Victoria and Tasmania Fishing Monthly - August 2016

TASSIE TROUT OPENING • FATHERS’ DAY GIFTS

Features

SPECIAL GUIDEBOOK INSIDE

The search for perch • Fathers’ Day gift ideas • Tassie trout opening •

How-To

How-to: twisted dropper • Crack out the crabs for bream •

Tried and Tested Squid Ezy • Black Magic SSP Fibre Glide • Atomic Hardz Vib 60 Rattle • Lowrance/Simrad Structure Scan 3D • Deeper Pro+ Fish Finder • Stacer 469 Outlaw •

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August 2016, Vol. 11 No. 10

Contents

Horsham 80 Robinvale 83 Mildura 82 Yarrawonga 82 Shepparton 84 Wangaratta 85 Jindabyne 86 Eildon 87 Bonnie Doon 87 Central Gippsland 88 Melbourne Metro 89 Bendigo 88 West/South Gippsland 89 Crater Lakes 89 Ballarat 90

TASMANIA WRAP REGULAR FEATURES

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A look at…

12 Back to Basics 10 Boating 100 Chappy’s Hotspot 46 Dam Levels 87 Fun Page 67 Junior City Fishing 27 Inland Fisheries Service 76 Kayaking 97 Spearfishing 48 Tasmanian Lake Levels 76 Tournament News 92 Trade and Services Guide 112 Victorian Tide Times 114 VRFish Update 45 What’s New Boating 111 What’s New Fishing 70

SPECIAL FEATURES

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opportunity to win back our inland waterways.

“We have one final message for the Coalition – get on with it – as three years is a short period of time to deliver these important commitments to Australia’s recreational fishing community. We look forward to working constructively with the Coalition Government on the delivery of their commitments.” Mr Hansard concluded.

In a nutshell: let us have input on the nationally managed fisheries, don’t lock us out, ban the super trawler and get rid of carp. Please!

Sounds like it’s a busy three years ahead.

GET WELL SOON, ALAN Also, here’s a quick shout-out to long term VFM contributor, Alan McFayden, who recently suffered a stroke and won’t be able to contribute for a little while: Get well soon!

All of the staff and readers of VFM wish you a speedy recovery! – Steve Morgan

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We believe this activity is not the highest and best use of this important fish stock nor is it in the national interest. The fish stocks of the small pelagic fishery provide greater value to the Australian community, now and for future generations by leaving them in the water.

“Recreational fishers also welcome the commitment by the Coalition to eradicate European carp from Australia’s inland water-ways. European carp rival the crown-of-thorns starfish as an environmental threat and in their ability to destruct our aquatic ecosystems.

“We understand the Coalition will develop a comprehensive national community based plan aimed at controlling and possibly eradicating the European carp from Australian waterways, with the potential release of a carp control virus by the end of 2018. We would like to see this initiative supported by native fish restocking and habitat restoration programs aimed at ensuring our native fish have the best possible

AUST

The search for perch Crack out the crabs for bream Fathers’ Day gift ideas Tassie trout opening How-to: twisted dropper

a seat at the table when it comes to the management of Commonwealth fisheries “We also understand the Council will allow recreational fishers to have a say on how some of our fisheries that are important to recreational fishers are managed. These include the southern bluefin, other tuna, marlin and small pelagic fisheries.

“We are also looking to the Coalition to honour its long standing commitment not to lock recreational fishers out of Commonwealth Marine Parks – unless the decision is based on peer reviewed scientific evidence of threats to marine biodiversity.

We are pleased that it will not support locking away large areas of oceans to prevent fishers from taking out a boat and casting a line.

“We urge the Coalition to fix the issue of industrial scale fishing of the small pelagic fishery by the Geelong Star. It is clear from the election result that this is an important issue for recreational fishers whose fishing grounds are affected by the vessel’s operations.

ION

VICTORIAN FRESHWATER

With this issue of Fishing Monthly going to press just a week after the LNP Coalition claims a second term of government, the question you may be asking is, “How does the election result impact my favourite outdoor activity?” As we’re busily creating publications that help enhance your recreational fishing experience, we looked to the ARFF (Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation) to help distil just what the consequences are.

Allan Hansard, Managing Director of the ARFF said, “We congratulate the Liberal-National Coalition on their recent election win and their mandate to govern for a second term. However, we also call on them to honour the election promises they made to recreational fishers and the thousands of businesses in cities and towns across Australia that support recreational fishing.

“ARFF welcomes the commitment by the Coalition to give recreational fishers

AT

NSW SOUTH COAST Mallacoota 41 Eden 41 Narooma 42 Merimbula 42 Bermagui 43

From the Editor’s Desk...

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AUGUST 2016

7

The search for perch WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

Mulloway are often described as the ghosts of the estuary, but as elusive

Gippsland, Lakes Entrance, Marlo, Mallacoota and many rivers in between are some of the best waterways to start.

SOUTHERN BARRA We may not have the iconic barramundi swimming in our waterways, but we

Submerged snags are where you’ll find perch holding.

Working these requires twitching a suspending crankbait along each side of the timber. as they are, estuary perch can be quite the ghosts themselves.

Scattered far and wide around the coastlines of Victoria,

do have estuary perch, and for what they lack in size, they make up for in every other way. Take on a 40cm perch in a river full of hidden

productive during the day, as baitfish aren’t as easy to find by night.

Barometric pressure also plays a huge part and can have an adverse effect on them. A drop in barometric pressure can shut the fish down and make them almost dormant, however, if a thunderstorm approaches they can briefly go nuts in a feeding frenzy.

Unfortunately, this is one of those factors that you have to persist with and if they bite, they’ll bite.

Tidal influence on the other hand dictates where the fish will hold. On a high tide, they will be held up tight higher in the snags and hard in on the banks or under the brush. During an ebb or low tide, they will hide deeper in the snags, under a rock ledge or swim off the bank and into the main body of the river among the weed beds or other deep snags. Often you can find them lurking around the mouth of a small creek or river where bait and other potential foods will be funnelled.

Perch aren’t always easy to locate as they inhabit logs, snags and weed beds. In saying that, you can work an entire side of a river, casting at every snag along

Although you might be targeting perch, catching bream is inevitable.

South Australia and New South Wales, EPs as they are more affectionately known are a highly sought species – especially for lure enthusiasts.

They can be targeted with bait, but it is the lureflicking brigade that takes pride in working the confines of an estuary to lock horns with these fish that can towel you up in seconds.

STARTING POINT It’s not easy to know where to begin when it comes to perch. First things first, you need the right location and Victoria has plenty of prime ‘perch water’ right around the coast.

From west to east, Glenelg River, Nelson, Patterson River, Carrum, Western Port, Anderson Inlet, Inverloch, 8

AUGUST 2016

snags, and you’re in for one epic battle.

Perch share similar characteristics to barra in that they are notorious for being temperamental in the event of a change in barometric pressure, tidal influence, moon phase and other environmental factors that can switch them off in a heart beat. Getting all these to align on any given day isn’t the easiest of tasks but you can always pick the best day of the week to try your luck. Perch are nocturnal feeders and will be more active through a full moon period. During the day, they can be difficult to entice to the lure due to their nocturnal feeding schedule.

On the flip side, a new moon or dark moon can be more

Perch can be an elusive estuarine species. If you’re ever going to find one, work the snags to find success. the way for nothing, come back to where you started, cast to the opposite bank, and hook one. Perch are a schooling fish and like barra, they choose a specific snag or locations to hide in, where food is funnelled with the current so they don’t have to waste unnecessary energy searching for it themselves.

Locating fish is imperative, and with technology improving, a good sounder with side scan can take all of the casting work out of the equation.

You’ll simply have to pepper a few snags where you have discovered fish.

ARMOURY There is a saying ‘don’t take a knife to a gun fight’ and the same saying applies when it comes to targeting EPs. Given the terrain they are found, going too light on them can be costly, especially to your lure box. Perch are lure-munching machines and although you do need to toss them the yummiest of all yummy lures, you do need to have the right piece of weaponry for the job.

The discussion of what rod/reel outfit to catch fish with is almost always written about in magazine articles for good reason. Rod blanks are suited for different styles of fishing. Someone using a 702NT fibreglass rod will

have no hope of flicking a 1/8oz jighead with an 85mm Wriggler soft plastic more than 5ft, and of course will lose all accuracy once the lure leaves the rod tip. A graphite rod on the other hand will cast such a lightweight a great distance as well as aid in providing

the perfect accuracy to land the lure right next to a snag – the perfect cast. Graphite rods allow manipulation of the lure to act like a real fish, water bug or insect that may be familiar to perch.

Of course, working a lure in the perfect manner can’t be done with monofilament line

The rewards are great; they don’t call them the southern barra for nothing!

Lure selection is critical, so don’t take a knife to a gun fight, always make sure you have every base covered when targeting perch.

due to its stretch, whereas braid allows this to occur as you can keep the line tight to the lure and work it feeling everything it does in the water.

LURE CHOICE When it’s time to get your arsenal into gear, success is always about selection.

Choosing lures is an angler’s worst nightmare and fish are selective so you need have a good variety of colours, actions and models at your disposal. Perch will devour pretty much anything thrown at them but have a special liking for brighter colours.

Pinks, purples, yellows, greens and of course natural colours should be a common range in any estuarine angler’s box.

A typical perch lure is no

Perch love eating lures, however you still do need to work them with a finesse approach. Pausing the lure for a period of time will instigate a strike. different to a bream lure, in fact, they can all be used for the same species and when you’re casting for perch, you’ll hook plenty of bream along the way.

I have a personal affection for suspending hardbody lures, both deep and shallow diving such as Zerek’s PM and RD Tango Shad, Yakamito Waka and Ayu SXY Shad and Shiver Shallow and Yo-Zuri SHGM Eba Shads.

Sinking stick baits such as the Yakamito Clear Prawn Intruder works well.

These lures, and all lures in fact, should have their hook upgraded to the sharpest available.

Although the majority of lures available on the market are fitted with VMC trebles, you only get one shot at hooking a perch so you want the best hooks available to fit that bill.

In my case, all lures are retro-fitted with Mustad 35657BN Bream Trebles due to their sharpness and strength, which you need to pull the fish from the snag.

Finding, enticing and landing perch is no easy task and as much fun as they are to catch, they do deserve a lot of respect.

These powerful lure crunchers are very slow growers. A fish around

Small lures can be extremely effective, so ensure you have a wide variety at your disposal.

26-36cm in length can be 8-10 years of age. Take a fish between 28-48cm and it could be as old as 15-20 years. To date, the eldest recorded perch was 40cm and 41 years old.

If you are going to embark on a perch search, respect the fish, practice CPR (catch, photograph and release) and let them grow, spawn and multiply for future generations to enjoy.

Don’t be in a hurry to work an area; it takes patience to catch perch and many casts.

AUGUST 2016

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The left verses the right NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

It’s an argument almost as old as fishing itself: which hand should you crank your reel with?

You might never have realised it, but almost every spinning reel or ‘eggbeater’ sold in North America or Europe has its handle on the left side. Many threadline reels that reach our shores are also set up this way, although

caught on here.

I’m right-handed, but I switched to using lefthand drive eggbeaters (as well as fly reels and centrepins) almost 40 years ago. Although I can still ‘switch-hit’ reasonably effectively these days when picking up a right-handed outfit, I’m much more comfortable cranking lefthanded on the reel styles described… yet all my baitcasters, overheads and Alvey sidecasts remain righthand drive. Why is it so?

For me, it all comes down to the mechanics of casting with a spinning reel.

Most of us who use them regularly cast these outfits by wrapping our dominant hand around the reel seat, with the reel’s stem emerging between two of our fingers: usually either the pointer and middle finger or the middle and ring finger, depending on the size and design of the reel. Whether we then go on to cast single-handed, or bring our non-dominant hand in to play on the butt

The author reckons that cranking spinning reels with his non-dominant (left) hand — and therefore not having to swap hands after every cast — has caught him a lot of extra fish over the years. Having your dominant hand holding the rod can also be especially useful when finessing lures such as this Cranka Crab.

The author made the switch to left-hand drive eggbeaters four decades ago and has never regretted it. the majority of Aussie buyers quickly swap the handle to the right-hand side after purchase. But look at photos or footage of American and European anglers in action and you’ll see that almost all of them crank their spinning reels with their left hand.

This isn’t because southpaws dominate in those other parts of the world.

Right-handed people are the clear majority over there, as elsewhere. It’s simply that the accepted practice in those countries is to wind threadlines (and some other reel styles) with the angler’s non-dominant hand.

Kids learn to fish that way and it’s seen as a perfectly natural thing to do. I have no idea why it never really

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AUGUST 2016

end of the rod to perform a two-handed cast, it makes great sense (to me and many others) not to go through the motions of swapping the outfit from one hand to the other to begin the retrieve or fight a fish. That stronger, more dexterous dominant hand can stay right where it is after the cast is completed, while the non-dominant hand comes up to perform the relatively menial and mechanical task of turning the handle.

Over the past 40 years, Having your stronger and more dexterous hand on the rod seems to make sense.

Jo Starling learnt to crank spin reels left-handed and sees it as the natural, obvious thing to do.

I reckon cranking with my non-dominant hand while holding and working the rod with my dominant hand when using spinning tackle has caught me a whole heap of fish I would otherwise have missed.

Things are a little different with other styles of reel such as baitcasters (plug reels) and sidecasts, where the ideal casting grip differs from the preferred retrieving and fish-fighting grip. A change of grip is required on these outfits, and this switch is most efficiently achieved (in my opinion) by smoothly passing the outfit

from one hand to the other…

A subject we’ll return to in a future column.

In the end, there’s no ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way to hold an outfit or crank your reel, and you’re arguably better off sticking with what works best for you. That said, every angler I know who’s bitten the bullet and put up with the couple of days of uncoordinated discomfort required to switch their brain and muscle memory from dominant to non-dominant-handed reel cranking on spinning gear has said they would never, ever go back. It’s something worth thinking about…

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AUGUST 2016

11

A Look At...

Soft options for snapper MELBOURNE

Luke McCredden www.thelongline.net

Being a Victorian, I love snapper fishing. I love all aspects of it – the early starts, heading out onto Port Phillip Bay or Western Port with high hopes, setting the first rack of rods, getting the berley trail going, seeing that first bite and then seeing

MF: There are a lot of quality soft plastics to choose from in today’s market, and I have used many different styles and brands over the years.

I would find it difficult to name one brand of plastic that has been the absolute hands down best snapper plastic, however the style of plastic that has bought me the most consistent results is the humble paddle-tail.

Size, colour and brand will vary to the conditions that I

of cuttlefish floating down.

Another reason is with the long finesse tail it works at all times, even in the rod holder.

MF: I am no plastic guru, so a plastic that is easy to swim and control is number one criteria for me. Fishing in Port Phillip Bay can be very difficult at times, with some very challenging conditions, so this style of plastic certainly makes it easier as the paddle-tail will Chris Cleaver knows how to find good snapper with soft plastics.

GB: I find lures with movement that sends off vibrations fished slower, get more strikes than faster moving sleek lures.

So I would say look for plastics with tails, legs or anything that will have a lot of movement.

CC: Snapper can be eating machines and at times eat almost any soft plastic. Shad, t-tail, flickbait, creature bait, prawn, you name it, it will

What tips have you got for choosing the right jighead?

GB: I use Atomic Seekerz jigheads in 5/0 weighted at 1/2- 1.5oz depending on current. I choose these jigheads because of the design of the concave head that makes the lure track straight as it falls and lands with the hook facing up. It is great for allowing long pauses on the bottom. I would say, choose your jighead

Gawaine Blake has seen plenty of snapper action using soft plastics. the first glimpse of red for the morning…

But there is one aspect of it that stands above the rest for me, and that’s when I target them with lures. Lure fishing brings out a new element in snapper fishing.

I believe they hit a lure a lot differently than they do a dead bait, and this is one of the reasons I love it! Soft plastic fishing for snapper is a great sport and Port Phillip Bay and our local offshore waters are some of the best places to get into it. There are a huge range of plastics on today’s market and sometimes finding the right combination of colour, style and size as well as jighead, can be quite daunting. I thought I’d chat to snapper gurus Gawaine Blake, Chris Cleaver and Mick Felsovary to get some different views on the matter.

What is the soft plastic you have had most success with snapper on?

GB: My most successful big snapper plastic is the Atomic 4” Prong.

CC: Honestly, it seems to change from season to season, as my area is so heavily fished. But if I was pressed to choose one it would have to be a Squidgy Wriggler 160mm in white lightning colour. Deep and shallow, it has produced the goods for me.

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AUGUST 2016

am fishing.

What are the main reasons you like this particular plastic for snapper?

GB: The main reason I like them is they are a very reactive lure, being prawn shaped the tail and legs wiggle with the slightest of movements from the rod.

Fished slowly, hopping across the bottom, these plastics have accounted for snapper over 13kg for me.

CC: There’s something about snapper and the colour white, they just love that colour. Also, the time of year we chase them is around the cuttlefish spawn, and it may look like a bit

work on both the rise and fall and even just holding it the current line. The other advantage the paddle-tail has aside from the swimming action, is the vibration that the paddle lets out while it’s swimming. All of a sudden we are not just relying on the visual characteristics of the plastics but the vibration of the tail as well. It allows the fish to ‘feel’ this via there lateral line and aid in drawing the fish in. So in low light levels or dirty water this style of plastic is very effective and doesn’t rely purely on the visual display.

What should people look for in a snapper soft plastic?

This nice fish succumbed to a wellworked soft plastic for the author.

Adam Ring with a good fish caught on Squidgy Flick Bait. work when they are hungry.

However in heavily fished areas matching the hatch and fishing a tide change can be the only way to yield a result.

If yellowtail and pike are the prominent targets, then a Yakka coloured wriggler or flickbait is the go!

MF: Probably the most important feature in a plastic is the way it swims and the easier it is to swim the better! This can be a little difficult in the sense that as a general rule, the softer the plastic, the better the swimming action. However this can be a problem because we also want our plastic to catch multiple fish before replacing it, so it’s a fine line to walk. Brands such as Castaic, Ecogear, Norries and ZMan certainly have something to offer with a good range of colours and sizes to choose from.

based on the action of your selected plastic.

CC: Snapper are the aquatic version of the SES Jaws of Life!

That mouth can crush almost anything, so be sure to pick a jighead with a solid gauge.

Squidgy Weapon Heads and Nitro Saltwaters seem to hold up well. Choosing the right weight depends on current and depth that you are fishing. I would say, experiment each day to find what is getting bites, but ultimately, you want to go as light as you possibly can get away with.

MF: Jighead selection is vital when trying to obtain the desired sink rate. You don’t want such a heavy weight that it rockets to the bottom, nor do you want a jighead that won’t get down on the drift.

It is important to note that one jig head won’t suit every situation and you need to allow for the density and size of you plastic as well as tide and drift and depth of water.

Quality hooks are important on your jigheads and its worth spending that little bit extra to insure that they hold up. The next fish could be your PB and you don’t want to have gear failure. Take the time to learn how your plastics react with different weights and different retrieve styles to bring you greater success.

Mick Felsovary getting out of the shop, and into some fish.

River openings spell great fishing WEST COAST

Shane Lowery

The cold wet weather of winter often keeps anglers indoors, but the keenest of anglers are still putting in the hard yards and being well rewarded for their efforts. Some of our best fishing can be had in winter, and August is no exception.

In the preceding months, we have seen the water levels swell and the landings have been inundated several times.

To counter this, the river has been open to the sea twice in this period, dropping levels back to normal. For the first few days after an opening, the fish seem to really come

on the chew with the baitfish, bugs and other food sources being pulled down out of the protection of the heavy weeds and snags on the edge as the water levels recede.

This enthusiastic feeding pattern seems to taper off after the first few days of the opening as the fish have really fed hard and as they fill up, they seem to shut down.

However that first two days or so can provide incredible fishing with estuary perch, bream and mulloway all feeding veraciously.

At this time of year with winter rainfall, a natural opening is ideal and heralds the beginning of the run of larger mulloway moving into the estuary. In previous years,

There are plenty of winter bream in the mid section of the Glenelg.

August and September have produced some quality fish in the 10kg+ range. Live baits like mullet, trolled hardbody lures, large soft plastics and of course vibe lures are all highly successful methods to target mulloway.

Estuary perch are also well into their migration to the lower reaches of the river and commence schooling up in recruitment mode for their spawning. Donovans and below is the prime section of river to target through August and as rainfall and inflows increase, the perch will push all the way down to the estuary.

Perch are rarely caught on static fished dead baits, so small live baits like whitebait ere the order of the day for bait anglers. Lure fishing is the most successful technique when targeting perch and small hardbodies in dark colours, as well as vibes are a definite winner.

Conversely, at this time of year the southern black bream generally choose to move up river. During August I would expect to find the larger congregations of bream from Donavans and above depending on how much rain we receive.

Again, baits such as crab, prawn and podworm are a

standard ‘go to’ and can be very productive, particularly in dirtier water. Lure fishing can be very successful, even when the water clarity isn’t great. Hardbody lures and vibes are far more efficient in dirty water than soft plastics, and dark colours certainly are the order of the day. Small to larger profile deep diving lures seem to work best as the bream generally tend to be out in the slightly deeper water.

Fishing the lures very slowly is the key, and as the saying goes ‘when you think you’re fishing slow... slow it down even more!’

John Trethewie with a nice big winter EP.

Clint Northcott and his lovely mulloway of 8kg. More of these better fish are expected through August!

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13

National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo

4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo The Melbourne Showgrounds will be converted into a one-stop fishing, boating, outdoors and 4x4 haven when the National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo comes to town from 19-21 August.

The National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo is the premier industry event, and the Melbourne Show is back following a huge Brisbane

event in March this year, which despite torrential rain attracted more than 26,000 visitors.

The action-packed outdoors mecca for fishermen, boat enthusiasts, 4WDers and outback tourers will showcase tensof-thousands of fishing, boating, camping, outdoors and 4x4 products from over 200 leading exhibitors and retailers.

With such a large number of exhibitors competing for your attention, visitors can be sure to expect some fantastic deals, promotions and new products all under the one roof.

The likes of TJM, AFN Fishing and Outdoors, ARB, Opposite Lock, Aussie Disposals and Aeroklas are all on board for the August show, with many more big-name exhibitors to be announced over the coming weeks.

Those who have visited the event in previous years will be pleased to see the Tackle World Fishing Stage returning to the event again in 2016. This fishing-

dedicated stage will feature an exciting line-up of fishing and boating industry experts and special guests across the three-day event.

Hosted by David Kramar of 3AW’s Fishing Show and Channel 31’s Talking Fishing, visitors will be able to hear expert tips, hints and secrets including the best places to fish and what tackle to use for catching different species of fish.

Ever-popular celebrity special guest and Logie finalist Paul Worsteling from TV’s iFish will again take to the stage in what will be his only Melbourne expo

appearance for this year. As one of the most recognised personalities in the fishing industry, Paul will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Show.

Joining these special guests at the Show will be Roothy the Bush Mechanic, Jase Andrews from All 4 Adventure, Shaun and Graham from 4WD Action, and Rick, Jamie and fishing legend Starlo from The Offroad Adventure Show.

own unique, exciting and interesting stories to share with visitors, and can provide valuable advice to those who love the great Australian outdoors.

In addition to the Tackle World Fishing Stage and Campfire Cooking Corner, the popular including the WAECO Outback Stage and dedicated 4WD Proving Ground will return with the Show again this August.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be bringing the National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo back to Melbourne again this year. The Show will cater for all interests related to the great outdoors – from fishing, boating, camping or four wheel driving. Regardless of what you’re passionate about, you will love what the Show has to offer in 2016,” Event

adventure – big or small.

“The Show will also provide the opportunity for visitors to get together with a wide range of exhibitors and retailers under the one roof. It allows you to ask questions about products or services, discover new products, learn new tips and snap up some fantastic deals.

“As the leading event for this industry, we are excited

To entertain all ages, the exciting Action Arena will feature the awardwinning Outback Thunda monster truck and the roly

Director, Paul Mathers said.

“Featuring more than 30,000 square metres of the best outdoors products and services, the National

to have so many popular exhibitors on board again this year. Our exhibitors come from a wide range of categories and will certainly be showcasing everything from big ticket items like boats, caravans and four wheel drives, to fishing rods, outdoor clothing and accessories.”

The National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo caters for all ages, interests and levels of experience, with familyfriendly entertainment, plenty of tutorials and advice, and a wide range of products on Show.

Don’t miss this must attend event. Visit w w w. 4 x 4 s h o w. c o m . a u / MEL for tickets, updates and further information about the Show.

Ex-AFL legend Peter ‘Spida’ Everitt and his wife Sheree will also feature at the Show, hosting the popular Campfire Cooking Corner. Spida and Sheree, alongside other guests on the stage, will be teaching visitors how to make quick, simple and delicious meals with nothing but a barbeque.

Joining Spida and Sheree will be cooking-whiz Ben Melbourne from The Offroad Adventure Show.

Don’t miss your chance to see Ben in action at the Campfire Cooking Corner.

Each special guest and industry expert at the Show will have their

FACT BOX NATIONAL 4X4 OUTDOORS SHOW, FISHING & BOATING EXPO Date................................ 19-21 August 2016 Time................................ Friday 9am-6pm Saturday 9am-6pm Sunday 9am-5pm Location.......................... Melbourne Showgrounds Tickets............................ Adults $18.00 Seniors $13.00 Kids under 15 FREE Adult 2 Day Pass $30.00 Website........................... 4x4show.com.au/MEL poly car will show off its amazing back flips, with even more entertainment to be announced in the lead-up to the Show.

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4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo will be a one-stop shop for everything you could need on a fishing trip our outdoor

AUGUST 2016

15

Singing the tuna blues PORTLAND

Nigel Fisher

Another month has passed and the fishing seems to be at its best, weather permitting. As many are aware, Portland hosted the first annual Portland Tuna Competition, which was extremely successful.

Heaps of people got behind the idea, and the local council provided some amazing prize money to stir the anglers into gear.

The competition was held over four weekends

in May and June, but the weather made it hard and some days were cancelled due to safety concerns. Thus running the tournament over a period of time proved to be a great idea.

At the end of the competition, the biggest fish was caught by Brodie Carter and weighed in at 20.5kg.

He scored an epic first prize of $5,500. Second place went to Grant Callion for a catch of 19.2kg that won him an awesome $3,500 and Richard Knight took third place at 16.4kg, a fish that scored him $2,000.

Other prizes were awarded throughout the competition. Some bigger fish were caught over this period including barrel tuna over 100kg, but unfortunately those anglers weren’t registered for the competition. You’ve got to be in it to win it! Big congratulations to all those that helped and donated to this great competition. Let’s hope to see it improve and grow over the next few years.

TUNA TUNES The weather has been up and down through winter, but when it’s been good

All smiles at the first annual Portland Tuna Competition – congratulations to all involved. Photo courtesy of Wildblue

Another successful Proline Fishing charter off Portland. the guys have smashed the school tuna from 8-20kg.

Out of the blue we have been seeing amazing tuna over 100kg mixed in with the smaller fish.

When the weather has been bad we’ve seen big winds and swells up to 7m, which is quite amazing to see especially off Bridgewater Bay in that open water.

When it settles the breakwater has produced the odd snapper plus some sharks into the evening and late night. Plenty of couta off the wall for bait and the mighty winter salmon are out and about. The north shore area from Dutton Way to Fitzroy River has also fished well lately, mainly for school

sharks and seven gillers, but it won’t be long again until we see other good-eating fish about, including snapper and whiting in numbers around that area. The bay has been a bit quiet, but anglers are finding tuna and other deep-water fish. Generally we see some good flathead around the bay as well at this time of year.

All the rivers have now broken open and the fishing should fire up in these areas.

The Glenelg River has a lot of bream but the bigger mulloway should fire up soon. The Fitzroy and Surrey rivers are always a great option for a good bream and the odd good mulloway in the Fitzroy.

If you are looking at a place to take the kids fishing in a safe environment you can fish along the canal in town, which has a large fishing platform or just pull up on the grass and fish off the bank. This canal can produce some good fish at times like whiting, bream, mullet, salmon, and more – great and safe for all the family.

Remember that all fishing licences increased as of July, so if you are unaware of the increase contact us at Compleat Angler or jump online. You can call us on (03) 5521 1844 for all your fishing and weather reports or visit at 61 Bentinck St Portland and check out our whole range on offer.

Silver lining to the cold conditions WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

Persistence is the key during the month of August. The cold months can produce excellent fishing but can be tough work. Although important, it’s not just a matter of getting the right weather conditions to make your efforts bearable.

Sometimes you can catch quality winter species and other times it can feel as if everything piscatorial is

in a state of hibernation.

Bluefin continue to be in good numbers offshore from Port Fairy and Warrnambool, but things have changed a little since

the last report. The larger inshore fish (14-20kg in around 40-45m) seem to have thinned out and been replaced by a big run of smaller fish in the 6-12kg

Daiwa TD Minnows have been doing the job on the local trout.

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Some decent silver trevally have been hanging around the smaller fish in the Moyne River. sections of some local rivers open for trout fishing due to their sea-run classification during August.

In the Hopkins the bream have well and truly schooled up in the deeper water. They are easy to locate on the sounder but enticing them to bite can be difficult. If the mouth is open, work your efforts

RIVERS OPEN FOR TROUT FISHING DURING AUGUST * Military Style Breather

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range but much further offshore in the 60-65m range. These fish have not been visible on the surface some days but can be located by trolling in the vicinity of lots of bird life. No barrels have been landed recently in the local area, but there have been stories of big fish lost, so you never know when your number might come up.

There have been some decent rain events to get the rivers flowing and fire the trout up, but the conditions aren’t quite reaching the really heavy, dirty flow stage. There have been good fish to over 2kg taken but they do take time, dedication and persistence. With the water still flowing fairly clearly, dawn and dusk have been the prime times.

I have been having good success using 6cm Daiwa TD and Presso Minnows in natural colours.

With most rivers in the state still closed up to midnight, Friday 2 September, there are still

Merri River (downstream of the Bromfield Weir) Hopkins River (downstream of the Hopkins Falls) Moyne River (downstream of the Toolong Bridge) Gellibrand River (downstream of the Great Ocean Road Bridge)

around the change of the high tide. This same change of high tide has been the most productive time to fish the Moyne River at Point Fairy.

Silver trevally, small salmon, mullet and even a few tailor have been attracted to the constant flow of tuna offcuts from the cleaning tables and provide plenty of fun for young anglers, or even older ones after some bait stocks. Light tackle, with just enough weight to get down in the current and a little chunk of tuna can provide almost non-stop action.

Estuary perch are hot to trot in chilly August APOLLO BAY

Daniel Kent apollobaysurfshop@bigpond.com

I’ve been finding it hard to drag myself out for a fish lately. Cold, wet and windy weather has dominated this

month but that’s not to say the fishing hasn’t been good. On the few occasions I have wet a line the fishing

Nat Barry has been catching estuary perch on small soft plastic lures around dusk.

Daniel took this fat estuary perch from the Barham River on a 2” Dragon Maggot soft plastic lure.

Going deep in winter COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

Southern bluefin tuna from 6-12kg have been found off our coastline schooling in and around 60m. Boaters launching off Boat Bay near Peterborough, the breakwater boat ramp at Warrnambool and from the Moyne River at Port Fairy have found success.

The fish are responding to a wide variety of lures including deep divers and 8-12” skirted ‘occy’ lures.

The more popular colours have been chartreuse, white and blue. Last month, no big ‘barrel’ size tuna had been caught locally, but from Port MacDonnell through to Portland a few fish in excess of 60kg have been hooked, lost and landed.

In late June rough southerly seas closed the mouth of the Hopkins River once again, but probably only for a short time. The river was very full and waves were breaking over the sand bar.

The bream have been a tad quiet, but a few solid estuary perch have been caught, mainly on minnow lures cast and retrieved around dusk over newly flooded ground.

The bream in the Curdies River have been inconsistent of late, but they do tend to slow down somewhat during the depths of winter. The river and lake is full, but still not quite at the level where the mouth can be safely opened.

The bream have spread out all around the lake, so

was excellent.

Bream in the Aire River have been on fire with some big brutes over 40cm taken among the hordes of 35-39cm fish. Soft plastic grub lures have dominated, as have scrub worms for the bait fishers. The most productive area to fish has been around the campgrounds towards the mouth of the river.

The Barham River in Apollo Bay has also given up some quality bream, but all the buzz is about the estuary perch bite.

Schools of estuary perch have been seen feeding on baitfish on dusk with some keen local anglers getting in on the action. Casting 2” soft plastic grubs on light

jigheads has been the most successful method especially when fished slowly around the seagrass beds just on dark.

The beaches have produced some hot salmon bites lately with plenty of fish in the 1-2kg range. Casting metal lures is my preferred way to fish, but bait anglers also catch their share. Try Wild Dog Beach or Mounts Bay and fish late afternoon for the best salmon bite times.

Large calamari have been biting prawn-style jigs around the boat harbour near high tide. Don’t expect numbers of squid at this time of year but what you catch will be of excellent quality.

Bluefin tuna are still being taken with some big 100kg+ fish caught offshore from Skenes Creek. Point Franklin and wide of the lighthouse continue to produce plenty of school fish and the odd barrel too. Gummy and school sharks have been caught from 35m off Cape Otway on fresh fish baits. You shouldn’t have much trouble landing a bag limit of flake if you fish the tide changes with fresh bait.

That’s about all the reports I have for this chilly time of year but the good news is as of next month it should start warming up and the days will get longer. Until then stay safe and warm!

SATURDAYS

7-8am

Winter is the time to fish deep in our rivers.

This Curdies bream responded to a Legend Minnow that dives to almost 4m. basically they have scattered right throughout the lower reaches of the system. Bait anglers using scrub worm, packet white bait and locally netted shrimp have caught a few fish to 37cm.

The Gellibrand River has opened and closed a couple of times recently, making fishing there a tad unpredictable.

However, whether it’s open to the sea or closed due to high seas piling up sand at the entrance, estuary perch will be caught in the lower reaches on minnow lures and soft plastics with the bridge pylons being a popular spot to work.

The mouth of the Latrobe Creek has also held schooling perch, especially during the evening. It’s just a matter of launching a boat and getting under the bridge in order to access fishable water upstream. This, of course, is out of the question if the river mouth is closed. Due to high rainfall, it doesn’t take long

for the river to quickly fill.

The jetty at Port Campbell has been fairly consistent for winter whiting to 38cm taking pipi meat only. Apparently the fish are turning their noses up at all other baits, even squid strips!

Care must be taken when fishing off the pier, especially on the lower level.

High seas can quickly flood the lower level while waves breaking against the side of the pier can easily drench any unprepared angler.

Despite the intense cold, of which we have not really experienced in recent years, anglers are still braving the elements and getting out there in the hope of landing a fish or two. As long as the rain keeps falling, our estuaries will continue to get a well needed flush out and hopefully this will also apply to the Curdies estuary, which needs to be manually opened, as the water level is not quite there yet.

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AUGUST 2016

17

Feeling a bit nippy? Time to crack out the crabs!

VFM

Richard Somerton

Let’s face it, crustaceans play a large part in the diet of many fish species, with prawns, shrimp, yabbies and of course crabs. So it makes sense to use lures that imitate these common food sources. For this article I will be focusing on crabs and the lures and techniques I use to catch fish. The main species I target are bream but these techniques can be applied to any fish species that eat crabs.

The following are some basic techniques I use for fishing crab style lures.

Over the past few years I’ve had great success in fishing this lure type both socially and in tournaments and can contribute a few wins and even a Kayak World Championship to these lures.

MATCH THE HATCH Firstly, it is very important to ‘match the hatch’. As a keen flyfisher I always look at what the fish are eating and closely try to match that. So have a look around and maybe roll over some rocks to try and find the size and most importantly colour of the local population. I use crab lures that have a number of colours available, and can also refine and mix and match things with their interchangeable legs, and claws. I also carry a few permanent marker pens to add dots, stripes and such.

Of course ‘colouring in’ can be applied to soft plastic crabs as well. This approach tends to work 9/10 times! If the more matched natural is not working, try throwing something with a colour that ‘pops out,’ as this can also draw fish in. I fished a tournament last year and

after throwing the more standard, darker colours I tried a sand colour that turned out to be the key to tempt those shutdown fish.

NATURAL MOVEMENT I think a major key to unlock fish is to imitate how crabs move and act in the water. Most of us see crabs running around the sand and rocks in the ‘dry’ that look like they are going flat out. Through my job as a diver I get a unique look into the behaviour of how crabs move and feed underwater. Most sit still unless purposely agitated and then they will flee or even defend themselves (claws up). Some just burrow down trying not to move too much and hoping not to be seen, but mostly they move pretty slow. I work on the theory that too much movement attracts attention in the animal world!

We have all seen Shallow fishing can be one of the most visual types of ‘crabbing’.

It feels great to watch a big bream crunch your crab!

A colour change can be the key to getting shut down fish to charge.

18

AUGUST 2016

videos of various brands of crab lures being worked enticingly in fish tanks with the line running directly up to surface and of the lure hopping from rock to rock, this sure catches anglers!

But conditions are never this artificial when angling, so if water clarity allows, cast your lure a couple of metres away so you can see it and work the lure using different line angles and at differing rod tip height. This can give you a better insight into how to move the crab and give it that natural look.

ANGLE AND RETRIEVE I always consider line angle when fishing a crab lure and the substrate of where I am fishing and hold my rod tip accordingly. The key is to keep the lure in touch with the bottom, and moving the lure slowly.

With the substrate you may have to consider applying enough line angle to either move it up and over debris, rocks and such, other times consider lowering your rod tip to bury the lure a little bit such as in soft mud and sand. This can look like a crab trying to bury itself or escape and leaves a nice little plume of sand and silt.

I always change my rod tip height through the retrieve so by the time I have worked it back to the boat I have kept a constant line angle. I also prefer braid for this style of fishing as it provides me with as much feel as possible to work that crab.

LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION Another great place to fish ‘crab style’ are structure like jetties, channel piles,

boat hulls, bridges, rock walls and pontoons. These are fish holding magnets and fish and critters of various types choose to live and feed in these areas.

Going back to the line angle method again, this is where my approach can differ.

Usually you end up being much closer and the water tends to be deeper. You can cast along and under the various structures in the style explained above, which again can be very effective.

But in these areas I like to cast to individual pieces of structure with the crab sinking hard against it. This represents a crab that’s been dislodged and is free falling towards the bottom. The take can happen anywhere from the second it hits the water until well after it has been sitting on the bottom.

So the idea is to watch the line carefully and a handy way is to know the depth and estimate the line you have out. If it is 4m deep and you only see about 3m disappear I’d probably lift up to see what’s going on!

The ‘takes’ can be as simple as the line just stopping.

When it’s on the bottom I like to leave it for a while, but this depends on how much patience you have!

I have actually watched fish in clear water follow the lure all the way to the bottom and just sit there staring at it. So I always give it a light jiggle or drag then stop again, and wait.

If you don’t feel a ‘take’, which can be explosive just give it a firm lift and you’d be surprised how many times they are sitting there with it in their mouths.

FLATS/SHALLOW WATER FISHING Shallow fishing can be one of the most visual types of ‘crabbing’. Whether casting to cruising fish or fish that are actively grubbing or mudding I take great care so as not to ‘spook’ them and landing the lure too close to the fish can easily do this.

This is when I put away the braid line and pick up the straight through fluorocarbon to give myself every extra chance of hooking and not spooking them.

I like to ambush cruising fish, by casting well ahead and waiting them out. You need to keep track of where your crab is and where the fish is and hopefully they don’t change course! When the fish is 1-2m away I give the crab the slightest of drags or jiggles. This can be very exciting fishing and great to watch the reaction of the fish.

When fish are actively feeding you can often see tailing and clouding or mudding of the water. Again to avoid spooking, I try to cast well beyond them and do one of two things. You can then drag the crab along the bottom to the area the fish is feeding, but you need to keep track of exactly where the lure is, which can be difficult and takes a lot of trial and error to perfect!

My preferred method is to cast beyond and the second it hits the water I wake it across the surface with as little disturbance as possible.

When it’s about 1m from the feeding fish or area I just let it sink to the bottom. I find it easier to keep track of the lure this way and then very slowly work it into the

mudding/feeding area or past the fish. When fish are feeding like this they are right onto anything moving but even a static presentation will work, so make sure you spend as much time as possible in that area – slowly does it.

HEAVY COVER/ SNAG FISHING Another technique I’d like to cover (and my favourite) is heavy cover or snag fishing. I find this to be real ‘heart in your mouth’ fishing and I apply the ‘stop them or pop them’ theory.

Most of the cover I fish when breaming is horrible barnacle encrusted, leader shredding snags of disappointment and full of the one that got away stories. I hear many people say you can turn most bream on 6lb and if you can’t well you probably were never going to? I go heavier and start at 8lb and mostly finish at 12lb. These fish only have to move a couple of hundred millimetres and it’s all over.

Heavy leader and a locked drag greatly increase your chances and usually they are not too leader shy. But the other problem you will run into is the lures themselves.

The smaller jigheads for plastics used for this fishing just weren’t designed for this abuse with 12lb leader! But a plus for some imitation crabs is the load can be usually

• I do have a sponsorship with Cranka so I will freely admit a strong bias towards this brand. However, there are a number of soft plastic lures out there like Ecogear, Baitbreath,

Crusty, Enticer and Strikepro to name a few. So it’s just a matter of using a lure type you are comfortable with and that suits the environment and situation you are fishing.

Crabbing is one of the best ways to connect with the larger models of bream. The technique is tricky though, so practice makes perfect. shared between two sets of hooks sometimes due to the design and the way fish eat them. I snap, straighten and tear off hooks while fishing this way, but the rewards can be great. A few other points to make with this style of fishing is to slow down when approaching the snag/cover.

Position yourself to maximise your chance of getting the fish out and think of the different casts you can make and what the structure looks like underwater. I cast hard

against the cover and often the takes are instantaneous and crushing, so be ready!

If you don’t get hit straight away, engage a little bit of patience and wait it out with the just the smallest of jiggles but try not to drag or move the crab too much.

Cover all the main points of the cover and if it’s a large laydown then cover both sides, but keep in mind the shaded side will be the prime area.

So that about sums up

a brief explanation of how I like to fish crab lures in common scenarios but there a few others such as edge fishing and deep fishing that the above can be applied to.

One of biggest complaints I hear about fishing crab lures is how slow the fishing techniques are and I admit doing it correctly can be a bit time consuming, however, do it right and you will be rewarded with some very impressive and usually larger fish.

Daniel Dalle-Nogare has been at it again, and this time he has been catching and releasing handfuls of big yellas on light gear.

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Wonderful whiting in winter GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterbunch@optusnet.com.au

August can be tough work fishing the Bellarine and Surf Coast. You need to adjust the cross hairs a bit and pick your target species carefully.

Australian salmon, bream, trevally and trout are the species you can rely on to

be biting in winter, but our whiting season has continued into the cooler months and are well worth looking for if you get the chance.

Jarrod Blackman decided on an afternoon’s fishing with Jasper George and a few other friends recently. They fished for a few hours in the Barwon River at Inverleigh on a friend’s farm without a

sniff. So they decided to try their favourite redfin spot behind the pub for an hour or so before it got dark.

They each had a rig with two hooks and felt pretty confident they would catch a feed. After half an hour had passed, they were beginning to doubt the move, but suddenly Jasper’s rod tip signalled some interest. He waited for a second nibble and struck hard when the

After dark, whiting fishing at Torquay can get chilly!

rod tip dipped to the tune of a reasonable fish. As the fish came bankside, they could see a second fish near it and thought that it had followed the hooked fish to the bank.

But no, Jasper had caught both fish as a double header!

The bigger of the two redfin was a respectable 33cmand the other was 27cm.

Michael Evans fished Wurdee Boluc Reservoir near Moriac recently.

Michael says that the redfin fishing has slowed down a fair bit, but he did catch a ripper of 45cm casting a Nories Metal Wasaby spoon from the main rock wall.

Other anglers have also caught similar sized fish, but from all reports, you really need to put a few casts in to get them. If we get any light easterlies, then sending out a mudeye under a bubble float will give you a good chance at a quality trout at Wurdee Boluc.

Keen whiting angler, Ross Winstanley fished with Gary McLachlan in Corio Bay recently where they caught 13 whiting from 34-38cm in a couple of hours before the high. Ross says he is fishing in around 2m of water down the southern end of Stingaree Bay, and for the

Jasper with his double header redfin catch.

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first time ever, his hands were so cold he couldn’t wield the filleting knife, so they had to take fish home to clean them!

Australian salmon have been tearing into baitfish on the surface inside Corio Bay. They have come to within casting distance along the Geelong waterfront and St Helens on occasions, giving land-based anglers a shot at them. Most of the larger ones have been around the 45cm mark and have been spotted from St Helens to Limeburners boat ramp. I

went looking for them one glassy Sunday, but they were scarce. I managed to find a very fussy school near Point Henry that only provided a tentative bite.

Clifton Springs did yield some better quality calamari last month for anglers fishing the outgoing tide in 3-5m of water over grassy patches.

Garfish have also been caught from the many landbased possies around Corio Bay. If you’re going to use berley, pick one that sinks a bit, as they will scatter if

Michael took this solid 45cm reddy from Wurdee Boluc.

birds are attracted to it.

King George whiting have continued their fine form around the Bellarine Peninsula, with good numbers being caught from Clifton Springs to Queenscliff. Best bait appears to be squid with pipis running second, which is unusual. They have been quality fish as well with a few up to and over the 40cm mark.

Calamari have really turned it on around the Bellarine last month, with anglers bagging out in less than two hours according to Rod Ludlow from Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head.

Rod says they are spread from Portarlington to St Leonards and hanging on the weed beds.

Flathead are plentiful with some nice fish around 45cm caught by anglers drifting from Indented Head to St Leonards in about 13m of water.

The whiting have been excellent with some quality fish in the high 30cm range taken on fresh squid and pipis. St Leonards seems more consistent with fishing on both moving tides, whereas Indented Head is fishing best on the flood tide from the Prince George back to the outer Governors in about 8-10m of water.

