb fluorocarbon leader. Cribbes upgraded the rear hook of his crankbait, replacing it with a size 12 Owner ST11 treble. With a BREAM Grand Final trophy safely on his mantle, Cribbes joins an exclusive list of Grand Final winners. – ABT

Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

Payout

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Stephen PARKER

10/10

8.49

Yamaha SHO motor (RRP $30,000)

Warren CARTER Daniel MACKRELL Tristan TAYLOR Chris WRIGHT Matthew KEARTON Cameron WHITTAM Damien DOMAGALA

9/10 10/10 4/10 9/10 8/10 5/10 6/10

6.46 5.6 4.1 4.03 3.91 3.4 3.36

TT Lures/Zman Pack Tonic Sunglasses Pack Ecogear Pack Imakatsu/Toray Pack Duffdollar Vouchers Strike Pro Pack Starlo Stick

Jarrod HEALEY 9/10 6.66 Duffrod TOP 10 NON-BOATERS Daniel KENT 10/10 6.62 Shimano Starlo Stick/Saros Reel

For full result listings, see www.bream.com.au

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS Fish Weight (kg)

Place Angler 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mark CRIBBES Grant STINGEL Rebecca FAZIO Nigel WHITE Dave HEDGE Richard SOMERTON John WRIGHT Andrew WILLIAMS Michael HODGES Tanya KONSUL

5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 3/5 4/5 5/5 4/5

5.43 4.44 4.27 4.02 3.4 3.32 3.29 2.93 2.79 2.01

Payout

Evinrude E-Tec motor (RRP $10,000) Rapala Pack TT Lures/Zman Pack Spotters Pack Tonic Sunglasses Pack Shimano Tackle Bag Imakatsu/Toray Pack Duffdollar Vouchers Starlo Stick Starlo Stick

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

For full result listings, see www.bream.com.au

WINNING NOTES TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

Winning Tackle Day 1 Rod: G.Loomis TSR 862 Reel: Daiwa Steez 2508 Line: 10lb Sunline Castaway PE Leader: 5lb V Hard flurocarbon Lure: OSP Dunk, retrofitted with size 12 Decoy YS25 trebles

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

Bairnsdale local Mark Cribbes secured the non-boater title to claim his maiden Grand Final win.

http://goo.gl/sdf3yl

FISHING TACKLE

Day 2 Rod: G.Loomis SJR 842 Reel: Daiwa Steez 2508 Line: 14 Varivas Max Power PE Leader: 4b V Hard flurocarbon Lure: Deep Jackall Chubby (brown suji shrimp), retrofitted with size 10 Owner ST11 UL trebles Winning Ways Parker matched his lure, tackle and technique perfectly to the location and mood of the fish. Going aggressive and heavy on day one and downsizing to finesse on a tough day two.

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

ABT, PO Box 7196, LOGANHOLME, QLD 4129 Alternatively you can download an entry form from www.bream.com.au At any time you can call ABT on (07) 3387 0888 for help with your entry during business hours. JANUARY 2014

Faust’s feisty foe BOWEN

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

Saltwater barra anglers will often testify that an impoundment barramundi lacks the aggression and fight of a wild saltwater barra with the central argument being these traits can only be refined through years of living in a wild uncontrolled hostile environment. To all those anglers who share this ideology I challenge you to fish the waters of Peter Faust Dam and go toe to toe with one of its Jurassic fish as you will soon realise this is far from the truth. It is common knowledge for those who have tangled with these ‘Faust fish’ that they are best described in one single word – angry. These fish hammer lures and fight with such aggression and determination that you would swear someone had

Dam basin The dam basin is a large open area and can reach as deep as 70ft. It is characterised by a very large open area bordered by the dam wall at one end and the semi-submerged timber forest. Fishing the dam wall is limited and a 20m exclusion zone bordered by a roped off barrier is present in the basin. The basin is a popular spot for trollers because trolling allows for an easy way to cover plenty of ground and find feeding fish. Having a good quality sounder is vital if you are going to fish this area, as the fish often aggregate in numbers in certain parts of the basin, and being able to run your lure through large groups of fish will dramatically improve your chances of success. In my earlier days on the dam I spent a lot of time trolling in the basin as the low water restricted much of the fishing, so here are a couple of tips I picked up that increased my success.

I found using a spread of lures diving at different depths was really important. On many occasions I would troll over a good show of fish at 8m and the 3m lure would be the first hit because the feeding fish were lying higher in the water column. Next if you come across a good showing of fish, try slowing the boat down and really working the rods to get a more erratic action out of the lure. Remember action creates action so try being active if you are going to troll the basin. While trolling is one way to fish the basin, you can also try vertical jigging, especially if you locate a good school of fish on the sounder. If fish are showing at a certain depth on your sounder cast out your lure then count down one second for every 10ft and then when it reaches the desired depth begin your retrieve. The Timber The Timber, as it is commonly referred to by

This is the quality of fish you can expect from Peter Faust. They are not only huge they also fight like a Spartan as well. injected them with Spartan blood. These beasts will take to the air with every opportunity than rampage away while your baitcaster cries in agony. They are far from the swamp donkey description and more akin to a rampaging thoroughbred. While I may be a little biased about Peter Faust, many share the same beliefs that it does hold the toughest, meanest and angriest impoundment barra in the world and, pound for pound, will test every bit of your angling gear and ability just as much as their saltwater cousins. WHERE TO FISH Anglers have three main options when fishing Faust: the dam basin, the Timber and the old riverbed of the Proserpine River. 82

JANUARY 2014

The hydrowave from Hydrowave Australia is one piece of tech that will give you an unparalleled edge on Peter Faust. It has the ability to bring fish to you instead of you finding fish. anglers, is characterised by the hundreds of semisubmerged trees that can be found in the central section of the dam. The Timber is for lure casting fishers, as there is plenty of structure to target. Proven techniques include bouncing through the Timber randomly targeting different trees until you find fish, or alternatively anglers can anchor up amongst a spread of timber and flick away. The problem with fishing the Timber area is that it can be quite extensive with thousands of trees so it can be a tough place to find fish, however if you find one you are likely to find multiple fish. One of the best ways to fish this area successfully is to use your sounder to try and locate large numbers of fish around tree structure and to target their bases or any horizontal lay down style timber. One of the most successful lures used for this technique is the Lucky Craft Pointer 100XD and 100DD, which really gets down into the timber and into the faces of fish. Finding fish on the sounder

The by-catch at Peter Faust is worth the trip alone – big sooty grunter that can easily push the tape to 60cm.

These are a good selection of lures to start with when fishing the dam. The largest Z-Man’s SwimmerZ and Squidgy Slick Rigs are ideal soft plastic lures, and it’s hard to go past the Lucky Craft Pointers and Rapala X Raps for hardbodies. can be tough even with SI technology as they can hide behind lay down timber and stumps. Fishing the timber can be equally as fun as frustrating as fishing tight against structure for big angry fish can often see awesome hook-ups and even more dramatic bust offs. In this area anglers are sometimes forced to free spool hooked fish around structure before the fight can commence. Other tips for fishing the timber are to target areas where the timbers end or begin. These areas can act as highways for fish and finding a spot where fish move through is the key to finding fish on the dam. Proserpine riverbed Finally you have the old Proserpine riverbed

area up the back of the Dam. This area is home to numerous bays created by feeder creeks, which pour into the dam during the wet. These bays are lined with weed beds, lily pads and submerged timber. The trick to fishing this area is to target the points of these bays by casting tight against weed beds. While these are visible from the surface it is the submerged beds several metres underwater that hold the fish. If you can keep your lure above them you will be in the strike zone. It’s also worth targeting the middle of the bays as this is where the water is the deepest or channelled out and can often hold big fish. My general rule is that the weed beds and points look healthy with lots of

greenery and bait flicking around then the fish are usually not too far behind. It’s these weed beds that hold the bait and if you can find some structure close to these areas the fish are usually there as well. BEST TIME TO FISH Low light is always a great time to target Peter Faust Dam barra. Sometimes the morning bite can be better than the evening bite so it’s always a good idea to fish the Dam over a couple of days to work out the best bite times. Fishing at night is also a very good option, especially over a full moon period. The

barra are always active at night and they can be easier to target as they tend to feed a lot harder during the dark. You are more likely to pin fish in shallower water at night, so finding a shallow weed bed area and using a shallow running lure to suit is always a great idea to target big fish in the dark. GEAR Loading for bear is the best way to describe gear preparation for Peter Faust; heavy braided lines are a must. More importantly heavy leaders around 50-80lb are essential as these fish can really suck a lure down a long way and

their rakers can make short work of poor quality or light leader material. I prefer to fish with either twisted or a quality fluorocarbon like Sunline as they are very abrasive and can really take some punishment from both the fish and the structure. Rod selection is also very important. Having a shorter rod (6’ bait caster) to work amongst the timber is useful while a longer rod (6-7’) is perfect for achieving those long casts when fishing weed beds and points. Having multiple rods brings both versatility and ease of fishing to the plan.

The Timber as it is known is a top spot to ‘bounce’ through and cast at structure.

Here 107cm of Faust barra explodes off the surface to take the lure. You can see right down its bucket mouth. While it may look like overkill having 8 rods in your boat for two anglers it really makes a huge difference to your success when you are ready to fish all depths and conditions. Having rods ready rigged for shallow or deep areas allows for quick transitions from environment to environment especially when fishing over weed. When it comes to terminal tackle it’s important that you choose quality extra heavy trebles, rings and quality lures. These fish have extreme power and will bend terminal tackle with as much power as a big GT.

TECHNOLOGY Technology is essential to your success on the dam. Having a good sounder is really vital so you can find fish and match lure depths to the structure you are fishing. The closer you can keep your lure to the top of weed beds or structure the better. One piece of tech that is proving invaluable to fishing Peter Faust is the Hydrowave. This machine has the ability to bring fish to your location through its ability to send out a sound wave that mimics feeding baitfish. The guys from Hydrowave Australia have really perfected a

range of sounds that get the barra excited and on the chew. I was sceptical at first but I have seen enough evidence to be well and truly convinced that the Hydrowave is definitely a big advantage to have in your boat. Peter Faust Dam is home to the toughest, meanest and angriest impoundment barra in the world. While 12 hours may seem like a long way to go for those who live in the south east corner I can promise you all those hours in the car will seem worth it when you feel a metre-plus of pure aggressive Spartan barra on the end of your line.

JANUARY 2014

Crazy Crab BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

In Southern Queensland, the warm summer months and increased water temperature creates heightened activity amongst many estuarine and bay species, including crustaceans. Crabs in particular, are commonly preyed upon by many species from bream and snapper to tuskfish and cobia. Estuary cod is a prominent species in the bay and estuary and they just adore crabs. Cod are a major candidate for flyfishers using this month’s pattern, the Crazy Crab. However, it will soon be apparent after fishing this fly that a broad array of species will find the Crazy Crab irresistible. CRUSTACEAN CAPERS There is a huge array of crab species within the waters of Southern Queensland. From small purple and black specimens scurrying amongst the rocks lining the foreshore to large, tasty blue swimmers well offshore, crabs come in numerous sizes, shapes and colours throughout our waters and all can become a food source for an array of species. If you investigate the stomach contents of any demersal species, you are likely to find the remnants of crabs they have eaten recently. Crabs offer a much larger food source for many species than we realise. However, few anglers use them for bait or use the numerous crab patterned flies on offer. For a predating fish, crabs can be fairly easy to find and relatively easy to secure, compared to many other food sources. Estuary cod just adore them and if you find a rock wall with crabs in residence then it is a safe bet that there will be quite a few quality estuary cod patrolling. Snapper are another species that respond well to crab patterns however most estuarine and many bay species will attack a well-tied crab copy. This month’s pattern is a very simple yet durable pattern that has produced the goods over the years. It is a little similar to a pattern I did mid 2007 in QFM called the Quickie Crab, yet has some variations. It can be tied in numerous sizes and can easily be weighted to get it down deep, even in a moderate current. The array of colours is endless however due to the broad array of crab species on offer that sport an assortment of

variations in colour. As such, you do not need to try too hard to match any particular species too closely. Crabs spend much of their time close to the rocks or the bottom so fishing your crab slowly in this zone is more likely to produce a solid hook up. MATERIALS The materials list for this pattern should be available at any good fly tying supplier however you will probably be able to source many of them, or substitutes, from a decent craft shop. I have chosen the Mustad C70S D hook pattern as it has a slightly turned in point for ease of penetration and is exceptionally strong with a tempered bend. This is extremely important as any species with the jaw power to crush a crab will soon make short work of an inferior hook. Other good substitutes could include the Gamakatsu SL12S, Tiemco 800S or Mustad Hoodlum (even though it has a very minor offset). The main body of the Crazy Crab is formed using the loop side of some Velcro although I have seen the hook side used for the belly at times. After some serious use, the fibres of the loops will pull out and the crab may take on an almost furry appearance, however this just seems to improve its productivity. You may even choose to tease out the fibres a bit before use. The two claws are represented by Hen Cape Hackles, however any hackle will suffice. The style, colour and the weighting of the eye can also be changed to suit your requirements. If extra weight is required to get the pattern down deeper, or for fishing it in stronger currents, then you can wrap the hook shank with some lead wire or even put some lead tape sheeting between the two Velcro dots. Any rubber legging material will suffice and there are numerous colours and styles to choose from. I like to use this flat rubber as I find that it moves a lot more in the water. Tying a knot in each end makes it look a little more realistic but more importantly it also creates more leg movement in the current, even when the fly is at rest. You may even like to use a Sharpie marker to make the back of the crab look like it is mottled or perhaps use a different coloured Velcro dot to start with. There is a lot of scope for experimentation with the basic pattern.

MATERIALS HOOK:..................Mustad C70S D #2/0 THREAD: .............Flat-waxed nylon – fiery brown CLAWS:................Hen Cape – furnace EYES:...................Brite Pupil – gold/olive large LEGS: ..................Tiewell Flat Rubber – black BODY: ..................Wapsi Crab Coins 7/8” tan ADHESIVE: ..........Devcon 5-minute epoxy FINISH: ................Vinyl Cement 84

JANUARY 2014

Place the hook securely

1 in the vice and attach

the thread with a jamb knot at the start of the hook bend. Cut two matching hackles almost as long as the hook shank and tie the butt of one in at this point, on the side of the hook, with the curvature facing outwards away from the hook. Repeat with the second hackle on the other side and whip finish.

2 At this same point, on the back of the hook shank, secure your eyes with a series of figure-ofeight wraps until secure. Whip finish and leave the remainder of the thread.

Take a rubber leg and tie this evenly around (half on each side) the hook shank so that it is secure. Repeat with the other two until you have them on fairly evenly, producing three legs down each side of the shank. If you are having trouble with the rubber undoing at the knot, palmer your thread forward and secure each piece of rubber with a series of wraps. Otherwise, trim away the remaining thread.

5 Mix up a small amount of 5 minute epoxy and coat the base of the dot. A thin even coat is all that is required. This will allow the next Velcro dot to adhere securely to the last, which increases the durability of the pattern.

Hold the two Velcro dots securely together, back-to-back, until the 6 epoxy has set. Ensure the legs remain in the desired position while doing this. Knot the end of the legs at the desired point and then trim away the remaining legging material. Add a little vinyl cement to the thread securing the eyes to increase durability. Your Crazy Crab is now the tastiest crustacean in the ocean.

(View from above) Stick one of the Velcro Dots to the underside of the hook shank and then position each leg evenly as shown. The Velcro dot will probably already have an adhesive base to secure each leg to and make this easier.

Clearing the way for cod on fly BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

The Murray cod season opened on the first of December, and with the amount of water we’ve had in the New England and southern border streams recently our green fish should be well and truly on the job. Before heading to a favourite stream – taking in an area from Stanthorpe right down to Tamworth and beyond, and west as well – there’s one major consideration: water clarity. Flies don’t have whirling blades, skirts, rattles or other attractants so they need clearer water to attract the attention of fish. If the visibility isn’t 40cm or so, your fly is likely to go unnoticed. An exception might come with the use of the dry fly, but more on this later. SOLID TACKLE Fly tackle for these marble-eyed mouse maulers should reflect the fact that while a lot of smaller cod inhabit our upland and adjacent western streams, there are also some really prime specimens there.

Thinking big and fishing big makes sense. Also, for a cod fly to be noticed it needs to be big, bulky, flashy; best tied on a 4/0 or 5/0 hook. It follows that an #8wt or #9wt fly outfit is best suited to the job. As a cost-cutting measure I use the same #9wt 4-piece TFO Mangrove fly rod for cod, tuna, and barra. Naturally, the matching reel and intermediate sink rate fly line also double as tuna and barra tackle in the saltwater. A store-bought or homespun leader of a little less than a rod length is ideal, with a final tip section of 8kg b/s to avoid flies being cut off from those fine little teeth. Cod are not particularly leader shy but are not pushovers either, so fluorocarbon leader tippet material makes sense. The above tackle covers wet flyfishing. When using a dry fly such as a big fat Gartside Gurgler (again on a 5/0 hook) a floating fly line is used with the leader shortened to around 2m. The final tippet should be 8kg for strength. BIG FLIES You want your sub-surface flies to push aside a bit of water on the twitchstop-twitch style of retrieve that kick-starts these apex

predators. I’ve found that extra bulky Lefty’s Deceiver style patterns, substituting flash material in lieu of feathers, are ideal for wet fly work. Another excellent fly is the Toad. Designed for Florida’s giant tarpon, the Toad seems to take everything that has fins and a tail. A big Toad on a size 4/0 hook is a great wet fly for cod. Hop on the internet to see tying instructions. If you prefer to purchase your flies, I recommend using large Deceivers or the ubiquitous Bush Pig style of fly to take cod. A useful source of tailor-made offerings is the Kaos line of cod cod flies (kaoscodflys. com) by Ross Virt. While wet flyfishing certainly takes cod it’s the dry flyfishing that really excites. The outstanding dry fly is the good old Gartside Gurgler, a large fly that displaces a lot of water, sputters about sweetly when tweaked, then sits with the gentlest of bobbing while the cod lines it up from below. These flies are easily tied on a pre-cut Gurgler foam supplied by a fly shop, or lovingly shaped from closed cell foam with your partner’s best dressmaking scissors while she is watching TV.

