Victoria and Tasmania Fishing Monthly - March 2016 by Fishing Monthly

SNEAK PEAK AT PIRTEK CHALLENGE • GET READY FOR SBT

Features

SBT essentials • Portland’s North Shore • Tassie trout tricks • Catching cod from a kayak • Inside look at Pirtek Challenge •

T ried and Tested Northbank 500C • Whittley FF2100 • Gerber MP600 • Wilson backpack • Tonic Slice Lens •

NEW

FIND THE

LOGO COMP

SEE INSIDE!

How To

Rigging basics for SBT • Fish handling II • Casting tips and tricks •

March, 2016 Fishing Monthly G R O U P

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Mark Saxon of “Castaway Estuary Fishing Charters”, recently started using the Black Magic 4kg+ SSP™ Fibre Glide on his boat. He commented, “Mate, very impressed with the produc t, it has caught large quantities of bass, bream and flatties already and still looks like I just spooled up”. These two nice bream were caught by Gavin Saxon of Port Macquarie.

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

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March 2016, Vol. 11 No. 5

Contents WEST COAST

REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 71 Boating 92 Chappy’s Hotspot 28 Dam Levels 67 Fun Page 84 Junior City Fishing 26 Kayaking 80 Spearfishing 83 Tasmanian Lake Levels 58 Tournament News 85 Trade and Services Guide 96 Victorian Tide Times 98 VRFish Update 51 What’s New Boating 91 What’s New Fishing 74

SPECIAL FEATURES

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

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OUR COVER Lee McDuffie with one of three jumbo bluefin tuna he tagged in one day in November. A Lee Rayner image. TO SUBSCRIBE SEE PAGE 31 FIND THE ZEREK LOGO COMPETITION PAGE 35 Victorian and Tasmanian Fishing Monthly magazine goes on sale the last week of each preceding month (latest sale date 31st of the month).

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8 12 22 52 72 78 82 86

the Australian tournament scene and helped me to set up the company that we now know as ABT. He didn’t want to own it. He wanted me to own it and use company time and resources to help it grow. The idea that he nurtured grew and, of course, has had a massive impact on the type of

AUST

Rigging basics for SBT Tuna essentials Portland’s North Shore Tassie trout tricks Fishing handling II Catching cod from a kayak Casting tips and tricks Inside look at Pirtek Challenge

contribute articles that are written to impress other writers,” he said. He was pretty steadfast about that point, and the mantra continues in the magazines today. Make the articles relevant to the readers. In the late nineties, Mike saw my interest in restructuring

fishing that we do today. Mike sold me the company in 2000. Naturally, it would have been easier to bundle it up and hock it to a big publisher, but Mike seemed determined to give the staff the opportunity to make something more of what he started. And, we took the opportunity with both hands. I think that’s pretty rare in life. To have someone give you opportunities like that when you’re not related to them. In Mike’s later years, you could see him ride the rollercoaster of success and failure with me. With us. And in recent years, we’ve had pretty big helpings of both ends of that spectrum. So we’ll miss you, Mike. Your sage advice. Your pragmatism and your loyalty. You’ve left a fine legacy and we’ll endeavour to keep making you proud in the years to come.

ION

TASMANIA WRAP

I’m pretty sure that not many of our readers would have known Mike Airey. The expatriate New Zealander passed away in Brisbane recently at the age of 81. He wasn’t an angler, but he’s had a massive impact on the Australian fishing scene. Mike published the first edition of South Queensland Fishing Monthly in November 1987. Before that, he founded the uber-popular NZ Fishing News in New Zealand and before that he was a commercial airline pilot for Air New Zealand. I’ve contributed to the magazine since the second issue in December 1987, and Mike was the first person ever to call me and offer me a column writing for a fishing magazine. I was 15 at the time. In the mid nineties, Mike offered me a job at the growing company and basically gave me only one brief. “Don’t let the writers

VICTORIAN FRESHWATER Horsham 59 Robinvale 60 Mildura 60 Yarrawonga 61 Shepparton 62 Wangaratta 63 Victorian Alpine 64 Jindabyne 65 Eildon 66 Bonnie Doon 66 Goulburn River 67 Bendigo 68 West/South Gippsland 69 Crater Lakes 69 Melbourne Metro 69 Ballarat 70

From the Editor’s Desk...

NSW SOUTH COAST Mallacoota 46 Bermagui 46 Eden 47 Narooma 48 Merimbula 49

EAST COAST Inverloch 40 Ninety-Mile Beach 40 Welshpool 42 Gippsland Lakes 42 Marlo 43 McLoughlins Beach 43 Lakes Entrance 44 Bemm River 45

Geelong 20 Port Phillip West 24 Port Phillip East 30 Port Phillip North East 32 Mornington Peninsula 34 Western Port North 36 Western Port South 38 Phillip Island 40

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West Coast 14 Warrnambool 16 Portland 16 Apollo Bay 18 Cobden 18

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Southern Bluefin Tuna

Rigging basics for SBT WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

The lure of catching southern bluefin tuna is in the veins of the majority of Victorian saltwater anglers these days, and with tuna right

used to catch the various species somewhat differ between one another. When it comes to southern bluefin on the Victorian West Coast, trolling lures is the most widely used technique. Rigging right for SBT is imperative due to their power and with

the possibility of hooking fish in excess of 100kg, ensuring everything is 100% is what will have you land that fish of a lifetime and not be the one thinking what went wrong for the rest of your life. Rigging for tuna is not just about threading the leader through the lure to

When targeting tuna, having a selection of at least a dozen lures will allow you to be versatile with your spread.

Swapping to inline single hooks instead of sticking with the standard treble hooks will increase your success. on tap just a few hours west of Melbourne, it’s no surprise! Catching tuna isn’t for everyone, but the desire to catch them is always there, secretly hiding away under your skin. Not everyone has a boat capable of heading to the tuna grounds but I’m sure most have that special mate that does have a boat big enough to battle the southern ocean swells. That said, finding tuna maybe a task in itself, but if you haven’t got all the rigging requirements in order, landing your fish might prove to be an impossible task. There is no doubt that all species of tuna put out a fierce battle once hooked. However, the techniques

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two skirted lures staggered at different lengths and a shotgun situated in the rocket launcher being the furthest lure out. If you’re on a budget, you can forgo two outfits and just run three; the shotgun and two for either skirts, hardbodies or a mixture of both. The outfits need to be able to cope with the pressure of possibly battling a genuine 100kg fish. In the past, I have heard people say they

wouldn’t want to catch a fish of such size, but you never know what fish is going to take your lure, so you might as well be prepared in case one does so you don’t lose your lure or worse, your outfit. Most outfits consist of a 5’6” game rod rated 15-24kg or a straight 24kg rod. Budget wise, most rods in the $150-$200 range are suitable. Shimano’s Back Bone Elite fits into this price range, while if you’re looking for the next level

Some hardbody lures do not swim from the packet or can be belted up and require tuning. A length of single strand wire with each end containing a haywire twist will keep them from pulling out of the water.

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the hook, it is about the entire setup, from the rod and reel to the line, leader to the right hooks. THE SETUP So you’ve you gone out and upgraded your boat to something much more substantial in order to reach wider fishing

grounds and subsequently target game fish including southern bluefin. When targeting such fish, there is a standard that is required to be successful in landing a fish. You can use whatever rod and reel you want, but the end result is going to be dictated by what you have chosen to use. When purchasing your outfits, you need to take into consideration the lure spread you’re going to set to entice the fish to hit your lures. A basic trolling spread consists of five lures, comprised of two hardbody lures or vibe style lures trolled in close to the motor,

Smaller sized tuna don’t have to be hit with such heavy tackle, but you still need to ensure your rigging is 100%.

Southern Bluefin Tuna up, Wilson’s Aussie built Live Fibre Strokers sit in the $300-$450 range. Reels are equally as important and need to hold

a specific colour, lure action. Your pack include different lures, diving

size or should length depths,

banging on a set of hooks and heading offshore. Lures need to be rigged right so they perform in the water as well as offer you

Your outfit will be your most prized possession. Always ensure it is rigged to perfection. Tuna will find the weakness in your tackle so go above and beyond and make sure there isn’t any. a significant amount of line. A big tuna can strip a solid 500m of line in seconds and to stop it, you’ll need as much line as you can get. Shimano’s TLD 50w loaded with 24kg line are pretty much the standard when it comes to tuna reels as well as the TLD 30w for those anglers that wish to fish 15kg line class. If there are big tuna about, a TLD 50w loaded with 24kg can handle them, but many anglers choose to go up to the next level and use either a Tiagra 50w or even an 80w loaded with 37kg line. In finishing off the setup, tie a double in the line and attach either a 150lb-200lb wind-on leader. Some anglers prefer not to use a wind-on, and would rather a long plaited double. The use of the wind-on provides better abrasion resistance than just the double and makes it easier to trace the fish to the boat as the leader is thicker, unlike when trying to hold into just the doubled mainline. Either way, on the end of the double or the windon, you need to attach a heavy-duty snap swivel. On the double, this can be attached via a cats paw knot while on the wind-on, the swivel can be crimped. LURE CHOICE Choosing which tuna lures to buy is always a conundrum that is not solved easily. It makes more sense to buy a good dozen lures and be done with it. This also gives you the opportunity in switching lures while out on the water to see if the fish favour

actions and colours. RIGGING LURES There is much more to rigging lures than just

the confidence that nothing is going to go wrong when battling a fish. To page 10

When it comes to big tuna, Simon Rinaldi from Red Hot Fishing Tackle knows only to well the importance of using quality tackle and rigging everything right. MARCH 2016

Southern Bluefin Tuna From page 9

Hardbody lures all come stock standard with a set of treble hooks – most do anyway. Experience tells me that trebles and big fish result in disaster. The fish can bend trebles quite easily, so it is best to remove these and replace with single inline hook either on the belly or just on the rear. Though you can use two inline hooks, I advise against it. If a fish

gets both hooks in each corner of their jaw and flexes to rid the hooks, one can tear out or buckle. Using one hook is the best approach. Some hardbodied lures don’t swim properly either and while this could be from any branded lure, knowing how to rectify this is very important. Most lures pull out of the water for a few reasons. Either you have attached the snap swivel directly to the lures

tow point, which doesn’t allow the lure to freely move enough or the tow point on the lure is bent and needs straightening. Other factors can include anglers tying the lure onto the leader with a knot that will also cause it to pull out. I have found that by attaching a 1m length of 170lb single strand wire, with each end containing a haywire twist, you can solve this problem.

Accidents can happen on the ocean, and bust-offs are common. Always make sure you have an adequate rigging kit when you head out.

Always ensure your rigging is 100% otherwise you could lose that fish of a lifetime.

Occasionally, it won’t, which will then require you to check the tow point and or just change the entire lure. Sometimes, after a tuna hits the lure, it can cause them never to swim correctly again and you will have to replace it in the spread. Skirted lures on the other hand need full rigging. For tuna, I take a 2.5m length of 150-200lb leader. On one end, tie a

Flemish eye and crimp. Slide the lure onto the leader and thread on two crimps. Place a hook onto the leader and tie another Flemish eye to secure the hook and measure out the crimps doubling the leader over. The lure should be spaced so the hook’s barb is just inside the end of the skirt. Crimp tight with each end of the crimp flaring out so not to damage

the leader. START YOUR TROLL There are many ways to rig for tuna and each angler might do it different to another, but many use the same or similar rigging processes as outlined above. Regardless of how you rig up for tuna, ensure one thing, that you’re confident it will hold together once a fish takes the lure especially if it’s a big one!

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A Look At...

Q and A of tuna essentials COCKATOO

Luke McCredden www.thelongline.net

How lucky are we as Victorian’s to have such amazing fisheries around our state. One such fishery that has stood out almost above all others in the last five years, has been the southern bluefin tuna fishery in the western part of Victoria.

and probed them for some tuna essential information that we all can learn something from. Before you hit the road, with boat in tow, what are some of the main things you double and triple check when on a tuna mission? LR: First of all, it’s the weather forecasts and looking at multiple websites to ensure I have a good understanding of how the

Simon’s experience is invaluable to his clients when out on the deep blue chasing jumbo tuna like this! I remember heading down the road from Melbourne towards Portland for the first time a number of years back thinking how odd it felt to be driving west rather than east. It has become such a popular part of our sport in this state, that it is now penned in on the recreational fishing calendar as a ‘season’. Whether it be 5kg or 105kg fish, preparation for southern bluefin tuna is essential. I grabbed a couple of my good mates and bluefin guns Lee Rayner and Simon Rinaldi, 12

MARCH 2016

weather is shaping up. Then it’s making sure the boat is in check, but especially the safety gear. I always double check all the safety gear, and going offshore in the southern ocean is no exception. SR: I will always check my trailer bearings and the trailer in general. It can be a long drive so getting there in one piece is obviously important. I never hit the road before I check the bearings. Once I’m happy with all that I make sure all the safety gear is in check, then loaded up with all the necessary tackle and

away we go! What are your top three tuna lures? LR: 1. Marlin Magic Baby Hardhead in Lumo, 2. Black Bart Pelagic Breakfast in Big Dog, 3. Rapala X-Rap 30 Silver Blue. SR: 1. Richter Soft Grassy, 2. Richter Splash, 3. Rapala X-Rap 30 in LUU. When it comes to rod, reel, line class and leader, what is your ideal set up? LR: Generally speaking, I run 10kg and 15kg line on school fish, and up to 24kg line on jumbos. The reels I use are Okuma Makaira on Custom 80 Fathoms rods. I like to keep wind-ons light and short, so across the board I use 100lb or 150lb wind-on and they are only about 8ft, so I will chop them down from the usual lengths they come in. SR: 15kg and 24kg line. I always use overhead gear for the clients, as they are a good option for anglers of any level, whether it be beginners or even really experienced guys. I run Shimano Tiagras and Wilson Live Fibre game rods. In terms of wind-on, I always use 80lb and 100lb. That stays the same whether we chase big fish or small. Once you are out on the water, what signs are you looking for to start fishing? LR: I guess the obvious one is birds, seals and dolphins that are working and feeding, then watching and using my sounder. Keeping an eye on water temperature, looking for bait and anything that alarms me that there might be fish in the area. Electronics play a massive part in tuna fishing. SR: It’s all got to do with how I’m reading the water, what I like, what I’m confident with. I’m usually pretty happy with nervous water that is getting stirred up by bait. I also rely heavily on the sounder. I always keep an eye on it, looking for a temperature break, or bait or even marking the tuna themselves. The reef structure is a pivotal factor in my fishing too. I spend a lot of time checking out the structure and bottom looking for ledges, reefs, inconsistent bottom depths and any of these should hold bait and in turn have bluefin not far away. What is an ideal trolling speed for trolling skirts and hardbodies? LR: In my boat, which throws a nice big flat wake, I troll at about 6.5 knots. Weather plays a bit of a part sometimes in the speed in which we troll, but at 6.5 knots I find it will be a good speed in even a bit of

rough stuff. SR: I think it all depends on what the swell is like and the wind too. My speed will change all throughout the day, but generally speaking, on a relatively calm day I will troll at 5-6 knots. Finally, what are the most important things to know about targeting southern bluefin tuna? LR: I’m critical about getting my lures to swim right! I don’t just throw them out there, I always make an effort to place them in the best spot and make sure they are swimming perfectly. It can be the difference in an awesome day and a very slow day. Another thing is, how you approach bait schools and feeding birds. Don’t just go in there and charge through a school and wreck it. Also, being aware of animal behaviour, for example birds. If they are all flying west and you are heading east, maybe think about doing a u-turn, because these birds are heading west for a reason! SR: It’s definitely making sure the lures are swimming correctly. There’s putting lures in the water and there’s putting lures in the water. If you take the time to watch them for a while once you have put them in,

That’s what you call a ‘double barrel’! Tuna of this size are a real trophy in South West Victoria. you will soon see if one is swimming really well and if one is swimming poorly. The other key point on fishing for tuna in the west

Lee Rayner is a veteran to southern bluefin tuna fishing, and has many under his belt to date.

of Victoria, is not worrying too much about what everybody else is doing. I always encourage people to do their own thing, watch and learn from everything as you go, but you don’t need to follow and fish on top of others. In fact, moving away from a tight fleet can result in a much bigger success rate. If you can read the water and back yourself to move away from everyone, a lot of the time you will find plenty of fish. Lee Rayner and Simon Rinaldi have both spent countless hours on the water chasing tuna. Both are finely-tuned game anglers and highly-skilled when it comes to finding the fish. If you would like an opportunity to learn and fish with Simon, go to www.redhotfishingcharters. com.au and find out some more on what Simon and his Red Hot Fishing crew have to offer. You can check out some of his amazing captures and book a trip with him. If you have your own boat and are planning a trip on the bluefin, drop in to Lee Rayner’s Fishing Fever store and chat to Lee and his staff about getting rigged up and ready to go. Also check out Lee in action on Fishing Edge on ONE HD every Saturday afternoon (check your local guides). You can find out more about Fishing Fever and Fishing Edge at www. fishingfever.com.au and www.fishingedge.com.au.

