Victoria and Tasmania Fishing Monthly - January 2015

GET READY FOR HOLIDAY FISHING

Features

Elusive estuary perch • Stock up on Sun Protection • Elegant Eildon for beginners • Beating the holiday blues •

How To

Select the right sounder • Quintrex Aluminium I-beam trailers •

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JANUARY 2015

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Jarrod Day caught these two quality King George whiting along with 18 others while fishing off the Middle Spit in Western Port, Victoria. They were caught using the Black Magic Whiting Snatcher laced with small strips of squid.

Black Magic 100lb Tough Trace and a Black Magic KS 7/0 hook were used by Troy Janssens to catch this 15kg school shark off Cape Otway.

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A Black Magic Jellybean ‘dark smelt’ was used by Peter Watson from Highland Dun Guiding to catch this brown trout.

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JANUARY 2015

Mini Pilly

Green Grub

Rod Shepherd landed this chinook salmon on a Black Magic BMax ‘bully’ lure while fishing on Lake Elingamite.

Cobie Pogue landed this excellent 63.5lb murray cod on a Black Magic KL 6/0 hook while fishing in Shepparton.

Black Magic 40lb Supple Trace and a Black Magic KL 6/0 hook were used by George Gabriel to catch this 5.6kg snapper while fishing off Barwon Heads.

7 year old Finn Rice used a Black Magic KL 5/0 hook and Black Magic 30lb Tough Fluorocarbon leader to take this 4.5kg slatey bream off North Stradbroke Island.

This 13kg yellowfin tuna was landed by Mat Flynn on a Black Magic KS 4/0 hook fishing at Nambucca Heads.

Adam Epi caught this mahi mahi using Black Magic 80lb Tough Trace and the Black Magic Equalizer gimbal and harness while fishing at Coffs Harbour.

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JANUARY 2015

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January 2015, Vol. 12, No.1

Contents WEST COAST

VICTORIAN FRESHWATER Horsham 54 Mildura 56 Robinvale 57 Moama 56 Shepparton 58 Kiewa Valley 59 Wangaratta 60 Eildon 61 Central Gippsland 62 Yarra Valley 62 West/South Gippsland 63 Bendigo 62 Melbourne Metro 63 Crater Lakes 64 Ballarat 64 Jindabyne 65

TASMANIA WRAP

42

REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 51 Boating 94 Chappy’s Hotspot 53 Dam Levels 60 Fun Page 69 Inland Fisheries Service 42 Kayak 72 Spearfishing 50 Tasmanian Lake Levels 44 Tournament News 80 Trade and Services Guide 100 Victorian Tide Times 102 VRFish Update 71 What’s New Boating 98 What’s New Fishing 76

SPECIAL FEATURES

51

VICTORIA FISHING MONTHLY Business Office: Unit 1, 11 Knobel Court, Shailer Park, Qld, 4128 Phone: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801 Managing Editor: Stephen Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au Editorial Manager: Jacqui Thomas

Production: Melissa Carroll, Karen Millward, Jenna Moir Website: www.fishingmonthly.com.au

Field Editor: Kelly Hunt, Stephen Booth

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OUR COVER Brent Hodges with a fine East Gippsland estuary perch he caught while repetitively casting at the same snag.

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UV will prolong your fishing years. And we all want that!

LAKE EILDON Andy ‘Knackers” McCarthy gives us a beginner’s guide to Lake Eildon. With this fishery improving every year, you now don’t have an excuse not to get out there on the fresh water.

Just think - it’ll even wash all of the salt out of those nooks and crannies that the hose doesn’t reach.

PERCH SEARCH Have estuary perch been elusive to you? Jarrod Day’s guide to getting onto the EPs is essential reading.

Victoria is Australia’s estuary perch stronghold, so make sure you get out and experience what can be some amazing sessions on these little speedsters.

There’s hardly a lure in your tackle box that they won’t take.

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affected bays and inlets and increase fish stocks from 3 million to 5 million a year. School education and children’s fishing programs will also be established with Parks Victoria.

• Take action to maintain Lake Toolondo as Victoria’s best trout fishing location, open recreational trout cod fisheries in Beechworth and aim to stock 15,000 one year old barramundi into Hazelwood Pondage to create a new recreational fishery for the Latrobe Valley. No new marine parks.

Let’s hope that they can turn promises into action and better fishing for us all.

SUN PROTECTION There’s a few features inside this issue - the most important of which deals with some new products to protect yourself from the sun. From your eyes to the back of your hands, ensuring that you are protected from

AUST

Elusive estuary perch Elegant Eildon for beginners Select the right sounder Quintrex Aluminium I-beam trailers

Port Phillip and Corio Bays over eight years, increasing fish stocks for recreational anglers and offering a clear and fair exit strategy for licence holders. They will also ban netting at the mouth of the rivers in the Gippsland Lakes.

• Establish a $10 million Better Fishing Facilities Fund to develop new recreational fishing reefs, improve boat launching facilities and access to waterways, and install fish cleaning tables and fish aggregating devices.

• Invest $5 million in Target One Million’s stocking and education programs. Under the plan, all fishing clubs will be eligible for ‘Stronger Fishing Clubs’ grants of up to $2,000 to promote membership and fishing in their community. They will also implement a marine species stocking program in Victoria’s drought-

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Mallacoota 38 Eden 39 Bermagui 40 Merimbula 40 Narooma 41

The ballot papers are sorted, the state has spoken. A new Labor government is now in play and they promised a lot for recreational anglers in their election platform.

Their pre-election promises and the Target One Million campaign convinced many rec anglers to put faith in the new party, but how will they fare? They have vowed to invest a healthy $35 million to phase out commercial netting, upgrade fishing clubs and increase the number of recreational fishers to one million by the year 2020.

The Target One Million is aimed at encouraging more Victorians to take up rec fishing to boost the social and economic wellbeing of the state. They propose to: • Allocate $20 million to halt commercial netting in

AT

NSW SOUTH COAST

From the Editor’s Desk...

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Welshpool 31 Ninety-Mile Beach 32 Inverloch 32 Gippsland Lakes 34 Lakes Entrance 34 McLoughlins Beach 35 Bemm River 36 Marlo 36

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EAST COAST

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Geelong 16 Port Phillip West 18 Port Phillip East 20 Port Phillip North East 23 Rosebud 24 Western Port North 26 Western Port South 28 Phillip Island 30

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CENTRAL

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West Coast 10 Warrnambool 12 Portland 12 Apollo Bay 14 Cobden 14

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Victoria’s elusive estuary perch WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

Some days you feel more confident finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow or winning $30 million in Tattslotto than going toe-to-toe with an estuary perch.

Estuary perch are better known as being the ghost of the estuary and while they are quite abundant throughout Victoria and Southern New South Wales, they are definitely not the easiest fish to catch.

There is a strange enigma about estuary perch that I never really understood until a few years ago, well, that was until I began the search.

When it comes to targeting estuary perch there is very little information spoken about them. Maybe it’s because the anglers that do, tend to catch and release and say very little about their exploits. So when you decide that today is the day that you’ll head out to catch one, you really are all on your own.

EPs, as they are also known, certainly are the most prehistoric fish of the estuary that deserve the most respect. Their growth rate is extremely slow, making an estimated 45cm model around 40 years of age. Still, when the sun is out and the water is warm, they will eat just about anything that comes within reach of their big bucket mouth.

Nothing comes closer to a barramundi in this neck of the woods, which is why they have the nickname ‘southern barra’.

WHERE THEY RESIDE Perch are one of those species that love to eat, just take one look at their body design coupled

Submerged logs in a river are a likely location to find fish.

If there is something to remember before embarking on an EP adventure, it is making sure you have the right lures in your arsenal.

Suspending lures always manage to be the most favoured. so well to its environment that when it ambushes prey, drawing open that huge bucket mouth and sucking in large quantities of water, along with the

They may not always be big and as elusive, but every perch is a reward. with a mouth capable of swallowing a grown man’s fist, they are the ultimate predator of the estuary.

This species has adapted 8

JANUARY 2015

hold in a tidal waterway is best understood at low tide. Paddling, peddling or motoring through a waterway on low tide will give you an idea about the bottom terrain showing the structures where the fish could be during the high tides. Then all you have to do is to come back when these low lying areas are flooded and try your luck.

While EP are spread from one end of the state to the other, pockets of fish in Port Phillip Bay, Western Port and Gippsland are usually kept quite close to the heart of those that know where they reside.

Anglers targeting EP tend to hit up Gippsland more so than anywhere west of Inverloch. Once you have a little understanding about these ghosts of the estuary, the adventure really starts when you begin to explore

intended meal, has enabled this particular species to survive in such dense locations.

Take a barramundi

for example; they live in rivers, hard up in mangrove roots, around fallen timber and wherever there is a drain that will funnel bait on the abating tide.

Perch are no different, in fact these characteristics are identical between the two but in Victoria, we still have to wait for the summer months before the fish are at their most active.

Mainly found in estuary systems, they will move between rivers and inhabit bays and inlets.

Just like barramundi, EP know their local terrain and where baitfish are funnelled into drains and channels from the force of the current and tidal pressure. As anglers, understanding their feeding habits will give us some indication as to where they can be caught but these are no textbook fish, often leading you to fish in areas they are not.

Finding potential areas where they may

There are many lures which EP favour. Duel’s 50mm Hardcore Minnow is downright deadly. necessarily ball up a school of baitfish like salmon or bust up on the surface like tuna, but they certainly will find a location where the current will funnel baitfish and setup residence nearby. EP tend to use their location to their advantage by letting the elements do all the work for them. They do this by holding in a snag or mangrove root and wait for current to bring the food to them.

For us, we have to find these locations and work them thoroughly to instigate a strike. Toss in the wrong lure and the fish will scatter, toss in the right one and you’ll quickly be taken to the snags or drag a fish from its lair if

to come to them, you need to have a precision point cast on you. You really only get one chance per snag and have to be able to pitch a lure right into the back of the snag with a direct hit. With one twitch, drag the lure down under the water moving it no more than 10” from where it initially landed and with a quick pause, the lure will sit hovering in the water column. Wel, that is providing you just cast a suspending lure.

Any fish holding under that snag will watch it for a second to suss it out.

Another light twitch will move the lure another 3-5” and in that split second, the fish reacts in the blink of

Lowrance’s structure scan make fishing for estuary perch a lot simpler. closer to Melbourne.

SOUTHERN BARRA TECHNIQUES EP are you’re typical hunter, they won’t

you’re in tune with their characteristics.

Knowing that EP will hold in one particular location waiting for a meal

its eye thinking the baitfish is trying to escape before sucking it in only to feel the sharp prick from two sets of treble hooks before

trying to run back deep into the snag.

This is the point, anglers need to be at the top of their game and wrench back to set the hook in the same split second as the fish realised this bait was not a soft and tasty morsel.

Having securely set the hooks, you then have to get up it and pull the fish away from the structure and into safe water to battle it back to the boat.

LURE CHOICE IS CRITICAL Sometimes for a specific reason one

particular lure does work far better than anything else in the marketplace.

To some readers, they may not understand how this is possible but I can honestly say that I have seen this type of scenario work firsthand, especially on yellowbelly and cod with Jackal TN60 V’s cheap copies. It all comes down to the action and sound and if a cheaper lure hasn’t got what it takes, you’ll be putting in a lot more casts than you have to.

Estuary perch know

Even when motoring along a river, fish can be spotted holding beneath overhanging tree branches.

Left: When motoring up a river, it is daunting knowing where to begin. A fish finder with structure scan technology will make the task much easier. Right: When on the search for perch, always work the bank edges.

the exact reaction a baitfish has when it sees a dozen hungry estuary perch hiding under a snag.

In this case, the right lure that acts in the exact way to mimic that persona of a fleeing baitfish is what will get the end result.

The most important factors to look for in a lure for perch is its action, colour and size.

Suspending lures in the 40-75mm range have been successful. Colour choice is always difficult as you’d think lures are made to catch anglers, not fish. I like to select lures based on their natural look. If I can find something that fits the bill in the size category, action category and in a natural looking colour, I am sure it will find its way into my lure collection.

In my collection, you’ll always find a hidden stash of Duel Hardcore 50mm Minnows, Yo-Zuri EBA Shads and the number one soft plastic, Keitech’s 3” Swing Impact.

Chasing EP is certainly no easy task and requires a great deal of knowledge, research and understanding. A ghost of the estuary, only time on the water will expose the hidden secrets that surround the world of the estuary perch.

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Muggy conditions for mulloway WEST COAST

Shane Lowery

January is one of the peak months to fish the Glenelg.

The hot weather and warm water temps mean the fish are very keen to chew.

December was a great month on the Glenelg with plenty of fish on offer, albeit they were well spread. Estuary perch were finished in terms of their spawning and were on the push to higher reaches of the river. Bream were also well distributed with fish both high and low in the system.

Small mulloway seemed to be everywhere, as they have been most of the year.

The odd big mulloway

has been caught over the last few weeks but the run of big numbers has not yet happened this season. This is most likely due to the amount of baitfish present on the beaches in

the local area. The massive congregations of bait means the mulloway have been quite happy to stay outside the river to hunt, but as this thins out it’s still not too late for schools

There are plenty of small mulloway in the Glenelg River all year.

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of larger fish to enter the river.

With the warmer weather comes the opportunity to target bream and perch on the edges. This is best done early morning and very late afternoon/evening when the water temp is right for the fish to be up very shallow.

Early mornings are a great time to throw surface lures at heavy snags and shallow flats for bream and in particular estuary perch. Before the heat of the day the fish are quite often up in very shallow water feeding. Small poppers and walk-the-dog style lures are ideal. It’s a very exciting style of fishing, often you can see a bow wave as the fish moves in on its prey followed by a massive splash of water as a perch or bream erupts on the lure.

Sub-surface lures are also very effective, like small floating shallow diving minnows or bent minnows.

The best technique is to twitch the lure down just below the surface, then allow it to float back up. Fishing all these types of lures very slowly and

Mathew Nash with a nice river estuary perch. allowing it to stay in the strike zone as long as possible is the key to this style of fishing.

Mid morning through to early afternoon sees the fish moving out a little deeper as the temperature warms up. At this point, throwing mid to deep diving hardbodied lures or soft plastics is certainly an effective option. Again, fishing slow retrieves is the way to go with plenty

of pauses and small twitches thrown in.

Bait fishing is always a great option on the Glenelg.

Best baits at this time of year are peeled prawn, pilchard, cut crab and pod worm.

The pattern still remains the same, meaning baits should be thrown up in the shallows early morning/evening and fished a little deeper through the hottest part of the day.

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Mini mulloway delighting anglers WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

Mulloway fishing in the Hopkins River continues to be as productive as it has been for many years.

In late November to early December, anglers were taking fish from upstream above Jubilee Park, to right down near the mouth and at various locations in between.

Using cubes of pilchard or mullet unweighted on light gear was a fun and easy way of connecting with a mulloway as well as some quality bream.

Lure anglers also were capturing these fish both casting and trolling with the Daiwa Double Clutch being a stand out hardbody. Soft plastics mimicking the prolific schools of whitebait were also successful.

Most fish are still just either side of legal, but would be great holiday targets during January if they stick around.

Remember to carefully release any fish under 60cm, because they are the future of this improving fishery.

Whilst the bream and mulloway have been good, perch have been somewhat quiet, although a warm

January night is always likely to produce some good surface fishing action for perch.

Kingfish will be a much sought after target during

January. Last year west of Port Fairy was the hot area with just the odd fish coming from Killarney and the Basin areas. North Shore also had

January is a good time to be out looking for kingfish busting on baitfish on the surface.

a quiet season last year on the king scene. Each year is different and it is always best to keep your eyes peeled for schools on the surface.

Kingfish, even once located, can be notoriously fussy at times so be prepared to have a variety of strategies, from live baits to stick baits and various large soft plastics in your arsenal to try and tempt them. Also, make sure your equipment is well maintained and up to scratch in case you do hook up.

King George whiting have been in good numbers inshore recently and will be a popular target for anglers in January. Sand holes around reef and weed beds around Lady Bay, Killarney and Point Fairy bay are the places to try.

A feed of calamari is also on the cards in these areas at this time of year.

No matter which of many options available, one of the great contributors to angling success in these busy summer holiday months is to get out on the water early or late. These low light periods not only are prime feeding times for many species, but also helps avoid the majority of holiday anglers.

It’s amazing how a productive early morning fishery can be a piscatorial desert as the sun

Mulloway have been a highlight in the Hopkins River recently, and many ‘just legal’ specimens have been taken on both lure and bait. gets high in the sky and boat traffic increases. Morning sessions also have the added advantage of negating the

sometimes ever-present summer southeasterlies that are the bane of anglers at this time of year.

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The fishing has been a bit up and down over the last six weeks with the deep water towards the shelf producing some very nice blue-eye, blue grenadier and ling on the big drops. Quite a few of the guys are using whole calamari and large fish fillets to entice these great fish.

Flathead, gummies and school sharks have been fishing well towards Bridgewater Bay in around 50-80m. Squid rigs work very well for the flathead around that area, as well as baits like squid, pilchards and tommies.

The fishing back around the bay to North Shore have seen some good results on whiting, flathead, pinkies and squid, but on the other hand some days have been ordinary.

This will hopefully change as the water starts to warm up.

Our snapper season off the breakwater has been a bit down on last year’s numbers, however the ones that have been caught are great fish. The wall has also seen some nice salmon, squid, whiting, gummies and seven gillers. Best baits for the breakwall seem to be squid, pilchards and couta fillets for the larger fish and pipis, white bait and blue baits for the smaller ones.

Lures and soft plastics are great off the wall. Bait jigs under floats have produced some great squid.

Tim Maling with a beautiful snapper caught off the Lee Breakwater.

Just one of the many exciting fish that can be caught land-based.

The Fitzroy River has been very good with some nice bream, mullet plus the odd mulloway. Hardbody lures and soft plastics work very well for bream, and small baits and berley for the mullet.

The beaches from the North Shore to Discovery Bay has been OK with pinkies, whiting, salmon, sharks and the odd mulloway.

JANUARY This January we should be see our almighty kingfish moving in and around the bay and North Shore. These guys are a fantastic fighting fish and they attract a lot of anglers.

The North Shore area is generally a hot spot for these guys and a lot of anglers fish under a balloon with fresh squid or live baits; others will

troll with squid strips, garfish and hardbody lures.

We should also see some good catches of pinkie snapper, whiting, squid, sharks and baitfish in around the North Shore. The bay area sees a lot of action!

Cape Nelson Lighthouse to Bridgewater Bay should be on fire with the warmer water and see great catches of flathead, snapper, gummies and school sharks, and the makos should be on the prowl. The water around 140m and beyond should see trumpeter, snapper, sharks, blue-eye, knife jaw, ling and other deep water species.

The breakwater this time of year is alive with pinkie snappy and other good fish like whiting, salmon, gummy and school sharks, squid and the

odd kingfish, which will get anyone exited.

The beach fishing is on the improve through the summer months and always a great option through those nice summer evenings.

If you prefer river fishing, you have the option of the Surry River or the Fitzroy River, which are only short drives from Portland. These river systems can produce some nice bream, mullet and mulloway. Also a great and safe spot for the kids.

• For all your fishing needs, weather and fishing reports come on in and see the boys at Portland Compleat Anger, 61 Bentinck Street next to the Gordon Hotel or contact us on 03 55211844. Fishing licences are also available in store.

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Starting the year with variety APOLLO BAY

Daniel Kent apollobaysurfshop@bigpond.com

The fishing has been excellent and looks like it should continue right throughout the summer.

Gummy and school sharks have been taken from 40m of water off Blanket Bay and Cape Otway with fresh fish baits bringing the

best results. Some of the sharks have been giving the 30kg mark a nudge; so make sure you are armed with the right gear if you decide to target these species.

Anchoring near the reef edge with a berley pot deployed on the bottom or tied to the anchor chain should see the sharks lining up under your boat. I tend to fish with a 40lb mono leader until I get bitten off

by a school shark, then I switch to wire. Using mono means more by-catch such as snapper, flathead and nannygai, which are all prime eating fish.

Flathead can be targeted in 30-40m on any sand bottom off Apollo Bay. Drifting with a 2-hook paternoster rig is best for this style of fishing and will see you filling the esky in no time.

The inshore reefs off Marengo, Blanket Bay and Point Bumbry are loaded with big King George whiting, which can be caught using pipis for bait. A 6lb mainline and light rod to match is all that is needed to tackle the hard-fighting whiting and these tasty creatures should be around until after Easter.

The boat harbour at Apollo Bay is fishing well for calamari with size 2.5 squid jigs, both from a boat and off the pier with late afternoon being the prime time to tempt a cephalopod.

The Aire and Barham rivers are producing good captures of black bream when they are open to the ocean. Scrub worms or prawns fished on the bottom

School sharks have been frequent captures off Apollo Bay in recent weeks. will catch you some fish but actively casting a lure will catch you even more. I have been using a new soft plastic called Dragon Maggot in 2” with great success. Fished on a 1.5g jighead and slowly hopped across the bottom the bream have been finding these irresistible. I have had

sessions were over a dozen quality bream have hit the net in less then two hours fishing. Bream will take a variety of small lures including hardbodied, soft plastic, metal vibes or even flies so don’t be afraid to chop and change if whatever you are using is not working.

Offshore scene hot COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

The author has been having success catching black bream on 2” Dragon Maggot soft plastic lures.

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The Christmas break is upon us and the holiday season has kicked off with a bang.

The downside being that more anglers and boaters will be out on the water, but with many of us having time off, does it really matter?

The early bird gets the worm, so get up a tad earlier and have a nanna nap later on. There’s always a way around things, just think laterally.

The Curdies River is steady for bream to 41cm and the number one bait

blades and minnow lures are also taking bream when fished close to the bank. The mouth has been shut since October, but last month there was still a significant flow in the river and a couple of inches is all that was needed to allow river water to flood the parking area at the Curdievale (Boggy Creek) boat ramp. This is all good for the river’s health.

The bream have finished spawning and have spread far and wide along the river’s length. From now on until any significant autumnal rains fall, many schooling bream will be found upstream of Curdievale, so don’t discount going right

been hot, outer reefs lying in depths around 50m have seen snapper and blue morwong to 60cm, gummy shark to 14kg and schoolies to 20kg.

Mako and thresher shark have turned up in reasonable numbers and although many fish are on the smaller side, the size should increase as we enter the New Year.

Off the reefs, excellent sand flathead to 1.7kg and sizeable nannygai have been caught.

Closer inshore has seen some large sweep taken in and around any water breaking over reefs as well as plenty of smaller

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White water breaking over inshore reefs is ideal sweep and snapper territory. is live local shrimp. More shrimp bearing weed exists in the lake but this gets a flogging, so it’s potluck.

The riverweed holds quality shrimp but the weed is sparse as there are more sudden drop offs rather than flats, so weed is at a premium.

Soft plastics, metal

up the river into the bush.

A good spot to concentrate your efforts is around the gas pipeline. For newcomers, this underwater pipeline is sign posted. Just allow any bait or lure to literally ‘kiss’ the edge of any weed growth hugging the bank before beginning retrieval.

The offshore scene has

snapper, many of which are undersize. These fish are responding to pipi and cray tail.

The King George whiting scene has yet to fully kick off, however some nice fish to 38cm have been taken off our many beaches as well as the pier at Port Campbell.

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15

Ripper redfin season GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterbunch@optusnet.com.au

The redfin perch and European carp have been biting well all along the Barwon River in Geelong.

Both species love a bit of warm water and the Barwon is well set up for bankside access allowing families to set up a barbeque and dangle a line on a summer’s arvo.

Take mozzie spray, white bread, small hooks and sinkers, a few lures and a bait trap. Bait the trap with some white bread and pop it beside the bankside weeds.

This can provide some of the best redfin bait available in the form of galaxid minnow and gudgeon. Carp love sweetcorn kernels and white bread squashed over the hook on unweighted or lightly weighted rigs.

It is about this time of year we see some blue-green algae outbreaks in the Barwon so keep your eye out for the signs along the river that tell us to avoid water contact.

A little further out of town, Wurdi Buloc Reservoir near Moriac has continued to produce fat redfin nudging

50cm in length but a lot of time casting lures is required to land one. Michael Evans is one angler who continues to produce big redfin from this waterhole. Michael caught 4 redfin on a recent trip that were all between 44-48cm using fish arrow soft plastics.

CORIO BAY Corio Bay has been a soft plastic enthusiast’s

playground with pike, snapper, flathead, salmon and the odd silver trevally patrolling the Geelong waterfront. Both land and boat based anglers have enjoyed these species with the best times being dawn and dusk.

Boat-based anglers are enjoying another bumper snapper season with quality fish around the 4kg mark

Michael continues to dominate the Wurdi reddies.

A cracking seven gill caught by a client of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head.

being caught from North Shore rocks and just out off Western Beach.

Late November, Ross Winstanley fished the outer eastern edge of the spoil grounds off Rohm and Haas for 16 pinkie snapper up to 42cm plus a feed of sand flathead. The following week, Ross fished on the edge of the Stingaree Bay spoil grounds for two pinkies, a 39cm King George whiting and a yank flathead – not unusual for November mornings there according to Ross’ experience.

Local protests Sunday 16 November saw 1,200 anglers blanket Moorabool Street in Geelong on the way to Cunningham Pier calling for a ban on commercial netting in Corio Bay. The rally, which was initiated by the ‘Friends of Corio Bay Action Group’, commenced at Haymarket car park and then hooked north down Moorabool Street to Corio Bay. The peaceful protest almost completely covered Moorabool Street between Myers and Ryrie

streets. It certainly gained the attention of the public blocking traffic in central Geelong for around 15 minutes and made the local politicians stand up and take notice of the recreational angler.

Legendary fishing presenter, Rex Hunt led several speakers, which included members representing the Coalition, Labour Party and the Country Alliance. Anglers came from far and wide to participate in the rally, and I did spot participants from Melbourne-

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downrigger. They didn’t have to wait long before Ben’s rod bucked and his reel’s drag let out a wail. Before Ben could reach it, Stewie was all over it and claimed a 6kg+ snapper!

They had two other hook ups but failed to stay connected.

ST LEONARDS TO QUEENSCLIFF Rod Ludlow from Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head says the recent rough weather has stirred up the snapper and things are going well on the Bellarine.

Rod says many anglers have caught snapper off both the Portarlington and St Leonards piers. Best times are evening and early morning, so it’s

Jason caught this gummy on his jet ski out off Clifton Springs. weighed in at 9.35g (a tad over that magical 20lb) mark.

Ben invited Stewie Turner out off Portarlington recently, the lads tried something a little different and sent some big lures to the depths using a

well worth a crack. Rod has had some reasonable pinkie snapper and gummy sharks come in from around the Prince George light with the best time around the turn of high tide. Pilchard and fresh

squid are the best bait. Fresh squid is easy to pick up at the moment between Indented Head and Grassy Point using natural and green jigs.

There were some great flathead being caught by anglers drifting in the shallows off Indented Head as the water has been pretty stirred up.

Rod notes that there has been bucket loads of flathead caught by anglers drifting out deep and also some larger fish in the shallows. Best baits have been squid and pilchards.

The amount of fish over 40cm was quite amazing.

Plenty of pinkies caught this week and they are on the increase. High tide out deep around the Prince George was good and in the shallows around the mussel farms and St Leonards Pier areas in the morning and toward the evening. Some big fish were taken to the west of the Prince George around high tide. Best baits were fresh squid and pilchards.

The whiting have been hotting up as well from Indented Head back to St Leonards on the flood tide on pipis.

Other fish about were pike and barracouta using lures. Rod had had one big seven-gill shark come in at about 40kg which was caught

by Damien on his own.

Great effort!

If you’re keen on calamari, then you’re in luck as they have been prolific around the Bellarine Peninsula of late.

Largest ones seem to be down around Queenscliff with Dean McDonald getting stuck into plenty recently just off Bell Reef in about 4.5m.

BARWON HEADS AND SURF COAST We had a few days down at Wye River with a few friends last month. I fished the point the night we arrived and caught 5 pinkie snapper from 35-40cm right on dusk.

Nothing was happening until the light dropped and then they went nuts for the squid bait I had out there. I kept one for the pan and returned the others.

Sam Duthie hooked this 1kg salmon but then got immediately snagged up in the weeds, so Dad Cam stepped in to wrestle the fish from the kelp.

I fished it again Friday night with Cam Duthie and his son Sam. Sam hooked a fish and immediately got snagged up in the weeds so Cam stepped in to wrestle the fish from the kelp. It was a grand effort by Cam to get the fish free of the weed and onto the rocks. They were very happy with the 1kg salmon, which took a pilchard. Sam caught one other smaller salmon also on pilchard but

that was it. We fished it again Saturday night with Ben McLean, Dean McDonald, Stewie Turner and Heath Wells but could only manage undersized snapper.

I took my youngest, Max, along the river and showed him how to use lures. We spotted a brown trout of around 35cm but the lure fouled on weed and the trout moved on but it was exciting nonetheless.

• 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 997348. 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).

Anglers make their feelings known about nets in Corio Bay. QXFMTR001

based angling clubs – well done and thank you for coming down guys!

The Friends of Corio Bay Action Group can be contacted by searching on Facebook or by emailing friendsofcoriobay@ gmail.com CLIFTON SPRINGS AND PORTARLINGTON Jason Calder sent in a report where he caught a fair slab of gummy shark fishing in dead calm conditions out off Clifton Springs on a jet ski!

Love the innovation Jason.

Ben McLean has been putting in a few hours lately and was rewarded with a snapper most dream of that

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Big reds for the New Year PORT PHILLIP WEST

Brenton Hodges blhodgey@hotmail.com

Snapper should continue to fire across the northwest flank of Port Phillip Bay. Moving into

Clients of Magnet Fishing Charters display part of their catch taken under the guidance of local snapper guru and charter skipper Jason Farrugia.

the New Year, King George whiting are also expected to show up in the shallows at Point Cook and Werribee South over the coming month. Flathead are another prime target and some lengthy snook and plenty of Australian salmon have been on the chew across the western reefs for several weeks now and should provide good sport through the middle stage of summer.

WILLIAMSTOWN TO ALTONA The snapper fired at Port Melbourne, Williamstown and Altona in a big way during the early to middle parts of the season and although the hot bite is likely to slow somewhat through January, there will be plenty of reds still to be had in this area. Among those to do well in the lead up to Christmas, Darren Ryan has experienced

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As the New Year approaches, snapper continue to fire across the northwest flank of Port Phillip. a string of successful mid-afternoon sessions just out from the ramp at Altona. Deliberately steering clear of the crowds and sounding in 6-8m of water has paid dividends, with snapper to 4kg taken on most occasions. The best bait has been fresh salmon fillet presented as a strip bait on a 6/0 circle hook.

Darren also reported the sambos have been responding well to his

firing on all cylinders. Jase says he and his clients have been experiencing a superb run over the past few weeks with big reds averaging 4-6kg, with some up to 9kg, taken from Point to Cook through to Corio Bay. Fresh baits, including squid, salmon fillet, silver whiting and of course pilchard have been equally successful.

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Young gun Nick Whelan took snapper to 7.5kg on silver whiting and squid along the edge of the channel in 10m of water on Corio Bay. homemade soft plastics and metal slugs on the troll.

POINT COOK TO POINT WILSON According to Jason Farrugia from Magnet Fishing Charters, the snapper season took a little longer than anticipated to really get going on the western seaboard, but in more recent times it’s been

of Corio Bay snapper, young guns Nick Whelan and his mate, Nick Treloar, finally found a school willing to feed and promptly bagged out. According to Nick, silver whiting and squid were the baits of choice after sounding up some promising marks along the edge of the channel in 10m of water. In the end, the

boys were rewarded for the patience and efforts with 6 strapping reds ranging from 4-7.5kg.

YARRA RIVER Local land-based enthusiast, Nathan Wright, has been putting in plenty of hours at the mouth of the Yarra River at Williamstown in search of snapper and bream. After a series of disappointing encounters on the reds, it all came together for Nathan when, on the night of the full moon, his whole pilchard bait was snaffled by one of Melbourne’s highly elusive metropolitan mulloway. Stretching the tape out to exactly 1m, to say he was ecstatic with his first mulloway would be an understatement. A few pinkies rounded out an unforgettable night for Nathan.

MARIBYRNONG RIVER The Maribyrnong River has been turning up some solid bream with quite a few anglers securing 40cm+ specimens on a range of lure fishing techniques.

Pitching shallow diving minnows and surface presentations at the rock walls and adjacent mud flats just up from the Yarra junction has been productive on the incoming tides. Likewise, crab imitations flicked alongside the floating pontoons and bridge pylons have also been productive. Fishing from his pedal powered kayak, Dale Baxter managed a beauty of 47cm during one of his Thursdale expeditions.

WERRIBEE RIVER According to Michael Felsovary from Hooked

on Bait and Tackle, the Werribee River has been somewhat inconsistent in recent times with some good quality bream available, though difficult to tempt. Mick says the best fishing has come from the mouth of the system at Werribee South through to the first bend.

Further upriver, Roy Cusani and his 3 year old daughter, Gabriella, managed bream to 1.1kg on live tube near the golf course.

BEST WISHES Finally, as we move into the festive season I wish all V&TFM readers all the best for Christmas and the year ahead. Thankyou to those who have taken the time to email reports and images over the past 12 months, it’s always very much appreciated and I look forward to hearing more about your success stories throughout 2015.

BEEN FISHING? Reports and images are most welcome and may be submitted via email to blhodgey@hotmail.com.

Hoping for a land-based red while fishing from the pier at Williamstown, Nathan Wright was ecstatic with his first Melbourne mulloway, which was taken on a whole pilchard under a full moon.

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The Maribyrnong River has been turning up some solid bream of late. Fishing from his pedal powered kayak, Dale Baxter managed this 47cm beauty during one of his Thursdale expeditions.

Rodney Kerry caught this ripper 2.3kg brown trout at Lake Wendouree in Ballarat. He caught the fish on a mudeye suspended under a bubble float and released it to fight another day.

JANUARY 2015

19

It’s time to get serious for summer on the bay should hopefully see a bigger run of fish move into the sand holes that are between the reef on the north side of the pier.

Out in the boats there are plenty of options available throughout Beaumaris Bay this month with a lot of the focus now on the whiting, which are being found along Horse Paddock Reef to Parkdale Pinnacles and then up on the small lump of reef known as Brickies.

While a lot of anglers really focus their efforts on the whiting in these parts with pipis, and they are a great bait, it’s also well worth mixing it up with baits of mussel and squid. For whatever reason, the whiting in this part of the world will often focus on one

PORT PHILLIP EAST

Lee Rayner info@fishingfever.com.au

Christmas has been and gone once again and now it’s time to get serious on the fishing front. Warm summer weather and a big variety of species on offer in the bay, I think it’s fair to say that you would have to be Scrooge not to love this month.

MORDIALLOC TO BLACK ROCK With warmer weather now on the menu the shallow waters around the Mordialloc Pier has been producing the odd whiting on the calm evenings for land-based anglers, however the coming weeks

bait source and if you don’t have it you can go home with donuts, while the guy next to you gets a bag of fish.

On the reef areas I have also started to hear of garfish turning up in decent numbers making it perfect for anglers to put a few whiting baits out then add to it with a gar rig on the surface.

Fingers-crossed this month will also see a good burst of warm weather, which should in turn help to bring on a few kingfish into this part of the bay. You can go and chase them in many cases but the best way to get yourself into some kingy action is to berley up a whole load of garfish then the kings will find you.

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Black Rock reports are coming through of a few whiting here and there but it seems that you can’t berley too hard or you will be invaded by pinkies, which then also make it hard to get a whiting.

On the surface action now is also a cracking time of year to get stuck into a bunch of high flying Aussie salmon. All you need to do to get into these guys is watch for the birds as they give away the position of the feeding fish, then head up wind of the school, cut the motor then drift towards them casting small lures and plastics into the feeding hordes. If you are also keen on trying to find something a bit bigger then try fishing a popper or a big plastic around the edge of the school of salmon, as any kingfish in the area will also be following the school.

Out wider on locations such as the Gasso and other deeper water marks, there are still good numbers of snapper found with some of the best fishing to be had late in the afternoon and into the evening.

SANDRINGHAM TO ST KILDA Now is a fantastic time of the year to be a land-based angler in this part of the world.

The end of the Sandringham breakwall and the rock groynes have a very good chance

for producing whiting of an evening and into the night. In fact in many cases the later it gets the better the fishing can be for quality whiting and some decent sized calamari.

Further along at Green Point now is a top place to be if you are chasing garfish. For whatever reason this shallow reef area seems to be the perfect location for them; it’s a simple matter of anchoring up on the up tide or up wind end of the reef then allowing your berley to carry over the reef. It shouldn’t be too long before the gars find you.

Moving out a bit deeper now is also the time to start looking for whiting around the Anonyma Shoal, as this area will often hold numbers of better sized fish and as a bonus there are plenty of other good by-catch around the reef in the form of trevally, leatherjackets and at times good pinkies.

Further along at Brighton the breakwall produces good land-based options for flathead and pinkies of an evening and as a bonus the last few years have also seen a few gummy sharks in the 3-8kg size being taken at night during January and February.

Up towards St Kilda, now is the time to get in the water and wade the shallows while casting small soft plastics

on any likely looking weed edges, drop-offs or in between the reef patches, as with the warmer weather some quality flathead in the 50-70cm size move into these areas. Not only do they make for a load of fun to catch but are an exceptionally good feed.

ST KILDA TO PORT MELBOURNE Shallow warm water offers anglers some good fishing options here this month with good flathead to be found by a variety of methods from landbased lure casting to drifting in the boats. With the warmer water it generally attracts plenty of baitfish into the area, which will often find good numbers of salmon especially up around the Station and Princess piers.

If all goes well and we don’t get rain to dirty the water up the reef areas out off St Kilda and around the Port Melbourne Yacht Club, we should hopefully see some whiting start to turn up over the coming weeks.

Out deeper it’s still also worth a shot on the snapper along the edge of the shipping channel running out towards the Fawkner Beacon. As with the colder water over the past month or so, the snapper should still be well and truly on the bite up in this area.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Long Range Fishing Adventures Victoria now has fishing trips available for adventurous anglers.

Sharkmen Fishing Charters purchased a Steber 37 last year, and after running the boat for their popular Bluefin Trips at Portland, they are expanding their trip schedule to 1-, 2-, 3-day Long Range Fishing Trips.

Departing Port Welshpool or Port Albert there are several options available for late January and late February: • Deal Island. For 4 people for 2 days, including 1 night trip, to fish Hogan and Deal islands plus surrounding areas. Target species are kingfish, sharks, snapper etc.

All main meals are provided.

• Bass Canyon. For 4 people for 2 days, including 2 nights to Bass Canyon and other canyons, which are over 100nm offshore.

Target species are marlin, tuna, sharks and bottom fishing for blue eye trevella, hapuka, ling etc. You may even encounter the pinnacle of fish, broadbill swordfish.

All main meals are provided.

• Bermagui (February).

Sharkmen Charters offer day trips for marlin at Bermagui, along with kingfish, marlin, tuna and monster makos being the target species.

• Bermagui to Port Welshpool/Port Albert.

The return trip includes 3 days and 3 nights, fishing the continental shelf, over 310nm. But only 4 lucky anglers will experience this trip of a lifetime.

• Portland SBT. Sharkmen will again be at Portland for the annual run of southern bluefin tuna from mid March until late July. Day trips, night trips and Long Range will be also be on offer.

The Sharkmen Charters vessel, Imagine That, is a Steber 37, equipped with twin Volvo 318hp motors, new electronics including AIS tracking, several long range radios, life rafts, fire suppression system and safety gear for 12 people, to 2B NSCV standard, meaning it can operate up to 200nm

offshore. Your safety is always paramount, as they operate in remote locations.

Imagine That is also fitted with a 240v generator, enclosed toilet/ shower, heating and air conditioning, convection microwave, coffee machine, elec BBQ, refrigerator, freezer, TV with DVD and stereo, etc. There is comfortable seating on the deck with shelter and shade for everybody onboard. This is an outstanding boat with great facilities.

If you’ve done the usual fishing trips and want something different and adventurous for your trip of a lifetime, contact Wayne Sharrock at Sharkmen by visiting www.sharkmen. com.au. – Wayne Sharrock

JANUARY 2015

21

News

Caught with ten times pipi limit at Venus Bay A Melbourne man was allegedly found last week with more than ten times the daily pipi catch limit at Venus Bay Number One Beach.

Fisheries Officers from the Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI) allegedly found the man in possession of 21 litres of pipis, 19 litres more than the daily catch limit of two litres.

DEPI Gippsland’s Fisheries Program Manager Chris Angwin said the 19L of pipis were seized and returned

to the water.

“This is a timely reminder that Fisheries Officers will maintain a strong presence at Venus Bay throughout the summer period, and that persons found offending will be dealt with accordingly,” Mr Angwin said.

The daily catch limit for pipis within the Cape Liptrap Coastal Park between Point Smyth and Arch Rock, including Venus Bay, is 2L. People are reminded they are only permitted to use their

hands and feet – no tools of any type are permitted for digging.

“This is an offence under Section 68A of The Fisheries Act 1995 which attracts a maximum penalty of more than $2500,” Mr Angwin said.

“A recreational fishing licence is also required to take pipis, unless exempt.”

Anybody who sees or suspects illegal fishing activity is urged to call the 24-hour fisheries offence reporting line 13 FISH (13 3474). – DEPI

Tyler Methers loves his snapper fishing.

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Bay becomes reds rally zone wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

The settled and mild weather conditions have continued over the past month or so, after what was the second warmest spring on average ever recorded in Melbourne.

Calm and clear weather conditions for the most part have been interspersed with some ripper storms and strong onshore blows that have

on the bay has been all about snapper, and after a frustrating couple of months for many anglers; the reds have really started to play the game, especially over the last few weeks.

Many anglers had been reporting, and lamenting, massive schools of bait surrounding the snapper, which has made them a little more difficult to catch.

This trend has changed over the past couple of weeks, and at the time of writing the bite windows have been getting longer and more

Russ Horner has been finding massive schools of bait all over the eastern side of the bay, and plenty of snapper along with them! kept many of the bay’s keen anglers waiting a little longer to get out amongst the action.

The last month

snapper are being taken right throughout the day.

The presence of bait is a great sign for the health and vitality of our bay,

and its food chain, and the mountain of food on offer for the grazing snapper has forced anglers to change things up a little to put some fish in the boat or on the bank. Lure fishing has been very productive, as well as trolling lures and other searching methods. More successful bait anglers have also been rotating their baits regularly to find the right one to tempt the snapper, that have plenty of natural offerings swimming around them already.

Specifically, most of the reports have been coming out from Carrum and Seaford in the deeper areas from 18-21m of water. The bite windows have been concentrated around first light and closer to the tide change, but this period has lengthened over recent weeks. More snapper are now being caught later in the day as the water temperature rises.

The size range of the snapper being caught in these areas has been quite varied, with many fish between 1.5-6kg, and a few bigger specimens thrown in as well. Of the reports that I have received, 6.8kg is the biggest red so far this month, but I have also heard of a couple of fish around the 8kg mark too.

My mate Russ Horner has been sending me lots of photos and reports of late, keep the photos coming.

The most productive baits have been the good old pilchard, and it’s little wonder with the amount of pillies that are swimming around with the reds at the moment. Fresh squid, and silver whiting have also been good bait as well.

I have not heard many reports of anglers using fillet baits, but I would always recommend the use of a fresh salmon or small tuna fillet to change things up a little.

At the moment, large numbers of fish have moved

into the deeper grounds out from Mornington as well, especially out wider in the 20-22m range. Expect this area to keep producing right through summer as the smaller schooling snapper tend to hold in this area for long periods, and can bite right through the day at times.

As I mentioned earlier, lure fishing has been very productive, with some frustrated anglers turning to artificials to try and tempt the reds that they can see on their sounders out wide.

The inshore areas have also been great, especially out from Seaford, Frankston and Mount Eliza in 8-12m of water. I reckon early mornings are the best time for these areas, but late arvo bait sessions can also be very productive, especially right on dusk as the snapper move in closer to feed.

