Queensland Fishing Monthly July 2017 by Fishing Monthly

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Gearing up for swimbaiting River Heads spotlight Lure Fly & Outdoor Expo Guide Soft plastics for offshore snapper

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Stealth Hornet 530 Stessco Breezaway 480 Kitting up your kayak Spinnerbaiting snapper from the yak Life after 2-strokes July, 2017

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Contents NORTHERN NEW SOUTH WALES

Townsville 68 Hinchinbrook 70 Lucinda 70 Cairns 71 Cairns NFZ 69 Port Douglas 72 Cooktown 73 Cape York 72 Weipa 74 TNQ Freshwater 75 BOATING AND KAYAK

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fishing gear trying to catch a tarpon-of-a-lifetime – although I want to. And I’m not swanning around the pool drinking cocktails - although other people are. I spent 30 hours travelling one way to a global launch as the guest of an outboard motor company to report on some sort of new product. You’ll see the editorial in these pages – although I don’t know what it is yet. The big reveal is tomorrow. Unfortunately, there is also an embargo on the release date, so readers will just have to wait... As usual, Fishing Monthly will make videos, we will write stories and these will be published in print and online and form the basis of your research when it comes to serious purchases over the next four or five years. I mean ‘serious purchases’, too. My opinion is that we’re allowed to bemoan the money we spend on rent, power bills

and parking tickets. That spending sucks. The ‘fun money’, however, is serious business and it’s our business to let you know what options you have there when it comes to spending it! After all, the fun money buys us the freedom to adventure further, more, safer or more efficiently. The last trip I did to Florida I was waiting to get on a boat for testing. A 100lb Atlantic tarpon rolled beside me, gulping a little air and was gone moments later, leaving only a trail of bubbles. To the locals it wasn’t worth a second glance. Maybe it was like a metre-barra chopping in your prop wash while retrieving your boat at the local barra lake? I was kind of speechless. Fish-of-a-lifetime, no rods close. No opportunity to hook it. Probably 20 of his mates sitting under the dock… The suffering is real. And that’s the pain we put up with at Fishing Monthly to get you the story.

111

44 QUEENSLAND FISHING MONTHLY

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OUR COVER Snapper this big are a real prize in Queensland waters, and offshore fishing machine Kaspar Lenigas was pretty happy to land this monster just offshore of Brisbane. A Kaspar Lenigas image.

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Going soft for big offshore snapper Swimbaiting gear guide Fishing River Heads Lure Fly & Outdoor Expo Guide

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Well, that and the 30-hour trip back home after a couple of days in the outdoor office. AFTA TRADE SHOW LIVE SHOWS Back on home soil, we’ll be broadcasting live TackleJunkie shows again this year from the AFTA Trade Show on the Gold Coast at the end of the month. Incredibly popular in 2016, you’ll see Simon Goldsmith and I in front of the camera, backed by a big team behind the scenes to present what we think is the best-of-the-best new tackle arriving for the coming season. To watch, just Like the TackleJunkie page on Facebook, or sign-up to the email list on www.tacklejunkie. fish and we’ll let you know the broadcast schedule. Of course, if you want it old-school, there’ll be mountains of pages in the subsequent issues of your favourite FM magazine.

ION

Location: Florida, USA. I’ve decided to start publishing the places I’m writing my monthly welcome to the magazine. This month it’s from Florida, USA. Last month it was from on the road from the BREAM Australian Open road trip and the month before it was from Port Phillip Bay in the pelting rain. Yep, I seem to get around. I know what you’re thinking as you’re reading this. Possibly from the only place you get any peace and quiet at home - sitting on the toilet. “You lucky bugger!” But if you said that, you’re probably commenting without getting the full story. Incidentally, plenty of readers say that’s exactly where their Fishing Monthly gets read – on the throne. Takes a month to get through it all there and yes, there is something wrong with using a phone or tablet in this sacred place. I’m not clad in fancy fly

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Snapper

Going soft on big snapper in the cold weather BRISBANE OFFSHORE

Kaspar Lenigas

There’s something very special and exciting about catching big snapper on lures. Not only are they a highly-prized catch, but they fight hard and when they grow old, some develop incredibly striking facial and body features that show us how prehistoric and tough these fish are. Being that they are a long-lived fish, they are seen as wary and smart, but it can be quite simple to outsmart and trick these big fish into eating a lure with consistency if you know how to go about it.

versatile as soft plastics. With the simple change of a jighead, you can fish any depth of water, and soft plastics come in a huge array of sizes, colours and styles, all with different actions and scents to entice the fish. If you think about it, soft plastic fishing for snapper is very similar to float lining, even though the plastic doesn’t have the same smell as real bait. To catch big snapper effectively on soft plastics, you’ll need to persist and learn a few new techniques to control and understand where and how you are working the soft plastic. Before we get carried away and go out dropping and throwing soft

power when you hook up to a really big knobby, which needs controlling around nasty reef. My second second set up is a 7ft 15-30lb NS Black Hole Amped spin rod with a 15-50g cast weight running a 3500HD Daiwa Certate, which I have spooled with 30lb braid and a 30lb flurocarbon leader. If I’m targeting big snapper in shallow or deep water, the 15-30lb is my go-to set up, especially when I’m casting 3/8-2oz jigheads with 7-8inch plastics. You may not catch as many smaller pan size snapper on this set up, but you will land a lot more quality fish and when that fish of a lifetime does

Multiple hook-ups are a common occurrence when you find schools of large snapper.

Catching big fish on soft plastic gear is a lot of fun. Even though large snapper are said to be hard to catch, every year many large snapper are caught on a variety of baits and lures, and with a little understanding of how these fish behave, it can be quite simple to find and catch large snapper – even a fish of lifetime – on a lure. We are lucky in South East Queensland to be able to catch snapper year round, but like with all fish, numbers and sizes can fluctuate depending on the time of year. With winter here and spring approaching, there’s no better time to chase these fish, as large numbers of snapper school up offshore in preparation to spawn. When it comes to luring big snapper, there’s a huge variety of lures you can use, but in my opinion if you want to catch big snapper, no lure is as effective and more 10

JULY 2017

plastics, we need the right gear to work soft plastics and put the brakes on these powerful reef dwellers. GEARING UP When soft plastic fishing for snapper, the key is to use a spinning set up so you cast and free spool your lure with ease. When chasing snapper on soft plastics, I like to have two set ups. The first is a 7ft 10-20lb NS Black Hole Amped spin rod, which has a 10-40g cast weight matched with a 3000 Daiwa Certate that I have spooled with 20lb braid and a 20lb flurocarbon leader. This is my finesse set up that I use in shallower water to work lighter jigheads in the 1/4-1/2oz bracket. It’s still a good all-rounder to use in shallow and deep water, running up to a 1oz jighead with a 5-7” plastics, but it lacks a little in pulling

show up, you’ll have plenty of power to turn it. On the heavier set up lighter and smaller plastics can be trickier to work, but if a big snapper is about they’ll crush a plastic regardless of how you work it, as long as you can keep in contact with that lure and keep it in the strike zone. If you purely want to catch quality snapper, the heavier set up is what you are after. Snapper can be leader shy at times, and 20-30lb leader can seem light, but as I run fluorocarbon it’s hard and strong enough to handle any snapper and is still finesse enough to get extra bites if snapper are wary. If a snapper is hungry enough, it doesn’t matter how heavy your leader is, as snapper don’t intentionally reef you. There’s probably no point in running a leader

heavier then around 40lb, as if they find reef, it doesn’t matter because the braid won’t hold up against the reef. Even though braid isn’t very abrasion resistant, it’s key when fishing plastics, as you must keep in contact with the plastic at all times, feeling for the bottom or a bite. CHOOSING PLASTICS Choosing the right soft plastic is very important, as anything from 5-8” will catch fish, but some styles and colours work better than others. I’ve had a lot of success on jerk shads in 5-8” sizes, as well as grub, paddle-tail, shrimp and squid/octopus imitation plastics. The colours I find best are pearl white, glow, pink, nuclear chicken and natural bait colours. A lot of the

time lure choice and colour comes down to what you are confident with, but some colours are proven fish catchers. Rigging the soft plastic with the right hook is very important to your hook-up ratio, as if it’s too big you miss or foul hook fish and with hooks that are too small, you can pull them or the fish can break them. The rule of thumb I find best is matching the hook size to the size of the soft plastic, so 5” with a 5/0, 6” with a 6/0, 7” with a 7/0 and 8” with an 8/0. It’s okay if the hook doesn’t sit half way in the plastic, as snapper often attack a lure head first, so the closer the hook is to the head of the lure, the better. When rigging the plastic to the jighead, you want to rig it as straight as possible,

preventing any spin, as you want the plastic to look and sink naturally. WHERE’S KNOBBY? Offshore reefs are without a doubt one of the best places to encounter big snapper in good numbers, and to fish offshore for snapper, a good sounder and GPS and knowing how to use it is key to finding and understanding where these fish are. Snapper can live on any piece of structure, but its understanding the types of reef and structure they prefer and how to fish these locations. Generally the biggest factor to finding snapper and big snapper is fishing structure that holds good bait, as this draws in the fish. Most would think big snapper are bottom feeders,

This is where a decent sounder comes into play. Here we can see a school of big snapper sitting well off the bottom with a lot of bait in the vicinity.

Snapper but it’s not uncommon for big snapper to sit up off the bottom searching for prey or feeding off schools of baitfish. They will hold to the bottom at times, but most of your bites with soft plastics come from well off the bottom, sometimes in mid water and even close to the surface in shallower water, as they race up to intercept the lure before it gets down to the pickers. There are many forms of structure that will hold

snapper, from large rocky reefs to smaller rocks, coffee rock patches, rubble patches, rocky islands, wrecks and artificial reefs, but as stated the key to finding the snapper is locating the bait in these areas. By using a good sounder and GPS, it can be quite easy to locate these areas. I’ve found there are two types of fisheries for snapper, shallow and deep water. The reason for there being two is that your

techniques and approach changes, depending on the depth of the water. I consider shallow to be anywhere from 5m to 40m, and deep from around 40-150m. SHALLOW It’s not uncommon to find really big snapper schooled up in shallow reef, but you need to be very stealthy with your approach, as large snapper can be easily spooked by the boat. Leaving your motor running, driving over the reef or

Low light periods and overcast choppy conditions are excellent when targeting big snapper in the shallows.

The by-catch you can get on a snapper soft plastic rod may surprise you.

banging the side of the boat can cause the fish to spook. Even drifting over the fish can be enough to partially spook them. To be stealthy in your approach, you need to line up and start your drifts well before you drift over the reef or structure and drive around the area you are fishing, being as quiet as you can with the motor. Soft plastic fishing is extremely effective when fishing in shallow reef, as

you can cover a lot of ground easily as you cast around the boat, plus it’s easier to be connected with your lure, as you aren’t greatly effected by current and wind as you are when fishing deeper water. The jighead sizes I use in this area are anything from a 1/4-3/4oz. Generally I try to use 3/8 and 1/2oz, as these jigheads give the plastic a more natural sink rate to entice a lot more strikes. In the deeper water around

30-40m, I will upsize to a 3/4oz, as I can effectively get the lure to the bottom in most situations, but if conditions permit I will use a 1/2oz. When fishing plastics in the shallows, you need to cast your plastic as far as you can ahead of your drift, so you cover as much grown as you can around and ahead of the boat. Most of the time, I like to cast the plastic on a little angle out to To page 12

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Snapper will take to get to the bottom. Sometimes you may feel it reach the bottom as you count it down, and sometimes you may not. If you can’t feel the bottom, don’t worry, just work the plastic up with a few erratic hops, retrieving line between each hop to keep connected with your plastic and repeat the process. Once the lure is near the boat, you can either cast again or continue to let it out, free-spooling it to the bottom and elevating it off the bottom. If you can’t feel you’re plastic hitting the bottom, that’s fine, as you want to generally work the

From page 11

one side of the boat, so that when boat catches up with the plastic, I can continue to work the plastic out to one side and work an area that the boat hasn’t drifted over. I believe the boat drifting over fish in shallow water can temporarily spook them. The way I fish my plastic is quite simple. I predetermine the sink rate of the plastic and jighead I’m using and determine how long it will take to get to the bottom, so once I cast out my plastic and slowly wind in the slack line, the boat drifts towards it. I count down how long it

bottom third of the water column, as this is where these bigger snapper will feed. As long as you keep the plastic off the bottom, it will be in a better field of view for a snapper, as they will race up or over from a good distance to destroy the plastic. This is when you need to be ready. Snapper will generally hit the plastic as it’s sinking, so after hopping the plastic off the bottom, be prepared to strike. Sometimes as you free spool the line to let the lure sink faster, they will hit, this is when you want to engage the bail arm as fast as possible and set the hook.

It’s possible to catch snapper on plastics at night. This big fish hit the author’s soft plastic on the last cast before heading home.

A school of big snapper sitting mid water 9-10m off the bottom near a small bait school. When you find this, be prepared for bent rods.

When fishing the shallow reef, you want to cover the ground and use the sounder at the same time, trying to locate the fish. Once located, continue to work that area over, predetermining your casts and drift so the plastic sinks down right on top of the fish that you have located and marked on the sounder. If you find you’re drifting too fast and it’s too hard to work your plastic effectively, a sea anchor or drogue is a very useful piece of equipment to use to slow down the drift, you can even use an electric motor if you can afford one. DEEP Fishing deep water isn’t that different to shallow in the way you work the lure, but instead of casting far ahead of the drift, I find it’s best to drop the lure behind the boat and let it drift down and work it more vertically. Depending on how fast you drift and how the current is moving, you may need to use the engine if the sea anchor isn’t slowing you down enough so you can feel your lure hitting the bottom. In this case you will need to use the motor to slowly reverse up on the line so you

can feel the plastic working the bottom. The motor can put off the snapper, but generally, if they’re hungry and you locate a large enough school over structure, they will feed normally, but it’s best if you can drift without the motor. In the deeper water I like to use a jigheads from 3/4-2oz. In the depth between 40-70m, I like to use a 3/4oz if I can, but with a bit of current I’ll upsize to a 1oz. In 60-90m, 1-1 1/2oz is my preferred weight, and in 90-150m 1 1/2-2oz is necessary. These jigheads make the plastic sink quite a bit fast, but as snapper in deep water aren’t as wary they, have no problem with eating these lures once they see them. You just need to work it correctly, so this means using the sounder to see where the snapper are sitting and how far off the bottom they are, and working the lure through and above the school and letting it sink back through it. A lot of the time when you locate a school of snapper in deeper water, you’ll find the bigger fish are sitting above the smaller fish, around 10-30m off the bottom.

So keeping that lure in the face of these bigger fish for longer is the key to enticing a bite from a bigger fish. BY-CATCH When fishing soft plastics for snapper, you will come across a huge array of by-catch from pelagics like kingfish, tuna, trevally and marlin to other reef species such as pearl perch, grassy sweetlip, spangled emperor, mulloway, and pretty much anything that eats fish, squid and crustaceans out there. Most predators will eat a plastic, which can make snapper soft plastic fishing so exciting. THEORY INTO PRACTISE Now that you have the basics of how and where to find big snapper and how to work the plastics to catch them, it’s only a matter of time and experience on the water until you learn the patterns and reasons as to when, where and why. Once you have this down, you’ll be able to catch trophy snapper consistently on soft plastics. Until next time, stay safe, keep persisting and I hope you catch that trophy snapper you’ve been searching for.

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Swimbaits – the experts’ tools of the trade

BRISBANE

Simon Goldsmith

The emergence of the swimbait trends in Australia in the last 12-18 months has been an angling revolution in many ways. This bait and technique genre has bubbled away quietly under the sportfishing industry surface for many years, but its popularity has now exploded. The increased availability of overseas swimbaits, the proliferation of information via social media channels and the exponential uptake of the

technique by anglers has seen it emerge as one of the most exciting developments in lure fishing for quite some time. The arrival of swimbaiting on such a large scale has opened people’s eyes to new possibilities, both in terms of the size of lures that fish will eat, but also the size of fish that are out there to be caught. The spike of XOS cod pictures across social media can be attributed to the increased number of swimbaits hanging from rod tips throughout the country. These new baits and new frontiers have delivered a new

landscape in tackle design, with big baits delivering big demands of tackle and equipment. When it comes to swimbaiting, only the right tackle will do. Anything less just doesn’t cut it. A man who has spent plenty of time with a swimbait in his hand is Australia’s bass export Carl Jocumsen. Carl understands the role having the right tools for the job plays in the swimbait game. “Throwing swimbaits is like nothing else,” he said. “The lure and technique is insanely hard on tackle, and to do it correctly requires a whole new tackle system.

I like to see my swimbait set-up as a complete system that includes the rod, reel, line, and of course the lure. Each piece of the system is important, and they are all as important as each other.” When Carl talks we should listen, and in this article we’ll break down each piece of the swimbait system and look at the options available for Aussie anglers when it comes to choosing the tools for the swimbait trade. ROD RAGE When it comes to swimbaiting, not all rods are created equal. While one rod can cover many techniques

Main: The results of a hot swimbait session and the correct swimbait outfit. Above: The Shimano Tranx are a workhorse reel for throwing XOS swimbaits.

The Tatula Swimbaits live up to the Tatula name offering looks and performance that’s second to none.

Australian designed rods like the Samaki Zing Extreme and Wilson Venom series more than hold their own against the overseas offerings. 14

JULY 2017

and lures if you’re throwing small to mid sized topwaters, crankbaits, or soft plastics, it’s a different story for swimbaits. Only a rod made purposely for the job will do. Australia rod design guru Ian Miller knows this well. “When it comes to swimbait rods it’s important to keep in mind that it’s all about the lure,” he said. “The main job of the rod is to cast a potentially big, heavy lure so it can be presented in the strike zone, and because

swimbaits come in many sizes and weights, the rod must match the lure weights you intend to use. Don’t get too confused by line breaking strains for the rod, just check rod specifications for recommended lure weights to make sure your swimbait rod is suitable for these lure weights (what you’ll likely be using). If you want to throw really ‘big baits’ then you’ll need a more powerful rod, and that will be a completely different animal... because

one rod won’t do it all.” With Ian’s philosophy at the centre of rod selection, the next question is what rods are available for the Aussie swimbait. One angler who has been truly bitten by the swimbaiting bug is Daniel Clancy, and he has a duo of rods that he reaches for on a regular basis. “Millerods are my weapon of choice,” he said, “And there are two that I use above anything else. For my lighter swimbaiting, lures between 170 and 230mm, I’ll use a BeastFreak. It’s 7’10” long and is designed

for throwing lures 30-150g in weight and is one of the most versatile rods going around.” However, what really gets Clancy’s casting arm twitching is XOS swimbaits. Those big, 250mm-plus baits demand a lot from both angler and tackle. “Throwing big baits can be a real challenge, and you want a rod that will happily load up when you make a big cast and is able to control the lure in the water and through the air,” he explained. “The Millerods DreamFreak is made to do this with ease, and will handle baits up to

Left: A true power reel with a tonne of drag and line capacity, the 13 Fishing Concept A3. Right: The Daiwa Tatula HD is setting the standard when it comes to power, performance and value for money.

The Dusk swimbait rods are tailor made for big baits and big cod.

225g in weight.” Luke Parsons is another swimbait cod addict who favours Millerods, and Luke has three in his quiver of rods that cover his swimbait needs. “I use a SwimFreak for the lighter stuff, a BeastFreak for the mid stuff and the DreamFreak for the big stuff,” Luke said. “Regardless of which one I’m using, they offer the same benefits and traits: the ability to throw a bait a long way, and do so without placing undue pressure and effort on the angler. Fatigue is a serious issue; it can be flat out exhausting launching a 6.5oz glidebait over and over for three days straight. The long butt of the Millerod swimbait rods allows for good rod leverage, and a smooth,

natural two-handed casting action that greatly helps minimise angler fatigue.” When it comes to swimbaiting in Australia, one name features more than many: Adam Townsend. A committed swimbait junkie and an angler who has muscled many swimbaiteating cod to the bank or boat, Adam favours the Dusk Custom Rods for his big bait work. “My favourite rod is a 7’0” fast, medium/light Dusk rod,” he said. “It can throw lures up to 5oz, and it’s a rod that I use on both the lakes and in the rivers.” Dusk offers two models in the Swimbait Range – a 7’10,” 3/4-3oz, moderate/ fast action, heavy power

model, and a 7’10,” 3/4-4oz, moderate/fast action, extra heavy power model. Built with the Australian angler in mind and with impressive styling and build quality, the Dusk Swimbait Range is certainly worthy of your attention. When it comes to swimbaiting there are no hotter baits at the moment than those from the Jackall stable, and Jackall Australia’s Harry Watson is one guy that’s revelling in the swimbait trend at the moment. It’s no great surprise when it comes to selecting a rod for hurling his swimbaiting long and hard, he opts for G.Loomis branded rod. A user of G.Loomis products since he To page 16

JULY 2017

From page 15

was a boy, Harry favours the models in the G.Loomis Swimbait Series. “Some anglers like a fast or ultra fast rod for throwing their swimbaits,” he said. “However, I like to use a medium/fast action rod, and it’s the G.Loomis 904 that I use more often than not. It’s an awesome rod and I use it for throwing lures up to 70g in weight.” Daiwa have a rich history of providing anglers with design and performanceleading products, and the swimbait rods available from the Daiwa Australia stable are true to that trend. The Tatula name has become famous since it was added to the Daiwa line-up a few years ago, and the Tatula rod range features two specific models for swimbaiting – the

swimbait needs catered for, with the 77H Swimbait Custom featuring cork grips, two-piece construction and Fuji SIC guides. The famous Wilson name occupies an enviable position on the Australia tackle landscape, and are designed with the needs of the Australian angler in mind, along with attention to detail and performance. This focus is evident in Wilson’s Venom rod series, and in particular their 7’6” Venom Swimbait rod. Designed specifically for swimbaiting for Australian species, the Venom is a true workhorse. “The rod was designed to cast lures, and not just to lob lures but to actually load hard and power cast lures a long way,” explained Wilson Fishing’s Troy Dixon. “It does that and it will throw

With an RRP of $149.95 the 13 Fishing Defy swimbait is outstanding value for money. Another US brand with a rich and proven rod design history is 13 Fishing, and they have many swimbait options available for the Aussie angler. “We have two ranges, the Defy Series and the Muse Black Series,” explained 13 Fishing Australia’s Andrew McKinstray. “They are ergonomically designed for optimum angler comfort and performance.” Both series feature the 13 Fishing aesthetics and styling that have helped make the brand famous, with the Muse Black featuring six swimbait models, from the 7’9” heavy power model all the way up to the big dog of the range, the 8’6” extra/extra heavy model. The Defy series offers two models, and features an impressive recommended retail price of $149.99. Dobyns Rods have a strong following in Australia, particularly with the tournament and high-end lure fishing fraternity. For those anglers who love their Dobyns, there are many swimbait models to choose from. The Fury and

Champion XP series both feature models ideal for the Australian swimbait fan. The Champion XP Series features nine swimbait models which are built on ultra-sensitive, high-modulus graphite blanks with Fuji Alconite guides, Fuji graphite reel seats, and AA grade cork grips. The Fury Series is designed with budgetconscious angler in mind, and features two swimbait models, the 795SB and the 806SB. Samaki fans are also catered for when it comes to swimbait tackle, with the Zing Xtreme Series offering anglers two rod models to choose from. The lighter model in the range, the Zing Extreme SZX-792BSBH, is 7’9” in length, designed for 15-30lb line and lures 1-5oz in weight. The second and heaviest model in the range, the Zing Extreme SZX-802BSBXH, is 8’0” in length and will cast lures 2-8oz. Both models feature Fuji K guides, custom super-hard EVA camo grips, premium Toray carbon fibre blanks and AA cork grips.

REEL IT IN When it comes to selecting the reel to use, not just any reel will do. Carl Jocumsen has his own preferences. “The demands a swimbait places on a reel is like nothing else in light tackle lure fishing. If you use the same reel you use for throwing 1/2oz spinnerbaits or crankbaits you’re going to wear it out and eventually destroy it,” he explained. “While low-profile baitcasters will do the job with small swimbaits, when you start throwing the big baits a barrel style baitcaster is the only way to go.” Luke Parsons agrees. “I use a 8.5:1 Shimano Metanium MLG for throwing lures up to about 140g, and once I go heavier than this I use a 5.6:1 Shimano Calcutta Conquest 400,” he said. A slow down in reel retrieve ration is another thing that Luke does when he starts to go big. “Big baits mean big fish, and a slower reel provides you with more cranking

Top: Storing swimbaits in kitchen storage is a great way to house plenty of baits with little fuss and cost. Above: Looking for top shelf storage for your swimbaits then look no further than the Versus range. 76H and the 76XH. Featuring a unique telescopic butt that allows the rod to collapse to a shorter length for improved storage capability, the Tatula Swimbait rods are both light and crisp in the hand, yet equally powerful and strong. For those anglers looking for a more economical priced swimbait rod, the Tatula range is well worth a look. Fans of the Daiwa Black Label range also have their 16

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swimbaits up to 180g with ease. It also has the strength to muscle fish, which is something not every swimbait rod is designed can do.” The US is famous for swimbaiting, and one brand that occupies a good footing in the swimbaiting market over there is Storm. Aussie distributor Rapala Australia has taken advantage of Storm’s proven performers to bring one of their newest releases

to the Australian market. “The Storm Arashi Swimbait rod offers both excellent performance and value,” explained Rapala Australia’s Tom Slater. “It features 30 ton blank construction, measures 7’6” in length and is capable of throwing lures up to 120g in weight. They’re also great value for money, with a recommended retail price of $150.”

A perfect combination, cod, a Shimano Tranx, and Jackall swimbaits.

To page 18

D U O

R E T U R N I N G

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W I N T E R

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W W W . D U O - A U S T R A L I A . C O M . A U

D I S T R I B U T E D

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A U S T R A L I A

JULY 2017

From page 16

torque and more pulling power when trying to winch out giant fish,” he explained. Daniel Clancy follows a similar path when it comes to reel selection – low-profile for the lighter stuff and a barrel reel for when things get big. “I use either a Shimano Core or Curado for the small stuff, and then swap it for a Calcutta Conquest 400 when throwing big baits,” he said. “I’ve recently added a new Shimano Tranx 300 to my big bait line-up and it’s absolutely awesome.” Harry Watson is another angler who is a fan of the new Shimano Tranx. “The Tranx is strong, smooth and holds a ton of line,” he said. “It also handles the rigors of throwing swimbaits all day long.” Daiwa offer swimbait fans a host of reel options as well, with the famous Zillion name hard to go past. It has outstanding casting performance that put its ahead of the pack, courtesy of the Zillion’s T-Wing System. Additionally, its bulletproof construction and reliability make it the ideal choice for those looking for a low-profile swimbait baitcaster. The Daiwa Tatula HD is the perfect accompaniment to the Tatula swimbait rod range. The HD is available in two retrieve ratios (6.3 and 7.3:1) and features large neoprene handle knobs, making it one of the more ergonomic and comfortable reels to use. Daiwa also have your large reel needs catered for, with the Ryoga Shrapnel big in looks, performance and power. The Shrapnel carries 13 bearings, a 6.2:1 retrieve ratio, 10kg of drag and will accommodate 195m of PE5 line. This is one stunning looking and performing swimbait reel. The 13 Fishing Concept A3 baitcaster offers a host of different options for the swimbait angler, and is available in both left and right models. The A3 is available in four different retrieve ratios (5.3:1, 6.6:1, 7.3:1, and 8.1:1). It weighs in at under 200g, but although this reel a lightweight in body weight, it’s anything but a lightweight when it comes to performance. “The A3 has 22lb of drag pressure, seven ball bearings and casts big baits all day long with absolute ease,” explained Andrew McKinstray. “It’s a low-profile baitcaster that punches well above its weight.” Another reel that’s famous stateside is Lews, and Australian anglers have many to choose from at home. Lews Australia’s Craig Simmons is the man behind Lews in Australia. “Lews are famous in the US for their ability to cast hard, cast long, and outlast the others,” he said. “When it comes to swimbaiting, it’s 18

JULY 2017

One of Carl Jocumsen’s favourite swimbait outfits a Millerods DreamFreak and Shimano baitcaster. hard to go past the Lews Super Duty Speed Spool. It’s perfecting for throwing big baits all day long.” THE LINE UP Big baits require big line. In the US and Japan, most anglers throwing swimbaits opt for 20 or 30lb fluorocarbon, but on Australian soil our swimbait fans run PE and braid nine times out of ten. Harry Watson has been a long time user of Platypus line and, as expected, it features heavily in his line-up when swimbaiting. “Cod are not a line burner but there’s a lot of structure like granite rocks where I do most of my swimbaiting, so I like to go a heavy line,” Harry explained. “I run either 50lb Platypus Super Braid or P8 mainline and match it with 40-60lb Sunline FC100 fluorocarbon leader.” Daniel Clancy also goes with a braid/fluoro leader setup. “I fish 40lb Power Pro Super Slick Braid with a 40lb Sufix Super 21 fluorocarbon leader for my light set-up, then I bump it up to a 50lb mainline/50 leader set-up for my heavy outfit,” Daniel explained. “I favour the Power Pro because it’s smooth, strong, not too chunky and has proven itself trip after trip. I also like the Sufix Super 21 leader because it’s more supple than a lot of other fluoros, and has excellent shock resistance.” Luke has a similar line set-up as Dan, with only a slight difference. “Dan and I use the same lines but I use 30lb for my small swimbaits, then step it up to 50lb and 40lb leader on my mid sized swimbaits, then 50lb and 50lb on my big baits,” he said. Adam Townsend is a Yamatoyo fan when it comes to line selection, and opts for 45lb Yamatoyo Super PE mainline and 40-45lb Yamatoyo fluorocarbon leader. “The Yamatoyo is bulletproof,” Adam said. “It’s super abrasion resistant,

wears incredibly well over time and is trouble free through the guides and when it comes to tying knots.” STOWED AWAY When the lures you’re throwing are worth anything between $20 and $400, you want to make sure you keep them in top-notch condition. However, when it comes to storing swimbaits up to 30cm in length, it can be no easy task finding a box or tray that will house them. Some of our anglers opt for a makeshift (but effective) approach, but if you like a bit more structured order in your life there are some purposedesigned options available. Harry Watson is one of the anglers who opts for the simple storage option. “There’s nothing special about it,” he said, “I just use a cheap sandwich container from the supermarket.” Adam has a similar approach and uses a container that I think all lure anglers have in the tackle storage set-up – a Sistema plastic tub from Coles. “The Sistema container is perfect,” Adam said. “It fits perfectly in my Berkley

backpack and can hold lots of big baits, covering both the rivers and dams.” Daniel Clancy is guy who’s often looking for a better way to do things, and his approach to swimbait storage is no different. “When it comes to swimbait storage, I am yet to find a good solution in the fishing industry,” he said. “Instead, I use storage solutions available from Bunnings. They have a variety of storage options for tools and hardware that are similar to a tackle box, but they have way more options to fit big baits in a practical and organised way.” For those anglers who are less inclined to look outside of the fishing market for storage options, proven brands such as Bass Mafia and Versus have options suited to housing swimbaits. Jon Millard is Bass Marfia’s distributor. “The 3700 DD Coffin is ideal for swimbaits,” Jon said. “It has removable dividers, is fully waterproof, is deep so it can accommodate big lures, and is virtually bulletproof.” Versus have two standout

models, with the VS-3070 an ideal briefcase-style storage option, while the VS-3043 is an ideal deep stowawaystyle storage case that will fit plenty of big baits. Flambeau offer many options as well, with the Tufftainer and Ultimate Tufftainer two of the best. Featuring Flambeau’s Zerust technology, which minimises corrosion, the Tufftainer’s rigid construction will keep your swimbaits safe and secure. The Ultimate Tufftainer is the standout of the two models, with its silicone gasket keeping your lures waterproof and dry. THE TERMINAL Lure anglers love to tinker with their tackle, and it’s no different when it comes to swimbaits. For those looking to tune their stock standard baits, there are a few options available. Many of the latest baits to hit the market, such those in the Jackall stable, have the facility to add extra weight, and it’s this addition of extra weight that is becoming very popular amongst many swimbaits fans. Jackall Australia’s Harry Watson is a big fan of this. “I chin weight my lures a lot of the time, mostly with tungsten weights,” he said. “Doing this allows me to change the running depth of my lure. “For example, at night when fishing shallow I might use a 1/4oz weight, while during the day I might use a 1/2oz weight and fish the lure 15-20ft down. I also make sure I split ring the weights on rather than clip them on. Barra and cod can have a tendency to throw the weights off if they’re just clipped on.” For those anglers looking for a locally available, off-the-shelf option when it comes to chin weights, the Mustad Fastach X-Weight is hard to go past. Troy Dixon from Wilson Fishing understands the importance

Harry Watson loves his cod and swimbaits.

of adjusting weights. “The Fastach connection makes it easy to clip and on and clip off the weight. With a 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2oz weights to choose from its easy to match the weight to the depth you want to fish,” Troy explained. Daniel Clancy is another guy who likes to add some weight to his baits. However, Dan prefers the stick-on variety. “I carry a range of weights, mostly stick-on ones, that I put on the lure rather than clipping on hanging chin weights,” he said. “I see a lot of guys using chin weights, but I’m not a real fan. I prefer to use the stick-on ones.” Dan doesn’t just carry sticky weights though – he has a trick bag of goodies that he always brings with him when fishing. “I always carry various little bits and pieces for on-water alterations,” he explained. “I always upgrade the hooks and rings before using a bait, and swap the stock terminal for VMC components. Wire harnesses and multiple rigging harness options are always in the box pre-done, as well when soft swimbaits are been used.” Luke Parsons also upgrades his hardware before he throws a lure. “You’ll find that 99.9% of the swimbaits we have here in Australia are not designed for our fish, and the hooks will be below par 9/10 times,” Luke explained. “Owner STx3/ x4 series hooks are solid as a rock and have not let me down yet.” THE WRAP So there you have it – a run-down on the tools of the trade on the market for those anglers looking to tie on a swimbait and get started in this highly addictive pursuit. Rest assured we’re only going to see more swimbait tackle become available as the year rolls on, and the momentum of this trends gathers even more speed.

Don’t be a fool with fuel NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

Too many people take the safety aspects involved with handling boat fuel for granted… potentially at their peril! I don’t mind admitting that I’m quietly terrified of petrol, especially in and around boats. I think about the potential for catastrophe almost every time I turn the ignition key or refuel my vessel. Yet the explosive and highly flammable properties of volatile fuels and their invisible vapours pose a threat that I believe far too many boaties fail to consider. Some people may regard my extreme

truth in the old chestnut that you can actually extinguish a burning match in a cup of diesel, at least at room temperature. It’d be a very brave (or stupid) person who’d try the same trick with a cup of petrol! Petrol-powered boats with built-in, below-floor fuel storage, or even portable tote tanks placed in holds, bilges or partially sealed compartments, present particular risks. Spillages, overflow and fumes vented from these concealed tanks, but constrained within the hull or superstructure of the vessel, can create what is effectively a powerful time bomb just waiting for a spark in order to ignite. The right (or wrong) mix of air and petrol vapour

compounded the issue by limiting natural ventilation. As we stowed the bow-mounted electric motor and made ready to move to another spot, I casually reached across and turned the ignition key. The resounding bang that resulted from the instantaneous combustion of a small cloud of fuel vapour launched the heavy fiberglass cowling and its canvas cover at least 25m into the sky and had waterside residents rushing onto their balconies in alarm. A small blaze was also ignited on the exposed powerhead of the outboard, but a quick squirt with the chemical fire extinguisher took care of this. My mate and I were shaken but Boats with built-in, under floor fuel tanks present special challenges and dangers. lip of the filler throughout the fuelling procedure. Of course, you should also avoid using mobile phones and other electronic devices while fuelling. It goes without saying (or should!) that smoking anywhere within a 20m+ radius is a complete no-no! You’ll find plenty of

great advice about all of this stuff online. Maritime Safety Victoria have a very handy video on the subject. You can track it down via their website at www. transportsafety.vic.gov.au or by using the QR code. The fuel that drives our boats is something we all tend to take for granted,

but there are so many things that can go wrong in this department, from contaminated fuel that can stop or even damage motors, to the very real risks of fire and explosions on board. Think about the juice in your tanks, and don’t become a fuel fool… or a statistic.

Filling up in remote locations not only hurts the hip pocket, it can also present an increased risk of fuel contamination. Fitting a quality in-line fuel filter with good water separating capabilities to your vessel makes very good sense. wariness in this regard as something close to paranoia, but the fact remains that you rarely get a second chance if something goes badly wrong in this critical department. I firmly believe that the dangerous properties of boat fuel represent a subject area we all need to take more seriously, particularly when dealing with a petrolpowered craft. Diesel fuel is, by nature, considerably safer and less volatile than petrol, and there’s some QR CODE

Scanning this QR code will take you to a great video on handling boat fuel, produced by Maritime Safety Victoria.

is an extremely explosive cocktail, even more dangerous and unstable than the liquid form of the fuel. The fact that these same areas below decks or inside closed compartments also typically house batteries, wiring and other electronic components compounds the issue. I’ve witnessed a relatively minor demonstration of this explosive phenomenon and it’s something I won’t easily forget. Some years ago, a mate and I were competing in an ABT BREAM tournament on Sydney Harbour. Unknown to us, there was a small fuel leak under the cowling of his 90hp outboard. This tiny leak would likely have gone unnoticed and not caused any problems, were it not for the intense heat of the summer day and the fact that we fished in one particularly still and sheltered bay for well over an hour. The fact that the motor was fitted with a heavy cover may have

unhurt. Had the vapour build-up been larger, or occurred in a closed compartment below decks, the outcome may have been very different indeed. These days, if my boat hasn’t been used for a while, I always lift the hatches, smell for fuel and allow some airflow before switching over the battery isolator and cranking the motor for the first time. It’s a good habit to get into. There are other wellestablished protocols for dealing with fuel in and around boats, including strong advice about not filling tote tanks or other portable containers while they remain within the vessel. Always lift them out and place them on the ground to earth these containers, greatly reducing the risk of tiny sparks that might be caused by static electricity. For the same reason, make sure the nozzle of the fuel hose or funnel remains in constant contact with the

The safest way to top up a tote tank out on the water is to go ashore, move a short distance away from the boat, place the tank firmly on the ground and make sure that the pouring nozzle is in constant contact with the lip of the tank throughout the process. JULY 2017

Winter species really going crazy right now WOOLI

Stan Young

Snapper, kingfish, bream and luderick are going crazy at the moment. Anglers are catching good numbers of fish at sea and in the river. The snapper have shown up in large numbers with great-size fish being caught from 5-9kg on plastics. Many anglers like to use a 1/2oz jighead on a 5/0 hook if the water is dirty with a 7” Gulp

Jerk Shad. In clear water, I use a 7” Jerk Shad in anchovy, drop it to the bottom and work it to about halfway back up. A lot of the time they will hit it halfway up or on the drop back down, so you have to be prepared for the big hit. It’s a great feeling when a big red hits your plastic and well worth the time spent working the plastics. Kingfish are abundant at the moment at the island and can be caught on knife jigs and plastics or stickbaits. Before you venture out,

make sure you get a marine park brochure so you don’t end up fishing in the wrong place. We have them at our tackle shop, so call in and pick one up – it’s better than a big fine. When fishing North Solitary Island, be careful on the northeast corner; you can only fish with plastics, jigs or artificial baits for about 200m on the northeast corner as it is a grey nurse shark habitat zone. The kings have been a good size, but have been

The kings have been a good size lately, up to 10-20kg. This big kingy was caught at North Solitary Island.

A top samsonfish caught on a knife jig.

WOOLI FISHING CHARTERS

“EREBUS” “THE KRAKEN”

hard to land. They have been up to 10-20kg and put up a good fight. We had a customer who was pulled over the side of the boat fighting a big king – he was lucky I grabbed his shirt as he was going. We managed to get him back on the boat to finish the fight. The kingfish was 17kg when landed. The fishing in the river, the breakwall and the beach has been great. A lot of big bream are being caught at the slowing down of the tides and plenty are over the 1kg mark. Many bream have been caught on salted pilchards and it seems to be the favourite bait to use at the moment. Luderick have been going well on artificial weed in the fluoro green colour. When making your flies, have the weed about a quarter of an inch below the gape of the hook. You can tie them with light braid or mono; I use a green braid, as you can’t see where it’s tied. A bit of super glue can help as well. Try using two flies about 2ft apart; this works well and you can sometimes

hook two at a time. It’s important with luderick to have your hooks at the correct level in the water and you must be where the fish are, otherwise you’ll find it hard to catch them. The luderick have been schooling up at the breakwall in big numbers. You’ll sometimes see them take your fly or weed. The water is mostly clear

enough to see them without much problem and this makes targeting them a lot easier. If you have a boat, you’ll find them around the weed beds in the river and the same thing applies – you can see them in the weeds or just outside on the mud or sand. When in Wooli, call in and say hello. I may be able to help with fishing problems.

Mr Pixie with a nice pearl perch.

WOOLI BAIT & TACKLE • Top Accommodation • Tweed Bait • Ice • Terminal Tackle • Lures & Soft Plastics • Fishing the North Solitary Islands

1/2 day or full day charters. All bait & tackle provided. We are only a one hour drive north of Coffs Harbour or one hour drive south of Yamba.

Contact Stan or Claire Young

02 6649 7100

43 RIVERSIDE DRIVE, WOOLI

www.woolifishingcharters.com.au fish@woolifishingcharters.com.au

JULY 2017

A happy Rod Ford with a kingfish caught at North Solitary Island.

JULY 2017

Fishing is better when it’s colder YAMBA

Dave Gaden

With winter truly underway most fishers in this part of the world are excited about the prospects of good fish in good numbers. As nice as it is to be out on a summer’s day in the boat, off the beach or the stones, you just know the fishing is better when it’s colder.

always one of the mainstays for chasing a bag limit of these better-than-average-size fish. Many will top the 1kg mark. I find the Iluka side of the eastern section of the Middle Wall to be the best. Anchor as close as possible to the wall on the slack tide with as little weight as you can get away with. The obvious bait is the local school prawn or mullet fillets, and live yabbies are hard to beat.

during the day, as it just brings all the small nuisance fish around. Berley can be as simple as plain wheat or chicken pellets. Just toss a teaspoon of it over the side with every new bait. It might surprise you how many mulloway can be taken on your bream gear on these winter nights. The luderick (blackfish) look like they will be full-on again this winter, as they have

For those wanting to bag a nice snapper on lure or plastics, July is one of the best times. In the estuary and off the beach the bream are here in huge numbers. Yamba’s famous Middle Wall is

If you can brave the cold, night fishing out here is far more productive. I berley heavily at night but never

Dave Gaden’s Yamba • Deep Sea

REEL TIME FISHING CHARTERS

• 6am to 2pm $150pp • 2 boats – holds up to 18 people • All fishing gear and bait is supplied • No fishing licence req. • Pickup from Yamba Marina or Iluka ferry wharf

Phone Dave today: www.fishingyamba.com.au 0428 231 962 EASY PARKING

OPEN 7 DAYS

MARINA BOAT & TACKLE, YAMBA MARINA

YAMBA’S LARGEST TACKLE STORE • Chandlery • Boat Sales • Ice & Gas • Bait & Tackle • Trailers Sales & Parts • Charter Bookings Ph: 6646 1994 or 0428 231 962 Email: dave@gaden.com.au Now Agents For

JULY 2017

been on the chew all year. They also spawn around the same time as the bream and with huge schools running up the coast to join the fish already in our system, we are looking at a red-hot bite. For those chasing these tasty, hard-fighting fish from the shore, the main breakwall on the river side is always worth a try. This is a real challenge, as you are well above the water. You might want to consider using a heavier outfit. I use a Wilson 4144 with a 15lb leader here so I can lift the fish from the water, rather than trying to use a 4m long net. There will be fish spread throughout the system in easier spots like the corner of the bay near Calypso Caravan Park, the stones at the bottom of Shores Drive and under Oyster Channel Bridge. If you’re fishing from a boat, the tide mark on the last section of the Middle Wall, Turkeys Nest and Collis Wall on Iluka side will all be fishing well. Offshore the water should have dropped below 20°C. This means fish are in real close early. For those wanting to bag a nice snapper on lure or plastics, this is one of the best times. Fish seem to like the water around 18-20°C. The area from the kelp beds at Freeburn Rock

(the Bommie) to the south of Woody Head Reef makes an easy target for those even in the smallest of boats. Drifting in 8-10m of water and casting ahead of the boat with the lure and working it back to the boat with a hard, sharp jerking action will bring the big pink fish unstuck. I like white and pink plastics while the light is poor, then brown and dark green as the sun gets higher. This really is an early in the day fish; you can catch a few later, but I don’t persist much after 8am. If lure fishing isn’t for you then the same ground anchored up and float baiting with a good berley trail will produce dinner in no time. Leave the reel unengaged and let the fish run before gently setting the hook on a light drag. You will have some big fish run through the kelp and you will think they are lost. If this happens, release the line and let the fish free. Nine times out of ten the fish will swim up out of the kelp and bring the slack line up with it. Trying to bully the fish out of the kelp is an almost certain bust-off and with that an almost certain temper tantrum. On the southern reef from Red Cliff to Sandon the pearl perch have been in really good numbers. There is a fair spattering of undersize

Drifting in 8-10m of water and casting ahead of the boat with the lure and working it back to the boat with a hard, sharp jerking action will bring the big pink fish unstuck.

On the southern reef from Red Cliff to Sandon the pearl perch have been in really good numbers. There is a fair spattering of undersize fish mixed with them and the odd 3kg+ fish as well. fish mixed with them and the odd 3kg+ fish as well. I like to drift in around 40m for these fish after leaving the shallows. They really are a good mid-morning feeder and the company they keep like Venus tuskfish, Moses perch and Maori cod are welcome in my boat. I don’t look for major structure when chasing these

fish. They don’t seem to need a pinnacle or a deep gutter; they seem happy on the flat bottom on broken rock and gravel. This also has the benefit of less snags and lost gear. For those venturing north of the bar, the bommies close in near Black Rock south of Evans Reef will be great for early morning snapper. Some

of the year’s biggest fish are caught here. Then east of there into the Italian Grounds in 30-40m of water should be trag city. This area of reef is the most productive place for trag and mulloway I have found. On a calm day you won’t need to find them. Just go for a drift and you will stumble over

fish everywhere. If you can target them and anchor over them, you’ll have no trouble bagging out. Trag show really well on your sounder, as they have enormous swim

them. These shadows are quite often larger mulloway with trag closer to the bait. Always have at least one live bait on the bottom when at anchor.

30, if needed. I have a full time whale watching boat running twice a day this season, if you’re looking for a refreshing change. Call into my shop Marina Boat

Snapper are a good fish to target in July. bladders like the mulloway, giving a good hard show. I look for high bait shoals with dark shadows under

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Mulloway have been around in good numbers.

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The bigger fish are biting better BALLINA

Joe Allan

As the water temperature has gradually gotten cooler, snapper have been coming in more consistently and getting bigger. The best areas are the close in reefs in approximately 10-15m of water. Floating cut baits (such as squid and blue pilchards) with the current is very productive if you want to soak some bait.

the Spanish are really starting to come on. If the water clarity stays pretty clean, this will happen quicker. Try trolling any shallow diving lures over 100mm. If you’re into cast and retrieve, you can cast 30g lures an absolute mile. The tailor are really biting well now and catches have been more consistent over the last month. The gutters along Seven-Mile Beach are worth a throw. The best thing about this beach in July is the stud bream that you can come

be afraid to try for these guys a little earlier then you normally would. The flathead will become patchy in the river along the Ballina town stretch, while the bream will really start to fire in the deeper drop-

tides over the sand flats along the town stretch, the area out the front of the Oyster Farm in North Creek and possibly up as far as Pimlico Island if the water stays clear. The size of the mulloway being pulled out of the river

This bream was caught off the break wall on an Atomic Crank 38 in muddy prawn colour.

Ben Frost with a nice mackerel.

Nige Skyring with a solid bream from the upper reaches of the river. If you’re into throwing lures and plastics try 60-80mm lipless crankbaits around 1/2oz in weight. This weight up to a 4/0 hook should do the trick. If the currents are running harder, you might need to go heavier. Spotty mackerel are starting to drop off the bite and

across. They’re beautiful in condition and taste amazing. Remember, a big bream is a very old fish – only keep what you’re going to eat that day. The cooler westerlies can bring on the blackfish or luderick, so if this cold snap keeps up for a while, don’t

offs. The top of the tide is the pick to chase the big sea run specimens that come in to spawn. Try throwing blades and plastics off the end of the south wall, as well as hardbody lures over the Porpoise Wall. The winter whiting will be kicking off over the next few weeks. Try the bigger

lately is nothing short of amazing. There are some beasts caught at night, mostly on live mullet in the deeper holes or shallow diving 200mm crankbaits off the

walls. Hold on, because these things are beasts. The Evans Head Fishing Classic is being held from 7-14 July. There will be a food alley, displays from sponsors and a live fish tank to display some of the catches from the event. This year the fishable area has been increased in size considerably to now include

Byron and Yamba. There really is something in this competition for everyone in the family, including a cadet category that runs over the weekend of 8-9 July. If you’d like more information, please email ehfc@fishingcomps. com.au or head to www. fishingcomps.com.au/ehfc/. Until next month, tight lines.

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JULY 2017

Aidan Kane with a cracker snapper from a close-in reef.

