Queensland Fishing Monthly - January 2016 by Fishing Monthly

STELLAR SUMMER OPTIONS • 2015 BARRA TOUR WRAP-UP

Tried and Tested

Wilson's Magnum rods • Stabicraft's 2400 Supercab • Stacer's Proline 449S • Suzuki's Vitara •

Features

Fishing with prawns • Post Christmas angling options • Pristine Marion reefs • Freshwater fun with the fly rod •

NEW

FIND THE

How-To

LOGO COMP

SEE INSIDE!

Mud crab tips • Lefty Kreh’s loop knot • Spinnerbait tactics • Skinning pelagic fish • Catch more Spanish mackerel •

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January 2016, Vol. 28 No. 3

Contents NORTHERN NEW SOUTH WALES

Iluka 24 Ballina 26

Boating 106 Back to Basics 20 Camping and 4WD 84 Cooking 103 Dam Levels 78 Freshwater 78 Fun Page 96 Kayaking 98 Sheik of the Creek 97 Sunfish 100 Suntag 104 Tournament News 90 Tech Tricks 22 Trades and Services 110 What’s New in Boating 113 What’s New in Fishing 86 Flyfishing scene 82 SPECIAL FEATURES

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

Printing: APN – Print Production: Jenna Milburn Karen Millward Keith Hawley Website: www.fishingmonthly.com.au Distribution: Gordon & Gotch Pty Ltd Subscriptions: Kym Rowbotham

OUR COVER Mackerel are running strong all along the Queensland coast. A Mark Gercovich image.

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SINCE 1987

JANUARY 2016

QUEENSLAND FISHING MONTHLY

AUST

On the hunt for Spaniards 10 Mud crab tips for the holidays 14 Post Christmas fishing tips 18 What’s the story, prawning glory 50 Fishing the pristine Marion reefs 64 Lefty Kreh’s loop knot tutorial 77 Stacer release new Proline Striker 102

interested to see what gives first. Will Fisheries step in and lend a hand? Will the commercial sector do something that will help make the fishery sustainable – voluntarily? Or will hell freeze over? My money’s on the third, but I’d love to be proved wrong… stay tuned in this new year for some alternative suggestions on how to deal with this problem that doesn’t look like going away. WELCOME TO 2016 Lastly, weclome to 2016! On a lighter note, we hope that Fishing Monthly can help you to achieve some of your goals for this fishing year. Make sure you send us pics of your catches - we can share them in the pages of the magazine or via our Instagram feed.

ION

REGULAR FEATURES

will in fact worsen as an unintended consequence of the new Net Free Zones, implemented in November. Net caught threadfin that were being taken from the Fitzroy system will undoubtedly leave a vacuum in the market, and economic realities suggest that the Brisbane River fish may well provide a convenient substitute. Let’s hope that Fisheries release the choke-hold on the data to see if that hypothesis is correct. In the meantime, concerned recreational anglers can join with Matthew on Brisbane River Fishing (search the term on Facebook) to help him create a voluntary Code of Practice to help direct and educate fellow concerned recreational anglers. P e r s o n a l l y, I’m

Whitsundays 66 Ayr 67 Townsville 68 Lucinda 70 Cairns 73 Hinchinbrook 72 Port Douglas 71 Cape York 74 Cooktown 75 TNQ Freshwater 76

the problem’s not going to go away and it seems that Fisheries is definitely not going to do anything about it. In fact, data about the commercial catch has dried up since the problem was spectacularly brought to light earlier in the year. There’s a real chance that Brisbane River threadfin stocks will experience a serious decline, with unrestricted commercial effort being applied to potential spawning aggregations adjacent to the mouth of the Brisbane river. Of course, Matt Hubbard’s Brisbane River Fishing Facebook community has done a great job of raising awareness, and Stefan Sawynok’s Infofish Australia backed this up with real data to confirm it, but there’s a real chance that the problem

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND

I did a seminar recently at Jones’ Tackle in Brisbane. It had around 200 attendees. During my talk, I divulged the techniques that we use to catch night time predators – threadfin and mulloway – in the Brisbane river. To be honest, it’s a subject I’d prefer not to have covered. For several years now, I’ve been refining my techniques and presentations to a point where it’s sometimes downright easy to catch serious numbers of big fish. But there’s a greater problem at hand. And one of the best ways to address it is to make people aware of it. And one of the best ways to make anglers aware is with a bent rod. You’ve read a bit about it in recent QFMs, but

Hervey Bay 54 Fraser Coast 52 Rainbow Beach 54 Lake Monduran 55 Bundaberg 57 Gladstone 58 Rockhampton 60 Yeppoon 61 Mackay 62 Stanage Bay 63

From the Editor’s Desk...

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND

Tweed Heads 27 Southern Gold Coast 28 Gold Coast Canals 29 Gold Coast 32 Jumpinpin 34 Southern Bay 36 Brisbane 38 Brisbane Offshore 40 Northern Bay 42 Caloundra 44 Noosa 46

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Spanish Mackerel

On the hunt for Spaniards CALOUNDRA

Brad McKendrick fishingcaloundra@yahoo.com.au

Violent surface strikes, powerful runs, great speed and a top eating quality make Spanish mackerel one of our most popular pelagics to catch. Is it any wonder so many

There are always days where you can’t find any bait, and other days where the ocean seems to be full of bait, so let’s cover methods for both occasions so that you are equipped to have a go no matter what. On tough days, your chances of success will be affected by the little things like slowing down

if things are tough and the bait is hard to find. In this scenario, you should work the warmer water with the rigs and bait strategies that I’ll discuss later in this article. The other tip is to work around high rising pinnacles or known structure when times are hard. You are basically

very little over the years, but there’s no denying their effectiveness. To catch the fish you have to present your lure or bait where the fish are, and a downrigger will get you there every time. If the fish are feeding at 40m, your bait or lure must be close to that depth. Mackerel may feed above, in or below schools of bait, so once you can identify mackerel on the sounder drop your rig right amongst them. Downrigging is not the only way to get down deep but it is without doubt the most accurate and easiest way. On good days you can see surface activity from panicked bait schools being attacked. Birds are the best indicator that bait schools are working towards the surface. It is what is happening beneath the bait that should be your point of focus. With experience you will be able to use your sounder to identify fish species. Your sounder can reveal species such as snapper feeding on the

A string of yakkas. These are great livebaits. bait, with mackerel or other pelagics further down. This information can be used to

identify the depth of the mackerel and get you right on the money. Remember,

Spanish mackerel are being caught everywhere at the moment. anglers work so hard to catch their first ocean brute? In this article I will cover the main points to get you started and help improve your Spaniard catch rates. Mackerel can be found around structure like wrecks, reef, pinnacles, rocky outcrops, ocean currents, deep drop-offs, the list goes on. As you can already tell, there are a lot of places to target Spaniards – but the number one place to start is in and around bait schools. Find the bait and you will find the fish!

or speeding up your trolling speed, covering more depths with your bait or lures or changing the grounds you are fishing. All up, there are a lot of little tweaks that can be made, but for now let’s stick to the simple solutions, which should be the first things you should do when things are quiet. Water of about 24°C or warmer in summer is prime time to target mackerel. Sometimes the water can vary from 1-2°C in the space of 50m, so the key is to find the warmer water

looking for any place that holds fish or bait regularly, and you need to spend the time to look before setting out your gear. This can mean fishing over a couple of tide changes to see what happens. Finally, the best tip I can give you is to use a downrigger to place the bait or lures at the exact depth you see fish on the sounder. Downriggers are really underused in Australia, mainly because anglers like to try new lures or other methods. Downriggers have changed

Using livebait is often the key to getting more consistent results.

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Spanish Mackerel there may be no mackerel there but if there is bait there are predators, and it’s a great start. Both bait and lures work on mackerel. During the peak of the mackerel season it sometimes

feels like you can catch them on anything, but you know you’re a good angler when you can catch them when they are hard to find. Qantas coloured lures (red and white) or gold are definitely the most

popular to use. I don’t get bogged down in too much technical stuff with lures; just remember you’ll need to cover different depths with them to give yourself a better chance of catching a mackerel. Once you

To preserve the eating quality, these fish must be bled and put on ice straight away.

determine the required depths, you can adjust your lures or skirts accordingly. If the fish are on the surface, there’s obviously no point in running a deep diver. Get some surface lures on your rigs and vice versa.

If you can hold over a bait school it’s great fun to use a small 20-30g chrome slug or a micro jig up through the bait school. These can be used on a light spin outfit. A knife jig will do a great job as well.

Your sounder is the key to finding where the fish are holding.

Never discard any idea when things are tough! Also, remember that when trolling lures your speed must be within its specifications. Generally 3-5 knots is a good starting pace. To page 12

Spanish mackerel are a fantastic eating fish.

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Spanish Mackerel From page 11

By far the best way to catch mackerel where I reside on the Sunshine Coast is to troll livebait in the form of slimy mackerel or yakkas. Other areas use different live baits. Further north I catch plenty of mackerel on lures though, so use what works best in your area. If you can’t get live bait, fresh dead bait is next best. Have you ever

been on the water and everyone around you is catching mackerel and you are not? Normally this is because the angler is doing something that you’re not, and nine out of 10 times it’s the difference in bait and how it is presented. You need to be ready to change it up until you get results with both bait and lures. Use the common sense approach! There are a lot of rigs that can be

Big Spanish mackerel love live baits.

used to present your bait. Live bait on a snell rig or a ganged series of hooks works well. While there are many other rigs that can be used, remember these are simple yet very effective. The trolling speed for a livebait is between 1-3 knots. Troll around the bait, not straight through it. This will make your bait standout as an easy target for fish, rather than be caught up in the big

group and not be seen. The tips here are to be prepared to change ideas, and live bait is best. I get asked a lot whether wire is better than mono for mackerel fishing, and the answer is YES! I’ve found that 44lb wire tied with a haywire twist will take care of most mackerel and their razor sharp teeth. There are alternatives such as knottable wire, but it is expensive. A 40-80lb

mono trace is amble and fluorocarbon is not necessary. The main line on your reel can be anything – either mono or braid from 20lb upwards. I prefer braid because you have a feel for everything that is going on. Just don’t go too heavy. Lighter line will catch more fish. A light overhead or spin reel will land the majority of mackerel, and rods up to 15kg in

You can still catch solid mackerel throughout the winter months.

strength are plenty. I use a 5-10kg rod with a 5000 reel and 30lb main line braid for micro jigging or slug casting. My other rig consists of a Daiwa Saltist and a 10-15kg spin rod. I have 50lb braid on that for trolling. If you prefer overhead reels, that’s great – use them. So with all these ideas you should be able to get a good head start on the mackerel this season. Overall, Spanish mackerel are a fantastic pelagic species. To put it bluntly, they are brutes and just want to break you off every time you put pressure on them. Just allow the boat to continue trolling for around 30m to ensure you have a solid hook-up, and then maintain the pressure. Don’t panic when they get close to the boat, just be patient and get them in the net or on the gaff. Mackerel are a superb eating fish and once caught they should be bled immediately and put on ice. One safety issue is to ensure they are hit with a donger and put to sleep otherwise you might lose a toe! Let’s hope you get amongst them this summer and enjoy everything Spanish mackerel have to offer. Have fun!

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mud crabs

Mud crab tips for the holidays BRISBANE

Sean Thompson

Chasing mud crabs over the summer holidays is a popular pastime and a long held tradition for many QLD families. What’s great about crabbing is that if you put some pots out while having a fish you may be able to take home a great feed of succulent crabs for the family, even if the fishing is poor. When the winds are too strong for a fish, or the kids are getting bored over the school holidays, crabbing becomes an even better option. If you do have kids, or even relatives or friends with kids and haven’t taken them crabbing before, it’s a must! The anticipation of pulling a crab pot up is always fun, but it is made all the more enjoyable with kids. I always grin ear to ear when I hear the squeals of delight from the kids

rate in catching a feed of beautiful muddies this summer and beyond. TYPE OF POTS Rectangular pots are a cheap and lightweight option that collapse, making them easy to transport or carry. You might consider them if space is tight in your boat or you need to carry them out on the mudflats by foot. These pots do suffer a few negative design flaws. I have found the nylon mesh in these pots is thin and will need to be repaired after a few crab trips as crabs attempt to escape. The metal latches that close the pots are also weak and do not last, often needing to be replaced with wire. They only have two entry points and, off-theshelf, these entry points are usually very loose and will allow crabs to easily escape. You can go some way to overcoming this problem by using snap lock ties to pull the mesh tight and tighten the entry

would barely be big enough to attract a soldier crab, let alone a muddy! I also see a few people tie their bait directly to the bottom of the pot with fishing line or off-the-shelf steel bait clips. This gives crabs and fish easy access to quickly tear it to shreds, leaving you with little or no bait if left overnight. Plastic mesh bait holders are a better option, which you can buy from tackle shops. These will keep your bait intact longer although once again they are not big enough for big baits like chicken carcasses. I used to make my own with gutter-guard and snap lock ties until I got sick of repairing the damage from crabs after only a couple of trips. The best option for the rectangular pot is to purchase heavy duty drawstring bait bags that are secured to either end of the pot with nylon line and metal hooks. They will keep the bait intact longer

A converted square pot with bait bag – note the fresh chicken used as bait.

The author’s preferred style of pot. as they struggle with the weight of the pot and, as it’s heaved into the boat. Yet, despite the popularity of crabbbing, not all mud crabbers are as successful as they could be. This article provides some quick and easy tips to help lift your success

versions. The mesh is stronger as are the thicker galvanised rings. Heavyduty pots are also heavier and less likely to move in the current. This might not be an issue in small drains, but it is in bigger bays and rivers. Your pot is more likely to be where you left it rather than drifting with the current 500m or so down the system. The round pots also have four entry points, making it easier for a crab to enter, while the entry points come tight and springy off the shelf. They also come with in-built bait holders, which make crabbing much easier. You can also purchase specially designed triangular pots that are still heavy-duty yet smaller and a good option from the shore. The other great advantage of these pots is that the triangular design allows easy access to narrow drains or into tight mangrove spots which standard pots might not be

points. This makes the entry springier and allows easier access, while at the same time making it more difficult for the crabs to escape. Finally, these pots don’t come with a decent in-built bait pouch. In fact the tiny bait pouch they come with

and make baiting up (and disposing of it) a breeze. Round, four-entry heavy-duty crab pots are a much better option unless space or weight is an issue. The heavy-duty versions of these pots cost a little more but will last much longer than the lightweight

able to get into. I have used these and they are a great option from the shore – Coucom’s Crabpots and Fishing Gear at Yeppoon have these for sale online. Hayes crab pots also make a range of pots, from the drop pot to the all nighter. The drop pot has

A steep muddy bank with overhanging trees is a likely spot to produce crabs. a large opening at the top and is probably best suited to sand crabs for drops of 30-60 minutes. The Hayes all nighter (with a smaller single top opening) would be a better option for overnight muddy sessions. BEST BAITS Fresh bait is best for crabbing, and you should always replace your bait each day if you leave your pots in the water. This has been well known for a while now by the majority of crabbers, although I don’t think this was always the case. In fact about 15 years ago, my brother-in-law and I wanted to test the myth that rotten smelly baits are best. We put smelly fish carcasses in a couple of pots, while we used fresh bait in another pot nearby in equally good locations. Even after the first night, the smelly baits remained untouched while the freshly baited pots had crabs in each day. On top of that, the stench of the rotten baits was overpowering! We eventually decided to ditch them after about 3-4 days as our laughter from the stench turned to dry retching after we pulled them up. I’ve only used fresh baits since. Top crabbing baits include chicken carcasses, chicken pieces, pilchards, mullet or other oily fish. Try a local butcher for cheap chicken carcasses

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(usually 50c-$1 each), or fresh seafood shops for cheap oily fish carcasses. The further north you go in QLD, the more common kangaroo meat and bones are for sale for use in crab pots and some crabbers up north swear by this bait. My mates and I have certainly done very well on kangaroo at Stanage Bay in the past, catching some monster crabs that are on offer there. BEST TIMES Pots left overnight will usually yield the best results. However, if theft is a problem, then place your pots out during the day on a rising tide and fish nearby. Rain will also bring on the crabs, although, if you get a lot of rain, move the pots to deeper water in the creek channels as the more dense saline water (which the crabs prefer) will sit below the muddier fresh water on top. Another myth is that you can only catch crabs in months with an ‘r’ in them. In bigger bays like Moreton Bay, the edges of channels close to mangrove-lined islands are productive locations even through autumn and into winter. You get some monster crabs, full of meat in these spots during the cooler months as the crabs move to deeper water during these times. LOCATIONS Entrances to creek drains that are lined with

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mangroves, and drains just wide enough to fit a small boat into are perfect locations for a mud crab. Try to get your pots up as far up the drain as you can. A tip in such locations is to look for signs of broken branches at the entrance to the small creek or drain. If the leaves on the broken branches are fresh, it suggests someone has crabbed there recently so it is wise to try elsewhere. If the broken branches are dead however, this should mean there had been sufficient time for new bucks or bucks to take up prime position in these locations as nature dictates. Even small drains too small to get a boat up are top spots for muddies, just leave your pot in water that

sure your pot is flat on the bottom by feeling the rope as you let it down. Once on the bottom it should feel like it is sitting flat and not unbalanced when you pull firmly on the rope without lifting the pot. Another mistake crabbers can make is to leave their rope or line floating in the creek leaving it susceptible to propeller strikes. I always add a couple of clip-on sinkers (which you can buy from tackle shops) to the rope just below the float to ensure the rope sinks and is less likely to be hit by propellers. CRABBING WITHOUT A BOAT Apart from the types of locations mentioned above (if you can get to

legal. You cannot keep any female crabs in QLD. The abdominal flap can easily distinguish female crabs, as the female flap is much broader than that of males. Another difference is the claws, which are much larger in males. Secondly, in QLD, a legal male or ‘buck’ must be a minimum of 15cm across the widest point of its carapace. There is a limit of four pots per person and crab pots and dillies must be marked by an identifying tag bearing the surname and address of the owner. When not attached to a fixed object (for example tied to a tree above the high water mark), all crab apparatus must have a light coloured surface float

Tree lined drains are top crabbing spots. is deep enough to cover it at low tide outside the drain entrance. Steep muddy banks, particularly those under overhanging trees or mangroves are also top spots. If you look closely on some steep muddy banks you may even see some of the mud crab holes at low tide. Submerged trees around muddy banks are also great locations. Yet another terrain worth exploring are sharp bends in creeks where the bottom is always deeper on outer edge of where the creek funnels around. It is largely unknown that mud crabs populate NSW estuaries as far down as the NSW south coast. As a result, such spots get light crabbing pressure. The crabs are located in such spots as a result of larvae carried with the currents after buried females spawn offshore in warmer northern waters from 27-30°C. TECHNIQUES A common mistake crabbers make, particularly around trees, is to accidentally place their pot on a branch/obstacle or having it land and sit sideways on the bottom. This makes for a free meal to crabs from outside the pot. To avoid this, make

them by foot), there are a few other good locations crabbers without a boat can try. Probably the most underrated crabbing location for those without a boat are rocky foreshores in bays or estuaries. This includes Moreton Bay in Brisbane. Such shorelines, which are a mixture of mud/sand and plates of rock, have a number of places under the rocks for crabs to hide during the day and venture out at night on the high tide. I’ve spotted the crabs at night just sitting at the edge of their holes, and I’ve also caught them in the shallows at night as I’ve chased prawns with dip nets. So give your local rocky creek or bay foreshores a go, you might be surprised. The other worthy landbased location is expansive mud flats, particularly those close to the mangroves. Few boat crabbers will crab here as it’s too shallow to venture into. You can stick them in the mangroves themselves, or out on the flats. But be prepared to get a bit muddy. CRABBING REGULATIONS The first consideration in keeping a crab in QLD is to determine if it is

attached. The float must not be less than 15cm in any dimension and must be marked clearly with the owner’s name. When tied to a fixed object, a tag must also be attached to part of the rope that is above the high water mark. The tag must be marked clearly with the owner’s name. Lastly, there is now no age limit on recreational use of crab pots. This has sensibly been removed. SIGNS OF A FULL CRAB Once you have measured your crab and determined if it is legal, you then need to check if it is ‘full’ of meat or ‘empty.’ You waste time and the life of the crab by taking home empty crabs, as there is very little meat in them. They may feel heavy, but they are largely full of a lot of jelly-like goo. You can tell if a crab is empty because it will look shiny and green. Signs of a crab that is likely to be full of meat include its colour. Full crabs are generally a duller green or even brown crabs with wear marks on the shells and ground down teeth on the claws. They might also have barnacle growth and a Maltese cross To page 16

JANUARY 2016

mud crabs From page 15

on the underside. Another way to make sure your crab is full is to apply pressure with your thumb and finger either side of the carapace or turn it over and press firmly on the abdomen plates

if you can tie them up so they can’t fight each other and pull off each other’s claws. There are plenty of YouTube videos on this including an easy to follow one on my Facebook page – Ontour Fishing Australia. This means a much better

and placing a slightly damp hessian bag on top. You should also keep the box/ esky of crabs in your garage or shed so there is less temperature variation and wind on the crabs. Wind and quick temperature changes will kill them. If you care for

Kids just love pulling up the pots. then clean it and break it into pieces to add it to the ingredients in a wok. If you want fresh crab sandwiches a good option is to buy a large stock pot and boil it in the salt water you caught it in (i.e. bring some salt water home). Otherwise you should add a lot of salt to tap water in the pot. I also know someone who cooks his crabs in the pot on the BBQ. That way he does not stink the house out. Be very careful of course if young kids are near the BBQ. I hope these tips allow you to catch a few extra crabs this summer and beyond!

A lovely feed of crabs bound for the table. adjacent to the third leg. If the shell flexes at all, the crab is not full. TAKING YOUR CRAB HOME Many people just put their crabs in a bucket or esky and take them home. However, it is much better

presented crab when you cook it whole and also less water can get in the claws or carapace during cooking which can affect the taste. You can keep tied crabs alive for up to a week at home by putting them in a box or esky (with lid ajar)

your full crabs this way, they can last up to a week or more. Finally, the best way to cook your crab will depend on the recipe you want to use. My favourite is red Thai chilli mud crab, where you humanely kill the crab first (in the freezer) and

For more tips, reports and giveaways, check out my Facebook page, Ontour

Fishing Australia. Until next time, bag your mates - not your limit!

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Post-Christmas fishing tips HERVEY BAY

Mark Bargenquast

Christmas has been and gone for another year, and if you were lucky you may have received a few fishing gifts. If you didn’t, just treat yourself, I sure did! I’ve actually ordered a new boat – but that’s another story!

mouth and see how strainers have developed off the gill arches, forming a net like strainer that catches even the smallest prawns as water is expelled through the gill slits. Here in Hervey Bay we often find threadies feeding on jelly prawns in drain mouths on the ebb tide, exploding through the bait

time sees a lot of fishing pressure on favourite spots so try to find out where the popular spots are and stay away, find your own secluded haven. This is a hard ask, but still do-able, and the results will be worth it! Boat traffic has a negative effect on fishing success also, too much boat noise can and does put

bait bashing mulloway and barra. Surface lures are very effective at night and nothing beats a surface strike. With the warmer weather increasing the activity in the estuaries you don’t have to get too technical with lures and sounders. All you really have to do is find a hole or a drain on the right tide that looks like it could potentially hold fish and you’ll catch barra, salmon and bream on live prawns, crabs and mullet. Otherwise, cast out assorted lures such as vibes and minnows, be persistent and you’ll eventually get the bite.

Pikey bream are great fun around structure and put up a fair fight back to the boat. whiting, cod and catfish can be just as fun – especially when you take the kids fishing. They generally aren’t worried about the

season has begun and it’s definitely worth throwing a few pots in. Once again, kids love crabbing, as you never know what will be

Get in early, and beat the crowds to your favourite spot. Not only will you catch more fish with less competition, you will also witness some incredible sunrises! This summer has been scorching, with a fair blow of northerly winds before December, the water temperatures were up around 27°C in the estuaries. Hot water and plenty of jelly prawns (juvenile prawns) in the creeks are always good signs for some fantastic fishing action. Threadfin salmon, barramundi, jacks, bream and flathead all love prawns, of any size. Threadies in particular have evolved to eat prawns. Take a look inside a threadie’s

with impressive displays. Pikey bream are another species that are worth targeting at this time of year, and most sportfishers enjoy throwing a lure at these little fighters. They lurk among the mangrove roots and rocks, and ambush anything that moves past. Pikeys can be caught on almost anything, but a surface lure on light tackle is my favourite pikey method. They can grow to over 1.5kg and are a handful around structure! Remember, Christmas

fish off the bits, especially species like mulloway, jacks and bream. Early starts before the crowds are the go! Start fishing early, I love getting out of bed at 3am and finishing around 6 or 7am, when most daytime anglers are launching. On the right tides, and under the right conditions night fishing can be very successful as well. There’s nothing better than launching the boat at 10pm and cruising across the river to be get involved in a frenzy of

Warm water plus lots of jelly prawns in the system equals healthy, happy threadfin salmon, like this. 18

JANUARY 2016

This is one big, gorgeous threadie! Although most anglers are fixed on that one big fish, many will find that catching several smaller

size of a fish, but more the consistency of the catch. Although under a lot of pressure, the mud crab

lurking inside when you pull in a pot. Children get excited no matter what comes over the side!

Mikey Dyring made the trip down into NSW with some mates to fish the big river country for bass where fish of this quality (and better) were the norm for the week. This fish came from a small billabong a few hundred metres from the main river.

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Spinnerbaits: getting started NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

Spinnerbaits are unusual lures that can be deadly on all manner of freshwater fish, as well as quite a few living in the salt. Here’s a basic primer on how to use them. Spinnerbaits are strangelooking contraptions. They consist of a wire arm formed into a shape similar to a coat hanger, with a spoonlike blade or blades rotating on the end of one arm and a lead-headed jig fixed at the other end. This jighead usually carries a skirt, consisting of a collar of shredded rubber or plastic strands. The skirt hangs behind the jighead, over and around one or more single, upward-facing hooks. Mostly used in freshwater, spinnerbaits are particularly effective on

Australian bass, Murray cod, golden perch (yellowbelly) and saratoga. They’ll also tempt barra (on occasions) as well as sooty grunter and jungle perch. Smaller versions catch trout and redfin perch. Spinnerbaits can also be effective in saltwater, especially on flathead, estuary cod, coral trout and even mulloway, but their components may corrode when they’re exposed to saltwater. If you use a spinnerbait in the salt, wash and dry it afterwards. Because of their unique design — with the upwardfacing hooks shielded by the wire frame — spinnerbaits are surprisingly snagresistant and can be thrown into dense cover (especially timber and rock) with only an occasional hang-up. This is one reason they’re such a deadly choice on bass and cod living among structure. Spinnerbait blades come

as some featuring unusual blade designs, such as ‘hatchet’ blades. Most anglers feel that rounded Colorado blades have a stronger action, more flash, and create a larger ‘sonic signature,’ especially at slower speeds. The downside is that spinnerbaits with Colorado blades tend to ride up in the water column through the retrieve. Thinner profile blades need a slightly higher retrieve speed to spin well, but also track a little deeper than Colorados. Some spinnerbaits come with a soft plastic ‘trailer’ factory-fitted to their hook, and others may also carry a second ‘stinger’ hook, usually linked or ganged to the main hook. Many keen anglers also add these items as aftermarket tweaks. However, it can be tricky to add both a trailer and a stinger without causing constant tangling. Stinger hooks are a popular choice among

point of the spinnerbait’s hook through the tubing and stinger hook eye. Swinging stingers are simply slipped over the existing hook via their eye and a length of tubing or bead added to the spinnerbait hook to prevent the stinger working free. Both approaches have advantages and drawbacks. Try both and discover which you prefer. Stingers are almost always rigged facing upwards, in the same plane as the fixed jig hook. Ideal patterns include Siwashstyle hooks with roundedbends and no offset. Those sold specifically for this purpose have an over-sized, round eye to aid rigging. The trade-off with any stinger is the fact that it will result in a few more snags, as well as some tangles when casting. You need to decide if the extra hassle is justified in terms of increased hookups. There’s nothing fancy about most spinnerbait retrieves. Cast the lure out and let it sink to the desired depth (often the bottom), then commence with a couple of fast turns of the reel to get the blades rotating before slowing down a little. You’ll clearly feel the resistance and throb of the twirling blades, especially through braided line. In deeper areas you may wish to pause once or twice during the retrieve and allow the spinnerbait to

While spinnerbaits are mostly cast-andretrieved, they can also be slow trolled. sink again. Apart from that, clever rod and reel work is generally unnecessary: simply cast and crank! Spinnerbaits can also be trolled, and this approach is growing in popularity. No matter where you live, chances are there’s a fish swimming nearby that will happily smack a

spinnerbait. If you haven’t tried these oddball lures yet, this summer might be the ideal time to literally give one a ‘whirl’! To watch me catch my ‘PB’ Murray cod on a spinnerbait, scan the QR code hereabouts or go to: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=9Qq1I1m0PLE.

Aussie bass love spinnerbaits! VIDEO

Scan the QR code to see me catch a cracker Murray cod on a spinnerbait!

JANUARY 2016

in different shapes. The most common are Colorado, Indiana and willow. Colorado blades are rounded, like the bowl of a soup spoon, while Indiana and willow blades are progressively longer and thinner. Spinnerbaits with two or more blades often carry a mix of different shapes. There are also spinnerbaits with extra arms and blades, including doubles and quads, as well

tournament anglers, who can’t afford to miss too many strikes. Whether or not they’re needed depends on the fish you’re targeting and how they’re striking on the day. Stingers can be fitted in a number of ways: either semi-stiff or swinging. To rig a semi-stiff stinger, slip a short length of plastic tubing over the eye of the stinger hook before skewering the

Murray cod are a prime species to target when casting spinnerbaits.

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Tech Tricks

Making crimped connections BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

For all anglers, having good connections is very important for a successful result. For those using lighter tackle, this means knowing the best knots for your chosen main line and leader material type, and also for the fishing situation at hand. Whether joining main line straight to leader or to a swivel, solid ring or hook, there are numerous knots to learn and then put into practice during the fishing day.

For those using heavier tackle, it is a lot harder to rig your tackle due to the stiffness of heavy leader material and wire. Whilst knots such as FGs, PRs and others can offer low-profile leader to main line connections, there are few decent knots for connecting terminal tackle to heavy leader material and wire. Crimps are your solution for rigging most heavy monofilaments, fluorocarbons and wire. These small metal sleeves can be made from aluminium, brass, copper or occasionally stainless steel tube. The leader material is inserted into the tube and then the tube is restricted

The tool on the right is a swaging tool (often called a crimping tool). They have a size guide as to which crimps are best used in which part of the jaws. Swaging tools constrict the crimp around the wire, mono or fluoro while keeping it very low profile and not damaging the leader. The tool on the left is a parrot beak style cutter for multi-filament wires. It stops the wire splaying.

around it using a special tool. This creates a strong and low-profile connection for attaching swivels, hooks, rings and for other terminal uses. With so many different types of leaders and crimps to consider, we will look at some of the popular ones and the techniques used to get the job done to make the strongest connection for a multitude of rigging applications. When choosing a crimp you need to firstly consider the type of material being crimped and then the size you will need. If you are ultra-organised you may have your crimps sorted into sizes, however the basic rule is to use the most tightly

fitting crimp for the size of the material being crimped. This will result in a more secure and low profile connection. It is best to firstly use the recess in your swaging tool which is the neatest fit, and then go to a smaller recess to secure the crimp more firmly. This will provide the neatest end result. The following are some of the best ways to secure that heavy monofilament, wire or fluorocarbon. No matter whether you just want to attach a hook or want to make a rig for your heavy tackle marlin lure, having the tools and knowledge to do the job well can make a massive difference to your results.

When crimping lighter mono and fluoro from around 40lb to 150lb, use a small aluminium crimp like this. The crimp is oval and should be placed sideways in the tool. Place the plier in the centre, choose the correct hole on swaging tool and squeeze the handle firmly.

Whilst both these tools are called crimping pliers, they do a pretty rough job. They are both crushing tools which can damage the leader material, distort the crimp and generally do a fairly poor job. In my mind they are about as good as using half a brick to bash the crimp flat.

If you need to, go up to the next smaller hole in the swage tool and again give the handles a good squeeze. Your crimp should now look like this with each end slightly flared up. This avoids damaging the leader material with the inner edge of the crimp.

For heavier monofilament from around 200lb to 600lb, you will use one of the long aluminium crimps. Again, position the plier in from the end of the crimp to avoid damaging the leader. Squeeze the handles gently to constrict the crimp. Repeat at the other end before rolling the crimp 180° and crimping in the middle. This will keep it nice and straight.

Put the crimp in the next smaller hole of your swaging tool and repeat the process. Your completed crimp should look similar to this.

The crimp is constricted right along the length and there is no need to crimp in from the end of the crimp. With the aluminium crimps, start from one end and squeeze several times along the length of the crimp until you have a nice neat finish like this. 22

JANUARY 2016

For heavy multi-strand wire, use a brass or copper crimp. With figure-of-8 crimps, each side of the crimp constricts individually around each strand of wire and ends up being virtually round. The crimp goes into the plier sideways. Start from one end (no need to indent in from the end) and squeeze hard. Continue along the length of the crimp. If you think you need it even firmer, use the next smaller hole in the tool and repeat.

When using nylon-coated wire, you can use either wire crimps (usually brass or copper) or aluminium crimps, as you used for mono.

Single-strand wire, especially ‘piano wire’, isn’t suitable for crimping. Its smoothness makes the crimp slide and not grip. Instead, use a haywire twist. First, loosely wrap the wire back around itself 2-3 times. Next, bend the tag end out so it’s 90° to the main wire. Do 6-10 wraps around itself with each wrap butting up against the last. Don’t snip the tag end. Instead, rock it back and forth in line with the main wire, and it will snap off smoothly and leave a low profile.

Famous Clarence bass ILUKA

Ben Pilch bjpcdh@gmail.com

Looks like we are in for a stinking hot summer! Outside the mackerel are

after a hook up. There have been some nice cobia getting caught on the inshore reefs as well on live baits, but make sure you come prepared with some heavier gear. If you want to get your

Ben Rampling down from Ballina giving the Clarence bass a touch up. getting around in numbers and trolling has been the best way to get into a few. The clear pink squid with pink glitter in them have been the gun lures to troll at the moment. I like to keep a spin rod set up with a spinner on it to throw around, which can be productive at times

kids into fishing, get out in Shark Bay and berley up heavily with tuna oil and pillies. Put out a pillie under a float on a bit of wire, hand it over to your son or daughter and tell them to hang on. Get them a black tip shark and you will make their day! You may regret it next Saturday though when

they wake you up at 5am with the question, “Are we going fishing today!?” In the river, summer is synonymous with whiting, flathead and muddies. If you really want to get into some good size whiting, try night fishing around the new moon using nippers and live worms on a run-out tide on any of the sand flats in the lower river. The majority of the flathead action will be at the bottom end of the river, as this is the time of year they congregate to breed. Bright coloured plastics and blades are the go and chartreuse is the first colour I tie on if I’m looking for a feed of the flat fish. If you’re looking for a feed of muddies, any off shoots of the lakes like Woolaweyah in Yamba or the Broad Water up past Maclean will be good places to start. Remember to keep a close eye on your pots as we share the water with plenty of light fingered people that are not happy with just taking your crabs but also may take your pots as well – and they aren’t cheap. Curtis Parkes of the Mann River Caravan Park

Steve Patti testing out some prototype lures on some big Clarence Valley bass. says that up at Jackadgery there have been good numbers of mid-sized bass ranging from 35-45cm around in the upper reaches of the Clarence River and many of her tributaries. The best producers of late have been lures with a bit of shine in them, such as the ever faithful Bassman Spinnerbaits. In certain places there are almost plague proportions of small 30-50cm eastern cod – nice to see a healthy amount getting around.

Curtis Parkes taking a break from running the Mann River Caravan Park out at Jakadgery to chase a few of his beloved bass.

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Feeding the starving pirates BALLINA

Joe Allan

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all readers. Now is my favourite time of year because the fishing is red hot and I get to eat

and drink like a starved pirate. Remember though at this time of year there is more traffic on the water then normal, so take care. Be patient and make sure you have done your preparation with all your equipment. At the boat ramp take your time and

Aaron Sharp with a bream which was caught on a Crank 38 Deep in ghost gill brown off the south wall at Ballina.

above all, be courteous to all other waterway users. The lower reaches of the Richmond have produced some great catches of bream, with the dirty water pushing downstream from around Lismore and Casino. Try casting noisy crankbaits at the walls early in the mornings while the tide is running. Fluorocarbon line straight through is best suited for this. I’ve had good success on the Atomic Crank 38 Deep, and the colour I use depends on the water clarity – dark colours for low light, solid and bright colours for dirty water and more translucent and natural finishes for bright sun and clearer water. Crabs have turned up in patches around the middle reaches from Pimlico to Broadwater. The dirty water has stirred them up somewhat. Give the pots plenty of time to settle and let the crabs find the bait. Prawns are on the move around the river, but it might be a little hard to locate them during the last fortnight of the month, with the full moon coming in about Christmas Day. By January they should be

back up and moving around again, and this should fire up the estuaries. Bass have been quiet around Coraki and Woodburn as the fish have well and truly moved upstream. You may find them in patches but for good numbers, try the upper reaches around Lismore and Casino. If you’re out early or late and the cicadas are deafening, be sure to tie on a cicada imitation. The trick with these is not to do too much. Just shake your rod tip slightly every now and again, exactly like a cicada that’s fallen out of a tree. Offshore has been patchy, with the best results on the mahimahi coming from around the FADs. Make sure you get a long drift on these. Live yakkas have been working the best, with almost no weight. If you’re getting bites but not hooking up try putting a treble hook as a stinger hooked into the fish’s tail. This has helped a few local boys turn those bites into fish. Mackerel traditionally come in towards the end of December and should be really thick through January. There were good

The author caught this fat bass on a Bassman Spinnerbait around Lismore. reports around the Gold and Sunshine Coast early in December, so as the water warms up these beauties will come along with it. The beaches have been producing good catches of whiting and flathead. Look for the main gutters

around South Ballina, along Patches Beach and Boundary Creek. Fresh bait is always better. Try digging a few pipis or getting a few beach worms – that’s a skill I have not yet mastered! Tight Lines.

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Rolling down the river during the day, and figured there’d be some predator that would want to eat them so he targeted big fish accordingly. With all this bait, the big fish are around, just not necessarily during work hours. Down the other arm of the river (heading to Murwillumbah) the fishing has been going off. I fish from a kayak and live near Terranora Broadwater, so this area of the Tweed is too far for me. However, I’ve got a couple of mates who are keen yak fishos who live down that way, one at Oxley Cove and one at Mar-Bah. The photos Josh sends me make me so jealous as he is constantly pushing the margins. He catches bull sharks in the canals at Oxley Cove, and tells me the permanent sand pumping structure just downriver always holds fish, and that the Piggery is another hot spot. As for Les (I should call him ‘Bass’ because that’s all he targets), I’ve seen him catch two bass on a Megabass Siglett and simply smirk at me like this

The weather heats up in January, and the river is not all about fishing. Some young ones like to cool off in summer. was normal practice. The bass are around, but a little fussy on the bite. The Brays Park Weir section of the river is where you’ll find the bass – and Les. For those on holiday reading this and thinking of wetting a line, my advice is to find some fresh or live bait. It will make a difference.