Land-based anglers are still getting amongst the snapper action, especially off the various rock platforms along the esplanade from Mount Martha to Safety Beach, and around Mornington and Frankston. I have also heard a few early reports of some good whiting in the local areas as well, which is very promising moving into the height of summer ahead.

There are plenty of other options around on the east of the bay at the moment, there’s just not enough room in this report!

The Patto is turning over some nice bream, and still a few mulloway as well, and I have also had a few reports of some nice bream at Dromana Pier too.

The squid have been very thick along the usual areas, and a few gars have shown up around Canadian and Daveys Bay. The salmon schools are still around if you need to gather some fresh bait, or have some fun with the kids!

The bite windows for snapper have been getting longer and they can be taken right throughout the day.

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New Year boom time ROSEBUD

Dan Lee info@peninsulatotaltackle.com.au

of fish down here but also the diversity of species available at this time of year. From yellowtail kings through to

The author with a lovely big Lonsdale Bight squid.

January is boom time on the peninsula. The numbers swell by tens of thousands and it represents an important part of the commercial cycle for all us business people down here!

The exciting part of the huge summer crowds is the volume of reports we receive.

It shows not only the numbers

whiting, snapper, flathead and sharks, it’s a month that offers almost everything!

SNAPPER As we have moved further through the season it’s great to report that we have had a significantly better year in the south of the bay than we did last year. Having said that, it has still not

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necessarily been the hottest season of all time but this probably falls in line with the expectations outlined by Fisheries in their study of annual snapper spawns.

The deeper water in 20m on the east side of the channel and the 22m on the west side, off Mt Martha, has seemingly been the most productive for those out targeting reds.

While the next few weeks through January often represent a quieter period on the snapper as we inch back into Feb, it would be well worth pushing west and fishing around the southern end of the aqua culture lease off Mud Island, which will yield some big late season fish for those wishing to fish through full tides.

WHITING With both political parties promising some form of netting-ban moving into the future, it was a great result for all recreational anglers and, importantly, the King George whiting. While the netting ban may take some years to come into full effect, I am excited about what the future holds for whiting fishing both on the peninsula and Corio Bay, two areas netted extensively for King George.

Unfortunately, the reports on the whiting front have been a bit sporadic on our local grounds. Some are lucky, some are not, and while fish are taken on a given day at Blairgowrie and Rye on the weed beds, the following day they can also have disappeared. Western Port continues to fish well but the next two months will be the true tell-tale of how our local grounds shape up for the season.

My tip would be to dedicate a bit of time to your whiting fishing this year.

If you take the time to fish different areas, concentrating on the ebb tide, you will find them. Areas to try include the weed beds at the Pinnace Channel, Point Nepean (although the window to

Matt O’Donnel with a monster 93cm, 8.5kg red taken behind the Hovell Pile off McCrae. fish is only short), Portsea wide off the pier in 9m, and the middle sands around Blaigowrie, Rye and Sorrento in 4-6m of water.

the peninsula. From anglers catching them as by-catch while snapper fishing to those casting plastics from the beach along the shallow

Mick Brittain with a lovely big flathead taken at Point Nepean.

FLATHEAD We have had unusually good reports of both big sand flathead and big blue spot flathead from right around

sand gutters at Rosebud and Rosebud West, we have seen some absolute crackers this season. The largest fish we heard taken went 98cm, yes

for sale on

you read that correctly, with many in the 50-60cm range.

LOOKING AHEAD In February, the peninsula breathes a sigh of relief. While January is an exciting time it is also busy, noisy and filled with boats, jet-skis, people and traffic.

February for me represents a moment to get out reclaim a piece of water and have a fish in peace and quiet. Targeting species such as gummy shark can be effective and seems more productive when there is less boat traffic around.

However, the last couple of seasons have seen the yellowtail kings fire up around this period and that tends to bring its own little level of crazy with it.

If the kings return in good numbers again this year, do us all a favour and make sure you fish the Heads area responsibly. There have been some serious whispers that the Port of Melbourne Corporation has some serious aspirations to ban fishing in this area and that is made a whole lot easier if people do the wrong thing around the big boats.

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

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Going top end bonkers WST PORT NTH

Adam Ring

Happy New Year to everybody and for all of those New Year’s resolutions that involve catching more fish, then I have some awesome news for you. The fish are going completely bonkers through out the top end of the Port, so get amongst them people!

THE TOP END I am going to open the report with a little bit of a sketchy one. There was an enormous mulloway caught recently and I have heard a few different reports on where it was actually caught so rather that fuel rumours let’s just say it was caught somewhere in Western Port and it was officially weighed in at 30.34kg.

The reason I even put this report in with so many conflicting reports is for the simple fact there are loads of perfect mulloway ground through out the top end of the Port, in particular the tips of the channel arms from Bouhier and Boultons Channel and down through the east arm towards Corinella. Fresh bait and

the cover of darkness are an absolute must.

Now, onto the more less secretive reports!

There are still loads of snapper schooling around the top end and they are still big! Joes Island is still stacked with snapper ranging from 4.4-7.8kg and freshly caught squid is by far the best bait.

Tooradin would have to be where a lot of the top end action is taking place at the moment. Ron Smith from Catch and Cook TV has been turning over a few nice snapper to 5kg but it’s

the whiting that have really come on the chew up here.

All of the usual whiting baits such as pipi, mussel and whiting worm have been getting fish and the bigger models are up around the 42cm mark.

An interesting one for all of the lure chuckers out there has come from Tooradin lately. A local fisho by the name of John was casting a few hardbodies around the mangroves and he hooked and landed a monster 51cm estuary perch! Well played indeed John.

If Tooradin is number

Kalani and a cracker 42cm Tooradin whiting.

Dave Standing and an 8.45kg, squidhead-crunching red!

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one in the top end then Warneet would be a close number two. The whiting are schooled up at the end of the Warneet Channel and are also packed into the surrounding channels and arms around Warneet. The run out tide is without a doubt the most productive with pipi and squid being the best baits.

There have also been some really nice table sized gummies being taken into the ramp and a whopping 10kg, 97cm snapper was taken in 17m of water outside the channel.

THE NORTH ARM What a stretch of water the North Arm of Western Port is? And it has turned it on once again!

A few of the Aussie cricketers have found a little bit of time off throughout their busy summer to sneak out onto the port and have got amongst some great fish. Cam White has been smashing big snapper to 80cm on pilchards and fresh squid and James Pattinson got a nice bag of reds to 60kg on squid and trevally baits.

Brendan Wing and Dave Standing from YouFish TV have also been dominating some massive snapper from Lysaughts through to Yarringa with fish to 8.45kg.

Fresh calamari is an all time favourite of the YouFish boys and once again this big fish fell to a fresh squid head.

Steve and Nan McCabe have found great numbers of snapper along Lysaughts with a lot of their fish being between 4 and 5kg. The low tide change has been best.

The whiting are stacked all over the middle spit and it’s just a matter of moving until you find them. Most fish have come from the

4-6m line and berley has been the key to keeping the fish around the boat. Once you have them though it hasn’t been hard to get your bag of 20.

Hastings has been a real hive of activity and if you want a mixed bag then it’s here that you’ll want to be.

Local legends Huff and Kozzi have found a nice little hole outside the Hastings Channel and are getting everything from snapper and salmon to whiting and flathead. In one particular session they bagged 20 whiting without a single fish dropping below 40cm! Well played boys.

Another of our Aussie cricketers is John Hastings

who has also been spending a bit of time around Hastings and bagged a cracker 7kg snapper on a salmon fillet, so there are still some really serious fish getting around.

As we move into February I would expect the snapper reports to fade a little bit but the whiting and gummy sharks will only go from strength to strength. Don’t forget about the mulloway and as I mentioned earlier, now is the time of year to spend some quality hours under the cover of darkness to hopefully come face to face with these silver beauties!

Good luck to you all and keep the reports coming!

Michael’s epic 30.35kg mulloway caught from an undisclosed location at Western Port.

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Are you over snapper? We got just the ‘ting to work further up the Port towards Spit Point where they will continue to find the fish actively feeding on the tide changes.

RHYLL Late in the season each year, the corals and in particular Rhyll really begins to fire from now on and into March when

WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

In typical fashion, Western Port has been the standout when it comes to snapper reports so far this season and what a season it has been.

Nothing is more exciting than listening to the sweet sound of a howling reel as the braid is ripped off the spool and squealing as it is pulled through the rod guides. The sweet smell of success! This sound brings together all the hard work of sounding, berleying, baiting, tying knots and rigs and most of all, being patient while waiting for something to take your offerings.

Each season is very similar in the way the weeks unfold. Early in September the fish are slow, October they are slightly more active, November off their tree, December they are quiet due to spawning and January throughout to March quite spasmodic due to the dropping water temperatures.

When you sit back and look at each month and where we are up to in the scheme of the season, it has played out

here and providing those keen enough spend the time fishing the area during the prime times tend to come home with the goods.

Another productive location lately for anglers has been just out from the Cowes Pier towards Buoy 15.

There is a jellybean shaped

There are plenty of snapper about in the Port, all you have to do is drop a bait. very similar except due to the water temperature being a little cooler for this time of year, the fish are a little bit behind the times. For us keen Western Port anglers, that is a good thing, meaning that the season is behind by a few weeks and should now push right up into the Feb/ March period with continual active feeding.

Though it is my prediction that this scenario will unravel, the past few weeks have been nothing but right on target. Of all the reports I have seen, the fishing has been nothing but sensational with some very impressive fish caught.

CORINELLA Corinella hasn’t really fired like it usually has in the past but there have still been some very good fish being caught.

Fish to 7.5kg have been reported on a regular basis.

Anglers fishing north of Mosquito Channel have plucked some fantastic fish from the murky waters with most being caught at night.

Squid baits have been the best offerings during the run-out tides.

This area will continue fishing well for the rest of the season and while the fish might seem to have disappeared, anglers just need

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Western Port always has a knack of delivering quality snapper. Photo courtesy of Gawaine Blake. the hoards of pinkies arrive.

Lately, some really good reds have come from the area with an 85cm snapper caught by Paul Trevaskis. While this was one of many solid fish caught from Rhyll, many anglers are finding the fish going well on the run out tide in 13m of water near Observation Point.

COWES The one location I have always boasted about being consistent in delivering 10kg snapper is the small stretch of coast from Cowes to Silverleaves. The muddy bank drops deep into 15m of water quite quickly, sort of like the edge of a cliff. Past history shows that during January, at least one 10kg red is taken

Whiting are certainly becoming a popular target for those that are already sick of catching snapper. contour and depending on the tide direction, the fish will be holding on either side. While it is not that big of an area, it pays

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Gawaine Blake recently hit the ‘ting and certainly found them in good numbers.

Photo courtesy of Gawaine Blake.

28

JANUARY 2015

to put in the time and sound around until you find where the fish are before anchoring and deploying baits willy nilly.

Local angler David McNeil fished the area recently and managed 3 snapper ranging from 3.9-6.8kg will all 3 taking fresh calamari baits.

WHITING Though I could go on about snapper for months, I think it is best to end this report on the fact that many anglers had already made the switch from snapper to whiting by mid November.

Gawaine Blake from Profishinal Services did just that recently and had a blinder of a session with a client. Together, they worked a shallow bank edge and managed to find their bag with ease.

Other anglers have also had similar success, especially on the top of the Tortoise Head Bank. The fish have been going very well during the run-in tide with a berley trail bringing them within casting distance.

Though the Tortoise Head Bank has been the more noticeable location along with the southern end of the Middle Spit, anglers are starting to report good catches of whiting in Coronet Bay, Reef Island, Dickies Bay and around

McHaffies Reef.

While the whiting season hasn’t even begun, it is good to know that the fish are already active and chewing their heads. The next few weeks are going to be out of control, but don’t just rely on fishing the banks for ‘ting. Often the larger models are in the deeper water and if you’re keen on fishing for channel whiting, then make a move out into 14m right off the bank and try your luck.

At this time of year, larger whiting are in their prime condition and providing you’re willing to work the tides and use berley, these larger models will be quick onto your baits.

Most of the main channels hold whiting and it is a matter of setting anchor and fishing the last few hours when the tides speed begins to slow. While there are many locations to begin to explore, start in the north arm, this place is pure gold for big channel ‘ting.

JANUARY 2015

29

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Slow start to snapper season PHILLIP ISLAND

John Dalla-Rosa

From my observations, it’s been a bit of a bumpy start to the snapper season. Both bays have been patchy with only some anglers bagging out, with others struggling to get a fish.

In Western Port, the fish seem to be in small schools and are moving around a lot, making them difficult to locate.

Port Phillip seems to have the same problem and it has the added problem of undersize pinkies, which are in big schools. I have encountered these as far out as the 20m line, making it extremely difficult to keep any sort of bait on for the larger fish. In fact, I have never seen such large concentrations of small pinkies over such a big area of the bay. Hopefully, most of these fish will grow to adults and we should have some great fishing in years to come, but we’re still hoping the big ones will start to fire up in good numbers soon.

SURF BEACHES Beach fishing is

improving as the weather warms up. Salmon to 2kg are being caught at Baxters and Williamsons beaches and a few gummies and the odd flathead are coming in as well.

If you want to try for

a gummy, fish a rising tide that peaks just after dark. Start fishing a couple of hours before dark, try to catch some salmon or mullet and use those as fresh cut strips for gummy bait just on dark and you

Tony Dalla-Rosa with a couple of snook caught in Western Port.

should be in with a chance.

SAN REMO AREA Below the Bridge Outside the Entrance, flathead are about in good numbers.

Just inside at Cleelands Bight, calamari are about in good numbers and some good bags of pinkies have been taken. The last of the run-out tide has been the most productive.

Above the Bridge There are snapper spread out all over the bay, most are in the 2-3kg range, but you have to move around all the local hot spots to find them.

Fishing after dark has been most productive.

The whiting are still a bit patchy and a lot more undersized fish are showing up with the bigger ones. As the water warms up, the fishing should pick up.

Gummies are also showing up in better numbers and bigger sizes.

FLINDERS AREA Reasonable catches of 40cm+ whiting at Ventnor, Cat Bay and Flinders have been reported. The whiting are in big numbers but not such quality fish. You do have to move around a bit to locate them.

Corey Hanley nailed this slab-sized redfin at Moorabool Resevoir casting a Squidgy Slick Rig from the bank. The red stretched the tape to 50cm; that’s one big reddy!

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Weather presents mixed blessings WELSHPOOL

Alan McFayden amcsayte@bigpond.net.au

It would be fair to say that this season has been a mixed blessing. The culprit has been the stop-start weather conditions where we have a couple of days near perfect and then we are suddenly hit with a cold windy snap that seems to put us right back to where we were.

Fortunately, the better conditions seem to be more regular, which is great news, and snapper numbers have been pleasing. I have received numerous reports from the boat storage of snapper to the 10kg mark that have been taken on pilchards, squid and fresh fish fillets.

Tim Sawyer and a crew have had a number of trips out to some GPS marks where they have been doing very well after a couple of false starts. All that was put behind them when they bagged out on snapper that were to 4.5kg with the smallest just over 3kg and they were happy with their efforts.

When conditions have allowed there have been literally hundreds of boats on the water as the news

spreads where gummies and big flathead have been caught in Singapore Deep, which is located at the entrance. This is where the water depth goes down to 40m but the place can be dangerous. The reason being that for some reason the wind can suddenly get up and the unsuspecting boaters can find themselves

in a dangerous situation. The idea is to head for shelter as quickly as possible.

Outside the entrance there have been good numbers of salmon being taken on a variety of natural baits and lures. They have been to the very impressive 3.5kg mark and really put on a great performance, jumping out of

Peter Clarke and Sean Thompson with quality bream caught near Wonthaggi on Bass yabbies.

the water as well as their great fight. Quite a few will escape but it doesn’t really matter as there is always the next one and they make better whole bait for makos and similar big predators.

Many anglers don’t go much for their eating qualities as they have a fairly bland taste but that’s up to the individual.

Out wide near Cliffy Island there have been good reports of big flathead and gummy sharks being caught.

This is an area where the fishing can be great but the weather can change quickly and being about 32km south of Port Albert, sufficient fuel is a must as it is on any trip.

As the emphasis has been on catching snapper, not many boaters have been concentrating on whiting for some reason. Those who have been going after the royals have been doing well where they have been to the 38cm mark in the Lewis Channel.

This is where boaters have also been tying up to the Long Jetty, which flows on by and as well as whiting to the 38cm mark there have also been flathead, silvers and salmon making up very acceptable bags. The best of the baits have been pipis,

Tahlia Sharples with a very nice bream caught near Wonthaggi. small pieces of squid and Bass yabbies.

Nearby Port Albert has also been going along very well where land-based anglers have been catching plenty of squid. Shortly before this report they had been huge but have come down in size, but they are still alright, both on the table and as very good bait. There have also been good numbers of flathead, silvers, mullet and big eels making up bags that are making a visit to the jetty well worthwhile.

Inside the entrance there has been pleasing numbers of

flathead, silvers and gummies being caught on both sides of the tide. The area known as the Ballast Heap and is just a few minutes by boat from the boat ramp and this where there have been good numbers of whiting and flathead being caught on a variety of baits.

Peter Zuiderland is a renowned angler and targets whiting whenever the opportunity arises. He has been catching royals that have been to the 40cm mark and as the season wears on, no doubt we will hear a lot more of the local legend.

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Varied bags are keeping anglers very happy INVERLOCH

Alan McFayden amcsayte@bigpond.net.au

What a great part of the world we live in, especially at this time of year when fishing is in full swing and amazing varieties of fish can be caught.

I have in earlier reports mentioned Amanda Kellar and partner Terry, who are Wonthaggi locals and have been enjoying targeting the reds. They have both managed PBs over 5kg in recent weeks with plenty of great pan-sized pinkies as well. The key for them has been their own freshly caught squid used on their own hand made rigs, and she says that it is such a buzz when it all comes together

and your lines scream off into the distance. Then you get the tell-tale head shakes as you bring them in, fighting all the way. Amanda says that it has been great to share catches with family and friends trying out lots of different recipes.

Now this is what fishing is all about, well done Amanda!

Outside Anderson Inlet, the fishing has been positive where there have been good numbers of gummies being bagged on pilchards, squid and fresh fish fillets such as salmon and silvers.

Quality size flathead are also in the mix along with pinkie snapper as seen by those caught by Amanda Kellar.

Last month, I received information from Tony Hogan, who is a regular visitor from Traralgon and has

This 5kg snapper was caught by Amanda Kellar, which she prepared for the dinner table.

These nice pan size pinkies were caught by Amanda Kellar and partner Terry on fresh squid baits. They make their own rigs and share their catch with family and friends. a spot not far offshore a short distance beyond the breakers.

He says that his GPS marks seldom fails and on his last trip managed a very good bag of flathead that were up to the 1kg mark.

Land-based anglers are doing well inside the entrance.

This is where there are good numbers of silvers, salmon, mullet and whiting that are making up very acceptable bags. The choice of baits doesn’t seem to matter, as bass yabbies seldom seem to fail but squid, white bait and small strips of pilchards also work well. If you are using frozen pilchards, then only thaw out what you need for the outing as they don’t freeze very well and become mushy if refrozen and won’t stay on the hook.

Further up the inlet

towards Stevies Gutter, there have been good numbers of reasonable size whiting to the 34cm mark. Bass yabbies, pipis, sand worms and small strips of squid have been the standout baits. Around this

area there are also untold amounts of mini flathead that are nothing more than bait thieves. They’re quick to pounce on baits and most are nowhere near the legal 27cm mark. Most reasonablethinking anglers feel that they are not worthwhile keeping under 35cm anyway!

For those who know where to look, there are some very good size perch to be caught that will take a variety of soft plastic lures as well as natural baits such as bass yabbies, squid, and pipis with a sand worm teaser.

Not everyone has a boat, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t get out and catch a fish.

The local estuaries have been going well and last month bream were being caught in very good numbers. Tahlia Sharples is a very keen fishing lady and recently won the Junior Female section of the

Amanda with a very nice snapper landed on a freshly caught squid presentation.

monthly competition when she bagged a bream that weighed in at 610g. Sean Thompson also had a nice bag of bream with the best weighing 1.1kg to win the Senior Male section and President presented the weigh-master with an 890g bream, which won him the Veterans Section.

The Tarwin River is going along fairly well and the fishing platforms have been very popular, mainly with visiting land-based anglers.

They make fishing that much easier for those without a boat and those of us who are not so mobile these days. I received a call from a visiting angler, George Young, who had a very good couple of days on one of the constructions and managed some nice size mullet, silvers and a couple of perch that were caught on bass yabbies. Further down towards the entrance, there have also been some very positive results and with water temperatures rising, things can only get better.

The 5 nearby beaches at Venus Bay have also been producing good numbers of salmon that have been to the 2kg mark as well as tommy ruff, gummy sharks and a few flathead. The best results have been on the run-in tide and if this coincides with before dusk or after sunset, the results will be that much better as the fish will come in closer to shore under the cover of darkness.

Clean water and plenty on offer NINETY MILE BEACH

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

It’s been a long start to the season due to the presence of that slimy weed the 90 Mile Beach is famous for, but the good news is it has disappeared and December produced some great fishing as expected.

With any luck, the weed holds off throughout January as well.

I was starting to wonder whether that weed was ever going

to disappear, as it didn’t seem to matter whether westerly winds or easterly winds were causing it. It just seemed to be there. However, recently the water has cleared up beautifully and is clean and easy to fish.

The evening fishing has been great, the gummies have come on strong and there are plenty of gummies around 1m in length getting caught along the whole 90 Mile. It’s hard to pick a better beach as there’s been just as many gummies caught at one beach as the next.

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other hand have definitely been going better from Seaspray down to McLoughlins. Anytime of the day is fishing well for flatties but surf poppers and white grubs are producing heaps of the flathead and the bait anglers are doing well on blue bait.

The land-based anglers have been doing very well since the weed has gone and there have been some absolutely massive sharks caught, including big schoolies and massive bronze whalers up to 9ft in length. Anglers are paddling their large baits

such as whole salmon, bonito and squid out past the breakers to catch these fish.

Over the next month, the water should get very warm and we will see a greater influx of large sharks available for landbased game anglers.

• 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 author with an average sized gummy caught at Golden Beach once the weed disappeared.

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Bream back on top GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

Slurp, sip, glug, suck and kiss! These are just some of the noises that black bream make while trying to eat surface lures and it’s the most addictive fishing the Gippy Lakes can provide!

TOPWATER BREAM Slowly but surely the bream are starting to rise and attack topwater lures but soft plastics are still accounting for most fish at the moment.

Flathead have finally woken up, luderick are on the chew and the perch are back in the

form of topwater lure and we will never know why! The good news is that you will discover this with your first half a dozen casts or so. If these initial searchings fail to get a surface strike, then quickly go to a sub-surface plastic or hardbody and don’t waste too much time trying to talk bream into rising up. If you find that bream eagerly eat those lures then periodically try your surface lures again and don’t forget to give it long pauses.

You also need to ready yourself for a big flathead to come from nowhere and monster your lure as these explosive surface strikes can scare the living ‘be-geeeezus’

Now is the time to start working surface lures for bream like this Hurricane Switch 66 Bent Minnow. rivers. It’s a great time of year now and plenty to talk about.

The sight fishing for bream is now a real feature for lure anglers and there are days when big solitary bream can be seen cruising the shallows all day. You need to be selective in the areas you choose to fish at this time of year and the best hours to be on the water are, as usual, an hour before and after dawn. Not just because the fish are active, but you also beat any wind before it sets in for the day. Quite often you will observe a few bream sipping or slurping down shrimp, baitfish or small prawns and although you may not see the actual fish, by casting in that area, will often induce a strike or at the very least an active follow.

Some mornings the bream will totally refuse to eat any

out of you! Right now, you need to target areas like Metung, Bancroft Bay, Nungurner, Nyerimlang and Kalimna. The odds of finding a big aggressive yellowfin bream are also increased at this time and so be sure to beef your leaders up a little.

FLATHEAD TIME While on the subject of those last few hotspots just mentioned, the very same areas will also become the focus for flathead. You can also throw in areas like the North and Cunningham arms. Start your lure search close up near the bank side and as the morning rolls on, search out in deeper water even down to 3-4m.

Big blade lures and heavily weighted soft plastics to 90mm are all the go and search fast! Cover heaps of

water and find out where the flatties are hanging out and if you locate fish, then slow your retrieve down.

The really big duskies between 85cm and maybe even a metre will probably be caught by the very few anglers left in this world who live bait with mullet. I don’t care what anybody says, I have seen dozens of huge flathead totally ignore a lure but those same fish rarely give up the chance at scoffing down a fat mullet struggling with a size 3/0 hook pinned in its back. Make yourself aware of the new size slot limits for dusky flathead, the bag limit remains the same at 5 fish per angler. Also, don’t be fooled into thinking that fish caught so close to the mouth of the Gippy Lakes are the yank flathead. I can guarantee you that 99% of every flatty you catch will be a dusky, so treat them all as such to avoid breaking the regulations.

LUDERICK Just a quick mention of a species I often ignore but should probably talk about more often.

Recently I stayed at Paynesville for 4 days enjoying some time with the missus bike riding, kayaking and romancing! We walked around the jetties and it was good to take time, stop and talk to a few anglers. A cagey old luderick angler was enjoying some terrific fishing that really opened my eyes. I spied on him from a distance and saw him lift in some cracker fish, using weed under a float. Some of the luderick looked better than 35cm and it got me thinking about how very few people know about the numbers or sizes of these fish that call the area home.

I’ve bumped into a few good-sized luderick on blades here over the years and I can recommend trying the jetties of Paynesville and Raymond Island to those of you unsure about trying the area. When I finally approached the wily old angler and asked him how the fishing was, he replied with a very short and sharp... “No bloody good”. Now that reply actually confirmed to me that

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JANUARY 2015

Soft plastics like this Z-Man Grub are tricking a lot of bream in the Gippy Lakes. the luderick fishing there must be better than good!

TAMBO RIVER As far as other bream angling is concerned, I have to steer you back to the Tambo.

The lower areas of the river towards the mouth can be accessed by land-based angles

from both sides and sandworm has proved so deadly there.

Very keen and astute Maffra anglers Peter Weir and Warren Bertram have told me about big numbers of bream with each visit they make to the area and the only problem is having enough

bait to wade through the dozens of smaller bream and catch a few better size fish for the table. A big crab or a bunch of live shrimp might help to keep the juveniles at bay while frozen prawn seems to be ignored at the moment.

Flatties come on fire LAKES ENTRANCE

Lucas Smith squidgy_man1@hotmail.com

Lake Tyers has been fishing its best in as long as I can remember with big numbers of quality fish. The highlight has been the incredible run of big dusky flathead, which have been caught on almost every small sand patch in the lower system.

Catching a feed of smaller 40-50cm flatties have been easy, but it’s the big breeder females that have made things interesting. It hasn’t been uncommon to hear anglers

Savage Prawns, Gulp Nemesis and Z-Man Jerk Shads are all scoring big fish, and have also accounted for some thumping big bream. Bait anglers using live prawn, sandworm and pilchard fillets have caught some beautiful big bream and a few solid trevally too, mainly along the trident arm and around Mill Point boat ramp.

Big tailor have been hooked in the main channel on hardbody lures trolled behind boats at slow speeds. Keep an eye out for the birds and any surface activity.

The upper reaches of the system have been a little slow with the odd perch and bream

Catching a feed of smaller 40-50cm flatties has been easy, but it’s the big breeder females that have made things interesting. bragging about catching several giants in a single session on both lures and bait.

Soft plastics have been the most productive on fish up to 95cm, as have live mullet fished on a running sinker rig.

Remember the maximum size limit for them is 55cm so any over must be released.

Soft plastics such as the

falling to hardbodies fished in the timber in low light conditions.

LAKES ENTRANCE Around Lakes Entrance the fishing has been patchy with reports of whiting filtering through from the weed beds around Kalimna and Barrier Landing. Up towards Nungurner has also seen a few

landed along the red peg on mussel and sandworm.

Some good size yank flatties are being hooked too along with pinky snapper to 1kg, which will also respond to pilchard tails or soft plastics. Use mussel shells for berley as the smell attracts the whiting to the area.

Trevally and salmon are being caught along Bullock Island on sandworm, prawn and metal lures. While not huge they are ideal size, especially if you like smoking whole fish. Sand crabs have been in huge numbers and are easily caught in a drop net with either chicken carcass or fish heads tied inside the pots.

Cunningham Arm has seen good numbers of whiting and mullet along the jetties, mixed in with some nice luderick on worm and shrimp.

Some good flatties have been caught on plastics along the sand flats.

Prawns have shown up and are easily dipped after dark using a light and dip net. Focus on the dark of the moon and the run out tide if they coincide with each other.

Bulloock Island Creek is a hotspot every year and offers some great sand flats.

The surf beaches have been firing with good numbers of salmon to 3kg taken on pilchard and surf poppers. Spinning has been good on the calmer days when the wind has allowed.

Some nice gummies have been caught at Pettemans Beach on squid but the crabs have been in huge numbers and make things difficult.

Some nice snapper have To page 35

Snapper, sharks and sunshine MCLOUGHLINS

Will Thompson

been really good so far as well, and while it hasn’t yet gone as crazy as last season, there are

plenty of 4ft gummies around and the odd one over 5ft in length. The gummies are a

allwaysangling@bigpond.com

It has been a little bit of a slow start to the season but now that the water has warmed, our most soughtafter summer species have all arrived and are around in great numbers.

OUTSIDE The snapper have finally come on in a big way and the reefs out the front of McLoughlins and further east have all been producing plenty of snapper to 4kg and plenty of pinkies as well. Most anglers that are getting their bag of snapper are all fishing early on sunrise, which is when the snapper have been biting best. The most common depths have been 18-21m to chase the snapper of late, and pilchards and squid have been the best baits.

The gummy sharks have From page 34

been caught at Lake Bunga Beach, and a few of the local shark crews have had a few runs from big bronze whalers but nothing to write home about just yet. It won’t be long before the first toothy

Ryder caught this nice little snapper while chasing a few whiting at Port Albert. It went well on 4lb line and bent the nibble tip over good and proper. hits the beach. Whole salmon, tuna or squid are preferred baits fished under a balloon just beyond the breakers.

Offshore has been sensational with the big snapper making their annual appearance on the reefs and

wrecks. The 6 Mile has seen fish to 6kg, whereas the pipe has had fish to 11kg landed on pilchard and slimy mackerel.

Plenty of smaller size pinkie snapper have been caught too, making a great feed, along with morwong, nannygai and

little easier going and it doesn’t seem to matter what time of day as long as you fish around the tide changes.

There are also plenty of big flathead around offshore and anglers are catching some thumpers to 65cm in length while chasing gummies.

Offshore from Port Albert, there have been plenty of gummies in whale Bay and Bentley Harbour and, again, 1-2 hours either side of the tides are the best times to fish.

Fresh salmon fillet has been accounting for most of the better-sized gummies. Out wide around the islands, there are plenty of pinkie snapper to 45cm getting caught on pilchards.

INSIDE In McLoughlins entrance, the salmon are around in huge numbers and are pretty big with some anglers catching them to 3kg, and averaging 2kg. They are going very well on the run-in tide and are being a few squid.

In close, the gummies have been in good numbers with some nice flathead and butterfly gurnard. Fish the 20m line with fresh slimy mackerel or squid and drift for the best results.

Stu Tennant holds up this nice offshore gummy that was 1 of 3 he caught in a single session. caught on metal lures and soft plastics.

The bigger blue spot flathead are on the chew now and will only go better over the next month. Anglers fishing towards Manns Beach are doing the best and the flathead are averaging 45cm, with the odd cracker to 70cm. The 3-4” soft plastics are accounting for most of the fish.

The whiting have come on really strong at McLoughlins, however next month they will be thick as thieves! At the moment Port Albert is

producing good numbers of whiting to 40cm and the basket beacon is accounting for most of the fish. There are also plenty of pinkies mixed in with the odd better snapper to 65cm being caught in the deeper waters.

• For more information, contact Will at Allways Angling in Traralgon on 5174 8544.

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35

Bigger, better, brighter MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

With the summer months arriving, it’s time to look forward to even better times to come!

The estuary is fishing great, and now the prawns are starting to appear it signals the start of the prawning season. The prawns will move out of their nurseries where they hide in water grass and reeds up the small creeks and shallow lakes as they grow and await maturity for their annual run to the ocean. When they reach maturity, they move down toward the entrance and amass below the Bluff at Marlo and move throughout the sand flats, from the

are in big numbers all along the sand flats lying in their wallows waiting for an easy feed. This makes the sand flats an ideal area to target flathead with lures, anglers usually wade the sand flats either using soft plastic or hardbodied lures.

As the waterway is in pristine condition the whole estuary is a fishing paradise – prawns everywhere, plenty of local sandworm, local shell bait, Bass yabbies, black crab, and the fish are big and healthy.

Anglers have reported getting good size bream from Frenchs Narrows, one angler in particular reported getting 4 bream over 44cm, 2 on frozen prawn and 2 on cured sandworm, with fish like that he decided to go home.

Several other anglers

both the Snowy and Brodribb rivers using the same baits.

Luderick are in abundance and schooling around the rock groins that surround the island and riverbanks; best results came using sandworm either under a float or sandworm with a running sinker.

Mullet are plentiful with the best results using a mullet rig baited with sandworm.

Estuary perch can be found on most structures and snags, best results were on live prawns or lures.

The surf beaches are holding plenty of salmon and tailor, making it easy for anglers to get plenty to take home their share. Best results came using either bait always accompanied with a popper or using light gear and spinning with metal lures.

There is plenty of structure both artificial and natural for the fish in the Snowy River system.

Summer sizzlers at Bemm BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

Flathead like this are always around in good numbers during the holiday period.

Marlo jetty all the way down to Frenchs Narrows, waiting for the right tide to make their run to the ocean.

With all the prawns about it is little wonder the fishing is great! Flathead

have reported getting plenty of good size bream around the islands and up into Lake Corringle using sandworm, prawn, black crab and shell.

Anglers have also reported getting plenty of bream up

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For the anglers who can’t get out until after work the news is good, the gummy shark have arrived in close to shore with anglers reporting good captures on most outings. Best results using squid legs, eel, pilchards, blue bait or fresh fillets.

Offshore the fishing is still good with plenty of flathead, gurnard, barracouta, pinkie snapper, squid and gummy shark on the chew. The good news is yet to come; with the water warming up it won’t be long until the baitfish arrive in huge schools bringing with them all the pelagic fish that feed on them. So let the action begin.

OCEAN VIEWS CARAVAN & CAMPING PARK

Happy New Year to all our readers, it is amazing to think another year has flown by.

Bemm River has lived up to its majestic reputation once again. The past months have seen quality fish species ranging from bream, luderick, trevally and flathead all being caught in the lake. Frozen prawns have been successful with a variety of species but sandworm has proven to be a winner with the bream.

David and Jenny Russell from Lara fished early morning in the Bobs Bay area and even though they threw many fish back under 30cm, they still managed to bag out on fish between 30-45cm every day. They were using prawn and enjoyed the variety of species during the two weeks while they were here. They also had a good run on flathead on lures in the lake.

The Lakes Entrance Rotary Club had a successful weekend late November with quality bream on sandworm all caught in the lake.

The entrance remains open so far, and tailor and

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salmon have been caught in the channel. Although most anglers at this time of the year are targeting bream, it is obvious that we are going to have another bumper flathead season. With the entrance

Sandworms are the winning bait for bream this month.

being open it should create a lot of prawns, which will also increase the bream, estuary perch, tailor, trevally and plenty of luderick thrown into the mix.

The surf has started to produce great runs of salmon and tailor during the day on the incoming tides.

The warmer nights should see a lot of action on the beaches with gummy shark and other species.

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Come and enjoy a mega find in Mallacoota MALLACOOTA

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

With summer here the town is a buzz with visitors to the area enjoying the summer weather and the fishing with offshore, beach, and estuary fishing all available.

It’s easy to see why most

visitors to the area are here to wet a line!

The new offshore boat ramp is completed so launching your boat has become a lot easier, but care needs to be taken. Remember to pick the right weather, know the tides and don’t go if you are unsure; it’s not worth risking your life for a fish.

An early start is important

as the wind is normally up by midday. Boats heading offshore have been catching a few sand flathead and gummy sharks with good fish caught out around Gabo Island.

Last January fishing was good for kingfish. The fish passed by with big schools of bait so it’s fingers-crossed the same happens again this season.

The warmer months see the perch come on the bite.

Marlin have been caught offshore at Mallacoota and, with more boats out there trying their luck, you should see a few more caught once the warm water arrives. It’s worth getting out there and having a go. There are plenty of local beaches to fish from so you should be able to find a few with no one around.

Salmon and tailor have been caught, but sand whiting and yellowfin bream will be more common in the coming months. The entrance to the lake is a great spot to fish for these species. We are due for a good prawning year as the last few years they haven’t really fired up.

You can expect prawns to be on the move between Christmas and Easter.

The dusky flathead in the lake have really fired up with plenty of fish caught throughout the system.

These fish really cop a hammering so remember stick to the rules and don’t keep more than you need, and let the big ones go.

When chasing this species with lures it is important to keep changing lures as you can find that magic lure which will change your whole To page 39

m a e r d e h t e v li

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JANUARY 2015

NSW South Coast

Bream bounty is back

619 Ocean Ranger

739 Ocean Ranger

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From page 38

Bream fishing has been great over the last few months.

. BASS . JEWFISH . F LA

lakes, these fish are always on the move so you have to stay on the move to find them.

Fingers-crossed for a good season on the mulloway.

Last season was excellent with plenty of fish caught on both lures and bait.

The summer months really sees the town come to life with visitors to the area getting out amongst the National Parks and beaches that surround the town.

You can head north towards the Pinnacles or south towards Green Cape, both offer beaches and rocky headlands with great fishing away from the crowds. There are great places for anglers to wet a line, along with out of the way places for the serious fisho.

Over the past month, the fishing has really fired up with the summer months offering more variety with the warmer water bringing everything to life. The local estuaries have been fishing well with dusky flathead on the go. Lure fishing has been good with a variety of soft plastics working

EAM . BR

caught in the same area. day’s fishing.

Goodwin Sands is The sand islands around another great spot to fish with the entrance area are a plenty of bream caught of an great place to fish for sand early morning or later on into whiting with nippers and the evening. Black bream and worms a good choice of yellowfin bream have been bait; dusky flathead are also caught 1:52 in thePM TopPage and Bottom STA15856HP-FM_Layout 1 20/10/14 1

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more fish are being caught through the day with those tossing bigger soft plastic lures often coming up trumps.

Some big blackfish have also been caught with green weed fished under a float the key to success.

Salmon are still on all the local beaches along with tailor, bream and whiting.

Once again, fresh baits are the key to success. Bream are often caught where the sand meets the rock with a rising tide the go.

The holiday months often see the Fisheries Inspectors out and about so make sure you have your licence and you are aware of the bag limits. With great launching facilities at Quarantine Bay, boats heading offshore have been getting good results on the local reefs with snapper, morwong, leatherjackets tiger and sand flathead, and kingfish. This should only improve in the coming months.

Kevin Gleed

PE R RY

well. Flathead can come on the bite at any time so the key is to be in the right place at the right time.

Bream fishing has been good with the oyster leases and rocky edges fishing well.

The best fishing has been at the top of the tide, and if this coincides with dawn or dusk, all the better.

Sand whiting catches should improve as the water warms with more fish turning up with the heat. You can achieve great results for this species at night with fresh bait (worms, nippers, prawns) the key to success. Working the right stage of the tide for your fishing spot will also improve your results. Fish the same area you can expect to catch dusky flathead and yellowfin bream with the fresh baits.

The summer months see plenty of mulloway caught on the far south coast with most of the fish caught at night on fresh and live baits, however

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39

It’s all good news from the Merimbula region MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

The local reefs around the Merimbula area have been going great guns of late, and I expect this action to continue for the next few months. The majority have produced the goods on most days, but moving around and locating the fish on the sounder has certainly improved catch rates for switched on anglers.

Snapper numbers have been pleasing, with the average around the 1kg mark.

Not huge, but what they lack in size they certainly make up for in numbers. A lot of these schooling fish have been on the edge of the reef where the hard ground meets the gravel. You can usually pick the difference up on the sounder pretty easily, and then either drift over the area or anchor and drift lightly weighted baits down a berley trail. Better baits to use are fresh squid, whole pilchards, or striped tuna strips, with fishos using soft plastics getting into them too. Having a few live baits in the tank can pay dividends, as kingfish and bonito are real possibilities at this time of year.

Hot spots to try are Long, Turingal and Horseshoe reefs, and Lennards Island south of Pambula. Other

Dan with a cracking 48cm estuary perch prior to release. species like morwong, pigfish, flathead and gummy sharks can be expected, especially when drifting.

Out wider, the pelagic action will be in full swing.

A number of good yellowfin to 40kg have been captured already this season, with sporadic catches of albacore.

The water is hovering around 20°, with striped tuna numbers on the increase.

This all looks promising for an early showing of striped marlin. Let’s hope these fine sportfish make it this far down the coast, as last season the marlin action was ordinary at best.

Trolling skirted lures from the 70f line eastwards is the go this early in the season. Look for water temperature changes, tide lines, bait schools and birds.

Concentrate your efforts around these for best results.

Closer to shore, the estuaries are also firing.

Both Merimbula and Pambula lakes are the places to fish, with all estuarine species available. Flathead are the main species targeted, with fish to 95cm on the cards. Anglers using a variety of different methods will catch fish, but the soft plastics brigade should do well this month. The flatties will be more active as the water warms, so concentrate your efforts around the weed-fringed edges, which are abundant in both estuary systems.

In the channels, bream, blackfish and trevally are the main targets, with fresh or live prawns, yabbies and striped tuna cubes the gun baits. If fishing from land, wading the sand flats just west of the fisheries office near the bridge on Merimbula Lake is a great place to stalk whiting. Using lightly weighted baits like nippers or squirt worms on a rising tide should put some tasty fillets in the pan.

You’re a good chance at a flatty and bream also, so it’s definitely worth a look.

The local beaches have been a little quiet of late, but with the increased water temperatures bream and whiting are likely to be chewing. Most beaches with a gutter close to shore should produce a fish or

two. Pipis, beach worms or fresh prawns would be the preferred baits; just fish these on the incoming tide for best results.

A light running sinker rig is all that’s required, with just enough weight to get the bait to the bottom. A lot of anglers fish too heavy when targeting bread and butter species. Long casts are generally not needed and the fish are usually just past the shore dump. A little berley here will also help, with crushed pipi shells being a favourite of mine. Better beaches to try are Haycock,

kingfish, striped tuna, bonito and frigate mackerel are in for some fun. Using chromed lures with high geared reels will account for a lot of these, especially the tuna species. Lures from as small as 15g work, but a lot will depend on what bait species the pelagics are after. After catching a fish, it’s a good idea to take the time and investigate its stomach contents. You can then identify the size of baitfish and adjust lure size accordingly. I know it’s a bit more work and time consuming, but it could just

A ripper, the sort of black bream any angler would be happy with.

Tura and North Tura.

This month should see some great action from the stones. Anglers fishing for surface speedsters like salmon, tailor, small

be the difference between a nice session and a memorable one. Places like Tura Head, Long Head and the main wharf inside Merimbula Bay are worth a look.

Fish about for everyone BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

It’s just that time of year; the holidays are on, the weather is warm, and wherever you want to try there is a fish waiting.

January is just too easy.

You don’t really need a boat, as estuaries in particular are very accessible from the shore. One of my favourite methods is to wade, throwing lures or bait around in the shallows.

The Bermagui River and the surrounding lakes are full of fish and you will be rewarded whichever way you target them. Up over the flats at high tide is producing some lovely bream and whiting, with that odd good flathead thrown in. Bait fishing with nippers or worms is a sure way of filling a bag, and some very nice fish will be taken this way.