NSW South Coast

Clear and crisp days of casting ILUKA

Ross Deakin

Isn’t this time of year awesome? Clear, crisp days and plenty of fish biting. We have had some great fish coming through the shop over the last few weeks, especially tailor. The largest weighed in at 2.7kg and was caught by Cliff ‘Bear’ Andreassen. He caught this fish off the bluff using pilchards, and

he caught plenty of smaller fish as well. The headlands have also been seeing nice GTs up to around 5kg, mostly taken on lures and whole pilchards. However, the catch of the month goes to Stuart Monahan from the Gold Coast who landed an 18kg Spanish mackerel off the Woody Head rocks. There have only been a few mackerel and tuna around. With the water temperature

near 21.5°C and dropping, this won’t be for much longer. Chris Berkley weighed in a 12kg longtail caught on slimy mack down south around the Angourie grounds.

cracker caught around Browns Rocks on soft plastics. We are starting to see great luderick coming through with a 1.4kg fish caught by local Dan Pianta

Plenty of tailor have been caught like this one, a 2.7kg model caught by Cliff ‘Bear’ Andreassen on pilchards.

There have been nice snapper numbers around Woody Head and the Black Rocks grounds.

There will be a few mackerel and tuna around, but not for much longer.

There have been some awesome flathead seen on the open beaches and river with many weighed in over the last few weeks, like Mitch Cristini’s 2.6kg

on black weed around the main wall recently. Bream sessions have been good with decently sized fish caught, but it’s still a little early. Ron Finlayson

caught a whopper off Iluka Beach at 1.4kg using beach worms recently. There have been reports of mulloway chasing the schooling mullet and big fish are being caught in all the usual spots. There have also been nice snapper numbers around Woody Head and the Black Rocks grounds.

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

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Tips to target Tweed trevally THE TWEED INSHORE

Tim Latter

The cooler months on the Tweed can be an exceptional time to target trevally species in the river. Not only are they a fantastic sportfish, they are also sensational in beer batter and make even better sashimi. It’s always possible to find trevors throughout the Tweed system, but I find the cooler months in particular to be the most rewarding. The river is generally clearer and the baitfish are in abundance, so there is no better time to rig up and go chase some line-burners.

The most productive areas to fish at this time of year can be the two main bridges in the lower reaches, Boyds Bay and Barneys Point. Both bridges are main structure points and current breaks in the Tweed. They hold a heap of bait and are accessible by boat and land, so regardless of your situation it’s possible to tangle with arguably the hardest pulling fish in the river. There is a wide variety of methods to target trevally, and my favourite way to target them is on lures. A light spin combo capable of throwing 10-12lb line is all that is required. You won’t stop all the fish around structure on this tackle, mind you, but it

keeps it sporting and keeps the tackle shops busy. Pin tail jerkbait style soft plastics are the go-to here. Opt for a heavier jighead to allow you to cover more ground. Keep your lure working fast and erratically to get the fish fired up. I have found the prime time for fishing the bridges is around the tide changes, as fish will hold up here gorging on any bait that takes refuge as the tide slackens. It can be really productive to fan cast metal lures as the tide slows to locate the fish before they hold up on the pylons. That’s when it’s time to rig up a plastic and start jigging. Micro-jigs and small blades can work just as

well too, so it pays to have a variety of lures in your bag, depending on what gets the fish going on the day. The north wall at the river mouth also holds big numbers of fish that patrol up and down in loose schools throughout the tide. Early morning and late afternoon are great times to target them on surface lures while land-based fishing. Patience is key. You can go without a bite for some time, but the trevally are never too far away. Long casts up tide and parallel to the groyne are your best bet. Stickbaits and poppers in the 75-110mm range are ideal. It’s common to get belted by tailor as a by-catch, and when bled straight away these make an awesome breakfast. The bigger tides around the moons will see the fish pushing up into the Terranora Arm, which can produce some awesome fishing. On more than one occasion I have been fishing the dropoffs chasing flathead and have been smoked by trevally in the 3-5kg size class. I choose to let fish of this size go and generally keep ones around 1kg. So Rug up early and hit the bridges or the flats for some light tackle lure fishing fun this month. Be kind and courteous on the water, and remember it’s lovely just being out there.

A better class of fish jigged up on a plastic and released after a short and spirited fight.

Brock Perry with a beautifully marked golden that gave him the runaround on a run-in tide at Boyds.

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No run means no fun THE TWEED

Anthony Coughran

As the currents slow up even more this month to 0.5-2 knots, they dictate the terms of your offshore fishing and can hinder your fishing on the close reefs. If there is no current and no wind, there is no real point in fishing these reefs. You

high speed jigging and octo jigs are really fun, productive ways to fish deeper water and normally trigger a great reaction bite. Bottom bashing with two-hook paternoster rigs still catches good fish in deep water. I like to mix my baits up on these particular rigs. A combination of pilchards, strip baits and squid always seems to

weed on the 24s, 36s and on the backside of the close reef bommies. Good snapper and Venus tuskfish have been caught on plastics around the Fidos, Five-Mile, Nine-Mile, South, and Kingscliff reefs. Microjigs, octa jigs and bottom bashing work better on wider reefs like the 24, 36 and 50 fathom reefs. Kingfish have been caught on the NineMile and Windarra banks. High speed jigs, stickbaits and live baits are all working well. There are still a few cobia coming through with the whales and they’re being caught on live baits on a downrigger on the 24s, 36s and some closer reefs. There have been a few squid hanging around on the close reefs like Fidos and

The author with an 84cm snapper caught on a plastic on a close reef off Tweed. gear fun. Small plastics, bladed lures, hardbodied lures and small crab lures can be dynamite and lots of fun on these little silver brutes, especially when they head for structure.

tailor, bream, flathead and the odd dart caught recently. At night the top of the tide and the start of the run out tide are fishing much better than the day tide. Whole beach worms,

Nick Dillion with a Venus tuskfish caught on a 90g Pirate Jig on a close reef off Tweed. don’t cover any real ground with drifting. Your berley falls straight down and there is no current to bring bait to waiting predators, so the predators move to areas of the reef where there is more current. You really need to find wind or current to have some fun, which can mean heading wider. There is normally more wind and swell out wider, and this can really help a struggling fishing trip. Fishing wider also opens up more fishing avenues like jigging. Slow pitch jigging,

tempt the fussiest of eaters into a bite. OFFSHORE It’s all about the snapper, pearl perch and tuskfish this month, with good numbers of sizeable fish being caught right through the Tweed region. Plastics and drift baits are doing all the damage this month on close reefs. Slow pitch micro-jigs and bottom bashing paternoster rigs work better out wide. Good numbers of pearl perch and Venus tuskfish have been caught on 80-200g slow pitch jigs out around the wire

Sommo caught this super pearly on a half pilchard on the 24s. 28

JULY 2017

Nick Dillion with a solid cobia caught on a slimy mackerel. Kingscliff. There are a few tailor at the back of the beach breaks, the desalination outlet, Kingscliff, Cabarita headland, Hastings bommie and Black Rock. Metal lures, small hardbodied lures and poppers are working best. Heaps of baitfish are hanging around Point Reef, Snapper Reef, Kirra Reef and Kingscliff Reef if you need troll baits or strip baits. ESTUARY Lots of school mulloway are around the estuary at the moment and they are fun to target on light gear, with 3-7” plastics, 1/4oz bladed lures and large hardbodied lures working best. The hole at the Piggery, the hole at Terranora, Boyds Bay Bridge, Barneys Point Bridge, Tumbulgum Bridge and the Brunswick rock walls will all produce fish this month. All the bigger mulloway are being caught around the rock walls and river mouths on live pike and 7” plastics. The bream are schooling up in good numbers, with most rock walls, bridges and holes holding plenty of bream. Drift baiting in a good berley line is still proving best for a good feed and some light

Big flathead have been caught on 2.5-7” plastics, and lightweight jigheads work best for catching the bigger females. It’s always worth having a few more casts around the area where you caught a big girl; there are normally a few decent males sitting around the females at this time of year. GTs and bigeye are around Jack Evans Anchorage during the day, but they seem to go to the bridges on the run-in tide at night to feed up on the herring. Live herring, small plastics and bladed lures worked well on the run-in tide are irresistible for these species. Boyds Bay, Cobaki, Barneys Point, the Highway, Kingscliff and Hastings Point bridges all hold fish. Chopper tailor are also frequent visitors to these bridges. A 10-30g metal worked at high speed around the bridges, current lines and in the river mouth should put you onto one of these toothy critters. BEACH The beach gutters have been fishing well, with good numbers of solid mulloway,

live pike and butterflied pike have been catching the bigger mulloway in these gutters. Ganged up whole pilchards are catching the bigger greenback tailor. The big silver sea bream have mainly been smashing strip baits, half pilchards, beach worms and pipis in these gutters.

Having a good combination of baits is the key to beach fishing, and increases your chances for a feed. Running a berley bag helps a great deal and keeps the fish in the gutter in front of you. A few tailor have been caught from Kingscliff breakwalls, Cabarita headland, Hastings Point and Black Rock. These areas will continue producing fish over the next month. FRESHWATER The dams, weirs and areas where the fresh meets the salt are all still producing good bass at the moment. Diving hardbodied lures and jig spins are best. Remember it is strictly no-take on bass at the moment as they are all trying to breed up, so please take care handling this species. Next month we will see more great weather with nice, calm days. The wind should die off over the coming month, which will make it easier for all offshore fishing. This can also make for some very cold mornings on the rivers. We will see more whales, snapper, pearlies, tuskies, cobia, tailor and mulloway working their way along our reefs, beaches and estuaries. July is such a great time of year to rug up and get amongst all the winter species.

Chris Butler with a fantastic flathead caught around the Piggery.

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Small snapper and flatties galore this winter SOUTHERN GOLD COAST

Danny Sands

July is the coldest month of the year and it can be very fruitful for anglers who are prepared to rug up and put in the time. The cold westerlies will start to blow and the water temperature will fall. Big schools of whitebait have entered the Broadwater, which has fired up the local predatory fish like bream, flathead, tailor,

try fishing from Crab Island in the south all the way through the Aldershots, Neverfails and up through Tipplers Passage. Tailor numbers have been excellent due to the amount of whitebait in the estuaries. If you can find the bait, the tailor won’t be too far behind. Diving birds are a dead giveaway. Tailor get quite finicky in the Southern Broadwater, so it pays to get a long cast into feeding fish. The southern end of Sovereign Island can fish

on them at night around the eddy points in the Seaway and Tweed bars. Weeknights around the top of the tide coinciding with the lead up to the full moon usually fish very well. OFFSHORE Make the most of this month, as fishing conditions are at their best with little current and flat seas. Out wide, try fishing the 42-50 fathom line for a feed of snapper, pearl perch, yellowtail kingfish and amberjacks. The two-dropper paternoster rig has been working a treat on these tasty bottom dwelling fish. Anglers fishing deep livies and knife jigs have been killing it on the kingfish and amberjacks. Snapper start their spawning migration on the close inshore reefs. The best times for snapper fishing on the close inshore reefs like the 18, 22 and 24 fathom line are dawn and dusk on a change of tide. Anchoring up and using a stack of berley and float lining baits is still the best method to fish the close inshore reefs for snapper. Micro-jigs, butterfly jigs and octa jigs are a great alternative to bait fishing. July is probably the best month to fish for snapper

Small snapper are great fun on light line. off the Tweed Coast. Try the Mud Hole and Fidos Reef. Big 7” white jerk shads and light jigheads work extremely well in

these areas. Expect heaps of by-catch as well from cobia, big sweetlip or maybe a rogue giant trevally. Cobia are also a fantastic

A few solid flathead will start to turn up in July. mulloway and juvenile snapper. Flathead numbers have been excellent already this winter. Expect the catch numbers to increase this month with good eating-size flathead around the 40-65m mark. The odd big girl should turn up early as well. With the water temperature around the 17°C mark, flathead fishing can be very tough in the morning. For the better bite period try fishing around the midday lows. Try casting 3-4” soft plastics and trolling hardbody lures in pink. Water clarity won’t be an issue this month, so

very well on the incoming tide, as most baitfish get pushed up against this wall. Snapper are a frequent resident of the Broadwater and make an excellent sportfish to chase in the cooler months. The deeper channels around Sovereign Island and the Aldershots are good places to start. They are suckers for small soft plastics, small blades and soft vibes. Big schools of mullet are starting their spawning run. Big trophy mulloway will start to follow these mullet schools into the estuaries and feed

July is a great month to target amberjacks on the 50 fathom line.

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option this month on the close inshore reefs and wrecks. I find the cobia bite more aggressively on a westerly wind. Combine this with plenty of berley and big live baits like tailor and big slimies will see you with plenty of cobia action this month. The 24 fathom reef off Southport and the 30-36 fathom reefs off the Tweed have been producing big numbers of quality teraglin. A simple two hook dropper rigged with pillies or squid will get more bites than float lining for teraglin. Please watch you bag limit and legal size with these fish. With the start of the westerly winds, July is a great month to chase tailor behind the breakers along the coastline. Casting 25-40g slugs work well on feeding fish. Always look for diving birds – this is where the tailor are feeding. Overall, with plenty of fishing action for both inside and outside, it’s time to rug up and get out there to score yourself a feed of fresh fish. How good is the Gold Coast?

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Tailor your approach this winter GOLD COAST CANALS

Josh Dunn

With the cooler weather already set in, we’ve seen some great fishing. The Seaway and Jumpinpin have been firing with tailor on early morning sessions. Some fishers are

getting up to 30+ tailor per session on surface lures and metal spoons! Mulloway have been a bit of a hit and miss. One session you’ll get nothing and the next you’ll get onto half a dozen. Sounding up your fish is definitely your best bet. Look for signs of bait and deeper water, then

throw around a micro-jig or large plastic. Be quick to get your fish in when fishing the ‘Pin, as the sharks won’t turn down an easy meal. I have targeted flathead in the last couple of sessions. At the moment they are tough. Your best bet would be hitting

The author has been sounding up plenty of tailor on the bottom and using a large white plastic with a heavy jighead to get the to bottom quickly. The average size of these fish has been 42-45cm.

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sand flat drop-offs and weed beds. Plenty of large bream are getting around in the canals. Mostly you will find them in the deeper parts of the canals, especially around bridges or weed on the bottom, where they feel safer than they would out in the open while spawning. Catching these big girls can be difficult at times, but if you have a sounder, use it. If not, fish around bridge pylons and jetties. Casting out light blades or light soft plastics around 2-3” with a 1/12oz jighead will work a treat. My favourite blade at night for bream is the TT Lures 1/6oz Switchblade in pink hussar. For some reason the pink shine at night sees them all over it. I’ve been fishing the Broadwater quite a bit and found that there’s a lot of bait throughout the run-in around main structures like rock walls. The lower the low tide, the higher the high tide. Keep in mind that both tides are roughly six hours apart. The tide will be roaring in when it’s a big tide. Keep your eyes on the birds, as they will at times be your

Plenty of large bream are getting around in the canals. fish finder, as they dive for baitfish. Over the next month we will see even cooler weather and more of our winter species in action, including mulloway, tailor and trevally. The Seaway and Jumpinpin are both great places to target as a lot of water, bait and large predators get through there daily. Lately I’ve been sounding up plenty of tailor on the bottom and using a large white plastic with a heavy jighead to get the

to bottom quickly. These fish are ranging 35-50cm, although the average size I have been landing is 42-45cm. Be sure to get these fish in quickly, as they are the ones to bite you off before you have a chance to think you’re on! July is definitely a great month for fishing. Lately I’ve seen an increase in action in all parts of the canals and the Broadwater. It’s a month where bottom bashing and surface fishing both go off.

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Good marlin action despite the dropping temp GOLD COAST

David Green

Offshore this month sees water temperatures drop and the winds will mostly blow from the west. Despite this, I think there will still be some good marlin action on the wider grounds. Early winter has seen the best run of striped marlin in years. From the 80m line out to well wide of the continental shelf, there have been quite a few striped and blue marlin caught and plenty of bait. It pays to downsize your usual blue marlin lures to something a bit smaller, and run your strike drags a bit lighter. Striped marlin are harder to hook than blues, and tend to repeatedly bill the lure without properly eating it. If you have a live bait or well rigged pitch bait, it’s usually effective to ‘switch’ a fish once it has been teased up on a lure. There is also a good chance of hooking big yellowfin tuna this month, particularly out wide of the thousand fathom line. There has been a lot of interest in chasing broadbill swordfish over the past few months and as the current drops the fishing may improve. Well-known local

skipper Craig Denham has already caught two swordfish off the Gold Coast this year and hopefully there will be more caught this month. These fish have been on the 600m line and have been caught in daylight hours using squid fished around 500m down on breakaway weights. In closer to shore the snapper should improve this month as the schools of spawning fish move into the 36 and 24 fathom reefs. Float lining, soft plastics and octa jigs all work well. A few fish

over 8kg should turn up this month. Pearl perch should become more abundant on the 50 fathom line as well as amberjacks, pigfish and kingfish. It pays to watch out for any forecast of winds over 15 knots from the northwest this month – the wider grounds can become extremely rough when the wind picks up and it can be a wet, cold and very slow trip home. The close reefs should see good catches of cobia and mulloway this month. Cobia start to migrate north at this

time of year and tend to move along the 18 and 20 fathom line. These fish will hold in any area that has a lot of bait. They also love to feed around isolated wrecks. To catch cobia the best method is to anchor and berley using large chunks of fish. These fish have massive mouths and will eat a wide variety of baits. They are also partial to large soft plastics such as 7” Gulp Jerk shads. My favourite baits for cobia are live tailor, large slimy mackerel, pike and bonito. I

Michael Green pulling up a striped marlin.

The author with a cracker 110cm mulloway.

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good numbers this month. The artificial reef northeast of the Seaway in 23m of water has been producing a lot of fish around a metre long on a pretty consistent basis. Live baits fished close to the structure on dusk through to dark seem to be a very reliable method. They also seem to be more active on tide changes. ESTUARIES As the westerlies start to blow a lot of fish begin their spawning run. Large schools of sea mullet, bream and luderick congregate in the Seaway, Jumpinpin Bar and around the river entrances in preparation for moving out along the beaches to spawn. These attract quite a few bigger predators such as mulloway and sharks. Good targets in the estuaries this month are flathead, bream, mulloway and luderick. Most of my biggest estuary mulloway have been caught in July. In general July is a dry month. For this reason the water should be pretty clean. Flathead fishing can be excellent with good numbers of fish from 40-70cm turning up in the central Broadwater from around Crab Island through to Tipplers Passage and also up Whalleys Gutter. There have been a lot of smaller fish early this season and they have been biting well. With flathead fillets going for over $40/kg, it’s good to

Mark Frendin with a big Jumpinpin flathead.

catch a feed of prime fish. Fried in Panco crumbs they are hard to beat. I like to mix up my methods over a day and troll and cast depending on the tide and the spot. In July we tend to troll on the high tide and cast when the water drops off the flats. Mulloway fishing in the Seaway and Jumpinpin entrances should be good this month. Most of the bigger fish are caught at night on live mullet fished in the eddies around the Seaway on the change of a high tide. I use 10kg mono, no weight and a leader of around 30lb. These fish tend to be quite shy and I have found that they often drop the bait when fished on braid. Mullet can usually be caught with a cast net along the rock walls of the south wall of the Seaway. In daylight hours soft plastics and live baits fished in the Jumpinpin Bar and in the hole at the end of the north wall of the Seaway are usually effective. Tide changes and the run in tide fish best. Work the back eddies when the current flows hard and the deeper holes on the slack period of the tide. Overall, July is a good month to fish the Gold Coast and there are a lot of options. The estuaries seem to come alive in the middle of winter and it is a great month to chase quality table fish.

Michael Jurdana caught this huge flathead, which measured 68cm near Mud Island in 18m of water. It’s the biggest he’s ever caught.

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Bring on the bream brawlers JUMPINPIN

Mick Morris gembait@tpg.com

July is a wonderful time of year to head out to the ‘Pin with cool, clear days and light westerly winds. This makes for top fishing conditions. The water temperature is down, which means bream should be on the bite with great catches to be expected all winter long. Bream are one of the most prolific species throughout the ‘Pin system and are relatively easy to catch, which should put

eastern tip of Crusoe Island, Short Island, Stieglitz, Flat Rock, the Stockyards, the Powerlines, the north wall of the Seaway and the mouth of the Pimpama River. These spots always produce good quality fish. There is even a pretty good chance that you could land a juvenile snapper there, as they tend to hang around similar areas to bream. Flathead are being caught on soft plastics from the Pandannus weed banks, Whalleys Gutter mouth, the bottom of Kangaroo Island, the sand flats at the top of South Straddle and Kalinga Bank.

angle to see through the water column. Some flathead can be finicky. Even if you can see the fish, that doesn’t mean they are keen to take your lure or bait. For the bait fishos, pillies and big fresh prawns are the go and drifting seems to be the best method of tracking them down. Look for weed patches and drains – that’s where you’ll hopefully find the flatties. Winter whiting should be in good numbers this month and are great fun and easy to catch. Fish a light whiting rig with just enough weight to get to the bottom and a

westerlies flatten out the bar where the tailor are usually holding. Mostly they are just out of reach and the bar can get quite hairy at times, but at this time of year they become more accessible. Use lures the same size as the bait they are feeding on. Usually 10-40g is the right size. Plastics get torn apart by tailor, so unless you have an endless supply, stick to metal slugs. Other than that, try floating lightly-weighted pillies or whitebait in the current and a cruising tailor should find it irresistible. A few good-sized school mulloway have been coming from the Logan near Marks and Pitts Rocks, Giants Grave and the mulloway hole off Swan Bay. Live mullet, gar and pike have been proving to be the pick of the baits when chasing a mulloway. A few sandies have been potted from Cabbage Tree Point to the Powerlines and in Canaipa and Cobby Passage as well. Muddies have been a

Darryl Sailor with a monster 41cm Jumpinpin bream that went nearly 1kg. little harder to come by, so stick to the deeper drains on the high tide. Get right into the mangroves as well to give yourself a chance at a feed. • 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.

Big mulloway should be on the bite this month and local Matt Marks is taking full advantage. them high on most fishos’ lists. The best baits to score yourself a feed are live yabbies, worms, mullet fillets and gut, prawns, squid and white bait. Even bread balled up on your hook works well too. When chasing bream you can’t go past the old favourite spots like Kalinga Bank, the dead trees off the bottom of North Straddie, the

The water quality has been good, so lures (both soft and hard) have been working well. This time of year is a great time for sight fishing for lizards. The water is so clear you can actually see the fish in about 4ft of water. The trick is to stand at the highest point of your boat with a good pair of polarized sunglasses. This way you can get a good

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Basics of wand magic MORETON BAY

Ryan Smith

Flyfishing is a very technical type of fishing and is used all around the world. Flyfishing is when an angler uses a hand-tied fly with little to no weight. Specialised casting techniques are used with flies, as they are very light. Long rods and weighted lines are needed for this type of fishing to have the ability to cast. These long rods and weighted lines act like a whip when you are casting a fly. People seem to believe that flyfishing is only used in freshwater for species like trout. Flyfishing can be used in both fresh and salt water. From walking a small stream chasing trout to casting large flies at pelagic fish, flyfishing can be used anywhere. The variety of fish that can be caught using flies can vary from a rainbow trout to an angry longtail tuna!

CREATE YOUR ADVENTURES The author’s basic fly combo. natural and synthetic onto a hook. Flies are generally tied to a single hook and range in size from a size 10 hook all the way to a strong 6/0. They’re are broken up into two separate groups, wet and dry flies. Wet flies are designed to sink and often have a small

Jack Burling with a bream caught on a small bread fly. The species that I have been targeting on fly have been flathead and bream. Flathead love a well-presented fly and can give you a quality fight on the fly gear at any size. Flies made by fastening hair, fur, feathers or any other materials that can be both

weight to allow them to sink under the surface. Dry flies are flies that sit on the surface of the water with no weight added – just a hook and some material. Flies tend to replicate an insect, shrimp, baitfish and even things like small frogs. Gear choice is an

important factor in catching fish on fly. There is no point having a tuna setup if you’re only chasing bream. Fly rods are categorized in weights instead of kilos or pounds, which a normal rod would have. The fly combo I use for chasing bream and even flathead is a small 5wt, 8ft rod with a reel to suit. Fly-wise, I tend to carry a few different styles on me, which are small shrimp, crab and baitfish patterns. For bream, I tend to like flies on a size 4 hook and a little bit larger for flathead, around the size 1. A 6lb tippet is a good starting point when targeting bream and use something around 8lb for flathead. Flyfishing is a highly technical form of fishing and I hope these few tips give you an insight into flyfishing and how it works. Flyfishing is something everyone should have a go at, even if you don’t catch a lot of fish. There is always something new to learn when fishing. This type of fishing is new to me, and I’m learning new things every time I get out for a fish. If you want more info or to ask me any questions, come into Dave’s Bayside Bait and Tackle in Victoria Point and we are always happy to have a chat. Until next month, tight lines and screaming drags.

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A small selection of flies including small shrimp, crab and baitfish patterns. JULY 2017

Chilling out with the hot catches SOUTHERN BAY

Nick Whyte

It’s chilling down now and the snapper and bream should start to turn it on. This month should see good numbers of pan-size juvenile snapper on all the reef edges. An early start will see the best results, but make sure you’re rugged up. There have been a few grassy sweetlip, goldspot cod, Maori cod, tuskies and even a few nannygai thrown in the mix. Fishing lightly-weighted pillies or hardiheads should see some great results, or try some small soft plastics on 1/4oz jigheads. There have also been quite a few juvenile snapper taken on trolled lures. Try using lures that dive between 5-10ft off the bottom. If you’re trolling an edge that’s 25ft deep, run lures that dive to 15-20ft. This will also keep you from getting a lot of snags. Flathead numbers should really improve this month up in the shallows from the Amity Banks right through the Bay Islands, the mouth of the Logan River and the Jumpinpin area. There will be a lot of school-size

fish and these guys love a trolled hardbody or wellpresented plastic. Working depths between 3-6ft and targeting drop-offs or weed edges will see the best results. Try to concentrate on areas holding lots of bait and keep your troll speed to a slow walking pace, just enough to get that lure swimming. When it comes to plastic selection, try using some smaller sized lures to match the size of the bait on the

banks. Some good places to try are the sand banks straight north of the Victoria Point Boat Ramp, the drains along the Amity Banks and around the eastern side of Garden Island and the bottom end of Long Island. Winter whiting are in plague proportions at the moment. Drifting across any of the weedy sandbanks until you catch a couple of fish and then dropping anchor is the best way to find them. They

are great fun for the whole family to catch and tasty little critters. Try the banks in the middle reaches of the Rous, Navel banks, Pelican or Banana banks. We should start to see some larger mulloway pushing into the estuaries. The ‘Pin bar or Seaway will be the best spots to have a crack for a big mulloway. Live baits will have the best results with live tailor, yellowtail, pike or mullet being their preferred baits. Just

Jumpinpin gold and silver – just what you want in winter. If you have a great capture from the Southern Bay you would like to share, email pictures through to techfishing@hotmail.com. Until next month, tech-it-easy. • If you would like on-water

A Moreton Bay nannygai up close.

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Lots of winter species to cross off the hit list BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Now that we are flush in the middle of winter, anglers will already have a good indication of the scope of piscatorial targets on offer. Species such as mulloway, snapper, luderick, squid, bream, tailor and numerous others will be on anglers’ hit lists. Anglers have already experienced some exciting fishing for these species. The best action is yet to come. Increasing numbers of tailor and bream will be noticed in the coming weeks and anglers with a sound knowledge of these species will be able to reap the piscatorial rewards. BREAM Good numbers of bream should enter the estuaries over the coming weeks with the full moon period often

heralding a mass migration to inshore waters. Bream congregate in these zones for mating and they are ravenous, to say the least. Large numbers can often be caught within a few hours, as they will school in certain areas. Deeper channels entering the estuaries, river mouths, deeper holes and areas with abundant baitfish activity are all worth targeting. Nights commonly produce the better fishing in the main channels, especially around the full moon when larger numbers of bream make their inshore migration. Bream are primarily opportunistic feeders and scavengers, eating most food items they come across. Naturally, quality fresh or live baits will always get the most attention, especially from those larger, more wary individuals. Finesse rigging with

light fluorocarbon leaders, a minimum of lead and hooks hidden in the bait (with the point just slightly exposed) will always achieve the better results. Saying this, quality bream can be caught on the crudest of tackle and poor quality baits by inexperienced anglers, however you certainly put the odds in your favour by using quality baits and rigging. Some of the more popular baits are prawns, yabbies and worms. Others including pilchard strips, fillet baits, raw chicken fillet, squid strips, dough baits, whitebait, mullet gut, fowl gut and a heap of others will all work well. Berley can also be used and will bring larger numbers of fish to your area, getting them in a feeding mood. Chicken pellets soaked with tuna oil are a common and easy-tosource berley. Minced fish offcuts,

Stud bream, like this 30cm model, will be a lot more common throughout the rivers and estuaries during July.

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pilchards, prawn shells, bread crumbs and other morsels are also often added to the mix. This can be dispensed using a berley pot when in deeper areas or broadcast manually in shallower waters. Adding a little sand to the mix will help to get the berley down, sinking it a bit quicker into the strike zone. Avoid using too much berley, as you only want to give the fish a taste, not feed them. Also beware of berleying in strong currents, because you can take the fish away from your area. Be aware that berleying can also attract undesirables such as rays, sharks, catfish and pike eels in some areas. Bream are also very responsive to a broad array of artificials. Anglers skilled in the use of lures regularly score numbers of bream using minnow

Squid can often be sighted during daylight hours around the rock walls in the harbours and canals. This quartet was sighted in the middle of the day near the Raby Bay fuel dock. lures, blades, soft plastics, topwater offerings, flies and numerous others. Being skilled in the use of these and knowing what is best to use in which situation definitely comes down to time on the water. You can get the basics through research, but a natural instinct for it will reap rewards in fishing. TAILOR While tailor numbers have been sporadic over the previous months, increased captures of tailor should be forthcoming in the next month or so. Quite a few quality tailor have been caught in the Brisbane River in recent weeks, especially by anglers casting lures around well lit areas at night. Additionally the retaining wall at the mouth, around the oil pipeline, Sunken Wall, Gateway Bridge and several other areas have produced tailor for anglers on baits and lures during daylight hours. The average fish have been around 40cm, however specimens to 50cm+ have been caught. Early morning rising tides have often produced some of the better catches. Tailor have also been taken around the artificial reefs, mainly by anglers casting vibes and soft plastics. The shallows around the Bay Islands are another place worth looking and more than one angler has had their squid jig or small minnow lure snipped off by a ravenous greenback. A few tailor have been caught from the shore at Red Beach, the Scarborough Jetty, Woody Point Jetty, Manly Rock Wall and numerous other places accessible via Shanks’ pony (walking).

The eastern facing beaches of Stradbroke and Moreton should see increased numbers of tailor in the coming weeks. Pilchards, gar and salted tuna strips are great baits for tailor on the beaches, especially the larger greenbacks. Night sessions often produce some of the best catches, especially around the high tide. SQUID Cephalopod numbers have been good in recent weeks with the eastern side of the bay producing some of the most consistent catches. The Rous Channel, Rainbow Channel, weed beds on the western side of Moreton and Stradbroke and the Blue Hole have produced great numbers. Drifting in the channels with egi or baited skewers aft often rewards anglers with both arrow and tiger squid. Casting to the darkened areas along the edges of these channels on the falling tides is also worth the effort. The shallows around the Bay Islands have been worth probing with egi as quality tiger squid are usually in residence. Land-based anglers have been doing fairly well at night around the foreshores at Manly, the Wellington Point Jetty, Scarborough area, Victoria Point and Wynnum Foreshore. These areas can still produce during daylight hours however the squid will generally come into shallower water at night and they can easily be located with high powered torches or head lamps before tempting them with an egi. Refusals are common in these heavily fished areas and several egi changes may be required until you get the squid’s commitment.

SNAPPER From mid-May, numbers of snapper have been healthy throughout Moreton Bay. The usual locales including the margins of the Bay Islands, artificial reefs, wrecks and rubble grounds have all produced quality knobbies as well as plenty of smaller snapper. Anglers fishing baits have been commonly anchoring on these grounds during the early morning and late afternoon. Smart anglers are fishing quality baits with a minimum of lead to get them into the lower third of the water column. Heavily weighted baits don’t present as naturally when anchored to the bottom with a large dropper sinker. It’s said that when fishing for bay snapper, you should just consider them as ‘large bream’ and fish accordingly with a running ball sinker rig. Casting up current from the anchored boat and allowing the current to transport the bait downstream will often produce those better quality knobbies. Fishing on the drift a paternoster style rig with a small lead will still present well and minimise snagging. Snapper will accept a broad array of baits from live offerings to the humble frozen pilchard. Fresh is always better than frozen and it is always advisable to use the best quality baits you can source. Large fresh banana prawns can be fished on a jighead and drifted just off the bottom for good results on snapper and a host of other species. Fillet baits like tuna, bonito, gar, pike, mullet and a host of others can be presented as a strip bait on a set of snelled octopus hooks.

Pilchards are often presented on ganged hooks. Due to the snapper’s habit of mouthing the bait before swallowing, the more flexible and less obvious snelled rig is a better option. Small live baits such as yakkas, slimy mackerel, mullet and squid are numero uno and taking the time to source these will generally pay off. Previously frozen baits such as pilchards, squid, gar, baby octopus and several others will still produce some creditable snapper and other species within the bay. Soft plastics and vibration baits are especially productive offerings for those who like to target snapper on lures. These are commonly cast up current and retrieved with the current using a slow roll or a series of lifts, winds and pauses. Trolling minnow lures has become another popular way to score a few snapper and will also produce cod, tuskfish, mackerel and a few other species around the fringes of the Bay Islands and numerous patches of rubble and coffee rock throughout the bay. Deep swimming minnow lures that dive 4-8m are commonly used. MULLOWAY The same baits and techniques described for snapper will also work on

mulloway. While mulloway are still found in many of the same areas throughout the bay that the snapper are, they are more widespread in estuarine waters. The rivers and estuaries are prime

sounder skills usually have no trouble locating them. Good paces to try your luck include the areas adjacent to the wharves and jetties, Claras Rocks, around the Gateway Bridge, the deeper

oil pipeline and numerous spots along the edge of the main river basin. A broad array of baits will work, but live offerings are definitely the best. These can include herring, pike,

A broad array of plastics, vibes and other lures will tempt bay snapper. This fellow succumbed to a Samaki Thumpertail slowly rolled close to the bottom around an artificial reef. places for mulloway and where most are caught. The Brisbane River holds substantial numbers and anglers with good

dredge holes along the retaining wall at the mouth, the submerged ledge just upriver from the sewerage shute, the eastern end of the

mullet, large prawns and gar. Vibration baits and plastics are the most commonly thrown artificials, however a broad array can be used

successfully. Locating areas where baitfish and prawns are congregating is a good ploy, as mulloway will generally be close by. Often you will be able to locate these baitfish schools and the mulloway, threadfin, snapper and other species feeding on them by using the side scan on a quality sounder. From here it’s just a case of casting and working your lure until you get a result. This usually doesn’t take too long, as these fish are already in a feeding mood and will pounce on most quality offerings. LUDERICK There are still plenty of quality luderick around for anglers who target them. This mainly vegetarian species is generally targeted on weed baits suspended beneath a near neutral buoyancy float. Luderick are commonly found around estuarine and canal rock walls and deeper channels where numerous types of weeds grow. Cabbage weed is the most commonly found and used weed in our neck of the woods. It can be located on most hard structures in the estuarine environment including rock walls, channel markers, buoys, floating pontoons and jetty pylons. Luderick can be very pedantic in their feeding habits at times and will gently mouth the bait.

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Watching your float as it drifts with the current is the only way to determine if a luderick is mouthing the bait. The float may dip or rise a fraction or just slow down its passage to indicate a bite. An abrupt lift of the rod tip will set the hook and the dogged battle is on. Keep luderick alive until you are ready to process them. Otherwise the flesh may take on a bad flavour. Bleed, fillet, cut out the black gut lining and skin the fillets immediately and you will have some incredibly tasty fish. Although the cold winter conditions are a deterrent for many, there are a lot of quality species to be taken during July. Daytime sojourns can be rather enjoyable, providing the wind is minimal and the sun is beating down. Early morning, evening and night trips will require plenty of warm clothing and a flask of soul defrosting coffee or soup. With plenty of action throughout Moreton Bay and the numerous estuarine zones and rivers over the coming weeks, there will be plenty of incentive to get you out on the water. You will forget about the cold once you are hooked up to a rampaging knobby, mulloway, tailor or one of the other species that the Great South East has on offer during July.

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50 STRONG YEARS

JULY 2017

Expecting great numbers this cold season John Gooding

With both air and water temperatures dropping, snapper numbers should be on the rise. This time last year, the closer reefs off Moreton Island fished very well for quality snapper and there were plenty of solid specimens of 4-6kg caught along with the odd larger one. All of the reef structures between the 29 and 35 fathoms produced good fish. Over the next couple of months, they should again be worth the effort. Snapper numbers have been encouraging so far this season and on charter we’ve already had several bag outs with fish to 4kg. As I’ve stated

previously, there’s only a few kilometres of travel between lines of reef off Moreton Island, so don’t be afraid to move around if where you’re fishing isn’t firing. Floatline (freespool) fishing is the go when chasing snapper and your choice of gear is very important to maximise your chances of nailing some quality fish. Your rod should be in the 7-8ft bracket with plenty of low down grunt and a nice, soft tip. My rod is one of Wilson’s Venom Snapper rods. It comes in just under 8ft and after giving it a solid workout for the past year or so, I’d have to say it’s one of the best rods I’ve owned. As far as reels go, having a very light freespool is the key, so the lighter leads can

A 90cm, 5kg trag that swallowed a livey.

most days when they’ve taken floatlined baits aimed at snapper. On a recent trip we picked up some pearlies bottom bouncing around Point Lookout fishing no deeper than 35m. Other options this month include targeting kings and amberjack on both live baits and jigs on the wider reefs and isolated wrecks. • Until next month, enjoy your fishing, take care on the coastal bars and if you’d like to join me on charter (max. eight persons), give me a call on (07) 3822 9527 or 0418 738 750 or visit my website outlawcharters.com.au.

A pair of quality pearlies from out wide. roll your bait away quickly. Most quality overheads will do the job, but steer clear of big, bulky reels – they can be a little heavy to hang onto all day. As far as the line goes, avoid braid and use a quality mono around 30lb. Try to keep it under 0.5mm in diameter. Choice of hooks is also very important and my preference is two ganged 5/0 or 6/0 hooks. Heavier gauge hooks are harder to set, so try to stick with the lighter gauge chemically sharpened hooks; they are easier to

set on the lighter lines and straightening isn’t an issue, as you can only put so much pressure on them using a 30lb line. More snapper will be caught this season on pillies than any other bait, but fresh strips of bonito, tailor or mullet will also take their fair share of fish. Make sure you get quality Aussiecaught pillies and not the imported rubbish. Along with snapper, pearl perch have also been in reasonable numbers. We’ve been boating a handful

An spangled emperor that took a floatlined pilly.

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Get in before the slimy weed! NORTHERN BAY

Grayson Fong graysonfong@bigpond.com

When cruising to your favourite early morning fishing spot, there is nothing more painful than the icy cold shards of wind repeatedly punching your face. With motivation being your only warmth, it’s often hard to get fired up to fish in the early hours of dawn around the cooler months. After record days over 40°C during our summer this year, the cooler weather has been quite the shock to the system, which has persuaded people into a somewhat early hibernation this winter. Last month’s start of fresh southwesterly winds has been a blessing for the northern bay, with our open waters being nice and accessible for kayaks and smaller craft due to their easterly-facing direction and the land acting as a huge buffer for the wind. BRIBIE ISLAND Pumicestone Passage has been fishing quite well for this time of the year, as it’s

annual slimy weed infestation usually spoils a day out on the water, especially when the tide starts to run. Flathead have been the hot topic of late, with the drop-offs around Donnybrook holding some good-sized specimens, along with the mouth of Elimbah Creek, especially on the run-out tide. Other noted spots have been Sylvan Beach, Bongaree and Buckleys Hole, and baits have been the popular choice of local anglers. Sand whiting have still been caught throughout the system around Lime Pocket, the mouth of Coochin Creek, White Patch and around Toorbul. Also on the whiting front, diver whiting have started around outside the southern beaches, and fishing around Cooks Rocks with bloodworms has been the choice of many of the anglers. Bream have been seeking refuge over the past weeks, as the crystal clear days and increased water clarity have made them less likely to cruise out in the open, making them spooky during daylight hours. The jetty

Edward Berry with some quality Moreton Bay dart after dark.

Pacific Harbour canals and the oyster leases around the creek mouths of Ningi and Bullock have been productive for bream, with the start of the run-out being the prime time. REDCLIFFE PENINSULA Juvenile snapper are on the move through the peninsula with the two hotspots being around (but not in) the green zone at Scotts Point and North Point. Early mornings have been like carparks in

Flathead numbers have been growing, with Woody Point and the Clontarf foreshore working well on the incoming tides. Squid numbers have also been increasing and are set to peak as the temperature finally hits its minimum for the year. PINE RIVER The bread and butter species have been on fire throughout the lower reaches of the Pine River,

Healthy legal juvenile snapper have been roaming the peninsula.

The Brisbane River has been on fire with bream. these areas, but careful anchoring ensures less angst amongst anglers. Fresh bait has been the popular choice for juvenile snapper, with many still getting good fish on soft plastics, especially in brighter colours. Bream numbers have been steady, with the afternoons proving to a better time to chase them due to the lower lit conditions. With water clarity at a premium, lower lit hours have encouraged these bream to be more aggressive while feeding. The peninsula has been covered in weed throughout the shallower waters, so chasing bream in waters around 6-8ft deep has been better. Grubs and paddle-tails have been working well, with crankbaits accounting for many deeper feeding fish.

with whiting and flathead dominating the catches amongst anglers. Night fishing has been fruitful (and cold!) for land-based anglers around the Ted Smout Bridge fishing platform and the old Horninbrook Bridge on the Eventide side, with bream and whiting getting caught, especially around the fuller tides. The area from Dohles Rocks through to the Houghton Highway bridge has been fishing well on the run-out tide for many local anglers, most of whom are choosing to anchor up for better results. Fresh yabbies have been the optimal bait with both bream and whiting being quite fond of them. The Bruce Highway bridge has also been a great area for bream and flathead, with banana prawns still

inhabiting that stretch up to the South Pine arm. TIP OF THE MONTH Essentials for winter fishing are warm clothes, a beanie and ugg boots, but don’t forget to apply

sunscreen. Even though the sun might not be scorching, its UV factor is still high over our cooler months, so please don’t forget to apply on your face and ears to keep yourself protected.

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JULY 2017

Head for the inner reefs if weather stays good CALOUNDRA

Damian Parker dpfishingmonthly@hotmail.com

The Pelican Waters canals are fishing well for queenfish, along with bigeye trevally and small GTs. Anglers are also encountering schools of kalekale trevally, which come on in the cooler months. Lure fishers are catching most of their trevally on small soft plastics or 5-10g micro jigs, with very light 6-10lb fluorocarbon leader. We’ve been getting good results on 10g Samaki Torpedo V2 Spinners, Samaki Tuna V2 micro-jigs, and Halco Madeye 3” Paddle Prawns in jelly prawn. When using jigs and plastics for these fish, you should work them very slowly with plenty of time on the bottom. The queenfish are taking poppers and stickbaits with gusto, with two of the stand-out lures being the Ecooda Pop 100 and the 80mm Atomic Hardz K-9. When chasing queenfish on surface walkers you should employ a fast walk-the-dog retrieve, and if you’re using poppers you should use a slow to medium retrieve. The sand flats in front of the powerboat club

Maddy Burch with one of many Venus tuskfish caught on a Samaki Choona micro-jig. and military jetty are yielding good catches of winter whiting and bream on live yabbies and live bloodworms. Further towards the river and around the boardwalk,

boardwalk at the bottom of the tide. The luderick have turned up at the boardwalk but they’re not really feeding yet. It appears that all they can think about is the upcoming spawn, but after that’s done and dusted they should feed well for a couple of weeks. Until then, you have to be lucky to catch them feeding. At the river mouth guys been catching nice size flathead on small pilchards drifted along the eddies on the last of the run-out tide. We’re also seeing good catches of big dart to around 50cm at the mouth. They’ve been taking small pilchards, peeled prawns and even small slugs. When it comes to rock fishing around Caloundra, anglers fishing at Kings Beach, Shelly Beach and Moffat Beach have been getting good catches of squirey snapper. Most fish have been caught at first light or sunset on the run-out tide using fresh mullet or squid. The odd

school-size mulloway has turned up as well. The coffee rock off Bribie Island always fishes well at this time of year for small snapper and grassy sweetlip, and they can be caught on a variety of baits. Still, if you want to minimise pickers and catch more keepers, soft plastics are the way to go. We’ve had good success using ZMan scented 5” Jerk ShadZ in coconut ice and new penny, matched with a 3/8oz HeadLockZ jighead and 15lb leader. This set-up should get you multiple catches of snapper off the coffee rock. You can also try Brays Rock for a variety of smaller reef fish. Currimundi Reef has been fishing well for Venus tuskfish, small snapper and grassy sweetlip. For bigger fish, Caloundra 12 Mile has been fishing exceptionally well for snapper up to 7kg. There have also been nice pearlies up to 45cm caught out there, and you should always float out a livebait because there’s still

a chance for a big Spaniard. Always take a rod rigged with a slug, too, as there are still plenty of mac and longtail tuna around, busting up baitfish on the surface. The low end of the Barwon Banks has been fishing well for big snapper, pearl perch, cobia, kingfish and cod. Live slimies are the best bait, and make sure you berley up. It really is essential to get a good berley trail going if you want consistent results. THE MONTH AHEAD This month if the weather is good you should make a beeline for the inner reefs, get those soft plastics out and target snapper and sweetlip. If the weather is bad, your best bet for a feed is to fish the Pumicestone Passage for whiting, bream and the odd tailor. For all the latest info on what’s biting and where, drop into Caloundra Fishing World at 7/8 Yay Ave, Caloundra or give them a call on (07) 5491 4566.

anglers are picking up the odd big tailor up to 3.5kg on whole pilchards and live bait. There are also good catches of bream starting to show up on mullet gut and chook gut along the

Ricky Thomas with a longtail tuna. When you’re chasing snapper you should always keep a rod rigged with a slug, because you never know when a tuna school might bust up in the vicinity.

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Light breezes, small swells and perfect fishing NOOSA

Peter Wells

July is famous for light breezes and little swell, which encourages anglers to head offshore in droves. There are heaps of snapper and pearlies around the reefs at the moment with North Reef, Chardons Reef, the Barwon Banks and the Hards producing some outstanding fish. Microjigs are a great way to fish these areas.

cobia hanging around at this time of the year and they love nothing more than live bait on a slow sinking floater rig. We see plenty of whales migrating up the coast, so if you’re planning on a night fish or an early morning start, be aware. On the southern reefs good snapper, sweetlip and tuskies have all been on the chew. Overnight trips have been very productive, particularly when we have smaller tides and less run. Try to get a good berley trail going and then send

Live worms and yabbies have been the best on the whiting, while live herring have been the standout bait for the big bream and flatties. For those of you without a cast net or yabby pump, pilchards and worms have been the favourite fresh baits. The Gympie Terrace stretch of the river has also been producing with prawns and worms delivering impressive results for the kids. Heading a little further upriver, the Tewantin stretch and the first ski run have been producing mulloway in the low light periods. Vibes have been dynamite on the mulloway as well as large trevally. Lake Cooroibah has been producing great numbers of pan-sized flathead with hardbody lures delivering the goods. The most effective colours have been hot pink and dark red. Soft plastics in prawn profiles have also been very worthwhile. The Maroochy River has been really turning it on over the past month with good reports of flathead, trevally, mulloway and bream throughout the system. Those that braved the cooler weather and went out after dark have been well rewarded with good-sized mulloway taken

around the Cod Hole and the deeper sections upriver. Flathead and trevally have been in good numbers off Godfreys Wall and in the upper reaches of Petrie Creek with the run out seeming to be the pic of the tides. Noosa’s North Shore has again been firing for tailor with the quality fish coming from the area north of Teewah. This is that great time of the year when they start to school up in large numbers. Having plenty of anglers fishing near you will tend to keep the school around. This is also the time to change over to slugs. Cast to the back of the school and retrieve quickly through the school so these fish will think it’s a scurrying baitfish and smash it. Another fish you find at this time of the year are mulloway. These fish love nothing more than a fresh tailor fillet, so if you catch a smaller legal tailor, take the fillets off and run it down a set of 4/0 ganged hooks. The southern beaches around Marcus and Perigian have also been seeing tailor and mulloway activity. Mulloway tend to hunt more on the darker nights so the bigger tides around the new moon are the ideal

Peter Clark with a nice snapper. There are heaps of snapper and pearlies around the reefs at the moment. time to target them. For the bass anglers, Lake Macdonald will take a little extra effort as the fish tend to be a little more lethargic in the cooler water. Try fishing the edges of the weed beds in the early morning and late afternoon periods looking for those fish that

Brady Reid had a lot of fun fighting this queenfish. Sweetlip have been well spread throughout most of the major reefs, with some bigger fish caught during the lower light periods. There has still been the odd coral trout taken from Sunshine Reef – fishing hard to the reef is the best way to come into contact with a trout, so a running sinker rig with the sinker all the way down to the hook should see results. Don’t forget that lumo bead just above the hook to stop that big ball sinker damaging the knot. We’ve seen an abundance of live bait on most of the reefs lately, so make sure you have your bait jigs handy for when you come across a patch. There are also big

down a couple of light or even unweighted baits. Snapper will be drawn in by the berley and will hopefully find your baits. In the Noosa River these cooler nights make fishing perfect. If you’re into chasing trevally and big tailor. These fish seem to revel in the cooler water and can often be caught in big numbers. These cold water predators love nothing more than forcing bait to the surface to feed so casting surface lures can see some amazing results. For anglers that are working the banks, the river mouth and dog beach areas have been producing great numbers of quality bream, whiting and flathead.

