Queensland Fishing Monhly November 2017 by Fishing Monthly

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS • MORETON BAY MACK ATTACK

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Features

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30 years of Qld Fishing Monthly Tips to turn your results around • Taking on topwater thrills • Schoolies on spoons • DIY: Lipless Doc

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November 2017, Vol. 30 No. 1

Contents NORTHERN NEW SOUTH WALES

BOATING AND KAYAK

105

SPECIAL FEATURES

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the years. There are too many to list here, but you know who you are. We are sure you’ll enjoy Bob Thornton’s chat to two of our longest serving contributors inside. GONE FISHING DAY GREAT We hope that you all got involved in Gone Fishing Day. It’s important to make time for your passions in a world that seems to get busier and busier, and what better excuse to go fishing than on our National Day. Plenty of people who got involved and registered on the website won some great prizes, and there’s no better way for the angling community to display a show of strength than the massive participation we experienced on the day. Thank you, Aussie anglers! You can search the hashtag #gonefishingday to see all of the awesome images from the event.

AUST

Schoolies on spoons Tips to turn your results around 30 years of Qld Fishing Monthly DIY lure making: Lipless Doc

the company – there’ll be a very interesting article about what went on when the courts decide just how naughty the alleged offender was. Other challenges have involved digital disruption from social media and the inability of Australia Post to have any sort of consistency in their delivery. We apologise to any subscribers who have been affected by this. Regardless, Fishing Monthly is still producing quality magazines for thousands of keen anglers all over the east coast. We reckon that in the modern time of information overload and social media clutter, there’s still something special about getting a magazine and sitting back to relax, knowing that 100% of the content is about the sport that we love. So we’ll keep doing it as long as you want us to! A special thanks to all of the staff and writers who have worked for and with us over

REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 16 Camping and 4WD 80 Cooking 88 Dam Levels 74 Freshwater 74 Fun Page 79 Junior Northern 73 Junior Southern 51 Politics and Fishing 36 Sheik of the Creek 104 Sunfish 81 Tech Tricks 18 Tournament News 89 Track my fish 86 Trades and Services 102 What’s New Fishing 98 What’s New Boating 108

co-owner Jim Bren retire, at which point I bought the magazine with Production Manager Matthew Drinkall and sales manager, Robyn Lawrie. Matt’s job was to take the magazine from cut-andpaste to digital. He did that job perfectly, and to this day he has never missed a print deadline. Over the years we have also renovated the Australian Fishing Trade Association’s magazine, and produce this behind-the-scenes publication to this day. We were also involved in the first 10 years of the Australian Fishing Championships TV show, which is also still running today and just filmed its 13th season, in Queensland, last month. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing though. We published a free title called Boating Queensland, which didn’t pay its way and we axed it after a couple of years. And more recently a whole lot of money went missing from

ION

Whitsundays 62 Ayr 64 Townsville 65 Hinchinbrook 67 Lucinda 66 Cairns 68 Cairns NFZ 69 Port Douglas 68 Cooktown 70 Cape York 70 Weipa 71 TNQ Freshwater 72

30 YEARS AND COUNTING Little did I know, while handwriting my first article for South Queensland Fishing Monthly in 1987, that I’d be typing an editorial for that very same publication 30 years on. But that’s what I’m doing right now. And what an amazing 30 years it’s been. Under the guidance and assistance of founders, expatriate Kiwi Michael Airey and Jim Bren, I turned my marine science training into practical publishing and business skills that I still use to this day. Mike’s main lessons revolved around making sure that the writers wrote to the reader and not to impress other writers. This still rings true. In 1999, Mike encouraged me to start Australian Bass Tournaments to help advance the industry. ABT is still innovating today. 2000 saw Mike and

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school mackerel

Schoolies on spoons MORETON BAY

Spero Kartanos

Some people will tell you there are no fish in Moreton Bay, but I disagree – it’s not hard to catch a feed when you know how, and have the time to be there on good fishing days. This is particularly true with such a reliable species as the school mackerel. Unlike spotted mackerel, schoolies don’t feed on the surface very

this is with a paravane or a diving board. Lots of anglers who read my Moreton Bay reports (www.reports. fishingmonthly.com.au) see all my photos of schoolies caught trolling, and ask how and where to catch them using this method. I get asked how to attach the line to the board and to the spoon, what fishing gear I use, the time of year, tides and times. So far I have been just emailing people back with advice, or replying on the forum,

grow up to a metre but are most commonly caught at around 35-80cm. The minimum legal size for schoolies in Queensland is 50cm, and they have an in-possession limit of 10. These fish are around the same size as spotted mackerel, and to the untrained eye the two species can look similar, however, school mackerel have larger and fewer spots, which are often poorly defined in adults. These bronze-grey blotches are distributed haphazardly and can extend all the way down to the fish’s belly. Spotted mackerel, on the other hand, have smaller and more numerous spots, which usually extend no further than two thirds of the way down the

Trolling at 6 knots with the Penn Squall 20 and Mariner rod bent over, ready for a strike. since almost the beginning of time, catching Spanish mackerel, tuna, kingfish

like the consistency of the pros who we’d see methodically going up

plane with a keel, while trolling boards look like a mini surfboard and

Using a lure cam revealed that most hits come from the side rather than from behind the jig.

All geared up and ready for a school mackerel trolling session. often (I have seen them on the surface maybe five times in 40 years). What this means is that to catch them, you need to get your lure down to where the fish are. The best way to do

but I have decided to write a complete article to cover everything. SPOTTIES AND SCHOOLIES School mackerel, also called doggy mackerel, can

fish’s side. Another difference is that a school mackerel’s first dorsal fin is black with some areas of white, whereas a spotted mackerel’s dorsal fin is blue when it first comes out of the water. LEARNING CURVE Pro fishermen have been trolling for pelagics

and other sought-after species. When I lived in Victoria decades ago, ‘couta fishing was big business, and I can still remember the pros trolling with large Smith jigs with two hooks attached, and catching thousands of fish. The old method for catching school mackerel in Moreton Bay was to anchor up or drift where you thought they were, or where you saw the pros targeting them, and throw out a pilly and wait. We had some success, but nothing

and down, pulling in one schoolie after another. We found out they were paravaning, and decided to try it. For this type of fishing you can use either paravanes or trolling boards – they’re similar, and are designed to do the same thing. Both have holes at each end, so you can attach the mainline to one end and the leader to the other. The difference between the trolling boards and paravanes is that paravanes are shaped like a paper

have no keel. Whichever one you use (I strongly recommend diving boards for this) the idea is to tie it on above your spoon and troll it. The shape of the paravane or trolling board causes it to quickly dive down, and either shimmy or sway from side to side. It drags your spoon down behind it, and its large profile provides an additional visual attractant to predators prowling below. Once we decided to try paravaning, we went out and bought our first

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school mackerel trolling boards, grabbed some 3” Halco and Makka spoons, and off we went. In the early days our results were terrible – we ended up with spinning diving boards and lots of tangles. We had no choice but to use trial and error until, but after

many unfruitful days, we figured out the technique and achieved very good results. The good catches have continued to this day. GEARING UP If you want to catch schoolies this way, the first thing you should do is find a

good quality trolling board. We use the 50cm and 60cm Yamashita boards, but the Delta brand boards and the orange tuna boards work as well. More local stores are starting to stock trolling boards, so they shouldn’t be too hard to get. Over all the years I’ve fished in the bay, I’ve found the best spoons to use are

line to the blunt end of the trolling board in its middle hole, with a little notch cut in the plastic so the line doesn’t slip with a locked blood knot, and connect this to a large swivel. From this I attach 15ft of 40-50lb line to the spoon. You can expect to get snipped off on occasion at the swivel, but spoons aren’t too expensive

Paravaning Rig 25-30lb line

looking for surface bait balls to cast to, and you have the trolling boards out, you can catch a spotty where you’d least expect it. FINDING THE SCHOOLIES I started mackerel fishing in Moreton Bay around 40 years ago, and we fished for years around the ring netters, who were catching

don’t lose as much gear because your lines are less likely to cross when you get a fish. You really don’t want crossed lines, because the mackerel’s razor-sharp teeth always tend to find the other trolling line, and there goes your expensive trolling board. If you find yourself catching grinner after

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Position the towing eye halfway along the slot.

The author about to unhook a hungry schoolie. They aren’t always big but the action can be thick and fast.

the 3” Halco or Makka spoons and the old style Halco Smith Jigs. I prefer white, but I’ve also found that pink, red and silver catch fish on their day. The speed for trolling them is between 5 to 7 knots. The rig I use consists of a 20-30lb main line connected to the pointed end of the trolling board with a large snap swivel. I then tie a 10ft length of 30-50lb

so that’s no great loss. I use overhead reels for trolling, with 10-12kg rods. I normally have two running at the back of the boat – one at about 20m and one 30m back (I have even seen pro fishermen catching mackerel in the motor wash). Having your lures at different distances helps in two ways. Firstly, you can see what depth they are at, and secondly you

Large swivel

40-50lb line

grinner, that means you are too shallow or you have your board too far back. The depth the boards dive to are between 12-18ft depending on your speed and distance behind the boat. Trolling can also work very well for spotted mackerel, especially on the days when the spotties are not feeding aggressively on the surface. When you are travelling at 5-6 knots

tonnes of spotted mackerel a year. They were true gentlemen and I have to say I miss them. Surprisingly, we recreational anglers still caught as many mackerel as we wanted, despite the pros – the schools were that thick. Back when the netters were around, the school mackerel season was different. These fish were To page 12

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school mackerel From page 11

only a winter/spring option, with a season that ran from June to October. The rest of the time we chased spotted mackerel off the surface. Then the government stopped ring netting, and the spotted mackerel seasons became very unpredictable, with some

very short seasons. On the plus side though, the school mackerel fishing has made up for this. The schoolies have made the bay their home, and you can catch them most times of the year. These days the areas that we fish for them are around the Hope Bank beacon, the

four reds at the end of the Rous Channel in front of the Lazaret Gutter from Green to Peel islands, Rainbow Channel, Days Gutter and Browns Gutter. We also catch them in front of the Big and Little Sand Hills at Moreton Island where the two ‘go slow’ yellows are, one in front of the Big Sand Hill and the either at Shark Spit, and of course, the Measured Mile beacon in the shipping channel and all the beacons in the shipping channels. The Rainbow

channel, which was the prime spot in the early days, still produces many fish as well. I’m a fair weather fisherman so the only thing I really look at are the tides. There are no guarantees, but overall I prefer the run-in tide rather then slack water. The exception is the big king tides, when I try to fish the slower part of the run, but I think the smaller tides are best for the schoolies. Judging by the amount of undersized fish this year (in the thousands!), it’s A selection of trolling boards and spoons.

The author’s grandson Nic with a nice schoolie picked up en route to the whiting grounds.

Catches like this used to be common only in winter, but anglers are now catching these fish all year round.

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going to be a very good schoolie season. ON THE TABLE While school mackerel aren’t generally regarded as highly as Spanish mackerel as a table fish, they are still great on the plate. I personally can’t tell the difference between the different mackerel species when eating them fresh. Schoolies are delicious smoked, in curries and paellas, just pan fried or tempura. Possibly the best thing about them though is that their frames are delicious! Just like roast lamb, the meat closest to the bones is the most moist and delicious. When I fillet mackerel I always

leave some extra meat on the back frames, and then grill them with a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic, fresh or dried oregano, salt and pepper. The bones are no problem, as the meat slides away very easily from them. I hope this article helps you get some fresh fish on the table after your next trip out on the bay. Since I started my weekly online reports, I’ve received literally hundreds of emails from readers who gave this method a go and caught schoolies for the first time ever, plus some very happy children catching their first big fish. It’s great to see.

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Change it up – tips to turn your results around BRISBANE

Sean Thompson

We all know that at times the fish just don’t appear to be there, or they simply won’t bite. Sometimes anglers fish on regardless in the hopes that fish will

happening. They’ll use this information in an endeavour to change it up, trying a new lure, bait or location, or simply a different time. It’s these anglers who can turn their results around, most of the time. To start off, being well prepared for a fishing session

A move of less than 100m in a river can put you onto big whiting like this. arrive or the magic bite switch will be turned on any minute, because a fish prediction calendar tells them it will be. Other times the fishing action might be hot to trot, but for some reason you miss out. Some anglers might simply dismiss this as pot luck. The thinking angler will instead turn their mind to the environment around them. They’ll use all their senses and modern technology and think about what’s happening, or perhaps not

or trip can mean a number of things and be the difference between the dreaded ‘donut’ and a good session. Not only will you start the session with more confidence, but if the going gets tough, you’ll have the tackle, know-how and tools to change things up. Check out Figure 1 for a checklist of things to prepare. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? While it’s one thing to be prepared and have plenty of options up your sleeve, it’s another to know what

you’re doing wrong in the first place. Asking yourself the simple question ‘what am I doing wrong’ is critical to turning your results around. In fact, sometimes the fish may be biting their heads off, but just not on your baits and lures! There is normally a reason and you want to work it out fast before the fish move on. Let’s consider a couple of scenarios and investigate the sort of questions you can ask yourself to determine what you are doing wrong before exploring how you can change things up. While it might not seem it at the time, if others are catching fish and you aren’t this is a lot better than the fish not biting at all. This is because you can go through a process of elimination to work out what you’re doing wrong, what they’re doing right or if the successful angler’s fishing spot is different in some way. Figure 2 is a checklist of things to ask yourself when others are catching fish but you aren’t. Other times while fishing by yourself in an area, or even with others about, you might find the fish aren’t biting or just don’t seem to be there. In addition to the questions mentioned above, there are a few other questions you can ask to determine why the fish aren’t there before you change location. Check this list questions out in Figure 3. CHANGING IT UP Once you’ve asked yourself these questions and worked out what you might be doing wrong, or what others are doing right, you’re ready to change things up. That is, you’re ready to fine-tune your methods, ready to make a move or, in

FIG. 1 BEING PREPARED • Have a target species in mind – know their best season, preferred baits, lures, best feeding times and preferred locations. • Study the area you are going to fish using maps, Google Earth, by seeking local knowledge and by ‘reading’ the water you’re going to fish before you fish it. • Get up-to-date reports from reliable sources. • Keep a fishing diary – study your past trips at this or similar locations from your paper diary or your GPS marks, and name you GPS marks according to date and species. • Don’t take shortcuts – don’t fish the water closest to the track down to the beach, lake or boat ramp just because it’s easier. • Take the right tackle – if you’re in a boat or 4WD take advantage of it by taking extra rods and reels and rig them up with different lures or rigs. • Be mobile if you’re on foot – have enough gear to have options, but not too much to weigh you down. A couple of shoulder bags are perfect for this and you don’t have to keep walking back for your gear. • Take spare rigs – soft plastic anglers can pre-rig some jigheads with different colours on various weight jigheads and bait anglers can wrap spare rigs around a piece of pool noodle. the worst case, come back another time. If the fish are biting, obviously it pays to persist in the area. That doesn’t mean you keep doing what you’re doing if it isn’t working. Try and work out why others are catching fish and you can’t. If you can’t, try something different anyway. If you work out that successful anglers nearby are fishing different water to you (in colour or surface or underwater features), it might be time for a move. If there is no room within a courteous distance from other angler(s), then look for that same structure elsewhere. For example, on a recent trip to Fraser Island, my mates and I were targeting different areas for flathead around one of the creeks on the western side. We were fishing the usual haunts – creek mouths, drop-offs, back-eddies and entrances to drains – and drawing a blank. Then one of the boys landed a number of fish in quick succession in some tannin-stained water. This flicked the switch for

FIG. 2 MISSING OUT ON BITING FISH • Are they casting further or closer to the shore or structure than you? • Are they using a different bait or lure? • Is the colour of the water that they’re fishing different in any way, such as a tea tree coloured patch of water in front of a creek on estuary flats? • Have you transferred any unnatural smells like sunscreen, cigarettes or grease onto your bait or line? • If you’re bait fishing, are you pulling the hooks on the fish by not giving the fish enough line to run and hook themselves? • Are the other anglers using a fish attracting scent on their bait/lure? • If around a bridge or jetty at night, is there more or less light on the water in front of them, or are they at the boundary of the light? • Is your leader too heavy, or are they using braid rather than monofilament lines? • Are they fishing the edge of a drop-off or close to some other structure like fallen trees? • Check your sounder/sidescan – are the fish or the bait sitting under them and not you? • Is the surface of the water they are fishing different in any way, (e.g. it has a white water cover if you are beach fishing?) • Are they using a different retrieve? • Are they fishing on the shady side of a river or estuary during the middle of a sunny day (which provides fish with cover)? • Are you spooking the fish in some way? Are you banging around in the boat, splashing around in the water or have you waded too close to the fish? • Are successful lure anglers nearby fishing around old boats or structure covered in growth while you are fishing around new boats or structure with no growth? • Are they using some attractant on their rig, like red tubing for whiting, or charging up fluoro beads at night above the hook? • Are you anchored over structure on a reef rather than up-current of it and so your baits are being carried past the structure by the current? • Are you using too much lead, or is your trace too short and thus presenting your bait unnaturally? 14

NOVEMBER 2017

us and as good as our spots were, we found the baitfish and the fish. They had taken cover out of the very clear water as the sun got higher in the sky. We moved and sure enough caught fish in similar spots.

on the estuary flats, as they can catch everything from whiting to bream to bigger fish like grunter and flathead. Big fish will also still take small lures. If you’re lure fishing, apply one of the many

A move from a pumping surf beach to inside an estuary mouth can pay dividends. Another option to change your results is to use some berley. You can do this from a boat, the beach, a lake or even from estuary flats. Use it liberally but don’t overfeed them and you should bring the fish to you. A great little trick to fire the fish up without overfeeding them is this mixture; fill a large bucket 1/3 full with sand then add a 300g packet of unprocessed bran, water and 100ml of tuna oil. Mix this concoction up and disperse a handful or two at a time. It will bring baitfish and the fish to you without overfeeding them. If you don’t have access to this, cut up some pilchards in small pieces and mix it with sand. This is a great option off the beach. A change of lure colour can also turn things around. In very clear water, use light greens, blues and whites. In dark water use bright or very dark lures to create a silhouette effect. Changing your lure size can also help at times. I love using small soft plastics on light jigheads

great scents on the market, like Pro-Cure, Squidgies S Factor or Ultrabite (to name a few). I apply scents to my plastics and hardbodies every 8-10 casts and I find I catch more fish after reapplying a scent. Whether it’s the scent or my confidence, it works. Another mistake anglers can make is that if they have caught a few fish in an area they are loathe to move even if the action slows down. When I’m fishing the flats or in a boat looking for whiting or flathead and I’m no longer catching fish, I will fan a few casts in the area before moving on. Importantly, don’t just fish ‘no man’s land’ or water with no structure when you move; be patient and move to the next likely bit of structure. You may have the advantage of technology like a GPS/sounder. If your location is devoid of bait or fish, move! Look for bait or fish on the sounder and then start fishing again. Be sure you don’t spook the fish by motoring over the spots you’re about to fish. Off the beach, a move to the next gutter or a gutter

closer to other structure like a river entrance can pay dividends. If you don’t have a 4WD, or the beach doesn’t allow them, a ‘fat-wheeled’ beach bike can be a great option to move from gutter to gutter. Another good option can be a move off the beach in very big seas to inside a calmer estuary

the shallows can make the mistake of using the same rod and action in deeper water. In deeper water, you need to change things up a bit by changing your lure action and rod for deeper water jigging. You want to use a lift and drop technique rather than cast and retrieve the lure from a distance for

Shoulder bags on the flats allow you to be mobile and give you plenty of tackle options. mouth where the bait – and the fish chasing them – can turn up and produce surprising captures. CHANGE YOUR TECHNIQUE Sometimes a change of technique can be enough to turn your results around. This can be anything from a subtle change in your retrieve in the same spot or trying a different technique altogether. For example, when chasing flathead if the fish are spread out, it can be a good idea to troll lures to cover more ground. On the other hand, if you’re trolling with little success and perhaps catching too much floating weed, a change to drifting with bait could be in order. If the fishing is still tough, you might decide to anchor up next to known flathead structure, like a creek entrance on the falling tide or the edge of oyster racks, and berley the fish to you. Alternatively the fish might be in very shallow water where the water is draining off the flats or further up an estuary that is only accessible on foot or kayak at low tide. On these occasions you want to hop out of the boat and walk the shore throwing soft plastics or vibes to likelylooking areas. An area even reasonably experienced anglers can overlook is the action of their rod on the lure. Anglers who usually fish softer or fast action rods for flathead in

flathead. You also want to use a stiffer or fast action rod. Softer rods will absorb your lift and drop technique and not impart the same action as a stiffer rod. Snapper, particularly in big bays, like Moreton Bay in Queensland, are another species where a change of technique can put you onto fish. A great technique is to fish for snapper with lightly weighted soft plastics during the slow stage of the tide about 1-1 1/2 hours either side of the tide change.

techniques even during the middle of the day. Another option is to change your target species. If you’re fishing off the beach with gang pilchards and getting bites but keep missing the fish, check your bait. If you find the stomach region or middle third of your bait is missing, this can often mean bream are attacking your bait. Changing over to a 1/0 suicide hook with pilchard pieces can turn a frustrating session into a productive one with a few bream from the beach. Another example could be changing from chasing reef species at dawn, to trolling for some pelagic fish once the sun is well and truly up. Here you might move to find some bait schools on the sounder or chase working birds. USING YOUR SENSES In trying to understand what you’re doing wrong, you want to use your senses to understand what is happening around you. If you see a flock of terns smashing baitfish a few hundred metres away, head over there in your boat or to the nearest gutter on the beach. In an estuary, if you spot scattering baitfish nearby, throw a cast there

Fishing with drones and slide baits for fish like Spanish mackerel has gained popularity in recent years for a change to regular beach fishing tactics.

Small light coloured lures are a good option in clear and sandy shallow water, even for bigger fish. tops of which are exposed. These rocks also absorb heat. Flathead will lie in the vicinity of these rocks. USING THE WIND As an angler, I have a bit

very calm to chase whiting, flathead, bream and other species on plastics and bait. RETURN AT A DIFFERENT TIME Sometimes after you’ve

tried many of the options above and moved around, you might realise the fish just aren’t there. You might want to pack up and head for home; if you do, make a note of the time, tide, moon phase, water colour and temperature (or beach conditions) and weather in your fishing diary. This way you can return at a different time or tide and change things up that way. Before a fishing trip, do your homework and prepare. If things don’t go to plan, try to work out why and be ready to mix things up to turn your results around. For more tips, tricks, reports and giveaways, jump on my Facebook page Ontour Fishing Australia. Until next time – bag your mates, not your limit!

FIG. 3 FISH AREN’T THERE OR AREN’T BITING • Is the water too calm or clear to provide protection for baitfish or their predators? • Is the water too discoloured from a recent flood? • What stage of the tide is it? Is there enough current to bring your target species on the bite? • If you’re trolling or throwing lures, are they being fouled by weed? • Check your bait presentation; is your bait in a clump on the shank of the hook or lying naturally on the hook? • Is there some form of structure to attract the fish or bait around where you are fishing or are you in ‘no man’s land?’ • What is the water temperature? Is it too hot or cold for your target species? • Is there something that could be putting the fish off, like swimmers, jetskis or boats roaring over your spot? • If on a lake, is the wind pushing dead insects and other food across the surface to the other side of the lake? • If you’re fishing off the beach, does your gutter have enough water? • Is it so bright and sunny that the fish have moved to deeper water? • Is your sinker size too big and making your bait look unnatural? • Are you making sure your lure is hitting the bottom if you’re trolling or casting for flathead? • Is the location regularly commercially fished?

A change to a shorter, sharper lift and drop technique with small plastics can be the trick when bream outnumber flathead in your target area. Outside that period the tidal run becomes too fast to drift plastics down naturally, so we change over to trolling deep diving lures over the same spot. Provided there aren’t many other boats around spooking the fish and there are fish and bait on the sounder, you can catch snapper with these

flats in winter or early spring you might notice the water temperature is lower than usual. This can call for a change of location to look for warming water which might spark fish like flathead or whiting into biting. You should then use the research of the area you did before the trip, or your local knowledge, and move to slightly warmer water. This might be in a shallow, dark muddy bottom (black mud insulates heat) or around patches of rocks, the

straight away as it generally means a bigger predator like a mulloway, trevally or flathead is causing them to flee. Likewise, if you see trout jumping on the surface, get a cast over there ASAP. It’s more subtle, but you can also use your sense of touch to help find fish. That is, if you are wading the

of a love-hate relationship with the wind. When it blows too hard you can’t get out in the boat and it turns the beach into a washing machine. If it’s too light, the fish might move off to deeper water for cover or the beach can become a mill pond and hard to find a fish. A good medium is a light breeze of 5-10 knots, so there is at least some ripple or swell on the water. That said, if the wind is blowing hard where you’re fishing, all is not lost. Use it to your advantage and get upwind from where you want to cast; cast with the wind to be able to throw longer casts. Alternatively, work out the direction of the wind and fish the lee or calm side of a headland, bay or anything that provides some protection from the wind. On Fraser Island, if the big southeasterlies blow up during tailor season, we’ll head off to the western side of the island where it can be

The author and his son threw out a pilchard berley when things were slow, resulting in this lovely flathead off the beach. NOVEMBER 2017

Taking on the topwater thrills NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

As waters warm with the approach of summer, surface luring really comes into its own, all the way from the tropical north of our nation to the temperate south. It’s hard to beat the

by any visual clues prior to the actual moment of impact. They can come like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky. One moment your lure is happily popping, paddling or gurgling along the surface unmolested, the next moment – bang! It doesn’t matter if it’s a yellowtail kingfish, tailor, salmon, trevally or Spanish mackerel in the salt, or a bass,

huge array of shapes, sizes and configurations. Amongst the most popular styles in this country are floating plugs made from timber or plastic with cupped faces (called poppers or ‘bloopers’), as well as those fitted with various propellers, swinging arms, scoops or fixed paddles that help to create a sputtering swimming action when retrieved.

minimal cranking of the reel to pick up slack line. Often, the longer the retrieve takes to complete and the more pauses incorporated into it, the greater the chances of drawing a strike, especially in common freshwater scenarios. Simple stickbaits with much less built-in action can also be very useful surface lures, especially those models with a tow point situated under the nose, as these can be made to zigzag attractively or bob from side to side using a retrieve technique known as ‘walking the dog.’ This deadly topwater action is achieved by cranking the reel at a slow to medium pace while jerking or bouncing the rod tip rhythmically to alternately tighten and slacken the line. It can take a little practice to

Tailor love topwater lures!

Many anglers will be out there trying to catch their first mega Murray cod on a topwater lure when the new season opens. rush of pure adrenalin that courses through an angler’s veins whenever a fish suddenly rises to the surface and smacks a topwater presentation. These surface strikes are often unheralded

barra, Murray cod, sooty grunter, saratoga or trout in the fresh. Getting crunched on a surface lure is right up there with the very finest of fishing’s many thrills. Surface lures come in a

Most of these stronglyactioned topwater plugs can be either retrieved in a straight line at various speeds, or twitched and blooped in a comparatively small area using rod tip movement and

Fizzers such as the classic Heddon Torpedo range are deadly on summer bass.

Poppers are right at home in tropical seas on aggressive fish like trevally, but also work well further south, especially as the water warms.

perfect this retrieve, but once you crack it, the results are often spectacular! Surface lures can be used to represent a broad range of potential prey or food items, from baitfish to prawns and insects to frogs. For some of our peak freshwater predators such as Murray cod, barra, saratoga and really large Australian bass, it doesn’t end with frogs, either. Mice, rats, small birds, lizards, snakes and the like are all grist for the mill where these species are involved, and the next tale of a mega Murray cod inhaling a fully

grown duck off the surface certainly won’t be the last! Fortunately, there are surface lures and presentation techniques suited to imitating all of these potential meals: from the smallest to the largest. In many instances, precise imitation of particular prey items isn’t really necessary in order to elicit a positive response from a potential predator. Often, it’s more about attracting attention by creating the general impression of something scared and vulnerable struggling on

the surface and trying to get away. This is especially the case in low light scenarios (dawn, dusk, overcast days or after dark), when surface lures often perform at their very best. Whether you paddle a small ‘walker’ for bass, swim a giant, articulated snake for bruising Murray cod, speed a rubber frog across the weed tops to enrage impoundment barra, or chug and bloop a popper for tailor, salmon and kings, surface fishing is extra special, and you’ll never, ever forget those spectacular topwater hits!

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Tech Tricks

Mix and match bladed baits and skirted lures BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

There are many factors believed to trigger a strike from predatory fish species. Vibration, flash, erratic movement, colour, curiosity, territorial aggression and scent are a few of the more prominent factors. For anglers, getting as many of these factors into your presentation as possible often means the difference between success and failure. While there are many great lures on the market, and many can be enhanced to make them more attractive to certain species. This is especially the case with soft plastics. Most of these emit great action yet lack flash and vibration. Thinking anglers can solve this problem with a little ingenuity. Additionally, many anglers will have a particular profile or style of soft plastic that they like to fish in a certain area, however some days they will need a little more enticement. Adding blades to your jighead rigged

plastics will increase the vibration and flash emitted. Various skirting materials, such as spinnerbait skirts, add pulsing movement and colour to your offering. Having numerous soft plastic styles and colours, various blade sizes, styles and finishes and a selection of spinnerbait skirts at your disposal will allow you to customise a lure to suit your situation. Various jighead weights allow a lure to be customised for all water depths. Combined, this gives you a massive array of lure options. This is especially handy when you’re going to fish unfamiliar water and aren’t sure what depths or types of terrain the fish are holding at. You can quickly adjust or create a new lure in the desired colour, weight and action using the components at your disposal. While getting some stuff together for an upcoming cod fishing trip to Glenlyon Dam, I began exploring a few options. Big and boisterous is usually best for cod, so I have rigged many larger plastics as well as some smaller offerings to tempt

the golden perch population. Although I already have a healthy box of spinnerbaits, I additionally created some larger profiled, big bladed baits featuring some of my favourite plastics. I would also have liked to use ZMan or Boom Bait plastics, due to their durability. However these plastics feature the 10X material, which reacts badly with spinnerbait skirt material and other plastics, so I needed to use other brands for pre-rigged offerings. If you’re going to make up baits featuring plastics made from 10X, rig them, use them and then disassemble them, otherwise you’ll just have a big gooey mess in your bait box next time you open it. Let’s look at a few different ways to enhance your soft baits with blades and skirts. These are just a few possibilities for your own creations using numerous types of blades and spinnerbait skirts. The options are endless and you can create an offering with the right colour, profile, weight and action to suit your chosen species or fishing situation.

To make the first lure, the author used a PowerBait 4.5” Rib Shad, TT 3/4oz 7/0 HeadlockZ, TT HD no. 4 Jig Spinner and a Bassman spinnerbait skirt. For a slightly larger profile, the Keitech 6.8” Fat Swing Impact would be suitable.

Push the skirt right up the hook shank and over the moulded keeper so that it sits on the shank directly behind the head. When the skirting material is folded back, the majority of the strands will be a similar length. 18

NOVEMBER 2017

There are a lot of great plastics and components you can use. These are the items the author started with to create some lures – the Bassman spinnerbait skirts, Decoy Flashin’ Blade jig blades, Halco Fish Rings and Crosslock Snaps, Norman Speed Clips and TT HeadlockZ jigheads will be used to rig the PowerBaits, Keitechs and Chasebaits. You can keep excess components to quickly create a few specific offerings while on the water. Tackle Tactics have a great array of single, and twin bladed arms that easily attach to any jighead under their TT and Tribe brands.

You’ll notice that the band on a spinnerbait skirt is not in the middle. This is so that the longer side can fold back and be a similar length as the shorter side. Push the hook point through the retainer band from the longer side as shown.

Put the soft plastic on the hook so that it is straight, as you would rig for normal use. Attach the TT HD Jig Blade to the eyelet of the jighead via the pigtail attachment. You would now attach your line with a blood knot or sliding uni knot to the small kink in the wire blade arm. This bait is now ready to fish with a slow rolling retrieve or a series of winds and pauses.

Tech Tricks

For this next creation you will need a TT 3/4oz 8/0 HeadlockZ jighead, spinnerbait skirt, TT Tribe Twin Jig Spinner no. 3 and a Chasebait 6” Curly Bait (in pearl prawn colour). With any of these jig spinner blade attachments you can also change out the blade (i.e. Colorado for willow) easily as they are attached to the arm with a small split ring.

Put the skirt on the jighead as with the previous lure. Place the jighead beside the plastic to work out the hook placement keeping in mind that the plastic will just go to the back of the spinnerbait skirt, not the rear of the head.

Put the plastic on the hook so that it’s straight and then slide the twin blade arms out so they spread and attach it to the eye of the jighead. You may want to widen the arms further to increase the profile of the bait. Your line will attach to the wire circle from which the two wire arms are protruding. This big bait is ideal for Murray cod.

For our next offering, a bladed jig, we will use a Keitech Crazy Flapper 4.4”. This is a creature bait that doesn’t necessarily imitate anything too closely, yet it has a load of appeal. You’ll need to spread the tail pieces until it looks like this, as they are joined together for packaging purposes.

Put the spinnerbait skirt on the TT HeadlockZ 3/8oz 5/0XH jighead and then impale the plastic so that it presents straight as shown.

Put the Halco Crosslock no. 4 snap through the lower eyelet on the Decoy Flashin’ Blade (size L). Next put the snap swivel setup supplied with your blade through the other two holes from the curved side of the blade as shown and clip it shut. This supplied clip could also be replaced with another Halco Crosslock no. 4 snap.

Attach the small end of the Halco snap to the split ring. Proper split ring pliers will make the task easier. Your bladed bait should look like this with the curvature of the blade facing forward. When hopped or slowly rolled the blade will rock from side to side, creating flash and vibration. Similar to the first two lures, this offering is a smaller one that would suit bass, yellowbelly, saratoga and the like. This lure is made with the new Saltwater 3.7” PowerBait, a spinnerbait skirt, TT Jigspinner Blade #3 (standard guage) and a TT HeadlockZ 3/8oz 5/0XH jighead. Put the spinnerbait skirt on the jighead, and then the plastic on the hook.

Put a Halco no. 4 Fish Ring on the eyelet of the hook. This is required because the eye of the jighead is at the wrong angle to attach the blade and you can’t open the eye of the jighead hook to put the blade straight onto it. However, using a split ring is a heavy duty rigging option for chasing cod and the like.

Another option for rigging this lure (say for use on line classes up to 10kg) for species such as bass, golden perch, flathead and the like is to replace the split ring and crosslock snap with a small Norman Speed clip. Once you have the blade setup you can easily add or remove it from any jigheadrigged bait by opening the Speed Clip Push the plastic up onto the moulded keeper and fold back the skirt. Attach the blade to the eye on the jighead via the clip mechanism. You can trim the spinnerbait skirt a bit if you wish. The author likes the way the longer skirt pulses around the tail. Attach your line to the loop on the blade arm.

NOVEMBER 2017

Lack of rain causes frustration for anglers YAMBA

Dave Gaden

Our area hasn’t seen any substantial rain for almost three months. As they say, ‘drought on the land, drought on the water.’ The lack of rainfall has a huge effect on the rivers and on the ocean. Fresh water, it seems, is the lifeblood of the planet, even if the fish are the salt water variety.

ocean, but fish are certainly harder to find in a period of little to no rain, even out as far as the shelf. My hope is that this month it will rain and our normal November change of season, warm current and pelagic arrivals are underway. November in the estuary can be a blast. The whiting are finally here in good numbers all the way through the lower reaches of the river. As corny as it

James Cooper was happy with his mulloway.

Fiona Young took this cracker pearlie. In the Clarence estuary the lack of rain and runoff lets the salt water push all the way upstream to Grafton, almost 100km by water, allowing the estuary fish to spread themselves over a vast area of water. This means they’re a little (or a lot) harder to find than when they are pushed down to the mouth to the salt. I’m unsure why the lack of substantial rain affects the

may sound, the sandy beach in the river that adjoins the southern Yamba breakwall is called ‘Whiting Beach’ and this really is a very cool place to chase whiting. I love walking the western end of the beach and around the corner through the shortcut throwing poppers at these exciting little fish. My preference is a white or clear popper. The Zerek popper is my pick, but it

really shouldn’t matter. I fish with anglers using dark colours and even black and they seem to catch just as many. For those who prefer to bait fish with worms or live yabbies, the sand bars at the entrance to lake Woolawayah, the north side of Pelican Island and the south side of Sleeper Island will be an easy way to get a feed. If this year is like the last few then blue swimmer crabs will be everywhere again. Oyster Channel all the way to the lake, the edge of the sand bar just upstream from Yamba Shores Tavern and the north side of Freeburn Island are all easy targets. If the tide is running you won’t have to leave the dillies soaking for long, as the crabs will find the baits

very quickly. Give them 30 minutes between checks and if there’s no crab, relocate the dilly until you find where they are on that day. Be sure to put a trap in as well, as the muddies are on the move. Offshore the pelagics are just starting to arrive. I like chasing the mahimahi (dolphin fish) at this time of the year. For the last few years Yamba has had a FAD and many anglers are familiar with where it’s placed. I thought the positioning of the FAD was more of a convenience for Fisheries than a good spot for a FAD. I had been approached by DPI for advice on a new position and they have now moved it to what I think will be a much more productive area. The downside to this for some will be the fact it is a lot further from the Clarence Bar than the old position (now about 12nm compared to the old one at around 7nm). The upside is that it

will be a lot more accessible for those launching from Brooms Head and Sandon River. The new position puts it in about 70m of water and more importantly in an area that gets a more consistent warm current. The fish are there already. For the reef fishers, I like to head north to Black Rock and South Evans Reef in November; the trag are always a good option up here, but the amount of mulloway you catch during a hot session on the trag is amazing. Once again, looking for a decent shoal of live bait on the edge of a good rock seems to be the key. Catching the bait and swimming it straight back to a big fish is a great way to spend a few hours; it will shock you how big a livie can be swallowed by even the smallest trag, and how many just-hooked trag get swallowed by the mulloway. Don’t forget to run a very,

Tom from Glen Innes with a big mulloway.

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very light weighted floater out the back when on these fish. I get some great snapper well off the bottom even in 42m of water, like they are hovering over the top of the bait shoal. Cobia will be in the mix as well. Unlike the ones we get in August and September – which are usually on or

close to the bottom – this month it’s a live bait under a float or a balloon way out the back of the boat that seems to bring them unstuck. There’s a very good chance of an early mackerel towards the end of this month if conditions are right. Some years the spotted mackerel turn

of bait prawns, because if all else fails in the shallows the humble bait prawn will take fish when nothing else does. As always, if you’re heading our way and need

some advice or would like to join me on one of my charters, call into the shop at Yamba Marina and we will do all we can to lead you in the right direction.

Lydia was stoked with her PB snapper.

A 70cm+ trag for Mick.

up in Shark Bay off Woody Head to the north in the last two weeks of November. They will be patchy – red-hot one day and totally gone the next. They’re always worth a look at first light and if you’re heading north, it won’t waste much of your day to have a look. If you’re heading or

launching south, try the shallow reefs off Plumbago and Brooms Head – 20m deep is enough. I get some really good Moses perch and Venus tuskfish off these small snaggy reefs. I lose a lot of gear but get nice fish. Fish light to avoid as many snags as possible and take a packet

Kylie from Victoria with a decent Maori cod.

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NOVEMBER 2017

Action all up and down the Richmond system BALLINA

Joe Allan

The whole region is fishing well, but what we do need is some rain to stir things up a bit, as the water’s almost too clear in some parts. A little colour in the water would really kick things along nicely. The close in reefs have been producing a few tuna, bonito and horse mackerel of late. The best way to target these are trolling

with fish often coming cast after cast while you’re on the school. There is still a fair few snapper around the Lennox Point, Riordans Reef and Black Head, the latter can be a little hit and miss though. There are a lot of smaller fish, however these are still great eating and can provide some great fun on light gear. As the water starts to really warm up, the mahimahi will become very hungry and be around in

Left: The author took this solid bass in skinny water on an Atomic Crank 38 Deep in ghost gill brown. Right: Up close and personal with a fish caught by Nigel Skyring on an Atomic Shad 40.

Anthony Melchior with a late afternoon flathead. This one went 80cm! big metal slugs or small skirted lures. If you find a bait school, get your slugs and start casting, because this action can be crazy,

NOVEMBER 2017

solid numbers. The best spots to check are the FADs and the Wave Buoy. The beaches along South Ballina can produce some

amazing whiting fishing at this time of year. Scout the beach a few days before the bigger tides and head out at nighttime with live worms and pipis. The pipi numbers will start to increase as the water warms up. Watch out though, if the northerly is blowing the blue bottles will be out in numbers and while not deadly, they will pack a punch and can inflict uncomfortable stings. Whiting in the lower reaches of the Richmond River are firing on small surface lures, especially walking baits. Get these walking as fast as you can over the weed or sand flats until you find a concentration of fish, then keep going, as the whiting can be in big numbers

together. Be prepared to hook a few things as by-catch like small trevally, bream and very hungry flathead. When there is water moving over these flats, the fish know it’s time to feed. A good little trick is to change the rear trebles out and change to small assist style hooks. This will help increase your hook up rate when the fish are not as committed. Flathead are well and truly on the bite in the middle reaches of the river around Pimlico Island and right through up to Woodburn. If you’re bait fishing, get some white pilchards (salted keeps the flesh harder), fresh prawns and live poddy mullet. If you’re into throwing lures

or trolling them behind the boat, this can be the best time of year for this type of fishing. Get as bright a lure as you can, as flathead can’t seem to get enough of bright colours. The freshwater reaches of the river are well and truly hitting their straps. The Aussie bass are out in numbers and eating surface lures in the early and late parts of the day. The best lures to try are any of the cicada imitations. The mornings and afternoons, when these guys are out and singing and you can’t hear yourself think, is the best time to get these out and give them a go. The old faithful spinnerbaits are always a go to, but worth a try this early in the season are small hardbody crankbaits. These small profile lures imitate prawns, and that seems to be what the fish are hitting at this time of year. Until next month, tight lines!

Bryce Cameron with a cracking GT caught on a popper off Lennox Head.

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Mangrove jack season starts with a bang THE TWEED INSHORE

Tim Latter

It’s the time of year that most switched-on lure anglers in the Tweed count down the days for. All throughout winter the jack

are being thrown all over the place. The main river tends to fish better for mangrove jacks early in the season. Concentrate your efforts on the lower to middle reaches during November. The last couple of months

on the run-out tide is a tried and tested method to get a reaction bite. Increase your leader breaking strain to 40-50lb, as there are some behemoth fish that reside under the pylons. Casting parallel to rock bars on the run is a good

Brock Perry nailed this whopper fish on a Tiemco Sumari.

Glenn ‘Bucket’ Ridings with a midday 50cm+ jack caught land-based. setup sits in the corner, just waiting for the water temperature to begin to rise. All eyes are fixated on Instagram, constantly checking to see those first few prized captures. And then... bang! Mangrove jack lures

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were extremely dry, which triggered an early start to the jack season, so all of the bridges and rock bars throughout this stretch of the river will be well and truly firing by now. Throwing lures into the tide around the main bridges

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option as well, especially early in the morning or late in the afternoon when those areas are shaded. Jackall Squirrels, Lucky Craft Pointers and Rapala Shadow Raps all suspend, and these tried and proven lures are great choices in this situation. For those anglers who prefer gentlemen’s hours, slow trolling these same rock walls on a run-out tide can account for some monster jacks. You should follow a line a bit wider during the day and watch your sounder for any small pinnacles, as this is where the fish will be waiting for any unsuspecting prey to come past. Atomic Shiners, Mortein Bombers and Tilsan Barras are all great trolling lures, and many jack anglers have had a lot of success on them over the years. You just have to remember to upgrade the hardware so it can stand up to the punishment that these fish dish out.

The mid section of the Tweed has some epic natural structure that is always worth a hit. I have had success on all tides as long as the boat traffic is minimal and the sun is low. Weedless rigged ZMan SwimmerZ would be my favourite lure in this area. Alternatively, if you have mastered the skip cast (I haven’t as yet) I am told that the Castaic Jerky J are dynamite.

I also recommend checking out any cane drains along this stretch. It is well worth tying on a surface lure in those locations, because there is nothing like getting hit by a rampaging mangrove jack of any size off the surface. These days most lure anglers put their mangrove jacks back to fight another day, but whether you keep or release your fish is entirely up to the individual angler.

Throwback to the author’s first Tweed River jack.

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There is certainly nothing wrong with keeping a feed – mangrove jack are fantastic table fare – however, I believe that we as anglers have a responsibility to fish for the future. I’m sure we all want our children to have the opportunity to experience hooking, landing and releasing a trophy jack in the years to come. Remember, it’s just lovely being out there.

