Huge Fraser Island Special • Brisbane Boat Show Preview
Tried and Tested
Aluvan Razor 4.3 • SeaJay 455 Avenger • Isuzu D-Max LS •
PART 2 Pages 70-112
4WD Camping Tournaments News
MACDONALD CLOSEST TOWNS: COOROY, NOOSA The weed edges at MacDonald have continued to produce the goods. Plastics rigged with spinning blades were popular last month and this reaction style approach will be well suited to the start of spring. Beetlespins, Rev Heads and Owner Flashy Swimmers are great components to rig with your favourite paddle or curl tail bass plastic. Try working these lures down the weed face and any deeper pockets in areas like Borer Creek and the Three Ways. Surface activity should be on the rise and an early morning surface session can see some of the best fish of the day hitting the deck. Don’t be afraid to get right up into the weedy pockets with your surface lures. Try poppers like the
Halco Rooster popper 60 in small tight areas where the lure can be blooped slowly in the one spot or the Cultiva Zip’n Ziggy where the water is more open and suited to a walk-the-dog retrieve. MAROON CLOSEST TOWN: BOONAH Fishing plastics tight to the weed edge has been accounting for some of the better quality bass. The change in season will see the fish more responsive to a range of offerings. Maroon is a great place to rotate through several lure patterns during the course of the day. Surface lures can be worth a shot early in the morning followed by suspending jerkbaits. Soft plastics rigged on 1/4oz jigheads are then ideal to fish the taper of the weed where it drops away to the bottom as the bass move deeper with the increasing light. Reaction baits, like spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits will soon start to
work but in the meantime, opt for something in between. The beetle spin is ideal for this and is one of the best lures for fishing tight to weed beds. Rig plastics on a 1/4-3/8oz jighead and use a small or medium sized spinning blade. Other options are TT’s Rev Heads or the weedless Owner Flashy Swimmer. There have been some smaller schooling bass holding around the dam wall. These fish may start to move back to the points near and opposite the boat ramp but can still be targeted. Hopping ice jigs in the schools should produce a few but their size may not be too exciting. MOOGERAH CLOSEST TOWN: BOONAH Mixed reports are flowing in from Moogerah. While some fish continue to be caught around the lake’s edges, it is the schools that are producing some of the best action. Dozens of bass have
been lured by anglers when they’ve found the schooling bass. The western shoreline in behind the timber has produced some quality bass on spinnerbaits and silent lipless crankbaits. With the longer days, the better action around the edges will be early and later in the day. The bright part in the middle of the day will be best suited to chasing schooling bass. Bass schools are likely to turn up on along the point and drop-off between the boat ramps or off the points and humps in the first half of the timber. Try sounding around in 7-10m of water. When they have been chewing, reports suggest they will take all manner of lures. Ice jigs, plastics, blades and vibes would be my first choice. Most of the schooling fish are of a medium size and will be around 35-40cm in length. Bait fishing in the timber
Chunky bass will be on offer at Moogerah Dam this month. Try locating schools around the spit between the boat ramps. has accounted for plenty of bass and you can expect the occasional golden perch as well. Live shrimp have been the best bait to use and will
almost guarantee success when fished in 6-9m of water. If the action is slow, move on every 10 minutes until you find a sweet spot.
DARLING DOWNS GRANITE BELT REIGON COOBY CLOSET TOWNS: HIGHFIELDS, TOOWOOMBA With the mild winter we have experienced, the golden perch at Cooby have been caught on bait right through. Good numbers were taken last month on shrimp and frozen saltwater yabbies late in the day when the sun was setting. The action should begin to ramp up this month and the bite time will be extended. Expect to see more goldens falling for lures as well. Jigging ice jigs and small blades will be the most successful way to entice them while they are still a bit lethargic. The bank opposite the boat ramp and up Cooby creek in 6-10m of water will be the place to target them. In the Cooby Creek arm, the fish can seem to turn up right out in the middle of nowhere. Often they will congregate not far from the old creek
bed on adjacent flats. Cooby is an electric motor only dam and is well suited to kayaks and canoes. The concrete boat ramp is on a shallow angle when the dam is full and can be slippery in places. A boom gate at the entrance requires $3.00 to open. The dam hours have extended and are now 7am-8pm as of the 1 September. Live shrimp and saltwater yabbies can be purchased from Highfields Bait and Tackle on the New England Highway in Highfields. COOLMUNDA CLOSEST TOWN: INGLEWOOD The golden perch have been firing up at Coolmunda and there have also been a few Murray cod about. The goldens have been caught on bait and lures. The timbered area has been the most reliable area for Continued page 72
STAY ALL WEEKEND AND CATCH FISH THROW A LINE IN THE WATER * TELL CAMPFIRE STORIES UNDER THE STARS *PITCH A TENT OR STAY IN A CABIN
Bjelke-Petersen Dam
Lake Boondooma
Only 8km from Murgon and a short 2 1/2 hours from Brisbane is Bjelke-Petersen Dam.
