Victoria and Tasmania Fishing Monthly - January 2016

HOLIDAY HOTSPOTS REVEALED

Location

Spotlight: East Gippsland • Tamboon Inlet and Cann River • Bemm River holiday destination • Snobs Creek success •

T ried and Tested Wilson’s Magnum rods • Whittley’s CW2150 • Stacer’s Proline 449S Angler •

NEW

FIND THE

LOGO COMP

SEE INSIDE!

Features

What’s the story, prawning glory • Western Port Part II •

January, 2016 Fishing Monthly G R O U P

Registered by Australian Post Publication No: 100002088

$5.95 (GST inc.)

Fishing Monthly Magazines

qfmfishingmonthly

www fishingmonthly.com.au

issuu.com/fishingmonthly

2

JANUARY 2016

JANUARY 2016

3

Black Magic Whiting Rigs Quality Components • Utilising Black Magic’s legendary KL recurve circle hooks, chemically sharpened and manufactured from Japanese premium grade high carbon steel • Fish usually self-hook in the corner of the mouth allowing for easy hook removal • Rigged with 15lb fluorocarbon • Either pink or green lumo beads above each hook • Available as a paternoster rig or a running rig

Red Worm

Mini Pilly

Green Grub

SSP Fibre Glide ™

• • • • • • •

Single Strand PE line - a product up to 4 times stronger than mono with a similar line weight/diameter ratio Zero stretch - superior sensitivity White in colour with black 1 metre indicator marks that give you better bite detection when your lure or jig is sinking Supple and smooth Outstanding castability - upto 30% further Fine diameter - always use a Black Magic leader to minimise line abrasion Ideal on light spinning reels for soft plastics, squid, jigging, lure and bait fishing

Breaking Strain

4kg+

6kg+

8kg+

Metres/Spool

150

150

150

Line DIA (mm)

0.13

0.18

0.20

Brett Geddes says this 48cm estuary perch was the biggest he has caught in a long time. He was fishing with NEW Black Magic 4kg+ SSP Fibre Glide line out of a kayak in his local estuary in East Victoria. Brett says, “this line is bloody good and I’ve showed quite a few mates already”.

Brett Johnstone - a keen squid fisherman from Tasmania swears by Black Magic Squid Snatchers®. He caught this nice one on our ‘pilchard’ colour.

This 7.5kg snapper was caught with a Black Magic KL 4/0 Snapper Snatcher ‘pinky’ by Mia Rayner. Mia was having a family fishing day out of Western Port, Victoria, and had a bit of help from mum to get the fish to the boat. Well done!

Black Magic 60lb Tough Trace and a Black Magic 6/0 GZ Livebait Hook were used by Adam Epifanis to land this 19kg jewie from the rocks in Northern NSW.

This 20kg long tail blue fin tuna was caught by Mick Christofis who was using a Black Magic 5/0 KS Hook.

For your nearest retailer and our full range visit our website at

www.blackmagictackle.com

YOUR PHOTO COULD APPEAR IN OUR ADS! If we use your photo in our advertising you will receive a FREE BLACK MAGIC CAP AND PRIZE! Include your name, address, fish weight, where you caught it and which Black Magic or Wasabi products were used. Send a high resolution image to: photos@blackmagic.co.nz

January 2016, Vol. 11 No. 3

Contents WEST COAST

50

REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 14 Boating 90 Chappy’s Hotspot 45 Dam Levels 74 Fun Page 84 Inland Fisheries Service 54 Junior City Fishing 26 Kayaking 86 Spearfishing 89 Tasmanian Lake Levels 56 Tournament News 78 Trade and Services Guide 96 Victorian Tide Times 98 VRFish Update 30 What’s New Boating 94 What’s New Fishing 58

SPECIAL FEATURES

53

VICTORIA FISHING MONTHLY Business Office: Unit 1, 11 Knobel Court, Shailer Park, Qld, 4128 Phone: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801 Managing Editor: Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au Editorial Manager: Jacqui Thomas Sub-Editors: Bob Thornton Nicole Penfold Georgia Williams Field Editor: Kelly Hunt Publishers: Steve Morgan Matthew Drinkall

Website: www.fishingmonthly.com.au Distribution: Gordon & Gotch Pty Ltd Subscriptions: Kym Rowbotham

OUR COVER Marc Ainsworth with a cracking gummy shark.

A Scott Gray image.

TO SUBSCRIBE SEE PAGE 95 FIND THE ZEREK LOGO COMPETITION PAGE 75 Victorian and Tasmanian Fishing Monthly magazine goes on sale the last week of each preceding month (latest sale date 31st of the month).

Office Manager: Marie Dykstra

Qld Fishing Monthly Pty Ltd ABN 72-010-542-195 IN

G

FISH

IN

G

’

RE

All material is © copyright, and cannot be reproduced in part or in full, by any means, without written permission of the Managing Editor. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher.

TU

SUBSCRIPTION HOTLINE FREECALL 1800 228 244

Published by:

FU

Annual Subscriptions: $65 for twelve issues (GST inc.)

Make cheques payable to Queensland Fishing Monthly PO Box 3172 LOGANHOLME QLD 4129

A

LI

Advertising Enquiries: Steve Morgan ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

Come and visit Fishing Monthly Group’s official Facebook page for all your monthly fishing information. Download QR Reader to access.

Advertising Sales: Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au Phone: (07) 3387 0800

Production: Karen Millward Jenna Milburn Keith Hawley

89

S

Advertising: Ph: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801 Copy and materials should be sent direct to: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

62

SINCE 2004

Printing: APN – Print

from scratch.

In an era where young anglers are all about themselves, it was great to see Carl love giving it back.

BIG FEBRUARY ISSUE COMING! There’s not many publishers who can boast that their February issue is the biggest of the year, but with VTFM including the ABT Tournament Angler Guide in the February 2016 issue, we can say just that.

Hitting the news stands in late January, it’s a must-have for all keen anglers.

Of course, if you were lucky enough to be one of the hundreds who got a VTFM Subscription for Christmas, then you have no worries – it’ll be in your mailbox before you know it.

Remember that all subscribers go into the draw for super monthly prizes – details are on the subscriber page inside each month.

RA

6

JANUARY 2016

8 10 12 34 70 76

48

with the volunteers putting over 400 people through the casting clinic.

When kids hit the targets they won prizes and the joy on their faces was infectious.

Other groups of kids and new anglers tried fishing on the beach, and although nothing giant was caught, there’s now hundreds of anglers who have taken the first steps into a new recreation. And that’s priceless.

WELL GROUNDED As an aside, I was pretty impressed with Australia’s first tournament fishing export – Carl Jocumsen – at the casting alley. What started as a photo opportunity quickly became a labour of love for the 31-year -old Queenslander, who loves giving back to the sport which has provided him with so much opportunity.

Three hours in the hot Sydney sun passed after the initial induction, and Carl beamed about the kids he’d taught to hit the targets

AUST

Spotlight: East Gippsland Tamboon Inlet and Cann River Bemm River holiday destination Western Port Bay fishing Snobs Creek success Prawning glory

GETTING A TASTE FOR IT Fishing Monthly attended a similar, but state based event – the NSW Go Fishing Day – in December.

Organised by the DPI and staffed by departmental staff and mountains of volunteers, visitors could learn to cast, sample local seafood, talk to the experts on boating safety, fish on the beach and even watch the weigh-ins for a Pro-Am bream fishing tournament, featuring ABT BREAM anglers and various politicians and decision makers.

The jury is still out on whether the big crowd for the weigh-in was to hear the pollies speak or for the free fishing gear being handed out? We’ll let you make your own mind up on that one.

With over 1000 people visiting the site on the day, some were even treated to casting lessons from Australian USA-based bass fishing pro, Carl Jocumsen, who spent hours

ION

TASMANIA WRAP

We know that it’s a while away, but mark the 16th October in the diary.

Why? It’s National Gone Fishing Day! Seriously.

It’s a day where you’re virtually obliged to go fishing. Launched at the Recreational Fishing Parliamentary Breakfast in Canberra in November 2015, it’s supported by state government agencies and run by one of your representative bodies, Keep Australia Fishing (www.keep australiafishing. com.au).

It got me thinking – if each of us brought just one new person to fishing on National Gone Fishing Day, we could broaden the passion we all love so much into a far broader community.

It’s not much – just one extra person. You have nearly a year to plan for it.

Get cracking!

AT

VICTORIAN FRESHWATER Horsham 62 Echuca 64 Robinvale 63 Mildura 63 Shepparton 65 Yarrawonga 65 Victorian Alpine 67 Wangaratta 66 Jindabyne 68 Eildon 70 Bonnie Doon 70 Goulburn River 71 West/South Gippsland 73 Bendigo 72 Crater Lakes 73 Ballarat 74

From the Editor’s Desk...

CI

NSW SOUTH COAST Eden 50 Mallacoota 50 Bermagui 50 Narooma 52 Merimbula 53

42

N

O

EAST COAST Welshpool 42 Inverloch 43 Ninety-Mile Beach 42 Gippsland Lakes 46 Marlo 46 McLoughlins Beach 49 Bemm River 47 Lakes Entrance 48

26

CT

Geelong 22 Port Phillip West 24 Port Phillip East 28 Port Phillip North East 30 Mornington Peninsula 32 Western Port North 36 Western Port South 38 Phillip Island 40

16

TE

CENTRAL

8

PRO

West Coast 16 Warrnambool 18 Portland 19 Apollo Bay 20 Cobden 20

FI

SH

ING TRADE

AS

S

MEMBER

IT’S A GREAT TIME TO BUY YOUR D-MAX FROM

PATTERSON CHENEY ISUZU UTE. SUMMER BONUS!

FREE ENGEL FRIDGE FREEZER WITH EVERY UTE SOLD VALUED AT

$ 84900

*

ISUZU D-MAX FROM JUST $25,990

#

VICTORIA’S BIGGEST SELLING & ONLY D-MAX GIVES YOU: MOST AWARDED DEALER 3.0 LITRE ISUZU TURBO DIESEL ENGINE SIX AIRBAGS GREAT DEALS ON ALL MODELS UP TO 3.5 TONNE BRAKED TOWING CAPACITY VICTORIA’S BIGGEST RANGE OF D-MAX/ ABS (ANTI SKID BRAKE SYSTEM) MU-X ON DISPLAY EBA (ELECTRONIC BRAKEFORCE DISTRIBUTION) ESC (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) IN HOUSE FINANCE TCS (TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM) 24 HOUR SERVICING MONDAY TO FRIDAY AUDIO SYSTEM WITH IPOD® & BLUETOOTH® CONNECTIVITY

PATTERSON CHENEY ISUZU UTE 200 Cheltenham Road, Dandenong T: (03) 9215 2300 www.pattersoncheneytrucks.com.au *Model No. MR40F - Eclipse 38 litre chest fridge/freezer. Supplied with delivery of vehicle. Not available in conjunction with any other factory offer. Not redeemable for cash. Subject to availability. # Single Cab SX-M 4x2. LMCT 578. ^5 years/130,000km whichever occurs first, for eligible customers. Excludes trays and accessories.>The Capped Price Servicing Program applies to eligible Isuzu UTE vehicles with a warranty start date after 1 January 2015. The program covers the first 6 scheduled services in line with the scheduled service intervals. Program price subject to change. For full terms & conditions and current pricing visit isuzuute.com.au/service-plus JANUARY 2016

7

East Gippsland

East Gippy’s angling attractions WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

East Gippsland is a lure fishing paradise for some, a Christmas getaway for others. For whatever reason you decide to venture to the area, you’ll soon discover that you won’t even scratch the surface in a single lifetime.

Aside from all the ‘holiday-maker’ activities, fishing is a big part of what draws anglers and holiday-

Inverloch to Mallacoota, as well as a fair chunk of inland, and when it comes to picking a location to take a holiday or to go fishing, it becomes massive process of elimination.

ALONG THE SAND AND ON THE BLUE Gippsland has everything to offer the adventurous holidaymaker or angler and a large variety of species is on offer throughout the year.

During the winter months, Australian salmon flood the surf coast from

Lakes Entrance Surf Beach, Cape Conran and the surf beaches around Mallacoota are the top picks. Anglers keen to fish during the night along many of these beaches also have the chance to catch gummy shark, seven-gill shark and if you’re set up for big-land based game, bronze whalers and school sharks.

Those fishing from boats offshore have the ocean at their fingertips, with snapper, kingfish, gummy shark, mako shark, flathead and a host

need to pick the weather window. Large swells can make anchoring a challenge and when doing so, always ensure you have let out enough anchor rope.

While at anchor, fishing for gummy sharks and snapper is very productive.

Setting a cube berley trail will attract a wide range of fish, including kingfish through the summer months.

PIERS, PONTOONS AND PYLONS Right along the coast there is a number of creeks and estuaries, that produce bream, estuary perch and flathead. Bream are highly sought by lure tossing enthusiasts, and they are often encountered hiding among the snags, weed beds, along rock walls, under piers, next

Fishing the pylons and jetties with soft plastics can lead to catches of bream, salmon, silver trevally, luderick or flathead. flats in Lakes Entrance, Lake Tyers, Bemm River, Tamboon and Mallacoota.

With flathead in excess of a metre in length, these

SET UP: OFFSHORE FISHING ROD.............7’ medium taper 8-12kg for bait fishing.

REEL............................................. 4000-6000 series LINE.................. 30lb monofilament or 30-50lb braid LEADER......... 12-15lb for flathead, 60lb for snapper. and 80lb for gummy shark HOOKS.................. Suicide 4/0-6/0 or circle 6/0-8/0

Picturesque from all angles, Lakes Entrance is the most popular township in Gippsland with excellent fishing to boot. makers alike to this majestic part of the state.

When people mention the name ‘East Gippsland’ they always associate it with Lakes Entrance and although Lakes is a township within the Gippsland shire, there is a whole lot more to East Gippsland than just Lakes itself. In fact, Gippsland encompasses a much larger area – from

Inverloch right through to Mallacoota. At this time of year, anglers flock to the sand in the cold conditions eager to get among the action. Varying in size, salmon ranging 1-3kg are a common catch, with yellow eye mullet and silver trevally inthe mix.

Of the most profitable beaches to fish, Venus Bay, Woodside, Golden Beach,

SET UP: SURF FISHING ROD.................12-13’ medium taper for bait fishing,.

9’ slow taper for lure fishing REEL............................................. 4000-6000 series LINE............. 15-20lb monofilament or 15-20lb braid LEADER......................15lb fluorocarbon for salmon,.

60-80lb for gummy shark HOOKS............................ 1/0 Baitholder for salmon,.

6/0 circle or suicide for gummy shark

If you’re after flathead, the sand flats are the perfect location.

8

JANUARY 2016

to pylons and everywhere there is structure in the water – including under moored boats.

Perch on the other hand, tend to favour quieter locations but, similar to

Drift fishing or anchoring over the rubble grounds is where you’ll encounter both gummy shark and snapper. of others all available throughout the year.

Offshore fishing is generally more popular through the summer months as this is when the majority of more highly prized species are prolific in these waters.

The offshore reefs fish well for snapper with drifting the preferred fishing method. A paternoster rig with two droppers, each with a Mustad Demon 5/0 circle hook and a good strip of calamari will do the job.

Nannygai and flathead are also a welcome by-catch using this method.

Gummy sharks can be caught using this technique, but you’d want to opt for a larger bait, maybe even a big strip of salmon, trevally or tuna fillet.

Anchoring offshore is effective, but you do

prized breeders certainly are a special catch that must be returned back to the water.

UP THE CREEK WITH A PADDLE While Gippsland might be more known for bream and flathead, there are also plenty of creeks and rivers that produce some nice brown trout scattered widely through the area.

Like all trout, the upper reaches of the rivers is where you’ll locate them.

While they can be taken on lure, fly or bait, some of the rivers are quite remote and require keen anglers to don the waders and walk the

bream, they will plonk themselves adjacent to areas where bait is funnelled with the current or among a snag awaiting prey to pass by.

Although the Gippsland area is huge, top bream and perch locations are Screw Creek at Inverloch, The Mitchell, Nicholson and Tambo rivers at Lakes Entrance, Lake Tyers, Bemm River, Tamboon Inlet, Wingan Inlet and Mallacoota. Flathead also inhabit these same areas.

If it is flathead you’re after, focus heavily on fishing the edge of the sand

rivers and bank edges.

Of the better rivers, heading inland to the alpine region is a good starting point. The Tanjil, Avon, Mitchell, Nicholson, Mitta Mitta and Snowy rivers are all full of trout, which are available throughout most of the year. Please remember that strict fishing regulations apply to different rivers.

Fishing for trout in the Nicholson and Snowy rivers closes in 2016 from midnight on Monday 13 June, to midnight on Friday 2 September.

The Avon River (downstream of the Stratford Railway Bridge), Mitchell River (downstream of Princes Highway Bridge at Bairnsdale) and Tambo River (downstream of the Bruthen Road Bridge) are known as sea run trout rivers, where anglers can still fish for trout during the closed season.

As for the Mitta Mitta and Tanjil rivers, these are known as a ‘tailrace rivers’ in which there is a total ban on all hook and line fishing

Just like a lure is to a fish, bream lure anglers to the area.

SET UP: ESTUARY/FRESHWATER ROD..................6’6”-7’ medium taper 2-4kg for bait. fishing, 7’ slow taper 2-4kg for lure fishing REEL............................................. 2500-4000 series LINE.................. 6-8lb monofilament or 6-10lb braid LEADER...........5-8lb for bream, 12-15lb for flathead HOOKS.............Long Shank #6, #4 or Baitholder #4

during salmonoid closed season. The smaller creeks and rivers adhere to normal trout season regulations and outside those months, fish extremely well.

The best thing about these creeks and rivers is not

just the trout on offer, but also the local population of wild Australian bass.

Like a mulloway is the ‘ghost of an estuary,’ an Australian bass is ‘the ghost of a river’. Extremely hard to catch, they are the most highly prized fish in the Gippsland rivers.

For anglers who do target them regularly, release their captures and keep quite tight-lipped, so if you do happen to strike it rich, I suggest you do the same.

When you are up the creeks, trout are temtped by small diving minnow style hardbody lures and while bass will take the same lures, I’d also have a small selection of deepdiving hardbodied lures and a good selection of

Fishing offshore can see a range of species caught while drifting over the reefs, such as these tasty nannygai.

PLACES TO STAY Lakes Beachfront Holiday Retreat 430 Lake Tyers Road, Lake Tyers Beach 3909 Tel: (03) 5156 5582 BIG4 Whiters Holiday Village 55 Roadknight Street, Lakes Entrance 3909 Tel: (03) 5155 1343 Lazy Acre Log Cabins 35 Roadknight Street, Lakes Entrance 3909 Tel: (03) 5155 1323 soft plastics.

NIGHT TIME SHENANIGANS When the sun goes down and the moon isn’t visible, that’s when the fun really begins. Prawning is a lot of fun and Gippsland supports a huge population of prawns.

Alhough a lot of anglers do catch them in boats on the Gippsland Lakes, wading the bank is just as productive. When they are on, focus your attention

to the North Arm in Lakes Entrance and in front of the Water Wheel Hotel at Lake Tyers. Both locations get the best run of prawns but you will have to wait until you hear they are on. In general, the full moon is a good time to begin the hunt.

A FISHING PARADISE East Gippsland is an

If it is bream you’re after, the many rivers are abundant with bream. With models available such as this 48cm beast, why wouldn’t you want to make a cast?

With the recent slot limit in place on flathead, catching that elusive metre monster will begin to become reality in the near future.

amazing location with a lot of fishing opportunities.

In fact, in just one day you can go from flicking a small stream for trout to working the river mouth for flathead and bream.

In the afternoon, go lure casting in the surf for salmon and have a shot at a gummy at nightfall.

For an avid angler there are plenty of options, so all you have to do is find the first location to cast your line.

Lake Tyers has recently had a launching ramp upgrade making launching much easier. There is also a great fish cleaning facility too.

JANUARY 2016

9

East Gippsland

Tamboon Inlet and Cann River GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

East Gippsland currently retains its title as wilderness country and we are blessed to have multiple estuaries that are no longer netted. East Gippsland has reasonably

in one of those estuaries in particular, and maybe you can compare your encounters with mine.

Tamboon Inlet and Cann River are hardly secrets these days but let’s revisit the area – if you haven’t been lately, you may be surprised at what is hidden down there. The fishing can be more than

expanse of magnificent bush. The Croajingalong National park wraps up 88,000ha and stretches from the Bemm River to the NSW border, but I’m sure few of us really appreciate its beauty.

Did you know that the park is now classified as a World Biosphere Reserve?

World Biosphere Reserves are unique places in the world that include one or more protected areas and surrounding lands that are managed to combine both conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. In other words, these areas are not off limits

from us all but rather an area where we can explore, go camping and of course fish. There are only 14 such sites in Australia and I’m glad East Gippsland is one of them. We should never abuse the area, let alone pollute or destroy it. Surely I don’t have to remind everyone to be aware of this, but for the sake of your kids and their families to come, enjoy places like Tamboon but leave only footprints. Unfortunately, I still see the odd feral group of anglers that are hell bent on filling ice coolers with fish fillets and ignore bag limits.

Fishing East Gippsland is also about experiencing the wilderness. This near perfect round rock, much bigger than a bowling ball, is a miraculous freak of nature.

A small tinny and electric motor is perfect for searching far and wide in Tamboon Inlet or right up into Cann River. natural and pollution free water catchments that stretch from Lake Tyers to Mallacoota. I want to share about 15 years of lure fishing experience

challenging at times but when this place fires reels will burn!

WILDERNESS FISHING The real charm of East Gippsland is the vast

It might be only 12°C, but a glassed out winter day on Tamboon Inlet suits my kayak fishing just fine.

Thankfully this minority are a dying breed and at least the new generation of anglers today cheerfully embrace catch and release.

POTOROOS, PIGEONS AND POWERFUL OWLS Every trip to Tamboon Inlet is all about the fishing of course, but I have also encountered some amazing wildlife.

The common critters here are huge monitor lizards, Wonga pigeons, black and tiger snakes, kookaburras, echidnas, whistling kites, and wombats. Lyrebirds are always in the area and it’s mesmerising to hear their call come booming out of the forest. I’ve counted them mimic up to nine or ten different bird songs that they replay for hours on end.

Dingoes are widespread too, often skulking like ghosts in the background at night.

More recently though, I’ve seen them walk out into the open around campsites or the lake shoreline during the day – it’s quite a treat to regularly see a wild dingo around Victorian coastal areas.

Some of the rare species will also show up at times, and I’ve been blessed to see long-footed potoroos, native bush rats, the powerful owl and masked owl, tiny bats and pygmy possums. There are also introduced species around and unfortunately each year I see more feral cats appear.

These cats tend to be black.

10

JANUARY 2016

Wild dogs patrol the beaches and on nearly all trips into the area I hear or see deer. There are always footprints or other sambar deer signs whenever you look for them and I suspect hog deer live in the area too. I rarely see foxes,

which is good, but the saddest thing for me is the growing number of those black cats. I see them deep in the bush when driving through the long dirt roads and I hate to think of the damage they inflict. My favourite critters in East Gippsland are the stunning azure kingfishers and the comical water dragons.

HEALTHY FISH STOCKS The fishing at Tamboon Inlet has gained a notable reputation. Not just for the numbers caught, but for the size of most species produced. Some years the fishing can be very quiet and even utterly dismal so don’t go to Tamboon and expect it to fire every time. Floods and tidal movements have a huge bearing on fish stocks right through the estuary.

Top: Mitch Chapman about to release a 41cm Cann River bream caught on a surface lure.

Below: Stonker yellowfin bream are an East Gippsland delight when they turn up.

East Gippsland Massive recruitment or the exodus of fish through the entrance impacts the species that live inside Tamboon. After the 2007 and 2010 floods the fishing was astonishing.

other end of that equation – big flood events will sometimes present fishing that can’t be beaten. I’m talking about returning 80 fish or more a day. Back in the winter of 2010

When the cicadas start chirping in November, you will certainly know about it!

Over the last few years relatively minor floods have come down the Cann River and the fishing right now is very quiet indeed. That trend started about 2012 and it’s all about the boom and bust cycle that nature presents to us. I have no idea what triggers most of the fish to exit out into the ocean, but when they do, it’s usually en masse. There seems to be a background population of bream and flathead that will always live in the estuary so don’t stress too much, there’s always something to catch there, but it will require plenty of searching and long hours to find them.

Recently I’ve had mates put in four days at Tamboon and they were lucky to hook five fish a day on lures. And that was searching for long hours almost all day.

Even the bait anglers were hardly lifting into any fish. My last trip into Tamboon a few months ago was just as tough. We stayed for six days with perfect weather and caught about 50 bream and perch from 38-47cm, a handful of flathead and a couple of small tailor. It was super tough fishing and during one long day on the water we caught just 3 fish each.

BIG FLOODS = BIG FISH Let me give you the

week included a mega tailor to 70cm, flathead to 92cm, trevally to 53cm and the biggest black or yellowfin bream we have ever caught.

We lost count of the bream that were around 44-45cm and we got at least nine bream between 46-48.5cm.

Well over 500 fish were released for the week – a trip that may never be matched again. We were there to chase bream and I have never seen such big numbers of hefty fish.

We only saw around 20 bream under 35cm and at one point my mate netted 6 bream in a row that were all around 43cm.

I saw one angler haul in a tailor that was 83cm on the brag mat and I lost a similar fish that I estimated to be even bigger.

Estuary perch will attack all sorts of lures and flies.

There are limited camping areas during summer at Peach Tree Creek but these sites are quieter over the colder months. there were two significant rainfall episodes in quick succession that smashed out a huge tidal entrance.

The fish came pouring in and during that winter I made two trips of six days each there with a good mate.

The first week was incredible fishing and we caught a lot of very big fish. We both got a bream on our very first cast so we sort of knew at that point it was going to be pretty good fun. Over the next six days we landed 36 tailor, 63 flathead, a huge poddy mullet, 15 big trevally, 2 luderick, 8 estuary perch, 2 whiting and 429 bream. All caught on various lures but mainly blades. Some of the huge fish we landed that

Anthony Havers with a typical 62cm flathead from Tamboon Inlet.

accuracy. What you need to know is that the area is fairly remote, so be prepared for some dirt roads that are alright for two wheel drive but can get very muddy after heavy rains.

Not suitable for towing large vans or heavy boats.

Camping facilities are sparse at Peach Tree Creek with just eight or so sites, that are often booked out, and a drop dunny. No solid boat ramp, just a dirt

landing next to a small jetty. The rough and tumble nature of a visit to Tamboon Inlet is part of the appeal. I could spend another page

discovery is the spice of life. It can be a daunting place to fish and failure lurks like the devil. Some will visit only once, never

Whiting are not common but a very welcome by-catch.

There’s nothing more fun than fishing a fly rod, especially when chunky salmon eat surface flies all day long down at the entrance.

We returned about four weeks later and although the numbers and sizes were down a bit, it was almost a carbon copy replay of the first epic week. In between the two trips, another flood came steaming down the river and kept the entrance deep and open. At Tamboon over the years I’ve set new PB marks with a 47cm yellowfin, 48.5cm black bream, 91cm flathead, and a 53cm trevally. It’s little wonder I nickname the place Jurassic Park.

FACTS AND FIGURES I won’t waste words here about where and how to get to Tamboon because these days 60 seconds on a smart phone or computer will give you all that with

or two expanding on all the wonder of Tamboon Inlet and Cann River, and how to fish it, but that would spoil the fun.

Some secrets are best left unrevealed because

to return due to the lack of fish landed. Others who unlock just a few of the mysteries about this place get to really love it and sharing the knowledge is the last thing on their mind.

Lazy Acre Log Cabins 1, 2 & 3 BEDROOM SPACIOUS COTTAGES ♦ Solar Pool ♦ Free Wi-Fi ♦ Air-Con/Heating ♦ Fishing Advice ♦ Boat Parking

Quiet central location Ideal for all the family Close to 90 mile beach 5min drive to boat ramps

(03) 5155 1323 ♦ 0418 516 555 ♦ 35 Roadknight Street, LAKES ENTRANCE

JANUARY 2016

11

East Gippsland

Bemm River is the perfect holiday fishing spot!

COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

Do you ever dream of a fishing holiday with the family at a destination away from all the hustle and bustle of city life?

Bemm River township makes you feel like you are a million miles away from suburbia. Surrounded by

the wait is well and truly worth it and the family will love you for it. Oh, by the way, the fishing is superb and you don’t need to be a gun angler to catch a feed.

The kids will certainly cut their teeth on some quality fish species, such as bream and flathead.

GETTING THERE ‘The Bemm,’ as seasoned anglers and locals

fronts the huge estuarine lake called Sydenham Inlet. With over 930ha of fishable water that contains many species including Australian salmon, tailor, mullet, luderick and estuary perch. Most visiting anglers come to the Bemm for the black bream.

It’s not unheard of to catch blacks in excess of 40cm+ down near the

The boat ramp at first light. Time to fish.

The upper reaches of the river – snag-ridden and very fishy. almost virgin bushland where cute and cuddly wildlife literally knocks at your door. There are no shopping centres to distract the family, just a well stocked general store and a pub that serves hearty meals to satisfy simple needs.

Coastal destinations can become busy with tourists – almost to the point of overcrowding during the holiday periods, but this place is so small that even when packed with visitors, the population cannot exceed 2,000.

Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?

There’s just one catch.

You need to plan well ahead, up to twelve months in advance to guarantee a suitable booking, especially over summer and the Easter break. I can assure you

refer to it, lies on the coast in far Eastern Gippsland over 400km (5-hour) trip east of Melbourne on the highway.

Once the last sizeable East Gippsland town (Orbost) has been reached, you still have a further 50 minutes (or 60km) to go before arriving at Bemm.

Remember to turn off the highway at Manorina, which is well signposted.

This last section of highway is full of twists and turns in a heavily timbered area, and after many hours on the road concentration could be at a low so be careful. Keep a lookout for potentially fatigued oncoming traffic and have plenty of rest stops on the way.

BEMM RIVER FISHING Besides the river, Bemm River is also the name of the town that

mouth, and the quicker growing yellowfin bream are a common target. The bottom is a mixture of

sand and mud substrate and depths vary from 50cm-2.6m depending on tidal movement. There are several defined shallow sand flats in the lake that can be found around the river mouth, as well as over near the Mahoganys.

The drop-offs are ideal to target bream, as well as some thumping dusky flathead particularly in the warmer months.

No commercial fishing goes on here except for some bait gathering. Mark Cunningham, who runs the general store, can often be seen heading out on the lake chasing prawns

A brace of dusky flathead taken in quick succession on the flats using Fish Arrow 3’’ Flash J Huddles.

in the warmer months or pumping sandworm.

The river is estuarine for several kilometres and the further upstream you head the more ‘snaggy’ the river becomes. This is ideal territory for casting or jigging hardbodied minnows or soft plastics among the snags as big estuary perch hang out here, as well as bream. It’s not uncommon to catch a trout up here, which is always a

anglers on foot willing to do a bit of bush bashing with a lure rod.

TACTICS AND RIGS The river and lake is ideal for bait or lure fishing.

Best baits are local prawn and sandworm followed by whole or cut crab and shrimp.

Once you select a site, cut the motor and drift into position. To prevent boat movement two long stakes are required, to push into

ACCOMMODATION Bemm River is more of a hamlet than a proper town, accommodation can be at a premium at certain times such as Christmas or Easter, so booking ahead is well advised. Here is a snippet of what’s available.

Bemm River Caravan Park: (03) 5158 4216 Bemm River Bungalows: (03) 5158 4225 Bemm River Holiday Flats: (03) 5158 4251 Rose’s Holiday Flats: (03) 5158 4254 Cosy Nook Flats: (03) 5158 4231 Bemm River Holiday Accommodation and boat hire: (03) 5158 4233 Bemm River Hotel (has cabins): (03) 5158 4241 welcome by-catch.

Just beyond the junction of Sydenham Inlet and the Old Coast Road lies a bridge that spans the river at the point where the estuary finishes and the fresh begins. The actual defining point is a natural rock wall or, as the locals call it, ‘the falls.’ Beyond here there are some Australian bass available for those intrepid

the bottom and tie the boat up fore and aft. Local tea tree growing near the town used to be cut down for this purpose but that is now frowned upon. Besides, every resident that owns a boat would own a pair at the very least and many would be happy to lend them out, so no need to break out the axe.

Use a size 2 bait holder

Clean, Quality Self Contained Accommodation Overlooking Sydenham Inlet

• Kiosk m Units Bedroo edroom 2 • Ice B Plus a 4 Available • Bait House • Boat Hire Owner Operated 12

JANUARY 2016

37-41 Sydenham Parade, Bemm River 3889 Ph: (03) 5158 4233 – 0427 584233 E: bemmaccomm@bigpond.com www.bemmaccommodation.com.au

The freshwater reaches of the Bemm. Time to try for a bass!

East Gippsland hook attached to a 6-8lb leader a metre in length connected to a swivel with a running bean sinker sitting on the main line.

The idea is to cast as far away as possible from the boat, take up most of the slack line and bag the reel’s drag right off. When

across the bottom will attract hits and hook ups on a given day. On my last trip I experienced great success using Fish Arrow 3” Flash J Huddle plastics.

I simply cast next to any snag and quickly flicked along in small movements without allowing the plastic

wait is recommended to allow the outgoing water to calm down and for the tidal waters to once again penetrate the lake and put the fish back on the bite.

The Bemm is a year round fishery and many anglers claim that the autumn and winter months

A typical brace of Bemm bream that responded to soft plastics fished on the sand flats. a fish strikes, sit on your hands for several seconds before picking up the rod and tightening the drag to fight mode. They’ll be no need to strike if you’re using quality chemically sharpened hooks, such as Black Magic C Points. The fish will generally hook themselves. When playing fish in the lake, such as bream, just keep the rod tip high and allow the fish to run when it wants to.

Using medium to shallow diving minnow lures such as Pontoon 21 Greedy Guts or Damiki Saemis is also a very effective way to land a fish or three. A wide variety of soft plastics either slow rolled just below the surface or slowly hopped

to touch the bottom.

KEY FACTORS The mean annual rainfall for Sydenham Inlet can be in excess of 700mm with the highlands receiving almost double that at times.

Like most rivers, the Bemm is prone to flooding on occasion and with fishing on the agenda it would pay to investigate how the river and lake are behaving.

Another factor that can affect the fishing is the mouth, which closes on a regular basis. When this occurs the estuary can often fill very quickly and rather than risk the bottom of the township to potential flooding the mouth is manually opened. When this occurs it can affect the fishing and at least a week’s

are the best to target big bream. The summer months sees some huge dusky flathead become active, while the perch will be active all year round up in the river.

The general store carries many basic foodstuffs but it is recommended for holiday-makers to bring the majority of foodstuffs with them. Those travelling from the west often stop at either Lakes Entrance or Orbost to stock up on groceries before travelling on.

Fuel is another quandary as there is no petrol station at Bemm. It is highly recommended that visitors fuel up at either of the two townships previously mentioned. This goes double for boat fuel.

Land-based fishing is limited at Bemm, so to get the most out of the fishing I’d suggest bringing a boat or kayak with you, especially if staying for more than a couple of days.

Recently a fishing platform was built, thanks to revenue collected from the sale of fishing licences, and can be found near the boat ramp.

Some good-sized bream are caught here on a regular basis.

Another land-based option that can be accessed

This bream ate a Damiki 3.5’’ shrimp twitched just off the bottom. by vehicle on the outskirts of town is called ‘Dollies Garden.’ This picturesque little spot is certainly worth a look and is an ideal place to take a picnic lunch along with the fishing rods.

In recent years mobile phone coverage has become available with a tower placed

by Telstra in the centre of town. Just check that your provider is compatible with Telstra. However, a trip to Bemm River is all about getting away from it all and not having all the mod cons at

Dawn breaking over the lake.

your fingertips.

FAMILY FRIENDLY I cannot think of another destination where kids can still ride around safely on their bikes, even during peak periods. There are not many roads in town and, possibly because of this, most drivers instinctively drive around at a snail’s pace, or simply walk.

There is also a great swimming beach at nearby Py-yoot Bay. Although the road to Py-yoot is a tad bumpy, the beach is well sheltered from westerly blows and is a relatively safe area for families to swim.

Nearby are plenty of rock pools for the kids to explore under parental supervision, of course.

There are not many places left in this country like Bemm River. Relatively unchanged by progress and still feeling a tad like sleepy hollow. It remains a great place to take the family with the main attraction, of course, being the fishing.

• While on fishing expeditions in East Gippsland, I choose to stay as a paying guest at the Ocean Views Caravan Park in nearby Marlo. Proprietors Les and Kathy Heynes really know how to look after guests and the accommodation is not only varied but first class as well as value for money.

BEMM RIVER COSY NOOK ACCOMMODATION

Owned and operated by Rob & Chris Foster

Comfortable 2 bed

Three fully equipped 2 bedroom cabins 40 powered and 40 unpowered sites 50 metres from the waters edge Camp kitchens with electric BBQ’s

room cabins availab

le

WE ARE PET FRIENDLY! SALE THIS BUSINESS IS FOR FULLY SELF CONTAINED UNITS. BEAUTIFUL BUSH SETTING, RELAX AND ENJOY THE TRANQUILITY.

03 5158 4231 0488 672 260

bemmcosyaccom@gmail.com 93 Sydenham Parade Bemm River Vic

Resident Managers Greg & Mandy Forrester

0428 557 438

bemmrivercaravanpark@gmail.com

2-14 Sydenham Inlet Road Bemm River Vic 3889

www.bemmrivercaravanpark.com.au JANUARY 2016

13

Spinnerbaits: getting started NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

Spinnerbaits are unusual lures that can be deadly on all manner of freshwater fish, as well as quite a few living in the salt. Here’s a basic primer on how to use them.

Spinnerbaits are strangelooking contraptions. They consist of a wire arm formed into a shape similar to a coat hanger, with a spoon-like blade or blades rotating on the end of one arm and a lead-headed jig fixed at the other end. This jighead usually carries a skirt, consisting of a collar of shredded rubber or plastic strands. The skirt hangs behind the jighead, over and around one or more single, upward-facing hooks.

Mostly used in freshwater, spinnerbaits are particularly effective on Australian bass,

Murray cod, golden perch (yellowbelly) and saratoga.

They’ll also tempt barra (on occasions) as well as sooty grunter and jungle perch.

Smaller versions catch trout and redfin perch.

Spinnerbaits can also be effective in saltwater, especially on flathead, estuary cod, coral trout and even mulloway, but their components may corrode when they’re exposed to saltwater. If you use a spinnerbait in the salt, wash and dry it afterwards.

Because of their unique design — with the upwardfacing hooks shielded by the wire frame — spinnerbaits are surprisingly snag-resistant and can be thrown into dense cover (especially timber and rock) with only an occasional hang-up. This is one reason they’re such a deadly choice on bass and cod living among structure.

including doubles and quads, as well as some featuring unusual blade designs, such as ‘hatchet’ blades.

Most anglers feel that rounded Colorado blades have a stronger action, more flash, and create a larger ‘sonic signature,’ especially at slower speeds. The downside is that spinnerbaits with Colorado blades tend to ride up in the water column through the retrieve. Thinner profile blades need a slightly higher retrieve speed to spin well, but also track a little deeper than Colorados.

Some spinnerbaits come with a soft plastic ‘trailer’ factory-fitted to their hook, and others may also carry a second ‘stinger’ hook, usually linked or ganged to the main hook. Many keen anglers also add these items as after-market tweaks. However, it can be tricky to add both a trailer and a stinger without causing

of plastic tubing over the eye of the stinger hook before skewering the point of the spinnerbait’s hook through the tubing and stinger hook eye.

Swinging stingers are simply slipped over the existing hook via their eye and a length of tubing or bead added to the spinnerbait hook to prevent the stinger working free. Both approaches have advantages and drawbacks. Try both and discover which you prefer.

Stingers are almost always rigged facing upwards, in the same plane as the fixed jig hook. Ideal patterns include Siwash-style hooks with rounded-bends and no offset.

Those sold specifically for this purpose have an over-sized, round eye to aid rigging.

The trade-off with any stinger is the fact that it will result in a few more snags, as well as some tangles when casting. You need to decide if the extra hassle is justified in terms of increased hookups.

There’s nothing fancy about most spinnerbait retrieves. Cast the lure out and let it sink to the desired depth (often the bottom), then commence with a couple of fast turns of the reel to get the blades rotating before slowing down a little. You’ll clearly feel the resistance and throb of the twirling blades, especially through braided line. In deeper areas you may wish to pause once or twice during the retrieve and allow the

While spinnerbaits are mostly cast-andretrieved, they can also be slow trolled. spinnerbait to sink again. Apart from that, clever rod and reel work is generally unnecessary: simply cast and crank!

Spinnerbaits can also be trolled, and this approach is growing in popularity.

No matter where you live, chances are there’s a fish swimming nearby that will

happily smack a spinnerbait. If you haven’t tried these oddball lures yet, this summer might be the ideal time to literally give one a ‘whirl’!

To watch me catch my ‘PB’ Murray cod on a spinnerbait, scan the QR code .or go to: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=9Qq1I1m0PLE.

Aussie bass love spinnerbaits!

VIDEO

Scan the QR code to see me catch a cracker Murray cod on a spinnerbait!

Spinnerbait blades come in different shapes. The most common are Colorado, Indiana and willow. Colorado blades are rounded, like the bowl of a soup spoon, while Indiana and willow blades are progressively longer and thinner. Spinnerbaits with two or more blades often carry a mix of different shapes.

There are also spinnerbaits with extra arms and blades,

constant tangling.

Stinger hooks are a popular choice among tournament anglers, who can’t afford to miss too many strikes. Whether or not they’re needed depends on the fish you’re targeting and how they’re striking on the day.

Stingers can be fitted in a number of ways: either semistiff or swinging. To rig a semistiff stinger, slip a short length

Murray cod are a prime species to target when casting spinnerbaits.

Over 45,000 products online plus even more in store. We give you the best of both worlds; The latest cutting edge products and the biggest sales and discounts all under one roof, and on one website.

Fishing

Camping

Kayaking

Spearfishing

Fossicking

Boating

Surf

www.motackle.com.au Worlds largest fishing tackle store 14

JANUARY 2016

JANUARY 2016

15

Surface smackers to start the year WEST COAST

Shane Lowery

January is one of the peak months for fishing the Glenelg River with hot days and warm water temperatures adding up to some great fishing.

As in the previous few months, bream are very well spread through the entire system from the estuary section at the bottom end of the river, right through to the highest reaches. Early mornings and late afternoon are the best times to find the fish actively feeding as they

can be a little more finicky through the brightest and hottest part of the day.

Having said that, targeting the deeper dropoffs and heavy snags that are well shaded is the key to finding fish during this period. In the lower light conditions of morning and

Perch are aggressive and will hit surface lures at this time of year.

SATURDAYS

7-8am

WITH

SEN 1116 REX HUNT

THROUGHOUT VICTORIA, SOUTHERN NSW, QUEENSLAND AND TASMANIA

evening or on very overcast days bream will often move up onto mud flats and weed banks to hunt and feed and seem to be much more willing to take a lure or bait.

A bit of breeze helps to stir up the edges, which seems to get the fish on the chew.

Baits such as cut crab and peeled prawn thrown up into the shallows or along the deeper rock wall edges are very effective through these warmer months. Lure fishing can also work exceptionally well with good water clarity.

Lighter lines and leaders are a must in this clearer water and running about a rod length of 3-4lb flourocarbon leader is generally ideal and is virtually invisible to the fish.

Lightly-weighted soft plastics in minnow profiles work extremely well with that little bit of extra hang time in the water column as they slowly sink. Hardbodied lures are also excellent and throwing a range of deep and shallow divers along with surface lures accounts for many fish. Cast those deep divers right up into the shallows and allow them to smack into the mud or snags on the bottom. Use a slow retrieve as this will often get the interest of a hungry bream and provoke a strike.

Estuary perch find it hard to resist bent minnows, atomic K9 and small to medium sized poppers at this time of year with the surface bite in full swing. This is especially true when thrown right up into the snags they tend to inhabit through the summer months.

This bite occurs in the early morning and very late afternoon, with the perch generally not keen to take surface through the brightest part of the day. Heavier leader around the 6-12lb

Glenn Fry from the Nelson Hotel with a cracking 40lb mulloway taken from the estuary. is also essential to pull the fish away from the snag as quickly as possible, and even then, with plenty of fish in the mid 40-50cm class, be prepared to lose a few lures to the gnarly snags.

Mulloway are still abundant in all parts of the system and there has been a

small run of better fish over the last month or so. Glenn Fry from the Nelson Hotel set the bench mark taking an excellent fish of 40lb (approx. 20kg) on a live bait down in the estuary. This fish was well deserved after the long hours and effort he puts into catch them.

AND

LEE RAYNER SUBSCRIPTION TO BE

WON

EVERY WEEK 16

JANUARY 2016

Join us on Facebook

www.facebook.com/offthehookradio

Follow us on twitter @offthehookteam

Plenty of quality bream have spread through the system.

These livewell-kept fish were all released.

For easy launch and retrieve Engineered sealed sub-floor strength

Water ballast for stability

5

1

2

Smooth-riding deep-V hull

4

POWERED BY SUZUKI

6 Quickflow® water ballast flap

3

C SERIES 490C, 535C, 575C, 615C, 670C, 730C

Next-gen hull with Delta FlareTM

Bar Crusher’s C (Cuddy) series offers a cuddy cabin configuration that provides the best of both worlds – a clear and spacious cockpit fishing area protected by good cover forward, to keep you warm and your gear dry when the weather turns nasty. The folding gas-strut roof (with side clears) provides much-needed protection from the elements while on the water, yet when folded it reduces the on-trailer height for easy storage under carports and in low garages.

THE BAR CRUSHER DIFFERENCE

WHY CHOOSE BAR CRUSHER?

Designed and built in Australia for Australian conditions, Bar Crusher boats deliver a super-smooth ride (a far cry from the uncomfortable, pounding ride of other aluminium boats) and superior stability at rest.