If you get out early before the wind gets up, polaroiding the flats can be spectacular. Identify your 40

JANUARY 2015

quarry and cast ahead of it and a little beyond its line of travel, allowing for the angle of sight. As the fish comes within range of your bait or lure, twitch it and then allow it to sit. Just remember, not every fish will respond, in fact you will probably spook most, but it’s the ones you don’t spook that provide all the fun.

Good tailor are in Wallaga Lake chasing mullet in the shallows towards the entrance, and following them are some nice duskies.

There are plenty in the lake around the edge of the weed beds. Luderick are in good numbers and responding well to weed baits around the rock walls, the bridge, and in the harbour. An added bonus, especially for parents, is the harbour fishing, where the kids are having a ball with trevally, yellowtail and small tailor. It’s a great area for them to learn.

Offshore for the boaties, reef fishing is very good, with most species available.

Great catches of flathead are common, with anglers bagging out regularly.

Tigers are being caught in the deeper water out from the Four, Six and Twelve Mile reefs. Sand flathead are available from The Step up off Tilba, with Cuttagee and Murrah areas also producing their share.

Goalen Head is holding good numbers of morwong, plus other reef dwellers and the odd kingfish. With the kingies in mind, there are nice schools around Montague, although varying in size. These fish are being taken in varying ways, from jigging and live baiting through to trolling and downrigging. Don’t expect to catch them every day, but when they’re on the chew it’s very exciting.

The game fishing scene is heating up as well, and it’s looking like a very good marlin season. Already some nice fish have been encountered and as history shows, many a big blue marlin has been caught in January. Lure fishing is probably at its best presently, and using this method will allow you to cover more water and find where

Drifting and berleying offshore may produce sharks and tuna at this time of year. the fish are. If you find concentrations of marlin, this could be the time to start live or switch baiting to maximise your chances.

The beauty of running lures at this time of year though, is the variety of other species that try to eat them.

Various tuna species will definitely be around, along with mahimahi, kingies, and don’t be surprised to see a mako shark eat a lure.

It happens regularly here.

Speaking of sharks, those who wish to run berley trails

will certainly attract them, if not some tuna as well.

Salmon are in abundance on most beaches and you really don’t have to try hard to have a lot of fun. Mixed in are some very good tailor, bream, mullet and whiting.

With the warm weather, get out there at night and try for a gummy shark or maybe a mulloway.

A passion I have had for many years now is campaigning to keep Brogo Dam stocked with Australian bass. This year’s release of

15,000 fry should see the efforts of the Far South Coast Bass Stocking Association maintain a fishery for all to enjoy.

Now is the best time of year to fish Brogo. Fish it early and late evenings for best results, and if you’re into fly fishing you’ll enjoy some great evening surface action. If the drought continues, water levels could be down, so look for fish patrolling the weed beds pushing small native fish up against them.

NSW South Coast

Wagonga on fire with huge lizards Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

Wagonga Inlet is fishing like its former glory days, with this month the best l have seen it in many a year. I know that’s a big statement, especially when you fish it as regularly as l do, but truly, it’s red hot at present. It really doesn’t matter what species you want to target, you will catch them with the right methods at the right times, and lure and bait fishos are getting plenty.

A lot of anglers fish Wagonga to target its trophy flathead, and rightly so because it has plenty of crocs on offer.

Every year some horses are caught, and this year was no exception. Over the last week our best flattie measured a whopping 97cm, estimated at 7kg in weight, and was in super condition. Stuie Piggott caught the beast on a big Squidgy Fish; it was photographed, then released to fight another day.

The next day he backed up with fish of 68, 75 and 77cm plus 30 other legal flatties, so the place is fishing well. I know of other anglers getting amongst the crocs also, so if a big flatty is for you, get out

there and get amongst it.

Jumbo flatties aren’t the only thing chewing; mulloway are in excellent numbers with local fishing nut Jonno Dudley getting some solid fish up to 95cm. Jonno has been using fresh squid, but soft plastic anglers are getting their share too. Visiting fisho Mitch Blomquist landed his first on plastic on a recent guide, which measured 80cm — a nice fish

species. Throw in a few tailor smacking the schools and you have all the ingredients for a solid mulloway session.

Outside, smaller yellowfin tuna to 40kg have been patrolling the shelf line, with anglers trolling skirted lures and bibbed minnows getting amongst them. There’s been reports of a few larger models encountered too, with one fella I was talking to saying he had

Bream love surface lures and now is the time to use them. with a few others missed also.

A few of the local young guns got stuck into the mulloway, with one session reaping 3 up to 80cm on plastics and soft vibes. The key to good results is to fish the bait schools that are plentiful at present, with whitebait, pilchards and glassies the predominant

a double hookup on 60kg plus fish, only to lose both near the boat, which was unfortunate. A few albacore are mixed in with the yellowfin, averaging 8kg or so. These school-sized fish will be around for the next several months; it’s just a matter of locating them and concentrating your efforts around there. Even

SA022

NAROOMA

though lighter tackle up to 15kg is sufficient for this size fish, I would still be using 24kg as you never know when Mr Big will come along.

January will also see an increase in marlin captures, with switched on game crews getting amongst them. Trolling lures and switch baiting are the best methods, with stripes and blacks the most prolific.

If fishing wider, blue marlin are on the cards, with every January producing a few hard luck stories. These brutes are generally targeted in very deep water on larger sized lures, so good luck if you connect with one. With the warm water north of us at present, don’t be surprised to see mahimahi, spearfish, or even the odd wahoo.

The inshore reefs will continue to fish well, with snapper, morwong, smaller kingfish and flathead available.

Reefs like Brou, Potato, Tuross, and the gravel patch off Dalmeny should produce. Use fresh bait where possible; that shouldn’t be too hard to find as the striped tuna schools have been thick in close, so trolling a couple of small Christmas trees will give you all the fresh bait you need.

Out at Montague Island the kingfish have been patchy,

Solid dusky flathead like this 70cm model will be quite common over coming weeks, especially in Narooma’s Wagonga Inlet. with some days great and others poor. When it has fired, jigs have worked particularly well, with the northern end and Fowl House Reef producing. Fish to 8kg can be expected, though the majority will be 3-4kg.

The beach action has been steady without being red-hot, though a lot depends on how much swell there is. Bream and whiting have been around, but hard to entice in the calmer conditions. Anglers who have downsized their tackle have had best success, with live worms, pipis, and fresh peeled prawns the best baits. Fishing the rocky corners of beaches on a rising tide close to dark has been the key to good bags.

Narooma main beach, Tilba, and Fullers beaches are the best bet at present.

The rock fishing

bandwagon looks set to continue on its merry way as luderick and drummer remain on the chew. Last month they were a bit quiet, but recent weeks have been good. Fresh cabbage and prawns are the better baits, with the south wall near Australia Rock a good place to start.

The surface pelagic action should only get better as we head further into summer, with kingfish, striped tuna and frigate mackerel all possible.

Fishing early in the morning with chrome slices should produce a fish or two. Using ganged pilchards with a size 1 ball sinker on top will also work, especially if a decent wash zone is present. Try Dalmeny Headland, Mystery Bay, or the golf course rocks for the pelagics.

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41

It’s a summer squid invasion TASMANIA

Kelly Hunt

The weather was a little indifferent at the start of December and the water temps were slow to come up.

This had the mako shark fishers scratching their heads. The temps came on in the later half towards Christmas and they look set to continue to rise well into January.

of blue sharks seen in berley trails. These guys are OK to have the kids practice on but hardly put up a fight, and I am yet to find a way to make them taste any good.

What was of interest on one particular session was the pilot fish swimming alongside the sharks. These little fish are of the same ilk as a remora, they don’t suck on they just swim beside their host, and they feed on the ectoparasites and the leftovers around the

Mozza with a good snapper from Port Phillip Bay. Some anglers were suggesting makos were getting thick, as being harassed while bottom dropping was quite regular, and in very early December we saw an increased number

shark. They are banded black and white and can grow as large as 60cm in length. They are normally found cruising with Oceanic white tip sharks and favour the warmer water.

It was a quite strange sight

given the early appearance and water temps.

MAKO Mako sharks are starting to fire up. These are without doubt Tasmania’s adrenalin fish. They have the ability to pull hard and go on scorching runs, bog down deep and then scream for the surface and on into the air, which is why we don’t fight them from a static boat and trundle off as they take the bait. Do not get sucked into thinking you need to find a lot of depth.

If you come across some schools of bait on the sounder or on the surface visually, pull up and make a start. When they are in good numbers a 4hr stint should have something of interest at the back of the boat. Once we get over the 6 hour mark and not see a fish, the bottom lips start to drag. Fear not, as that is also the beauty of shark fishing – expect the unexpected! Get into your local tackle store and get some gear that will tailor to Tasmanian conditions, find out any info and stock up on a variety of baits. Mako are voracious eaters but at times they can be surprisingly finicky. Squid, mullet, striped tuna and salmon are all great baits to have on board.

OFF THE BOTTOM Trumpeter, these fish are probably Tasmania’s version of the snapper craze they have in Vic and SA. They are an abundant species and with the right rigs and bait are quite easy to catch.

Locating them is the tricky bit. Having someone else’s marks has been the easy way to get some in the boat in the past. Those anglers that have invested some time into understanding and getting to know how to get the best out of their sounders are doing well. Fresh ground is often fruitful leading to great catch rates and often some bigger fish.

Three hook paternoster rigs have been the norm for many years, with good fresh bait and an outfit that brings in a good amount of line with one turn of the handle. These fish are often found in water between 50-400m deep so a good stiff rod to complement an Alvey style or big egg beater is the go.

ELECTRIC REELS The other big name to come from the deep during January is the blue eye trevalla, which is famed for its eating quality. The use

It’s a squid invasion this season! of electric reels has really stepped up over the last couple of years. The long lining by recreational fishers has slowed and the take up of electric reels and rods to suit the fishing has been awesome.

I love the super deep fishing with electric as you never know just exactly what

Full kits are available to retro fit to any size vessel.

goggle-eyed monster is going to come up and say hello – rays, bream, hapuka and gem fish are all welcome species to be introduced to the ice box.

Remember to keep the fish you have caught in good nick. Doesn’t make any sense to go to the significant trouble of organising a day out on the shelf and leave fish lying around the boat with their guts in. Bleed ‘em, get them into an ice slurry, find some time to field dress them and get the fillets on ice.

TUNA There is always a chance of an early striped tuna and albacore tuna run, if the currents are favourable.

We like to troll some skirts and sub surface lures for 15 minutes before we arrive at the shelf for a bottom fish early in the season.

We will do the same as

INLAND FISHERIES SERVICE

Remember inland fishing rules IFS

Tim Farrell

The Inland Fisheries Service (IFS) fields enquiries from time to time regarding the regulation of inland recreational fishing particularly the licence, seasons, methods, size limits, bag limits and hours of fishing which apply. The reason there is no single rule for Tasmania’s diverse range of river and lake fisheries is in part due to tradition but also the need to achieve fishery specific management objectives or the needs of other regulators and land managers.

While many fisheries have large naturally recruiting trout populations there are others that lack adequate spawning streams and need more active stocking and regulation to reduce the risk of over fishing. For other waters, specific rules are in place 42

JANUARY 2015

to support values such as conservation, safety, water quality or land management in order to ensure the ongoing access of anglers.

The Inland Fisheries Service reviews the regulations each year in order to ensure the relevance of these rules and to accommodate changes proposed by the angling community. In order to ensure that anglers are familiar with the rules the IFS produces a pocket guide the Tasmanian Inland Fishing Code. Information is also provided in the form of signs located at key access points on major fisheries and through access brochures available from most tackle stores and the IFS website.

Many rivers and lakes in Tasmania have a common set of rules namely; they are open each year from the first Saturday in August until the Sunday nearest the end on April, all methods are permitted and a 12 fish bag limit and minimum size of 220mm apply. The exceptions to these general

rules are all covered in the chart in the middle of the Tasmanian Inland Fishing Code and any changes for the year are covered in the Regulation Changes section towards the front of the code.

There are number of waters that have a five fish bag limit with only two fish over 500mm permitted to be kept.

There is concern that some anglers are forgetting this.

A current angling licence is required if you are going fishing, all annual licences (Adult, Pensioner, Senior or Junior) run from 1 August to 31 July, short term 48 hour, 7 day and 28 day are also available as are 5 season licences.

Please take the time to make yourself familiar with the rules before you start fishing, they are there to help protect and ensure the sustainability of our magnificent Tasmanian inland fishery for you and anglers in the future.

If you would like to find out more please go to the IFS website at www.ifs.tas.gov. au or alternatively ring the

Service during office hours on 1300 463 474.

THE BUSY SEASON FOR CARP MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES With a large proportion of carp in Lake Sorell due to mature this coming season there is a need to ensure not only that spawning is prevented, but as many of the remaining carp as possible are removed from the lake. An intensive gillnetting program is underway in combination with radio tracking, traps, fyke nets, barriers, electro-fishing and pheromone attractants in a coordinated approach to eradicate carp.

The labour intensive gill netting program requires two boating teams (three staff per boat) working around the lake to check, retrieve, and set the nets on a daily basis. One of the boats undertook modifications to improve operations when servicing nets in deep water (1.5-3m). The design has been working well and has allowed long stretches of gill net to be checked

Make sure you know the rules as Fisheries will be checking. IFS produces a pocket guide the Tasmanian Inland Fishing Code to help with any queries. relatively easily in all weather conditions.

PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION Trout Guides & Lodges Tasmania has launched a photographic competition for anglers as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations in Tasmania. Competition entries are now open and run until 31 March 2015 so the current season is included. Entry is free and there are some great prizes.

Competition categories are: • 150th season action:

any trout (or salmon) related action with a Tasmania location • Historic / heritage shots – e.g. Lake Pedder monsters, Shannon Rise spectacular • Junior (under 17) – a great way to be rewarded for just having fun.

• Cell phone Selfie – catch the grin and put it in!

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we leave the bottom fishing grounds, weather and time permitting. This allows you the chance of picking up some striped or albacore tuna. The stripes make excellent berley for mako, and the albacore are sensational eating if not cooked too much to dry out.

SUMMER TROUT If we all cross our fingers together we should see some hot, cloudless blue sky days in January. If you are a fly fisher of any kind, these are happy days as it will allow even a novice to try their hand at polaroiding. The clear bright conditions will allow you to use your polarised eyewear to great effect.

Sight fishing is best when the sun is high allowing great penetration into the water surface. Traditionally this is between 10am-4pm. If you are just starting out, find some areas that have clear water and not too much for the fish to hide themselves under (you won’t be the first person to make repeated presentation to a fish-shaped rock either!).

Having limited knowledge of the best places to have a crack I asked a guru and the word came back to try the bays of Lake Echo, the western side of Great Lake, and shores of the Brady’s chain of lakes. Lake St Clair is also an awesome area to try your luck. The Western Lakes are equally exceptional

in their fishing and degree of difficulty. The catch rate is on average a bit lower but the satisfaction of sighting and tricking a wild western trout makes it worth the effort. To avoid frustration and busting your treasured fly rod over your knee a couple of times, you may wish to delay a visit until you have already notched up a few trout from easier waters.

There will still be plenty of action from the array of hatches right into mid to late January. The last few weeks will see the mayflies start to dissipate until their return in mid to late February.

Good news for fly fishers is the start of the hopper fun.

Grasshoppers are not just confined to the fly fishing fraternity and everyone can enjoy this time of year when the grasshopper becomes the number one food of choice!

FISHING AT ANCHOR

I was again lucky enough to be away with Adrian ‘Mozza’ Morrisby and we managed to get out on Port Phillip Bay for the very first time. Snapper, of course, were on the target species list as Mozz had never caught one and I have only ever caught little ones off the Mornington Pier. I did however spear a good-sized one once but Mozz was quick to point out that it didn’t count. But we did manage to

Bradley Day with a nice hapuka caught in December. get the job done.

This trip highlighted once again, just how much we are missing out on in Tasmania by not having the ability to easily fish at anchor. Now I say easily as it’s simple to drop anchor, but it is the pulling up that is the crux of our issue here in Tasmania.

There are not a whole heap of vessels that have power winch or windlass (the term windlass is an engineering term for a horizontal drum used to raise and lower something via a rope stored on the drum).

What invariably happens

in Tasmania without a power windlass is it all becomes a bit of a task. The keenest of anglers will get sick of the sight of the anchor rope after dropping and moving 5 times. It’s just a pain and traditionally we don’t do it, but we are actually doing ourselves an injustice on a number of levels. The boat is being underutilised and without the ability to raise the anchor at will, with very little fuss, we loose some of the inherent useability of a craft with a powered anchor.

SAFETY I hate it when people

default to a safety aspect and wave the OH&S flag, but in this instance there is merit in this discussion. In most cases when an anchor has to be deployed in an emergency it needs to be done swiftly and without fuss. Often a swift deployment of anchor stops a bad situation snowballing into something much worse.

We had a trip last year on a mate’s rig and we were down the wild west and it was getting dark. We found a cray boat mooring just south of Macquarie Heads. We were tying up to this fore and aft in a 6m boat when it was deemed my role to be out on the bow. I looked into the anchor well and what I saw was a mess. You could not have had a bigger tangle if you set out to deliberately do it. I doubt the anchor had been put down in years and in rough seas the rope chain and rope had been playing a good game of leapfrog. It took ages to sort out and get right. I make this point because if we had ever needed to deploy that anchor in haste on that trip or any prior trip it just would have failed.

The powered windlass or winch is not only easy to deploy and retrieve, the very nature of its design means that it is neat and tidy. The rope and chain are wrapped securely on the drum and anchor secured firmly in the

bow sprit. Always ready for action at the press of a button.

A WHOLE NEW WORLD… Using anchor at will makes a boat a much more pleasurable item of ownership. I find that much like carrying a Swiss army knife; the world becomes an easier place to live. If you have to stop and do anything on the boat, being able to find a spot and drop anchor makes it all a lot easier.

Once the pick is down and you lay back on it you will be more than likely out of the wind. Most boats have varying degrees of cover and having lunch, rigging tackle and sorting gear is always a lot easier when on the anchor. Once done, a simple powered retrieval and you are on your way again. There is an awesome social aspect to anchoring up as a group and enjoying lunch or a swim off the back of the boat.

THE FISHING We like to back ourselves and find the fish, but we can also use technology and have the fish find us. Using your sounder and powered windlass in conjunction is a very effective way to fish.

Scour the sounder and find the bottom you are after for the given target species.

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From page 43

screen’s showing good fish arches, lay a waypoint down.

The trick here is to then work out with the wind and current a drop point that will have you laying back on the anchor close to the waypoint you have marked. This will only come with practise trial and error, but it’s worth it.

GETTING A GRIP Now this is a section for the technical-minded but will have information that all boaters should store away. The line and chain on the drum is called the ‘rode’ and the amount of anchor rode you should have out for a good set is called the ‘scope’. The scope depends on the amount of water you wish to hold bottom in and there is a simple formula: water depth x 5 is a good general rule of thumb to have you hold good bottom.

Now you can see why those fishos that like to anchor gravitate to the good quality dyneema cord available.

This is strong while of lesser diameter allowing for more to be stored on the drum.

Once you have a good set and you are happy with your efforts, place a waypoint exactly where you are as a reference and check every now and then. You will soon see if you are dragging anchor.

Once you have set the anchor, it is time for you to throw some handfuls of berley. This will depend on what inshore species you are trying to target. Be it small pieces and pellets for whiting or larger cubes for gummies and snapper, it doesn’t matter get some out early then a constant dribble from then on. You can often find while you are setting up and getting organised the berley has done its work and the fish have started to come to you as the baits go down.

Importantly, and not often spoke about, is the number of rods you can fish on the pick.

Due to holding ground and not moving you can fish more rods than if adrift, especially if there is little or no current. For this reason, fishing at anchor is the best way to take kids fishing and have them enjoy their day catching and not waiting for Dad to sort a tangle. The other bonus when at anchor fishing is the reduced likelihood to get snagged up.

SUMMER SQUID If you like catching and eating squid, then now is the time! Southern calamari are a year round proposition for Tasmanians but summer is when people hit the water and jetties to do their best work. Daylight savings and warm summers nights are great times to be out chasing squid until dark or a bit after.

It is this time of year that the squid are at our shores in droves – it’s an invasion!

TIPS FOR A HEAD START Fish the broken ground, and by that I mean rocky and

nick is a great start.

Drift or fish at anchor Whether to drift or fish at anchor? Both techniques work well, however I like to use drifting to find them and then use the anchor to load up on them. They are often in packs and when you come across one there will be a few.

If you prefer to drift take note of each drift line on the sounder and when you pick one up, put down a waypoint.

After a number of drifts you may see a pattern forming that will give you a better idea on your next drift line or where to anchor.

Jigs In bright conditions, as with any species, try and match the hatch. Any jig looking to replicate what the baitfish will be is a great start.

Mullet and pike coloured patterns are a superb choice.

When the conditions get a bit overcast start to break out the brighter colours. Always have a lumo jig or two on the boat

Triabunna prize pool was a cracker. sandy together, and if you can find some weed beds even better. If the broken ground also happens to be harbouring parrotfish you are on the money. They seem to like to hang out together on similar habitat. Start in as shallow as 4m and work your way out to find them. If you can see the bottom at 6m, all well, and good, as clear water in good

and a head torch for those dusk and dark conditions.

You can pay what ever you want for a squid jig, but a good jig will give you a long life of service without breaking up or getting rusty.

There is nothing worse than a 3kg squid spilling its guts out of a cheap jig.

Make sure you have a good well made rubber

landing net for two main reasons: firstly, too many good squid are lost boatside, and secondly, a net will allow you to hold them out over the side while they have a squirt fest.

A net with a rubber inner is easily washed and less likely to have lures and jigs tangle, which means more time fishing. Don’t forget that squid move by squirting water forward, so get the net in behind them.

CLEANING SQUID Get online and have a look at a few Youtube vids of how to clean squid quick and easy. Find one you like and practise.

Don’t waste your squid, what you don’t eat can be fished or bagged and frozen as bait.

GAME FISHING CLUB OF NORTHERN TASMANIA The GFCNT is setting itself up for a sensational year building on hard work from the committees of past and present. It has the strongest membership base in Tasmania and is always looking to provide value to its membership. The club held an information night recently and the members appreciated it greatly.

A new initiative for the club was an information night not just for members, but involving anyone with an inkling of interest in all forms of game fishing. The club was impressed with the interest with over 120 people enjoying a great evening at the Mersey Yacht Club. The night had some tremendous feedback from those in attendance and the format was praised. A short introduction followed by the crowd grouping at 6 information stations and moving clockwise after a time frame worked well.

There was also time allocated for questions and anyone

Ashleigh Cooper onto a Tassie monster. wanting to dig deeper into the basic topics that were on offer.

The club holds the biggest and long regarded as the best shark fishing competition in Tasmania. This event has seen 60 vessels all leaving the Mersey River hoping to catch the big one or tag the most mako. The competition has always had a very healthy tag and release aspect in which it prides itself. This is an event that draws an excellent crowd and some of the on shore activities are designed to entertain the kids that come along.

The success of the shark competition and other initiatives have driven the GFCNT to the head of the pack within game fishing circle in Tasmania. Their inaugural Triabunna event was a massive success and proved very popular with anglers from around the state. This event was about community involvement and helping a regional coastal

town get on its feet after some industry sectors falling away. The GFCNT invited the president of the cruising yacht club to speak at the event safety briefing and he mentioned how awesome it was to have game fishers and their families in town.

“This is the most people I have seen in the pub in 40 years!” he said The event showed those that attended that Triabunna indeed has a heart beat and has plenty to offer the game fisher men and women.

The club goes from strength to strength and anyone interested in joining or more information can find them on their facebook page. https://www.facebook. com/GameFishingClubOf NorthernTasmania?fref=ts.

Devonport Shark Comp will be held on Saturday January 10, and this year’s event is proudly sponsored by Civilscape Contracting and Heather and Bob Duncombe.

HYDRO TASMANIA WATER STORAGE INFORMATION Water Storage Information as at 9th December 2014 Lake/Lagoon

Metres from full

Comment

Lake Augusta ...................................3.08 .......................................................Steady Arthurs Lake ....................................1.21 .......................................................Steady Great Lake .......................................14.95 .....................................................Steady Trevallyn Pond .................................0.61 .......................................................Steady Shannon Lagoon ..............................0.08 .......................................................Steady Penstock Lagoon .............................Null ................................................ Unavailable Lake Echo ........................................6.92 .......................................................Steady Dee Lagoon .....................................0.30........................................................Steady Bradys/Binneys/Tungatinah .............2.41 .......................................................Steady Bronte Lagoon .................................1.03 .......................................................Steady Pine Tier Lagoon ..............................2.23 .......................................................Steady Little Pine Lagoon ............................0.38 .......................................................Steady Laughing Jack Lagoon ....................1.63 .......................................................Steady Lake St Clair ....................................1.73 .......................................................Steady Lake King William ............................3.04 .......................................................Steady Lake Liapootah ................................0.23 .......................................................Steady Wayatinah Lagoon ...........................0.51 ........................................................Rising Lake Catagunya ...............................0.15 ........................................................Rising

Lake Repulse ...................................0.21 ....................................................... Falling Cluny Lagoon ...................................0.18 ........................................................Rising Meadowbank Lake ..........................-.............................................................Spilling Lake Pedder ....................................1.33 .......................................................Steady Lake Gordon ....................................33.18 .....................................................Steady Lake Burbury ...................................1.21 .......................................................Steady Lake Plimsoll ...................................2.39 .......................................................Steady Lake Murchison ...............................13.18 .....................................................Steady Lake Mackintosh .............................1.67 .......................................................Steady Lake Rosebery .................................0.65 .......................................................Steady Lake Pieman ....................................1.10.........................................................Rising Lake Mackenzie ...............................9.24 .......................................................Steady Lake Rowallan .................................19.84 .....................................................Steady Lake Parangana ...............................0.95 ........................................................Rising Lake Cethana ...................................0.41 .......................................................Steady Lake Barrington ...............................0.71 .......................................................Steady Lake Gairdner ..................................3.63 ........................................................Rising Lake Paloona ...................................0.56 ....................................................... Falling Woods Lake .....................................0.74 .......................................................Steady Whitespur Pond ...............................7.93 ....................................................... Falling Lake Newton ...................................4.73 .......................................................Steady Lake Margaret .................................2.95 .......................................................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

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JANUARY 2015

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Sun Protection

“

“Protect yourself from the elements and you’ll ensure that skin cancer doesn’t shorten your fishing career”

FOR THE

2015

”3 3

3

x

HATS Traditionally, a broad-brimmed hat was the only way to keep you out of the sun, but modern anglers are combining caps and neck socks to achieve the same results. The bread brimmed hat is cooler to wear, but the neck sock stops your hap flying off at high speed. Which option is better for you?

SUNGLASSES Undoubtedly, your eyes are your most important organ to protect.

When you’re fishing and boating, you’re subject to direct sunlight as well as light reflected off the water.

Your sunglasses work in one of the worst environments – saltwater mixed with sunscreens and insect repellents.

If your sunnies protect you from the glare and survive the punishment, then you’re good to go.

GLOVES Anglers often shun wearing gloves.

Some think they reduce feel while

46

JANUARY 2015

others say that hooks get caught in the fabric too easily. Whatever your excuse, there’s no better way to keep the back of your hands in good condition than covering them up. And sun gloves do this just fine.

PANTS Although we all like reppin’ the shortest pair of rugby shorts in the cupboard, there’s no substitute for length when it comes to protection.

There’s a variety of long-legged, quick-drying pants around to keep your pins looking mint well into your later years. You should wear them.

NECK SOCK This practical bit of sun protection gear is as trendy today as the scarf was when Harro was shearing sheep. Clever users make sure that the shirt collar is tucked in and the buttons are done up – unlike our intrepid model above, who’s busily working on a red, lower neck triangle. These things will also keep your cap on in a gale.

x

SHIRT We all know by now that the best protection for your arms from the sun is a long sleeved shirt, but did you know that not all shirt fabrics are the same? Read on to make sure that your sun protection shirts are what they say they are.

SUNSCREEN This is the stuff that you smear on to any of the bits that the rest of your outfit misses. If you’re doing it right, you shouldn’t be using much. Make sure you put it on at home before you go out on the water – it takes a while to soak in properly.

Another tip is to apply it with the back of your hands so that you don’t transfer as much smell to your rods, lines and baits.

Season

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Sunglasses are known for falling off at the worst possible times. If this has happened to you, it would be worth your while to take a look at the Bomber range of floating polarised sunglasses.

Specifically designed for an active lifestyle, Bomber Eyewear is comfortable and light to wear with patented foam linings, ensuring they are guaranteed to float. This allows you to focus on your fishing or any other activities.

Benefits not only include the fact they float, the foam lining also provides extra comfort and a snug fit, reducing the chances of them blowing off and prevents glare from entering around the sides of the lenses. Bomber frames are made from polycarbonate – an element of bulletproof glass – to enhance your eye protection and peace of mind.

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The overall colours and camouflage patterns of the Cod, make two great shirts to keep you cool and protected from the sun whilst chasing our greenfish from the shore, boat or hidden rock pool.

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Costa Sunglasses released the Hamlin style frames after American Capt. Ron Hamlin, the legendary angler who’s released more than 27,000 billfish throughout his career and helped revolutionize sport fishing through his early adoption of circle hooks.

Costa’s Hamlin style features tough, durable features, including co-injected nylon moulded frames, sturdy integral hinges and no-slip Hydrolite™ nose pads and temple tips. The extra-large fit features a wrap shape to protect against incoming glare. Frame colours available now include tortoise, matte black, blackout, white, and in late spring, Realtree® Xtra® Camo.

Costa’s Hamlin is available in its patented 580™ lens technology, which blocks yellow light from entering the eye, creating razor sharp colour enhancement and achieves the highest polarization level possible.

Available in 580G (glass) or 580P (plastic), lens colours include gray, amber, copper, blue mirror, green mirror and silver mirror. It’s also available in Costa’s specialty sunrise lens colour, ideal for low light situations, such as fishing at dusk or dawn.

Costa sunglasses are custom built and hand assembled in Florida, USA and come with a lifetime warranty against manufacturer’s defect.

Hamlin is also available in Costa’s Rx sun lenses, which offer a one-year warranty.

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Ideal for the middle of Summer, its hard to go past Sun2Sea UV Protections range of wet-n-dry shirts. They’re a must for all the boaties, fisherman and campers.

Sun2Sea UV protection are again keeping us protected from the sun and out on the water longer with their range of Australian made, fishing and boating shirts.

For 8 years running now, Sun2Sea UV protections’ range of 50+ UPF Wet-n-Dry Sun Protection Boating, Fishing and Leisure Products have been awarded the ARPANSA (Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Assoc) 50+ UPF certification the highest UPF available.

They are they only Australian made and manufactured clothing to achieve the 50+ UPF certification.

“Every colour and roll of our fabric is tested for UPF before manufacture through ARPANSA, that way the customer can be assured the highest sun protection available. In individual testing some of our colours go up to 100UPF, but still maintain the same aeration and coolness our shirts are known for especially in the tropics,” Sun2Sea’s Robbie Wells said.

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Mako G2H5 Lens

Mako Eyewear, manufacturers of Australia’s highest performing polarised sunglasses has just released another new lens option perfectly timed for summer.

The introduction of the new Rose lens with a Green Mirror (G2H5) and the Mako High Definition Filter builds on the previous top selling Copper and Blue Mirror combination currently available in the Blade frame.

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The Mako High Definition Filter further enhances your view by removing some yellow and orange wavelengths of light that cause blurring, especially at distance. This results in a clearer view at a greater distance than what is available with the naked eye.

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Unbreakable Sunglasses

When it comes to fully protecting your eyes this summer it’s hard to go past a pair of Gloryfy sunglasses. These glasses hit the fishing market by storm this year by taking out the runner up prize for the most innovative product at the 2014 AFTA Awards.

Gloryfy sunglasses are based on maximum protection for the eyes, highest functionality and minimised risk of injuries.

This is all possible because of the intelligent materials and innovative technologies from this Austrian eyewear company.

The patented technology used to make the frames and lenses (G-flex and I-Flex) make the lenses and frames extremely flexible and always return to their original shape. Check out the YouTube clip showing how strong and unbreakable this product is by scanning the QR code hereby.

Gloryfy lenses have the highest quality ratings and come in polarised and non-polarised versions. Prescription lenses are also available.

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Go get the cray this January WEST COAST

Shane Lowery

January presents fantastic diving for the avid spear fisher and novice alike with warm weather, flat seas and holidaymakers all keen to hunt and gather a seafood feast.

Early December saw a slower build up of the usual summer target species than expected but that improved later in the

month and should only get better in January.

Although southern rock lobster were certainly about in reasonable numbers the bigger class of lobster seemed to stay wider and deeper a little later than they usually do.

Inshore reefs were holding good numbers of lobster in the 1-1.5kg bracket and the upside of this is that those smaller lobster are generally the best eating size. January will see greater numbers and larger

Shane Lowery and Joseph Fernand with some average sized lobster for this time of year.

crays move in closer to the inshore reefs around the Victorian coastline.

The best areas tend to be in the 2-10m depth of water. Look for rocky reef patches well covered with weed and plenty of crevices, rock ledges and holes.

These areas provide the best cover and camouflage for southern rock lobster, therefore being prime real estate to find them. Make sure you are aware of the fisheries regulations in terms of size. Divers are also required to carry a measuring tool and to cut the tail of lobsters once they get out of the water.

This is also a great area to find Abalone, another very tasty added bonus.

The same can be said for reef species such as King George whiting, trumpeter, sea sweep and the iconic summer species, yellowtail kingfish.

General numbers of the fish seemed to be down a little early on, but there was certainly a big increase late in December with January looking promising as the prime month to target all these species.

January will see water temperatures in the

far southwest push up to 18°C+ and parts of the bays around Melbourne up to 22°C. This certainly helps to increase the numbers of reef and pelagic fish.

Fine weather also means a lot of boats on the water, so it’s very important to keep safety in mind. When possible always dive with at least one buddy. Make

Peter Riddle displaying a golden trumpeter.

This species is rarely caught by rod and line anglers but is a common species for divers.

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Rob Torelli and son, Jake, after a successful cray dive. sure to use a highly visible float with a diver below flag clearly displayed.

Remain aware of you’re surroundings and keep an eye out for any boats around you or transiting through the area you are diving.

For anyone interested in becoming part of a dive club and learning more about how to participate, there are several clubs in Victoria.

Southern Freedivers are the Melbourne-based club and they have a very active online forum. In the far Southwest www. shipwreckcoastskindivers. com are based in Port Fairy and run monthly competitions and social dives. Joining a club is a great way to meet experienced divers and learn how to participate in the sport in a safe way.

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Beating the holiday blues NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

Everyone loves the summer holidays, but if you’re a keen angler, this can be a rather trying time of year!

kids, splashing dogs, noisy ski boats and a flotilla of other craft from tiny kayaks to floating gin palaces will all fill our estuaries, bays, lakes and rivers over the coming weeks, transforming even normally placid and largely deserted backwaters into

Taking the time to collect your own bait then using it alive or at least fresh can make a world of difference to your results at this time of year.

trying time…

Not surprisingly, fish often tend to hunker down or make themselves scarce when this annual migration run of excited humanity hits the coastline and inland waterways. Catching a feed can become nigh on impossible at the height of the summer time insanity…

They don’t call it this the silly season for nothing!

Fortunately, there are some tricks for avoiding the worst excesses of the ‘human hatch’ and still being able to hook the odd good fish. Here are my five favourites: 1. Avoid the busiest hours of the day. Try to do the bulk of your January fishing very early in the morning (also a good way to beat those incessant summer sea breezes), late in the evening, or even at night. Remember, the days are extra long right now, so save the middle parts of them for family activities

The summer holiday crowds can make it harder to find and catch fish, especially at popular locations. It’s time to fish smarter, not harder! and cunjevoi (sea squirt) flesh are all good, but my absolute favourite offering at this time of year is a live prawn lightly skewered by the tail on a small, sharp hook… Deadly!

3. Go the extra kilometre.

Travel upstream a few more bends, or walk another couple of hundred metres along the beach or around the headland to get away from the worst of the holiday crowds. People tend to be rather lazy these days, and making a small extra investment of effort

and time can really pay off handsomely.

4. Use even more finesse in your fishing than usual.

More than at any other time of the year, the use of minimal sinker weight (or no sinker at all) and the lightest, finest lines and leaders you can possibly get away with will pay huge dividends in terms of extra bites and more fish hooked… Fish smarter, not harder!

5. Finally, be extra cautious around the water. There

are lots of very occasional boaters out there now and accidents will happen. Make sure they don’t impact on you! It should also go without saying that this is the most critical time of year when it comes to avoiding skin damage from our harsh sun. Make sure you slip, slop and slap!

Until next time, I wish you all safe, productive summer fishing and a happy, healthy New Year.

Tight Lines!

SATURDAYS

7-8am

WITH Our estuaries are especially busy places in January!

Starlo offers some very timely tips to help beat the crowds and catch a few fish.

“Summer time and the livin’ is easy, fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high.” So goes the delightful old Ella Fitzgerald jazz number.

And it’s true. Summer is a wonderful time of year, and we all look forward with eager enthusiasm to our annual holidays. Somewhere between Christmas Eve and Australia Day, most Aussies will take a chunk of time off work to spend with their families, kick back and — in many instances — wet a line in the hope of catching some of those jumpin’ fish Ella sung so lyrically about!

Unfortunately, the reality of this situation also means that our more popular waterways will be placed under immense peoplepressure as hordes of holidaymakers escape the summer heat for some welcome aquatic relief. Laughing

SEN 1116 REX HUNT

THROUGHOUT VICTORIA, SOUTHERN NSW, QUEENSLAND AND TASMANIA

AND A tub of lively pink nippers, Bass yabbies or ‘one-armed bandits’, ready to be converted into a meal of succulent fresh fish! busy, bustling hives of frantic activity. Long queues will form at launching ramps and tempers may fray as those once-a-year boaties struggle with the basics of fitting bungs, undoing tie-downs and coaxing neglected outboards into spluttering, coughing life. It can be a

or watching the cricket, and do your fishing before or after.

2. Consider giving the lures a rest. Instead use the best and freshest bait you can lay your hands on. Typically, this means catching or gathering it yourself. Beach, blood, sand and squirt worms, pink nippers (Bass yabbies), pipis

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Hot Spot

Hidden gem: Black Rock CRANBOURNE

Mitch Chapman

With so many species on offer and located in the northern part of Port Phillip Bay, Black Rock is one of Melbourne’s hidden little gems when it comes to sport fishing. With large numbers of snapper and salmon the main targets, and other species including squid, flathead and the occasional kingfish, it isn’t hard to see

why this is a popular fishing destination all year round.

PRIME TIME Some of the best fishing can be had in the winter months when abundant schools of salmon and pinkies inhabit the reefs and patrol the water in search of food and shelter. It is not uncommon to catch pinkies cast after cast once a school is located, from undersized fish to a couple of kilograms. Don’t be surprised if you hook onto something a little bigger that pulls a little

owrance Sounder Aaron Sammut with a nice snapper taken out from Black Rock. r from Berkley and

line and boat, probably a 5kg+ snapper.

THE GEAR Light 2-4kg spin outfits spooled with 6lb braid for the light stuff and 3-6kg outfitswith a bit heavier braid like 10lb are the two ideal outfits used when sportfishing the inshore reefs around Black Rock. An 8lb+ leader is a must as there are plenty of rocks and reef for pinkes, salmon and bigger snapper to rub you off on.

THE RIG If bait fishing then a light running sinker rig is best used when chasing pinkies and snapper. Half pillies and squid strips work really well here with a small size 1 ball sinker and a single 2/0 hook.

Trolling metal slugs around with a short 15lb leader is a good way to find the salmon if you can’t see them working the surface.

BAIT AND LURES Small soft plastic stickbaits, such as 70mm and 85mm Squidgy flick baits and 3” Berkley Power minnows are a popular choice and are the go-to lures for most anglers who prefer to chuck plastics. Popular colours are evil minnow and pillie, and in the Power minnows the old trusty pearl watermelon has

Birds are a dead giveaway that the salmon are about in huge numbers. stood the tests of time and is one of the pioneer ‘pinkie on plastics’ lures.

BEST METHOD Drifting in 3-10m of water and using your sounder is essential in the shallows.

Drifting covers a lot more area and makes it easier for you to find the fish, rather than anchoring up and casting lures. If you see a school of salmon on the surface, do not troll through them. Cut the motor short of them and cast

into them. This will stop the salmon from spooking and going down below the surface.

MOTHER NATURE Before fishing the area, make sure you are up to date with the current rules and regulations. There is a marine park that is clearly marked by marker poles, which you are not allowed to fish in. Also it is a nursery for small fish so make sure you know the size and bag limits of fish you are targeting.

HOT TIP If you see a school of salmon working the surface, don’t troll through the middle of them. Have your lures out wide and troll the outskirts of the school. This will prevent the salmon from going deep and maybe staying deep for a long period of time, which can be frustrating. Trolling around the outside will keep the school up near the top for longer periods of time.

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20/11/2014 5:35 pm

Wimmera woes but Rockland revs HORSHAM

Trevor Holmes

Throughout the Wimmera we are bracing ourselves for what potentially could spell the demise of some of the premier lakes in the area. Toolondo for instance currently sits at around 19% and is dropping fast as the onset of summer hits.

My fears of looming fish kills may be just around the corner and the iconic lake could turn belly up in no time if the algal blooms of last year return.

Other lakes are also starting to drop but some are topped up by water authorities.

With water constantly wasted throughout the winter on environmental flows and pushed to wherever the tourist dollar or events are held I think it’s time some sensibility is restored and sharing of water becomes a priority.

Hopefully this election someone gets in who can see the values of recreational angling in the district and act on the wants and needs of those who vote and act on our behalf not be told by a party what they can and can’t do!

TOOLONDO As mentioned, Toolondo has receding water levels and this has been reflected in catch rates. Water surface temps are dangerously high already for trout and the fish have become lethargic and spasmodic in their feeding patterns.

Mudeye anglers still produce the goods most days but even they have bad ones too! Fly fishers have found it tough going with the growth of weed to the

Launching has become difficult and access between the 2 main fishable areas is all but gone.

LAKE WARTOOK While the trout go into their summer mode early morning/late afternoon feeding, some fish are still being taken trolling Tassie Devils and shallow running hardbodies in these time slots.

Surface action seems to run hand in hand with hatches and matching the hatch is important.

Steve Crooks with a mudeye caught Toolondo brown of 2.6kg. surface restricting workable areas. Trolling has become impossible now but a few fish are being taken on shallow running lures or soft plastics.

A good by catch of redfin is also available with fish up around the 1.5kg mark, as well as plenty of smaller fish. StumpJumpers are once

again the pick of lures. With considerable stocking and good water levels there is plenty of potential at Wartook.

ROCKLANDS RESERVOIR I’ve been tipping the redfin to fire at Rockland and they haven’t let me down!

Some great bags of fish are coming out now and trolling the tree lines and steeper banks is the best method.

Most fish have been taken in 4-5m of water using StumpJumpers #3 with the deep diving bibs. Fluoro green has been the winner as well as the orange/black one similar to the Pegron Tiger Minnow colours.

Stocking of trout has continued and it has received a good number this year that were allocated for other lakes that have become too low.

Juvenile rainbows are freely hitting anything dragged at surface level but as yet they are too small. Carp are not as prevalent as previous years, which is great.

I Recently had a picture forwarded to me of a 5kg Murray cod caught and released from this lake.

On top of that I lost a huge bass recently almost at the net that would have been close to 60cm.

Darryl O’Shannessy with a cracker Rocklands’ reddie! of Chinook salmon being landed, it’s starting to come of age as a great fishing lake.

More anglers are becoming aware of its potential and, with good numbers of trout and redfin too, I can see Bellfield becoming a Wimmera hot spot!

Trolling the fringes early and late in the day once again is the best chance for a good fish. Anglers that persist and sound up schools during the brighter hours are doing well by dropping jigs or soft plastics through the masses and hooking up.

Even though there are a lot of smaller redfin, they are well worth sorting through as it also holds great eating size too. Keep in mind that it is an electric only lake.