Lake Boondooma is located near Proston, is only 3 1/2 hours from Brisbane.
Stay at award winning Yallakool Park on BP Dam
Stay at Lake Boondooma Caravan & Recreation Park.
villa & cabin accommodation ensuited caravan sites powered & unpowered sites. swimming pool camp kitchen tennis court
Yallakool Caravan Park on Bjelke-Petersen Dam (07) 4168 4746 yallakool@southburnett.qld.gov.au www.yallakoolpark.com.au
self contained cabins powered & unpowered sites kiosk camp kitchen refuelling facilities walking tracks
Lake Boondooma Caravan and Recreation Park (07) 4168 9694 lakeboondooma@skymesh.com.au www.lakeboondooma.com.au
In the South Burnett, it’s only 1 hour between Freshwater dams SEPTEMBER 2013 •
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Cod Bod for goodoo BRISBANE
Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com
Murray cod are one of Australia’s greatest native species. Inhabiting river and gorge country predominately, Murrays are a hot target for many inland anglers. Although most commonly targeted on lures, Murray cod are prime targets for anglers chucking the fur and feather in both rivers and impoundments. They respond well to large bulky flies sunk down into the depths where they commonly reside. This month’s pattern is a great offering for those considering a trip west to target this iconic fish. Murray cod will eat a broad array of aquatic offerings from crayfish
for a positive result. Bulky flies are the go in these waters; therefore the Cod Bod, and patterns like it are all exceptionally productive. Weighted eyes or additional lead wound around the shank is generally a requirement to get these patterns down into the strike zone, especially when fishing faster flowing water. In this situation, the cod will be down deep, generally in the deepest section of the hole or behind some current altering structure. Here they can reside with minimal effort while hunting and waiting for a hapless food source to pass. Getting the fly down through the current and into this strike zone will often require quite a lot of added weight or possibly a long cast past the chosen area so that the fly can have time to sink adequately before being
MATERIALS
HOOK: THREAD: EYE: FLASH 1: FLASH 2: TAIL 1: TAIL 2: TAIL 3: COLLAR: HEAD: FINISH:
Gamakatsu SL12S 6/0 Flat waxed nylon- flouro green Painted eye - large yellow Krystal flash - olive Krystal flash - rainbow Badger hackle - pink Badger hackle - yellow Badger hackle - chartreuse Marabou - olive Estaz chenille - olive Vinyl cement
to carp as well as many terrestrials that are unlucky enough to make a watery splashdown. Cod will opportunistically engulf most moving things that cross their path and are extremely responsive to both movement and vibration. Obviously, using patterns that provide these piscatorial prompts is a good ploy. In the often-murky water where Murray cod reside, presence is enough to get a fly engulfed. As such, patterns that push a decent degree of water are desirable
washed or stripped down past the possible cod haunt. Just finding a spot where you can cast a fly line is a hard task in some waterways. Limitations with delivering an adequate back cast are often a problem and you will commonly hook more foliage than fish. MATERIALS Like many of the patterns I tie in this column, there are plenty of variations in colours, material type and size that can be applied. I have chosen a Gamakatsu SL12S 6/0 for this fly as it
Place the hook securely in the vice and attach the thread with a jamb knot roughly opposite the hook point. Tie in around 8-10 strands of olive Krystal flash. Next, tie in 8-10 strands of rainbow coloured flash at the same point.
