Victoria and Tasmania Fishing Monthly - August 2015 by Fishing Monthly

FATHERS DAY GIFT IDEAS • TASSIE TROUT OPENING

Features

Tackling winter whiting • Fish stocking impact • Tasmanian trout opening season • Fathers’ Day gift ideas •

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Black Magic 60lb Tough Fluorocarbon leader was used by Matthew Hearn to catch this 18lb mulloway while fishing at Salt Creek, SA.

A Black Magic Squid Snatcher速 3.0 brown/red was used by Diego Gadea to take this impressive squid at Point Cook, VIC.

Neil Mackenzie landed this personal best, 7kg snapper while fishing in Port Phillip Bay using a Black Magic 6/0 C Point速 hook and Black Magic 20lb Supple Trace.

Lee Rayner landed this redfin on Black Magic 4kg+ Rainbow Braid and Black Magic 8lb Fluorocarbon leader while fishing in South Australia.

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August 2015, Vol. 11 No. 10

Contents WEST COAST

VICTORIAN FRESHWATER Horsham 56 Robinvale 58 Shepparton 58 Mildura 59 Yarrawonga 59 Eildon 60 Bonnie Doon 60 West/South Gippsland 62 Bendigo 62 Crater Lakes 63 Ballarat 64 Jindabyne 65

TASMANIA WRAP

REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 40 Boating 80 Chappy’s Hotspot 53 Dam Levels 65 Fun Page 76 Inland Fisheries Service 49 Junior City Fishing 12 Kayak 78 Spearfishing 52 Tasmanian Lake Levels 50 Tournament News 70 Trade and Services Guide 84 Victorian Tide Times 86 VRFish Update 35 What’s New Boating 77 What’s New Fishing 66

SPECIAL FEATURES

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what’s happening in the fishing world, instantly. If someone gives you an iPad for Fathers’ Day, get them to hook you up with Fishing Monthly Magazines (Facebook) or qfmfishingmonthly (Instagram) and enjoy the feeds. LOVING THE READER PICS Every month you might notice that we run an assortment of reader pics in the magazine. We love getting images from readers. And there’s nothing like seeing yourself in print. If you have some pics that you want included, send them to me at s.morgan@ f i s h i n g m o n t h l y. c o m . au and we’ll make you famous. For a month at least! Tight Lines.

AUGUST 2015

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do our best to do video clips of all the latest and coolest products and upload them daily from the show. Right now, you should be able to check out all of the bits and bobs and all of the winners of the Best of Show awards on the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel – and, of course, in the September issue of the magazine. With our short lead-times, you’ll find that Fishing Monthly is usually the first to print with these. ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA BANDWAGON When we talk with readers in the field and at the various shows up and down the east coast, we know that not everyone is proficient with social media. The fact is, though, that hooking up to our Facebook and Instagram feeds gives you the latest information about

AUST

Tackling winter whiting Fish Stocking impact Tasmanian trout opening season Fathers’ Day gift ideas

detailed inside. Including exactly what lures you need to get to emulate their great captures. FATHERS’ DAY There’s only a couple of times of the year that dads can really pass the hint about what they really need to keep them happy on Fathers’ Day. We’ve done our bit to try and help with a couple of pages of ideas inside. You know the deal – tick the product you like and leave it in a conspicuous place. ATFA PRODUCTS The annual trade-only AFTA trade show on the Gold Coast happened just after we went to print with this issue. If you follow Fishing Monthly Magazines or www.tacklejunkie.fish on-line, you’d probably be aware of our live AFTA coverage. Because the public can’t get into the show, we

ION

Eden 42 Mallacoota 42 Bermagui 43 Narooma 44 Merimbula 45

It’s a difficult time to publish magazines in the middle of winter. We’re rugged up in the office in July, hearing stories of snow in Queensland, putting out stories relevant to August and giving you ideas about what to do in September and beyond! Although a lot of us enjoy the spoils of some sneaky winter spots, it’s no secret that nearly everyone enjoys the warming trend of spring, the longer days and the change of the guard for dominant species. The ABT bream competitors showed what winter fishing was all about at Mallacoota. It was windy, it was cold and the bream bit their heads off. All the results of the winter ABT events are

NSW SOUTH COAST

From the Editor’s Desk...

Ninety Mile Beach 32 Welshpool 33 Inverloch 33 Gippsland Lakes 36 Marlo 36 McLoughlins Beach 37

EAST COAST

Geelong 18 Port Phillip West 20 Port Phillip East 22 Port Phillip North East 24 Mornington Peninsula 26 Western Port North 28 Western Port South 30 Phillip Island 32

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Tackling winter whiting WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

Winter means only one thing for a lot of anglers: time to garage the boat and wait until the cold fronts pass and the snapper migration kicks into gear again. It

are alive with these golden beauties too. What all these locations have in common is the kind of habitat that can be found there: a mixture of weed beds and sand holes. From there the whiting seek out crustaceans to prey upon. Finding this type of ground is the key ingredient to finding

It might not be a summer bag’s worth of whiting, but in winter this is a cracking catch of quality fish. won’t be long before this all happens, but for now we still have a month of winter left and plenty of hungry fish are still on offer. Once such species is the humble King George whiting. The run of winter whiting has been largely on the increase over the past few years, so they’re definitely not just a summer target. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE LOCATION When it comes to locations, catching whiting throughout the cooler months is no different from catching them during the warmer months. The fish inhabit similar territory but do move about quite a bit, so finding a school of hungry fish can be quite time consuming. Of the most popular locations, St Leonards on the Bellarine Peninsula and Blairgowrie on the Mornington Peninsula are the two most boasted about winter whiting haunts. In fact, even though these two locations get fished quite heavily they produce some remarkable fish. Of course, it is not just these two locations that produce whiting throughout winter. Mornington, Mt Martha, Portsea and Sorrento 8

AUGUST 2015

whiting during both summer and winter. BERLEY AND THEY WILL COME Once you’ve found a likely location, your next challenge is to find the fish. During the summer months anglers tend to drop anchor, fish for 10 minutes and then (if they have no action) up anchor and move a few metres away before trying again. Some anglers might make 20 moves in a session until they find a school. Throughout winter, however, this approach isn’t ideal. The fish are actually harder to locate this way. An alternative method, and one that’s highly successful, is using a concoction of berley. When you’re attempting to find a school of fish, using a single bait in a large area won’t bring the whole school to your immediate location, whereas a constant flow of fish offal can. When it comes to berley there’s no need to go overboard. Sometimes the ‘KISS’ (Keep It Simple Stupid) approach is best. Some anglers can’t help but toss in unusual ingredients like dog food, cat food and who knows what else, but it’s not necessary; a 1kg bag of frozen pilchards is more than enough to get the party started. Simply place the pilchards into a berley pot, mash them up a little and lower the pot to the seafloor. The force of the current will

While winter whiting can be finicky feeders, holding the rod in your hand rather than leaving it in the rod holder will be the difference between catching whiting and not. Joe Farr from Joe Farr Fishing Charters knows this technique well and swears by it.

WINTER WHITING GPS MARKS St Leonards:..................... S 38 11.741 E 144 44.172 Blairgowrie:...................... S 38 20.941 E 144 47.377 Sorrento:...........................S 38 19.420 E 144 44.847 Portsea:............................S 38 18.986 E 144 43.097 Mornington:......................S 38 12.926 E 145 01.893

Top: A Mustad Demon no. 6 loaded up with a strip of calamari about to be deployed to the bottom. Above: When the word is out, the brave go winter whiting fishing.

disperse the fishy scent and your trap will bet set. CHANGING WITH THE TIMES Targeting whiting throughout the winter period is a little different than during the summer months because the techniques vary according to how the fish react to the baits. Whiting are quite temperamental feeders at times. During one tide they can be aggressive while on the next tide they can be timid. You should be able to pick up on their feeding habits after catching a few, and then you can switch tactics to further your success. If you’re finding they’re quite aggressive in taking your offerings, you might not have to worry about changing tactics at all. On the other hand, if you’re finding the fish to be a little tentative, a minor change might be in order to be able to set the hook. When it comes to tactics, the standard paternoster rig with a Mustad no. 6 Demon circle hook suits most whiting fishing situations. However, when the fish are timid, switching to a running sinker rig with long shank hook is more beneficial. In this situation, I tie my rig with

Left: Simple berley methods are often the best. A handful of pilchards in a pot at a time will do the job nicely. Right: Whiting ground might be nothing special but when weed and sand is in the area, they won’t be too far away.

Top: First light is the key in catching quality whiting. It may be cold but there are fewer boats on the water. Above: When the whiting are aggressively feeding, a circle hook is deadly. Here a Mustad Demon no. 6 pins the corner of the jaw. Below: Successfully catching winter whiting requires a few key items. Fluorocarbon leader is a must, along with either a size 6 circle hook or offset mid-shank hook. Bottom: Winter whiting can be quite plump. If you spend the time sifting through the littlies you’ll end up with a nice feed of fat fish.

WHAT SHOULD WE FEED THEM? When it comes to targeting winter whiting, one of the most talked about topics over the years has been which baits work best. Pilchard fillets, slivers of fresh fish flesh, calamari strips, mussel and so forth always seem to come up in conversation, but they’re not my first choice. Give me frozen pipis any day! They’ve produced well for me over the past decade. Other baits which work well are mussel and of course tenderised calamari strips. Whiting can be fussy at times and you can’t go out

armed just with one bait in case the fish prefer another on the day. For the cost of a bag of mussel or a quick drift

8lb SureCatch fluorocarbon and a Mustad no. 6 92647S model hook. The reason I’m being so specific about the hook is because it’s an offset stainless steel mid shank hook. In situations where the fish are timid and the angler has to strike, the offset barb will penetrate due to the small gape, whereas a circle hook might not. Fluorocarbon leader is great in the shallow water because it’s nearly invisible. The refraction properties of fluorocarbon (i.e. the way light bends as it passes through) are similar to water, which is why fluoro leaders blend in much better than standard nylon trace does. Fluorocarbon is also more abrasion resistant, which is a benefit when fishing in weed and over shallow reef.

over a shallow weed bed to catch a fresh calamari, you’ll maximise your chances of taking home a good feed. AUGUST 2015

Month of the mega mulloway WEST COAST

Shane Lowery

The cold wet weather of winter often keeps fishers indoors at this time of year but the keenest of anglers

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. The first opening was a manual one performed by the catchment management

be fantastic with higher water levels. However, at this time of year with winter rainfall, a natural opening is ideal and heralds the beginning of the run of larger mulloway that move into the estuary. In previous years

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 also start to migrate to the lower reaches of the river and commence schooling up in recruitment mode for their spawning.

Hardbody lures account for plenty of mulloway.

Large estuary perch are on the move to spawn. 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 in fact the landings

authority after extensive water quality testing to ensure conditions were right to do so. The second opening in late June was a completely natural event. There are generally mixed opinions on the river being open as the fishing can

August and September have produced some quality fish in the 10kg+ range and with the successful run of mulloway on the surrounding beaches for surf fishers, all indications are that we will see some good numbers of fish move into the system this season.

Here is a classic show of bream holding tight to the bottom. 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 are the order of the day for baitos. Lure fishing is the most successful technique when targeting perch and small hardbodies in dark colours, as well as vibes are a definite winner. Bream in the Glenelg also turn their minds to recruitment and spawning and some large schools can often be found with the use of a good sounder. The key is to find fish that are on the bottom rather then sitting up higher in the water column. Fish holding tight to the bottom are often actively feeding/hunting and are generally much more likely to take a well-presented bait or lure. The higher reaches are the best place to start looking and Dry Creek through to Sapling Creek often hold plenty of schooling fish this time of year.

Good times for jetty rats WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

DARTER JIGHEADS

Despite winter’s clutches having been around for ages there haven’t been any massive dumps of rain to get the rivers really flowing hard and brown. Although this might seem a bad thing for many angling prospects, there are some interesting angling options available when this occurs. Many keen trout anglers wait for these heavy flows of dirty water to get the trout up and into feeding on the shallow runs. It

takes persistence and dedication to blindly and relentlessly flog a lure or large wet fly in the dirty water, but when a big brown smashes a lure unexpectedly at your feet it keeps you motivated to persist until the next time. The Merri had been fairly poor for trout in the early part of this season but a few decent fish to 2kg have shown themselves recently. Hopefully this month we’ll see some good browns caught in the river sections that remain open during the closed season. If trout fishing in dirty water isn’t your thing and you’re looking for a few

more bites and a bit more action in a session, you can have plenty of fun around some of the local piers and jetties during the cooler months. Port Campbell Pier, the Moyne River near the boat ramp and the harbour area at Warrnambool can all produce a bit of fun for the kids or some good bait for dad. There are schools of mullet, small salmon, sliver trevally and couta. On those days when the weather puts a dampener on most fishing options, you’ll find that some light gear and a little berley can result in plenty of fun To page 12

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Junior City Fishing

Calm in the city: Albert Park Lake MELBOURNE

Jason Tanti

Right in the heart of the CBD Albert Park Lake is a unique fishery, and with a diameter of 5km there’s plenty of room to have a fish. The lake holds good numbers of yellowbelly, it is regularly stocked with

the max. Carp make a great by-catch at times, especially when you’re not catching your target fish because they are great fun on light gear. ACCESS Only 3km from the heart of the city, Albert Park is popular for a range of activities like dog walking, jogging, cycling, sailing and rowing. Parking fees apply

is a great way to get around because it is very easy. The Yarra Trams route 96 to St Kilda Beach stops next to Southern Cross station for people catching trains, and then stops right next to Albert Park Lake so getting there is very easy. Vessels such as powerboats, kayaks and canoes are not allowed.

appropriate when fishing at Albert Park Lake. When casting lures braided line is a must, for the simple fact you can cast further and feel exactly what your lure’s doing. When it comes to picking out a leader to tie onto your braid, fluorocarbon leader works best, because it absorbs little water, it sinks and it Jason Tanti and Jake Micallef with a 72cm European carp. Lure-munching carp of this size are common in the lake.

Left: A fat European carp from Albert Park Lake caught on an Ecogear ZX40. Right: As you can see, Albert Park Lake is right in the middle of suburbia and very accessible to Melbourne anglers. rainbow trout and also has a large number of both introduced mirror and European carp. Carp are considered a pest in Australia although have a reputation of making your rod buckle to

to all car parks and kerbside parking spaces within Albert Park. Time restrictions and ticket requirements are shown on parking signs within the park. However, public transport

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also has a refractive index, so it doesn’t reflect off the sun making it difficult for fish to see. The leader is also more abrasion-resistant and it has a low level of stretch, however is more expensive than standard monofilament leader. Overall the most effective strength of braided line and leader is 6-10lb when targeting Albert Park fish. The lake on average is 1-2m, deep which is quite shallow. There is thick weed that covers most off the water column therefore picking lures that won’t dive to deep is your From page 10

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for everyone. If the local estuaries are high and dirty you can use your sounder to easily locate fish in the deeper areas towards the river mouth. The fish can be difficult to tempt in the cold water but on some days they turn it on. At such times you can have memorable sessions

best option. I’ve found when targeting carp on lures, the Ecogear ZX Blade is by far the most effective hardbodied lure when it comes to an all-round lure. It represents a shrimp so straight away you think of species such as bream and flathead, although the action that it demonstrates on a slow to medium retrieve is a lolly for any fish. Keeping your rod tip that little bit higher then what you would normally will defiantly keep your lure in the strike zone for a lot longer. TIME When fishing Albert Park Lake most common target species is yellowbelly, and the only native species in the lake. But because the cooler months have kicked in, yellowbelly fishing will slow down. They will become active again when the months heat up. So while the fishing is a bit slow the alternative fish to target at the lake is carp. Fishing early morning and late afternoon is the best time to target them. As is often the case when carp are feeding,

you will see them cruising on the surface, and this means you can sight-cast them. What’s not to love about that? ALL IN ALL Albert Park Lake is a great option to those not wanting to travel huge distances to scratch their fishing itch. At only 3km from Melbourne’s CBD, it’ a fantastic fishery that is literally sitting under our noses!

on good-sized bream and perch, with even the odd mulloway thrown in. In the windows of good weather there have been still plenty of school-sized tuna caught off Port Fairy and Warrnambool. It still amazes me that on a good day you can do a quick dash out a couple of kays and find

yourself casting stickbaits into churning schools of tuna in no time at all. I grew up thinking this was the sort of fishing you had to travel interstate for, but not anymore. August is definitely the tail end of the tuna season but the last few years have seen fish present at this time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR JasonTanti is 17 years old and has a huge passion for fishing. He has fished his whole life and is always trying to fuel his thirst for knowledge. He currently owns and runs an online tackle store WEFISH DOWNUNDER, which has a range of different products. He tries to fish every week in both the fresh and saltwater for species such as bream, flathead, pinkies, mulloway and golden perch.

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4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo Fishers and boaties will be in marine and outdoors heaven this August at the National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo, scheduled for 21-23 August at the Melbourne Showgrounds. Melbourne’s premier outdoors event for 2015 will feature everything required for outdoors adventures, fishing, boating, 4x4 and camping, showcasing tens-of-thousands of products from over 200 leading exhibitors and retailers. The Show will present a unique opportunity for visitors to compare their favourite products and brands to ensure they are getting the best bargains, along with the chance to chat directly with retailers who will have some fantastic deals on offer. Visitors to the Show will be some of the first to see new products and technologies, with exciting launches and new gear from a number of exhibitors such as ECCO Safety Group, worldwide market leaders in safety lighting and audible warning equipment, as well as Sammitr Australia with the new V5 vehicle canopy, and Jurgens with its latest release, the TuffTRAX caravan – all perfect for your next fishing adventure. At the Show visitors will also have the rare chance to view useful demonstrations, such as how to cast and fly fish, and receive first-hand advice and reviews from respected fishing and outdoors industry experts. Many fishing and boating industry leaders are on board for this year’s event, including Tackle World, Regal Marine, Monster Fish and Action Kayak. These exhibitors will be joined by the likes of outdoors and 4x4 industry names such as TJM, ARB, Ironman, Opposite Lock and Ezy-Trail Campers, among an extremely wide range of other exhibitors ensuring all interests are met at the Show. All of the popular features will return to the Melbourne Showgrounds again this year, so ensure you don’t miss out on all of the entertainment at the Tackle World Fishing

Stage, WAECO Outback Stage, Campfire Cooking Corner presented by XXXX Anglers, the exciting Action Arena, and the dedicated 4WD Proving Ground which allows visitors to try a 4WD of their choice before they buy on a variety of different terrains. A huge line-up of special guests and industry experts are joining the National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo in 2015. Don’t miss your opportunity to see the star of Network Ten’s iFish TV Show, Paul Worsteling in the flesh, as he heads the line-up of speakers on the Tackle World Fishing Stage. Paul will be sharing his iFish adventures, and precious tips

Top: There’ll be a huge line-up of special guests, including Paul Worsteling from iFish. Top Left: There will be a lot of exciting new gear on display from exhibitors. Above Right: It’s expected to be a big turn out so get in and grab a ticket online. Above Left: Jase Andrews from ‘All 4 Adventure’ will be making an appearance and will no doubt entertain the crowd with his tips and advice. and techniques with the crowd. He will undoubtedly have plenty to talk about having landed several world record fish this year alone. Joining Paul on the Tackle World Fishing Stage, and broadcasting live from the Show, is the team from Channel 31’s Talking Fishing TV Show, David Kramer, Adam Ring and Steve ‘Trelly’

Trellfall. The Talking Fishing team will be on stage for an hour on both Saturday and Sunday, bringing all of their regular humour, knowledge and fishing tips. The stage will also showcase the vast knowledge of many renowned fishing industry expert presenters, such as Bill Milonas from Lowrance who will be holding

4x4 will also be a big focus of this year’s expo. 14

AUGUST 2015

an invaluable education session on how to use a GPS and sounder. For those who would like to learn how to cast and fly fish, the Yarra Valley Fly Fishing team will also be in attendance at the Tackle World Fishing Stage – view the demonstration and then test your skills with the help of the team. The entertainment on the Tackle World Fishing Stage doesn’t end with the special guest entertainers, with plenty of additional activities on the bill across the three days, such as fish cleaning demonstrations, plenty of giveaways and much more. Away from the Fishing Stage visitors to the Show can see presentations and talks by the best special guests in the industry, such as Jase Andrews from All 4 Adventure, John ‘Roothy’ Rooth the ‘Bush Mechanic’ from Unlock Australia, Allan Gray the Outback Engineer and Carlisle Rogers from 4WD Touring Australia. These industry

experts will be joined by Rick O’Brien and Dave from Tough Dog Suspension talking off-road tips, Alpine educating visitors on navigating the outback, 4WD Kingdom with their 4WD techniques and Shaun whale and Graham Cahill speaking about trip preparations with WAECO. The popular Campfire Cooking Corner presented by XXXX Anglers will feature ex-AFL legend Peter ‘Spida’ Everitt from The Great Australian Doorstep, hilarious comedian Chris Franklin – who may even perform a song – who will prove to everyone that ‘Blokes Can Cook’ during his cooking segment, along with a range of other chefs and culinary experts. The Campfire Cooking Corner is a great stage to visit if you would like to learn more about cooking while in the outback or during your fishing and boating adventures, offering some great campfire cooking tips and advice on how to cook your catch. In addition to the Campfire

Cooking Corner, XXXX Gold will also be sponsoring the XXXX Gold Fishing & Boating Pavilion, an 8,000 square metre one-stop shop dedicated to all things fishing and boating, and the place to find all of the exhibitors from the marine industry. The pavilion will include a pop-up bar area in addition to the exhibitor displays, where visitors can take a load-off and relax after a busy day of exploring all the Show has to offer. Thrill seekers will revel in the excitement of the Action Arena, featuring Ryan Brown and Shaun Webb from Defy FMX who will amaze crowds with their amazing tricks. In a Victorian-first, a roll-over truck will flip its way around the Action Arena, in addition to an unbelievable monster truck and pyrotechnics. The action will continue in a performance by Australia’s number one professional street bike stunt rider, Lukey Luke, who will get visitors’ hearts racing. “With over 30,000m2 dedicated to everything outdoors, the National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo is the industry event to visit in Melbourne this year. It will have absolutely everything keen fishermen and boating enthusiasts could ask for when it comes to products, suppliers and expert advice and demonstrations,” Event Director, Paul Mathers said. “We are thrilled to have such an outstanding range of industry-leading exhibitors on board again for this year’s Show, complemented by some fantastic special guests offering advice and tips that visitors wouldn’t ordinarily have access to all under the one roof. “The Show only comes to Melbourne once each year, so all outdoors fans should ensure they come along to the main event for the industry to be certain they don’t miss out on all the Show has to offer in 2015.” Tickets are available to purchase online at www.4x4show.com.au at $18 for adults (or $30 for a two-day pass), $13 for seniors and kids under 15 years of age can enter the Show for free. All visitors who purchase tickets to the Show online will go in the draw to win a WAECO CFX-50 fridgefreezer valued at $1,300. The 50Lt fridge-freezer combination is the ultimate accessory for any boating, fishing, camping, four-wheeldriving and outdoors fan. For further information, or to secure your tickets to the National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo scheduled for 21-23 August at the Melbourne Showgrounds, visit www.4x4show. com.au. - FMG

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Quiet on the western front COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

It’s not entirely quiet but the depth of winter does make it hard for an angler to leave a cosy, warm house and brave the elements just to sate his or her piscatorial addiction. For those who do go fishing, there have been reports of a mulloway or three in the Gellibrand River at Princetown. The fish have been responding to most methods, with bait fishing from the bank being the most popular. From the recreation reserve bridge downstream has been where most fish have been taken on bait. The prime time for static fishos has been on dusk and after dark. Cut pilchard, squid and even packet prawns have taken a few. However, most of these baits were sent out for bream so even though

many of the mulloway are of the small ‘soapy’ variety, not all have been landed. Most modern bream outfits can handle mulloway up to 3kg no worries, but as for basic and cheaper outfits loaded up with budget line, well… bye-bye fishy! A few anglers in the know have been casting larger soft plastics up to 130mm, favouring the shad design. Fishing from a boat also gives you more control over the fish. The tannin-stained waters of the ‘Gelli’ remain rather dirty due to recent rains that fell in the Otway Ranges. Strong scented soft plastics or minnow lures with a powerful vibrating action are all you need to attract a bite. The Curdies estuary is fairly full but not full enough to warrant opening at this time. The bream angling remains up and down, with a good day’s angling still a potluck affair.

When the fish have been on the chew they’ve been caught out in the lake as well as the lower reaches of the river. Packet bait such as river whitebait (‘glassies’), prawn or pipi have tempted fish on a given day. So too have small yabbies and earthworm. The system is certainly due for a good flush prior to the bream’s annual spawning run so we’re waiting for some more decent rain. Around 100mm in one or two hits may well do the job. School southern bluefin tuna are still a viable option close inshore. Launching either from Warrnambool or Peterborough and fishing in depths of around 50m has seen fish to 12kg boated. Rapala Deep Diving X-Raps remain the popular go-to lure to troll and cast. The waters off Childers Cove and around the gas pipeline have been popular and successful spots for boaters to concentrate their efforts.

Bait fishing on the Curdies playing with a new ‘canoe combo’, even though I don’t own a canoe! (There’s a thermal top under that shirt!)

Quality bream in the dry APOLLO BAY

Daniel Kent apollobaysurfshop@bigpond.com

It’s cold and windy outside but that’s no excuse to not go fishing. In fact, it has been a rather dry winter so far and that means all the local estuaries are fishing well for black bream.

weedless. Slowly hopping them along the bottom and through the snag piles has caught me plenty of fish and I’m sure it will for you too. While on the subject of estuaries, don’t forget about the Aire and Ford rivers this August as this is the prime time to land a big trout from these systems. The rivers are

pilchard around on a set of ganged hooks will also get you connected to these toothy critters. Boat fishers are still doing tuna runs when conditions allow and the latest reports were that the fish are still around in good numbers but playing hard to catch. Try trolling

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Bream fishing in the local river estuaries is a good option at this time of year. The bream are getting ready to spawn from August onwards so this means they will be schooled up and all in the same stretch of river. A good thing if you know where to find them, but not so great if you can’t locate where they are holding up. I’ve been fishing the Barham River from Sallys Hill to Martins Corner and can tell you the bream have been right along this stretch for a few weeks now. Casting soft plastic grub style lures has been working a treat, especially when rigged

closed to trout fishing above the Ocean Road bridges but that still leaves plenty of water to fish in the lower reaches. Small hardbodied lures in the 5cm range work well when cast down along the banks and trout of 2kg or more are often landed. The Apollo Bay Harbour has some hungry schools of barracouta patrolling around on the inside with anglers casting lures from the pier getting in on the action. Remember a wire trace or you will lose more than you land. Drifting an unweighted

small-skirted lures way out the back of the boat or sneaking up and casting with the boat engine turned off. Wild Dog Beach has been littered with anglers most weekends and I have seen some good salmon being caught. White bait or blue bait is working and some of the fish have been over 2kg in weight. Casting metal lures is also an option from the beach when the swell is down and is a more active way to target these great sport fish.

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Winter beach goers out fishing and having a ball GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterbunch@optusnet.com.au

Winter has been a cold, drawn-out and gruelling time for anglers in the local area, but those getting out and braving the condition are seeing the rewards. Wurdi Buloc Reservoir near Moriac produced a few brown and rainbow trout up to 2.5kg for anglers fishing mudeye under a float and casting winged lures and soft plastics from the main wall. Those bouncing soft plastics along the bottom have managed to catch a few redfin to 44cm as well. There have been a few good-sized Australian salmon kicking about inside Corio Bay. There are stacks around the 400g size but it is well worth a trip as some of them have been exceeding 2kg on occasions. They have been caught in the Grammar School Lagoon, Geelong waterfront and near the Royal Geelong Yacht Club. Bait anglers fishing from Cunningham Pier have enjoyed snotty trevally from 400-800g. Best baits have been raw chicken, pilchard fillets and pipis while small

single-tailed soft plastics have also caught a few. Anglers with glycol for blood have fished into the cold Corio Bay nights and been rewarded with snapper to 6kg. Best bet has been to motor around with a quality depth sounder until you find a school and lob some baits down to them. Getting them to bite can be tricky so pack a variety fresh baits and be prepared to try them all. Land-based anglers have also caught quality snapper with a few to 3kg coming from North Shore Rocks. Calamari and flathead were caught earlier last month out off Clifton Springs, St Leonards and Queenscliff. Most I heard of were better than average size at about 30cm of hood length for the calamari and up to 45cm for the flathead. Flathead are always the exception with some sections of the bay floor generously carpeted with undersized bait-stealing flatties, so wading through these can require patience. Land-based anglers have caught a few King George whiting from legal length to 35cm lately. Best spots include St Helens, Rippleside and North Shore.

Try walking the beaches with light spin gear at first and last light for salmon this month. King George whiting have been caught around the Bellarine Peninsula. Portarlington Pier has had a few calamari come from it for those using skewer style jigs baited with pilchards after dark.

I fished out off St Leonards with my son Max, Terry Wise and his son Nick recently and it was standing room only out at the White Lady. We drifted for flatties in 18m of water to keep the kids

excited and caught plenty but all undersized, although I did catch a solitary 31cm whiting drifting in 8m of water on a pilchard tail â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not what I was expecting! We moved in with the crowd and were punished by

undersized leatherjackets, so we headed in. A few anglers in at the ramp had caught fair numbers of whiting from legal length to 35cm, but no real big ones amongst them. Best baits have been fresh

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squid and pipis. We all fished again the following day as it was too calm to mow lawns and do boring house stuff. We began by trolling for salmon along the Geelong waterfront then drifted for flatties and squid off Leopold, tried for whiting near Point Henry and ended up just off East Geelong Golf Course but pretty much did not lose a bait in the few hours we were out! Other anglers at the ramp had caught a few pinkie snapper fishing near Clifton Springs. The kids were treated to a wildlife show with a small hawk hovering near the ramp plus a seal and some dolphins working over some small fish near Point Henry. Rod Ludlow from Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head says some of his clients have done well on flathead and squid over the last month. The biggest buckets of flathead were caught drifting out deep off St Leonards and Indented Head and there has been plenty of them according to Rod. Rod says if you’re keen on larger flathead and can brave the cold mornings, try in the shallower water before the drop off with pilchards and blue bait for better-sized fish. Quality squid have been caught around the Prince

George Light, Grassy Point and Governor Reef areas with morning and evening fishing best. Rod says to keep moving if you luck out and keep changing your jigs as they seem to bite on different colours at different times of the day. Rod notes that those land-based anglers should have a go on the Portarlington Pier where lots of Australian salmon are coming in throughout the day. Rod says plenty have been caught on Silver Wobblers but any chrome

Mick caught this trevally spinning in the surf near Anglesea.

Max patiently waiting for a bite in near Limeburners boat ramp.

lure should be in with a fair chance. Rod’s clients have had mixed results for whiting on the shore side of the White Lady with some returning with near bag limits and others a lot less. The lower reaches of the Barwon River estuary has been producing Australian salmon on lures and flies on the incoming tide. They have been caught up to 40cm so it makes for some great fun on light gear for pesky kids. John Albrecht from Torquay Angling Club says he has seen some nice whiting being cleaned at the table recently, one of which weighed in at a back slapping 875g! John hasn’t been out a great deal but has heard reports of plenty of bait-pinching pinkies about but most are under size. The Australian salmon have invaded the beaches so it’s time to dust off the surf rods! Mick Allardyce from Allyweld Group fished from the beach at Anglesea where he caught a few quality Australian salmon to 2kg and some silver trevally using small metal lures cast into a deep gutter. Some quality salmon to 2kg have been caught by anglers spinning from Jump Rock right before Lorne and the rock platforms under the hospital in Lorne have

been worth a look with some ripper salmon from 0.5-1.8kg caught here on both bait and lures. Make sure you check the tide and swell before you fish any rock platforms. If the waves are crashing over the rocks, forget rock fishing and hit the beaches. Speaking of beaches, Fairhaven to Eastern View should be worth a look this month for salmon. Try walking along and casting lures into the gutters in close. You’ll be surprised just how close big salmon will come in - especially around dawn and dusk. If soaking a bait is more your thing, they absolutely love raw chicken and traditional fish baits such as pilchards. I have had success casting out a paternoster rig baited with soft plastic lures so if crabs are a problem, this can work well. • Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send in a report to slaterbunch@ optusnet.com.au with VFM in the subject field or give me a call on 0408 997 348. Please include where (without giving away your secret spot!), when, what on and who caught the fish. Pictures are always great, but please make sure they are at least 1mb (file size).

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Dredging discolours metro rivers PORT PHILLIP WEST

Brenton Hodges blhodgey@hotmail.com

Major dredging works at Werribee South have been operating over the past month in order to create a deeper and wider boating channel and therefore provide safer access to and from Port Phillip Bay. Sections of the beach at the entrance to the river either side of, and including, the main jetty have been roped off while a cutter suction dredge and various other earth moving machinery have been operating. Dredged material in the form of sand and mud is being deposited along the adjacent foreshore area north east of the channel. Weather permitting, it is anticipated the works should be completed this month, but last month, it seemed there is a fair amount of work still to do. AVALON TO POINT COOK The gummy sharks just keep on coming at Werribee

South. Anchoring in 10-12m of water, Robert Gubeljak and his son, Troy, and daughter, Krystal, picked up some fine table fare, including gummies to 4.5kg and plenty of flathead up to 45cm, which is terrific sport for this time of year. Rob says squid heads and

half pilchard baits amongst a berley trail did the job on the gummies, though plenty of undesirables also took a liking to these offerings with more than half a dozen banjos (southern fiddler rays) and Port Jackson sharks caught and released.

Speaking with other anglers at the cleaning benches at Werribee South, it seems flathead have been a common catch of late, particularly for those drifting flesh baits and paddle-tailed soft plastics across the bottom in 10m+ of water.