Rod says he has never seen

a better whiting season than this one!

Some big salmon have been caught from the rock platforms along the Great Ocean Road, with some of them nudging 3kg. The best baits have been pilchards and raw chicken, while lures are also accounting for fish.

Lorne Pier, Jump Rock and the rocks from the Surf Club to the pier are also worth a look with some salmon around the 2kg mark being caught here last month.

Torquay and Barwon

Heads can see some quality whiting move into the shallow reef areas just offshore at this time of year. Your best bet will be after dark, but plenty are still caught during daylight hours. Fishermans Beach at Torquay is a great spot to lob a piece of squid out on surf tackle, as they come in quite close here.

Those keen on garfish should try Roadknight Beach after dark with pipis as they gather in the shallows in here in winter.

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Sheltered areas are the land-based saviours PORT PHILLIP WEST

Andy Smith andy@ebbtidetackle.com

Strong winds and less than ideal conditions along with artic temperatures during cold fronts have characterised Melbourne’s winter this year. A great option for fishers has been to turn focus towards the relative shelter of the metropolitan rivers and land based piers and jetties around the bay margins.

Dirty water conditions from run-off pushing down our rivers concentrates the fish into likely feeding areas under and around the junctions of mixing. These areas exist where freshwater flows have pushed food into the waterways and downstream. The freshwater meets the higher salt concentration of the estuary in the rivers and create mixing areas that concentrate food and provide plenty of cover for larger estuary predators

Williamstown pinkies can be quite dark in colour, nearly brown during the winter months. to hunt down unsuspecting bait. These areas of saltwater influence can be fantastic places to concentrate your

fishing effort.

The surface mixing area is generally quite easy to find, with dirty brownish

coloured fresh water converging with the cleaner blue-green coloured bay or estuary water. Mixing areas don’t simply run vertically down towards the bottom.

Saltwater is more dense

move upstream with the tide.

Modern depth sounders can easily define any areas of overlapping water layers.

A good rule is to use the surface mixing area as a starting point for your fishing trip. You can then move around accordingly and know that you are within a generally likely area. After all, when we rug up and brave the conditions of a Victorian winter we don’t want to waste effort fishing areas unlikely to produce!

Lure and baitfishing are effective during the cold months in the rivers. The general principle is that the fish species concentrate away from the edges towards the middle or deeper areas of the river. Put some thought into your bait presentation – there is a wealth of food like worms and land-based critters getting washed into the river and it isn’t a coincidence that scrub worms or freshwater yabbies are dynamite bream baits! If the conditions are dirty, use bait with a decent amount of scent to it or add your own

offering easily. Plus, if they are a little lethargic in the cold water it can assist to trigger a strike. Ideal styles of lures are metal vibes, fished with a short lift or hop, nice and slow, then a decent pause. Don’t be afraid to take your time and wait 5 or even 10 seconds or longer between hops. Soft plastics with curl-tail or paddle-tails for vibration are also ideal and worm styles excel.

METROPOLITAN RIVERS In the Yarra River, areas from Richmond all the way through to south wharf and the Docklands area can be worth your efforts. Make sure to fish slowly with lures.

During this time of year many fish will use the pier and jetties for shelter, they generally hang deeper than usual. Mulloway are also a great target with live baits such as mullet, and fresh dead baits like mullet, fillets or even squid. Downstream areas from under the Westgate Bridge all the way to the Warmies at Newport regularly produce winter

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than fresh, so the freshwater slides over the top of the salt and the front (or tongue) of this saltwater wedge may be hundreds of metres upstream of the surface mixing area. It is also likely to retreat downstream or

artificial scent product to the presentation.

Lure fishing options are similar to bait presentations in the prevailing conditions.

Any offering with a decent amount of vibration will help a fish track down your

snapper (mainly pinkies), along with bream, salmon, mulloway and potentially tailor. If you see the Newport Power Station working, head on down! Michael Smith braved the wet conditions recently and had a great

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)

A basic diagram of mixing in a system.

(Source: http://www.teachoceanscience.net/images/deadzone_2layer_circulation_lge)

session, landing numbers of salmon and pinkies up to 40cm in length. The last two hours of the incoming tide was the best bite window.

August can see the Maribyrnong River fish consistently, especially for anglers who target bream.

The area around Flemington Racecourse also serves as a reliable base to start. A decent amount of parking for landbased anglers exists near Lynch’s Bridge and has good bank access, although it can get a little muddy underfoot.

The downstream areas and

bridges can hold numbers of fish, but patience is the key. Fish may be quiet and shut down, so fish slowly and methodically and you can generally give yourself a good chance. Higher reaches can also produce fish at times, but be selective during conditions.

It may be worth waiting until the initial major flush has slowed a little if you are going to venture upstream for a trip.

Canning Reserve is a wellknown area to target bream and Alan Bonnici, John Regali and Mark Moseley have consistently been rewarded for

Alan Bonnici braved the rain showers to land several nice bream.

their efforts there lately.

WILLIAMSTOWN The piers and jetties around Williamstown offer great shelter from the prevailing cold southerly and southwesterly winds. Head down and fish in an area that is a little more comfortable, and that delivers a great mixed variety of fish species. The piers and jetties easily produce all manner of species, such as bream, pinkies, Australian salmon, tommy rough, silver trevally, flathead, tailor and even a chance at the elusive and highly sought-after mulloway. Prawns, blue bait, pipis and sandworm are all useful baits. A small amount of berley into the water here is a great option. A fine sinking pellet with an aniseed base is ideal and economical. Fishing Mad founder Alan Bonnici and some of his mates have done well fishing the area, and have had success on seven or eight species in only a couple of hours, including pinkies, flathead and bream. A bonus of fishing the area around Williamstown is the numerous cafes to grab a coffee and stay warm while you fish!

ALTONA TO WERRIBEE The entire stretch along the western area of Port Phillip Bay had great potential to produce during the depths of winter. Sold snapper up to 6kg in weight is a proposition for anglers who target reef

areas after storms. If you are prepared to wait it out, a good fish is very possible. Numbers of pinkies can keep you occupied in between catching big models. The amazing run of calamari along the northern area of the bay has been phenomenal. Heavy reef areas such as Point Cook are great winter options. Purple foils and dark red are great options during the overcast days, but if you manage to strike a nice sunny day and find some water that isn’t too cloudy or dirty, cast around a white UV jig. They consistently produce in bright conditions.

WEST PORT PHILLIP BAY The areas around Indented Head are renowned for a consistent run of winter King George whiting. Pipis, squid and mussel are all fantastic bait options. Berleying this area is essential, and once you manage to get the fish biting, the bite window may only last for a short period, sometimes less than half an hour. Often, this coincides with darkness or a tide change. Areas only a few hundred metres from the ramp around the stick can be productive, but don’t be afraid to fish deeper than you would during summer. The rewards of big whiting are worth the time to relearn and experiment with this winter fishery.

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Dean Yeoman and his son Lincoln fished Apollo Bay surf beach as part of the ‘Didyabringyarodalong Angling Club’ trip. Both father and son won the competition for the weekend, with both of them catching their personal best flathead. Dean’s fish weighed 2.8kg. Lincoln’s went 1.5kg! your fishing experiences in the local area! Send through reports and highresolution photos of your

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Rough conditions create cracking opportunities PORT PHILLIP NE

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

Continuing and persistent wintery conditions have been the feature for the past month on the bay. Constant and cold northerly and northwesterly winds have been giving the local shoreline regions a real stir up, and regular intervals of rain have been juicing up the food chain along the inshore reefs. Breaks in the weather and calmer days with little or no wind have been the exception rather than the norm over the past few weeks.

Most anglers prefer to fish during more favourable conditions and temperatures, but those who have been

putting in the time and effort of late have been rewarded with some quality fishing.

Conditions have confined most of the opportunities to land-based locations, and protected inshore boating areas. It may be a little fresh out on the bay at the moment, but if you rug up you can still enjoy some great fishing.

The big drawcard for the dedicated land-based crew at the moment is some quality snapper on offer, particularly from Mornington Pier, and some of the local surrounding rock platforms.

These areas seem to fish best during the most atrocious weather, so it goes without saying that care must be taken, and my advice would be to always fish with a mate. Not only for the obvious reasons, but also to

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Quality winter snapper, like this 5kg Western Port specimen, have been taken recently by some dedicated boat and land-based anglers. help land a big red if you’re lucky enough!

Snapper will come right in close to shore to graze during the worst weather, and will take a wide variety of baits, but oily fish fillets and whole baits are best.

Surf rods are also preferred by most, providing ease of landing fish and better casting from the bank.

Boaties have had much more limited opportunities due to weather, but a dedicated few refuse to follow the seasonal masses and continue to focus their attention in the south of the bay. While the majority of winter snapper heads will be found in the top end of Western Port at this time of year, a few in the know have been doing pretty well in PPB as well, particularly on the western side of the shipping channel, out from Safety Beach and Mount Martha, and further south. Don’t expect to catch a cricket

score, as bite windows are normally short, but the fish fight hard and taste pretty good as well.

Big schools of Australian salmon have been smashing the local baitfish populations for a while now, and over the past month they have moved right in close along shoreline gutters to feed. They can be very easy to spot in these areas, both moving on mass along the shore, and when they break the surface to feed. They move fast, but will respond to just about any method when in the mood. I love chasing them from the shore with a light

spin rod and a few lures, they are great fun, fight really hard and make pretty good tucker if you look after them and bleed them as soon as you catch them.

Salmon will be wherever the food is, but some reliable locations seem to always produce more often than not. Frankston Pier and the Patterson River mouth are both great locations, as well as Mount Martha Beach near the Balcombe Creek mouth, and the Martha Cove mouth.

The freshwater outflow from these areas attracts baitfish, and they in turn the salmon.

Olivers Hill, Mornington

Pier, Fishies Beach and Daveys Bay are also all worth a look. Sometimes, like the snapper, they will bite better during the worst weather, but I like to fish for them during calmer or offshore winds, so I can watch the schools as they move. Lures, plastics and even flies are all effective, depending on how far you need to cast, and fixed and unweighted baits are deadly as well.

Consistent rain and fresh water has also helped the fishing in Patterson Lakes, particularly for the bream anglers, but also for those chasing mullet and the elusive mulloway. The bream seem to bite for longer periods, and will graze over a wider area when the water is dirty, and bait and lure anglers can really cash in at the moment.

Boat anglers are at a real advantage, as they can sneak along the banks and cast to grazing bream along the rocks and beaches throughout the canals and main river system. Bait anglers will do best fishing around any distinct colour change or nearby to drains or water outlets. Small noisy lures or plastics fish slow work best, while baits like garden worms and mussels are most effective.

I’m all for sitting at home and watching the footy on a less than perfect winter’s day, but if you’re prepared to brave the conditions, there’s some pretty good fishing to be had at the moment.

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Patterson Lakes has been producing some lovely bream for bait and lure anglers right throughout the system.

Head to the creeks for respite from the wind PORT PHILLIP EAST

Lee Rayner info@fishingfever.com.au

Winter has certainly made its presence felt over the past month, with some serious blows and a good lot of rain, and while the fishing has been really good, the conditions have made it really difficult to actually get on the water, with some horrendous wind keeping a lot of boats on trailers. Anglers have generally been locked up indoors in front of the fire.

While the weather has been bad, we can only hope that August provides us with some reasonable weather, as this month often produces loads of great opportunities for both landbased and boat anglers on the eastern seaboard.

MORDIALLOC TO BLACK ROCK No matter how windy it is out on the bay, at least you can find some respite fishing up in Mordialloc Creek, and over the past weeks the fishing has been very good for the anglers who are persistent. While most of the quarry has been the big yellow-eye mullet

that inhabit the creek at this time of the year, there is also some good by-catch in the form of some silver trevally and small salmon.

The best way to get in on this action is to head to the creek with a fine bran style berley and a light rod rigged with a quill float or similar, with the most important thing being to make sure the float is set properly so it can be pulled under the water with ease. Use a small hook baited with small pieces of peeled prawn or dough and throw small amounts of berley where your bait and float are sitting.

A good tip on this is to try casting in the same spot each time and get the berley in the same spot, as this will congregate the fish in your area.

Out on the pier, the pinkies have been quite good late in the afternoons and into the evenings, especially when it’s been a bit rough, which has been a lot lately. As an added bonus, there has also been some reasonable salmon in amongst the pinkies, and the best results have come on paternoster rigs baited with half pilchards or squid.

Further along the shoreline, the keen boat

anglers have been reporting loads of calamari on the inner reefs with Parkdale Pinnacles up to Rickets Point producing plenty of these messy monsters.

The same reef areas are also producing some really good pinkies with some of the best fish we are hearing of coming on larger plastics in the 5-6 in size. And while the pinkies seem to love a plastic worked erratically off the bottom the other option is to work the plastic slowly on the bottom up around the mussel farms, where there has been some great bluespot flathead on offer.

Further along the front of the reef between Rickets Point and Black Rock, the cold water is keeping the pinkies firing, although over recent weeks the size of the fish has varied day to day.

This month is always great for the red mullet, which become very active at this time of the year and while they love a bit of bait, they seem to go crazy over a small grub style plastic worked across the reefy bottom.

SANDRINGHAM TO ST KILDA July saw the return of some really good numbers of garfish in this area, with

August is generally a good time to find mulloway around Melbourne. several anglers reporting that they had bag limit catches of garfish on multiple trips, and quite a few of them were really big fish. The best locations for them has definitely been Yorkies Reef and off the rock groynes at Hampton, with boat and land-based anglers reporting good success on them.

Further to the north up off Brighton breakwall and its surrounds, there have been good numbers of pinkies at dawn and dusk and good numbers of garfish and squid during the calmer conditions.

With the garfish and squid going well during the

daylight hours, it’s been a bonus for some anglers as they head out and get a few garfish and squid for bait, then settle back on dusk with fresh bait for the pinkies.

While the local pinkie population it definitely seems that the larger fish are taking a distinct liking to half a garfish, with several fish in the 2.5kg size falling to this bait in the past weeks.

ST KILDA TO PORT MELBOURNE Up off the breakwall and in behind where the boats sit on their swing moorings is the place to be for casting plastics or setting up a berley

trail and fishing unweighted baits at the bream and trevally that are often in this area during August.

Off the piers, pinkies are an option, but it will really depend on the mount of rain that we get in the coming weeks, with heavy rain often pushing the fish out to deeper water.

As an added option however, the fishing at night around Princess Pier this month can and often does produce some big winter snapper and even the odd really big mulloway.

While it’s cold out there, the results can be worth it.

Anglers invited to conference Recreational anglers are being invited to attend a free conference on Friday 12 August to hear from fisheries experts about the removal of commercial net fishing and the health of key species in Port Phillip Bay. Fisheries Victoria Executive Director, Travis Dowling, said the evening would also feature keynote speaker, Rex Hunt, who has been a passionate bay angler all his life.

“We’re keen to share the latest findings from our work in the bay and outline the substantial progress that’s been made this year in removing 33 of 43 commercial netters, which was the flagship commitment in the State Government’s $46 million Target One Million plan,” Mr Dowling said.

“The conference will be held at the Altona Theatre from 5.30pm until 9pm on Friday 12 August.

“Presentations from experts will cover kingfish and southern calamari research, which has been funded by fishing licence fees, along with habitat improvement efforts in the bay such as shellfish reef restoration and recreational fishing reefs.

“Attendees will also hear from VRFish’s

Dallas D’Silva about the results of the latest Ernst and Young economic study on recreational fishing in Victoria.

“David Kramer, from 3AW and Talking Fishing, will share his views on the removal of commercial net fishing and the exciting times ahead for saltwater anglers in the bay.

“The evening will conclude with a panel discussion and questions from the audience to provide everyone with an opportunity to have their say on all things fishing.”

Mr Dowling said the bay conference built on the success of last year’s Talk Wild Trout conference in Mansfield, which attracted hundreds of keen

freshwater anglers from across the state.

“We’ll be repeating that conference in November 2016 and adding a third to the calendar focusing on Murray cod, to be held in Shepparton in December.

“Both of these freshwater conferences will be promoted more widely when details are finalised.”

Registration for the bay conference can be done by emailing improving. fishing@ecodev.vic.gov. au which will assist with event logistics and catering for a light dinner meal at the interval.

Learn more about the bay conference, including speakers and themes, at www.vic.gov.au/ bayconference. - DEDJTR

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Calamari dreamin’ in August MORNINGTON PENINSULA

Dan Lee info@peninsulatotaltackle.com.au

If we are lucky we may see a break in the weather sometime during August – this always gives cause to anglers to get out there and get amongst it after a couple of quiet months.

I really enjoy this period of the year as we generally start to see some captures of big squid. These are generally the first of the breeders entering the bay to lay their eggs. It’s a great time for the calamari lovers out there and it can all be achieved landbased, with plenty of the piers often seeing good quality captures at this time of year.

SOUTHERN CALAMARI We have already seen good signs after the last few weeks that we will see some big squid through the next month. Already I have had regular customers in my shop taking calamari up to 1.5kg while doing drifts on the calm days. Matt Garrett was one of those who nailed a beauty in this size range after doing some drifts off Rye.

A lot of our local ground on the peninsula is holding squid and there still is some variety in the sizes but pockets of bigger or even a

mix of sizes are starting to become more common as we move into the season.

We have seen some captures land-based at Portsea Pier, but

Through September we should see good numbers of big breeding squid caught on the Mornington Peninsula.

Chris O’Connell got out and amongst the winter whiting. These fish were taken at St Leonards.

there have been more modest size said at Rye Pier and Blairgowrie Marina.

Out in the boat, many anglers have been doing a mix of whiting fishing and squid fishing, so areas such as the Pinnace Channel and Tootgarook have been getting a bit of attention.

I would not say there has been any standout jig or colour of jig. Plenty of the classics have been working, including the white Shimano Sephia, the EWC Harimitsu and the Black/Red Yakamito.

AUSTRALIAN SALMON We are not quite out of winter yet, so it is pretty hard not to mention the Aussie salmon fishing. I feel like this year may have been a bit more subdued on the back beaches, not so much in the numbers of fish, but maybe more in the number of anglers targeting them. I can only put this down to the fact that it has been pretty wet and miserable, but with that said, there has been some really good fish taken in

the last couple of weeks.

We are regularly seeing fish to about 1.5kg, but as always there is a bit of a range with the occasional 2kg model, but there’s also action at the other end of the scale where we have seen some schools come through that may only be 600g.

For those spinning lures, metals in blue, green, gold and the red head colour seem to have been catching the most fish. In my opinion, those spinning lures seem to be catching more fish at the moment, so it may be worth having a crack if you are finding the bait fishing a bit slow. Ideally, set yourself up with a 9ft graphite surf spin outfit, this will ensure you are getting your lure right out there in the catch zone.

WHITING Whether it is already the greatly reduced number of netters or we are just having a better season, I don’t know, but what I do know is that our whiting fishing continues to power on. We have seen good fishing at St Leonards, Tootgarook, the Sisters and off Rosebud. There seems to be plenty of King George around for anyone who cares to chase them. Current sizes are mostly around 35cm but bigger fish are not uncommon.

LOOKING AHEAD September is officially spring, and with it comes one of the biggest events on

AUGUST 2016

our piscatorial calendar – the snapper run! During August many anglers get boats and gear in order not only for the snapper season but just generally for the warmer fishing months.

Each year is different, last year we had barrel bluefin show-up offshore, so you never really know what is going to happen and that is the magic of fishing. I love

keeping an eye on social media at this time, as whatever it is you chase, reports generally start to come through thick and fast, which is a great way to get inspiration for your next trip!

• For more information feel free to drop in and see the boys at Peninsula Compleat Angler, 11 Boneo Road in Rosebud or phone: 03 5981 1994.

Ben Broomfield has got in nice and early catching this red off Mt Martha.

There’ll be plenty more of that to come entering spring and the spawning run.

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Luke Goldstein with a lovely calamari taken at Portsea Pier.

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Jason Tanti

The past month has been great for anglers with lots of good CBD fish caught.

I even had the chance to spend a day at the Melbourne Boat Show. The cold miserable Melbourne winter days have truly kicked in, and finding fish isn’t easy. Now that the water temperature has dropped dramatically the black bream tend to become shy and finicky.

This means a lot more time and effort is needed out on the water to catch a few.

I tend to target bream by

sight casting. Unfortunately due to the cold water bream will sit hard up to the bottom so the alternative is to fish with something on the bottom. In the past three weeks my mates and I have been trying a new method that seems to be successful in the winter months. We simply walk the banks of the Yarra River on low tide and turn over as many rocks as we can to collect live crabs. The first time we tried this we immediately knew it would be a killer method on bream. As the saying goes – match the hatch. Crabs are the main food source for bream in these waters so using something they feed

on is a great start. We rig the crab with a nice light fluorocarbon leader and a very small-unweighted bait holder hook. You only have one chance to strike once you feel a bite otherwise you’ll lose your crab, so don’t be too picky on the way you rig the crab onto the hook. It’s as easy as piercing it straight through the main body – the toughest point on the crab.

When it comes to bream fishing I’ve always been into my soft plastics, however let me tell you catching bream on an unweighted bait such as a live crab is so much fun. Because you are fishing unweighted the key is to watch your slack line, as

Crab style lures definitely match the hatch and make the local bream go bananas. you will see the bite before you feel it.

When it comes to challenging yourself and trying to catch bream off a lure I recommend using a Cranka Crab. These lures are almost identical to the live ones we get except you have to create the action when using one. At times the Cranka Crab can be deadly because the stinger hook suspends on the claws.

This means that if a bream is curious and decides to just bump the crab and you are

Releasing a healthy bream back into the water.

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Places such as St Kilda Beach and Pier are producing a steady amount of flathead if you put in the hard yards.

Key spots to target flatties along the pier are under moored boats and structure, as they use these locations as a form of shelter and protection. Any form of soft plastic will work, however a

2.5” ZMan GrubZ in motor oil is your best bet.

I’ve found on these often they attack as a reaction bite.

Flathead are known to be territorial, which means they don’t like other critters in their space. That’s where your soft plastic work a treat, as you try to get it in their face as much a possible until you get the reaction bite you’re looking for.

Overall there’s some nice fish to be caught if you persist and mix things up.

Good luck!

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Squid and snapper madness!

WESTERN PORT NTH

Adam Ring

Luckily the snapper haven’t seemed to have noticed how cold and wet it has been during the long winter! This would have to be one of the best snapper bites I have seen in quite a long time for this time of year, which is truly exciting and great to see. To make it even better, the big calamari have well and truly been

in an early morning session recently when at 10am her rod buckled and the reel started singing harder than a young contestant on ‘The Voice’! It wasn’t long before a whopping big red was safely in the boat and as the scales read 9kg the excitement on Tania’s face was enormous!

Colin Thompson also put in a few hours on the east side of Joes on a completely different day and interestingly again at 10am off his rod went

‘hello’. Local angler and snapper whisperer, Heidi, popped into Tackle World Mornington to show us her awesome winter red from a recent trip. This capture was Heidi’s first ever snapper and when the scales told us that the fish weighed in at 7.6kg there was smiles all round!

Lysaughts is generally an area that doesn’t get too much coverage at this time of year ­­– but that is all about to change! Matty Stewart, Jarrad Kennard and MJ

effort! Both fish couldn’t turn down a fresh squid head, so if you are keeping your calamari for a feed, never throw the heads out, they are just too good a bait to waste!

CALAMARI The snapper aren’t the only species in the midst of a little purple patch at the moment. It seems the big calamari have turned up in good numbers throughout the top end and they seem really hungry.

Pat Ellaby has been fishing up on the Quail Bank and among his bag there was an absolute stonker sporting a 42cm hood. Now that’s a big squid!

The Tyabb Bank is another area that holds a lot of squid at this time of year and quite a few anglers have been making the most of the opportunities presented by these unique critters.

Kristian had a cracker of a session up on the bank and left with a new PB calamari

Pat Ellaby with a weapon of a Quail Bank calamari. at the end of the day. He also managed another eight that were all of similar size. Daiwa nude jigs did the trick for Kristian. The nudes are a great choice in Western Port, they are a hardbodied jig and without the traditional cloth coating on the jig they tend to cut through the water without the drag. This comes in handy when the tide is humming or you need to get that jig down just a little bit deeper.

Jake Gamble has been dominating a few calamari up on the Tyabb Bank with his biggest measuring 47cm over the hood. Any bigger than that and we will have to start referring to them as ‘krakens’!

Well done to everyone who braved the elements and come home with a trophy fish over the last month and thank you for your reports.

Keep them coming and good luck!

Jarrad Kennard and his 9kg Lysaughts red. on the hunt, making bait collection for snapper all too easy!

SNAPPER I just can’t believe that I’m sitting here at this time of year and writing about how good the snapper fishing is. There is a common theme as to where the fish have been caught, which is rather interesting. Joes Island is always a solid place to start looking for snapper as it’s the most basic form of structure that these fish sit on. Tania Sandy was fishing with Jason Munro

and old mate snapper, this time at 7.38kg, hit the deck of the boat. This catch definitely made sitting it out in the cold a hell of a lot more worth it. Fresh squid did the trick for Colin.

There have been a lot more snapper caught throughout the top end and the average size has been unbelievable. Chris Preston got into it on a recent trip, and after presenting a freshly caught calamari ring on the bottom an incredibly healthy snapper which stretched the tape to 91cm came up to say

went out for a few hours on Lysaughts in search of a winter red and boy what a session did they end up having. Jarrad was first up to the plate when his reel started screaming and after a short, adrenalin-pumping fight a massive 9kg fish made its way into the net.

No more than 10-minutes later MJ had a crack at knocking over the high bar set by Jarrad. MJ’s fish came in at 6kg – to have two fish in 10-minutes with a combined weight of 15kg in the middle of winter is just an extraordinary

Heidi with her first ever snapper.

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29

Going gaga for gummies WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

Despite the colder temperatures, those braving the conditions have been having a very successful winter on the Port.

Those putting in the hard yards have been finding some remarkable fish, including gummy sharks, snapper, whiting, salmon, silver trevally and calamari. The North Arm has been producing some nice snapper, with the largest I heard of going 7.6kg. Other fish ranging from 4-6kg have

also been caught throughout the Port, with the majority coming from the Corinella and Corals areas.

Signs of winter snapper will taper off now, but with spring only a few weeks away, spring time snapper will be on the minds of many before we know it.

Late August and into

Double trouble. How’s that for a night of screaming runs?

Photo courtesy of Shaun Furtiere.

Winter and into spring are great times to target big gummy sharks in the Western Entrance. Photo courtesy of Shaun Furtiere.

September is when the spring run will commence into the Port and while there will be few fish caught due to the lower water temperature, those who are patient enough can begin fishing locations such as the north arm, Corinella, Spit Point and Tenby Point Channel.

Early season snapper are always frustrating, however, providing you’re fishing the tides with a good selection of fresh baits such as fresh calamari, garfish

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and or yakka fillets, you should be able to hook into a few fish before the season really ramps up.

If you are keen on a bit of bait gathering before the season kicks into gear, then there are plenty of options available. Of course it is easier to pick up a bag of pilchards from the local servo, but nothing can beat a fresh calamari ring or whole silver whiting.

August is a great month to gather bait, fishing the

shallow banks on the bottom of the Middle Spit, Tortoise Head Bank, Somers, Balnarring, and Flinders and around Cat Bay is good when gathering calamari. If you are after garfish, try anchoring on the edge of the middle spit over some weed. Set a berley trail on the waters surface of bran or pollard and fish unweighted pieces of silverfish or pilchard fillet threaded onto a #12 offset long shank hook. This style of hook is deadly on garfish

and if there are any around, you’ll catch them using this method in no time.

An excellent bait is silver whiting, yet few people take advantage of

this fishery. Of course, not everyone has a boat large enough to head offshore into Bass Strait. Silver whiting are an offshore species and unknown to many, live on

Always ensure you use quality hooks when fishing. You might only get one chance so ensure the fish is hooked on the initial bite.

the sandy bottom in Bass Strait from 10-20m deep.

To catch them, a simple paternoster rig tied from 12lb fluorocarbon leader with two droppers is ideal. Silver whiting caught offshore can be frozen down and used later, but to keep them at their freshest, vacuum seal them in saltwater. I guarantee when you defrost them to use, they’ll look just a fresh as they day your caught them.

Aside from bait gathering, if you are chasing the adrenalin rush from a line screaming fish, then getting out and down the Western Entrance is the place to be.

Greg Foben and his friend Chris nailed some some cracking fish aboard a charter recently. The boys managed to catch and release five gummy sharks, all of which were well over the 10kg mark and all put up quite a fight.

Land-Based fishing has also been very productive for those willing to put in the time. The piers have been producing silver trevally, flathead, salmon, leatherjacket, calamari, yellow-eye mullet and the odd King George whiting.

The most common rig to use is a paternoster rig, but ensure you fish smaller sized hooks in the no. 8-1 size and a long shank style for best success.

Also try using berley too, this can be in the form of pellets poured into an onion bag and suspended into the waters surface with a rope. The pellets will break up and begin to attract fish in no time.

The Flinders Pier has also been fishing very well for calamari. Anglers hitting the pier on low tide either on first light or last light have caught some cracking models while casting both artificial jigs and baited jags.

Although there is a massive amount of squid jigs on the market, those that have been working well of late contain a ref foil belly in a size 3.0 Towards the end of this month, many anglers are going to begin feeling weird and uncontrollable urges in their arms where they twitch and shudder when the sun hits the horizon.

Among this, sudden head turns causing whiplash as they think they can hear a reel scream and the sound of braid ripping through a rods guides.

This is just a few signs that the internal body clock of an angler is getting ready for what spring will bring.

If you’re partner begins to sit upright in bed at 4am in the morning in the coming weeks, you’ll quickly realise snapper season is coming.

Fishing on the edge of the shallow banks where the water temperature is slightly warmer is where you’ll find early season snapper. A lightly weighted fresh silver whiting is a good choice of bait.

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31

Beaches bring the goods PHILLIP ISLAND

John Dalla-Rosa

Winter came through with a vengeance, with lots of wind and some good rainfall, especially in the eastern part of the state.

I tried my luck over the long weekend in June down at Bullen Merri, and as per usual it was cold, windy and wet. There were eight members of our fishing club who fished Bullen Merri, and between them, only five fish were caught.

The biggest was a beautifully conditioned 2.2kg rainbow trout, and it was the first time in quite a few seasons that I never caught a fish, but that’s fishing.

SURF BEACHES I had much better luck when I decided to try the

surf beaches at Williamsons.

On the day, there was no wind to speak of, but there was a huge swell running, which caused lots of side drift and stirred up water.

The trick is to find pockets of green water and fish these. I managed nine salmon for three and a half hours on the beach, which considering the conditions, was pretty good! Pleasingly, eight of the fish were in the 500-600g bracket, with one thumper that went 3kg.

When the weather permits, the beaches are all fishing well with the odd big fish mixed in with the smaller ones.

Bluebait and whitebait are the preferred bait.

SAN REMO AREA Below the Bridge Cleeland’s Bight area is still producing some good-sized calamari and the

odd whiting.

Above the Bridge Things really quieten down this time of year, but for those willing to freeze their butts off, the odd big snapper is being caught up the northern end of the bay.

There are still squid being caught on the Tyabb Bank and the Quail Bank.

There is still the odd whiting at Dickies Bay, Reef Island and Tortoise Head Bank, but you really need to put a lot of effort in to catch a feed, but as they say, a day on the water is much better than working at home.

FLINDERS AREA There’s not a lot happening in this area at the moment. The odd gummy is coming in from the Point Leo area and there are some good-sized snook about, which can be caught trolling lures over the weedy areas.

The author braved the cold for this great early morning catch.

Hardy souls benefit from braving the elements INVERLOCH

Alan McFayden amcsayte@bigpond.net.au

The cold weather continues, but there have been those hardy souls who have been prepared to brave the elements, and some are having success.

Through the week, I received news that Russell Ferguson hooked into and landed a very nice 8kg snapper off Corinella. Naturally, the man has bragging rights for some time yet. There was also news that Bert from Inverloch also hooked into a 7kg snapper. Of course the fish are always around, it’s just that there’s not as many fishers chasing them.

The area around Cape Paterson is always worth a visit, where there have been very good size whiting being caught fairly close to the shoreline. The best of the baits have been Bass yabbies, squid, sand worms and even small lures. The idea as far as these fish are concerned is to pick what is known as broken ground and the holes will come up as light patches of water. Fish on the edge of the clear water for best results.

The whiting are often to the 50cm mark, which puts them well into the 1kg range. Boats naturally offer a wide range of spots to try your luck, but there is also very good fishing from the shoreline.

At this time of year, it’s

not uncommon to see the estuary fish such as perch, bream, mullet and eel numbers increase. This is no doubt due to the coldest water temperatures.

For example, the Tarwin River has been very productive and the Wonthaggi Angling Club, whose members did very well on the perch recently.

There was a report that a local angler was determined to catch a fish and was out in his boat looking for a perch, has been the club’s fish of the month. Out on the water, he was very intent, looking at his depth sounder, just crawling along at a slow speed. Around and around, up and down he went, stopping and starting, apparently not looking where he was going. That is until

there was a lady on a nearby bank, very nearby as it turned out. Apparently this lady does not swear, but on this occasion she made an exception. In no uncertain terms she described in colourful language what she thought of the boater entering her space, and to make things worse he couldn’t escape, as his motor wouldn’t restart.

He was eventually towed to relative safety. As it turned out the unnamed boater actually caught one very unfortunate perch that was weighed in, but not heavy enough to earn him a prize.

There was yet another report that involved a local fishing legend. Steve Waldron is a nice bloke and a very keen angler, who seldom fails

to catch a fish. This time, however, the boot was on the other foot. It turns out he was out in a boat battling a fish and was about to bring the big fellow aboard. As we all know, you don’t celebrate until the fish is safely in the boat. Then, and only then the celebrations may begin.

This nearly happened on this occasion, only nearly though. What happened was that as the hapless angler was on his victory stroke; the lure broke free at the vital moment.

The hook now becomes an unguided missile, so to speak, looking for somewhere to penetrate. Before he realised, Steve had it stuck securely in his right ear and that was where it stayed until after

considerable pain, yelling and cursing, it was removed.

A bemused and somewhat confused doctor would no doubt be wondering how this could possibly have happened.

There have been quite a few other reports from this area where bream are also in fairly good numbers for those who know where to look.

The bream have not been huge in size, but to the 1kg mark they will put on a very impressive performance.

Silvers are also making an appearance along with eels that have also been making up bags, but the slimy ones are probably better off as eel bait due to their high oil content.

Abalone poaching ring leader jailed and fined The second and last ringleader of an elaborate illegal abalone syndicate was sentenced in the County Court and has received a significant jail term.

Director of Fisheries Education and Enforcement, Ian Parks, said the 54 year old male from Cairnlea

was sentenced to two years and eight months jail, with a non-parole period of 16 months.

“The man was also convicted and banned indefinitely from all fishing, ordered to pay $21,000 which was the proceeds of crime and had his car and

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diving gear forfeited,” Mr Parks said.

“Remanded in prison last month, the man had a history of fisheries offending dating back to 2000.

“The man pleaded guilty today to trafficking commercial quantities of abalone, which is a priority species in Victoria, and also to selling seafood without authorisation.”

The 10 month investigation, code-named Operation Quantum, had observed the man diving for abalone, rock lobster and turbos, then selling them in Melbourne’s western suburbs.

Mr Parks said the outcome followed the sentencing of the second ring-leader in February.

“She and the man

sentenced today were supplied by a team of 10 divers, all sentenced in January, who would drive from the western suburbs of Melbourne several times each week to steal abalone, rock lobster and other shellfish from Victoria’s southwest coastline.

“The divers would meet at dive sites around Warrnambool and Port Fairy, take quantities of abalone and shellfish, then return to Melbourne and sell the harvest to ring-leaders,” said Mr Parks.

“Four of those ten divers were jailed for up to two months. The other six men received community correctional orders requiring them to complete between unpaid community work, bans that prohibit all fishing

activity indefinitely and orders to pay between $220 and $16,500 each.

Judge Pullen said the man’s offending was very serious and potentially threatened the health of consumers, which warranted a significant jail term as a strong deterrent to others.

“You were masquerading as a recreational diver and benefiting financially,” Judge Pullen said.

During the investigation, 12 vehicles and dive equipment were seized and most have since been forfeited. Several residential premises are still restrained under proceeds of crime legislation.

Mr Parks said Fisheries Victoria’s Statewide Investigation Group, supported by regionally based

Fisheries Officers, would continue to detect, disrupt and dismantle organised illegal fishing activity as a priority.

Our Fisheries Investigators and Fisheries Officers are dedicated to exploring all avenues so that we bring offenders to justice and protect Victoria’s fisheries resources for sustainable and legitimate utilisation.

“We are very appreciative of the support the Victoria Police provided to us in this investigation, particularly the Criminal Proceeds Squad.

“I also appreciate the support provided by the Port Fairy community during the investigation and encourage anyone to call 13FISH (133474) to report illegal fishing anywhere in Victoria, anytime.”

– Victoria Fisheries

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33

Torpedo fish to storm in WELSHPOOL

Alan McFayden amcsayte@bigpond.net.au

Although they haven’t made an appearance yet, it’s usually about this time there should be the annual influx of those torpedo fish that will weigh in at around the 4kg mark. They are great fighters and when hooked up they will test out the angler as well as equipment. I’m talking, of course, about salmon.

As well as salmon there will also be plenty of large silvers that will put on a similar performance.

It’s fair to say that while salmon are alright on the table, these fish are not all that great, especially salmon any bigger than about 750g, but every the again, everyone taste differently.

Colin Jackson and a couple of mates were passing through and decided to try their luck.

They are visitors and have a few marks that have been productive in the past.

They had a few days off and decided to try some marks outside the entrance.

I am a great believer that inexperienced boaters should not try this unless they have some experienced crewmembers aboard.

On this day, however, the conditions were flat calm, sunny and very cold, which often occurs at this time of year. They fished an area called Five Mile Beach and managed to bag some very nice size salmon that were around the 1.5kg mark and they used a variety of lures.

They worked their way back towards the entrance and although the fish didn’t go crazy, the crew managed a very presentable bag of flathead, gummies and salmon, and they were happy.

Colin said that there were just a few other boats on the water, but the few that were out appeared to be having a good time.

The jetties at Welshpool have been not been too bad, where there has been a sprinkling of local fish such as mullet, squid, flathead and salmon.

Of course, the freezing weather and howling winds have been a fair bit of a deterrent.

For some reason the best area to try is on the eastern

end of the structure on the run-in tide. Another thing to remember when fishing this area is not to leave equipment unattended, as it is almost guaranteed to be blown off by a sudden gust of wind.

If it happens, then don’t be too upset, as you won’t be the first or last to suffer this embarrassment.

I’ve heard reports of a few whiting being caught in the Lewis Channel, but the lucky anglers who caught them on pipis said that there was plenty of water between fish.

Not far away is Port Albert, where many locals are saying that they have experienced the best season they can remember.

Right up to the time of this report, there had been good numbers of whiting being caught in very pleasing numbers.

Snapper, gummies, flathead and a variety of other fish have also been making a visit to the area something to remember.

Naturally things have slowed down due to a cold weather, but when the cycle comes around once again the good fishing will resume.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Silver perch in Lake Boga A fish survey in Lake Boga has recorded an unexpected number of silver perch averaging 39cm and 1.1kg each.

Fisheries Victoria Executive Director, Travis Dowling, said this was great news for freshwater anglers and complemented the State Government’s Target One Million plan for recreational fishing, which aims to get more people fishing, more often.

“The survey was to assess the effectiveness of man-made woody structures, funded by fishing licence fees, that were placed into the lake in 2014 to improve fish habitat there,” Mr Dowling said. “However the survey yielded a pleasant surprise capturing nearly 300 silver perch, the best of which weighed nearly 2kg, which is quite uncommon in Victoria. The species are a terrific sport fish, most often caught on worms.

Anglers are encouraged to target them in Lake Boga and abide by the minimum size of 30cm and daily bag limit of 5. Silver perch are not stocked into the lake and are likely to have migrated through the Kerang Lakes and irrigation channels.

“Nonetheless, they are available to recreational anglers to catch now and complement other species in the lake such as golden perch and Murray cod, both of which are stocked annually.

“The survey, undertaken by the Arthur Rylah Institute, also captured four Murray cod, averaging 36cm and 800 grams along with four golden perch that averaged 38cm and 1.2kg.

Both of these species, and the abundant silver perch, were all located on and around the woody structures, confirming that native fish love snags even when they are man-made.

Other species captured in the survey, found away from the woody structures, included redfin, carp and bony bream.”

Mr Dowling said enhancing native fish habitat was a great way to improve

fishing opportunities and the project was a credit to the collaborative approach taken

by Goulburn Murray Water, the North Central Catchment Management Authority, local councils and Fisheries Victoria.

“Monitoring of the Lake Boga fishery, including its woody habitat structures which have also been installed at Kangaroo Lake, will continue through the collection of angler catch data. People keen to participate should contact Karl.Mathers@ thewedgegroup.com. au.” Silver perch may be taken from lakes and impoundments north of the Great Dividing Range and all waters south of the Range, including the Wimmera Basin. – Victoria Fisheries

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Big flush refreshes the Snowy MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

The winter arrived in the form of an east coast low that moved all the way down from Queensland and along the NSW coast and around the corner into our area of Victoria. With it came lots of rainfall, causing flooding of the Snowy River system, thus giving the estuary a good flush out and starting the annual refreshing of the system.

With the river running hard, it signals the end of the prawning season, as they all have been washed to sea.

With the first of the flooding, all of the small creeks and drains get a good flush of fresh water, removing all the

rubbish and stagnant water that has developed over the summer months and leaving them in a pristine state.

With the entrance now deep and wide, it doesn’t take long for the estuary to rejuvenate with new fish

The jetty at the Marlo boat ramp is a popular place for families to relax and have a fish.

coming in with the tides and re-colonising the system.

While the deluge was on, I was over in New Zealand fishing the Bay of Islands 6kg yellowtail kingfish tournament, and fishing out of Russell. The best of the Aussie contingent was the Junior Team fishing for the first time in many years and taking out the junior first prize. Our local team fishing under Orbost Sports & Game Fishing Club this year finished down the order with only one of our team, Terry Lynch, managing to weigh two legal size kingfish.

Back to the local scene, we observed on Facebook while in NZ another lucky angler landed a big bluefin tuna fishing out of Cape Conran. The monster weighed 114kg, and this is another positive for our

Kayaks provide you with the option to not only fish the Snowy River, but also the many backwaters and lakes off of it. area as a sports fishing destination.

The fishing offshore has been good with plenty of flathead, gurnard, squid, barracouta, pinkie snapper and gummy shark on the chew. This time of year the weather conditions determine when it’s safe to go offshore.

The surf beaches are fishing well with plenty of salmon and tailor on the bite. Already, anglers have managed to capture some good size bream fishing the backwater at Frenches Narrows and it won’t be long until fishing will be back to normal.

Frost, beanies and bream GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

The recipe is perfect, and all you have to do is mix the following ingredients: frost, short sunny days, beanies, sinking lures, no wind, warm gloves, icy mornings, hoodies and clean water. Stir it all up and then cook for a little while, and what you get is big grouchy bream and even bigger spiteful EPs! Winter is my favourite time of year and 2016 will go down as one of the best on the bream and perch fishing for nearly a decade.

More rain has lifted river levels over the last month or so and this will provide excellent spawning conditions for our precious black bream stocks.

BRUISER BREAM AND PUNCHY PERCH Those first chilly days of winter saw the bream and EP come out to play right on cue. Big bream either side of 40cm have been common with lure or bait anglers finding them in the Nicho or Mitchell rivers, Newlands and Duck Arm and Hollands Landing.

The real hotspot for numbers of bream has once again been the lower Tambo and the average size is well up on other years, so by all means make this area your first stop during any trip.

This year the upper sections of all the rivers is where we have found the much larger bream and most of the perch.

Even the lower and mid sections of the Latrobe River between Sale and Lake Wellington has been fishing well. Most of my lure sport has been in the snags using

sinking hardbodies, and I’ve been brawling with quite a few big bream to 45cm and hefty perch to 49cm. Most fights I’ve won because I have beefed up my leaders to 16lb but I’ve lost the odd battle when hooks are ripped off my lures or the fish break away due to my locked up drag.

It’s been so exciting to see so many EP back on the scene. During most sessions on the water my average score would be about 8-10 bream with sizes mostly 38-45cm and 6-12 EP between 42-49cm. The numbers are modest, but the quality and size of these fish is about as good as it ever gets.

Nearly all of the perch are the biggest and hardest fighting brutes I have encountered for a very long time. Big muscled up, round-shouldered fish with

tiny heads and I can just tell they are exceptionally fast growing and healthy EPs. It makes my heart sing to see them back in town and each and every perch I net is then watchfully and gently released.

DEEP BLADING FOR BREAM It’s been a strange winter with the blade lures. All anglers are reporting in with fairly low tallies and the size of the bream is a little down on usual. The last local bream competition back in mid June proved this, with some of the best lure anglers telling me just how tough the bream were proving to be.

As usual the large schools showed up in the deep sections of the Straits and the typical river haunts, but all of those bream had major ‘lock jaw’ syndrome.

Thinking back, the last three winters have been the same and it wasn’t until about late September that the bream started munching on blade lures. I’ll bet the same thing will happen this year, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, to trick these cranky bream with

Frosty mornings have been producing terrific scores of bream recently. Thick jackets, beanies, gloves and hoodies help keep the cold out while the bream bite hard early in the mornings or late afternoon. blades you need to employ a lot of sneaky finesse. Find the deepest water and flick your blade over the side of the boat, as a long cast is simply a waste of time. Drop your lure directly down into the school of bream and use tiny hops to get their interest. Sometimes, the longer you pause the blade without any movement, the better your results will be.

Here’s the problem; how long do you leave it motionless? Some anglers are telling me 10 seconds is not too long. For me, leaving a lure at a standstill for three seconds is like leaving it abandoned for a whole

month! I’m not good at long pauses, but my advice is let the bream tell you how long to leave the blade sitting still.