Fishing Fill-its

New zones for boaties Parks Victoria is implementing new boating and swimming zones to improve safety across Port Phillip and Western Port. The new boating and swimming zones are being introduced in stages with new aids to navigation and clear signage installed prior to each new zone coming into effect. Boating and swimming zones are prepared under the Marine Safety Act 2010 with the primary aim of providing a safe environment for water users. They apply conditions of operation and prohibit incompatible uses for safety reasons. In 2009 Parks Victoria completed a comprehensive two-year review of all boating and swimming zones across Port Phillip and Western Port. The review found that the existing boating and swimming zones could be difficult to understand from the water or land. There were a large number of different types of zones that made it overly complex to interpret. They also did not reflect changing trends in boating and swimming activity. Parks Victoria as the Local Port Manager of Port Phillip and Western Port, jointly with Transport Safety Victoria who oversee the management of recreational boating across Victoria, reviewed the existing boating and swimming zones. The review was to determine what zone types are required in each local area around Port Phillip and Western Port to allow safe access and use of the coast and waterways. Following extensive community consultation a standard set of zones and criteria for application was devised. Parks Victoria has worked in partnership with Transport Safety Victoria and in consultation with the local community to apply these zones across Port Phillip and Western Port.

The principles that have been applied during review of the recommendations are that the boating and swimming zones should be: Safe, practical, easy to identify, easy to comply with and regulate and responding to current and anticipated future water uses. WHAT ARE THE CHANGES? Some of the general and more significant changes as a result of reviewing each local area include: The realignment and simplification of zones to provide a more user-friendly arrangement; the consistent application of ‘Swimming Only’ zones in front of Life Saving Clubs to provide increased swimmer safety; the introduction of ‘Shared Wind Sport areas’ to allow for the safe operation of the increasingly popular sport; the removal of ‘No Sailboard’, ‘Sailboards Only’ and ‘PWC Only’ zones to reflect changing water uses and duplication with other zones; and the adjustment of the ‘5 Knot’ zone between Safety Beach and Blairgowrie from 760m from shore to 500m from shore. A simpler set of new zones will replace the previous zones. These are: Boating Only - swimming is not permitted in this zone. Swimming Only - all vessels, including personal watercraft, powered and non-powered vessels, are not permitted in this zone. Shared Wind Sport Area - this zone provides an area for kite boarding, sail boarding and other wind based boating which may exceed 5 knots except within 50m proximity to other vessels and swimmers. Other vessels are permitted in this area. 5 Knot Speed Limit – all vessels, applicable either: as a zone extending to 200m from shore. Swimming and boating are permitted within 200m of the shore subject to defined areas above. All vessels must adhere to the 5 knot speed

limit in this zone; or as a zone extending to 500m from shore on the Mornington Peninsula from Martha Cove, Dromana to Sullivan Bay, Sorrento. Swimming and boating are permitted within 500m of the shore subject to defined areas above. All vessels must adhere to the 5 knot speed limit in this zone. In some areas with exceptional circumstances two pre-existing zones will be retained. These are: No Wind Sports – sailboarding and kiteboarding is not permitted; No Personal Watercraft – personal watercraft (including jetskis) are prohibited in this zone. HOW WILL THE NEW ZONES BE IMPLEMENTED? Parks Victoria has commenced implementation of the endorsed zones and is installing buoys, piles and signage as part of the upgrade work. Implementation will continue as weather conditions, materials and contractor availability allow. The new zones have been prioritised and are being implemented in stages. The maps below show implemented and proposed zones. Proposed zones may change prior to implementation. As works progress Parks Victoria will undertake local and general education campaigns for waterway users. It is important to note that the existing zones will remain in effect until the revised boating and swimming zones are installed, signed and gazetted by Transport Safety Victoria. Parks Victoria and the Victorian Water Police will continue to enforce the existing zones until replaced by the newly revised boating and swimming zones. Notices to Mariners will also be issued to advise of revised zone arrangements and works occurring on the water. – Parks Victoria

Regular reader of the mag James Phillip caught this chunky 3kg yellowbelly on a live yabby. MARCH 2016

Perchance a perch in autumn? WEST COAST

Shane Lowery

March can be an exceptional month to fish the Glenelg River with continued good weather and plenty of fish on offer. Despite the incredible numbers of small mulloway in the system this year there have been very few

reports of bigger fish caught. There have been plenty in the 60-80cm range, and of course the constant catch of just undersize fish taken mostly around the middle to lower reaches of the river, but only limited reports of fish up in the 20lb size. Bait fishers have caught most of the reported legal fish after dark and pilchard or cut baits seem to account for most of

them. Lure fishers are finding no shortage of the smaller fish either and they seem to be a constant by-catch while targeting bream and estuary perch. The best areas have been from the caves down to Donavans, Taylors Strait, the bridge and the estuary. As always bream are well spread in the river at this time of year, and anglers willing to move

Small mulloway are a regular by-catch when fishing the lower reaches of the river.

around will certainly have no trouble finding patches of great fish. Bait fishers have had great success with pilchard, shelled prawn and crab, which is always great bait. Fish the edges of weed banks with shallower mud flats early in the mornings for good results, however, it’s important to gradually work baits out a little deeper as the brightness and heat of the day increases. Lure fishing is working on the same pattern, start by casting hard into the edges with shallow diving hardbodies or lightly weighted soft plastics early in the mornings and last thing before dark. Work deeper divers and heavier plastics out a little wider during the day. Estuary perch are on the move to higher reaches of the river and during March the most productive parts of the river seem to be from the caves right up to around Pritchards. Early mornings provide some exciting surface fishing for lure fishers, but diving hardbodies are required to extend the bite time a little once the sun gets up higher. Perch are not an easy fish to target with bait, as they seem

Early mornings produce nice perch on surface lures. completely uninterested in taking dead static fished baits. However, they are very keen on snapping up a live-bait fished unweighted, very lightly weighted or suspended under a small bubble float and thrown in among heavy snags. Small live-baits like whitebait are perfect for the job but can be hard to find in the local

area. I recommend fishing leaders of up around the 10lb mark, as you need to quickly muscle the perch away from the snags before they manage to get back and bury themselves into the sticks. The start of autumn sees some beautiful weather so there’s no better time to get out on the Glenelg and enjoy some quality fishing.

Finding the bream is the hardest part – stay on the move and you’ll have some fun when you stumble upon them.

Daniel Dalle-Nogare has been killing it on the natives lately. Check out this gargantuan 130cm Murray cod he caught at Blowering Dam!

MARCH 2016

Cruising for a bruising – kingfish dominate coastline PORTLAND

Nigel Fisher

What a month we’ve had in Portland, with the mighty kingfish appearing, and many anglers achieving results, from 5-6kg fish to monsters close to 20kg, which has made this one of the best seasons in years. Others have been spooled or snapped off, and with some of the gear being used catches may get

even bigger. Australia Day weekend in Portland saw people from all over Victoria and beyond trying to catch kingfish. Both boat ramps were busy and the Lee breakwater was pretty much packed, with land-based guys having just as much fun as the boaties. A popular way to catch kingfish is to troll anything from fresh baits, soft plastics and hardbody lures, to live-baits under floats with minimal weight. Try casting

stick baits, plastics and fresh baits into large schools. You’ll find the kingfish around the breakwater and under the water tower or over the North Shore near Wally’s boat ramp up to the mouth of the Fitzroy River. These guys can pop up out of the blue so be ready to have a crack at the mighty kingfish, and hang on! Big schools of salmon are cruising through the bay and are great fun to hook into. Some of these fighters have been up to 4kg in

Adrian is one happy angler with his kingfish over 10kg.

size. A few tuna have also been caught around the North Shore area in 20-30m of water and up to 30kg, however the average catch is closer to 8-10kg. Anglers have found some very good pinkie snapper around the bay from 35-50cm – these fish always perform on the plate. Whiting are in good numbers around the North Shore and Black Nose area, as well as in some sections of the breakwater. Squid are in good number and the kingfish have chased them in around the landings and breakwater. Some boaties still head into very deep waters when the weather permits to chase blue eye, a great table fish. They have also recently targeted a number of big flathead, snapper and sharks. Bridgewater is still the go-to place for flathead, school and gummy sharks – again when the weather permits. The Surry and Fitzroy Rivers have produced some nice bream, and the odd mulloway still shows up in the Fitzroy. Fishing in Portland this March will be dominated by kingfish followed by an increase in tuna. It will be interesting to see if these big barrels will stick around again as late as last year. We

Portland is the place for kingfish. Jack holds up a nice pair of kings at 13kg each. should also see more flathead around the bay mixed in with some great whiting. Beach fishing is certainly pretty good at this time of year for sharks, big salmon, snapper and whiting plus whatever may swim past. Remember, for all your

bait and tackle needs call into Portland Compleat Angler at 61 Bentinck St next to the Gordon Hotel or contact us on (03) 5521 1844. We can help you with weather and fishing updates and help you with your next purchase.

Pelagics pound the coast WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

The Shipwreck Coast Fishing Classic is held annually in March. The competition is fished in local estuary, surf and offshore waters between Port Campbell

and Yambuk from 12-20 March. Keep these dates in mind if you’re thinking of making a trip down, as there will be plenty of prizes for both junior and senior anglers. If the fishing continues with the excellence of late, the competition should be a ripper. Offshore action has

been fantastic, due to a combination of warm water temperatures and some long-awaited settled sea conditions. The pelagic fishing in the area offshore from west of Port Fairy through to Portland’s North Shore has been sensational. Observant anglers can spot schools of yellowtail kingfish, southern bluefin

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Dan Mackrell and Steve Parker recently experienced some awesome offshore stickbaiting action. tuna and big salmon when conditions are calm enough. Some of the fish are quality, with tuna to over 20kg and kingfish to over 10kg encountered. Make sure your tackle and knots are up to scratch as one cast may produce a 2kg fish, but a 20kg fish could hammer the next. It has been amazing to watch what you think is a school of kingfish swim below the boat only to notice some big tuna swimming with them as well. Cast a stick bait or soft plastic into the schools for some great results. Blind trolling small

lures works well if you are travelling to find the fish. The mako sharks have continued to be more prevalent than last season, and those who’ve explored out wide have turned up some good catches of blue-eye, gemfish and even the odd trumpeter. Closer to shore there have been good catches of whiting in the shallow bays and some decent salmon taken off the surf beaches. The Hopkins River has remained closed since late October last year. We’ve had extremely little rainfall in the area in the

past few months. The river hasn’t fished too badly considering; usually if it’s closed for a long period over summer the fishing slows right down. Mulloway still pop up around the system with fish to 75cm taken and stories of bigger ones lost. Bream fishing has been alright, with some good fish taken with surface lures during calm conditions. Soft plastics on light line or baitfishing with minimal line diameter and weight have been the most effective methods at this time of year.

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Get past the salmon guards for a shot at the king! APOLLO BAY

Daniel Kent apollobaysurfshop@bigpond.com

Every autumn blows me away with how well the area fishes. Species such as gummy shark, school shark, yellowtail kingfish and southern bluefin tuna have made massive comebacks from previous years. These fish were once myths and whispers, but are now staple fare. As in the past, large schools of salmon rock up and patrol the coastline in the lead up to March. Salmon can occasionally be seen breaking the surface as they chomp into the baitfish schools. If you’re lucky enough to be out in the boat and come across a feeding frenzy then catching a

fish should be as simple as casting a lure or bait in among all the action. The salmon range from 500g3kg and are great sport on light line. This season has also seen large schools of yellowtail kingfish frequent the same areas where the salmon are usually found. A lot of the time kingfish are hiding under the schools of salmon. Getting bait or a jig down to them through the feeding salmon is no easy task though! Another line-burning fish, which has been encountered in good numbers, is the feisty mako shark. Most of these have been smaller 35-80kg models, which I consider the best fun to catch, and they make great eating too. Don’t be surprised if

a much bigger model slides up the berley trail though, fish as big as 200kg have been caught here before. King George whiting frequent the inshore reef edges off Marengo, Elliot River and Blanket Bay with some fish up to 48cm taken on recent outings. The whiting should be here in numbers until the end of April and are always worth targeting. Silver trevally and squid have also been taken from the whiting grounds, so make sure you have a jig ready in the tackle box. The estuaries of the Aire and Barham rivers have fished extremely well for black bream, which have taken a liking to small hardbodied and soft plastic lures. The fish are wide spread throughout the river

systems; so don’t be afraid to move around until you locate good numbers of feeding fish. These rivers fish best when the mouth of the river is open to the sea and the tide is close to the bottom of its cycle. As the water recedes from the reedy edges it leaves nowhere for the shrimp and baitfish to hide, so the bream move up onto the edges looking for an easy feed. Needless to say that’s where you should cast your lure. I do quite a bit of this type of fishing and always look forward to the spring tides in March as bigger tidal movements give longer bite times per day. Good luck on the water this month, we should be in for a cracker of a time! Happy fishing!

Small mako sharks like this one caught by Sam Parker keep anglers busy.

Salty success stories COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

Local angler Steve McQuinn and company recently launched off Boat

Bay at Peterborough to look for a feed of fish to bring home, and they certainly weren’t disappointed. The boys ventured out and anchored up in anticipation of some decent fish. They

didn’t have to wait long as two gummy sharks at 15kg and 18kg respectively were quickly boated. The boys then made a move westwards to their flathead mark and within

An average Hopkins perch taken in 3m water depth on a Pontoon 21 Crackjack deep diver. 90 or so minutes had their bag of forty sand flathead. The icing on the cake had to be two lovely crayfish they pulled from their nets on the way home. Days on the water don’t get much better than that! It’s very much a similar case with most other anglers that have headed out to sea. Mako sharks from 40-100kg+ have come on the bite of late and have responded readily to large baits ballooned out the back. Schools of yellowtail kingfish to 11kg have made their presence felt, and surface poppers, bibbed lures and knife jigs have all taken fish over the inner reefs. The Hopkins River at Warrnambool has been a hive of fishing activity, with many anglers and boaters out to chase mulloway. The mouth of the river is currently closed and water levels are high but with no threat of flooding (due to a distinct lack of rainfall). A sizeable school of mulloway have consequently 18

MARCH 2016

been contained within the estuary. Although many caught turn out to be just undersize (60cm minimum legal length), many are quite acceptable in size, although I’ve yet to hear of fish exceeding 90cm in length. Many fish are picked up by bream and perch anglers and if played carefully, are often landed. All in all these fish, even if they are undersize, still pull plenty of line off the reel and are great fun to tackle on light gear. There are plenty of bream and perch about, although the majority of fish don’t exceed 33cm. The mud flats are now accessible to boats, and fish are found feeding actively there until approximately 10am when the sun gets high in the sky. After that they move off the flats and into waters with a depth of 2.5-3m. Soft plastics such as Fish Arrow Flash J Huddles and deep diving minnows such as Pontoon 21 Crack Jacks and Greedy Guts in

most colours have been successful for many anglers. Work them through the day until early evening when the fish once again move back into the shallows. The Curdies River has been quiet lately, but a few bait anglers have had success down in the lake using nothing but small packet prawns. There are plenty of small salmon stealing baits – the flesh from these fish work excellently as bait for bream. Usually bream move right upstream past the Boggy Creek boat ramp at this time of year, but anglers have reportedly given this section a good flogging for little return, so for the time being the fish are further downstream in the estuary. The heat of summer and a distinct lack of rain haven’t helped, with all estuaries well and truly closed off to the sea and water levels slowly dropping.