Adam Dhal with a quality pearl perch.

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are actively feeding. Once the suns get a little higher, it’s time to change over to spinnerbaits and blades. For the best results, fish them slowly with a few pauses to encourage a reaction bite. Look for those dropoffs and any structure that may be on the bottom. Once you find the fish they tend to stick with you and it’s not unusual for the school to grow in size, as more and more fish become attracted. If you don’t have a live tank, you’ll have to move away from the school to release fish, as these guys can spook the school and shut down the bite. Remember the closed season for bass is on until 31 August and applies to tidal waters only. • For all the latest information log onto www. fishingnoosa.com.au for up to date bar and fishing reports and don’t forget to drop into Davo’s Tackle World in Noosa or Davo’s Northshore Bait & Tackle at Marcoola to find out where the fish are biting. All your boating needs can be met at the new Superstore in Noosa so check it out the next time you are in town!

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31 Fox Street Wynnum, QLD, 4178 Phone: (07) 3396 9777 Fax: (07) 3893 2046 www.wynnummarineyamaha.com.au

BRISBANE (NORTH)

BUNDABERG

BUNDABERG MARINELAND 95 Targo Street, Bundaberg, QLD, 4670 Phone: (07) 4130 0500 Fax: (07) 4152 4754 www.bundabergmarineland.com.au

GLADSTONE

CURTIS COAST MARINE 40 Chapple St, Gladstone QLD, 4802 Phone: (07) 4972 0135 Fax: (07) 4972 0136 www.curtiscoastmarine.com.au

MACKAY

REEF MARINE 26 Prospect Street Mackay, QLD, 4740 Phone: (07) 4957 3521 Fax: (07) 4957 2447 www.reefmarine.net

WHITSUNDAYS

WHITSUNDAY MARINE 4/11 Shute Harbour Road Cannonvale,QLD, 4802 Phone: (07) 4948 3298 Fax: (07) 4948 3298 www.whitsundaymarine.com.au

There are plenty of things that confuse me about people’s behaviour. Spend some time on the knobtracks, what some people call ‘highways,’ around the place and you’ll find all sorts of stuff that defies human logic. In fact, it probably defies chimpanzee logic as well. But I can’t for the life of me get my head around people, supposedly sensible people, that push for a fishing licence across Queensland. Imagine you’re walking through brigalow scrub half an hour out of St George. You’re in your jocks, with no hat or sunnies and you’re armed with a 4” length of baling twine and a pair of tweezers. There are tracks all through the melon holes showing that there have been big mobs of pigs destroying everything in their way. As you get through a five strand fence that’s sagging because the strainer post has been pushed over by a particularly large tusker, you catch a glimpse of a massive bulky body through some rosewood branches.

There’s snorting, snuffling, moist chewing sounds and some squealing. You consider whether the Queensland Government is holding a cabinet meeting, then correctly assume that there’s a very large, extremely dangerous animal just downwind from you. At this stage, in my opinion, the correct option is to clench the baling twine, and various body parts, very tightly, and get back through the fence, avoiding making any noise or emitting any odour that might alert the nearby mammal of the potential for some slashing, stabbing, chewing and stomping work, and head for the nearest belah tree, at which point you shimmy up that trunk and wait for as many hours as it takes for that beast, or the Cabinet, to move far enough away for you to take your twine, your tweezers and your trembling body back to base camp. The incorrect thing to do is to move toward the boar, punch out a few trouser coughs, bellow like you’ve stepped on a six inch piece of galvanised burr, and wave your arms around like someone whose boat may

have broken down trying to catch the attention of passing vessels to get a lift back to the ramp. Not that I’m emotionally scarred by that memory, you understand? That sort of behaviour is to me similar to requesting a fishing licence. There’s this idea in some people’s minds that fish are in short supply and that by giving The Man the power to regulate even further how, when, where, why and with whom we fish, things will magically turn around and there’ll be fish aplenty for everyone. Ain’t gonna happen. Firstly, if you can’t catch fish now, you won’t find it any easier with a licence. Secondly, the grubs who flout the laws now will still flout the laws with more regulation in place. It’s what they do. And thirdly, why on earth would you offer some shinybottom in a Queen Street highrise office more ways to tell you how to run your life? If you’re that way inclined, knock yourself out. Wave your arms and yell. Fart. Attract the beast. Just don’t expect me to stick around. I’ll be up the belah tree, holding on with everything I’ve got.

34 Don Street Bowen, QLD, 4805 Phone: (07) 4786 2944 Fax: (07) 4786 6606 www.reibelmarineyamaha.com.au

CAIRNS

2294 Sandgate Road Boondall, QLD, 4034 Phone: (07) 3265 8000 Fax: (07) 3265 8099 www.northsidemarineyamaha.com.au

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

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

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Sticking it to The Man

KARUMBA

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

HERVEY BAY BUCCANEERS

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

JULY 2017

Great weather set to continue this winter HERVEY BAY

Dane Radosevic

It’s that time of year when the grey nomads start to venture north as they try to escape the dreaded southern winter weather. With cool southwesterly or southeasterly winds blowing in the early hours of the morning, this is a great time of year to hit the water and fish through to the late hours of the afternoon, as we quite often see the bay glass-out. We have definitely had contrasting weather conditions with weeks of strong winds and days of absolute glassed-out conditions. Although, this certainly hasn’t slowed the fishing down. We can only expect it to improve as the winter continues. The winter whiting run has started and they are congregating in a number of different locations. Most of the fish are coming from out of Gatakers Bay, Dundowran and Toogoom. Smaller patches of fish have also started turning up south of the Urangan Harbour and off the bottom end of Big Woody. Just remember that there is a 50 fish possession limit per person. Cured sand worms, small pieces of peeled prawn,

fresh yabbies and worm imitation soft plastics have been working a treat, with the paternoster rig being the preferred rigging method to present the baits. Our run of large local squid has started, although a

Snapper are in! Brendan Blackburn caught this solid snapper on a ZMan 5” Jerk Shad in electric chicken. little slower compared with previous years. Decently sized squid have been taken. They can be found around the inshore islands, rocky outcrops and weed beds throughout the bay. If the water clarity is good, you’ll find them throughout the straits. A slow roll retrieve is often all that is required to tempt one into committing to the jig. If they are standing

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off or playing with it, a small hop or sharp jerk of the jig can sometimes get them to react and attack. Following the movement of squid into the bay are good numbers of quality size queenfish, rat kingfish and

mixed trevally species. They are gorging themselves on the abundant food supply. You can’t beat a fast-paced topwater lure presentation at this time of year, as the strikes off the surface are truly incredible. Soft plastic presentations fished down deep are another great option. Match it with an appropriately sized jighead for the conditions. The bigger tides often fish best when targeting these pelagic species and concentrating on the edge of the current lines and back eddies will deliver the greatest results. The inshore reefs and scattered artificials have continued to produce good juvenile snapper with their numbers and sizes continually improving. The best period to target this wary species is during dawn or dusk. If these times coincide with a tide change, preferably the high tide, you can look forward to some exceptional fishing. Areas holding large congregations of bait have also been attracting good numbers of pelagics. Mac tuna are feeding on the surface, while golden trevally and school mackerel have been holding down deeper. Trolling deep diving hardbodies has been a successful technique accounting for a whole host of different species. Drifting with soft plastics and floating baits is also proving successful. There is still a lot of excitement surrounding the prawning scene. Good numbers of banana prawns have been located in our local creek and river systems. We should start to see good numbers coming from down the straits. Word

is that there have also been excellent quality prawns caught along the beach at the front of Woodgate, if you can time it according to the right moon phase. Mulloway are making their presence known at River Heads and throughout the many ledges within the straits, with some quality fish being caught on paddletail soft plastics. Live baiting is a great option when targeting mulloway and is most effective at night, with live pencil squid and pike being the preferred baits. Grunter are around in good numbers with quality fish to 60cm being caught on a mixture of baits, metal vibes and soft plastics. The vast array of sand flats, creek mouths and rocky outcrops throughout the straits are attracting good numbers of flathead and bream with the lead up to the high tide period and the whole of the run out fishing best. At this time of year the water is often gin clear, so it pays to drop your line and leader class. This will in turn draw more bites. Your choice of presentation can also affect your catch rate. Lightly weighted soft plastics and silent running hardbodies are always proven performers. A mix of trevally and mackerel species have been showing up in good numbers with areas like the Burrum Eight-Mile, Six-Mile and Red Neds all holding large masses of bait drawing in the

John Brown with his PB 14kg red, which he caught from the gutters. fishing well. Slow fluttering micro-jigs and soft plastics have been rewarding anglers with their bag limits. For the bait fishos, a well-presented winter whiting, pilchard or pencil squid slowly drifted down the water column is as good a bait as any. Creating a berley trail by cubing pilchards or using pellets is always a great option to draw the fish in to you. The main issue faced

14kg have been caught and anglers have reportedly been bagging out on large sweetlip, tuskfish and coral trout. Cobia and Spanish mackerel have been out in full force over the more common grounds and around the deeper gutters. Sharks are a continual issue and even with the dropping water temperature they are still hanging around in large

The author with a solid winter golden taken off a bait ball while targeting snapper. predatory species. Fishing the bigger tides around the full and new moon periods will always provide better pelagic action and they are great sport when targeting them with lures. There is an influx of snapper making their way into Platypus Bay. Areas like the Washing Machines and various small isolated patches of coffee rock and rubble patches off Station Hill and Wathumba are

when doing this is attracting the ever-growing shark population. Nannygai are one of the other reef species that are abundant over much of the same country and can be caught using similar techniques. The southern and northern gutters systems have really fired up over recent weeks and will continue to do so in the months to come. Some quality red emperor up to

numbers, as always, taking a liking to anything red. If you’re being harassed by sharks, it’s advisable to move away and not waste quality fish on these predatory pests. It’s definitely time to pull out the winter woollies, as the transition has well and truly taken place. We’re set to experience some incredible fishing over the next few months. Buckle up and tight lines!

Windy, but still brilliant RAINBOW BEACH

Ed Falconer

The weather has been a bit windy, but the fishing remains brilliant. Offshore we have had another fantastic fishing month with stacks of pearl perch, huge catches of tuskfish, hussar and Moses perch. There are plenty of small snapper on the bite. It has been very easy to bag out on these fish and I would say the bigger fish are on their way this month. Out wide some big red and spangled emperor are on the chew and using live bait is a huge advantage on these fish at the moment. The beach has been providing the best flathead fishing I’ve seen in years. Soft plastics, hardbody lures and unweighted pilchards are all working well. Nicesize bream and tailor are also in good numbers on the beach. There has been plenty of action in the Great Sandy Straits. Winter whiting have been as thick as thieves and big schools of longtail tuna have been a lot of fun

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Matt with a beautiful Rainbow Beach red emperor.

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64 Kortum Drive Burleigh Heads Gold Coast, Queensland, 4220 Phone: (07) 5576 7388 Fax: (07) 5576 2278 sales@marinetune.com

5 Hannam Street, Cairns, Queensland, 4870 Phone: (07) 4033 8800 Fax: (07) 4033 8810 sales@aussiemarine.net.au 1 William Murray Drive Cannovale, Queensland, 4802 Phone: (07) 4946 7286 Fax: (07) 4946 7848 woc@whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au

BlueFin Sports

57-59 Musgrave Street Rockhampton Nth, QLD, 4701 Phone: (07) 4922 2211 Fax: 07 4922 4624 sales@bluefinsports.com.au

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Tailor ready to fire on FRASER ISLAND

Phil James p_j_james@bigpond.com

It’s generally believed that tailor follow a northerly migration pattern from New South Wales then along the beaches of South Queensland, finally making it to Fraser Island. While this sounds feasible, I’m

of the opinion that there are other factors coming into play that might at least modify the general northern migration theory. During autumn and early winter, tailor feed ravenously on various baitfish species as they build up reproductive tissues in preparation for spawning. From vantage points along the island during early winter, they can

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be observed creating quite a rumpus as they upset bait balls of mostly pilchards and anchovies, not far out beyond the breakers. Then as seasonal offshore winds settle the inshore waters down, tailor start following baitfish into calmer inshore waters. If a start to the Fraser Island tailor season needs to be defined, it would be when regular winds out of the west start to dominate. It has been shown in scientific studies many years ago that the surf zones between Indian Head and Waddy Point are major tailor spawning areas. This is the reason why these waters have been closed to all fishing during August and September, to give the fish a chance to do their thing without disturbance. This might be the case, however I would suspect that spawning areas extend well beyond this, possibly along most of the island’s east coast. Well-oxygenated waters and an abundance of food are needed by these spawning tailor. Already there have been desirable breezes and a few reports of early season tailor filtering in. Most have been small fish. At least it’s a start.

There is plenty of white water at Waddy Point, looking north. During this month we can expect the first of the bigger greenbacks to turn up in the inshore gutters. I don’t want to sound like a pessimist, but we need to remember the disaster that almost wiped out the tailor season last year. I am referring to the masses of floating brown and red weed that moved into the inner waters from mid-July through to at least December in 2016. This year there have been a few periods when it has reappeared. During the Easter holiday period it was bad enough to make fishing difficult, but not impossible. I won’t mention weed again. It depresses me. Once the season becomes established, tailor will be taken right along the eastern beach as far as Sandy Cape, as well as around the headlands when they aren’t closed during August and September. Although generally widespread, there are a few sections of beach that seem to be particularly reliable. The first that comes to mind is between Cathedral Beach and Dundubara, a beach with plenty of well-defined gutters with deep entrances. As the waves break along the outer bank, white water spills over into the deeper gutter. Holes and spits can also involve breaking waves and white water, so these features should also be tested out. This is a section of beach that is well endowed with suitable campsites. Tent cities are established here, particularly during the September school holidays. Excellent gutters that are comfortably fished by anglers of various skills add to its popularity. Many families come regularly each year to make their holidays great social events. Catching a few tailor would always be a bonus. Further north the stretch of beach up to Indian Head

regularly turns on some of the island’s best tailor fishing. Indian Head is well known for the quality of tailor taken there. Almost all fishing is done from its northern face where swells coming around the headland break over shallows to produce one huge feature of white water. From the beach the track out to your

there is no shortage of great tailor country. I should point out here that negotiating the bypass track behind Ngkala Rocks can be difficult and it’s best left to the capable 4WDs and very capable and experienced drivers. In my column in the July 2016 mag, I examined some of the history of recreational

Good catches of tailor and dart should be common this month. chosen fishing spot is not a walk in the park. Good vantage points aren’t plentiful, so when the rocks become crowded with anglers, tempers can become just a little frayed. I prefer to fish the beach. From 400m south of Indian Head to 400m north of Waddy Point, fishing of any kind is not permitted from midday 1 August to midday 30 September. This includes the beaches between the two headlands as well as Middle Rocks. It should also be noted that Middle Rocks and its small included beaches are zoned green, so fishing is not permitted throughout the whole year in this area. The northern face of Waddy Point also fishes well for tailor, when it’s allowed. Further north between Orchid Beach and Ngkala Rocks and further on to Sandy Cape,

tailor fishing on Fraser Island. Not wishing to delve into that again this year, I might just point out again that there have been lots of changes over the last five decades or so. Changes in the management of the fishery have seen the end of the bad old days when fishers were taking as much of the resource as they liked. Currently, with a legal minimum size of 35cm and a bag limit of 20, most recreational anglers are happy to comply, but also do so with their contribution to sustainability in mind. Just as we have seen management requirements changing, so too have fishing methods and equipment. We will take a closer look at this next month and check out the progress of what we all hope will be a top season. Without weed, I might add.

The barra are still going strong LAKE MONDURAN

Rob Howell

May and June have turned up the heat on barra in the 50-75cm size range. With a milder winter than usual so far, these feisty barra

have shown no signs of slowing down. The wind has typically been from the southwest in the very early mornings, and then has been switching to the southeast during the mid-mornings. These conditions have pushed

feeding fish to the usual windward areas. The points and bays from White Rock, Insane Bay, Bust-up Bay, Heart Bay and Two Mile Creek have been fishing best, just be sure to follow the wind as it changes throughout the morning.

Warm northerly winds will mean fish like this are still on offer at Monduran in winter.

Feeding fish will move with the wind as well. Shads in the 5” and 7” sizes have been a musthave plastic rigged up with weedless hooks. These soft plastics are perfect for targeting barra in the broken weed areas that have been covered in the recent water rise. Suspending hardbodies have dominated at Monduran for six years now. As we move through winter we need to prepare for the spring and summer period ahead. Leading into the warmer months we can expect warm northerly winds for a few weeks at a time. When this happens it’s like waving a red flag at a bull and Monduran barra will fire up. If you can’t get to Monduran for a winter session but are holding out for a spring bite, now is the time to start preparing for the season ahead. In preparing you need to have a good look at your equipment. Check everything from your rods and reels, upgrading of hooks and split rings to lures, right through to your outboard, wheel bearing and

Tying up can be a good ploy if you find some productive water. trailer maintenance. These boxes should all be ticked off your list of things to do before venturing out on your next fishing expedition. If you have any doubt in your equipment or are just unsure, consult a professional. There’s nothing like peace of mind, especially when it comes to towing your boat trailer caravan or camper along Australia’s

major highways or any other road for that matter. • For all enquiries regarding accommodation, camping or caravanning please call our helpful staff on (07) 4157 3881 or email us at info@ lakem.com.au. For any fishing info please contact me on 0410 599 147 or follow my Facebook page Lake Monduran Guidelines Fishing Charters.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Bigger barramundi in the Fitzroy River As we get to the halfway point of the barramundi season, the catch rate for legal size fish in the Fitzroy River remains at a record high of 1.3 fish per fisher per day. That is the highest catch rate for over 15 years and is 123% higher than

the catch rate for last season. This is also well above the Crystal Bowl forecast of 0.6-0.8 fish per fisher per day. Bill Sawynok, local manager of Infofish Australia who developed the Crystal Bowl, said, “Based on the current catch rate, we

have revised the forecast for the whole season to 1.0-1.4 fish per fisher per day.” Mr Sawynok added, “In line with a record number of posts of trophy-sized barramundi on social media the proportion of trophy fish over 1m in the catch has jumped from 1% last

It’s almost a trophy sized barramundi at 820mm – Joe Douglas was happy with his catch.

year to almost 4% this year with almost all being released again.” The average length of barramundi is also at an all-time high at 671mm. In the past 20 years there have only been four times when it has exceeded the minimum legal length of 580mm. It has also only exceeded 600mm once, at 608mm. The increase in the average length compared with last year is 20%. The other good news is that this year has also seen a strong recruitment of baby barramundi with numbers of fish from 200-350mm being recorded in the river and adjacent wetland nursery areas. Stephen Pill from Barra Jacks Tackle Store commented, “Given the dirty water conditions in January and following the recent flood, there have still been a lot of quality fish caught in the river, so it’s not surprising to see the statistics for the first half of the season.” Mr Sawynok added, “The Crystal Bowl tracks catch rates, fish sizes and other parameters in real time for barramundi in the Fitzroy River and provides forecasts for each season. This is a unique service that is not available outside Central Queensland.” – Infofish

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Pick days for successful trips ROCKHAMPTON

Clayton Nicholls clay94_fishing@live.com.au

The Capricorn region has been all over the place in terms of weather. The past month has played host to calm blue clean oceans one day and murky, windy waters the next. People who have picked their days right have had great success, both inshore and offshore. The Keppels and beyond have produced a great variety of both reef and pelagic species and the creeks and rivers have produced some great estuary catches. FRESHWATER REGIONS Freshwater regions are still a great source of bait. You can catch these fish using hooks and sinkers, lures or opting for bait traps of some kind. For perch, use tiny bits of cut up bait on the tips of very small fine hooks along with a very small sinker. If you were looking to trap some freshwater prawns or yabbies, a fine mesh opera

house would be a great choice. When using freshwater traps, the darker, less prominent colours seem to be the best, and a good old loaf of cheap white bread as bait can see you emptying traps for weeks on less than a dollar. THE FITZROY The river has been fishing well for many anglers and a lot of people have been producing good fish. It shows that persistence pays off. A lot of fish have been caught

near the mouths of the feeder creeks. Try anywhere that will be creating a pressure point. The barra have been starting to sit a lot deeper in the areas where the temperature change throughout the day is a lot smaller. Devils Elbow and the mouth of Gavial Creek have been producing well for both barra and threadies. Most have been taken on vibes or deep divers. INSHORE REGIONS The Keppel Group has

The author with a decent plate-sized coral trout taken on a sinking stickbait at Keppel Island.

been fishing well, along with coastal headlands. A great variety of species have been caught, like large mulloway through to mackerel and coral trout. Double Heads has been a go-to for many land-based anglers wanting to chase some pelagics from the rocks when the water is clean in close to the mainland. Anything goes off this headland. Wolf herring are quite common but anything from golden snapper to tuna are caught off there. Other great spots inlcude Emu Park headlands and Tanby Point, commonly known as ‘the Haven.’ These other headlands are more effective when fished with heavy weighted plastics or vibes. ESTUARIES The estuaries have been fishing great for a whole host of species. An increasingly large amount of permit are being caught as well as the bream and whiting schooling up on the flats for winter. Many smaller queenies and a multitude of different trevally species are holding up in the

Neil Storch with a great threadfin from the Fitzroy. gutters and channels, which has been great fun. Some of the best bait going for these species in the estuaries is the live prawns and herring getting around. Using these live and lightly weighted can gain great results. If lures are your go-to fishing method, upgrading the trebles to larger, heavy-duty singles can prove to be a good idea. CRABBING Although the river has been getting cooler, many

people are still pulling ripper crabs out around the port and Thompsons Point. They are reportedly getting these crabs deeper in the channels. The numbers are not what they were a few months ago, but at least the sizes are still great. Anyone who likes a crabbing session should definitely get down and get some crabs while they are going hard. If you’re new to the process, crab pot kits are readily available.

Interesting times at Stanage STANAGE BAY

Von Ireland

Welcome to all who visit Stanage Bay, Shoalwater Bay and the beautiful surrounds. The road into Stanage Bay is great at the moment. I didn’t travel it for two weeks and in that time it had changed for the better. The small road crew were both fast and efficient. The corrugation and the potholes were gone. This week it could all be back; never lead yourself into a false sense of security with our unsealed driveway. A little oops goes to the lads who didn’t do all their maintenance before getting to the road. You have two wheels that need checking on the trailer, not just one. They were lucky when

they saw their wheel passing them on the road in the fog. They found the wheel, fixed the trailer and made it safely to the bay. Good job, fellas. The estuary called Thirsty Sound has shown how versatile it can be, with a few sand crabs being caught around the west side and at the mouth of Big Creek. Stanage is not renowned for sand crabs, but over the years we have had a few lost ones visiting in the Thirsty Sound. The tuskfish are still getting bigger and are venturing further up the Sound than I have even known them to. They’ve even been caught on the jew hole out from the boat ramp near Quail Island. Nice bream and grunter are around. With the westerly winds the southern end of Long Island and the west side

should kick in for salmon. July is quite interesting in the Stanage Bay waterways with the colder weather and big, blue salmon, which a lot of fishos mix up with tailor at first sight. Blue salmon are a beautiful eating fish. Simply fillet them, take the

on most fish charts, throw them back. The mighty muddies are still in hiding; crabbers will have to be especially inventive with their crab pot movement, checking their tides daily for heights. Never go crabbing in Thirsty Sound

Dave Blunt with a red emperor from Stanage Bay.

The author took this little red.

Dave Blunt holds up a beaut spangled emperor. 54

JULY 2017

bones out, descale, put in a small plastic bag with flour, salt and pepper and shake. Then fry the fish in hot olive oil on each side for a couple of minutes. Some people, once they realise they are not tailor and don’t know what they are as they can not be found

as you would anywhere else, or you’ll catch zilch. Pop in and see me in the tackle shop and hopefully I will be able to send you in the right direction. The reef and islands should be alive with legal fish. July brings small tides, which some fishers prefer,

and only a couple big tides towards the end of the month. The weather conditions should be acceptable for the bigger boats. Come up and have a fish on the dark blue yonder called the Coral Sea. It will be an exciting time with the armed forces having their usual big training exercise. You never know what is going to happen up at Stanage. The town also known as ‘Stone Age Bay,’ with no mobile service anywhere. We still use common sense and respect others, especially at the boat ramp and the parking arrangements. Please don’t park on the roadway – this happens to virgin visitors who don’t ask a local. While fishing, expect to put in your icebox a mixture of Spanish mackerel, giant golden trevally, big grunter, cod, grass sweetlip, snapper, red emperor, large and smallmouth nannygai. Be sure to only take legal size fish. I sell stick-on measurers,

and plenty of ice! If you have enough fuel storage, don’t forget we are the closest drop-off point to the Swains Reef. The green zone maps are available, so too are the best admiralty and camtas charts, and books on the area. Come and experience the best adventures here at Stanage Bay, with the golden beaches, pristine blue waterways, and sensational, rugged islands. • Don’t miss out on the amazing fishing and crabbing at Stanage Bay! Call us at Stanage Bay Marine & Accommodation on (07) 4937 3145, check out www.stanagebay.com, email stanagebaymarine@ bigpond.com or chat to like-minded Stanage Bay anglers at www.facebook. com/stanagebaymarine. We have good, affordable bait, ice, tackle, angler accommodation, boat and caravan storage (accommodation availability can change)

Cold snap brings on fish YEPPOON

Scott Lynch ifishcq2@bigpond.com

Winter is snapper time. They started off slowly, as they travel into shallow waters in the coldest months. It usually takes a cold snap to bring them right in close, which has just happened. Rubble or reefy patches, around 20m and deeper, are the best spots this month. They will come in to feed in the shallow spots like Conical, Outer, Forty Acre and Ross Reef and the patches just out from the main islands. I have found that they can be quite shy in the

travelling along the beaches and up the coast. With them come the small mackerel, bonito and blue salmon. Whenever we get the chance to score some of the big greenbacks, it pays to keep some alive or pack them flat to freeze for either mackerel or reefies. From now on, if the weather allows, the mackerel will be at the many spots very close to Yeppoon and Emu Park, depending on water clarity. All the headlands from Keppel Sands to Yeppoon have the lesser mackerels, doggies or greys, in July. The places to try are Stevensons Point, the Rosslyn Bay Harbour wall and the Bluff, the Keppels, Forty Acre Paddock, Conical Rocks,

Conical, Manifold, Flat and Perforated are all Spaniard hotspots. At this time of year all the rubble reef patches will hold Spanish mackerel. The best tip is to fish a high tide before lunch time. They will take lures or baits. Spanish start near the surface on sunrise and move down the water column as the sun gets higher. Lately when we’ve been chasing mackerel there have been some average-sized wahoo with them. Some of the offshore rubble patches are attracting wahoo in numbers like we haven’t seen before. To target wahoo, I usually troll a bit quicker than I would for Spanish. They will take a well-presented live floater or a dead bait

Charlie Hohn about to release a nice town barramundi. shallow water and you need to fish light to get any regular catches. I position the boat back from the area I want to fish and float down the bait with the smallest possible lead. Fresh bait is best and snapper respond well to berley. Pillies, prawns, mullet strips and squid have been our choice baits. Huge red emperor and large-mouth nannygai have been in exceptional numbers in recent weeks. Much of the rubble and fern country is turning up good numbers of these great fish. Although there are good fish at all the regular spots, it’s worth searching away from them to get the snodgers. Reds take mostly big fresh or live baits. If you use bigger baits, it gives the larger fish time to get a feed before the rubbish fish pick you dry. Lately some of the best fish have been caught on old octo jigs with a big paddle-tail on the keeper hooks. The schools of greenbacks or yorky herring and white bait have started

Outer, Man and Wife, Half Tide Rocks, Rita Mada, Iron Pot, Farnborough, Bangalee, Claytons, the Septic Tank, Pelican, Wedge, Divide, Cave and Quartz. Once again the preference of baits or lures is up to the angler. We find that you can get more hits in less time with lures, and often the bigger fish will take a floating pilchard. Most chromies with a bit of action can catch mackerel. These days I have reduced my selection to two that work all the time. Pillies can be floated out unweighted when the current is slow, and early in the morning. As the sun and the current rise you can add a pea sinker to get them down to the right depth. Spanish mackerel have been doing very well recently and the fish have been a bit bigger than the size we were getting last month. Big tides are usually the best at most spots. Barron, Man and Wife, Outer, Big Peninsula, Liza Jane,

as long as it is hanging like it is alive. Black jewfish have continued to bite this month and should for the next month or so.

Fabian Sutton scored his first wahoo on a recent trip. Black jewfish rate among the larger fish caught in winter, and the local reports show captures of jewies up around 20kg or a bit bigger. The most common size is in the 10-15kg class. Ironpot, Double Heads, Corio Heads, Rita Mada, Findlays, Quartz, Pelican and Cape Capricorn are the top spots at the moment. Grunter have remained steady in local captures and will be around whenever the weather allows for an evening trip. They do get caught during the day at times, but the evening on a rising moon is by far the best. All the black jewfish spots are also grunter spots. The cold snap has hit us at last. As temperatures plummeted, most of the estuary fishing slowed for a day or two before picking up again. The exceptions were bream and flathead, which lifted in numbers right across the area. The big bream have been congregating near the creek mouths and bays around rock bars and deeper mangrove banks. Flatties

have been mainly in the deeper channels adjacent to the mud and sand flats. Several times in recent weeks we have picked up flathead right in the middle of thick timber while targeting barra and jacks. The big king threadfin schools that were with us over the warmer period have broken up and spread into more areas. They are still pretty active just below the town reaches and

right down into the delta. Threadies chase fiddler crabs in very shallow water and gutters. They smash their heads into the mud leaving large dents. Fresh workings all have sharp edges on the dents and as more tides move in and out the edges round off. People often mistake salmon workings for crab holes, so it pays to get in close and have a look. Threadies will take livies

Craig Robertson showing a large pikey bream.

Connor Duffy from Frogleys Offshore scored this top red wide of Yeppoon.

or the right kind of lures. When they were in the bigger schools you could use virtually any vibes or hardbodies and still have success. Lately they are a bit more fussy and using smaller prawn type plastics and crab imitations is producing good catches. Barramundi are still in good shape as the days get even cooler. They have been most active in town and down towards Port Alma in the Fitzroy River. The consistent size of these fish is amazing since the introduction of the NFZ. Anglers fishing from the banks in town are mostly using live silver perch or mullet. The guys fishing everywhere else are producing barra using mainly vibes and big paddle-tail plastics. JULY 2017

Winter species are coming on GLADSTONE

Liam Jones

With the cooler weather moving in, the winter species have followed. This is an exciting time of year in the Gladstone region. There are still plenty of summer species floating around while the winter species are beginning to show up in good numbers. Blue salmon are becoming more prolific throughout the harbour narrows and Calliope River. With the better weather and clean water there are good numbers of doggy and spotted mackerel around in the right places. Most of the shipping leads in the southern channel hold schools of mackerel as well as the Goat Rocks and Seal Rocks to the south. Cape Capricorn and North Entrance to the north generally hold good schools when conditions are right. Spanish mackerel are likely to show up in good

numbers. Bustard Head and Rundle Island are the most likely haunts. The best baits have been trolled whole doggy mackerel, hairtail or big fresh gar if you can get a hold of them. Most good tackle stores should have good gar and hairtail throughout winter as they become more available. Turkey Beach and its surrounds have been fishing really well for flathead and whiting throughout May and June. Working the incoming tide and fishing over exposed yabby beds seems to be working for the bigger whiting. On a recent trip, we managed a good feed all on small poppers and stickbaits. When fishing for whiting like this, we always take the back treble off and rig it with assist hooks. This seems to increase the hook-up rate dramatically. The flathead that have been landed have all been a good size with the average fish going 50cm. They certainly aren’t monsters,

Cameron Gillett with a pair of nannygai caught using micro-jigs.

but they’re plenty of fun on light gear. Those who have put the effort in have still been coming up with the rewards when it comes to barra. Although we lost a lot of the fish that came over the wall to netters, there are still a few schools

ones. Black jewfish are still popping up throughout most of the holes and are mainly being taken on fresh local squid. Try to get your hands on some squid or cuttlefish heads, which should be available at most good tackle stores. The crabs have been very The author with a solid spangly taken on a Yakamito Rager jig.

A Spanish mackerel caught on a micro-jig that somehow didn’t chew through 40lb leader. throughout the salt reaches of the Boyne. The fish are still holding on the deeper rock bars in that 6-8m depth. Slow worked vibes over these bars seem to be producing the most fish. The upper reaches of the Boyne round Pikes Crossing still have plenty of fish. As temperatures drop, expect the bites to slow dramatically. For your best chance, fish the last of sundown as the water temperature is at its peak. The harbour is fishing really well, as it always does at this time of year. Schools of salmon are moving through and so far the average size has been a little bigger than in previous years. There are still reports of nice golden snapper being taken around the deeper structures. A technique that has been successful over the past month is live baiting with big live mullet or herring, when anglers can find the bigger

hit and miss over the past two months. One week you will get your limit, the next will be a donut. We were lucky enough to score a good feed down Turkey Beach way, despite finding all our pots on the second day had the doors left open and the bait cages emptied. I guess if they’re going to rob you, there’s no point trying to cover it up. It might be time to invest in a game camera! Those that have had the time to get out front in the rare good weather windows have been rewarded with great catches. Red emperor, coral trout and massive redthroat have been there for anglers heading east. Anglers that headed north all did really well on the nannygai and grassy sweetlip. Nannygai would have to be up there with one of my favourite fish to catch. The fact that they school, they’re aggressive and also fight hard and clean make them exciting

to catch, especially when fishing light with artificial baits. Use a 4000 sized reel, 20lb braid and PE1.5-3 jig sticks – it doesn’t get more fun. Using micro-jigs is an easy way to fish for nannygai, as they often sit at different levels of the water column. The use of a good sounder and colour incremented braid makes finding and catching these fish a lot easier. Some of the best jigs to use are Palms Slow Blatts, Storm Koikas and Yakamito Spirits. I’ve found colour isn’t much of an issue; it’s more about the action. There are so many different ways to jig, so either jump on YouTube and have a look or call into your local tackle store and have a chat to the

staff members who know what they’re doing. July should see some more consistent weather and cooler temperatures. With that, hopefully more people will end up heading out and making the most of this amazing area. If you do happen to get out, please send your photos through to our Facebook page at LJ’s Compleat Angler. • For more information on what’s biting, or to stock up with all the tackle and bait you need, drop into LJ’s Compleat Angler Gladstone at the Gladstone Marina on Bryan Jordan Drive. You can also check out the latest news, photos and specials at Facebook Compleat Angler Gladstone.

A prime example of nannygai sitting high in the water column. Jigs and colour incremented braid made for easy fishing.

Absolute beachfront Campground situated at the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef Safe swimming with our own white sandy beach Excellent small boat mooring in front of the Campground Catch Coral Trout, Red Emperor, Sweetlip etc within an hours boat trip from the Campground

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Bookings please phone 0749 749286 Website: 1770campingground.com.au Email: camping1770@tpg.com.au Bookings essential weekends and school holidays 56

JULY 2017

Karl Hunter with a Queensland grouper that was a welcome by-catch when flicking for flathead on a recent trip. The fish was released after the photo.

Tensions high while we wait for snapper MACKAY

Keith Day habdays@bigpond.net.au

With the arrival of mid-winter, not only do we have relatively low overnight temperatures, but we also see a change in the fish species anglers we will be chasing. Our temperatures are predicted to get down to 10°C or just below, which is pretty cool for this area. The biggest change is the annual snapper migration into our waters, and fortunately they come right in close, well within the reach of anglers and

they need plenty of weight to make sure your lure is in the fish zone. Extra weight can be added by using sinkers in a loop knot rig to get your plastic plummeting quickly, as it’s not much use finding fish on the sounder, dropping a plastic over and having it drift 10-20m away from the fish. Ideally, your plastic should be able to be followed down in the sounder beam to the waiting fish. As the snapper are here to breed and are schooling up, it is possible to load up in a short time. Remember, they are breeding for future fish stocks, so it is important to be

hospital, anglers tend to wade the flats after whiting, as it is easy to get stranded here in a boat unless very careful attention is paid to what the tide is doing. In other words, as soon as the flood tide slows head back downriver pronto to avoid the embarrassment and inconvenience of being stranded. Whiting are also plentiful and on the chew during July around McEwans Beach, Sandy and Alligator creeks and Sarina Inlet. McEwans fishes well from the shore while the others are predominately fished from small boats. One reason for

Calm winter days mean reef trips for bosses and employees, and Nathan Petricevic scored this nice footballer trout while fishing for nannygai with squid baits.

Barra are much harder during the winter, but Aaron Sturdy managed this healthy winter fish on a live mullet in Murray Creek. 4m tinnies. Every winter, the odd snapper is caught from the harbour rock walls, but most are caught in deeper waters around the close in islands off Mackay and further south. A few stragglers get caught up off Seaforth, but the bulk of the snapper are around Mackay and Sarina islands. The snapper will hang around for about 2-3 months, and you can bet that any calm wind-free days will see plenty of ‘sickies’, as well as plenty of bosses out on the water chasing snapper. Most locals know the hotspots around Hay Point, the islands off Cape Palmerston, and the close islands off the Pioneer River, but visiting anglers who come to enjoy paradise during the winter should check with the local tackle shops for the good info. Baits here are the same as those used down south with squid, pilchards, and cut baits all getting plenty of use, and large prawns are always worth having on board. Berley is a difficult option in our area due to the tidal range, which means very strong currents, so heavy weights are needed to get baits down to the fish. Very big plastics are also getting more use, but again

mindful of bag limits and not take too many. A decent size snapper will yield plenty of quality fish flesh, so a couple of fish will be plenty for most anglers and still leave some to give to friends or relatives. Every year golden trevally and queenfish seem to like mixing in with the snapper and are an interesting and hard-fighting by-catch. Both species are good eating, but a bit of thought and preparation needs to be done to get the best from them. Unfortunately, many times they are pulled up from deep water and release is often no better than a 50/50 chance of survival. Another very important angling species is the winter whiting, and we are having a beaut run of these tasty little fish at the moment. The Pioneer River is crawling with whiting and most are goodsized and a couple of anglers drifting up with the tide can score plenty of tasty fillets using either yabbies or worms. Night run-in tides are always popular here when chasing whiting in the river with plenty of fish being caught in the city reaches over the extensive sand flats between the boat ramp and the hospital. Further up past the

this is the crocodile factor as salties or ‘mud geckos’ are fairly common here, so heed the warning signs if you are a visitor, even if you think it unlikely a croc would be in the area. Many whiting anglers also run into snubbies or ‘oyster crackers’ as they are known locally. These snub-nose dart

are one heck of a fish on any gear, but on light whiting rods they are a real trophy to land. Their more or less diamond shape is used to good advantage against the current, where they will sit side on and are difficult to move on whiting rods, which are traditionally pretty softactioned. Snubbies will readily take yabbies and worms fished on the bottom for whiting, as they like to grub around for small crabs, prawns and yabbies. Good luck if you hook one on your whiting rod, as you will need plenty of it to land a snubby. Another top eating sport fish that welcomes the winter is the golden snapper, which is now becoming a more popular target species. They can be caught in juvenile sizes in the creeks and rivers, but the bigger fish come from offshore and around the rocky headlands. Mackay Harbour walls are also quite a good spot to target them, but it’s

best to do this of a night time, as the boat traffic during the day tends to make them pretty wary. Live bait, particularly small squid or herring, is the best bet for these hard fighters and both can usually be caught either on jigs or by cast net in the harbour. Lures and flies will also work well on them, with plastics and soft vibes being very popular, but the tackle shop employees can give advice on the best bets for golden snapper luring. Fly fishers should use either a sinking or intermediate line and Clouser Minnows are a good choice of fly. A dash of red in the fly will not hurt either. Blueys are on the bite at the moment, with good fish being reported from the close in islands, including the flats around Seaforth. Big fresh prawns are the bait for blueys, and as they are right up close to shore the fish are super spooky, so a quiet approach is

Ashley,12-years-old, and Alysha, eight-years-old, answered MAFSA’s radio call for help to release barra in Kinchant Dam. The whole family enjoyed the experience and appreciated the chance to contribute.

needed. Anglers with electric outboards are sure at an advantage when chasing them. They are a good target for the lure or fly angler, and the ability to make long accurate casts will help no end. The hook up is only the start of the fun, as they run hard and fast and have a habit of finding rocks or coral rubble to get free. The usual estuary and creek species are all on the chew with bream, flathead and a few grunter poking around in all the creeks. Steelbacks will often be found in schools smashing small prawns in the creeks, and they just love small plastics. A light jighead for your plastic fished on a light rod and reel combo and steelies can be heaps of fun. They are also suckers for a small fly and on a 5-6wt outfit will put up a good performance. In the freshwater, the barra are in quiet times during the winter, but the sooties are plentiful in the Pioneer River, Cattle Creek and the dams. MAFSA members recently finished off the stocking season with releases in Kinchant and Teemburra dams. There were 7000 barra around 200mm long, which were purchased with SIPS funds from GFB Fisheries of Bowen. They very kindly donated a further 10,000 barra, that were surplus to their stocks. GFB were aware that some of the barra we purchased earlier in the year had not travelled well and we had some losses, so they offered to donate some fish, which was extremely generous of them. Check out the photos on MAFSA’s Facebook page. A great big thank you to GFB from all Mackay anglers. As always, Mackay has so much to offer anglers, no matter what the season, but with our lovely mild winters why not come up and join us in paradise. See you at the ramp! JULY 2017

Fishing River Heads FRASER COAST

Phil James p_j_james@bigpond.com

In many of my recent reports I have mentioned River Heads and its prospects for the coming months. This month I have some advice for visiting anglers and what they might expect. The map included is a point of reference for this article. It’s not intended to give any navigational advice or minute geographical detail. When I’m visiting somewhere new, my first port of call is Google Earth, and I encourage readers to try it. For some navigational information, Maritime Safety’s Beacon to Beacon Guide is helpful. This indicates that lateral marks and leads extend up the Mary River as far as Maryborough. In the Susan River, limited lateral marks extend from the mouth into the boat moorings off the eastern end of Kangaroo Island. As well as referring to the narrow entrance that forms the mouth of both the Mary and Susan rivers, River Heads

most conditions. A single lane ramp on the eastern side is a handy option particularly during strong westerly winds. Unfortunately, vehicle and trailer parking spaces are very limited. At busy times, it is often necessary to park along the approach road. Attempts have been made to provide additional safe parking. Having dealt with all the necessary preliminaries, it’s time to take a tour around the waterways included in the map. Let’s start at the north head (point A on map). Here the rock ledges disappear quickly into the deep water of the main channel. As already mentioned, strong currents rush past here forming powerful eddies with quiet backwaters. Many local anglers know it as the Frying Pan. This is the most prominent feature in the whole river mouth system. Many of our favourite species gather just out of the main flow, ready to feed on what might be carried by the currents, or what might also be taking refuge in the quieter waters. Both flood and ebb tides fish well on the appropriate side of the run.

catches around the point include flathead, school mackerel, tailor and trevally. To the east and north of the river mouth, large banks of sand and mud extend towards the Picnic Islands, Woody Island and Urangan. These drain into a series of gutters and channels. Closest to the Heads, Prawn Gutter, as its name suggests, is popular with cast netters and is also good for whiting and flathead. A little further out, Shell Gutter fishes well for sand whiting through the late ebb and early flood tides. Yabbies are usually available on these banks. Returning to the north head (A) and then heading southeast towards South Head, we first cross some of the system’s deepest water and associated deep ledges. These have always been good for anglers chasing the big estuary cod with heavy gear and live baits. It would be common to see a couple of boats anchored up over the short period of slack water. The big cod continue to be in residence, but they don’t seem to attract as many anglers these days. Continuing towards

The main boat ramp is shared by recreational and commercial fishers. is a township in its own right and almost an outer suburb of the city of Hervey Bay. At some time in the distant past, the Mary River cut its way through the sandstone ledges between what are now River Heads and South Head. Today we see massive movements of water through this narrow gap. With a tidal range exceeding 4m, flood and ebb tides account for much of this movement. During floods, this is much more pronounced. As well as providing access to boat and shore anglers, River Heads is a departure point for vehicle and passenger barges serving Kingfisher Bay Resort and Woongoolba Creek on Fraser Island. Apart from the barge landing, there are two boat launching ramps at River Heads. On the western side of the point, a two-lane ramp can be used comfortably in 58

JULY 2017

Neap tides can turn on some good fishing. My preference is for an approaching spring tide leading up to a full moon. There is almost no limit to the number of species that might be expected here. On a flood tide, the quiet water that develops between the green beacon and the inner boat ramp has mulloway, threadfin, blue threadfin, and grunter. Live mullet and herring appear to be responsible for most catches and artificials are gaining popularity as more effective ones continue to become available. During their spawning season from May through to September, bream can be prolific here, particularly between the green beacon and the eastern boat ramps on a falling tide. The rock ledges here are popular with shore-based anglers at night. Other likely

South Head, it isn’t long before we are back in the shallows – the continuation of the ledges between north and South Head. Sections of this ledge, known as ‘Jeffrey Rock’, are bare at low tide, and can be a serious hazard. These same ledges reach dry land at South Head (B). The rocks and ledges here are top spots for spawning bream and flathead. School mulloway and grunter are also likely. From here (B), a shallow muddy shoreline extends east to more series of rocks and ledges (C). Close to the remains of cattle yards there are two prominent rocky points separated by a shallow bay. Ledges also extend from here into deeper water, forming just the kind of structure that attracts baitfish and their predators. Further east more ledges and gravel beds extend to the entrance of

Locations of fishing spots around River Heads and South Head. a shallow bay (D). Spawning bream can be common here during the winter and there are always flathead lurking in the shallows. Barramundi are targeted by anglers trolling 3m diving hardbodies or working plastics or poppers through the shallows. Continuing a little further into the shallow bay, we find ourselves in one of Sandy Strait’s top spots for big sand whiting. It’s best fished over the top of the tide, right up to edge of the mangroves. Heading upriver from South Head, along the Mary River’s south bank, we find extensive mud and sand banks. There are some interesting gutters draining these banks and their mouths are prime locations for threadfin on an ebbing tide. There are plenty of yabby banks throughout this system and these can be comfortably accessed from the main channel. Returning briefly to our starting point, we will now head into the Susan River and its tributaries. This small system drains the Hervey Bay hinterland. When travelling into Hervey Bay by road, you will cross its upper reaches close to the Susan River Homestead. Back in the water and following a limited number of lateral marks into the mooring area, we first pass a high bank (E) extending from the eastern end of Kangaroo Island. I mention this here because it is a great place to catch bait by cast or haul net. Further upstream there are three small islands separated by shallows. The rocky areas around the middle island are great spots to target bream, flathead, grunter and threadfin salmon. Before continuing further up this small river, I need to remind you that there are no navigation marks in this shallow, sometimes rocky or gravely estuary. Looking at the Google Earth close-up of this system you might be able to get some limited help on which way to go. I suggest if you are going

to fish the system regularly that you first work upstream with the help of your sounder and GPS. Determine the best saved track to use in the future. There may be some movement in the banks but in the short term they tend to be fairly stable. Throughout the Susan estuary, there are plenty of features to explore – sand and gravel flats, steep banks and deep holes. Along the banks of Kangaroo Island (F), bream, grunter and blue threadfin can be expected. An interesting species of whiting is often encountered in this system. It resembles a sand whiting but without the characteristic black spot at the base of the pectoral fin. It also displays a somewhat flattened nose. This is the northern whiting and also needs to measure at least 23cm to be kept. Bunya Creek is one of the Susan’s main tributaries. Well worth exploring over the higher parts of the tide, it has inviting snags and deep holes. Separating Kangaroo Island from the mainland, the Little Susan has just about everything to challenge the keen angler. Tidal flow in this waterway can be somewhat confusing, with water able to enter or leave from either the Mary River or the Susan River. The current may change direction in the middle of a flood tide. Be cautious when exploring the Little Susan. Partly submerged snags, shallow gravel beds

and rock ledges need to be identified. I could fill many pages trying to itemise every feature along this waterway, but the best holes are usually on the outsides of bends. The Little Susan meets the Mary River close to Power Island. This stretch of water (G) with its gravel beds and creek mouths is highly favoured by live bait and lure fishers chasing threadies and barra. The sandbanks between here and River Heads are well known. Whiting and yabbies can be pumped here too. The Mary and Susan River estuaries are worth checking out. I often hear comments from anglers who have just returned from the river, complaining about how dirty, even muddy, the water was. On big tides around full and new moons, there is enough run in the water to stir up the sand and mud substratum. This could be exacerbated during floods or by very rough conditions outside the river. Around neap tides in calm conditions, the water actually becomes quite clear. Prevailing water conditions must influence the choice of lures or live baits employed. I also hear comments from anglers returning without as much as a scale. My is that you must return, apply your own fishing experiences learned in similar areas, be patient and allow the system time to show how you can be rewarded.

The Green Beacon looking towards South Head.