Experiment until you get a few fish hooked up.

Be ready for no bites at all, and when this happens, leave those fish and make a move to find another school, maybe in deeper water.

Sometimes a school of bigger or smaller sized fish will bite and even the time of day can be a trigger point.

On other days, after hours of no bream and frustration, it’s best to go home early and seriously assault a fridge full of comfort food!

MARLO

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Plenty of huge perch are back in the Gippy Lakes and sinking hardbodied lures are the best tool. Fighting them deep into the snags will see the fish try and win a few brawls, so to even up the contest, be sure to use 12lb leaders or more.

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Local lakes have finally settled after flooding The fishing in recent weeks has been a bit of a disaster because of the floods.

The Tambo flooded, the Mitchell flooded, the Avon, the Latrobe... there is dirty water everywhere.

When it settles down a bit, which it should have done by the time you read this, it will be a good time to target mulloway under the bridge at Lakes Entrance and around Mosquito Point at Metung. You can also try your luck in the straits up at Hollands Landing and probably the entrance to Lake Tyers, which opened up

too. Usually you can expect to get a good mulloway after Tyers opens.

Things have already begun to settle in some locations. The mouth of the Tambo and Mitchell are fishing really well for bream on stinky baits.

A lot of anglers are using earthworms and yabbies, and their efforts have been rewarded with 40cm+ fish around the mouths. All the fish that were pushed out into the Gippsland Lakes will start working their way up the rivers, determined not to let a flood stop them

from spawning.

The EPs are starting to migrate from Loch Sport right along that far bank, before coming into the rivers. Anglers have been catching them mainly on green soft plastics and diving hardbodies. For lure throwers, a good option for both perch and bream in dirty water is metal vibes, seeing as water clarity is no impediment to these lures’ fishy attraction. One of the best producing vibes lately has been the locally-made Hurricane Sting 37.

On the beaches guys

have been getting really good salmon, not that many people have been down lately because it’s been too cold, windy and wet! When conditions allow, most salmon are caught on poppers and chrome lures.

Mallacoota didn’t get as much rain as we did in recent weeks but they got a lot prior to that, so the fishing has been good there for flathead and bream around Gipsy Point and up to the Bullring. Another good place to try is up the Genoa River. The flathead are

being caught on almost any kind of plastic. Some of the most notable ones of late have been Slider Grubs, ZMan GrubZ and ZMan Diezel MinnowZ. I recommend covering them with a good catch scent such as Sax Scent or Pro Cure Super Gel. THE MONTH AHEAD August in the Mitchell, Tambo, Avon and Latrobe traditionally sees a spawn run of bream in the rivers, and the flatties start to come up as well. It’s also the time of year when we see a migration

of perch, which start to come up the river around the end of winter. Those three species are the main targets this month.

All in all, after the huge amount of water we had in one hit, conditions have been a bit disheartening – but that’s set to change.

For the very latest information on what’s biting and where, call into Mitchell Fishing & Outdoors at 196 Main St, Bairnsdale or phone (03) 5152 4524. – John Stephenson, Mitchell Fishing & Outdoors

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Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

The bream will be heading upstream soon, so lure casters will have a ball targeting them.

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Winter has well and truly set in now and inside water temperatures have dropped to around 10-11°C, but offshore remains in at around 13-14°C, creating a wide range of opportunities for anglers to catch a range of species.

Inside McLoughlins and Manns beach, salmon remains the main target with McLoughlins being unpredictable. Some anglers are catching them one day and then none the next.

However, anglers have reported numerous baits schools and lots of birds diving and working just outside the entrance.

Manns entrance seems to be a bit more productive, producing mixed sized salmon from 30-50cm on the run-in tide. Metal slug lures or heavy weighted soft plastics have been the best, and there has also been the odd trevally getting caught, especially by perch anglers so the trevally seem to be more abundant in the perch areas and are taking soft plastics easily. There’s also tailor throughout the whole system, but they’re as unpredictable like the salmon.

In Port Albert, the water temperature has dropped to around 11°C, as well making almost every summer species absent except for whiting, calamari and bulk garfish.

The whiting are being caught in water anywhere from 5-10 meters deep in the Port Albert, Drum and Snake channels. The run-in tide has been the best here using pipis, squid and prawns.

The calamari are biting well on the last bit of the run-in tide and the slack high. Size 2.5 and 3.0 jigs have by far been the best. The squid sizes have been small to medium, from 15-25cm hood lengths;

A nice little feed of flatties is a guarantee offshore from Port Albert or McLoughlins the winter. however, I have seen some better models caught off the Port Albert jetty at night.

As for the garfish, they are going really well, especially around the new moon. The shallows around Sunday Island have been very successful, and so has the channel towards Kearneys entrance. The gars are big and there’s plenty around the 40cm mark. The run-in tide has been the best time, but I have had a few good reports from anglers fishing the run-out.

Berley is very import for the gars, and anchoring in the right position to keep the garfish behind the boat is even more important. This goes for the whiting at Port Albert as well, you must have berley!

Offshore, there’s more flathead than you can poke a stick at and even in close

around 15-18m of water has been productive for small table-sized flathead flathead from 30-40cm. They are being caught on the drift with squid, pilchards and blue bait.

Out wider around the islands, there are stacks of barracouta smashing bait schools. There’s great bait around out wide and it’s definitely worth trying for some winter kingfish or pinkies. If this doesn’t go to plan, you can always drift for a big winter gummy.

• For more information, contact Will at Allways Angling in Traralgon on 5174 8544. You will get expert advice and great deals on fishing bait and tackle. Tune into Rex Hunt and Lee Rayner’s Off the Hook on 1242 to hear Will’s report on what’s going on in Gippsland!

Oh where, oh where, have those bream gone?

BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

As we charge through winter, our ‘Tag-A-Fish’ promotion has launched with the tagged fish managing to evade capture so far. This means they are still swimming around out there, calling to all anglers to come and find them.

When the weather permits and the frosty mornings thaw out, we see some excellent bream caught, along with some ‘surprise, surprise’ flathead.

The water level is very low as the entrance, having gone out in mid-June, but this hasn’t deterred good fishing.

The best results for bream have been hardbodied lures, sandworm (when available),

and frozen prawn. The flatties are being caught on salted bluebait. The majority of the better flathead have been caught in the shallows in the channel, especially when the sun appears.

The Mahoganies and Pelican Point have been the hot spots for the bream, as we have had a considerable amount of rain, which pushed the dirty water

The disappointment of not finding a tagged bream is tangible.

out through the entrance, leaving these areas with relatively clean water. The surf has produced salmon and tailor when it has been possible to fish. There has been no report of EPs to date, but these crafty little suckers will no doubt be sneaking around somewhere in the system.

Don’t forget the ‘Tag-AFish’ promotion, which is gaining momentum with all prizes displayed in the dining room of the Bemm River Hotel. All participating business houses have free registration forms available and we would love to see the tagged fish caught soon.

Go to the ‘Bemm River Tag-A-Fish’ Facebook page for more details, or feel free to give us a call.

So pack your winter woollies and give us a ring to secure your winter holiday booking. The promotion concludes 31 August 2016, so hurry and book now.

• For up to date information, view the ‘fishing report’ on our website, or alternatively visit the Bemm River Holiday Accommodation & Boat Hire Facebook page. Phone (03) 5158 4233 or visit www.bemmaccommodation. com.au.

Plenty of bream caught but not any of the golden ticket tagged bream.

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37

Welcome to

BEMM RIVER

Bemm River Boat Hire A great way to explore everything that Sydenham Inlet has to offer is to hire a boat. This can be done through Bemm River

Accommodation and hire boats. David Sturgess has a fleet of six Polycraft Challenger hire boats with 15hp motors on them.

David Sturgess launches and retrieves the hire boat for you, as well as taking you through everything you need to know to enjoy some time on the water.

They are available during daylight hours and can be hired for either a half or full day. The boats are licensed to hold four people and life jackets and safety gear are provided.

It’s all about the serivice – David provided excellent attention. He launches and retrieves the boat (at the main boat ramp in town); he fully explains the safety equipment and how to use the motor.

He also takes the time to provide local insight on what was biting and where, and the best techniques or baits to use.

The beauty of Polycraft boats is that they are robust, stable and provide a great fishing platform. With four anglers fishing from the boat, there is still plenty of room for everyone to fish comfortably and safely.

Even if the wind comes

There are six boats available for hire. up, you can easily get back across the Inlet with little or no fuss.

• Costs to hire the boats are $90 for a half day and $110 for a full day. You

can contact David on 0427 584 233 to find out more information and availability.

Bemm River Caravan Park Situated in the heart of town the Bemm River Caravan Park offers a range of accommodation options from unpowered campsites to self contained cabins.

CABINS The caravan park has

three fully self-contained two bedroom cabins that accommodate up to six people. Facilities include all linen, kitchen with a 4-burner cook top, fridge/freezer, TV, deck with seating and a BBQ, toilet and shower and plenty of parking.

The units are spacious and have all the creature comforts.

They are only a short walk from the hotel and café and a short drive from the main boat ramp on Sydenham Inlet.

POWERED SITES You have a choice of 40 powered sites in the park. All are grassy and the sites on the upper level of the park provide views of the lake and have fire pot facilities. The lower level sites are adjacent to the amenities and camp kitchen, which is a fantastic covered area that includes electric BBQs and a open fireplace and seating.

All sites are level, have plenty of parking space and are close to the town facilities.

UNPOWERED SITES Again, there are 40 unpowered site options, some

with lake views. Amenities are near by and fire pots are available in the area.

All sites are level, grassed and close to the town facilities.

Bemm River Caravan Park is pet friendly (dogs must be kept on a leash and under control and guests are requested to clean up after their mess). Greg and Mandy Forrester run the park and pride themselves ensuring everything is clean, tidy and well-maintained. They are also more than happy to point you in the right direction when it comes to the fishing or other things to do around Bemm.

• For enquires you can contact the park on 0428 557 438 or go to their website www.bemmriver caravanpark.com.au

If camping is not your cup of tea, Bemm River Caravan Park has three well-appointed self-contained units available to rent.

Left: The powered sites in the upper area of the park are picturesque and offer views of Sydenham Inlet. Right: The camp kitchen was recently upgraded and has a large covered area, electric BBQs and an open fireplace for guests to use.

Bemm River Cosy Nook Cosy Nook is a name that is legendary in Bemm River.

Most people will know the area through the TV and legends of the fishing

industry using Cosy Nook as their base to explore the region.

Situated on Sydenham Parade Cosy Nook has

seven fully self-contained flats available for rent. Each flat has reverse cycle air conditioning, a television, kitchen facilities with a large Left: Seven fully self-contained units are available at Cosy Nook with plenty of parking for cars, boats and trailers. Right: Cosy Nook has a beautiful bush setting and has a very relaxed atmosphere, what better way to enjoy Bemm River.

Left: There is a large camp kitchen with cooking facilities and a wood heater for larger groups to meet. Right: The recreation room has a pool table and a table tennis table for guests to enjoy.

38

AUGUST 2016

fridge and there are a number of outdoor areas for guests to enjoy. Depending on your requirements the units available are able to cater for 1-7 people, just speak to Christine about what you need. There is plenty of parking available and is ample for all sized cars and boats. Other amenities provided are a fish cleaning

station, large camp kitchen with BBQs and a wood fireplace, recreation room with a pool table and table tennis, guest laundry and freezer facilities.

Christine and Rob Foster are the owners of Cosy Nook and they have an intricate knowledge of the area and the fishing. Cosy Nook is only a short drive from both the

river (the Rex Hunt Future fish fishing platform is only just around the corner) and the town’s main boat ramp.

Cosy Nook has a great bush setting and is a very relaxing base from which to explore Bemm River.

• For all enquiries and bookings please contact Christine Foster on 03 5158 4231 or 0488 672 260.

Welcome to

BEMM RIVER

Bemm River Holiday Accommodation options Situated on Sydenham Parade, Bemm River Holiday Accommodation has a number of accommodation options available for you.

They have six two-bedroom fully selfcontained units with undercover parking.

They also have a fourbedroom house available to rent.

Linen is provided, but you will need to bring your own towels.

All the cabins have reverse cycle air conditioning, a television, a large kitchen space, plenty of

Large living spaces, reverse cycle air conditioning and a well fitted out kitchen are just some of the features you can expect at Bemm River Holiday Accommodation.

The two-bedroom self-contained units are well maintained, have great parking and provide plenty of creature comforts.

parking for your car and boat and a chest freezer, which is very handy to put your catch into.

There is also a guest laundry and fish cleaning facilities.

The kiosk provides for all those essential items you may need like insect repellent, ice, bait and tackle.

Another great feature is the camp kitchen and the Chardonnay and Shiraz decks. These areas can be used to relax and enjoy a quiet tipple, read a book,

Whether it is a cup of tea or other refreshment the Shiraz deck is a great place to unwind. discuss the events of the day (plenty of the “fish that got away stories” have been heard in these areas) or to bring a group of people together and have a BBQ. The accommodation is only a couple of minutes to the main boat ramp and also has boats available for hire.

• For enquiries please contact Robyn or David on 03 5158 4233 or 0427 584 233 or check out their website www.bemm accommodation.com.au

The camp kitchen has been a place that many tall tales have been told.

Bemm River – Tag-A-Fish Promotion by Conducted gess iver Pro The Bemm R ement ro and Imp v c.

In Association

Over $10,000 in Prizes

The pristine tranquil location of Bemm River will be the scene of an exciting ‘Winter’ promotion this year in the form of ‘Tag-A-Fish’ This comprises 5-tagged bream, tagged by Fisheries Victoria representative, Craig Ingram.

Entry is by registration, no entry fee required. This promotion opens on June 01, 2016 and concludes 31 August, 2016.

Registration forms are available from the following Bemm River business houses:

Bemm River Cosy Nook Flats Rob & Christina Foster 93 Sydenham Parade (03) 5158 4231

Bemm River Holiday Accommodation & Boat Hire David & Robyn Sturgess 41 Sydenham Parade (03) 5158 4233

TERMS AND CONDITIONS - BEMM RIVER – ‘TAG –A-FISH’ PROMOTION 01 JUNE – 31 AUGUST 2016 1. The promoter is ‘The Bemm River Progress and Improvement Association Incorporated’, whose registered office is at 41 Sydenham Parade, Bemm River, Victoria 3889 2. Members of ‘The Bemm River Progress and Improvement Association Incorporated’ or their family members or anyone else connected in any way with the competition or helping to set up the competition shall not be permitted to enter this promotion.

3. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this promotion.

4. Registration/entry forms for this promotion are available from the participating business houses: Registration covers for days competing. If entrant returns at a later date, they must re-register.

5. Closing date for entry will be 31/08/2016. After this date no further entries to the promotion will be permitted.

6. No responsibility can be accepted for registrations not received for whatever reason.

7. The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the promotion and these terms and conditions without notice in the

Bemm River Hotel Ray & Debbie Bowen 3 Sydenham Parade (03) 5158 4241

Bemm River Caravan Park

Greg, Mandy & Carl Forrester 2 Sydenham Inlet Road 0428 557 438

event of a catastrophe, war, civil or military disturbance, act of God or any actual or anticipated breach of any applicable law or regulation or any other event outside of the promoter’s control. Any changes to the promotion will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.

8. The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this promotion.

9. No cash alternative to the prizes will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.

10. The winners will be notified by telephone, email and/or letter within 28days of the closing date.

11. The promoter will notify the winner when and where the prizes can be collected.

12. The promoter’s decision in respect of all matters to do with the promotion will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

13. By registering in this promotion, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.

14. The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material. Any personal data relating to the

Bemm River Bungalows

Gordon & Annie Pearl Point Road (03) 5158 4225

Bemm River Holiday Houses Lisa Fitzgerald Banksia Street 0438 525 818

winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.

15.Registration into this promotion will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.

16. You are providing your information to The Bemm River Progress and Improvement Association Incorporated, not to any other party.

17. The tag must NOT be removed from the ‘fish’ and the ‘fish’ preferably kept alive.

18. The ‘fish’ must be presented to the Bemm River Hotel to have ‘tag’ number and details recorded. This will then go into the ‘draw’ at the conclusion of the promotion to determine the tag and the winning prizes. Prize draw will be Saturday 03 September, 2016 at the Bemm River Hotel at 2:00pm.

19.The tagged fish must be caught within the Bemm River and Sydenham Inlet system.

20. The ‘tagged’ fish must be angled with the use of artificial lure, fly or legal bait only.

21. The winner of the major prize, being boat, trailer and motor combo, agrees to leave advertising details on the boat for a period of 12 months.

AUGUST 2016

39

Welcome to

BEMM RIVER

Bemm River Cottage Bemm River Cottage is situated on Sydenham Parade right next door to Cosy Nook. It is a house that sleeps up to 10 people. It would be ideal for larger families

or a couple of families and bigger fishing groups.

It is fully self-contained, air-conditioned and is very spacious and comfortable.

Features include a large kitchen and dining room,

TV, front deck with BBQ, bunk and traditional style bedding, laundry facilities and plenty of parking for all styles of boats, trailers and vehicles.

Bemm River Cottage

Bemm River Cottage would be the ideal base for larger groups to explore Bemm River.

Left: The cottage sleeps up to 10 people with bunk and traditional style bedding. Right: Comfortable and spacious, Bemm River Cottage has plenty of room to chill out if you just want a day inside.

is in close proximity to the River and to the towns main boat ramp and

ticks all the boxes when it comes to a base to explore.

• Contact Christine Foster

for bookings and enquiries on 03 5158 4231 or 0488 672 260.

Bemm River Hotel The Bemm River Hotel is the social hub of Bemm River. It is a meeting place to go through the

events of the day whether it is to celebrate a great day on the water, lament the one that got away or simply

to relax after exploring everything that Bemm River has to offer.

The Hotel was opened in

The Bemm River Hotel is the hub of social activities in Bemm River.

Top Left: Inside is a dining areas as well as an area containing billiard tables, a duke box and a fireplace. Above Left: There is a huge deck and grassed area out front to enjoy a beverage or a treat from the Café. Right: I am sure plenty of tales have been told while sitting at the bar in the hotel.

2000 on the same site of the original hotel, which burnt down in 1994. It offers a full bar service from draft beers, wine and spirits to takeaway alcohol. Incorporated in the Hotel is a café, whereby you can get your coffee fix, and enjoy a beautiful piece of cake or one of the other little treats on offer.

Other than the bar facilities, meals are also available 7 days a week (lunch and dinner) and pizza’s can be ordered throughout the day. It has a huge deck and grassed area out front with plenty of seating and billiard tables, duke box, big screen TV and fireplace inside should there be inclement weather or a

chill in the air.

The Hotel also has four self-contained units available for rent.

• For more information on the Hotel and the services it provides you can contact Debra on 03 5158 4241 or check out their website www. bemmriverhotel.com.au

Bemm River Hotel Cabins The Bemm River Hotel has four self-contained cabins available for rent.

They are located directly behind the hotel and conveniently located to both boat ramps in town and have plenty of parking

for boats and cars.

Each unit has two bedrooms and can sleep up to six people. The facilities inside include reverse cycle air conditioning, fridge freezer, TV and cook top. Outside there is an

undercover BBQ area for guests to use. There is also a fish cleaning area.

• For enquiries or booking contact Debra on 03 5158 4241 or check out their website www. bemmriverhotel.com.au

Left: Each cabin has plenty of parking and sleeps up to six people. Right: An undercover BBQ area and fish cleaning facilities are also available for guests to use.

40

AUGUST 2016

Bemm River Hotel has four comfortable cabins that are directly behind the hotel and are conveniently located to the boat ramps and other amenities in Bemm River.

NSW South Coast

Eden to rebuild after super low causes mayhem EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

As with the rest of the East Coast, Eden got hammered with the big low. In fact, the biggest wave ever recorded on the East Coast was during that blow at Eden, and the wave measured over 17m.

Plenty of damage was done in the area with the Chipmill Wharf smashed up by the big seas and millions of dollars needed for repairs.

As I write, the area is copping another blow and drenching from another East Coast low. Prior to the blow, good fish were being caught offshore, off the beach and in the estuaries.

The water was clear, as we had had very little rain, but with this change the water temperature has dropped

and plenty of freshwater is flowing into all the estuaries.

The water was starting to clear after the first flood, but then this second dose has dirtied everything up again. With the conditions over the past month, there has been little to report on the offshore fishing scene, as the boats have not been able to get out there, and with another blow on the way it could still be another week before there is anything to report.

The big seas tore apart the local beaches, ripping sand out to sea and creating deep gutters and with the colder water, the salmon will be about in numbers over the coming months.

Wondering the beach tossing a metal lure into these gutters is a sure fire way of connecting with a few salmon, particularly around the top of the tide.

Silver bream are

still been caught off the beaches. The entrance to the rivers is an area where the fish were concentrated after the flood.

When fishing in the estuaries after the recent floods, care needs to be taken as sandbanks have moved and snags have come down the river.

Also, with the dirty water, navigating can be dangerous. Fish are being taken here and there, with black bream firing up as we head into winter.

The recent rains really move the fish around and finding the fish can take a bit of time.

Flathead are still being caught, but once again finding the area where the fish are and then concentrating in that area is the key to catching a feed.

As the weather starts to settle down and conditions stabilise the fishing should only improve.

The cold water has seen the black bream fire up.

Fishing slows while the wild weather blows Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

Winter is here once again and with winter has come rain – good rain! The rivers were all in flood and at the time

of writing the water was still a dirty brown colour, along with massive drops in water temperature in the lake and the temperature on the beach holding around 13°C. With the wild and woolly weather there have been no boats outside fishing and

it could be a while before the water temperature rises enough to fire things up.

Another east coast low is dumping a lot of rain and whipping up big seas while I write this report. This bad weather has scared off visitors to the area and the caravan park emptied as the

conditions grew. If you are heading to Mallacoota to go offshore fishing, make some enquires about the condition of the boat ramp as the area is often closed for maintenance and this will upset your plans.

It’s no secret now that some big broadbill have been caught out wide off Mallacoota. Before all this bad weather there were a few more caught but with winter here it could be a while before any boats get out.

The big rain really flushed out the lake entrance and along with the big seas there are some

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MALLACOOTA

great gutters on all the local beaches. Over the months ahead the salmon will build in numbers and move in and out of the estuary, at times getting as far upstream as Gypsy Point.

Presently the beaches are still covered in soapy foam with plenty of fresh about and not so many anglers about! Winter is black bream time with plenty of fish caught in both the top and bottom lake.

One thing that is clearly noticeable is the size of these fish in years past with big fish of over a kilo a common capture. Now many hours of fishing is

needed to tangle with a big fish. With the dirty water the fish have had a great feed and catching them can be tricky, it often pays to use your lure painfully slowly to get results.

Decent yellowfin bream have been caught in both the top and bottom lake, however the cold water has slowed down the sand whiting and they won’t fire up again until the water warms up.

Some good flathead have been caught but you need to keep moving until you find the fish, then work the lure slowly.

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41

Strong winds make for some tough fishing MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

It’s been an extremely windy month so far around the Merimbula region with strong southwesterly winds being the norm.

When conditions allow, the offshore sportfishers are getting amongst it with some incredible captures being recorded. The water is still 20°C straight offshore from

There’s been a few tuna around, with a mixture of both yellowfin and southern bluefin being caught mainly by anglers trolling a mixture of bibbed minnows and skirted pushers. The yellowfin are between 20-50kg with reports of the odd larger model winning its freedom.

It won’t be long before the jumbo SBT turn up, as the long liners have been getting them, but they are very wide.

The water in closer I suspect

Andy Kolber with some thumping black bream he caught on a recent trip, which were released after the photo.

Merimbula, which is insane for this time of year. Very recently, an 85kg striped marlin was caught while trolling through a big patch of slimy mackerel, which is great to see in the midst of winter.

is still too warm, but this should change soon.

Albacore are also in good numbers. These awesome eating fish are averaging 13-18kg, which are solid fish and welcome captures between bigger tuna bites.

Closer to shore the snapper have been a little sporadic. It takes a while to find them, but when you do some solid captures are occurring. The fish are school fish around 1kg, and there’s been the odd bigger model to 4kg caught, but there’s certainly no numbers to them. Drifting around until you find them is the go, then anchoring up and berleying hard and drifting lightly weighted baits seems to be getting the bigger fish.

You can expect morwong, pigfish and flatties with a few john dory thrown in to.

Anglers fishing in 50-60m off Pambula are getting tiger flathead and in good numbers. There’s a few sandies there too, which make some nice fillets for the pan.

In the estuaries it’s fishing great guns, especially Pambula with a host of species chewing. That latest lot of rain has really given the estuaries the required flush and the fish are responding nicely. At this time of year with the cold water the pelagics like salmon, tailor and trevally are the main species caught.

Smaller soft plastics fished with 3g heads are the way to go in the fast water about a kilometre upstream from the mouth. This area is quite shallow, averaging 2m in depth, but don’t let this deter you, the fish are there.

In the main basin you will get flathead, bream, blackfish

Pat Brennan with the type of black bream any angler would be happy with. and whiting. I prefer to use blades in the cold water for blackfish and whiting. I know it sounds weird, but it’s a deadly technique. You will get bream and flatties on them too, but remember to fish them slow with short hops and pauses. You will be amazed at how many fish will pick it up off the bottom.

On the beaches, it’s been a little tougher than usual with massive seas a few weeks back and the recent East Coast low, but now it’s as flat as a pancake. This has been due to the strong

southwesterly winds we’ve experienced lately, flattening out the seas and no white water to speak off.

There’s been the odd salmon and tailor caught, but you certainly have to work for them. It will pick up once the beach swell returns, but until then it may be lazy pickings.

It’s a little same on the rocks for the eating species like blackfish, drummer and groper. They have been very hard to entice with very cold water with no wash at your feet. Again, once we

get some swell they will fire up nicely.

If you’re after the pelagics, then some fun will be had. Good schools of salmon are patrolling most headlands with Tura Head and the wharf inside Merimbula Bay going pretty good at the moment.

Casting whole pilchards on ganged 4/0 hooks is working well, especially with the calmer inshore conditions. Getting the presentation a little deeper is definitely the key to better results.

Warm water still hanging around for winter NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

This part of the coast is experiencing some crazy currents for this time of year with 22°C water off Narooma. That’s warm, but even better still, there are marlin in it, which is nuts!

I know of several fish caught and a few others lost over recent weeks, with the best at 90kg.

These fish have been wide and caught while trolling skirted pushers. I don’t expect this marlin action to last too much longer, and this warmer pocket of water will move on and be replaced with cooler water around 17-18°C. At this temperature, it’s tuna time and I think this season will last a fare bit longer and may even last the rest of winter.

There’s already been some cracking yellowfin caught with most fish averaging 40kg, and the 42

AUGUST 2016

odd better fish top. Cubing has been very productive, though some crews trolling larger bibbed minnows and smaller pushers have fared better. We quite often troll first to locate the fish, then revert to cubing once we’ve found them. This method works very well on school fish, around 30-40kg, with albacore a possibility too.

I’d expect to see a few SBT in coming weeks when that water cools down, as the longliners have been getting them, so it’s only a matter of time before the recreational fishers get amongst them too. Most of this action will happen along the shelf and second drop-off, but a lot will depend on prevailing

currents, bait activity and water temperatures.

At Montague Island, it’s a lottery at the moment, as some days there’s kings and others it’s like a desert.

If you get a good day, then it’s quite good with fish to 8kg, mostly caught on live bait and a few on jigs.

Those fishing the bottom are getting good

A solid king caught by Jezza around Montague Island.

results on snapper with most reefs producing fish.

The southwest corner of Montague has fished well, as has the reefs off Potato Point. The close in reef at Brou in 10m of water is worth a look, as this little patch isn’t big but holds some fantastic sized snapper at times. Better baits to try are fresh squid, cuttlefish, pilchards and striped tuna strips.

Anglers casting plastics at snapper will also do well at this spot.

In the estuaries, the fishing has remained consistent without being red-hot, with the lower sections fishing better. The channels from the drop-off to the charter boat wharf in Wagonga Inlet has been the pick for bait anglers with bream, trevally, blackfish and the odd flathead succumbing to fresh baits.

Live Bass yabbies have worked, especially for trevally but the pickers do get into them. I’d prefer something more robust like slimy mackerel fillets or

striped tuna cubes fished with a little berley from an anchored boat.

If using soft plastics, go for slimmer profile plastic, as these will look more like an injured baitfish drifting through the water column.

I prefer natural colours in the 70-90mm range.

Further upstream, the main basin is alive with tailor, with bag limits reached quite easily on most occasions. Casting metal slugs or trolling deeper diving lures will do the trick with fish averaging 40cm and bigger. We’ve caught some monsters there recently when targeting mulloway, and a few have been pushing 70cm in length, with some bigger ones lost due to bite offs.

These speedsters will remain in the estuaries for the winter term and will be viable options when all else fails.

If you’re after flathead, they have been sporadic, but when you do find a To page 43

NSW South Coast

Focus after big floods BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

It has happened again, one of those big winter lows has thrashed the coast and dumped mega proportions of rain on the area, so what will be the outcome?

I will be focusing ahead to the forthcoming season.

All the destruction it did recently will only benefit

enter on a regular basis at this time of year. Blackfish often lead the way, concentrating around the bridge and adjacent rock walls at low tide before heading up stream with the rising tide to feed over the flats where the seagrass beds occur. Polaroiding from the bridge, these fish can be spied in their hundreds as they await the tide.

At this stage, all that is required to gain their

the hope of an early run of tuna. At present, a few mako and blue sharks will turn up in a well-presented berley trail, however things are pretty quiet.

Reef fishing can be best described as reasonable with good catches of snapper and morwong from the reefs, while around the fringes, tiger flathead are increasing in numbers.

Most of the reefs south of Bermagui are holding most of the stocks, with Goalen

Salmon are already a more common catch in the estuaries since the floods. common reef species with some very tidy Tassie trumpeter mixed in. While if you go further out over the Canyons, anglers who are now taking advantage of modern technology and are using electric reels to fish the deep water are

Drummer are still the main attraction for the rock anglers, with plenty of good fish being taken at dusk and dawn around the main rock headland.

Cunjevoi is the number one bait for these fish, while cabbage weed and red

or whiting, and salmon seem to be about the only fish consistently on the chew, while tailor are being accounted for at night.

Bermagui has never been noted for mulloway coming from the beaches, however over the past few months,

Expect to see a lot of luderick in the Bermagui River at the moment. anglers in the future. This is especially the case for our estuaries like Wallaga Lake, which often closes to the ocean, and should remain open for some time to come as a result of massive seas and rains that have widened the entrance and deepened the channel. This is already producing good estuary fishing towards the ocean.

For those who are land-based, now is the time to start looking in the Bermagui River. With this system never closing to the ocean, fresh fish stock From page 42

few they are good size.

Local guru Hoots caught a cracker during the week that went 90cm, which was released in great condition. I’ve heard of a few others around the 80cm mark also caught, and it looks like last month’s flush has really turned the big girls on.

Those after bream are doing it tough, particularly upstream where the water is becoming quite clear.

Long accurate casts are needed close to structure with hardbodied fished slow scoring a few fish.

On the beaches, salmon continue to do the right thing with most beaches holding plenty. Anglers are catching them using

attention is a light 1-2kg outfit, a no. 2 bug sinker, a no. 4 bait holder hook and a bucket full of nippers.

The window you have to catch these blackfish, or the bream, whiting and trevally, may only be short, so be there right on the turn of the tide. The bite may only last for half an hour, but in this time the action can be frantic and then it will be like they never existed at all, disappearing with the tide.

Offshore game anglers are awaiting spring and a variety of techniques, though bait anglers are faring better. Paternoster rigs with bluebait/ popper combination has worked a treat.

A few die-hards are still casting shiners into the washes and getting plenty, but they appear to be on the smaller side. Those using bait have got fish to 3.5kg, and at that size they know how to pull. This action will only get better through August, with XOS tailor on the cards as well.

Winter on the stones means drummer, and if early indications are anything to go by, we’re in for a cracking season.

A few locals have done extremely well at both Dalmeny Headland and

Head and Six Mile South, providing the best action.

Anglers can choose from a variety of ways to pursue fish, ranging from both shallow or deep water drifting with bait, anchoring to berley bringing the fish in range of floating baits and soft plastics, or just drifting over the pinnacles working the plastics in the direction you are going.

Further afield out around the Twelve Mile Reef, this deep water is producing most of the

The view from the Blue Pool at Bermi during recent storms. coming up trumps on large blue-eye trevalla, hapuka, ghost cod and gemfish on a regular basis with lots of other oddballs mixed in.

crabs are also producing, with the crab accounting for some nice groper.

The beaches are quiet, with no sign of any bream

Andy Marshall with the type of bream that can be caught in the Tuross River system.

more and more school mulloway are taking a liking to a well-presented beach worm as anglers in the area learn more about their habits.

Mystery Bay rocks, using mainly cunjevoi for bait.

A no-nonsense approach is required in the tackle department to get these guys away from their rocky homes, but it’s great fun.

Rock anglers can expect a few groper too, with blackfish available to those using cabbage under a float. A little sand/cabbage mixture for berley wont hurt either, but remember to only use it sparsely.

Those after the pelagics shouldn’t have too many problems with salmon, tailor and bonito abundant off the rocks. Casting metal slugs or whole pilchards on ganged hooks should see the rod bend the right way.

AUGUST 2016

43

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VR Fish Update

Bi-partisan support for Long Jetty VRFish, the peak body representing the interests of Victoria’s 838,000 recreational fishers has welcomed the announcement by both the Federal Coalition and Federal Labor Party to co-fund the full restoration of Port Welshpool’s iconic Long Jetty.

Constructed in the late 1930s and at over 900m in length, Port Welshpool’s Long Jetty is the longest timber jetty in Victoria. A fire in June 2003 partially destroyed the historic structure and it was closed due to safety concerns.

VRFish stepped up its campaign this year, in response to growing frustration within the local community and recreational fishers that appropriate

action had not been taken.

Both major parties responded positively by committing the balance of $4.8 million needed to get the job done.

VRFish would like to thank Russell Broadbent, the Coalition Candidate for McMillan and Chris Buckingham, the Labor Candidate for McMillan for listening to the community and VRFish.

“Regardless of the Federal Election outcome, fishers and the community can be sure that the Long Jetty Restoration Project will receive the required funding to complete the full suite of works,” VRFish General Manager Dallas D’Silva said.

VRFish sincerely thanks Jaala Pulford, Minister for Regional Development and her predecessor, Peter

Walsh, MP for contributing $5 million from the State Government. We also thank the South Gippsland Shire Council for allocating $1 million towards the project.

“We commend the Federal Coalition and Labor Party for their promise to co-invest in this development and support the region. Recreational fishing in Gippsland is worth $381 million annually to the economy and a restored jetty will provide improved access for fishers of all abilities, especially families and elderly citizens,” Rob Loats, VRFish Chairman added.

Improving fishing infrastructure such as piers, jetties and boat ramps will continue to remain a high priority for VRFish and our members.

FISHING FILL-ITS

13FISH catches Kialla fisher out A quick call from a concerned member of the public to 13FISH recently alerted Fisheries officers to the illegal activity of a man from Kialla, near Shepparton.

The man was found to be in possession of 11 Murray cod at his home, with a combined total weight of 47.5kg, with the Victorian maximum possession limit for Murray cod at five fish, or 30kg.

In addition, five of the cod allegedly measured over the legal maximum size of 75cm, with the largest being 88cm long.

The search of the man’s property allegedly found 20 items of commercial fishing equipment, including two seine nets, each over 18m in length.

Fisheries Director of Enforcement and Education Ian Parks said Murray cod is a priority species, which has been seriously reduced

from its former range and abundance.

“Fisheries Victoria conducts an intensive stocking campaign, and significant efforts have been put into habitat restoration with money from recreational fishing licence fees,” Mr Parks said. “Anglers are reminded the daily bag limit for Murray cod in Victoria is one in rivers, and two in lakes, with on-the-spot penalties for exceeding these daily limits ($455).

“In addition, while some accumulation of catch is permissible, breaching the state-wide possession limit may result in prosecution with fines of up to 200 penalty units and/or 12 months imprisonment.

“This possession limit includes any fish taken in other states, including New South Wales.”

Anglers are also reminded the minimum size for Murray cod is 55cm

with the maximum size being 75cm.

Mr Parks said anglers are advised that commercial fishing equipment includes all items that are not considered recreational, and includes setlines, mesh nets, drum nets, and yabby traps.

Possession of these items carries an on-the-spot fine ($738), and the use of these items will result in prosecution, with fines of up to 200 penalty units and/or possibly 12 months imprisonment. Anglers can stay well-informed of fishing regulations by downloading the free Vic Fishing app for smartphones - www.vic. gov.au/fisheries and search Fisheries smartphone app.

People are encouraged to call 13 FISH (13 3474) to report illegal fishing anywhere in Victoria, anytime.

– Victoria Fisheries

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AUGUST 2016

45

Hot Spot

Maribyrnong River: can’t go wrong on the ‘Nong CRANBOURNE

Mitch Chapman

Often overlooked for the bigger and more famous Yarra River, the Maribyrnong River or ‘Nong’ as it’s known by most, is one of the most popular fishing destination for anglers who love their estuary fishing.

The wide variety of species and methods you can use to catch them is what draws the attention of anglers, and the options include bream, mulloway, snapper and salmon, just to name a few. This beautiful river is full of surprises and big fish.

PRIME TIME In the warmer months, bream become active, feeding high in water column and can be seen mooching on rockwalls and the abundant pylons.

As the bait pushes up the river, which includes salmon and mullet, this is always a good time to test your patience on the ever elusive mulloway that lurk in the shadows.

THE GEAR Light graphite spin rods

46

AUGUST 2016

are the go when targeting mullet or fresh squid baits bream in the river. Around are the go.

2-4kg rods with 6lb braid BEST METHOD are ideal. Long fluorocarbon Lure fishing is a leaders are a must when productive and very effective targeting tricky spooky way to fish. You cover more bream in clear slow-flowing area and you have a better waters along the banks of chance at finding the fish by the Nong. You need to fish moving around and searching light to get the bite, but for them. An electric motor somehow pull them out is a must if lure fishing, and quickly before it’s all over. can be used to sneak around THE RIG or hold position against the If bait fishing, a bait wind and tide. holder size 4 hook with MOTHER a freshwater yabby or NATURE scrubworm is as good a bait Make sure you check the as anything. Long light 4lb rules and regulations and ‘no leader fished really light is fishing zones’. the best method when Port security is right onto targeting bream. anyone who is doing the BAIT AND wrong thing, so to enjoy this LURES fishery and keep it going for There are a number of years to come, do the right lures that are all effective thing and do the research when fishing the Nong. before entering the water.

Small vibes and sinking HOT TIP stick minnows hold their Fishing the high tide is own when fishing the pylons always a good start when and bridges. targeting bream. The water If f i s h i n g is up high and covering the rockwalls and banks, structure like rock walls, then hardbodied lures are the which will push the bream in go as well as small lightly to the banks looking for food. weight plastics. If bait This makes it easier to fishing, then yabbies, mussel locate fish where you can or scrubworms fished with sometimes spot them on the a light running sinker is a edge. These fish are generally deadly option for bream. a little easier to catch, as they For mulloway, live are in a feeding mode.

EJ Todd pro staff angler Ben Shuey with a thumping bream caught high up in the system.

Photos for illustration purposes only

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The chilly waters will not deter true divers WEST COAST

Shane Lowery

August is another cold month for diving, but the keen spearos will still be braving the cold water with plenty of great species on offer.

most effective ways. With southern bluefin tuna still being a terrific option for avid bluewater divers in the South West of the state, and those offshore water temperatures now being at their coolest, it’s important to keep yourself as warm and comfortable as possible.

wetsuits are the two best ways to keep off the cold.

During summer, it’s not unusual to spend anywhere from 4-6 hours in the water, particularly in competitive spearfishing, while reducing dive times to 2-3 hours in the winter cold is far more realistic when socially

Male southern rock lobster are still in season at the moment and abalone.

Water temperatures in the southern ocean really drop through winter, and divers need to consider how to combat this in the

In August it’s not uncommon to see temperatures of 12°C and even lower. Keeping dives shorter, or using thicker

diving with friends. During summer, I often dive with long wetsuit pants rated at 3mm thick and a 3-5mm top, in winter upgrading

to 5mm pants and 5-7mm top. This can actually help greatly to extend your time in the water.

This month sees the build up of southern calamari around inshore areas as they come in to breed and lay their eggs. In the Melbourne area, the prime zones in Port Phillip Bay include Portsea, Queenscliff, St Leonards and the entrance to Swan Bay. The best places to target are the shallow weed beds by looking for the calamari egg clusters hanging off the weed. Once these egg clusters are located, you can be sure that there are plenty of squid in the area.

A little berley can help bring them in and ensures they are more focused on the berley than the diver who is stalking them. The same rules tend to apply no matter the location.

Inshore diving also offers some great bounty in August. Male southern rock lobster are still in season until mid September, and tend to be quite prolific in the shallow rock ledges right along the southwest coastline. Rocky reefs with plenty of heavy kelp growth are the prime areas to search.

An added bonus is that black lip and tiger abalone also inhabit the same areas as the lobster and make for a very tasty catch.

Australian salmon are also abundant right through winter and are often bumped into when hunting in

whiting, sea sweep and a host of wrasse species.

Don’t let the cold of winter keep you out of the

This silver trevally was taken by Brett Illingworth on a new generation Esclapez hand spear. shallow inshore areas. Reefs with sand holes adjacent are a great place to encounter salmon as well as fish like silver trevally, King George

water, as there are some awesome opportunities to hunt both in and offshore, so get out and enjoy your diving.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Survey reveals Glenmaggie bass bonanza A survey of Lake Glenmaggie last month has confirmed that the stocking of Australian bass has significantly improved fishing opportunities in Gippsland.

Member for Eastern Victoria, Harriet Shing, said this was good news for freshwater anglers and complemented the Andrews Labor Government’s Target One Million plan, which aims to grow participation to one million anglers by 2020.

The survey, undertaken by scientists from the Arthur Rylah Institute (ARI), captured more than 190 Australian bass, the largest of which was 38cm and more than 1.1kg.

“Lake Glenmaggie has been stocked with more than 138,000 bass fingerlings since 2002 so it’s very pleasing to see the investment making a difference.

“Bass cannot breed in the lake so the fishery is entirely dependent on annual stocking. The species are slow growing, but can live for up to 22 years, so will be available to 48

AUGUST 2016

anglers for some time yet.

“The stocking of bass along with other native species, and trout and salmon, is all funded by recreational fishing licence fees and Target One Million,” Ms Shing said.

Ms Shing said the survey at Lake ‘Bassmaggie’, as she hoped it would become known, recorded multiple year classes, indicating that bass from stockings in several years had survived and grown.

The survey captured plenty of small bass, which is encouraging for future years, and 63 that measured 30cm or more, which is great news for anglers right now.

Other species caught in the lake included abundant redfin, the best of which measured 33cm and weighed 700g, goldfish, carp, short-finned eels and a single brown trout of 470g.

Similar surveys in the Macalister and Thomson rivers have been encouraging too. Only a few wild fish were captured in historical surveys, but 54 were surveyed in 2015 and again in 2016.

Survey reveals Lake Glenmaggie bass bonanza.

In the Macalister River, downstream of Lake Glenmaggie to its junction with the Thomson, 28 bass ranged from 17 to 33cm and 140g to 690g. In the Thomson River, below

the dam to its junction with the Latrobe River and including Rainbow Creek, 26 bass were sampled ranging from 4cm to 37cm and 1g to 990g.

– Harriet Shing MP

Peter Riddle with an SBT, a prime winter target in the South West.

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Testing Booth

SSP Fibre Glide impresses fishing community BRISBANE

Bob Thornton

Black Magic have always been well known for their leader material and high quality fluorocarbon lines.

Now, they have come up with a low-stretch, high sensitivity PE line that’s not braided.

Black Magic’s new SSP Fibre Glide is intended for

or eight strands, hard coats or no coats… I just want it to do what I want. If it doesn’t, it generally gets stripped off the reel and into the rubbish bin.”

After spooling the line onto his reel, he was very pleased with how the line performed, and didn’t come with the problems of normal braided fishing lines.

“When casting poppers and stick baits for kingfish,

“The line itself is white with 1m markers in black, making it very handy to see when looking for bite detection through movement in the line.

Mark kept his eye out as clients unknowingly tested out the line aboard his vessel, watching how it performed under different skill levels.

“Firstly, being a single strand line it casts very well and I am sure it is giving more

This chunky little king was no match for the Fibre Glide, and allowed Greg Clarke to cast the distance to reach the feeding school.

A hefty 52cm bass pulled out of heavy cover by Mark Saxon using the 4kg stuff. use as a mainline. Despite not being braided, it has a fine diameter, casts like no tomorrow, and as a bonus it’s extremely supple and comes with 1m indicators!

Strength is not compromised with Fibre Glide either, and it has a breaking strain of up to 4x stronger than mono of a similar diameter.

Black Magic sent out spools to a few Fishing Monthly contributors for some ‘in-the-field’ and unbiased testing, putting this new line through its paces in some very different arenas.

IN THE FIELD Greg Clarke Greg Clarke was sent

tuna and mackerel, you can cast so much further, as it just slides over the runners and with zero stretch, the hooks set the instant a fish grabs the lure,” he said.

“Greater hook up rates equal more fun!”

It certainly seems that the Fibre Glide did what Greg wanted it to do, and after a few months of use it’s stayed on Greg’s reel.

“This one is a keeper and didn’t end up in the bin, far from it in fact! I went out and grabbed some 4kg for the snapper season ahead.”

Mark Saxon Mark got his hands on some Fibre Glide spools in

A 110cm mulloway caught around the pylons on 6kg line is pretty impressive stuff! Mark secretly got his clients to test the Fibre Glide out for him. a spool of 8kg Fibre Glide, with the intention of using it for throwing poppers at kingfish, tuna, mackerel and other pelagics.

“I’m not into the tech side of things, as I look for fishability,” he said.