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Reddies steal the show GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterbunch@optusnet.com.au

The Barwon River in Geelong recently had a nasty outbreak of blue-

Bradley is still pestering those Wurdi reddies.

green algae. Please check the signs near the water if they are there and heed the warnings. It’s about this time of year the European carp really fire up, so if it is safe to do so, lob a few bunches of corn about the Barwon on a running sinker rig near Balliang Sanctuary or Queens Park. GOOD SEASON AHEAD Bradley Cox recently chased some redfin at Wurdi Buloc reservoir near Moriac. Bradley says it has been hard work but still managed a few quality fish using Fish Arrow Flash J shads in 3-4” sizes. Ross Winstanley fished Stingaree Bay last month where he caught fifteen pinkie snapper, three yank flathead and thirteen King George whiting over a three day period. Other anglers have also enjoyed good fishing inside Corio Bay with flathead and pinkie snapper to 45cm and King George whiting to 35cm. These anglers’ results bode very well for the next month of fishing! King George whiting have been biting well around the Bellarine

Marty boated this ripper snapper while holidaying on the Bellarine. Peninsula of late with anglers reporting quality and quantity from Point Wilson to Queenscliff. Gummy sharks have also

made a strong appearance around the Bellarine over the last month and a bit. Gummies to 12kg have been caught out deep off

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St Leonards and in Bass Strait from The Rip to Torquay. No need to get up early either as they have been caught throughout

the day. Best baits have been salmon fillets, but pilchards and squid have also caught plenty. Marty Ellul from Warrnambool spent some holiday time on the Bellarine Peninsula over the Christmas break. Marty boated a 3.7kg snapper fishing out in 24m of water east of St Leonards. Marty also caught some quality King George whiting at Point Richards right on dusk, and plenty of calamari between Queenscliff and St Leonards on white, orange and green size 3 Sephia squid jigs. The yellowtail kingfish have been biting well out off The Rip and along the Surf Coast. Brent Telenius has caught plenty of kingfish either side of legal length plus some XOS Australian salmon to 4kg not far out off Point Lonsdale. Brent trolled with white octopus surface lures and small divers while searching for them, and sent down jigs as the fish appeared on the sounder. Brent notes that they can be very fussy, going from inactive to crazy in no time. Other anglers have enjoyed the kingfish action out off Point Lonsdale where some rippers close to 10kg have been landed. Plenty have been lost as

they do have lots of power, and those not equipped to handle their blistering runs are quickly caught out. SALMON DOMINATE CATCHES I fished out off Queenscliff last month and found Australian salmon to 1.5kg working the surface in both Symonds and South Channel on the flood tide. It was quiet on the ebb tide and as soon as the flood started, the salmon showed up. The first fish I caught was on a Rapala CD14 I had trolled in the hope of a big salmon or kingfish. This fish turned out to be the best at 1.5kg. I switched to fly and chased the school for most of the arvo. The fish were a little boat shy so for those anglers who choose to cast lures take note and keep your distance from the school. I still managed about six or seven salmon to about a kilogram on fly tackle, which was great fun. I also hooked a small kingfish, which took off, hung deep and eventually spat the hook. I found the salmon quite fussy and had many follows without hook-ups. They seemed to prefer very fast retrieves with short, sharp action rather than the longer stripping action I’ve used in the past. I had another session

Nikita was very proud of her first gummy shark, which she caught off Ocean Grove. off Queenscliff with Dave Reynolds and his brother in law Drew, who was visiting from Canada. It

was Drew’s first visit to Australia and even though he was fitting in plenty of tourist activities, he

was dead keen on fishing. We tried for squid in the Lonsdale Bight and near Swan Bay with the latter producing a few small calamari for us on small green jigs. The highlight was when Dave lined up Drew with the bad end of a calamari and turned his blue shirt to black! My boat now also has a few new black stripes – thanks Dave! We also trolled for salmon in The Rip without luck and ended up catching a feed of whiting closer to Queenscliff just on dusk. The best whiting was 37cm, which went to our bait of choice, a pippi. We did catch a few on squid. Dave also hooked a small ray, which provided a bit of late session fun on whiting gear. Ben McLean fished out off Queenscliff with Stewie Turner and Dave Marton hoping for a whiting or three. They lucked out on the whiting but managed a great feed of reasonably sized calamari near Swan Bay. Ben has done well on the flood tide with tenderised squid strips catching whiting to 40cm. Nikita Page sent in a ripper story about her first gummy shark capture while fishing out off Ocean Grove with her dad Phil. They were hoping for a few pinkie

snapper and managed to locate a school early, but could not talk them into biting. They moved into a shallower reef and sent down some bait plus a couple of baited squid jigs when the rod with the baited jig screamed off – this was no calamari! Not long after that, the bait rods went off and Nikita writes, “I was laughing, giggling and yelling to dad as time and time again the fish peeled line from the lightly set drag. Each time I had him close to the boat he would take off again and then at last we got him into the net and on board seconds later.” Anglers casting metal lures from the rocks near Lorne have also caught some big salmon. Both Jump Rock and the rock platforms under the hospital have produced salmon up to 2kg. • Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send in a report to slaterbunch@ optusnet.com.au with VFM in the subject field or give me a call on 0408 997 348. Please include where (without giving away your secret spot!), when, what on and who caught the fish. Pictures are always great, but please make sure they are at least 1mb (file size).

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Portland’s North Shore WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

When you think of Portland, you think of deepwater fishing. Starting with the Lee Breakwater, which gives land-based anglers a great chance to fish depths usually only accessible for boaties. The adjoining deep-water harbour is a great sheltered fishing spot as well. Heading offshore to the famous tuna grounds and excellent

deep. This area is sheltered from the Southern Ocean’s southwest swells by the headlands of Point Danger and Cape Nelson. It is this combination of these slightly warmer and sheltered waters, in comparison to the rocky headlands that dominate the South West Coast, that create a niche of angling opportunities. Here are some of the species you can expect to encounter. KINGFISH The North Shore area has long been renowned for kingfish. The ability to

ends in disaster, so remember that the use of quality tackle is essential on kings. The fish can range from 2-15kg and even the rats fight with ferocity. The two main techniques generally used to target kings are to troll or baitfish at anchor. Trolling usually involves using a long, thin, fresh squid strip behind a small, skirted jig. Preferred speeds and depths can vary; downriggers and paravanes can also be useful if the fish go deep. Remember the kings can be quite fickle or at times simply not there. If this occurs, or the weather conditions and water temperature don’t suit trolling, this can often be the best time to attempt baitfishing. Other species can be targeted in a light berley trail while large bait, usually

Wally’s Ramp is the place to launch to access the pristine North Shore fishing grounds. Make sure your vehicle is suited to the ramp, as smaller 2WD have been known to get stuck! squid, can be floated out the back under a balloon on a heavy outfit. Perhaps the most exciting way to target kings in the area is to search for

LAUNCHING The ramp known as Wally’s Ramp is situated 8km west of Portland. It’s an easy beach style ramp and a 4WD is recommended, I have seen 2WD cars launch small tinnies there, but I’ve also seen some get stuck! If you have a medium sized boat, target tuna in the area between Julia Percy Island and Portland to avoid the crowds at Portland during the height of tuna season. Otherwise, launch at Portland Harbour and drive across.

surface cruising schools and throw large soft plastics and stickbaits into them. TUNA The past couple of seasons have seen southern bluefin tuna turn up in the shallow North Shore water, not just in the traditional cooler months for tuna fishing, but from January through to March. Sure these are the same school sized tuna that seem to be ever present almost all year round these days. However, there is something special about catching them in the warmer weather. Beach launching to

Kings are one of the main attractions to the North Shore fishing grounds. bottom fishing that offers a range of tasty deepwater species, Portland really has it all for those keen to target the salty depths. However, another productive local area exists that differs hugely from this deep-water theme. The North Shore runs from Portland Bay almost around to Narrawong, and is a shallow area with prime angling grounds that run 10m deep and less. Even offshore the waters of the North Shore are only 20-30m

target recognised game fish in Victoria is quite limited, particularly if you exclude sharks from that list. Therefore the opportunity to catch kingfish, in quite shallow and accessible territory, is a major drawcard for many anglers during the warmer months. Most anglers target the North Shore area in depths from 3-9m, however the kings can turn up anywhere. The next person that has a light rod take off like a freight train won’t be the last. However, this often

Most anglers target the North Shore area in depths from 3-9m, however the kings can turn up anywhere. The next person that has a light rod take off like a freight train won’t be the last!

chase tuna schools around on blue flat seas is the norm. Cast small stickbaits or plastics into the schools, or troll smaller skirts for these fish, which seem to always be feeding on small bait. SNAPPER Considering the reputation the nearby Lee breakwater has for producing big snapper, the North Shore fish are considerably smaller, with the majority falling in the pinkie class. This might seem disappointing to those who chase big reds, or those of you fortunate enough to live in areas more conducive to large snapper. However, there are positive, namely what they lack in size they make up for in numbers. Unlike many excursions chasing large fish, most well organised outings will succeed in catching a feed of pinkies in the 1-2.5kg range. Another benefit is the variety of other fish that live in the same area and take similar rigs and baits. Long waits are unusual, particularly with a little berley and quality bait. An inshore session on the pinkie snapper in the area is almost guaranteed to see you encounter a number of other species. This variety and uncertainty is probably what makes it such a good fisher; you could encounter silver trevally, salmon, large King George whiting, snook,

A cracker pot-bellied summer tuna! 22

MARCH 2016

PORTLAND BAY LODGE

yellowtail kingfish, squid, barracouta, thresher shark, mulloway, pike, cowanyoung, gummy shark and blue throat wrasse. Add to this a host of less desirable rays and sharks and you can see how you can have an exciting day out fishing. Target the pinkie snapper on light gear and soft plastic lures in these shallow waters. WHITING King George whiting are a welcome by-catch when fishing for pinkies. The whiting in the area are often large, 40cm+ fish, and have no hesitation in swallowing baits such as a half pilchard or finger-sized squid strip. For those who specifically target whiting, the many sand holes between the reefs in 3-7m are the go. Kingfish love these sand holes too. Many a whiting angler has had their gear smashed up when something a little bigger has taken a liking to their fresh squid bait. While bag limits aren’t common, particularly compared to whiting fisheries such as Port Phillip Bay, it is the quality of the fish that make whiting fishing in the Portland area special. Most fish are in the 40-50cm range with fish smaller than 35cm rarely encountered. SNOOK If you love snook fishing then the North Shore is the place for you. We catch some

Portland Bay Lodge is a 10 acre property located at Wally’s Ramp that can sleep 100 people. There is a large hall with dining room overlooking the ocean, commercial kitchen, and accommodation lodge. There are shared and private bathrooms, ample parking for plenty of boats, wash down areas for boats, games room and CCTV for added security. Booking is exclusively by a single group for a minimum charge equal to ten guests. Rates are $33 per person per night and fishing advice is provided on the area if required. Andrew and Dean are usually all over what’s happening fish-wise.

Portland Bay Lodge is a great place to kick back after a long day out fishing with mates. Great facilities and friendly staff who can give you all the right tips to find the species you want.

thumping snook by-catch while targeting kingfish on lures or pinkie snapper on plastics. Concentrate on catching them with a bit of lead line trolling, this is favoured by snook aficionados, or troll minnow style lures and you will consistently encounter good-sized fish in the 70-90cm range. SALMON Most of the salmon encountered in the area are bigger fish, which isn’t good news for those looking for livebaits, but great fun if you can target a school on spin gear. Some of these salmon can be 3-4kg or above and put on a fine display if hooked on light gear. If you can find a school mixed in with some rat kings

Casting to cruising schools is action packed! you are in for some fun. Unlike the kings though, salmon are present all year round.

All sorts of sharks drop into North Shore to tangle with the anglers in the shallower waters.

SQUID Calamari squid can be prolific in the area and in impressive average sizes. Perhaps the hardest thing about squid fishing in North Shore is deciding whether to eat them or turn them into kingfish baits. SHARKS Numerous shark species are attracted to the region. You never know what you may encounter, from the tasty gummy shark, to more interesting travellers such as bronze whalers and even small hammerheads. At times the area has produced exceptional fishing for thresher sharks. There have been enough odd sightings of great whites to convince me not to dive in the area!

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Time for a whiting fix PORT PHILLIP WEST

Brenton Hodges blhodgey@hotmail.com

After months of very little rainfall, recent storm activity has delivered some much-needed

precipitation across the local region. A flush of freshwater is just what the Melbourne rivers

Recent heavy rain has lifted the fishing across the inner western reefs to another level with pinkie snapper providing some hot action in close for those pitching soft plastics on the drift.

A flush of freshwater is just what the Melbourne rivers needed to kick the fishing into gear in the lead up to Easter.

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needed to kick the fishing into gear in the lead up to Easter. For those up for a challenge, early March through to the winter months is prime time to cross paths with a metropolitan mulloway. These once mysterious predators have been in far greater numbers over the past few years. Hopefully the pattern continues and we see many more enter the system over the coming months. Recent heavy rain have given the fishing a lift across the inner western reefs and pinkie snapper have provided some hot action in close for those pitching soft plastics on the drift. When conditions are more settled, King George whiting and squid make an appearance, along with some good eating size flathead. WERRIBEE SOUTH TO POINT COOK Jason Farrugia from Magnet Fishing Charters says the fishing has been exceptional of late and shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. As the annual run of big reds gradually tapered off early in the New Year, the focus for Jason and his clients shifted to King George whiting. Anchoring up over patches of broken reef and rubble, interspersed with some weed and sand produced some impressive bags with some fish topping 38cm and occasionally beyond. Tenderised squid, cuttlefish (if you can get it), fresh mussel and pipis are the go-to baits for whiting in this area, in conjunction with a liberal supply of berley to keep the school actively competing with one another for a feed. On most occasions, the whiting have been found in 2-6m of water, though according to Jason, he’s also experienced some hot bites out wider. The

combination of a sensitive threadline outfit, light line (say no heavier than 6lb breaking strain) and a small long shank or circle hook will have you well placed to secure a feed of whiting this month. According to the crew at Hooked On Bait And Tackle, whiting have also shown up in good numbers from Wedge Spit through to Point Wilson. These fish average 32-34cm, with larger specimens generally more willing to feed closer to nightfall.

Interestingly, land-based anglers who cast baits of pipi and mussel from the beach at Avalon have also enjoyed some reasonably consistent action. Squid have recently become active, so for anyone planning to put together a seafood banquet for Easter, there shouldn’t be any need to travel too far. When fishing solo, I like to have one jig trail out the back of the boat while casting another well ahead of the drift. The stretch from Wyndham

Young Cooper Hodges proudly displays his first squid, taken while casting and retrieving a 3.0 size jig in 6m of water at Point Cook.

Harbour through to Point Cook has been productive, particularly along the 3-6m line. Brad Hodges and his son, Cooper, secured a feed of calamari in this area, which cooked up nicely in a hot fry pan alongside a couple of flathead fillets. ALTONA TO WILLIAMSTOWN It can be a real mixed bag for inshore anglers at this time of year with whiting, squid, flathead, pinkie snapper and snook (or short finned pike) all likely to show up at various times – and indeed within the same session! Casting worm and baitfish imitation soft plastics on the drift is a sure bet at dawn and dusk, while those who prefer to fish at anchor will also be in the mix with baits of fresh squid and cut pilchards likely to attract some attention. METROPOLITAN RIVERS Bream, pinkie snapper and school mulloway will be the key targets in the metropolitan rivers over the coming months with both bait and lure anglers expected to do well. Bream have been reasonably active among the Williamstown moorings and diving minnows worked along the shady side of the yacht hulls enticed some

Jason Farrugia from Magnet Fishing Charters says fishing across the western flank of Port Phillip has been exceptional of late and showing no sign of slowing down anytime soon. to strike. Further upriver at Docklands, lipless crankbaits or vibes pitched tight up against the vertical structure has

also brought about success. The Maribyrnong River is another good option with some solid bream falling to crab imitations and diving

minnows worked along the rocky margins. Pinkie snapper, which seem to get their directional wires crossed and head up river, are expected to provide some entertainment this month. Worm pattern soft plastics account for many of these fish. Fresh mussel meat intended for bream is highly successful for some, while those fishing for mulloway with live baits also encounter the odd snapper at this time of year. Speaking of mulloway, the next few months will offer you the best chance to tempt one of these urban beasts. Already there have been a few taken by those fishing well into the night with both live and dead mullet. Soft plastics such as the Berkley Nemesis range in both the Gulp and PowerBait varieties have also brought quite a few small to middling size school mulloway undone. Half an hour before and after slack water, be it the low or high tide, is a peak bite time. In saying that though, mulloway can most definitely be coerced into striking outside of this period. BEEN FISHING Reports and images are most welcome and may be submitted via email to blhodgey@hotmail.com.

Wissam Karim was yak fishing out of St Kilda catching pinkies on light gear when a big strike happened. It was a 17.6kg mulloway! To see the video look up ‘Mulloway on a kayak 2015 Jewfish’ on YouTube.

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Junior City Fishing

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Jason Tanti

I’ve had an absolutely awesome month of fishing, catching everything from golden perch, bream and even estuary perch – all in the CBD. Now that the school holidays have come to an end, I’d like to reflect on where I’ve fished and what I’ve caught.

While catching big black bream in the Yarra and Maribyrnong River we managed to stumble on some great numbers of estuary perch. And let me tell you, did that excite me! Without a doubt, catching an estuary perch in Melbourne CBD has got to be my best achievement. Especially knowing I can catch public transport in with my mates. A low profile shallow

diving bibbed hardbody lure or a light weighted small soft plastic (either paddle-tail or curl-tail) seem to get results. With good quality Polaroids, sight-casting estuary perch near structure and shadow covered water is a common and effective technique. The part I love most about catching estuary perch is the building anticipation during the stalk and sight-cast. Their large mouths can just about

Target structure and sight-cast for the chance to catch one of these elusive estuary perch.