8-9 JULY 2017 • IPSWICH SHOWGROUNDS

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8-9 JULY 2017 • IPSWICH SHOWGROUNDS

Australian Lure Expo back for 2017 Whack the dates in the diary, on your phone or up on the wall in the shed – you’ll want to make sure you’re at Queensland’s Ipswich Showgrounds on the 8-9 July for the 2017 Australian Lure, Fly and Outdoors Expo, or as we all fondly call it – the Lure Show! What started six years ago as a celebration of Australian lures and luremaking has rapidly grown to an event which satisfies all anglers whether they be fresh or salt water focused. Unlike every boat show you’ve ever been to that leaves you wondering, “Where’s the tackle?” The Lure Show will completely satisfy your need to add to your tackle collection. It’s two days of non-stop

2017 LURE EXPO

fishing-focused action. With Australia’s biggest collection of lure makers under one roof, the expertise on offer is unparalleled. Carving, painting and lure swimming demonstrations and general lure-making advice are as thick on the ground as the tackle bargains. Check the exhibitor list in these pages to see who’s coming. This list is correct at the time of printing – it may be even bigger by the time the show opens. Everyone is selling. The Lure Show turns the Ipswich Showgrounds into the biggest, most diverse tackle store around. You are guaranteed to find things that you don’t yet know you can’t live without. You won’t want to miss the lure demonstrations at

the casting tank. Here you will find the lure makers themselves giving guidance on how their lures have been designed to swim and how to get the most out of them.

checking out their tweets – now is your chance to meet them face to face and talk all things fishing. Guys like Mick Horn, Liam Fitzpatrick and Steve Morgan lead an

EXPO INFORMATION What: ............................................ 2017 Lure Expo When: . ..... Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th July 2017 Where: .................. Ipswich Showgrounds, Ipswich Time: ....................................... 9am-4pm each day Web: .................................... www.lureshow.com.au Tickets: ............... Adults $10, Kids Under 16 FREE (when accompanied by an adult.) Pre-purchase tickets online to avoid the lines. The Social Media hub is where you’ll be able to pick the brains of some of Queensland’s most knowledgeable anglers. You’re likely following them on Facebook, watching their YouTube videos or

all-star cast of guys you’ve probably only seen on your phone screen before. They will have cards with their channels listed there for you if you like what you see. Got some old wooden Australian lures lying in the garage that need a new home? Bring these to the show as you won’t find a hungrier pack of collectors anywhere in this wide, brown land. These guys are also keen to help you sort your own collection out and are more than happy to help with identifying any lures you’re not quite sure about. Love an artistic lure or new design? The Lure Show Award entries are always a crowd favourite and seem to get better and better every year. When’s the last time you paid $10 to get into a show? Combine this with FREE parking and you get in and out of The Lure Show for less than half the price of any boat show on the East Coast!

Tickets are available online now. Group discounts are available for fishing clubs. Get in touch at www. lureshow.com.au. Don’t forget to like The Lure Show on Facebook ( w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m /

AustralianLureExpo) and stay up-to-date with all the 2017 Show news. COVER PIC Cover photo courtesy of Jason O’Brien.

The Australian

8-9 JULY 2017 • IPSWICH SHOWGROUNDS

ALLFLY OUTFITTERS FOR FLUFF CHUCKERS

Lure Fly & Outdoors

EXPO

WILSON FISHING BACK AT IT!

BASSMAN SPINNERBAITS

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BEARDY LURES Beardy’s Lures are the brainchild of Daniel Beard. He makes a range of handcrafted timber lures for all manor of fishin

We are a family-owned flyfishing outfitters specialising in providing top quality flyfishing equipment from well-known companies such as Royal Wulff products, Ballistic Spey and fly lines, Aspen fly reels, LTS and Mystic fly rods. Our key focus is not only outfitting, but providing fly casting tuition to improve your casting skills and enhance your general flyfishing ability or trip-specific skills. We do this on a one-on-one basis or on group casting days. We can provide equipment for you to try, or we are happy to help you get the best out of the gear you already have. Your instruction is conducted by a Fly Fishing International Master Caster Instructor, with over 22 years of flyfishing experience in Australia, Asia, America and South America for salt and freshwater species. We are soon to add Mongolia.

C AND S HORSEY’S LURES TO IMPRESS • • • • • • ••••••••••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Wilson Fishing will be displaying a range of their Aussie-built Venom rods at this year’s Lure Expo including the recently released Venom Swimbait – a rod designed for casting the biggest and meanest lures on the market. Other rods on display will be the Venom baitcasters, from the 5’9” cork handled models up to the 7’ EVA gripped models, including the phenomenal Black Bass series. Alongside the flagship Venom rods will be the range of Mustad trebles and singles for lure fishing. From finesse trebles for bream lures, all the way up to the incredibly strong Kaiju trebles and Kaiju in-line singles for GT popping, Mustad has the retrofitting solution for your lures. They’ll also be displaying and demonstrating the Mustad Fastach Clip, the clip that is taking the fishing world by storm with its simplicity and reliability. From featuring in the ABT Zerek BARRA Tour winner’s list of gear through to tournament wins at the Flathead Classic and Mulwala Cod Nationals, the Mustad Fastach Clip is quickly becoming the only lure connecting clip anglers need. Drop in and say g’day to the team on the Wilson Fishing stand and let them answer all of your questions. Please understand Wilson Fishing cannot sell products at the Lure Expo, however tackle stores on site will have a range of their products for sale.

LOOLAH LURES

Bassman Spinnerbaits, owned by Glen and Sue Casey, are a stalwart in Australian angling for a whole host of species. Check out their stand at the show to see what they’re up to now.

BRISBANE YAMAHA • • • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Brisbane Yamaha is Australia’s largest selling Yamaha outboard dealer and is famous for the cheapest prices on Yamaha outboards for sale. Come and have a squiz at what they have on display at this year’s show!

CHARLTON’S FISHING • • • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

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Beautifully hand-crafted timber lures in various shapes, sizes and colours suitable for both fresh water and salt water fishing. There’s also a range of nude lures. C and S Horsey’s Lures are hand-made injection-moulded lures that catch fish of all types and sizes in fresh and saltwater. Cole and Stephen make the lures right here in Queensland and are proud to bring you a range of lures ranging from the ever-popular and versatile Tom Thumb, Baby Bandit and Mini Boggle-eye range, and the more specialised lures, Mustang, Phantom and Dirty Harry for chasing barramundi and cod.   C and S Horsey’s Lures sell an assembly of lures that are suitable for and have had success catching various types of fish including Australian bass, jungle perch, sooty grunters, bream, whiting, flathead, cod, barramundi, yellowbelly, and many more. With a wide range of colour options and the ability to customise your colour if needed, why not give a true, tried and tested Horsey’s lure a swim. Please feel free to contact Stephen or Cole on (07) 3275 1881, visit us on Facebook or email cshorseyslures@gmail.com. So if you need a gift, present or something for yourself, either phone or email us for more information. We will be at the Lure Expo in July, so make sure you come and say hello!

AC LURES • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Charlton’s Fishing is one of Queensland’s only highlyspecialized fishing tackle shops with an eye toward customer service. They pride themselves on staying up-to-date on the latest trends, technologies and gadgets to please even the choosiest fisher. Their huge range of gear means we have something for everyone. To check out this range, pop in an say hello to them at the Lure Show!

COOBY COBBA LURES • • • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

All the way from Wagga Wagga in new South Wales, AC Lures are sure to draw a crowd with their amazing range of lures specifically designed for Aussie natives.

Cooby Cobba Lures are manafactured in Toowoomba and make a range of great surface and sub-surface lures for natives out west. To see this great range, check out their stand at the show! 2017 LURE EXPO

The Australian

Lure Fly & Outdoors

EXPO

8-9 JULY 2017 • IPSWICH SHOWGROUNDS

LASERWORX

DAVE’S LURES

PREDATOR LURES

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Dave’s Lures makes a great range of hand-crafted lures that will be on display at the show. To see what’s new, go check out their stand at this year’s show.

David Brauman from Predator Lures has been making lures for over 30 years, so there’s a lot of experience and knowledge that goes into each lure. Check out some of the great designs at their stand this year at the show.

Laserworx is a Queensland-based owned and operated business offering laser cut signs, laser cut steel, laser cut aluminium and more in Brisbane and on the Sunshine Coast. See if they offer something for you at their stand. Laser

Cut

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LASER CUTTING

ZOOMY LURES

NINJA LURES

KUTTAFURRA LURES • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1800 555 911

E: aclures@internode.on.net

www.aclures.com.au

BEARDY’S LURES Beardy’s Lures are the brainchild of Daniel Beard. He makes a range of hand-crafted timber lures for all manor of fishing applications. Check out his great range at this year’s show.

SOMERSET FISHING TACKLE

• Y-S81 size 8 - 1/0 • Y-S82 size 2/0 - 5/0 • Super heavy duty

(02) 6931 2796 / 0408 688 805

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Ninja Lures provide tried and tested quality products that are designed to catch fish and not break the bank. They’re all about having fun and giving the average angler an above average product for an affordable price. Make sure you swing by the Ninja Lures stand.

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ANTHONY CURTIS • Y-S81 size 8 - 1/0 • Y-S82 size 2/0 - 5/0 • Super heavy duty

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Hand-crafted timber lures made in Australia for Australian species by Rowland Davis. Check out their stand at the show to see what’s on offer.

Nothing more than great quality Australian-made timber lures for Australian species. See what they’re up to at the show by visiting their stand.

HIGHEST QUALITY POLYCARBONATE 1, 1.5 and 2 MM

MAD DOG LURES Dave Hill is the man behind Mad Dog Lures, which boasts a huge range of lures for species all up and down the coast, and further inland as well. Make sure you get to their stand this year.

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LASERWORX has been supplying custom designed polycarbonate lure bibs to the major Australian lure makers for over 16 years. We also offer a standard range of bibs for the DIY angler. CONSISTENT ACCURACY

WAX’S LURES

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Aaron Young from Kuttafurra Lures earned a reputation for making some of the most striking lures for natives in Australia, and every year he comes up with something amazing. Be sure not to miss his display this year.

KNELLER LURES • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Somerset Fishing Tackle is located five minutes from Somerset and stocks everything you need to get into a few if you’re heading that way. Check out their stand to see what’s hot at Somerset Dam!

CLEARANCE SALE

COD HOUND LURES • • • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

ALL SOFT VIBES 5 FOR $30 OR 10 FOR $50 MIXED DISCONTINUED SOFT PLASTICS

$5 PER PACK See all the new products before their release at the AFTA trade show! 4

2017 LURE EXPO

Paul Kneller started Deception Lures back in 1992 and produced them until he sold the business to Tacspo in 2003. Now, after a lengthy break, he’s back with renewed vigour. Find out exactly what’s changed with his new lures at the Kneller Lures Stand at the 2017 Lure Expo.

FULL SCALE TACKLE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Full Scale Tackle are a Gold Coast-based tackle brand that Runner-up for Best Bladed Lure at last year’s show, specialises in powder-coated jigheads and sinkers. Why not Cod Hound Lures will be back at it this year with more check out what they have for your fishing needs at the show? exciting products.

The Australian

8-9 JULY 2017 • IPSWICH SHOWGROUNDS

Lure Fly & Outdoors

EXPO

Meet the experts at the Show The Presenters Hub is where you’ll be able to pick the brains of some of Queensland’s most knowledgeable anglers. You’re likely following them on Facebook, watching them on YouTube and checking out their photos on Instagram – now is your chance to meet them face to face and talk about all things fishing. Here’s a sneak peak of some of the faces you’ll see making an appearance over the weekend… MICK HORN Mick Horn loves chasing bass and cod but has scored himself a bit of a reputation for his unhealthy

Liam Fitzpatrick will be on hand to share his knowledge.

Mick Horn and Steve Morgan are always happy to answer anglers’ questions.

EXHIBITORS AT THE 2017 LURE EXPO Stand No........................................Exhibitor Name AC Lures............................................................... 50 Allfly Outfitters...................................................... 95 Barambah Lures................................................... 23 Bassman Spinnerbaits......................................... 70 Beardy Lures........................................................ 21 Bills Boxes............................................................ 62 Boating &RV......................................................... 31 Brisbane Yamaha................................................ 110 Bush’n’Beach Fishing Magazine.......................... 45 C&S Horsey Lures................................................ 47 Charlton’s Fishing................................................. 12 Chilton Tackle Co.................................................. 29 Cod Hound Lures................................................. 89 Cod King Lures..................................................... 58 Cooby Cobba Lures............................................... 4 D & S Lures............................................................. 6 Dave’s Lures ........................................................ 89 Dynamite Lures.................................................... 25 Farm Creek Lures................................................. 19 Fishing Unlimited.................................................. 35 Freshwater Fishing and Stocking Assn. of Qld.... 92 Full Scale Tackle.................................................... 40 Ipswich United Sportsfishing Club Inc................. 44 Jackpot Lures....................................................... 51 Jungle Lures........................................................... 1 Kneller Lures......................................................... 34 Kuttafurra Lures.................................................... 55 Laserworx............................................................... 2

Lively Lures........................................................... 56 Lobby Lures.......................................................... 20 Loola Lures........................................................... 22 Lure Collectors Precinct....................................... 80 Mac Lures............................................................. 59 Mad Dog Lures..................................................... 24 Morry Kneebone Lures......................................... 48 Ninja Lures............................................................ 21 Noel Bradley....................................................... 108 NQ Fish and Boat Magazine................................ 81 Obsession Spinnerbaits....................................... 95 Predator Lures...................................................... 38 QLD Fishing Monthly............................................ 75 Revenge Lures........................................................ 3 Sandfly Lures........................................................ 93 Savage Gear Australia.......................................... 39 SEQ Fly Fishers.................................................... 94 Shads Lures........................................................... 5 Somerset Fishing Tackle....................................... 97 Southern Cross Lures........................................... 41 Suntag.................................................................. 57 Tex Timbers......................................................... 122 Thug Lures.............................................................. 8 U-Make-Em-Soft Plastics..................................... 49 Waterstalker Lures................................................ 58 Wax’s Lures.......................................................... 24 Wilson Fishing...................................................... 88 Zoomy Lures........................................................ 37

obsession with mangrove jack. An original social media pioneer, you’ve all seen Mick conquering some of the biggest ‘red dogs’ that the southeast has to offer. STEVE MORGAN Straight off the back of his Australian Open win, Steve Morgan is one of Australia’s highest ranked bream anglers. He loves nothing more than talking all things fishing and sharing his knowledge, tips and tricks with anyone willing to listen. Steve is a selfconfessed lure-natic. LIAM FITZPATRICK Liam Fitzpatrick is the jack of all trades when it comes to fishing South East Queensland – whether he is micro-jigging reef fish or chasing bass in a muddy backwater, you can be sure that Liam is collecting social media content for your viewing pleasure. There’s plenty more to see at this year’s Expo. LURE OF THE YEAR AWARDS Celebrate the latest innovations in Australian lure making with the Lure of the Year Awards. With an

expanded group of categories catering to commercial and cottage makes of all types of lures, from timber minnows to bladed lures; winning a LOTY is guaranteed to increase demand and sales from both tackle stores, collectors and the general public alike. The winners will be announced at the Lure Expo Dinner held on Saturday 8 July from 6:30pm at the Reception Hall onsite at the Showgrounds. Everyone is invited. Tickets can be purchased from the Food Court on the Saturday morning of the Expo. LURE DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE BIG TANK You won’t want to miss the lure demonstrations at the casting tank. The 7m long tank is perfect for showing off the capabilities and swim action of lures at the show. Best of all, demonstrations will be given by the lure makers themselves, so you’ll hear straight from the horse’s mouth how their lures have been designed to swim and how to get the most out of them.

Keep an eye out for

18 Kerwick St, REDBANK QLD 4301 info@charltonsfishing.com.au

Ph: 07 3818 1677 Mail Order Welcome

www.charltonsfishing.com.au LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

For reviews, competitions, what’s on, the latest releases & updates and chats.

SOUTHERN CROSS LURES at this year’s

Australian Lure, Fly & Outdoors Expo We have released a new surface lure range for you to see.

Come and see us at the Australian Lure & Outdoor Expo

Contact: Stephen or Cole 07 3275 1881 Email: cshorseylures@gmail.com FIND US ON FACEBOOK 2017 LURE EXPO

The Australian

Lure Fly & Outdoors

EXPO

8-9 JULY 2017 • IPSWICH SHOWGROUNDS

Unleashing Ruthless lures FMG

Nicole Penfold nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au

It’s not easy making incredibly detailed, limited-edition lures; it takes a long time and it’s hard work. Aaron Young’s award-winning Kuttafurra collectable lures have been in high demand for years,

They’re skilled fishermen as well. Both men grew up fishing inland waterways in Victoria, forming a love affair with lures from a young age, and they particularly love catching cod. And both are addicted to lure making. “I’ve always loved lures, and just tinkering around with tackle,” Aaron said. “Years ago I discovered

been doing it for well over a decade.” With his love of lure making, it was a natural progression for him to turn his passion into career. He’s been doing it professionally for only six years, but in that time he’s sold many thousands of lures and amassed a legion of fans. Peter Howell has been a fan for years, and saw

This yabby is one of the Ruthless models still in development. Each prototype undergoes extensive testing before release. and he’s been practically living in his shed to keep all the Kuttafurra fans happy. Some of his models are designed for anglers’ pool rooms, while others are designed to catch fish – and they certainly do. While Aaron loves making collectables that are works of art, he loves making fish-catching lures more. Unfortunately, he just doesn’t have time to do both – which is where the new Kuttafurra Ruthless range comes in. These new moulded lures will give anglers all the advantages of Aaron’s designs, and he’ll be able to make more lures each day to meet the increasing demand. Don’t worry though, as he’ll still make more Kuttafurra timber lures, just not as many as before. There will be timber versions of the Ruthless lures available as well. A TEAM EFFORT The new Ruthless range is a collaboration between Aaron Young and Peter Howell, who are both based in Victoria. Peter has a graphic design background and owns AAAA Signs, a well-known company in the fishing and boating fraternity in Victoria. He has also dabbled in making his own lures, although until now his creations have been only for personal use. You couldn’t find two more creative individuals than Peter and Aaron, and they’re very exited about bringing their new range to the market. 6

2017 LURE EXPO

www.lurelovers.com, where lure addicts share their ideas, and it all went from there. I met talented lure makers who had been doing it for many years, and who were happy to share knowledge.” This was back in 2010, while Aaron was still working as a binder in publishing. In 2011 his life changed forever when he was hit by a car. His injuries were extensive, but he soldiered on for many months, focussing on recovery. Unfortunately, his collar bone wouldn’t heal properly, and it meant he couldn’t do his job anymore. “In a way though, I was ready for a change in my career,” Aaron said. “I liked my binding job but I’d

the opportunity to help an overworked Aaron keep up with increasing demand. “Aaron is a master craftsman, and his lures can take the worst abuse an angler or fish can dish out,” Peter said. “By teaming up to make these new moulded lures, our skill sets complement one another, and we can make more lures than he could alone. The moulded lures also provide more options with sink rates.” In spite of being plastic, these Australian-made lures won’t lose any quality. Peter and Aaron will be making them themselves, ensuring these lures will exhibit all the same ruggedness, reliability and uniqueness of the original Kuttafurras.

“We’re going to great lengths to ensure this, with extensive testing and refining, and sourcing the best components,” Peter explained. “We also pride ourselves on getting the finish immaculate. Our goal is to provide anglers with more organic looking lures with a complex paint finish, because I feel too many other native lures have similar colours. The unique designs of the Ruthless lures, combined with unique patterns, make them real stand-outs on highly pressured waterways.” Of course, before any new models are released they undergo extensive field testing. The testing team includes such cod experts as Jamie Beer, Kyle Dalrymple, Mat Rogers and Ian Rogers, most of whom started out as customers and became friends. Stephen Booth from Wilson Fishing, who loves cod more than anything in the world, has also been testing some prototypes, and you can see his feedback below. BASTARD The first of the new Ruthless models is the 125m Bastard diver. At the moment this lure model has a deep bib which gets it down to around the 5m mark, but there are

Shane Banks has been getting great results on the Ruthless Creeper. Image courtesy of Stephen Booth. plans to release a shallow version later on. One of the Bastard’s biggest fans is Kyle Dalrymple, based in Corowa on the Murray River. Since he received the prototypes, he has been consistently catching cod on them. “This lure has given me a lot of confidence,

At the Lure Expo you can pick up this limited edition, hand-crafted Ruthless lure when you purchase a 12-month Fishing Monthly subscription. There’s a limited number, so get in quick!

Another cod falls to a well-presented Ruthless Bastard.

and confidence in a lure is everything,” he explained. “The first time I went out with it I got three fish to 90cm. The next morning I got three to 96cm, and in the following weeks I’ve caught many more. They haven’t all been monsters, but they’ve been consistent. “The current bib gets the lure down to around 5m, and you slow roll it back. You can keep it in the zone for a long time, giving the fish plenty of opportunities to check it out. “It casts quite well, too. You can punch a nice long cast out easily, or make a short cast into tight timber without much drama. If you want to be one of the first anglers to get

their hands on one of these lures, be sure to head to the Fishing Monthly stand at the Lure Expo. Anglers who purchase a 1-year Fishing Monthly subscription for $65 (which works out cheaper than the newsagent cover price) will receive one of 40 limited edition handcrafted Ruthless Bastards, until stocks run out. These custom lures have a unique colour scheme that won’t be repeated anywhere else, and Aaron will be attending the show and will be happy to sign your lure for you. CREEPER The 100mm Creeper is something Aaron created a while back, but didn’t have the time to refine it. He says has boxes of one-off lures that he makes for fun, when the mood strikes him. Often these unique creations will languish for years before he dusts them off and gets his field testers to put them through their paces. The results can be startling. “I dug the Creeper out a while back – it didn’t have a name then – and got Stephen Booth and some other anglers using them. I originally created it as a Kuttafurra lure, but now it will be produced as a Ruthless model. “I created it because nobody else was doing crawlers as a handcrafted lure, or as purpose built for Australian species. I also think it’s good to give people an effective alternative to paddlers.” The Ruthless Creeper is one of Stephen Booth’s favourite surface cod lures, and he says it particularly comes into its own on highly-pressured waterways. “That’s because it has unique sonics and a distinctive crawling action,”

The Australian

Lure Fly & Outdoors

8-9 JULY 2017 • IPSWICH SHOWGROUNDS he explained. “You’re presenting the fish with a sound they haven’t heard a hundred times before. I’m not saying fish are clever, but they eventually get educated in popular waterways! “Another benefit of these lures is that they’re designed and built in Australia, so they’re made tough enough to handle the tackle and the fish. They also cast exceptionally well. The weight distribution means you get minimal tangling, and the wings fold away on the cast.” There are currently six colours in the Creeper range, with more in the pipeline.

swaying action that the cod really like,” Aaron said. “We’re still refining the finer details though, so we don’t want to say too much just yet.” Spoken like a true perfectionist. In actual fact, there are still details being finalised on all the Ruthless lures, which Pater and Aaron are determined to get just the way they want them before the official release. Following the sneak peek at the Lure Expo, Peter and Aaron are planning to release the first batch to retailers at the trade-only AFTA Show on 30 July to 1 August. After that, it shouldn’t be

EXPO

have also hinted at a few other secret ideas they’re working on, and more information will be revealed in due course. I recommend liking the Ruthless Lures page on Facebook, which is regularly updated with photos, news and videos. DELVING INTO DESIGN It’s clear we can expect many more designs in this range, and I was curious as to where Aaron gets all his ideas from. He said sometimes it’s from talking to mates, while at other times the ideas just pop into his head. “I might be sitting down and just need a break, and

Kyle Dalrymple has been consistently catching quality cod on the Ruthless Bastard diver. years ago, and it’s only now that I’ve had a chance to do something with it – and I’m glad I did because it’s been catching a lot of fish.” I asked Aaron what the most rewarding thing is about making lures. I expected him to say ‘the creative process’, or something similar, but his answer was quite different. “I’ll give you an

The Ruthless Mongrel is one of the new models in the Ruthless stable. MONGREL Finally we have the Mongrel diver, which is available in a 115mm model along with a smaller 85mm version. At the moment they’re both deep divers, but there’s a shallow bib in the pipeline, along with a painted bib to create a larger profile. “These lures have a

long before Ruthless lures become available for anglers to purchase. In the meantime, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for more developments with the range. At the moment there are only four models, all targeted at cod and yellowbelly, but eventually more species will be added. Aaron and Peter

I’ll just make something,” he said. “I just draw a shape, then cut it out and carve it to see how it looks. After I have given it a swim I put it away, to revisit when I have time. I have hundreds of different lures here that I’ve made and done nothing with. The Ruthless Creeper is something I made over three

The Creeper has a unique sound and action that sets it apart from the pack.

example of what makes it so rewarding,” he said. “A few months ago I was down at the river with my mate Jamie Beer. There was a young fella out on his kayak with his family, and I gave him some of the lures I had with me. His dad tied one on for him, and off he went. His father said I had made his day. “A week later we were

in the same spot, and the boy was playing cricket with his family and friends. He saw me and came up to say thank you for the lures, and to proudly tell me he’d caught a 50cm yella on one of them. “That’s the most rewarding thing about lure making. When you see fish caught on them, and smiling anglers, it’s gold.”

g n i m Co ... Soon

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*Includes GST. All images for illustration purposes only. Can be subject to change. While stocks last.

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FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS FISHING SONG NAMES

LONG RAY TO THE TOP ALBRIGHT EYES BACK IN BLACKFISH CAST SAID THE BOY DART SHAPED BOX FISH YOU WELL GO YOUR PRAWN WAY MR BO JIGGING NOVEMBER DRAIN

OVER THE RAINBOW RAYLA SHORE THE VOICE SOLID ROCK COD STAIRWAY TO REDFIN WORKING BASS MAN DART BREAK HOTEL SMOOTH BREAMINAL I WILL SURVIBE

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Name: Address:

P/Code:

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

QLD JULY 2017

Phone (day):

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

SPOT THE

10 DIFFERENCES

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

ORIGINAL

NIKON KEY MISSION

Congratulations to G Englart of Blackriver, who was Nikon’s I AM ON A MISSION competition winner. Lucky winners received a KeyMission 170 camera valued at $549RRP. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – QFM

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to L Finney from Manumbar, who was last month’s winner of the Find-aWord Competition! Monthly winners receive a sponsor prize. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – QFM

Alligator Creek, A Dougan of Buasia, A Scott of Proserpine, T Ramm of North Rockhmapton, R Dowden of Bundaberg, G Edwards of Home Hill, A Needham of Blackbutt, P Weier of Beaconsfield, B Rossetti of Proserpine, R Davis of Sarina, T Brown of Maryborough, R Wright of Urangan, J Willmann of Windaroo, L Nipperess of Waterford, D Stewart of Hermit Park, S Theofanes of Home Hill, K Cameron of Coombabah, F Thomas of Kirwan, J Nock of Kallangur, B Hardwick of Kewarra Beach, M Goodwin of Cardwell, M Luckie of Ormeau, S

Dawson of Gympie, G Murree of Maryborough, W Collis of River Heads, B Tieman of Buxton, C Covell of Miara, D Davidson of Guyra, J Buddle of Torquay, D Culshaw of Banyo, C Hendry of Imbil, D Smith of Sunnybank, A Adams of Newport. The DX Point Major prize winners are: 1st J Lowik of Churchill who won a prize pack worth $1000; 2nd M Markham of Singleton who won a prize pack worth $500; and, D Benson who won a prize pack worth $300. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The subscriber prize winner for May is K Barr of Cleveland, who won a So-Run Soft Baits prize pack worth $300RRP. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM

GUESS THE FISH?

FIND THE DX POINT LOGO

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: King George Whiting

The answers to Find the DX Hook Logo for May were: 10, 16, 22, 32, 42, 46, 51, 54, 58, 68, 72, 97, 101, 106, 109. – QFM The Find the DX Point logo prize winners for May were: A Kittel of Logan Village, B Freier of Ningi, D Davy of Cooroy, J Goody of Mount Berryman, G Roberts of White Rock, J Gardener of Mareeba, D Saunders of Miriam Vale, A Svaikauskas of

Answer: JULY 2017

Adapt to the changing weather TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

Unexpected rain events during May really made an impact on the temperature and things have cooled down considerably since we received 200mm mid-month. The temperature was actually climbing again recently, and during a trip south of town we found 26.9°C, in May! While plenty of people believe this is the time to pack away the barra gear, I think all that’s really needed is a change of tactics to keep the action happening. Species like barra don’t just disappear. They still have to feed, but they do have a preference for smaller food items instead of those gob-stopping mega mullet, tarpon, and so on. While the theory that a big lure or bait means a big fish doesn’t ring true during the temperature decline, it’s still possible to catch some great fish at a time when it’s deemed too hard by some anglers. The accepted best live bait is reasonably-sized prawns. Obviously little lures require light line to work properly, and lighter rods to cast and work them properly, so a downgrade from traditional barra grade tackle is part of the winter

creeks, rivers and headlands. Everyone has their favourite presentations, but I’m a big fan of the poppers and fizzers. Short, sharp downward jabs of the rod tip with 2-3 second pauses between will usually be all that’s needed to get a bite form a barra that has even the slightest inclination to take food from the surface. A FRESH OUTLOOK Up in the fresh things are going very well. Quiet approaches with long casts have been getting great results.

JULY 2017

small slugs and slices from an inconspicuous distance, say a minimum of around 20m, when the water’s clear will get your rod bent. The sequence is simple: cast your lure just up current from the school, lift it with a couple of brisk upward sweeps of the rod tip and keep the line tight during the descent for a good start. If that hasn’t got a bite, hold the rod tip down towards the surface and crank back flat knacker. Have at least a dozen casts at your location before moving on. A short length of 20-30lb wire is often needed to stop the snip-offs. If the sharks aren’t too bad, light line will be more successful. Our preferred outfit for the doggy and school mackerel is a light spin rod and reel, spooled with about 8lb braid, but as I mentioned, the sharks have been insane, so heavier handed tactics may be needed to beat them. If you lose a few fish to bities, just move on – it won’t get any better during that session. The Spanish are showing up pretty consistently now and

There have been plenty of small mackerel on the local marks and the 60g Outcast jigs have been doing a great job. they could conduct that same survey at the nearest wellknown accessible fishing location to a green zone, as these spots have fish that are much easier for sharks to catch when they’ve been hooked. It’s this consistent taxing that has encouraged offshore anglers to look for spots that

in that direction he thought he’d have a quick look to see what was about and he was astounded at what happened. Every drop was a big specimen of either trout or nannies and he caught his bag limit in quick time and left them biting. The best bit was none got eaten! If I were the owner of a

Barra on the flats are a viable option in winter when you figure the tides out. Hopefully the cooler weather will slow the weed growth down a bit, which will make it easier to use much beloved

Grunter have been sitting in shallower water and are loving coloured jigheads on the bigger tides. tactics. Some 8-10lb braid and 20-30lb leader is about right. It’ll shock you how many respectable fish will eat the small lures, if you’re new to the tactic. Any barra fisher will tell you that the surface bite from a barra is the most exciting thing you’re likely to encounter when casting lures around

but I’m not sure if I agree. If you’re using 40-50lb braid and 50-80lb leaders in the salt, big girls don’t take too long to land either. In the fresh around snags and weedless spots, traditional barra gear of around 20-30lb will see you busted off plenty of times. Hardbodies have been on the smaller side for these fish. During one land-based session I got smoked by an unstoppable beast on a 120 Halco Laser Pro with upsized hooks to make it suspend.

hardbodies for the big girls. The strike rate has been quite good with one session from the shoreline producing barra at 102, 104 and 117cm, plus some pups around the 56-70cm range. Plenty of people have broken that magic metre mark in the past few weeks. It’s often said that a metre from the fresh doesn’t count,

The fight was brief and brutal, with 60lb leader sheered at the gill plate. FLATS FISHING Recently the flathead are really putting in an effort. Double hook-ups on some flats are common. They aren’t the stonking big crocodilelooking specimens from the more southern systems, but they are a viable target for the light line enthusiast. The most common size is 45-60cm. They take lures without hesitation, not to mention a well-presented live bait. In the same areas as the flatties, big whiting are showing up and are being taken on small poppers in the translucent colours and on baits like peeled prawns and worms. Flooding flats in shallow water are a good place to start the search. If it’s a little bit dirty, the bait will work best, and if it’s clear, get ready for a good session on lures. I won’t go into details of retrieves and so on as there have been so many informative articles written about this. Bottom bay species are still active and the grunter and golden snapper have made up some reasonable catches recently. The biggest I’ve seen a pic of so far was around the low 90s, and that’s a horse in anyone’s book. We have been chasing them in the shallower stuff with lighter gear and plastics with reasonable success. OFFSHORE AND DEEPER Mackerel have shown up in good numbers. Casting

Another species that is often thought to disappear in the colder months is the golden snapper, which are still available during winter. are liking lures and smaller baits of gar more than the traditional wolfy presentation. We noticed during a late night barra session that there were heaps of big, juicy gar getting around, so this could have something to do with the smaller offerings getting smashed. Wog heads and skipping gar have been the rigging methods for most anglers with reasonable results. This action will likely increase this month. It has become blindingly obvious lately that the sharks on the better known spots are educated and could be classified now as permanent residents. This could be due to the frequent association of outboard sounds to an impending easy feed. This problem likely won’t get any better for anglers frequenting a particular location. The latest survey conducted in a green zone estimates shark numbers to be low. Perhaps

Vanessa Bennet from Mulwala Fish Camp and Ski with a nice jack. It was her first jack ever and was taken casting Prongs in tight cover. are lesser known and therefore lack the educated taxman numbers. I spoke to a guy the other day who zig-zagged his way home from a recent trip looking for some new territory and found a small reef the size of a small residential house block that was worthy of investigation on his next trip. When he next ventured out

bigger boat then I have to say that this would be my approach too. I’d be scanning every bloody inch of that ocean floor to find these small fishholding locations. Just keep an eye out for the spot stealers and leave your spot to protect your hard-earned marks, if you see a conspicuous boat heading your way.

Beachin’ about the cold weather CAIRNS

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

Below you will find several excellent fishing options for both land-based and trailer boat anglers for the Cairns Net Free Zone. There’s some important things to consider before undertaking these trails. Firstly, crocodiles inhabit all these areas and care should be taken when in close proximity to all waterways including beaches and

blessed with some amazing stretches of clean sandy beaches. While popular with tourists for swimming and taking in the FNQ sun, they are also exceptional fishing spots, especially for landbased anglers. In fact, landbased anglers are blessed with a myriad of beach options in the NFZ, with the main ones being Machans, Holloways, and Trinity Beach. All can be fished in a single session and are all easily accessible straight from their own main beach esplanades.

the mouth with live and fresh baits (which can also be cast netted in this area at low tide) can produce some monster barramundi and salmon. The creek mouth is not the only spot to wet a line, as anywhere along the open beach will produce fish. Finding a shady spot and setting a few rods out to sea with a range of live and fresh baits, both on the bottom and near the surface, will eventually produce a bite. Early morning and late afternoon are always best in this spot.

very much highways for both bait and fish, and eventually they will both come through, and when they do, it can get red-hot very quickly. The lures, bait fishing options and retrieves used on the headland trail will work perfectly in the open beach environment with depth of water being the biggest factor to consider. Big long casts are excellent to cover lots of ground, but when you find the fish, it can be a case of trying a mix of hardbody, soft plastic and vibe style lures to get the bite. The next beach on the NFZ beach fishing trail is Trinity Beach. Trinity Beach, unlike the others, is not fed by any creek systems, but still has many fishable attributes. Its rocky headland borders create a deep water wind-protected gutter, especially at the southern end of the beach. This spot is the perfect place to snare a few whiting, and if you are

Flathead are a prime target off the beaches and near the creek mouths. after something bigger, put on a big live bait. The Cairns NFZ beaches are one of the best spots to fish, and with so many spots on offer they are a must

do when visiting the area. They are perfect for wetting a live bait, taking a stroll and flicking a lure, or just sitting back and letting the kids wet a line.

The beaches of the NFZ are always good for fishing, no matter what time of year and no matter what the weather. headlands. Second, many of these fishing spots are most productive during the warmer months. Cairns can be very hot and humid, so take plenty of water and cover up, mosquito repellent is also important. Finally, take care of the area you are fishing and the fish you catch. Only take what you need not what you can catch. The Cairns NFZ is

Like the headland trail, its best to fish these areas over the rising tide, and bigger tides and calmer weather with little swell is best. When starting your beach fishing trail, it’s best to start at the southern end of the NFZ at Machans Beach. Machans has many fishable attributes, especially with its close proximity to the Barron River mouth. Fishing around

The next stop on the beach fishing trail is Holloways Beach, and like Machans is also fed by a creek, Thomatis Creek. As such, the same fishing techniques apply and this is also a hot spot for salmon and barramundi. When fishing both these beaches, standard estuary gear will do the job. In terms of techniques, these beaches are

Barramundi move up and down the beaches and live baits fished in the gutters will bring the results.

FISHERIES NEWS

New insights into Aussie snapper genetics New research shows there are two genetically different snapper stocks off the Australian East Coast, where it was previously believed all snapper were part of a single stock. Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) scientist Dr Jess Morgan said this was the first project to use fine-scale sampling and highly variable genetic markers to measure the number of genetically distinct snapper stocks that occur off eastern Australia. “Our research shows one snapper stock is found off the coast of Queensland and New South Wales and that a second, genetically different snapper stock is found from southern New South Wales south to Victoria and Tasmania,” Dr Morgan said. “We found a high level of genetic mixing among sites in the northern stock,

which is good news if a depletion occurs at a local level, as the stock’s genetic diversity would still remain in neighbouring populations.” Fishers collected 470 snapper fin-clip samples from nine locations off Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania; highly variable genetic markers in the fin clips, called microsatellites, were screened to look for differences among sampled locations. Dr Morgan said the microsatellite data was analysed using a number of different methods, all of which confirmed the two distinct genetic stocks. “The two stocks meet and mix around Eden in southern New South Wales,” she said. “The location of the boundary separating the genetic snapper stocks appears to have shifted further south since the mid-1990s when a different type of marker,

allozymes, detected a genetic break north of Sydney.” While it’s likely that the location of the boundary separating the stocks varies

depending on the East Australian Current, and other environmental conditions that influence fish movement, knowing where these stocks

Dr Jess Morgan said the microsatellite data was analysed using a number of different methods, all of which confirmed the two distinct genetic stocks.

interact provides important information that can be used in future snapper sustainability assessments. Senior Fisheries Scientist with DAF Dr Wayne Sumpton said the research showed the importance of consistent data and methods being used across jurisdictions for stock status assessments. “Part of the challenge in assessing the sustainability of East Coast snapper as a whole has been that different jurisdictions often take different approaches to assessment and use different criteria for defining stock status,” he said. “This project seeks to address this by providing a database of consistent, standardised information including snapper catch data, size and age of fish as well as biological information such as growth and spawning data from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

“This database will be particularly useful for Queensland and New South Wales, as the data can be used to model the entire stock rather than each state doing their own modelling and stock status assessment.” Snapper is an important recreational and commercial fishing species in many parts of Australia. Off the East Coast a range of different methods are used to catch snapper including line fishing, trapping and trawling. This research is part of the Inter-jurisdictional Snapper Management in Eastern Australia project funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and the Queensland, New South Wales and Victorian governments. For more information about the project, visit www. frdc.com.au – DAF JULY 2017

Barra fishing hot and cold HINCHINBROOK

Ryan Moody info@ryanmoodyfishing.com

It’s been an interesting month with some crazy weather patterns, including a trough that dropped up to 200mm in places south of Townsville, which isn’t really something you’d see at this time of year. We have had lots of cooler weather spikes early in the season, and this has made the barra fishing very erratic, with both good and bad days from one day to the next. We are still catching some nice size fish on the better days. With water temperatures really starting to reach their winter minimums, the fish are changing their patterns, and this can sometimes be frustrating to visiting anglers. I have heard of some offshore reports, despite the very windy periods we’ve had. This seems to suggest that the Spaniards have arrived on some of the headland and island areas. The bigger tides up to the dark moon are the better periods to look, but that’s if you can get it to line up with good weather, as some of these areas are exposed to southeasterly winds. The

Spaniards should be around until September at least. On the bread and butter front, we have had a few mixed reports of grunter. It seems they are popping up in some places, while other areas of the channel and Missionary Bay are missing out. Sometimes their schools are large and spread over a significant area, and if you’re lucky enough to be fishing the right type of country when they move into the area, you can have a really good session. When they come through some of our barra areas, it’s not uncommon to catch some bigger models on small

vibes and big plastics meant for barra. Many of the deeper holes in the creeks are infested with baby blue salmon up to 40cm, but there has been the odd few adult fish among them. They are a nice fish to eat if eaten fresh, and also good if you’re into fresh sashimi. They’re quite often a nuisance while jigging for barra, but they keep the clients busy between the barra. Their bigger cousins the king threadfin have had minimal appearances and are hard to get a bite out of when they are around. This is what they do after years of poor or average wet seasons. Their

numbers start to boom again when we go back into the wet cycles, the same is true with barra. This is why Northern Australia has really been in what we consider a barra drought in recent years, apart from Central Queensland and parts of the NT, who have had good flushes in the rivers and floodplains. The elusive little wonders we call wonky holes, which are venting holes for underground aquifers, really fish well in the winter too, as many species such as nannygai and red emperor move further inshore. Some do remain and become resident to the

Linus with a nice barra he caught and released recently casting lures.

Nannygai are a popular fish among northern anglers. holes for some time, at least until they stop running and close over. They are quite abundant in many areas of the North Queensland coast and also in areas off the Hinchinbrook coast right here. Some are very close to the Palm islands, and make it easy for smaller boats to access. You have to learn how they work before you can start finding them consistently. As for July, I think all offshore trips will be subject to the trade winds, but it’s a great time of year out there for both demersal and pelagic species, not to mention the marlin and sailfish starting to show as

well, although sailfish are common most of the year around the reef openings and edges. The small marlin are more migratory. Barra will still be on and off, because this time of year sees a lot more weather fronts coming through and some cold ones at that. If you want to learn the tricks of finding wonky holes, check out our online course at www.fishsmarter.com.au. • 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.

Bluewater action heats up as weather cools LUCINDA

Jeff Wilton jeffwilton83@hotmail.com

It has always amazed me how quickly you can get warmed up in winter when that rod loads up as a fast powerful fish rips off some line. It’s winter time in Lucinda and the bluewater is where the fun is at. The channel can become quite tough to consistently find fish, so all eyes are

of the locals keep a few sick days up their sleeve just in case the weather is perfect. Up until this month, it had been a typical windy few months with some above average rainfall thrown in as well. Winter is dictated with strong southerly winds that can seem to blow relentlessly for weeks on end. This can cause a sense of cabin fever and is very annoying, as there are plenty of fish out there that need to be caught. The only positive I can say about

HINCHINBROOK CHANNEL Times can be very tough fishing the channel at this time of year. Chasing grunter is the best way to get a feed consistently. Fishing the mouths of creeks on the run-in tide using soft baits such as prawns or squid should see some tasty fillets on the dinner table. Grunter are great fish, as they fight well and taste amazing with pearly white flesh. They can be difficult to hook due to

Jacks are always around and will destroy the light gear. on the weather forecasts. Fingers crossed the best days are when you’re not stuck at work, and I can guarantee you that plenty 70

JULY 2017

the constant bad weather is the fact that the fish stocks haven’t been affected. Let’s see what July has to offer here in Lucinda.

the fact that they have small mouths, and normally carry the bait in their mouths while moving off slowly before swallowing it. It’s very

important to allow them to take some line before striking, and bait runner style reels are perfect for grunter fishing. The ability to feed line to fish with very little tension means a natural presentation. After a fish has moved off with the bait, a solid hook set should hopefully see a bent rod. They’re not a glamour species, but the bream fishing during winter is crazy. The humble pikey bream turns into an aggressive thug and will attack big live baits set for barra. In addition, the amount of times your lure or plastic will get slammed when fishing the snags and drains by bream will shock you. I’ve called them for mangrove jack so many times and it’s a bit embarrassing when a bream comes to the surface. Those who want to have loads of fun, downsizing your gear and chasing pikey bream will help pass time between barra and jacks. Using small soft plastics such as ZMan 3” MinnowZ rigged on light jigheads and flicked around rocky areas and snags should see you having lots of fun. The major problem when downsizing gear is the smokings you get when a solid jack or barra gets in on the action. Pikey bream To page 71

Queenfish are built for speed and excitement.

Waiting for breaks in the wind CAIRNS

Garry Smith garrysmith@fishingmonthly.com.au

Winter in the north usually follows one of two patterns. Either we get lots of calm periods with short blows in between, or we get lots of blows with short periods of calm weather in between. This winter is shaping as the latter, with a continual march of high pressure systems across the Great Australian Bight. The high then ridges up the north Queensland coast, creating extended periods of heavy winds, with only small windows of opportunity between the highs. The key to successful fishing in these conditions is to watch the patterns and grab any opportunity when the wind drops below about 15 knots for small boats and 20 knots for big boats. The positive is that these systems are pretty predictable, and you can plan in advance to take advantage of the drop in winds, however few and far between. July typically has the lowest average water temperature for the year in Cairns, and this is currently on track to occur this year. This should bring the mackerel closer to the surface, making them easier to target for anglers. They can still be caught when they sit deeper, but it does take a bit more effort and ingenuity on the part of anglers. Spaniards tend to rise early and late in the day, making these the ideal times to troll swimming gar, mullet, wolf herring, live baits and lures. In the middle of the day, even in the coldest conditions, go deep using super deep diving minnows, down riggers or paravanes. Paravanes are a method From page 70

fight well on light gear, but jacks will demolish you very quickly, so a lot of luck and skill is required to extract them when fishing heavy structures. JETTY, ISLANDS AND REEF The iconic Lucinda sugar loader jetty will be on fire during July. This 6km long fish-attracting device has hundreds of pylons that attracts bait fish, which in turn brings predators. It’s no secret that the jetty is one of the best places to catch big queenfish in NQ. On a good day, it is very easy to land double figures of metre plus queenies, and on a slow day you should still land a couple. Working plastics quickly through the water column is the easiest and most

that seems to have declined in popularity over recent decades, probably due to most anglers now targeting mackerel using rod and reel. They are a very effective way to fish for mackerel down deep and won’t sting the pocket as badly as a downrigger. They can still be used quite effectively on a rod, as long as you keep the distance between the paravane and the lure or bait under 2m and you carry a long handle gaff in the boat. Fight the fish until the paravane is at the rod tip and move forward in the boat so your gaffer can nail the Spaniard at the back of the boat. Keep the boat moving forward slowly, under power, rather than putting the motor into neutral. This keeps constant pressure on the fish, making it less likely to throw

the hooks and easier to bring alongside the boat for gaffing. Cobia and trevally of all shapes and sizes will also be on the chew, so make sure your gear is well serviced and up to the task of grinding it out with a serious cobia, or the blistering speed of a monster trevally or spaniard. The lesser mackerel will be around inshore, with July usually considered the real start of the season. Take any small drop in the winds as a chance to venture out on dawn to the more protected inshore islands, reefs, wrecks and pinnacles. Trinty Inlet has some good options, as you can poke out as far as the winds will allow, hopefully getting right out to the end of the leads. If not, just look for bait on your sounder in closer and focus your efforts in that area. Mackerel will

push right up into the inlet itself, at times, so you are always in with a chance of nailing a mackerel even in pretty strong winds. Reef fishing has been productive for some when small boat anglers have been able to get out there. Others have struggled to find a feed, so it is still a bit hit and miss. The cooler weather will see the fish school up more, so it should be just a matter of being able to get at them. Trout will be moving up shallow and more nannygai and red emperor will be found in shallower water. Sharks continue to be a nightmare for most, though one angler has had success in avoiding them. Beau Lockhard has been stopping fishing for half an hour or so after they show up. He got everyone on his boat to wind

Beau Lockhard managed to get these trophy trout past the sharks. in once the sharks arrived, had a cuppa and a feed, and found they had moved on when they dropped back down. He said it took a while for the fish to get seriously back on the bite after the break, but the sharks had gone. It has to be worth a shot, as I haven’t heard of anything else working, other than relocating. The estuaries have continued to produce the odd barra, golden snapper and mangrove jack, but they have slowed with the water temperature. Reserve those warm, still, sunny days for targeting these fish and you will still have success if you put in the effort. On those windy, overcast, winter days, switch to light tackle and target bream, whiting, flathead and grunter

There will be plenty more Spaniards taken this month, like this beauty caught aboard Blackout Sportsfishing Charters. July is considered the real start of the mackerel season. effective way to entice these fish to bite. Make sure your plastic gets to the bottom, then rip it to the boat with speed and the odd twitch. If queenies are following but not eating, wind quicker, or add a big pause, making them run into it and instinctively open their mouths. Queenfish are amazing fun, as they rip drag and jump around like crazy. Make sure you’re ready with quick rod work work, as the fight can get very hectic when they are close to the boat. Golden snapper should also be hanging around the bottom, so finding them on the sounder and working plastics and jigs should see you attached to these steam trains. Golden snapper fight very well, with strong runs along the bottom. They are not particularly

dirty fighters, but the areas they live normally mean your line will come in close proximity to nasty structures that will mean game over very quickly should they rub the line. If you can turn them a little and get them fighting off the bottom, you are in with a great chance of landing one of the best looking and eating fish on offer. Just a reminder that golden snapper do not release well when caught in water with depths greater then around 8m. Any fish caught deeper should be taken care of correctly, eaten and enjoyed. IF THE WEATHER WON’T COOPERATE… Sometimes the weather is just going to be a consistent pain, and if this is the case, I suggest maybe getting off the beaten track. Chasing some of north

and you will still be able to rustle up a feed. We tend to get a bit spoilt in the north and ignore these good table fish in preference to bigger and more spectacular tropical species. They are great fun and are an especially attractive option for kids. There is plenty of action to keep them occupied before having their rod nearly pulled from their hands by a more powerful fish. As they gain experience and confidence, by all means move them onto harder-fighting fish, but don’t put them off by going too big too soon. Kids will have just as much fun pumping yabbies or helping get fish and prawns out of a cast net as they will fishing itself, so include bait gathering in the outing for more kid friendly fun.