Gurgler tying is easy to follow on the internet. I opt for longish tails on my Gurglers to resemble a mouse or lizard that’s fallen into the drink. WHEN AND WHERE Like many predatory fish, cod are most active at dawn and dusk. They also feed at night. To catch a cod on fly during the middle of the day isn’t impossible, but it needs to be a special day; maybe dull and overcast or with light rain. A cloudy evening with a storm brewing nearby is a ripper arvo for cod. They really fire up, showing an aggression that is out of character for fish that delight in seeking refuge in tuckedaway places, only pouncing on meals that stray close by. Most times the wet fly works well during general daylight hours, with the Gartside Gurgler and floating line reserved for change of light or, better still, after dark. Surprisingly, cod are not a very accurate fish on the dry fly. The bulge of water associated with an attack seems to push the fly away. You can counter this a little by making a couple of small strips and then leave it sit with a fair amount of slack in the system, so the fly can

Water clarity is a big factor governing success rates for cod on fly. Note how clear this stream is. be engulfed on a slack rather than tight line. Most hits come as the fly rests. Be warned! Finding cod in small upland waters is comparatively easy. Searching out areas where there’s a combination of depth and current flow usually brings rewards in the form of a bent rod. Larger waters may look daunting but there are always tricks to any trade, and the trick here is to identify the most likely locations before making a first cast. Remember that cod love snags. A fly cast close to a snag, allowed to sit a spell, then worked enticingly back will usually provoke a response. However, not all streams, particularly our smaller upland ones, have a lot of snags. That’s OK. The clue is to work with whatever cover

is there, plus hot spots such as the area at the head of a pool where the water suddenly deepens, or a side area of deeper water just out the main current flow at the pool’s head. Another great area is where water exiting a pool is funnelled into a run or a chute with some cover and depth about it. Like many predators, cod like their food delivered to them, and they hang about waiting for it to arrive. Big, rocky holes in larger waters usually offer a mix of all habitats with snags, deeper corners, overhanging branches and fast runs all spread out nicely for a day’s fishing. If you fish the lot, bit by bit, sooner or later there will be a fierce tug on the line followed by a stubborn pull. Cod on the fly! Great fun this summer!

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Trolling lures produces TOOWOOMBA

Jason Ehrlich fishability1@bigpond.com

As we kick off into a new year, the freshwater fishing scene is looking pretty sweet. During the summer months, all freshwater species are more active and willing to munch lures. My favourite style of fishing, surface luring, will certainly be worth a shot in the mornings and afternoons. Lure casting can be a little tougher across the lakes when fish spread out, but this is the ideal time to troll lures. Trolling covers heaps of water and all you have to do is keep putting lures in front of fish to keep catching them. It’s a great way for newcomers to get stuck into the action. More experienced anglers can really mix it up

and troll sinking lures like blades and plastics through the fish while using a bit of rod work and a few winds of the reel to make the lures look more attractive to the fish. Thinking back over 2013, we had a good year all round but anglers needed to keep changing their approach to catch fish. This was partly due to the widespread flooding at the start of the year. Things have generally settled now so the fish are a lot more predictable. Keep in mind if big rain hits an area again this year, everything will change. I love to hear people’s fishing reports as I simply can’t get to enough areas each month. The more I hear, the more detailed the next month’s report will be. Just shoot me an email (and a photo for the magazine if you like) at fishability1@

bigpond.com. I look forward to hearing form you. I did have one rather unusual report last year from one of my work colleagues, who is a top bloke. Sam ‘Slippery’ Moyle is a very credible chap… although the guys who were with him on that fateful day in 2013 might disagree. Slippery was checking a redclaw trap not far from the boat ramp at Boondooma when he swears he saw the head of a crocodile slowly slipping back into the water. His mates highly doubt his story. The light was low and the beverages had been flowing all day so let’s hope Slippery was wrong. Still, I think I’d be watching my back if I was swimming in the lake on a quiet day with no one else around. Until next month, buckled rods from the Colonel!

Summer is perfect for surface luring our freshwater species. Low light periods will be best with species like cod, toga, barra and this bass on offer. SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND CRESSBROOK CLOSEST TOWNS: TOOWOOMBA, CROWS NEST Despite most anglers doing it tough at Cressbrook, the fish haven’t been all that hard to catch if you go about it the right way. The bass

have spread out and suspended in the deep water in a similar fashion to the early days on this lake. If you can remember fishing the lake more than a decade ago you may recall bass being trolled up on diving lures right out in the deepest areas. The depth of the lure

will depend on how deep the bass are suspending, but as a general rule, be prepared to fish between 5-10m deep. Timber hardbodies have been the most effective, probably due to the fact they have no inbuilt rattles. A range of plastic lures which also fits this bill, and is easily accessible, comes from Smak.

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JANUARY 2014

AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 99 96 89 84 84 98 97 95 95 94 100 97 94 91 89 95 93 92 90 88 100 100 99 96 95 95 91 85 77 75 80 79 76 73 73 100 99 98 97 98 98 96 91 86 88 99 100 97 96 61 100 98 97 95 95 93 90 85 81 67 86 74 n/a 70 65 98 97 96 95 95 99 99 96 90 78 100 99 98 96 95 75 73 68 66 61 91 92 n/a 91 n/a 100 98 96 94 93

14 31

Weipa

Toowoomba

BRISBANE 27

23 Impoundment Dams 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

When trolling, leave 30-40m of line out and stick to either light mono or braid. Regardless of which one you use, don’t go over 8lb or the lure will lose its ability to dive deeply due to the resistance of the line dragging through the water. To mix things up, anglers can troll soft plastics using an electric motor. Plastic trolling covers more water than casting and once you achieve the right speed and jighead weight your lure will be continuously in the zone. For starters, troll at about 2.4km/h (a slow walking pace) using a 1/2oz jighead. Experiment with the amount of trailing line as this will alter the plastic’s depth. Try using 20-50m behind the boat and remember the amount because when you catch a fish, you’ll

Gold Coast

24 25 Cairns 1

19 20

Townsville 2

3 4

Proserpine 6 Mackay

Rockhampton

Emerald

Gladstone

29 7

Bundaberg 9 11

Highlighted dams are covered in this issue

Maryborough

Roma

BRISBANE

want to be able to repeat it. The schooling fish around the toilet points and Deer Island have been scarce. These are likely to be the fish which are now out wide in the deep water. Lure casters will do it tough on the lake edges and water less than 7m deep, and the same goes for bait fishermen. Try lures and bait fished vertically under the boat out in the deep water. At times the bass will bunch up under the boat and this is the right time to drop a live shrimp, soft plastic or ice jig into them. Be sure to keep close to the depth of the fish, as in deep water it is easy to be above or below the holding zone. Toowoomba Regional Council are considering removing the $3 entry fee at

DAM LEVEL Report DAMS Atkinson Awoonga Bjelke-Petersen Boondooma Borumba Burdekin Falls Callide Cania Clarendon Clarrie Hall Cooby Coolmunda Copeton Cressbrook Dyer/Bill Gunn Eungella Fairbairn Glenlyon Hinze

Gympie

the dam, but it might pay to be prepared and have some loose change just in case the boom gates are still in place next month. The 8 knot speed limit is still in place. For all your supplies, expert advice and to check on the boating restriction, call in at Fish’n’Bits in Alderley Street, Toowoomba, or give them a ring on (07) 4636 6850. The boys at the store all compete in bass tournaments and really know their stuff. SOMERSET CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY Bass and goldens continue to be caught at the lake, and lures have been performing well. While the last couple of months have been hit-and-miss, Continued page 87

For fortnightly updates Julius 80 80 80 80 80  Kinchant 97 94 82 71 72 Koombooloomba 79 61 43 26 17  Leslie 76 75 74 72 69  Macdonald 100 98 98 87 83  Maroon 100 99 98 96 95  Monduran/Fred Haigh 96 98 93 93 91  Moogerah 99 99 95 93 92  North Pine/Samsonvale 88 87 84 82 81  Peter Faust/Proserpine 97 95 93 90 90 Pindari 66 63 63 63 60  Somerset 100 100 99 98 99  Storm King n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a  Teemburra 100 99 97 93 92  Tinaroo 76 73 68 63 62 Toonumbar 100 100 99 96 96  Wivenhoe 100 100 97 95 94  Wuruma 100 100 96 94 95

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 13/12/13

From page 86

there seems to have been a change and the action has picked up. How long this activity lasts is anyone’s guess; the fishing pressure over the Christmas week may slow the action down. Big numbers of bass have made an unusual move to the timber north of Kirkleigh. These fish have been sitting near the start of timber. Trolling diving lures around this area has accounted for bulk numbers of bass and golden perch over the last month. One angler went into Fish’n’Bits, Toowoomba to buy five Smak 19 lures in purple and white after a 70-fish session so there’s a pretty good hint as to what to use. Other lure options are the Blitz Baga, Halco 50mm Poltergeist Crazy Deep, Kezza Freak and Rapala Hot Lips Express 1/4oz. Lure casters have also been getting into the fish

around the Kirkleigh timber. Blade baits and lipless crankbaits are good options at this time of year. It also pays to have a 1/2oz jighead-rigged plastic ready just in case the fish change their mood. Casting and trolling lures around Bay 13 and Pelican Point should also produce a mixed bag of bass and golden perch. As I stated earlier, it is strange to have such big numbers of bass schooling around the timber so keep the middle reaches of the lake as a fall-back area as they are pretty reliable. Bait fishing with live shrimp will produce mixed bags of fish while they remain schooled. If the fish scatter, stick to trolling lures if you want to boat numbers. It looks as though trolling, just like in the old days, will be the way to have some fun at Somerset. It’s an easy way to catch a fish for the whole family so hopefully you’ll be able to get

DARLING DOWNS GRANITE BELT REGION COOBY CLOSET TOWNS: HIGHFIELDS, TOOWOOMBA The fishing at Cooby has been hot and cold. Golden perch have been caught all over the dam on a variety of techniques but the numbers of fish haven’t been huge. Bait fishing in 7m of water is still probably the best guarantee of a fish. Live shrimp or frozen saltwater yabbies are the top baits. Drop these straight over the side of the boat with a small ball sinker sitting directly above a size 1 wide gap hook (like an Owner K hook). Trolling hardbodies has scored a few fish and so has hopping blades and jigging ice jigs. Casting to the edges with spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits has also picked up a few goldens. Last month I mentioned the increase in cod encounters. An 18kg specimen was landed back in November on a spinnerbait cast to the edge so it just goes to show they

are there if you target them. Cooby is an electric motor only dam and is well

out and enjoy it during the holiday break. WIVENHOE CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, FERNVALE A big announcement was made last month which will either excite or frustrate Wivenhoe anglers: as of 14 December, the lake was opened to power boats under restrictions. Low-emission petrol motors (4-strokes and fuel injected 2-strokes) will be able to operate on the dam. While there is no outboard size restriction in place, Seqwater has stated that all vessels are not to exceed 6 knots. This makes me wonder if this speed will apply to tricked up electric boats and sailboats capable of cruising along at greater than this speed. Boat launching will be carried out from Hamon Cove and Logan Inlet ramps. The restricted area buoyed off 3km from the dam wall is still out of bounds.

With outboards allowed on the dam, plenty of people will explore the lake to find the best fishing grounds. The increase in boating activity will upset some of the lake’s regulars, who have been able to enjoy the fishing in peace over the years. Personally, I believe the lake and the fish are there for all to enjoy. I’d love to hear your reports on the lake at fishability1@ bigpond.com . MOOGERAH CLOSEST TOWN: BOONAH Lure and bait anglers have been hauling in the bass and golden perch at Moogerah. The timbered area has held plenty of schooling bass and these fish have responded well to blade baits. When looking for fish in the timber, narrow the spots down by sounding over the flats less than 10m deep. Trolling a lure through the standing timber may also pay off.

The southern banks have also fished well when trolling lures. Medium diving lures like the Hydrobug have scored well in the past weeks. Bait fishing around the timber and gorge will produce a mixed bag of golden perch, bass and catfish. These areas will see less ski boat and jet ski action so you will be assured of a more peaceful day on the water. HINZE CLOSEST TOWN: NERANG, GOLD COAST There have been quite a few bass taken along the eastern side of the dam in the last month. During the day, the action has been around the edge of the tree line. Points have held better numbers of bass than the bays. Beetle spin rigged soft plastics and Berkley PowerBlades have been nailing the fish from this area for some of the dam’s regulars. Most of the bass have been of a smaller class and range from 30-40cm

in length. An early morning start is likely to produce some topwater action. The trick to getting surface strikes is to fish surface lures in close to the edge before the sun hits the water. The eastern bank is great for this attack in the mornings as it takes a little longer for the sun to hit it. On days when the bass are whacking topwater baits, the sun seems to rise too quickly and spoil the fun. A permit is required to fish Hinze Dam and these are only $5/week or $40/ year. These are available through Go Camping at Nerang. No outboard motors can be taken on the dam, so it is electric motors only or paddle power if you want to tangle with the Gold Coast’s fiery little bass. For all the latest information and best lures for the job call in and see the guys at Go Camping, 10 Spencer Street, Nerang.

suited to kayaks and canoes. The concrete boat ramp is on a shallow angle when the dam is full and can be slippery in places, but a big electric-powered boat

can still be launched with care. Outboard motors can be left on the boat but must not be used. The open hours are from 7am-8pm. The boom gate

at the entrance may be out of action by next month; Council has considered removing the fees, but bring your $3 just in case it is still in place. Live shrimp and saltwater yabbies can be purchased from Highfields Bait and Tackle on the New England Highway in Highfields. Call in and see Doug and check out the great range of kayaks and accessories he has on display. COOLMUNDA CLOSEST TOWN: INGLEWOOD The golden perch should really fire up this month. Bait fishers have been getting into the fish using the standard live shrimps and saltwater yabbies. Stranger baits like chicken gut have also fared well. In the timber, the goldens will take lipless crankbaits cast around the trees. Lipless crankbaits hopped and retrieved close to the bottom will fool these fish, and there is always the chance of hooking a Murray cod. Trolling out in the

middle around the old river channels with hardbodies will score plenty of golden perch. Lures that dive 5m are ideal in this water. Look for signs of life on the sounder. Even if the golden perch don’t show up, the bait will, and they will often hold around those areas. The Coolmunda Caravan Park is only around 1km away from the lake. The park is just off the Cunningham Highway but far enough away from the noise of trucks to get a good night’s sleep. It offers camping sites, cabins, caravan facilities, tennis courts, a swimming pool, BBQ shelter and a camp kitchen. To take advantage of this and the great fishing opportunities in the lake and the river below, give the park a call on (07) 4652 4171. LESLIE CLOSEST TOWN: WARWICK Leslie has continued to fish quite well for golden perch on lures and bait. There has been a noted increase in the number of Murray cod

Reaction-style baits like blades work well on bass over the summer months.

Continued page 88

STAY ALL WEEKEND AND CATCH FISH

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Bjelke-Petersen Dam

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In the South Burnett, it’s only 1 hour between Freshwater dams JANUARY 2014

From page 87

being caught as well. Trolling hardbodies and lipless crankbaits in 3-7m of water has scored most of the fish. Try around the major points, the tree line close to the dam wall,

opposite the boat ramp and up towards the Black Boys and in Sandy Creek. Purple lures have been a standout, with the Smak Golden Child one of the best hardbodies and the TN60 Jackall the best lipless bait.

WIDE BAY AND BURNETT REGION BOONDOOMA CLOSEST TOWNS: PROSTON, KINGAROY The action has picked up at Boondooma and the fish continue to move further out into the dam’s basin. The stretch along the left-hand bank before The Junction has been fishing well, with trolled lures producing both bass and golden perch. The Barbers Pole section is very popular and is easily found along this bank by spotting the striped pole. The Smak 16 in Gayle colour has been exceptional on the fish in this area. Pelican Point has

produced well over the last month, with lure casters taking plenty of bass. Blade baits will be worth trying here on any schooling fish. The bass will show up well on the sounder so look around the point and also the bank on the opposite side leading up to it. The lake edges between The Junction and the start of the Stuart arm trees have been fishing well on spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits. Both golden perch and bass are being caught along this stretch. As the weather continues to heat up, the fish may retreat to slightly deeper water where they can be

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JANUARY 2014

Bait fishing with live shrimp and saltwater yabbies will entice some golden perch. The mornings and afternoons will be the prime times to use bait as the fish seem to move around a little more.

For any tips and gear for fishing Leslie Dam or the Warwick area, call in and see the guys at Warwick Outdoor and Sports in Palmerin Street Warwick. The store stocks a great range of

freshwater gear which is well suited to catching our Australian natives. CONNELLY CLOSEST TOWN: WARWICK Golden perch continue to bite well at Connelly.