This black bream got greedy and crunched a Cranka Crab.

swallow anything. Estuary perch have a reputation of aggression and fight furiously, so often if they are around you will at least get a territorial hit. You will catch a few bream as by-catch because you use the same method to catch both, and quite often they hold in the same area (among structure and in slow moving water). All in all, the fight the estuary perch puts up in relation to its size is unbelievable. At this time of year my mates and I have a heap of fun collecting live crabs in the Yarra River on low

tide. It’s as easy as turning over exposed rocks and collecting crabs to put on a small bait holder hook rigged weightless. The bream absolutely smash them! We have been getting some solid specimens of around 40cm. The prime time to fish is always early morning and late afternoon as that’s when fish feed. To increase your chances of catching either a bream or an estuary perch, fish at these times. Some sessions of late have been so good we’ve produced double hook-ups.

With solid patches of rain in Melbourne, the fish have gone crazy. I’ve found the next couple of days after a solid rain are an awesome time to target fish in Yarra. Species such as estuary perch forage their way up the system, sometimes all the way up to the docklands as all the dirty water coming in from the Bay brings in food. Overall I’ve had an absolute blast these school holidays fishing with my mates and doing what I love, and what better way to do it than in our very own Melbourne city.

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Yarra River adventures CRANBOURNE

Mitch Chapman

In the heart of Melbourne lies the mighty Yarra River. Starting in the hills of the Yarra Ranges where trout and cod are the definitive target species, the river winds its way through the hills, before turning to salt and into Port Phillip Bay. Here the main targets are mulloway and big chunky bream. This beautiful river is full of surprises and big fish.

PRIME TIME In the warmer months bream become active and feed high in water column. You can see them mooching on rock walls and the plentiful pylons in the Bay. As the bait pushes up the river, this is a good time to test your patience on the ever-elusive mulloway that lurk in the shadows. Salmon and mullet are also around if you want a nice little feed. THE GEAR Light graphite spin rods are great to target bream in the river. Use 2-4kg rods with 6lb braid. A long

fluorocarbon leader is a must when targeting tricky spooky bream in clear slow-flowing waters around the docks. You need to fish light to get the bite – but pull them out quick before it’s all over! THE RIG If you are out baitfishing, a bait holder size 4 hook with a freshwater yabby is excellent bait that yields results. Long light 4lb leaders unweighted is the best method to bream in the city. BAIT AND LURES There are a number of lures that are effective to

Ghosts of the estuary are a prized capture for any angler.

The best part is watching them swim away.

fish the Yarra. Strike Pro Micro Vibes and River2Sea baby vibes hold their own when fishing the pylons. You want to fish hardbodied lures and small lightly weighted plastics on the rock walls and banks. If baitfishing, yabbies and mussel fished unweighted is a deadly option for bream. For mulloway, use live mullet or fresh squid baits. BEST METHOD Lure fishing is a very effective way to land a few

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enjoy this fishery and keep it going for years to come, do the right thing and do the research before entering the water. HOT TIP Cast way up in the shadows of the pylons and watch your line. Most bites occur when fishing microvibes and plastics and you won’t even feel the bite. You will see it in your line as your lure presentation is sinking. Watch for the tick and pay close attention to your braid.

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fish. You cover more area and you have a better chance at finding the fish by moving around and searching for them. An electric motor is a must-have when lure fishing, as you can use an electric to sneak around from pylon to pylon or hold position against the wind and tide. MOTHER NATURE Make sure you check the rules and regulations and ‘no fishing zones.’ Port security is right onto anyone who is doing the wrong thing, so to

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Fat whiting plague the bay PORT PHILLIP EAST

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

Warm and settled conditions continued for the majority of last month, treating the bay anglers to some superb days on the water. Some welcome rain arrived during the middle of last month, giving the inshore areas a real shot in the arm, and juicing up the food chain on the inshore reefs. As is the trend during this time of year, evening offshore easterly winds have cleared the inshore and beach areas very quickly, once again making fishing missions during the low light of early morning, late

afternoon and evening much more effective. With so much great fishing on offer for other species both within the bay itself, and further afield, snapper reports have been fairly sparse over the last month. Successful anglers have targeted the outside or western side of the shipping channel for larger, more solitary snapper. This has traditionally been a common area for professional anglers and charter groups at this time of year, and although the numbers of fish caught is generally less, the size and quality is better. By-catch of school and gummy sharks is also fairly common as well – another reason to target these deeper areas. Expect the areas out

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wide from Mount Martha and Dromana to fish well as the water cools over the next couple of months and the wider fish move into the shallower mud banks to feed. Fishing for smaller pinkie snapper has also improved around the inshore reefs and will become more consistent as the water temperature cools. These areas are prime spots to troll or cast lures and fish soft plastics from a drifting boat. They can also be fished effectively with bait, although undersized pinkies and other non-target species can be a fair nuisance. The most encouraging trend over the last month or so has been the regular capture of good bags of whiting from local areas. While spots further south are well renowned, local shoreline areas and broken reef from Frankston all the way to Safety Beach have produced whiting to 40cm, although most fish are in the mid 30cm range. Baits of fresh squid, mussels and pipis are best, and the prime time to target these tasty fish, especially from the shore is around first and last light, and at night during a rising tide. Secondly, and more exciting for many has been the numbers of kingfish taken so far this year right on our doorstep. Most of the reports I have received are from Mornington Pier and its surrounds where anglers have been successful fishing live garfish or squid baits under floats. There have also been a few nice kings taken by spear fishers along the nearby reefs, especially around Bird Rock, Snapper Point and Woolleys Reef. The local kingies never seem to be far away from schools of feeding or cruising salmon, and they love to terrorize schools of garfish. If you are on

the hunt for a king, start with garfish. There’s plenty of fun to be had catching the ‘food’ species as well, especially if you have kids in tow. Berley is the key to attract gars, but keep your eyes in the sky for birds working or following schools of feeding fish. Strips of squid both fished under a float or trolled behind the boat are a great way to target kingfish locally, and some anglers who have caught plenty, swear by this method. Squid numbers continue to improve along the inshore areas, especially for land-based anglers, which is a great sign for the months to come. Whether you chase them for bait or a feed, they are a reliable species, and will get better as the water cools and we head deeper into autumn. I have found that natural coloured jigs are working best, as they have done all season. A change of pace for many, but if you want to try your hand in the fresh water, recent and long term stocking in Devilbend Reservoir has provided local anglers with some great fishing lately. While trout and redfin have been reliable targets here for some time, estuary perch have been introduced and seem to be flourishing. While most of them are still fairly small, they are great fun on small topwater lures and plastics during the evenings and early mornings. The trout and reddies will get in on the act

The whiting are excellent, both in numbers and quality. Get a great feed along the beaches from Frankston to Safety. as well. Safe and modern fishing platforms have been provided for anglers to use, so it’s also a great place to take the kids. Bream lure enthusiasts have done well in the Patto and some of the smaller

systems, and I’ve heard of a few nice estuary perch caught as well. The annual run of mulloway in the Patto is not far away either, so there’s plenty to get excited about in the month ahead.

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I pinkie swear – the fishing’s great out there! PORT PHILLIP EAST

Lee Rayner info@fishingfever.com.au

Ok, so they can put the brakes on the year any time they like! It feels like only yesterday that it was Christmas and now we are rolling into March. On a positive note however, while the months aren’t slowing down neither is the fishing, with the past weeks providing anglers both in their boat and land-based loads of fishing options. While January and February were great, it is March and April that provide some sensational fishing, so fingers crossed that as the water cools off a bit the big fish come out to play! MORDIALLOC TO BLACK ROCK The past few weeks have been a real mixed bag off the Mordialloc Pier with each day producing something different, and anything from garfish to salmon and pinkies, and even a few good sessions of squidding thrown in. Over the past weeks the clear water and calm conditions have led to angler reports of excellent numbers of squid from

Matt with a nice red taken off Ricketts Point on a soft plastic. Mordialloc to Beaumaris. One of the real hot spots has been the Parkdale Pinnacles. Add the odd small kingfish lurking around the nearby reefs into the mix and it becomes well worth putting a live squid or garfish out under a float while you chase other species. Up around Ricketts Point and down towards Black Rock

the pinkie fishing has come back with a vengeance and anglers have reported fish around the 40cm mark. During this month we should also start to see more consistent schools of salmon poking their heads up along the edge of the reef, and a few kingfish will no doubt tag along. For a change of pace I have also

SATURDAYS

found the next two months to be good for the very tasty red mullet in these parts, with my own personal success coming by fishing smaller soft plastics close to the bottom in the reef areas. On the whiting front reports in this part of the bay have been a bit scattered, but the

reports we do hear tend to come from the Tea House through to Black Rock. SANDRINGHAM TO ST KILDA As the water now starts to cool off just a little, the land-based fishing in this part of the bay really begins to shine. With an influx of pinkies moving back in on the shallow reefs, along with the squid and a few left over schools of whiting from the past few months, there is destined to be some great fishing and very nice mixed bags of fish. Boat anglers fishing between Sandringham and Brighton have has good success of whiting and pinkies over the past weeks. Rolling into March it is well worth fishing some slightly bigger baits as you will start to see some of those quality pinkies turn up. Further North around Green Point and up towards St Kilda, anglers have reported some good red mullet and if you put some berley in the water you have a good chance of getting onto the gars. ST KILDA TO PORT MELBOURNE If we continue to move

into some nice settled weather over the coming weeks then this area will have some good fishing on offer with March and April renown for great salmon schools and plenty of garfish action for both boat and land-based anglers. For anglers fishing this month, it’s well worth trying out off St Kilda breakwater in about 8m of water as the rough bottom in this area will hold good numbers of pinkies and even the odd school of whiting. Further along at Kerford Road and Lagoon Pier fish in the evening for a top bite, and into the night for some quality pinkies that move into the shallows to feed under the cover of darkness. If you’re in a boat this month then it will also be worth putting in some time around Station Pier at night as some quality late season reds make their way into this small pocket of the bay during March and April. So there you have it, plenty of fishing options – just remember to pack a jumper as the nights begin to cool off!

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Sharing photographs of your catch with family and friends is part of a great day on the water. Promoting fishing and peoples’ enjoyment of the pastime is a key part of the State Government’s Target One Million commitment to get one million Victorians fishing. Although Fisheries regulations stipulate that fish to be returned to the water must be released immediately, a quick photograph is permitted. This includes taking a photograph of a fish that is: undersize, ie shorter than the minimum legal length; oversize, ie longer than

the maximum legal length; caught during a closed season. ie Murray cod in Sept, Oct or Nov; exceeds the bag limit. ie takes the angler one fish over their daily bag limit temporarily; a protected species. ie grayling, blue groper, Macquarie perch and trout cod in some waters. Anglers should do everything they reasonably can to take photographs quickly and in a manner that minimises injury and damage to the fish prior to release. Fish held temporarily for photography must not be placed in live wells, bins or other receptacles. They should be photographed then immediately returned

to the water unharmed. Anglers should keep the fish in the water whenever possible, handle the fish carefully, avoid dropping the fish or leaving it on hot surfaces, use wet hands or a wet cloth to handle the fish, respectfully release the fish rather than throwing or dropping it carelessly and cause no unnecessary harm or trauma to the fish. This year, Fisheries Victoria will be working with Aquatic Vets and anglers to improve our knowledge of fish handling stress and further develop guidelines for handling large fish such as Murray cod. – Fisheries Victoria

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MARCH 2016

Get stuck into some wild MP elbow-slappers! MORNINGTON PENINSULA

Dan Lee info@peninsulatotaltackle.com.au

If you had any doubt that the kingfish have returned to Victoria, this last month or so would show that we have a serious kingfishery right here, right now! This is an excellent opportunity, offering local anglers a genuine game fish to tangle with in our local waterways.

YELLOWTAIL KINGFISH The fish started to appear early in the offshore season. Many were ‘rats’ and taken on trolled skirts. However, as the season has progressed fish have been taken on jigs in various locations including The Rip, the sunken subs offshore and around the scuttled HMAS Canberra. As the kings thickened up more and more anglers turned to live-baiting. This year squid have been

abundant and very popular whereas slimies and yakkas are a little harder to come by. I would expect that we will have good fishing right through the rest of the month, and with kings in abundance in other parts of Victoria too (such as Portland and Marlo) we

few in the boat. Fish have been found at Blairgowrie Marina, both for the anglers fishing from the pier or out in the boat sitting among the moorings, but Sorrento and Portsea have also had fish. SALMON Fishing the ebb tide in The Rip can be dangerous,

Jules Frank with a nice little mako taken while fishing out through the heads.

Luke Goldstein with a swag of whiting.

Baz Gorman from Southern Sport and Game Fishing Charters with some nice kingfish caught at The Rip.

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can all be pretty happy fisher people! GARFISH A small fish, but one close to the heart of many anglers, I thought gars might be worth a mention as we have seen some good quality specimens caught in the last month. The last two years have been lean for those who like to target gars, but we have finally seen some really nice ocean going models (the big ones that are great to eat) caught over the local weed beds. Good berley and bait is critical, use some nice ground berley such as Stimulate along with gents or maggots for bait to get a

but it is generally the period where the big schools of salmon come to the surface and are easily accessible by trolled lures or cast lures. This year has been no different. What has been impressive though is that the schools have consisted of pretty big fish, often over 3kg. This may not compare to a West Australian salmon but for us it is pretty big! And when they are en masse it definitely makes for a bit of fun. Small white occy skirts have been popular, but it

seems casting small sinking or surface stickbaits have become the latest craze. The other advantage of casting is that anglers will generally pull up next to the school rather than driving around it – which can still spook the fish and send them down. WHITING AND SQUID Very simply, whiting and squid have continued to fish very well through the last month. Given that there are so many areas you can target these species on the peninsula, it is hard to nail down to one of two areas that have been firing. The bottom line is that if you like these two species for a good feed, get out there now as we are getting an abundance of reports from both sides of the peninsula.

LOOKING AHEAD March is a terrific month, mainly because it heralds some of our best weather for the year. Cool, calm days, with a hint of sun can make for a very enjoyable day on the water. It is a quieter time too, so if you enjoy some peace while fishing this is the month for you! March is a great time for bread and butter fishing. Some anglers start thinking tuna but I really enjoy heading out to target whiting and squid, get the kids out while it’s calm and enjoy some family time on the water. • For more information feel free to drop in and see the boys at Peninsula Compleat Angler, 11 Boneo Road in Rosebud or phone: 03 5981 1994.

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MARCH 2016

Whip out your rods, the whiting are here! WESTERN PORT NTH

Adam Ring

We are currently experiencing one of the best fishing periods in a long time in Western Port, and the variety of different species available at the moment is phenomenal. Whether it’s whiting or flathead, snapper or gummies, it doesn’t matter, everything is biting well! THE TOP END Where do I start? The top end has fished exceptionally well over the last month and

feed of fish to take home. Karl Wilkinson put in a few hours off the beach at Jam Jerrup and also left with a nice feed of flake that was taken on the low tide. Joes Island has proved to be a great spot as per usual, and anglers have taken home a variety of great table fish. There have been decent whiting sitting in the deeper water around the island that are a great target when the tide slows down and the fish on the shallow banks go quiet. Fresh squid strips have been a favourite of the deeper fish; match them up

The rest of the top end has been consistent for a variety of species. Little Koby hit the boat for the first time with his old man and had a ripper session. They landed a heap of small pinkies and a beautiful big elephant fish, and young Koby was thrilled. THE NORTH ARM The North Arm is teeming with good whiting at the moment and anglers are making the most of it! Young Aleahra Smith fished with the family out from Yaringa and landed a pair of absolutely massive King George whiting that measured 46 and 49cm. Work the sand holes just outside the Yaringa Channel and onto the Tyabb Bank for a great, active way to fish – the results this season have been unreal. Pipi, fresh mussels and squid strips are all wicked baits, but don’t forget to have a squid jig ready as it’s quite common to see big calamari chase your whiting to the boat! The Middle Spit is on fire, and if you’re after whiting you’ll find them here. The local charter boats dominate with great bags of fish for their clients most days. Keith

Diprose of Big Time Charters has worked the spit and he says the key to his success has been to stay on the move. Keith only spends 15-20 minutes on each spot until he locates the fish and then sits on them with the aid of a little berley. Some days may take quite a few moves, but once you find them you can generally get a nice bag pretty quickly. Mussels have been the go-to bait and Keith has also caught a few calamari while targeting whiting. Shaun Furiere from Think Big Charters is another angler who has terrorised the local whiting population and has commonly found fish to 43cm, with the odd bigger model mixed in. Shaun is a massive advocate for fresh bait so he works fresh mussels, in conjunction with fresh squid strips and has had great sessions as a result. Berley is a must in the shallow water. It’s not all about the whiting, and Hastings has thrown another couple of species at us that are well worth targeting. Jake Hilbert found a beautiful little patch of snapper out from Hastings and ended up with a couple

Some quality Middle Spit whiting taken on a Think Big Charter trip. of cracking fish for the table. A couple of mates of his also finished a session with a couple of nice gummies in the same area. It goes to show that the snapper are still well and truly a realistic target if you haven’t quite got your snapper fix yet. Some big rock flathead have also shown up around Hastings and are one of the best eating fish in the Port! Local angler Maria got into them and was rewarded with a whopping 54cm flathead out from Hastings. Maria confessed that the flathead was a rather pleasant by-catch as her initial target was the whiting. We really are in a great little patch of fishing at the moment so get out there and make the most of it… Go on! Good luck and keep those reports coming.