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You’ve got to love January on the Tweed! Even though there are lots of tourists around and the waterways are pretty crowded during the day, the fish are beautifully conditioned and the whiting, bream, and flathead are fat and fired up. The healthy state of the river, with baitfish of all kinds, is to blame for these gorgeous fish. With all this holiday traffic, if you’re planning a picnic or fish beside the river get there very early as all the good spots fill up quickly. The nippers are plentiful on low tide, and chasing them is a great way to spend some quality time with the kids, who scream blue murder when one bites you! They just so happen to be one of the best baits to use on the river. Traditionally used as whiting bait, in the last month nippers have accounted for mulloway, tailor, whiting, bream, and rays. A great way to fish the Tweed is on the move without anchoring. I can cover so much ground, and with a few rods on board I’m ready for anything and everything. Locations to catch decent fish are a hit-andmiss affair (by decent I mean a trophy jack or mulloway or a cracker trevally) because the fish move all the way through the river system. The big trevs, alongside some other nice-sized fish, have been caught under the Boyds Bay Bridge – the little bridge you cross before you get to Seagulls Club. Some monsters have also come out from the Chinderah Highway Bridge. Mangrove jacks are on the bite and are showing

up at all the usual spots. These include the bridges mentioned, along Chinderah wall, the rock wall out the front of Oxley Cove, the Jew Hole near Seagulls, and of course the trawlers and Ivory Hotel. If you are chasing jacks, keep in mind how hard they will hit your lure, usually on their way back home to a snag. You need good stopping power and heavy line as sometimes there’s just no room to move. Tailor, bream and the odd juvenile snapper are caught off both rock walls at the seaway entrance on pillies and metal slugs, with chicken tenderloin the favourite meal of bream off the walls. As they smash it, don’t think twice – just set that hook. The beaches along Fingal are always worth a look, and a lot of whiting are showing up in the gutters. If you’re keen, a mate of mine landed a monster mulloway in the middle of the night on a ganged hook with a pillie for bait. He noticed the whiting while surfing

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Troll, troll, troll your bait! GOLD COAST

Danny Sands

fishing out wide will be restricted due to the current this month. Small runs of juvenile marlin started to filter through in December, so hopefully January will see a larger run of these guys. The darker coloured Black Snack skirted lures have already worked well. Trolling the blue water line is the key to successful fishing in January so prepare to do a bit of travel to find nice blue water. Mahimahi have been in great numbers, and are an excellent by-catch when fishing for marlin. In closer, the spotty mackerel have been in good numbers, and fish up to a metre have been caught on Palm Beach Reef. The spotted mackerel will still be in good numbers

on Palm Beach Reef, and Mermaid Reef will see their first run of mackerel this month. If you’re willing to face the crowds you can have a lot of fun. Use plenty of berley, and short fine wire traces with 2/0 to 4/0 hooks rigged with half pilchards for the best results. Another great way to catch a few spotted or a Spanish is to slow troll pilchards with a pink skirt on the front. With reports of up to 80 boats parked on Palm Beach Reef, please be mindful how close you anchor to your fellow fishers. Spanish mackerel will start to school up in numbers this month. Troll a 190 Halco Laser Pro or slow troll dead pike and slimy mackerel on the Burleigh gravel patch, Diamond Reef and the Nine Mile and Fidos off the Tweed. During those hot summer days it’s important to look after your catch. Bleed mackerel and put them into an ice slurry so you can keep their flesh nice and firm and maintain a high eating quality. ESTUARY So far for mangrove jacks, it’s been a terrific season. The hot, humid

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Mahimahi are a gorgeous by-catch when targeting mackerel. Look at those glorious colours!

days followed by afternoon storms have really fired them up. Most of the mangrove jacks have been caught by slow rolling soft plastics under pontoons and along bridge pylons. In January, the mangrove jacks become very active in the mornings and a bit doughy in the afternoon due to the amount of boat traffic there is around the Christmas holidays. Get up early in the morning and throw poppers like the Yo Zuri 3D and the Lucky Craft G Splash around retaining walls and boat harbours. I use a quicker retrieve that sends a spray rather than a bloop from a cup face popper. This technique works well in January, not only for mangrove jacks but for giant and big-eye trevally. The whiting are on the chew around the Council Chambers and Budds Beach. Bloodworms, canal worms and small black soldier crabs will get them biting, but most of the action is after dark. Catching whiting on surface lures is always fun, and the Tallebudgera River is a fantastic spot to target them. The river is quite shallow, with many yabby holes, and it flows hard. Bassday Sugapens and Atomic Hardz Pops retrieved quickly without any pauses have been catching plenty of whiting in shallow water. Hinze Dam has fished well over the past couple of months. Casting cicada pattern surface walkers to grass patches and fallen timber is a proven winner when fishing this dam. Hinze will start to produce a few more fish off the edges this month, and I recommend casting spinnerbaits and slow rolling paddle-tailed soft plastics around the points 11:54 and am weed edges. If you do this, you’ll more than likely

come across a few bass and the odd saratoga. Overall, January has everything, from the

freshwater to the deep blue sea. Early morning and night time fishing is key to a successful holiday season.

Top: Mangrove jack are hitting hard and pulling hooks in January. Test your fishing skills on these mad red dogs! Above: Make sure you slip slop slap, as the January sun is even hotter than the fishing.

Find the structure and you’ll find the fish! GOLD COAST CANALS

Josh Dunn

Welcome to 2016! I hope everyone had a safe holiday and enjoyed it. January is set to be a ripper of a month for fishing, with a lot of great signs in our canal systems pointing to plenty of solid fish getting around! The weather is really warming up with temperatures almost hitting 40°C, which makes for hot and muggy afternoons. When the baitfish are active and pushed up along the rocks with the heat from the day the rocks will

be hot. Jacks will attack the bait along the edges. The Coomera, Sovereign Island, Nerang River and Jacobs Well all fish very well for jacks. The Coomera, especially up around the highway bridge where it doesn’t get as much flow and the water is slightly dirtier, is prime. Plastics around 4” with a large paddle-tail rigged onto a jighead of around 3/8oz cast around jetties and rock walls work well. Cast at the same place for a few casts, as it’s likely the fish will hit it after a few casts. There are plenty of trevally getting around,

Check out this 40cm+ painted sweetlip caught fishing a rock wall.

with anglers catching them around pontoons and in open water when they’re busting up. Most of the trevs are in the 30-55cm size bracket, and they’re awesome fun on light gear! Small plastics around 2.5” rigged on a light jighead work very well around the jetties. Vary your retrieve to see what works best, as some days a fast retrieve will work better than a very light and slow retrieve. Changing the lure colour to suit the water quality is also a smart move. In slightly darker water use dark colours, and in clear water try something with a sparkle. January and February are the hottest months of the year, so if you thought it couldn’t get much hotter than what we experienced in late November and December, you’re wrong! Still, more heat means more chance of rain, and if the rain falls early in the morning, that’s fine with me! I love fishing in the rain in the early hours of the morning, and I have recently had great success with a decent flathead under these conditions. My mate also landed a solid jack during an early shower!

Steele Petrovic with a nice mulloway caught flicking rock walls in the Nerang River. The warmer water also brings out another lineburning species: painted sweetlip, or as other anglers call them, slatey bream. Ranging from 30-50cm in our canal systems, I’ve caught all of mine around bridge pylons on mainly an early morning high tide, although

recently I found they can be caught at any time of the day! If you’re a bait fisho, prawns would definitely be the go, but make sure you cast half a metre or so off the pylons. Soft plastics also work very well, with my pick being the ZMan 2.5” GrubZ in greasy prawn colour. Rock

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Dust off the lure trolling gear GOLD COAST

David Green

The warm water has arrived off the Gold Coast and the pelagic activity has greatly increased. OFFSHORE GROUNDS Excellent catches of mahimahi and spotted mackerel were made through early December and this month should see the East Australian Current push in close to the coast, bringing

juvenile black marlin, wahoo, Spanish mackerel, mahimahi and yellowfin tuna. January is the best month of the year for light tackle lure trolling off the Gold Coast, and when the big schools of pilchards and slimy mackerel start to hold up on the bait grounds they attract plenty of predators. By the reports coming from Hervey Bay in November, it looks like we should have a reasonable run of small black marlin off the Gold Coast this month. As a general rule

these fish arrive in our waters in mid-December. I would anticipate that this season will not have the numbers of small black marlin of the previous year and will probably produce 1-4 marlin bites per day when conditions are good. I like to work the area around the Cotton Reef, Sullies and the Sea Dragon east and north of the Jumpinpin Bar when the wind is forecast to be from the north, and I like the Gravel Patch east of Burleigh Heads in a southerly.

Estuary cod will often turn up when targeting jacks.

Lure trolling is a very effective strategy this month. It allows you to cover plenty of water and as well as marlin is a great way to get a good feed of mahimahi and hopefully wahoo. I troll a spread of five lures when fishing light tackle. These are usually a mix of Black Snacks, Pakulas and Meridians. In general the lures are about 15-20cm long and I mix up the colours. Pink and purple, lumo green and white, silver and gold and pink are all effective colour combinations. I rig these on 100lb mono and use Gamakatsu SL12S 10/0 hooks. I fish these lures on about 1.5kg of strike drag. Out on the wider grounds east of the continental shelf there should be plenty of big blue marlin this month. They seem to be at their best on the days where the current has dropped off a bit. Trolling lures on 37kg game tackle is the most effective strategy, and the average Gold Coast blue marlin is about 140kg. Good areas to troll include Jims Mountain, the Riv Grounds, Tweed Canyons and the Kink. The current generally runs at around 2-3 knots this month, which makes bottom fishing very hard, and most

Trolling will produce a lot of mahimahi this month, as well as a host of other species. of the winter species such as snapper seem to disappear from the offshore reefs on the 36 and 50 fathom line. A few rosy job fish, pigfish, samson and amberjacks can still be caught on the days

the current slows. Deep water jigging with knife jigs also still produces a few fish and can be effective in moderate current. On the inshore grounds there should be some excellent

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fishing for spotted mackerel on Palm Beach and Mermaid Reefs this month. A bit of berley helps. Floating pilchards and spinning metal lures are the most effective strategies. This will also produce cobia

and a few Spanish mackerel. In general the bigger the bait, the bigger the mackerel you will catch. When targeting large Spanish mackerel large tailor, bonito and small tuna make excellent trolling baits.

Marlin are on anglersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; minds this month, and by January there should be plenty of beakies around for game fishers.

RIVERS AND ESTUARIES Estuary fishing on the Gold Coast in January is greatly affected by the amount of rain we receive throughout December. It has been quite a dry year so far and clean salty water has pushed right up into the headwaters of the Nerang and Coomera Rivers, and the upstream sections have been fishing very well for mangrove jacks and decent whiting. Surprisingly, there have still been plenty of 40-60cm flathead around in the central Broadwater and these may continue into January. In the deeper channels around the Jumpinpin Bar and Gold Coast Seaway there have been plenty of small and medium sized mulloway with most being under the minimal legal size of 75cm. The best way to target these fish this month is with soft plastics and small live baits such as herring or small mullet. January is a good month to target whiting on poppers and small stickbaits. This is a very interesting way to catch a feed of tasty whiting, and I wish I had started doing this earlier. My favourite lure is the Bassday Sugapen. Casting over shallow sand flats and retrieving quickly seems to be the key to success. It always amazes me how aggressive whiting are in their pursuit of the lure. I find adding an

extra split ring to the back hook helps me get a better hook up rate when chasing whiting on lures. Mangrove jack fishing should be good this month with plenty of big ones in the 50-60cm bracket starting to turn up. Cast paddle-tail soft plastics worked around the leading edges of floating pontoons accounts for a lot of fish. Poppers fished in the early morning and at dusk is another effective strategy and the bites can be quite spectacular. As well as mangrove jacks these methods produce estuary cod and a few giant and big-eye trevally. Canals in the south arm of the Coomera have been quite productive at the time of writing. January is a great month for crabbing in the Gold Coast estuaries. If there is a good flush of rain a lot of mud crabs move into the deeper holes and crabbing can be very productive. For sand crabs this month try the edges of the eel grass beds around Crab Island and the Aldershots, and for mud crabs I like the Pimpama River and Coombabah Creek. Fresh fish frames are the best bait for sand crabs but for muddies I like tougher baits such as mackerel heads and chicken frames. Overall, January is a good time to visit the Gold Coast. Have a safe and happy holiday season.

VALE

DANIEL MEREDITH

Fishing for Daniel was an important part of his life. Yearly Fraser family fishing trips and active river and beach outings, Daniel was the first in line, rod in hand. Going to miss your enthusiastic fishing tales and infectious personality, you were one of the good guys. RIP Daniel, hope the fish are biting Mate! - Matt Drinkall

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Jumpinpin into the New Year JUMPINPIN

Mick Morris gembait@tpg.com

The festive season is over, and a new year has arrived, so we can now focus on fishing and enjoying the beautiful waterways of the Jumpinpin area. School holidays are in full swing, and there will be plenty of boaties out and about trying for a fish or two. I hope everyone tries to improve on last year’s catch. Whiting catches finished strongly last year and should be off to a flying start this year around the sand flats at the top of South Straddie,

the Pig Sties and Fishermans Channel. The current runs pretty hard through those spots. A great time to give it a go is close to the change of the tide, in the first hour or so as the water slows. You could also try around the Never Fail Islands, Tipplers Channel, Tiger Mullet Channel, Dinner Island and the mouth of the Logan River. Stick with blood or beach worms as bait for best results. Bream will fire up too as they feed on the influx of nutrients that have come from the river. All the baitfish, and prawns they feed on will be in abundant supply which should send them into a

feeding frenzy as they start to fatten up for their winter breeding season. When they feed like this there are great opportunities to try and lure for them with small plastics, hardbodied divers, or small vibes. They will be more aggressive and likely to hit a lure. Some good luring spots are the bottom of Kangaroo Island, up against the mangroves, on the Pandannus weed banks, Tipplers Passage, Steglietz and the Stockyards, although it is very snaggy there and known for claiming many lures. If the water is clean enough, you will have more success with lures, but if it is still too murky then bait is the best option to pursue.

There should be some cracking whiting on the bite this month.

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The same principles can be applied to flathead as well, with greater catches coming from the cleaner water. You don’t want the water to be crystal clear, but make sure the clarity isn’t that of a chocolate milkshake. Behind Tabby Tabby Island, Eden Island and right up through Tiger Mullet Channel is great lizard country and these spots are usually protected from the wind so they can be fished on most outings. These channels are lined with mangroves, and the edges are all 2-6ft which makes it easy for the flathead to lie in wait as the tide drops – and all the baitfish that hide must come out. This is an easy feed for a cunning lizard. Throw a lure or wellpresented bait and off those edges you should score a few good fish. Remember, if you think like a fish you’ll have more success. There should still be a few pelagic fish hanging just beyond the Bar around the dirty water line, so if the weather improves troll small skirted lures on the surface or big diving hardbodied lures to produce some mackerel, tuna, bonito or even a small marlin. January is always a good time for tailor, and there should be some decent greenbacks off the beaches of North and South Straddie. The big ones don’t normally come through the Bar, so you’ll find a lot more chopper tailor inside. They like chasing the schools of whitebait that come through the Pin so using any small metal slugs or plastics that

Richie Morris trolled up this cracker flathead on a pink Pig lure in 2ft of water. look like whitebait is a great way to fish for choppers. The mulloway have been slow, with only the odd schoolie around 3-4kg. This is still a nice fish, but just under the legal 75cm length. Try from the Logan near Marks Rocks, Short Island and out front of Swan Bay in the Jew Hole. Thanks for all your reports, and if you have any questions on conditions

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or what’s biting, drop us a line at Gem Bait & Tackle on 07 3287 3868 or email gembait@tpg.com.au. I’ll catch you next month! • 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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Early starts to beat the crowds in January SOUTHERN BAY

Nabeel Issa

The start of another new year is upon us. I bet there were a few New Year’s resolutions to fish more this year. Mine certainly is! So far this summer we have had some great weather and some equally great fishing. With so many anglers out and about over the holiday

small metal slug that you can quickly get into the schools. I prefer smaller sized lures, as most often the bait they are feeding on is quite small. Soft plastics fished slightly slower can also work if they are being fussy. This may result in bite offs but can help get you a few extra bites. MULLOWAY Moreton Bay mulloway can be very temperamental to work out. Often you can

found that lures with some vibration have worked the best, vibes and blades as well as tail-spinners. The new Flash Point from TT Lures has been a stand out for me. It offers a bit of flash as well a strong action and fish have been taking a liking to it. Live baits are also working well, with some bigger fish falling to these. Harry Atkinson Reef is the pick if you plan on anchoring

Safwaan Ismail with a nice pan-sized snapper. Fish like this are great fun on the light gear and love soft plastics.

Nick Whyte with a mulloway picked out from a large school found on the sounder. This one took a liking to a vibe. period, there have been plenty of lines in the water and plenty of fish caught! MACKEREL A much-welcomed addition this summer has been the spotted mackerel. While they aren’t normally prolific in the southern bay, there have been reports of small schools showing up. Keep your eyes peeled for surface activity and birds diving as this will be a good indication of mackerel feeding! The Rainbow Channel is a good place to start looking, and up to Peel Island. Mackerel will often chase bait schools between Peel and Goat island. These schools can just randomly show up so it pays to have a rod ready and rigged with a

find good-sized schools but they won’t want to bite and then sometimes they will bite anything! Moreton Bay is a great place to target them year round. They school up in great numbers and are susceptible to most fishing methods. Lately I have been spending a bit of time targeting these fish at night with some really good success. I find at night there is a lot less boat traffic and you are often one of few boats out! I tend to fish the same locations as I normally would; the best two spots in the Southern Bay to start at are the Peel Island and Harry Atkinson Artificial Reefs. Using lures has been my preferred method. I have

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up and fishing livies. Just be prepared for some unwanted by-catch as there have been plenty of stingrays and shovelnose around! SNAPPER During this busy time of the year a consistent way of getting a good feed of snapper in Moreton Bay is to move away from the crowds and find somewhere a bit more out of the way. Snapper do not respond well to boat traffic in

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as they focus on the deeper reefs. Using lightly weighted soft plastics rigged on 1/8oz jigheads along the reef or deep diving crankbaits will keep the bites coming. Aim to fish the low light periods of the day and use the tide to drift so you cover more ground. HIDDEN TREASURE Quite often when the fishing goes quiet, we pack up our gear and head home. If you don’t feel like heading home just yet, it’s worth spending some time sounding around some new ground. It will amaze you what you can find when you start looking. Rock bars, wrecks and man made reefs are littered through out the bay and are excellent fishing locations! These are the kind of spots that can provide for epic fishing sessions so it’s worth putting the time in to see if you can dig up a bit of gold! Enjoy the remainder of the holiday period and make sure you get out there and have fun fishing! If you have a picture or a story you would like to share, send it through to me at nabs12@ gmail.com and I’ll do my best to get it in next month’s magazine for you!

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Moreton Bay and this time of the year is the worst for it. Aim to be out on the water as early as possible and try to get to your spot before everyone else wakes up! I’m a big fan of fishing the shallow reef edges. Although the average size can be smaller, it is a good place to fish while the boat traffic is up and there is plenty of action. Generally, fewer anglers will target these areas

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A jaunt in January BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

The action over the last few months has been great for the pelagic fishers in particular. Good numbers of mackerel, tuna and the occasional cobia have graced our inshore waters while further out past Moreton and Stradbroke there has been marlin, wahoo, mahimahi, tuna, sailfish, Spanish mackerel and a few others on offer. Inshore opportunities exist for mangrove jack, estuary cod, sharks, flathead, bream, snapper, threadfin and numerous others. If that isn’t enough to get you up off the couch, then

restraints of work and school have been temporarily lifted. While the increased boat traffic doesn’t do your chances any favours, there are still plenty on offer to keep most with a smile on their face and a few beads of sweat running down the back. No matter whether you are fishing the bay or the rivers, creeks and estuaries feeding it, you will need some extra sun protection and hydrating fluids to warn off the effects of the sun and summer heat. Stopping off for a dip can break up the day and be physically rewarding. MACKEREL Numbers of spotted mackerel began to show up late in November and anglers have managed to find them in varying numbers ever since,

water and a little berley in the form of minced or finely cut pilchards can really get them in the mood. These same baiting and berleying techniques can be employed around the bay islands, other beacons in the bay and along the edges of prominent channels, such as the Rous and Rainbow. Often, you can fish the pilchard without any weight, which is ideal, however you may need to add a small sinker when fishing in stronger currents or suspend it beneath a float when the current is minimal and the pilchard simply sinks to the bottom where it is set upon by the pickers. If surface feeding schools of mackerel (or other pelagics) are located then the best chance

An occasional quality cobia has been taken recently such as this brute that Aaron Winch recently subdued. throw in the opportunity to score a feed of tasty crabs, which have been plentiful in the bay and the most systems feeding into it. Wear off a bit of that Christmas plum pudding as you tangle with some of the awesome piscatorial targets on offer throughout the Moreton Bay region. The December and January period results in plenty of anglers and their families hitting the water while the

along with school mackerel. The Measured Mile has been a well-used area with anglers commonly anchoring and floating out pilchards on ganged hooks during early morning sojourns. It is common for several rods to load up and reel drags to scream in unison as a school of spotted or school mackerel cruise into the zone. Baits are commonly fished from close to the surface to mid

of success usually comes when casting small (25-50g) chromed slugs and slices. High-speed retrieves are essential and reels that return around a metre or more of line per turn of the handle are essential. This does not mean purchasing a large, cumbersome reel as there are plenty of relatively small (and light) spinning reels that can do the job. The Shimano Stradic 5000 and Daiwa TD Sol 4000

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Although wire often decreases the strike rate when used on chromed slugs for mackerel, I have had no trouble getting hits on micro jigs rigged with wire assists. are two that spring to mind, however there are plenty of good ones on the market, with some starting from as little as $100. Add this to a 2.1-2.4m quality graphite rod plus some 6-10kg braided line and you have an outfit that can cast far, retrieve quickly and fight fish efficiently. This same outfit could even double up as medium to heavy plastics rod for snapper and the like. You will experience a few bite offs when fishing for mackerel and although a short wire leader may seem like the sensible solution, the bite ratio will decrease when using this bite protection. Therefore, it is often better to suffer a few lure losses in favour of an increased hookup rate. By casting to the edges of the feeding melee and beginning to wind before the lure hits the water, you can greatly decrease losses. When jigging beacons, it is best to use rear weighted chromed slugs and slices as these sink more directly instead of fluttering. Keep eyes scanned around the edges of prominent baitfish schools as the occasional cobia can be spotted, especially along the edges of the flats in the northern bay. While these may first appear to be sharks, a well-placed cast with a stickbait or larger plastic could be rewarding. Large live baits fished around the beacons, along the edges of prominent ledges, over coffee rock reefs and around wrecks may also produce one of these bay brutes. CRABS January is an awesome month for crabbing with sand and blue-swimmer crabs available in Moreton Bay as well as the mouths of most rivers. Setting a few safety pots along the edges of major contours surrounding the bay islands and the in the channels and gutters filtering throughout the bay is generally a good ploy. Crabs use these contours like underwater highways and travel along these paths as they search for food and transit throughout the bay. Being able to set your pots for a good portion of a tidal phase is ideal. Those able to crab at night are often rewarded with better catches. Crabs

will often venture into quite shallow water at night as they forage for food but are more commonly found in the deeper areas during the day. For muddies, setting your pots in the deep holes within the estuaries and rivers, along the edges of collapsed mangrove banks and the mouths of gutters and drains feeding out of the estuaries is a good approach. A broad array of baits will work with chicken carcasses, whole mullet and fish frames being popular and productive choices. Remember that there are strict laws relating to the labelling, size and use of crabbing apparatus so ensure that yours comply or you might be in for a hefty fine. Additionally there are different size and bag limits and ways of measuring mud and sand crabs, so ensure you know the difference between each species and the males and females before heading out. If you are apprehensive about tying up and securing crabs then just drop them into an ice slurry for a few minutes as this will slow them down greatly. BRISBANE RIVER A popular spot during the holiday period, especially when the weather is less than favourable for bay or offshore sessions, the Brisbane River has plenty on offer for fishers of all skill levels. Those drowning a few baits around areas such as Clara’s Rocks, the Gateway Bridge, the Sunken Wall, retaining walls at the mouth and along the declines into the main riverbed are likely to encounter bream, flathead, catfish, sharks, snapper cod and numerous others. Although they are occasionally taken on dead baits, threadfin respond exceptionally well to live offerings including prawns, herring, mullet, pike and the like. These baits will also entice snapper, mulloway, cod, flathead, larger bream and numerous other species. Naturally, you will also encounter plenty of undesirable species such as rays, sharks, catfish and pike eels when fishing baits. For this reason and also the sporting challenge, many

anglers opt to use lures when targeting species in the Brisbane River. Smaller, curl-tail plastics and blades are great for bream, flathead, juvenile snapper and more. If threadfin, mulloway, cod and snapper are your target then try larger shad-tail and prawnprofiled plastics, vibration baits and in some situations, minnow lures. The vibration baits are probably the most commonly used as they can be sunken into the depths to the strike zone easily in the faster current and can be worked enticingly throughout the zone. While most anglers commonly fish the waters downstream of the Gateway Bridge, there is good opportunity for quality captures further upriver, especially as far as threadfin salmon are concerned. The entire length of the Brisbane River, right up to the Mount Crosby area, holds numbers of threadies. Good areas to search are where lights shine onto the water at night, places with current altering structure and deeper ledges or declines. Quality side imaging sounders make the task of locating threadfin and other species a lot easier in these areas. SHARKS A species that is popular with many during the warmer months are sharks. The Brisbane River has a healthy population of bull sharks and other whalers. While these can reach weights in excess of several hundreds of kilograms, they are most common at weights of less than 10kg. This makes them an ideal light tackle sport fishing target, although a lot of anglers target them specifically for food. In the Brisbane River, the best bait is a live mullet or small catfish, which are prime fare for the sharks in this environment. These are generally suspended beneath a float, as this keeps them out in the open and encourages them to struggle, which soon gets the attention of the sharks. Baits can be fished on, or close to, the bottom in shallower areas with minimal bottom structure. Ensure when rigging up the catfish baits that you have a hook pinned down

near the tail as the sharks will commonly bite the tail off the catfish, just behind the three prominent (and painful) spikes on the dorsal and pectoral fins. The entire length of the Brisbane River contains sharks, predominately whalers, therefore a huge area of fishable water is available to for both land-based and boating anglers. Further out in Moreton Bay, the array of shark species increases, where whalers, tigers, hammerheads and even white sharks can be encountered. While the whites are off limits, the remainder can offer a lot of fun, although you are not permitted to retain a specimen over 1.5m in length. A good approach is to present whole fish baits from mid-water to close to the surface. These are generally suspended beneath a balloon or simply presented with no additional weight on the line. A tuna oil slick can definitely aid in attracting the sharks to the vicinity of the baits and having them primed and ready to eat when they do locate your morsel. I commonly use a rig consisting of two 8/0 circle hooks snelled around 15cm apart onto some nylon-coated wire. Above this, I have a wind-on-leader of around 80lb, which is attached to the main line via a bimini twist

or spider-hitch double, looped to the dacron on the wind on. This rigged has proved extremely successful over the years I have targeted sharks within the bay. I commonly fish around the Foul Grounds and wide of the bay islands. Most sharks encountered are less than 15kg in weight, but plenty of specimens eclipsing a 100kg or more are hooked. I like to target the smaller specimens on light line and commonly fish 3-8kg line when chasing them. Although I don’t eat the sharks I catch, I am led to believe that they can be good eating if the flesh is removed soon after death. ESTUARY OPTIONS The warmer months offer some good fishing in the estuaries with species such as bream, mangrove jack, flathead, trevally, estuary cod, whiting, threadfin and numerous other species on offer. Night and early morning sessions are common among anglers who like to target mangrove jack. Most of these anglers either deploy live baits such as herring, mullet, prawns and pike or cast and retrieve lures around likely locations. These generally include structured spots such as bridge pylons, mangrove systems, pontoons, jetties and rock walls. The canal developments and most of the larger rivers

Big jacks are a prized capture and a photo on a brag mat will prove your claim if you have joined the 50cm+ club. offer great opportunity for jacks, estuary cod and other species. Lure fishers commonly use minnow lures (mainly deep divers), soft plastics, vibration baits and sometimes poppers. Good presentation and retrieve technique can often be more important than the style or colour of lure, which is the reason why experienced anglers commonly outfish the newbies. Bream anglers downgrade their tackle and lure sizes in their quest, however this doesn’t deter jacks and other larger specimens, although the encounters are generally short-lived. Threadfin numbers are on the increase throughout the estuarine and river systems in the South East

and reports of specimens outside the Brisbane River system are now common. Side imaging sounders have greatly increased anglers’ abilities to find these fish and from there it is just a case of good lure presentation. Those who want to specifically target estuary cod should concentrate their efforts around the older rock walls where crabs are present. Although cod can be encountered anywhere throughout the system, their love of crabs will generally result in them being more prevalent in these areas. Bouncing a lure across the submerged rocks or presenting a live bait into this zone is generally very successful. Once the strike is forthcoming, some fast and

firm rod work is generally required to get the upper hand. Fights will not always end in your favour as cod have a tendency to head for the nearest hole in the rocks and they are hard to stop over a short distance. Targeting estuary cod can be a lot of fun and a real angling challenge on moderate tackle. Additionally, they are exceptional table fare if you decide to keep one. Flathead will still be hitting lures trolled along the edges of banks on the falling tide. Small, brightly coloured, diving minnow lures are favoured for this pursuit. Working these same zones with soft plastics, blades and soft vibes cast and hopped down the declines is another great approach.

Just drifting a wellpresented bait in the deeper channels, especially on the lower stages of the tide, is a sure way to encounter a good cross section of estuarine species. A whitebait, hardihead, frogmouth or herring pinned on a set of #1-#1/0 ganged or snelled hooks is a great presentation that will appeal to flathead, bream, trevally, mulloway and numerous others. CONCLUSION January offers anglers plenty of possibilities within Moreton Bay and the surrounding waters. A broad spread of pelagic and demersal species are on offer for those willing to brave the heat. Early mornings are prime times to be on the water and the early morning coolness can be a nice welcome to the new day. Being on the water as the sun cracks over the horizon will require an exceptionally early start but the rewards can make the effort worthwhile. With many still on holidays during the first few weeks of January, the waterways can be a little busier than usual, especially during the week but there should be plenty of fish and crabs for all. Don’t forget to protect yourself from the elements before heading out to avoid spoiling your day. Get out onto the water and enjoy a jaunt in January!

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and wahoo. There was an early run of spotted mackerel down off the

owned

Chartered mixed bags yield many surprises. This great bag was made up of mahimahi and juvenile snapper.

have turned up in numbers and size are the mahimahi. The billfish brigade have been trolling them up, with plenty found around the FADs, as well as some appearing around the boat while reef fishing. We’ve pulled some really great ones of late on charter, both around the FADs and while we’ve been floatlining for snapper. The mahimahi have pleased anglers with size and numbers, and some days we’ve boated fish in the 8-10kg range. Target them with livies but when they simply show up around the boat, they’ll happily have a go at your pillies. As I mentioned earlier, the spotties have turned up off the Gold Coast and there have been fair numbers showing up in Moreton Bay, which could indicate that we are in for a reasonable season. Off Moreton Island, the spotties don’t seem to hold like they do off Noosa, Mooloolaba, or the Gold Coast, and it’s more the rarity than the norm if we get them in any numbers. Spanish mackerel dominate catches at the coffee rock reefs in tight

The weather and the water temperature have certainly turned up the heat, but unfortunately I cannot say the same for Spanish mackerel

Gold Coast, which is unusual, as they tend to arrive a little later. The Spanish mackerel went really late this year and we were still getting fish in August, so it’s possible there will be a late start to their run this season, and if so, they should hit their

John Gooding

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DAILY DIARY

COLOUR FISH GUIDE SIZE & BAG LIMITS

November 1, 2015 to December 31, 2016

to Moreton Island, and off Point Lookout. If you want to target spotties, either spin the working schools in Moreton Bay or baitfish for them off the Gold Coast. Solid juvenile snapper continue to keep us busy on charter and we are still getting our bag limit on most trips out on the wider grounds. Shallow Tempest has fished well recently, and there have been good mixed bags of fish, with some solid snapper and spangled emperor among them. With the amount of bait available, it should continue to fish well for both bottom fish and pelagics. It’s often worth having a spin around the bait schools in the area with 50-70g slugs such as lasers or Wilson Knights. Most of the area is around 30-35m in depth, which makes it important to allow your lure sink to the bottom before cranking it flat out through the bait school. For more strikes don’t use wire, 30-40lb mono or fluorocarbon will do the trick, and you’ll find a mackerel very receptive in the area. • Until next month, enjoy

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Happy new gear! NORTHERN BAY

Grayson Fong graysonfong@bigpond.com

Welcome to the New Year, or as I like to say – Happy new gear! If you were successful at dropping those subtle hints you may have found some great new fishing gear with your name on it under the Christmas tree! It has been great to see our waterways so busy over the festive season, and the weather has given us a reasonable serve of good fishing days over the last month. Sporadic southeast winds have typically peppered the northern bay, which has fed the many rivers and estuaries with a large presence of baitfish. This has made the fishing decent over these steamy humid days. BREAM Bream catches are seasonally good around the warmer months, as the rise in both water and air temperatures fire bream into feeding more regularly. Surface fishing has been exciting for the lure fanatics among us – especially around the top of the tide, when waters spread over rock bommies and weed flats allowing

This lovely snapper crunched a Cranka Crab. Find them in the Redcliffe Peninsula area this month.

Bream typically feed more often and aggressively throughout the summer months. Crack out the new gear and get into some!

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roaming bream to feed in these areas. Lightly weighted soft plastics like Berkley Powerbaits and ZMan SlimSwimZ have been standout performers, with neutral colours being on trend to combat the clear waters we’ve had due to lack of rain. If you’re fishing waters loaded with snags and bommies, then try a hopping retrieve, whereas slow rolling retrieves

will achieve results in rubble and weedy flats. The weedy flats through the Pumicestone Passage have been popular over this summer, especially around Donnybrook, Ningi Creek, Sandstone Point and Beachmere. JUVENILE SNAPPER Nice legal juvenile snapper have been on the menu this month, especially in the Redcliffe Peninsula. Fresh baits and early mornings have been a successful recipe over these hotter months with night anglers also rewarded for their patience. Soft plastics are a popular choice, and both grub and shad style baits feature prominently. The floor is open for debate on the application of ‘attractant scent’ (like Procure and S-Factor) on your soft plastics to aid the snapper chase. North Reef has been the usual stalwart of the peninsula and Margate and Woody Point also show good form.

CRABS Steady sand crab numbers have been reported over the Christmas and New Year period with Bramble Bay still leading the charge like previous months. Pumicestone Passage has managed a close second with many anglers taking advantage of work holidays to spend more time out on the water laying pots throughout the area. During extended periods of northerly winds, Deception Bay is always a solid option for sand crabbers, as the combination of northerly winds and tidal currents are favourable to that area. Mud crabs have also been caught in the upper reaches of the Pine and Caboolture rivers lately with Elimbah, Hussey and Bells Creek producing stable results in the Bribie area. SAND WHITING Decent sand whiting are still being caught this month and the stand out area has been the southern beaches of Bribie. Bloodworms

have been the pick of the baits among avid whiting fishers with pipis (less available on Bribie) also coming into the mix. Further down the bay, Hays Inlet and the lower reaches of the Pine River have repeatedly produced whiting but size has sometimes been the issue with anglers having to sift through the smaller ones to get a good bag of legal fish. Persistence pays off! TIP OF THE MONTH Outboard motors can be your friend or foe at times, but nothing puts a dampener on a trip than an ill-tempered outboard. As regular servicing can be expensive, simple maintenance and a little TLC can give your outboard an extended life. It all starts with simply flushing the motor with fresh water after each use. Whether using the ‘earmuff’ style flushers or a trusty old drum, this simple practice can save a lot of heartache on your next trip! Happy fishing!

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Pelagic pandemonium CALOUNDRA

Brad McKendrick fishingcaloundra@yahoo.com.au

The Sunshine Coast is really enjoying a hot summer with plenty of evening storms, but I think that makes the fishing even better. On offer to those anglers who do plan well, there are some of the hottest pelagics around including wahoo, kingfish, cobia, mahimahi and more. If that’s not your fishing

early morning and evening periods. The best fishing is when a tide change occurs at those times of the day, but bite periods can differ. Summer fishing for pelagics always works better with live bait or very fresh bait. Live slimy mackerel or yakkas are the best to troll or float out for the mackerel. Alternatively, you can drop them deep on the snood rig to cobia on the wrecks. The Inner and Outer Gneerings are still a great

plastic fishing in this area is always eventful provided you find the bait and target the feeding fish. Beyond this area there is Murphys Reef and the Caloundra 7 and 12-Mile, which all have a great number of reef species to target. Caloundra Wide is firing with mackerel, wahoo, tuna and other species when the fishing gods flick the switch and everything becomes hot. Overall, from Caloundra to Noosa there is always a feed of fish to be caught. There are plenty of bait schools working the surface, which have tuna chasing them and all species from snapper to sailfish playing amongst them, so watch out. So the key for these

Snapper can still be taken on the inner reefs.

Mahimahi are being caught at Wide Caloundra.

The author with a standard sized spotty mackerel.

Darrell with a trio of flathead taken in the passage recently. Valhalla then you can target any number of reef species that are on offer around the reef systems. The inner reef systems are best targeted during the summer period around the

spot to target for a quick trip. Starting at only 4km offshore from Mooloolaba, it is a long system that offers a lot of pelagic action and plenty of reef species such as pearl perch and tuskfish. Soft

remaining summer months is to plan your trips carefully and don’t spend long hours in the hot sun without protection and plenty of hydration. The Pumicestone Passage is a fun spot to fish at the moment with flathead and whiting being the main catch and a few queenfish and trevally have been caught on hardbodied lures in Lake Magellan and the canals around Minyama. The good news is that mangrove jack have been

exploding around Coochin Creek and parts of Bells Creek. Live poddy mullet or prawns make a big difference when chasing these great fighters. You also need to be ready to strike as soon as that line tightens or moves or you will miss your target. Fishing around Military Jetty or the pontoon at Gemini Towers will also reward you with bream and whiting provided you work around the mornings or evening because of the traffic in the passage

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over the holiday period. If you want to find some large trevally, work the channel areas of the Caloundra Bar up around Happy Valley on the tidal changes. You can still target large flathead and trevally from the shoreline during low tides in this area. Fishing along the Bribie Island side is always a great spot to catch whiting. Live yabbies or prawns are deadly on the whiting but bloodworms are even better. If you can’t get live bait, then use fresh prawns

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and peel them for best results. Remember that a little berley goes a long way, even when fishing for whiting or bream. The beaches are busy with holiday-makers and locals enjoying the summer weather. Dart, whiting, bream and flathead are all targets along the stretches of beach from Caloundra to Noosa. The best baits for fishing the beach are pipis, sand worms, fish strips or prawns. A small paternoster rig is one of the best rigs to use in the surf, but remember the golden rule; always use the smallest amount of weight you can get away with. Remember to plan your trip carefully offshore and target early mornings and times around sundown for the best results. Avoid being out in the hot sun all day without sunscreen. Always register with the Coast Guard before heading out offshore so that you know you are safe and will come home for the family. Finally, I have been writing for the magazine now for over 10 years and this is my last monthly report. Thank you for reading my articles and I hope that something useful has come of them over that time. I wish you all a Happy New Year and hope you have a fun and safe holiday period. Have Fun!

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Mangrove jack can’t wait to steal your lure! NOOSA

Peter Wells

The Sunshine Coast pelagic scene has fired up, with a great number of spotted mackerel and school mackerel caught recently. As the warmer currents move down the coast, there is a strong likelihood of larger fish like Spanish mackerel, wahoo and big tuna available to catch. It seems the later the season, the bigger the fish! Keep an eye out for bird activity, as seabirds hunt for baitfish, the old adage ‘find the bait, find the fish’ again proves its worth. Small slugs like the Sea Rock Ultra-Flash from River2sea are perfect for the job, as well as smaller soft plastics. Both the Davo’s stores have these pre rigged, otherwise the staff will be

speed. The Pacemaker from Samaki, and the Bluewater Craft Limited from Zerek are both outstanding lures that you can troll comfortably at 10-12 knots. These come in a great range of colours, sizes and depths. On the reef fishing side of things, coral trout, sweetlip, mahimahi and plenty of other tasty odds and ends have been caught of late, with the North Reef producing consistently. If you are thinking of heading to Chardons, have a ‘floated’ bait out the back of the boat. These baits have proven to be effective with fish such as wahoo, mahimahi and billfish cruising the surface. The Sunshine Coast river systems are all fishing extremely well, and now that the water has warmed some of those great summer species that we love to target,

lures include the Bassday Sugapen in the 70mm size and the Zerek Poparazzi in the 50mm. Mangrove jack numbers are the best we have seen in some years, alongside the promotion of catch and release – not only are there a better number, but there are better quality of fish. You will need the appropriate gear to do battle with these red devils. Quality graphite rods in the 3-5kg range, with a nice fast action is my preference, the Shimano Zodias rods are perfect for the job, but for those on a tighter budget the new Raider range from Shimano are also up to the task. When it comes to reels you need something with a bit of grunt, 2500 series reels are about the right size whether it be Shimano, Daiwa, or one of the many other brands available. This

Zac Mitchard is pictured with a thumper pearl perch, boated on his 8th birthday. He caught this beauty on an offshore charter to North Reef on Trekka 2. happy to show you how to rig them for the best results. It definitely pays to have a few rigged in your tackle box and ready to go when the fish are feeding. Trolled lures have been responsible for some quality fish. We’ve had a couple of newcomers to the market with some sensational looking lures that you can troll at

JANUARY 2016

have really come into their own. Summer whiting are in good numbers in all the systems with the Frying Pan in Noosa a literal hot spot. Blood and sand worms have been the primary baits, as well as yabbies and soldier crabs. Surface lures have also achieved results, and a couple of standout

is the area that you really should spend that little extra cash. Of course, the line is important and braided line is the only way to go. Use a proper 8 carrier braid rather than a fused braid to help when the fish snags in structure. I like to use 15lb line but most anglers will go that bit more and use 20–25lb. Tie the FG knot and

use 20lb fluorocarbon leader. Jacks are an ambush predator and will tend to come out of

I get the most out of tricking a predator to take a lure. If I fish in the early

full morning and evening tide. On the beach, the Noosa Northshore still sees the odd

Taylah Egea won the $50 Davo’s Fish of the Week prize with the 41cm, elbow-slapping whiting she caught in Weyba Creek.