The gummy sharks just keep on coming at Werribee South. Under the guidance of his father, Robert, youngster Troy Gubeljak pulled this beauty in 10m of water on a squid head presented amongst a berley trail.

Two for the price of one! Small to medium size squid continue to provide anglers with consistent sport, as well as a tasty meal across inshore areas of Port Phillip. a few more undersize pinkies. While some promising signs were marked on the sounder along the 6m line, unfortunately bites were not forthcoming of this occasion. The boys from Hooked On Bait and Tackle report pinkie snapper to 1kg, with the odd larger snapper to 4kg+, have been taken at Williamstown on pilchard. First and last light is undoubtedly your best bet, but expect the shallow water action to pick up under overcast conditions and both during and immediately following a strong onshore blow.

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Melbourne’s metropolitan rivers, as well as parts of Port Phillip Bay at Williamstown and Port Melbourne are known to produce school mulloway, particularly under the cover of darkness. Further around at Point Cook, small to medium size squid have also been taken with a reasonable degree of consistency, in 4-6m of water just out from the abandoned jetty. ALTONA TO WILLIAMSTOWN Reasonable catches of squid also continue to be taken out from Apex Park at Altona on the rising tide especially. Those casting small to medium size jigs from pedal powered kayaks have been amongst the action of late. Jonathan Balfour and Lauren Asciak ventured out off Williamstown in search of pinkie snapper on the nearby shallow reef areas. While clear cold water conditions made it tough going at times, a few juveniles were taken on worm pattern soft plastics either side of a mid-morning high tide, but according to Jonno, they were very timid and mostly just plucking at the tails. Snook to 40cm or thereabouts and a few squid rounded out a good session on the water. Backing up a week later, Jonno managed a good feed of flathead to 48cm along with

METROPOLITAN RIVERS Fishing has remained consistent in the lower reaches of Melbourne’s metropolitan rivers throughout the winter months with bream, yellow-eye mullet and school mulloway the mainstay, amongst pinkie snapper and Australian salmon, which tend to come and go with tides. Key target areas include the moored yachts and jetty pylons at Williamstown, the dense timber structure at Port

Melbourne and either side of the river below the West Gate Bridge. Further upriver at Docklands, bream to 32cm as well as the odd larger specimen have been taken on crab imitations cast hard up against the jetty pylons and floating pontoons. Mulloway continue to be taken with relative frequency in both the Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers, particularly for those putting in the hours with live baits under the cover of darkness. Those pitching larger profile soft plastics, blades and lipless cranks at the bridge pylons have also been turning up some quality mulloway to 80cm and sometimes beyond. Whispers of a few mulloway taken in recent times exceeding the magic metre mark have been doing the rounds and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear of (or hopefully witness) a few more of this calibre before the year is out. It has been tough going in recent times on the Werribee River, particularly when the dredger has been operating at the mouth of the system. By contrast to the norm, the rising tide has seen dirty discoloured water (as a result of the dredging) make its way upriver and the resident bream don’t seem to like it at all. A few fish have been taken over the past weeks up around the K-Road cliff area, but it’s generally been a tough slog for both bait and lure anglers alike. Hopefully the fishing will kick back into gear once the work concludes and conditions settle. • Reports and images are most welcome and may be submitted via email to blhodgey@hotmail.com.

Once the dredging work at Werribee South concludes, hopefully the resident bream will kick back into gear.

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Good catches between patches of misery PORT PHILLIP EAST

Lee Rayner info@fishingfever.com.au

Some miserable days that make it a total write off for fishing or the exact opposite with

perfect winter windless days has seen anglers getting out on the water when they can. And just like winter fishing every year, for those people who are out there on the water the results are excellent.

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MORDIALLOC TO BLACK ROCK Although the mornings are cold, if you can brave the frosts and cool breezes then the mullet fishing in the creek has been first class with not only numbers, but also some very big mullet to be found on a daily basis. The trick to catching them however is a correctly weighted float fished on either a 7-8m pole or a long soft rod that will prevent you from pulling the tiny hooks you need to use. Baits are either small pieces of prawn, chicken breast or dough, with a fine bran and tuna oil-based berley to attract the fish. On the pier, the pinkies and squid are making their presence felt with the calmer conditions proving ideal for the squid, while any of the rougher weather sees the pinkies on the move in the shallow water at dusk and into the night. Out in the boats, it’s the same scenario with anglers moving around Beaumaris Bay, either hunting squid and pinkies on the reefs, which has been very productive of late, and

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while the pinkies are there in great numbers, it can be a real case of making moves or covering the water to find some of the better sized fish. Over the past weeks I have also had a few reports of anglers getting into some lovely salmon, and while they haven’t been in big numbers, for those that are keeping an eye out for just a few birds – especially the terns, the results have been there with the salmon encountered in the 1.5kg size. July saw the flathead fishing slow a little, however some of the reports that came through saw anglers who persisted with fishing plastics like the Z-Man 4” Grubs very slowly across the bottom in the nuclear chicken and motor oil colours having success on some solid flatties in the 35-45cm size. Another good option however is also to use a paternoster rig baited with whitebait. If we can get calm weather in the coming weeks it should see Beaumaris Pier turn black with ink. And while the pier itself has been great, the rocky shoreline all around it is also fantastic, especially on a rising tide late in the afternoon. Up off Ricketts Point and towards Black Rock it’s a similar story with pinkies dominating the focus for both bait and lure anglers as they work along the edge of the reef. Interestingly it definitely seems the best results for numbers of fish are coming either off Rickets Point or up off the Black Rock carpark. SANDRINGHAM TO ST KILDA This area can, does and will produce some great fishing over the coming month with the heavy cunjevoi reef in some locations providing serious feeding grounds for the pinkies and other species. For land-based anglers the end of the Sandringham Breakwall and the Hampton Rock Groynes are the perfect location for some serious pinkie fishing, especially in a bit of a southerly blow as it stirs up the water in this bay, which then in turn attracts some solid pinkies. When the water is calm and clear however the surrounding patches of reef and weed are producing a few squid and some decent numbers of garfish, which should only get better as we roll through the next few months. The Anonyma Shoal is worth a look over the coming weeks for large snook, which tend to work around this great patch of reef. A great way to find

Calmer conditions are a great time to get out and chase some squid. them is to slowly troll diving minnows around the reef edges or drift and cast plastics, either way once you find one there are generally plenty more. During August and September there can at times also be good number of small barracouta around this reef, which can easily be caught using the same lures, then they can either be packed away for snapper season, or used fresh for a bit of the best pinkie bait you could ever get. Further north Brighton and its surrounds have been fishing well for pinkies, along with some solid flathead and big red mullet. Best of all it seems that some of the better fishing I have heard of over the past weeks has been for the landbased anglers fishing off the Breakwall or any small patches of rocky shoreline. Brighton through to St Kilda has also been producing smaller numbers of squid but generally they are of a much better size, with any rain or rough weather seeing them push out to deeper water. However as soon as it clean sup they are back into the shallows, with the 3-5m areas appearing to produce the best results over the past few weeks. ST KILDA TO PORT MELBOURNE It’s such a tricky place at this time of the

year with the fishing often times being great if we don’t get too much rain, saying that though the rain is so important for the upcoming season. Over the past weeks some anglers have found some good fishing for trevally and small salmon off the St Kilda Pier and around at the Breakwall, especially if berleying up on the inside of the wall where all the swing moorings are, then fishing with small baits suspended under a float or repeatedly casting an unweighted bait out, allowing it to sink through the water column and berley. Fishing around the boats on the swing moorings behind the Breakwall has also seen some mulloway getting caught and plenty more being hooked by anglers fishing with plastics – the biggest problem here is stopping the bigger fish from cleaning you up on the mooring chains. Off the piers and in the boats it’s very much the same story as last month with pinkies going OK when it’s rough, while the squid are slow, probably due to a bit of dirty water. However Station Pier has produced a few salmon and as I always say it’s worth getting a big bait out there as this part of the bay can turn up some big snapper and huge mulloway at this time.

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AUGUST 2015

Keeping anglers honest PORT PHILLIP EAST

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

The cold start to winter on the bay has continued, and has kept anglers honest on the water. Strong and persistent onshore winds have also been a common thread, making conditions less than comfortable for the most part. The calm and clear days that anglers crave at this time of year have been few and far between, but when they have come we’ve seen more anglers getting out on the water and amongst the action. SNAPPER The rigours of the winter months have certainly dropped the water temperatures on the bay, and

this has certainly made many of the bay’s target species less active. Smaller school-sized snapper tend to congregate in tight schools right on the bottom, and only feed for short periods of time. These short bite periods make early morning and late afternoon sessions the most productive, especially when you’re lure fishing on the inshore reefs. The spinoff for us anglers is that the snapper make much better table fare when the water is cooler, so the reward for effort is in the eating. For the boaters who are still putting in the hours for a big winter red, the key to success is to be patient. The larger resident fish still in the bay generally graze over wide areas of mud and flat bottom, so some time scanning your chosen marks on the sounder

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will help. Berley will also play a big part, but most of all be prepared to wait between fish. The deeper marks close to the channel are best during the winter months, especially on the western side. The snapper you are likely to encounter out wide are normally of greater size and quality as well, in fact many anglers have recently taken their PBs targeting winter reds, both in Port Phillip Bay, and also at the top end of Western Port. For the land-based crew, the rough onshore weather is still the best time to hit the rocks and piers. The snapper will move right in close during these conditions, even during the cooler months to feed in the more oxygen-rich water, and to graze on the abundance of food dislodged from the reefs. Be prepared to put up with plenty of smaller pinkies as well, and these can be frustrating, especially if you have gathered prime baits, but it goes with the territory. The time of day during the blows seems to be less crucial, but a high tide near first or last light is the prime time. OTHER SPECIES During the calmer days, both boaters and land-based anglers have been enjoying great fishing for calamari right along the eastern shoreline, as well as the welcome return of good numbers of garfish, which were very scarce for a while. The garfish have been a little tricky during really flat conditions, when they become very aware of their surroundings and the variety of predators (including anglers) around. The use of berley is crucial, as well as fresh bait. Maggots, silverfish and peeled prawn baits are best, and the use of good quality chemically sharpened size 12 hooks will get it done. The cooler water temperatures have also aided the arrival of some big numbers of couta, and in

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The rough onshore weather is still the best time to hit the rocks and piers for snapper. Photo courtesy of Mark Keavney some areas they are in plague proportions. During a recent trip lure fishing on the bay, the couta were as thick as I’ve seen them for a long time and were positively annoying at times. Still, they are pretty good fun to catch, and they taste OK too. Like the gars, the couta respond well to berley, and will take just about anything when they’re in the mood. The use of wire trace is advisable, especially while bait fishing. The salmon have been a bit harder to find of late. As they start to move out onto the ocean beaches they spend less time on the surface feeding on bait. A quick scan along the bay beach gutters in the usual spots will normally find a school or two, and trolling likely areas is a great way to find them as well. The bream fishing will really fire up in the bays, creeks and rivers when we get some more substantial rain, especially for the bait fishing anglers. The use of scrub worms and other freshwater

A key feature of winter fishing on the bay so far has been quality snapper and pinkies taken by anglers fishing from the rocks and other landbased locations. Photo courtesy of Mark Keavney baits can be very effective when the water is dirty, especially in the Patterson

River and other systems where there is substantial storm water run-off.

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PPB calamari habitats revealed A three-year study funded by recreational fishing licence fees has found that certain areas of Port Phillip Bay are much more important to calamari breeding than others. Fisheries Victoria Executive Director, Travis Dowling, said spawning habitats in southern and western Port Phillip Bay are more critical to calamari reproduction than those in the north and east. “Wetting a line for calamari has become increasingly popular in Port Phillip Bay, for food and bait, so we wanted to know more about when and where they spawn, and what type of seafloor was most important for egg laying,” Mr Dowling said. “The study found that

the southern and western areas of the Bay including Lonsdale Bight, Point Nepean, Queenscliff and St Leonards, contained more seagrass, which is a preferred habitat for egg laying by large female calamari. “The northern habitats in the Bay were characterised by more seaweed, sponges and sea squirts, and were typically home to smaller calamari and fewer egg clusters. Fisheries scientist Dr Corey Green said the study confirmed that calamari in Port Phillip Bay are capable of spawning throughout the year, with a peak between spring and summer. “Using electronic acoustic tags, individual calamari were observed moving relatively large

distances, but many stay resident in the south of the Bay during the spawning season for about one week before moving away,” Dr Green said. “One tagged calamari travelled 51km throughout the southern parts of the Bay over eight days. “We knew calamari grew very rapidly and completed their lifecycle in less than one year, but we did not know they exhibited movement patterns like these.” Dr Green said fisheries managers and anglers now had a better understanding of calamari populations in the Bay and could make more informed decisions about how to maintain this as a sustainable fishery. – DEDJTR

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Action before red invasion MORNINGTON PENINSULA

Dan Lee info@peninsulatotaltackle.com.au

Winter can certainly seem slow during the weeks which present endless grey and gloom. Yet we have been reasonably lucky through the last

month with those periods generally punctuated by a respite and a few days of light breezes and good, if still grey, fishing conditions. SNAPPER Given we are only moments away from the impending snapper season I almost feel some hesitation

talking about snapper as we’ll all be sick of them in a couple of months from now. However, as we’ve seen the last couple of years there have been some fantastic reds caught on both sides of the Mornington Peninsula in the last month or so. Admittedly, it is a

Mason Shultz with a magnificent winter Port Phillip Bay red.

brave angler’s game, as many of them have come after dark, which means plenty of wet and cold while you are waiting. While we heard of some good fish from Mt Martha and Mornington during daylight hours too, the best fish, mostly over 8kg, came during the evening. Mason Shultz was one such angler who got out there, did the hard yards, and found unbelievable snapper in the process. Mason clocked some rippers between 7-9kg while fishing Port Phillip and Western Port. SURF SCENE The bread and butter stuff for this time of year, however, is the surf scene and the Australian salmon that are targeted both on baits and lure at popular beaches like Gunnamatta, Rye Back, Portsea and even on the east side of the peninsula at Merricks and Shoreham. Late in the month we seemed to have a spike of action down at Gunnamatta with plenty of salmon, many well over 1kg, being caught by a range of anglers. I’ve mentioned this a

Sambos and plenty of them. Gunnamatta back beach is the pick of the surf spots at this time of year. Tim Hepner shows off a couple. few times over the years but we continue to see an increase in the number of anglers targeting salmon on lure. The bottom line is that it is a much simpler form of surf fishing – light, mobile and without

all the paraphernalia that most bait fishos lug down the beach. If you haven’t tried it, do. I’d say we sell almost 50/50 now in surf spin tackle to bait tackle for hitting the back beach these days. If you’re not

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Shane Branch with a nice calamari taken at Safety Beach.

sure what to look for in your local tackle store start with the 9’ graphite rods. They’re an essential in my book for this type of fishing. The largest salmon we saw in the last month got weighed in at the shop and went 2.71kg, which is a very nice fish indeed. We still have a bit of time before the end of the surf season and we often see a late run of big fish so no doubt, the 3kg mark will be cracked in no time. GUMMY SHARK Gummy shark slide down the target list in winter, mainly because my feeling is that there are less in the bay and they just become that little bit harder to target. We also tend to get an influx of swell sharks into the bay with the cool water. Adding another bait stealer to the list of banjo sharks, Port Jacksons, rays etc. can make for difficult fishing. With that said, it has been pleasing to see some good gummies caught by those taking advantage of a few of the calm evenings we had through the month. Sam Sierakowski was one of those who nailed a nice fish while fishing in 16m off Rye on the south channel. He and his mate Blacka did the right thing

in chasing up a bit of fresh bait before settling in for a late arvo session. SQUID I will quickly report that the squid fishing has continued to be very consistent. Most of our local grounds at Safety Beach, Tootgarook, Blairgowrie and Sorrento have fished well. Spring however, often heralds the big breeding squid entering the bay so I look forward to hopefully bringing you some more action on this front over the next couple of months. LOOKING AHEAD If you’re not already, it’s time to start looking over the snapper gear. Check what needs re-spooling, how’s the hook supply, what leader do you have left? The annual spring run of snapper into our bay and port is probably the biggest event on the fishing calendar for most of those who live in greater Melbourne. Each year is different and each year the fish hold and congregate in different areas. Who knows what this one will bring but without doubt the first spring fish will be caught in the next month. And I’m looking forward to every second of the action. Bring on the snapper!

Filly Assa Leausa got this pair of nice sized Australian salmon off Baxters Beach at Wonthaggi.

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Snapper season comes early WST PORT NTH

Adam Ring

We are another step closer to warm weather and another snapper season and hopefully the worst of the weather is behind us. It has been a pretty crazy winter and the fishing has been quite good. By all indications we are in for a stunner of

a snapper season, some might even say that that season is already upon us! BLUEFIN TUNA That’s right, bluefin tuna! If you head on over to Facebook you may come across a little video of a small bluefin tuna that somehow ended up doing laps through the canals at Yarringa Boat Harbour! We don’t why it was there or how it got even there

but it is seriously awesome to watch and definitely something that you don’t see every day! SNAPPER AND GUMMIES The gummy shark fishing continues to be fairly consistent in numbers but the average size has been down a little bit. There are loads of tiny gummies scattered all over the shallow mud banks

Brian, Jack and James with their 8kg Top End snapper.

surrounding Grantville and Lang Lang. The land-based brigade have been getting their fair share from off the beach at Lang Lang but most of the reports in this area have come from the kayak anglers. Fresh squid, supermarket prawns and a high tide have seen the best results but like I mentioned earlier, you will need to wade through quite a few smaller fish to get to a legal model for the table. The snapper fishing, once again, has really taken a lot of anglers by surprise and the quality of the fish has been outstanding. I want to make one thing pretty clear before I go any further, we are not in November so don’t expect to catch 30 snapper in a session! The water is still cold so bite times will generally be quite short, tide changes are a must and bites will be quite timid so you will need to be paying attention. The huge bonus here is that for all of the hard work and preparation the reward is literally massive! The stretch of water between Bourchier Channel and Joes Island seems to still be a great place to start with some really nice fish

Glenn Browitt with his epic 9.3kg Hastings red that ate some freshly caught calamari. of snapper that weighed in at 6.9 and 4.9kg gutted, again both fish were landed during the run-out tide. There were also a couple of proper trophy snapper captured recently too and it’s so ridiculously cool to see fish like this at this time of year. Brian McEwan took a couple of family friends in young Jack and James for a fish

Kallan with a sample of the Quail Bank squid, which should be starting to pack on some condition leading up to their breeding season. being weighed in. One of the keen locals, Scott, spent a few hours in the Channel and landed a cracker 7.1kg fish during the run-out tide. Ken Billing and Stan Kolbe put in a solid session at Joes Island itself and had a great day landing a pair 28

AUGUST 2015

somewhere in the Top End of the port and put the young lads onto an absolute horse of a snapper that dragged the scales down at 8kg and measured 85cm long! A fish of a lifetime boys! Well done! Glenn Browitt just

pipped the above red at the post however in one of his recent trips out from Hastings. Glenn was fishing freshly caught calamari during the run-in tide and landed a pearler of an old man snapper that weighed in at 9.3kg! Well-played Glenn, a huge effort! CALAMARI As well as the big snapper showing up so have the big calamari! We have just started to get some consistent reports of some of those big breeding squid that we hear about every year. The Quail Bank has fished as good as it has in months and 6m seems to be the magic water depth. Kallan Braid-Ball from Tackle World Cranbourne put in a couple of drifts over the bank and it didn’t take long to work them out. Kal reported that bigger jigs were the way to go with 3.5 and 4.0 size jigs easily out fished their smaller counter parts. A few of the older locals have also been doing quite well with the old baited jig method too. As they slowly drift along the bank they have a couple of floats out the back with a baited squid prong and rarely leave empty-handed. Silver whiting and tommy ruff are great baits for this method. The Tyabb Bank is where a lot of the bigger calamari have been. Young gun, Tyler Methers, went with the ‘big jig, big squid’ approach and easily out fished his old man… again! There has been some genuine 2kg type stuff slowly cruising around so don’t be scared at all to up size that jig! There we have it, another solid month and another 4380.2001 month BMP: closer to 606287 warmth! Good luck and keep those reports coming!

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The kings continue to rule and spruik that these fish indoors but rather braving the have always been available conditions to try their luck. As throughout winter, but that they say, the more lines in the might have been 20-30 years water, the better the chances jarrodday@iprimus.com.au ago. Within the last three of catching fish. In this case, I have been fishing Western years, anglers have been with more anglers on the water Port for nearly two decades, buying up larger boats, better during winter, more fish are and during that time I have tackle and gear and not staying being caught. seen a lot of changes when it comes to fish movement and behaviour. When you write a regular column for almost 10 years, reporting every month on the highs and lows of the most common species caught, you can’t help but build a solid history of when fish are at their most active throughout their season. Sure, there are factors that can alter the usual patterns (e.g. weather) but you do end up with a good basic idea of what’s going on and what will happen in the coming months. Sometimes, however, a species will throw a spanner in the works. Two species that have defied prediction have been the king of the Port, the King George whiting, and of course our beloved snapper. They might be predictable from spring through to the end of summer, but our winter runs in recent years have been something totally new. SNAPPER Marc Ainsworth with his hands full of tasty The older generation winter whiting. This bunch was caught of anglers might stand tall in the deep along the middle spit. WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day

G N I P P O R D W A J ON

Of course, the results have been very forthcoming with snapper of 20lb a common winter catch either from the rocks or from the boat. As for whiting, well… a bag of over 15 fish is about as common as during the summer months. So far this winter, weekly reports of both species about aren’t so surprising anymore. They’re almost expected when the weather is calm and boats can get out. Fortunately, those who do brave the conditions have been well rewarded with some magnificent models. Glen Browitt fished out from Hastings and managed a cracking 9.3kg snapper early one morning. Glen was fishing the run-out tide when the fish took his offering. Local angler and fishing journalist John Cahill also found success while fishing with his daughters Heidi and Tess. The Cahill trio set their sights on Western Port’s murky waters and plucked out a nice red while fishing the run-out tide. Eldest daughter Tess was pretty rapt to catch a nice winter snapper. It was her first genuine red – struck, hooked, fought and landed all by herself. With plenty of other reports of snapper coming in from around the Port, it’s certainly stacking up to be just as consistent as last winter. We have only a few weeks

Lydia Low knows all the hidey-holes where the calamari lurk during winter. Drifting over the shallow weed beds is a good starting point. Photo courtesy of John Cahill all winter they will still get the urge to do what all snapper intend on doing in the coming months. This means a few fish will go early and head to locations where they intend on spawning such as Corinella, Spit Point, Tenby Channel, Mosquito Channel and Long Reef. If you’re going to be fishing in August, these are the locations to try. WHITING The humble winter whiting has been a major feature in

POLYCRAFT BOATS Heidi and Tess Cahill display their proud catch after fishing with dad John during a cold winter’s day. Photo courtesy of John Cahill

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left of this terrible cold, wintery time of year before spring sets in. That’s right, September is approaching which means August is a great time to drag out the boat and ensure everything is in good working order. That means checking everything from your rods and reels to your boat and trailer. However, if you are going to go out this month looking for the last of the winter run, your best bet is to start looking in those early season snapper locations. Spawning season isn’t far off, and although some fish have hung around

fishing reports these last few months, and will continue on strong right through spring and summer. Though they are a regular catch throughout these times, it is only because of the influx of snapper in the bay that anglers stop targeting them. When this happens, few anglers think whiting are an option so they just stick to snapper. The truth is there are whiting about, and if you get over snapper early I recommend you make the switch and look out for the kings. Of late, most of the whiting

being caught have been in the deep water in the north, but there have also been scattered patches of fish along the edges of the shallow banks along the Middle Spit, Tankerton, Tortoise Head Bank, Flinders and Cat Bay. Unfortunately, winter whiting can be a slight challenge in that you’ll have to work for a steady catch of fish, but it will all come down to fishing the tides. Providing you’re willing to sit and work a particular tide, you’ll find that the fish will bite at some stage of the tide. The downside of this is that the bite might be for only 20 minutes or so, but at least you’ll pick up on the feeding pattern. From there, follow the tide and you’ll follow the bite. There is one key ingredient to at least bringing the fish to your location, and that’s berley. At this time of year, berley is everything and without it you might only catch a few fish or none at all. Past editor of V&TFM Marc Ainsworth recently fished in the north arm and found the fish biting for a very short window during the run-out tide. Though it was a quick bite, he managed some very impressive models despite almost freezing. Calamari have also been a common catch amongst the weed beds for those anglers looking for something else to target. The Middle Spit, Stony Point, Tankerton, Flinders, Cat Bay and Ventnor Beach have been producing some impressive models. J o h n Cahill and Lydia Low found a nice patch recently while flicking artificial jigs about in the shallows. With all the calamari about, along with garfish and what is left of the salmon run, this month is a great time to be out gathering baits for the upcoming snapper season. In saying that, why not catch a good selection of bait then give it a few hours and try for an early red? You’ll never know if you don’t have a go!

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AUGUST 2015

Salmon in thin supply NINETY MILE BEACH

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

It’s been a bit quiet on the salmon front this month, with a few nice sized ones getting caught, but hopefully there’s more on the way. We have had great conditions over June and July, maybe too good for the salmon, as they don’t mind the ordinary weather. A few anglers have managed a couple of salmon

recently and some good sized ones at that. Loch Sport seems to be fishing pretty well, and anglers are catching a few salmon to 2kg and a few smaller 0.5kg models as well, it just seems there’s no clues as to when you are likely to catch one. They have been inconsistent and hard to predict, so it’s just been the luck of the draw to see where they are. Golden Beach has produced a few salmon, similar to Loch Sport and on the better days there’s been the

odd one caught at McGaurans beach as well. You just have to head down there and try your luck. Blue bait has been the best bait to use, and a few fish have been caught on surf poppers as well. • 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!

The odd salmon has been caught along the Ninety-Mile, it’s just been persistence and a bit of luck at picking the right beach to catch one.

Go for cracking winter snapper PHILLIP ISLAND

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prepared to put the time in and endure the cold you could be rewarded with a trophy knobby. Fishing areas from Stony Point right up and around the northern end of the bay, as far around as Lang Lang and north of Corinella are the best places. On my last four trips I managed one snapper per trip for approximately six hours’ fishing. You might say that’s slow fishing, but when all the fish are between 7-8kg it’s worth the effort. Interestingly, all the fish were males. SURF BEACHES Fishing the beaches is a relaxing way to keep you fit and it’s cheaper than going to the gym. All that salt air and running up and down the beach gives your body a great workout. You don’t even realise you’re doing it because you’re concentrating on the fishing, and the bonus is that you usually go home with a feed of fish as well. So why not give it a go? All the surf beaches are fishing reasonably well with good reports of salmon being caught in the 400-800g range, which is the best size for the table. Whitebait has been accounting for the best

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catches, in conjunction with a rising tide. SAN REMO AREA Below the bridge Outside the Entrance if you can pick a calm day there are some tiger and sand flathead and the occasional gummy still about. In Cleelands Bight the calamari are still around in reasonable numbers. Above the bridge The whiting have all but disappeared. There have been a few smaller gummies coming in at Corinella and Stockyard Point and calamari at Tankerton, Stony Point and Tyabb Bank. FLINDERS AREA There’s still the odd whiting about off ‘the breakers’ and Somers area. Some snook are about from Somers to Flinders and the big squid should be starting to show up off Flinders.

Frank Natoli Senor with a handful of tasty calamari.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Alleged crab poachers face court Fisheries Officers at Lakes Entrance have allegedly caught four people from Melbourne with almost 10 times the daily limit of sand crabs. The two men and two women are expected to be charged on summons for allegedly exceeding the catch limit for crabs last Saturday

at Lakes Entrance. Following a call from a concerned member of the public the officers intercepted the group and seized a total of 1059 sand crabs. The recreational catch limit for sand crabs is 30 crabs per person. Catch limits are individual and a person who has caught their

own limit cannot contribute to another person’s catch. In another incident a man and a women are expected to be charged on summons for allegedly exceeding the catch limit for crabs, fishing without a current recreational licence and using more than two hoop nets in marine waters. On Sunday evening at Lakes Entrance the pair were inspected following another 13 FISH offence report. They were found allegedly using a total of 15 hoop nets and in possession of 439 sand crabs. The nets, crabs and all associated equipment were seized. A person may only use two recreational hoop nets in marine waters. Information of any suspected illegal fishing activity can be reported via Fisheries Victoria’s 13 FISH (133 474) offence reporting line. – DEDJTR

Tough test for anglers WELSHPOOL

Alan McFayden amcsayte@bigpond.net.au

In this part of the world we can expect just about anything as far as fishing is concerned, and this month the keenness of boaters and land-based hopefuls will be put to the test. In areas such as the Lewis Channel you’ll often see boats trying their luck on the run-off tide looking for a whiting or whatever might come along. Information from the boat storage is that there hasn’t been a great deal of activity but there were some boats that decided to try their luck in the Franklin

Channel. Wilhurst Sutton and a couple of mates decided to have a go, looking for flathead or whatever might come along, but had to be content with seven reasonable size flathead after quite a few hours on the water. The boys then decided to try their luck at the entrance and managed another good size flathead and a small gummy shark that was just size, but this was all they were destined to catch and after some fruitless hours decided to call it a day. There have been some very good days wind-wise but it would be fair to say that the weather has been on the cold side. Outside the entrance there have been quite reasonable

numbers of salmon bagged by boaters on a variety of surface lures as well as the occasional kingfish, but they seem to be on the shy side. For those who know where to look there have been good numbers of garfish being caught, and the jetties are worth a try. The best results have come on the run-in tide, and the eastern end of the structure seems to be most productive. Port Albert is a short distance to the east where there seems to be more activity. Rob Killury, who runs the local general store with wife Ulla, says that there are very good numbers of very fat whiting being caught. These fish aren’t

School sharks like this one are a bit scarce but they are still around even at this time of year. usually around the area at this time of year, and although they’re not huge they’re still

Mother Nature dishes it out INVERLOCH

Alan McFayden amcsayte@bigpond.net.au

The cold condition in this part of the world certainly tries out the determination of land-based anglers as well as boaters. Since my last report, Anderson Inlet has undergone as dramatic change as far as the shifting sand bars are concerned. In the area known as ‘The Bathing’, Mother Nature decided that it was time for yet another change. What happened was this: during a prolonged stormy period a huge circular pond was formed and the sand bar prevented water from getting out, but there was a flow of freshwater which upset the salt level. As a result there was a marine life kill and only the birds were happy as they cleaned up some of the thousands of dead and dying carcasses of crabs and fish. Boaters and land-based anglers have avoided the area and still are at the time of this report. The jetty has seen quite a few hopefuls trying their luck when conditions have

allowed, but apart from mullet and a few small salmon there hasn’t been a great deal to get excited about. Further towards the entrance, Stevies Gutter (for those who know where to look) has delivered reasonable numbers of whiting being bagged along with perch and flathead. The traditional arrival of large schools of monster salmon has not yet taken place, but they should make an appearance in the near future. There has been a fleeting visit of the torpedo fish but nothing much more then the 500g mark (although these size fish are considered best on the table). Mixed in with them has been a sprinkling of silvers that have been caught on a variety of natural baits. The salmon have been taking a mixture of surface lures as well as baits, and this may be a good sign for the future. Mahers Landing is always worth a look, and this is where land-based anglers have been fairly happy with their results. There have been reasonable numbers of sizeable flathead of late. Visiting angler Dale Robinson bagged a couple of very big ones, and decided to release them as he thought they may be females in pup.

Wonthaggi angler Steve Poole with a nice bream caught in a local stream.

Whiting like these rippers are being caught by locals outside the entrance at Inverloch when conditions allow. Further up towards the Double Islands, a mixture of fish has been bagged including coutta, mullet, flathead and silvers caught on both sides of the tide. For the benefit of visitors or those boaters not familiar with this area, just be careful of the low tide as it runs off. The water becomes very shallow and this could mean that there is a fair wait until the incoming tide comes to the rescue. For some time there wasn’t a great deal of action on the Tarwin River but that has changed. Some very good numbers of perch were caught to the 660g mark by Wonthaggi Angling Club members Alan Bentick and fishing buddy Ray Pugh. The fish were caught on Bass yabbies, and there was a sprinkling of flathead bagged as well. Another angler, Shaun Thompson, has also been doing well on the perch, winning the Wonthaggi Angling Club monthly competition with a very nice perch that weighed 890g. Surf fishers have also been doing well on Baxters Beach where the water is deep and productive, making the 20-minute trek over the sand dunes worthwhile. On a recent outings mad keen Wonthaggi

angler Filly Assa Leausa managed a couple of very nice salmon that were around the 2kg mark. Filly says that he doesn’t mind the long walk as he knows the area very well and seldom misses out on catching a fish off the beach. He will be back.

well over size, and no one is complaining. As well as whiting there are plenty of flathead being bagged. Another interesting thing happening in this part of the world is the prevalence of couta. They’re just about everywhere, and are of a good size. Of course they are not everyone’s favourite fish, and they haven’t done their reputation any good because they have that annoying habit of biting off lines intended for flathead and/or whiting before the baits can reach anywhere near the bottom. Outside the entrance there seems to be squid everywhere, which is good news, and with some very good spells of weather boaters are having a great time. With any sort of

luck this should continue. The jetties have been very popular with land-based anglers, and even though the conditions are on the cold side there are good numbers of fish such as gars, silvers, mullet and of course those big eels that will take just about anything thrown into the water. If you’re not too familiar with this part of the world, Rob and Ulla who run the general store have up-todate information on all the fishing. They have plenty of gear as well as scales to weigh in fish and a gantry for the larger specimens such as bronze whaler sharks. Of course they will also take photos, which are essential for bragging rights!