Jake Hilbert and a pair of beautiful Hastings snapper. it hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down yet! The landbased guys who fish the shallow tidal flats around Lang Lang and Jam Jerrup have done well on the gummies on those warm, balmy nights. Dana Cihelka and her two boys, Adam and Benedict, got stuck into the gummies off Lang Lang and landed a good

with a ‘whiting snatcher’ for a deadly combination. The gummy sharks have also been found in numbers off Joes, as Leigh Easton and Jason Smyth recently found out. They fished in 8.5m of water with fresh squid and salmon for bait and took home a couple of nice gummies on the run-out tide.

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MARCH 2016

Don’t forget bag limits are always r-elephant! WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

There is only one bad thing about fishing in March – choosing which fish to target! The dreaded weather however has kept quite a number of

anglers at bay but when the opportunity arises to head out, there are some very impressive fish to be caught. Offshore, the sharks have been a little on the quiet side and it seems that the blue sharks have been more interested in berley trails. A few makos have been

caught, but nothing to really get anglers anxious to head out just yet. In saying that, the Evinrude/BRP Gamefish Classic 2016 was held out of Hastings on 27-28 February and was a huge success. Results will be published here next month. There have been more

Christos Karapavlou managed this magnificent gummy shark while fishing the Western Entrance on board Think Big Charters. Photo courtesy of Think Big Charters

than enough kingfish caught offshore to satisfy even the fussiest king anglers. Each year the season has progressively improved and this year has been outstanding. The rocky basalt coastline around Phillip Island has fared well, with a lot of fish caught by trolling live baits. The best locations include, Kilcunda, Black Head, Magic Lands, Pyramid Rock, Seal Rocks, Picnic Point and Bushranger Bay. Local angler Chris Johnstone managed four kings to 10kg as well as losing six livies to other fish while trolling inside The Nobbies. Dave Henderson also reported a nice fish drifting for flathead just outside the entrance of the Eastern Entrance. Dave said he noticed some kings on the surface, quickly changed rods and fed out an unweighted pilchard to land a 4kg fish. Speaking of flathead, they’ve been in abundance both in 15-20m of water off Kilcunda as well as while drifting over the Flinders Bank just outside the Western Entrance. A paternoster rig will serve you when rigged with size 3/0 Mustad Demon circle hooks. Inside Western Port

Working the banks can lead to some nice whiting as displayed by Matt Cini from Reel Time Charters. things have been quite different. While the toothies and hoodlums are being caught offshore, inside it is all about gummies, King George whiting and calamari. Not to mention garfish, mullet, silver trevally, elephant fish

and a few salmon. The whiting fishery has really ramped up to be a cracker. Shaun Furtiere from Think Big Charters has been mixing his targets between gummies and whiting depending on the weather and

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conditions. On the whiting front, Shaun has fished the western side of the Middle Spit up to the cut in 7-5m of water. He has also had plenty of success fishing along the eastern channel on same line to the end of the spit through to the cut in 6-8m of water. Shaun reported that the best fishing occurred during the flooding tides with an hour or so into the change before the bite opens up a bit with extra tidal flow. Pipis have been reliable; throw some pipi shells in to keep the action on longer. If rain and strong winds develop, the water can

become quite silted, which makes fishing for whiting and calamari a little more challenging. If this is the case, not all is lost, just move off the bank into some deeper water and work the tides for best results. Whiting have also been abundant on the Tortoise Head Bank, Coronet Bay, Dickies Bay and in Cleeland Bight. Local whiting guru, Brad King from Sports Power Head Office fished the Dickies Bay area with his Dad and brother. The boys had a good session on the whiting but quickly realised they could have caught more

than a half dozen fish if their dad hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forgot to pack the tackle box. Happy with their catch, they had to leave them biting and head home. Gummy sharks have also been caught recently, but as we head towards the full moon this month, the fishing should be epic in the Western Entrance. The best time to seek quality gummy sharks will be from 18-22 March and a few days after the moon. Fresh bait is the key, with calamari, silver trevally, yellowtail scad and salmon real winners. In recent weeks, Shaun Furtiere has put his clients onto some

While on board Think Big Charters, Joe managed his personal best gummy shark from the Western Entrance. Photo courtesy of Think Big Charters

When the whiting are on, the Middle Spit can be standing room only.

very good fish, but as the lead up to the moon arrives, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be boating some much bigger versions. March is a top time to be out at Western Port and while the whiting and gummies are a lot of fun to catch, we are heading towards autumn and the water temperature is beginning to drop. This means a whole new handful of species to target. Silver trevally, mullet, salmon, whiting, calamari, and of

course, elephant fish are all possible catches. We are now into elephant season and while they are few and far between, fishing in the better-known areas is producing some good fish. If you are looking to get into the elephant action, there are two main areas to target them. The first is in the mouth of either Gardeners or Blakes channels during the run-out tides or within the Elephant Triangle in the

Rhyll/Corinella area. Remember though, elephants have a strict bag limit of one per person, so after you have caught your fish, head off and target whiting which are often caught nearby. Land-based anglers can also reap the benefits of elephant season. Fishing from the sand at Stockyard Point, Tenby Point, Coronet Bay, Cowes Pier and Stony Point Pier will yield a good result.

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MARCH 2016

Whiting now in better numbers PHILLIP ISLAND

John Dalla-Rosa

After a few tough fishing sessions, the whiting have started to show up in better numbers and although the sizes haven’t been huge (mostly in the 32-34cm range) with the odd 40cm one thrown in, I have managed about ten fish on most trips. The top end of the bay around the Tooradin Channel has fished well with some large garfish caught in the same area. SURF BEACHES All the local beaches currently produce salmon.

Fish a rising tide with whitebait and bluebait to catch fish to 2kg. Now is also a good time to target gummies after dark. SAN REMO AREA Below the bridge, the Cleelands Bight area has produced some good quality whiting and calamari. Outside the Entrance, flathead are about in reasonably good numbers. The good news is that the makos have started showing up, together with blues and bronzies, which we haven’t seen for the past few years. Arrow squid have arrived this year in big numbers with schools of slimies, so there’s lots of food available

to predators. If you want to target the arrow squid you need to be in at least 40m of water, and you need to weight your jig so that it gets near the bottom. I use any old jig as the arrows aren’t fussy and will take anything. A word of warning when handling arrows, grab the head section of the jig and hold it in a horizontal position so the squid simply falls off. If you grab an arrow behind the head (like you do with calamari) they will latch onto you with their suckers. These squid can swivel their head 360° and take a chunk out of you before you know it. Above the bridge, bigger

snapper seem to have dried up, but there are still some good pinkies about in the 34-40cm range. Just before daylight is the best time to target them. Whiting are about in better numbers, but you still have to move around a bit to find fish. These fish move around, so make sure you do as well to locate the schools. FLINDERS AREA For the last few years this part of the bay (Flinders, Point Leo, Shoreham, Somers and even Cat Bay) have been disappointing when it comes to whiting catches. These days you are lucky if you can catch a couple per trip. Two trips over the Christmas holidays

Ben Cornford with a couple of Western Port whiting. resulted in zero fish. Years ago you’d bag out on 45-50cm fish. I don’t know the reason

for the decline of fish in the area; I just hope that next year the fish start to show up again.

Boaters and land-based anglers get stuck in INVERLOCH

Alan McFayden amcsayte@bigpond.net.au

The good fishing continues in this part of the world and boaters and land-based anglers have plenty to be happy about. Outside the entrance, boaters are having a great time, and whiting have been caught to the 50cm mark on a variety of baits including Bass yabbies (a standout bait), alongside pipis, squid and sand worms. Locals who know the area have had great success – as well as whiting they have bagged other quality fish such as flathead, silvers and big garfish. Gordon Elkenstein and a mate decided to

try their luck outside the entrance where they have some reliable GPS marks. The boys were targeting gummy shark but any catch was welcome. They caught a nice bag of quality flathead as well as three very goodsize gummies on pilchard baits. Gordon said that they also received a visit from a pod of dolphins that stuck around their boat for a while and then wandered off in a westerly direction and out of sight. There are always numerous land-based anglers stationed at Pensioners Corner trying their luck on both sides of the tide, which is the best time to wet a line. Families are often seen wetting a line, especially on a wind free sunny day when fish such as mullet, silvers, flathead and the occasional

gummy shark making the effort worthwhile. Recently, anglers reported a school of salmon that visited the area, surprising a large group of shore-based anglers. As the school slowly made its way up the entrance, the action began and in a very short time happy anglers had all they needed. As usual the fish were all around the same size – the 30cm mark, which is ideal for the table (but they must be fresh for best results). The jetty gets a fair workout, but there can be a fair wait between catches. Crabs have been caught in drop nets. I received a report from a visiting angler Jerry Wilkinson, who decided to try his luck off the jetty and in just a few minutes, he managed to hook into

something big that grabbed his whitebait and took off. The fish headed straight away from the jetty, towards the other side and eventually was turned around. After a battle the fish was brought in close to the jetty and revealed itself as a large salmon that he estimated to be around the 2kg mark. As luck (or bad luck) would have it, after all the hard work the fish broke free just as it was about to be landed, but Jerry said he would have released it anyway. Recently there was a mishap on the water where a boat unfortunately collided with a sand bar at low tide. Experienced boaters know that these bars move around, especially after strong winds and high tides, but every so often there is an unfortunate accident. As it turned out,

there were a couple of jet skies on the spot and they were quickly on the scene lending a helping hand, which was very much appreciated, and there were no injuries. Further up the inlet as far as the Double Islands there has been very good fishing. Move around until you find the fish as they are there but spread out. There have been positive reports from Stevies Gutter, where fairly good numbers of perch were caught, mainly on the run-off tide. The best baits seem to be a combination of pipis and sand worms. Flathead and salmon are also making an appearance in bags. Land-based anglers are coming in from Lees Road and even though there is a fair walk, the results have made it worthwhile.

Boaters, especially those not familiar with the area should be aware of the shallow sand bank at low tide where they can become stranded. The Tarwin River is always worth a try and perch have been in reasonable numbers caught on the run-out tide. There are also silvers, mullet and for those who know where to look, bream being bagged. The fishing platforms located on the river between the hotel and the highway bridge are very popular with land-based anglers. At times there can be a fair wait between bites but when the dinner bell rings there can be plenty of action and everything else is forgotten. Always worth a visit, according to the successful ones!

Time to break out the big gear NINETY MILE BEACH

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

It’s been a typical summer at the Ninety-Mile, with all species being present, so there’s plenty of opportunity to catch anything from flathead to big sharks. FLATHEAD The flathead are still

here, and anglers fishing the western end around Reeves Beach and Woodside have been getting some cracking flathead. Don’t count out Seaspray and Golden Beach though, as anglers are often getting a decent by-catch of flathead there as well, especially early mornings and evenings. Now that the McLoughlins footbridge

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is open again, anglers can get back to McLoughlins Surf beach where you get good flatties as well. Surf poppers and white grubs have been the standout artificial baits to use off the surf for the flathead. The especially poppers have been getting a good by-catch of big summer salmon and anglers spread across the whole Ninety-Mile have been catching the odd really big salmon to 70cm every now and again if they have been using these artificials. GUMMY SHARKS There’s been mostly the typical meter long gummy sharks caught all along the Ninety-Mile with neither beach being better than the next, it’s just depending on what the beach structure looks like at the time. There have been the better sized 10kg plus gummy sharks caught, and during the hot days that we

have had lately, there’s been better fishing really late and also very early in the morning before sun up. In saying this, as we go through March, that late evening period will be the standout gummy times again and you would be looking to fish between 8pm-12am ideally. There has been the odd small bronze whaler landed as well by casting of the beach and few school sharks and small hammerhead as well. Salmon fillet has been great if you can get it, and some anglers have been lucky enough to get the odd tailer for bait as well. If you can’t get fresh bait, squid and bluebait has been the next two best baits. BIG SHARKS The land-based game anglers have been getting some massive sharks over the past month with some bronze whalers up to 8ft long being

Brad Taylor with a cracking big bronzie caught at Golden Beach on LBG gear using a whole bonito as bait. caught. These big sharks have generally been caught greater than 200m out from shore, so game rod and reels spooled with either heavy braid or mono has been the preferred tackle. Whole fish such as bonito and salmon have been perfect baits for these big sharks.

• 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!

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Whiting are the talk of the town in Gippsland GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

The peak of summer and early autumn is when Metung delivers the goods and right on cue we have seen an influx of species – with a few additional surprises. Although the bream are yet to turn up, just about every other species has set up in Metung at the moment, including a few large kingfish. The flathead have been very slow to fire this summer, and for whatever reason it may not be a stellar dusky season. The real prime time for flatties is still a few months away so they may surprise us yet. YELLOWTAIL KINGS A little while ago I heard a few whispers via text that small kingfish to 65cm were caught at Metung. It’s not the first time I’ve heard of kingies there, and murmurings seem to surface most years during summer. This time a few photos have turned up, with the biggest one so far around a metre long. I know they grow a lot bigger offshore, but an estuary kingfish that size is a nice by-catch as you chase bream or flathead. METUNG MAYHEM As soon as I heard about the kingfish I quickly took

Metung is producing a variety of fish at the moment. A nice mixed bag of fish for the pan and all caught on the new Sting 37mm blade. off and had a look down at Metung. I worked some big plastics and large heavy blades around the Metung FADs. These large concrete structures were dropped down near the long boardwalk and at Nungurner. To find the exact location of these manmade reefs go to the agriculture. vic.gov website for maps and more info. I also tried in a few deeper parts of the lake, but alas, no kingies for me. I wasn’t too disappointed because I caught plenty of other fish to keep me amused

and it turned into a fairly hot bite over the next 3 hours. The pinkies are a bit bigger this year and 15 reached my net. They all went 27- 32cm so I kept two of the bigger ones for a feed. I also landed a couple of nice flathead to 37cm, two fat trevally, and few good-sized tailor to 45cm. I caught all of these fish on the new Hurricane Sting 37 blade in the black magic colour. I’m sure I could have caught a lot more pinkies, but I left them to try and find flathead in the shallows. I kept five fish for

the table and it was a nice mixed bag. I used the trevally to make sushi rolls and if you don’t already know, trevally is excellent for raw fish dishes. The flesh is very firm and perfect for sashimi as well. It’s important to keep the fish cold when you catch them to keep the flesh firm. LITTLE SNAPPER A lot of people chase pinkies on lures. The eastern part of the Gippy Lakes has probably always had a boom and bust run of snapper over

the years, but I only hear about it from the ‘good old boys.’ In fact these wily ol’ timers still know where, how and when to chase the bigger snapper and say fishing at night on a changing tide will yield quite a few 2-4kg fish. During the day there seems to be a never ending run of pinkies and I watched a couple of fellas work small soft plastics from their tinny and have a lot of fun with them. They anchored up right across the bay opposite the Metung pub in the deeper fast flowing channel. Hooking the fish was the real problem as most of the pinkies tail grabbed the wriggle styled lures. When the guys switched to 35mm blade lures their catch rate improved out of sight. Small fish, but big fun and a tasty treat for home. WHITING Anglers who fish from Metung to Kalimna have been raving about the big number of King George whiting around. I flagged this in my last report but I didn’t realise the sheer volume of whiting in that area and the countless happy anglers lifting them out! Talk around the boat ramps and word of mouth indicates that everyone is bagging out. It’s fair to say they are not big fish, most between 28-34cm with a few bigger and smaller. A few dedicated whiting gurus

have informed me that late afternoon is the best time to target them. They use small hooks as sometimes the fish only take tiny mussel or squid baits. Rigging up like this can be the difference between a bag and not losing bait. Flannagan Island is still the prime area to search, although I saw plenty landed at Shaving Point and Bancroft Bay. It’s interesting that Port Albert and Welshpool are also experiencing a super season on the whiting and I wonder why the recruitment levels are so high this and last year? Let’s hope it keeps up for a few more years yet. BREAM ON THE MOVE The bream fishing has been hard to figure out at the moment. Some nice tallies have come out of the Tambo with fish to 41cm on frozen prawn not far from the Johnsonville boat ramp. I put in three hours above the highway bridge one afternoon and scored twelve nice bream to 39cm on sinking hardbodies. So the Tambo is probably the go-to river at the moment because the Mitchell seems to be full of little squeaker bream in the thousands. The Nicho has been quiet and not much talk from areas like Newlands or Duck Arm. I just know this will all change very soon. Prime bream time is only weeks away.