They’re easy to tow, economical to power and low maintenance.

Incorporating exclusive innovations such as the Waveslicer® deep-V, nonpounding hull, Rigideck® engineered sub-floor system, Quickflow® water ballast technology, and the evolutionary Gen2™ hull design with Delta Flare™ (490 series to 615 series), Bar Crusher boats are renowned for their quality construction, superior performance and maximum fishability.

Every feature of every Bar Crusher boat has been carefully considered for its performance, practicality, versatility and – importantly – durability.

Bar Crusher boats are also fitted as standard with a range of fishing-related features other manufacturers charge as extras!

REAL PLATE BOATS The best definition of a ‘plate boat’ is a boat that’s built using an engineered sub-floor frame; heavy-gauge, high-tensile aluminium cut from flat plate; and has a welded-in aluminium floor.

Download FREE Boat Buyer’s Guide

Bar Crusher uses the toughest hull building system in the world. They’re real plate boats, using cutting-edge technology in their design and construction.

C SERIES

Every Bar Crusher boat is factory-packaged on a custom-designed trailer, which ensures launching and retrieving is a breeze. Self-centering and aligning perfectly every time, the innovative Bar Catch™ system also allows for single-handed launch/retrieve – no matter what size Bar Crusher you own.

HT SERIES

Head office: 5 Quality Drive, Dandenong South, VIC 3175 Phone: 03 9792 2999 Email: info@barcrusher.com.au Sales: 0408 776 080 Website: www.barcrusher.com.au

www.barcrusher.com.au

HTP SERIES

DEALERS AUSTRALIA WIDE

WR SERIES

XS/SC SERIES

Follow us:

JANUARY 2016

17

Regal summer staples WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

Even as the masses descend on the south west coast for summer holidays there are always plenty of spots available to productively

wet a line. Combine early starts or late evening sessions and you’ll give yourself the best chance of success.

The Hopkins River has been closed for some time, much earlier than it usually is, due to a lack of rainfall.

The river has recently fished

Gorgeous sleek kingfish pulled from the mighty blue.

well, but if it remains closed for long periods over summer things can start to become fairly quiet. Hopefully we get some rain and the river fills to a height where it is manually opened, as the fish like a bit of moving water during the warmer months.

Over the past years many of the jetties that used to get inundated with high water levels, have now been upgraded to floating jetties, which is an improvement.

This provides holiday anglers with more bank fishing options and easier boat launching, which used to be limited during times of high water in the past.

Unweighted or lightly weighted baits of glassies or peeled prawns are a good way for holiday-makers to target the bream in the river at this time of the year off the river banks, jetties or bridge. There have been some mulloway taken recently up to around the 80cm mark, and as the river remains closed we can be confident that they aren’t going anywhere. These fish have been taken by both lure and bait anglers.

Some good King George whiting have been taken from the Warrnambool

One of the regal summer staples – King George whiting. harbour area recently.

Warm January evenings are great times to target these tasty and hard fighting fish both here and in other shallow areas around Killarney Bay, the Basin, and Pt Fairy Bay. Freshly pumped clickers and spew worms are the gun baits, but frozen cockles have also produced the goods. Don’t be afraid to fish as shallow

as 2m during the prime dawn and dusk times.

January is prime time for yellowtail kingfish here in the south west, and on warm flat days I find it hard to target anything else. Each season the kings surprise with where they turn up and what size they run at. Keep your eyes peeled, steer clear of the masses, and you’ll never know what you might

come across. With the warm dry start to the season there have already been whispers of early sightings and captures so hopefully come January it will be game on.

By the end of January last season, southern bluefin tuna were already showing up when on the hunt for kings so who knows when that particular party is going to start again this year.

THE HOME OF IN VICTORIA

5600 Territory Pro

9874 4624 www.regalmarine.com.au 18

JANUARY 2016

7100 Hard Top

660 Ocean Series

514 Canterbury Rd

VERMONT

Get reel at Portland!

PORTLAND

Nigel Fisher

Bruce, the crew at Compleat Angler and I would like to wish everyone a happy New Year. Please remember to be safe on the roads this holiday period.

We had a huge tuna season in 2015 with monster fish right along the coastline.

But now things have settled, the fishers that are still fishing the deep water are having a lot of success on the blue eye around the shelf in the area around the 400-500m.

Electric reels with big rigs and whole squid and fish for bait attract these very good eating fish.

Other fishers have been fishing the 140m with good results of snapper, large flathead, and school sharks.

The electric reels make this sort of fishing easier on the arm. Bridgewater area is fishing well for flathead plus pick ups of gummy and school sharks. Squid’em rigs with bait attached are very popular in this area and the flathead can’t seem to resist. Another predator that fishers love to target is the mako shark, which can show up anytime around these fishing areas.

Back around to the bay we’ve seen better numbers in whiting with some up around the 50cm mark. However, a lot of 40-45cm fish make up the average. Squid, blue bait

Terry with a very nice snapper, one of a few caught off the Lee breakwater. and pippis seem to be the best baits for these great fish.

Flathead, squid, pinkies, and the odd shark can be caught around the bay as well. The breakwater has been firing better with snapper up around the 7kg mark and some great gummies nearing 20kg.

Squid, whiting, salmon, couta, and rays are also found around the wall. Most snapper have been caught on squid and pilchards.

A breakwater gummy shark caught by Rodney which tipped the scales at nearly 20 kg.

The beaches around the north shore have started to fire up with sharks and the odd mulloway appearing and should improve. The mighty kingfish are around and make a great sport fish.

You can troll for these fish under balloons or flick lures into schools and then hang on. The guys on the breakwater also have fun with the kingfish while fishing for snapper.

Sometimes the breakwater can slow up a little in January but it’s mainly because there is an increase in people fishing the wall while holidaying in Portland. Even with a lot more rods and baits in the water, we will still see enough going on to stay interested. There will also be more baitfish in the warmer water which will increase the chances of good fishing around the area.

The beach fishing also fires up, with higher chances of big sharks, mulloway, snapper and the odd kingfish off the beach. There’s nothing better on a nice warm night than waiting for the reel to scream.

While you’re here in Portland over the holidays, whether you are a local or you have come to stay in our great seaside town, call into Portland Compleat Angler for all your bait and tackle needs and say ‘g’day’ to the team. We can guide you to a great fishing spot.

We also have fishing licences available in store. We are located at 61 Bentinck St next to the Gordon Hotel. Contact us on (03) 5521 1844.

Have a great month of fishing.

JANUARY 2016

19

Lure lovin’ in the estuaries APOLLO BAY

Daniel Kent apollobaysurfshop@bigpond.com

The Aire and Barham rivers are producing good captures of black bream when they are open to the ocean. Scrub worms or a prawn fished unweighted on the bottom has caught fish but actively casting a lure will catch you even more.

I have used soft plastic

Dragon Maggots in 2” with great success in recent weeks.

Fished on a 1.5g jighead and slowly hopped across the bottom, the bream have been finding these irresistible.

I have had sessions where 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 lures, soft plastics, metal vibes or even flies, so don’t be afraid to chop and change if whatever you are using is

The bream are biting in the Aire River on a wide range of lures and bait.

not working on that day.

If you have a boat then gummy sharks can be found in the sandy channels and holes that break up the reef systems at both Cape Otway and Cape Patton. Around 40-60m is my preferred depth range, and if possible I like to anchor up with some berley attached to the anchor chain.

The key to successful gummy and school shark fishing in these depths is making sure you fish the tide changes. The tide runs hard around these points and it is only possible to hold a bait on the bottom once the flow slows in the first and last hour of the tide cycle. I have found that fresh fish fillets of salmon or barracouta cut into strips, or fresh squid heads are the prime baits when targeting these bottom dwelling sharks.

The inshore reefs closer to the boat ramp are great options for anglers targeting King George whiting.

The waterfall reefs, Point Bumbry and Marengo are all good options and just like for gummy sharks you are looking to anchor

in a sandy channel or hole among these reef systems. A light running sinker rig with pipis for bait is all you need to catch these hard-fighting whiting. If you haven’t caught a whiting in the first 15 minutes then try moving to the next sand patch, sometimes it is only a matter of moving a few metres to find the schooling fish.

King George whiting are also an excellent landbased option, with the rocks at the break wall, Marengo, Grey River and Blanket Bay all offering excellent platforms to fish from. A light surf rod is best for casting long distances and for lifting fish up onto the rocks. Again, make sure you are casting onto a sandy bottom near the reef edges and not straight onto hard reef.

The harbour at Apollo Bay is fishing very well for calamari from the pier or boat for those using a prawn style squid jig. The smaller jigs in sizes 1.5 and 2 seem to work better then the larger jigs, as the squid become very flighty after constant fishing pressure.

Apollo Bay’s inshore reefs are alive with King George whiting during the summer months.

There will be large crowds of anglers on the pier during January so early

morning is the prime time to beat the rush and target a feed of calamari.

Dry conditions spark great offshore action COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

El Nino hasn’t affected the offshore scene as yet and in particular the crayfish season has gotten off to a flying start. The inshore reefs that are available to either drop netters or snorkelers have yielded red beasts in excess of 2.8kg. These rocky reefs are too dangerous for the pros to get to, which leaves it all open for us amateurs.

A tad further offshore from either Peterborough or Warrnambool in 25m or so depth, pinkie snapper to 48cm, blue morwong to a similar size and nannygai have been taken using fresh

squid by simply bottom bouncing. So too have gummy shark to 9kg and the odd sand flathead. Pilchard used either in chunks or filleted has also worked well, but it simply doesn’t last as long against ‘pickers.’

The Port Campbell Jetty is a very rare hotspot in this area for land-based anglers to try their luck. Lately, large squid have been available to those who put in the time and show patience. When they come on the chew, those in the know have taken the head or the tentacles, or both, and cast a bit further out, preferably unweighted in the hope that some snapper have followed the squid in.

The odd gummy shark has been taken here after dark

using freshly caught small salmon and during the day, King George whiting to 38cm on pipi. Warm nights and weekends see this structure packed to capacity, so arriving early and getting a spot is imperative.

Plenty of local beaches along our coastline including the main beach at Peterborough, Gibsons Steps near the Twelve Apostles and at Princetown where the Gellibrand River enters the sea have seen good Australian salmon, whiting and gummy shark taken by surf anglers, as well as the odd pinkie snapper.

Stopping off at the bridge that crosses the tiny Sherbrooke River near Loch Ard Gorge on the Great Ocean Road is good for

catching eel, which makes a very hardy and oily bait for gummy shark and whatever else comes along after dark.

Leaving the skin on and fishing approximately 4” chunks baited on a ganged hook rig makes for a bait that sea lice and small crabs cannot demolish anywhere as quick as a soft, whole, thawed out pilchard.

This tiny waterway holds some good bream but they are crafty and best tackled after dark using lures or soft plastics. Using bait will inevitably attract an eel if it has been soaking on the bottom for more than 5 minutes.

The Curdies River has been hot and cold for bream but some fish to 39cm have

The Port Campbell jetty – a very fishy spot indeed. been caught using local live shrimp or soft plastics.

Last month the fish were still in spawning mode and constantly on the move right up and down the river.

Up to 12 hours run time

All you need to worry about are the fish CUSTOMISED MAINTENANCE & SERVICE to meet your individual boating needs

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PROVIDED… Outboard service & repairs Complete boat & motor fitouts Electrical accessory installations

SERVICE CENTRE

KRIS OAKLEY MARINE SERVICE

5 Quality Drive, Dandenong South 3175 Victoria Email: krisoakleymarine@hotmail.com Phone: (03) 9794 5524

20

JANUARY 2016

Now there should be some fish moving upstream and staying there until any solid autumnal or wintery rains push them back down again.

EMERGENCY LED STORM LANTERN • 30 x LED lights in Lantern Closed lantern height only • 100 Lumens 8.7cm width x 12.4cm height • 4.5v/ 3 watts total • Powered by 3 x AA batteries • Run time up to 12 hours • Weight: 245 grams • Durable ABS construction • Water resistant • Colour temp: 6000K • ONE YEAR WARRANTY

The perfect HOT PRICE compact portable $ night light! RRP $20

10

www.korrlighting.com.au For further product information and purchase details

“THE ARASHI RATTLING DEEP 25 & 18 REACHES NEW DEPTHS AND HELPS ME TO REACH THOSE BIGGER FISH” - Lubin Pfeiffer -

758 - Dumble Door

728 - Googong

729 - Slick Scale

731 - Perch UV

780 - Bluegill

868 - Rusty Craw

871 - Hot Chart Shad

872 - Parrot

fishing line recommended JANUARY 2016

21

Monster snapper still kicking around the bay GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterbunch@optusnet.com.au

The Barwon River in Geelong has been fishing well for redfin from 20-38cm. Casting lures along the weedy banks or using live minnow for bait has been the best method and they have been biting throughout the day. You just need to keep moving until you find a hungry one.

The European carp have been a little fussy, but fish to 6kg have been caught along the freshwater section of the Barwon and at McLeods Waterhole in Drysdale.

Anglers using corn kernels and bread for bait have seen the best result.

Corio Bay has been flat stick for undersized flathead. They can be a real pest when you send down a juicy pilchard meant for a big snapper and it’s often best to concede defeat and move on.

Some larger flatties are showing up from Clifton Springs around to St Leonards, so too are are quality gummy sharks and snapper. The most

consistent snapper captures have been from Point Henry, Point Wilson, Clifton Springs, Portarlington, St Leonards, Barwon Heads and Torquay. Most of the larger snapper have been from 4-6kg with the larger fish up around 10kg.

Top bait for snapper has been silver whiting, as there seems to be a catchable population of these snapper lollies inside Corio Bay that scrounge along the edge of the shipping channel. Other effective baits include the regular suspects such as

pilchards, fresh squid, salmon and flathead fillets.

Mark Gilbert travelled down from Ballarat to fish out off Clifton Springs recently where he landed a monster 10kg snapper! It was caught at 8:00am on 10kg line using a running

sinker rig baited with pilchard. This was his first snapper of the season!

Gummy sharks have been caught by anglers fishing big baits deep out off St Leonards in 18-23m of water by anglers using Australian salmon fillets

Melissa and Daniel with a pigeon pair snapper they caught off Clifton Springs.

for bait. Phil Walters from St Leonards Angling Club says there has been some nice whiting caught from St Leonards to Swan Bay recently, which is great news.

Club Member AJ managed a ripper snapper that weighed in at 7kg, which he caught fishing near the mussel farms off Clifton Springs.

AJ’s son, Daniel, took his girlfriend Melissa for her first snapper fishing trip off Clifton Springs recently where they boated some rippers. Daniel managed a 4.5 and 6.5kg snapper while Melissa boated a 6.3kg monster! Not bad for your first snapper! Their bait of choice was silver whiting and squid heads.

If there is rough weather this month, try Portarlington and St Leonards Pier, as the snapper will come in close around the artificial reef modules.

Rod Ludlow from Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head says there has been plenty of snapper around the Bellarine Peninsula lately. Rod says the 18m mark between St Leonards and the Prince George Light has been

Gamakatsu Hooks are chemically sharpened to provide maximum sharpness and are forged in Japan using the highest quality steel. Each hook pattern and size is individually tempered to provide maximum strength.

Gawaine Blake - Gamakatsu Pro Angler

SIZES FROM

#6-8/0

OCTOPUS CIRCLE

Perfect for deepwater paternoster “dropper style” rigs.

Excellent hook for those looking to release fish.

Distributed by

22

JANUARY 2016

www.frogleysoffshore.com.au

SIZES FROM

#14-10/0

OCTOPUS

A strong hook perfect for cut baits such as squid and cut fish baits.

www.gamakatsu.com.au

SIZES FROM

#4/0-10/0

INLINE 4X OCTOPUS

A 4x strong hook perfect for stopping larger fish. Suitable for cut baits.

www.facebook.com/GamakatsuAus

fishing well around first light with snapper caught in a range of sizes. The fish have typically come in sizes from 1-8kg and pilchards have been the stand-out bait.

Rod notes that the St Leonards Pier has yielded a few quality snapper when the water gets stirred up after a northerly blow.

Portarlington around to Grassy point has been productive for calamari with early morning and late evening the best times. The squid have been pretty good anywhere from Swan Bay around to Grassy Point near Portarlington.

King George whiting have been caught around St Leonards by anglers using pipis for bait on the flood

tide. Try off the St Leonards pier and from Grassy Point back to the Indented Head boat ramp.

Marty Ellul from Warrnambool fished with Matthew Borg in 23m of water out off St Leonards recently where he caught a gummy shark around 4kg using a fresh strip of squid for bait. They also caught some quality flathead around the 45cm mark.

Phil Walters from St Leonards Angling Club says the Bellarine Bayside Community Fishing Competition went well despite being postponed for a week due to bad weather.

The wind blew again on the following weekend so they moved the competition HQ

Daniel’s first snapper of the season was a 10kg monster.

to Clifton Springs where the southerly was offshore and the cliffs provided a little shelter.

The fishing was very slow all morning, but Joe and Bella Scafiddi scored early with some pinkie snapper and small calamari.

Most entrants caught calamari by drifting over the shallow reef areas, but other species proved harder to locate. John Haddad and Damien Aquilina caught their bag limit of squid, which were all around 500g.

Bella Scafiddi won heaviest snapper with a 1.69kg fish, which also gave her first place in the junior section. Kirt Behan won heaviest flathead and Noel Behan won heaviest squid at 580g and took out the senior section as well.

Bella Scafiddi then backed it up to win the $100 cash prize on the entry tag raffle.

The organisers would like to thank the sponsors Bellarine Bayside, Mario’s Fresh Bait and St Leonards Progress Association.

The Surf Coast has seen some quality snapper caught in depths of 15-40m of water that have been from 4-7kg with the odd fish nudging 10kg. The best bet is to hit the shallow reef areas around first light and move out deep to drift once the sun gets higher.

FISH HARD – DIE HAPPY! Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send in a report to slaterbunch@ optusnet.com.au with ‘VFM’ in the subject field or give me a call on 0408 997 348. Please include where (without giving away your secret spot!), when, what on and who caught the fish.

Pictures are always great, but please make sure they are at least 1mb (file size).

Matthew fished with Marty for a few flatties and this fine gummy.

When Boating on the Bay Ships have Right of Way PORT OF GEELONG 12 million tonnes of cargo a year supporting 5,000 jobs

PH Level 2, 235 Ryrie Street, Geelong

5225 3500

| www.regionalchannels.vic.gov.au JANUARY 2016

23

Red season not over yet PORT PHILLIP WEST

Brenton Hodges blhodgey@hotmail.com

Over the holiday season the western flank of Port Phillip continued to impress, snapper and plenty of school-sized pinkies are still on the go.

King George whiting have become a reliable target in the shallows, along with some serious flathead and those cagey snook, which are never far away from the action across the inner reefs.

WERRIBEE SOUTH TO POINT COOK Pinkie snapper and the odd larger red to 5kg are still available on the inner reefs at Point Cook. Baits of silver whiting and pilchard presented unweighted among a berley trail continue to produce for those fishing at anchor. Robert Gubeljak put his young family onto the snapper while anchored in

6.5m of water just off the RAAF base. According to Rob, the best bait on this occasion was the humble pilchard.

Casting soft plastics on the drift in 5-7m of water has been productive, with pinkie snapper to 60cm taken on most occasions. First or last light is undoubtedly the prime time to prospect the shallow inner reefs. Quality blue-spot flathead have also been on the chew at Werribee South from the mouth of the river through to Wyndham Harbour.

The shallow flats adjacent to the boating channel have fired on the run-off tides, with flatties to 50cm and sometimes beyond a reasonably common catch for land-based anglers pitching flesh baits out on surf casting outfits.

Bouncing a soft plastic across the shallows and along the channel drop-off line from a small boat or kayak is also a favoured

technique for the larger than average flathead in this area.

ALTONA TO PORT MELBOURNE Jonathon Balfour reports snapper averaging 2-5kg taken along the 12-14m line straight out from the boat ramp at Altona. Silver whiting and pilchards have been the go-to baits for many, though squid heads and small (legal size) Australian salmon have also accounted for a share of the spoils.

The action on the inshore reefs at Williamstown seems to have slowed somewhat in recent weeks, but there are still plenty of pinkies up to 2kg available in this area. They generally fire up after a strong onshore blow. Robert Gubeljak and his wife also tasted success in this area with squid strips producing some fine snapper in 7m of water.

Casting a Gulp 6.5” Nemesis from his pedal-

Those pitching soft plastics from a drifting boat or kayak should be among the action again this month, with plenty of pinkies and the odd larger red still occupying the inner reef areas. powered kayak, Andrew Guthrie picked up a 50cm pinky snapper (his first on a soft plastic) while drifting in 6-8m of water off Williamstown. All was

looking good for Andrew before strong northerly winds kicked into gear, forcing him to retreat.

Those pitching worm and baitfish profile soft

plastics from a drifting boat or kayak should be amongst the action again this month, particularly in low light conditions at dawn and dusk.

117 Northgate Drive THOMASTOWN VIC triplemmarine@dodo.com.au

03 9465 8787

HOME OF

www.triplemmarine.com.au

3.7 NOMAD

3.75 ANGLER

4.85 TERRITORY

4.55 CAPRI

Hoping for a snapper on the reefs at Point Cook, Andrew Dellaca crossed paths with this striking blue-throat wrasse. It was camera shy and only held still for a split second to allow the author to click off this photo!

* Quality Bait * Quality Tackle * Excellent Advice

ALL YOU NEED TO START YOUR NEW YEAR

FISHING

Come and see the team for friendly advice and where they’re biting

PROUDLY OWNED AND OPERATED BY MICHAEL FELSOVARY

159 OLD GEELONG RD, HOPPERS CROSSING

03 9748 3811 Open 7 Days

( 24

JANUARY 2016

)

First and last light is prime time for prospecting the shallower sections of Port Phillip with soft plastics. This school-sized snapper intercepted a Gulp 4” Nemesis in nuclear chicken just as the sun dipped below the horizon.

METROPOLITAN RIVERS It’s an exciting time to prospect Melbourne’s metropolitan rivers with lures and soft plastics. Bream are most active during the warmer months and are far more willing to chase down a diving minnow, soft plastic or perhaps even a surface presentation. Working the rocky edges and bridge pylons within both Yarra and Maribyrnong on a rising tide should produce plenty of action this month.

Victoria Harbour (or Docklands) would also be worth a look for bream and silver trevally. Small grub pattern soft plastics, vibes and crab imitations worked vertically beside these structures have proven effective in recent weeks.

Silver trevally, along with a few pinkie snapper, have also madean appearance in the Maribyrnong River, with some taken as far upstream as the Anglers Tavern! Worm pattern soft plastics such as the Gulp Turtleback variety in camo and pumpkinseed are a good option for both these species.

School mulloway are also expected to be on the chew, and again the bridge pylons in both systems are a stronghold for these silver slabs. Casting worm and paddle-tail soft plastics into

During the warmer months, Melbourne’s bream are active on the edges and far more willing to chase down a diving minnow, soft plastic or perhaps even a surface presentation. the shade either side of high or low water is a proven technique.

Pinkie snapper are likely to remain active at the entrance to the Yarra River and the adjacent inshore reefs. Down at Werribee South, the stretch of bank bordering Werribee Park Golf Course has seen bream to 35cm taken on live sand and tube worms. Floating cabbage weed can make it difficult to cast lures at times, but a worm pattern soft plastic rigged on a

weedless jighead would be well worth a shot.

FISHERIES BLITZ Anglers are reminded to abide by catch size and bag limits as Fisheries Victoria implement ‘Operation Billit’ during the holiday period. Officers will be on patrol from marked and unmarked vessels including jet skis, which are a new addition to the fleet. Inspections will occur out on the water and back at the boat ramps during the day and night. Anglers

exceeding catch limits may be issued with on-the-spot fines of $433 per offence.

The minimum legal size limit for snapper is 28cm and the bag limit is 10, of which no more than three may exceed 40cm in length. Snapper must be landed whole and must not be fin clipped to shorten their length.

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

Ben Bickley scored this a Campaspe River yellowbelly a 1/2oz Gully Baits spinnerbait.

WORLD CLASS FISHING IS ONLY A

AWAY

The new Revo® MGX® spinning reel Aggressive. Modern. Durable. The latest advancement in spinning has the Revo name on it, and almost a century of fishing expertise in it. Its sleek design delivers cutting edge performance with every cast. Every hookset. Every critical moment on the water.

www.abugarcia-fishing.com.au Abu Garcia® is registered trademark of Abu AB. Abu AB is a subsidiary of Pure Fishing, Inc. ©2015

AbuGarcia_RevoMGXsp_242x165.indd 1

JANUARY 2016

25

2/10/2015 10:36 am

Junior City Fishing

Red season not over yet MELBOURNE

Jason Tanti

School holidays favourite time of because school’s because I have

are my year, not over but so much

more opportunity to go fishing! I catch public transport into Melbourne city every chance I get, in an attempt to explore new spots to find good numbers of both fresh and salt water fish. With summer in full swing you will find a lot of

Flathead are a great catch after dark.

fish become active including species like bream, salmon, snapper and golden perch just to name a few.

Docklands has been a hot spot for us and will continue to fish very well all the way until the end of summer. Fishing first light for a few hours on a sunny day will assist you, as all the bream that I have caught from the Docklands have been sight casted. You will find bream feeding quite high in the water column, and hard up on pylons feeding. The dominant lure has been the heavy Cranka Crab in olive colour. Otherwise, any light soft plastic or hardbody lure in the 30-60mm size range that sinks at a very slow pace will keep your lure in the strike zone for a lot longer.

This is one the most effective methods to target bream. Sight casting for bream takes some finesse, as they are known to spook incredibly easily. Low tide seems to work best, as structure appears just above the water’s surface and will reveal where the bream are feeding and using that structure as a form of protection. The boys and I have been having an absolute ball!

If my mates and I are

Holiday bream are a favourite catch in Melbourne. having a slow day at the Docklands we will catch a short tram ride (Tram 96) straight to St Kilda Beach and more than likely will encounter a school of salmon busting up within casting distance from the St Kilda breakwall. I managed over 10 salmon over both of the last two sessions I had with the biggest measuring 42cm.

From the get go we tie on metal lures for the simple reason that you can cast far and they work. Lures such as the Halco Twist work best, as they resemble a flashing bait fish and the salmon can’t resist. No matter where I’m

fishing I like to be prepared because you never know what you may need. For example, my mate caught three salmon to every one of mine. The only difference was that he was using a different colour metal.

Don’t be afraid to mix up your lure of choice. It might only take that one colour to fire them up, but when you figure it out, get ready to hold on. Fishing land-based can be challenging at times so make things as easy for yourself as possible. Instead of fishing in a random spot hoping you will catch something, look for signs of fish. Diving birds in the water are signs that

salmon are around. I’m sure you will get onto a couple and have a heap of fun just like I do.

I also had the opportunity to go to Mallacoota for a few days. This is one of my favourite holiday destinations and the fishing is epic. The big flathead were on the chew with my biggest going 70cm – a personal best. As well as the usual mix of big bream and whiting caught off both lures and weightless baited bits of prawn. It truly is a place you must visit. No wonder they call it the capital of fishing because I had an absolute blast!

Introducing the all new

490 CRUSADER ANOTHER MODEL TO THE SAMURAI LINE UP (AVAILABLE 490 & 520 MODELS LENGTHS)

OUR SAMURAI HULL IS DESIGNED WITH PRECISION AND ACCURACY •

Sharper Entry

•

Faster Planning

•

Maximum stability

•

Swept Bow – increased depth

VELOCITY

VISION

For further information visit www.seajayboats.com.au To like us on Facebook visit www.facebook.com/SeaJayBoats

26

JANUARY 2016

TOW AWAY PACKAGES FROM

81,788 NORTHBANK 600C

$

• Mercury 150 EFi 4-stroke • Dunbier Trailer • Foam filled hull • Transom step & rail • Walk through transom • Stainless steel r/launcher • Plumbed Live bait tank • Fibreglass baitboard • Deck wash system • Ladder • Bimini Top • Front and side clears • Garmin 7408XSV GPS/Sounder • Spare wheel & carrier • 12 mths rego • Safety Equipment • Sarca anchor & swivel • Smartcraft gauges • Stress Free Anchor winch • Dual batteries • 150 litre underfloor fuel tank • Custom upholstery

T OW

Christmas Catalogue Out Now

Quality built and value packaged boats

A Y PA C AW AVAILABLE FROM

T OW

23 ,343

$

449 PROLINE ANGLER

T OW

FROM

17,999

429 OUTLAW TS Mercury 40HP ELHPT EFI 4-stroke • Stacer Trailer • 12 months registration • Safety equipment for 5 people • LED squid light • Battery & battery box • Railmount baitboard • Transducer brackets x2 • 3 year warranty

$

A Y PA C AW AVAILABLE FROM

GE S

$

A Y PA C AW AVAILABLE

KA

399 PROLINE ANGLER

449 OUTLAW SC

GE S

15,993

Mercury 30HP ELHPT EFI 4-stroke • Stacer Trailer • 12 months registration • Safety equipment for 4 people • Bow mount thruster plate • Battery tray in casting platform • Transducer bracket • Carpeted Full Floor • Painted with stripes

29,568

KA

FROM

GE S

$

A Y PA C AW AVAILABLE

FROM

Mercury 40HP ELPT EFI 4-stroke • Stacer Trailer • 12 months Mercury 60HP ELPT EFI 4-stroke • Stacer Trailer • 12 months registration • Safety equipment for 4 people • Smartcraft SC1000 registration • Safety equipment for 5 people • Smartcraft SC1000 gauge • Garmin Echo 301DV • Battery tray in casting platform gauge • Garmin 55DV Echomap • Plumbed live well • Painted hull • 3 year warranty • Transducer bracket • Deluxe Stacer console • Rod storage pocket • Sealed timber floor

KA

T OW

Mercury 30HP ELH 2-stroke • Stacer Trailer • 12 months registration • Inshore safety equipment • Folding padded seat & bracket • Battery & battery box • Transducer bracket • Sealed timber floor • Fuel tank rack • Low profile floor

A Y PA C AW AVAILABLE

GE S

399 PROLINE

1,359

KA

$

$

GE S

10,127

|

799

KA

FROM

GE S

$

A Y PA C AW AVAILABLE

KA

T OW

FINANCE AVAILABLE

VIPER WINCH KIT MICRO 1000

GARMIN 75DV

T OW

$

38,999

4 5 9 A S S A U LT P R O Mercury 60HP ELHPT EFI 4-stroke • Stacer Trailer • 12 months registration & Safety equipment • Garmin Echomap 75SV • 2x deep cycle battery • Motorguide Xi5 Pinpoint F/W electric motor • LED cockpit light in rod locker • Red LED light under dash

WE HAVE OVER 20 DIFFERENT STACER MODELS IN STOCK AND AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY

MERCURY FESTIVAL

OF FOURSTROKE

MOTORGUIDE XI5 FW GPS 54” 55LB

FREE HP UPGRADE SAVE UP TO $1977 ON THE 80-150HP RANGE HURRY OFFER ENDS FEB 26, 2016. *Terms and Conditions apply

Club Marine logo_NEW.pdf

3/7/06

5:10:31 PM

$

1,999

92 HALLAM SOUTH ROAD | HALLAM | VICTORIA 3803 | PHONE (03) 9703 2003

JANUARY 2016

27

Snappering up a good feed!

PORT PHILLIP EAST

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

ramps, piers and other areas as well.

Snapper are still the major drawcard for the bay’s anglers

The beginning of summer has brought much warmer, drier weather to the east of the bay. As a result, the fishing has really started to tick along for many of the bay anglers. While a slow start to the snapper season seems to have already turned many dedicated anglers away, those that have persisted are reaping the rewards. While we could use some more rain, the dry and settled conditions have been producing superb fishing and boating weather, especially over the weekends. This has definitely increased traffic and pressure on the busier

Eric Digenova with an 8.6kg red. Some quality snapper have been reported over the past month, hopefully this trend continues.

Nautical Marine S TO M E R

NTEED GUASRA C E

CU

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.

ERVI

RE-POWER & SERVICE EXPERTS NEW

at this time of year, and this will continue for some time to come. Overall, angler numbers certainly seem to be

Boat, motor & trailer packages!

FINANCE AVAILABLE PH: 03 5984 1666 W: nauticalmarine.com.au E: nautical@surf.net.au Nautical Marine: 139 - 141 Hotham Rd Sorrento Vic

down this year. Although this may be due to the variety of other options in Port Phillip Bay, as well as farther afield in Western Port and beyond.

For bait fishers, the bulk of reports of late have been coming from 19-21m of water right across the eastern shoreline. In particular Carrum, Seaford, Chelsea and Frankston have all yielded some lovely snapper. I’ve also had a few reports of larger specimens coming from the 15-18m mark out from Mount Eliza and Mornington as well, this trend should continue for the next couple of months, as the fish tend to move south at this time of year and congregate around the Mount Martha area.

Once again, tide changes and changes of light have been the prime times to be on the water, and at the moment the snapper seem to biting on the bigger tide during the day. This will fluctuate depending on the moon phase each week, so it pays to keep your eye on the changes. Bait selection is always a personal and slightly difficult pattern to

FISHING

pick, but all the usual and popular baits produce fish.

Of late, some of the bigger and fresher baits like whiting and couta heads, fresh squid and salmon fillets have accounted for a few of the better fish. Having said all that, the humble pilly still catches plenty of reds right across the bay.

The inshore reefs have also produced a few solid reds as well, especially for the kayak and small boat anglers who fish the closer reef areas close to dawn or dusk. Soft plastics in the 3-5” range, and small vibe style lures have been the go at the moment. This area is also excellent for a wellpresented trolled lure or bait and hopefully I’ll get to put this theory to the test over the New Year break!

There has been an encouraging number of kingfish show up right on my front doorstep over the past couple of months.

Reports of kingfish up to 6kg around Mornington have emerged; these decent specimens were taken on live garfish, lures, and speared as well. Kingfish always gets

Dougie Bauer with his 20lb snapper taken recently. the blood pumping and the anglers talking.

The key ingredient is to establish the bait they are feeding on, and the kings love to eat garfish. I’m sure they taste as good to them as they do to us, so if you find the gars, chances are the nasty blokes with yellow

Nick Lauder proudly displays his 6kg kingfish speared near Snapper Point, Mornington.

tails will not be far away.

For those of you chasing the best table species the bay has to offer, the whiting have started to fire up in a big way, although as usual they tend to be pretty flighty and will not hang around one area for very long. Daveys Bay, Bird Rock, Fishies Beach, Canadian Bay and right inside Mornington Harbour have all produced some ripper fish to 40cm.

Fresh bait is always the best technique, and local mussels, squid, pipis and Bass yabbies will do the job.

The calamari have started to load up a lot more over the past month on the inshore reefs and this should only get better over the remainder of the summer months. I have already found that jigs with a red foil base have been the best lures to use, with green, brown and other natural colours achieving results – especially when the water is as clear as it is now. First and last light, and overcast days produce the best results, especially in shallower water.

Exciting times ahead for the coming months on the bay! Also, a big thanks to Kallan at IFISH for the pictures and recent reports..

PORT PHILLIP BA Y • WESTERN PO RT WELSHPOOL • PO RTLAND

NOW FISHING SNAPPER, WHITING AND GUMMIES • ALL BAIT & TACKLE SUPPLIED • CORPORATE BOOKINGS • DISCOUNTS FOR GROUP BOOKINGS

CUSTOM CHARTER BOAT - 8.8M HYDROFIELD SNAPPER Specialists

BOOKINGS CONTACT JOE 28

JANUARY 2016

0419 554 916

Chris Ralston with a 74cm kingfish taken from Mornington pier on live garfish.

JANUARY 2016

29

Rocking and rolling into 2016 PORT PHILLIP EAST

Lee Rayner info@fishingfever.com.au

I can’t believe we have rolled into another year already.

I had all these great plans of things I was going to do and catch, but the reality of it was that for the most part most of them didn’t happen. Quite simply because its so hard to pull yourself away from the great local fishing that has been on offer over the past year, and finger crossed its going to be the same for the next twelve months.

One thing I always look forward to at this time of the year is the anticipation of what fishy surprises the coming year will provide.

Could it be a big run of kingfish in summer, will the local whiting go bonkers? Or in the cooler months could there be a run of big snapper, or maybe loads of salmon around the local piers?

Either way, I’m sure at some point in the coming months there will be some outstanding reports of some crazy good fishing.

Back to the current

situation however, there has been plenty of great fishing over the past weeks, and with some continued warm weather this month and February should provide some excellent summer fishing.

MORDIALLOC TO BLACK ROCK It’s a busy time of the year on the water with lots of people heading to Mordialloc Pier to try there luck at some summer holiday fishing, and for the most part the reports have been quite good with squid and even a few whiting being caught late in the afternoon and early of a morning. It’s also the time to be fishing the pier as there are less kids jumping off the pier for a swim.

Out in the boats there are plenty of options this month with good whiting fishing to be had from the Horse Paddock Reef up to Parkdale Pinnacles and then up into Beaumaris Bay. The best bit about this area, however, is that it also offers anglers other good fishing options in the same area, with lots of squid over the reef bottom and some solid flathead to be found on the reef edges. And of course, it’s also time to get the garfish

berley out, then get a live bait out under a small float. As with the warm water and summer heat it’s time to start looking for some yellowtail kingfish.

Another option is to head back to the left of the pier and out to the artificial reef, which shows up on your GPS and is known as Rec Reef. This time of the year it often holds excellent whiting, squid and the odd bigger snapper. Last season we also heard sneaky reports of a few anglers also seeing kingfish there, so once again get a live bait out and you may get a big surprise.

Up off Ricketts Point and along to Black Rock there should be some good whiting and pinkies on offer this month, with the dawn and dusk periods generally producing the best results.

Now is also the time to get the spin rod ready or have a few lures ready to troll around as the big salmon are back in town, so keep an eye out for the birds, as they will give away the feeding salmon below them.

SANDRINGHAM TO ST KILDA While I don’t do it so much these days, January was always a favourite time for

me to head out and fish places like the Anonyma Shoal for big whiting, and while it isn’t generally about big numbers of fish there, for what ever reason it seems to produce a better class of fish, especially when you use baits of fresh mussel.

Back in closer to the shore places like Yorkies Reef have been producing a few whiting over the past weeks, and this should only get better during January.

For the land-based anglers the end of Sandringham breakwall and the rock groynes at Hampton are producing pinkies, whiting, squid and even some decent catches of garfish. So if you’re heading down that way it would pay to take a big of a range of tackle so you can try a few different methods until you work out what is biting.

As another option if you’re looking for a bit of fun land-based fishing, head to the carpark at Green Point then walk down onto the shallow reef system that is there. Wade out with a bit of berley, bait and an outfit with a float and small hooks. For what ever reason this bit of ref tends to nearly always hold good numbers around it during summer and it

This really shows you don’t have to go far from the city to catch snapper! makes for a load of fun fishing in knee to waist deep water on a sunny day.

If you are still searching for a snapper the areas out from Brighton to the Fawkner beacon produced some great snapper fishing during Decmber and with any luck there will still be a bunch of fish there during January. If you’re marking them up but can’t get a bite, try catching a few live baits such as yakkas, slimy mackerel or garfish and use them, they often make the difference at this time of the year.

ST KILDA TO PORT MELBOURNE. It’s a busy month in this part of the bay but in saying that the fishing can be and is still very good. It’s just a matter

of fishing at the key times.

For those who like lure fishing in either a kayak or by wading the shallows between St Kilda marina and around to behind the breakwall can and does produce good flathead for those spinning, especially when you use small. It’s simply a matter of casting around any weed or reef patches or along any small drop off.

So long as we don’t get a load of rain this month the top of the bay should also fish well for whiting over the coming month, with a few local guys in the area saying the real key to success in this part of the world is to use a fine berley in a cage on the bottom and baits of fresh squid and mussel.

So roll on 2016, lets hope it’s a fish filled year.

VR Fish Update

Looking back and heading forward VR FISH

Dallas D’Silva

What a great time of year it is for Victoria’s 838,000 recreational fishers! VRFish once again attended the 2015 Yamaha Cod Classic at Lake Mulwala over the weekend.

VRFish is keen to promote best practice catch, handling and release of Murray cod.

The Cod Classic, which is attended by over 3,000 fishers, is a great opportunity

for sale on

to educate fishers about Murray cod regulations and survey anglers about their awareness of the recently introduced slot limits, fish handling practices and ideas for improving the fishery for the future. Results from the survey will help guide future education and campaigns to improve the fishery and best practice handling.

VRFish will run the survey online until 19 February 2016.

Entrants will have the chance to win a fishing prize pack

valued at over $300. Surveys can be completed online at: https://www.surveymonkey. com/r/MBLJZ69.

Now is a good time to reflect on the last 12 months.

It has been a massive year for VRFish and recreational fishers. Michelle and I would like to thank the hundreds of volunteers that have devoted their time and effort to see Victoria as the premier fishing destination across this great nation.

Starting back in January of

BOAT FOR SALE TRITON TR186 2007 MODEL

With Mercury Optimax 150hp Meticulously looked after,always garaged and covered. Stunning looking Bass Boat with rough water performance to match. Boat will do mid 90k’s with 2 people and full live wells.Can do over 100 propped differently.

$36,700 PASCOVALE , VIC

LIKE ‘TOURNAMENTBOATS.COM.AU’ ON FACEBOOK FOR AUTOMATIC UPDATES

30

JANUARY 2016

2015 we witnessed a watershed event of 5000ML released into Lake Toolondo. This helped to prolong the boom fishery for trout through summer and has delivered a huge social and economic return to regional townships. At the same time, we were challenged by an international agreement to ban the take of thresher sharks.

It was the mako shark issue revisited, and we managed to achieve a great outcome when the Commonwealth Government accepted our submission and decided not to make thresher sharks a no-take species, rather opting to support continued access under existing management arrangements. Stay tuned for more on thresher sharks in coming editions.

We then achieved another great outcome, with the first trout cod fishery opened up at Lake Kerferd and Lake Sambell in the northeast.

This has been discussed for years, and to see it delivered by the Premier was very satisfying for fishers. This was soon followed by the lifting of boating restrictions at Blue Rock Lake – a big achievement in its own right.

This move will help create one of our best bass fisheries.

A key election promise to halt commercial netting in Port

Phillip Bay was also delivered by the Andrews Government.

We acknowledge this is a challenging time for the commercial industry. It’s not the end of commercial fishing in Port Phillip Bay. Hook and line methods will still be allowed for species such as calamari, King George whiting and snapper. What does it mean for recreational fishers? Firstly, no nets equal more fish and better fishing and boating for recreational fishers. Higher catch rates, more equitable access and not having to compete with hundreds of meters of nets set on top of, or next to our key recreational fishing grounds and our most popular fishing locations.

The legislation passed the upper house without change.

It’s the single biggest reform since the removal of scallop dredging in the Bay back in 1999. These changes were all implemented within 12 months of the Election.

Special mention and thanks goes to the team at Fisheries Victoria for their hard work, and the Minister responsible for fisheries, Jaala Pulford for showing such great leadership.

The release of the new Ernst and Young study showed the true value of recreational fishing to the economy and our

way of life. Headline figures such as an industry and sector worth $7.1 billion, supporting almost 34,000 full time jobs is something to behold. As far as future challenges go, there is no shortage of issues to tackle next year, including ensuring the Geelong Star does not impact our key recreational fishing grounds and seeking greater recognition of the value of recreational fishing in Commonwealth legislation.

Other important issues include the ban on commercial netting around Gippsland Lakes river mouths, which are also an election promise and the delivery of $2000 grants to angling clubs to help boost membership. Throw in the need for better boating infrastructure, especially in the two big bays, a safe harbour at Warrnambool, the trial of offshore Fish Aggregation Devices, plus greater recognition of recreational fishing needs with the future management of water in Victoria and we will no doubt have a big 2016.

Remember VRFish is here as a central voice for all fishers and we hope to hear from you.

IS YOUR EPIRB DUE TO BE REPLACED?

GPS EQUIPPED

beacons can locate you within 20 mins

NON-GPS

beacons can take up to 5 hrs†

More Australian rescues start with GME than with any other brand* Next time you’re out on your boat, double check the expiration date of your EPIRB. If it has expired, or is approaching expiration, contact your local Authorised GME Dealer and discuss options for replacement, including updating to the latest GPS equipped model from GME. With a GPS equipped EPIRB, you will be located faster, and rescue authorities will be able to reach you sooner. It could save your life.

gme.net.au

† Source: Australian Maritime Safety Authority * 66% of all beacons detected and determined as ‘Real Distress’ by AMSA during the 12 months from the 1st of July 2012 to the 30th of June 2013 were GME brand beacons. N.B. A Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is not a substitute for a 406 MHz EPIRB.

M362L

1300 463 463

JANUARY 2016

31

Kings of the Peninsula MORNINGTON PENINSULA

Dan Lee info@peninsulatotaltackle.com.au

January is one of the busiest and most exciting months on the peninsula!

With hundreds of thousands of extra people down here taking their summer holidays, the

caught on a range of live baits and jigs.

GUMMY SHARK As is often the case, December was a really strong month for gummy shark on the peninsula. We saw plenty taken from both sides of the peninsula, with the south channel firing around Sorrento and Rye and the western entrance

could find a patch and have a good session only to produce nothing on the next two trips. As we head toward the end of the month it’s likely however, that we will see some bigger fish turn up off the Fairway.

WHITING Whiting have been solid right through the last couple of months. Time will

Mick with a beautiful big gummy shark estimated at just under 20kg.

There is always good land based fishing on the Mornington Peninsula.

Jules Franks caught a bunch of silver trevally from the Sorrento pier. peninsula buzzes with activity. While the boat crowds and jet-ski traffic can be a put-off for some, the increased use of the bay and offshore fishing grounds means we see an absolute plethora of different reports and varied fishing activity!

This January there will be a huge focus on the local kingfish populations. With fish already taken through December, there is no doubt the summer crowds will be keen to get down and get among some kingy action.