JPs are something special. Get out and explore! Queensland’s sweetwater natives such as jungle perch and sooty grunter is a great way to spend the day or week. A sense of adventure

and plenty of time looking at maps will show you plenty of streams that potentially could hold fishing gold. A light spin rod and a backpack with some small lures and

plastics will be all you need. Both JPs and sooties love eating off surface, so small poppers will provide some epic strikes right in front of your eyes. JULY 2017

Waiting for some good reef fishing weather PORT DOUGLAS

Lynton Heffer www.fishingportdouglas.com.au

For the last couple of years we’ve been lucky in regards to weather, but this year the southeasterly trade winds have returned with a vengeance, pounding the coastline for weeks on end. This may continue moving forward. Heading offshore to the outer reefs has mostly been restricted to larger vessels. The small boat brigade have only had a handful of opportunities lately. Despite the challenges, the fishing has been worthwhile with a lot of different species on offer. The coolest months are considered the best for our reef species and they have been around in good numbers. These species include coral trout, red emperor, spangled emperor, reef jack, cobia, trevally species and, to a lesser

extent, the small and largemouth nannygai. The nannygai haven’t schooled up in large numbers as they normally do. It has required a bit of moving around at times to tap into decent numbers. Sharks have been a problem at times picking off a lot of fish when they are hooked up. They can certainly put a school of fish off the bite. Interestingly, you often get numbers of mackerel hanging around the nannygai schools, but they have been very patchy so far. A local seafood outlet mentioned that they haven’t seen much mackerel walk through their doors this year. Hopefully both these species pick up. Coral trout and a lot of different trevally species have been coming on the bite in significant numbers. Gold spot, tealeaf and brassy trevally have been super aggressive and weighing in at the 6-8kg

Jake Collete with a diamond trevally. mark. They are providing some full-on action. Smaller bread and butter species such as stripies, sweetlip and Moses perch have also been rolling along nicely. Coming up over the next month or so, a lot of effort

will be aimed towards the small black marlin run. So far the weather has been so disappointing that not many have ventured out to target these fish, so at the moment it’s unknown how the season will pan out.

Closer to the coastline early mornings have allowed the smaller boat brigade to hit the coastal reefs and wrecks. From reports there are smaller nannygai in good numbers, a few mackerel and once again an array of trevally on the

march. A few good-sized cobia are up and about and their stocks have been at their best for quite a few years. In the calmer waters of the rivers, estuaries and creeks, things have really taken on a winter pattern. Bream, flathead, grunter, trevally and few good jacks are taking on the bulk of the load. When the waters are clearer, mid-sized queenfish are also moving into the systems. It has been a good time to lay a few crab pots and the estuary systems are producing the better numbers. As we’ve previously mentioned, winter fishing is best when the wind and tide are moving in the same direction. If the water is discoloured, the use of fresh dead baits can produce more activity. In saying all this, most anglers will be hoping for a better deal in the weather department to head out to the reef, which is where the best fishing is to be had during the winter months.

West Coast inshore spectacular CAPE YORK

Tim O’Reilly wildrivercompany@gmail.com

As the chilly southerly winds hiss their way up the East Coast of Queensland, let’s take a look at some of the spots and fish species that are still hot-to-trot. Over-simplified, the East Coast bluewater scene will be challenging at best and West Coast inshore season should be spectacular. The prevailing wind throughout the dry season will be from the southeast, making the Gulf of Carpentaria coast a pleasure to fish with the winds blowing offshore. Inshore bait schools will settle very close to the coastline and sports fishos will be targeting the pelagic species that tear through densely packed sardines, anchovies and hardiheads. Toothy predators such as grey, Spanish, school and broad-barred mackerel can all be caught very

close inshore this time of year. Anyone should be able to cruise up and down the West Coast a few kilometres from shore and find dipping gulls, circling frigates and plunging booby birds without too much trouble. Giant trevally and large queenfish may be found even closer in again, attacking the densely packed balls of bait, often within a few hundred metres of the coast. Joining them will be veracious little steelback salmon, blue salmon, golden trevally, giant herring and

wolf herring. All these speedsters will keep anglers using a variety of metal slices, jigs, plastics and flies, busy for hours. Any good shows of baitfish on the sounder should be inspected by dropping down something that flutters and zipping it back up to the boat. Expect to get bitten off by smaller mackerel on occasion and to lose the odd decent fish to sharks, which are alerted to the frantic activity. If you begin losing fish to sharks, it is best to stop feeding

A couple of fish landed from an isolated rock bar.

them and move on to a new area. Further offshore, those trolling larger lures and wogged garfish can expect some exceptional mackerel fishing around isolated lumps, shoals and contour lines. Remember to mark any hook-ups so effort can be concentrated on that location. Mackerel may sit adjacent to current and structure throughout a tidal run so leaving fish on the bite to continue elsewhere is a mistake. Stingrays and manta rays shovelling their way down the West Coast may be followed by small cobia and golden trevally this time of year. Casting almost any lively presentation behind these graceful beasts can lead to fantastic visual hook ups. The water is generally very clear near the creek and river mouths on the West Coast throughout July. Casting flies and sighting fish before making a presentation is a very addictive form of fishing. Switching over to the East Coast, anglers will have the most success in

Hooked up solid on a remote island cay. the creeks and rivers and sometimes the shallow inshore shoals this time of year. The big boat brigade will be getting hoarse throats from complaining about the persistent trade winds, wishing they owned a little punt instead. They should be getting right up some of the tight East Coast creeks to battle the mangrove, junction and sand-spit dwellers. Small estuary and rivers systems fed by some of the larger wetlands and salt marshes during the rainy season will by now have discarded most of their tiny crustaceans and baitfish. Many of these systems will continue to fish very well into July, remaining nutritiously supercharged.

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Mangrove jack, cod, smaller GTs and Papuan trevally, tarpon and barramundi can be thick on the neap tides where deeper holes and structure combine on a gently receding tide. Shallow divers and small weedguarded soft plastics are a dynamite way to fish some of these snaggy bends and a small punt or on foot are the best way to sneak up on them. Enjoy searching in July until you find that pot of honey where the fish are holed up for the winter. They still have to eat! • For information on remote charter operations for tailored fishing adventures, please email Tim on wildrivercompany @gmail.com

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Welcome relief from the heat

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COOKTOWN

Paul Prokopuk

July is a special time in Cooktown and Cape York. The rain has eased up and the cooler days are a welcomed relief from the heat. For the next few months most people head bush whenever they get the chance. Some may head into the rainforests to chase jungle perch. Others may head for the beaches and fish the creek mouths for saltwater species. Whatever the adventure, it is a magical time of year to get out and explore the countryside. The Cooktown trade winds are in full swing. This is why most locals head bush or up river at this time of year. However, watch the

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Ewan Kepple and Jen Hall displaying large mouth nannygai.

Craig Hall nailed this cracker barra in shallow water, on a popper, too! weather reports closely, because on occasions the winds drop out below 10 knots. If you’re in the area, make the most of it because it may be a while before it happens again. The winds dropped out a few weeks ago and it aligned perfectly for the weekend. Keep in mind that your boating and fishing gear is sitting around unused

and service your gear. Do the lot, fishing gear, trailers, boats and motors, because it’s better than having problems later when the winds have dropped and you want to go out fishing. The temperature cooling down signals the Cooktown winds, and a waiting game for the reef anglers. Anglers who have been lucky enough

Anglers have been finding quite good catches including coral trout, nannygai and assorted species making up a decent feed. The mackerel will be about soon, so make sure you are ready. As the water surface temperature falls, the mackerel will move up in the water and be much more accessible to shallow

Colin Stahan with a great trout destined for the pan. a little longer at this time of year. Therefore, make the most of the windy weather

to get out in the limited time frame of good weather have reaped the rewards.

and topwater presentations. Around structure they will be accompanied by trevally and

cobia. No matter their size, they will really test you out on any tackle. Live bait or fresh dead bait fished around these areas could turn up anything, and if you manage to come across some live squid, be ready to connect to a monster fish! The Endeavour will be very clear for the first few kilometres. I would try chasing surface predators on the incoming tide when it’s nearly full. Trolling a popper or shiny shallow diver is probably the most effective method, and you can catch queenies, trevally and even mackerel doing this. Upriver is best for barra, and my suggestion is to go deep where they may be lazily hiding around snags. If they’re feeding, get up on the flats where it is warmer, you can have a bit more fun with them. Mangrove jacks are still the mainstay of catches and have been all year. The deeper water is also showing up some golden snapper, and jigging soft vibes around these areas is a great way to cover more ground to find where the fish are congregating. Mud crabs are definitely running in numbers now, with reports of good catches in the most of our estuary systems like the Endeavour and the Annan rivers The bottom section of Lakefield National Park (LNP) is now open and has already had a flood of tourists and locals through there. The top end of the park should be open now as well, if not very close to opening. Already there have been reports of plenty of rat barra caught in the park. Some fish of size have been succumbing to live bait over flicking lures. A live cherabin floated into snags has been has been finding some decent fish.

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Weipa wind stirs up inshore waters for anglers WEIPA

Mark Bargenquast

The usual southeast winds have arrived in force pushing up a big swell along the coastline. This in turn stirs up the inshore coastal waters making sight fishing tough for flyfishing charters. However, things aren’t all that bad as the creeks and rivers are fishing well for threadies, jacks, barra and queenies. When it’s calmer offshore, tuna and big queenfish over a metre are biting well. There has been some awesome bait ball action with tuna, cobia, Spaniards, giant trevally and queenfish in on the action, plus the ever-present bull sharks! The tourist season is here in full swing and the PDR is reported to be open

and smooth with only a few corrugated rough sections. The Weipa Caravan Park and Campground is looking quite full but there are always vacancies as travellers come and go. Many visiting tourists who want to fish can book local guide boats for a day or two but many bring small car toppers and fish Andoom Creek or the Mission River. A word of warning though, beware of the new Evans Landing boat ramp and pontoon, it can be extremely rough if the wind picks up with waves over a metre breaking over it. There have been a few incidents loading passengers and boats with quite a bit of damage done. One travelling angler told me he thought it was the worst pontoon structure in Australia! One species that has started to show in numbers

is Spanish mackerel. I have seen quite a few Spaniards skyrocketing chasing gars and flying fish, so it could be a ripper season for them – fingers-crossed! Try trolling big Rapala deep divers and a shallow minnow in close, often it gets eaten first. Spaniards are great eating if bled and iced straight away. Further south towards False Pera, the swell is making it tough. However, when it’s good enough to head down, tuskies, trout and pelagics have been biting well. Another positive at the moment is the good run of mud crabs in the rivers. We have picked quite a few up just watching them walking along the shallows and they have all been good full bucks. The wet season we had last summer saw over 2m of rain and still some smaller feeder creeks are trickling

Axel Polmear with a golden trevally from the Embley River. out with fresh. I went for a walk up one creek last week and saw plenty of

baby barra, so it has been a great spawning season for them. Hopefully next year

will be a repeat and we get another fresh recruitment of little guys.

Swimming in the sweet, sweet surface strikes WEIPA

Jackson Bargenquast

A surface strike of a feeding fish is something that always seems to amaze us, whether it’s a bumper bass sipping an insect in the glare of the morning sun or a monster giant trevally exploding into a school of bonito on sunset. This is truly when we get to see the pure power and grace of how predatory fish feed. The tropical waters up here in the Cape are loaded with a huge variety of species that will actively take surface lures. The high water temperatures and lack of commercial pressure result in the fish stocks often feeding violently on the surface. The pelagic species are known for their tendency to destroy

surface presentations, however, there is still a lot to understand about fishing for pelagics on surface. On days when species such as tuna and queenies are very fixated on small baitfish (baitfish under 3”) they can be very difficult to attract on big poppers and stickbaits. Generally slugs, jigs and small soft plastics are the go. To improve the actual physical element of a surface strike, use light to unweighted plastics so the presentation is just under the surface by about an inch. This is just as impressive to watch as a fish taking a stickbait. This is often what southern fishers have to do when fish are eating small bait, but this is Cape York. Many times, even when the pelagics are feeding on bait as small as 1cm, they still chase down big poppers and smash them without hesitation. Often it takes a few casts to get tuna

This keen eyed barracuda around 15kg followed the author’s stickbait all the way to the boat and then smashed it, it then went for some screaming runs. interested at all. Queenies will chase the lure right to the boat and then, to the agony of so many anglers, turn away and return to the bait school. Persistence does eventually pay off, though. If you get enough casts into a feeding frenzy, you’ll hook up. Sometimes it’s not one of the dozens of ignorant tuna and queenfish

that will strike your lure around a bait school, but instead a lone monster lurking below, such as a 50lb mackerel or big toothy

barracuda. Small to medium sized brassy and giant trevally often cruise alongside other pelagics and are often more

1m) and are accompanied by juveniles. These fish make for some awesome surface explosions around headlands. The elusive barramundi can be caught on small poppers and walk-the-dog stickbaits flicked to the snags, but the key to barra is to move the lure as slow as possible and count up to ten seconds between twitches or bloops. During hours of darkness, barra will become much more active. If they’re feeding on smaller bait, the unweighted soft plastic technique can be just as good as a popper or stickbait. Flyfishing can also

The author and his mate Andrew with some queenies on surface lures.

Night time barramundi on surface are awesome. 74

JULY 2017

aggressive towards surface presentations than other species on tough days. Then there is the holy grail of every angler chasing some line burning action: when a massive cobia comes out from amongst the other fish to hunt down a lure – truly

awesome stuff. Surface fishing is not limited to offshore. While most fish in estuaries are smaller, they can be just as much fun. Queenfish seen in river mouths are of a similar size to the offshore fish (well over

be practiced with surface patterns such as Crease flies and Dalburgs being used to catch everything from trevally and barra to even freshwater species such as sooties and toga. Good luck and remember to think like a fish.

Gear up and get out there now FRESHWATER

Angus James

A U S T R A L I A

Instagram: @jimmygusjames

The first half of the year is done and dusted. I hope everyone has had the chance to make some great memories for the first part of the year and is ready for a cracker next half on the fishing front! The cooler weather has well and truly set in up here in the tropical north. The fishing is still red hot with plenty of great opportunities to get outdoors to get the adrenaline pumping while hunting down the awesome species North Queensland has on offer! For some serious light gear fishing action, the

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For some serious light gear fishing action, the sweet water mangrove jack are the go-to species.

Surface fishing is the best way to visually experience these unique predators in their element. sweet water mangrove jack are the go-to species. They will give you a challenge on the finesse gear. Accurate casts into structure will unlock these little red devils from the darkness of cover. Using the natural flow of the crystal clear water to allow your presentation to drift past likely looking areas of cover will certainly account for the strikes. A simple little 1000 size spin reel on a light rod is perfect for this style of fishing. I generally use 5lb Platypus Braid and attach a rod length of 8lb fluorocarbon leader with the FG knot. This combination allows me to cast the smallest presentations into tiny keyholes where the jacks are waiting to attack! With all this beautiful rain we’ve had recently the rivers and streams have had a good flush out. This has also got the jungle perch super active resulting in multiple figure sessions that

are full of non-stop action. There is nothing better than filling the backpack up for a full day of trekking deep into the pristine mountains

filled with epic scenery and exciting JP action. Surface fishing is the best way to visually experience these unique predators in

their element. The further you venture up these rivers, the better the fishing gets. Sometimes it’s hard to turn around and head back home because you just want to keep going to find out what’s around the next bend! TNQ has endless rivers and streams to explore, you just have to pick one. When you’re out exploring the great outdoors and searching for the iconic species such as jungle perch, mangrove jack, sooty grunter and barramundi it’s very important you have a few safety requirements ticked off before you commit yourself to heading out into the elements. A few simple things could save your life if things got bad. Here are a few basics: tell someone exactly what river you are going up, always take a buddy (who can also take your fish photos), bring your phone, first-aid kit, water, a headlamp, a GPS and food. And don’t forget the fishing gear! I hope everyone gets the opportunity to get out there and join the adventure. Fish on!

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Phone: 0410 173 060 basscataustralia@gmail.com JULY 2017

Tech Tricks

How to tie your own marabou Deceiver jig BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

This month I am going to show you a variation of one of the most popular old school lures ever made. The marabou jig is an extremely popular and productive lure that has been used to target a host of species for more than half a century. The marabou Deceiver jig is a variation of this classic and

combines the traditional marabou jig and Lefty’s Deceiver fly pattern. Both of these have been extremely popular on a host of fresh and saltwater species over the years and will still work extremely well in the modern era. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the first commercially tied marabou jigs. These were created in Amsterdam, Missouri in 1957 by Bill Ward of the Bass Buster Lure Company. This jig was

1 To make the marabou Deceiver jig you will need saddle hackles, marabou, flash material (krystal flash UV grey ghost used here), a jighead, flat-waxed nylon thread, vinyl cement (or other thin, fast drying glue), scissors and a fly tying bobbin (not essential, but will make the task a lot easier).

firstly made to imitate the marabou streamer flies that trout anglers used on the White River. When fished in these waters by Bill’s father Virgil, the marabou Deceiver accounted for scores of trophy trout. They were then subsequently produced in sizes ranging from 1/64oz to 1/2oz, in colours such as black, white, purple, yellow, red/white, blue/grey, pink and orange. Since then, anglers have made marabou jigs in a broad array of sizes

and colours and the species list of captures is extensive in both fresh and saltwater environs. I think I used my first marabou jig in my early teens (around 1983). It was a small white one with a red ball head tied on a #2 hook and about a 1/4oz in weight. The first capture was a tarpon in a FNQ lagoon, but it accounted for many more species until there was virtually no feather left intact. I recall catching sooty grunter, spangled perch, jungle perch, trevally,

giant herring, barramundi, grunter, steelback salmon, blue salmon and several other species on it in the early days. Marabou jigs are also extremely productive on a broad array of reef species and will tempt almost anything swimming. The amount of action imparted by the marabou is amazing and even when sitting stationary in still water, the marabou will waft and pulse enticingly. The slightest twitch of the rod tip will produce a pronounced

kick to the marabou. When at rest, the marabou will flare and waft, yet when retrieved it condenses back against the body. A stop and start retrieve will have the jig looking like it is actually breathing. Marabou jigs can be cast out and worked back with a hopping action, using a stop and start retrieve or worked vertically in a jigging action. The addition of the Deceiver tail and flash adds to the profile, action and appeal of the original marabou Deceiver jig.

Next, do the same on top of the hook shank to secure a similar amount of marabou quills.

At this same position, attach 3 to 5 saddle hackles to the far side of the jig with a series of thread wraps. The natural curvature of the hackle should be facing inwards. The middle of the hackle should roughly coincide with the bend of the hook.

2 What jighead you use is up to you, however a quality hook is essential for making a strong marabou jig. What weight you choose will depend on your fishing requirements. To hold your jighead while you are tying, you can use a fly tying vice if you have one, a pair of locking pliers or just hold it by hand, although this will be a little harder.

3 Attach your thread roughly halfway along the hook shank using a jamb knot or similar. Cut around 6 to 10 strands of flash and attach at this point using a series of thread wraps. You can use a broad array of flash materials including krystal flash, shimmerflash, polarflash, sparkleflash, mylar or numerous others to get your desired effect. 76

JULY 2017

5 Repeat this step on the side of the hook closest to you. Again the hackle curvature should face inwards towards the other hackle. The same number of hackles should be on both sides and they should be the same length as shown.

6 Cut the marabou so that it is long enough to extend a centimetre or two past the bend of the hook. You will probably want one or two marabou quills tied in on the far side of your hook with a series of thread wraps. A little vinyl cement on the thread will increase the fly’s durability.

Continue to add similar amounts of marabou to the underside of the hook and the side closest to you until you have an even covering around the hook shank. Do repeated wraps of thread to secure and build up the area between the marabou and the jighead. Finish with a whip finish or series of half hitches, cut away the remaining thread and add some vinyl to the thread to increase durability.

You can leave the head plain or paint it with enamel paint. You can even add some eyes if you wish. What colour and size you make your marabou Deceiver jig is up to you. It will probably depend on your target species and the water depth being fished. As marabou jigs will attract a huge array of species, you will probably want to tie up quite a few to try.

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INNISFAIL COASTAL MARINE & OUTDOORS

HERVEY BAY BAY CITY MARINE

BOWEN REIBEL MARINE

CAIRNS AUSSIE MARINE

BUNDABERG ADRIANS MARINE CENTRE

AIRLIE BEACH WHITSUNDAY OUTBOARD CENTRE

KARUMBA JONES MARINE

120 Richmond Street Maryborough Phone: (07) 4122 1770 Email: sales@frasercoastboating.com.au Website: www.frasercoastboating.com.au

55 Islander Road Pialba Phone: (07) 4128 9944 | Fax: (07) 4125 2350 Email: sales@baycitymarine.com.au Website: www.baycitymarine.com.au

11 Victoria Street Mackay Phone: (07) 4951 4711 | Fax: (07) 4957 6034 Email: goboating@sugarcitymarine.com.au Website: www.sugarcitymarine.com.au

34 Don Street Bowen Phone: (07) 4786 2944 Fax: (07) 4786 6606 Email: remarine@bigpond.net.au

28 Ritchie Street Norville Phone: (07) 4153 1819 | Fax: (07) 4154 4808 Email: adriansmarinecentre@bigpond.com Website: www.adriansmarinecentre.com.au

17 William Murray Drive Cannonvale Phone: (07) 4946 7286 Fax: (07) 4946 7848 Email: woc@whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au Website: www.whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au

ROCKHAMPTON RIFEN BOATS

INGHAM J&B MARINE

6 Dooley Street North Rockhampton Phone: (07) 4927 9150 | Fax: (07) 4921 3502 Email: rifen.boats@bigpond.com Website: www.rifenboats.com.au

80.47 80.47

72.42 72.42

64.37 64.37

56.33 56.33

48.28 48.28

115HP OPTIMAX 115HP OPTIMAX

km/h km/h

MERCURY’S NEW 115HP FOURSTROKE MERCURY’S NEW 115HP FUEL FOURSTROKE DELIVERS UP TO 63% BETTER EFFICIENCY DELIVERS UP TO 63% BETTER FUEL EFFICIENCY AT CRUISE VS. THE 115HP OPTIMAX WITH A AT CRUISE THE 115HP OPTIMAX WITH A SLIGHTVS. TOP SPEED ADVANTAGE. SLIGHT TOP SPEED ADVANTAGE.

MERCURY’S NEW 115HP FOURSTROKE MERCURY’S 115HP FOURSTROKE DELIVERS UPNEW TO 14% BETTER CRUISE DELIVERSSPEED UP TO ECONOMY 14% BETTER CRUISE SPEED ECONOMY BSFC dyno testing; data is an average of 60%-80% rated BSFC dyno data is an average ofemissions 60%-80% test. rated engine speedtesting; based on standard ICOMIA engine speed based on standard ICOMIA emissions test.

40.23 40.23

NEW MERCURY NEW MERCURY 115HP FOURSTROKE 115HP FOURSTROKE

32.19 32.19

0.0 0.0

24.14 24.14

NEW NEW MERCURY MERCURY 2.1L 115hp 2.1L 115hp

16.09 16.09

MERCURY MERCURY OPTIMAX OPTIMAX 115hp 115hp

0.0 0.0

PREVIOUS PREVIOUS MERCURY MERCURY1.7L FOURSTROKE FOURSTROKE 1.7L

8.05 8.05

0.85 0.85

178 Edith Street Innisfail Phone: (07) 4061 8272 | Fax: (07) 4061 7718 Email: joel@coastalmarine.com.au Website: www.coastalmarine.com.au

5 Hannam Street Bungalow Phone: (07) 4033 8800 Email: sales@aussiemarine.com.au Website: www. aussiemarine.com.au

38 Yappar Street Karumba Phone: (07) 4745 9159 Email: jonglo@bigpond.com Website: www.jonesmarine.com.au

79 Herbert Street Ingham Phone: (07) 4776 1188 | Fax: (07) 4776 1288 Email: jbmarine@bigpond.com Website: www.jandbmarine.com JULY 2017

WHAT’S NEW FISHING SAMAKI EGI INKED

The length of any egi rod must be right on the money. You want a perfectly balanced rod for casting those enticing jigs, and it must have power for distance casting, finesse for lure retrieval and sensitivity for the angler to feel the strike. Samaki Egi Inked stretches 8’6” in length which is absolutely perfect for long lifts or wacky whips – the type of squid fishing you could encounter anywhere around the world. Egi Inked also indulges the angler cosmetically with a custom painted VSS reel seat, gold trim detail, carbon cross weave wrap and a Samaki foiled logo. On the functionality side of things, it features low rider silicon guides, split butt design and hardened EVA grips. Samaki Egi Inked has line weight of PE 0.5-1.2 with a cast weight of 2.0-3.5, allowing you to throw a variety of squid jigs in all conditions. For more information, including the location of your nearest stockist, visit the Samaki website. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram. www.samaki.com.au

STORM RIP SEEKER JERK

The big bait trend is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Anglers chasing XOS Murray cod and barramundi for the past few seasons have been living the ‘bigger is better’ lifestyle to the extreme. This year, international lure brand Storm will unveil two new big baits aimed at Murray cod and barramundi in Australia. The new RIP Seeker Jerk has unique hybrid construction in more ways than one. This 20cm (200mm) jointed jerk bait is a combination of hardbody and soft plastic. It’s a big profile bait that you can fish shallow or deep, and fast or slow to entice a big predator to bite. Its hard, hollow head section controls the vertical descent of the lure, allowing it to be fished more like a suspending hardbody. Then the soft plastic outer ‘skin’ makes this bait more realistic than any other. Designed to be fished like a traditional bibbed jerkbait, this lure responds remarkably well to erratic twitches, darting from side to side and gliding on the pause. Keep an eye out for the RIP Seeker Jerk from August 2017. www.stormfishing.com.au

DAIWA D’MAGNET

You’ll never get caught short looking for nets, pliers or tools with the Daiwa D’Magnet 1.5kg and D’Magnet 3.5kg. The D’Magnets feature a highly powerful magnetic release that is rated up to 1.5kg or 3.5kg, and an alloy carabiner. The magnet holds the item firmly in place and with a stern pull it comes apart. To put back in place simply place the magnets near each other and they automatically stick together. The D’Magnet 1.5kg and D’agnet 3.5kg are ideal for items that are constantly needed or easily misplaced. They’re ideal for nets, pliers, line snips, keys and more. www.daiwafishing.com.au 80

JULY 2017

GEECRACK SUGURI 60

Looking for the ideal small shad bait? Check out the Geecrack Suguri 60, which is now available in Australia through Dogtooth Distribution. Designed and manufactured in Japan by leading tackle company Geecrack, this little guy packs a massive punch and features all the quality and attention to detail we have come to expect from this prestigious brand. For its relative size (60mm and 4.7g) the Suguri is a fine example of precision lure design. With an excellent centre of gravity, the Suguri 60 is able to hit some of the harder to reach casting areas where many other lures fear to tread. When slowly retrieved, it sdives quickly to a depth of approximately 2m, making it an excellent lure for chasing those Australian fresh and salt water predators. With eight realistic colour combinations, and two deadly and durable treble hooks, there’s a Suguri to suit every angling situation. Price: SRP $19.95 www.dogtoothdistribution.com.au

ARDENT DIGITAL SCALES

PRODUCT GUIDE 1

3 5

Whether you’re a tournament angler working out how to get the biggest bag possible, or just a weekend warrior wanting to brag to your mates, it’s worth having a set of Ardent Digital Scales in your kit. These highly accurate scales will measure up to 25kg, and the Mode button will change the scale from pounds, to kilograms and to ounces. This button also controls the temperature modes, and the unit has an automatic shut-off to help save the battery. This scale is compact so it doesn’t take up a lot of space in your tackle box. Ardent Digital Scales are distributed by Tempt Industries, who are most famous for distributing Tempt Powder Paints for DIY anglers to colour their own jigheads. Tempt also distribute products specifically for tournament anglers, such as the Smart Cull System and the Tempt Balance Beam. For more information on the range, visit the Tempt website. Price: SRP $49 www.temptindustries.com.au

BERKLEY POWERBAIT 6 GOTAM SHAD

Berkley has expanded its lifelike Powerbait stable of soft plastics with the introduction of new Powerbait Gotam Shad. The Gotam Shad’s translucency, married with the inner Mylar foil, give it the appearance of a real live baitfish. The flash of the foil looks very lifelike, and is a trigger to draw predators in for a closer look. The lure’s firmness has been carefully studied to get the best vibration from the paddle tail, and a set of 3D eyes and micro sparkles complete this effective shad. Available in 3” and 4” sizes and eight killer colours, the Gotam Shad is perfect for a large variety of situations. For more information, and to view the full range of colours, visit the Berkley website. There’s also a lot to see on the Berkley Facebook page – just search for Berkley Fishing Australia. Price: SRP $8.95 www.berkley-fishing.com.au

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PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING INSANITY SPRING SPINS

The team at Insanity Tackle has made another exciting lure development, with the release of the Spring Spins. These weedless hooks have a gold or silver willow blade attached to the bottom which spins, reflecting light and throwing out extra vibration on the drop and on the retrieve. Spring Spins are great for fishing those weedy margins or fishing the thickest of timber that you just know holds the biggest fish in the system. There is no such thing as too snaggy or too weedy when it comes to Spring Spins. Target fish species include but are not limited to Australian bass, barramundi, golden perch and Murray cod. These are also are dynamite hooks for targeting estuary and reef species in the salt. Spring Spins are available in 1/0, 3/0 and 5/0 hook sizes are sold in packs of three, and are exclusively sold via the Insanity Tackle website. Price: SRP $11-$13 www.insanitytackle.bigcartel.com

MUSTAD KAIJU ALUMINIUM PLIERS 8

The Mustad Kaiju Pliers are a 7.5” heavyduty plier built to work in the harshest and toughest environments found in fishing. Featuring a heavy-duty split ring opener that is designed for use on large saltwater lures used for GTs, mackerel and wahoo, these pliers will also enable freshwater anglers to handle the larger split rings found on the recently released mega surface lures and swimbaits for barra and cod. The pliers also feature interchangeable tungsten carbide cutters to ensure the cutters can always be relied upon. This is a great feature as it allows you to keep your pliers when these cutters become blunt, unlike other pliers that need to be replaced. Striking in appearance, form fitting to your hand and coming with a corduroy sheath, lanyard and carabiner, the Mustad Kaiju Pliers are ultralight and ultra tough. www.wilsonfishing.com.au

JACKALL GIGANTAREL 11

The Jackall Gigantarel is the biggest in the Gantarel line-up. In recent years, big Murray cod have been caught on lures 8” or more, so the making of a bigger Gantarel was inevitable. The Gigantarel truly is gigantic! The natural movement created by the Gigantarel’s three joints triggers a monster cod’s predatory instincts. Its pectoral fins allow this lure to dive to around 1m with a smooth, S-shaped action. Just like his smaller brothers – the Gantarel (160mm) and Chibitarel (130mm) – this lure also can be jerked on slack line to turn this bait 180 degrees to mimic a wounded bait fish, and trigger a reaction bite. This new floating swimbait is a huge 8” (200mm) long and weighs and 5.4oz (153g), making it one of Jackall’s biggest lures to date. Check it out in the video below (from 1:40 to 3:14). Price: approx. $85 www.jackall.com.au

EUREKA ENFORCER

Eureka Enforcer lures are built and rigged super tough for all saltwater sportfish! Enforcer lures are made from a high strength polycarbonate body and feature a wire-through body construction for added strength and durability. These lures are a great choice for southern bluefin anglers down south, and also for anglers targeting all manner of pelagic species up north! The Eureka Enforcers also feature heavyduty rings and come rigged with Mustad 10121NP-DT inline single hooks, which deliver more solid hook-ups than trebles do. These lures can be trolled at speeds up to 10 knots and dive to depths of 25ft or more. Enforcer lures measure 18cm long, weigh 90g and are available in six natural baitfish colours. They are deadly on tuna, mackerel, wahoo and other fast-moving pelagic predators. www.jurofishing.com

ROD ARMOUR

Transporting fishing rods can be a challenging task. Modern high-quality graphite rods are susceptible to scratches, nicks and bumps which can cause the rod to break under load without warning. Rod Armour tackles this issue with an affordable and effective solution: rod sleeves. These sleeves give customers peace of mind, secure in the knowledge that their quality fishing rods are protected. With the high prices of quality fishing rods these days it makes sense to protect your investment when travelling in the car, boat, or even just in your storage racks at home. They’re also useful for tournament anglers, allowing them to colour code their different set-ups. Rod Armour sleeves slip on and off easily, and they’re available in an assortment of colours and patterns. Rod Armour also has plans to expand the range even further. For more information visit the Rod Armour website, or check them out on Instagram at @ rodarmour. Price: RRP $14.95 www.rodarmour.net

ATC VALIANT CF

At last, a super lightweight threadline that has all the features that ATC technology provides has landed in Australia. The Valiant CF is a full carbon fibre reel that is ultra-light and has a host of features. Three models are in the range, each coming with its own neoprene travel bag. The 800, which weighs just 165g, holds 100m of PE 1 line. The 2000 weighs 183g and holds 200m of PE 1 line, and the 3000 comes in at 217g and swallows up 140m of PE 2 line. The two smallest reels in the range have tournament grade carbon drags that can handle up to 4kg of drag pressure, while the 3000 has been ultra-tuned to handle 7kg of drag pressure. The reels all feature 10+1 stainless steel ball bearings to ensure the ultimate in smoothness and performance, and each reel features a high grade aluminium and carbon reel handle. www.wilsonfishing.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au JULY 2017

WHAT’S NEW FISHING ATOMIC HARDZ VIB 50

STORM RIP 13 ROACH

The updated Atomic Vib is smaller than its 60mm cousin, making it the perfect new lure for freshwater and estuary fishing. The 50mm Vib is carefully balanced to move at all speeds for anglers who want the versatility to work in slow or fast waters. Inactive feeders such as yellowbelly and bass will go for it naturally. Even at slow speed, it has a vibrating action and a seductive, lifelike drop. It also works at high speed for fast flowing rivers, so it’s ideal for bream and flathead. At high speeds, this lure has the same vibration – it moves straight, displaying a tight wobble, and doesn’t dart and curve. The 50mm Atomic Vib is available in 17 colours. Black beauty creates a silhouette on an overcast day, and has orange UV stripes. Gold wolf has a gold shine and splash of an orange belly. Muddy prawn is translucent with purple stripes and a muddy tinge that fish are naturally attracted to. www.atomiclures.com.au

NEW MEGASTRIKE FLAVOURS

Megastrike is adding three new flavours to its popular line of scientificallydeveloped fish attractants: Squid, Shrimp and Crawfish. The Squid and Shrimp scents are infused with a UV glow that draws fish on an extra sensory level. Unlike most catch scents, which are oil based, Megastrike creates fish attractants based on the daily diets of all types of fish. Over 25 years of research and development, Megastrike Inc. has performed many tests to understand what fish will search for and eat and what will quickly send them away. Fish have highly specialized chemo and olfactory senses, and Megastrike’s sophisticated formulas act as a bite trigger by mimicking the nutritional make-up of all the goodness that fish are feeding on anyway. And the potent pastes smell and taste like he real thing. Megastrike Squid, Shrimp and Crawfish formulas are long lasting gels that don’t need to be reapplied to the lure every cast. www.frogleysoffshore.com.au

STUMPJUMPER MEGA

StumpJumpers have been around since 1986, and this lure has proven its worth time and time again on Aussie natives. The latest addition to the StumpJumper series of lures is the new Mega StumpJumper – a plus sized version of its smaller brothers. This specialty lure is a serious piece of kit for those chasing fish at specific depths. With the quality of fish finding technology evolving and features like side scan and almost TV quality pictures in sounders, this lure allows anglers to hit specific depths with ease and slow troll in the strike zone for longer and for better results. A patented removable bib system gives anglers every advantage, rather than relying on the fish to be over active and chase a lure at a depth that they aren’t. For those serious about locking horns with big natives, make sure you add the StumpJumper Mega to your arsenal. www.jmgillies.com.au 82

JULY 2017

Over the last few years, anglers chasing oversized Murray cod and barramundi have been increasingly favouring oversized lures. This year, international lure brand Storm is unveiling new big baits aimed at cod and barra in Australia. One of these new offerings from Storm is the RIP Roach, which is a real behemoth. This whopping 21cm (210mm), 127g soft plastic is designed to be used with Storm’s range of Multi Depth Screw System rigging harnesses. However, it can be fished with a standard jighead as well. The RIP Roach’s broad, V-shaped tail exhibits a strong kicking action which tremors through the entire length of the body, to give the head section an enticing shimmy as the angler reels it back through the water. Perfect for the growing Murray cod swimbait scene, this soft bait is available in a number of fantastic colour patterns. Both of these baits will be available in August 2017. www.stormfishing.com.au

SAMAKI TORPEDO V2 SPINNERS

PRODUCT GUIDE

The all-new Samaki V2 Spinner has some serious attitude. With sizes now ranging from 10g to 85g, these spinners hit the bullseye with each cast. You can throw them into a school of baitfish and attract every predator swimming around in anticipation, or alternatively you can re-rig them with an assist hook and drop them into the depths to attract the more aggressive species. The Samaki V2 Spinner has an elongated bullet design, which allows you to cast further. Other features include lifelike colour combinations, a 6X strong treble hook, natural eye, and an extra hard external coating. There’s also the added bonus of UV colours and glow properties. For more information on the range, or to locate your nearest stockist, visit the Samaki website. You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram. Price: from SRP $4.95 www.samaki.com.au

STRIKE PRO CYBER 18 CRANK DD The Strike Pro Cyber Crank DD is a double deep version of the popular Cyber Crank Deep. The DD version dives to approximately 8ft, and it suspends in saltwater, which allows the lure to stay in the strike zone for longer. While it suspends, you can impart small twitches and give long pauses to entice strikes. The DD version is the same size as the original Cyber Crank (3.7cm), but it is heavier at 5.2g so it casts like a bullet. This lure is a great choice on windy days when you want to cover more ground – or in calm conditions when you want to cast some distance from your boat to those spooky fish. The Cyber Crank DD is very effective on bream, bass, yellowbelly, trout and redfin. This versatile lure comes in eight proven colours, and comes fitted with either Owner or Decoy trebles. www.jurofishing.com

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PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

Rapala Floating Aerator keeps your catch happy Keeping fish alive in your boat can be a costly and fiddly exercise, but it doesn’t have to be! Whether you’re keeping bait alive, hoping to upgrade a fish destined for the dinner table or doing your best to weigh in a big bag of fish in a tournament, the guys at Rapala have you covered with this very handy and very affordable floating aerator. With a reputation for quality that is renowned the world over, Rapala has been making just about every fishing product imaginable for almost a century, and with each year they add some impressive lines to their catalogue. The 2016 Australian Fishing Trade Association show on the sunny Gold Coast saw Rapala unveil this aerator among a host of other products, and it was no surprise when it was announced as the winner of the best Fishing/Boating Accessory category by the tackle retailers attending the

AFTA Show. The clever folks at Rapala have put plenty of time and effort into the design of this device. It floats easily across the top of the water, and penetrates deep enough to distribute the air thoroughly and evenly, but not so deep that it becomes obstructive to the fish you’re trying to preserve. It’s compact as well, measuring approximately 10cm wide by 18cm long, and has stainless steel fittings for saltwater use. Inside the watertight housing you’ll find a fairly simple mechanism and one switch. You can set it to continuous flow or on a 15-minute interval setting where it will run for five minutes every 15 minutes. This is the mode I went for. The on/off switch itself is triggered by immersion in water, which completes the circuit between two nodes on the outer casing. It’s clever technology, but also

Above: After Cyclone Debbie left Hinze Dam looking like a giant muddy puddle, this bass seemed happier in the livewell with the Rapala Floating Aerator bubbling away. Top right: This aerator is tough, lightweight, compact and easy to operate – everything you want to help make your time on the water a rewarding experience.

kept alive a multitude of species. Retailing at under $60, this little ripper is a fantastic investment for any angler looking to keep their fish healthy, whether that’s a live mullet for your jewie bait or a donkey bream or bass in an ABT tournament. We all know that keeping your catch happy either leads to a successful release or, if you intend to keep them for a feed, better quality flesh when it hits the table. If you’d like to get your hands on a Rapala Floating Aerator, visit www.rapala.com.au to find your local Rapala stockist. - Rupe

incredibly simple to use and hard to get wrong. I make enough complications for myself without my gear making it harder for me. The unit’s sleek, modern design is only enhanced by its actual performance. It’s able to run for up to 36 hours on three ‘C’ sized batteries blowing 1.5L of air per minute, and it’s much quieter than I had expected. That’s not something you can say about some of its competition in the market. As soon as these units became available, a few of us here at the Fishing Monthly office put orders in and eagerly awaited their arrival. In the six weeks or so since the aerators arrived on our doorstep, we’ve put them through their paces on a mixture of fresh and saltwater situations, and have successfully

That’s the result you want – a healthy fish.

US brand Cinnetic gives plenty of bang for your buck Until recently, the brand Cinnetic wasn’t one that I was familiar with. When the guys at Dogtooth Distribution approached me to try out some Cinnetic gear, I jumped at the chance to try something entirely new.

A nice surprise when chasing flathead. It was a solid test for the Cinnetic Crafty outfit. I was given a Cinnetic Crafty Lagos Light game 2.10m rod and a Crafty CRB4 FD Hybrid 3500 reel – a combo that retails for a touch over $300. My plan was to target, bass, bream, flathead and other estuary species with it. ON THE WATER After spooling the reel with 8lb braid, it was time to hit the water and get a feel for what the Cinnetic outfit had to offer. It is clever to match the Crafty Hybrid reel with

this rod. Weighing in at a meagre 197g, the lightness of the reel compensates for the rod being a little heavier in the hand than you would expect for a full graphite rod, and provided for a nicely balanced outfit. This is a must if you intend to cast lures for hours at a time. I knew it wasn’t going to be an issue with this Crafty combo. CRAFTY LAGOS LIGHT GAME I find it amusing that people put so much emphasis on the ‘wiggle test’ when they pick up a fishing rod. How often have you heard the words “that feels good” being uttered after a quick wiggle of a fishing rod? Other than feeling the weight of the rod, it really doesn’t tell you anything. Get somebody to load the rod up for you, as it would if you had a fish on, and you’ll learn a lot more about what’s in your hand. In the case of the Crafty Lagos Light Game rod, you have a medium to fast tapered rod that’s surprisingly powerful. There is no variation in the taper resulting from its two-piece construction, and because of the taper it has the ability to cast quite light lures through to heavier ones that weigh almost an ounce. CRAFTY CRB4 FD HYBRID REEL I’ve always been wary of reels that are super teched up without a matching price tag. Some claim to have all the right things, but don’t deliver. On paper, the Crafty CRB4 has plenty to it: nine stainless steel bearings, ultralight carbon CRB4 alloy body, high-tensile HSG graphite rotor, 10kg multi-disc drag system, 6.1:1 retrieve ratio and much

TESTED

more. It is beautifully smooth and the drag adjustment offers you plenty. At full lock I couldn’t pull any line from it. However, I knew the only true way to see whether it could go the distance was to fish with it. SIX MONTHS ON After six months of using the Cinnetic Crafty outfit I am pleased to say that I am impressed. The surprise packet has been the Lagos rod. Although I wouldn’t generally use a rod with this taper, it has some serious sting in the bottom third of the rod, and dealt with everything I could throw at it. Although not all the fish have been big, a few memorable fish have hit the deck – plus a rather large stingray that tested the Lagos out to the nth degree. Its

also has a hook keeper, which automatically gets big tick from me. The Crafty Hybrid reel has also done the job. It remains as it came out of the box – beautifully smooth to wind, with good castability. The stand-out on the reel is the drag; it is silky smooth and has impressed me when fighting the bigger fish. I don’t think mister stingray liked it much though.

TESTED

It was given the full drag treatment of ‘break the line or come here’, and it made it to the net. Bear in mind that some care is required when hopping plastics for long periods, just to ensure that you minimize those loose loops of line to avoid wind knots. But with a little angler care this isn’t an issue. As a combination, this rod and reel are well suited, and I’m now keen to explore more of what’s on offer from Cinnetic.

To find stockists and learn more about the range you can go to w w w . dogtoothdistribution. c o m . a u . – Peter Jung

The combination of the Cinnetic Crafty Lagos Light Game rod and the CRB4 FD Hybrid reel is a nicely balanced outfit.

JULY 2017

The tougher fishing hits TOOWOOMBA

Jason Ehrlich fishability1@bigpond.com

The middle of winter in the freshwater makes things a bit more difficult. A lot of species slow down and this makes catching them much harder. Still, it’s not impossible. By changing our fishing approach to suit the fish, we can get into some hot action. Golden perch and barra will be lethargic due to the cold, but presentations that remain in their face can tempt a bite. Bass will be a little slower, but still easy to locate in schools. It’s only another month or two and we will be starting to see some exceptional bass fishing across the lakes. With such big fish on offer in lakes like Somerset, North Pine,

Wivenhoe and Borumba, we are bound to see some giants. Murray cod continue to bite and winter can be the best time to target this monster fish. Big cod can be found feeding up in the shallows and looking for nesting spots for the coming breeding season. In Queensland lakes, no closed season applies and these fish can be targeted. It’s a good time to release them though. With so much focus shifted to the cod, stores are pushing the big bait trend hard. Throwing big lures isn’t new, but the craze has really taken off now we have the gear to do it. Most specialist tackle stores will now carry swimbait rods capable of tossing big, heavy lures. With some lures weighing in at over 5oz or 140g you need a dedicated rod to deliver them. Big soft plastics,

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND CRESSBROOK CLOSEST TOWN: CROWS NEST Cressbrook turned on some sensational fishing last month. Big bass were landed on plastics, tail spinners and ice jigs. These schooling fish can be found around the lake in areas near the Eagles Nest rock wall, in front of the ramps and near the toilet point up Beams Creek. Often the fish shut down quickly, but surprisingly they were more willing to keep biting last month. This may have been a last minute flurry prior to the coldest part of winter hitting, but hopefully they continue. Over the winter months, Cressbrook bass can be found in very deep water.

Sometimes they will be most responsive in depths over 10m. If this is the case, release fish quickly to give them a better chance of survival. As they come from this depth, they suffer barotrauma and bloat with gas. If you have a floater it will need to be needled to release the air and ensure a healthy release. Please don’t leave fish floating to die of the elements. If you can’t needle them, take them home to eat or dispose of. Needling is a good skill to learn. It seems there aren’t many how-to videos online, so that’s something I will endeavour to do this year. For all your fishing supplies and the latest reports on Cressbrook and the surrounding dams, call in to see the

DAM LEVELS

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DAMS Atkinson Awoonga Bjelke-Petersen Boondooma Borumba Burdekin Falls Callide Cania Clarendon Cooby Coolmunda

APR MAY JUNE 9 7 6 102 98 97 24 23 23 52 50 49 82 82 82 103 98 99 92 92 90 100 100 98 11 10 9 54 53 52 100 98 97

         

Copeton Cressbrook Dyer/Bill Gunn Eungella Fairbairn Glenlyon Hinze Julius Kinchant Koombooloomba Leslie Macdonald

14 17

Toowoomba

BRISBANE

IMPOUNDMENT DAM

been producing some huge fish. Around the tournaments last month, the fishing slowed and was extremely tough. When the boats cleared out the fishing fired up again. It’s as if the bass know when it’s safer to bite. A mixture of lures have been working when the fish are biting. Spoons, tail spinners, vibes and soft plastics can all account for fish. Unfortunately they aren’t always easy. When this is the case, one of the best options is to hop ice jigs. When the fish do want to play the game, expect multiple double hook-ups.