“I don’t care about whether it is high density polyethylene, what the weight ratio is, whether it has three, four 50

AUGUST 2016

October last year and the testing platform was going to be on his sportfishing vessel for Castaway Estuary Charters.

“SSP stands for single strand polyethylene and is made from extruded high modulus polyethylene fibres.

The line itself has very little stretch and the 4kg is 0.13mm diameter, making it a fine line,” he said.

distance, as it is very smooth off the reel,” he said.

“Judging by my clients, it is certainly helping them, as I have used this line, only once have I had a dreaded wind knot which is outstanding considering the differing skill levels of my clients.”

“We have been using the FG knot as our leader connection, and this has had no issues whatsoever, again leaving me impressed by its strength.

Mark tried using it in a few different environments to really test out the capabilities of the line.

“Durability and performance results have been excellent,” he said.

“The 4kg was used for bass in some harsh environment, and accounted for at least two 50cm bass that came out of the snags, and it also performed well on the Glenbawn fish at night in amongst some very severe country.”

“The 6kg stuff has also stood up to some good mulloway, with a recent metreplus fish caught in against the pylons, giving no sign of wear after landing!”

Mark reckons that Fibre Glide is well worth checking out, and that the pricing is very reasonable.

“I know after the results I have had, we will be continuing our association with this product.”

Michael Hardy Michael Hardy is always on the lookout for something new in the world of fishing, so he jumped at the chance to wet some of the new Fibre Glide. At the time of testing, he was chasing impoundment bass land-based.

A very handsome yellowbelly that was subdued with Fibre Glide 4kg by Michael Hardy.

“My normal line of choice in this area is 10lb braid with a 15lb leader, and lot of drowned trees and other submerged obstacle courses warrant’s the use of something substantial,” he said.

“I thought to do a proper test on this line, I’d opt for 4kg and really give it a thrashing.”

Michael was very impressed with the line, and when it finally came to testing day, he was up early and trudging around the banks of his chosen dam in search of bass.

“Numerous small bass were interested in my slowly worked lure, and every tap and nibble transferred straight down the rod thanks to the lack of stretch in the line, allowing me to strike when needed,” he said.

He hauled in plenty of smaller bass without any dramas before he locked horns with a chunky yellowbelly.

Now the line was about to undergo a proper test!

“I went a lot harder to extract this fish than usual with a very tight drag, because after all this was a product test and after landing that fish, and many more since, I can say that this line is the

business,” he said.

“I’ve used a lot of brands over the years, some bad, some good, some great, some I wouldn’t floss my teeth with!”

“Let’s just say I’ll be getting more of this stuff and spooling up my other spin reels.”

Neil Slater Neil Slater of Victoria was keen to sink his teeth into some Fibre Glide, and his first impressions of the line were very positive.

“It’s a super slick line that absolutely belts through the runners and casts a mile,” he said.

“The line is smooth to the touch, and unlike those that have that ‘rope’ feel and hum or squeal through your guides when under stress, the SSP is dead silent.”

After a bit of testing around his home waters in Geelong, Neil made the pilgrimage north to the mighty Murray to test out the line’s capabilities on some Aussie natives.

“It was run around logs and came back unscathed,” he said.

“It knotted easily, although extra care needs to be made as it is quite slippery, so I just made another wrap in my knots to make sure it was

secure, but this really wasn’t an issue as it bites down well being so thin.”

“Distance and control was a notable improvement over the line I previously had on the spool, and with virtually no resistance it really flies out!

“I could not find anything that would be a drawback with the line, and said so as I handed it around the table with the lads we were staying with.”

Rod Shepherd Rod Shepherd on the South West coast of Victoria was also very impressed by how slick and smooth the Fibre Glide is.

“What I did discover as early as the first real test on the water is that the line is very slick,” he said.

“The end result is that on average I can cast further compared to braided lines and can only put this down to less friction occurring on the spool lip and through the guides.”

“This is extremely handy when casting very light weighted lures or soft plastics especially in calm, clear conditions when I need to put as much distance from my boat to any possible fish.”

Like Neil, Rod also found that he needed to make a few extra wraps with his knots.

However, once these wraps were made, the knot strength was as good as with any other line.

Rod also noticed that he hasn’t had a wind knot yet, as this line packs down quite nicely onto the spool, being very supple. He also appreciates the 1m indicators on the line.

“I often like to know exactly how much line is out there, especially when trolling or bottom bouncing, the 1m indicators are fantastic in my opinion,” he said.

“The retail price also seems quite competitive and apparently this is down to less production time as the line is single strand, not ‘braided’, so it should do well on the general market.”

“In summing up, I do believe this line is certainly worth investing in and I’m sure anglers won’t be disappointed in its capabilities.” – FMG

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• Get into tournament fishing

• Barra Tour Calendar inside

Australian Bass Tournaments

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2016 zerek barra tour calendar

The BARRA Tour returns after a record-breaking year in 2015, expanding to four events across the three northern impoundments of Kinchant, Teemburra and the barra mecca that is Peter Faust.

Zerek are the headlining sponsors of the tour this year, planned in conjunction with anglers, the 2016 tour is slated to be the best ever.

BARRA Tour debutants will have the red carpet rolled out for them on this year’s tour courtesy of Zerek.

Each Rookie Team (you are a rookie team if both anglers in the team have never fished a BARRA Tour event) will receive a Zerek Rookie Pack at their first event of the 2016 tour. In addition a

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Peter Faust

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Don’t be a one hit wonder John Millard

Barra fishing isn’t a one-card trick. Whether as a social or tournament angler, to be successful and consistent you must be versatile. Work on being a multi-skilled angler with many techniques in your bag of tricks and you will find your success.

In the past it seemed if you weren’t throwing Squidgy Slick Rigs, you weren’t in the game. More ABT Barra tournaments have been won using Slick Rigs than any other technique.

This isn’t likely to change soon, but as time goes on, techniques evolve and new methods find their way into the spotlight to claim their fair share of success. If you need affirmation of this look no further than recent tournament results, which in

4

TAG 2016 abt

many ways reads as a roll call of tried and burgeoning tackle and techniques.

GUT INSTINCT Don’t be afraid to throw a game plan out the window and run with your gut instinct when it comes to crunch time. Tides, wind direction, water clarity, and current are constantly changing dynamics that can and will change the behavior of fish in an instant, rendering a previous day of pre-fishing or tournament preparation useless. It’s a matter of seeing and reading these elements and changes and adjusting your game plan as you see fit.

At the 2014 Peter Faust round of the ABT BARRA Tour, my teammate Ethan Farrell and I were in all sorts of trouble late in our first session of fishing. Clearing the slate and starting fresh we focused our attention on seasonal movements of fish and the constantly changing

weather we were faced with.

Going old school, slowing things down and changing to a slow moving Strike King Shadalicious swimbaits, while not as exciting as burning a plastic through the weed, got the job done and rewarded us with a first place finish.

Ethan Farrell has always been an angler willing to try new things, he believes that, “while tournaments won on a single lure are not quite a thing of the past, the growing trend is likely to be tournaments won on a multipronged approach.’’

I am constantly reminded of the value in trying and throwing something different than the norm, whether it be the latest jig, chatterbait or a hand carved swimbait. When things get tough and the run of the mill techniques and tackle draw a limited return, anglers like Ethan have the ability to fish each new creation with

Top: Slowing down your retrieve can make the world of difference when things get tough. Above: Ethan Farrell with the rewards of another successful session at Faust. the confidence that’s needed to crack a pattern. This thinking, confidence and practice can bring fringe techniques to centre and in some cases can see them become proven tournament winners.

MAKE IT HAPPEN Craig Griffiths is another

angler unwilling to wait and just watch things happen. I can remember many competitions fishing with Craig, dodging the million lures he has tried lying all over the deck.

“Many of things that have brought me success in tournaments are things

that are best described as ‘one-percenters’. Success can be as simple as a quick lure change, and while maybe only one fish is the result of the change, sometimes it can be the difference between second or first place on the scoreboard,” explained Craig.

Learning new techniques and becoming confident with them does not happen overnight. You can’t expect to simply try something new and gain immediate results.

Learning where to employ it, how to employ it, what changes to make, when to change up and why that change worked or didn’t work, are all things that can only be learnt from time on the water and time using the new technique.

Asking yourself these simple questions and learning from them will help put more fish in the boat.

TOURNAMENT TIME Tournament fishing is an arena that helps speed up the learning process, and an environment that can help you evolve as an angler much faster that purely social fishing. During tournament fishing hours, there is no hiding what is working and everything is fully visible for people to learn from each other. Information is more readily available with people willing to share and discuss their different ideas, thoughts and strategies. The pressures of competition, and the transparency of competition techniques, tackle and results are important factoors with benefits that can’t be replicated anywhere else.

STAYING AHEAD While there is no doubt,

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Tournament Angler Guide

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Trying something out of the box when it comes to lure selection can be the trigger to turn things on. watching and learning from others is a successful way to gain more versatility in your fishing, it will always pay to lead from the front. New techniques have to come from somewhere and your own personal experimentation can be as good a start as any to discover new things. I find myself constantly researching through both foreign and local fishing resources in search of

new techniques and tackle to try. Magazines, websites, catalogues, and videos are all sources of new ideas and are regularly evolving providers of food for thought. While not everything you find or try will work, it will help keep you at the forefront of anything new, and situate you that one step ahead of the pack. It is the little things that make the difference come

competition day.

Fishing, like many things, revolves around cycles and patterns. Dam levels fluctuate, seasons return and weather changes, which result in a variation of fish moods.

The only thing certain is that history repeats and past conditions will reoccur. So it is very important for an angler to remember what techniques worked under a specific set of

conditions. These conditions may change by the hour, by the day or by the year; one thing is for sure they will never only occur once. While replicating these techniques, it is not a certainty that they will prove successful, but more often than not, it is a fast way to gain results.

SWITCH IT UP Instant results are not always found when previous

techniques are replicated; sometimes it pays to vary your approach. These variations do not always need to be major changes, but more of a subtle adjustment. A good example of this is when I reach for my ever-reliable, tournamentwinning box of jerkbaits. I will always start with three twitches (pause, two twitch, pause technique) repeating this throughout the retrieve.

While more often than not this method will work, sometimes a slight adjustment will result in even more bites.

This may be to a constant twitching retrieve, slow roll or a violent erratic rod twitch.

Applying this theory to other successful lures will work and constant experimenting with retrieve methods will result in more fish.

Fishing is evolving faster than ever before, information is more readily available and easier to find. Most tournament angler’s arsenal these days is far broader than a simple gold Bomber.

Anglers must learn from the past, look at the present and look to the future.

Accumulating a complete repertoire of techniques will set you apart from the rest of the field, becoming a jack-of-all-trades, rather than a master of one is the key to consistent tournament angling success.

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BARRA Tour Bootcamp ABT

Everything about fishing for the iconic barramundi is nothing short of breathtaking.

The anticipation, the strike, the battle, and the all-important brag once the deed is done makes catching a barramundi at the top of almost every Australian angler’s bucket list. There’s no better way of being dropped into the thick of it than packing up some gear, and making the

6

TAG 2016 abt

trip north for the 2016 Zerek BARRA Tour.

The BARRA Tour, now in it’s 11th year is without doubt the best way to immerse yourself in barramundi tactics and techniques. The BARRA Tour is held over the November full moon, and coincides with the best fishing time of the year in the North Queensland impoundments.

The BARRA Tour consists of four tournaments, over 7-days and nights and is held on Australia’s premier barramundi fishing impoundments – Teemburra Dam, Kinchant Dam and Peter Faust Dam.

The events coincide with moon phases and tide changes, to maximise the chance of all attending anglers doing battle with the 1m+ barramundi that reside in these impoundments.

The past two years have proven this formula true, with 1m+ averages in several events and a list of returning anglers lining up year after year to take on the tour.

So, if you want a slice of the pie at the end of 2016, here’s all you need to know to get prepped and ready for the Zerek BARRA Tour.

WHAT TO EXPECT If you’re a barra

Top: Big barra abound on The Tour. Above: There’s wet and wild times on the Zerek Barra Tour.

abt.org.au

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Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au newcomer looking for some 101 education, you will learn stacks of new tricks and leave the Zerek BARRA Tour a totally new angler. Likewise, if you’re a seasoned pro, you never stop learning this game, and there’s plenty to absorb about our most iconic sportfish.

The BARRA Tour is your chance to rub shoulders with a group of Australia’s best barramundi anglers. You travel with them, fish with them, fish against them and ultimately learn what makes them Australia’s best. It’s easy to write off a session as a failure when you fish by yourself, but when there are 30 boats on the water, someone will always figure out a productive pattern, location or technique.

That information immediately filters down to everyone

who’s attending, and all of a sudden you have some great information about what you can try in the next session or event.

This sharing of knowledge is the cornerstone of what ABT was built on, and our BREAM and BASS tournament trails are testament to that fact.

The BARRA Tour hasn’t been around as long, and the events don’t happen as often.

This makes the BARRA Tour a week-long information overload, and you can be sure you’ll be a better angler for attending.

The other thing you can expect is that you’re going to have one hell of a time, fishing aside. Everything about the BARRA Tour is fun, the road trip, the afternoons at the pub talking fishing, and that’s all before you’ve even wet a line.

ACCOMMODATION Name Pioneer Valley Hotel/Motel (Gargett Hotel) Criterion Hotel Finch Hatton Kinchant Waters Caravan Park Lions Camp Kanga Travelling in a group as big as the BARRA Tour is truly a rewarding experience. Oh, and you’re going to catch barra!

WHERE TO STAY Every year ABT release dates almost six-months in advance. This allows everyone time to plan, and there are plenty of options for everyone attending.

For the Teemburra Dam events, you’re going to need to stay down the range at one of the pubs. There’s the Criterion Hotel just up the road at Finch Hatton, and the Gargett Hotel a further

Address 1 Jim Moule St, Gargett, 4741 9 Mackay-Eungella Rd, Finch Hatton 4756 Kinchant Dam Rd, Kinchant Dam, 4741 2396 Crystalbrook Rd, Crystal Brook 4800

10-minutes down the road.

The Criterion is the host for the Teemburra and Kinchant events. The Criterion is where the session’s scores are posted up, and the hotel essentially serves as the headquarters for those events.

For Kinchant Dam events, you also have the option of some of the facilities available on site. There are cabins and campsites right on the edge of the water, and for those that want to stay a little closer to town the lake is less than an hour drive from Mackay.

When the tour rolls out

SHOPPING AROUND Getting supplies while on the road, especially out of standard shopping hours, can be a challenge.

Here’s a list of places to visit when on the hunt for food, fuel, tackle and general supplies.

Kinchant and Teemburra Finch Hatton General Store Meals and groceries 7am-5pm BP Finch Hatton Fuel and vehicle/trailer supplies 7am-6pm Gargett General Store Fuel, groceries and Post Office 7am-10pm Kookaburra’s Store Mirani Meals, fuel, and groceries 5am-8pm Tackle World Mackay Tackle 8am-5.30pm, 8am-4pm (Sat) 8am-3pm (Sun) Compleat Angler Nth Mackay Tackle 8am-5.30pm, 7am-4pm (Sat) 7am-2pm (Sun) Peter Faust Caltex Proserpine Fuel and limited groceries 5am-8pm BP Proserpine Fuel and limited groceries Open 24 hours Woolworths Proserpine Groceries 8am-9pm (closed Sun) Barra World Tackle 8am-5.30pm, 6.30am-1pm (Sat), (closed Sun)

and heads north to Proserpine and Peter Faust Dam, there’s only one place to stay, and that’s Camp Kanga. It’s arguably the best tournament venue we visit every year.

Plenty of cabins, great food and a short 10-minute drive to the boat ramp. If you want the

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jerkbait among timber, yet is not disadvantaged too much on an open point casting a soft plastic to a weed edge.

You don’t need to worry too much about how many million modulus the blank is, as long as it’s comfortable and light enough to cast for 8-hours

TRAVEL TIME Here’s a breakdown of some of the travel times for the Zerek BARRA Tour.

Brisbane to Mackay 12 hours Mackay to Kinchant Dam 45 mins Mackay to Teemburra Dam 1 hour Teemburra Dam to Peter Faust Dam 2 hours Proserpine to Peter Faust Dam 20 mins

easiest and most convenient BARRA Tour experience, Camp Kanga and Peter Faust are your best bet.

GETTING TACKLED Rod A medium-heavy rated baitcast around 6’6” in length would be the first item to pack for a week on the Zerek BARRA Tour.

Something of this length can be used for tip down presentations like twitching a

without fatigue, you won’t have any trouble detecting a bite from a hungry barra.

A spin rod of a similar rating around 10-20lb and the 7’0” mark would be the second stick in the quiver. This rod can mainly be used for long casting on open points and bays, but could be equally useful for slowly winding a lure through structure. A key with spin rods is to make sure the guides are To page 8

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Tournament Angler Guide

From page 7

suitable to pass your chosen leader knot, if you tie a large knot like an albright choose a rod with larger guides, likewise if you’re familiar with the FG knot, (which you can watch by clicking the QR code) you open up a few more options with smaller guides.

Unsure of where to start looking? There’s a Wilson Venom to cover every scenario you’re likely to encounter on

the BARRA Tour.

Reel So now you’ve got your rods sorted, you’ll need some reels to match. Look for a low-profile baitcaster with a good smooth drag. You won’t have any problem casting the standard heavy-weight barra lure. But when a barra starts running you’ll want a reel that can dispense line smoothly without shuddering.

Same goes with a spin reel,

aim for something of 3000 size that can hold plenty of 30lb braid and not flex under heavy drags.

Lures When it comes to lures, there are plenty of options on the market. But there

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The passion of life on tour.

CAST AWAY PE • High Grade PE casting line.

• 8 carrier line made of a combination of high grade PE and high specific gravity polyester • Slick line surface: increases casting distance, reduces friction, reduces sound, reduces guide tangles.

• Excellent durability and abrasion resistance.

• Moderate specific gravity reduces wind & tide influences, improving contact with lure.

• Low stretch, high sensitivity • Excellent visibility in dark or light conditions.

• Colour: Pearl blue

are more than a few musthaves. Not surprisingly, Zerek have a number of absolutely essential lure styles for barra fishing. The new BARRA Tour sponsor saw the connection their products and brand had with the fisheries of northern Queensland and they’ve returned the favour in a big way.

Soft plastics ‘Soft plastics’ is a pretty generalized term for what is a very diverse style of lure. There are a myriad of shapes and sizes which can be perplexing on a shop wall.

From flukes to frogs and everything in-between, soft plastics encompass some of the most effective and reliable barra lures we’ve seen on the tour.

• Low stretch (max 5%) • High sensitivity • Super high strength • Excellent durability and abrasion resistance • Smooth surface manufacturing • Tight braiding for enhanced durability • 4lb to 40lb is 4 strand • 50lb to 80lb is 8 strand Available in bright green and light blue.

150m 4lb to 30lb 300m 15lb to 80lb 1800m 20lb to 80lb

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Thumbs up if you love barra. past few tours has been the soft vibration bait. These baits have boomed over the last few years, and have proven successful time and time again. Zerek’s Fish Trap is available in both 95 and 110mm versions, while the Jackall Transam is a must have in your box.

If you’re looking to compile the ultimate BARRA Tour box of baits then there’s no better place to look than the ‘Barra in a Box’ feature in this magazine.

BRING A MATE, BARRA TOUR AWAITS With almost five-months to plan your northern barra sojourn, there’s plenty of time to get a teammate and get everything ready. The Zerek BARRA Tour will advance your skills faster than five

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Swimbaits A range of paddle-tailed swimbaits with matching jigheads will see you through the vast majority of the BARRA Tour. These can be hopped, burned or simply slow rolled. You can rig them with a heavy jighead and fish deep, or use a weighted worm hook and fish them through the weeds.

The Zerek Flat Shad is a great choice and can be rigged with exposed hook or weedless.

The Squidgy Slick Rig would also have to be a walk-up starter, but be prepared to rip it through the weed, as you can’t rig it weedless.

Hardbodies Hardbodies have been the first choice of so many barra anglers throughout Australia, and they hold their own at the forefront of tournament angling. There are so many different shapes and sizes to choose from on the wall of your favourite tackle store, and while they all have their place, you could do far worse than to have an assortment of long, slim profile minnows in both shallow and deep-diving bibs and not much else. You don’t get the adage of ‘no wobble, no gobble’ for nothing and a hard twitched jerkbait is one of the most effective ways to catch barramundi.

Soft vibes The other lure style that’s been hard to ignore over the

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years of social fishing. Think of it as arguably the cheapest barra charter in Australia, it lasts a week and you can fish with your mate.

The ABT BARRA tour is the pinnacle of competitive barra angling and attracts anglers from all over the country and world.

Travelling alongside some of the country’s best anglers, listening to them share tips and strategies, watching them as they select which lures to use and how to approach a certain location is invaluable to becoming a better angler.

So pack your gear and plan the time off, the dates and entry forms are out for what will surely be another week to remember as the Zerek BARRA Tour heads north in November.

FC100 • 100% Fluorocarbon • Non Stress Spooling to avoid crushing or flattening of the line • Designed with an emphasis on suppleness and minimum interference on lure movement. A balance of hardness & abrasion resistance is what makes FC100 so effective • Triple Resin Processing (TRP) for increased abrasion resistance • Knot strength has been boosted for light game lines. Big game lines have a harder shell to protect against PE cutting and the eye of the hook Available in 30m and 100m spools 16lb to 100lb

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Barra in a Box Simon Goldsmith, Karim De Ridder, Craig Griffiths

Trying to condense a boatload of lures down to one box is no easy task.

With that exact goal in mind we thought whom better up for the task than current BARRA Tour Team of the Year, Karim De Ridder and Craig Griffiths.

The team that all teams fear on the BARRA Tour, Karim and Craig have boxed up their go-to barra baits for the 2016 Zerek BARRA Tour and are giving us the low down on essential baits for life on the tour. There’s perhaps more barra caught with this one box than any other box in BARRA Tour history. Look at it, study it, and learn it, because if the 2016 Zerek BARRA Tour is on your to-do list then there’s something in this box for you.

1 LUCKY CRAFT SKT MAGNUM, 5” STORM SUSPENDING SHAD The lure that became a staple in our barra box courtesy of its success in the 2015 BARRA Tour, and one of the contributors to our

Teemburra round victory, the SKT Magnum is a lure that’s suited to variety of locations.

From fishing between weed pillars, through hard stumps and on deep points this is a lure that’s at its best in 3-4m of water and worked with a constant slow roll, crankin’ retrieve.

A slow tapered rod and a slow retrieve reel such as a Daiwa Zillion Crazy Cranka is the outfit best suited to throwing the Magnum. A great lure when there’s a reaction bite on.

A long time favourite and a lure that’s perfect for fishing over the top of weed, the Storm Suspending Shad needs some upgrades out of the packet, and a size 4 Decoy split ring and 1/0–2/0 treble will make it fit and ready for action. One of the great things about this lure is its action, a regular body roll and seductive tail beat makes it a gun barra bait.

Sloping points are the prime locations to fish with this lure, with a twitch and pause retrieve down the slope and dynamite retrieve.

A great lure through weed, yet a lure that needs to be worked, rather than just chucked and wound to get

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A box of winning baits for barra catching success. the best results.

2 SQUIDGY 110 SLICK RIG, 3” STORM SUSPENDING SHAD The great all-rounder and a must have in any barra box, the Slick Rig is a lure that’s super easy to use and super effective at catching barra.

One of our go-to baits to dial in fish during the prefish (we actually fish it with the hooked folded in so we don’t sting fish), to modify our Slick Rigs we add a, 1/2oz TT Area 51 jighead or a Craig Griffiths custom jighead, Decoy Y-S21 treble, and dye the tail (orange or chartreuse), as well as trim or melt the tail wrist with a soldering iron.

Black and gold, and white and blue (a favourite night colour) are our favourites. One of the best lures going around for barra, a chuck and wind in most cases is all that’s needed to get success with a Slicky.

The little brother of the 5”, the 3” Storm is perhaps our favourite finesse barra bait.

This lure stays high in the water column, which makes it ideal for shallow water, the Suspending Shad is a great lure to reach for when things get tough.

3 LUCKY CRAFT POINTER 78 XD, & 100 XD, MARIA MJ-1 DD 90F, Every barra box should have at least one, or a dozen Pointers in it. The smallest one in our box, the 78 XD (XD stands for Extra Deep) is a gun lure when a

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smaller-sized deep jerkbait is required. We like to fish the 78XD by cranking the lure down, then working it with a series of twitches and pauses.

This is a lure that comes through weed with ease.

The Pointer 100XD is what we reach for when we need to get a little deeper and when the barra are looking for something a little bigger.

This lure is perfect in 8-12ft of water, and a simple slow wind or rip down and pause works fantastic. It’s also our go-to lure when fishing deep, standing timber. As is the case in this country, be prepared to donate a few to unstoppable monsters.

Natural coloured XDs are our preference in clear water, while we tend to go a little brighter such as the orange gold and disco

colours when the water is darker and dirtier.

By contrast the Maria MJ is a lure with a slightly different action (and very unique) compared to the XD. A great point of difference to the Pointer and lure that we find works best in white or natural colours.

4 JACKALL TRANSAM, LUCKY CRAFT LV RTO-150, CULTIVA TANGO DANCER, RICHO STREAK 9 You can’t go barra fishing these days without a Jackall Transam. The essential plastic to have, and while we’ll often use other brand soft vibes available, it’s usually only ever the original Transam that we’ll use in a tournament. Deadly on shutdown fish and capable

When it comes to catching big barra, Karim DeRidder knows his stuff!

of being ripped and fished through weed, they’re at their stickiest and strongest when the hooks are upgraded with either a number 4 or number 6 Decoy Y-S81 trebles.

Used in the same situation as the Jackall, the LV RTO is your go-to when you need a Transam with a rattle. We only tie one of these on when the barra are eating rattling lures, and just like the Transam we upgrade the trebles.

The number one topwater bait for the barra, the Tango Dancer is a lure that makes plenty of noise and is ultra easy to walk across the surface. A great early morning lure and to use in places where weed grows all the way to the surface.

Walk this lure through an alley in the weed or a slot in the lilies if you want to experience an explosive barra surface strike.

When it comes to hand carved timber barra lures the name Richo says it all. The Richo Streaker has pulled fish when many others lures, including soft plastics, have drawn a blank. With a unique action and sound that barra just love, the Richo come through timber incredibly well, withstands a lot of punishment, and when retrofitted with Owner 4X trebles become a slow

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Tournament Angler Guide

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Craig’s box of baits catches him plenty of fish like this. float lure. Crank the lure down to the desired depth, then work it with a twitchpause retrieve.

5 LUCKY CRAFT POINTER 100 SP, LUCKY CRAFT FLASH MINNOW 110 SP, LIVE TARGET 115 SMELT The Pointer 100 SP is our shallow water jerkbait staple. A lure that dives to 5-8ft, the Pointer is excellent for targeting fish moving through an area mid-water at that depth.

We use the Flash Minnow when and where many anglers use a Rapala X Rap. An excellent lure around shallow weed beds, this lure dives around 1-4ft deep and has lots of roll

THE ALL

and flash. This pronounced behaviour will draw fish from a long way making it a great searching bait. You need to keep the trebles light on the Flash Minnow though; an upgrade to heavy hooks will negate the action and the performance of the lure.

The Live Target Smelt is similar to the Pointer in many ways and is lure that we’ll often reach for when we’re looking for something just a little bit different.

Shallow diving and distinct with a walk-the-dog action this is great lure to work along deeper weed edges.

6 6. 5” BERKLEY HOLLOWBELLY, 6 ½” STRIKE KING

SHADALICIOUS, 8” HAPPY ROCK Soft, subtle, and capable of being worked at dead slow speed is the best way to describe the Hollowbelly.

With an enticing body roll and a tail beat that continues to work at slower speeds than other plastics such as the Slick Rig, the Berkley is an essential plastic for life on the BARRA Tour.

A hollow tube plastic like the Berkley, the Strike King exhibits more vibration on the roll than the Hollowbelly and is a great choice when a larger profile is necessary.

For those times when you need to go bigger again the 8” Happy Rock has you

covered. Finding a large enough jighead to go in the plastics however can prove a challenge. A homemade jighead can be used with a stinger attachment for when the tournament kicks off.

7 EVERGREEN ES FLAT, SQUIDGY BONEY BREAM A dynamite bait that barra absolutely nail when fished correctly and in the right location is the ES Flat.

It’s a big fish magnet at Kinchant. The key with the ES Flat is to throw it out, let it sink, then work it back mid-water with a slow snaking retrieve. When fish encounter this lure mid-water they’ll inhale it like a lolly.

If you’re talking barra lollies you can’t go past the now discontinued Squidgy Boney Bream. In the right hands and in the right location this lure is lethal.

In among the weed and lily channels at Kinchant this lure has few contenders.

Silver and gold are the pick of the colours and if you can track any down to buy, buy them, and buy as many as you can afford, as you can never have too many of this lure.

So there you have it, a box of some of the best, and proven lures on the BARRA Tour tournament trail. Lures

used by the best, to perform at their best. If you’re packing your tackle bag for the 2016 Zerek BARRA Tour we suggest you grab a few lures out of Karim and Craig’s tackle tray.

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The road to tournament success - tips and tricks Karim De Ridder

Most competitive tournament anglers have specific goals, whether to win that first tournament or even achieve a pinnacle AOY/TOY title. One thing is for sure, the road to glory is a path of many curves and every learning opportunity will move you closer towards your tournament goals.

Pre-fishing, whether done months, weeks or days prior to a tournament is an essential element to your game plan to maximise performance and help you achieve your goals. Outlined below are some vital factors that will give you some direction to ensure you get the most out of your preparation, and the most from your BARRA Tour.

PLANNING AHEAD The importance of simple tools such as Google Earth, seasonal outlooks, short and long term weather observations, current water levels and even historical data are often underestimated. Use them to plan ahead and you

will save time on the water.

Speaking to local tackle shops and anglers in regards to recent conditions facing you prior to arrival can also help. With the multitude of information available, draft plans can be discussed

with your team mate and provide some direction and relevant starting points to kick your pre-fish off to your advantage.

The transition of seasons will challenge most anglers. Although

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blowing in constant velocity and direction can magnify fish numbers in some areas and void them completely in others. Keep a careful eye on those factors to develop strategies that effectively raise your results to the top.

The author looked absolutely stoked with this barramundi caught amongst the trees.

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North Queensland’s barra impoundments don’t generally have the radical seasonal variations of other areas, the subtle changes should be noted and taken into consideration to locate fish. The movement between

seasons will see the types of forage change, which in turn will influence your presentations directly. The locations of major food sources such as bony bream and redclaw will fluctuate considerably depending on spawning schedules, seasonal factors, temperature fluctuations and elements such as wind direction and strength, which in turn also contributes to water quality and flow.

MOVE AROUND The mass movement of barramundi is another factor to keep in mind as the season approaches the humid summer months. Big numbers of barramundi will school and locate themselves naturally towards spillways and dam walls, and will behave on instinct – driven and feeding hard. Ignorance to such movements and behaviour could make or break your campaign; therefore implement strategies to identify these patterns as much as possible. Within these mass movements of barra, independent ‘staging’ locations of barramundi can also occur, resulting in dense schools of fish. Find these schools and increase your chances exponentially in comparison to anglers ignorant of those behaviours.

Wind directions and dam stability influenced by seasonal change is something that is easily perceptible to most anglers.

The southeast trade winds

TOURNAMENT TIME MANAGEMENT The confining time limits of a tournament are a stressor that often makes or breaks a team’s confidence.

Fish are constantly moving, so the key during your pre-fish is to identify common factors to locate feeding fish that mirrors the tournament times. It would be impractical to fish all night if your tournament is planned for daylight hours, as fish movements and bite periods will most likely be very different between day and night.

Another benefit to scheduled pre-fish sessions is the consideration of rest times to ensure you are fresh, rested and thinking straight while pre-fishing. There is

nothing worse than burning the candle short before the tournament even kicks off.

TECH HEADS When Humminbird introduced side-imaging technology to the recreational market in 2005 the tournament scene for barramundi was revolutionised in ways of unseen proportions. With competitive pricing and multiple manufacturers bringing out technology, most anglers will have a range of displays from 5-12” screens strewn across the decks in a variety of arrangements. Effectively using your technology is the key to consistency in the pre-fish phase that will lead to consistency during the tournament. Simple things such as the identification of directional fish movements from deep water to shallow, through structure or edges, or highways to and from are possible with this technology.

Next level additions such as Humminbird’s 360° imaging give anglers another step up by allowing fish movements to be tracked in a way that may help ensure cast accuracy is maximised via the tracking of movements and patterns in a set range.

Even though this technology has developed exponentially, don’t forget your developed instinct and that ‘gut feel’ factor.

A combination of usable technology and your developed instinct is a powerful weapon.

DON’T OVERDO IT – ARE YOU PRE-FISHING OR OVERFISHING? Fellow tournament anglers always ask how many fish you caught during a pre-fish to establish potential competition.

However, catching a grand number in your pre-fish is completely unnecessary – if you land a significant number of fish then you are going beyond the task.

A pre-fish is a short learning process to optimise

Craig Griffiths is thorough in his tackle preperations and his results show it.

your tactics and direction for an impending tournament.

A very common mistake a lot of anglers make is to get bogged into certain areas or just a couple of spots and land a number of fish driving their confidence and thus their direction for the competition. Realistically you have just limited your learning process and results to a very small location. It is fundamental to your success in a tournament to maximise the ability to back up areas, deal with changes and maintain consistent captures.

To know when to pack up and leave an area, or to work out the finer details of an area is a happy medium

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Tournament Angler Guide

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integral to the success of the tournament. Tournaments are rarely won by bashing the fish in practice time, and negative impacts abound.

A simple approach worth applying is presenting hookfree lures, a valuable way to avoid ‘over-fishing’ and still provide the data required to decide on the potential of a spot. A modification of the lure in regards to balance will be required to ensure presentations are still optimal.

Another important factor is to avoid making a spectacle of your fishing and avoiding other competitors during pre-fish. Those who have less public displays of action during pre-fish, will find their

There’s nothing better than the crunch and swallow of your lure by a stonking barra.

Check out the gob on this thing!

spots are much less crowded.

PLANNING THE ATTACK Once the hours or days of pre-fish are spent, it is important to make careful consideration of the plan most likely to put a limit in the boat. If a run and gun pattern of hitting multiple areas is on the cards, careful route planning is a must for safety, time considerations and effectiveness along the tournament time line. Always bank on the need for a Plan B,C, D and so on, as common areas will usually be found by other switched on anglers. If the area has a steady flow of fish over a long period of time it may be worth setting up and fishing to the tournament completion. A combination of these two strategies is effective if the areas hold differing sizes of fish and you are looking for upgrades.

Another factor often overlooked is competitor psychology. The mental dynamics of your opposition with knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses is important to take note while planning your angle of attack.

Commonly found/known areas may need to be hit first to pick the cream, prior to targeting lesser known or new areas that you may need to keep up your sleeve for different times or multiple

Craig, the author’s teammate displays the quality of barra found on BARRA Tour. day events.

The number of areas you find is important, but so is finding variety and differences between your areas, as this will drive consistency in your results. With the changes that occur on the dams constantly, your technique and area during a pre-fish may turn barren very quickly and require the variety basket to pull a rabbit out of your hat.

Do not limit yourself to a sole technique and area, as eventually your consistency will drop and damage your overall performance.

WHEN THE WHEELS FALL OFF Whether an area has

changed due to environmental factors or that you never really cracked a stable bite pattern, it is important to keep the mind open and accept changes. If you look at anglers who have maintained a high degree of consistency, the common factor in their performances is the ability to let go of preconceived strategies when the action isn’t happening.

Fishing on the fly with continual adjustments for conditions is a must-have skill of any angler dreaming of top-level achievements. Don’t be afraid to pull the electric up and start pre-fishing in a tournament, this has and will continue to win tournaments

for anglers with confidence to just catch fish.

SELF REFLECTION The tournament has ended, the winners have been crowned and most people have packed their belongings and started the long trek home. Evaluation of your tournament results and pre-fish is a must to ensure that mistakes don’t reoccur.

Pick apart you approach and strategies, discuss them with your teammates or peers, and let the lessons of the tournament sink in to develop you as an angler.

Hopefully, each tournament will get closer to achieving your goals.

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FIND-A-WORD COMPETITION NRL PLAYERS

J THURSTUNA DARIUS BUOY ASH TAILOR GREG ICEJIG JUSTIN OREEL BEN BARRA DANE GARFISH JORDAN WAHOO COOPER DONK

MATT SPLITSHOT CAMERON FISH JOSH MCGAR MATT FILLET JOSH MANSAURI ROBBIE BARRA JAMES TAMAHI GREG BAIT PAUL GAFFEM

Win a pack of Pocket Balls – instant reusable pocketsized heat packs that are safe, waterproof and available in a variety of sport themes, including footy, cricket, golf, tennis, soccer and more! Activated by simple click of the disk inside the ball. To find out more visit www.take5energize.com.au/Pocket-Balls.

Name: Address:

P/Code:

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win the prize pack.

SEND ENTRIES TO: VFM Find-a-word Competition, PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

VFM AUGUST 2016

Phone (day):

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to Henry Hovington of Devonport, who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition!

Monthly winners receive a Pocket Balls prize pack.

Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – VTFM

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE BITE ME by Trisha Mason

The subscriber prize winners for June were: B Williams of Mangalore, C Gregory of Crossover, A Chan of Bendigo, G Blythe of Port Fairy, K O’Dell of Mill Park, P Kemp of Warragul, who won a Gamakatsu prize pack valued at $50.

All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – VTFM

FIND THE ZMAN LOGO

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

The answers to Find the ZMan Logo for June were: 10, 14, 21, 23, 26, 34, 36, 42, 94, 96, 99, 103, 107, 110, 115. – VTFM The Find the ZMan logo prize winners for June were: J Richards of Nathalia, R Leathers of Romsey, R Bragg of Birchip, C Smith of Traralgon, L Carr of Berriedale, P Daly of Claremont, R Carlile of Cranbourne, P Cobb of Berrigan, B Meaney of Tungamah, B Shelton of Romsey, G Thomson of North Geelong, J Hines of Leopold, T Logiodice of Morwell, D Baulch of Colac, K Bogle of Gladstone Park, B Wilkinson of Griffith , B Howieson of Wratton Bully, C Beaumont of Rosebud, S Coronado of Mt Waterley, L Sprake of Newborough, G Illman of Mt Gambier, M Kenelley of Shepparton, A Trenfield of Wesburn, N Thorn of Mildura, D Hamilton of Berwick, H Wilson of Swan Reach, T Hodgkinson of Kyabram, R Waugh of South Dreeite, J Neilson of Rochester, D Robinson of Carisbrook, K Carter of Shepparton, C Turner of Eynesbury, I Castle of St Helens, B Cunningham of Mildura, D Bannister of Tragowel, P Castle of West Rosebud, G Kemp of Horsham, K Vandepeer of Mt Gambier, W Henley of Park Orchards, M Nettelbeck of Mooroolbark.

Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – VTFM AUGUST 2016

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Fathers' Day Gift Guide

Gift ideas for fishing fanatics this Fathers’ Day BRISBANE

Bob Thornton

If your dad’s anything like my dad, the gifts he’ll really appreciate are the things he’ll get plenty of use out of. Unfortunately, we can’t all have a Darryl Kerrigan type dad, who have poolrooms full of ‘sentimental’ gifts and an appreciation for the simplest of things.

Fathers’ day falls at a time of year where we have some of the best weather of the whole year. Warm, windless days are common through late August and early September, and rain events are at a minimum along most parts of the East Coast. If you ask me, there’s no better time to enjoy the outdoors, especially if you like fishing, boating, 4WDing and camping. It’s even more enjoyable if you can drag the old man out of the house and spend some quality time.

Because of this, it makes sense that anything you can buy that will encourage him to get out and enjoy the Aussie outdoors will make a for a great gift this Fathers’ Day. The past few months has seen some exciting new products come out, so let’s take a look at some gift ideas for your old man.

CAMPING AND OUTDOORS Wilson Backpack Spring is my favourite time of the year to put the boots on and hike into some of the most scenic places we have in my home state of Queensland. Sometimes I’ll even drag dad down into these places! There’s nothing more important in this sort of scenario than a good pack to carry all the essentials, and Wilson have you covered with their new backpack.

The Wilson Backpack has padded straps and back

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panel, making it comfortable for old backs and shoulders, and will store everything you need for a day of hiking and fishing. The pack has a clear, water resistant front panel, which allows you to operate a smart phone or GPS while it stays dry. On

Black Diamond Moji Power Station For those longer camping trips, you may want to keep electronic devices charged. This may include smartphones, GPS, spotlights or laptops. Let’s face it, most of us like

for all the technoholic dads out there!

The Black Diamond Moji Power Station can run off either direct AC, an enclosed rechargeable battery, or regular AA alkalines, and has a USB port to charge your hand-

top of all this, it comes with two Wilson Tackle Trays to carry all the lures you’ll need for the trip.

to keep up with the news of the world when we go camping… Black Diamond have the perfect solution

held gadgets with. It also doubles as a light, putting out an impressive 250 lumens, which you can adjust with an easy-to-use dimming button on the side. The Moji is only the size of a coffee mug, so you’ll easily be able to cram it into your pack and have it ready to use once you’ve set up camp.

STYLISH FISHING APPAREL Zerek Dry Fit Jerseys No matter where you’re fishing in Australia, sun safety should always be a priority. Slipping into one Zerek’s Dry Fit Jerseys is a great way to keep the sun at bay, stay dry, and look like a pro. Not to mention, they look great, which will probably only appeal to some dads…

With a UPF rating of 25, you can rest assure that whatever this shirt covers will be safe in the harsh Australian sun. The Dry Fit Jerseys are available in sizes from medium, and the way through to 3XL.

With these great bits of kit, the old man will be able to safely fish for longer, stay comfortable, and do it all in style… whether he wants it or not.

Tonic Eyewear’s Slice lenses Tonic now boast the thinnest and lightest polaroid glasses on the market, in the Slice lens, and any dad would

which provides distortionfree vision at any angle.

The 1.3mm Slice lenses are scratch resistant, have antireflective coatings, Tonic’s own unique polarizing filter system and are 50% lighter than regular glass lenses.

You can choose from 12 different frames and four lens colours. Dad will look like he means business on and off the water with these

appreciate the ergonomics and aesthetics of these new lenses, and the stylish choices of frames.

Tonics are made in Japan and incorporate a de-centred lens technology,

bad boys, again, whether he wants it or not…

FISHING ACCESSORIES Deeper’s Fishfinder range If you want to get something that any

Fathers' Day Gift Guide

fisher-dad can put to use, regardless of whether he’s boat or land-based, then Deeper’s range of compact fishfinders are definitely worth a look. The small spherical transducer talks via Bluetooth to your smartphone and becomes a very handy little sounder.

either a wallet or a satchel.

The FG Deluxe Bait Wallet come with a removable caribiner to clip onto belts or other tackle bags. The FG Deluxe Bait Satchel comes with removable transparent sleeves, plus mesh pockets for terminal tackle.

Berkely’s tackle bags

Deeper’s newest model, the Smart Fishfinder 3.0, can be cast on most standard lines, making them very appealing for land-based anglers. How good is that?

You’re actually able to map out a waterway from the shore and save it onto your smartphone! Dad doesn’t have to be good with technology either, as setting up these devices is very selfexplanatory, so he’ll be out on the water (or the bank!) sounding up fish like a pro.

Berkely Fishin’ Gear Bait Bag Tackle storage is important when you’re out on the water, and the Fishin’ Gear Bait Bags covers a range of storage solutions to suit every angler… and dad.

Whether it’s only for a few packets of plastics, or everything needed for a day on the water. These bags are built to last, with corrosion-resistant zips and fittings. They come in

are an inexpensive way to carry your tackle, and make for a compact solution to bulky tackle boxes that dad will just love.

Black Magic Surf Waist Pack September isn’t too late to get stuck into a bit of relaxing surf fishing, and Black Magic has you covered! The Surf Waist Pack has all the accessories your dad will need to get down to the beach and wet a line.

The pack includes: Velocity Surf line; Tough Trace; Longreach surf rig; hooks and swivels; Wasabi fillet knife; Bait Buddy thread; and fish handling towel. And once you have the waist pack, you can refill it when necessary with whatever tackle you require for your next fishing adventure.

For under $100, you can get your dad kitted up and ready to tackle the

surf What’s not to love about that?

LATEST AND GREATEST FISHING TACKLE Dark Horse Bass series rods If you want to get your dad something fancyshmancy, NS Black Hole

There are six models (2 spin, 4 baitcast), and between them, they cover everything from bass and bream, right through to impoundment barra and metre-plus Murray cod!

even better just last year. The new metal frame delivers high rigidity, so there’s no flexing when under load and no loss of cranking power either.

Like everything Shimano make, all Stradics stand up to the harsh Aussie saltwater environment.

If it looks like the old man is in need of a new reel,

the Stradic FK will almost certainly fit the bill, regardless of the fishing he does. Stradic have just about every fishing scenario covered.

With all the latest technology, and a price tag that puts it in reach of most anglers around Australia, it’s a great gift idea for dad this Fathers’ Day. GET YOUR GIFT SORTED So as you can see, there’s plenty of great gift options out there for Fathers’ Day, and this article has only scratched the surface! For more great gift ideas, you can head over to www.tacklejunkie. fish and check out the latest fishing products. have recently produced one very fine piece of machinery.

With models ranging from tiny 4-8lb bream sticks, through to 10-20lb poles suitable for impoundment barra, these rods have your options covered.

Fitted with Fuji KR guides and a Fuji hook keeper, these things are built to last.

If your dad is a diehard lure chucker, these rods will definitely be right up his alley!

Leavey Lures Murray Moth While Fathers’ Day is in September, and Murray cod season in all rivers will have closed, there are some Murray cod dams that remain open during the closure. It’s still not too late to cash in on the topwater madness in the Murray Cod dams in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, and this is one of the best lures to do it with. The Murray moth is a jointed walking bait that’s 120mm long, has very sturdy Owner ST56 size 2 trebles and sports a beautiful finish.