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LAKE FYANS Fyans continues to improve daily and with a water level of around 80% we can look forward to some fantastic catches over the summer. It really is a terrific trout and redfin lake with all the right ingredients there.

Rainbows dominate catches and some respectable fish to 2kg have been landed of late. Green Powerbait under a float, mudeye and gudgeon have accounted for most but they also are willing to hit trolled lures.

Yellow winged Tassie Devils are a favourite this time of year and the traffic light Tassie as well. Redfin are best targeted early and late in the day the same as the trout, but those patient enough to fish mudeye will prevail during the day.

LAKE BELLFIELD With increased numbers

GREEN LAKE After a brief trip there just recently and experiencing a few good reddies and a few smaller ones I was impressed!

With many ski boats on the lake trolling it is difficult at times but my tip is get there early in the day before they get out and about.

Shallow running lures, such as Strike Pro Flatz Minnow, Diawa Presso Minnows and StumpJumper Finesse, are the best options but we also ran Stumpies with the shallow bibs too.

Hogbacks with a weighted keel in front of them will also get you in the zone. Carp prevail in here and provide great sport on light gear for bank anglers.

TAYLOR LAKE With many bank-anglers fishing the fringes, some good catches have been reported.

Sorting through the carp is the

problem but those persisting with worms, yabbies and gudgeon have managed a few smaller cod.

Not a lot of fish are taken trolling, but I’m going to give it a shot soon when water flows slow down. Currently being used as a transfer basin for further north, it is very turbid. On settling some clarity should be restored and the possibility of a trolled fish is on, especially around tree lines and up towards the wall area.

NATIVE FISHING With cod season well underway there is some good Wimmera options for those willing to persist and experiment! Out to our west close to the border are 2 very good prospects in Lake Charegrak and Lake Bringalbert. Both these lakes hold good numbers of natives and redfin. Do observe the change in cod size regulations and be cautious of tagged fish.

Charegrak has many tagged fish in it and it’s recommended these are not for consumption.

Bank anglers with yabbies and worms are regularly snaring fish here but mainly undersized so return as soon as possible.

REPORTS If you snare a great catch within the Wimmera, I’d love to hear about it and see a photo. Who knows, you may even get a pic in my column!

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Eades Xtreme Marine 24 Sturt Street, Echuca Phone: (03) 5482 2333 | Fax: (03) 5482 2133 Email: info@xtrememarine.net.au

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JANUARY 2015

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Conditions point to a good summer of fishing MILDURA

John Menhennett goobyfish@hotmail.com

River levels have dropped and continue to fall back into the banks. Flows have subsided after a flush just before Christmas, and water clarity is good enough to catch some nice fish in. It’s gearing up to be a fantastic summer of fishing around Mildura, particularly if targeting the iconic Murray cod in the mighty Murray.

Some very nice yellowbelly are being caught around here during these warm conditions, especially at Merbein.

The fish have mostly been taken on lures, but bait fishos are enjoying

bobbing shrimps and small yabbies. Downsized lures intended for yellas are working well around snags and clay banks, but recently they have been caught on larger lures as bycatch when targeting their much larger and more aggressive neighbours, the Murray cod. Most have been coming in at the usual 40-48cm range, typical of summer yellowbelly.

The best smaller lure for specifically targeting them has been the 90mm Koolabung Codbait and the LED-equipped Balista Dyno hardbodies.

Large catfish are also being caught on bait around Fort Courage, and as far upstream as Euston. Reports from local anglers indicate that this species is still Antonio Liparota from Euston with a nice catfish caught in the Murray River. This iconic species is still around in good numbers.

U-Make-Em Fish Take Em

around in good numbers.

Murray cod have been on the chew also, with numerous larger models caught on trolled lures in multiple locations around Mildura. This season should be a ripper due to the appropriate water levels and clarity. Try trolling big lures like the 150mm AC Invader, Muldoon lures, and Koolabung Codzillas in various sizes. One lure that has dominated the cod season thus far is the 120mm Codzilla.

Running a combination of 50lb braid and 50-60lb leader seems to be the best result for targeting big fish.

Lighter gear might see you land the big one, but with so much cover like snags and rocks to contend with, the chances of line breakage, probably with a nice fish on the end, are high. No angler wants that.

Up-sizing the trebles is

also a good idea, because you don’t want to be left wondering what might have been.

Releasing Murray cod is a good habit to get into, so it’s important to have all the right landing gear available to make the release as smooth and as trouble-free as possible. A large net, lip grips, pliers for hook removal and gloves are just some of the important equipment anglers should possess.

Summer is a great time to fish for our special native species, but if you are heading out it is vitally important to carry the safety and first aid equipment appropriate for your crew and the size of boat. Maritime are going to be out in force over the summer break, and please make sure you understand the new cod slot limits for Victoria and NSW.

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With January upon us, we have seen a great start to the current cod season and our new slot limits in place at 55-75cm. Most anglers I have had the opportunity to speak to are pleased with the regulations and agree that it will help maintain our fish stocks for the future.

There have been some great cod caught right along the Murray from Deniliquin to Torrumbarry, although areas with less speedboat traffic makes angling a little easier and more enjoyable.

This is the time of year when large cod lures come into their own, trolled slowly over a length of river using a depth sounder to identify either fish or habitat that is likely to house our targets.

There are many great lures out in the marketplace.

Some of my favourites include Oar-Gee 25, Custom Crafted, JD Lures, and the good old StumpJumpers, but

than a few sweeps over the part of river you choose to fish them on.

For anglers who choose bait, I like a running sinker rig with just enough weight to

are coming in from the irrigation channels and the Campaspe on both lures and small yabbies. Using light gear, they are always great sport.

A 91cm cod taken above Echuca on a trolled Oar-Gee lure, before being released by Ben Starkey.

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there are plenty of others that will also give results.

The most asked question is regarding colour, and it’s also the hardest to answer.

The rule in my boat is one light and one dark, as the variables are numerous. If one starts to work on a day, it tends to be the trend for that session. I think where most anglers fail though, is not working an area hard enough — that means more

hold bottom and a 3/0 or 4/0 hook. Best baits include live shrimp, scrubworms, yabbies and bardi grubs. This rig will work equally well for yellowbelly, as any of those baits are high on the food chain.

Kow Swamp is continuing to produce some good yellows on both bait and lures, with the Jackalls accounting for many fish.

Some good catches of redfin

So with Daylight Savings and lovely weather, there are no excuses not to dangle a line over the next few weeks and catch yourself a fish from our local waterways.

• For the latest fishing and boating information in the Echuca/Moama region, drop into Boats and More’s Echuca store at 76 Northern Hwy or give them a call on (03) 5482 1992.

Fixing green fish fever ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

With 3 months of green fish fever all but done, it’s time to immerse ourselves in all things cod fishing. The season is on and the chance to get tackle stretched and torn is but one short cast away. During the closure, the Murray and many of its adjoining rivers ran high and dirty, pushed to the point by environmental flows. While I was keen that the river might settle before the opening, it seems

these flows will continue over the coming month.

While they are not ideal for lure fishing, there is still opportunity if you do the hard yards. Bright rattling lures or large flashing spinnerbaits will still prompt a strike if landed on a cod’s nose.

The dirty water does little to deter bait anglers, as clarity matters not when a hungry cod is swimming up a current-driven scent trail sniffing out a bait. Large bardi grubs and yabbies work well early season, as the fish are still feeding up after the arduous job of breeding.

Gareth Lynch with a nice Darling River cod that ate a large Bassman DT spinnerbait.

Scrub worms too, will tempt a bite, as can a hookful of river shrimp. These transparent crustaceans are about in plague proportion along the Murray, so fresh bait is close at hand.

It was refreshing to hear of several big cod caught in the Wakool River near Kyalite before the opening.

The largest fish, said to be at least 100lb, was caught on bait at a combined angling club competition.

There were 2 other metreplus fish landed at this meet and all were returned to the river in good health. To my knowledge these are the first large cod landed in this area since the black water of several years ago. It’s good news for the Wakool, as it’s a great fishing destination that can, once again, raise the hopes of all who visit its waters to chance that giant catch.

Along the Murray River, Robinvale and Euston fished well into the lead up of the cod opening, and should continue to produce fish over the coming month. While most fish were caught on bait, some anglers had small golden perch lures crumpled and ripped to bits. These were either destroyed by Jurassic

Rod Mackenzie with a hefty Murray cod that smacked a Carls Compact spinnerbait made by Bassman. goldens or overzealous cod; my money is on the latter.

Wemen and Hattah are other Murray-based locations that fished well and will continue to produce now the season is open. Pay particular attention to the numerous rock bars dotted along this section of river, as they always hold cod.

The Darling River fished well towards the end of last season, and should continue to provide good action for anglers using either bait or

lures in the holes. There is little to no flow, so it will be interesting to see what happens when the water starts to warm. I remember all too well the last massive fish kill along the Darling, and it seems that things are heading down that same path. Let’s hope not.

While it’s all things cod at the moment, there are still good numbers of golden perch to be caught if you’re so inclined. Anglers bobbing shrimp around the snags are

doing well at most locations.

Few perch have been caught on lures, but once again this is mainly to do with poor water clarity.

I look forward to the next month of fishing where heavy drags, beefed up lures and the chance to get the bejeesus frightened out of you is what the cod season is all about.

I hope everyone has had an excellent cod opening and an even better Christmas and New Year.

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57

Cod opening weekend smash SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

Yet another year has passed and 2014 was a very hit and miss year. The trend of locals using bigger profiled lures saw plenty of above average fish caught in our rivers. There was plenty of smaller fish caught as well during 2014, which is a sign the river systems are strong in our region.

For me, 2014 was a very busy year, the birth of my son came 11 weeks early which kept me off the water a lot during the year. To all those who chipped in sending emails and photos regarding to how the area was fishing was much appreciated.

Looking into the future, I expect to get plenty more hours on the water in 2015, a new coaching role in Benalla will see me explore some new waterways towards Benalla.

The Broken River has some great access points out that way and I look forward to seeing some new water.

Now back to 2014 where we had some bumper weather over the cod opening period, a few storm fronts came and went and the temp ranged from 25-35ºC for weeks prior and during cod opening.

This year there was plenty of super keen anglers on the water right on the stroke of midnight to try and get bragging rights over their mates to see who would land the first cod.

The trend in casting lures from the bank in narrow waterways was very productive locally with the Broken River fishing excellently. Casting larger profiled hardbodies with a shallow bib from all reports worked best. In the Broken you can keep your lures in

the strike zone very well with these types of lures.

Bait fishers did not come home disappointed over the cod opening period with fresh bardi grubs being the most successful bait. Finding a nice shady tree and placing your grubs deep into the structure worked best.

Stock up early on your

all brands of spinnerbaits were represented in reports.

With the clear water conditions and a bit of flow, casting to the upstream side of snags worked well for those using bait. Similar spots worked just as well, just remember to cast in front of the structure as it will end up settling in the strike zone.

Ethan Peters with a cod caught over cod opening weekend in his kayak. live bait, come late January it gets a lot harder to dig grubs or buy them, all local tackle stores have very good bait set ups with most supplying almost everything you need for a day’s fishing.

As I write this article the Goulburn River has never looked this good over December, hopefully the environmental flows in November gave the river a heathly flush and if the water clarity stays the same January , we will see plenty of reports flowing in from the river.

Over cod opening weekend Toolamba was the most prominent area with reports flooding in of dozens of legal sized cod caught and released. Unlike the Broken the Goulburn fished better with spinnerbaits, red and black or purple and black was the best colours and almost

The water temp will continue to rise in January and I think the river will continue to fish best out towards Toolamba and Murchison. If we get a spike in river height target the waters towards Moira Park or around the Shepparton cemetery rock wall, the flowing water should really fire up the fish in these areas.

KIALLA LAKES The lakes are still producing large amounts of carp and redfin, most fishing in the lakes is now shifting from targeting yellowbelly to now targeting the introduced fish. The lakes are a nice safe and clean place to fish and with the park and shops right there it’s a great spot to take the family for a couple of hours.

Floating a bunch of worms around the willows

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has been the best method for redfin and corn kernels fished on the bottom for carp.

There is still a chance to catch a good sized yellowbelly in the lakes so don’t count out landing a good native fish.

SHEPPARTON LAKE With the warmer weather and a shallow water system the fish have been holding right on the bottom or deep into the weed beds. This has made it a bit difficult for us as trolling deeper lures seems hard as they get caught up in a lot of the weed. If you can find a lure that will sit just above the weed beds you should have some luck.

Floating worms or power baits still produces trout but they seem to be struggling to survive being caught, which is a shame. It may be best to target the natives with bigger lures unless you’re looking to keep a trout.

CRAIGMUIR LAKE There has not been a heap of reports from Craigmuir of late, I think a lot more of the Mooroopna fishing community have targeted cod in the rivers, which means the redfin and yellowbelly have had some time off from being targeted.

If you head to the lakes, casting lipless crankbaits or trolling them will work a treat.

WARANGA BASIN Get in early before the speed boats is my hot tip for this time of the year. If you get on the water at day break

Tait Collins with a nice cod caught on cod opening morning. and fish until about 9 or 10am you will beat the rush of speed boats that seem to enjoy chopping up the water when you’re on a hot bite.

Locating the schools early is a huge advantage and the birds are still working the schools over out there, which makes life easier.

The fish in past months have been holding in deeper waters around to 20-25m mark, which makes it a touch harder to fish but just be more patient and let your bait or lure sink a bit longer.

RIVER RATS FAMILY FISHING CLASSIC & OUTDOOR EXPO There is a buzz around the town as some of Australia’s leading fishos are coming.

Both Rod Mackenzie and Glen Casey will be in attendance at the Outdoor & Fishing Expo Friday 30 January at the Shepparton Swans Club Rooms, Princess Park, Shepparton. They both will be holding fishing talks

and mingling with the crowd.

As well as the fishing talks, there will be plenty of displays and stalls selling some quality tackle. All who attend have a chance to win lucky door prizes and a major expo raffle prize – a fishing session with Rod Mackenzie.

The expo is the lead up to the Family Fishing Classic and this year EVERYONE wins a prize. There are hundreds of prizes to be given out over the weekend and with a massive 30 hours of permitted fishing everyone is catered for.

Entrants can fish from Nagambie to Undera and out to Benalla, which lets everyone fish their favourite spots.

Cost is $50 for adults and under 15s $20; it gets you 2 meals, expo entry, lucky door prize tickets and the chance to win cash prizes.

For more information contact me on 0429 000 653.

Mulwala cod clues YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

Maccullochella peelii, greenfish, goodoo, ponde or even Murray cod — names that excite freshwater fishos more at this time of year than Santa Claus!

This is the hardest report of the year to write as deadlines require submission only days before season opening, but by the time it hits the stands we are a few weeks into the season. December 1 was cod opening and with it a mass influx of anglers looking for some action on the end of a rod are sure to have descended on the home of the Murray cod, Lake Mulwala.

All fishing methods will see you in with a great chance of action.

Lure fishing tends to turn up bigger cod, while the bait fishos will be rewarded with numbers. For the trollers, 70-120mm lures are always a great choice,

while spinnerbaits should not be discounted as they have produced many fish on the troll in the past couple of years.

Those who prefer to cast tend to use spinnerbaits and crankbaits, but a look at casting some timber hardbodies should not be discounted.

Something that gets down in the cod’s face pretty quick might be the answer. Cod have seen many spinnerbaits over the past 15 years and it might be a case of what’s old is new again, with a return to old style timber lures.

The bait crew should be looking towards bardi grubs, yabbies and the ever-popular scrub worm.

So what is going to work best? As you can see, I have given just about everything in the tackle bag and bait box a mention. Hang in there, persist and the rewards will come.

Another craze that is the most fun by a country mile is surface fishing. The anticipation of a massive surface hit can’t be beat on a dead calm summer’s

evening. Whether it be paddlers, poppers or buzz baits, give it a crack and you will be hooked in no time. One important piece of advice when it comes to surface fishing though — do it slow.

Anglers must be aware that in the off-season a new set of rules has been implemented by both NSW and Victorian fisheries managers that governs a slot size and bag limits for cod. In NSW waters it is now only legal to take Murray cod that measure between 55-75cm inclusive, with a daily bag limit of 2 and a total possession limit of 4.

Victorian bag limits vary slightly, so get yourself up to speed if fishing those waters.

With the reduction in minimum size limits, I can see most will be able to achieve their daily limits fairly easily. Personally, I’m not a fan of the size reduction and urge those who are looking for a feed not to be greedy. Think To page 59

Head for the hills!

KEIWA VALLEY

Robbie Alexander

Trout fishing in the Kiewa River was quite poor throughout springtime, which was quite disappointing for many anglers.

I was very disappointed myself after having a couple of fantastic sessions late in autumn. I had reasonably high expectations for the Kiewa River as a trout fishery this season, and sadly the river never lived up to them for me.

There were a few trout caught in dribs and drabs, but I have received no glowing reports all season so far.

There will most likely be little change in the fishing in January as we enter the hottest month of the year and the water really starts to warm up, slowing down a trout fishery that is already struggling. A few trout will

positives wherever possible, and the positive to a fishery that is down on numbers is that the remaining trout that are in the Kiewa River should experience excellent growth rates with little competition for food, meaning there should be some very large trout getting around in the Kiewa River.

the water starts to warm up, especially if we experience a dry December and the water flow is low.

Across the valley into the Mitta Mitta River, it has been a similar story with trout numbers being well down on what they usually are. I have not had a chance to fish the Mitta Mitta myself this

A small Murray cod from the lower reaches of the Kiewa River, caught last season.

The redfin at Allans Flat are usually small, but they can be easy to catch and the kids get a lot of satisfaction out of catching them.

season, but from the reports that I have received it appears to be fishing one notch better than the Kiewa River, but that one notch is a very small notch!

Further over again to the Nariel Creek, I have had similar reports again.

One of my editors, from a local newspaper that I write

work the best. Fly fishers using small black bead headed nymphs suspended under a well presented dry fly will pick up a few trout if they sneak up nice and quietly.

Bait fishers should try casting unweighted grasshoppers with very light line. Try waxing your line close to your hook to help the

A nice brown trout caught recently on a 40mm Metalhead soft plastic in one of the tributaries of the Kiewa River. still be available for anglers willing to walk decent distances and put in the hours, however they will be few and far between.

I like to look at the

If you are fishing the Kiewa River during January, try and stay as close to Mt Beauty as you can where the water will be cooler. As you get downstream of Tawonga,

A typically dark coloured Kiewa River Murray cod caught last season.

From page 58

of the future and limit your catch, don’t catch your limit.

Fishing below the weir early in the season generally produces plenty of undersize cod, the protected trout cod, and the always-fun silver perch. Throw in numerous carp and good numbers of yellas, and the Murray is more often than not a better option for the family if they are looking to put the kids onto a fish for a bit of fun.

I welcome all anglers visiting Yarrawonga/ Mulwala over the summer period to pop in and say hello at Lake Mulwala Fish, Camp & Ski (opposite the Mulwala post office). I’m sure we can put you onto a fish or two and make your visit to the region a rewarding and memorable one.

Cooper Bennett with a nice cod he caught off the surface on a lure by Moose Popper.

a weekly fishing report for, fished the Nariel Creek the weekend before I wrote this report. In two days they only managed 3 trout. They were fly fishing and said they saw a few trout in the water, but not a huge amount.

My experience, which has been mainly around the Kiewa Valley in this area, is that there are trout to be caught, but they are further up into the smaller tributaries and into the headwaters where the water flows are a bit more reliable and slightly cooler.

During January, no matter where you are fishing for trout in this picturesque corner of the state, make sure you head as far upstream as you possibly can, because right across the region it is these headwaters that are producing trout on a more regular basis.

In these areas the water will be very low and most likely crystal clear, meaning that a stealth like approach is absolutely essential.

Natural presentations will

grasshopper float.

Lure casters should try using small natural-coloured soft plastics, and if there are some deep holes, a dark coloured small minnow.

The Kiewa and Mitta Mitta rivers are both stocked

annually with Murray cod, and both house decent populations of these great fish in their lower reaches. In the Kiewa River, anywhere downstream from Dederang is worth a try, with the area down near Tangambalanga being a bit of a hot spot. The Mitta Mitta River tends to get stocked a lot at Pigs Point, so no doubt this area would be worth targeting.

Something that must be said about the Murray cod fishing in the Kiewa River, which I say every year, is that the water is subject to regular fluctuations as water is released from the Mt Beauty regulating pondage to make way for more water that is dumped during electricity generation in the power stations in the hills behind Mt Beauty.

This fluctuating water can turn the Murray cod on and off very quickly, which tends to cause hot and cold Murray cod fishing. In January, the aim is to try and fish the Kiewa River after a period of stable water levels, and the water levels can be monitored on the Bureau of Meteorology website.

With Murray cod, no matter where you are fishing, stability in conditions is a key to success when you are fishing. Stable barometer, and stable water conditions always lend themselves to great Murray cod fishing, particularly during January.

The Kiewa River at Redbank. This section, like most of the Kiewa River has been fishing quite poorly for trout this season. There are a few trout there to be caught, but numbers are down. If all else fails, this particular hole about 1km downstream from the Redbank Bridge makes for an amazing swimming spot in the heat of January!

JANUARY 2015

59

Hot in the high country WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

Before anything, I would like to wish everybody a happy and safe New Year this January. Speaking of January… hot hot hot is what it’s all about in the Wangaratta area in January.

January is the hottest month of the year and during the heat the fishing can get tough. In saying that, it can also be very good. The weather really plays a critical role in dictating what the fishing will be like during the hottest month of the year.

TROUT January is probably the worst time of the year to go trout fishing in North East Victoria as from the start of the month to the end of the month everything is so damn hot.

Trout are a cold water species of fish, but in order to stay alive they have to eat at some stage. They can, however, go for lengthy periods without eating and this is pretty much what they

at the bottom of the deepest holes they can find and pretty much just sulk. They will sit there, starving themselves and losing condition.

At night they may move out into the open a little bit to feed, but even then they can become very picky as to what they eat.

Fish kills are a possibility during periods of extreme heat, and have been observed

Redfin don’t mind the water a little bit warmer and can be caught quite regularly in January. Avoid shallow water in direct sunlight though as those areas may be a little too warm.

A lovely small stream brown trout caught recently on a 40mm Metalhead soft plastic in a tributary of the King River. The fishing in these small streams can slow right down during January. Try fishing early in the morning, and after a decent thunderstorm or downpour when there is a flush of freshwater moving through.

During January when the water warms up in the small streams, making the trout go off the bite, try heading down stream into the lower reaches of the creek and targeting some redfin.

You may be surprised by just how many of these small rural streams have redfin in them. do when conditions warm up too much. During periods of extreme heat, the trout will sit

we had prolonged periods of excessive heat.

If you want to target trout during January, you really have to head up high into the mountains. The Ovens River up around Harrietville tends to be a bit cooler than most waterways in the region and can be worth fishing during January. The Ovens River flows out of the steep shaded valleys around the Northern

in several waterways across North East Victoria in both of the last two Januarys when

Young Zac Essex with a very fat 68cm European carp caught in a small lagoon in Wangaratta recently.

Carp will bite right throughout the heat in most areas and are a great way to introduce kids to fishing.

DAM LEVELS Lake/Dam % Full

Dam % Full

LAKE/DAM Oct Nov Dec Cairn Curran 58 55 83 Dartmouth 93 90 86 Eildon 86 82 79 Eppalock 73 73 58 Fyans 79 83 73 Greens 68 64 64 Hepburn 97 94 87 Hume 78 70 64 Lauriston 75 73 74 Malmsbury 34 34 34 Mulwala (Yarrawonga) 93 93 96

Newlyn 93 90 86 Nillahcootie 100 97 93 Rocklands 28 23 24 Taylors 17 25 19 Tullaroop 52 50 48 Upper Coliban 97 97 92 Waranga 71 51 41 Wartook 86 45 78 William Hovell 98 99 100

60

JANUARY 2015

side of Mt Hotham and Mt Feathertop, and cascades quite quickly out of the mountains and down to Harrietville. This is why it tends to be a bit cooler than most other rivers. The fact that the water is usually a little bit cooler, and the fact that the Ovens River was stocked a few months back makes it probably the most viable trout fishery in the Wangaratta area during January.

The high country, as

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.

in Alpine areas, is always worth fishing for trout during January. The Mt Buffalo plateau has two small lakes and a number of small streams that all hold trout. Most of the trout in these higher altitudes are quite small, and usually too small to keep, however they are a fantastic sport fish in the alpine creeks, which are usually small with crystal clear water that stays cool in summer and often freezes over in winter. Fly fishers usually do well in the high country during January.

OTHER FISH Apart from trout, most other species of fish in the Ovens and King rivers tend to prefer warm water. Redfin, Murray cod and golden perch all bite best when the water is warmer.

In saying that, during periods of extreme heat in January most fish will

usually quieten right down.

Golden perch tend to handle the warmest water conditions the best, but there are very few of them in the Ovens River catchment these days unfortunately.

Redfin bite well in the heat, especially in the lakes where they can vary the depth of water they are sitting in to choose a water temperature that suits them best. During January, Lake Buffalo and William Hovell are the places to head if you are after redfin.

I have a preference for Lake William Hovell as it just seems to hold more redfin, but Lake Buffalo tends to have a few bigger redfin.

Murray cod will bite all January, that is a given.

Their level of enthusiasm will be dependent on the heat though. In other words, if we get any prolonged periods of excessive heat, the Murray cod may slow down, but most anglers will still pick up the odd one. If we get a cool change and get a week or so of more modest temperatures, towards the end of that stable period is when the Murray cod will bite best.

Anywhere in the Ovens River downstream of Myrtleford is worth fishing if you are targeting Murray cod. From Myrtleford to Lake Mulwala the Ovens River

ensure that the Ovens River has a reasonable flow for the entire summer, regardless of weather conditions. Lake Buffalo is not a large lake, so the Ovens River will not be a raging torrent of icy cold water. It is a small 24,000ML lake that holds water for local irrigation. Discharges from the lake just ensure that the Ovens River maintains a flow through drought years from Myrtleford downstream.

In January, try focussing your attention on the low light periods of the day when targeting Murray cod.

Mornings and evenings can both be great times to fish, however during periods of excessive heat I prefer mornings as the water may be just a little bit cooler.

In the middle and Lower reaches of the Ovens River, the low summer levels and hot conditions can lead to lower oxygen content in the water which in turn can really slow the fish down. In such times, I like to focus my attention on areas where the water is flowing into the deeper pools, particularly if the water is broken up, like dropping over a log or rock and causing a small splash. These areas tend act in a similar way to filters in a fish tank and put oxygen into the water.

Summer is stinking hot

A sunset Murray cod caught by Brett Corker last season on a Bassman spinnerbait. Low light periods are the best times to target Murray cod during January, with the mornings being the best during periods of extreme heat. has a healthy population of Murray cod and the protected trout cod and will be worth fishing during January.

Last month, Lake Buffalo was at 100%, which will

in the Wangaratta area, and the fishing can be tough, but with a bit of perseverance and a slight adjustment to your approach you can still catch plenty of fish.

Remember your Ps and Qs EILDON

Andy McCarthy

Christmas is over and now the holiday crowds move in so we need to be on our game as far as safety goes. The crowds up here are ridiculous over January and things get quite congested at ramps and popular fishing spots.

Tempers can get a little edgy so try to remember that a little bit of common courtesy goes a long way, even if it’s not reciprocated.

After what was a funny

spring weather pattern with colder than average nights keeping the water temps a lot lower than usual, it may well extend the yella season for a month or so. This is great news for holidaymakers throughout January and into February.

There have been plenty of quality yellas caught up around the top of the lake between Bonnie Doon and the Delatite Arm. They have been quite sporadic that’s for sure, with a few guys who have fished it on a regular basis finding and catching good numbers.

Now that cod season is in full swing don’t forget the new slot limit of 55-75cm.

This is probably due largely to the fact that the fish have remained in the same areas in large schools for longer than they usually would in spring.

It’s not often you just catch one yellowbelly when it’s like this, you just have to find them, which can be very challenging. Lake Eildon is such a vast waterway, so a quality sounder is an absolute must up here, without one it is purely a guessing game.

Now that cod season is in full swing don’t forget the new slot limit of 55-75cm.

It’s been well advertised and it will be enforced. It has been a great start to the season up here with good numbers of cod being caught all over the lake from 35cm right up over the 1m mark, which is great to see and lots in the 60-80cm region.

It’s going to be a great summer on the natives and I will spend a great deal of time on the water searching for the elusive 1m green fish!

EILDON Generally throughout spring, the bottom of the lake fires but this year it has not, which could mean out of the box catches in

Jimmy Rogers caught this excellent cod while trolling the lake’s edges.

January in the lower reaches and deeper sections – let’s hope so anyway.

There has been an influx of juvenile cod near the dam wall, which may be the reason why the yellas haven’t shown up in big numbers like they have consistently in the past. Who knows, it might be about to happen so it will be well worth a go, that’s for sure.

Fraser has been doing

quite well lately with a few cod and yellas being caught mainly on StumpJumpers.

Local, Jimmy Rogers, has been doing particularly well on purple and black colours trolling the edges.

It’s starting to become quite hard to find the redfin for a feed, as they have become very scarce.

I suppose we were spoilt for years with the ease of which they were caught and

because they are such good eating, it’s a real bummer!

If you want to try for them then the most I’ve heard of have been caught deep in about 15-17m of water.

The Big River Arm has been doing quite well with solid numbers of natives being caught. An occasional trout has put on good condition of late, which is great after the slabby fish in late winter and early spring.

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61

Bass are dominating catches CTL GIPPSLAND

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

I can’t believe how times have changed, what was once solely a trout article, I now find myself talking

more about Gippsland bass than anything! And with the immense stocking regime that has been implemented in Gippsland over the past 5 years, it’s great to see all the hard work paying off.

Bass fishing is tough in

A Traralgon Creek bass – don’t know where it came from but there was more than one! Definitely shows Traralgon Creek is a good habitat for bass.

the colder months, with the worm anglers catching most of them and usually only before 9am and after 4pm.

Now that the weather has warmed and we are getting those barmy nights, the bass are starting to become a lot more active and are feeding on baitfish and insects. This means we can get our lures out, and more to the point our surface lures.

We have seen bass popping up everywhere lately from the Macalister, Avon, Thomson, Tyers, Tanjil, Rainbow, and even Traralgon Creek, believe it or not. A couple of standout lures are the Megabass Siglets, River2Sea Buggy Pops, Bent Minnows and other small stick baits. I really want to try the new Mimix range of surface lures as well. The key is to use lures early and late in the day and slow down your retrieve.

The bass seem to be getting bigger, especially in our local lakes such as Glenmaggie and Blue Rock where fish in excess of 40cm are getting caught more often.

In the rivers, we are starting to see higher numbers of bass in the high 20cm range, and a couple tipping 30cm as well – fast growers by the look of it.

The next 3 months will be even better so if anyone reading this hasn’t chased the bass yet, do it now, you are missing out.

• For more information, contact Will at Allways Angling in Traralgon on 51748544. 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!

Mitch has been smashin’ the bass as usual, this one from the Macalister.

Manic weather for Macca YARRA VALLEY

Ian Loft ringwood@compleatangler.com.au

The weather up until now has been manic to say the least! The unpredictability of the weather has made the fishing very spasmodic at best.

Taking into account the native closed season, which has now lifted, the water condition for these fish is still so-so. However, one native fish that tends to like the ups and downs of the water flow is the Macquarie perch. With a closed season from Oct 1 to Dec 31 the season is now open for these prized fish. A total worm hog, the ‘macca’ can be

found feeding hard up against the banks where they look for nymphs and other small invertebrates, and they love scrub worms.

Worms form a small but important part of this fish’s diet and when they are on the hunt for them, you can expect some pretty hot action (as far as native fish go)! The common garden worm is what they usually find washing into the system from the heavy rains, but one worm that stands out as the bait of baits for the macca is the scrub worm. This big brute of a worm is long lasting on the hook and full of yummy juices (if you’re a fish). Fish them on a size 4 bait holder hook running sinker rig it will make for a very affective combo.

Casting into the middle of the river is going to do you no good at all if you want to tangle with the slate grey perch of the Yarra. Finding a deep, slow flowing corner and dropping your bait right off the rod tip is a much better idea. The fish in this river will tend to hug the banks as this is where the cover is and most of the food they find. Using a couple of rods per person you can ‘peg’ out a slice of bank and still have a reasonable chance of getting to your rod in time to set the hook. However, beware of the Murray cod! This fish is big and strong and will rip your rod from the rod holder in a second and take it home to show the kids. Secure your gear to the bank well with proper rod holders not forked sticks.

Kris Leckie with a beautifully marked brown trout from above Warburton caught on a red bladed spinner.

The trout fishing has been pretty good of late although trying to catch a break of clear water has been the issue. For the lure angler, this is never a drama

as the arsenal of lures in the box will in most cases be able to cut through any water conditions and still get a result.

• For all the latest information

on how to go about fishing the Yarra River and surrounding areas, drop into Compleat Angler Ringwood or give them a call on (03) 9870 77922.

Bang on for Bendigo yellowbelly BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

The 2015 season looks as though it is going to be a good one. At the present time, water clarity is very good at the majority of locations in the Bendigo region. The productivity in the fishing has been good but as always everything is not perfect.

What is of major concern is the rapid decline in water levels in our impoundments.

We are being told that a lot of the water is being released for environmental flows.

I question if this is the case or more likely the water is being sold further down the 62

JANUARY 2015

irrigation system.

LAKE EPPALOCK The fishing in the lake has been frustrating for the majority of anglers. The productivity in the redfin fishing has declined again this season. There have been the occasional quality school of redfin being located with small quantities of large redfin measuring up to 45cm being landed by anglers. Trolling deep diving hardbody lures and casting soft plastics have been the most productive methods.

Unfortunately at the present time the redfin are constantly moving. Often you can find a good school on the sounder and before you know it they are gone again (very frustrating). On

a positive note there has been the improvement in the productivity in the golden perch fishing. Anglers who are switched on to chasing the golden perch are managing to land between 4-5 golden perch per day.

The most productive fishing for the golden perch has been early in the morning and late in the afternoons.

During the middle of the day the fishing has been slow.

Casting lipless crankbaits and hardbody lures have been productive methods.

The most productive colour patterns have been dark silhouettes and redfin patterns. The productivity in the golden perch fishing should continue to be good in the short term. If water

levels continue to drop at the recent rates then the productivity in the fishing will decline.

CAMPASPE RIVER The fishing in the Campaspe River has been patchy. During the periods when they have been releasing greater volumes of water from Lake Eppalock the productivity in the fishing has generally not been good.

A few days after the water releases are reduced and water flows settle and water clarity improves, the fishing has been good.

Golden perch have been making up the majority of anglers’ captures. Casting small spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits has been working well.

This golden perch was caught casting a Jackall TN60 lure slowly retrieved along a rocky shoreline at Lake Eppalock.

The numbers of Murray cod being caught in the deeper sections of the Campaspe River have been low. The majority of Murray cod have been caught by anglers walking the banks fishing the shallower sections of the river.

CAIRN CURRAN The fishing in Cairn Curran has been good. Small numbers of golden perch are being caught at the present time. Trolling around the edges of the lake in the depth range of around 4-6m has To page 63

Trout tops the lakes MELBOURNE METRO

Ian Debar iand@gottabite.com.au

January can be a good time of year for anglers – the Christmas rush is over, the kids are on school holidays and there’s normally a few days away from work to unwind and soak a bait.

The plus side of school holidays is that most of the urban lakes receive a top up of feisty rainbow trout to have fun with.

Karkarook Park Lake has been a popular spot of late.

Situated in Moorabbin, it’s well within reach for a few hours fishing. The height of summer can see the trout a bit quieter than usual around the edges, but cool mornings and afternoons can be excellent.

By far the most productive method in the lake recently has been to use a coarse fishing method with maggots or Powerbait and a very fine

berley mixture.

The key to the berley mixture is to make sure it is fine enough so that the trout can’t actually ‘eat’ it – they actually almost breath it in. The best mixture has been a two part concoction of crushed ‘specialist trout pellets’ and Stimulate fine grit berley with a small amount of water added to turn the whole lot into a claggy cake batter consistency. Berley can either be flung out using a berley spoon or mixed into a feeder cage for a slow release scent.

Over in the Yarra River the main two targets recently have been either Murray cod or trout. Anglers fishing the upper reaches as far as Reefton have been picking off the odd trout in the deeper pools, most of which are resident browns in the 250-400g size. Small soft plastics that imitate insect nymphs or yabbies have been very effective when slowly

twitched back through the depths of the pool. Around the middle reaches of the river the cod have been tough but a few keen anglers have been rewarded for their efforts.

Most of the cod caught have been between 35-60cm and are always partial to a big bunch of scrubworms or medium sized yabbies. Just be mindful that Murray cod regulations in Victoria have changed recently, with a minimum size of 55cm and a maximum size of 75cm with a bag limit of one fish per day from rivers such as the Yarra.

Sugarloaf Reservoir has been fishing well for the last couple of months, with golden perch and redfin both fairly active. Anglers fishing the standing timber just along the lake edges have been picking up small numbers of goldens averaging around 40cm, along with a few smaller redfin. The most productive lures lately have been Strike Pro hummers fitted with snag

A decent lure caught golden from Sugarloaf Reservoir. Photo courtesy Jordan Cervenjak. resistant double hooks, and weedless rigged soft plastics like the small size Squidgy Lobby. Both of these lures are sinking lures, and when fished on a tight line they can be slowly crawled back around timber with minimal snagging.

If you have had some

success in these areas lately send me a photo and go into the draw for your chance to win a store voucher valued at $100. Email it to: admin@ fishingcamping.com.au include, angler’s name, species, and the area you were fishing.

• For up to date fishing

information, contact the guys at Compleat Angler in Dandenong on 9794 9397 or drop in and see us at 241 – 243 Princes Hwy, Dandenong, we are open 7 days a week.

For our other latest fishing reports and to download information sheets, go to www fishingcamping.com.au

Match the hatch with big bait for big fish

stream fishing.

New fly anglers should pack an assortment of flies to mimic the local hatches.

Hatches typically occur in the late afternoon, particularly after a hot day when a cool change is approaching. Matching the hatch increases the chances but some bright coloured larger flies and beaded nymphs can be very useful

to have in the fly box. Dirty, dark water shadowed out by the hills and fast flowing runs could possibly hold trout and are possible reasons that you would consider changing from a ‘natural’ looking local fly to something that stands out.

As we head into summer, dry flies will be popular, as trout will be feeding off the surface.

You may still find now that a

simple beaded nymph will still work wonders if the stream flow is still a little strong.

The key rivers for fly anglers over the coming months are the Loch, Toorongo and Tarago rivers. The whole stretch of the Toorongo River meanders through farmland and generally only has bank vegetation on one side of the bank; reducing difficult casting and tangles. There is great access to the river for most part and if you combine wading and walking the bank then you can cover some fair territory in a couple of hours.

The Tarago has many sections meandering through farmland below Neerim South right through Drouin West to Labertouche which, like the Toorongo, the river opens up a lot of potential fishing ground.

The Loch River around Noojee is a narrow stream for most parts and well vegetated on either side so waders are a must. This stream presents some great fishing potential with narrow runs opening up to nice long deep holes where many fish will be feeding.

Lures such as spinner blades, hardbodies and soft plastics are also productive methods for getting into the trout action this summer. Lure

anglers are only landing small redfin with the occasional quality redfin being located by some anglers.

LODDON RIVER Water clarity is currently very good in the Loddon River. This makes for some very enjoyable fishing as well as some very frustrating fishing. With the water

clarity being so good it has been common to see the fish strike your lure and watch the fight as you try and land your fish. The frustrating part is with the water clarity so good the fishing can be very slow during the middle of the day.

If you want to catch fish in the Loddon River an early start or late finish is required.

Golden perch have been the main species, which have been caught in the deeper sections of the river. Those anglers who have been walking the banks fishing the shallower section of the Loddon have been producing an even spread in catch rates between Murray cod and golden perch.

WST/STH GIPPSLAND

Steve Haughton steve@habitatcreations.com.au

With Christmas and the New Year over, it’s time to sneak in a quiet stream trout fishing session or a day trip to Blue Rock Lake before the holiday season is over.

January will be an exciting time for stream trout anglers as there have been loads of insect hatchings over the last month, which is providing the main food source for surface feeding trout. Surface feeding fish means anglers can spot their target and approach the strike zone carefully, which results in more fish.

Site fishing with a pair of Polaroid sunglasses in the streams around West and South Gippsland adds a whole new dimension to stream trout fishing and is definitely worth it if you haven’t tried it before. Use Polaroids with brown lenses for freshwater. There are so many styles and brands out on the market so start off with a pair in your price budget and see what a difference it makes to the From page 62

been productive. Casting the rocky shoreline with lipless crankbaits has also been productive. Fishing these lipless crankbaits with a lift and drop technique along the bottom has been successful.

Unfortunately the redfin fishing has been below average. The majority of

Louise Haughton with a nice pan sized brown trout from Blue Rock Lake caught casting lures amongst the trees. Anglers are catching all sorts in amongst the trees including bass, redfin and trout.

fishing for trout is a great way to kill a few hours on the weekend or sneaking in a fish after work. The beauty about lure fishing for stream trout is that there are so many lures on the market that work well.

If a lure is cast and moves within a trout feeding zone then chances are you’ll either a) get a follow-up or b) get a strike.

Spinner bladed lures, floating hardbodied lures and soft plastics all offer unique movement in the water when retrieved, which will get any stream trout excited.

Lures are mimicking small fish and aquatic invertebrate that provide a staple diet for these fish. Using lighter lines,

light rods and smaller reels intensifies that feeling when you hook into a stream trout.

A small 250g trout puts up a great fight on light gear as you duck and weave your way over branches and other obstacles while the fish jumps and rolls using the stream flow to its advantage.

The river blackfish season re-opens on 1 January and offers another target species for these rivers. The Tanjil River will start fishing really well as the stream flows slow down in the coming months. Feel free to send me a report or photo and if you have any questions, feel free to email me. Happy fishing!

TARGET

Australia’s largest freshwater fish “The Mighty Murray Cod”

Join Roger on a guided fishing tour and learn how to catch our premier freshwater fish.

FISHING LOCATIONS: • The Loddon River System • Lake Eildon • Campaspe River System • Murray River (Lake Mulwala) • Many More!

P:Roger: 0427 483 286

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www.codhunter.com.au JANUARY 2015

63

Diversity in the district BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

Anglers in and around the district are blessed with an abundance of fisheries with more than one species to target. This shows how diverse our fisheries are from chasing brown or rainbow trout, Chinook salmon, yellowbelly, Murray cod to redfin, how lucky are we to have all this within one hour of Ballarat’s CBD? The pressure now goes back onto the angler as to which species they are going to target, which lake or river they are going fish and which method are they going to use (bait, lure or fly). But the million-dollar question is always, how do I catch them?

purple patch of recent times changing tactics from casting soft plastic to casting mudeyes and reaping the rewards with excellent catches of brown trout to over 3kg.

Matt Greagan, another local angler who targets Lake Wendouree, normally trolling lures up and down the main rowing channel, has changed his tactics to now casting soft plastics and hardbodied lures out of a drifting boat, and he has been nailing them! The redfin have been up to 47cm long, which are between 4-5lb.

My son Max and I have been drifting mudeyes under bubble floats from some of the floating jetties that are around the shores of the lake with success. Our best session recently was for 10 trout caught and released in varying

Tom Shaw with a 5kg yellowbelly from Loddon River. Photo courtesy of Tom Shaw.

Lake Wendouree continues to shine and is probably one of the premier fisheries in the state at the moment. I admit I am a bit biased, but with the trout and redfin really on the chew it’s pretty hard to go past. Ben Young has been having a

size from 300g-1.5kg.

Now the warmer weather is here, to get the best results for time and effort, head out early mornings and evenings.

Those who like fly fishing an evening and into the night should gain the results they are looking for, especially

if the fish are feeding on mudeyes. The flies I would suggest are sizes 10 or 12 Fur Fly, Craig’s Nighttime, Mrs Simpson, Hammills Killer and a Muddler Minnow.