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Rising water temperatures fire up summer species THE TWEED

Anthony Coughran

This month has seen water temperatures rising significantly. The ocean current is speeding up and we have nice, clear blue water. These things are spurring all the summer species onto an early bite.

of water, with a few smaller dollies hanging around the FAD being caught on metals and jigs. A few small marlin are showing up out wide. Purple and black skirted lures are working best at the moment. Try finding current lines in that 100m of water for the best results. The odd random big snapper can still be caught

Paul Okeeffe with a decent wahoo caught on the 24s on a trolled skirted lure. Warmer water on the reef has seen kingfish, dollies (mahimahi), tuna and wahoo tormenting bait schools. Jacks are tormenting the bait in the rivers and estuaries. There is still the odd big snapper around and we often get the bigger isolated knobbies in close at this time of the year. OFFSHORE As the winter species move on, the summer pelagic species move in. Kingfish are becoming more frequent on our reefs and are causing a bit of grief for the light geared offshore anglers. Good numbers are hanging around the Mud Hole, the Nine-Mile, FiveMile, the Pinnacle and Windarra Banks. Downrigged swimbaits and live baits are working best this month and can often result in a mackerel by-catch. Mackerel are still a bit timid but a couple have been caught on the inside of the Nine-Mile on floating pilchards. Mahimahi and wahoo are starting to show up. Trolled 6-10” skirted lures are working best in 60-100m

on close reefs around sun up. Plastics are still fishing well for these species. Some good-size spangled emperors have been caught on drift baits on close reefs off of Tweed. Try berley while drifting, baiting and casting plastics – this will double your catch rate. A few packs of tuna are starting to grace us with their presence. Look for feeding birds. Trolled skirted lures and high-speed metals catching more speedster this month. Bait can be sourced from Point Reef, the bait grounds, Kirra Reef, Kingy Reef and the sand pumping jetty. A few spanner crabs are starting to show up and they seem to be hanging around in 30-60m of water. Try the western side of the 24s. ESTUARY With the river temperatures rising, jacks are starting to chase bait to fatten up. Look for northerly winds and water temperatures over 26°C for the best results on these toothy critters. Live baits are fishing better at night around bridges and rock walls. Lures have been

catching the smaller models in back steams, creeks and the upper rivers. Try around Boyds Bay Bridge, Barneys Point Bridge, Tumbulgum Bridge and Condong Sugar Mill with live baits. Try Cobaki Creek, Bilambil Creek, Duroby Creek, Dodds Island, Stotts Island, Rous River and Brunswick River with slow rolled 3” plastics. Trolling Chinderah Rock Wall with deep diving hardbodied lures can produce a few red dogs at this time of year and can result in good estuary cod as by-catch. There are still some really good flathead being caught throughout most systems of the Tweed. The 2.5-7” plastics are fishing better than other lures and bait. Some 2.5-5” plastics on sand and weed banks are catching good medium-size fish, where 5-7” plastics vertically jigged in the river mouths are catching big females. Try Cobaki Lakes, Terronra Lakes, Piggery and Chinderah Rock Wall

Malcolm Scott with a great snapper taken off a close reef on a plastic. BEACHES A few tailor are still being caught. Try whole pilchards in the gutters along Fingal Beach, Kingy Groin, Cabba Headland, Hastings Point and Black Rock. There are still a few being caught on

Nick Dillion with a solid king caught on a jig. for a good feed, and try the Tweed River mouth, Barneys Point, Hastings Point mouth and Brunswick for a bigger model. Whiting are starting to show up now, with bettersize models being caught on live yabbies and beach worms while drifting the main channels. High-speed popping over sand banks is producing more of the smaller fish and is a really fun way to catch these species. GTs and bigeye trevally are sitting around most bridges that hold herring. Soft and hard vibes and blade lures work well.

metals at sunrise off the headlands too. But there is only a small window. Strip baits and small metals are catching some good-size dart. Flathead, bream and whiting are being caught on stripbaits pipis, worms and half pilchards off the groins and gutters this month. Try South Wall, the Tweed Bar, South Wall at Kingy, the Causeway and North Wall at Brunswick. Pipis and beach worms can be found on Fingal Beach, Kingy Beach, Back Beach, Cabarita and along Ocean Shores if you need fresh bait. Berley is the key

to fishing the gutter this month. By cubing pilchards and dropping them at your feet and letting the waves wash them out, it keeps the fish in the gutter in front of you. The key is to make the cubes as small as possible, so you don’t feed the fish but keep them interested and in front of you. FRESHWATER With the barometric pressure sitting at 1020hpa, bass are really starting to fire up. The shrinking pools in the upper systems with good tree overhangs fish really well. Try Uki, Dum Dum, Oxley River, the Upper Rous, Upper Bilambil and the dams and creeks around Banora Point, with jig spins and hardbodied lures during the day and cicada and walk-the-dog lures at dusk and dawn. Clarrie Hall Dam has been fishing well with ice jigs, Jackall vibes, jig spins,

earthworms, bugs and grubs. Try up in the timber in a good depth for the best results. Jacks will be the pick species for most anglers over the next month. With the barometric pressure sitting around 1020hpa and water temperatures rising, more and more jacks will be moving and feeding up throughout the systems. Live baits will still be the pick for most anglers over the next month and normally produce the bigger fish. Whiting will start to frequent our sand banks more and flathead will hang around for the next month to feed up on them. Mackerel, wahoo, marlin, kingfish, tuna and mahimahi will thicken up in number as the winter species retreat and the ocean currents increase. Water temperatures will keep rising in the rivers and ocean, which should fire up most summer species.

Darren Lambert with a perfect-eating size Spanish mackerel caught on a skirted lure.

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Excellent estuarine options SOUTHERN GOLD COAST

Mark Ward

It’s a fantastic time to fish the estuaries of the Gold Coast but offshore is a little more hit and miss. OFFSHORE The close reefs that were fishing so well over the colder months transition into a phase where we start to see bottom bashers catching trag jew and flathead in good numbers, but everything else has been a little quiet. The best bet has been to target speedsters such as Spanish mackerel and wahoo. Nine Mile Reef has been fishing well, as have other less crowded reefs of the central Gold Coast. The fishing for mackerel and wahoo should improve over the next couple of months, but from what I hear, it’s worth targeting them now. Skirted lures work best for trolling and locating the fish. Try metal slugs to match the size of the baitfish when targeting fish feeding on bait schools. Even the odd marlin and mahimahi can show up this month, so being prepared for anything is the key to success.

Fishing a little deeper has been kinder to the bottom bashers. Drifting to allow for the current has seen some great catches of pearl perch, and there is still the odd snapper showing up. As the current increases this month, the pearlies will be harder to find. Hopefully that will not be until next month,

so it’s still worth a try. ESTUARIES There will still be a lot of flathead about this month. They will be spreading out as they complete their spawning season and move upstream. As the water temperature increases, target flathead on the incoming tide. They seem

Cody Ward went out chasing mangrove jack with a popper but landed this little queenfish instead.

There are plenty of flathead moving into the canals this month.

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to shut down when the warmer water comes off the shallows on the falling tide. Some fish will still be landed from deeper water, but they generally move along the edges of mud and sand flats. Even the canals of the southern Gold Coast see a lot of flathead moving into them as they spread

throughout the systems. Whiting are a great option this month. Yabbies and sandworms work well for bait. The bigger fish are often caught at night from around the weed beds and drop offs. A stealthy approach and a little berley can improve catch rates as well. Trevally and the odd chopper tailer will hang around the canals, bridges and pontoons. Getting up early to target these fish will pay off, as they can often be found chasing baitfish on the surface. Poppers are the best way to target them, as the surface strike is amazing to watch. Little queenfish can also be found doing the same thing and they will also snatch a popper off the surface. There have been no reports from the lakes, but tarpon, trevally and giant herring will start being more aggressive this month. Warm mornings and large numbers of baitfish is the perfect recipe for these fish. They will take just about any lure including soft plastics and flies. While they will take a surface popper, they prefer a lure worked towards the bottom, even if they are hitting baitfish on the surface. I’m not sure why that is, but tarpon just do not seem interested in a surface lure at all and the herring seem to follow them, only to turn their noses up and swim off at the last minute. Mangrove jack will take

a popper, especially at night, which is the best time to target them. They tend to move around a lot more at night and can be found harassing baitfish around the bridges, jetties and pontoons of the canals at Burleigh, Currumbin and Tweed. During the day they tend to stick a lot closer to structure and shy away from the surface lures. Slow rolling plastics and hardbody lures with the odd pause hard up against structure is the best way to target them. They can also be found in deep holes with eddies. Finding the swirling, turbulent water of an eddy where the water deepens or two currents meet, and this will attract baitfish and in turn, mangrove jack. BEACHES It has to be the best time of the year to fish

the beaches. As the flathead move through the estuaries, they also move along the beaches. This is possibly due to them moving from one system to another, but whatever the reason, some big flathead can be found in the gutters of the Southern Gold Coast beaches. They will also happily snap up a pipi intended for a whiting or dart. The tailor are still about, but are usually a lot smaller this month. They’re aggressive little buggers, so metal lures are still a great option. I have a few mates that have been doing well with poppers from the headlands as well. Soaking a bait in the gutters will see plenty of bream, whiting and dart. Good weather and light waves are the best option, so get out early and the fishing will be fantastic.

Jacob Ward with a trevally landed on a popper after dark.

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Expect summer species to be on the bite early GOLD COAST CANALS

Josh Dunn Instagram: @josh__dunn__

With the water really starting to warm as well as the humidity building, there have been plenty of summer species well and truly on the bite. Mangrove jack, bream, flathead and trevally are just a few of the species that anglers will be targeting this month.

Just last month I got a taste of summer with plenty of GTs caught at night time. Some of the fish were coming in at 65-70cm. I found the run-out tide works best around structure such as rock walls, jetties and bridges. Sit behind your structure, face into the current and cast upwards to bring the lure back to your feet. The afternoon bite has also been firing. Flathead and trevally are two common species, as well as mangrove

Jackson Kath with this stonker 40cm bream taken on a ZMan 2.5” GrubZ.

jack that won’t say no to whacking a well-presented lure. Without a doubt, the best time to fish would be after a really hot day with a late afternoon storm on its way. For some reason that seems to bring them on and the baitfish become more timid than usual. Keep your eyes peeled in the Broadwater, as there have been scattered bust-ups, both big and small. These will be either juvenile queenfish, GTs or even a kingfish if you’re lucky. With the Flathead Classic over, it’ll be time to start hitting them now they’ve had a long rest without being pumped by dozens of lures over three days! Rock walls and sand flats with a bank full of dead trees seem to fish the best; sit about 20m off the bank and cast up-current and toward the bank while drifting. Over the next month or two, we’re going to see more and more rainfall, which is excellent to hear on the fishing scene. Rain is good every couple of weeks to flush out the canals and start moving the bait. There are some fantastic estuaries that fish great in the dirty water after a

The author’s PB 50cm mangrove jack taken on his first session of the season targeting these beasts. night of rain, including the Coomera, Nerang and the Logan rivers. Australian bass are on the bite and can be easy to find at times. Mostly you’ll do more hiking than fishing, but that’s what it’s all about! Any freshwater river system up in the hinterlands will most likely hold bass. The same rules as saltwater fishing apply here;

try working the surface in the early morning and late afternoon, and as the sun comes up start working logs and banks with spinnerbaits, hardbodies or plastics. My favourite jack lure lately would have to be the ZMan 4” DieZel MinnowZ. I rig this onto a 1/4oz 4/0 jighead or a 3/8oz, depending on how I want to fish it. Slow roll this setup around

any sort of heavy structure and you’ll definitely be in with a chance. November is definitely a great month for all sorts of fishing. Whether you’re into your lures or just a relaxing day on the water using bait, there will be something biting. Just remember to persevere, because it’s going to pay off! See you on the water.

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Tips for choosing your tides to target fish JUMPINPIN

Mick Morris gembait@tpg.com

It’s that time of year when the way you fish at Jumpinpin changes slightly to that of a few

months ago. The days are longer and hotter, which means most anglers will be going out early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid the heat of the day. In doing so, try to match the tide with the kind of fish you’re

targeting, as certain fish feed at different times of the tide. If you’re chasing flathead then the peak time would be the bottom half of the tide, as the water runs off the banks and drains away where the hungry flathead lie in wait for an easy meal. You can troll the edges of these banks getting as close as you can, or cast your plastic or bait up into the shallows or drains and work it slowly into the deeper water. When chasing a feed of whiting you tend to catch more in the faster running tides where the water is funnelled between banks and the tide speeds up. This means that you’ll need more weight to make sure you get to the bottom and stay there. When the water is running hard it can pick up

sinkers as big as a size 4 ball so gauge how fast the water is moving and be sure to be on the bottom, because that’s where the whiting are. With bloodworms, beach worms or yabbies on a long trace to a small whiting hook, you’re all set to catch a feed of delicious whiting. Some good spots where the water funnels like this are the Pig Styes, near Slipping Sands, the Never Fail Islands and the Gold Bank. Bream can be caught all tide long, but the better quality fish only have a shorter bite period near the top of the incoming tide. Bait fishing for bream is the easiest way to catch them, as they will eat just about anything put in front of them. The best thing for us is that the Jumpinpin area is teeming with bream, so there are plenty of good fish for everyone. Structure is

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the key for bream, as they will be around any rock wall, jetty, pylon or snag you can find and there is plenty of structure at the ‘Pin. Most mulloway get caught on a slack tide where there is very little water movement either at the top or bottom of the tide when it slows down. Using plastics and live baits like mullet, pike, gar and herring at this time will give you your best chance at a mulloway. Try around the deep water off Swan Bay, Kalinga Bank, the point of Short Island, Marks Rocks and Giants Grave on slack tides and see how you go. Tailor can turn up anywhere at any time, but over the years we have caught more early in the morning near the ‘Pin bar when there is little wind and an incoming tide as they chase schools of baitfish through the bar and ambush them. They will be more active in the top half of the water column. When you’re

bait fishing, a small sinker or even no sinker may be required. Try using small pillies or white bait, because that’s what they’re probably feeding on. If you’re using lures then small metal slugs or hardbodied lures of the same size as a white bait either trolled or flicked should do the job. The tide plays a huge part in how fish feed, so hopefully this helps a few of you fishos bag a few more fish and maybe some bigger ones as well. Thanks for all the reports and if you have any questions on the conditions or what’s biting, drop us a line at Gem Bait & Tackle or email gembait@ tpg.com.au. I’ll catch you next month. • Thanks for all your reports and keep those fish coming in. If you’d like any advice or up to date fishing information drop us a line at Gem Bait & Tackle on (07) 3287 3868 or email gembait@tpg.com.au.

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November is a good month to chase marlin GOLD COAST

David Green

There has been a steady run of blue marlin wide of the Gold Coast throughout early spring and the water temperature wide of the continental shelf rarely dropped below 23°C. This month should be a good one to chase blue marlin in depths of 150-400m. Work the edge of the slope and pay constant attention to birds, dolphins and schools of striped tuna. There should also be some big yellowfin out on the thousand metre line and in November there are generally quite a few striped marlin slightly closer to shore, from the 50 fathom line out. A spread of medium sized skirted lures on 24-37kg tackle works well most of the time, but if you are specifically targeting striped marlin, switch baiting generally gives a much better hook-up rate. From the reports from more northern regions, it looks like there will be plenty of small black marlin on the inshore grounds this summer, and in a good season these billfish often start to show in November. It’s definitely

worth a troll on the reefs east of Jumpinpin from Sullies to the Cotton Reef, in November. November is also a good month to chase mahimahi and the occasional wahoo should turn up as well, although these have been very hard to find over the past two seasons. If the bluewater moves in close to shore and the water temperature is over 25°C, there should be a bit of pelagic activity this month. Early in the season I like to cover a lot of water and find small skirted lures like Black Snacks, Meridians and Pakulas very reliable. Pink and purple, blue over gold and white are all effective colours for small black marlin and mahimahi. There should still be a few snapper around on the 36 fathom line and quite a few big fish over 7kg turn up in November. Out wider on the 50 fathom line bottom fishing can be very limited when the current is running hard, but there should still be pearl perch, kingfish, amberjacks and samsonfish to catch. Jigs, live baits and paternoster rigs are all effective. If the water is blue and warm and running more than two

knots from the north, you’re generally better off packing away the bottom fishing gear to start trolling. There are generally quite a few goodsized mahimahi on the 50 fathom line in November. Close to shore the inshore reefs will produce a few cobia and there is also a chance of a few early season doggy and spotted mackerel. There may also be schools of longtail tuna feeding in 10-25m of water just outside the Jumpinpin Bar. Bottom fishing on the inshore reefs slows down in November, but there is still the odd snapper to be caught, as well as teraglin, tailor and a few mulloway. Overall, November is a transition month on the offshore grounds and the fishing is dictated by the flow of the East Australian Current. I think it will be a good season for pelagics this summer. ESTUARIES AND RIVERS The action around the Seaway and Jumpinpin entrances should continue this month and jigging deep soft plastics and heavy soft vibes should continue to produce some quality flathead as well as some nice mulloway.

If the day is cloudy the tops of the sand flats should also produce decent flathead on the last of the run-in tide on both swimbaits and large soft plastic stickbaits. There should also be quite a few small to medium flathead available for anglers trolling or casting small soft plastics. As the weather starts to warm up and we get a few storms, the mangrove jacks should start to bite freely on both hardbodied lures and soft plastics on the rock bars in the Nerang and Coomera rivers, and also around the floating pontoons. November is also a good month to target mangrove jack on surface lures, particularly around the period of first light to sunrise. If herring or mullet are rippling the surface, mangrove jack are usually not far away. There should also be plenty of bigeye and giant trevally around as well as a few tarpon and giant herring. These respond to cast and trolled blades, hardbodies and soft plastics. Whiting should start to show in good numbers in the Nerang River this month. A lot of the best catches are taken at night in the section of river around the Council

A cracker blue marlin being released.

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Chambers. A long leader, light monofilament nylon line and good bait are the key to good whiting catches. Good baits include worms, soldier crabs, shrimp and yabbies. It’s also a good month to try for whiting on surface lures on a rising tide in the Broadwater. If small prawns are skipping away from feeding fish, there’s a good chance the whiting will respond to this method. Sand crabs are generally on the move in the Broadwater in November. Fresh mullet, whiting frames or flathead carcasses are all great sand crab bait. Work your pots on a run-in tide in 4-6m of water around the edge of the eel grass beds. In November the sand crabs feed very actively and the best catches seem to be on relatively calm days when the water is quite clean and clear. The Gold Coast Sport Fishing Club’s Flathead Classic has been run and won, and the Whyte brothers absolutely smashed the fish in the deeper sections of the estuary catching a swag

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Michael Green with a decent flathead taken on a stickbait. of big fish over 70cm long. Overall, November is an interesting month to fish the Gold Coast and as the days get longer and the water

warms up there should be plenty of action both on the offshore grounds and in the estuaries. Tight lines and good fishing!

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Shelley Christie with a great pair of sand crabs.

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Daniel Mathiesen went to Peter Faust with a bunch of fishing mates for a social weekend. Plenty of big fish were caught and he landed a 112cm barra, using an ACM Custom Rod paired with a Shimano Calais reel and a RMG Poltergeist lure.

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Plenty of hot spots as the weather heats up SOUTHERN BAY

Nick Whyte

This month will see some great opportunities in the southern bay. With the weather warming, we’ll see

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mangrove jack, longtail, flatties, whiting, the odd mulloway and some big bay snapper. Mangrove jack will be the word on the street this month. These fish bring many a fisho to their knees with lightning speed and brutal smokings. Persistence is the key with this species. Early mornings are my preference with 2-3am starts not uncommon for the dedicated jack fisho. Late, hot arvos just prior to or after a storm will usually see you getting stretched. Gear can greatly vary with 10-60lb leaders and braid depending on the water clarity. Just remember you have to get the bite before you worry about the fight. Sometimes in clear conditions 10lb is all you’ll get the bite on, then you just need to try and ease them out. The Coomera River probably holds the best population of jacks in South East Queensland, but the Logan and Brisbane rivers also hold their fair share. Also check the smaller creeks like Tingalpa and Eprapah. Down the ‘Pin you can find some of the deep mangrove edges in Cobby Cobby holding a few beasts.

This month the ‘Pin should see the flatties start to thin down in the deep. You’ll still be able to take advantage of a few good fish and catch them on their transition back up the rivers and creeks – just remember with a lot of big fish on offer to look after them when captured and support their body weight when taking photos. Fish over 75cm have to be released, so take good care of them. Anywhere in sight of the ‘Pin bar should have some large fish holding or close by. If you want to turn over some good numbers for a feed, look down around Pandanas and the Never Fail Islands. Trolling lures in 4-5ft of water should see you on the money. Summer whiting should be kicking around in good numbers. Lots of fish around the green beacons in the Logan near the Lone Pine. Also check the banks at the powerlines near the bottom of Russell Island, the Slipping Sands area, Pimpama River mouth, Council Chambers in the Nerang and Squire Island down the ‘Pin. Digging your own fresh worms will definitely lift the size of your catches. You

This great flathead was caught on a ZMan 5” PaddlerZ . can also give popping for whiting a go. It’s great fun and seems to attract the better quality fish. Long narrow profile poppers worked quite fast in shallow waters will see some bow waves heading your way. Around Peel, Harrys and

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Glen Kampe with a whopper silver slab.

Mud this month you should find yourself the odd longtail cruising. At this time of year the fish are usually a lot better in size, so use a heavier outfit to try and save on fish lost to sharks. There are usually more XOS bay snapper around in November and December. You’ll also find some nice mulloway around isolated structure holding bait. If you have a great capture from the southern bay area would like to share, email them through to techfishing@hotmail. com. Until next month, tech-it-easy. • If you would like to learn more about targeting fish on artificial lures or would like to learn how to get the most out of your sounder, please call Nick on 0422 213 669 to customize an on-water session to suit your fishing or sounder needs. Check out the Tech Fishing Facebook page for further information. Your boat – his knowledge – more fish!

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Brenden Whyte with a solid flathead caught on a Zerek Fish Trap.

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Politics and fishing

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Most fishers would probably look at the heading above and think, “I don’t get enough time to go fishing! Why should I waste some of this precious time worrying about politics?” Then would come the comments, probably including more than the occasional expletive, inferring that our politicians are a waste of space anyway! Fair enough, you won’t get any arguments from me on that assessment, but I’ll bet just about anywhere fishers tend to gather, the conversation will eventually turn to the state of our fishery and how there seem to be less and less fish to catch these days. Through my magazine contributions over more than 40 years, I’ve highlighted the problems we face many times and repeatedly railed against Queensland’s poor fisheries management, so much so that I’m regarded as a pest in some circles. But what really gets my blood hot are the recreational fishers who come up to me having read my harsh words and say “Why don’t they fix things up?!” It’s as though they think that Fisheries just flick a switch and all our problems are no more! Or even worse, that people like myself who’ve put hundreds of voluntary hours over dozens of years and various government committees into trying to have the status of recreational fishers in our state properly recognized haven’t been trying hard enough. Well, I’m here to tell you that unless a significant number of recreational fishers get off their backsides and take a much more active role in lobbying for the enhancement of our fishery as a whole, nothing is going to change. In fact, it will most probably get worse! Queensland has 7,000km of mainland coastline plus another 6,000 around its hundreds of islands, as well as the largest continuous reef structure at 2,300km, the Great Barrier Reef. Managing such a massive and diverse marine and estuarine area is a difficult task, particularly along the populated eastern coast where urban settlement, habitat destruction, agricultural and industrial pollution and fishing pressure have all contributed to its decline. Exacerbating those problems is the fact that fisheries policy for far too long has largely concentrated its efforts in developing our state’s commercial

fishery, largely ignoring the presence of recreational and traditional participants. This focus has been driven by the political need to keep commercial catch figures ever rising, a requirement backed by the somewhat dubious behind the scenes view that our fisheries are virtually inexhaustible. Now, before you accuse me of applying a heavy dose of stuff that’s found in the cow paddock here, I was abruptly cautioned by a senior politician promoting such a view only last month when I mentioned the need for urgent reform in Queensland. Our elected representatives have obviously not read the recent Fisheries Review or taken a hard look at what’s happening around them. They’re more likely to accept the one-sided view of an electoral fund contributor who owns a fishing boat or three! If you haven’t read the documents pertaining to the recent review of Queensland’s fisheries, then I suggest you take a look on the relevant website. When the hard facts about the current state of our fish stocks are considered, it’s difficult not to take a very pessimistic view as to their future. The million dollar question then becomes “can the fishery be fixed or, at least, improved?” The answer is most likely in the affirmative, but the situation is likely to get worse before it starts improving. The big issue here revolves around the time it takes to get the proposed reforms happening. Leave it too long and some stocks might be in such a poor state they will never recover. There’s an election about to happen just to complicate things further! The Palazczuk Government under Fisheries Minister Bill Byrne introduced three Net Free Zones (NFZs) to Queensland waters – in Rockhampton, Mackay and Cairns back in 2015. This was the most significant contribution to the enhancement of recreational fishing in Queensland, possibly ever! The recovery of fish stocks in these three small areas has been nothing short of remarkable, having exceeded all expectations. Both the Rockhampton and Mackay councils have been quick to recognise the economic boom that the increased local and tourist fisher traffic have brought to their regions and have committed significant funds to providing better facilities to complement the influx. In the case of Rockhampton, the barramundi and threadfin salmon fishery has returned to a level not seen for

Regardless of how long you’ve been fishing, when a wild barra like this comes along, it’s something to be celebrated! Fisheries management politics ultimately decides whether fish like this will still be able to be caught in the future. Every keen fisher needs to be vigilant to ensure the best for our fisheries! decades, thrusting the area into the spotlight as one of Australia’s most desirable fishing destinations. Both Mackay and Cairns are also witnessing similar results. Given this spectacular resurgence of fish stocks following these landmark declarations, should we be advocating for more Net Free Zones? From those fishers I’ve talked with, the answer is a resounding ‘YES’! An NFZ for part of Moreton Bay, for instance, has been discussed at length for years and should be the goal of all South East Queensland recreational fishers and regional councils. It’s long overdue. Victoria recently closed Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay to netting after a comprehensive survey revealed that the revenue from recreational fishing in that state exceeded the income from horse racing or AFL! The relevance of such facts to the Moreton Bay situation would seem fairly obvious. Up in my stomping ground of Weipa, our community has been agitating for the closure of greater Albatross Bay to net fishing since 1997! After the Gulf Management Plan was introduced in 1999, one of its stated aims was that this closure was to come into effect by the end of the 2005 barramundi season at the very latest. Unfortunately, that ‘promise’ was hijacked by a small band of powerful commercial fishers based hundreds of kilometres to the south and the community is still waiting for it to happen some 12 years later. This is in spite of the fact that commercial fisher income is worth very little to the Weipa community yet our local, tourist and charter visitors contribute more than $10 million a year, a figure that continues to increase rapidly now that the road is improving each season. It’s certainly not rocket

science, simply basic economics, but getting a department that’s focussed on primary industry and not tourism to see sense has proved extremely difficult. Perhaps Minister Byrne has other ideas! But in spite of their obvious community and economic benefits, there’s still a big question mark hanging over the future our current Net Free Zones? It all harks back to the original parliamentary debate when the implementation of the NFZ’s were vehemently opposed by the LNP opposition! Unfortunately, the inflammatory rhetoric from this side of politics has continued since. Their Fisheries spokesperson, Dale Last, made several hostile attacks on recreational fishers, openly stating that the LNP would rescind all NFZs if they came into power next election. With an election looming, repeated attempts by lobby group, the Queensland Recreational Fishing Network, seeking assurances from the LNP that this policy has been changed had not produced a written response at the time of writing this column. In spite of being the party that instigated the Fisheries Review, the LNP hierarchy seem to have lost the plot when it comes to the importance of the recreational fishery. It’s vitally important that every Queensland fisher carefully considers their vote in the light of what would seem to be a major retrograde step in the reform process. Make an effort to have a chat to your local state member or candidate and let them know your views. Many of us don’t realize the power that we have to change things for the better. So take a keen interest in what’s happening on the fisheries front. The future quality of our fishing depends on it!

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Hot fishing action predicted for this month BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Wa r m e r water temperatures this month will increase the metabolism of many species, making them ravenous and aggressive. The Moreton Bay pelagic action will be continually improving as prominent schools of baitfish head inshore and attract species such as mac tuna, school mackerel, longtail tuna, bonito and possibly even the desirable spotted mackerel. Every year is a little different, however. With temperatures warming quickly this spring, the pelagic activity will be on the boil a little earlier than usual. Inshore species such as mangrove jack, threadfin, estuary cod and trevally will also be very aggressive. Additional bread and butter fare such as bream, flathead and whiting will abound in decent numbers throughout the estuaries. Add to this tasty crustaceans such as sand and mud crabs, or possibly even a few early season prawns, and you have the makings of an aquatic feast. Let’s look closer at your hot November options. MACKEREL More than a few anglers have already had good catches of school mackerel over the last month or so. Although there are good numbers to be caught, the quality hasn’t always been

great. A few patches of 60-75cm school mackerel have been located smashing bait on the surface at irregular locations and occasionally around the beacons. Most of the school mackerel located have been hovering around the minimal legal size limit of 50cm. These have been caught around the beacons on jigged chrome slugs, drifted pilchard baits and occasionally small live offerings. The Rous, Small Ships and Rainbow channels, as well as the edges of major shipping channels, have all produced decent numbers of these smaller schoolies. Anglers have predominately dragged spoons behind trolling boards or trolled deep diving minnow lures in their quest to score succulent silver streaks. For many the action has been irregular and often it’s simply a case of being in the right place at the right time. With warmer water temperatures during November, anglers can expect increased congregations of baitfish throughout Moreton Bay. These should attract better numbers of quality mackerel as well as tuna and bonito. TUNA Mac tuna are likely to be the most commonly located fish for those prowling Moreton Bay. There will also be good numbers of longtail tuna to be found. The longtails are often available in respectable numbers at this time of the

Both spotted and school mackerel should increase in numbers for Moreton Bay anglers in the coming weeks. Aaron nailed this one while high speed spinning with a metal slug. 38

NOVEMBER 2017

year. Usually the average size is around 9kg, however two years ago there were heaps of big longies to over 20kg smashing the surface to foam. The average fish was better than 13kg, which is around the 100-110cm mark, depending on condition. Hopefully the quality will be up there again this year, as a sashimi torpedo chasing down a slug, stickbait or pencil popper really gets the adrenalin pumping. While I have caught plenty of these longtails on 4-10kg line, I usually opt for heavier stickbaiting gear these days – it shortens the fight considerably and means the fish is in good enough condition to survive after being released. Big longtails are an awesome-looking fish and there is nothing better than some fresh tuna steaks on the BBQ or some sashimi accompanied by some soy sauce, sweet chilli or wasabi. They’re also good brined and smoked. One big longtail will provide several feasts and they don’t freeze that well, so subsequent fish are best released. There is a broad array of lures that will tempt longtail tuna including stickbaits, sliders, pencil poppers, glide baits, swimbaits, jerk shad plastics and of course the historic favourite – the chromed slug or slice. At times when longtails are feeding on small baitfish they will get a little tunnelvisioned, only eating exact profile replicas to the bait on which they are feeding. When this bait is a little over 1cm long and almost clear, it’s virtually impossible to get a suitably profiled offering to them. In this scenario, flyfishers have the upper hand as they are able to present an exact replica of the bait on which the tuna are feeding, because the weight required to cast is in the fly line, not the fly. However flyfishers still have odds stacked against them as they generally need to get closer to the tuna and their casting distance suffers somewhat in windy conditions. In recent years I have opted to use stickbaits and sliders on 40lb braid with successful lures including the Dual Adagio, Shimano Ocea Pencil, Bassday Bungy Cast, Fish Inc 115mm Flanker and Prop 140mm, Maria 140mm Loaded and Fla-Pen, Nomad Madscad 115mm and recently the DUO Press Bait 85 and Press Bait 125HD. All these cast well and have impressive actions in the water when worked correctly. Some are best with a slower, walk-the-dog retrieve and others with a high-speed retrieve, however all will catch longtails and numerous other pelagics.

Numerous species of tuna and mackerel will enter Moreton Bay as warmer conditions promote baitfish activity. Although not a glamorous table fish, the humble mac tuna will still give you a good fight on light tackle and are a sucker for numerous types of high-speed lures. Larger mac tuna will also respond to these lures, however smaller profiles, especially chromed slugs and slices and jighead rigged jerk shad plastics, are usually the best for average mac tuna and bonito. Highspeed reels that retrieve at least a metre of line per turn of the handle are desirable and often a necessity if you want a hook-up from mackerel or tuna. High modulus graphite rods between 2.1m and 2.5m are commonly used as they promote longer casting distance, which is often a necessity to reach spooky fish. I think the pelagic action will be good over the warmer months, so now is the time to get some gear sorted. Having a rod rigged and ready to cast will often pay dividends when transiting Moreton Bay as pelagic fish can bust up on the surface any time at will. ESTUARINE OFFERINGS Mangrove jack have been a little more elusive than in previous years, however there have been rewards for those who put in the effort. The good rain we had early in October helped the fishing somewhat within the estuaries and moved around the prawns and baitfish. Jack anglers have been scoring well in the creeks, rivers, estuaries and canals. Productive lures vary between anglers because often the most important thing is to put it into the zone and fish it well, not what style or brand it is. Some opt for jighead rigged plastics or vibes, others for hardbody minnows. Thrill seekers like the topwater presentation. All will work when presented well at the right location. Casting to snags, rock walls, bridge pylons and jetties is popular for anglers

chasing jacks as they love all types of structure. Other species commonly found around such spots are estuary cod and trevally, however bream, flathead, tarpon, Queensland groper and numerous others are possibilities. Estuary cod and Queensland groper can be tough customers in some locations and will bury you back in the snags almost as quickly as a jack. You should release any Queensland groper ASAP, as they are a protected species. Ensure you can identify them as having one in your possession could be costly. Estuary cod (both blackspot and gold-spot) have a preference for crabs, so the new large Cranka Crab is sure to be a hit with them. Most lures that are banged and rattled across structure will work well. Hot, steamy mornings and afternoons provide some of the best opportunities as the jacks and cod will be aggressive. Night sessions can also be rewarding. With temperatures lower than usual during the day, it can be a lot more comfortable fishing during darkened hours with fewer boats on the water. Flathead have been prevalent this year with loads of mid-range specimens of 40-60cm available. The Jumpinpin area has been producing heaps for several months, however over the last few weeks or so the action has also increased up in the creeks and rivers. The Pumicestone Passage just seems to get better year after year and anglers are now readily catching species such as stud whiting, big bream, flathead, grunter, threadfin, snapper, estuary cod, mangrove jack, mulloway and numerous others. It has recovered well

from the poor, overly netted fishery it was over 15 years ago and is now a quality angling destination again. Good whiting have been caught up around the Avon Wreck, the mouth of Elimbah Creek and several other areas. Flathead have been fairly well spread throughout the system and trolling diving minnow lures or flicking plastics along the edges of major banks and the mouths of gutters should reward anglers on the falling tide. Fishing around the Bribie Bridge at night can produce a mixed bag with mulloway, snapper, trevally and numerous others being prime targets for anglers with live baits and lures. Bait fishers will often hook unstoppables with the most likely culprits being XOS shovelnose rays, sharks, stingrays and possibly groper. BRISBANE RIVER The threadfin numbers in the Brisbane River have been healthy in recent months with anglers regularly scoring in the lower reaches. Fishing the edges of the main riverbed, adjacent the numerous jetties, around the lead beacons out from the mouth and near submerged structure such as the ledge near the beacon in from the Sewerage Chute is likely to reward. Casting lures around lighted areas at night can short track your success, as threadies will be high in the water column chasing the baitfish and prawns attracted by the illumination. Soft plastic shads and prawn profiles, shallow diving minnow lures, baitfish profiled flies and numerous other offerings will work. Live baiting is a popular way to fish in the river and will attract a broad array of quality and vermin species. Herring, banana prawns,

pike, gar and mullet are all good offerings when fished close to the bottom with a minimal sinker weight. Snapper are always a possibility and specimens to over 80cm are caught in the river every year along with loads of smaller fish. Even during the warm months anglers still score a few mulloway, however the cooler months see more mulloway action. Bream, flathead, snapper and cod can be taken in the Claras Rocks and Sunken Wall areas. Cod are also fairly common along the retaining wall at the mouth and will take a broad array of lures fished close to the structure. The deeper holes around the mooring docks of the Oil Pipeline hold some trophy bream, estuary cod and snapper, however you can’t fish here while there are ships docked. All jetties require anglers to be a minimum of 30m from them when ships aren’t in attendance and 60m when they are. Fines are often given out to those who breach these zones. BAY ISLANDS Fishing around the Bay Islands can be a bit of a lottery during November. Snapper are sometimes prevalent, however it was a fairly poor season inshore for snapper during the cooler months. Estuary cod inhabit

Anglers targeting jacks are often disappointed when an estuary cod hits their lure, however they’re a lot of fun to target and a quality table fish. the shallower reef areas surrounding Peel (beware of the Green Zone) and the retaining walls around Mud Island. School mackerel can roam around the fringes of the Bay Islands and it often pays to have a gang-hook rigged pilchard out under a float when anchored or drifting in these zones.

Grass sweetlip, tuskfish, morwong and numerous others can be taken when fishing quality baits close to the bottom or working soft plastics over the reef and rubble areas. Trolling deep diving minnow lures can reward for both snapper and school mackerel, however there have been surprises

for some in the form of Spanish mackerel, trevally and mulloway. CRUSTACEANS November is a great month for chasing sand and mud crabs. The muddies are commonly found well up the creek and river systems at this time of the year unless we have recently experienced

heavy rains to flush them down. Those with small craft can usually get into some of the harder to access areas, which is commonly where the better quality crabs are found. Setting safety pots over a tidal change, preferably overnight, will generally produce. Deeper holes, the mouths of small drains leading from the mangrove expanse, along collapsed mangrove banks and adjacent underwater ledges are the more productive locations. Good baits include fish frames, chicken carcasses and whole mullet, which should be secured to the inside centre of the pot to stop the crabs simply eating the bait from outside the pot. Smaller baits such as pilchards, chicken necks and fish offcuts should be put into a mesh envelope to stop the crabs ripping them apart and dispersing them quickly. Sand crabs will also abound and get better over the coming months. These are more commonly found around the mouths of the estuaries and well out into Moreton Bay. The submerged ledges, main channel edges and contours around the Bay Islands are prime spots to be setting your pots. The areas where the commercial sector set their pots will give you an idea as to good locations, just

don’t be a mug and set your pots in the same spot. Find a similar area and water depth and your chances will be heightened. Ensure you don’t set your pots in major traffic areas or you may get your float ripped off by someone’s prop. One irresponsible crabber continues to set a pot on the edge of the leads into Wellington Point, which means the rope and float is often right across the channel once the tide changes, which is both annoying and dangerous. CONCLUSION With warmer water temperatures during November, activity will increase in the rivers, estuaries and Moreton Bay. Whether you’re after a feed of tasty fillets and crabs or just want to experience the surface strikes and blistering runs of a mackerel or tuna, there should be some action to sooth your piscatorial itch. From bread and butter species to estuarine brawlers and big pelagics, Moreton Bay and the surrounding rivers and estuaries have plenty on offer. Hot conditions mean even hotter fishing options, so slop on some sunscreen, slip on some protective clothing, slap on a hat and get out and enjoy some of the east coast’s great fishing opportunities.

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Good snapper and Venus tuskfish hitting baits played the game, we’ve come in close and filled some good bags of mixed reefies. It’s been pleasing to see quite a few good pearlies coming from the shallow water. Mahimahi have also been active lately, but after the wave rider buoy off Point Lookout was replaced it took a while for them to turn up again. We have also been pulling some quality Venus tuskfish up lately. We have been seeing

BRISBANE OFFSHORE

John Gooding

At this time of year with the water temperature on the rise, anglers fishing east of the South Passage have a few more options, as a few early season pelagics are starting to turn up. The mackerel season ran late with a few fish still getting caught into spring around Point Lookout, the coffee rock along Moreton Island and Flinders Reef just north of Cape Moreton. Traditionally

NOVEMBER 2017

the area to feast on the bait schools that frequent it at this time of year. If you’re fishing mostly in depths of 30-35m, you really know when a good fish hits you. • 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 quality 5kg Venus tuskfish that would please any angler.

Happy anglers with a nice catch of juvenile snapper.

plenty in the 1.5-2kg range and we boated one recently that went nearly 5kg – that’s as big as I’ve seen off Point Lookout for a while. Bottom bouncing with fresh strip baits is a good way to target a feed of these fish. The warmer months are definitely a good time to fish off Moreton and Stradbroke islands and I enjoy fishing the Shallow Tempest area. Plenty of quality fish move into

we see an early run of small Spaniards along the front of Moreton and around Shag Rock, so it should be worth trolling a few livies at these locations. As we see more bait schools passing along Moreton and North Straddie; the anglers tossing poppers should see a bit more action from mackerel, wahoo and GTs. Snapper should also stay active this month. Shallow Tempest and the wider reefs in 80-90m of water will become the more consistent areas. On charter lately we’ve still been boating plenty of quality juvenile snapper and on the days when they haven’t

Anglers have still been pulling plenty of good snapper lately.

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Grayson Fong graysonfong@bigpond.com

As we charge towards another summer, it’s easy to ask yourself, ‘where did spring go?’ Warm, humid days and afternoon storms have already graced us with their presence, which has been a blessing in disguise on the fishing front. Summer species like mangrove jack and summer whiting have started to appear in the many estuaries flanking the northern bay. The Pine and Caboolture rivers have seen early mangrove jack action this summer with good-sized estuary cod providing exciting by-catch for many jack fishers. Many anglers have had their patience rewarded with multiple fish hitting the decks in some sessions. ZMan SwimmerZ and Lucky Craft G-Splashers have been the pick of the lures, and body-hooked live prawns are working for the bait fishers. Summer whiting have been the other hot species this month with Bribie’s southern

The peninsula has also shown good numbers on the bream front, and mangrove jack have been caught in the estuaries.

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beaches and Margate Beach turning up good numbers. Bloodworms and squid have been a key, and long traces of lighter line help with bite rates. Juvenile snapper numbers have been stable on the peninsula with the warmer water temperatures keeping bait close to inshore waters, which condenses the feeding activity for these delectable table fish. The southern end of Scotts Point and Shields Street has produced the odd fish, but nowhere near its northern counterpart. Soft plastics have been the wiser choice with aggressive twitching retrieves causing good interest. The peninsula has also shown good numbers on the bream front with the abundance of bait helping the cause. Cranks and lightly

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weighted soft plastics have been working rather well with the application of scents increasing catch rates. Flathead have been a reliable catch in many of the estuaries this spring with the Pumicestone leading the way, especially at the top of the tide in areas like Bongaree (outside the IGA Supermarket), Mission Point and Turners Camp Road. Lures like ZMan Curly Tail StreakZ and Zerek Flash Minnows have

been working well in the Pumicestone. Commonly a winter fish, diver whiting are still being caught through Bramble Bay and the Cockle Banks with numbers being sporadic. Ecogear Isome Worms have been a successful alternative to live baits, with natural colours working well on clear, sunny days. These areas have also been fruitful for sand crabs over the last month, which is providing a great platform for

the coming months as the weather gets warmer. TIP OF THE MONTH Regular re-spooling of new line onto your reels is a less common but a very important practice. It helps during the crucial times of fighting fish and will also assist in tying stronger, more reliable knots. Whether it’s monofilament or braided line, be sure to re-spool the line under tension to prevent line slip on the spool.

The Vince brothers with some great reds. They went out early to fish for these beasts and had all reels screaming at once!

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There are great predatory fish in the rivers From my experience, the hook-up rate on heavy mono or fluorocarbon leaders far outweighs the hook-up rate on wire. Close in, the Sunshine Reef is really firing with some quality grassy sweetlip, juvenile snapper and trout taken over the last month. Both North Reef and Chardons Reef have been fishing very well with good-sized snapper, Maori cod, tuskfish, pearl perch and sweetlip. Tuna are also on the chew with some schools chopping up bait in Laguna Bay. With the spring weather conditions and the annoying northerly winds that keep popping up mid-morning, only the larger craft have been making the trip to the Barwon Banks and the reefs off Double Island Point. These trips have been worth the effort and have produced

NOOSA

Peter Wells

The offshore scene out of Noosa has been really firing over the past few weeks and if the conditions continue, we’ll be looking at a great pelagic season. The summer species are really starting to get underway with good schools of both spotted mackerel and school mackerel on the close reefs. Spanish mackerel are also about with some large fish taken. Trolled lures like the Samaki Pacemaker are perfect for trolling the pressure edges of the reef. These lures can be trolled at speeds up to 12 knots and have a great range of sizes, depths and colours. Another bone of contention is whether to use wire leaders or not.

some outstanding fish – snapper, pearlies, Moses perch, mulloway, gold spot cod, tuskies, nannygai and red emperor were all accounted for on recent trips. The offshore scene out of Mooloolaba has been a little hampered by the consistent breezes. A lot of larger boats have braved the conditions and made the run outside. Mackerel and tuna are in good numbers and if you can get out, you should be able to get amongst them without too much trouble. Getting the lures out in the bay and trolling up to Old Woman Island has seen some success with spotted and school mackerel in good numbers. Bird activity is also picking up and is a tell-tale sign of where the bait schools are. For those of you working the reefs, trout and sweetlip are in good numbers around Coolum and the Gneerings.