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Cut 6 pink badger hackles of roughly the 2 same length. At this same point, tie 3 to one side of the hook shank with the curvature facing inwards and then the other 3 to the opposite side of the hook shank in the same manner. When tying in hackle, start with light wraps to get the hackle in position and then several tighter wraps to secure it. 74
is a very strong hook and possesses a slightly turned in point that is ideal for setting in the wide, tough jaw of a Murray cod. This hook is also ideal for barramundi, another suitable target species for the Cod Bod. I must admit that I generally tie this pattern with a weed guard and find the slightly turned in point aiding the weed guard to do its job. Eyes of many different types, weights and colours can be used however I have opted for a large, highly visible eye which will be ideal to get the pattern down deep yet still be visible. For the tail I have used a combination of badger saddle hackles in 3 colours to provide some variation and an almost mottled appearance. Conventional saddle hackles could also be used but I would advise mixing up the colours, this provides good effect. I am not sure if this look works well because the cod are curious and mouth the offering to see what it is, or whether it looks like many of their food items, which can also be multi-coloured. The collar is marabou, a natural material which wafts enticingly in the water when the fly is stripped or even when the fly is sinking. Another option would be some zonker strip, perhaps rabbit, hare, finn raccoon or angora goat. Flash gives good effect to the fly in the water and you could use just about any kind or colour for this pattern including shimmerflash, polarflash or mylar. Around the eyes I have wrapped some chenille, which adds a degree of flash and movement to the pattern and also increases bulk, helping it to push water, providing presence in the aquatic environment.
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Cut 6 olive badger hackles, a fraction longer than the first if possible. Tie 3 in on one side of the hook shank, just in front of the last tie in point. Secure the other 3 on the opposite side of the hook shank, opposite its matching hackle.
3
4
Cut 6 olive badger hackles and repeat the last step with these so that each progressive set of 6 badger hackles are tied in fractionally in front of the last. This provides a degree of bulk to the pattern.
5
Get some nice, webby marabou, preferably turkey, and peel the fibres from along one side of the quill and tie this in on one side of the fly, just in front of the badger hackle. Repeat for the other side. You should have a good coverage right around the neck of the pattern. The more marabou you add the better, as it offers both movement and bulk to the fly. Whip finish but do not cut away the remaining thread.
6
Tie in the butt of your estaz chenille at this same point before wrapping forward to lay down a bed of thread up to the hook eye. Come back a few millimetres and then secure your eyes with a series of figure-of-eight wraps. Whip finish just behind the hook eye and add a little vinyl cement to the thread but do not cut away the remainder.
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Wrap the chenille forward, filling the gap behind the eyes, in between the eyes and up to the hook eye. You may need to wrap some sections twice to create a uniform look. Secure the end of the chenille just behind the hook eye, whip finish, add a little vinyl cement and then cut away the excess thread and chenille. Your Cod Bod is now complete and ready to be sunk into the freshwater depths.
Tips for taking the fly rod north BRISBANE
Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au
In last month’s issue I highlighted the need to carry sufficient spares, choosing the best weight of fly rod for the job at hand, as well as the need for a thorough pre-use service of reels that are likely going to be in a harsh environment for an extended time. This month, I will also offer some more hints on tackle care when fly fishing in tropical environment and some fishing tactics as well. EXTRA FLY LINE CARE. With a cast being made every couple of minutes, the fly line needs extra TLC. There are two things in the tropical environment very likely to damage it - and it can occur in the boat or when fishing from the shore. The first culprit is insect repellent and the second is sunscreen. Any exposure to either is going to see the fly line wrecked in short order with cracks or chafing evident, even the plastic coating
line to rid them of salt water, even running the fly line through a wet rag will serve to check out any damage and also get rid of salt from the line and reel. Finally, be extra careful
usually going to be some distance behind the fish that made it. The trick is to quickly get the fly into an area 4-5m ahead of the splash and strip it as fast as possible for these speedsters.
is perfectly willing to take a fly, so long as some degree of stealth is used. I’ve seen barra and jacks grabbing a fly one rod’s length from the boat in around 40-50cm of water with the electric motor humming hard against tidal flow. Drifting is naturally brilliant, and will be one of the best approach tactics, but not always the best choice because the speed of the drift can cause fly line management issues. Deciding just where to fish on a bank that all looks good can be tricky, so we will look at a couple of scenarios.
mangrove bank. These are among my favourites as they can harbour some real talent, so far as hard chargers go. Rock bars look great but
remember that it’s vital to keep any belly or bow that is being caused by current to a bare minimum. Adjusting boat travel to minimise belly
Discoloured water is not a bar to success in the tropics. This little thready held by the author came out of 40cm of quite dirty water. when fishing from the shore over bits of coral, small stones and lumps of pumice stone, as all can damage a fly line that’s suddenly being lifted from the ground to complete a ripper of a forward cast.