Bryce Francis from Davo’s Tackle World caught and released this 64cm cale cale trevally at Tewantin. their lair, circle the bait, and hit it on the way back to their snaggy home – this is where the quality of that reel will hold its own. Many a 50cm+ fish has been lost simply because the drag on the reel was not up to the job. Keep those drags up fairly tight and let the rod do its job, of course, a quick reaction is also key.

morning, I tend to fish the surface, and I have an affinity with Lucky Craft Sammy’s, which work effectively with a walk the dog action. Trevally has again been a mainstay in the rivers with larger giant trevally over 50cm following bait into the rivers on the tide. The Cod Hole in the Maroochy and Woods Bays in Noosa have fished well on a

tailor come from the beach. Whiting, flathead, bream and dart have all inhabited the closer gutters, with mulloway picked up at night or in the early morning. A great way to attack the beach is to head up there on the low tide, get to work and pull a few worms, pipis are also plentiful, and make sure you keep an eye on the gutters. As the tide starts to move in, cast your bait to the back of the gutters and roll the bait into the gutter under the white wate. Fish love to sit in this area, waiting for a passing morsel. For the mulloway anglers, large baits like fresh mullet, fresh tailor fillets and large clumps of worms have all worked a treat. Remember, tight lines and bent spines. • For all the best advice, the gear you need and a tip off to where the fish are biting, call into Davo’s Tackle World Noosa or visit our store in Marcoola, Davo’s Northshore Bait & Tackle. Check out the latest catches, fishing reports and bar crossing info at www. fishingnoosa.com.au.

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‘It’s got to be Mercury this summer’

What’s the story, prawning glory BRISBANE

Bob Thornton

In all fishing, understanding the fish’s basics habits only gets you so far. Knowing what they eat is certainly another piece in the puzzle, but with predatory species, getting an insight into their prey will go a long way toward finding and ultimately catching more fish. Without doubt, one of the most common prey items for fish in Australia and across the world is prawns. Almost all species will feed on one of the many members of this family of crustaceans at some point, with an incredible number of fish species choosing these as a staple to their diet. Even bluewater species like tuna, mackerel and marlin have been known to chow down on prawns as juveniles in sheltered waters. Luckily for us, many lure companies, fly tiers and bait distributors bring a lot of prawns and prawn imitations into our world so we can capitalise on the habits of our quarry and catch more fish.

In our southern waters, the start of summer sparks some incredible weeks of fun-filled nights. Those in the know will don a pair of waders, dust off the prawn net, put some new batteries in the spotlight and head out into the estuaries in the hope of scooping up some tasty prawns. Up in the freshwater,

Luke Segalla knows estuary species love prawns and swears by the Squidgy Wild Prawn when peppering the snags in Hinchinbrook. shrimps, the prawns of the fresh, will be active almost year round and while they sit under bankside structure and vegetation during the day, the night will prompt

Adding weight to your prawn imitation will aid casting distance and sink rate, which is perfect for working deep snags. FIND THE PRAWNS Prawns are prolific all up and down our coast. In Queensland, we experience a run of prawns making their mad dash for the sea down rivers and inlets from about February. This usually last a few months, but the cycle changes slightly with each season.

your local system, you’ll be able to target an area where the fish are eating prawns. Each ecosystem is different, and a bit of reconnaissance may be in order to find when and where the prawns are most active. Making trips to the water at different stages of the tide and day, while time consuming, can really

them to mooch around in a search for scraps to sustain themselves. It’s during these dark hours that many shrimp will meet their doom. In short, these little critters really are everywhere along our coast, but if you find exactly where they are in

help narrow your search for predatory activity. If you’re lucky enough to stumble across fish chasing prawns, slashing through the water while the prawns take to the air in an attempt to avoid hungry mouths, you know exactly where to fish. THE REAL THING In an area where prawns are on the menu, sending a live, flicking prawn into a medley of splashes, or even just an area where you know fish are sitting is a method that seldom fails. But it’s getting your hands on this premium bait that can present a challenge. Dead prawn baits will catch fish, as almost anyone who has held a rod in their hands will know! Packet prawn is really the entry level for a lot of anglers around Australia, and their certainly was a time when I would ride my push bike down to the nearest water’s edge and soak packet prawn for some bread and butter species. But by far the best prawn bait is some fresh, and preferably live and kicking! In Queensland, where cast and drag nets are legal, getting a handful of prawns

is fairly straight forward. In our southern states and non-tidal freshwaters, where cast and drag nets are not permitted, anglers have to be a bit creative. A common method of collecting live prawns is to set baited traps that comply with regulations. These are particularly effective in freshwater. Down south, using waders, scoop nets and spotlights is a great balance of effectiveness and fun, and is particularly favoured when children are involved. How you rig these baits depends on the application and personal preference. As a general rule, if you plan to fish them as live bait, passing the hook through the tail, well away from the organs around the head, is a sure way to keep the prawn kicking and sending out good vibrations. If you can see the fish that you want to catch chasing prawns on the surface, it’s sensible to fish with as little added weight as you can get away with. It’s important to keep in mind though, that added weight will aid casting distance. If you can’t reach the madness with your cast, you may need to up the weight. It can be a difficult balance to find, but ultimately the fish will let you know when you’ve found it. Fishing with floats is fantastic when you want to hold the bait in a productive area. A suspended prawn or shrimp hovering naturally in the face of a hungry fish is about as deadly as techniques come. Some of my best childhood memories involve setting little baited traps at night, harvesting the shrimp the next morning, before rigging them under a wagler float and peppering the snags for bass. I still remember every nerve ending tingling in anticipation, just waiting for that float to be ripped beneath the surface. In my search for shrimpcrunching river bass, often I’d only be able to gather really small shrimp, but there was a solution. By taking around 3-4 little shrimp and cramming them

Bass love to eat prawns and shrimps, so the Ecooda Live Shrimp rigged weedless and hopped through dense structure is a deadly presentation.

King threadfin are notorious prawn eaters, but can be very fickle when they’re tuned in to a certain bait type. A bit of thinking outside the box with a squid jig from Lachlan Hickey resulted in this chunky little thready. on a hook together, I was able to craft the perfect little mouthful for a hungry bass. It looked a bit silly but the bass didn’t mind! THE IMITATION GAME Even after many years, artificial prawn imitations are still swum by the most seasoned anglers and account for plenty of trophy fish. From the early imitations such as Prawnstars and Deception Lures (which I still use today), to the more recent additions like Zerek Live

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Shrimps and Squidgy Wild Prawns, it seems the search to find a perfect imitation is never-ending. Apart from being a very exciting way to fish, a live prawn or shrimp imitation has a few pros over actual live bait. First and foremost is that time isn’t spent trying to gather live bait, and instead a single lure can be fished all day. Secondly, being a lure designed for casting makes getting it to likely areas a whole lot easier.

Where an unweighted live prawn might only cast a few metres, an unweighted soft plastic prawn imitation is designed to cast far and sink slow, which enables an angler to reach feeding fish in the distance. Thirdly, the action is imparted by the angler and can be tailored to what the fish want. Trying this with live bait would result in the bait dying prematurely or falling off the hook. Some anglers like

what’s going on, and this is the most common approach when working snags. Between flicks, it’s a good idea to let it sink back down into the ‘zone’. For species like bass, trout, mangrove jack, barramundi and estuary cod especially, I like to give 3-4 little flicks, and then let it fall, repeating this process until the retrieve is over. There are species that are more receptive to aggressive movements of the lure. Species such as

Even the author’s old man, after 40+ years of luring for bass, still enjoys a bit of shrimp under a float action on the bass. to employ small, subtle flathead, schooling bass, flicks to the lure to imitate snapper, mulloway and a disoriented little critter other fish closely associated STA15856HP-FM_Layout 1 20/10/14 1:52 PM Pageof 1 the that’s not up to speed with with the bottom

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water column. Finally, species that feed close to the surface such as tuna, mackerel, kingfish, bonito and cobia will usually enjoy a fast-paced retrieve. When prawns are being chased they can really get a move on! Don’t be afraid to really crank that imitation back to the rod tip if you can see prawns under attack and fleeing off in every direction. Another positive is that many prawn imitations now come in weedless configurations, and these lures can be fished far up into the danger zone. Fishing weedless prawn imitations right into structure is a way to reach fish that were previously unreachable and has revolutionised fishing. On a recent trip to Hinchinbrook Island fishing the many mangrove creeks for barra, mangrove jack, trevally and a host of other northern by-catch, weedless prawns saved us when the tide got too high. As the tide rose, the fish retreated back into the mangroves and our weedless prawn presentations allowed us to hit the areas where other lures and baits would have become stuck. EARLY IN THE PRAWNING This month, prawns are starting their annual run all

GT spend their adult life on offshore reefs eating other pelagic species, sometimes up to 50cm long, but they’re quite happy to munch prawns as juveniles in the estuary. along our east coast, and this should continue for a few months. Every system has its subtleties and the prawns won’t always run like clockwork. Anglers who make an effort to gain an understanding of the prawns and predators in their area will see some

exciting fishing in the months to come, whether they fish with lures, baits or flies. Prawns are one of the most prolific bait sources in any inshore and fresh waters and the tackle industry had done wonders for anglers all around the

world wanting to catch or imitate these flighty little flickers. So make sure you soak a livey, cast a prawn plastic or flick a fly into the realm of some prawneating predators. You may find yourself hooked into a fish of a lifetime.

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JANUARY 2016

Beakies hit the bay FRASER COAST

Phil James p_j_james@bigpond.com

There’s been some exciting times on the Fraser Coast for anglers with a great range of fishing on offer. The last couple of months has had something for just about every keen angler. The run of juvenile black marlin right along our state’s southern coast has everyone talking. Around Rooney Point at the northern end of Fraser Island, light game anglers are enjoying a season that would seem to be as good as last year’s. The only negative has been the persistent northerly winds that can make the trip from Urangan or from Burnett Heads very uncomfortable. Fortunately, there have been enough breezes out of the south or east to make it an easy trip from Hervey Bay, a short crossing to Moon Point, and to use the protection of Fraser Island for the majority Dr of the trip. There have been Glass plenty of fish in the shallows, YATALA not far off the sandy beaches of the island. Welcome the sighted third The fishall areto easily and final issue of inside and targeted using fly, plastic your tool treasure chest. or hardbodied lures. Trolling The thebeen power tools skirtslast has of also effective, Ias am to tellTo you have going live yakkas. the about in knowledge, this issue anglers is the best of my power/cordless drill catch and are following a strict the mightypolicy 9” with grinder/ and release most polisher. Let’s get released while stillstarted! in the Power/CordLess water. A quick cuddle, photo and releasedrILL is fine, with care. because It’s Spottyfunny mackerel haveI wasn’t really sure schools about arrived, and scattered including the humble patrol Platypus Bay anddrill the until couple days Bay ago easterna part of of Hervey when was asdoing job as far Isouth Arch aCliffs. on onearrival of my boats. had Their may be aI little just the would fuel have tank earlierput thaninsome and fed all lines under expected, but the it certainly looks the platform that we goodcasting well into the summer had just glassed in. season. The mackerel are It wasn’t until my mate following schools of small Frandon baitfish so mentioned small metals to are me the quietly that I could’ve most effective. routed the need fuel to lines a bit Anglers be aware better I did. guess that a than bag limit of Ifive, as it sense, and welldid as amake sensible minimum Frandon being the die hard length of 60cm applies. fisho that he is, could see Spotted mackerel are often

DR GLASS

confused with Queensland school mackerel. Both have spots but those of the spotties are smaller, more distinct and more numerous than those of the school mackerel. A legal schoolie is at least 50cm long and a bag of 10 fish is permitted. When the spotted mackerel are running, it is fairly unlikely that schoolies will be in the same catch, so it is safest to work with the legalities for spotties. I am often asked if it is safe to eat spotted mackerel as they are frequently taken in the Platypus Bay where ciguatera poisoning is known in a number of fish species. It is my understanding that to be a ciguatera threat, a fish

very mobile spotted mackerel, feeding on equally mobile surface baitfish would be part of the ciguatera food chain. However, you can never be 100% sure, but I am yet to hear of a case of ciguatera poisoning attributed to eating spotted mackerel. On Fraser Island’s ocean beach, there hasn’t been too much to excite. The usual resident beach species like whiting, tarwhine, dart and bream have kept anglers busy. As expected, the most successful fishing is happening early morning and late afternoon. The beaches have been in good condition with very few extensive coffee rock exposures.

A quick cuddle and photo before release. coral bream, tuskfish, cod and blackall. The only negative has been the frustration of losing so many good fish to sharks. Sharks have been a big problem further north in the bay for months, and it looks very much like the problem has moved south. After a disappointing season last summer, blueys (tuskfish) have returned in force. On the deeper grounds, blueys in excess of 8kg can be expected while on the shallow reefs, a fish over 3kg would be exceptional. Wherever they are targeted, seriously heavy lines are needed to stop them seeking the protection of the reef. Once hooked,

there is no time for finesse. Elsewhere in the bay, It is a matter of ‘hang on and flathead have been plentiful don’t give an inch’. It might around the island creek seem like overkill, but I have mouths while sand whiting to admit to a 24kg line on continue to come in from the a direct retrieve Alvey when banks south of Moon Point, fishing the shallows. Bogimbah Creek and the flats For bait, black rock crabs, on the eastern side of Little blue claw or small paddlers Woody Island. are almost mandatory but At River Heads, and well coral prawns and yabbies up the Mary River, blue salmon possible job plentiful. which works are also with wortha wide using.chisel The an are urgent again quite Both and as Iwith wasyabbies holdingis that as you have problem that well pikey as andlong yellowfin bream are Frandon drilled series of various speedaround settings. often they will aget taken still being taken South pilot holesreef around goes 9” by small fish. where There The Head,same Beaver Rockfor andthe along we wanted to re-route the polisher – it should have is a huge range of plastic the steep mud banks in the lines. We lookalikes drilled theasholes dialRiver. on the back or the crustacean well. aSusan bigger until they were all side of which I am yet to locate a bluey The the year handle has finished fairly each by other adjust the that hasclose beentofooled an allows well for you FrasertoCoast anglers. and then but smashed thetried bit speed settings for Year various artificial, I haven’t Hopefully the New will out smaller chisel. applications. somewith of thea latest offerings. bring more of the same. This worked a treat but I When purchasing a 9” must admit I don’t think I grinder it’s best to get a would have ever thought reputable brand as they are of it. going to get heavily worked I was cool with that and a lot of weight put on and it was just so good to it as well as the dust and have an extra set of eyes buffing compound and buff for support and to see the wool gets caught up in the humble cordless drill in motor and brushes. action on a job like that. Being the big brother The drill comes in of the 4” grinder, this tool handy especially when you requires full concentration are working on your old during use so be careful boat and an old rusted screw and wear all of your safety Jamie Lineburg’s first marlin, which was taken or striped nut doesn’t come gear. We use it everyday, at Rooney Point sight casting with a ZMan off or snaps; you will then whether it be grinding back StreakZ XL 8” in bubblegum colour. use your drill to hone it out a floor or buffing a boat. or drill the screw down just This is an essential tool like large Spanish mackerel Hervey Bay’s reefs are enough to glass or bog over that won’t let you down needs to be near the top of a now performing well after a it and re drill in close to the and you can switch from food chain that includes, or slow start in November. The area. Many times I’ve had grinder to polisher with originates from, the bottom- deep ledges at Boges Hole, to put a die grinder tip in ease by simply removing dwelling dinoflagellate algae the Channel Hole, Moon my drills to get a job done the threaded collar and the that produce the ciguatoxin. and Bogimbah ledges have 9” grinders and polishers are a must have tool for boat repair. and not as to mention areactual backing plate. Marlin jumps are probably excitingdrills as the capture itself! It is most unlikely that the produced some excellent a great bog stirrer. I hope these last three Drills are a great must issues on tools have been how to make it better with not as much bulkiness in have tool and to think I helpful and will make life one area. Like I’ve said wasn’t going to mention a little easier for that next before I don’t claim to that one simply for the fact ugly grinding or cutting job know everything about the that everyone has one - before you even get to the industry I’m in and we are even my wife for stirring sticky part of the repair, the cake mix - kidding. which is the fibre glassing. all learning everyday.

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Have a pearler of a season offshore this month RAINBOW BEACH

Ed Falconer

The weather has been a little up and down, but we have still gotten quite a few offshore trips in.

We’ve had some big catches of pearl perch and both soft plastics and fresh baits have worked equally well. I’ve seen the crew bag-out on quite a few occasions. There have also been

ON THE BEACH Good summer whiting have been caught around Double Island Point and on Teewah Beach. There have been reports of some chopper tailor still hanging around, just north of the

favourite action months with the arrival of big schools of spotted and Spanish mackerel. We have enjoyed many trips with

screaming reels and total chaos when these guys fire up during this month. • To enjoy a day on the water with Keely Rose

Fishing Charters phone Ed Falconer 0407 146 151 or visit www. keelyrosefishingcharters .com.au.

Happy clients on the Keely Rose with their bag out of pearlies. OFFSHORE Our offshore grounds have been very, very good. The past few months, the pelagics have been a little finicky, so we’ve mainly targeted the bottom fishing.

pretty good numbers of snapper, Moses perch, tuskfish and hussar. Now is the time of year to throw a live bait down for the big estuary cod that have become very active

swimming area at Rainbow Beach. As usual, there’s been plenty of reports of good sized bream getting around in the gutters. JANUARY January is one of my

Big cod will be active this month, like this beauty caught by Ryan on a recent trip.

Troll up your sleeves HERVEY BAY

Scott Bradley marlin81@bigpond.com

Where did the year go? The good news is that the fishing has maintained the high standards we’ve grown used to before Christmas. Our creeks, estuaries and local reefs are producing plenty of bread and butter species alongside trophy sportfish. Out wider, reports from the gutters have been few and far between courtesy of the ever-present northerlies keeping all but the keenest anglers’ boats in the garage. In the bay, pelagics are in their prime and running amok around the beacons

and jetties, pushing right down the Sandy Straits and up the creeks from January to March. UP THE CREEKS Crabbers are having a tough time due to some lowlife stealing pots. This deplorable activity has gotten so bad in some places that anglers have taken to setting motion sensor cameras to find the culprits. Those that don’t get stolen have had plenty of crabs, however, the buck to Jenny ratio is still low. Good numbers of threadfin salmon have been caught in the Mary and Susan rivers on hardbodies, soft vibes and live mullet. Fish have averaged 90cm, but there are plenty of bigger threadies around. Grunter are also on the move with some horses landed in the past few months. The biggest

I’ve heard was over 20lb, a size that would be hard to stop! Smaller fish from 35-50cms have been working the flats and have made a pleasant by-catch when chasing bream. ON THE TROLL The marlin mayhem continued through December nicely. Usually these billed beauties calm down a little in January but there are still plenty of opportunities to catch a marlin right through to March, with a focus on Platypus Bay. Spotted mackerel and longtail tuna tend to fire up in the first few months of the year, pushing further into the bay and the Sandy Straits. Hopefully we will see the typical large schools surface feeding along Fraser Island that have been hard to find so far.

Peter Weir with a nice black marlin. There are still plenty of billfish to be found in Platypus Bay.

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‘Sponsor a Barra’ success LAKE MONDURAN

Rob Howell

What an eventful month at Monduran, there have been plenty of barra caught on the cast and the troll, and we have released around 100,000 baby barra fingerlings back into the lake. SUCCESS IN TROLLING Prior to the recent floods, mature barra made their way down to the main basin area as their breeding instincts kicked in and tell them it’s time to head to salt water to change sex and spawn. We have not seen this happen for many years as new barra stocks were going through their juvenile stages. It was only a matter of time, but the days of trolling and catching metre plus barra in the main basin, Bird Bay and Bass Strait are here again! We have

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had many angler reports of metre plus barra caught in these areas over the last month. Trolling hardbody lures like RMG scorpions, Big B52s, Predatek Vipers and the Reidys Judge will yield the best results. Reg got out and about recently and captured a monster barra in the Lake, and was happy to share his story with us! CASTING Once again, the wind affected bays and points are the places where you will find active and feeding barra. Areas that have fished well are Bird Bay, Cow Bay, Heart Bay And Jacks Bay. Lures that have worked well are the everreliable Jackall Squirrel and Smash Minnow and in soft plastics the Squidgees Slick Rig Pro Range 110 and 130s. Barra will bite in the late afternoon and especially into the night. Put in the long hours and you will be rewarded! BARRA RESTOCKING December has been an eventful month to say the least. We have released around 100,000 over three separate occasions into the lake and all of our baby barra were healthy and active.

It’s hard to say what the success rate of these fingerlings would be, but with Monduran’s mass of healthy weed and the endless bait source found there, you can only imagine that the growth and survival rate of these fingerlings will be very high. If you are interested in donating or purchasing any products (shirts and Brag Mats) that are on offer through our ‘Sponsor a Barra’ program you can do so by contacting Julie Whalley through the ‘Sponsor a Barra’ Facebook page. Alternatively, contact any of our helpful staff here at the holiday park. All profits go towards restocking fingerlings into this awesome impoundment. It is impossible to overstate the importance of sustaining the future of our barramundi stocks. Barramundi are one of Australia’s most prized sportfish and are absolutely vital to our waterways. Have a happy and safe new year from all our staff at Lake Monduran Holiday Park and we look forward to seeing you on your next fishing holiday.

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January is a great family time, as the weather encourages fun summer activities like fishing, adventuring, and just having fun out on the water. With a vast majority of people enjoying holidays over the Christmas and

As the week progresses, the difference between high and low tide increases. This difference peaks when the full or new moon is upon us and afterwards the tidal difference decreases. What does this mean for fishing? Well, the baitfish start to move around more as the tide difference rises as there will be more water getting up onto mud flats and into mangroves, a great place

fish finder. THE BURNETT RIVER The Burnett is still fishing well, with decent grunter caught by most anglers that put in the time to get fresh bait and search them out. There are still reports of the odd salmon caught and even the odd out of season barramundi showing up on live baits. Remember, if you do hook a barramundi while it’s out of season the rules

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Some pelagics are cruising around the mouth including lots of school mackerel and a few Spanish streaks among them.

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HERVEY BAY BUCCANEERS

19 Islander Road, Pialba, Hervey Bay, QLD, 4655 Phone: (07) 4124 6988 Fax: (07) 4194 2364 www.buccaneers.com.au

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CAIRNS

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

KARUMBA

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

New Year break, the waterways will be a bit crowded. However, don’t let that put you off, as there are still some great tides in January that should fire up a few fish. There will be building tides during the week from 4-10 January, as we get closer to the new moon. This means there will be progressive rise in the tide height differences.

for baitfish to hide and feed away from larger predators. The upside for fishers is that the low tides are lower, which means that there isn’t as much structure to hide in. When there is limited structure in the water the predators tend to hang around it waiting for baitfish to cruise past. It will also concentrate schools of fish in the deeper holes where they can be found with a good

are keep them in the water, unhook them and let them go. There will be some pelagic activity around the mouth for the early birds with lots of school mackerel moving in with a few Spanish spread through them. The floating pilchard is a great way to catch schoolies, as is high speed spinning with metal slices – my favourite for this job is a 30g Halco Twisty.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Catching crabs, not wildlife Rangers are urging fishers to set crab pots in areas that do not become exposed by the tide and to check pots regularly for the safety of wildlife, after a dingo pup drowned in a crab pot on Fraser Island. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Senior Ranger Dan Clifton said birds, turtles and other wildlife could become entangled in crab pots. “A member of the public called the dingo hotline on Saturday 3 October to report that a pup had drowned after apparently being caught in a crab pot set by people from a houseboat in Garry’s Anchorage

on the island’s southwestern side,” Mr Clifton said. “The witness was on another boat, and saw the unfortunate result the next morning after hearing dingoes howling the previous night. “Rangers are conducting an investigation into this incident. We’ve been able to retrieve the pup’s body and it was an untagged male about three months old. “It seems the pup stuck its head into the crab pot to get the bait when the tide was low, then couldn’t get out, and when the tide came in, it drowned. This can happen to other wildlife.”

“Please don’t turn your urge for a feed of crabs into a death sentence for other animals. Take care where you place crab pots, and check them regularly. “The witness was understandably distressed and angry. At his suggestion we are looking at getting information out to Fraser Island and Great Sandy Strait visitors about using crab pots safely, in the interests of protecting wildlife from getting stuck. “Please report dingo incidents to the dingo hotline, ph (07) 4127 9150, or email dingo. r a n g e r @ n p s r. q l d . g o v. au,” Mr Clifton said. Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing JANUARY 2016

Big rains bring on the fish! GLADSTONE

Eve Malone eve.dave42@gmail.com

The festive season has delivered some very cheerful fishing for all who have indulged in the abundant angling options in and around Gladstone. The estuaries have

produced nice full crabs, plenty of jack, grunter, and salmon as a result of afternoon storms over the past month. Inner reefs and out wide are equally giving up the goods on pelagic and reef species action. I’m sure many of you still have family and friends visiting the area, so

it’s prime time to head out and show off some amazing fishing both in the rivers or out to the many reefs. Please keep in mind that it’s one thing to catch a nice feed, but another to show off by catching and keeping as much as you can – we need to sustain what we have for the future of the sport we all enjoy. REEF Deep water from 50-100m has delivered some amazing marlin and mahimahi during December and will continue to produce over January and

Sykes and Masthead have fished well for red-throat, cod and tuskfish; in fact if we had kept all that we had caught on my last trip out to Rock Cod we would have bagged out on tuskies. My son Ethan landed a nice 57cm fish and the rest were all around that size, great day! ESTUARIES As predicted, the crabs have arrived and are full of meat. Some large crabs have been caught through all the systems. We’ve had some big tides and rain that has stirred the crabs up, and

Steve Good caught this beauty, using the wings of an iodine bream.

Steven Horvat and his crew with a brilliant catch of reds, caught in 50m of water.

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Nathan Dodds ticked two of these glorious creatures off his bucket list in one session! February for those with the ability to venture out wide. Spanish, school and doggies have been caught over all the reefs, around channel markers in particular, but fairly well everywhere. Mackerel chase the bird action and flicking silver spoon lures at them is a sure hit. Floated baits, pillies, iodine bream fillets and of course, livies are also effective. I always have a rod in the holder with floated bait, no matter if I am fishing rivers or reefs. Because of this technique, I almost always come home with a prize – recently I brought home a snapper that was over a meter in length that was caught bottom bouncing over an artificial reef. In the rivers, a common catch is cobia – though not always great in size, these fish are a lot of fun on light line. Red emperor have shown up in numbers and are finally showing some size. Fresh strip bait seems to be the most effective baits according to consensus among the fishing community; and I do emphasise, ‘fresh is best.’

the best bait has to be fresh. Fresh chicken carcass, fresh mullet, catfish, and other meats will attract a feed of crustacean. If, as the day progresses, you find that your crab catch is declining then freshen your bait – professional crabbers change their bait up to three times a day to

optimise the catch. Jew are on the chew, albeit not record contenders, but good eating sized fish. Fish around the wharves where permitted, and deeper holes throughout the harbour and along rock walls. The incoming turn of the tide into structure will yield good results. SPECIES WRAP UP Grunter are firing in both the Boyne and Calliope. Work the river mouths and offshore with silver minnow hardbodied lures and you’ll be guaranteed a few good whiting. You’ll also find a nice catch of flathead off the beaches and around sandy flats. If you want to target flatties in the river, try the hot water outlet, the pontoon at the NRG boat ramp, around the bridges where you see good rock structure and Toolooa Bends.

I would like to remind everyone of the importance of knowing possession limits when fishing reef fin species. There have been reports of fines handed out recently in our area and this is unacceptable. If you don’t know you will get caught and your hip pocket and our sport get hit hard. There is plenty of information out there. If everyone educated themselves on this issue, there would be a lot more respect for the sustainability of our waterways. You also need to remain aware that what is in your freezer at home is also counted as ‘in your possession.’ Queensland Fisheries will advise you on what your limits are per person, and reef fish as a whole, so please visit the website or give them a call and we can continue to enjoy what we have for generations to come.

The author with a couple of great muddies!

Fishing Fill-its

Replicas help you remember your best captures BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

When the fish of a lifetime comes along, sometimes a digital image is just not enough to capture that momentous event. How good would it be to have that fish

more than a memento of successful angling, it’s also an ornament – a thing of beauty to capture the imagination of those who look at it. I have countless digital images of fish, and we always convert some to prints after our latest fishing adventure, and so far that’s been enough for me.

Permit are hard to take on fly, and a faithful reproduction is a perfect memento of a capture of one of these flighty fish. preserved forever in an exact sized mount that displays every detail, from scale and skin colour through to the teeth? When set up in just the right place at home, a replica like that becomes

However, when I saw the work of Jeremy Klar, a fibreglass reproductionist located on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, I was totally blown away with exact likenesses of fish he has reproduced as both

fibreglass and beaten metal replicas. It made me wonder just how magnificent one of those beautiful saratoga from Borumba Dam would look on the cabinet in our lounge. I once took a 92cm specimen, and with those big eyes and spots on every scale, it would make an outstanding ornament for the home. There’s an interesting aside to my connection with Jeremy. While at Exmouth last September I asked who had furnished the stupendous mount of a blue marlin at the local Tackle World store, as well as the head mount of a 330kg fish at the Exmouth Gamefishing Club. It turned out that both were Jeremy’s work. When I found out he had moved to Queensland, I thought I’d take the opportunity to acquaint QFM readers of how to get their own prize catch reproduced and mounted on a base of their choice. Jeremy told me that he can reproduce virtually any fish, from large to small. Species include bonefish, permit, jacks, coral trout, cobia, barra, snapper, macks, wahoo, marlin, sailfish and more. As long as a fish is brought to him within a few days of capture, he can work his magic (a photograph taken

at time of capture is important to capture exact colour as it comes from the water). He stressed that the fish should not be placed directly into contact with block ice, but should be placed in an ice slurry. However, if the fish is so large that it can’t be treated in this manner, it’s best to contact Jeremy for his advice. Generally, customers should

contact him upon capture of a fish to mount, and he can then advise as to the best method of keeping it in good order until he receives it. The turnover time is very reasonable, depending upon Jeremy’s work load, and he always advises customers of the estimated time of completion. He’s had ample experience in moving

completed mounts interstate and even further, via crates, so that shipping can be arranged if you’re not able to personally take delivery of the mount. You can see examples of Jeremy’s work by looking him up on Facebook at Klarsic Creations. You can also contact him at j_aklar1@ bigpond.com or give him a call on 0457 853 101.

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December 2015 was an exciting time for Australia’s newest marine and motorcycle store. With the acquisition of Coastal Powerboats a reputable marine dealership with 10 years of trade under the belt on the Gold Coast, and the backing from Honda Australia, Tweed Powerhouse was formed. Top marine brands such as Stessl, Procraft, Polycraft, Raymarine, Dunbier and more remain onboard with talks underway for new brands and products along with Honda Marine joining the group. One of the directors

of Tweed Powerhouse, David Boyd says: “Getting Honda motorcycles was a massive coup.” Tweed Powerhouse hosts a huge range of new Honda motorcycles, and a selection of clean late model and used bikes, plus any accessory customers need. They will have you sorted. Currently in planning is a new purpose built showroom/ workshop for Tweed Powerhouse, which will be in their temporary yard at 28 Machinery Drive Tweed Heads until approximately March 2016, then moving to the

brand new premises at 5 Greenway Drive Tweed Heads. To contact the team pop in for a visit, or go to www. tweedpowerhouse.com.au. You can also call or e-mail us on (07) 5523 0072 or info@ tweedpowerhouse.com.au. – Kieran Harland

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JANUARY 2016

A new year, a new fish! out by Fisheries and a croc in a crab pot. Every year I seem to ask the same question: why not make use of the after-Christmas sales, grab some new gear and set out to catch a fish you haven’t caught before? That’s what I’ll be doing! FITZROY AND THE NARROWS Closed season for our dominant sportfish is still in

ROCKHAMPTON

Clayton Nicholls clay94_fishing@live.com.au

Last year was certainly an eventful year fishingwise in Queensland, and Rockhampton had its fair share. We had the ‘Nets Out Qld’ go through, saw a decline in the average fish size in the Barra Bounty, several severe fines given

Mitch from Tackle World smashed another nice saratoga.

action, but there have been reports of plenty of king threadfin salmon, mangrove jack and golden snapper around the river. These fish have been predominantly towards the mouth with all the islands and narrow branching creek systems, but have also been targeted and caught between Gavial and Devils Elbow along with the city reaches. The salmon have been taking vibes of any sort, but two top performing lures are the ever-reliable Jackall Transam followed by the River2Sea Fish Candy vibe. Either a medium liftand-drop or a slow roll have been nailing these fish. RIVERS, CREEKS AND BEACHES In the creeks and 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 odd grunter. One good lure for these species is the River2Sea Fish Candy in the 65mm

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Connor caught this nice yellow mangrove jack on an Atomic Plazo. paddle-tail, worked by slow rolling along the bottom. Alternatively, you can try the Lucky Craft Pointer 48 and 65 in the deep diving versions. These lure suspend and are great for working heavy structure. Twitch the Pointer along the snag with long pauses, suspending it in the strike zone. I predict 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 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 herring. FRESHWATER LAGOONS We’ve had a combination of summer heat, light rain and storms, plus an abundance of small baitfish. As a result, the freshwater action has been great. The best areas are around the lilies or tree lines. Small surface lures like cicada imitations and poppers with small cup faces have been doing most of the damage for lure fishers. Rigging the rear with a stinger style hook like a ZX Vibe Stinger can work wonders during a tough bite! With a few more hot days getting towards the end of summer, continuing with

the occasional rain event, the freshwater areas should be filled full of sportfish to target on grubs, hardbodies and even surface soft plastics. Surface plastics like the new ZMan 4” Pop ShadZ

affordable, seeing as there’s no expensive gear needed, so it’s a good option for anyone to try. Crabbing can also be heaps of fun, especially when you’re trying to grab a big buck to put him in the cooler. Just read

Kyla releasing a grunter, one of her first fish on soft plastics. or weightless curl-tails rigged with a worm hook around the weed lines can be deadly for most of the fish. CRABBING The crabs at this time of the year are extremely active and full to the top with meat. With all the summer sales happening at tackle stores, crab pots are cheap at the moment. Crabbing is very

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, my goal is to target more on fly and build my skill up enough to do a fly charter off Harvey Bay for marlin on fly in September. Dream big and give it a go!

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JANUARY 2016

Bream have been a common catch in places like Wild Cattle and South Trees. This one took an Atomic Shiner.

Options open up for 2016 YEPPOON

Scott Lynch ifishcq2@bigpond.com

Mangrove jack have been the flavour of the month in loads of local spots from Corio, The Narrows, Ross Creek, The Causeway Lake and the lower end of the Fitzroy River. They are the epitome of ambush hunters, using their speed and stealth to nail baitfish and prawns out of nowhere. They like to hide and wait for a feed to pass within range. Live baiting is the most popular method of targeting jacks with our abundance of available baits. Greenback herring, yorkies, prawns, gar

and poddy mullet are all likely to get hammered. Mangrove jack will also readily take most larger bream lures. Most fishy looking plastics work really well because you have the ability to get them to spots that regular gear can’t reach. Like barra, the last of the run-out and the start of the run-in is the best time to target jacks up in the creeks. Fallen trees, logs, mangrove roots, overhanging branches, pylons and rock bars where baitfish can take cover are all worth setting a bait or having a flick at. The mouths of runoff creeks with any features are also worth a shot. Golden snapper (fingermark) and barramundi often grab baits or lures intended for

Scott Lynch with a small river king threadfin.

mangrove jack. In recent weeks I have received a few emails about grunter numbers and how fishers are not getting grunter in the same areas as last year. My reply is that this has been a very dry year, so they will be further into some of the systems than previous years. The last few years have had plenty of rain leading into summer. Wet years move the bait schools and change everything else including the salinity levels that make fish prefer particular spots. The Fitzroy River is a prime example of how far fish go when the river is only running salt. In the past few months we have been catching grunter and black jew up near the barrage, approximately 56km from the mouth. Once the fresh starts to flow, they move right down to the delta again. The estuary grunter have been going pretty well in the river, Coorooman Creek and the Corio Waterpark area. The offshore big fellas have picked up a bit at some of the popular spots and local wrecks. Like their estuary brothers, they are definitely in bigger numbers around the moon. Black jew, which are

normally slower in the hotter months, have kept making the odd run even right up the river and during the day surprisingly. I haven’t tried any of the closer jew holes but reports from some of the northern spots have been fairly good with a couple of decent fish taken in a session. The Pinnacles, The Rama and Cape Manifold are spots you can catch jew at the moment. We need a bit more rain to give the local prawns and muddies a boost. They have been quite hard to score in any sort of quantity right across the area. If you don’t get any crabs in your traps, keep moving them until you do. The baits used most often that do work are mullet, catfish, meaty fish frames (not freshwater fish), chook frames and even pillies. We try everything from bream to mackerel and mullet, and it doesn’t make much difference except that the fresher the bait, the more crabs in the pot. Fresher bait lets out more oils and scents that attract crabs, so refresh your baits occasionally. Work your pots about every hour or so. No crabs means move your pots. The best muddies are rusty brown coloured, the greener they are generally shows they are empty and not

John Boon from Extreme Fishing Solutions with another of his favourites – coral trout. worth taking home. The smaller prawns have been bunching in the mouths of the mud gutters at low tide and king threadfin salmon are among the predators giving them a caning. When you see this happening, it pays to have the smallest of vibes or prawn imitation plastics ready to go. The size of lure can make a huge difference to the results at the end of the day. King threadfin salmon don’t seem to have slowed much at all in recent weeks, as numbers of these great estuary sport fish continue to be caught. I like to mention that the majority of the threadies landed in this area are caught by catch and release anglers. The shallow water and the good release practices appear

to have had no ill effects on the quantity of salmon in the river. The early evening or morning tides seem to be the pick of times. The jetties and high banks are very accessible spots where you can get a salmon almost every night. Now is a good time to grab the kids and head down to the beaches. Swallowtail dart are in abundance, particularly north of Yeppoon and up past big dune towards Corio Bay. Everyone I know who has fished with yabbies or beachworms caught decent dart recently. When the dart are on they will keep grabbing almost anything thrown in their direction. They prefer spots with a bit of wash so the afternoons when the light To page 62

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Hit the jackpot on summertime reefies MACKAY

Keith Day habdays@bigpond.net.au

January is a time to reflect on the past year and to start planning our fishing experiences for the coming year. 2015 was a memorable year for Mackay with both positives and some unfortunate negative aspects from the perspective of an angler. Rainfall records indicate that this was the driest year since 2005, which has had a dramatic effect on fishing and fish recruitment for the future. My rainfall readings were about 50% less than 2014. We missed the late spring and early summer storms, which will impact on barra – particularly as these conditions set them off to head to the islands and headlands to breed. Positives were many, and the biggest news of the year was the declaration of a Net Free Zone (NFZ) on our doorstep. The area from St Helens to Cape Hillsborough is a popular rec fishing area, and anglers can now look forward to catching From page 61

northeaster is blowing can produce some quality fish. Dart can be reasonable table fish if they are filleted fresh and eaten that day. Dart are also a great fish to blood the kids into fishing without a lot of expense. Any light gear does the trick and you don’t have to cast out very far to get them. The bonus is that once the kids are sick of fishing they can have a swim or anything else they

plenty of fish that are not just undersized. Undersize fish are commonly caught after a creek system has been ‘sieved’ with nets, but now this shall be a thing of the past for this stretch of coastline. Praise is due to the Mackay Recreational Fishers Alliance for their hard work, persistence and sheer stubbornness in pursuing this NFZ for so long, to finally see it become reality. Fish stocks in our area did receive a welcome boost in the freshwater impoundments and the Pioneer River system. MAFSA has been very active, and plenty of barra have been stocked, alongside sooty grunter produced out of the hatchery after a complete revamp of the systems and equipment by the members. Barra have also been stocked into the Gooseponds in North Mackay by Reef Catchment Solutions as part of the ongoing program attempting to control the tilapia found there. The discovery of these pests in the Gooseponds was one of the negatives of 2015. Unfortunately, late in 2015 it was discovered they are also now in the McCready creek

system on the northern side of Mackay between Slade Point and the northern beaches area. These fish most likely got into this small creek via various drains that connect the two spots during heavier rainfall events. The attempts to contain them in the Gooseponds appears to have been a case of the horse having already bolted, by the time anyone knew they were in our area. On balance, the positives for 2015 outweighed the negatives and we can look forward to 2016 with renewed enthusiasm and with all that new gear the man in the red suit delivered on 25 December. January is normally a transition month in Mackay. It falls between the storm season and the normal start of the wet proper, which here generally starts in February. But it is not that uncommon to have a cyclone or flooding rain during January. All the summer species are still available and on the chew. The small mackerel species are exception, as they move further south following bait schools. A few stragglers are still around, particularly

off Sarina to the south. The tuna will also be around but in smaller numbers than early in the summer. For the close inshore angler, now is a good time to chase the reef species, with plenty of variety available particularly around the islands off Seaforth, but watch the zones and get a map from your local tackle store before venturing out. Trout, snapper, bream, cod and good size grunter can be found around these islands and will respond to fresh cut baits, large prawns and live baits fished right in close to the islands. Deeper water around the islands also yields these same species plus quality golden snapper (fingermark), one of the best eating fish around. Live baits, and fresh squid will tempt golden snapper, but as they live among some pretty rough ground, hooking and landing them is not always easy. For the lure and fly angler, all of these fish will respond to soft plastics or a well-presented fly. Plastics such as the various prawn styles, paddle-tails and stick baits will tempt any of

want to do while making the most of our top beaches. In this area, we usually get better numbers of squid over winter. Lately there are a few getting caught right around the normal spots and over the rubble grounds after dark. At night, squid will hide in the shadow of your boat waiting to grab baitfish drawn in by the lights. We often have an old estuary bream rod set up with two or three jigs spaced about 300mm apart. We let the jigs float back a

little towards a shadow edge and let the water and rod action make movement that will get the squid to come out of the shadow to nail the jig. When a squid is hooked it attracts the others and you can get two or three in a hit. When you see squid passing the boat or hanging around you can get them to come closer using berley. I use a mash of fish pellets and pieces of pilchard. You let out a very slow steady stream that the squid follow straight

to the berley pot. Clear water with no wind chop will usually produce more squid than choppy dirty water. Offshore fishing is going well at the moment from the islands to the wide grounds. All the normal reefies are on the chew as well as lots of pelagics. Trevally are doing the rounds of the bay’s mackerel spots with hundreds of large tea-leaf trevally taking pillies meant for doggies and giving the light mackerel gear a work out.