Trolling lures has picked up and is now producing more fish. Lipless crankbaits have been a standout producer with one angler being busted up by a quality cod in between golden perch.

targeted with blades. BJELKE-PETERSEN CLOSEST TOWNS: MURGON, GOOMERI The lake has really fired up over the last month. Big numbers of bass and golden perch are being taken in the timbered reaches. Spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits were scoring plenty of fish but with the summer heat, blades will probably be a better option. Try casting and hopping1/4oz to 1/2oz blade baits to the steeper points in the timber. The rocky areas seem to be producing better than the shallow, weedy banks. Cruise around in 4-6m of water and keep an eye on the sounder to locate schools. Trolling the same area with medium running lures should also produce a mixed

bag. Once you’ve found a patch of fish, give the blade baits a run as the fish have been crawling over them. Bait fishing in 5-7m of water in the timber will score a few bass and some cracker golden perch. Live shrimp make the best all-round bait and saltwater yabbies are great for the goldens. For help catching Bjelke and Boondooma fish, call into your local Bass 2 Barra store. You can see Matthew at Kingaroy or Dylan in Dalby and the boys will have you all geared up and ready for action in no time. MONDURAN CLOSEST TOWN: GIN GIN Over the last month, the barra bite has died off at Monduran. There is still the occasional fish being taken around places like Insane

Bay, the top of north and south ‘B’ arms and inside the Rainforest. Try fishing the windy points and bays with hardbody lures around 100mm long. The fish are still there so it’s just a matter of cracking a pattern. Mix it up. If the standard stop-start retrieve with a hardbody lure isn’t working, try cranking fast. When fishing fast, big lipless crankbaits, Transams and plastics are worth a try. Place long casts across the bank on a more parallel angle. The fish are still cruising around the dam so it will only be a matter of time until they fire up again. I hope it’s not too long. The tackle store in Gin Gin, Foxies, stocks a range of effective barra lures. The store will mail order and you can check it out online at www. barratackle.com.au. Be sure

to call in and get directions to some of the best barra fishing in the area or pick up one of the detailed maps. Accommodation can be booked through Lake Monduran Kiosk and Tackle Shop. They look after all the cabins, houses, powered and unpowered camp sites, as well as house boats and boat hire. You can also make bookings for Guide Lines fishing charters through the kiosk, on (07) 4157 3881. Jamie Bein runs Lake Monduran Barra Charters and fishes that dam more than anyone I know. His regular visits ensure he has a good understanding of what’s going on. Contact Jamie on his mobile, 0407 434 446, or through his website www. lakemonduranbarra charters.com.

70cm long. This means fishing hardbodies like the Halco Hamma 85, Hamma 105 or Rapala XR10. Cast around tight timber on points and inside bays and keep an eye on the sounder for any signs of fish. For those who may be wondering about the future of the lake, it is certainly looking positive. The Gladstone Area

Water Board hatchery has over 1 million fingerlings in stock. These fish will fill orders from Central Queensland’s stocking groups and SIP funds. Restocking for Awoonga will also take place, with idea being to introduce slightly larger fish. Up to 450,000 barra fingerlings can be introduced each year and the aim is to reach this number so it won’t take long to see the great lake repopulated.

The current hatchery will be closed at some point but a new purpose-built hatchery is in the design stages. If you are keen on trying to tackle some fish in the dam, give Lyn and Mark from Awoonga Gateway a call on (07) 4975 0033. At Awoonga Gateway you’ll find clean, modern cabins and your hosts will be full of useful advice to help you try to land that barra of a lifetime.

showings is definitely worth a try. Anglers using Hydrowaves have had success. The sound emitted by these units does an excellent job of pulling the baitfish up from the deeper

water and they will then school right around the boat. If the barra are in the mood to feed, they will do so right around you. Using this tool in open water will attract fish life and increase your chances of success. If the rain arrives and

tops the dam up, the fish will fire up in specific areas for a couple of weeks until the edges start to die off. The feeder creeks on the northern side of the dam and freshly flooded ground up the back of the dam will be alive with fish. Surface

CAPRICORNIA REGION AWOONGA CLOSEST TOWN/S: BENARABY, GLADSTONE Still only whispers of the odd barra are coming from Awoonga. The thick timber has produced some small fish with Gold Mine Point area being worth a try. If you are heading out, scale down and target smaller barra around WHITSUNDAY REGION PROSERPINE CLOSEST TOWNS: PROSERPINE, AIRLIE BEACH Big barra have been bashing lures around the main basin for the past couple of months. Trollers had plenty of success with 5-8m divers or shallower offerings fished at a similar depth behind a downrigger bomb. The big barra action is likely to continue until any bulk amount of rain falls and starts to make the fish scatter. When trolling, try working around the buoy line in front of the dam wall and follow the old river bed drop-off along the northern side. Barra will show up on a quality sounder, and keep an eye out for any nearby bait concentrations. The RMG Poltergeist, RMG Scorpions and Classic Barra lures are all worth a try. The prime times are around morning, afternoon and dark, but fish can be caught right through the day when they are on the move. Casting soft plastics and vibes to any of the better

At around 1m long, this Proserpine Dam barra is just over the average size. Trolling RMG Poltergeists in the main basin has been fooling plenty of fish like this. They don’t make a bad casting lure in the deep timber either.

barra. The beauty of this lake is it offers so many options and the fish aren’t able to escape in flood events. The weed beds have been changing on a weekly basis due to the fluctuation in water level but they still hold good numbers of 70-80cm fish. Frogging with weedless-rigged plastic frogs is one of the most explosive and exciting ways to fool Kinchant’s barra. These lures can be fished right over the thickest of weed and into any deeper

pockets where the fish seem to pounce from. When weed is found just below the surface, the Stiffy Bony Bream has been a great lure. These lures are slowly wound over the top of the weed and lightly twitched to entice the barra holding below. This method is very effective after darkness falls and the fish are able to pick up the silhouette of the lure dancing above their heads. Better quality fish to well over 1m long have been holding out from the weed

edge. Water up to 8m deep can hold fish during the daylight hours before they move up closer to the weed during lower light periods. Hopping 130mm Slick Rigs or Transam 95 soft lipless baits off the bottom works well when the fish are sitting deep. As they move into the edges, try sinking the lure before starting a slow rolling retrieve. For accommodation at the lake give Kinchant Waters a call on (07) 4954 1453.

Tony Ingram’s 124cm beast of a barra from Proserpine Dam fell for a Poltergeist in R4 bleeding mullet colour. These fish should still be around this month unless the dam level rises. lures and plastics will be some of the best options to entice these hunting fish. If the rain stays away, lure casters can try their luck around the tree lines marking the edges of the creeks up in the timber. Casting hardbodies into the thick stuff and floating them up and over the branches calls the barra out of the area. RMG Scorpions and Killalure Barra Baits are ideal for this style of fishing. With the average

fish measuring around 1m long, you will need to fish the right gear for the job. 50lb braid and at least 60lb leader will increase your chances of landing a fish around the trees. Fighting the fish hard when possible will keep them shallow where they can be unwound off the trees if they manage to wrap around them. If you are in the area, call in and see the boys in town at Proserpine Bait and Tackle. Lindsay Dobe has

spent years running charters on the lake and has a good idea where the barra will be and how best to catch them. If you are interested in a charter make sure you get in early with your booking. Lindsay can be reached through the store on (07) 4945 4641. KINCHANT CLOSEST TOWN: MACKAY Kinchant Dam seems to be drawing bigger and bigger crowds keen to wet a line for

Willis Quade caught this beautiful golden trevally on a 120mm Squidgy Wriggler rigged on a TT lures jig head at the Gold Coast Seaway.

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JANUARY 2014

Shallow flathead trolling FMG

Stephen Booth sbooth@fishingmonthly.com.au

I’ve been getting right into trolling for flathead in shallow water lately and it’s something that is really appealing. Punting along nice and quiet just waiting for the rod to buckle over and a cranky flathead to start stripping line from the reel. It’s pretty addictive. I’ve spoken to lots of anglers and lure makers about how they go about trolling for flathead in shallow water and there are many and varied techniques, so here’s how I do it. Keep in mind a lot of these techniques are borrowed, learnt from or changed slightly to suit my fishing. I didn’t invent it, not claiming to have re-invented it, but I really enjoy it. WHAT’S SHALLOW? Shallow, in terms of flathead trolling, is water less than 1.5m, or 5’ in the old scale. This is skinny water and flathead love it. Captain Kevin Gleed once said of the flathead in Mallacoota in Vic that they push up onto the shallows to warm themselves up, just like a massive solar panel and I reckon there is some merit in these observations. It also happens that a lot of whiting, prawns, shrimp, mullet and

crustaceans are found right up in the shallow water and flathead eat all of these. Weed is also abundant in the shallows, commonly in the intertidal zone and it extends to just below the low tide mark. Weed is an important ingredient. Rocks, hard and black mud banks, and draining channels are all found in the shallow water too. All of these features attract flatties. Thanks to the cagey Shane Gartner from Pig Lures and his amazing success rate in shallow water, we have learnt that 1.5m is not necessarily shallow enough. He commonly trolls in water that sees the motor trimmed up and the skeg still brushing the

bottom every now and then. That’s having you in water that is around 60cm deep! Think about that the next time you reckon you’re trolling too shallow. Of course shallow trolling is nothing new. Gold Coast legend David Green knew about the shallow trolling thing years and years ago. He even helped with the development of the universally popular Lively Lures Micro Mullet to fish these shallow waters. This lure was specifically designed to target flathead in water shallower than 1.8m and it works every bit as well in 60cm of water as it does in 1.8m of water. Other lure makers like

a dozen flatties up to about 50cm. We could see the lures swimming behind the boat and then they’d simply disappear in a brown and white hole. It was amazing. So trolling in very close works. A standard trolling set up will see the lures somewhere around 10m behind the boat. This is about the distance of a good-ish cast and seems to be

Mako recommends a copper base with a blue mirror and high definition filter. Copper has been a favourite of anglers for many years as it highlights colours well. When visibility is poor due to cloudy or murky water, overcast skies or flat light (dawn or dusk) these coloured lenses will really come into their own: They will highlight dull colours making fish more visible. The high definition filter is added to the lens to filter out yellow and orange wavelengths, increasing contrast and clarity.

Big fish are best let go. In some states it’s illegal to keep big fish, plus they are the big female breeders we need to protect.

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Trolling has become a very important part of my fishing arsenal for flatties.

SHALLOW FISHING

A big flatty cuts it up as it feels the net. Most times the fight is not over at this stage as many a good flatty has leapt from the net!

Reidy’s and Warlocks have trimmed down their traditional offerings and designed lures to take advantage of this shallow water too. And they work really well with different actions and different colours and features from the old time favourites. And let’s face it, designers such as Jeff Reid and Rob Gaden have been at it for years and know just what’s needed. And of course the plastic chucking brigade help you gain confidence that fish are found in this shallow water. Who can forget the amazing Flathead Fred chucking homemade jighead-rigged plastics for the stonkers of Mallacoota, Bemm River and the Snowy/Brodribb system? He knew these fish loved it shallow and it’s a lesson we all need to remember. TACTICS Trolling shallow is like any other fishing style, there are several ways to skin a cat. Some anglers feel the need to troll their lures a long way back in the shallow stuff believing the boat has spooked the fish. Other anglers troll ridiculously close to the boat

believing the boat attracts the fish! I’m an each way bet on most occasions although I have trolled lures really, really close to the boat and I have trolled way out the back. Let’s look at some of the benefits of various distances from the boat. Keeping the lures in tight to the boat was first brought to my attention when Shane Gartner smashed the fish in a recent Flathead Classic on the Gold Coast’s heavily fished waters. Shane trolls literally less than 3m behind the boat on most occasions and in really shallow water. When I had the chance to speak to Shane about this he told me that he keeps it in short to avoid the constant fouling of the lure with weed. In the Gold Coast’s waters, strap or ribbon weed is abundant and makes a mess of your lures when you’re trolling them. It limits your actual fishing time and Shane’s tactic dramatically reduces the amount of time spent out of the water de-weeding your lure without impacting on the catch rate. His Pig Lures were made just for this purpose and they do it very well. We tried this method, as like most anglers we found it hard to fathom, and on the first try we landed half

about what most do – chuck the lure out the back, flick the bail arm over and go trolling. This distance from the boat allows you to ease your mind that the boat is not spooking all the fish while still allowing you to steer the lures in and around floating weed and underwater obstructions pretty easily. I like this type of distance best and on our last trip out we landed half a dozen flatties in 60-75cm of water up to an impressive 70cm. With the right lures you

can rip the rod and de-weed them while they are still in the water and not lose time reeling them in to clear the weed off. This is important and lures that are hard to clear don’t last long on anglers’ rods. This distance back also allows a bit more stretch and give to be in the whole system. An important factor when big fish are skin hooked and going too hard on them will rip the hooks out of the skin. Going for distance is a popular tactic as well. It seems logical that a boat travelling in shallow water will spook fish and by the time a lure that is 20m behind the boat eventually comes past the spooked fish, it may have settled down and be back on the job in terms of feeding. That sounds all good to me and in practise, trolling a long way back works really well. Distance gives you an ability to run a lure a little deeper and also gives you more stretch room when a fish hits. However the more line you have in the water, the more weed you pick up. It’s also harder to rip the lure and clear the weed and it takes longer to reel it in to clear it manually. In clear water, I like the distance approach, but when the strap weed is thick it simply gets too hard. One solution that Alan Dolan gave me, he’s the

The Lively Lure Micro Mullet is one of the all time greats!

guy who makes the Lively Lure Micro Mullet, was to place a weed stopper a couple of feet in front of the lure. He uses a small surface walker with the hooks removed and this lure stops the weed as it slides down the line to the lure, essentially leaving your lure clean to continue its search for fish. It’s a great idea that really does work! LURE CHAT Trolling shallow necessitates the use of smaller lures that dive to around 1.8m. Why 1.8m? Simple. You need the lures to be hitting the bottom to push up those enticing puffs of silt, sand and

mud and also to allow you to still do that when you’re trolling really short. Lures in the 4-7cm range are ideal. Most can loosely imitate a small whiting (a flatty favourite) or a herring or similar baitfish. What a fish really thinks a lure is, is well beyond me and all the fish I have caught refuse to tell me, so let’s just say we are imitating baitfish. Action is an interesting one, as one day the fish will respond to a tight shimmy, while the next a wider sway will work. This may have something to do with the most abundant baitfish in the

The RMG Warlock has gained a strong following amongst lure trollers in recent years.

area but I haven’t really come to any great conclusion on that yet. Just means I’ll have to fish more! Colour is always, always contentious. Pink is a go-to favourite for flathead anglers whatever they are doing and there is no denying its ability to attract flathead. In weedy areas though a muted gold or brown works well to imitate forage fish that live in weed, and bright green and metallic work really well in dirtier water. My favourite colours start with pink and include a metallic pink, green and black, gold and black and rainbow trout patterns. I am yet to come across a colour that doesn’t work and strangely the colour you have the most faith in gets trolled the most and therefore catches the most fish. Amazing! Grab a variety of colours and try them all. WHERE TO TROLL This is a difficult subject as flathead live absolutely everywhere. It’s no use trolling in thick, luxurious weed as it’s just too difficult to manage weed on your lures. The fish are there, it’s just hard to keep a lure in the water long enough to attract their attention. My favourite situation is a clear sandy or muddy bank that borders a low tide weed edge and has plenty of drains coming off a flat (see

The Reidy’s Little Lucifer has performed very well on the troll. diagram). This type of area has potential with a capital P. If you fish this area during the last of the run-out and the first of the run-in, the flatties will be stacked up along the weed edge, and doubly so where a drain enters the channel. This same area can be trolled at high tide except

you move on top of the flat and target the drains and undulations. This high tide trolling is an ideal situation to troll short as you’re usually in fairly shallow water. If this type of area is difficult to find, look to the sand bar edges and low water gutters. Sand bars congregate

bait and this makes them ideal for ambush predators to wait for unsuspecting prey. Low tide gutters have to have fish in them as there is no water anywhere else. It all seems so simple. The problem is it’s not and the fish always teach you something. GET ON THE TROLL Trolling at its core is not difficult but to be a good flathead troller you do need to understand, adapt and learn. After some early lessons from people like Gary Prerost, Flathead Fred and some old friends from uni days, it’s really only been in the last five years where trolling for flathead has become a way more serious option for me. Inspiration from David Green, Shane Juttner and Shayne McKee, lessons from Shane Gartner and Alan Dolan and plenty of kilometres of trial and error have all combined to make trolling for flatties a very worthwhile tactic when I am on the water. Tough days, dirty water, wrong tides, harsh winds and sometimes sheer laziness are all reasons to go and have a troll. Look for the signs, choose some of the great lures available and give it a crack. It’s a fun way to get amongst a bunch of fish and have yourself some really exciting times in shallow water.