Time your tides to maximise your prize WELSHPOOL

Alan McFayden amcsayte@bigpond.net.au

According to Rob and Ulla Killury who run the local general store, the fishing in Port Albert has really fired up. This is great news as far as the fishing

MARCH 2016

community is concerned. Whiting and other species have been bagged off the jetties. The fish have been of very good quality and have been taking baits such as pipis, bass yabbies, squid strips and sand worms. There have also been other species such as garfish, mullet, silvers and flathead

that have made up very presentable bags. Rob says that local anglers Belinda Baird and her husband recently caught gummy sharks to the 10kg mark on fresh bait they purchased from the general store. They also have scales at the store to weigh catches as well as a camera for

bragging rights. The area known as the Basket Beacon has gone very well. Anglers have been getting great numbers of snapper to the 7kg mark on pilchards on the run-off tide. There have been many boats out on the water at night and when conditions have been right there have been good numbers of big reds bagged on traditional presentations. Still inside the entrance, in the Old Port Channel there have been very good numbers of whiting caught on the usual baits as well as very good snapper. In what is known as the Wreck Gutter, which is not far from the Port Albert Entrance there have also been good numbers of whiting caught as well as quality flathead, making the effort worthwhile. I received information from a visiting boater who, alongside mate Andrea Johanson, decided to try his luck in an area known as the Port Albert Channel. They had heard of good-size fish, mainly flathead that were caught on the run-off tide. Armed with a variety of baits, the pair headed out early one morning, but weren’t so excited about the seal that was intent on following them

for quite a fair way. They were fortunate however when their unwanted visitor decided to leave them and look someplace else. They quickly found some yanks around the 1kg mark, and caught them with natural baits and came away with a lovely bag of fish. McLoughlins Beach is not far away and is situated at the eastern extreme end of the lakes system, located at the start of the 90 Mile Beach. Thumper whiting are swarming here as well as big garfish, flathead and gummy sharks. There is a great boat ramp that caters for land-based anglers who wish to try their luck. Best results here come on the run-in tide at night, when flathead and a variety of gummies and toothy species come out to play. Some brave souls swim out beyond casting range after dark and drop down bait in the hope that a larger predator will grab it. Good luck to them! A short distance from Port Albert to the west is Port Welshpool, where the boat storage is always good for up to date information as well as reliable fishing information. There have been positive reports of kingfish in good numbers taking a variety of

lures. The fish mainly seem to be in the rat category, but there are plenty of them, and they really put up a great fight when hooked. There continues to be positive reports of quality fish caught in the Lewis Channels and local legend Rob Cartridge says that he has had some great results in the same area. As well as whiting there has been a sprinkling of other fish such as silvers, mullet, flathead and garfish. Rob is a very keen snapper fisherman and has had great results on the last two hours of the run-in tide and the first two hours of the run-out flow. He says that gummies are also in very good numbers and the water temperature is good. There have been reports of bronze whalers and hammerhead sharks making an appearance and taking a variety of presentations. The jetties are the places to be, and landbased anglers have done very well on the run-in tide. This is where fish such as flathead, silvers, mullet, garfish and a few reasonable size whiting are caught on a variety of natural baits.

River and estuary serving up premium fishing MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

Huge schools of salmon and tailor have patrolled our coastline, and surf fishing has become a very rewarding pastime. Reports have come in from all our surf beaches of anglers catching big salmon, with some well over 3kg and tailor nearly as big. Baitfishers with surf rods or anglers using

light tackle and spinning with metal lures have taken the best catches. The gutters and eddies hold good-size bream, mullet and flathead, which can be caught with a variety of bait including pipis, sandworm, prawn and salted baits. Anglers have reported catches of gummy shark while fishing both in the early morning or late afternoon into the evening using squid legs, pilchards, blue bait and fresh fillets.

At this time of the year, you are just about guaranteed a quality feed of flathead.

Offshore the fishing is great whenever the weather permits. Anglers have complained about the windy conditions and rough seas. On good days, anglers have reported plenty of gummy shark, flathead, gurnard, barracouta, squid, and pinky snapper caught on a variety of baits. For the anglers who want more action, things have been a bit patchy, kingfish are here with many schools sighted but anglers have struggled to capture good size yellowtail. So far Marlo Reef seems to only hold rat kingfish up to 65cm. Other reefs further north including the Bemm River Reef and further on to Tamboon Reef see bigger kings caught, although this can change overnight. Anglers have also reported catches of sevengill shark, blue shark, and the occasional mako shark. The rivers and estuary are serving up premium fishing, with the prawn season in full swing and the prawns moving down towards the entrance in big numbers. Big schools of fish can be found throughout the whole system. Large

Karl Jung enjoying targeting a few flathead at Frenches Narrow. schools of bream can be found as far up the Snowy to the highway bridge at Orbost, so hit the platforms along the river. The same may be said for the Brodribb River, and bream are found all the way up to Lake Curlip, which makes the Brodribb an excellent place to fish. Luderick are

in good numbers along the rock groynes that surround the islands and along the riverbanks. Yellow eye mullet are throughout the system and can be found from the entrance up around the islands and up the rivers to both Lake Corringle and Lake Curlip. As mentioned, the

big schools of salmon and tailor that patrol the coastline also enter the system on the incoming tide in huge numbers, which gives anglers plenty of action with metal lures. Many anglers spin from the shore, others troll lures from boats, but both have achieved excellent results.

Fightin’ excitin’ whitin’ MCLOUGHLINS

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

As I have said in previous articles, we’re having an awesome whiting season with good weather and warm water, and it looks like there’s plenty more awesome fishing to come. WHITING What a whiting season… we have been spoilt. I can’t remember having a whiting season like this, and I have had old local gurus tell me there hasn’t been a whiting season like this in 15 years. Let’s see if next season is like this! Anyways… 3-4m of water has been the

standout depth to fish at Port Albert for the whiting and at McLoughlins, you just need to find the heavy weed beds in the channels, but they are often a bit shallower and can be in a shallow as 2m. Most baits are working well, but pipis and squid have been standouts. I don’t think you need to go to the effort of pumping nippers, but they are catching plenty as well. Sizes are wide spread, anywhere from 32cm-49cm – there have been some monster whiting caught. FLATHEAD McLoughlins and Manns beaches have given up some whopping big flathead for the lure anglers. They’ve scored their best results with soft plastics and vibe lures

Check out the size of some of these whiting! It’s been common to get 45cm whiting mixed in with a bag of high 30s.

and they have been catching blue-spot flathead to 65cm regularly with heaps of 40cm50cm the norm. PINKIES AND SNAPPER Inside there are goodsized pinkies in large numbers, especially at Port Albert, with the whiting anglers catching plenty of 30-35cm. There are a few 45-50cm available as well; you just need to use slightly bigger baits and hooks to target those larger pinkies. Anglers fishing in the Port Albert entrance are still getting better sized snapper to 5kg and we saw some cracking snapper just outside the Port Albert entrance recently with fish to 6kg regularly. Offshore McLoughlins Beach has been producing plenty of pinkies to 40cm as well and the odd bigger 4-5kg snapper as well. Pilchards and squid have been the standout baits for the reds. GUMMIES Big gummies are outside McLoughlins and Manns beach entrances. Most anglers are fishing between 15-21m and there have been some monsters to 6ft in length caught. Anglers heading towards the islands doing flathead drifts are also getting the odd big gummy as well. Inside Port Albert, the Snake Channel is your best bet for a gummy with good meter long gummies getting caught during the morning

We have been some cracking big pinkies and medium-sized reds when chasing the whiting, ending up with bags of both species in the same area. and evening tide changes on pilchards. • 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!

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I dreamed a bream LAKES ENTRANCE

Leigh McVeigh

With the holiday season behind us, and a lot less traffic on the water the local fishing scene is set to really fire up. With a wide range of species caught locally, it is a very exciting time to be fishing in East Gippsland. LAKES ENTRANCE The local jetties around Lakes Entrance have been a little slow during daylight

on a super light leader to seduce the more cagey fish. Anglers have reported full bags achieved within a few hours of the sun going down. The bream higher up the Arm have been a lot more cooperative on the shallow banks for the bait fishers with some very healthy bream boated. Fresh caught local prawn has been the gun bait, though a few fish have fallen to a pilchard intended for the flathead that have been soaking

Another quality flathead capture. They grow them big in East Gippy! hours, but after dark the bream and estuary perch have come out to play. Fish the shallow jetties of North Arm with shallow running minnows to 60mm

up the sun in the early mornings. The flathead fishing has improved and some very nice fish up to 3kg have started to be reported by anglers who

wade the shallow flats. The bottom end of Cunningham Arm to the walk bridge has been the best ground to find a frog. Toss bright coloured deep diving lures such as the Aussie made StumpJumper that kick up plenty of sand to do the most damage, however plenty of fish take plastics in the same areas. Prawns are still in the system and it is shaping up to be a late running season for these tasty crustaceans. This run could continue until after Easter, providing yet another option for local and visiting anglers for a while to come. OFFSHORE There are enough pinky snapper on the local reefs to fill the big boat bags very quickly, but the larger fish we usually see have been few and far between. The boats that venture out to find some under-fished ground are pulling the better fish but many miles are being done to locate them. The sharks have been steady, with a good number of gummy sharks caught on a wide variety of baits. They seem to be right up the coast and not too far from the beaches, which makes these fish accessible for even the smaller boats when the weather permits. BEACHES The big salmon finally showed up this month with 3kg fish taken from Bunga, Tyers and Pettmans beaches. Crabs have been thick, but the anglers rigging two surf poppers and doing away with the bait altogether have had the best results. With some thumping double headers on offer, the sand can provide some of the most exciting fishing East Gippsland has to offer. Sharks have been trickier, but the anglers working on them are sure it’s the abundance of crabs that steal the bait before the shark can hunt it down that is the cause, not the lack of fish. Persistence is the key. LAKE TYERS I have found it hard to fish anywhere else this month, with huge numbers

This black bream was released safely to swim another day! of bream hunting the edges of what seems to be almost every bank on the Lake. The sight fishing over the past weeks has been as good as it gets. We catch a lot of bream tossing 40mm shads such as the infamous Ecogear SX40, then slow rolling them back to the boat with little to no action required. You will have to work for the larger fish, but with the amount of attention your lure will receive it is a great time to brush up on your technique or even land your first bream on a hardbody. The flathead have been fantastic in the main Lake but if you are chasing a photo opportunity with a trophy flathead, go high up in the Nowa Nowa Arm and start fishing! Last week while surface fishing for bream in the Trident Arm in the early morning we managed to pull three flathead over 70cm – very exciting visually and a welcome by-catch with some heart stopping moments using a 4lb leader. If you are yet to fish at Lake Tyers make sure you add it to your ‘places I must fish’ list. It’s close to town, has plenty of camping spots and enough fish to keep the most experienced angler keen. You will not

be disappointed. Well that’s about it from Lakes Entrance this month but with so many options available to anglers this

time of year it is a great place to spend a few hours or even days with family and friends hunting a few fish.

Enormous flathead catch! Head to the shallow flats to find monsters like this one.

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MARCH 2016

Nearly every species of fish is on the cards BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

This has certainly been one of the best summer seasons we’ve experienced in some time. The fishing has been absolutely crackers! Nearly every species of fish is on offer – but bream were dominant this season right through the entire system. One of the favourite family fishing spots is the channel, with a huge variety of fish on offer including trevally, yellowfin bream, salmon, tailor, luderick, flathead (not as available this year) and the odd whiting thrown into the mix.

This quality salmon will cook up nicely on the BBQ!

FISHING FILL-ITS

Abalone syndicate slammed A ringleader of an elaborate illegal abalone syndicate was sentenced today in the County Court to twenty-three months and fourteen days jail, with a non-parole period of twelve months. Acting Director of Fisheries Enforcement and Education, Bob Hutton, said the 41 year-old female from St Albans was convicted and also banned indefinitely from all fishing activity, ordered to pay $18,007 and had to forfeit her late model Toyota. “The woman had pleaded guilty in December last year and been remanded in prison until sentencing earlier today,” said Mr Hutton. “She had pleaded guilty to trafficking commercial quantities of abalone, which is a priority species in Victoria, and also to selling rock lobsters and molluscs without authorisation.” The ten-month investigation, code-named Operation Quantum, had observed the woman repeatedly selling illegally

taken abalone at a discounted price around St Albans and Sunshine. Mr Hutton said she was supplied by a team of ten divers, all sentenced last month, who would drive from the western suburbs of Melbourne several times each week to steal abalone, rock lobster and other shellfish from Victoria’s southwest coastline. “The divers would meet at dive sites around Warrnambool and Port Fairy, take quantities of abalone and other shellfish then drive three hours back to Melbourne to sell the harvest to her and one other alleged ring-leader, who will appear in court in March,” said Mr Hutton. “Four of those ten divers were jailed last month for periods of up to two months, however those sentences remain under appeal. The other six men received community correctional orders requiring them to complete between 60 and 280 hours of unpaid community work, bans that prohibit all fishing activity indefinitely and orders to pay between $220 and

$16,500 each. In the County Court today Judge Pullen said the woman’s offending was a very serious crime with implications for the wild abalone stocks and the legitimate abalone market, with lost revenue for associated businesses. Judge Pullen added that the offending also put consumers at risk from poor seafood handling and unsafe storage practices. “This was an organised syndicate and you knew it was against the law,” the judge said. During the investigation, twelve vehicles and dive equipment were seized and most have since been forfeited. Several residential premises are still restrained under proceeds of crime legislation. Mr Hutton said Fisheries Victoria would continue to dismantle syndicates like this one, which represent a major threat to the sustainability of our valuable fisheries.

The river has proved to be a bit quiet, however persistent anglers who target the snags have encountered numbers of perch. All our surf beaches have performed to their best with numerous reports of large salmon and tailor up to 3.5kg landed. Shark fishing has definitely improved with a mix of shark species caught, including gummies and bronzies. At time of going to press, the entrance still remains open, which certainly assists Sydenham Inlet to maintain a healthy system. We are looking forward to a bumper winter. For anglers who love fishing the Bemm, but have found in the past year that their boats are too big for the shallow water, don’t despair – give David a call to arrange hiring one of our Polycraft hire boat fleet. These boats are extremely angler friendly. All you need to do is bring your rods, tackle and esky. David will launch the boat, give you some tips and keep the boat fuelled during your stay. To all anglers and danglers, continue to watch this space because Bemm River is about to launch a free fishing competition that will

Get into some chunky bream this month. run through the winter season. Anyone can be a winner, from land-based fishers, to river, lake or channel anglers. Book your accommodation early, as this will be an exciting period for winter holiday-makers and anglers. In the interim, ‘happy fishin.’

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Bermi estuaries hit their peak BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Most anglers want the most from their fishing options, so a little homework on the best locations and especially the best time to visit them is important. You can have the greatest area in the world, but if you are there at the wrong time it can be a very disappointing experience!

offshore. The Twelve Mile Reef is at its prime with all three species inhabiting this area. Lures are a popular way to find where the marlin are concentrated, however at this time of year live bait is a great option, providing a much better hook up rate. Switch baiting is another option. By running a spread of hookless lures or teasers, you can bring the fish closer to the boat in order to pitch baits to the excited marlin.

Island and other areas like Four and Six Mile Reefs, down to Goalen Head at Bunga. The conventional ways of catching them are working well up at the Island, while casting with soft plastics is a lot of fun near the coast. Bottom fishing offshore is excellent with most species being abundant in varying depths. With the calmer conditions, anglers are venturing further afield to fish the deeper water of

produced the best catches of both tiger and sand flathead for years with some excellent red gurnard, and in recent times, some lovely gummy sharks. Undoubtedly this is the best time to fish the estuaries, as all species are available with this season being one of the best for large whiting and bream. There is a lot of hype around using poppers on whiting over the flats, which has been very effective, however if you really want to get into some great whiting action and put some lovely fillets on the table, try some nippers or worms to boost up the catch rate. In my experiences I see a lot of anglers targeting flathead in the deeper waters of an estuary, and this produces some good fish, however on the big tides I like to get up on the flats only a few inches deep. Big flatties not only like to feed

Whiting are on offer in Wallaga, but the author is having trouble deciding what species this one is… there, but the warmth from the sun is also an attraction. Not only are the flathead in these shallows, so are plenty of other species like mullet, bream, luderick and garfish, as they patrol these shallow areas in search of food, which consists mostly of squirt worms. You don’t have to use worms to target these species in the shallow water as nippers will prove just as effective and are easily obtained. Things will start to cool from here on in so for those of you who want some

sweet water bass fishing in Brogo Dam, go now before the winter doldrums set in. These fish are conditioning for the cooler months ahead and are heavily feeding in the process. This is great news for anglers as these fish are very active and will generally strike at just about anything that moves, especially surface lures. The dam is still at maximum capacity, so consider concentrating your efforts around the weed beds that harbour most of the food sources bass like feeding on.