Even if it doesn’t get wet this year, it might look nice in the poolroom (if your dad has one…) with all the other ‘sentimental’ gifts.

Shimano Stradic FK One of the best all-round reels ever made was made AUGUST 2016

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What’s New FISHING

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DAIWA LAGUNA 5BI SERIES

The 2016 Laguna 5Bi series is the smoothest, highest performing budget reel that Daiwa has ever released.

Featuring Daiwa’s innovations like Twistbuster II, Silent Oscillation and Infinite anti-reverse, this reel also employs five ball bearings, a high-speed retrieve ratio and Digigear II gearing system for ultra-smooth rotation and feel.

The ABS spool has a maximized core diameter and reversed taper, meaning there is 100% useable line. There’s no ‘dead’ line buried deep in the spool, so you can fill it with line right up to the edge of the spool lip without fear of tangles. The rearward taper of the spool’s core helps prevent tangles caused by excessive loops of loosely wound or stiff line falling forward from the spool on the cast.

This huge diameter spool lets line flow freely in larger coils and produces less line memory coil. The result is less casting friction for longer, easier casting.

The new Laguna series includes 2000, 2500, 3000 and 4000 sizes, and also features a 5000 size budget surf reel. www.daiwafishing.com.au

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NEW FIVE-0 MINNOW COLOURS

With the popularity of the Bullet Lures Five-0 Minnow, there was a need for more new colours to expand the range of this effective Aussie lure – and Bullet Lures has delivered.

One of the latest patterns is the trout fry, a natural, realistic colour. This pattern, along with the new gold fish, has already made its mark on hooking freshwater and estuary fish.

The fire tiger colour, which was previously only available in the 3cm Bullet Minnow, is also now available in the Five-0. This colour was an excellent addition as the little brother in the same colour accounted for many hook-ups when other colours were quiet.

The Five-0 Minnow comes in three versions: Silent Sinking, Silent Floating and Slow Sinking/Suspending. There are now over 20 colours to chose from, including trout and redfin colours right through to prawn colours for bream and flathead. Each Five0 Minnow is equipped with two Owner #10 ST36 trebles and Owner split rings.

Price: SRP $15.99 www.bulletlures.com

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HALCO MADEYES OCTOSKIRT

Designed in Australia, the Halco Madeyes Octoskirt is enhanced with natural squid scent, and constructed with Rubber Stretch Technology – a super-stretchy compound that enables the Octoskirt to withstand repeated strikes.

This versatile skirt can be layered on top of metal lures like the Halco Twisty and Twisty Jig, can be used in conjunction with bait or in a paternoster rig, and it can also be rigged with other Madeye soft plastics to create unique combinations that maximise attraction. It can also be rigged on a standard jighead.

The Octoskirt’s strong and stretchy legs wriggle with the slightest touch, yet remain strong when attacked. And like other models in the Madeyes range, it’s enhanced with 100% natural squid scent, which oozes into action as soon as the lure hits the water. All models in the range have been rigorously tested around the country with excellent results.

Halco recommends pairing Madeye lures with Halco Catch Scent (available in saltwater, saltwater fluoro, and freshwater). www.halcotackle.com

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AUSTACKLE TUFFIES AND DEEP TRIX 1 Austackle Tuffies are made using a special

formula which makes them buoyant, stretchy and almost indestructible. Tuffies stand up to the rigours of hooking toothy critters better than regular plastics.

Leatherjackets, pike, flathead and even tailor are no match for them.

The action is not compromised – Tuffies are soft and flexible, making sure of an exaggerated tail action.

There are four shapes and seven sizes in the current range: the Whiptail Grub (65mm and 85mm); Paddleworm (65mm and 100mm); Ringtail Minnow (65mm and 95mm); and Fishy Thing (85mm). Tuffies have a natural fish scent, come in packs of six and are available in your choice of individual colours or a multicoloured pack.

The tail sizes are matched to Austackle Deep Trix jigheads, which are built on Mustad hooks. These jigheads are now available in both unpainted and UV-painted versions in a large range of sizes.

Price: from SRP $9 (Tuffies), from SRP $7.5 (Deep Trix) www.austackle.com

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DTD, a fantastic producer of fishing equipment that specialises in squid jigs has just brought out a new jig for the upcoming season.

The Wounded Fish is a powerful squid jig with some superb squid catching characteristics.

This product imitates live fishes. It is wrapped with a special strong cloth with realistic a feel and great life-like details.

The Wounded Fish look like a weak, slow fish, and makes the product like an easy prey for squid.

DTD’s double weight system gives it perfect sinking position and the inner weight produces sound while squid jig is in action.

It comes in eight and five sizes: 2.2 (7.5 sec/m); 2.5 (6.5 sec/m); 3.0 (4.5 sec/m); 3.5 (5.0 sec/m); 4.0 (3.8 sec/m).

This jig was just presented on EFTTEX in Amsterdam, where it entered Best New Product competition in the hard lures and finished on top amongst squid jigs. www.dtd.hr

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DTD WOUNDED FISH

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HALCO MAX 190

Halco Tackle Company is releasing the highly anticipated big brother to the awardwinning Max 130: the all new Max 190.

The Max 190 (190mm/7.5”) has an incredibly wide effective operating envelope, working well from a fast cast and retrieve speed, all the way to a 14 knot troll. This lure dives to 2m, and the slender rear profile allows for increased hook clearance, vital for effective hook-ups on pelagic species.

The larger Max 190 features #7/0 inline singles, allowing larger hook gape and less leverage on tackle exerted from the fighting fish, as well as increasing angler and fish safety when handling large pelagic species on board.

This lure is forward weighted for a long cast into the strongest of headwinds without tumbling. Weighing in at 163g (5.75oz) with ultra-thick walls and a reinforced nose for extra strength, the Max 190 is cast in Halco’s high tech polymers. This lure is the ultimate in strength and durability, reflecting the usual high quality Halco standard.

The Max 190 is available in six fish catching colours. www.halcotackle.com

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au 70

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

POWERED BY

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

What’s New FISHING

POWERED BY

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PRO JIG WORM AND T-TAIL SHAD

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GEECRACK BEAT CRAW

Two of the latest Powerbait releases are the Pro Jig Worm and 2.5” T-Tail Shad.

The Pro Jig Worm features a classic worm body profile with the unique wobbling, padded tail. The beaver-like tail creates a wide, thumping action when it is worked through the water.

On the drop or on the hop, the Pro Jig Worm tail vibrates and flutters, exhibiting a lifelike action that’s irresistible to a range of species. It comes in six colours: black ice, opening night, purple chartreuse, emerald shiner, pink ice and watermelon pearl.

The 2.5” Powerbait T-Tail Shad features a classic ribbed worm body profile, with a slim, soft body for a fuller action. The T-shaped tail has a tight vibrating action at the slowest of retrieves. It is suited to Berkley Nitro jigheads, and you can fish it for trophy trout and mega bass with confidence. There are six colours: black silver fleck, watermelon, green gold, sardine shiner, pink glitter and brown pumpkinseed fleck. www.berkley-fishing.com.au

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The Geecrack Beat Craw is a soft plastic yabby/shrimp imitation, now available in Australia through SAbased tackle wholesalers Dogtooth Distribution. Originally designed to service the Japanese and European bass fishing scene, the Beat Craw is now making a splash here in Australia, and is already having a massive impact on our native freshwater predators.

The 3” Beat Craw closely imitates the movement of its real life counterpart. Six small legs produce a spontaneous, life-like flapping and vibrating motion with the slightest jigging movement. The two large arms and thinner antennae add even more action, and provide a level of stability when the lure is lying on the river bottom or lake bed. The soft yet durable material combines with original flavour and is impregnated with salt to keep those big fish holding on forlonger. Available in 17 different colours, the Beat Craw is ideal for a Texas rig, drop shot or as a jig trailer.

Price: SRP $11.95 www.dogtoothdistribution.com.au

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SCAN THE QR CODE!

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

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ALVEY GUNNELL ROD

The Alvey Gunnell Rod is a new concept in offshore and deep sea fishing. It negates the need for a normal fishing rod, so instead of having to hold heavy game gear in an unstable boat, you can just hold onto the Gunnell Rod and wind with your other hand. It makes fishing in a rough sea safer, easier and more comfortable.

The Gunnell Rod takes the weight of the fish, so it minimises angler effort. This makes it ideal for older anglers, novices and pretty much anyone who doesn’t want to be floored by a prolonged battle with a big fish.

This clever rod alternative fits into strong metal rod holders, and can accommodate any medium to large overhead reel. It has a handle for the angler to hold while cranking the fish (you can switch between left and right hand operation), and it can rotate to follow fish movement. It’s great for recovering teasers quickly, and you can also opt to match it with an electric reel for ultimate ease of operation. www.alvey.com.au

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

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DAIWA SALTIST COMMANDER

The Saltist Commander is the ultimate light tackle jigging rod, featuring the latest cutting-edge technology from Daiwa.

Daiwa’s high strength, reduced weight HVF carbon creates a rod that is lightweight and capable of punching well above its weight. X45 wrapping technology eliminates blank twist, which increases rod sensitivity and strength.

3DX further enhances blank performance.

By creating a six-wrap rectangular weave, the power is distributed evenly in all directions, allowing the blank to maintain its form when loaded.

This new system allows the rod’s power to be located at the lower section of the rod for more power and less angler fatigue. This leaves the upper section of the blank to absorb all the weight during a battle, rather than the angler.

Fuji K Concept guides eliminates line wrap, particularly with braided and PE lines. Fuji reel seats with custom alloy components provide a rock solid connection between rod and reel, while their ergonomic design ensures supreme comfort for long days on the water. www.daiwafishing.com.au

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JURO FLASHER RIGS

Juro Flasher Rigs are professionally tied rigs for snapper, flathead, mulloway, gummy sharks and reef species.

Juro Flasher Rigs are available in two sizes (4/0 and 6/0) featuring quality circle hooks. Each rig also features high quality 70lb trace material, and large, soft glow-in-the-dark beads.

Both sizes are available in eight colours designed by Juro Ozpro Tackle for Australian species including bleeder, pinky, red devil, shiner, squidder, sunset, yakka and zulu.

These rigs are a must for any angler fishing for snapper and reef species.

Price: from SRP $6.99 www.jurofishing.com

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BKK RAPTOR HOOK

The concept for the Raptor hook began when BKK engineers were asked to design a hook to withstand all conditions and a range of applications. The job requirement called for a hook with not only superior impaling power, but an unmatched level of both reliability and durability.

The process begins with BKK-81WV steel wire which undergoes a proprietary heat treating process. Next, the hook point is meticulously sharpened by hand, and finished with BKK’s resilient Ultra Antirust coating. The final result is a hook that is unprecedented in the ease of both penetration and strength. The Raptor’s combination of curved hook point and a wide hook gape minimizes the chances of pulling hooks. With the further incorporation of compact sealing, this increases the elasticity of the hook which further reduces the possibility of it being pulled.

For more information on this and other BKK hooks, check out the Nomad Tackle website. www.nomadtackle.com

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au AUGUST 2016

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What’s New FISHING

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FISH INC. PROP

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FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

BY REDDBY PO WERE POWE

TANGO SHADS UPSIZED

The latest addition to the Tackle Tactics stable of brands is the Fish Inc. Lures range of stickbaits and poppers. These lures feature quality finishes, durable construction and come fitted with genuine, heavy duty Owner trebles.

One of the latest Fish Inc. releases is the Prop. This 140mm, 62g sinking stickbait casts like a bullet, tracks well at speed when worked on the surface and can be sunk to the desired depth and retrieved with short strokes or a sweep of the rod tip to vary the action of the lure. This versatile size stickbait has already produced a range of Australian species, including mackerel, trevally, tailor, mahi mahi, tuna and more. The addition of a spinning blade on the centre hook attachment point creates additional flash and vibration, both on the drop and when retrieved, that draws fish and attracts strikes.

The Prop is available in four colours: natural sardine, bronze mullet, pink shiner (lumo) and dorri.

Price: SRP $33.95 www.tackletactics.com.au

The incredibly popular Zerek Tango Shad has grown up; there are now two new, larger models, which will be released at the AFTA Trade Show.

The two new models are the 69mm and 90mm Tango Shads, and they both come in suspending and floating versions. Borrowing heavily from the original Tango Shad, the 69mm version was designed to run at around 2.4m with the same enticing action of the 50mm version. This opens the 69mm Tango Shad up to species such as flathead, big bream, jacks, golden perch, trout and barra.

The 90mm version was designed to tackle bigger snag-dwellers like barra head-on. Built uncompromisingly tough, the 90mm version will troll down to around 3m but when cast into snags, it can be worked with subtle tweaks or fast jerks to bring the strikes.

Both new versions are fitted out with the sensational Mustad 4x Saltism treble, specifically designed for lure fishing with an inline eye to position the hooks perfectly around the lure. www.wilsonfishing.com.au

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TICA SCEPTER GTX 10000K

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LIGHTER ANGEL BAIT

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CHINLOCKZ AND SNAKELOCKZ

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POWERBAIT PRO SHAD

The TiCA Scepter GTX 10000 reel is a fantastic reel for anglers surf fishing and deepwater fishing when you need a reel with massive line capacity.

The Scepter GTX reel is crammed full of features including a high tensile body, Longcast aluminium spool with a massive line capacity, worm shaft system that makes the reel super smooth and helps lay the line perfectly, thick bail arm system, instant anti reverse system and seven of TiCA’s RRB rust resistant bearings.

The Scepter GTX reel also features carbon drag washers that produce a maximum of 8kg drag pressure, to help stop large fish in their tracks. It also features a large power handle that aids in cranking in stubborn fish, and create less fatigue on the angler’s hands.

The TiCA Scepter reel is an excellent value reel for anglers wanting a reel with large line capacity. www.jurofishing.com

TT’s ChinlockZ Finesse and SnakelockZ Finesse jigheads are new weedless jigheads for smaller plastics.

ChinlockZ Finesse are built on quality Mustad black nickel, chemically sharpened hooks and are available in sizes 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0 and 3/0 for those wishing to fish small plastics on the surface or slow sink them into structure.

TT Lures’ Chin Lock system secures the soft plastic in place when casting, working the plastic aggressively and during strikes, making these jigheads ideal for Z Man plastics.

SnakelockZ Finesse offer anglers the same ChinlockZ Finesse jighead, free-swinging from a front weight via a sturdy stainless through wire. This through wire features an easy twist clip that allows you to swap hooks and head weights, or add a different style of hook that suits the diameter of the through wire.

SnakelockZ Finesse are available in 1/12oz, 1/8oz and 1/6oz in hook sizes 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0; and 1/4oz and 3/8oz in sizes 1/0, 2/0 and 3/0.

Price: SRP: $9.95 (ChinlockZ), $10.95 (SnakelockZ) www.ttlures.com.au

In response to angler demand, Insanity Tackle has released a lighter version of the popular Angel Bait. The new 3/8oz model has all the same fish-catching features as the 1/2oz original, including the unique spinning device, which creates a lifelike flash and pulse. The 3/8oz version is ideal for slow moving creeks, rivers and estuaries, working the shallow margins of lakes or when a super slow retrieve is required to elicit strikes.

If you’ve never seen Angel Baits before, you can think of them as blinged-up plastics or very toned down and more realistic spinnerbaits.

They appeal to a whole host of fresh and saltwater species.

This new model is currently available with gold blades, with silver blade models in the pipeline. All Angel Baits come in four colour schemes, and come pre rigged with twin curl tail plastics.

For more info, contact Wayne Dubois on 0428 582 812, or like Insanity Tackle on Facebook. Trade enquiries welcome.

Price: SRP $15 waynedubois@westnet.com.au

The Powerbait Pro Shad features a wider and bigger body profile that mimics a deep-bodied baitfish, and its jointed, sleek tail profile provides realistic movements.

On the drop or on the hop, the Pro Shad tail vibrates and flutters with a lifelike action that is irresistible to fish.

Each Powerbait Pro Shad is also loaded with Berkley’s exclusive Powerbait scent and flavour formula, which causes fish to hold on for longer, so you can feel more bites and set more hooks. Having a big profile on bite-size bait makes it look particularly lifelike, and its brand new, pro-designed colours add fish catching flair. Its high energy, tight action calls fish from far away.

The Powerbait Pro Shad comes in 2.5” and 3.5” sizes. There are currently nine tried and proven colours in the range: black ice, firetiger, blue ice, chartreuse purple ice, opening night, pearl white, perch ice, pink ice and purple ice. www.berkley-fishing.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au 72

AUGUST 2016

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What’s New FISHING

TESTED: Getting Atomic Lures are an Australian brand that make lures for Australian fish.

These days we import a lot of high quality tackle, so it’s nice to know that the lure you’re using has been made in consideration of the species you’re targeting.

Atomic are certainly no stranger to the Australian tackle scene, and perform up there with the most respected and wellknown brands used in the country. Where Atomic’s lures are particularly deadly is on our light tackle sportfish, and the their new range of Hardz Vib 60 Rattle are testament to this.

When I pulled the few I’d been given out of their boxes, they didn’t strike me as being much different to other lipless crankbaits on the market. Sure, they come in heaps of fancy colours and are equipped with high quality Gamakatsu trebles, but we expect these sorts of things in the modern world.

They didn’t really raise my eyebrows until I dropped one over the side of the boat while chasing schooled bass. Upon finding a good school on the sounder, I opted to tie on the curiously named ‘Tristos Proton’ colour, which I thought looked a bit like the lovechild of a bony bream and a shrimp. When it found its way to the bottom in around 40ft of water, I gave the rod tip a gentle lift.

“What was that?!” my fishing partner for the day asked suddenly, now well awake.

“That was the vibe I just tied on!” I replied, very surprised at how much noise this little lure could emit with its ball-bearings.

That vibe caught half a dozen fish before the school started to wise up and shut down, and after cycling though several changes

It would be an understatement to say that I love catching and eating squid. I have been very lucky over the years, as our family has a holiday home where the squid fishing is exceptional and every time I visit I take full advantage.

Although my family and extended family enjoy it as well, this doesn’t extend to cleaning them. This slippery and sometimes messy chore for a long time fell on my shoulders. I have to admit, this has never really fazed me, but after speaking to friends and other anglers, they tend to avoid targeting squid, not because they don’t like catching or eating them, but because they dislike cleaning them.

good vibes from Atomic’s new lures

of lures, I eventually found myself reaching for the vibe again. This time, I let it sink to the bottom, and instead of imparting erratic lifts with my rod, I wound it slowly to where I believed the school was suspending, and just let it sit in their faces.

Out of nowhere, I heard the sound of the ball-bearings in the vibe rattle, but I wasn’t moving the lure… I eventually realised that what I was hearing was the sound of the bass just bumping the vibe as it sat there motionless, about 40ft below the boat!

That’s pretty amazing, considering that by this stage a sturdy southeasterly was coming across the hills and I could barely hear my mate cursing it at the back of the boat.

After a few of these curious ‘bumps’, one finally found a hook point and I was on again. Normally, I would have left this school after they stopped eating the other offerings I was dropping down, but the motionless vibe seemed to persuade these tentative fish to come and have a nibble.

I believe that the natural colour of my chosen vibe, in conjunction with its unusually small profile for a lipless crankbait were the game changers. Having small, sharp hooks also made pinning fish a heck of a lot easier.

On top of all this, I had an audible ‘cue’ to let me know when to strike.

The school finally agreed that the big floaty thing above them was to blame for all the sore mouths, and went quiet. As we moved off to find another school, I felt a renewed sense of enthusiasm for vibe lures in general, but couldn’t help admiring the craftsmanship of these tiny lures. The realistic scale and gill patterns certainly wouldn’t hurt if the bite suddenly got a bit tough.

TESTED: Squid

This was the first cab of the rank for the Atomic Hardz Vib 60 Rattle, which kick-started a red-hot bite.

Throughout the day, I noticed that I wasn’t getting the usual tangles, where one of the trebles catches the leader, causing the lure to spin or swim unnaturally. I attribute this to the smartly designed weight distribution in the lure, which allowed it to track straight as it descended to the bottom. There was no spiralling on descent, just a straight nosedive. At 10.4g, it’s pretty heavy, but the sink rate could be controlled depending on line tension.

Simplicity is something else to consider when making lures, and the single tow

point on the vibe was no hindrance to versatility. I found I could cast, jig, and dead stick it and still achieve a life-like and tangle free action.

As much as I would like to, I can’t spend huge amount on fishing lures, and at a reasonable $20.95 RRP, a handful of these isn’t going to break the bank or turn your tacklebox into a jewellery box…

For more info about these fantastic little lures, or to check out the rest of the Atomic range, visit www.frogleysoffshore.com.au – Bob Thornton

Ezy – no more frustration cleaning squid

Not for one minute am I saying that the Squid Ezy removes all the difficulties of cleaning a squid, but it does make the process simpler and the most difficult aspects easier.

Let me explain. There are four real battles when it comes to cleaning a squid; they are very slippery, it is difficult to remove the quill and internal organs, removing the skin and wings is a slippery and painstaking job and making sure there is no guts left in the hood to surprise you (best done by inverting the hood).

The Squid Ezy immediately assists with the first of these purely in its design. The one of tools is inserted into the hood of the squid and acts as a handle, making it less likely to slip out of your hands, it also separates the

The Squid Ezy kit has three tools of differing sizes to make the process of cleaning your squid a much easier and faster one.

SCAN THE QR CODE!

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

BY REDDBY PO WERE POWE

quill and guts from the hood, allowing it to be removed in one piece. If done carefully, this can be done without breaking the ink sack and avoiding the inevitable black mess that comes with it.

Once the internals have been removed, the Squid Ezy tool remains in the hood and one of the other tools is used on the piece the skin at the tail of the hood, you can then easily peal the skin and wings away, continuing to use the tool as a handle. I’ve found this is the most difficult component when cleaning a squid, and a very slippery process without the Squid Ezy tool.

Once the skin is removed, it is now a simple matter of inverting the hood and removing any guts that may remain. The tip of the tool is placed on the tip of the hood and the hood is rolled down the tool inverting it.

Clean the hood and rinse, cut the tentacles away from the head, remove the beak and you now have a clean squid ready to cook.

I have watched Rod from Squid Ezy do this in very quick time (check out the QR code hereabouts), but for me, it was more about getting the rest of the family involved in cleaning the catch. I can thank the Squid Ezy tools for there being far less emphasis on me doing the cleaning, as my girls and their friends now volunteer to clean the squid, or get cross with me if I clean them and they haven’t been told.

The Squid Ezy set consists of three tools of different sizes to suit small to large squid.

There are instructions on how to use the tools and the only tips I would suggest other than the information provided, is to have a container of salt water (or to clean your squid by the waters edge) to rinse as you go, and it

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

The author’s daughter and her friend were more than happy to help clean the squid as the Squid Ezy made handling them much easier. is so much easier to clean squid if they have been on ice or in a fridge for a little while.

To purchase your set of Squid Ezy tools, go to their website www.squidezy.com.au, or check out your nearest stockist.

– Peter Jung

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au AUGUST 2016

73

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Early options for Tassie trout boosted by rain HOBART

Justin Causby

Well, things were looking very grim as we moved through autumn with record low lake levels across the state. But did we get relief in a big way!

Sadly it was too much at once, causing major damage across the state’s

well. Your usual searching flies will do the trick, but you can’t go past the old Woolly Bugger.

LAKE LEAKE There was a real concern that Lake Leake would possibly dry up this year if we didn’t receive rain. It had a huge change of fortunes, with the levels quite high by mid-winter.

It’s most likely this will be

them on the right day you’ll have a lot of fun.

An impressive 420 adult browns were stocked here at the 1000gr mark in July, and I expect they will have grown by August given the massive amounts of food.

LAKE CRESCENT It stands to reason that Crescent is going to be on the radar of most anglers this season, after all, the

A wet fly fished deep over the weed beds among the trees accounted for this fish.

Lake Leake is a real hotspot for those who like to throw lures for chunky trout. water side infrastructure and even worse, no lake levels are worth more than a human life. Extreme flooding was the result of significant falls with close to 300mm falling in 24hr periods in many regions.

On the plus side, our lake levels are better for it and should offer some great fishing in the coming season right from the first Saturday in August. We’ll take a look at the places to head to in the early part of the season.

FOUR SPRINGS This is easily one the better fisheries early season in Tassie. IFS have the management pretty much spot on, with the last few seasons producing some excellent fish and they are always in tremendous condition. Keep in mind the special regulations for this water. A slot size of 300-500mm for a five fish bag limit with two fish exceeding 500mm allowed.

I’d recommend keeping just one or two fish though.

Drift spinning is very popular and brings excellent results. Any of your regular minnows will be good choices. A couple of top colours are red, gold and also trout patterns.

Fishing wet streamers also serves the fly anglers 74

AUGUST 2016

one of the hot spots for the season ahead.

There is lots of newly covered ground that had been out of the water for a long time. There should be plenty of food for the local trout, and no doubt they will be in fantastic condition.

Once again, your hardbody minnows will fish well along with the searching wets on the fly.

If we get good conditions weatherwise, Loch style fly fishing is worth a shot as we move forward. Soft plastics are also very successful too.

TOOMS LAKE Further south the IFS have earmarked this one as the place to be. Water levels are high and the fish are in exceptional condition.

A survey last season recorded fish largely in the 2kg bracket and up to an impressive 4.8kg!

Devotees kept Tooms pretty quiet last year with some excellent fishing happening. There’s no doubt that given the boost to water levels, it will add to some already very impressive fish.

I’ve always liked a touch of silver on lures out at Tooms. They seem to attract attention in its water. Galaxia feeders are the highlight for the lure anglers, and if you strike

fish will only be bigger a year on. Like Tooms, the trout of Crescent thrive on the massive galaxia population.

It’s little wonder the fish are huge and growing bigger every year. I’m tipping we’ll see the old school 20lb mark broken this year.

The inflows received up to 300mm, which will help with water quality.

It’s going to be dirty still, but the strong inflows will continue to flush the suspended clay sediment through both Sorell and Crescent. We need a lot more water to see visibility similar to water the lakes had in the glory years prior to the carp forced closures. Despite the murky appearance, the fish still feed and feed well, and perseverance in the way of lots and lots of casting will find fish.

As for lure selection, go dark or go bright – you need to be seen. Also look for plastics with a good paddle-tail offering a lot of vibration. The same

principal also applies for hardbodied lures, and a strong shimmy and a rattle won’t hurt either.

I think surface lures could also offer some exciting and visual fishing too. Just imaging a double figure fish hitting a surface lure twitched through the strap weed on the edge of a marsh… that would definitely get the heart going!

WOODS LAKE This is probably the most consistent water in the state over the past five or six years. It continues to offer up exceptional trout in both numbers and condition. I can’t see it changing this year either.

Trolling and spinning with hardbodies and soft

This 3.3kg brown was in prime condition, and obviously the food source is plentiful in Lake Crescent. This fish fell to Presso 6F in the ayu colour.

plastics are very successful, and so is fly fishing under certain conditions. Early season big wets, while not visually stimulating, will bring high reward.

PENSTOCK LAGOON Penstock is another of the strong performers, and while it’s incredibly popular, it will always be a consistent water. Good fish in great condition are common, but expect it to be popular early in the season.

GREAT LAKE At the start of May it was all but impossible to even launch a boat here. In the nine weeks following it had added 2.8m of water to the levels and is still rising. The fishing will be excellent. Shore-based anglers should fare well and from the boat I would still be targeting the banks.

The trout should be up on the newly flooded ground. Black and gold colours will work well, both in hardbodied lures and plastics. Big wets again will work well, but casting to cruising fish in the shallows will be a real option.

All boat ramps are once again open for use and the whole lake can be accessed.

Please exercise care while navigating, as it won’t be the same as it was last time you were on last time. The low levels pre-winter saw many hazards across the lake, making it very unsafe for those that could get out on the water.

The Great Lake is very open an exposed to weather and wind, but you can use this to your advantage. The wind swept shores will offer the best fishing generally, with the waves stirring up all manner of food along the banks.

Casting toward the

Go Behind the Scenery shore and retrieving back to the boat will bring success.

Soft plastics can be very effective too, especially hopping them down from the shallows into the depths.

Fishing plastics deep over the many weed beds that cover the lake floor is a very successful technique as well. Getting right down close to the weed is the key.

LAKE KING WILLIAM While it will fish well, the best of the fishing may have been missed.

Generally this place fishes exceptionally well as water levels rise through spring.

In May King William had risen an astonishing 12m in eight weeks, with even more added since. Luckily, it’s not full just yet prior to the season opening, so keep an eye on it as when it floods back into the undergrowth the fishing is nothing short of amazing.

Granted, the fish aren’t big,

bring a flurry of action.

Most lures will work, but anything with a bit of black and gold in particular will bring the best results.

The top end of the lake is also very good at high levels. Navarre Inlet can be great and the large expanses along the eastern shore offer some good opportunities fishing the points and bays. Fishing tight to the shores is the key. The tree stands are also very much worth a look, and fishing in 2-4m depths is usually the best option here.

BRADYS CHAIN Bradys, Binney and Tungatinah – These waters usually fish well early season. Several stockings of adult fish have occurred over the offseason at around the 1kg mark and better.

Lure anglers fare well in all three lakes at this time.

Once again, drift spinning will bring the best results,

the system and its fish. The big rewards will come.

DERWENT RIVER I personally can’t speak highly enough of the Derwent in the early season.

There is no better fishing to be had in my mind. Superb sea-run trout from 500g2.5kg are regular with even bigger fish scattered between. I’ve talked about the Derwent plenty of times before, and it goes without saying that there’s no need to head to the highlands in August with plenty of fish right on Hobart’s doorstep. Channels edges, drop-offs and an outgoing tide; remember those key ingredients for a successful day on the river.

With the big rainfalls and flooded river, the sea-runners are already on the move. The lower reaches from Bridgewater Bridge to Store Point were giving up good fish in July as those keen enough

Tasmania

position.

A pair of waders or wading boots are a huge advantage, as you can then fish all the way back to your feet. Plus you can walk out in front of the

Running a flat line and a deep line mix is the key.

Tassie Devils are the pick of the lures, as there is weed present at all times and it’s very difficult to see when it fouls a hardbody’s

sea-run trout for the table, with their bright orange fillets very appealing.

It was not looking like the trout season would be overly successful in Tassie, and not for the

Drift spinning works very well in most Tasmanian lakes, and produces quality fish like this regularly.

Good sized Derwent resident trout are mixed in with the searun catch. This one dragged the scales down to 1.4kg. but it’s at this time you’ll find the better ones. The bonus is there are plenty of them. My last four trips there have returned a minimum of 50 fish a day between two anglers.

The Guelph Basin offers up some fantastic fishing opportunities with its many long arms and a variety of shorelines from rocks to grassy flats.

You’ll find the fish in here in most places. Just look for a pattern, follow it and apply to the other shores in the lake.

Wind and wave action will make for some stirred up dirty water and these will be the hotspots.

Bringing lures through the dirty water to the clear will

but trolling is popular and offer reward. Working the shorelines is the best bet.

Try to find broken ground with an undulating bottom, and give the points extra attention.

TYENNA RIVER This is always popular straight from the first weekend and the opening months of the season offer the best results. Regular anglers favour a raised water level and higher flows as this brings the big fish out and it’s the reason most visit the small river.

Soft plastics are the go to lure here. The big fish though aren’t easy to catch and it takes time to learn the correct tactics. Take note of everything you do and learn

were already trying the luck. Shore-based fishing is dynamite and more often than not finds the better fish.

Off the shore, soft plastics are very reliable, and much cheaper to lose than an expensive hardbody.

Your go to lures are again the usual favourites in bait fish colours. Anything with a silver flank and green, olive or brown back should find results.

Plastics are best cast out into the current slightly upstream. Engage the bail arm to keep contact with the jighead and let it drift down, imparting a twitch as you slowly beginning to retrieve, then work it back along the bank to your

many reed-lined shores, and these edges are also hunting grounds for the trout when the whitebait begin to show.

Lamprey eels run early in the season and swim on the surface and mid river.

Big swirls from hungry trout are tell-tale signs of feeding activity and are generally seen at first light until sunrise, but can extend much longer in the right conditions. A Large 4-6” plastic is the perfect lure to target these fish.

Trolling anglers are best concentrating on the long stretches from Bridgewater to Norske Skog paper mill below New Norfolk.

hooks. You won’t catch fish with weed on your hooks.

Baitfish colours work well, like #103, 108, 13 and 107. Brighter colours like #75, 102 and the new Spotted Dog also excellent with the #75 superb trolled on leadline. Look for 3-3.6m depth for best results.

Drift spinning is the way to go if you want good hard-fighting sea-run trout from the boat. Work the channel edges along the reeds and expansive flats.

Fishing an outgoing tide will bring the best results.

The fish fight hard and eat very well.

It’s always worth keeping one or two silvery

fishing itself. It was more the general feeling in the angling community with the extremely low water levels and it appeared no end in sight. Even an average winter’s rainfall wasn’t going to offer that much relief. But the rainfalls we received have buoyed spirits and it looks highly likely that the season ahead will be very good.

Get out there and support your local tackle stores and spend your dollars locally. Hopefully the trout season ahead is as prosperous as the saltwater scene was this past summer and autumn.

Land-based fishing is a very viable option early on in the season.

AUGUST 2016

75

Inland Fisheries Service

Yingina-Great Lake boat ramps re-opened IFS

Tim Farrell

With water levels having recovered sufficiently, Hydro Tasmania has re-opened all boat launching ramps on Yingina-Great Lake.

Yingina-Great Lake is one of Tasmania’s most popular angling locations.

Many ramps were closed in December and January because of low water levels associated with Tasmania’s energy challenges.

While all ramps on Yingina-Great Lake are now open, some Hydro Tasmania boat ramps at other locations remain closed.

Boaters and

anglers should check Hydro Tasmania’s website at http://www.hydro. com.au/community/ recreational-sites.

A boat safety warning issued for inland waters on 8 June has now been rescinded.

However, boaters should still avoid Hydro Tasmania dams that are currently full and spilling, avoid exclusion zones (indicated by signs and/or buoy lines and watch for an increased risk of strong currents, floating debris and unexpected navigation hazards.

The main access road to Lake Parangana and Lake Rowallan (Mersey Forest Road) is currently inaccessible because of

landslip damage.

The area around those two lakes was damaged by bushfires earlier this year.

There’s still timber debris in the lakes as well as unstable ground conditions, with an increased risk of falling trees and tree limbs.

Further afield, recent heavy rains may have affected the condition of some gravel roads. Please stay alert and drive to the road conditions.

KEEP AN EYE ON LAKE DULVERTON Last year the Southern Midlands Council and IFS got together to improve the fishery at Lake Dulverton.

Since then water has been added to the lake as a part of the Midland Water

FISHING FILL-ITS

Mersey access closed Some Angler Access sites along the Mersey River are closed. The floods have caused bad damage and some sites are too dangerous to go near until repairs are complete.

This is mostly in and around Latrobe, but

anglers are asked to keep your eye out for the signs in other areas too.

Inland Fisheries officers, Neil and Paul, are making sure things are safe.

They are putting up signs to let you know when they are not.

If you see a sign telling

you things aren’t safe, please do the right thing and stay away.

We will keep working to repair, remake and then re-open Angler Access along these areas of the Mersey River.

– Inland Fisheries Service

The flooding caused extensive damage along the Mersey River.

A typical Lake Crescent monster.

Scheme with an aim to put about 430 mega litres in each year for three years.

The plan is to bring back the natural and recreational value of the lake – this of course means fishing!

Over winter the thick strap weed has died back, the water has risen (the winter rains through the midland helped that) and the fish that were stocked in previous years should be fat. The season opens here on the 6th of August so make Lake Dulverton a place to call in and fish as you travel past or your final destination.

BOATS WITHOUT MOTORS ALLOWED THIS SEASON ON TALBOTS From the start of the 2016/17 season, IFS and

Forico have agreed to allow boats without motors on Talbots Lagoon. Talbots is an ideal water for low impact manually driven craft such as canoes, kayaks and sit on tops.

These will need to be carried or trolleyed from the car park to the lagoon – around 250m.

Boats with motors, including electric motors, are prohibited.

Anglers must obey all MAST safety regulations and do be aware of the many snags and underwater hazards in the lagoon.

IFS and Forico are confident that being able to use a boat without a motor will increase angler access right across the water yet maintain the natural values of the lagoon.

LAKE CRESCENT SET FOR ANOTHER GOOD SEASON During winter, 700 adult brown trout were moved from the fish trap at Liawenee into Lake Crescent. The fish averaged 1kg and will soon grow bigger because of the lake’s great food supply.

These 700 fish top up a fishery that has performed well over the last few years.

Celebrated for its big brown trout, Lake Crescent can be a little difficult to fish until you get to know it. Give it a go and you might well catch the fish of a lifetime.

This recent rain is setting the lake up for another good season with water quality expected to improve even more and the marsh areas to be flooded for spring.

HYDRO TASMANIA WATER STORAGE INFORMATION Water Storage Information as at 14th July 2016 Lake/Lagoon

Metres from full

Comment

Lake Augusta .................................................................................................Spilling Arthurs Lake ....................................2.12 ..................................................................

Great Lake .......................................15.07 ................................................................

Trevallyn Pond ...............................................................................................Spilling Shannon Lagoon ............................................................................................Spilling Penstock Lagoon ...........................................................................................Spilling Lake Echo ........................................9.54 ..................................................................

Dee Lagoon .....................................0.2 ....................................................................

Bradys/Binneys/Tungatinah .............0.41 ..................................................................

Bronte Lagoon .................................0.4 ....................................................................

Pine Tier Lagoon ............................................................................................Spilling Little Pine Lagoon ..........................................................................................Spilling Laughing Jack Lagoon ....................2.98 ..................................................................

Lake St Clair ....................................1.26 ..................................................................

Lake King William ............................2.61 ..................................................................

Lake Liapootah ................................0.5 ....................................................................

Wayatinah Lagoon ...........................2.29 ..................................................................

Lake Catagunya ...............................0.86 ..................................................................

Lake Repulse ...................................0.2 ....................................................................

Cluny Lagoon .................................................................................................Spilling Meadowbank Lake ..........................0.54 ..................................................................

Lake Pedder ....................................0.49 ..................................................................

Lake Gordon ....................................38.46 ................................................................

Lake Burbury ...................................0.5 ....................................................................

Lake Plimsoll ...................................3.21 ..................................................................

Lake Murchison ...............................4.05 ..................................................................

Lake Mackintosh .............................0.26 ..................................................................

Lake Rosebery ...............................................................................................Spilling Lake Pieman ....................................1.14 ..................................................................

Lake Mackenzie .............................................................................................Spilling Lake Rowallan ...............................................................................................Spilling Lake Parangana .............................................................................................Spilling Lake Cethana .................................................................................................Spilling Lake Barrington .............................................................................................Spilling Lake Gairdner ................................................................................................Spilling Lake Paloona .................................................................................................Spilling Woods Lake .....................................0.62 ..................................................................

Whitespur Pond ...............................4.53 ..................................................................

Lake Newton ...................................3.11 ..................................................................

Lake Margaret .................................0.26 ..................................................................

These levels are provided for an indication of lake level only and can vary from day to day. For more up-to-date lake level information please visit www.hydro.com.au/home/Tourism+and+Recreation/Lake+Levels.htm

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AUGUST 2016

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Go time for trout tragics TASMANIA

Kelly Hunt

The gloves are off! The ambient air temperature is on the rise and the days are getting longer. There is light, sun and warmth at the end of the tunnel.

August is actually the first month of spring and everyone is getting excited.

I tried to stay as upbeat as I could, as we went through the cold dark, days of winter here in Tasmania.

The fish slow down and the days are often bitterly cold. You can expect a little more of that in August, but we all know that the next summer season is just that much closer.

Speaking of seasons, it is the start of a brand

really takes off, as the days quickly start to warm up along with angling action.

TARGETING TROUT The beauty of fishing is that you can never have enough gear. Seriously… there is always something new or a little more you can do to help you catch more fish. Trout and bream gear is very specific, and if you are looking to make light presentations with bait or lure, the rod, reel and lines used must be of a specific nature. You can spend an absolute fortune on this stuff, but you don’t have to. There is an outfit for every budget and the most important thing is to match the rod and reel to the type of fishing you are doing.

Casting soft plastics

line will lead to frustration and disappointment. It could lead to you walking away missing out on the enjoyment and excitement of catching trout and bream on light line.

While August is not all about trout and we will discuss what else is on offer a bit later, it is the buzz species for now. It’s not just the highland lakes that see all the traffic. It can still be very cool in August and the chilly weather can see the lowland waters find favour.

Look to areas like Lake Huntsman and the flooded margins of the Esk and Mersey rivers to fish well.

The swish stick and fluff chuckers can have a ball this time of year if the weather plays the game. I quite enjoyed fly fishing

Highland shack life is not all about trout. There’s plenty to see and do, even if the fishing is quiet. new trout season and there is excitement in the air.

People have again realised that we have some of the best wild trout fishing in the world and are gearing up for opening weekend.

Opening weekend is a tradition for some, and the start of a new annual ritual for some. Around Tasmania, trips have been planned with friends and family of all ages and genders. Trout fishing is like that. Grandad can be at the shack for the 40th year while his granddaughter is enjoying the lakes area for the first time.

The start of the trout season is a great time to check up on your gear.

Make sure the waders or gumboots have no leaks and that all the rods you have don’t have busted eyes. Reels can be looked at and rushed off for a service before the season

to trout and bream at this time of year is about covering an area of water and not disturbing the fish.

Distance in your casts is crucial, and casting a light jighead or small-bibbed lure will be best done with light mainline and leader.

Braid is the go-to line, and those who are still yet to try it are missing out. Light braid to 10lb and below will cast lightweight lures a good distance. Match this with a 6lb leader and 2500 size reel and you are well on your way. Rods will be a matter of personal choice and preference as far as look and features, but should be over 6ft.

I cannot stress enough the need to match lightlyweighted jigheads and hardbodied lures to the right rod and reel combination.

Trying to cast and catch fish with a rod too stiff and a reel to big with the wrong

when I was a young lad, and have recently found some renewed interest. Highland August weather can be a nightmare with wind and cold.

Don’t let this discourage you. Gear up accordingly and you’ll still be in with a chance. Word on the street is the fishing has been good, with lots of big brown trout chasing any fly they see.

Wet fly fishing is at its best on our low altitude lakes, rivers and estuaries.

The male brown trout have spawned and they are very hungry after the rigours of the spawning season. The female trout are a bit peckish from having to lay all the little trout eggs.

They are all hungry, and are feeding on anything they can find. Rainbow trout on the other hand are still in spawning mode and will attack a fly or lure purely out of aggression.

The rain and flooding we had in June and July has seen the low water levels come right up. There will be a lot of waters with ‘tailing’ trout around the lake edges.

Tasmania’s ‘flooded margin fishing’ is some of the best in the world, and is a spectacular and fun way to fish. The fish are spotted, and if stalked properly, can be seen with a good set of polaroid glasses moving from spot to spot.

WATERS TO TRY EARLY IN SEASON Four Springs Lake This water is a cracker, as it’s only 35 minutes from Devonport and 25 minutes from Launceston. The story behind this lake is about a group of anglers that had a dream. The dream was to develop a premium fishery close to town centres with a good head

A sturdy Omen Black rod from 13 Fishing took down these fine rainbows. of large fish. In the 1990s, after a lot of work, Four Springs was born.

Situated west of Launceston, Four Springs is a very popular fishery from the very start of the season and can often be jam-packed. It is a stocked fishery, with most fishing methods allowed.

Arthurs Lake This water is a favourite of many and is the scene of many an ‘opening weekend reunion’. Groups of mates head up and fish the lake and have tremendous fun. There are casual competitions among friends, side bets and lots of stirring.

I know some anglers

who go to the trouble of untying what they have been catching their fish on and tying on something ridiculous. When they come back to the ramp and into camp, it has everyone scratching their heads.

Arthurs Lake is one of Tasmania’s premier trout fishing waterways and has three good boat access ramps. Jonah Bay, Pumphouse Bay and the Dam wall ramps are all good facilities. From these ramps you can access the brown trout living in the Sand Lake or Blue Lake areas. Prior to the dam being constructed, there To page 78

Matt Wilkinson with a Storm Bay bluefin caught on a 9mm Zacatak lure.

AUGUST 2016

77

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania From page 77

used to be two separate lakes. Trolling and casting soft plastics and lures at the timber in and around the edges was popular.

Flyfishing is mostly done at the northern end with Cowpaddock and Jonah Bay being popular.

This is a lake where bait fishers can do well. The best bait is the mudeye, and fishing them under a float can be great fun. Angler

can successfully fish with mudeyes, it doesn’t matter if you have a boat or not.

It’s a very relaxing way to fish, and as a kid I got a lot of reading done when staring at the float got boring. Mudeyes can usually be bought from tackle stores and anglers should be reminded that under quarantine laws, as they can’t be brought into the state.

Arthurs Lake has

two formal camping areas at Jonah Bay and Pumphouse Bay. This is Tasmania’s premium stillwater trout fishery. Open from August until May, it is open to all trout angling methods including bait, lure and fly fishing. An easy drive from all angles will have you at Arthurs in no time.

It’s roughly about one hour from Launceston and about a hour and a half from

Devonport and Hobart.

Craigbourne Dam The trout fishing in Craigbourne Dam on the South Coast has lots of people excited. For anyone that just can’t wait for the trout season to open, Craigbourne Dam was recently stocked with some extra large Atlantic salmon.

These fish aren’t too fussy and are usually happy to take most offerings. This provides for the perfect

plastics is really good fun and a great way to feed the family. While targeting the mini crocodiles, you may also come across some nice trevally. These are great fun on light gear and can be found in the deeper channel edges. Australian Salmon and snotty trevally have also been found in good numbers and are keeping anglers amused.

Out the front the tuna were off Merricks in early

July in good numbers. It will be interesting to see if this keeps up through August. We won’t know if there aren’t any boats out looking, and there is a good group of locals who are keen and enthused.