JANUARY 2014

 Atomic

shines

Shiner

The all new Atomic Shiner is a range of lures designed with a tight wobble and roll action that is ideal for trolling the shallow water for flathead, whiting, bream and a host of other estuary species. The 65mm lure is perfect as a trolled lure for flathead and dives to 2.5m, putting it right in the zone where flathead like it. Weighing 7.3g, it can also be cast and slow rolled back to the boat over the shallows and weed banks to entice fish. The 45mm and 60mm models are suspending, so pauses and subtle twitches near structure will work as well as a steady retrieve and it is often these pauses and twitches that force a flathead to strike. They are available is a variety of flathead enticing natural colours, the range of Atomic Shiner lures will be an important part of your flathead fishing arsenal. Price: SRP $15.95 www.atomiclures.com.au

 Savage

3D Prey

Gear

The Savage Gear 3D Prey series has models aimed at bream, bass, flathead, barramundi, mangrove jack, trevally, mulloway, tailor and Australian salmon. This suspending hardbody is designed to be fished effectively using a number of techniques. Running to depths between 2ft and 6ft, the 3D Prey is at its best when a twitch and pause retrieve is employed, allowing the lure to suspend slowly into structure which holds predatory species. With Savage’s integrated long cast system and tournament trebles and components, the 3D Prey comes in a number of colours and sizes, making it an extremely versatile hard lure for all conditions. Sizes currently available are 50mm, 65mm, 71mm and 95mm, and you can check them out at your nearest BCF store. Price: RRP $14.99 www.bcf.com.au

 TiCA

Cetus GV800

TiCA has released this fantastic mini spin reel that is sure to be a hit with the ultra light sports fishing brigade. The Cetus GV800 is a little reel crammed full of features. It features an aluminium spool, computer balanced rotor, one way clutch, instant anti reverse, solid aluminium bail wire and 4 (RRB) Rust Resistant Bearings. This smooth little reel also features a micronic clicking drag for precise adjustment. The Cetus GV800 will be ideal for estuary anglers who want a small reel to balance up on an ultra light rod. Price: RRP $79.99 www.jurofishing.com

Lively sign of the times

A

Long established Australian lure manufacturer Lively Lures has made the difficult decision to reduce the number of retailers it supplies with its popular range of lures. Instead the company will now sell directly to the public through their brand new online store. In 1987 owner of Lively Lures Alan Dolan saw a need for a quality, tough and durable hardbodied fishing lure that would withstand the harsh treatment Australian fish can dish out. JANUARY 2014 92

Rather than work with a two part plastic lure, Alan decided to travel a different path and use polyurethane which provides a stronger end product that is solid bodied with all components built in. This gives the angler a lure that will stay together and swim even if it has been punctured by sharp teeth. This makes them unique. It has been very gratifying for Alan over this long period to receive positive feedback from the general public stating that he did in fact go down the correct path. Alan hopes that you too will enjoy catching your favourite species on one of his many models in your home waters. Alan said that going online was the only way his company could move forward in light of the cheap imports flooding the Australian market at the moment. The positive side of this move is that Lively Lures will be competitively priced to customers purchasing online and the best way Lively Lures can even up the playing field in the current economic climate, especially for those keen to get their hands on the number one flathead trolling lure, the Micro Mullet. Price: from $11 www.livelyluresonline.com.au

 Okuma

RTX Pro

Predominately constructed of our C-40X elongated carbon fibre material, Okuma’s RTX Pro delivers a 25% reduction in weight and 50% increase in strength over traditional graphite reels of a comparable class, drastically reducing body flex commonly found in lesser reels. Internally the RTX Pro features a custom, multi-disc carbonite drag stack with Hydro Bloc watertight seal; and a 7HP bearing system with quick-set anti-reverse. Okuma’s EOS aluminium gearing is incorporated to increase smoothness, longevity, and to assist in achieving additional weight reduction on top of the impressive C-40X construction. Additionally Okuma has fitted these reels with a durable one-piece aluminium bail wire, a machined two-tone aluminium spool and a practical lightweight EVA handle knob. As with all Okuma reels, the RTX Pro comes complete with a Lifetime Guarantee and will serve you well in all of your flathead trolling endeavours. Price: SRP $219.95 www.okuma.com.au

 Abu

Vantage

The Vantage has been developed with cutting edge technology for added strength and durability. The new design is precision engineered for a balanced feel, with 30 ton graphite that utilizes advanced IntraCarbon technology. IntraCarbon technology uses very thin layers of multidirectional carbon fibres within the construction of the blank. These layers increase the rod’s compression strength, making it less susceptible to failure when the rod is put under intense loads. The 30 Ton rating indicates a superior grade of graphite. The result is a lighter rod with increased sensitivity. The higher the tonnage, the stiffer the fibres used; stiffer fibres more efficiently transmit vibrations to your hand so you can feel more strikes. Other features include Advanced Casting System (ACS) guides to minimise casting knots with braid or mono, split grip high density EVA handle design with ventilated rear grip for balance and feel, and IPS style reel seat. There are 11 spin models and 2 baitcast models, ranging from the VNTG602LSP (6’0”, 2-piece, 2-4kg line rating) through to the VNTG591BCMH (5’9”, 1-piece, 8-10kg rating). Price: RRP $99 www.abugarcia-fishing.com.au

CLAF - HALCO-0006D

STOP THE SLAUGHTE R

Every year, millions of worms, octopi, sardines, crustacia and other animals are slaughtered world-wide as bait. Many superior artificial baits exist, yet the pointless killing continues. Please help us put a stop to this tragedy. Purchase a RMG Scorpion or Halco Sorcerer from any good tackle store and you can experience highly enjoyable fishing, without ending the lives of hundreds of slimy creatures. Please visit www.halcotackle.com today to learn about the considerable benefits of artificial baits. Thank you.

HAWK FISHING • FIND-A-WORD COMPETITION

All things Coral

ALGAE ATOLL BAMBOO BARRIER BRAIN BUDDING CAY COLONY CUP ELKHORN

GUYOT HARD LARVA MICROATOLL ORGANPIPE PILLAR PLANULA POLYP RIBBON ROCK

SEAPEN SEAWHIP SOFT SPAWN STAGHORN STONY TABLE TENTACLE

Name Address

P/Code Phone (day):

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win a Hawk Fishing cap, Hawk Fishing line, Hawk HB Lure, assorted Panther Martin lures and 3 packets of Youvella chemically sharpened hooks. SEND ENTRIES TO: VFM Hawk Tournament Competition

PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129 QFM JANUARY 2014

FINS SCALES & TAILS by A. Both

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE The subscriber prize winners for November were R Jeynes of Tanawha, B Carolan of Coolum Beach, R Parker of Rainbow Beach, D Andrejic of Earlville, P Newman of Upper Caboolture, P Faux of Tannum Sands, A Rose of Bunya, T Parry of Julia Creek, L Fox of Moorina, P Dawson of Haigslea, who each won an Island Tribe sunscreen pack valued at $35. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

BITE ME by Trisha Mason

G & N by Michael Hardy

FIND THE BLACK MAGIC C-POINT WINNERS The Find the Black Magic C-Point Hook prize winners for November were L Dewar of Roma, R Rasmussen of Frazerview, D Christie of Labrador, G Noy of Gladstone, R Styan of Toowoomba, M Goodwin of Cardwell, B Mackey of Parkwood, T Mye of Avondale, D Culshaw of Wavell Heights, D Parker of Kingscliffe, B Stephan of Helidon Spa, M Perry of Currumbin , B Anger of Kabra, R Kunde of Beerwah, K Cook of Buderim , P Etter of Richlands, R Cartwright of Maroochydore BC, L Vaughan of Wulguru, G Phillips of Cotswold Hills, R Wright of Urangan, B Stephens of Wishart, B Botting of Nanango, B Tieman of Beenleigh, T Hubner of Taunton, B Halberstater of Yeppoon, R Maynard of Nundah, J Temple of Boronia Heights, J Koch of Tara, O Noffke of Kulangoor, G Ancona of River Heads, B Mason of Koongal, C Kraay of Hillcrest, J Zahn of Kepnock, D Deppeler of Nundah, C Calligaro of Home Hill, T Hodges of Ballina, M Allegri of Ayr, D Lake of Seaforth, W Adamson of Tallegalla, M Slater of Wynnum West, S & S Kelliher of Kirwan, L Finney of Manumbar, G Poor of Taromeo, L Wust of Blue Mountain, A Remfrey of Rothwell, G Leverton of Taylors Beach, B Freier of Ningi, D Newton of Toowoomba, T Cook of Cooloola Cove, G English of Bowen, who each won a packet of Black Magic C-Point Hooks valued at $5.95! Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM

FIND-A-WORD WINNER Congratulations to Bruce Drummon of Mount Warren, who was last month’s winner of the Hawk Tournament Find-a-Word Competition! Monthly winners receive Hawk Tournament Tested Bayer Perlon IGFA line, assorted Panther Martin lures, Youvella hooks and a keyring. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – QFM 76 94

• DECEMBER 2010 JANUARY 2014

Australia’s biggest outdoor expo taking shape for 2014 Tinnie and Tackle Show Event Manager. “A record number of people streamed through the gates in 2013 and with the fantastic mix of exhibitors and activities confirmed already we’re hopeful we can better that figure in 2014.” The Brisbane Tinnie and Tackle Show will be

presented by Club Marine, Australia’s largest provider of pleasure craft insurance, and will include magazine chef Bart Beek conducting cooking demonstrations, while Paul Worsteling, renowned angler and host of television’s iFish program, is once again the official ambassador of the show.

The hugely popular Fishing Expo Stage, Yamaha Supertank and Kids Marine Zone will also return. At the National 4x4 & Outdoors Show some of the best known names in the industry will exhibit from categories including 4WD Vehicles and Accessories, ATV’s and dirt bikes, automotive accessories, safety and recovery gear,

Exhibitors are rushing to lock in space for Australia’s biggest outdoor expo, the 2014 Brisbane Tinnie and Tackle Show and National 4x4 & Outdoors Show, to ensure their opportunity to showcase the latest and greatest in outdoor and leisure equipment. “In its ninth year, the co-location of two of Queensland’s most popular shows, the Brisbane Tinnie and Tackle Show and the National 4x4 & Outdoors Show will be a fantastic event and must for any outdoor enthusiast,” said Kiri Ngarotata, Brisbane

GPS and electronics, kayaks, camping equipment, tents and a vast array of camper trailers and off-road caravans. “The 2014 National 4x4 & Outdoors Show is sure to continue on the success of last year’s show,” said Paul Mathers, National 4x4 & Outdoors Show Event Manager. “We’ve been fielding enquiries and confirming

exhibitors and special activities for months now and are really excited about what’s been locked in already. While we can’t confirm everything now, we will say we do have some surprises in store and exciting news to announce at a later date.” Visitors to the Shows can enjoy a free travel option provided for ticketholders only, with a free train loop service running between Brisbane’s Central, Roma Street, Fortitude Valley and Exhibition Grounds Stations across all three days. Additional information on the 2014 Brisbane Tinnie and Tackle Show and National 4x4 & Outdoors Show is available at www.4x4show. com.au or www. tinnieandtackle.com.au.

WHAT:.................. 2014 Brisbane Tinnie and Tackle Show & National 4x4 & Outdoors Show WHEN:................ 4 – 6 April 2014 WHERE: ............. RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane WEB:................... www.tinnieandtackle.com.au OR www.4x4show.com.au

Marine Queensland working for queensland’s marine industry 2013 has proven to be another busy year working behind the scenes for Queensland’s

Marine Industry. Over the last 12 months Marine Queensland has significantly increased activities on behalf of our members. We have continued our advocacy to government on behalf of members on issues such as infrastructure, marina rents, and marine protection areas – with increasing focus on state boat licensing. Since 1974 Marine Queensland has been serving Queensland’s Recreational and Light Commercial

Marine Industry with two clear objectives: 1. To protect and promote the interests of all entities engaged in Queensland’s marine industry, and 2. To promote safe boating and facilities through industry leadership. With more than 350 members state wide, Marine Queensland and our members are committed to delivering on these objectives. In 2013 Marine Queensland took over the production and supply of a number of products

including Capacity Labels and RideSmart Stickers when the Queensland Government made the decision to stop producing these documents. These documents can now be sourced from Marine Queensland members from across the state. 2014 will see the association build upon its current activities and increase its lobbying efforts for both industry and recreational boaties. Issues surrounding boat licencing and vessel compliance will continue to dominate the association’s

agenda over the next 12 months. Membership of Marine Queensland remains open to all business in Queensland operating within the state’s recreational and light commercial marine industries. As a consumer, when you see the ‘Marine Queensland Member’ or the ‘Marine Queensland Accredited’ logo you can be confident that you are doing business with a company committed to maintaining high product and service standards.

A friendly reminder of the risks when buying and selling online The theft of a $33,000 boat listed for sale on the classifieds website Gumtree has served has a weighty reminder of the risks associated when selling privately online. Marine Queensland, the state’s peak boating industry body, is urging those looking to sell their boat to consider all options available to ensure maximum protection for themselves and their asset. “When buying and selling privately online you open yourself to all manner

or risk,” explained Marine Queensland CEO Don Jones. “Often times the person you are dealing with will be a complete stranger so it is important to take precautionary measures to avoid fraud, scams or theft”. “Risks are increased when potential buyers come to your private residence to view items as was highlighted with this week’s theft.” Basic measures can be taken as steps to protecting yourself when selling your boat online. Firstly, thoroughly

screen callers claiming to be interested your vessel. Be particularly wary of anyone offering to purchase your boat long distance, the risk of fraud in these circumstances is great. Meet any potential buyers in daylight and at a safe location and ideally have a relative or friend with you as an added safety measure. When it comes time to arrangement payment for your boat, ensure you have 100% of the funds cleared in your account before you hand over the keys.

On the flip side, when buying a boat privately make sure that registration numbers on the boat, motor and trailer match those on the registration certificates; you get a PPSR certificate to make sure there is no money owing on the vessel; the vessel is not stolen; the seller is the registered owner and is authorised to make the sale. “Risks associated with buying and selling your boat privately can be avoided by taking advantage of the

consignment sales option available through one of Marine Queensland’s reputable boat dealers” said Don Jones. “Marine Queensland in conjunction with boat dealers and legal representatives has developed a thorough system of checks and documentation that protect both the seller and the buyer through the entire boat sales process.” “You can have peace of mind that your boat is being

stored securely and is being maintained to showroom standards.” “The dealer will contact you when a genuine offer is made on your vessel taking away the hassle of screening calls and handing enquires.” For more information on how one of Marine Queensland’s boat dealers can help you sell your boat please contact Marine Queensland on 07 3240 0170 or www. marineqld.com.au.

Office: National Retailers Association Building, 6 Overend St, East Brisbane QLD 4169 Post: PO Box 7061, East Brisbane, QLD, 4163 I Tel: 07 3240 0170 I Fax: 07 3891 5293 I Email: info@marineqld.com.au | www.marineqld.com.au JANUARY 2014

Find the C-POINT Hook NEW!

Find this...

Find the

This month there are

hook competition

HOOKS

hidden throughout the pages of Fishing Monthly. and page Find the C-POINT HOOKS m and go in number, fill in the entry for correct the draw to win! The first 50 the month entries drawn at the end of INT HOOKS. will win a Packet of C-PO MAJOR All entries will go into the PRIZE DRAW (Drawn MAY 2014)

Monthly Prize Black Magic C-Point Hooks Sample Selection Made in Japan Value at $5.95

MAJOR PRIZES

PAGE NO: 1 2

$ 600 ST PLACE

1 3

VALUE OF BLACK MAGIC PRODUCTS

MAIL ENTRIES TO: QFM Find the C-POINT HOOKS Comp, PO BOX 3172, Loganholme QLD 4129 Entries must be received by JANUARY 31ST 2014 Original entries only. No photocopies. Images for illustration purposes only. 96

JANUARY 2014

$ 400 ND PLACE

2 8

VALUE OF BLACK MAGIC PRODUCTS

$ 200 RD PLACE

3 12

VALUE OF BLACK MAGIC PRODUCTS

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

QFM JANUARY 2014

• • • •

THE RECREATIONAL ANGLER’S LINK HAPPY NEW YEAR ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Judging by the queues at Freddy’s and BCF, I guess lots of you received some great Christmas gifts. Good quality fishing gear from a

reputable AFTA tackle shop is a gift that keeps on giving. The days spent with friends and family and the fish caught are stories that

get told again and again. In addition quality fishing gear can be passed down through the generations. I hope you get many years from yours.

MORETON ISLAND RECREATIONAL FISHING TOURIST AREA •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• There has certainly been a lot of interest in Moreton Island since the last edition. I have had numerous calls and emails all relating to stories of fish being completely gone after the netters go through. What was surprising was a call that seems to indicate that whiting have been so heavily netted on the Moreton and Bribie beaches this season that very little have made it on the journey to the Sunshine Coast. Netters from there are now travelling further south. On the bright side though whiting and flathead are still being caught in good numbers in the southern half of the bay. This means that once netting is removed from Moreton Island fishers will again be able to catch a few fish and hopefully the businesses that depend on us will start to recover. The businesses involved also cover a much larger footprint than just Moreton Island itself. Travellers to Moreton Island generally provision (food, fuel, bait

and tackle) before departing for the island. Travel packages may also extend well past the Micat. A survey of originating postcodes for visitors to the island who intend fishing include both international and domestic travel just to get to the barge. Thank you to all those who have already signed either the hard copy petition

or the e-petition at http:// www.parliament.qld.gov.au/ work-of-assembly/petitions/ e-petitions For those who haven’t please consider supporting this venture as we really need to send a message to government that recreational fishing tourism is of major importance to all Queenslanders. Other states have already recognized this and are reaping the benefits.

GOLD COAST WATERWAYS AUTHORITY ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Background Recreational fishing is an extremely important and historical use of the Gold Coast waterways and contiguous areas. Many thousands of registered private vessels are used for recreational fishing in these waterways. Sunfish is the peak body representing many recreational fishing organisations throughout Queensland, including several based on the Gold Coast and many whose members undertake recreational fishing within the Gold Coast waterways. Within the Gold Coast waterways area there are several very important and highly productive recreational fisheries – whiting, bream, flathead, tailor, mud crabs, sand crabs, banana prawns, mulloway, mangrove jack. Many businesses in the area are based on providing services to the recreational

fishing sector – bait and tackle, vessel servicing, vessel storage and parking, charter fishing, accommodation, and fuel, food, drinks, ice, and sundry items. The economic importance to the Gold Coast region associated with recreational fishing must be properly taken into account. Major Issues 1.The draft strategy does not specifically mention recreational fishing. This is a major omission given the importance of recreational fishing in the area. The recreational fishing sector would welcome specific details on how their activities and access will be managed, enhanced, and properly catered for into the next decade. 2. As noted in the draft strategy, boat ramps for the launching of vessels for recreational fishing are limited. However a bigger problem is the availability of temporary parking facilities for vehicles with boat trailers. 3. The future growth of activities and coastal developments that reduce the

DREDGE SPOIL DUMPING OFF GLADSTONE •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

quality of the recreational fishing experience (e.g. waterfront development, loss of natural environment, dredging productive fishing grounds, Jet Ski noise/ impacts) is a serious concern. 4. An “offsets scheme” should be established to compensate the recreational fishing public for any loss of fishing grounds or access to fishing amenities due to actions such as development, dredging, reclamation, closures etc. Suggested additions to the Strategy The strategy should include specific details on how recreational fishing will

be managed and promoted by the Queensland Government in the Gold Coast waterways area over the next decade. This would include details of the future overall management of the fish and crustacean stocks previously mentioned, and provisions for the protection of aquatic habitats and fishing grounds that support the productive recreational fishery. Provisions for vessel launching, mooring and trailer parking for use by recreational fishers must be clearly identified. Modifications to productive habitats must be avoided.

www.sunfishqld.com.au

The announcement by Minister Greg Hunt that the Queensland Government and the Gladstone Ports Corporation are to consider only onshore dumping of dredge spoils from the construction of a proposed $400 million second sea lane has been welcomed by Sunfish Queensland Inc. Recent data indicates that the sediment from dredging will travel significantly longer distances than previously thought. It can smother corals, sea grasses and other important seabed ecosystems

as well as impact the water column significantly. Resource exports are a vital pillar of the Queensland and Australian economies, however there is a very delicate balance with our heritage values and community values that cannot be ignored. We hope that this is an indication that future approvals will also weigh the balance between operating costs and potential risks to our marine environment that is already struggling with its resilience.