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crabbing keep a keen eye out for crocs, as there are plenty in our creeks and they aren’t all small ones either. I have seen several approaching the 4m mark, these are serious crocs, and not to be taken lightly. Up in the dams, the barra have been going off big time. All three dams are firing, with Teemburra fishing the best it has for some years, with plenty of fish ranging from 50cm runts to monsters up around the 1.2m mark. Kinchant dam as usual is very popular especially around the full moon and continues to produce huge barra with many now up well over 1.2m. Eungella Dam has also been producing its share of barra, but sooties remain the main focus for anglers. Look for the barra around weed beds, prominent points and near the islands that are starting to appear in Teemburra as the water level drops. Barra in all of the dams will respond to the same tactics, the most reliable of which is large paddle tail plastics worked with a slow steady retrieve. Among the most popular lures are the black and gold Squidgies in various sizes. The range of plastics is immense, and the local tackle stores staff can give advice on what is ‘the’ lure of the moment. Of late some of the really large plastics (200mm+) have been scoring some massive barra, but for starters stick to those around the 100-120mm sizes as they seem to replicate the bony bream the barra feed on. With the New Year, comes new possibilities and much to look forward to with our NFZ, and well stocked dams.

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the reef species and rigged weedless lure losses can be kept to a respectable level. Fly fishers are best advised to use an intermediate or sinking line with clouser style flies to get the offering down to the fish. Clousers have the advantage of riding hook point up and are less likely to get snagged so are a popular choice. Work the lure or fly around prominent headlands or outcrops of rocks and use a good hard wearing leader like Schneider nylon as most of the reefies have teeth and they live in rocky areas that can shred light leaders quickly. The creek and estuary fishing will depend on the rain or lack of it. If we start to get an early wet season, there will be a run of prawns in the creeks, which will draw plenty of predators. Barra are still off limits but there are plenty of options. Pikey bream, grunter, flathead, king threadfin, blue salmon, jacks, cod, and golden snapper are all on the chew and fair game in the creeks, so that is not a bad lot to choose from. Throw in a few small queenies, and trevally and there will be hot action for the anglers. Depending on the prawn run, one of the hotspots is around the mouths of small side creeks or gutters draining either out of the mangroves or off the mud flats. It also pays to have a couple of pots out, as the crabs have run pretty well. However, we need some good rain to really get them stirred up and on the move. Don’t neglect those small side gullies when setting out pots but make sure you can get to them to check them as the tide drops. While

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Estuary fishing hot, but we need the rain STANAGE BAY

Von Ireland

The road into Stanage is still dirt, so please remember to drive to the current conditions, and remain on the legal side of the road, not in the middle. The road is mostly unfenced with stock and wildlife roaming freely, so please slow down and take in the views of this beautiful land we love. THE ESTUARY Thirsty Sound has been on fire with beautiful black jew, with scatterings of blue salmon, threadfin salmon, cod, grunter and golden snapper. As far as muddies go, we need rain, so please pray for us. We are no different to farmers, only we harvest the primary produce, called wild caught seafood. THE REEF AND ISLANDS Over the past eight weeks (yes, I have been away for my annual break so I can smile at you again) the reef and islands in between the strong winds, big tides and sharks chewing at the reefies, have been working

as per usual with nice red emperor, small and large mouth nannygai, grassy sweetlip and coral trout with scales of red-throat

emperor, Spaniards, greys and schoolies thrown in. Stanage really is a part of the world where we get an overlap of northern and

southern species, making this area all the more exciting to fish. Our waters still look like the tropical paradise they are repute

to be, especially with our pure, pristine water from the Coral Sea. I still have accommodation available in 2016. I have in stock the 2016 tidebooks and the Stanage Bay Coastguard, which have the Stanage tides for the first time ever thanks to Matt, at Charts & Maps in Cairns. You can also bring a healthy donation for them when visiting and I will give you one of their 2016 tide/

calendar/fish I.D. info charts or simply send a donation via snail mail. They do a good job and have limited locals to raise the necessary funds to keep it functioning at 100%. Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. • Remember the latest fishing reports are on www. fishingmonthly.com.au and for queries on Stanage Bay fishing, call me on (07) 4937 3145.

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JANUARY 2016

Industry Profile

Fishing the pristine Marion reefs It’s amazing to fish somewhere that’s virtually untouched by other anglers, and just such a place is Marion Reef, in the Coral Sea. The variety, numbers and size of the fish there is staggering! There’s something for everyone, whether that’s bottom

perfectly. It has a permit to go beyond the 200 mile limit, so it goes where other boats do not. Its nine-day trips to the Marion reefs are the stuff dreams are made of! Hardly any boats get out there, so the area is virtually untouched. Indeed, the fish are so unused to boats that the Norval’s big four-

There were 12 guests (the maximum allowed) and three crew. As we stepped on board the excitement was palpable; we were told to expect encounters with GT, dogtooth tuna, wahoo, yellowfin tuna, coral trout, long-nose emperor and stacks more. Some of the guys were regular customers,

The Norval has air-conditioned cabins and a bimini-covered top deck set up with tables, so guests can relax and enjoy a few cold ones. bouncing for reefies, popping for GT and bluespot coral trout, or trolling for big dogtooth tuna and other pelagics. You need a big, long-range vessel to make a trip like that, and the MV Norval fits the bill

blade prop draws the pelagics in to see what’s causing the disturbance! It’s like ringing a dinner bell for the dogtooth to drag them out of their kennel! Our experience started on Friday, November 27 at Shute Harbour, Airlie Beach.

and regaled the newbies with stories of their last trip. The Norval is a fantastic mothership, with air-conditioned cabins and a bimini-covered top deck nicknamed ‘The Penthouse’, which is nicely set up with

MARION REEF ADVENTURE This 9-day trip will take you beyond the 200-mile limit to the spectacular Marion Group of reefs, including Kenn, Wreck, Frederick, Saumarez and Cato. Species encountered include red emperor, sweetlip, GT, dory, trout, mackerel, wahoo, dogtooth tuna, sailfish, snapper and more. Extra activities available on request include sightseeing, snorkelling and crabbing at Standish Bay or Conway Beach. Getting there There are direct flights to Proserpine from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, or direct to Hamilton Island. Tackle Norval supplies rods and reels for bottom bashing, but passengers must bring their own gamefishing equipment. Hooks and sinkers are available for sale on board. Food and beverages The package includes all meals. The food is of excellent quality and well presented, with three fish nights plus such meals as roasts, lamb chops, steak, stir fries and pasta – plus nibbles and fruit. And of course, the only thing better than fishing is fishing with free cold beer! There’s plenty to be had on the Norval, and the package includes non-alcoholic drinks as well. Itinerary The following is the standard itinerary, subject to weather. Day 1 • Depart 4pm Friday from Shute Harbour Airlie Beach. • Meet your fellow passengers over a light meal and a cold beer. • Arrive at the first reef by 10pm, anchor in a lagoon, fish through the night. Day 2 • Fish the Hardline Reef from Whitetip Reef en route to Marion. • Anchor in a lagoon for dinner and night fishing. • Depart for the Marion at midnight. Days 3-6 • Arrive midday at the Marion where the real adventure begins! Fishing and snorkelling with reef fish aplenty. • Option to take out one of the dories for bottom bashing, or you can go snorkelling, exploring the pristine marine environment. Or you can take the dories to the beach and throw poppers at GT! Being on Marion for five days and nights means everyone gets to fish the main boat and the dories. Day 7 • Depart for Hardline. • More fishing! Days 8-9 • Fish the Swains. • Return to Shute Harbour at 4pm on Day 9. Max 12 anglers. Individual price is $3500. For more information visit www.norvalcharters.com.au. 64

JANUARY 2016

tables so guests can relax and enjoy a few cold ones. There’s a friendly, fun atmosphere with excellent food and free beer that was thoroughly enjoyed but not to excess. At the start of the trip it was great to relax up on the Penthouse with a few cold ones and talk about our hopes for the trip; and then each night we enjoyed chilling up there and chatting about what had happened that day. The Norval travels at night, so every day clients wake up to a new location to fish. That first night we fished the Hardline Reef, and caught a variety of reefies, including coral trout, coronation trout and red-throat emperor. Normally an experience like that would be a highlight of an offshore trip, but for we lucky dozen it was just an appetiser. We were all pumped and looking forward to the main course at Marion! After picking up a couple of mahimahi (dolphinfish) trolling on the way out to the banks, we left at around 5pm to steam to Marion for the night. When the sun came up on Sunday morning we were nearly there. A few of us early birds started trolling from sunrise and picked up a 17.5kg dogtooth tuna and a nice 15kg yellowfin straight up on an X-Rap 30 and a skirted pusher lure. It was a great start and we were all stoked. Then the serious fishing began! This reef area extends for around 24 by 16 miles, comprised of two cays and a long breaker reef, Long Reef, with incredible gutters and run-offs. Everyone was excited to be in such a special location. Every night we moved five or 10 miles, slowly working our way down to the southern end. With this charter you have the choice of drift fishing the deeper reefs from the mothership or trolling, fishing from the dories, or land-based casting for GT from the beach of the sandy cays. No matter what we did, the action was good everywhere. While drifting, our species tally included long-nose emperor, coral trout, coronation trout, ocean bream, the occasional Maori

Mahimahi are a welcome by-catch. wrasse (which we released), trevally and heaps more. From the dories we caught dogtooth and yellowfin tuna, wahoo, mahimahi and more. The water visibility was amazing; we did some snorkelling and diving around the boat and were getting 40-50m visibility. We also enjoyed exploring the coral cays and seeing the nesting booby birds, which showed no fear of humans. We also did some popper fishing off the beach in the crystal clear water, and let me tell you – seeing GT and jobfish hitting

explosive fishing! The highlight of the trip though was the 48kg dogtooth caught while trolling the edges. I’ve been a guide for years so I’m not easy to impress, but I told the guy who caught it, Tom Guidotti, that it was the fish of a lifetime. Dogtooth tuna are insane powerhouses of energy; you hook one and it goes like a freight train. In this case it hit a marlin lure, fished on a heavy game reel with 80lb mono, and it nearly spooled us on the first run. We told the skipper to back down and he thought we were joking!

You can target pelagics from the dories, or use them to explore the coral cays. There’s good GT fishing there. your lures right at your feet is amazing! There were little bluefin trevally as well, and one guy was having fun with these off the beach when a big GT came screaming in. My mate pulled the popper in and missed it at the shore, only 5ft off the beach, then flicked it back out 20ft. The GT turned around, smashed the popper as soon as it landed, and screamed off over the reef flats. My mate managed to get it in and it went over 10kg. Very visual and

It took three people to hold up Tom Guidotti’s 48kg dogtooth.

These fish tire after that first big run, thankfully, and after a couple more short runs the big doggie came aboard for some photos. He wasn’t the only dogtooth of the trip; we got over 20 of them, mostly around 15-20kg, and lost others to sharks. If you want to catch doggies, this is the best place as far as consistent results go. Tom was stoked with his 48kg specimen, and said he was grateful there were seasoned gamefishers and crew to help him score that trophy fish. It nearly pulled him in a couple of times! So are you interested in doing a trip? You should be – you get nine days with all meals and a free bar, plus all the amazing fishing I’ve mentioned, for only $3500 (max. 12 anglers). And the owner Ron is very obliging and helpful, listening to what each person wants out of their trip. Whether you’re an experienced angler wanting to take your fishing to the next level, or you’re new to fishing offshore and want a good feed of fish, this trip will blow your mind. – GR & NP

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Seeing red on the reefs! WHITSUNDAYS

Luke Griffiths

The New Year is already here, and the resolutions have been penned – most of which will be short lived. No doubt there are a few out there who indulged a little too much and embarrassed themselves at the work Christmas party. No need to hide in shame though! There’s a whole year to make up for any impropriety! The holiday season is in full swing and we have seen a great number of boaties on the water enjoying our beautiful watery back yard. We’ve also seen some wild action. A fellow ocean goer, who obviously didn’t do his research before heading out on the blue, ignored the warning markers, which resulted in a dangerous accident while travelling at speed across a shallow fringing reef. The Whitsundays are riddled with reefs and rocks, and while they are beautiful, they are a lot less welcome when you run aground. Hitting these areas can result in a damaged boat, damaged ego and worse, injury to yourself and your passengers. Before heading out on unfamiliar waters, always do your research, and consult appropriate charts and literature on the area you intend to go out and have fun. This will ensure your trip will be enjoyable, and not leave

you red faced or worse. Terrific fun has been had in the past month with good reports of fishing both in our local estuaries, and offshore. The local estuaries have produced fantastic numbers of the usual suspects including mangrove jack, bream and flathead. This

crossed) the crabs should start moving in more numbers, so target them around this time. Fishing among the islands has produced solid numbers of coral trout, sweetlip and nannygai. Look for these tasty little morsels in the usual haunts – fringing reefs, rocky points and small island shoals.

Renegade skipper Luke Griffiths with a solid red emperor caught on a well-rigged flesh bait.

Sean Munro of PETackle shows off a beautiful red emperor caught fishing with Renegade Charters should continue into the coming month. Mudcrabs have been a little hit and miss over the past month as we haven’t seen too much rain, but there are still a few getting around which should result in a few feeds. Once some decent rain falls (fingers

Clint and Sean with a pigeon pair of solid largemouth nannygai, caught fishing the deep shoals.

The outer islands and shoals have been smashed by huge numbers of cobia that fight hard and taste great! Cobia are delicious, whether prepared as sashimi or cooked. Among the cobia we have caught excellent numbers of large-mouth nannygai and red emperor. Large-mouth nannygai to 13kg have graced us with their presence and really test out our gear and stamina with their huge powerful lunges and aggressive fight. On average they have been around 4-6 kilos, which is still a significant size. Gold spot cod are still out and about, and are good to take for a delicious feed. I’m sure some of you are still yelling “Griffo, you’re mad!” – but hopefully my last report on the old hard done by gold spot encouraged you to go

Renegade Charters client David struggles to hold this fine example of a cobia jigged up out of a bait school. against all you know and take that leap of faith, stepping into the dark realm of eating a cod. We should expect the same fishing this month so drop some well-rigged flesh baits to the bottom out there and hold on. One thing on our agenda

has been overnight trips to the outer Great Barrier Reef. On these trips we have experienced good fishing, mixed with a few slower days. We’ve had good numbers of red throat emperor, but the coral trout have been hard work. Some large Spanish mackerel and

GT have been loitering around the reef edges so a little slow troll or cast may be in order. Several of our clients have undertaken the task of doing battle with these brutes of the blue. Casting large poppers and stickbaits into the pressure points of the reefs should see you land some mighty GT this month. But be prepared to be humiliated. They really are one of the best sportfish to grace our oceans. For a little less exploding-muscle style fishing, there are solid numbers of longtail and mac tuna still around. Keep an eye out for birds working the bait schools and you shouldn’t be too far away from a battle with a tuna. Metal slugs cast just ahead of the schools with a fast retrieve is probably the easiest way to snag a few. Remember to slip slop slap this month, and drink plenty of fluids (not beer) as it really starts to heat up. You don’t want to find yourself burning to a crisp, becoming dehydrated and ruining a good trip out. Good luck with the New Years resolutions and bring on another good year of fishing. • If you’re interested in a game, sport or reef fishing charters around the Whitsundays, give Luke a call on 0429 724 822 or email info@ renegadecharters.com.au.

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Spaniards are the saviour AYR

Steve Farmer

If you’re keen to mix it with Spanish mackerel at this time of the year, you’re best bet is to head well offshore to the reefs of the Great Barrier. Educated, knowledgeable anglers reckon this is where the Spaniards go when they vacate our inshore waters in late winter or early spring. Steve McAuliffe didn’t head out wide to hunt Spaniards, but after a quiet day’s bottom fishing made worse by packs of ravenous sharks, drifting out a pilchard didn’t seem like a bad option. The welcomed result was a Spanish mackerel, which he estimated at around 12kg, which took up a bit of the excess space in the ice box. Steve reiterated every bluewater fishers’ complaint about the sharks. Over the last few years their numbers seem to have steadily increased to the point where anglers are losing fish after fish (often the likes of quality species such as emperor and trout) to the insatiable monsters. Even continually moving doesn’t

seem to throw them off the scent. Some estuary anglers reckon the sharks (admittedly smaller specimens) are even finding their way into the district’s creeks. One angler said that a recent session in the saltwater reaches of the Burdekin River was ruined by what he believed to be small bull sharks. And another complained that he couldn’t land even a salmon at the mouth of Phillips Landing recently. Fortunately overall the estuary fishing has been pretty good, with most creeks being shark free. As expected, the flathead fishing has been reliable over the past few months. My daughter, Aimee, and I have fished Phillips Landing a number of times recently and have found the old lizard to be a regular performer, with fish up to 72cm making our half day trips well worthwhile. However, one trip a few weeks back things were looking grim, with not a single fish landed on the making tide, which is usually my preferred time to fish for flathead. We were nearly ready to throw in the towel when the tide peaked

and turned to run-out. The old flathead fired up and we eventually ended our luring session with three fish each – and we left them biting. Grunter are also a reliable summer species in most creeks, although most are pretty average in size. However, Greg and Dean Sparks managed to bag a couple of more impressive specimens, which Greg estimated to be around 65cm in length. The brothers were fishing Plantation Creek. As usual, most of the quality grunter are coming from Bowling Green and Upstart bays with fish to 70cm falling for fresh baits of mullet, herring and squid. Recent large tides and calm weather have combined to flood the sandflats at the mouths of many creeks with exceptionally clear water by Burdekin standards. Add an abundance of bait and it’s hardly surprising that queenfish have been patrolling the shallows, adding some exciting variety to estuary catches. The most common and most desirable species targeted in Burdekin estuaries at the moment is undoubtedly mangrove jack with most anglers happy if

they have a ‘reddy’ or two in their ice box. The best time to fish for jacks is on the smaller tides and usually on the first half of the make. Larger tides will spill over the banks and back through the mangrove roots taking the baitfish and the jacks well out of range. A recent session luring for jacks highlighted this, with a distinct lack of action along low banks, which the tide had already breeched. TIME FLIES How time flies. The dreaded barramundi closed season is almost over already with just a few more weeks before the onslaught begins again. I’m sure there will be the usual mad flurry of barra fishing activity before sanity prevails for the rest of the year. Now is the time to gear up for that initial hit, ensuring gear is tuned to perfection and hooks are honed to draw blood at twenty paces. Of course, everything will hinge on the weather. A full-on wet season would be great for the district generally and the fishing in the long-term, but flooding rains will certainly shutdown the estuary fishing in the short-term.

Steve McAuliffe ran all the way to the reef for this Spanish mackerel, which he estimated at around 12kg. If the weather stays reasonably dry we can expect the smorgasbord of estuarine species to continue with species such as mangrove jack, golden snapper,

flathead, trevally, grunter and salmon making up the summer catch. A little rain could liven up the prawning which has been particularly quiet so far this summer.

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Reefs ripping it up in January! Even though the rains have been great, there still hasn’t been enough to make a crucial difference to the

TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

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The closer reefs and ledges hold some nice trout; fish them with lighter line weights. Young Tannhym did well to get this PB on 15lb braid and 20lb leader.

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Aldi had a ball getting dragged around the boat on light gear with the diamonds, and picked up the plastic tango very quickly! on ice straight away, and they become an excellent eating fish. Lighter lines make them a more challenging target, and we’ve done a lot of smaller lure stuff in the shallow reefs

The additional skirt added to the 5” Paddle Prawn really gets the trout excited. It does grab a little bit more water, so increasing your head weight a little to counteract the resistance is advised.

and snags for good results on a range of species. Greys and doggie (school) mackerel have been a bit sketchy, showing up for a day or two, and then disappearing. Once you’ve located a school they can be caught on floating baits and small slugs or slices cast and retrieved through the school. Trolling is a great way to get a bite from the greys, and a small deep diving hardbody is effective. There are several that do the job nicely, and I’m a big fan of the 50mm Poltergeist with the 8mm bib. Other traditional designs are the Flatz Ratz, and the later generation Atomic Hardz. A short length of single strand attached to a soft vibe like the Quick Catch is also a very productive way to get into them. The tough rubber that the Quick Catch

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happened recently at the Barratas, it was officially deemed to be a naturally occurring black water event, caused by water sitting for long periods of time and becoming deoxygenated. Just enough rain overflowed the lagoon and travelled downstream which killed a lot of aquatic life along the way. MARAUDING BARRA Avoiding barra at this time of year is almost impossible if you’re fishing around the rivers, creeks, and headlands, as they seem to eat just about anything you throw whether you target

jacks, chopper or other species. Recently we went hunting jacks and had several accidental barra hook-ups. Each fish was released in accordance with the legal procedure and not lifted from the water, but suspended just enough to be able to reach the hooks without putting your hands in the water. I would recommend the use of some sort of holding device and long nosed pliers to reduce the risk of getting involved with some other waterway residents, namely sharks and crocs that may have followed the fish to the boat. There have been some cracking sharks in the shallows and they’re all on the hunt, so landing fish quickly is very important. Golden snapper have made an appearance, and the shallower shoals have held some smaller, below 55cm fish, but the shallow depths are fine for catch and release if that’s what you wish to do. There’s nothing wrong with keeping a couple for a feed though. Bleed and put them

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vibes are made from really stands up to the razor sharp mack teeth of much better than you’d expect. Some really big grunter have been taken recently off the gravelly patches in 4-6m. Nighttime is the prime moment to pounce on those bigger fish. Sitting a big peeled prawn out on the bottom with just enough weight to hold it down has been the go, and if you hit one of the schools of big fish, you could end up connected to grunter over 75cm. Grunter aren’t really

high on my choice of eating fish, but they do have a strong following up here, and many people would rather eat them than any other species. If you want to challenge yourself, chase them on small plastics and light gear, and if there is a feeding school around you may just get a surprise as to which technique lands the most fish. An effective rig would be to team the 2” Atomic Prongs on a 1/4oz jighead and 15lb leader. You’ll be in for a real tussle if you crack the code on them.

REEF SPECIES Reefs to the north of Maggie seem to have fished the best for trout and reef species, and bag limits have been reached within the hour if you can find a good patch of feeding fish. It seems that 18-20m of water produces the most, but that could change quickly over the month. I have seen some special pictures of big footballer trout, red bass, and other reef species caught by luring fanatics over the last couple of weeks. These species were taken up over the

Brendan Lowe scored several small golden snapper (chopper) on light gear and plastics in the shallows. At around 50cm they are great on the plate.

top of some of the shallower offshore reefs casting stick baits and gars. Big bust ups, however, need to be expected! Small boat anglers don’t need to be left out of the reef action though, and it’s still possible to get some nice trout in closer when the weather allows it. I took my son for a flick the other day and he landed a few PBs in a brief session including a great trout and some gorgeous diamond trevally casting the 4” Atomic Prongs on the 1/2oz Seeker head.

Casting the soon to be released Mad Eye 5” Paddle Prawn plastics around lately has yielded a wide variety of species, with Maori sea perch, trout, trevally, queenies and many more species getting in on the action. There’s absolutely no doubt that these lures are going to gain a very strong following when they are finally released. Because they are made from the tougher elastic type material, they will last longer than some other available options. The skirts are an accessory

to add to the jigs, and they seem to really get the reef species going, particularly the trout. These additional skirts work along the same theory as putting a squid over the front of a trolled gar to add movement and life. Anyway, that little bit of rain seems to have kicked things along nicely, and if we get any sort of substantial rain over the coming months, the fishing should get even better. So pray for rain and get the gear ready!

Barra are hard to avoid at present, and even when you set out to chase other species, you’re bound to be intercepted at some point! Just remember not to hold the fish up for pictures as you’ll receive a fine, and use the net as a kind of security blanket if you’re worried about crocs and other teethed assailants getting involved.

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Bluewater fun and games LUCINDA

Jeff Wilton jeffwilton83@hotmail.com

Another year lies ahead to get out and do the thing that we really enjoy – bring it on! I know I’m absolutely psyched for 2016 and have some serious rod bending plans. January fishing in Lucinda can be very much hit and miss, dictated by the weather. As we normally don’t see the bulk of rainfall until February and March, the channel will probably still be fishing like it has been through December. It’s been hot, humid and above else extremely dry. But the silver lining is that the fishing has been heating up as well.

reaches of streams that breathe life into the channel as at the moment, they are deserts. I am outside every night rain dancing and offering gifts to the weather gods and I know the rest of North Queensland is right there with me. The Channel will have fishos out hunting jacks, golden snapper, bream and grunter. These species should be biting their heads off, and to catch them is simply a matter of getting your timing right. I’ve written plenty about chasing jacks but I’ll just remind everyone that it doesn’t matter the location, it’s about using those last few hours of the run-out tide, or the first few hours of the run-in with maximum efficiency. Obviously the location will dictate the

with lures or plastics – the most important tip to chase jacks successfully is not really what you’re using, rather it’s your ability to cast well enough to put your lure right in their faces. Jacks are notorious for sitting right in or on top of structure and they use their keen eyesight and brutal speed off the mark to smash their prey on the way back to their homes. Golden snapper will be situated on the rocks and rubble in the Channel and deep holes in creeks. The smaller tides with tidal differences of around 1–1.5m are the best times to chase golden snapper. Spend some time using your fish finder to suss out some likely looking spots, focus on baitfish and bottom rubble especially. Plenty of

Giant trevally hit the line hard and will make you feel the burn. HINCHINBROOK CHANNEL Barra are off limits, so I won’t mention them except for the fact that we all have every finger and toe crossed in the hope of rain. We are in terrible need of some consistent rain and flooding in the upper

number of fish seen or caught, as some spots fish better than others. If you have structure, baitfish in the area, you are in with a good shot of finding mangrove jacks. Baitfishers should use fresh bait and fish very close or in the structure. The same goes

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my golden snapper spots will have no real good fish show on the sounder, but after anchoring and dropping good baits you’ll find some contenders. Live herring, or at least freshly dead herring is the best bait for golden snapper unless you can catch your own live squid. These little fighters are suckers for a well-presented soft plastic or vibe type lure. There are plenty on the market, and all catch fish, personally I like using ZMan 5” JerkshadZ weighted lightly on jigheads that keep the plastic close to the bottom, or TT switchblades that can be jigged right on their heads. Grunter or javelin fish will be found in similar areas as golden snapper, but instead of rock bottom they prefer a gravely muddy type bottom to feed over. Grunter will enter and leave creek systems with the tides, so anchor up and fish good baits into creek mouths for a sure fire way to get

Jacks demand your respect, they have so much power! onto a few. They will eat a range of baits, however, fresh prawns or sardines are nearly irresistible. If you can time a tide change around the evening sunset, you are in with a great chance of hooking plenty of these hard fighting, tasty fish. Grunter have a speedy bite window and seem to be on the move constantly. If a school swims through, it’s normal for every rod to get a bite and cause crazy mayhem. This action will end as quickly as it began, and you may be waiting half an hour umtil the next school moves through. Grunter also eat smaller plastics and lures if that’s how you like to fish. I really enjoy using 3” ZMan Minnowz rigged on light jigheads and light leader and fishing the flats for Grunter. The secret is to be as quiet as possible as you normally chase them in shallow waters, making long casts. Allow the

plastic to hit the bottom and slow roll it back to the boat, adding a slight hop every now and again or a pause. JETTY, ISLANDS AND REEF The last few months has offered some pretty good weather to get out and sample some bluewater fun and games. I personally have had plenty on the agenda and although it’s been killing me I haven’t been out much. From reports the morning and afternoon sessions have seen amazing captures of trout, and fishing into the night brings the red fish from the deep. The sharks have caused some real drama of late, which is annoying and can be expensive. Cobia love the hot months and will patrol the reef edges and the wrecks – live baits out the back of the boat will get their attention. Keep your eyes open when you bring fish up

from the bottom as cobia will sometimes follow them up and it’s as easy as feeding them whatever you have rigged and ready. Over wrecks, cobia will never say ‘no’ to smacking a big bright plastic hopped from the bottom to the surface, and it’s not unusual for your hooked fish to have plenty of friends so multiple hook-ups are possible. We had an awesome trip where I fought a cobia and watched as my mate landed a fly to its friend right in front of our eyes. Epic! The other stand out has been the GT fishing from the reef flats on surface. The baitfish seem very nervous and throwing poppers and stickbaits around them will see your lures smashed and the fun will really begin. Trying to stop GT of any size around reef edges is crazy fun and plenty of battles are lost very quickly. Hang on and make sure your gear is up to the challenge.

ZMan Golden Boy Minnowz and SnakelockZ is a winning combo against the jacks.

Waiting out the hot sweltering conditions are seeing good-sized coral and bar-cheek trout, sizeable large mouth nannygai and a lot of trevally including gold spot and tea-leaf varieties. Naturally, there’s been quite a few staple fish such as sweetlip, stripies and cod amongst the catches along with the odd big rogue Spanish mackerel at times. A common trend has been a hot bite around the turn of the tide with bits and pieces caught around this stage of the tide. Much can be expected for the coming month and generally speaking the weather is pretty stable with nice warm, calm

PORT DOUGLAS

Lynton Heffer

As we enter into a new calendar year it is interesting to look at the final stages of 2015 to give us some idea of what the month of January will hold. Firstly, I’ll touch on the game fishing season that ended on an absolute high for the big black marlin. After a very sluggish start in October, the warmer currents finally arrived late in the month and the fishing from Linden Bank up to the Ribbon Reefs went gangbusters. Monster fish around the 1000lb mark and better became regular catches and right across the board billfish catches were impressive. The best run came from one of our local charter boats Amokura, which tagged 24 black marlin over 10 days with 4 fish exceeding 1000lb. This strike rate remained consistent right through until the middle of December. Also out on the marlin grounds were a plethora of light tackle game fish including mahimahi, wahoo, Spanish mackerel and yellowfin tuna. This style of fishing is what is expected to

conditions experienced. There’s no doubt the river and creek scene has been a very hot place to wet a line in the middle of the day and consequently, catches are slow during these parts of the day. The low light periods in the early morning and late evening are attracting better activity with barra, mangrove jack, golden snapper, trevally and estuary cod being on the move. Live bait in the form of mullet and sardines is a little scarce but become the prime bait if you can source them. There is also a good healthy supply of tarpon in a few of

our systems mulling around the deeper holes and they are offering plenty of action using small shallow diving and surface lures as well as soft plastics. January traditionally sees a healthy number of tourists around for the first couple of weeks before proceedings slowly wind down for the onset of the wet season or ‘down time’ as we call it. The bureau is forecasting a relatively drier wet season this year with not so much cyclone activity in the Coral Sea. That maybe all well and good but we are in the tropics and anything is possible.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Check the fishing rules Coral and bar-cheek trout are about in reasonable numbers on the outer reef bottom. keep going well into January with the odd black and blue marlin still cruising around. Catching a sailfish on the outer edge of the reef is also definitely on the cards. Some operations will take their extended trips way off the shelf in the hunt for the yellowfin tuna aggregations and the blue

marlin are normally part of the equation. On the outer reef the bottom fishing from the end of November started to slow right down as water temperatures started to peak. It has since been about the quality and not quantity of fish that are coming back to the docks. The better days

If you’re taking the kids fishing this school holidays, don’t forget to check the rules and regulations before dropping a line in. Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) district manager Rob McDonald said it’s important everyone sticks to the rules as they are in place to ensure the sustainability

of our fisheries for future generations of Queensland fishers. “Taking the kids fishing is a wonderful bonding experience and creates memories that last a life time,” Mr McDonald said. “ I t ’s important all fishers, regardless of whether they are experienced or first timers, take the time to familiarise themselves with the rules

WORLD CLASS FISHING IS ONLY A

that apply, including size and possession limits, how to correctly measure fish, fishing gear restrictions and closed seasons. “Different rules apply to fishing in tidal waters, freshwaters, marine parks and interstate. “All fishers – local, interstate or from overseas – have a responsibility to ensure they are fishing within the law.” – DAF

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Threadfin salmon rock up with a vengeance HINCHINBROOK

Ryan Moody info@ryanmoodyfishing.com

While the southern half of the state has been enjoying some great storms and a bit of rain with them, up here it’s been dry and hot with not a single storm as yet. The days on the water have been oppressive, but surprisingly the fishing has been red hot. The giant king threadfin salmon may have been late this year but they have shown up with a vengeance. My clients enjoyed quite a few sessions in the double figures, and all fish have been over a 1m long. It has also been

relief that the bull sharks have moved on, allowing us to enjoy some great sessions unhindered. Another species that has been going crazy is golden snapper (fingermark). The average size this year has been substantially larger than usual, with a lot of fish between 60-70cm. If you can find some rubbly bottom and sit it out with live herring or small mullet you will be in with a chance. Soft and hard vibes are also worth a shot, particularly if you can find the fish aggregated like on a pinnacle or other structure. There is also no shortage of big greenback herring to use for livies; some of the schools

Now that the bull sharks have moved on, we can enjoy some great thready action unhindered.

JANUARY 2016

are as big as half a footy field. In among the herring schools has been a rather late run of big Spaniards, which is quite unusual for this time of year. They are mostly offshore now and many headed south, but we sure don’t mind if they hang around. We actually had a threadfin about 110cm bitten in half by a monster Spaniard (the perfectly straight slice through the threadfin’s body gave the culprit away). Some of the Spaniards that have speared out of the water have been up around that 50lb mark, so if you are in the channel and you run into these big herring schools try trolling some big shallow divers or trolled garfish. One species we have not seen much of, but which should be around now, is the big golden grunter. We quite often get them on vibes while fishing for other species, but none as yet have hit the deck. The locals have been scratching their heads, but hopefully these fish are just a bit late like many other species this year, as our seasons have been about six weeks behind for every species of fish. Not a lot of reports have been coming from out wide, as the stinking hot days always put the fish off when fishing

The king threadfin salmon have shown up with a vengeance. during the day. Night fishing is another story though, with most species coming alive at night. I’m not sure what causes the daytime fishing to slow down, but it’s been happening for as long as I can remember. If you are going to fish during the day out there it’s best when the winds come from the southeast. If it’s northerly, forget trying to catch fish. Just take the snorkelling gear instead. January should see much the same as we experienced

this past month, and hopefully those big grunter will show. It is also a great month for fishing the headlands around the islands for golden snapper. As far as pelagic action goes, big queenfish and GT around the headlands and isolated structure inshore should prove worthwhile. Also keep an eye out for the odd school of big northern bluefin tuna. If you’d like to learn my trade secrets of fishing for threadfin, we have a new online course ready for

release in 2016. Head to www.ryanmoodyfishing.com to learn about our online courses – Threadfin Tactics, Wonky Holes and Barra Basics – plus go you’ll in the draw to win a barra charter with me. • If you would like to book a charter or join our fishing community for some great fishing competitions etc, head on over to www. ryanmoodyfishing.com. And you could also win a free charter drawn twice a year.

Have a plan B ready CAIRNS

Garry Smith garrysmith@fishingmonthly.com.au

January weather can vary from flat calm to cyclonic and from pouring rain to a humid, oppressive sauna. Fishing opportunities are basically a daily lottery, where the best approach is to use window weather forecasting. Look out the window and if the conditions look favourable, go fishing. If they don’t, go to Plan B – the list on the fridge. It pays to have a few projects on the go this month, as there can be extended periods of foul weather. Reef fishing has been patchy recently, with some anglers bagging out, while others out at the same time, in the same area are dipping out. When conditions are like this, especially at the reef, it pays to keep moving until you find fish feeding. Sharks have been a real problem lately, in some cases not letting a single fish make it to the boat. This month, anglers can expect to land a fairly mixed bag, with no big runs of any particular species, other than trevally. Coral trout are not thick but are often good quality, as are red emperor and largemouth nannygai. Other than these main three species, it will be a bit of this and a bit of that coming over the side, with trevally making up a major portion of the catch. There are a few species of trevally that make excellent table fish, so it pays to be able to correctly identify the different species. The best book available for this and all reef fish identification is Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea by Randall, Allen and Steen. It is a University of Hawaii

Press publication and since I purchased my copy over 10 years ago, there has not been a single reef fish that I couldn’t identify using this book. Species like gold-spotted trevally, club-nosed trevally, tille trevally and golden trevally are excellent eating, while other species like giant trevally, black trevally and bludger trevally are only good for bait, at best. If there has been major coastal flooding then be very wary of floating and semi-submerged logs. Don’t travel at night and have at least one person on log watch while underway. I have seen acres of logs and debris on the way to the reef at this time of year. Mackerel have continued to be around, although not in great numbers. There have been some real trophy Spaniards landed lately; so always have a floating pilchard or live bait out the back when bottom fishing. The more serious pelagic fishos will find plenty of action this month, with the last of the big billfish still hanging around and plenty of mahimahi, wahoo, yellowfin tuna and the odd sailfish out on the Continental Shelf. Trevally of all shapes and sizes will be found on any pressure point, current line, pinnacle or wreck for those that like to include serious exercise as part of their fishing experience. The inshore reefs, wrecks and islands often fish fairly well this month, so don’t discount closer to home destinations. Largemouth nannygai, coral trout, mackerel, tuna and trevally are often found closer to shore during January. If there has been serious flooding the first reefs, wrecks and islands in clean water are the places

to start. Estuary fishing has been ticking along steadily lately, with mangrove jack the main player, along with a smattering of grunter, salmon and golden snapper. Mangrove jack love steamy, stormy weather and are very adaptable to major weather disruptions, so they make a great fish to target this month. You can catch them in any water conditions from pristine to major floods. There are often some real thumper jacks on the move this month, so be geared up to handle fish up around 50cm. Medium-sized giant trevally will also be on the prowl, following the large schools of sprat into the coastal streams. If there has been a lot of flooding then expect vermin in the form of small sharks, catfish and rays to be prevalent. If they get a bit much, switching to luring will reduce though not eliminate the nuisance fish. Catfish are quite partial to lures but sharks are seldom taken and rays almost never. The break through creeks along all the beaches in the area are well worth fishing this month. Either very large tides or floods will help the creeks break through. Around the mouths on the turn of the tide is a great place to fish, especially with kids. There is plenty of room for the ankle biters to run around when they get tired of sitting watch over their rod. Be sure to keep a close eye on them and insist they stay at least five metres from the water’s edge. Crocs are very active in the wet season and there have been plenty of sightings in recent months. Crabs and prawns are two other species worth chasing this month.

There have been some real trophy Spaniards landed lately like this one taken by Michael Starr.

Coral trout are not thick this month but are often good quality like this beauty caught by Russell Woodfield. Whenever the rivers run red, the crabs will be pushed down to the mouths and along the foreshore, so don’t forget the crab pots when the skies open.

Prawns are a bit more of a lottery and tend to be later in the wet season but keep your eyes peeled for the flick of a prawn, as it’s not uncommon to get them

in January. If the weather wins the battle this month, there is always boat and tackle maintenance to keep you amused until the weather improves.