46 47 47 69 68 67 18 10 9 101 100 100 45 44 43 76 75 75 102 100 101 0 94 90 99 97 99 50 n/a 42 17 17 17 101 99 98

Gold Coast

24 1 Tinaroo Falls Dam 2 Peter Faust Dam 3 Burdekin Falls Dam 4 Eungella Dam 5 Teemburra Dam 6 Kinchant Dam 7 Cania Dam 8 Lake Monduran 9 Isis Balancing Storage 10 Wuruma Dam 11 Lenthalls Dam 12 Boondooma Dam 13 Bjelke-Petersen Dam 14 Lake MacDonald 15 Gordonbrook Dam 16 Borumba Dam 17 Somerset Dam 18 Wivenhoe Dam 19 Pindari Dam 20 Copeton Dam 21 Moogerah Dam 22 Maroon Dam 23 Leslie Dam 24 Connolly Dam 25 Coolmunda Dam 26 Clarrie Hall Dam (NSW) 27 Hinze Dam 28 Lake Cressbrook 29 Callide Dam 30 Lake Awoonga 31 Lake Samsonvale 32 Fairbairn Dam 33 Koombooloomba Dam 34 Cooby Dam

23 25

Cairns 1

Townsville 2

3 4

Proserpine 6 Mackay

Rockhampton

Emerald

29 7

Highlighted dams are covered in this issue

Gladstone

30 8

Bundaberg 9

Roma

Up in the timber will be the place to try your luck with live shrimp and small crays. Tie up to a tree in around 6-8m of water and drop the baits straight over the side. This should produce a mixed bag of golden perch, bass and eel-tailed catfish. From 1 August a boating permit will no longer be required to fish the lake. Keep in mind you will still need a current Stocked Impoundment Permit. For the latest reports, check out Somerset Fishing Tackle online and on Facebook. The store has now closed in Kilcoy and

BRISBANE

moved to the dam. The trailer can be located in the day use area at Kirkleagh. The opening days could change to include more weekdays, but you can expect them to be there Friday, Saturday and Sunday each week. Somerset Tackle has a great range of lures and gear suited to fishing the dam. They also have the knowledge and skills to help steer you in the right direction. Call in and see them or consider doing a phone or internet purchase, as they mail To page 85

Dam............................ % Full           

Maroon 100 99 99 Monduran/Fred Haigh 103 101 100 Moogerah 98 97 97 North Pine/Samsonvale 73 72 70 Peter Faust/Proserpine 78 77 78 Pindari 100 100 100 Somerset 76 75 76 Teemburra 100 100 100 Tinaroo 51 50 50 Toonumbar 100 101 100 Wivenhoe 74 73 71 Wuruma 100 99 98

For fortnightly updates on Sunwater dams visit www.sunwater.com.au This symbol indicates that a Stocked Impoundment Permit is required to fish these dams. All figures are % readings Current as of 14/06/17

(All levels correct at time of going to press. Dam levels can change at any time, so please check with local authorities to ensure safe boating and fishing.) 84

JULY 2017

Maryborough

w w w. b a r g a i n b o a t b i t s. c o m . a u

Dam............................ % Full 

Weipa

brought to you by

Dam............................ % Full

hardbodies, spinnerbaits, wakebaits and swimbaits are hitting our shores one after another. Most of these will turn the head of a hungry cod when placed in front of it. The bites don’t always come easy, so take the time to upgrade hooks and check knots and drags. Over a metre of rolling, thrashing greenfish will put your gear to the test. While they don’t have the powerful, fast runs of fish like barramundi, the cod has violent headshakes and surges with tractor-like torque. Be warned! Most of the stories about the one that got away involve really big fish. Rug up, stay warm and enjoy the calm sunny days on the water. Basking like a lizard while flicking a few lures about is a great way to spend a winter’s day. Until next month, buckled rods from the Colonel! specialist tackle stores. In Toowoomba, Fish’n’Bits in Alderly Street have a great range of lures and fishing gear. At Highfields you will find Highfields Bait and Tackle at the Coles shopping centre. Doug has a top range of freshwater gear and plenty of handcrafted timber lures. 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 7am-6pm over the winter months. SOMERSET CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY The lake has already

Gympie

From page 84

order fishing gear all over the place. For some of the most competitive prices around, visit the website at www. somersetfishing.com.au. WIVENHOE CLOSEST TOWNS: FERNVALE, ESK The action has already started. There was an increase in bass and golden perch numbers caught around the edges of the lake. These fish should still be catchable this month. Trolling hardbodies around the banks and targeting 5-10m of water will produce results. Forktail catfish numbers will be lower during winter and this gives the other fish a better chance of finding your lure. Casting blade baits and lipless crankbaits can also produce good numbers when schooling fish are

found on particular banks. Over the next month or so, these fish should transition away from the edges and school up together on the flats out from Billies Bay and Platypus Cliff. When this occurs, you can have a ball casting tail spinners and spoons. Keep an eye on the fish movements if you regularly fish this lake. When the fish make the move it will be game on. Sessions with dozens of big bass and golden perch won’t be too far away. In the meantime, keep persisting on the edges. HINZE CLOSEST TOWNS: NERANG, GOLD COAST The dam has fished quite well over the last month, but things look as though they are changing. The edge bite has slowed. Bass are still being caught on lipless baits and

DARLING DOWNS GRANITE BELT REGION GLENLYON CLOSEST TOWNS: TEXAS, STANTHORPE With the water level more stable than last year, the cod have fired up. Last month, the action started with big fish being caught by anglers casting big baits up into the shallows. Much the same as the bite experienced on Copeton Dam, cod are being caught on big wakebaits and swimbaits.

There is no closed season on the lake and the cod have started their annual breeding behaviours. Big cod make their way into the prime locations and find suitable nesting sites. The bigger dominant fish take prime real estate first and are then visited by active males. While actually breeding, tempting a bite can be near impossible, but the fish feed up prior to and after breeding. Because

spinnerbaits. The water is still a tannin, dirty colour, which could explain the slower than normal surface bite. The two main points down near the dam wall are starting to fish well. Bass have schooled thick here in around 10m of water. The bottom likes to eat and steal lures in this area, so most guys prefer to target them with soft plastics, which are more affordable to lose. In this depth, use 3/8 or 1/2oz jigheads dressed with soft plastics around 3” long. Sporty’s Fishing at 32 Strathaird Road, Bundall has one of the best ranges of lures on the Gold Coast. The boys specialise in lure fishing, so they know all about the products they sell. Call in to see the cool stuff they stock and pump some fishing information and secrets out of them while you’re there.

MAROON CLOSEST TOWNS: BOONAH, BEAUDESERT The action may be a bit slower at Maroon this month, so slow presentations down. Suspending lures are a good way to get the bites. Start with shallow offerings first and then go deeper as the day gets brighter. Lightly weighted soft plastics can also perform well when wound and hopped through the weed beds. Don’t discount the reaction style lures like blades, spinnerbaits, spoons, tail spinners and vibes in the middle of the day. Have a play around and see what the fish really want. My tip is keep presentations subtle. MOOGERAH CLOSEST TOWNS: RATHDOWNEY, BOONAH The Palms area was holding schooling bass last month. These fish can

be found in 10m of water. It was warmer last month and they were eating tail spinners, blades and vibes before scattering after several were caught. If they refuse to take the reaction style lures, switch to soft plastics rigged on 3/8 or 1/2oz jigheads and slow down the presentation. Other spots worth searching will be the shallower flats inside the timber. These were holding bass a couple of months ago, but the cooling water may have forced the fish deeper. Bait fishing with live shrimp will give you the best chance of landing bass and golden perch inside the timber. Worms can produce a few, but are more likely to tempt eel-tailed catfish. DYER CLOSEST TOWNS: GATTON, LAIDLEY Lake Dyer is once again open to fishing. The level

is low and the best action comes from the steeper bank to the left of the high and dry boat ramp. Walk around the small bay and start fishing out towards the first point. There is about 150m of fishable bank. It is an easy lake to walk and fish and has plenty of bass and golden perch in the last remaining deep water. When open it can cop a flogging so the fish aren’t dumb. Nathan Palmer fished it last month with Jake Schwerin and they rotated through lures finding spoons were the most successful. Slow winding spoons is a great way to cover heaps of water. The 12g Gang Banger was the standout and being a cheaper lure they are good to use from the shore as you do get the occasional snag and risk losing the occasional lure.

the fish take it in turns to get the job done, they are never all breeding at once, so the chances of catching them are greatly increased due to the remaining cod being so active. The cods’ breeding habits can be observed from the dam wall. This year it has already started and lasts for a few months. The stable water level is perfect to attract them to this area where they can be viewed in the shallows from above. It is quite a spectacle to

Murray cod are fond of spinnerbaits in Coolmunda and Leslie dams. Krautzy caught this one on an 8ft deep flat in Coolmunda’s timber.

Nathan Palmer nailed a heap of Lake Dyer fish on Gang Banger spoons. Bass and golden perch are thick in the lake’s last remaining deep water.

watch big fish jostling for position and then be visited by males. Over the years, Debbie Dare from the tourist park has witnessed fish getting into the action which are closer to 2m long than the 1m long fish we dream of. It’s a shame these giants never get caught. Maybe they are the ones responsible for the stories of the one that got away. Casting the shallows early in the morning and late in the day with big topwater lures has managed

to fool some really big cod. Switching to swimbaits as it gets brighter in the morning and just before it gets dark in the afternoon is another way to tempt the bites up in the shallows. If you prefer to fish with old school methods, spinnerbaits are worth a try and can be allowed to sink to various depths. In the deeper water stick with heavy spinnerbaits, big vibes and trolling Aussie-made hardbodies. The kiosk at the lake has a great range of cod lures.

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They pride themselves in stocking quality Australianmade lures that work. If you’re staying at the lake, you can book a cabin (not self-contained), a powered or an unpowered site. There are BBQs, a playground, two boat ramps (depending on level) and ice, fuel, bait, and lunchtime food like wraps, pies, hotdogs and tea and coffee. No domestic pets are allowed at Glenlyon Tourist Park. Brian and Debbie can be contacted on (02) 6737 5266.

GIFT

CARDS vailable A

Phone orders welcome: (07)

5536 3822

JULY 2017

SUNSHINE COAST REGION MACDONALD CLOSEST TOWNS: TEWANTIN, NOOSA The usual stuff has been happening in Macdonald. A few fish are being caught

around the weed beds on plastics, blades and surface lures. These bass can be anywhere from undersized to the mid 40cm mark. The hot tip is good numbers of

Mark Ward found some quality bass on the edges at Borumba. These fish have been taking vibes and spinnerbaits.

1de stination South Burnett

· Boondooma Dam · Bjelke-Petersen Dam ·

The BEST place in QLD to catch Australian Bass and Yellowbelly

STAY

CATCH

Callum Munroe is a specialist when it comes to Borumba bass. His tip is to jig blades around the trees in up to 10m of water. The Kingham Arm was fishing well last month. out; keep the presentation vertical and the line tighter to feel for any nibbles. Bait fishing can be steady at this time of year, so ensure you use the correct hook for the job. Wide gape hook patterns are best for live shrimp. You can also fish saltwater yabbies on these or go for a baitholder style hook with extra barbs on the shank to help hold these

NIGHTS AND

BOONDOOMA CLOSEST TOWNS: PROSTON, KINGAROY The fishing has been pretty tough, but there are still fish to be caught. The rock walls in the main dam will be worth a troll with medium and deep diving lures. They’re also not a bad spot to drop a live shrimp. Doing this can produce both golden perch and bass. Up in the timber, the edges of the lake have produced bass when anglers have been casting blades and chatterbaits. These bass may drop back into slightly deeper water as the water temperature drops even more. Explore the first

drop-off to the creek beds or areas around 3-5m in the timber as well. If these fish fall back to deeper water, expect catches to increase when bait fishing as well. Pelican Point has held reasonable numbers of schooling bass. If these fish can be found, try jigging blades through them. It’s cold for the fish too, so they can be on the move to find the most comfortable water where they can feed with the least effort. Be prepared to sound around to find them. Boondooma is a great place to camp right near the water and sit by the fire while enjoying the view. You could also stay in more style and comfort by booking

SAVE

of the month BOONDOOMA DAM

TROY LOWE WITH A NICE PAIR OF BASS

BJELKE-PETERSEN

MATTHEW LANGFORD WITH SOME BP BASS

www.lakeboondooma.com.au www.yallakoolpark.com.au 86

JULY 2017

soft baits in place. The saratoga will be harder to tempt now we are in the middle of winter. Fish still need to feed, so if you put in the time you may be rewarded. Head up the arms of the lake and look for warm, sunny bays with structure nearby. Toga can still be seen boiling on the surface early on winter mornings. If you

are seeing them, you know you are in the right area. Davos at Noosaville has all the gear you’ll need to tackle the fish at Borumba and Lake MacDonald. The store caters well for fresh and saltwater anglers. They can be found in the Homemaker Centre on the corner of Mary and Thomas streets.

WIDE BAY AND SOUTH BURNETT REGION

2 Dams

fish are schooling in the main basin. Try searching around the Botanical Gardens and any flats areas where the water is around 6-9m deep. These fish were loving spoons slow wound and hopped. Slow winding is a good option for fishing spoons in the cooler months, so opt for those that have the best action on a straight retrieve. If you want to hop these spoons you can mix up your retrieves. Davos in Noosaville is just a short drive away and they carry all the right lures to use on the toga and bass. BORUMBA CLOSEST TOWNS: IMBIL, NOOSA The basin of the lake has been quiet for lure casters and most bass are being caught from the start of the timber. Hopping blades close to standing timber in up to 10m of water seems to produce reasonable numbers of fish. As long as the weather is kind and the lake doesn’t get too cold, the action should continue. Try using small blades like the Ecogear ZX40 or Evergreen Little Max 1/4oz. Bait fishing with live shrimp in the same area should produce results. Tie up to trees in 7-10m of water and drop a lightly weighted shrimp to the bottom. There’s no need to cast it

Matthew Mott is a master of the ice jig. Small sharp hops close to the bottom will get the fish interested. Ice jigs work well on bass and golden perch.

When the bass are playing, expect good numbers on ice jigs. A hooked fish can excite others, so if you are fishing with a mate make the most of it and keep the action going. into one of the cabins overlooking the dam. The kiosk at the main office does hot food and other basic items including an excellent range of proven fishing tackle. For campsites, cabins and bunkhouse rooms, call (07) 4168 9694. BJELKE CLOSEST TOWNS: MURGON, GOOMERI There have been reasonable numbers of bass and golden perch caught on lures fished close to the bottom. Casters have done well on hopped blades. Other presentations fished close to the bottom can also work well, so make sure you have ice jigs and soft plastics on board. Trolling should pick up a few fish. They will

take a bit to tempt though. Spinnerbaits of 1/2oz are good. Troll these lures slowly and keep them close to the bottom. For help catching Bjelke and Boondooma fish, call into Bass 2 Barra. The store stocks an awesome range of gear suited to chasing our freshwater fish and the staff have all the knowledge to guide you on how to use it. You’ll find the stores at 119 Youngman Street Kingaroy. 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.

MACKAY REGION TEEMBURRA CLOSEST TOWNS: PINNACLE, MACKAY Winter is a good time to downsize lures and enjoy the by-catch of sooty grunter while chasing barramundi. You could almost reverse that last statement – target sooties and expect barra as by-catch. Ash Simms and his mates have been having quite a bit of success hopping Jackall Mask Vibes down the banks. Keeping the boat moving along the edges, they target the sections of bank leading into bays, rather than points. Look for slightly steeper edges instead of shallow tapering ones. That seems to be the key to finding more active fish. Tossing crankbaits and beetle spin rigged plastics has also accounted for bites from both sooties and barra. If you’re planning on fishing Kinchant, Teemburra or Eungella, be sure to call in and see Bruce and Ash at Nashy’s Compleat Angler on Harbour Road, North Mackay. Ash works in the store, but also as a fishing guide on the lakes. Some firsthand information as to where they are biting always goes a long way. Nashy’s has a great range of tackle suited to the dams as well as all the other fishing options the Mackay area is blessed with. You can call the store for more information or to put some gear on hold on (07) 4957 2272. EUNGELLA CLOSEST TOWNS: EUNGELLA, FINCH HATTON The sooty grunter fishing has been great up in the hills at Eungella. Pack some warm clothes as it can get cold up at the dam in winter and quite often

you will have the place to yourself. This is exactly the way you want it, as when sooties are less pressured, they bite better. Fishing out from the banks in around 5-6m of water you will find remnants of an old weed bed. Prior to the cyclone raising the dam level, this edge of weed marked the perimeter of the lake. Now it is flooded and holding the majority of the fish. Slow rolling lipless crankbaits has been deadly on the sooty population and I am sure you could experiment with other presentations or even slow troll, provided you are reaching the right depth to keep the lure in the face of the fish. Concentrations of sooties will be found on the sounder and if you have ever bass fished in lakes before, call on that knowledge as both fish respond in a similar fashion. Ash Simms has a secret weapon in the way of silent TN70 Jackalls, which he uses. They are hard to find but Harry Watson (Mr Jackall, Australia) supplied Compleat Angler Mackay with some and there are limited numbers left. That is because Ash has most in his tackle tray. Call in and see Ash or Bruce to learn more about the surrounding lakes and where to fish. PETER FAUST CLOSEST TOWNS: PROSERPINE, AIRLIE BEACH The barra fishing has been all over the place. Fish are being caught from different areas of the dam without consistency. Up in the main feeder river there are good numbers of barra. The fish have been moving through and refusing to bite. Later in the afternoons, a couple of hours before dark, there is a spike in activity and fish have been seen feeding on

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Barra on the lakes and freshwater rivers will be harder to fool. Look for patches of warmer water after a constant weather pattern. They hate cold and sudden weather changes at this time of year. tiny bony bream on the surface. There are lots of smaller bonies about after the water inflow providing plenty of food for the barramundi. A downsize in lures may be required to match the size of the bait on offer. Lindsay Dobe has put clients onto some fish using 100mm vibes (a small lure for a bucketmouthed barra). Other areas worth fishing late in the afternoon will be shallow points being fed by the wind. These are often warmer and hold more baitfish, oxygen and of course, barra. In the basin of the lake there are still some good concentrations of deeper holding barra at times. Dropping plastics and vibes in to these fish can be awesome when they are willing to bite.

Brodie Thompson caught two whopper Australian bass that measured 43cm and 45cm on a Westin RingTeez CT rigged behind a number 2 beetle spin. He released both fish after photos.

THIS SPIRIT 1 electric outboard is powered by a built in 1KWH Lithium-ion Battery. Giving 1.5hrs of MAX power running or if your leisurely using this motor the battery can last up to 5 hrs of use. Equivalent to a 3hp petrol outboard. Just without the noise and pollution. It weighs 16kg including the battery. The inbuilt battery can be changed with the simple lift of a release handle.

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Some anglers had multiple double hook-ups last month and managed around 30 barra. Don’t expect this to be the norm. It will be harder work this month, but the deeper holding fish may respond better to lures throughout the day than those up in the shallows. Kamp Kanga, the accommodation area below the dam wall, has been closed. At this stage it will remain closed until August at least. Stay tuned for more information on this. If you are looking for a place to stay, I highly recommend A&A Motel, which is directly opposite Barra World in Proserpine. For all your fishing supplies or a guided trip on the lake, call Lindsay or Dane at Barra World on (07) 4945 4641. Barra World is right on the highway in Proserpine and specializes in barra fishing tackle as well as catering to the needs of anglers fishing the nearby estuaries and offshore.

10HP OF POWER This is the most powerful electric motor in the ePropulsion range. Pumping out a massive 6KW of power which is equivalent to a 10hp petrol outboard. This motor is available in either tiller control or forward control. Forward control uses a wireless throttle and gear shifting control box. Silent, zero emissions and maintenance free makes this motor a pleasure to own.

Email: info@islandinflatables.com.au

www.epropulsion.com.au JULY 2017

Bushmaster 4000: real value for money BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Korr has an enviable reputation for gear that’s spot on in its application, and reliable as tomorrow’s sunrise. Interestingly, the company started with lighting and electronics, but as a result of their love for outdoor life, it was a pretty natural progression when they also branched into top end camper trailers.

this one, it has ‘take me to the Cape’ written all over it. The tare weight is 850kg, the unit is braked, naturally, and it rides on 235/75/15 wheels and tyres to provide ample ground clearance for both bush and beach work. The dimensions (in its packed up travelling state) are 4000mm long, 1800mm wide and 1900 high with the folded tent compartment sitting atop. The attractively coated and painted steel body has many very useful features and compartments.

or team members on their camping trips. Even a cursory glance reveals that this camper trailer has the storage capacity to neatly package virtually everything that would make it a home away from home. It’s a dust-free environment, thanks to the terrific automotive rubber standard seals on each compartment’s doors. A CLOSER LOOK Fixed onto the massive galvanised draw bar of the Bushmaster is a mesh

The massive dimensions of the drawbar speak of this unit’s ability to be taken well off the beaten track. for a fuel container while the left is a dedicated 9kg gas bottle storage space, as the bottle services the two burner stove in the kitchen compartment. There is also a hand operated water pump here (note there’s a pressure pump in the kitchen slide out compartment) handy for

quick wash ups after cleaning a feed of fish or gathering some fire wood to put into the dedicated mesh floor storage box atop this area. Looking at each side of the Bushmaster’s main body there are three under-bed paired storage compartments on the left side and on the

right. They differ in use depending where they are situated. Note that all of these compartments are rubber sealed and equipped with dual lock up handles for the best weather and dust proofing. The hinges are particularly robust and in keeping with the solid feel of the doors.

Sturdy, compact and ready to go anywhere – that’s the HKC 4000 Bushmaster camper. NEW BUSHMASTER HAS THE LOT Their new HKC 4000 Bushmaster is the current showpiece. It’s an attractively eye catching and well-built camper trailer with capacity for a whole family to enjoy. It’s also compact enough to be towed by an SUV or a family wagon in lieu of a big 4x4. And it’s strong. No lightweight bitumen-only camper trailer

A Foxwing style awning sat neatly furled within a sock on the left side ready for deployment and it was good to see that the awning actually extended out and around the entire unit as far as the bed area. Should more weather-protected space be required, walls are provided to attach to the awning on all sides as well. I could see a lot of couples putting beds in there for extra family

stone guard to protect the investment. Immediately behind is a large tri-compartmented storage space. The central section has a hatch that’s strut equipped (same as all the other top opening compartments on this unit) and would be ideal for items that need to be kept handy like tackle boxes or a fish smoker. The right hand compartment would be ideal

Strong slides allow items such as a Weber and generator to be easily accessed from this big compartment. Note the shelf up top for poles and other items. 88

JULY 2017

Three compartments sit behind the stone shield with the central enclosed section – ideal for general storage duties.

On display, some the Bushmaster’s slide out components.

Outside the camper, the space from the front to the rear on the left side would be the main work area, being well protected by the Foxwing. This space has the first of four wide under-bed compartments; this one is accessed from either side

The next storage compartment was resplendent with the Bushmaster’s camp kitchen components: a stainless sink with a 12V pressure pump (linked to a 65L bash plate protected water tank), a Smev 2 burner gas stove

cutlery area. It was large enough to be very useful and was, once again, well protected by good dust seals. Right at the rear of the Bushmaster was a massive upper storage drawer capable of swallowing up a big collapsible table and

The Bushmaster’s electronic control panel was well protected from weather, yet easily accessed by an owner to see how things were going.

A look at the food prep area, even the kitchen sink is here! in fact, set up to show its storage capability with an optional Weber Cube on the left and a Honda generator on the right. For ease of use, the Weber

and a work bench. These were all on a very strong slide arrangement for ease of access. I noted plenty of areas to prepare tucker and clean up afterwards

A large elevated drawer at the back of the camper was ideal for swallowing up a table and chairs. was on a roller slide extension bed. Making the best use of the space, a dedicated holding area was above the Weber for poles and other kit to brace the Foxwing when it was to be deployed.

in the drain-equipped sink. All items were at a convenient height. The third row of compartments on this side was virtually all cupboard space with a dedicated

several chairs. Lower down there was provision for the Bushmaster’s refrigeration. In this case it was a 12V Waeco fridge displayed on it’s own independent roller slide system. All fridges can be attached via an Anderson plug to link to paired 12V batteries in series; these are easily charged by Korr’s brilliant new 200 watt lightweight (4kg) solar panels. MORE STORAGE AND A BED The right side of the unit was virtually a mirror reverse of the left with storage space taking the place of the BBQ and kitchen areas. One thing of note was the compartment housing the unit’s electronics. This was located just below the paired deep cycle batteries that powered the fridge and water pump. Easily accessed fuses for the HKC 4000’s various electrical components such as an optional Waeco or other fridge, solar system and water pump were visible along with displays

A Waeco fridge, as shown here, would be set up on a very strong slide assembly for ease of use.

to reassure users as to electrical health. Looking aloft, the unit’s tent-covered double bed was set up by simply undoing strap restraints and then the cover. The bed, in it’s folded away state, has dimensions of 1400x1200x450mm, but extended for use it’s 2500x1450x1300mm – it’s obviously large enough for a couple to enjoy comfortable sleeping. To set the bed up, the cover’s removed to allow access to a light and very strong ladder which is pulled down to extend the bed into it’s full double size. Then, with the ladder simply locked into place as a rigid support, the bedroom’s ready for use, the mattress remaining in situ at all times. There’s a tropical weather-proof over fly which is fitted into position over the main bedding area to keep out foul weather if required. When things are balmy, the fly can be extended out wide on simple props. With the bedroom tent’s windows opened (but well protected by midge proof screening) that lovely night breeze can be allowed to do its soothing thing, which is so very important if camping up the Cape or virtually anywhere in the tropics for that matter.

Of definite interest, there is also a tent section that attaches under the bedroom section to provide a sleeping area for more of the crew. All side wall sections are of quality ripstop cotton canvas material which should give years of trouble-free use. Setting up the camper as we see in this article

facilities would then be required, or, just put down a table and chairs and enjoy the ambience. To have the Weber in action, or perhaps other sections of the camp kitchen, would only take moments for them to be accessed and slid out for use. As a very efficient and easy to

Bed coming out! It’s as easy as undoing the fastenings and cover and pulling down on the ladder. (including the bed, of course) would take around five minutes. Putting on extra walls on the awning would naturally take a little longer. Once the awning is in place, users can select exactly which of the Bushmaster’s

use camper trailer, the HKC 4000 Bushmaster would be hard to beat. Like to own one? Who wouldn’t at a price of around $17,990? Contact tony@ hardkorrcampers.com.au for more information.

Set up and ready for enjoyment. The HKC 4000 Bushmaster also has walls that can be attached to the Foxwing’s outer edge. JULY 2017

Cooking

Sizzling up some lovely sweet and sour fish BRISBANE

Lynn Bain

Sweet and sour recipes have been a hallmark of delicious takeaways and

restaurant experiences for as long as anyone can remember. While the concept originated in China, many recreations of the sweet-sour combo have made their way onto tables.

Western additions like the tomato sauce in this recipe have really changed the game for sweet-sour chefs, making this one super adaptable recipe. If you want a little more

pineapple and a little less celery, for example, go for it! Vegetables like broccoli, baby corn, cucumber, pak choy and bok choy have all found their way into a sweetsour mix at some point, too.

In this version of sweet and sour fish cubes, I opt for a marinade and corn flour coating rather than a batter. These ingredients are in most pantries or easily accessible from local

supermarkets. Just head on down to the shops, get your catch out of the fridge or freezer and get ready to turn your awesome fishing expertise into fine cuisine with this easy recipe.

Ingredients • 500g fish fillets, cubed • 2 tsp sugar • 3 tbsp soy sauce • 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (or dry sherry) • 1 egg yolk • 1 cup cornflour • Canola oil (for deep frying) • 2 onions, cut into quarters and the layers separated • 6 green shallots, sliced diagonally • 1 red capsicum, deseeded and cubed • 2 sticks of celery, finely sliced • 400g tin of pineapple pieces, drained and syrup reserved • 2 tbsp tomato sauce • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar • 1 cup vegetable stock

6 90

JULY 2017

Heat some cooking oil in a deep fryer or a deep heavy-based frypan. If you are using a deep fryer, heat the oil to 180°C. If you are using a frypan, test the temperature of the oil by dropping in a cube of bread. The bread should turn golden brown in about a minute. Cook the coated fish cubes in the hot oil until the fish is cooked through and the corn flour turns brown. Remember that fish will continue to cook for a few moments after it has been removed from the pan. Remove the cooked fish from the canola oil and drain on some paper towels.

Mix the extra cornflour in a little water to make a slurry. Add the cornflour slurry to the sauce and vegetable mixture in the frypan, stirring as you go, until the vegetable mixture and liquid in the frypan has reached a saucy consistency.

Combine the sugar, 2 tbsp of soy sauce, cooking wine and egg yolk in a large bowl. Stir thoroughly until the mixture is well combined. Place the fish cubes into the mixture and stir gently to ensure that the fish is well coated in the marinade. Marinade the fish for an hour in the refrigerator.

In a frypan, heat 2 tbsp of cooking oil. Sauté the onion, green shallots, capsicum and celery until the vegetables have softened. Add the reserved pineapple syrup and marinade to the frypan containing the vegetables. Stir well to combine and allow to gently simmer for a couple of minutes.

Add the pineapple pieces and cooked fish cubes to the sauce in the frypan and stir through gently. Cook for a minute or so to allow the fish to heat through.

Remove the fish from the marinade and keep the marinade for later. In another bowl, toss the marinaded fish in the 2 cups of cornflour.

Add the white wine vinegar, tomato sauce, and 1 tbsp of soy sauce to the vegetable mixture in the frypan. Continue to simmer then add the vegetable stock.

Serve your sweet and sour fish with some steamed rice.

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JULY 2017

How to win in the ABT BREAM Series SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

In this article I want to bring a little sports science discussion to the ABT BREAM Series. As part of that I am going to try to give some hard goals you need to aim for if you want to move higher on the leader board. I was going to compile data from the ABT BREAM Series this month, but something happened that was so mind bending to me that I ended up discovering a new way to look at the ABT data that forces me to go back to scratch. I want to focus on the thing that forced me to scrap everything and start again; that revelation has important implications for anyone that wants to win big in the ABT events. Steve Morgan zero bagged recently and it freaked me out – zero is a very important number. Apologies to Steve, I’m not dissing his ability. Trying to understand the significance of this event, I ended up

mathematics helps us understand the world. Pareto is a beautiful contradiction when it comes to being a mathematician in that he first developed a mathematical explanation of a phenomenon, then set about trying to invalidate it through social sciences. There is truth to the adage of looking too long into the abyss. Pareto was born in 1848 in Paris and died in 1923. He graduated from the University of Turin in 1869 then became an engineer and director of the Italian railway. He was a student of economics, philosophy and social sciences. His most famous work revolved around income distribution and why it concentrates in the hands of the few, which he believed was not random, but something that was in fact quite predictable. He then set about working out how to change that predictable outcome through social engineering of a sort. Did he fish? Once again, historians fail us, as they seem to always skip over such important details in favour of boring lists of achievements and controversies.

FIG. 1 SUNTAG DROPOUT No fish Count 1 4107 2 1554 3 953 4 554 5 455 6 351 7 285 8 266 9 185 10 200 discovering a 19th century Italian Engineer – Vilfredo Pareto. This article is my attempt to explain how he broke my understanding of ABT stats and why you need to pay attention to him if you want to win at anything. Pareto is famous for his economics work and is responsible for what is known as the 80-20 rule, which was based on the observation that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by just 20% of the population. The 80-20 rule has been quoted many, many times without any understanding of it. I think this is because it’s a close approximate of things we observe in life and nobody really likes detail anyway. However, the devil is always in the detail and it’s in the detail that we unlock certain truths about fishing. Who was Vilfredo Pareto? I know that nobody else finds mathematicians sexy, but I do because 92

JULY 2017

Steve Morgan recording a bream using the Track My Fish app. randomisation gets around just how unfair it all is. Life is not as fair as Monopoly and we don’t

RATE FOR 10 FISH Cumulative % of all Suntag fishers 4107 32% 5661 45% 6614 52% 7168 57% 7623 60% 7974 63% 8259 65% 8525 67% 8710 69% 8910 70%

WHY PARETO IS IMPORTANT TO FISHING Have you ever played Monopoly? Monopoly is a

get to play the game over. In life, there is a force multiplier in being good at gathering a resource that gives you a big advantage.

followed by the second and third. Once you have caught ten fish, it’s easier to catch the eleventh. If you hang in there until you have caught a hundred, then it’s starting to get very easy. Whether you make it to 100 depends largely on how much you enjoy catching fish and how much grit (staying power) you have. Note that there is a big difference between enjoying fishing and enjoying catching fish. Only one of these two things will make you a better fisher. I will use Suntag data (Fig. 1) to illustrate the force magnification of being good at something, as it has a sample of 12,000 fishers over 30 years. The

FIG.2 BARRA BOUNTY PARETO DISTRIBUTION Category All barra No. of fish to qualify for top 10% of fishers 29 No. of fish to qualify for top 20% of fishers 12 Percentage of fishers that make it beyond 3 fish 45% Percentage of all fish tagged by top 1% 14.5% Percentage of all fish tagged by top 10% 41.1% Percentage of all fish tagged by top 20% 73.6% great example of how the Pareto distribution works because no matter what you do the wealth always ends up in one player’s hand. Now the thing that makes Monopoly fun (depending on how much you like the people you play with) is that it’s sufficiently randomised that if four people play the game non-stop for a week, everyone will win around the same number of times. In other words, the

What most people fail to appreciate is how they can become good at gathering resources. To use a fishing example, the first fish is always the hardest, closely

Legal barra 7 4 19% 21.3% 59.4% 79.0%

most anyone has tagged in Suntag is around 25,000 fish, give or take a few. To put that in perspective, one person is 25,000 times better than the anglers that bring in one fish. That’s

like bringing a tank to a knife fight. How this works out in the case of Suntag is 32% of people make it to one fish, a further 12% make it to two fish and a further 7% make it to three. That means 52% of people make it as far as three fish and stop. Extrapolating out, 70% of people have given up by 10 fish and 80% by 20. What that says is it’s unbelievably hard to make it to 20 fish for most people. That is a staggering fail rate if 9966 people out of 12681 give up at 20 fish. What it means, though, is if you can stick it out to just 75 fish, which is not a large number (hell, even I have managed that) then you end up in the top 10% of all fishers in Suntag. I am in the top 10% of Suntag fishers! I mentioned above that tagging is involved and I’m sure there will be some people going ‘Aha – that changes everything.’ It turns out the opposite is true. If tagging changed things then we would not see a Pareto distribution. If you look, for example, at the number of papers published by researchers across the globe, you get a Pareto distribution. If you look at the number of runs scored by test

cricketers, you get a Pareto distribution. While the Pareto distribution has been used in a range of applications, in humans it is effectively a measure of productivity; that is, the top 1% of people are ridiculously more productive than everyone else. In our Suntag example, the top 1% of fishers have tagged a staggering 59% of all fish tagged. The top 10% have tagged 89% and if you expand to the top 20, you end up with 95% of all fish tagged. What I will say about adding the tagging element in is that tagging (clearly) is not for everyone and that is okay. For Suntag, focusing on people who can pass 20 fish means they have 95% of all tagged fish covered. From a workforce point of view that means they can focus their support on those that pass the 20-tag mark, as they are more likely to be larger contributors. To put that another way, if you have tagged more than 20 fish, you’re something special. LOOKING AT A COMPETITION The next question I asked was ‘do competitions have a Pareto distribution?’ and anyone who has been around sport will know that answer is yes. Before

FIG. 3 DISTRIBUTION BARRA BOUNTY VS. ABT BASS Categories Legal barra (Barra Bounty) Based on no. of fish Based on total weight ABT Bass

% of fish by top 1% 21.3% 21.2% 22.3% 16.0%

% of fish by top 10% 59.4% 61.8% 63.6% 55.5%

% of fish by top 20% 79.0% 78.5% 80.1% 75.1%

I jump into the ABT BREAM Series I will stay with tagging for a little longer to provide a frame of reference to compare when looking at the ABT BREAM data. The Rocky Barra Bounty is held every year around October and is a tag and release event focusing, unsurprisingly, on barramundi. While there has been changes in the field over time, the last 10 years have been relatively stable and the river fishes well enough that people have a real chance to get fish. When I generated the Pareto distribution for the event (Fig. 2), I got some surprising answers. Keep in mind we are talking a 10 year spread that is around 30 days of fishing. It’s at the top end that things get even more interesting. The Barra Bounty uses a points system that rewards longer fish, so every legal fish is a bonus. You would expect the top guys to make catching legal barra a priority and they do. The one big difference is in the 1%: the top 1% of the Barra Bounty are less dominant than in Suntag overall. File that one away for the moment. Now we get to the thin end of the wedge. If the Pareto Distribution is not complete rubbish then the prediction is that the Barra Bounty and ABT stats should look similar. I had to compare apples with apples, as ABT only has legal fish (see Fig. 3). Just to confirm, I compared the Pareto Distribution based on total

FIG. 4 DISTRIBUTION ABT BREAM VS. ABT BASS Categories Percentage of fish by top 1% Percentage of fish by top 10% Percentage of fish by top 20% of numbers. There are less people in the 1% than the 10%. Just to hammer home the force multiplier of being a good resource gatherer, though, let’s compare four bands – the 1%, the next 9% (the rest of the top 10%), the next 10% and the bottom 80% (see Fig. 5). Here is something very interesting: you double your chances of making the top 10 just by jumping between bands. I have a long reading list of scientists and psychologists who have looked at the attributes of exceptional people. Talent plays a part, but chances are if you are in the bottom 80%, you could in fact be the most talented person in the field, but just not want to exploit that talent. There is something even more important than talent exposed by Pareto and again, I will get to that. THE DIFFERENCE Why is the ABT distribution different to Suntag? Hint: it’s not. Coming back to the lower end of the ABT field, based on number of fish caught it looks like there is a difference at the low end. That is, ABT fishers get past one and two fish much more often than Suntag. This is misleading. There is something else with Suntag – tagging a fish. The biggest barrier to

that I generally suck when I start out at something. I’ve also learned that if I persist then I improve. Humans have a superpower in giving up. In my research, 1480 competitors ‘gave up’ or decided that the ABT was not for them by 10 events. I looked at the success of resource gathers and the number of events they entered and these line up very well, which makes sense if you think about it.

success in Suntag is not if you catch fish, so much as the act of tagging a fish. It’s easy to understand why – not everyone wants to stick a needle in a fish. The ABT stats are no different, but in this case the new element isn’t catching fish but competing to catch fish. Here is where Pareto exposes an important (if uncomfortable) truth about human nature. If you build a Pareto distribution for the number of tournaments fishers attend, you’ll find that 61% of fishers are done by three events and 80% are done by 10. PERSISTENCE IS YOUR SUPERPOWER Let’s say you have never played soccer before, would you expect to star in your first game? Your second, or third? I have done enough new things in my life to admit to myself

BREAM top 10 33.5% 67.6% 85.4%

BASS 1st place 41.9% 75.8% 90.3%

Almost everyone below that mark has won tournaments and those that haven’t have high numbers of top 10 finishes. THE HARD NUMBERS What should you aim for if you want to get better? This was not as simple a question as I thought it might be. Weight, for example, is not a great measure. Fish differ in size depending on where you are fishing in the country. Also, ranking based on resource

BASS top ten 27.3% 73.7% 87.1%

ahead in their ability. That is not to say you should ignore them or not try to replicate them, but instead focus on doing what the next level is doing and do it better. This will get you ahead of the game faster. Money and how the ability to learn affects performance are huge topics in sports science. The sports scientist in me, and I have spent a lot of time working with sports scientists over the past 10 years, says that

FIG. 5 COMPARING PERFORMANCE BETWEEN BANDS ABT BREAM Band No. of fishers Wins: events entered How often band member makes top 10: doesn’t Top 1% Next 9% Next 10% Next 80%

28 164 174 1434

1:22 1:65 1:114 1:319

1:3 1:7 1:8 1:19

ABT BASS Band

No. of fishers

Wins: events entered

How often band member makes top 10: doesn’t

Top 1% Next 9% Next 10% Bottom 80%

14 93 98 793

1:22 1:99 1:125 1:333

1:3 1:7 1:13 1:26

If you only attend 11 events, your chances of success double by the 11th event. If you stay in for 15 events, your chances of success double again. That is borne out by the outliers that sit somewhere in that boundary. Steve Morgan getting a zero bag freaked me out. This is partly because

FIG. 6 MINIMUM GOALS TO IMPROVE Goal No. top 10 placings Zero bags Top 20% 1 <=30% of the time Top 10% 2-12 <=25% of the time Top 1% 13-30 <=15% of the time Elite 30+ <=8% of the time number of fish and total weight, just in case weight made a big difference. The ABT BASS Circuit is a little different, but that is because of the two bass limit, which limits the efficiency of the top fishers. It is still a Pareto Distribution. THE LINK BETWEEN PARETO AND PERFORMANCE I want to return to the core principle that the Pareto distribution is a measure of productivity. Does that mean there is a link between productivity and success? To look at success I mapped the results of fishers based on their position in the Pareto Distribution (Fig. 4). The top 1% of resource gatherers win more than 40% of the time. They have less top 10 placings, but that is simply the weight

BREAM 1st place 42.2% 78.9% 91.3%

oversimplification of what Pareto observed. Here is my revised 80-20 rule that I think is a more useful way of looking at the Pareto distribution. • 80% of people only have a social interest in the activity, give up, or accept their level and don’t progress. In fishing terms, they have low impact and larger numbers. • 19% of people push on and learn how to do things better. In fishing terms, this group has a big enough impact to create change or detect change in the fishery. • 1% of people work out how the fishery works and win big. These anglers probably don’t impact

Five bags >=25% of the time >=30% of the time >=50% of the time >=60% of the time

he was catching fish, so I didn’t expect it, and because he was very cool about it. Steve was talking during a livestream and commented that he hadn’t done anything different. When I asked later in the week, he indicated that he felt it was a function of the weather on the day. I asked the most logical question, “How often does this happen?” As it turns out, it happens at a ridiculously low frequency. In 207 fishing days, he has managed only 13 zero bags (6.3% of days fished). This statistic more than any other defines the elite anglers – even on the bad days they manage to find fish. If you can get your zero bags on less than 8% of your fishing days, keep doing it, because you’ll be a very successful fisher.

ability is also not quite useful, as you want to get places, right? I noticed another element of the Pareto distribution that is somewhat paradoxical: there are Pareto distributions within each of the bands, so the top 1% is not uniform. There are super achievers amongst the top achievers Avg. no. of fish/day 2.3 2.6 3.5 4 and that is true for all bands. In other bands that just leads into the transition between bands. There are minimum goals you should aim for in order to improve (see Fig. 6), depending on where you believe you are now. Every tiny bit of improvement above each goal improves your chances of success a lot. HOW MUCH DOES MONEY MATTER? At some point, I will do an article on the finer details of the practical, on-water elements that separate fishers in each of these bands. I’m starting to put together a lot more data on that, but I can’t say anything definitive right now. What I can say is if you are in the 80%, you won’t learn much from the 1%, because they are too far

to the top 9% money papers over the weaknesses. Better equipment can boost performance, but if that comes at the cost of improving skills and resource usage then at best you will only ever make the ranks of ‘could have been a contender.’ Lures do matter, so having a wide array of lures helps, but it’s more important to learn how to use them and when to use them than to have a thousand-dollar rod. If you perform out of your skin with crap equipment then better equipment will make a difference. The same isn’t true if you rely on your equipment for performance. In my view, if you make it to the 9%, set yourself tighter and tighter time constraints during practice and practice for the different phases of the day. Practise how you approach the start, the key bite period and the last hour. That will force your brain into problem solving mode, which is where you need to be to get to the top. Tr y different environments, as there is no good being a one-trick master if you want to make it to the top. If you track yourself and find improvements in results in those periods, you are well on your way to putting yourself on the podium. If not, think about what you can do different. A REVISED 80-20 RULE FOR FISHING The 80-20 rule is an

the fishery (unless they are commercial fishers), because they are few in number. On the other hand they are the ones you actually want to talk to if you want to know what is really happening on the water. • There is also a super elite subset of the 1% that, at this point, I really don’t understand. They seem to have a natural inclination for fishing that goes beyond mere effort. They are ‘natural talents’ and while I’m confident that talent is mostly mental, not physical, there is some serious voodoo to these anglers. They are people that inspire awe in others, as well they should. This is important if you want to know what is going on in a fishery, because the experience of the 1% is so different from the 80% that you may as well be fishing on another planet. That is why I need to redo my analysis of the ABT results, to see what that difference looks like in the real world. What does this mean for you as a fisher? The Pareto distribution tells us is the world is unfair. Unless you are willing to stay in the game in the face of that unfairness, the chances of you achieving anything are near enough to zero as to make no difference. Pareto predicts you won’t turn up (physically or mentally), but rewards you if you do. Suck it up, stay focused and stay on the water. JULY 2017

A mega weekend for ANSA comp attendees Over the recent Labour Day long weekend two great events kept anglers busy reeling in the fish. Across the state a species challenge was hosted by Australian National Sportfishing Association Queensland branch (ANSA Qld). In the tropics the North Queensland Sportfishing Championships was hosted by the Hinchinbrook Sportfishing Club. The statewide species challenge saw 35 competitors from eight different clubs landing 67 different species of fish over the weekend. “This annual event is run by ANSA Qld and aimed at offering members from all over the state an opportunity to get out on the water and

ANSA Qld yellow champion angler fishing buff. The senior male and female category awards went to Bob Dover (from Kingaroy) and Helen Johnson (Bundaberg)

who both caught 18 fish each. The junior category winner was Blake Manthey (Kingaroy), while for the sub-juniors it was a Beau Rose (Redcliffe) who took

The anglers who competed in the 2017 NQ Sportfishing Championships. enjoy the weekend with family and friends,” ANSA Qld President, Nathan Johnston explained. “Online fish captures were submitted throughout

Graham Weston from Rockhampton with a quality goldspot cod captured during the 2017 NQ Sportfishing Championships.

Helen Johnson from Bundaberg shows off the trevally that won her the 2017 NQ Sportfishing Championships Female Trophy Fish Award.

Adam Royle, flanked by daughters Kirra and Hope, with a queenfish ready for release that helped to land the Open Section Champion Male Angler Award at the 2017 NQ Sportfishing Championships.

the weekend and automatically updated on a progressive online leader board for the four fishing categories. The rules were simple – catch and enter as many different species of fish during the weekend

using the new ANSA Qld online capture entry form and the person with the biggest tally of species at the end wins,” Nathan said. Category winners each snagged a unique Lethal Lure trophy along with an

Hope Royle proudly holds up a dusky flathead shortly before release at the 2017 NQ Sportfishing Championships.

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2017 JULY

AUGUST

5-6 July

Lake St Clair BASS Pro Qualifier #4 Lake St Clair

www.abt.org.au

8-9 July

Glenbawn BASS Pro Qualifier #5 Glenbawn Dam

www.abt.org.au

15-16 July

Richmond River BREAM Qualifier #6 Richmond River

www.abt.org.au

22-23 July

Round 9 Hobie Kayak Bream Series 9 Gold Coast

www.hobiefishing.com.au

22-23 July

Reel Wivenhoe Classic Logan Inlet, Lake Wivenhoe

www.somerset.qld.gov.au

28-30 July

Southern Cross Telelvision & Isisford Fishing Comp Oma Waterhole, Isisford

0427 588 069 www.isisfordfishingcomp.com.au

30 July

BASS Electric #5 St Clair

www.abt.org.au

6 Aug

Round 6 Hobie Polarized Southern Bream Series Hawkesbury

Lynette Kime 0490 762 188

13 Aug

BASS Electric Major #2 Moogerah

www.abt.org.au

13 Aug

Round 10 Hobie Kayak Bream Series 9 Mooloolaba

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au or calling 07 3387 0800 in office hours. Just supply a date, venue, tournament name and a telephone number and contact name. 94

JULY 2017

out the top spot. ANSA Qld is already planning next year’s event with the 2018 event dates to be released soon. On the same weekend eighty anglers from

Mr Royle added, “Giving anglers the opportunity to compete while allowing for a choice of either catch and release or presenting captures and then taking them

received and the feedback from competitors has been great and I certainly hope to see as many if not more competitors back again next year,” said Mr Royle. A full list of winners is available from the

Hinchinbrook Sportfishing club Facebook page. More detail on the events and other club and member fishing opportunities can be found at the ANSA Qld website, www.ansaqld.com. au. – ANSA

Winner of the Junior category in the statewide species challenge Blake Manthey from Kingaroy with one of his 13 species.

Wade Wessels presenting Elliot Ruddell from the Townsville Saltwater Sportsman Club with his ANSA Qld yellow champion angler buff and fishing rod during the 2017 NQ Sportfishing Championships. Bundaberg to Mossman converged upon the Hinchinbrook region to compete in the 2017 North Qld Sportfishing Championships. The

home for the table worked really well.” Many local businesses and organisations supported the event, including the major sponsors Halifax

REEL WIVENHOE CLASSIC - LOGO DESIGN - CONCEP FULL COLOUR - MB - 14.03.17

Mason Enkelmann from Keppel Bay with a thready that took him into second place behind Beau Rose from Redcliffe.

clubs walked away with great prizes and awards, including a good number from Hinchinbrook Club, who came into the event with a strong home-ground advantage. Champion male, female and junior angler in the light line section went to Brendan Cundell (Hinchinbrook), Zara Cundell (Hinchinbrook) and Elliott Ruddell (Townsville). In the open line section it was a family affair with Adam Royle, Melissa Royle and Hope Royle from Hinchinbrook taking out the three champion angler spots. OMPETITION At the end of the evening M I LY F I S H I N G C FA every angler who submitted a fish went into the running Bob Dover from Kingaroy landed 18 different for a $500 fishing and species during the statewide species challenge outdoor prize pack, thanks PLEASEtoNOTE THAT MONO ANDwas BLUE ARE ONLY PROVIDED SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IT WILL WORK WELL IN MONO AS WELL AS A SINGLE C to take out the Senior Male category. Wilmar Sugar, which

WIVENHOE

event kicked off on Friday evening and wrapped up on Sunday afternoon for social activities and the official awards presentation. The North Qld Sportfishing Championships has a long history and this was the first time the Hinchinbrook Sportfishing club had hosted the event. “It was fantastic to see so many anglers travelling from across the state. It’s also the first time the event has included an option for anglers to register captures either using photos or through presentation of their catch,” Hinchinbrook club president and ANSA Qld VP, Adam Royle said.