AUSTRALIAN RECRATIONAL FISHING FOUNDATION (ARFF) ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• In December ARFF has scheduled 2 full days of meetings with Federal Ministers and senior departmental officers to continue our discussions on some positive recreational fishing policy. In the next edition I hope to be able to share some announcements. The parliamentary breakfast was fully booked

out quite early with politicians from all sides of government, representatives from all major recreational fishing organizations from around the country as well as many celebrated fishing identities. Sunfish submission to the draft Gold Coast Waterways Management Strategy, 2013-2023.

Email: judylynne@sunfishqld.com.au JANUARY 2014

What’s new fishing Powered by

RAPALA BX JOINTED SHAD

Built with a balsa core and a durable outer shell, the BX Jointed Shad combines the responsiveness that can be achieved only with a balsa body and the durability and 3D finishing options of plastic. A partially transparent body allows the balsa heart to show through while the internal metallic plating highlights the lateral line and scale patterns, and creates natural flash. Paints with holographic mini-flakes, highly detailed print patterns and 3D eyes complete the lifelike appearance. The BX Jointed Shad has a very strong body-kicking action and it responds to the slowest of retrieves while still tracking straight even at high retrieve and trolling speeds. Near-neutral buoyancy and super slow rise on the pause allow the angler to accent the aggressive action with long pauses. Bite sized at 6cm, this 7g segmented lure is a perfect choice when casting the shoreline for the likes of bass, trout and bream. The BX Jointed Shad dives to 1.8m and is available in 6 colour patterns. To see the lure in action, scan the QR code or visit http://goo.gl/CVJTJe. Price: approx. $25 www.rapala.com.au

LIVE TARGET SHRIMP

The Live Target Shrimp is incredibly lifelike, and features a number of lively appendages that produce a natural swimming movement. All of the Live Target Shrimp come pre-rigged with a premium hook, precision weighting system, and a rattle chamber that emits a subtle ‘ticking’ sound. For even more attraction, the Live Target Shrimp is also infused with real shrimp scent to provide a smell and a taste that no fish can resist. Great for salt- or freshwater, the Live Target Shrimp is one crustacean that will have anglers and fish both drooling. There are 2 models, 75mm (1/4oz) and 100mm (1/2oz). Sold in packs of 4, they’re available in a range of proven colours. Price: $19.95 www.ejtodd.com.au

DAIWA AIR EDGE SURF

The Daiwa Air Edge Surf series is the perfect light tackle lure and bait fishing technique series. Air Edge Surf introduces high-end blank innovation, design and componentry, delivering ultimate performance yet incredible value for money. The secret to Air Edge Surf is combining X45 design with HVF (high volume fibre), by increasing the fibre quantity and decreasing the resin quantity in these blanks, we have created increased muscle in a slimmer profile blank, thus resulting in an even stronger, leaner, lighter, sharper rod than ever before. Complementing this great design is Fuji’s highest quality stainless Hardloy guides, Fuji DPS reel seats with locking rings, custom manufactured alloy componentry and ultra tough EVA grips. There are 5 models, all 2-piece, ranging from the AES 96L (290cm, light action, 7-35g cast weight, 2-4 kg line rating), through to the AES 110H (335cm, heavy, 30-90g, 5-9 kg). Price: Too New! www.daiwafishing.com.au

SAMAKI CHOONA JIG

The Samaki Choona jig has already had a big impact on the Australian jig scene due to its fish catching capability. A unique round wire shape and small oval centre weight design makes this an incredibly versatile jig. During field testing in Japan, New Zealand and over Australian reefs, the Samaki team found the Choona jig to be the go-to lure in all fishing conditions. “Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro in jigging, make sure you tie on a Choona,” said Australian distributor Josh Lowry, “and be prepared for some serious rod bending action!” Ideally rigged with a single or double assist hook, the Choona Jig is available in sizes 80g, 100g and 150g and comes in 5 colours (pilly, bubble gum, gold sunset, pink silver and Aussie battler). Let the games begin! Price: from RRP $12.95 www.samaki.com.au

ICEKOOL IK35 LITRE

MAKO LAUNCHES WOMEN’S RANGE

EvaKool’s new 35L IceKool icebox (#IK 35) features a tough, fully insulated polyethylene cabinet and can hold ice for up to 4 days. It’s lightweight and easy to carry, with comfortable handles and a shoulder strap. Other features include integrated hinges, recessed latch loops, and a seamless design that’s easy to clean. It’s strong enough to use as a seat, and tall enough to stand wine bottles or 2L soft drink bottles. It measures 435mm high (340mm internal height), has a width of 480mm, a depth of 370mm and weighs 5.6kg. It can hold up to 12 wine bottles, 6 x 2lL soft drink bottles or 36 x 375mL cans, plus ice. Price: $149 www.evakool.com

Mako has established itself at the forefront of lens technology, and now it has designed a purpose-built range of women-specific polarised sunglasses with a fashion focus. The frames are injection moulded TN 90, a warp and heat resistant plastic and offer lightness, strength and durability as well as a classic look. The SeeLife and SeaBreeze sit side by side. The SeeLife has a larger frame with and 8 base lenses (curvature of the lens) while the SeaBreeze is a smaller frame with a 6 base lens (less curve and therefore flatter lens) suited to more petite wearers. Both are available in polycarbonate lenses, keeping them light and durable without compromising vision quality. The Wave is available in glass and polycarbonate lenses and again is a fashionable design created just for women. All frames are capable of fitting Mako’s Freeform Active Prescription lenses. All Mako Polarised eyewear comes with class leading lens technology keeping you outdoors for longer. Decentred lenses ensure that the vision is not warped at the outer edges of the lens, while anti-reflective coatings on the inside of the lens reduce side light affecting your vision. Price: $179.95 (polycarbonate), $269.95 (glass) www.makoeyewear.com.au

Please send contributions to: The Editor, Fishing Monthly Group PO BOX 3172 LOGANHOLME, QLD. 4129 JANUARY 2014

What’s new fishing Powered by

GME WATERPROOF TORCH

GME has solved the problem of the torch batteries being flat when you need it most – in an emergency. The solution comes in the form of the ET100 Emergency Torch. Constructed from high visibility yellow polycarbonate, the ET100 is a near indestructible, buoyant, waterproof, multifunction LED torch which boasts a unique ‘Twist to Charge’ functionality. If you’re near a power source, you can also charge your ET100 via USB using the cable included. The ET100 also contains a can opener which doubles as a knife, a compass, a whistle, a signal mirror (heliograph), and a cable for charging other USB devices such as a mobile phone. There’s even a metal bottle opener moulded into the base of the torch. There are 3 brightness settings, and if the going gets tough, there’s a built in SOS flash. As an introductory bonus, the ET100 will be sold including a bonus ET50 ‘bug light’. The ET50 is a handy pocket sized torch, small enough to attach to your keyring, bicycle handlebar, bag or backpack. It’s waterproof, has 3 brightness modes plus S.O.S. and flash modes. Price: RRP $49 visit www.gme.net.au

FISHING VIDEOS ON PC OR PHONE

TICA TACTICA GA SERIES REELS

The makers of Fishing Downunder DVDs (formerly The Fishing DVD) now give you the option to pick and choose which stories you want. Just go to the Fishing Downunder website to purchase single stories to download instantly. Because they’re in a multi-platform format (AVI) you can: • Watch them on your PC or Mac; • Watch them on your TV by putting them on a USB flash drive and plugging it into your DVD player (nearly all DVD players have a USB slot for playing AVI video files) • Burn them onto a DVD; or • Watch them on your tablet or smartphone. And if you’re not tech-savvy, there are instructions on the website to help you. And if you prefer your fishing on DVD there’s also a huge range to purchase in the online store, along with protective fishing clothing and cutting-edge accessories. Price: $3 www.fishingdownunder.tv

The new TiCA Tactica GA reel is a low profile baitcaster that is full of features at an affordable price. The Tactica GA reel has a graphite frame with forged aluminium V-shaped spool which is braid friendly. It also features instant anti-reverse, Magforce brake system, star drag with Micronic Click, soft touch handle grips, and 6 ball bearings including 4 (RRB) rust resistant bearings. The Tactica GA has a high speed ratio of 6.3:1 The TiCA Tactica GA reels are available in right hand or left hand configurations with no cost difference to the angler. The TiCA Tactica GA reels are sure to be a hit with barra, Murray cod and native species anglers across the country. Price: RRP $99.99 www.jurofishing.com

ABU REVO MGXTREME

Weighing 137g, the MGXtreme pushes the limits of what is possible with design and engineering. Equipped with a 10 bearing system, the MGXtreme starts with 7 stainless steel HPCR bearings + 1 roller bearing. The addition of two CeramiLite hybrid ceramic spool bearings results in ultimate distance. It has an ultralight rigid one-piece X-Mag alloy frame and C6 carbon sideplates that provide significant weight reduction. The Infinitely Variable Centrifugal Brake system can be adjusted externally without removing the side plate. The MGXtreme also offers anglers the smooth and reliable Carbon Matrix drag system and Infini II spool design for extended castability and extreme loads. The compact bent carbon handle provides a more ergonomic design, coupled with round EVA knobs to provide improved grip and cranking power. RRP $799 abugarcia-fishing.com.au

SCENT, LIGHT AND RATTLES

River2Sea’s Fish Candy Vibe has an enticing swimming action during the retrieve and on the drop. It also has a great tail action, so if you’re new to using vibration lures you can rest assured that the Candy will do the work for you. This soft bait weighs 20g, is fitted with Decoy trebles, and is made from 10X plastic that’s resistant to sharp teeth, cuts and abrasions. What’s particularly interesting though is that it has a hole at the back where you can insert a glow stick. This option provides yet another reason for a fish to strike, and the light can also be handy when night fishing. As well as this, there is also a rattle chamber that you can insert or remove depending on the mood of the fish. And it doesn’t end there – River2Sea also provides scent sticks that you can insert for extra attraction. Alternatively, you can just squirt some of your favourite catch scent into the hole. This versatile soft plastic vibe is available in 10 colours. To see footage of the Candy in action, scan the QR code or visit http://goo. gl/phXOl8. Price: RRP $19.95 www.river2sea.com.au

SHIMANO TECHNIUM FD

Thanks to the use of XGT7 in the body and XT7 in the rotor, these reels are light yet strong, and are no problem to hold whether spinning with lures or waiting for a bite. The Technium FDs feature X-Ship for more efficient power transmission when winding, three SA-RB bearings, Aero Wrap II line lay on the AR-C spool for effortless and accurate distance casting with Power Pro braid or nylon, and Floating Shaft II. These light to medium class spin reels are going to prove extremely popular with anglers fishing freshwater lakes, rivers, estuaries, even offshore, and are all covered by Shimano’s exclusive 10-year reel warranty. Price: from approx. $140 www.shimanofish.com.au

Please send contributions to: The Editor, Fishing Monthly Group PO BOX 3172 LOGANHOLME, QLD. 4129 JANUARY 2014

What’s new fishing Powered by

ADJUSTABLE RUNNING SINKER CLIP SETS

The SureCatch Professional sinker clip sets are designed to let you change your sinker without the hassle of cutting and re-tying your main line. The running sinker clip can be stopped in the desired position by using the included stopper. Simply open the arm of the sinker clip to change your sinker. It delivers easy and reliable fishing, saving you time and effort so you can concentrate on catching fish. These new sinker clip sets are available in 2 sizes: #309CLIPADJM Medium (5 sets) and #309CLIPADJL Large (4 sets). Price: from RRP $4.95 www.wilsonfishing.com

ZMAN 2” GRUBZ – NEW COLOURS Tackle Tactics worked closely with ZMan US to design a smaller, more finesse version of the GrubZ, the 2” GrubZ. This compact curl tail has proven deadly when the bite is tough, the fish finicky and the bait tiny. As well as catching bream, whiting and flathead, the 2” GrubZ has also accounted for bass, trout and redfin. Originally released in 10 colours, including motor oil, bloodworm and watermelon red, requests have poured in from anglers chasing more of the 2.5” GrubZ colours in the smaller profile. This has seen the addition of greasy

prawn, hardy head and gudgeon to the 2” GrubZ colour range, with all three sure to be a hit in both the fresh and salt. Features include 10X Tough construction, super-soft realistic feel, buoyant and life-like tail-up action. Price: SRP $8.95 (10 per pack). www.z-man.com.au

JARVIS WALKER FISHUNTER ULTIMATE

Estuary, beach and inshore anglers fishing on a budget will like the new-look Jarvis Walker Fishunter Ultimate spin reels. The popular Fishunter series has been upgraded with a modern graphite body and rotor design matched with a striking red and black ported aluminium spool. The attractive finish of the new-look Fishunter Ultimate reels is backed up with tough fish-fighting features, including a 3 ball bearing system, plus one infinite antireverse bearing, a stainless steel main shaft, brass pinion gear and multi-disc drag. Other features include a thick bail wire, click drag knob for accurate drag adjustments and a folding handle with a softtouch torpedo knob. Sizes 2000 and 4000 have a 5.2:1 gear ratio, and sizes 5000 and 6000 run a 4.1:1 design. The line capacities range from 210m of 8lb up to 280m of 25lb for the 6000. Jarvis Walker Fishunter Ultimate spin reels offer the features you need to catch fish without fuss, plus they’re easy on your wallet. Price: From $35 www.jarviswalker.com.au

14 13

TESTED:

Contour+2 takes it to the extreme

Contour has created two cameras that are ideal for anglers, the Contour Roam2 and the Contour+2. I’ve been lucky enough to play with the Contour+2 for last few months and have really enjoyed the simplicity, adaptability and end result. The Contour+2 is the next evolution in action video. Designed by professionals, but simple enough for the everyday user, the Contour+2 will inspire you to share new perspectives. The Contour+2 is a wide-angled video recorder (170°) that is palm-sized and comes with a waterproof case that allows this unit to submerge to 60ft (roughly 18m). This is brilliant for anglers who are in and around water all the time and need their cameras to be waterproof or come with a waterproof housing. You do need to be aware though, that unlike the Roam, the +2 is not waterproof when out of its case – you’ve been warned! Perhaps the best part of the +2 is that you can operate it from your smartphone or tablet by downloading the app (which is free). You can change settings, turn on and off recording, and do burst and time lapse photography all from your smartphone. It’s amazing and means it’s really hard to miss the action when it happens. A quick look at the features list tells you that this unit is not a muck around toy that won’t produce the results you want. It has a locking instant on-record switch, still photo mode, 1080p video (and reduced quality too!), 270° rotating lens, 170°

Interview shot on Contour camera.

wide-angle lens, laser alignment to ensure the image is taken on the right plane, mobile connectivity, GPS video mapping, up to 120fps, live streaming, external microphone jack and of course the waterproof case is included. It’s got a lot of features, all accessible via the app. One thing I particularly liked was the option to have two preset settings on the camera. I have set the camera up to record in 1080p on Setting 1 and on Setting 2 I have it set for time lapse photography, with a pic taken every second. When melded together in a movie, these 1-second pics look great! Out in the field I have strapped the Contour+2 onto my landing net and have gotten some great footage of flatties entering the net. I have also strapped it to my hat and walked around filming and of course I have

hand held the unit and taken what is pretty standard footage. I am yet to secure it to the boat, but this seems a logical extension at some stage and I can’t wait to see some of this footage of just how bad (or good) I am at fighting and landing fish. One thing I have noticed is how good the underwater footage is. The focus seems to be great and when taking footage of jungle perch and flathead underwater in clear conditions, the footage is amazing. I have to admit that most of the time I have been using the unit manually and not through my iPhone. It’s just so ridiculously simple to push the big button forward to start filming, but you do need to be aware of a little lag between the button being pushed forward and actual recording starting. When recording starts the unit beeps, so you get

used to it. When I have used the phone to record, it’s been a great experience. You can see what you have in frame and can simply press the record button on screen. When I mount the unit on the boat I will use this feature more often as having my daughter chase our blind labrador around while I start and stop recording from the lounge chair is probably not what this was intended for. Funny stuff though! Overall, the Contour+2 has been a real eye-opener for me. I enjoy using it, I enjoy watching the footage and I can even knock up some rudimentary videos for mates and for work. I use a Macintosh computer and I found the movies were easy to download, plus the iMovie program we use at work accepted the files without a problem. All in all, it’s just easy to use and that is the best part for a technologically ungifted individual like me. Check them out at www. contouraustralia.com.au or find them at various retailers like BCF around the country. - Stephen Booth Price: $499 www.contouraustralia.com.au

Please send contributions to: The Editor, Fishing Monthly Group PO BOX 3172 LOGANHOLME, QLD. 4129

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We’re going native NSW STH COAST