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VR Fish Update

Catch rates in Corio Bay VRFish, the recreational fishing peak body in Victoria, has helped shed new light on commercial and recreational catch levels in Corio Bay. The report Quantifying recreational catch and effort from the Corio Bay Region was released recently by Fisheries Victoria and is based on a survey of recreational fishers from January to May 2014. The report dispels the myth and misperception that recreational anglers catch the bulk of fish taken from Corio Bay. VRFish Chairman, Russell Conway said, “VRFish has worked with Fisheries Victoria to obtain a high level summary of commercial catch data for Corio Bay during the same period of the survey. The information has also been provided to Seafood Industry Victoria.” The data shows that

the commercial catch of snapper (16 tonnes) in Corio Bay is three times that of the recreational sector (5.3 tonnes). There is a similar trend for flathead in Corio Bay (14.1 tonnes versus 4.9 tonnes). Corio Bay commercial King George whiting catches (7 tonnes) are almost two and a half times more than the recreational sector (3 tonnes). Calamari is about 12 times in favour of the commercial sector (4.1 tonnes compared to 324kg). The Andrews Government has pledged $20 million of new money towards a buyback of commercial licences and is setting a sliding cap on catches that will reduce commercial access as licences are removed over the next 8 years. Geelong and District Anglers Association Secretary and VRFish Board member, John Hotchin said,

“The practice of setting hundreds of metres of nets across areas, such as the inner and outer harbour of Corio Bay, has been a longstanding problem and our 7,000 members from the Bellarine Peninsula have overwhelming support for the plan to halt commercial netting.” The recreational fishery in Victoria is valued at $2.3 billion to the State economy and provides hundreds of jobs. The direct expenditure from recreational fishing in Port Phillip Bay alone is worth more than $230 million annually. We appreciate this is a challenging time for the Port Phillip Bay commercial industry and we support the need for close consultation with the fishers and fair and reasonable compensation by the Government. – Dallas D’Silva, VRFish General Manager.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Glenelg fishers ready for jetties Local and visiting anglers will now benefit from better access to the Glenelg River thanks to new jetties at two locations. The two new timber jetties replace old ones alongside the West Bank boat ramp and at the end of the Isle of Bags Road on the eastern shore. Glenelg River in Victoria’s southwest is a popular location with anglers who target black bream,

comfortable platform to fish from in all conditions. Both jetties have been raised to allow their safe use during periods of high water, which is typically experienced when the Glenelg River mouth closes. Minister for Agriculture, Jaala Pulford said these jetties will benefit Victoria in many ways. “We want to keep Victoria a great place to wet a line – that’s why we’re investing

improving fishing facilities for anglers and has established a Better Fishing Facilities Fund as part of its Target One Million plan to support more projects like these two upgrades. The 2015-16 Victorian Budget provided $20 million to implement the Andrews Labor Government’s Target One Million plan to grow recreational fishing in Victoria by encouraging

estuary perch and mulloway. The new jetty at the West Bank boat ramp will help fishers launch and retrieve their boats and provide a stable platform for passengers to board without getting wet feet, while the new jetty at the Isle of Bags replaces the existing structure, which had succumbed to time and wear. It will provide landbased fishers with a safe and

in projects that improve fishing opportunities and facilities,” she said. ““I would like to congratulate the Nelson Foreshore Committee of Management on the management of this project, which will provide an important benefit to local and visiting anglers.” The Andrews Labor Government is committed to

families to get outdoors and enjoy fishing. Improving fishing opportunities and facilities is a key component of the plan, which will grow participation to one million anglers by 2020, boost fish stocking from three to five million per annum and strengthen angling club membership. – State Government Victoria

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AUGUST 2015

Dangling deep does the damage for big bream GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

When August rolls around and water temperatures are at their lowest, I get ready for a very deep relationship with the bream. They school up in huge numbers and lure anglers can score amazing tallies of bream with metal blades or small hardbodied vibes. Bait anglers can also get in on the action, and for some reason these same schooling bream prefer sandworm over all other baits. Hotspots over the next month will include the whole length of the Tambo, the lower Nicholson and Paynesville or Newlands Arm. Look for the crowds of bait anglers as they will

be your best guides as to where the big schools are hanging out. HEAVY METAL Over recent weeks the lure action has been super hot one day and then almost totally shut down the next, as we experienced recently. My workmates and I from Murray Goulburn Maffra were on our annual Seacombe Big Bash where we always spend two nights at the local hunting lodge, right near the water. The three or four us take the kayaks for two days of fishing… if the hangovers permit. On this trip I fished with Havo on the first day, and we managed just three small bream each and I got three average-sized flathead. We put in six hours and it was very slow going and one of our worst results in months. I slipped the kayak in

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(late!) the next morning expecting another slow day and to be off the water within an hour or two. To my surprise I started hooking bream immediately. I fished the same area with the same heavy metal lures and the bream were jumping all over my blades. My workmate Mick Beaumont joined me that morning, and after five hours we had stacked 83 bream with most of them 35-42cm, and seven good flatties to 50cm. It was probably the best day’s fishing we had experienced in three months. I was amazed to watch Mick lift into such big bream with nearly every third cast. He has a blading technique I’ve never seen before, with very subtle finesse and tiny tea bag hops. There was a constant run of big bream and we dropped very few fish, and that shows you how hard they were hitting our lures. It’s just so confusing to work out how one day’s fishing can be so different from the next. I wish I knew what makes the bream fire right up or shut down so dramatically. WHAT LURES AND TECHNIQUE A lot of bream anglers have their specific technique and type of blade so you can imagine the confusion experienced by anglers who are having a few hiccups using blades. I’ve been getting a few emails about what blades to use and how, so here are my tips. To start with, use any sort of cheaper blades just to get the hang of things. I use small 30-40mm blades, and if I’m bank fishing or working deep snags I rig those blades with a single rear ‘W’ hook (also

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called a double). The reason I remove the two trebles (and split rings) is because they love to get stuck to timber, and that means lost lures and an empty wallet. Some people are not familiar with ‘W’ hooks so get down to your local tackle shop and get some demonstrations or advice on how to re-rig the lures. Once you have replaced the trebles with a double, your blades will glide over snags or a rocky bottom and you will hardly ever lose lures again. The technique can vary between super slow with long pauses, or fast rips. This means you have to try a lot of different retrieves, and the fish will generally let you know what will work. You really have to persist and experiment. Try one method for half an hour before trying something else. Lure fishing for bream

isn’t easy but the rewards will put a huge smile on your face. Working blades slowly with small hops and tea bagging the lure is deadly. Eventually you will find better lures like Ecogear or Hurricane blades, and these should hook you more fish, mainly due to their tighter action and appealing colours. LONGWARRY ANGLING CLUB Speaking of the Seacombe Lodge, the Longwarry boys also have their annual get together there at this time of year and they moved in just as my workmates moved out. It’s a fantastic venue with showers, a kitchen full of fridges, indoor wood heater and pool table. There’s an outdoor TV to watch the footy while sitting around an open fire, and cooking steak or fish fillets on a huge undercover BBQ. Fishing clubs often use

the place and it can sleep over 30 people. It’s just $25 a night per person! President of the LAC Daniel ‘Yogi’ Fitzgerald was out in his boat bait fishing and I joined him for an hour or so. I saw Yogi bring in some cracker bream to 43cm on live shrimp, and during one session he caught 20 bream. Much to his delight he was outscoring fellow members 5:1! The club had perfect weather and they all caught a swag of fish for yet another successful trip. I look forward to catching up with the boys next year. LOOKING AHEAD There is a simple equation for this time of year: cold water – deep fishing. The shallows around the lakes are almost barren now and it’s all about finding river or lake water from 3-6m. A sounder is your best tool at this time of year.

Run in the rivers brings new life

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Mick Beaumont caught about 40 bream while slow tea bagging the depths with his favourite blades.

regularly dropping 40-50mL. With plenty of run-off, the rivers have been running hard for most of the time and have been constantly refreshing the whole system. With all the water around it seems whenever I get reports of good catches of bream, estuary perch, luderick or mullet in either the Snowy or Brodribb rivers, another fresh happens and we have to start again. Fortunately, with the deep entrance the turnaround time from the rivers running a banker and new fish entering the system is only a couple of days. In the lower reaches of the system even with

the rivers running fast, salmon and tailor move in and out with the tide and have been providing plenty of action for those anglers either trolling or casting metal lures. With the winter months here the winter run of salmon has begun, and it won’t be long before the big greybacks arrive. With fish over 3kg it won’t take long for anglers to warm up, especially those who prefer to use light tackle and spin with metal lures. Along with the salmon, the tailor seem to be bigger in winter and are also good fun on light tackle. However, for those who prefer to fish more leisurely, bait

fishing with surf rods is also an excellent way of getting a good catch of salmon, tailor, flathead, bream, mullet and shark. The best results come from using blue bait, white bait, pilchards, pipis and squid. Offshore weather permitting, there are plenty of our winter run of fish on the bite. There have been reports of plenty of flathead, gurnard, barracouta, squid, pinky snapper and gummy shark. Anglers have also been getting good bins of flathead not far offshore from the Cape Conran boat ramp using white bait, along with gummy shark a little further out on squid and pilchards.

Winter whiting madness MCLOUGHLINS

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

Winter whiting is normally associated with the western side of the Prom, with areas like Waratah Bay and Western Port being renowned locations. However, not too many think of Port Albert when talking about winter whiting. Now, this is all changing.

whiting aren’t huge, but there are plenty of legal size fish ranging from 27-32cm. We have managed to bag out on numerous occasions over the past month and the run-in tide seems to be the best part of the day to get the whiting on the chew. I have had success in a few locations recently, however the weed edges around the basket beacon and the pines seem to be the most reliable spots to chase

There are heaps of calamari about as well, not huge yet, but a good feed nonetheless. WINTER WHITING Port Albert has had the best winter whiting run I can remember, and it’s been by far the best winter whiting season I have seen in the past 15 years. The

the winter whiting. The fish haven’t been really fussy either, with both squid and pipis being excellent, and I haven’t found the need to go and pump nippers for bait as the whiting are hungry.

I have been berleying as well, but I don’t put out too much as there are plenty of small salmon in the system and it hasn’t taken them too long to find the berley, and they get to the bait quicker than the whiting. So once the whiting are on the chew, I have been taking the berley pot out of the water. Like I said earlier, all our fish have been on the run-in tide and a few on the run-out, but the bigger ones are being caught at the top of the high and there are some models better than 40cm amongst them, but most are up to 32cm in length. CALAMARI We have been catching heaps of calamari over at Port Albert as well, all in 2.5m of water over the top of heavy weed and we are using Yamashita squid jigs in 2.5 and 3.0 sizes. The squid aren’t very big, but there are plenty with 20cm hoods making a good feed and on occasions we have got our bag between the two of us. Port Welshpool is producing heaps of calamari as well. This month, the big calamari should come

into the system like they normally do and hopefully it’s like last year when we had a huge run of massive calamari. In a few weeks, it will be worth having a shot at a snapper, as they came in very early last year and we were catching the first of them in August so stay tuned, or get out and have a crack! • 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!

Top: Anglers have been bagging out on whiting at Port Albert. The winter whiting fishing down here has been nothing short of sensational. Above: There are a few better models mixed in, but the really big ones should be here any week now.

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Science meets fishing

Fish stocking – more than a numbers game In the past 15 years Victoria’s stockingenhanced fisheries have expanded in terms of both numbers and species released and there’s a lot more to come. In their pre-election “Target One Million” policy announcement last year, Premier Dan Andrews committed the Labor Government to boosting Victoria’s annual fish stocking level to 5 million fish: “Labor will increase fish stock from 3 million to 5 million a year, implementing a marine species stocking program in Victoria’s droughtaffected bays and inlets and introducing 15,000 barramundi to Hazelwood Pondage.” In terms of recreational fisheries management, the purpose of fish stocking is to develop and maintain productive fishing. This includes improving fish catches and making fishing more attractive and accessible - hence the importance of the stocking program to the Target One Million policy. While there’s no doubt room for further expansion of the inland stocking program, the above statement suggests that the Government’s clear intention is to develop a serious saltwater stocking program. As this is unchartered territory for recreational fisheries management in Victoria, it’s worth looking at the recent history of our fish stocking program and at two independent reviews of how the program has been performing. POST-1995 STOCKING TRENDS Prior to the 1995-2010 drought, Fisheries Victoria was releasing up to 1.3 million fish at a more or less constant level each year. This comprised 400,000 to 600,000 salmonids and 1-1.3 million native fish. As the impact of the drought intensified, many waters normally stocked with trout or native fish dried up, either completely or to the point where stocking was suspended for several years. While native fish fingerlings could be simply redirected to remaining large waters such as Lake Eildon, Fisheries Victoria had to look for innovative ways of deploying the 40 tonnes of yearling trout they were contracted to buy. As a result, the “Small Waters” program was scaled up significantly, involving 38

AUGUST 2015

the release of trout in safe and accessible small urban waters such as ornamental lakes and flood-retarding basins. Yearling rainbow trout of 150g to 220g were released immediately before the June and September school holiday breaks, providing short term fishing opportunities for children and people with limited mobility. The Small Waters program was so popular that it’s become a regular part of the annual stocking program – growing from 24 waters in 1996 to 72 in 2014. In fact it went well beyond that, forming the model for annual family fishing days and kids fishing clinics around

A 2005 Government statement, Managing Recreational Trout Fisheries for the Benefit of Victorian Communities, set out salmonid stocking criteria. It emphasised the importance of matching fish releases with the carrying capacity of the waters and with fishing pressure. Beginning around 1980, Fisheries Victoria adopted the research-based approach that laid the foundation for salmonid (and native fish) stocking programs of today. Detailed records of every fish release in even the smallest water have been kept since around 1870. From the 1960s, Fisheries Victoria regularly published and publicised

with anglers, determine further stocking. While that stock-survey-review process continues to be warranted for most native fish, in recent years it has been relaxed where early observations by anglers were positive enough to indicate initial success warranting continued stocking; releases of bass in Gippsland waters are a good example. WHAT THE AUDITORGENERAL SAID In 2013 the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office (VAGO) reported on its examination of “whether the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is managing recreational freshwater fisheries in an

objectives of the Fisheries Act 1995 which date back to a time when the agency had the main responsibility for “the maintenance of aquatic ecological processes and genetic diversity”. Until the 1980s, Fisheries Victoria’s freshwater researchers undertook all studies of freshwater species and communities and the threats they face, as well as conducting all freshwater fisheries research. When those biodiversity protection and fisheries functions were separated in the early 1980s, Fisheries Victoria and its freshwater scientists at Snobs Creek were deliberately focused on the fisheries research, development and

Annual salmonoid and native fish releases, 1996 to 2014 3,000,000 2,500,000 2,000,000

Salmonoids Native fish Total

1,500,000

1,000,000 500,000 0

19 96 19 97 19 98 19 99 20 00 20 01 20 02 20 03 20 04 20 05 20 06 20 07 20 08 20 09 20 10 20 11 20 12 20 13 20 14

Ross Winstanley

number

GEELONG

year

the State and led to the development of Victoria’s five “Premier Lakes” stocked with yearling and larger trout, four or more times annually, to attract families and new anglers. When the drought broke late in 2010, Fisheries Victoria responded quickly with ramped up “drought recovery” releases of both salmonids and native fish. By this time, regular annual releases of native fish were expanding from Murray cod, golden perch, silver perch, Macquarie perch and trout cod to include Australian bass and estuary perch. Coupled with the “Murray Cod Million” project at Lake Eildon and similar initiatives, these developments boosted total annual release numbers to almost three million. FISHERIES VICTORIA’S STOCKED FISHERIES RECORD Fisheries Victoria has half a century or more of research-based experience in managing freshwater fish stocking programs and stocking-based fisheries.

stocking details and the results of stocking trials, fish population surveys and creel surveys used to measure and evaluate fish stocking strategies, water by water. From the 1980s, in consultation with angler groups, Fisheries Victoria developed a methodology for stocking trials in previously unstocked waters. This involved an initial assessment of the suitability of the water for the species being proposed. The question of whether released fish would stay in the area of the intended fishery and not escape downstream (e.g. trout in Lake Toolondo) was one criterion. For native fish species with potential life spans more than 20 years, the long-term security of the water level and water quality was another obvious criterion. Trial releases would then proceed for up to four years then halt, to be followed by fish population surveys to measure their effectiveness. Only then would a review,

ecologically sustainable manner so that fishery habitats and supporting ecosystems are protected and conserved for future generations”. It concluded that “The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is not discharging its legislative responsibilities to deliver balanced and sustainable outcomes for freshwater recreational fisheries. While it is demonstrably delivering improved recreational freshwater fishing outcomes, it is not paying sufficient attention to the protection and conservation of ecological processes, habitats and supporting ecosystems in these fisheries.” The VAGO report went on to state “DPI’s reporting of performance in managing recreational freshwater fisheries is output focused and not comprehensive.” However, the VAGO report failed to appreciate a number of important factors. Their audit judged Fisheries Victoria’s performance against the

management functions (and on commercial freshwater aquaculture). That demarcation in functions became even more pronounced when Fisheries Victoria was moved out of the conservation and natural resource management portfolio and into the agriculture and primary industries area. That’s where it was at the time of the audit. The VAGO audit was obliged to assess the Department’s performance against the legislative responsibilities as defined in the objectives of the Fisheries Act. By the time of the audit, the primary responsibility for biodiversity protection lay with a separate department under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. Given these changes, was it, therefore, appropriate to assess the Primary Industries Department’s performance against responsibilities which, by then, lay with the separate Environment Department? I think not!

Perhaps most importantly, the VAGO report failed to recognise that, through the 1990s and 2000s, successive Victorian governments had progressively stripped Fisheries Victoria of all of the considerable scientific personnel, field and laboratory capabilities that had made it a leading national contributor to environment and biodiversity protection as well as fisheries management. This left Fisheries Victoria far short in its ability to meet the (outdated?) objective of the Fisheries Act in terms of “protecting and conserving fisheries resources, habitats and ecosystems including the maintenance of aquatic ecological processes and genetic diversity”. After investing more than one million dollars upgrading Snobs Creek’s research facilities, budget cuts during the 2000s saw the few remaining researchers being relocated to Queenscliff, leaving the facility to operate purely as a fish hatchery. Furthermore – and again unacknowledged by the VAGO – successive governments had costshifted the funding of much of what remained of freshwater fisheries research and management to the Recreational Fishing License trust fund. The VAGO commented, “Greater effort and resources are needed to improve the monitoring and assessment of stocking activities to generate sound evidence of stocking success and to evaluate the economic and social returns to the community.” While completely true, where were the extra resources going to come from? In short, by 2013 Government resourcing of Fisheries Victoria was way below the level needed to meet its responsibilities as set out in the Act. Technically the VAGO report was correct on much of its judgment of the agency’s performance but its finger of blame was pointed in the wrong direction. In effect, successive governments had told Fisheries Victoria to concentrate its efforts on the area in which the VAGO judged it to have been most successful – freshwater fisheries management. The report did, however, make a number of critical comments and recommendations in relation to deficiencies in the areas of inland fisheries planning, fisheries management plans, fishery

Science meets fishing monitoring, performance measurement and reporting. Many of these were – and remain – valid and some are in the process of being remedied. However, some deficiencies may never be addressed, as incoming governments require Fisheries Victoria to deliver policy agendas that leave little if any scope for other areas of the Act highlighted by the VAGO audit. On recent performance, this is unlikely to change unless; there is a substantial injection of resources, or the objectives of the Fisheries Act objectives are redefined in much narrower terms. Drawing on the VAGO’s recommendations there are some clear messages of relevance to “Target 5 Million Fish” policy. While too numerous and detailed to list here they mainly relate to the need for an overall “management plan for all recreational freshwater fisheries”; this recommendation was agreed to by the Secretary of the Department in his 2013 response to the report. Raising the total number of fish stocked by over 40% while ensuring efficiency, effectiveness and quality fishing outcomes will take a lot of planning, risk and site assessments and

commitment to monitoring and assessment. This applies particularly in the area of stocking enhancement of saltwater fisheries where Fisheries Victoria has little experience and faces growing angler demands. WHAT THE CONSULTANT SAID In 2011 Fisheries Victoria commissioned “an independent strategic review to examine Victoria’s fish production and stocking program”. Two components of the review examined fish production operations and economic aspects of the fish stocking program. The third review, conducted by Harris Consulting, addressed “the effectiveness of Fisheries Victoria’s stocking program with reference to; the mix of species, size of stocked fish, stocking strategy (timing, frequency and delivery) and performance to produce and maintain high quality recreational fisheries”. The opening line of the project brief stated “DPI delivers a comprehensive fish production and stocking program to improve opportunities for recreational freshwater fishing across Victoria”. In neither of these statements was there any mention or qualifier referring to

consideration of risks or impacts on fish habitats, ecological processes or non-targeted fish. Like the later VAGO audit, the Harris review observed that “The current state of knowledge of Victoria’s freshwater fish-stocking program is not adequate to ensure operational efficiency and optimal outcomes in all aspects. Current procedures and policies are not supported by reliable evidence of the outcomes and benefits of the program. Enhanced effort and resources are needed for monitoring and assessment to generate sound evidence of stocking success and for evaluating returns to the community. Significant improvements in efficiency and productivity are potentially available.” It is not surprising that the 2013 VAGO report referred to the Harris review and recommended that the Department prioritise and implement its 21 recommendations “to improve its decisionmaking framework.” THE MESSAGE FOR THE ‘5 MILLION FISH’ TARGET While it acknowledged that Victoria’s fisheries programs are delivering “improved recreational

freshwater fishing outcomes”, the VAGO report was critical of what it saw as Fisheries Victoria’s “output focused” approach. It cautioned “DPI has increasingly relied on artificial stocking programs without adequately assessing the impact of this activity.” With Fisheries Victoria about to embark on lifting annual stocking from three up to five million fish annually – including marine waters – the VAGO and Harris observations touch on four key points; the focus must be on stocking outcomes, not numbers released, the need for comprehensive riskbased assessments of new or significantly expanded stockings, the need to address critical knowledge gaps and the collation of previous research into a consolidated and publicly accessible medium and monitoring and evaluation of new or expanded stocking must address fisheries improvements and stocking efficiency. Two recent stocking initiatives lend weight to the VAGO’s concerns. First, the 2013 release of 1.3 million king prawn larvae in Lake Tyers was intended to improve recreational fishing opportunities. Was there

any serious assessment of (a) the suitability of the lake and (b) the need for such an intervention? Within months – totally predictably – flood waters breached the sand bar and the lake has been open to the sea, on and off, ever since. This opened the way for the escape of stocked prawns and the entry of naturally recruited king prawns, as occurs on a regular basis. As a result, while there’s a high likelihood that the stocking was pointless there’s no way of telling one way or the other. The second example: in the four years after the drought broke in 2010, Fisheries Victoria has released 44,000 estuary perch into Lake Bolac, which had previously been bone dry. The immediate post-drought release of rainbow trout was an outstanding success, enjoyed and applauded by anglers. This was totally predictably based on sound knowledge of the species and the water – rainbows are fast growing and short lived – eminently suited to restoring a fishery in a drought-prone water. In contrast, the decision to release a valuable native species with a 20-year+ life-span in a clearly drought-prone water seems

to defy any level of risk assessment. As the lake level continues to fall and facing the likelihood of a severe El Nino event, can we expect to hear talk of a costly salvage effort to catch and relocate the perch? As the VAGO report indicated, the Department’s “planning and management framework for sustainable recreational freshwater fisheries is focused predominately on meeting current recreational fishing demands”. Both of the above examples appear to smack of anglerdriven initiatives that proceeded in the absence of professional departmental due diligence or riskbased management along the lines recommended by the VAGO. Victorian anglers are facing ground-breaking developments in what is already an exciting array of stocking-enhanced but environmentally challenged fisheries. It remains to be seen how their planning and implementation will be managed and whether the Government will ensure that Fisheries Victoria has the resources necessary to maintain all of these fisheries on a productive, efficient and sustainable basis.

AUGUST 2015

Take a kid fishing! NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

Starlo espouses the benefits and identifies a few of the pitfalls involved in taking kids fishing, and offers some tips that can make the entire experience more enjoyable for everyone involved. As keen anglers, most of us love the idea of getting our kids or someone else’s “hooked” on the sport of recreational fishing, and sharing the great outdoors with youngsters as we pursue this wonderful pastime together. But the fact is, with all the competition from other sources these days for the attentions and passions of our younger generation, we need to be rather clever about how we package the fishing experience if we’re going to truly sell the concept to kids. There are many motivations for taking kids fishing, ranging from the altruistic and generous desire to share our passion, right through to a rather more selfish desire to get out fishing more often ourselves by dragging the rug rats along. Whatever the precise reason, we need to accept that adult-style fishing experiences can be daunting and unappealing for kids. Standing for hours on a windswept beach in the dead of night waiting for a run from that elusive jewfish, or braving the ice cold chill of an alpine lake in mid-winter to chase a few trout might not be the best choices for that all-important first outing with the kids. The fact is, after such a start, you may find it very difficult to get them to go with you next time you suggest a family fishing holiday! Personally, I reckon most adults need to totally re-think their take on selling fishing to youngsters. To begin with, we

must always remember that kids generally have shorter attention spans than adults, and a greater need for immediate gratification. That definitely doesn’t mean seven or eight hours sitting under the hot sun grasping a trolling rod, or shivering on a river bank waiting for a big bite that may never come! In my experience, kids need to be doing fun stuff

and catching something — anything — right from the word go. It doesn’t matter if the fish they catch are tiddlers, or even unwanted nuisance species by our lofty adult standards, so long as the kids are actually catching fish on a regular basis. When they’re not catching, get them involved in berleying, bait collecting or some other hands-on activity, rather than simply sitting and

It’s important for youngsters to learn that fishing is also about mateship and camaraderie. waiting for a strike that might never come. This was the greatest single lesson I learnt when my own kids were growing up and discovering fishing. For them, pumping yabbies or nippers for bait (complete with

Top: Take the time to teach proper fish handling practices and instil respect for the rules and regulations, too: kids represent the future of our sport. Above Left: Taking a group of young mates fishing can be extremely rewarding — if a little hectic! Above Right: Kids’ fishing outfits don’t need to be expensive, but don’t burden them with cheap and nasty combos, either.

yabby pump fights that often saw them squirting each other with mud and water!) were far more fun than actually fishing with those baits, especially in the early days. Let them do the stuff they enjoy! Don’t project your standards and expectations onto them. When the actual fishing process starts, deliberately aim low (again, by your standards) to ensure immediate action. Use little hooks and small baits, and consider the breadberley-and-float approach. It almost always results in the kids catching fish, even if they’re all tiddlers and throwbacks. Keep those impressionbuilding first few fishing outings with the kids fairly short, avoid extreme weather conditions, and consider incorporating a treat like an ice cream or their favourite take-away meal on the way home. Be sure to take a camera (or phone), too, and record the event so they can share it with their friends. Do everything you can to create happy, positive memories. Follow my five basic rules below, and I can practically guarantee you’ll have the

ankle-biters queuing up for another shot at fishing next weekend! How good would that be? 1. Remember: kids have shorter attention spans than adults. Generally, the younger they are, the shorter that attention span will be. Keep it interesting and fun for them! 2. Get the kids involved in every stage of the fishing process, including gear preparation, bait gathering, mixing and distributing berley, fish cleaning and tackle maintenance. 3. Don’t project your hopes, dreams and expectations onto kids. Fishing achievements that seem significant to you might mean very little to them, and vice versa. 4. Keep those first outings reasonably short and avoid extreme weather conditions. Slip, slop, slap, take plenty of drinking water and fruit juice and pack some favourite snacks. 5. Consider rewarding the kids with a trip to the movies, playground, amusement park or favourite eatery on your way home from a successful fishing outing, or later that evening.

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Nothing wrong with the fishing - except the weather EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

It’s the middle of winter already and it’s been extra cold the past month. There’s been plenty of swell in the ocean, along with a fair share of chilly, windy days. Thankfully we have returned to the normal winter weather pattern

of clear still days with the high pressure systems right over us. The Eden area has been experiencing warmer than usual water temperatures for this time of year. This has kept the fish on the go. Further to the south there is cold water, and once this arrives the fishing will again slow down for the winter period. Yellowfin bream, sand whiting and salmon are

still being caught on the local beaches, and with all the consistent swell there is no shortage of good fishing gutters in the area. Plenty of nice size salmon have been caught from the beaches down in Disaster Bay, and this area offers some great fishing. At this time of year you will probably have the place all to yourself. The beaches inside Twofold Bay have been

fishing well for bream and whiting, with a high tide around dawn or dusk the best time to soak a line. Fresh bait like worms and prawns has been the pick of the bait. Good fish are being caught from the rocky headlands in the area. The snapper are about, with the best time to expect to catch a red has been first light. Some good size blackfish are also being caught in the same areas.

The inshore reefs have fished well for those chasing a feed pinky snapper, with the odd bigger fish on the go. Some good fishing been had for both sand and tiger flathead. Recent weather conditions haven’t allowed too many boats to head out wide chasing game fish, and at the time of writing there has been little to report. Fishing in the estuaries

has been good and some excellent fishing has been had at Wonboyn. This is a half an hour’s drive south of Eden and in a day’s fishing here you might not see anyone else on the water. Good black and yellowfin bream and estuary perch are caught over the winter months, with the dusky flathead firing up as things warm. The winter months can also see some big tailor put in an appearance.

We’ve got the fishing completely to ourselves MALLACOOTA

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

Great winter weather is with us once again — clear skies, cold mornings, with beautiful sunny days and very few visitors in town. This is when you get to enjoy the fishing without seeing another boat on

the water all day. As usual the fishing offshore during the winter months is hardly worth the effort. There can be some good fishing for gummy shark, but everything else like flathead is suffering from lethargy, but with the water temperature around 13°C it’s not surprising. The past month has also seen plenty of days with big

The average size of winter flathead has been great. It’s all looking good for the summer period. REVA G.T

L LY . S N A P P E R

. EST U

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seas, which hasn’t been the best for offshore boating. They have, however, have created some great gutters along the beaches. Salmon are moving along the beaches, with fish being caught from Tip Beach down to Betka Beach, with the rising tide the best time to be fishing. The salmon have been moving in and out of the lake on the tide over the past week, with fish caught near the entrance and in the deeper water out around Goodwin Sands. The lake water has really cleared up after the recent rains, with good water flow at the entrance. The shifting sands have been moving the entrance down towards Bastion Point. Silver trevally are about in good numbers and the colder months sees more fish entering the system. Fish are being caught in both the Bottom and Top lakes, but finding them is a bit hit and miss. The weedbeds around the entrance area are still not fringing the channel like the old days, so the trevally don’t frequent the area like they used to. Some big winter tailor are in the system at present, but catching them isn’t easy and most encounters end quickly with the loss of a lure. The past month has seen some great fishing for dusky flathead, black bream and yellowfin bream, with fish caught in the Bottom Lake, the Top Lake, and right through to above Gypsy Point. The flathead are biting

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Ashley with the sort of bream that draws anglers to Mallacoota during the winter months.

well on soft plastics and blades. You need to keep moving until they are found, then fish with a variety of lures and vary the retrieve until you work out the best method to catch them. Big fish are available, with plenty of good eating size models around the 40-45cm size. This is great to see, as it wasn’t long back that the common size was around 30-35cm. Some good size yellowfin bream are about, but as big as they appear they don’t weigh up like a black bream, being a bit lean at present. The black bream though, are in top winter condition as they head into spawning mode. Once again, you have to find the fish, but once you do they have been caught on a variety of blades, soft plastics and hardbodies.

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Mick Ciaverella of Shepparton caught this great 92cm barra at Marsh Creek while on a fishing trip to Queensland. He caught the fish using a green Reidys B52.

NSW South Coast

Water temperatures still high BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

This year has seen very high water temperatures, which in turn have resulted in some special fishing that’s not about to stop any time soon. The estuaries are unseasonably fishing better than they should, with Wallaga Lake being the pick and having the most species on offer. At present, the Bermagui River and Wallaga Lake around the bridges are producing a good run of luderick, with some exceptional fish amongst them. The better fish seem to be at Wallaga — a result of the entrance staying open from the winter rains. Tailor are also in good numbers in the lake, and the terns will indicate their presence. Trolled lures are an effective way to find them, and once found switch to surface poppers for something special. For the kids, (and the big kids too), check out the Bermagui Harbour for schools of trevally. They are great fun and

there are some monsters that will keep the best of anglers honest. Not only have the warm waters affected the estuaries, the offshore and coastal scene has also benefited. Out to sea the reef and close-to-shore fishing is excellent. Snapper are liking the conditions and there are plenty of them. If you choose conventional drift fishing, try the Four and Six Mile reefs, while

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Goalen Head has sharks too. Closer to shore you could anchor and berley the snapper up and drift baits back at varying depths, or do what is becoming more popular — casting soft plastics around. This is done in depths from 20m through to right in close to the rocky outcrops. Not only will you catch snapper, but there will be a host of different species willing to get into the act.

Tiger flathead offshore are also on the improve, with better fish coming from deeper waters. About 60-70m is a good depth to try, although if you are after big fish, try the Twelve Mile Reef as you may encounter those tasty Tassie trumpeter mixed in with the flatties. Game fish are usually not at their best in August, however, the unseasonably high water temps this winter that caused all the

Luderick certainly don’t mind the cooler water of winter.

Salmon are in good numbers along the coast at present. bad weather off the east coast has maintained some tuna stock. Albacore would definitely be on the short list, along with some yellowfin. Bluefin tuna in varying sizes also visit the coast around now and by trolling a good spread of lures, these fish can be encountered on the shallow reefs to wide out over the 1000f line. There has also been a few captures of the rarer bigeye tuna, which will mix in with the other species but rarely come to the surface. Wherever you find tuna you will encounter sharks. Makos are on top of that list, plus there will be blues and whalers. Berleying is the way to attract them, and it goes without saying

that you use plenty of tuna in your berley. Doing this around the Twelve Mile Reef or the edge of the Continental Shelf will also permit some deep water bottom fishing. All those lovely rough conditions this winter has really stirred up the rock species. Drummer and luderick have been excellent, and should remain so for some time. Some very nice bream, trevally, groper and wrasse have also been invigorated by these conditions, with salmon up on the surface. These are along the coastal beaches and make regular visits to the deeper gutters, thus providing anglers some very good winter shore-based fishing.