Y L U J 3 2 & 22 hoe n e iv W e k a L , t le In Logan Proudly sponsored by

WIVENHOE Helen Johnson from Bundaberg fished both events and walked away with the Senior Female category in the statewide species challenge Homebrew & Tackle and the Hinchinbrook Shire Council. Anglers from several

won by Margaret Fretwell from the Townsville Saltwater Sportsman Club. “The support we

Win a Quintrex Explorer with Yamaha 4 Stroke

WIVENHOE

3Senior & Junior divisions 3Daily Prizes 3Catch Bass & Golden Perch 3Catch > Measure > Photo > Release 3Secret Length event

JULY 2017

Somerton scores big at St Georges Basin A St Georges Basin round record of 64 anglers competed in the Pro Lure Round 7 of the Hobie Kayak Bream Series 9 over the May 20-21 weekend. Anglers travelled from all over Australia to the Shoalhaven region of the NSW South Coast, despite predictions of horrendous weather over the weekend. While the pre-fish was thwarted by inclement weather conditions, there was a dramatic improvement from the moment anglers left the Power-Pole Starting Line on day one with the clearing skies developing into a perfect weekend, with an excellent bite to match.

but the major accolades go to the top three in the Open Division: Richard Somerton in first place, Byron Hill second and Scott Marcinkowski in third place. SOMERTON REIGNS SUPREME After holding the lead at the close of day one, Richard Somerton from Mount Martha in Victoria continued his stellar form and took out the tournament with a convincing win, 1.26kg ahead of his nearest rival. Somerton bagged four fish for 3.21kg on day one and another four for 3.39kg on the final day of competition, with a total two day accumulated eight fish

headed up to Kangaroo Point and fished some structure all along there. I was honing in on the trees that had a lot of shags in them, which seemed to be a bit of a key this weekend. “I also found fish in general structure as well throwing a Cranka Crab, first in cockle and then I changed to an olive that I customised with a black marker pen and that seemed to be a bit better this weekend. From there I moved around to a couple of other banks throughout the day, just rotating between them. I came in early on the day because I had a pretty good bag, but I went back out just for a bit of a look

Somerton honed in on the trees that had a lot of shags in them. This seemed to be the key technique for the weekend. It was a fantastic weekend of camaraderie and just plain fun, being out in a magnificent environment doing what anglers love to do most – fishing! Competitors were chasing Angler of the Year Points (AOY), excellent cash payouts, superb sponsor prize packs and looking to build up points to qualify to represent Australia at Hobie Fishing Worlds 7. At registration on day one all anglers were hugely impressed to receive an unexpected gift from Pro Lure, an S36 Pro Lure Crank in matt black. In the end, for one angler, it turned out to be the lure that caught the largest fish of the tournament. Three teams were competing in Hobie Pro Angler 17Ts, which made their first appearance in a Hobie Kayak Bream Series event. Three first timers joined the ranks of the seasoned competitors and the Women’s, Youth and Masters Divisions were once again extremely competitive. Congratulations to all competitors on a superb tournament and to those who topped their divisions, 96

JULY 2017

bag of 6.6kg. His victory won him a hefty sponsor prize pack and $1750 for his effort, and rocketed him to an almost certain place on the team for the next Hobie Fishing World Championship. Somerton gave a brief rundown of his weekend. “After pre-fish I found a couple of banks that had fish on them, so on day one I

around for day two.” “On the second day of the event I headed straight back to ‘Kangaroo’, I stopped briefly on a bit of a hummock, then I left Jack Gammie there and headed back inshore. I had my bag by about 8am and my first upgrade came about 10-15 minutes later. Once I finished there I started to roam around picking up a

few legals here and there.” “Then late in the day, just around from One Tree, I got a nice kilo upgrade and that really pulled my bag along. That was my day in a nutshell. I was using the same techniques as day one, although I did throw a Gulp Shrimp which got me that 1kg fish late this afternoon.” Somerton’s winning tackle was a 7ft 1-4kg Duffrods Hystix matched with a Daiwa Freams 2000 reel, Daiwa TD Sensor 8lb line and FC Rock 8lb leader. His go-to lures was a Cranka Crab in olive with a customised black touch up. HILL ONE SHORT OF THE SUMMIT The second placed finisher was Byron Hill, from Newcastle in New South Wales. After a solid day one sitting in 14th position, the RAAF pilot jumped 12 places to make it onto the podium and his best-ever tournament result. Hill bagged a day one total of four fish for 2.4kg and followed it up with four for 2.94kg on day two. His eight fish came in at 5.34kg and won him a prize purse of $910 and an excellent sponsor prize pack and substantial AOY points. Hill had the following to say about his tournament. “I had no prior benefit from the pre-fish, so I spent the first part of the morning observing a number of other anglers hitting a shallow bank. I then hit it myself, but there weren’t any fish there and I decided it wasn’t going to work for me on the weekend, so I made the decision quite quickly to move into the deep. I went there and I had my bag by 8am, just vibing somewhere between 4-6m. “I upgraded the bag a couple of times getting up to the 2.40kg that I ended up weighing in. I wanted to save the spot I had been working for day two, so I ventured out

The winners of the tournament lined up and looking proud.

TOURNAMENT STATS Day one fish caught.......................................... 177 Day one anglers with fish..............................59/64 Day two fish caught ......................................... 195 Day two anglers with fish..............................57/64 Total fish caught................................................ 372 Total weight................................................ 197.44kg Total cash payout.......................................... $4640 and started working other places looking for fish. I didn’t really find many other spots – maybe another two that ended up not producing anything for me on day two. But to be quite honest, day one was really fun for me with back to basics fishing. “On day two I went to the spot that produced the fish for me the day before. It’s on the western side of those two islands in St Georges Basin. Again, it was the same depth of water, I was vibing again and that produced 12 or so odd fish that ended up giving me a 2.5kg bag. I really had to push hard for those extra few hundred grams. After 11 o’clock I didn’t really get much. I started to move around and the spot I had been working had become quite busy, so I had to leave it to relieve some pressure and I did so a few times during the day. “Finally, I really couldn’t do any of this without the endless support of my beautiful wife Maddie.” Hill used a Daiwa TD Commander 1-3kg rod paired with a Daiwa Silver Wolf 2506 reel, Daiwa TD Sensor 4lb line and FC Rock 4lb leader. His lure of choice was the Samaki Vibelicious in chartreuse pink head. In third place, Scott Marcinkowski from Cordeaux Heights in NSW bagged out on day one with 2.23kg. On day two he had a 2.98kg bag giving him a total of eight bream weighing in at 5.21kg. Scott picked up a major sponsor prize pack, a $590 cash payout and 98 AOY points. ATOMIC BIG BREAM The Atomic Big Bream was won by the 8th placegetter in the Open Division, Tony Pettie from Traralgon in Victoria. Pettie landed a massive 1.41kg bream aboard his Hobie kayak. The impressive fish was the largest caught in a tournament with plenty of bream caught over 1kg. Pettie caught the monster on the Pro Lure S36 Crank in matt black that he received at registration. Pettie used a Hurricane 69R Light Series rod, a Daiwa Freams 2500 reel, Sunline 8lb line and FC Rock 5lb leader. His lure of choice was the Pro Lure S36 Crank in Matt Black. DIVISION WINNERS For the Youth Division,

Steven Pryke from Lakes Entrance in Victoria had a day one bag of four for 2.64kg and on day two he brought back four fish for 2.21kg, totalling 4.85kg over the two days. Steven finished in 6th place in the Open Division. The winner of the Women’s Division was Tameika Purnell from Sanctuary Point in New South Wales, with a day one bag of four fish for 2.46kg and day two bag of four for 2.15kg, totalling 4.61kg. Tameika had her best tournament performance finishing in 12th position overall. In the Masters Division, Lex Court from Davistown, New South Wales, was the best performing Master with a day one bag of four for 2.24kg and a day two bag of four for 1.75kg, totalling 4.85kg. Darryl Head and Kobin Rasker from Basin View, New South Wales, took out the Pro Angler 17T Division. They had eight fish over the weekend for 4.33kg to bring back to the weigh-in the largest team bag for the 17T tandem kayaks. Connor Barratt from New South Wales took out the First Timers Division on the weekend with three bream for 1.68kg. The First Timers Division is an initiative by Hobie where by an angler can attend and fish in a Hobie Kayak Bream Series tournament for free to get a feel for the tournament scene without the pressure of full-blown competition. MORTGAGE CORP MONSTER MOVER Warren Forbes from NSW took home the Mortgage Corp power pack, jumping up from no fish on day one to pick up four fish for 2.09kg on the second day of the tournament. SPECIAL THANKS Well done to the team from Totally Immersed Watersports in South Nowra for their dealer support and for the delicious curry and rice on Saturday and the exceptional burgers on Sunday. Thank you to our sponsors Daiwa, Berkley, Atomic, Lowrance, RhinoRack, Strike Pro, TT Lures, Pro Lure, JML Anglers Alliance, Mortgage Corp, Power-Pole and Hobie Polarized for their endless support. – Hobie Cat

Isisford Barcoo Fishing Comp The Isisford Barcoo Recreational Fishing Club invites you to their annual fishing competition on 28-30 July – this month! This fantastic event happens each year on the banks of the Barcoo River at the good old Oma Waterhole. It’s the place to be, so plan a trip for the last full weekend of July. Bring your family, friends or whoever wants to come along, join in on the fun and try and catch the longest yellowbelly, or just lay back and enjoy the scenery. It’s a two day competition, starting at 10am Saturday and finishing 11am Sunday. You can fish all day and all night until your heart’s content. You can fish through the Saturday night, as long as you bring the fish up to be measured alive. The club encourages competitors to catch and release, so fish numbers can replenish after the competition. If you arrive early before the competition, nominations are taken on Friday afternoon at the control point from 1pm to 6pm and then they start again on Saturday morning around 7.30am. Friday

night is a meet and greet; the bar will be opened and NRL football televised on the big screen at the Yellowbelly Bar. The categories are adult and junior and the species to be caught over the weekend are yellowbelly, black bream and catfish. Nomination fees are $20 for adults and $5 for juniors. You don’t have to catch a fish to be in the draw, and your name automatically goes in the draw for both major and smaller prizes. To be eligible for the draws or to bring in a fish, you just have to be nominated. The competition is based on measurement (legal fish size only) and fish have to be alive when they are brought up to be measured. Cash prizes are there for the adults and there are object prizes for the juniors. Adult competitors will be aiming to win the Ernie Dagan Memorial Shield and the juniors will be after the Lawrence Reynolds Memorial Shield. Each first place getter of the adult section will take home a trophy donated by the Bignell family. The Barcoo River Rats have included a team

competition for fun. You just need a team of five, the team has to be registered and the competition is that each team member registers one fish. Once measured (by the measuring team at the control point) they cannot enter any other fish. The winning team is determined by the total length of the five fish. Teams can also win prizes for the best dressed and best named. It all starts happening on Saturday with nominations, displays from Desert Edge Outdoors Winton and Fish ‘N’ Bits Bait & Tackle Toowoomba, raffles and merchandise. The fishing competition will have catering over the weekend with a nice meal on Saturday night. The bar will be open all weekend. Please come and enjoy the novelty events which happen Saturday afternoon at 4pm, including the Carole Reynolds Memorial Damper Competition, hay bale rolling, ChipNDale’s Dog Jump Competition, foot racing, women’s horse shoe throwing, and a whip cracking competition. Saturday night’s

entertainment will be Owen Blundell from 6.00pm-8.00pm and Outback Sound and Visual DJ Nev. There will even be a karaoke competition, so come and be part of the line-up. The best female, best male, best duet and best group will all win a prize. Come along have a great meal and a few refreshments while listening to good music. Portable toilets will be available for your convenience as well as showers at the control point. The showers are limited, so please be patient. Firewood is in limited supply as well this year, so please bring that little extra. Prizes and presentation will take place on Sunday at 12.00pm. For the major draws, competitors are asked to be present. If not, they will be redrawn. Thank you to all our sponsors for supporting the club. More information will be provided on the weekend, or just visit our website at www.isisfordfishingcomp. com.au. Take home a few stories and spread the word of what a great little comp it is. – Isisford Barcoo Recreational Fishing Club

Mackenzie Griffith, 2yo, is turning into a great help when fishing with her dad Carl. She loves all sorts of fish and helped out when this beast was caught up past Bribie Island.

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SUNDAY @ NOON (PRESENTATIONS): ADULT MAJOR DRAW- $1500.00 CASH. Longest Yellow belly $1,200.00 JUNIOR MAJOR DRAW- $300.00 CASH plus $150 Rod & Reel. BBQ meals throughout the weekend * Friday Night Football * Entertainment Saturday Night * Licensed bar till late * Novelty Events: Cash Prizes in * Hay Bale Rolling * Women’s Horse Shoe Throwing * Men & Women’s Foot Racing ICECREAM/PANCAKE & COFFE VAN*Whip Cracking * ChipNDales Dog Jumping Comp, *Stalls * *Damper Competition*Food Available * Portable Toilets, *Firewood & Rubbish Bins situated along river * Free Camping * Free Bucket with every nomination until stocks run out. *Desert Edge Outdoors & FishNBits on Site for all your tackle needs.* “DON’T DRINK & DRIVE” Longreach Outdoor Centre, Outback Qld Internet, Ergon Energy, Longreach Freighters, Smith Bros Longreach, SA & A Hollowood Builders, George Bourne & Assoc, Chris & (NO BOATS OR any type of WATERCRAFTS or FLOATING EQUIPMENT ALLOWED)

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JULY 2017

Cannizzaro conquers the Manning

THE FUTURE IS HERE Self-contained Electric Outboards

STORM

Ross Cannizzaro can do no wrong it seems as the Sydney-based angler took out consecutive ABT Qualifiers across two different species in the space of three weeks. Wind back the clock to the end of April and Cannizzaro sealed the deal on the upper Hawkesbury River at the BassCat BASS Pro Qualifier. Now just three weeks later and a few hundred kilometres north, he’s proven to be one of the sport’s greatest with a convincing win at the Mercury Manning River BREAM Qualifier. The Mercury Manning River BREAM Qualifier was the first time the Costa BREAM Series had been to the central coast estuary in six years. In the lead up to the event, much speculation surrounded the state of the fishery, but Cannizzaro smashed those thoughts out of the water with a breakthrough 4.56kg bag on Saturday’s first session. During his interview with ABT Tournament Director Simon Goldsmith, Cannizzaro said, “I knew the fish of that calibre lived in this river, but you don’t expect to get a bag of them in one day.” Saturday set it up for Cannizzaro but it all started

His go-to technique for the day was to slow roll a crankbait in the form of a Berkley 3B Fat Dog deep along the walls, paralleling the rocks so that his lure was always in the strike zone. “That bait was definitely key in getting me the bites I got during this tournament. It dives quick and deflects brilliantly off cover and that’s quite often when I’d hook up, just as the bait hit a rock and deflected to the side.” Once hooked, Cannizzaro was up to the challenge of extracting the powerful fish from the wall. “These fish are absolute athletes; they fight so hard in the clean running water of the seaway mouths. I relied upon a slightly faster retrieve ratio spinning reel to get line back quickly. Cranking with the current means you need to work hard to keep up with your lure, and the new Abu Garcia ALX spinning reel was definitely a game changer for me in that department.” Bringing 4.56kg to the scale was always going to stand Cannizzaro in good stead of leading after Saturday’s first session. With almost 500g separating him from second place angler Ross Lamonte after day one, Cannizzaro put the pressure on himself to back

Ross’ victory was anchored by his 4.56kg bag on day one. up his performance from the previous day. “I think today I backed it up, no one really expected someone to pull 4kg out of this river and for two people to do it shows how strong this river actually is.” There was never any doubt with Cannizzaro again bringing one of the biggest bags of the day to the scales and smashing the field by over 2kg. “I think weighing over 3.5kg

on Sunday showed that this was by far the dominating pattern over the weekend,” said Cannizzaro. The outfit of choice was, as typical for Cannizzaro, a complement of Abu Garcia and Berkley products. He used the Abu Salty Fighter Origin combined with the new Abu Revo ALX spinning reel. Cannizzaro spooled the outfit with Berkley Exceed Braid and Sensei fluorocarbon leader.

BIG BREAM Mike Nelson secured the Big Bream prize at the Manning and the $500 payday with his 1.48kg day one kicker fish. Caught at Bohnock Bridge the prize winning fish fell to a spotted crab coloured Cranka Crab fished on 13 Fishing Envy rod.

WINNING TACKLE Rod – Abu Salty Fighter Reel – Abu Revo ALX Line – 4.4lb Berkley Exceed Braid Leader – 4lb Berkley Sensei Flurocarbon Lure – Deep Berkley 3B Fat Dog (red eye express colour), 3lb Berkley Gulp Minnow Grub (camo colour) rigged on 1/8th Berkley Dam Deep jighead (camo colour).

Mike Nelson’s 1.48kg bream was the standout fish, and the Big Bream at the event.

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888. 98

JULY 2017

during Friday’s all-important pre-fish day where he located better than average sized fish on the seaway walls at the mouth of the river. “I actually bumped into Warren Carter on the pre-fish day and he was fishing the walls and I asked if I could jump in and have a look. “He obliged and immediately I caught a solid fish, then I boated another two 800g fish within a few hundred metres and I knew then that this was the area I was going to focus on.” Having identified his primary location, Cannizzaro looked to work it thoroughly to extract the big bream from the rock walls lining the mouth of the Manning River.

RESULTS – BOATERS Place

Angler

TW (kg)

Payout

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Ross CANNIZZARO Russell BABEKUHL Mark HEALEY Peter MACOR Ross LAMOTTE Todd RICHES Kristoffer HICKSON Craig SIMMONS Jamie MCKEOWN Neil CHEGWIDDEN

10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 8/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 8/10

8.23 6.18 5.94 5.86 5.72 5.69 5.64 5.02 4.94 4.85

$3300 + Duffrods Big Bag (4.56kg) $1800 + 1st Mercury Bonus ($250) $1,300 $1,100 $850 + 2nd Mercury Bonus ($150) $850+ 3rd Mercury Bonus ($100) $650 $650 $500 $500

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

Babekuhl back in the racks Taree local and pre-tournament favourite Russell Babekuhl again proved why he’s one of the best at structure fishing as he rode an oyster rack pattern to runner-up position with a 10/10 tournament limit weighing 6.18kg. For Babekuhl, it all revolved around one set of floating oyster leases he found on Thursday night on a late night Google Earth reconnaissance. “I found one set of floaters that I thought may get overlooked in such a big field of 51 boats. They’re tucked away in a little backwater that is 4 knots to get into and I thought not many would put the effort into actually going back there to check it

out,” said Babekuhl. It was the right call, with the Taree breamer catching two solid fish along with three upgrades late in Saturday’s first session when he finally entered the area. “Sunday I went straight back in and caught fish almost at will as the tide drained out of the leases. I would target the individual poles of each lease and try to get my lure tight to the structure on the down current side of the pole where the fish would be sitting in the eddy.” Babekuhl employed his tried and trusted structure fishing bait to tempt the bream. His go-to bait was the Berkley Gulp Crabby, in camo colour. “I worked out quite quickly these fish

were pretty leader shy. The water was clear and we had fairly calm conditions at times, so I dropped back to 4lb Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon leader and that definitely made a difference to the bites I was getting.” As any remnants of Saturday’s blustery conditions vanished halfway through Sunday’s session, Babekuhl swallowed his pride and went down the front of the system, to target fish in the deeper water around the mouth of the river. Changing to a Berkley Gulp 3” Nemesis soft plastic, Babekuhl targeted the fish on the deeper rock walls and managed a few critical upgrades to end his tournament and complete a

climb up the leader board to the runner-up position. Like tournament champion Cannizzaro, Babekuhl relied on the new Abu Garcia REVO ALX spinning reel on a number of different matching Abu Garcia Salty Stage light rods. Like Cannizzaro, these were also spooled with Berkley Exceed Braid and matching Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon Leader. As always, Babekuhl rigged his plastics with the latest and greatest jigheads from Nitro. For his efforts, Babekuhl walked away with the $1800 runner-up cheque and an automatic qualification into this year’s Costa BREAM Grand Final on Lake Macquarie in December.

Russell Babekuhl claimed a podium finish taking out second place.

DUFFRODS BIG BAG Event winner Ross Cannizzaro added value to his event winnings by claiming the Duffrods Big Bag for the tournament. Ross took the prize for the heaviest limit for the event with his 4.56kg limit caught on day one.

Current

3lb Berkley Gulp Minnow Grub camo, rigged on 1/8oz Berkley Dam Deep jighead

Berkley 3B Fat Dog Deep red eye express

Wilson comeback one of the best! After weighing only one fish on Saturday’s first session, Simon Wilson conjured a comeback of epic proportions after bringing a 5/5, 3.2kg bag to Sunday’s final weigh-in to be crowned champion by almost a kilo to cap off one of the most comprehensive comebacks in ABT non-boater history. Sunday’s stars aligned

for Wilson, starting his session towards the mouth of the river fishing heavy Cranka Crabs on the deeper rock walls and submerged reefs that scatter the system. After catching three solid fish for the morning. Wilson and his boating partner moved up slightly. While his boating partner was re-rigging some rods, Wilson took full

advantage and filled his bag with two quick fish to have him happily on a 5/5 limit on day two. “After I got five I felt a lot better, but I knew I had one fish in the bag that was just barely big enough and I really wanted to upgrade it. Late in the session I hooked a fish and actually thought it was a mulloway, but as it came up it was the right

RESULTS – NON-BOATERS Place

Angler

TW (kg)

Payout

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Simon WILSON Glen STURROCK Michael THOMPSON Jeff BRUNSDON Jonathan THOMPSON Jason MARTIN Mark KING James HICKSON Stuart WALKER Tanya KONSUL

6/10 5/10 5/10 5/10 4/10 3/10 4/10 4/10 4/10 4/10

3.7 2.73 2.55 2.49 2.46 2.39 2.37 2.3 2.19 2.18

Costa Sunglasses & Prize Pack, 1st Hobie Bonus ($100) Costa Sunglasses & Prize Pack, 1st Pro ($400) JML Alliance Rod & Prize Pack, 2nd Hobie Bonus ($50) Prize Pack Prize Pack, 3rd Hobie Bonus ($35) Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

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

shape and turned out to be my kicker fish, a 34cm fork bream that really gave me the leg up in what was a brutally tough weekend of tournament fishing for most of the non-boaters.” Wilson relied on one of the new JML Perfection Series of high-performance graphite rods and couldn’t sing anymore praise for his new favourite rods. “I’m just in love with these rods, the model I used mainly was the cranking and twitching model. I like the softer action for the treble hooks of the Cranka Crabs; it helps to avoid pulling hooks and the sensitivity is fantastic.” Wilson secured his place in the Costa BREAM Grand Final on Lake Macquarie later in the year along with a host of prizes from ABT’s amazing list of premier sponsors. Now all attention turns to Ballina and the Richmond River for the next round of the Costa BREAM Series in mid July. For more information on the series, head to www. abt.org.au.

Grafton breamer Simon Wilson secured the nonboater title in the Mercury sponsored event.

Ross was a happy man with his Manning River win. JULY 2017

Hickson hammers Cania bass THE FUTURE IS HERE Self-contained Electric Outboards

STORM

Kris Hickson has done it again! The man can do no wrong it seems as he convincingly slammed home the victory by almost 2kg from his nearest competitor. The Lews Reels presented round of the BassCat BASS Pro Series returned to Cania Dam near Monto in Queensland for the first time since the 2012 BASS Pro Grand Final. With the dam at full capacity and the bass biting, almost fifty of the country’s keenest bass anglers descended on the picturesque lake to try and hoist the trophy. In the end, it was Hickson who undoubtedly showed his class as one of the most adaptable and diverse anglers we’ve ever seen on the ABT circuit. Currently ranked number one in both the BREAM and BASS rankings, we see no sign of anyone catching the Tareebased angler anytime soon. For Hickson, the triumph on Sunday afternoon didn’t come easily. His trip was hampered by more than one hiccup on the long drive from Taree to Cania. “All sorts of things went wrong on this trip, but in the end the fishing made it more than worthwhile and I’m thrilled to get another win under the belt,” said Hickson after Sunday’s final weigh-in.

To catch his betterthan-a-kilo average 12/12 bag for 12.52kg, Hickson relied on a tried and true QLD bass fishing staple – a metal vibration blade. This particular model was a Yamba Prawn Blade in a golden olive colour, which he fished tight to the bottom in 6-10ft of water to draw bites of schooling fish. “I found a spot in pre-fish about 3km up into the timbered section of the lake. It was a hump out away from the main cluster of trees in 6-10ft of water and the bass were schooling pretty thick on the spot. I wasn’t sure if they were going to last the three sessions, but as it turned out we had our four fish on Sunday morning within thirty minutes, before the bite started slowing down and the day got very tough after that.”

Cania champion boater Kris Hickson with one of his standout fish from the Lews sponsored event.

BIG BASS Jonathon Bale claimed the Big Bass Prize at the Cania event with the Queensland BASSer securing the $500 cash prize for his 1.82kg kicker fish caught on day two.

Preferring to fish away from the majority of the field, Hickson’s plan worked out perfectly. “I didn’t think that main school of fish that most of the field were working on would last and as it turned

out the guys found it pretty tough on Sunday. I think the key to my consistency was finding something a little further away from everyone else. Steve Kanowski was my nearest competitor both on the

Jonno Bale claimed the Big Bass Prize for his 1.82kg fish caught in the final session.

TOP 10 BOATERS Place Angler

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888. 100

JULY 2017

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Fish

Kristoffer Hickson 12/12 Stephen Kanowski 10/12 Terry Allwood 12/12 Graham Ford 12/12 David Hedges 9/12 Luke Draper 10/12 Mark Lennox 9/12 Jonathan Bale 9/12 Matt Johnson 8/12 Peter Jenkins 9/12

Weight (kg)

Payout

12.52 10.75 10.73 10.15 9.69 9.13 9.04 8.62 8.61 8.4

$2,100 $1300 + Duffrods Big Bag $900 $550

$500 Big Bass (1.82kg)

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

scoreboard and on the lake, so clearly the move away from the bigger schools was important to finding those consistent bites.” The key ingredient in the victorious pattern was using a blade much heavier than you’d typically use in such shallow water. “It was key to puff up the silt on the bottom when your lure touched down. I think that’s what was triggering the fish to bite and the blade touching down then vibrating out of a cloud of silt was just the surprise to get the bass to commit.” As always, Hickson relied on quality Daiwa equipment to get the job done with his long time sponsor delivering the goods in the form of a Black Label V2 spinning rod and Luvias 2004 spinning reel. His line of choice was Daiwa’s Evo 8 braided line, which he topped with a rod-length of fluorocarbon leader. A key aspect of his winning bait was the use of freeswinging stinger hooks, which can be found on many blades from various manufacturers, or bought separately to retrofit onto standard lures. “The assist hooks seem to hook up much better and more securely. Because they’re attached by cord, there is no leverage for the fish to work against like there is with trebles, so you very rarely drop a fish after hooking up initially.” Hickson took home $2100 in prize money and extends his lead as the number one ranked BASS angler and also takes the lead in the Costa BASS Angler of the Year race after a successful start to the year at the Hawkesbury River event in April.

Kanowski can’t erase bass demons! Steve ‘Killer’ Kanowski finished second last time the ABT BASS Pro Series hit the waters of Cania Dam and unfortunately for him, the feat was to be repeated as Kris Hickson bumped him to second with the last bag to hit the scales on Sunday. Like Hickson, Kanowski travelled up into the timbered sections of Cania Dam to catch his 10.75kg 10/12 bag fishing a similar presentation to capture most of his bass over the weekend. “We knew the morning bite up in the timber was

going to be the time to get them. They seemed to shut down once the sun got high in the shallower water we were fishing. I think my first six casts had five fish on Saturday morning and we upgraded a few times to get to the tournament big bag of 5.15kg in the first session.” After Saturday’s perfect start, Kanowski was begging for a few more spots to search for a full limit. “It was a tournament of what could have been for me. The average fish up here is a good size and had I caught

WINNING TACKLE Rod: Daiwa Black Label V2 Reel: Daiwa Luvias 2004 Line: Daiwa Evo 8 PE Leader: Fluorocarbon Lure: Yamba Prawn Blade in a golden olive colour

a full limit I would have been right there with Kris at the end. As it was, I just didn’t have enough spots to catch fish and I wore out the one spot I had for all it was worth.” Normally a man to stick with one lure or technique, Kanowski was uncharacteristically swapping and changing lures throughout every session. He alternated between a white coloured Smak lures Smako, a Smak Spoon, a Jackall Mask Vib and a Next Gen Blade, which put most of the fish into the boat over the weekend. Kanowski is pro staff for event sponsor Lews and applauded their equipment on the stage. “I’ve been fishing for a very long time and I’ve been fortunate to try a lot of different outfits over the years. I’m in love with my Lews outfits and couldn’t recommend their products any higher!”

BASSCA BASS PR T PRESEN O TED BY

Steve Kanowski (right) finished second at Cania, a podium finish that was anchored by his Duffrods Big Bag from session one.

Warren wails for bass win

Warren Howe, a long time ABT non-boater, has notched his first victory at the Lews Cania Dam BASS Pro, winning convincingly with almost 1.5kg more than his nearest rival Peter Morgan. Fishing with local angler Jordan Stoddart in session one, Howe and Stoddart began their morning on the popular ‘cattleyard’ flats and quickly put a fish in the livewell using an ice jig. From there, the pair switched paces to metal vibration blades in the form of Ecogear ZXs which they fished with small hops and slow rolling close to the bottom. After returning to weigh in their first limit, the pair returned to attempt to fill another limit. This time, it was the reverse. With one fish falling to a blade for the middle part of the day, it wasn’t until the final hour when the pair sat above a school of fish and began to use ice jigs to fill their limit, upgrading numerous times. Sunday’s session saw Howe paired with event champion Kris Hickson. They both sat in second position

Above: Kris Hickson and the rewards of his BASS Pro win at Cania. Below: A Yamba Prawn Blade was Hickson’s money bait at Cania.

overnight, then thanks to a brilliant morning bite fishing blades up in the timbered section of Cania, both finished the event well in front of their nearest rival. Howe now qualifies for the BassCat BASS Pro

Grand Final, which will be contested in a river for the first time since the tour’s inception in 1999. The Richmond River will host the country’s best bass anglers and upon completion will crown a champion who will

walk away with a BassCat boat/motor/trailer package worth more than $55,000. For more information on the BassCat BASS Pro Series or any other of ABT’s tournament series, head to www.abt.org.au.

Warren Howe secured the non-boater title at Cania on the back of two solid days on the water.

Yamba Prawn Blade

TOP 10 NON BOATERS Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

Payout

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

12/12 12/12 12/12 9/12 9/12 11/12 10/12 9/12 10/12 9/12

11.96 10.5 10.38 10.16 9.75 9.72 9.43 8.8 8.58 8.36

Westin Rod and Prize Pack Bassman Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

Warren Howe Peter Morgan James Hickson Paul Aldous Jason Martin Dylan Byron Leone Walker Don Johnston Simon Johnson Tom Deer

6–10 feet

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au JULY 2017

101

Johnson blades to Boondooma glory Matt Johnson has won his second BASS Pro event on the bass-filled waters of the South Burnett’s Lake Boondooma. Storming home with the big bag of the DEPS Boondooma BASS Pro on Sunday’s final session, Johnson was the best on the lake by a margin of 2.5kg over second place Steve ‘Killer’ Kanowski and Peter Phelps in third. Johnson led the tournament wire-to-wire, never faltering after his Saturday morning session weight of 4.2kg sat him atop the leader board. His worst session, coming on

THE FUTURE IS HERE Self-contained Electric Outboards

Lowe scored the event’s Big Bass prize with a 1.57kg kicker. That set the tone for Johnson and Lowe’s day, as the pair worked through the area to put together a solid limit with time to spare. With time in the bank, Johnson decided to head to the area of Boondooma known as ‘the Junction’ and scored a nice upgrade. “I was pretty happy after that upgrade and knew we would be competitive with what we had, so I decided to weigh-in as soon as the scales opened,” explained Johnson. Saturday’s afternoon session is always the toughest, and this proved Matt Johnson dominated at Boondooma, catching the Duffrods Big Bag on the final day to secure the win by 2.5kg.

DUFFRODS BIG BAG Matt Johnson saved his best for last delivering a 5.2kg limit to the scales on the final day to claim the event win and the Duffrods Big Bag for the tournament.

STORM

Saturday afternoon, was still second best of the session and miles apart from the rest of the field. Johnson relied primarily on one spot, which consisted of a deep rock wall with standing timber located up the Boyne River Arm of Boondooma. Session one saw Johnson head straight for the productive area where on Friday’s pre-fish day he had caught two fish in two casts making it a likely hotspot for the tournament. On the second cast of the day, Johnson’s co-angler Troy

true again with the majority of the field failing to score a keeper bass throughout the minimum four hours fishing time. For Johnson, he returned to the Junction where the Boyne and Stuart River arms of Boondooma meet, where he targeted fish holding tight to the bottom. “I caught one solid fish off the Junction before the fish went quiet. From there I headed back to my honey hole up the Boyne Arm.” His hotspot failed to produce, only landing one barely legal keeper off the

deep rockwall for two hours of fishing. It was time now for Johnson to spot hop, targeting isolated rock piles he could see with his sounder. “I think the bass were keying in on shrimp and crayfish this weekend, and I believe that the shrimps and crays like to live around the rocks when a cold front hits, because they hold heat.” Johnson used this technique to put another keeper in the well and decided to save his go-to bank for Sunday morning’s final session. Heading back to the rock wall inside the Boyne River Arm, Johnson and his Sunday co-angler Jason

Matt Johnson and Troy Lowe grabbed the lead in session one and were never bettered.

TOP 10 BOATERS Place Angler

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888. 102

JULY 2017

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Fish

Matt Johnson 11/12 Stephen Kanowski 12/12 Peter Phelps 7/12 Simon Marchant 5/12 Grant Clements 6/12 Mark Lennox 5/12 Michael Thompson 7/12 Mark Lawson 4/12 Corey Goldie 7/12 Terry Allwood 4/12

Weight (kg)

Payout

11.86 9.30 6.52 5.50 4.79 4.29 3.86 3.74 3.62 3.53

$2100 + Duffrods Big Bag $1,300 $950 $550

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

Martin decided they would live and die by the one spot, choosing to go back and forth along the one productive bank until their time ran out. The choice turned out to be the right one, as the pair put together the Duffrods Big Bag of the event, weighing an impressive 5.28kg bag to lift Jason to fifth overall in the co-angler section and raise Johnson’s winning margin to an impressive 2.5kg. His go-to technique for the whole weekend revolved around one lure, a 1/4oz NextGen metal blade in two different colours retro-fitted with assist style stinger hooks to get the best hook-up on the timid bites. “Those two baits were key, just hopping them around the rocks and trees. The fish were holding super tight to the bottom all weekend, so a blade buzzing up and down in front of them is eventually going to get one to react. “The stinger hooks were key this weekend. I did try a treble hook, but I didn’t feel confident in sticking those bites. I didn’t really feel a typical bass bite all weekend; A lot of the hook-ups would come as I went to hop my blade again and I’d have lost contact, meaning a fish had picked it up and swum off.” Johnson delivered his winning baits on Barrabass custom rods, in-particular an XP902 and North Fork 402 fitted with 2000 sized spinning reels, 10lb braid and 10lb fluorocarbon leader. “I’ve helped Bradley from Barrabass make what I believe to be the best rods money can buy for the sort of fishing I do. These two models are what we came up with specifically for the technique of hopping blades and mask vibes. You really can’t beat them!” Johnson took home over $2000 in cash as well as the Duffrods Big Bag award for his stellar Sunday morning sack.

BASSCA BASS PR T PRESEN O TED BY

Kanowski comes second again! For the second time on the BassCat BASS Pro Series for 2017, Steve Kanowski came second. Following up from his runner-up finish in the Lews Cania Dam BASS Pro, Kanowski again proved why he’s one of the best in the business by backing it up on a tough DEPS Boondooma BASS Pro. He weighed the only complete 12/12 tournament limit of the entire field. Having marked fish deeper than most of his fellow anglers during Friday’s pre-fish round, Kanowski returned to these bass in 30ft of water on Saturday’s first session. Unfortunately, the congregations of fish he’d found just one day before had scattered, leaving him to scramble for only one small keeper off his primary area.

“The bass were moving around so much this weekend, it was hard to stay on top of them,” commented Kanowski. From there, Kanowski moved much shallower to another patch of fish he’d located in 15ft of water. Again, like his primary area, the bass had scattered. “They were still there, just not schooled up tight like the day before. I knew they’d be in the area, so I just expanded a little and knuckled down.” Kanowski persevered and managed three more keepers to fill out his limit. Heading back out for session two on Saturday afternoon Kanowski was in trouble with only one in the well and an hour to go until weigh-in. He pulled up on a small point in the

‘Narrows’ section of the main lake and within fifteen minutes was upgrading his catch. “That goes to prove you’re never out of it in tournament fishing, we were thinking it was all over, then just like that we’ve got a bag and we’re upgrading – that’s the magic of tournament fishing.” Sunday’s final session played out in a very familiar pattern for Kanowski. After running all over the dam and hitting every spot from the day before, Kanowski and his co-angler Aimee Thompson had just one lonely bass in the livewell. Praying for more of the same, they returned to the point that was so good to them on Saturday afternoon. After a slow start, Thompson snagged up behind the boat. When they went back to

get it off, they found the fish and proceeded to catch no less than 14 scoreable bass in the next hour to fill out their limit and upgrade multiple times. Like tournament victor Matt Johnson, Kanowski also relied on a blade to catch the entirety of his weight – an Ecogear ZX40 in the new #440 colour. Kanowski vertically jigged the blade on fish he could see on his sounders, dropping straight down to them once they appeared on the screen. Kanowski returned from the QLD double-header road trip of the BassCat BASS Pro Series nearly $3000 richer thanks to back-toback second place finishes. He now sets his sights on another Costa BASS Pro Angler of the Year award with three rounds to go. Steve Kanowski claimed his second toptwo result for the year at Boondooma.

BIG BASS Troy Lowe claimed the Big Bass Prize catching the $500 fish in session one on a black and purple vibe in the Boyne River Arm of the lake. Rocks on edge

WINNING TACKLE Rod: Barrabass XP902 rod Reel: 2000 spin reel Line: 10lb braid and 10lb fluorocarbon Lure: 1/4oz NextGen metal blade retrofitted with assist-style stinger hooks

NexGen Blade 1/4 Ounce

Lowe goes high for maiden win Troy Lowe continued the tradition of success in a first ABT event. The rookie tournament angler blitzed the field by over a kilo to take victory in the DEPs Boondooma BASS Pro. Fishing with Matt Johnson on Saturday and NSW up and comer Luke Draper on Sunday,

Lowe was always going to be around the action, and it couldn’t have started any better. “Saturday with Matt started in perfect fashion. I stuck the event big bass of 1.57kg on literally my second cast – in an ABT event, you couldn’t ask for a better start than that,” said Lowe.

Starting Saturday’s morning session on Johnson’s hotspot up the Boyne River Arm, Lowe wasn’t going to take any chances. “I stuck to the same techniques as what Matt had identified was working, so I tied on a NextGen 1/4oz blade and hopped it from the shallows in 3-6ft out to where the boat was holding

TOP 10 NON BOATERS Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

Payout

Troy Lowe

9/12

7.83

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Dylan Byron Aimee Thompson Bert Lumley Jason Martin Matthew Domjahn Brett Hyde Bronsojn Tilley Keeghan Painter Paul Aldous

7/12 8/12 9/12 5/12 7/12 6/12 6/12 5/12 5/12

6.40 6.31 6.21 5.98 5.90 4.91 4.88 4.86 3.84

Westin Rod and Prize Pack + $500 Big Bass (1.57kg) Bassman Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

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

in 15ft of water. Getting that big one second cast told me I was doing the right thing, so I stuck with that for most of the weekend.” On Sunday with Luke Draper, Lowe and Draper again fished up the Boyne River Arm, targeting the rocky banks just like Johnson had in the previous sessions. The pair worked hard to put two keepers in the boat for a respectable 1.25kg limit. In the end, Lowe didn’t need the two extra bass on Sunday, but they provided plenty of breathing room for Sunday’s staged weigh-in on the foreshores of lake Boondooma Holiday Park. Lowe has now qualified for the season ending BassCat BASS Pro Grand Final to be held on the Richmond River later in the year. Certainly there’s no better feeling than qualifying for the biggest bass tournament of the year on your first try!

Troy Lowe secured the non-boater title in his maiden ABT BASS Pro win and value added his event win with the Big Bass Prize for the tournament. JULY 2017

103

Urquhart heads east for victory

THE FUTURE IS HERE Self-contained Electric Outboards

STORM

Joseph Urquhart has taken the victory at the third round of the 2017 ePropulsion BASS Electric series at Hinze Dam with 2/2 fish for 2.18kg with Bass Electric regular Christian Manolea hot on his heels in second place with 2/2, 2kg limit. With a large field assembled for the tournament, Urquhart opted to take the long drive up the Eastern Arm in search of less pressured fish with his focus on the bigger bass holding in the shallow banks near the water pumping tower. “With most anglers heading towards the main basin, I took the risk,” explained Urquhart. With a 45 minute drive ahead of him, Urquhart knew his decision was going to be bust or boom. Once in location Urquhart started targeting these shallow fish with a Valley Hill Ja-Do LV150. Urquhart would make short casts to the edge before starting a high tempo rolling retrieve back to the boat. “I wouldn’t have said I was burning the lure back to the boat. I would have called it a fast roll; the idea was to keep the lure in the

top 2ft of the water column and the bass would see the lure passing overhead,” said Urquhart. For this to work Urquhart used a Daiwa Commander Wildcat rod matched with a Daiwa Zillion HLC reel spooled with 10lb Sea Bass braid and 10lb Toray Upgrade leader. With two quality fish in his livewell early, Urquhart decided to switch up lures opting for Geecrack Orenta 50 rigged on a beetle spin. He would again cast tight to cover before imparting an up tempo roll back to the boat. With the lighter lure Urquhart used a Valley Hill Blackscale 6’2 light spin rod matched with a Daiwa Gen Black 2000 reel spooled with 10lb Toray Seabass and 8lb Toray Upgrade leader. “I found that the better quality fish were holding on the edge leading to the point and not the point itself,” said Urquhart. With the victory under his belt Urquhart was quick to thank his support team, “It is always great to come away with a win, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of my family and the team at Dogtooth Distribution that supplied

THE F Self-co U ntaineTURE IS H d Elec tric OuERE tboard s

BASS EL ECTR SERIES IC

Joey Urquhart with his brace of Hinze winning bass. me with all the products I used today.” MANOLEA MANOEUVRES INTO SECOND PLACE Another strong show on the ABT BASS Electric tour came from Christian Manolea. On a day with lots of small fish he was the only other angler to reach the 2kg mark with his tournament limit. Like most of the field, Manolea started his tournament targeting schooled fish in the main basin. “I was getting numbers of small fish out of the schools, but I just could not get any keepers in the boat,” said Manolea. With the bigger fish not showing up, Manolea knew he needed to make a move in search of better fish. Having confidence that the fish wouldn’t be too far away, he moved to target fish holding on the points leading into the main basin. Manoela would position his boat in 30ft of water and cast up into the shallows and then allow his 53mm Impact Tackle Bladez in brown dog colour to work down the drop-off. For this work Manolea used a Megabass Destroyer

X7 rod matched with a Daiwa Steez reel spooled with a 10lb Sunline Castaway and 10lb Rockfish leader. “I knew the better fish would still be in the area. Once I moved they started to show up in quick succession. I caught all my good fish in a half an hour period,” explained Manolea. WEST BAGS ANOTHER BIG BASS Charles West has had another standout tournament taking his second big bass in as many tournaments with a 1.86kg Hinze Dam monster and in the process took 4th place. West’s fish came off the edge near the old quarry. “It was the first cast of the day. I cast my GeeCrack Daisy Spin (003 colour) tight to the edge and started to slow roll the lure off the edge,” said West. To land this fish West used a 13 Fishing Fate Chrome ML rod matched with a Daiwa Steez 2508 reel spooled with 12lb Sunline Castaway and 12lb Gamma FC. For all the details on the next event or another event near you, head to www.abt. org.au. – ABT

Christian Manolea finished second at a tough Hinze Dam event.

RESULTS

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888. 104

JULY 2017

Place Angler

Bag

Total Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2/2 2/2 2/2 1/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2

2.13 2.00 1.92 1.86 1.82 1.74 1.69 1.61 1.55 1.53

Joe Urquhart Christian Manolea Shaun Falkenhagen Charles West Scott Bryant Darren Little Graham Dodds Mark Palazzi Trent Blake Adrian Wilson

Charles West claimed the Big Bass Prize with his 1.86kg fish.

ABOUT TIME FOR PROPER WORM IDENTIFICATION It’s not very often that I publicly say a government department has made a common-sense decision. Here it comes, though. Do you remember stage one of the East Coast Inshore Fin Fish Plan (we are still waiting for stage two) where we received significant recreational bag and size limits on just about everything that spent some of its life in water? During those deliberations, it was decided that since Cribb Island worms and surf worms were a commercialtake species we should have possession limits. We adapted to all the changes brought in at that time. Some were easier than others. The status quo continued until the great purge of 2012. Once the pendulum swung back a little, we suddenly had a whole swathe of new Fisheries Patrol Officers with no previous fisheries experience. What happened then would have been laughable, if it hadn’t been so serious. There were some fishers digging wrigglers on the beach at Redcliffe and a

of the original legislation. That intent was to protect the commercially collected worm industry. What came from Fisheries Qld was exactly what we would have hoped for. Clear and concise and met the intent of the original legislation. As below: Thank you for your letter of 8 May 2017 regarding legislation of marine worms. Currently, there are two families of marine worms that are regulated through

Northern Territory, Darwin. This identified that the mangrove bloodworm and the rock worm (‘rockies’) belong to the Eunicidae worm family currently regulated. The sand wriggler worm was identified as belonging to the Nereididae worm family and is not regulated. Fisheries Queensland has subsequently reviewed the management arrangements for the recreational take and possession of mangrove bloodworms and rock worms

Possession limits will still apply to beachworms of the family Onuphidae (30 per person). patrol officer challenged them on how many they had saying, “You dug them on the beach, so that makes them beach worms.” The worms were confiscated for identification and naturally the worms died, because there was no longer anyone in the state who could identify the worms that were referred to in the legislation! Then there were several instances when officers

The Nereididae worm family is not regulated and includes sand wriggler worms.

challenged worms being dug in mud and rocks. Once again, they issued the challenges but couldn’t identify whether the worms were cribbies or not. Inevitably they confiscated the worms that subsequently died again. Earlier this year we were given an undertaking that no-one would be given infringements until proper identification of worms could be done. This seemed to hold until May, when a fisher on his way to a state competition had his worms confiscated because the fisheries officer once again could not correctly identify the worms in question. What raised ire this time, though, was the fact that present at the time was a commercial wormer who advised the officers that the worms in dispute were not a commercially harvested species. This seemed to be the catalyst to get a fair and workable solution that was transparent and met the intent

Cribb Island worms (Marphysa mullawa) are valuable to commercial fishers and have a possession limit of 50 per person. possession limits, being beachworms of the family Onuphidae (30 per person), and bloodworms including all species of the family Eunicidae (50 per person). There have been a number of incidences over the past two years where recreational fishers have been inspected by Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) and there has been uncertainty about the possession limits for a number of different worm species. Fisheries Queensland recently completed identification work on worms with assistance from the Museum and Art Gallery

and decided the regulation of these species is not required. The decision took into consideration that the regulation was originally intended to protect the commercially valuable species, the Cribb Island worm, and that mangrove bloodworms and rock worms are not targeted by the commercial sector. QBFP will develop an enforcement directive not to issue infringement notices for excess possession of mangrove bloodworms and rock worms within the family Eunicidae. Possession limits will still apply to beachworms of the family Onuphidae (30 per person) and Cribb Island worms of the species name Marphysa mullawa (50 per person). Fisheries Queensland will provide education to recreational fishers clarifying the possession limits for worms and formally amend the Fisheries Regulation 2008 at the next opportunity.

All worm species of the family Eunicidae have a 50 per person possession limit.

ANGLER EDUCATION INSTRUCTOR COURSE The Level 1 Angler Education Course was run on the weekend of 26-28 May. We had 12 attendees who came from Toowoomba, Caloundra, Tin Can Bay, Pine Rivers, Charters Towers and Mount Isa. The new instructors had varying levels of experience with previous events, so it was a very

full-on weekend. The group seemed to meld well and arranged to work together on the Saturday night on their course work. This leads us to expect that they will work together to assist one another when planning future events. These newly qualified instructors will now go back to their organizations full of anticipation and ready to run their own kids’ fishing days.

The graduating group from the Angler Education Instructor Course, with Sunfish Chairman Charlie Ladd who presented their certificates, Director of Angler Education Keith Latimer and David Bateman, Deputy Chair and one of the instructors and assessors.

www.sunfishqld.com.au

Email: judylynne@sunfishqld.com.au JULY 2017

105

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Trades, Services, Charter Boats & Guided Fishing Tours Directory MARINE TRIMMERS SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND Rowland Street Boat Trimmers Springwood (07) 3208 9511 Brisbane Yamaha (07) 3888 1727 Rays Canvas & Marine Caboolture (07) 5499 4911 Affordable Boat Covers Gold Coast 0419 424 587

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Evans Head Deep Sea Fishing Charters 0428 828 835 Reel Time Fishing Charters Yamba 0428 231 962

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A FISHO’S DREAM For bookings or enquiries contact: Cliff Andreassen 0428 712 283 or 07 5449 9346 bearfish@bigpond.com • www.fraserislandfishingunits.com.au Apurla Island Retreat 0437 739 121 Waddy Lodge on Fraser 0414 516 364 Cathedrals on Fraser (07) 4127 9177 Fraser Island Beach Houses 1800 626 230 Yidney Rocks (07) 4127 9167 Eurong Beach Resort 1800 111 808

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HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION COOKTOWN River of Gold Motel Plenty of room for boats and trailers PH: 4069 5222 MACKAY BEL AIR MOTEL, MACKAY - PLENTY OF ROOM FOR BOATS AND TRAILERS.............PH: 07 4957 3658 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

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JULY 2017

boats & kayaks

In the skipperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seat 110 Spinnerbait snapper Inside story...