Jo Starling

When every single log in the shallows makes your heart stop momentarily, and every dried fallen tree trunk looks like a sunning croc, a kayak is the last watercraft you’d consider boarding. Recent migrant from the Top End, Jo Starling, conquers her fears and launches into a new adventure—learning to ‘yak fish. Until four years ago, the term ‘yak’ had only two meanings in my world… a

Himalayan smelly creature and something I liked to do around a campfire, over a chilled beverage, with some well-chosen mates. I come from the Top End… a land where man can only claim dominance IF he doesn’t enter the water. Kayaks don’t form part of a Top Ender’s psyche. WHEN IT COMES TO YAKKIN’ Four years ago, however, I started fishing south of ‘the crocodile line’ and the charm of the ‘quiet yak’ became apparent. Once I’d allayed my instinctive suspicion that a

Jo releases a golden perch from her comfy seat aboard her Native Watercraft.

scaly man-eater lurked beneath every watery surface, I was able to see the benefits of the humble kayak as a fishing vessel. It’s virtually silent, stealthy, peaceful and can hop waterholes like a salmon! Thus a third definition has been introduced to my personal dictionary. MY NEEDS ANALYSIS Let me be blunt – I have no interest in kayaking for kayaking’s sake. Apologies to any folk who are avid paddlers, but I’m an avid fisher. It’s to the avid fisher in me that a kayak appeals, and it’s from this perspective that I fashioned my list of wants, needs and expectations. Having never fished from a kayak before, I had only my imagination and fear of crocs to guide me. My expectations were relatively simple: Stability, so that I could stand and cast (fly casting optional, but preferred); clearance, opening up shallow water options that would be closed to me in the boat; manoeuvrability, so I could get myself into likely spots and out of trouble; discretion, because I liked to hunt and I knew my quarry had many advantages from their unseen hidey-holes; accessible storage so that I had what I needed at

A little imagination and innovation will let you make the most of your deck space. my fingertips (or close too it) without limiting my already limited standing room; oh yeah… standing room! And, last but not least, I wanted my kayak to be “easy to mount”. That was so my pride would remain intact. And so it was that I set about researching kayaks that might tick all my boxes. To my delight, I discovered the wonders of the Hobie! My imagination went wild with the potential to troll whilst en route… let alone get to my fishing spot quicker! I quickly decided that a leg-propelled kayak was the better option for me. Some time later that I stumbled upon a magazine ad promoting Native Watercraft kayaks. They didn’t have the profile of the Hobie, but they had something else that piqued

the option of a Mariner 12.5 Propel Angler, which comes factory rigged with two Scotty flush rod mounts, one Scotty side rod mount, a groove mount outfitting plate, anchor trolley system and anchor kit. At the time I was looking, there wasn’t an Angler handy, so I installed the extra bits myself (except the anchor trolley, which is a project for near future) to my new Mariner 12.5 Propel. My new rig is a beaut! There are plenty of options for custom fit-outs, so you can feel free to couple your wish list with your imagination. In fact, now that hubby Steve and I have started setting the Mariner up, I would have to name innovation as one of the greatest assets of a ‘yak newbie. You really can create a very efficient fishing craft in

“Can I ‘vago?”. I objected at first, but then thought it would be an interesting test of the kayak’s ability to tick off my first requirement. So we made a plan to swap places… and we did so without fuss! Stability? Tick. Pedalling the craft made me aware of one thing I hadn’t considered… comfort! You sit ‘on’, not ‘in’, so you have great visibility from the comfortable webbed seat. The back support is adjustable, which is perfect as I suffer from a chronic bad back and wouldn’t be able to go far otherwise. The seat slides forwards and backwards, locking into place with adjustable strapping. This makes it easy for those of us who are vertically challenged to share with the lanky. The long and the short of it is, the kayak proved to have the

The ‘live well esky’ on Jo’s Mariner 12.5 Propel has a footprint of 400x600mm, a perfect fit for the stern.

CONTACT YOUR NEAREST DEALER Adrians Marine Centre

Bundaberg

P 07 4153 1819 E adriansmarinecentre@bigpond.com

Springwood Australian Marine Centre Gold Coast

Coastal Powerboats

Cairns

Aussie Marine

Mackay

Shane Morrison Marine

P 07 3808 7333 E sales@australianmarinecentre.com.au

P 07 5568 0904 E info@coastalpowerboats.com.au

P 07 4033 8800 E sales@aussiemarine.com.au P 07 4951 1991 E sales@shanemorrisonmarine.com.au

For more boats visit:

www.polycraft.com.au 102

JANUARY 2014

my curiosity… they had a propeller, not flippers. “So?” I hear you say. So, they can go backwards! I don’t know about you, but as a fisho who likes to mix it with as big a specimen as I can find, having the capacity to pull a hooked monster away from heartbreaking structure seemed like a pretty good asset. So it was that my investigations turned to Native Watercraft. I’M IN LOVE WITH A NATIVE MARINER After a short time of weighing up options and specifications, I committed to a Native Watercraft Mariner 12.5 Propel. They also have

a small space, when you put your mind to it. BORN TO RIDE With fit-out all but complete (there is still that anchor trolley assembly to do yet), the day came in late October for my virgin kayak launch. To my delight, the Mariner didn’t buck me off! In fact, it was so stable that I quickly returned to shore to pick up my ultra-eager 9-year-old daughter. I was confident that I could take her for a ride without tipping her into the drink, even though she was sitting atop my strapped-in esky/’live well’! I hadn’t pedalled far before I heard the inevitable,

comfort box ticked as well. The direct drive propulsion is an ingenious bit of kit that is fully removable (in fact, it transports separately from the kayak and is installed before launching) and therefore fully optional. It’s driven by the pedals which work just like a bicycle’s, unlike the Hobie’s stepping/pumping action. If you visualise one of those low-riding pushbikes with the pedals out in front, you’ll get the idea. It’s an easy action that generates a good amount of speed. At a relaxed pedal you can maintain trolling speed, but you really do need to focus on keeping a slow rhythm.

whilst paddling or drifting through shallow water. This is not as immediate as the Hobie paddles folding up, but isn’t difficult to do. If anything, it’s just a bit fiddly. When the propeller is deployed, my Native Watercraft 12.5 Mariner is able to get me through water 30cm or deeper. When it’s up, I save around 15cm in draft. For those occasions, I’ve taken to using an H2O Fish paddle. I have to admit that I’m useless at paddling! The pedal option suits my coordination (or lackthereof) far better... but when the pedals are up, there is no option but for me to grip the paddle, splash around and invariably cuss! There are several reasons

why I’ve opted for the H2O Fish paddle. First of all, it breaks down to 2 pieces for transport, is discretely coloured for stealth and, most importantly, it has a fish measurer along the handle – not just for small fish either, but for big fish! This just proves that I’m not alone in my belief that I can catch a monster from my ‘yak! My tip: clip it into the paddle mount with the zero mark forward… I nearly gave myself a cramp when I first tried to measure up with the zero back behind my seat! FIRST IMPRESSIONS I’ve yet to become an experienced ‘yakker, but I am happy to give a solid 2 thumbs up to the Native Watercraft 1.25 Mariner

Propel. It’s answered all my needs and although it doesn’t quite have the clearance of the Hobie Pro Angler, it has all the capabilities plus more and weighs a lot less. Overall, I am very happy with my choice. If you are interested in seeing me putting the Native Watercraft through its paces during my first weekend on the water, there’s a review on the Offroad Adventure Show channel on YouTube. Go to www.youtube.com/user/ OffroadAdventureShow and search Native Watercraft. I’m looking forward to reporting and reflecting more as I now embark on this new adventure… Learning to yak! I hope you’ll join me over coming issues.

Mother and daughter enjoy a quiet fish together along the edges of Lake Lyell. The Native Watercraft Mariner Propel was clocking 3.1 knots at my natural pace… and I’m unfit! As for manoeuvrability, the Native has it in spades. I could not believe the overdelivery on promise. The rudder sits at my left hand and is an easy tweak, even when standing. In a gentle wind, it easily manages nose direction. Pedalling backwards for reverse works like a charm, although steering is less direct, as you’d expect. The big surprise, however, is the ability to virtually stop on the

SPECIFICATIONS Length.............................................................3.81m Width..................................................................81m Weight............................................................ 39.5kg Max. Capacity................................................ 181kg Bow Hatch Length.........................................0.46m Bow Hatch Width...........................................0.30m RRP: $2760 (plus custom options) www.inmotionaus.com spot! This is handy in so many situations, stopping when snagged on the troll being one that I discovered very early in the piece! Holding off from action that appeared in my path was another.

The elephant in the room is the clearance. Unlike the Hobie, the Native Watercraft Mariner’s pedals cannot fold flat under the hull. They can, however, be raised up through the hull to rest on the bow

Native Watercraft’s ability to reverse helps pull fish away from structure.

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OUT OF AFRICA…on AJ’s tiger fishing hunt JANUARY 2014

103

Trailcraft 500 Pro Fisherman with 75hp Mercury BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Trailcraft Boats have earned a name as very seaworthy and tough craft. Who could forget the exploits of the late, great Malcolm Douglas and his trusty Trailcraft? He’d park the boat on a reef overnight on a remote beach and wait for the tide to lift it next morning so he could continue his adventures. Stirring stuff! In 2011 Trailcraft

manufactured in China, shipped to our country 2 per container for smaller craft and then fitted with engines and instruments and set up on trailers at a dealer’s premises. Structural warranty has now been increased from 3 to 5 years, and the team report that prices have been reduced considerably as well. LAYOUT The 500 Pro Fisherman with its 75 Mercury 2-stroke outboard had 3mm sides, 4mm bottom, and a strong plate alloy hull with full welds all round. The 5m long craft,

SPECIFICATIONS Length of Hull..................... 5.0m Beam................................... 2.15m Length on trailer................ 6.30m Height on trailer................. 2.15m Weight of hull..................... 495 kg Fuel..................................... 120L Engines............................... 60-100hp Engine fitted....................... 75 Mercury 2-stroke. Towing................................ family 6/large 4 sedan Persons.............................. 5 with a beam of 2.15m and a dry hull weight of 495kg was mighty solid, both when on its Oceanic trailer and on the water. The plate hull has a fully welded, fully sealed floor with airtight and foamfilled compartments under it for maximum buoyancy and

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manufacturing moved offshore, having been purchased by the giant Jiangyin Marine Equipment Manufacturing Company based in Jiangyin City, approximately 3 hours’ drive inland of Shanghai in China. Trailcraft hulls are now totally

ultimate safety. Up front, a wide bowsprit and roller sat in close proximity to an open but quite deep anchor well and a large bollard. A long and low bowrail extended aft. Up front, a 250mm high casting deck came equipped with a seat spigot. A large multi-use storage hatch was also within the carpeted deck, suitable for storing equipment, clothing, or even ice to store the day’s catch. Aft of the cast deck a further two in-floor seat spigots sat ahead of the Pro Fisherman’s grab rail equipped side console, which featured an open, carpeted shelf up top. While set up with a compass there was also ample room for a large sounder to be mounted. A shelf for smaller personal items – a phone, wallet and similar – sat just under the top, and there was another shelf mid way down for storing larger items such as tackle boxes. The Trailcraft’s dash layout saw switches uppermost (to starboard) on a dedicated section of the console, tacho and speedo lower, the wheel central, and lower down there were gauges for fuel, trim and elapsed engine hours.

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Seating at the helm area consisted of pedestal-style seats with arm rests, with two floor spigots on hand for the skipper and mate.

into life quite willingly, a tad smoky on double oil mix as it was entirely new, but easily pushed the solid Pro Fisherman’s hull onto the

surprisingly quiet. Whatever happened to noisy 2-strokes? At the helm (and with plenty of leg room under the console) I found the craft’s

Underway the Trailcraft 500 PF is an impressive sight. The skipper’s swivel seat, equipped with arm rest, is quite comfortable and entirely in the right position. With the forward controls for the Mercury within easy reach, the craft was very easy to drive. At speed, some slight slipstream protection was provided by the reasonably large console, but because it had no windscreen things were somewhat breezy during test runs. Still, there’s no escaping the fact that the Trailcraft had a very comfortable and soft ride. SELF-DRAINING COCKPIT Within the main cockpit work area the floor was carpeted, and big scuppers in each aft quarter were designed to drain out cockpit water rapidly, once opened. The 1750mm long side pockets each side (that to starboard being somewhat compromised by the console’s location) were handy for fishing gear, plus a gaff or other longish items. Two rod holders set into 35cm wide decks were also standard. At the rear of the cockpit a drained bait station came set up with rod holders and a cutting board. A wide transom storage area stretching across to the Trailcraft’s boarding gate came with a vertical hatch cover for ease of battery and isolator switch access, while a plumbed bait tank sat next to the boarding area where a wide cockpit gate, with lock, was set to port. A strong boarding ladder adjoined a large non-skid hand rail equipped full-width platform aft, the 75 Mercury 2-stroke being mounted on a central lip within the pod. PERFORMANCE, RIDE AND HANDLING With engine ratings from 60-100hp the 75 Mercury 2-stroke was middle range power but the Trailcraft certainly didn’t lack get up and go. The engine purred

plane at 11 knots (21.8km/h) at 3000rpm. At 4000rpm the speed was 22 knots (41.5km/h), and at 5000 it was 29 knots (54.8km/h). The 3-cylinder Mercury had ample grunt, with easy power right through the entire engine rev range, and was

cable steering so light I at first thought it was linked to a hydraulic system. Ride and handling of the solid Trailcraft was enhanced by the 20º V hull which featured a fine entry. Although devoid of underhull strakes, a wide lip on

Top: A deep anchor well is a feature of the Trailcraft. Middle: There’s plenty of room up top of the Trailcraft’s console for large sounders and the like. Bottom: Looking astern it’s easy to note some of the fishing-orientated features within the Trailcraft 500 PF, including the plumbed live well.

the hull’s extremity formed a reversed chine that deflected water well away from the hull, helped to dig into turns, and assisted stability at rest. In the calm conditions experienced out from Redcliffe, I was able to assess the ride only by charging hard over our own wash. However, even crossing 0.5m high waves (caused by turning deliberately slowly) the Trailcraft’s plate hull rode extremely well, without any significant amounts of spray or displaced water and without any banging or pounding. In short, a very satisfactory and quiet ride. FISHABILITY With an exterior freeboard of 700mm mated to an interior freeboard of some

600mm – which extends from such a solid hull almost to the full height transom 500kg in weight. With 2 astern – the Trailcraft 500 people on one side there was PF is a quite high sided craft, little difference to lateral making it suited to all manner stability. of fishing pursuits. Offshore FINISH AND fishing would not be any real PRESENTATION issue in sensible conditions, The finish was excellent while bay and estuary work in most respects in that all would be very much par for welds were smoothed and the course. appeared to be full, while One of the things I liked upholstery and painted about the rig was the smoothly surfaces appeared to be of a rounded fore deck area at high standard. the extremity of the forward On the other hand, the cast platform, which ensured carpeted floor up front did there’d be no bumping into not appear to have been fitted sharp corners. Similarly, in evenly, but that may have A look at the Trailcraft’s hull as it powers out of a turn the vicinity of the bait station been just an irregularity with shows the fine entry, reversed outer chine. and aft boarding gate, all the test boat. The carpet also edges were rounded in a looked a bit thin, but that Size: 600mm(w) x 900mm(h) + 3 Job Name: comfortable manner. doesn’t necessarily mean it were somewhat unusual in floor rather than the circular and plenty of room to work. Stability at rest was wouldn’t wear well. that they looked like sections based style of spigot normally On an Oceanic trailerD/Sided the rig Print: UV Digital Press 1 J014546 excellent,Job as Number: we’d expect The floor spigots for seats Proof: of pipeNo. mounted into the seen. The seats sat rigidly, as reviewed, with registrations Material: nonetheless and didn’t feel 5mm and all Coreflute safety gear supplied Date: 8 Oct 2013 Sales Rep: Troy Meade any different from other seats by Cunningham Finish: Half Cut VelcroMarine of Designer: Neetish Parmar in similar style boats. Redcliffe, would come home SUMMING UP for $30,900. Cunningham Trailcraft boats have Marine can be contacted on Despatch: collect Machine: FB 6100 FB 7600 XP 2750 SEIKO gained a wide acceptance in Client (07) 3284 8805 or at ian@ our country and if the reviewed cunninghammarinecentre. craft is an indicator, nothing com.au. much will change. Note Quoted performance that hull warranty has been figures have been supplied extended and prices reduced, by the writer in good The faith. Performance of BOAT SHOW BOAT SHOWaccording to Trailcraft. BOAT SHOW B ride and general sea-keeping individual boat/motor/ BONUS OFFER!! BONUS OFFER!! BONUS OFFER!! BON ability of the reviewed craft trailer packages may differ point to it being an excellent due to variations in engine all-round fishing craft for up installations, propellers, to 5 people to enjoy. The hull configurations, options, freeboard, general layout and hull loading and trailerBonus O Bonus Offer Includes: Bonus Offer Includes: Bonus Offer Includes: Left: Like to sit up front to fish? Easy in the Trailcraft. Right: A large forward- Deluxe Bimini Canopy overall style are matched by specifications. - Deluxe Bimini Canopy with - Deluxe Bimini - De hatch is suited to many storage chores, including the catch. a quality ride, easy- handling - Front & Side Clears Rocket Launcher Front & Side Clears with Rear Awning Ro

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Trailcraft 500 Runabout -

Humminbird 587XD Colour Sounder/ GPS 5 inch combo - Including chart GME 27mg Radio & Antenna GME AM/FM Radio Deluxe Aluminium Bait Board Electric Saltwater Deck Hose Pump 4 x Life Jackets Offshore Flare Kit Anchor, Rope & Chain Digital Epirb

TOTAL VALUE

$4334

Ocean Master 590 Enterprise

- Humminbird 858XD Colour Sounder/ GPS 8 inch combo - Including chart - GME 27mg Radio & Antenna - 4 x Life Jackets - Offshore Flare Kit - Anchor, Rope & Chain - Digital Epirb

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$4809

Trailcraft 590 Trailblazer

T 560

- Humminbird 858XD Colour Sounder/ GPS 8 inch Combo - Including Chart - GME 27mg Radio & Antenna - Deluxe Aluminium Bait Board - Electric Saltwater Deck Hose Pump - 4 x Life Jackets - Offshore Flare Kit - Anchor, Rope & Chain - Digital Epirb

5 YEAR STRUCTURAL WARRANTY TOTAL VALUE $6429

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Inc Mercury 60hp 4 stroke “bigfoot”BOAT SHOW OFFER!! With Braked single axle trailer BONUS including Bonus offer Ocean Master Fully sealed and welded self-draining aluminium floor 590 Explorer Full walk through transom door and ladder Bonus Offer Includes: 120 litre built in fuel tank - Deluxe Bimini Canopy - Front & Side Clears - Humminbird 858XD Colour Sounder/ GPS 8 inch combo - Including chart - GME 27mg Radio & Antenna - 4 x Life Jackets

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The McLay 671 is a plate alloy with top class BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Brand spanking new from McLay is their mighty Fisherman Hardtop, 6.7m of fishing excellence. Hailing from New Zealand and designed to handle that country’s very tough fishing conditions, McLay boats are now sold through selected Australian retailers. From stem to stern this big plate alloy craft is set up for serious fishing. With its 800mm freeboard and virtually half of the internal area devoted to cockpit space for the angling

The overall internal fit-out and external finish was absolutely top shelf – upholstery of the very highest standard, and externally all welds were full and smoothed to perfection. Attention to detail was evident. For instance, the tread plate cockpit floor had a prominent lip right up front, obviously designed to keep any water back in the cockpit proper and not up front where it might be a nuisance around the bunk. And although it’s a fully credentialed offshore craft I saw the big McLay as a very versatile boat. Thanks to paired bunks within the 671 Fisherman

SPECIFICATIONS Length hull......................... 6.750m Length on trailer................ 8.230m Height on trailer................. 3.10m Hull weight......................... 950kg Hull deadrise...................... 18 degrees Beam................................... 2.35m Engines............................... 135-200hp Engine fitted....................... 175 Suzuki 4-stroke Fuel..................................... 250L Towing................................ Family 6 wagon or 4x4 team aboard (its rated for 7 persons) there’s a lot to like about this big Kiwi rig.