Then, when a fish wallops the fly, don’t instinctively lift the rod; give the line a smart strip-strike. Next, as the strain comes on, kick the rod to the side rather than upwards; lifting the rod will often cause a lot of these finned rockets to jump and throw the hook. I must clarify that barra and mangrove jacks demand different tactics. These are ambush feeders so you need to present the fly straight to them instead. The only thing to come to terms with in this scenario is just how close, how very close you can get to a barra or jack that
Hookup as a big queenie whacks the fly. We will first look at the beach. It’s brilliant to see fish working the shoreline but you need to understand that no matter how few anglers these fish have seen,
Was that a splash there? Evening in the gulf is a mighty good time for a hook-up on fly. dissolving from some of the powerful tropical strength insect repellents or SPF 50 sunscreens available. Use them, by all means, but wipe the hands very carefully after use. I keep a separate cloth for this, not the one with slime and scales all over it from yesterday, this can make things very smelly. Take a few minutes at the end of a day’s fly fishing to wash both the rod and the fly
Barra off the beach. Scott Kampe caught this fish when it appeared as a mere shadow out wide.
FISHING TACTICS. It won’t take long when flyfishing in the tropical environment to discover that things happen mighty quickly up there. The sheer speed of fish such as the trevally species, queenfish, barracuda, tarpon as well as giant and wolf herring as they work a shore line or mangrove edge means that the swirl or splash suddenly catching the attention is
Note the dull colour of this selection of flies for the tropics. Poppers work best when the light is down.
Rock bars certainly hold fish but beware of fishing too close to line-damaging territory.
they will still not tolerate a clumsy or rushed approach, or even a shadow from a clear fly line going over them. Keeping low, ducking away from the water and sneaking ahead of the fish to allow them to approach rather than chasing them will pay off. Also, be aware that fish, even quite large ones, may only present as mere shadows. If a shadow is moving, call it for a fish and cast ahead of it! Another common scenario is rock bars or
are often too good in some respects with a lot of areas for fish to hide. The trick is to work a deeper bit of water adjoining the bar on the downstream side of it and lock the reel as soon as a bite registers. Fishing right up top of a bar and hooking a fish will usually lead to a shredded fly line. It might be fun at first, but not funny in the end. Mangrove banks with snags extending into some depth are tricky. You’ll look at them and think, “Where to start?” The answer is, right where the first snags associated with those mangroves are standing against tidal flow. Find this place and you will find the fish. Whether the tide is making or ebbing won’t matter, it’s the location that matters so it’s important to get the fly to sneak along the edge of the chosen feature with the current. Nothing ambush feeders eat will move much against current, so the fly should move with current flow. Another hot spot can be anywhere along a mangrove bank where snags appear to be free standing away from the main bank so long as the water is not too deep, which makes getting a fly on an intermediate sink line (my choice for this style of fishing) down into the likely strike zone more difficult. When working a section of bank from a boat,
and slack is vital to keep in touch with the fly at all times or fish will be felt but missed. A LOOK AT FLIES. We all understand that flies need to represent bait fish but far northern bait fish are often dull coloured, and a fair bit less shiny than the sort of bait (herring, hardiheads, pillies) we see further south. Flies on size 2/0 or even 1/0 hooks are usually accepted readily, especially if they are a little on the dull side with brown or olive coloured backs. Be prepared to downsize. If fish such as trevally or queenies are charging the fly but not actually hooking up, then changing to a smaller fly will usually see success at the next cast. Poppers can be fun. The best popper fishing seems to be at times of low light when fish are attracted to a splash but don’t get a good look at what is making it. Again, a definite strip-strike is required to set the popper into a hard jaw. Last but not least, never be put off by the fact that tidal flow has made the water somewhat discoloured. Tropical fish will feed readily in such water and pick up the movement of a small fly with ease. That’s one of the really great things about flyfishing in the far north; clear water is optional and not near as important as it is further south. QFM
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TOURNAMENT CALENDAR
DATE
DETAILS
CONTACT
AUGUST Aug 30-1 Sep
DATE
DETAILS
Oct 25-27 Tight Line Fishing Classic
Yeppoon Coast Guard
Yeppoon
www.tightlines.net.au.