Kalani Love is mad keen on fishing the Sunshine Coast river systems. He bagged this 63cm flathead fishing a Keitech 4”soft plastic.

Dave Tunnington was working the close reefs off Noosa fishing for small pelagics, towing the traditional Qantas coloured lure. This 70cm snapper came from the depths and belted it.

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Juvenile snapper have also come from Arkwright and Handcock shoals. On the beaches tailor are still making their way back south after spawning on the Fraser Coast and good quality fish continue to be taken along the Noosa North Shore beaches. The high tide at night is the most productive phase. Fresh mullet, bonito and pilchard baits have nailed most of the quality fish, and we’re still seeing some larger greenbacks touching the magic 10lb mark amongst them. Mulloway are also on the cards and the darker nights seem to be the most productive. Slide baiting has become very popular with a lot of beach anglers adopting the technique. If you want to get into slide baiting, come in and have a chat to the staff at our Davo’s stores and we’ll run you through it. Dart are in good numbers with most fish in close. Prawns and small fish baits have claimed plenty. We are also seeing good quality whiting coming from the breakers with live worms and pipis being the go-to baits. The Noosa River has again been fishing well with some great catches of trevally and tailor. These predatory fish have been very active around the river mouth, Woods Bay and Munna Point chasing bait brought in on the big tides. Casting slugs and soft plastics at dawn and dusk is a good way to tangle with a solid trevally or two. Flathead are still in good numbers with some monster females feeding on small baitfish and prawns

predominantly on the run-out tide. Whiting and bream have been common catches lately right throughout the system with the dog beach and Gympie Terrace both producing some good fish. Mangrove jack are now very active with the water warming up. These ambush predators have surprised a few anglers with their ‘smash and run’ feeding technique. Jacks are more active and often out in the open at night hunting for a feed. Live baits and soft plastics get the job done. Trolling hardbody minnows between the lakes

may also connect you with a jack as well as working the timber lined edges of the river in the same area. Make sure you use quality suspending lures armed with quality hooks. If you are reusing last year’s lures, remember to update those hooks, because corrosion will have compromised the integrity of the hooks. In the Maroochy River the big tides have also seen plenty of predatory fish like tailor, queenies and trevally accounted for in numbers. Anglers are getting a run for their money as reels scream under the pressure of these speedsters. Larger soft plastics also account for some nice school mulloway from the deeper holes upriver. For those who prefer to fish the daylight hours, whiting continue to be in good numbers around Chambers Island, Cotton Tree and Black Banks. Worms and freshly pumped yabbies are the gun baits. Flathead are still in great numbers and nice fish have been taken around Bli Bli Islands. These fish are in the latter stages of spawning and are really starting to nest up, so if you get onto a fish, keep working that same area to try and attract a big girl. Crabs are also starting to show up in good numbers. Good-sized bucks have been enticed into the pots by fresh mullet soaked in tuna oil. • 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. Remember tight lines and bent spines!

Ben Forgan was fishing a secret spot in the upper Maroochy River and got this 53cm mangrove jack.

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BRISBANE

Bob Thornton

November 2017 marks the 30th anniversary of Queensland Fishing Monthly. In 1987, a New Zealander named Mike Airey, who sadly passed away last year, saw that there was no dedicated Fishing magazine for Queenslanders, and on November of that year, the first issue of South Queensland Fishing Monthly dropped. A lot

QFM’s Bob Thornton managed to catch up with Wayne Kampe, who is one of our oldest contributors. Bob delved into his 30 years experience of writing regular columns for us. BT: So, take us back to the beginning. How did you end up writing in the first edition of South Queensland Fishing Monthly? WK: Rod Harrison rang me – I was a mate of Rod’s, we used to do a bit of flyfishing together. He rang me and said, “Wayne, I know you do a bit of fishing writing like I do, but there’s this new magazine coming out and they want me to be the editor.” He then told me to go see a bloke called Mike Airey, who he assured me was very experienced with magazine production, and prior to that he’d been in charge of New Zealand Fishing News; it was his baby. That magazine is still going strong. So that’s

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those who are that way inclined. You can find us on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, and because we had so much content archived on our old website, we’ve had to make a new one! In celebrating 30 years, we decided to have a chat to two contributors who have been with us from the very beginning, Wayne Kampe and David Green. Kampey and Greenie still write in every issue of QFM, with Greenie doing the Gold Coast report, and Kampey writing regular columns on fly fishing, 4WDing,

camping and boating. While much has changed for both men since their early days contributing to the magazine, some things have not, namely the fact that these guys are still as passionate about our marvellous sport as they ever were. Age and busy working lives have done little to slow them down, and we always look forward to hearing about their adventures on the water. So in our 31st year, come and take a look back in time with us, as we revisit some of our earliest content from the magazine and chat to those who were there!

how I came to write an article about fishing at Jumpinpin in the first edition back in 1987. BT: Did you ever think that you’d still be writing for this same publication 30 years on?

WK: Quite frankly, no. Quite often with things like this, everything goes okay for a while, but peoples’ lives change. They might move onto something else, or they might even move

photos were black and white, in line with what the mag was back then. Sending things through electronically wasn’t available until at least a decade later. BT: In these 30 years, what’re are some of the big changes you’ve noticed about how people get their fishing information? WK: Everyone seems to want to look at a tablet or phone to get their information, but, the indications are that this alone is not enough, because these magazines are still selling. Young people coming on, I believe, need something more than just what they can get on the internet. And the magazine has come a long way from what it was when it started, so it offers plenty for anyone looking for hints and clues about their local water, or a technique they’re looking to try. BT: Your area has always been flyfishing, where did all that start for you? WK: It started with trout. I was first interested in flyfishing when I was 10 years old, when a friend of my father’s was describing to me how he used to fish for trout in France with a dry fly. He’d cast the fly upstream,

house, go to another state, another country even! Honestly, it never did cross my mind that in 30 years I would still be writing – quite happily – for Fishing Monthly Group, which in those days was just the one magazine, South Queensland Fishing Monthly. BT: These days you guys just write everything up on a word document and email it through to us, but back in those days, what was the procedure? WK: In those days we’d type the article, and you would need at least a bottle of white out for corrections. The pages would then be posted to the editor, and likewise photos. On the back of the photos you’d put a little sticker with a suggested caption, and the

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watch the fly coming down the ripple, and the moment the fly disappeared he’d lift the rod and the trout would be on! When I heard that at 10 years old, I thought to myself, ‘I’m gonna do that one day!’ I wasn’t able to do it until I was 27. Of course, back then it was strictly trout. In the early days of Fishing Monthly a fellow writer said to me that there was a lot of talk about saltwater flyfishing, but no one was really doing it because it was too hard. BT: And I suppose it took innovators like Rod Harrison and Darryl Steele, who were both involved with the magazine, to encourage others to try saltwater flyfishing? WK: That’s right. Harro and Steele, and another bloke

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called Trevor Saunders were right at the forefront of all that in South East Queensland. So for my own flyfishing, I started with trout, moved to saratoga, then bass, and it wasn’t until we got our first Galeforce Boat over 20 years ago that we were then out in the bay saltwater flyfishing for mackerel and tuna. There were so many fish in those days, you’d be disappointed if you were after mackerel and the tuna showed up in fly casting range of the boat instead! I remember I caught tuna on fly in Raby Bay on the 18th of May one year, double hook-up! I remember when it was because I had a friend who had a birthday that day. The tuna had been around since Christmas and they were still hanging around at the end of May. BT: You were a cop back in the day. How did you balance a busy job like this and the unquenchable thirst that is flyfishing? WK: Oh, it was so easy, because I did shift work! I did shift work for 28 years, and it’s honestly the greatest thing in the world for a fisherman or a hunter, because I wasn’t necessarily working standard business hours. It was so easy to go for a fish before I went to work, because I’d go out for a fish come home, put the boat and tackle away, clean up, and go in for my evening shift. And it was such a good outlet for me, because flyfishing is a very involved pastime. BT: What are the changes you’ve noticed in the flyfishing world since you took it up? WK: Back when I started there were cane fly rods, but they were very expensive. So the majority of the rods were carbon, then they went to boron, and there’s still a few boron rods around, but these days it’s mostly high-quality

WK: Well there’s a lot more of it being done, no question about that, but it’s certainly not for everybody. It’s long been said that it’s an involved process. So either you do it, because you can, and you enjoy it, or you look at it and decide ‘well why would I bother?’ Those are the options people have. BT: There do seem to be people these days who take flyfishing on board as just another set of skills to add to $5.95

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Barramundi capture the imagination of almost all anglers in Australia, and Wayne Kampe is no exception. their arsenal, has this always been the case? WK: Yes, there have always been those who will pick up a fly rod when it suits them. I mean, I almost solely fish fly, but there’s plenty of young anglers coming through who are proficient with both lure and fly. It’s not so much the bait anglers, but moreso the lure anglers who are looking for that next challenge. I know one of the prominent tournament barra guys [Craig Griffiths] has recently taken up flyfishing for them. I ran into him up at Proserpine, and he saw my rod and asked me “Do you get many on those things?” I told him we got three nice ones the previous night…

A much younger Kampey hauls a decent luderick onto a rock ledge with an old school surf rod and centrepin reel. carbon. And with rods these days it’s rare the newest models aren’t better than the previous ones. Fly lines and reels have also come a long way as well. The range of gear is incredible, I mean you can get a fly outfit for any kind of fish these days. BT: What about people’s attitude to flyfishing, has that changed much?

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happy with what goes on in this industry. I know we sometimes get annoyed with the catches made by commercial fishermen, but I think if they’re working within the limits of their permits, well, so be it. If we want change, it’s up to recreational fishing bodies to present their case to the government of the day. BT: And finally, what’s the best memory you have with Fishing Monthly?

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BT: As someone who’s been involved with recreational fishing for so long, what’s one area where you want to see change in the fishing industry? WK: I don’t really look for change much these days. I do occasionally see things that I know would improve things if they did change, but for the most part I’m

WK: I think it would have to be setting out to catch a Murray cod on fly. I spoke to the editor at the time Jim Bren, and I told him I was going down to the New England to catch a cod on fly. This would have been sometime in the late 80s. Jim asked me if they really took flies, and I told him I knew of a bloke, Gordon Winter, who’d caught a few. So I went out with some mates to the Mole River in the New England district, and I ended up catching a Murray cod of around 80cm on fly and wrote an article about it. Since then we’ve caught many more, with some getting close to a metre in length. But I think that was the most satisfying memory, that I got to tell Jim I was setting out to do something, having the whole plan come together so well, and returning with photos on the camera. I’d like to add something about how some things don’t change. When I was a young fellow, we used to dig up garden worms and catch whiting with them. So last year, my wife Denise and I were going for a fish off Peel Island targeting whiting, and I said “let’s dig a few garden worms for bait.” She looked confused, but agreed anyway. So here we are out in the bay, with $40,000 worth of boat, all the hightech electronics in the world, and we’re catching whiting on garden worms. It was fantastic! BT: Thanks so much Kampey, it’s always great talking. You’re energy is infectious, and this comes through in your writing. I hope there’s plenty more to come from you in the future!

390 STALKER For more information visit

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Barney’s Marine Shed 3A Nissan Street Pialba QLD 4655 Phone 07 4124 3170

Neptune Marine 7 Judds Court Slacks Creek QLD 4127 Phone 07 3290 6370

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Bluefin Sports 57-59 Musgrave Street North Rockhampton QLD 4701 Phone 07 4922 2211

Townsville Marine 943 Ingham Road Bohle QLD 4818 Phone 07 4774 3777

Marine Tune 64 Kortum Drive Burleigh Heads QLD 4220 Phone 07 5576 7388

Whitsunday Outboard Centre 1 William Murray Drive Cannonvale QLD 4802 Phone 07 4946 7286

bluefinsports@bluefinsports.com.au

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Bob also chatted to David Green, who has also been a part of the magazine’s 30-year history from the beginning. He caught Greenie mid Gold Coast Flathead Classic, a competition he has won 6 times. BT: How did you end up writing for South Queensland Fishing Monthly initially? DG: Well, when it started off it was the offspring of New Zealand Fishing News,

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of income. BT: And that’s one of the likeable things about you, that you enjoy fishing for fishing’s sake. DG: Yeah, I’ve always had a reasonable disposable income, and while I’ve done a bit of promotion here and there, I’ve never been tied down with any particular brand or banner. I really just want to play with anything I can get my hands on! BT: Greenie, you’re an emergency physician at the Gold Coast Hospital. What’s it been like balancing life as a doctor with the insatiable need to go fishing that we all have? DG: I’m the director

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fishing information, or how they want their information? DG: It’s vastly different now. I remember when magazines had lead times of around four, five or even six months. It was the cutting edge, and you’d have people queuing up at newsagents. Nowadays everyone is able to share their information easily on social media, which for the most part is a good thing. BT: What about fishing itself? What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in the fishing world during this time? DG: I think in the past 30 years the fisheries in Queensland have been reasonably responsibly managed. They’ve looked after individual species and the numbers of fish are similar to what they were 25 years ago, which is good to see. People are a lot more aware these days too, like some guys I’ve met don’t even know how to clean a fish! It’s a lot different to when I started, when you’d come home after each trip with tubs of dead fish. I remember weighing in bags of fish at comps that these days would just get you a fine. I think anglers are much more skilled these days too, and you can see this with the amount of money people are spending on gear, and

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there and have been for a number of years, and as far as the whole work/ life balance thing goes, we have everyone doing four 10-hour shifts a week. So that gives me three days off a week, most of the time. Some days we’ll get called in, but that gives me a fairly reasonable window to get out on the water each week. One of the nice things about the Gold Coast, and one of the main reasons I moved here in the first place, is that you have so many angling opportunities. There’s everything from blue marlin to bass in the freshwater, and everything in between. It’s also not too far to travel if you want to get stuck into barra up north or Murray cod out west! BT: Do you feel you’ve been able to tap into all •

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time now. Do you think it was writing regular fishing columns that initially got your name out there? DG: I think QFM has always had good penetration locally, and I think this has helped with notoriety, amongst other things, although it’s not something I particularly chase. I’ve always involved myself in the community with competitions and so forth, so that all helps too. Everything these days is more social media-based, of course; it was a very different world back then. BT: Do you think it led to bigger things for you, such as television? DG: I think in some ways it has, but I mean, fishing is my hobby. I’ve done it all my life, and it’s not my main source iPads

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BT: I guess it’s a perception that needs to change, isn’t it? We’re often targeted as an environmental pest, but we probably do more for the environment than the average person. DG: A lot more! You know, you might have one

grumpy fisherman leave a bunch of rubbish around a campsite, but you’ll have 10 recreational anglers go in there and clean it all up and complain about it. It’s become clear that we will not tolerate this sort of mistreatment of the areas we

fish, and in this way it’s sort of self-sustaining. We also seem to reward and praise good behaviour, particularly on social media. BT: And finally, a tricky one, what’s your greatest fishing memory from the last 30 years? DG: There’s been a lot! Winning six Flathead Classics and some Barra Classics was fantastic. I haven’t been able to win a Barra Nationals yet, but I’ve had two 2nd place finishes. As far as personal fishing milestones go: catching a 1000lb black marlin at Lizard Island; catching seven metre barra by myself in one night; the 40lb black bass that I mentioned before; my first, second and third metre Murray cod; catching a 3.1m short length blue marlin out of my tinny, which was a three hour and 20 minute fight time. These are the big things, but I still remember all the great times camping and getting out with mates. For instance, the early exploratory trips we did out to the Coral Sea Atolls in the late 80s before GPS was available have some great memories attached to them. BT: Well thanks so much Greenie! It’s been a pleasure talking. I always look forward to reading your articles each month, and I hope there’s more to come in the future! • •

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DG: Well we usually catch between 700 to 1200 each season, and there’s often quite a few big ones in there, but not this season. We’ve only caught a few over 80cm so far. BT: With all these changes you’ve seen in the industry, do you think they have been what’s allowed the fishing industry to grow like it has? DG: Definitely. The industry has grown across a wide range of media. Fishing Monthly itself has certainly grown a lot because it’s such a good format – it’s a big magazine that has so much local information. It also works across a range of media these days too. BT: As someone who’s been involved with recreational fishing for so long, what’s one area where you still want to see change? DG: One thing that still annoys me enormously is being locked out of areas where we fish responsibly and behave responsibly. I understand why we need marine parks, but I’m not going to damage the spots, particularly when they’re isolated out on the Coral Sea Atolls for instance. I just believe recreational anglers should be allowed access to these resources. Maybe they should be considering having ‘no-take’ zones in

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how fast information is travelling. BT: What about your fishing and your approach to it, has it changed much? DG: Oh yeah, it’s changed a lot! I do a lot more gamefishing now, where it used to be mostly bottom fishing. I mean, I still fish for reef species on the bottom, but as I said before, these days I love chasing blue marlin out of a relatively small 6m trailer boat. I’m also traveling a lot more these days; for instance, I try to fish the barra comps in the Northern Territory each year, and I try to get overseas as much as I can. I just returned from PNG where I caught my first 40lb black bass, which ticks a box for me! I’m looking forward to going to Alaska next August, so I’ve made more time for things like that. Locally, I’ve always found flathead one of the most interesting fish to try because there’s always new methods to try out on them. I mean, they’re not the most glamorous fish but they respond well to different lures, they’re always available and they taste good, which is what keeps me fishing for them. BT: Your name is pretty synonymous with big flathead, is it fair to say you’ve caught a few in your time?

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Scorching summer! MORETON BAY

Ryan Smith

The summer months are almost upon us with the weather patterns changing into their normal summer habits. The temperature is rising and those afternoon summer storms are brewing. Mangrove jack will be on many anglers’ minds over the next few months, as well as your bread and butter species. During the next few months with the holiday period there will be a lot of people out on the water; early mornings will be the quietest part of the day, so get out early. As many anglers know the summer months mean mangrove jack will be a popular target on baits and lures. Mangrove-lined creeks, rock bars, bridge pylons and canals are all areas worth focusing on. Baitcaster setups are very common among mangrove jack anglers, especially combos around the 5-10kg range with anywhere between 20-40lb braid and 20-50lb leader, depending on the country you’re fishing. If a spin combo suits you better, you can get away with something a little lighter than a baitcaster setup. These combos are only a starting point; many anglers go lighter or heavier for a bit more fun. The lures that are generally used are either soft plastics or hardbody diving lures. Soft plastics like the ZMan 4” SwimmerZ and DieZel MinnowZ are wellknown baitfish profiles, however Zerek Shrimps and Hotlegs are good shrimp imitations. Lucky Craft,

The author with a fat bream taken on a Bassday Sugapen caught using the techniques explained. Rapala, Atomic and Duo – just to name a few – all have lures in their range around the 80mm size work perfectly. Mangrove jack fishing can be very frustrating but very rewarding when you catch one. My favourite form of fishing is chasing bread and butter species with a variety of different lure techniques. As you may know, I love my surface fishing. There’s nothing better then seeing a fish slurp, suck or boof your lure off the surface. The best thing about this type of fishing is that anyone can do it, because most of the fishing is best done land-based or casting towards the land. Bream, whiting and flathead are the most common catches, however you’ll also catch mullet, tailor and any other species swimming around on the flat you’re fishing. When you’re looking for a flat to start fishing find one with something different on it

compared to a plain sand flat with nothing on it. Weed beds, yabby banks, rock banks and drop-offs are all spots I look for when out there on the water. Lure-wise I like the Bassday Sugapens, OSP Bent Minnows, Megabass Dog X Jnr and the Baby Pop X, however any surface lure under 90mm will work. Small twitches of the lure make it look like a prawn or baitfish skipping across the surface and adding many long pauses seems to do the trick on the estuary species. November is set to be an exciting month with the school year coming to an end and the holiday period near, which means more time for fishing! As the weather heats up a lot more boaties tend to be out on the water, so my best advice is to get out on the water early and always remember to be sun-smart, especially in the coming months out on the water. Until next month, tight lines and screaming drags.

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Finley Pell with his first mulloway caught on a soft vibe. NOVEMBER 2017

Local waters on fire HERVEY BAY

Dane Radosevic

This time of year is prime time for our local rivers and creeks as water temperatures are increasing prompting our local fishery to fire. As of midday on 1 November the barra closed season is in place and targeting this species is off limits. Fortunately there are many other species such as mangrove jack, grunter and threadfin salmon to target. The Burrum River has been the most consistent system for mangrove jack with rock bars in the upper reaches of the river and Gregory tributary producing some quality fish. Avid lure anglers have been running their hardbodies and an assortment of prawn and/ or paddle-tail soft plastics across these rocky structures for good results. The low light hours are best, as this is when the territorial jack is most likely to venture a little further from its ambush point to look for a feed. For those soaking a bait, fresh strips of mullet, live herring and poddy mullet have been getting smashed. Fish tight to snags or along the rock bars. Anglers willing to put in the time and to fish the night period have been reaping the rewards. In the middle reaches

of the system the large sweeping bends with the deeper holes have been holding good schools of tarpon and queenfish, which make for great sport on light gear. Downstream around the islands is currently a good spot to search for some quality summer whiting on fresh baits with flathead and grunter being a common by-catch. Threadfin salmon are a great sportfish at this time of year and have been prolific throughout the Mary and Susan rivers. Pound for pound this species would have to be the hardest and fastest-fighting fish in the river, which makes for some tense moments around the net. The majority of the fish have been best targeted with soft vibes down deep adjacent to rock bars and in deeper holes and channels on the run-out tide. Numbers of threadfin are starting to increase across the flats and in the drains as the bait supply increases in the form of jelly prawns. Small hard vibes, shallow running hardbodies and paddle-tail soft plastics cast and retrieved around drains are working well. Trolling the flats and covering ground is also proving quite effective. Grunter and big lizards are being caught on the run-out tide in the lower reaches around Beaver Rock and the rocky outcrops around the Heads; locating a

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good bait supply is key. From the western side of Fraser Island and down through the Strait, many creek mouths and drains on the dropping tide have flathead stacking up waiting in ambush for a feed and slow rolling hardbodies and hopping soft plastics have been effective techniques, allowing anglers to cover ground quickly. Try locating areas that hold good congregations of hardiheads or herring. From Wanggoolba Creek south, the drains and flats at the entrance to most creeks will be well worth searching for both grunter and threadfin salmon, especially around an agitated colour line as they wait for bait being flushed out by the tide. Don’t write off mulloway at this time of year as spring and early summer still produce quality fish from the deep water, especially around rocky areas or steep ledges such as those along Ungowa. Soft vibes or a well-presented live bait would be the ideal choice in this scenario. For topwater enthusiasts this is a great time to go in search of a big GT or queenfish on poppers and stickbaits around the many inshore islands. Locating areas with a good bait supply and current is the key to success here. These same areas often hold prolific numbers of mixed trevally species and are worth working a micro-jig or soft plastic around with the bigger tides producing the best results. We’ve had an incredible run of XOS Spanish mackerel in the bay with fish in excess of 35kg being caught. Large live baits such as legal-sized school mackerel or bonito floated out under a biodegradable balloon have been producing

A little black marlin going aerial across the flats off Fraser Island! the results. The inshore reefs are starting to fire with bait fishos accounting for some good numbers of sweetlip, blackall and tuskfish on fresh cut baits of squid, herring and pilchards. Anglers putting in the time to catch live baits have been rewarded with cod and coral trout. Trolling hardbodies in the 3-4m range has been another very effective technique for the cod and coral trout. Blue bone or ‘blueys’ are becoming more active, with live crabs fished across the shallow rubbly reefs and ledges producing some quality fish. If you’re geared up appropriately to extract them from their lair, some anglers have been getting much larger models in the deeper water around the wrecks, however many are also getting smoked. It’s still fun and well worth the effort when you do manage to extract that trophy fish from its hole. Platypus Bay is starting to fire up with our early run of mac and longtail tuna feeding on the surface in

sporadic schools. The usual method of casting small 30-40g metal slugs or lures like the ZMan 5” StreakZ in bubble gum colour and quickly retrieving them is working best. Golden and tea-leaf trevally are being caught deep on both soft plastics and micro-jigs over the Washing Machines and rubble patches. Hervey Bay is a very unique fishery in many ways and could possibly be the only place in the world that we know of where you can sight cast to and catch juvenile black marlin on the flats in less than 1m of water. November is generally the prime month to see great numbers of these excellent sportfish move into the bay and begin patrolling the flats in search of a feed. Ports north of us in Cairns, Townsville, the Whitsundays and Rockhampton are experiencing an outstanding season on these pocket rockets and Hervey Bay is primed to follow suit. For most anglers, trolling a spread of light tackle skirts like the Pakula Micro Sprockets and Cockroaches

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The author with a solid threadfin salmon that ate a vibe hopped down deep over a rock bar.

in various colours while also running a skipping gar behind the spread has produced incredible results in the past. I recommend running some type of teaser to fire them up and entice them into feeding like the Flippy Floppy, which is very quickly accounting for some great catches. For those with larger vessels, Breaksea has been a great option and trolling heavy tackle has been rewarded with some exceptional captures of big blue marlin coming from along the shelf south of the 2-mile crossing and down to The Canyons. Yellowfin tuna and big bull mahimahi have been taking the smaller lures in the spread and have been quite prolific along the 200-300m mark. Packing the heavy topwater gear will definitely be worth a shot over the shallower reef systems with big GTs and Spanish mackerel haunting these areas. Pay particular attention to bait supply in the area and hard-pushing currents, as these are two very important factors. Towards the 13-mile crossing it will be worthwhile trolling a few light tackle lures around, as we often see a good run of sailfish terrorising bait in these areas. Now’s time for the resurgence of Lake Monduran! During November and leading into summer the northerly winds can play havoc on the coastline, which makes it difficult for anglers to get out. A quick dash up the road to Mondy is definitely a good option, going off reports from previous months, with most fishos being rewarded for their efforts with quality fish. The southern points and bays have been holding good numbers of fish that have been taking a liking to slow-rolled and twitched silent hardbodies or 4-6” soft plastics.

Wander over to Waddy Point FRASER ISLAND

Phil James p_j_james@bigpond.com

Last month we started to look closely at the major headlands of Fraser Island, and we started with the most recognizable – Indian Head. I suggested a few spots mostly on its northern face where it might be possible to tangle with some of the island’s rock and reef dwellers. My suggestion was based on my experience that such vantage points are present most of the time. No sooner was the ink dry than almost the northern face of Indian was

completely sanded up. How fickle the islands sands can be! At this time the entire eastern beach of the island seemed to be dominated by extremely wide beaches. Of course, these conditions can change almost overnight as new gutters and rock shelf holes can be drilled into the beaches and headlands. Last month I also included the reminder that fishing the rocks and beaches of Middle Rocks is banned throughout the year. Travelling north of Indian Head first involves a short stretch of beach leading to the base of Middle Rocks. From here the track up the face to the Champaign Pools

parking lot is quite steep, but well supported. Similar to the approach to the Indian Head bypass, the approach across soft beach sand can cause problems. From the Pools parking lot a pair of one-way tracks led towards Orchid Beach. These tracks see a lot of traffic including heavy vehicles carrying fuel and supplies as well as towed offshore fishing vessels. Fortunately, due to their one-way designation, the tracks remain in reasonable condition with some of the more challenging sections being boarded. There are two ways of reaching Waddy Point. From

Waddy Point’s north side.

the one-way track, turn off to the right at the Waddy Point camping ground sign. This leads to the ranger station and camping ground. Between Waddy Point and Orchid Beach there is a maze of continually changing isolated lagoons, beach gutters and spits. Continuing on to the headland usually requires following the current track worn from recent usage. The alternative to this way is to continue on beyond the camping ground turn-off. The two one-way tracks soon merge into one and reach a T junction a little further along. Turning to the right, the track leads down onto the beach. From here following the most used track towards Waddy Point is the best plan. High tides can make life difficult along here as can stretches of boggy sand. Unfortunately there is no easier way of reaching Waddy Point. As far as opportunities go, Waddy Point has many more fishing options than Indian Head. The map shows an outline of the headland. The adjacent sand flats, spits and gutters (A) add to the number of species that can be expected – whiting, bream, tarwhine and dart are all likely captures. Flathead lie waiting in ambush where the sand merges with scattered rocks and ledges of

at this or at any of the other favourite spots cannot be taken for granted. A wide variety of species are taken here. Casting from the platform, tailor and dart are easy targets. Pelagics like mackerel and yellowtail kingfish often come within casting distance for the interest of specialist anglers using deadly metals. At the base of the wall and around the scattered boulders, reef species such as bruin, spotted perch and other sweetlip – as

between (F) and (H) is very difficult to access (see photo). However those who have made the effort report plenty of bream, tarwhine and reef fish cruising around amongst the rock ledges. Further south, there are some great fishing opportunities to be had but these need to be accessed by a 4WD track that runs behind the headland. This track enters South Waddy Beach. As the beach from here to the south is part of the Middle Rocks

Great fishing weather RAINBOW BEACH

Ed Falconer

More great weather again allowed us many trips outside. Offshore we have had just awesome fishing lately with a cracking run of snapper, which is usual for this time of year. Floating pilchards on 20lb line with the lightest sinker possible was the key to quality and quantity. Soft plastics are

also working a treat. Moses perch have been in big numbers and most of these fish have been over 40cm. Using small squid and mullet strips on two hook dropper rigs saw quite a few boats bag out. Other fish on the chew are good quality tuskfish, Maori cod and large estuary cod. On the beach, with the weather warming up we have seen an increase of summer whiting. The Oaks near Inskip Point are

the pick of spots and live beach worms are the go-to bait there. November has in the past been a good month for big snapper. They’re usually in on the close reefs, which is great as current can pick up out wide this time of year. • To enjoy a day on the water with Keely Rose Fishing Charters phone Ed Falconer 0407 146 151 or visit www. keelyrosefishingcharters .com.au.

Young Jack with a beautiful Rainbow Beach snapper.

The view from the south side of Waddy Point. the headland (B). During the tailor season these westerly facing rocks and ledges (B and C) become one of Fraser Island’s hotspots. Here the southerly swells bend around Waddy Point to produce gradually breaking surf full of the white water cover that tailor prefer. This is also excellent mulloway territory, particularly after dark. They will take a variety of baits including sea worms. The best results come from using live sand or skinny headed mullet netted in one of the nearby lagoons or gutters. Known by many regulars as ‘the wall,’ this northeast facing rock shelf provides a reasonably high fishing platform. This sheer wall dips into deep water. Safety

well as bream and tarwhine – are often taken using cunjevoi, sea worms or pipis. Access between (D) and (E) isn’t easy. The main gorge (F) is just a short walk across from the usual car parks. I mentioned earlier that many of the best vantage points can fill up with sand and this was the case recently. When the gorge is deep and clear of sand it is one of Waddy’s top spots for targeting big bream. Floating a lightlyweighted half pilchard into the wash is almost guaranteed to be a winner. Just outside the gorge there are good opportunities for targeting, bream, tarwhine and reef species around the rock base (E). Waddy Point’s coastline

Green Zone (K) vehicles must not venture towards Middle Rocks. It’s permitted to park close to the Waddy Point rocks. Walking along the beach is permitted, but fishing is not allowed. There are quite a few relatively safe vantage points here (J). Bream and tarwhine are usually expected where rocks meet surf beach. Mulloway and some reef species are also likely catches here and from the rocks a little further north (H). Indian Head, Middle Rocks and Waddy Point are the only true headland rocks of Fraser’s east coast. There are of course the coffee rocks, some of which almost qualify as headlands, but that’s another story. NOVEMBER 2017

Monduran turns up the heat on magic metres! LAKE MONDURAN

Rob Howell

The weather patterns through September and October were ideal to say the least. A combination of 30°C days and constant northerly winds were the catalyst to the best fishing we have seen all year. Just recently we had four mad keen young anglers visiting from Ballina, NSW. The boys had been to Monduran a few times before with mixed results, so a change of plan was needed. This time the lads planned

Doug was delighted with his 104cm barra. their trip around the lead up to the full moon, which normally produces good late afternoon and nighttime barra bites. As a result of good planning and a little luck,

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there’s one problem with this method – at some stage your lure will get covered in weed. When this happens you need to rip your plastic hard and fast until the weed breaks off and then continue

The boys from Ballina had a great time at Monduran with 28 barra for the four days. Suspending hardbodies, like the Rapala SXR-12s, Jackall Squirrel and Smash Minnows, have been the standout performing lures for the last month or so in this scenario. Slow twitching and slow rolling these lures will give you the best results. • For further info on what’s

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The lead up to the full moon normally produces good late afternoon and nighttime barra bites.

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it just so happened that the combination of our first northerly winds coming out of the winter period, hot daytime temperatures and the lead up to the full moon gave these guys four days of fishing they will remember for a long time. Jake, Gibbo, Aiden and Jackson all put a huge effort in on the water and it paid off with a total of 28 barra in the boat. Most measured upwards of 80cm and few were over the magic metre mark. TECHNIQUES AND METHODS The lake’s weed beds have been growing thick and fast since the recent water rise. This water rise has formed fish lanes and shallow pockets of water above the existing weed beds, which have created new feeding areas for some barra. There are a number of ways to target barra in these areas; one way is to rig up with weedless soft plastics. In this case you need to be casting into the vacant pockets of weed and then slow roll or twitch your plastic through. However,

your slow roll or twitch past the outer weed edge. Another way is to use surface lures. While barra feed in these vacant pockets, the majority like to school up and run along the outside weed edges looking for any potential bait balls. Another way to target these barra are to cast along the weed edges.

This water rise has formed fish lanes and shallow pockets of water above the existing weed beds, which have created new feeding areas for some barra.

Keith cracked the magic metre with his 100cm fish.

Much-needed rain helps fire up the fishing GLADSTONE

Liam Jones

October has seen the Gladstone area really fire up with the help of some much-needed rain. There are still plenty of salmon throughout the harbour, Calliope River and South Trees Inlet. While the schools aren’t as big as what we had in previous months, the size of the fish seems to be much better. The standout ways to fish for salmon have been live baiting with herring or mullet and throwing the trusty soft vibe. When targeting salmon I tend to leave the more expensive vibes like Transams in the box and throw cheaper ones like Trollcraft or Viper Vibes, because I generally lose a few when throwing over shallow rock bars. Mangrove jack have really started to fire up with

David Stocker with a cracker Swains Reef GT. expect to see some big nannygai moving to some closer inshore spots. As I’ve stated many times before, the best and most rewarding way to fish for both these species is using light and gear and slow pitch jigs.

Les Jones landed this big black jewfish using a locally caught cuttlefish head for bait. some 50cm+ fish coming from the top of the Boyne in recent weeks. They should start to really fire once those stinking hot, stormy days of November and December start to roll through. The standout lures have been the ever-trusty ZMan DieZel MinnowZ and surface walkers and poppers like Lucky Craft G-Splash, Tone-Splash, Gunfish and Yakamito Spectres in 85mm. Big Grunter are still showing up in the Calliope. Expect them to start moving offshore. Places like the Cape Cap Barge and Nautilus wreck should really start to fire, especially either side of the new moon. Be sure to have a look at the fin fish closures on the DPI website for November; it will be based around that new moon. Grunter aren’t on the no-take list but just about everything else you will catch out there is. They will stay out there until January or February and can be quite fun on light gear when school’s up in numbers. With the grunter,

start of the year and we lost quite a lot of fish. Fortunately it looks like we didn’t lose as many as expected. I recently got a report of a customer catching 15 fish within two days. The standout lures have been suspending hardbodies like Jackall Squirell 79s and Yakamito Sirens. Windblown timber points seem to be holding most of the fish. On the subject of dams, Lake Callide out at Biloela has been on fire throughout last month. With plenty of big barra over the 1m mark being landed over the past few weeks, expect this competition to be an absolute cracker. Black jewfish should begin to liven up again throughout the coming months with a few starting to pop up already. Just remember when targeting these fish, they don’t release well. Take enough for a feed then move on. As much fun

have been coming from 16-25m of water and falling to either a 7” plastic or a wellworked slow pitch jig. On a recent charter to the Swains Reef, the skipper says the jigs were catching five fish to one bait. It just goes to show, when they’re a little bit tough, the reaction bite can sometimes turn a poor day into a good one. Plenty of good trout are still turning up in the day’s eskys as they have all throughout winter. Expect this to only improve over the coming months. Once again, plastics and jigs are accounting for the better fish along with stickbaits for the anglers that are getting up into the shallows. Reds were hit and miss over October with some good catches coming off the backside of the full moon. The run into the new moon is generally my favourite time to fish for reds, but in the back half October we had the fin fish closure, which prohibits any fishing throughout that period. The anglers that did manage to score some good reds all caught them on either whole squid or cuttlefish heads. Crabs have pretty well gone into hiding over October with a few lucky people scoring a feed and plenty coming home with a donut. After getting a little much-needed rain over the past month, they may begin to fire up around the moon this November. • 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 Jackall Squirrel did the job on this fat Lake Awoonga barra.

David Stocker boated this solid trout stickbaiting the flats.

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 Stu Pengelly with a Swains Reef redthroat caught using a 60g Storm Koika jig. The barra have been good all the way through October with the Boyne, Calliope, harbour and Narrows all producing good numbers and decent size fish. It has been great to see Lake Awoonga starting to produce good fish over the past few weeks. I think we all feared the same thing when, once again, the dam wall went over at the

as it is catching them, they are a schooling fish and even though you may be releasing what you catch, you can potentially wipe out an entire school in one session. The best baits for the black jew are by far locally caught big squid and cuttlefish heads! On the reef the bigger sweetlip are starting to show up again after a bit of a spell over winter. The bigger fish

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Big jacks come out to play BUNDABERG

Jason Medcalf topwater@bigpond.com

It’s that time of the year again when our creeks fire up and the big mangrove jack come out to play. The recent heavy rains in October have certainly stirred things up locally with most creeks and rivers flowing dirty and fresh for a while. The freshwater

will get the baitfish and prawns moving around in most systems and it won’t take long for them to settle in and for predators to find them. Big systems like the Burnett and Baffle will be well worth a look as they clean up, and the Burnett will clean up pretty quickly. On the Burnett there has been some great fishing reported between showers of rain and dirty water. Threadfin salmon

have really been making a comeback chasing down the schools of sprat and prawns that have been in the river since the rains started. They can be difficult to target from a stationary boat while soaking a bait, as they do move around. Chasing these fish means literally chasing these fish; you need to find them on your fish finder and target them. There are a number of lures that have been successful on

The author’s favourite fish species – the mangrove jack – caught on a surface lure.

these schools. Sinking soft vibes fluttered through the schools have been deadly. Of course, with the fresh still impacting in the earlier part of the month I would be looking around the mouth as the salt pushes upstream. There have been some nice barramundi caught in the river over the past few months, but as of midday on the 1 November these guys are off limits. You can’t target them and if you do hook one while chasing other species, you are to release it as quickly as possible. If you take a barramundi in the closed season you can be fined up to $120,000. SNEAKY FISHING MISSIONS This time of the year is just about perfect for doing some exploring of our local waterways; with the warmer days and longer hours you get more time on the water. I have slipped my kayak into many of the little creeks, lagoons and head waters in our big rivers and there are still so many to explore. At this time of the year the warmer water and bigger tides move many different species right up these smaller waterways and a great way to access them is by using a kayak. I have

The author’s kayak setup all ready to slip into the top of a creek. Sometimes the best fishing is the hardest to get to. found some great spots by looking at Google Earth and seeing where the best access is to slip the yaks in. My main species to target is the mighty mangrove jack, and surprisingly I have caught just about every other estuary species in these skinny, hardto-access places. The key is to watch your tides – the further up the system, the later the tide will be. Ideally you

should drop the kayak in early in the morning on the outgoing tide. This will have you fishing the run-out and when the tide turns it will help you with the haul back. The spots to have a look at are Coonar Creek, the Elliott River, Littabella Creek and of course Baffle Creek. If you’re keen to find your own sneaky spot, get on Google, start looking and start planning.

Rains change the game YEPPOON

Scott Lynch ifishcq2@bigpond.com

October was going to plan until some extraordinary weather events rolled in and changed everything. The deluge right up the Queensland coast has affected the fishing at the best time for some species and the worst time for others. ESTUARIES As far as barramundi are concerned it is great timing, as it allows all the fish in the freshwater areas to escape the dams and isolated creeks to head downstream in time for breeding. The other end of the scale is that the smaller fish needing to get into the safer grow-out areas up in the freshwater will get the opportunity. This isn’t as important to recruitment as December and January rains, but it will give more fish a chance at the start of spawning. The Fitzroy is fastgaining ground on the best barramundi fishing locations anywhere. The hours spent fishing for fish caught, has now equalled many of the better rivers in The Northern Territory. Last month I was lucky enough to land 56

NOVEMBER 2017

several barramundi around the maximum legal length in a tidal area. I saw many other fish over the magic metre caught by those in boats, with people

walking along the river bank applauding their efforts. These were all caught right in the middle of Rockhampton in town. There is no need to travel for hours and spend

Connor Duffy with a chunky Fitzroy Barra caught on a Samurai Refraction outfit.

Jason Smithwick with a large local spangled emperor.

thousands on a trip up north to the Territory when you can stay right here in Central Queensland and land the fish of a life time. As barra season is now closed, Awoonga, Monduran, Peter Faust, Proserpine, Kinchant and Tineroo dams will provide you a chance to scratch the itch. The big king threadfin salmon schools had started moving into town once again, but this latest weather event has turned them around and spread them out a bit. Providing the flow from the rest of the catchment doesn’t last long, there will be a great alternative to barra over the closed season. The many big schools tend to line the deeper channel edges over the low tides and spread out over

bigger areas, gutters and flats with the rising tides. Vibes are the best lure for casting to salmon in the schools, while hardbodies and prawn style plastics are great in the gutters and flats. At the moment there are some horse-sized salmon, with one recently landed in the river measuring 1400mm. There are stories of some even bigger than that landed down around the Fitzroy Delta area. Live prawns and crabs are the pick of the livies for just about anywhere you go to chase threadies. Mangrove jack are the most elusive fish in CQ and they take a lot of time and effort to find them with any regularity. We seem to have pockets of them in most of our estuary systems, but nothing like the numbers

north and south of us. The spots most likely to produce are Coorooman and tight mangrove structures in the little creeks and holes that don’t run dry over the low tide. We often head into these sorts of places a couple of hours before low tide and come out again when there is enough water on the run-in. My mates who specialise in jacks always say that good structure that remains in depth on all tides is the best place to start looking for the red dogs. Plastics and hardbody lures are just as efficient as each other, it depends more on the situation or your style. The colours don’t seem to be as important as getting the lure hard into the structure To page 57

Barra season closed, others open for business ROCKHAMPTON

Clayton Nicholls clay94_fishing@live.com.au

The start of summer has seen plenty of rain for the region, bringing cooler days, greener flora and a more active freshwater fishery. Last month was full of hardcore barra fishing before the closed season started midday 1 November. Now they will be off the target list until midday 1 February.

Fitzroy River System. The influx of the fresh will be great for the fishing, both now and when the open season starts. The fresh will bring plenty of nutrients for the baitfish and prawns in the river and will do wonders for the crabs. A couple of standout lures were working a treat on the river last month: the Sebile Koolie Minnow 118, and the Lucky Craft Pointer 78XD and 100XD. The rocks under the bridges have been a prime

A jack landed by Matt – this one fell victim to a slow rolled plastic cast hard up into the sticks.

A huge 109cm Fitzroy king threadfin salmon extracted using an Extreme Anglers Custom 6-15lb Baitcast rod. Between the windy and rainy times we have been offered good weather for both estuary and inshore fishing. FITZROY AND THE NARROWS With November upon us, closed season now applies to barra, however that doesn’t mean you can’t get out for a lure fishing session to target the many jacks, salmon, flathead, grunter and cod in the From page 56

you are fishing. Many casts that don’t quite get far enough into timber don’t catch a fish, while one right inside the root ball or hanging branches usually gets the fish. Jacks will readily take live baits like poddy mullet, prawns or herring. The best times to fish baits for jacks are also the best times to get live bait and generally in the same area you are fishing. Flathead, whiting, queenfish, dart, trevally and blue salmon are all on the go at the moment and mudcrabs have been picking up steadily as Christmas approaches. OFFSHORE Cobia are in plague proportions again at the moment and are almost annoying at many of the wrecks and pinnacle structures around the area. Sometimes it’s almost impossible to get a bait down past them to the red fish or trout we are targeting. The

hotspot. Devils Elbow and Stonewall are fishing well too, especially for theadfin. CREEKS AND THE BEACHES The creeks and beaches have a very large amount of bait recently with schools of whiting, herring, prawns and mullet. There have been some great fish pulled from our estuaries over the last month. The key player at the moment is Coorooman. The front normal floating pilly gets shelved after one or two cobes are landed. If the Spaniards are around, we bring out the chrome lures, because cobia won’t beat a Spanish to a big chrome lure wound in at full tilt on a 6:1 spin reel. Spanish have slowed down a bit from the bigger schools and the residents are around in ones and twos. Bigger tides are best at most of the local spots. Doggies and a few spotted mackerel have been spread right along the coast’s many rubble patch and island spots. If the bay isn’t flowing fresh, there is a chance of scoring quality mackies anytime we get a run of consistent weather. Red emperor are the most targeted species for the bottom bouncers. This time of year it is possible to get legal reds in as shallow as 15-20m around the outside of the islands and closer rubble patches. Of course the trophy size reds will always come

of this system has held some great golden snapper, grunter and black jewfish, while in the back of the system many anglers have been stuck into whopper flathead, jacks, salmon and barra, until the closed season began. Live baits have been a very successful method for many of these fish, although a lot of anglers are choosing to use lures for them too. Slow rolling back from the snags, and short, sharp hops fishing the drains on outgoing tide have proven to be successful techniques. FRESHWATER LAGOONS The freshwater fishing has been fired up with the good dousing of rain we have seen and all the fish are in top gear searching for food. They become active during the rain as it tends to have knocked insects out of the sky onto the surface,

which makes for great fun throwing lures, insect imitations like Cicada Walkers and small poppers. The Walkers work very well with a slow constant retrieve while poppers like

the Lucy Craft Tone Splash are better off with a couple of pops then a long pause. The freshwater fish will see some great new lures with Savage Gear’s latest contributions to the market;

the new Bat and Fruck Lures have been making a big impact, especially the Fruck, which is half frog, half duck and not overly large in size. CRABBING If you’re wanting to catch a crab or two, the best bait lately is mullet head with catfish coming a close second. Fortunately mullet heads can be bought from anywhere and take no time at all to rig a pot up with. A simple bait clip between the eyes and the mullet head is good to go. The rules still apply – four pots per person with the pots and floats both labelled. Label kits can be picked up for next to nothing and come with a waterproof marker, labels and zip ties. Do the right thing when out crabbing to preserve this fishing method for future generations. Happy fishing.