Hardtop’s fully-lined and double shelf equipped cabin, you could enjoy a

very comfortable overnight stay. With the handy infill provided, the bunks could

also be converted to a large single bed. However, most serious anglers would be likely to store their best tackle, extra gear or maybe clothing or tucker bags within the cuddy’s shelter when heading offshore to fish

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with a fully-welded 4mm thick tread plate floor to provide sure footing, while

Late afternoon on the Pioneer River saw the McLay 671 Fisherman Hardtop showing off her smooth lines.

Ease the SHOCK on your body

106

(there is also under-bunk storage). The reviewed 671

Fisherman Hardtop was provided by Reef Marine of Mackay. The opportunity to review the craft came late on a balmy afternoon, and the winter ambience on the Pioneer River was equally as enjoyable as my time aboard the big plate alloy rig with its powerful 175 Suzuki on the pod astern. There was plenty of river traffic with trawlers heading seawards and other large craft also moving about, so there was plenty of wash and pressure waves to test the ride of the McLay. INTERESTING AFT LAYOUT Boarding the big McLay via the wide swim platform aft was made easy thanks to rugged tread plate flooring on the aft steps leading into the cockpit. With the craft’s twin boarding ladders in an upright position, two ‘cages’ are formed astern (in conjunction with the aft rails). These are designed to make it easy for a diver to don or remove equipment, and reflect the importance our neighbours across the ditch place on diving. The cages are also handy for anglers to fish from. The craft’s live bait tank with Perspex front was located under the port step, a wide lid permitting easy access to the tank. Immediately inboard of the engine splash well was a 2-person bench seat which could be lowered to allow easy use of the craft’s centrally located bait station. Paired hatches below the bait station provided easy access to the engine and house batteries plus an expansion chamber for the fuel tank. The Hardtop’s cockpit work area with its 1080mm high sides was equipped

additional features such a powerful deck wash, carpetlined 2m long side pockets,

make fishing as easy and enjoyable as possible. LUXURIOUS HULL LINER Moving forward to the helm area, it was great to enjoy the ambience created by the luxurious grey carpetlike hull liner within the cabin and across the wide dash area. I was impressed with the liner’s snug fit around hand rails, the front passenger’s shelf, the main dash area, window surrounds and lips, the instruments and recessed navigation aids. A two piece armoured glass windscreen plus large sliding windows each side of the McLay’s cabin afforded full visibility for the skipper, whether seated or standing. The forward seating was impressive: both the skipper and mate are treated to strong, very well padded yet highly supportive highbacked seats on pedestalstyle storage boxes. Instruments within the test craft consisted of paired Lowrance HDS9 and HDS7 units recessed uppermost,

Top: The 175 Suzuki was a brilliant match for the 671 Fisherman. In this image you can also see the ‘cage ‘ formed by the aft side rails plus raised boarding ladders. Bottom: There’s a touch of class here, with the McLay’s nav aids and instruments being set into carpet-like hull liner. plus paired rod holders each side atop 330mm wide decks were designed to

with trim tab and anchor winch controls close by. To port of the steering wheel,

and a little lower, were switches to operate items such as the deck wash, bait tank and the like, while to starboard of the 6-spoke, sports-style wheel was another array of switches for various lights and other items. A USB port was also featured, while the craft’s marine radio was tucked up high within the cabin out of the weather’s influence. With forward controls for the Suzuki DF175 side mounted and within easy reach, I found that driving the 671 Fisherman Hardtop was, put simply, fun! Underway the shelter provided by the lined cabin with its rocket

on our downriver runs. The 671 Fisherman’s anchor well can be accessed via a wide cabin hatch which sports hand rails atop the cabin for safety while tending ground tackle. However, I’m sure most McLay owners will tick the anchor winch option when placing an order. PERFORMANCE AND HANDLING Performance and handling will be just as strong a selling point as the top shelf finish of these well constructed craft. Although the 671 Fisherman Hardtop sports a very solid hull at 950kg dry weight, and a

The McLay’s lined cabin offers large shelves and plenty of storage when heading wide for a crack at the fish. launcher style 8-station rod rack at the rear was very good, with virtually no slipstream breezes intruding

beam of 2.35m matching its 6.75m length, the rig planed remarkably easily. The 175 Suzuki pushed it onto the

plane at a mere 11 knots (22km/h). Cruising sweetly at 22 knots (37.4km/h), the Suzuki astern could hardly be heard, but it did get a bit louder when approaching wide open throttle at a speed of 35 knots (64.8km/h). Engine revs were temporarily unavailable during test runs. Recommended outboards are from 135-200hp, which made the 175 Suzuki mid-range power. In my view it was quite adequate for a fishingoriented craft and more than enough power, unless you plan to regularly take half a dozen anglers out fishing. In that scenario more power might be necessary, but for 2 or 3 people the potent 4-cylinder Suzuki should fulfil all requirements. With its solid weight, large reversed outer spray chine and generous beam linked to an 18º V aft, the McLay handled all wash and larger pressure waves encountered in the Pioneer River with a total lack of fuss. Even at near maximum speed the hull could not be made to pound or jar, which says a lot about its outstanding design. New Zealanders have some nasty sea conditions and build their craft to handle them. The McLay’s 4mm plate hull is a dry one. With its well-designed entry and easy

Top: The small drop down rear seat can be easily shifted to allow access to the Fisherman’s bait station. Bottom: A handy shelf for the mate is but one of the 671 Fisherman’s useful features.

capability to throw displaced water well away, the 671 Fisherman’s ride remained totally dry and would be very likely to do so in most conditions. FISHABILITY There’s little doubt that this craft is purpose designed for offshore work. Nearly every feature centres around this pursuit, and with a fuel capacity of 250L you could go a long, long, way out thanks to the frugal Suzuki 4-stroke and the McLay’s easy riding hull. Rated for 7 people, I reckon 5 anglers (possibly even 6) could fish with ease in the Fisherman’s large cockpit. A removable icebox for the catch is all that would be necessary to have a great day on the water. The test craft was provided by Reef Marine of Mackay and would come home on a well set-up Tinka tandem trailer for $83,500. If you’d like more info you can check out www.reefmarine. net or contact Reef Marine on (07) 4957 3521. Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

OUT NOW!

JANUARY 2014

107

This section in QLD Fishing Monthly consolidates the trades and services in your area that are relevant to your fishing and boating. Whether you’re a local looking for more options or a travelling angler fishing around the state, this guide will direct you to reputable businesses in the area you’re searching.

Boat Licencing

Boat Hire – Trailer GOLD COAST

Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0830 or email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

GOLD COAST

Walk on/off, or tow away Fish finder/gps, marine radio, all safety gear Half day, full day, and overnight rates True locals with great advice

Bait & Tackle GOLD COAST

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BEST LURE RANGE THE Fishing GOLDON COAST

www.bundallmarinecentre.com.au

5504 7446

Bundall Marine Centre

No.1 Ashmore Rd, Bundall

0422 198 651

GOLD COAST NORTH / LOGAN

BRISBANE

TOP BRANDS • TOP SERVICE • GREAT PRICES

INSIDE SPORTY’S WAREHOUSE

07 5526 2786

MAIL ORDERS

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32 Straithaid Rd BUNDALL 4217 QLD

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND

Tackle Warehouse Brisbane (07) 3398 6500

Victoria Point Bait and Tackle (07) 3820 9581 Spinnaker Sound Chandlery Ningi (07) 5497 6007

To book call Alan on 0428 729 355 BRISBANE

SUNSHINE COAST

FTO Tackle Outlet Brisbane 0416 017 094

Promote your Sunny Coast boat hire business here! For as little as $15 per month. Phone Shayne (07) 3387 0831 Email shayne@fishingmonthly.com.au

Boat Hire – House GOLD COAST

Great family and fishing boats!

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND

Boab Boat Hire - 1300 002 622

+ 50km of sheltered waterways on the Gold Coast’s Broadwater + No Licence required + Boats from $795 + 2-12 berth

HINCHINBROOK

inghamboathire.com.au

Unit 1/41 Steel Place Morningside 4170

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Fish and Explore the famous Hinchinbrook Channel and Island.

+ 07 5502 6200 + houseboat.net.au Boat Hire – House GOLD COAST

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 30 words within a 2x2 ad size. Email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

Visit us online for packages, rates and equipment.

0468 32 4473

DRIVERS LICENCE ONLY REQUIRED!

6 Berth vessels

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NEW LOCATION! Southpark Complex A4/10 Compton Rd, Underwood, QLD 4119 www.brisbaneboathire.com.au  0438 508 000

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Tow away boats from only $190 Hire for 24hrs, the weekend, long weekend or full week Get in quick for school holidays!

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Call Rick or Deb today 07·5510 9006

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Marine Mechanics GOLD COAST

CAPE YORK

Mention

Bundall Marine Centre – Servicing all makes and models. MOBILE SERVICE AVAILABLE (07) 5504 7446

QFM

on booking to receive

15% OFF

Whitewater Marine (07) 5532 4402

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND Brisbane Yamaha (07) 3888 1727 Northside Marine (07) 3265 8029

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND

Coastal Powerboats (07) 5568 0904

Lake Monduran House Boat www.lakemonduranhouseboathire.com.au

Coorparoo Marine (07) 3397 4141 Capalaba Boat Centre 04011 728 379

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PHONE: 07 4069 3695 www.capeyorkboats.com.au

CAPE YORK, QLD

Boab Boat Hire - 1300 002 622

Holt Marine (07) 3353 1928 Cunninghams Marine (07) 3284 8805 Caloundra Marine (07) 5491 1944 Bribie Boat Sales (07) 3408 0055

WANT IN? EMAIL : ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

NORTH BRISBANE

Fiberglass Repair

Marine Detailing

P recision DETAILING

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REGLASS REP FIBOAT REFIT AND PAINT WORAKSIR

PROFESSIONAL

AUTOMOTIVE & MARINE

MOBILE SERVICE

Since 2003

DAVID NICHOL

DIRECTOR

 Specialist marine detailer  Acid washing, de-yellowing and restoration of gel coat  Machine cutting, polishing and waxing of gel coat, two-pack and automotive surfaces  Polishing of marine metals and stainless steel  Shampooing, revitalising and protecting of a variety of upholstery types and styles  Cleaning and polishing of cars  Dressing of rubber trim  Pre-sales a specialty

AGENT FOR www.precisiondetailing.com.au

Before

0421 802 691

PH: 5519 4674 4/71 SKIPPER DRIVE, COOMERA

Marine Electronics

Marine Outboard Wreckers

MARINE ELECTRONICS

ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

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SALES • REPAIRS • INSTALLATIONS

ONSITE AND MOBILE INSTALLATIONS

Reef Marine Mackay (07) 4957 3521

• Sounders • GPS • Electric Motors • Marine Radios and accessories • Stereos • Televisions • Radar Units • Autopilots

Boat Mechanics – Mobile GOLD COAST

After

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND

Unit 4/1440 New Cleveland Road Capalaba www.trymax.com.au PHONE: 07 3245 3633

For all your Honda sales and service needs

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 30 words within a 2x2 ad size. Email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

1/4 Hilton St Currumbin Waters Qld 4223

Boat Modifications and Repairs

Phone 07 5521 0953 MOBILE SERVICE AVAILABLE

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND

GOLD COAST

North Queensland Outboard Wreckers Townsville 1800 812 748

Online Tackle Products

What Fish is This THE ONLY 5 STAR-RATED FISHING APP IN AUSTRALIA

07 5529 2292

BRISBANE

 “ Awesome app!! Easy to use and has everything you need.”  “... Easiest 5 stars I’ve given anything.”

20 Wrights Place Labrador Qld 4215 website www.brumbsmarine.com.au email brumbsmarine@bigpond.com

 Contains over 130 fish size and bag limits for all states  Solunar calendar to take the guess work out of peak fishing times  Electronic log book with GPS map marker  “How To Tie” knots section with photos

Aluminium fabrication • Steel fabrication • Boat repairs Boat modifications • Aluminium sales

www.whatfishisthis.com Catch us on @ ’What Fish Is This’

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND

CUSTOM MARINE WELDING & ELECTRICAL

BRISBANE WIDE

Marine and Auto Electricial All types of Welding Stainless Steel Aluminium Mild Steel Boats Repaired Fuel & Water Tanks Bow and Stern Rails Canopies Custom VehicleTool Boxes

MACKAY / WHITSUNDAYS

W h ui ttsbuOnadrady O entre C

1 William Murray Drive Cannonvale Qld

07·4946 7286

U-Make-Em Sort Plastics www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au

Shed 1 281 Jacobs Well Road

Phone 38077846 Mob 0427142201 Fax 3807 2468

www.custommarinewelding.com.au

Authorised Mercury Outboard and Mercruiser Motor Sale and Service Centre

www.whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au

She Left Camera Sunglasses www.hdvcs.com.au

Behind GEM Service Station, Alberton 4207

We Service all Motor Brands!

Scan the code & get the What Fish is This App today!

Bluewater Windscreens Brisbane (07) 3382 7883 ASM Mobile Welding Brisbane 0409 624 402 Marine Windows and Doors Brisbane (07) 3284 5088 Small Craft Electrics (mobile) 0408 063 064 Boat Collar (07) 5441 3636 CMC Marine Sales 0409 910 808

WANT IN? EMAIL : ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

Propellers

Luke’s

MOBILE PROP SPEED

GAIN SPEED AND SAVE FUEL WITH PROP SPEED

Specializing in Anti foul and Oceanmax Propspeed LUKE STEELE PH: 0408 692124 lukesmobilepropspeed@live.com.au

Marine Wraps

Marine Transport

TRADES AND SERVICES ADVERTISING Line listing from $90 + gst 6 months* 2cm x 2 from $195 + gst 6 months* 4cm x 2 from $320 + gst 6 months* 8cm x 2 from $590 + gst 6 months* Rates exclusive to Trades and Services Directory * Conditions apply Call (07) 3387 0830 or email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

BOAT TRANSPORT AUSTRALIA WIDE FROM A TINNY TO 50 FEET WEEKLY SERVICE BRISBANE TO CAIRNS

DJ Freight Marine Transport 0418 793 357 0427 341 076 contact@djfreight.com.au Rod and Reel Repair

Marine Trailers Oceanic Boat Trailers (07) 5597 0577 Seatrail Trailers www.seatrailqld.com.au

Tinnie Tosser (07) 5498 7339 Sea-Link Special Trailers (07) 3881 3568

Marine Trimmers GOLD COAST

NAWAY BAY U R

we Onsite or ou ! Y come to

SERVICING

MARINE COVERS

BRISBANE, GOLD COAST AND NORTHERN NEW SOUTH WALES

INCORPORATING MARINE STAINLESS SOLUTIONS

 Boat covers  Upholstery  Carpet

VISIT

 Camper covers  Bimini tops  Canopy tops

 Front clears  Side clears  Storm covers

 Custom work  FREE quotes  Stainless work

www.rbmarinecovers.com.au OR CALL PAUL ON 0417 173 257

BRISBANE

MOBILE MARINE CANOPIES Canopies Bimini tops Cockpit covers Front and side clears Full boat covers Upholstery Pontoon carpet ... and more!

Holiday Accommodation

Gold Coast

RVICE A USTRALI A EEL SE OVER 23 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

ABU ALVEY DIAWA OKUMA PENN SHIMANO TICA

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND

Hemingways on Tin Can Bay (07) 3219 9376 Bribie Island Real Estate (07) 3408 1006

MORETON ISLAND

Reel repair and service specialists

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME

48 hour return

This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 80 words within a 8 x2 ad size.