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Game fishing 12 months a year NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

Narooma has a deserved reputation as a game fishing Mecca, with a smorgasbord of pelagic species on offer. The game season would typically run from November to May, with a sprinkling of fish — especially yellowfin tuna — in June, but a lot depended on prevailing conditions like water temperature and current. The last decade has seen this change, with the ‘season’ now a year-round proposition, with better boats, state-of-the-art electronics, more in-depth water temperature charts and, more importantly, southern bluefin tuna swimming past our doorstep. SBT are a species that rarely frequent inshore zones, opting for deeper water from the shelf and beyond. It’s typical that in some seasons we don’t see SBT anywhere closer than 60km from shore, which is a fair hike in a 17’ runabout. So in the old days no one would even consider travelling that distance to find fish, but today we don’t

look twice at it. With this change in attitude, we have opened up a whole new chapter for the game fishing fraternity and in turn made the game fish season a year-long event. Where anglers would have originally parked the boat up for winter, they are now targeting these speedsters of the deep and reaping the rewards right through the cooler months. Over the last few weeks the SBT have been really hitting their straps, with a handful of bigger fish coming from the wide grounds. The best fish we have heard off went a solid 101kg, with quite a few around the 70-80kg mark, so pretty good fishing. Most of the SBT have fallen victim to the trolling brigade, with bibbed minnows and skirted pushers in green lumo colours accounting for a few fish. I’d expect anglers who berley and cube to come into their own this month, with the chance at a decent yellowfin tuna on the cards also. Every season there’s a few yellas mixed in with the SBT, which is great if you’re the lucky angler on the rod. There are solid reports of albacore from the northern

grounds off Tuross. These fine eaters have been quite thick at times, so if the bigger fish out wide don’t play the game, trolling smaller skirts along the shelf might save the day. At Montague Island, the kingfish have slowed to a crawl, though there are patches that will chew when the conditions are right. Current is the main factor in getting them amused. If it pushes from the north heading south, you might just get lucky. Both trolling and jigs will work, but live baiting with slimies will produce better results. Where the fish are will change every day, but the southern section around Aughinish Rock is a good place to start at this time of year. In the estuaries, the water is cold, very cold, with some systems as low as 10°C. You tend to find the systems that are closed to the ocean are the coolest and usually the slowest to fish. This is especially true for the humble flathead, which will become very docile in these conditions. You will still get a few, but will need to slow your presentation down to a crawl. If using soft plastics, the smallest hops are the go,

SATURDAYS

with longer pauses on the bottom creating more bites. Another option is blades. These bits of metal come into their own in shut-down situations, so again, small lifts will entice more strikes. You’re also a good chance at bream, especially if fishing Mummaga Lake at Dalmeny, where there’s been a few solid blacks coming in over recent weeks. Wagonga Inlet has slowed right up with the coolish water, and the fish that are chewing are the pelagic species like tailor, salmon and trevally. These speedsters have been consistent over winter and that should continue this month. I must admit though that they are not thick so you do have to work for them. The key is to find active bait balls of whitebait, which can be done by watching for diving terns or, better still, the sounder. We’ve found over recent weeks that the sounder is everything to catching fish. Wagonga is loaded with bait and you will sound up massive schools in the main basin, but not all bait balls are holding predators. Look for balls that have been broken up on the sounder screen and not in a clump, as this is where you will find the fish. It sounds

Darren Cooke with a cracking black bream he caught and released. a little confusing, but once you work it out your catch rates will increase 10-fold. If the tailor are on top, bream, snapper and flathead will be under them grabbing the scraps, so if you see the choppers busting up, get over there quick. The rock fishers that brave the cold have been rewarded with blackfish, drummer and groper. Baits like cunjevoi, cabbage and crab have done the damage, with Dalmeny Headland being a standout of late. A few locals getting down there are scoring an easy feed, so it’s definitely

worth a look. If you’re after the pelagics like salmon and tailor, casting whole pilchards past the wash zone with a light sinker will do the trick. The salmon have been in great numbers, with fish to 3kg common. Reports from the beaches have been slow, with just the odd salmon and tailor, but that should pick up when we get a bit more swell. With the offshore westerly breezes it’s been quite flat of late, so let’s hope for a bit more movement. When it does pick up, better beaches to try include Brou, Narooma Main and Tilba.

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Abalone thieves fined $11,000 LEE RAYNER

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Three Melbourne men have been convicted and fined a total of $11,000 in the Geelong Magistrates Court for taking 121 abalone from Portarlington, in February 2015. Fisheries Victoria Officer Mark Gibson said the men, aged in their 50’s were seen taking the abalone from the shallow reef by a member of the public who videoed their activity before calling the 13 FISH hotline. The men harvested 121 blacklip abalone, of which

103 were smaller than the 10cm minimum size. He said as well as the abalone they took 398 periwinkles and other shellfish. The men were also charged with taking shellfish from the intertidal zone, fishing without a licence and using a kitchen knife to harvest the abalone. Mr Gibson said abalone and other shellfish that live in the intertidal zone are critical parts of that food chain. “The theft of these large quantities of abalone can impact heavily and pose a

real risk to the local reef ecosystem,” he said. Mr Gibson also said the verdict was an indication that the Court understood the significance the local Geelong community place on the health of our local waterways, as well as the high value of abalone as a commercial fishing resource. Anyone who sees or suspects illegal fishing activity is urged to call the 24 hour reporting line 13 FISH (13 3474). – DEDJTR

NSW South Coast

It’s all about rugging up! Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

This winter has been one of the coldest that l can recall in the Merimbula region, but there’s still a few fish to be caught if you brave the elements. Offshore sportfishers targeting SBT (southern bluefin tuna) are getting amongst them, with some sizeable fish being caught, mainly by trolling bigger bibbed minnows and skirted pushers. The SBT are very wide, with

when the conditions suit. That’s a long way from land, so having a good seaworthy boat and experienced crew is the go. Reports suggest that the SBT are very concentrated, with tight patches of fish occurring; the trick is to find them. It’s a good idea to listen to radio chat, as you might get a clue or even be lucky enough to get called in on a patch. It doesn’t always happen, but does more times than not, especially with local crews. I haven’t heard of any jumbo cruisers yet (120kg+), but there’s plenty of 40-50kg tuna on offer, with 70-80kg fish

A couple of nice yellowfin bream from the flats, which were released. long distances needing to be travelled for success. It’s not uncommon to see boats heading 60-70km offshore

on the cards too. There’s also been a handful of yellowfin tuna caught while targeting the SBT, so that says to me the

water is still pretty good. I think the tuna fishing will only get better in the coming weeks and it’s awesome to see that our game fishing season is a 12 month proposition these days, thanks to the schools of SBT travelling past our shoreline. Closer to shore, the snapper are excellent on most reefs. Again, they are readily available all year, with winter producing some solid reds. Both Long Reef and White Cliffs have fished well, with fresh squid and tuna strips the better baits to use while drifting. Anglers anchoring up and fishing over the gravel have done okay, though the current and wind directions need to be favourable to get consistent results. It has slowed in the estuaries, especially Merimbula, but Pambula to the south continues to amaze me. This tiny bit of water has seen all the usual estuary dwellers chewing at various times, and fishing the correct tides for nominated target species has seen some super action of late. Due to the water clarity with the colder water temperatures, the draining tide has fished best for bream, flathead and blackfish. The flooding tide has certainly been better for trevally, salmon and whiting.

This kingfish fell to a slowly twitched soft vibe fished deep. Photo courtesy of Nick Cowley. What’s interesting though, is that the bait fishos have really struggled, with anglers using a variety of soft plastics and blades definitely getting the better results. The front river section is the place to fish, but is only firing when there’s current, so fish accordingly. The main basin is seeing the majority of flathead captures, but you will have to move around to locate them. When you find a patch, you will be pleasantly surprised with the results. I would be looking around the 4-5m sections off the ribbon weed edges. You can expect a few bream in SABFOPT001

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these same areas, especially if using blades. On the beaches, salmon are the main winter quarry, with their numbers in force at present. Almost all beaches with a half decent gutter are producing, with the occasional decent greenback tailor thrown in. All the usual methods are working, with paternoster rigs, ganged pilchards or Shiners the way to go. A few anglers are still getting amongst the bream, with North Tura excellent at present. Try towards the southern end of the beach. This action will continue

through the next few months; it’s basic stuff, but still a whole lot of fun. Anglers fishing the stones for bread-and-butter species like drummer and blackfish have fared okay, but a lot depends on wash movement. If there’s little or no swell it’s been tougher, but when you get that white water it really fires up. Short Point continues to be the hotspot for these fine eating fish, with cabbage and fresh prawns working as bait. I’d be using a little berley, although not too much, particularly when the seas are flatter.

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AUGUST 2015

Tasmanian trout season opening opportunities LAUNCESTON

Michal Rybka striketiger@bigpond.com

The Tassie trout season opens on Saturday 1 August 2015 and, as I am sure you’ll agree, will hopefully be better than the start of last season! Some of us have spent the cold winter months fishing places such as the Great Lake and Huntsman Lake. Both waters remain open all year round and mixed results were reported from anglers this winter. Brushy Lagoon, in the state’s north, and

fishing gear in anticipation for the opening… In any case, despite the fact that last season was not the best, I am sure that many of you will still get excited about this time of the year! Count the days down with great anticipation! EARLY SEASON OPTIONS Arthurs Lake The water level did drop a bit in the last month of last season, again making the Jonah Bay jetty inaccessible. The fishing was quite patchy, with anglers reporting mixed results. In general, last season’s catch numbers were low; however, the size of the

the deep water areas of the Morass this time of the year. This style of fishing is popular with the assistance of lead line. Running around 3-5 colours is usually sufficient. The trusty Tassie Devil green n gold No. 6 or Christmas tree no. 51 are good choices when lead line trolling. Try replacing the treble hooks with two single hooks for an increased hook-up rate. Woods Lake The gravel road to Woods Lake is probably the biggest concern when accessing it. It can be rough and many boat trailers have been broken – mainly due

also experience success by fishing worms. With the abundance of galaxias in this lake, it is a good idea to use lures that are similar in appearance to these little fish. Berkley soft plastic stick baits in ‘pearl olive’ and ‘ginger beer’ are a couple of good choices. Also, try the local Tasmanian brand, Strike Tiger. Their 2.5” t-tail soft plastic in the ‘homebrew’ colour is a good match. Find some submerged trees in the lake and try to get that plastic in amongst the snags. Be alert and prepared for the fish to take your plastic on the drop. The trout in this lake are notorious for ambush style attacks! Tooms Lake Situated behind Campbell Town, this lowland fishery might just be the most underrated and easily accessed water. It is regularly stocked with both brown and rainbow trout, and some good catches of both species were reported towards the end of last season. The best fishing methods seemed to be spinning and wet fly fishing. Soft plastics also took some good fish. Visiting anglers should target the deeper water around the dam wall, and

Fly fishing veteran Joe Riley with a couple of solid Penstock Lagoon trout. Kayak fishing enthusiasts should take advantage of the many submerged timber areas, which are known to hold the biggest trout. A kayak can be used to sneak into places that cannot be

An early season thumper taken on wet fly at Four Springs Lake. Craigbourne Dam, in the state’s south, were also popular winter destinations. These ‘put and take’ fisheries were stocked with heftysized Atlantic salmon to keep keen winter anglers happy. For those of you who don’t fancy braving the cold, I have no doubt that you may have spent this time wisely tying flies in the warmth of your home. Or perhaps, you were busy readying your

brown trout was noticeably bigger. And, as always, the trout were fat and wellconditioned. While dry flies work best during the warmer months, a stripped back wet fly on a medium sinking line is a good choice for early season at Arthurs. Target deeper water and use a slower retrieve, and you should find some fish. Trollers do well around

to drivers not driving to the conditions. Taking it slow is my tip! Ignoring the access issues, Woods Lake fished well at the start of last season and I see no reason why it should not be the same at the start of this season. Flat line trolling, soft plastics and hardbodied lures should all produce good results. From the shore, bait anglers should

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Lake Crescent Currently, Lake Crescent is home to the largest lake trout in Tasmania. Its re-opening, following the carp eradication program, has made it a very popular water for anglers with one thing on their minds – monster trout! Last season, there were a few lucky anglers who caught fish weighing in excess of 8kg! Anyone opting for a trip, should remember that golden galaxias inhabit this lake and those big trout love eating them. This galaxias species grows very large, usually 14cm-24cm in length. With this in mind, big hardbodied lures and plastics are the preferred options. I have also seen some massive fish taken on big, brightly coloured wet flies, crafted

Top: So can soft plastics really turn up the goods early in the season? Above: Flooded rivers can produce great results early season also try axe handle bay and white rocks. There is good vehicular access right up to the dam and you can also find plenty of places to launch a small to medium boat.

accessed by boats. A final word – trophy fish of around 5kg are not uncommon in this water, so think ahead and beef up your leaders!

using marabou feathers. Penstock Lagoon This is designated ‘fly fishing only’ water with a maximum daily bag limit of three fish. It is easily my

number one opening-day pick for any fly fishing enthusiast. You will also be very pleased with the recently upgraded boat launching facilities, which include a brand new jetty. The new facilities should give more anglers a reason to use this fantastic fishery. Towards the end of last season, catches of brown trout (transferred from nearby Arthurs Lake) were plentiful. However, for me, the insanely fat rainbows provided the best heart stopping moments! Fishing three wet flies, close to the bottom, during early season is a sure recipe for success. Flies such as the Gold Humungous, the Rabbit Fur Zonker and the MK 2 Black Woolley bugger are solid performers for this style of fishing. Four Springs Lake Four Springs Lake is always a popular opening-day destination for northern anglers. With so much food, the fish are always well conditioned, providing good sport for both lure and fly anglers. There is also good bait fishing from the many accessible banks around the lake. For those who were prepared to sit it out and pass the time, rainbow coloured

Powerbait took many fish last season. One particular Eastern European gentleman spent the season fishing from the boat ramp jetty, with impressive results. After season closed, and as always, the Inland Fisheries Service stocked the lake with good numbers of wild brown trout from Arthurs Lake and the Great Lake. With the respite from anglers during off-season, these introduced fish will have put on some good condition and, together with the already fat rainbows, should provide anglers with some seriously good sport. Soft plastics fished deep near any weedbed will work well here during the early season. T-tail style plastics (Strike Tiger and Berkley), or larger creature bait styles, in darker colours such as black and gold or olive are good choices. Larger suspending hardbodied lures such as Daiwa Double Clutch minnows are also highly regarded by many anglers. Regardless of the method that you use, a series of twitches and long pauses seems to produce good results early in the season. Rivers The South Esk and Macquarie rivers have always been very popular

opening weekend choices for northern anglers. Some of the best fishing can be had when water levels rise over the banks. The flooded grasslands offer trout some seriously good tucker. During times of flood, fish can be found in very shallow water,

Southern anglers will look forward to fishing the upper reaches of the Derwent River, above the Bridgewater Bridge. Sea run trout can be found from August through to December. These fish have small heads and fat bodies. Almost silver in colour, they

tiny little fish. Bait busting up the surface is a great tell-tale sign of sea runner activity. Deep drop-offs also hold fish; so drifting a boat over these areas is a good tactic. When fishing these areas, try ripping and pausing your lures to imitate

Can you see what this trout has been eating? foraging for newly available food items. Trout actively patrol these areas in search of drowned worms and insects, so targeting the submerged grass tussocks can often provide good results. There is an easily accessible section of shore on the Macquarie River at Woolmers. Provided you have a good pair of waders, there is ample scope for some great fly fishing or spinning. I have also had success fishing the South Esk at Longford, using plain old garden worms! The fish caught are often already full of earthworms, literally spewing them out as they are landed.

prey on baitfish in the river. For this reason, it is a good idea to use hardbodied lures and plastics that imitate these

fleeing baitfish. Although a little out of the way for some anglers, the Tyenna River in the south is

another great place to start the season. The Inland Fisheries Service once reported that for every 100m stretch of this river, there could be up to 150 trout at any given time! This means big bags of fish, but on the right day of course! A lot of the banks are overgrown, making them hard to access. Possibly the easiest foot access begins at the river mouth and working your way towards the township of Maydena. Fly anglers do really well using nymphs in the deeper pools. Casting small hardbodied lures or Celtas are also productive techniques early in the season. I must also mention that trophy sized trout do live here, with regular reports of monsters being caught each year. However, don’t expect to catch a thumper on your first trip – the river is home to lots of smaller trout. FINAL WORD Make sure that you have a current IFS freshwater licence before you head out. The weather in August can be variable, with a very real chance of snowfalls in the highland lake areas. If you’re going boating, please check the weather before venturing out. With this in mind, I wish all of you a productive and safe trout opening for the new season. Best of luck!

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It’s all about the trout, no trouble! TASMANIA

Kelly Hunt

Even though it is officially still winter in Tasmania, we do not let this break us for one minute. Steely resolve and a resolute conviction that the sun will burn long and warm once more has us continually reaching for the rod rack when we find the time. Winter offers many treasures in Tasmania and August can provide mild picturesque days of fishing. It is an exciting month for those that have slowed their fishing due to the cold in the last 2 months. August sees the average temperatures rise by 2ºC! Ok… probably not the most exciting news we have heard in a while but it is a start. Lovers of longer daylight hours will also be happy that there is 30 more sunshine hours to play with this month. This is a forgotten statistic to some anglers and should have some consideration. In our busy schedules where we are forever trying to find some fishing time, increased day light hours is golden. While we can rejoice in the fact the weather is improving, we must also be aware of how quickly the weather can change. August is a month you can wake and bounce out of bed to

a cloudless sky with some glorious sun and head off for a trip. However, be warned as that day can turn on you like an Asian Sun Bear. Pack for all seasons as that is most probably what you will encounter in a day’s fishing on an August day in Tasmania. TROUT August in Tasmania and it’s all about the trout. It was only last year that we celebrated 150 years of trout fishing in Tasmania.

On 4 May 1864 after a few failures they had success and the first English trout eggs started hatching at Plenty, Tasmania. It is amazing how this has transpired and now annually 25,000 people fish for trout in Tasmania. It is easy for local Tasmanian anglers to take our wonderful fishery for granted and forget just how famous Tasmania is for its wild brown and rainbow trout. The wonderful scenery and beautiful clean water

the promise of trout. Rivers and lakes and everything in between will provide opportunity to land a trophy fish. The rivers around our larger cities in Launceston and Hobart provide easy access to mainland anglers looking to make the trip. Just a small drive from the Launceston airport can have you standing on the bank of the South Esk or Macquarie rivers. A rest overnight and a scenic two hour drive to the Central Plateau will have

Everyone loves a Derwent runner.

Tasmanian trout are part of our tradition. Home sick English dudes who loved to fish, set their minds to the massive task of starting a new fishery on a distant remote isle.

also adds to the experience. What an experience it is. You cannot travel very far at all in Tasmania without finding a stretch of water with

you in a trout fishers wonder world. There are a fantastic range of waters, styles and techniques to take your fancy. The artificial lakes

such as Arthurs and Great Lake are the most popular lake fisheries. The more adventurous angler will look to take in the satisfaction of hunting the wild trout of the Western Lakes. This amazing area is within the Central Plateau World Heritage Area, and is made up of more than 3000 lakes, ponds and tarns. The area is as harsh as it is spectacular and the fishing is rewarding and adventurous. Flying into the capital of

Hobart is also popular with easy access to the Derwent and Huon rivers. These two magical waterways are easy targets and exploring in and around their tributaries will eat up many hours of rewarding angling. If you are looking to make a designated trip with plenty of planning or just a business trip and thrown in a travel rod and a few lures together. Tasmania will not disappoint and you have every chance of To page 50

INLAND FISHERIES SERVICE

Tassie trout opening season is finally here IFS

Tim Farrell

For many years the transfer of adult brown trout from the spawning streams of the highlands, particularly Liawenee Canal at Great Lake, has provided more immediate benefits from the IFS trout stocking program. These fish, being wild, are less prone to being caught out early in the season and have the potential for growth in their new homes that often exceeds that experienced in the lake they came from. So this type of stocking produces ‘put and take’ as well as ‘put and grow’ fisheries. The increasingly popular fisheries at Penstock Lagoon and Four Springs Lake have created a demand for more adult transfers to these waters. Each of these fisheries has received 4,000 fish this year, which will provide anglers with some great catches of well-conditioned

fish. These waters have shown through IFS conducted surveys to show exceptional growth rates with fish transferred at 700g 20 months reaching 1.6kg in 20 months and producing fish of an average weight of greater than 1.4kg. Craigbourne Dam is a popular fishery in the state’s south, known best for the large ex-brood stock Atlantic salmon that are stocked there. For the last two seasons good numbers of adult brown trout have been stocked prior to opening weekend. These brown trout provide good opportunities for anglers before, during and after the salmon stockings. Anglers can expect a salmon stocking before or just after opening weekend. The good stocks of adult brown trout at Craigbourne will give provide southern anglers with extra rewards at this popular fishery. Four Springs Lake is a one of the standout trout fisheries in the state, producing well-conditioned fish and an average size of nearly 1.5 kg. This is both

Lake Crescent is the place to go for monster trout in Tasmania. a popular and productive fishery where adult brown trout transferred from the spawning streams of the highlands grow well and quickly in the warmer waters if this low land lake. The River Derwent is a renowned early season fishery for both resident browns and searunners. Anglers will benefit from the latest Anglers Access brochure that identifies over 60 access locations between Gretna and Dowsings Point.

Many locations are within close proximity to Hobart’s northern suburbs and provide an ideal opportunity to have a quick flick either early or late in the day. The Huon River is also definitely one to put on the list for early season. Good catches have been reported in the all year round section of the river downstream of Huonville over the winter months. Both shore based angling and trolling are recommended.

LAKE CRESCENT Before 1995 Lake Crescent was the place most anglers from Tasmania and interstate would visit if they wanted to catch what would be referred to as a ‘trophy trout’, that is a fish over 4kg. Upon the discovery of carp in Lake Crescent in early 1995 this destination became off limits to anglers. The lake was closed for nearly 10 years, reopening for the 20052006 season. The trout population was maintained mostly through fry and fingerling stockings since 2005, with the re-opening that year relying on a 2002 stocking of 2,000 adult brown trout transferred from Liawenee Canal, Great Lake. In 2014-15 angling season some of the trout stocked in 2002 had survived to produce 4kg+ captures. It is evident from the catches of smaller, less than 4kg, fish that fry and fingerling stocking had also worked. Last year saw a dramatic demand on trout stocks at the lake; anglers had finally started tricking the trout

there. This has led to the IFS stocking Lake Crescent with adult transfers again with 2,000 stocked in 2015. Water levels at the lake has been very good for the past two angling seasons and have provided reasonable water clarity so fish could see lures and flies. There are also a number of good locations that can be now accessed safely by anglers using boats and from the shore. Catch rates at the lake are not high but those willing to put in the time will find fish. And these are not your ordinary trout! Fish stocked as 1 kg or less adult brown trout can grow to 4kg within a couple of years. Last year produced fish up to 6.5 kg. This year there will be bigger ones caught; there is little doubt to that. Early season from August through to November offer the best opportunities to land a monster trout at Lake Crescent. This year there will be more fish on offer due to the adult brown trout transfers as well. AUGUST 2015

From page 49

bagging a fat, fit trout. A fish of a lifetime. OPENING WEEKEND It’s a mark on the freshwater angler’s calendar that is cemented in place in a way that is almost religious. For some it is an annual pilgrimage to a shack that has been in the family for generations. Time to spend with family, uncles and grandparents and wet the occasional line should weather permit. Others, like the hardcore trout tragics, will have none of that. They would have been gearing up for the last couple of months. Checking tackle and buying the next ‘killer lure’ ready to launch an all-out assault on the trout population of their favourite opening weekend waterway. Then there are all those in between, just happy to be out and about and sharing a few laughs with some mates and family. Opening weekend and all of August is a great time to drown a worm in a flooded section of river or slow moving backwater. If I cast my mind way back, this would be my first ever recollection of fishing with a solid glass rod, inexpensive reel and a float. So if you have kids, this can be an inexpensive day out and a great excuse to drag the kids from the iPad. It is an adventure from start to finish. GUMBOOTS Getting the kids outside and into the open air is made much easier at the mention of gumboots. They love gumboots as wearing them gives them licence to stand in puddles and walk through the brownest and goopiest of mud. This is hugely important as you will need some trick to motivate the tribe if you want to escape the house and growing list of chores and go for a fish.

Stalking skittish trout with kids in tow is not always the best way to catch a few for the pan, but it will score you some serious brownie points. The adventure starts with locating and collecting the bait and for trout in August we all know that is worms. Turning over a few bits of wood or digging in the garden will take up an hour, but by then they will have worn off some of their cabin fever and enjoyed collecting enough bait for the day’s fishing. The next dilemma to deal with will be the fight over who gets the front seat, but you can offset that with bargaining who is next to hold the glass jar of worms with the holes in the lid. Picking your spot to fish is going to be crucial. It’s hardly rocket science I hear you say, but when fishing with kids it is a surgically precise exercise. The area must be as void of rocks

The zany staff at Tassie Tackle and Outdoors have everything you need to find some fish. also have a section where you can set up the kid’s bait fishing happily and right

do happen to come across an area like that, well done – you’ve found a leopard print

Make sure you pick your spot wisely when fishing with kids. It can make or break the day. as skipping rocks is the next most favoured thing to a child, next to wearing gumboots. The area must

close by is a shore section you can cast hardbodies in to uninterrupted. Just for the record, if you

unicorn (doesn’t exist). What you will be treated to over the next 2 hours, or longer if you are an actual

saint, is a fishing heptathlon. The afternoon will consist of the baiting of hooks, casting of line, untangling line and dealing with snacks. Contending with snags and the inevitable re tying of a simple bait rig. You will need the skill, stamina, poise and concentration of a NASA engineer. This will hopefully culminate into the penultimate event and see you put into the bottom of the net a fish your son or daughter has caught. The smile and excitement and life long memories you have just created will have been worth the pain. The stories they will tell and the interest and pride you have generated is as solid as any gold medal. THE RUNNERS The weather in August is still for the hardy but there is so much starting to happen that even the most pessimistic of anglers get a glint in the eye. None more so than the sea runner clan, drunk on the promise of finding big silver-sided trout

trying to gorge themselves on whitebait. It can be a confusing discussion as the term whitebait can mean many different things to many different people from around Australia or indeed the world. This stems from the generic word and its use to describe a collection of lots of immature fry or itty bitty baby fish. In Tasmania the term whitebait is a collective name for small transparent native fish that migrate from the sea in to. We have a few species that can confuse: whitebait (Lovettia sealii), jollytail (Galaxias maculatus), climbing galaxias (Galaxias brevipinnis), spotted galaxias (Galaxias truttaceus), Tasmanian mudfish (Neochanna cleaveri) and Tasmanian smelt (Retropinna tasmanica). Most whitebait are juveniles, with the exception of Lovettia sealii which are mature adults migrating to spawn. These little chaps are between 25-50mm long and travel in big schools along our coastline and at this time of year start to head up our estuaries and into our river systems. They have a season and fishery all of their own that starts in October when they really thicken up. The mystique and fascination with catching whitebait is derived from being seen as a delicacy and they are well sought-after and a good whitebait patty is a thing of legend. Great news for anglers is trout love to feed on these critters just as much as the guys that put them in fritters. Big wise powerful resident trout as well as the nomadic sea run trout will hunt them and gorge themselves on the schools. Often a fish that has been caught this time of year will have whitebait spilling out of them as they have

HYDRO TASMANIA WATER STORAGE INFORMATION Water Storage Information as at 14th July 2015 Lake/Lagoon

Metres from full

Comment

Lake Augusta ...................................3.27 ....................................................... Falling Arthurs Lake ....................................2.46 .......................................................Steady Great Lake .......................................15.5 .......................................................Steady Trevallyn Pond .................................1.24 ........................................................Rising Shannon Lagoon ..............................0.32 ........................................................Rising Penstock Lagoon .............................0.1 .........................................................Steady Lake Echo ........................................7.52 .......................................................Steady Dee Lagoon .....................................0.05 .......................................................Steady Bradys/Binneys/Tungatinah .............3.04 ....................................................... Falling Bronte Lagoon .................................1.63 .......................................................Steady Pine Tier Lagoon ..............................1.37 .......................................................Steady Little Pine Lagoon ............................0.62 .......................................................Steady Laughing Jack Lagoon ....................3.53 .......................................................Steady Lake St Clair ....................................1.55 .......................................................Steady Lake King William ............................5.66 .......................................................Steady Lake Liapootah ................................0.47 ....................................................... Falling Wayatinah Lagoon ...........................0.73 ....................................................... Falling Lake Catagunya ...............................1.13 ....................................................... Falling

Lake Repulse ...................................0.04 ........................................................Rising Cluny Lagoon ...................................0.18 ........................................................Rising Meadowbank Lake ..........................0.12 ........................................................Rising Lake Pedder ....................................0.9 .........................................................Steady Lake Gordon ....................................33.87 .....................................................Steady Lake Burbury ...................................5.96 .......................................................Steady Lake Plimsoll ...................................6.83 .......................................................Steady Lake Murchison ...............................17.11 .....................................................Steady Lake Mackintosh .............................6.49 .......................................................Steady Lake Rosebery .................................0.72 .......................................................Steady Lake Pieman ....................................3.45 .......................................................Steady Lake Mackenzie ...............................2.07 .......................................................Steady Lake Rowallan .................................5.6 .........................................................Steady Lake Parangana ...............................0.19 ........................................................Rising Lake Cethana .................................................................................................Spilling Lake Barrington ...............................0.96 ........................................................Rising Lake Gairdner ..................................6.24 .......................................................Steady Lake Paloona ...................................1.1 ......................................................... Falling Woods Lake .....................................1.91 ....................................................... Falling Whitespur Pond ...............................Null ................................................ Unavailable Lake Newton ...................................3.91 ........................................................Rising Lake Margaret .................................2.1 .........................................................Steady

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

AUGUST 2015

been eating so much of them. The trout anglers who have had to reduce their area of battle, due to the closed season, can plan an attack on the much sought-after sea run trout on a much bigger field of battle. The upper reaches of all the rivers that see an annual spawning run of whitebait are now fair game and well worth a look. The water movement and differing speeds of water flow are what the switched on angler is looking for. There are subtle pockets of water where the little whitebait stall or get held by water pressure and these are the places to try and locate. It may be the shape of the bottom, a certain rock or the certain way a bend in the river shapes the flow. This is where the powerful sea runner will look to ambush his dinner. Rivers that flow into Bass Strait have a lot of tidal flow and at times of heavy water movement downstream the whitebait will be hard up against the edge. The conga line of bait will be swimming its little hearts out, in and around downed logs and the overhanging trees trying to avoid big steely fish. While most forms of fishing has a very visual side to it, so does fishing for trout when the whitebait are on. Sneaking about a shoreline trying very hard not to spook even the possibility of catching a nice runner there will be a visual explosion of bait breaking the surface and heading every which way. The instant that happens the heart rate will rise as you just know there is a trout hard up there clacker looking to feed on them. Keep an eye out for big bow waves as fish push bait up into the shallows as well. FLUFF N FUR The cooler temperatures of August will not excite the ardent of dry fly fishers as any self-respecting insect will have laid its eggs and took off or turned its toes

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Silver grey winters days can offer fantastic trout opportunity. up and died. Don’t despair as the humble black beetle may be your saviour here so nicely tied representations of those presented in the right environment will see some success. This time of year is more about the big wet flies and it is their time to shine. There is a general rule of thumb that at this time of year the lower altitudes fish better, but I don’t necessarily agree. The brown trout have spawned and will be famished, swimming around looking to smash anything you put in front of them. Rainbow trout will still be looking to spawn and nail your presentation out of aggression. This is great news for those guys that have not quite got their fly tying perfect. You can plop a star spangled woolly mess out in front of a big rainbow and it may take a swing at it out of disgust. Rabbit fur flies or anything looking to imitate

a tad pole or frog will be your friend. RUG UP AND BE REWARDED Look for those lakes that have managed to maintain their levels as tailing trout in the flooded margins provides great sport and awesome sight fishing. Little Pine is an example with a shrimp pattern. The weather will be tricky and often windy and cold and I think this is why people prefer to target the lower altitudes. Those that gear up correctly and have equipment to battle the weather will find substantial reward. THE GUN LURE Once the opening season venue has been discussed and settled the next conversation is normally the hotly contested gun lure of choice. It is the sort of question that provides lots of fun and mischief. I have been on opening weekend trips where boats have returned to

the ramp after a successful day with lures cheekily covered like an Americas Cup winged keel. One mate of mine would purchase and have in his tackle box a few outrageous looking lures to tie to his line aimed to confuse and befuddle. Local tackle retailers are the place to go for the up to date info on what you can catch in an area that store operates in. It is invaluable information that they will happily share and even show you some slight technique variances that turn a good lure into a great one. You just don’t get that from an online outlet. Rodney Howard has been involved in the tackle industry for a great many years. Loves his fishing and gets away to hone his skill, craft and knowledge as much as work can possibly allow. Work for Rodney is as owner and manager of Tassie Tackle and Outdoor.

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LURES AND FLIES Lakes:............. Nils master 7 cm #67 (good West Coast Lakes), Cobra (frog colour), Ashley Spinner #29 (black/gold). Rivers:............. Wonder Wobbler (redfin or greenfin), Smiths Wobbler (black with red spots) Johnson #14 spinner. Flies:................ Mrs Simpson, Black beetle (wet), Yeti.

Rug up and be rewarded.