A healthy barra taken from hard up against the timber.

The Net Free Zones are producing some serious fish at the moment, as the author shows with a 119cm barramundi caught in the town reaches of the Fitzroy River.

from the unfished grounds much wider out. The key to reds is big bait. This give the pickers something to have a chew on to attract the reds and give them plenty to grab when they arrive. Largemouth nannygai are going well, particularly at the bait grounds. I find that stopping to catch yellowtail scad pays off, with some top by-catch at times. The first scad taken off the bait jig often gets returned to the bottom with a 7/0 circle hook in it. Quite often we pull a couple of large nannies before heading to our other spots! The bait grounds always work better just on daylight, and once you drop a big fish it is time to move on. The shoal country is producing quality grassies and red throats when conditions allow for a wide trip. The bonus is always a handful of coral trout ever present around here. NOVEMBER 2017

Beautiful calm days in Mackay MACKAY

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Phone: 0410 173 060 basscataustralia@gmail.com

The Mackay area has had a ‘purple patch’ of fishing weather over the last month or so, with light north-northeasterly winds bringing beautiful, calm days that have seen every boat ramp in the district crowded to capacity. The unfortunate aspect of this great weather though is the lack of rain. The place has had almost no rain since being smashed by cyclone Debbie and the flooding rains with it. Recently we haven’t had any substantial summer storms. It’s often said that a drought on land equals a drought at sea, but not so far this year. Reports of great fishing from the nearby islands to the outer reef mean that this spring/ summer season has seen plenty of boats both large and small coming in with full bag limits. Well offshore the big reds and nannies have been a feature of the big boat captures and even the smaller boats have taken advantage of the great conditions to fish areas like the shipping channel to chase the red fish. Further out Stevens Reef has been fishing well with plenty of trout, particularly in the shallower waters. The larger boats are scoring well around the Hydrographers Passage while the good conditions last. Closer to home the Goldsmith Island Group and others nearby to the north have also been going off with a good mix of pelagic and demersal fish showing up in the catches. Coral trout seem to be just about everywhere at the moment and the shallows around the close inshore islands have been the surprise producers. Lightly-weighted or unweighted pilchards are the most popular bait for the trout while many anglers fishing the shallows with soft plastics and solid spin sticks are also coming up trumps with plenty of action. Losses can be high as the trout know every rock and undercut and bust-offs are pretty common. It’s exciting fishing and very addictive. The closer islands both north and south of Mackay have also fished well for general ‘reefies’ like cod, grassy sweetlip, stripies, and hussar and most anglers are getting good catches. The Hay Point area has seen a good run of smallmouth nannygai over the last couple of weeks and that should continue with the calm weather. Prudhoe Island and the

Overfalls continue to fish pretty well with a few nice black jew still being boated around the full moon. The main target in that area has been Spanish mackerel, which are still about in pretty good numbers, although they are more traditionally a winter catch. The Spaniards will gradually head for the reef proper but there will still be a smattering of them through November and December if the big bait schools stay inshore. These big bait schools will stay in close while the northnortheasterly winds and calm conditions are here. These bait schools attract plenty of predators other than Spaniards and lately we’re having a good run of the smaller mackerel. Both spotted and doggie mackerel are everywhere recently, with plenty of fish being caught in the 80-90cm range, although the general size is around 70cm. These fish are great sportfish on light gear and looked after properly a few fish will provide plenty of good eating fillets for the angler. The fish should be bled well immediately after they are boated, wiped down, then packed in ice or a brine of ice and seawater and not just thrown into an esky. The result of a little extra effort will be top tucker. Most of these smaller macks are caught trolling or drifting pilchards and if you’re doing the latter, a small berley trail won’t go astray. Old bait prawns, mashed up pillies, cooked prawn heads and others will all serve to attract bait and small macks. Live herring used to be a favourite bait but aren’t as popular now as most bait anglers happily use pilchards. The IQF ones are best and will save on wastage. For the lure fisher, the small macks are susceptible to shinies worked hard and fast off a spin stick, and will also readily take hardbodies and plastics. Their teeth tend to make pretty short work of most plastics, though the very reasonable cost of plastics these days means that the impact on the wallet isn’t too great. Wire was once a given for fishing for mackerel, but more hits will come with a heavy mono or fluorocarbon leader, which will allow the lure to work better. The trade-off is that you’ll have some bite-offs. Personally I prefer to get more action and accept that there will be some losses. The small macks are spread from the northern end of the NFZ centred on Seaforth right through to Cape Palmerston south of Sarina. Off the harbour

Luke Vella enjoyed fishing at Kinchant Dam catching beaut barra like this on both hardbodies and big plastics. the working birds (terns wheeling and diving) will show where the bait is and that’s the place to start looking for the macks. I prefer to sit off and cast to the bait schools and even if there is no surface activity, letting the lure sink 4-5m will often be enough to get a hit. The best are when the macks and tuna are busting up surface bait all over the place; this can also be frustrating as the fish will be moving quickly and will often come up again hundreds of metres away when disturbed by boat noise. The electric outboard is an ace up the sleeve when the fish are spooky. There are plenty of tuna, trevally and sharks hunting the bait schools as well and all will provide the angler with plenty of action. While mack tuna are the more prolific species, the longtail and northern blue are preferred catches as the light pink flesh is very palatable – they’re great freshly caught and cooked on the BBQ. With a fresh salad, a dab of sweet chilli and a cold beer or white wine it’s a meal fit for a king. Golden trevally are the most popular eating fish of the trevally clan and they have been around in surprisingly good numbers. They are more often caught during the winter, but with all the bait inshore plenty of goldens are being boated. Goldens will take a variety of baits and lures and provide good fun and good tucker. Coming into the mangroves, the barra season has gone well. This month sees the start of the closed season, so most anglers will now concentrate on other species like jacks, salmon, cod, grunter, flathead and whiting, all of which are top-class eating fish with the grunter being a personal favourite of mine. The Net Free Zone is fishing. Good grunter nudging the 80cm mark have been a regular catch. This is a very positive change from the pre-NFZ days when most grunter caught seemed to be

just a tad under legal size. Not having to dodge the nets is showing a positive outcome for the grunter in particular. The barra anglers will have to be satisfied with fishing the dams for the next three months, but how tough is it when the area has three well-stocked dams full of feisty barra up to about 1.4m long? Just up the road (a two-hour drive) we also have Peter Faust dam, so we really are spoilt for choice. Kinchant is the home of big, big barra and with the very hot spring weather the barra are on the move and on the chew. Work the edges of weed beds in around 5m of water and keep an eye out for barra ‘tailing’ in the really shallow water. This is the place for unweighted weedless plastics and frogs, as anything with trebles or exposed hooks will result in plenty of time wasted removing weed. Get into the local tackle shops and have a talk to the staff. They’ll give up to the minute reports and advice on lure selection. Teemburra and Eungella dams are both fishing well with the latter being much tougher to fish than Teemburra, which remains an all-time favourite spot of mine. Nestled in the hills with bulk standing and laydown timber, plenty of flats and open areas, three creek systems and loaded with barra – it’s my idea of paradise. The dam barra can be frustrating and hard to find at times, but they’re available in good numbers. The bragging size, for those interested, is now minimum 1.2m. My wish for November is a few summer storms to bring some good rain, which will stir up the prawns and crabs and provide us with even more fishing opportunities, both in the salt and freshwater. As always, Mackay has plenty to offer and endless options, so why not come and join us in paradise? See you at the boat ramp.

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Wickedly good weather around the Whitsundays WHITSUNDAYS

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I can’t remember how long it’s been since we’ve enjoyed such a constant run of light winds and clear days. Combine the beautiful weather with rising temperatures and lengthening days and it’s the perfect time of the year to be on the water. The

regularly to keep a constant bite happening. The reef fish have been coming in on all manner of baits and lures, but the key has been to keep things light. The start of last month saw the pelagics come inshore with both longtail and mac tunas, and tea leaf and golden trevally leading the show. I was fortunate to have a couple of pretty cool sessions chasing solid longtails on mainland

Brisbane angler Trevor Gallienne with an 80cm golden snapper that succumbed to a micro-jig. local angling community hasn’t let the weather go to waste either and it’s been good to see plenty of fellow small boat anglers out and about running off to their favourite spots in our beautiful backyard. Over the last few weeks the fishing has been patchy on a few fronts. The deep water bite for the deeper reefies that we had been enjoying at the outside edges of the islands has died off and the pelagic bite out on the same grounds has been intermittent. Big Spanish mackerel have been like hen’s teeth – non-existent. Back inshore close to the mainland and around the inner islands and in Edgecumbe Bay it hasn’t been all doom and gloom. Plenty of sweetlip and a few coral trout have been coming in off the shallower reef and rubble patches. They still haven’t fed anywhere near as aggressively as they normally can, though.

of your lure to the size of the bait that they’re feeding on at the time, particularly with mac tuna, as they can be notoriously fussy. The other key point is to make your lure move fast, and I mean really fast. Make that lure dance across the surface just like it’s a little baitfish fleeing for its life. Over the next month a lot of our local fisheries should fire up beautifully. Bait schools should continue to push inshore and bring all manner of pelagic goodies with them. Amongst the predators there should be good numbers of trevally with big goldens and tea leaf trevally charging at the front of the pack. Reef anglers anchored up trying to catch a trout will more than likely wind up in an arm wrestle or two with these brutes. To single them out from the rest of the crowd, I like to use small to medium hardbody lures either cast or trolled. Lures in the 100-125mm bracket with a tight, fast body roll that are capable of

Ernie Okayio with a golden snapper that was foul-hooked with a chatterbait and put on a monumental battle on 15lb line.

Whitsunday local Dave Morris holding up his son Nate’s longtail tuna. This was Nate’s first tuna and biggest fish ever. It was caught on a traditional metal slice and 7lb gear. It gave a good account of itself up in the shallows.

The start of last month saw the pelagics come inshore with longtail and mac tuna, and golden trevally leading the show.

reef flats in 3-4m of water. That sort of fishing is nothing short of insane fun and I have high hopes that it will continue for a while yet. While enjoying these sessions I’ve had a few other boats come in and cast or troll lures on the same patches of tuna and have noticed that a lot of the time these other guys

Craig Billows with a mac tuna that scoffed a pencil popper.

Victorian angler and regular patron at Reel Addiction Sport Fishing Terry Carman with a great black jewfish. This one ate a fresh strip bait and was one of three nice fish boated in a triple hook-up. We’ve had to resort to finesse tactics to get a bite from the better fish and have had to move locations 62

NOVEMBER 2017

have, unfortunately, come up empty handed. Remember when you target inshore tuna, you have to match the size

swimming at 4-5 knots are like lollies to these guys. The small tinny brigade should be able to get right amongst it this month as well with the bigger trout coming out of their winter slumber. Plenty of prime locations are nice and close to the public boat ramp at Dingo Beach. Areas such as Georges Point, Saddleback Island and the fringing reefs around Gloucester Island and Cape Gloucester are well known for holding good numbers of these blue-spotted beauties. Conventional bottom

fishing tactics with cut baits are a productive and relaxing way to target trout. It’s a favourite ploy with a lot of local anglers and around the turn of the tide is quite often when the big girls will come out of their holes for a feed. You don’t have to stick to normal bait fishing tactics to catch trout, as they are an aggressive predator and will willingly take all manner of lures whether they’re hard, soft, cast, jigged or trolled. The above-mentioned size and style of hardbodies also work very well on coral trout either cast or trolled.

As far as soft plastics go there are so many that work well. As far as size and style goes on these close-to-home patches, I generally don’t use plastics over 100mm and I’m a fan of prawn and similar style patterns. Colours are a harder one, as the fish change their minds regularly, so take a bit of a selection with you and be prepared to mix things up until you find what they want on the day. Don’t be afraid to throw poppers, soft vibes or basically whatever you want at these guys; when they’re on you’d be surprised at what

they will eat. As long as the weather remains settled and the water clean, the outer edges of the islands – particularly Rattray and Gloucester – should see some juvenile black marlin and sailfish come in and feed. A favourite hunting ploy is to keep your eyes peeled for flying fish. Find these guys and quite often you’ll find a billfish as well. There is still not a lot known about our local billfish bite, but in my experience the best periods are the few days leading up to both the new and full moons. They are fickle creatures, though, and could basically turn up whenever they feel like it. All I can tell you for certain is that you won’t catch one if you’re not out there. • Mick Underwood owns and operates Reel Addiction Sport Fishing Charters, which runs from the sensational Cape Gloucester Beach Resort via Hydeaway Bay. Mick specialises in light tackle sport fishing for most tropical species. You don’t have to be an expert to go out fishing with him, as he loves to introduce people of all ages and ability levels to this wonderful sport. Please free to contact him via his Facebook page, Reel Addiction Sport Fishing Whitsundays, by email on mick@reeladdiction.com.au, or by phone: 0413 882 153.

Simon Young with a brute of a longtail tuna that was trolled up on a hardbody. This one was around the 15kg mark.

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Other impoundment options for Burdekin fishers AYR

Steve Farmer

This month barramundi will once again be off the menu for northern anglers. Keen Burdekin barra fishers gave it their best shot during September and October, fishing live baits and lures for mixed results in waterways across the delta. Live prawn baits produced the most fish in most estuaries, but large mullet and whiting fished live produced better quality barra. As usual, the biggest numbers and biggest fish came from the Burdekin River estuary and the northern estuaries such as Barratta and Morrissey creeks. No doubt the concerted efforts of the contingent of grey nomads camped at the Groper Creek Caravan Park accounted for a few barra captures in the Groper/ Wunjunga/Wallaces area during this period. However, the hint of summer heat and the imminent closure of the barra season probably had most ‘travelling Mexicans’ scuttling southwards to cooler temperatures by late October. During the closed

season, any accidental barramundi captures must be released as quickly and carefully as possible. It’s also illegal to target barra for catch and release during the closed season. According to Queensland Fisheries rules and regulations, this is because the stress of capture may prevent the fish from spawning. If you can’t go without the thrill of chasing a barra over the next three months, you’ll have to head for one of the stocked impoundments not covered by the closed season. There are eighteen in total (check them out on the DAF website), with the Burdekin Falls, Peter Faust and Tinaroo dams all within weekend striking distance for super keen Burdekin fishers. You’ll need a stocked impoundment fishing permit, which will entitle you to fish the lakes and even take one fish, which may be bigger than the usual maximum size of 120cm. A permit will cost $10 a week or $50 a year and are available online, over the counter at Queensland Australia Post outlets, at selected sub-agent outlets or by phoning 1300 575 359. If you don’t fancy the impoundment option

you’ll have to turn your attention to other species, which isn’t a bad thing. Targeting different species will sharpen your skills and broaden your general fishing knowledge. The good news is that Burdekin estuary fishing should offer plenty of variety and action throughout November. Mangrove jack and golden snapper (‘fingermark’) are two species that fire up as the temperature climbs. Jacks are generally restricted to the snag-lined estuaries, while the golden snapper favour the deeper estuarine holes containing structure, as well as the inshore shoals and rocky shorelines. Both species respond well to lures, but they have to be fished within the fish’s strike zone to elicit the customary, savage response. One tip for jack fishers came from a mate who heard a theory that mangrove jack fishing peaks about a week after a red tide or algal bloom. This algal bloom occurs in offshore waters during warm weather and eventually washes up on our beaches as a foul-smelling red or brown scum. It usually shuts down the fishing, but

maybe a period of being off their tucker means the fish are really on the chew within a week or two of the event. It’s worth a try. Over the past month the bream and whiting numbers have been waning, while another bread and butter species – the flathead – have continued to provide Burdekin estuary anglers with fun and fillets. Dusky and bar-tails are the most common lizard species in the Burdekin. The dusky has a legal size of 40cm while all other flathead species must measure at least 30cm. There is a combined take and possession limit of five flathead per angler. Grunter have also been fishing well across the Burdekin, with the channels and estuaries in Upstart and Bowling Green bays continuing to produce the largest fish to around 70cm. Most creeks, beaches and inshore waters are producing good catches of school grunter; persistent anglers have been rewarded with the occasional 50cm+ fish thrown in. Finally, a reminder: bluewater bottom fishers should keep in mind that the next coral reef fin fish

Russell Sutcliffe scored a good bag of grunter and a hard-hitting trevally. closure will extend from 15-19 November. The five-day closure is designed to protect aggregations of

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Plenty of species to target during the barra close TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

The last couple of months have been quite active on the barra front, but the average size has been down in comparison to previous years. There is absolutely no doubt that you’re going to hit barra if you’re chasing jacks and other species, so be aware of the law and its fine print.

from trophy fish, but they’re fun in the sticks. Until there is a bit of rain, this trend will keep up, as they’ve taken a bit of a liking to the smaller waterways this year. Some unusually big choppers have been taken in the deeper systems on deep plastics and trolled lures meant for barra. They do seem to have a preference for the prawn imitations though, and casting them up current, over a ledge and down the face

smaller live baits and fresh fillets of gar, herring or mullet is a more consistent way to connect to the grunter, and over the last couple of months these have definitely produced some stonking big fish. Plenty of anglers have made the switch to lighter tackle and this has played a huge part in their results. As an example, the average tackle that many grunter hunters use now is 5kg braid with a longer 10-15kg mono (not fluorocarbon) leader of over 2m, and they’ve all noticed an increase in action with the lighter tackle. Flathead numbers have dropped considerably, however whiting and bream are still in good numbers in the rivers and on the beaches. This could change this month as the water warms a bit more. Recently the water temperature was 27.5°C and warming quickly, so the bread

The 4 and 5” Halco Paddle Prawns are a golden snapper specialist lure, but take plenty of other species.

Seeing golden snapper charge out from the snags to eat your lure is exciting stuff. In this case the Atomic Prong did the damage. The barra season ends on 1 November at midday and reopens on 1 January at midday. Hopefully this year we’ll get some decent rain to help the spawn along. The last five years have had non-existent wet seasons so the barra need all the help Mother Nature can throw at them. There are plenty of other species to chase along the way during the closure though, and no doubt plenty of unexpected

of the contour usually gets good results. At the first sign of even a small amount of run-off, though, they’ll bolt for the open. Grunter have pretty similar habits to the golden snapper, and they too have been much more common in the shallows and in the snags. They’ve also been seen charging out from the sticks to hit our lures in full-on attack mode. Plastics and small to medium divers

Fizzers aren’t only an effective lure to use on the jacks, they’re also a lot of fun. The 75mm Bills Bugs are excellent fizzers.

Plenty of fish up in the north have teeth, and Halco have incorporated a red undercoat into the manufacturing process to simulate blood spots, or injury to a baitfish. Anything deemed to be injured in the wild has ‘lunch’ written all over it. captures as well. Fingermark (golden snapper) are one fish that has been showing up in less obvious places than you’d expect, and we have even had them flying out of snags and fallen timber smashing lures in clear view. At 50-60cm they’re far

have been getting the best results and even though we aren’t targeting the grunter, we have been getting plenty of attention from them. The smaller tides seem to be a prime bite time for them as the water clears up. Night time fishing with

and butter species mentioned may bail shortly. We never get sick of chasing jacks and in recent weeks they’ve gone into overdrive. When a school is found the action is thick and fast. Hardbodies like the Tilsan Barras and Laser Pro 120s, or

the soft Paddle Prawns and Prongs, are common and versatile options. Surface fishing for jacks is the best, and even though I’ve caught heaps of jacks in the past using the good old Roosta Popper, we have been playing more by throwing fizzers over the top of submerged snags and teasing them up from down deeper. As is always the case, don’t just have one cast at a good-looking snag. A spot that you’re confident in requires sometimes four or five casts to get them moving. Once that initial cast gets action it can all suddenly turn into a thriving ball of red climbing all over your lure. This was the case for us recently up towards Hinchinbrook where there was no evidence of a jack until the third cast into a likely looking spot, when all hell broke loose and 20 odd jacks were lifted from the depths. This produced multiple hook-ups for us before they realised that something wasn’t quite right. Offshore there are plenty of pelagics stripping line

and some massive Spanish macks have been caught from the reefs off the back of Hinchinbrook to the Airlie Beach area, with Paul Hetherington from Bowen getting dragged around the ocean by a 47kg beast. Scott Brown of Townsville also caught an XOS model of 32kg out from Townsville and it was successfully released as a high-risk ciguatera candidate. It’s a great effort to handle and release a big fish like this, and care has to be taken when handling these big buggers. Ross has been reporting good catches of bottom species such as trout, redthroat, jobbies, red emperor and plenty of Spanish trolled up on the Laser Pro 190 gold

destroying some people at present and even smashing 70cm nannies on the way up. If you’re into that self-inflicted pain thing then there will be plenty of opportunities by the sounds of it. Being breeding season, it’s probably worth mentioning that the crocs will probably be a bit more aggressive, and a bit more care should be taken at this time of year, no matter where you are in the north. Aggression levels increase and territorial displays can catch you by surprise. Crocs are everywhere and we see them just about every outing. Just seeing one shouldn’t raise alarm bells, but if you find a cocky one I wouldn’t be pushing my luck with it. Move on

There seems to be plenty of grunter up in the shallower snags lately chasing bait. They have no problem taking a hardbody, and this one gobbled a 120 Halco Laser Pro Shallow Diver meant for jacks. with black back, and white with red head. An interesting report came through in late September of a school of cobia that averaged 20kg, but it wasn’t the size of the fish that was impressive; it was the size of the school, which was estimated at over 100. Most of the marlin and sails have moved on, with only the odd report in recent days. GTs are absolutely

and find somewhere else to fish. If it has a serious go or tries to intimidate you or someone with you then report the mean thing. While I don’t agree with sensationalising the croc thing, I do think that problem ones need to be shown some ‘attention’ by the powers that be. All the best and good luck for the onset of the warmer weather. NOVEMBER 2017

Hoping for more rain this month LUCINDA

Jeff Wilton jeffwilton83@hotmail.com

It’s November and you can’t help but get a little excited about the coming few months. Everyone is watching the weather and hoping for lots of rain. We need it bad and I’m secretly hoping for several big floods that keep the rivers up for weeks on end. Lots of floodwater means lots of new life, and the creeks and rivers get flushed out. November also means the barra closed season has begun and we all hope the

gusts coming off it. There were plenty of stories the following days of boats getting absolutely belted. Luckily, other then a few minor injuries everyone returned safely. I’m sure those who were out there that night will remember it for a long time. HINCHINBROOK CHANNEL With the mighty barramundi off the cards most people will turn to chasing mangrove jack using lures and plastics. The best thing about Hinchinbrook jacks is the fact that they are available all year round and can be found in good numbers.

it just under the surface. Flats fishing is normally in very shallow water and if you’re using a heavier weighted jig, you’ll drag it along the bottom and not in the strike zone. Jacks also love to hit surface lures and if you haven’t tried them yet I recommend getting your hands on the new ZMan 2.5” Finesse FrogZ and throwing them around the shallow flats and also into the snags. These small surface lures make a great gurgling sound as they paddle their way across the surface and jacks love eating them. The grunter should also

November means glamour conditions, sunshine and family. coming wet season will play a big role in them breeding up. Now’s the time that some ferocious storms can build up very quickly, especially in the afternoon and night. For those heading out to the reef keep it in mind that things can turn ugly and a flat, perfect ocean can quickly become very messy. I remember around four years back there was a perfect window of weather over the weekend and the car park at the boat ramp was completely packed. That night a beast of a storm built up over the mainland and headed straight out towards the reef. I was lucky enough to be at home, but I remember watching the radar and wind forecasts and it got very heavy with high wind

Jacks aren’t fussy when it comes to what they eat. If they’re in the mood they will smash anything that comes too close to their place of ambush. A lot of people also think that jacks only live around snags but they will actively hunt in drains and on flats that have plenty of bait. The better flats will have good structure for them to live when the water is high, and offer lots of small drains and holes for them to sit in while they wait for bait schools to come past them. If you’re quiet enough you’ll witness them going airborne with a snapping of jaws as they harass bait. A small profile soft plastic will prove perfect in this scenario. A light jighead around 1/8oz will allow you to slow roll

be about in okay numbers, and soaking some nice fresh baits around the rubbly bottom in the channel itself should see action. Fresh squid, prawns or fish baits such as herring or sardines are high on the grunter’s diet. They can be found in shallow waters but the better fish are normally hanging about in the 6-10m range. JETTY, ISLANDS AND REEF Recently we had our second straight week of near-perfect weather. Typical for the warmer months, the mornings are the best time with the wind dropping out, and around midday the northeasterly sea breeze will come up like clockwork. It can be flat and perfect about 5km past the Palm Islands, and as you come home it will turn nasty everyday without fail. Smart travellers will make sure they leave early in the morning and get home around lunch to save themselves a horrible last 20km back into the ramp. The last 6km along the jetty are normally the worst, with shallow waters and a very strong sea breeze making for a wet and horrible ride. If you have a big run-out tide at the same time then I would suggest taking it very easy and, unless you’re in a big cabin

On November 1 we say goodbye to the barra fishing for a few months. boat, get the raincoats out. The fishing at the reef has been nothing short of spectacular with coral trout

Jacks always want to play here at Hinchy.

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and red throat emperor catches filling eskies in no time at all. It hasn’t seemed to matter if you’re in the shallows or fishing deeper, with coral trout schooled up and hungry. The red throat have provided hours of fun and games in the shallows and if you’re overnighting then I suggest getting out the light to mid range gear and having fun with these great sportfish. They are also great eating with firm white flesh and should be bled straight away and chilled down. A few good reports have come in of nannygai in the deeper waters, especially for those anchoring up overnight on the deep shoal and rubble areas. It pays to be patient when fishing for nannygai as they may show up on the sounder but not seem to bite. A tide change or a change in light such as sunset or sunrise should see rods getting well and truly bent.

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Finding good numbers Ryan Moody info@ryanmoodyfishing.com

The barra fishing has been quite good over the past month with a lot of quality fish making it to the boat before the season’s end. Some of the best sessions have been on shallow diving lures and there is nothing better than having a big fish smack your lure while you’re holding the rod.

away from structure. Knowing exactly where they will be is the hard part. I have an online course coming out at the end of the year on these fish that spills the beans on the tricks of my trade for understanding golden snapper. Threadfin salmon have remained unpredictable and are showing up intermittently, and not always on the bite. Most of the threadies we have been catching have been among barra schools in the shallows. Hopefully

stragglers, so keep an eye out for them over the next month. Coral trout have been prolific and we had two great sessions on them out on the reef while slow pitch jigging. Over 40 trout on jigs will sure have the arms sore. During November I’ll be turning my attention to golden snapper and threadfin like many other anglers. It’s also still a great month for the lesser estuary species like the grunter and blue salmon. Mangrove jack will

One of many coral trout caught jigging recently. Recreational anglers have been reporting good numbers of smaller school-size fish in the gutters too, which is good to see for our future stocks. The barra season is closed now however and the only fishing permitted is in the impoundments. If you accidentally catch a barra while fishing for threadfin or grunter then make sure it’s returned to the water immediately. The golden snapper (fingermark) have been a little slow to show up in good numbers this year, but the larger fish that inhabit the outer islands should arrive inshore soon. These fish become a popular target during the closed barra season. Night fishing can be more productive on the larger fish as it allows them to move further

when we get our big wet seasons back these fish will become more abundant and aggressive. Threadfin are one of the most erratic fish when it comes to seasonal behaviours; even the best anglers are left scratching their heads when they don’t follow traditional yearly patterns. Blue salmon and grunter have been in big numbers again too. They are certainly not an endangered species and sometimes annoy the hell out of you while you’re targeting other species. However, they’re a very popular species among the bread and butter anglers and are also good on the table. Other species such as Spaniards and golden trevally have made their way out to deeper offshore waters but there are always a few

A school-size thready caught on a Guttermaster 100.

become particularly active at this time of year too and some rather large fish can be found out on the inshore headlands. They will take a variety of smaller hardbodies and plastics and they’re also very responsive to a mullet fillet or half pilchard, for those who like to baitfish. They can also be found in the upper reaches of the estuaries in good numbers. They are predominately the smaller fish up there. It pays to take the Aerogard with you too, as you’re quite often in the thick of it. November is also a very good time for anglers that like medium tackle gamefishing, with some really great opportunities out toward the shelf. The waters abound in yellowfin tuna and wahoo during this time of year. Dolphinfish (mahimahi) are in great numbers around floating structure. Sailfish and big black marlin also frequent the area, so if that rocks your boat then you can always put the big baits out. If you would like to learn more about golden snapper or ‘fingermark,’ keep an eye out for our latest course due in December 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.

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The weather is heating up a little too fast CAIRNS

Garry Smith garrysmith@fishingmonthly.com.au

The fishing turned around in mid-September with extended periods of perfect fishing weather after a blown-out year to date. The only downside has been a rapid rise in temperatures, both air and sea. Many anglers are now hoping for an early start to the wet or this month will be the beginning of a long, hot summer, even though it doesn’t officially start until December. The fishing recently has been good to sensational, especially at the reef, which has received a lot of attention after months of little to no access. Plenty of good quality coral trout, largemouth nannygai and red emperor, and the return of good numbers of smallmouth nannygai, have brought a smile to many reef fishos’ faces. As the water continues to warm, catches will become more sporadic with fewer good catches of the main target species and more bits and pieces in the eskies. Night fishing will be the best option from both a productivity and comfort perspective. The only other catch will be storms, which should start to become more common this month, especially if an early wet is on the horizon. The lead up to the final annual coral reef fin fish closure, from 15-19 November, should see the coral trout on the chew,

Cobia like this have been around in good numbers and sizes over the past few years. but spawning could be all over by then. With such an early and rapid rise in water temperature, it’s more likely that spawning finished on the October new moon.Fishing deep and moving around a lot are the keys to putting together a feed of reefies this month. Here’s hoping for another season like in 2015 when the reef fishing continued to fire well into November, with plenty of largemouth nannygai in the 7-10kg range and red emperor to match. Mackerel fishing will continue to slow down but there will still be enough action to keep sports fishos interested and reef fishos with a floater out the back. This month usually produces a number of large Spaniards (often called ‘homers’) in the 20kg+ range. These large, individual mackerel tend to hang around significant marine

structures, rather than join the annual migration. Large live baits and well-presented trolled baits are the best ways to attract a homer. The heavy tackle season will be in full swing, with mostly the well-heeled, fly-in tourists engaged in this pricey adventure. There are quite a few locals, however, in more economical fishing rigs who love nothing better than chasing a grander in boats hardly bigger than their quarry. There will also be yellowfin tuna, mahimahi and wahoo on the edge of the continental shelf to keep the sports fishos engaged. The small black marlin season off Cairns was the best on record, so let’s hope the heavy tackle season follows suit. The inshore reefs, wrecks, islands and rocks will hold another pelagic of increasing interest to anglers – cobia have

been around in good numbers and size in the past few years and more anglers are starting to make them a target species, rather than the more common by-catch when chasing mackerel, GTs or golden snapper. They pull nearly as hard as a GTs but don’t fight as dirty as GTs and golden snapper. They also take ages to subdue on standard tackle.

The big ones in the 20kg+ range have an incredible endurance and fight right to the boat. Smaller ones are as good on the plate as Spanish mackerel, though a different flavour. Bigger ones are best released to breed. All the methods used to target Spaniards, GTs and golden snapper will work just as well on cobia. Jigging small metal jigs and soft plastics on light gear is a great way to have your arm stretched by one of these brutes. They’re not particularly dirty fighters, so they can be a lot of fun on lighter tackle. The next three months, golden snapper, grunter, salmon and mangrove jack will become the main target species for inshore anglers. Bait soakers will focus on chasing grunter on the hospital flats in 2-3m of water on the big new and full moon high tides using fresh strips of squid, mullet, gar, sardines and mud herring. If you’re using prawns, avoid using eating prawns and prevent the spread

Mud crabs on the BBQ grill or straight on the coals are a taste sensation!

of White Spot Disease, which could decimate our fishery. Use only locally netted prawns or bait prawns sourced from local tackle stores. Golden snapper will be on the chew around the deep water in Trinity Inlet, inshore inlands, wrecks and reefs and along the headlands to the north and south of Cairns. Popular locations include Kings Point, the Fairway Leads and the deep water in Trinity Inlet. More isolated wrecks and rocks will also hold these fish, but they can be a bit harder to locate. Salmon numbers (both blue and threadfin) are increasing since the declaration of the Net Free Zone and are well worth targeting, especially on big tides that coincide with northeasterly winds. The northern beaches inside the NFZ are a good place to start looking. Mud crabs will be around if there is any flush out from storms or other downpours. Without a fresh you can pretty well forget the crab pots this month. If you’re lucky enough to pot a few, try cooking them on the BBQ grill or straight in the coals. Having tried mud crabs three ways on a recent camping trip, I must say that the usual boiled in sea water method came last; straight in the coals was the winner. If you completely bury them in coals then 10-15 minutes will do the job, depending on the heat in the coals. Leave them for 10 minutes on both sides. Clean and wash them in sea water and tuck in.

Bills fast approaching PORT DOUGLAS

Lynton Heffer www.fishingportdouglas.com.au

The seasons changed early this year and this involved a lot of fishing activity. It all started at the beginning of September with a shift in the weather pattern and this flowed onto nature, and to our tropical fish species. The first indications included a shift in the current from the south to the north and this was a month earlier than expected. This then triggered a series of events, including our reef species spawning in September, which also brought in a population of whale sharks, which dine on the eggs discharged during this process. The first spawn was due in October. Experts agreed that October would produce another spawn, but this month’s prediction will be void of activity. Another very interesting occurrence 68

NOVEMBER 2017

was the arrival of the big black marlin in September in preparation for their annual aggregation to breed on the outer edges of the Great Barrier Reef. The 1000lb fish were being registered a month ahead of normal forecasts, something we haven’t seen in quite a few years. So in terms of fish catches, what has this meant overall? The reef fishing following the first spawn has become a bit patchy. With water temperatures rapidly rising, the coral trout have been very up and down, having had a very strong period prior to this. Overall, the trout are smaller in size and quite skinny looking. The nannygai have also had swaying moments, biting well on some days and disappearing the next. The trevally species have done the opposite and gone into overdrive on most days making up for the spasmodic activity. Tea-leaf and goldspot trevally have been the most common and have been of good size around the

6-7kg range. The Spanish mackerel also picked up a bit of momentum with larger fish being caught up to 20kg. The spike in cobia catches added a lot of value and these fish were tipping the scales at around 15kg on numerous occasions. Other than this, bread and butter species such as Moses perch, stripies and sweetlip have been regular. The reef fishing will continue to become a bit more challenging as the days get warmer. In saying this, night time fishing for red species is probably your winning ticket if you can coincide your trips with very calm weather. On the gamefishing scene the small black marlin season went gangbusters with plenty of juvenile fish being caught right into October on the inshore grounds. This would be the best small billfish season according to many. As already mentioned, the big girls turned up early and are biting well lately. An army of boats are in the region

The whale sharks turned up early this year coinciding with the ahead-of-schedule spawning of our reef species. fishing from the top of the Ribbon Reefs to right down south of the Linden Banks. There seems to be a good spread of fish across the board running down the edges of the continental shelf. With these big results coming in so early, it may also pan out to be a memorable heavy tackle season. The Port Douglas Marlin Challenge from 9-12 November will certainly be one tournament to keep an eye on. Between targeting the billfish there is also some

great light tackle action on the shelf for anglers tangling with mahimahi, wahoo and tuna. Closer to home it has been a good time of year with more settled weather for the small boat brigade to explore the coastal fringes and there have been sporadic bursts of mackerel running along with longtail and mac tuna. On the bottom, legal-sized nannygai, grassy sweetlip and some big golden snapper have featured quite regularly on the inshore reefs and headlands.

In the rivers and creeks it has become extremely hot during the day with low light periods offering way more action on trevally, mangrove jack, tarpon, grunter and barra, which are now off the menu list with their closures taking effect on 1 November for three months to come. In saying this, the main focus will be streaming towards the heavy tackle marlin season for the coming month, which has the makings of being an absolute belter.

Red-hot Net Free Zone fishing this month CAIRNS

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

With the warm spring sun shining upon us, water temperatures have heated up, and so has the fishing in the Trinity Net Free Zone. Anglers who regularly fish the area from Trinity Inlet to the northern end of Trinity Beach have been

recording some epic catches of barramundi, mangrove jack, grunter, golden snapper and threadfin salmon. Speaking to many anglers, it seems the inlet is beginning to get back to what it used to be all those years ago with regular barra catches becoming the norm for those who have put the time and effort in to work them out. Their presence is well-established, with Jacks will be good to target with the barra season closed.

Prior to the closed season the barra fishing was outstanding in the NFZ.

many fish taken from large, healthy schools of fish. This is great to hear, as in the past commercial netting had decimated numbers to the point where many of these schools were made up of scattered fish that had somehow found their freedom. With temperatures around 28-30°C, live baiters have been having the most success in the inlet, especially on the flats out the front on the run-in tide. Some big fish have been moving through there and if you can get them to bite, you’re in for some

great action. The two species that have really been turning up in big numbers are the grunter and golden snapper. School-sized goldies are showing up everywhere in the system and are seeing a massive resurgence. The deeper rubbly holes straight out from the navy wharf have been producing good numbers for those using both live and fresh dead baits, as well as vibe lures for those keen enough to throw them around. The inlet isn’t the only spot on the NFZ firing; the Barron has also been

seeing good numbers of barramundi and, more importantly, some excellent threadfin salmon. For many locals who know the system this is such a great sign; these fish have been virtually non-existent for many years and it seems they are numbers are coming back. With the barramundi off limits in the NFZ, attention will turn to these fish and the best spots will be along the open beaches from Casuarina Point all the way to Taylors Beach. The mouth of the Barron will be a great spot to start. Mangrove jack have also been biting hard and

all systems have been seeing a strong bite with the warmer water. Focusing around the low water mark when snags are at their most exposed is always a great way to begin your jack hunt. Let’s hope the beginning of the wet season sees some good falls during the closed season, so recruitment can really get firing. With a good wet under its belt, we’ll really see the NFZ reaching its full potential, which will be great for everyone in the area – not just recreational anglers, but also commercial and charter operators.

Salmon, both blue and threadfin, are making a welcome return.

NOVEMBER 2017

Don’t let seasonal changes take you by surprise of boats who ventured out during the break in the wind. Remember this month there is a coral reef fin fish closure from 15-19 November. The estuaries in the Cooktown region have been producing some quality

COOKTOWN

Paul Prokopuk

November marks many changes in the Cooktown region. As the storm cells brew and the weather becomes unbearably hot, a lot of ocean and river species will be on their spawning run. Barramundi are spawning at river mouths and headlands, crocodiles are fighting over territory and building nests, and most pelagic species and coral finfish continue their spawning run on the reefs. Barramundi will receive a much-needed rest from local anglers due to the closed season from 1 November right through

other species, then it must be returned to the water straight away – don’t even stop for a photo, because you can be prosecuted. If you head down near the mouth you can try for trevally, queenfish and

Rocco Thomason caught yet another barra on an olive green Rapala lure. until 1 February. Also, this calendar month marks the official opening of cyclone season. You may be lucky to get a few more camping trips in the coming months, but be prepared for some seriously hot days and nights, and also

Michael Martinez with a nice Spaniard and bluefin tuna caught trolling inshore.

the odd storm that may drop a lot of rain real fast, which can leave you stuck until it dries out again. Over the past month there have been a few opportunities to get out onto the reef. Anglers have caught some quality-size fish. Very big largemouth nannygai catches have been coming in recently and they will continue to be caught in December. You have get out into the paddock away from reef structures and get lucky by finding a bump or a ‘wonky hole’ on a flat sea floor if you want to catch these big red monsters. A good way to do this is to study the bottom closely with a quality sounder while trolling for pelagics. Reef jacks, spangled emperor and cobia have been welcome by-catches when chasing these red fish at night. Coral trout catches have also been coming in thick for a large number

David Young with a nice feed of muddies ready for the campfire. fish too. The Endeavour River has produced quality barramundi and mangrove jack over the last month on a daily basis. Most catches have come from the wharf, Marton Boat Ramp, the Stone Wall, the North Arm of the Endeavour and the Annan. Forget the barra this coming month; mangrove jack and estuary cod are responding really well for those who like sight-casting lures into snags or trolling. Live and dead baits sunk down into some snags are also an effective way to catch these fish. Remember, if you accidently catch a barramundi while fishing for

mackerel while trolling metallic lures or floating a dead or live bait. Also don’t forget to throw the crab pots in; there have been reports of plenty of bucks still being caught. The Lakefield National Park (LNP) fishing over October was firing for some anglers. Others have been dealing with the frustration of barra swimming at their feet without raising a bite. There have been days where buckets loads of juvenile barra have been caught with frequent quality fish over 800mm being landed then there are days when these temperamental fish have thwarted our lure fishing plans and even rejected a well-presented live bait suspended above their noses. I guess that’s fishing.

Anthony Martinez with a nice barra caught flicking a stickbait while drifting over the shallows.

Fish areas that are getting a decent flush CAPE YORK

Tim O’Reilly wildrivercompany@gmail.com

Excellent conditions throughout October saw some fantastic fishing and captures recorded. Shallow water reef action was at its peak in early spring, with coral trout, nannygai and Spanish mackerel in great numbers around the shoals and inshore reefs. This month it can be expected that temperatures will have warmed

considerably and the shallow water action may be coming to an end. Warm water up on top of the reefs can drive both bait and predators into slightly deeper water. The same goes for the creek and river systems, as certain upstream areas become a little stagnant and fish are drawn towards the tidal saltwater reaches to get better water quality and flush. Fishing areas with higher rates of flush and stronger tidal influence will pay dividends in the hot and tropical November conditions. Fishing an incoming tide

A decent threadfin salmon taken on a surface lure. 70

NOVEMBER 2017

rocks and pinnacles out in slightly deeper water. Reds and golden snapper will also have settled into deeper depressions around rubble patches and offshore shoals. Spawning periods for various species will occur this month and a reef fish closure applies from 15-19 November. The east coast barra closure also comes into effect at the beginning of November.

A lovely jack that fell to a prawn imitation. will be particularly effective, bringing cooler, cleaner and more oxygenated waters inshore and up the estuaries. This can have a very positive impact for fishers who will by now be targeting all manner of species around the mouth and downstream sections of most waterways. A gentle incoming tide either early morning or late afternoon will be the pick, with baitfish streaming into the estuaries and predators close behind. Fishing the shallow rocky

outcrops, headlands and rubble patches adjacent to shore can be a real joy this time of year. Large trevally can at times be sight casted in less than a meter of water while other deeper dwellers like cobia and golden trevally will follow manta rays through he shallows. The inshore fishing can also be electric right up and down the west coast of the Cape. Contour lines will hold pelagics of all sorts and the mackerel will be settling on

Anglers need to ensure any barramundi caught are released immediately unharmed. November can be one of the best months for the offshore brigade up the east coast of the Cape. Even though the huge black marlin will be targeted closer to Cairns at this time of year, the northern Barrier Reef will provide endless fun in calm conditions for just about every other species. Windless calm mornings will be a dead set certainty this month. Make the most of the conditions to run a little wider and fish deeper ground

than earlier in the year. Be cautious of squalls and stronger breezes that tend to pick up in the afternoons. Low-pressure systems lining up along the monsoon trough can cause both brilliant and hostile conditions, depending on where the rain depressions are lining up. A cracking, lightning-filled horizon should be treated with genuine caution. • For information on remote charter operations for tailored fishing adventures, please email Tim on wildrivercompany @gmail.com

Quintell Rocks near the Lockhart River on a calm November morning.