CONTACT
Lake Moondarra Fishing Classic
Mount Isa Fish Stocking Group
Mount Isa
www.lakemoondarrafishing classic.com.au
Oct 26-27
SEPTEMBER Sep 7-8
Sep 14-15
Sep 17-18
Sep 21-22
Oct 26-27
Round 18
ABT
Moolooabah
07 3387 0888
GTS Bream Fishing Semi-Final
GTS
Gold Coast
0459 401 612
ABT BASS Grand Final
ABT
NOVEMBER
Cania Dam QLD
07 3387 0888
Nov 2-3
ABT BASS Megabucks
ABT
Somerset QLD
07 3387 0888
Bowen Family Fishing Classic
Russ McCabbin
Bowen
07 47863899 b/hrs
Nov 5-6
Nov 8-10
0428 776 653
Sep 21-22
Sep 27-29
Sep 28-29
Russel Nowland
Somerset Dam
07 4167 8183
Barra & Salmon Classic
Bert Flierman
Somerset Dam
0428 405 406
MTA Barra Summer League Rd 2
Geoff Newby
Teemburra
0430 344 485
Mary Valley Family Fishing Classic
Glenn Williams
Lake Borumba via Imbil
0427 276 933
ABT BREAM Classic Championship
ABT
Mallacoota VIC
07 3387 0888
ABT BREAM Grand Final
ABT
Gippsland Lakes VIC
07 3387 0888
Daiwa-Hobie BREAM Kayak Series
Oct 26-27 Sep 8
Basstasstic X Factor Teams Event
MTA Barra Summer League Rd 1
Geoff Newby
Peter Faust
0430 344 485
Baffle Creek Family Fishing Festival
Tracee Freebody
Baffle Creek
0421 598 911
Nov 15-17
Nov 16-17
Nov 23-24
Daiwa-Hobie BREAM Kayak Series Round 19
ABT
Ballina
www.fishingcomps.com.au
Bluefin Lake Maroon Fishing Classic
Steve Wilkes
Lake Maroon
0403 154 510
MTA Barra Summer League Rd 3
Geoff Newby
Peter Faust
0430 344 485
Golden Pro-Angler Basstasstic Series
Russel Nowland
TBA
07 4167 8183
Basstasstic X Factor Grand Final
Russel Nowland
Somerset Dam
07 4167 8183
MTA Barra Summer League Rd 4
Geoff Newby
Peter Faust
0430 344 485
MTA Barra Summer League Rd 5
Geoff Newby
Teemburra
0430 344 485
MTA Barra Summer League Rd 6
Geoff Newby
Teemburra
0430 344 485
King of the Pin
Don Vogel
Gem Hotel, Alberton
0411 958 076
DECEMBER Dec 7-8
OCTOBER Oct 4-6
Oct 5-6
Toogoom Fishing Club Annual Comp
Roger Honeyman
Toogoom
toogoomfishingclubmedia@yahoo.com
Saratoga Spectacular
Steven Schuh
Bedford Weir Blackwater
0429 165 756 secretary@mrfsa.org.au.