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Hit the reef for holiday fun CAPE YORK

Tim O’Reilly wildrivercompany@gmail.com

Usually the beginning of the more boisterous, rainfilled season up in Cape York, January is a month of boom and bust. Days can

horizon full of clouds with a mirror calm surface reflecting every ripple and splash on the ocean. For offshore anglers, there is nothing like seeing clean deep blue currents, full of baitfish and flying fish skittering across the surface in large flocks. Heading out with a bunch

trevally and wahoo. Anglers have a gigantic array of tackle available to target these species including jigs, plastics, slugs, wogs, skirts, poppers, diving lures and flies. When the monsoonal trough snakes its way across the top end, boaties learn

Coral trout are a prize catch off most reefs. be written off with rain and monsoonal winds from the northwest. Other days will see a

of spin rods and overheads in the rocket launcher, the hope is to run into speedsters such as mackerel, tuna,

to read the signs within the tropical lows that produce glassed off conditions. This is just fancy talk for things being calm. At times like this, those far off locations can suddenly appear like a mirage on the horizon. Polarized sunglasses are a must when trying to differentiate reef depths, structure and current lines when conditions are glary conditions. Spotting the type and concentration of bait schools is a crucial element of bluewater fishing. Quite often what is happening on the water’s surface provides great clues as to what is unfolding underneath. It’s worth spending the first few minutes when you arrive to fish a shoal or isolated reef patch just drifting over the chosen area. This allows you to calm down, check the current flow and direction, rig up, check the sounder and look for surface activity. There is a huge transition as you move from inshore islands and reefs all the way out to the outer reef, the edge and then to dethatched areas in the Coral Sea. In a fishing

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A nice red caught on a far northern reef.

This chunky yellowfin tuna took a popper cast over the reef. sense, this means a variety in fish species as you transition from south to north and east to west on the Barrier Reef. The reef structure is a genuinely large cluster of life, a singular organism that stretches a long way south of Cape York. However, in the Cape’s confines lie much of the relatively untouched, untroubled and pristine coral reefs. Stringent protection measures cannot be underestimated to sustain this environment. By its very nature, the northern section of the reef is usually visited by those with a vested interest in protecting it. Most do the right thing and return to the water anything they don’t plan to consume. But with so few actual craft on the water, fishers can be forgiven for raising an eyebrow when another boat even shows up. The flight from Horn Island through to Cairns is

a flight I shall never grow tired of. After flying it over and over again, there is still no greater thrill than looking over creeks, reefs, rocks, beaches and islands that hold memories of previous fishing exploits. Noticing that isolated patch of reef, that tucked away lagoon, that deep structure adjacent to a little island far away from anywhere. When the east coast of Cape York gets clear on the flats and turquoise in the bays before the monsoon begins, this is special time. Drifting over mangrove studded flats, scooping up mud crabs and watching schools of blue salmon dart off into a gutter. Now they are sure fire clues that the offshore scene is beckoning! • For information on remote charter operations for tailored fishing adventures, please email Tim on wildrivercompany @gmail.com

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Get snagged this summer on mangrove jack COOKTOWN

Ben Stack

Happy New Year to all our QFM readers! If you haven’t made a species bucket list yet then it’s not too late. Setting goals and using techniques to target a particular fish species is a great way to enhance your fishing experience. Meanwhile, Santa produced some awesome

into sportfishing then throw some lures deep into the snag zones while you work along the banks of the river. When the jacks are this active, a hook-up will be instant if you perform the cast accurately. Sometimes you may need to get the lure down a bit deeper, but keep it in the snag zone for as long as possible. Soft plastics are great for sinking the lure deep into the snag zone, but when the red dogs are this aggressive

it’s swimming. Strip bait is another good way to catch jacks when they’re fired up. Use fresh strips of flesh and the same techniques as live baiting. By-catch to jacks may include grunter, estuary cod, juvenile GT, golden trevally, big bream and queenfish. Barramundi may also snatch your bait, but these fish must be safely released until next month. Don’t forget to sink a few crab pots while you’re chasing jacks,

the weather conditions are calm and the water is warm, I tend to search in deeper water for nannygai. For example, I usually fish around 20m, but, now that the water is warmer, I’ll search for rubble patches in 30m+ of water. I find that the nannygai bite becomes a little stronger or more aggressive in deep water. I use a running sinker straight to the hook when I fish for nannygai. A single hook paternoster rig commonly used for bottom fishing in deeper water works wonders. However, when the bite is hot, I’ll break out a soft plastic and work it a good few metres up and down off the bottom. The coral trout have been biting aggressively. Use the same rig that I outlined, but search the reef edges for bommies that hold bait. Don’t forget to make yourself a bucket list to target a specific species for the new year. It can be a lot of fun and a challenge between mates. • If you’d like any current information while you’re visiting Cooktown’s

The ‘Pink Boat’ chartered a day out before Christmas. From left to right in the front – Solomon, Trent, Billy. Second row – Tailor, Christian, Ben, Jack ,Trent. region or more information about a particular place in the neighbourhood to fish, then simply

‘like’ my FaceBook page titled ‘Stacky’s Fishing Adventures’ or send me a message.

Trent and Alex with a couple of jacks on plastics. Lovely to see the colour difference between the two. Christmas wishes in December, with perfect weather and great fishing in Cooktown. I’ve received an abundance of successful fishing reports from both the rivers and the reefs. Almost every Cooktown household would have had quality seafood on their tables for Christmas. Our estuary anglers have landed and lost some quality mangrove jack in all the rivers around the area. Jacks should continue to bite until March. If you’re

you may not easily get that fish out of his home. Live bait fishers should start the day catching livies around the wharfs, boat ramps or long-term moored boats. Next, sink your livies in the same locations or on some deep structure further along the river. A running sinker straight to the hook, or a dropper rig is best depending on the current and structure. The key is to get the bait right into the structure and ensure the bait looks natural while

as the big muddies start to move around with the storms bringing fresh water flushes into the estuaries. Reef anglers have had a great feed of quality fish due to the excellent weather in Cooktown. These perfect weather windows will continue right through till March, so there will be plenty of opportunity to get out on the reefs. Coral trout and large-mouth nannygai are the most prolific targeted catch at the moment. When

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MJ and JP playing hard to get in the jungle granted. For the folks that live up this way, we certainly know how lucky we are to have this huge playground for adventure right at our doorstep! The mangrove jack are still going off this month and will continue to do so for a while as the hot humid weather really sends them into full aggression mode! Keep your lures close to structure and hold on tight because when they hit they will already be on their way back to cover. A nice tight drag setting and some fancy rod work will get you out of trouble most times. But a

FRESHWATER

Angus James

I hope everyone had a great Christmas break! It’s time to open the fishing account for 2016! This is the year to tick those new species of the list and smash a few PBs! Far North Queensland is such an amazing place to fish. When it comes to wetting a line, there are so many different options. From world class reef fishing, close quarter snag bashing and, of course, the sweet water trekking. Our brilliant fishing is something I don’t take for

Great to see some juvenile jungle perch through the system, these little beauties will grow up to be boisterous light-tackle bandits!

few bust-offs will inevitably occur in any jack session! But that’s half the fun and what brings us back time and time again! If you want to get stuck into a few jungle perch this month, it’s worth making a trip to the rainforest country up around the Tully region. If you’re willing to put in the hard yards and trek through the jungle to reach the more secluded places you will be rewarded for your efforts with trophy fish. These honey holes are so much fun. Jungle perch are the ultimate light tackle sports fish – in some cases the JP will hit your lure right at your feet! They fight hard, look amazing, and the country you get to experience in search of them is truly breathtaking! When targeting the sweet water, a light spin outfit is the way to go. Most of the presentations are very small and in some situations you will want to cast them a long way to avoid giving away your position – especially with jungle perch. You can find yourself walking a few kilometres to reach a honey hole, and in some cases one wrong move can shut down the entire pool. I like to use 4lb braid with an 8lb fluorocarbon leader.

Big mangrove jack will give you the fight of a lifetime. Be prepared to get busted-off before landing a cracker like this! The 8lb will normally last an entire session rubbing over rocks and timber without compromising the resilience of the leader. If I could only take one lure with me for my sweet water outings it would be a Zman 2’’ GrubZ.

These soft plastics are ten times tougher than anything else out there, and because of their buoyancy they really come to life in the water, even when sitting on the bottom! Rig them on a TT lures HeadlockZ jighead and

you have one deadly fishattracting presentation! I hope everyone starts this next big year with some great adventures and look forward to catching up with you all next month! Fish on!

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Lefty Kreh’s loop knot tutorial BRISBANE

Kim Bain

As promised in last month’s edition, this month we tie the Lefty Kreh loop knot, which

is a very popular knot for connecting leaders to lures. Some say that the Lefty Kreh version of the non-slip loop knot is more slimline than the latest version of the Rapala Knot because, in

Lefty’s version, the tag end doesn’t protrude as acutely so as to catch on obstacles. Actually, the tag from the Lefty’s knot points in the opposite direction. Others offer that Lefty’s version is

simpler to tie than some of the other versions (it is one or two steps less than some). If you plan to fish snaggy waters, off the edges, into weed and structure, this knot is worth learning.

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• 17’5” • Single axle Basscat trailer • 75 hp Mercury 4 stroke • 24v electric motor (Minn Kota or Motor Guide) • 2 x sounders (Humminbird 597cxi HD Di or Lowrance HDS 5)

Sabre FTD 2016

Now bring the tag end back through the overhand loop. The tag then goes through the middle opening of the overhand loop. It should enter the overhand loop from the opposite side that it entered when it made the overhand knot. $59,990

Snug the knot down after applying a little moisture – note that the tag end angles back towards the hook\lure\fly and thus is less likely to snag on weeds.

• 18’1” • Single axle Basscat trailer • 115 hp Mercury 4 stroke • 24v electric motor (Minn Kota or Motor Guide) • 2 x sounders (Humminbird 698cxi HD Si or Lowrance HDS 7 GEN2)

We Build Dreams... It’s a Family Tradition

A U S T R A L I A

Phone: 0410 173 060 basscataustralia@gmail.com JANUARY 2016

SEQ and barra go off TOOWOOMBA

Jason Ehrlich fishability1@bigpond.com

The barramundi fishing has been top notch across many of the lakes where they are stocked. Big fish in excellent numbers have been reported right through the latter part of last year with some seasoned anglers reporting the best fishing in years. A lot of the action has taken place at night with the fish a lot tougher to tempt during the day. You’ll often find this the case around the full moon, as the moon offers plenty of light for the fish to feed during the darker hours. On a new moon there will be more activity during the day, but the prime times are usually around dawn and dusk. Plenty of fish being caught are around a metre long, so they are strong and powerful. Like any form of fishing, being prepared will certainly increase your chances of boating one of these beasts. Recently, I spoke to a couple of people who tried to tackle their first impoundment barra and both commented on just how underprepared and under-gunned they were. If you want to go to the effort of fishing hard to hook one of these fish, you need to stand the best chance of landing it. On a recent night session at Monduran Dam, I took workmate Ian Ryan out to try and land his PB barra. Here’s

an example of how things can unfold when you are trying to boat these fish. Ian and I anchored the boat in the chosen spot well before dark. We had studied the shape of the weed edge and positioned the boat in the best spot to land fish and fight them in the open water away from submerged hazards. Right from the start, fish were swimming through frequently on the side image of the Humminbird 1198. Before dark, we had several short taps, which didn’t result in a hook-up. Ian was first to convert one of these bites into a hooked fish. The barra took to the air and spat the soft plastic out. Next I hooked a fish while rolling a swimbait back across the 2-3m deep flat. The fight was short-lived and another fish managed to dislodge the lure. As we fished into the night, the bad luck continued and the first five fish we hooked and fought all managed to throw the hooks. Sometimes this is a sign of how the fish are feeding. If they aren’t really in the mood they are often hooked around the outside of the mouth and manage to dislodge the hooks easier. Usually when you hook a barra, there’s about a 50% chance you will stay connected. Ian had the next bite and this fish took to the air and moved around 10m across the top of the water in a couple of jumps before powering off in a solid run. Finally, it seemed the hooks were going to stick

and we had one of the best fish so far at over a metre in length on the line. Unfortunately, the powerful run saw the fish swim past a submerged fence line and barbed wire made quick work of the braided line. It seemed we just couldn’t win. I hooked the next fish right near the boat and it danced in the air twice before all went slack. I wound in to find the 50lb braid broken. A nick in the line had allowed the braid to break well below its rating and another fish was free. Seven hook-ups and not one fish landed – this was getting ridiculous. Ian hooked the next barra and after a spirited fight we finally managed to get it boat side and slip it into the net. At 93cm it was the biggest he had ever caught and we were happy to have finally put a fish in the boat and achieved the main objective of the trip. Minutes later, I was on and my smaller 85cm fish played up but was also netted, photographed and released. With a fish each and the bite slow for the next hour we headed back to camp for some well-earned rest. Not all barra sessions unfold like this but it just shows how easy the fish can win their freedom. You can put in all the hard work to hook them only to see them win their freedom moments later. Unlike the guys I spoke to, we felt like we were prepared. Sure, there was probably a couple of things we could have done differently to try

When the barra are elusive, it puts a smile on your face to finally put one in the boat.

DAM LEVEL Report             

DAMS AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Atkinson 26 24 19 16 13 Awoonga 94 93 91 89 89 Bjelke-Petersen 48 47 43 45 46 Boondooma 65 64 61 61 60 Borumba 99 100 100 102 100 Burdekin Falls 66 64 56 51 46 Callide 84 83 81 79 78 Cania 98 96 96 93 91 Clarendon 33 31 28 28 26 Clarrie Hall 100 n/a n/a n/a 100 Cooby 69 69 69 71 71 Coolmunda 60 60 54 51 49 Copeton 19 22 22 22 22 Cressbrook 88 87 86 86 86 Dyer/Bill Gunn 73 65 50 28 36 Eungella 88 89 85 85 84 Fairbairn 48 46 42 38 32 Glenlyon 30 31 30 30 30 Hinze 98 97 96 96 95

JANUARY 2016

Gympie

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

and better our chances (like fishing singer hooks). Barra are a fish that will find any weakness and at times frustrate you with their ability to throw hooks, despite your best efforts to stay connected. When you do make the hooks stick, you want to stand the best chance of landing that fish. Often it takes ages to get the bite so a little extra time spent preparing can make a lot of difference. You can probably tell I get a bit excited about barra and that’s because they are my favourite fish to catch. The closed season may still be in place for wild fish but we can enjoy targeting stocked impoundment fish year round. We have one of the world’s best sportfish right on our doorstep and they are biting better than ever. You’d be mad not to go and give impoundment barra fishing a go.

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

SPONSOR A BARRA One of the closest lakes to catch metre long barramundi from Brisbane is Lake Monduran just north of Gin Gin on the Bruce Highway. The lake has made a steady comeback after the severe flooding events from 2011 onward. Monduran has a massive surface area to explore, and so many hideouts for the fish to live in. It could therefore use more fingerlings each year to boost the numbers closer to the allowable stocking rate, which is based on water levels. I recently spoke to the person behind it all, Julie Whalle. Julie started the Lake Monduran ‘Sponsor a Barra’ Facebook page to try to raise awareness of how Lake Monduran was recovering after the floods. She began raising money for the purchase of more fingerlings to help

restock the lake. “You can assist us by sending me a message and I’ll forward information to you, or hit ‘Like’ on our Facebook page and make a donation by following the top post. We also sell fishing shirts and Brag Mats to raise money,” Julie said. Because of the size of Lake Monduran, extra funds are needed to stock the dam to its current capacity. Every dollar helps, so please make a donation and help us maintain this amazing waterway for future generations.” It’s not only barra on the move in the dams. Over the last month, there have been plenty of bass, golden perch, saratoga and monster Murray cod taking lures. Read on before you plan your next fishing trip. Until next month, buckled rods from The Colonel.

For fortnightly updates Julius 85 83 79 79 77  Kinchant 84 78 63 57 52 Koombooloomba 41 n/a 32 34 31  Leslie 22 21 21 20 20  Macdonald 98 100 100 104 98  Maroon 99 98 97 99 98  Monduran/Fred Haigh 97 96 94 93 92  Moogerah 98 96 91 91 90  North Pine/Samsonvale 83 82 80 79 77  Peter Faust/Proserpine 76 75 72 70 68 Pindari 31 34 34 36 37  Somerset 100 100 100 100 99  Storm King n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a  Teemburra 86 85 81 85 76  Tinaroo 83 80 75 70 65 Toonumbar 101 100 100 102 100  Wivenhoe 97 95 93 93 92  Wuruma 97 96 95 94 94

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 15/12/15

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND CRESSBROOK CLOSEST TOWN: CROWS NEST There have been a few bass about early in the morning around the lake’s edges. Casting spinnerbaits should produce a few fish before they go off the bite as the sun rises. The afternoons have been productive in the upper parts of the lake. Both Cressbrook Creek and Bull (Beams) Creek have been holding reasonable numbers of bass. These fish are falling for tail-spinners and hopped blades. For all your fishing supplies and the latest reports on Cressbrook and the surrounding dams, call in to see the specialist tackle stores in Toowoomba. Tackleworld Toowoomba in Ruthven Street on the north side and Fish’n Bits in Alderly Street closer to the south side have a great range of lures and fishing gear. Support these tackle stores because they will be able to direct you to where the fish are biting and offer

invaluable advice. Just remember there is a speed limit of 8 knots and a restricted area at Cressbrook Dam. Check out the signage to ensure you stay out of trouble and abide by the rules. The gate hours for the boat ramps and day use area are 6am until 8pm. SOMERSET CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY Suspending bass will be found around the lake’s main basin. These fish can be tough to cast up but trolling can work quite well. When casting lures to the fish, try heavier jighead rigged soft plastics. The old faithful Slider Grub has dominated with a lot of catches. Fishers have rigged them on 1/2 and 5/8oz jigheads. Let your lure sink to the bottom below the fish and use a faster wind to bring them up through the suspended fish. Suspended bass tend to scatter, which makes lure trolling a great option. You can stick with soft plastics and troll them at around

DARLING DOWNS GRANITE BELT REGION COOBY CLOSET TOWNS: HIGHFIELDS, TOOWOOMBA Cooby has started to fish a little better. Golden perch numbers have picked up but there still hasn’t been any bulk numbers caught. It seems most people are averaging a few per session. Hopping blades and lipless crankbaits in the deeper areas has produced some better numbers. Trolling late in the afternoon with lipless crankbaits or small, medium diving lures has also bagged a few. Over the last month, there have been some monster Murray cod

caught and released. One lucky angler trolled back to the ramp late in the afternoon and nailed a 113cm cod just when he was about to call it quits. It was a monstrous fish and judging by the Facebook picture I saw it would have weighed 80lb. The capture of this cod got people excited and extra boats got out to try their luck. One boat managed to land five big Murray cod trolling the steep banks. The biggest of these was a ridiculously big fish at 125cm in length. The cod don’t always come easy at Cooby and the smaller models have been quiet over the last few years. Big fish like this are usually rare but it just goes to show if

2-3km/h and try to get lures swimming at the depth the fish are suspended. If this sounds too tricky, try trolling deep diving hardbodies at the depth the bass are suspended. Bass have also been holding inside the timber north of Kirkleigh. This area is more likely to produce good numbers of golden perch as well. Trolling lures like the Smak 16 and Golden Child will give you a good chance of scoring a mixed bag. The flats at the start of the timber about 50m past the buoyline and inside the trees are definitely worth a go. There are several laydowns across this flat, which fish well with vertically jigged blades. MOOGERAH CLOSEST TOWNS: ARATULA, BOONAH There have been some good bass getting around at Moogerah. It seems the tree area working the best with good catches last month on a mixture of lure styles. The bass should still be holding in the trees and you’ll need to sound around to find the best concentrations. Soft plastics you put in the time, sooner or later, a speckled monster will eat your lure. Cooby is an electric motor only dam. Outboards can be left on boats but must not be used. Being relatively small, it’s also well suited to kayaks and canoes. You can pick up all your supplies including bait and live shrimp near the dam at Highfields Bait and Tackle. Call in and see Doug, he is just behind Subway on the New England Highway. LESLIE CLOSEST TOWN: WARWICK There has been a mix of species getting into the action at Leslie. Murray cod, golden perch, silver perch and catfish have been plentiful. The main basin

Reaction baits like blades and tail-spinners are a great way to fool bass. The dams are still producing but the fish are starting to spread out and suspend. have been reliable most of the time and when the fish are cooperative, tail-spinners have worked very well and produced better numbers. MAROON CLOSEST TOWNS: BOONAH, BEAUDESERT Reaction lures will produce bass and the occasional golden perch this

month. Spinnerbaits, beetle spins, lipless crankbaits, blades and tail-spinners are all worth tossing. The better quality bass often hold closer to the weed beds. In the mornings and afternoons, try working lures tight to the weed edge and deeper pockets to tempt the larger bass. Surface luring will definitely be worth a go

early and late in the day. Schooling bass will also hold outside the weed edges in deeper water. These fish can be tempted with blade baits and tail-spinners. Hopping the lures through the school will usually get the desired result. In the deeper areas, the bass should bite all day long.

has been one of the most reliable areas for lure and bait anglers. Bait fishing with shrimp, saltwater yabbies and worms has been the way to score a mixed bag of fish. Silver perch and eel-tailed catfish prefer baits to lures. Try anchoring the boat in 5-8m of water. If you aren’t having any action after 15 minutes make a move and try a new spot. You don’t have to move far to make a big difference in the catch rate. Lure fishers troll hardbodies in the basin and score golden perch and the occasional cod. If you slow the troll down and use an electric motor or a steady paddle in a kayak, you can try trolling lipless crankbaits. The TN60 Jackall has accounted for quite a few goldens and smaller cod over the last few weeks. Jigging hard and soft vibes or small blades around

the structure in deeper water is one of the best ways to score good numbers of fish. Locate rocks or old trees near the drop-off and you will be in with a very good chance of nailing bulk amounts of golden perch. For all your supplies and advice on catching fish in the area, call in to Warwick Outdoor and Sports. The store is in Palmerin Street Warwick and has a great range of quality gear tom

chase freshwater fish. COOLMUNDA CLOSEST TOWN: INGLEWOOD Golden perch and Murray cod are still biting well at Coolmunda. I saw pictures of at least three cod over a metre in length. I know that two of these cod fell to Kezza Lures while the other was caught on a spinnerbait. Most of the cod still come from To page 80

SIZE MATTERS… MEASURE UP!

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General Admission or Guided Sessions ALL GEAR SUPPLIED

Side imaging sounders like this Humminbird 1198 are valuable when it comes to locating fish. There’s no mistaking when barra are cruising past the boat.

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or check our website for opening times JANUARY 2016

From page 79

surprisingly shallow water. The trees and laydowns in the timber produce some of these fish. It would also be worth a troll in the main basin around the drop-off

to the old creek bed. The deeper water of the basin and the drop-offs have held better numbers of golden perch. These fish will take a trolled lure but are sometimes hard to excite. If this is the case,

WIDE BAY AND BURNETT REGION BOONDOOMA CLOSEST TOWNS: PROSTON, KINGAROY There are plenty of bass, golden perch and redclaw crayfish to keep you busy at Boondooma. Trolling has been one of the easiest ways to catch fish. The fish have moved closer to the dam wall ,so try trolling the deep water and points of the main basin. Closer to the edges, you are more likely to encounter

golden perch while the bass are often found holding out a little wider. Lure casters will do well to cast spinnerbaits and tailspinners to schooling fish or working the banks. Live shrimp are the best bait by far and will catch both species. You can try the timber or the rocky points for golden perch. To specifically target bass, head to the deep water and sound them up. Try

GREAT FO R A D AY EV E N B E T T E R W H E N Y O U S TAY

• Great fishing, bass, yellowbelly, cod, saratoga, garfish… • Windsurfing, boating, beach volleyball, playground, BBQ’s. • Level tent sites, showers, toilets, hot and cold water. Only 50 kms from Toowoomba For more information on camping or fees: Call Toowoomba Regional Council on 131 872 during office hours or visit www.toowoombaRC.qld.gov.au

2 Dams

switch to a blade bait and hop it across the bottom or vertically below the boat. The Ecogear ZX40 in dark night colour is one of the most popular lures for this style of fishing. The Coolmunda

Caravan Park is only around one kilometre away from the lake. The park is just off the Cunningham Highway but far enough away from the noise of trucks to get a good night’s sleep. It offers camping sites, cabins,

caravan facilities, tennis courts, a swimming pool, BBQ shelter and a camp kitchen. The park now has an extra two new wheelchair friendly cabins to add to their older ones. Camping is also available near the boat

ramp with toilets and hot showers to make your stay more comfortable. To take advantage of this and the great fishing opportunities in the lake and the river below, give the park a call on (07) 4652 4171.

to suspend the live shrimp below the boat at the same depth the bass are schooling. Boondooma is a great place to camp right near the water and sit by the fire while enjoying the view and a cold one. You could stay in more style and comfort by booking into one of the cabins overlooking the dam. The kiosk at the main office does hot food and other basic items including fishing tackle. For campsites, cabins and bunkhouse rooms call Corey and Niki on (07) 4168 9694. BJELKE CLOSEST TOWNS: MURGON, GOOMERI The fishing has been sensational at Bjelke with plenty of big golden perch and smaller bass to keep anglers happy. Trolling and casting spinnerbaits in 5m of water has been one of the best ways to score both species. Bass schools can be found in the top half of the dam around the edges and humps in the middle of the lake. These fish will take blade baits and tail-spinners hopped through the school. 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. Bass 2 Barra stores stock an awesome range of gear suited to chasing our freshwater fish and the boys have all the knowledge to guide you on how to use it. The Yallakool kiosk is all set up with a great range of tackle if you don’t happen to have the right lure or lose one. Be sure to call in and check it out. Give them a call for accommodation and camping bookings on (07) 4168 4746. LENTHALLS CLOSEST TOWNS; MARYBOROUGH, HERVEY BAY Since reopening, the bass have been willing to play but the barra have been shy. I’ve heard several reports of quality bass from around the lake’s weedy edges. Bass to 40cm have been common with a few larger ones thrown in. Usually a barra or two would make quick work of a bass lure but these fish have been elusive. One angler reported spooking a couple barra in the shallow water. Hopefully someone cracks a pattern for catching these fish soon. If you are planning a trip, just remember there are some restrictions in place. The open hours are 6am to 8pm. Boats must have a

4-stroke or low emissions 2-stroke outboard motor no bigger than 60HP and travel at under 6 knots. MONDURAN DAM CLOSEST TOWN: GIN GIN Monduran Dam has fired up over the last few months. Big fish to around a metre long are not uncommon with most between 80-90cm. Monduran is a massive lake, and the ratio of fish to water is pretty low when you consider its size. To narrow down the best spots, try to fish it after the wind has been blowing the same direction for a few days. The fish congregate in the backs of the bays the wind is pushing into. Bird Bay and the northern and southern arm of ‘B’ are good spots to look. Bring up a Google map of the lake to see where the biggest bays are that the predominant wind will be blowing into. If the fish aren’t there, you won’t catch them. A quality sounder with side image is the most valuable tool for locating barra. A quick scan through the bays should show any fish holding around the base of trees or outside the weed edges. When you locate the fish, pepper the area with

casts. Soft plastics have been one of the most reliable lure types. We fished the lake and had excellent results on a new sinking barra swimbait I have been developing. Night sessions are more productive than fishing daylight hours. The fish seem hardest to catch during the middle of the day. We managed to hook nine fish at the end of November during a night session. I also heard of another boat that fished the same area the following night hooking over 20 fish for the session. Rob Howell from Lake Monduran Guidelines Fishing Charters reported a few big barra caught from the main basin within sight of the dam wall. These fish started to school last month on some of the ridges in the basin. Lure trollers were first to catch a few of these fish, which measured up to around 110cm in length. Hopefully these fish hang around in the same areas for the next few months. If this is the case, some night trolling around the full moon will be definitely worth a try. Anglers who are able to pinpoint the better concentrations of these fish in one area should try hopping or rolling plastics and vibes through them.

tailed catfish. These fish can be a pain when you have your sights set on barramundi so placing lures into known barra water is going to give you a much better chance. Last year, Awoonga fired up around Christmas time and fished well for the first month of the year. The barramundi were coming from a few areas. The Iveragh arm, Gold Mine Point area and New Zealand Gully were some of the reliable areas.

With little in the way of rain to influence water level and quality, the weed beds have returned. Casting the edges of the most healthy weed beds in the main basin should see a few barra hooked. Soft plastics can be worked out from the edges of the weed with a steady retrieve or hopped out of the weed. If catfish are plaguing lures, try to use a heavier weight plastic. These lures can be fished with a faster retrieve. A faster presentation can discourage the catfish, and at this time of year, when

the water is warm, the barra go nuts over a bit of extra speed. If you are keen to try to tackle some fish in the dam or river (after the 1 February), 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. Make sure you tell Mark I sent you and pump him for the secret spot.

has been one of the most reliable ways to catch these fish. Some anglers swear by the black and gold 130mm Slick Rig. The fish will also take other plastics, hardbodies, vibes and swimbaits. It pays to try something different if there are a couple of anglers fishing from the same boat. KINCHANT CLOSEST TOWNS: MARIAN, MACKAY The low water level hasn’t stopped the barra from chewing. The barra

are located around the healthier weed edges. When the water level falls it can kill off the weed so look for the lush green stuff. If the dam has a rise after rain, the same rules apply; look for healthier weed. During the day, soft plastic frogs tossed around the healthy weed and lilies can be a lot of fun for the smaller fish. Barra around 80cm love a plastic frog rigged on a weedless jighead. I love the Owner 4/O weighted Beast Hook screwed into a Zoom Horny

Toad and find the really wide gape give a better hook-up than some of the other hooks available. The occasional bigger fish can also be encountered in the weed using this approach and fish to almost a metre long aren’t uncommon. Plastics worked down the edges of the weed will produce fish through the day. The Transam 95 vibe fished down the weed face is one of my favourites. As the lure touches the weed and fouls up, give it a solid rip to free it and continue working it down

CAPRICORN REGION

1de stination H

South Burnett

· Boondooma Dam · Bjelke Petersen Dam ·

The BEST place in QLD to catch Australian Bass and Yellowbelly

STAY

NIGHTS AND

SAVE CATCH of the month

BOONDOOMA DAM

Emily Carsburg caught this yellowbelly on a shrimp using a shimano outfit loaded with 6lb line.

Cody Hayne caught this yellowbelly on a spinnerbait in the Stuart River while on a kayak charter.

www.lakeboondooma.com.au www.yallakoolpark.com.au 80

JANUARY 2016

AWOONGA DAM CLOSEST TOWNS: BENARABY, GLADSTONE There are a few areas where the barra have been holding in good numbers. Side imaging sounders are showing good numbers of fish, it’s just a matter of putting in the time to locate the better spots. Finding barra on the sounder is definitely the way to go as the lake has been littered with forkMACKAY REGION TEEMBURRA CLOSEST TOWNS: PINNACLE, MACKAY Teemburra continues to fish well for barra. There have been a few big fish well over 100cm long mixed in with the average sized ones closer to the 80-90cm bracket. The points throughout the dam hold plenty of fish and once you stake out your spot, the side image on the sounder will soon tell you if the barra are there or not. Casting soft plastics

the weed. The ripping motion of fishing seems to excite the barra during the daylight hours. Polarized sunglasses are necessary if you plan on fishing the weed edges

during the day. When the sun is up, study the shape of the weed and plan where to fish at night. Position the boat on the anchor a cast away from where you plan to

fish. I like to pick a spot with several casting alleys from where the boat is positioned. Soft plastics have been one of the most reliable ways to entice the barra after dark.

around 10m. The barra have been mobile in the basin and have been hard to keep up with. You can find or catch one in an area only to find the fish are moving along quickly and gone when you return. There are staging areas where the fish rest for long periods of time and even though they are in rest mode, the right lure can get a response. Sinking a big soft plastic and rolling it though the fish is a good option if the fish won’t look at a trolled lure. The edges will fish well earlier in the day with surface or shallow running lures like

Laser Pros, X-Raps or surface walkers and poppers. Best results do tend to come from deeper water, and weed edges that end with a good drop-off to over 4m of water are worth prospecting. The main basin has plenty of good weed at the moment where the barra are cruising around. If you are heading out to the dam make sure you call in at Proserpine Bait and Tackle. The staff there should send you in the right direction and help you nail the lake’s big fish. The store owner Lindsay Dobe runs charters on the lake and bookings can be made through the store on (07) 4945 4641 the highway through Proserpine and stocks all the barra gear you could possibly need.

WHITSUNDAY REGION PROSERPINE CLOSEST TOWNS: PROSERPINE, AIRLIE BEACH Plenty of barra have moved out into the main basin of the lake. This is the time of year, trollers do well working deep diving lures. A very popular spot for trolling is out from the dam wall. With the lower level this year, there are several old creek beds leading out of the timber that should also fish well. These areas can be trolled with Halco Crazy Deep lures, the deep diving Sebile Koolie Minnow 160 and similar lures that reach

Ian Ryan nailed his biggest barra ever at Monduran on a trip late last year. The fish have been easy to find but tough to fool. They turned it on once it was dark.

FFSAQ NEWS

FFSAQ working hard for sustainable fishing The Freshwater Fishing and Stocking Association of Queensland (FFSAQ) is the peak body representing fish stocking groups, freshwater fishing clubs, and the interests of freshwater fishers in Queensland. FFSAQ has been appointed to the Queensland Fisheries Review Board and are now working for you to see that public waters are stocked with native fish in a sustainable but responsible manner. FFSAQ is the community’s voice to consul with politicians and government agencies on all matters related to enhancing recreational freshwater fishing opportunities in Queensland. A management committee made up of

representatives from stocking groups and fishing clubs throughout the state, who are affiliated with FFSAQ, administer FFSAQ. Primarily, FFSAQ’s role is to liaise with and service fish stocking groups, fishing clubs, and individual fishers with an objective to enhance the impoundment fishery, and to rehabilitate and maintain our wild fishery. FFSAQ itself does not engage in any actual fish stocking activity, this is undertaken by the regional stocking groups. It is emphasised that impoundments are ‘put and take’ fisheries. There is a misconception among some, that fingerlings stocked will eventually reproduce and establish a natural and selfsustaining population, this

is far from reality. Most of the species stocked, will not reproduce in manmade impoundments. As such, the annual project of releasing fingerlings is one that is required year after year and is quite a demanding and expensive exercise. FFSAQ undertakes an advisory role to stocking groups, and acts on their behalf whenever necessary. As such, we complement any action of individual stocking groups. The importance of a united and uniform approach is necessary when dealing with government agencies regarding freshwater fishery matters. The monitoring and enhancement of our natural waterways is now a considerable part of FFSAQ’s agenda and will continue to be well into the future.

A successfully tagged saratoga awaiting release.

TAG A TOGA The Kingaroy Sportfishing Club Inc. recently held the inaugural Tag-a-Toga Event on the 17-18 October, 2015 at Borumba Dam near Imbil where nine teams made up of eighteen fishers from Maryborough, Bundaberg, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Kingaroy challenged their skills against the best freshwater sportfishing species – saratoga – to aid scientific research. The event made their home base at the Borumba Deer Park, which provided great service and accommodation. Sometime in the 1960s Hamar Midgley undertook the first official stocking of native fish in Australia, releasing southern saratoga (Scleropages leichardti) into Borumba Dam. Since that time the saratoga have become a self-sustaining population that draws fishers from around the country. Borumba saratoga are considered to be one of the top sportfishing challenges in the country. So far, dedicated tag and release fishermen have collected only a very small amount of data. Projects like this are aimed at increasing what is already known about this prehistoric species. The Kingaroy Sportfishing Club approached the event as a non-sponsored, not for profit, data collecting event that offered three individual and a spectacular perpetual award up for grabs for the team that tagged and released the greatest length over the weekend, not to mention the highly regarded bragging rights that ensue. However, most importantly, the event brought anglers with the same interest together to be able to

share stories, experience and to have some fun – with a dress up theme of ‘pirates’ adopted by the contenders. The club went into the event knowing that it may not be the best time of the year for targeting saratoga, however were very keen to take the opportunity to establish a format and process that would could accommodate far greater activity during the anticipated period that the project is destined for. These fish are certainly challenging and they surely the reins over the enthusiasm and expectation of those that put their skills to the test. Six saratoga were tagged and released, with many more skipping the tagging step and released themselves before coming aboard an equivalent of one caught every fortyfive man-hours. The long term trend is for a fish every two hours of fishing, but that doesn’t include every trip with zero fish (fishers don’t often submit zero trips). The real figure is somewhere between the two. Additionally, some sixty-four Australian bass were captured and released as by-catch. The team of ‘Thafish – Toga’ represented by Bob Dover and Paul Hulme from the Kingaroy Sportfishing Club took out the event with three Saratoga of 770mm, 740mm and 710mm (2.22m total) for their efforts. The next Tag a Toga event will likely be February 2017. In the meantime, there will be ongoing work to find what tactics work consistently. Thanks to Kingaroy Sportfishing Club who organised the event and FFSAQ who supported us and provided an education van for

the weekend. Check out the results - http://tagatoga.com. au/scoreboard-full/. UPCOMING EVENTS The Wyaralong Dam Carp and Tilapia Eradication Comp will take place at the dam on Saturday 27 February outside of Beaudesert. Registrations will be taken on site at the dam from 4-6pm on Friday 26 February and from 5:30am Saturday 27 February 2016. Registration will be $20 for seniors and $5 for juniors under fifteen years. Worm and corn baits will be available at the registration area from 6am on the Saturday. No permit is required. For further information go to the Logan and Albert Fish Management Association (LAFMA) website. RECENT RELEASES BVA released 10,000 Australian bass into Lake Manchester on 5 December, the first stocking of bass into the dam, and only the second stocking event after the release of 1000 Mary River cod in January 2015. Unfortunately, because of access issues, the point of release was not open to the public. Boondooma Stocking Group recently released 68,000 bass fingerlings into Lake Boondooma and also released a number of bass fingerlings into Gordenbrooke Dam. We are always eager for members of the community to become involved with their local fish stocking group or become an individual member of FFSAQ. For more information about FFSAQ, check out the website at www.ffsaq.com. au. – FFSAQ JANUARY 2016

Summer fun in the freshwater BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

In the freshwater there are fish that require finesse, some that require brawn, and others that demand both mastery of technique in casting and fly presentation. Last but not least there’s an iconic fish that is easiest to catch if you are prepared to put in a bit of effort to reap the rewards. They’re all specialities of summer! Across the spectrum we’ll be looking at finesse fly fishing for bass, brawny barra, tricky trout and good old Murray cod in the sweetwater. These are all fish of summer and they’re great sport for fly anglers who really have the best of both worlds at their disposal. BASS ON THE DRY FLY The first fish on our summer hit list has to be bass. Forget the sinking lines and counting the fly down, which was so good in winter; this is exciting dry fly work with prime fishing times being dawn, dusk or even after dark. Dams such as Lenthalls, Maroon, and the upper reaches of coastal rivers where lilies, timber and weed beds provide cover are ideal spots to take a bass on a dry fly. It’s finesse fishing, so long casts plus accurate fly presentations will enhance results. Casting from some distance back if afoot, or using the electric motor or a paddle to get within range of the chosen cover, will keep the fish guessing as to what’s going on. Then, when a fly like a 1/0 Gartside Gurgler or Muddler Minnow lands gently beside said cover, the bass will quickly grab it. Once the fly lands it’s wise to move it ever so slightly (try just jiggling the rod tip) to attract a fish because nothing hitting the water glugs or chugs.

Usually, fallen creatures just wriggle or squirm. If I had to nominate a handy place within a couple of hours’ drive of Southeast Queensland to score a bass on a dry fly at first light, I’d nominate the southeastern corner of Maroon Dam, in the narrow gully and channel running out from the roadside culvert and pipes, or one of the adjacent weed beds at the mouth of the channel. A rod’s length tapered leader with a 2kg tippet ensures the

workout with the long rod and want to catch the fish of a lifetime, you have to chase barra. Impoundment fishing is the name of this game, and unfortunately there’s a bit of a drive from Southern Queensland for best chance of success. Northern dams such as Teemburra, Kinchant and Peter Faust (Lake Proserpine) seem to be the most favoured at the moment, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Awoonga or Monduran suddenly start

Denise Kampe with a Grabham’s Gurgler caught Maroon Dam bass. While the Maroon fish are smallish they are certainly willing starters.