YELLOWTAIL KINGFISH Early in the month we saw the first confirmed catches of kings, taken at Mornington Pier. The fish were fairly modest in size, but this little run no doubt signified the start of what is hopefully an epic kingfish season.

At Mornington Pier, anglers used live gars and squid or even freshly caught dead squid to tempt the fish to strike. Most were ‘rat’ size around 55cm–65cm. Following on from this action, some keen anglers headed to The Rip where fish to 93cm were 32

JANUARY 2016

providing some classic action for Westernport gummies. Fish that we saw caught in southern Port Philip probably topped out at about 25kg but there were plenty between 11–18kg caught during this period.

We had a reasonable supply of salmon around some of the local landmarks such as the Fort and Blairgowrie Marina, which made for prime bait. There has also been a good supply of yakkas and some slimy mackerel, so bait collection for a gummy session has been pretty easy.

SNAPPER As I write this report, I have just heard of some nice schools of snapper moving around off Rosebud, around the reef and out by the channel. This generally means we will have some good fishing around the Rye wreck and some of the local reefs through January.

Super early sessions or fishing as the sun goes down and into darkness are your most likely periods of success.

On the whole, the snapper season off Mornington and Mt Martha has been irregular. Some

tell, but I am confident that this will probably be the best season in a few years.

The range of areas that are already producing whiting is an indicator that they are

Cap’n Baz with a nice Australian salmon. Trolling occy skirts in The Rip is a popular method for catching these fish at this time of year.

Mick with a lovely peninsula red. They should fire up again in February.

in better numbers than they have been for a couple of years. Local hotspots have included Tootgarook at 6m, Rosebud Reef at 8m, Portsea Moorings and the Rye Channel.

LOOKING AHEAD After the hustle and bustle of January, February brings a kind of calm relief.

It’s certainly a time where you can find a patch of water to fish by yourself, which at times through January, can be a challenge.

If we are lucky, the kingfish should continue strongly through this month but it can be a great time for other offshore pursuits such as mako sharks, tiger flathead, and all the other reefies we find when venturing outside the heads. Tight lines and good fishing!

• 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.

P O R T

P H I L L I P

B A Y

No NettiNg =

better fishiNg ...and real benefits for Port Phillip Region including:

$

$1.3 billion economic contribution

614,000

people fish per year

8,403

jobs supported by recreational fishing

Follow us on...

facebook.com/vrfish

Twitter.com/vr_fish

Web: www.vrfish.com.au

Western Port Bay, Victoria’s fishing haven GEELONG

Ross Winstanley PART II

Last month’s issue of VFM outlined the background to the August 2015 Western Port Bay fishery assessment workshop, which examined the commercial and recreational fisheries in the period since netting was banned in 2007. It summarised researchers’ and anglers’ take on the state of the whiting, snapper, flathead and gummy shark fisheries in the bay. Part II picks up the story, starting with a look at concerns surrounding the elephant fish stock and fishery.

ELEPHANT FISH Western Port Bay is the largest and most important known egg-laying area for the single South Eastern Australian elephant fish stock. After first entering the bay in February, between late March and early May, each adult female deposits 20-25 eggs on open bottom where they are vulnerable to predation. The young emerge 5-6 months later and spend a year in the bay before heading into Bass Strait.

Elephant fish mature at 60-70cm and at least five years of age and may live for 20 years. As with gummy sharks and school sharks, recruitment is critically linked to the number of mature females in the stock. However, as a bottom egg-depositing species, elephant fish recruitment also depends on the availability of suitable open areas of healthy finesediment substrate. A survey of egg cases showed that the required bottom type is quite specific. They require shallow bare soft sediments separate but adjacent to seagrass and coarse broken shell and deeper fine sediment substrates.

Commercial catch data and fishers’ reports suggest that elephant fish only began to appear in numbers as the extent of seagrass declined from the 1970s. Predation on eggs is high in some years and, in others, coverage of bare sediments by the alga, Caulerpa, limits the area suitable for egg laying.

Recreational catch rates peaked in the early 2000s, by which time the entire annual catch of elephant fish by the commercial shark and trawl fisheries off South

East Australia had declined to less than 50tonnes. When coupled with the decline in offshore commercial catch rates, the 45tonne estimate of the recreational catch in the bay was deemed to be unsustainable. This prompted the reduction in the bag limit from three per day to one per day in 2008. That did nothing to halt the sharp decline in catch rates, which have fallen by more than 50% since 2001. Despite the fact that around 70% of targeted trips result in at least one retained elephant fish, the consensus at the workshop was that their numbers are in decline. Survey results show that, since the bag limit reduction, the number of anglers now targeting them is at an all-time low.

Along with this decline in numbers, the areas where highest recreational catch rates occur have contracted from the north west, west and southern parts of the bay in 1998 to a small region in the south east, between Rhyll and Corinella, referred to as the ‘elephant triangle.’

The combination of high targeted-fishing success rates with declining numbers points to the vulnerability of this species – even as

Want one of these?

Price

99 . $ 79

Order today at www.tideapparel.com.au 34

JANUARY 2016

Anglers are increasingly challenged by limited parking and launching facilities in both bays. numbers fall they remain easy to catch. To make matters worse, the majority of elephant fish entering the bay are females intending to deposit their eggs there, and anglers are choosing to keep them as they are larger than males. This is contrary to the mind-set of gummy shark anglers, many of whom recognise the importance of large females and release them unharmed to continue reproducing.

ANGLER MOTIVATION AND SATISFACTION Anglers interviewed in boat ramp surveys during 2014/15 were asked a series of questions relating to their reasons for fishing and how satisfied they found their fishing in the bay. The two most important motivations were reported as to enjoy the sport (around 30%) and to catch fish (around 20%).

Other significant factors included to relax and unwind and to spend time with family or friends.

The overall level of ‘very’ and ‘quite’ satisfied anglers was 84%. The main reported reasons given for dissatisfaction were ‘lack of fish’ (68%) and boat ramp crowding and parking issues (15%). Responses on the main underlying causes highlighted ‘too many boats’

(30%) and lack of adequate facilities (25%). Anglers at the workshop reported that boat ramps have become busier on any fair-weather day, on week days and weekends alike.

D espi t e t hese observations, annual boat ramp trailer counts indicated that average angling effort has been significantly less since 2007 than in the previous nine years. This has occurred despite the closure of commercial netting in 2007 and the population growth in the nearby metropolitan area in following years. Despite this downward overall trend, anglers and Fisheries Officers reported that boat ramps have been crowded and fishing intensity has been high at times. These reports raise questions about the current reliance on trailer counts as primary measures of fishing effort.

FUTURE SCENARIOS Senior Fisheries Officer, Rod Barber, foresaw a number of factors that are likely to add to the challenges already facing the fishery in Western Port Bay. These include an increased number of anglers and improved gear and knowledge, including real-time reporting of productive fishing locations.

These, coupled with the

Government’s ‘Target One Million’ program, will add to pressures for more and greatly improved boating facilities around the bay.

The buy-out of commercial netting from Port Phillip Bay is likely to see an increased incentive for ‘shamateur’ or illegal fishing – a major concern for anglers and Fisheries Officers. Overbagging is already apparent to a degree in Western Port Bay. Some anglers were concerned about rising numbers of seals and their impact on whiting in the bay. However, Phillip Island seal research has shown that seal diets comprised mainly barracouta, redbait, squid, jack mackerel, red cod and leatherjackets.

Fisheries researchers emphasised the continuing importance of the Angler Diary program.

They mentioned their particular need to recruit more participants who regularly target gummy sharks.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ANGLING MECCA? Following the hype surrounding the 2007 netting ban in Western Port Bay, what is particularly puzzling is the drop that followed in recreational fishing effort, as indicated by boat trailer counts.

Understandably,

Reducing the elephant fish bag limit has done little to halt declining catch rates.

anglers expect the bay to pressures in Bass Strait and become a fishing bonanza beyond. While overall the when commercial netting was gummy shark stock appears removed. While satisfaction healthy, the signs are not levels are currently high, and good for elephant fish. the better anglers continue However unhappy to catch fish even in low anglers may be about poor periods, some sobering facts catch rates, they can survive are inescapable. even extended periods of poor First, the climate-driven catches across a number of vagaries of annual recruitment key species. Perhaps simply of three key species – knowing that commercial whiting, snapper and flathead fishing has been all but – will produce the sorts of eliminated helps them keep downturns we are seeing in up their morale and belief catch rates, irrespective of in the future, accounting to the absence of commercial their high satisfaction rating? netting. The post-2007 In contrast, fishing charter period has coincided with the operators find such periods fishing-down of the western much more challenging. snapper stock, and whiting One operator reported the stocks are currently at a low combination of long-term point. Fisheries Victoria’s declines with the sudden recruitment monitoring drop in snapper and whiting programs confidently predict catches this year as ‘a crisis.’ improvements in both stocks The drop in the bag limit from 2016. for elephant fish to one per The fragility of fish habitats day did nothing to help their continues to be a concern in businesses as clients have this bay. The availability of found this a real disincentive. suitable egg-laying habitat FISHERIES for elephant fish may be MANAGEMENT ISSUES contributing to the decline in While this new era in their numbers, in angler catch the recreational fishery is a rates and in the contraction work in progress, there are a of their range to the Rhyll- couple of particular matters Corinella area. for Fisheries Victoria. One For species like elephant falls into the category of fish and gummy sharks, regulations and whether to where recruitment depends move to setting 70cm total directly on the numbers length as the minimum legal of adult females, what’s size for gummy sharks. The happening in this bay is also others are more in the way STA15827HP-FM_Layout 1 10/09/14 4:16 PM Page 1 and, highly influenced by fishing of angler education

589 Ocean Ranger

619 Ocean Ranger

739 Ocean Ranger

possibly, code of practice matters to be worked through in conjunction with angler groups.

Of these, addressing anglers’ retention of mature female elephant fish in what appears to be a dwindling stock requires careful handling. Even at a one per day bag limit, the annual catch by Western Port anglers now equals or exceeds the combined commercial catch from Bass Strait, Tasmania and South Australia. This fishery requires close monitoring.

A second and more immediate matter is to determine what’s happening to the extent of finesediment habitat suitable for elephant fish egg-laying in Western Port Bay. Habitat loss has been a critical issue for fish stocks and fisheries in this bay for decades and continues to have ramifications for all the key species sought by anglers.

The forthcoming publication of Professor Greg Jenkins links years of recreational catch rate data with key habitat types in the bay and should shed some light on the extent of changes over the past 15 years or so; the causes will require separate examination.

The results of the angler satisfaction survey give a clear pointer for the urgent

need for improved boating access and facilities around the bay. This is underscored by the drop in angling effort. While addressing this issue is clearly on the Government’s agenda as an element of the Target One Million program, it is a matter or real urgency for anglers in Western Port Bay. POINTERS FOR PORT PHILLIP BAY What can this review of Victoria’s second largest recreational fishery tell us as a guide to improving the largest? For one thing, the importance of managing anglers’ expectations. Just as the Western Port Bay netting closure raised anglers’ expectations after 2007, the Government’s Target One Million program has Victorian anglers eager to see the compounded benefits from the commercial netting buyout and improvements to boating facilities, shoreline access and recreational fishing reefs.

The workshop results suggest that angler satisfaction can be set at a high level even before tangible benefits appear if there are clear early indications of action and confidence that promises will be met. Anglers will endure the effects of poor recruitment to major fish stocks when they see less

netting activity but they won’t put up with crowded or inadequate boating facilities for long. Unlike the abrupt December 2007 closure of netting in Western Port Bay, what’s proposed in the Port Phillip Bay netting buy-out may not be completed until 2023.

The recoveries in snapper and whiting catches that are predicted to begin in 2016 may help to buy the Government some time but anglers will be looking for reductions in crowding and lengthy delays at major boat ramps from the 2016 snapper season.

Anglers have matched the entire catch of elephant fish by the South East Australian shark and trawl fishery.

679 Ocean Ranger

739 Ocean Ranger Hard Top

JANUARY 2016

35

Definitely something to ‘whiting’ home about!

WESTERN PORT NTH

Adam Ring

Happy New Year to all the keen fishers out there!

I hope the New Year is filled with calm weather and big fish! Speaking of weather, it has been a little bit up and down but good catches continue to filter through. The snapper have been consistent regardless; enough to be worth targeting and the whiting are beginning to come on nicely which is always good to see.

THE TOP END The top end has been a little bit patchy of late, but as the whiting fire up, so will a lot of the channels that work their way around the top end of the port.

Perry Mur recently put

in his first snapper trip for the season up at Bourchier Channel and managed a lovely snapper that went home to feed the family.

The Tooradin Channel has produced some cracking fish with snapper, gummies and the odd whiting starting to appear. The whiting have held up on the edges of the main channel itself, and the snapper and gummies have been confined to where the channel meets the port.

Local angler Cam put in a few hours and took home a pair of beautiful eating sized gummies that were taken on the change of tide.

Fresh baits were best.

There has still been a fair sprinkling of calamari over the Tyabb Bank.

The jig casters seem to be finding their squid a little easier than the bait

A happy crew onboard Big Time Charters with their bag of Middle Spit whiting.

Frank and Craig with a pair of epic Western Port snapper.

3SER FISHING SHOW 7am-9am

DAN LEE

Every Friday Morning

LUKE McCREDDEN

LEE RAYNER

Take you through what’s biting in your area.

Pl us in fo rm a tion on t he lat e st t ackle an d te c h n i q ue s .

SPECIAL GUESTS EACH WEEK. Listen online and get the podcast at

www.977fm.com.au

36

JANUARY 2016

guys with both red foiled and clear white jigs doing the damage.

THE NORTH ARM The red-hot action is coming from the north arm of the port over the last month and with the introduction of consistent whiting action you will be hearing a lot of reports from here over the coming months. Before we talk whiting, the snapper fishing has proven to be great with some big fish coming in – don’t give up on trying to knock over your PB just yet. Kozzi and Huff spent a day on the water around Lysaughts and enjoyed one of those sessions where everything went right. Among a handful of table sized pinkies, they managed a mixed bag of flathead, gummy shark, whiting and trevally.

It really was a seafood smorgasbord, and I’m sure the families of the boys ate well that night! Hastings continues to go right off for the snapper, and the size of some of the fish coming in is just insane.

The Mitcham Angling Club had quite a few members poke around Hastings recently and from what we hear, most had a pretty good trip. Pat Adair got his PB snapper of 3.5kg and Robbie Coker found a lovely patch of whiting, easily getting his bag with fish going as big as 44cm. Local fisho Glenn had a fresh squid strip on the bottom on the incoming tide and landed a nice table size gummy shark that put a piece of fresh flake on the table for him and his family. Frank and Craig had a memorable trip out from Hastings as they returned with a couple of big snapper. One weighed in at 5kg while the other tipped the scales at

a whopping 8.8kg and fell victim to beautiful fresh yakka head. Reports like these really highlight the importance of fresh bait for big fish. Adam is another local that scored a huge snapper out from Hastings with his fish weighing in at 7.8kg! The incoming tide, paired with fresh squid was the downfall of this red beast.

As far as whiting go, the Middle Spit is where you want to be. Keith Diprose of Big Time Fishing Charters takes his clients to the spit and absolutely cleans up on the whiting.

On one of his recent trips they bagged 50 whiting in the morning session with fish ranging from 35-44cm.

Fresh mussel out fished all other baits. Keith isn’t the only one to get stuck into the whiting either.

Patrice Le Miere and Paul Shishoian also took home a nice bag of whiting from the top of the Middle Spit. Most of their fish ranged from 30-40cm and they found the old pipi and squid cocktail bait did the job for them. It’s great to see that the whiting season shows early signs of being a good one and we never get sick of hearing about big snapper. There is absolutely no excuse now to get out there and see what the top end of Western Port has to offer.

Good luck, and keep the reports coming!

Local fisho Adam, with a sample of the snapper stacked up around Hastings.

UNMATCHED RELIABILITY

SAVE †UP TO $1,500 OR SPEND INSTORE SAVE OR RECEIVE:

BF100

SAVE $600

BF175

BF20

SAVE $800

BF115

SAVE $750

BF200

BF60

SAVE $1,000

BF135

SAVE $800

BF225

BF80

SAVE $500

BF150

SAVE $850

BF250

RECEIVE A FREE RIGGING KIT RRP

$1,500

*For a limited time Honda is offering a 5 + 2 = 7 years domestic and 1 + 2 = 3 years commercial warranty. The additional 2 years are based on the following conditions: The Outboard must be sold and set up by an authorised Honda Marine dealer, The Outboard must be serviced for the entire warranty period by an authorised Honda Marine dealer, in line with the recommended service schedule, The Outboard must be serviced for the entire warranty period using genuine Honda parts and lubricants. Offer ends 31st March 2016. †Rigging kit valued at RRP $1,500. Rigging kit promotion period 01/11/2015 - 31/12/2015. Honda Dollars promotion period 01/10/2015 - 31/12/2015 or while stocks last. Amounts include GST. Offer must be redeemed in store at time of purchase on any product or service offered by the dealer from which the outboard is purchased. Offer can be deducted from the total purchase price of the Honda outboard or boat package for Honda Dollars only. Offer is not redeemable for cash. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other promotion. Offer only applicable to new units.

Demo or used units do not apply. Honda Motorcycles and Power Equipment Australia P/L reserve the right to refuse claims that do not meet the terms and conditions or are deemed to be invalid.

1300 1 HONDA | marine.honda.com.au JANUARY 2016

37

Snapper fizzling out WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

There has certainly been a strange feeling to this year’s snapper season. One day the fish are happy to feed throughout a tide and the next, not even a sniff.

This has been the same feeling among most anglers and even for those fishing

in Port Phillip Bay. Most of the snapper action seems to be in the Corinella and Rhyll region and while the fishing is still fair in these two areas, fishing two hours either side of a tide change is your best chance at success.

This month though, you will find the fish a lot more difficult to catch as the season quietens down for yet another year. If you

are still keen on catching snapper, the best chance you’ll have is to drift down the Western Channel and use a paternoster rig with squid strips for bait.

Along with snapper and gummy sharks caught, mulloway have also been in the mix with some of exceptional size. Anglers fishing in the Corinella region have been quite surprised, especially when

Though there is always a lot of emphasis put on bait selection, the humble pilchard still accounts for a lot of fish caught in the Port. their reel hits high gear after the bait has been taken.

Local anglers Matt Caterson, Guy Nicholas and Kane Ellis had a blinder of an evening while fishing the Tea Tree comp. Having caught a few snapper, one rod loaded and after a lengthy battle, the fishing trio landed a whopping 32.4kg mulloway that took a squid bait.

Though it might be time to retire the snapper rods, it certainly is the time to dust off the whiting and gummy shark rods, as now is the time to search for these two

Regardless of where you fish, always use quality terminal tackle.

prized species.

The Western Entrance has produced some nice gummies of late, especially for those fishing around a full moon. Local Anglers Darren Hamilton Moore and his mate Robert Johnstone fished in the Port after the full moon and managed a cracking school shark that tipped the scales at 26.4kg.

Not a bad by-catch while targeting gummies!

Other anglers have also had good success in the Western Entrance, especially around Buoy 16 and 14

where gummies to 20kg have been caught. Squid and trevally fillet have been the best baits offered.

Another highly prized species is the humble King George whiting, and they have been prolific.

By the end of December, many anglers had already made the switch to target whiting and many of them had no trouble finding good patches of fish. Widespread throughout the Port, some of the best locations have been the bottom end of the Middle Spit, adjacent to

14 13

12

1

1

Renegade 490

HULL DESIGN

The Stessco Renegade range represents a boat packed with plenty of premium features. With the sleek look and performance of the reverse chine Softride Hull this serious fishing vessel comes standard with features such as a plumbed live bait tank, plumbed kill/keeper tank plus the added luxury of side console, deluxe pedestal seats and the impressive swim platform transom.

Plumbed and drained kill/keeper tank 2 Deluxe console with fibreglass dash 3 Non-Feedback Steering 4 4 x Seat positions 5 Wide side decks 6 Swim platform transform 7 Raised bait board with 2 rod holders 8 Rear boarding ladder 9 Live bait tank 10 2 x Deluxe pedestal seats 11 70l Underfloor fuel tank 12 Storage hatch with sub floor 13 Drained anchor well 14 Stainless steel bow roller 15 Navigation lights

16

2 4

3

10

5

11

7

6 8

For more information or to find your nearest Stessco dealer visit www.stessco.com.au 38

JANUARY 2016

9

15

Buoy 21 in 15m of water, Tankerton, Tortoise Head Bank, Balnarring, Somers, Ventnor and Cat Bay. Shallow water whiting, particularly at Tortoise Head Bank, Balnarring and Somers require anglers to use berley to bring the fish into the immediate fishing area. Once the berley trail is established, a paternoster rig with pipis used for bait has the trap set. In the deeper water, berley can still be used, but the current pressure can make it difficult. In this case, use berley approaching

and after a tide change for best results.

Something else that has had anglers licking their lips has been the early reports of kingfish both in the Port and offshore. This has really sparked excitement among the offshore anglers and fish to 8kg have been caught so far. Trolling live baits along the basalt coastline from Cat Bay to Seal Rock has seen many rats caught while the larger fish have been encountered around Pyramid Rock and west towards Cape Schank. Once again, trolling

live baits has been the most productive technique but don’t write off trolling hardbodied lures either.

These are very effective a lot of the time, especially when livies are hard to come by.

The coming weeks are going to explode with kingfish, gummy shark, whiting and mako sharks.

This is one of the best times of the year to be on the Port or offshore, and with so many options the only thing left to do is to pick the right weather window and head out chasing your intended target.

Kane Ellis and Matt Caterson with the fruits of what Western Port can deliver: a magnificent 32.4kg mulloway. Photo courtesy of Matt Caterson.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Sunraysia Marine wins Dealer of the Year Sunraysia Marine, located in Mildura, has won Quintrex Victoria and Tasmania Dealer of the Year for 2015.

Impressively, this is the third year in a row they have won the award, which has never been done before.

Sunraysia Marine was established in 1985 and is a well-known marine dealership with success built on offering quality products and exceptional customer service.

The showroom stocks an extensive range of Quintrex boat packages with both Yamaha and Evinrude outboard motors.

Dealer Principal Brett Woods said he is thrilled to have won the award three years in a row and believes his skilled staff contributes to the success of his dealership.

“Our success as a dealership really comes down to valuing our customers. We aim to provide exceptional customer service and always present our dealership in a professional manner,” Brett Woods said.

Quintrex Account

Manager Cameron Wood said Sunraysia Marine is a great all round dealership, that consistently change as required to adapt to the market.

“Sunraysia Marine consists of a small team, but every team member is very involved in the business.

Owners Brett and Jo really empower their staff to take responsibility for their relationships with customers which results in the team providing exceptional customer service,” he said.

“Their father’s day sale was a great success, and saw lots of boaties go home with a smile on their face. On

behalf of the Quintrex team I would like to congratulate Sunraysia Marine on their win,” Cameron Wood said.

Along with their impressive range of boats, an accessory department, service and repair centre and extensive range of spare parts the Sunraysia Marine team have all your needs covered.

Sunrayisa Marine is located at 13 Seventh Street, Mildura so pop into their showroom and visit their friendly staff or give them a call on (03) 5022 1155.

For more information of the Quintrex range visit www. quintrex.com.au - Telwater

CHELSEA YAMAHA Own Today From

Own Today From

$55 p/w

$108 p/w

Comparison Rate

Comparison Rate

8.99%

$20,990

HORIZON STRYKER 438

8.99%

$42,699

Own Today From

Own Today From

$100 p/w

$44 p/w

8.99%

8.99%

Comparison Rate

$39,490 CHELSEA YAMAHA

9772 1212

HORIZON SEABREEZE ELITE 515

STESSCO SUNSEEKER 540

Comparison Rate

$16,500

STESSCO BASS TRACKER SF 430

Finance is available to approved personal applicants of Yamaha Motor Finance. Repayments are based on an annual percentage rate of 8.43% with a 25% deposit and 35% Balloon. The comparison rate is 8.99% pa and is based on a secured customer loan of $30,000 for five years. Conditions fees and charges apply. Offer valid until 29/02/16 WARNING: This comparison rate is true only for the examples given. Different fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. Yamaha Motor Finance ABN 29 101 928 670 Australian Credit licence 394553

13 ASHLEY PARK DVE CHELSEA HEIGHTS

JANUARY 2016

39

Waiting on warming waters for trophy fish PHILLIP ISLAND

John Dalla-Rosa

Port Phillip Bay has seen a slow start for the snapper this year. Many good fishos have been coming back with empty bags.

I have had four trips to

the bay, and on two of those I didn’t even turn a reel and the other two I managed a meagre two fish per trip. I have picked up plenty of fish on the sounder but they’re just not feeding. There seems to be a bit more action up the northern end of the

bay, but in the Frankston to Mornington area fish have been hard to come by. Hopefully all this will change when the water warms up.

Whiting have been a bit of a disappointment in Western Port. Since mid October I have done about

Martin Denlow caught this 43.5cm black bream at Ansons Bay in Tassie on a 100mm Squidgy Wriggler.

eight trips and I’ve had to work hard to get a feed.

You only have to look at the amount of boat traffic in Western Port to understand the extra pressure put on the fisheries though. A lot of fishos have moved from Port Phillip to Western Port because of the lack of snapper action there. The number of new fishos on the water in Victoria has risen from 720,000 to 838,000 in the last five years, which highlights the need for more ramps and boating facilities – especially in Western Port and Port Phillip. Fisheries also need to look at increasing the size limit or decreasing the bag limit on whiting to ensure future stocks.

SURF BEACHES All of the beaches are fishing reasonably well with salmon to 1kg reported.

Williamsons Beach has been the standout with good numbers of salmon up to 1.5kg caught. The most consistent bait has been whitebait. Now is the best time to target gummies on the surf beaches; for best results you need a calm night with a rising tide just after dark.

SAN REMO AREA Below the bridge, Cleelands Bight has been

Tom Wright with a couple of whiting caught on a recent trip in Western Port. fishing well with good catches of calamari early morning or late evening. There have been some reasonable catches of whiting and juvenile snapper.

Above the bridge, snapper is still the buzz word and fishos fishing after dark and before sun up have been getting a few. The most productive areas have been The Corals, Elizabeth Island, Corinella, Silverleaves,

Hastings and Lyshardts to name a few. Whiting have been patchy and you have to move around a lot to find fish. So far there have been no standout spots for good numbers.

FLINDERS AREA There are still good reports of large squid coming in from Flinders. Fishing just before sun up has been getting the best results.

See Australia’s Greatest Brands at Streaker Marine

461 Mountain Highway Bayswater VIC 3153

Tel (03) 9729 8288 40

JANUARY 2016

streakermarine.com.au

THE outboard of the FUTURE Evinrude E-TEC G2 The outboard of the future. AVAILABLE TODAY Introducing a revolutionary concept in outboards – a choice.

Now, choose cutting-edge over commonplace. Choose more torque over more talk. Choose more time on the water over more time in the shop. Choose the outboard that performs, and looks like no other outboard in the world.

Contact your local dealer today MELBOURNE SW

JV Marine World

MELBOURNE SW

9-11 Fitzgerald Rd, Laverton North 03 9368 7100 www.jvmarine.com.au • info@jvmarine.com.au

ECHUCA

Boats & More

76 Northern Hwy, Echuca 03 5482 1992 www.boatsandmore.com.au • salesechuca@boatsandmore.com.au

GEELONG

JV Marine World

878 Springvale Rd, Braeside 03 9783 8883 www.jvmarine.com.au • info@jvmarine.com.au

ALBERTON

Alberton Marine

Johnson St, Alberton 03 5183 2344 www.albertonmarine.com.au • albertonmarine@wideband.net.au

Moolap Marine

250 Portarlington Rd, Moolap 03 5248 3772 www.moolapmarine.com.au • info@moolapmarine.com.au

NTH SUBURBS MELBOURNE

Cranbourne Boating Centre

236 South Gippsland Hwy, Cranbourne 03 5996 2206 www.cranbourneboatingcentre.com.au cranbourneboating@bigpond.com

Triple M Marine

117 Northgate Dr, Thomastown 03 9465 8787 www.triplemmarine.com.au • triplemmarine@dodo.com.au

JANUARY 2016

41

Support the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard WELSHPOOL

Alan McFayden

amcsayte@bigpond.net.au

There are so many things that we take for granted in our community and one of them is our Australian Volunteer Coast Guard.

I came across them recently at San Remo as they patrolled the area. The skipper Rocco Maruzza and his crew Geoff Noad and Steve Cassidy were from the Port Welshpool flotilla and travel hours by sea to train, sometimes in a very hostile environment. Rocco

Mario Marazzu looking smart inside the Coast Guard vessel!

said that, “In Australia we have a vast coastline, the nearest rescue vessels either side of Port Welshpool and Port Albert that can assist vessels 50mi out to sea and beyond (in Bass Strait) are 4.5 hours to the east and 8 hours to the west.”

The Port Welshpool Coast Guard recently acquired a 4100 series Noosa Cat as its primary search and rescue vessel. Previously this boat belonged to the Water Police and a deal was brokered for it to be commissioned to Port Welshpool. Recognized by both organisations and the State Government, this fully equipped vessel was required in the Wilsons Promontory area to carry out vital life saving work.

The Marine Rescue Service at Port Welshpool commenced in 1983 and was known as the Coastal Patrol.

Rocco says there is an ongoing battle to raise funds so that the Coast Guard can continue to provide their essential service and keep the doors open. He says that apart from fuel, virtually all of their running expenses are raised from what he refers to as ‘chook raffles’ in the local area. If everyone who launched their boat at Port Welshpool became a Supporter Member of the Coast Guard it would definitely keep their doors

Crew Geoff Noad, Mario Marazzu and Steve Cassidy with a Coast Guard vessel. open. To become a supporter member costs $50, why not visit http://coastguard.com. au/marine-assist for details and to help out.

Rocco says that he has been a member of the Coast Guard for the past 10 years and although he is an unpaid volunteer he has numerous qualifications and

has participated in many life saving incidents on the water.

Rocco says that although there are 15 members at Port Welshpool, they are always on the lookout for new recruits. If you’re 18 years or older, willing and able, contact Rocco, all training is provided and you will end up with valuable knowledge

of all things boats, radios, seamanship and the ocean.

Contact Rocco at fc.vf20@ coastguard.com.au This wonderful service should be given as much support as possible. The service provided is all on a volunteer basis and they do so without hesitation, for the benefit of all.

Beach conditions nearing perfect NINETY MILE BEACH

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

With conditions changing for the good, the weed disappeared, the side wash abated, the

fishing last month was unbelievable off the surf.

The weather has actually been a little ordinary, but that has bought southwesterly winds and all that slimy weed that was at the beach pretty much has disappeared for the most

part and the past month has been very fishable, with the side wash being absent most of the time.

It didn’t take long for fish to get caught and plenty of gummies have been taken along the Ninety-Mile from Loch Sport to Woodside,

Shane Jackson has caught plenty of gummy sharks over the past few weeks of an evening at Golden Beach using squid and eel baits.

SHALLOW INLET CARAVAN PARK On the Waters Edge

FRESH BAIT | HIRE BOATS | ICE

• Easy access for boats • 10 cabins (3 with ensuites) • LPG gas refills • Kiosk

FREE ADVICE ON WHERE THEY’RE BITING

OPEN

from dawn to dusk

7 DAYS

42

• Plenty of powered and unpowered camping sites • BBQs • Playground

Lester Rd Yanakie WILSONS PROM E sicp@sicp.com.au

JANUARY 2016

03 5687 1385

with Golden Beach and Seaspray being standout locations.

Most of the gummies have been caught at night as usual with that period between 8-12pm being prime time. Squid and eel have been the two best baits, mostly due to the fact that it stays on the hook a lot better when the crabs are bad.

The have been some awesome nights with some anglers catching up to four

gummies per evening.

Down From Woodside through to Reeves Beach, the big flathead have moved in and anglers are catching plenty of big ones on the low tide using blue bait and surf poppers.

The odd school shark has been caught of an evening and Golden Beach has been producing some big salmon to 60cm as well.

The land-based shark anglers have finally had a proper chance of catching some big sharks now and plenty of large bronze whaler sharks have been caught, with some well over 100kg. There have also been plenty of gummy sharks and the odd school shark taken on paddled out baits as well.

It’s all happening at the Ninety-Mile, so get down there and give it a go.

• 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!

Graeme Eastburn has been catching some big flathead down at Reeves Beach lately on bluebait and surf poppers.

Spots tipped for a summer win INVERLOCH

Alan McFayden amcsayte@bigpond.net.au

Traditionally at this time of year we have conditions that range from perfect to awful but Inverloch is renowned in all weather for

very good fishing with the ‘summer fish’ coming out of hibernation. This has been the case once again and both boaters and land-based anglers are looking forward to a great season.

Large numbers of visitors have already arrived and those who know where to

These ripper snapper were caught off Welshpool by local legend Rob Cartledge on the high tide.

look have been happy with their returns. They would be well advised to inspect the water at low tide as the inlet, especially down towards the entrance, has changed dramatically and could pose some unexpected problems.

Outside the entrance there have been good numbers of snapper to the 5kg mark caught, along with gummies and good size flathead. The fish have been caught on squid mainly, plus pilchards and fresh fish fillets. Graham Henderson, a visitor from Endeavour Hills and a couple of mates decided to try their luck out from Flat Rocks and managed a very impressive bag of flathead that were all around the 800g mark caught on soft plastic lures. They also landed some extra big yanks but decided that they had enough and they might have been breeders so let them swim to fight another day.

There have been good patches of weather when boaters have made the trek around as far as Cape Paterson and managed bags of gummies and flathead. In closer there have also been very good whiting caught in the shallow water. For the benefit of beginners, the idea is to pick out the sand patches,

which show up as light water.

Avoid the dark patches as they indicate weed and all you will catch there is parrotfish and other unwanted species. The whiting have been to the 40cm mark and taking baits such as Bass yabbies, squid and pipis, and the effort has been well worthwhile.

There is a rough sort of boat ramp that was constructed many years ago but can only be used at high water and there is still a bit of tricky business as there are plenty of rocks to damage boats. Most boaters will launch off the sandy beach, which is quite alright, but of course, care must be taken.

Back at Anderson Inlet, Pensioners Corner has been very popular with land-based anglers who have been doing reasonably well but there can be a fair wait between enquiries. When a school of salmon makes an appearance the action is red-hot and the torpedo fish will generally be around the same size. Recently they have been to the 35cm mark, which makes them great on the table. The much bigger fish put up a great fight but are not that flash to eat as they develop a bland taste. These fish do make great shark bait due to their oil and high

Robert Cartledge also caught this enormous snapper at Port Welshpool on a squid presentation. blood content.

The jetties have been very popular, mainly with visitors who are content to wait until the fish come along on the run-in tide and when this happens there have been salmon, silvers and mullet making up most bags as well as crabs.

The area known as Stevies Gutter is also very popular and there have been good numbers of perch, flathead and whiting bagged here in impressive numbers. The best time has been on the run-off water and good results have come from soft plastics as well as natural baits for flathead while they wait for smaller fish to come off the flats as the tide exposes the sand bars.

The boat ramp at Mahers Landing has been getting

plenty of work and boaters have been heading off in both directions with most returning happy with their efforts. Up as far as the Double Islands there have been very good results on both the run-in and run-out water with good numbers of mullet, silver, flathead, whiting and couta making up most bags.

In the area known as the ‘A-frame house’ there have been gummies, salmon and flathead taken mainly on the run-in tide.

Land-based anglers have been fairly happy with their returns with best results had on the run-in tide. The results are even better if this coincides with evening, as the fish will move in closer to the shallow water under the cover of darkness.

CREATE YOUR ADVENTURES 525 SCORPION CUDDY

For more information visit www.horizonboats.com.au or call your nearest dealer Chelsea Yamaha

13 Ashley Park Drive Chelsea Heights Victoria 3196 Phone 03 9772 1277

Michael Parker Marine 4 Erica Court Albury NSW 2640 Phone 02 6043 1578

Swan Hill Power Products 40 Nyah Road Swan Hill Victoria 3585 Phone 03 5032 2116

JANUARY 2016

43

Yamaha’s F70 boasts incredible power and Yamaha’s legendary reliability.

Smart design means not only is it the lightest engine in its class, the F70 also delivers the most horsepower per litre of capacity in its class.

LIGHTEST IN ITS CLASS

119

KG*

Nearest DI Two-Stroke Competitor: 145kg Nearest Four-Stroke Competitor: 155kg.

UNRIVALLED EFFICIENCY

70

HP/L

TO LOCATE A DEALER & FIND OUT MORE, VISIT:

www.yamaha-motor.com.au/F70

* Dry weight with Propeller

44

JANUARY 2016

DROP INTO YOUR LOCAL DEALER TODAY VICTORIAN DEALERS

MELBOURNE B L MARINE

612-614 Plenty Road, PRESTON Ph: 03 9478 1420 info@blmarine.com.au • www.blmarine.com.au

MELBOURNE CHELSEA YAMAHA

13 Ashley Park Drive, CHELSEA HEIGHTS Ph: 03 9772 1212 robert@chelseayamaha.com.au • www.chelseayamaha.com.au

GEELONG GEELONG BOATING CENTRE

88 Barwon Heads Road, BELMONT Ph: 03 5241 6966 sales@geelongboats.com.au • www.geelongboats.com.au

SWAN HILL HUNTER MARINE AND ENGINEERING

21-25 Nyah Road, SWAN HILL Ph: 03 5032 2320 boats@huntermarinee.com.au

SOUTH GIPPSLAND

Hot Spot

Anderson’s Inlet CRANBOURNE

Mitch Chapman

A quick hour and a half drive down the South Gippsland Highway from Cranbourne will lead you to Inverloch, a truly magic part of the world. Abundant schools of massive salmon that frequent the inlet, as well as whiting, trevally, gummies and snapper make this hot spot a lure and bait fisher’s dream. Locals and holidaymakers take the time to carefully target many of these species, in addition to a few more elusive species such as estuary perch and bream. You can see why this is a destination that anglers have to fish at least once in their lifetime!

jet skiers tend to stay clear of this area.

THE GEAR Graphite spin rods (2-4kg) and 2000-2500 sized reels loaded up with 10lb braid will cover most species while lure fishing the inlet. Bait fishermen like longer, soft rods for the whiting but still need to be able to fish 3-4oz of lead at times if the tide is pumping.

THE RIG Bait fishers should try a light running sinker rig to target whiting and pinkies.

If chasing gummies, then the same rig beefed up with a heavier sinker and fished in deeper water is effective.

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.

BEST METHOD The best method to chase salmon is to troll metal slugs and hardbodied lures until you find a school of fish. Once the school is located then with the aid of an electric motor sit off the school and cast lures into them. They can be fairly finicky at times so if the fish can be seen on the surface, do not troll right through the middle of them and spook them.

MOTHER NATURE Andersons Inlet is a tidal system. Plan your trip around the tides, depending on what you target and keep in mind when the next tide change is. You don’t want to be up a channel or in the shallows for a few hours and not be able to leave back out into the main body of water.

INVERLOCH MARINE PTY LTD

2 The Esplanade, INVERLOCH Ph: 03 5674 1502 sales@inverlochmarine.com.au • www.inverlochmarine.com.au

MELBOURNE STREAKER MARINE

461 Mountain Highway, BAYSWATER Ph: 03 9729 8288 sales@streakerboats.com.au • www.streakermarine.com.au

MILDURA SUNRAYSIA MARINE

13 Seventh Street, MILDURA Ph: 03 5022 1155 sales@sunraysiamarine.com.au • www.sunraysiamarine.com.au

NORTHERN VICTORIA MOLIN MOTORCYCLE & MARINE

3-5 Grigg Road, KOONDROOK Ph: 03 5451 1500 mmmkdk@bigpond.com.au • www.molinretail.com.au

MORNINGTON PENINSULA M. Y. MARINE

Cnr Nepean Highway & Ponderosa Place, DROMANA Ph: 03 5987 0900 sales@mymarine.com.au • www.mymarine.com.au

POINT COOK

PORT PHILLIP BOATING CENTRE

Factory 2, 10 Wallace Avenue, POINT COOK Ph: 03 9369 0099 sales@portphillipboatingcentre.com.au • www.portphillipboatingcentre.com.au

TASMANIAN DEALERS

Whiting are a delicious catch from Anderson’s Inlet and well worth targeting this month.

PRIME TIME The winter months are the best times to fish as the schools of salmon enter the inlet en masse. These fish can be caught from the mouth all the way through and provide some of the best sportfishing in Victoria. The waterway is a lot quieter through the winter months as the holiday-makers and

BAIT AND LURES Bluebait, pipi and live bass yabbies are some of the preferred baits to use in the inlet to chase the main species like salmon and whiting.

Small hardbodies and surface lures are efficient to lure fish for perch further up the inlet and towards the river, as well as squidgy wrigglers and flickbaits from 80-100mm.

You’ll be sitting for a long time waiting for the next high tide.

HOT TIP Always keep an eye on your sounder and GPS. As you venture further up into the inlet be wary of the gutters and sandbars that are scattered around. It can be easy to run aground if you aren’t paying attention.

HUONVILLE BAILY MARINE

60 Main Road, HUONVILLE Ph: 03 6264 1999 trudy@bailymarine.com • www.bailymarine.com

INVERMAY CAPTAIN MARINE

24 Gleadow Street, INVERMAY Ph: 03 6334 3118 captmar@bigpond.net.au • www.captainmarine.com.au

Pipis make excellent bait for whiting and Australian salmon.

JANUARY 2016

45

Perch and bream going nuts in the upper reaches GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

It’s been a very busy start to the holiday fishing season and the Gippy Lakes area is firing as good as ever.

There’s just such a wide range of diverse habitat to explore. You have the western streams that feed Lake Wellington like the Latrobe and Avon rivers, and then you’ve got the abundant waters of Seacombe and Hollands Landing. Out in Lake Victoria the shallows are holding big bream and flathead at places like Point Turner or Duck Arm and both those areas produced some cracker bream in the 2015 Bream Classic Grand Final.

Then onto the mighty Mitchell River or the shallow flats that it spills into at Lake King. Then you have the summer dusky flathead hotspots from Metung right through to the township of Lakes Entrance. The Tambo and Nicholson rivers have been

a little quiet but that hardly matters with many other options so close to hand.

BREAM AND EP ON HARDBODIES The big news right now is all about bream on hardbody lures. So many anglers are reporting in and it’s just impossible to digest or process all of the great sport over the last few weeks.

Stevie Wheeler and Robert Harvey have stacked decent numbers of solid bream around 40cm in the lower Mitchell and Owen Pierce nailed a nice bag to 42cm in the same area.

Out in The Cut around the shallow timber I watched Peter Nord and Robert Lee pull some horses into the net and further out Josh Morgan and Justin Dingwall had the kayaks working in very skinny water for more of the same.

I fished with Lex Thorpe a little while ago and we had a ball putting back over 50 bream to 43cm, all caught in shallow water once again. Lex also pulled out a big estuary

perch about 43cm on the same morning and I’ve never seen an EP caught in shallow lake water there before – a remarkable catch indeed.

I think you get the idea now. The Mitchell has been such a hotspot for shallow running hardbodies. Even up the river I’ve pulled out some solid bream to 40cm working the deeper rock edges or from under the overhanging trees.

On those occasions I used the new fast-sinking Hurricane Kaplunk hardbodies and they proved deadly. It’s fair to say that other anglers who tried the 2” soft plastic ZMan Grubz also nailed just as many.

A few big perch are starting to show up in the snags as well and I watched Justin Dingwall trick three EPs with those soft plastics one morning all 38-43cm. He also scored bragging rights with seven bream just under 40cm. I went back a week later and nailed three cracking perch at 43, 44 and 48cm on the Kaplunk in pink colour. During that same

Big estuary perch have been a nice surprise but beef up your gear to save disappointment. I used my new Black Magic Fibre Glide line in 4kg with a 10lb fluorocarbon leader to subdue this angry 44cm EP.

The upper reaches in many of the rivers have plenty of fish at the moment like this 41cm bream caught on the new Hurricane Kaplunk lure in pink. session I also returned eight bream from 36-41cm and this sort of luring sport so early in summer is so much earlier than in years gone by. I’m thinking it has a lot to do with the hot spring weather we had back in October and November that has water temperatures a little higher than normal.

THE NEW BLACK MAGIC FIBRE GLIDE LINE A quick mention about my new line from Black Magic. I need to tell you that this stuff is very different to any braid or fused lines I’ve ever used, being smooth like silk and very quiet through the guides when pulling in big fish. Such little friction for a 4kg+ breaking strain and 0.13mm diameter.

Best of all, no annoying ‘rod tip wrap’ that is a major fault of other fine lines when retrieving light lures. I suggest you look it up. It’s quite exciting to use a new product of such outstanding quality but I reserve final judgement and I will be looking hard for criticism in a few months time.

All lines can start off terrific but deteriorate with a lot of fishing.

Will the Fibre Glide stand the

test of time?

DUSKY FLATHEAD This is the time of year when flathead have just about finished spawning and over the next few months they will be hungry and hunting in the shallows. They begin to move back up into the lakes system away from their breeding grounds near Lakes Entrance.

In fact, I caught flathead in the Mitchell River way back in early November and a mate also landed a 65cm dusky way up in the Nicholson at the same time. This is very strange for that time of year and yet again probably due to warmer water than other years.

The dusky hotspots are now the areas from Kalimna right through to Paynesville and you can work your lures in water as shallow as 30cm at first light and move into deeper water by mid morning. For bait fishing, you should try a whole frozen prawn or small blue bait on a running sinker and wind your bait in to cover ground, just like with lure fishing.

Flatties are hardly fussy when it comes to what type of lure to use, but the real trick is

to keep your soft plastic, blade or hardbody always on the move. The more ground you cover the more fish you catch, so use a vigorous retrieve but slow down while searching the deep water, that way you can pick up bream or pinkie snapper as a by-catch.

2015 ATOMIC BREAM CLASSIC GRAND FINAL Metung played host to the grand final for 2015 and a big shout out to Brad and Mike Hodges for winning yet another bream comp and a Victorian grand final to boot.