This summer is set to sizzle WEIPA

Mark Bargenquast

Finally we have started to get a few early season storms. This isn’t the wet season, just a few thunderstorms to

snapper, grunter, black jewfish and many more will be on the bite with the rising water temperatures. With barra closed season upon us it’s disappointing to see so many anglers actively targeting barra. I know they’re

released either and Fisheries will be watching closely, so be warned. The inshore shallow reefs are producing quite a few big golden snapper with some over 80cm caught on vibes and trolled deep

An awesome cobia taken on the flats. really bring on the humidity. This means that the inshore fishery will really fire; big threadies, jacks, golden

fun to catch, but respect these breeders and let them do their thing for the future fishery. Quite a few don’t get

diving minnows. Among these are big brassy trevally to 25lb and the odd cobia and black jewfish. These fish

make some hook-ups quite memorable with a lure losses a regular occurrence. Bait fishing around the reefs is still quite good for tuskies, black jewfish, cod, sweetlip and trout. Fresh green prawns are a gun bait, with live whiting, mullet and crabs not far behind. Spaniards have been out wide and taking trolled lures and the pro line fishing boys are getting a few on gars and wolf herring. The average some days is 12-15kg with the odd 22kg beast around to liven things up. As usual, bull sharks are a real pest. The beaches can be tough to fish at this time of the year. A few permit, big lone queenfish and goldies have been caught but not in the same numbers as in past months. Blue salmon and a few threadies have appeared on the moon tides again. They’re a bit patchy, so look for dirty water and bait and they won’t be far away. The offshore billfish brigade have been getting a few, with mixed reports of nothing one day and 20 fish the next, depending on the location fished. There’s a lot of water out there with nothing in it – find bait and you’ll find the sails. The rough areas

A gorgeous afternoon sunset while camping. to fish are approximately 20 miles wide of Thud Point, so it’s quite a big run. The inland freshwater

handle much pressure late in the season, and now they seem to be flogged out. Mud crabs have thinned

Plenty of small barra were being caught before the closure. scene has seen saratoga, coal grunter, sooties and tarpon. These small waterways can’t

out, possibly due to an influx of commercial activity that hasn’t been up here for years.

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Sweetwater action reaching boiling point FRESHWATER

Angus James Instagram: @jimmygusjames

We have had some nice rainfall up here in the Tropical North recently and this is perfect to fire up those jungle perch! The extra flowing water in our

creeks and streams turns the JPs and other species on. You can rack up some serious numbers of these iconic tropical gems. Get out there and get stuck into them, because they are waiting for you! Plenty of sooty grunter action to be had this time of year. Sooties are a great

tough Aussie fish to target. It’s not uncommon to rack up double figures when out targeting this tough customer. They provide hours of entertainment and really test your fineness fishing skills. I really enjoy using spinnerbaits for Sooties. A great way to fish them

JPs, as usual, will be more than willing to bite for anyone game enough to trek into some remote country. is with a soft plastics grub trailer on the stinger hook. Not only does this help keep your stinger hook on the spinnerbait, the grub tail also makes this presentation absolutely deadly, not to mention basically snag-

Sweetwater jacks will be biting hard this month, so make the most of any steamy mornings or afternoons.

slowly. The surface strikes from big aggressive sooties sure are something special! The sweetwater jacks have started to become easier to catch due to the warmer changes in the weather. They are very aggressive

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The wild windy weather finally subsides WEIPA

Jackson Bargenquast

Finally the terrible gales that sweep the Cape all winter have started to die out, leaving behind them the calm, hot and humid spring and summer weather. The sudden increase in water temperature has already sparked up the fishing and the reduced swell and wave action results in water clarity improving greatly. These factors improve the fishing and many species such as river dwelling barra and jacks are already on the chew big time. The pelagic action has been a little slow with fewer tuna around than usual. A large amount of Spanish mackerel are congregating out wide in water depths of up to 100ft, ready to spawn. The larger mackerel over the 10-15kg mark are playing hard to get but many smaller fish up to 10kg can be caught in spoolscreaming sessions. The billfish action has been great with a lot of sails caught and a few large black marlin up to 250lb caught by locals in close. Mahimahi have also been around in force; they’re quite sporadic and unlike a few caught earlier

The author’s old man with a healthy barra. A few of these spectacular fish are beginning to show up and soon they’ll be spawning. in the season, many are quite small and less than 3kg. At this size they can be hard to convince to bite, especially when most anglers are trolling either 12” garfish or deep diving mackerel hardbodies. As mentioned earlier, the estuary fishing is beginning to heat up. Barra are returning to their roles of nailing mullet on the drains and around the snags. The closed season will restrict the capture of these fish to ensure they spawn successfully, so if barra are caught as by-catch, they must be carefully released. Jacks are nailing livies and lures from the top reaches

which are superior eating mangorve jack. Jew have been almost unheard of lately, but it won’t be long until they begin to make an appearance in the river mouths and on the reefs. Many anglers heading out lately have been dropping down baits on the reef and hoping for tuskfish and trout, and they do catch a few, however sharks have been thick. Whalers of 5-8ft are nailing almost all fish that end up on the end of a line. Few anglers hook a fish that somehow manages to escape the jaws of death and with screaming runs. It’s a

1m+ catfish bobs to the side of the vessel. I definitely don’t think it’s a coincidence that the sharks and fishers alike enjoy certain fish more than others. As usual the coral reef and ledges are alive and those fishing the reefs almost always return with a bag of tuskies or some similar table fish. Certain sport species like cobia and trevally have been hot and

better get in and chase a few now. The hog hunters are in the same boat; once the swamps fill, the pigs will spread out and become almost impossible to consistently find and stalk. With many species preparing to breed, catches will undoubtedly increase from now on, however catch and release should be practiced. Limit your kill, don’t kill your

As usual there have been lots of reefies around such as golden snapper, trout and tuskfish. Gerold with a hefty brassy trevally. of the creeks, all the way down to the inshore reefs. They are often accompanied by their close cousins the golden snapper (fingermark),

flurry on board as all personnel rush to grab a landing net or gaff, until the fish is sighted, and then come the groans, as either a 7-8kg blackall or a

cold. It’s more luck than skill that results in landing these species lately. Freshwater fishing is at its prime and with the soonto-arrive rain that will flood the creeks to the brim, anglers dreaming of sooties or toga

limit. The Cape is one of the last strongholds where truly great fishing still exists and care must be taken so that future generations can enjoy it. Good luck to all anglers. Remember to think like a fish.

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Barramundi are biting in the impoundments TOOWOOMBA

Jason Ehrlich fishability1@bigpond.com

It may be closed season for wild barra, but the action in the lakes will be red hot. November is often the best month of the year to chase the stocked impoundment fish and, because they can’t breed behind a dam wall, they aren’t off limits. The full moon will be a popular time to fish at most of the lakes holding the bigger fish. Proserpine, Kinchant, and Teemburra will all have the trailers lined up around the boat ramps. I also expect to see a lot more activity on the lakes closer to South East Queensland. Monduran, Awoonga and Callide have all been producing fish around a metre long and this will be a great month to target them. Bass fishing the lakes

has been great so far this year. Things may start to get tougher as the water temperatures increase and fish schools become harder to find. On the golden perch front, these fish will only get more active as the dam temperatures warm right up. Over the next two months, the lakes will fire up and the action will be insane if you can time it right. The peak of the bite seems to differ from one lake to another, so keep an eye on online fishing reports and Facebook for up to date information so you can plan to tackle them where the action is best. Once again, we are faced with so many options at this time of year, in the fresh and the salt as well. Sometimes the hardest part about fishing is deciding what to go and catch next. Study up on your species and learn as much about where you’ll be

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND

CRESSBROOK CLOSEST TOWN: CROWS NEST Some big bass are still coming from Cressy; be prepared to look for them. Quality fish are coming from certain locations around the lake and the schools of smaller fish can make finding them a bit tricky. Try looking along the eastern bank up the Bull Creek Arm or on the flats on the southern side just past the Eagles Nest rock wall up Cressbrook Creek. Other points in the dam seem to be holding smaller fish. Flats with a deep water drop-off nearby often hold the better fish. For those who are putting in the time, bass to over 50cm have been a fairly common capture. Jets Tail Spinners have accounted for a lot of the bigger bass. Casting and trolling these lures has been

Nathan Palmer caught this pair of chunky Somerset bass on Gang Banger spoons.

DAM LEVELS

        

AUG SEP OCT 6 5 6 95 93 93 21 19 17 43 49 47 80 73 73 92 86 81 86 84 83 95 92 90 8 6 6 51 50 0 94 89 86

          

14 31

Weipa

Toowoomba

BRISBANE

IMPOUNDMENT DAM

effective. Soft plastics and spoons have also produced their share and it pays to have a few rods rigged to quickly change and see what the fish want to eat on the day. Bait fishing with live shrimp will keep you busy. Find the schools of bass in 7-10m of water and drop your shrimp straight over the side. Hot Bite Fishing does a range of wide gape bait hooks suited to using with live shrimp. These

53 52 52 64 62 61 7 7 7 99 98 96 41 37 36 75 74 72 99 97 98 87 83 79 95 86 76 32 22 20 16 15 13 89 81 87

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

hooks are the perfect size and shape for our freshwater natives. If you don’t have any bites within five minutes at a spot, it’s time to move on. When the fish are there, it doesn’t take long to get a response. For all your fishing supplies and the latest reports on Cressbrook and the surrounding dams, call into Fish’n’Bits in Alderly Street. They have a great range of lures and fishing

BRISBANE

gear. The staff can sort you out with the right gear and give you some tips on where to find them. 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 will be extended this month to 6am until 8pm. To page 75

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

Maroon 99 98 97 Monduran/Fred Haigh 98 97 96 Moogerah 94 93 92 North Pine/Samsonvale 68 66 66 Peter Faust/Proserpine 77 75 73 Pindari 100 98 100 Somerset 76 75 77 Teemburra 100 99 96 Tinaroo 48 44 41 Toonumbar 101 98 97 Wivenhoe 68 70 66 Wuruma 97 95 95

For fortnightly updates on Sunwater dams visit www.sunwater.com.au This symbol indicates that a Stocked Impoundment Permit is required to fish these dams. All figures are % readings Current as of 17/10/17

(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.) 74

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

Gympie

brought to you by

Dam............................ % Full DAMS Atkinson Awoonga Bjelke-Petersen Boondooma Borumba Burdekin Falls Callide Cania Clarendon Cooby Coolmunda

targeting them as you can. Local knowledge goes a long way and if you have the opportunity, jump on board with a fishing guide for a day or two. I fished Monduran last month and thought I had a pretty good idea of where the barra were holding and what lures would fool them into feeding. On the last morning, I had four barra bites, but none of them hooked up and I fished as hard as I could just to try and boat a fish. I spoke to one of the local guides when I returned to find out they had hooked 12 barra and boated eight for the morning. They fished a totally different area using a completely different technique. Time on the water (a lot of time) will certainly help you learn when to fish where and what to throw. Until next month, buckled rods from the Colonel!

From page 74

SOMERSET CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY The bass action has been awesome so far this year. Often the schools break up or refuse to eat

suckers for soft plastics rigged on 1/2 and 5/8oz jigheads. Use jigheads specifically designed for this deep water bite, like the Nitro or Smak range. They have the necessary weight, but carry a smaller size and

the bass stay close to the drop-off or even past it in the deeper water. This is where the catfish and golden schools hang out, so be prepared to sort through some other species. Trolling lures that have the capability of reaching 10m is a good way to target bass. The faster presentation keeps a few catties away, but you won’t eliminate them all together. My standout lure is a JDK Rippa, which is locally made in Toowoomba. You can source these through

subtle action, which seems to get more bites when the fish stop eating hopped and jigged spoons. The golden perch are due to fire up. Bass anglers will see an increase in these fish while fishing the deeper flats. Good numbers can often be found around the trees and steep rock banks in the main dam basin between the dam wall and Kirkleigh. To the north of Kirkleigh in the timber trolling and hopping small blades and vibes should see good numbers of goldens caught. Live shrimp or frozen saltwater yabbies will be the best baits, but you may need to sort through some vermin like tilapia and barred grunter in the process. For the latest reports, check

out Somerset Fishing Tackle online and on Facebook. The store has a trailer that can be located in the day use area at Kirkleigh. The opening days could change to include more weekdays, and 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 order fishing gear all over the place. For some of the most competitive prices around, visit the website www. somersetfishing.com.au. WIVENHOE CLOSEST TOWNS: FERNVALE, ESK The schools arrived on the flats last month. Big numbers of golden perch and bass took residence on the flats out from Billies Bay and the humps down towards the roped off area closer to the dam wall. Fork-tailed catfish numbers have been incredible this year and if you can stand catching dozens of them, you may put your lure in front of a soughtafter species. As much as we all seem to hate the forkies, the bigger ones put up a great fight on light gear. I have hooked a few that peeled heaps of line and for the first few seconds I thought I may have hooked the biggest Australian bass on the planet. Spoons and tailspinners have been the most successful lures on the Wivenhoe fish. If you can locate the bass on top of the flats, you stand a good chance of keeping you lure away from the catfish hordes. On some occasions,

Fish’n Bits but there are plenty of other timber offerings that can achieve

the dam. Call in and see Gavin to get a few tips on what to use.

The word is they also have some sweet new surface offerings the bass and toga are going to love. BORUMBA CLOSEST TOWNS: IMBIL, NOOSA There have been some deeper schooling bass located in the lake’s main basin. These fish are taking soft plastics and it always pays to mix it up and show

them something else. Vibes, tail spinners and spoons are also worth tossing to them. Look for these fish in around 10m of water around the edges of drop-offs and the many points as you head up the dam. In the upper part of the lake the arms are producing saratoga and the occasional bass. Surface lures are a good way to

target both species. Look for overhanging trees or healthy weed edges and try topwater offerings like the Jackall Pompadour Junior, Strada Zedia and OSP Bent Minnow. In the middle of the day the topwater action will stop, so switch to beetle spin rigged soft plastics or spinnerbaits. Boat ramp works are still underway but the dirt

ramp was in good condition giving access for all boats while work is done on the concrete ramp. 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.

more from the weed and are willing to take a lure in the more open water. Working the weed edges like this requires a fish finder to sound the bottom and keep track of the weed. If you venture too shallow, your lure will soon be covered in weed and will be useless. Watch your rod tip at all times to ensure your lure is weedfree and hasn’t picked up any stray floating weed.

In deeper water over 7m, hopping blades and vibes can score good numbers of fish. The goldens are likely to form into tight schools around the lake. If you can find these on your sounder, you’re in for a good time. Hopping vibes will be successful right throughout the day – mornings and afternoons are the peak bite times.

the spoons very fast. The early morning and late afternoon action will be best most days when fishing spoons. You can prolong that bite time by slowly winding a 20g spoon. When wound slowly these lure have a very

Lately in the afternoon the bass have fired up on Gang Banger spoons in Wivenhoe and Somerset. during the hotter months, so time will tell. If last month is anything to go by, there should still be a heap biting. Big schools of fish have been holding around the Spit, Pelican Point and Bay 13. Look along the 10m deep flats and hard along the nearby dropoffs to deeper water. The Insight Genesis/C-Maps, which run on Simrad and Lowrance sounders, are ideal for this. I change the colours on mine so the 30ft mark (10m) is highlighted a different colour from deeper and shallower areas. This makes searching for new spots a quick and easy task. The bass have been

finer gauge hook suited to the size of fish and lure being used; 3” (75mm) soft plastics are the go. Paddle and curl-tail varieties are perfect – the bass love the action in the tail. There are so many to choose from that will work, so if you have no idea, head to a store that specializes in freshwater fishing gear. Plastics seem to be scoring most of the fish; I have also talked to a few anglers who said they switched to spoons after working plastics through tight lipped fish only to see the fish go mad over them. One report said the fish continued to bite into the late afternoon in only 6m of water and they were winding

SUNSHINE COAST REGION MACDONALD CLOSEST TOWNS: TEWANTIN, NOOSA There are still quite a few bass holding in the dam’s main basin. The Bubble Trail and the bay at the Botanical Gardens are both worth investigating. If these fish have moved, it will be back to the weed edges. Casting lures into the weed and working them back out along the deeper edges is the way to find fish. All types of lures can produce with blades, spinnerbaits, beetle spins and soft plastics all worth a try. Fishing MacDonald’s weed edges can be tricky so take your time and explore. Learn the weed formations, so you can place your lures closely to the vegetation without fouling up every cast.

Surface luring in the mornings and afternoons is an easy way to fish the weed if you struggle with subsurface offerings. It’s easy, productive and rewarding. Quality bass and the occasional saratoga can be fooled with topwater lures. Cast up into the pockets in the vegetation and work the lure slowly. Always give pauses every metre or two to ensure the fish have time to find and eat it. The pause is an important part of surface luring for bass, as most strikes will come during or just after it. Davos in Noosaville is just a short drive away and they carry all the right lures to use on the lake. Check in with them to see if they have heard the latest news on how the lake is fishing.

DARLING DOWNS GRANITE BELT REGION COOBY CLOSEST TOWNS: HIGHFIELDS, TOOWOOMBA The fishing has picked up at Cooby. I reported it was slow last month, but it seems I may have got that wrong, as a few anglers were smashing the golden perch up the northern arm on hopped blades. It has changed even more since

then and good numbers of goldens are being caught around the shallow weed edges. Trolling shallow diving hardbodies that dive to around 3m has been the key to getting bites. Keeping your lure close to the weed edges is critical, especially when the sun is still high. As afternoon approaches and the sun sets, the fish venture

the same depth. Last year the deep water bite at Wivenhoe lasted for several months. The fish will move around a bit so be prepared to do some searching when the action is slow. There are plenty of suitable flats (10-12m deep) between Billies Bay and Platypus Cliffs on the opposite side of the dam. Gatton Home Brew and Fishing Supplies has a good range of lures if you’re driving past on your way to or from

Karen Ehrlich jigged up a few golden perch vertically under the boat in Wivenhoe Dam. Wivenhoe goldens love spoons.

To page 76

NOVEMBER 2017

From page 75

The deeper water seems to provide enough cover for the fish and here they don’t rely on hiding in the shadows of the weed. Cooby D a m ’s proximity to Highfields and Toowoomba makes it a very popular fishery. If you’re looking for somewhere close to home to drop the boat or kayak in, Cooby is definitely worth a visit. The dam hours are now 6am until 8pm. Remember, no outboard motors are allowed to be used on the dam. The concrete boat ramp is on a shallow angle when the dam is full and can be slippery in places. A big electric powered boat can still be launched with care. Outboard motors can be left on the boat, but must not be used. LESLIE CLOSEST TOWN: WARWICK The golden perch action has picked up over the last few weeks. Some anglers reported landing up to 40 fish for an afternoon session. Good results are coming on both bait and lures. Live shrimp and salt

water yabbies have been pick of the baits for chasing goldens. Fishing in around 5m of water will give you a good chance of boating big numbers of fish. Up in the shallower areas (less than 3m deep) worms have been effective on silver perch. This makes them an easy target from the shore. Land-based anglers often have good success on golden perch when fishing below the Washpool Reserve. Lure fishers are having plenty of success on trolled and cast lures. Trollers should target 5-7m of water with lures that dive close to the bottom. Up in the shallower 3-5m areas a slow-trolled lipless crankbait can be a good performer. Casting spinnerbaits to the rocky outcrops is a good way to target Murray cod. A few cod have also fallen to hopped vibes in deeper water when chasing golden perch. Hopping Masks and small blades is a great way to score big numbers of golden perch from this lake. If you find some structure on the sounder, try a vertical hopping approach and you may be surprised how many fish are holding around it.

Along with getting a fishing report, stock up on all your gear while at Warwick Outdoor and Sports at 115 Palmerin Street Warwick. For a small store, it carries a great range at a very competitive price. Warwick is only a ten-minute drive from the dam and you can pick up any supplies you might need. COOLMUNDA CLOSEST TOWN: INGLEWOOD The cod are on. Murray cod were caught in excellent numbers last month. With sessions of 5-7 fish reported and the occasional big model, it looks like the cod will be well worth a visit. Once they get pressured the action will slow, so look for spots that others might overlook. The timbered flats have been holding heaps of fish and most come from the standing trees. There are plenty of hidden laydowns that you can see on the side image of a good sounder. These are home to some of the bigger fish. Big spinnerbaits of 5/8-1 1/2oz are ideal for

C-Map Genesis maps are invaluable when it comes to locating bass near old creek beds and flats. The dark blue area is the old creek and here the depth of interest is highlighted in bright yellow. fish in 2-4m of water and just keep casting to new pieces of structure. Eventually the

spotlight. Hopping blades along the rock wall and up in the timber in 3-5m of water

2 Dams

1de stination H

South Burnett

· Boondooma Dam · Bjelke-Petersen Dam ·

The BEST place in QLD to catch Australian Bass and Yellowbelly

STAY

CATCH

NIGHTS AND

SAVE

of the month BOONDOOMA DAM

BJELKE-PETERSEN

Adam Krautz had a top session in the wind and rain last month landing seven Coolmunda cod, including this 89cm model, which ate a Bassman Quadspin. Coolmunda. Make sure you whack on a sizeable soft plastic trailer as well and you’re in business. Target

bites will come. Few reports of golden perch were made last month. The cod seemed to steal the

WIDE BAY AND SOUTH BURNETT REGION

COREY GOLDIE AT BOONDOOMA DAM

ROB JOHNSTONE AT BJELKE PETERSEN DAM

www.lakeboondooma.com.au www.yallakoolpark.com.au 76

NOVEMBER 2017

BOONDOOMA CLOSEST TOWNS: PROSTON, KINGAROY The fishing at Boondooma has been excellent. Huge numbers of bass and golden perch are being caught by lure casters and trollers. Casting

spoons and soft plastics to bass holding on the flats inside the third buoy at The Narrows has produced heaps of fish. This general area has been quite fishy, so spend some time exploring it. The banks leading into the Boyne Arm from the Junction are holding heaps

should see a few caught. If you can find a patch of fish, expect big numbers, as they should really fire of golden perch and the bass may school up deeper on the flats here as well. Early in the morning, spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits tossed to the edges will produce goldens. As the day heats up, the fish will retreat to deeper water where they can be caught by trolling lures out from the banks. There are plenty of scattered fish in the area as

this month. With their increased activity, try trolling the main basin of the lake and work lures around the drop-offs. Lures that dive to around 5m deep are ideal for trolling. I prefer slightly bigger lures in this lake and love the 5m Poltergeist and 90mm Halco Scorpion. These are tough lures and that’s exactly what you want if a big cod decides to make one its next meal. The Coolmunda Caravan Park is only around 1km away from the lake. The park is just off the Cunningham Highway and far enough away from the noise of trucks to get a good night’s sleep. It offers camping sites, cabins, caravan facilities, tennis courts, a swimming pool, BBQ shelter and a camp kitchen. The park now has an extra two new wheelchair friendly cabins to add to their older ones. Camping is also available near the boat ramp with toilets and hot showers to make your stay more comfortable. To take advantage of this and the great fishing opportunities in the lake and the river below, give the park a call on (07) 4652 4171. well as up around the dam wall. These fish love to take trolled lures. Trolling to suit the depth of the fish is the key. As the thermocline changes due to warmer surface water temperatures, the fish may rise with it. Keep an eye on where most of the life is showing on your sounder and the fish won’t be too To page 77

From page 76

far away. Choose a lure to suit this depth. Boondooma is a great place to camp right near the water and sit by the fire while enjoying the view. You could also stay in more style and comfort by booking into one of the cabins overlooking the dam. The kiosk at the main office does hot food

and other basic items, including an excellent range of proven fishing tackle. For campsites, cabins and bunkhouse rooms call (07) 4168 9694. BJELKE CLOSEST TOWNS: MURGON, GOOMERI The banks of Bjelke have been fishing well early in the morning when

using reaction style lures. The rocky edges around Bass Point and below the wineries are the perfect spots to start your day. Casting spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits up into the shallows and retrieving them back should see some action. Hopping 1/4oz blades can also be a good way to entice these fish. Try a mixture of hops

timber and spindly sticks just off the main basin of the lake. Hardbodies are a good option around the deeper treetops in the main basin. Up in the shallows a lot of success has come on surface lures. Walking the dog or popping past spindly treetops around the lake’s weed edges has been the successful approach for many anglers. It’s a change

from the old Awoonga, but if it’s working why argue? You can’t beat barra caught on surface lures and that boofing sound they make. There were heaps of fish caught from Pikes Crossing and further down the Boyne River this year in the open season; now that it’s closed they’re off limits. Don’t worry, they’ll be there when the season reopens and in the meantime the dam is producing the goods. Mark from Awoonga

several minutes. Ash Simms has nutted out this technique and has been having a lot of success with clients on his charters. For a booking find him through Nashys Compleat Angler or through his Facebook page Fishin’ Magician. KINCHANT CLOSEST TOWNS: MACKAY, MIRANI Dropping water levels have the barra holding outside the weed edges. Fish can be found on the sounder close to the old creek beds and it’s then a matter of trying to make them bite. Rolling plastics deep through the fish is one option. A lot of success comes on hopped vibes. Ash Simms reported good numbers some days while on others it can be a struggle to get a bite. On one such outing he found a huge

school of bony bream with barra holding off it. The fish refused all the usual offerings, but when he tried a Halco Barra Spoon, ripped it through them and allowed it to flutter back down, they switched on and he nailed a fish over a metre long on his first cast. He followed it up with more hits on the same lure. If you’re planning on fishing Kinchant, Teemburra or Eungella, be sure to call in and see Bruce and Ash at Nashy Compleat Angler on Harbour Road, North Mackay. Ash works in the store and 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.

locate numbers of fish. Once they are found, stick with diving hardbodies and soft plastics. In the middle of the day, the fish often travel through the deeper channels. When this is happening, they can be hard to tempt. Soft vibes hopped through the fish are one of the best ways to get bites. It will also be worth a look out in the deep water of the main basin for patches of fish. Trolling deep divers like the Scorpion Crazy Deep is a good way to locate fish. If six or more barra are spotted on the sounder in one area, it is usually worth stopping and changing techniques. These concentrations of fish can be tempted by casting heavier

weighted soft plastics or soft vibes. For accommodation try one of the motels or caravan parks at Proserpine. The Camp Kanga accommodation below the dam wall is still closed at this point but efforts are being made to reopen it. Camp Kanga now has its own dedicated Facebook page to keep everyone up to date on how things are going. For all your fishing supplies or a guided trip on the lak,e call Lindsay or Dane at Barra World on (07) 4945 4641. The store is right on the highway in Proserpine and specializes in barra fishing tackle. You can also keep up to date by visiting their Barra World Facebook page.

CAPRICORN REGION AWOONGA CLOSEST TOWNS: BENARABY, GLADSTONE Anglers are starting to come back to Awoonga after finding success as the dam continues to improve. The average barra being caught is 80-90cm long and big enough to give you some trouble in tight country. A lot of fish are being hooked around MACKAY REGION TEEMBURRA CLOSEST TOWNS: MACKAY, PINNACLE Numbers of barra seem to be down but the quality has been excellent. Plenty of fish over 110cm are being hooked with some to an impressive 120cm. It has been a matter of moving around to find fish. You can try several spots until you mark a few fish. Big numbers don’t seem to swim through on side image, so if you see something, it’s worth a go. Soft plastics are accounting for a few fish. The Smash Minnow is a good performer when things are slow. Extra-long pauses and a steady roll or draw of the rod tip to move the lure along is all that is needed. The fish must watch for a long time before eating, as a retrieve can take WHITSUNDAY REGION PROSERPINE CLOSEST TOWNS: PROSERPINE, AIRLIE BEACH Barra have been spread out through the dam. Early morning is a good time to target fish on the points. Starting out with surface lures is a good option if the water is calm with little wind. Surface walkers or poppers are both suitable and will draw the strikes. In windy conditions try shallow diving hardbodies or soft plastics. As the day wears on, the fish tend to move out of the shallows and into deeper water. Search around in 2-6m of water using your sounder to

and retrieves, always keeping the blade close to the bottom. During the day, trolling the old creek bed will keep the bites coming. Medium diving lures and 5/8oz spinnerbaits are ideal for this approach. The section between the boat ramps holds plenty of fish. Be sure to concentrate on the edges where the flats drop off into

the old creek bed. For help catching Bjelke and Boondooma fish, call into Bass 2 Barra. The store stocks an awesome range of gear suited to chasing our freshwater fish and the boys have all the knowledge to guide you on how to use it. You’ll find the stores at 119 Youngman Street Kingaroy. Matthew Mott also runs fishing charters

on the dams and you can reach him through the store for bookings and enquiries on (07) 4162 7555. 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.

Plenty of small barra have been whacking hardbodies like the Jackall Squirrel Hank Tune when fished to the timber in Monduran. Gateway Lodge has a few productive secret spots he’s always willing to share. The Gateway Lodge is on the way into the dam after

turning off at Benaraby. The accommodation is great with plenty of boat parking space right beside the comfortable air-conditioned,

self-contained cabins each with its own veranda. To book in a stay, give Mark or Lyn a call on (07) 4975 0033.

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l Events Room l Bird Feeding l Jumping Pillows l Pools & Water Park Complex l Outdoor Movies l Bettongs l Wine Tasting l Tennis Court l Open Fires l Self Drive 4WD Trips tion Major Annual Fishing Competi l Camp Oven Dinner er emb on the 2nd weekend in Nov l Morning Tea l Challenging nine hole golf course l Plenty of Red Claw n Creek 5 kms from our carava Situated on the Three Moon ts. ris attraction to our tou park Lake Cania is a very big dams in Qld, and has been d It is one of the top 4 stocke ga. Bass, Yellow Belly and Sarato stocked with fish including ation holds its... Cania Fish Stocking Associ 07 4167 8188 Cania Dam Rd, Cania Gorge, QLD

info@caniagorge.com.au NOVEMBER 2017

Somerset Dam is having a bass bonanza SOMERSET

Matt Taylor

In my eyes, ‘bass bonanza’ is the most fitting description for the fishing this month. Recent weeks have seen many anglers hit the jackpot, catching large numbers of bass and yellowbelly over 50cm. Lake Somerset is one of very few lakes in Australia to produce fish of this calibre. Even the harsh conditions that greeted many anglers in a recent tournament didn’t stop trophy-sized fish from being caught.

bass of 40-50cm in this area. These fish tend to be more active and responsive during the afternoon. Large numbers of fish have also been found at Red Rock, Bay 13, Eagles Nest and at the Dogleg. Reports suggest that fish are schooling at Pelican Point and at spots like the Cattle Yards in the timbered section. A trick among anglers has been to keep moving and continually find fresh fish in new areas. The fish tend to be very responsive for a short time and will then shut down.

Anthony McKinnon, 9yo, with a solid bass caught on a 35g spoon. Photo courtesy of Andrew McKinnon.

In the first session alone, multiple anglers weighed in bags of fish over 3kg, highlighting how well the dam is fishing and the quality of fish on offer. While some fish of this size have been caught from the edges, the bass will move into deeper water as the heat of summer approaches. The heat will cause both the bait and the fish to spread out to feed. Schools of bass have been scattered throughout the entirety of the lake. As usual for spring, anglers have had success at areas near the Spit. On a recent trip my father and I caught

The author with a pair of 40cm bass taken while slow rolling spoons at Red Rock. Photo courtesy of Rowan Taylor. Anglers have also attributed their success to the birds, as quite often schools of bass are located in the same place. The fish have been feeding on an array of different lures. Spoons have still been the best option with 20-30g Halco Twisties, Hotbite Gangbangers and Palms Slow Blatt spoons all working well. Colour hasn’t been as important, with fish caught on everything from silvers and whites to blues, purples and olives. Bass have responded well to Smak Tailspinner STS-50s with the blue ice

The future of our sport is reliant on getting kids into fishing today. James McKinnon caught this cracking bass. Photo courtesy of Andrew McKinnon.

ELECTRIC PROPULSION SYSTEM This Electric motor drive can be used on any SUP, Kayak or Canoe. It’s attached easily by any of the 3 universal mounts. The LAGOON has 300Watts of power control by a convenient wireless Bluetooth. Controller with built in safety features. 1.5hr MAX running time. Less than 4kg

colour being a standout for many people. Soft plastics are accounting for a number of fish too. Charlie Brewer Sliders in natural colours like baby bass and gold have seen great interest from the bass. A 1/2oz jighead should be a sufficient weight to keep your lure in the zone. A slow rolling retrieve tends to be a consistent and rewarding option. Ice-jigs have rewarded many anglers lately with large bass. Both Smak Ice-jigs and a relatively new lure to the market called the XP Baits Butterfly Jig have been working well. The baby bass colour has once again been on fire along with whites, purples and golds. Over the summer months, expect the popularity of these lures to decline. The yellowbelly fishing has been red-hot over the past month with many anglers reporting catches over 50cm. Golden perch are commonly located near timber, whether it’s standing timber or fallen timber on the bottom of the lake. Hence, anglers fishing schools of bass in these locations are often rewarded with by-catch

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.

THE FUTURE IS HERE

For more information call (02) 9532 0002 NOVEMBER 2017

boat ramp in a blue trailer. They stock a wide range of competitively priced fishing tackle and are always adding to their range, now stocking Strike King and Bass Mafia products. Alternatively, if you’re after any fishing tips or information, feel free to ask and they will be more than happy to help you. If you don’t have a way to get out on the lake to experience the incredible fishing, kayak and boat hire is on offer, with a number of options available to suit your needs. Somerset Fishing Tackle can be found online (www.somersetfishing. com.au) and on Facebook. If you ‘re heading to Lake Somerset and are fishing or boating, there are two main boat ramps to use: one located at the Spit and the other at the Lake Somerset Holiday Park. From September to April, the gates open at 5.30am and close at 6.30pm. From May to August, the opening hours are 6.00am to 5.30pm. To see more from Matt, you can find him on Instagram (@matthew____ taylor) and Facebook (@ matthewtaylorfishing).

Fishing your lure close to timber often produces good numbers of yellowbelly. The author caught this fish while hopping a Smak Ice-jig in peanut colour. Photo courtesy of Rowan Taylor.

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 78

yellowbelly. I recently caught a 56cm and a 57cm fish using this technique. The timber to the north of Kirkleigh up to Villeneuve is where many fish have been captured by anglers hopping lures like Smak Ice-jigs in peanut colour and Ecogear ZX40 blades in dark knight colour beside trees. Throwing spinnerbaits is another option that is particularly effective during the summer months. Trolling for both bass and yellowbelly has produced good numbers of fish over the past month. Trolling lures like heavy tail-spinners, spinnerbaits and hardbodied lures like Smak Blitz Bagas and Smak Golden Childs along the riverbed is tempting large numbers of bass, particularly in the Kirkleigh area, while the timber has been more productive for yellowbelly. The fish are reacting well to colours like purple and gold. • During your time at Somerset Dam, be sure to drop in and say g’day at Somerset Fishing Tackle. The store is located just 200m from the Kirkleigh day use

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS MORE FISHY TV SHOWS

AUSTRALIAN DORY BREAKING BASS GRAND DESPINES FOUR SPAWNERS HOME AND A RAY HOUSE SCHOOLS LAW AND WATER SCAD MEN REDFIN NOW LINEFELD

SHOALOCK THE BASSELOR THE FOOTY SHOAL THE WIRE TRACE THE X FILLETS TODAY TOBITE WALKING DEAD BAIT WEST WIND STRANGER FINS

Valley Hill Rocketeer Slicer

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 NOV 2017

Phone (day):

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

The Rocketeer Slicer from Japanese tackle giant Valley Hill is a real feat of Japanese design and engineering. The Rocketeer Slicer has a unique metal plate at the nose of the jig, which lets you secure line in two places, and ensures a superior swimming action even through debris. In addition, its tail system lets you cast more effectively into the wind. The Rocketeer Slicer is available in two sizes (3.0 and 3.5) and 13 different colour combinations. It has proven to be highly effective on Australian squid. www.dogtoothdistribution.com.au

SPOT THE

10 DIFFERENCES

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

ORIGINAL

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to T Grice from Caboolture, who was last month’s winner of the Finda-Word Competition! Monthly winners receive a sponsor prize. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – QFM

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The subscriber prize winner for September is R Peters of Nundah, who won a Tonic sunglasses and a Tonic watch prize. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM

of Temora, C Rowe of Loganholme, R Elworthy of North Bundaberg, R & D Kelly of Colosseum , J Boneham of Eight Mile Plains, N Humble of Allenstown, I MacKellar of Maryborough, A Mandall of Nambour, G Ward of Bloomfield, J Bugno of Bardon, A Hewlett of Mothar Mountain, C Johnson of Peregian Springs, M Roots of Cowley Beach, F Brook of Leeton, J Bowyer of Blackall, R Kunde of Beerwah,

J O’Connell of Capalaba, A Remfrey of Rothwell, G Herring of Gympie, R Schefe of Point Vernon, D Hendry of Imbil, B Stephan of Donnybrook, G Walker of Warner, P Cauchi of Kepnock, A Bragg of Mount Isa, P Friis of Idalia, B Newton of Trinity Beach, J Koch of Kulpi, B Freier of Ningi, P Martin of Narangba. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

FIND THE COASTAL BLACK LOGO

GUESS THE FISH?

The answers to Find the Coastal Black Logo for September were: 14, 16, 22, 25, 28, 32, 40, 46, 50, 60, 62, 92, 97, 104, 116. – QFM

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: John Dory

The Find the Coastal Black prize winners for September were: K Harding of Boondah, W Collis of River Heads, B Fisher of Roma, A Jekyll of Labrador, B Dalgarno of Geebung, R Wright of Urangan, J Rogers of Tambo, W Sommerfeld of Toowoomba, J Inwood of Kirwan, N Oakley of Southport, R Waters

Answer:

Easy towing with the Isuzu D-Max 4x4 LS ute BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Isuzu’s D-Max utility is pretty much a fixture on our roads today. We see them on highways and byways, loaded with trade tools or equipment on the way to or from a work site, or simply pulling a solid caravan or hefty boat trailer thanks to a 3.5t (braked) and a 750kg unbraked tow rating. THE MANUAL UTE Way back in March this year I drove a manual D-Max 2x2 on a run to the New

England area and noted the welcome changes to engine and drive line that Isuzu had thoughtfully provided for our Australian road conditions. While the manual ute drove pretty well with sufficient features to make a four-hour drive pleasant, I reflected on whether the 4x4 iteration in auto mode would be even more impressive; there would be different ride and handling characteristics thanks to the front diffs and other mechanical components that are part of a full 4WD capability. The opportunity for comparison came via the loan of a D-Max auto 4x4 in

LS specs, which I eventually hooked up to the 4.5 Galeforce for a decent tow test. THE LS SPECS The LS specification doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the D-Max range, but it’s certainly getting up there. As a four-door ute with a big tray in the rear, it’s able to cater for a wide range of activities, from work to play. Fortunately, Isuzu had wisely supplied a tub liner within the loan ute, so I was able to stack quite a bit of camping gear on board without concerns about marring the finish. That tub liner is a no brainer accessory for any ute; it just makes cleaning easy and ensures preservation of the finish. It could easily be thought that the exterior of the D-Max hasn’t changed a great deal in the last couple of years, but if a 2015 and 2017 model stand side by side, the styling changes – particularly up front – are evident.

The D-Max LS made very easy work of towing the author’s 4.5m Galeforce centre console rig. The drive train and engine improvements were the big news this year with an upgraded 430Nm of torque linked to a 6-speed Aisin auto box providing pretty serious upgrading to performance. A decent set of headlights, side steps and fog lights were also part of the LS variant’s

The Isuzu’s uncomplicated dash arrangement sports two big glove boxes and a spare storage compartment up top as well.

“Tinnie Tosser” Want to take your tinny on holidays and catch the big one but can’t because you are towing a caravan?

Well here is the answer!!

Features include: Single person operation, electric and manual models, custom made to suit vehicle and boat, built for off-road conditions, aluminium and stainless steel construction. For further information contact Bowline on

Ease of use is a big D-Max feature; the multifunction touchscreen has now increased in size over previous models and while the air conditioning controls were somewhat basic, the system still worked very efficiently.

Ph: (07) 5498 7339 Mobile: 0419 674 343

www.tinnietosser.com.au

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package. One thing; the four door D-Max has a neat, entirely proportional appearance about it that certainly catches the eye. Across the dash and elsewhere within the interior of the D-Max the plastic is broken up by interesting chrome highlights. The fit of the panels and overall interior joinery is high standard. Storage starts with not one but two glove boxes! The seating was supportive and comfortable after a fivehour stint at the wheel, with controls for various functions on hand, and there were two USB ports up front (another is in the rear). Bluetooth audio streaming, an 8” touchscreen unit central within the dash, a big reversing camera and

climate air conditioning were all standard fare. On the back roads inland from Gympie with the boat in tow, I found the D-Max was a very easy and enjoyable drive. Gone was any rebound from the leaf springs at the rear thanks to the camping gear and other items in the 1430mm long, 1530mm wide rear tub with it’s 1249kg payload (plus the Dunbier trailer and Galeforce on the tow bar). The easy power of the Isuzu’s 3L turbo diesel engine gave me the impression that the fourcylinder engine was hardly ever working. Once the turbo spooled up at about 2000rpm, the D-Max moved away smartly and it was interesting to note just how easily the ute maintained highway speeds in cruise control mode, even with the boat on the back. CHEAP TO RUN It was more than interesting – quite pleasant in fact – to note how easy on the wallet the D-Max auto was with fuel usage. While towing at highway speeds I managed around 10.8L/100km for most of the journey. That 3L D-Max light truck engine was the key; the silky smooth Aisin 6-speed auto shifter did its part and the upgraded diesel with its very useful torque just never seemed to be working hard. A slight chatter at start up proclaimed it as a diesel, yet with virtually no noise underway it was a powerfully free running engine with a lot

of flexibility. On the all-important topic of saving money, the Isuzu D-Max also excels in value for money servicing. There’s a five-year 130,000km warranty, five years roadside assist, a five-year 50,000km capped service plan linked to a service every 10,000km or yearly with an average of around $300 per year for the duration of the five years. As a dyed-in-the-wool 4x4, the D-Max made very easy work of pulling the boat up a fairly steep ramp in the rain just by turning the drive mode selector on the console from 2H to 4H. Once the boat was on level ground a simple flick back on the dial saw the rear wheels doing the work on the way back to camp. SUMMING UP By the standards of some of its competitors, the D-Max lacks a few of the more desirable refinements and ‘must-have’ up market features; yet many consider the simplicity of the vehicle a blessing in disguise. Yes, the interior is somewhat of a Plain Jane, but it’s very easy to clean. Overall the D-Max is a comfortable, ruggedly strong vehicle with an engine and drive train as reliable as tomorrow’s sunrise. The LS auto certainly impressed me with its easy, no-fuss performance, both when driving around town or on the highway towing. Price is listed at just over the $48,500 mark and there are better deals available at show rooms.

The central readout between major dials also provide information regarding fuel usage and other handy information.

RECREATIONAL FISHERS HAVE A SIGNIFICANT VOICE Three years ago Sunfish Queensland and other regional fishing organizations approached sitting State Government representatives as well as their opposition in a great number of seats that either bordered on or were part of a marine catchment. In our case it was primarily in consideration of Moreton Bay Net Free Area. These local Members of Parliament and candidates were then given a presentation that described in detail the goals and aims of Moreton Bay Net Free Area and all the pertinent details. They were then asked if they were prepared to sign a document demonstrating their support. This was overwhelmingly successful,

catchment, that catchment is Moreton Bay. For the 2015 election, a lobby group with powerful friends within the LNP hierarchy pressured the executive of the LNP to take a strong position opposing the then-proposed Net Free Zones in Cairns, Rockhampton and Mackay. This was against the advice from the on-ground local candidates and members. In 2015 everyone expected a swing against the sitting LNP government in response to the harsh cutbacks by Campbell Newman. Anastasia Palaszczuk, however, won an election that even they didn’t see coming. One component of that win could possibly have been recreational fishers, who had been pretty much ignored by successive governments. They

Netted mullet at Straddie. regardless of which political party the representatives that received the presentations belonged to. In the lead up to the 2015 state election, these political representatives were presenting the views as delivered to them by their communities. They wanted to be elected or re-elected and their constituents wanted Net Free Areas. Under the previous electoral boundaries that were used in 2015, only six of the 89 electorates didn’t border the coast or weren’t part of a significant coastal catchment. Under the new electoral boundaries there are only four out of 93 that don’t have a border within 100km of the coastline. Of those remaining 89, there are 62 that have a border on or are part of the Moreton Bay Catchment. So for 70% of electorates that are within a marine

supported a platform that included Net Free Zones. Research also indicates that many voters were dissatisfied with the major parties. Some of those that

had previously voted LNP even if they had no interest in fishing, took umbrage at a party who allowed a small but powerful lobby group to influence them enough to take a policy position contrary to what constituents in the electorates wanted. In October 2015, this culminated in the LNP lodging a disallowance motion in parliament with respect to the Net Free Zone legislation. Consequently, all elected members of the LNP, bar one, stood on the floor of parliament and loudly opposed the Net free Area Legislation in direct contradiction to previously signed support statements and the wishes of their electorates. For the last three years the LNP have continued to state that they will ‘undo’

We need the Moreton Bay Net Free Area to be implemented urgently, because our bay may not survive the savage ravaging by gillnets in time to see any benefits from the Sustainable Fisheries Policy. Zones at Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton. During an election campaign, as you are all aware, we get bombarded with promises. You almost

How netted fish are treated – note that there’s no ice. the Net free Areas… until recently. On 3 October, with the next election imminent, the LNP released a media statement that they would retain existing Net Free

The Moreton Bay Net Free Area would help protect the fishing for future generations.

www.sunfishqld.com.au

never hear a position around what they won’t change of current legislation unless the affected community sector has a very strong ability to impact their election chances, so finally we have an acknowledgement of the value of the recreational fishing sector voice, albeit indirectly. We’re in the lead up to a polling day, so please make sure that all the candidates in the electorates that either encompass Moreton Bay or are part of the Moreton Bay catchment are aware that you require Moreton Bay Net Free Area to be implemented urgently, because our bay may not survive the savage ravaging by gillnets in time to see any benefits from the Sustainable Fisheries Policy currently supported by both major parties. The core elements of this policy would see a renewed fisheries management governance set of protocols that should

benefit all Queensland fisheries. However, these same protocols have been promised to us in various forms over the last 20 years by successive governments, regardless of their party affiliations. What we have seen each time is that by the time a significant amount of money has been spent preparing the discussion, documents and terms of reference, and on community engagement and consultation, and on collating the submissions into a document to be presented to parliament, it’s election time again. The next government will give it a different name and start again. As recreational fishers we continue to have a very juicy bait cast in front of us with lots of dollars attached.