Denise Kampe with a decent fly caught barra from Lake Proserpine. “You can lift it! That fish is only 17kg!” fish won’t be too wary, but do be gentle with the lift when setting the hook. For anglers living further north, the lily beds (which will hopefully come back) at Lenthalls Dam are great for bass on the dry fly as well. Take the 5wt dry fly outfit and enjoy the experience. HEADING NORTH FOR BARRA If you’re a keen fly angler who likes a bit of a

firing. The fish in both of these impoundments seem to have some lock jaw tendencies. Barra readily take flies, and anglers who target them score good fish. However, you need patience and the right conditions. Sturdy 10wt tackle – exactly the same as for mackerel and tuna – is fine. Flies need to be both big and bold in colour. I tie my

Trout streams around Ebor are usually small and often overgrown, so accuracy and gentle presentation are more important than double haul casts. 82

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own rough looking creations on 4/0-5/0 Gamakatsu SL12S hooks, and the idea is to make sure the fly can be noticed. You want plenty of bulk and plenty of flash. I don’t believe there is one good colour. Mixes of gold and black, red or pink and white, purple and red can all work. The main issue is finding barra on the job. I mainly target water that’s less than 2m deep, at least 25°C and which is some distance from

the nearest hard stuff to prevent break-offs. It’s wise to have a small section of 15kg line in the leader, just behind a 20kg fluorocarbon as an anti bite-off section the fly is attached to. This 15kg section is sacrificial, designed to break instead of the fly line if a fish gets into hard cover. Calm, settled weather is great for impoundment barra, and the best times are

the same as for bass: very early of a morning, last thing of an evening and into the dark. There can be a lot of casts between fish but the rewards are worth the effort. FOR LIGHT TACKLE MAGIC, TRY TROUT Trout are still a great stand by for the fly angler and are readily found only five or six hours’ drive from Brisbane up on the New England plateau. They demand light fly tackle, and 4-5wt outfits set up with floating lines are ideal. You need to employ a subtle, gentle approach, working quietly upstream, ready to cast to a moving fish or a likely lie such as the top water of a pool or next to some cover where there’s a bit of depth. Forget the double hauling and long back casts. Much of this fishing will be in overgrown streams or very narrow bits of water where accuracy takes precedence over all else. While our native fish can be picky and selective

about bite times, trout are far more forgiving. Even strong easterly weather, which usually shuts native fish right down, won’t deter trout from feeding just after daylight or as the evening approaches. This trait is one of the great attractions of these feisty little fish, which make their own minds up as to whether the fly that’s just landed nearby is worth eating, or should simply be ignored. To increase the odds in your favour, land the fly very gently if you’re using a dry fly, so there’s as little disturbance from the fly and leader tippet as possible. A controlled drift, with slack line under control as the fly comes back downstream, should see the fish take it with a gentle sip. A quick but gentle lift of the rod should set the hook. Good dry flies to attach to a 2kg tippet during summer are Royal Wulffs, Black Beetles, Red Tags, Black Spinners, Grass Hoppers

The author with a decent cod taken near the willow in the background on a Gartside Gurgler.

Barra like this one from Kinchant Dam are there for the fly angler this summer.

Trout like this neat brownie are common in New England streams. and Elk Hair Caddis, all in size 14. Fly floatant should be applied to both the fly and last section of fly line plus the top half of the tapered leader. When it comes to wet fly fishing, I like to use a green, black or brown Woolly Bugger, leech or weighted nymph (all in size 10). You should apply some mud to the 2kg tippet so the fly sinks quickly prior to a gentle retrieve back downstream. Keep all slack out of the mix so you can easily detect the take. Nymph fishing is different. The fish will actually bulge the surface without their heads breaking it, and it’s often during an insect hatch. For whatever reason the trout ignore the surface insects and choose to eat the nymphs instead. A size 14 black or brown seal’s fur nymph or the same sized hare and copper nymph cast gently to a surface bulger and allowed to dead drift back downstream will usually be taken eagerly. You should wet the nymph and last bit of leader to sink the fly just under the surface film. There are many New England streams stocked with trout, and a lot of the

best of them are within an hour’s driving distance of the hatchery at Ebor. The Guy Fawkes River, right in town next to the pub, has trout in it. On the right afternoon the number of trout in this stream can be

COD ON THE FLY A four-hour drive south from Brisbane will see you in Granite Belt cod country. Many of these streams harbour these iconic fish, and because they tend to run clear they are ideal for

in Sundown National Park. Mind you, some of the New England streams (particularly those running west) also harbour cod, with the Macintyre River near Inverell a stand-out example. Cod are supreme predators, and their willingness to eat anything that comes their way makes them very susceptible to flies. I’ve seen a cod take a small turtle jumping off a log, and dressed one that contained a bird along with small fish and shrimp. Because cod vary in size in most waters, an 8-9wt outfit with the choice of both sinking and floating fly lines is ideal. The idea is to set up the floating line towards evening or in the early morning and change to a sinking line later in the day. A tapered leader with a 10kg tippet is ideal as these fish have abrasive dental work and, trust me, size sure can vary in any stream. The best wet flies are baitfish style ones such as Pink Things, Deceivers and big Clousers in size 4/0-5/0, so that the fish notice them easily. Dry flies such as 4/0 Gartside or Grabhams Gurglers are great for dry fly work. A steady, slow, retrieve is best for cod. You can chug the dry fly a few times, let it sit for around 20 seconds, then create a small disturbance again. Strip striking is vital; lifting the rod will only result in a lost fish. Finding cod involves working cover. These fish love a roof over their head so any fallen timber, overhanging branches, weed or reed beds, undercut banks or boulders are all good places to cast a fly. Granite Belt and New England cod live in some gorgeous countryside, a treat to camp in at this time of year. The trick to catching them is to suss out areas that are obviously not flogged, so

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Which fly now? New England streams offer a lot of choices for fly anglers. surprising. New England trout streams are all shown on the internet, where you can purchase a NSW fishing license as well.

anglers hell-bent on taking a cod on the fly. The Severn River around Ballandean is stocked with cod, as are the waterways

take along some comfortable walking shoes and be prepared to get a bit wet now and again. It’s all part of a summer of fun with the fly rod.

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Suzuki Vitara sets the pace BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Suzuki motors seem to be intent on spoiling Australian motorists, releasing a stand-out SUV in the Vitara. Unlike many smaller SUVs, it’s more of

a high riding wagon than a chunky hatchback-style vehicle. It’s available in both RT-S (manual or auto 2WD) and the more heavily specced RT-X, which offers the All Grip AWD auto variant for those who like to drive forest trails, bush tracks and the like. As well as

all the off-road fun, this model can easily double as the kids’ taxi to school. POWER TO WEIGHT TELLS THE STORY Not to be confused with the Grand Vitara wagon, the new Suzuki Vitara is a neatly styled SUV that seats four comfortably, five at a pinch, and, thanks to a

The Vitara performed well on a trip to cod water.

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very favourable power-toweight ratio, drives very easily in either manual or full auto mode. When it comes to power-to-weight ratio, there are competitors in the Vitara’s market niche that might have more power between the front wheels. However, with a kerb weight of just 108kg in the RT-X model, and 1075kg for the RT-S, the Hungarian-made Vitara with its 86KW, 156Nm of torque from a 1.6L fourcylinder DOHC petrol engine and 80W/kg ratio is one tough customer. KEY FEATURES OFFER A PRICE ADVANTAGE Besides favourable

power-to-weight ratio, the Vitara is loaded with features. There’s a 7” touch screen with sat nav and reverse view camera, daytime running lights, climate air, cruise control, Bluetooth phone connectivity, four speaker sound system, power windows and mirrors, coil spring suspension front and rear set up linked to MacPherson struts up front, torsion beam at the rear to optimize ride quality. Prices are very sharp. The six-speed manual RT-S 2WD is $21,990, and the six-speed auto (plus on roads in both cases) sees the base Suzuki come home cheaper than most rivals at $23,990. Both of the new Vitaras feature styling that’s pure SUV wagon. They sit on 17” wheels and have a ground clearance of 185mm, which enables the driver and passengers to enjoy an all-round view. Rear seats feature a 60/40 split, which increases the standard cargo area size from a reasonable 375L to 1120L – handy for a weekend away or for those times

Stylish good looks are part of the Vitara package. seating, keyless entry and start, LED highlights, and auto lights and wipers. The All Grip system sees 4WD activated via a rotary dial with ‘Snow,’ ‘Sport’, and ‘Lock’ as handy options. Normal auto mode power is applied to the front wheels only, with AWD activated power moving to the rear wheels when required. Unlike the Grand Vitara, the Vitara does not provide low range, simply AWD

was ample storage around the front cabin area, a decent sized glovebox and a phone or wallet holder. A four quadrant set up within the Vitara’s big touch screen allows instant selection of audio and was very easy to use. Amazingly, in a step back to yesteryear, the Vitara’s dash even sports a large clock! TOW TRIALS On the road the RT-X Vitara All Grip was nimble, well mannered and fun to

A clear reversing camera like this is a feature missing from some high-end 4x4s that cost double the price. when sporting equipment takes precedence over passengers. RT-X ALL GRIP 4X4 REVIEWED At a price of around $31,990 plus on roads, the RT-X All Grip six-speed auto (as reviewed) was around $8000 more than the base RT-S. However, the features reflect the value. First and foremost was the on-demand 4X4 system, plus a panoramic sun-roof, leather/suede 84

JANUARY 2016

when required. On the off-road tracks and creek crossings I traversed, the Vitara’s AWD set up worked well. The interior of both models is more functional than fancy, with some plastic evident, especially on door panelling and around the dash. That aside, the dash set-up is neatly fitted and the finish is very well executed. The rear view camera was exceptionally clear, there

drive. With its six-speed auto unit – a gear box, not a CVT unit – the engine/ gearbox match was a seamless match and I found handling to be taut with almost neutral steering. Pushed hard into corners, the Vitara responded readily with very little body roll, but I did notice some tyre noise at higher speed. On a trip to the New England cod country, I towed my Trek trailer with the Vitara and found

the little wagon did an excellent job. Braked towing capacity is 1200kg, and unbraked is 400kg. The Vitara easily hummed along at highway speeds, and a stint on gravel roads saw no issues as the All Grip Vitara took everything in its stride. Suzuki are claiming fuel usage figures of around 6.3L/100km for the All Grip, but with the Trek in tow I noted 7.6L/100, which is still cheap motoring in my book. IN A NUTSHELL In summing up, I believe Suzuki have come up with a very market sharp product in their Vitara. It’s going to give a lot of the opposition a big shake-up when you compare apples with apples, features with features. The RT-S, with its near $22k pricing, will tempt a lot of buyers but the RT-X All Grip 4x4 was certainly enjoyable to drive and will no doubt gain its own share of sales. Varied colour schemes are an option for the Vitara’s dash and interior surrounds, as well as a the two-tone paint job of the reviewed vehicle, and they’re worth discussing with a Suzuki dealer.

Large comfortable seats, ample head and leg room are features that Vitara owners will appreciate.

Central dash layout is very functional rather than fancy.

The Vitara’s luggage space is generous, particularly when the rear seats are folded down.

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Nathan Hayter caught this ripper cod off Woody Point in Moreton Bay on a live bait. Cod of this size can really get their head down; so assertive rod work is necessary to land them.

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What’s New FISHING

WESTIN PLATYPUS 100MM DR

The Platypus DR is the latest addition to the Westin stable of lures. This new arrival is 100mm long. It crash dives to 4m on a constant retrieve, but on a twitch-and-pause retrieve the Platypus DR will slowly float in the zone longer, to trigger those aggressive strikes. It has a built-in long cast system which allows anglers to produce long, accurate casts with ease. The unique sonic rattles, the trademark Westin Platypus wobble and the hand-painted detailed colours will call out and entice even the biggest predator into eating this lure. Available in six colours, the Westin Platypus DR weighs 16g, and dives to 2-4m. Check out the JML website for more info, or like them on Facebook at www.facebook. com/JMLAnglersAlliance. Price: RRP $18.95 www.jml.net.au

ABU BLACK MAX REELS

Abu Garcia Max reels are dedicated to giving everyday anglers professional results. It doesn’t matter if they head to the local river or to their favourite impoundment, the Max family of reels can handle the stress of everyday use. Abu Garcia has made many enhancements to the popular line, giving them even more attributes that make them a workhorse. Each feature a machined-aluminium ported spool that greatly reduces overall weight. The line of Abu Garcia Max reels have a one-piece graphite frame and graphite side plates. Utilizing a MagTrax brake system, the Black Max is consistent throughout the cast and won’t let anglers down when fishing all day. The popular reel has a 6.4:1 gear ratio and features a Power Disk drag system, Duragear brass gear, one-piece graphite frame and compact, bent handle and star that provide a more ergonomic grip. Price: RRP $119.95 ($149.95 for the combo) abugarcia-fishing.com.au

STORM ARASHI DEEP

The Storm Arashi Deep dives quickly and gets right into the strikezone. This series of crankbaits from Storm is their deepest diving yet, with the two models reaching depths of 18ft and 25ft on the cast. This lure is built tough and is ideal for targeting Murray cod, yellowbelly and barra. Featuring a self-tuning line-tie, the Storm Arashi Deep generates a lively, unregulated action that triggers intense reaction bites. An ultra-tough circuit board lip combined with added body buoyancy allows the Arashi to bounce off snags with ease. The hook hangers on the underside and the rear have both been rotated 90° to keep the hooks closer to the body. This helps to further discourage snagging and allows for larger hooks to be used. The Arashi Deep contains a boisterous rattle that provides a deafening pitch as it moves through the water. Backed with premium black nickel VMC treble hooks, this lure comes in two models: 18ft diving (7cm, 22g) and 25ft diving (9cm, 32g). Price: from RRP $19.95 www.stormfishing.com.au

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

SAMAKI ZING CRAZE

Zing Craze brings a new dimension to lightweight rod design with a great sense of fun and some craziness on the side. Measuring 5’8” long, each model is separated by their camouflaged colour grips. There’s a light PE 1-2 in red camo, a medium-light in PE 1.5-3 in blue camo and a medium PE 2-4 in yellow camo, in spin and overhead models. The Zing Craze consists of a pearl white 30-tonne Japanese Toray carbon fibre blank, Fuji K Guides, Fuji reel seats and ultra hard EVA camo grips. It’s designed for microjigging, yak fishing or purely to enable you to get into tough places with a shorter length rod. And on top of all this, it’s excellent value for money. To find out more about the Zing range, or to locate your nearest stockist, visit the Samaki website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Price: RRP $199.99 www.samaki.com.au

STRIKE PRO ENTICER CRABS

The lifelike Strike Pro Finesse Crab has neutral buoyancy, so it drops and sinks like a real crab. Its legs flutter and move just like a natural crab does as well, and the plastic is infused with a secret shellfish formula to smell just like the real thing! This versatile soft plastic can be rigged on a standard bullet type jighead, and used with a lift-and-drop technique or slow rolled over the bottom. It can also be rigged on a Hidden Weight hook for a slower flutter on the drop, rigged with a Cobra-style jighead to stand up in a strike pose, or even rigged on a 90° jig hook to fish across the top of oyster racks, snags and structure. Finesse Crabs come in six natural colours, have a carapace size of 23mm x 20mm and come in packs of six with moulded trays. These lures are deadly on bream, EPs, bass, snapper, drummer and all species that eat crabs. Price: SRP $11.95 www.jurofishing.com

4 5

REVOLUTION COASTAL RODS

Shimano’s four innovative Revolution rod line-ups have been given a complete revamp for the 2015/16 season. There are 11 bluewater rods in the Offshore series suitable for jigging, trolling, spin casting, deep dropping the continental shelf, stickbaiting and popper fishing. The Inshore series includes rods for chasing bream, barra, mackerel, snapper, kings and more. The two-piece Coastal series consists of 9, 10, 12 and 13ft rods with a good spread of line weights for rock and beach work. There are nine rods in the Travel series, breaking down to three pieces (four pieces for the big 904 Spin), and covering everything from barra baitcasting through to spin and light rock, beach and jetty work. Designed by Ian Miller, these rods are built on high modulus 24-30 ton Toray graphite, with Fuji ‘K’ series Alconite guides, custom Shimano reel seats, and split or full-length EVA grips where applicable and high-tech ferruling when required. www.shimanofish.com.au

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

visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!

What’s New FISHING

TONIC FINDS ITS MO JO

Tonic Polarised Eyewear has released two new frames – the Mo and Jo. Both feature the new Slice lens, which is the thinnest and lightest polarised glass lens in the world. Doug Phillips, maker of high quality polarised eyewear in Australia since 1992 and founder of Tonic Eyewear, said the Mo and Jo were a new direction for Tonic. “They are big styles and bolder than anything we have ever done before,” he said. “They are great for fishing and everyday use too.” The Mo and Jo come in photochromic copper, green mirror, red mirror and silver mirror. Fully made in Japan, Tonic Eyewear use the latest optical technology including decentred lenses for distortion-free viewing at any angle. Tonic’s scratch-resistant Slice lens is 50% lighter than regular glass and, like all Tonic lenses, they feature anti-reflective coatings and Tonic’s own polarising filter systems. There are over 12 wraparound styles and a variety of lens types. Price: RRP $279 www.toniceyewear.com.au

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FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

MIMIX JELLY PRAWN 40SP

SILVER WOLF Z SPIN

Mimix has released their first ever crankbait/jerkbait. Like all Mimix topwater baits, the Mimix Jelly Prawn has all the detail of the real thing. Its unique small profile, realistic colour patterns and swimming action make the Mimix Jelly Prawn stand out in the crowd. Being 40mm long but weighing 3g, it casts considerably further and with a twitchpause it imitates an injured prawn. Diving to 1.5m and suspending on the pause, bream and many other species will go crazy over the Jelly Prawn. The Mimix Jelly Prawn is currently available in 13 colours. Price: RRP $18.95 www.jml.net.au

Designed for Australian bream anglers, Daiwa’s Silver Wolf family includes 10 high-performance spin rods with technique-specific bream actions. Eight models feature Daiwa’s revolutionary AGS guides and SVF carbon blanks, making them the most lightweight, sensitive and precise rods you will ever feel. The other two spin rods reintroduce Daiwa’s most innovative rod technology – Interline. Interline rods do away with external guides, and the line runs internally through the centre of the blank along a raised spiral structure, delivering unprecedented sensitivity, ultimate blank action and eliminating tangling. These technically refined rods are matched to either a 2004 or a 2506 Magseal protected reel. With the added feature of a Magsealed line roller, Silver Wolf spin reels combine Daiwa’s other technologies including Zaion, Air Rotor and Automatic Tournament Drag. Silver Wolf offers a strong endorsement of what be achieved with Japanese and Australian collaboration. www.daiwafishing.com.au

visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!

WILSON FISH FRIENDLY NETS

In a move to make catching and releasing fish easier, Wilson Fishing has released a range of Fish Friendly nets that are much lighter and more convenient to store and use. There are six models, ranging from the massive XL net suitable for the largest of barra, Murray cod and flathead through to the smallest single-handed net that will suit squid, trout and kayak fishers. To keep weight down, each net is constructed from aluminium that is powder coated in a rich metallic blue, and the fishfriendly netting is jet black, giving these nets a striking appearance as well as a functionality that is hard to rival. Storage is always an issue with nets, especially in boats that are short on space, but with several two-piece handle units in the range, there is sure to be something for everyone. Price: approx. $35-$120 www.wilsonfishing.com

GAMAKATSU ASSIST 61 HOOKS

The Assist 61 hooks from Gamakatsu are specifically dedicated for jigging. The unique shape of this hook dramatically reduces the chance of getting tangled with the jig. These hooks come in two different styles, a Single hook (RRP $23.95) and a Double version (RRP $28.50), allowing it to be fished with different jigs for different situations. Assist 61 hooks feature a solid ring and sealed snell knot so you’ll get less wear and tear, preventing you from losing that fish of a lifetime! Gamakatsu Assist 61 hooks are currently available in sizes 1 and 2. Have a look for them at your favourite tackle store, or for more information check out the Gamakatsu website. You can also Like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gamakatsuaus. Price: from RRP $23.95 www.gamakatsu.com.au

SUNLINE SUPER PE

Sunline have upgraded the muchloved Super PE to make it even smoother, rounder and slicker than the previous version. The smoother surface texture combined with a rounder profile will improve casting distance, feel and reduce noise through the guides. Sunline Super PE is made in Japan and is now available in bright green and the new light blue colour across three different lengths: 150m (4lb to 30lb), 300m (15lb to 80lb) and 1800m (20lb to 50lb). The addition of 4lb line class will cover all finesse fishing applications. Distributed by EJ Todd, this popular all round braid just got even better! To view the full range of Sunline products, visit the EJ Todd website. Price: from approx. $40 for 150m www.ejtodd.com.au

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

What’s New FISHING

NEW TANGO SHAD COLOUR

It seems the design team for the incredibly popular and successful Zerek Tango Shad cannot stop at just 20 colours, with the addition of colour PB to the range. This colour takes in every flathead angler’s favourite colour – pink – and adds UV sensitive yellow tiger stripes to enhance an already proven lure. The new colour is initially available only in the 50mm floating model, and flathead anglers country-wide will really appreciate this colour addition. Trout, bass, redfin and bream anglers will similarly fall in love with this outlandish colour. When reaction and aggressive strikes are the order of the day, tie on the PB colour and get those fish cranky at your lure. Available at all leading tackle stores, the Zerek Tango Shad is available in 50mm long suspending and floating models and now in 21 colours. Price: SRP $9.70 www.wilsonfishing.com

ECOODA GENIUS BAITCAST REEL

With a long development process and extensive research, Ecooda has welcomed the Genius to the line-up. This new baitcaster is jam-packed full of features. The Ecooda Genius has an ultra strong yet lightweight Japanese carbon fibre body and side plate, and it weighs only 160g! It has a centrifugal and magnetic dual cast control system for casting accuracy. Other features include a double support pinion gear for strength and longevity; carbon fibre drag washers, carbon fibre handle and rubber cork knobs; an aircraft aluminium machined worm drive and drive gear for strength; and a custom oil port for easy maintenance. Available in right and left handed models with nine ball bearings and a drag power of past 4kg, the Genius is now available in Australia. For more details and stockist information visit the Ecooda Australia website, or you can follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Price: RRP $259.95 www.ecooda.com.au

RIVER2SEA CRUSTY CRAB

The Fish Candy Crusty Crab has been modelled on the Australian shore crab. It is perfectly balanced to always flip onto its belly when cast. With rapid vibrating legs, 10X material and a super strong fine gauge twin hook, the Crusty Crab is tough and ready for battle. Rigged from the side it is perfect for sinking alongside pylons, ledges or into snags. While slow rolling across flats, the legs walk and claws float just like the real thing. A pre-drilled hole is made so you have the option to rig the crab from the rear. You may prefer this style for open water casting or a faster retrieve – the option is yours. Price: RRP $18.95 www.river2sea.com.au

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

MUSTAD OCTOPUS GOES LARGE

The incredibly popular Mustad Octopus hook has had two larger sizes added to the range – 10/0 and 11/0 – expanding the range from size 4 through to 11/0. The Mustad Octopus features classic lines that allow the hook to be snelled onto leaders or simply tied with a conventional knot via the turned out eye. The UltraPoint hook point is slightly curved inwards to provide exceptional hook setting and the Micro Sharp point is 4.3 times stronger than traditional chemically sharpened hook points. The hook is also offset to provide the easiest of penetration of this Nor-Tempered hook. This Nor-Tempering process allows the hook to be slimmer, resist corrosion better and provide 30% more strength, giving you the confidence you’ll need to battle the strongest fish. Initially available in hanging packs, the 10/0 and 11/0 Mustad Octopus hook gives anglers looking to present bigger baits more options than ever before. Price: $5.95 per hang pack www.wilsonfishing.com

TAIRYO NANO MATRIX HYPER

With the introduction of the Nano Matrix Hyper, everybody can now afford a Tairyo Nano CarbonTube rod, from the beginner to the to the pro tournament angler. These rods feature a new generation blank with Tairyo’s proprietary carbon nano tube (CNT) technology. They’re slim and light, yet powerful enough to control stubborn fish, as you would expect from a Tairyo nano rod! Suitable for salt or fresh water fishing applications, these series of nano rods represent excellent value for money! Features of the Nano Matrix Hyper Rod include: new generation nano blanks; carbon nano tube (CNT) resins; K-frame anti-tangle guides for longer casts; VSS painted graphite reel seats on spinning models; ACS painted graphite reel seat on baitcast models; high-density EVA full grips; and attractive, decorative winding checks and rings. Look for them at your favourite tackle store. Price: SRP $99-$199 www.anglermate.com.au

SPIN DOCTOR SPINNERBAITS

For the Tribe it’s all about catching, and Spin Doctor spinnerbaits are up to the task. Constructed from quality components, including a silicone skirt, chemically sharpened black nickel hook, hand-painted finish and realistic 3D eyes, Spin Doctor spinnerbaits offer excellent value for money so that the whole Tribe can get hooked up. The compact frame design makes the spinnerbaits ideal for bass, golden perch, saratoga and sooty grunter, and the UV Flame Scale skirts ‘light up’ to attract fish and trigger strikes. Spin Doctor spinnerbaits are available in 1/4oz and 3/8oz weights and six proven colours. Tie one on and go hunting! Price: SRP $13.95 www.tackletactics.com.au

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

visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!

What’s New FISHING

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

TESTED: Magnum Rods by Wilson Fishing The fishing rod market is a tough one these days; manufacturers are looking to produce rods at an affordable price point, while still retaining the features and concepts that the top end models provide. Many times this is done by using lesser quality components or by minimizing the options for the angler. This, in most cases, means the price to the consumer is right, but the product is inferior to their needs. When I was given a few of the Magnum Series of rods from Wilson Fishing to try, I was immediately intrigued to see where they fit into the picture. While talking to the Wilson fishing team, the first positive I discovered was that their rod builders had designed the rods, and although Wilsons outsources the building process, the knowledge of many years of producing their popular Live Fibre rods here in Australia is encompassed in the 23 rods in the range.

taper that provides plenty of power to stop big fish, plus the give to absorb the headshakes and lunges that cost many anglers the fish of a lifetime. I have found this to be a huge asset while trolling for flathead. Trolling for flathead is not my favourite way to target them, but it is a highly effective method to get them. The Magnum light has been more than suitable, but my colleague Michael Fox (who has a real knack for trolling them up) has been using the ultra light model and couldn’t be happier. He uses very A recent gorge country fishing trip provided the opportunity to give the baitcast rod a try.

bigger natives or some of our estuarine saltwater species like mangrove jack or smaller barramundi. I noted that there is a heavier 6’3” model that would suit our cod or barra anglers. There is a lighter baitcast model in the range, but it is 5’4”, which would be better suited to fishing from a kayak or if you wanted to throw hardbodies and work them in and around structure. I have one small gripe,

The author used the Magnum rods mainly for flathead fishing and got some great results both casting and trolling. Secondly all Fuji components are used on the Magnums. This is great piece of mind, as component failure is one of the most annoying things that can happen to you, and is synonymous with lower price point rods. The rods I have been using are the Magnum 7’ medium and light spin rods and the 6’5” medium baitcast rod. Much of my fishing these days revolves around targeting flathead in my local estuaries. This requires me to use a rod that is able to cast 1/4-1/2oz jigheads, has enough sensitivity to feel the smallest bite or the type of structure my lure is bouncing over, and has the power to set the hook through the flathead’s bony mouth. The light spin rod meets these needs beautifully and the medium isn’t far behind (I have tended to use it more in deeper water with larger lures). The sensitivity of the rods is what has impressed me the most. You have an incredible feel for what your lure is doing at the end of the line, and this has been a big advantage on those days when the fish haven’t quite been on the chew. The rods have a medium to fast

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light lines and leaders, and the soft tip and powerful butt section of this rod have been ideal to use when trolling for flatties. I recently spent some time chasing wild river bass on plastics and surface lures. Although the fish were not huge, they went hard and the Magnum light provided the castability and the stopping power I needed to get these fish away from structure and back to me on the bank. This trip also provided the option to use the baitcast rod. I primarily used it to cast 1/2oz spinnerbaits. The rod was a slight overkill, not because it wasn’t right to throw them (if anything the 6’5” length gave you more leverage to cast further), it was more that the rod is rated 6lb-25lb which is heavier than I would use for this type of fishing and is set up in quite a robust format (longer heavy-duty EVA foregrip designed for a double-handed cast). Something slightly more finesse in the same or similar length would have been better suited. Having said that, it did everything I needed it to, it just would have been nice for it to be a little lighter in the hand. This more robust format would be ideal to target

which is that there are no hook keepers on the rods. I dislike using the guides to hold my lures, so I have added my own to avoid this. My need to have this stems back to when guides were not the same quality as they are today and lure hooks damaged them. It only takes losing a few fish when your line is cut on a damaged guide to make this important to you. With 17 spin and six baitcast options in the Magnum series range, there is sure to be a rod that suits your needs and the best part about it is that you won’t break the bank when you go to buy one. You may even just buy two. To find out more about the Magnum series of rods you can go to www. wilsonfishing.com.au or ask about them at your local tackle store. – Peter Jung

Wild bass go hard and try to stitch you up. They were a great test for the Magnum rods.

visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!

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

Carruthers crabs to take win CE 1ST PLA

A new Grand Final champion was crowned in November with Nowra’s Liam Carruthers storming through from 6th place on the final day to claim victory in the biggest event on the ABT BREAM calendar, the Berkley BREAM Grand Final, 6-8 November. With limited Clarence River experience and only a successful Thursday prefish to guide him, Carruthers started off on Day One fishing one of his successful prefish locations, Middle Reef. “I caught some good fish there on Thursday, and it didn’t take much to get them to bite, but by 10:30am on Day One we only had one fish for our efforts,” Carruthers said. With a less than ideal start, Carruthers moved and headed to perhaps the most well known location on the Clarence: Browns Rocks. He had a mark in his GPS from the day before, and despite Browns having plenty of people on it, there was no one near his mark. It didn’t take long for Liam to find the fish, and within 10 minutes he picked up a 35cm bream. That fish was the start of a string of fish with Carruthers and his co-angler, Simon Johnson, filling their limit, as they upgraded and were busted off by big fish multiple times throughout

the session. Curruthers’ technique involved casting a heavy Cranka Crab upcurrent then drifting it down with the tide so it hit the rocky bottom and associated current eddies in about 14-17ft of water. “That was the key working depth, as the fish held there in eddies intercepting food as it was flushed down with the current,” Liam explained. Carruthers would feel the Cranka Crab bump its way along the bottom, and give the lure the occasional small twitch. That was when most fish crunched the lure. Sitting in 10th place at the end of Day One, Carruthers returned to Browns Rocks at the start of Day Two and picked up where he left off.

said. “The nerves had started to take hold, so I recomposed myself and focused on catching some larger upgrades.” A few bust-offs frustrated the situation, but Carruthers soon calmed down and added a solid 35cm to his limit. A couple more bustoffs followed, but despite that Carruthers weighed in a 2.95kg limit to land in 6th place heading into the third and final day. “I didn’t sleep much the night before the final day,” he said. “The thoughts of what might happen kept running through my head. There was always the chance that I could catch a big bag to run down the leader, but I knew the reality was more likely

Liam Carruthers now adds his name to BREAM Grand Final shield thanks to his victory in the Berkley BREAM Grand Final on the Clarence River. His first cast resulted in a legal, and his non-boater Taigan Heath soon followed with a legal on his first cast. More fish followed, and by 8.30am the pair had their limit. “It’s exciting when you get your limit early,” Carruthers

a top ten finish. I resigned myself to this, and my focus as we headed off on the final morning was to simply catch my bag and finish in the ten.” Hitting Browns again, the action was a little slow, albeit the fish a little bigger, and

by 10.30am Carruthers and his non-boater Alex Franchuk had their bag. The gun lure once again was the heavy Cranka Crab. “It was a lot harder going on the final day with the weather and rain making it hard to hold position with the electric motor. By 1pm my electric motor batteries were just about dead. I said to Alex let’s do one more run and see if we can get a final kicker’.” Not far into the final drift, a twitch of his Cranka Crab saw Liam tight to a big fish. An heroic battle followed and a 37.5cm fish was soon added to the livewell. Alex followed this performance with another upgrade, a 35cm bream that bumped their bag into true contender status. “We were jumping out of our skin when we caught those two fish and the high we were on as we were driving back to the weigh-in was like nothing I’d ever felt before.” Carruthers hit the stage mid-way through the weigh-in and threw the gauntlet down to his challengers, weighing in 3.75kg to charge into the lead, seeing off multiple challengers until only Day Two leader Chris Britton stood in the way of victory. The standout angler on the first two days, Britton struggled to find the fish he needed on the final day, weighing in a 2.44kg limit to fall 60g short, and hand Carruthers the tournament win. “To win a BREAM Grand Final and do it by weighing in your biggest limit for the tournament on the final day is the stuff of dreams. It’s a memory and achievement that I will cherish for ever.”

Cranka Crab

Drift lure down

STORM

14 feet

VENTAFISH®

Twitches

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888. 90

JANUARY 2016

Current

Rock bottom

17 feet

Britton stumbles to finish in second CE 2ND PLA

Brisbane’s Chris Britton narrowly fell short of claiming victory on the Clarence with the Berkley BREAM Pro stumbling on the final day to hand victory to Carruthers. Leading the field out on the final day, Britton weighed in his lightest bag (2.44kg) for the tournament on Day Three, a limit that was 1.31kg lighter than Carruthers’ bag. Fishing a combination of locations for the tournament, Britton started Day One at Collis Wall pitching crab profile lures onto the wall and drifting down the slope of the wall into 30ft+ of water.

The first cast produced a 30cm fish and a string of fish followed for an hour. “While I caught a couple of fish high on the wall most came down deep as the lure sat slack on the bottom,” explained Britton. After picking up his

limit and a few upgrades, Britton moved to Middle Wall in search of upgrades. Catching only small fish he then moved again, this time hitting Browns Rocks for the last hour of the session. A big fish found its freedom after rubbing through the line,

Berkley BREAM Pro Chris Britton narrowly missed out on the win, finishing second to Carruthers.

and despite this last minute attempt failing, Britton weighed in a 3.21kg limit which put him in in the top three heading into Day Two. Collis Wallis beckoned again on the start of Day Two, and with the tide an hour later the bite took longer to kick into gear. “We moved up and down the wall, and while the numbers of fish were down, the quality was up, with four of the five fish in our limit over 30cm.” Britton’s non-boater Aaron Clifton added a 38cm fork length fish to their limit 1.5 hours into the session, and half an hour later decided to move location and rest Collis Wall for the 3rd and final session. Hitting Middle Wall and a series of spots between Maclean and Yamba, the pair picked up few more fish, no upgrades however, before

BREAM

returning to the weigh-in to deliver the biggest limit for the day to the scales, an impressive 3.82kg. Leading out the field on the final morning Britton once again headed straight to Collis Wall. An hour in and with no fish in the well Britton was starting to get a little nervous. “I wasn’t sure if the bite was being driven by tide or time, but not long after the first hour the first fish came,” explained Britton. While smaller (28cm) than the fish of the first two days, it was a start, and was soon followed by the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th fish of his limit. “The last fish for the limit was only 25cm and we had nothing bigger than 30cm. We had to bucket fill and add an aerator as the livewell didn’t want to work, and that didn’t make for a great start.”

Presente SERIES d by Berk ley

A couple of missed upgrades from fish rubbing them off soon followed and Britton and his non-boater Shaun Egan moved location and headed to Middle Wall. The move paid dividends with three bites producing two upgrades. After a couple more drifts on Middle Wall, they moved back to Collis Wall hopeful of a couple more upgrades. Their thinking was spot on, and while Britton and Egan got the two big bites they were looking for they rubbed off on the rocky bottom below. “When we lost both those fish I had the feeling that I’d just lost the Grand Final,” explained Britton. Britton’s gut feeling right and his 2.44kg limit fell just short of claiming him the win.

Egan powers through to achieve final victory “We got dusted by a few fish as soon as we got there but we eventually boated a 40 and 35cm,” explained Egan.

-BOATER 1ST NON

Newcastle’s Shaun Egan claimed victory in the non-boater division with the 40-year-old breamer securing a wire-to-wire victory. Fishing with Tom Slater on Day One Egan fished the North Wall using a deepwater Cranka Crab to catch his fish. “I got off to a flying start, we picked up a 35cm and a 31cm in the first dozen casts, and over the next hour we picked up two 27cm and a 28cm,” explained Egan. With the wall starting to slow, the pair moved to Browns Rocks and it was here that they struck gold, catching 25-30 fish in around four hours. With the clock ticking, and the need for more upgrades foremost in their mind, they returned to Middle Wall, timing their return with the tide change and a bite window.

and over the next two hours filled their limit with a bag of quality fish. The pair then fished a series of locations including Middle

Shaun Egan secured the non-boater crown thanks to quality fish like this. The kicker fish they needed bumped their bag to over four kilos (4.18kg) and had both Tom and Shaun sitting in the number one spot heading into Day Two. Partnered with Matt Finney on Day Two the pair hit Collis Wall first

Wall and Browns Rocks before finishing off their session in the canals. The pair weighed in a 2.88kg limit and once again it was the heavy Cranka Crab that did the damage. With the leading boater paired with the leading

non-boater on day three Egan headed off from the start line on the final day with Chris Britton excited about what lay ahead. “We went to Collis Wall first and it took a while to put a fish in the well. We then picked up a few and at around 10.15am we caught the 5th fish of our limit. We then moved to Middle Wall and picked up two upgrades,” explained Egan. With the weather changing for the worse, the pair headed to Browns Rocks, Middle Walls, then returned to Collis Wall in search of the big bites they needed to bump up their overall weight. It was on their final run on Collis that they both hooked up on the fish that they were looking for, but unfortunately both fish found freedom. “We both wondered whether those fish would cost us at the end of the day,” explained Egan. The lost fish ultimately cost Britton the win, but for Egan their 2.44kg limit was just enough to deliver him the win. The winning technique for Egan involved a Cranka Crab drifted with the current

TOP 10 BOATERS

run; it’s the best tournament series in the country. For any fisherman out there that wants to get into tournament fishing on an individual basis, the ABT Boater or non-boater divisions is the place to start.” ABT would like to thank all sponsors, anglers and stakeholders for the 2015 Berkley BREAM Series. For dates and details on the 2016 BREAM Series visit www.abt.org.au.

WINNING NOTES

Winning Tackle

Rod: 1-4kg, 7’, Duffrods Line: Berkley Fireline Leader: 5lb Sunline FC Rock leader Reel: Daiwa Luvias and Shimano Soare Lure: Heavy Cranka Crab in cockle, brown, olive and spotted colours

Winning Edge

A lack of experience on the Clarence was no liability to Carruthers with the Grand Final champion keying in on the winning location, technique, and lure during the prefish the day before the event.

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15

9.53 9.47 9.21 8.93 8.87 8.46 8.26 8.11 8.05 8.05

Liam CARRUTHERS Chris BRITTON Tristan TAYLOR Peter MACOR Matthew FINNEY Kristoffer HICKSON Simon SCZEPANIAK Steve GILL Warren CARTER Warwick LYNDON

and drawn and dragged across the rocky bottom. “If you felt a fish touch the lure you either dragged or slow rolled the lure to set the hook,” explained Egan. Post victory, Egan was thankful to many for his win. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank my three Boaters for the Grand Final: Tom Slater, Matthew Finney and Chris Britton. I would also like to thank the ABT for the tournament series they

Payout

Mercury 115hp Motorguide prize Berkley prize Sponsors prize pack Sponsors prize pack

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

Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15

9.50 9.47 9.42 8.76 8.75 8.30 8.10 7.95 7.95 7.95

Shaun EGAN Alex FRANCHUK Aaron CLIFTON Luke VANBRANDWYK Richard PATTERSON Bernard KONG Brendan HERDEN Clint VOSS Simon JOHNSON Angus CHANDLER

Payout

Mercury 60hp Berkley prize Motorguide prize Sponsors prize pack Sponsors prize pack

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

Teemburra 2-Day evening event Rapala was back on board after a very successful 2014 ABT BARRA Tour and in 2015 the anglers and the fish turned out in great numbers. The 2015 Rapala BARRA Tour visited Teemburra Dam and Peter Faust Dam near Proserpine. The scheduled event for Kinchant Dam, with advice from SunWater, was relocated to Teemburra and was a resounding success. The Team of the Year race was hotly contested like always; let’s take a look at each individual event and who took out the race for Australia’s best barramundi anglers. Team Humminbird/EJ Todd (Craig Giffiths and Karim De Ridder) started the Rapala BARRA Tour off in perfect style, amassing a 10/10 limit for 941cm to secure the win and 100 points towards the prestigious Team of the Year (TOY) trophy. The pair had spent four days pre-fishing for this particular event, identifying key points towards the dam wall where they could see

a steady flow of fish as the night wore on. “You want the wind to be hitting the area you are fishing,” Craig explained. “This produces a small current, and that will concentrate the bait, which in turn will bring the barra to you.” Using their Humminbird sounder and 360 Imaging, Craig and Karim were able to watch the barra as they moved up onto the point, able to cast ahead of the moving fish. The pair used a number of lures to secure the victory, most notably the Lucky Craft SKT Magnum 110 MR crankbait. This was definitely the key bait for the pair, with the large crankbait scoring 9/10 fish for the team. Karim was the master of this lure, throwing the behemoth 2oz crankbait on a Lucky Craft 701HXF rod. The specially designed cranking rod, made with a combination of graphite and fibreglass, is softer than most modern day rods. It allows the lure to bounce more easily off structure without

aggressive wobbling action of the crankbait with a stealthy soft plastic approach, fishing a modified Squidgy Slick Rig in black/

catch their full 10/10 limit, eclipsing second place team Lowrance HDS (Geoff Bradshaw and Lachlan Achilles) by 67cm.