At Moorabool Reservoir, the redfin are on the chew.

Tom Kulczynski a very keen angler, who casts lures and soft plastics, has been cleaning up recently with his best session only one you could dream of! He caught 10 fish between 43-47cm, which are certainly cracking big redfin.

Tom mentioned that it’s not just a matter of pulling up at one spot.. Tom walks the banks he prefers, the steeper ones, casting and retrieving either large soft plastics 4” long or large hardbodied or spoon lures. Tom believes the big lures keep the very small school redfin away.

Once you eventually find the fish you certainly can clean up, work that particular area until they either move out into the deeper water or you have just caught enough. Redfin of that size fight well and are also great table fish.

Tom has had many trips to Moorabool with no luck but now the water and weather have both warmed up the redfin have certainly come on the bite.

Moorabool is also a very good trout fishery, anglers should target the prime times of early morning and evenings as they will move into the shallows at these times and make them easier to catch.

Hepburn Lagoon should produce some excellent fishing over the next month with water levels remaining high.

The trout will move in closer to the shores chasing mudeyes as they hatch into dragonflies.

Tom Kulczynski with a cracking Moorabool Reservoir redfin. Photo courtesy of Tom Kulczynsk.

The coming month should see the biggest hatches occur, so fly fishers should use the same fly patterns as for lake Wendouree, bait anglers should use local bug or spider mudeye suspended under a bubble float. Angling times should be evening and well into dark and very early morning.

Newlyn Reservoir is pretty much like Hepburn Lagoon and will fish very well over the coming months, especially in

the evening when the trout and redfin should be on the chew.

For those anglers targeting redfin, garden worms and yabbies fished on a running sinker rig will work for those casting lures or soft plastics.

The deeper banks will be the area to target. Trout fishers should use Powerbait on a running sinker or a mudeye under a bubble float will bring the best results.

Cairn Curran Reservoir

The author’s son Max Stevens with a lovely 1.5kg brown trout from Lake Wendouree.

and the Loddon River below the Dam wall have been producing some thumping yellowbelly. Tom Shaw who fishes these waters all the time has been catching yellowbelly up to 5kg on spinnerbaits in the reservoir and the river.

Tom said it’s just a matter of putting in the miles to get the best results.

In the reservoir you will find the schools of yellas, mostly on the deeper drop-offs and banks or old drowned trees or structure.

A good sounder will assist and use a variety of lures or spinnerbaits to see which one they are feeding on.

The Loddon River below the dam wall has some awesome yellowbelly. Tom said for best results the water has to be running or being released out of the reservoir.

Target any structure in the river with a variety of different colours and sized spinnerbaits with a very slow retrieve.

Sometimes you can cast at one spot 20 times until you get them to take your lure. Tom mentioned he has had many fishless trips but when they are on, it’s well worth the effort.

Don’t miss top catches before they hit bottom CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

Although we have experienced the odd day over 30ºC, the full force of summer is yet to bear down on us and as far as freshwater fishing is concerned, this is a bonus.

Anglers should be taking full advantage of the seasonal conditions as the trout have yet to head for the depths that Lakes Bullen Merri and Purrumbete offer.

A thermocline layer may well be forming and going on previous seasons this can sit anywhere from 10-20m. However, browns and rainbows continue to be caught in the shallows at both lakes with first light through to sun up the prime time.

The extensive weed beds that surround Purrumbete provide not only shelter but a 64

JANUARY 2015

perfect spot for trout to ambush unsuspecting prey. Although not in huge numbers, brown trout to 3kg and rainbows to over 2kg have been landed in recent times. The best method is to cast soft plastics or, better still, shallow diving minnow lures right up against the weed growth, pause then engage in a steady retrieval.

Bullen Merri still has Chinook salmon to 2kg responding to bait such as pilchard chunks bottom bounced in depths approaching 10m. Ground berley sent over the side at regular intervals will improve the catch rate.

Rainbows to over 2kg and some smaller browns are taking Loftys Cobra style lures flat line trolled in 3-5m depth around the lake’s perimeter.

Pink-white through to red and even chartreuse colours are working here on a given day. The optimum time is to begin trolling at first light and

A thumping Elingamite reddy that responded to a Damiki Saemi 70 cast towards the weed growth. overcast days should extend the bite period. Again there is evidence of blue-green algae in the lake but at this stage the outbreak is minimal and is shuffled around the lake by

prevailing winds.

Lake Elingamite near Cobden also has algae but this outbreak has not fully bloomed probably thanks to below average temperatures

for this time of year along with some welcome rain to dilute the water.

Some excellent redfin to 1.7kg have come out of the lake in recent times. So too have browns and rainbows exceeding 1kg. Smaller trout have been a nuisance of late but these fish are already stacking on weight and can be considered pan size at present. However, as this lake only receives up to 2000 new release fish from both species per annum I urge anglers to carefully release these fish while keeping the larger specimens for a feed.

The resident Chinook salmon are edging close to a kilogram in weight and although the numbers caught are not huge, the fighting capabilities of this fish are now finally being felt by anglers.

Many boaters are still happy to bait fish with mudeye suspended under a float the

number one option, however the fish in Elingamite readily respond to lures either cast or flat line trolled. The eastern side of the lake has extensive weed beds that often contain gutters and clear patches, which makes it a hot spot in which to cast shallow diving minnow lures for trout and redfin. Trolling a wide variety of lures just out from these beds is also an effective method.

In the deeper section of the lake (5m+) the vertical jigging of lures and plastics is an ideal way to fire up the schooling fish that often congregate at times.

So take full advantage of the current conditions because once the heat arrives in full force, this will inevitably drive the fish down deep, especially in our Crater Lakes where only downrigging lures will tempt a bite.

Trout turn it on for summer JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

Happy New Year from all of us at Steve Williamson’s Tackle Shop and Fishing Adventures. Another year and with all the water about we are currently experiencing some of the best trout fishing for many years.

The lake is once again looking spectacular, with a high water level and recent rain topping up the streams.

Water temperatures on Lake Jindabyne are a little lower than in previous years and just right to keep the trout on the bite.

The Snowy Mountains is a little bit of a hidden secret for holiday-makers. Most anglers head for the coast, but did you know that the mountains are far less busy than the coast and have fantastic lake, river and stream fishing, as well as heaps of things to do for the kids without the coastal crowds. There are all the water sports like sailing and water skiing but it’s the fantastic bush walking and mountain bike riding that a lot of people do not know about.

Anyhow, it’s not too late to think about heading to the mountains for your next holiday experience.

On the trout fishing front we have had a fantastic summer so far with the river fishing the best in years due to all of that snow that has been melting off the mountains, and yes, if you want to see snow there is still some patches on the top peaks for the kids to see and play in.

January is ‘hopper season’ for fly anglers and there are various grasshopper patterns available. Have a look around

and see what the size and colour the real ones are and find a fly to match.

In the early stages of hopper development we like to use smaller patterns and even flies like a yellow Humpy will imitate the local hoppers, but as the hopper develops wings then the Snowy Mountains Hopper pattern or a larger yellow Stimulator are a couple of flies you should have in your box.

Also keep your eye open for evening hatches of other insects, such as the mayfly.

I love the dry fly fishing at this time of year. If you are a lake fly angler, nights are the best time to fish the lake and bigger dark or black flies like a Woolley Bugger or other dark streamer patterns are good flies to try. Craig’s Nighttime is also another Snowy Mountains favourite, not to forget my own Snowy Mountains Gold Fish where fishing the bays and the inlets will be best places to get results.

If you haven’t fly fished before and want to give it a go, call into my shop and book into a lesson and you will soon realise that fly fishing isn’t as hard as it’s made out to be.

If you just want to do something like dangle a worm, well that’s all too easy. Bait fishing in summer is mudeye time. The mudeye is the nymph of the dragonfly, and anglers use them as live bait, hooking them through the wing case to allow them to swim around beneath a float.

Early and late in the day is the best times and again fish the bays and move to deeper water as the day brightens up.

The cooler weather this year has made it hard to find mudeyes, so if that is the case

you can’t go past a local scrub worm fished off the bottom.

Scrub worms are going to catch that big brown trout that you have always wanted to catch and they are best fished unweighted, yes a big worm cast out without a sinker.

The shallow bays are the best night fishing locations, however look out for the snags.

If you want to bait fish in the middle of the day, then you are best to look at bottom fishing using either a scrub worm, bardi grub or one of the artificial baits. The secret at the moment to catching trout on bait, is to also grease up the line to stop the drag on the water and to stop it floating to the bottom into the weed and getting caught up. You need a trout to run with the bait without feeling any resistance and greasing the line will help catch more fish and always fish with the reel bail arm open so the fish can run with the line. The best line grease is silicon Muslin as it will not harm the line.

If sitting around waiting for a bite is not for you, then try lure spinning, which can either be done in the lake or the rivers.

Lake spin anglers will also do best in the first hour or so of light, I like to spin with lures the same as the boat trollers but in smaller versions. Blades do work on trout as well, and gold colours are best. I rather like the Jaz Lure blades in gold like the little goldfish we have in the lake. Other lures that have been proving themselves very effective on the trout are the Bullet lures with some excellent colours in the range that also look a lot like the goldfish as well as the little trout fingerlings that

have recently been released into the lake from the Gaden trout hatchery.

By mid-morning you will have to be lucky to catch a fish on the lake in summer and you may be best heading to the Alpine rivers for a spin in the creeks where the trout may be a little more active.

River spinning is much better than last year because the water levels are a little higher and there have been some good trout caught if you are prepared to walk a little further away from the holiday crowds but find some deep pools or some deeper running water where the fish may lay under cover.

Small minnow style lures like CD Rapalas work very well and the old favourite green and gold Celtas or Gillies Spinners like the Feathertails. I also love the Vibrax spinners and there are some glow in the dark colours in this range that are great for fishing in the late evening. Change lures often and never work one area of water over any more than a half a dozen casts.

If you have a boat why not try trolling for trout?

When trolling from a boat in January, we start the day off by surface trolling lures like Rapala minnows which are very good for the bigger brown trout, you can also troll these off lead core lines to get them a little deeper.

Surface trolling Tasmanian Devils in green colours like the number 111 Willy’s Special are well worth trying and my special red nosed yellow wing is also great when the sun starts to get higher in the sky. On the overcast days the holographic and number 48 brown

Mark Allan with a decent Jindabyne rainbow caught trolling a frog pattern Tasmanian Devil lure. bomber or other darker lures will be best.

Other lures I would recommend over the coming month for trolling would be Rapala Scatter Rap, Dorago minnows in goldfish-like colours, Balista LED for deep trolling, StumpJumpers in greens and golds, Gillies Natural Vibes that will always attract a trout when they are lazy and you can even try trolling a soft plastic like a Strike Tiger nymph behind flashers.

Best areas to fish have been Hayshed, Hatchery and Rushes Bay and the South Arm but if you are smart you should look for the wind lanes early in the day and you will often locate these by looking for the ducks and gulls (lake gulls, not bloody sea gulls) because these birds are often also feeding on the surface insects that the trout love to eat.

Later in the morning, the best fishing will be deep using either lead core lines, paravanes, trolling sinkers etc, but the best way to achieve results is to use a downrigger so you know exactly what level you are fishing. At the moment the depth continues to vary from 35ft early in the day to 45ft later in the morning.

If down in the mountains this month, drop in and say hi at my shop, at Snowline Service Centre, where you will find me next to the Shell Servo. I will have the latest fishing information available and you can also book a tour with me while you are there.

Please give my shop a call on 02 6456 1551 or e-mail me sales@swtroutfishing.com. au and don’t forget to have a look at my web site www. swtroutfishing.com.au. Until next month, hope you catch the big one.

Celebrating 25 years for Steve Williamson Recently, Steve Williamson, fishing guide and owner of Lake Jindabyne Trout Fishing Adventures celebrated 25 years of a very successful business.

A large group of family, friends, past and present

clients and others that had an influence on the success of the business gathered at the Jindabyne Bowling and Sports Club to celebrate this special occasion.

As President of the Professional Fishing

Instructors and Guides Association of Australia, Steve is regarded as one of the most respected fishing guides in Australia. Steve has supported and mentored so many other fishing guides and charter boat operators, his achievements

over the past 25 years have been nothing but amazing.

Steve started the business in January 1989 in Sydney transporting clients either from Sydney or meeting clients in Jindabyne during the busier holiday periods. Steve moved to Jindabyne not long after basing himself at Snowline Caravan Park, now Discovery Holiday Park, where he also operates a small tackle shop.

Steve started his fishing journalist career in the early 90s and over the years has regularly written for over 20 publications including Fishing Monthly Magazine.

Steve has also published 2 books on trout fishing in the Snowy Mountains and written hundreds of articles mainly relating to trout fishing methods. As well as being a contributor to radio, TV, and DVDs. His biggest achievement of all was when in 2001 at

Parliament House in Canberra, Lake Jindabyne Trout Fishing Adventures was awarded the Australian Micro Business of the Year Award! In 2014 Steve Williamson’s Tackle Shop was also a national finalist in the best small tackle shop in Australia.

Steve has also represented recreational fishing anglers on many local, state and federal committees regularly meeting

with politicians trying to improve his favourite sport for everyone.

There is no doubt that Steve Williamson has achieved more than any other fishing guide in Australia and so should be congratulated on what his has done for recreational fishing in Australia. – Lake Jindabyne Trout Fishing Adventures

“For all your fly fishing needs” ORDER ONLINE www.adrenalinflies.com.au JANUARY 2015

65

Elegant Eildon for beginners EILDON

Andy McCarthy

Eildon is located about 140km northeast of Melbourne and is one of Australia’s most popular freshwater fishing destinations. Its healthy population of brown trout, rainbow trout, redfin, golden perch, Murray cod, roach, tench, and carp are a serious drawcard for anglers of various skill levels.

You can fish Lake Eildon year round but its rivers and streams are closed for trout fishing during winter.

The Snobs Creek Hatchery regularly stocks the pondage with trout and the fishing is set to explode over the next few years.

Lake Eildon has a shoreline of almost 600km when at full supply and up to 30,000 people per day can be on the lake fishing, boating and doing watersports during summer.

Whether you’ve never visited before or just want to improve your catch rate, below is a guide to getting the most out of fishing the lake for its top species.

TROUT AND REDFIN Lake Eildon has a large population of trout with fish spawning naturally in all of Eildon’s tributaries; the Delatite, Howqua, Upper Goulburn and Big rivers.

It also has a fantastically managed stocking program from our friends at fisheries, who do an incredible job with this lake in particular. It also has a monstrous amount

REDFIN HOT SPOTS Brankeet, the Pines, Fraser Park, Wool Shed, Italian Bay. The best colours for the Tassie Devil are pink, the clown pattern, rainbow trout, traffic light and the frog pattern. For the StumpJumpers I would tend to use a mixture of bright colours with black in the pattern. I would use deep diving Cranka minnows in the golden trout or fire trout colours. Similar style lures around the 60-70mm will also do the job.

This technique also works extremely well on tree edges 20-30m off the bank.

A sounder is very helpful to troll over submerged treetops to avoid getting snagged every 10 seconds.

Casting edges can also be a productive method.

Casting parallel to the bank is the best way to cover more water. Soft plastics like the Berkley 2 1/2” black

reddies congregate at the base of trees and the schools move about very quickly.

Once you find a school keep a bait at the school at all times to keep them active.

TROUT HOT SPOTS The top of Big River, Goulburn arm, Howqua River, Main Arm Fraser Park.

GOLDEN PERCH Lake Eildon is fast becoming Victoria’s go-to spot for this awesome native fish with this year producing some mammoth 20lb females, which are just incredible to see, not to mention massive numbers of schooling males following the girls around in summer. Most of the yellas are stocked by fisheries and it just goes to show how successful their program is – top work Fisheries!

For first timers, fishing it can be quite daunting, however, a great starting point is to troll. When you

Lake Eildon has a picturesque landscape and is a fishing haven to suit all levels of anglers. don’t know a waterway the best method of finding fish is covering as much water as you can. By trolling and using your sounder you can

personal choice but blacks/ purples, yellow/green, chartreuse/whites tend to work well. I firmly believe that if the fish are feeding,

Trolling for goldens has produced some fat monsters like this one.

The banks of the lake hold a multitude of fish.

Target your fishing around these areas.

It is a very popular holiday destination for ‘Melbournites’ as it is merely a 2-hour drive from the city. It has plenty of accommodation and attractions to suit every member of the family. It has everything from wildlife walks to dirt bike tracks, boat hire to Lions Leisure Park, and the Freshwater Snobs Creek Discovery Centre will keep the little ones entertained for an afternoon.

of redfin (English perch) to target and they are the best freshwater eating fish on offer.

The most productive method for fishing Lake Eildon for trout is trolling.

Start off with a 2-3 rod spread and troll the steep banks with a flat-line Tassie Devil on the bank side, and a small size StumpJumper in the middle and a deep diving hardbody on the outside.

Relax and enjoy delicious food and warm hospitality.

Open for breakfast from 6.30am everyday Coffee Light meals Pastries Cakes Bread

10 Main St, Eildon Victoria 3713 03 5774 2362 0438 881 629 66

JANUARY 2015

Trout stocking has been extremely well managed and is set to really take off in the next few years. and gold t-tail or Squidgy in Gary Glitter are the standouts, as they look just like the native galaxia in the lake. Suspending hardbodies from 40-80mm are also great for this method, once again Crankas, Rapalas, Daiwa Double Clutches, and small StumpJumpers (floating) are ideal.

Bait fishing for trout and redfin is extremely productive. The method is the same as the lures, with the only difference being that you would generally fish deeper (around 15m) for redfin. A simple size 1 hook and a small ball sinker straight to the hook is perfect. The best baits are scrub worms, small yabbies, Powerbait nuggets, dough or a mud-eye, if you have a few of these you can’t go wrong.

As a general rule, the

cover a lot more water than casting or bait fishing, and this is the key with yellas.

Once you have found them it opens up the door to try various other styles of fishing that may be more your style.

When trolling for yellas, fish in between 20-30ft of water using the ever-reliable StumpJumper or an Oar-Gee style lure that dives to about 20’, which will keep you in the strike zone. Most of the time, if you sound them up deeper, just change your depth accordingly.

Colour of lure is a

Redfin are a fantastic eating fish and they are abundant in the lake.

they will eat any colour in front of them but when they are a bit timid you may need to find the right colour to tempt them.

Once you have located the fish it’s time to start changing things up a bit by casting lures. The best style of lure for casting at fish on rocky bottoms are lipless crankbaits like Jackall TN60’s, Mazzy vibes, Balista Juggernauts or Strike Pro Vibro 60’s and 75’s.

When fishing these lures, it’s important to fish as slow as you can. When you think you’re fishing slow go even slower – let them sit on the bottom with short hops all the way back to you pausing for 5-10 even 20 seconds between hops and they will play the game.

Suspending hardbodies that dive deep enough to where the fish are holding are also super effective. Cast one out in front of their faces and just let it sit there, it drives them mad until they just have to eat it. You can try even longer pauses, up to 30 seconds, the same as fishing for black bream really.

Spinnerbaits are also very effective on yellas.

Again, work the lure very slowly and try and follow the depth contours of where you are fishing or target the abundant structure around the lake. When the fish are really slow, then go finesse with a soft plastic about 50mm on a super light jighead about 1/24oz and

work it painfully slow. Your patience will be rewarded.

Bait fishing for yellas is quite one dimensional in Eildon, a 1/0 hook with a scrubbie or two on it or a yabby with a small ball sinker to the hook is all you need. Drop the bait at the base of trees in 30-40ft of water and it’s dynamite.

GOLDEN PERCH HOT SPOTS Early spring: between Ford Inlet and Brankeet on the northern shores, the mouth of the Delatite arm above Bonnie Doon Bridge.

Summer: the dam wall and main arm, Big River arm and Goughs Bay. COD Over the next 10 years, Lake Eildon will become Victoria’s premier cod fishery. There have been well over a million cod released into the system over the last 5 years and, with their astounding growth rate from the abundance of food in this very healthy lake, it’s only a matter of time before the fishing explodes.

Trolling is a very productive way to fish here but there is such a vast amount of structure and differing depths that it can become a bit confusing. For early morning trolling, concentrate on depths between 10-20ft, when the sun comes up drop deeper into about 20-40ft, particularly when the water is like gin. Don’t be scared to vary the size of

your lures, from 60mm all the way up to 180-200mm.

Large Oar-Gees, Codgers, StumpJumpers, Dynos or any deep diving barra style lures will go well. Once again, colour is a thing you must adapt to yourself but change it up until you find one that works for you.

Don’t be scared to troll the same bank half a dozen times. If you sound up a fish it might just make it angry enough to strike out of aggression rather than just feeding. Pretty much every bank with fallen or standing structure on it has a chance of holding a quality fish.

There are plenty of them in there, believe me!

For those of you who haven’t fished for cod at all, cod don’t school up like the yellas, they tend to be more territorial. When they start to try and spawn they will pair up so sometimes if you go back over the same spot you often get the other fish as well.

are also ideal to cast at trees and stumps and are great when the fish are holding closer to the surface.

Bait is also productive on cod and a bardi grub is the best bait by far. Worms and yabbies do well and cheese (yes cheese) can also produce great results. There are a lot of people that believe the cheese can kill the fish down the track because it can’t digest

When casting for cod, which is my favourite way to catch them, you have many lure options to choose from.

Spinnerbaits are a go-to lure in Eildon, but you must have a few heavy models (at least 1 1/2oz or so) because you

Cod don’t school up like the yellas they tend to be more territorial. You’ll find them skulking under logs and similar structure.

Mansfield Brankeet Inlet

Not to Scale Ford Inlet

might find yourself fishing in 40-50ft of water and a light lure will take too long to get into the strike zone, especially if it’s windy.

Once again cast to banks early and late, then fish deeper throughout the middle of the day, particularly when it’s bright sunshine. There are a lot of laydowns on the banks so make sure you fish all the way down to the bottom and the results will follow.

Lipless crankbaits are deadly on cod, my biggest to date, a 40lb cod, ate a TN50 Jackall, which proves lures don’t have to be big. The lures that you use for trolling

There have been well over a million cod released into the system over the last 5 years and it wont take long to reap the rewards.

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Bonnie Doon

and Yea

COD HOT SPOTS

Most of the golden perch in the lake have been stocked by Fisheries and it has certainly been successful.

LAKE EILDON

To Alexandra

it, but I have seen no evidence to support it. Nevertheless, if you’re worried, don’t risk it and just use the above baits.

Wheelchair Access Vehicle Road/Track Dam Wall

www.austackle.com.au sales@austackle.com.au JANUARY 2015

67

Lake Eildon stocking Since 2000, more than 3.7 million native fish fingerlings have been stocked into Lake Eildon to improve fishing opportunities for anglers.

That’s a lot of fish into one lake!

Native fish are relatively slow growing.

Golden perch take around 3 years (to reach 30cm) while Murray cod take 4-5 years (to reach 55cm), depending on the productivity of the waterway.

Native fish are also long-lived so are available to anglers for quite some

time, often more than 10 years. It’s important to acknowledge however that predation, natural mortality and harvest by anglers means that not all stocked native fish live that long.

Included in the table are details of the ‘Murray cod million’ project. One million extra Murray cod fingerlings were stocked into Lake Eildon over 3 years (2011-2013). This was in addition to the 50,000 fingerlings, or thereabouts, the lake normally received.

The project was funded entirely by recreational

fishing licence fees and commenced soon after drought-breaking rains saw a rapid rise in water level, flooding the shallows and hugely boosting lake productivity. This was ideal for fingerling survival and growth.

Anglers have reported a noticeable ‘pulse’ of small

One million extra Murray cod fingerlings were stocked into Lake Eildon over 3 years.

STOCKING PROJECT YEAR MURRAY COD GOLDEN PERCH 2000..................................8,000......................................... 148,600 2001...................................75,000....................................... 53,720 2002..................................70,000....................................... 193,000 2003..................................0................................................. 0 2004..................................92,500....................................... 200,000 2005..................................15,000....................................... 210,000 2006..................................50,000....................................... 0 2007..................................47,700........................................ 55,890 2008..................................128,000..................................... 125,000 2009..................................50,000....................................... 233,500 2010...................................51,470........................................ 200,000 2011...................................383,000..................................... 200,000 2012...................................383,000..................................... 150,890 2013...................................383,000..................................... 244,000 2014...................................33,500....................................... 18,000 TOTAL...............................1,770,370................................... 2,032,600 Note: Between 2000 and 2005, the Futurefish Foundation stocked large numbers of Murray cod and golden perch into Lake Eildon. Their contribution is included in the numbers above.

Trout stockings use one year old fish (yearlings), as they have a much higher survival rate.

and very fat Murray cod between 45-55cm in recent years, which are probably fish from the ‘Murray cod million’ project.

TROUT Most trout in Lake Eildon spawn naturally in its inflowing tributaries during winter. Some of those make their way back down to the lake and

take up residency. Some stocking of trout also occurs, but it is unclear what contribution they make to anglers’ catches.

These trout stockings use one year old fish (yearlings), which are about the size of a

person’s hand. They have improved survival when stocked at this size, but cost considerably more to produce in the hatchery.

Extensive research has confirmed yearling trout stockings deliver more for anglers on most occasions

and in most waters.

Trout are much shorter lived than native fish so the ‘stocking investment’ doesn’t last as long.

They grow rapidly when compared to native fish such as Murray cod and golden perch.

Following the drought breaking rains of 2010, Lake Eildon trout improved in condition significantly and provided very good fishing.

REDFIN Redfin breed naturally in the lake and do not require stocking. Their numbers fluctuate depending on water conditions and lake level, spawning habitat and predation by birds and other fish.

Highly prized by anglers for their eating qualities, they are often targeted by anglers and also caught as by-catch while chasing trout and native fish.

• Compiled by Marc Ainsworth, DEPI Fisheries

Native fish have a long live span and are available for quite some time.

STOCKING PROJECT

Native fish are relatively slow growing, golden perch take around three years to reach just 30cm. Photo courtesy of Andy McCarthy.

68

JANUARY 2015

YEAR BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT 2009..................................5,982.......................................... 26,000 2010...................................20,000....................................... 35,000 2011...................................40,000....................................... 35,000 2012...................................20,000....................................... 1,375 2013...................................0................................................. 8,500 TOTAL...............................85,982........................................ 105,875

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VR Fish Update

Fishing summer update VR FISH

Dallas D’Silva

This is a great time of the year for recreational fishing. The water may still be warming up but the snapper are still firing, calamari and gummy sharks are plentiful and the inland waters are a buzz following the opening of the cod season.

King George whiting are already a major target species along the coast. Crayfish and abalone divers have dusted off their wetsuits.

VICTORIAN STATE ELECTION 2014 VRFish would like to congratulate Labor on winning the State Election. VRFish looks forward to working closely with the new Government to assist in implementing the Target 1 million policy. The Ernst and Young Study that is currently underway and overseen by VRFish will provide vital up to date information for fishers and the Government. We achieved a high level of success with our Wish List document and thrilled with the commitment to increase participation, summer proof Lake Toolondo, boost fish stocking and support angling clubs.

THRESHER SHARKS FISHING UNDER THREAT Victoria has a small but highly valued recreational fishery for thresher sharks.

Thresher sharks are one of the premier game fishing species in the State providing considerable socio-economic benefits to regional locations from Portland to Mallacoota.

Following consultation with

VRFish members, many of whom are experienced shark fishers, it is clear that thresher sharks are seasonally abundant at many coastal locations across the State. Just don’t ask them to share the GPS coordinates!

At the 11th Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Conference in Ecuador in early November governments agreed to list the three species of thresher and two species of hammerhead on Appendix II of the Convention. The CMS listing and subsequent Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) listing has the potential to disproportionately and inequitably impact on recreational fishing in Victoria.

VRFish strongly supports cooperative action by countries to ensure species do not become at risk of becoming endangered. Internationally, there is ample evidence to suggest that the main threat to thresher (especially pelagic thresher) and other shark species is targeted commercial fishing and by-catch. Shark fins are of high market value (particularly in parts of Asia, such as Hong Kong), making many shark species particularly vulnerable to exploitation.

Certainly, targeted commercial fishing and trade in thresher and other shark species needs to be closely managed to prevent further decline in shark populations worldwide.

In August this year, 5000kg of dried thresher shark fins were seized by authorities in the Philippines.

We do not support ‘no take’ measures imposed on recreational species such

as threshers, unless there is clear scientific evidence that our fishing pressure in Victoria poses a genuine risk.

Nor do we feel our Victorian management controls warrant further adjustment. Under the Fisheries Regulations 2009 Victoria already has conservative management controls in place (eg. catch/ possession limit of 1 shark) for the shark species in mention.

VRFish fully supports steps being taken to manage the real threats to thresher and other shark species by restricting international and domestic trade in shark fins (such as through listing in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and review of domestic legislation which permits trade and consumption of sharks fins.

While VRFish supports in principle the intent of listing thresher sharks in Appendix II of the CMS in order to prevent the species becoming threatened with extinction from unregulated fishing overseas, VRFish does not support the listing proposal given the grossly unfair implications for Victorian recreational fishers.

We are very concerned with the inappropriate way in which the EPBC Act responds to CMS listings. As has been highlighted by past listings (mako and porbeagle sharks) and the Hawke review, the EPBC Act very clearly needs to be adjusted to remove its current inflexible, draconian responsiveness to CMS listings in line with Recommendation 17 of the Hawke review.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Shauclay: quality, affordable traces Shauclay Fishing Traces was born after Sunshine Coast angler Clayton Maddern saw one too many overpriced shark rigs in a big tackle store. Yes, quality doesn’t always come cheap, but Clayton knew it shouldn’t cost that much!

“I was seeing 2m, 400lb shark traces with uncoated wire and cheap hooks selling for $40!” he said. “It was ridiculous. I set out to develop a better product at a reasonable price, and after extensive research and testing we’ve definitely achieved that.”

The most expensive traces that Shauclay produces (nylon coated stainless steel wire with hook and swivel ready to go) costs $7.50 for 1m of 200lb, $16 for 2m of 400lb and $26.60 for 3m of 650lb. It’s a striking example of what can be achieved by cutting out the middle man.

Clayton also enjoys doing custom orders for mad-keen anglers in different parts of Australia, and even in the USA.

“People contact me and say, ‘this is what I want to do, can you help me out’,” he explained. “The answer is yes!

Whether it’s XOS stingrays off the US coast, or Spanish mackerel or tailor closer to home, we can make the right custom rig for the job. One of our latest orders was for some guys in WA chasing big macks.

We did up a 3m trace with 1m of 200lb nylon-coated stainless wire for their bait to go on, and on the top of that they had a 8” long pink skirt with a single J hook for running onto a 100lb swivel. They loved it and sent us some great pics.”

Many of the quality components Shauclay uses are

also available for separate sale, such as the Japanese made, non-twist leader material and hooks. The hooks range from 8/0 live bait hooks up to a 20/0 316-grade forged stainless steel circle hooks.

To check out some of Clayton’s handiwork, look up Shauclay Fishing Traces on Facebook. If you want to ask a question or place an order, shoot him an email at shauclayfishingtraces@ hotmail.com or phone 0431 770 929. A new website will be coming online next year as Shauclay settles into new and bigger premises, and we’ll keep you posted. - FMG

JANUARY 2015

71

Racks and yaks BRISBANE

Justin Willmer

With most of our kayak fishing taking place within an hour or so of home we have always transported our kayaks using soft racks or simply loaded them into the tray of the ute. However, with a couple of long-range adventures on the cards,

kayaks and store them inside the vehicle when we’re out on the water. These ‘J’ Racks also come with a set of straps for securing your kayak; including two for securing the hull of the kayak to the racks, one for each ‘J’ rack, along with a strap for securing the nose and tail of the kayak to the vehicle.

I am a little old fashioned when it comes

Sheri with a chunk of sooty on a Z-Man 2.5” GrubZ and TT Jig Spinner. the time had come to look into a more permanent and sturdy option.

The decision was made to take our little Rav4, rather than the crusty old beach truck, as it gave us the luxury of a comfortable ride, air conditioning and the ability to lock all of our gear inside the vehicle when unattended. The downside of the smaller vehicle is that narrower roof racks wouldn’t allow my sit inside and Sheri, my wife’s sit on top to lay side-by-side.

The solution was laying my kayak flat on the racks, and attaching a set of ‘J’ racks for Sheri’s narrower, more aerodynamic yak to be mounted upright on its side.

There are several quality roof rack brands available and we settled on a set of Whispbars from Prorack, due to their aerodynamic design, that ensures they create less noise and vibration, as well as their reputation and positive reviews. Racks, mounting kit to suit the vehicle, ‘J’ racks and basic tools and I was ready to go. Opening the box I thought ‘what have I got myself into’, but on closer inspection the instructions were pretty good and within an hour, and with minimal cursing, the racks were on.

The Prorack ‘J’ racks are designed so that they can be attached and detached in a few minutes, allowing them to be quickly removed when not in use. The downside is that they can also be easily removed when left unattended on your vehicle.

For this reason we remove them after unloading the 72

JANUARY 2015

to tying down the kayaks, preferring ropes rather than straps. Ropes allow for the security of good knots and a feel for the amount of tension you’re applying.

If your knots aren’t great though, straps are a good option. It’s a good idea to do a test run or two for the new racks, with a couple of short range adventures first.

We travelled plenty of kilometres, checked our load regularly, tightened or retied a few times and returned home without incident. The roof racks and ‘J’ racks made life easy and in hindsight it would have been great to have these fitted years ago. If you’re thinking about adding some roof racks to your vehicle, don’t delay.

THE FISHING Our journey took us in search of a new species, sooty grunter. We did our research and went armed with spinnerbaits, jig spinners, soft plastics and chatter baits. Sooties, as they are affectionately known, are a perfect target

TIPS FOR TRANSPORTING YOUR KAYAKS • If your vehicle is too short to attach a nose and tail rope to the front and rear of the vehicle (like our Rav4), attach a rope from the nose and tail back to the racks to stop the kayak from shifting forward or backward.

• If your kayak protrudes beyond the rear of the vehicle attach a bright coloured cloth, or pick up a kayak flag from your local kayak retailer.

• Take your time tying down the yaks. An extra 15 minutes at the start could save you a lot of time and heartbreak further down the road.

• If it doesn’t look and feel right, retie or add another strap or rope. This will give you peace of mind when travelling.

• Stop early in your trip to check and tighten the ‘J’ racks, as well as any ropes or straps once the kayaks have settled.

• Take advantage of fuel, food and toilet stops to again check the ropes and straps.

The ‘J’ racks allow two yaks to be carried comfortably on a smaller vehicle. for kayak anglers, inhabiting impoundments, creeks and rivers from around the Mary River near Maryborough through to northern Queensland. They love lures, pull hard, photograph well and take some stopping when they decide to head for the snags they call home.

Casting deep into snag piles and positioning the kayak to cast into the ‘V’ created by intersecting laydown timber soon saw us cheering as rods bent and drags screamed. It wasn’t long before I had landed my first sooty, quickly followed

The rig that did most of the damage!

by a few more and I was impressed with their power and the speed of their initial run for structure. Sheri put a perfect cast into a snag pile and within a few turns of the handle was squealing as she was dragged rapidly toward the structure. Some fancy rod work and I slid her first sooty into the net, a solid fish of around 40cm.

We landed a couple dozen sooty grunter for the two sessions, including a few solid 40cm fish, with the standout lure being a 2 1/2” curl tail plastic, rigged on a 1/4oz 1/0 jighead, with a jig spinner attached for added flash and vibration. The most effective retrieve was a cast as close as possible to structure, followed by a medium speed retrieve, with the occasional pause to allow the lure to bump the timber; a knock on wood to let the fish know it was there. We also landed a 65cm saratoga on the same set up, along with a similar sized toga and a few sooties on a 1/4oz chatter bait in

This saratoga couldn’t resist the noise and vibration of a Z-Man ChatterBait.

Sooties are a perfect target for kayak anglers, as they inhabit impoundments, creeks and rivers.

green pumpkin colour.

If you’ve been thinking about a long range adventure or targeting a new species for a while, it’s time to lock it into the calendar, do some research, fit the racks, sort the fishing gear and load the yaks… there’s plenty of roads and even more waterways just waiting to be explored.

See you on the water…

3

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73

Profish GT kayak offers more FMG

Greg Livingstone

Viking Kayaks Australia have just released three new models to their fishing kayak range, Viking Profish Reload, Viking Profish 400 and the Profish

Brisbane River. I had a couple of mates join me and we had a drop-off point and took another vehicle about 3km downstream for the return trip to where we launched, to save paddling against the fast flowing water.

I have a Nissan Patrol that sits 3” higher than

easily and I was able to put the kayak on and off the roof rack by myself.

SETUP The Profish GT is a single blow-moulded kayak designed for fishing. My first impressions were that this was built and designed by a serious kayak angler.

gear while giving you easy access. It sits right in front of the seating position and is completely removable. The Pod clips in at the front of a recess in the hull and is then locked in by a pin in the rear of the box. The best part about the Pod is that it has an inbuilt transducer

Viking’s Profish GT is a kayak designed for anglers.

GT. I was lucky enough to have the Profish GT for a month, which allowed me to really put this fishing kayak through its paces in both salt and freshwater.

My first trip was an afternoon paddle in the freshwater reaches of the

standard, so most kayaks and canoes aren’t the easiest things to get on top of its racks. The GT weighs 24kg, which is not much lighter than most kayaks I’ve been in, but having a large handle moulded in the centre of the hull spreads the weight

The standard features and ease of use has everything a fisher would need for day on the water.

The GT comes standard with a new concept called the Tackle Pod™. This is a smart little storage compartment designed to protect your

compartment that fills the recess in the kayak’s hull that seals and prevents water from entering the top of the kayak. The transducer sits just up inside of the bottom of the hull so running across rocks and logs won’t see it being ripped off or damaged.

The Pod is a great feature for anglers. I was able to pre pack all my gear the night before and load quickly into the kayak when ready to launch. While on the water I usually have a bag behind me for all my tackle and it works fine, but the Pod sitting directly in front of me adds an extra dimension of ease and simplicity.

On the top of the Pod sits a Lowrance Elite 3x – having a sounder on a fishing kayak is a must. It gives you an

The GT comes standard with the new Tackle Pod™ – a smart storage compartment designed to protect your gear while giving you easy access and is completely removable. understanding of what depth you are fishing and if there are any concentrated bait that

FLATS Mako recommends a copper base with a blue mirror and high definition filter. Copper have been a favourite of fisherman for many years as it highlights colours well. When visibility is poor due to cloudy, or murky water, overcast skies or flat light these coloured lenses will really come into their own. They will highlight dull colours making fish more visible.

The high definition filter is added to the lens to filter our yellow and orange wavelengths increasing contrast and clarity.

Storage is not a problem on the GT. In the front of the hull there is a large hatch that is perfect for storing larger gear.

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can turn an average day into a trip of a lifetime. There is a small sealed deep cycle battery that straps inside and has a small recessed area that keeps it away and secure; it’s not the biggest or the most expensive sounder but perfect for the job.

In front of the pod sits 2 Rail Blazer rod holders, these are setup perfectly for trolling as they are in direct sight. They are also very handy to use while re-rigging or landing fish.

SEATING Comfort is a major priority for me; I suffer from a sore back so I really appreciate support on the water (I’m getting old…).

The Profish GT comes standard with a deluxe fisher’s seat and after fishing for 5 hours my lower back was fine, although my backside was quite sore and numb (but recovered quickly). I would probably look at some upgrade to the base of the seat in the form of an inflatable cushion to make longer trips more comfortable.

Foot rests play a big part

The optional insulated Chill Pod™ will keep ice and fish cold for hours. in comfort levels as they help to keep you sitting up straight and help considerably when navigating down fast flowing water. The Profish GT has adjustable footrests fitted standard, so whether you are short or tall you will find it comfortable and supportive.

STORAGE When choosing a kayak, storage options should be taken seriously. It is essential to be able to store your gear in a dry and safe place. The

Profish GT has plenty of large dry storage, which is ideal for extended fishing trip. In the front of the hull there is a large hatch that is perfect for storing larger gear, like tents, tarps, clothes, etc. Moving back from the front sits the Tackle Pod™ and just behind is a small sealed hatch that is ideal for wallet, phone and keys.

The rear of the kayak has another new product known as the Chill Pod™

that fits neatly into the rear of the hull. The top opening vacuum formed lid gives easy access for left or right-handed people. The low profile shape creates little windage and a screw type bung fitted into the base makes draining easy.

The Chill Pod™ will keep ice and fish cold for hours, as it is insulated, meaning your fish will stay in perfect condition even on hot days.

I used this to house my camera box and a couple of frozen bottles of water.

It’s great for fish but again a simple handy storage solution within easy reach of the seating position.

At the end of your day’s fishing, simply lift the Chill Pod™ out of your kayak and into your vehicle – very clean and tidy! Both Pods make setting up and packing up very simple.

PERFORMANCE The Profish GT is 3.6m long, which is a perfect size for fishing rivers, dams and canal systems, and if you are a keen and strong paddler heading offshore would not

The Profish GT is a perfect size for fishing rivers, dams and canal systems. be a problem. My take on kayaks is pretty simple, as I am a boat owner, wherever I can’t take my boat a kayak is ideal, and the Profish GT ticks all my boxes in regards to weight length and ease of transportation.

The hull has plenty of bow lift, turned down edges and is quite broad.

We headed into a strong northerly wind in the canals and I stayed very dry, even

of great fishing-friendly features that I really liked.

The paddle straps on the side of the hull is great when landing fish or when launching and retrieving.

On the starboard side of the kayak is an anchoring rope system that is a must when fishing flowing water; this is quite a simple rig, it consists of a stainless steel pulley front and rear and a clip to attach your anchor in the middle. I am 100% sure this will help improve your catch rate as you can spend more time working areas of interest while not having to worry about trying to keep the kayak in position with the paddle.

Having rod holders is a pretty important subject for any kayak angler. I use high-end gear so keeping these out of the water is a no brainer. The Profish that I tested not only had the 2 Rail Blazers on the Pod, it was also fitted with 4 flush mounted rod holders, 2 beside the seat and 2 just behind, again all within easy reach from the seat.

The new Profish GT comes in an array of different colours, to check out these new fishing machines simply visit your local Viking dealer by jumping on their website at www.vikingkayaks.com. au or give Jason and the crew a call on 1800 004 240.

SPECIFICATIONS

Above: The Profish GT comes standard with a deluxe fisher’s seat.

Above Right: Adjustable footrests are fitted standard to give optimum comfort and support.

Right: The transducer sits just up inside of the bottom of the hull for protection.

when boats thought it was funny to go past me at about 12 knots in a 6 knot zone!

The Profish tracks very true and is a fairly quick kayak. Even in wind, the yak stayed on track, but a couple of the bass did pull me around and had me back peddling out of the tangled trees!

There were a couple

Fishing Packages from $699

The Profish GT is a single person kayak, 3.6m in length and weighs in at about 24kg. The hull at its widest point is 82cm, which makes it very stable at rest and while paddling around. It has a payload of up to 175kg, so loading it up with camping gear and extra gear for extended adventures is not an issue.

The kayak as tested came with a couple of factory upgrade options such as the Chili Pod™, Anchor system, Depth sounder and Extra rod holders and there are so many other upgrades in store for you to choose from.

Standard features include: • Propelz Speed fibreglass paddle • Deluxe Fisherman Seat • Removable Tackle Pod™ • 1 hatch with bucket • Footrests, 4 rod holders • Side carry handles (moulded in) • Paddle park • Fish stringer park • Inserts for accessories • Large oval hatch fitted on foredeck

Quality Australian-made kayaks

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season fishing kayaks in store NOW!

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• Profish Reload • Profish 400 • Profish GT

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What’s New FISHING

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ECOODA MINI CRANK

If you’re a dedicated lure angler, you can’t pass up the Ecooda Mini Crank.

This lure is nailing some of the fattest, thickest, meanest species in the water.

Not only are the colours insane, the zipping and darting action will pull the most elusive fish out of the shadows.