Stessco is an Australian owned and operated family business. With a love of fishing and boating, Stessco has built a wide-ranging network of dealerships, with the goal of providing customers with dependable, value-for-money aluminium boats. Stessco prides itself on the wide variety of options available which can be added to the already wide range of different vessels.

Made for...

Anglers who are after a reliable tinny that can be customised to suit their individual requirements and fishing style.

This month...

Editor Steve Morgan climbs into the Breezaway 480 with Yamahaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s F70 on the transom.

Stephen Worley sheds some light on a rather unorthodox but highly effective technique for catching snapper from his kayak.

114 Life after 2-strokes Gary Fooks takes a look at what boating and fishing will be like after the introduction of emissions standards in 2018.

116 Kitting up your yak

Getting kitted up in the kayak can be daunting, so let Justin Willmer help you out with this article.

118 A smaller glass rig

Wayne Kampe explains why he sold his two other boats for a smaller, more versatile fibreglass rig.

122 Stealth Hornet 530

Steve Morgan takes a ride in easily the coolest new aluminium bass boat on the Australian market.

Presenting a fresh spin on catching snapper COFFS HARBOUR

Stephen Worley

Here’s a story that’s not only for the snapper anglers looking for something new, but will hopefully also inspire other anglers to explore new ways to freshen up their fishing. A few years ago I was hooked on thinking outside the box when it came to my fishing. Working at Fishing Tackle Australia meant there was no shortage of different lures to experiment with. My experimentation

work in the salt. I knew that fishing them in the salt wouldn’t provide any useful info for the shop on how they worked in the fresh, but I was determined to try my idea anyway. The next time I was offshore, I started throwing the spinnerbait around, assuming it would have to work in the wash for tailor and kingfish. I got a tailor on one of the first few casts I made with it, and then started fishing off the front of the wash targeting a school of rat kings. I was getting plenty of follows but few takes, so after a

spinnerbaits. I haven’t really had to. If you’ve used soft plastics for catching reds you can pretty much transfer your technique straight over to spinnerbaits. Spinnerbaits can be used in basically the same situations that you would use soft plastics for snapper. You can fish them over shallow inshore reefs, from headlands and island washes, and over rubble beds and deep reefs. I have no doubt they would work on the mussel farms in New Zealand too. When luring snapper,

Chatterbaits have been almost as successful as the spinnerbaits and should not be overlooked as a big snapper lure.

Rigged and ready with the weapons of choice. was mostly just a bit of fun. It was more about fishing with something weird for the challenge, rather than thinking it might be the next big thing. Often the lures that worked best were the relics from the bottom of a random tub somewhere – the type that had been discontinued for years and not another one was left in existence! There was one experiment, however, that was different, and it has stayed with me. Not only did it work, it became one of my go-to snapper techniques for the last few years. It all began one day at work when we received some new spinnerbaits that we wanted to try out. I’d never really fished much with spinnerbaits. When it came to freshwater fishing, I preferred to use either surface lures or hardbodies. I had been trying a lot of new things offshore though, and I couldn’t see why a spinnerbait wouldn’t 110

JULY 2017

few casts I let it drop down under the school and felt a telling ‘tick’ on the loose line. I lifted the rod and watched it load up, and the line tore across the front of the wash. After a bit of a sketchy fight, I was able to land a solid 4kg snapper only half an hour into my spinnerbait experiment. And that snapper wasn’t the only one that was hooked that day. I caught a number of snapper in that session, and I was instantly addicted – hook, line and spinnerbait. Nothing enhances your fishing more than confidence, and nothing boosts your confidence in a technique more than immediate debut success. It wasn’t long before spinnerbaits had replaced soft plastics in my snapper kit. THE SPINCIFICS Over the last couple of years I haven’t really found a specific technique or retrieve required for catching snapper on

you need to get your offering down in the zone, generally the bottom third (it doesn’t have to be right on the bottom), and vary your retrieve. Fast, slow, up and down or in a straight line. These are all fundamentals of fishing with most lures, and are also applicable with spinnerbaits. The type of spinnerbaits I’ve used haven’t varied that much. The snapper responded to the first spinnerbait I threw in the salt, so I haven’t found the need to vary too widely. I have also brought chatterbaits into the same fold in my fishing though, with similar success. Realistically, probably the number one requirement for a spinnerbait or chatterbait intended for

reds is that it can hold up to the rigours of one of the crunchiest mouths in the sea. Decent hooks and wire are needed to resist the force that snapper are capable of inflicting on your spinnerbait. These lures are generally not made with such punishment in mind, and they aren’t usually intended to be used in saltwater either. That means you should look for a spinnerbait with as much stainless steel as possible, and good quality ball bearing swivels on the blades are a must if you want to get more than one session out of your lures. I mostly use spinnerbaits with mixed Colorado and willow blades. I have had the most success with the darker brown and bronze

Even with all the bits and pieces sticking out, a snapper can still find a way to get a spinnerbait into the back of its mouth.

coloured baits, or purple and silver, but again, I haven’t had to experiment too much. I always use a stinger hook and usually have it dressed with a soft plastic. I find that the short strike rate is through the roof if you’re just using the single hook and skirt. ZMan Pop FrogZ and Keitech Crazy Flapper are my preferred trailing plastics. They create a little more flash and movement as well as a bit of body to make the fish bite down a little harder and hold on for longer when striking the bait. I’ve found the TT Striker spinnerbaits fit the bill best for me. They are well built with a solid hook, can cope with the saltwater and are reasonably light on the wallet. This last attribute is very desirable, as you will probably lose a few. The type of gear you want to fish with is similar to your standard soft plastic snapper setup. You want a rod that can throw a bit of weight and isn’t going to load halfway down the blank just from retrieving the spinnerbait. These lures do tend to create quite a bit of resistance through the water on a normal retrieve. SPIN TACTICS As with soft plastics, you can fish spinnerbaits in many different ways. One of the great things about spinnerbaits is that they’re working all the time they’re in the water. They will drop down a slope, hovering just off the reef, and all the while the blades are spinning, whirring and flashing, the skirt is wafting and the trailer is squirming. Compared to most plastics there is a lot less ‘dead time’ during a normal cast and retrieve. When casting from your boat or kayak, you

of my favourite forms of fishing with spinnerbaits involves searching around with my sounder for active snapper, and then dropping the spinnerbait straight on top of them. The key to this technique is looking for fish in the right feeding mode. I scan the dropoffs and bumps around the reef looking for solid fish arches sitting in clear ambush positions. Simply scan slowly over the reef, looking for fish sitting in behind (down current) of a notch in the reef. Fishing from a kayak makes this a lot easier to do without spooking the whole reef.

watch on your sounder as the fish come up to meet your spinnerbait on the drop. Hopefully your focus will then shift to the real world where your rod is loading up and line is leaving your reel! Essentially it’s ‘sight’ fishing via ‘sound’. In my opinion it is as exciting as real sight fishing, and has been one of my most successful techniques using the spinnerbaits. It also accounts for many of my bigger fish. You can do the same thing with soft plastics, but it’s harder to get a plastic swim well in this situation. A spinnerbait will glide down with all

anglers place boxes around certain species of fish, or techniques that we use. We keep ourselves closed to new ideas on how particular fish can be caught. With this kind of thinking, it’s easy for our fishing to get stale. Even if the same old way is still productive, there’s nothing more refreshing than a new slant on an old favourite. It may be a favourite technique tried out on a less traditional species or location, or a favourite species targeted in a new way you haven’t tried before. Just look at what light line lure fishing did for the bream fishery, and the development

It’s on big snapper that spinnerbaits have been very effective for the author. can either use a slack line or tight line presentation. If you leave the line slack, the spinnerbait will whirl its way down and back towards you at a steep

angle. You will be able to see a hit on a slack line presentation by watching the braid sitting on the surface. If you see it start to straighten out faster, or

Nothing raises your anticipation like watching your spinnerbait drop down into the ‘zone’ just in time for some fish arches to appear on screen.

Sometimes there’s not a lot to see on the sounder apart from that one ominous little arch sitting down on the reef.

see a tick or bump, lift your rod and wind up tight. Your rod will either load up with a fish or simply lift the spinnerbait in the water column. If the latter occurs, just raise it up with your rod and allow it to glide back down under slack. If the snapper misses your spinnerbait, it’s pretty rare that they won’t strike again if it’s still down in the strike zone. This is where a quality sounder can really help. Knowing the depth, structure and, even better, where your lure is in relation to them dramatically increases your success rate. If you go with a tight line your spinnerbait will glide back to you at a more shallow angle. For this reason it’s often better to use a tight line when casting at shallow washes and reefs so that the bait will swim out and away from the rocks. You can fish these lures while drifting, as you would a soft plastic, by casting downwind ahead of your drift and bouncing the bait back to you. The retrieve is a little different, as spinnerbaits are quite stable in the water so you can’t really make them jerk around like a plastic. Your movements will be a little smoother, raising the spinnerbait and letting it glide down. You can target areas like washes and pinnacles – just blind cast ahead of your drift or even just let it hang out the back while drifting as the insurance rod. SIGHT AND SOUND FISHING No matter what technique you use, a sounder is key to making sure you’re in the right areas and fishing where the snapper will be. One

Snapper have some pretty nasty jaws, so strong spinnerbaits are preferred for this caper. Obviously you will need to do this very stealthily in a boat. One convenient attribute of the spinnerbaits when using this ‘digital sight fishing’ is that they also show up quite well on the sounder. In the right situation, you’re able to watch your spinnerbait glide down right into the zone. If you’ve found the right fish you will actually

its bits and pieces whirring and flashing as it goes. O bviously, this technique means you’re actually fishing a little less, but you will only be targeting fish that are active. The more you use this technique, the better you will be at spotting the right fish in the right mood. VENTURE OUTSIDE THE BOX All too often we

of targeting whiting on surface lures. Of course, soft plastics for snapper changed that fishery forever, and now slow jigging is doing the same. Maybe your next experiment could start the next big thing… Is your fishing being restricted by a stale vision of the fish you’re chasing? If so, it’s time for a fresh spin on your fishing!

Snapper on spinnerbaits started off as an ‘experiment’ by the author, but now it’s his go-to method! JULY 2017

111

WHAT’S NEW BOATING WHITE LIFE CELL

BLADE MASTER PFD

The Life Cell is designed to reduce the amount of lives lost at sea by keeping all safety equipment in one place when abandonment is the only option. Now available in white, Life Cell is made from closed cell PU foam and constructed from UV-resistant, flame-retardant polyethylene (PE), and is supplied with a PE mount bracket. The Life Cell is designed to automatically float from the bracket in the event of being submerged. Unlike grab bags, Life Cells float, acting as a secure hand hold to keep all crew together. They also act as stable platforms to assist in the deployment of flares and other safety equipment. The EPIRB is mounted externally on the side of the Life Cell, and the internal compartment will fit all mandatory safety equipment (not included). There are three models: the Trailer Boat (assists 2-4 people), the Yachtsman (4 people) and the Crewman (8 people). Price: SRP $365-$646 www.lifecellmarine.com.au

Blade Master PFDs are designed for canoeing, kayaking and watersports activities where manoeuvrability and comfort are essential, and the women’s range has now been expanded to include a hi-vis fuchsia version. These PFDs feature fully-adjustable side closure and adjustable padded webbing shoulder straps, plus retro tape for safety. Features include two front pockets (one mesh, the other zippered nylon), both with pocket inserts; two ‘D’ ring attachments; and back hydro pack pocket. Blade Masters are constructed from layered foam, providing flexibility and body comfort. The compact design provides excellent freedom of arm and shoulder movement when seated, and they are approved to AS4758-50. Available sizes are women’s 8-16. To view the full Blade Master range, which covers men’s and children’s sizes, visit the BLA website. Price: SRP $95.30 www.bla.com.au

CASHBACK FOR HDS GEN3

AFFORDABLE FUSION 5 EL SPEAKERS

Lowrance has announced a cashback promotion across its HDS Gen 3 range of multi-function displays, with $100, $150 and $200 cashbacks on offer for 7”, 9” and 12” displays respectively. The offer is available for HDS Gen3 units purchased from 1 May to 7 August, and can be redeemed at www.lowrance.com. HDS Gen3 combines a fast processor with enhanced built in fishfinder and chartplotter technologies. Superior target separation is achieved through CHIRP, StructureScan HD and StructureScan 3D sonar imaging. A multi-touch display and full keypad operation offers fingertip access to all features, with easy to learn, icon-driven commands. The user-friendly features extend to scrolling menus, cursor assist, snap-to setting markers and preview panes with quick touch side bars, with operation similar to a smartphone or tablet. HDS Gen3 displays network together, so multiple units may be employed. The system also offers full boat integration, with electric motor, outboard, and electronics control achievable through one networked HDS Gen3 system. www.lowrance.com/en-au

SIMRAD RS20 VHF RADIO

Simrad’s new RS20 VHF radio is Class D DSC Approved and NMEA 2000 compatible. It’s ideal for a wide variety of boats, and is designed to match the low-profile style of modern Simrad Glass Bridge displays and accessories. The RS20 features a dot white matrix LCD screen with inverted night mode, four backlit mic buttons and an easier frontmount installation with snap-on edge bezels. A replacement for the RS12 VHF Radio, the RS20 has a new Startup Wizard for easier radio set-up, improved scanning features, a favourites shortcut for customizing your favourite settings and a My Channels list, enabling users to only scan desired channels. The layout of RS20 controls are designed for left-hand operation, allowing for right-hand control of the helm. Other features include: intuitive rotary and keypad controls; four-button fist microphone, dedicated channel 16 keys, tri-channel watch function, multiple scan modes, easy bracket or flush-mount installation, IPX7 waterproof, and a 2-year warranty. Price: SRP $379 www.simrad-yachting.com/en-au/ 112

JULY 2017

PRODUCT GUIDE 1

Fusion has expanded its award-winning line of marine audio entertainment systems with the release of the new Fusion EL Series speakers. Designed to offer quality audio reproduction, combined with the aesthetic functionality of the full spectrum of red, green and blue LED lighting, the EL Series speakers allow boat owners to customise the look and feel of their vessel to fit any boating style. Suitable for both internal and external installations, the new speakers are available in a choice of Classic and Sports grille configurations, with LED lighting available on the Sports grilles. The lighting can be controlled with an RGB controller that is sold separately, for easy adjustment. Offered in 150W 6” or 180W 6.5” sized speakers, the powerful EL Series houses a polypropylene cone and PEI flush-profile tweeter in a water-resistant chassis for maximum performance and durability. With a compact basket assembly, these speakers have a mounting depth of only 41mm for simple and versatile installation. www.fusionentertainment.com

GARMIN QUATIX 5

3 4

Paired with onboard Garmin marine electronics, the rugged Garmin quatix 5 can stream NMEA 2000 data such as speed, depth, temperature, wind information and more. Further, when paired with a GHC 20 autopilot control unit, it can be used to control the autopilot to change heading, engage heading hold, steer to an active GPS route and initiate patterns. The quatix 5 also makes it easier than ever to mark and save a waypoint from anywhere on the boat, transmitting it to your chartplotter. You can also use it to control compatible onboard entertainment systems. The quatix 5 gives boaters up-to-date tide data downloaded through a smartphone, and provides access to that data for seven days. It also has an anchor alarm and an anchoring calculator. For tournament fishing, there’s a competition timer and fish catch log. Other features include: sunlight-readable colour display with LED backlight; water resistant to 100m; and directional stainless steel EXO antenna and high-sensitivity GPS with GLONASS support. Price: SRP $799-$949 www.garmin.com/en-AU

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

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BRISBANE HOLT MARINE

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BRISBANE NORTH BRISBANE MARINE

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JULY 2017

113

Advertorial

What happens when 2-strokes are gone? BRISBANE

Gary Fooks

When I’m looking for an outboard for a small tinnie or a tender, I think of convenience first and reliability is a close second. But I don’t usually spend a lot of time thinking about it. When small engine emissions standards commence mid-2018, the carby 2-stroke imports will

we have now will be about it. I’ve listed hereby the 3hp options available now, including the eight options we soon loose – leaving just nine models. The story is not so dramatic when it comes to larger engine sizes, as the market has already turned to cleaner engines, not just to be green, but the fuel savings, less smell and less smoke … you know the advertising blurb. They have a point!

When looking at clean 2-strokes; the Direct Injection 2-strokes are too top heavy with technology and just don’t make it down to the smallest size range. The smallest E-Tec, TLDI or Optimax we see is about 25hp. Even the direct injection leader, Evinrude, fills the small lend of their catalogue with 4-strokes. The first complaint I hear about 4-strokes is “they are twice the weight!” But the

By mid 2018, the carby 2-stroke imports will cease and dealers will have a year to clear stocks. facts often spoil a good story. Have a look at the table hereby. Not only do we have the dry weights written, but I have added a column with a realistic weight, adding a standard 1.4L of fuel to the transom. The first thing I noticed is that the 4-stroke offerings from Tohatsu and Suzuki are in the same weight class as the 2-strokes they replace. The Tohatsu, an older proven

product, and the Suzuki, a newer technology, make the choice tough. To put the weight difference in context, the difference between the lightest 2-stroke and the heaviest 4-stroke is 6kg. That’s less than the weight of two six packs of beer, and less than the weight I promised to lose before my next birthday. The Torqeedo electric

are hard to beat, and that’s why I predict that they will become a common sight on the waterways. Everyone is accustomed to charging a mobile phone, so charging an electric outboard is easy. By comparison, think about buying a fuel can, taking it to BP, filling the 5L, spilling a little, the fumes filling the boot and car, taking it to the boat, filling the 1.4L fuel

When emissions standards commence in mid-2018, setups like this should become more common. ENGINE COMPARISONS Make hp Model Mercury 2.5 M Mercury 2.5 M Parsun 2.5 T2.5BMS 2C Parsun 2.6 F2.6MBS 4C Suzuki 2.5 DF2.5S Tohatsu 2.5 MFS2.5AS Tohatsu 2.5 M2.5A2 S Yamaha 2.5 F2.5AMHS Torqeedo 3 Travel 1003 s Yamaha - premix 3 3AMHS Mercury 3.3 M Evinrude 3.5 E3R4 Mercury 3.5 M Tohatsu 3.5 MFS3.5A S Tohatsu 3.5 M3.5A2 S Tohatsu 3.5 M3.5B2 S Parsun 3.6 T3.6BMS 2C cease and dealers will have a year to clear stocks. With an 8hp pre-mix 2-stroke pushing out more measured emissions than a 150hp 4-stroke, it’s no wonder they won’t pass the new standards. Some will scramble to buy the last carby 2-strokes on the shelf, but frankly I would be concerned about how hard parts will be to find, and I can forget about resale value. So, what options will there be? The world’s biggest outboard markets, the USA, Canada and Europe have had small engine emissions standards for up to 20 years, so the engines for a regulated market have already been developed. In fact, they are already in Australian dealerships. Australia is only 4% of the world market, so don’t expect there to be a rush of new models – what 114

JULY 2017

Technology 4c 2c 2c 4c 4c 4c 2c 4c E 2c 2c 4c 4c 4c 2c 2c 2c

Kg (dry) 19 13 16 18 14 13 12.5 17 13.4 16.5 13 18.4 19 19 12.5 13 16

Kg + 1.4L of fuel 20 14 17 19 15 14 13.5 18 13.4 17.5 14 19.4 20 20 13.5 14 17

As an angler himself, the author understands that convenience and reliability are the two major considerations before any outboard purchase.

Electric powered alternatives like Torqeedo are becoming more and more popular.

outboard, even with its heavy, built-in battery, is the lightest in its class and a clear winner when we do a fair comparison, and add just 1.4L of fuel to the petrol outboards. The low weight will win some loyalty, but I suspect that electric outboards are going to become a common sight. Not that I think for a minute that we are all turning green, but we do love convenience. I also predict we are going to see more. I was in my local mower store yesterday and saw that STIHL, the German chainsaw manufacturer, has just released a wide range of battery powered garden tools. Clearly electric power products are for serious users. The German Torqeedo is designed and built as an electric outboard. For most tender applications, they

tank, spilling a little more, the smell on your hands spoiling the bait and losing a bite. It’s a smelly, messy process, even without trying to work out how to mix in 2-stroke oil and calculating a 1:50 ratio. Just like battery power is making huge inroads into the power tool and garden tool sectors, so too will purpose-built electric outboards. And I don’t mean a petrol outboard with its hefty leg, converted with an electric powerhead. Small engine emissions standards won’t bring the end of the world as we know it. Nothing you own now will be banned, and there are plenty of quality 4-strokes and clever electric options to fill the space left when two strokes leave the scene.

The perfect boats The perfect boats for barra, bass or bream for barra, bass or bream

Fishing with Nitro is a blast! Whether you’re a tournament pro or a weekend warrior, Nitro boats will ignite your passion and pack more fun into your day. Just getting there is half the fun! For more than 20 years, Nitro have continually refined and delivered serious fishing boats for serious anglers.

The world’s #1 aluminium fishing boats! Tracker’s outstanding quality and unique manufacturing process have made them the world’s largest boat builder – producing more than 40,000 aluminium fishing boats per year. Their foam-filled, unsinkable, 3mm plate alloy hulls are robotically welded to deliver superior quality at a lower cost – and are backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

Nitro boats are foam-filled to exceed US Coast Guard survey requirements. This gives you the safety of level floatation, security and comfort – and additional fishing stealth – all backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

Tracker’s Pro Guide series is designed with a deep-vee hull for exceptional performance, even in rough waters. Their Diamond Coat finish is a Tracker exclusive that resists oxidation, providing protection and a shine lasting 70% longer. Standard features include a Minn Kota trolling motor and Lowrance colour sounder, plus tournament-ready live well systems and rod lockers.

Call Tim Stessl now on 0429 680 504 to arrange a test drive or em:tim@flboats.com.au Hopefully it will be rough, as you’ll be stunned by the performance of these boats when the weather gets challenging!

Fishing and Leisure Boats, 167 Currumburra Road, Ashmore, QLD 4214

www.fishingandleisureboats.com.au

Kitting up for cracker kayak fishing sessions BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

This issue I thought I would walk you through one of my kayak setups from tail to tip, outlining the kit that I carry on my kayak, what I use it for and any tips associated with that piece of equipment. Your kit may vary depending on your kayak and the fishing adventure that you’re undertaking, so I have opted to describe my larger

C-Tug trolley. Its features include a kickstand that keeps the trolley in position while you load up, materials that won’t corrode (even when used in salt water) and a simple strap system to secure the kayak on the trolley. The C-Tug also dismantles so that it can be stored in larger hatches. B: ICEBOX An icebox allows you to take a feed out or bring a feed home, while keeping your catch in optimum condition for the table. The size of your rear well will dictate the size

reels can get wet. I’ve also seen too many end up in the drink after being lifted out of the rod holder accidently with a paddle. Rod holder extenders are a simple addition and these pieces of pipe slot into your existing flush mount rod holders to position your

kayak I carry a double-sided tackle tray loaded with my favourite fishing tackle, along with a soft plastic wallet loaded with my go-to plastics. At times I carry additional tackle and leader items for longer sessions or new environments and these are stored in a dry bag that is

A trolley (A) makes it easy to transport your kayak to and from the water, especially when the kayak is rigged with gear. rods and reels further from the water. I prefer adjustable rod holders, like those from Railblaza, as I can have additional mounts on the kayak and move the rod holders around as required to suit trolling, storage behind the seat or horizontal storage if I’m paddling under low bridges or overhanging vegetation. I have invested in a Railblaza TracPort Dash that attaches to the kayak using two StarPort mounts and allows me to then attach four Railblaza Rod Holder II adjustable rod holders.

A camera mount (S) will allow you to capture much better images of you holding fish, with less chance of lost cameras or phones. pedal kayak kit, allowing you to trim back the gear to suit your requirements. Winter is a time when being kitted out and prepared makes your adventures safer, more comfortable and more productive. For those that have the kayak off the water during the cooler months, it’s a great time to fit out your kayak and prepare your gear for when the weather warms. A: KAYAK TROLLEY A trolley makes it easy to transport your kayak to and from the water, especially when the kayak is rigged with gear. Some kayaks, including Hobie and Native Watercraft, have specific trolley options designed to suit their hull shape, while for many kayaks a more generic trolley option is suitable. Some kayak trolleys are designed to insert into scupper holes, while others have the kayak simply sit on top, strapped securely in place. Once I have launched I simply secure the trolley to the rear of the kayak with a couple of octopus straps. One of the best options I have seen and used is the 116

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of the icebox you can carry, with 20-26L a popular choice. Iceboxes generally feature better quality insulation than cheaper coolers, including insulation in the lid, and they are also often more robust. I generally use a few ice bricks, stored in a large ziplock bag to keep them clean, while other anglers prefer ice or frozen bottles

kept behind my seat. I have found that the dry bag allows quick and easy access, keeps the gear in top condition and floats if anything goes wrong. E: CAMERA CASE I carry a waterproof camera in my pocket that is ideal for taking photos on the fly, especially if you come across some wildlife or a brief photo opportunity. A digital SLR allows you to take some amazing photos though, so I opt to carry mine in a waterproof camera case behind the seat and I will take it out to capture sunrises and sunsets, scenery,

The author’s whole kayak fishing kit.

The author stores scents (J) in the centre console’s drink holder, applying scent every 20-30 casts.

of water that they can then drink as they thaw. I set up my icebox with the lid opening facing my back so I can reach around and access it. I also leave it unlatched so I can swing a fish around on the lip grips, lift the lid and unclip the fish into the box. Being insulated in the lid, the icebox lid has more weight and will close itself, resisting any escape attempts of a lively fish. C: ROD HOLDERS Most kayaks come fitted with a few flush mount rod holders and these are ideal for storing landing nets, lip grips and other tools. I prefer not to store my rods in these holders as they are too close to the water, where the

Iceboxes (B) generally feature better quality insulation than cheaper coolers, including insulation in the lid, and they are also often more robust. Rod holders (C) are ideal for storing landing nets, lip grips and other tools. This means I can securely lock in four rod and reel combos behind my seat for easy access and switch out a rod holder for a Railblaza Extenda Pole and light for night fishing, or remove the whole unit when transporting the kayak. D: DRY BAG – FISHING TACKLE In the cockpit of the

wildlife, other kayak anglers and fish photos when there is an opportunity available to get quality images. It’s important to regularly check the seal on the camera case to ensure it’s free from dirt and objects that may cause a leakage point. I leash my camera case to the kayak using a T-Reign retractable gear tether.

F: COOPER ANCHOR I use a Cooper poly anchor. It’s lightweight, extremely effective and inexpensive. I attach it via a thin rope to the front

tuck it beside my seat or store it in a rear flush mount rod holder without it acting as a sail. You will quickly learn to leave enough line outside the rod tip to guide the fish

and flathead. I store these in the centre console’s drink holder, applying scent every 20-30 casts. K: BOOMERANG TOOL It’s a good idea to keep

Lip grips (H) are ideal for safely and securely handling many species of fish. If your kayak doesn’t come fitted with a kayak paddle holder (L), there are solid clip and bungy models available that can be retrofitted at a later date.

Don’t forget to take a ruler (I). There are foldable compact options that you may like for storing on your kayak. connection point on the anchor, with the rope running back along the anchor shaft and zip-tied to the attachment point at the end of the anchor shaft and from there to the floating, timber winding spool. This setup allows the zip tie to be broken and the anchor retrieved in reverse, should it snag on the bottom. If you loop the zip tie through twice before zipping it up, it should remain in the attachment point for disposal in the bin. On my anchor rope I have two stainless steel rings tied into the rope, one at a common rope length for shallow water anchoring and one at a common rope length for deep water anchoring. This allows me to quickly and easily let out enough rope and then attach the stainless steel ring to the tag line on the anchor running rig. G: LANDING NET A short handled landing net with a large enough opening to handle your target species makes landing fish simpler, safer and less stressful, although you’ll still lose a few yakside. I prefer a short handled net, as I can

into the net. H: LIP GRIPS Lip grips are ideal for safely and securely handling many species of fish. I generally net my fish then attach the Boga Grips for handling and releasing fish. The grips also make it easy to transfer fish from the cockpit area to the icebox if you’re keeping a couple for a feed. As with all accessories, leash it or lose it. I: RULER I keep my ruler in the cockpit area, attached to a T-Reign retractable gear tether and tucked under my seat, out of the way. It’s hard to go past an Alvey ruler or their longer folding ruler for a ruler that is compact, durable and easy to use in the kayak. J: SCENT I’m a believer when it comes to adding scent to my lures and it has proven itself time and again, whether switching on a bite or turning tentative taps into more aggressive strikes. I generally carry a couple of flavours. Mullet and pilchard flavour are my favourites on the bream

allowing you to stow your paddle out of the way when fishing. Remember to leash your paddle onto the kayak. M: ANCHOR RUNNING RIG I have written about

The author prefers a short handled net (G) that he can tuck beside his seat or store in a rear flush mount rod holder without it acting as a sail. some line snips handy for rigging and I will either attach my Boomerang Tool Snips to my shirt or to the mesh pocket on my kayak, using their retractable leash when rigging. I always know where they are and it’s not on the bottom of the ocean! L: PADDLE / PADDLE HOLDER If your kayak doesn’t come fitted with a kayak paddle holder, there are solid clip and bungy models available that can be retrofitted at a later date,

anchor running rigs (anchor trolleys) before and there are plenty of videos and articles on how to set one up, so I won’t go into great detail. If

and safely. I transfer my running rig between kayaks. On the longer kayak I use Fasty Straps from the pulleys to mounting points on the kayak to pull the anchor running rig tight, so it operates effectively. N: TACKLE TRAY A double-sided tackle tray slid under my seat holds all of the lures and terminal tackle that I use regularly. If you don’t have access under your seat, this can be stored under your legs, in a side pocket that can be fitted if not included on your kayak, or even behind your seat. O: SOFT PLASTICS WALLET I also keep a range of soft plastics handy in a wallet under my seat. Again, this can be stored under your legs or in a side pocket if you don’t have under-seat access. A leash can be added to assist in retrieval from your rear well. P: WATER BOTTLE Drink plenty of water. I

R: SOUNDER / GPS Although not essential, a sounder and GPS has many applications for anglers, including locating and marking fish and fish holding structure. I run Railblaza mounts for my sounder and transducer, as it makes it quick and easy to remove the unit when transporting the kayak, store the unit or switch it from one kayak to another. A small 7 or 18amp battery stored behind the seat provides me with plenty of power for a session on the water. S: CAMERA MOUNT A camera mount attached within reach and a waterproof camera will allow you to capture much better images of you holding fish, with less chance of lost cameras or phones while attempting to hold them upside down at arm’s length taking selfies. T: DRY BAG – CLOTHES / FIRST AID A dry bag containing additional clothing and your safety kit can be inserted in

A sounder and GPS (R) has many applications for anglers, including locating and marking fish and fish holding structure.

A double-sided tackle tray (N) slid under the seat can hold all the lures and terminal tackle that you use regularly. You can also keep a range of soft plastics handy in a wallet (O) under the seat.

you are going to anchor, an anchor running rig is a loop of rope attached to a pulley toward the front and a pulley toward the rear of the kayak, with a tag of rope coming off the loop where you attach your anchor line. It allows you to move the anchor from the front to the rear of the kayak and retrieve your anchor easily

like to keep a smaller water bottle under my seat or under my legs out of the sun, and refill it from a larger bottle stowed in my icebox. Q: SUNSCREEN Take a tube of sunscreen with you and re-apply when you change locations or stop for lunch. I keep it handy in a side pocket, so it’s visible and not forgotten.

your front hatch or attached with bungy cord to the front of your kayak. This is a quick overview of my kayak kit and how I have everything laid out for a fishing adventure. I hope it helps you set up your first kayak, gives you a few ideas for your current setup or just fires you up to get out on the water and onto a few fish. JULY 2017

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A smaller, more versatile fibreglass fishing rig BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

In the last few articles I have emphasized the need for potential boat owners to have a very close look at their fishing needs prior to making a decision on a new boat. As part of the last article, I discussed the pros and cons of owning both alloy and glass craft and, in fact, I was actually drawing upon my own fishing life. Unable to decide exactly which boat would suit us best, we had two – glass and alloy! A typical week might mean a Monday morning bay run for some pelagic or sub surface action in the 5.5m Galeforce centre console followed by a fast Friday foray to a favoured bass or barra dam for some fun with the fly rod, where the 4.3m TABS tiller steer would be in a starring role. Owning two boats, naturally, is not very practical. It was fun at the time, so long as the money tree remained in fresh foliage. And even though I tried to overlap their usage, it was as fanciful as it was impractical. The smooth riding glass Galey with it’s 90hp E-Tec was a bullish boat for impoundments – less is more in small waters – yet the centre console setup was a top treat when travelling for hours on the bay or moving out through the seaway for a sunny morning’s billfish trolling. On the other hand, the tiller steer alloy TABS Bullshark punt with it’s 40hp E-Tec was top dollar for dams and creeks, but hardly the best boat for a run to Tangalooma’s beacons at daylight. Still, the impracticality of owning two boats saw me frequently speculating how good it would be to have

The author’s former 5.5 Galeforce centre console. Watch this space for a photo of the newby in another issue. just one boat for our fishing. These thought processes always accelerated when it was time to pay dual boat/ trailer registrations and insurance policies. ONE BOAT FOR BAY AND IMPOUNDMENT One boat for both scenarios would see fishing needs best satisfied with a craft somewhat around the size of the punt – fibreglass if possible – with enough freeboard and sea keeping ability for work in the bay and even the largest impoundment, and with enough fishing room for my wife Denise and I to enjoy things without being in each other’s way. This latter requirement can also be translated as ‘not hitting each other with big barra flies!’ Those criteria needed to be enhanced by ease of launching and a size small enough to see us sneaking

into subtle sections of dams or corners of creeks for our beloved barra. All boats involve compromises, but there was no disputing that ride quality and sea keeping were high on the list, along with some storage room and a practical layout. THE 4.5 GALEFORCE A conversation with Kev Youngberry of Galeforce Boats, Maryborough, on an entirely different matter, rekindled my interest in a smaller glass rig. Kev and I spoke of perhaps adding a 4.5m Galey to his line up. For the record, I have owned three Galeforce craft – a 4.8m and two 5.5s – and with over two decades of boating reviews for this and various other magazines in my wake, I figured I knew a good thing when I was aboard it. I regarded the Galeforce ride as top shelf. The handling was spot on and

stability at rest from the deep vee hull was never an issue, as large reversed outer chines and a central planing plank imparted excellent degrees of stability at all times to the 21° vee hull. The plank also enhanced low speed

homes in due course and during the construction time some solid liaison between Galeforce and myself sorted out all those things that can make a good boat even better. I couldn’t have chosen a more agreeable

hull of the 5.5 Galey with its sky blue bottom. You just don’t get closer to feeding fish than that! Moving on to more of our requirements, a moulded bracket and associated wiring for the Mercury Xi5 electric motor would cater for our stealthy dam work, a double console (with screen and rails) provided handy storage plus some slipstream protection underway. Add an 80L under-floor fuel tank, thanks. I wanted it set up for hydraulic steering with paired floor seat spigots and a 20” transom to accommodate a 75hp Evinrude E-Tec. A Keel Shield on the bow will protect the bow’s gel coat on boat ramps and gravel dam verges. When I later turned up with a stainless steel leaning post for the forward casting platform, Kev immediately discussed where he could source spigots to take the two upright lower sections. No argy bargy – let’s do it! ONLY A COUPLE OF COMPROMISES One item for major consideration was whether we would have a self draining floor or opt for a big sump at the transom and a 600 GPH bilge pump to take care of any rain water.

The new craft’s 80L fuel tank is firmly within its capsule to ensure it cannot rub or chafe throughout the boat’s life.

Settling onto the Dunbier multi roller trailer. The sky blue toning is just the ticket for a stealth approach to pelagic fish. 118

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travel as well. A usually dry ride, courtesy of plenty of above water flare in the bow area and 800mm high sides, was par for the course in all three of my centre console rigs. A 4.5M CENTRE CONSOLE Can the 4.5 be a centre console? Why not? From the dimensions Kev gave me, I considered the 4.5 Galeforce to be small enough for dam work, yet big enough for the bay. And, best of all, it wasn’t going to ring-bark the money tree to get it home. Our boats left for new

or accommodating boat building team. Kev and Meth were right on the ball during our initial discussions, which covered a lot of ground, mainly sorting out what I wanted to use the boat for and how we could best accommodate those plans. SUCCESS IS IN THE DETAILS A white hull with blue bottom was mandatory as I firmly believe that matching the sky’s colour under the hull had allowed us to sneak very close to feeding pelagics in the past. At times I actually had macks hit the

We decided on the sump/ pump combo as the way to go. Raising the interior floor level so that a self-draining system would be viable did not appeal to me. I opted for an interior freeboard of 500mm instead. One item removed from the list was the seat (containing a storage compartment) in front of the centre console. It would be nice to have it, but for a two person fishing team, it would be superfluous. Its removal would allow the console to be moved forward to better balance the craft.

FISHING NEWS

Chloe ‘She Fishes’ Laurence switches to Mercury

Massive box sections under the Galey’s floor ensure hull rigidity at all times. THE CERTAINTIES The front deck, incidentally, escaped compromises. It sported an anchor well up front and two opposing storage compartments with watertight hatches. Further back at the rear of the deck was a full width foam-lined ice box large enough for mackerel and tuna with a floor tilted skilfully to the drainage bung to facilitate cleaning out after the catch was removed. A little thing

like that can sure make a good boat better! The screen and shelf equipped centre console would house the Lowrance Carbon 12 sounder. Forward controls for the 75 E-Tec were side-mounted on the console. All Denise and I needed to enjoy travel time would be a couple of swivelling pedestal seats. And some windcheaters too! As I saw it, we would have a near-perfect rig for our main fishing requirements:

launching at a bayside ramp at sparrow chirp and mooching around Moreton Bay to look for some surface action would be as easy as snugging the Dunbier trailer to the tow bar and towing the rig to a barra or bass dam for a few days of freshwater action. There is a lot to like about this boat and further down the track we’ll have a closer look at just what makes our smaller fibreglass fishing rig fun to own and fish from.

Chloe Laurence is having a great time – breaking down stereotypes while doing what she loves. A talented fisher with numerous tournament wins to her name, Chloe is helping to eliminate the myth that fishing’s just ‘a bloke’s sport’ while encouraging everyone to try throwing in a line. “It started out fishing occasionally on the weekend but I got bitten by the bug and now it’s developed into a full-time passion,” said Chloe, who also works as a fishing journalist and photographer, and has her own website “She Fishes”. With a focus on inshore sports fishing as well as game fishing for marlin and tuna, Chloe spends as much time as she can out on the water – propelled by a brand new Mercury 150 FourStroke. “My husband Tom and I have had two stroke engines on our Seydelcraft 520R for the last five years and have done nearly 3,000 hours

in that time, but decided to upgrade after fishing with friends with four strokes. “The boat is very sensitive to weight, so the Mercury 150 was an obvious choice being the lightest engine in its class. “I admit I was a little concerned about losing that two stroke ‘grunt’ that really helps with some of the river bar crossings that we have here on the East Coast. “But our initial test runs put those concerns to rest instantly. The power, that instant acceleration of the 150 Mercury FourStroke is just incredible.”

Chloe, like so many others, has also been amazed at how quite the engine is. “It’s often hard to tell whether or not it’s actually running when it’s in idle, and you can comfortably have a conversation even when running at high revs. “I also really like the troll control option and being able to increase our RPM in small increments below 1,000 rpm with the push of a button. “It’s a great feature when live-baiting for marlin and just makes life that bit easier out on the water.” – Mercury

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Stessco Breezaway 480 with Yamaha F70hp - SC

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Main: Stessco’s Breezaway 480 is a really easy to use rig, whether you’re downsizing from a bigger boat or opting for a more comfortable option than an open tinnie. Above: At cruising speeds and pulling 4000rpm, you can expect nearly 3.5km/L of fuel burned. design. With four cylinders and four valves per cylinder, the F70 gives awesome power-to-weight that’s applicable across a whole range of popular hulls.” And we can’t argue the point. The F70 is a very common and popular motor. With the Stessco carrying a duckboard and fold down aluminium steps, getting into and out of the boat is easy for the whole family. The hull draws so little water that you can just swing the transom

around to the beach and load up that way. The test package had an optional bait board and bimini top, which helped set it up nearly perfectly for whiting fishing. Anchored in the channel and with a couple of rods hanging over the transom with live bloodworms – who can see themselves in this picture? The front seats swivel around to watch the rods, you sit in the shade of the bimini and there’s a mile of cockpit

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What do you get when you cross arguably Australia’s most popular mid-range outboard with an aluminium hull configuration that’s favoured by recreational anglers Australia over? You get the Stessco Breezaway 480 powered by Yamaha’s sensational F70 outboard. Cheap to buy, cheap to maintain and cheap to run, runabouts in this size class are a favourite of anyone who likes to drop the anchor, set a couple of fresh baits, relax and wait for the fish to find you. Stessco’s Breezaway does all of this in comfort and style. We took the 480 out on the water on Queensland’s Jumpinpin recently and you can watch the boat test video by scanning the QR code on this page or by jumping on the FishingMonthly YouTube channel. Starting at the transom, we cornered Yamaha’s Will Lee to explain just why the F70 was one of the most popular Yamahas on the market. “The F70 is the lightest 70hp outboard in its class – that’s two-stroke or fourstroke,” Will said, “and the reason that they’re so light is the single overhead camshaft

be on your shopping list when you’re after a craft of this ilk. Packages start at around $30,000 – the test boat weighed in at $31,500. You can get more information from www.stessco.com.au, or like Stessco on Facebook. • Quoted performance

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

space to work in. You just need to convince your spouse that it really is their job to pull up the anchor when you’re moving spots. And that you need to move, because you had no bites in the last 15 minutes. The bimini top on the test boat is an optional extra, but I’d argue that it’s virtually a mandatory option no matter where you are in Australia. “The Breezaway is a boat that we sell to anglers both downsizing their bigger boats or upsizing from a plain tinnie,” said Russel Tippet, Stessco Sales Manager. Indeed, with its ease of use and user-friendliness for anglers that like to slow the pace down a little, it should

Steve Morgan

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FMG

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.

SPECIFICATIONS Length....................................................... 5.18m Beam......................................................... 2.18m Depth........................................................ 1.16m Bottom........................................................3mm Sides...........................................................3mm Max hp............................................................80 Capacity........................................ Five persons Hull weight............................................... 480kg Fuel...............................................................70L

The Breezaway is eminently suitable for laying a few baits out the back and fishing at a relaxed pace.

Duckboards either side with handrails and a fold-down aluminium ladder make transom boarding easy.

The helm is simple – here it holds the Yamaha LCD gauge and a small fishfinder. The test boat was fitted with mechanical (rather than hydraulic) steering.

The helm seats swivel 360° to be useful for fishing and driving. The bimini top is an optional extra that can be ordered and fitted at the factory.

The anchoring system is simple and manual. Drop it in the well while travelling and tie it off to the cleat when it’s deployed.

Like all good boats, there’s a place for your phone, keys and wallet. It’ll even stay dry under there.

The Breezaway draws nearly zero water and allows you to get into the tightest fishing spots. It’s also easy to launch and retrieve.

Lean through the windscreen to deploy and retrieve the anchor. Or at least get your mate or partner to do it. They’d pay money at the gym for a workout like that.

Now that’s a lot of workspace for a 4.8m boat. The rear lounge folds over as required and the transom door makes loading from the stern pretty easy.

An underfloor kill tank solves the problem of where to store the catch. It drains into the bilge.

The Breezaway can handle a little chop, but it’s probably not the Stessco I’d choose for long trips offshore.

You don’t know that you need a transom door until you have had one.

All of Stessco’s accessories are factoryfitted, giving the owner peace of mind that they have been installed correctly. JULY 2017

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Quintrex Stealth Hornet 530 is a smooth ride

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Main: The 530 Stealth Hornet is a pretty radical upgrade. With the Evinrude G2 E-Tec 150, it’s a rocket out of the hole and demonstrated great economy at cruising speeds. Above: With a 630kg hull-only weight, Quintrex has realised that sometimes, heavier hulls give a better rough-water ride. in a future boat test). I stood up in the Stealth and filmed boat-to-boat at 25 knots. Usually, this results in a pile of rough, unusable footage, but as we ran down the waterway, I had no problems standing up and the running shots were great! Combine the weight of this hull with the low and mid-range of torque from the G2 Evinrude and you basically get the best performing Hornet, ever. Evinrude, of course, is one of the few manufacturers developing cutting edge outboard two-stroke

RPM....... Speed (km/h)........ Economy (km/L) 500............................. 5............................... 7.6 1000........................... 6.............................. 2.6 2000..........................10.............................. 1.2 3000......................... 35.............................. 2.4 4000......................... 53.............................. 2.2 5000......................... 71.............................. 1.8 6000......................... 84.............................. 1.7 * Viper 21” three-blade propeller JULY 2017

your local Quintrex dealer. Indicative pricing for the rig as tested was $49,790 from Caloundra Marine. To watch the on water test video, scan the QR code on this page or visit the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel. • Quoted performance

SPECIFICATIONS

PERFORMANCE

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Let’s face it, there has been a time in all of our fishing journeys when we wanted a Quintrex. If you were an offshore boater, it might have been a centre console, but if you were an inshore angler, it’d probably be a Hornet. For many years Hornets have been swarming in waterways across Australia. Around a decade or so ago – when exchange rates favoured imported boats – Hornets had a lot of competition from imported bass boats, mainly from the USA. But with this latest iteration of the Aussie hull and layout, the gap between performance and looks has been narrowed dramatically. Spending the day with Quintrex brand manager Nathan Shaw and crash test dummy, Cliff Antees, I had a great opportunity to put the Stealth through its paces. For me, there was a demonstrable point where I thought, ‘this is the best riding Hornet that I’ve ever been in!’ It was when we were running down a choppy Gold Coast Broadwater, filming the second boat on the test day (which was the Frontier 590 – read about it

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

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sort of solution to make some of the underfloor storage drier. If we are in an age when a computer can trim an outboard better than a human, then I think it’s fair to demand a place to put my boxes full of expensive tackle that won’t get wet in the first downpour.

FMG

technology and it’s hard not to be impressed each time I’m in charge of one. The other aspect that makes this boat a pleasure to drive is the integrated power steering in the E-Tec. It actually takes a little getting used to. I’m used to feedback from hydraulic steering – if I’m trimmed wrong, steering gets harder and vice versa. The Evinrude’s steering is light throughout the trim range. In that respect, maybe it’s a good thing that their automated ‘iTrim’ is able to be activated. Experienced boaties usually turn their nose up at the prospect of a computer trimming the boat for them. In reality – don’t knock it until you try it. It’s like driving an automatic car after learning in a manual. You’ll get to like it! From an angler’s point of view, there’s a thumbs-up for the massive amount of underfloor storage space, the dry glove box storage, the ability to flush-mount a

12” screen and the new keelhugging rod locker design that takes rods up to nearly 9ft. There’s a bit of effort to flip the back deck over between driving and fishing positions, so if you like moving spots 50 times a day, this may be an issue. I’d also love to see some

Length......................................................5.29m Beam.........................................................2.06m Depth........................................................0.95m Bottom........................................................4mm Top..............................................................3mm Hull weight............................................... 630kg Rec hp............................................................75 Max hp.......................................................... 150 Max engine kg..............................................255 Capacity.........................................four persons Make sure you take a Stealth for a test drive if you’re in the market for this kind of boat, especially if you’re a current or previous Quintrex owner. You’ll be pleasantly surprised. Visit www.quintrex.com. au for more information or

Sportsfishers will love the amount of deck space available in the Stealth.

It doesn’t hurt that Quintrex’s parent company, Telwater, is the Australian distributor of Evinrude outboards. The 150hp HO model was a great match for this hull, which has a horsepower range from 75-150hp.

Quintrex has been rotomolding their own dash assemblies in-house for decades. The current console iteration easily holds a 12” screen, flush mounted.

Quintrex also design, print and install their own in-house boat wraps. The Stealth will turn heads both on and off the water. It has been a few years since the F-Series hulls were launched and there’s no doubt that the style is well accepted.

Left: The hidden anchor locker combines with a fold down cleat to make a neat solution to a clear workspace at the bow. Right: The electric motor batteries are mounted underneath the front casting deck. This distributes the weight evenly and lets the hull work to its potential.

There’s an absolute mountain of space underneath the casting decks – both front and rear. Unfortunately it’s ‘splash proof’ and not ‘waterproof’ in a downpour. Still, your stuff needs to be under there. It’ll fly off the deck at full speed otherwise.

When a boat does 80km/h, the passenger console is pretty important. The step between them is the lid for the rod locker.

At rest, the rear deck doubles in size with a flip-over section that covers the seats. The rear underfloor storage is divided by a decent livewell.

For added bling, the test boat had a MinnKota Ulterra up front. Self-deploying, they’re currently the top of the line on servo-driven trolling motors.

There’s a neat, watertight glovebox fitted under both of the consoles.

Half a dozen rods to 8’6” can fit in the rod locker – or a landing net! JULY 2017

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JULY 2017