Dan Curry from Team Reflexion/Bassman. They were all smiles with their win in the Sunline Teemburra Night Championship. gold. Craig loves to tinker with his lures, and the Slick Rig receives more treatment than any other lure in his tacklebox. You can watch a video on how Craig likes to modify his Slick Rigs on the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel. Fishing the same point on the eastern side of the dam furthest towards the dam wall both sessions, team Humminbird/EJ Todd were one of only two teams to

Overall, 23 teams took part in the first event of the 2015 Rapala BARRA Tour, with 22 teams scoring a total of 102 barramundi over the two event sessions for a healthy total length of 7655cm. This gave an average of 75.05cm, a small increase from the 73.27cm average from the 2014 tour. The event’s Austackle Big Barra was caught by team Reflexion/Bassman and measured 121cm.

WINNING NOTES

Winning Tackle

Karim De Ridder from Team Humminbird/EJ Todd with one of their Teemburra Evening Event winning fish. fish holding deeper in 8-10ft of water. The pair looked for these concentrations of fish, and then identified the likely point where the fish would move up to feed in shallower water once the sun had set over the horizon. Craig noted the wind direction as key to identifying which was going to be the best spot to produce

hanging up on the bottom. Karim launched the lure towards the shallowest part of the point, and employed a steady slow retrieve back to the boat. When the lure banged the bottom, Karim paused the retrieve, allowing the lure to float. This was when most of the strikes happened. Craig partnered the

Rods: Dobyns Savvy Series 705, Lucky Craft 701HXF Reels: Daiwa Zillion Line: Sunline Super PE 8 30lb Leader: Sunline FC100 60lb Lures: Lucky Craft SKT Magnum 110MR, Lucky Craft Pointer 78 DD, Squidgy Slick Rig 130 Terminals: Upgraded to Decoy Y-W77 on Pointer 78 DD, custom made jighead with Gamakatsu SL12 #8/0 or #9/0 for Squidgy Slick Rig, with Decoy YS-21 #1 stinger.

Winning Ways

Finding the best numbers of fish holding deeper during the day and identifying the point in which they will pull up and feed was key to our success in this event.

TEEMBURRA RESULTS

STORM VENTAFISH®

Visit www.abt.org.au or phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888 for all enquiries. 92

JANUARY 2016

Place Team

Angler 1

Angler 2

Length

Prize

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Craig Griffiths Geoff Bradshaw Rick Napier Dan Curry Donovan Power Paul Butler Wally Wilton Glen Smith Geoff Newby Peter Price

Karim De Ridder Lachlan Achilles Dustin Sippel Ash Sims Trent Power Greg Thomas Jake Mitchell Keith Stanford Phill Lyons Dan Grech

941cm 876cm 828cm 488cm 466cm 424cm 423cm 383cm 377cm 353cm

$800 + Prize Pack $700 + Prize Pack $500 + Prize Pack $300 + Prize Pack

Humminbird/EJ Todd Lowrance HDS Triton Boats/Edge Rods Reflexion/Bassman Team Power Skeeter/Westin Team Toray Barra Fever Likely Lads Lowrance/Reidy’s Lures

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

Sunline Teemburra night championship Securing the Austackle Big Barra prize in the first two-day evening event, team Reflexion/Bassman (Ashley Sims and Dan Curry) found the numbers they lacked in the first event to claim the win in the Sunline presented Teemburra Dam Night Championship, the second

stop of the 2015 Rapala ABT BARRA Tour. Arguably the toughest event on the BARRA Tour, the Sunline Night Championship sees teams start fishing at 4pm, and continue fishing for 16 hours through the night, until 8am the following morning. A true test of endurance, patience

and skill, team Reflexion/ Bassman came out on top with a 5/5 limit for 486cm. Modifying their approach from the previous event, Ash and Dan focused on one area of the dam, on the western side of the dam wall on a main lake point with standing timber. However, it wasn’t the main point that

The Tide Apparel LED Measure Mats got a work out at the Night Championship with Team Tree Huggers’ 122cm the standout fish of the event.

WINNING NOTES

Winning Tackle

Rods: Millerods Beast Buster Medium-Light, Millerods Salty Barra, Millerods Toad Reels: Shimano Biomaster 2500, Shimano Biomaster 4000, Shimano Sustain 5000, Shimano Core 100MG Line: 20lb PowerPro Super Slick, 30lb PowerPro Super Slick Leader: Sunline FC100 50lb and 60lb Lures: Squidgy Slick Rig 130 true blue, Jackall Transam 95 ghost black red belly Terminals: Upgraded to Mustad #4 on Transam 95. Added Owner #4 ST36BC treble as stinger on Slick Rigz

Winning Ways

Sticking to our plan was the big key for us in this event, we panicked and moved around too much in the evening event. We knew the big fish were in this spot and we stuck it out in the all nighter.

the boys keyed in on, it was a secondary point inside the standing timber that proved to be the key spot. The pair found the spot using Humminbirds’ AutoChart Live software, mapping the area on pre-fish

day. The pair started the night on the outside edge of the timber, having only a few small fish on their score sheet they decided to move inside the timbered area and enjoyed almost immediate success. Second cast inside the timber and Ashley hooked the team’s kicker fish, a 116cm barramundi anchoring their impressive 5/5 limit. Again, the winning team relied on a multiple lure approach, not relying on only one style of lure to take the title. The ever-popular Squidgy Slick Rig in True Blue colour was again a favourite, and received some modifications in the shape of a #4 Owner stinger hook, which was connected through the belly of the lure using crimped heavy monofilament line. The technique for the Slick Rig was fairly straightforward. Ash and Dan worked as a team, with one using the larger 5000 size reel to burn the Slick Rig enticing a reaction bite, while the other used the smaller 4000 size reel and used a slow roll retrieve to cover both bases. The other piece to the puzzle was a Jackall Transam 95, this time opting for a dark colour, to imitate red claw, which they had observed being regurgitated by some of the barramundi they were landing. Using the Down Imaging

of their Humminbird ONIX unit, the pair was able to clearly see the barramundi as the fish moved underneath their boat. On multiple occasions, team Reflexion/ Bassman was able to sink the Transam under the boat and tempt those fish as they moved through. The technique was a simple long slow draw off the bottom to feel the lure vibrate, and then let the lure sink back on a semi slack line. The team noted all the bites were taken as the lure was falling back to the bottom. Fishing the lures on a variety of Millerods paired with Shimano reels, Ash and Dan favour 20 and

BARRA

Presente SERIES d by Rap ala

30lb PowerPro SuperSlick braided line with a heavy fluorocarbon leader of around 50lb. At the end of the marathon 16 hour session, 18 of the 19 teams competing scored barramundi, with 16 completing their full 5/5 session limit. In total 84 barramundi were scored for a total combined length of 6096cm, an average length of 72.57cm. The events Austackle Big Barra was a 122cm behemoth, caught by team Tree Huggers (Mick Weick and Brendan Barnett).

Team Triton Boats/Edge Rods broke the metre mark (122cm) to claim the Austackle Big Barra Prize at Teemburra.

NIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS Place

Team

Angler 1

Angler 2

Length

Prize

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Reflexion/Bassman Humminbird/EJ Todd Triton Boats/Edge Rods Tree Huggers Lowrance HDS Master Cabinets Fired Up Fishing Monthly Group Team Toray Skeeter/Westin

Dan Curry Craig Griffiths Rick Napier Mick Weick Geoff Bradshaw Glen Boys Mat McFarlane Steve Morgan Wally Wilton Paul Butler

Ash Sims Karim De Ridder Dustin Sippel Brendan Barnett Lachlan Achilles Matthew Manley Shane Clarke Tom Slater Jake Mitchell Greg Thomas

486cm 469cm 463cm 443cm 425cm 394cm 372cm 346cm 341cm 339cm

$725 + Prize Pack $625 + Prize Pack $425 + Prize Pack $225 + Prize Pack

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

Storm Peter Faust event Peter Faust Dam near Proserpine was the last stop of the 2015 Rapala ABT BARRA Tour, and again it showed why it is one of the premier barramundi fisheries in Australia. Records were broken and champions crowned, as Team Humminbird/EJ Todd (Craig Giffiths and Karim De Ridder) again stood on the podium and claimed their second win of the 2015 BARRA Tour. Compiling an ABT record 10/10 limit

for 1102cm, Team Humminbird/EJ Todd smashed the six-year standing record of 1010cm by almost a metre. Fishing a main lake point known as Faust Point, the pair worked a lot wider than most, which was key to finding the big barramundi. Faust Point is a long shallow point extending a long way into the main lake on the southern edge of the dam. Emergent vegetation was visible in depths shallower than 7ft, but

Craig and Karim focused on the deeper water in 10-12ft. They anchored their boat a long way off the visible weed, targeting the edge where the weed started and stopped. Focusing on a bite time just before the sun went down, the pair relied solely on soft plastics to claim the title. Using a variety over the course of the two sessions, the team emphasised that size was an important part of their winning tactic. They opted for lures of at least 6” in length, and sometimes

Craig Griffiths from Team Humminbird/EJ Todd chalked up their second win of the Rapala BARRA Tour at Faust to claim the Team of the Year title. JANUARY 2016

even threw lures as large as 9” to get the bite from the bigger barramundi. Squidgy 170 Slick Rigs, Berkley

Casting to the deeper weed, the pair counted their lures down to three seconds, the perfect time

the top of the weed, the pair flicked them free when they felt the weed, and kept in contact as the lure sank back down to the required depth. The team preferred baitcast tackle for this approach, noting the extra control they had when using the tackle. Dobyns Savvy series baitcast rods were the choice, with the right blend of bottom end power and sensitive tip to

allow the barramundi to inhale the lures for solid hook sets. Peter Faust showed why it was the perfect venue to conclude the 2015 Rapala BARRA Tour, with 95 fish hitting the brag mats over the course of the two sessions, a whopping 95.54cm average. The event’s Austackle Big Barra was caught by team Swamp Donkey’s Rhyce Bullimore and measured 122cm.

WINNING NOTES

Winning Tackle

Rods: Dobyns Savvy Series 705 Reels: Daiwa Zillion Line: Sunline Super PE 8 30lb Leader: Sunline FC100 60lb Lures: Berkley Swim Shad, Storm R.I.P Shad, Squidgy 170 Slick Rig, Strike King Shadalicious Terminals: Decoy YS-21 stinger on all soft plastics, modified jig heads with swivel to hang stinger

Winning Ways

Fishing a bit wider of the main visible weed, were we could see barra moving through on the down-imaging of my Humminbird Onix. Also the use of bigger lures as the night wore on, the lack of light with the new moon meant we needed a bigger profile for the fish to key in on.

Peter Faust lived up to its reputation producing plenty of big fish. Team Swamp Donkey’s 122cm was the biggest and the Austackle Big Barra for the Storm sponsored event. Swim Shads and Storm R.I.P. Shads were some of their go-to baits.

to put their lures just above the weed on the bottom. With their lures ticking

PETER FAUST RESULTS Place Team

Angler 1

Angler 2

Length

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Craig Griffiths Geoff Newby Paul Butler Rick Napier Peter Price Dan Curry Rhyce Bullimore Talin Payne Colin Brett Mat McFarlane

Karim De Ridder Phill Lyons Greg Thomas Dustin Sippel Andrew Susani Ash Sims Luke Kerin Jonathan Clark Steve Lill Shane Clarke

1102cm $775 + Prize Pack 975cm 675 + Prize Pack 951cm 475 + Prize Pack 922cm 275 + prize Pack 638cm 610cm 537cm 528cm 462cm 434cm

Humminbird/EJ Todd Likely Lads Skeeter/Westin Triton Boats/Edge Rods Lowrance/Reidy’s Lures Reflexion/Bassman Swamp Donkeys Venom/Nugsy Dobyns Rods/Toray Fishing Lines Fired Up

Prize

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

Team of the Year competition

STORM VENTAFISH®

Visit www.abt.org.au or phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888 for all enquiries. 94

JANUARY 2016

With a near perfect score of 299 points out of a possible 300, team Humminbird/EJ Todd (Craig Griffiths and Karim De Ridder) took out the coveted Team of the Year title. “Winning Team of the Year is what it’s all about for us,” Craig said. “We start the tour off by checking that all our equipment is in perfect condition, our lines are new from the get-go and we are constantly checking leaders and sharpening hooks.” The team studies tide changes and moon phases, noting that the barra move with the moon phase and tend to feed in relation to the tide change. They prefer the lead up to the full moon, and believe that if you can find barramundi in an area on a new moon, that will be

an excellent spot to target on the full moon. Triton Boats/Edge Rods (Dustin Sippel and Rick Napier) were consistent without notching a victory, coming in at second place, with two third place finishes and a fourth on their way

to their best result ever in the TOY points race. Team Reflexion/Bassman (Ashley Sims and Dan Curry) rounded out the podium in third, only one point behind second place. With the dates already set for the 2016 BARRA

Tour, if you are interested in attending, learning from some of the best barramundi anglers in Australia and having an absolute blast fishing some of the hottest impoundments in Australia, head to www.abt. org.au – ABT

TEAM OF THE YEAR RESULTS Place Team

Angler 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Craig Griffiths Karim De Ridder Rick Napier Dustin Sippel Dan Curry Ash Sims Paul Butler Greg Thomas Geoff Bradshaw Lachlan Achilles Mick Weick Brendan Barnett Geoff Newby Phill Lyons Wally Wilton Jake Mitchell Talin Payne Jonathan Clark Shane Clarke Mat McFarlane

Humminbird/EJ Todd Triton Boats/Edge Rods Reflexion/Bassman Skeeter/Westin Lowrance HDS Tree Huggers Likely Lads Team Toray Venom/Nugsy Fired Up

Angler 2

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

Length 299cm 293cm 292cm 284cm 282cm 276cm 274cm 272cm 270cm 269cm

The Third Bluefin Lake Maroon Fishing Classic The third annual Bluefin Lake Maroon Fishing Classic was conducted over the weekend of 13-15 November, 2015 and a number of records were broken. A group of 373 that comprised of 297 seniors and 76 juniors took part. Steve Raabe led the way for the Senior division with a brute of a bass that measured 57cm. Together with a few other species, the massive bass helped Steve take out the Overall Senior Champion award. The Junior category was dominated by Sam Ryan who was lucky enough to catch a 45.5cm silver perch, 43cm yellowbelly, 48.5cm catfish, 38.1cm bass and a 20.8cm spangled perch.

RESULTS Category............................................. Senior............................................... Junior Longest bass............................ Steve Raabe (57cm)*............Hudson Hunt (44cm)* Longest yellowbelly..................Andrew Taylor (52cm)..................Sam Ryan (43cm) Longest silver perch.................. Dom Ryan (44.2cm).............. Sam Ryan (45.5cm)* Longest eel-tailed catfish...... Anthony Johns (53.6cm)..... Shawn Hansell (52.7cm) Longest spangled perch...... Charmaine Clark (25.2cm)*........ Ryleigh Whell (26cm) Overall champion.....................Steve Raabe (165cm)........... Sam Ryan (195.9cm)*

Shakespeare, Dunbier, Nordic Stage, Damiki, Eva Kool, Queensland Fishing Monthly and Westpac. Sports Tuition is extremely

grateful for the generous support of Bluefin. If you’re thinking new boat, think no further than Bluefin. – Steve Wilkes, Sports Tuition

* = New record

Hence, the junior record for Overall Champion Angler was smashed. Red claw were placed in the dam several years back and they have exploded. This has added another food source for the stocked fish, and they are now growing at a rapid rate, as is evident with Steve’s 57cm specimen. Over the weekend there were plenty of giveaways. All

the juniors received sample bags and there were random draws, merchandise draws and an early entry draw. The juniors also took part in the Abu Garcia and Shakespeare Kids’ Casting Competition and there were eight lucky winners who walked away with new

A very special thank you to all the generous sponsors who make this event such a success: Bluefin Boats, L. Wilson & Co, Bush n Beach Fishing Magazine, Mercury, Austackle, Rapala, Minn Kota, Humminbird, BLA, Berkley, Abu Garcia,

Andrew Taylor landed this 52cm yellowbelly, which won the yellowbelly category for the Bluefin comp.

David Croft picked up this solid bass during the Lake Maroon Fishing Classic.

fishing rods and reels. And not to forget, the two Bluefin Boats were also lucky draws. The senior lucky draw was a 4.3 Bluefin Tournament Drifter, powered by a 40hp 4-stroke Mercury outboard, on a Dunbier trailer. Richard Gibson was the lucky winner of that prize. The event was once again catered by CJ’s Pasta. Thanks to David, Sonya, Josh, Harry and Bailey. Between Kings provided the live entertainment and they just about rocked the roof off the new building. It was great to have some up and coming artists performing for the event.

SPECIALISING IN KITCHEN AND BATHROOM RESURFACING

www.pattonpaintingandresurfacing.com.au

Chris Patton

0409 277 -968

Richard Gibson didn’t catch a fish all weekend, but he caught the lucky prize draw, which was the 4.5 Bluefin Tournament Drifter, powered by a 40hp Mercury 4-stroke on a Dunbier trailer. Brad Richey, owner of Bluefin, was on hand to present the prize to the lucky winner. JANUARY 2016

SURF LIFE SAVING FUN PAGE NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

NEW BOAT

LESS WORK

CANOEING

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SWEAR JAR

PHOTOS

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MATES

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CATALOGUE

EXERCISE

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PERSONAL BEST

RODS

FLY TYING

TIME

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REPLACING

KAYAKING

LURES

Win a prize pack from Surf Life Saving Sunscreen. Save your skin and save the fish…so there are more for you to catch!

Name: Address:

P/Code:

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win the prize pack. SEND ENTRIES TO: QLD Find-a-word Competition, PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

QLD JANUARY 2016

Phone (day):

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to Brett Rider of Brigalow, who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition! Monthly winners receive a Surf Lifesaving prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – QFM

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

BITE ME by Trisha Mason

The subscriber prize winner for November was J Barnes of Everton Park, who won a Zerek Innovation prize pack valued at $316. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM

MAJOR SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The major subscriber prize winners who each won a Berkley prize pack were: 1st ($600) I Wogandt of Riverheads; 2nd ($400) C Couper of Chinchilla; 3rd ($200) E & V Jackson of Long Flat. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM

FIND THE BERKLEY LOGO

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

November locations: 10, 12, 15, 24, 29, 33, 40, 46, 51, 53, 58, 64, 68, 79, 90, 80. -QFM The Find the Berkley logo prize winners for November were: N Humble of Rockhampton, S Dawson of Bald Hills, R Hielschen Green of Kirwan, R Elworthy of Point Vernon, J Buddle of Torquay, N Hayter of Deception Bay, A Jorgensen of Kippa-Ring, B Freier of Ningi, B Brown of Lota, B Mackay of Parkwood, R Schefe of Point Vernon, C Couper of Chinchilla, N Mitchell of Ripley, L Pirlo of Modanville, R Taskis of Ashmore, G McGrath of Acoca, R Pitt of Gatton, K Edwards of Innisfail, D Deppeler of Burpengary East, C Giuliani of Jubilee Pocket, M Leavy of Mt Louisa, L Nipperess of Waterford, J McCulloch of Sunshine Coast MC, J Lowick of Churchill, R Ramsay of Taylors Beach, D Topp of Kirwan, J Finney of Dingo, G Poor of Taromeo, R Maynard of Nundah, G Pearman of Rothwell, J Willmann of Windaroo, M Basile of Wynnum West, T Lloyd of Lake Macdonald, A New Walpole of Eight Mile Plains, W• Robinson of Raceview, R products Kunde of Beerwah, L Dewar of Roma, • Videos J Nock of Kallangur, • Indepth I Mackellar of Maryborough, K Cervenjak of Greenbank. Reviews Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM

check out! 1 96

• DECEMBER 2010 JANUARY 2016

‘I guess we’ll sort it out later’ the Dudds adage There’s an old saying that hangs around the Dudds like a blowie around a dag – ‘sort it out later.’ There is a time however, when “sort it out later” becomes an issue, and that time is now. It’s a fantastic saying, which suits the Dudds down to a T, as it basically means the group can operate without making decisions. Which is fine until a decision has to be made. And that’s when we find ourselves in situations like this. We’ve got two weeks until our annual trip is due, and no one has any idea where we’re going, when we’re going, who’s going and probably even why we’re going. We reach a situation every few years where we hit a brick wall at our regular location. Generally we have a few very lean years trying to sort out where the submerged rocks and logs are at a particular location. After that we have about 15 minutes of really good fishing on the last day of that third year, followed by two years of crap fishing where we catch nothing and hit all the logs that we thought we had identified. The trouble we face is that the 15 minutes in the third year makes it hard to give

the place up, because we know what it’s capable of. Bit like marriage really. Eventually, we get sick of getting nothing and we end up having to move on – but where to move on to? We’ve done most of central Queensland, which is our venue of choice, so between the ones that won’t have us back and the ones that we don’t want to go to anymore because they’re duddholes, we’re almost out of options. So I guess I can’t say I was super surprised when Manboobs said he had a new destination in mind. What did surprise me was that he wanted to go back to Boondooma. Boondooma was the scene of our first Dudd trips. And there was a period when we cleaned up on yellowbelly by dragging spinnerbaits across the weed beds. It was so successful that we did it for another five years, during which time we caught absolutely nothing. At the time, spinnerbaits were cutting edge, but lure design has moved on. There are now things that I am completely unfamiliar with like soft plastics, ice jigs, metal vibes, plastic jigs, ice plastics, soft ice vibes, metal plastics and other

things that are completely confusing to someone like me who started fishing when the only artificials were Brisbane Bitter and VB.

But as Boobies says: we’re not doing any good on the coast, so maybe it’s time to go back to the future. I can’t work out whether he is serious or not. On

the one hand, maybe he is, because he’ll get to restock on all that fishing gear that he threw out fifteen years ago. And on the other hand, maybe he isn’t serious,

because he suggested this when he had the better part of four cartons under his belt. Anyway, it’s a tough decision. I’m getting the feeling we’ll sort it out later.

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2016

DATE DETAILS

CONTACT

FEBRUARY

Feb 13-14

Boondooma Dam Yellowbelly Comp Lake Boondooma

Terry Allwood 0400 860 122

Feb 20-21

ABT BREAM Qualifier #1 Mallacoota

ABT 07 3387 0888 abt.org.au

Feb 24-25

ABT BREAM Qualifier #2 Gippsland Lakes

ABT 07 3387 0888 abt.org.au

MARCH

Mar 10

VMR Hervey Bay Family Fishing Competition Hervey Bay

George Duck 0407 663 578

APRIL

Apr 9-10

ABT BREAM Qualifier #3 Mandurah

ABT 07 3387 0888 abt.org.au

Apr 25-26

BREAM Qualifier #4 St Helens

ABT 07 3387 0888 abt.org.au

MAY

Apr 30-1 May

BREAM Qualifier #5 Derwent River

ABT 07 3387 0888 abt.org.au

May 27-29

King of the Pin Jumpinpin

Don Vogel www.sundownersfishing.com

JUNE

Jun 11-12

BREAM Qualifier #6 Forster

ABT 07 3387 0888 abt.org.au

AUGUST

Aug 20-21

BREAM Qualifier #7 Clarence River

ABT 07 3387 0888 abt.org.au

Aug 24-25

BREAM Qualifier #8 Gold Coast

ABT 07 3387 0888 abt.org.au

NOVEMBER

Nov 11-13

BREAM Grand Final St Georges Basin

ABT 07 3387 0888 abt.org.au

For listings please email jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au JANUARY 2016

Yakking about impoundments BRISBANE

Justin Wilmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

The east coast of Australia is dotted with impoundments. Lakes and dams of various sizes that often allow access to anglers, including kayak anglers, and many of which are stocked with popular freshwater sportfish, including Australian bass, golden

anglers, often providing sheltered waters, multiple launch points, less boat traffic and an environment that is a little more gear friendly than the salt. There are, however, some important considerations when investigating your local impoundments to plan an adventure. Ensure that fishing is permitted and check out any regulations regarding no fishing zones, closed

for being on the water, or accessing the impoundment through locked gates. Remember that some of these bodies of water are quite large and can become choppy and even dangerous in windy conditions, so check the weather forecast and wind direction as this may influence your plans, launch site or the area you fish. I have fished many impoundments over the years and the kayak

low profile and with little shadow and water displacement. This allows you to get surprisingly close to fish and fish holding structure, and the next fish that showers me with water as it eats the lure beside the kayak will definitely not be the last. Before visiting your local impoundment there are a couple of great online resources that can give you a head start. Google Maps allows you to explore the area surrounding the impoundment to find access points close to fishy looking structure and sheltered water, while also giving you a basic lay of the land in terms of steep drop offs, shallow drains and basic vegetation. It is important to note though that these maps can be dated, so use them as a basic guide as their accuracy may vary due to the changing water level. Another great tool

A bucket of golden perch fingerlings is readied for release. lowrance.com. These charts are created by anglers, boaters, sailors and others who are out on the water, running their Lowrance or Simrad electronics, who then choose to upload the information to the social mapping. These charts show water depth contours and can be a great resource

hold fish. Not all coastal or inland waterways will be mapped. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that much of a local impoundment that I plan to explore has been mapped, allowing me to make note of structure that will definitely be worth a few casts.

PRFMA President Steve assists the kids with a release of Australian bass.

This chunky impoundment bass thumped a TT Lures Vortex spinnerbait. for anglers is Lowranceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Insight Genesis Social Map, which is viewable from their website â&#x20AC;&#x201C; www.

for locating the old river bed, humps that rise from the bottom, steep drop offs and other structure that may

The stocking of these impoundments is often funded by permits, licences and the efforts of

Water like this is built for kayak anglers. perch, silver perch, Murray cod, saratoga, barramundi and more. Impoundments can offer excellent fishing for kayak 98

JANUARY 2016

seasons and whether any permits or licenses are required. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also worth investigating if there are open and closing times

is perfect for stealthily exploring the weed beds, lilies, pockets in the weed, timber and other structure, with minimal noise, a

Shane and Dave admire a cracker 70cm saratoga caught on a TT Lures Vortex spinnerbait.

Releasing fingerlings into the shelter of the lilies increases their chance of survival.

Impoundments and kayaks go hand-in-hand.

Signage like this will fill you in on local regulations, available species and other relevant information. local stocking groups that oversee the fishery, raise and manage the funds, and co-ordinate the release of fingerlings. Recently my

wife Sheri and I caught up with the PRFMA (Pine Rivers Fish Management Association), a group that I am a former member of

and hope to be involved with again soon, at a co-ordinated fish release at Lake Kurwongbah in South East Queensland. It was great to see so many volunteers turn up on the day to assist with the release, as buckets of fingerlings were acclimatised before being released into the safety of the weed and lilies. It was also fantastic to see so many kids taking part as these young anglers are the future of our sport. I caught up with Steve Wighton, the PRFMA president, and we chatted about their recent tilapia bash aimed at reducing numbers of this noxious species, along with the fishing events that they have run for the kids and the shared access that is now in place on Lake Kurwongbah that allows kayak anglers to fish this picturesque waterway. Steve and his fellow stocking group members are passionate about fishing and the future of the sport, evident in the smiles on their faces as they stood knee deep in the water, slowly releasing 20,000 Australian bass and 10,000 golden perch into their new home. If you’re a passionate freshwater angler looking to be more involved in your local fishery, touch base

with your local stocking group. Alternatively, make sure you buy a raffle ticket, donate, or even fish one of their events to assist them with their efforts. I kayak fished the salt for many years before sliding the yak into the sweetwater and for the saltwater anglers out there, I can highly recommend a freshwater adventure. The environment and wildlife is so different, the freshwater is gear friendly, you can camp right on the water at many locations and freshwater species can be challenging, rewarding and great fun. I am looking forward to my maiden voyage on this local impoundment, especially after witnessing the addition of these new fingerlings, and the team from the stocking group freely offered a few tips for fishing this lake. A bit of research among friends that have fished the lake also gave me a good starting point for my upcoming adventure and you will see a few of their successes among the accompanying photos. Spinnerbaits, tailspinners and blades are among the go-to lures for fishing this impoundment and worth including in your freshwater kit. Stay tuned for next

Nathan Hayter, a subscriber to Fishing Monthly, caught this impressive mahimahi trolling lures on the way to Barwon Banks Reef just off Mooloolaba. He was clearly stoked with his catch!

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month’s article where I slide my kayak into an impoundment that I have never fished before and report back with a breakdown of the structure I encountered and techniques that I employed to catch a few… hopefully Murphy doesn’t throw a spanner in the works and put the mocker on me. Take the time to Google the local impoundments in your area and plan a freshwater adventure. You may discover a gem of a fishery, be blown away by the tranquillity of the surroundings and even get to tangle with a new drag peeling, hard-fighting and iconic fish species. See you on the water.

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THE R ECR EATIONAL ANGLER’S LINK MAR INE WOR MS AND THE BR IBIE ISLAND R ESEARCH STATION • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • I hope everyone had a safe Christmas and New Year and was able to spend plenty of time with

friends and family on our great waterways. If your favourite spot managed to remain quiet and without

too much of a crowd you should count yourself lucky! Anyone fishing in the Trinity Bay, Mackay

or Keppel Bay area would have had the experience of fishing in our first net free areas. We would

like to welcome the new Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Leanne Donaldson MP and look

forward to meeting with her in the New Year to start working towards the Net Free Area of Moreton Bay.

DR PAUL PALMER AND MAR INE WOR MS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Dr Paul Palmer from the Bribie Island Research Station has, over the last two years, helped to nurture the spirit of many budding recreational fishers. Regardless of age or experience, three things are important to recreational fishers – the company they fish with, the environment where they fish, and most importantly the belief that

water through sand filtration. In the treatment process the water is also used to grow marine worms, which until now have been difficult to grow on a commercial scale. Prawn farmers can then feed the worms to their prawns or sell them. Prawns produced from the project are sold into the seafood market, and worms are sold locally on Bribie as bait.

of them were either nearby or knew someone who did and that lights the spark. “The significant achievement we’ve made in this project is that we’ve been able to recycle the water through the sand worm beds, and re-use that on the prawn farm,” Dr Palmer said. The discovery means prawn and fish farms who implement the system won’t

Dr. Palmer and other marine biologists have developed a system that recycles aquaculture waste water through sand filtration. In the treatment process the water is also used to grow marine worms, which until now have been difficult to grow on a commercial scale. and this is a way that the prawn farming industry could expand without any additional nutrient release. “The project has successfully produced its second crop of black tiger prawns and marine worms on a semi-commercial scale, without water discharge from the system,” he said. Dr Palmer said the integrated system used

farmers can produce food on their own farms to supply to their own hatcheries and have control over the quality. In addition to the recycling innovation, Dr Palmer said the ability to grow marine worms in the treatment process was also significant, as until now researchers have struggled to produce them in captivity on a large scale. “This potentially could

more valuable by making them more available. I do think it’s an industry in its own right and it’s very interesting that it can fit so nicely into prawn farming.” Once again, the Junior Anglers Association and Sunfish Queensland would like to thank Dr Palmer for his support as well as the ground breaking research he and his team have been

Dr. Palmer explaining how the Bribie Island Aquaculture Research Centre operates. there is a likelihood of catching a fish. Dr Palmer and other marine biologists at the Bribie Island Aquaculture Research Centre, north of Brisbane, (with support from DAF Queensland) have developed a system that recycles aquaculture waste

Dr Palmer’s research has helped to develop an environmental water filter, and his worms have provided an optimum bait to allow inexperienced anglers a greater chance of catching a fish. This results in fish landed on the beach and even though not everyone caught a fish, most

need to draw as much water from the natural environment to fill their ponds, and won’t need to release treated water either. This has multiple benefits for our aquatic environment. In Australia, we’re concerned about nutrients that are entering our waterways

Prawn hatcheries require a certain percentage of the diet they feed to brood stock to be marine worms. This project means prawn farmers can produce food on their own farms to supply to their own hatcheries.

Marine worms are very expensive per kilo and Dr. Palmer’s research will go a long way to boosting the industry and making worms more available.

www.sunfishqld.com.au 100

JANUARY 2016

constructed sand beds stocked with the worms to filter and recirculate treated prawn pond wastewater. Most prawn hatcheries around the world need a certain percentage of the diet they feed to brood stock to be marine worms, because the worms hold the essential vitamins that make them reproduce successfully. This project means prawn

create large volumes of marine worms which could be used in a whole range of ways.” The worms are worth quite a lot on a per kilogram basis and marine worms in Australia at the moment are very expensive, as anglers will attest.” “If this project leads to industrialisation it may make the marine worm industry even

Email: judylynne@sunfishqld.com.au

doing that have ultimate benefits for the prawn industry, recreational fishers and our marine environment.

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101

Product Profile

Stacer release new Proline Striker Series FMG

Will Lee wlee@fishingmonthly.com.au

Stacer Boats have long been a favourite with Australian anglers who fish a wide spectrum of waterways. However, if you were to look at a breakdown of where most anglers spend the majority of their time, you’d find the answer is at most fishing rivers, estuaries and lakes, therefore it is no wonder that up until recently the number one

this time the day consisted of a poker run. Starting at Sea World we headed north to Wave Break Island adjacent to the Southport Seaway and then up the Nerang River making several stops to draw cards before tying up the Stacers at The Isle of Capri for lunch and to see who had the best hand. I certainly wasn’t going to win with only a high card but along the way I made the most of every stop getting a ride in each of the new Prolines. Included in the Striker series line up are the 399

deeper entry point and the result is you have a hull that is going to deliver a softer ride. Across the entire Striker Series you will find the chines are now wider delivering more stability both at rest and underway. The wider chines are also effective for providing a dry ride. In the moderate 12 knots of breeze we had while testing the Striker Series I cannot recall copping any spray other than a little bit caused by pretty ordinary boat driving skills from another journalist. A very noticeable point of

there was very little weight in the way of a fit out. Stacer offer an upgrade option of

to go fishing package at an affordable price. Across the Proline Anglers you will

a side console, bow mount plate, bimini top, live bait tank, live well transom step,

The 409 Proline Angler replaces the 399 Proline Angler.

One difference in the Striker Series is that the chines no longer meet in the centre line providing better stability. selling boat in the Stacer Range was the 399 Proline – it has now been narrowly overtaken by their popular 429 Seaway model. To keep up with customer demand and feedback, Stacer have revamped their larger Proline boats by introducing the Proline Striker series for 2016. I recently had the pleasure of experiencing what Stacer is offering in the new Striker Series first-hand at a media day held on the picturesque Broadwater at the Gold Coast. In true Stacer fashion, the day revolved around a theme,

and 429 Prolines, as well as the 409, 429 and 449 Proline Anglers. It is worth noting that there is no longer a 399 Proline Angler in the range; the 409 Proline Angler has superseded that model. The new series sees some significant changes to what has previously been a popular hull design. So how exactly did Stacer improve their number one selling boat? The keel has been relaxed by 7% meaning that the bow has less of an angle that is likely to ‘bump’ into a chop but rather skip over it. Match the relaxed keel with a now

different between the Striker Series and the previous Prolines is that at no point do the chines actually meet up with the centre line on the new models resulting in an ‘arrow’ shaped bow that, from a bird’s eye view, gives these boats a sporty new look. It’s not all for show though, it provides anglers with 11% more space up front for the 399 and 429 Proline and an extra 11% fishing space on the front casting deck for the Proline Angler range. The barebones 399 and 429 Prolines handled very well, especially seeing as

Gold Coast angler Mick Horn demonstrates the fishability of the 409 Proline Angler. 102

JANUARY 2016

The new bow design provides anglers with 11% more casting platform to work with. having 2mm bottom and sides on the 399 Proline and with this upgrade, increases the maximum outboard rating from 30-40hp. I couldn’t wait to get on the 399 fitted with a 40hp E-Tec and, as expected, it turned out this thing was a rocket ship. While the 399 and 429 Prolines serve their purpose, the Proline Anglers offer keen fishers a ready

find front and rear carpeted casting platforms, the very comfortable Stacer Sea Pro seats with six seating positions, side decks, rails, a transducer bracket and a quality Stacer paint job. The extra room on the front casting platforms offer ample room for two anglers up front throwing lures. There are also the usual popular options available to go with the Proline Anglers, such as

underfloor fuel tanks and a flash rod storage pocket. After spending several hours jumping between the different boats and giving them a test drive, including stopping for a sneaky cast at a school of trevally to ‘test’ its fishability, I can now certainly appreciate the benefits of the changes in design. The R&D team at Stacer have not just tweaked the design but actually significantly improved on something that was already a proven success. You can expect a softer, drier and more stable ride from the new Striker Series. All boats that we tested throughout the day were fitted with Evinrude E-Tec outboards that performed effortlessly getting each boat onto the plane quickly, even when loaded with four people. The word on the street is that the Striker Series will be rolling out of the factory to dealers in early January so contact your nearest dealer to find out more.

The 429 Proline Angler rode nicely even with four on board.

Cooking

How-to skin a pelagic

Make an incision just below the skin behind the head and along body all the way to the tail. Note that the cut runs above the ‘belly organs’ and avoids thinner flesh around the ribs.

2 Start a new cut at the top of the fillet, just behind the head, and continue through the skin along the dorsal area.

Grip the corner of the skin and separate a corner of it from the flesh. Then pull backwards to peel the skin away from the flesh for the entire length of the fillet.

Using a long bladed knife, start filleting from the tail.

3 6 Recipe Continue cutting through the skin all the way to the tail.

Fish Burger 4 burger sized portions of fish 1 tbsp olive oil Salt and pepper 4 burger buns, sliced through horizontally Washed and dried lettuce leaves 2 ripe tomatoes, cut into thick slices Method Using your fingers, massage the olive oil over the fish pieces and season. Heat a grill pan, bbq plate or frypan to a medium heat. When hot, place the coated fish pieces onto the grill and gently sear both sides; don’t cook the fish all the way through.

Remember that the fish will continue to cook even after it is removed from the grill; this process should complete the cooking. When cooked, remove the fish from the grill and set aside. Place the burger buns, cut side down, on the grill and lightly toast. To assemble, place a piece of grilled fish onto each toasted burger bun and then load the buns with lettuce leaves and sliced tomato. These fish burgers can be served with a wedge of lemon (for squeezing and drizzling over the cooked fish) and a side of hot and crunchy golden chips. The above quantities will serve four.

Fillet all the way to the fish’s head and remove the fillet.