Ecooda Mini Crank has been created in two models. Mini Crank S dives from 1-3ft whilst Mini Crank M dives 3-6ft, each with a length of only 38mm, a weight of 4g and are built tough!

The Ecooda Mini Crank has turned into the favourite go to lure, with sponsored anglers using it as their first option whilst fishing the Hobie Tournaments, you should keep one tucked into your tackle box.

Don’t miss out on the new release of Mini Cranks. From the hot bite with Brown Prawn, Green Prawn, Whitebait and Ghostbait to the most chased after colours, Pearl Shrimp, Olive Shrimp, Pink Shrimp and Red Shiraz.

Price: RRP from $12.99 www.ecooda.com.au

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OCEA FLUORO LEADER

Fluorocarbon leader material like Shimano’s new EX Fluoro Ocea Leader provides a number of advantages to discerning anglers dealing with wary fish under difficult fishing conditions.

It’s thinner than equivalent breaking strain nylon, highly abrasion resistant, doesn’t absorb water so it sinks faster, is clear in colour and, with its refractive index being pretty close to that of water, is therefore less visible to fish.

Ocea Leader structure is quite different too, in that it has a soft fluoro core for knot strength, a hard outer shell for abrasion resistance, and then a fluorine coating over this to provide a smooth surface finish.

It comes in 50m dispenser spools with a line retainer in 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80 and 100lb breaking strains — perfect for everything from estuary bream up to live baiting for small black marlin and cubing for yellowfin tuna.

Price: N/A www.shimanofish.com.au

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5 IN ONE FOR BBQ FUN

Man-Law’s 5 in One Multi-Functional BBQ Grill Topper allows you to grill, roast or smoke like a pro, all in the convenience of one unit. The 5 in One is perfect for both the BBQ novice and the seasoned veteran and turns any grill into a clean work surface. It’s also very easy to assemble.

Whether it’s the countless cylinders to roast your jalapeños, the grilling rack for homemade kebobs, or the smoking tray to infuse your meat, the 5 in One has it all.

Perfect for cooking any type of meat, the Grill Topper can be used for anything from making beer can chicken to smoking a fillet of the finest Atlantic salmon. And of course, the option to char grill over an open flame is one not to be overlooked.

The 5 in One is made of stainless steel, making the cleaning process a breeze, and when you’re finished it packs away neatly.

Price: RRP: $110 www.manlaw-bbq.com.au

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TURBO LITE 450 CABIN TENT

The Turbo Lite 450 is a spacious 11-person tent with a ‘rapid pitch frame’, which means it can be erected in minutes.

The inside cabin measures 4.5mx3m but can be sectioned off into two smaller rooms thanks to dividers. With the dividers in use and two separate front doors, the Turbo Lite effectively transforms into two tents.

Large gusseted windows help keep the temperature inside the cabin in check, while added roof vents maintain consistent airflow.

For even more space there is the Extenda Awning available as an optional accessory.

This huge front awning has a 4.5m wide front, providing plenty of covered space.

The Extenda Awning can also be enclosed with an optional front panel and versatile Deluxe Side Panels with gusseted windows that can be rolled up in fine weather, guyed out for ventilation in rainy weather or zipped closed. There’s also an additional bug-proof awning screen room.

Price: approx. $1600 ($349 for optional awning) www.blackwolf.com.au

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Black Magic has added two fillet knives to their Wasabi range, and both new models provide an excellent combination of quality and value.

The blades are crafted in premium grade German stainless steel, giving excellent strength and flexibility with an easily sharpened cutting edge. The ergonomically designed handle is non-slip and easy to hold.

Wasabi fillet knives are available in either 15cm or 20cm blades and come complete with a clip-on protective sheath. Keep an eye out for them at your favourite tackle store.

Price: RRP $19.95 www.blackmagictackle.com

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WASABI FILLET KNIFE

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DAIWA LEGALIS

Proving that gold medal performance doesn’t have to cost the world the Legalis spin reel combines advanced design, with value and reliability to offer anglers a reel that is outstanding in a multitude of ways.

Loaded with many of Daiwa’s latest designs and features including Digigear and Air Rotor the Legalis performs as good as it looks, and its priced as well as performs to be one of the standout reels in the Daiwa range.

Draped in black and gold the Legalis’ impressive design and performance begins with Daiwa’s legendary Digigear gear technology. Its top features also include ABS spool, Air Rotor and Twist Buster II. Blending good looks with class and price, and unleashing latest technology at a truly affordable price the new Legalis is your gold medal to spin reel excellence and unmatched Daiwa performance.

Price: n/a www.daiwafishing.com.au

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ATOMIC HARDZ SHINER 100

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MAKO G3H9 LENS

The Shiner range of lures in 45, 60, 75 and 85mm lengths has been well received since it launched several months ago with anglers chasing everything from bass through to barra finding a home for them in their tackle boxes.

For anglers looking for a larger profile, we have now introduced a 100mm version in both mid and deep diving depths. The mid will dive to 2m while the deep will dive down to 3m. This tough lure casts well and will be perfect for barra and mulloway. It’s been designed to be used quite simply with a cast and retrieve action.

Both models feature an extremely loud knocking rattle, which will attract fish in the muddiest of water. They are available in the standard Atomic colour palette and the newly introduced Blood Red colour. All Atomic lures have been made specifically to be easy to use so you catch more fish and spend less time working out how to use the lure.

Price: RRP $17.95 www.atomiclures.com.au

The revolutionary Water Wolf HD video camera is now available in Australia at BCF! Unlike many of the underwater HD cameras on the market, the Water Wolf HD has been specifically designed for fishing; allowing anglers to easily capture the moment when a predatory fish attacks a bait or lure.

Designed and engineered in Denmark, the Water Wolf HD is waterproof to 100m and has the capacity to capture 4 hours recording time with the inbuilt, rechargeable li-ion battery. Also featuring an inbuilt microphone, the Water Wolf HD records 720p HD video with its 120 x 90° wide-angle lens captured on a micro SD card (not included).

Each Water Wolf HD camera comes with a protective pouch, EVA float, brass weight kit and USB and a detailed instruction manual.

A mount kit is also available (sold separately) and is perfect for those looking to capture all the action above the water!

Price: RRP $199 (Water Wolf HD Camera), $69.99 (Water Wold HD Mount Kit) www.facebook.com/waterwolfhd

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JIGGING LEADER POWERGAME

Mako has just introduced the new G3H9 copper base, silver mirror decentred crown glass lens.

Available only in the Blade, our highest selling frame, this new lens features a specially formulated copper lens base with a silver flash mirror making it perfectly suited to all outdoor activities such as bushwalking, kayaking and fishing.

Anglers in particular will find the lens combination perfectly suited to sight fishing due to the high contrast capabilities of the copper base formulation.

Copper has traditionally been the benchmark for the majority of sight fishing lenses due to its ability to highlight the differences in colour between objects and their background, making them appear more clearly to the wearer in a wide range of light conditions.

General wearers will also benefit from the unbelievable clarity with the lens able to effectively reduce brightness to a comfortable level without making everything so dark that it’s impossible to pick up any detail, perfect for driving too.

Price: RRP $289.95 www.makoeyewear.com.au

The new Jigging Leader Powergame from Toray is a new age fluorocarbon leader material that possesses a lot of stretch, which gives you excellent impact stretch when jigging.

This ultra hard Jigging Leader material is extremely abrasion resistant and can be fished around heavy structure with confidence. Because it is designed for jigging, it can stand up to even some of the dirtiest fighters of the deep.

The Jigging Leader Powergame is a perfect match for the Jigging PE Braid also from Toray and will provide the invisibility that you need on the end of your jigging rig.

The Jigging Leader Powergame is a perfect all round fluorocarbon leader for a host of different situations you might come across in your day to day fishing.

It is available from all good tackle outlets in 30m lengths and breaking strains of 20, 25, 30, 40, 50 and 60lb.

Price: RRP $29.95 www.fish-tecsolutions.com

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HYBRID SHRIMP

Based on the overwhelming positive response to the Rigged Shrimp released in 2014, the new Hybrid Shrimp is a natural compliment to the Shrimp family.

This bait earned its name by merging a hard-lure with soft-lure attributes built into a single design. The Hybrid Shrimp generates additional swimming action through the soft legs that wiggle and vibrate on the retrieve.

Ideally used with a super slow retrieve and horizontal drop pattern, this bait will become a go-to lure for all in-shore species. A custom belly hook features a unique dual-prong shank that is designed to minimise snags on grass and shellbeds.

Each Shrimp is packaged individually and comes in 2 sizes: 3.5” (90mm, 3/8oz) and the 4” (100mm, 1/2oz). This is an ideal slow sinking lure.

Price: too new www.ejtodd.com.au

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TT’S ARROW MICRO JIGS

The design of the TT Lures Arrow Jig is based on an arrow squid, complete with a quality silicone skirt for added realism and movement.

Balanced for casting and designed for vertical jigging, the Arrow Jig is a versatile presentation. Its skirt creates a seductive horizontal sink and triggers strikes on the drop, coming to life on a slow lift and adding to the profile size, without the additional weight of a larger jig, when retrieved aggressively or at speed.

The quality components and hand painted finish, realistic 3D eye, silicone skirt and chemically sharpened, heavyduty Mustad hooks stand the Arrow Jig apart from others and it is dynamite on a wide range of inshore and offshore reefies, tuna, trevally, kingfish, snapper, jewfish, fingermark, cobia, amberjack, samsonfish and more. It’s available in 40g and 60g weights in 5 colours.

Price: SRP $15.95 (40g) / $17.95 (60g) www.ttlures.com.au

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PRINCETON TEC BYTE LIGHT

Princeton Tec’s high powered headtorch, the Byte, is compact enough to go anywhere at anytime. It’s the musthave product for those summer night fishing sessions.

The Byte can pack a powerful punch thanks to a white Maxbright 70 lumen LED that will light up your path for up to 96 hours.

The softer side of Byte comes in the form of a red Ultrabright LED to ensure your night vision will never be compromised.

This neat little gadget is IPX4 water resistant and will fit into any tackle box. It’s the perfect answer for when you need a bit of extra light on the boat.

This clever range is equipped with a battery lockout, asymmetrical single arm bracket, easily accessible battery door enclosure, and large push button switch, all at a mere 64g.

With 2 AAA alkaline batteries included, the Princeton Tec Byte range is available in black, red or white.

Price: RRP $34.95 www.outdooragencies.com.au

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STORM SO-RUN

The Storm So-Run Heavy Minnow is a weighted casting lure designed to give you the extra distance you require when targeting fish busting bait on the surface or just prospecting by making long casts and covering water.

Featuring a heavy-duty internal wire construction and VMC treble hooks, the Storm So-Run Heavy Minnow is equipped for battle right out of the pack and won’t let you down with poor quality terminal tackle.

The extra weight will allow the angler to cast it out to a school of busting fish, let it sink and flutter through the school or spin it back fast in order to trigger a vicious reaction bite.

Finished in a range of holographic baitfish inspired patterns. The Storm SoRun Heavy Minnow is available now in 9 and 11cm lengths and comes in weights of 28 and 42g respectively.

Price: from RRP $21.95 www.rapala.com.au

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MUSTAD HD MEGA-BAIT

If you fish big soft plastics and need a big weedless hook, then the Mustad HD Mega-Bait Hook in size 12/0 might be just the thing to make those bigger soft plastics weedless.

Made with Mustad’s uncompromising quality, this UltraPoint hook is slimmer and chemically sharpened to provide the best penetration of any worm hook this size on the market.

This hook will find its way into even the boniest of jaws.

Nor-tempered for brute strength, the HD Mega-Bait is a no compromise hook that will allow you to fish to the limits of your tackle and put the breaks on big adversaries without bend-outs.

Coming in packs of three, these extremely sharp, wide-gape worm hooks open the door for anglers wanting to target bigger fish in snaggy environments.

Dont miss out on grabbing a pack for summer.

Price: RRP $14.95 www.wilsonfishing.com

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TONIC YOURANIUM

Tonic Polarised Eyewear, the new leader in high quality fishing sunglasses, is proud to announce the release of the new YouRanium style.

Developed with Brendan Wing of YouFishTV and named by the YouFishTV fan base, the YouRanium features a custom-designed adjustable nose bridge that is fully integrated into the frame. While the frame is a standard fit, the adjustable nose bridge can be used to suit people with broken, low or wide nose bridges.

The curvature at the front of the YouRanium has been designed to follow the brow to reduce light coming in from the top. The arms have been designed with extended temples to follow and snugly fit the wearer’s head. The YouRanium guarantees a comfortable and stylish look.

Tonic’s scratch resistant glass lenses are just 1.8 mm thick, making them 30% lighter than regular glass and feature boutique polarising filter systems and anti-reflective coatings.

Tonic Polarised Eyewear comes in eight wraparound styles and a variety of lens types to suit different situations.

Price: RRP $259 www.toniceyewear.com.au

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Anglers looking for reliability and value have always trusted the Pflueger Echelon. Now available in 4 light/ medium spin combos, the Echelon combines a 6+1 bearings, graphite body reel with multi-disc drag system and graphite rod with split grip cork handle. It’s precise and easy to use in any conditions.

Finished in classic Echelon red, the new Echelon spin combos are ideal for light and light medium fishing, both lure and bait.

There are 4 models in the current range: ECHSP662L - 30 (1.95m/6’6”, 2 piece, 2-4kg, Light, 30 SZ); ECHSP662M - 35 (1.95m/6’6” 2 piece, 3-6kg, Medium, 35 SZ); ECHSP702L - 35 (2.10m/7’0’’ 2 piece, 2-4kg, Light, 35 SZ); ECHSP702M - 40 (2.10m/7’0’’ 2 piece, 3-6kg, Medium, 40 SZ).

Price: RRP $139.95 www.pflueger.com.au

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ECHELON SPIN COMBO

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DIAMOND FC LEADER

With the all new Samaki Diamond FC you wont have to worry about your leader laying on the surface for every predator to see as it swims by, your leader rubbing past submerged structure and snapping or feeling it stretch under pressure from your catch as it gets longer.

Diamond FC has a high refractive index, meaning it’s practically invisible to predators, whether it’s saltwater or freshwater. The versatility of Diamond FC will amaze you, not only is it perfect for river fishing for trout or dam fishing for bass or barra but it also diversifies to inshore reef fishing for snapper and many other species. With extreme knot strength and excellent abrasion resistance Diamond FC will deliver maximum performance.

Diamond FC ensures maximum performance and is available in 4lb, 6lb, 8lb, 10lb, 14lb, 16lb, 20lb and 30lb with spool sizes of 100m and 70m.

Price: RRP $24.99 www.samaki.com.au

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TESTED: Omoto Severo 5000H – Very dependable If you are a big game fisher who loves heavy drags and going head-to-head with big fish, then don’t stop reading because the Omoto Severo is one fishing reel that will truly appeal to your fishing desires.

This is one serious piece of fishing gear, and when I say serious, I’m talking about 15kg+ of multi-disc carbon fibre drag, which is strong enough to put the hurt on any fish.

Picking up the Omoto Reel for the first time, I instantly realised this was no ordinary spin reel. The sheer weight and build of the reel screamed power and strength and most importantly sustainability. Let’s face it, there are plenty of low to mid priced spin reels out there on the market that can pull similar amounts of drag but when put through constant heavy strain not only do integral components begin to fail but drags begin to get very mushy and sticky.

When fighting big fish, this is the last thing you want as a smooth consistent drag not only lends itself to less bust offs and pulled hooks but also a much more pleasurable fight for the fisher connected to the other end. If you have ever found yourself two days into an extended fishing trip where everything is 20kg+ and pulls like a freight train then you will understand what I am talking about.

It’s under these conditions when reels like the Omoto Severo 5000H show not only their superiority, but sustainability, especially when you are catching big fish after big fish without any relief.

Before I get knee deep into the specifics of the Severo, I’ll first give you an idea of the type of fishing conditions it has been tested under. Firstly, upon arrival some 3 months ago the Severo matched to the Omoto GT jig 550 has been thrown into the deep end both

For Spanish this size, it’s definitely a case of bringing a bazooka to a gunfight. However, you could catch them all day on this reel and it would barely raise a sweat. This reel is built for longevity and dependability. trolling and jigging for thug species such as big GT and Spanish mackerel off my home waters of Bowen.

My first encounter with the reel was a hot jigging session for big Spanish mackerel under the lights of the Abbott Point coal-loading Jetty. Pre setting the drag to 13kg (about my maximum before I get pulled out of the boat), I had intentionally gone for the ‘locked drags, hang on’ approach to really test whether the reel performed just as powerfully as it looked and most importantly, how smooth it was under heavy drag pressures.

The first fish was only a 15kg puppy and barely even tested the reel’s limits, however the next string of fish went 24, 25, 28 and 31kg respectively, which began to see the reel really begin to work with some solid runs and drag burning action. Under this heavy load, I was impressed with the smoothness of the drag, especially the lack of stickiness under heavy strain. There were no signs of mushiness in the drag and the reel felt as smooth as the first drop of the day.

Since this initial trip, the Omoto Severo has landed over 30 Spanish mackerel within a period of two months with no sign of any of the above issues of component failure and the drag integrity is still like new, even though it has been fished to its limits. Let’s face it though, Spanish mackerel are not the most powerful fish out there and if there is a fish out there that’ll put a reel and its drag to its limits, it’s giant trevally.

There is little in the sea that can destroy a reel like a big session on serious giant trevally (GT) and it’s for this reason that it can be an expensive sport.

This would be the true test of the Omoto Severo and to be frank, it has to this day been able to stand up to and withstand the punishment these car door-sized brutes have thrown at it.

Whilst the power of the reel is impressive when battling GTs, it is more about the reels ability to withstand an absolute punishment fish after fish without any sign of loss of drag or component integrity. Where other mid priced reels have failed or fallen, the Severo has remained strong and in my opinion is one of those reels that not only has the ability to stand up to big fish but do it season after season.

To understand the Severo 5000H’s strength and endurance, you only have to look at its construction. The reel is constructed from a whole piece 6061 – T6 marine grade aluminium and also utilises a corrosion resistant coating process.

The Severo also comes standard with an oversized super strong power handle and knob, which is often an additional extra most serious big spinner fishers buy separately. There is little chance of this handle breaking and if you think breaking handles is an unimaginable possibility, then think again! Big fish and big drags can do serious damage at times.

Whilst the outer skin is tough as nails, the inside includes stainless steel gears, stainless steel spool shaft and 14+1 stainless steel bearings. The 5000H also has an impressive high-speed 6.1:1 retrieve and when combined with spool size, this reel can return your jig at serious speeds. Like other more notable higher priced big fish spin reels the Omoto Severo has a floating shaft which translates basically into the fact that when this reel is loaded up to a big fish, there is no friction between the shaft and pinion, which means virtually no wear or resistance. This is the downfall of many a spin reel when fished against big fish with big drags as often the shaft and pinion are connected and when the reel is fully loaded significant wear takes place.

Both the inside and outside are super tough, but it’s the drag construction which is really worth a mention. As mentioned before, the Omoto Severo utilises multidisc carbon fibre drag components, which would be expected from a big fish spinner, however it’s the way this system

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applies an even tension across the spool that makes it so effective.

Whilst often hard to notice on most reels, when you are hooked up to a big fish under heavy drag, it is considerably noticeable and one of the reasons why it is so smooth.

I have to be honest, I was really surprised at the performance of this reel and it is definitely a workhorse that can withstand plenty of punishment and big fish. When first reading about it online it was described as one of those reels you would find on

Top: The Omoto Severo 5000H. Take note of the super tough whole piece CNC machine cut 6061 T6 aluminium body and the insides are even tougher. This reel is a true big fish workhorse. Left: When pushed to its limits on multiple captures big GT like this one, the Severo 5000H has offered a consistent smooth drag and little heat build up even under maximum load. Right: The T bar Portable Fishing Gimble is an awesome addition to the Omoto Combo and allows you to get heaps of leverage on the fish. It also fits snugly on the end of your rod and doesn’t require being belted in. It’s definitely one of my favourite pieces of jigging gear.

One other unique feature worth mentioning is the pre set knob situated above the standard drag setting knob.

This allows you to remove the spool without having to reset you drag, so if you need to do a quick change over of spools because a big GT has just stripped 150 yards off you and buried you in the reef you can do so without having to take the time to reset your drag again to your desired levels.

If I were to point out a negative of this reel, then it would have to be its weight.

The Severo 5000H comes in at around 900g, which makes it a pretty heavy reel and for a small bloke like myself it can be hard to jig with, however I guess to make it so strong something must be compromised.

a charter boat which has been used and abused for years and still operates like the day it came out of the box.

Retailing around $780, it’s not a cheap reel but it’s not a cheaply made reel either, and when you look at its capability compared to others on the market it’s pretty good value for money and also comes with a 5-year Australian warranty through JRoc Tackle.

Whilst I have tested it thoroughly on northern species, it would be perfect for those in the south chasing big kingfish, amberjack and tuna. Put simply, if you are a fisher who demands big drags to land big fish time and time again and want a reel that is straight forward and dependable, then make sure you check it out! – Dan Kaggelis

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

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Team Loft crank up a victory The weekend of the 11-12 October saw 50 teams head to Warrnambool on the Hopkins River for the BCF Bream Classic and the last qualifying round of the 2014 Vic Bream Classic Series.

All anglers were super keen to put on a good performance at this event as it was their last chance to earn Club Marine Team Of The Year points, which is used for them to qualify for the 2014 Vic Bream Classics Grand Final. In

the lead up to the event the word on the grape vine was that the Hopkins River was fishing very slow and it would be interesting to see what techniques would work the best. For Team Loft’s Paul Holmes and Greg Rooke a decision to try a Cranka Crab on the Friday’s prefish proved genius and they went into day one with a confident plan.

Anglers awoke on day one to stable conditions with a slight breeze and

Team Loft’s Paul Holmes and Greg Rooke display their trophies after taking out the BCF Bream Classic Victory.

overcast conditions. For Team Loft it was off to see if the bite they found for 10 minutes in the prefish was still on.

“We decided to head straight back and start hitting rock walls with the Cranka Crabs and also fished any areas that looked like they may hold fish all the way up to Hen and Chickens,” Paul said.

Using a combination of Samurai 201 and G-Loomis drop shot rods matched to Shimano Stella 2500 and Diawa Luvias 2000 sized reels spooled with 8lb SAS and 4lb Microfuse braids with 3lb and 4lb FC Rock fluorocarbon leaders, the boys put the Cranka Crabs into action.

It wasn’t long before the Cranka Crabs found their prey and the reels were screaming with quality bream coming to the boat in quick succession.

“We had a great session on Saturday and managed to land 12 legal sized fish with a number of quality upgrades,” Paul said.

Quality upgrades were an understatement as when Team Loft approached the scales it looked like they had more like 10 bream in their bag not 5. As the bag hit the scales the crowd erupted as their bag went past 5kg and stopped

RESULTS PLACE TEAM FISH WEIGHT 1.............................Loft.................................................10/10................ 8.49 2.............................Colac Tackle - Major Craft.............10/10................ 7.21 3.............................Bream By Stealth...........................10/10................ 6.78 4.............................Breamaholics.................................10/10................ 6.66 5.............................The Old Boys..................................10/10................ 6.65 6.............................Lowrance HDS...............................8/10.................. 6.54 7.............................Rod Battlers...................................8/10.................. 5.96 8.............................Edge Bite . .....................................8/10.................. 5.82 9.............................Fishin Impossible...........................8/10.................. 5.08 10...........................Plonkers.........................................8/10.................. 4.34

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at 5.26kg giving them a healthy lead of over 1kg on 2nd place and setting an unbeatable bench mark for the Maria Lures Best Bag prize.

Another highlight on day one of competition was the Ecogear Big Bream was secured by Team Bream By Stealth’s Romeo Prezioso and Carl Di Toro who weighed in an absolute cracking bream weighing 1.56kg.

The challenge had well and truly been set by Team Loft and it was going to be a hard slug for the quality teams below them to reel them in, especially if their

Team Bream By Stealth’s Romeo Prezioso shows off the cracking 1.56kg Ecogear Big Bream that he landed on day one. find some new water to fish and complete their bag.

Luck was definitely on the boys side as moving onto some muddy banks armed with the trusty

2014 Club Marine Team of the Year Paul Malov and Alex Franchuk from Team Lowrance HDS show their trophies to the crowd after being crowned their 3rd Club Marine Team of the Year victory. day one bite continued on day two.

The final day started in promising fashion for Team Loft as they hit the rock walls early. Like the previous day, they had 3 fish in the well early however the bite slowed down and the boys felt that the fishing pressure on the rock walls was starting to take its toll and if they were to win they would need to

Cranka Crab again proved a winning move as fish could be seen and it was as simple as offering them a Cranka Crab and they were hooked.

“Once we found the muddy banks it was amazing fishing as we were sight casting to feeding fish and at one point we landed 8 legals in 15 casts,” Paul said.

With quality fishing like that it was going to

be almost impossible for the rest of the field to catch Team Loft and after they weighed in 5/5 bream for 3.23kg (the third heaviest bag of day 2) they had secured victory with 10/10 8.49kg smashing the competition by over 1.2kg and claiming the BCF Bream Classic victory.

Another team that completed an exceptional year was Team Lowrance HDS’s Paul Malov and Alex Franchuk who, with their 6th place finish at The BCF Bream Classic, took out the 2014 Club Marine Team Of Year trophy for the most consistent team in 2014 – they totalled two 4th places, one 2nd place and a 5th place.

Along with the accolades and the Club Marine Team of the Year Trophy Team Lowrance HDS will receive free entry into all the qualifying rounds of the 2015 Atomic Bream Classic Series and will head off in 1st place on the Saturday. If you’d like to take on Team Lowrance HDS and the large list of other quality teams that enter the series in 2015 log onto www. vicbreamclassics.com.au download the entries forms and it could be you that I’m writing about this time next year! – Bill Hartshorne

Team Bring It On win the big one One thing Australian sports fans love is an underdog and seeing someone raise to the occasion and take on the big guns and win. The 2014 Vic Bream Classic Grand Final held on the 29-30 November delivered just that, with unknown Team Bring It On’s Alan Lister and Darren Murphy taking their little green Polycraft and producing a fantastic 2 days fishing in a tough bite at Mallacoota Inlet to come from 7th on day 2 to claim the Championship victory.

On Day 1 of the competition anglers awoke to a beautiful day with little wind and clear skies, but a tough bite. For Team Bring It On they headed off well down the field in 43rd position on Saturday in their little green Polycraft as the rest of the field blasted away in much faster boats.

With most of the field dispersed Aland and Darren made their way up to the top lake in the hope to get a bang early. Using a combination of Shimano T-Curve and Zero rods matched to Shimano Stradic Ci4 reels spooled with 4lb Shimano Power Pro Bite Motion braid and Sunline FC Rock 3lb and 4lb fluorocarbon leaders, they tied on a range of lures, including Jackall

Chubbies, Ecogear SX40s and Berkley 65mm hardbody minnows and got to work.

“We worked very hard on the Saturday but didn’t get our bag until 1.30pm. We fished locations that had the depth we were after with the classic rubble, gravel, shell, sand mix type bottom that bream seem to

5 bream bag on the Saturday,” Darren said.

After toughing it out and finally landing their 5th fish at 1.30pm, the Bream It On boys had to head back to check in and line up to weigh in. As they placed their bag on the scales it showed 5/5 bream for 3.65kg, which in previous years would

Nikki Bryant displays the 1.31kg bream that almost handed her the Big Bream trophy on the weekend. prefer all over the main area of the top lake. Along with using the hardbodies we had to mix it up a bit with soft plastics like Z-Man Grubs and large Marukyu Crabs to grind out our

Team Bream It On Darren Murphy and Alan Lister display their Maria Lures Best Bag bream.

have had them sitting down the order in around 25th position but Saturday proved difficult for all teams and their 3.65kg had them sitting in 7th position over night.

“With most of the gun teams sitting outside the top ten we knew that Sunday would be a challenge to hold our position as were knew the top teams would come home hard on day 2,” Darren said.

The overnight leaders after day 1 were Team Plonkers, Mick Kaksa and Ben Shuey, that weighed in the leading Maria Lures Best Bag of 5/5 bream for 4.04kg and amongst the bag they also set the bar leading the Ecogear Big Bream with a quality fish at 1.18kg.

With a weather front coming through overnight things were about to change for the better

throughout the system.

Anglers hopes were high as they prepared for the start on day 2 as the weather was much more favourable with overcast conditions and some scattered showers around.

As Team Bring It On headed off to try and stay in the top ten they couldn’t have imagined how this day would turn out for them as Sunday was about to turn on some great fishing.

“On Sunday although we knew there were loads of fish in the bottom lake, they just would not bite so we went back up to slog it out in the top lake.

We had a couple of fish in the well at 8.30am then we were very fortunate to hit a hot bite between 9am and 10am. The wind picked up and it began raining. We had our bag by 9.15am and then upgraded at least 6 times. We had double hook ups constantly. We caught approximately 20 competition legal fish, that is 28cm to the fork, and probably another 20 Fisheries legal and undersize fish throughout the day.

“The fish were not packed up in one certain area, we

The top three: 1st Team Bream It On, Darren Murphy and Alan Lister; 2nd Team Tangle Foot, Tony Pettie and Kyle Pettie; and, 3rd Team Rob Battlers, Corey McLaren and Lewis Holland, display their trophies to the crowd. just the perfect day to have been sitting tied 6th place overnight so the bag was not wasted, instead it shot us to the top, to our utter amazement.”

Darren said.

When they placed their 5 bream bag on the scales the weight pushed closer and closer to 5kg and rested on 4.93kg, which propelled them

Corey McLaren from Team Rod Battlers.

With Alan Lister and Darren Murphy from Team Bream It On having their first top ten finish and taking victory in the Grand Final it just goes to show that everyone has a chance of success in the Vic Bream Classic Series. All eyes are turning now to the

RESULTS PLACE TEAM FISH WEIGHT 1.............................Bream It On....................................10/10................ 8.58 2.............................Tangle Foot.....................................10/10................ 7.89 3.............................Rod Battlers...................................10/10................ 7.85 4.............................Plonkers.........................................10/10................ 7.83 5.............................Breamaholics.................................10/10................ 7.78 6.............................VSFA - Austackle...........................10/10................ 7.51 7.............................Aussie Angler Fishing Tackle..........10/10................ 7.02 8.............................Lowrance/Berkley..........................10/10................ 6.97 9.............................Loft.................................................10/10................ 6.89 10...........................Team Doma....................................8/10.................. 6.86 drifted over a huge distance during the bite and caught them all the way and, fortunately, no one was even near us to see it happen. We had the place to ourselves as the last boat near us left one minute before the bite started. I guess it was

from equal 6th to a comfortable 1st place and earned them the 2014 Vic Bream Classic Championship victory.

Another highlight of the day 2 weigh in was the Ecogear Big Bream of 1.36kg landed by Lewis Holland and

2015 Atomic Bream Classics Series and Round 1 The Maria Lures, Sunline Bream Classic at Marlo on the 31 Jan and 1 Feb, which will be a huge event so log onto www. vicbreamclassics.com.au and get your entry in.

JANUARY 2015

81

BREAM N OPE CLASSIC The biggest teams BREAM event on the ABT calendar hit the iconic Sydney Harbour for the Bluefin Boats/ Mercury BREAM Classic Open (11-12 November), with Team Elite Tournament Tackle/ TT Lures (Scott Butler and James Howarth)

The Butler did it River, the BREAM Classic Open saw anglers from across Australia do battle for the title of Australia’s number one bream team.

Compiling a 10/10, 6.92kg two-day bag to secure the win Butler and Howarth fished to their strengths to catch their limit each day.

Fishing a boat hull and marina pattern each day the pair fished a hardbody

one the pair struck early picking up a 34cm fish to open their account. With one in the well, Butler and Howarth then worked their way progressively through adjacent marinas, in the process filling their bag in relatively quick time.

“We hit a flat spot after a while then started up the Mercury and moved to crank boats hulls east of Cockatoo Island,”

N TEAM CHAMPIO

James.Howarth.and.Scott.Butler.with.the.fruits.of. two.successful.days.breaming.Sydney.Harbour.

Photo.courtesy.of.lureandfly.com.

said Butler.

The approach paid dividends with the pair catching three upgrades in as many cast, the standout fish (1.1kg) proving to be their kicker fish for the day.

“There were plenty of fish but they were sitting reasonable deep and weren’t super aggressive

WINNING TACKLE SCOTT BUTLER Rod:...........Lox.610.Ambassador.and.Loshi.7023 Line:........................................................... 4lb.PE Leader:....................................... 4lb.fluorocarbon Lures:.

Zipbaits.Tiny. (silver. shad,. bluegill,.. . . silver. trout,. keimura,. and. UV. glow),.. . . with.trebles.upsized.to.size.12 claiming the event win over the talent-laden 72 angler field.

The curtain raiser to the 13 Fishing BREAM Grand Final on the Hawkesbury

approach, with a Zipbaits Tiny crankbait (Scott) and Ecogear SX40LC crankbait (James) the standout lures.

Starting at Balmain Marina first up on day

Crankbaits.and.soft.plastics.were.the.gun.lures.for. event.winners.Team.Elite.Tournament.Tackle/TT.Lures.

Photo.courtesy.of.lureandfly.com.

Big.fish.prevailed.at.Sydney,.as.Michael.Colotouros. from.3rd.placed.Team.13.Fishing/Sunline.shows.

Photo.courtesy.of.lureandfly.com.

Zipbaits.Tiny

Rigged.and.ready.to.hit.the.tournament.trailer.the.Bluefin.prize.boat.on.offer.was. a.fitting.reward.for.one.of.the.most.hotly.contested.events.of.the.year.

Photo.courtesy.of.lureandfly.com.

Twitch and pause

retrieve lure under boat hull and along edge

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JANUARY 2015

WINNING WAYS Cranking.boat.hulls.between.the.Gladesville.

Bridge.and.Cockatoo.Island,.Butler.and.

Howarth.timed.the.wind.and.tide.right.to. get.the.best.lure.presentation..They.also. pinpointed.exactly.where.the.fish.were.holding. on.the.boat.hulls.and.rotated.spots.to.manage. their.fish.and.get.the.bigger.ones.to.bite.

Butler.and.Howarth.were.all.smiles.with.their.Bluefin/Mercury/Haswing/.

Power-Pole.Micro.Anchor.prize.boat..Photo.courtesy.of.lureandfly.com. when it came to eating the Zip Bait and Ecogear.

You had to use a stop-start retrieve to temp them to eat it,” said Butler.

The horses for course approach delivered Butler and Howarth a 3.74kg bag for the session and had them sitting in first place heading into day two.

Heading off in the lead on the final morning the pair once again started off with their marina pattern, and with good result, catching their bag within an hour.

“They bit their heads off early then shut down.

So we called it quits and headed back to the boats that produced for us on the first day,” said Butler.

WINNING TACKLE JAMES HOWARTH Rod:..............................Nordic.Stage.Areal.7’.Pro Reel:........................................ Daiwa.Steez.2004 Line:....................... 4lb.Yamatoyo.Spinning.fluoro Lures:.............Ecogear.SX40.LC.(bluegill.colour),. . . retro-fitted.with.size.12.Decoy.trebles While the boat hulls produced, it was as much about their fish management as anything.

“We’d catch a fish from an area then leave it alone to recover, before returning to hit it again.

Most times we’d catch another fish when we came back,” said Butler.

With upgrades to

show for their rotational approach the pair made one more pit stop on their way to the finish line. Hitting a spot upriver that would deliver one final upgrade.

“The last fish we picked up was a 32cm, and in the end I think it was this fish that gave us enough weight to grab the win,” said Butler.

BREA CLASSIC M OPEN

Day two was definitely the standout when it came to activity, with the pair catching 30-40 fish for the day in comparison to 20 fish on the first day.

“On the first day you really had to work the lure to get the fish to eat it, on the second day the fish were more abundant and more willing to eat the lure without the need to work it and tease them,” explained Butler.

Weighing in a 3.18kg limit on the final day to claim victory Butler and Howarth secured themselves a new tournament-ready boat package.

The duel owners of a new $30,000 tournament rig their prize included a Bluefin 455 Tournament Drifter Pro fitted with a 60hp Mercury 4-stroke outboard, 80lb cable steer Haswing Cayman electric motor and Power-Pole Micro Anchor (supplied

by Hobie).

OVERALL RESULTS PLACE TEAM FISH WEIGHT (KG) PAYOUT 1................. Elite Tournament Tackle/TT Lures ....... 10/10 ............6.92 ..................Bluefin Boat + prize pack 2 Abu Garcia/Berkley/Lureandfly.com 10/10 6.54 2 x Austackle Rods/ Shimano Reels 3................. Team 13 Fishing/Sunline ...................... 10/10 ............6.40 ..................2 x Spotters sunglasses 4................. Hobie Fishing/TT Lures ........................ 10/10 ............6.17 ..................2 x Shimano rods 5................. Fishing Station ..................................... 10/10 ............5.79 6................. 13 Fishing 2 ......................................... 10/10 ............5.60 7................. Franklin Services/Shimano .................. 10/10 ............5.51 8................. Berkley ................................................. 10/10 ............5.49 9................. Cronulla Slipway/Gamakatsu............... 10/10 ............5.44 10............... Triton Boats.......................................... 10/10 ............5.33

Blading Down Deep For event runners up Peter Macor and Bernard Kong from Team ABU Garcia/Berkley/ wwwlureandfly.com it was close but no cigar with the pair weighing in the heaviest bag for the tournament on the final day to almost claim the event win.

Fishing east of the Sydney Harbour Bridge the pair dug deep to catch their fish each day, fishing a deepwater blade approach to fill their limit.

“We fished around the Kirribilli area and focused on the 40-45ft depth range with broken structure on the bottom,” said Peter Macor.

With the bream sitting tight to the bottom as their target they’d sink their

blades to the bottom before stating a dead slow lift, drop, sit, retrieve.

“It was really important to give the lure a long pause and let it sit on the bottom,” said Macor.

Rotating between two lures, a 30mm Berkley Big Eye Blade (nugget colour),

and a 40mm Berkley Power Blade (assassin colour), the pair caught their limit early each day.

“Day one was definitely the quietest, we caught around 9 fish in total, day two in contrast was completely different, I think because we moved around a

Peter.Macor.and.Bernard.Kong.fish.blades.down. deep.east.of.the.Harbour.Bridge.to.claim.second.

Photo.courtesy.of.lureandfly.com.

CE 2ND PLA

lot more and covered plenty of ground,” said Macor.

Catching around 20 fish for the session on day two the pair’s approached involved being on the move, and focusing their efforts on the eddy side of the moving water.

“The fish were definitely concentrated in these spots and eager to bite. I just wish we’d worked this out a day earlier,” said Macor.

Weighing in a 3.78kg limit on the final day the pair charged through from 10th place to finish 2nd and claim a podium finish. – ABT

ABT, PO Box 7196, LOGANHOLME, QLD 4129 Alternatively you can download an entry form from www.abt.org.au At any time you can call ABT on (07) 3387 0888 for help with your entry during business hours.

JANUARY 2015

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INAL RAND F G M A E BR ABT and AFC stalwart Kris Hickson claimed the only bream trophy that he was missing with the Taree tournament pro coming from behind on the final day to secure victory in

Hickson hauls to victory search of upgrades.

“It was slow and methodical fishing in the racks. I’d drop the Z-Man next to the poles then slowly drag and draw it across the bottom,” said Kris.

The location and technique produced two important upgrades, including a 41, and

WINNING TACKLE WHARVES/BOATS/PONTOON OUTFIT Rod:........................ Daiwa.Commander.662ULXS Reel:.......................................... Daiwa.Sol.II.2004 Line:.................................. 10lb.Daiwa.Shinobi.PE Leader:....................................... 6lb.Sunline.Kong Lures:......... OSP.Dolive.Craw.rigged.on.a.1/28oz. . .

TT.jighead,.2.1/2”.Z-Man.Grubz. . .(gudgeon.colour).rigged.on.a.1/16oz.TT.jighead the 13 Fishing BREAM Grand Final on Sydney’s Hawkesbury River.

Fishing a multi location approach to catch his fish each day Hickson started day one fishing the Pittwater flats, unfortunately with little return.

“I picked up one legal then pulled the pin and went and hit boats and wharfs,” said Hickson.

Hickson’s move was spot on and he soon had his full limit, the majority coming on a sinked and hopped OSP Dolive Craw rigged on a 1/28oz TT jighead.

With the pattern waning Hickson spent some time fishing rock walls before moving to Porto Bay racks in

R N BOATE CHAMPIO

had him sitting in 4th place at the end of the first day.

Hitting the Box Head washes to start day two, his start was equally underwhelming as day one, and with nothing to show for his efforts he moved into calmer water to throw topwaters.

“It was quiet all round, for me anyway, so I moved to the racks that worked the day before,” said Hickson.

His approach paid dividends with Hickson putting four fish in the well.

“There was hairy moments where I could have easily lost fish. It was whiteknuckle rack fishing at its very best,” said Kris.

One more legal and two Kris.Hickson.finally.holds.the.Grand.Final.Trophy.aloft.

Callum.Dowell.and.Kris.Hickson.with.their.

Grand.Final.winning.day.three.bag.

upgrades from a series of rocky banks followed later in the session and saw Kris weigh in a 3.01kg limit and had him sitting in 2nd place heading into the 3rd and final day.

Heading off on day two Kris was confident that he had milked his day one and day two spot of all their fish and as a result he was going to have to find fresh spots and fresh fish to give the event a shake.

“Ross (sitting in 1st place) and I both knew we needed to find some new water,” said Kris.

Great minds think alike and both anglers found

themselves start their day in the same spot, Pittwater Flats, followed by Brisbane Waters. Hoping to catch a bag at Brisbane Waters, Kris was soon disappointed and with none in the well he pulled the pin and hit the racks.

While far from red hot it did get his bag started and with two in the well and the clock saying 12pm he started up his Mercury and made a run to Berowra.

“I fished a run of wharves but it was too windy to fish it properly. I decided to give it one more pass and on the first cast I pulled a fish,” said Kris.

Nothing then followed until he made one final cast on the last wharf.

WINNING WAYS Hickson.managed.and.varied.his.use.of. locations,.lures.and.techniques.to.stay.on.the. fish.over.three.long.days.of.competition.

BOATER RESULTS PLACE TEAM FISH WEIGHT(KG) PAYOUT 1................. Kristoffer HICKSON ............................. 15/15 ............10.40 ................Yamaha SHO Motor 2................. Ross CANNIZZARO ............................. 13/15 ............10.35 ................Motorguide bow-mount electric motor 3................. Chris WRIGHT ..................................... 14/15 ............9.93 ..................Shimano reel and prizepack 4................. Russell BABEKUHL ............................. 15/15 ............9.56 ..................Damiki lure prizepack 5................. Geoffrey BORG .................................... 15/15 ............9.08 ..................Shimano rod 6................. Tony THORLEY .................................... 15/15 ............8.87 7................. Scott BUTLER...................................... 15/15 ............8.45 8................. Chris SEETO ........................................ 15/15 ............8.43 9................. Michael COLOTOUROS ...................... 15/15 ............8.24 10............... Steve NEDESKI.................................... 14/15 ............7.92

Kris.Hickson.won.a.Yamaha.SHO.outboard. valued.at.$25,000.for.his.Grand.Final.win.

Ross rallies for second ER CE BOAT 2ND PLA Sydney breamer Ross Cannizzaro came close to claiming victory, with the multiple event winner’s failure to weigh in a full limit on the first day in the end coming home to hurt him on the final day.

Fishing the washes at Box Head, Baranjoey and Lion Island first up on day one Ross hooked plenty of fish.

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JANUARY 2015

“I got dusted by a lot of fish, both by bream and by fish that weren’t bream,” said Ross.

With a lot of frustration to show for his efforts Ross changed location and moving to Brooklyn and Mooney to fish natural rock walls.

“The Berkley 3B crank in mutt colour was the standout lure,” said Ross.

Filling out his limit proved difficult and with only three fish in his well, and a 4th that died on him he retreated to Pittwater in search of a couple to close out his bag. Despite all his best efforts he couldn’t find the last two for his limit.