This store has long been held as a premier destination for not just anglers but for anyone looking to take on the great outdoors and all the conditions Mother Nature can throw at you. Well stocked and wellstaffed Tassie Tackle and Outdoors has all the quality equipment and advice for anyone looking to catch a fish in Tasmania and around the world. Rodney and his team not only have experience with Tasmanian species, but with many national and international trips under their belts can set you in the right direction on most species. Here are a few of the lures Rodney has for the start of the trout season and he leans towards lures that allow the angler to cast easily and cover more water.

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Diehard spearos brave the chill 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. Late June and July saw the continuation of the fantastic southern bluefin tuna season we have been experiencing this year and August should still see plenty of opportunity to target them. Port Fairy based spearfishing club, Shipwreck Coast Skindivers inc, recently hosted a club social dive targeting school tuna in close off Port Fairy. The dive was well attended and some members of the Melbourne based club, Southern Freedivers, came out west to join the dive. Several boatloads of divers headed out to the 45m line where plenty of school tuna were found busting on the surface. As always, the technique was to find a busting school then add plenty of pilchard cubes to berley and hold the fish in the area. Divers then enter the water and several people stayed in the boat. One to drive the boat and stay in close proximity

Left: Shipwreck Coast and Southern Freedivers members after a successful day on the tuna. Right: Aaron Mitchell with a nice winter bull cray. to the divers and at least one more person keeping a constant visual on the divers, which is the best way to ensure everybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safety. Plenty of tuna were landed on the day with young gun Mac Riddle getting multiple fish. This month sees the build up of southern calamari around inshore areas 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. Again a little berley can help bring them in and ensures they are more focused

on the berley then the diver who is stalking them. The same rules tend to apply no matter the location; so even in the outside of Melbourne we apply the same technique when looking for calamari. 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 South West 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 and make for a very tasty by-catch. Australian salmon are also abundant right through winter and are often bumped into when hunting in shallow

inshore areas. Reefs with sand holes adjacent are a great place to encounter salmon as well as fish like silver trevally, King George whiting, sea sweep and a host of wrasse species. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let the cold of winter keep you out of the water as there are some awesome opportunities to hunt both in and offshore so get out and enjoy your diving!

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About 3.5 hours from Melbourne and only a short 5-minute drive from the centre of Lakes Entrance lies the ever so popular Lake Tyers. The reason Lake Tyers is so popular is the amount of species that are available on offer, with the prized targets being bream and flathead. PRIME TIME Lake Tyers can be fished with great success all year round. Targeting flathead in the warmer months is best when the shallow water heats up and the fish become more active, ‘basking’ in the sun waiting for an easy meal to swim by. Bream fishing is exceptional in the winter months when the fish start to school up pre-spawn. Cricket scores of fish can be caught during the time of the year and can make for some top-notch fishing. THE GEAR Like most estuary fishing a light 2-4kg graphite spin rod with a 2000 size reel is best when chasing bream and flathead. When targeting the abundant tailor, don’t forget to use a

Gerard with a typical bream caught sight casting the flats.

Paul Malov with a cracking fish caught on a topwater lure up the Nowa Nowa arm. wire trace otherwise it can become very expensive in the pocket with the amount of lost lures. THE RIG A reel spooled up with 6lb braid and a long 4-6lb fluorocarbon leader is ideal for casting lures at bream. You might want to bump it up a little if fishing

the snags as light leader doesn’t last long around barnacle-encrusted snags. If specifically targeting flathead then 8-12lb leaders are a good starting point with a 1/8oz jighead and your favourite plastic tied on the end. BAIT AND LURES A couple of go-to

lures for targeting flathead in the estuary are the Squidgy Fish with grasshopper and poddy being a very good replica of a mullet and a proven flathead catcher. Softies work well for bream as well with Squidgy Wrigglers in 80 and 100mm almost the first plastic to tie on and cast out. Fishing

blades in the open water and along rock walls is very effective and one of the easiest ways to catch bream along with most other species that Lake Tyers has to offer. BEST METHOD When targeting bream in the winter months, a quality sounder is essential. Locating schooled up bream in open water and casting small blades to the fish is by far one of the best methods and most enjoyable ways to spend time on the water. MOTHER NATURE Dusky flathead rules and regulations have recently changed so just remember that the size limit for dusky flathead now are 30-55cms with a total possession limit

of 5 fish per angler. Letting the bigger fish go will ensure stock levels of fish are maintained and the breeders are left to do their thing.  Fish for the future. HOT TIP It’s important to adjust the drag on your reel to suit the surrounding and environment that you are fishing. When fishing for bream in snags you want to have it locked up making it easier to pull fish from the timber and not get busted off. Fishing in open water for bream and flathead having the drag backed off is best. You will not pull as many hooks from mouths of fish as you are not required to pull them from timber in a white knuckled affair.

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The Backbone Tide Watch is perfect for anglers, boaties or anyone who enjoys aquatic pursuits. The watch is equipped with a stack of features, including the ability to calculate past, present or future tidal movements of your chosen location once set. Built tough, the watch comes as standard with a rubber case and strap - in 6 colour combinations -with stainless steel fittings. Features include a 12-digit display, dual time, a stopwatch with 1/100 sec. resolution, a countdown timer and a tide calculator with easy to follow set instructions, and an EL backlight for easy viewing at night. The Backbone has 10ATM/100m water resistancy and is backed by a 12-month warranty on movement. Price: RRP $49.90 www.backbonetime.com.au

In years gone by, the common esky has been a present that all dads would love to see wrapped up as a Fathers’ Day gift. So why not give him something out the box this year and consider getting a Chiller Fish Bag? This fantastic product is designed to store your fish catch in a hygienic environment ensuring fresher, long lasting fish. This insulated bag holds ice for days and is ideal for both small and large boats. Its flared bottom keeps it stable on the deck, and it’s insulated with 1/2” dense foam and has a waterproof zipper to keep fishy fluids contained. These sturdy bags are UVresistant and mildew-resistant, and are built to withstand the harsh saltwater environment. They have a drain spout and a filler spout for easy cleaning, and fold up for easy storage. Even though they were originally designed for anglers, they are also a great way to keep your food and drinks cold when camping or at parties. There are five models in the range, from your MICRO Model (75cm length) through to the massive MAXI model (2m in length). Price: from RRP $119-$299 www.bluebottlefishing.com

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Every year at Christmas and on Fathers’ Day, Fishing Monthly gets a rush of gift subscriptions for lucky dads. We thought that it was about time that we upped the ante on Fathers’ Day! Mention this deal on our 1800 number in the ad hereby and not only will we sell you a two-year subscription to your state’s most comprehensive fishing magazine, but we’ll also send him a free Okuma Siren spinning reel. The reel itself will cost you around $80 at your local newsagent, so it’ll be hard to find a better deal for Dad’s special day. Subscriptions to Fishing Monthly are the gift that keeps on giving. Each month, the latest issue of the magazine will be delivered to his address and for the full duration of the subscription, he’ll be in the draw for the great subscriber prizes that are offered each month. Better still, renewal to the sub will be around Fathers’ Day 2017. So you’re covered for a gift then, too. All Fishing Monthly's come with a guarantee that if Australia Post misplace your magazine in their system, we’ll replace noquestions-asked and free of charge! Call 1800 228 244 and talk to Kym. Price: $99 1800 228 244 www.fishingmonthly.com.au

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The Korr 10 Watt Zoom LED headlamp is going to make a lot of friends with anglers and campers as it ticks every box as far as portability, convenience and power are concerned. Aluminium alloy construction ensures the new Korr headlamps – with their 10W Cree XML2-U2 LEDs – are robust and durable, and designed to give years of useful service. There are three light output modes: high, low and strobe. On the high setting there’s a range of 150m and the output is 850 Lumens. With four AA size batteries in the battery compartment (which is out of the way at the back of the head when the unit is in use) there’s up to 10 hours endurance depending upon the setting chosen and battery quality. Another feature anglers will enjoy is the click adjustment for the beam angle, allowing the beam to be turned down to an angle of 90° and to stay right there until a job has been completed. Price: $42.99 www.korrlighting.com.au

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AUGUST 2015

The spawning blues HORSHAM

Trevor Holmes

With most fish in spawning mode during the last few weeks the angling has been a bit spasmodic and many people are getting frustrated by seeing large fish free-swimming in numbers with many in very shallow water. Edges seem to be the best place to look in most lakes as these XL fish are being seen and hooked in water lees than 1M in most cases. Brown trout are in pairs and the norm is a hovering rainbow ready to raid freshly dropped or laid eggs. The hens are laying, the bucks are not far away fertilising the eggs and protecting the selected area. Rainbows usually follow some weeks later going into the same process around a full moon. Bright lures are the pick now and in the Tassies we have

produced on the oranges and pinks of late. LAKE TOOLONDO With many anglers visiting and returning empty-handed, frustrations have led to questions of stocking and downturn of the waterway. This is not the case, and although we are worse off water wise than this time last year, the fishing has been reasonable for those in the know or those taking the time to research current catches. Fish Arrows in the J Huddle are a great lure to use and as I’ve said many times, match up to the naturals in the water and you can’t go wrong. Flicking lightly weighted plastics that match the local minnow and gudgeons has seen many hook ups in the shallows. Some fish are being hooked and landed in under a metre of water. 56

AUGUST 2015

Bait fishing has been a little quiet of late but I expect that to fire post spawn. Trolling is starting to get rewards for those working on the windier days where the weed isn’t so annoying. Fly fishos are doing OK now in the shallows hunting down some of the bigger spawning fish. Hardbody lures are also doing well either trolled or cast to structure and weed beds. Redfin have been very quiet and I expect that to be the norm until spring and summer. ROCKLANDS There’s still some very nice redfin in most areas but more prominent close to trees and back waters where they are schooling to absorb the warmer water. Recently I fished there and had good success on the reddies but had to travel 15km up from the ramp to find substantial schools. Stumpjumpers have

been the pick of lures again for the redfin and Rapalas and Tassie Devils have been the trout lollies. Some nice bass are also being taken around structure and rock formations casting either plastics or vibes to fish in cover. On the trout front, there’s been some very nice browns taken on gudgeon, minnow and mudeyes around timbered areas breaking to open ground. After a recent trip releasing several trout (both browns and rainbows) trolling the future looks great for Rocklands and fish numbers have definitely increased. LAKE FYANS While the normal run of big redfin has occurred and now tapering off a few nice specimens are still on offer for persistent anglers. I’ve seen pictures of fish better than 6lb (3kg) and the Fyans of old is just around the corner. Trout have also been

The writer with a lovely Toolondo buck brown. Note PFD being correctly worn. very active with trolling producing a few on hardbodies, Tassie Devils are also nailing a few in the brighter colours. Experienced fly anglers working the shallows have also been polaroiding some beaut fish, mainly browns,

but also the occasional rainbow. Boat traffic seems to have an adverse effect on the trout and the quieter days during the week are the best producers. Recently on a Saturday afternoon better than 30 boats were on the lake and

the fish went very quiet. By the following Tuesday they were back on and proving that too many anglers and boats will send them quiet. A couple of patient anglers have done well on mudeye under a float too on both trout and reddies.

Top Left: The Pink Panther Tassie Devil trolled up this beauty recently. Top Right: Big Ben Young with another cracking Toolondo buck brown. Above Left: Ray Skinner with his lovely big brown taken trolling Toolondo. Above Right: Kang Lim nails another Toolondo monster on a bent Minnow. Weighing in at 3.5kg, it’s a prime specimen.

LAKE WARTOOK There’s been mixed results from here of late and the predicted primetime pre spawn didn’t eventuate leaving a few anglers scratching their heads. The rainbows switched on briefly but the browns fed willingly on bait, mainly mudeye under a float for some locals. Trolling should improve in the coming weeks with the brighter colours being the pick once again. This time last year many rainbows were landed off the wall area on pink Tassie Devils. Orange, pinks and the brighter lures in all shapes and sizes usually excite post spawn fish and very aggressive hits are experienced. I personally prefer to fish the lake in August and September when some cracking fish are available. Past experiences show the best fishing times are during this time, so keep that in mind! LAKE BELLFIELD Visitors and locals alike are starting to land a few fish, mainly trout, at the wall but the experienced head to the south end of the lake and the back waters this time of year for a bigger fish. With the redfin also moving up the back of the lake this seems the prime area.

Chinook salmon are also stocked and there are reports of some exceeding the 1kg mark and providing good sport. Vibes and deep divers are the best option although I prefer a big plastic free dropped on a long cast and let sink until the bottom is felt and then slowly retrieved. This should put you in the

zone for these great little fighters. A few smaller redfin have been taken and the shallower edges have been the zones to target them. Worms or yabby tail fished on the bottom up in the wall area is the best location for consistent fishing. BASS CAPTURES With some studies

being done on bass from Rocklands could anyone who catches one please keep the specimen and notify me ASAP as Fisheries Victoria need a couple of fish to research the growth rates by ear bone study. I can be contacted on 0438 132 130. Your contribution to science would be greatly appreciated.

SAFETY Constantly I’m seeing anglers breaking the law and not using their PFDs while boating. These rules are in place for your own safety and I fear it’s going to take a disaster for people to take notice. New signage is being installed at most lakes and ramps and in the coming

months Maritime Safety compliance officers will be patrolling and prosecuting offenders. PFDs are a lifesaving yolk for your own safety and the common theory is they are worn because it’s the law. This is not the case – they are to be worn because they save lives in an emergency or accident.

Left: Ian Flintoff from Geelong enjoyed some Toolondo magic lately! Right: The Beetle Bomb Tassie Devil accounted for this big boy trolling!

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AUGUST 2015

Frosts fire the fishing ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

The frost on the ground and the full chill of winter has done little to dampen the enthusiasm of anglers fishing the Murray River. Good reports of large Murray cod and golden perch have filtered through from Swan Hill all the way through Mildura and spilling over the border into South Australia. Amongst the catches have been a few monster cod surpassing the 130cm mark, and most of these giants have been landed on large deep diving lures on the troll. Visiting Daylesford angler Michael Hallinan has been fishing for cod most of his life but nothing could prepare him for the monster cod that engulfed his lure a few weeks ago. He was winding the 200mm lure in at the end of the troll run when the cod struck hard. Hallinan said the take was like two bricks clacking together and he wondered for a brief second on whether the lure could withstand such an assault. Hallinan knew it was a giant as the rod loaded to the cork and the drag begun to yield line at a slow steady pace. Seconds rolled into minutes and the giant fish was finely drawn to the boat before breaching the surface within net range. Hallinan could hardly believe his luck as the monster cod could barely be squeezed into one of the biggest Shimano Environets. Measuring in at 133cm,

Hallinan said it was his finest fishing moment and although the weather was less than favourable, he hopped into the water to have his pictures taken with the giant cod. In other reports, the Murrumbidgee River at Hay has anglers landing good numbers of Murray cod up to and over a metre in length on lures. The humble StumpJumper has been doing

the damage both on the cast and troll, with the best colours being a mix of the full spectrum. I’m guessing the colour closest to the hungry fish is the one that generally gets eaten. Swan Hill Tackle proprietor Jim Credlin says the Murray has been fishing well for golden perch on bait with scrub worms working best. It’s a similar story at Boundary

Michael Hallinan hopped into the icy water of the Murray River for a memorable photo of his biggest cod to date measuring in at 133cm.

Bend with a few cod landed on lures. The Merran Creek has produced cod up to 85cm on yabbies and grubs while the Wakool River at Stoney Crossing has cod to 95cm on lures with some large golden perch on bait. Wemen has fished well with several metre plus cod landed on lures and numerous perch taken on bait. Small yabbies and worms are working well in this area for the bait anglers. With the lowering of the weir pool above Mildura, anglers are finding the fish a little quiet but it’s business as always below, with Wentworth, Fort Courage and Lock 9 at Lake Cullulleraine all yielding Murray cod on lures. It seems the first few frosts have certainly fired up the fishing and while the weather might be a little on the chilly side, I’m sure there will be no shortage of anglers keen to wet a line as the good reports continue to filter in.

Top: Ken and Vic Woods with a solid Murray cod they landed recently casting a StumpJumper lure along the Murray River. Above: Josh Volf with a solid golden perch that nailed a 120mm Codzilla lure on the troll.

Anticipate an August cod rush SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

Other than December, August would have to be one of the most anticipated months for cod fishing. It’s not because the conditions or water temperatures are great, it’s because everyone wants to target the mighty fish one last time before the close of the season. The past 2 months, everyone has been focussing on trout, redfin and crays but the next 31 days will be cod dominated with plenty of locals planning trips both afar and around town. The introduction of massive cod lures on the market has really seen the catch rates of monster cod go up in all areas. I can see plenty of big fish being caught in the following month both around our local area and in other waterways. 58

AUGUST 2015

All local tackle stores have a great range of cod lures so get in there quick as they sell very fast. If you’re targeting the big fish around Shepparton try spots like behind the lake, Rafterys Rd and Medlands Rd. All these areas hold great fish and have some very deep bends and runs where the big lures work well. Concentrate on these areas and give them a good working over with both trolling and casting lures. If you’re not a lure fisho fresh bait work will in the same areas, just keep your bait on the move by just flicking your line or raising your rod tip. If you let your bait sit in the one spot for a long period of time expect the crayfish to take your bait. Talking about crayfish the back end of the season was very disappointing and it’s a shame as the early signs were all good for craying around Shepparton. There had been a hand full of reports from Undera way but that’s about all. The Broken River this

time of year can be very hit and miss but if we do get a downpour of rain get out to the broken in a day or two of the rain from now until December and 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 The lakes are still very quiet. There have been a couple of reports of redfin and carp being caught around the willows near the playground at Lake 1. Other than that, there is no real news out of the lakes and hopefully that changes in coming months. If you have a kayak or canoe target the island in Lake 1. It holds plenty of fish but it’s just not easy to get them to bite. SHEPPARTON LAKE The rainbows are starting to move in the lake with a few being caught on Powerbait. Given the time they have

been in there they are still fairly quiet so within the next few weeks there should be a greater chance for those targeting them. Over the next 2 months the fish numbers in the lake are going to increase, which is a great sign for all local fishos. The reports are that hundreds of trout will be released and have time to settle in before the next school holidays, this again is our license fees at work and hopefully the fishing will be great just in time for the warmer conditions. Just remember, these fish seem to be a tad more fragile in the lake so if releasing them makes sure you do so very quickly as they seem to sulk and stress a lot once hooked. As for those looking to chase the trout, the same methods have consistently been working, that is floating fresh or artificial baits around the weed edges. Or, if you’re a lure fisho, casting or trolling small diving lures, spinners or blades.

Local Resident Ross Gibson caught this monster cod on a recent trip. This massive 105cm beast smashed his previous PB. LOCAL CHANNELS The channel system will fill back up again in mid to late august and after 2 months of no fishing due to the chemical attack on the weeds we are going in blind. I will be targeting any type of structure in the coming months in hope of landing a big red or even a yellowbelly. With the outside temperatures hopefully on the rise don’t be surprised if you land a few good yellowbelly and that can

make for some great work on light gear. Bait fishos fresh worms or PowerBait blocks will work well but expect a few carp to jump on the hook. Those using lures take a full range of small medium divers, small blades and plenty of different coloured plastics. It may take time but once you nut out what the fish are taking you will have a ball. To page 59

Time to cast for cod MILDURA

John Menhennett goobyfish@hotmail.com

It is definitely the time of year to start casting the snags for Murray cod. As winter rolls on, casting becomes the technique of choice for most cod anglers to draw out those giant fish. Some nice fish have been caught recently in multiple locations around Mildura. The maintenance of the Mildura weir structure in early June meant that river levels above and below Mildura were extremely low, making it difficult to launch boats. Not only that, when there are significant changes in river levels the cod seem to go off the bite. This means serious cod anglers have had to travel either further up or downstream to brave the cold conditions and catch that fish of a lifetime. Consequently, there have been some good ones over a metre caught on trolled large hardbodies. Anglers have also reported nice cod caught

on cast spinnerbaits in the shallows over timber. Bait fishos have been enjoying the fishing despite the cold weather, with reports of yellowbelly up to 50cm on shrimp and worm above Mildura. Of course, there have also been plenty of carp taken on all sorts of baits, including cheese and corn. Shrimp in the river at present are a rare catch. Reports of cod to size caught on bardi grubs have also been made recently in several locations around Mildura, particularly below. As the river settles, anglers wait in anticipation for the weir to be put back in place so the river resembles what it did towards the end of May. At the time of writing, Mildura downstream had dropped a little bit, but is still good water with nice clarity. Even though a few nice cod are being caught, fishing is still relatively slow as the cod transition from summer habits into winter ones. Fishing is always fairly slow at the beginning of winter, but when the fish do bite they are aggressive and usually in

excess of a metre in length. The signal to start fishing for large cod is when the flowers drop off the willow trees following a frost period. This same change will see yellowbelly slow right down before firing up again in the spring. Just remember, with this transition comes a change of technique for the angler. Where trolling has its place, casting is the thing most cod anglers are waiting to do and will achieve more in the colder months. There is nothing better than casting up an angry metrey from the snags. Trolling of late has been most effective using large lures like Muldoon King Mongs and Koolabung Codzillas. The best casting lures this winter have been Bassman Spinnerbaits from 5/8-1oz in whites and blacks, or a combination of both. Graphite rods from 4-10kg and reels spooled with 50lb braid and 60lb leaders are ideal setups. So get out the woollies and thermals and upsize your gear for one of the best winter seasons yet!

Even the smallest of cod can take big lures at any time of the year. Luke Haaja, from Mildura, trolled up this little fella during winter on a lure intended for a bigger fish.

Boom or bust time YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

Predicting what could be happening in and around Lake Mulwala fish-wise at present is nigh on impossible. As you’re reading this, the lake should be filling, or has refilled, after being drawn down to around 20% over the winter period for maintenance and weed issues. How the cod will resettle back into their home snags is anybody’s guess. If history repeats from the last drawdowns, the end of cod season should peter out quietly, with action expected to return to normal come the opening of the season on December 1. Looking back, there was a period of 2 weeks where any spinnerbait or mumbler cast into Lake Mulwala was in severe danger of being brutalised by a marauding monster. Time spent on water was rewarded with some great returns. The

average minimum size was well above the Mulwala average (45-60cm), with a 70cm model being small! Plenty of names spring to mind when it comes to landing the big fish, with the likes of Whitfield, Stewart, Crabb, Keetelaar and Roberts gaining numerous mentions, with cod measuring in excess of the magical metre mark. I managed to share a magic fishing moment with ‘The Boss’ Vanessa on a recent outing exploring our magnificent drained waterway. With a favourite Bassman Spinnerbait attached, Vanessa’s cast was perfectly placed 2” from the edge of a newly exposed creek. A slow retrieve was met with a small ‘tick’, upon which VB exclaimed, “I just had a hit!” Next thing this ‘hit’ proceeded to come to life and swim towards the centre of the creek, seemingly unaware it was attached to quite an excited female fisho! With the drag being tightened to match this monster’s strength, all things went perfectly and it was boatside in less

than 2 minutes. Before being brought aboard, preparations were made for a quick photo shoot, measure and safe release for the monster that lay quietly in the net boatside. Its true size was realised when brought on board. A quick weigh while in the net bottomed the scales out at 50lb with ease, while the Brag Mat measured it at a healthy 110cm. Certainly not the biggest cod to come out of the lake, but one of the biggest known of for a female. Well done, VB. And then, “You should have been here last week!” Never a truer word spoken, as the cod completely shut off in late June after a couple of weeks of excitement. The cray season continued though, with most returning with their daily bag limits. The common theme from those pursuing this favourite pastime is the average return is about 20 undersize or female to one legal. As the fishing slows down, organisation for the 2015-16 fishing competition season ramps

up. If you are keen to get your name added to the Golden Dollars, Cod Classic, Dash 4 Cash, His and Hers Partners Classic or Cod Nationals mailing lists, shoot me an e-mail at codclassic@bigpond.com The big news on the Cod Classic front is a tagged Cod with a potential

reward of $1 million being on offer. This is the biggest thing to ever happen in the fishing competition scene, and will make it an event not to be missed. Keep your eyes peeled for more details soon. • If you are visiting town, I urge you to call into Lake Mulwala Fish, Camp

& Ski (opposite the post office) in Mulwala and say G’day. We are your largest Murray cod-specific shop in Yarrawonga/ Mulwala and specialise in all things ‘green’! For any information on the upcoming events or fishing reports, give us a hoy on (03) 5744 3133.

and also strangely enough, big yellowbelly. I also had one report of two large brown trout being landed around the wall area trolling small deep diving lures. Pink and gold seem to be the best colours of late and

that’s no surprise. If you’re into casting plastics amongst the schools the ‘drop bear’ colour squidgy paddle-tails in the 80-100mm size works very well. Just use a slow rolling technique and add a few flicks and pauses along the way.

In August we should see the temperatures starting to rise but this is also the time where we see the wind pick up towards September. This month I would continue to target the redfin with lures as you can follow the schools

around more that when you bait fish. CRAIGMUIR LAKE The lake is now starting to pick up with good reports of redfin being caught around the 40cm mark mostly on small blades or jackals. The

best way to fish the lake is in a kayak or canoe but if you don’t have one big long cast are needed to lure in the bigger fish. Bait fishing has not been as successful of late but once you can get some live shrimp it should pick up.

Vanessa Bennett with her 110cm monster Murray Cod.

From page 58

WARANGA BASIN Over the past 2 months the Waranga Basin has fished very well and it’s my favourite time of the year to attack the Basin. There have been countless reports of good-sized redfin

AUGUST 2015

Crazy or committed? EILDON

Andy McCarthy

It was a very odd month to say the least, with the powers that be deciding to

let an absolute truckload of water out of the lake – up to 10,000 megalitres per day at one stage. This went on for three weeks and dropped the lake by around 4%. Apparently

Daniel Battin uses a fantastic range of lures for Lake Eildon.

it was for environmental reasons but my main concern is what damage these massive flows could have done to the recent spawn. You have to wonder how it would have affected the beds of eggs that had only been in place for 3-5 weeks. I just hope it hasn’t completely destroyed the entire season’s spawn below the weir. It has been absolutely freezing cold of late, and angler numbers have dropped off significantly. The interesting thing is there have been more consistent reports of yellowbelly getting caught in the southern end of the lake. This is really strange for this time of year when the water temp is around 9-11°C, and some of them have been quite big – up around 60cm (around 12lb plus). It’s nothing to be sneezed at, even in spring. There have been some good reports of Murray cod recently, and when you get one fish you’ll generally get a few. One local punter landed seven cod ranging from 59cm up to 89cm in a two-hour period, all from

Christian Kuegler with a great Eildon brown. the one bank. There are only short windows of opportunity as far as bite times go, and it seems this is more common when the water levels are dropping rapidly. Let’s hope it gets more consistent now as it starts to rise again. The trout have been going well recently. Christian Kuegler braved the conditions camping up the lake, and the weather gods gave him consecutive -3°C mornings. Despite the freezing cold he was rewarded with some

nice fish up to 3.5lb. Some people might say he’s crazy for doing that, but I call it commitment! Good numbers of fish have also come from Goughs Bay trolling the edges with Tassie Devils. One rainbow came in at 9lb – that’s a chunk of a fish. There still aren’t many reddies on the chew. Where have they gone? Wish I knew. PONDAGE It has been up and down again but will really fire

throughout August I reckon, once the water level is consistent again. Hopefully there will be no more sudden water releases. Good numbers of browns and bows have been caught between 1-4lb. The old dough still getting its fair share of fish, and Powerbait in pink is also worth a shot, along with the trusty Tassie Devils. My favourite Tassie Devil pattern in the pondage is the rainbow trout patterning (blue, white and pink). Tight lines.

Tried-and-true does the trick BONNIE DOON

Andy McCarthy

It’s a very different looking lake from the Bonnie Doon Bridge when the water level is in its low 50s, that’s for sure. It’s easy to forget that it wasn’t that long ago when you couldn’t even see water from the bridge. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen again too soon. It seems that the

Delatite arm and up near the mouth of the river has been the go-to place up the top end of late. There have been consistent reports of goodsized trout being caught on flat lined Tassie Devils, particularly the clown pattern and the chartreuse lumo colour. The good old Rapala CD 5 in rainbow trout has also been a standout in the hardbody area. The Ford Inlet has been doing well with a couple of nice 4lb browns getting

taken on scrub worms in the shallows from the bank under bubble floats – old school fishing at its finest. Sometimes we get carried away with the latest and greatest gear available and forget about the triedand-true methods that our grandpas used. Up around the Doon caravan park has also done OK recently. Mick, Jimmy

and Rob from Hook ‘Em Fishing came up for a couple of days, but the only person who troubled the score board was young Max, the son of one of their mates who landed a nice little brown. Having said that, I suspect that the boys do a lot more beer sipping than hard core fishing, but they have a great deal of fun anyway and that’s what fishing is all about: fun,

Mark Pollock caught this quality brown from the top end of the lake.

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Richie William with a fat winter yella caught on the troll.

fun and more fun! There have been scattered reports of cod, not great numbers but enough to keep us going out chasing them. The best specimen of late was an 88cm fish caught by Alex Power on a size 2 StumpJumper in the frog pattern near the pines. The interesting thing was there was another fish the same size following it up. This tends to happen more in late

spring but not so much in winter. A few yellas have popped up in the top of the lake. Not as many as the southern end but enough to get excited about. Let’s hope this trend keeps on going right into spring. Lately there have been minimal numbers of reddies, and I still can’t wait until these lovely tablefish fire again.

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Exciting cold water bass WST/STH GIPPSLAND

Steve Haughton steve@habitatcreations.com.au

Over the last month reports have been flooding in of bass still being caught at Blue Rock Lake in good numbers. Some big reddies have also been caught jigging worms and lures, and some nice-sized trout are being picked up trolling the lake. A few years ago Blue Rock was a quiet lake dubbed ‘Lake Disappointment’, but now it’s quite the opposite. It’s a great option for those brave enough to face the cold, and wet a line outside of the stream trout season. Most bass are still around the mid-20cm mark, but some outstanding fish above 35cm are still being caught and released in the heart of winter. Most of the winter bass were undone by the deadly garden worm, along with the odd one on jig lures.

Bass tend to go quiet chasing soft plastics and lures at this time of the year; the fish like to go down deep and school around structure, feeding off shrimp and small fish that come their way. Fishing for winter bass is very similar to targeting redfin. Garden worms, scrub worms, live crickets and jig lures dropped down next to trees and other structure can produce fish, but be prepared to move around until you find the schools. At Blue Rock there is certainly no shortage of dead trees up the Tanjil Arm so deciding where to start can be a bit overwhelming! Rather than pot luck, use a good sounder to save you time and increase your chances. Some big redfin have been caught over the last month, too. The bigger fish have been comfortably tipping the 40cm mark which is a big reddie for Blue Rock. I don’t know if it’s because more people are fishing the lake now or the bass are

controlling the population (or both!) but there are some much bigger redfin being caught. Last summer I caught two healthy bass at 28cm and both regurgitated 10cm+ redfin and loads of shrimp. This suggests the redfin now have a serious predator, and the bass could be naturally controlling the smaller reddies. It’s an exciting thought; a lake full of big redfin and redfin-fed bass! A reminder that the stream trout season reopens at midnight on Friday, 4 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 their trout. The closed season means that stream brown and rainbow trout can spawn and then migrate back downstream to

Sara Ball with an exceptional land-based winter bass caught and released at Blue Rock using the trusty garden worm as bait. This beauty measured 42cm! feed, all in time for the season opening in September. If you are heading out to target stream blackfish or eel (or just happen to be passing

through) and you spot illegal activities on our streams, please report it to 13 FISH. As always, 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!

The big chill continues BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

The Bendigo region has been in the grip of a chilly winter. We have received some very good frosts, and on those windy days if you’re not careful it feels like the wind will cut you in half. With these trying conditions, few anglers have been fishing lately. It is only the most dedicated anglers who are prepared to put the hard yards in at this time of year. LAKE EPPALOCK The catchment for Lake Eppalock has received below average rainfall, and at this stage water levels are remaining steady. The catchments

AUGUST 2015

are not saturated yet and we need a couple of significant rainfall events before we’ll start to see a rise in water levels. Typically during the month of August we start to see some inflows come into the lake, and water levels start to increase. There is currently a good amount of regrowth around the edges of the lake, and this is a good sign if we do get good rises in water levels over the next few months. The fishing has been surprisingly good at this location in recent weeks. Redfin have been making up the majority of anglers’ captures, and most fish have been found in depths greater than 10m. Trolling deep diving hardbody lures has been productive, along with casting soft plastics and blades. Locating a good school of redfin is

often difficult though. The redfin have been moving around a lot so you have to be prepared to try many different areas to catch some fish. Golden perch captures have been poor lately; anglers trolling hardbody lures have caught only the odd one here and there. At the end of August we should start to see a slight increase in water temperatures and should produce a small increase in the numbers of golden perch being caught. CAMPASPE RIVER The fishing in the Campaspe River has been slow. Water clarity has remained good at most locations along the river, and there’s a good chance that the catchment will receive some increased rainfall towards the end of August. If the area does receive this rainfall and inflows increase into the system, water clarity will decrease. At this stage small numbers of Murray cod and the occasional golden perch have been caught. Anglers casting lipless crankbaits and hardbody lures have caught the majority of these. Small numbers of redfin have been caught in the Campaspe River in recent weeks. Anglers have been getting the best results casting the edges of weed beds and cumbungi-lined banks with small hardbodies and soft plastics.

Small numbers of Murray cod are being caught in the Loddon River. CAIRN CURRAN Water clarity is currently very good at this location, and water levels are remaining steady. Like most other areas in the region, Cairn Curran typically starts to receive some inflows during August. Redfin have been making up the majority of anglers’ captures, and the best concentrations of redfin have been found in deep water. Depths greater than 10m have been the most productive. Downrigging and trolling deep diving hardbody lures have been productive methods. When you’ve located a good school of redfin, I recommend jigging directly on top of the school

with ice jigs. Casting blades and soft plastics and slowly retrieving them along the bottom has also been working. The numbers of native fish caught has been low. We should start to see a small increase in the numbers of Murray cod and golden perch being caught towards the end of the month. LODDON RIVER Water clarity is currently very good in the Loddon River, and at this stage the numbers of fish being caught are low. There are reports of small numbers of redfin, with most taken on soft plastics. The occasional golden perch has also been caught in the Loddon River. The

most productive lures for the golden perch have been lipless crankbaits in dark colours, but transparent colours have also been working. There haven’t been many Murray cod caught lately, but the quality of the fish has been excellent. There have been several reports of Murray cod measuring over 1m. Casting large hardbody lures and spinnerbaits has been the most productive method for these fish. As the water temperatures start to increase we should see a slight improvement in the fishing, as long as the water clarity remains good.