JANUARY 2016

103

News

Looking at the big picture SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

Suntag often looks at the data at the level of a single system because fishers want to know about the area that they fish in. Sometimes though, looking local means you miss a large chunk of the story. The following set of topics highlight the value of long term monitoring. Most researcher led programs are short term and aim for specific questions. Identifying patterns in fish use of a system require much longer efforts, yet patterns tell us a lot of how a fishery works. The movements of fish in an out of a system and thus the ways they use habitat at different points in their lifecycle are really important to know if you are looking to get the best out of a fishery.

keep on the watch list. Reef species In the reef species, we have two that we feel reasonably confident have moved territory south – red emporer and nannygai. While both of these species have been caught up and down the coast they are in significantly larger numbers in Moreton Bay/Gold Coast that previously detected. Given that they are being caught in areas that are fished for a variety of species and most areas were targeting bait for some reason the region is becoming a better option. This may be a combination of factors. While the catch rates were lower, other species were larger targets, so humans did some of the hard work thinning out the competition. A second parameter is either they have adapted to the local environment, or the environment has improved

Migratory species While we no longer tag species such as spotted and Spanish mackerel, there is every reason to think, like marlin, they will find their territory pushing further south. There was a significant tagging program for mackerel back in the 1990s, but for a very different purpose. It is probably time to start thinking about tagging mackerel speciesto see what has changed since the last tagging effort. SANDY STRAITS MARINE PARK Would you like to know what a fish magnet looks like? Get out a map of the Sandy Straits Marine Park and have a good close look – you are looking at one. If you have fished around Fraser Island and in the region of the Sandy Straits Marine Park you know that there is some pretty amazing fishing to be had. That

The picturesque 12 Mile Creek earlier this year. CLIMATE CHANGE There was a recent article over at The Conversation about the shift in habitat of black marlin. The article can be read at http:// theconversation. com/ anglers-have-helped-detect-ashift-in-the-habitat-of-blackmarlin-49957 The article used data from the NSW Game Tagging Program to show the southward progression of black marlin over time. The effect of climate change is of significant interest to many fishers, regarding local fisheries and also to new opportunities opened up. Bluefin tuna for example are being caught off Ireland and Wales for the first time. Things are changing and it’s long term monitoring that is needed to track those changes. So are there other species we need to be looking at? As marine travelling species vary in terms of how they move about, there are some challenges but we have identified some species to 104

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for them. There hasn’t been enough work looking at the environment or their habits to see which is correct. The reality is, it will be a combination of factors but it would be it would be wrong to rule out environment change as a factor. Inshore species There is evidence of numbers of golden snapper increasing further south but less clear evidence they have moved territory. Black jewfish are another species that falls into a similar category. We have tracked black jewfish down as far as Hervey Bay though we don’t have the historical data to show that this is abnormal. They aren’t a regular catch but if they become regular, it’s likely they have moved in. We have established a bottom line on the territory for both species and so our monitoring is focused on change. Large changes in catch rates are a red flag that conditions have changed in favour of these species.

particular region boasts one of the most diverse fisheries going with everything from reef fish, tailor, mackerel, bream, flathead and whiting if you want a feed; bass, barra, threadfin and jacks if you want some sport and monster giant trevally and sight casting to marlin if you want to get some adrenalin into your system. In terms of the diversity of available options and fishing techniques, the Marine Park is as good a fishery as you will find. If you zoom out a bit from that though you will see that there is another feature of the Marine Park. The inflow and outflow of fish from the Marine Park over our 30 years of data collection is pretty unique. Having generated these maps for at least the major systems up and down the coast none has quite the range of species that migrate based on the data we have. This time around I am not going to take a quantitative look at the data. What the

Reece Thomas has tagged over 200 snapper in one year. data demonstrates though is the Sandy Strait Marine Park is not just important to local fishers. Sandy Strait plays a role in the fishing experiences of fishers from Townsville to the border and likely beyond. The extent of that role will take more research but it is a powerful reminder that what you do every time you go fishing has an impact. SNAPPER TRAFFIC CONTROL Snapper in Moreton Bay are a great example of how tagging and movement information can differ. Around 20 years of snapper information has them recorded throughout Moreton Bay, so you might expect some randomness to their movement. Once you filter out smaller localized movement though, a very different pattern of movement starts to emerge. There are some distinct traffic lanes. There is traffic to and from the Pummicestone Passage, from Moreton Island, and the Brisbane River. There is traffic into the middle islands including Mud Island, St Helena Island and Green Island. Then there

is traffic into Peel Island and the Logan River. While there have been fish travelling to and from the Gold Coast region, most of the fish recorded down that way stay there. Snapper are heavily harvested, so few snapper make it too far offshore in terms of recaptures. That said, there is evidence of snapper heading offshore when they get large enough. It makes you wonder if there is a fish version of air traffic control out there somewhere. 12 MILE CREEK If you ever need an example of how important nursery habitat is, have a look at the 12 Mile Creek at Marmor. The 12 Mile is a series of waterholes that link up during heavy rain periods. King tides also play a role as it’s during the big tides that the 12 Mile links up with the Fitzroy. It’s on these king tides that juvenile barra break in and out. Juvenile barra come in as fingerlings after a spawning and if things go to plan, they will exit once they are around 400mm and able to defend

themselves in the big world. As it’s a land locked system, we know they have left when they no longer show up in catch data after king tides. Looking to the bigger picture, fish from the 12 Mile have made their way as far south as the Mary River. In real terms though, the true value of the 12 Mile shows up in the Fitzroy and Gladstone regions. Fish from the 12 Mile end up throughout the Central Queensland fishery. Baby fish in the 12 Mile not only means there will be new fish added to the region, it means there is a chance of other fish appearing from a spawning. If there are no new fish in 12 Mile, spawning has not been very successful. So, by surveying one site, we have a very good idea of what to expect in terms of yearly spawning success for an entire region and the chance of good fishing conditions in the future. With a newly minted Net Free Zone on the Fitzroy, the 12 Mile could be the most important nursery site in the state.

Luke Galea in action, showing us why our barra nurseries are so important.

News NET FREE ZONES – NOW THE REAL WORK BEGINS! On 10 November a historic event took place, the first meeting of all three Net Free Zones. Location, they say, is everything, so where better to hold the workshop than at the Cape Hillsborough Nature Resort, overlooking the St Helens Bay Net Free Zone. Resort manager Ben Atherton was one of the biggest supporters of the Net Free Zone and took some significant risks as a business owner in doing so. As with any big change, first you have to win the war. This battle has been as bruising as any for a good many years and it showed on the faces of those that lead the charge. Lance Murray, Kim Martin and Paul Aubin will no doubt

be looking to a quiet 2016. The question that had to be answered by this meeting was, having won the war, were recreational fishers willing to step up and make the zones work. The answer was emphatic – yes! Wade Clark from Rockhampton City Council opened the event with a powerful detailing of the fiveyear plan they have developed for infrastructure and marketing of the region. Their approach to infrastructure is a model for the future. Rather than maximizing boat ramps to get as many people on the water as possible, the plan is to set an upper limit based around the maximum number of vessels that will ensure good fishing but not damage stocks. Additional capacity will

Hard work pays off! NFZ supporters at Cape Hillsborough.

be added via creating new fishing opportunities in nearby areas rather than shoving more boats on the water. Another aspect of the workshop that was a revelation was the discussion on the implementation of a voluntary code of practice for fishers. The plan for Rockhampton is to use the Crystal Bowl predictions as a guide to what fishers can take home but as a rule the code of practice will advocate taking home less than the bag limit. Additionally, there will be a tightening of practices on targeting spawning

Fish movements out of Sandy Straits Marine Park.

Snapper movements in Moreton Bay.

aggregations. Species such as blue threadfin are not protected by the closed season but will be included in the code as off limits during spawning. There will always be the option to take a feed but in all three regions, nobody wants to see a free for all. The priority is to guide the NFZ areas back to being an excellent healthy fishery. Stephen Schwer from Mackay Tourism also gave a great presentation, showing off the video talents of gun local Luke Galea. The idea of using talented young locals is a great innovation. Equally, Mackay Tourism’s commitment to giving St Helens Bay time to recover and ensuring the visitors are looking after the area as well as the passionate locals is refreshing. In all three areas, there is a very real chance that there will be an increase in tourism without damaging the fishery. Now that recreational fishers have three protected areas, the plan is to provide serious stewardship. Having argued that we can make these areas better without nets, recreational fishers are

stepping up. Fisheries Queensland’s role in the NFZs is limited to monitoring. They will be recording catches in the three NFZ areas as well as three non-NFZ areas to compare the differences over the next 3-5 years. This extends their review of the NFZ beyond stocks to providing some form of advise on how much better the NFZ areas have performed than equivalent other areas. I can see a rerun of the arguments over snapper data coming, but today is not the day for such concerns. The fact that Rockhampton City Council and Mackay Tourism are now fully on board and seeing the benefits of the Net Free Zone is fantastic. What makes it really sweet is that there are plans in place to make sure everyone benefits from an amazing Christmas present to recreational fishers in Queensland. Queensland’s recreations fishers will miss Minister Byrne. He will be remembered for achieving more real and lasting change in less than a year than many ministers before have achieved in a full term.

Fish movements into Sandy Straits Marine Park. JANUARY 2016

105

Stabicraft 2400 Supercab and Yamaha 225 4-stroke BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

New Zealand born and bred Stabicraft are alloy pontoonstyle boats renowned for immense stability, toughness, longevity and easy performance from a given horsepower. In fact, many professional services rely on these attributes to carry out their work using these wellregarded boats. Presented and well equipped with lots of extras by Northside Marine, the

section. These somewhat straighter-sided pontoons result in a slimmer, more streamlined overall profile without detracting from the brand’s legendary raft-like stance at rest, and the ability to easily shrug off seas underway. The review day started well. The big Stabi slipped readily from its Dunbier dualwheeled multiroller trailer, and with the 225 Yamaha kicking into life first turn of the key, I boarded the rig without even getting the feet wet. In my view, this was a great start to the morning. Love those dry foot launches!

storage pockets were plush enough to be considered luxurious. They’re large enough for mum, dad, and a couple of youngsters to sleep on with ease. Under the bunks were ample storage areas, and there’s the option for a marine toilet as well as a privacy door for the cabin. Up front of the cabin, a large overhead hatch allowed access onto a beach or pontoon, with a bow rail there to assist departure or entry. Overhead on the roof of the Supercab’s hardtop were side rails, radio aerials, plus a set of eight rod holders set onto the rear lip. A portable life raft would fit up there as well. IDEAL HELM SETUP The helm area of the 2400 Supercab was very user friendly. Full visibility via the tempered glass windscreen sections was everything you might wish for, with a

The big Stabicraft Supercab underway: poetry in motion. windscreen wiper to starboard and sliding windows on both aft sections extending around the cabin. A dash area extended the width of the craft, and incorporated a hand-hold for the first mate,

plus a convenient mounting point for the marine radio as well as gauges linked to the Yamaha astern. The Stabicraft’s neat helm area was set up with a threespoke sports style steering

As the boat approaches at speed, the Supercab’s V section mated to outer pontoons can be seen pushing displaced water well to the side. reviewed Stabicraft 2400 Supercab/225 Yamaha 4-stroke was a go-far-andfast combination dedicated to the angler who wants to go offshore, perhaps even a long way offshore, and get there ASAP. FIRST THOUGHTS Supercabs these days feature Stabicraft’s revolutionary Arrow (narrower) pontoons incorporated into the outer extremity of the hull, which also has a deep V central

GENERAL LAYOUT As we headed out into the Bay proper, I couldn’t help but remark to Bill Hull of Northside just how large every aspect of the Stabicraft was. High sides, wide decks, ample headroom everywhere, and a massive angler’s cockpit. The helm area and corresponding protection against weather provided by the hardtop overhead was impressive, while the bunks within the open cabin with its soft lining and massive side

Strong and highly supportive swivel seats pamper the skipper and first mate. wheel, rows of switches, controls for the Maxwell winch up front, with a Simrad NSS12 sounder/GPS unit set neatly into the facia. There were very supportive, high-backed bucket-style seats mounted

equipped with lighting. Both side areas adjacent the forward seating were also soft lined for best comfort. BIG COCKPIT A BONUS Northside Marine had optioned the big Stabicraft’s cockpit floor with rubber tube matting, which I reckon was a very wise move given that a boat of this size and capability could clearly see a lot of offshore usage. The main cockpit features consisted of full-length shelving along each side, large enough to hold a generous amount of tackle or other items, while three rod holders and three drink holders were set into each gunwale. Wisely, rubber mat sections were set onto the gunwales as well as each corner of the full height transom, where you could board after a swim, as a ladder and handrail formed part of the transom features. A large bait station with live bait well, cutting board, drink and rod holders was set up centrally aft, while a deck wash was provided within the starboard side shelf. Aft seating consisted of paired drop-down seats located in each cockpit corner, where padded back rests were also provided for comfort underway. With the seats in an upright position while fishing,

SPECIFICATIONS Length:.....................................................................7.30m Beam:...................................................................... 2.30m Length on trailer:..................................................... 8.5m Height on trailer:...................................................... 3.3m Construction of hull:...........Alloy (6mm central section, 4mm tubes) Central V section: .......................................19° deadrise Weight hull:............................................................1180kg Power ratings:................................................ 200-250hp Fuel:........................................................................... 300L Persons:...........................................................................8 Towing:.........................................4WD wagon or F-truck

Above Left: Big cabin shelves will store a lot of items in the Supercab area. Above Right: A nice touch: ample side padding around skipper and mate’s side areas. Left: A userfriendly dash is but one of the many great features of this high performing rig. Right: Massive bunks are standard, and there’s the option of a toilet and cabin door. 106

JANUARY 2016

on soft rider pedestals for the skipper and mate. With ample slide adjustment, the swivelling seats also featured front dropdown bolster sections to allow skipper and mate to stand up fully braced when necessary. In all, it was a very complete helm set-up that was well sheltered thanks to the hardtop overhead, which was lined and

these cockpit corner areas would provide quite decent brace points. By contrast, fishing along the sides of the Stabicraft’s cockpit would involve working around a somewhat prominent inward bulge at floor level (due to some intrusion of the outer pontoon section). This shouldn’t really

be an issue, but certainly not the same as having a toe rail or shelf there to tuck the feet under when working on a big fish in less than friendly sea conditions.

hull to a top speed of almost 48.5 knots. Speed readings with two aboard saw an even plane at 1800rpm at 7.7 knots, with 2000rpm recording 9.5 knots. 3000rpm lifted it along

The Yamaha 225 makes very easy work of powering the big Stabi. 225 YAMAHA MID RANGE POWER The 2400 Stabicraft Supercab features a wide enough transom lip for dual engine installation, which saw the V6 225 Yamaha 4-stroke sitting with plenty of room to spare. The compact 4.1l 225 was mid-range within the craft’s 200-250hp rating. Whisper quiet at idle, the 225 Yamaha proved to be smooth and very quiet unless really pushed towards full rpm. It also had ample grunt to push the 1180kg Stabicraft

at 21.7 knots, 4000rpm 30 knots, 5000rpm 38 knots, and 6000rpm 47.7 knots. The speed readings are impressive, but cannot show how easily the big 225 powered the hull. With rapid throttle application, it fairly leaped forward; such was the torque of the 4.1l V6. Offshore work, bar crossings and the like would see the Yamaha providing wide safety margins in the power stakes. RIDE AND HANDLING It would have been great to have reviewed this

dedicated offshore rig in sloppy seas, but the test runs were carried out in very calm conditions. The only chance to assess wave impact was to jump over the wash created by a Surtees 610 Gamefisher rig (also from Northside Marine) reviewed back-toback while making the best of photo opportunities. Even when moving really fast, that Supercab could not be made to bang, clang or bump over the modest wash from the other boat. Any number of reviews of these rigs back home in NZ will show just how well they perform in sloppy conditions. I found the ride and handling simply outstanding, with hydraulic steering offering fingertip control of the sports-style wheel. The craft’s slightly bow high stance underway plus 1m interior sides kept any spray well away

Rubber floor matting is an option that makes a lot of sense. from us, while the 19° central V section easily sliced through wash without the slightest fuss. Anglers will not only enjoy the rig’s great ride, but also the

Anglers aboard the Supercab will certainly make best use of the craft’s large live bait well.

SYDNEY’S NO.1

terrific buoyancy and stability courtesy of the Stabicraft’s pontoon construction, which prevents virtually all leaning. All in all, this is a well built and well performing craft. I saw the Stabicraft 2400 Supercab as well suited to either family bay or touring duties, with the keen offshore angler likely to enjoy it most of all. The finish was of the highest standard, with welds visible but smoothed. Joinery and fitout were all top shelf. There’s virtually everything an angler might need to enjoy serious fishing, and with 300L of fuel under the floor, this boat has a massive cruising range. An added bonus is

that Stabicrafts have a strong resale value. On a dual wheel Dunbier trailer, the rig as reviewed and with quite a few options including tube floor matting and the Simrad unit would cost $141,175. Northside Marine can be contacted on (07) 3265 8000 or on the net at www. nsmarine.com.au. • Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

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107

Stacer Proline gets a revamp: 449S Angler

BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Stacer have made it their business to keep a close eye on customer demand, and they are always on the lookout for ways to make a good thing even better. With their Proline series of entry level fishing tinnies they’ve managed to neatly balance practicality with price, and for very good reason: there are many keen fishos that are dedicated to their pastime yet are rendered time poor by family or work, or perhaps have strict budgetary commitments. These anglers need a boat to enjoy their precious time on the water but cannot justify an overly large outlay for a state-of-the-art craft that’s going to see only occasional use. Far better, for these fishers, to seek out a budget package that can cover a wide number of angling

activities but without over commitment. This value for money concept has been the strength of the Stacer Proline series. They have always been regarded as boats that can comfortably fish small families or groups of mates, tow and stow easily and (despite modest price tags) still look quite attractive behind the car or on the water. This year’s release sees the already successful Proline Angler series of models (from 409 to 449 in length) featuring a new ‘Striker’ series of redesigned hulls. These hulls offer more beam, more depth thanks to a deeper entry point, and more easy performance from given horsepower. Interior dimensions reflect these changes; models with casting platforms, such as the Angler 449S I reviewed, have up to 10% increase in cast deck area up front. Other features include extra storage space, roto anchor wells,

A long shaft 60 E-Tec was top power for the reviewed rig and was quiet with impressive amounts of get up and go. Given the very easy performance of the 60, smaller family or fishing teams might want to opt for less power and save some dollars in the process. 108

JANUARY 2016

optional live wells and smart wraps to add extra bling. The deeper entry of the Proline Striker series results in an increased interior depth of these craft, particularly up front and towards amidships. It’s not so noticeable in those models where a floor is fitted but very easy to see in craft without a floor, such as the 399/429 models, where the forward floor area is substantially veed. The added depth between sides and keel is a contributor to ride quality as well as minimizing water intrusion when underway. With the almost metre depth of the sides of the 449 Angler, boaters with youngsters SPECIFICATIONS Length: ...................4.49m Length on Trailer:...5.65m Height on Trailer:....1.40m Beam:......................2.04m Bottomsides:...... 3.00mm Topsides:............. 2.00mm Max. HP:....................60hp Min. HP:.....................40hp Max people:.................... 4 Weight (hull only): .335kg aboard will doubtless be reassured by the Proline’s excellent freeboard. LAYOUT The new top-of-therange 449S Proline Angler Striker comes standard with a carpeted floor, two rod holders, an extended front casting platform, extruded side decks, transducer bracket, a painted hull, side rails, two strong pedestal seats, and six seat positions. Engines are rated from 40-60hp, with the reviewed

449S being equipped with a long shaft 60hp Evinrude E-Tec. Options are numerous, with over a dozen on the factory specs sheet, and among those most likely to

PERFORMANCE On the water the 449S Angler will make a lot friends with its easy, very smooth ride and high degrees of stability at all times. The reviewed rig was set

The new Stacer 449S Proline Angler is in many respects an ideal smaller family craft for sheltered or semi-sheltered waters given its generous beam-to-length ratio of 2.05m to 4.59m, the

A very wide beam to length ratio gives the new Proline 449 Angler appeal to family groups as well as the more serious anglers among us. The standard Proline seats were comfortable, roomy and quite supportive, and excellent storage was available within the hatch up front under the casting platform. be chosen include a live bait tank, 70L under floor fuel tank, side pocket, bimini and envelope, a sounder GPS from a wide selection of units available, decal combinations and perhaps a side console in lieu of the standard tiller steer set up. An electric motor bracket is also an important option. Construction of the Proline 449S Angler sees 3mm bottoms and 2mm sides linked to ample ribs to ensure rigidity. With a hull weight of 335kg, the craft is certainly no lightweight – hence the engine ratings as mentioned – and this gives it a really sturdy, solid, feel whether at rest or underway. It takes up to four people, ideal for a fishing boat of this size.

up with a tiller steer (top power) 60 Evinrude E-Tec on the transom but I’d see it going almost as well with a 40 E-Tec if there were only one or two people aboard most times. I was impressed with the lack of hull slap, thanks to the Proline’s excellent design, and also with the overall comfort experienced with three aboard during test runs around the Southport Broadwater. The very snappy performance from the smooth E-Tec with its muted hum astern also added to the pleasure of the boating experience. Performance figures with three aboard saw the craft planing at around 13km/h and cruising easily and very quietly at 40km/h, with a top speed of almost 54km/h recorded.

excellent freeboard of 0.91m and very easy going ride. Competent sportfishers would also enjoy the same attributes and no doubt catch their share of fish in this boat. It’s right sized, could be towed by most family sedans or SUVs, and won’t involve too much of an outlay to own. The hull warranty is three years. For more info visit your local Stacer dealer or go to www.stacer.com.au. • Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

Storage space is always hard to come by in open boats of this size so there’s little doubt that the full-width storage locker up front of the 449 Proline will be put to good use by owners.

With such a roomy casting platform, two anglers could fish up front of the 449 Angler with ease. Fortunately, an electric motor bracket is on the options list.

Fishing Monthly’s Will Lee looks like he’s enjoying time at the tiller of the 449 Angler.

One option sure to be selected by prospective Proline 449 Angler owners would be the live well, in this case a roto moulded job.

The E-Tec 60’s impressive 2-stroke power saw an easy cruising speed of around 40km/h during runs within the Southport Broadwater and surrounds.

NEW FOR 2016

IS THE STACER PROLINE • INCREASED STABILITY • SOFTER RIDE • DRYER RIDE • MORE SPACE The Stacer Proline Angler 449 is the ultimate inshore fishing package with front and rear casting platforms, 2 x Stacer Sea Pro seats with 6 seat positions, rod holders, side decks, transducer bracket and anchor well as standard with many more other options.

GOLD COAST

BRISBANE

SUNSHINE COAST

10 Hinde St, ASHMORE Ph 07 5532 4402 sales@whitewatermarine.com.au

31 Fox St WYNNUM Ph 07 3396 9777 info@wynnummarine.com.au

2294 Sandgate Rd BOONDALL Ph 07 3265 8000 sales@northsidemarine.com.au

264 Nicklin Way WARANA Ph 07 5493 9376 mail@northcoastboating.com.au

16 Project Avenue NOOSAVILLE Ph 07 5442 4872 info@lagunaboating.com.au

HERVEY BAY

BUNDABERG

GLADSTONE

ROCKHAMPTON

MACKAY

19 Islander Rd PIALBA Ph 07 4124 6988 enquiries@buccaneers.com.au

28 Ritchie St, BUNDABERG Ph 07 4153 1819 adriansmarinecentre@bigpond.com

40 Chapple St GLADSTONE Ph 07 4972 0135 sales@curtiscoastmarine.com.au

6 Dooley St NORTH ROCKHAMPTON Ph 07 4927 9150 rifen.boats@bigpond.com

24-26 Grandview Dr MACKAY Ph 07 4963 4500 redline1@bigpond.net.au

WHITE WATER MARINE

www.whitewatermarine.com.au BUCCANEERS

www.buccaneers.com.au

WYNNUM MARINE

www.wynnummarine.com.au ADRIANS MARINE CENTRE

www.adriansmarinecentre.com.au

NORTHSIDE MARINE

www.northsidemarine.com.au CURTIS COAST MARINE

www.curtiscoastmarine.com.au

NORTH COAST BOATING

www.northcoastboating.com.au RIFEN BOATS

www.rifenboats.com.au

LAGUNA BOATING CENTRE

www.lagunaboating.com.au REDLINE MOTOSPORTS

www.redlinemotosports.com.au JANUARY 2016

109

Trades, Services, Charter MARINE MECHANICS

BAIT & TACKLE

Holt Marine (07) 3353 1928

BEST LURE RANGE THE Fishing GOLDON COAST TOP BRANDS • TOP SERVICE • GREAT PRICES

INSIDE SPORTY’S WAREHOUSE

MAIL ORDERS

WELCOME

Straithaid Rd 07 5526 2786 32BUNDALL 4217 QLD

Cunningham Marine Centre (07) 3284 8805 Caloundra Marine (07) 5491 1944 Bribie Boat Sales (07) 3408 0055

• Sales • Service • Spare Parts • Warranty and Insurance work * REPOWER SPECIALISTS *

www.runawaybaymarineservice.com.au

2/247 Bayveiw St Runaway Bay GEOFF NEWMAN PH 55774411

QLD HONDA DEALER OF THE YEAR 2011/2012

Live worms & yabbies Rod and reel repairs Custom rods

NORTH QUEENSLAND Reef Marine Mackay (07) 4957 3521

BOAT MECHANICS // MOBILE BRISBANE Wondall Rd Marine (07) 3396 5633

BOAT LICENCING

ANGLERS CONNECTION OPEN 7 DAYS

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

GOLD COAST

Coastal Powerboats (07) 5568 0904

GOLD COAST

ROD

CLA SSE AVAIL S OVEABLE WEE R KEN DS

REPAIRS BRING YOUR OLD ROD BACK TO LIFE DROP IN & CHECK OUT OUR MONTHLY SPECIALS!

1154 Gold Coast Hwy, PALM BEACH Q 4221

07 5559 5155

Ph/Fax

www.anglersconnection.com.au SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND Tackle Warehouse Brisbane (07) 3398 6500 BCF www.bcf.com.au Tackle Land Sandgate (07) 3269 5060 Tackle Land Carseldine (07) 3862 9015

BOAT HIRE // HOUSE GOLD COAST

Great family and fishing boats! + 50km of sheltered waterways on the Gold Coast’s Broadwater + No Licence required CALL FOR A + Boats from $795 DEAL + 2-12 berth

r the... Call us fo on Garmin E BEST PRICronics Elect s onda sale All your Hice needs and serv

4/26 TAREE ST, BURLEIGH HEADS www.ssmarine.com.au

Phone 07 5522 1933 MOBILE SERVICE AVAILABLE Bundall Marine Centre – Servicing all makes and models. MOBILE SERVICE AVAILABLE (07) 5504 7446 Whitewater Marine (07) 5532 4402 T&S Marine (07) 5546 2599

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

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME + 07 5502 6200 + www.coomerahouseboats.com.au

This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 50 words within a 8x2 ad size.

www.bundallmarinecentre.com.au

5504 7446

Bundall Marine Centre

No.1 Ashmore Rd, Bundall

0422 198 651

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

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 0800 or 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

FRASER COAST

MARINE ELECTRONICS

Rainbow Beach Houseboats (07) 5486 3146 Lake Monduran House Boat www.lakemonduranhouseboathire.com.au

MARINE ELECTRONICS

BOAT HIRE // TRAILER

SALES • REPAIRS • INSTALLATIONS

GOLD COAST

ONSITE AND MOBILE INSTALLATIONS

Boab Boat Hire - 1300 002 622

SUNSHINE COAST Promote your Sunny Coast boat hire business here! For as little as $15 per month. Phone (07) 3387 0800 Email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

ads@fishingmonthly.com.au Stones Corner Marine (07) 3397 9766 Brisbane Yamaha (07) 3888 1727 Northside Marine (07) 3265 8029

• Sounders • GPS • Electric Motors • Marine Radios and accessories • Stereos • Televisions • Radar Units • Autopilots Unit 4/1440 New Cleveland Road Capalaba www.trymax.com.au PHONE: 07 3245 3633

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.

Boats & Guided Fishing Tours Directory BOAT MODIFICATIONS & REPAIRS

FLUSH YOUR ENGINE WITH

ONLINE TACKLE PRODUCTS

ROD & REEL REPAIRS NORTH QUEENSLAND

She Left Camera Sunglasses www.hdvcs.com.au

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

Specialty Fishing www.specialtyfishing.com.au

MAKE YOUR OWN

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ENGINE FLUSHING JETSKIS TRAILERS

FREECALL For more info

WASHING BOATS FISHING & DIVE GEAR

(02) 6258 7515

0400 587 515

MOB www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au

BRISBANE SOUTH AND GOLD COAST

Repairs • Detailing • Modifications

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND

MARINE TRANSPORT

The Islander Retreat, South Stradbroke Island 0420 967 557 Hemingways at Tin Can Bay (07) 3219 9376 Bribie Island Real Estate (07) 3408 1006

FRASER ISLAND

BOAT TRANSPORT AUSTRALIA WIDE FROM A TINNY TO 50 FEET WEEKLY SERVICE TO ALL MAJOR CAPITALS

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

CUSTOM MARINE WELDING & ELECTRICAL Marine and Auto Electricial n All types of Welding n Stainless Steel n Aluminium n Mild Steel n Boats Repaired n Fuel & Water Tanks n Canopies n Bow and Stern Rails n Custom Vehicle Tool Boxes

www.fraserislandfishingunits.com.au

GOLD COAST

Shed 1 281 Jacobs Well Road Behind GEM Service Station, Alberton 4207

Phone 3807 7846

Advance Marine Upholstery GOLD COAST BOAT COVERS & CANOPIES • Biminis • Canopies • Storm Covers • Camper Covers

• Boat Carpet • Pontoon Carpet • Jetty Fenders • Clears

ALL WORK IS GUARANTEED Call Simon 0412 763282 E: info@advanceupholstery.com.au

www.advanceupholstery.com.au

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND

Bluewater Windscreens Brisbane (07) 3382 7883

Rowland Street Boat Trimmers Springwood (07) 3208 9511

ASM Mobile Welding Brisbane 0409 624 402

Brisbane Yamaha (07) 3888 1727

Marine Windows and Doors Brisbane (07) 3284 5088

Rays Canvas & Marine Caboolture (07) 5499 4911

Small Craft Electrics (mobile) 0408 063 064 Boat Collar (07) 5441 3636 CMC Marine Sales 0409 910 808 Iconic Boats Brisbane 0475 311 447

BRISBANE Brisbane Boat Painting 0433 356 620

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND North Queensland Outboard Wreckers Townsville 1800 812 748

BAIT-ICE-TACKLE PH: 07 4937 3145 Baffle Creek Holiday House 0419 624 833

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

Affordable Boat Covers Gold Coast 0419 424 587

SAMPLE AD -BUSINESS NAME M

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

MARINE OUTBOARD WRECKERS

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND

PH. You can do07 it all 4937 at the Bay! 3145

BOAT PAINTING

Waddy Lodge on Fraser 0414 516 364 Cathedrals on Fraser (07) 4127 9177 Apurla Island Retreat 0437 739 121 Fraser Island Beach Houses 1800 626 230 Yidney Rocks (07) 4127 9167 Eurong Beach Resort 1800 111 808

www.stanagebay.com

Mob 0427 142 201 Fax 3807 2468

www.custommarinewelding.com.au

INDIAN HEAD

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

bearfish@bigpond.com

Salt-Away www.salt-away.com.au

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND

Fraser Island Fishing Units

A FISHO’S DREAM

MARINE TRIMMERS

JOE BONNICI 0410 480 203

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

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

J-Roc Tackle www.jroctackle.com.au

VISIT www.salt-away.com.au

Repairs

e parts needs repairs and spar For all your reel

Southeast Custom Rod Building and Repairs 0438 055 877 U-Make-Em Sort Plastics www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au

1800 091 172

FIBREGLASS

ce Reel Performan

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

WARNING!

9 out 10 engines fail from salt corrosion

D&H REEL REPAIRS

CMY

COOKTOWN River of Gold Motel Plenty of room for boats and trailers PH: 4069 5222 HINCHINBROOK Cardwell Beachfront Motel - www.cardwellbeachmotel.net (07) 4066 8776 or info.cbmotel@bigpond.com MACKAY BEL AIR MOTEL, MACKAY - PLENTY OF ROOM FOR BOATS AND TRAILERS.............PH: 07 4957 3658

Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0800 or email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

Trades, Services, Charter Boats & Guided Fishing Tours Directory FRESHWATER Yallakool Caravan Park on Bjelke-Petersen Dam (07) 4168 4746 Lake Boondooma Caravan Park (07) 4168 9694 Lake Cressbrook Regional Council 131 872 Yallakool Park and Kiosk on Bjelke-Petersen Dam (07) 4168 4746

CHARTER BOATS NORTHERN NSW Evans Head Deep Sea Fishing Charters 0428 828 835 Reel Time Fishing Charters 0428 231 962

GOLD COAST

BOOK NOW FOR WHITING KAYAK FISHING TOURS SOUTHERN BAY • GOLD COAST

HALF AND FULL DAY TOURS • Hobie kayak and fishing gear supplied www.kayakfishingtours.com.au Phone for bookings

0439 714 345

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 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

FISHING ON TV

Eclipse FNQ Weipa Charters 0488 058 668 Fish’s Fly & Sportsfishing Weipa (07) 4069 9957 Action Charters Mackay 0417 452 346 Fishing Charters Townsville 0403 386 722

IDEAL GIFT!

BURDEKIN JC’s Fishing Charters 0438 753 382 Fairdinkum Fishing Charters Townsville (07) 4751 5324 Cairns Reef Charter Services 1800 119 044 Cairns Charter Boat 0427 533 081 Cairns Fishing Charters 0427 400 027

FISHING GUIDES SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Lake Monduran Barra Charters 0407 434 446

Discovery Fishing Charters Gold 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

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

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND

Suncoast Barra Fishing Park www.suncoastbarrafishing.com

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

FISH TAXIDERMY

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND Hooked On Hinchinbrook www.hookedonhinchinbrook.com

DVD’S -

Series 2 through 8

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

1800 228 244

Advertise here - $195 + GST for 6 months Email: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au 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

SUNSHINE COAST Keely Rose Deep Sea Fishing Charters 0407 146 151 Odyssey Charters Deep Sea Fishing (07) 5478 1109 Smithy’s Fishing Charters Sunshine Coast 0407 574 868 Top Catch Charters Sunshine Coast 0429 013 012 Fish n Crab Charters Mooloolaba 0412 155 814 Offshore Reef and Game Fishing 0413 485 402 Sunshine Coast Fishing Charters (07) 5500 0671 Fishing Offshore Noosa 0418 889 956 Noosa Fishing Charters (07) 5665 8170 Hervey Bay Fishing Charters (07) 4125 3958 Incredible Charters 1300 655 818

HERVEY BAY

Fully Guided Lure & Fly Fishing •

BORN AND BRED LOCAL GUIDE

• 5.5m Custom sportsfishing Vessel • 4.4m Estuary Sportsfishing Vessel • Quality Fishing Gear Supplied

www.herveybaysportfishing.com.au

Andrew Chorley

0407 627 852

Lachlan Hickey took this beautiful eastern cod while casting for bass on the Clarence River. Eastern cod are protected, so this fine specimen was released shortly after the photo was taken.

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Bite Me Fishing Charters Yeppoon 0419 029 397

Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0800 or email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

What’s New BOATING

WHITTLEYS ARE HONG KONG BOUND

Oceanaire Marine Management Ltd, a Hong Kong-based boating consultancy with over 30 years of industry experience, has been appointed as the sole Whittley distributor for Hong Kong. A family owned and operated affair, Oceanaire is headed up by the husband and wife team of Joe Poon and Pye Lee Wan Sin. Joe has previously owned a Hong Kong-delivered Whittley CW2080 and not surprisingly, this was one of the first models ordered. It joins a Volvo Penta diesel-powered SL22 as part of Oceanaire’s initial order. Both boats have been snugged into their container in preparation for a long voyage north. “Hong Kong is the first of several international markets that Whittley will bring on line over the next few months,” revealed Whittley’s Managing Director, Neville Whittley. “The growing middle class in Hong Kong and other Asian markets have shown an appetite for quality recreational products and the time is right to cultivate our brand in these and other regions.” www.whittleymarinegroup.com.au

FIXTECH ADHESIVE SEALANT SOLUTIONS

Now you can buy a proven adhesive sealant solutions for the harsh marine environment. FixTech products are developed specifically for the marine industry and will lift your present expectation by offering products that are UV resistant and colour stabilised, a complete range of MS Polymer adhesive sealants free from toxins, solvents, silicone and isocyanate, 100% waterproof one part adhesives, products that are so smooth to work with, that you can feather edge for a great finish and reduce wastage. FixTech Adhesive is the best quality range of marine adhesive sealants in terms of health and safety. There’s also no nasty chemicals in the mixture. FixTech is also setting new benchmarks for user friendliness, strength, paintability and longevity. So when you need a reliable adhesive for a marine-orientated project, or need something to perform repairs, look no further than FixTech. They have a range of adhesives and sealants to suit all your building and fixing. www.bla.com.au

RAYMARINE FITOUT A “GAME CHANGER”

Internationally renowned game fishing skipper Captain Tim Dean says his new suite of Raymarine electronics is a “game changer” when it comes to finding fish and navigating the Great Barrier Reef. The champion skipper recently refit his 43ft O’Brien fly bridge Calypso with a collection of Raymarine products. The suite includes the gS Series, eS Series MFD, dual CP470 CHIRP sonar, Evolution autopilot, 4kW HD Colour Radar, Ray 60 VHF radios, and a FLIR thermal night vision camera. Dean travels 2,000km from his home base in Port Stephens for the heavy tackle season in Cairns. He uses both an Evolution autopilot and FLIR thermal camera equipment linked to his gS Series and eS Series MFDs on the voyage. “I can basically turn the Evolution autopilot on when I leave Port Stephens and turn it off when I get to my berth in the Cairns marina,” Dean says. “My Raymarine gear is the best of the best. I wouldn’t use them if they weren’t.” www.raymarine.com.au

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

VHF AND UHF 2-WAY RADIO

A pioneer in communication solutions, Uniden, has launched Australia’s first combined VHF and UHF CB 2-way handheld radio. VHF marine radios enable users to communicate while out at sea while UHF 2-way radios are used on land. The new Uniden MHS155UV dual band VHF/UHF CB 2-way handheld radio is a must have tool for outdoor adventurers who want to stay in touch while exploring the ocean or ashore. Perfect for a variety of outdoor trips – from an afternoon of fishing to hiking – the innovative design removes the need to carry two different radios for reliable communication. The MHS155UV radio sports a fully submersible waterproof body based on IPX7 waterproof standards. Its floating, lightweight design ensures the radio remains afloat and can be easily retrieved if dropped overboard. With a white and grey exterior, the MHS155UV can be easily identified when misplaced in the bushland or in the water. A large LCD backlit display offers clear viewing in dim or brightly lit conditions. Price: RRP $249.95 www.uniden.com

SPITFIRE X7 PROPELLER

Mercury Marine, the world leader in marine propulsion and technology, has introduced SpitFire X7, a stainless steel propeller designed to improve all performance facets of the growing 75115hp outboard class. The SpitFire X7 is the first in the 75-115hp engine class to be marketed with Mercury’s proprietary X7 alloy, which is 30% stronger and four times more durable than conventional steel. Using the X7 alloy and building off the best-in-class aluminium SpitFire, the SpitFire X7 will significantly improve acceleration, top speed and holding compared to other stainless steel propellers in its class. “A high-performance propeller is the most cost-efficient way to improve a boater’s experience, and for the 75-115hp outboard class, the SpitFire X7 delivers,” said Jared Reichenberger, brand manager for Mercury Propellers. “With gains of up to 1.5 miles per hour and 0-20 acceleration improvements by five-plus seconds versus other stainless propellers, the SpitFire X7 will be a staple in the Mercury propeller lineup for many years to come.” www.mercurymarine.comu

4 5

MERCURY POWERING PONTOON MARKET

Pontoons are one of the fastest growing boat segments in the world, and Australian boat-lovers are quickly discovering why. Paul Eade, who owns Eade’s Xtreme Marine in Echuca and is the national distributer for Harris says he’s seen the popularity growing. “The thing about pontoons is that they are incredibly versatile and manoeuvrable. With them being new to the market, once you get people experiencing the ride out on the water they’re quickly converted. Paul is one of the people leading Australia’s pontoon push, offering great boats and full support – including a manufacturer’s warranty – which has been lacking in the market. He’s also selling more Mercury engines. “They make a good match. I recommended Verados for my last two pontoons, a 225 and a 300hp, which provide all the power you’d need for skiing, but are ultra-smooth and ultraquiet which is ideal when you’ve got friends and family aboard for a cruise,” he said. www.mercurymarine.com

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

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BRISBANE SOUTH SPRINGWOOD MARINE

BRISBANE HOLT MARINE

3475 Pacific Hwy Springwood

25 Queens Rd Everton Park

Phone: (07) 3297 8200 | Fax: (07) 3297 8290

Phone: (07) 3353 1928 | Fax: (07) 3353 4548

Email: michaelb@springwoodmarine.com.au

Email: info@holtmarine.com.au

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Website: www.holtmarine.com.au

BRISBANE SOUTH MANLY HARBOUR MARINE

HERVEY BAY BAY CITY MARINE

570 Royal Esplanade Manly

82 Dayman Street Urangan Hervey Bay

Phone: (07) 3893 2199

Phone: (07) 4128 9944

Fax: (07) 3893 2188

Fax: (07) 4125 2350

Email: info@manlyharbourmarine.com.au

Email: sales@baycitymarine.com.au

Website: www.manlyharbourmarine.com.au

Website: www.baycitymarine.com.au

BRISBANE SOUTH COORPAROO MARINE

AIRLIE BEACH / WHITSUNDAY WHITSUNDAY OUTBOARD CENTRE

57 Cavendish Rd Coorparoo

1 William Murray Dr Cannonvale

Phone: (07) 3397 4141

Phone: (07) 4946 7286

Fax: (07) 3397 6339

Fax: (07) 4946 7848

Email: info@coorparoomarine.com.au

Email: woc@whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au

Website: www.coorparoomarine.com.au

BRISBANE NORTH BRISBANE MARINE 306 Duffield Road Clontarf Phone: (07) 3889 3033 Fax: (07) 3889 5390 Email: info@brismarine.com.au Website: www.brismarine.com.au

FREE HP UPGRADE SAVE UP TO $1977 ON THE 80-150HP RANGE

PLUS AN AMAZING MERCURY FINANCE COMPARISON RATE

OF ONLY 4.99%

So get in to your nearest participating Mercury dealer or go online to check out these amazing deals and finance offers.

HURRY OFFER ENDS FEB 26, 2016. www.mercurymarine.com.au *Terms & conditions apply. Savings are based on RRP including recommended SmartCraft Kit and subject to change without notice. Prices exclude local freight charges, Fit up and local statutory charges. Offer available on selected new consumer FourStroke outboards from 80 to 150hp purchased from participating dealers from Friday 20th November until Feb 26th, 2016. Ask your participating dealer for full list of models in the program. Offer is subject to availability and engines must be 2014 build onwards and installed and registered by no later than April 30, 2016. Offer not to be used in conjunction with any other offer or rebates. **Terms, conditions and credit criteria apply, offer available over a maximum 36 month term on Motor and Repower only. The comparison rate is based on a secured loan of $30,000 for a term of 5 years at an annual percentage rate of 4.22%. The amount of credit provided to you and the term of the loan may be different to this. WARNING: The comparison rate only applies to the example given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. Finance is provided by Mercury Finance Pty Ltd ABN 28 156 248 092. Australian Credit Licence Number 421347.