Hitting the washes at Barenjoey first up on day two Ross found little joy, and soon made a move, a big move upriver to Berowra and hopefully some active fish.

Fishing secondary points and drop-offs, Ross’ move was soon rewarded, filling his bag, and catching a series of upgrades from boat hulls in the area.

“You needed to get your lure right in the zone to get their attention, once you did they ate it with aggression. You just needed to make sure you were methodical in your presentation,” said Ross.

The technique involved

Ross.Cannizzaro.came.close.to.claiming.victory.on.his.home.water.

“The last ditch cast was when we picked fish number five, a 32cm,” said Kris.

With an hour long run back to the check-in Hickson decided to call it a day, and headed back. A flat battery had him scrambling for his jumper leads, but he was soon moving and on his way.

“We made good time

Scan this QR code to watch an interview with Kris Hickson and Callum Dowell.

so we stopped at Cowan to check on the fish and fill the livewell with fresh water,” said Kris.

With time to use, Kris’ non-boater Callum Dowell started casting at a near by rockwall. The pit stop paid

2 1/2” Z-Man Grubz bloodworm colour

2 1/2” Z-Man Grubz gudgeon colour

WINNING TACKLE RACK OUTFIT Rod:.............................. 6’4”.Black.Label.641.LXS Reel:................................ Daiwa.Ballistic.2500.EX Line:..................................... 15.Daiwa.Shinobi.PE Leader:....................................... 8lb.Sunline.Kong Lures:....2.1/2”.Z-Man.Grubz.(bloodworm.colour). . . rigged.on.a.1/16oz.TT.jighead N.b Hickson added Pro Cure Scent (squid) often to his lures

OSP Dolive Craw

Twitch and drop

off with Callum picking up two upgrades. With two ‘just legal’ fish gone from their

limit the pair high tailed it back to the finish line.

Waiting in line to weigh his bag Kris had little idea of his bag weight.

“I though I may have had 2.7-2.8kg, so when 3.26kg flashed up on the screen I was stunned,” said Kris.

The weight proved to be just enough (50g) to deliver Hickson his maiden

BREAM GRAND F INAL Grand Final win, a long over due victory, and a fitting reward for one of the most talented anglers on the ABT angler roster.

Dowell dominates for win N CHAMPIO ER T A O NON-B Western Australia’s Callum Dowell reined supreme at the 13 Fishing Grand Final with the 13 Fishing sponsored angler securing victory in the biggest event on the bream tournament calendar.

Fishing with Kris Hickson on day one and three, and Mark Healy on day two Dowell fished a soft plastic approach each day to catch his fish.

Day one saw the newly crowned GF champ fishing a combination of flats, rock walls, and racks with Berkley Power Hawgs and Crabbies.

“While we caught fish in a lot of places it was the racks where we got the bigger fish,” said Callum.

Day two began with a point approach with Callum and Mark fishing the swell dominated points on the seaward side of the event arena.

“It was definitely an early morning bite. We caught all our fish in the first 45 minutes, then it shut down for us,” said Callum.

The early flurry resulted in a 2.65kg limit and had Callum sitting in 1st place heading in to the final day.

Running and gunning with Kris Hickson on the final day the pair struggled for most of it, fishing flats and racks until

Callum.Dowell.travelled.all.the.way. from.WA.to.fish.the.Grand.Final.

12pm for little return before making a move to Berowra as a bit of a Hail Mary.

“We hit a run of docks and pulled two fish to finish our limit, then we headed back down to Pittwater, making a quick stop at Cowan on the way,” said Callum.

The quick stop was when Callum struck gold picking up two quick fish, and upgrades that boosted his bag, and boosted it enough to ultimately claim

the event win.

“It was a nervous moment waiting for those fish to hit the scales. To see the winning weight come up when they did was mind blowing,” said Callum.

For his victory Callum won a 115hp Mercury 4-stroke outboard, the latest generation 4-stroke from Mercury, and the perfect motor to get him on the tournament trail as a boater in 2015.

NON-BOATER RESULTS PLACE TEAM FISH WEIGHT(KG) PAYOUT 1..............Callum DOWELL................ 15/15 ......... 9.95....................Mercury 115hp 4-stroke motor 2..............Beau RILEY ....................... 15/15 ......... 9.75....................Motorguide transom-mount electric motor 3..............Robert KNEESHAW ........... 15/15 ......... 9.51....................Austackle rod and lure prize pack 4..............Daniel BONACCORSO ...... 15/15 ......... 9.06....................Damiki lure prize pack 5..............Craig ELLIS........................ 15/15 ......... 8.64....................Shimano rod 6..............Zac O’SULLIVAN ............... 14/15 ......... 8.48 7..............Brad ROBERTS ................. 13/15 ......... 8.01 8..............Rebecca FAZIO ................. 15/15 ......... 7.97 9..............Tanya KONSUL.................. 15/15 ......... 7.91 10............John GALEA ...................... 13/15 ......... 7.70

sinking a reverse rigged 2 1/2” Berkley Gulp Crabby in camo down the rocky shore, then hoping it off the edge of the drop-off into the deeper water where the current was pushing.

The bite hit its peak

late in the session (1pm) and delivered Ross a 4.11kg limit for the session.

Heading off in 4th place on day three Ross knew he needed a heavy bag to catch the leaders, and was banking on a repeat of his big fish

day two to get the job done.

Once again he started at the washes, before moving upriver to Berowra.

Ross’ wishes for a hot bite were answered and he had his bag by 9.30am, and a total of six upgrades by the

end of the session.

“I gave it everything, and put together the heaviest bag (3.26kg) I could. In the end however it came down to not catching my full bag on the first day,” said a resigned Ross Cannizzaro.

Anglers.from.across.Australia.made.their. way.to.the.shores.of.the.Hawkesbury.River. for.the.biggest.bream.event.of.year.

JANUARY 2015

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Good vibrations for Hobie winner

REAM HOBIE B INAL GRAND F The 2014 Hobie Kayak Bream Series National Championship presented

by Daiwa held at South Yunderup, WA saw 48 of Australia’s best kayak anglers tussle for the prized title as the Hobie Kayak Australian Champion.

After a second solid day of action on the water, Chris Burbidge from Ferntree Gully in Victoria was crowned top honours.

The day started at 6am on the Murray River, an hour earlier than day one.

The Power-Pole starting line looked amazing in the overcast, early, morning light as anglers jostled for positions to take advantage of the crucial hours of fishing at the start of the day.

Daniel Brown from Taree in NSW sat nervously on the starting line at the top of

Our.2014.Hobie.bream.Grand.Final.podium.finishers! the Lowrance Leader board with his 2.34kg bag giving him a slight 370g lead over his nearest rival. Western Australia’s Brett Ozanne started the day in second on

1.87kg and eventual winner Chris Burbidge sat in third position on 1.67kg.

The field of excited anglers pedalled off on the final day of the Australian

Championship to execute the plans of attack that they had adjusted after the previous day’s fishing fishing. Some headed further afield but in the same direction as the day

before, others stayed closer to the event site and many headed off to completely new locations. It was common for competitors to have covered more than 15km in the session with one Hobie kayaker pedalling his Hobie Pro Angler 12 over 25km on the day.

As the grand finalists worked the early hours, the weather conditions had deteriorated from the day before. Rain squalls, accompanied by wind gusts of up to 25km/h and sudden cold snaps hit the arena. When the sun did break through around mid-morning, the cloud layer dissipated and the UV levels soared as the heat intensified.

When the fronts passed and the wind subsided, the waves began a more rhythmic pattern out on the inlet. The rivers were covered in light ripples and glassy water glistened in the protected areas of the rivers and canals.

For many, the fish refused

OVERALL RESULTS ANGLER

HOME STATE WEIGHT

Chris Burbidge ......... VIC .......................... 3.27kg Brett Ozanne ............ WA .......................... 3.12kg Michael Maas ........... QLD......................... 3.06kg Shane Owens ........... WA .......................... 3.06kg Clark Wilson ............. VIC .......................... 2.77kg Stewart Dunn............ NSW........................ 2.71kg Matt Petrie ................ VIC .......................... 2.60kg John Sorrell .............. WA .......................... 2.50kg Jim Barrie ................. NSW........................ 2.44kg Justin Dingwall ......... VIC .......................... 2.41kg

The.snaggy.setting.of.the.Murray.River.was.fantastic.lure.casting.territory.and. even.the.interstate.angers.found.their.feet.in.its.twiggy.maze.of.structure.

to strike early in the morning, including top 10 positioned anglers who became panicky as fish resisted their presentations. Most anglers thought that the bream would show their most aggressive nature early but some more technical-based predictions suggested that the best bite time would be from 11am12pm. This is exactly what day one leader Daniel Brown was hoping for at 11am, when he had caught plenty of under sized fish but had no legals in his livewell.

All over the arena the situation varied but the black bream in the upper Murray River where Burbidge had ventured where taking lures through most of the day and a lot of anglers who headed in that direction came home with full bags. It was the same direction that a pod of dolphins, which frequent the river, also chose to head to as they passed through the field of anglers as the tournament kicked off. They were heading back past the Daiwa Event Site at 1pm striking fish, making the water boil, in amongst the snags and riverbanks on the way back through to the inlet.

The dolphins knew where the fish were and the best times to target them.

When the anglers returned to the Atomic Launch Site, many were happy with their bags, some just happy not to have come home empty handed 2 days straight and others were excited about their prospects. Daniel Brown was dejected as he pedalled to shore with no fish in his well; the day one leader and two times champion was out of the running for a spot on the podium.

Burbidge bumps for win

ABT, PO Box 7196, LOGANHOLME, QLD 4129 Alternatively you can download an entry form from www.abt.org.au At any time you can call ABT on (07) 3387 0888 for help with your entry during business hours.

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Burbidge stood at the Berkely Bump Tub watching as angler after angler went up on stage.

Finally, it was his turn to walk down the green carpet of the Rhino-Rack Runway and up the stairs and onto the stage in front of the 200 strong crowd gathered to watch a Hobie Tournament weigh-in.

Burbidge was the second last angler to weigh-in his bag of 3 fish and was excited as he took over the ‘Hot Seat’, (the seat on the stage reserved for the current leader as the weigh-in progressed). He remained reserved, but with nervous anticipation he looked on as Brett Ozanne came up on stage for the final weigh-in of the tournament.

When Ozanne came to the scales he needed a bag weight on the day of 1.4kg to take the title. His 3 bream,

mostly taken in the canal just 1.2km west of the Daiwa Event Site, fell just short at 1.25kg and Burbidge pumped his fist in the air, ecstatic with his victory. After a great year on the water including 3 tournament victories, the 2014 Hobie Kayak Bream Series Australian Championship title was now rightfully his.

After the presentation of the championship trophy in front of a large crowd of onlookers Burbidge offered his thoughts on his performance and on the tournament.

“To make it to the Grand Final I had a few performances I was pretty happy with; I won 3 tournaments this year, Paynesville, Lake Tyers and Nelson, the very first round at the beginning of the year,” he said.

“When the tournament

here got off to a start on Saturday, I had a pretty good day, I didn’t think I had done enough but I ended up in 3rd place. I just did what I know to do around structure, which is to use deep diving hardbodies and little 40mm vibes.”

“Today I started off with exactly the same lures and all I was getting were those spangled grunter or whatever they are called. I got about 15 of those and I thought, ‘This area’s not working now’. My first fish didn’t come until about 9.30 or 10 o’clock so I was starting to hit the panic button. My finger was sort of on it. So I went well

N CHAMPIO

up the river and ended up putting on a purple vibe, just in desperation. About 3 casts later I was into me first fish and it just went on from there and I kept doing that all day. Slow rolling it, fishing structure, fishing drop offs. It didn’t matter what I was casting at I was hooking fish. I only got busted off once today, so I was pretty happy with that.

But the vibe did the job for me again; it turned out to be just a fantastic day.”

WINNING TACKLE Rod.................................................. Duff.H2O.7ft Reel....................................... Daiwa.Luvias.2004 Braid..................................................Sunline.8lb Leader..............................................FC.Rock.6lb

Consistency paid for Ozanne’s second 2ND PLA CE

After a brilliant 2 days of fishing, 2nd place in the Hobie Kayak Bream Series Australian Championship went to exceptional Western Australian angler Brett Ozanne, who maintained a constant position.

“I came into today quietly confident, I suppose.

I knew it was going to be tough today but I thought that local knowledge would come into play and the local guys would get a bag and some of the east coast guys would have a bit of a struggle to get 3 fish. But with guys of the calibre of Chris Burbidge, they can

always pull one out of the bag and they did,” he said.

“I’m absolutely pumped with the whole weekend. I pre-fished pretty extensively and I was fairly confident coming into the comp and wasn’t really thinking about really competing against anyone but myself. I had nothing to lose and it came off, 2 full bags, which were

puffing up all over the sand, so I could see them. I worked the Atomic Crank over the flats, I kicked up a bity of dirt with it, here and there, to get the fishes’ attention and then I gave it a pause and a twitch and they jumped all over it. That pretty much worked all weekend. It was just a matter of finding the fish in the canal and when I did

TACKLE USED: 2ND PLACE Rod...................................... Nitro.Vapor.6ft,.6ft.6” Reel..........Shimano.Stradic.Ci4+,.Rarenium.Ci4+ Braid............................................... Daiwa.sensor Leader........................................................ 6lb.FC

The.2014.Hobie.Bream.Grand.Final.saw.48.anglers.hit.the. water,.all.wanting.to.take.out.this.year’s.trophy..

really what I wanted to get, two full bags. I was absolutely stoked.”

“I basically used the same technique all weekend.

I found fish on the little shallow flats on the canal system where there was a clear layer of sand over a dirty layer and they were

they were really flighty, even when I stood up in the Hobie they would get spooked. I just found a couple of really good patches and probably pulled most of my fish from one 50m stretch. That fished pretty well all weekend until it shut down about 10.30.”

“I went into the flats in

HOBIE B R GRAND F EAM INAL the canals this morning chucking an Atomic Crank, my last ghost gill Atomic Crank after yesterday snapping the bib off one on a fish and losing one to a little chopper tailor. I came up to my flat at the end of a jetty, and pegged it under the jetty and got a fish. I couldn’t turn the PA back in time; I free-spooled and lost the lure. Devastated, I tied on a Muddy Prawn, but I just wasn’t feeling it.

I came back to that jetty probably 40 minutes later only to find that Atomic Crank of mine floating on the surface under the jetty. I couldn’t believe it and what was even better, I caught my last two fish on that Atomic Crank.

“I’m absolutely stoked I came 2nd. Better than I could have hoped and to do it for WA, I’m absolutely rapt”.

Maas amasses third podium 3RD PLA CE

Third place went to Queenslander Michael Maas from North Gold Coast.

“It is a bit different coming

here so I wasn’t expecting to catch my bag each day. But I sort of just fished it the way I do back home and it paid off. I pitched 2.5” Damiki D Grub on 3lb leader into the trees, into the timber. There’s just that much structure here you miss a fish on one and you just go to the next one and pitch away again and you just keep getting them. I got 20 legal fish on the final day,

but the day before I only got 5,” he said.

“I was 7th coming into the final day and getting a podium finish is just unbelievable. I loved coming here with all the timber and the river. I love fishing all of the natural structure, back at home too. It reminded me of a place I love to fish at home, Jumpinpin, with all its timber and mangroves. I had to adjust, a

little bit, to the fact that there was no real tide. Being from Queensland we get 2m tides, so there’s a bit of a difference.

But I just downsized the plastic and downsized the jighead and it just worked.”

“Hobie events in Australia are awesome. I fish the boating events and the kayak events but I think the kayak events might be up above the boating events at the moment, the way

Getting.set.for.another.day.on.the.water. after.some.Murray.River.black.bream.. they are run and the way they are organised. The guys just do an awesome job and the venue

here for this championship was awesome, what else can I say. I just loved being here.”

Double win for Hog’s Breath Boss Hog big bream For the first time in the championships two anglers brought fish to the scales that weighed in at exactly the same weight. On day one Daniel Brown from Taree in NSW brought in the largest fish of the day coming with a 1.06kg ‘keg’, which he pulled in from the lower reaches of the Murray River. On day two Jim Barrie from the NSW South Coast town of Nowra caught another ‘bag kicker’ in the upper reaches of the estuary also weighing 1.06kg.

“I caught him down river just sitting on a snag on one of the points of the islands. I threw into the snag and I was lucky that he hit it hard and I locked him in,” Daniel said. “Luckily, he ran straight out towards the yak instead of turning back. I fought him under the yak and I was stoked when I managed to pull

JIM BARRIE’S BIG BREAM TACKLE Rod.......................Daiwa.Battler.Kung.Fu.Prancer Reel....................................... Daiwa.Certate.1003 Line.......................................... Castaway.PE.10lb Leader............................................... FC.Rock.6lb Lure.................................................. Cranka.Crab

The.2014.Hobie.Bream.Grand.Final.couldn’t.have.gone.ahead. without.the.help.from.its.generous.sponsors. him on board my Hobie,” Daniel said.

Jim Barrie caught his

bream in a different location and setting entirely.

“I was working a 100m

DANIAL BROWN’S BIG BREAM TACKLE Rod...................................Daiwa.Black.Label.6’1” Reel................................................ Daiwa.Certate Line................................................... 10lb.Shinobi Leader........................................................ 4lb.FC Lure.......................Z. Man. Grubz. 2.5“. Bloodworm.. . ......................................... on.a.1/28oz.Jighead

open bank with no structure about 10km up river from the start. After casting the lure, it hit the bottom, I gave the reel one slow crank and the fish gulped it,” Jim said.

“I could tell, compared to all of the fish I had caught over the weekend, that it was a solid bream. It put up a fair fight but thankfully it was already in the open. When I pulled him aboard, I knew

I had a big chance for the Boss Hog Big Bream”.

A total of 144 black bream were caught in the Murray and Serpentine River systems over the weekend. The total catch weight of the fish was 68.83kg and the average fish weight amounted to 478g. Not a bad weekend fishing for anglers, who for the most part were fishing in tough conditions, in unfamiliar territory and without the assistance of a pre-fish in the area.

Matt Williams and the team from Getaway Outdoors did an absolutely brilliant job providing dealer support and providing the breakfasts, lunches, drinks

and snack packs for everyone one involved in the tournament. Thankyou also for assisting Hobie Cat Australasia in getting this excellent tournament to be such a momentous occasion for the competing anglers and for the followers of the sport of kayak fishing in Australia.

The Hobie Kayak Bream Series Grand Final could not have gone ahead without the great support of our generous sponsors Daiwa, Berkley, Atomic, Lowrance, Rhino-Rack, Strike Pro, Austackle, TT Lures, Yamatoyo, Ecogear, Power-Pole and Hog’s Breath Cafe . – Hobie Australasia JANUARY 2015

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2014 Yamaha Cod Classic BRISBANE

Stephen Booth

Australia’s richest freshwater fishing tournament and most eagerly awaited social event on the fishing calendar, the 2014 Yamaha Cod Classic and Wilson Fishing Junior Cod Classic was held from December 5-7 at the home of Murray cod fishing, the stunning Lake Mulwala.

Yarrawonga and Mulwala literally come alive with 2500+ anglers and 1400 boats hitting the area to compete for the $150,000 worth of prizes on offer at the event.

Entering its 15th year, the Cod Classic continues to offer an amazing prize pool totalling in excess of $150,000 including 7 Quintrex/Yamaha boating packages plus the first ever vehicle package with the lucky winner having the choice of either a Ford XR6 or Ford Ranger Ute for catching ‘Henry’, a specially tagged Murray cod. Unfortunately Henry was not captured during the event, but all the boat packages were given away.

During the event all the usual features were run including Flathead Fred, ‘Cod Talk’ with Rod McKenzie and Gus Storer, the Australian casting competitions and the Fishing & Outdoors Expo where visitors could talk

everyone dug into their meals, the excitement was building as anglers talked up what they were going to do the following morning.

Rod McKenzie and Gus

are staffed by volunteers who measure and make sure the fish are released in good health before issuing the lucky angler a receipt of their catch. Unlike previous

Saturday night drew in the crowds to see the large bounty of prizes given away. Photo courtesy of Jarrod Day.

The magnificent Ford Ranger Ute on display for the lucky angler who can catch ‘Henry’. Photo courtesy of Jarrod Day. Storer held their Cod Talk, an informal chat about all things cod and the crowd simply loves these lessons from the masters.

The first random boat prize was drawn for early entrants and the giveaways had started: The Yamaha Cod Classic was on.

DAY ONE Saturday morning arrived with brilliant sunshine and light winds encouraging even the laziest of anglers to get on the water. With over 1,000 boats buzzing around Lake Mulwala and the Murray River below Yarrawonga

years, the change in fishing regulations meant that fish over 75cm had to be released so a photograph with the competitors card on a measuring mat was required for verification of larger fish. This meant that all oversized fish were released on site and were given the best chance of a successful release.

The afternoon of day one saw a massive storm build up over Bundalong and this sent competitors

Rod McKenzie releasing ‘Henry’ after being tagged. Photo courtesy of Jarrod Day.

Shane Banks with a 61cm Murray cod caught up in the Bundalong area.

running for cover from around 1pm onwards.

Heavy rain, massive amounts of lightning and even some hail belted the top of Lake Mulwala before moving down to Wangaratta and then swinging back north to collect the bottom of the lake and the river.

Needless to say, not too many fish were weighed in the afternoon, although some braved the elements and kept fishing hard.

Saturday night saw the drawing of the Wilson

Typical of Mulwala’s fish, this fat little fish snaffled a Zerek Flat Shad for Anthony Pavlou. to and buy the best Murray cod fishing gear and lures and play with all of the accessories that make this style of fishing so much fun.

FRIDAY NIGHT Friday night is traditionally a big night when all the competitors need to register for the event and receive their goodies bags. All Junior anglers receive a great bag this year with lures donated

by Wilson Fishing in every Junior bag.

Dinner consisted of roast beef rolls and while 88

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Weir, there were few places that didn’t see a lure or a bait on Saturday morning and the results showed with plenty of fish being caught.

The highlight of the morning session was a sensational 104cm cod taken Rick Hughes, a cod that certainly had the potential to be the biggest for the competition.

The Yamaha Cod Classic is a catch and release event for all native fish and the organisers set up weigh in stations around the lake and down the river. These

Rhys Jones was stoked to take away the Wilson Junior Random Draw Boat package.

Fishing Junior Boat Prize and a stunned Reece Jones was drawn out of the barrel by Wilson Fishing’s Anthony Pavlou. With the draw over, most people took the chance to have an early night as the rain had set in.

DAY TWO Sunday dawned bright and sunny, again with little wind and those competitors who had missed the chance to fish Saturday afternoon were racing to their best spots for the short session.

The fishing was a little tougher on the Sunday with water temperatures dropping and the waters all dirtying up a bit, but anglers persisted and fish were caught, albeit at a much slower rate than on Saturday morning.

Luckily for Rick Hughes, no cod larger than 104cm were caught and that meant he became the Champion Angler for the largest cod of the event, writing his name into the record books for posterity.

The overall junior champion was Jackson Wheeler with 3 fish totalling 187cm (total length).

The final presentation was as smooth and flawless as we’ve come to expect at the Yamaha Cod Classic with all the boat packages given away to anglers who were mostly too excited for words. Over 300 random draw prizes were also given away over the event making this a truly remarkable fishing competition.

Thanks must go to the Mulwala Football and Netball Club for the hours of work that go into making this the biggest and richest inland fishing competition in Australia. It is a pleasure to attend whether you are a sponsor, a competitor or simply a visitor.

Check out the full results by logging onto www.codclassic.com.au.

– Additional information and photos provided by Jarrod Day

Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic results The 2014 Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic, Lake Hume was held on the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of November. 332 anglers were lucky enough to produce 317 fish, made up of 104 yellowbelly, 8 trout, 63 redfin and 142 carp.

This was despite the inclement weather on the Saturday morning, which saw many of the anglers off the lake due to the high winds. This was evident by the small number of fish weighed in for the Saturday morning session.

The afternoon session produced an abundance of fish. Sunday morning’s session proved to be the most productive session of the competition, with the greatest amount of fish weighed in.

The Seniors best yellowbelly for the weekend was a nice fish of 66cm, belonging to Mick Lyons. Best redfin was 42cm by to Rhys Creed. Best trout was awarded

to Joel Carroll with a 65cm brown trout. The best senior carp was 75cm belonging to Sam Went. The juniors’ best yellowbelly was 61cm belonging to S. Chetcuti. Best redfin was 38cm belonging to Hunter Hartnet.

Best trout junior was awarded to a local young girl, Gabby Bowran and measured 53cm. The best carp for the junior section was measured in at 71cm and belonged to Jack Brown.

The Champion Adult Male Angler was Jamie Roberts, who managed to produce 12 fish for the weekend. His winning bag included 10 yellowbelly and 2 redfin. Not a bad effort considering the number of yellowbelly caught over the weekend.

The Champion Senior Female was Katrina Smith with 2 fish.

Champion Junior Male went to young Riley Bourke with 2 fish.

Gabby Bowran took out

the Girls section with a total of 5 fish.

Champion team was awarded to ‘Social Fishing’ with a total of 15 fish.

Best Represented Club was the ‘Kinross Fishing Club’ with 29 members, this is a good turn out for a local club.

The Major Prize - The Quintrex boat and Mercury motor, all on a trailer was won by the lucky entrant Allan Fabris. Apparently, he had motor issues earlier in the day, so this outcome was a fortunate result.

Next years’ event is going to be held on the 24th and the 25th of October. We hope to continue next years’ event with the support from all our sponsors. It would not have been possible without the generous support from our local and corporate sponsors. We hope to see you all there for what is becoming a premier yellowbelly event.

– Adrian Kent

Jackie Webb’s 45cm yellowbelly from the tournament.

The 2015 Shipwreck Coast Fishing Classic The 2015 Shipwreck Coast Fishing Classic is on again from the 7-15 March in Warrnambool.

This year promises to be bigger and better than ever with a boat as the major prize, and a massive number of category prizes making this event the largest fishing comp in South West Victoria.

Profits will be donated to the Warrnambool Coastguard who have supported the comp tirelessly over many years.

The 2014 event saw almost 650 competitors share in over $64,000 in prizes and giveaways, and over 1200 people joining in the fun on presentation

day. Plenty of crayfish were raffled and free showbags and giveaways were handed out. We will be building on this success with the aim of making the next event even more family-focused.

2015 will see the introduction of catch and release options for a number of species including bream, mullet, estuary perch, trevally, mulloway, and trout. Big prizes are also on offer for snapper, whiting, morwong, Australian salmon, flathead, gummy and school sharks, kingfish, game sharks, and tuna.

2015 will also see the return of sweep to the eligible species list.

The comp is for all ages and fishing abilities and families are most welcome

and encouraged. Small fry (0-7yrs) and juniors (7-12yo) are only $5 entry!

There are loads of prizes, giveaways, and activities for the young ones during the presentation day event to keep them busy. Teens (12-16yo) are $10, and Adults are $30.

The sustainable fishing exhibit will again feature as part of the presentation day activities, promoting the sustainable use of our natural resources. Thanks to the Glenelg Hopkins CMA, Deakin University, Fisheries Victoria, Fishcare, Bunnings, and all the other participants of this wonderful initiative.

A photography comp will also be incorporated into the event, with the

Jason Twaddle was 2014 winner of the largest gummy shark category with a fish of 21.35kg.

aim of capturing the Classic in action! Great prizes on offer for great action shots.

We couldn’t do such a massive event without the help of all our sponsors. We have around 60 sponsors in total contributing. Please remember to support our sponsors where possible as they do a wonderful job supporting us. We welcome our new Platinum sponsors Midfield Meats for 2015!

Remember to save the date, and be sure to ‘like’ the Shipwreck Coast Fishing Classic Facebook page for all the latest information about the comp, including the comp rules. Entry is online at the Warrnambool Offshore and Light Game Fishing Club website www.wolgfc.com/.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR

Last year’s 2015 Shipwreck Coast Fishing Classic attracted a crowd of approximately 1,200 people.

DATE DETAILS

CONTACTS

JANUARY

Jan 30 -Feb 1

River Rats Family Fishing Classic Shepparton

Nick Brown Teamriverrats@hotmail.com

Jan 31 -Feb 1

The Maria Lures, Sunline Bream Classic Bill Hartshorne Marlo www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

MARCH

2015

Mar 7-15 Shipwreck Coast Fishing Classic WOLGFC Warrnambool www.facebook.com/shipwreckcoastfishingclassic

For listings please email jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au JANUARY 2015

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Subaru Forester 2.5 Petrol Auto lights, 17” alloy wheels, dual zone air conditioning, cruise control and a reversing camera linked to an 11cm wide information screen, which allowed an on-going assessment of fuel use plus stereo system information.

The screen, when compared to some competitors in the Subaru’s price range – $36k+ – was somewhat small.

Electric windows, height and reach adjustment for the steering wheel, iPod streaming

BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

It’s been a while since I’ve test driven a Forester and I’ll admit to being the poorer for the situation. With the head spinning onset of so many SUVs gracing our roads it’s easy to forget that the all wheel drive Subaru Forester has been there and done it long before many of the current flock arrived from overseas.

True, some of the newer SUVs might have more upmarket infotainment systems, they might sit higher, sport larger screens in the dash but when it comes to road holding capability, levels of build quality, sound insulation and a feeling of balance and laid back ease of driving, the Forester is still very capable of holding its own.

ALL WHEEL DRIVE ALL THE WAY The Japanese-made Subaru Forester has always been an all wheel drive proposition.

Some makers these days offer either two or all wheel drive – based primarily on front wheel drive – Subaru have steadfastly remained with their trade mark all wheel drive system in the Forester. This means there is no sensation of torque feedback from the front wheels when the Forester’s 126 KW horizontally opposed fuel injected four cylinder engine is pumping the ponies. Instead there’s merely a feeling of controlled acceleration thanks to the inherent smoothness and lack of vibration from the Subaru’s boxer engine.

The engine is very low in the engine bay when compared to the usual in line 4 or V6 power plants, which contributes greatly to the Forester’s low centre of gravity. Not surprisingly, all Subaru’s are acclaimed for their stability and all round excellent handling; so much so that many awards have come their way in serious competition.

For the average driver these attributes come down to sheer driving pleasure, the little things that make one vehicle so much better to drive than the next. And it’s in ease of driving and the enjoyment of the experience where the Subaru outshines many rivals.

SIX SPEED AUTO The 2014 Forester 2.5i L as reviewed, with its 2.5L petrol engine, featured a seamless six speed CVT unit; with the manual Forester being equipped with a 2.0L engine by way of comparison. The auto was very slick although steering column paddles are there for the driver who likes to select ratios; my feeling is that most drivers won’t bother.

A quick word on Constantly Variable Transmission ( CVT) units. Many modern SUV’s

Above: With rear seats down the Forester will carry plenty of luggage or camping gear. Right: Even quite large items can be secured within the Forester’s door pockets.

Below left: Subtle tonings, neat finish, and everything easy to find are hallmarks of the Forester’s dash layout. Below right: The Forester’s dash screen – smaller than some, but does the job.

are equipped with these seamless auto units. Some cars, unfortunately seem to suffer from a little miss match between CVT gearing and engine with the result that the engine has to work mighty hard, and with some excessive noise, to keep things up and running.

This situation has seen the somewhat cheeky term ‘Buzz Box’ being coined and cheerfully applied to some cars – not the Forester.

With a useful 235Nm of torque on tap both the wagon’s CVT unit and engine are always doing it easy. When the Forester’s tacho needle moves up the dial it does so somewhat sedately without engine revs drowning out all else –Subaru have effectively taken the buzz out of the box!

In fact the lack of under bonnet and road noise intrusion is an impressive feature of the Forester.

The Forester’s 2.5L petrol engine is quite under-stressed too, with 100km/h highway cruising seeing only 1700rpm on the tachometer. A supple suspension consisting of McPherson struts up front, a double wishbone independent set up at the rear, was easily capable of ironing out

prominent speed bumps in car parks plus ripples and bumps on the open road encountered at speed.

Off road work is optimised by the Forester’s X Mode controlled speed program, which uses the ABS system to maintain a selected speed (up to 40km/h) when going down steep inclines or in really rough going.

THE FRUIT Among notable features for the 2.5i–L included a leather wrapped wheel, fog

plus a voice active Bluetooth connectivity system were also standard fare, as were stereo audio controls for the excellent 6 speaker sound system.

I found the Subaru’s interior to be well finished albeit somewhat subdued.

However, night driving aesthetics – with emphasis on illumination of major dials and gauges in a subtle rather than eye catching manner – were very good. Headlights were also bright and well focussed. The 2.5i-L’s fabric

At the Logan River boat ramp the launch was easy, the Forester’s all wheel drive a boon when the boat was later retrieved at low tide. seats were comfortable, quite roomy and that ample head and leg room are certainly a bonus. The reclining rear seat, in particular, was very well cushioned and a deep floor depth was very noticeable.

Storage was in plentiful supply throughout the cabin with large door pockets up front, a rear map pocket plus a flip down centre storage bin in the console ready for action. The rear luggage compartment was somewhat shallow although quite reasonable at almost 450L

capacity. Note that the rear seats have a 60/40 split fold capability to provide extra cargo area. Rear loading is simple thanks to a lower than usual loading lip and a wide uplifting door. On the topic of doors both driver and passengers will enjoy the way in which the Forester’s doors open almost at right angles to the main body of the car for ease of access and departure.

GROUND CLEARANCE A BONUS The Forester is also

There’s no denying that the 2014 Subaru Forester has a quite purposeful look about it.

blessed with svelte lines based on smooth rather than boxy styling and with an overall ground clearance of some 220mm all round has ground clearance approaching that of several of today’s larger 4x4 wagons.

The Forester’s fuel capacity is 60L and it has a smart fuel saving auto on/ off engine system, which automatically turns the engine off at traffic lights, yet the moment the driver’s foot disengages the brake or touches the accelerator pedal the engine restarts instantly.

The system takes a little bit to become accustomed to and is totally driver activated. I saw no reason to disengage it and was happy with the 10.5L per 100km fuel consumption achieved during 500km+ of mainly city driving.

Fellow small boat owners are going to be happy with the Forester’s towing capacity rating of 750kg unbraked, 1500kg for a braked trailer.

The Kampe fishing team towed the TABS 4300 Bullshark with its 40hp E-Tec on a few local fishing forays and were mighty grateful for the Forester’s all wheel drive capability during a low tide retrieval at a muddy ramp on the Logan River. The rear wheels were in the slush, the front ones on the clean section of ramp and we had a perfect lift off. The mud cabs were nice, too.

In all, the Subaru Forester has a lot going for it. It’s a great all rounder with many things done very well but with handling and road manners as really outstanding attributes.

As a family RV/people mover it also shines, and there’s no doubt the full time all wheel drive system would be very handy around boat ramps or on forest tracks.

Safety is paramount with a 5 star ANCAP rating, ABS and EBD also standard.

The reviewed Forester was provided by Keystar Auto World of Rothwell. Retail price of the 2.5 petrol auto was $36,879 with Keystar offering free window tinting as a bonus for the New Year. Warranty is three years with unlimited kilometres while Data Dot anti theft protection comes standard..

• For more information please visit www.subarudocklands. com.au or call Dale 03 8698 3422 .

JANUARY 2015

91

Select the right sounder BRISBANE

Nabeel Issa

So how do you pick the right sounder for your boat?

There are heaps of different options available on the market now. Advances in sonar technology the last few

Ideally you will be able to read the screen from your position as you are driving or as you are fishing, without having to squint or get right up to the screen. It’s true what they say, bigger is better – always go the biggest screen you can afford.

height. To put it in perspective, a 7” wide rectangle screen is going to give you much better detail and the ability to scan further distances than a 7” square screen would.

TOUCH SCREEN The last few years has seen the introduction of touch screen sounders. Available across a

A 7” screen is the perfect size for kayaks – big enough without being cumbersome. years have been incredible and now many of the ‘top end’ features are available in budget priced units.

Of course more options mean it can be tricky to decide on which sounder to get so hopefully this article can help make things a little clearer and get you picking the best sounder for your needs.

SCREEN SIZE Firstly the best way to narrow down the options is to decide on which screen size you need. Everyone has their own fishing styles so it’s important to pick something that will help you the most.

Generally sounders come in sizes ranging from 3” up to 12”. Boat size shouldn’t have a great deal of influence on this decision. What’s important is to make sure that the screen will be big enough to show you what you need. For example, if you like to run split screens, a larger screen will be necessary.

SONAR FEATURES There are quite a few different sonar options available, as I have mentioned in previous articles such as traditional 2D sonar, down scan, side scan, chirp etc, and each has their advantages. It pays to do your research on these and work out which will benefit you the most.

Lowrance HDS Units give you the option to chop and change. You can start with a basic Fish Finder/Chartplotter unit and as you save a bit more money you can add features, such as side scan and chirp, whichever is applicable to your style of fishing.

If side scan is your thing, look for a sounder with a wide screen. A wide screen will allow you to show more detail on your image, as opposed to a square shaped screen. When side scanning, you want to be using the whole width of the screen, not necessarily the

number of different brands, at first I was a bit reserved about a touch screen sounder on a boat. My thoughts were that they would be difficult to use in wet weather, with messy fingers, bait etc. This was based on my experiences of trying to use my iPhone with wet fingers in the rain.

When first purchasing my HDS Touch however, I was pleasantly surprised at how responsive the touch screen actually is. One of my first outings was in the rain and I didn’t have any problems at all

JANUARY 2015

navigating the screen. They are designed for the harsh marine environment and so if you are worried about it being hard to

unit in the boat.

Likewise, it also shares information such as waypoints and trails, which

enough flat spot to mount the standard bracket so the RAM bracket worked well for my set up. I also use one for my

From 3-12” screens, there is a sounder to suit everyone’s budget.

Obviously space is going to be an issue so check first to see how much room you have and this will help you decide on which screen size sounder you can go with.

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Top: Having a 4-way split screen is a great benefit of a larger screen.

Above: A wider screen will allow you to cover a greater area but still keep a crystal clear image.

Photo courtesy of Lee Parkhouse (Simrad NSS12).

use, don’t stress!

Touch screen sounders make life a lot easier.

Navigating through menus, entering GPS Coordinates and scrolling around the screen is just a touch away and far quicker and easier than having to use the keypad arrows to go back and forth to select the desired option – anyone who has put in a bunch of GPS coordinates this way will know what I mean!

MULTIPLE UNITS If you like running multiple units on your boat, it’s worth checking if the sounders you purchase will be able to ‘talk’ to each other.

Lowrance HDS units are able to share all sonar data when you connect the 2 via an Ethernet cable. This allows you to view your down scan and side scan on more than 1

is helpful when you have a separate sounder mounted on the front casting deck.

Some sounders will also share GPS Maps; this will save you having to purchase 2 map cards.

MOUNTING OPTIONS Depending on what sort of boat set up you have, there are multiple ways to mount your sounder. Sounders will come standard with a bracket that can be fixed down to any flat surface and is how most anglers mount theirs.

If you are like me and prefer to be able to swing the unit around, there are a plethora of aftermarket brackets and mounts available that you can use. I have my sounder on a RAM bracket that I have fixed down into the gunnel of my boat. I don’t have a wide

front mounted sounder to lift the sounder higher to make it easier to read while standing and fishing.

The RAM bracket mounts also work well on kayaks. Space is generally hard to come by on a kayak so having your sounder mounted on the bracket gives you the option to move it around. A 4, 5 and 7” sized screen tends to be the pick for kayak anglers, any bigger and they can start to get in the way.

So hopefully those few topics will get you thinking about your next purchase and give you a bit of insight into deciding which unit will be best suited for you. Find something that’s within your budget, do some research and most importantly put in the time to learn how to use it.

Fishing Fill-its

Quintrex Aluminium I-beam trailers impress saltwater to pool.

“The advantages of the aluminium trailers is that the box section is fully open and there’s nowhere for water to pool in the design,” says Quintrex R&D man, Stuart Morgan.

“We’ve inspected plenty

FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

At a recent Quintrex Media day on the Gold Coast, the cohort of Aussie journos were treated to a tour of the Quintrex trailer factory.

For 70 years now, Quintrex Boats have been designed and built in Australia, but it seems incredible that until recently, there was no option to buy a factoryfitted and boat/trailer or boat/motor/trailer package.

Sam Phelan and his trailer team have addressed this issue, though, and the trailer manufacturing line at their Coomera factory now yields between 30 and 35 trailers per day.

It’s an impressive set-up, and spearheaded by the hero product, which is the aluminium framed I-beam trailers.

Traditionally, Aussies have been fed a diet of galvanised, stainless-steel trailers for our boats. And these have served us just fine for decades. Trouble is, though, especially with a frame made of box-section steel, there was always somewhere for the

Phelan says.

To be honest, I’d never watched a length of aluminium I-beam being bent with precision before, but it sure was cool to see the backbone of the trailer taking shape in mere seconds. You can see clips of it in the

Having a dedicated boat-lift at the end of the process to aid in precisely setting up each trailer for the boat it carries makes life easy for both the dealer and the end user.

The bottom line is that now you have an excellent option for your Quintrex boat package – or even if you’re looking for a new trailer for your current pride-and-joy – Quintrex or not.

Quintrex trailers are available from your local Quintrex dealer. And did you like the sound of a factory tour? The public are welcome to the free, factory tours. See www.quintrex. com.au for information on both. – Steve Morgan QR CODE

The finished product looks great and is functional and saltwater friendly.

Top: Having a car lift on site makes setting up a finished trailer very easy. Hands up if you’ve done this with a trolley jack and a shifting spanner?

Above: The I-beam and cross members are all aluminium.

of these I-beam trailers and they’re right at home in saltwater.”

Phelan agrees.

“The only galvanised steel parts in these trailers are the uprights that are bolted on and in the towing assembly, and both of those can be replaced if corrosion becomes an issue,”

accompanying video (scan the QR code hereby).

Following the assembly line down the shed, it was easy to see why these trailers are popular. They use quality components that work together to provide the end user a piece of machinery that enhances your boating experience.

Scan to see the full interview with Sam Phelan from Quintrex.

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93

Tabs 5600 Territory Pro centre console PORT MACQUARIE

David Poulton pmbc@drsm.com.au

Tabs Boats are renowned for building strong, reliable vessels, and this is clear in their company motto — “Tough Aussie Boats”. The build is complimented by a smooth ’glass-like finish that shows they are not only tough, but also great to look at.

First examination of the Tabs Territory Pro and you pause to take in everything the company has become renowned for — strong design and attention to detail. It certainly looks like a great boat for the serious offshore angler.

DIMENSIONS Keeping their motto in mind, Tabs have certainly built a tough Aussie boat.

The new Super FX plate hull design with a 4mm bottom is made from 5083 high tensile sheets, welded the full length with 3 stringers and a 10mm thick 100mm high keel.

The smooth 3mm sides are beautifully welded, giving it a sleek finish once painted.

It’s a boat that’s certainly built to last!

The reverse chine, combined with a deep V-hull, provided an excellent ride with great stability. We had less than favourable conditions for the test (which is what you want), but taking it out over the bar and into some tough seas the boat was more than up to the challenge.

It provided a dry ride and responded well under the conditions.

At 5.75m in length and with a roomy 2.4m beam, the Territory Pro is a lot of boat. Tipping the scales at around 620kg, it has a transom weight of 240kg.

With the test boat fitted with a Mercury 115 Command

Thrust 4-stroke weighing in at 175kg, it’s a pretty light package considering its size.

At rest, it feels extremely

safe, even with a decent swell running. It has plenty of storage room, with all the safety gear located in

With its clean lines, the Tabs 5600 Territory Pro certainly grabs the serious fisho’s attention.

Top: The functional console has everything you need at hand and plenty of storage space as well. Middle: The rear deck is tidy and extremely functional. Above: At rest, the boat makes for a stable fishing platform.

Powered by the new Mercury 115 Command Thrust 4-stroke, this boat has plenty of power.