Broadbill swords are still being targeted, but this is weather dependant.

Swansea is the gate swing for some sensational fishing in the area. The Swan and Little Swanport rivers are legendary bream fishing waters, with

many other species worth targeting when in the area.

I went fishing in the Swan earlier in the year and really enjoy it. It’s just another area in Tasmania that we just take for granted. The scenery and the fishing is something we should be very thankful for.

The other jewel in this area is Schouten Passage and Island. This area is still holding school-sized bluefin, with reports in early July of some jumbos being boated.

salmon reaching 3kg have been caught in both Storm Bay and North West Bay recently. Anglers have been having success using soft plastics and small hardbody minnows. Although a boat does help, these fish are still accessible from the shore and it could be worth trying your luck off either Dru Point or Safcol Jetty.

On the Australian salmon front, a fair amount of whitebait has pushed into North West Bay recently and this has attracted some large schools of Australian salmon, which are easily accessible from the shore.

A trio of local anglers were able to catch their bag limit in just under an hour casting small minnow style soft plastics and hardbodies off the end of the jetty at Dru Point boat ramp.

Bream have been on fire in the Browns River. Anglers are having success on all sorts of methods including bait, casting soft plastics and hardbodies, and even fly fishing.

Anglers using bait and plastics have been catching quite a few mullet up to 30cm as by-catch while chasing bream. I strongly suggest you do not eat the fish out of Browns River, however they do make great baits when targeting fish such as flathead, gummy sharks and bream.

The Huon River is a great place to head for early sea runners and resident fish, which often feed on white bait and lamprey.

The Derwent also isn’t a bad option in August, and often fishes well for those using hardbodies around Norske Skog and New Norfolk.

Pedra Branca The tuna season seems to be similar to the last one, where we caught fish right through August. There was some very settled weather in July and many crews took advantage of it. Watching the weather sites is a good idea before taking a trip into this

EAST COAST St Georges Bay at St Helens has taken a battering with the rains in June, with a lot of freshwater entering the system. There was also a fair bit moving down in July. It doesn’t seem to have affected they way it fishes too much, and has produced some good fishing.

Flathead are such a staple of the area and they continue to improve.

Targeting them on soft SOUTH COAST Storm Bay and North West Bay There’s plenty of bluefin are still being caught in Storm Bay with anglers having success trolling both skirts and divers.

The fishing off Variety Bay has been very productive over the last month or so, with lots of school-sized bluefin being caught in close around the salmon farm and just south of it. The fish are very hard to entice. If using

skirts, letting them back a long way and staying wide of the bust ups and drawing the lures through them reduces the risk of spooking them.

Increasing your boat speed and not giving them anytime to change their minds is also a good idea.

Plan B can be to sneak up sea of the feeding school and as they bust up and cast a metal slice over the top of them and wind like mad.

Some nice sized Atlantic

Alex Hunnibell with a 131kg southern bluefin caught at The Hippo at Eaglehawk Neck.

78

AUGUST 2016

opportunity to hone in your fly fishing skills or maybe even work on some new retrieves with your soft plastics and hardbodies.

Great Lake Also in the south is Great Lake. For those willing to brave the cold, there is some great fishing to be had on Great Lake at this time of year.

Anglers have been getting stuck into both brown and rainbow trout recently, and

the condition on the fish has been outstanding!

When fishing from the shore around Great Lake, it helps to have a lure that can cover a long distance. If you’re using hardbody lures, don’t be scared to use lures up to 80-90mm long, and if you decide to go with a soft plastic, rigging it on a 1/8 or 1/6oz jighead will help you cover distance and different depths.

The east coast is famous for its big bream, and these fish will be active through August.

reef sections to try your luck on, and having a good sounder will make your day a winner. Remember that trumpeter season closes for the two months of September and October.

The Neck The peninsula continues to fire and looks like it will

something to offer in most weather conditions and the water movement from the many points and rock islands can fish well even when calm.

Those with smaller vessels can venture out of Fortescue Bay and find themselves right in the thick

Tom King with a cracker striped trumpeter from Pedra. area. If you do get out, it’s a big day, but when the fishing is on , it can be spectacular.

The added bonus is the stripy trumpeter fishing. Once you have bagged out on bluefin and have them nicely iced down, you can turn to having a deep drop.

Luckily at Pedra, you don’t have to drop too deep and fish can be found from 50-70m. There is a massive amount of rock tables and

have a long season again this year. The fish are in close and the action can be only 10 minutes from Pirates Bay. The area off Waterfall Bay has produced fish all season and has given up a good few jumbo-sized specimens.

Acres of options is what I would have described in June and July, and this shouldn’t change for August. The area has

of it in no time. Traditional lures have been going well, but overcast conditions have had anglers thinking outside the square with colour combinations. Light blue lures with a pearlescent or lumo under skirt have claimed some good fish.

The train of thought has been to run these lures wide and long out of the wash and have their colour and underskirt really stand out.

How-to: learning to tie the twisted dropper BRISBANE

Kim Bain

A paternoster rig has a sinker on the bottom (on the sinker loop) and either one or more ‘droppers’ above the sinker. Most rigs will use two droppers that stand

out from the main line.

Last edition we covered the option of a standard dropper loop for a paternoster rig’s hook loop; this month we tie the hook loop using a knot called the twisted dropper knot or loop.

Twisted droppers loops are stiffer and can help the hook

1

Hold the trace, between thumb and forefinger, either side of the location along the trace where you want the knot to be tied.

Then twist the trace, to form loops in the middle between your hands, by spinning both sides in opposite directions with the thumbs and forefingers. This forms tight loops for your dropper.

hang away from the main line.

Having the knot sticking out from the mainline reduces the tendency for your hooks to tangle around the mainline.

Both the dropper knot (see last month’s QFM) and the twisted dropper have a breaking strain of up to around 80% of the main line.

DROPPER DIMENSIONS • Droppers should be spaced apart so that they do not overlap; and so that the hooks (including gangs) do not overlap either.

• Individual droppers should be at least longer than the largest hook that you wish to use.

4

Pull one side of the loop/crossover down and start twisting/wrapping it around the standing line. Keep the centre ‘hole’ open (with your fingers). An alternative is to twist from/around the centre, wrapping an even number of turns of each side of the centre opening. Have a go and see what works best for you and your dexterity.

• When drifting, I like one of my droppers to be short (around 15cm) and the other about 30cm long. Sometimes I’ll go much longer to 60cm for times such as when I’m at anchor.

• If your droppers are 12-15cm long, then they should be at least 50cm apart

– that’s with one single 5/0 chemically sharpened hook on the bottom and a two-hook gang rig on the top dropper.

For further discussion and information on this knot and the paternoster rig, please see my articles on these subjects on the QFM website.

6

Pull the mainline, the standing ends of the mainline one on each side of the knot, apart (away from the knot) in order to tighten the knot about half way. While pulling the knot ‘half-snug’ you can hold the twisted loop lightly with your mouth... ensure that you don’t pull the knot snug just yet!

2

Spin the twists into about ten loops for a short dropper (about 20 twists for a long dropper).

7

Then moisten the knot and snug the knot up tightly.

5

Having completed between four to eight half-twists, pass the twisted loop through the cross-over ‘hole’ that you were rotating with your fingers. Pull the twisted hook loop all the way through.

3

Cross over the two sides of the main line and twist one around the other. The rest is now the same as tying the standard dropper loop. That is; after forming a loop in the line (do not tie a loop, just form a loop), then insert a finger into one side of the crossover.

AUGUST 2016

79

Brave the elements and you can trick the trout HORSHAM

Trevor Holmes

Even though some unpleasant days are plentiful this time of year, they can often be the most rewarding, and those willing to take on the elements often find the goods. I’ve always maintained that trout especially take great delight in wanting to play on the days when a lot of anglers would rather be watching the footy in front of the fire.

Some of my best results over the last few years have been on terrible days with cold winds, rain and generally unfishable conditions for many. Getting out there is the hard bit sometimes, but the

last sixweeks. I’ve seen some great fish landed and lost.

Most of the Wimmera Lakes hold big trout, so get out and amongst the action.

LAKE TOOLONDO With access improved, there has been a steady influx of fishers, with many attracted by the talk of some good redfin being on the go. This was the case until the first frost hit in mid June and they then disappeared, apart from a few smaller ones.

Trout have been very hard to tempt in the shallow water and surface feeding has been minimal. The overcast and windy days are prime, as the fish are more secure and willing to hit baits, lures and plastics. Trolling has also produced a few fish of late as the weed subsides.

Tassie Devils slow trolled have been the prime method but the anglers working shallow to medium running hardbodies are also getting results.

Early and late in the day, the wall area is producing some bigger fish on live baits such as mudeye, minnow and gudgeon fished under bubble floats.

Redfin have backed off a bit in the cold, but some good anglers targeting them over weed beds and around the rushes have produced some cracker fish both on plastics and hardbodied lures.

LAKE WARTOOK While Wartook has been a bit of a flop at times over the last few years after the devastating bushfires, we

Alan Greig with his first ever brown trout of 2.9kg taken on a OSP Bent Minnow off the surface at Toolondo recently. in the deeper parts of the lake but were hard to tempt.

Ice jigs seemed to be the best option, with several fish landed around the 2kg mark. Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come and we see the rejuvenation of a great lake that is well known for its magnificent trout and reddies.

ROCKLANDS RESERVOIR After some great sessions here over the spring and summer I was hoping to see some more action on the bigger reddies heading into

the 3kg mark lately. Working the wall area at its current low level should pull a fish or two for persistent anglers.

LAKE BELLFIELD Once again, Bellfield has produced a few great fish, and in my opinion continues to improve overall as a fishery and anglers hitting it can be more confident of landing a quality fish.

Reddies, although smallish, continue to take plastics, vibes and hardbody lures around the edges.

It’s out deeper, away

WIMMERA RIVER AND TAYLORS LAKE With the onset of winter, the reports of natives have all but dried up, apart from some bait fished goldens of 800-900g being landed out of both locations on scrubworms and small yabbies. With the close of cod season only weeks away, I’m sure there will be a late flurry of activity from the diehards for that last fix of the season. Carp numbers seem to be down in both places, making bait fishing easier, but at Taylors the small silver perch are abundant and

A very happy Nicole Harrison with her first ever brown trout, which was taken at Toolondo trolling a Tassie Devil #87 beetle bomb. rewards make it sweet. I’m often asked what I do over winter. It’s my favourite time of the year for big fish and when I’m at my busiest on charters. Those anglers in the know chasing a trophy fish are out and about, braving the cold and wet and putting runs on the board. Over the

LAKE FYANS Not known for really hitting top gear until after a couple of frosts, the trout of bigger sizes are now starting to appear in catches as they become more desperate for high protein fodder to replenish condition post spawn.

are starting to see some better results now the colder weather has taken hold.

Some nice brown trout have been landed recently as well as a few very nice redfin.

Fishing there over a weekend in late June, it was reported some large schools of redfin were sounded up

3SER FISHING SHOW 5pm-6pm

Every Thursday Afternoon Dean Yeoman with a 38cm Rocklands redfin, which had a deformed tail. This great fish was landed trolling a StumpJumper.

PAUL CARTER

LUKE McCREDDEN

LEE RAYNER

Take you through what’s biting in your area.

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AUGUST 2016

winter, but this was not to be. There’s plenty of smaller fish about, as well as some newly released trout, but the big girls have hibernated for the winter.

Bass are still an option, but seem to be tapering off also and may be hard to target until spring.

Trout of the larger sizes are becoming more regular catches, and I’ve seen several browns landed over

from the easy to access areas where most of the action has been. Casting long from the banks and allowing lures to sink before retrieving is a very productive option.

I prefer spoon type lures when fishing Bellfield.

Bellfield is a electricpowered only lake and a favourite for kayak anglers.

Holding trout, redfin and Chinook salmon, you’re a fair chance of a good fish!

continue to steal baits intended for the bigger goldens. Expect some good bank fishing in the river, especially where there’s a creek or back water running in, as goldens will congregate there looking for a washed in worm, grub or insect.

• Enquiries to Trevor on 0438 132 130 or 03 5388 1338. Catch us on Facebook ‘Victorian Inland Charters’ or check our website www.victorian inlandcharters.com.au

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AUGUST 2016

81

Don’t ignore shallows MILDURA

Darcy Sherger

It is common to find big fish sitting high in the water column during the winter months. Cold frosty mornings and big high-pressure systems are consistent during a Mildura winter, and this weather triggers big cod to feed up on the massive schools of bait in the area.

Having a good high definition sounder is a must

at this time of year to help locate the bait schools and target these areas. With the aid of down scan you can search easily for bait balls, which often sit in the top 15ft of the water column. The size of the bait varies between 50-100mm, and trolling and casting hardbody lures to a similar size is a successful method to entice a strike from a Murray cod. It is important to try a variety of sizes, colours and diving depths in your lures, as it is not

only the bait schools that cod target, but the golden and silver perch feed on the bait schools as well.

For anglers who target golden perch feeding on these bait schools, smaller lures such as Jackall Genes, TT blades and small hardbody lures around 50mm in length have been successful. Casting these lures on light gear in the shallows has seen perch up to 56cm caught. The most effective times of the day have been early

James Mason with a typical Murray cod for this time of year.

This nice solid golden perch was taken on the cast.

mornings and late evenings when these predatory fish feel more comfortable in the shallower water.

Yellowbelly in this size range provide great sport and are a sought-after table fish. Quality redfin up to 1kg have also been caught at Lake Cullulleraine casting and slow trolling Celta lures. Although these fish aren’t the best fighting fish they are excellent eating.

The low light times of the day have also been the best time to target the big Murray cod who hunt high in the water column

at this time of year. Casting big profile surface lures, spinnerbaits and shallow diving hardbodies has been very effective, and numbers of cod in excess of 120cm have been caught. A shallow water strike from a fish this size can be violent so you need to have good quality line, leader, knots, split rings, hooks and also confidence in your gear that it will withstand that initial impact.

Many anglers have kitted up with a beanie and a headlamp and fished the surface well into the

dark in search of big cod.

Lures such as Koolabung Cod Crackers, Wake Snakes and Jackall Pompadours have been very popular.

Hooking and landing a fish of this size can be a once in a lifetime opportunity for many anglers and extra care must always be taken when handling a fish of this size. These big fish are the future of the sport, so take a quick photo then return them safely to the water.

With the cod season nearly finished it’s time to brave the cold and go catch a big one.

Think big at Lake Mulwala for giant catches YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

Rain, frost, more rain and the lingering hangover from the bluegreen algae debacle has led to an uninspiring period of fishing in and around Lake Mulwala.

Traditionally, this is the time of year to ‘think big’ and go in search of the larger models but the season has petered out pretty quickly. Don’t despair though, rug up, tie on the biggest lure you can find and who knows, somebody is sure

to tangle with something huge sooner or later – it could be you.

Looking back, reports were fairly scattered from the lake area, as most anglers did it tough. Derek and Kade Blow landed half a dozen reasonable cod over the Queen’s birthday weekend and this seemed to be the best report numbers wise. Downstream below the weir offers anglers a chance to tangle with some big cod at this time of year as they look to head upstream to spawn. Steve Hogan pulled a nice 76cm on a recent outing, while there were whispers in regards to a 129cm model…

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The Queen’s birthday holiday weekend is usually a craying weekend for most fishers, and reports suggest everybody fared pretty well. With a limited bag of two legal-sized crays per day, those that worked their nets didn’t have much trouble filling their quota.

The positive feedback was how many large females bearing eggs were caught and returned along with the number of smaller specimens.

As the fishing slows down, organisation for the 2016-17 fishing competition season ramps up. If you are keen to get your name added to the Golden Dollars (24 Oct), Cod Classic (2-4 Dec), Dash 4 Cash (18-19 Feb), His and Hers Partners Classic (4 March) or Cod Nationals (16-19 March) mailing lists then shoot me an e-mail at codclassic@ bigpond.com.

In closing, our thoughts are with local fishing identity George Jovanovic, who has a bit of a battle on his hands healthwise. I’m sure there are plenty of big cod out there

breathing a sigh of relief knowing George will be giving them a rest for a while. Hopefully we’ll see George back out there soon ‘knocking, knocking’ and telling stories of the one that didn’t get away.

Until next edition, happy fishing.

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Steve Hogan with a nice 76cm cod caught below the Yarrawonga Weir.

Brave the winter chill for a Murray cod thrill ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

How much do you enjoy early morning rises where cold fingers fumble at the matches as you try to reignite the overnight campfire?

It’s always a chore, but one that’s needed to boil the billy and take the morning chill from the air. Heavy dews and frost dampen clothes and dull

one, maybe no chances a day! This is how many anglers might view winter cod fishing, and why so many pack the gear away.

I guess it depends how you look at it. The warmth of the early morning fire is a joy as fingers thaw to another brilliant dawn.

The warm taste of coffee sipped to the rolling tune of butcher birds sitting high in the thickets and leaves.

Giant gums hang hidden in the half-light – a living canvas against a back drop

short and the cool night air will soon see you back at camp warming by a solid wood fire. Here the taste of beer is rolled in laughter and conversation as yarns are swapped and catches relived.

There is much to like about winter cod fishing, not least of all the fish.

As predicted, the cod have started to move shallow since our last report with most catches now coming on the cast.

Big is best, with lures over

Larger lures have been working well on the cast as the water temperature stays low. pedantic fish on earth than large Murray cod, I would be very surprised. But love them we do, so we will suffer their finicky ways and reveal in the joys of

capture when they come.

Robinvale, Wemen and Hattah on the Murray are all producing cod on lures.

Perch have been a little harder to tempt with just

a few reported on baits of shrimp or small yabbies.

I look forward to the coming month of winter cod fishing and the many joys this cooler season holds.

A cool water dip with a giant winter cod. David Mott braved it all for this memorable shot. exposed skin to the point of pain, as you make your way out onto the water at dawn’s first light. There’s usually fog so thick you can barely see in front of you, as the first minutes of the day unfold.

By lunch, a sideways breeze too lazy to go around cools the enthusiasm and has you looking for calmer shores. Before you know it, the light has dropped and day’s end is forced by a sudden drop in temperature as the night air begins to roll in. All this for possibly

of fog. A quick wipe with the towel and the seat is dry, as the ice cold air breathes life into your lungs.

Winter is a season of honesty, as it wakes you like a good hard slap. You beg the morning unfolds at a slow rate, as it always holds promise of a canning strike from a giant cod.

It’s a scene of calm that can turn to turmoil in an instant and you hang in wait on every cast for that exact moment.

The afternoon breeze signifies the days are

120mm accounting for the biggest catches.

The barometric pressure continues to dictate the bite, and with relatively clear waters the larger highs have seen the fish reluctant to play. Big highs are most often in company of clear blue days with little wind.

The clear waters are leaving the fish quite spooky under such conditions and they are biting best on a rising barometer with overcast conditions.

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August is the second most important month on the cod fishing calendar – December being the most important.

There is no big Cod Classic or pre-cod opening sales, but the excitement to catch the last big Murray cod almost matches the excitement of catching the first of a new season.

With the introduction of many more big lures on the market, I expect to see numbers of metre-plus fish reported over this month.

That will rely heavily on the weather, as most of winter has been very wet and this has seen water temperatures fluctuate a lot, and on top of that, water clarity has affected our chances.

That won’t stop everyone’s enthusiasm to land a fish of a lifetime or spend the next three months talking about the one that got away. Surprisingly, the best reports have been from directly behind the Shepparton Lake, right in the heart of Shepparton.

The Balista Lures owner has been very busy in the past months landing numerous big fish in his home waters. I can’t stress enough that these lures were designed from local experience and now that experience is turning into weekly reports of solid cod.

Don’t take that as a sale’s pitch, as there is so many good cod lures on the market, and I only go by what is reported.

If we get a steady river level in coming weeks, targeting big cod will be much easier, and with the fishing being good in the heart of Shepparton, the risk of getting bogged launching a boat is minimal as the local ramp is concrete.

There are bends up to 20ft only a short drive from the ramp and these are the areas I would be targeting with either bait or big lures.

There is plenty of different bank types near the ramp, with rock walls and heavily timbered areas being my favourite. I would head upstream, as downstream can be dangerous and hard to access after a river rise.

The Broken River at this time of year can be very hit and miss, but if we do get a downpour of rain, get out to the Broken a day or two after the rain from now until about December.

A rise in the river normally results in a feeding frenzy of yellowbelly. You can catch a half dozen fish in quick time, but make sure you fish with a friend, as the banks

can fall away after rain and become very slippery.

KIALLA LAKES Whenever it rains, the fishing picks up at Kialla.

The past months have been very wet and some local Kialla residents have been braving the colder conditions just before or after a rain event. They have been rewarded with hot bites on numerous occasions with slow rolling lipless crankbaits and spinnnerbaits around the willows on the playground side banks.

There has been no certain time for success at the lake, with reports of fish being caught in the early morning, lunchtime and during the night. The lake should continue to get better as the water temperatures increase, and if you can get your hands on early season shrimp and yabbies, you should have no worries

weedless pockets, I would be floating worms or jigging lipless crankbaits in these areas, and for the more experienced anglers, rigging soft plastics weedless.

LOCAL CHANNELS The channel system will fill back up again in mid to late August after its usual level drop, and if you’re lucky enough to be fishing in the days when the fresh flushes come through, you should be in luck. Any fresh flush in the channels has produced good-sized redfin and yellowbelly in past years.

The channels out towards Katandra have been fishing well in the winter months with some channels still holding enough water to chase fish.

Bait fishers have been using fresh worms or PowerBait blocks, but if baitfishing you can expect

Casting black and red spinnerbaits or big lipless crankbaits will work a treat in the lake, and both still give you the chance of landing a good-sized yellowbelly.

Those fishing with bait will find it harder, as there are plenty of carp in the lake.

WARANGA BASIN The basin is now starting to fill back up. I looked back over the last three years of water levels at the Waranga Basin and this time of the year has mirrored those levels in 2013/14, with last year being a very different.

In the past years, the rise in water has always been a good thing with the redfin and yellowbelly moving more into the shallow grass banks and feeding up.

It can be hard to target these grass banks, but if you can manage to get your boat around the shallows,

James Daiton with a solid cod caught on a Balista Lure. landing fish.

SHEPPARTON LAKE The rainbows are starting to move in the lake with a few being caught on PowerBait. They are still fairly quiet, so within the next few weeks there should be a greater chance for those targeting them.

The lake is again very hard to fish, with the weed levels as high as ever. This is very frustrating, as it’s unfishable in areas. There is still some pockets of water that can be accessed, but it will test the casting skills of most who fish there.

The only positive is the fish have had months of little to no fishing pressure once again, and hopefully this means a chance to keep growing.

It wouldn’t surprise me if in the warmer months we start to see yellowbelly around the 45cm mark being caught more regularly.

If you can access the

a few carp to jump on the hook.

Those using lures should take a full range of small medium divers, small blades and plenty of different coloured plastics. It may take some time, but once you nut out what the fish are taking, you will have a ball.

GREENS LAKE I don’t normally report on Greens Lake this time of year, but there have been more reports than normal.

With the local rivers being very up and down, more people have headed out to Greens Lake and to my surprise, it’s to target cod, not yellowbelly and redfin.

There have always been reports of cod in Greens, but now with people actually targeting them with bigger lures and having success, I think it’s almost time to announce it as a future cod hotspot only a short drive from Shepparton.

you should be able to have a good session.

The crays have been below average this season, with not too many reports coming from the basin.

Prior to the late June and early July rains, there were reports of small brown trout being caught in the channels leading into the basin.

MOOROOPNA RECREATION RESERVE LAKE This little lake is now fully stocked with trout and fishing well, but with the extra numbers of fishing traffic on the lake it has seen catch rates of other species increase.

Redfin and the odd small yellowbelly have been caught on bait in the lake as well as huge carp.

The trout have had extra pressure lately, with a mob of pelicans trying their luck at the lake. Hopefully they leave plenty of trout for everyone else.

End of another winter in wonderful Wangaratta WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

What an amazing start to winter we have had here in North East Victoria.

The fishing has not been amazing, but the cold, dull, overcast and rainy days we have been experiencing certainly have been amazing and will lead into great fishing for most

streams, which is a fantastic sign for next season. If we get a wet winter, there will be an abundance of worms in the system and the trout will be eating like there’s no tomorrow.

As trout are one of the fastest growing species of fish in Victoria’s freshwaters, those tiny trout could be approaching a nice decent size by the time the season opens if this rain and

most being trolled on Tassie Devil lures. During August this will not change. Focus your attention on the low light periods of the day like sunrise and sunset, and all day on overcast and foggy days. The moment the sun comes up, the trout will go down deeper into the clear water.

When this happens, small deep diving minnows can work, but I like the dual

A magnificent Lake Mulwala sunset after a great day of crayfishing. will be like, but at a guess I would say very high, and possibly dirty. They are high now in late June and there is more rain in the forecast.

small gate behind the toilet block near the Wangaratta Magpies clubrooms that you can park near and walk through to a large backwater that is nice and

A huge Murray crayfish, which was full of eggs and released. species next season.

By late June the Ovens River was flowing hard through Wangaratta. All of the creeks and streams are close to their full capacity and most of the seasonal gullies are flowing.

Sadly, this has led to fishing conditions in and around Wangaratta that can only be described as poor at best! But, there are some great options not too far away and some very exciting things on the horizon.

Firstly, the trout season closed in early June on a high note. The trout were all very active and most people who went trout fishing caught trout. There seemed to be a lot of small trout around in some of the

high water flows continue.

That is a positive!

Recently, my mate Shane Orr and I headed down to Lake Mulwala for a combination of crayfishing and fishing. We caught around a dozen crayfish made up of a combination of massive females and undersized males, but did not catch any legal sized males. We also managed to troll a nice 49cm Murray cod. During August, you can always head down to Lake Mulwala. So that is also a positive!

In recent weeks, Lake William Hovell has really been turning up the heat and providing some very good trout fishing. I have received several reports of trout being caught with

depth Tassie Devils that can be rigged to dive down to around 6ft or so.

The redfin fishing will be very slow in Lake William Hovel during August. No doubt a few reddies will be caught, but they will be by persistent anglers and they won’t be caught in great numbers.

I have actually seen schools of redfin in Lake William Hovell in winter, they just swim very, very slowly, and no amount of enticing with a soft plastic

A nice 49cm Murray cod trolled on a Wilson Slickback lure in Lake Mulwala during June.

I find that the Ovens River can be fished at high levels, provided you can find a nice slow backwater. The water level measurement for the Ovens

calm even when the water is quite high.

I usually only catch carp at this spot, but I do catch the odd Murray cod, which are still catchable during August as the season does not close until September.

Even if the river is fishable, and the water looks great at that spot, just remember that it is August, so do not expect too much.

EXCITING NEWS Now for the exciting news… I am not going to go

into too much detail, but I have been campaigning hard to get a certain waterway in Wangaratta stocked with trout for the kids during the winter school holidays.

This waterway, which I am not naming just yet, as there are still a few stakeholders to contact and hoops to jump through, will be stocked with trout in winter under the Victorian family friendly waterway banner, and will quite possibly even be stocked with yellowbelly to provide a fishing option during the spring and summer months.

It will be stocked primarily as a local fishing hole for kids on school holidays and for people with mobility issues, however, it will be open to all members of the public who hold fishing licences or an exemption from having one.

I have met with council town planners and been in direct contact with fisheries Victoria, and at this stage it is all looking good.

Hopefully I will be able to announce in full in next month’s edition exactly where it is and what is going on, but for now… just seek comfort in the knowledge that Wangaratta may very well have a year round fishing option very soon!

Mark Adam with a small rainbow trout, which he caught on a bunch of worms on the closing weekend of the trout season in June.

My last trout for the season on closing weekend that I caught on a Rooster Tail bladed spinner.

would get them to show any interest. Interestingly enough, some lakes fish their best for redfin in winter. They’re a hard species to work out, that’s for sure!

Closer to Wangaratta and it is hard to say what the Ovens and King rivers

River in Wangaratta is usually somewhere between 7.9-8.9m. The minor flood level is at 11.9m.

I can fish the Ovens River with bait right up to around 10m. The best spot to fish during high water is behind the Wangaratta showgrounds. There is a AUGUST 2016

85

Snow skiers invade Jindabyne JINDABYNE

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Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

The mountains are now all white and the snow bunnies are everywhere. August is the busiest month for Jindabyne township, and traffic jams are common early and late in the day as everyone heads to and from the ski resorts.

If you’re coming to fish in August, you have to either book early or look at cheaper options, like what is available in Berridale and Cooma, as you may find it very difficult to get anything in Jindabyne.

Fishing on Lake Jindabyne is at its best this month, as most of the trout have spawned now and have returned to the lake and are looking for a feed.

You also have a chance still at catching one of the monster Atlantic salmon that were release by Gaden Trout Hatchery. Atlantics over 15lb have already been caught this winter and there are bigger ones out there waiting for you.

August and September are possibly your last two months to catch a brook trout. Brookies will go and hide once the water starts to warm up in October.

Over the past couple of months, the bait fishing has been very good and August is a fantastic month to have a fish from the shore. You will see quite a few people fish before and after a day in the snow, some catching fresh trout for dinner.

On the cold windy and even snowy days, you often see anglers sitting by the camp fire or even sitting in their cars waiting for a trout to bite and the ‘bite’ can happen any time of the day, so a little patience

Steve Bryan smashed this 14lb Atlantic salmon on the troll. may be necessary, but the rewards will be there.

Worms and artificial baits have always been a favourite way of winter fishing, and it always brings results. When worm fishing, use plenty of tiger worms or a single scrubworm, and fish them off the bottom using a running sinker.

There is a lot of weed about at the moment, so it is best to put muslin on your line to keep it floating above the bottom.

You can also suspended a bait under a float and if you want to use artificial bait (most will float) try a little split shot on the hook to keep the bait down.

As the fish move about the lake so much over in winter, there is no particular spot better than another, but a hint is shallow water early and late and slightly deeper water in the bright sunny parts of the days, but not too deep! Try the sheltered bays at creek mouths

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86

AUGUST 2016

Phone: 0410 173 060 basscataustralia@gmail.com

Byron Boehm nailed this really chunky brook trout.

JULY ROUNDUP – Best method: Best lake lure: Best lake area: Best fly method: Best river:

for the brookies. Wollondibby Inlet and Rushes Bay are both worth a try.

For the fly anglers that have been struggling to catch a trout over the last couple of months, August is the start to the polaroiding season where cruising trout can been seen in the shallows as they work around the edges of the lake looking for something to eat.

You sometimes have to look for shadows, as the trout can be often hard to spot, and of course you have to be a reasonabley accurate caster and the fly has to land on the water without spooking the trout, so all of that adds up to a good challenge and that is what is so exciting especially when you see the trout move towards the fly. If the trout takes the fly, then that is the ultimate adrenalin rush, and playing out the fish is just so exciting, even if it does end up busting you off.

Some days the trout will take big flies like my Goldfish Fly, Hamills Killers, and Woolley Buggers and other days the tiniest black nymph will work best. You just have to experiment a bit.

With the higher lake levels, the fish are hanging about the bays and some areas to try are Creel Bay, Hayshed and Hatchery Bay, Mill Creek Inlet, The Claypits, and The Snowy Arm. Lure spinning from the shore any time of the day can be productive for all species of fish in Lake Jindabyne. I like to use mainly minnow lures in natural patterns. The 13g Tasmanian Devil lures are perfect on windy days, and it is always best to cast into the wind rather than have the wind at your back. You catch more trout on the windward shore and the best colours are aggression colours, like pink number 55, or yellow wing number 36 to represent goldfish and brown

number 48 or holographic, as these colours look like yabbies to brown trout.

A variety of soft plastics are also worth trying at this time, possibly due to the smell that is impregnated into these products. It’s best if they are also natural or cold colours for the inlets and orange or pink for open water. The Strike Tiger range of plastics have been great in Lake Jindabyne, especially the 3” curl tail princess pink and vodka n orange.

Winter boat trolling can be a little slower at this time of year, but winter is when we catch all the big trout, even if we have to put in the hours to get them.

Older proven Tasmanian Devil colours like pink number 55 or orange number 56 are still the best over winter.

These are aggression colours in winter and the trout will strike these hard. Also keep in mind a number y36 yellow wing for the sunnier days and Tassie Devil holographic, or a number 48 or y48 are always worthwhile early and late in the day or off three colours on lead core line.

There is still plenty of big fish at Creel Bay, and it is not too difficult to fish given there is so much more water this year.

• If you would like some personal guiding, I will be available over the coming months for fly-fishing tuition and lake trolling trips.

Lessons can be booked from 2 hours’ duration, and trolling trips from 3 hours to a full day. If you want to know more about the latest in fishing conditions, just give me a call on (02) 6456 1551 or check out my website at www.swtroutfishing.com. au. You can also see our daily Facebook updates at https:// www.facebook.com/LJTFA.

THE BEST OF THE BEST! Bait fishing with worms and artificial bait, but lure spinning is also very good.

Tasmanian Devil in pink 55 or Holographic and spotted dog StumpJumper.

Claypits and Creel Bay Williamson’s Gold Fish or Woolly Buggers and maybe a black nymph Rivers closed until October

Kegger cod cruise the edges As the lake rises at a reasonable rate, a whole bunch of good-sized cod

EILDON

Andy McCarthy

will be coming up in the water column and staking their claim on recently

Adam with his 5lb brown that ate a Tassie Devil.

covered snags.

It’s by far the best time to be casting spinnerbaits, hardbodies and weedless rigged soft plastics at new lay downs, especially on overcast mornings and right on dusk, as they are very territorial in keeping their snags after just finding them.

This was very apparent on a recent trip for Troy Falzon, who picked up a 95cm beast in 1m of water up in the Big River arm, and it is fantastic to see a fish-savvy angler cradling the fish so as to ensure its survival. If we all took the time like Troy, the mortality rate of these icons would be significantly lower. He picked this fish up on a chartreuse spinnerbait, which is an awesome colour choice for this time of year.

It’s great to see the sheer numbers of committed anglers lately. The weather

Bonnie Doon Lake on the rise BONNIE DOON

Andy McCarthy

With substantial rains in our neck of the woods lately, it’s great to see the lake back up around the 40% mark and heading north towards the Bonnie Doon bridge at a reasonable pace, current expectations are that we will reach somewhere around the 70% mark before irrigation starts again.

Let’s hope we get some springtime rain.

It has been quite an encouraging start to the winter, with good reports of trout coming in, with almost all catches being browns. It seems the rainbows have gone deep and don’t want to show themselves to anglers, and the catch rate of rainbows seems to have steadily dropped over the past 5-6 years. I’m really not sure why this is the case.

Flat lining Tassie Devils is the standout method at the moment, and that’s no surprise really, with some nice brownies up to 3lb and plenty of pan-sized fish of around 1lb in the mix too. The mouth of the Delatite River is always a go-to spot at this time of the year, and don’t be scared to throw a small soft plastic in black and gold into the mix either.

The cod fishing has just continued along nicely with loads of reports coming in of cod between 55-90cm. Michael Dodsley

Michael Dodsley with his 81cm cod taken from up in the top end of the lake.

picked up a well-conditioned 81cm model up the top of the lake recently that went a solid 10kg, a great fish in anyone’s photobook.

Next issue we will be having some quality input from the guys at Mansfield Hunting and Fishing, who on a recent trip to this great tackle shop let me know that Lake Nillahcootie had been fishing superbly with numerous catches of cod over the magic metre mark, and a couple around the 1.5m range! Hopefully there’ll be some great news to report on next month.

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Troy Falzon with his 95cm cod taken from 1m of water. has been horrendous, being both windy and cold, but it hasn’t slowed numbers at all.

This is by far the most active winter Eildon has seen for 10 years or more in my opinion, and as we all know, there is no substitute for time on the water and this couldn’t be more true than on Lake Eildon, which is such an enigma at times.

There have been steady reports of cod from 45-95cm lately, and the most important thing is the resounding health and amazing condition of all of them. It’s such a thriving and healthy system since the breaking of the drought.

One local angler, Daron

Von Cranny, caught a nice cod around the 85cm mark, which hurled up a 35cm trout, so don’t be scared to throw some huge lures, Because they will eat them!

Plenty of trout are being taken flat lining Tassie Devils, with plenty in the 1-1.5lb range, which are great for the smoker. There’s also been a few taken in the 2-3lb range. My friend Adam caught a top notch brown lead lining a Tassie Devil and released it to fight another day, and it would have scraped in round the 4-5lb range.

Tight lines everyone and stay safe in the cold.

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

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

May Jun Cairn Curran 11 11 Dartmouth 42 43 Eildon 29 30 Eppalock 22 21 Fyans 47 48 Greens 41 46 Hepburn 12 13 Hume 19 25 Lauriston 67 66 Malmsbury 14 14

Mulwala (Yarrawonga) 94 93 Newlyn 12 12 Nillahcootie 20 20 Rocklands 11 11 Taylors 30 31 Tullaroop 13 13 Upper Coliban 36 37 Waranga 12 19 Wartook 36 42 William Hovell 28 98

Jul 12 46 35 22 53 48 25 42 66 15

93 17 32 12 32 13 38 39 55 101

(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.)

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87

Alternative Gippy trout options CTL GIPPSLAND

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

The school holidays were a perfect time to take the kids down to the local family lakes for a trout fish.

Fisheries do a great job stocking the family fishing lakes for the school holidays and Gippsland has a few

locations to chase stocked rainbow trout in winter and they include Morwell Lake, Lake Hyland and Heyfield Lake to name a few.

The school holidays were a success and we saw plenty of rainbow trout caught with PowerBait fished on a running sinker rig being very successful, but some of the young guns were out there practicing their lure

skills using small soft plastic lures and spinners and were absolutely smashing the fish and practicing catch and release, so they could go back the next day and catch more.

Just remember, these fish are put there for families to get an opportunity to catch a good trout, so anyone thinking they are there for a free feed better think again.

A rainbow trout pattern hardbody brought this very spotty lake rainbow undone for Pete Jung.

Leave the fish there for kids and families to catch, and remember the longer the fish get to be in the lakes, the bigger they will get.

The rivers are closed, so there’s not much to report, however blue rock has been a popular place to fish and you can still chase trout during the closed season. Anglers have been trolling some good trout up the river arm and surprisingly, the odd bass has been caught as well by anglers trolling Tassie Devils and spinners meant for trout, even in the ultra-cold water.

Next month, the trout season will open again and we should see some great fishing as the rivers have all had a good flush out.

• For more information, contact Will at Allways Angling in Traralgon on 5174 8544. You will get expert advice and great deals on fishing bait and tackle. Tune into Rex Hunt and Lee Rayner’s Off the Hook on 1242 to hear Will’s report on what’s going on in Gippsland!

Fisheries do a great job stocking the family fishing lakes for the school holidays. Photo courtesy of DEDJTR

Big chill slows fishing BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

We are currently experiencing a winter of old in the Bendigo region.

Over the last month cold wet windy days have been common. It hasn’t been the ideal weather conditions to go fishing; however the amount of rainfall the region received over the last couple of months has been terrific. Before the autumn months the region was extremely dry and rain was desperately needed. We are now in a situation where most of the catchments are saturated and any significant rainfall from now on will produce good run-off into our river systems and water levels will again start to rise in our reservoirs.

LAKE EPPALOCK Water levels are only now starting to increase at Lake Eppalock. We typically don’t see significant increases in the water levels at this location until the three reservoirs above it get to high water levels. At the present time the combined totals of the Upper Coliban, Lauriston and Malmsbury reservoirs are at 44% capacity. The water levels are currently increasing around 1% of capacity per week. So even though the region has received a good amount of rainfall a lot more is required if we are going to see good water 88

AUGUST 2016

levels in Lake Eppalock again this season. Water levels at Lake Eppalock are currently 21% of capacity. The fishing continues to be slow at this destination.

Presently, only small numbers of redfin have been caught, and locating a concentration of redfin is proving difficult. The majority of redfin that have been caught are in deep water with depths greater than 10m.

Cast soft plastics with heavy jigheads and slow roll them close to the bottom to find the fish. Vertically jigging ice jigs and soft plastics has also been working. Baitfish with worms and small yabbies around the edges of standing timber to catch a few redfin.

The number of golden perch caught at this destination has been low.

The majority of golden perch have been caught adjacent to standing timber. A few different techniques have been working including, trolling medium-sized hardbody lures in depths that range around 6m, as well as casting lipless crankbaits and small blades around the trees. Murray cod captures have been low.

CAMPASPE RIVER Water clarity is currently patchy in the Campaspe River due to the recent rainfall. In some sections the water clarity is still good and suitable for lure fishing. In other sections water clarity is poor and baitfishing becomes your best option. Given the recent trend of weather I would predict the water clarity will continue to deteriorate over

the next few months if we get significant rainfall. If you plan to fish the Campaspe River with lures then anglers need to be prepared to travel along sections of the river in order to find an area where water clarity is suitable to the task. In those cleaner sections of the river there are still small numbers of golden perch caught. Anglers who cast lipless crankbaits and suspending hardbody lures have caught the majority of these. Lures need to be retrieved very slowly at this time of the year in order to provoke a strike from a fish.

If you retrieve too fast, strikes will be limited.

There have been small numbers of redfin caught in the Campaspe River. Anglers fishing the edges of weed beds with small hardbody lures and lipless crankbaits have caught the majority of these. If water clarity remain good then the next couple of months should produce some quality redfin in the Campaspe River. As the large redfin get close to spawning they can become territorial and will strike at lures aggressively.

CAIRN CURRAN Fishing reports from this destination have been few and far between. Water levels are currently low but are slowly starting to increase. If you are fishing this destination by boat then I recommend a 4WD, as boat launching can be difficult with low water levels. I will hopefully get a chance to fish this location myself in the next few weeks.

I will predominately target

Kelvin Miles displays a quality 43cm redfin that was caught casting a Jackall lure at Lake Eppalock. the redfin population.

Cairn Curran can produce excellent results on redfin at this time of the year if you are prepared to put the time in and nut the fish out. The redfin will often school up and move into the deep water at this time of the year. I try to locate a concentration of redfin by downrigging hardbody lures or trolling deep diving hardbody lures. If those techniques are working I will stick with them. If the fish are finicky then I change technique. Jigging ice jigs or soft plastics can produce good results. At this stage I have not received any reports of trout fishing at this location. Unfortunately the trout fishing has been disappointing at this location over the last few seasons.

The fact that water levels are starting to rise should help

the productivity in the trout fishing. Baitfishing around the edges of the lake with corn, worms and maggots are all good options for the trout.

Trolling winged-styled lures and small minnow hardbody lures are also good options for the trout. If you have any reports from this destination and would like to share them with our readers please email me at codhuntertours@ bigpond.com.

LODDON RIVER The fishing in the Loddon River has been slow with only small numbers of fish caught. The majority of the fish that have been caught in the Loddon River have been golden perch with the occasional Murray cod. The most productive lures on golden perch have been lipless crankbaits and suspending hardbody lures.

The most productive times have been the last few hours before sunset.

There has been the occasional Murray cod caught by anglers casting large hardbody lures and large lipless crankbaits.

Trolling heavy spinnerbaits in the deepest sections of the Loddon River is also a good tactic at this time of the year. Water clarity is patchy along the Loddon River, and there is a good chance if the current weather trends continue then water clarity will continue to deteriorate in the next few months. If you are keen to fish the Loddon River with lures then you best get out there now, as there is a good chance that in the near future conditions will only become tougher.

Beat the winter blues with bass WST/STH GIPPSLAND

Steve Haughton steve@habitatcreations.com.au

Despite the cold water on Blue Rock Lake, bass are still being caught on lures and bait. Adding to the excitement of winter bass, there have been some big reddies taken over the last few months in among the sticks and anglers are enjoying trolling up the odd trout out in the lake. If you ask me, having a fish at Blue Rock is not a bad way to spend a crisp winter’s morning.

Bass are typically around the 25-30cm mark, but some outstanding fish above 35cm are still being caught and

released in the heart of winter.

These winter bass have all succumbed to baits or lures fished deep.

At this time of the year when the water cools down, bass tend to school up and head down deep to feed on shrimp and small fish. Live baits like the trusty garden worm or crickets work wonders on bass. If a bait feels heavy enough, fish it without weight and simply drop it down amongst the snags. Otherwise, a small ball sinker above the hook is fine too.

Lure fishing for bass is best done by jigging lures among snags and often the best approach is to have one bait line set up while you jig a lure; then you have all

bases covered! Ice jig lures or soft plastic grubs, minnows or shads are the choice lure among local anglers. Some big redfin have been caught over the last month too, and have been a surprise by-catch to those targeting bass.

If it’s your first time fishing at Blue Rock, it can be a bit overwhelming where to start fishing, as there certainly is no shortage of dead trees up the Tanjil Arm or in the coves dotted around the lake. Rather than using pot luck, there are some good sounders on the market and knowing how to use one properly will save you a lot of time in finding the bass and redfin schools.

Anglers should be reminded that the stream trout season reopens midnight

on Friday 2 September. The closure of the season brings some relief to the stream trout population, which relies solely on natural spawning high up in the tributaries of the catchment. There are no stream trout stocking programs in West and South Gippsland, so we rely strongly on anglers catching and releasing trout.

If you are heading out to target stream blackfish or eel, or just happen to be passing through and spot illegal activities on our streams, please report to 13 FISH. Feel free to send me a report or photo, particularly if you have any success stories before the closure of the trout season or bass on Blue Rock.

Happy fishing!

Hayden Greaves with a healthy winter bass caught on worms. Not bad for his first trip out to Blue Rock!

Orange you glad to catch a few!

CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

Whether the mornings are sunny or overcast and rainy it’s certainly an effort to crawl out of a warm bed and get out there fully exposed to the elements and onto the water in search of a fish or two.

Lake Purrumbete continues to be quiet, although many anglers have been polarising some huge browns cruising along the bank side weed growth –­ it’s certainly a different matter when it comes to enticing them to bite. Often the fish are right in the shallows between the weed growth and the bank. This puts most fish out of reach to boaters

casting lures but not to fly anglers walking the bank.