The Hodge team bewilder all bream anglers with their tactics, for they always score big bags by fishing the North Arm down at Lakes Entrance every time they visit the area.

Over many years these blokes have hardly finished outside the top 10 in any comp they attend and when you know just how cranky and impossible bream can be at times, this is almost like completing a mission to Mars and back!

Special mention to Daniel Kent and Phil Partington for hauling in a 1.72kg truck bream, that is one mighty fish!

Jaws the sequel shooting at Marlo this summer MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

Recently, surf anglers were in for a surprise, as a huge sperm

whale washed ashore at Cape Conran on the West Cape Beach. The word got out that the huge whale was on the beach and a large crowd assembled, excited to see

such a majestic animal up close, but not too close as it didn’t take long for it to get on the nose.

Not only were the people excited, sharks of many species (including a

MARLO

OCEAN VIEWS CARAVAN & CAMPING PARK

www.marlocamping.com.au 46

HOSTS: Les & Kathy HEYNE

03 5154 8268

• Deluxe cabins • Cabins with ensuite • Budget cabins • Premium ensuite vans • Powered & Unpowered sites • Pet friendly • Boat friendly • Undercover BBQ areas in Marlo Largest park • Large oval • Kitchen • Camp fires • Kiosk the beach Short walk to • Coffee shops

JANUARY 2016

21 Marine Parade MARLO VIC

large great white) gathered in huge numbers just off the breakers to investigate the enticing berley as the waves washed the remains into the ocean. No surprise, as the young anglers, who usually paddle their baits out have stopped – at least for the time being.

Apart from the action at West Cape or Salmon Rock Beach, anglers have reported some good captures.

Salmon and tailor are plentiful on most beaches, with plenty of good results using blue bait, pilchards, squid and pipis. Anglers who prefer to use light gear are getting some good size salmon and tailor spinning with metal lures.

Other reports of anglers using their estuary gear

and fishing the troughs and rips hauled bags of good bream, flathead and mullet. Although it’s a little early, some lucky anglers are managing to capture good size gummy shark fishing either in the early morning or late afternoon using squid legs, eel, and fresh fish fillets. If the weather permits, offshore will still fish well and anglers have reported good mixed bins of flathead, gurnard, barracouta, squid, pinkie snapper and gummy shark.

We still seem to be getting some rough weather including thunderstorms and bouts of heavy rain in the catchment of the Snowy, which has resulted in the water level rising on the river. With a good

entrance, it takes only a few days for the river to get back to normal, and the fish return all the way up the river to the highway bridge at Orbost.

Anglers have reported good mixed bags of bream, luderick, mullet, and estuary perch throughout the system.

The latest reports have found that fishing the entrances of both Lake Corringle and Lake Curlip, using sandworm, frozen prawn, shell bait or pipis has produced.

Shorebased anglers are also faring well with plenty of fish taken along the foreshore at Marlo and along both of the riverbanks as well as the platforms and jetties.

Another great year on the Bemm BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

Firstly, we would like to wish readers a happy, healthy and prosperous 2016, in addition to happy angling of course!

Our waterways just keep getting better. Last month the

entrance was still open, and this was rather extraordinary, although speaking with anglers who have visited over many years; apparently this does happen on about a 13-year cycle.

Excessive rain in the high country has kept the entrance open since mid last year. The river is producing

perch on hardbodied lures, ranging between 35-45cm in size. Bream are currently plentiful and spread throughout the system.

With the warm weather and warm water, they are prominent in large numbers.

Please be mindful of size and numbers taken. They can be

Luderick are always a possibility when fishing in the river.

Some thumping bream are getting around the Bemm.

Fish are being caught on a mixture of baits and lures, and everyone has their favourite method to lure their catch. One angler uses crab and superglues his hook to the crab, hence allowing the crab to move around freely. He swears this is very successful!

The flathead are always an exciting fish to catch.

caught on lures, sandworm or prawn.

Salmon and gummies are starting to fire up on the surf beaches, and the methods include surf poppers, squid and pilchards.

All in all, this looks like another great year. If the entrance closes, we hope that we would see a run of prawns, which are not only

A quality pair of Bemm River bream ready for the table! good for the table, but are excellent live bait.

• For on the spot and up to date fishing reports check out Robyn’s website: www. bemmaccommodation.com.

au or ‘like’ us on Facebook – Bemm River Holiday Accommodation Phone: (03) 5158 4233/Mob. 0427 584 233 Email: bemmaccomm@ bigpond.com.

GEELONG Geelong Boating Centre 88 Barwon Heads Rd, Belmont VIC p 03·5241 6966

TRARALGON Gippsland Boat Supplies Princess Hwy, Traralgon Vic p 03·5174 1223

BRAESIDE JV Marine World 878 Springvale Rd, Braeside Vic p 03·9798 8883

LAVERTON NORTH

Designed and built for Aussie conditions, trust Quintrex to be the best boat your hard earned money can buy!

JV Marine World 15 Fitzgerald Rd, Laverton North VIC p 03·9368 7100

BAYSWATER Streaker Marine 461 Mountain Hwy, Bayswater Vic p 03·9729 8288

MILDURA Sunraysia Marine 13 Seventh St, Mildura Vic p 03·5022 1155

BENDIGO Bendigo Marine World 160 Midland Hwy, Epson Vic p 03·5448 3988

JANUARY 2016

47

Flathead fans rejoice!

LAKES ENTRANCE

Leigh McVeigh

The weather in East Gippsland has been far from kind over the past few weeks, with an abundance of fresh water in the river systems and strong unpredictable easterly winds, fishers have had to make the most of the small window Mother Nature has opened. Those who have planned around

with the family or friends.

Early mornings along the rock walls have provided great catches for keen bream anglers with schools of yellowfin bream hunting the rocks before the sun gets up. The best success has come from the use of un-weighted prawns or small 40mm stickbait lures in natural colours fished in tight to the rocks. Many of these fish will take the bait or lure only a few inches from the surface, which gives a great visual as they roll on top of

but the days the guys are getting out are producing some great results. The snapper have been awesome in the late afternoons on the six mile taking fresh squid and fish baits, but it’s the gummy shark taken close to the local beaches that have the crews of smaller trailer boats scrambling. Fishing just beyond the breakers is a great way to catch a feed, however an inexperienced skipper can find themselves in big trouble very quickly

The stocks of flathead have really improved over the last few years. We have currently been seeing great condition and numbers of dusky flathead in East Gippsland. crossing the Lakes Entrance bar. So caution is advised.

The local coast guards do a fantastic job putting their lives at risk to go out and rescue a vessel in trouble, but it is all too common that the rescue is done under conditions no boat should be out in and could have been avoided by simple things like checking the weather. When in doubt, don’t go out!

BEACHES The sand has not seen a great deal of action of

Plenty of black bream are waiting for you! the weather have had great success with some fantastic catches reported around the district.

LAKES ENTRANCE The fishing in Lakes at the moment is pretty hot with plenty of prawns, bream and whiting on offer.

The prawn run is on and many anglers have taken full advantage of the small crowds and big numbers of these tasty crustaceans.

A dip net and prawn light are very easy to obtain and will see you catch a feed on most of the sand flats around town. This is a great way to spend a hot summer night

their target before trying to make their way back to the safety of the rocks.

Boats have been hunting the local weed beds and scoring good numbers of whiting on local prawn and mussel. Best results have been achieved by sounding up a school, anchoring just up tide from them and using a heavy berley trail to keep them in the area feeding. With the weather getting warmer, this action should continue for a few weeks to come.

OFFSHORE The weather has been cruel to the deep blue crews

Bream are hunting close to the banks; try to get onto them early in the morning. Try tight to the timber in the afternoon sessions.

late, however the swell and easterly winds have put the brakes on the long poles rather than the lack of fish hunting the gutters. Pettmans Beach has produced the odd gummy shark after dark on eel baits for those keen sand dwellers, but there has been more time watching the local weather stations than there has been casting, which is frustrating fishos to no end.

As summer bears down on us and we say goodbye to spring, the strong easterly winds should also disappear and I expect great results from the beach very soon.

LAKE TYERS The flathead fishing in Lake Tyers so far this season has been amazing. It is great to see so many large female flathead caught and released in the system, which proves beyond a doubt the lack of commercial fishers and the introduced slot limit for dusky flathead (bought out over a decade ago) has worked to improve the fish stocks in the system.

Fishing plastics is the preferred method to tangle with a Lake Tyers frog for many anglers although

large females fall to a live mullet bait fished in one of the many quieter bays and backwaters the lake has to offer. The bream in the system have also been busy hunting the banks in the early morning then taking up residence in the timber in the afternoons. We have had some great sessions on these large aggressive bream in the past few weeks fishing small 40-60mm hardbodies against the edges then switching to a weedless plastic rig fished in the sticks in the afternoons.

With countless fish going over the ‘magic’ 40cm mark, Tyers just keeps us coming back for more.

With the holiday season upon us and thousands of people set to flock to the area over the summer, the scene is set for a great New Year break. Catching up with family and friends, trading war stories over freshly cooked prawns on the BBQ is as East Gippsland as you can get. If you are yet to experience such a pleasure, maybe it’s time you thought about Lakes Entrance as your next family holiday destination.

AUSTRALIA WIDE

CAR & BOAT WRAPS

AND ALL YOUR SIGNAGE NEEDS 0413 113 828 48

JANUARY 2016

xfactorsigns@bigpond.com

SHORT SLEEVE • LONG SLEEVE • HOODIES Carl Jocumsen

2015 TEAM JERSEYS at www.carljocumsen.com

NOW AVAILABLE

All happening at once!

MCLOUGHLINS

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

It’s all finally come at once; snapper, whiting, sharks and kingfish – they are all here now ready to catch.

Firstly, offshore McLoughlins has finally started producing big snapper. Over the past few weeks we have seen multiple catches of snapper up to 8kg and anglers getting up early and fishing

the reefs out near the hedges have been getting their bag limit of snapper by 9:00am, as well as some good-sized gummy sharks as well.

Pilchards and squid have been the best baits. There are also plenty of pinkies there for a feed as well.

Inside McLoughlins is a different story, with most anglers chasing big flathead on plastics. The channel running between McLoughlins and Manns has been the best location and the run-out tide has been great with 3” soft plastics

Joel caught this 8kg snapper on the start of the run-out tide.

and small 35-45mm vibes rigged with single hooks working a treat. There are some really big flatties being caught lately with the odd specimen measuring over 70cm in length.

Inside Port Albert has been fantastic fishing with every fish available in summer being caught in good numbers. The whiting have been fantastic with anglers landing there bag limit on both tides now using pipis and squid as bait. The Basket Beacon, Old Port and Snake Channel have all been producing plenty.

The snapper have been good as well; especially on the last of the run-out tide and the start of the flood, but it’s still also worth fishing the tide changes. Snake channel has been producing the big snapper to 6kg and there are plenty of good eating sized pinkies being caught in the shallower channel edges, especially when berleying and chasing whiting.

If you want gummy sharks, fish in the entrance or just outside it and all around into Whale Bay and Bentley Harbour, there are stacks of gummies out here and some anglers have been catching up to six gummies

Jason Vella has been catching big numbers of snapper and gummies lately. in a session – simply unbelievable fishing.

Offshore, there are so many pinkies on the reef now and some real beauties with fish up to 50cm. There are kingfish mixed in with them as well and the new craze of micro jigging is

getting more popular with anglers catching mixed bags of reef fish, pinkies and kingies all on the slow pitch and fluttering style jigs. No excuses now, get out there and give it a shot.

• 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!

Drop in to see your local Dealer!

MORNINGTON, TAS

ACTIVE MARINE I 31 McIntyre Street PH: 03 6244 5544 w w w. a c t i v e m a r i n e . c o m . a u

The only optional extra is the day’s catch.

Bluewater 575

Jabiru 455 Pro

Discover your great value Savage tinnie at savageboats.com.au

MELTON, VIC

THE MARINE SHOP I 6 Holland Drive PH: 03 9747 0588 w w w. t h e m a r i n e s h o p . c o m . a u

We don’t reckon you should have to rough it, just because you own a tinnie and not a cabin cruiser.

Nor should you have to compromise safety or durability.

The new smooth sides give great strength and, the dedicated fisherman in you, will love the wide beam and deep freeboard with carpeted floor and fuel tank racks. All you have to do is worry about the fishing and nothing else.

ECHUCA, VIC

XTREME MARINE I 24 Sturt Street PH: 03 5482 2333 w w w. x t r e m e m a r i n e . n e t . a u

Big Boy 385

WARRAGUL, VIC

WARRAGUL MARINE CENTRE I 172 Queen St, Warragul PH: 03 5623 6250 w w w. w a r r a g u l m a r i n e . c o m . a u JANUARY 2016

49

Warm water firing up the estuaries EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

It’s summer once again and that summer weather livens the area up with the visitors enjoying the fishing swimming and seclusion that the Eden area can offer.

The past month has seen very little rain and plenty of hot days. The usual summer wind is here and if you’re heading out fishing, an early start is needed so you can get out there catch a few fish and

be back before that wind is really howling.

The game fishing is yet to fire up with only a few sharks being caught. On the inshore reefs there have been reports of small kingfish turning up and by the time you are reading this the big fellas should be about.

Good snapper are being caught along with morwong and out on the sand there has been catches of good flathead along with some gummy shark.

The local beaches are still seeing some good

catches of salmon along with tailor, while there have been reports of some great fishing of the local headlands with drummer and yellowfin bream taken with some big salmon also showing up. Again, an early start is needed with the best fishing happening when the tide is rising. Once that wind is up it’s time to head home.

As the water warms the fishing will only improve and more species will start turning up. Whiting numbers increase when the water is warmest. Plenty of squid are

also being caught with the dark of the moon the best time to chase a feed.

In the estuaries, things have come alive with good numbers of blue swimmer crabs about and as we move into summer the rivers should come alive with prawns.

Plenty of dusky flathead have been taken with a variety of lures catching fish.

Silver trevally are also being caught on both bait and soft plastic lures.

The rivers are still flowing after the rain earlier in the year and some good

The warmer weather has seen the perch fire up. reports coming in of some good bass fishing with good fish taking surface lures in the early morning and into the evening.

If you are in the area over the Christmas break, give wilderness fishing tours a buzz and we will get you out there for the day.

Town swells with holiday anglers MALLACOOTA

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

Summer is here and the town is abuzz as the locals and tourists alike enjoying the warmer weather.

With many of the visitors to the area enjoying the boating both offshore and in the lake at this time of year you need to make sure everything is up to scratch as fisheries are out and about, along with the water police, so don’t be surprised when they pull up alongside you.

Fishing from the local beaches has been good with catches of salmon and

tailor along with some good size yellowfin bream the entrance to the lake has been the best spot for the bream.

Fishing into the night for gummy sharks from Quarry Beach has been good with the incoming tide your best chance. The warmer water gets things going and with plenty of baitfish around its fingers crossed for a good season on the kingfish.

Last year saw plenty of quality fish caught over the Christmas period.

The sand flathead have come on the bite with some good catches of quality fish caught. You need to spend a bit of time to find the fish with the Arials a good place to start.

Last year saw some good marlin landed by one of the keen game fishers in town and no doubt with more boats heading out there more fish will be caught. Care needs to be taken when entering and leaving the new harbour, and if in doubt, don’t go out! An early start is the go before that summer wind starts blowing.

The breakwater and jetty in the harbour have been fishing well and as more growth appears on the rocks it is only going to attract more fish. A number of anglers are taking advantage of the amount of blackfish that are about with good fish caught around the harbour jetty and the channels at the lake entrance. Weed under

a float has been the way to catch fish.

The lake has been fishing well with good numbers of flathead being caught. The fish are spread throughout the system with fish caught above Gypsy point and a variety of lures have been working with the soft plastic lures the pick.

Silver trevally are also being caught with the best action in the Bottom lake out around Goodwin Sands. Some good fishing has been had for yellowfin bream as well.

Black bream have been on the bite, but you need to keep on the move to find them, as they are in one place one day and gone the next.

Good black bream are being caught upstream around Gypsy Point.

Happy days for game fishers! areas, from the sweet water of Brogo Dam through to the estuaries or beach, right

BERMAGUI

Darren Redman

out onto the blue sea are producing fish.

How – dam fishing

djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

This season the water temperatures are already high. What can we expect because of this – when, where and how?

When – it doesn’t matter if you are an early starter, you like to sleep in, or you want a late start to fish into the night, the only things that may affect your chances of catching a fish is the weather or tides.

Where – is only determined by the type of fishing you enjoy as all REVA G.T

L LY . S N A P P E R

. EST U

A

PE R RY

. WH AD

IN

CH

IT

Five different species in as many minutes, expect this with a handful of nippers in the shallows.

FISH WITH A LOCAL AT

MALLACOOTA

DON’T BE FOOLED,BY OUT OF TOWNERS!

THE SECRET IS OUT EVERYONE LIKES A BARGAIN...

E . BR

BASS . JEWFISH .

AM .

FLA

TH

E

MALLACOOTA FISH & STAY PACKAGES • FISHING PACKAGES AVAILABLE • 3 NIGHTS ACCOMMODATION WITH BREAKFAST AND LUNCH SUPPLIED.• 2 1/2 DAYS FISHING ALL GEAR SUPPLIED STAYING AT THE MALLACOOTA HOTEL, A 2 MINUTE WALK TO THE BOAT RAMP.

590

• COST $ * PER PERSON *BASED ON 3 ANGLERS. • PACKAGES ALSO AVAILABLE FOR THE BEMM RIVER AND TAMBOON INLET.

www.wildernessfishingtours.com

wildfish222@hotmail.com 50

JANUARY 2016

Book with Capt Kev

0424 625 160

yields great results for bass in the early morning or late afternoon, however, the prime time for bass is into the night when the insect life is at its best. Surface lures or flies are not only effective, they also make for exciting angling. Currently all the estuaries are fishing well. Spice up your life and try a variety of them as we have many on offer in our part of the world.

Species to target include flathead, bream, luderick or whiting, however many other species are to be found. Choose a fishing method, lures or baits are both working, however, for some fast action try using nippers on light gear in the shallows and count up the different species.

This is a beautiful time of year on the beaches, you can wake up early to watch the sun rise and target a few whiting, bream or mullet with a worm in the shallow gutters. Or you can enjoy a stroll along the beach casting lures into the many gutters in pursuit of tailor or salmon.

In the evening, sit back in a

Big marlin out in the blue make for an amazing day out. chair and soak bait for some of those species or target some others like mulloway or sharks.

For the boaties out at sea

targeting game fish, marlin are high on the bucket list.

Baitfish are here in numbers attracting these predators To page 52

Crusty Crabs are taking over...fish have nowhere to hide!

Perfectly balanced so crabs sit upright on every cast

PERFECT FOR BREAM

6 colours

based on common Australian shore crabs with UV flare

• Length: 50mm • Weight: 4.5grams • Sink rate: 3.5 sec/mtr • Quality BKK hooks • Internally weighted • Two in a pack • 10x strong material

ABLE TO BE rigged in two ways for vertical jigging and casting

SEE WEBSITE FOR FULL COLOUR RANGE WWW.RIVER2SEA.COM.AU JANUARY 2016

51

Finding gold in the estuaries NAROOMA

SKEETER TZX 180 • Australian made Easy Tow single axle trailer • 115 hp Yamaha 4 stroke • MinnKota 24v trolling motor • 2 x Lowrance HDS 5 GPS sounder combo units

only

$52,350

170CC • 115 hp Evinrude E-Tec • Easy Tow tandem axle trailer • Full positive floatation

only

$60,900

188CC • 150hp Evinrude E-Tec • Easytow Tandem Axel Trailer • Full Positive Floatation • Best Boat in its Class

only

$79,800

618 PRO • 150hp Mercury Optimax • Easy Tow tandem axel trailer • Minn Kota 24v Fortrex Trolling motor • 2 x Lowrance HDS 5 Sounders

only

$65,990

0408 621 426 josh@skeeterboats.com.au www.skeeterboats.com.au 52

JANUARY 2016

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

The summer holiday crowd is with us for the next month or so, but don’t let this deter you, as there will still be some terrific angling on offer.

Anglers fishing outside have it all laid out before them with kingfish, yellowfin tuna, albacore, black and striped marlin, plus a heap of different shark species ready to play the game. The water will be hovering around 22-24°C, which is ideal for these pelagic species, it really just depends on what you want to target and how. I know of several solid striped marlin already caught over the last few weeks, so the season ahead looks promising.

Kingfish have been a little difficult of late, but will improve once we get more southerly current.

This is important for kings, especially the bigger fish, and when using live bait. The fish that have been captured recently are averaging 5-6kg, not huge but still a whole lot of fun! Live bait and jigs work effectively, and the north end of the island fishes best. On some days catching the live bait has been more difficult than the kingfish, but if you put in the time to get the bait, the rewards may just be worth it. Some of the bigger kings have mixed in with the bonito on the surface and taken on trolled deep divers. This is a great way to target them as you can cover a lot of ground. If you do hook up, throw a live bait over on another outfit and you’ll be surprised by how many times this results in a double hook-up. A little wider and the marlin action will be in full swing. Expect both black and striped with the chance of a big blue if fishing wide enough. Troll a mixture of different coloured skirts early in the season, From page 50

to our waters, and striped, blacks or blues can all be found. Stripes are the most prolific however, at this time of year, many large blues has been encountered out over the Canyons often resulting in a long tedious battle lasting many hours.

Ultimately the fish often wins! Yellowfin tuna are not in the numbers of years past although they are still often encountered while in pursuit of marlin. If tackling large biters is your thing, well-laid berley trails are likely to attract makos, whalers, and hammer heads.

At this time of year, tigers are also possible.

Closer to shore, kingfish around Montague

Josh Hollis with a nice estuary mulloway caught on a plastic and released shortly after this photo in super condition. though switch-baiting when bait balls are evident down deep or on the surface will certainly work. Anywhere from the 70-fathom line to the second drop is the place to fish, and success will depend on prevailing currents, bait activity and current direction.

SALTY SUCCESS There should be some reasonable yellowfin tuna to 40kg, plus albacore and a variety of shark species. I did hear of a 62kg yellowfin caught while trolling for a minute.

Those after a feed will do well as sand and tiger

flathead are presently in great numbers. Fishing in 40m straight of Dalmeny has been excellent, with bag limits reached on most outings.

Anglers who target snapper have found conditions a little harder, but once you find a patch – hang on, it’s pretty good! You will have to work for them, but the deeper reefs in 55-60m straight off Potato Point are a good place to start searching.

The rock fishing brigade are finding good numbers of salmon and bonito. Both these species are in solid numbers close in and a stack of fun on spin tackle. Casting

These bream are the typical sized surface fish that Tuross produces.

Island have been and still are plentiful, however getting them past the seals is a problem – you have to move quickly.

For those who just like being out on the water catching a feed of juicy table fish, you can’t go past the many flathead that are on offer and you don’t have to go far to find them. Just go a few miles from the entrance in and around the 30-40m water depths and your bag limits of sand or tiger flathead can be achieved in a short space of time. Once you have done this, try the nearby reefs as these will hold plenty of morwong, snapper, perches or pig fish just to top up your catch.

smaller shiners around 40g is recommended, but those casting ganged pilchards on heavier tackle have also fared well. Expect to see a few kings in the next few weeks especially down at Mystery Bay and the Golf course rocks in town.

On the beaches the warmer water has pushed both bream and whiting high up on anglers’ lists. These bread and butter species can be found on almost any local beach with a half decent gutter close to shore. Long casts are not required here, so a light outfit with a running sinker rig baited with live beach worms or pipis will see some nice fillets for the pan. Better beaches to try include Narooma main,

Tilba and Brou Beach just north of Dalmeny. Brou has been exceptional of late, and salmon, tailor and gummy sharks have all succumbed to bait fished on heavier tackle.

ESTUARY MADNESS In the estuaries, where do I even begin? The estuaries are firing, though Wagonga Inlet has been a little slow after the recent heavy rains from last month. This system will pick up once the water warms and clears further. The smaller systems like Corunna and Dalmeny continue to produce excellent flathead with 40cm fish the average model. It’s quite easy to get your 10 fish limit but please remember to only take what you require.

All methods are working, blades, soft plastics and bait fishos are all having a ball.

Tuross has been excellent, but increased holiday boat traffic can spook the fish. There’s been a few nice mulloway caught over recent weeks but certainly no guts to them.

Local angler Flex did get a 13.3kg fish on a poddy mullet while targeting croc sized flathead so there are some big fish in there at present.

Other species like flathead, bream, whiting and particularly luderick are abundant through the system with mullet in the thousands. This all adds up to a very healthy system, which can only get better as the months progress. The upper reaches of Tuross around Commerang have been quite good for bass, with switched on anglers getting a dozen fish per session. Most are using spinner-baits and smaller running hardbodies, especially during the day, with surface plugs and fizzers dynamite around dusk and after dark.

This is great visual fishing but please do the right thing and release these bass, it’s only a small pocket of water and to my knowledge everyone fishing there is practising catch and release, great to see in my books.

NSW South Coast

The very unlikely pair MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

The south coast estuary systems still amaze me with what species are likely to turn up during the summer months. The last week in Merimbula lake has seen two species that l have never heard of entering a southern estuary let alone staying in there for a while.

While these two creatures have certainly turned some heads, they aren’t a viable estuary target.

The unlikely pair – an 8ft blue shark and a dugong, that’s right a dugong made a dramatic appearance. To say

they are a different visitor to the region is an under statement, perhaps these lads are lost! The dugong has been seen for around a week in the lower channels on Merimbula Lake right in front of town.

By all reports it’s healthy, just a little way from home.

The blue shark was probably ill as it had tried to beach itself in shallow water, but a few locals got in the drink and pushed it off the sand. It was spotted a few hours later swimming in the channel so hopefully it’s ok too. Let’s get stuck into what we all want, southern estuarine fish.

The recent rains we experienced a few weeks back really knocked the estuaries around, but they’re

Whiting love walkbaits and now is the time to target them.

clearing now with the water temperature rising. The front sections of Pambula and Merimbula is definitely the place to fish with the last two hours of the flooding tide producing best. Anglers who use a mixture of bait and lures have had success in the clearer water. Species on offer include trevally, flathead, whiting, flounder, bream and blackfish. The upper reaches should fish better in a couple of weeks or so. Because of the dirty water, flathead have been slow, but expect to see some jumbo flathead start to chew soon.

Anglers fishing larger livebaits like tailor and mullet should do well, but bigger vibe lures will certainly work too. Throwing these bigger imitations around gives you a chance at a big mulloway too.

I haven’t heard of any caught in either system but that’s not saying they aren’t there either.

For fishos fishing the stones it’s all systems go. The pelagic action has been great for months now and the good times will keep rolling on.

There’s a heap of bonito and salmon to be caught with the odd kingfish coming from the deeper ledges of Tura Head and Long Point. Those using chromed lures and ganged

There are some cracking good tailor getting around our southern estuaries as Jack found out. pilchards have fared best on the smaller fish, with live-bait the go for the bigger models.

Those after a feed for the pan should be able to rustle up a few fillets from the wash with bream, blackfish and drummer on the cards. You won’t get stacks of fish with the warmer water but enough to keep you happy. The better spot to try is Short and Long Point with cabbage, fresh cooked prawns and cunjevoi the preferred baits.

Outside, sport-fishers look forward to this time of year as it all starts to happen. There’s already been a handful of yellowfin tuna caught to 35kg with stacks of albacore in the 4-10kg bracket. The water just north

of us is warm and it won’t be long before the first marlin is encountered. Already striped marlin especially have come to play in the warm 20°C+ water. You will have more success trolling early in the season with the 70-fathom line outwards the place to start. If you find the bait and smaller tuna, you should be in business. Another method is switch-baiting with livies, it takes a little bit of organisation on the deck but is a highly effective method if done correctly.

On the beaches, tailor numbers are increasing with some nice fish up 1.5kg caught. The salmon are still in huge numbers and with the warmer weather both

bream and whiting numbers will increase. Both these species are great fun on light lines and pretty good on the plate. Concentrate around the estuarine mouths like Pambula and Short Point (Back Lake) for best results.

A few locals have been having some nice sessions there so it’s worth a look. Other beaches to try include North Tura and Tura, especially if a gummy shark or mulloway is your target. There’s been the odd gummy caught by those fishing for salmon so if you fish the right conditions and time you could be on to one.

Fish the flooding tide just after dark with fresh salmon strips for your best chance at getting one.

NEW

R A GE

THE SOFTEST COOLEST FISHING GEAR YOU’LL WEAR!

UPF 50

JANUARY 2016

53

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Holiday fishing without the Victorian crowds TASMANIA

Kelly Hunt

January marks the start of another season for fishing in Tasmania and this month we reflect on some of the amazing angling feats that we saw last year. The complete upside down nature of the old school structure in regard to ‘seasons’ is as exciting as it is confusing.

EARLY SATELLITE INFORMATION LOOKING GOOD Technology can help the modern angler. Sea surface temperature, offshore current flows, and accurate weather forecasts are all available online – this information can allow a weather window to match

up with an environmental event and maximise your success.

Weather in January is normally quite stable and one of our warmer months.

The sea conditions in the early morning can be favourable for a fishing session right through to lunchtime. It is Tasmania, however, and a set of warm clothes or at the very least a sturdy jacket in your backpack is well advised.

Sea breezes are common and a result of a hot inland temperature rising from the land and drawing cooler air from the coastal areas.

The broadbill fishing put Tasmania on the map in 2015 with some sensational captures by Kyle Longmore, Jamie Harris and Leo Miller.

NORTH WEST TASMANIA The township of Stanley is an area well worth a look in January.

The two inlets on either side of the road have some good water flows that bring fish on the chew. Salmon

on the high tide are hungry and willing to hit a lure.

As the water spills off the flats and into the gutters, it’s a great time to chance your arm at a big flathead.

Cast a big paddle-tail soft

There were a number of by-catch captures while bottom fishing on electrics

by Wade Pelham, Paul de Jong and Matt Wilkinson.

These battles went for hours and some into the night.

Jason McGiveron put some serious effort into learning what makes a swordfish tick and landed a sensational broadbill.

In a year for the junior anglers, Lachie Hicks and Chloe Hammersley broke Australian and long-held world records. In August, youngsters Sam and Toby Nichols had a double hook up and landed what may be twin world records. Sam was on his fish for two hours and Toby was on his fish for an amazing three and a half hours. plastic or swim bait up onto the dry sand and work it back through the water erratically. Pause for a length of time then use a sharp jiggle action and you could easily be hooked up to a nice big frog. Always think of the future when fishing, so if you find a

King Island Flinders Island

Stanley Smithton

10

Sisters Beach Wynyard

5

4

BURNIE

3 6

Port DEVONPORT Sorrell St Helens LAUNCESTON 8

Swansea 9

Freycinet

2

SOUTHERN SAND FLATHEAD

1

HOBART

Marion Bay......................... 1 Mercury Passage................ 2 Wynyard............................. 3 Sisters Beach...................... 4 Bridport.............................. 5 Port Sorrel.......................... 6 King or Tiger Flathead Off Pirates Bay................... 7 Bicheno............................... 8 Off Schouten....................... 9 Tomahawk.........................10

7

Kingston

50 KM

INLAND FISHERIES SERVICE

Anglers and scientists working in conjunction IFS

Tim Farrell

There is much to learn from studying the diet of trout in our Central Highland Lakes. Not only are you more likely to catch that elusive trout by knowing what are the most advantageous lures to use (or create), but gaining this knowledge can also inform our data on rare species and if they are extinct or not.

For all those budding entomologists, those who like to study insects and their relationship to humans, the environment, and other organisms, or the keen angler with an interest in science, a detailed paper recently published in the Tasmanian Field Naturalist Journal number 137, offers a great read. Perhaps it will encourage you to take up collecting and to start regularly investigating the gut contents of the trout you catch!

Increased and targeted effort to eradicate carp means stepping up our work effort.

It is estimated that over 95% of the carp population in Lake Sorell has been removed but this does not mean we have pulled back in effort; in fact we have increased our effort 54

JANUARY 2016

IFS senior Fisheries Management Officer Rob Freeman took the electro-fishing training at Lake Crescent. significantly. Gill net fishing pressure alone has been increased 5000% over the last 3 years in actual net hours.

There has also been an increase in the number of traps and fyke nets being used along with an electro-fishing.

To assist with this labour intensive work a hydraulic net reel has been fitted to one of the IFS boats and a new boat will be launched in the coming weeks. This boat has been purpose designed to assist with the servicing of this intense gill net effort.

We believe we are getting close in eradicating all carp in Tasmania, but we won’t slow until we do.

ELECTROFISHING TRAINING Electro-fishing is an

important sampling tool for our fisheries management and is used for fish surveys, investigation of pest fish sightings and for the ongoing carp eradication program.

A training session was recently held at the Lake Crescent Field Station and IFS staff were provided a theoretical and practical session on the technical aspects of an electrofishing operation, the safety precautions when operating the equipment, as well as the most efficient way of sampling to maximise capture while minimising the amount of stress to fish.

Thanks to Rob Freeman, an IFS Senior Fisheries Management Officer, who ran the training that covered

both back pack electrofishers and the electro-boat. $17,325 ISSUED IN FINES LAST YEAR Our Fisheries Officers were on patrol again across the state this past month and of great concern is the number of anglers who continue to be caught for doing the wrong thing.

At the time of writing there have been 1,960 angling licences and 216 whitebait licences inspected and the majority are doing

the right thing but from these checks there have been 73 Fisheries Infringement notices issued for 78 offences. It would seem that some anglers are still not getting the message that they will be caught if they fish without an angling licence or commit another offence such as: possessing a gill net at inland waters, fishing with unattended set rods, fishing with more rods than allowed, failing to wear a PFD and failing to carry minimum boat safety equipment.

Illegal activities detract from the quality of the angling experience enjoyed by all. Anyone who suspects or witnesses unlawful activity is urged to quickly contact Stephen Hepworth Manager (Compliance and Operations) at the Inland Fisheries Service on 0438 338 530. Vital information to give the Stephen includes car/boat registrations, exact locations and offender descriptions.

BE CAREFUL WHEN LIGHTING CAMPFIRES One of the great things about living in Tasmania is

CARP ERADICATION IN CENTRAL HIGHLAND LAKES Season 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15

100m net hours 1,649 32,962 82,675

Carp captured 4,235 2,409 1,254

that you can easily pack up the family, your camping equipment, fishing gear and jump in the car and go fishing for a few days.

As Tasmania moves into the warmer months, it’s an opportune time to think about campfire safety. Here are a few tips from the Tasmanian Fire Service to prevent your campfire from turning into a bushfire: Never leave your fire unattended. When building a fire ensure it is well contained. Always extinguish your campfire with water, don’t use soil as fires can smoulder under soil and can stay hot for more than eight hours.

Check if any restrictions are in place before you light a fire and never light a fire on a ‘Total Fire Ban’ day.

Obey all signs in national parks and other reserves that may restrict where campfires may be lit.

It is essential to have a Bushfire Survival Plan if you are staying or living near bushland to know what action you and your family should take when a bushfire approaches.

For more information about the 2015-16 Bushfire Safety Campaign and to download your Bushfire Survival Plan Booklet, visit www.fire.tas.gov.au

Go Behind the Scenery monster, take a few quick pictures and slip it back into the water.

Smithton has something up its sleeve for the landbased and also boat angler.

Smithton is well known to most for its silver trevally run from the Stanley wharf, but has become known for other species. Australian salmon, tailor, flathead, couta and pike can be found in Smithton.

The action on the wharf can be pretty wild, with people packed along its edge when the trevally are on. The locals are the first to get down there with long rods and chicken as bait.

The area off Stanley is a great fishing area with a boat. Work the edges where rock meets sand with lure or bait too find species common to the entire area.

Salmon, couta, and squid are very common and in January you may even come across some yellowtail kingfish and tailor.

The rocky shore to the northern end of Godfreys Beach is worth a dive for cray and abalone and can be accessed from the shore.

The good looking ground in and around Bull and Calf rock will require a boat.

The areas in and around Duck Bay are great places to bag a feed and really

come on in January. Big flatties, gummy shark, salmon and trevally can all be targeted. Snapper and yellowtail kingfish are on the radar. Couta and pike are in abundance and for those who have taken some time to hone their skills, big King George whiting are available.

There is a solid whitebait run up the Duck River and that will mean sea runners.

January is the tail end of the action, but you may still find the odd silver flanked trout pushing bait around.

The areas and grounds across from Wynyard to Badgers Head will be much of the same as reported last month. The cornerstone species of the rivers with boat ramps will be flathead and gummy sharks. The depth of water these will be found in will vary slightly with the water temperatures in January. While hungry fish on the chew will have a crack at anything, when they slow down, selection of good bait is crucial to conjure a bite.

Wynyard and the coastline across to Devonport have a number of areas that are perfect for land-based anglers. Rocky headlands are scattered along the coast where deeper water in front that

can be accessed. Bigger rods and reels suited to casting running sinker rigs and paternosters for bait fishing are the order of the day.

The estuary at Port Sorrell comes alive over the summer months and there is some great fishing to be had, both inside and outside the estuary. Inside the salmon fishing is prolific, and you can access the action from the Esplanade ramp at Port Sorell or the Rubble ramp at Squeaking Point. There is also a single lane concrete ramp at Hawley Beach.

Once the clear blue/ green water of the incoming tide advances well into the estuary, so do the schools

Tasmania

of bigger salmon. Look for them on rocky points or deeper drop-offs in and around Bellions Rock. Look for them on the full tide in the back of the bigger bays and breaking the surface.

Seagulls will give them away if they are feeding hard. They are the best fish to teach kids the finer points on angling on light gear.

Don’t raise the rod tip too high and use the bend and power in a rod to manoeuvre a fish from left and right.

These skills learnt in the deeper water of an estuary on salmon, will hold them in good stead on bream or trout in the snags and tighter confines.

The area in and around Squeaking Point and further up river holds some very big bream. If you do venture upriver, take your brag mat and a camera.

If you head out the front, you will find sandy stretches around to the east all the way to Badgers Head. The sandy bottom will hold flathead and gummy sharks.

Speaking of good feeds, the often forgotten and humble sand or southern school whiting is great. The sand whiting are normally left to their own devices as people target their rock star cousins the King George whiting. Like all whiting species, they are best approached at anchor in good weather and lured with berley. Hooks need to

be small and long shanks are favoured. Braided line and a super fine leader will allow you to feel their bites. Don’t let their small size fool you; they are sensational eating and good fun to catch.

Bait is the next ingredient, and if you are a gun at finding sand worms you will be in the game.

If you don’t have the time then squid cut into thin strips is good. The long shank hooks are perfect for threading on small prawns and these are great bait as well. I was recently told that a thin sliver of flathead skin is also effective. Low light conditions, (daybreak, and as the sun goes down) has the bottom feeding fish more active.

EAST TASMANIA

Nathan Huizing landed this eagle ray, which he returned to the water.

EAST TASMANIA Situated on the Freycinet Peninsula, Coles bay is a very picturesque spot with some great fishing potential.

Fishing from the Coles Bay jetty will keep you busy and entertain the kids with squid, parrotfish and leatherjackets.

A taller rod suitable for casting greater distance off the end of the jetty towards the moorings may find a few yellowtail kings. Fishing the rocks and beaches

will produce flathead and Australian salmon.

Baitfishing for flathead in Great Oyster Bay is a favourite of many holiday anglers. If you can find a stretch of weedless sand, then trolling large bibbed minnows is good fun and can trip up some bigger flathead.

Heading further South towards Schouten Island can have you fish some deep water for big gummy sharks To page 56

THE FUTURE IS HERE 2 STROKE & 4 STROKE OUTBOARDS Fastest growing name on the market for competitively priced QUALITY outboards!

• Waterproof Construction • Maintenance Free • Equivalent to 3hp • Detachable Battery

Detachable Battery

» 2 STROKE OR 4 STROKE OPTIONS

Ultra-long Operating Time Spirit 1.0 uses 1017Wh lithium battery, which guarantees long endurance Speed (km/h)

Run time (hrs)

Range (km)

Slow Speed

3.5

17

59.5

Half Throttle

5.2

5.11

27

Full Throttle

9

1

9

* This data based on 3-metre inflatable boat.

For more information call (02) 9532 0002 Email: info@islandinflatables.com.au

www.epropulsion.com.au

» 2HP TO 90HP » SHORT OR LONG SHAFT EF FI C IE NT » P O E R F U L » S I L E N T » C L E A N W WERRIBEE COREY GAUCI MARINE ������������������������������������03 8763 2565 SUNSHINE DAMIEN HYDE MARINE �����������������������������������0455 276 833 WALLAN DAYS MOTORCYCLES & MARINE �����������������������03 5783 3500 HINDMARSH (SA) FITCH THE RUBBER MAN ������������������� 08 8346 5193 MOOROOK (SA) MOOROOK MARINE ��������������������������������08 8583 9185 FRANKLIN (TAS) FRANKLIN MARINE ��������������������������������� 03 6266 3768 LAUNCESTON (TAS) C�H SMITH MARINE ���������������������������03 6344 1166 BURNIE (TAS) BURNIE MARINE SERVICES ����������������������� 03 6431 3082

AVAILABLE AT

www�parsun�com�au JANUARY 2016

55

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania From page 55

in 20m. Use your sounder and find a gutter that drops away even deeper. Striped trumpeter and snapper are always on locals’ minds in and around Schouten Island. If you’re looking for them as well, look for 45-70m of water and a finer

pebbly bottom.

Swansea is a small boat delight, and with the right weather can be a glorious place to spend some time on the water, especially out the front of the town for some flathead and along the coast towards Waterloo Point for squid. For beach fishers,

SOUTH TASMANIA The anglers who reside in the greater Hobart area are so privileged to have such a vast and vibrant waterway right on their doorstep. I have fished most of the northern side of these waters as a young kid with my dad and uncles and treasure the area.

There always seems to be a bay or stretch of water that is free from the grip of a wind.

I have limited experience to the area south of the city, and this month I had a chat to a close friend of Thomas Crawford’s, Andrew Pender who gave me enough info to compile a South Coast report. Thomas has opened a new tackle store in Kingston and he enjoys the support of some good anglers that have grown up and fished the area extensively.

The Channel and beyond Between the mainland and Bruny Island in the state’s South East lies a large stretch of water referred to as the D’Entrecasteaux Channel.

The Channel is a Mecca for both shore-based and boat anglers. Its numerous bays, points and islands are home to many species.

Flathead, squid, mackerel and pike are amongst the most popular species, but garfish, Australian salmon, wrasse, Atlantic salmon, cod, barracuda and various shark and ray species are also frequently encountered.

There are a number of great little shore-based spots that can provide some

exciting sport within The Channel. The most accessible places are without doubt the numerous jetties that are dotted along both the Bruny and mainland sides of The Channel. While a little less accessible in most cases, there are many rock platforms that also provide the angler with plenty of opportunities to catch some nice fish.

With the sheltered waters producing very little swell, fishing from the beaches isn’t recommended, particularly with the quality of the jetty and rock fishing being so high.

Jetty access Margate has jetties at Dru Point and at the end of Gemalla Road, just south of the town. The Safcol Jetty is probably the best jetty in the Margate area. Situated in deep water, the Safcol Jett has a light that comes on at night, which is an advantage.

Kettering has several jetties around the Bruny Island ferry terminal. The terminal itself is an excellent spot, with several other little jetties just to the right offering equal, if not better sport.

The next good jetty further south is at Woodbridge. The road is just before the pub on the left hand side, with the jetty situated right near the Marine Discovery Center.

Gordon Jetty, just before the town of Gordon itself is, in my opinion, the best jetty in The Channel for angling. There is relatively shallow water close to shore, with good weed

Nine-Mile Beach is a great start. The road to use in this case is Swan River Rd and onto Dolphin Sands Rd. Just down the road from Swansea is the little town on the Prosser River, called Orford – a huge favourite with holiday-makers, and for good reason. The area

has lots of little nooks and crannies to keep the landbased and boating angler amused. You can put in at Shelley Beach and be in flathead filled Mercury Passage in no time. Look on your sounder for bottom that falls away into a deeper hole and then set up a drift to

traverse that ground. A trip across to the southern tip of Maria Island, can have some good sized tiger flathead come aboard. Look for water that drops away from 20-40m fairly quickly. If the weather gets up and you have to sneak back towards Orford, the rocky points you come

across will hold squid. If you have a power anchor there are a number of areas to hold up for lunch, entertain the kids and berley up some mackerel. On the light squid gear, these are sensational fun and I have been told that with the right preparation make good eating.

beds that offer excellent sight fishing opportunities. This is especially good at night as there is a great light. There is ample deep water for other fishing methods.

There is quite a large jetty at Dover, which offers some unbelievable fishing at times.

Again, the light brings in many

Situated on the southern end of the island, it has very similar characteristics to the Gordon Jetty. On the other end of the island, there is a jetty at Dennes Point that is also worth investigating.

Fishing from jetties Perhaps the most popular target from the jetties is the

(including flathead) with the skin left on or squid pieces fit the bill nicely. Using a paternoster rig with from size 2-3/0 hooks and a relatively light sinker works well.

Calamari squid are plentiful throughout The Channel over the summer months. They favour weedy bottom, especially seagrass beds or patchy seaweed.

These areas often occur in shallow water, but around The Channel jetties they seem to favour water from 2-6m in depth. By casting squid jigs, especially prawn imitations, you are likely to get yourself a nice feed of squid. You should always keep an eye out for squid following your jig, and stopping the retrieve as the squid gets close will often result in a hook-up.

Wearing polarised sunglasses is a huge advantage. You may also encounter the other common squid species, such as the arrow squid, but they are normally only encountered in deeper water off the end of the largest jetties like at Dover.

Another technique that works exceptionally well is to use berley. Once the trail is established you can then use baits, lures or flies back through the berley trail. Many people like to use chook pellets and tuna oil or minced fish with a bit of tuna oil mixed through.