That ends up providing projects for researchers and departmental staff and we see little of any tangible benefits to our fishing experiences. The only time we have seen this cycle broken has been in this last term of government with the delivery of the three Net Free Zones in Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton. The significant demonstrated and measurable benefits that they have delivered must now be extended to Moreton Bay. The delivery of or failure to deliver Moreton Bay Net Free Area will have a significant impact on the election outcomes of many seats. Remember, of all 93 Queensland electorates, there are only four that don’t have a boundary within 100km of the coastline. Of all 93 Queensland electorates, 63 in the 2015 election had margins less than the number of recreational fishers according to Fisheries Queensland latest recreational fishing survey data. Any one of those 63 could have changed the outcome of that election. All 63 of those sitting members could have or may indeed have changed with the recreational fishing vote. For more info, contact admin@sunfishqld.com. au. - Judy Lynne

A map of the proposed Moreton Bay Net Free Area.

Email: admin@sunfishqld.com.au NOVEMBER 2017

DIY Lure Making

DIY lure making: Lipless Doc BRISBANE

Greg Vinall support@makewoodenlures.com

We’re already three months into our beginners lure making adventure, and so far we’ve made a small crankbait and a small stickbait. If you’ve been following the series and have given these projects a crack, I hope they’ve brought you a ton of luck! This month we’re doing something a little different. In fact, it’s something 90% of wooden lure making enthusiasts never attempt: a lipless crankbait. Lipless cranks are really not that difficult to make

once you know how. They’re super effective too, because they can be fished in a variety of different ways that other hardbody lures can’t. Bigger lipless crankbaits are tops for offshore predators of just about every type, while the medium-sized lures are deadly on everything from threadfin salmon to barra, trout and cod. We’re going to make a fairly small lure that will put you in touch with a pile of bread and butter species. In the estuaries you’ll find the Lipless Doc perfect for bream, estuary perch, trevally and smaller mulloway. Freshwater enthusiasts will find they’re great on bass, trout, redfin, yellowbelly and sooty grunter.

Template: 1 Square = 1cm

FISHING WITH THE LIPLESS DOC There are so many ways to fish lipless crankbaits, you could easily fill a book on the subject. Just one of the many things I love about them is that they can handle heavier hooks and rings than other crankbait styles without killing off the action. That makes them great for hauling tough fish out of heavy cover. The Lipless Doc is a sinking lure, so it can be counted down to a particular depth and then ‘yo-yoed’ back. To do this, jerk the rod tip sharply upwards, then drop the tip slowly and let the lure sink back. All the while, crank just fast enough to keep the slack out of the line. This technique can keep your

100% Scale

lure in close proximity to the bottom structure, or the top of a weedbed or thermocline. Don’t allow too much slack to form in the line on the drop… that’s often when the fish will take the lure! If you’re fishing from a boat, a good strategy is to sink your lure alongside submerged trees, then work it almost vertically in a series of short jerks, or yo-yo it around the base of the tree. The action is much the same as vertical jigging and can be deadly on yellowbelly and bass in particular. MAKING THE LIPLESS DOC For simplicity, the materials and tools we’ll use to make our Lipless Doc are much the same as for our

TOOLS AND MATERIALS Tools Utility knife, battery drill and bits, hacksaw, pliers. Materials • 12.5mm x 75mm balsa plank • 1-1.2mm stainless steel wire • 120 and 240 grit sand paper • 240 grit wet sanding paper • Epoxy adhesive (with syringes and mixing sticks) • Ball sinkers (size 00) • Methylated spirits previous two projects. The main differences are in the design – the classic lipless crank body shape is with tow point located on top of the head with internal weighting. PAINTING AND CLEAR COATING For the painting step, I’ll be turning to my trusty airbrush again, as you’ll see in the tutorial at makewoodenlures.com/ fishing-monthly/. But as I’ve said previously, there is no

problem whatsoever with a hand-brushed or aerosol can finish. Fish don’t mind at all! If you’d like to take your lure painting to the next level, you could sign up for my free airbrushing course at crazylureart.com/free-lurepainting-lessons-register/. My ebook Getting Started In Custom Painted Crankbaits is available on my website at makewoodenlures. com/product/custom-lurepainting-ebook/.

Cut out the template, and trace the side profile onto your balsa wood. Separate the blanks by slicing between them with a utility knife. Pare away the bulk of the waste, getting to within 1-2mm of the side profile you marked out. Keep the cuts as vertical as possible – the squarer the wood is in cross section, the better. 2

Using your square and curved sanding blocks on a flat surface, sand the blanks down to the side profile line. The resulting blanks should be perfectly square in cross section.

Centre the top template on the blank and transfer the shape using a pencil. Then slice away the bulk of the waste with a utility knife, as you did for the side profile. Once again use a sanding block to square the blank and refine the shape. 82

Mark a centre line on the narrow edges, then place your side template on the blank and mark the location of the tow point, hook hangers and weights. Notice the weights are well forward and the towpoint is on top of the lure, not on the nose. Use a pointy object like the tip of a pen to make a small divot where each hardware item will go and drill the holes for the eyelets using a 1.5mm drill bit.

NOVEMBER 2017

Mark centre lines on all the long sides of your blank, then mark carving guidelines. The guidelines are basically half way between the edge of the wood and the centre line you just drew. The exception is the area at the top front of the lure, where we want a small flat area to give the lure some action. We won’t be carving away any wood in this area, so you don’t need to draw carving guidelines.

Then drill 4mm holes for the weights using a brad point bit. Then move then drill bit back and forth to join the holes and make a long channel along the chin of the lure. You’ll find that a lot of wood is removed in this process. This leaves the blank quite weak, so work gently until the weights are glued in and the lure is strengthened by the epoxy. 7

Remove the waste between the guidelines using your knife. It’s easier to get this right if you take lots of light cuts and work with the grain. If you find the blade ‘digging in’ it’s time to turn the blank around and carve the opposite direction. Once you’re done, gently sand with 120 grit paper to refine the shape.

DIY Lure Making 8

Now it’s time to glue in some weights. Using the correct amount of weight for your lure design and placing it in the right location is one of the real keys to making lipless crankbaits. We’re going to use three size 00 ball sinkers that have been crushed slightly using pliers until they fit neatly into the holes and sit just below the surface of the wood. Glue these in using plenty of 24hr epoxy, then set the lures aside for a day or two to cure. Once the glue has cured, trim away any excess adhesive and sand flush with the wood. Then give the whole lure a final smooth sand using 240 grit paper. 10

Make some stainless steel eyelets as we did in the previous projects and glue them into the holes you’ve already drilled in the lure body. Be sure to get as much glue as possible into the holes and on the shaft or the twist eye. Wipe the excess epoxy away and set the lures aside once again to cure. Note: I’m using twist eyes to keep these lures simple for beginners. That’s fine for small, light duty lures like the ones we’ll make in this series. If you’re making lures that will be fished on lines greater than 6kg breaking strain you’d be better to use a through-wire or harder timber. Or both! FINISHED LURE

Harden your lures by treating them with thinned epoxy as we did for our crankbait and stickbait projects. The idea is to get as much of the resin absorbed into the balsa as possible, so the wood is hard and waterproof once the epoxy has cured. Finally, wet sand with 240 grit paper until they’re smooth and all the gloss has been taken off the epoxy.

• For extra information and video tutorials please go to Greg’s website MakeWoodenLures.com/Fishing-Monthly/ and complete the free registration. To check out Greg’s other work visit crazylureart. com and his Facebook page Wooden Lure Making.

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Skinny water success with Anglers often bypass the shallows, opting for deeper waters instead, but I’m here to tell you that you can have a lot of fun in the shallows when you plan your attack. This was highlighted to me on a recent trip. Staring out across the flats as we drifted over them, we scanned the sand patches for any sign of life. At first we saw nothing, then suddenly I noticed movement, dark shadows cutting through the shallows. They were kingfish in just a couple of feet of water. I pointed them out to my companion, but he couldn’t see them at all, until I offered him my Costas! I had never thought about it in the past, but decent sunnies will give you the edge on the water because you will see more of what’s out there. That day, we ended up catching a few kings, flathead and other by-catch, but what made it all the more impressive was the fact we were fishing Sydney Harbour. Stalking the shallows Since that experience I have spent an increasing amount of time patrolling the shallows hunting fish. If there is one thing I have discovered, it is just how close to stalking prey that flats fishing really is. You stalk the shallows, searching for signs of movement, while not trying not to spook anything in the process. It doesn’t matter whether its a bonefish cruising across the sand like a ghost, a big flathead blending in perfectly with the bottom, or pelagics raiding the shallows, you always get the exact same rush of adrenaline by being able to see the fish first before you make the cast. Skinny water fishing is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding and challenging styles of sportfishing, however, hunting the flats effectively is not an easy technique to master. Not only do you need to be able to read the water, spot and then stalk your quarry, but 84

NOVEMBER 2017

you also need to need to be able to cast accurately as well. An intimate understanding of your prey’s behaviour is also vital. The trick to being successful with this technique just being a good angler, but to be a good hunter as well. Be patient The age old hunting proverb ‘walk little look much’ couldn’t be truer when it comes to fishing the flats. Stalking the flats is all about spotting the fish before they see you. If you spook them, it’s all over. To make its harder, in shallow water most fish are extra nervous and at the first hint of trouble their natural reaction is to flee to deeper water. The best way to move is slowly, stopping regularly and really scan the water for the slightest movement. An electric motor is worth its weight in gold, and is a

valuable tool for studying everything in front of you and trying to sport anything out of place. Remember that most fish will be moving, so the longer you stand still the more likely you are to see them moving first. Every time you move you are giving away your position, which will spook any fish nearby A lot of fish like whiting and bonefish who favour shallow water are incredibly well camouflaged and can be near impossible to spot, despite the fact they are out in the open. The only way to find these fish is when they move and often it is actually their shadow that you see as opposed to the actual fish. Know your prey There is no point in getting the best Costas or being able to read the water if you don’t know where to look. By this I mean you need to understand your

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target species. Knowing the behaviours and habits of one species and how they vary to the next is vital. The flats are a diverse ecosystem that house a wide range of species, all of which have their own preferences, be it water temperature, terrain or food, and you need to know them if you want success. It is imperative that you target specific species rather than wandering around aimlessly, targeting anything that comes by. Different species favour specific environments on the flats. Flathead for example set up ambushes at points where baitfish and crustaceans will pass through, while whiting will cruise over the sand worm beds. At the other end of the scale predators like Aussie salmon and GTs will patrol the drop offs, making regular forays up into the shallows hunting for baitfish. A basic understanding of your target species means you will know where to start your search and will make reading the water a lot easier. Plan your stalk Irrespective of what you are chasing on the flats, you can’t just hit the water and start cruising about, instead you need to consider a number of factors and formulate a game plan to maximise your search. First and foremost, you have to consider the prevailing conditions. Blue-sky days are ideal, while overcast conditions can make it much harder to actually spot the fish. As I said you need a decent pair of polaroid sunnies like Costas, but different lenses do different things. I like to use the new 580 in green mirror that enhance the colours making it easier to spot fish. For me it’s all about glass lenses, but some anglers still prefer poly lenses. Another major factor is the wind. Casting light lures or soft plastics is near impossible if you’re walking into the wind. The only option is to walk with the wind on your back. So before you even

hit the flat, take a moment to plan your approach so you are walking with the wind in your favour. Believe me, there is nothing more frustrating than having a heap of fish in sight and no chances of casting to them because the wind is in your face. Visibility is another issue and you will get the best view walking down sea diagonally across the waves. The angle of the sun is also important and its critical that you have the sun behind you. Walking into the sun early or late is a complete waste of time. When the sun is directly overhead gives you the best versatility. At the end of the day, every scenario

“ Just make sure you have your Costas on your face so you can see what’s out there! “ is different, so be flexible and adjust your approach to suit the prevailing conditions. When you do finally spot a fish, you need to plan your stalk to get you within casting range. This is why it is so critical to understand your target species behaviour. Ultimately, you want to get into position so the fish comes to you. This is exactly the same as hunting, and with your prey coming towards you there is ample time to get ready and present your offering exactly where you need it. Use the tides Understanding the tides is critical when fishing the flats. Every species that you encounter on the flats has their daily routine governed by the tides. The trick is to understand how the tide affects different species.

For example, flathead will set up an ambush during the run-out tide at gutter mouths where the fish feeding on the flats will be funnelled back into deeper water with the receding tide. On the other hand, queenfish will use a rising tide to follow prey onto the flats. If you want to get really detailed, the variation in tides from neaps to springs also plays a big role. Understanding how they affect various species is what makes you become a better angler. What is really important to remember is that the tides are a idly ritual for fish so they will often be in the same spot at the same time of the next tide. So whenever you have a good session, take a note of the tide, not the time. By knowing exactly when to come and hit the same spot you will really reduce your fishing time and increase your catching time. Flat out A lot of anglers think you need to be in deep water to catch big fish, but in reality skinny water is really productive when you hunt rather than simply fish. Just make sure you have your Costas on your face so you can see what’s out there! - Al McGlashan

Previous Page Top: Seeing a flathead in shallow water requires serious sunnies. Previous Page Bottom: Shallow water and Costa sunnies go hand-in-hand. Top Left: When it comes to chasing GTs on topwater, green and blue mirror are the standout lenses. Top Right: Al McGlashan’s personal favourite is the green mirror, which is ideal for all offshore situations. Bottom Left: It doesn’t matter whether you’re chasing bream in the estuary or marlin offshore, Costa will show you more. Bottom Right: Being patient and really studying your surroundings will help you catch more flathead. NOVEMBER 2017

Road testing fishing apps – part one I am a little odd as an app developer in the fishing space, as I still believe the traditional methods of fishing win hands down. For the next couple of issues, though, I’m going

THE GOOD When I was in Rockhampton, I recorded a run down a creek as one of my first live tests and this is a snapshot of that session. Early on the device was erratic in counting casts, but the tracker seemed to improve once I was out on

The Anglr device in action. to look at the digital world and where apps are up to in providing fishers with the next generation of devices to help them get more from fishing. Up front, I want to say even the best apps in the world are still a work in progress. Even the best funded are making ‘educated’ guesses on fishing recommendations. That said, I do believe they will get better and that many of the next generation of fishers will see apps as a main source for advice. The challenge right now for apps is data – getting enough of it and making the most of it. Part one of this series will look at three data-driven apps with different approaches from the personal, to the crowd sourced and group sourced. ANGLR – FISHING DIARY I think that the Anglr device is the perfect place to start, because it’s both cutting edge and demonstrative of the challenges machines have in understanding our world. For the record, I love Anglr; it’s the one device I always take fishing. WHAT IT IS Anglr is a combined device that’s not officially available in Australia yet, but I think it will be within the year. A sensor is attached to the fishing rod and links via Bluetooth to a phone, which records data from the sensor as well as recording the fishing track. 86

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the water. There is a whole bunch of tackle recording options, including rod swaps, which is nice, though you have to manually enter the details in the app. If you want

a complete diary, this device is head and shoulders above other apps I have tested. The other thing that surprised me was how good the battery is. I haven’t run a fishing session less than four hours long with the device, and it’s been perfect – both phone and sensor. The sensor does take a long while to charge (up to six hours) so it’s best to leave it on overnight before going fishing. THE QUIRKS The moment I got this device I had one question on my mind. Anglr makes a big deal of the fact that the device can detect a fish strike and I was wondering how that would work in practice. The reality is not very well. If you are a fantastic fisher (well better than me at avoiding snags), then that feature is a godsend and in the freshwater scene in the US, I can see it would be useful. Fishing in amongst the snags for barra – let’s just say I wish that every strike it recorded wasn’t a snag. I am concerned that there is no link to tidal information, and in fact the list of weather data feels more like what I would expect for impoundment fishing. Given that the bass scene is the biggest money-spinner in the US, that would account for the tilt towards impoundments. THE NOT SO GOOD Anglr feels like a technology that’s a work

The social feed in Fishbrain.

The Anglr device output. in progress, and I say that with respect for what it will become. There is no support for Australian species, and the times logged are done at the server not via the phone, so it shows trips at the wrong times. The one thing I miss is the kind of analysis I did on Steve’s data. For example, on the Gavial Creek trip the ratio is 539 casts over four hours for one fish (I dropped two more – honest!) That doesn’t tell me a lot about the spread of my effort. It’s also impossible to see the number of casts in each part of the area fished, which is something I expected given some of the marketing materials. I think they will fix that up, but without that detail, any analysis is going to be pretty meaningless. OVERALL There are a lot of features that are in the ‘coming soon’ bin, particularly on the analysis side, so at this point the app is probably only 50% complete. As a fellow developer, these apps are very complex, so I don’t see that as a negative. The reality is you need to get the app in the hands of fishers to refine many of the features, and while $120US might seem steep for a halffinished device, this device will get better. Users of any technology pay a premium for early access and this is a fishing product worth early access if you love tech. Anglr’s real strength is in its ability to diarise everything that’s going on. Using the device in impoundments would be pretty sweet even in Australia. The very visual view of a fishing trip does make establishing patterns much easier. In many ways, I hope they step away from analysis into further improvements on visualisation. Being able to

link to Insight Genesis would be a killer when combined with the level of detail in the diary. Early adopters in the fresh, this is for you. Early adopters in the salt that like to experiment, this is also for you. Everyone else, check back in 12 months. FISHBRAIN – CROWDSOURCING FISHING SPOTS Fishbrain is one of the first fishing apps to appear,

and it’s the largest. Hailing from Sweden, this app is backed by serious money and already has a substantial user base in Australia. WHAT IT IS Fishbrain aims to be the crowd sourced answer to fishing advice. By gathering data provided by fishers and applying some smart technology, this app is meant tell you when to fish and what to use. That is a big ambition.

Viewing where fish have been reported in Fishbrain’s premium mode.

The first thing you see on login is a social timeline. A quick scroll through shows the fishing equivalent of Facebook or Instagram – lots of fishing photos and videos with a lot of social love. Who doesn’t want a lot of love? What isn’t explicitly laid out, or at least I missed it, is the fact that your catches contribute to a database of fishing locations and it’s not until you sign up for a premium account that you realize that others use Fishbrain to source fishing spots. Since its inception, there are more fishers

app sends you notifications regularly of people catching fish, partly so you can give some social love but mostly I think to remind you while you are at work that someone else is having more fun than you. There is a new function to auto-detect a species, which I applaud. There is also a search function that is something I have used a lot. You can select a species and then find a list of catches, which I have used in the past to get an idea of how fishers are handling species like threadfin.

The scoreboard from the ABT Queensland Open on the Track My Fish app. you need the whole days’ catch, which is what Anglr does well – Fishbrain not so much. There is the option to keep your locations private, but you need to do that on each report. On this front Fishbrain is trying to be all things to all fishers. THE NOT SO GOOD If I were to have a criticism, it would be that it doesn’t seem to excel at anything functionally. Don’t get me wrong, technologically it’s the most impressive app on the market. That technology seems a little overstuffed, but that might just be me. Fishbrain isn’t targeting the expert user. I found the app frustrating when trying to research king threadfin; granted the app is not designed for researchers, but the work I was doing was very similar to an expert fisher. I suspect an expert would find the number of steps required to do many tasks too cumbersome and the advice suspect.

unless you are a casual fisher. I would recommend Fishbrain to fishers that travel a lot and want to sneak out for a fish wherever they go. I also recommend it for people that fish a lot landbased. Land-based fishing can be difficult to work out when it comes to access and safety. I have found a lot of land-based spots using the app that I would never have otherwise discovered. With all that said, I think it’s the app most likely to be popular over time. Even if the forecast engine isn’t accurate, fishers are looking at the real-time nature of the data and are signing up. TRACK MY FISH – CITIZEN SCIENCE, CLUBS AND COMPETITIONS Track My Fish is our app, so I will disclose that upfront. That said, I have enough people that give me feedback to be grounded and we know what we’re good at, and what we’re not so good at. We’re not

The catch recommendation for bream in the author’s local creek. registered with Fishbrain than fishers who submit catches, so the real target is anglers looking for help with their fishing. Fishbrain is an app that confounds me in some ways because most of the fishers I know would likely murder me in my sleep if I started selling their fishing spots. It’s not my place to judge, but the way Fishbrain goes about the process is something that underlines one of the biggest conversations in the development of apps and social media. What is the appropriate way to compensate people for using their data? THE GOOD The function of lodging a catch onto the social feed is pretty simple and it does record some useful details such as weather and tide conditions. The social feed displays fish caught in your area, so you get a quick visual snapshot of the fishing action happening around you. Helpfully, the

The real search though is unlocked when you sign up for a premium account, which is around $90 per year, and that is still its most compelling feature. THE QUIRKS When the premium account is enabled, you can search for fishing spots, see the top performing baits and lures and use their smart prediction system for when to fish. This is built on the quality of data available and knowing as much as I do about the analysis of data, that is not a one-size-fits-all equation. I had a look, for example, at my local creek and ended up with every day of the week showing the same time to go fishing for bream and flathead. Call me crazy, but I expect the tidal differences to come into play. One of the biggest quirks I find in the Fishbrain app is it does make something of an attempt at diarising and analysing your catch. To do any useful analysis,

Data capture for tagging events on the Track My Fish app. OVERALL Fishbrain is simple to use and pretty good at helping you locate fishing spots. The social media aspect of Fishbrain provides a ready audience of fishos without the worry of everyone seeing your Facebook feed full of fish. It’s also not ‘public,’ so if you are fond of being edgy in your comments, it’s a good place to put content that is not going to be searched by your boss. Unless he fishes of course. I don’t recommend the diary aspect of this app at all

aiming to be ‘all things to all men.’ WHAT IT IS Track My Fish (TMF) is different to most of the other apps that I will cover, in that the other apps are intended for individual anglers, whereas TMF is for groups of fishers. For clubs, the main benefit is modernisation. TMF provides clubs with a way to run events without having to go through all the hassles of managing photos and fishing reports. For

tagging groups, it’s all about removing the need to fill out trip sheets at the end of the day, which significantly reduces the errors in rekeying data. For competitions it’s about providing real-time scoreboards and live feeds, reducing the work for competition administrators, freeing them up to do more important things like social media. We have focused on finding a balance between making it easier for fishers to report catches on the water and group managers on the backend. THE GOOD Track My Fish, focuses on enabling recreational fishers to collect data that is usable in a fishery

to an existing fishing group that has registered with the app. It’s not unusual for fishers to download the app then start loading catches using the private fishing mode before realizing they need to connect. Once they do so, it’s smooth sailing. THE NOT SO GOOD Track My Fish does support a private fishing mode and fishing diary function. At the moment, the diary is only available via the web backend, which is not ideal for most fishers who want to use the app as a standalone. There is also a lack of links to tide and weather data. We are in the process of adding in those functions to the app and they will be there by early next year, but even

The live feed from the ABT Queensland Open. management sense. For the first time, recreational anglers can manage data collection under their own steam. As an example, Infofish won a grant from Advance Queensland to extend our monitoring using the app and Crystal Bowl (fishery tracking and forecasting) to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which is a sign that the tide is shifting. Compared to the other two apps, TMF is the fastest to record the important details of the fish, which is important when you want to get the fish back in the water. Track My Fish is less about what individual anglers get back from the fishery, and more about how they can play a role in ensuring there is a sustainable fishery for years to come. That objective is not for everyone, but it’s important that those fishers who do want to make a difference have the best possible tools to do so. Many fishing clubs have struggled to recruit younger fishers, and I hope this tool helps. THE QUIRKS The biggest challenge we have found in using the app is getting people used to the idea that they can fish under more than one ‘event.’ Most apps are download and go, whereas downloading TMF is just the first step. To use the app, you need to connect

then I wouldn’t recommend the app to the casual user, as there will always be better diary apps. OVERALL Of the three apps, TMF is the closest to be able to measure what is going on within the fishery, because it strikes a balance between the simplicity of capturing fish data and the precision of data. TMF also puts the group in control of the data’s use. TMF is not an app for regular fishers, but then it’s not designed to be. We did do an early version aimed at that market, but we felt that the likelihood of there being way too many fishing apps competing for anglers’ time was high. Instead, we focused on what we do best. App fatigue is already a thing in parts of the US with vendors wanting a slice of fishing data for a range of purposes. We believe there is a different way to deliver specific fishing benefits to fishers such as working out when the best time to fish is in a way that protects the individual’s data. That is why we are less focused on the diary elements and more on harnessing the power of the fishing group. By empowering fishing groups to do more of what they love and be successful, we know they will look after the fishery for the future generations. NOVEMBER 2017

Cooking

Making salmon jaffles for top shelf tucker BRISBANE

Lynn Bain

Camping is a popular pastime for the summer holidays, so this month I’ll show you how to cook a mouth-watering meal of

salmon and roast fennel on a spicy ricotta base inside the humble jaffle-iron. The extra-long handles on the jaffle iron means you can stay a safe distance from an open fire while toasting your food. Its simple design means you can pack the jaffle iron

Ingredients 2 slices of toast bread 3 tbsp butter 100g ricotta cheese (low fat is fine) 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1-2 tbsp pureed horseradish (according to taste) 1-2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill Thinly sliced toasted fennel Thinly sliced uncooked salmon (not super thin)

6 88

Take two slices of thick bread and lightly spread one side of each bread slice with a little butter. Place the pieces of bread buttered-side down in each half of the jaffle iron.

Spread the ricotta cheese across the top slice of bread. Top the salmon layer with the other slice of bread and close the jaffle iron. Screw in the handles if you haven’t done so already, then clip the handles together.

NOVEMBER 2017

into smaller spaces, making it easier to take with you while camping. It can be handy, if you are only making two jaffles and you have two jaffle irons, to store the jaffle irons with the handles unscrewed. This allows you to do your meal prep in a smaller space.

4 7

I have used roasted fennel in this jaffle because the slight aniseed flavour of the fennel partners perfectly with the salmon. You could, however, substitute roasted capsicum strips or even roasted baby beetroot slices.

In a small bowl mix the mayo, horseradish and dill together thoroughly.

Evenly spread the mayo mix across the bottom piece of bread, going all the way to the sides of the bread.

Preheating the jaffle iron is optional – just adjust your toasting time accordingly; let your campfire burn down to coals and pre-heat your jaffle iron on both sides on the fire. Place the jaffle iron on warm coals and toast the jaffle for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until the bread is golden brown. Before opening the jaffle iron trim off any burnt edges.

To roast the fennel remove the stalks, cut the bulbs in half lengthways and then cut the halves into 1cm slices. Place the fennel slices into a camp oven with a tablespoon or two of olive oil and toss the fennel slices to coat them and add a good

2 5

grinding of salt and pepper. Place the camp oven over hot coals and cook for 20 minutes, turning the fennel from time to time. Remove the camp oven from the coals and allow the fennel to cool before storing in a container ready to use in your jaffle.

Thinly slice the salmon into strips.

Layer the roasted fennel slices across the mayo mixture then add the thinly sliced salmon across the fennel; two layers of salmon will give you the required thickness. When using non-liquid ingredients it’s better to slightly overfill the jaffle.

Jumbo jaffle irons work fantastically for non-liquid fillings – this is the proof! Take a bite. Beware, the filling might be hot.

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NOVEMBER 2017

Records smashed in the 2017 Flathead Classic SOUTHERN GOLD COAST

Mark Ward

The Gold Coast Sportsfishing Club’s Flathead Classic was once again contested over the second week of the Queensland September school holidays. This year everyone enjoyed beautiful fishing weather for two out of the three days but had to endure strong northerly winds for one of them.

Nevertheless, a record attendance witnessed a record team and individual score take out this year’s event. This year we had a record number of teams, anglers, junior anglers and winning scores. A massive change to the tournament this year had the event run from Wednesday through to Friday instead of the usual Thursday to Saturday. This was largely due to the AFL Grand Final being played on

the Saturday, however, the lack of jet skis, pleasure craft and social fishers during the week made it a winner with the competitors. The 276 teams landed 5669 flathead over the three days. This is almost 1500 more flathead than was caught last year and 36 more teams. The weather was also a lot kinder this year. Last year had howling westerlies making all three days very tough. A mix of two and three-

Champion Angler runner up, Dave Whyte caught this monster on a blood cherry Zerek Fish Trap. person teams, all-junior teams, all-female teams and mixed teams of juniors and seniors all contested the event in the friendly spirit that it is famous for. It’s great to see fathers, mums and kids all fishing the event. I fished with my son this year and over the past 20 years or more I have fished with all my boys as they grew up. The committee do a fantastic job of making this event very kid and familyfriendly, which is fantastic for proud fathers like myself. Providing meals and a bar at the competition site gave everyone a chance to catch up, brag, sob or just exchange laughs, which is what the Classic is all about. Add to this the lucky entrant prize of a brand new Quintrex with a 75hp E-Tec and another small tinnie for the juniors, as well as what seems to be endless raffles, and it makes for a great event. You don’t even need to catch a fish to walk away with a brand new boat. Regulars to the podium of the Flathead Classic are 90

NOVEMBER 2017

the Lowrance Whyte Boyz. These guys were beaten by Wilson Fishing last year but smashed the rest of the field this year with an incredible 6037 points. This is over 2500 points clear of second place getters, The Mad Hueys Heritage. The Whyte Boyz are three brothers. Brendon is the baby of the team and this year’s Champion Angler. Dave Whyte is the statistical nerd of the team and Nick Whyte is the sounder technician. Dave works out what the team needs to achieve, Nick reads all four Lowrance HDS Carbon screens mounted on the boat and it seems like Brendon does the majority of the production work. The Lowrance Whyte Boyz fished up around Jumpinpin using a deepwater jigging technique. The brothers fish in 3-16m of water. Nick finds small ledges, sunken timber, bait and other structure on the sounders before the boys go to work. Nick now has a business that teaches boaties the art of using a sounder, as he has been long regarded as one of the best when it comes to this sort of technology. While the boat looks very impressive with four Lowrance HDS Carbon sounders, there is a purpose for all four screens. Nick has two units mounted on the bow and another two at the helm. This is comprised of two 9” screens and two massive 12” screens. By using split screens on all of the units they can monitor normal sonar, structure scan, side scan, and CHIRP sonar as well as the high definition of the Insight Genesis mapping system.

Brendon Whyte was the Champion Angler with 2996 points. This was one of the many big lizards landed during the Classic. This mapping system allows the boys to record contour lines at metre intervals if required. If the fish are active in 7m of water, they have all the information they need to fish ledges or holes at this depth all over the Jumpinpin area. This is a very technical operation and this team has had a lot of success over the years – they seem to be getting even better. This is also a great example of the technology

available to anglers these days. The competition site actually has representatives from Lowrance as well as many other companies to demonstrate some of the latest gear available to anglers. The winning lures were a mixture of soft plastics and vibes. The plastic of choice was the ZMan 5” PaddlerZ. Brendon Whyte said he mixes it up between the bright sexy mullet colour and the natural pin fish and shiner colours. He rigs them

Nick with a cracker flathead that fell to a sexy mullet coloured ZMan 5” PaddlerZ.

on TT Lures HeadlockZ 1/2-3/4oz heads. This may sound heavy, but the Whyte brothers prefer deep running water, so the weights are justified. There are a number of anglers, including Fishing

Monthly’s own David Green who will fish a full ounce and more in these depths. Brendon keeps it as light as he possibly can while still keeping on the bottom. The other lure of choice was the Zerek Fish Trap.

This is a soft body vibration lure with a unique curled tail that has proven to be deadly on flathead. These lures come in three sizes and while the Whyte boys regularly use the two bigger sizes, this year they stuck

Nick Whyte with a deep water Jumpinpin flathead.

to the medium sized 95mm model. Their preferred colours were the sundance, min min and blood cherry. Again, these are a more natural colour, considering that pinks and brighter colours are often the most popular in the Classic. Brendon also commented that the technique he adopted was to do short lifts of 1-2ft while concentrating to keep the lure in contact with the bottom. This technique obviously worked as the boys landed 47 fish on day one with 23 being caught by Brendon alone. Over the course of the tournament, the Lowrance Whyte Boyz managed three fish over 80cm and 10 over 70cm. This would have been enough to win the competition on its own but when you include a handful of fish in the 60cm bracket and a heap of 50s, you can understand how that massive score was achieved. The Whyte boys report this as being the craziest day of flathead fishing they have ever experienced. Even with the strong northerlies that we all faced on day two, the Whyte boys landed 30 flathead, which allowed them to go into day three with an almost unbeatable 3000 point lead. As this year’s Champion Angler, Brendon Whyte managed almost 3000 points

Champion Angler Brendon Whyte with an 80cm beast of a flathead. on his own. Most years, around 1500-1800 points will win the event, so this is a very impressive effort. The Whyte boys even had time to tow The Mad Hueys team back to the ramp after they ran out of fuel. If you’re interested in being a part of the Gold Coast Flathead Classic, you can keep track of registration for next year’s event through the Facebook page,

Gold Coast Sport Fishing Club website or by joining and being a part of the club. Entries usually open around March every year. This is a great event that is only possible thanks to the hard work of the committee, club members and support of the sponsors. We all hope to see more records tumble next year as the event continues to be bigger and better.

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2017 NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

3-4 Nov

BARRA Tour Round #3 (Evening Event)

www.abt.org.au

Peter Faust

4-5 Nov

Hobie Polarized Southern Bream Series Grand Final

Lynette Kime

Shoalhaven River

0490 762 188

6-7 Nov

BARRA Tour Round #4 (Night Championship)

www.abt.org.au

Peter Faust

9-12 Nov

Port Douglas Marlin Challenge

Lynton Heffer

Port Douglas Marina

info@fishingportdouglas.com.au

10-12 Nov

Berkley Urunga Flathead Tournament

www.urungasportfishing.com.au

Urunga NSW

16-19 Nov

Hobie Kayak Bream Series 9 Championship

Western Australia

1-3 Dec

Lake Macquarie BREAM Grand Final

Lake Macquarie

www.hobiefishing.com.au

www.abt.org.au

2018 FEBRUARY OCTOBER

10-11 Feb

Boondooma Dam Yellowbelly Fishing Competition

Lake Boondooma

www.prostononline.info

6-7 Oct

Bjelke Petersen Public Fishing Competition

Matthew Langford

Bjelke Petersen Dam

0408 658 592

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. NOVEMBER 2017

Team Samurai takes Open win

THE FUTURE IS HERE Self-contained Electric Outboards

STORM

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888. 92

NOVEMBER 2017

Team Samurai Reaction (Tristan Taylor and Dave McKenzie) once again showed that they’re the kings of the Open with the breaming duo securing a wire-to-wire victory in the Mercury Queensland BREAM Open. With strong wind preventing the field from fishing Moreton Bay for the entire tournament, anglers fished Moreton Bay on day one, the Brisbane River on day two, and the Gold Coast on day three. “It was a real challenge for our teams this year. We haven’t had too many opens where we haven’t been able to fish the bay, so to throw them a curve ball of three different venues was something that the teams perhaps weren’t prepared for,” explained Tournament Director Simon Goldsmith. The teams rose to the challenge, and none more so than event winners Taylor and McKenzie who claimed their 4th Mercury Open victory. With the bay open on day one, Team Samurai Reaction headed south hitting the southern bay islands that have served them so well for many years. “Our go-to spots (Peel, Coochie, Macleay, Goat, and Bird islands) down south were primed to fire. We had a run-in tide and plenty of wind, so we expected the bream to be there ready to move up onto the flooded shallows to feed,” explained Taylor. Any that’s how it played out with Taylor and McKenzie throwing a combination of mid and deep running Atomic Hardz Crank 38s across the flooded flats and working them back to the boat with a slow retrieve, with the occasional pause to spice things up. “We’d always worked our cranks with a constant slow roll retrieve then in the Gold Coast BREAM Qualifier a couple of months ago I did the occasional pause and it seemed to entice the bream to bite more than a constant roll,” explained Taylor. The new addition to their retrieve paid off with the pair catching approximately 45 fish for the day and weighing in a 5/5, 3.85kg bag to keep a 30g lead over Team Bush n’ Beach/Atomic (Anthony Wishey and Lex Irwin) in 2nd place. With the bay shut on day two and the teams confined to the Brisbane River, Taylor and McKenzie fished the Luggage Point wastewater outlet, a location that they hadn’t fished much. By end of the day it would become one of their new favourite bream haunts.

Dave McKenzie and Tristan Taylor with some of their winning fish. “It’s a spot that has plenty of structure and current so we fished it by throwing heavy Cranka Crabs into the structure. Then we let it waft and move around with the current and hopefully into the path of a waiting bream,” explained Taylor. The spot delivered the pair a limit in an hour with no real big ones. That, however, was about to change. “I was a little bit done with the spot and was ready to move and go looking for upgrades, but Dave wanted to give it just a little bit longer to see if it had any more to offer,” explained Taylor. Dave’s thinking paid off and ten minutes later he boated a 34cm fork length bream. “That kept us interested and we stayed, and from then on we picked up a fish about every ten minutes,” explained Taylor. The pair continued to upgrade throughout the session and put together a 5/5, 4.07kg limit that would extend their lead heading

into the third and final day of competition. “It was a pretty amazing spot. It must be a staging spot that the fish hold and feed on as they move in and out of the river. The fish never seemed to run out; it must be a location that reloads with fish throughout the day,” explained Taylor. Extending their lead to nearly 1kg Taylor and McKenzie were in two minds about what lay ahead for the final day. “While the bags from the Goldy nine times out of ten will be smaller than the bay, there’s always a chance of a 3kg+ bag being caught, and we’ve seen that of late in some of the events, so we knew we still had to catch a decent bag and we couldn’t just rely on our lead to get us through,” explained Taylor. Fishing the main river pontoons with Heavy Cranka Crabs, the pair tried to extract some of the big bream that hold on the current-influenced floating

structures. With little return for their efforts they then moved to the bridges littered along the Nerang River and threw a mixture of different baits to catch their fish. “It was a real all-sorts kind of day with the fish in our bag coming on a crank, topwater, Cranka Crab, Ecogearaqua, and Gulp,” explained Taylor. Their junk fishing approach was spot on to get the job done with the Samurai Reaction pair delivering a 5/5, 2.38kg limit to scales at the Cleveland Caravan, Camping, Boating and 4x4 Expo weigh-in to secure the win. “We’re very much known for catching fish in the bay, so to win this event fishing three different locations is very rewarding,” explained Taylor. With four Mercury Queensland BREAM Open titles to their name, who can dispute Taylor and McKenzie’s reputation as the kings of the Open?

RESULTS – BOATERS Place

Anglers

Fish

Weight (kg) Payout

1 2 3 4 5 5 5 8 9

Samurai Reaction: Tristan Taylor and David McKenzie 15/15 10.30 Pontoon 21: Denis Metzdorf and Khoi Pham 15/15 9.41 Atomic: Aaron Sharp and Steve Eldred 15/15 8.76 Bush ‘n Beach/Atomic: Anthony Wishey and Lex Irwin 15/15 8.25 Sniper: Luke Rogan and Tyson Hayes 15/15 7.15 Daiwa/TT Lures: Grayson Fong and Michael Thompson 15/15 6.23 Diztek.com.au: Darren Borg and Chris Goulding 9/15 4.29 Loves Brimz: Paul Pollock and Justin Thompson 7/15 3.45 Fishing Monthly: Steve Morgan and Nicholle Smith 5/15 2.41 For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

$2,000 $1,200

Top two placing for Team Pontoon 21 Team Pontoon 21 (Denis Metzdorf and Khoi Pham) showed their wares in a talent-stacked Open field with the Brisbane breamers compiling a 15/15, 9.41kg three-day limit to claim the runner-up title at the Mercury presented event. Kicking off their tournament fishing the rockwalls at the Port of Brisbane, Metzdorf and Pham opted for a soft approach throwing a jighead rigged Pontoon 21 Pillo tight to the wall then rolling down the slop. “We’d cast so tight to the wall that you’d often get snagged. We’d then slow roll the plastic down the face of the wall and the bites would

come anywhere from 0.5-1m down,” explained Metzdorf. The approach saw the pair fill their limit by 7.45am. This was followed by an endless supply of upgrades. “We would have caught over 50 fish for the day. It was one of the most insane days of bream fishing we’ve ever experienced,” explained Metzdorf. Weighing in a 5/5, 3.77kg limit, the pair sat in 2nd place heading into day two, 80g behind leaders Taylor and McKenzie. While Metzdorf and Pham fished the Brisbane River on day one, their productive honey hole sat just outside the day two event boundary.

WINNING TACKLE Rod: Samurai Reaction 201 Reel: Megabass Idaten Racing Condition Line: 10lb Unitika PE Leader: 6lb Unitika Aiger flurocarbon Lure: Atomic Hardz Crank 38 (mid and deep) with upgraded trebles (size 12 Gamakatsu Wide Gap), Heavy Cranka Crab, Ecogearaqua Bream Prawn, Gulp.

Unperturbed by this fact, the pair started day two fishing the many posts scattered throughout the river and the sunken wall at Pinkenba. “We picked up fish throughout the session, then as the day wore on we moved downriver and fished the rockwalls that were down the seaward boundary,” explained Metzdorf. Catching a dozen fish for the session on a combination of Pontoon 21 Pillo soft plastics and Pontoon 21 Crackjack hardbodies, the pair weighed in a 3.21kg limit to move them up into 2nd place from 3rd. With the floating structures of the Gold Coast in their sights on day three, the Pontoon 21 pair fished tuned Pontoon 21 CrackJack jerkbaits around boat hulls and pontoons in the Nerang River and Broadwater to catch their fish. “We’d take a CrackJack, detune it so it swam to the side when retrieved, then twitched and paused it along and under the boats and pontoons to draw a

Steve Eldred and Aaron Sharp were as consistent as always in the Open, finishing third.

Atomic Hardz Crank 38

Weedy bottom

Rocky bottom

PRESEN TED BY

Denis Metzdorf and Khoi Pham from Team Pontoon 21 finished second in the Mercury presented event. response from the fish,” explained Metzdorf. The aggressive pushtheir-buttons nature of the presentation delivered the pair the second heaviest limit for the day, but they had to work for it. “We didn’t get the final fish of our limit until about five minutes before the end of the session – it was a real grind,” explained Metzdorf. Weighing in a 2.43kg limit the pair finished the event with a 15/15, 9.41kg total to claim 2nd and their best result to date in the Mercury Queensland BREAM Open. ABT would like to thank all competing anglers, Mercury Marine, Australia Events, and the Cleveland Caravan, Camping, Boating and 4x4 Expo for making the 2017 Queensland BREAM Open a success. To see all the video action from the event, including on-water catches and angler interviews, visit the event’s playlist on the ABT Tournaments YouTube channel. – ABT

Some of the winning tackle from Team Samurai Reaction.