The hot spot for placing a fly from the bank continues to be the eastern shoreline and ‘The Quarry’ is a standout place to work a dry fly or a shallow diving lure. Of course stealth is required and a bit of camouflage helps.

Lake Elingamite’s water level continues to slowly increase and one more huge rain event will see the lake once again reopen to kayaks and small boats at the very least. But in the meantime rain showers are very slowly raising the water level and as long as this continues the lake should be accessible to some

by August. Fingers crossed.

Lake Bullen Merri is firing well for all three species on a given day and Chinook salmon, brown and rainbow trout can all be found

cruising the shallow water around the lake’s perimeter.

Fish can be seen visually or show on a sounder anywhere between 3-5m+ depth. It’s simply a matter of putting in the time and waiting for the fish to switch on.

The fish switch on for around half an hour at around 3pm, but I am yet to work out when they switch into feeding mode in the morning.

Many anglers have witnessed some thumping Chinook salmon; mostly in excess of 10lb herding and smashing small schools of new release fish. On a recent trip I launched on the lake armed with two barramundi baitcaster outfits rigged with large minnow lures (130-150mm) in the hope that they may be mistaken by the Chinook for newly

released trout.

Within minutes of trolling the distinct drop-off along the north shore near ‘the cave’ I hooked up to a massive Chinook that leapt from the water and gave a couple of solid head shakes which, unfortunately dislodged the lure. Three other anglers trolling nearby all saw the fish as it broke the water’s surface tension on this still morning. To say I was disappointed would be a massive understatement because as that was my only good bite for that session. But now I know it works I will continue to work this somewhat over gunned method until I hopefully land one.

Bank anglers using worms, mudeye and PowerBait with orange colours featured are catching rainbows around

A Chinook salmon trying to impersonate a brown! Taken on a Damiki Saemi minnow with, you guessed it, a splash of orange.

1-2kg+ throughout the day.

Those flat line trolling or casting minnow lures around the lake’s fringes are having success on a given day.

Damiki Saemi’s and Pontoon 21 Greedy Guts, Cablistas and Crack Jack medium divers are attracting hits from Chinooks,

rainbows and the odd brown to 2kg+ on a given day. Like the PowerBait, orange seems to be the flavour of the moment for fish, so any lure sporting a splash of orange will do the job. As long as the rain keeps falling our local lakes can only keep improving.

Lake trout are a winter saviour in Melbourne MELBOURNE METRO

Dylan Brennan

Winter outdoors in Melbourne normally means grey skies coupled with a bitterly cold wind and possible rain – hardly conditions to drive even the most avid anglers to make an effort to catch some fish.

The saving grace, even in these conditions, is that there are normally fish to be caught within a very close proximity to most suburban estates.

Fisheries Victoria provide a good amount of rainbow trout for many lakes around Melbourne and regional areas throughout the state. These trout are advanced yearlings, and ready to be caught the moment they are released.

Fisheries have stocked

Rainbow trout such as this have been the feature around the suburban lakes over the last month. Photo courtesy of Morgan Taggert. these fish into many local lakes just prior to the June school holidays, which means there’s still a few to be caught. While these fish were

at their most aggressive just after being stocked, they are still the perfect ‘practice’ fish for all anglers, as they can be readily caught using all

methods, be it bait, lure or fly.

The most effective technique for catching these trout in local waterways such as Karkarook and Emerald

lakes recently has been a coarse fishing method, involving a long, light-tipped graphite rod and maggots for bait. Fishing maggots under a small float has been good, but fishing a ‘feeder’ cage rig filled with fine grit berley and a handful of maggots has been the game changer.

Once these rainbows are berleyed into an area, you can normally expect to catch a few of them, the only real trick is to make sure that you berley and cast back into the same area each time.

For the fly angler who has all but hung up the wand since the closing of the rivers, these rainbows can keep your eye in during ‘down time’.

Fishing the clearer lakes such as Emerald and Pakenham with a 3-6wt floating line set up and standard 9ft leader is ideal.

Choice of fly is an open

question, but generally a small Woolley Bugger or nymph can be very productive. All in all, when a lake full of ready to catch trout can only be as far away as your local supermarket it can make fishing through winter a bit more pleasant.

If you’re unsure of where your closest stocked suburban lake is, type the following link into your internet search bar: http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/ fisheries/recreational-fishing/ fish-stocking/school-holidaytrout-stocking • For up to date fishing information, contact the guys at Compleat Angler in Dandenong on 9794 9397 or drop in and see us at 241-243 Princes Hwy, Dandenong, we are open 7 days a week.

For our other latest fishing reports and to download information sheets, go to www fishingcamping.com.au AUGUST 2016

89

The big chill sets in BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

The Ballarat and district anglers are certainly a hardy mob when it comes to fishing during the winter months, especially this year as the Ballarat winter of old has returned with a vengeance.

Over the past week the barometer hasn’t risen over 5°C and snow has

as a fishery well worth keeping an eye on after the Reservoir fished brilliantly last year during the winter months, with some real trophy rainbow and brown trout. There have been a few anglers trying their luck over the past few months and not making the cut, but I think now that winter is really with us the results will start to turn in the angler’s favour.

The Maryborough

hardly any insect activity so their main diet becomes smelt small baitfish. The trout forage around and look for whatever food they can find. The salted whitebait has a scent that gets spread around by the water current that the trout can pick up the move in for a feed. This method is used widely when fishing for trout in our lakes during the winter months when other baits like mudeyes are hard to find.

Tullaroop will fire up over the next couple of months and lures are the go-to method to catch some of the brutes that lurk in the water. Make sure you have very strong trebles on your lures and that your line, whether you use braid or mono, is in good condition, as many fish were lost last year as a result of gear not being up to scratch.

Declan Downes nailed this lovely brown trout casting lures on Lake Wendouree. Photo courtesy of Kiel Jones LAKE WENDOUREE Lake Wendouree has seen anglers arriving in

Nathan Angee with his PB 6lb trout from Lake Wendouree caught casting an Ecogear Powershad soft Plastic. Photo courtesy of Nathan Angee fallen in and around the district. Only the very keen anglers embrace the conditions – those that fish rain, hail or snow or are just plain mad!

Anglers who brave the cold conditions have reaped the rewards with some excellent winter trout caught using fly, bait and lure.

TULLAROOP RESERVOIR I have mentioned Tullaroop Reservoir over the last few months

Angling Club recently held a competition at Tullaroop in icy conditions. John Rivett was one of a few diehards that fished the competition and scooped the pool landing the two heaviest fish – a magnificent trophy brown of 3.45kg as well as a lovely rainbow trout. Both of these fish were caught on salted whitebait fished on a running sinker rig. During the winter months the trout still feed and the food supply is a bit light on with

AUGUST 2016

the next couple of months will be a bit on the tough side, waters that I would certainly look to try are Newlyn Reservoir using baits, lures and flies.

Moorabool Reservoir is one waterway that is on my radar to fish well during the winter months – a bunch of worms is deadly at this time of the year. Anglers casting hardbodied lures or the good old wobblers result in excellent catches.

For the fly fishers I suggest smelt patterns and woolly buggers.

Stephen Angee with some pure Wendouree gold – a lovely rainbow trout caught on a Spawning Brown Bullet Lure.

Nathan Angee’s Lake Wendouree brown trout caught on an Ecogear Powershad soft plastic lure. Photo courtesy of Nathan Angee 90

and was released to fight another day.

Declan Downes also hit the waters of Wendouree and has caught some absolutely magnificent brown trout casting lures from a boat.

I have seen plenty of other anglers lining the shores of Wendouree over the past month, but I expect these numbers will fall now the real icy weather is here! The diehards that rug up for the cooler conditions will be rewarded for their efforts.

Fishing around the Ballarat and district over

numbers to try and catch one of the crackers that are swimming around. Guys and girls casting lures and plastics have made up for 95% of the catches. Father and son team Stephen and Nathan Angee have to be one of the best teams going.

Stephen usually fishes from a boat and Nathan fishes from the shore. Both have been getting into the trout over the past month.

Stephen usually likes to troll or cast lures out on Wendouree and his most successful lure of the month has been the Spawning Brown Bullet lure, while Nathan has caught some absolute crackers casting the Ecogear Powershad soft plastics. His best brown was approximately 6lb

John Rivett’s brown trout that was destined for the trophy cabinet came out of the Tullaroop Reservoir on salted whitebait. Photo courtesy of John Rivett

FIND THE

LOGO COMPETITION There are 15

MAJOR PRIZES

MONTHLY PRIZES

Logos hidden throughout the pages of Fishing Monthly.

1

PLACE

Logo and page number, fill in the entry form and go in the draw to win!

The first 40 correct entries drawn at the end of the month will win a packet of 2.5” Slim Swimz All entries will go into the major prize draw. (Drawn November 30, 2016)

2

3

4

5

VALUE OF TACKLE TACTICS PRODUCTS

500

$ ND

2

* Note winners receive one packet of 8 one colour

6

7

8

9

PLACE

VALUE OF TACKLE TACTICS PRODUCTS

200

$ RD

3

• PACKET OF ZMAN 2.5” SLIM SWIMZ • Value RRP: $9.95 each

www.tackletactics.com.au PAGE NO: 1

1000

$ ST

Find the

PLACE

10

11

12

VALUE OF TACKLE TACTICS PRODUCTS

13

14

15

NAME ............................................................................................................

MAIL ENTRIES TO:

V&TFM Find the Zman Logo Competition, PO BOX 3172, Loganholme QLD 4129 Entries must be received by 31ST AUGUST 2016 Original entries only. No photocopies.

Images for illustration purposes only.

SUBURB .................................................................P/CODE ...........................

PHONE ..................................................................MOB ...............................

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ADDRESS .......................................................................................................

AUGUST 2016

91

Crompton’s crab comeback CE 1ST PLA Mark Crompton is making a habit of winning on the Costa BREAM Series. The Wilton based BREAMer has claimed victory at the Atomic-presented Forster BREAM Qualifier. The victory marked his third in the space of 18 months, and has dominantly stamped his name into the ABT record books.

Crompton is known on the BREAM Series as being one of the most prepared anglers, often going over and above… the rest of the field. Crompton began his pre-fish driving through the system, looking at the racks he knew from previous trips to the arena. He used the lower tide to look around, and identify areas that had each type of oyster lease: trays, baskets and racks. Initially, Crompton retrieved hardbodies parallel to the leases but found that approach didn’t convert any of the fish he found.

Confident he could figure out a way to get the fish in the racks to commit, Crompton elected to leave the leases, and head to the lake. Spending a few hours fishing the expansive flats of Wallis Lake, Crompton quickly worked out that the slightly deeper 8ft areas were more productive. Once the tide changed in the afternoon, Crompton committed to the oyster leases, with a plan to try and visually see fish in the cleaner water of the run-in tide, relying on his ability to get them to bite if he knew where they were.

Crompton opted to start on a set of floating

THE FUTURE IS HERE Self-contained Electric Outboards

R

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

92

AUGUST 2016

baskets early on the first tournament day, but was unsuccessful in converting any bites. Choosing to head to the flats of Wallis Lake, Crompton targeted the deeper areas he’d identified during pre-fish. This again proved unsuccessful, with only one undersize bream hitting the deck.

With nothing in the well at 11am on Day 1, it wasn’t

trays and the fish would grab it as it drifted underneath.”

The period from 11am until the session ended at 2pm continued to get better and better for Crompton, as he amassed a 5/5, 3.38kg limit.

With the slow start to Day 1 firmly on his mind, Crompton opted to change tactics on Day 2 and start his day on the flats in Wallis Lake.

This time, the lake was kind.

Mark Crompton was all smiles with his win at Forster. the start that Crompton was hoping for, but he wasn’t overly surprised.

“You really only had two opportunities to get a lot of bites at Forster,” explained Crompton. “The first hour of the morning when all the spots were rested, and the last hour or so when the tide changed.” With this in mind, Crompton went to his confidence spot, a set of trays on the edge of a deeper 11ft channel, with washboards on the outside. It was here where Crompton began putting his winning tournament together.

Pitching Cranka Crabs over the washboard and onto the tray, before quickly dragging the lure to the edge before it snagged.

“I had to be on my game, as I stopped the crab it would almost drift backwards underneath the

Crompton caught two quality keepers and one smaller legal by the time he looked to head to the fruitful oyster trays. His technique on the flats was one he’d used many times before, alternating between a ZMan GrubZ, Juro Firebait and a Jackall Chubby.

“I was so eager to get to the racks I actually left the lake a little early, my racks hadn’t gotten the change of tide yet so I ended up back in the lake.” The change yielded another quality keeper for Crompton and now the time and tide was right for him to launch his charge for the victory in the oyster leases of Forster.

The last few hours saw Crompton fill his bag, and upgrade three times. His non-boating partner and event runner-up Shaun Egan also caught a few good keepers

using the same technique with the Cranka Crab. Crompton believed he had enough to ensure a quality finish, but never thought he had enough to take victory.

“My fish on Day 2 were actually shorter than on Day 1, so I thought I might have had maybe 3.2kg, I was blown away when the scales tipped 3.5.”

Crompton put this extra weight down to the inclusion of a number of fish from Wallis Lake in his day 2 bag, believing the fish from the lake weighed heavier than the fish from the oyster leases.

“The fish in the lake were heavier, but were hard to come by, I could catch numbers in the racks on the change of tide.”

Crompton sought advice from Forster and rack-fishing expert Kris Hickson before the event on what equipment to use, and it was his newly purchased outfits that did the damage over the weekend.

A Daiwa Generation Black Swamp Donkey, paired with a Daiwa Freams 2500 was Crompton’s outfit of choice, spooled with 8lb Daiwa J-Braid and a 10lb Sunline FC Rock fluorocarbon leader.

“It was really white knuckle fishing, with no time for nets. Just pull them out from the tray and swing them over the washboard,” said Crompton. “At one stage I had one coming in so fast I had to move like a slips fielder to catch it in mid-air before it flew over the boat.”

Crompton took home $2500 for the event victory, and has cemented his position as one of Australia’s best BREAM angler. The 2016 Costa BREAM Grand Final is on his home waterway of St Georges Basin, and he’s definitely one to watch when the big show hits the water in early December.

Babekuhl runs and guns for second spot CE 2ND PLA Russell Babekuhl is always a favourite going into any event at Forster, and he again proved why he is one of the best when it comes to extracting fish from oyster leases. His 10/10, 6.81kg limit looked to be safe for the victory until Crompton’s bag exceeded expectations.

Babekuhl went into the event knowing the majority of the session would be a struggle.

“I knew I’d get the majority of my bites in the last two hours of the session.”

Babekuhl chose to

start both tournament days fishing the washboards of the paddock, and managed to get an early keeper before the heavy fishing pressure shut down the bite at the front of the system. His game plan from here was running and gunning, as he targeted the outside poles of oyster leases everywhere from the paddock, to the top of Wallis Island and across to the Wallamba River.

“I found most of the fish this weekend holding on the outside poles of the racks, rather than the racks themselves, so I focused on these all weekend and didn’t waste too much time fishing the actual racks.” The key to Babekuhl’s pattern was his intricate knowledge of the waterway, identifying areas that were too shallow for most competitors to bother

looking at. Babekuhl knew these areas would get neglected, and that they would offer him a well rested area once the tide had risen enough to be able to access the area.

“I purposefully saved 2-3 shallow weedy areas that had scattered poles.

These poles were only deep enough in the last hour of each session and I knew that no one else would bother looking at them,” said Babekuhl.

On Saturday, these areas produced three fish over the magic 30cm mark, and a 33cm along with a 37cm kicker on Sunday. On Sunday, Babekuhl added another piece of knowledge to his pattern, identifying where the shags or other birds gathered on top of the poles, was where the fishing heated up.

Russell Babekuhl was as consistent as ever at Forster, claiming another podium finish.

Babekuhl keeps it fairly simple when fishing the racks of Forster, opting for

Walker repeats outstanding win -BOATER 1ST NON Stuart Walker is making a habit of winning ABT events from the back of the boat. With 2 victories already in 2016, Stuart Walker is making a charge at the Power-Pole AOY, attempting to run down Grayson Fong who currently leads the race.

Walker’s 9/10, 5.69kg limit was more than enough to edge out last year’s Grand Final champion Shaun Egan. wWalker started his weekend pre-fishing with Grant Kime, where he quickly found his go-to bait for the weekend, the ever faithful ZMan GrubZ 2.5” in Motor Oil. “I tried probably eight or so different lures out on the flats of Wallis Lake, but the ZMan GrubZ definitely got the most attention of anything I tied on,” said Walker. Day 1 saw Walker paired with Mark Brown,

and again he targeted the flats of the lake.

“We’d start a drift in around 15ft of water, and drift up the gradual rise until the boat was in 4ft,” explained Walker. The bottom composition was one of mixed weed and sand, with fish sporadically moving through the area.

“I’d cast out the ZMan GrubZ and allow it to hit the bottom, then it was a matter of slowly hopping the bait off the bottom, working the lure through the weed patches waiting for the bite.” His Day 1 bag of 3.27kg was one of only two 3kg bags in the non-boater division, and put him in the hot seat heading into Day 2.

Sunday had Walker paired with Tim Vickers, and the plan was for much of the same from Day 1.

Although they had a brief stop in the paddock to start the session, the bulk of their day was spent on Wallis Lake.

“I actually had the four fish I weighed in on Sunday by 10:30, it was a real grind after that and I think the fishing pressure had gotten

to the fish in the lake, we pushed it to the last minute and Tim was rewarded with a nice fish off a rack pole with only a couple of

this position, including his workplace, Construction Control, Otto’s TW, Kris Hickson from Manning River Marine, his lovely

Atomic

bait on a 3-6kg Abu Salty Stage rod, paired with an Abu MGX spin reel in a 30 size. Babekuhl’s line choices altered throughout the weekend, though his mainline always remained as 8lb Berkley Nanofil.

“I started each day with 10lb leader, but ended each day using 6lb and even 4lb leaders to get fish to bite, it was uncharacteristically tough for Forster, and the lighter leaders helped me get more bites.”

Although Babekuhl doesn’t fish as many tournaments as he has in previous years, he’s still one of Australia’s best and he’s got the fire in the belly to hold a winner’s cheque above his ahead again soon.

WINNING NOTES

Winning Tackle

Rod: Daiwa Generation Black ‘Swamp Donkey’ Line: Daiwa J-Braid 8lb Leader: Sunline FC Rock 10lb Reel: Daiwa Freams 2500 Lure: Cranka Crab (Heavy) any colour

Winning Edge

Crompton put his victory down to having faith that the incoming tide would bring with it more obliging bream. “It was the last hour of both sessions that made this tournament for me, I was lucky to get a few key fish in the lake early on Day 2, so I wasn’t under pressure to catch five giants from the trays.”

OSP Rookie Award

ABT newcomer Isaac Golby claimed the OSP Rookie Award, courtesy of FishTec Solutions. Anglers are eligible for the award when they fish their first season of ABT competition, and are rewarded with a generous prize pack worth $160 of top quality OSP product. Golby’s 8/10, 3.99kg limit was enough to also garner him 4th place in the event, banking a pack full of valuable prizes.

Stuart Walker with a pair of bream from his non-boater winning bag. minutes to go.”

Walker favoured a newly purchased Daiwa Silverwolf outfit, spooled with Daiwa Evo8 braid and 4lb Sunline Bream Special fluorocarbon leader.

Full of praise, Walker was quick to thank everyone that had helped him get to

Austackle Big Bream

partner Mel and the generous sponsorship of Atomic and Frogley’s Offshore as the event naming sponsor.

With two wins to his name in this year’s Costa BREAM Series, Walker is a red-hot favourite for the Power-Pole AOY and the Grand Final come December.

TOP 10 BOATERS

The Austackle Big Bream was actually shared during the Atomic Forster BREAM Qualifier. Paul Mazarolli and Jason Harlock both caught 1.24kg kicker fish. They shared the $500 Austackle cheque and both took home an assortment of sponsor product.

Forster is known for big bream, and there were numerous specimens over a kilo weighed throughout the two-day event.

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

Place Angler

Total Fish

Weight (Kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 9/10 8/10 10/10

6.88 6.81 6.49 6.36 6.03 5.45 5.19 4.99 4.91 4.85

Mark CROMPTON Russell BABEKUHL Mark HEALEY Kristoffer HICKSON Grant MANUSU Shayne GILLETT Brian EVERINGHAM Tim VICKERS Ross CANNIZZARO Daniel BROWN

a 2” Gulp Crabby in camo rigged on a 1/40oz #4 Nitro jighead. He delivered the

BREAM Presente SERIES d by

Payout

2500 1150 + 1st MB (250) 1000 800 + 2nd MB (150) 650 + YB (300) 550 500 + 3rd MB (100) 450 400

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

Place Angler

Total Fish

Weight (Kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

9/10 8/10 6/10 8/10 7/10 6/10 6/10 6/10 4/10 5/10

5.69 4.98 4.24 3.99 3.82 3.69 3.19 3.01 2.90 2.75

Stuart WALKER Shaun EGAN Paul MAZAROLI Isaac GOLBY Simon JOHNSON Shaun CHAPMAN Rebecca FAZIO Russell WINTERS Andrew HARTCHER Jonathan THOMPSON

Payout Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

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

93

Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic at Hume The Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic, Lake Hume is on 22 and 23 October this year. This year’s major prize is a Quintrex boat with Mercury outboard all on a trailer; along with over $50,000 in prizes the competition is growing.

All competitors who enter the Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic at Lake Hume will go into the draw for the boat. With over 400 contestants entered last year, and over 220 golden perch, 40 redfin and 20 trout

The junior division will be hotly contested this year.

presented for weighing, the event is growing rapidly and is fast becoming a premier event for golden perch with goldens reaching in excess of 64cm being landed.

Held on the picturesque Lake Hume, the event is open to all ages, and both lure and bait fishing is allowed. The centre for all non-fishing activities is the Lake Hume Tourist Park. The boundaries for the event are the confines of Lake Hume from the Wymah Ferry on the Murray arm and Tallangatta on the Mitta Arm. There are four categories for fish, which include golden perch, catch and release only, trout, redfin and carp. There are four categories for anglers, which

are adults, and juniors, both male and female. Champion team will go to the greatest number of fish caught by up to four members of a team over the two days. Carp do not count towards the champion team.

The Austackle champion angler is open to all anglers and based on the number of golden perch caught over the two days by an individual angler. Pre-Entry for the 2016 classic is $65 for adults and $30 for juniors. Entry on the day is $70 for seniors. To be a junior you must be under 15 on the 22 Oct 2016. Entry includes a meal on Saturday night and a sausage sizzle on the Sunday at presentation.

– Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic

As well as being a fishing competition, it’s also a great meet and greet event.

Shane Hawley with a nice albacore tuna caught in waters off Eaglehawk Neck in southern Tasmania.

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AUGUST 2016

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2016 AUGUST

Aug 20-21

ABT BREAM Qualifier #7 Clarence River

www.abt.org.au

Aug 24-25

ABT BREAM Qualifier #8 Gold Coast

www.abt.org.au

Aug 27-28

Rnd 12 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Wallis Lake

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Sept 10-11

Rnd 13 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Nelson

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Sept 17

Rnd 6 Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series Cairn Curran

David Nelson 0418 378 944 roundy@cvlcss.com

Oct 8-9

Rnd 5 Glenelg River Bream Classic Nelson

Bill Hartshorne 0409 823 070 www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

Oct 8-9

Rnd 14 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Bribie Island

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Oct 15

Rnd 7 Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series Eppalock Holiday Park

David Nelson 0418 378 944 roundy@cvlcss.com

Oct 22-23

2016 Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic Lake Hume

Adrian Kent 0490 049 111

Oct 28-29

Tea Tree Snapper Fishing Competition Mornington Peninsula

teatreecontact@spac.net.au www.spac.net.au

Hobie Kayak BREAM Aus Championship Queensland

www.hobiefishing.com.au

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

Oct 28-30

For listings please email jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au

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With nine sizes in the range from 4.3 metres through 5.7 metres there are plenty of options to suit your needs.

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BRAESIDE JV Marine World 878 Springvale Rd, Braeside Vic p 03·9798 8883 www.jvmarine.com.au

LAVERTON NORTH JV Marine World 15 Fitzgerald Rd, Laverton North VIC p 03·9368 7100 www.jvmarine.com.au

BAYSWATER Streaker Marine 461 Mountain Hwy, Bayswater Vic p 03·9729 8288 www.streakermarine.com.au

MILDURA Sunraysia Marine

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Will you make The Cut in your yak?

MELBOURNE

Corey Gallagher

‘The Cut’ is an artificial channel that was constructed way back in the 1930s to allow safe passage for boating traffic between Port Phillip Bay into Swan Bay. Located in the historical town of

Currently The Borough of Queenscliff charges a $10 parking fee that applies to all cars parking within the facility. Alternatively, and my preferred kayak launch option, is to use the remnants of Cayzer’s Slipway located on Fishermans Wharf at the northern end of Beach Street.

The old slipway isn’t perfect, it can be quite muddy and

throughout the year. Although silvers can be caught all year round it is during the summer months that the bigger units make an appearance. I have caught fish to 50cm+; specimens at 60cm+ are not unheard of.

Snapper enter the Queenscliff Harbour during their annual spring spawning run into Port Phillip Bay.

for catching a tasty feed within the confines of The Cut are high. Mullet, tommy rough and the occasional big bream are also viable options.

One of the keys to success when fishing The Cut is to make sure you’re on the water at the right time. The tide movement through The Cut is significant to say the least and planning your time on the water to coincide with the period of slack water at the turn of the tide is crucial.

Launch your kayak during the last few hours of the run-in tide then fish the period of slack water followed by the first hour or so of the run-out. Slack water in The Cut occurs two and a half to three hours after the tide change at Port Phillip Heads.

With the tides sorted the next issue to address is where to fish. The most productive areas are generally where the water creates eddies.

Eddies disorient the baitfish

The remnants of Cayzer’s Slipway, an ideal launch option for kayaks. a great place to target fish holding in structure.

Without a shadow of doubt the most productive method when fishing The Cut, particularly when targeting silver trevally, is to cast and retrieve curl-tail pattern soft plastics. Due to the significant flow, jigheads in the 1/12oz to 1/6oz range are required. Plastics can also get results when flicked in tight against boat hulls and pylons. Crab pattern hardbodies can score a reward

and are well worth throwing.

It always pays to have a rod rigged with a squid jig on board as squid often follow your plastic back to the yak.

There are a few safety concerns that kayak anglers need to be mindful of when fishing The Cut. The first of these are the strong currents that flow through the cut between the two bays. When fishing the area I rarely enter The Cut itself, preferring to spend my time in the more open water at the western end of the channel where the flow slows considerably.

The harbour itself is also busy with recreational and commercial boat traffic, so ensure you are highly visible. As always ensure that you are wearing your PFD and have a bailer on board as required by Victorian law.

The Cut is the perfect location for kayak anglers looking to fish a small area of water, well protected from the elements. This combined with the plethora of species on offer have it up there as one of my favourite spots to launch my yak.

The Cut – an artificial channel constructed in the 1930s.

Queenscliff on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula, The Cut has been expanded over the decades to now include a large marina, boat ramp and extensive wharfs.

The combination of an abundance of artificial structure and strong currents has created an excellent fishery with predatory fish following large schools of baitfish and using The Cut to move in and out of Swan Bay. The Cut offers kayak anglers a plethora of target species catchable within a very short distance of the launch site, no long paddle required!

There are a few different launch options to fish The Cut, the most obvious being Queenscliff boat ramp located at the northern end of Hesse Street. The facilities at the ramp are excellent and include an amenities block with showers, duel concrete ramps with floating pontoons, large car park and wash down facilities.

often holds a thick layer of weed, however, if you’re launching over the high tide it is definitely a viable option with the added benefit of saving you some hard earned – just remember to bring waders as you will need to pull your yak out over the weed to the deeper water. It is worth noting that there are currently plans to redevelop this area, therefore launching from Cayzer’s Slipway may not remain an option into the future.

For kayak anglers the appeal of fishing Queenscliff Cut is definitely due to the large variety of species on offer in a small, confined and sheltered area perfect for small craft. Throughout the year a variety of species move in and out of the area, which means there is almost always something on the chew.

Sport anglers are drawn to the area to take on the hard fighting silver trevally that enter the area regularly

With fish up to 2kg and the occasional larger fish on offer, they are well worth targeting. Australian salmon are caught consistently in the area and although generally small the occasional school of larger salmon will push into The Cut chasing baitfish.

Squid are another species to add to the increasing list available and alongside King George whiting the options

Curl-tail soft plastics are extremely productive and can account for a range of species.

UPCOMING ROUNDS ROUND 6:

Location: Cairn Curran

SEPTEMBER 17

Trevally, snapper and bream can often be found holding amongst the boat hulls, moorings and pylons.

ROUND 7:

so the larger predators will frequently be found in these areas picking off bait that stray from the pack. The deep hole located at the western end of The Cut where the channel opens up is a prime location, a large eddy forms here on the run-in tide making it the perfect ambush spot for predatory fish looking for a feed. The abundance of artificial structure is also well worth casting at, trevally, snapper and bream can often be found holding among the boat hulls, moorings and pylons in the area, and the yacht club is

ROUND 8:

Hard fighting silver trevally enter the area regularly throughout the year.

Location: Lake Eppalock

OCTOBER 15

Location: Lake Eildon

NOVEMBER 19 & 20

2016 Super Series

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Fishing

For more information contact

David Nelson 0418 378 944

roundy@cvlcss.com – www.cvlcss.com AUGUST 2016

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Trolling from the yak BRISBANE

Justin Wilmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

About 30 years ago, when I was a young tackle rat, as opposed to the older tackle rat I am these days, I picked up three cheap hardbodied lures from the boat show and loaded them into my tackle box ready for a weekend away with the family.

fitted with two trebles. We hatched a plan to troll them from his little tinnie on our Alvey reels and mono line, targeting areas where we had caught flathead previously.

The rest is history… we caught a bunch of flathead to about 65cm in length and were damned to a life of being obsessed with shiny lures, how they swim and what they catch.

We also learnt a valuable lesson about buying quality

one of those hookless lures somewhere in my shed, a souvenir of a life changing experience for a couple of young anglers.

This experience led to many years of kayak and canoe trolling for species such as bass, golden perch and cod in the fresh, to tailor, barra, flathead and a range of pelagic species in the salt.

One of the most memorable captures being a 71cm grunter landed by a mate in a small

Ronny working a weed edge and drop off.

Trolling a drop off with the rod secured in the Railblaza rod holder.

Arriving at our holiday destination, I showed my mate the treasure in my tackle boss; 10cm long minnows, silver in colour, one with red on top, another blue and the last black, each

lures as one-byone, the hook attachment points were ripped from the lures by the mouths of hungry flathead, and we’d call it a day with only one hook remaining on the last lure. I still have

A lure retriever pole is an option for those trolling in shallow water.

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Brisbane creek when it hit a small hard body lure trolled behind the canoe. The fish ran a few metres back into the mangroves, braid rubbing as it went and after some fancy rod work and canoe manoeuvring, we were both shocked at what surfaced beside the canoe. We still talk about this freak capture and with no camera on board, we made the call to take it home to get a couple of photos and it didn’t go to waste, baked whole in the Weber.

Anyway, excuse my reminiscing, let’s get back on track. Trolling hardbodies has produced fish for many years and proven deadly on species such as barra, bass, flathead, cod, mackerel, tuna and many more, with many surprise techniques springing up in recent years, such as trolling for snapper.

Trolling a lure behind the kayak, that is designed to represent a baitfish, produces a stack of surprises though and we have often landed up to eleven different species in a session. Whether it’s trolling to and from your fishing destination, trolling to locate schooled fish and then switching to soft plastics or another technique, or a dedicated lure trolling session, there are a few things you need to consider.

ROD HOLDERS When trolling short distances to your fishing

spot in a pedal kayak, you may prefer to hold onto the rod and work the lure by pushing the rod tip forward and then allowing the rod to drop back to perpendicular with the kayak. For longer trolling sessions though, and for paddle kayakers, a rod holder is the preferred option. Many kayaks have rod holders behind the paddler, however these are not really suitable for trolling as the rod tip is high above the water, reducing the lures diving depth and also the anglers ability to see the rod tip moving to ensure the lure is swimming correctly and monitor strikes.

Mounting an adjustable rod holder on the side deck of the kayak, in front of you, allows you to monitor the action of the lure, removing weed or quickly sorting the lure if it fouls and accessing the rod easily if you hook a fish or snag. Installing a rod holder mount on the kayak allows you to switch the rod from one side to another to fish particular structure. If

A net and lip grips help you avoid those trebles.

An adjustable rod holder – a safe and secure way to house your rod when trolling.

you are only mounting a rod holder on one side of the kayak, consider which hand will be working the rudder if using a pedal kayak.

I have witnessed a few epic fails when setting up rod holders on kayaks, so before you drill a hole to mount a rod holder, ensure that you get out on the water and make note of where your paddle or pedals track when propelling the kayak. There’s no point mounting the rod holder, only to find your feet crashing into the rod butt or your paddle stroke shortened and awkward because you haven’t mounted the rod holder far enough forward.

LURES Lures vary greatly in terms of size, colour, diving depth and profile. The old saying ‘match the hatch’ rings true and it’s worth carrying a selection of lures that match the baitfish found in the area that you’re fishing. Many lure manufacturers have made lure selection easier by noting the diving depth of the lure on the packaging.

Consider the species you’re

on a handline with enough venetian blind cord to reach the snagged lure. The lure retriever is slid down your line and either the weight shunts the lure off the snag, the wire mechanism or chain grabs the trebles on the lure, or you now have the strength of the venetian blind cord to lift the old crab pot, log or other structure… sometimes

with a fish still attached! For those fishing shallow water, a lure retrieval pole is an option and can be strapped to the side of the kayak when not in use.

ACCESSORIES I’m still a massive fan of soft plastics, because of the ease of landing and handling fish, with only a single hook point to avoid.

Even small flathead smack the author’s go-to Bagley Rumble B 09. be afraid to swim a lure that is designed to run a little deeper when kayak trolling.

You can also regulate the depth and, to a degree,

through a sandy section or other snag free area and you can experiment with speed and the amount of line you have out to work out the

Tracking back over the top of the lure in the opposite direction to your troll, will see many lures pop free from the snag. If the lure is still snagged, you can try loading the rod up, grabbing the line above the reel and pulling it sideways to add more pressure and then releasing the line as you drop the rod tip, effectively shocking or sling shotting the lure backward off the snag.

If all else fails, it’s out with the lure retriever, such as a Tackleback, rigged

A pan-size flathead destined for the dinner table.

Flashback to a surprise trolling capture from over 15 years ago – 71cm of grunter from a small Brisbane creek.

Ensure rod holders don’t interfere with your paddle or pedal stroke. targeting and depth of water you’re fishing and then select a few appropriate lures, remembering that when trolling from the kayak the lures may not dive as deep as when trolling at faster speeds from a boat. Don’t

the action of the lure by varying the distance that you troll it behind the kayak and you will soon get a feel for how much line to let out when trolling different lures.

If you have a sounder on your kayak, troll your lures

approximate diving depth range of your lures. This understanding allows you to more effectively drive your lures in and around structure.

A loop knot or snap clip is often the preferred option for attaching a hardbodied lure, as it allows the lure to swim more freely, maximising the swimming action of the lure.

Anglers often have their favourite colour lure, but it’s worth having a few different colours in the kit and I will swim a natural colour in clear water and on bright days, switching to a darker colour, a lure with a bit of gold in it or with contrasting bars on the sides in dirty water, and if all else fails a lure with some fluoro pink or chartreuse in it will often switch on a bite.

LURE RETRIEVERS It is almost inevitable that you will find yourself snagged at some point.

A few of the author’s favourite colours for flathead trolling.

Holding the rod in your hand while trolling is an option for pedal kayakers.

When trolling hardbodies, you need to respect those two or three trebles, ensuring that you are carrying a net, preferably one that is hook and fish friendly, a set of lip grips to secure the fish, avoiding damage to it and yourself, and finally a set of pliers to make treble removal quick, easy and safer.

Whether you are wishing to make your paddling time to your favourite fishing spots more productive, cover ground and find the schools, or get active and hunt a few fish, trolling from the kayak can be a fun and effective technique that produces a wide range of fish species.

See you on the water…

AUGUST 2016

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Product Profile

All new Lowrance/Simrad Structure Scan 3D SOUTHERN BAY

Nabeel Issa

It seems that almost yearly there are new advances in sonar technology.

back one step. If you have any experience with fish finders over the past few years, you will have heard about or used or even owned a sounder with Side Scan capabilities. That is,

the front and side views and 3D perspectives that you can fully understand and appreciate what it is you are looking at.

This is where structure scan 3D comes into its

The new Structure Scan 3D Module and the new Transducer.

Both similar to their predecessors. The new transducer is slightly deeper to include for the additional elements.

For long periods, small changes were the norm with nothing out of the ordinary coming out, that is to say, nothing mindblowing. Now we are lucky enough to get to see exciting new products almost yearly!

Much like how smart phones develop, so is our fish finding technology!

Some may call it an unfair advantage, but I think any advantage we can get over the fish is worth using. I enjoy catching fish! Having said that, this review is on a product that Navico (the parent company of Lowrance and Simrad) have recently launched – Structure Scan 3D. WHAT EXACTLY IS IT? So what do they mean by 3D? Well, firstly let’s go

a sounder that can scan either side of the boat, not just directly underneath.

These images appear flat as they are basically a floor plan view. There are cues you can use to gauge the depths and heights of objects, but for the most part, gaining information on the height of an object in the water column was achieved by going directly above.

Structure Scan 3D now adds the height aspect of what we see on Side Scan to help anglers better understand what is going on beneath us. As an example that I can easily relate to, as an architect, looking at floor plans of a house can only give you so much information. It is only once you read the floor plan in conjunction with

We can see the boat in the middle of the screen, this represents where we are. The cone is covering a large area to the left and right of the boat, this represents what we are scanning.

You can see the contoured ‘jagged’ nature of the bottom and where it meets with the flat ground.

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A typical Side Scan image showing the left and right hand side of our boat. In this image we can see a boat wreck on the left hand side.

own. Anglers often struggle to grasp how to read the Side Scan images, as it can be tricky to understand the concept from just one image. The new 3D now makes things a little easier by putting the seabed and the boat into perspective, basically adding an extra view to help us understand.

As we drive around, we are given a 3D view of what is underneath and to the side of the boat. Any objects that protrude from the bottom will be easily detected. This is great for sounding reef or bommies.

Fish are also shown on 3D as small dots in the water column. We can now see how far away from the boat they are and in what depth of water they are sitting. These fish can be easily marked by touching the screen and creating a new waypoint.

SHOTS IN ACTION To give you a bit of an idea, below are a few screen shots with some explanations of what you are looking at. These were taken on the Gold Coast.

Below is a typical image that Structure Scan 3D will display. The orange cone also known as the ‘Leading Edge’ shows the area that is currently being scanned.

We can also see that any current waypoints we have will show up as we drive through the area.

This is handy when you have marked a school of fish and are positioning the boat to anchor or drift through the school.

The next image was taken at the same time, although this time the screen was panned to change the direction of the view. We are able to move

180° around the boat to view from different angles.

The last image shows a view from behind the boat, on the left hand side we can see the structure coming up. This was actually a rocky reef that met with a sand edge. You can see the contoured ‘jagged’ nature of the bottom and where it meets with the flat ground.

INSTALL AND COMPATIBILITY The Structure Scan 3D is an addition to Lowrance HDS Gen3 and Simrad NSS Evo 2 models. It comprises of a Sonar Module and a new Transducer. This new transducer now has 7 elements as opposed to 3 in previous models. These now allow for greater coverage and clarity.

Side Scan is now greatly enhanced, with the ability to scan more than double the area that we were previously able to.

The installation process is simple, fit the Lss3 (3D) transducer and plug it straight into the Sonar Module. The sonar module then connects to your HDS or Simrad unit. The sonar module will need to be powered and wired up to a power source.

It will be very interesting to see how anglers use this new technology to help them locate and catch more fish.

For me, the enhanced Side Scan coverage and clarity is just mind-blowing. That in itself has made the upgrade worthwhile! It is only very new tech, and in it’s early days, so I’m sure there is still plenty to learn, it is definitely a handy tool to add to the arsenal and I’m looking forward to playing with it more.

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Product Profile

Deeper Pro+ Fish Finder review WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

Not since Jesus played full back for Jerusalem has the fishing industry seen such an exciting new piece of gadgetry as the Deeper Fish Finder, or the Deeper smart sonar.

Let’s go back to the start of my Deeper experience.

Earlier this year I was contacted by a man with a very long name, so I replied back to him and asked whereabouts he lived, and his reply was Lithuania.

There really is a first time for everything!

Anyhow, this gentleman had told me about an exciting product that he had, which was a compact fish finder that fits in the palm of your hand, can be cast out onto the water and sends a WIFI signal back to your smart phone or other smart device. He told me he liked the presence that I had in the fishing industry and asked me if I would be interested in using one, and field testing it here in Australia.

Now, like a lot of fishing journalists, I get offers for different things from time to time and have learnt to keep my wits about me over the years. So rather than pounce on a new free toy, I sat on the decision for a few days while I made up my mind.

I had a look at the Deeper Facebook page and saw that this device is very popular overseas, particularly in the USA and Britain, but also in many more countries.

Based on the fact that it is such a popular device, I decided on entering into a contract with Deeper to become an Australian Ambassador for their Deeper Smart Sonar devices.

But, it was a two way contract, I had my terms and conditions to add. I told Deeper that if I did not think it was a decent product, I wanted to be able to send it back without telling anybody about it, as I have worked hard for around 10 years building up my profile in the fishing industry and did not want to give that all away by promoting a cheaply made

• Ideal for bank fishers • Extremely compact, lightweight and versatile • Quality – this unit is built to last.

• Bathymetric mapping • Does not require a phone or internet connection to operate, and uses no internet data The deeper unit is not heavy to carry around, but is heavier than most large fishing lures, so you will probably need a heavy rod to cast it properly. I use mine with a 6-10kg baitcaster rod. (NS ONES). If you are bank fishing, and do not own a heavy rod, you can open the bail up on your spinning reel and throw the deeper unit like a tennis ball. ALWAYS use a clip or swivel of some kind and do not tie the line straight to the tow point on the deeper.

When putting the cover on, it is important to ensure that the words ‘water’ and ‘proof’ line up nicely, as indicated in this photo to ensure maximum waterproofness.

AUGUST 2016

Deeper unit, this flashing light is not visible, but you can purchase a night cap for the Deeper unit. The cap is fluorescent orange and transparent, and while the unit is on the flashing red light is quite visible at night time.

On your smart device, you will have the Deeper app (a free app and is available from the Play Store and App Store). You click on the app to open your fish finder display.

To connect the Deeper unit to the smart phone via

The Deeper unit sealed and ready to use is not much bigger than a large bubble float.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DEEPER UNIT

This photo shows the small WIFI transmitting aerial, the micro USB port used to recharge the device and the tiny flashing light that looks like a black line on the unit.

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imported gadget. I also told them that I wanted to be able to use it at my leisure, not theirs. In other words, if I needed to use a fish finder, I would use the Deeper, but if I’m in a waterway where I do not need to use a fish finder, then I will not be using it just for the sake of exposing their product.

Deeper were more than happy with my terms and conditions and pretty soon my new toy was in the post!

On 1 June my parcel arrived, my new Deeper unit.

Excitedly I opened the box for a look. The first thing that jumped out at me was the quality. It is European made to European standards. This unit is extremely strong and robust. I knew straight away that there was not going to be any quality issues.

HOW DOES DEEPER WORK? Basically, Deeper is no different than any other conventional fish finder.

Most fish finders are mounted to a boat with a transducer underneath. The transducer does all of the work (sonar, temperature, speed etc.) and then sends the information back to the display unit in your boat.

With the Deeper, the small hand held ball is the transducer. Instead of being mounted on to your boat, it can be tied to a fishing line and cast out into the water from the bank, or even lowered from a bridge.

Then, instead of sending the signal back to your display screen via a cable, it sends it back to your smart phone or other smart device via a WIFI connection.

The Deeper unit does not display the speed, but this is more than compensated for by the inclusion of a GPS, built into the tiny Deeper unit, which can not only flag submerged areas which you like such as snag piles and drop offs as way points, but can also be used to create bathymetric maps, which I will explain in more detail a little further on.

The unit also has a tiny little flashing light. When you have the black cover on, which comes with the

In still water the Deeper unit can be cast out and allowed to sit stationary, keeping an eye on what is underneath. The moment a fish swims under the unit the Deeper app sounds an alarm and a fish icon shows up on the screen (If you have the fish icons turned on) to indicate the depth of the fish. the WIFI, all you need to do is turn the Deeper unit on. This is simple… just sit it in the water. The Deeper unit is water activated, and has a red flashing LED light that comes on as soon as it gets wet.

As soon as it is on it will send out a WIFI signal which your smart phone or device will detect. The WIFI on your smart will turn on automatically if it is switched off.

If you have the app open when you put the Deeper unit in the water, it will connect automatically and usually takes between 1-15 seconds.

If you put the deeper unit into the water first, and then open the app, you may have to push the ‘connect’ button on the screen. It’s very easy to connect.

The moment you have the connection, your app will look like a fish finder, displaying the information that it is detecting. Depth, structure, fish, water temperature etc.

That is the basics, you are now using your Deeper fish finder to show you where the structure is, the drop offs, the likely looking fish holding places, the fish themselves and the water temperature. And, you are

doing it all from the comfort of your favourite deck chair without a life jacket on and with a cold beverage of your choice. Awesome!

Now let’s step away from the basic uses and focus on the more in depth functions.

Possibly the most exciting function on my Deeper unit is the bathymetric mapping function. Please be advised that the Bathymetric mapping function is only available on the Deepr Pro+ model.

A bathymetric map is the same thing as a contour map, but it is underwater.

A standard contour map

the Deeper unit, and follows it, recording the depth and automatically creating the map on your Deeper app as you go. While it is doing this, it is still showing you the soundings as it would any other time. The app splits the screen in half, creating the bathymetric map on the left hand side of the screen and displaying your sonar image on the right hand side.