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JANUARY 2015

Top: The front deck has great storage, with a removable 90L icebox for keeping the catch fresh. Middle: The plate hull design contributes to the Territory Pro’s great handling characteristics. Bottom: The flip-flop backrest makes for a great driving position, or a comfortable spot to lean back and watch the rods when fishing.

the bin under the driver and passenger bench seat.

Underway, there are plenty of places to hold onto to deal with the conditions.

Vision while driving seated was good and provided clear sight whether cruising along an estuary or under power at sea. While standing when crossing a bar and moving in big seas the Territory Pro handled well, was very stable and with seat and console rails you certainly felt safe.

POWER Getting this big girl moving was effortless, thanks to the new Command Thrust Mercury 115 4-stroke. With just a little tap on the throttle she was up and planing, and cruised at around 4900rpm doing 24 knots. When put under the pump and given a little juice, she revved out to 6100rpm and was nudging over 32 knots. Performance tests were done in the estuary, and with flat water it was great to see the boat fly. Offshore in tougher conditions, it was comforting to have done these tests and know there was enough power and quick response to deal with tricky seas, proving that the hull and engine was a good match.

The recommended rating of 115hp was more than sufficient and going to 150hp would see the boat fly.

When driving a boat of this size with such a responsive engine, safety is a key and the Territory Pro handled beautifully. It held a straight line well, and when the power was cut it continued to hold true — coming off the plane quickly, sitting down smoothly, with no water pushing over the pod or the transom.

Cornering at slow speeds was difficult and something that would take getting used to. This is due to the boat not having hydraulic steering.

It’s an optional extra well worth considering, but not entirely essential. In saying

that, the boat did respond and handle well when turning at speed, exhibiting very little slip, digging in nicely, and transitioning well from one direction to another — making it very safe for avoiding obstacles in the water.

Offshore, it carved through the swell and even punched over a few waves comfortably. It tracked well in a following sea and handled admirably given the conditions.

EXTRAS When thinking about buying a boat, we sometimes

forget about extras and get caught up in just the initial cost. Tabs have done an excellent job by including some cool accessories that make it a great fishing vessel. On the port side is a lockable rod locker, while on the starboard a large shelf. It also has a rear swim platform with a stainless steel boarding ladder, and a walkthrough transom for bringing people or those big catches on board. It also comes with an aluminium bait table and three rod holders. This is well positioned, and adjacent to it on the transom is a live

bait tank all plumbed up and ready to go.

LAYOUT When looking at the layout of the Territory Pro, ‘functional’ sums it up pretty accurately. There’s plenty of deck space for 3-4 anglers, and being able to move around the boat from the stern to the bow with little effort is a great bonus when wrestling a big fish.

Large gunwales at the right height make for a safe, stable fishing platform, and would come in handy in a rocky sea.

Forward there is a sizeable anchor well that is

The bait table is a great feature, with storage underneath and set at a good height.

easy to access, and underfloor 2 storage compartments — one for incidentals and the other containing a 90L removable icebox to look after your catch. With plenty of open deck space aft of the console, it really is a superb fishing vessel.

CONSOLE The command centre of any boat is the skipper’s seat, and in this case it’s a large two-seater box seat with a flip-flop backrest.

The console has a well considered, no fuss layout.

There’s an EPIRB holder, and a large compartment for personal belongings. Along with the engine controls and instrument gauges, the console is also fitted with a Lowrance Elite 7 Colour GPS sounder, a Lowrance VHF radio, and to give you some extra protection from the sun, a heavy duty T-top.

A large shelf at the bottom is a handy place to store any other gear you might need at the ready.

FISHABILITY AND SUMMING UP At a glance, the Territory Pro gets you looking, but once tested it gets you wanting. With ample fishing room, great stability and storage space supported by precise handling and plenty of power, this boat has it all for the offshore angler.

With some nice extras

At rest, the boat makes for a stable fishing platform thrown in to increase its appeal, this is an awesome package.

Sitting on an Oceanic Trailer for reliable towing and easy launching and retrieval, it is a combination well worth considering.

If you’d like to check the Tabs 5600 Territory Pro out, visit Regal Marine at www. regalmarine.com.au.

To see the full Tabs

boat range, visit www. tabsboats.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.

THE HOME OF IN VICTORIA

5600 Territory Pro

9874 4624 www.regalmarine.com.au

7100 Hard Top

660 Ocean Series

514 Canterbury Rd

VERMONT

JANUARY 2015

95

Bar Crusher’s 670HTP BRISBANE

Stephen Booth

What a great boat! Yep, that’s my impression after spending a day on the bay in the 670HTP from Bar Crusher.

Our last trip to Victoria included a day on the water with the boys from Bar Crusher and we were fortunate enough to get some time in this rig. The HTP version is the Pilot House model of the popular 670 hull, and this model will prove very popular for those looking for a towable boat that will make a meal of adverse ocean conditions and allow skipper and crew to get out of the weather in comfort.

anglers. Keep in mind, if you want to have a true overnighter that is set up for this purpose, take a good look at the impressive 780HTP, as it comes with all the bells and whistles for overnighting.

The 6 7 0 H T P ’s pilothouse is functionality at its best. The toughened safety glass windscreen and all-weather pilothouse allows full standing room and an unobstructed 360° view from the helm. At the core of the pilothouse is the ability to completely enclose you from the weather with bar-style rear doors and handle-locked windows up front. These two designs allow excellent airflow when needed, and are completely watertight

SPEED RPM.................................................................Knots Idle (700)...............................................................2.9 1,000.....................................................................4.5 2,000.....................................................................6.9 3,000...................................................................14.9 4,000...................................................................25.5 5,000...................................................................32.3 WOT (5,800)........................................................39.9

The bait station drains straight into the berley muncher and bucket that is located on the rear boarding platform within easy reach.

PILOT HOUSE Given that this is the same hull as the other 670 models, let’s take an in-depth look at what the pilothouse offers for

when needed the other way.

The starboard (skipper’s) side of the front windscreen also sports a windscreen wiper to ensure the best visibility at all times.

I really like the helm area of this boat. It’s massive and fits the largest of instrument panels easily.

It was designed specifically like this to ensure the skipper had all the tools of his trade within easy reach and easy sight. There are few things worse than looking over to the port side of the boat to check on a GPS or sounder while you’re concentrating on where you’re going. In this case, larger is better.

Both the skipper and the first mate have deluxe helm seating that is confortable in any weather and to add a degree of security, there are foot rests built in for both of these seating positions.

The heavy-duty seat boxes are built with tackle storage underneath and you can carry 10 trays of tackle here.

This is a handy use of space and allows more-than-youneed tackle storage for most trips out.

Forward of the foot rests is the cabin space, an area that has bench seating with cushions and enough space to have a quick lay down if needed. In fact a couple of kids would easily find a bed on either seat.

Underneath the cushions is more storage space suited to safety gear, spare clothes or spare tackle storage.

There is also a very large forward hatch that gives users access to the anchor well, although I would take the option to install the Stress Free Anchor winch. Although this would make the hatch somewhat redundant, it’s nice to know if there is an issue up forward, you can easily access the anchor well and sort it out on the spot.

WORKING AREA The working area on the 670HTP has deliberately been made as large as possible. The pilothouse configuration and foldaway rear bench seat creates a huge cockpit

Bar Crusher’s exclusive Quickflow water ballast technology ensures the boat is extremely stable at rest.

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JANUARY 2015

The 670HTP will prove very popular for those looking for a trailerboat that will make a meal of adverse ocean conditions. fishing area that’s ready for serious action.

Generous internal depth with secure toeholds, stepthrough transom, marlin board with berley bucket, rod holders, plumbed livebait tank, in-floor fish storage tank and large-volume storage pockets which will easily accommodate tag poles, gaffs and other essential equipment are all there for you. The fullywelded checkerplate deck is extremely easy to clean after a solid day on the water, and with the optional FishMat flooring, there’ll be no slipping at vital times when you’re setting lines or fighting it out with the big one of the day.

I like larger boats that have deck washes included, and the 670HTP has a saltwater deckwash installed to help keep everything clean while you’re on the water. Blood, guts, berley and slime can all be hosed off the flooring and bait station easily and quickly before it dries and becomes a pain to clean when you get back to port.

The bait station drains straight into the berley muncher and bucket that is located on the rear boarding platform within easy reach of anyone wanting to use it. I like berley munchers as it means you can work a fine mist of berley into the water without having to spend hours chopping up pilchards or bait scraps, and the fact that the bait board drains to this means your rig will stay cleaner for longer.

On the other side of the berley pot is the boarding ladder and a step-through transom door. This gives you access to the boarding platform if extra large fish need attention or if you are diving, swimming or retrieving people from the water. It’s simple and convenient and simply not overdone like some can be.

And of course this is all powered by the 200hp Suzuki 4-stroke strapped to

the back that simply made this rig fly.

ON THE WATER I was impressed with the stability of the 670 at rest and underway. Phil from Bar Crusher has had years of experience in this style of boat and

you can tell when he takes the helm and shows you what this lady can do. We managed to do some speed testing and fuel use figures thanks to all the gauges on board, and found that at 4000rpm, the 670HTP ran at around 48km/h (about

Top: The 670HTP’s high-tech Waveslicer nonpounding, deep-V hull delivers an ultra-smooth ride. Middle: The toughened safety glass windscreen and all-weather pilothouse allows full standing room and an unobstructed 360° view from the helm. Bottom: The very large forward hatch gives users access to the anchor well.

26 knots) and used barely any fuel. The boat also ran so smoothly at this speed that it was easy to walk

As an experiment and to prove a point that maybe some people need some boat driving training, Phil

SPECIFICATIONS Hull length (m)......................................................6.7 Beam (m)............................................................2.35 Internal freeboard (mm).....................................800 Bottom sides (mm).................................................5 Top sides (mm)........................................................4 Transom length................................................... 25” Fuel capacity (L).................................................190 Tow weight (dry weight) (kg).......................... 2,000 Minimum hp........................................................150 Maximum hp.......................................................200 Overall trailer length (m).....................................8.1 Overall trailer width (m).....................................2.35 Height on trailer (m)...............................................3 Towing.....................................................Large 4WD

The pilothouse has the ability to completely enclose you from the weather with bar-style rear doors and handle-locked windows up front. around without holding on to the grab rails anywhere on board.

showed me the difference using the trim tabs can make. Keep in mind this is

Phil’s passion and lifestyle and he can drive a boat bloody well, but as he adjusted the trim tabs at 4000rpm, the incredibly pleasant ride turned into a thumping, noisy and much slower ride that would lead you to think the hull was terrible. It was a real eye opener for me just how much the ride could be influenced.

Phil also took us into a full lock turn at around 2000rpm. This was a tight turn that had the 670 circling in less than 15m.

He slowly bumped up the rpms as we spun around and as we hit full noise we were spinning in the same space without cavitation and without the boat feeling like it was out of control.

The boat was so in control that as we exited the sharp turning circle, Phil drove us over the cross wakes and the rig stayed true to course and just glided on its merry way.

OK, I was sold!

So to sum up the performance, we maxed out the speed at just under 6000rpm at around 73km/h (around 40 knots) and cruised comfortably and very fuel efficiently at 48km/h (about 26 knots) and never once looked like making this boat skip a beat and put us in danger.

I loved it.

GET INTO ONE Constructed from heavy-duty, high-tensile 5mm (bottom sides) and 4mm (top sides) marine grade plate aluminium, the 670HTP measures 6.70m overall with a 2.35m beam.

Its high-tech Waveslicer non-pounding, deep-V hull delivers an ultrasmooth ride, the expertlyengineered Rigideck sub-floor system ensures maximum hull strength and Bar Crusher’s exclusive Quickflow water ballast technology ensures the boat

is extremely stable at rest.

All up, it’s a very impressive fishing rig that makes no bones about its purpose, and that’s just fine with me. If you’re going to build a boat for fishing, build a boat for fishing – and this is exactly what Bar Crusher has done with the 670HTP. I’d happily fish from this boat for anything offshore.

Marlin, tuna, deepwater baitfishing, snapper in the bays and offshore, even squidding and whiting fishing a little shallower – I reckon the 670HTP could

handle all of it. The fact you have a pilothouse to get out of the weather in is simply a massive bonus.

Check out more about the 670HTP by logging onto the Bar Crusher website at www.barcrusher.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.

With a 200hp Suzuki 4-stroke on the back, the test boat ran at around 48km/h (26 knots) at 4000rpm and used barely any fuel.

n o e b o t t Wan f o r e v o C the ? y l h t n o M Fishing

WIN A POWER-POLE MICRO ANCHOR FROM

24 PAGE Melbourne Boat Show feature

Do you love your monthly issue of Fishing Monthly?

Do you think it’s about time you were on the cover of it?

Well, we think that too and are offering readers the chance to do just that. The March, April and May issues of Queensland, NSW and Victoria/Tasmania FMs will all feature readers’ pics on the front covers.

And there’s no reason why it can’t be you...

Techniques Make mine a mullet Baiting river blackfish • Blue Rock bassin’ • DIY kayak wheels

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See pages 22 · 27

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Tried and Tested Ecogearaqua Bream Prawn Streaker 5700 Commander • Sea Jay 6.8 Pursuit • Larson FX1750 SC •

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June, 2014

2014 Melbourne Boat Show • Explore Australia Expo •

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FIND THE SPECIALTYFISHING.COM.AU .COM.AUU LOGO COMPETITION ITION

Entry is simple. Email us your cover-worthy pic. Remember, though, that it needs to be the right composition and resolution to work. After that, it just needs to get through the Grumpy Old Man committee (Steve Morgan) and then BOOM, you’re the latest cover model.

Be creative - we like images that aren’t just ‘person holding fish’.

• • • • • • •

Other parameters of which you need to take note: Portrait format (turn camera on its side).

Leave enough room for a magazine masthead at the top of the image.

Shoot in the highest resolution your camera can take.

Use fill-in flash to help remove any shadows under caps or biminis.

Live fish look way better than dead ones.

Any fish must be legally captured (within season/size limits). iPhone pics aren’t going to cut it!

Head not too high in the shot to allow for Masthead Portrait format showing focus area

And then email your image to: frontcovercomp@fishingmonthly.com.au with a description of the what/when/where/how of the capture.

Be sure to include your details, too, because we’ll post out a mounted copy of the winning covers to the entrant.

THAT will be going straight to the Pool Room, we bet.

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97

What’s New BOATING

1

YAMAHA END OF AN ERA

Yamaha Motor Australia announces the end of the legendary V4 Saltwater Series 115C and 130B outboard motors in Australia. These trusted outboards have been powering Australian boaters for almost 3 decades and are well recognised for their performance and have an enviable reputation for reliability and durability forged in one of the harshest saltwater markets in the world.

These engines will no longer be part of Yamaha’s range in the Australian market once the remaining units are sold.

The V4 Saltwater series of engines were introduced in the 1980s and have always been hugely popular in Australia.

Complimenting boats in the 5-6m range, V4 saltwater series engines can be found on many of the classic hulls from that era and today.

Both the 115C and 130B Saltwater Series engines will still receive full technical back up from Yamaha’s nationwide network of authorised dealerships as well as a full range of spare parts to keep these engines running long into the future. – Yamaha Motor Australia

2

2014 OCEANIA GRAND PRIX

Yamaha’s 2014 Oceania Marine Technician Grand Prix has been run and won.

The Yamaha technician GP is a training and skills contest where the best technicians from all over Australia and New Zealand come to compete. Competitors are put through a series of challenges to test their knowledge and skill in a simulated workshop environment.

This year, Brendan Irvine from Leon and Paul Savages Streaker Boats, Bayswater, Victoria excelled in this gruelling event, earning the title of best Yamaha Marine Technician, 2014.

Back for a third year and qualifying highest in his region, Brendan competed against another 7 finalists from around Australia and New Zealand at Yamaha’s Marine Training Headquarters in Brisbane.

Utilising his past experience from previous GP events and the enhancement of his skills through Yamaha’s Technical Academy training, Brendan held off a very formidable runner up in Tony Powell from Telfer Marine, Rotorua, New Zealand. – Yamaha Motor Australia

3

MOTORGUIDE XI5

MotorGuide’s new Xi5 wireless trolling motor has been a double bonus for Brian Everingham, helping him defeat his opponents... and entertain his kids.

Brian, one of Australia’s leading tournament fishers has found the Xi5 to be “excellent” for both its technological advances and its super quiet operation.

“I’ve had the Xi5 for several months now and I’ve used it in all sorts of conditions and it’s great. I’m really happy with it,” said Brian.

And why wouldn’t he be? The Xi5 has been designed to exceed expectations. It’s reliable every day and durable over the long haul. It’s backed by a lifetime warranty and it is wireless capable right out of the box.

“I can pre-fish an area the day before and save it to memory, so when the contest starts the motor will take me to exactly the same spot. You can drop right on top of the school of fish you want. – Mercury Marine

4

NEW A-SALT MIXING UNIT

The New A-Salt Mixing Unit has been purposely designed to dispense the SaltAway Concentrate formula. Designed for ease of use with a new throttle type control valve to switch from ‘off’ to ‘rinse’ to ‘Salt-Away’ and will handle high Australian and New Zealand water pressures.

No competitor’s dispenser on the market is the same as Salt-Attack’s. The receptacle holds 100mL and has been tested to withstand water pressure up to 120psi.

Ideal for outboard flushing with our Deluxe Muffs and you can wash down by adding our spray gun. The Salt-Away concentration is required for Outboard and Jetski engine flushes and most Inboard flushes.

To flush your engine, put 40-60mL (min 1/2-3/4 cup) of Salt-Away concentrate into A mixer cup for up to 90hp motor, and for 90300hp use 80mL (full cup), and use to wash boat, trailer, fishing and diving gear. Follow engine flush instructions included or visit web site www.salt-away.com.au. – Salt-Away

5

Navico, the world’s largest manufacturer of marine electronics and parent company to the Lowrance, Simrad and B&G brands, has announced the launch of its newest brand, GoFree.

Designed to deliver content and services to consumers in the way they have come to expect from modern electronics, the GoFree brand for use with Lowrance, Simrad and B&G Multifunction Displays (MFDs), as well as mobile devices, gives boaters access to what they want, when and where they want it.

GoFree products include all existing Insight charts, Insight Genesis personalised mapping service with Social Map community data sharing, BioBase aquatic map Software as a Service (SaaS), the online GoFree Shop which offers content from Jeppesen, NV Charts and more, wireless telematics solutions and the GoFree family of mobile apps for iOS and Android products.

For more information on GoFree, the GoFree Shop, the GoFree App or the entire line of Navico marine electronics, please contact 1300 NAVICO in Australia and 0800 4 NAVICO in New Zealand. – Navico

6

JANUARY 2015

2

NAVICO – GOFREE

4

3

5

MERCURY 75TH ANNIVERSARY

For 75 years Mercury has maintained an unmatched record of leadership, innovation and service – inventing, designing, building and perfecting the very best marine propulsion systems in the world.

Now everyone is invited to join the celebrations. To help mark Mercury Marine’s rich history, a limited edition 75th Anniversary range of Mercury Apparel is now available including hats, t-shirts, hoodies and fleeces.

All items are covered by a 14-day replacement or refund policy, as long as the returned items are in original condition.

The unique 75th Anniversary range is only available while stocks last, so go online and visit the Mercury Dockstore at www. mercurydockstore.com.au where you’ll be able to see the full range of Mercury merchandise.

Coming soon to the Mercury Dockstore: Mercury Racing apparel! Perform at your best and look great doing it.

For media enquiries contact Jonathan Revitt on (08) 8267 6888. – Mercury Marine

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

98

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

POWERED BY

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

6

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9-11 Fitzgerald Road Laverton North

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Johnson Street Alberton

250 Portarlington Road Moolap

03 5996 2206

03 5183 2344

03 5248 3772

www.cranbourneboatingcentre.com.au

www.albertonmarine.com.au

info@moolapmarine.com.au www.moolapmarine.com.au

03 9368 7100

Lismore info@jvmarine.com.au

Sydney crannyboating@bigpond.com North Coffs Harbouralbertonmarine@wideband.net.au Nowra

Lismore Outboard Echuca Sales & Service

Huett Marine Centre

Coffs Harbour Marine

Dave Hill Marine

59 Union St, Lismore, 2480

Boats & More 02 6621 2657

1131 Pacific Hwy, Cowan, 2082

1 Berry Street, Nowra, 2540

www.lismoreoutboards.com.au 76 Northern Highway lismoreoutboards@bigpond.com Echuca

Marine World 02 9456 JV 1444

311B Pacific Hwy Coffs Harbour Sth, 2450

www.huettmarine.com.au 878 Springvale Road info@huettmarine.com.au Braeside

02 6652 4722

www.jvmarine.com.au

South East Melbourne

03 5482 1992

03 9798 8883

b.altham@boatsandmore.com.au www.boatsandmore.com.au

info@jvmarine.com.au www.jvmarine.com.au

Mornington Peninsula

Northern Suburbs

Barrow Marine 02 4423 6137

Triple M Marine

03 9783 8991

03 9465 8787

barrowmarine@tpg.com.au

triplemmarine@dodo.com.au www.triplemmarine.com.au

davehillmarine@onestream.com.au 28 Overton Road www.coffsharbourmarine.com.au Frankston info@coffsharbourmarine.com.au

117 Northgate Drive Thomastown

Sydney South

Port Stephens

Sydney West

Forster

Hunts Marine

Bay Boat Sales

Blakes Marine

Graham Barclay Marine

62 Princes Highway, Blakehurst, 2221

332 Soldiers Point Rd, Salamander Bay, 2317

Cnr Windsor & Mulgrave Rd, McGraths Hill, 2756

129 The Lakes Way, Forster, 2428

61 Effingham Redfern St, Street Cowra, 2794 Moonah

02 4982 7899

02 4577 6699

02 6554 5866

www.allservicemotorscowra.com.au 03 6214 9999

02 9546 1324

www.huntsmarine.com.au info@huntsmarine.com.au

www.bayboatsales.com.au bayboatsales@hotmail.com

www.blakesmarine.com.au sales@blakesmarine.com.au

www.barclaymarine.com.au info@barclaymarine.com.au

Cowra Southern Tasmania All Service Motors

Maynes Marine

02 6342 2590

allservicemotors@bigpond.com

sales@maynesmarine.com.au www.maynesmarine.com.au

© 2014 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. Terms and conditions apply, excludes commercial purchases. # Extended warranty covers MY11, MY12,

© 2013 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. Terms and conditions apply, excludes commercial purchases. * 'Spring Cashback Promotion' offer valid on MY11, MY13 MY13 & MY14 Evinrude E-TECE-TEC engines 40HP40 and newlynewly purchased andand registered from participating authorized full terms and conditions please contact local participating dealership.

BRP January 31styour 2014.

Cashback will beEvinrude in the form of a Prepaid MY12, & MY14 evinrude engines HPabove, and above purchased registered from participating authorizeddealers. dealersFor between December 1st 2013 and Visa Card. the ** For normal recreational use. # Extended warranty covers MY11, MY12, MY13 features, & MY14 Evinrude E-TEC engines without 40HP and above, newly purchased and registered from participating dealers between reserves right at any time to discontinue or change specifications, prices, designs, models or equipment incurring obligation.

Products are distributed in Australia authorized and New Zealand

by BRP October Australia 1st and December 31st 2013. ^ 25hp-250hp consumer models. For full terms and conditions please contact your local participating Evinrude dealership. BRP reserves the right at any time to discontinue or change specifications, prices, PTY Ltd. Card Issued by Heritage Bank Limited ABN 32 087 652 024 AFSL 240984. designs, features, models or equipment without incurring obligation. Products are distributed in Australia and New Zealand by BRP Australia PTy Ltd. Card Issued by Heritage Bank Limited ABN 32 087 652 024 AFSL 240984. Visa Card Terms and Conditions apply.

JANUARY 2015

99

Nautical Marine Nautical Marine has been providing all your boating and marine needs since 1976, and continues to ensure that your days on the water are enjoyable and safe.

CU

S TO M E R

GUASR

ANTEED

Screen Printing Logan Specialised Screen Printing (07) 5546 4107

Boat Imports

ERVIC

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

Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0835 or email pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

RE-POWER & SERVICE EXPERTS NEW

Boat, motor & trailer packages!

Bait and Tackle West Coast Portland Bait & Tackle (03) 5523 5213

Boat Import USA 0435 476 177

Boat Hire Lake Eildon Cruises 0422 166 986 Boab Boat Hire Shepparton (03) 5822 2108 Boab Boat Hire Echuca (03) 5482 1992

Compleat Angler Portland (03) 5521 1844

Central

Holiday Rental

Hooked On Bait and Tackle Hoppers Crossing (03) 9748 3811 Fishing Fever Mordialloc (03) 9590 9899

West Coast

Peninsula Total Tackle (03) 5981 1994 JV Marine World Braeside (03) 9798 8883 Complete Angler Ringwood (03) 9870 7792 New World Marine (03) 9709 8444 The Flyfisher Melbourne (03) 9621 1246

FINANCE AVAILABLE

East Coast Always Angling Traralgon (03) 5174 8544

Freshwater Complete Angler Echuca (03) 5482 1992

Apartments Ensuite Cabins Campsites Boat Parking Bait/Ice

Centrally located Trout/ Bream fishing Ideal Surf fishing locations Boat Ramp within 2 mins

Call Now: 03

5562 5031

PH: 03 5984 1666 W: nauticalmarine.com.au E: nautical@surf.net.au Nautical Marine: 139 - 141 Hotham Rd Sorrento Vic

Complete Angler Shepparton (03) 5822 2180

Central Naaj Marine 0421 955 371 Unique Marine Accessories (03) 5427 1802

Nautical Marine (03) 5984 1666

CMC Marine Sales www.cmcsales.com.au

New World Marine (03) 9709 8444

Hunter Marine Boat Builders (03) 5032 2320

Regal Marine (03) 9874 4624 Streaker Boats (03) 9729 8288

Marine Mechanics

Triple M Marine (03) 9465 8787 Warragul Marine (03) 5623 6250

Central

Wes Frost Marine (03) 5976 4622

Kris Oakley Marine Services (03) 9794 5524

East Coast

JV Marine World Braeside (03) 9798 8883

Inverloch Marine (03) 5674 1502

JV Marine World Laverton (03) 9368 7100 The Outboard Workshop (03) 9783 0840

Freshwater

Oztec Marine 0431 459 266

Boats and More Shepparton (03) 5822 2108 Boats and More Echuca (03) 5482 1992

Boat Modifications & Repairs Salt-Away 1800 091 172

Online Tackle Products

FLUSH YOUR ENGINE WITH

www.whpark.com.au

Specialty Fishing Products www.specialtyfishing.com.au U-Make-Em Soft Plastics ww.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au

Warrnambool Holiday Park (03) 5562 5031

East Coast

SHALLOW INLET CARAVAN PARK

CORROSION CONTROL SALT REMOVING TREATMENT

WARNING!

9 out 10 engines fail from salt corrosion ACT NOW AND PROTECT YOUR VALUABLE BOAT, ENGINE, TRAILER, FISHING AND DIVE GEAR.

FREECALL For more info

ORDER ONLINE www.adrenalinflies.com.au

FRESH BAIT | HIRE BOATS | ICE

• Easy access for boats • 10 cabins (3 with ensuites) • LPG gas refills • Kiosk from dawn to dusk

7 DAYS

Korr Lighting www.korrlighting.com.au

WASHING BOATS FISHING & DIVE GEAR

1800 091 172

VISIT www.salt-away.com.au

She Left www.hdvcs.com.au

100

Lester Rd Yanakie WILSONS PROM E sicp@sicp.com.au

03 5687 1385

Shallow Inlet Caravan Park (03) 5687 1385

Fish Taxidermy Fish Taxidermist 0428 544 841 Neptune’s Treasures 0419 643 654

WANT IN? EMAIL : pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au JANUARY 2015

• Plenty of powered and unpowered camping sites • BBQs • Playground

FREE ADVICE ON WHERE THEY’RE BITING

OPEN

Adrenalin Flies www.adrenalinflies.com.au

SALT-AWAY IS A MUST FOR:

ENGINE FLUSHING JETSKIS TRAILERS

“For all your fly fishing needs”

On the Waters Edge

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear. You will have approximately 30 words within a 2x2 ad size.

Contact Peter Jung: pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

Able Fishing & Charters, Williamstown (03) 9502 3777

Accommodation East Gippsland

MARLO

21 Marine Parade MARLO VIC

OCEAN VIEWS CARAVAN & CAMPING PARK

03 5154 8268

• Deluxe cabins HOSTS: Les & Kathy HEYNE • Cabins with ensuite • Budget cabins • Premium ensuite vans • Powered & Unpowered sites • Pet friendly • Undercover BBQ areas in Marlo • Large oval • Kitchen Largest park • Camp fires • Kiosk the beach to lk wa Short • Coffee shops

www.marlocamping.com.au

NSW South Coast

ACE Fishing Charters, Bonbeach (03) 9773 4183

Reel Affair, Merimbula freecall 1800 233 247

Adamas Fishing Charters, Barwon Heads (03) 5254 3320

Espirit Charters, Bermagui (02) 6493 4104 or 0407 260 110

Big Red Fishing Charters, Queenscliff 1800 805 587

Freedom Charters, Eden (02) 6496 1209 or 0415 602 446

Blue Magic Fishing Charters, Rowville (03) 9759 5301

Headland Fishing Adventures, Merimbula (02) 6495 1134

Calypso Fishing Charters, Tootgarook (03) 5985 8463

Island Charters, Narooma (02) 4476 1047 or 0408 428 857

Geelong Charters & Fishing Trips, Geelong (03) 5275 7107

K9 Fishing Charters, Merimbula (02) 6495 1681

Impulse Charters, Queenscliff (03) 5258 3739

Merimbula Marina, Merimbula (02) 6495 1686 or 0427 951 080

Jillian Fishing Trips, Blairgowrie 0418 148 426

Narooma Charters, Narooma 0407 909 111

Katrina Louise Charters, Cheltenham 0402 828 140

O’Brien Charter Service, Bermagui 0407 214 124

Kestrel Charters, Queenscliff (03) 5258 1783 Queenscliff Fishing Charters, Queenscliff 0458 504 058

Fishing Guides

Pro Red Fishing Charters 0421 442 775

NSW South Coast

Reel Adventure Charters, Yaringa 0409 932 077 Rip Charters Fishing Trips, Sorrento (03) 5984 3664

Wilderness Fishing Tours, Mallacoota 0424 625 160

Saltwater Charters, Queenscliff (03) 5258 4888

Aussie Fish Estuary Adventures (02) 6495 9902 or 0400 062 504

Marlo Ocean Views Caravan and Camping Park (03) 5154 8268

Victorian Alps

DARTMOUTH MOTOR INN

Ask us about our LONG RANGE

“Pristine Lakes & Wilderness” • Motel style units • Self contained apartments & lodges - ideal for groups, fishing clubs etc

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0418 107 071

www.sharkmen.com.au www.dartmouthmotorinn.com.au

Sharkmen Charters, Carrum 0418 107 071 St Kilda Fishing Charters, St Kilda (03) 9770 2200

Dartmouth Motor Inn (02) 6072 4233

Western Port Fishing Charters, Hastings (03) 9769 5544

Queensland

DVD’S -

East Coast

Cairns Bed and Boat 0418 772 751

Series 2 through 8

Capella III Fishing Adventures, Port Welshpool (03) 5688 1585 Far Out Charters, McLoughlins Beach 0428 401 819

Chandlery & Accessories

Prom Adventurer, Port Welshpool (03) 5682 2633 or 0428 594 767

Anchor Right (03) 5968 5014

Prom Coastal Charters, Yanakie (03) 5687 1248 or 0429 935 583

Techni Ice (03) 9783 1922

Razorback Bluewater Charters, Port Albert (03) 5183 2691

$19.95 each GST INC. - with FREE P&H

1800 228 244

Freshwater Boat Trailers

Angling Expeditions Victoria, Tawonga (03) 5754 1466 Highland Trout Lakes, Ballarat (03) 5368 9574

Central

Millbrook Lakes Lodge, Ballarat (03) 5334 0404

BMS Marine (03) 9731 7269

Tasmania & Flinders Island Ausprey Tours, Launceston (03) 6630 2612

Charter Boats

Gone Fishing Charters, St Helens (03) 6376 1553

East Gippsland

Fish Wild Tasmania, Hobart 0418 348 223

East Gippsland Charters 0400 564 032

Flinders Island Adventures, Flinders Island (03) 6359 4507 Professional Charters, St Helens (03) 6376 3083

West Coast

Trout Adventure Tasmania, Bronte Park 0418 139 048

Sharkmen Fishing Charters 0418 107 071

Trout Territory, Northern Midlands (03) 6397 5001

Portland Fishing Charters, Portland (03) 5523 3020

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear.

You will have approximately 30 words within a 5x2 ad size.

Email : pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

Shipwreck Coast Diving & Charters, Warrnambool (03) 5561 6108

Central South-West Fishing Charters, Portland 0418 306 714

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear.

You will have approximately 30 words within a 5x2 ad size.

Charter Boat Picture The snapper were a bit slow on recent charter on Off the Hook Fishing Charters, so the lads convinced Chris, Tony, John and Frank that they should go and try to find some King George whiting. They were glad they did.

Email : pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au Gone Fishing Charters 0409 007 068 Off The Hook Fishing Charters 0419 554 916

WANT IN? EMAIL : pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au JANUARY 2015

101

Victorian Tide Times

POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA JANUARY Time 0138 0818 TH 1424 2144

1

m 0.60 1.43 0.30 1.38

Time

Time

m

Time

m

Time

Time

m

0142 0818 SU 1419 2144

0.77 1.25 TU 1542 0.34 2325 1.34

2 0234 0917

17 0145 0819

3 0342 1026

18 0245 0929

4 0503 1136

19 0359 1053

5 0043 0619

20 0519 1215

6 0131 0718

21 0058 0634

7 0212 0804

22 0152 0736

8 0246 0843

23 0242 0830

9 0317 0917

24 0328 0921

0.73 1.32 SA 1423 0.36 2146 1.29

2 0418 1053

17 0313 0947

3 0023 0537

18 0429 1108

4 0119 0648

19 0032 0547

5 0207 0745

20 0130 0700

6 0247 0830

21 0223 0800

7 0320 0911

22 0311 0854

8 0351 0946

23 0355 0945

9 0420 1020

24 0437 1032

1

m

Local Time APRIL

0.73 1.29 0.32 1.31

0306 0946 SU 1556 2321

16

0.74 1.28 0.36 1.34

0211 0842 MO 1436 2213

0.65 1.37 0.37 1.29

0107 0738 FR 1338 2043

2015

LAT 38° 18’ LONG 144° 37’ Times and Heights of High and Low Waters FEBRUARY MARCH

16

1

0.64 1.32 0.36 1.32

0100 0725 MO 1315 2030

m

Time

Time

m

0.64 1.34 0.31 1.37

0308 1000 WE 1535 2256

0.68 1.30 TU 1406 0.35 2135 1.34

2 0426 1113

17 0239 0947

3 0543 1219

18 0357 1105

4 0043 0642

19 0510 1213

5 0126 0628

20 0019 0611

6 0104 0707

21 0112 0705

7 0140 0743

22 0200 0755

8 0215 0817

23 0245 0842

9 0251 0852

24 0327 0927

16

1

0.73 1.19 0.60 1.27

0127 0820 TH 1350 2112

16

2 0234 0915

17 0153 0824

3 0340 1018

18 0247 0918

4 0457 1122

19 0355 1022

5 0050 0610

20 0003 0511

6 0145 0713

21 0104 0624

7 0231 0804

22 0200 0727

8 0313 0849

23 0249 0822

9 0347 0930

24 0335 0914

10 0419 1008

25 0418 1003

10 0450 1054

25 0518 1118

10 0349 0951

25 0411 1008

10 0328 0925

25 0410 1010

11 0448 1044

26 0500 1052

11 0521 1126

26 0600 1203

11 0421 1024

26 0453 1054

11 0404 0958

26 0452 1050

12 0518 1118

27 0541 1139

12 0555 1157

27 0013 0642

12 0454 1056

27 0535 1137

12 0442 1032

27 0537 1130

13 0549 1152

28 0622 1225

13 0005 0629

28 0056 0728

13 0528 1127

28 0617 1219

13 0522 1110

28 0627 1210

14 0623 1226

29 0031 0705

14 0042 0706

14 0603 1159

29 0034 0702

14 0609 1153

29 0042 0725

15 0028 0659

30 0117 0753

15 0122 0749

15 0020 0641

30 0118 0752

15 0030 0707

30 0135 0832

0.69 1.37 FR 1524 0.31 2247 1.39 0.76 1.32 SA 1630 0.32 2350 1.43 0.79 1.30 SU 1735 0.31 1.47 0.76 MO 1224 1.30 1834 0.29 1.52 0.70 TU 1320 1.32 1926 0.27 1.56 0.64 WE 1410 1.34 2012 0.27 1.59 0.58 TH 1455 1.36 2054 0.28 1.59 0.52 FR 1536 1.37 2132 0.30 1.59 0.48 SA 1615 1.38 2208 0.34

1.57 0.44 SU 1653 1.37 2243 0.38

1.55 0.42 MO 1730 1.36 2316 0.44 1.52 0.40 TU 1811 1.34 2351 0.50

1.48 0.38 WE 1855 1.32 0.57 1.43 TH 1300 0.38 1945 1.30

0.79 1.27 SU 1517 0.35 2256 1.32

0.83 1.25 MO 1623 0.33 1.39 0.82 TU 1135 1.26 1734 0.29

1.47 0.74 WE 1248 1.31 1841 0.24 1.56 0.63 TH 1351 1.39 1941 0.20 1.63 0.51 FR 1448 1.47 2035 0.18

1.67 0.39 SA 1541 1.53 2126 0.20

1.69 0.29 SU 1633 1.56 2215 0.24

1.68 0.22 MO 1725 1.56 2301 0.30 1.64 0.18 TU 1819 1.52 2346 0.39

1.59 0.18 WE 1917 1.47 0.48 1.52 TH 1312 0.20 2017 1.42 0.57 1.44 FR 1400 0.26 2117 1.37

31 0207 0845

0.67 1.35 SA 1453 0.31 2219 1.34

0.78 1.24 MO 1704 0.38 1.36 0.77 TU 1159 1.23 1809 0.38 1.40 0.71 WE 1300 1.25 1905 0.36 1.45 0.64 TH 1353 1.29 1955 0.35 1.49 0.56 FR 1439 1.34 2037 0.34 1.52 0.49 SA 1521 1.38 2115 0.35 1.53 0.43 SU 1559 1.41 2149 0.37 1.54 0.38 MO 1634 1.43 2223 0.40 1.54 0.35 TU 1711 1.43 2256 0.44

1.52 0.32 WE 1748 1.42 2330 0.48 1.48 0.31 TH 1829 1.40

0.54 1.44 FR 1229 0.30 1914 1.37

0.60 1.39 SA 1303 0.30 2005 1.34

0.67 1.33 SU 1345 0.31 2104 1.31

0.76 1.26 WE 1659 0.34 1.41 0.68 TH 1229 1.32 1816 0.31

1.49 0.56 FR 1337 1.42 1924 0.28

1.57 0.42 SA 1437 1.53 2022 0.26

1.63 0.29 SU 1532 1.61 2114 0.27

1.66 0.19 MO 1625 1.65 2201 0.30 1.65 0.13 TU 1716 1.64 2246 0.34

1.63 0.11 WE 1807 1.60 2330 0.41 1.57 0.14 TH 1859 1.53

0.48 1.50 FR 1247 0.20 1952 1.45

0.56 1.41 SA 1331 0.27 2046 1.38

0.71 1.25 MO 1515 0.43 2244 1.28 0.75 1.20 TU 1624 0.49 2345 1.28 0.75 1.19 WE 1737 0.50 1.31 0.70 TH 1241 1.22 1842 0.49 1.36 0.61 FR 1336 1.29 1934 0.47 1.40 0.53 SA 1424 1.36 2017 0.45 1.45 0.45 SU 1504 1.42 2055 0.44 1.48 0.38 MO 1541 1.48 2130 0.44 1.50 0.33 TU 1616 1.51 2202 0.45

1.51 0.30 WE 1651 1.53 2236 0.47 1.50 0.28 TH 1728 1.52 2310 0.51 1.47 0.28 FR 1806 1.50 2345 0.55

1.43 0.28 SA 1848 1.46

0.59 1.39 SU 1233 0.29 1936 1.41

0.70 1.27 WE 1511 0.41 2247 1.34 0.68 1.29 TH 1630 0.44 2357 1.38 0.60 1.37 FR 1753 0.45

1.45 0.47 SA 1326 1.49 1907 0.42

1.52 0.33 SU 1427 1.61 2006 0.40

1.58 0.22 MO 1521 1.69 2058 0.40 1.62 0.14 TU 1613 1.73 2144 0.40

1.62 0.12 WE 1701 1.72 2229 0.43 1.59 0.13 TH 1748 1.67 2311 0.46 1.54 0.18 FR 1835 1.59 2353 0.51

1.47 0.25 SA 1922 1.51

0.57 1.39 SU 1300 0.34 2011 1.42

0.63 1.31 MO 1344 0.44 2103 1.35

0.72 1.20 TH 1653 0.65 2352 1.28 0.67 1.25 FR 1808 0.65 1.31 0.60 SA 1315 1.33 1906 0.63 1.35 0.51 SU 1303 1.42 1852 0.60 1.40 0.43 MO 1343 1.50 1930 0.58 1.44 0.37 TU 1420 1.57 2005 0.56 1.48 0.32 WE 1456 1.61 2040 0.55 1.49 0.30 TH 1531 1.63 2115 0.55 1.48 0.29 FR 1609 1.62 2150 0.57

1.46 0.29 SA 1647 1.60 2226 0.59

1.43 0.30 SU 1728 1.55 2302 0.61

1.40 0.33 MO 1813 1.50 2343 0.63 1.36 0.38 TU 1904 1.45

0.64 1.33 WE 1245 0.45 2004 1.41

m 0.64 1.32 0.53 1.39

0.60 1.36 FR 1507 0.59 2219 1.41

0.51 1.46 SA 1631 0.62 2322 1.45

0.40 1.58 SU 1746 0.60

1.51 0.29 MO 1313 1.69 1846 0.57 1.55 0.21 TU 1407 1.76 1938 0.55

1.58 0.17 WE 1457 1.79 2025 0.54 1.58 0.17 TH 1543 1.77 2109 0.54 1.56 0.21 FR 1627 1.72 2151 0.55

1.51 0.27 SA 1709 1.65 2232 0.57

1.45 0.35 SU 1750 1.57 2314 0.61

1.38 0.44 MO 1832 1.49 2356 0.64 1.31 0.53 TU 1916 1.42

0.68 1.26 WE 1254 0.63 2004 1.36 0.70 1.23 TH 1346 0.71 2056 1.32

31 0207 0851

0.69 1.23 TU 1433 0.53 2159 1.29

 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

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.

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everything you know about 75-115hp FourStrokes.

Unbridled power, unexpectedly compact, uncompromising reliability, unbelievably fuel efficient.

Mercury’s all new 75-115hp FourStroke Range. Unlike anything the world has ever seen.

Better fuel efficiency and more range than ever before 115hp crUiSe Speed FUel eFFicieNcy vS. cUrreNt FoUrStroke aNd optimax

115hp FoUrStroke FUel eFFicieNcy vS 115hp optimax 5.10

340 330

4.25

310

km/l

g/kWh

320

300 290

3.40 2.55 1.70

280 0.85

Mercury’s new 115hp FourStroke delivers up to 14% better cruise speed economy.

BSFC dyno testing; data is an average of 60%-80% rated engine speed based on standard ICOMIA emissions test.

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new mercury 115hp fourstroke

72.42

64.37

56.33

48.28

40.23

32.19

0.0 24.14

new mercury 2.1L 115hp

16.09

previous mercury mercury optimax fourstroke 1.7L 115hp

8.05

260

0.0

270

km/h

115hp optimax

Mercury’s new 115hp FourStroke delivers up to 63% better fuel efficiency at cruise vs. the 115hp OptiMax with a slight top speed advantage.

Test conducted on a 1775 Lund aluminium boat.