Pieces of bread are another all-time favourite, especially for mullet. Remember that if you are throwing berley into the water you should use a little bit at regular intervals rather than a large amount less frequently, and a handful every

minute or so seems to work best. I like to use a fine mesh onion bag. You can tie this to a jetty pylon and suspend it just in the surface. Any wave action takes pieces of berley and tuna oil away, and draws in the fish. You are likely to encounter all sorts of fish in the trail. Mackerel, squid, garfish, mullet and Australian Salmon respond very well.

At night More and more anglers are waking up to the fishing that takes place after dark.

At times, the number of fish feeding on the surface is unbelievable. On some really still nights over summer you can hardly see the bottom through the fish.

All the jetties with green navigation lights, like Gordon, Woodbridge, the Safcol and Dover jetties are ideal spots to find mackerel charging about everywhere after tiny zooplankton attracted to the lights. Pike can also often be found along with some impressive sized calamari squid and the odd mullet.

The squid can also become quite difficult as the night goes on, but you will eventually get a take if you persist and try different things. In particular, try several sizes of jig.

Night time is the best time to target the larger animals swimming around The Channel jetties. Many large rays, like Melbourne skate and smooth rays, along with seven-gill sharks, draughtboard sharks,

January sees some nice gummies harvested. fish at night.

On Bruny Island side of The Channel, there are quite a few other good spots. The ferry terminal is fantastic. In fact, the trip over makes for an excellent family day out. If the fishing isn’t too hot, you can always enjoy a picnic or snack from the food van, which is walking distance up the road from the terminal.

The pontoon at Allonah is another first-class spot.

flathead. Not only are they plentiful and easily caught, but their flesh is fantastic on the dinner table. Flathead respond well to lures, in particular pink soft plastics and large, heavy flies like Pink Things with a size 4 hook fished on or very close to the bottom.

The easiest way to catch these fish is to use baits.

Flathead are not picky and the best baits are those that stay on the hook well. Fish flesh

HYDRO TASMANIA WATER STORAGE INFORMATION Water Storage Information as at 10th December 2015 Lake/Lagoon

Metres from full

Comment

Lake Augusta ...................................2.59 .......................................................Steady Arthurs Lake ....................................3.01........................................................Steady Great Lake .......................................16.19 .....................................................Steady Trevallyn Pond .................................1.00.........................................................Rising Shannon Lagoon ..............................0.14 ....................................................... Falling Penstock Lagoon .............................0.2 .........................................................Steady Lake Echo ........................................7.47 .......................................................Steady Dee Lagoon .....................................0.07 .......................................................Steady Bradys/Binneys/Tungatinah .............2.32 .......................................................Steady Bronte Lagoon .................................1.03 .......................................................Steady Pine Tier Lagoon ..............................2.49 .......................................................Steady Little Pine Lagoon ............................0.60........................................................Steady Laughing Jack Lagoon ....................1.12 .......................................................Steady Lake St Clair ....................................1.78 .......................................................Steady Lake King William ............................5.01 .......................................................Steady Lake Liapootah ................................0.53 ....................................................... Falling Wayatinah Lagoon ...........................0.34 ....................................................... Falling Lake Catagunya ...............................0.51 ....................................................... Falling

Lake Repulse ...................................0.26 ........................................................Rising Cluny Lagoon ...................................0.29 .......................................................Steady Meadowbank Lake ..........................0.13 .......................................................Steady Lake Pedder ....................................1.36 .......................................................Steady Lake Gordon ....................................37.78 .....................................................Steady Lake Burbury ...................................6.91 .......................................................Steady Lake Plimsoll ...................................3.29 .......................................................Steady Lake Murchison ...............................14.66 .....................................................Steady Lake Mackintosh .............................3.04 .......................................................Steady Lake Rosebery .................................0.35 .......................................................Steady Lake Pieman ....................................1.5..........................................................Steady Lake Mackenzie ...............................4.03 .......................................................Steady Lake Rowallan .................................1.79 .......................................................Steady Lake Parangana ...............................0.66........................................................Steady Lake Cethana ...................................1.33 ........................................................Rising Lake Barrington ...............................1.34 .......................................................Steady Lake Gairdner ..................................2.15 ........................................................Rising Lake Paloona ...................................0.40 ....................................................... Falling Woods Lake .....................................1.43 ....................................................... Falling Whitespur Pond ...............................7.91 .......................................................Steady Lake Newton ...................................4.61 .......................................................Steady Lake Margaret .................................7.48 .......................................................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

56

JANUARY 2016

Go Behind the Scenery gummies and school sharks can be caught by casting a whole fish off the end of one of the jetties. I often set up a running sinker above a wire trace with either a single large hook or a set of ganged hooks. We leave the rod sitting down, so it can’t be pulled in, set the drag very loosely and wait for the line to start screaming out.

Be extremely careful

relieve the pain.

You should also take a pair of pliers with you to get the hooks out. While the skates and most sharks (besides the seven gills) don’t have sharp teeth, they have phenomenal jaw strength and could cause severe injury if bitten trying to take out the hook.

Off the rocks The secret to good rock fishing is to look for the main

Matt Sherriff loves a seafood adventure, and there’ll be plenty of seafood available this month. of the rays with spines!

Stingrays are very good at using them for defence and the wounds will put you out of action for quite some time.

If you do end up spiked, the recommendation is to immerse the wound in hot water, as hot as the victim can handle. This will destroy the poisonous protein and

point or most significant drop-off in your chosen area.

Some of the best platforms I have fished are around the Tinderbox area. The coastline from Gordon to Sharlots Cove, just past Verona Sands, is also very good. Dover has some nice spots on the northern point of Esperance Bay. One of the most frequently

Leo Miller is teaching his son the basics of squidding very early.

caught fish from the rocks is the blue throat wrasse. They pull very hard and fight dirty, dragging you straight into a bit of weed or under a ledge if you’re not on the ball. I usually use a 4kg outfit, with a simple running ball sinker straight above a size 8 hook.

Crab baits are effective, although mussels and fish pieces also work quite well.

You can also target these fish on jigs and brightly coloured flies fished near the bottom.

If you are going to get anything you will get it within the first few minutes, persisting for much longer than this in the one spot is more or less a waste of time.

Just on evening mackerel and pike appear around the deeper points, and they can be caught on lures and flies.

These fish are generally more aggressive than their counterparts off the jetties and are easily caught with small slice lures and flies.

The method we have found most useful is to lob the lures or flies in front of the feeding school (they generally show on the surface) and retrieve the imitation back smoothly. If no takes occur mid-retrieve, jig the imitation up and down in the water at the end of the retrieve for a little while and this often catches any following fish.

Boat fishing Garfish don’t receive the attention they should. From mid-summer right through autumn and into winter, these speedy little fish are found in huge numbers within The Channel. While they are only a small fish, they are very entertaining fighters. They buzz around everywhere when hooked, with amazing speed for their size. Not only this, they also jump from time to time and go into what can only be described as a supercharged crocodile roll where they spin so fast, all you see is a flashing silver streak in the water. Needless to say, your line or leader ends up in a bit of a mess, following these exhibits.

They are excellent on the dinner table with firm, sweet flesh. They can be caught on bait or flies, but to berley is just about essential, either thrown overboard at regular intervals in small amounts or allowed to drift from a bag.

They adore tuna oil mixed through breadcrumbs. Add chook pellets and pieces of fish to the mixture helps.

Anchor near current flows in fairly shallow water or over seagrass beds to create a very hot bite with the aid of this berley. You can usually see the garfish working the surface in the slick created by the tuna oil and once they have appeared, you can go about catching them.

When using baits, you can either use a small size 12 tied directly to very light line or slightly heavier line in conjunction with a small quill or bubble float to aid

Tasmania

Rob Lane with a dead set stonker of a striped trumpeter. casting. Keep the bait about a foot below the surface. Baits of dough, fish flesh or mussel work really well. Keep in mind that they have tiny mouths, so baits should be kept small also.

Bait pieces about the size of a pea are ideal. Let the garfish run with the bait for about two seconds and strike lightly, a heavy strike will regularly pull the hook from the fish’s mouth.

I definitely consider fly fishing for garfish not only more fun, but more effective.

Many use size 12 bread flies, but I have recently been using small (#14) bead head nymphs and dry flies. You can either suspend the bead heads below a dry fly dropper or retrieve them. When you get a take, which is normally every cast

if things are working, strike with an exaggerated strip, not by lifting the rod like in trout fishing. When you strike with the rod, you are just about certain to strike too hard. Not only this, the garfish will normally be in schools, so if one fish doesn’t hook up properly, another will often have a go, if the fly remains around the fish.

Both arrow and calamari squid can be caught from a drifting boat using jigs close to the bottom. Similar to mackerel, these clever molluscs generally increase in numbers just after the zooplankton population peaks.

This is usually during summer.

They are a very aggressive species, attacking anything

that moves in the water. Using a berley bag, tossed over the side of the boat while you drift along using jigs in the berley trail can often lead to big catches. Another method that many people employ is to dangle a baited jig just off the bottom while you are fishing for other species like flathead.

Once you get a squid like this, there will generally be others so then you can replace your flathead rig with a squid jig to see if there are more around.

The southern zones are diverse range of habitats and fishing options, all within a short drive from Hobart. Set alongside an area with little commercial development, it is one of the most majestic waterways in Tasmania!

those that have caught some fish. Get involved and don’t hold back. There are heaps of places to explore and experience in our own back yard, so get out or if from

interstate, come across and enjoy the uncrowded fishing.

The game fishing season is about to fire up so be ready and have all your gear checked and serviced. Use all the tech you have at hand to make sure your trip is well planned and successful.

also welcome provided they are under adult supervision.

Students who undertake the course will be required to supply all their own angling gear and if choosing to camp on the site will need to be self-sufficient.

The club will supply instruction marquees, campsites, and toilets.

Showers are available at the nearby Bronte Park Highland Village. They also offer accommodation for those that choose not to camp on site.

Students are well supported by experienced instructors and a comprehensive program to help fast track the learning experience. There are also many social opportunities, a highlight being a spit roast dinner on the final night.

Some of the topics

covered include water and wading safety, tackle setup, fly types and selection, knots and leaders, what trout eat/entomology, casting techniques, reading lakes and streams and fly tying.

Students from previous years are encouraged to come back as return students. There is a separate syllabus that will enable them to take that next step and follow on from the previous year’s learning. The Return Students fee is $70.

Camp information and enrolment forms can also be found at http://www. devonportflyfishingclub. net.au/bronte.aspx Any inquires or questions can be directed to one of the following; John Hepburn on 6424 5113, Barry Jacobson on 0409 947 185 or Wayne Bellette on 0418 138 672.

WRAPPING UP Fabulous weather is on the cards, we are in the middle of summer and the fishing is starting to fire.

It’s time to get out, get to a tackle store and talk to CLUB NEWS BRONTE FLY FISHING SCHOOL 2016 The Devonport Fly Fishing Club (Inc.) will once again be holding their annual Fly Fishing School at Bronte Lagoon in the Tasmanian Central Highlands from 10-15 January, 2016.

In existence now for over 20 years the school has been acknowledged as an excellent forum for the beginner or total novice to learn fly fishing.

At a cost of $150 per student, for the five days, the course represents excellent value. Many students choose to attend with their families, leading to a great time together and many new friendships. The club actively promotes the enrolment of women in the course. Junior anglers are

JANUARY 2016

57

What’s New FISHING

1

WESTIN PLATYPUS 100MM DR

The Platypus DR is the latest addition to the Westin stable of lures.

This new arrival is 100mm long. It crash dives to 4m on a constant retrieve, but on a twitch-and-pause retrieve the Platypus DR will slowly float in the zone longer, to trigger those aggressive strikes. It has a built-in long cast system which allows anglers to produce long, accurate casts with ease. The unique sonic rattles, the trademark Westin Platypus wobble and the hand-painted detailed colours will call out and entice even the biggest predator into eating this lure.

Available in six colours, the Westin Platypus DR weighs 16g, and dives to 2-4m.

Check out the JML website for more info, or like them on Facebook at www.facebook. com/JMLAnglersAlliance.

Price: RRP $18.95 www.jml.net.au

2

ABU BLACK MAX REELS

Abu Garcia Max reels are dedicated to giving everyday anglers professional results. It doesn’t matter if they head to the local river or to their favourite impoundment, the Max family of reels can handle the stress of everyday use.

Abu Garcia has made many enhancements to the popular line, giving them even more attributes that make them a workhorse. Each feature a machined-aluminium ported spool that greatly reduces overall weight. The line of Abu Garcia Max reels have a one-piece graphite frame and graphite side plates.

Utilizing a MagTrax brake system, the Black Max is consistent throughout the cast and won’t let anglers down when fishing all day. The popular reel has a 6.4:1 gear ratio and features a Power Disk drag system, Duragear brass gear, one-piece graphite frame and compact, bent handle and star that provide a more ergonomic grip.

Price: RRP $119.95 ($149.95 for the combo) abugarcia-fishing.com.au

3

STORM ARASHI DEEP

The Storm Arashi Deep dives quickly and gets right into the strikezone. This series of crankbaits from Storm is their deepest diving yet, with the two models reaching depths of 18ft and 25ft on the cast. This lure is built tough and is ideal for targeting Murray cod, yellowbelly and barra.

Featuring a self-tuning line-tie, the Storm Arashi Deep generates a lively, unregulated action that triggers intense reaction bites.

An ultra-tough circuit board lip combined with added body buoyancy allows the Arashi to bounce off snags with ease. The hook hangers on the underside and the rear have both been rotated 90° to keep the hooks closer to the body. This helps to further discourage snagging and allows for larger hooks to be used.

The Arashi Deep contains a boisterous rattle that provides a deafening pitch as it moves through the water. Backed with premium black nickel VMC treble hooks, this lure comes in two models: 18ft diving (7cm, 22g) and 25ft diving (9cm, 32g).

Price: from RRP $19.95 www.stormfishing.com.au

4

SAMAKI ZING CRAZE

Zing Craze brings a new dimension to lightweight rod design with a great sense of fun and some craziness on the side.

Measuring 5’8” long, each model is separated by their camouflaged colour grips. There’s a light PE 1-2 in red camo, a medium-light in PE 1.5-3 in blue camo and a medium PE 2-4 in yellow camo, in spin and overhead models.

The Zing Craze consists of a pearl white 30-tonne Japanese Toray carbon fibre blank, Fuji K Guides, Fuji reel seats and ultra hard EVA camo grips. It’s designed for microjigging, yak fishing or purely to enable you to get into tough places with a shorter length rod. And on top of all this, it’s excellent value for money.

To find out more about the Zing range, or to locate your nearest stockist, visit the Samaki website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Price: RRP $199.99 www.samaki.com.au

5

JANUARY 2016

1

2

STRIKE PRO ENTICER CRABS

The lifelike Strike Pro Finesse Crab has neutral buoyancy, so it drops and sinks like a real crab. Its legs flutter and move just like a natural crab does as well, and the plastic is infused with a secret shellfish formula to smell just like the real thing!

This versatile soft plastic can be rigged on a standard bullet type jighead, and used with a lift-and-drop technique or slow rolled over the bottom. It can also be rigged on a Hidden Weight hook for a slower flutter on the drop, rigged with a Cobra-style jighead to stand up in a strike pose, or even rigged on a 90° jig hook to fish across the top of oyster racks, snags and structure.

Finesse Crabs come in six natural colours, have a carapace size of 23mm x 20mm and come in packs of six with moulded trays. These lures are deadly on bream, EPs, bass, snapper, drummer and all species that eat crabs.

Price: SRP $11.95 www.jurofishing.com

6

3

4 5

REVOLUTION COASTAL RODS

Shimano’s four innovative Revolution rod line-ups have been given a complete revamp for the 2015/16 season.

There are 11 bluewater rods in the Offshore series suitable for jigging, trolling, spin casting, deep dropping the continental shelf, stickbaiting and popper fishing. The Inshore series includes rods for chasing bream, barra, mackerel, snapper, kings and more. The two-piece Coastal series consists of 9, 10, 12 and 13ft rods with a good spread of line weights for rock and beach work. There are nine rods in the Travel series, breaking down to three pieces (four pieces for the big 904 Spin), and covering everything from barra baitcasting through to spin and light rock, beach and jetty work.

Designed by Ian Miller, these rods are built on high modulus 24-30 ton Toray graphite, with Fuji ‘K’ series Alconite guides, custom Shimano reel seats, and split or full-length EVA grips where applicable and high-tech ferruling when required. www.shimanofish.com.au

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

58

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

POWERED BY

6

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

What’s New FISHING

POWERED BY

7

TONIC FINDS ITS MO JO

Tonic Polarised Eyewear has released two new frames – the Mo and Jo. Both feature the new Slice lens, which is the thinnest and lightest polarised glass lens in the world.

Doug Phillips, maker of high quality polarised eyewear in Australia since 1992 and founder of Tonic Eyewear, said the Mo and Jo were a new direction for Tonic.

“They are big styles and bolder than anything we have ever done before,” he said. “They are great for fishing and everyday use too.”

The Mo and Jo come in photochromic copper, green mirror, red mirror and silver mirror.

Fully made in Japan, Tonic Eyewear use the latest optical technology including decentred lenses for distortion-free viewing at any angle. Tonic’s scratch-resistant Slice lens is 50% lighter than regular glass and, like all Tonic lenses, they feature anti-reflective coatings and Tonic’s own polarising filter systems. There are over 12 wraparound styles and a variety of lens types.

Price: RRP $279 www.toniceyewear.com.au

7

8

9

10

11

12

SCAN THE QR CODE!

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

8

MIMIX JELLY PRAWN 40SP

9

SILVER WOLF Z SPIN

Mimix has released their first ever crankbait/jerkbait. Like all Mimix topwater baits, the Mimix Jelly Prawn has all the detail of the real thing.

Its unique small profile, realistic colour patterns and swimming action make the Mimix Jelly Prawn stand out in the crowd.

Being 40mm long but weighing 3g, it casts considerably further and with a twitchpause it imitates an injured prawn. Diving to 1.5m and suspending on the pause, bream and many other species will go crazy over the Jelly Prawn.

The Mimix Jelly Prawn is currently available in 13 colours.

Price: RRP $18.95 www.jml.net.au

Designed for Australian bream anglers, Daiwa’s Silver Wolf family includes 10 high-performance spin rods with technique-specific bream actions. Eight models feature Daiwa’s revolutionary AGS guides and SVF carbon blanks, making them the most lightweight, sensitive and precise rods you will ever feel.

The other two spin rods reintroduce Daiwa’s most innovative rod technology – Interline. Interline rods do away with external guides, and the line runs internally through the centre of the blank along a raised spiral structure, delivering unprecedented sensitivity, ultimate blank action and eliminating tangling.

These technically refined rods are matched to either a 2004 or a 2506 Magseal protected reel. With the added feature of a Magsealed line roller, Silver Wolf spin reels combine Daiwa’s other technologies including Zaion, Air Rotor and Automatic Tournament Drag.

Silver Wolf offers a strong endorsement of what be achieved with Japanese and Australian collaboration. www.daiwafishing.com.au

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

10

WILSON FISH FRIENDLY NETS

In a move to make catching and releasing fish easier, Wilson Fishing has released a range of Fish Friendly nets that are much lighter and more convenient to store and use.

There are six models, ranging from the massive XL net suitable for the largest of barra, Murray cod and flathead through to the smallest single-handed net that will suit squid, trout and kayak fishers.

To keep weight down, each net is constructed from aluminium that is powder coated in a rich metallic blue, and the fishfriendly netting is jet black, giving these nets a striking appearance as well as a functionality that is hard to rival.

Storage is always an issue with nets, especially in boats that are short on space, but with several two-piece handle units in the range, there is sure to be something for everyone.

Price: approx. $35-$120 www.wilsonfishing.com

11

GAMAKATSU ASSIST 61 HOOKS

The Assist 61 hooks from Gamakatsu are specifically dedicated for jigging. The unique shape of this hook dramatically reduces the chance of getting tangled with the jig.

These hooks come in two different styles, a Single hook (RRP $23.95) and a Double version (RRP $28.50), allowing it to be fished with different jigs for different situations.

Assist 61 hooks feature a solid ring and sealed snell knot so you’ll get less wear and tear, preventing you from losing that fish of a lifetime!

Gamakatsu Assist 61 hooks are currently available in sizes 1 and 2. Have a look for them at your favourite tackle store, or for more information check out the Gamakatsu website.

You can also Like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gamakatsuaus.

Price: from RRP $23.95 www.gamakatsu.com.au

12

SUNLINE SUPER PE

Sunline have upgraded the muchloved Super PE to make it even smoother, rounder and slicker than the previous version.

The smoother surface texture combined with a rounder profile will improve casting distance, feel and reduce noise through the guides.

Sunline Super PE is made in Japan and is now available in bright green and the new light blue colour across three different lengths: 150m (4lb to 30lb), 300m (15lb to 80lb) and 1800m (20lb to 50lb). The addition of 4lb line class will cover all finesse fishing applications.

Distributed by EJ Todd, this popular all round braid just got even better! To view the full range of Sunline products, visit the EJ Todd website.

Price: from approx. $40 for 150m www.ejtodd.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au JANUARY 2016

59

What’s New FISHING

13

NEW TANGO SHAD COLOUR

It seems the design team for the incredibly popular and successful Zerek Tango Shad cannot stop at just 20 colours, with the addition of colour PB to the range.

This colour takes in every flathead angler’s favourite colour – pink – and adds UV sensitive yellow tiger stripes to enhance an already proven lure.

The new colour is initially available only in the 50mm floating model, and flathead anglers country-wide will really appreciate this colour addition. Trout, bass, redfin and bream anglers will similarly fall in love with this outlandish colour.

When reaction and aggressive strikes are the order of the day, tie on the PB colour and get those fish cranky at your lure.

Available at all leading tackle stores, the Zerek Tango Shad is available in 50mm long suspending and floating models and now in 21 colours.

Price: SRP $9.70 www.wilsonfishing.com

14

ECOODA GENIUS BAITCAST REEL

With a long development process and extensive research, Ecooda has welcomed the Genius to the line-up.

This new baitcaster is jam-packed full of features.

The Ecooda Genius has an ultra strong yet lightweight Japanese carbon fibre body and side plate, and it weighs only 160g! It has a centrifugal and magnetic dual cast control system for casting accuracy. Other features include a double support pinion gear for strength and longevity; carbon fibre drag washers, carbon fibre handle and rubber cork knobs; an aircraft aluminium machined worm drive and drive gear for strength; and a custom oil port for easy maintenance.

Available in right and left handed models with nine ball bearings and a drag power of past 4kg, the Genius is now available in Australia. For more details and stockist information visit the Ecooda Australia website, or you can follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Price: RRP $259.95 www.ecooda.com.au

15

RIVER2SEA CRUSTY CRAB

The Fish Candy Crusty Crab has been modelled on the Australian shore crab.

It is perfectly balanced to always flip onto its belly when cast. With rapid vibrating legs, 10X material and a super strong fine gauge twin hook, the Crusty Crab is tough and ready for battle. Rigged from the side it is perfect for sinking alongside pylons, ledges or into snags. While slow rolling across flats, the legs walk and claws float just like the real thing.

A pre-drilled hole is made so you have the option to rig the crab from the rear. You may prefer this style for open water casting or a faster retrieve – the option is yours.

Price: RRP $18.95 www.river2sea.com.au

16

MUSTAD OCTOPUS GOES LARGE

The incredibly popular Mustad Octopus hook has had two larger sizes added to the range – 10/0 and 11/0 – expanding the range from size 4 through to 11/0.

The Mustad Octopus features classic lines that allow the hook to be snelled onto leaders or simply tied with a conventional knot via the turned out eye. The UltraPoint hook point is slightly curved inwards to provide exceptional hook setting and the Micro Sharp point is 4.3 times stronger than traditional chemically sharpened hook points.

The hook is also offset to provide the easiest of penetration of this Nor-Tempered hook. This Nor-Tempering process allows the hook to be slimmer, resist corrosion better and provide 30% more strength, giving you the confidence you’ll need to battle the strongest fish.

Initially available in hanging packs, the 10/0 and 11/0 Mustad Octopus hook gives anglers looking to present bigger baits more options than ever before.

Price: $5.95 per hang pack www.wilsonfishing.com

17

With the introduction of the Nano Matrix Hyper, everybody can now afford a Tairyo Nano CarbonTube rod, from the beginner to the to the pro tournament angler.

These rods feature a new generation blank with Tairyo’s proprietary carbon nano tube (CNT) technology. They’re slim and light, yet powerful enough to control stubborn fish, as you would expect from a Tairyo nano rod! Suitable for salt or fresh water fishing applications, these series of nano rods represent excellent value for money!

Features of the Nano Matrix Hyper Rod include: new generation nano blanks; carbon nano tube (CNT) resins; K-frame anti-tangle guides for longer casts; VSS painted graphite reel seats on spinning models; ACS painted graphite reel seat on baitcast models; high-density EVA full grips; and attractive, decorative winding checks and rings. Look for them at your favourite tackle store.

Price: SRP $99-$199 www.anglermate.com.au

18

JANUARY 2016

13

14

15

TAIRYO NANO MATRIX HYPER

16

17

SPIN DOCTOR SPINNERBAITS

For the Tribe it’s all about catching, and Spin Doctor spinnerbaits are up to the task. Constructed from quality components, including a silicone skirt, chemically sharpened black nickel hook, hand-painted finish and realistic 3D eyes, Spin Doctor spinnerbaits offer excellent value for money so that the whole Tribe can get hooked up.

The compact frame design makes the spinnerbaits ideal for bass, golden perch, saratoga and sooty grunter, and the UV Flame Scale skirts ‘light up’ to attract fish and trigger strikes. Spin Doctor spinnerbaits are available in 1/4oz and 3/8oz weights and six proven colours. Tie one on and go hunting!

Price: SRP $13.95 www.tackletactics.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au 60

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

POWERED BY

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

18

What’s New FISHING

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

POWERED BY

TESTED: Magnum Rods by Wilson Fishing The fishing rod market is a tough one these days; manufacturers are looking to produce rods at an affordable price point, while still retaining the features and concepts that the top end models provide. Many times this is done by using lesser quality components or by minimizing the options for the angler.

This, in most cases, means the price to the consumer is right, but the product is inferior to their needs.

When I was given a few of the Magnum Series of rods from Wilson Fishing to try, I was immediately intrigued to see where they fit into the picture. While talking to the Wilson fishing team, the first positive I discovered was that their rod builders had designed the rods, and although Wilsons outsources the building process, the knowledge of many years of producing their popular Live Fibre rods here in Australia is encompassed in the 23 rods in the range.

taper that provides plenty of power to stop big fish, plus the give to absorb the headshakes and lunges that cost many anglers the fish of a lifetime. I have found this to be a huge asset while trolling for flathead. Trolling for flathead is not my favourite way to target them, but it is a highly effective method to get them.

The Magnum light has been more than suitable, but my colleague Michael Fox (who has a real knack for trolling them up) has been using the ultra light model and couldn’t be happier. He uses very A recent gorge country fishing trip provided the opportunity to give the baitcast rod a try.

bigger natives or some of our estuarine saltwater species like mangrove jack or smaller barramundi.

I noted that there is a heavier 6’3” model that would suit our cod or barra anglers. There is a lighter baitcast model in the range, but it is 5’4”, which would be better suited to fishing from a kayak or if you wanted to throw hardbodies and work them in and around structure.

I have one small gripe,

The author used the Magnum rods mainly for flathead fishing and got some great results both casting and trolling.

Secondly all Fuji components are used on the Magnums. This is great piece of mind, as component failure is one of the most annoying things that can happen to you, and is synonymous with lower price point rods.

The rods I have been using are the Magnum 7’ medium and light spin rods and the 6’5” medium baitcast rod. Much of my fishing these days revolves around targeting flathead in my local estuaries.

This requires me to use a rod that is able to cast 1/4-1/2oz jigheads, has enough sensitivity to feel the smallest bite or the type of structure my lure is bouncing over, and has the power to set the hook through the flathead’s bony mouth. The light spin rod meets these needs beautifully and the medium isn’t far behind (I have tended to use it more in deeper water with larger lures).

The sensitivity of the rods is what has impressed me the most. You have an incredible feel for what your lure is doing at the end of the line, and this has been a big advantage on those days when the fish haven’t quite been on the chew.

The rods have a medium to fast

SCAN THE QR CODE!

light lines and leaders, and the soft tip and powerful butt section of this rod have been ideal to use when trolling for flatties.

I recently spent some time chasing wild river bass on plastics and surface lures.

Although the fish were not huge, they went hard and the Magnum light provided the castability and the stopping power I needed to get these fish away from structure and back to me on the bank.

This trip also provided the option to use the baitcast rod. I primarily used it to cast 1/2oz spinnerbaits. The rod was a slight overkill, not because it wasn’t right to throw them (if anything the 6’5” length gave you more leverage to cast further), it was more that the rod is rated 6lb-25lb which is heavier than I would use for this type of fishing and is set up in quite a robust format (longer heavy-duty EVA foregrip designed for a double-handed cast). Something slightly more finesse in the same or similar length would have been better suited.

Having said that, it did everything I needed it to, it just would have been nice for it to be a little lighter in the hand. This more robust format would be ideal to target

which is that there are no hook keepers on the rods. I dislike using the guides to hold my lures, so I have added my own to avoid this. My need to have this stems back to when guides were not the same quality as they are today and lure hooks damaged them. It only takes losing a few fish when your line is cut on a damaged guide to make this important to you.

With 17 spin and six baitcast options in the Magnum series range, there is sure to be a rod that suits your needs and the best part about it is that you won’t break the bank when you go to buy one. You may even just buy two.

To find out more about the Magnum series of rods you can go to www. wilsonfishing.com.au or ask about them at your local tackle store. – Peter Jung

Wild bass go hard and try to stitch you up. They were a great test for the Magnum rods.

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

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au JANUARY 2016

61

Bring out the native weaponry HORSHAM

Trevor Holmes

With the onset of the warmer weather the mindset of many anglers changes from trout and redfin to natives.

Dwindling lakes and streams throughout the region soon see a change in tactics and gear upsized to tackle the bigger beasts that inhabit the deep.

Cod season is going strong and that marks a pilgrimage to traditional native waters. Prior to the season opening some great yella catches were recorded with several large cod landed and released too.

Trout have taken their foot off the pedal slightly and become reluctant to bite, but the redfin have taken up the slack and performed very well.

TAYLORS LAKE To kick off the cod season many anglers were confined to bank angling due to horrific winds prior to and on opening day. There were some mixed results

precaution, I recommend a PFD be worn at all times.

WIMMERA RIVER While on the natives the river has been on fire with most anglers doing very well on the yellas, especially out west and northwest of Horsham.

62

JANUARY 2016

stocked or relocated during the onset of the drought.

Redfin and trout are the main target speceis but the dam is also becoming a bit of a drawcard for the bass anglers who now realise the potential of Rocklands. Below the wall

A 53cm Murray cod taken on a RMG Scorpion prior to its release.

Young James McBride with a cracker golden perch he landed recently.

Gregory Santa Maria from Switzerland landed this small brown at Fyans. with those better prepared doing well.

Bardi grubs, yabbies and scrub worms have been best bait while in the lures the deeper diving bottom tappers have seen some good success. Spinnerbaits cast to trees and snags have also done well. Use the grub type plastics fished deep with a slow retrieved for yellas.

With water quality improving since the inflows stopped, I expect this lake to provide many highlights over the summer period but a word of warning, Taylors can be a very dangerous place (as can most of Wimmera’s lakes) should the wind whip up. Often, short, sharp chop can develop in no time. It’s an annual event that boats get swamped or tipped when the wind rears up. As a

very sad 16% the lake has declined badly over spring and the hope for rains didn’t arrive to give it an extended life expectancy. Still, the trout have fished well, but it has become a first and last light prospect for the lure fishos as clear, shallow

There’s been several reports of better fishing back towards town too, with a lovely cod landed right beside the bridge into town just recently.

Some nice yellas have been landed but bait seems to go better closer to town.

Yabbies, bardi grubs, shrimp bunched up on a hook and the ever-reliable scrubbies.

Just a hint for your yabby bait fishing, a slight crush of the bait will present it better making it sit where cast and prevent it from hiding away under structure.

New on the market is the Dizzy Scent UV cheese flavour, and I would suggest this will only enhance your chances of a good fish, especially a cod.

LAKE TOOLONDO Sitting currently at a

water puts the odds in the fish’s favour.

On the overcast and breezy days you’re still in with a good chance working the wind lanes with lures and plastics. I prefer to tie up and mudeye fish for best results.

Trolling is almost done for now, with excessive weed growth making it very hard to keep a lure swimming.

A few nice redfin are being taken on the cast and with bait, but to date the numbers in the lake are still very low.

ROCKLANDS RESERVOIR I can see the fishers starting to target cod in the near future as it’s a bit of an unknown as to how many have been unofficially

in the Glenelg River there is constant reports of large bass in the 45-60cm range and this excites the gurus.

Reddies have been very consistent this spring. There have been some surprisingly very nice fish too, up to 46cm have come aboard.

Trout and bass have also been a good bonus catch of late while fishing for reddies and there’s not too many anglers going away emptyhanded. Sitting at around 22%, it is creeping back and is still very fishable.

LAKES FYANS AND WARTOOK Both of these lakes are great producers of both redfin and trout but Wartook hasn’t really fired to its full potential.

Fyans has been great, and this is testament to the careful management and stocking by Fisheries.

My greatest fear is that with waters and options dropping away Fyans will once again be decimated by lack of options and overfishing.

Mudeyes fished under floats for trout have dominated catches at both lakes, but there have been plenty landed on the troll too, particularly in Fyans.

Silver, pink, white and natural colours in the Tassie Devils have gone well at Fyans, but I would be throwing a yellow or yellow winged in the mix too.

Daybreak and dusk have been best times on both lakes as the fish tend to go deeper as the water brightens up, hence a switch to diving lures during these times.

LAKE BELLFIELD Only minutes from Halls Gap township to the south, this electric motor only lake is providing some good results for lure anglers both drift casting or fishing land-based. The wall area has been the pick of the spots as the water level gets back, exposing and limiting the usual haunts for the bigger fish.

Holding redfin, Chinook salmon, black fish as well as brown and rainbow trout, it’s

Steve Walters was delighted with his lovely Toolondo hen brown.

Tommy McBride also landed a nice golden but was outdone by his big brother.

a very good place to also soak a bait. Worms, Powerbait and yabbies are prime choices for bait, but most fish have been taken on lures or plastics cast and retrieved. Fish Arrow J Huddles in 3 or 4” and natural colours are my weapon of choice and usually results in good numbers of fish of all species.

I’ve found most hook ups are deeper in the water column, so be prepared to let your lure or plastic sink before retrieving. Flashy diving lures such as the Nories Laydown Minnow and Rapalas do well, as do vibes fished up embankments.

• Enquiries to Trevor on 0438 132 130 or 03 5388 1338. Catch us on Facebook ‘Victorian Inland Charters’ or check our web site www.victorian inlandcharters.com.au

Ripper cod season in the making ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

While there are good flows in the Murray River the water clarity is not that great. In saying that, a few cod are being landed on lures and most of these fish have been quite large.

In the Murray

downstream of the Euston weir a group of visiting fishos landed a 105cm cod on a fluoro orange StumpJumper lure. It was their first visit to the Murray and they were not perturbed by the poor water clarity stating they just needed to get the lure a little closer to insight a strike. They were correct, and hooked up not 50m into the first troll run of

Nigel Greenwood with a solid Murray cod landed on the cast using a Bassman 4x4 spinnerbait.

the morning. It’s fair to say they loved the Murray and will be back for sure.

I have always found that bright fluoro colours have worked best for me under dirty water conditions. This goes against the general consensus that adhere to the adage ‘dirty water, dark lures’.

Above the weir at Robinvale local accountant Phill Tyrell tells of hooking a ripper cod on the troll around the back of the Nine Mile, only to have it spit the lure beside the boat.

“A foot across its head at least,” he said, as he handed me his fee for doing my tax. I’m not sure on the size of the cod but his bill was indeed a thumper and one I wish I could throw back.

Several reports of good cod in this area has me thinking it might be time to slug it out for a few days on the Murray River at Robinvale once the water settles and clears up a little. This area is always good for perch and amongst them some very good-sized models for the Murray River.

Bobbing shrimp or small yabbies around the snags is a sure fire way of bagging a few goldens as the weather continues to warm.

Bait anglers chasing cod are reporting a few fish upstream of Robinvale through Tol Tol and onto Belsar Island. There are good numbers of perch biting in these areas also, so it’s a win-win fishery at the moment. The best baits for cod have been large grubs, either wood or bardi, closely followed by cheese. Scrub worms, too, will tempt a bite and a few cod have been landed on large dead yabbies that have had the carapace crushed, releasing a small berley trail that draws the cod to the bait.

Shrimp are now abundant in the warming water, and both cod and perch will scoff this natural bait if it’s fished in

Michael Wenning with an example of the monster cod that reside in our local waters. the right spot.

Swan Hill Tackle proprietor Jim Credlin says that good numbers of cod are

I have always preferred to use fluoro colours in dirty water for Murray cod. This one fell to a pink StumpJumper on the cast.

biting in the Murray River locally on a variety of baits and lures.

In the Kerang Lakes, good-sized redfin are taking white bait and shrimp at Lake Charm. It’s a similar story at Kangaroo Lake with a few golden perch in the mix.

The Wakool River at Kyalite has good numbers of Murray cod to 90cm on bait.

The perch are also biting well in this area.

With the Murray threatening to steady and clear, the cod bite will only get better as we head into what looks to be another ripper cod season up this way. Good luck to all over the coming month!

Mildura monsters will be coming out to play MILDURA

Releasing Murray cod is also a good practise, so if you intend to release cod it is important you have all the right landing gear to make the release smooth and trouble free. A large net, lip grips, pliers for hook removal and gloves are just some of the important equipment anglers should possess.

John Menhennett goobyfish@hotmail.com

River levels have dropped and continue to fall back into the banks from higher waters earlier in the year. Flows have subsided and water clarity is good enough to catch some nice fish.

This year is gearing up to be a fantastic summer of fishing around Mildura, particularly for those targeting the iconic Murray cod in the Murray River.

Some very nice yellowbelly have been caught all around Mildura during the warm conditions lately, especially around Merbein. The fish have been caught on lures mostly, but bait fishos are having a great time bobbing shrimps and small yabbies. Downsized lures intended for yellas have been working well around snags and clay banks, but recently the fish have been caught on larger lures as by-catch to their much larger and more aggressive cousins, the Murray cod.

Others have been coming in at the usual 40-48cm range – typical of summer yellowbelly.

Summer is a great time to fish for our special native species, but it is vitally important if you are heading out to carry safety and medical gear appropriate to your crew and boat size.

Maritime are going to be out in force over the summer break, so do everyone a favour and do the right thing.

“Over 250 patterns to choose from” Luke Haaja with a huge Murray cod caught on a Mumbler-style spinnerbait. Fish this size are quite common in the Murray River, even during the summer months.

Larger lures have done most of the damage to the Murray cod. One lure that has dominated the cod season so far is the Koolabung 120mm Codzilla in the holographic range. We have been smashing a lot of cod on these lures over the years and they continue to produce great fish.

There have been numerous larger models

caught on trolled lures in multiple locations around Mildura. This season should be a ripper for catching big Murray cod due to the appropriate water levels.

Try trolling big lures for a decent chance of landing a metre cod. Spinnnerbaits, either cast or trolled, have been working well with the improved water clarity on submerged logs and other structure.

Running a combination of 50lb braid and 50-60lb leader is the optimum for targeting big fish. Lighter gear will also see you land the big one, but with so much cover in the river to contend with, the chances of line breakage are high.

Upsizing your treble hooks is also a good idea, because you don’t want to be left wondering what could have been.

ORDER ONLINE www.adrenalinflies.com.au

LEAVEY LURES THE MURRAY MOTH IS HERE! • 120mm long • 50 grams • 5 Different colour options

Available exclusively through:

Yamba Bait & Tackle • yambabt@gmail.com PH: (02) 6646 1514 - Mail Orders Welcome JANUARY 2016

63

Watch out for weed!

ECHUCA

Daniel Bongiovanni

Cod season is in full swing, and the fishing is shaping up. The cod season opened on 1 Dec and there were

immediate reports of plentiful captures, which is great to hear!

The Barmah Lakes has been a very popular place to start, with some nice fish caught both on trolled hardbody lures and bait.

There were some nice size cod caught to around the 80cm mark, a positive kick-start in the right direction. Moving closer to Echuca, around the Goulburn junction there were reports of a few fish caught on lures, mainly small cod

It’s always positive to see smaller models populating the waterways.

One day this little specimen will grow up to pull some hooks!

Left: Spinnerbaits are doing the damage this cod season – and it is always great to see some size in these fish.

Right: That’s what we’re after! A nice sized cod pulled in the late afternoon.

64

JANUARY 2016

and plenty of yellas. With Goulburn so low at the start of the open season, the water remained clear in the Murray – this made for excellent lure fishing conditions.

The river was looking good at opening, with plenty of small cod caught both on lures and bait from Echuca down to Torrumbarry. I also went down there during cod opening week and managed to get a couple of small cod casting hardbodies. At the moment, there is a bad weed

growth in the shallow water and around the fallen down timber, which inhibits lure casting. This weed is really the only bad thing about the Torrumbarry area. Below the weir, there were reports of small cod caught on bait.

The best bait to use include grubs, cheese, shrimp, and yabbies. A few better fish were picked on lures, try casting spinnerbaits and trolling hardbodies.

Once again, there is plenty of weed washed up

on snags making it hard for lure fishers. The Gunbower Creek seemed to produce plenty of fish on the opening weekend, with some nice size cod caught around 80cm. Majority of the fish were caught on bait, with the odd catch on a lure. With the low rainfall of late, the water clarity in the Murray and others rivers should remain good. The environmental flows have stopped, so the Murray should remain at normal summer level.

Late night cod brigade on the job SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

We say goodbye to 2015 and welcome in 2016 and I hope the last weeks of 2015 were successful ones for you all.

Rewind back to November and my Facebook feed was full of anglers planning midnight fishing trips. There seems to be more and more locals fishing right on the stroke of midnight to make sure they get the first big fish of the season.

The first couple of days saw mixed results with some fishers landing personal bests and some coming home with sleepy eyes and no fish to report. I give credit to all those who were out fishing while I was tucked up in bed.

It was great to see so many anglers releasing their fish and this will help build a stronger fishery in our area.

Surface fishing in the Broken River seemed to be the most popular technique of tangling with our local cod. Massive jointed surface lures and buzz baits worked well, but some also stuck to the regular spinnerbaits as the night went on.

The 4D Buzz Baits were one of the most popular and there were a lot of photos from early in the cod season. Greg Ford, the local designer and maker of the lures, has done a great job making a lure targeted at local waters and I expect to see many more reports with his lures catching good-sized fish.

As the days went on, the more traditional anglers headed

out and had good success on worms or grubs. In the Goulburn River, Rafterys Road fished very well with both bait and lures producing fish. There were some reports from out Loch Gary Way, and there is some very good water out there from shallow runs to big deep bends.

Casting big deep divers or any fresh bait is what I will be doing in the summer months. There seems to be some good-sized fish being caught on hardbodies and one local has been cleaning up on the flouro green and orange Old Mate Lures. I am yet to try these lures out but from all reports they are contending with the best on the market.

If you’re not using Old Mates I would lean towards the Codgers or even the big

Greg Ford from 4D Spinnerbaits with an early season cod taken on one of his lures.

StumpJumpers when casting in the Goulburn or Broken rivers.

KIALLA LAKES I have finally started to catch fish like the old days at the lakes, it’s taken many years to get a good report at the lakes and now I finally have some positive news.

Of an evening, preferably before or after rain or even when a storm’s brewing, I have been fishing the lakes.

Using small TN50 Jackalls with a Bassman Spinner Arm attached covered in Dizzy Scent, I have started pulling consistent numbers of fish.

I have been slow rolling the lures back to the bank, and when I say slow rolling, I mean as slow as possible, just so your lure doesn’t drag through the mud.

All the yellowbelly have been a silvery white colour, similar to the water colour, and the average size is around the 30-35cm mark. If you’re looking for a bit of fun on light gear and there is a storm brewing, head out to the lakes for a bit of action.

SHEPPARTON LAKE There has been next to no reports from the Shepparton Lake, possibly due to more locals targeting cod in the rivers. The lake doesn’t normally fish well in the summer months and the fish you do catch seem to die once released, for this reason I tend to stay away from the lake and allow it to recharge until March and April But if you are looking to fish the lake now I would suggest rolling spinners about 2-3ft under the surface, or if you fish bait I would suspend my bait about 2-3ft under a float.

CRAIGMUIR LAKE I received a report of some legal size cod being caught

The author with a yellowbelly from Kialla Lakes that he caught on a Jackall with a Bassman Spinner Arm covered in Dizzy Scent. in Craigmuir and thankfully they were all released back.

The lake has seen a good mix species showing up in catches, making it even more appealing to those fishing the lake.

Trolling or casting lipless crankbaits has worked well in early summer but some are just bait fishing and catching both yellowbelly and redfin on a shrimp worm cocktail.

With the hotter months upon us, I would be getting out early or late to escape the heat of the day.

WARANGA BASIN The basin was still low last month and the fishing was dropping off week after week. Fishing at the basin in the hotter months is very tricky, as there is no shelter from the hot winds and there is always plenty of speed boats driving right where you want to fish.

The reports I have been getting are early morning or right on dark, and trolling small diving lures near the wall seems to be the best bet.

I have always had success off the point where the boat club is, and there is plenty of nice drop-offs around that area.

LOCAL CHANNELS As each season goes by it seems more and more cod are getting caught in the channel system, and the main eastern out towards Karramomus has been one of the best reported locations for cod.

It can be a big surprise caching a cod on light redfin gear, but you can upgrade to cod rods and lures if that’s all your targeting.

A local resident swears by the bigger Codger Lures in a purple colour for channel dwelling cod.