GUARANTEE GIVEN

Pete Charles • Gold Coast • 07 5564 2052 Brisbane

D&H REEL REPAIRS ce Reel Performan

repairs For all your reel

needs and spare parts

Servicin Phone/Fax: 07 3372 2740 or major b g all call Duncan on 0439 717 839 rands Email: dhreelrepairs@bigpond.com Drag upgrades available • Rod repairs • Mail orders welcome

ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

www.reelrepairs.com.au 110 Sherbrooke Rd, Willawong Qld 4110

OVER 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE

FRASER ISLAND

North Queensland

Fraser Island Fishing Units

JT Reel Repairs, Mackay 0427 552 485 or (07) 4955 2485

Specialty Products

FLUSH YOUR ENGINE WITH

INDIAN HEAD

For bookings or enquiries contact: Cliff Andreassen 07 5449 9346 or 0428 712 283

Martin Costello 0434 615 936 www.mobilemarinecanopies.com

A FISHO’S DREAM

bearfish@bigpond.com

CORROSION CONTROL SALT REMOVING TREATMENT

WARNING!

Rowland Street Boat Trimmers Springwood (07) 3208 9511 Brisbane Yamaha (07) 3888 1727 Rays Canvas & Marine Caboolture (07) 5499 4911 Affordable Boat Covers Gold Coast 0419 424 587

SAMPLE AD -BUSINESS NAME

9 out 10 engines fail from salt corrosion

This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 50 words within a 5x2 ad size. Email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

ACT NOW AND PROTECT YOUR VALUABLE BOAT, ENGINE, TRAILER, FISHING AND DIVE GEAR. SALT-AWAY IS A MUST FOR:

ENGINE FLUSHING JETSKIS TRAILERS

FREECALL For more info

WASHING BOATS FISHING & DIVE GEAR

1800 091 172

Waddy Lodge on Fraser 0414 516 364

VISIT www.salt-away.com.au WANT IN? EMAIL : ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND

Looking to

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND

ay? stay at Stanage B

Eclipse FNQ Weipa Charters 0488 058 668 Action Charters Mackay 0417 452 346 Fishing Charters Townsville 0403 386 722

Fully setup fishing accommodation

The name says it all!!

Call Von 07 4937 3145 Stanage Bay Marine and Accommodation w w w.stana g eb ay. co m

Book now! Call 1300 655 818! www.incrediblecharters.com.au

Advertise here - $90 + GST for 6 months Email: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

JC’S Fishing Charters Ayr 0438 753 382 JC’S FISHING CHARTERS Sportfishing the Burdekin and Bowen district for barramundi in the rivers to juvenile black marlin offshore, or sightfishing for permit with fly on the flats. Contact John 0438 753 382

Fairdinkum Fishing Charters Townsville (07) 4751 5324 Cairns Reef Charter Services 1800 119 044

SUNSHINE COAST

Cairns Charter Boat 0427 533 081

Keely Rose Deep Sea Fishing Charters 0407 146 151

Cairns Fishing Charters 0427 400 027

Odyssey Charters Deep Sea Fishing (07) 5478 1109

FRESHWATER

Fishing Guides

Smithy’s Fishing Charters Sunshine Coast 0407 574 868

Yallakool Caravan Park on Bjelke-Petersen Dam (07) 4168 4746

Top Catch Charters Sunshine Coast 0429 013 012

Lake Boondooma Caravan Park (07) 4168 9694

Fish n Crab Charters Mooloolaba 0412 155 814

Lake Cressbrook Regional Council 131 872

Offshore Reef and Game Fishing 0413 485 402

Yallakool Park and Kiosk on Bjelke-Petersen Dam (07) 4168 4746

Sunshine Coast Fishing Charters (07) 5500 0671

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND Suncoast Barra Fishing Park www.suncoastbarrafishing.com

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND

Lake Monduran Barra Charters 0407 434 446

Fishing Offshore Noosa 0418 889 956

Charter Boats

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND

Hooked On Hinchinbrook www.hookedonhinchinbrook.com

Noosa Fishing Charters (07) 5665 8170 Hervey Bay Fishing Charters (07) 4125 3958

NORTHERN NSW

Fish Taxidermy

Incredible Charters 1300 655 818

Evans Head Deep Sea Fishing Charters 0428 828 835

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND

Reel Time Fishing Charters 0428 231 962

www.jcsfishing.com.au

Neptune’s Treasures - Your Catch Reproduced 0405 226 282 www.neptunestreasures.com.au

GOLD COAST

Fish Taxiderist www.fishtaxidery.net.au or 0428 544 841

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME

Fishing on TV 7 DAYS Snacks and drinks supplied!

O N

This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 80 words within a 8 x2 ad size.

O PP E Y

Not just a day... but an experience! Ideal Xmas gift!

• Group and share charters (maximum 6 people) • Rods, reels, bait and tackle supplied • BYO! (cans only) • Experienced skipper and crew

0419 029 397

Rosslyn Bar Harbour, Yeppoon, Queensland www.bitememarlincharters.com.au • bitemefishingcharters@hotmail.com

ads@fishingmonthly.com.au True Blue Fishing Gold Coast (07) 5510 9622 BK’s Gold Coast Fishing Charters 0414 293 034 My Charter Boat Tweed Heads 0407 347 446 RU4 Reel Tweed Heads 0449 903 366 Discovery Fishing Charters G old Coast 0427 026 519 Fish The Deep Charters 0416 224 412 Paradise Fishing Charters 0403 531 428 Gold Coast Fishing Charters 0411 605 090 Hooker 1 Charters Gold Coast (07) 5528 6469 Sea Probe Fishing Charters 0400 312 330 Coastal Sports Fishing Charters Gold Coast 0412 691 929 Gone Fishing Charters Gold Coast (07) 5529 7833

BRISBANE Frenzy Charters Brisbane (07) 3209 4576 Tom Cat Charters (07) 3820 8794 Moreton Island Fishing Charters 0413 128 056 Brisbane Fishing Charters 0427 026 510 Bucket List Fishing Charters 0428 368 316 John Gooding Outlaw Charters 0418 738 750

Bite Me Fishing Charters Yeppoon 0419 029 397 Ultimate Sportfishing Charters 0450 753 726 MV Capricorn Star 0408 755 201 Mikat Cruises Fishing Charters 0427 125 727 Bundaberg Fishing Charters 0429 017 217 Sport Fish 1770 (07) 4974 9686

DVD’S Series 2 through 8

$19.95 each GST INC. - with FREE P&H

1800 228 244

Coral Coast Game Fishing 0447 347 437 MV James Cook (1770) (07) 4974 9422 Norval Reef Charters 1800 771 234 Iluka Fishing Charters Gladstone 0414 940 911 Kanimbla Charters Gladstone1800 677 202

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND

CAMPINGGROUND AND FISHING LODGE Grassed Beachfront Camping • Air-conditioned Lodge Rooms Self-contained beach house • Licenced dinning facilities 4WD Cape York tours • Fishing charters • Boat Hire Booking agents for Peddells T.I Tours, gateway Horn Is tours, Brazakkas Helicoters & More.

Ph: 4069 3372 Fax: 4069 3770 Patsy: (07) 4069 3808 fishcapeyork@bigpond.com www.loyaltybeach.com P.O Box 49, Bamaga QLD 4876

WANT IN? EMAIL : ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

If you have any other trades or services that you would like to see in this section please don’t hesitate to give us a call Email: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

NEWS

FROM THE BOATING WORLD

BCF HOOKS BLUELINE BOATS

SONARHUB ARRIVES

Blueline has hooked into an exciting opportunity to launch its range of boats in Australia. These will be sold exclusively through BCF. Made from marine alloy, Blueline’s Nomad tinnies boast high fatigue strength, top notch corrosion resistance, plenty of storage and many other high quality features. BCF Managing Director Steve Doyle said he was excited to be offering customers an affordable, yet quality boat. “Offering matching gear and accessories takes away the stress and worry for our customers as everything they need can be purchased at their local BCF store,” he said. “Expanding our range to include these Nomad tinnies now makes BCF truly a one-stop boating shop.” The initial release will include a 3.4m and 3.85m hull made from 5052 marine alloy sheet. Blueline has partnered with Parsun Outboards and Endeavour Trailers to offer a range of motor and trailer options. For more information visit bluelineboats. com.au or www.bcf.com.au. – BCF

Delivering best-in-class StructureScan HD and CHIRP fishing technologies in one compact module, SonarHub is ideal for marking fish and tracking lure action, with easy-to-understand, picture-like views of structure and bottom detail. Adding StructureScan HD and CHIRP sonar technology to compatible Lowrance HDS and Simrad NS multifunction fishfinder/ chartplotter displays, the SonarHub performance module is a plug-and-play network solution. The new module’s Frequency Sweeping Pulse Compression technology (CHIRP sonar) provides high-definition detail to depths of 3500ft; while its StructureScan HD functionality provides picture-like displays. A combination of DownScan Imaging technology and side-scan imaging, StructureScan HD includes an enhanced transducer design with 3 dedicated signals. It provides digitally purified images of individual fish and clear separation of fish from other targets. When paired with an AIRMAR TM 150 transducer, the CHIRP sonar has efficient pulse generation that provides improved target resolution and noise rejection. Plug-and-play compatibility with the Lowrance HDS Gen2 and Gen2 Touch fishfinder/chartplotter models, as well as Simrad NSS Sport, NSE Expert and NSO Offshore multifunction displays, SonarHub has 3 built-in Ethernet ports for convenient networking. The sounder is compatible with a wide range of transducers. The SonarHub Sounder retails for $799, has a 2-year limited warranty and is backed by the Lowrance and Simrad Advantage Service Programs. For more info visit www.lowrance. com. – Navico

AFFORDABLE DIY PROJECTS

Josren is a new company that provides high quality, affordable toy and hobby products you can purchase online. Their products are for the DIY enthusiast who wants to build quality projects. Josren projects are for boaties, campers, home brew gurus, fishos, cooks, gardeners, or people who enjoy doing things themselves. At this stage Josren has released their Tinny Console. The Tinny Console will be the first of many projects released by Josren Concepts and they hope that through your input they will grow the product range to suit your needs. Josren kits are designed and machine cut locally, in quantities to reduce the costs to you. They ensure kits are quick and easy to complete requiring only basic DIY skill and tools. Their kits contain only the main timber components, in a bid to reduce transport costs and to enable you to make use of materials you may well already have hidden away in your shed. Why would you buy a Josren product? Because they provide high quality, affordable DIY products you’ll be proud to say “I built that”. Join Josren’s Facebook community and share your DIY experience or watch their YouTube Channel for great DIY hints. For more information visit www.josrenconcepts.com.au – Josren

NEW MARINE GRAPHICS DESIGNS

Australian design studio Marine Graphics Ink (MGI) has released its summer 2013/14 Stock Boat Wraps brochure, offering a stylish and cost-effective boat hull protection solution. It’s available in 16 new designs, and all you have to do is select a boat wrap from the brochure, tell MGI your boat details, and they will size the wrap to fit your hull (including positioning of registration number) and then print the wrap on premium cast vinyl with UV

over laminate. MGI will also apply the wrap to your boat if there’s an agent in your area, or send the printed artwork to you for installation by a local sign company. While the Stock Boat Wraps brochure provides a range of ready-to-go designs, customisation is also available. You can select any wrap from the brochure and replace elements with other stock designs, fish from MGI’s stock fish library, add sponsor logos and even incorporate the boat’s name. “A stock boat wrap doesn’t mean your boat is going to look the same as others on the water,” Hannan said. “Many people mix and match the stock designs or request other slight modifications to make their boat wrap unique.” Marine Graphics Ink’s summer 2013/14 brochure can be downloaded at www. marinegraphicsink.com.au. – MGI

INSIGHT GENESIS OFFER

Insight Genesis – the personal mapgeneration tool for Lowrance, Simrad NS and B&G Zeus chartplotters – has announced a new single-tier, low-cost annual subscription featuring the most popular features of this premium mapmaking service. The new subscription delivers more functionality and performance, as well as regular free updates, and users can create maps from their own sonar logs to capture the personal detail and contours for their favourite fishing areas. Replacing the one-time download and multi-tiered subscription structure that ranged up to USD$299 per year, the new Insight Genesis subscription offers customers access to the service’s full feature set for a reduced annual fee of USD$99. Insight Genesis also continues to provide free features including uploads for up to two hours of sonar logs for online viewing of maps that depict contours and depth soundings with shading, as well as automatic tidal adjustments. The new annual subscription allows customers to upload up to 4 hours of sonar logs as well as view charts online or save maps to an SD card for use on as many as four compatible Lowrance Elite HDI, HDS*, Simrad NS Series and B&G Zeus multifunction displays. Additional subscription features provide the ability to adjust contour intervals; merge multiple uploads; overlay bottom hardness and vegetation outline layers; analyse changes over multiple recordings with trend-analysis; securely store sonar logs, maps and a boaters’ critical trip and waypoint data online - accessible from any internet-connected device; and the option to keep recorded sonar data private or to share selected tripsy. Existing customers who purchased the previously available premium subscription for USD$299 will be refunded USD$200, and users who purchased a standard subscription for USD$99 will receive a free upgrade adding premium features. For more information visit insightstore. navico.com/insightgenesis. – Navico

STACER 579 SPORTSTER

Easily catering for up to 7 passengers, the Stacer 579 Sportster is fit for the entire family or a large group of friends. The 579 Sportster comes complete with all the little luxuries, including a carpeted floor, bimini and envelope, bow storage, a duckboard platform, cushioned bow lounge and finished with a painted hull. The Low Profile Sports Deck gives the 579 Sportster a new modern look, and with a max rating of 135hp and a central ski hook this boat is perfect companion for serious watersports action. It’s built with the EVO Advance Hull which combines a sharper bow design and deeper V to ensure the 579 Sportster delivers an impressive ride at rest and underway. Stacer National Account Manager Drew Jackson said the EVO Advance Hull made the Sportster stable fishing platform that performed well in all conditions. ‘The 579 Sportster can be optioned up with a casting platform infill and extra rod holders, perfect to take your crew fishing,’ Drew said. “It can also be optioned up with front and side clears and storm covers for extra protection, a Mark 5X fish finder and rocket launchers.” The 579 Sportster is available as a Stacer Ready 2 Go package with engine, trailer and a 3-year limited factory warranty. For more info go to www.stacer.com.au. – Telwater

YAMAHA PFDS

Yamaha’s new neoprene PFD’s mould to your body and are a more comfortable fit whilst the segmented style also enhances flexibility. They are certified Level 50S, Australian standards approved (AS4758). This vibrant and fresh new range focusing on bold, angular designs. Features include a front main zip; internal 38mm thick belt with buckle closure for added security; and accessories clip. The men’s models range from SM-XX and are available in black/gold and blue. The ladies sizes are 8-16 and come in an attractive black/pink colour. All come printed with the Yamaha logos on both the front and rear of the PFD. Price: approx. $140 yamaha-motor.com.au

Please send contributions to: The Editor, Fishing Monthly Group PO BOX 3172 LOGANHOLME, QLD. 4129

The Orig the Bes inal & t! DON’T BE FOO LED BY IMITAT IONS

with 6” zerek live cherabin

You love t he Zerek Live Shrimp...

Check out t he Zerek 01

Available in 4" & 6"

- AFTA Best Soft Lure 2013 -

Zerek Live Cherabin adapted from the successful Live Shrimp by Aussie Lure developers

unique rigging slots in the body to shield hook making the lure supersnag resistant whilst maintaining great hook up ability

in-built rattle chamber

Available in 4" & 6"

6” also includes bonus saltwater jig head!

Available in 4" & 6"

lumo eyes can be re-rigged with standard jig head or worm hook unique segmented tail held together by kevlar matting to give durability and life-like action comes pre-rigged with weighted weedless hook

unique moving leg action hollow main chamber for easy hook up

life like realistic colour range

Available in 4" & 6"

live dream

THE OFFSHORE

NEXT GENERATION ENGEL Announcing the latest in the Engel fridge freezer range

The new MT45FCP Combi It’s a freezer! It’s a fridge!

The new MT45FCP is a fridge and freezer in one and has different options for use!

Option 1

Freezer 16 litres and Fridge 23 litres (total 39 litres)

Option 2

Freezer 23 litres and Fridge 16 litres (total 39 litres)

The new MT45FCP Combi is part of the Next Generation digital range, which have all new features plus the same Engel reliability.

Option 3

Refrigerator Only (divider removed total 39 litres)

· · · · · · · · ·

User friendly LED Digital control, with built in battery protection The famous Sawafuji swing motor with only one moving part Lowest maximum power draw Rugged steel cabinet LED interior light Tri-voltage Removable wire baskets and divider Easy clean interior 3 year warranty and Australia wide service network

For stockists call 1300 302 653 www.engelaustralia.com.au

FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY

FOR FULL DETAILS VISIT MERCURYMARINE.COM.AU Terms & Conditions: *Finance for credit approved purchasers only, fees charges and conditions apply. The offer is available on a 24 month term, a minimum deposit of 20% and subject to a total maximum amount financed of $20,000. The comparison rate above is based on a $30,000 secured loan at 2.94% over a 5 year term. **Finance for credit approved purchasers only, fees charges and conditions apply. The offer is available on a 24 month term, a minimum deposit of 10% and subject to a total maximum amount financed of $55,000. The comparison rate above is based on a $30,000 secured loan at 3.94% over a 5 year term. The amount of credit provided to you and the term of your loan may be different to this. WARNING: The comparison rate only applies to the example given, different amounts and terms will result in different comparison rates. Costs such as redraws and early repayment fees, and cost savings such as fee waivers, are not included in the comparison rate but may influence the cost of the loan. Finance is provided by Mercury Finance Pty Ltd ABN 28 156 248 092. Australian Credit Licence Number 421347.