With bream like this around, it’s hard not to get excited! For Bermagui, March is arguably the best month of the lot. No matter what style of fishing you are into, we have it all at this time of year, from the sweetwater of Brogo Dam to the estuaries and beyond to the deep blue briny of the Pacific Ocean. Marlin is the big attraction for game anglers with warm water, plenty of bait and all only a few miles

Big blues have been predominant lately with the Canyons being the areas that anglers should concentrate their efforts on, and with such warm water again this season, it wouldn’t surprise me to see some fish brought in close to that magical 1000lb mark. Not only are marlin high on the must do list, so are sportfish like kingfish, which have been in very good numbers around Montague

the Twelve Mile Reef where things can get pretty exciting. Large Tassie trumpeter are on the short list out there as are big morwong, snapper and kingfish. While you’re out on these wider reefs, having a live bait out under a balloon may also prove effective on gamefish like marlin, just to put some more excitement into things. Back closer to shore, The Step out from Tilba has

Tailor are just one species on offer for anglers fishing lakes, beaches or rocks.

Lures change the game in Mallacoota MALLACOOTA

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

It’s been a busy few months in Mallacoota, and tourists will be here right through until after Easter, as many people choose to holiday after the busier period. The fishing over the past month REVA G.T

L LY . S N A P P E R

. EST

PE R RY

. WH AD

has been excellent with plenty of fish caught both in the lake and offshore. Offshore both sand and tiger flathead are on the bite along with some good-sized gurnard. Kingfish were about, but have been spread out with a few crackers among plenty of undersize fish. At one stage the fish turned up in abundance and everyone

anticipated good fishing for a few days but, alas, the weather turned and that was the end of our king fishing. The water temperature has been bouncing around 20°C, however the coming months should see the warmest water and the best offshore fishing that Mallacoota has to offer. Some good fishing from the local beaches has

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been reported with salmon and tailor being caught in numbers along with a few nice yellowfin bream. Every year you get a month or two when the sand flathead move in close, and presently anglers fishing from the beach have caught some quality sandies. I’ve had a busy summer, with plenty of days spent guiding and I’ve found the bottom lake around Stingray Point to be a fantastic spot with numbers of fish over the last month. Flathead, bream, trevally and whiting were on the go, and clients who had never fished with lures caught well over 40 fish in a half-day session between three people. Good fish were caught all through the Bottom Lake, Top Lake and right through to above Gypsy Point. The weed is starting to grow back in places, and these areas have fished well. Anglers have used

One of many lure caught flathead caught in the Bottom Lake over the past month. a variety of lures to catch fish, and surface lures, blades, hardbodies and soft plastics have all caught their share. A few mulloway were caught around the full moon. There has also been some

good bass fishing had up in the fresh, and surface lures thrown around dusk and dawn have caught some good fish. Plenty of rain in the past month will keep things green and the rivers moving.

NSW South Coast

Marlin are making their way down the coast EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

The town has been busy as usual, with many of the visitors here to fish. Big rains dirtied up the water through February and since then the salmon have disappeared. Some good yellowfin bream and sand

whiting have been caught on a rising tide, but the best fishing has been around dusk and dawn with fresh bait. Try beach worms. Plenty of anglers head to Eden to fish from the rocky headlands, with great snapper and drummer fishing. Game fishing down towards Green Cape has been exceptional, and you can expect to encounter kingfish, tuna

and marlin. Boats that head offshore have had to pick their days to avoid the strong easterly winds that create a sloppy unpleasant ocean. On the inshore reefs we are seeing some good fish hit the decks, with snapper, morwong, sand and tiger flathead caught alongside good-sized gummy shark. Yellowtail kingfish have been caught, with the best

There have been no shortage of bream caught!

fishing had around the new and full moon. The next few months should see the fishing improve for this species. Out wider, albacore tuna and some small yellowfin tuna have been caught, with the legendary striped marlin due to show up here soon thanks to a big area of hot water to the north that is making its way south and firing up these fun-loving species. Some good fish have been caught in the estuaries over the past few weeks and dusky flathead are a staple on a variety of lures. Some of the bigger fish have taken live baits at night by anglers chasing mulloway; good fishing for mulloway will be had right through to Easter. Sand whiting and yellowfin bream have been caught around the entrance area of the local rivers with the black bream at their best further upstream. The next dark should see the prawns start moving in the estuaries and, once the tide starts running out, it should be worth getting out there for a look. The recent rains have kept the rivers flowing, which has been great for summer bass fishing. Good bass have fallen for surface lures in the past month.

Georgia Williams was stoked to catch her first bream on a Cranka Crab on a crisp morning out on the Derwent.

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MARCH 2016

Surface fishing is delivering good results NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

March is a great month to wet a line around the Narooma region and most forms of fishing have recently achieved results. Wagonga Inlet has been a little slow, mainly due to the amount of rain we’ve experienced over recent weeks but that will soon change. With a decrease in boat traffic and angling pressure plus better water conditions, Narooma is about to fire right up. All species will be on the chew however bream, whiting, flathead and

and 7kg – not huge fish, but still great fun on lighter tackle. These mulloway fell to smaller soft plastics fished hard on the bottom with only the smallest of movements. This can be a painstaking way to fish softies but it does get results at times. Up at Tuross the fishing conditions have been great. I am consistently amazed by this area’s ability to cope under angling pressure. Flathead and bream numbers have been excellent, and most methods are effective. Bream have smashed surface presentations, with both poppers and walkthe-dog imitations working a treat. We had a session there recently that yielded twentyfive bream up to the kilo

action to be more consistent. The north and west side of the island is the place to fish, but the location of the fish depends on tidal movements. Out wider, game anglers have had good results when the weather has allowed. The water temperature has hovered between 22-26°C, warm and perfect for marlin. All three marlin species have been caught, though stripes from 70-100kg are the most common. Troll skirted lures and switch-bait with live slimy mackerel to absolutely charm those beakies. The fish have been widespread along the shelf, though the Tuross canyons and Kink grounds have had some memorable days of

This is what can be expected in Tuross at present when casting surface presentations, quality bream and whiting. These fish were released after the photo.

Your first mulloway is always special. The author and Alfie looking pretty chuffed with Alfie’s 89cm fish which was tagged and released. mulloway will be the main targets. Flathead will respond well to soft plastics up to 80mm fished around the weed edges. Fish the main basin but expect a few fish on the flats and in the main channel. Smaller live poddy mullet and fresh prawns will also work; you can get all the poddies you need from the sand flats near the Fisheries office. Whiting numbers have been good with some models topping 42cm. Most of these fish have come from the channel on the run-out tide, and live nippers and squirt worms are the gun baits. Fish the channel on the eastern side of the bridge for a consistent catch; bag limits have been reached inside a few hours on some occasions. Expect a few yellowfin bream and trevally while fishing for whiting. Anglers who target mulloway have experienced mixed results. Most fish caught lately have come on live tailor and fresh squid. We managed a couple of nice mulloway on the last new moon that went 9kg 48

MARCH 2016

mark for the morning, great fun and the visual aspect certainly got the adrenalin running. Expect this surface action to continue for a while yet; one thing we have found lately is that the windier it is, the better the fishing. You can expect some thumper whiting to 44cm on the cards, there’s a stack of smaller fish around 25-30cm which will be great to for future seasons also. Outside, the bottom bashers have had a field day with, snapper, morwong, long finned perch and flatties caught in numbers. The bottom end of Montague has been the pick of the reefs, with Potato Point and Brou reefs close behind. A lot of gummy sharks have been caught by the flathead fishos too, with most fish averaging 6-8kg. Great on the plate and a pleasant surprise for most anglers. The Montague Island kingfish population have also played the game of late with fish to 7kg succumbing to live baits and jigs. The kings have been slow this season, but with the water now warming up expect the

late. There have been reports of yellowfin tuna, but the fish are on the smaller side. Big tuna don’t really like hot water so wait another month or so if that’s what you want to target. The beaches will continue to fish well for salmon and tailor, with enough bream, whiting and mullet to keep things interesting. Live beach worms and pipi have been the standout baits, with a lot of salmon caught on both lures and blue surf poppers fished on a paternoster rig. A few mulloway are still being caught up at Tuross beach, but a lot of time has to be put in to consistently get results. The guys who put in the hard yards chasing these majestic fish deserve every one they

catch; they put in the time and get the rewards. There have also been quite a few gummy sharks around. Jack Dart from Sunset Fishing Adventures recently got a 20kg fish for a client. The fish was caught on a pilchard and took around fifteen minutes to land. Brou beach is an absolute hotspot. Off the stones the pelagic action will be in full swing. It can be like a lottery off the rocks at the minute with kingfish, northern bluefin tuna, mac tuna, bonito, striped tuna and even the outside chance of a yellowfin tuna all possible opponents. A lot will depend on prevailing currents, water temperature, and bait activity as to how close

the tuna will travel inshore, but fingers crossed those ideal conditions prevail and the rock hoppers get their just rewards. Ideal places to fish are the golf course rocks in town and the front ledge at Mystery Bay to the south of Narooma. Use live yellowtail or slimy mackerel underneath a bobby cork or balloon to tangle with a tuna or kingfish; throw chromed sliced lures up to 50g may also work. If the tuna don’t arrive, there should be enough salmon and tailor around to keep you amused and the rod bent. If you’re after a feed, bream and blackfish should be available in the washes with cunjevoi, prawns and cabbage the better baits to use.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Selfish shellfish harvesters facing penalties A Melbourne couple is facing heavy fines after allegedly being caught at Lakes Entrance with more than 1100 oysters and 20L of mussels. Fisheries officers seized their car and the shellfish. The catch limit for oysters is 50 per person per day. The catch limit for mussels is 10L per person per day. Senior Fisheries Officer Bill McCarthy said it would be alleged the 1161 oysters seized represented nearly 12 times the combined legal catch limit. The pair had allegedly travelled from their Croydon Hills home to Lakes Entrance on Monday and spent the day using a hammer and chisel to collect the shellfish from the rock wall on Kalimna foreshore, near Lakes Entrance. A recreational licence

is required to collect shellfish and neither of them had one. It’s also alleged one of them resisted the officers and

created a hindrance when the vehicle was being seized. They were interviewed and released, to be charged

on summons to appear in a Magistrates Court. The couple can expect to face Fisheries Act charges relating to exceeding the catch limit which carries fines of up to $3033. Fishing without a licence can cost as much as $758 and hindering an authorised Fisheries Officer could means fines of up to $7583, or three months jail. The Acting Director of Fisheries Victoria, Bob Hutton said our precious fish resources were there for all to enjoy. “We enforce the catch limits so we can all do just that,” Mr Hutton said. “Selfish people who choose not to respect our fish will face the weight of the law.” People who see or suspect illegal fishing activity should call the fisheries offence reporting line 13FISH (133474). – DEDJTR

NSW South Coast

Marlin still a fantastic species on offer MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

The beaches around the Merimbula region have been red-hot of late and anglers who have targeted the bread and butter species have done particularly well. Bream and whiting have made up the majority of bags, with whiting in exceptional numbers. These speedsters average 35-36cm, but bigger fish are available. At that size they are great opponents of light

beach outfits, and a great feed to be had. Fishing the correct tides is paramount for consistent results, with late afternoon rising tides proving to be the best. Combine tide timing with the use of the freshest of baits such as beach worms, pipi and fresh tuna cubes (especially for bream) and watch your catch rates soar. Concentrate your efforts around the rocky corners; the better beaches are North Tura, Merimbula main and the entrance to the Pambula River. Salmon and tailor will also be available, though

An unusual visitor to our region, this little amberjack was caught in Pambula Lake while targeting flathead.

their numbers have been down a little of late. Anglers who target the big fry should also do well with gummy sharks and mulloway on the cards. Use large fresh baits like tailor fillets, squid and bunches of live beach worms after dark along the deeper gutters for your best chance to tangle with one. Out wider the water temperature is a warm 24°C and that means marlin. It’s been a cracking season thus far with most crews getting among them. I know local charter skipper Nathan Brown from Headhunter Charters had a cracking day recently going 11-10-10 on striped marlin, that’s incredible fishing in anyone’s books, and the lucky clients had a day to remember. I’d expect this red-hot action to continue as long as the water stays here with the bait. The odd better black marlin to 150kg has also been hooked. These bigger fish can be a little harder to stay connected to, but let’s hope the lucky crews that do hook-up get the desired results. On a smaller scale, yellowfin tuna have been caught though the sizes of the fish have been quite small. Most tuna average 15-25kg

and are fun on the right tackle. Expect the bigger models to turn up in April, though every summer sees a horse caught so be ready for the unexpected. Trolling skirted lures is the go at this time of year, as you cover a lot of ground. Be aware of temperature breaks, tide lines, bait holding down deep and bird activity. If you come across a bait ball it’s possible to pitch live baits at marlin –once the bait is located though, you do require an organized crew to reap the benefits of this technique. Most action will happen from the 70-fathom line to the shelf but don’t underestimate the shallower water, especially for black marlin. Anglers who fish the estuaries are having a field day. Merimbula Lake continues to amaze me; the place is the size of a big puddle but always produces. Dusky flathead to 95cm, bream, whiting, legal snapper, tailor and blackfish have all been caught, and most methods are successful. Fresh bait like nippers, worms and tuna have worked a treat on the bream – anglers anchor up in the bottom lake channel and

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Daniel with some cracking black bream, these were part of 32 he captured during an epic surface session, all fish were released. enjoy good success. The soft plastic brigade has also had great results with plastics up to 80mm doing most of the damage. The top lake is the place to fish with plastics, concentrate on shallower edges on the run-out tide for best results. Those anglers who fish the stones for pelagic species have also had some fun. Use whole ganged pilchards cast out and slowly wound in to guarantee a kingfish, bonito or maybe some bigger than average salmon to 2.5kg. Throwing chromed sliced metals up to 40g has also payed dividends, with

most headlands seeing good results. The better ones to fish are Tura Head, Merimbula wharf, Short and Long Points. Tura Head is the pick of them all, but it’s a decent walk in from Headland Drive to the rock platform below. Expect this action to continue for a few months yet with the tuna species possible if the currents do the right thing. For anglers who target bread and butter species like blackfish and drummer, Short Point is certainly the place to fish. Expect a few bream too especially if berley is used.