RIVER RATS FAMILY FISHING CLASSIC After 9 years of running the Family Fishing Classic in February, the River Rats are set to move the event to a later date. The plans are in place to make the next Family Fishing Classic the biggest fishing event in Shepparton.

There will be more details in coming months.

To replace the Family Classic the River Rats are running a small lures-only teams event in late January.

For more information, keep an eye out in Trelly’s Tackleworld and Facebook.

Magic Mulwala doesn’t disappoint anglers YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

I hope everyone was able to get out and enjoy the opening of cod season, it’s shaping up to be a cracker!

All fishing methods this time of year should see you in with a great chance of action.

Traditionally lure fishing tends to turn up bigger cod while the bait fishers 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. 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 the old style timber lures. The bait crew should be looking towards bardi grubs, yabbies and the ever-popular scrub worm.

Fishing below the weir early in the season generally produces plenty of undersize Murray cod, the protected trout cod, the fun to catch silver perch, numerous carp and good numbers of yellas. 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.

A special mention goes out to Sally Finch. Under expert guidance of her new partner, Sally managed to catch four nice yellas casting Bassman Spinnerbaits. Not a bad effort

for somebody that hasn’t done much fishing before!

The feel good story for the month came from an excited conversation and photos from a proud father and grandfather. It related to the exploits of young 3-year-old Derik Cjepa.

Derik is a passionate, young kid who is very handy when it comes to casting a line.

Unbelievably, Derik was casting and retrieving a hook and sinker with no bait.

In the process a small cod grabbed hold and became hooked! To top that off, the following day, Derik was casting a spinnerbait from the bank and hooked up and landed a nice cod of around 45cm, again, all on his own.

Great work young fella!

I welcome all anglers visiting Yarrawonga over the Christmas period to

pop in and say hello at Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski (opposite Mulwala Post Office) and out our new store located between Rivers and One Zac in the main street of Yarrawonga.

We are your local tackle specialists and specialise in all things ‘green’. I’m sure we can put you onto a fish or two and make your visit to the region a rewarding and memorable one.

• If you are visiting town, I urge you to call into Lake Mulwala Fish, Camp & Ski (opposite the post office) in Mulwala and say G’day. We are your largest Murray cod-specific shop in Yarrawonga/Mulwala and specialise in all things ‘green’! For any information on the upcoming events or fishing reports, give us a hoy on (03) 5744 3133.

Young gun Derik Cjepa with his 45cm cod he caught by himself casting from the bank.

JANUARY 2016

65

Go cod and get ‘em!

WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

Welcome to January – the hottest month of the year.

With native fish, it’s all about cod in the Ovens River catchment. There are a few yellowbelly kicking around, particularly in the lower reaches of the Ovens River around Peechelba and Lake Sambell in Beechworth. There are also a few isolated populations of the endangered

odd bigger fish over 70cm can be caught, however, catches of cod this size are not consistent in this system.

Monster Murray cod to over 100cm are caught each season, but are very rare.

Recently during the closed season, a young friend of mine, Lachie Snowdon caught a Murray cod over 110cm long right here in Wangaratta on a bunch of worms with a couple of corn kernels on the hook, while legitimately targeting carp in the off season. Whether it

hot day, I like to fish with surface lures, purely for the excitement and randomness of the aggressive strike.

During the day I like large deep diving lures like the Wilson Slickback or number 1 StumpJumper, or spinnerbaits such as the Bassman Yellaman series – olive is my go to colour.

Bait fishers should try using bardi grubs, large yabbies or cheese. No yabby alive is too big for a hungry Murray cod, so don’t be scared to ‘upsize Joey Barca with a lovely coloured Murray cod caught in the Wangaratta area last season. having a blast catching them.

Lakes Sambell, Kerford, Buffalo and William Hovell have been fishing well for redfin lately and should all continue to fish well

just so versatile. You can fish them horizontally from the edge of a lake, vertically from a boat or kayak and most of all redfin climb all over them! Tiny yabbies and

too much during times of extreme heat.

My advice is to head for the headwaters of the creeks in search of the coolest water. Don’t overlook Mt

Swimming for snagged lures is a large part of the Murray cod fishing experience during January – note the author’s wet hair.

Macquarie perch in a couple of streams, along with millions of small freshwater blackfish, however on the whole cod fishing, particularly the Murray cod fishing is the target species of 99% of all native fishing anglers.

COD MAGIC With the recent opening of the trout cod fishery in Lake Kerford and Lake Sambell, I now have the freedom to talk about our cod fishery, rather than particularly stating ‘Murray cod’ fishery. Reports of trout cod caught in either lake are as rare as rocking horse droppings. Whether that’s because people are remaining tight lipped or because none have been caught I have no idea. I do know that on a recent redfin fishing trip to Lake Kerford I hooked an absolute monster of a fish – and lost it, which I believe may have been a trout cod of decent size.

The Murray cod should be on the chew throughout January. In fact, January is my second favourite month to fish for cod in the Wangaratta area, after December. I find this month to be quite consistent for cod fishing in the Ovens River. I rarely have fishless sessions there. Most of the cod up here in the Ovens River system are small, usually undersize.

A few legal sized cod are caught each season, and the 66

JANUARY 2016

was a resident of the Ovens River, or a resident of Lake Mulwala that had swam up the Ovens during the spring months to spawn I do not know, but either way it was a massive fish.

During January, stable ‘average’ days tend to lend themselves to the best cod fishing. Sudden cool changes with strong southerly winds tend to turn the cod straight off.

Periods of extreme heat also slow them right down. I’m talking days of 40°C+. Consecutive days of temperatures in the low 30’s with a stable barometer tend to be the best times to catch a cod.

At the end of a stinking

your crustacean’ because a hungry Murray cod can be very ‘shellfish.’ Worms are a great bait for Murray cod, but seem to catch heaps of small ones and not a lot of big ones, which is why I only use worms as bait during the closed season, to avoid spawning Murray cod.

REDFIN The region’s redfin should be quite active throughout January – that’s if there are any left! I have to say that I am having a bumper season on the redfin so far. Admittedly, most of the redfin I’ve caught have been quite small, with very few keepers, but I have been

Trout can still be caught in the Ovens River catchment during January, but look for the coolest water you can find. Headwaters of streams, alpine streams, very shaded streams may provide. throughout January.

Small soft plastics are easily my favourite lures when I’m chasing redfin, with brighter colours performing better. You can’t go wrong with a diving minnow or bladed spinner either, but soft plastics are

The Ovens River is teeming with tiny Murray cod at the moment. This is an excellent sign for the future of the fishery, and affirmation that the current fishing regulations are working well.

Almost big enough to fillet! One of many redfin caught in the Beechworth area during the spring months.

worms are ideal baits for redfin, so too are freshwater shrimp, although they are harder to keep alive.

TROUT TROUBLE January is the toughest time of the year to catch a trout in North East Victoria as the hot days lead to warmer water temperatures and slower trout fishing.

The Ovens River upstream of Bright is usually OK, but even that can warm up

Buffalo as a great summer trout fishing option. The creeks are small, the trout are small, but they are abundant and provide some great fly fishing fun in an environment that is, on average 10°C cooler than down here on the valley floor. Days on Mt Buffalo exceeding 30°C are about as rare as trout cod reports from Lake Sambell, and we know how rare they are!

Trout just keep coming!

VICTORIAN ALPINE

Brenton Richardson

The trout fishing in the Kiewa River last month was very surprising for this time of year. The trout were still eagerly hitting lures right through November and into early December.

I have been fishing the Kiewa River around Mt Beauty recently and noticed that there is an abundance of small brown trout around 15-20cm. The trout

up from time to time. As far as catching them goes, I’ve been having a lot of success on the Strike Tiger Micro Spoon. A larger minnow type lure like the 9cm Rapala might also be worth a shot, it could be more tempting to the larger fish too.

The evening rise is well and truly underway. There have been some great hatches of insects on the warmer nights. I’m no expert when it comes to flies and names, but I believe I was using a brown mayfly type pattern, which was working well for

but it never hurts to double your chances of a fish by adding a wet fly to your dry fly rig.

If you’re looking for a spot to beat the heat through January then consider Rocky Valley Dam at Falls Creek.

I usually try and fish there at least once a year. When the weather is 40°C around Wodonga, it’s usually around 27°C up there, so it’s a great place to escape the heat and chase a few trout.

The best methods for fishing Rocky Valley Dam would be trolling winged

The author with a nice brown trout caught in a tributary of the Kiewa River. with the dam quite easy to navigate around.

Most of the fish are quite small, with anything over 40cm quite rare, but the dam did receive a stocking of 1000 Chinook salmon in August 2013, so these should be getting to a reasonable size by now if the stocking was successful.

There is also Pretty Valley Dam nearby, which is quite a bit smaller and shallower but still holds good numbers of fish.

This dam is more suited to fishing from the bank or from a kayak.

The smaller rivers and tributaries in this area can also fish well on the right day and are likely to see less fishing pressure, which can lead to some great days fishing. Try using your normal small stream lures like Strike Tiger Spoons, 1’’ Nymphs, soft plastics and small bladed spinners.

The Murray cod season is underway. January should

see some great cod fishing in the area. Once the usual holiday-goers disappear, the fishing always seems to pick up not long after. Most rivers in the area are full with people camping and fishing around Christmas and New Year. It can get a bit frustrating, but remember the fish are still there, they have just seen lures all day for weeks, so don’t be afraid to try something different like a large soft plastic or surface lure.

Heading into the hills to find cooler water will further increase your chances of catching trout. have obviously had a good spawning season, which is a great sign to see after the last few poor seasons we have had. Most people I’ve spoken with have said the same thing but I have heard of the odd big fish showing

me. But the Royal Wulff and white moth patterns have also been getting success. It always pays to rig a bead head nymph or something similar underneath your dry fly. Most trout in January will be feeding on the top,

typed lures like Tassie Devils or small minnow lures.

Colour doesn’t really seem to matter up there either.

You could also pack the fly rod if the wind isn’t too bad on the day, and fly fishing the banks can be good fun,

CUSTOMER REBATE ON ‘ALL’ MODELS Before end of year shutdown 2015 TO WELCOME IN THE NEW YEAR 3.00 TUFF TENDER REBATE

4.10 CHALLENGER REBATE

4.50 DRIFTER REBATE

4.80 BRUMBY REBATE

5.30 WARRIOR REBATE

5.99 FRONTIER REBATE

1800 336 603 89 Childers Rd, Bundaberg QLD 4670

polycraft.com.au

Your Polycraft Dealer:

ORDER NOW

SHEPPARTON BOATS & MORE

James Ryder with a solid Murray cod caught casting a surface lure in the lower reaches of the Kiewa River.

207 Numurkah Rd, Shepparton, VIC 3630 Phone: 03 5822 2108 Email: sales@boatsandmore.com.au

For more boats visit: www.polycraft.com.au

JANUARY 2016

67

Ripper results surface trolling JINDABYNE

A U S T R A L I A

Margay 2016

$49,990

• 17’7” • Single axle Basscat trailer • 115 hp Mercury 4 stroke • 24v electric motor (Minn Kota or Motor Guide) • 2 x sounders (Humminbird 597cxi HD Di or Lowrance HDS 5)

Pantera II 2016

$74,990

• 19’1” • Single axle Basscat trailer • 200 hp Mercury Optimax • 24v electric motor (Minn Kota or Motor Guide) • 2 x sounders (Humminbird 698cxi HD Si or Lowrance HDS 7 GEN2)

Yar-Craft 1785BT 2016

$59,990

• 17’5” • Single axle Basscat trailer • 75 hp Mercury 4 stroke • 24v electric motor (Minn Kota or Motor Guide) • 2 x sounders (Humminbird 597cxi HD Di or Lowrance HDS 5)

Sabre FTD 2016

Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

Happy New Year from all of us at Steve Williamson’s Tackle Shop and Fishing Adventures. I hope Santa was kind to you and you have some new fishing tackle to try out over the coming month.

In the Snowy Mountains, January is when the dry fly fishing is at its best, with plenty of grasshoppers about.

There are many different grasshopper patterns available. You just have a look around and see what the size and colour the real ones are and find a fly to match. It can depend on how hot it has been as to how big the hoppers are, so you can never predict what size to choose as it can vary from place to place depending on the microclimate.

In the early stages of hopper development we like to use smaller patterns; even flies like a yellow Humpy will imitate the local hoppers. However, 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 Woolly Bugger or other dark streamer patterns are good flies to try. Craig’s Nighttime is 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.

Boat trolling in January is very popular, because all you have to do is get the lures down to the right depth and wait for the trout

Amanda Walshaw with a brown caught trolling on a Tasmanian Devil number 111 Willy’s Special. to bite. We start the day off by surface trolling lures like Warlock or Bullet minnows, just a couple of the many brands that work on trout. Minnows are very good for the bigger brown trout fished off the surface line early, or you can troll these off lead core lines to get them a little deeper if it’s very bright.

Surface trolling Tasmanian Devils in green colours (like the number 111 Willy’s Special) is also 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 Y48 Yellow Wing brown bomber or other darker lures will be best.

The best areas to fish have been Hayshed, Hatchery, Rushes Bay and the South Arm, but if you are smart you should look for the wind lanes early in the day. You will often locate these by looking for the ducks and gulls (lake gulls, not seagulls) because these birds often also feed on the surface insects that the trout love to eat.

$59,990

• 18’1” • Single axle Basscat trailer • 115 hp Mercury 4 stroke • 24v electric motor (Minn Kota or Motor Guide) • 2 x sounders (Humminbird 698cxi HD Si or Lowrance HDS 7 GEN2)

We Build Dreams...

It’s a Family Tradition

A U S T R A L I A

68

JANUARY 2016

Phone: 0410 173 060 basscataustralia@gmail.com

Lee Boag with a rainbow trout caught trolling with a Yellow Wing Number 48 Tasmanian Devil.

Later in the morning, the best fishing will be deep using lead core lines, paravanes, trolling sinkers and so forth, but the best way to achieve results is to use a downrigger so as 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.

Lake spin anglers will also do best in the first hour or so of light or dusk as the sun sets. Again, I like to spin with lures, the same as the trollers. I like to use those little metal blades that are often used by bream anglers in the saltwater. Blades definitely work on trout, and gold colours are best.

By mid-morning you’d be lucky to catch a fish on the lake in summer. You may be better off 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. There have been some good trout caught by those anglers prepared to walk a little further away from the holiday crowds.

Look for 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 Gillies Spinners are also a must for any tackle box. Change lures often and never work one area of water over any more than a half a dozen casts.

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 are the best times. Fish the bays and move to deeper water as the day brightens up. The shallow bays are the best nighttime fishing locations, however look out for the snags.

If you want to bait fish in the middle of the day, you are best to look at bottom fishing using either a tiger worm or a local scrub worm. Artificial baits are also good, and there are several colours to choose from. Everyone has a favourite, but you can always drop into my shop and ask which one is best at the time.

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. Always fish with the reel bail arm open so the fish can run with the line. The best line grease is silicon muclin as it will not harm the line.

Until next month, hope you catch the big one.

• If you’re down in the mountains, 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. If you would like to book a tour or fly fishing lesson you can always check us out at www.swtroutfishing.com.au or give my shop a call on (02) 6456 1551.

aLL new 2.1L modeL Torque (Nm)

UNthiNk

115hp FoUrStroke torqUe compariSoN previous 1.7L (L) modeL

6500

6000

5500

5000

4500

4000

3500

3000

2500

Unbridled power, unexpectedly compact, uncompromising reliability, unbelievably fuel efficient. Mercury’s all new 75-115hp FourStroke Range. Unlike anything the world has ever seen.

2000

everything you know about 75-115hp FourStrokes.

Engine Speed (rpm)

115hp produces up to 23% morE TorquE and quicker acceleration than the previous 1.7L FourStroke.

See your authorised Mercury Marine Dealer today.

Alberton Alberton Marine

Melbourne Melbourne Marine

92 Hallam South Road, Hallam Phone: (03) 9703 2003 Email: info@melbournemarine.com.au

117 Northgate Drive, Thomastown Phone: (03) 9465 8787 | Fax: (03) 9466 1418 Email: triplemmarine@dodo.com.au

Bendigo Bendigo Marine World

Geelong Moolap Marine

Warragul Warragul Marine

Melbourne BL Marine

Sorrento Nautical Marine

Mornington Wes Frost Marine

Shepparton Boats and More

Melbourne Regal Marine

Morwell Crawford Marine

Tooradin P&J Marine Service Centre P/L

Echuca Eades Xtreme Marine

Melbourne The Marine Shop

39 Johnson Street, Alberton Phone: (03) 5183 2344 | Fax: (03) 5183 2219 Email: albertonmarine@wideband.net.au

160 Midland Highway, Epsom Phone: (03) 5448 3988 | Fax: (03) 5448 3940 Email: sales@bendigomarine.com.au

612- 614 Plenty Road, Preston Phone: (03) 9478 1420 | Fax: (03) 9470 4638 Email: info@blmarine.com.au

207 Numurkah Road, Shepparton Phone: (03) 5822 2108 | Fax: (03) 5821 2908 Email: sales@boatsandmore.com.au

71-77 Chickerell Street, Morwell Phone: (03) 5134 6522 | Fax: (03) 5134 6455 Email: info@crawfordmarine.com.au

24 Sturt Street, Echuca Phone: (03) 5482 2333 | Fax: (03) 5482 2133 Email: info@xtrememarine.net.au

250 Portarlington Road, Moolap Phone: (03) 5248 3772 | Fax: (03) 5248 5913 Email: info@moolapmarine.com.au

139 – 141 Hotham Road, Sorrento Phone: (03) 5984 1666 | Fax: (03) 5984 1680 Email: nautical@surf.net.au

Melbourne Triple M Marine

172 Queen St, Warragul 3820 Phone: (03) 5623 6250 | Fax: (03) 5622 0623 Email: info@warragulmarine.com.au

3 Satu Way, Mornington Phone: (03) 5976 4622 | Fax: (03) 5976 4633 Email: sales@wesfrostmarine.com

514 Canterbury Road, Vermont Phone: (03) 9874 4624 | Fax: (03) 9874 6586 Email: sales@regalmarine.com.au

101 Tooradin Station Road, Tooradin Phone: (03) 5998 3107 | Fax: (03) 5998 3108 Email: pjmarine_services@bigpond.com

6 Holland Drive, Melton Phone: (03) 9747 0588 | Fax: (03) 9747 3999 Email: admin@themarineshop.com.au JANUARY 2016

69

Water safety is paramount during the holiday season EILDON

Andy McCarthy

We’ve had a great start to cod season up at the lake, with an incredible amount of fish caught! This prime fishing trend should continue right through January. Now that the masses of holiday-makers have arrived, it’s time to remember to be very careful on the water due to increased traffic. This traffic can create a bit of tension between patrons so be patient and stay calm.

Coen Miljkovic had a great time fishing in the Cod Classic and landed this 60cm cod.

The local water police have been throwing the book at boaters who take risks and haven’t installed or included the relevant and correct safety gear. Some of the fines are enormous and really not worth the risk.

Local angler Aaron Hall has had a stellar start to the season, with a few outstanding catches out of Goughs Bay. The release of the new Storm Arashi lures has many anglers excited!

These bad boys dive down to 25ft, are excellent on the cast, and will become a must-have in your tackle

box. These lures also come in an 18ft model and have a great profile with a brilliant action. The yellowbelly have been active, and January should see a lot more fish come on the chew. Try the deep diving Predateks when targeting yellas and Murray cod. Areas like the main arm and dam wall are very busy with traffic and not ideal for a quiet fish, I recommend you go up the Goulburn Arm and have a look – you won’t be disappointed. There are some brilliant spots up there with minimal boat traffic.

Another nice area is up

towards Big River; this spot doesn’t attract jet skis, which is always a plus! Local junior angler Cooper Grotaers has done a great job on the cod, making his dad very proud.

He picked up his PB green fish recently. Another young bloke, Coen Miljkovic entered his first Cod Classic and got on the board with a nice 60cm cod. Coen out fished his old man – it’s great to see the next generation of anglers getting into this very rewarding sport. There have still only been a handful of redfin caught lately – hopefully they will fire soon.

Tricky yellas keep us guessing!

BONNIE DOON

Andy McCarthy

With the water level down below 50%, the behaviour of the

yellowbelly has changed remarkably this season.

Normally, the big schools gather on the rocky margins in around the 30-40ft depth mark, but this year they have

Paul Thomas with a decent hard-hitting cod.

basically stuck to the trees in big numbers.

Whether this change is due to the water level, cooler water temps, or the start of the El Nino weather pattern (or a combination of all these elements) is unknown, but hopefully they will move onto the rocky margins this month. One angler who is consistently able to figure out the natives in Eildon is Paul Thomas. Nearly every time he fishes he gets them without too much fuss, which is no small achievement on this lake.

This level of consistency is what most of us strive for as anglers.

Trevor Holmes recently got among the fish, as you

would expect from one of the very best freshwater guides in the country. He certainly found the fishing still held a learning curve though, after witnessing how hot and cold the fishing can be on this massive lake. Trevor persisted and managed to get his clients onto the fish late in the day. The cod fishing up the top has been solid lately with good numbers of cod between 45-90cm (I haven’t seen a meter long specimen yet). Spinnerbaits do the job, as well as Predatek lures in black and purple and the frog pattern, and TN-70 Jackalls.

I heard a report the other day about a group of lads that found a patch

VFM writer and champion bloke Trevor Holmes with one of those tricky yellowbelly! of quality redfin. They picked up a dozen fish around the 50cm mark – which are crackin’ fish in

anyone’s book.

Please take care over the holiday season and stay safe among the crowds.

Snobs Creek – the secret behind the success FMG

Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

One of the privileges I’ve had over the past couple of years has been to travel to, and meet the people

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 70

JANUARY 2016

behind some pretty special places in Victoria. Most recently this was a visit to Lake Eildon and to the Snobs Creek hatchery. As the facility is not open to the public, it was a special opportunity for me to catch up with Stephen Vidler, the senior site representative for the hatchery and be shown through one of the jewels in the crown of Victorian fisheries.

The Snobs Creek facility provides the majority of stocked fish (both salmonid and native species) for Victorian fisheries and is considered a benchmark facility in Australia.

Although legislation and funding are the keys to the success of Snobs Creek, success also comes down to the enthusiasm of the people behind the facility, to drive it beyond expectations. Stephen Vidler is extraordinarily passionate about the benefits of stocking efforts for all Victorian and visiting anglers, and is dedicated to the success of the native fish program.

Brood fish are well looked after and are eventually placed into Eildon Pondage providing visiting anglers with the opportunity to catch a fish of a lifetime.

Stephen pointed out that the salmonid program produces brown and rainbow trout as well as Chinook salmon. Brood stock are stripped and their eggs reared in most cases up to yearling size and then distributed.

The ability to rear fish up to yearling size prior to release has been one of the keys to Victorian fisheries success in reigniting the many trout fisheries after the last drought event in Victoria.

Another benefit of stocking yearling size fish has been the results in mixed fisheries.

Better survival rates have been noted, in particular where redfin and native fish are also present, an all year round fishery in many cases.

The area I was particularly interested in seeing was the native fish production section.

Quarantine areas are in place during native fish production to avoid any contamination during the process, and I was lucky enough to time my visit just prior to when the serious action happens.

To page 71

The Goulburn River in January: big trout, no pout!

GOULBURN RIVERS

Stephen Vidler

Different conditions at different stages this month in the upper Goulburn River would have satisfied From page 70

I was very interested to see the work being done on protected fish like the trout cod and Macquarie perch.

Stephen and the Snobs

most anglers. The fish were enticed to perform whether the water was high clear and cold, low slow and clear or moderate paced, turbid and slightly warmer. This has occurred due to the

flows of over 9,000ML a day for irrigation purposes and to top up downstream storages.

This eventually dropped to 3,000ML a day only to then have some significant rainfall of around 60mm

a fantastic result from the efforts at Snobs Creek and Victorian Fisheries.

Australian bass and estuary perch are other native fish produced and

story has been Blue Rock dam. Already the dam is showing signs of becoming a premier bass fishery and will hopefully continue to improve through stockings from Snobs Creek.

The true crowning glory however goes to the production of Murray cod and golden perch (golden perch are also produced by an outside contractor under the guidance of the Snobs Creek team). Stephens face instantly lit up while we were talking about these species.

He is very proud about the increase in production of these species since he started at Snobs Creek.

Both fish are iconic native species and an obsession to anglers who target them.

over a couple of days.

After the initial burst of activity post trout opening, things have settled into a relaxed fishing period.

Most anglers have tangled with some feisty little trout in the rivers around my

The Eildon Trout festival will be held on Saturday 3 September in 2016. Free hatchery tours are run during the festival giving everyone the opportunity to see the facility.

One of the features of Snobs Creek is that all the ponds are gravity feed and use an automated feeding system.

Creek team have had great success in producing these, to the point where fisheries recently opened Lake Kerferd and Lake Sambell to fishing for trout cod with stockings from the hatchery. This move is a great win for anglers and

delivered under the guidance of Snobs Creek through a private contractor. A number of lakes have received stockings of these fish with varying results. I have seen images of some footballsized bass caught in Bullen Merri, but the true success

Rubicon, Steavenson and smaller rivers and creeks were much more settled except for after the rainfall.

Bait anglers have done well on scrub worms, garden worms, mudeyes To page 72

The very special trout cod are reared in these ponds.

EILDON TROUT FESTIVAL

He is constantly striving to find small improvements to produce these fish.

Small improvements mean significant increases in numbers produced, which guarantees more bang for your fishing licence dollars.

Initiatives like the stocking of 1,000,000 Murray cod into Lake Eildon are proof that the hard work by government and those driving these programs can provide results that benefit many.

Although Snobs Creek Hatchery is not open to the public, they do open the facility for tours during the Eildon Trout festival (trout opening in September each year). Please see the fact box

area, and those willing to put in the time and a bit of knowledge are encountering some decent sized fish.

The previous month had it all for the Goulburn River and the Acheron,

on this page for the details of the 2016 Trout festival.

Thank you to all concerned for allowing me the opportunity to go through the hatchery and

thank you to Stephen Vidler for conveying your passion for our Australian native fish species, it will be something I remember for a very long time.

Macquarie perch are one of the protected species being produced by Snobs Creek.

etROUT ILDON FARM • ANGLING • FLY FISHING • DAM STOCK • FRESH FISH • LOCAL WINES

Ph: (03) 5773 2377 460 Back Eildon Rd ThoRnTon, vic

• B.Y.O. PICNIC • PRODUCE SHOP • GROUP BOOKINGS

BY REQUEST

Fish For dinner – Guaranteed!!!

03) 9397-6977

www.lakeeildonholidays.com.au

OPEN 9am – 5pm. See our website for more details

www.eildontroutfarm.com.au

JANUARY 2016

71

Bendigo under pressure BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

We are now coming into the holiday period, and during this time anglers need to be aware of the increased amount of people on the water.

There is typically a significant increase in the amount of fishing pressure on our waterways, so anglers should take this into account and try and fish in those areas that are harder to get to or lesser known and therefore receive a reduced amount of fishing pressure.

If you are fishing a popular waterway like our impoundments of Lake Eppalock and Cairn Curran, be aware of the increased amount of boat traffic on the water. Other waterway users like ski boats and jet skis can be very common on the water.

In these situations an early start is often recommend as you will get several good hours of fishing in before the skiers hits the water.

Alternatively, late afternoons can also be a good option.

LAKE EPPALOCK I am pleased to report the productivity in the fishing at Lake Eppalock has been good. Most weekdays there has been 20 or more boats on From page 71

and maggots, particularly after the rain in the slightly discoloured water and the feeding action that this triggered. This type of weather event always provides better fishing opportunities than the artificial flows, as the artificial flows don’t often coincide with barometric changes and colouring

the water, and golden perch have been the target species for the majority of anglers.

The numbers of golden perch being caught has been promising, but anglers must be prepared to work hard in order to catch golden perch in consistent numbers.

The golden perch are feeding on juvenile redfin, and these bait schools are moving regularly, so the golden perch are regularly on the move too. If you catch them in an area one day, they often will have moved to another location on the next trip. The secret is to use a quality sounder and continue to hunt different areas in order to locate active golden perch.

Casting at a variety of structures has been working for the golden perch.

Casting at rocky shorelines, submerged saplings and both standing and fallen timber is a good way to go. Trolling in the depth range from 3-6m has also been productive for the golden perch.

Murray cod are being taken at Eppalock, and trolling both large hardbody lures and spinnerbaits has been working. Murray cod measuring up to 80cm have been caught recently.

The productivity of the native fishing over the next few months will be

influenced by what happens with water levels. If water levels drop significantly the fishing will decline. If water levels stay stable or decline slowly, the fishing will be more productive.

The redfin fishing remains slow. There are still small numbers of quality redfin measuring up to 45cm being caught, but the majority of these are being caught in deep water, and depths of greater than 10m have been the most productive. Trolling deep-diving hardbody lures, casting soft plastics and jigging ice jigs has been working well.

CAMPASPE RIVER The fishing in the Campaspe River continues to be very spasmodic. On the good days there has been reasonable catch rates, mainly of golden perch and the occasional Murray cod.

Anglers casting lipless crankbaits have caught the majority of the golden perch, and the majority of Murray cod have been caught by anglers casting spinnerbaits.

This time of the year is also an excellent time of the season to target Murray cod on surface lures. Try and pick those nights with reduced moonlight, minimal wind and a good, high barometer and you should experience some good boofing action.

of the water. Always take the opportunity to get out and chase a few fish after a natural weather event, particularly during the spring and summer period.

Anglers that tossed a few lures around have found great success. Again plenty of smaller fish are landed, but some really high quality fish in the 40–50cm range have been

found. Just remember to be patient. When walking the rivers and streams, take your time, slow it all down a bit. When you find a spot that looks worthy of a cast or two, stop, wait, have a quiet look around before you send the first cast. Sometimes it is hard to slow down, as we get a bit keen to get to the next spot or see what’s around the next bend. Many of the older trout have made it to their age for a reason. They become crafty and are easily spooked. Approach the fish (always from downstream to upstream as the fish will be facing

TARGET

Australia’s largest freshwater fish “The Mighty Murray Cod”

This quality golden perch was caught casting a TN65 Jackall lure at Lake Eppalock.

CAIRN CURRAN There are good numbers of both golden perch and Murray cod being caught, and the average golden perch being caught is between 45-50cm. The occasional large golden perch measuring over 60cm has also been landed. The average Murray cod being caught has been around 55cm. It is very pleasing to see Murray cod starting to be caught on a regular basis as well.

Casting around the rocky shorelines has been the most productive method, but small numbers of native fish are also been caught trolling the edges. Casting timbered areas has also been

FISHING LOCATIONS: • The Loddon River System • Lake Eildon • Campaspe River System • Murray River (Lake Mulwala) • Many More!

P:Roger: 0427 483 286

www.codhunter.com.au 72

JANUARY 2016

planning to spend a day or two on the Loddon River.

Those areas that are the most popular are around the boatable water at Bridgewater and Serpentine, so these will be most affected by the increased amount of fishing pressure and associated boat traffic.

With the Loddon River being a small system, it only takes a few boats traveling up and down the system to shut the fish down. Those anglers who are prepared to access more remote areas will be rewarded. As always, if you are accessing the river via private property, always gain permission from property owners.

The rivers have produced some chunky trout already; expect to see more of this as summer continues.

Join Roger on a guided fishing tour and learn how to catch our premier freshwater fish.

E:codhuntertours@bigpond.com

producing small numbers of native fish.

The numbers of redfin being caught, like at Eppalock, has been low. Trolling deep diving hardbody lures and jigging ice jigs and soft plastics has been working to catch those few fish around. Bait fishing around the standing timber with worms and small yabbies is probably your best bet.

LODDON RIVER The Loddon River has been fishing well. Reasonable numbers of both golden perch and Murray cod are being caught, but this area does suffer from a lot of fishing pressure, so anglers need to take this into account if

Jack Hyatt with a beautifully conditioned Goulburn River brown trout.

upstream while hunting for food) in a slow steady manner as if ‘hunting’ the fish and give it a bit of time, you’ll find a better quality of fish.

Lures that are doing the job are the Berkley T-tails in black and gold, ZMan Grubz in bloodworm, gudgeon and motor oil colours and the old faithfuls – bladed Celta lures (or similar) and the Rapala original floating or count downs in 5cm or 7cm.

I am a long, long way from even being close to a fly fishers, but the reports I have heard and the amount of Swoffers or Swishers or anglers in

waders with very long rods is testament to the amount of fish caught.

Of an evening, the feeding activity around some major hatches is almost hard to believe.

The amount of fish rising all over the rivers on last light are amazing.

All in all, the rivers are fishing extremely well with the Goulburn and the Rubicon exceptional.

Remember to be patient if you want to run into the bigger models. Bring on the warmer weather, more bugs, more tucker, and more chance to catch a quality fish.

Happy fishing.

Unfortunately dry times ahead for Crater Lakes CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but thanks to a below average rainfall period for 2015 and an El Nino event currently underway, our sweet water rivers and lakes are under extreme stress. Worse is to come no doubt; and we are not the only part of the state suffering.

The water levels at Lake Elingamite are now beyond reach even to kayakers.

Sadly, only 300 browns out of 4000 trout managed to get released. If the lake fills again next year the trout fishing will be sparse to say the least.

Lake Bullen Merri is well and truly under the spell of blue-green algae once again. Even though some rainbow trout in excess of a kilogram are still being caught, I would not even attempt to eat

these fish. The lake now looks sparse when it comes to boating and angling. In fact, most fish are taken on bait from the shore. Back in October I met an angler that travelled all the way from Dandenong to fish the lake. Over a 5 hour trip for him just to get a fish or two but this was the closest lake that was still firing for potential trophy fish even though the algae had taken hold.

Local Cobden angler Ian Scott has had success taking rainbows from the bank and is thoroughly enjoying his fishing. I just hope he’s not bringing the fish home to eat!

Lake Purrumbete remains the only crater lake worth fishing at present, but if you are planning a trip down here don’t leave it too long. Water levels are dropping – the lake is fed from springs in the nearby Stoney Rises and unfortunately those springs

are fed by rainfall. As we haven’t seen a decent downpour in 2 months, launching a boat here in the New Year may well be impossible.

The Mount Emu Creek that flows through our countryside has stopped, however some decent pools still remain fishable – but for how long? It’s worth using your search engine to click on maps and focus in on just how many road bridges cross this very fishable little system.

Eventually it flows into the Hopkins River. There’s usually room to park a car or two nearby and a short walk can have you at a deep pool where brown trout, redfin and even the odd golden perch are available to anglers casting lures or soaking a scrub worm or bait sized yabby.

I apologise for the glum and gloom but it’s going to be a tough period of time for fishing the fresh.

The Mount Emu Creek still remains a viable waterway for trout but for how long?

Family fun with surface feeding Gippsland bass WST/STH GIPPSLAND

Steve Haughton steve@habitatcreations.com.au

The school holidays are the perfect opportunity to take the kids out for a day trip to catch a stream trout or head to Blue Rock Lake for a bit of relaxed fishing.

It’s also a nice way to spend an afternoon or day out exploring after the Christmas and New Years’ celebrations.

The beauty of West Gippsland is that it is so close to Melbourne, yet far away enough to feel like you’ve left the hustle and bustle. Set among farmland, native bushland and small country towns are the peaceful flowing streams of the Latrobe, Toorongo and Loch rivers in the Noojee valley, and the Tarago River, which flows from Neerim South down to Labertouche before entering the Bunyip River.

In Noojee you have a choice of 3 rivers to fish from, but the most family friendly spots are dotted along the Latrobe River in town. There is a large playground (a good back-up if the fish aren’t biting), toilets, undercover rotunda with free BBQs and picnic tables.

Upstream from the main picnic area are plenty of smaller picnic tables and car parks close to the water. Access to

The author with a healthy and very feisty deep water bass measuring 34cm, which was caught on a black Gulp Minnow Grub. It’s an awesome feeling to catch one, but releasing them to fight another day feels even better. the Latrobe River is ideal for children wanting to wet a line. For the big kid at heart, the river presents ideal wading conditions to maximise fishing ground.

There are a number of techniques for trout fishing but for the beginner, a light 6-7ft rod with a small 10002500 class reel spooled with 6-8lb line set up with a bottom fishing rig is a

good start. To fish off the bottom, put a small ball or bean sinker about 40cm up the line held in place by a swivel or split ring. Tie a leader using the same class line with a size 4-8 baitholder hook. Garden worms are a bulletproof bait and are easy for kids to put on the hook themselves. Cast into slow moving pools and allow

the bait to rest. By putting the rod in a rod holder and attaching a bell, you’ll be able to relax and wait for the sound of the bell to indicate a bite.

The next step up is casting lures into stream runs and pools, retrieving slowly so the trout have time to chase the lure down before striking.

There are many lures on

the market, but you can’t fault a simple spinner bladed lure, minnow styled floating hardbody lure or soft plastic with a curly tail. Make sure that with every retrieval you watch the lure carefully to see if a trout is following; this will help you master the art of casting and retrieving.

From Neerim South through to Labertouche runs the Tarago River downstream of the Tarago Reservoir. There are three main picnic grounds along this river, which offer terrific stream access.

Starting upstream, Rokeby Reserve is a little unknown picnic ground that requires a short walk from the main road, but offers picnic tables alongside the river in an ideal setting.

Fisher Road Reserve at Robin Hood offers a rotunda, cooking facilities and picnic tables also alongside the river. On a hot day the kids can even go for a swim in the deep sandy pool after they’ve had a fish.

Picnic Point is a little further downstream of Drouin West and offers a large playground, BBQs, picnic tables and toilets all along the river. Like Fisher Road Reserve, there is a large pool perfect for cooling down in after a hard days fishing.

The Baw Baw Shire Council has a free fishing map highlighting these locations so either visit their website or obtain a

hardcopy of the map from information stands across the municipality.

Blue Rock Lake is fishing well and is quite a popular spot with the boat and engine size restrictions lifted. It’s important to follow the rules set in place as the recent changes are only for a 12-month trial, so we’re hoping that everyone obeys the new rules so it sticks. If you don’t know the rules, check out Southern Rural Water’s latest guidelines for safe boating on the lake.

The water temperature is warming up but the air temperature over the last few months has been varied so we’re looking at the rest of summer to be the optimum time for surface bass fishing.

Hardbodied lures have been most successful with the bass still feeding deep.

Bait anglers have had luck using worms and other live baits to catch a bass with trout, redfin and less desirable carp and eel as by-catch.

The river blackfish season has re-opened for the year and offers an alternative target species to trout in the rivers of West and South Gippsland.

Feel free to send me a report or photo, particularly if you have any success stories over the school holidays. Please email me any questions too. Happy fishing!

JANUARY 2016

73

Golden perch burst onto the Ballarat scene!

BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

Given the lack of rain throughout winter and spring I thought the fishing would be pretty ordinary and tough based on the conditions. A few water systems in the Ballarat district have suffered severely due to low water

out chasing reddies with excellent results. Fishing buddies Tom Kulczynski and Darryll Luttrell have been getting among these big redfin up to 1.9kg – they certainly are whoppers. The guys have been catching them by casting a variety of lures including a humble old Copper Hogback Lure, Fish Arrow Soft Plastics and Wobblers. It’s a matter of

Damien Keirl’s magnificent brown trout caught with mudeyes for bait.

Photos courtesy of Damien Keirl.

levels, with some set to be unfishable in the coming months. To our great surprise, other waters have really fired up, and the one bonus of fishing in low water levels is that there’s probably less water between the fish, which should make them easier to catch.

MOORABOOL RESERVOIR The Moorabool Reservoir continues to be one of the most productive waters in the district. With the trout fairly quiet, the redfin have really come on the chew.

A few familiar names come to mind of those anglers

getting the lure in front of a feeding fish, this may sound easy, but it’s not! The fishers have put in lots of hours, covered plenty of water and walked through very muddy banks to try to find the schools of feeding fish and when they did it was game on! You can certainly catch a bag full if this happens or you could spend hours casting for nothing – it’s a matter of the right spot at the right time and a bit of old fashioned good luck.

TULLAROOP RESERVOIR Tullaroop Reservoir is still in the spotlight, though

not as much as during the winter months. The fish are still there and feeding it’s just a matter of fewer anglers fishing the reservoir. Damien Keirl who fished Tullaroop through the winter and spring months with success has continued to catch some absolutely magnificent brown trout up around the 3kg mark. The key to Damien’s recent success is to get out of bed early, make the 40 minute drive from Ballarat and fish just on daybreak for a few hours before heading home. Damien has been catching these magnificent Tullaroop browns on mudeyes suspended under bubble floats.

CAIRN CURRAN RESERVOIR Cairn Curran – now that’s a place a lot of anglers haven’t heard about for a long time. I used to rate Cairn Curran Reservoir as one of my favourite trout waters, but over the last 10 years fishing reports have been fairly patchy, and the once awesome trout fishery is now just a memory. The reservoir unfortunately houses a large population of European carp, which has soured the fishing a lot and caused many of the anglers I know that used to fish the reservoir to give up. However, there is an upside to Cairn Curran; the Fisheries department, in consultation with anglers and angler groups and VR fishing, decided that the reservoir would become a mixed fishery and would release Murray cod, golden perch, and brown trout annually. Of course this would supplement the resident redfin population and the European carp. This mixed fishery initiative started back in 2011.

This is where things start to get a little interesting. A few anglers have always

targeted the redfin that reside in Cairn Curran and a few have chased the golden perch with mixed results. Recently, Colby Lesko, Scott Gray, Tim Lewis and the crew have targeted the yellas with unbelievable results. Yellas the size of dinner plates and footballs, the size of which you have to see to believe!

The biggest fish caught and released so far has been Colby’s 66cm, 7kg+ golden perch. The guys have fished from the rockier shores of the reservoir casting vibes and hardbodied lures. The most successful patterns have been accomplished with the use of Rapala Rippin Raps and Jackall TN 60s. Colby mentioned the guys have used plenty of scent on their lures, as well as a very slow retrieve during the sessions.

They’ve been blown away by the sheer size and quality of the yellowbelly, something that Cairn Curran hasn’t been renowned for, these yellowbelly could be the result of the initial stocking back in 2011.

LAKE WENDOUREE I’ve saved the best until last, as the fishing at Lake Wendouree at the moment is nothing short of sensational. Anglers fishing landbased, from boats, float tubes, Hobies, and kayaks have caught plenty of trout and redfin recently.

Lake Wendouree has had a bonus of just over 2000, 2 year old rainbow trout released into the lake for the Oceanic Fly Fishing

Another huge yellowbelly nailed on a Rapala Rippin Raps lure straight from the cool depths of Cairn Curran Reservoir by Tim Lewis.

Photo courtesy of Colby Lesko.

Championships. Some of these fish weigh over 1kg, and this adds to the annual stockings received from Fisheries and the Ballarat Fish Acclimatisation Society. You could say the lake is full of fish – it’s just a matter of extracting one, which is often easier than it sounds.

Jo Howe would have to be the keenest angler I have come across in a long time. Jo fishes mainly landbased nearly every

DAM LEVELS Lake/Dam % Full

Dam % Full

LAKE/DAM Mar Apr May Cairn Curran 28 26 24 Dartmouth 64 59 55 Eildon 56 52 52 Eppalock 39 36 35 Fyans 81 78 75 Greens 62 60 63 Hepburn 51 47 42 Hume 47 46 45 Lauriston 82 76 67 Malmsbury 31 29 44 Mulwala (Yarrawonga) 94 93 97

Newlyn 44 40 42 Nillahcootie 54 52 49 Rocklands 17 15 18 Taylors 19 33 51 Tullaroop 27 26 32 Upper Coliban 61 61 60 Waranga 12 23 40 Wartook 79 74 71 William Hovell 99 99 99

74

JANUARY 2016

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.

Jo Howe has caught some magnificent rainbow and brown trout specimens from Lake Wendouree on live mudeyes suspended under bubble floats.

Photo courtesy of Jo Howes.

day before work and after work – you name it, she’s out there, and boy can she catch them! Jo likes to fish with mudeyes suspended under bubble floats with the mudeye generally suspended about 2-3ft under the float. Jo makes sure her line is greased and fishes with the wind behind her back as this allows the float to cover plenty of water, and gives the mudeye every possible chance to drift past a feeding trout. Time of day doesn’t seem to matter at the moment as they are on the chew, but I personally believe you will catch more during the day if there is plenty of cloud cover. Steve Angee is another angler who has cleaned up catching trout on Wendouree. Steve has fished mudeyes under bubble floats with excellent results. His best fish of 4.5lb was taken recently on a bright sunny day.

John Portous and Brett Cirulis have targeted Lake Wendouree after dark, flyfishing to try and catch the mudeye feeding trout that can’t resist the temptation of a moving mudeye target.

John’s best recent fish was a 62cm brown that he caught on a mudeye pattern. Brett’s 64cm female brown on a Fur Fly was estimated to be around 6-7lb prior to release. The fishers have put in a lot of hours to catch the magnificent brown trout that cruise in around the shoreline under the cover of darkness in pursuit of one of their favourite food sources. The best nights to fish Wendouree are the dark nights or before the moon comes up, the trout seem to be a bit shy under a bright night sky.

FIND THE

LOGO COMPETITION There are 15

MAJOR PRIZES

MONTHLY PRIZES

Logos hidden throughout the pages of Fishing Monthly.

1

PLACE

Logo and page number, fill in the entry form and go in the draw to win!

The first 40 correct entries drawn at the end of the month will win a Shrimp Hook Pack.

All entries will go into the major prize draw.

(Drawn MAY 31, 2016)

2

3

4

5

VALUE OF WILSON PRODUCTS

400

$ ND

2 6

7

8

9

PLACE

VALUE OF WILSON PRODUCTS

200

$ RD

3

• Zerek 2” Live Shrimp Hook Pack • 1gm and 3 gm weighted worm hook/jig head • Value RRP: $11.95 each

www.wilsonfishing.com PAGE NO: 1

600

$ ST

Find the

PLACE

10

11

12

VALUE OF WILSON PRODUCTS

13

14

15

NAME ............................................................................................................