Cranka Crab

The winners explain to the media how they secured their fourth Queensland Open win. NOVEMBER 2017

Greenaway tames the wind to win

THE FUTURE IS HERE Self-contained Electric Outboards

STORM

Craig Greenaway claimed his first ABT Costa BREAM Series victory on a wild and windy St Georges Basin at the Hobie-presented eighth and final stop of the 2017 Costa BREAM Series. Compiling a 10/10 5.83kg limit, Greenaway edged out Kris Hickson and Peter Cook to hoist the trophy and take home over $2100 in cash. For Greenaway, it was his first victory on the ABT BREAM circuit. “I’ve been fishing comps for many years,” said Greenaway after Sunday’s final weigh-in. “I drift in and out of the tournaments due to time and travel constraints. It feels so great to win my first event, I’ve never really fished well at St Georges Basin and I think the conditions really suited me during this event. I think if we had the glassed-out conditions for the whole event you would have seen the locals step up and produce some pretty good bags.” Greenaway flew out of the gates on day one. His 5/5

A standout fish from Craig Greenaway’s winning two-day limit. Berkley 2” Gulp Shrimp which he rigged primarily on 1/12oz jigheads. “I altered the weight based on the wind. The more I tucked into the bay, the lighter jighead I could go,” explained Greenaway. Day two proved to have much better conditions and Greenaway adjusted perfectly. His 5/5 2.75kg limit was still well above

plastic from the day before. I think the calmer weather had the bream a bit lethargic, so that blade stirred things up and got a few reactions I wasn’t getting with the shrimp.” His go-to blade? An Ecogear VX40 in 439 colour, a staple in almost every competitive bream

WINNING TACKLE Rod: Duffrods Basstix 1-4kg Reel: Daiwa Certate 2004 Line: 4lb Berkley Exceed Fireline Leader: 3lb Sunline FC Rock Lure: Berkley 2” Gulp Shrimp rigged on a 1/12oz jighead, and Ecogear VX40 in 439 colour

angler’s arsenal since their release. Greenaway used a long 4m fluorocarbon leader to attach his blade to his braided mainline, crediting the long leader for added stealth and stretch. “The long leader I think really helped. It gives a little bit of stretch, which is so important with small treble

NOVEMBER 2017

3.08kg limit was the only limit to break the 3kg barrier in what were some of the most testing conditions ever faced by ABT competitors. “The wind on Saturday was really strong, the forecast got it totally wrong and luckily my spot had some form of shelter. It still wasn’t pleasant but it was a lot better than in the main straits of the Basin itself,” said Greenaway. Greenaway was fishing close to the entrance to Sussex Inlet. “Just as you come out of the channel instead of heading right and around Kangaroo Point, I was tucking in to the bay on the left and fishing off the bank where I’d located a harder bottom where the bream were moving through.” Targeting these fish with a soft plastic, Greenaway relied on the ever-faithful

Costa BREAM Grand Final, a venue where he feels comfortable and has fished many times in the past. “My whole goal with coming this weekend was to qualify for the grand final; to do it by winning the event is just a bonus. I can’t wait to get to Lake Macquarie in December.”

BIG BREAM

Steve Nedeski claimed the Big Bream Prize to value add his 4th place winnings.

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

hooks, but it also meant there was no way the fish were seeing anything they weren’t supposed to. When it got tough on Sunday, I do think things like that make all the difference.” It’s hard to argue with an event champion. Greenaway now finds himself qualified for the Lake Macquarie

average for the day, and was enough to hold off Kris Hickson in second place. “Day two I relied a lot more on a blade than the

Steve Nedeski claimed the Big Bream Prize at the basin with the NSW breamer value adding his 4th place winnings to the tune of $500 for his day one kicker fish caught on a suji shrimp coloured shallow Jackall Chubby in 3ft of water at Kangaroo Point.

RESULTS – BOATERS Place

Angler

TW (kg)

Payout

Craig Greenaway

10/10

5.83

$2100 + Mercury 1st

Kristoffer Hickson

10/10

5.75

$1100 + Mercury 2nd

Peter Cook

10/10

5.61

900

Steve Nedeski

6/10

4.97

$750 + Mercury 3rd +

Big Bream $500

Mark Crompton

10/10

4.60

550

Brad Hodges

8/10

4.23

450

Alan Lister

6/10

4.01

375

Jesse Thompson

7/10

3.89

Yamaha Bonus $300

Grant Kime

7/10

3.88

Jason Harlock

6/10

3.48

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

Hickson’s fish losses proved costly ABT’s number one ranked BREAM angler Kris Hickson nearly added another trophy to his ever-growing mantle at the Hobie St Georges Basin BREAM Qualifier. Finishing a close second, his 10/10 5.75kg limit was boosted by the event’s big bag of 3.18kg during Sunday’s final round. Hickson started Saturday’s first session targeting the shallow weed edges on the eastern side of the lake. After a slow start throwing a mix of topwater and subsurface presentations. Hickson came good, boating three fish in as many casts,

just as the wind got too much to handle. “Basically right after I got those three fish we had to move due to the wind. Everywhere out of the wind was riddled with boats.” Managing one more legal fish off a piece of isolated timber structure, Hickson was staring down the barrel of an unfinished limit with only an hour to go until check-in. “I always planned to leave time to fish the actual inlet at Sussex, and that’s where I managed to scrape out another legal fish to put five in the boat.” With Sunday delivering almost glassed-out

conditions, Hickson was able to return to his traditional run and gun approach, cranking up the Mercury Verado and running all over St Georges Basin. Starting again on the eastern shores in less than 3ft of water, Hickson again turned to a two-prong approach of an OSP Bent Minnow 76, and a lightly weighted soft plastic. “It was a slow morning for the most part. I spot hopped a lot of banks looking to sight cast to fish and digs in the calm conditions. After what seemed like forever, I stumbled across one bank that was loaded with fish.

Berkley Shrimp Ecogear VX40

BREAM S PRESEN ERIES TED BY

Kris Hickson secured another top two finish at the final qualifying round of the Costa BREAM Series. It wasn’t until I switched things up and went really finesse that I was actually able to put some of the fish I was seeing into the boat.” It was a change from 4lb fluorocarbon leader to 2.5lb straight through that made all the difference. The first cast with the lighter line produced his best fish of the day. “Small things like converting followers into fish willing to commit to eating your lure are quite often the difference between cutting a cheque and going home empty handed in an ABT event,” explained Hickson. He filled his limit with another solid fish from

slightly wider in 10ft of water. Hickson knew he had enough weight to stay up the leaderboard, but he didn’t think he would get as close as he did. “I thought with the calm conditions some of the local guys were going to bring in some pretty heavy bags on day two. St Georges Basin has produced plenty of 4kg+ bags during tournaments and I really thought one would come in that day.” Hickson was left lamenting what could have been after Craig Greenaway weighed a mere 70g heavier after all was said and done. “I hooked one of the biggest fish I’ve ever locked onto

during the first day; I had it following my Bent Minnow a few times and ended up hooking it on the light soft plastic and saw it in the shallow water before it fell off – that fish would have easily pushed me over the mark.” Hickson’s outfit of choice consisted of the new Daiwa Zero 701ULFS matched with Daiwa Luvias 1000 and 2000 sized reels. For the Bent Minnow, Hickson used 8lb Daiwa Evo8 braided line and 4lb fluorocarbon leaders. His soft plastic outfit was downsized to 2.5lb Toray Bawo fluorocarbon straight through.

Berny bags Basin win Bernard Kong claimed the non-boater title with the Melbourne-based chef and long-time ABT non-boater narrowly edging out second place and PowerPole Angler of the Year Stuart Walker. Kong’s 9/10 4.87kg limit, although one shy of a full bag, was enough to claim the trophy and over $800 worth of prizes from ABT’s group of sponsors. Starting day one fishing

with Aaron Clifton, the pair began fishing shallow. Kong turned to a favoured technique of his, slow rolling an Atomic Crank 38 in Muddy Prawn colour on straight through fluorocarbon line. Targeting the weedy flats and pontoons around Basin View, Kong managed two early fish before the wind picked up and blew them off the flat. Once the wind rose, it was out to the deeper water.

Here Kong threw an Ecogear VX40 in colour 439. “I knew that was the lure to use, because on the second cast I landed a 1.08kg fish which had the lure well down its mouth,” explained Kong. “As I removed the hooks from its mouth, it coughed up broken cockle shells and meat, and so I knew to stick with the blade for the rest of the day.” Fighting the wind and

RESULTS – NON-BOATERS Place

Angler

TW (kg)

Payout

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Bernard Kong 9/10 4.87 Costa Sunglasses & Prize Pack + Hobie Bonus 1st Stuart Walker 10/10 4.70 Costa Sunglasses & Prize Pack + Hobie Bonus 2nd Rodney O’Sullivan 7/10 3.95 JML Alliance Rod & Prize Pack + Hobie Bonus 3rd Dallas Blatchford 6/10 3.62 Prize Pack Lindsay Pryke 6/10 3.14 Prize Pack Brenton Spinks 6/10 3.06 Prize Pack Scott Wilson 6/10 3.06 Prize Pack Anthony Hassarati 5/10 2.84 Prize Pack Neil Kelly 5/10 2.79 Prize Pack Michael Hodges 4/10 2.77 Prize Pack For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

Bernard Kong added another non-boater win to his tournament CV at the Hobie-presented event. waves Kong managed one more fish, his 4/5 2.77kg bag good enough to be leading heading into day two. Fishing day two with Jason Harlock, Kong was always going to be around the fish. Using the information he had gathered from day one, Kong and Harlock plugged it out in the deeper waters of St Georges Basin. Rotating between the Ecogear VX40 and a Berkley

Big Eye blade in nugget colour, Kong slowly ground out his five fish limit. “Knowing it was going to be a tough bite on Sunday in the calm conditions, I retrofitted all my blades with lighter gauge treble hooks so I could pick up those faint bites and convert them into solid hook-ups.” Crediting the sensitivity of his Millerod Control Freak to be able to detect the subtle

bites, Kong used every bit of his knowledge to convert the timid bites to fish in the live well. “There’s no doubt the change to lighter gauge hooks and my Millerod was the difference this weekend, I could feel everything that was going on underneath the water and that made all the difference in getting the most out of the bites I was getting.” NOVEMBER 2017

Mott storms to victory Long-time ABT BASS Pro and AFC legend Matthew Mott has claimed victory in the Storm BASS Australian Open. The Murgon fishing guide and tackle store owner brought a 10/10 13.72kg limit to the scales over the weekend to take victory from fellow South Burnett local bassers Greg Mitchell and Brett Turner. This victory is a special one for Mott, who’s won most of what there is to win in competitive bass fishing in Australia. “I’ve been doing this a long time,” said Mott after the final weigh-in on Sunday afternoon. “I’ve been

THE FUTURE IS HERE Self-contained Electric Outboards

drive that I used to have, but the unique format of the Australian Open brought me back and I’m so thankful for events like this that give us a reason to turn up and compete.” The Storm BASS Australian Open was the first event of its kind in Australia. Thanks to a Queensland Fisheries Permit, ABT and its anglers were permitted to keep an increased possession limit of five Australian bass, which were to be released alive immediately after weigh-in. The increased possession limit allowed the tournament to take place over two longer sessions

WINNING TACKLE Rod: Dobyns Champion Extreme 762 spin rod Reel: Abu Garcia MGX Extreme 20 sized spinning reel Line: 6.6lb Berkley Fireline Exceed Leader: 8lb Sunline FC Rock Lure: 3” Slider Grub in gold fleck colour rigged on a 5/8oz Smak jighead

STORM

fishing these tournaments since the beginning; I’ve won Grand Finals and AFC, but lately I’ve been taking some time off. My business is booming and to be honest I’ve somewhat lost the

Matthew Mott added another trophy to his cabinet with the victory in the Storm BASS Australian Open.

with one on Saturday and one on Sunday. For the event’s champion Matthew Mott, his vast experience at the lake took over during practice on Friday, where he located an area that

was replenishing with fish throughout the day. It was then he formulated his game plan of ‘stay and play.’ “I fished that spot for as long as I could both sessions. It was a special little spot and there was so many fish there. I didn’t ever see the point in leaving until I couldn’t catch anymore.”

Mott pumps his first in celebration.

RESULTS Place Angler

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888. 96

NOVEMBER 2017

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Fish

Weight (kg)

Payout

Matthew Mott 10/10 13.72 $6,000 Greg Mitchell 10/10 13.16 $3,375 Brett Turner 10/10 12.53 $2,250 Matthew Langford 10/10 12.32 $1500 + Day 2 Big Bass (1.55kg) Stephen Kanowski 10/10 12.14 $1,250 Paul Aldous 10/10 11.77 $1,000 Matt Johnson 10/10 11.63 Corey Goldie 10/10 11.44 Jordan Renz 10/10 11.36 Peter Phelps 10/10 11.36 For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

The key spot he identified was the old road boat ramp road, now covered by 40ft of Cania’s beautiful bass-rich water. “I think I probably used $5 worth of fuel all weekend – the spot was literally around the corner from the start and I bet I’d made a cast before even the last boat had left the start line,” said Mott. Mott leaned on his vast experience of fishing heavily weighted soft plastic swimbaits to the fish, which were suspending above the road bed anywhere from 20-40ft down. The technique was textbook Queensland bassing, keeping the plastic running as flat as possible thanks to the heavy 5/8oz Smak jighead which he matched to a 3” Slider Grub in gold fleck colour. “I went to 8lb Sunline FC Rock leader and 6.6lb Berkley Fireline Exceed. The thin line again helped me keep the lure tracking horizontally as close to the bottom as possible,” explained Mott. His go-to rig was a Dobyns Champion Extreme 762 spin rod matched with an Abu Garcia MGX Extreme 20 sized spinning reel. “The long rod let me cover the most amount of water possible; that long rod combined with a 5/8oz jighead makes for some seriously long casts, and I wanted my lure in that strike zone for as long as possible.” The event drew 31 of Australia’s best bass anglers to Cania to compete for over $15,000 in prize money – one of the richest events in ABT BASS history. Matthew Mott walked away with a $6000 first-place cheque and a trophy that will take pride of place on his mantle at home.

STOR

Mitchell close second Another local South Burnett angler, Greg Mitchell fell just shy of the biggest win of his career producing the only other bag over the magic 13kg mark on way to a 10/10 13.16kg limit and the $3375 cheque that came with it. Greg Mitchell has fished ABT since the early days of bass tournaments, beginning his career as a non-boater, and then transitioning to the front of the boat a few years ago. Mitchell perfectly represents the pathways that ABT tournaments give to anglers looking to challenge the best in Australia. After his performance at the

Storm BASS Australian Open, it’s clear that Mitchell is well on the path to becoming a consistent and feared competitor on the ABT tournament trail in years to come. Much like Mott, Mitchell found no shortage of fish during the two-day event. It was his formula to target the fish that were staging closer to the bottom that made all the difference. “You had to target the fish that were closer to the bottom if you wanted to catch the bigger and better quality fish,” explained Mitchell. “During the first few hours you could catch fish

pretty easily and quickly, really winding the plastic pretty fast through the suspended fish. It was once that bite really slowed down and you could begin seeing fish move through hugging the bottom on your sounders that you had to slow down and grind that lure along the bottom to get the better bites.” To do that Mitchell relied on one main lure – an OSP HP Shadtail 3.1” in colour #139, rigged on a 1/2oz jighead and paired to an Edge Black Widow ISR703 and 2000 sized spinning reel filled with Toray 10lb PE braided line.

Greg Mitchell fished the house down at Cania to claim second place.

Turner takes out third place It was a trio of South Burnett locals atop the Storm BASS Australian

Open leader board come Sunday afternoon, as Brett Turner produced a

10/10 12.53kg limit to sit third and collect $2250 in prize money.

Brett Turner finished third bringing fish like these to the scales.

“I really enjoyed the longer sessions; it really let you formulate a solid game-plan and really adjust if conditions or the bite altered.” Those were the comments of a very ecstatic Turner after Sunday’s final weigh-in had finished. A relative newcomer to the competitive bass fishing sport, Turner has showed he’s no slouch when the tour heads north and the bass start relating offshore to schools of boney bream. Ta rg e t i n g fish suspending off main lake points, Turner would start the mornings allowing his chosen soft plastic to sink for five seconds before commencing a speedy retrieve back to the boat. The bass were alive and kicking early in the session, chasing down the faster retrieve and giving Turner a quick limit each day. As the sun rose and the bite slowed, Turner

BIG BASS Visiting US bass angler and Bass Cat representative Kevin Short secured the Big Bass honours on day one with the Arkansas angler weighing in a 1.88kg bass to anchor his 6.46kg limit that had him sitting in equal fourth place at the end of day one. South Burnett’s Matt Langford valued added his fourth place winnings claiming the day two Big Bass for the tournament with his 1.55kg kicker fish. – ABT paid close attention to his electronics, noting the fish movement throughout the water column and matching his presentation to whether they were sitting high or hugging the bottom. Turner’s go-to baits were a 3” Slider Grub in baby bass colour, rigged on 1/2oz jighead and presented on a Pflueger Patriarch rod and Daiwa Certate 1000 reel. He spooled the reel with 6.6lb Berkley Fireline Exceed and topped it with a 6lb Sunline FC Rock fluorocarbon leader. The Storm BASS Australian Open used a

Queensland Fisheries Permit to allow anglers to hold an increased possession limit of five Australian bass, to be released alive immediately after weigh-in. This permit was only for competitors of this tournament and is not for the angling public. The current two bass per person possession limit still applies to anyone fishing for Australian bass in rivers or lakes throughout Australia. For more information on your local regulations, contact Fisheries.

Slider Grub

40 feet

Old road

Matthew Langford claimed the Big Bass prize on the day two to anchor his fourth place finish for the tournament. NOVEMBER 2017

WHAT’S NEW FISHING KAMIWAZA DECO PEN II

Looking for the ultimate Japanese made stick bait? Look no further as Valley Hill’s Kamiwaza Deco Pen II is now available in Australia through Dogtooth Distribution. This stickbait is truly one from the top shelf. Superbly crafted and detailed, the bait is perfectly weighted to ensure a superior diving and swimming action. Each lure is wood carved, is covered in highly reflective, holographic foil, and is then meticulously hand painted to a finish, which has to be seen to be believed. Available in four colour combainations (pink, white, blue, and silver) and in four different sizes (140mm and 34g, 160mm and 55g, 180mm and 77g, 220mm – 130g) the Deco Pen II has been successful in landing many large Australian saltwater species. Japanese quality and durability ensure it copes in all conditions and situations. An absolute must for all stick bait enthusiasts and saltwater predator anglers www.dogtoothdistribution.com.au

COSTA HALF MOON

You’ll look like a maverick in Costa’s Half Moon sunglasses, a USA West Coast inspired beach style that rides the mystique of epic ocean swells. This model is available in Shiny Black and Tiger Shark as tributes to the icy water, huge swells and some of the largest sharks in the world that frequent Half Moon Bay. The straight temples, double-cut textures, and integrated Spring Hinges combine outstanding function and comfort with beautiful aesthetics. The sporty beach style of Half Moon embolden the thick, ominous waves of the legendary Mavericks surf break. Handcrafted in the USA, Costa delivers superior lens technology, exceptional fit and durability, and a lifetime warranty against manufacturer’s defects. The high definition 580 lenses cut glare and enhance your view of the outdoors, and there are six lens colours to suit every scenario – from bright sunlight offshore through to sight fishing in low light conditions. www.costadelmar.com.au

VIBELICIOUS MIDORI 3 MULLET

Samaki Vibelicious brings a new colour to the lure market: midori mullet (‘midori’ is Japanese for ‘green’). This new pattern consists of a chartreuse coloured body with gold glitter scattered throughout, a green backbone, silver foil gills and a silver lateral stripe. This UV-enhanced colour has proven itself time and again around the country, attracting barra, jew, bream and flathead to name a few. Midori mullet is available in the Vibelicious Fork Tail and Thumper Tail, which come in three sizes – 70mm, 100mm and 125mm. The 100mm and 125mm have now been upgraded with new BKK Raptor Z Hooks and the all new Decoy EX Strong Split Rings. New hardware like this encourages longevity in your fishing experiences and better hook-ups, as the hook penetration is on point. All Vibelicious lures contain premium Japanese stainless wire and are made of the toughest 10X super stretch material. Visit the Samaki website for more info and stockists, and like them on Facebook and Instagram. www.samaki.com.au 98

NOVEMBER 2017

BIGFISH JACK ATTACK II

The ‘Red Terror’ of the estuary is championed on Bigfish’s latest shirt: Jack Attack II. “These fish attack with a savage, no-holdsbarred ambush then run back into the snags,” said designer Joshua Ker. “Casting small lures in tight country is what this style of fishing is all about, and that’s what we’ve tried to replicate with this great Jack Attack illustration. It’s a must-have shirt for the next ‘up the back and hang on’ fishing trip!” Jack Attack II shirts are available from a child’s size 2 right through to 5XL for the big boys, so there’s a size to fit everyone in the family. Like all Bigfish UPF50 shirts, they feature BFMaxFlow fabric – a high performance, moisture-wicking material that is not only soft to feel, but durable and incredibly breathable and cool. This apparel is aimed squarely at anglers, and is designed to stand up to the harshest of elements. Price: from $89.95 www.bigfishgear.com

TICA GYMIR GVAT REELS

PRODUCT GUIDE

The new TiCA Gymir reels are crammed packed with many superb features and offer the angler an impressive reel at exceptional pricing. The Gymir reels are available in 5 sizes from a 1500 for estuary and freshwater applications through to a 6000 size for offshore fishing, so they have most fishing scenarios covered. They feature a High tensile strength body, aluminium alloy spool, solid aluminium bail wire, worm shaft drive system, one way clutch impact absorbent ball bearing, computer-balanced rotor and six RRB rustresistant ball bearings. The Gymir reels also feature a drag system with carbon drag washers and have drag ratings of 4kg for the 1500 size through to 10kg for the 6000 size, and offer an easy access oil inlet for easy maintenance. These reels feel very smooth straight out of the box and are certainly worth a look. www.jurofishing.com

LIVETARGET TROUT 6 SWIMBAIT

Designed with all of the characteristics of a full-developed trout, the LiveTarget Adult Trout Swimbait is built to attract the largest and hungriest predators around. Finished in a dark and light pattern to accurately reflect the phases of rainbow trout, the LiveTarget Adult Trout Swimbait is incredibly lifelike from end to end, including a moulded dorsal fin which acts as a shield to protect the razor-sharp EWG hook from hang-ups, and to prevent the build-up of grass. Internally, the LiveTarget Adult Trout Swimbait is fitted a factory-rigged balancing system that eliminates constant re-tuning. At the belly, an accessory pin enables anglers to customize their presentation with additional hooks and blades. This highly effective lure measures 190mm (7.5”) and weighs 3.25oz (92g). For more information visit the EJ Todd website. You can also look them up on Facebook for the latest info and photos, and see videos of the Trout Swimbait in action on YouTube. www.ejtodd.com.au

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PRODUCT GUIDE 7

WHAT’S NEW FISHING DAIWA TD SOL III

Spoons are a fantastic tool for targeting deep-school fish in our freshwater impoundments, and Juro Oz Pro Tackle have just introduced a spoon that’s perfect for this caper. The Bushranger T-Spoon has an enticing erratic action that fish find very appealing, with a swaying action when drawn through the water, and a seductive fluttering action when allowed to fall on a slack line. Bushranger T-Spoons feature quality fittings and includes a swivel to eliminate line twist, with a quality Black Nickel Chemically Sharpened Treble, making sure you leave nothing to chance. The Bushranger T-Spoon is suitable for trout, redfin, yellowbelly and bass, and will be a handy tool all over Australia. The T-Spoon weighs 7g and is available in 4 dazzling colours. Make sure you’ve got one of these great spoon next time you’re working a school of predators in the deep! www.jurofishing.com

AKAME 120 HYBRID

HALCO MAX 110

ZEREK LIVE MULLET 11

Daiwa’s TD Sol III is the first reel to feature the all-new future design concept LT or ‘Light Tough’. The new concept LT Zaion body is the lightest, most compact and strongest body frame Daiwa has ever produced. Zaion is composed of carbon resin and long carbon fibres, and it far exceeds the strength of magnesium in strength per unit weight comparison. Zaion transmits vibration through the reel more efficiently than ever before, and it is lighter and stronger than a conventional reel made with similar resins or graphites. Other features include Air Rotor, ATD (Automatic Tournament Drag), Magseal, Tough Digigear, aluminium Airspool ABS, Perfect Line Stopper and aluminium Air Handle. The combination on all of these advanced innovations makes the TD Sol III one of Daiwa’s most technically advanced reels. You will feel more connected to lures, detect more bites and fight fish with ease. www.daiwafishing.com.au

The new Hybrid soft plastic prawn from NT company Akame features a segmented tail, and has Kevlar incorporated throughout the tail and into the body. This dynamite barra plastic is pre-rigged with a worm hook setup for weedless fishing. The Hybrid is a cross between a prawn and a fish, delivering two different actions. With a slow retrieve the lure imitates a prawn, gliding forward, while the fluttering wings give off subtle vibrations. Even on the drop the lure glides down like a prawn. When twitched, however, it gives the action of a worm or injured fish, so you can change things up to find out what works on the day. The Hybrid is 120mm long, comes in five colours, has a hook weight of 7g and a lure weight of 18g. Two more models are in the pipeline – a 90 model for the likes of flathead and bass, and a 150 for dam barra and cod. Price: SRP $8.50 www.facebook.com/akametackle

BUSHRANGER T-SPOONS

The Zerek Live Mullet, distributed by Wilson Fishing, is a soft plastic jointed swimbait that is available in three sizes. Built from the super strong TPE thermoplastic, the Live Mullet uses the same concept as the widely acclaimed Live Shrimp, to emulate the kind of natural prey movements that trigger strikes. To achieve this goal, the designers used a segmented body that is held together with a Kevlar webbing, giving strength and unparalleled freedom of movement. Easily workable with a straight retrieve, the lifelike 3D eyes and detailed finishes (natural and attractor patterns) make the Zerek Live Mullet an essential addition to your tackle kit whether you’re targeting everything from barramundi to Murray cod and mulloway, and everything in between. The three sizes are 3.5”/18g, 4.5”/23g and 5.5”/35g, and these are all available in 10 proven colours. www.wilsonfishing.com

The Halco Max 110 is an awesome bibless minnow suitable for both casting and trolling applications, in a smaller and more effective size than its bigger brothers the Max 130 and 190. This new Max is 110mm long and weighs a substantial 30g. Its slender profile casts like a bullet into the strongest breezes, and it is heavy enough to run straight and true several metres below the surface in the roughest of sea conditions. The weight and streamlined shape of the Max 110 also allows for maximum hook exposure, which is critical in lure design. Like its larger predecessors, the Max 110 can be trolled at speeds of up to 12 knots with minimal trolling resistance. Its slender tail section is designed for maximum hook exposure on the strike. www.halcotackle.com

ZMAN 3” SLIM SWIMZ

Following on from the popularity of the 2.5” Slim SwimZ and driven by angler requests, Tackle Tactics have now released a 3” version of this deadly little paddle-tail plastic. This realistic baitfish profile is constructed from 10X Tough ElaZtech, allowing you to catch more fish per plastic and the supersoft and flexible realistic feel of the ElaZtech combined with the unique under hooked paddle-tail design gives this plastic an incredible action in the water. It has an action that sees it punch well above its weight on species landed, including big flathead, mulloway, bass, mangrove jack, barramundi and more. The buoyancy of the ElaZtech helps bring the 3” Slim SwimZ to life in the water, with a tail up, natural ‘feeding’ pose when at rest on the bottom. The lively paddle tail provides action on the drop and the retrieve, making it an excellent option for both beginner and experienced anglers. Available in 12 colours. Price: SRP $10.95 (6 pack) www.z-man.com.au

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

WHAT’S NEW FISHING LOWRANCE FISHHUNTER

The Lowrance FishHunter castable fishfinder is designed for anglers fishing from the shore or a kayak. It sends realtime sonar data via WiFi to view on your smartphone or tablet, and doesn’t require a cellular or internet connection. FishHunter Pro features a tri-frequency transducer, with four ways to view sonar data including Fish (fish symbols), Raw (arches), Bathymetric and Ice Fishing Flasher views. You can troll it to create bathymetric maps. Incorporating five tri-frequency transducers, FishHunter 3D offers five functional views including 3D Fishing and Ice Fishing Flasher, as well as a Directional Casting View that pinpoints fish depth and location relative to the transducer. FishHunter 3D can be trolled to create bathymetric or structure maps. FishHunter’s antenna ensures constant WiFi connectivity for the highest signal range. FishHunter Pro provides a 150ft depth and 160ft WiFi range, and FishHunter 3D offers a 160ft depth and a 200ft range. The rechargeable battery lasts for 10 hours of active use. Price: SRP $173.90-$218.90 www.lowrance.com

SHIMANO SUSTAIN FI

In creating the Sustain FI, Shimano has engineered a spinning reel that offers the perfect balance between rigidity and sensitivity. With its aluminum Hagane Body, the Sustain FI possesses the rigidity of a metal outer shell that maximizes impact resistance whilst eliminating body flex under load. To provide enhanced sensitivity, a Magnumlite Rotor has been fitted and offers an effortless low inertia rotation – a significant improvement on the previous Sustain FG model. X Protect technology provides Shimano’s highest degree of waterproofing protection. This technology leverages both a water repellent treatment and labyrinth structure that blocks any saltwater entry into the reel’s internals. The cold forged Hagane Gear and X-Ship provide a gearing system that is smoother and stronger than any other on the market. This gives the reel a much smoother gear transition but also unrivalled pulling power. There are four sizesfeaturing 8+1 Shielded A-RB bearings and drag output that ranges from 9kg to 11kg depending on the model. www.shimanofish.com.au

NEW GAMAKATSU CIRCLE HOOKS

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Gamakatsu Inline Big Bait Circle Straight Eye hooks are 4x strong and crafted using Gamakatsu’s state-of-the-art tempering process. These new hooks are high-end, tournament-friendly circles. They are heavy and versatile, designed to catch all reef species and pretty much any fish that pulls hard. Big Bait circles can be trolled, stitched into fresh bait, or thrown into a live bait. The conical point has been chemically sharpened for catch and release. The new sibling to the Big Bait Circle hooks is the Inline Octopus Circle Straight Eye hook. The difference between the Big Bait and Octopus circles is the wire strength – the Octopus is a standard wire and Big Bait a strong wire. The Inline Octopus Circle SE comes in a wide range of hook sizes, covering smaller estuary species as well as larger fish offshore. Inline Bait Bait circles come in sizes 1/0-10/0, and Inline Octopus Circle SEs come in sizes 6-8/0. Both are available in pre packs and 25 packs. www.gamakatsu.com.au

CHASEBAITS FLICK PRAWN

13 14

Hand sculptured off a real prawn, the Chasebaits Flick Prawn is amazingly realistic, right down to the finest details. When unveiling the Flick Prawn at the 2017 AFTA Tackle Trade Show, designer Grainger Mayfield said the new lure had been smashing it in field testing. “It’s been producing excellent results on barra, flathead and jacks,” Grainger said. “And you can guarantee it will be great on any species that loves to eat prawns, from reef fish to estuary species. The colour range even caters to the likes of bass and saratoga in the fresh. We believe it’s the most realistic prawn on the market.” This new lure has an enticingly lifelike movement, and it’s made from ultra durable and flexible 10X material. You can throw it into snags, slow roll or twitch it throughout drains and in open water. The Flick Prawn has colour coded lead, rattles in its tail and an ultra-strong weedless hook setup. It comes in 95mm and 125mm sizes and four realistic colours, plus the ever popular pink UV colour. Price: from $13.99 www.river2sea.com.au

OBSESSION HOTBAITS AND CLACKERBAITS 15 EZY BEACH Australian made Obsession Spinnerbaits are the brainchild of Raymond Parry, and DELUXE two of his latest releases are the Hotbaits

and Clackerbaits. The Hotbaits came about through requests by trout anglers for a single spin lure with a skirt. Since producing them, not only have trout taken to them, but also golden perch, redfin and even flathead in the salt. Available in eight head colours and fitted with either hot tip or turbo-flared skirts, there is a colour combination to suit any angler. Clackerbaits are a very versatile lure that allow you to fish the bottom of the water column all the way to the surface. Obsession Spinnerbaits does a 1/2oz version in four different blade colours (white, red, black and chartreuse) and eight jighead colours. All can be matched with any of their hot tip or turbo-flared skirts. To find out more about Obsession Spinnerbaits contact Ray on 0428 462 397, or to find your nearest stockist head to their website. www.obsessionspinnerbaits.com

PRODUCT GUIDE

The popular Ezy Beach Deluxe Beach Mate range is now available in four great colours and either balloon beach wheels or puncture proof wheels. You could also choose to have your beach mate with both types of wheels, meaning there is nowhere you can’t go with your Beach Mate! Designed here in Australia, the Beach Mate is a trolley, a comfy chair and a sun shade all in one, and it folds up easily for storage so you can keep it in the car without it taking up too much space. It also comes with a cargo net to keep your belongings secure when moving. For a limited time, Fishing Monthly readers can place an order now and receive a bonus gift: a zippered cooler bag with carry strap, so you can carry your drinks and food to wherever you are going! Price: from SRP $129 www.ezybeach.com.au

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

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PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

Tough Gunnell Rod does all the heavy lifting for you I know what you’re thinking – you’re wondering what on earth this device is and what it does! Well, it’s called a Gunnell Rod, and it has two main advantages over a traditional rod. First, it allows anybody to land a big fish, regardless of the angler’s strength, size or ability. Secondly, it makes it much easier to fish in rough conditions, as you can just hang onto the handle with one hand and wind with the other. You can switch between left and right hand operation, and

A keeper red isn’t bad for the first drop.

the GR will rotate to follow fish movement. The GR is compact and can easily be stored away. You just take it out when you have inexperienced guests, or when conditions get sloppy. It’s also handy when you want to float out a pilly while flicking plastics, and can recover a teaser quickly. Designer Jason Teelow got the idea from deck winches. “Alvey deck winches are great for deep water fishing, but I wanted something more versatile,” he explained. “The GR lets you use any reel, although overheads suit it best. You can use the smallest overheads right up to any of the large 50s or 80s.” You can also use electric reel; Alvey have made a GR model with an extra line guide to suit these reels. I first tested the Gunnell Rod on a trip with Norval Charters on the Coral Sea. I love my reef fishing, and I couldn’t wait to try a device that was so unusual. When I got a chance to have a drop, I sent down a pilly on a running rig with a circle hook. Then I had to leave it so I could photograph other anglers with their catches. I came back and found the GR had hooked something, and I casually wound in a keeper red emperor – not bad for a first fish. Young Kyal Hunt had a turn next, and he brought in more tasty reefies. It was all a breeze with the GR, which took the weight of the fish. Of course, being experienced and (more or less) fit, Kyal and I didn’t technically need the GR, but hey – there’s nothing wrong with bringing in a steady stream of reefies without getting tired. It’s also satisfying in poor conditions to have that handhold, enjoying the sight of everyone else lurching around while you calmly wind in fish.

The best thing about this device though is the experiences it gives children and other people who lack strength, know-how or both, as Jason explains. “We took out a young kid called Levi who had cerebral palsy and had never fished,” Jason said. “The Gunnell Rod allowed him to get his first fish, and I’ll never forget his excitement.” Little kids can also use the GR for small species. The littles just hang on and wind, and there’s no risk of them dropping it overboard. The Gunnell Rod is stainless steel and built tough, and has a SRP of $370. If you’d like to see it in action, look up Gunnell Rod on YouTube, or check them out on Facebook. - Nicole Penfold.

The GR is perfect for bottom bouncing.

Mustad 30L Dry Backpack put through its paces At the Australian Lure & Fly Expo in July I watched the Wilson’s boys carry in a stack of new bags which I hadn’t seen on before.They looked the goods so it wasn’t long before I was pestering them about RRP’s and when they’d be available. To my delight our old mate Stephen ‘Boothy’ Booth said he’d love for us to test one for the magazines and tacklejunkie.fish. The bags are part of the Mustad Dry Gear range and were all a nice charcoal colour and looked to be finished very well. The 30L Dry Backpack was of most interest to me. It seemed a perfect fit for what I was after.

then I have dragged it all over the countryside. Up and down trails, in and out of gorges, and in the water more times than I would have liked it to be. Storage As the name suggests it’s a 30L backpack but unless I was carrying 30L of liquid (Great Northern Original) that’s kind of useless as a size. I know it’s the universal language for luggage sizing but its pretty silly. However, I was able to carry a LOT of gear with me on these trips. This included a camera, a first-aid kit, two large tackle boxes, wallet, sunglasses case, pizza

Chock-a-block full of fishing gear, food and accessories the Mustad Dry Backpack is tough and comfortable.

Carrying a lot of gear through rough terrain was a breeze with the Mustad Dry Pack. Perfectly designed straps spread the weight across your shoulders. Something sturdy, comfy to wear all day and tough enough to take a beating from sticks, rocks and the elements I encounter on long walks through skinny water country. My backpack soon arrived, and since

shapes and a spare shirt. There’s also a pocket on the front, which is where I put my phone and a drink bottle holder outside the bag for easy access. For how much stuff I crammed in, the

bags straps were set up so well that you hardly feel the weight. The load is spread right across the shoulders and there are two more clips that go across the chest and waist to stop it moving from side to side when walking. To access the main body of the backpack you can use the large zipper at the top (which rolls down at the top for extra security) or through a smaller zipper on the side. This smaller zip is handy if you’re just needing a pair of pliers or a leader roll, but I was wary of using it too much in case I left it open and dropped anything. Durability I have worn this pack for close to 50 hours

TESTED

now. It’s seen a lot of rough country and a fair few fish. At times the padded support behind the back has been dripping with sweat, caught up in thorns, multiple slides down rock faces and it’s passed with flying colours. How dry is the Mustad Dry Backpack? It’s pretty dry, but not waterproof. The material the backpack is constructed from and all the stitching held up great but I did fall backwards while fighting a fish on a wobbly rock and the front pocket took on water through the zipper and drowned my iPhone. This is more my fault than the backpack’s, though. There are other bags on the market which are similar in design with waterproof zippers, but they’re 4-6 times more expensive than the Mustad Dry pack. At $74.95 SRP, it’s extremely good value. There’s eight bags available across the Mustad Graphite Bag range, and more information is available at www.wilsonfishing.com -Rupe.

I was able to easily fit all these ‘essentials’ into the backpack.

NOVEMBER 2017

101

Trades, Services, Charter

FIBREGLASS

BAIT & TACKLE GOLD COAST

BEST LURE RANGE ON THE Fishing GOLD COAST

Repairs

• Modifications • Detailing • Repairs JOE BONNICI

0410 480 203

TOP BRANDS • TOP SERVICE • GREAT PRICES

INSIDE SPORTY’S WAREHOUSE

MAIL ORDERS

WELCOME

Strathaird Rd 07 5526 2786 32BUNDALL 4217 QLD SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND

MARINE ELECTRONICS

SALES • REPAIRS • INSTALLATIONS

ONSITE AND MOBILE INSTALLATIONS

• Sounders • GPS • Electric Motors • Marine Radios and accessories • Stereos • Televisions • Radar Units • Autopilots Unit 4/1440 New Cleveland Road Capalaba www.trymax.com.au PHONE: 07 3245 3633

Salt-Away www.salt-away.com.au

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND

CUSTOM MARINE WELDING & ELECTRICAL Marine and Auto Electricial n All types of Welding n Stainless Steel n Aluminium n Mild Steel n Boats Repaired n Fuel & Water Tanks n Canopies n Bow and Stern Rails n Custom Vehicle Tool Boxes

Tackle Warehouse Brisbane (07) 3398 6500 BCF www.bcf.com.au Davo’s Tackleworld Noosaville (07) 5449 8099 Davo’s Tackleworld Marcoola (07) 5448 8244

Shed 1 281 Jacobs Well Road

MARINE OUTBOARD WRECKERS TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND North Queensland Outboard Wreckers Townsville 1800 812 748

MARINE TRANSPORT

Behind GEM Service Station, Alberton 4207

BOAT HIRE // HOUSE

Phone 3807 7846

GOLD COAST

Mob 0427 142 201 Fax 3807 2468

Great family and fishing boats!

www.custommarinewelding.com.au Bluewater Windscreens Brisbane (07) 3382 7883 ASM Mobile Welding Brisbane 0409 624 402 Marine Windows and Doors Brisbane (07) 3284 5088 Small Craft Electrics (mobile) 0408 063 064 Boat Collar (07) 5441 3636 CMC Marine Sales 0409 910 808 Iconic Boats Brisbane 0475 311 447

+ 50km of sheltered waterways on the Gold Coast’s Broadwater + No Licence required CALL FOR A + Boats from $995 DEAL + 2-12 berth

+ 07 5502 6200 + www.coomerahouseboats.com.au

Brisbane South and Gold Coas t

MARINE ELECTRONICS

NEW

TINNIE HIRE AVAILABLE

FRASER COAST Rainbow Beach Houseboats (07) 5486 3146 Lake Monduran House Boat www.lakemonduranhouseboathire.com.au

BOAT HIRE // TRAILER GOLD COAST Boab Boat Hire - 1300 002 622

BOAT PAINTING BRISBANE Brisbane Boat Painting 0433 356 620

BOAT MODIFICATIONS & REPAIRS

CUSTOM ALLOY FABRICATION • Boat repairs & fitouts • Bait tanks • Transom rebuilds • Fuel tanks • Consoles

MARINE MECHANICS

BOAT TRANSPORT AUSTRALIA WIDE FROM A TINNY TO 50 FEET WEEKLY SERVICE TO ALL MAJOR CAPITALS

DJ Freight Marine Transport 0418 793 357 0427 341 076 contact@djfreight.com.au FISH TAXIDERMY

GOLD COAST Whitewater Marine (07) 5532 4402 T&S Marine (07) 5546 2599

Fish Taxidermist www.fishtaxidermy.net.au or 0428 544 841

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND Stones Corner Marine (07) 3397 9766 Brisbane Yamaha (07) 3888 1727 Northside Marine (07) 3265 8029 Coorparoo Marine (07) 3397 4141 Capalaba Boat Centre 04011 728 379 Holt Marine (07) 3353 1928 Cunningham Marine Centre (07) 3284 8805 Caloundra Marine (07) 5491 1944

NORTH QUEENSLAND

Reef Marine Mackay (07) 4957 3521

MARINE MECHANICS // MOBILE WYNUMM MANLY-BAYSIDE Wondall Rd Marine (07) 3396 5633

Gary’s Marine Centre

OVER 20 YEARS FABRICATING AND WELDING ALUMINIUM

FISHING GUIDES SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND Suncoast Barra Fishing Park www.suncoastbarrafishing.com

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Lake Monduran Barra Charters 0407 434 446

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND Hooked On Hinchinbrook www.hookedonhinchinbrook.com

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

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION BRISBANE

FOR RENT: Holiday House on Karragarra Island

CUSTOM TRANSOMS 20-75hp $750 75-150hp $890 150-225hp $980 Freight can be arranged Australia wide

PROFISH BOATS – Phone Peter 0417 782 114 Email: peter@profishboats.com www.profishboats.com

3201 6232

• Pet friendly and peaceful • Fish n Crab from in front of the house • Complimentary bikes & kayaks for you to use

in beautiful Moreton Bay

217 Pine Mountain Road, BRASSALL MARINE TRAILERS Oceanic Boat Trailers (07) 5597 0577 Spitfire Trailers (07) 0400 866 323 Tinnie Tosser (07) 5498 7339 Sea-Link Special Trailers (07) 3881 3568

Rent for $150 per night minimum 2 nights, sleeps 6 Phone Kevin 0457 778 097 or go to Stayz property No. 182473 for more photos and information

This section in QLD Fishing Monthly consolidates the trades and services in your area that are relevant to your fishing and boating. Whether you’re a local looking for more options or a travelling angler fishing around the state, this guide will direct you to reputable businesses in the area you’re searching. 102

NOVEMBER 2017

Boats & Guided Fishing Tours Directory HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND The Islander Retreat, South Stradbroke Island 0420 967 557

FRASER ISLAND

SUNSHINE COAST Keely Rose Deep Sea Fishing Charters 0407 146 151 Odyssey Charters Deep Sea Fishing (07) 5478 1109 Rainbow Beach Fishing Charters 0439 775 070 Smithy’s Fishing Charters Sunshine Coast 0407 574 868 Top Catch Charters Sunshine Coast 0429 013 012

Apurla Island Retreat 0437 739 121

Fish n Crab Charters Mooloolaba 0412 155 814

Waddy Lodge on Fraser 0414 516 364

Offshore Reef and Game Fishing 0413 485 402

Cathedrals on Fraser (07) 4127 9177

Sunshine Coast Fishing Charters (07) 5500 0671

Fraser Island Beach Houses 1800 626 230

Fishing Offshore Noosa 0418 889 956

Yidney Rocks (07) 4127 9167 Eurong Beach Resort 1800 111 808

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Baffle Creek Holiday House 0419 624 833

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

Noosa Fishing Charters (07) 5665 8170 Hervey Bay Fishing Charters (07) 4125 3958 Incredible Charters 1300 655 818

DEEP WATER PERFORMANCE!