Oct 5-6
JANUARY Jan 18-19
FEBRUARY Feb 1-2
Bjelke Peterson Inland Family Fishing Classic
Peter
Bjelke Peterson
4168 4746
MARCH Oct 5-7
Oct 12-13
Oct 24-26
Lake Coolmunda Fishing Competition
Amy Koina
Lake Coolmunda
0488 652 136
Golden Pro-Angler Basstasstic Series
Russel Nowland
Bjelke-Petersen Dam
07 4167 8183
Cardwell Barra Bonanza
Chris Stoter
Cardwell
0429 427 590
Mar 1-2
MAY May 30-1 Jun
If you want your tournament listed please email sbooth@fishingmonthly.com.au 76
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V O T I N G
I N FO R M AT I O N
ADVERTISEMENT
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8/8/13 9:37:05 AM
Mercury now offers the largest range of EFI FourStrokes! > Available in 25-350hp
Sea Jay 455 Avenger BRISBANE
Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au
Bundaberg-based Sea Jay Boats have been in the alloy boat business long enough to know what works well, what can turn a good boat into a great boat and how to pack features and performance into a compact package. All these factors make their new 455 Avenger a simply brilliant boat for fishing, prawning or crabbing and equally good for family boating. The Avenger series – 4.2m, 4.4m and 4.55m – are very good-looking boats as well, with pleasing lines from stem to stern. An open tiller-steer craft 4.55m long and 2.05m wide, the 455 Avenger is almost all fishing room. A 30cm high casting deck up front offers ample work area for two anglers and the four seat pedestal bases in the main cockpit, and the one on the casting deck, allow seating options to suit any conditions. The Avenger’s open anchor will store a sand or reef pick with plenty of rope and the gap in the bow rails
there are three rod holders along each side in the 25cm wide gunwale caps. There is also storage for tackle and other items in the 1m long side pockets. Parents of small children should like the security of the cockpit, with its 585mm floor-to-gunwale height. The filler for the 60L sub-floor fuel tank is in the floor. While it might not be terribly high-tech, measuring the fuel with a dipstick certainly works. Aft of the skipper’s seat, a full-width raised casting
Versatile, roomy, well-performing and good-looking; that’s Sea Jay’s 4.55 Avenger.
Top performance came from the F60C Yamaha four-stroke.
Running at speed the Avenger displays a very clean wash, with pressed hull strakes clearly doing their job. facilitates anchoring up. There was an electric motor pad to port and a sturdy bollard aft of the anchor well. The casting deck has two hatches, the forward one housing a rack for a battery for the electric motor, while the much larger aft hatch accesses a deep storage for tackle, clothing, lifejackets and more. The deck carpet joins the hull sides so precisely that that there is little possibility of a sinker, swivel or even a hook sneaking down below to cause electrolysis troubles over time. WORK AREA The Avenger’s main work area comes with two folding swivel seats, and 100
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deck houses the engine battery to starboard and a floodable bait well to port. Grab rails and transom handles are in each aft corner and the transducer bracket on the transom is standard. Any water finding its way aboard exits via strained scuppers in each aft quarter and drains into a sump with an automatic bilge pump. BUILT TO LAST With 3mm bottom and 3mm sides, the 4.55 Avenger is one solid and very rigid craft.
I came away from a tour of Sea Jay’s factory with the thought that it’s what owners cannot see in their boats that should reassure them most. The 4.55 Avenger has an under-floor system of ribs, bulkheads and bracing and the plywood was totally rigid and impressively straight. There were no warps, no misalignment or anything other than full welds throughout – even those totally out of sight. External full welds were quite neat and the gunwale trim added a touch of class, as did the overall matte finish. I find overly shiny alloy craft a bit hard on the eye.
The Avenger’s platelook sides feature a welded spray rail which progressed down along the hull to form a reversed chine. The 12° deadrise bottom features three pressed strakes per side and a prominent 9cm keel which doubtlessly contributed to the rig’s true tracking and kart-style turns under power. PUNCHY POWER The Sea Jay 455 Avenger is rated for 50hp-60hp and the smooth 60hp Yamaha provided some real punch for the 350kg hull. The engine, with its multifunction tiller arm with trim and tilt, was whisper-quiet at idle and contributing not many more decibels when it spooled up. With two aboard, the Avenger planed at 7.5 knots (14kmh), cruised very sweetly at 17 knots (32kmh) and showed 24.6 knots (45.5kmh) in a quick burst to near wide open throttle on this engine fresh out of the crate. Performance was brilliant; ride and handling were, too. Powering over wash from passing boats did not upset the Avenger’s equilibrium and even when pushed hard over washes, the bumps and vibration were minimal.
The open anchor well maximises space up for ground tackle.
Ample beam and stability, handy side pockets, three rod holders per side and an aft livewell make fishing a pleasure.
The 250mm wide gunwale caps add hull rigidity and a place for rod holders.
Retrieve and launch is a one-person effort.
The big hatch up front can consume quite an amount of gear.
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