MAIL ENTRIES TO:

V&TFM Find the Zerek Logo Competition, PO BOX 3172, Loganholme QLD 4129 Entries must be received by 31 JANUARY 2016 Original entries only. No photocopies.

Images for illustration purposes only.

SUBURB .................................................................P/CODE ...........................

PHONE ..................................................................MOB ...............................

EMAIL ............................................................................................................

V&TFM JANUARY 2016

ADDRESS .......................................................................................................

JANUARY 2016

75

What’s the story, prawning glory BRISBANE

Bob Thornton

In all fishing, understanding the fish’s basics habits only gets you so far. Knowing what they eat is certainly another piece in the puzzle, but with predatory species, getting an insight into their prey will go a long way toward finding and ultimately catching more fish.

Without doubt, one of the most common prey items for fish in Australia and across the world is prawns. Almost all species will feed on one of the many members of this family of crustaceans at some point, with an incredible number of fish species choosing these as a staple to their diet. Even bluewater species like tuna, mackerel and marlin have been known to chow down on prawns as juveniles in sheltered waters.

Luckily for us, many lure companies, fly tiers and bait distributors bring a lot of prawns and prawn imitations into our world so we can capitalise on the habits of our quarry and catch more fish.

FIND THE PRAWNS Prawns are prolific all up and down our coast. In Queensland, we experience a run of prawns making their mad dash for the sea down rivers and inlets from about February. This usually last a few months, but the cycle changes slightly with each season.

In our southern waters, the start of summer sparks some incredible weeks of fun-filled nights. Those in the know will don a pair of waders, dust off the prawn

net, put some new batteries in the spotlight and head out into the estuaries in the hope of scooping up some tasty prawns.

Up in the freshwater, shrimps, the prawns of the fresh, will be active almost year round and while they sit under bankside structure and vegetation during the day, the night will prompt

and a bit of reconnaissance may be in order to find when and where the prawns are most active.

Making trips to the water at different stages of the tide and day, while time consuming, can really help narrow your search for predatory activity. If you’re lucky enough to stumble across fish chasing prawns,

Bass love to eat prawns and shrimps, so the Ecooda Live Shrimp rigged weedless and hopped through dense structure is a deadly presentation.

Luke Segalla knows estuary species love prawns and swears by the Squidgy Wild Prawn when peppering the snags in Hinchinbrook. them to mooch around in a search for scraps to sustain themselves. It’s during these dark hours that many shrimp will meet their doom.

In short, these little critters really are everywhere along our coast, but if you find exactly where they are in your local system, you’ll be able to target an area where the fish are eating prawns.

Each ecosystem is different,

slashing through the water while the prawns take to the air in an attempt to avoid hungry mouths, you know exactly where to fish.

THE REAL THING In an area where prawns are on the menu, sending a live, flicking prawn into a medley of splashes, or even just an area where you know fish are sitting is a method that seldom fails.

But it’s getting your hands on this premium bait that

Adding weight to your prawn imitation will aid casting distance and sink rate, which is perfect for working deep snags.

76

JANUARY 2016

can present a challenge.

Dead prawn baits will catch fish, as almost anyone who has held a rod in their hands will know! Packet prawn is really the entry level for a lot of anglers around Australia, and their certainly was a time when I would ride my push bike down to the nearest water’s edge and soak packet

prawn for some bread and butter species. But by far the best prawn bait is some fresh, and preferably live and kicking!

In Queensland, where cast and drag nets are legal, getting a handful of prawns is fairly straight forward.

In our southern states and non-tidal freshwaters, where cast and drag nets are not permitted, anglers have to be a bit creative.

A common method of collecting live prawns is to set baited traps that comply with regulations. These are particularly effective in freshwater.

Down south, using waders, scoop nets and spotlights is a great balance of effectiveness and fun, and is particularly favoured when children are involved.

How you rig these baits depends on the application and personal preference. As a general rule, if you plan to fish them as live bait, passing the hook through the tail, well away from the organs around the head, is a sure way to keep the prawn kicking and sending out good vibrations.

If you can see the fish that you want to catch chasing prawns on the surface, it’s sensible to fish with as little added weight as you can get away with.

It’s important to keep in mind though, that added weight will aid casting

King threadfin are notorious prawn eaters, but can be very fickle when they’re tuned in to a certain bait type.

A bit of thinking outside the box with a squid jig from Lachlan Hickey resulted in this chunky little thready. distance. If you can’t reach the madness with your cast, you may need to up the weight. It can be a difficult balance to find, but ultimately the fish will let you know when you’ve found it.

Fishing with floats is fantastic when you want to hold the bait in a productive area. A suspended prawn or shrimp hovering naturally in the face of a hungry fish is about as deadly as techniques come. Some of my best childhood memories involve setting little baited traps at night, harvesting the shrimp the next morning, before rigging them under a wagler float and peppering the snags for bass. I still remember every nerve ending tingling in anticipation, just waiting for that float to be ripped beneath the surface.

In my search for shrimpcrunching river bass, often I’d only be able to gather

really small shrimp, but there was a solution. By taking around 3-4 little shrimp and cramming them on a hook together, I was able to craft the perfect little mouthful for a hungry bass. It looked a bit silly but the bass didn’t mind!

THE IMITATION GAME Even after many years, artificial prawn imitations are still swum by the most seasoned anglers and account for plenty of trophy fish. From the early imitations such as Prawnstars and Deception Lures (which I still use today), to the more recent additions like Zerek Live Shrimps and Squidgy Wild Prawns, it seems the search to find a perfect imitation is never-ending.

Apart from being a very exciting way to fish, a live prawn or shrimp imitation has a few pros over actual live bait. First and foremost is that time isn’t spent trying to gather live bait,

and instead a single lure can be fished all day.

Secondly, being a lure designed for casting makes getting it to likely areas a whole lot easier.

Where an unweighted live prawn might only cast a few metres, an unweighted soft plastic prawn imitation is designed to cast far and sink slow, which enables an

idea to let it sink back down into the ‘zone’. For species like bass, trout, mangrove jack, barramundi and estuary cod especially, I like to give 3-4 little flicks, and then let it fall, repeating this process until the retrieve is over.

There are species that are more receptive to aggressive movements of the lure. Species such as

Another positive is that many prawn imitations now come in weedless configurations, and these lures can be fished far up into the danger zone. Fishing weedless prawn imitations right into structure is a way to reach fish that were previously unreachable and has revolutionised fishing. On a recent trip to

GT spend their adult life on offshore reefs eating other pelagic species, sometimes up to 50cm long, but they’re quite happy to munch prawns as juveniles in the estuary.

Nothing seems to mimic the darting, fleeing action of a prawn quite like a squid jig – the squid seem to agree.

along our east coast, and this should continue for a few months. Every system has its subtleties and the prawns won’t always run like clockwork. Anglers who make an effort to gain an understanding of the prawns and predators in their area will see some

exciting fishing in the months to come, whether they fish with lures, baits or flies.

Prawns are one of the most prolific bait sources in any inshore and fresh waters and the tackle industry had done wonders for anglers all around the

world wanting to catch or imitate these flighty little flickers.

So make sure you soak a livey, cast a prawn plastic or flick a fly into the realm of some prawneating predators. You may find yourself hooked into a fish of a lifetime.

ackle t h c u m Is too ugh? o n e y l r a pdates on not ne

for daily u tackle, junkie.fish le k c ta st fishing it is te V a re g s. d n a ccessorie the latest ear and a boating g

for • Sign up s! te a upd

Even the author’s old man, after 40+ years of luring for bass, still enjoys a bit of shrimp under a float action on the bass. angler to reach feeding fish in the distance.

Thirdly, the action is imparted by the angler and can be tailored to what the fish want. Trying this with live bait would result in the bait dying prematurely or falling off the hook.

Some anglers like to employ small, subtle flicks to the lure to imitate a disoriented little critter that’s not up to speed with what’s going on, and this is the most common approach when working snags.

Between flicks, it’s a good

flathead, schooling bass, snapper, mulloway and other fish closely associated with the bottom of the water column.

Finally, species that feed close to the surface such as tuna, mackerel, kingfish, bonito and cobia will usually enjoy a fast-paced retrieve. When prawns are being chased they can really get a move on! Don’t be afraid to really crank that imitation back to the rod tip if you can see prawns under attack and fleeing off in every direction.

Hinchinbrook Island fishing the many mangrove creeks for barra, mangrove jack, trevally and a host of other northern by-catch, weedless prawns saved us when the tide got too high. As the tide rose, the fish retreated back into the mangroves and our weedless prawn presentations allowed us to hit the areas where other lures and baits would have become stuck.

EARLY IN THE PRAWNING This month, prawns are starting their annual run all

• New products • Reviews • Videos www.tacklejunkie.fish Fishing Monthly Magazines

JANUARY 2016

77

Team Berkley win, breaming with confidence VIC BREAM CLASSIC

Bill Hartshorne

The weekend of the 28-29 November 2015 saw 49 of the best bream teams Australia has to offer head to Million Dollar Metung for the 2015 Atomic Bream Classic Grand Final. A new opportunity saw five of the top bream teams from Tasmania make the trip across Bass Strait to take on the Victorians in their own backyard.

The feeling from the briefing on Friday night was that the fishing was patchy with some good fish around but they were very few and far between. Getting a consistent two day bite would be the key to taking out the tournament.

For event winner Team Berkley’s Brad and Mike Hodges, their signature Gippsland Lakes strategy and fishing location was locked in well before the event started.

Metung is a place that has been very kind to Brad and Mike over the years, so their two day assault took place down towards Lakes Entrance.

DAY ONE On day one anglers were greeted with great conditions,

little wind and clear skies, made the long runs to various locations on the Gippsland Lakes an option. For Team Berkley it was straight down to their regular location in the hunt to fill a bag as quickly as possible. Using a combination of Berkley Emotion 6’10” 2-4kg and Abu Garcia Salty Stage light casting 6’10”, 1-3kg rods matched to Abu Garcia Revo S20 reels spooled with Berkley Nanofil 6lb and Berkley Sensei 4lb leaders, the boys set about working a range of structure down towards Lakes Entrance including jetties, boat hulls, shallow flats and timber snags.

“We started our tournament fishing a handful of jetties and moored boats with a Berkley 3” Nemesis in camo lightly rigged on a 1/32oz Nitro jighead. After missing a couple of bites we had a good start picking up a solid 900g bream and a couple of barely legal fish, and then we pushed deeper in the system. As we began to work the shallow banks we changed lures from plastics to hardbodies, mainly the Berkley 3B puppydog. The approach was so we could slowly and accurately work

the timber structure and we slowly but consistently filled our bag and began upgrading.

“Just before 12pm Mike landed a fish that was pushing 1kg and after this upgrade we decided that managing our fish for day two was probably more important than trying for more upgrades. Our bag was a fair bit lighter than we thought and we were 1.1kg behind the top two teams – leaving a huge amount of work to do on day RESULTS

Place Team Fish Weight(kg) 1 Berkley 10/10 9.11 2 Blue Lip Battlers 10/10 8.90 3 Minn Kota 10/10 8.39 4 Fill’n The Well 10/10 8.27 5 Edge Bite 9/10 7.87 6 Pier Mafia Productions 10/10 6.90 7 Humminbird 6/10 6.46 8 Lowrance HDS 8/10 6.21 9 Colac Tackle - Major Craft 6/10 6.08 10 JML Anglers Alliance 7/10 5.90 two,” Brad said.

A fair bit of work to do wasn’t far from the truth as some great bags of bream were weighed in on day one. The standout bag was the Maria Lures Best Bag for the weekend, which was a cracking 5/5 bream for 5.56kg weighed in by Team

The top three place-getters pose for the camera: 3rd place Team Minn Kota, Cameron Whittam and Warren Carter; 2nd place Team Blue Lip Battlers, Dylan Pace and Ben Malouf; 1st place Team Berkley, Brad and Mike Hodges.

78

JANUARY 2016

Humminbird’s Shaun Clancy and Jarrod Healy. The boys found a frantic bite at the mouth of the Tambo River with only one hour remaining on day one.

With a few bags over 5kg and a number in the high 4kg range weighed in on day one, Team Berkley’s bag of 5/5 bream for 4.43kg had them sitting in 7th place and their honey-hole would have to produce its best on day two

for them to have a chance.

The JML Anglers Alliance Big Bream was smashed on day one when Team JML Anglers Alliance Daniel Kent and Phil Partington weighed in a cracking bream of 1.72kg that found the Ecogear CX40 irresistible.

DAY TWO Day two had many of the top teams scratching their heads at the start line not sure where to focus their fishing, as they fell very short on day one. With heavy cloud cover and a slight breeze, anglers had high hopes of the fish coming on the bite more freely today. For Team Berkley their initial thoughts were that the changing conditions would suit the rest of the field but not them.

“We headed straight back to the jetties and moored boats from day one and once again worked the lightly weighted Berkley 3” Nemesis. Time passed extremely quickly in

Brad and Mike Hodges display some of the bream from their day two bag that secured them the 2015 Atomic Bream Classic Grand Final win. the morning and before we knew it, it was 8.30am and we only had one fish at 32cm in the well. I made a comment to dad that if we had this fish at the end of the day we would be in trouble, thinking that we would fall out of the top 10.

“With big fish on our minds we continued to comb the structure, bites came consistently and the next four fish were boated. Our five fish bag would have weighed a dismal 2.2kg and that first fish of the day was our biggest; things were not looking good. We made a move into a small bay, which in the end set up our victory.

We boated four upgrades with each fish between 900g and 1kg. But we still had that 32cm fish and I was pretty keen to upgrade him.

“After working a fallen tree over with a puppydog for no result, I grabbed the 3” Nemesis and worked through the branches. This change in technique worked and I hooked a solid fish that I thought was every bit of 1kg. I had wrestled him into open water only to have the hook fall out just metres from the boat. Time was running out but as luck would have it, a quick stop just before it was time to leave produced

the last upgrade that we were looking for. Feeling as though we had another solid bag we left hoping to make the top five,” said Brad.

The final day’s weigh in was a huge roller coaster with some of the top five teams falling short in finding the fish on day two and slipping down the leader board, which then opened the door for a few lower placed teams to charge home. As Brad approached the scales and heard about those teams above him falling short the nerves started to build.

The main team now in his way was Team The Blue Lip Battlers who were sitting in sixth place overnight, but had produced a great day two bag of 5/5 bream for 4.44kg, giving them the lead.

As Team Berkley’s bag hit the scales they shot up past 4kg settling on 4.68kg. A quick calculation saw them steal victory by 210g and be crowned the 2015 Atomic Bream Classic champions.

The 2016 Atomic Bream Classic Series will kick off with Round 1 at Marlo for the Maria Lures Sunline Bream Classic. For all the details visit www.vicbreamclassics. com.au or call Tournament Director Bill Hartshorne on Mobile: 0409 823 070.

Built to perform.

Built to last.

More Power, Performance and Reliability – Insist on Mercury MerCruiser.

SHEPPARTON

DROMANA

BOATS & MORE

LEISURE SPORT MARINE

EAST GIPPSLAND

SORRENTO

BLUEWATER MARINE CENTRE

NAUTICAL MARINE

ECHUCA

MORNINGTON

EADES XTREME MARINE

WES FROST MARINE

207 NUMURKAH ROAD SHEPPARTON Phone: 03 5822 2108 Email: sryan@boatsandmore.com.au Website: boatsandmore.com.au

35 SLIP ROAD PAYNESVILLE Phone: 03 5156 6613 Email: manager@bluewatermarinecentre.com.au Website: bluewatermarinecentre.com.au

24 STURT STREET ECHUCA Phone: 03 5482 2333 Email: info@xtrememarine.net.au Website: xtrememarine.net.au

42 BRASSER AVE, DROMANA Phone: 03 5981 9400 Email: info@leisuresportmarine.com Website: leisuresportsmarine.com

See your authorised Mercury MerCruiser Dealer today.

139-141 HOTHAM STREET SORRENTO Phone: 03 5984 1666 Email: nautical@surf.com.au Website: nauticalmarine.com.au

3 SATU WAY MORNINGTON Phone: 03 5976 4622 Email: sales@wesfrostmarine.com Website: wesfrostmarine.com.au

JANUARY 2016

79

2015 Shimano ‘Reel it in’ Flathead Challenge Road trips began as early as a week before. From Geelong in the south, as far as Rockhampton in the north, teams of fishers converged on the picturesque town of Mallacoota for Victoria’s premier flathead weekend.

The annual Shimano ‘Reel it in’ Flathead Challenge was held on the weekend of 14-15 November in 2015 and brought great excitement to the township of Mallacoota, with 54 teams and 154 anglers keen and ready to go. Only 5 teams were local.

TOP 10 RESULTS Team Name................................... Points Scored Lizard Tamer................................................... 1045 Duffrods...........................................................990 Dusky Busters..................................................981 Tsuribaka Tackle...............................................968 Hooked on Plastics..........................................958 Samurai Megabass...........................................954 Shanghai Dusky Hunters..................................952 Voss Motors.....................................................951 The Crusty Crab...............................................938 Team G.............................................................936

The local eateries were doing a great trade and the hotel was buzzing – definitely the place to be for a good yarn and a couple of frothy beers.

After the complete wash out on the Sunday of 2014, and some soaking mid-week rain, the teams closely monitored the weather forecast hoping for better conditions. The weather was looking pretty good for the weekend. But the downpour in the middle of the week would end up having the greatest effect on the fishing and results.

Those that braved the conditions on those two mid-week days were rewarded with some great fishing. Flathead over 60cm were caught readily and

James Currie with the biggest fish on Day 1. This big beautiful girl went 83.5cm.

Flathead needed to be clearly photographed on the 2015 flathead challenge bragmat with keytag visible. anticipation for the weekend heightened. Despite the rain, the water clarity remained fairly good, even up around Gypsy Point and Cape Horn.

But the two main arteries of Mallacoota Inlet, the Genoa and Wallagarugh Rivers were carrying plenty of fresh water that would soon change this. Friday evening

Glorious conditions greeted anglers on Saturday morning. at the Mallacoota Hotel saw the briefing take place, and anglers were able to grab their bag of goodies that included jigheads, Squidgies, their 2015 shirts and most importantly the bragmat they would have to use over the weekend.

DAY ONE Saturday morning after a quick coffee and toasted sandwich from the local cafe that was kind enough to open their doors early for the event, punters were greeted with glorious sunshine and light winds upon reaching the Karbethong ramp. Teams were keen and launched their boats up to 90 minutes before the scheduled start. Once all teams were ready, the 54 boats were released in a safe sequence and raced off to hit their favourite spots, take advantage of the light winds, and get started on catching their 10 fish limit.

An incredible number of fish were caught and released on this day, but it seemed that 95% of them were between 32-45cm. Teams that put their hopes on heading upstream to areas like Cape Horn, that had fished so well earlier in the week, were greeted with water that had lost that beautiful tannin colour and now resembled the coffee they’d had with breakfast! The water temperature had dropped almost 2°C and it seemed that the better fish were sulking and not interested in a meal of any kind.

The organiser’s boat, which also had a film crew on board from Kaydo Fishing World and Shimano representative Leroy Horton, were out having a casual fish, but more importantly waiting for a phone call that someone had at last landed a better

On one of the toughest days to find bigger fish, Davide Corio managed a 70cm model that was the biggest fish on Day 2.

Winners are grinners. The Lizard Tamer team seem pretty happy with the victory! fish – but it was a long wait.

At last, around 3pm the phone rang. James Currie from the team Lizard Tamer had found

an 83.5cm flathead right up the back of Fairhaven. After much yahooing, filming and photographing, the big

RESULTS Biggest Fish................. Angler..............Length (cm) Day 1........................ James Currie..................... 83.5 Day 2........................ Davide Corio......................... 70 Biggest bream ............Steve Duff........................... 44

2015 SHIMANO ‘REEL IT IN’ FLATHEAD CHALLENGE RULES AND REGULATIONS 1 2 3 4 5 6 80

JANUARY 2016

Fishing times from 7:30am-4pm Saturday and Sunday.

Lures only. No bait but scent allowed.

Each team’s longest 10 fish over both days will count.

2 points are awarded per cm measured. (Eg: 45.5cm = 91 points) Each fish must be photographed live on the 2015 Shimano ‘Reel it in’ bragmat with tag clearly visible.

Photos judged each night at the Mallacoota hotel from 5pm.

breeder was released. This fish was the only 80cm+ for the day.

Only 2 other fish pipped the 70cm mark, and not one fish between 60-69cm was caught. Some of the best flathead anglers in the land were left scratching their heads and hoping for an improvement on the Sunday.

Saturday from 5pm back at the headquarters (the hotel), photographs were viewed and lengths tallied.

Team McGrath Lures found themselves on top after Day one with a solid bag of

mid to high 40s fish, plus a couple of 50s thrown in, but it was Team Lizard Tamer sitting in second place that looked like the team to beat with that 83.5cm in their bag and some smaller fish that could be easily upgraded.

DAY TWO With most teams entering 10 fish on the Saturday, Sunday was all about upgrades. Upgrading would prove to be a hard task as the fresh water that had dirtied up the rivers had now been pushed right down into the bottom lake. This in turn

pushed many teams down into the main channel not far from the entrance, but while decent numbers were landed here, the big girls were still not playing the game.

Team Duffrods had other ideas. Languishing in 29th place after Day 1, the boys used ultra light gear like 3lb straight through connected to small hardbodies and blades, and headed into the bays of Double Creek arm where the dirty water hadn’t penetrated as much yet and where the water temperature was up a bit. This proved a winning

A bounty of prizes was on display from some great companies – an irresistible incentive to chase those big girls. A Shimano Stella was awarded to each member of the winning team.

move as the boys landed 3 fish in the mid 50s and a nice 65.5cm kicker that shot them up the leader board.

But would it be enough?

Day 1 leaders, McGrath Lures were struggling to find upgrades, as were most teams. But there was one angler that had other ideas.

That angler was James Currie from Lizard Tamer, and like a spicy vindaloo, Currie was on fire! With three 50cm+ upgrades for the day, James ended up with 6 of his team’s top 10 fish which included the biggest fish of

the weekend at 83.5cm. This was enough to secure the win for his team ahead of Team Duffrods, who finished a strong 2nd place.

The Lizard Tamers celebrated the weekend taking home almost $9000 worth of prizes, including a Shimano Stella FI 2000 each from major sponsor Shimano.

A boat wrap from Form a Sign and some awesome gear from Tonic Eyewear, Nitro Rods, BCF, PFD Australia, Pirtek and Lowrance.

Other sponsors of the event included Kaydo Fishing

World, Jigman, Pelican Petes/Caltex, Beachcomer Caravan Park, Kingston Trophies, Sax Scent and the Mallacoota Hotel.

Anglers dug deep into their pockets for charity over the weekend raising over $2000 for Beyond Blue which helps many suffering from anxiety and depression, a truly great cause.

Well done everyone! All had a magnificent weekend at Mallacoota, and already teams are looking forward to the 2016 challenge.

– Scott Wakefield

A huge turn out saw the competiton remembered as a massive success.

SW Anglers Association Albury-Wodonga Classic Following the success of the inaugural event in early 2015, the SWAA are again hosting the SWAA Albury – Wodonga River Classic on Saturday 7 March 2016. The event will again be held on the Murray River from the Lake Hume wall, downstream to the junction of the Wodonga Creek and the Murray River.

Fishing can be both boat and bank-based with plenty of opportunities for both forms of fishing in this

part of the river.

The registration and presentation point will again be St Ives on The Causeway.

The registration desk will be manned on the Thursday and Friday, as well as all day on the Saturday of the event. St Ives Hotel complex is ideally placed on the causeway between Albury and Wodonga and has the mighty Murray flowing just outside the back door.

The Classic is not like most fishing competitions in that the organisers have avoided the big ticket prizes

such as boats and motors, but have instead focused on the family friendly theme of holiday packages and a wide array of items that would interest Mum, Dad and the kids.

However, in saying that, the fishing tragic is not forgotten with some great prizes from our sponsors such as TBS Marine, BCF and most of the local tackle and camping businesses in Albury Wodonga.

Entry costs are being kept to a minimum with a single adult competitor entry

priced at $25, juniors $10, and best of all, a family group for just $50. Grandparents are also welcome, as long as they have the kids in tow.

All junior entrants will receive a show bag with some interesting items included.

An added bonus for the kids this year will be the opportunity to get some fishing instruction on the morning of the event.

Fishcare Volunteers will conduct two clinics on the Saturday morning for any junior entrants aged between 8-14. They will then have

the opportunity to take their newfound skills down to the river, put them to the test and perhaps win one of the many and varied prizes that will be on offer.

A secret length determines all prize categories and both released fish as well as those that can legally be kept will be considered equally.

A major prize will be awarded to a lucky entrant so all you have to do is enter to be in the mix. A major raffle will also be conducted in conjunction with the Classic and will be drawn at

the presentation. The main prize for that raffle will be an Engel Fridge/Freezer with some minor prizes still to be decided.

Posters will be in all the windows in Albury and Wodonga in the very near future and information can also be found on the SWAA website at www. s o u t h w e s t a n g l e r s . o rg . au. We can also be found on Facebook.

You can also call Budgie or Anne-Marie on 0427 315 249.

- Steven Malcolm

2016 NAB Shipwreck Coast Fishing Classic After 30 years we have finally done it! National Australia Bank has come on board to be the first naming rights sponsor of the Shipwreck Coast Fishing Classic! This is a wonderful initiative by the NAB, and we welcome their support of our event.

Held from 12-20 March 2016, this comp will be huge! It will use the same format as previous years with over $60,000 in prizes and give-aways up for grabs. The main prize is

an Anglapro boat, Suzuki motor and Ezy Tow Trailer worth over $20,000. This awesome prize is a random draw for all entrants - you only have to be registered to win it!

The eligible species list will be much the same as previous years, including everything from trout and bream, snapper and sweep, to kingfish, game sharks and tuna. Photo submissions will be an option for most species, allowing catch and release if desired.

The sustainable fishing exhibit will be featuring again on presentation day.

We have many exhibitors lined up to provide information on responsible fishing and sustainable

management of our natural aquatic resources. This will also include a return of the photographic competition, which was a massive hit at the last event!

Presentation day will be

run from 11am on Sunday 20 March at the Warrnambool Breakwater Carpark. Loads of prizes and giveaways will be had – especially for the kids.

We could not hold this event if it were not for our sponsors. Platinum sponsors for 2016 include NAB, MAKO, Gamakatsu, Atomic, Ludeman Real Estate, Richardson Marine, Warrnambool Toyota, Selecta-Snack Vending, Mens Hair Room, Birmingham Septic Services, BP One Stop, Glenelg Hopkins CMA,

RA Slater Engineering, Warrnambool City Council, The Midfield Group, IFish, Cassign, South West Conveyancing, AusDent, Umhauers, and Jacks Lures.

Massive thanks to all our sponsors who are helping make this event bigger and better each year.

Entry is $5 for kids and $30 for adults. Google ‘Shipwreck Coast Fishing Classic’ for the full comp details. We hope to see you there!

- Ben Pohlner JANUARY 2016

81

Carruthers crabs to take win CE 1ST PLA

A new Grand Final champion was crowned in November with Nowra’s Liam Carruthers storming through from 6th place on the final day to claim victory in the biggest event on the ABT BREAM calendar, the Berkley BREAM Grand Final, 6-8 November.

With limited Clarence River experience and only a successful Thursday prefish to guide him, Carruthers started off on Day One fishing one of his successful prefish locations, Middle Reef.

“I caught some good fish there on Thursday, and it didn’t take much to get them to bite, but by 10:30am on Day One we only had one fish for our efforts,” Carruthers said.

With a less than ideal start, Carruthers moved and headed to perhaps the most well known location on the Clarence: Browns Rocks. He had a mark in his GPS from the day before, and despite Browns having plenty of people on it, there was no one near his mark.

It didn’t take long for Liam to find the fish, and within 10 minutes he picked up a 35cm bream. That fish was the start of a string of fish with Carruthers and his co-angler, Simon Johnson, filling their limit, as they upgraded and were busted off by big fish multiple times throughout

the session. Curruthers’ technique involved casting a heavy Cranka Crab upcurrent then drifting it down with the tide so it hit the rocky bottom and associated current eddies in about 14-17ft of water.

“That was the key working depth, as the fish held there in eddies intercepting food as it was flushed down with the current,” Liam explained.

Carruthers would feel the Cranka Crab bump its way along the bottom, and give the lure the occasional small twitch. That was when most fish crunched the lure.

Sitting in 10th place at the end of Day One, Carruthers returned to Browns Rocks at the start of Day Two and picked up where he left off.

said. “The nerves had started to take hold, so I recomposed myself and focused on catching some larger upgrades.”

A few bust-offs frustrated the situation, but Carruthers soon calmed down and added a solid 35cm to his limit. A couple more bustoffs followed, but despite that Carruthers weighed in a 2.95kg limit to land in 6th place heading into the third and final day.

“I didn’t sleep much the night before the final day,” he said. “The thoughts of what might happen kept running through my head. There was always the chance that I could catch a big bag to run down the leader, but I knew the reality was more likely

Liam Carruthers now adds his name to BREAM Grand Final shield thanks to his victory in the Berkley BREAM Grand Final on the Clarence River.

His first cast resulted in a legal, and his non-boater Taigan Heath soon followed with a legal on his first cast. More fish followed, and by 8.30am the pair had their limit.

“It’s exciting when you get your limit early,” Carruthers

a top ten finish. I resigned myself to this, and my focus as we headed off on the final morning was to simply catch my bag and finish in the ten.”

Hitting Browns again, the action was a little slow, albeit the fish a little bigger, and

by 10.30am Carruthers and his non-boater Alex Franchuk had their bag. The gun lure once again was the heavy Cranka Crab.

“It was a lot harder going on the final day with the weather and rain making it hard to hold position with the electric motor. By 1pm my electric motor batteries were just about dead. I said to Alex let’s do one more run and see if we can get a final kicker’.”

Not far into the final drift, a twitch of his Cranka Crab saw Liam tight to a big fish.

An heroic battle followed and a 37.5cm fish was soon added to the livewell. Alex followed this performance with another upgrade, a 35cm bream that bumped their bag into true contender status.

“We were jumping out of our skin when we caught those two fish and the high we were on as we were driving back to the weigh-in was like nothing I’d ever felt before.”

Carruthers hit the stage mid-way through the weigh-in and threw the gauntlet down to his challengers, weighing in 3.75kg to charge into the lead, seeing off multiple challengers until only Day Two leader Chris Britton stood in the way of victory. The standout angler on the first two days, Britton struggled to find the fish he needed on the final day, weighing in a 2.44kg limit to fall 60g short, and hand Carruthers the tournament win.

“To win a BREAM Grand Final and do it by weighing in your biggest limit for the tournament on the final day is the stuff of dreams. It’s a memory and achievement that I will cherish for ever.”

Cranka Crab

Drift lure down

STORM

14 feet

VENTAFISH®

Twitches

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

82

JANUARY 2016

Current

Rock bottom

17 feet

Britton stumbles to finish in second CE 2ND PLA

Brisbane’s Chris Britton narrowly fell short of claiming victory on the Clarence with the Berkley BREAM Pro stumbling on the final day to hand victory to Carruthers. Leading the field out on the final day, Britton weighed in his lightest bag (2.44kg) for the tournament on Day Three, a limit that was 1.31kg lighter than Carruthers’ bag.

Fishing a combination of locations for the tournament, Britton started Day One at Collis Wall pitching crab profile lures onto the wall and drifting down the slope of the wall into 30ft+ of water.

The first cast produced a 30cm fish and a string of fish followed for an hour.

“While I caught a couple of fish high on the wall most came down deep as the lure sat slack on the bottom,” explained Britton.

After picking up his

limit and a few upgrades, Britton moved to Middle Wall in search of upgrades.

Catching only small fish he then moved again, this time hitting Browns Rocks for the last hour of the session. A big fish found its freedom after rubbing through the line,

Berkley BREAM Pro Chris Britton narrowly missed out on the win, finishing second to Carruthers.

and despite this last minute attempt failing, Britton weighed in a 3.21kg limit which put him in in the top three heading into Day Two. Collis Wallis beckoned again on the start of Day Two, and with the tide an hour later the bite took longer to kick into gear.

“We moved up and down the wall, and while the numbers of fish were down, the quality was up, with four of the five fish in our limit over 30cm.”

Britton’s non-boater Aaron Clifton added a 38cm fork length fish to their limit 1.5 hours into the session, and half an hour later decided to move location and rest Collis Wall for the 3rd and final session.

Hitting Middle Wall and a series of spots between Maclean and Yamba, the pair picked up few more fish, no upgrades however, before

BREAM

returning to the weigh-in to deliver the biggest limit for the day to the scales, an impressive 3.82kg.

Leading out the field on the final morning Britton once again headed straight to Collis Wall. An hour in and with no fish in the well Britton was starting to get a little nervous.

“I wasn’t sure if the bite was being driven by tide or time, but not long after the first hour the first fish came,” explained Britton.

While smaller (28cm) than the fish of the first two days, it was a start, and was soon followed by the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th fish of his limit.

“The last fish for the limit was only 25cm and we had nothing bigger than 30cm.

We had to bucket fill and add an aerator as the livewell didn’t want to work, and that didn’t make for a great start.”

Presente SERIES d by Berk ley

A couple of missed upgrades from fish rubbing them off soon followed and Britton and his non-boater Shaun Egan moved location and headed to Middle Wall.

The move paid dividends with three bites producing two upgrades. After a couple more drifts on Middle Wall, they moved back to Collis Wall hopeful of a couple more upgrades.

Their thinking was spot on, and while Britton and Egan got the two big bites they were looking for they rubbed off on the rocky bottom below.

“When we lost both those fish I had the feeling that I’d just lost the Grand Final,” explained Britton. Britton’s gut feeling right and his 2.44kg limit fell just short of claiming him the win.

Egan powers through to achieve final victory “We got dusted by a few fish as soon as we got there but we eventually boated a 40 and 35cm,” explained Egan.

-BOATER 1ST NON

Newcastle’s Shaun Egan claimed victory in the non-boater division with the 40-year-old breamer securing a wire-to-wire victory. Fishing with Tom Slater on Day One Egan fished the North Wall using a deepwater Cranka Crab to catch his fish.

“I got off to a flying start, we picked up a 35cm and a 31cm in the first dozen casts, and over the next hour we picked up two 27cm and a 28cm,” explained Egan.

With the wall starting to slow, the pair moved to Browns Rocks and it was here that they struck gold, catching 25-30 fish in around four hours. With the clock ticking, and the need for more upgrades foremost in their mind, they returned to Middle Wall, timing their return with the tide change and a bite window.

and over the next two hours filled their limit with a bag of quality fish. The pair then fished a series of locations including Middle

Shaun Egan secured the non-boater crown thanks to quality fish like this.

The kicker fish they needed bumped their bag to over four kilos (4.18kg) and had both Tom and Shaun sitting in the number one spot heading into Day Two. Partnered with Matt Finney on Day Two the pair hit Collis Wall first

Wall and Browns Rocks before finishing off their session in the canals. The pair weighed in a 2.88kg limit and once again it was the heavy Cranka Crab that did the damage.

With the leading boater paired with the leading

non-boater on day three Egan headed off from the start line on the final day with Chris Britton excited about what lay ahead.

“We went to Collis Wall first and it took a while to put a fish in the well. We then picked up a few and at around 10.15am we caught the 5th fish of our limit. We then moved to Middle Wall and picked up two upgrades,” explained Egan.

With the weather changing for the worse, the pair headed to Browns Rocks, Middle Walls, then returned to Collis Wall in search of the big bites they needed to bump up their overall weight.

It was on their final run on Collis that they both hooked up on the fish that they were looking for, but unfortunately both fish found freedom.

“We both wondered whether those fish would cost us at the end of the day,” explained Egan. The lost fish ultimately cost Britton the win, but for Egan their 2.44kg limit was just enough to deliver him the win.

The winning technique for Egan involved a Cranka Crab drifted with the current

TOP 10 BOATERS

run; it’s the best tournament series in the country. For any fisherman out there that wants to get into tournament fishing on an individual basis, the ABT Boater or non-boater divisions is the place to start.”

ABT would like to thank all sponsors, anglers and stakeholders for the 2015 Berkley BREAM Series.

For dates and details on the 2016 BREAM Series visit www.abt.org.au.

WINNING NOTES

Winning Tackle

Rod: 1-4kg, 7’, Duffrods Line: Berkley Fireline Leader: 5lb Sunline FC Rock leader Reel: Daiwa Luvias and Shimano Soare Lure: Heavy Cranka Crab in cockle, brown, olive and spotted colours

Winning Edge

A lack of experience on the Clarence was no liability to Carruthers with the Grand Final champion keying in on the winning location, technique, and lure during the prefish the day before the event.

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15

9.53 9.47 9.21 8.93 8.87 8.46 8.26 8.11 8.05 8.05

Liam CARRUTHERS Chris BRITTON Tristan TAYLOR Peter MACOR Matthew FINNEY Kristoffer HICKSON Simon SCZEPANIAK Steve GILL Warren CARTER Warwick LYNDON

and drawn and dragged across the rocky bottom.

“If you felt a fish touch the lure you either dragged or slow rolled the lure to set the hook,” explained Egan. Post victory, Egan was thankful to many for his win.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank my three Boaters for the Grand Final: Tom Slater, Matthew Finney and Chris Britton. I would also like to thank the ABT for the tournament series they

Payout

Mercury 115hp Motorguide prize Berkley prize Sponsors prize pack Sponsors prize pack

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

Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15

9.50 9.47 9.42 8.76 8.75 8.30 8.10 7.95 7.95 7.95

Shaun EGAN Alex FRANCHUK Aaron CLIFTON Luke VANBRANDWYK Richard PATTERSON Bernard KONG Brendan HERDEN Clint VOSS Simon JOHNSON Angus CHANDLER

Payout

Mercury 60hp Berkley prize Motorguide prize Sponsors prize pack Sponsors prize pack

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au JANUARY 2016

83

SURF LIFE SAVING FUN PAGE NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

NEW BOAT

LESS WORK

CANOEING

CAMPING

HOLIDAYS

GETAWAY

ROAD TRIP

SWEAR JAR

PHOTOS

HIKING

GEAR

MATES

BUSH WALKING

CATALOGUE

EXERCISE

FLY FISHING

PERSONAL BEST

RODS

FLY TYING

TIME

REELS

REPLACING

KAYAKING

LURES

Win a prize pack from Surf Life Saving Sunscreen. Save your skin and save the fish…so there are more for you to catch!

Name: Address:

P/Code:

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win the prize pack.

SEND ENTRIES TO: VIC Find-a-word Competition, PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

VIC JANUARY 2016

Phone (day):

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to Anthony Darker of Daylesford, who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition!

Monthly winners receive a Surf Lifesaving prize pack.

Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – V&TFM

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

BITE ME by Trisha Mason

The subscriber prize winner for November was G Buck of Craigieburn, who won a Zerek Innovation prize pack valued at $316.

All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – VTFM

MAJOR SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The major subscriber prize winners who each won a Berkley prize pack were: 1st ($600) J Sullivan of Georgetown; 2nd ($400) J Collier of Smythes Creek; 3rd ($200) H Skeer of Millicent.

All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – VTFM

FIND THE BERKLEY LOGO

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

2 84

• DECEMBER JANUARY 2016 2010

November locations: 8, 14, 21, 31, 41, 44, 48, 53, 57, 60, 66, 81, 82, 94, 97. – VTFM The Find the Berkley logo prize winners for November were: C Cios of Myrtleford, T Gamble of Narre Warren, T Sowter of Rosebud, J Drummond of Moe, J Killian of Briar hill, P Geale of Georgetown, P Pezos of Clarinda, M Fryer of Balwyn North, B Meaney of Tungamah, J Collier of Smythescreer, R Leathers of Romsey, F Oleszko of Braybrook , J Williams of Cranbourne Nth, B Reeves of Burnie, F Weber of Corack East, B Stokes of Morwell, A Rudkovsky of Sunshine West, L Milkins of Wonthaggi, J Laszczyk of Newborough, T Darker of Daylesford, H Skeer of Millicent , W Fearnhead of Skipton, J Monument of Great Western, G Parfett of Horsham, D Parry of Stawell, D Symons of White Hills , G Bonner of Goragulac, D Robinson of Carsbrook, W Chapman of Pomonal, T Hodgkinson of Kyabram, A Burt of Nerrina, D Chase of Merbein South, B Sebire of Traralgon, E Attard of Yalloura Nth, S Woolstencroft of Warrnambool, N Saunders of Irymple, G Illman of Mt Gambier, W Simpson of Trafalgar, N Byrne of Wangaratta, T Metherell of Narre Warren.

Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – VTFM

JANUARY 2016

85

Yakking about impoundments BRISBANE

Justin Wilmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

The east coast of Australia is dotted with impoundments.

Lakes and dams of various sizes that often allow access to anglers, including kayak anglers, and many of which are stocked

with popular freshwater sportfish, including Australian bass, golden perch, silver perch, Murray cod, saratoga, barramundi and more.

Impoundments can offer excellent fishing for kayak anglers, often providing sheltered waters, multiple launch points, less boat traffic and an environment that is a little more gear

friendly than the salt.

There are, however, some important considerations when investigating your local impoundments to plan an adventure.

Ensure that fishing is permitted and check out any regulations regarding no fishing zones, closed seasons and whether any permits or licenses are

lilies, pockets in the weed, timber and other structure, with minimal noise, a low profile and with little shadow and water displacement. This allows you to get surprisingly close to fish and fish holding structure and the next fish that showers me with water as it eats the lure beside the kayak will definitely not be the last.

Before visiting your local impoundment there are a couple of great online resources that can give you a head start. Google Maps allows you to explore the area surrounding the impoundment to find access points close to fishy looking structure and sheltered water, while also giving you a basic lay of the land in terms of steep drop offs, shallow drains and basic vegetation. It is important to note though that these maps can be dated, so use them as a basic guide as their accuracy may

A bucket of golden perch fingerlings is readied for release.

Map, which is viewable from their website – www. lowrance.com. These charts are created by anglers, boaters, sailors and others who are out on the water, running their Lowrance or Simrad electronics, who then choose to upload the information to the social mapping. These charts

offs and other structure that may hold fish. Not all coastal or inland waterways will be mapped, however, I was pleasantly surprised to find that much of a local impoundment that I plan to explore has been mapped, allowing me to make note of structure that will definitely be worth a

PRFMA President Steve assists the kids with a release of Australian bass.

Water like this is built for kayak anglers.

required. It’s also worth investigating if there are open and closing times for being on the water, or accessing the impoundment through locked gates.

Remember that some of these bodies of water are quite large and can become choppy and even dangerous in windy conditions, so check the weather forecast and wind direction as this may influence your plans, launch site or the area you fish.

I have fished many impoundments over the years and the kayak is perfect for stealthily exploring the weed beds,

This chunky impoundment bass thumped a TT Lures Vortex spinnerbait. vary due to the changing water level.

Another great tool for anglers is Lowrance’s Insight Genesis Social

show water depth contours and can be a great resource for locating the old river bed, humps that rise from the bottom, steep drop

MARINE GRADE self ADHESIVE eva FOAM

endless possibilities

NEW M 2016 • NEW SIZES • NEW colours • accessories • diy quick stick pads available now from your local stockist! to view the new range visit www.diamonDdeck.com.au or contact us

m enquiries@diamonddeck.com.au

86

JANUARY 2016

Shane and Dave admire a cracker 70cm saratoga caught on a TT Lures Vortex spinnerbait.

few casts.

The stocking of these impoundments is often funded by permits, licences and the efforts of local stocking groups that oversee the fishery, raise and manage the funds, and co-ordinate the release of fingerlings. Recently my wife Sheri and I caught up with the PRFMA (Pine Rivers Fish Management Association), a group that I am a former member of and hope to be involved with again soon, at a co-ordinated fish release at Lake Kurwongbah in South East Queensland. It was great to see so many volunteers turn up on the day to assist with the release, as buckets of fingerlings were acclimatised before being released into the safety of the weed and lilies. It was also fantastic to see so many kids taking part as

these young anglers are the future of our sport.

I caught up with Steve Wighton, the PRFMA president, and we chatted about their recent tilapia bash aimed at reducing numbers of this noxious species, along with the fishing events that they have run for the kids and the shared access that is now in place on Lake Kurwongbah that allows kayak anglers to fish this picturesque waterway. Steve and his fellow stocking group members are passionate

about fishing and the future of the sport, evident in the smiles on their faces as they stood knee deep in the water, slowly releasing 20,000 Australian bass and 10,000 golden perch into their new home.

If you’re a passionate freshwater angler looking to be more involved in your local fishery, touch base with your local stocking group. Alternatively, make sure you buy a raffle ticket, donate, or even fish one of their events to assist them with their

efforts. I kayak fished the salt for many years before sliding the yak into the sweetwater and for the saltwater anglers out there, I can highly recommend a freshwater adventure. The environment and wildlife is so different, the freshwater is gear friendly, you can camp right on the water at many locations and freshwater species can be challenging, rewarding and great fun.

I am looking forward to my maiden voyage on this local impoundment,

Releasing fingerlings into the shelter of the lilies almost ensures their safety and survival.

especially after witnessing the addition of these new fingerlings, and the team from the stocking group freely offered a few tips for fishing this lake. A bit of research among friends that have fished the lake also gave me a good starting point for my upcoming adventure and you will see a few of their successes among the accompanying photos. Spinnerbaits, tailspinners and blades are among the go-to lures for fishing this impoundment and worth including in your freshwater kit.

Stay tuned for next month’s article where I slide my kayak into an impoundment that I have never fished before and report back with a breakdown of the structure I encountered and techniques that I employed to catch a few… hopefully Murphy doesn’t throw a spanner in the works and put the mocker on me.

Take the time to Google the local impoundments in your area and plan a freshwater adventure. You may discover a gem of a fishery, be blown away by the tranquillity of the surroundings and even get to tangle with a new drag peeling, hard-fighting and iconic fish species.

See you on the water.

Top: Signage like this will fill you in on local regulations, available species and other relevant information.