South West salmonoids go back into the shallows CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

As of late June the fish were finally beginning to move out of the depths and back into the shallows at Lake Bullen Merri. The thermocline layer or what remained of it has finally dissipated and schools of fish are beginning to move in close to the shoreline. I as well as other anglers have just started to reap the salmonoid bounty without having to work the depths. Bait anglers are now setting their minnow traps close to shore and leaving then in overnight for a maximum catch of minnow and gudgeon. Apparently, wet cat food is working whilst the dry ‘kibbled’ version is not. It’s a pity that due to public liability that much of the shoreline here remains out of bounds for bank anglers. It’s all down to a few unthinking anglers who left their rubbish behind plus the lighting of fires and then leaving them unattended or not fully extinguished and

as a consequence several grass fires were left for landowners to attend to. Currently no one in office whether it’s the local council or Parks Victoria or anyone with authority wants to assume public liability over the usage of almost half the lake’s shoreline. It’s simply an ongoing messy situation. The most practiced method here besides bank fishing with bait would have to be flat line trolling around the lake’s fringe. After spending several trips here of late with nothing much to show for my efforts except newly stocked fish, I, as well as others, finally found schooling fish moving in the shallows sometimes just metres from the shoreline. It’s mostly Chinook salmon weighing in over a kilogram and rainbow trout to over two. I’ve found trolling medium diving lures such as Damiki Saemi 70s and Pontoon 21 Greedy Guts minnow lures in 4-5m depth has attracted strikes. Any time now the browns should follow as spawning must be on their

A hen rainbow just over 2kg that took a Pontoon 21 Greedy Guts minnow lure in 4m of water. minds and the trouble these fish go to just to find an outgoing stream (which,

of course, doesn’t exist) in which to run up and mate so this month I imagine all

3 species here should be available to one and all. As of mid June the

fishing remained quiet at Purrumbete with only reasonable redfin and Chinook salmon biting at depths of 30m on bait such as cut pilchard along with the odd brown trout to over 1kg being taken on down rigged minnow lures. Again, this situation should shortly change with fish moving on mass into the shallower water around the lake’s edge. Trolling or casting a variety of lures around the drop offs and weed beds should start to attract interest from fish. Lake Elingamite remains closed to most due to low water levels at the ramp. I know that some kayakers have launched here recently and some have done extremely well in the fish department. However, they are taking an awful risk attempting to walk out on the quicksand-like mud in an attempt to push their canoes out and I strongly advise against this. Another decent downpour should see just enough water at the ramp for small craft to safely launch and I advise impatient anglers to simply wait.

Contact your local dealer for more information. VICTORIAN DEALERS

O U TLAW

MELBOURNE BL MARINE

612-614 Plenty Rd, PRESTON

Ph 03 9478 1420

info@blmarine.com.au www.blmarine.com.au

GIPPSLAND

CRAWFORD MARINE 71-77 Chickerell St, MORWELL

Ph 03 5134 6522

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7 great models to choose from

MELBOURNE MELBOURNE MARINE CENTRE 92 Hallam South Road, Hallam

Ph 03 9703 2003

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GEELONG

MOOLAP MARINE

250 Portarlington St, GEELONG

Ph 03 5248 3772

429 Tiller steer 449 Centre Console/ Side Console 469 Side Console 489 Side Console 529 Centre Console/ Side Console

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TASMANIAN DEALERS

TASMANIA

MAYNES MARINE 6 Effingham St, MOONAH

Ph 03 6214 9999

sales@maynesmarine.com.au www.maynesmarine.com.au AUGUST 2015

Trophy trout for the pool room BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

It’s every angler’s dream to land that fish of a lifetime to take pride of place in the study, den, fishing room or man cave. Who knows, maybe these trophy trout are the results of the initial stockings from when the drought broke back in 2010? Anglers in and around the Ballarat region have had the chance to land some trophy fish over the last few months. Winter is normally a quieter time for anglers, because the

only the toughest, hardened anglers still fishing. Not this year. After all the favourable reports the shorelines were lined with anglers. On one short stretch of shoreline I counted 25 individual anglers and 20 boats on the water. Unfortunately some anglers haven’t been observing the fishing regulations, with rubbish left along the shorelines and some damage done to our flora and fauna. We anglers are our own worst enemy at times, so please do the right thing and leave the waterway in the condition you found it,

Damien Keirl caught and released this 7lb brown trout at Tullaroop Reservoir using a mudeye for bait. Photo Courtesy of Damien Keirl cold weather causes a lot of guys and girls to pack up tools. Not this year though! There seem to be anglers everywhere. Perhaps it’s because of the fishing reports in magazines, radio, Facebook and Twitter, as these media platforms deliver info more quickly and to more people than the good old bush telegraph word of mouth. In any case, if the fish are on the chew the anglers are there pretty much straight away and catching fish while they are biting. LAKE WENDOUREE This trend was particularly evident on Lake Wendouree recently. I always mention Wendouree in my reports because the lake is only five minutes from home, so I know right away if they’re biting. This time it was different. The word was out that the trout were right in close to the shoreline in certain areas of the lake, and they were eating everything that you could cast at them – lures, flies and bait – and the daily bag limit of five trout per angler per day was easy to achieve. Ballarat is renowned for being freezing cold in the middle of winter, so angler numbers usually drop at this time of year, with 64

AUGUST 2015

and also be respectful to other anglers and their space. Lake Wendouree has seen the best fishing that I can remember, with predominantly browns being caught but a few rainbows as well. Anglers from the shore and boats have been cleaning up big time. The most productive and popular method of catching these fish has been casting soft plastics and hardbodied lures. The bait fishers have been cleaning up too on the humble garden worm, and Powerbait has been doing the jobs nicely as well. Flyfishers have claimed a lot of scalps after dark with fluorescent flies retrieved slowly. Jarrod Biles, an excellent lure fisherman, has been one of the anglers landing some lovely brown trout around the 2.5kg mark. He’s catching them on 4” Nories Shad Tail soft plastics as well as hardbodied lures out of a drifting boat. His best results have been with a good breeze blowing across the lake and fishing the windward shores where the food is being blown into. Ben Young is, in my opinion, the king of casting soft plastics in Lake Wendouree. I’ve never seen a guy catch

so many fish out of the lake. From the shore or the boat, it doesn’t matter – wherever Ben is casting he’s catching! Over the last month he has caught and released nearly 100 fish, all on a EcoGear 3” Powershads with a 1/16oz jighead. Ben’s secret weapon I believe is that he casts a long way and retrieves nearly as fast as he can, and covers plenty of water. I’ve been witness to Ben catching heaps while others right next to him, myself included, catch only a couple. On one of Ben’s recent trips to Wendouree he landed the biggest brown trout

I have ever seen come out of Lake Wendouree, once again on the 3” Powershad. TULLAROOP RESERVOIR Tullaroop Reservoir has been producing some trophy trout over the last couple of months. I have been talking up Tullaroop in my reports as one of the waters that could be a sleeping giant throughout the winter months. Well, the sleeping giant has woken. Tullaroop is a shore-based fishery with grassy bays and banks predominately on the western side of the reservoir, and the eastern side has steep, rocky banks. Access on the eastern side of the reservoir is limited but on the western side the water has plenty of access points. The fish are not easy to catch. You have to devote plenty of time, casts and miles to have a crack at some of the bruisers currently lurking around Tullaroop. Anglers using mud eyes under bubble floats are catching them, fly fishers are catching them, guys casting soft plastics are catching them, and so are the guys casting hardbodied lures in minnow patterns like the Spotted Dog, Double Clutch and gold Rapalas. Jarrod Biles has been one of those anglers who have successfully tackled the monsters lurking in

Tullaroop’s waters. Jarrod was casting a gold Rapala on one of the rockier shorelines when all of a sudden all hell broke loose. He had latched on a magnificent rainbow trout, and after a long battle he managed to land a true trophy rainbow trout of 11lb. It will now reside in Jarrod’s fishing room. Darryl Luttrell and Tom Kulczynski are two fishing buddies who have been catching plenty of trout over the last few months around Ballarat. After they heard a few reports of some big trout taken at Tullaroop the boys

Jarrod Biles with an 11lb Tullaroop rainbow trout caught casting a gold Rapala. Photo Courtesy of Jarrod Biles.

Top: Darryl Luttrell with a magnificent buck brown trout caught on a soft plastic at Tullaroop Reservoir. Photo Courtesy of Darryl Luttrell. Above: Tom Kulczynski caught this beautifully marked brown trout on a Spotted Dog hardbodied lure. Photo Courtesy of Tom Kulczynski hopped in the car a two-hour drive. Darryl and Tom love to cast lures and plastics, and on that trip both guys caught trout between 2.5 and 3.5kg. The trout weren’t easy to catch though, the pair had to cover

miles and miles of shoreline and make hundreds of casts, but was worth the effort. Tom said you might only get one shot at a fish all day, but on another day you might get half a dozen shots at these bruisers.

Tom also mentioned he was smashed up by a couple of big fish, and some of the fish they caught destroyed their lures. A little tip: make sure you have good quality hooks on your lures, plastics or flies, and yes – take a landing net. Damien Keirl also tried his luck, catching and releasing a magnificent brown trout of 7lb on a mud eye suspended under a bubble float. Still, even though there are some great reports you shouldn’t think that you’re a walk up start to catch a fish at Tullaroop; lots of anglers go home without even seeing a fish let alone having one on. Tullaroop has earned a reputation for being a very frustrating and hard water to catch fish from, but it can also can be very rewarding as the current reports show. MOORABOOL RESERVOIR Moorabool Reservoir has been quiet over the last couple of months, mainly due to water quality issues and algal bloom. The bloom seems to have disappeared now so we should once again see angler numbers increase as well as catches. Moorabool generally fishes well during the winter months with the trout targeting the large smelt/minnow population that resides in the reservoir. Minnow pattern lures and soft plastics are what I recommend for the lure casters. For the fly fishers, smelt or woolly bugger fly patterns are the go, and for the bait fishers I recommend garden worms on a running sinker. NEWLYN AND HEPBURN At Newlyn Reservoir and Hepburn Lagoon the fishing reports have slowed down. With other waters in the district producing excellent fishing, the poor catches at Newlyn and Hepburn are good because it gives these waters a rest for a while. Still, I’m sure that if you fish both waters over the coming months – especially if we get some good winter rains and the water levels start to rise – the fish will certainly come into the shallows and start to feed.

Big brown trout prowling the yabby beds JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

The last month of winter sees a turnaround in the way the lake fishes. Most of the brown trout have spawned and have returned to the lake so are looking for a feed. Most of the rainbow trout spawned a little early and although there will be some small spawning runs to come in the Thredbo River, the majority of fish are already back in the lake. Of course not all trout spawn, so there are plenty of fish to target this month. The Atlantic salmon and brook trout are also on the bite at the moment and this might be your last chance to target the brookies before they all go and hide once again over the summer months. The fact that the water level on the lake is also rising due to the snow melt and rain means the trout are cruising close to the edges and that has to be a good thing if you don’t have a boat. Over the past couple of months the bait fishing has been very good. The fish are hungry and have not been too fussy about what they eat. This makes for perfect shore-based fishing. The best of the fly fishing usually occurs when the browns return from

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 pattern, Hamills Killers, and Woolly Buggers, and other days the tiniest black nymph will work best. You just have to experiment a bit. The fish are hanging about the bays with the higher lake levels, so some areas to try are Creel Bay, Hayshed and Hatchery Bay, Mill Creek Inlet, The Claypits, and The Snowy Arm. If you want big brown trout though, look for yabby beds! Bait fishing has been good over recent months and will again be good this month. On the cold, windy and even snowy days, you often see anglers around the campfire or sitting in their cars waiting for a trout to bite. The ‘bite’ can happen any time of the day, so a little patience may be necessary, but the rewards will be there. Winter is big brown trout and Atlantic salmon time and we have seen fish this season in excess of 14lb. Worms and artificial baits have always been a favourite winter fishing

Fernando Pontes caught this brown trout by trolling close to yabby beds. spawning and of course that is now. Polaroiding cruising trout around the edges of the lake is one of my favourite things to do. You sometimes have to look for shadows as the trout can be hard to spot. Of course you have to be a reasonably accurate caster and the fly has to land on the water without spooking the fish, so all of that adds

approach and it always brings results. When worm fishing, use plenty of tiger worms or a single scrubby 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 floatant on your line to keep it above the bottom. You can also suspend a

Yabby beds are the place to find big brown trout! THE BEST OF THE BEST! Best method:............ Bait fishing, but spinning is also good. Best lake lure:.......... Tasmanian Devil in pink 55 or Holographic. Rapala ‘Pinkie’ trout 7cm. Best lake area:......... Claypits and Creel Bay. Best fly method:....... Williamson’s Goldfish or Woolly Buggers, and maybe a black nymph. Best rivers:............... Rivers reopen on Saturday October 3, 2015. bait under a float and if you want to use artificial bait (most float), try a little split shot on the hook to keep the bait down. As the fish move about the lake so much over winter, there is no particular spot better than another, but try shallow water early and late and slightly deeper water in the bright sunny parts of the days — just not too deep! Try the sheltered bays at creek moths for the brookies. Wollondibby Inlet and Rushes Bay are both worth a try. Winter boat trolling can be a little slower than the summer months, but winter is when we catch all the big trout, even if we have to put in the hours to get them. Gaden Trout Hatchery have released all the excess Atlantic salmon and brook trout brood stock, so if you want to troll up a brookie, now is the time to do it because there is very little chance of you achieving it over the warmer months when they lie low. Brookies are so aggressive that lure fishing is usually best, and trolling is 1 way of locating where they are as you cover so much area by moving around. Atlantic salmon are not fussy as to where they move to and what lure they take. Jointed Rapalas similar to the ones we spin the lake edges with are worth a try, and the bigger the lure the better. We quite often troll 9-11cm lures for the bigger Atlantics.

Like trolling for rainbows, the same applies for when targeting Atlantics. You just never know where they are in winter and so the more area you cover, the better. Older proven Tasmanian Devil colours like pink number 55 or orange number 56 are still the best over winter. These are aggression colours 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 number 48 or Y48 early and late in the day, or off 3 colours of lead core line. There is still plenty of

big fish at Creel Bay and it is not too difficult to fish given there is much more water this year. The Orange Tiger Rapala is also a great aggression colour and a slow trolled orange Minnow Spin is also worth a try for these pre-spawning rainbows at the top end of the lake. Spinning from the shore of Jindabyne, even in the middle of the day, can be productive for all species. I like to use mainly minnow lures like Rapalas in natural patterns, the Spotted Dog, and even just plain black and gold. 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 pattern as these colours look like yabbies to brown trout. A variety of soft plastics also are 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 in princess pink and vodka n orange. Best of luck with your winter fishing and if coming down to Jindabyne over the next few months, why not call in and get the latest fishing information at Steve Williamson’s Trout Fishing Shop, 1 Snowline Centre, Kosciuszko Road (next to the Shell Servo). I also run fishing tours right through winter, so why not come and catch a monster trout or Atlantic salmon on Lake Jindabyne. My shop is open 7 days a week during winter, with extended hours over August. • 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 (0264) 561 551 or check out my website at www.swtroutfishing.com.au. You can also see our daily Facebook updates at https:// www.facebook.com/LJTFA.

DAM LEVELS Lake/Dam % Full

Dam % Full

LAKE/DAM May Jun Jul Cairn Curran 42 36 35 Dartmouth 77 73 73 Eildon 57 56 54 Eppalock 47 45 45 Fyans 74 74 65 Greens 52 64 64 Hepburn 47 49 49 Hume 21 25 33 Lauriston 76 88 88 Malmsbury 21 25 26 Mulwala (Yarrawonga) 96 19 19

Newlyn 46 41 41 Nillahcootie 59 53 52 Rocklands 17 17 16 Taylors 19 19 10 Tullaroop 36 32 31 Upper Coliban 66 55 54 Waranga 17 9 9 Wartook 60 60 57 William Hovell 57 99 98 All levels correct at time of going to press. Damlevels can change at any time, so please check with local authorities to ensure safe boating and fishing. AUGUST 2015

What’s New FISHING

SUN2SEA TECHPANTS

In response to consumer requests, Sun2Sea UV Protection has released its new Tech-Pants, made from the same lightweight WetnDry UPF 50+ fabric as the rest of the range. Robbie Wells from Sun2Sea said, “In response to customer requests, and after thorough R&D, we have created a WetnDry longpant called Tech-Pants. They feature large cargo pockets, which are great for plastics; side pockets for things like your phone, jigheads or pliers; and a D clip for lip grips or keys. Our Tech-pants are great for boating, kayaking, walking the banks and wading through skinny water. They provide maximum sun protection both in and out of the water, and they’re 100% Australian made.” Sun2Sea Tech-pants (sizes XXS-3XL) are available in blue camo and green camo. For the ladies, Sun2Sea has released a new Sundress (XXS-2XL) that’s great for the boat, beach or at a BBQ. It comes in turquoise, royal, white and coral red. Price: RRP $89.95, $79.95 sundress www.sun2seauvprotection.com.au

WORSTELING’S 1001 FISHING TIPS

1001 Great Fishing Tips is the ultimate guide to catching Aussie fish, whether you’re fishing off the rocks, in a boat, at the beach, sitting on a jetty or standing on a riverbank or estuary shore. Suitable for anglers of all ages, from novice to experienced, this comprehensive, easy-to-read fishing bible by Paul Worsteling – Australia’s best-known and most widely respected fisherman – covers everything from the right gear to use, the correct way to cast, how to find the hot spots, how to back your boat down the ramp and more. Packed with advice and beautiful photography, 1001 Great Fishing Tips has every angle of safe, successful fishing covered – from the moment you open the tacklebox until your catch hits the frying pan. Paul Worsteling is host of IFISH with Tackleword on Channel 10 and ONE. 1001 Great Fishing Tips is Paul’s fourth book. Price: RRP $34.99 www.ifish.com.au

SUPER-THIN GEN2 LENS

Tonic’s new Gen2 lens is the thinnest polarised glass lens ever seen in Australia. At only 1.3mm, this new lens is so light you won’t believe you’re wearing sunglasses. Its clarity and performance is better than anything Tonic Eyewear (already the market leader) has offered before. Specially developed by Tonic founder Doug Phillips, Gen2 represents a remarkable leap forward in polarised optics, and hit the shelves in spring 2015. It is available in photochromic* copper, new photochromic grey, neon and three new mirrors. All Tonic models incorporate the latest Japanese optical technology, including unique de-centred lenses for distortion-free viewing at any angle. Tonic’s scratch-resistant glass lenses are 50% lighter than regular glass and feature Tonic’s own polarising filter systems and anti-reflective coatings. The range includes 12 wraparound styles and a variety of lens types to suit different situations. [*Automatically lightens or darkens in response to light levels] Price: RRP $279 www.toniceyewear.com.au

MEGABASS X DRIFT

AUGUST 2015

Fishing around bridges, rock walls and river bends with large tides and fluctuating bottom topography can be difficult when there’s strong water movement. Enter the X Drift – a vibration style lure that has been designed with a ribbed body imitating a prawn. It has been designed to drift down, respond to a lift and fall in high current areas. Its design means it can cut through the water and stay down where the fish are without being swept away. It is balanced to sink head down, reducing the likelihood of getting snagged, and comes rigged with a single strong treble midway which rotates 360°, reducing awkward angles that can result in a pulled hook. In order to maintain the sinking angle, there is a fish attractant off the rear hook point instead of another treble. The X Drift measures 68mm, weighs 14g and comes in six fish-catching colours. Price: $37.95 www.megabass.com.au

Penn Powercurve Recon takes the features of the Powercurve range – Spiral Wrap graphite blanks, Fuji K guides and Fuji winch mounts – to create heavy artillery travel rods with the strength, reliability and actions of a one-piece rod. The Recon’s Spiral Wrap Construction combines dual inner blank construction with a spiral outer wrap for extra strength and performance. A core of dynamic power glass is over-wrapped with a layer of high modulus graphite, and the dual core is then spiralwrapped with a carbon protective outer-layer for increased power, strength and overall performance. Fitted with top quality Fuji componentry and guides, the Recon comes in five models. Three are designed for casting lures to reef edges (7’, 3-piece 5-10kg spin; 7’3”, 3-piece 10-15kg spin; 7’6”, 3-piece 15-24kg spin), and there’s a 9’, 4-piece 6-10kg model for shore-based work and a 5’8”, 3-piece 15-24kg game rod. All models come with a hard tube for travel. Price: RRP $399.95 to $439.95 pennfishing.com.au

PENN POWERCURVE RECON

3 4

SHIMANO SARAGOSA

Shimano are the masters of the open water, and have created an enormous range of equipment suited to fishos of all levels in all conditions. Whether you’re on a flat lake or on the open seas and whether you’re hunting for lightweight swimmers or big game biters, there is a rod and reel combination waiting for you to find. For a winning combination, the Saragosa reel is a gutsy saltwater spin reel that is extreme in every way, bar its price tag. Featuring Shimano’s X-Ship technology, this easy to use reel delivers remarkable cranking power with less effort and a smoother feel. With X-Shield and X-Protect keeping salt water out of key component areas, the Saragosa is encased in a hybrid aluminium and graphite body for extra durability. Available in six sizes, the Saragosa is a tough reel for tough fishing. Price: From RRP $349 www.shimanofish.com.au

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FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

SAMURAI CRUISERS

Samurai’s four-piece travel rods combine superior rod construction technology with the convenience of a manageable length travel series. Whether you pack one in your suitcase or just leave one in the car, the Samurai Cruisers will make sure you never have to compromise on quality when you travel. The advanced blank separates into four convenient lengths, and bends all the way through the joins with no flat spots, delivering true power along the entire length. These rods also feature the kind of quality Fuji components that anglers have come to expect from Samurai: K Series Alconite guides to deliver long accurate casts and smooth line delivery, and a comfortable VSS reel seat finished with ultra comfortable cork split-butt handle and butt end. There are four models, all 7’0” long: CS4-F70 (2-4lb), CS-8-F70 (3-8lb), CS-12-F70 (4-12lb) and CS-20-F70 (10-20lb). Together they’ll tackle everything from shore casting the banks of a river to offshore work for reef species. Price: from $359.95 www.samurairods.com.au

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The Gerber Freescape Camp Kitchen Knife is just at home in the kitchen as it is in the outdoors. The short length, wide profile at the heel and tip, flatter design, and fine straight edge makes this knife great for working on smaller boards. The Freescape Paring Knife is similar but built on a smaller scale, making it ideal for peeling or mincing. Its high-grade steel ensures it can stand up to a range of outdoor duties, such as cutting twine and feathering sticks. Both knives have rubberised handles and steel blades that do what a lot of camp tools can’t, which is run through the dishwasher once you’re back home. In addition, their potential to be sterilized at high temperatures without dulling makes them great for the kitchen. Other features include a grippy textured handle, hi-vis green accents, and a sheath to attach to your belt loop. Price: RRP $79.95 for Camp Kitchen Knife, $39.95 for Paring Knife au.gerbergear.com

BULLET LURES FIVE-0 MINNOW

REDESIGNED ABU 7000 SERIES

Anglers familiar with Abu Garcia’s original 7000 series remember the sheer power offered by this size of reel. Abu has maintained the power with the redesigned 7000 series, while increasing the balance and adding new features. These reels feature an Anti-Distortion spool (ADS) design, giving the reel strength for long fights, plus Duragear brass gears for extended gear life. A four-pin centrifugal brake provides effective cast control, and the ergonomically angled handle and star drag keep your hands closer to the action. The synchronized level wind system improves line lay while a corrosion resistant IAR bearing provides greater protection. The red C-7000 includes one bearing while the silver C3-7000 has two stainless-steel High Performance Corrosion Resistant (HPCR) bearings plus one roller bearing. To control hard-charging fish, the C3-7000 includes a Carbon Matrix drag system and the C-7000 has a multi-disc drag system. Price: RRP $259 for the C-7000, $289 for the C3-7000 www.abugarcia-fishing.com.au

FISHHUNTER PORTABLE SOUNDER

COLORATO LURES

Bullet Lures designer Jason Pace has created a 5cm model called The Five-0 Minnow. In testing it has accounted for many freshwater and estuarine species. The Five-0 Minnow has two Owner #10 ST36 trebles and Owner split rings, and comes in 24 colours. The Silent Sinking model weighs 5.2g, has a tight action and will swim in fast water without tumbling. It’s good for long casts. The Silent Floating model weighs 3.7g, has a wide swim action and is great for floating down rivers with overhanging trees. On retrieve it sits between 2-3ft, and it has proven successful on the troll at around 4-4.2km/h. The Rattle Slow Sinking/Suspending version weighs 4g, has a wide swim action and is a great lure to retrieve and pause to attract both fussy and aggressive fish. It’s also effective on the troll, diving to 3-4ft. Price: RRP $14.95 www.bulletlures.com

FREESCAPE CAMP KNIFE

FishHunter has introduced portable, smartphone-based fishfinder. It comes wrapped inside a sealed waterproof silicone-polymer case the size of a cricket ball, and contains a high frequency transducer. It works in all weather conditions and works with more than 7000 IOS and android devices. The high frequency transducer operates at 380khz, with the power to reach and analyse to a depth of 40m in both fresh and salt water. FishHunter delivers the most advanced GPS tracking and mapping available on your smartphone. You can mark your favourite fishing spots by placing ‘pins’ on the FishHunter map. You can also add photos, notes or other pieces of data to each pin or in your catch logbook. You don’t need to be within mobile phone range, you just pair your FishHunter with a smartphone or tablet using blue tooth and then cast it in the water. You can then check your smartphone/tablet to see the bottom contour, depth and fish locations. Price: RRP $249 www.fishhunterapp.com.au

Colorato Lures is a family-owned business that makes quality game fishing lures handmade by Fishing Monthly writer Jason Scerri. Jason said because he makes the lures himself he can ensure premium quality control and keep costs to a reasonable level. “Our lures are slightly weighted to ensure they grip far better in the water, and this is even more evident in choppy seas,” he said. “All are cup-faced heads so they create a fantastic bubble trail and are very easy for anglers to run, and they’re fitted with Japanese Yamashita and Yo-Zuri skirts. “So if you’re chasing tuna, marlin, mahi mahi or any other gamefish that loves to chase skirted game lures, fit a Colorato or two into your spread and see the difference.” Colorato lures come in 6”, 7”, 8” and 10” sizes in weighted and unweighted heads. Colorato Lures Hoodies are now available as well. Price: from $29 www.coloratolures.com.au

visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS! AUGUST 2015

What’s New FISHING

NEW MASK VIBE GENES

New from the Jackall stable is a new generation of fork tail soft vibes. The team at Jackall developed this lure as a hybrid of the Transam and Mask Vibe, and it’s called the Mask Vibe Gene. There are two new sizes, 70mm and 55mm. These cover every species from bream to jew in the saltwater to just about anything in freshwater like trout, redfin, yellowbelly, bass, sooties and more. Smaller and more subtle in their vibration than their older brothers the Mask vibe and Transam, the new Genes exhibit the same fish catching traits. These include vibration at the first twitch of the rod tip, straight gliding fall and perfect balance. To see the latest developments visit the Jackall website or check out their Facebook page. Price: RRP $20 www.jackall.com.au

ARB HAS IT IN THE BAG

Weighing just 2.9kg, the compact, king single sized ARB Sleeping Bag is manufactured with anti-bacterial and fire-retardant treatments, and is machine-washable. It measures 200cm x 100cm x 100cm, and retains its ability to insulate even when wet. To ensure its comfort rating of -5°C, the sleeping bag is filled with high quality Invista Dupont Thermolite Quallo 7 hole fill. Holding all of this together is a 100% cotton brushed flannelette inner lining, with sanitized antibacterial treatment for maximum hygiene protection and longevity. A single, continuous main YKK zipper with added Velcro closure ensures you keep warm and draught-free. To join two bags you just fully unzip them and lay one on top of the other. The joining zipper runs around the outer edge, not up the middle, so each occupant can exit the sleeping bag via a side zipper. The removable hooded section includes a pocket for a standard sized pillow, and there are two stash pockets to store valuables. Price: RRP $229 www.arb.com.au

DAIWA VADEL 2015

A new standard in light tackle shore game excellence, Vadel delivers anglers a very durable and reliable light tackle shore game reel in a range of sizes and gear ratios. Light, powerful, and eye catching in its strong metallic cosmetic, the Vadel is ideal for shore casting and jigging, with its strength and reliability coming from the utilisation of many of the design features of its bigger brothers, Saltiga and Catalina. Designed to excel and built to perform, Vadel integrates many of Daiwa’s most innovative designs and technologies including Mag Seal, Air Rotor and Super Metal, and blends them with proven designs and features to create a reel that has few peers when it comes to light game spin reel excellence. www.daiwafishing.com.au

TTS SNAKELOCKZ JIGHEADS

The latest addition to the TT Lures stable is the SnakelockZ jighead. Combining the ‘chin lock’ system from their ChinlockZ hooks, with the free-swinging front weight concept of their Snake Head jigheads, the team at TT have enabled anglers to secure their plastic with the ‘chin lock’ while offering maximum action and the weight required to get the soft plastic deep in structure with minimal chance of snagging. SnakelockZ jigheads utilise a stainless steel, through wire loop, with a locking system that enables you to twist and unclip the hook from the head. This gives you the freedom to swap hook sizes and weights as required, or attach a different hook to the head to suit a particular soft plastic or technique. SnakelockZ are built on chemicallysharpened, heavy-duty Mustad worm hooks, and the through wire has been tested to 75lb. SnakelockZ are available in 2/0H-6/0H and 8/0H in packs of three (8/0 is two per pack) and weights from 1/12–3/8oz. Price: SRP $10.95 www.ttlures.com.au

AUGUST 2015

FOXWING ECO 2.1 AWNING

The patented Foxwing Eco 2.1 awning from Rhino-Rack can be set up and packed down by one person in a matter of minutes. This awning is perfectly suited for utes and small to medium sized SUVs that have existing roof racks fitted; this includes Rhino-Rack roof rack systems and some additional rack brands. Constructed from a lightweight polyester with a polyurethane (PU) coating, the Foxwing Eco 2.1 is UV-resistant, has a 2000mm waterproof rating and a mould-resistant coating to keep you dry in a downpour. The beams and awning case have been created using a rust proof, anodised aluminium to make sure that the Foxwing Eco 2.1 stays in A1 condition whether it’s in use or packed away. Built for both on and off road adventures, the Rhino-Rack Foxwing Eco 2.1 will keep you protected from the elements no matter the weather. Price: RRP: $539 (roof racks not included) www.rhinorack.com.au

AR21 INTENSITY LED

Whether you’re checking on livestock around the property, heading out on an off-road adventure, or even spotlighting your way up a mangrove creek in the boat, there’s nothing worse than being stuck in the dark with only the standard lighting in the vehicle to guide you home. ARB have solved this problem once and for all by creating the AR21 Intensity LED driving light, which will turn night into day no matter what time it is. Using 21 highly efficient Osram LEDs situated within a patented reflector design, the AR21 produces a huge light output of 6,950 raw lumens at 6,500 Kelvin. Suited to smaller bull bars or areas where space may be limited, these lights set a new benchmark for on-vehicle performance and deliver the closest possible colour to daylight, resulting in reduced fatigue for the driver and a massive increase in visibility. Price: RRP $495 www.arb.com.au

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FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

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What’s New FISHING TESTED:

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

Daiwa J-Braid

To get a thorough low-down on Daiwa’s new J-Braid, we approached four of the people who use it the most: Daiwa Pro Staffers Mark Gercovich, Darren Weda, Andrew Badullovich and Leigh Fleet. After testing J-Braid on everything from trout to kingfish, here are their evaluations and verdicts.

MARK GERCOVICH

“I’ve been using the new J-Braid on the local kingfish and tuna population for the past few months and have been super impressed by its performance. It hasn’t lost colour or frayed/fluffed up, and still bursts off the spool on the cast like new. Its limp/ fine enough to knot well yet doesn’t loop and tangle easily like some low diameter braids. “The multi-coloured braid depth increments are invaluable for these applications for a number of reasons, like getting a feel for how far that tuna is from the boat or how close that king is from getting you on the bottom. The 40lb has certainly been strong enough to stand up to the rigours of casting, jigging or trolling for these species. I spooled one reel up with 30lb, concerned it may have not been strong enough, but keen for some extra distance and stealth factor. Yes, the 30 does allow you to throw a stickbait an absolute mile yet I’ve been able to land tuna to 18kg on it. Sure, it may take a bit of extra time to get the fish in, but on days when hook-ups are difficult with finicky fish, it’s not an issue.”

“Daiwa’s new J-Braid has managed to tick all of these boxes, giving anglers a value-for-money braid that has great castability, thin diameter and high strength ratio. I have been using the J-Braid for all my trout fishing for a while now and have been super impressed with its performance when compared to other more expensive braids I’ve used in the past.”