As with any sonar use of the Deeper app, the bathymetric map is automatically saved to your Deeper app for later use.

You can lay in bed at the end of the day and review

CHARGING Once fully charged, the Deeper unit will last for around four hours of continual use before requiring a recharge. It recharges via a micro USB port, and can be charged from your car cigarette lighter, laptop USB, wall socket or even a portable power pack. displays contours to show hills, steep terrain, etc. and a bathymetric map works exactly the same way, but under water. The closer the contours are together the steeper the bank is, or the drop off is. This bathymetric map is created with the use of the GPS receiver in the compact Deeper unit. The GPS detects the position of

your favourite waterway that you mapped out. Or next time you visit the same spot, you can look at your app to get a visual of what is under the water without even using the Deeper unit.

With the bathymetric map, you can scroll left to right with the sonar image on the right hand side of the screen, and the little Deeper icon

Product Profile will move around on the bathymetric map on the left hand side. That way, if you see a snag pile or object that you like the look of on the sonar, you can see exactly where it is by looking at where the deeper icon is on the map.

To use the bathymetric mapping function firstly you need to open your deeper app and click settings. Scroll down until you see SONAR. Underneath the sonar title you will see ‘sonar mode’, Click on that and then select onshore GPS mode (PRO=+only). When you go back to your main screen you will see that it has now been split into two sections (mapping and sonar) and is ready to go.

All you do is cast the unit out and use it as normal.

Although, one thing worth remembering is that like all handheld GPS units, the Deeper unit needs to lock into enough satellites in order to function properly.

This can take anything from 10 seconds to 2 or 3 minutes.

Usually, the longer it has been since it was used the longer it takes to lock in. This

is known as a ‘cold start’.

There is a little satellite icon on the screen, when you first cast the Deeper unit out, the satellite icon will be red.

Don’t begin your retrieve until it turns green or the mapping function will not work properly.

With each cast, look at the satellite icon and ensure it is green before retrieving your Deeper unit.

If you are making successive casts to map out an area, it usually retains its satellite connection, however it may drop out from time to time, and usually only takes a few seconds to reconnect.

The Deeper app itself is absolutely brilliant. It is free, and even without the Deeper unit it is one of the best fishing apps out there.

You can use the GPS on your phone to mark waypoints.

You can save your favourite fishing spots on an offline map, complete with photos and information. It has a fishing diary for you to record your catches, complete with photos if you wish, and has an in-built calendar. Well worth the download! It does everything you want it to do

ACCOLADES Deeper has recently won awards at trade shows in both the USA and Europe for best new device, a clear indication of the quality and versatility of this product.

without actually owning a Deeper unit, except provide details of what is underneath the water.

There are a few extras available for the Deeper unit, such as a night cover and a mobile phone holder for your fishing rod which can be used horizontally or vertically. Both of which are very handy. There is also an adapter, which can be attached to the side of a boat or kayak, enabling the Deeper unit to be used while out of the water. This adapter ensures the Deeper unit remains rigid and does not bounce around in the water as your boat or kayak is moving.

The Deeper unit has an in built battery that lasts up to four hours of continual use.

To charge the battery, you need to open the Deeper unit by unscrewing the top half and removing it. This cap is very tight and pure quality, ensuring that no water can get into the electronics.

Inside you will see the tiny red light, which flashes when the unit is on and a rubber flap covering the micro USB port which is where you charge the battery.

On the top cap you will see the word, ‘water’. On the bottom half of the unit you will see the word ‘proof’.

When putting the lid back on, you need to ensure that the

two words ‘water proof’ line up, this ensures that the lid is on properly.

One of the things that I have been asked quite a few times since receiving

around 500mb for Australia and 300mb for New Zealand, so you may wish to use a WIFI connection to do that.

But once you have the app, and the maps installed you

the lure like a steam train, make a lot of noise and have a poor hook-up rate. I have never seen a single lure smashed by a Murray cod.

If a cod cannot break a lure,

The Deeper unit sitting on the water with the night cap on. my Deeper unit, is how much mobile data it uses.

The answer is none. It does not use any mobile phone data and does not require any phone service to operate.

The Deeper unit creates its own WIFI signal which is detected by your smart device. Obviously, you will need phone service, or a WIFI connection for the initial download of the app. Then, you may wish to download the offline maps which are

no longer require any internet connection to use the Deeper to its fullest potential. In fact, I usually turn my mobile data and Bluetooth settings off on my phone while I am using the Deeper Pro+ just to avoid any interference from other devices in the area.

Another thing that I have been asked a lot is “what happens if a Murray cod smashes it?”. Murray cod are a well known aggressive surface feeding fish. They hit

it sure as hell isn’t going to break a Deeper unit, and if hook-up rates are poor on lures with 6 hooks (2 lots of treble hooks) what chance is there of a cod swimming off with a perfectly round device with no hooks? At the very worst, if a cod hits the Deeper unit it will likely only leave a few teeth marks, and even then, I doubt that will happen.

It would be exciting if it did happen though!

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Evinrude launch 150-200hp Generation 2 E-Tecs FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

I must admit, I’ve never been that big on attending live music events – I could count them all on one hand, even if I lost a few fingers to braided line related injuries.

On the other hand, I’ve been a fan of Apple products over the years. We have used them for over 20 years desktop publishing Fishing Monthly magazines.

Watching an Apple product launch online seemed way too over the top for the marine industry.

descending on the Milwaukee Theatre. At the entrance, a marching band crashed out favourites to applauding delegates while inside the foyer another drum-heavy ensemble shook the foundations of the local landmark.

Swept inside by the human tide, hundreds of Evinrude staff greeted the dealers with cheering, joy and a sea of rainbow coloured glowsticks.

While a country covers band belted out the best of Garth Brooks and modern dancers set the scene for the impending release.

I would have only been half surprised if Donald

Want all of your engine telemetry on your smartphone or tablet? Buy the optional E-Link and you can see all of the data as well as control certain parameters.

So I was amazed when I attended the recent global launch of new Evinrude product in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where much anticipated smaller horsepower classes of Evinrude’s second generation (or G2) were set loose at their annual dealer conference.

They’re V6, 2.7 litre iterations in 150, 175 and 200hp, but more on that later.

Trump jumped from behind the screen, loitering with intent centre-stage.

If I’d ever defended Americans from being over the top, this outboard launch made me change sides. It was way over the top, and I loved every second of it!

Cutting to the chase, Evinrude’s hierarchy pushed the button on the reveal and a dealer network of over 30 countries was exposed to a

EVINRUDE = TWO-STROKE Evinrude has taken a bold stand in two-stroke technology, whereas a tide of fellow manufacturers are pushing punters down the four-stroke path.

For the consumer, this is great. As both technologies vie for market share, engine builders push each other to make their product lighter, stronger, smoother and more fuel efficient than ever before.

Just think about it. Right now in the marketplace, you can buy a 150hp class motor in two and four-stroke, supercharged or naturally aspirated, carburetted or electronically fuel injected, with analogue or ridiculously smart gauges. You can get them in different shaft lengths, rotation directions and colours. And, of course, at a variety of price points.

There’s never been more choice or more ways to tick the boxes with features your next motor needs.

But, if you want cutting edge two-stroke, then Evinrude’s G2s must surely be at the top of your list.

Let’s have a look at why.

FEATURES At the core of the G2 philosophy is the fact that every time a piston cycles in the cylinder, injected petrol combusts and acts as a ‘power stroke’. This doesn’t happen with four-stroke outboards.

Evinrude freely admit that the incumbent 2.6L first generation E-Tecs don’t do this as efficiently as possible.

Hence a full re-design of the cylinder shape to maximise the burn of fuel happened while these 2.7L G2s were developed.

Burning fuel as efficiently as possible is at the core of nearly all of the benefits that G2 has over

Now that’s just some boat porn for you. Twin rigged 150 HOs on this Tidewater would turn heads anywhere in the world. And the performance was spectacular.

The launch was a fusion of both of these spectacles.

As media representatives, we joined over a thousand dealers in a river of humanity 104

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much sought-after product.

Generation 2 E-Tec, 2.7 litre, V6, 2-stroke outboards in the 150hp, 150 H.O. HP, 175hp and 200hp classes.

And they loved it.

G1 (and over some of the technologies on the other side of the fence).

TORQUE There’s no doubting that these E-Tecs have low

The much anticipated global release of the Evinrude E-Tec Gen 2 motors from 150 to 200hp happened in Milwaukee, USA in June.

Expect these outboards on Australian shores in December 2016.

Quiet at idle and not smoky at all. Characteristics of a 4-stroke demonstrated in a 2-stroke outboard. end grunt. Although we didn’t have the opportunity to derive our own figures in the half-day we spent on Okauchee Lake I did get the opportunity to drive a variety of craft – some that I’m familiar with and others I wasn’t.

Evinrude weren’t shy to let you comparatively test performance, either, with several doppelganger hulls docked with same horsepower engines, same propellers and staff that encouraged you to compare for yourself.

Not surprisingly, none of the comparison boats saw the G2s beaten out of the hole.

In fact, if they did, I’m sure heads would roll. Across the board, the performance on a variety of hulls was impressive. Fuel use was low and performance was high.

Where I did feel right at home, though, was at the helm of an 18ft Ranger

bass boat powered by the 150hp G2. Definitely not at the ‘light’ end of the range of bass boats, the G2 not only presented a low, sleek profile on the transom, but the Evinrude threw the hull up and out of the water within seconds of stomping the foot throttle.

And control was so light and easy that I could do it one handed… which leads me to the next point.

VIDEO

Scan the QR code for the in depth interview with Jason Eckman, Global Product Manager for Evinrude outboards.

POWER STEERING Nearly every 2.7L G2 Evinrude comes with integral power steering.

Although not the first to incorporate fly-by-wire steering into the outboard, these G2s are first to do it with a 150hp. Of course, there are after market power steering kits available, but these are bulky, noisy and expensive. Especially if you want them on motors this size.

It’s hard to explain the difference in on-water experience that power steering makes – especially if you’re under 40 and haven’t driven a car without it. Or if you haven’t driven a boat with it.

To me, the steering is lighter than in a car through nearly all positions and speeds. And I could only hear it while the boat was at idle.

With the helm and throttle only sending digital signals to the motor, the mechanism is obviously housed in the engine.

But you need more than power steering to drive a boat efficiently one-handed.

That’s where iTrim comes in.

ITRIM AUTOMATIC TRIMMING You could never honestly use the analogy ‘it’s like driving an automatic car instead of a manual’ if you had power steering and not iTrim. iTrim is Evinrude’s version of automatic trimming. Like the steering, it’s fully digital and built in to the engine.

Turn it on and it self activates when the engine is trimmed all the way down.

Then you don’t touch the trim button at all.

Not at all.

If you do, it reverts to manual mode – just like the cruise control on your car when you tap the brake.

Like all know-all boaters, I reckon that I’m the best boat trimmer on the planet – especially when it’s

on my own craft – but let me tell you that I found it very easy to let go of control of this motor function.

Seriously. After about 5 minutes I wasn’t reaching for the trim button at all. I was doing things like I was supposed to be doing, like avoiding collisions with other crazy international media and holding a camera while driving a bass boat one handed.

You can’t do that safely on any of the bass boats that I’ve ever owned. Fact!

dash mounted ICON LCD displays on your device. And you can do it from anywhere in the boat.

Engine telemetry, including RPM, trim levels, fuel use, voltage and water depth can be displayed on the main page. Another page summarises the data into useful Trip Log metrics, showing distance travelled, total fuel used and average speeds.

Pocket economists will love the Eco page, showing instantaneous and average

transmitter. It’s not a standard inclusion.

LOWEST EMISSIONS EVER You’ll probably re-read this bit, because I did a double take when we saw the graphs in the presentation. Evinrude claims these are the cleanest petrol outboards in their class on the planet. And yes, they are a two-stroke.

It makes sense when you listen to the next claim. One fill of XD100 oil will last you 50 hours with normal boating use.

Now that’s a neat setup. This 150HO was fitted to a Key West and performed admirably.

The Key West was sort of out of place on Lake Okauchee – a recreational lake west of Milwaukee where Ole Evinrude first spawned the idea for an outboard motor – but the historical significance of the marina wasn’t lost on the BRP staff.

And yes, I do understand that other media may have been saying ‘watch out for that crazy Australian’. I did it for my country. We have a reputation to protect.

I think that the industry will very quickly drive this technology down through their ranges. Competitive manufacturers already have add-on systems that are backward-compatible, but require an extra switch panel on the console.

These Evinrudes have it all built in.

E-LINK Now, while the under 40s may not have driven many cars without power steering, I bet all of them have an Apple (iOS) or Android device in their pocket.

Evinrude’s new E-Link dongle (which plugs straight into the backbone of the engine instrumentation network) allows you to mirror all of the data shown on an Evinrude

I bet you just read that bit again, too. I asked the question.

50 HOURS At Australian XD100 prices, that’s a relief to all G2 owners – current and future.

As an indicator first-up, I didn’t see a puff of smoke all day on the test engines.

Or smell the traditional two-stroke odour.

That might be a negative to seasoned two-stroke

VIDEO

Scan to watch the on-theminute launch video, which was embargoed until the global reveal. fuel use as well as data to help you get the best possible efficiency out of your engine.

You can even use it to send data from the engine to a dealer.

That might not be impressive to the Facebook generation, but it sure beats hitting the engine with a hammer, which was Outboard Repair 101 for me with my first carbied 6hp!

Of course, the app is free – you just need to buy the

The E-Link dongle connects to the data backbone of the outboard network and can sit out of sight. The app is free.

‘Ice Blue’ is a new coloured cowling that suits saltwater boats to a tee. The customisable covers are a unique option for G2s.

lovers, but the fact remains that these engines are remarkably clean.

It all comes back to the inherent efficiency in combustion. Burn the fuel properly and there’s no waste or by-products of an incomplete burn leaking through the exhaust system.

AMENITY And that makes for a pleasant boating experience all round. We found these G2 E-Tecs to be quiet, efficient, good looking and a pleasure to drive.

You’d be mistaken for thinking that they behave like a four-stroke at low revs – there’s no discernable smoke and they’re comparatively quiet – leading to a pleasant boating experience.

DISTRIBUTED

BY TELWATER It was only recently (earlier in 2016) that Gold Coast based Telwater took over the Australian distribution of Evinrude outboards from BRP. The news of the Evinrude E-Tec G2 product moving down to lower horsepower classes was music to the ears of this iconic Australian boat builder.

“We’re selling a lot of big block G2 Evinrudes at the moment and the response to this new product is going to be mind boggling,” said Sam Phelan, another Aussie at the event Stateside and part of the Telwater management team.

“In Australia these motors will come with a 3+2 year warranty. Three

years if you choose a no-maintenance pathway or an extra 2 years if you drop in to your local Evinrude dealer for annual maintenance checks.”

Telwater’s Jason Draeger – National Sales Manager for Evinrude – agrees.

“The existing G2s are well accepted by customers and dealers, but let’s face it, that 150 to 200hp range is where it’s at for us. That’s a 5-6m boat and Telwater dominates that market share, so there’s no reason that we won’t see an increase in market share for Evinrude in the near future,” he said.

Jason forecasts that these G2, 2.7L engines will be available by December in Australia. In the meantime, visit www.evinrude. com for specifications, performance data, videos and model range.

VIDEO

Scan to watch our crazy Publisher hooning around an American lake, driving with one hand and filming with the other.

Also, you can scan the QR codes hereby on your smartphone to watch the content that Fishing Monthly created at the Milwaukee event.

SPECIFICATIONS (150HP) Engine Type................. 66° V6 E-Tec Direct Injection Displacement.....................................................2.7L Gear Ratio....................................................... 2.17:1 WOT RPM................................................5000-6000 Weight...................................................225kg-232kg Starting..........................................................Electric Controls.............. Integrated digital shift and throttle Fuel induction......E-Tec direct injection with stratified low RPM combustion mode Alternator... 133A total/50 net dedicated/14A at idle Steering............ Remote (hydraulic for TRAC model) Trim.............................................. Power Trim and Tilt Shaft Lengths.........................................20” and 35” AUGUST 2016

105

Polycrafts punching well above their weight BRISBANE

Stephen Booth

Polycraft Boats is a Bundaberg-based company that has been around since 2001 and is a branch of the very successful Poly Industries company.

The boats are tough, so tough that in the early days the Polycraft team would bring a 10kg sledge hammer to boat shows and actually let visitors have a

crack at breaking one of the display boats. It was pretty impressive stuff!

My initiation into the world of Polycraft Boats began around 2003 when Jason Medcalf got his first one and I was a mad keen jack chaser. It stood to reason that I’d visit the Bundaberg area to sample their jacks and Jason was just as mad keen as myself and Trent Butler. We had some super times in Jason’s Poly and I learnt a few valuable lessons about the

boats – the biggest being how well they handled shallow water as we screamed over rock bars, sand flats and mud to the next fishy bank.

These days Polycraft has extended their range of boats significantly to include six models from the small but strong Tuff Tender through to the large 5.99 Frontier. Since moving on to Wilson Fishing in 2015, I have been re-immersed in the Poly world. The Wilson Fishing work boat is a 4.80

The Brumby handles offshore work very comfortably.

The 4.8 Brumby Centre Console has been on some real adventures, which includes a stint on a mothership!

KEY FEATURES • The unique hull design features pronounced reverse chines which contribute to unmatched stability at rest. The reverse chines also promote lift when accelerating onto the plane and allow for tighter cornering at high speed.

• Polycraft boats feature a unique, soft ride. Polycraft boats flex to absorb the impact of the sea, just like the shock absorbers on your car absorb and deflect the jarring from potholes in the road.

• Polycraft’s dual wall hull absorbs both engine noise and the noise of the sea. This results in a quieter ride and a more enjoyable day on the water. If fishing is your passion you may benefit from quietly approaching you favourite fishing spot.

• Polyethylene has natural buoyancy and will float unaided when placed in water. The unique dual wall construction traps air in the cavity between the dual walls and helps contribute to buoyancy.

• Polyethylene has been shown in independent tests to have five times the impact resistance of fibreglass. This makes Polycraft one of the strongest boats on the market providing trouble free boating for many years.

• Polyethylene is very easy to maintain, clean and repair. In addition, it is less susceptible to marine growth than many other materials.

Brumby Centre Console, the most popular of all the boats Polycraft build.

And this boat has some tales to tell.

So we thought, what better way is there to take a look at Polycraft Boats than to have a chat about one that has been to hell and back, a boat that is still producing fish and a boat that really has lived a charmed life. And clearly the best place to

The Wilson boys love their flathead, and have used this rig to fish the famous Gold Coast Flathead Classic.

POLY TRAVELS QUEENSLAND • Huge dogtooth tuna at Cato Reef • Bass, barra, goldens and cod in the dams • Mackerel, tuna and snapper offshore from almost every port in South East Queensland • Flathead in the Gold Coast • Threadfin and mulloway in the Brisbane River NORTHERN TERRITORY • Barra in the Northern Territory (6 month stint) • Black jew in Darwin Harbour • Saratoga and barra in Corroboree Billabong

• Polyethylene is an inert material that is not affected by electrolysis that may be found in aluminium boats or osmosis that can affect fibreglass boats. In the harsh marine environment a Polycraft will keep looking good for longer.

NEW SOUTH WALES • Murray cod in Lake Mulwala • Flathead, bream, whiting and crabs in Big River country • Offshore fishing from the Tweed and Evans Head for snapper, mulloway and mackerel

• Polycraft boats are manufactured from UV stabilised marine grade polyethylene designed for extended use in direct sunlight. The colour is part of the material so your boat should retain the original colour and will never need painting.

VICTORIA • Snapper in Port Phillip Bay • Whiting and squid in Western Port • Estuary perch, salmon and whiting in Andersons Inlet

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do all this is on the waters around Bundaberg, where Polycraft Boats are born.

Sounds like a perk? Yeah you’re probably right, but you get that every now and then on the big jobs.

HISTORY The Wilson Fishing Polycraft 4.80 Brumby was purchased in 2006 and fitted out with a 90hp E-Tec. This was an ideal combination for a lot of the fishing that was to be done, which included bar crossing, reef fishing and shallow water trolling.

The expectations of this rig were pretty steep to say the least.

I spoke to Kord Luckus and Troy Dixon about the boat I was currently fishing from to find out just what they had put this boat

through in its relatively short, but certainly interesting life.

“The best memory I have of this boat is one of the most recent. We took this rig out to Cato Reef with us on Big Cat Reality Charters. The Polycraft was ideal for loading and unloading on the mothership because it can take the knocks and bumps really well. That trip we filmed from the Poly in horrendous conditions and it never once let us down.

It says something about the rig,” Troy said.

“My next memory is the complete opposite.

From 600nM offshore to fishing the Jumpinpin area for flathead in the Gold Coast Flathead Classic, the Poly allowed us to troll

These days, the Brumby is mostly used for local estuarine work in the salt.

the versatility of this rig.”

Kord, who has used this boat more than anyone else, had some interesting memories of the boat.

“I love this boat. I have taken it to hell and back and even to some places further than hell. It has never faltered when I needed it and some of the bar crossing this boat has endured will live with me forever,” Kord said.

“I love fishing for mackerel offshore from the Gold Coast and most times I am crossing the Currumbin Creek Bar. This bar is not for the faint-hearted and can really test a skipper and his rig. Being airborne at times and crashing back into the sea has not phased this boat one little bit.

“Apart from the regular offshore duties during mackerel season, the Poly is my main crabbing rig. I love crabbing and a lot of the time I am demanding the boat to take me into, and sometimes through, the mangroves. I’ve done things to this boat that would wreck a fibreglass boat and leave hundreds of dints in an aluminium boat. It’s a real workhorse,” said Kord.

While I am typing this in air conditioned comfort after a day’s fishing, I can

This green machine has been a part of some memorable catches for many people. the shallows, deal with the weekend and holiday wakes and gave us the platform to finish second overall in the event.

“The difference between the two memories could not be more extreme and shows

CONTACT DETAILS Polycraft Boats Address: 89 Childers Rd, Bundaberg QLD 4670 Free Call: 1800 336 603 Phone: 07 4155 2457 Fax: 07 4155 2088 Email: polycraft@polyindustries.com

While a little beaten around the edges, it still provides a comfortable fishing experiences to those who use it. vouch for the fact this boat is quiet on the water and is not afraid of the occasional scuffle with a rock bar, of which the local Bundaberg waters have plenty. It had been far too long since I’d visited these waters and they’ve changed after years of floods and scouring and depositing.

Luckily the jacks were still there along with plenty of flatties and prawns, and even luckier was that there were barra as well, a fantastic by-product of the floods that were so devastating for so many.

There is a fact box hereabouts of the adventures the Polycraft 4.8m Brumby, and the list reads like a Guide to the Best Fishing in Australia. It’s done a lot in its 10 years and continues to be the main filming platform for Wilson Fishing as well as Kord and Troy’s product testing boat. Most recently the green Poly has been haunting the Brisbane River as the boys work out the threadfin and mulloway tricks with the Zerek Fish Trap. Needless to say, it’s been a fantastic platform for this as well.

OVERALL It’s not often you get to have a good play in a boat that is 10 years old and still going. Most boat reviews take the form of a brand spanking new one with the manufacturer or supplier making sure everything is fitted out to perfection.

It was a real treat to spend a few days playing around in this boat. The history, the fun and the work this boat has done is a clear indication of the durability of the Polycraft boats.

The Brumby is also perfect for more relaxed styles of fishing, like soaking a few baits in the estuary.

Is she a little beaten around the edges? Yes she is, but you’d expect worse considering what she has been put through.

Overall this boat is a remarkable testament to the Polycraft brand.

If you want a long term boat that is simple and easy to maintain, then take a look at the Polycraft

range. There are six models and numerous build options (centre console/tiller/cabin) to suit your needs.

They ride quietly, handle a fair amount of sea and waves, and definitely provide the buyer with a rig that, if you’re like me and are not the best at maintenance, can provide years of faithful service.

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Stacer sets the pace with the 469 Outlaw BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Stacer offer a veritable feast of boating experiences these days, from small tender-sized punts and tinnies right up to offshore rigs with all the bells and whistles.

It means there’s an alloy boat for virtually all fishing requirements.

As a mid-sized rig easily towed by the family car and suited to either family or more dedicated angler/boaters, the 469 Outlaw ticks a lot of boxes.

A close look at the rig reveals just why this model in particular is so popular.

One of the obvious reasons for the Outlaw’s popularity is Stacer’s skilful blending of fishing features and functionality into a boat that falls into today’s ‘just

Powering along smoothly, the Stacer’s well designed Evo Hull cuts an impressive figure.

Here you can see the rear casting area adjacent to the transom.

right-sized’ category. It’s a class of craft that has captured a lot of the budget based boating market.

Northside Marine in Brisbane supplied the test boat. This particular craft did come with several major options to upgrade its fishability, yet the package price with options was certainly not excessive when compared to similarly equipped craft within the market niche.

A STYLISH RIG On its custom Stacer trailer, the rig looked stylishly neat – even eye catching. White 3mm thick plate-style sides were jazzed Left: A neat dash layout set-up on the Outlaw’s sports-style side console is an eye-pleasing feature. Below: The handy forward casting platform with its hatched compartments and catch well is one optional extra that most 469 Outlaw owners will select.

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A view of the Outlaw’s cockpit area. Note the large seats on pedestals as well as the minimal intrusion of the side console and the side pocket on the skipper’s side. up with a go fast decal.

Handy fore and aft grab rails gave the craft a finished appearance, and the Stacer brand was prominent astern.

The compact and sleek grey Yamaha F70LA decorated the transom in fine style.

And fine style is what this craft is all about.

It’s small enough to be launched and retrieved by one person, yet would fish three or four anglers.

In addition, Stacer have ensured the 469 Outlaw’s design and set-up never strays far from the ‘looks good, goes great and works well’ overall concept.

Up front an elevated carpet-covered casting deck came set up with storage hatches each side of a big catch well. An electric motor bracket was tucked to port of an open anchor well. Stepping down into the main cockpit work area, the craft’s windscreen equipped side console came with a glove box, Yamaha gauges and a bank of main switches with the wheel located underneath. I found the console caused minimal intrusion into the fishing space. Twin Stacer Sea Pro seats on pedestals were

The 469 Outlaw lets two anglers comfortably fish up front, with the potential for another one or two working aft. placed side by side aft with another seat positioned further forward.

COCKPIT SET UP FOR COMFORT While at the helm I noticed that Stacer had done an excellent job of setting up the skipper’s seat in just the right position, in that I could easily make myself comfortable. There was plenty of room for my legs under the console and the windscreen blocked slipstream quite well.

Cockpit storage space for longer items was provided via paired side pockets, while a battery compartment to starboard, live bait well to

port were set into the transom with their hatch covers providing further casting platforms – as is standard in many smaller craft these days. Note that paired rod holders were installed astern within gunwales. In short, comfort levels were high.

70 YAMAHA EASY POWER Driving the 469 Outlaw was nothing short of fun with two aboard. Engine ratings were from 50-75hp, and with the Yamaha 70 4-stroke the craft jumped straight onto the plane at a very modest 14.2km/h at 2700rpm. It reached 3000rpm at 21.6km/h,

SPECIFICATIONS Hull length.......................................................4.97m Length on trailer.............................................6.16m Beam................................................................2.22m Depth...............................................................1.08m Construction.......... bottom, sides, 3mm alloy sheet Engines........................................................ 50-75hp Fuel......................................................................77L Persons...................................................................5 Towing...........................Family six or big four sedan

4000rpm at 34.7km/h, and 4500rpm saw a very reasonable 41.8km/h.

With a rev range going to 6000rpm, you could easily expect speeds around 60km/h being the standard for the Outlaw/F70 LA combination.

It was interesting to note that Stacer’s engine ratings began at 50hp, This, to my mind, might somewhat restrict the craft’s excellent performance capability.

The Stacer Evo hull is a time proven design with easy planing capability, ample stability and soft riding characteristics that will endear it to owners, but at some 4.97m long, 2.22m wide and with a basic weight of 422kg without engine or passengers, it needs power to perform well. I’d be reluctant to nominate less than 60hp on the transom unless a two-person team would be aboard most times. The 70 Yamaha 4-stroke made a lot of sense to me.

One person launch/retrieval of the 469 Stacer Outlaw is a bonus for lucky owners to enjoy.

ratings are for up to five aboard, that sort of team would likely be family orientated, not a group of anglers – unless everyone was working as a very well organized team and were fishing in favourable conditions.

Ride and handling tests were undertaken in the western part of Moreton Bay, and the Outlaw came through with flying colours.

With the easy power of the Yamaha 70 astern, the rig, whether two or three up, had a very sweet feel about it. When crossing wash at speed to see if I could invoke some hard bumps or jarring, the result was always pleasing. I’d see the rig very suited to most bay or estuary conditions, and it would certainly handle a run offshore on the right day and conditions.

from bimini to electronic packages that Stacer offer, the 469 Outlaw is a genuine all-rounder. It’s ideal for buyers seeking a smaller craft to fulfil options from fun boating to serious fishing.

I would prefer to see some of the more desirable fishing options as standard equipment rather than options. However, with a package price of $30,990 (as reviewed and with a braked trailer), I consider the craft to be excellent value for money. For more info call BL Marine on 03 9478 1420 or visit www. blmarine.com.au • Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ

This image gives us a look at many of the Outlaw’s cockpit features such as the large port side pocket, cast decks aft and the seating arrangements.

FISHING RIG Looking at the 469 Outlaw purely as a fishing rig, I saw it as a very comfortable three to four person outfit. Although

In many respects, with its 1.08m side depth, ample width for length ratio, flexible seating and the large range of options

due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

An important component of the Outlaw’s optional forward casting deck is the large catch well.

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What’s New BOATING

1

NEW STACER NOMADS

Stacer has released two new Nomad models, the 449 and 469, building on the success of the 489, 509, 539 and 579 models. The entire range now features 4mm bottom sheets and 3mm top side sheets.

The new standard Stacer Sports Side Console has a modern sporty look with more dash space, allowing for larger sounders and electronics to be fitted. An extra seat spigot has been added to the front casting platform, taking the total to four seating positions for maximum fishability.

Stacer National Account Manager Drew Jackson said new features will keep the Nomad range a favourite among anglers.

“Fishos will love the new features like the new Shark Carpet which is soft underfoot and provides excellent grip,” he said. “These boats offer great value for money with many features coming as standard including carpeted floors, bimini and envelope and four rod holders.” www.stacer.com.au

2

COMPACT REACTOR AP

Ideal for outboard-powered boats up to 9m, Garmin’s GHP Compact Reactor autopilot is based on solid-state 9-axis AHRS technology.

The Compact Reactor Starter Pack includes the core autopilot components needed to install and use alongside a compatible chartplotter. Another configuration is available with a GHC 20 Autopilot Control Unit, and the third option adds both the GHC 20 and the Garminpatented Shadow Drive. Shadow Drive allows users to disengage the AP with a turn of the wheel, allowing them to always remain in control of the vessel.

Fully integrated with compatible Garmin electronics, the Compact Reactor series can be controlled directly from the chartplotter.

The AP can also be engaged to follow Garmin’s Auto Guidance technology, which eliminates the hassle of entering different waypoints. Simply move the cursor on the map to where you want to go and the AP will plan the route from your current location – avoiding shallow water and other charted obstructions – and then engage.

Price: SRP from $1799 www.garmin.com/en-AU

3

NEW STRESSFREE WINCHES

Stressfree Marine, based in SA, was born in the mid-1990s when engineer Dean Forster wanted a system that would allow him to release and retrieve his anchor much faster. This led to the development of Stressfree Marine’s standard drum anchor winch range, and their patented Freefall range, featuring one-touch precision anchoring at five times the speed of standard winches.

In their most recent anchor winch developments, Stressfree Marine have continued to focus on safety, durability and functionality. By increasing the size of their satin finish 316L marine grade stainless steel base plate from 6mm to 8mm, Stressfree Marine has found a way to deliver an even higher level of stability in unfavourable weather.

Further solidifying their lead with the highest torque gearbox on any drum winch, the Drive Shaft has increased from 18mm to 25mm, and the pivot bolt has been reengineered to deliver an extra 8mm of engagement. Choosing to use the Quick-50 series double anodised gearbox has also increased protection against corrosion and saltwater exposure. www.stressfreemarine.com.au

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

POWERED BY

4

SIMRAD NETWORK DIAGNOSTICS

Available for all NSS evo2, NSO evo2, and GO multifunction displays with GoFree connectivity, the new Simrad Network Analyzer and Service Assistant with integrated wireless diagnostics tools allow boaters to easily send system info to the service team. As long you can connect to a wireless network, this new update gives immediate access to the latest features, support and service.

The Network Analyzer tells you when new software is available, and the Service Assistant can transmit a detailed report of ethernet and NMEA 2000 network devices so tech support can troubleshoot issues more quickly. GoFree cloudenabled technology lets users receive automatic software update notifications and download and install these updates directly to their display.

These new free tools are available in the latest Simrad software release via a one-time manual download and update to compatible equipment. www.simrad-yachting .c om/en-US/ Support/Downloads

5

1

2

3

SEAFARER HEAVYDUTY X-SERIES

Australian fibreglass boat brand Seafarer and The Haines Group have unveiled a new range of heavy duty, performance-driven boats with the launch of the X-series.

Revolutionising its brand of state-of-theart, quality fibreglass trailerboats, Seafarer has transformed a selection of its standard models and beefed them up with the works. Extra resin, stainless steel and almost 100kg of glass have been added to their structural design, along with a massive increase in fuel capacity.

Included in the range are the popular Victory 6.0 and Vagabond 6.2, which have been ‘overbuilt’ to be the ultimate fishing vessels.

These boats have an impressive list of standard features including stainless steel rails and steering wheel, heavy-duty rod holders, live bait tanks and moulded seats including a tackle cupboard and hatch.

The Victory and Vagabond X-series have also been fitted with 270L fuel tanks. The max power for the Victory is 225hp, and the Vagabond is available with a twin configuration for more options. www.seafarerboats.com.au

5

4

6

MERCURY IMPROVED REMOTE CONTROL

Completely redesigned, Mercury’s new and improved Mechanical Remote Control is now available for owners who want to upgrade the handling and styling of their boats. The new look side-mount control makes boating both easier and more efficient for all drivers, regardless of their experience behind the wheel.

The re-engineering of the control box delivers an upgraded performance all around. An enhanced shift mechanism makes shifting smoother and easier, and provides drivers with an improved feel when they are at the controls.

The unit’s external cables have been upgraded to increase their flex endurance, extending their lifespan and reducing the chance of any servicing issues. A redesigned handle provides state-of-the-art ergonomics for long days on the water, and improves the aesthetics of the whole unit. www.mercurymarine.com.au

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

6

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www.marlocamping.com.au Marlo Ocean Views Caravan and Camping Park, Marlo (03) 5154 8268 Bemm River Holiday Accommodation & Boat Hire, Bemm River (03) 5158 4233 or 0427 584 233 Lazy Acre Log Cabins, Lakes Entrance (03) 5155 1323

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This section in V&TFM 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.

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FOR UP TO 10 PEOPLE •Swains Reef •Port Clinton •Stanage Bay •Island Head Creek •Shoalwater Bay •Pearl Bay P: 0419 789 921 www.inyadreamscharters.com Inya Dreams Fishing Charters, 0419 789 921 Reel Affair, Merimbula freecall 1800 233 247 Espirit Charters, Bermagui (02) 6493 4104 or 0407 260 110 Freedom Charters, Eden (02) 6496 1209 or 0415 602 446 Headland Fishing Adventures, Merimbula (02) 6495 1134 Island Charters, Narooma (02) 4476 1047 or 0408 428 857 K9 Fishing Charters, Merimbula (02) 6495 1681 Merimbula Marina, Merimbula (02) 6495 1686 or 0427 951 080 Narooma Charters, Narooma 0407 909 111 O’Brien Charter Service, Bermagui 0407 214 124

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Victorian Tide Times

2016

POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA LAT 38° 18’ LONG 144° 37’ Times and Heights of High and Low Waters JUNE JULY

MAY Time

m

Time

m

Time

m

Time

m

Time

m

Local Time AUGUST Time

2 0357 1115

17 0324 1052

3 0505 1215

18 0432 1149

4 0000 0605

19 0533 1240

5 0059 0658

20 0036 0626

6 0152 0745

21 0130 0714

7 0240 0829

22 0220 0800

8 0324 0907

23 0308 0846

9 0404 0945

24 0356 0932

25 0319 0900

10 0444 1020

25 0444 1017

11 0428 1010

26 0405 0945

11 0523 1057

26 0536 1103

27 0415 0956

12 0514 1048

27 0453 1030

12 0605 1134

27 0633 1149

13 0540 1116

28 0502 1040

13 0602 1126

28 0546 1116

13 0005 0652

28 0024 0738

29 0429 1010

14 0638 1157

29 0555 1127

14 0006 0654

29 0647 1204

14 0044 0746

29 0117 0844

30 0514 1050

15 0041 0739

30 0006 0658

15 0046 0748

30 0042 0755

15 0128 0845

30 0223 0949

1 0017 0706

16 0129 0839

1 0058 0809

16 0130 0844

2 0616 1151

17 0109 0810

2 0112 0819

17 0221 0937

2 0155 0921

17 0221 0942

3 0032 0716

18 0208 0915

3 0214 0937

18 0321 1034

3 0301 1030

18 0321 1040

4 0128 0830

19 0313 1018

4 0323 1048

19 0420 1128

4 0413 1134

19 0423 1135

5 0235 0951

20 0415 1117

5 0432 1153

20 0513 1215

5 0519 1234

20 0519 1226

6 0347 1107

21 0509 1208

6 0536 1253

21 0600 1259

6 0015 0618

21 0003 0608

7 0458 1213

22 0555 1252

7 0036 0634

22 0034 0641

7 0112 0712

22 0057 0652

8 0010 0600

23 0027 0635

8 0130 0728

23 0121 0720

8 0204 0801

23 0146 0733

9 0103 0656

24 0109 0714

9 0221 0818

24 0205 0758

9 0254 0847

24 0233 0816

10 0154 0748

25 0149 0750

10 0310 0907

25 0249 0835

10 0342 0930

11 0242 0839

26 0229 0826

11 0359 0952

26 0331 0914

12 0329 0928

27 0309 0900

12 0447 1035

13 0416 1014

28 0348 0933

14 0505 1059

15 0600 1142

0.66 1.33 TU 1244 0.56 1959 1.44 0.64 1.35 WE 1347 0.64 2101 1.42 0.58 1.41 TH 1501 0.70 2207 1.43 0.49 1.52 FR 1623 0.72 2311 1.47 0.38 1.64 SA 1738 0.70 1.52 0.28 SU 1312 1.75 1840 0.66 1.57 0.21 MO 1405 1.82 1933 0.63 1.60 0.18 TU 1456 1.85 2023 0.60

1.61 0.19 WE 1545 1.83 2111 0.58 1.59 0.24 TH 1631 1.78 2157 0.58 1.54 0.31 FR 1717 1.71 2243 0.59

1.48 0.41 SA 1803 1.63 2330 0.61

1.41 0.51 SU 1849 1.55

Time

m

16 0220 0949

16 0017 0701

1.35 0.49 MO 1903 1.48

Time

1 0243 1011

1 0529 1108

1.38 0.43 SU 1815 1.53 2346 0.67

m

0.64 1.35 MO 1226 0.61 1936 1.47 0.66 1.31 TU 1315 0.71 2025 1.41

0.67 1.31 WE 1413 0.80 2115 1.37 0.65 1.35 TH 1523 0.86 2206 1.35 0.61 1.41 FR 1637 0.87 2256 1.35

0.55 1.48 SA 1740 0.85 2344 1.38

0.49 1.56 SU 1828 0.82

1.41 0.44 MO 1330 1.63 1909 0.78 1.44 0.40 TU 1406 1.68 1947 0.75

1.47 0.38 WE 1442 1.71 2024 0.72 1.48 0.38 TH 1518 1.72 2100 0.70 1.48 0.39 FR 1555 1.71 2137 0.68

1.47 0.41 SA 1633 1.69 2214 0.67

1.45 0.44 SU 1712 1.65 2251 0.65

1.43 0.49 MO 1752 1.61 2331 0.63

31 0604 1136

1.41 0.56 TU 1837 1.56

0.60 1.41 WE 1229 0.64 1928 1.52 0.56 1.43 TH 1329 0.73 2025 1.49 0.50 1.49 FR 1439 0.80 2128 1.48 0.44 1.57 SA 1556 0.84 2233 1.49 0.36 1.67 SU 1711 0.82 2337 1.52 0.29 1.76 MO 1816 0.77 1.55 0.25 TU 1347 1.81 1913 0.72 1.58 0.24 WE 1438 1.84 2004 0.67 1.59 0.27 TH 1526 1.82 2054 0.64 1.57 0.32 FR 1611 1.78 2142 0.61

1.53 0.40 SA 1653 1.72 2228 0.60

1.48 0.48 SU 1733 1.66 2313 0.60

1.42 0.57 MO 1813 1.59 2357 0.61 1.38 0.67 TU 1851 1.52

0.62 1.35 WE 1240 0.76 1931 1.46

0.62 1.34 TH 1329 0.84 2015 1.41 0.62 1.36 FR 1427 0.91 2103 1.38

0.60 1.41 SA 1536 0.95 2156 1.36

0.56 1.47 SU 1648 0.95 2251 1.36

0.51 1.54 MO 1747 0.91 2345 1.39 0.46 1.61 TU 1835 0.86

1.42 0.42 WE 1340 1.67 1918 0.81 1.45 0.40 TH 1419 1.71 1959 0.76 1.48 0.39 FR 1459 1.73 2038 0.71

1.49 0.39 SA 1537 1.73 2117 0.66

1.50 0.42 SU 1615 1.72 2157 0.62

1.49 0.46 MO 1652 1.69 2237 0.57 1.48 0.52 TU 1731 1.65 2320 0.53

1.47 0.60 WE 1814 1.60 0.49 1.46 TH 1217 0.68 1900 1.56

0.46 1.47 FR 1313 0.77 1955 1.52 0.43 1.51 SA 1417 0.85 2056 1.49 0.40 1.56 SU 1530 0.88 2204 1.47 0.36 1.63 MO 1646 0.87 2312 1.49 0.32 1.69 TU 1755 0.81 1.51 0.30 WE 1329 1.74 1855 0.74 1.54 0.30 TH 1419 1.77 1948 0.68 1.55 0.33 FR 1505 1.77 2039 0.62 1.54 0.37 SA 1546 1.74 2126 0.58 1.52 0.44 SU 1624 1.70 2209 0.56

1.48 0.51 MO 1658 1.65 2249 0.55 1.44 0.58 TU 1730 1.59 2328 0.54

1.40 0.66 WE 1803 1.54 0.54 1.37 TH 1206 0.74 1839 1.48 0.55 1.36 FR 1249 0.82 1919 1.43

0.56 1.36 SA 1339 0.89 2007 1.38

0.56 1.37 SU 1438 0.95 2100 1.35

0.54 1.41 MO 1548 0.97 2201 1.33 0.51 1.47 TU 1659 0.94 2304 1.35

0.47 1.54 WE 1758 0.88 1.38 0.42 TH 1312 1.61 1847 0.80 1.43 0.39 FR 1355 1.66 1931 0.72

1.48 0.37 SA 1436 1.70 2014 0.63

1.52 0.38 SU 1515 1.71 2057 0.56

1.54 0.40 MO 1554 1.71 2139 0.49 1.55 0.45 TU 1631 1.68 2223 0.43

1.54 0.51 WE 1710 1.65 2307 0.39 1.52 0.59 TH 1751 1.60 2353 0.37 1.49 0.67 FR 1837 1.55

0.37 1.47 SA 1256 0.76 1930 1.49

0.39 1.49 MO 1508 0.86 2145 1.42 0.39 1.53 TU 1628 0.84 2256 1.42 0.37 1.58 WE 1739 0.78 1.45 0.36 TH 1309 1.63 1841 0.69 1.48 0.35 FR 1358 1.67 1933 0.62 1.51 0.37 SA 1440 1.68 2021 0.55 1.52 0.40 SU 1516 1.67 2103 0.51 1.52 0.45 MO 1549 1.64 2142 0.48 1.50 0.50 TU 1619 1.60 2218 0.46 1.47 0.56 WE 1650 1.56 2253 0.45 1.44 0.62 TH 1722 1.52 2329 0.46 1.40 0.68 FR 1757 1.47

0.47 1.37 SA 1214 0.75 1836 1.41

0.49 1.35 SU 1257 0.82 1921 1.36

0.50 1.34 MO 1348 0.88 2015 1.31

31 0137 0903

0.38 1.47 SU 1356 0.83 2033 1.44

 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2014, Bureau of Meteorology Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect New Moon First Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon

m

0.52 1.35 TU 1452 0.91 2119 1.29

0.51 1.39 WE 1605 0.89 2229 1.30 0.48 1.46 TH 1715 0.82 2336 1.35 0.43 1.53 FR 1813 0.72

1.42 0.39 SA 1327 1.60 1902 0.60

1.50 0.37 SU 1409 1.65 1947 0.49

1.57 0.37 MO 1450 1.67 2032 0.39 1.61 0.39 TU 1530 1.67 2118 0.32

1.62 0.43 WE 1608 1.65 2203 0.27 1.61 0.49 TH 1647 1.62 2249 0.26 1.56 0.55 FR 1730 1.56 2335 0.27

1.51 0.63 SA 1817 1.50

0.31 1.45 SU 1239 0.71 1913 1.43

0.37 1.42 MO 1337 0.77 2019 1.37 0.42 1.41 TU 1450 0.80 2133 1.34

31 0339 1053

0.45 1.43 WE 1613 0.77 2245 1.35

Last Quarter

Tide predictions for Port Phillip Heads have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material is supplied in good faith and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition that no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes. Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions.

114

AUGUST 2016

the

WHITTLEY party

#

VOTE

1

whittley.com.au

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