NORTHERN NSW Wooli Fishing Charter (02) 6649 7100 Evans Head Deep Sea Fishing Charters 0428 828 835 Reel Time Fishing Charters Yamba 0428 231 962

COOKTOWN

Dave Gaden’s Yamba • Deep Sea

REEL TIME

River of Gold Motel Plenty of room for boats and trailers PH: 4069 5222

FISHING CHARTERS

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

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME

• 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

7 GREAT COLOURS!

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

Fully Guided Lure & Fly Fishing •

BORN AND BRED LOCAL GUIDE

• 5.5m Custom sportsfishing Vessel • 4.4m Estuary Sportsfishing Vessel • Quality Fishing Gear Supplied

MARINA A B M A Y , E L & TACK RE ARINA BOAT CKLE STO

A ARGESTs T L ’S A B M YA ry • Boat Sale Parts M

GOLD COAST

les & • Chandle • Trailers Sa Andrew Ph: 6646 1994 le k c www.herveybaysportfishing.com.au Ta & 0407 Chorleyor it 0428627 231 852 962 • Ba okings o B r e rt a Email: dave@gaden.com.au h •C CENTRAL QUEENSLAND

True Blue Fishing Gold Coast (07) 5510 9622

Bite Me Fishing Charters Yeppoon 0419 029 397

BK’s Gold Coast Fishing Charters 0414 293 034

Ultimate Sportfishing Charters 0450 753 726

My Charter Boat Tweed Heads 0407 347 446

MV Capricorn Star 0408 755 201

RU4 Reel Tweed Heads 0449 903 366

Mikat Cruises Fishing Charters 0427 125 727

Discovery Fishing Charters Gold Coast 0427 026 519

Bundaberg Fishing Charters 0429 017 217

Fish The Deep Charters 0416 224 412

Sport Fish 1770 (07) 4974 9686

Paradise Fishing Charters 0403 531 428

Coral Coast Game Fishing 0447 347 437

Gold Coast Fishing Charters 0411 605 090

Norval Reef Charters 1800 771 234

Hooker 1 Charters Gold Coast (07) 5528 6469 Sea Probe Fishing Charters 0400 312 330 Coastal Sports Fishing Charters Gold Coast 0412 691 929 Gone Fishing Charters Gold Coast (07) 5529 7833

BRISBANE Frenzy Charters Brisbane (07) 3209 4576 Big Cat Charters and Tom Cat Charters 0433 430 248 Moreton Island Fishing Charters 0413 128 056

• Ice & Gas

Sirocco Plush Padded Folding Seat

OPEN 7 DAYS

EASY

HERVEY BAY PARKING

This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 50 words within a 5x2 ad size. $320 + GST for 6 months Email nkelly@fishingmonthly.com.au

CHARTER BOATS

1449

echoMAP CHIRP 95sv Deep DownVüTM/SideVü GPS Map Combo With GT51 Deepwater Transducer!

STEREOACTIVE Waterproof Floating Stereo

369 Casio Tide Angler Watch

•100M Water Resistant, •Tide Times and Moon Phase

10 YEAR BATTERY!

Iluka Fishing Charters Gladstone 0414 940 911 Kanimbla Charters Gladstone1800 677 202

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND Eclipse FNQ Weipa Charters 0488 058 668 Fish’s Fly & Sportsfishing Weipa (07) 4069 9957

STORES

CELEBRATING

WIDE

YEARS

AUSTRALIA

Action Charters Mackay 0417 452 346 Fishing Charters Townsville 0403 386 722 JC’s Fishing Charters 0438 753 382

www.bargainboatbits.com.au

Fairdinkum Fishing Charters Townsville (07) 4751 5324

Brisbane Fishing Charters 0427 026 510

Cairns Reef Charter Services 1800 119 044

Bucket List Fishing Charters 0428 368 316

Cairns Charter Boat 0427 533 081

John Gooding Outlaw Charters 0418 738 750

Cairns Fishing Charters 0427 400 027

Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0834 or email nkelly@fishingmonthly.com.au NOVEMBER 2017

103

Sheik’s dictionary for boat review terminology BRISBANE

The Sheik of the Creek

I was looking through the paper on the weekend and there were ads for boats at a good price. Now if you looked hard with an electronpowered microscope, you can just see a little dot that might or might not be an asterisk. At the end of the ad, beside another asterisk, there’s a warning: this price does not include motor or trailer. Or boat. So in effect you were being offered a bimini for 20 grand. I’m not sure what this approach does, except annoy people who are genuinely after a boat and think this might be a good deal. Seriously, put the whole price down. It’s hard enough deciding what boat you’re going to spend your precious coin on without having that sort of rubbish going on. Deciding on a boat is a bloody nightmare, and there’s no point reading reviews to help make a decision. Now I know there’s a situation here, because no company is

going to get boats reviewed by someone who tears their precious machines to pieces. So boat reviews tend to be a compilation of little warnings – just like the real estate business where the agent writes ‘perfect for the handyman,’ when they mean ‘this house is a massive pile of rubbish that should have a Komatsu driven through it’ – there are all sorts of hidden messages in boat reviews that you have to learn to decipher. ‘Is a bit wet with a quartering wind, but you expect that in an open boat’ is an oldie but a goody. What this means is that this boat throws cubic metres of water high into the air at even the slightest slap against the hull. This water then cascades across the unlucky occupants, floods the cockpit and manages to seep into every tackle box and pair of jocks within cooee. Another good one is ‘rides a bit rough through the chop, but the balance between stability and ride is always a tough one to get right.’ Basically, this boat will bash the fillings from your teeth, the buttons

off your shirts and the fleas out of your dog. If you go into this boat looking like Andrew Gaze, you’ll come out looking like Alfie Langer. Except with less hair. ‘Could be a bit underpowered with this powerplant’ means the yard is trying to sell a heavy

boat attached to a motor with the pushing power of an eggbeater with a broken handle. Similarly ‘a little slow out of the hole’ means the boat has about as much chance of getting up to planing speed as Kyle Sandilands floating on his back and thrashing

a tablespoon against a spring tide just before the new moon. ‘Has had thousands spent on it recently’ means it needs thousands more spent on it, and anyone stupid enough to buy this crock will spend many thousands more just getting it to a state

where it will stay afloat; and only then in water flatter than Matt Scott’s bike tyres. How do I know all this? I’d like to say it’s because people write to me and tell me, but that would put me down to the level of a boatyard, so I’ll just shut my mouth.

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NOVEMBER 2017

boats & kayaks

In the skipper’s seat

Inside story...

Sea Jay Aluminium Boats has been family owned and operated for over 25 years, and the name has become renowned for strength, quality workmanship and customization with the angler in mind. Whether you’re fishing in fresh or salt, inshore or offshore, Sea Jay will provide you with a model to suit your boating and fishing needs.

Made for...

Sea Jay specialises in boats for sports anglers, offering a stable fishing platform and plenty of storage.

This month...

Editor Steve Morgan examines Sea Jay’s versatile 4.88 Avenger Sport on a beautiful day on Moreton Bay. Check it out on page 114!

106 ICAST wrap-up

Justin Willmer reports back from ICAST in the US after seeing what big brands will have to offer soon!

110 MotorGuide Xi5 Wayne Kampe tests out the wireless MotorGuide Xi5 in his home waters.

112 All about the finish After briefing us on the layout, Wayne Kampe goes into the finishing touches that make his new Galey so good.

116 Whittley CW2150

Steve Morgan jumps aboard this great new rig powered by Yamaha’s F150hp 4 stroke.

NOVEMBER 2017

105

ICAST kayak highlights BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

Based in Orlando Florida, ICAST is the world’s largest Sportfishing trade show and a showcase for the latest innovations in fishing gear, apparel, accessories and, of interest to many of us, the latest and greatest

and even climb into some new kayaks or test new drive systems. It was a good opportunity to get hands on with new products, speak to Pro Anglers about product design and features, and get a taster for the almost 2000 exhibitors showing their wares throughout the show. Hobie again had a strong presence at the show, including the unveiling by

with pre-drilled holes and nut spaces in the back for easy mounting of additional rod holders and other items, along with four heavyduty straps for securing the H-Crate to your kayak, canoe or SUP. The H-Rail integration around the top of the crate allows you to attach any of the H-Rail accessories, including rod holders, tackle bin, cup holder, camera

The Hobie Mirage Eclipse continues to capture the imagination of those who love the water.

The On Water Day allows visitors to experience all types of craft first-hand. from the world leaders in everything kayaking and kayak fishing. I was lucky enough to again attend ICAST, taking

Steve Fields of a Hobie PA kayak, wrapped especially to announce that this year’s Hobie Worlds event would be held in Sweden. Anglers

mount, etc. A quality, durable and practical storage option for kayak anglers. A couple more Hobie releases that gained plenty of attention were the upgrade to the Mirage Drive 180, which has just arrived in Australia, allowing Hobie anglers to switch from forward to reverse with the pull of a shift cable, and also the Mirage Eclipse SUP with a difference, it’s pedal powered and has steering! The Mirage Drive 180 will give the Hobie angler much more control of their kayak, being able to switch

from forward to reverse in seconds to back fish out of cover, fish closer to structure with safety, hold in either direction in current, regulate distance from structure when drifting in wind and overall present that lure more effectively and drive it more effectively by offering greater control of the vessel. The 180 Drive system weighs in under 8lb, new for 2018 are ARC cranks that adjust with the push of a button to accommodate users from child to adult and the dual fins provide shallow water access and easy shore landings by simply pushing one pedal forward. Not brand new, but certainly still attracting plenty of interest at the show was the Mirage Eclipse Pedalboards, a SUP with Hobie’s fin system and a set of pedals like a low impact walking machine, along with handlebars with levers that you squeeze to turn left or right. The pedal system and handlebars can be removed as required, just in case you want to keep it really simple. If you haven’t seen the video check it out, they look like great fun, good for fitness and an alternative fishing option… I’m always

The Slayer Propel 12 LT thermoformed ABS lightweight pedal kayak.

Horizontal rod storage sorted in the Titan 13.5 Propel. a little bit of time out from our stand to get around and check out what’s new. Much of what was released at the show will have started arriving on our shores in time for our peak spring and summer kayak season, with more to come… and of course it’s perfect timing for those of us looking for a kayak related Christmas gift to ask Santa for. The day prior to allowing us into the show to check everything out, the organisers have an on-water day, held on and around the lakes at the exhibition centre. Here visitors can cast new rods and reels, swim new lures 106

NOVEMBER 2017

from all over the world compete in their local regions to qualify for this event, bringing the world together in a competitive, friendly environment that celebrates the sport of kayak fishing. Other additions from Hobie included the H-Crate Jr, a smaller version of the original H-Crate, which takes the old milk crate in the rear well storage idea and brings it into the modern era, with quality materials and loads of features. The footprint on the H-Crate Jr is 14” x 14” and it includes four integrated rod holders, one in each corner, with bungy cord to secure your rods, grid wall

A few Bote Boards just waiting to be test driven.

looking for another vessel to add to the menagerie of fishing craft. I added a Native Watercraft pedal kayak to my fleet over five years ago and it was great to catch up with Woody Callaway from Native who was generous with his time, talking me through some of the new gear. Their pedal drive system has a propeller for providing thrust, instant hands-free switch from forward to reverse and after plenty of hours on the water my drive system has been faultless. My fingers are crossed that the full Titan series of kayaks reach our shores as they are a super-stable, functional fishing machine. The impressive Titan 13.5 was on display and is now available in Australia. It

has miles of room for gear, while offering unsurpassed stability for stand up fishing, a massive 250kg capacity and 105cm beam, horizontal rod storage, two rear Power-

lightweight option for those who require this feature. Other features include Propel Pedal Drive, sharp entry and flare in the bow for enhanced glide and smooth

The H-Crate and H-Crate Jr are quality, functional storage options for the kayak, canoe or SUP. Pole mounts, full length seat sliding track, bow hatch with hull storage, split paddle storage, anti-slip pads, Groove Tracks throughout, cup holder, Intuitive Rudder System, transducer mounting plate, elevated First Class Seating and signature squared off stern with the option of a custom motor mount that will accept trolling motors for a power-assisted ride. This is a big kayak, definitely not a one-person roof topper, rather an ultimate purpose built fishing machine that is super stable and loaded with features. After the success of the Titan 13.5, including a ‘Coolest Gear of the Show’ at a recent paddle expo, I’m not surprised that Native have also announced the addition of a Titan 10, due for release at the end of 2017 and Titan 12, due for an early 2018 release. Another interesting addition and another first for Native Watercraft, who also have the slogan ‘first with reverse’, is the Slayer Propel 12 LT, the first lightweight pedal kayak constructed from thermoformed ABS. The thermoformed ABS is smooth and classy, while also being extremely durable, impact resistant and most importantly an extremely

Best in Show at ICAST 2017 was taken out by a SUP, stand up paddle board, but not just any SUP. Bote Boards have finally made their way to Australia and we can only hope that the award-winning Rover follows. A premium product, Bote Boards would have to be the best quality, best designed SUPs that I have come across, from their stylish, functional lines, to their finish quality and range of accessories, including the Tackle Rac, Tackle Web, Bucket Rac and integrated attachment points for the Travelink Sling to make transporting your SUP simple and comfortable. Rover though is next level. Designed as a paddleboard first, Rover blurs the lines between paddleboard and skiff.

Now that’s a cool dock idea – you don’t even get your feet wet! Rover include thick rails that improve stability by adding volume along the rails, keyless, snap in side fins to keep you tracking straight, a sunken cockpit to lower your centre of gravity and create side rails to keep you from losing gear, a powder coated aluminium bar for lifting and safety from the motor, power well which improves performance and safety, while allowing you to trim the motor up when paddling, running channels for channelling water and increasing stability at speed, durable Honeycore construction that is incredibly durable, foam filled and unsinkable, along with that Deep-V nose for better tracking, speed and silence. You can even add a PowerPole Micro or a Wheel Rac so that you can wheel Rover to the water. Sign me up!

Cockpit space, storage and stability galore in the Titan 13.5 Propel. travel in choppy conditions, First Class frame seat with sliding adjustment, stern storage, dry storage, rudder system, flush mounted rod holders, groove tracks, anti-slip pads, water bottle holder and much more. The Slayer Propel 12 LT is now available to Aussie anglers and here’s a few specs: length 366cm, beam 86cm, weight 28kg and a maximum capacity of 158kg.

FeelFree, Bonafide, Pelican, Jackson and NuCanoe to name a few, new paddle designs from the likes of Bending Branches and plenty of new tools, storage options, attachment systems transducer mounting options, kayak lighting drink holders, rod holders, trailers, live wells and much more. Not all of these products will find their way to our shores, however I guess the key is that shows like ICAST and our own AFTA trade show are a culmination of all of the time we spend on the water, crazy ideas dreamt up around a camp fire, design ideas scribbled on napkins over lunch and everything else that combines to create better solutions to our needs and to push the envelope of kayak fishing. I for one will keep my eyes peeled on the

The Deep-vee nose design quietly slices through the water, offering the serenity and stealth that attracts many to SUPs, while paddling efficiently in a variety of water conditions. A tool free modular rack system allows a multitude of configurations, including a Moto Rac that is fitted with two rod holders and allows you to attach up to a 6hp motor… you now have a micro skiff. I

Photos don’t do the Bote Boards Rover justice.

Steve Fields announces the Hobie Worlds 7 will be held in Sweden with the unveiling of an impressively wrapped Hobie PA.

think Rover inspired so many people at the show because we all stood there and imagined the places we could take it and the species we could target. It embraced everything technical and everything simple and rolled it into a vessel that was both exciting and practical. Other features of the

And before you know it I am almost out of words and have hardly scratched the surface. Other releases included pedal options in the form of the Ocean Kayak Malibu Pedal and NuCanoe H2Prodrive, powered propulsion options such as the Torqeedo Ultralight 403, new release kayaks from

new products section of this mag as we move into the peak of our kayak fishing season and maybe that new product will be something that will make my kayak fishing more enjoyable, more comfortable, more productive, safer or maybe just simpler. See you on the water. NOVEMBER 2017

107

WHAT’S NEW BOATING BAR CRUSHER EXOCET

Bar Crusher’s latest special edition series – the Exocet – is available in two versions, the 615C and 670HT. These new models incorporate the standard features found in all Bar Crushers, plus extra inclusions. There’s a new distinctive paint scheme; carpet-lined roof, cabin (lower section) and cockpit side pockets; welded uprights in side pockets for screw-in rod/gaff/tagpole storage; new mini deluxe baitboard (615C); 15” black mag trailer wheels and black painted mudguards and more. Rated to carry up to a 150hp outboard [615C] and 200hp [670HT], with respective fuel capacities of 140L and 190L (long-range tanks also available), these ultra-tough boats are capable of running miles offshore. As with all Bar Crusher cuddy cabins, the 615C’s gas-strut roof (with side clears) folds down to reduce the on-trailer height by around 1m. The 670HT Exocet’s stylish allweather hard top and toughened safety glass windscreen allows full standing room and a 360-degree view from the helm, with slideopening side windows. www.barcrusher.com.au

HUMMINBIRD HELIX SERIES

The new Humminbird Helix series boasts models that features Mega Imaging with CHIRP digital sonar, AutoChart Live vegetation and bottom hardness mapping, and Bluetooth connectivity. With a sonar frequency nearly three times greater than traditional 455kHz frequencies, anglers benefit from the clearest, sharpest underwater views ever, with vastly improved Mega Side Imaging and Mega Down Imaging. In addition to mapping depth, AutoChart Live now gives anglers the ability to map aquatic vegetation and changing bottom hardness. Select new Helix units also feature built-in Bluetooth, which allows users to sync their smartphones and other devices, delivering text messages, missed calls and more. The Helix G2N range has 7”, 9”, 10” and 12” models, each with three CHIRPing sonar model options, AutoChart Live and Bluetooth, and select models have Mega Side Imaging and Mega Down Imaging. The Helix G2 range has 5” and 7” versions, each with the same CHIRPing sonar model options as the G2N. The G2 units are also now equipped with AutoChart Live. www.bla.com.au

LIGHTWEIGHT SUZUKI DF100B

Suzuki’s new DF100B 4-stroke outboard is the lightest in its class and at 157kg, is 25kg lighter than the DF100A. The new model also has the largest gear box ratio in its class and uses the same proven 1502cc engine unit as the DF70A/80A/90A models. However, Suzuki has stepped it up by adding a water detecting system, the advantage of which alerts the driver with an audible alarm and visual warning if water is detected in the fuel. This means safer boating for the driver and less chance of corrosion and loss of power output in the engine itself. The DF100B also boasts Lean Burn fuel technology, offset driveshaft, maintenancefree timing chains and tilt limit system, all packaged in a stylish body. The DF100B and DF100A will both be available to allow customers to select which outboard best suits their needs. DF100B stock will be available this summer. www.suzukimarine.com.au 108

NOVEMBER 2017

FULLY ELECTRIC BOAT

Inspired by the new wave of electric cars, USA yacht manufacturer Hinkley has created an on-water equivalent. The new creation is called the Dasher, and Hinkley describes it as the “world’s first fully electric luxury yacht”. It has a silent Whisper Drive propulsion system powered by dual BMW i3 lithium ion batteries. The Dasher accepts dual 50amp charging cables (twice as fast as the most popular plug-in electric cars), which deliver a full charge in under four hours. This 28’6” craft has twin 80hp electric inboard motors which produce almost no noise, and zero emissions. They deliver a cruising speed of around 16km/h and a fast cruising speed of 43km/h. The boat’s range is an estimated 64km at cruising speed and around 32-40km at fast cruising speed. Minimising weight has been a big focus of the design, and it achieves this with a carbonepoxy composite hull and carbon stringers. At around USD$500k, the Dasher is out of the reach of most. However, given the increasing accessibility and affordability of electric cars, electric boating may well follow suit. www.hinckleyyachts.com

MERCURY FOURSTROKE SALE

PRODUCT GUIDE 1

For a limited time, Mercury is offering Australian boaters significant savings on its FourStrokes from 3.5hp right through to 150hp – savings from $175 to $1,950 recommended retail. And for anyone purchasing an engine from 40hp-150hp, this offer also includes a free VesselView Mobile, worth $450 (recommended retail). VesselView Mobile provides SmartCraft engine data on your smartphone or tablet, and to receive the data, owners simply need to download the free VesselView Mobile app from the App Store or Google Play. The Mercury Unbeatable FourStroke Deals sale ends on 20 November, 2017. Terms and conditions apply, and more information is available on the Mercury Marine website. Low finance deals are also available through Mercury Finance. www.mercurymarine.com

SIMRAD GO12 XSE AND GO7 XSR

The GO12 XSE and GO7 XSR are the newest additions to Simrad’s GO standalone chartplotter series. The GO12 XSE offers a new, 12” display option for the series, while the upgraded GO7 XSR features a restyled, glass-helm design, along with radar compatibility, not previously available on the GO7 XSE. Featuring super-bright displays, these new units have intuitive menus and multi-touch controls similar to smartphones and tablets. Even novices will find them easy to use. Fully compatible with Simrad Broadband 3G/4G and Halo Radar systems, the GO12 XSE and GO7 XSR also feature internal GPS receivers, StructureScan HD and CHIRP Sonar, autopilot integration, engine data monitoring, full audio entertainment connectivity with SonicHub2, built-in wireless connectivity and the Simrad TripIntel trip computer. Both units connect to NMEA 2000 compatible sensors, and a wide range of cartography options are available. Look out for them later this year. Price: from $1049 (GO7), $3499 (GO12) www.simrad-yachting.com

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

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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.

www.nitromarine.com.au 34 Smith St Motorway, Southport, QLD 4215 Phone: (07) 5532 5812

Testing Booth

New age Wireless Xi5 MotorGuide a winner BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

In this issue of the magazine I’ve outlined some of the things that have enhanced fishing experiences with our Galeforce 4.5m centre console. While the performance ride and handling are naturally major factors, it’s the extra items that we carefully assessed as mandatory additions that have been the icing on the cake.

when compared with those of yesteryear. Things like instant response to any command, sheer convenience of the main features plus the effortless silent power of the unit have certainly made my fishing a lot more enjoyable – and dare I say successful – than other auxiliary propulsion units I have owned. CONTROL UNITS Starting at the beginning, the Xi5 MotorGuide’s handbook set out things very carefully and in easy-tounderstand language. As a

me to be fully hands-on with tricky tackle tactics while I turned the boat with a toe. When barra fishing with the fly rod, I far prefer the foot control over the hand unit as there will always be times when it’s necessary to devote full attention to a fish and its attempts to get into cover. When things are more relaxed, the hand controls earn its keep, so both options are the smartest way to go. It was also handy to know that no matter how involved I was with a fish or other distraction, the exact command I’d given

A fabulous fly-caught Somerset Dam bass taken by Richard Harvey. The Xi5’s Anchor Mode ensured the Galeforce stayed right over the fish. was invaluable. Providing the prevailing breeze was light I was happy enough to drift while fly fishing for these great little fighters, but once breeze strengthened and

Anchor position, regaining the hot spot was as easy as pressing and releasing the previously selected button to get the craft moving back to the honey hole. An ascending

as easily selected again and acted upon with a touch of the Route Playback and relevant storage button. It was easy to look for fish as we travelled and stop to harass them or

Hook-up! The author relied on the Xi5’s silent running to sneak onto a Cania saratoga. While there are several contenders for the big tick of approval, the Xi5 MotorGuide electric motor is right up there as a for absolute highest honours. For the three months I have had it on the front of the boat it has certainly surprised me with its smooth efficiency, capability and diversity of functions. One thing that has been very obvious from the outset is just how far advanced the modern electric motor is

somewhat older convert to the modern digital age (for years I thought a megabyte was a big meal; a terabyte an extra hot curry) it was nothing more than fun to undertake a couple of steps to initialise the unit to both the foot and hand control units. So why do I use both of these control units? Put simply, although the hand control is undeniably convenient, there have been times in the past when the use of a foot control allowed

the Xi5 MotorGuide had been received and acted upon. A beep signal follows a command and tuning the audible beeps (there are three audio modes available) gave an insight into how commands worked. I chose Audio Mode No. 2 to cover everything from Start Up to Anchor position record and recall. ANCHOR MODE HANDY Fishing for bass at Cania and Somerset dams in late winter I found the Xi5 MotorGuide’s Anchor mode The MotorGuide saw the author stealthily casting to features in Cania Dam in search of saratoga and bass.

A brilliant successful combination - the Lowrance Carbon 12 and MotorGuide Xi5 in use at Lake Somerset. Note the track in red showing the boat heading back on a predetermined route to waypoint 45, with the bass just starting to show on the sloping bank of the Stanley River bed. 110

NOVEMBER 2017

became a pest I immediately touched the Anchor Mode button to lock into place over a school. If the Lowrance Carbon 12’s sounder screen was telling us there were fish in a certain area, a two second press of one of the numbered buttons on the hand control would see the Anchor position exactly stored for reference later. Feeding bass frequently move, of course, (especially if a few of their mates are being hauled struggling to the surface) and once the sounder showed the fish were moving it was very convenient to use the hand control buttons to move the boat 1.5m per time with a ‘jog’ command in a chosen direction. But if we had drifted some distance from the original

chirp from the MotorGuide would always confirm the command was being acted on. FOLLOWING A ROUTE Another big feature of the Xi5 is the unit’s ability to follow a predetermined route. This feature, relying upon the MotorGuide’s GPS to follow a given track, has been very useful when working both reef edges in Moreton Bay as well as the Stanley river’s bed in Somerset Dam. In the freshwater scenario setting up a route on the Stanley’s bed was as easy as activating the hand control’s Route Record button then manually tracking a chosen section of river bed. A press on a chosen hand control button saw the route I selected stored at the end of travel, to be just

keep on travelling to the route’s end where the Anchor lock would activate to remind us we had reached the end of the selected course. Naturally, the same system worked just as easily along a reef edge in Moreton Bay’s Peel Island. THE OVERVIEW In overviewing the MotorGuide Xi5 I’m more than satisfied with my investment. The unit is a no brainer to use, is very easy to deploy or retrieve (my dear wife can testify to that as she fishes from the front of our boat) and not the least of the great things about the Xi5, is that both foot and hand control units are powered by batteries (AA and AAA) that are freely available at a huge number of outlets.

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Things that made a good boat even better BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

In last month’s issue I discussed the layout of my 4.5m Galeforce centre console, which was tailored to suit my fishing requirements. In this article I’m outlining some of the things – the extras if you like – that have made a good boat into a great fishing boat. 75 EVINRUDE E-TEC With almost two decades of experience with Evinrude E-Tecs, it was a no-brainer that I would select one of these low emission 2-strokes to power the solid Galeforce hull. I’m no petrol-head, but I require my engines to perform; in fact, I just don’t see much sense in powering a boat with any engine that struggles to achieve adequate hull performance. It’s false economy in my view. It’s no secret that I

emission rating would allow us to fish some of the areas off limits to non-compliant engines. Wivenhoe Dam is one of my favourite bass impoundments and the E-Tec fulfils the Water Board’s stringent emission requirements very well. Our 75hp turns revs into speed via a 13 7/8 x 17

LOWRANCE CARBON 12 When a sounder is as good as this unit it’s hard to know where to start, or where to finish! To keep things in perspective I had used a Lowrance 12” HDS Gen 3 unit in my previous boat and thought it was just the bee’s knees. I loved

The picture says it all. There’s no way the Keel Shield can contact the trailer at any stage.

The Evinrude 75 was the perfect engine choice for the 4.5 Galeforce.

An interesting screen shot of the Carbon 12 – note the dark arches (the bass) and the boney bream school so close to the surface that their shadow is visible on the side imaging. love the instant response from these direct fuel injected 2-strokes, which provide impressive power to weight ratios along with frugal fuel consumption. Past experience is usually a pretty reliable guide to the future, so reinforced by my previous ownership of three 90s, one 25 and one 40hp E-Tec – all without the slightest sniff of an issue during well over 1400 hours on the water – I figured I’d stay with what I had complete confidence in. With recommended engine ratings of 70-75hp, the 1.3L three-cylinder E-Tec 75 with it’s 20” leg would have the grunt to provide very strong performance while the CARB three star ultra-low 112

NOVEMBER 2017

Viper prop, which virtually kicks the craft out of the hole in around two boat lengths and yet provides excellent fuel usage figures. The Galey – two up – planes at 13.4km/h at 2500rpm while 3000rpm sees it humming along at 30.6km/h with a fuel usage of 13.1L/h. At 4000rpm – a cruising fave – the GPS indicated 48.6km/h and fuel consumption of 17.4L/h, while 5000rpm gave us some breeze at 64.5km/h. Of real significance is the fact that at cruising speeds of around 40-50kph (3500-4000rpm) normal conversation is possible. Fuel consumption is so good that a big morning of fishing Somerset Dam would usually mean a fuel usage of 3.5L.

the thing, but once I got my head around the huge difference involved with the Carbon 12 I suddenly realised what a gift I had at my disposal. Keeping all the tech jargon to a minimum – the dual core processor, twice the RAM of the Gen 3 predecessor, new wireless Bluetooth connectivity – it was the ultra clarity of the big screen (even when wearing sunglasses) along with user-friendliness and a host other features that make fishing as easy as possible that I found to be some of the highlights of using the powerful sounder GPS. Once the Carbon 12 unit was installed and the Total Scan transducer setup it was very satisfying to customise split screen pages to suit my fishing and organize a suitable data overlay for a planned fishing trip. For instance, when barra fishing in an impoundment I set up a prominent water temperature overlay on the screen to find the warmest water on the day.

This is obviously not so important when fishing Moreton Bay, as depth and bottom features are the go-to items there. I enjoyed downloading impoundment and other social maps, setting up access to the GoFree store via my home wifi and working out a

been great to fish a new area and have an Insight Genesis Social Map of that waterway available as one of the ‘favourites,’ which I have specifically set up for my use. I favour a mix of screen features from sonar/ structure scan (sonar on the top half of the screen)

A Hard Korr Boatlight kit – with dimmer – is very useful for night fishing. catalogue of music for the Sonic Hub2 linked to the Lowrance unit. On the water it has

Denise caught this fat bass taken from a school spotted on the sounder.

right through to navigation, side scan and sonar on other screens. A simple touch will see the desired favourite on the screen while adjustment of depth to maximise all images has also provided the best view of what our finny friends are up to! Navigating around coastal areas via the Navionics chart is simple while the GPS function of the Carbon 12 has been faultless and just as userfriendly as every other aspect of the unit. New trails with a different colour are handy; a run back to the ramp on Borumba Dam after dark as the result of an overly-extended toga session well up Kingham Creek was highlighted by a red trail. Mind you, the Hard Korr LED headlight on the underside of the Xi5 MotorGuide’s mounting point earned its keep that night too.

DUNBIER SR4 7M-13B TRAILER The Dunbier SR4 7M-13B is one of Dunbier’s Supa Rolla series of trailers that provide a very important self-centring feature as a craft is either driven or winched on. The trailer’s design is super strong and allows a boat to be carried low within the support rollers, which is ideal for Vee hulls such as the Galeforce. Rear cross members, with sets of rollers each side, always self centre the hull as soon as it is drawn into it. I don’t like to immerse bearings and will avoid the situation at every opportunity, so our rig rolls gently off the trailer

– and is retrieved – without giving the bearings a swim each time. The low profile

of the hull within the trailer greatly facilitates this small bearing preservation fetish

One of best features of this trailer is the way in which the hull’s bow section and frontal area never touches the rollers or any other part of the trailer. This is a very significant feature as it ensures the Keel Shield on the bow is not subjected to compression or high degrees of friction as the boat goes on or off the trailer, which of course might cause it some grief. This all-roller setup is

something to be seriously considered when choosing a trailer for a glass hull; launch and retrieval are simplified and the design of the SR4 7M-13B ensures the Keel Shield stays put to protect the hull at the ramp or on gravel edges. HARD KORR LIGHTING PRODUCTS A Korr boatlight kit has been installed under all side decks and around the stern of the craft for night

fishing. With its capacity to dim and the availability of several colours to keep pesky insects at bay at night, the Hard Korr light kit is a brilliant asset. The LED spotlight up front of the craft is an essential item to avoid contact with folk who mistakenly feel that having a nav light on when casting a lure 30m from their craft at night will scare barra away from their boat.

With a screen like this, the bass are certainly on the job. Note the small patch of bait up higher, doubtless trying to get away!

Hard Korr LED spotlight is a valuable asset for dam navigation after dark.

of mine! Yes, my feet and legs do get wet, but being waterproof I don’t need to check them periodically for corrosion after salt water use. With is mechanical brakes and 13” wheels, the Dunbier SR4 7M-13B trailer suits our purposes admirably. On the road – our boat is having plenty of travel around the state, Peter Faust is next – the Galey’s hull sits low, there’s reduced wind resistance and the trailer is beautifully balanced at all speeds.

With the Keel Shield on, the boat can be drawn onto concrete ramps and other hard surfaces without risk of damage.

November

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Sea Jay 4.88 Avenger Sports with 75hp Yamaha - SC

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SPECIFICATIONS Bottom sheet.. 3.0mm Side sheet....... 3.0mm Beam................ 2.30m Depth................ 1.22m Floor ribs................ 12 Capacity..... 5 persons Hull weight....... 435kg Rec hp.................... 70 Max hp................... 90 Max motor.........175kg 114

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There’s no denying that Bundaberg’s Sea Jay make a great-looking boat. Every time we upload a video-test to social media, there are plenty of people commenting that a Sea Jay is their dream rig. Luckily, the boats are built to last and perform their duties nicely. The 4.88 Avenger Sports that Garry Fitzgerald turned up with at the boat ramp at Cleveland was no exception. Garry is the National Sales Manager on the brand and had borrowed the rig from long time Sea Jay dealer, Stones Corner Marine in Brisbane. As it was fitted with one of the new F75 Yamahas, Willie Lee from Yamaha was there, too. Yamaha is proud of this motor (which is based on the F90) and Yamaha is always keen to see how their product performs on local hulls. And as a spectator commented as we were preparing the rig

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

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get to remote campsites and tote all of the gear that you need to make the trip comfortable. Available through the Sea Jay dealer network, the company has a reputation of being easy to deal with when ordering options and

FMG

however this hull was cradled on a Redco from Stones Corner. As tested, the package we took for a run weighed in at $34,500, although BMT packages start from the low $30Ks. For more information

PERFORMANCE

Main: We call it the ‘Sea Jay Curse’ at Fishing Monthly. The Bay flattens out and the wind stops whenever we go to test a Sea Jay. If you’re an angler, then you may think this is a good thing, but it doesn’t let you get a feel for the hull in the rough. Above: The southeast corner of Peel Island is a pretty part of Moreton Bay and offers a variety of options for the angler and the boat tester. for launch, it looks “mint!” Although there’s only 5hp difference between the 70 and 75hp Yamahas, there’s nearly 50kg weight difference. The 70 is a 1.0L outboard and the 75 is the same platform as the F90 and has a 1.8L capacity. With a less beamy boat, this may be a problem, but the 2.3m of width at the back of the Sea Jay holds the weight with ease. And the 90hp version would also legally fit on this hull. Apart from the weight, the main difference between the two motors is torque in the mid-range. Some dealers will tell you that “there’s no replacement for displacement”, and the capacity of this engine can definitely be felt as the hammers go down.

Having virtually no weight in the boat apart from some safety gear and the occupants (i.e., no trolling motor, batteries or fishing tackle) also helped this rig jump up and out of the hole. In fact, I think that some extra weight in the hull would make it more stable at rest, as it was so light that it would rock from chine to chine at rest. Nothing that a full tank of fuel and a MotorGuide wouldn’t sort out. Of course, the 75 Yamaha was super efficient, getting over 3km/L of fuel at a cruising speed of 43km/h at 4000 rpm. From a fishing point of view, the world is your oyster with the Adrenaline hull – there’s mountains of space inside it to accommodate

three anglers comfortably, or a boat load of camping gear. It’d definitely be a great ‘weekend’ boat to

RPM............ km/h.................. L/h................ km/L idle.................... 4.................. 1.3....................3.0 1000.................. 5.................. 1.9....................2.6 2000.................10.................. 4.5....................2.2 3000................ 26.................. 8.4....................3.0 4000................ 43.................13.2....................3.3 5000................ 57................... 22....................2.6 5700................ 67................ 30.3....................2.2 customisation for your rig. They’re big enough to build you the boat you want quickly and small enough to still listen to their customers. Sea Jay can supply trailers for all of their boats,

about this rig or the rest of the Sea Jay range, call into Stones Corner Marine at 117 Old Cleveland Road, Stones Corner, visit their website at www. stonescornermarine.com.au, or call (07) 3397 9766.

Yamaha’s F75 is substantially heavier than their F70 (by around 44kg), but offers nearly double the displacement (1.8L versus 1.0L) and plenty of torque. The 2.30m beam holds the motor easily and it sits under the transom’s maximum weight threshold by 7kg.

Top: Here’s the best of both worlds – an anchor box and an electric motor plate. Great for the bait fisher and lure caster. Above: With a full height transom and motor well, there’s room to fish in the port and starboard transom corners.

You want plenty of flat, open deck space? You’ve come to the right place!

With several seat-mounting options, you can set up the seats to suit the sort of fishing that you’re likely to do. Half-pockets at the rear of the aft of the casting deck offer some gear storage.

Top: The Avenger hulls have a reputation for being beamy – you can see just how beamy they are in this pic from above. Left and Right: The small casting deck up front has a couple of storage compartments. Anglers fitting a bow-mounted electric will often mount the batteries here to reduce bow lift.

We love that there’s a small, waterproof compartment for your valuables. Also, there’s plenty of space to bracket mount a large fish finder. The grab rails complete this practical console.

The helm is comfortable and you can rest your arm on the gunwale while using the throttle.

Top: Wide gunwales all round offer plenty of places to mount rod holders. Above: Yes, the Avenger 4.88 will turn heads at the ramp, with its Yamaha paint matching, wide beam and shallow draft, it’ll be easy for the family to get on board, too. NOVEMBER 2017

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Whittley CW2150 with Yamaha F150hp 4 stroke - SC

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It’s not every day you get to test a boat that can be made into a configuration that allows the installation of a bow mounted machine gun. Granted, it’d be great for when you get to the secret snapper spot and your so-called ‘mate’ that you took fishing last week is anchored up, hooked up and pretends to not speak English. I did check with Alan Whittley, however, and that version went overseas. You can’t get it locally. What you can get is an outboard powered version of this popular sized hull that’s eminently suitable for both inshore and offshore fishing. Built in Australia and refined from decades of feedback from Australian boaties, the CW2150 is a popular model in the range, boasting the walk-through configuration to give access to the bow of the boat without having to crawl around the gunwales. Powered by Yamaha’s

stalwart F150 four-stroke outboard, which is at the lower end of the range suitable for this hull, fuel economy mirrors the fact that it’s working hard to push the hull. Not that modern four-strokes don’t like the load – in fact there are thousands of Yammys on the water that cherish the workload. Regardless, expect around 1.5km/L of unleaded burned for this rig. From the cockpit, you’ll see that this is a beamy boat with high gunwales. You feel safe in this boat out on the ocean. It’s only 2cm narrower than the maximum legal width SPECIFICATIONS Length................ 6.5m Beam................ 2.48m Boat weight....1020kg Max hp..................230 Fuel.....................205L (without having to tow with an oversize sign) and it has gunwales as high as anything I’ve tested in recent times. The rear lounge seats are fully removable, allowing you to change from ‘family

PERFORMANCE RPM Speed (km/h) Economy (km/L) 600..................................4............................... 2 1000................................7.............................2.3 2000.............................. 13.............................1.8 3000..............................22.............................1.1 4000..............................44.............................1.5 5000..............................57.............................1.5 5500..............................65.............................1.0 *5.4 seconds to plane with Solas 17” propeller 116

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Main: At 6.5m long and just under 2.5m wide, the Whittley CW2150 is a big, deep, beamy boat that’s just as comfortable offshore as it is inshore. Above: On the plane in 5.6 seconds, the Yamaha F150 fourstroke pushed the test boat to 65km/h at 5500rpm. mode’ to ‘fishing mode.’ In fact, this version of the hull does both pretty well. The front cabin is well designed and spacious and honours the Whittley heritage of making comfortable cruising boats. Looking back from the helm, its fishing chops become evident. The bait station is large and simple. There are three ways to store rods: vertically and horizontally in the side pockets and up in the rocket launchers. Bait tanks in the transom corners solve your live bait storage problems and a big kill tank under the floor deals with the issue of icing down your catch. You know what else I like in a boat? Somewhere to put

your keys, wallet and mobile phone without fearing that they’ll be lost or drowned. You could fit 50 of each in the open glove compartment storage on the passenger side of the helm, along with a couple of coldies in the drink holders. Driving from the helm is comfortable and there’s space to flush mount all necessary electronics. For me, that’s a must in a 21st century boat. To test this impressive Whittley CW2150 for yourself contact either: Northside Marine, 2294 Sandgate Road, Boondall, 07 3265 8000, northsidemarine.com.au; or Australian Marine Centre, 3491 Pacific Hwy, Slacks Creek, 07 3808 7333, www. amcboats.com.au. Be sure to scan the QR code to watch the full video test on this boat.

The 2150 is high sided. Peter Jung and Alan Whittley are both tall guys, even if unable to catch snapper on demand.

Top: Economical cruising speed is between 4000 and 5000rpm. The best fuel economy delivered is around 1.5km/L of fuel burned. Below: This is one good looking boat. You won’t be feeling any of that boat ramp jealousy with this beaut.

Top: All Whittleys are delivered with a five year hull warranty for peace of mind. Below: The passenger helm station has a massive dry space for your personal electronics and drinks. Radio and stereo are also mounted this side.

The split windscreen and lift-up cabin hatch allow the walkthrough access to the anchor.

The entire rear lounge is removable, allowing you to swap between a family-friendly layout and a fishing-friendly layout.

Top: Spacious side pockets are made even bigger by the high gunwales. This one has both vertical and horizontal rod storage and a deck wash. Left: Rarely do we test a boat of this size without an anchor winch. Right: The canopy, clears and rocket launchers all work together nicely to free up space and provide shade – a must in Australian conditions.

If it takes a Porta Potti to get the family out on the water, then there’s a receptacle for one in the 2150. And the cabin is big enough to ensure that there’s plenty of shady room for the family.

We’re seeing these Relaxn seats more and more in Australianbuilt boats. They’re good looking and comfortable.

Top: The CW2150 is easily towed by any of the twin cab utes that are so popular amongst anglers. Left: Considering Whittley’s heritage, it’s not surprising that the 2150 boasts a flash, functional cabin. Right: Clever use of the available storage space is a Whittley hallmark. See here what you can fit under the cabin seats. NOVEMBER 2017

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Advertorial

Pro+ heads west When the legends at Deeper contacted and asked me if I’d be interested in trying one of their wireless fish finders, I couldn’t reply fast enough with a giant “Yes!” Spending so much of my time either walking the banks of small freshwater rivers and streams or fishing Copeton or Pindari dams out of my kayak, a device like the Deeper Pro+ could really take my own understanding of the waterways to a new level. The ability to see, in real time, what was hiding amongst the snags or just how deep certain holes are is something most people would not have access to – particularly in the rivers, which are just too small for someone to put a boat in and map with a traditional hard mounted sounder. Imagine the amount of anglers over the years who have wandered the same tracks as I do casting, without really knowing what laid beneath the surface. I’d now have a big advantage – the Deeper Pro+. After a few weeks of me harassing the postie each day, the package finally arrived. I couldn’t wait to get out on the water and test its capabilities.

positive, I must say I was a little sceptical on just how much I would use it and how much of a difference it would make, but I can tell you all I was pleasantly surprised. GETTING CONNECTED Connecting the Deeper unit to my phone was fairly easy and it wasn’t long before they were talking to each other and was ready to show me what lurked beneath the surface. I’m not sure on what kind of a range it has as far as how far I could cast it and have it still work, but the

sunlight periods so you can get the most out of your unit. The classic screen that is default has what Deeper calls a carbon background and shows the best overall colours. It wasn’t too bad on the battery life of my phone either – I thought it might drain it very quickly, but it was a nice surprise when it lasted for ages. TURNING FISH FOUND INTO FISH CAUGHT My brother and I are not the most technical guys in the world, and neither of us have a lot of experience with sounders, but it wasn’t long after the unit was in the water that we got the hang of what was what. We could see the snags, see the fish and were racing each other to get a cast in the right place. Some of what we thought were fish were probably snags and some of what we thought were snags turned out to be cod, but we weren’t complaining! SUMMARY Even after a short time using the Deeper, I could see why some guys I know love theirs and also why it has won so many awards all over the place, including the John Dunphy

A screenshot from the author’s phone showing the different textures of bottom, depths of water and most importantly, the fish!

Here you can see a few fish hunting close to each other just in front of a bank of weed.

The tabs at the top of screen make it very easy to switch screens and get the information you need.

I ended up going fishing the same day it arrived! Even if it was winter and freezing cold, I wanted to catch some cod using my new toy. With my younger brother tagging along, I headed for a local hole that had produced fish in the past, but we hadn’t really been able to unlock its full potential since we were just guessing where the deeper holes were and fishing only the snags we could see. Even though the idea of the Deeper was really exciting and the talk about it was so

whole time I’ve used it the connection has stayed very strong. This might have been tested if I was casting further. The Deeper unit turns itself on as soon as it hits the water and you only need a smartphone with WiFi – it doesn’t need an internet or phone signal, and won’t chew your valuable data. VIEWING WHAT’S DOWN THERE Once you’re connected, you can change the view settings depending on if you’re fishing day or night, or even just different

Award for Innovation from the AFTA Trade Show on the Gold Coast last year. They’re easy to use, totally portable and most importantly, made it easier for me and my little brother to catch fish. With Christmas approaching quickly, I’d have no problems recommending the Deeper sounder as a great gift. Anglers are notoriously hard to buy presents for, but this one is a real winner and won’t break the bank. Adam Townsend

Cod on! A beast of a wild fish that was identified on the author’s phone while scanning the hole in the river.

The Deeper unit comes with a bright orange case so it’s easy to see in the water. The author was a little worried a cod might eat it though…

Ready for action! The unit is very light and easy to cast on the author’s Dusk rod that he normally carries as a spare anyway.

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More than just a sounder, the Deeper Pro+ can also give you up to date weather and barometer information.

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