ANDREW BADULLOVICH

“Braided lines have definitely enhanced our fishing strategies. Their zero stretching qualities are the main catalyst for their popularity, contributing to fresh techniques emerging and some old methods taken to new heights! “There are a few key elements that I look for when purchasing a particular braid for light tackle saltwater applications. These of cast length. I also favour lines with a smooth finish, and I’m particularly fond of highly visible colours such as chartreuse. Smooth finishes enable you to fire lightly weighted (and sometimes unweighted) lures into precarious positions where wily fish hold with caution. The hi-vis colour allows you to monitor the course of your lure during the retrieve, and is also useful as a bite indicator when working soft plastics. “My choice to use Daiwa’s J-Braid for light tackle saltwater applications has definitely assisted all forms of my light tackle angling. The J-Braid on my reel is retaining its colour while conveying great knot strength, and so far it’s showing no signs of fatigue or abrasion. I can confidently say that Daiwa’s J-Braid performs well above its recommended retail price.”

DARREN WEDA

“For chasing trout you need a thin braid that comes off the spool nicely and guarantees to give you as much casting distance as possible. Super light lures are crucial for chasing species like trout but can hinder your casting distance, so using a braid that has great castability is essential. “Another essential is a strong braid, one that will give you the most strength possible for the thinnest diameter. Chasing any skinny water species like trout can be rough on your line, so it has to have the ability to withstand a bit of abrasion from rubbing on rocks, logs, branches and so on.

appear as lifelike as possible. J-Braid’s new chartreuse colour gives you the advantage because it’s bright and highly visible in low light and dark conditions. “Fishing heavy structure such as bridges and rock walls requires high abrasion resistance. We had a fish wrap us around a pylon, which necessitated a quick freespool, and to our luck it came back around! There was some slight scuffing on the line but it held up fine. “Keeping in mind some of these key elements when you spool your next reel it’s hard to go past a high quality product made in Japan like Daiwa’s new J-Braid.” - FMG

LEIGH FLEET

include cranking hardbodies for bream, working topwater lures for whiting, or hopping plastics for flathead. “I prefer fine diameter lines with a round profile, as this aids casting trajectory and accuracy. Those of you who hunt whiting on surface lures will understand the importance

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“Targeting mulloway at night using small to medium soft plastic lures around heavy structure can be very challenging yet super exciting, and requires line that’s easy to use, highly visible, and is super strong, round and smooth. “I’ve been testing Daiwa’s new J-Braid on light to medium setups and I can’t believe just how smooth this braid is. A perfect match, spooling a TD SOL 2508 with a good 150m of 10lb J-Braid, the line’s diameter is only 0.15mm but has a breaking strain of 10lb. This is very strong for a PE 0.08 line! It’s light enough to fool a welcome by catch of chunky bream yet strong enough to handle large mulloway. Knots bite down hard and casts are made easily even in windy conditions. “As winter sets in, night is a great time to target these fish. When you’re working smaller soft plastics through various depths of the water column it’s important that you are able to see and control your line, keeping in close contact with your lure to make it

visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS! AUGUST 2015

All Betts are off at Gippsland TER 1ST BOA

Declan Betts, a 37-year-old retail nurseryman hailing from Colac, Victoria took out the Mercury Gippsland Lakes BREAM Qualifier. Betts (10/10, 9.03kg) sat in third place after day one, but rocketed into the number one position courtesy of his day two limit of 5.44kg, securing the victory by 650g from his nearest competitor. Betts’ pre-fish was plagued with motor issues that threatened to derail his tournament, but fortunately these problems appeared to work themselves out as the event loomed. A number of locations on the Nicholson River proved to hold fish, and these formed the basis of Betts’ tournament plan. Betts’ morning got off to a good start when he boated four fish quickly. The fifth fish, however, proved difficult to catch and even more difficult to land. “I was attached to the fifth fish a couple of times, but those battles ended in tears,” he said. “As the morning wore on I could tell that section of river was shutting down, and I knew I had to move if I was going to fill my limit.” Betts and his non-boater then snuck down to the lower reaches of the river and fished a section where Betts had previously caught fish. “I soon found myself attached to a kilo fish, and after all the hard work was done the fish came close to the net and then turned… and the jig and fish parted ways. Harsh words were uttered!” Fortunately, Betts picked up a consolation prize soon after and his non-boater picked up a fish as well. That was the end of the excitement for day one. Day two started slowly and, as is often the case on the

Declan Betts finished strongly at Gippsland, weighing in 5.44kg on the final day to claim the event win. second day of a tournament, the fishing appeared to be tougher than day one. “I was concerned that the river was not coping well with the amount of traffic it had seen, especially after I had only caught one fish off my original bank from the previous day,” Betts said. He switched banks and dropped a fish but quickly regained composure, and after a short space of time he had four fish in the well. Again the fifth was proving difficult; Betts was getting the hook-ups but for various reasons putting that fish in the boat was eluding him. “I decided to put my faith in my original bank and finally put a good fish in the well,” he said. “Shortly after I traded a 28cm fork bream for a 37.5cm fork bream. “I started mixing it up, switching sides of the river and I found another upgrade, a 39.5cm fork fish, at which point I was happy and wondering whether sticking around was being greedy. I pressed on, and on one hook-up I thought ‘this feels just like the average fish, nothing special’. Then after seeing him under a tree branch I realised I’d better take this fish seriously. After landing it and realising it was actually a 38 fork fish, I knew I was sitting on a good bag and gave myself plenty of time to get safely back to the weigh in. It was the first time in

my life I have come in over 15 minutes earlier than my allotted finishing time!” Betts caught his fish by casting ZMan GrubZ rigged on a Decoy Nail Bomb weedless 1/16oz jighead tight to the natural timber structure. He then hopped the lure out and waited for a good committed strike. Once hooked it was a no-holds-barred fight on tight drag in an attempt to get the fish into the open expanse of the river to play them out on his terms. Betts said that using light line was key to securing the

all-important big fish bites. “I went light to get the bites as the water clarity was still really good,” he said. “It was a risky strategy that thankfully paid off. I always believed that I was on the fish to put two reasonable bags together, but the calibre of some of the fish I found on day two far exceeded my expectations. “I’d also like to give a big thanks to my two non-boaters Tanya Konsul and Paul Siemasko for their company and help on the water.”

WINNING NOTES

Winning Tackle Rod: Samurai 101 Reel: Daiwa Certate 2506 Line: Unitika Aorika braid Leader: 4lb Sunline V Hard Lures: Zman GrubZ rigged on a Decoy Nailbomb weedless 1/16oz jighead

Winning Ways Betts attributes the use of light line (4lb) as a key to his victory at Gippsland Lakes.

Austackle Big Bream Damian Domagala took out the Austackle Big Bream at the Mercury Gippsland Lakes BREAM Qualifier. The 1.62kg bream, caught in session one in Toms Creek, fell to a Jackall Chubby in brown suji colour retrofitted with size 10 Vanfook trebles.

Hodges sticks to the plan STORM

CE 2ND PLA

VENTAFISH®

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888. 70

AUGUST 2015

Brad Hodges, a 34-year-old PE teacher was runner-up at the Gippsland Lakes event. Hodges led the field after day one, but was overtaken by Betts’ final day heroics. Always consistent at ABT events, Hodges again caught the bream to

contend for top honours. In the pre-fish Hodges went towards Lakes Entrance where he worked a combination of jetties, moored boats, shallow flats and sunken timber. As the morning rolled on he worked the shallow flats and edges but found no signs of fish holding in these areas. Eventually a move up the system resulted in Hodges locating a large concentration of fish holding on the fallen snags and drop-offs. Faced with a decision

on day one whether to target the jetties or fish concentrated around the snags and drop-offs, Hodges hedged his bets and decided to hit the jetties. Ultimately this decision set up his tournament and got him tuned into a pattern that produced quality fish throughout the event. “Within the first handful of casts I hooked up to a solid fish only to pull the hooks,” he said. “Luckily within the next few casts I was on again, and this time a kilo bream came quickly to the net.”

As Hodges worked the next couple of jetties and moored boats he landed two more fish and his confidence was building. Then, at 9:30am, he headed upriver to search for the schooling fish. “The fish seemed to have thinned out compared to the pre-fish, but after working a couple of snags with a Berkley 3B Puppydog I landed my fourth legal fish,” He said. “It was shortly after that I hooked a really large bream very deep in a snag. This fish was every

bit of 1.5kg and for a spilt second I could see a 5kg bag beckoning, but it quickly came to an end after this fish tore me to shreds on the barnacle-encrusted snag. “Knowing that you generally only get one chance to land a fish like that in a tournament I felt I had wasted a great opportunity.” With an hour to go, the fish fortunately began to bite a little more freely. After landing his fifth legal and upgrading a couple of times Hodges headed back to the weigh-in. “I was happy that I had five decent fish in my bag, but I still knew I had let two solid fish get away!” he said. Day two saw Hodges return to the same jetties

BREAM

Presente SERIES d by Me rcury

Cast lure tight to structure

Z-Man GrubZ rigged on a Decoy Nailbomb weedless 1/16oz jighead

Wait for committed strike Hop lure slowly

where he lost an early fish. Working the nearby jetties saw him quickly boat three

fish before he headed up to the snags that had delivered him the larger of his fish

Brad Hodges was as consistent as ever at Gippsland, claiming another podium finish.

on day one. “Targeting the sunken timber resulted in only one more fish in the well, and doubt started to creep in,” Hodges said, “but when I moved back to the jetties I got a kilo fish that rounded out my tournament limit.” This relief enabled Hodges to relax, and in the remainder of the session he found a couple of small upgrades before heading back to the weigh-in. Hodges used three presentations throughout the tournament, all rigged on an Abu Garcia rod matched to an Abu Garcia SX20 reel with 6lb Nanofil and 4lb Sensei leader. His lures of choice were the new Berkley 3” Nemesis in camo and Berkley 6” Sandworm in

camo (both ridged on a Nitro 1/16oz jighead) and a Berkley 3B Puppydog in mongrel. “The tail action on the Nemesis is the best I have seen,” Hodges explained. “Matched with the deadly combination of Gulp and the camo colour, I reckon this lure is a must have.” Hodges’ techniques with the Nemesis and camo Sandworm was to cast in

tight to structure and/or first drop-off then allow the lure to hit the bottom. He then worked the lure back to the boat with a combination of lift and drop and a double hop retrieve. When using the Berkley Puppydog he cast the lure in tight to the timber snags, and aggressively retrieved using a twitch and pause motion through the sticks.

with small gentle lifts and drops. Interestingly, the fish became more aggressive and started hitting my vibe almost every third or fourth cast. I went through quite a few small fish before I landed another keeper. With four fish in the well I knew I had a chance

of winning.” Franchuk alternated his outfits throughout the event, favouring a Millerod Bream Buster XF Classic 7’0” when using an Ecogear SX40, and a Millerod Bream Buster XF Long Cast 7’3” for soft plastics and vibes. Both rods were

teamed with Daiwa Sol 2000 reels spooled with 10lb Unitika Aorika braid, with 2m of 4lb Sunline fluorocarbon leader. Franchuk said his previous knowledge and experience at Gippsland Lakes over the last five years were key to his victory at this event.

Franchuk takes out non-boater title

-BOATER 1ST NON Alex Franchuk, a 57-year-old electrical engineer at Jacobs Australia, took out the non-boater division. Franchuk didn’t get a chance to pre-fish on the practice day, but was confident in his knowledge of the system given his previous performances at ABT and VicBream Classic events. Franchuk was paired with Geoffrey Borg on day one and Scott Bilton on day two. During day one Franchuk suggested they head to the Tambo River, near the Johnsonville boat ramp, as he knew the area held a school of legal fish. The team made their way to the location and started

to investigate. “The fish were in the deep and the deal was to use soft plastics and bladed lures to get the fish biting,” Franchuk said. “On Saturday the fish weren’t too active and didn’t want to pay any attention to soft plastics. After we caught some fish on bladed lures we decided to stick to blades. I was using Strike Pro Cyber Vibe 35 cm in colour 780E (black) and Ecogear VX35 in 439 colour. “I landed only three legal fish on day one but went through numerous undersize fish in the process. That bag put me in contention and I was happy with the result.” On day two after speaking to his boater Scott Bilton, the decision was made to inspect the Mitchell River edges first and then go to the Tambo

Alex Franchuk dominated the non-boater division, with close to a 2kg winning margin over his nearest challenger.

River and try to catch fish in the deep. Bilton, a NSW local, took Franchuk’s lead when the anglers arrived at the Mitchell River. “I made only a dozen or so casts into the bank with the SX40 in custom Geneo paint job when I felt the hit, and my rod loaded with the nice size black bream of about a kilo mark,” Franchuk said. “I was thrilled that my plan worked out off the bat. “About five casts later a bigger fish hit the lure and I was on. After a few minutes of careful fighting I landed my biggest bream for the tournament – around 1.3kg. At that moment I knew I was heading towards the podium.” After another hour of casting the anglers packed up and headed to the Tambo River. On arrival at the same spot where Franchuk had fished the previous day he was told that the bite wasn’t there and nobody had caught a legal fish. It was not good news but knowing the fish were active the day before Franchuk felt confident he could get a bite. After trying blades that had worked on day one, he decided to tie on a favourite deepwater lure that had worked for him in the past – a Bassday Range Vibe in black. “After a few casts I had my third fish on board,” he said. “I fished extremely slowly

BOATING RESULTS #

Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Declan BETTS Brad HODGES Steve GILL Daniel MACKRELL Mark HEALEY Brad ROBERTS Ross CANNIZZARO Mark BROWN Cameron WHITTAM Tony PETTIE

10/10 10/10 10/10 8/10 10/10 6/10 7/10 5/10 5/10 5/10

9.03 8.38 6.79 5.41 4.52 4.37 3.92 3.75 3.71 3.53

Payout $3100 $1500 $1200 $1100 $950 $800 $700 $600 $450 $450

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

NON-BOATERS RESULTS #

Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Alex FRANCHUK Michael HODGES Braddley YOUNG Simon JOHNSON Owen WATSON Clint VOSS Steven PRYKE Nathan LEICHT Tanya KONSUL Ben THOMPSON

7/10 3/10 4/10 3/10 3/10 2/10 3/10 2/10 2/10 2/10

5.02 3.12 2.89 2.32 2.12 2.02 1.89 1.76 1.58 1.55

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 2015

Hickson spikes another victory TER 1ST BOA

Manning River Marine’s Kris Hickson continued his winning ways from 2014 with the current Grand Final champion completing a wire-to-wire win to claim victory in the Hobie Mallacoota BREAM Qualifier, June 9-10. Coming off a quiet opening round (Gippsland Lakes) of the two-event Victorian leg of the 2015 Berkley BREAM Series Hickson hit the water on day one of the event, far from buoyed with confidence after a quiet and relatively uneventfull prefish. “I struggled to lock in a solid pattern during the prefish. I picked up a few fish on blades on the points in deeper water but they didn’t hold the quality of fish that you need to get to feature in the top ten at Coota”, explained Hickson. Without a hard pattern to turn to on day one Hickson fished two areas he hadn’t touched the day before. Areas that he expected to produce in the strong wind that was forecast. “My first two spots didn’t pan out like I hoped, and 1 1/2 hours into the session I had no bites and no fish in the well”, explained Kris. Reverting back to the spots he fished the day before Hickson found little to get excited about. “Not only couldn’t I

Kris Hickson continued his winning ways from 2014 securing another BREAM victory at the Hobie Mallacoota BREAM Qualifier. catch a fish I also couldn’t find them with my Humminbird sounder like I did the day before. So I stopped, composed myself, and had a think about where they might have moved to”, explained Hickson. Confident that the fish wouldn’t have moved much Kris fished a nearby point. His thinking was spot on and on the first cast he picked up his first legal on a blade. His first fish was soon followed by his second, a 35cm caught on a Daiwa Spike crankbait cast to the edge. With only one small legal to follow for the next half hour Hickson cut his loses and went in search of greener grass. “The plan was to fish as much bank as possible, and hopefully pick up a good fish here and there”, explained Hickson. A run and gun approach

throwing Daiwa Spikes to the edges and on the flats paid off with Hickson filling his limit and upgrading three times for the session. Delivering the heaviest bag for the day to the scales Hickson sat in the number one spot heading into day two, a day that would hopefully deliver him another four, or perhaps even five, kilo bag. Opting to start the day on a location that was more likely to put fish in his livewell early Hickson started off at Palmers Bank, and with good result putting three fish in the well in the first 10minutes. A confidence booster to start his day he them moved to one of his productive day one banks in search of bigger fish. A legal and three dropped fish followed. Disappointed, but far from defeated, Hickson once again moved, leaving

to run and gun other spots, confident that he could come back later to catch fish once he’d give this spot a chance to rest and recover. The approach worked with Hickson picking up fish like he had the day before, albeit slightly smaller, on his rolled and twitched Daiwa Spike crankbaits. The last angler to hit the weigh-in stage, Hickson in the end had enough weight to secure the win over Ross Cannizarro. A result that mirrored the 2014 BREAM Grand Final when Hickson beat Cannizarro to claim the GF crown. The win at Mallacoota not only further confirmed Hickson’s reputation as one of Australia’s best tournament breamers, but also elevated him to the status of Australia’s number one ranker BREAMer.

Cannizarro hits the spit to win CE 2ND PLA

STORM VENTAFISH®

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888. 72

AUGUST 2015

32-year-old self employed concreter Ross Cannizzaro fished a deep water pattern in the bottom lake to catch his fish, keying in on a concentration of quality yellowfin bream holding adjacent to a sand spit as the location to catch his potentially tournament winning fish. Finding a one acre patch of fish during the prefish, Cannizzaro opted not to target them during the tournament, knowing that Ross Cannizzaro bagged out at Mallacoota fishing a deep they weren’t big enough plastic and blade approach to finish second. and that small fish wouldn’t count it Mallacoota, a venue Finding active fish on the where big fish are need to yellowfin I found weren’t more fish nearby that were well conditioned. So I kept bigger and fatter”, explained edge and holding in water cash a cheque. 2-15’ deep Ross used a “The first patch of looking and found some Cannizzaro.

BREAM Presente SERIES d by Hobie

Daiwa Spike in brown suji shrimp

combination of lures to catch his bream, with his go-to lure a Berkley Power Blade in assassin colour. “The retrieve was straight forward. Cast it out, let it sink to the bottom, then work it back with a lift and drop retrieve. The key though

was to make sure you kept the blade tight to bottom”, explained Ross. While the Power Blade caught the bulk of Ross’ fish, when they did shut down he switched to the perennial bream catcher, a Berkley Gulp (3” Minnow in pepper

prawn). Rigged on a 1/12oz Nitro jighead Ross fished the Gulp with a shake n’ drag retrieve. Once again keeping the lure in touch with the bottom was the key to the retrieve. Ross’ patch of bream was incredibly active, with the

Abu Garcia BREAM Pro catching his limit by 8am each morning. “They were active, especially early”, explained Cannizzaro. Catching 30 plus legal fish each day the fishing can only be described as classic coota. Instrumental in Ross’ two fished filled days at Mallacoota was a new series of rods that he’s testing from Abu Garcia called ‘Salty Stage’. A range that’s to be released soon, and that he has quickly fallen in love. “These have been glued in my hand since I first picked one up. I won’t use anything else”, explained Ross. The balance of Cannizzaro’s tournament tackle included a Abu Garcia MGX reel, 4.4lb Berkley Fireline Exceed, and 4lb Berkley Sensei

fluorocarbon leader. Ross’ podium finish cemented his already

strong affiliation with the Mallacoota fishery, and once again confirmed him as an angler to watch in any event he fishes.

WINNING NOTES

Winning Tackle Rod: Daiwa Tournament Specialist Bream 762LFSOH Reel: Daiwa Caldia 2500 Line: 4lb Daiwa Brave Lure: Daiwa Spike in brown suji shrimp

Winning Ways Hickson added sticky weight to the chin and tail of his crankbait so they would cast further, and swim deeper. The sticky weight allowed the lure to hit and dig along the bottom at any depth.

Austackle Big Bream Champion nonboater Jesse Rotin secured the Austackle Big Bream Prize, with the Daiwa Bream Pro securing the $500 prize on day two with his 1.33kg kicker fish.

Jesse jags victory -BOATER 1ST NON

Continuing the dominance of Daiwa anglers at Mallacoota was 24-year-old Jesse Rotin of Victoria. Fishing with Shaun Clancy on day one Rotin fished a 3-4m deep flat in the bottom lake early to catch his fish. “We found fish on the sounder hanging around schools of bait, and it didn’t take long for these fish to respond to our lures”, explained Rotin. Fishing a combination of 401 coloured Ecogear VX35s and VX40s, and bloodworm coloured 100mm Squidgy Wrigglers Rotin picked up three fish early before the bite slowed, nessecitating a change in technique. “The lift and drop technique continued to produce fish but I needed to alter the drop slightly and

keep more tension in the belly of the line so I could feel the bites which now had become very slight and

subtle”, explained Jesse. The change paid dividends with Rotin delivering 3.74kg to the

Rotin’s 1.33kg kicker fish secured the $500 Austackle Big Bream prize.

BOATING RESULTS #

Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

Payout

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Kristoffer HICKSON Ross CANNIZZARO Peter NORD Chris WRIGHT Shaun CLANCY Brad HODGES Mario VUKIC Declan BETTS Warren CARTER Cameron WHITTAM

10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10

8.72 8.30 7.96 7.86 7.76 7.70 7.57 7.16 7.14 7.03

$4,450 $1,750 $1,750 $1,200 $1,150 $1,000 $700 $600 $500 $400

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

scales to lead the field heading into day two. Fishing with top lake with Jason Harlock on day two Rotin went for a completely different approach and rather than fishing sounded fish out in the open like he did on day one hit the edges. Fishing Daiwa MR and DR Rolling Cranks on the open sand edges and a Z-Man Grubs on the snags Rotin’s approach involved casting each lure tight to the edge them working them with a slow twitch and pause retrieve. The approach proved deadly with Jesse filling his limit by 8am. With a focus of looking for fresh fish the pair moved, hitting a bank that Jesse’s boater fished on the prefish. The move was spot on with both Rotin and Harlock picking up several upgrades. With time running out and the need for a serious kicker fish in the bags forthright in the their minds the pair

Daiwa Bream Pro Jesse Rotin shone at Mallacoota shallow and deep, hard and soft to catch his non-boater division winning fish. hit one final spot. A tailor caught by Harlock was soon followed by Rotin with a solid fish that came dangerously close to finding its freedom. Tempted by a Z-Man Grub the fish tried its best to rub itself free on a snag but Rotin’s quick rod work and the abrasion resistance of his 4lb Daiwa Brave fluorocarbon prevailed and a 40cm bream soon came to

rest in the landing net. The upgrade that he was looking it was the kicker fish that anchored his 4.21kg bag and ultimately his event win. “Coota is a outstanding bream fishery, and to experience just how good it is and win an ABT event here is very special. I’d just like to thank my two boaters and my sponsor Daiwa for helping me make it happen”, concludeds Rotin.

NON-BOATERS RESULTS #

Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Jesse ROTIN Grayson FONG Richard PATTERSON Joel CORRIE Glenn WATT Braddley YOUNG John GALEA Ben THOMPSON Paul SIEMASZKO Jack DIHM

10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 9/10 10/10 9/10 10/10

7.95 6.63 6.25 6.01 5.96 5.91 5.82 5.65 5.29 5.09

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 2015

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2015 DATE DETAILS OCTOBER Oct 10-11 SBS Bream Grand Final

CONTACT

TBA

Oct 17-18

Hobie BREAM Kayak Series R14 Georges River

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Oct 17-18

SCFCAEstuary Competition Kiama

southcoastfca@yahoo.com.au

Oct 24-25

Toray BASS Pro Series Grand Final Lake St Clair

www.abt.org.au ABT (07) 3387 0888

Oct 24-25

Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic Lake Hume

www.lakehumeclassic.com.au

Basin Lure and Fly www.basinlureandfly.org.au

For listings please email jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au FISHING FILL-ITS

Million dollar barra! This October, 76 iconic NT barramundi will be expertly tagged by Million Dollar Fish and released throughout Top End waters, home of the best barra habitat in Australia. One of the barra will bear a $1 million prize tag,

Billabong fishing at Kakadu, tropical sport fishing in East Arnhem Land and river fishing in Katherine - there’s plenty to see, do and catch in the NT.” For more information and to register for the

Cricket legend Matthew Hayden loves his barra fishing in the Northern Territory. while the remaining 75 barramundi will net their catchers $10,000 each. With this in mind, we’d like to offer you quirky new research from Million Dollar Fish which reveals just how far Aussies would go for a million dollars. Aussie cricket icon and Million Dollar Fish campaign ambassador Matthew Hayden said, “The best memories are made when your mates come along for the ride. Why not hit the water with them in Top End, throw in a line and experience the thrill and challenge of pulling in a big barra.” “As a Mate of the Territory, I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy a diverse range of fishing experiences in the Top End. From blue water fishing out of Darwin and the Tiwi Islands, to 74

AUGUST 2015

Million Dollar Fish challenge, head to www. milliondollarfish.com.au. Those who register will go in the draw for a chance to win a trip worth $20,000 for them and three mates to visit the NT – a worldclass fishing destination. – Million Dollar Fish QR CODE

Scan the QR Code to find out how to enter the competition for the million dollar barra!

Isuzu’s MU-X 7 seater BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Roughly based on the Isuzu D-Max ute and designed to carry the fight to the likes of the Colorado 7, SsangYong Rexton, Ford Territory, Toyota Prado, Mitsubishi Challenger and the like, the well put together MU-X will impress potential buyers with its excellent design, roominess and performance both on and offroad. Available in LS-M, LS-U and top of the range

LS-T models, it’s the LS-T reviewed here. Although there’s a massive list of features, many of these goodies are also offered in the other models that are well worth a look at if the budget is running a bit tight. HIGHLIGHTED FEATURES Well equipped by any standard, the MU-X LS-T offers power-operated leather-appointed seats, reversing camera, rear park assist (I sure loved that!) alloy side steps, 17” alloy wheels, projector headlights, climate control air with pollen filter, keyless entry,

cruise control, touchscreen sat nav’ and audio system, Bluetooth iPod and USB connectivity, rear roof mounted DVD monitor to keep back seat passengers happy, an 8 speaker audio system, power windows plus electric fold mirrors, roof rails and a tailgate spoiler. And it comes with a 5 star ANCAP safety rating! There’s also a 60/40 split fold for the second row of seats, and 50/50 split fold for the third row, which can actually accommodate adults for short distances. The interior of the wagon was dark charcoal, with bright

Top Left: Entry to the Isuzu’s third row of seats is surprisingly easy when the second row is folded and tumbled forward. Top Right: The MU-X is a very capable 4WD, with low range controlled via a rotary dial on the console. Above: With a 3 tonne braked trailer capability, the MU-X made easy work of towing the author’s 500kg Trek Trailer.

The cod’s a little bloke, destined to be returned, but the Isuzu MU-X made river access, though rough going, easy work.

dash highlights to catch the eye. In typical Isuzu fashion, all dials and gauges were very well laid out and easily monitored. One thing I really liked when at the wheel was the very comfortable infinitely adjustable seats, plus the brilliant headlights when night driving. ROBUST ENGINE Powered by a 4cyl 3L common rail diesel engine with variable geometry turbo charger, the twin cam Isuzu powerplant has a maximum power of 130kW and maximum torque of 390Nm. The figures, on the face of it, don’t appear extraordinary, but bear in mind that this is a time-proven engine with steel timing chain — hence

Neat styling, a smooth ride and plenty of family appeal are strengths of the MU-X wagon. no replacement necessary — roller rockers, and is very much under-stressed; all factors that lead to a long work life with easy maintenance. While the engine does not rev as freely as some of its European counterparts and tends to rattle and vibrate a tad at idle, it has a lot of fat torque in hand from quite low revs. And aside from all that, the MU-X in no way feels under-powered, thanks to a 5 speed auto with its Adaptive Grade Logic and hill ascent/ descent control. The wagon is a 4WD in every sense of the term, with both all wheel drive plus low range gearing controlled via a console mounted dial. On highway runs I saw the tacho sitting at 1700rpm with the speedo on 100km, while a towing stint involving our Trek Trailer (the wagon has a 3000kg rating for a braked trailer) saw a fuel consumption of 11.2l/100km, which impressed me considerably. A FAMILYFRIENDLY RIDE Isuzu have obviously spent some time refining the 7 seater’s ride. With independent coil springs, gas shockers and upper and lower wishbones mated to a stabiliser bar, the front suspension was very compliant and offered considerable front wheel travel. The wagon’s rear suspension was just as good, with a multi link high ride setup incorporating gas shockers plus a stabiliser bar again. All-in-all, the suspension was very capable of insulating passengers from road undulations and was particularly good off-road and on gravel surfaces. There was a small amount of lean on really tight corners at times, but this was quickly corrected when the suspension took up. Offroad, the MU-X is a surprise packet. Thanks to the very generous wheel travel plus the easy lugging power of the 3L diesel mated to the slick auto unit, the vehicle took a lot of quite nasty offroad terrain in its

stride in a journey to cod country where — a drum roll please — we actually caught some fish! Denise scored one first cast, but that’s another story. This is about a car: a good one at that. Low range saw the MU-X sneaking carefully through long grass and some rocky going to get to the river, but although the suspension was obviously working below the floor pan, we took it pretty easy inside on the very comfortable seating. Seven seaters are flavour of the month these days and I was interested to see just how easy access to the third row of seats would be. Surprise, surprise, I easily scrambled in thanks to a fair amount of room between the folded/tumbled down rear left centre seat and the third row. There was even head room. Amazing. All that aside, the rearmost seats were likely best left for youngsters to enjoy. With third row seating folded flat and the second

row likewise, I measured a very useful 1800mm long by 1100mm wide (between wheel arches) available for cargo storage, which was very handy on country runs. Pack it in, stack it in, that’s my motto. SUMMING UP In summary, the Isuzu MU-X LS-T rates as a very strong contender for family 4WD honours. It looks pretty good, drives very well, has real offroad cred’, and has a very solid feel about it, whether on or offroad. That solid engine should last for a very long time and is built to work, as is the gear train — both are commercial grade units. The Mu-X comes with a 5 year 130,000km warranty plus roadside assist. Price was quoted as $50,990 drive away. And there’s a full sized spare wheel. For more information please visit www. pattersoncheney.com.au or visit 200 Cheltenham Road, Dandenong 3175 or call 03 9215 2300.