Bottom: Impoundments and kayaks go hand in hand.

JANUARY 2016

87

Product Profile

Stacer release new Proline Striker Series FMG

Will Lee wlee@fishingmonthly.com.au

Stacer Boats have long been a favourite with Australian anglers who fish a wide spectrum of waterways.

However, if you were to look at a breakdown of where most anglers spend the majority of their time, you’d find the answer is at most fishing rivers, estuaries and lakes, therefore it is no wonder that up until recently the number one

this time the day consisted of a poker run. Starting at Sea World we headed north to Wave Break Island adjacent to the Southport Seaway and then up the Nerang River making several stops to draw cards before tying up the Stacers at The Isle of Capri for lunch and to see who had the best hand. I certainly wasn’t going to win with only a high card but along the way I made the most of every stop getting a ride in each of the new Prolines.

Included in the Striker series line up are the 399

deeper entry point and the result is you have a hull that is going to deliver a softer ride.

Across the entire Striker Series you will find the chines are now wider delivering more stability both at rest and underway. The wider chines are also effective for providing a dry ride. In the moderate 12 knots of breeze we had while testing the Striker Series I cannot recall copping any spray other than a little bit caused by pretty ordinary boat driving skills from another journalist.

A very noticeable point of

there was very little weight in the way of a fit out. Stacer offer an upgrade option of

to go fishing package at an affordable price. Across the Proline Anglers you will

a side console, bow mount plate, bimini top, live bait tank, live well transom step,

The 409 Proline Angler replaces the 399 Proline Angler.

One difference in the Striker Series is that the chines no longer meet in the centre line providing better stability. selling boat in the Stacer Range was the 399 Proline – it has now been narrowly overtaken by their popular 429 Seaway model. To keep up with customer demand and feedback, Stacer have revamped their larger Proline boats by introducing the Proline Striker series for 2016.

I recently had the pleasure of experiencing what Stacer is offering in the new Striker Series first-hand at a media day held on the picturesque Broadwater at the Gold Coast.

In true Stacer fashion, the day revolved around a theme,

and 429 Prolines, as well as the 409, 429 and 449 Proline Anglers. It is worth noting that there is no longer a 399 Proline Angler in the range; the 409 Proline Angler has superseded that model.

The new series sees some significant changes to what has previously been a popular hull design. So how exactly did Stacer improve their number one selling boat?

The keel has been relaxed by 7% meaning that the bow has less of an angle that is likely to ‘bump’ into a chop but rather skip over it. Match the relaxed keel with a now

different between the Striker Series and the previous Prolines is that at no point do the chines actually meet up with the centre line on the new models resulting in an ‘arrow’ shaped bow that, from a bird’s eye view, gives these boats a sporty new look.

It’s not all for show though, it provides anglers with 11% more space up front for the 399 and 429 Proline and an extra 11% fishing space on the front casting deck for the Proline Angler range.

The barebones 399 and 429 Prolines handled very well, especially seeing as

Gold Coast angler Mick Horn demonstrates the fishability of the 409 Proline Angler.

88

JANUARY 2016

The new bow design provides anglers with 11% more casting platform to work with. having 2mm bottom and sides on the 399 Proline and with this upgrade, increases the maximum outboard rating from 30-40hp.

I couldn’t wait to get on the 399 fitted with a 40hp E-Tec and, as expected, it turned out this thing was a rocket ship.

While the 399 and 429 Prolines serve their purpose, the Proline Anglers offer keen fishers a ready

find front and rear carpeted casting platforms, the very comfortable Stacer Sea Pro seats with six seating positions, side decks, rails, a transducer bracket and a quality Stacer paint job.

The extra room on the front casting platforms offer ample room for two anglers up front throwing lures. There are also the usual popular options available to go with the Proline Anglers, such as

underfloor fuel tanks and a flash rod storage pocket.

After spending several hours jumping between the different boats and giving them a test drive, including stopping for a sneaky cast at a school of trevally to ‘test’ its fishability, I can now certainly appreciate the benefits of the changes in design. The R&D team at Stacer have not just tweaked the design but actually significantly improved on something that was already a proven success. You can expect a softer, drier and more stable ride from the new Striker Series.

All boats that we tested throughout the day were fitted with Evinrude E-Tec outboards that performed effortlessly getting each boat onto the plane quickly, even when loaded with four people.

The word on the street is that the Striker Series will be rolling out of the factory to dealers in early January so contact your nearest dealer to find out more.

The 429 Proline Angler rode nicely even with four on board.

Spear-ific fishing!

WEST COAST

Shane Lowery

January is one of the best months of the year for spearfishing. Warm weather and warmer water temperatures make for perfect conditions along with a build up and abundance of both inshore reef species and pelagic species to be hunted.

Through December we saw a slightly better start

crays is a good quality pair of gloves to protect your hands from the spikes and spines that can certainly mess up a diver’s hands. In recent years we’ve seen a lift in quality and functionality of gloves with the use of materials such as Dyneema which give great protection but also allow plenty of feel and flexibility when reaching well back into deep ledges to get hold of your prey. Sometimes it’s better to leave a cray and find

measure while in the water.

Don’t forget to comply with all legal requirements like clipping the tails once you’ve left the water.

January is undoubtedly peak kingfish season and this year the fishing looks to be exceptional. First reports of kingies from the Port Fairy area came back in October and with a long hot summer predicted and consistently warm water temeratures, these highly prized fish will be the main target of

A terrific mixed bag of ocean species caught by Mick Maheny and his dive buddy. sustainable form of fishing when approached with a responsible attitude.

Individual species, not to mention individual fish within a school can be selectively targeted to

virtually eliminate any form of unwanted by-catch. Just remember that it’s best to only take enough for your immediate needs and to stay well within bag and size limits. With selective

targeting, divers can sustainably put a banquet of delicacies on the table, so get out and enjoy the warm weather and everything our oceans have to offer through summer.

High quality gloves are a must when catching crays. These Dyneema models from Esclapez Australia offer great protection for your hands. to the southern rock lobster season than we had in the last few years. Here in the south west of the state, crays are in good numbers and I have heard similar reports from right across the state.

In Victoria, southern rock lobster can be taken by hand only and the use of any form of tool to extract them is illegal. One of the most important pieces of kit required when diving for

another when they are in a hard position. The best way to get hold of the cray is by both horns; reaching and pulling on only one horn quite often results in breaking the horn and badly damaging the cray. When this occurs, the cray is often left wounded and unable to be extracted. Keep yourself abreast of any changes to Fisheries regulations like size limits and carrying a

many avid bluewater divers.

Kingfish can be encountered in a variety of areas, but in general they seem to like bommies with deeper water adjacent and plenty of baitfish in the vicinity.

January is a great time of year to hunt inshore reef species with fish such as King George whiting, sea sweep, trumpeter and many other good eating fish on offer.

Spearfishing is a highly

The middle tail fluke must be clipped to comply with Fisheries regulations.

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2016

DATE DETAILS

CONTACT

Jan 30-31

Bill Hartshorne 0409 823 070 www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

JANUARY

Rnd 1 Marlo Bream Classic Marlo

Feb 20-21 FEBRUARY

ABT BREAM Qualifier #1 Mallacoota

www.abt.org.au

Feb 24-25

ABT BREAM Qualifier #2 Gippsland Lakes

www.abt.org.au

Mar 7

MARCH

SWAA Albury – Wodonga River Classic Albury Wodonga

www.southwestanglers.org.au

Mar 19-20

Rnd 2 Hopkins River Bream Classic Warrnambool

Bill Hartshorne 0409 823 070 www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

Mar 12-20

NAB Shipwreck Coast Fishing Classic Warrnambool

Facebook ‘Shipwreck Coast Fishing Classic’

TO FILL

For listings please email jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au JANUARY 2016

89

Whittley CW2150 – biggest of Whittley’s entry level

FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

I must admit, the Whittley CW2150 was the first boat that I’d driven by water, to a marina to pick up for testing. Launching at the Rye boat ramp, we headed down the coast a little and found this craft nestled in a berth, neatly covered in a full canvas cover.

It belonged to a customer of Whittley’s who was happy for us to take his pride and joy out for a run – we thank you for that, John and James Hawkins.

Whittley’s Angelo San Giorgio was with us for that day on the water where we concurrently tested the ever-popular CW1600 alongside the flagship of the CW range, the CW2150.

You can see the interview and the video of the test day by scanning the QR QR CODE

Scan this QR code with your smartphone to watch the full interview about the CW2150.

90

JANUARY 2016

code hereabouts on your smartphone.

According to Angelo, John had a pretty simple design brief – it had to be simple and easy to clean.

This boat wasn’t going to be garaged. It was going to live in a marina pen

SPECIFICATIONS Boat weight:.................................................. 1020kg Hull length:........................................................6.5m Beam:...............................................................2.48m Max power:......................................................230hp Fuel capacity:....................................................205L Max persons:..........................................................7

There’s an ample bait board fitted in front of the uber-quiet 150 Yamaha 4-stroke. or on a swing mooring in the bay. As such, Whittley reinforced the bow eyelet and the bow rail mountings to reduce any potential gelcoat damage.

At the same time, there are reinforced cleats to allow the owners to tow a tube around for the kids in summer.

The simplicity in design is evident. As Angelo said, there’s a whole lot of white fibreglass that’s easy to hose down and prepare for mooring.

But just because the design and layout is simple, it doesn’t mean that it’s not functional.

Take the helm seats,

for instance. Using the Relaxn seats, the stainless frames come with an inbuilt footrest and they are built to store a stand-alone cooler under each one. Fill them with bait, ice and fish for the fishing trips or food and ice for a day on the bay.

Increasingly we’re seeing the booster-seat design being used in local craft. If you haven’t seen it in action, the front half of the seat folds up to make a booster seat – ideal for when you need that little extra elevation to see over the bow when you’re jumping onto the plane or idling around populated areas.

The helm itself is simple

and functional. Hubbed around a Raymarine combo unit with a joystick control, there’s what you need to get the job done and no extra clutter.

“It was a conscious decision of the owners to leave the addition of any permanent fixtures until they had a feel for the boat,” Angelo explained.

“Permanent rod holder mounts and the like will be added in due course.”

That said, there’s an

ample bait board fitted in front of the uber-quiet Yamaha 150 4-stroke, and the size of this boat means that getting caught in a bit of rough weather in the Bay isn’t that much of a worry. 6.5m of hull can handle it, as well as any tuna-flavoured forays into the Southern Ocean.

A quality upholstered rear lounge folds away while fishing but allows three extra passengers to travel in comfort in the softest riding part of the boat.

Performance wise, this rig belied its price tag. Quick on the plane, there are no hidden surprises for the first time big-boat owner. And did I mention quiet? The Yamaha 150 was running all through the video interview we’ve posted. I’m sure that you wouldn’t have known unless I’d pointed it out.

If you’re trailering this boat, it comes supplied on a braked Mackay trailer. Both the boat and the trailer are locally made in Melbourne, for the parochial amongst us.

When it comes down to it, if you have less than $75K to spend on a boat of this size, there’s not much in the market that can match the value of the Whittley. You can pick one up for $73,990 with a Yamaha 130hp 4-stroke.Visit www.whittley.com.au for more information.

• 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.

Powered by the superlative Yamaha 150 4-stroke outboard, the Whittley jumps onto the plane and displays remarkable fuel economy.

Small customisations give the CW range a touch of class.

This customer’s 2150 was set up with the brief of ‘keep it simple’. With this in mind, check out the dash – all-in one, joystick controlled Raymarine and basic gauges. Done.

The CW2150 has distinct Whittley lines and smart, contrasting colouration.

Is there a boat in this class nowadays without an anchor winch? It makes deploying and retrieving the pick a breeze.

A saltwater deck wash allows you to keep the bait console and gunwales free of mess.

The Relaxn seats and bases are super comfortable and functional. A cooler fits underneath each seat.

The combination Targa top and rocket launcher offers shade and convenient storage for all of your fishing rods.

The world is your oyster with the CW2150 – it’s small enough to easily tow with a 6-cylinder vehicle yet big enough for extended trips or oceanic sojourns.

There’s plenty of room down here for passengers, and the padded seats fold away to increase cockpit space and improve fishability.

JANUARY 2016

91

Stacer Proline gets a revamp: 449S Angler

BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Stacer have made it their business to keep a close eye on customer demand, and they are always on the lookout for ways to make a good thing even better.

With their Proline series of entry level fishing tinnies they’ve managed to neatly balance practicality with price, and for very good reason: there are many keen fishos that are dedicated to their pastime yet are rendered time poor by family or work, or perhaps have strict budgetary commitments.

These anglers need a boat to enjoy their precious time on the water but cannot justify an overly large outlay for a state-of-the-art craft that’s going to see only occasional use. Far better, for these fishers, to seek out a budget package that can cover a wide number of angling

activities but without over commitment.

This value for money concept has been the strength of the Stacer Proline series.

They have always been regarded as boats that can comfortably fish small families or groups of mates, tow and stow easily and (despite modest price tags) still look quite attractive behind the car or on the water.

This year’s release sees the already successful Proline Angler series of models (from 409 to 449 in length) featuring a new ‘Striker’ series of redesigned hulls. These hulls offer more beam, more depth thanks to a deeper entry point, and more easy performance from given horsepower.

Interior dimensions reflect these changes; models with casting platforms, such as the Angler 449S I reviewed, have up to 10% increase in cast deck area up front. Other features include extra storage space, roto anchor wells,

A long shaft 60 E-Tec was top power for the reviewed rig and was quiet with impressive amounts of get up and go. Given the very easy performance of the 60, smaller family or fishing teams might want to opt for less power and save some dollars in the process.

92

JANUARY 2016

optional live wells and smart wraps to add extra bling.

The deeper entry of the Proline Striker series results in an increased interior depth of these craft, particularly up front and towards amidships.

It’s not so noticeable in those models where a floor is fitted but very easy to see in craft without a floor, such as the 399/429 models, where the forward floor area is substantially veed.

The added depth between sides and keel is a contributor to ride quality as well as minimizing water intrusion when underway. With the almost metre depth of the sides of the 449 Angler, boaters with youngsters SPECIFICATIONS Length: ...................4.49m Length on Trailer:...5.65m Height on Trailer:....1.40m Beam:......................2.04m Bottomsides:...... 3.00mm Topsides:............. 2.00mm Max. HP:....................60hp Min. HP:.....................40hp Max people:.................... 4 Weight (hull only): .335kg aboard will doubtless be reassured by the Proline’s excellent freeboard.

LAYOUT The new top-of-therange 449S Proline Angler Striker comes standard with a carpeted floor, two rod holders, an extended front casting platform, extruded side decks, transducer bracket, a painted hull, side rails, two strong pedestal seats, and six seat positions.

Engines are rated from 40-60hp, with the reviewed

449S being equipped with a long shaft 60hp Evinrude E-Tec. Options are numerous, with over a dozen on the factory specs sheet, and among those most likely to

PERFORMANCE On the water the 449S Angler will make a lot friends with its easy, very smooth ride and high degrees of stability at all times.

The reviewed rig was set

The new Stacer 449S Proline Angler is in many respects an ideal smaller family craft for sheltered or semi-sheltered waters given its generous beam-to-length ratio of 2.05m to 4.59m, the

A very wide beam to length ratio gives the new Proline 449 Angler appeal to family groups as well as the more serious anglers among us. The standard Proline seats were comfortable, roomy and quite supportive, and excellent storage was available within the hatch up front under the casting platform. be chosen include a live bait tank, 70L under floor fuel tank, side pocket, bimini and envelope, a sounder GPS from a wide selection of units available, decal combinations and perhaps a side console in lieu of the standard tiller steer set up.

An electric motor bracket is also an important option.

Construction of the Proline 449S Angler sees 3mm bottoms and 2mm sides linked to ample ribs to ensure rigidity. With a hull weight of 335kg, the craft is certainly no lightweight – hence the engine ratings as mentioned – and this gives it a really sturdy, solid, feel whether at rest or underway.

It takes up to four people, ideal for a fishing boat of this size.

up with a tiller steer (top power) 60 Evinrude E-Tec on the transom but I’d see it going almost as well with a 40 E-Tec if there were only one or two people aboard most times.

I was impressed with the lack of hull slap, thanks to the Proline’s excellent design, and also with the overall comfort experienced with three aboard during test runs around the Southport Broadwater. The very snappy performance from the smooth E-Tec with its muted hum astern also added to the pleasure of the boating experience.

Performance figures with three aboard saw the craft planing at around 13km/h and cruising easily and very quietly at 40km/h, with a top speed of almost 54km/h recorded.

excellent freeboard of 0.91m and very easy going ride.

Competent sportfishers would also enjoy the same attributes and no doubt catch their share of fish in this boat. It’s right sized, could be towed by most family sedans or SUVs, and won’t involve too much of an outlay to own. The hull warranty is three years.

For more info visit your local Stacer dealer or go to www.stacer.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.

Storage space is always hard to come by in open boats of this size so there’s little doubt that the full-width storage locker up front of the 449 Proline will be put to good use by owners.

With such a roomy casting platform, two anglers could fish up front of the 449 Angler with ease. Fortunately, an electric motor bracket is on the options list.

Fishing Monthly’s Will Lee looks like he’s enjoying time at the tiller of the 449 Angler.

One option sure to be selected by prospective Proline 449 Angler owners would be the live well, in this case a roto moulded job.

The E-Tec 60’s impressive 2-stroke power saw an easy cruising speed of around 40km/h during runs within the Southport Broadwater and surrounds.

Contact your local dealer for more information.

VICTORIAN DEALERS

OUTLAW

MELBOURNE BL MARINE

612-614 Plenty Rd, PRESTON

Ph 03 9478 1420

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

GIPPSLAND

CRAWFORD MARINE

7 great models to choose from

71-77 Chickerell St, MORWELL

Ph 03 5134 6522

www.crawfordmarine.com.au

MELBOURNE MELBOURNE MARINE CENTRE 92 Hallam South Road, Hallam

Ph 03 9703 2003

info@melbournemarine.com.au

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

GEELONG

MOOLAP MARINE

250 Portarlington St, GEELONG

Ph 03 5248 3772

info@moolapmarine.com.au www.moolapmarine.com.au

JANUARY 2016

93

What’s New BOATING

1

WHITTLEYS ARE HONG KONG BOUND

Oceanaire Marine Management Ltd, a Hong Kong-based boating consultancy with over 30 years of industry experience, has been appointed as the sole Whittley distributor for Hong Kong.

A family owned and operated affair, Oceanaire is headed up by the husband and wife team of Joe Poon and Pye Lee Wan Sin. Joe has previously owned a Hong Kong-delivered Whittley CW2080 and not surprisingly, this was one of the first models ordered.

It joins a Volvo Penta diesel-powered SL22 as part of Oceanaire’s initial order. Both boats have been snugged into their container in preparation for a long voyage north.

“Hong Kong is the first of several international markets that Whittley will bring on line over the next few months,” revealed Whittley’s Managing Director, Neville Whittley.

“The growing middle class in Hong Kong and other Asian markets have shown an appetite for quality recreational products and the time is right to cultivate our brand in these and other regions.” www.whittleymarinegroup.com.au

2

FIXTECH ADHESIVE SEALANT SOLUTIONS

Now you can buy a proven adhesive sealant solutions for the harsh marine environment.

FixTech products are developed specifically for the marine industry and will lift your present expectation by offering products that are UV resistant and colour stabilised, a complete range of MS Polymer adhesive sealants free from toxins, solvents, silicone and isocyanate, 100% waterproof one part adhesives, products that are so smooth to work with, that you can feather edge for a great finish and reduce wastage.

FixTech Adhesive is the best quality range of marine adhesive sealants in terms of health and safety. There’s also no nasty chemicals in the mixture.

FixTech is also setting new benchmarks for user friendliness, strength, paintability and longevity.

So when you need a reliable adhesive for a marine-orientated project, or need something to perform repairs, look no further than FixTech. They have a range of adhesives and sealants to suit all your building and fixing. www.bla.com.au

3

RAYMARINE FITOUT A “GAME CHANGER”

Internationally renowned game fishing skipper Captain Tim Dean says his new suite of Raymarine electronics is a “game changer” when it comes to finding fish and navigating the Great Barrier Reef.

The champion skipper recently refit his 43ft O’Brien fly bridge Calypso with a collection of Raymarine products.

The suite includes the gS Series, eS Series MFD, dual CP470 CHIRP sonar, Evolution autopilot, 4kW HD Colour Radar, Ray 60 VHF radios, and a FLIR thermal night vision camera. Dean travels 2,000km from his home base in Port Stephens for the heavy tackle season in Cairns. He uses both an Evolution autopilot and FLIR thermal camera equipment linked to his gS Series and eS Series MFDs on the voyage.

“I can basically turn the Evolution autopilot on when I leave Port Stephens and turn it off when I get to my berth in the Cairns marina,” Dean says. “My Raymarine gear is the best of the best. I wouldn’t use them if they weren’t.” www.raymarine.com.au

4

VHF AND UHF 2-WAY RADIO

A pioneer in communication solutions, Uniden, has launched Australia’s first combined VHF and UHF CB 2-way handheld radio.

VHF marine radios enable users to communicate while out at sea while UHF 2-way radios are used on land. The new Uniden MHS155UV dual band VHF/UHF CB 2-way handheld radio is a must have tool for outdoor adventurers who want to stay in touch while exploring the ocean or ashore.

Perfect for a variety of outdoor trips – from an afternoon of fishing to hiking – the innovative design removes the need to carry two different radios for reliable communication.

The MHS155UV radio sports a fully submersible waterproof body based on IPX7 waterproof standards. Its floating, lightweight design ensures the radio remains afloat and can be easily retrieved if dropped overboard.

With a white and grey exterior, the MHS155UV can be easily identified when misplaced in the bushland or in the water. A large LCD backlit display offers clear viewing in dim or brightly lit conditions.

Price: RRP $249.95 www.uniden.com

5

JANUARY 2016

1

2

SPITFIRE X7 PROPELLER

Mercury Marine, the world leader in marine propulsion and technology, has introduced SpitFire X7, a stainless steel propeller designed to improve all performance facets of the growing 75115hp outboard class.

The SpitFire X7 is the first in the 75-115hp engine class to be marketed with Mercury’s proprietary X7 alloy, which is 30% stronger and four times more durable than conventional steel. Using the X7 alloy and building off the best-in-class aluminium SpitFire, the SpitFire X7 will significantly improve acceleration, top speed and holding compared to other stainless steel propellers in its class.

“A high-performance propeller is the most cost-efficient way to improve a boater’s experience, and for the 75-115hp outboard class, the SpitFire X7 delivers,” said Jared Reichenberger, brand manager for Mercury Propellers. “With gains of up to 1.5 miles per hour and 0-20 acceleration improvements by five-plus seconds versus other stainless propellers, the SpitFire X7 will be a staple in the Mercury propeller lineup for many years to come.” www.mercurymarine.comu

3

4 5

6

MERCURY POWERING PONTOON MARKET

Pontoons are one of the fastest growing boat segments in the world, and Australian boat-lovers are quickly discovering why.

Paul Eade, who owns Eade’s Xtreme Marine in Echuca and is the national distributer for Harris says he’s seen the popularity growing.

“The thing about pontoons is that they are incredibly versatile and manoeuvrable. With them being new to the market, once you get people experiencing the ride out on the water they’re quickly converted.

Paul is one of the people leading Australia’s pontoon push, offering great boats and full support – including a manufacturer’s warranty – which has been lacking in the market. He’s also selling more Mercury engines.

“They make a good match. I recommended Verados for my last two pontoons, a 225 and a 300hp, which provide all the power you’d need for skiing, but are ultra-smooth and ultraquiet which is ideal when you’ve got friends and family aboard for a cruise,” he said. www.mercurymarine.com

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au 94

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

POWERED BY

6

SCAN THE QR CODE!

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

3

SUBSCRIBE & WIN

LUCKY SUBSCRIBERS HAVE A CHANCE TO

WIN! Thinnest lightest glass polarised lenses in the world.

NEW MO & JO FRAMES AVAILABLE IN PHOTOCHROMIC COPPER GREEN MIRROR, RED MIRROR AND SILVER MIRROR.

YOUR SUBSCRIPTION WILL START WITH THE NEXT PUBLISHED ISSUE

QLD FISHING MONTHLY

12

issues

$65

inc. gst

24

or

Name: Address: Suburb:

P/Code:

Daytime Contact No: Email:

PAYMENT DETAILS Cheque

VIC/TAS FISHING MONTHLY

$115

issues

BUYERS DETAILS

SUBSCRIPTION FOR

for

NSW FISHING MONTHLY

inc. gst

If you wish to purchase any other combination of magazines please phone FREE CALL 1800 228 244 for a special price.

Name: Address: Suburb:

P/Code:

Daytime Contact No: Email:

As the buyer, do you wish to receive annual subscription renewal notifications?

Money order

Mastercard/Visa

Yes

No

Signature:

Credit Card No:

Credit Card Expiry Date:

Card Holder’s Name:

Daytime Contact No:

IF THIS IS A GIFT - PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING AND A GIFT CARD WILL BE MAILED TO THE LUCKY ANGLER OR THE GIFT BUYER! Mail voucher to:

Subscriber

Buyer or Email blank voucher to:

To: Happy Birthday!

From or Happy ____ Birthday!

SUBSCRIBER

ADVANTAGES Free Delivery Entry into the monthly draws Save $$$

Other

(20 characters max)

Love From:

Happy Fishing!

Merry Christmas!

OUR GUARANTEE Every now and again, a copy may not arrive through the Australia Post System. If this happens to you, a quick call to us and we will post out another FREE OF CHARGE

Happy Fathers Day!

1800 228 244 or

07·3387 0800

Fax coupon to:

07·3387 0801

Email details to: subscribe@fishingmonthly.com.au

OR visit www.fishingmonthly.com.au and follow the links to isubscribe

Mail Coupon to:

FM Subscriptions PO Box 3172 Loganholme Q 4129

Online - ANYTIME JANUARY 2016

95

BAIT & TACKLE

BOAT MODIFICATIONS & REPAIRS

WEST COAST

FLUSH YOUR ENGINE WITH

Portland Bait & Tackle (03) 5523 5213

FISH TAXIDERMY Fish Taxidermist 0428 544 841 Neptune’s Treasures 0419 643 654

Compleat Angler Portland (03) 5521 1844

SCREEN PRINTING

CENTRAL

Logan Specialised Screen Printing (07) 5546 4107

Hooked On Bait and Tackle Hoppers Crossing (03) 9748 3811 Fishing Fever Mordialloc (03) 9590 9899

CORROSION CONTROL SALT REMOVING TREATMENT

Peninsula Total Tackle (03) 5981 1994 JV Marine World Braeside (03) 9798 8883

WARNING!

Complete Angler Ringwood (03) 9870 7792 New World Marine (03) 9709 8444

9 out 10 engines fail from salt corrosion

The Flyfisher Melbourne (03) 9621 1246

EAST COAST Always Angling Traralgon (03) 5174 8544

ACT NOW AND PROTECT YOUR VALUABLE BOAT, ENGINE, TRAILER, FISHING AND DIVE GEAR.

FRESHWATER

BOAT IMPORTS 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

HOLIDAY RENTAL

SALT-AWAY IS A MUST FOR:

Complete Angler Echuca (03) 5482 1992

ENGINE FLUSHING JETSKIS TRAILERS

Complete Angler Shepparton (03) 5822 2180

MARINE MECHANICS

FREECALL For more info

Naaj Marine 0421 955 371

WASHING BOATS FISHING & DIVE GEAR

1800 091 172

WEST COAST

VISIT www.salt-away.com.au

Unique Marine Accessories (03) 5427 1802 CMC Marine Sales www.cmcsales.com.au

Salt-away 1800 091 172

Hunter Marine Boat Builders (03) 5032 2320

CENTRAL

EAST COAST

Kris Oakley Marine Services (03) 9794 5524

Inverloch Marine (03) 5674 1502

JV Marine World Braeside (03) 9798 8883

FRESHWATER

JV Marine World Laverton (03) 9368 7100 The Outboard Workshop (03) 9783 0840

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

Nautical Marine S TO M E R

GUASRA

NTEED

RE-POWER & SERVICE EXPERTS NEW

Boats and More Echuca (03) 5482 1992

Centrally located Trout/ Bream fishing Ideal Surf fishing locations Boat Ramp within 2 mins

Call Now: 03

5562 5031

ONLINE TACKLE PRODUCTS

E

ERVIC

Boats and More Shepparton (03) 5822 2108

Apartments Ensuite Cabins Campsites Boat Parking Bait/Ice

Boat, motor & trailer packages!

Specialty Fishing Products www.specialtyfishing.com.au

“Over 250 patterns to choose from” ORDER ONLINE www.adrenalinflies.com.au

www.whpark.com.au

Adrenalin Flies www.adrenalinflies.com.au

MAKE YOUR OWN

FINANCE AVAILABLE

Soft Plastics & Spinnerbaits HUGE RANGE OF LURE MAKING PRODUCTS AVAILABLE!

Warrnambool Holiday Park (03) 5562 5031

EAST COAST

SHALLOW INLET CARAVAN PARK On the Waters Edge

PH: 03 5984 1666 W: nauticalmarine.com.au E: nautical@surf.net.au Nautical Marine: 139 - 141 Hotham Rd Sorrento Vic Nautical Marine (03) 5984 1666

FRESH BAIT | HIRE BOATS | ICE

PH

(02) 6258 7515

0400 587 515

MOB www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au

Regal Marine (03) 9874 4624 Streaker Boats (03) 9729 8288 Triple M Marine (03) 9465 8787

U-Make-Em Soft Plastics www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au

Warragul Marine (03) 5623 6250

Korr Lighting www.korrlighting.com.au

Wes Frost Marine (03) 5976 4622

She Left www.hdvcs.com.au

96

• Easy access for boats • 10 cabins (3 with ensuites) • LPG gas refills • Kiosk

FREE ADVICE ON WHERE THEY’RE BITING

OPEN

from dawn to dusk

7 DAYS

• Plenty of powered and unpowered camping sites • BBQs • Playground

Lester Rd Yanakie WILSONS PROM E sicp@sicp.com.au

03 5687 1385

Shallow Inlet Caravan Park (03) 5687 1385

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

JANUARY 2016

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear.

You will have approximately 30 words within a 5x2 ad size.

Kestrel Charters, Queenscliff (03) 5258 1783 Pro Red Fishing Charters 0421 442 775

Gone Fishing Charters, St Helens (03) 6376 1553

Saltwater Charters, Queenscliff (03) 5258 4888

Fish Wild Tasmania, Hobart 0418 348 223Flinders Island Adventures, Flinders Island (03) 6359 4507 Trout Territory, Northern Midlands (03) 6397 5001

Ask us about our LONG RANGE

FISHING

21 Marine Parade MARLO VIC

OCEAN VIEWS CARAVAN & CAMPING PARK

ADVENTURES!

FOR BOOKINGS CONTACT WAYNE ON

MARLO

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 Short walk to • Coffee shops

www.marlocamping.com.au Marlo Ocean Views Caravan and Camping Park (03) 5154 8268 Dartmouth Motor Inn (02) 6072 4233

QUEENSLAND Cairns Bed and Boat 0418 772 751

Ausprey Tours, Launceston (03) 6630 2612

Rip Charters Fishing Trips, Sorrento (03) 5984 3664

Email : pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au EAST GIPPSLAND

TASMANIA & FLINDERS ISLAND

Queenscliff Fishing Charters, Queenscliff 0458 504 058

0418 107 071

www.sharkmen.com.au Sharkmen Charters, Carrum 0418 107 071

NSW SOUTH COAST Reel Affair, Merimbula freecall 1800 233 247 Espirit Charters, Bermagui (02) 6493 4104 or 0407 260 110 Freedom Charters, Eden (02) 6496 1209 or 0415 602 446 Headland Fishing Adventures, Merimbula (02) 6495 1134Island Charters, Narooma (02) 4476 1047 or 0408 428 857K9 Fishing Charters, Merimbula (02) 6495 1681 Merimbula Marina, Merimbula (02) 6495 1686 or 0427 951 080

St Kilda Fishing Charters, St Kilda (03) 9770 2200

Narooma Charters, Narooma 0407 909 111

Western Port Fishing Charters, Hastings (03) 9769 5544

O’Brien Charter Service, Bermagui 0407 214 124

EAST COAST Capella III Fishing Adventures, Port Welshpool (03) 5688 1585 Far Out Charters, McLoughlins Beach 0428 401 819 Prom Coastal Charters, Yanakie (03) 5687 1248 or 0429 935 583 Razorback Bluewater Charters, Port Albert (03) 5183 2691

FISHING GUIDES NSW SOUTH COAST Wilderness Fishing Tours, Mallacoota 0424 625 160 Aussie Fish Estuary Adventures (02) 6495 9902 or 0400 062 504

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear.

You will have approximately 40 words within a 8x2 ad size.

CHANDLERY & ACCESSORIES

IDEAL GIFT!

Anchor Right (03) 5968 5014 Techni Ice (03) 9783 1922

BOAT TRAILER CENTRAL BMS Marine (03) 9731 7269

CHARTER BOATS EAST GIPPSLAND East Gippsland Charters 0400 564 032

WEST COAST

pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au FRESHWATER Angling Expeditions Victoria, Tawonga (03) 5754 1466 Highland Trout Lakes, Ballarat (03) 5368 9574 Millbrook Lakes Lodge, Ballarat (03) 5334 0404

DVD’S -

Series 2 through 8

$19.95 each GST INC. - with FREE P&H

1800 228 244

Sharkmen Fishing Charters 0418 107 071 Portland Fishing Charters, Portland (03) 5523 3020 Shipwreck Coast Diving & Charters, Warrnambool (03) 5561 6108

CENTRAL South-West Fishing Charters, Portland 0418 306 714 Gone Fishing Charters 0409 007 068 Off The Hook Fishing Charters 0419 554 916 Able Fishing & Charters, Williamstown (03) 9502 3777 ACE Fishing Charters, Bonbeach (03) 9773 4183 Adamas Fishing Charters, Barwon Heads (03) 5254 3320 Big Red Fishing Charters, Queenscliff 1800 805 587 Blue Magic Fishing Charters, Rowville (03) 9759 5301 Calypso Fishing Charters, Tootgarook (03) 5985 8463Geelong Charters

Readers Picture Len Timmins is lucky to live and work near Victoria’s inland playground Lake Eildon. However, Len enjoys his yearly trip up north. No wonder when you get fish like this.

& Fishing Trips, Geelong (03) 5275 7107 Katrina Louise Charters, Cheltenham 0402 828 140

Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0800 or email pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

JANUARY 2016

97

Victorian Tide Times

2016

POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA LAT 38° 18’ LONG 144° 37’ Times and Heights of High and Low Waters MARCH FEBRUARY

JANUARY Time

m

Time

1 0531 1120

16 0514 1103

2 0603 1159

17 0552 1147

3 0635 1235

18 0632 1232

4 0035 0709

19 0042 0715

5 0115 0746

20 0131 0805

6 0201 0830

21 0227 0902

7 0255 0922

22 0332 1010

8 0400 1020

23 0451 1121

9 0000 0516

24 0048 0610

10 0056 0627

m

1.65 0.32 SA 1730 1.48 2310 0.33

Time

m

Time

1 0600 1205

16 0614 1217

2 0008 0632

17 0029 0657

3 0045 0708

18 0115 0745

4 0125 0748

19 0206 0843

5 0210 0835

20 0308 0950

6 0304 0931

21 0426 1104

7 0413 1039

22 0023 0548

8 0015 0529

23 0121 0659

9 0113 0640

24 0212 0754

25 0145 0716

10 0203 0738

11 0145 0722

26 0236 0812

12 0231 0809

m

m

Time

1 0528 1133

16 0554 1158

2 0601 1206

17 0014 0639

3 0018 0636

18 0059 0729

4 0055 0715

19 0148 0828

5 0134 0800

20 0247 0938

6 0223 0856

21 0403 1052

7 0325 1004

22 0525 1202

8 0439 1126

23 0047 0633

9 0034 0556

24 0136 0727

25 0253 0840

10 0130 0703

11 0250 0829

26 0328 0919

27 0320 0900

12 0333 0915

13 0315 0853

28 0358 0944

14 0356 0936 15 0435 1019

1.59 0.44 FR 1737 1.37 2320 0.40 1.54 0.43 SA 1819 1.33 2357 0.48 1.48 0.43 SU 1905 1.29 0.56 1.43 MO 1314 0.43 1957 1.26 0.65 1.37 TU 1354 0.44 2055 1.25 0.73 1.31 WE 1440 0.45 2157 1.26 0.81 1.27 TH 1533 0.45 2300 1.29 0.86 1.24 FR 1636 0.42 1.35 0.86 SA 1125 1.23 1742 0.38 1.43 0.81 SU 1230 1.26 1838 0.33

1.51 0.74 MO 1328 1.31 1927 0.27 1.58 0.65 TU 1420 1.37 2012 0.24

1.64 0.55 WE 1509 1.43 2056 0.22 1.67 0.47 TH 1556 1.46 2140 0.23 1.67 0.39 FR 1642 1.48 2225 0.27

m

Time

m

16 0615 1206

2 0030 0648

17 0032 0716

3 0107 0634

18 0130 0827

4 0053 0731

19 0240 0938

5 0151 0843

20 0354 1045

6 0302 1006

21 0459 1147

7 0418 1124

22 0550 1239

8 0529 1230

23 0032 0633

9 0045 0629

24 0110 0712

25 0216 0810

10 0134 0722

25 0145 0748

11 0219 0800

26 0251 0847

11 0221 0813

26 0220 0823

27 0359 0955

12 0305 0850

27 0322 0922

12 0305 0902

27 0256 0857

13 0415 1001

28 0428 1029

13 0348 0939

28 0353 0956

13 0349 0950

28 0332 0930

29 0430 1022

14 0454 1047

29 0457 1101

14 0430 1026

29 0425 1029

14 0434 1036

29 0409 1000

30 0500 1058

15 0533 1132

15 0512 1113

30 0459 1101

15 0522 1121

30 0447 1032

1.62 0.27 SU 1820 1.46 2356 0.41

1.57 0.25 MO 1917 1.43 0.50 1.51 TU 1320 0.25 2023 1.40

0.60 1.44 WE 1412 0.26 2131 1.39 0.69 1.38 TH 1511 0.29 2240 1.39 0.76 1.33 FR 1621 0.30 2345 1.42

0.77 1.31 SA 1733 0.30

1.47 0.74 SU 1229 1.32 1838 0.28

1.53 0.66 MO 1330 1.35 1933 0.27 1.57 0.58 TU 1424 1.39 2023 0.26

1.60 0.51 WE 1513 1.41 2107 0.28 1.60 0.45 TH 1557 1.42 2146 0.31 1.59 0.41 FR 1637 1.42 2223 0.36

1.57 0.38 SA 1715 1.41 2258 0.41

31 0530 1131

1.54 0.36 SU 1752 1.39 2332 0.47

0.53 1.45 TU 1239 0.36 1914 1.33 0.60 1.40 WE 1315 0.37 2002 1.30 0.68 1.34 TH 1353 0.38 2059 1.28 0.76 1.28 FR 1437 0.40 2201 1.28 0.82 1.24 SA 1532 0.41 2309 1.30 0.84 1.21 SU 1640 0.40 1.35 0.81 MO 1154 1.23 1751 0.37 1.43 0.72 TU 1302 1.30 1855 0.32 1.51 0.61 WE 1402 1.39 1950 0.28 1.58 0.48 TH 1456 1.47 2041 0.26 1.63 0.37 FR 1546 1.54 2128 0.26

1.65 0.27 SA 1635 1.58 2215 0.29

1.65 0.20 SU 1724 1.58 2300 0.34

1.62 0.16 MO 1814 1.56 2345 0.41

0.49 1.51 WE 1303 0.19 2007 1.45 0.58 1.43 TH 1351 0.25 2110 1.39 0.66 1.35 FR 1446 0.32 2215 1.36

0.73 1.29 SA 1554 0.38 2320 1.35

0.75 1.26 SU 1710 0.41

1.38 0.72 MO 1215 1.27 1819 0.40 1.42 0.65 TU 1317 1.31 1918 0.39

1.47 0.56 WE 1413 1.37 2007 0.37 1.51 0.48 TH 1500 1.42 2050 0.37 1.53 0.41 FR 1542 1.45 2128 0.39

1.53 0.36 SA 1618 1.48 2202 0.41

1.53 0.33 SU 1652 1.48 2236 0.44

1.51 0.31 MO 1726 1.48 2310 0.48

1.49 0.31 TU 1801 1.46 2344 0.53 1.45 0.32 WE 1841 1.43 0.58 1.40 TH 1238 0.33 1924 1.39 0.64 1.35 FR 1312 0.36 2015 1.34 0.71 1.29 SA 1352 0.38 2113 1.31 0.76 1.25 SU 1444 0.42 2220 1.30 0.78 1.22 MO 1549 0.44 2330 1.33 0.75 1.25 TU 1705 0.45 1.39 0.66 WE 1242 1.33 1823 0.42 1.47 0.53 TH 1346 1.45 1929 0.38 1.54 0.39 FR 1443 1.56 2024 0.36

1.60 0.27 SA 1535 1.65 2114 0.35

1.63 0.17 SU 1626 1.69 2200 0.37

1.63 0.12 MO 1715 1.69 2245 0.40 1.61 0.12 TU 1803 1.65 2330 0.45

1.56 0.15 WE 1854 1.58

Time

1 0610 1203

1.50 0.35 MO 1830 1.36

1.57 0.16 TU 1908 1.50

Time

Local Time APRIL

0.51 1.49 TH 1243 0.22 1948 1.50 0.58 1.41 FR 1330 0.31 2046 1.42

0.64 1.33 SA 1421 0.40 2147 1.36

0.70 1.27 SU 1524 0.49 2249 1.33

0.72 1.24 MO 1639 0.54 2350 1.33 0.69 1.26 TU 1753 0.56

1.36 0.62 WE 1306 1.32 1857 0.55 1.40 0.54 TH 1400 1.40 1947 0.53 1.43 0.46 FR 1445 1.47 2029 0.51

1.46 0.40 SA 1523 1.52 2105 0.51

1.48 0.35 SU 1557 1.56 2140 0.51

1.49 0.32 MO 1629 1.58 2213 0.52 1.49 0.31 TU 1701 1.58 2247 0.54

1.48 0.31 WE 1736 1.56 2321 0.57

1.40 0.35 FR 1855 1.48 0.65 1.36 SA 1236 0.38 1941 1.43 0.68 1.31 SU 1216 0.42 1934 1.39 0.71 1.28 MO 1308 0.47 2036 1.36 0.71 1.27 TU 1413 0.53 2145 1.36 0.67 1.31 WE 1530 0.57 2251 1.39 0.57 1.42 TH 1651 0.57 2351 1.45 0.45 1.55 FR 1804 0.54 1.52 0.31 SA 1329 1.67 1903 0.51 1.58 0.21 SU 1422 1.76 1954 0.49

1.61 0.14 MO 1512 1.79 2042 0.48 1.62 0.13 TU 1600 1.78 2128 0.49

1.60 0.15 WE 1648 1.73 2213 0.51 1.55 0.21 TH 1737 1.65 2258 0.55 1.48 0.30 FR 1828 1.56 2344 0.59

m

1.40 0.41 SA 1920 1.48

0.64 1.33 SU 1254 0.51 2015 1.41

0.68 1.28 MO 1350 0.61 2111 1.36 0.70 1.27 TU 1459 0.69 2207 1.34

0.67 1.30 WE 1615 0.73 2301 1.34 0.61 1.37 TH 1725 0.72 2350 1.36

0.54 1.45 FR 1819 0.70

1.39 0.47 SA 1322 1.53 1902 0.67

1.43 0.41 SU 1359 1.59 1939 0.65

1.46 0.37 MO 1432 1.64 2015 0.63 1.48 0.35 TU 1505 1.66 2049 0.62

1.48 0.34 WE 1539 1.67 2124 0.62 1.47 0.35 TH 1615 1.65 2159 0.63 1.45 0.37 FR 1652 1.62 2233 0.65

1.42 0.40 SA 1731 1.58 2308 0.66

31 0533 1132

1.45 0.33 TH 1814 1.53 2355 0.61

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

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.

98

JANUARY 2016

new $69,990

from [Limited Introductory Offer]

Exclusive Features:

• • • • • • •

Volvo Penta V6-200 Sterndrive Rear Boarding Platform with Utility Bar Convertible Bimini with Rear Camper Fold-Away Overhead Fishing Rod Rack Integrated Tackle Management System Factory-Installed Baitboard Options Unique Colour-Scheme and Internal Trim

release

MAKING MEMORIES SINCE 1953

www.whittley.com.au 03 8339 1800 JANUARY 2016

99

FREE HP UPGRADE SAVE UP TO $1977 ON THE 80-150HP RANGE

PLUS AN AMAZING MERCURY FINANCE COMPARISON RATE

OF ONLY 4.99%

**

So get in to your nearest participating Mercury dealer or go online to check out these amazing deals and finance offers.

HURRY OFFER ENDS FEB 26, 2016. www.mercurymarine.com.au *Terms & conditions apply. Savings are based on RRP including recommended SmartCraft Kit and subject to change without notice. Prices exclude local freight charges, Fit up and local statutory charges. Offer available on selected new consumer FourStroke outboards from 80 to 150hp purchased from participating dealers from Friday 20th November until Feb 26th, 2016. Ask your participating dealer for full list of models in the program. Offer is subject to availability and engines must be 2014 build onwards and installed and registered by no later than April 30, 2016. Offer not to be used in conjunction with any other offer or rebates. **Terms, conditions and credit criteria apply, offer available over a maximum 36 month term on Motor and Repower only. The comparison rate is based on a secured loan of $30,000 for a term of 5 years at an annual percentage rate of 4.22%. The amount of credit provided to you and the term of the loan may be different to this. WARNING: The comparison rate only applies to the example given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. Finance is provided by Mercury Finance Pty Ltd ABN 28 156 248 092. Australian Credit Licence Number 421347.