Top: The Isuzu’s eye-pleasing dash layout: dark charcoal interspersed with brushed metal tonings adds a subdued touch of class. Above: With rear seating folded down, there’s 1800mm of load space in the MU-X. AUGUST 2015

FIND-A-WORD COMPETITION

All Things Winter

BEANIE

FOG

PIE

BLANKET

FROST

SCARF

CHILL

GLOVES

SHIVER

COAT

HEATER

SNOW

COLD

HOODY

SNUGGLE

COUCH

HOTCHOC

STEW

DOONA

ICE

UGG

FIRE

JUMPER

WIND

FISHING

NUMB

Name Address

P/Code Phone (day):

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win a Fishing Monthly selected prize pack. SEND ENTRIES TO:

VIC Find-a-word Competition PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129 VIC AUGUST 2015

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE The subscriber prize winner for June was B Mitchell of Foster, who won a Mako Eyewear prize pack. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – VTFM

FIND THE VMC LOGO JUNE LOCATIONS The answers to Find the VMC Logo for June were: 7, 10, 18, 33, 35, 38, 43, 49, 56, 73, 75, 83, 99, 104, 113, 116. – VTFM

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

BITE ME by Trisha Mason

FIND THE VMC LOGO WINNERS The Find the Berkley logo prize winners for June were: J Daroh of Altona, K Robinson of Haven, B Rafferty of Maryborough, F Wilson of Hoppers Crossing, N Byrne of Wangaratta, G Bannister of Lorne, F Weber of Corack East, R Newton of Wangaratta, B Stokes of Morwell, T Dron of Alfredton, J Hanley of Melton West, B Evans of Lenah Valley, T Tatlow of Morwell, T Richmond of Aireys Inlet, R Meaney of Tungamah, B Meaney of Tungamah, C Gios of Myrtleford, K Morrison of Moama, W Johnson of Morwell, K Bradley of Sale, C Smith of Traralgon, J Sheridan of Mt Gambier, G Parfett of Horsham, R Carson of Wheelers Hill, P Berner of Box Hill, T Mathieson of Patterson Lakes, P Cobb of Berrigan, J Walsh of Clifton Springs, D Baulch of Colac, G Easterbrook of Rosebud , K Hartley of Coburg North, T Seferian of Melbourne, F Healey of Traralgon, J Saunderson of Chelsea, G Illman of Mt Gambier, J Attard of Yallourn North, G Wylie of Prospect Vale, G Pezos of Clarinda, J Killian of Briar Hill, P Ambler of Churchill. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – VTFM

ALVEY YABBY PUMPING PACK

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

The Alvey Ultimate Yabby Pumping Pack winners were W Wood of Keppell Sands, J Vagg of Sunshine Bay and H Hovington, who each won an Alvey prize pack worth $160. – FMG

FIND-A-WORD WINNER Congratulations to Gordon Bannister of Lorne, who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition! Monthly winners receive a Fishing Monthly prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – VTFM 1 76

• DECEMBER AUGUST 2015 2010

What’s New BOATING

ARB REMOTE FRIDGE MONITOR

ARB Corporation has announced the latest addition to their growing camping and touring range. There’s nothing worse than arriving at your campsite after a hard day’s 4WDing, only to discover the drinks that you put in your fridge freezer are warm. Fear this no more with the release of the ARB Remote Fridge Monitor. This monitor allows you to keep track of the temperature of your ARB Fridge Freezer from the comfort of the driver’s seat. Using clever wireless transmitting technology, the ARB Remote Fridge Monitor displays operating data such as internal fridge temperature, supply voltage and compressor status of your ARB Fridge Freezer on a conveniently located backlit display for the driver to monitor whilst in transit. If you’re sick of finding warm drinks after a long journey, the ARB Remote Fridge Monitor will make a handy addition to your camping accessories. www.arb.com.au

GX SERIES WINCH

Lone Star Marine has once again found a way to cram more value and performance into their mainstay without the high price tag. The all-new GX series is set to become the new workhorse and standard in perfectly engineered anchoring systems at the right price. Featuring all Australian Made 6mm 316 stainless and machined 6061 T-6 aluminium construction, ‘Real Italian’ transmissions, triple sealed bearings, twin shaft bearing systems, machined slimline ‘fast change’ collars, and an all new emergency release as standard on all models. Motors are once again custom manufactured and are pre-rigged with twin leads. LSM have claimed to manufacture the Worlds First drum anchor winch with a 200mm drum that is easily suitable to boats 6m+ with a holding at anchor capacity of 2800kg. This tiny yet very powerful model will be well suited to larger boats with very small anchor wells. The GX series cater to boats up to 9m+. Price: RRP from $1099 www.lonestarmarine.com.au

MINN KOTA ULTERRA

The bar has been set to a new height with the Ulterra freshwater motor. With Auto Stow/Deploy and Power Trim, we can understand the excitement. The Ulterra comes with your choice of i-Pilot or i-Pilot Link, and a standard redesigned foot pedal with Spot Lock button, Power Trim and Stow/Deploy all from the pedal or remote control. The Ulterra also comes standard with Universal Sonar 2 transducer built into the lower unit that will suit Humminbird sounders as well as other electronics with the correct adaptor cable listed below. Once your motor’s in the water, Power Trim lets you easily adjust the motor depth for changing conditions, using the included i-Pilot or i-Pilot Link remote, or the redesigned foot pedal. It’s one more way Ulterra handles the busy work, so you can focus on fishing. We’ve also added Spot-Lock to the pedal, making it even easier to stand your ground. The saltwater Ulterra motor is expected in early 2016. www.arb.com.au

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

MARINE DYNAMICS HYDRO-NUT

Trolling motor accessories are seldom seen, but here’s one that is starting to turn some heads! Marine Dynamics have released a product designed to increase your trolling motor’s performance. The Hydro-Nut is an accessory for electric motors and replaces the stock standard propeller nut. The wider surface area of the Hydro-Nut applies a greater force to hold the propeller down compared to the usual stock nut. This, in turn, reduces vibration and noise. Trolling motor vibration is often felt through the boat when used at high speeds or in high current areas, and the Hydro-Nut is the perfect way to stop that excessive noise and movement. Made from billet aluminium, Hydro-Nuts are also anodised in a number of different colours for corrosion resistance and to add some serious bling to your boat. To grab a Hydro-Nut and maximise your trolling motor’s performance, visit the online store on the Marine Dynamics website. Price: from $65 www.marinedynamics.com.au

REPOWERED 26 CARIBBEAN

People have been asking about Andrew Weekes’ 15-year-old 26 Caribbean flybridge cruiser when he repowered it with a pair of MerCruiser 4.5L 250hp V6s. “It’s a fantastic little boat. I actually bought it to do the conversion,” he said. A well-known face in the ski-racing world, Andrew had just sold a 61’ timber displacement cruiser because family boating time was at a premium, and he was after a smaller, faster craft. Weighing about 4,500kg loaded, the repowered Caribbean is performing brilliantly. Optimal cruising speed is around 27 knots at a combined fuel burn of just 62L/h, which gives the boat a range of 185km, with a comfortable margin. The top speed is around 45 knots at 5,000rpm, and went from 0-20 knots in a meagre eight seconds. “These new MerCruiser engines have a great power to weight ratio and experience shows they are going to be really reliable,” Andrew said. mercurymarine.com.au

NEW ARVOR 730 DIESEL

It’s an outstanding combination – Arvor’s new 730 Diesel and the Mercury Diesel 2L 150hp engine which powers it. “This is a combination which we have tweaked to within an inch of its life,” said Arvor’s Peter Collins. “And the results are really obvious when you get it out on the water and put it through its paces.” As you might expect with Arvor, the 730 D is a shaft drive which makes it all but unique at 7.3m long (6.70 meter hull) and a dry weight of 2.10 tonnes (approx. 3.40 fully loaded on the trailer). “The engine? I love it because it’s so reliable, smooth, quiet and fuel efficient,” Peter said. “It is so much better than the competition and you can have all the mod-cons, interfacing with Smart Craft instruments and the like.” The new boat is going to make its first public appearance at the up-coming Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, followed by Melbourne and Sydney. mercurymarine.com.au

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

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

SCAN THE

CODE! AUGUSTQR 2015 77

Kayak fishing secondary structure BRISBANE

Justin Wilmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

This issue I want to look at 1 of my favourite types of fishing and how some recent experiences have reinforced the importance of mixing things up, taking note of what’s happening around you, and being prepared to alter techniques to catch a wider variety of species. One of my favourite types of fishing is drifting the edges for flathead. It’s

dropoff into the channel, which where I fish can commonly reach depths of 3-5m. A 7’ 2-4kg rod, 2500 size spinning reel, 6-8lb braid and 8lb fluorocarbon leader will generally have you covered, unless there are numbers of big fish in the area, in which case it’s worth upping the leader to 12-14lb as the raspy mouths of flathead can destroy leaders, especially when larger fish are inhaling soft plastics. When fishing the channel edges, the primary structure I am targeting is visible structure; the edge or

visible primary structure, acting as ‘bait funnels’ that bring the last of the prey off the flats and into the strike zone of the waiting flathead. This article is about fishing ‘secondary structure’ though, so what am I referring to when talking about this? SECONDARY STRUCTURE When chasing flathead, I am generally zoned in on the edge, paying little attention to the depth sounder other than for an approximate depth of the area I am working the plastic back into. I recently fitted a Raymarine

seeing a snag on the sounder, I decided to cast back over my drift and fish the snag. First cast, snagged… well, at least I knew that the sounder was accurate! I grabbed my second rod, cast, and kept the lure a little higher in the water column on this retrieve, swimming it over the snag. The rod buckled over, the drag screamed and

A few casts around this school of bait and fish soon produced some quality bream.

Sunrise and sunset are prime times to be on the water. relatively simple, a great way to make the most of short windows of time, can be quite productive as flathead love lures, and for those that like a feed of fish it’s hard to beat fresh flatties. When targeting flathead I prefer the last few hours of the run-out tide and first hour of the run-in, as the fish become concentrated along the edge of dropoffs, waiting for the baitfish and prawns to be forced off the flats with the diminishing water depth. It can be as simple as sliding the kayak in, paddling half a dozen strokes and turning the kayak to face the bank so that you are drifting along the edge about a cast away. As you drift, cast toward the edge of the bank, slightly ahead of the drift, allow the lure sink to the bottom, and then commence a double hop and pause retrieve, ensuring the lure is on the bottom between hops as flathead bury themselves to ambush their prey. My go-to lures are generally 2.5” paddle tail soft plastics rigged on 1/4oz 1/0-2/0 jigheads if the bait is small. If there is larger bait in the system I will upsize to a 3” paddle tail and 1/4oz 3/0 jighead. The 1/4oz allows me to fish fairly quickly, while still maintaining contact with the bottom, and it also makes it possible to fish down the 78

AUGUST 2015

The author braved the weather to score plenty of flathead fishing the edges. dropoff itself, along with the weedbeds, sand and gravel patches, rocks, timber and other snags that attract bait and in turn predators. Drains also make up part of this

Dragonfly-5 PRO Sonar/ GPS to the kayak though, and have been spending more time tinkering around with the GPS, mapping, sounder and DownVision. Upon

Top: This snag produced a nice grunter. Check out the jellyfish also clearly displayed by the sounder. Middle: When targeting the edge, any lumps and bumps the ’yak drifts over could potentially hold fish. Above: A yellowtail pike school holding off the end of a boat ramp shown on the sounder and DownVision. after a short, stubborn fight a nice grunter was in the net. That started the cogs turning. The bottom was pretty flat for a while and then I came to a boat ramp; a

piece of man-made structure that is always worth a few casts. This was the perfect opportunity to check out the DownVision on the Dragonfly-5 PRO and there

it was; a perfect picture of the boat ramp scrolled out across the screen in front of me. I was pretty blown away by the detail. I have come from the era of a paper

sounder in my dad’s old steel hull cruiser, drawing a line on a paper roll and flashing a light to tell us the depth we were in. From there it was a sounder on my first sit-in kayak in the mid ’90s that must have had about 100 pixels total and looked like a game of Tetris! A few more sounders over the years and now I found myself sitting in my pedal kayak, with my graphite rod, braided line, ElaZtech soft plastic and enjoying the latest in depth sounder technology… we have come a long way. It got even better though. As I drifted away from the ramp and my normal edge bite, the DownVision clearly displayed the end of the ramp and a school of fish, which I believed to be a school of yellowtail pike holding in the same area where we had targeted them as kids. First cast with the smaller paddle tail and a

As I continued my drift, picking up flathead at regular intervals from the edge bite, I also located another piece of secondary structure on the sounder that produced a cod and better than average

the strike zone. The first cast was smashed, the reel screamed with a light drag setting, and I soon saw the silver flash of a quality bream. After each fish I repositioned the

in calm conditions, reflecting on what the secondary structure had added to my session. Keeping an eye on the Dragonfly-5 PRO had added a grunter, cod, nice flathead, 6 pike and a

Top: A flathead from a weed edge. Above Left: Fishing the edge while monitoring the Dragonfly’s DownVision. Above Right: Another nice bream from a school picked up on the sounder while drifting the edges. yellowtail pike came aboard the kayak. Seven casts later and I had 6 yellowtail pike in the Evakool icebox, with a couple of ice bricks keeping them in good condition for an afternoon fish smoking session. Not a prized Australian sportfish, but fun, addictive fishing and a great oily fish for the smoker. If I had stayed focussed on my edge bite I may have missed out on the entrée for the evening’s meal.

flathead, before coming across what appeared to be a rubble patch holding fish. The area I was now fishing had more current flow, so I marked the rubble patch as a waypoint on the Dragonfly-5 PRO’s GPS mapping. This allowed me to reposition the kayak and pedal up current to the structure, so that I could cast ahead of the kayak, over the structure and bring the soft plastic back naturally with the current and through

kayak, cast again and the action continued, with bream following the lure almost to the kayak. If a hook did pull from 1 fish, another was there to inhale it. The school of bream were angry, competing to get a crack at my little plastic, and with a few days until the full moon I’m guessing they were feeding up before spawning. After a dozen or so bream it was time to head for home and I enjoyed the pedal

dozen bream to the 20 or so flathead that the edge bite had produced. So next time you’re on the water, be it edge fishing, surface fishing, or targeting structure such as weed, lilies, timber, mangrove edges or rocks, don’t forget to keep an eye on the sounder and what’s going on around you. Changing your technique could make the session more productive and see additional species added to your catch.

Top: A nice grunter pulled from secondary structure while fishing the edge for flathead. Middle: Stay sun smart. This session produced 31 flatties from the edge on Z-Man Slim SwimZ. Above: Not a prized sportfish, but pretty good in the smoker.

Left: Primary structure when chasing flathead — a drain funnelling bait from the flats. Right: A handful of flathead from some secondary structure located using the Dragonfly. AUGUST 2015

Savage 455 Scorpion FMG

Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

On water boat testing can be a lot of fun. The opportunity to spend two or three hours putting a boat through its paces and getting to know the people that are putting the package together provides a great insight and knowledge of variety boats and what they are capable of. A recent visit to Warragul to visit the team from Warragul Marine Centre provided the opportunity to take an in-depth look a number of boats from the Savage Aluminium range. Arriving at their new premises I was immediately drawn to a wrapped Savage 455 Scorpion and I hoped that this was one of the boats they wanted tested. It was, and we headed to

to take it up the lake to where we would be running around and taking photos. I may have taken this chance to have a bit of a play. I liked what I found. It tracked nicely and got onto the plane with little fuss. Simon and David did mention that it looked like I was having too much fun. THE BOAT AS TESTED Savage Aluminium boats are the oldest aluminium boat manufacturer in Australia and are recognised by many as building tough and affordable boats. Until this trip I had had very little experience with the brand and the range of boats they have to offer, but I was looking forward to seeing the 455 Scorpion in action. The 455 Scorpion falls directly into what I would call a sport fishing boat. The model tested was a side console with forward and

seats were great), with the seating configuration well thought out. At 6’2” there was plenty of legroom for me and still enough space to store a tackle bag or the like out of the way. There is also enough room to place any electronics and gauges you may need or want on the console itself. THE RIDE Getting wet while using an open boat is something we all like to avoid. The majority of Savage Aluminium boat range comes with their UltraLift Hull. The Ultra-Lift Hull design is an extra large extended reverse chine with an increased deadrise. This effectively maximises spray reduction and neutralises chop. Lake Narracan was never going to truly test this. The only real chop was being made by us and the Scorpion dealt with this no problem at all.

The 455 Scorpion looked and was impressive at full noise. Lake Narracan the following day to see if it performed as well as it looked. FIRST IMPRESSIONS The first impression you don’t generally get is the chance to tow the boat to the water. It is a short drive from Warragul to Lake Narracan and as I had a loan car from Subaru I was able to assist in taking a boat and took dibs on towing the Scorpion. The Outback 3.6R I had been given is a typical family vehicle with a few Subaru bells and whistles. I had no concerns that it would tow the boat, but the bonus was that you got a feel of what you would be able to see behind you and how it would effect the vehicles performance. In a nutshell, I had to remind myself that the boat was there. You had good visibility and the Savage I-Beam trailer with its alloy wheels looked an absolute treat (more about the trailer later in the review). Launching the Savage 455 Scorpion was simple with its drive on/drive off trailer, which could easily be done on your own if required (something that is essential for this size and type of boat). Simon took the boat off the trailer, but it was left to me 80

AUGUST 2015

rear casting areas. It had a MotorGuide Xi5 wireless 55lb trust bow mount electric motor and was powered by a Mercury 60hp CT 4-stroke engine. Other options, on the test boat, were a Lowrance Elite-7 HDI combo, offshore motor-well and vinyl wrap. Included in this configuration was a twin live well in the forward casting deck, a full-length rod locker and an additional live bait tank in the offshore rear well/casting deck. There is also plenty of gear storage available for your safety gear and fishing tackle to ensure your casting area is clear to maximise your fishing space. A quick explanation about the offshore motorwell. You have the option of getting the 455 Scorpion with an open or standard transom or the offshore version that has higher splashguards around the motor, and both configurations are fitted with the rear live bait tank as a standard feature. The motorwell does make lure fishing from the back a little more challenging, but would be a godsend when soaking a bait for snapper or gummy shark in any bay or inshore grounds. The console set up while simple, was comfortable (the

I found the stability underway and during cornering to be a pleasant surprise. It was difficult to make it play up without doing something out of the normal, which you wouldn’t do when heading to or from your favourite fishing spot or during normal use. A very important test for me with this style of boat is stability at rest. For a vast majority of the time you are using it as a casting platform. I had David Garcia go and have a cast around and I used the boat as a camera boat for the majority of the time and the stability at rest was excellent. FISHABILITY The reason I was drawn to this boat in the first place was that it would meet the needs for the types of fishing that I do. It is small enough to fish shallow water estuary systems, ideal for fishing impoundments and lakes, has inshore capabilities and will get you offshore in the right weather conditions. The addition of the electric motor further opens up your fishing options and your ability to target fish in and around structure. Perfect for those lure anglers amongst us. I do however have a pet hate, which is an open anchor well (not a big deal I know), they tend to provide a tripping

The vinyl wrap on the 455 Scorpion makes it look a treat.

Top Left: The full-length rod locker provides enough room to store rods and reels out of harms way when not in use. Top Right: The boat tested had the offshore motor well option. It provides a great working space if bait fishing. Above: The front casting deck housed plenty of underfloor storage and a twin live well. Right: The addition of the Motorguide Xi5 provides the stealth and maneuverability that a sport fishing boat needs. Below: Although simple, the side console is practical and comfortable. Below Right: The Mercury 60hp 4-stroke CT motor was a great match for the Scorpion.

hazard and/or something to catch your gear on. This may be because I very rarely anchor and fish. For those that do, it provides easy access, deployment and retrieval of your anchor with minimal

mess going into the boat. Snap out of it I say to myself. MERCURY 60HP COMMAND TRUST 4-STROKE Maximum horsepower for the Savage 455 Scorpion is

60hp. The team at Warragul Marine Centre felt that a motor at the top end of the horsepower range is the best option for the Scorpion. Base packages starting with a 40hp are available, however I agree,

if you are going to get this type of boat, the maximum horsepower maximises what you can do in it. It is hard not to be impressed by the Mercury 60hp 4-stroke with a command trust gearbox that was on the back of the 455 Scorpion. These motors are super light for their size and the command trust gearbox gives you a hole shot that would rival most 2-stroke motors. Added to that they have great fuel economy, so the 70L underfloor fuel tank of the 455 Scorpion will last just that much longer. On the other end of the spectrum, if you enjoy trolling for natives and trout in the freshwater or flathead and salmon in the salt, the Mercury will do that with bells on.

SPECIFICATIONS Length of Hull..................................................4.55m Beam................................................................2.05m Depth...............................................................1.07m Bottom Sides....................................................3mm Top Sides...........................................................3mm Weight (boat only)...........................................350kg Min. HP..............................................................30hp Max. HP.............................................................60hp Fuel Tank..............................................................70L Warranty........................................................ 3 years Max. people.............................................................5 TRAILER AND TOWING I wouldn’t normally say too much about a trailer because it is in a dealer’s best interest to ensure a trailer matches the package it is on. However, I have to mention the Savage I-Beam trailer. It is bolted together so any piece can be replaced if required.

It is easy to get to and wash down all the places that need to be washed. It had alloy wheels and a spare tyre. As Simon said to me, he has had plenty of enquiries on the trailers, let alone the boat. As far as towing goes, a larger 4-cylinder vehicle or above would get you on

The Savage 455 Scorpion is well suited to being used as a casting platform. your way to and from your favourite fishing location. IN SUMMARY The Savage 455 Scorpion has a lot of things going for it

as far as a sport fishing boat is concerned. With 3mm bottom and sides, it will take the inevitable bumps that fishing can sometimes bring. Savage QR CODE

Scan the QR code to see the Savage 455 Scorpion taken through its paces.

Left: The Savage I-Beam trailers are well made and I was very impressed. Right: The Ultra-Lift hull at work. Lake Narracan didn’t really put this to the test, but the stability underway was excellent.

Aluminium Boats may not have some of the bells and whistles that their Telwater cousins have, but they are built with practicality and a purpose in mind and over 100 years of experience to produce affordable packages to get people on the water. I can’t say enough about the trailer, I may need to go and see Simon myself. Last but not least the vinyl wrap on the boat really stood out. This may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it appealed to me and finished the package off for me nicely. The package we tested sells for $31,990, but has a base starting price point of $20,875 with a 40hp 2-stroke Mercury electric start, power trim outboard, alloy trailer and wheels, rego’s and safety kit. For more information on this boat or on the rest of the Savage Aluminium Boat range you can contact Warragul Marine Centre on 03 5623 6250 or check out their website www. warragulmarine.com.au. • Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

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AUGUST 2015

Whittley’s CW1600 is more than an entry level boat FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

With a lot of our in house boat tests nowadays, we complete a video that shows the craft in action and interviewing an expert about the hull. You can access these by scanning the QR Code published hereby with an app on your smartphone – or just by searching YouTube for the model in question. On one fine day in Rye, we tested a couple of Yamaha-powered Whittley models - the CW1600 and a larger CW2150 – both entry-level boats but at opposite ends of the size range. These videos usually go live a few days after the test, followed by

the published tests in the magazine at a later date. Uniquely, we can gain some insights into the popularity of the respective models with the views on these videos. At the time of writing, the CW1600 had 1,381 people watch it – ten times the numbers of the hull’s bigger brother. To us, this makes sense. The CW1600, matched with the ubiquitous Yamaha F70 is the ideal entry level boat for anglers wanting to make the change to estuary and bay work in comfort. It’s light enough to tow with a standard family car, even a 4-cylinder one, a package starts from the low thirties, it has a cabin to keep said family out of the elements and even a novice boatie will learn to launch, handle and maintain one in no time.

It’s no wonder, then, that this is one of the models that Whittley takes to its popular shoppingcentre displays. It bridges the gap between being shore-bound and the fully featured Whittleys that anglers have been used to. When we met up with Angelo San Giorgio at the ramp, we found out that the test model was a customer’s boat that’s been set up exactly what this boat was designed for. With a basic cabin to get out of the weather, some comfortable helm seats and a simple dash layout, there’s no reason that the family won’t enjoy their time out on the water as well. Shade, especially, is often underrated by those of us who would fish in every condition imaginable if we had the chance.

The CW1600 is heavy for its length, providing a very comfortable ride for a boat that sells in the low $30,000 range. “This boat belongs to keen Port Phillip Bay angler, Sean Farley,” Angleo said, “who loves chasing squid, kingfish and snapper.” “Sean did a few things straight away with his CW, he added a Lone Star Marine anchor winch and a Mud Magnet anchor.” You don’t appreciate the convenience of an anchor winch until you’ve used one. Small customisations like this can enhance the boating experience for individual purchasers. “He also added a couple of 3-way rod holders and a stainless framed cutting board at the transom above his 60 litre livewell, that he mostly uses for keeping his squid catch alive,” Angelo continued. At the business end of the boat there’s a stainless framed work station that has a storage tray underneath and rod and cup holders to the sides. Under that is the 60 litre plumbed livewell. With a brief to keep things simple, Sean added a Raymarine Dragonfly CHIRP sounder. One screen, one button and one joystick to be his eyes underwater. It’s hard to get more simple than that. QR CODE

Top Left: At the business end of the boat there’s a stainless framed work station that has a storage tray underneath and rod and cup holders to the sides. Under that is the 60 litre plumbed livewell. Top Right: Here’s a touch you don’t see every day – vertical rod storage along the coamings. You can also see the toeroom under the side pockets that allow you to drift fish with comfort. As it’s a customer boat, this one is loaded with the stuff a Port Phillip Bay angler would use from trip to trip. Above: One of the first things Sean did was to add a Lone Star Marine anchor winch and a Mud Magnet anchor. You don’t appreciate the convenience of an anchor winch until you’ve used one. Small customisations like this can enhance the boating experience for individual purchasers. Right: Sean is a lover of simple boats. The Raymarine Dragonfly is a minimalist unit with plenty of grunt and the helm mounted switches and gauges are the minimum necessary to ensure smooth and safe operation of the boat. 82

AUGUST 2015

Scan this QR to see Angelo San Giorgio from Whittley talk about this package.

Left: Most of all, the CW1600 is all about fun. It’s easy to use, easy to tow and uses next to no fuel for a day on the water. If you’re thinking about edging up into the fibreglass market, few boats offer better value for money. Right: With a basic cabin to get out of the weather, some comfortable helm seats and a simple dash layout, there’s no reason that the family won’t enjoy their time out on the water as well. Shade, especially, is often underrated by those of us who would fish in every condition imaginable. Below: Add a couple of three-way stainless rod holders on each side of the transom and all of a sudden you have a serious snapper fishing setup. These holders bookend the Yamaha F70 which, as always, performed flawlessly on the test day. Sean also added vertical rod storage along the coamings. You can also see the in the picture the toe-room under the side pockets that allow you to drift fish with comfort, and the type of gear that anglers like to have at hand. On the test day, as expected, Yamaha’s ridiculously popular F70 performed flawlessly. Quiet at idle, easy on the gas and propped to pop this hull easily onto the plane, lovers of the blue

outboards will find no fault with this setup. More broadly, Angelo admitted that the Whittley brand was an ‘aspirational’ boat and that this CW range was a stepping stone into the Whittley family of boats. “The 1600 is a perfect step up into the world of fibreglass boating. It is a reasonably heavy hull for its length, which dampens the chop and makes it a comfortable ride.” Angelo said. “It’s a perfect combination

for entry level boating, but it’s so much more than an entry level boat.” • Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of

individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

SPECIFICATIONS Capacity....................................................5 persons Length................................................................5.0m Beam................................................................2.14m Boat Weight.....................................................525kg Max HP............................................ 90HP (or 175kg) Packages from.............................................$32,999 Website:...................................www.whittley.com.au Facebook:..............................Whittley Marine Group

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AUGUST 2015

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AUGUST 2015

Victorian Tide Times

POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA MAY Time 0241 0943 FR 1453 2149

m 0.70 1.25 0.78 1.30

2015

LAT 38° 18’ LONG 144° 37’ Times and Heights of High and Low Waters JULY JUNE Time

Time

0.35 1.68 WE 1800 0.81

2 0452 1211

17 0600 1309

3 0545 1301

18 0048 0650

4 0045 0635

19 0137 0736

5 0137 0723

20 0222 0817

6 0227 0811

21 0303 0855

7 0315 0859

22 0343 0931

8 0404 0946

23 0421 1006

9 0457 1034

24 0500 1042

2 0454 1157

17 0525 1237

3 0542 1245

18 0015 0619

4 0023 0625

19 0108 0709

5 0112 0707

20 0156 0755

6 0159 0748

21 0241 0838

7 0243 0830

22 0323 0918

8 0327 0913

23 0404 0956

9 0413 0958

24 0446 1032

0425 1139 TU 1655 2318

0.51 1.49 0.95 1.37

Time

0353 1116 WE 1630 2245

0.46 1.53 SU 1607 0.77 2247 1.47

Time

m 0.39 1.62 0.85 1.47

0357 1104 MO 1623 2235

0.58 1.42 0.92 1.36

Time

0.52 1.44 0.73 1.45

0225 0941 SA 1447 2144

Local Time AUGUST

0.45 1.56 TH 1735 0.90 2347 1.40

0505 1216 TH 1737 2354

Time

m 0.40 1.59 0.83 1.43

Time

0511 0.38 1232 1.57 SA 1755 0.78

0032 0633 SU 1328 1907

2 0022 0610

17 0122 0717

3 0120 0704

18 0206 0757

4 0214 0756

19 0245 0833

5 0305 0845

20 0321 0907

6 0357 0934

21 0356 0942

7 0449 1021

22 0433 1016

8 0546 1107

23 0513 1052

9 0647 1154

24 0557 1129

2 0355 1048

17 0338 1053

3 0456 1145

18 0446 1158

4 0545 1234

19 0546 1256

5 0018 0627

20 0042 0641

6 0101 0705

21 0132 0730

7 0143 0742

22 0218 0816

8 0224 0818

23 0302 0901

9 0303 0855

24 0345 0943

10 0344 0932

25 0428 1023

10 0501 1044

25 0530 1109

10 0554 1122

25 0544 1118

10 0035 0749

25 0646 1207

11 0425 1012

26 0512 1100

11 0557 1132

26 0618 1148

11 0004 0700

26 0631 1157

11 0129 0851

26 0030 0743

12 0509 1054

27 0559 1139

12 0015 0703

27 0028 0713

12 0055 0809

27 0030 0726

12 0230 0953

27 0117 0847

13 0600 1140

28 0016 0653

13 0109 0819

28 0110 0813

13 0152 0914

28 0111 0826

13 0338 1054

28 0217 0956

14 0020 0702

29 0102 0756

14 0211 0930

29 0158 0915

14 0256 1016

29 0200 0930

14 0444 1152

29 0329 1102

15 0117 0820

30 0154 0901

15 0317 1037

30 0253 1016

15 0402 1118

30 0300 1035

15 0542 1244

30 0443 1201

0.66 1.30 SA 1614 0.81 2243 1.31 0.59 1.38 SU 1725 0.80 2332 1.34 0.51 1.48 MO 1816 0.77 1.39 0.44 TU 1316 1.57 1859 0.73 1.43 0.38 WE 1356 1.64 1937 0.70 1.46 0.34 TH 1434 1.69 2015 0.67 1.48 0.32 FR 1513 1.71 2052 0.65 1.49 0.31 SA 1551 1.71 2130 0.63 1.48 0.32 SU 1630 1.68 2208 0.63

1.46 0.35 MO 1711 1.64 2248 0.62 1.43 0.40 TU 1754 1.59 2331 0.61

1.41 0.48 WE 1842 1.53 0.59 1.39 TH 1233 0.56 1937 1.49 0.57 1.39 FR 1335 0.66 2039 1.46

0.38 1.63 MO 1722 0.76 2347 1.50 0.30 1.72 TU 1824 0.72

1.53 0.26 WE 1349 1.78 1916 0.68 1.55 0.25 TH 1437 1.80 2004 0.65 1.55 0.27 FR 1522 1.78 2049 0.63

1.53 0.31 SA 1603 1.74 2131 0.62

1.50 0.37 SU 1642 1.68 2214 0.62

1.45 0.45 MO 1718 1.62 2254 0.63 1.39 0.52 TU 1753 1.56 2334 0.64

1.35 0.61 WE 1830 1.50 0.65 1.31 TH 1220 0.69 1910 1.44 0.66 1.29 FR 1306 0.78 1955 1.40

0.65 1.30 SA 1400 0.86 2045 1.37

31 0254 1005

0.63 1.35 SU 1507 0.91 2139 1.35

0.52 1.51 TU 1730 0.90 2330 1.38 0.46 1.60 WE 1820 0.85 1.42 0.40 TH 1329 1.67 1905 0.80 1.46 0.35 FR 1412 1.72 1947 0.74 1.49 0.33 SA 1454 1.75 2029 0.70 1.51 0.33 SU 1535 1.75 2111 0.65 1.51 0.35 MO 1615 1.73 2153 0.61 1.50 0.40 TU 1656 1.70 2238 0.57 1.49 0.47 WE 1738 1.65 2324 0.54 1.46 0.55 TH 1823 1.60 0.51 1.45 FR 1224 0.65 1913 1.55

0.49 1.46 SA 1321 0.74 2009 1.51

0.46 1.49 SU 1427 0.82 2112 1.48

0.43 1.55 MO 1541 0.86 2215 1.47

1.49 0.32 TH 1330 1.73 1856 0.76 1.51 0.32 FR 1417 1.75 1945 0.72

1.51 0.34 SA 1500 1.74 2030 0.68

1.50 0.38 SU 1538 1.72 2114 0.65

1.48 0.43 MO 1613 1.68 2154 0.63 1.45 0.49 TU 1645 1.64 2232 0.62

1.42 0.56 WE 1716 1.60 2311 0.61 1.38 0.63 TH 1749 1.55 2348 0.60 1.36 0.70 FR 1825 1.50

0.59 1.34 SA 1230 0.78 1905 1.46

0.58 1.34 SU 1317 0.86 1951 1.41

0.57 1.37 MO 1413 0.93 2044 1.38 0.55 1.42 TU 1519 0.96 2142 1.36

0.39 1.64 FR 1830 0.83 1.45 0.35 SA 1349 1.70 1918 0.75 1.50 0.32 SU 1433 1.74 2005 0.66 1.54 0.33 MO 1516 1.76 2052 0.59 1.56 0.36 TU 1558 1.75 2140 0.52 1.56 0.41 WE 1638 1.72 2227 0.46 1.55 0.48 TH 1719 1.68 2315 0.42 1.52 0.57 FR 1802 1.63

0.40 1.49 SA 1212 0.67 1850 1.57

0.40 1.48 SU 1303 0.76 1944 1.51

0.41 1.49 MO 1403 0.83 2044 1.46 0.42 1.51 TU 1514 0.88 2148 1.43

0.41 1.54 WE 1629 0.87 2253 1.42

0.38 1.63 FR 1836 0.77

1.44 0.38 SA 1355 1.66 1927 0.71

1.46 0.39 SU 1435 1.67 2012 0.65

1.47 0.41 MO 1510 1.66 2053 0.61 1.47 0.45 TU 1541 1.65 2131 0.57

1.46 0.50 WE 1610 1.62 2207 0.54 1.44 0.55 TH 1641 1.60 2243 0.52 1.42 0.61 FR 1713 1.56 2317 0.51

1.40 0.67 SA 1747 1.52 2352 0.50

1.38 0.74 SU 1825 1.47

0.50 1.36 MO 1240 0.81 1909 1.42 0.49 1.36 TU 1329 0.88 1959 1.37

0.48 1.38 WE 1429 0.92 2058 1.34 0.47 1.43 TH 1539 0.92 2205 1.34

1.44 0.34 SU 1323 1.65 1851 0.66 1.51 0.32 MO 1410 1.70 1944 0.55 1.58 0.32 TU 1454 1.73 2033 0.44 1.61 0.35 WE 1536 1.73 2123 0.36 1.62 0.40 TH 1616 1.71 2211 0.31 1.60 0.47 FR 1658 1.66 2259 0.29 1.56 0.55 SA 1741 1.61 2346 0.30 1.51 0.63 SU 1828 1.54 0.33 1.46 MO 1243 0.72 1920 1.46 0.38 1.43 TU 1338 0.79 2021 1.40

0.43 1.42 WE 1446 0.84 2127 1.35 0.45 1.43 TH 1604 0.84 2234 1.33 0.45 1.47 FR 1717 0.79 2337 1.35

0.44 1.51 SA 1817 0.72

31 0406 1137

0.43 1.50 FR 1650 0.87 2317 1.38

 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2014, Bureau of Meteorology Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astonomical Tide Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect Full Moon Moon Phase Symbols New Moon First Quarter

m 1.38 0.43 1.55 0.64

1.42 0.42 MO 1405 1.57 1949 0.57 1.45 0.43 TU 1437 1.58 2028 0.51

1.48 0.45 WE 1507 1.58 2103 0.47 1.49 0.48 TH 1536 1.58 2137 0.44 1.49 0.52 FR 1607 1.56 2211 0.42

1.47 0.56 SA 1640 1.53 2244 0.41

1.45 0.61 SU 1715 1.49 2316 0.41

1.42 0.67 MO 1751 1.44 2350 0.41 1.38 0.73 TU 1833 1.38

0.42 1.35 WE 1252 0.79 1923 1.34 0.43 1.35 TH 1348 0.83 2025 1.31 0.44 1.37 FR 1458 0.83 2138 1.31

0.43 1.42 SA 1613 0.77 2257 1.36

0.40 1.49 SU 1724 0.65

31 0006 0550

1.45 0.37 MO 1254 1.57 1826 0.52

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. 86

AUGUST 2015

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