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VR Fish Update

DROP INTO YOUR LOCAL DEALER TODAY

Target 1 Million VR FISH

Dallas D’Silva

The many and varied comments by recreational fishers and other users on the Andrews Government policy to grow recreational fishing to 1 million fishers by 2020 suggests there is a need for further communication by VRFish. It’s a ground-breaking policy to have a Government make a clear commitment to grow recreational fishing is recognition of the health, lifestyle and economic benefits that fishing brings. There are more than 20 election commitments that aim to improve recreational fishing in Victoria. Removing commercial netting in our biggest fishery, Port Phillip Bay, is the signature policy. The legislative foundation has been set already and it’s now about phasing netting out. The driver for the policy was not about commercial overfishing, it was about making more fish available for recreational users because this is the highest value use of the resource in our bays and inlets. It needs to be said that getting rid of netting is one of the biggest reforms in Victorian fisheries in

the last 20 years, certainly since the scallop dredgers were removed. The benefits will be real and noticeable by April this year. As licences are removed, the commercial catch allocated to each licence will also be permanently removed. This means more fish for anglers to catch, plus higher catch rates and less competition with commercial fishing effort. At the same time, it is not the silver bullet to reaching a million anglers in the next four years. As mentioned above, there are another 20 policies, including the planned boost to stocking five million fish, which will seriously enhance fishing, especially at inland locations. Then there is the deployment of FADs, which will be a great boost to offshore fishing and boating. The recreational fishing sector has been working with governments to address participation levels for many years. Victoria appears to be the only state where participation is not in decline. Getting government recognition is a great achievement in itself, and the next steps involve developing plans and driving action to get new people into fishing and getting fishers that might have wet a line years ago to become regular fishers. There are thousands

VICTORIAN DEALERS of people that have fished at some stage in their life, but for a number of reasons they do not fish every year. The missing link is no doubt better boating infrastructure, especially in the two big bays. This has been a neglected area and put into the ‘too hard’ basket for too long. There are real signs that the Government is serious about addressing this problem. The Minister for Ports, Luke Donnellan, is a keen boater and fisher himself. He has set up a new advisory group to address the problem and his first comments at our initial meeting were along the lines of “tell me what you would like and we will work with you to achieve a shared vision.” It was a breath of fresh air. The Government has maintained the additional funding to the Boating Safety and Facilities Program. It’s still early days but things are looking positive and there is a will to look at options to make sure we have the facilities to support the growth in fishing. A wise person once said, “bring the people and they will build it”. VRFish and the Boating Industry Association are determined to make sure that is the case for boating infrastructure in Western Port and Port Phillip Bay.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Two busts in one night   Fisheries Officers stationed at Altona had a busy shift recently, apprehending two men with 174 abalone at Seaholme then two more men in possession of three illegal mesh nets in the Werribee River.    Acting Director of Fisheries Education and Enforcement, Bob Hutton, said most of the abalone seized at Seaholme were allegedly undersize, but were returned to the water by officers.    “The two men, aged 36 and 24 from Caroline Springs, will be charged with possessing a commercial quantity of abalone, taking abalone during the closed season, taking molluscs from the intertidal zone and using a sharp implement to take abalone,” Mr Hutton said.   “All of their dive gear was seized on the spot and a brief of evidence is being prepared for their court appearance.   “Later that night at 11.50pm, the same officers apprehended two men, both aged 35 from Melton South and Brooklyn, allegedly in the process of setting mesh nets in the Werribee River, 50

MARCH 2016

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adjacent to the Werribee Golf Course.    “One net had been set, the second was being prepared and the third net was laid out on the river bank.”    Mr Hutton said the first net had not been in the water long and had caught only one black bream. Thankfully, no wildlife had been ensnared in the net.   “Officers seized the three nets, single bream and the men’s late model

Mazda, and a brief of evidence is being prepared for their court appearance.   “They are facing charges of using and possessing commercial fishing equipment and not having a recreational fishing licence.”    Anyone who sees or suspects illegal fishing activity is urged to call Fisheries Victoria’s 24 hour reporting line 13 FISH (13 3474). – DEDJTR

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MARCH 2016

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Late season Tassie trout tricks HOBART

Justin Causby

Tassie’s late summer months are often our most settled weather. Long warm days can give hours of quality fishing from dawn right through to well after dark. These warmer months can literally make for 24 hours of fishing and using a variety of methods to tackle different parts of the day and night.

me. The frenzied activity of trout during often shortlived spinner hatches can be something to behold. The most memorable session I can recall was a few years back at the Julain Lakes in Tassie’s Western Lakes region. A long hot day saw a few fish falling to the regular red tags during the day. After a lull, a day where not a great deal of duns were seen gave way to one of the most prolific black spinner hatches I

was amazing. LAKE PEDDER One of favourite summer waters, Lake Pedder, is not so rewarding when spinners appear late in the afternoon. The lake’s small trout go into their own frenzy and seemingly thousands of them leap about the margins. Entertaining as it is, it is also a very difficult time to find the better fish. The remainder of the day, however, offers some exceptional fishing. Pedder

A late season brown on the trusty black, gold and orange. The fly angler can find a feast of activity from lowland streams to our highland backwaters. Chasing any rising fish is visually exciting, but the aggressive beetle and spinner feeders are a highlight for

have ever witnessed. After the initial surprise and time spent just watching the fish appear in their dozens, we managed to land a few, and while it was difficult going with all the food on offer, seeing that many feeding fish

Chasing mudeye feeders on this typical Pedder shore on a bright and hot day. 52

MARCH 2016

has something to offer everyone. And it’s not just the fishing experience. The scenery here ranks with the best in the world for its rugged and majestic beauty. The early morning midge feeders can be both challenging and rewarding. You will not find bigger or longer wind lanes or for that matter fields of midges anywhere else in Tassie. This is not always ideal, as it gets hard to target a feeding fish in a field of midges 500m wide and extending off in the distance out of sight. Instead, you are better off finding a nice point or shore in one of the many inlets or passages littered with numerous islands where there will be a perfect spot to ambush fish patrolling the beat. Hermit Basin, or McPartlans as it is known by devotees, is conveniently the first piece of Pedder you see as you travel the road to Strathgordon. It also has a boat ramp right beside the road too. McPartlans is one of the most consistently rewarding regions in the lake. The multitude of bays, channels and islands always offer something. The wind from anything from a gentle breeze up will funnel food around the island through the channels, creating long and consistent wind lanes loaded with midges and more importantly, feeding trout. Targeting these with

olive Klinkhammers, or even just an oversized black spinner or midge pattern will usually result in a take. As mentioned, out in the main lake it’s a little harder to get fish to see your fly. Try something bigger than average, giving them a reason to eat it. Pedder is rather unique in that the fish will actually take a well-presented lure. A small, bibbed minnow will find results and a black and gold or the rainbow trout pattern coloured lures work very well on these fish cruising the lanes. As the day progresses, the wind lanes that are going to stick around in the prevailing winds will soon become obvious. Late morning, after the midge-feeding trout have long vanished, will see fish starting to cruise the lanes often kilometres long, picking off food as they go. A large black spinner pattern is very successful in this scenario, and I usually team that with a red tag or a Greenwells Glory or something similar. The fish aren’t easily sighted in the tannin stained water, but their tell-tale rises as they feed can be used to track them as they move. As the day heats up, the damselfly and dragonfly activity rises with it. The sun’s rays warm the water, penetrating through the shallows, and this triggers the nymphs of both species

The damsel fly nearing its adult stage. Just hatched and drying its wings ready to take to the air. sensationally thick and fast. The bays in Wilmot Bay and Hermit Basin are perfect for this style of fishing. It can also be extremely rewarding to drift the deeper banks with a team of dries, and I like to add a Zulu in the mix along with those already mentioned. Some solid fish can be found this way. Extending into the evening, the mudeye technique continues but switching to a floating line and buoyant fly is a good move. You can use this technique successfully from dusk right on through the

lure fishing is exceptionally good. Casting hard to the shores and retrieving to the boat is a deadly method. GREAT LAKE A lot of these methods cross over to another favourite summer waterway in the highlands, Great Lake. Midge feeders in the mornings are some of the best and most consistent ‘up top’. Hit the water before a hint of light on the horizon and you’re ready to hit them. They’ll start to appear just as you can make out the rises. Casts need to be accurate, leading the fish by

A last-minute midge feeder in the shade before the sun puts them down at Dee Lagoon. to head to the surface. For me, this is the highlight of the fishery, mudeye fishing. Find a shallow bay or shore and you are going to find activity. An intermediate or sink tip line with a mudeye pattern and you’re away. I tend to fish just one fly as there are far too many sticks and drowned tea tree everywhere to foul or lose the fly on once a fish is hooked. The action at times can be

night for as long as you want to stay on the water. Listen for rises and cast to the vicinity. Otherwise, just cast to the banks and retrieve to the boat using short pulls as the mudeye swims by, pushing water out its body. The beauty of Pedder adds to the attraction of the place and the multifaceted angling methods also play a big part. Despite the excellent fly fishing, the

roughly the distance between rises. You need the fish to be coming up about where your fly is on the water. These feeding fish tend to not be overly reactive to a fly hitting the water, therefore you need to land it where they are looking. I fish a small midge teamed with a larger sighter, still small enough to tempt the trout. The morning session can be unrewarding, so the best

Go Behind the Scenery bet is to fish the windward shore with plastics and hardbodied lures, casting in very close and retrieving back to the boat. The central highlands tend to be a black and gold fishery and if that’s not working, I like a clear body with a brown back. Both are very consistent trout catchers. As the sun climbs, it’s time to head away from the shores and chase the infamous Great Lake sharks. Most people are familiar these days with the terminology and technique involved. For those who don’t, firstly, you need wind, obviously not ridiculous amounts but enough to get the gum beetles on the wing.

Hot windy days are the best. The trout cruise into the wind searching mainly for beetles, but all sorts of terrestrials that are blown out across the lake as well. A boat with a casting deck is a must as this gets you high above the water, increasing your vision. You will soon learn to tune your sight in, looking through the waves for any sign of a trout. This is very visual fishing, and you’ll most likely see the fish in the water before any sign of a rise downwind. They stand out quite easily in the crystal clear Great Lake water. The trout swim up wind lanes mainly, but any froth line is worth your attention as they both gather and concentrate food.

Bright orange and olive colours should be what you’re looking for with your flies. Casting a gum beetle pattern, red tag, Chernobyl ant and hopper pattern will all bring results. These trout are opportunistic and will eat most things in their path, unless you spook them. If you spot one close to the boat, just try to get the fly in front of it and get down low on the boat. After the excitement of a long hot day, you can guarantee the evening rise is going to be pretty good. Swan Bay is as good as any other spot on the lake. Rainbows are dominating the last part of daylight and then the browns take over after the sun disappears behind the

This nice, fat, end-of-season brown fell to the hot pink colour!

Tasmania

Pedder wind lanes for miles, but how about that view? horizon. A large dry seems to work okay on the cruising fish mopping up the last of the terrestrials from the day. As darkness descends, it’s surface time and this technique can return some of the best trout for the season. On calm, mild nights, you can find yourself on the water for hours. It’s very pleasant and rewarding. There’s nothing better than hearing a solid fish roll on you fly in the dark of night. WESTERN LAKES Some great dry fly fishing can be had out back in the western lakes with thousands of waters literally at your disposal. Gin clear shallow water and trophy trout is the

lure for anglers to head to the more secluded lakes and tarns. Some great fishing can be had much closer to the car parks, but if you want to get away from it all, then a wander on foot is required. Gum beetles and their often-scarce jassid friends are a feature of many of our central lakes. In recent years jassid falls have been exceptionally good. My favourite waters for solid and regular gum beetle falls are Dee Lagoon and Lake St Clair. When there is a carpet of beetles on the water and not a fish to be seen, it generally means you’re too late. The best thing to happen

is a period of cold weather, four or five days is ideal, then a nice warm day with a mild breeze. A build-up of beetles in the eucalypts will release in the heat. Watch the weather and it pays to be on the water ready to roll if you’ve planned it well. Both waters offer great early morning midging, although I’m yet to ever crack the code at the Dee personally, so it makes sense to be on the water early anyway. As the weather warms, the beetles will start to take to the wing. Blown by the breeze they fall on the water. The trout won’t take long to switch onto this and begin to To page 54

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Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania From page 53

cruise into the wind, picking them off the surface. These next to perfect conditions happen every so often, and we experienced one such day on Dee Lagoon a few years back. A very hot day was forecast and in the morning it was sweltering. This certainly got the beetles active then out of nowhere for about an hour, it blew very hard. Almost as instantly as it began the wind eased to a light breeze and the beetles came out of the trees at a steady and constant rate. We had a crazy afternoon on the water and the fish kept coming over the side. We drifted the shores in Mentmore Bay and the rainbows we were catching

in good takes and minimal refusals. Lure fishing is rewarding and once the fish enter mop up mode they’ll take a well-presented small lure, even when fixated on beetles and small insects. Gum beetle and red tag patterns on the Bradys Chain of lakes can turn the somewhat underperforming waters in recent years into great fisheries when the trout are feeding on top. All lakes are surrounded by eucalypts and invariably some excellent falls occur regularly. DERWENT HYDRO STORAGES It’s also prime time for fishing well after dark on some of the Derwent hydro storages. The inflows from

Until the fish start to show, a wet fly fished deep over weed beds will often bring success like this big Woods Lake buck. could be seen cruising up the lines as easy as you like. You could see them from 50m away and a careful cast and patient strike was all it took. It was truly one of the most memorable days I’ve had on the water. Also in the region are Echo, King William, Bronte and the Bradys Chain, and all offer fantastic beetle falls. Lake Echo is probably the most underrated. It too is an exceptional fly fishery but also excels for the lure angler. During the summer months fishing deep over the many weedbeds in the tree lines and northern bays with your favourite soft plastics will bring very good results. The reliable black and gold T-tails are fairly consistent fish takers here. The inflowing Monpeelyata Canal can fire things up if it gets any water at this time of the year. Rainbows are high on the catch if the water starts to move. There’s also fantastic midge fishing early in the open water around the Bull Bank, which is high and dry in current water levels. King William is another that performs well with both fly and lure in warm weather. It’s not much fun chasing ‘oncers’ (fish that rise only once) all over a big lake but the breeze will push the food to one shore. At King William, the fish are wise to this and no doubt as food is a competitive business they take what they can and feed aggressively. This results 54

MARCH 2016

The big fish come out after dark! Sleep deprivation and limited vision are worth braving for monsters like this! Wayatinah, Catagunya, Cluny and Repluse all have big fish that aren’t so easy to catch in the daylight hours. LOWLAND STREAMS Our lowland streams often suffer from low flows in late summer, but the more consistent streams and rivers give enough to be worthwhile choices for the late summer angler. The north of the state has far more options than the south. That said, some of the southern waters are fantastic options. The Tyenna, Upper Huon, Weld and Little Dennison all offer great fishing at times. The trophy-sized trout of the Tyenna are probably not on

the menu at this time of the year, but lacking in numbers they aren’t. Excellent caddis hatches anywhere there are tea tree bushes will see some sort of activity. With warm water, drifting a small nymph under an indicator will also yield results. Bigger pools can be targeted with small lures, spinners or plastics. Shaded pools are also likely to increase your catch rates, and fish can also ben found high up into bubble lines right in the fast water behind rapids. In very warm weather, the rapids introduce some much-needed oxygen to the water and the fish will sit here behind rocks

A nice 750g Lake Echo rainbow trout that took a #55 Tassie Devil late in the season. the power stations are hot spots for big trout that are smart enough to know that it’s easy tucker and a pretty casual life having the food delivered to you. In the daytime, large soft plastics account for good fish in the fast water, but after dark, fishing just outside the strong flow with surface lures is dynamite. Big scented soft plastics will still account for fish, but the best ones will fall for a surface lure drawn across the current. I prefer the stickbait shapes as they are easier to get a nice ‘walkthe-dog’ action going on the surface. Others with a soft cup on the nose will attract attention too, and create that characteristic plop on the surface, which is often irresistible to a big trout.

looking river with some nice pools and runs as it meanders through the valley. I see a lot of great reports from anglers who regularly fish it throughout the year on the various forums and social media networks. As the weather starts to cool coming out of summer and into autumn, you still may find a few good beetle falls on warmer days, but for me it’s time to turn to lure casting once again. This time of year particularly in Tassie, as we move into the last month of the trout season you want to add something bright to your colour choice. I stick with black and gold, but it’s

UV glow to put on your Tassie Devil lures is a good investment. and boulders or at the head of the pool in the flowing water. In the north, all the usual suspects will be worthy destinations. Mersey, South and North Esk, Macquarie and St Pats are great waters. At the right time of the year the willow grub feeders are high on the radar for anglers, and late summer will see a lot of insect life having trout looking to the surface. Reports across the last few years have seen a great mix of fly fishing and lure casting. Very small bibbed minnows and spinner style lures consistently seem to produce results. The banks of the Leven River have always been inviting for me on a trip north from Hobart. It’s a great

Tassie is famous for its summer fly fishing and they don’t come much better than this perfectly coloured brown trout.

imperative you have a bright fluoro orange belly. The fish are beginning to think about spawning time and that means feeding up ready for the energy-sapping journey upstream. All fish need to add bulk, as there is little feeding happening once they enter a spawning stream. The bright orange does a couple of things in my mind. They are far from scientific, but to me they are sound and confidence is the best lure in the tackle box. Fish are competing for food and the bright orange produces an aggression strike. It’s also the colour of fish eggs and we are nearing spawning time. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, if you believe the research, fish see UV colours very well and flouro orange is just about the best natural UV signature you can get. You might be surprised at just how many lures have UV paint on them. Get yourself a UV torch and check out your tackle box. Some of your favourite colours are most likely UV enhanced. GET INTO IT NOW We’re getting closer to the spawning times, so concentrating on inflows will increase your chances, but be sure to check your local and water specific regulations, as some are off limits completely and others have exclusion zones. So get out there and explore some of the worldclass trout fisheries that we have before the trout head up into the spawning streams!

Business Profile

FIFO boat hire is now affordable for all anglers NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

The acronym ‘FIFO’ stands for fly-in, fly-out and is most often used in relation to remote mining operations employees who fly to the site to commence their week or fortnight of shifts, then fly home afterwards for a break with their families. However, with the advent of fully equipped ‘turn-key’

were totally blown away by Clinton’s professionalism and the incredibly high standard of every component of the hire gear, from vehicle, boat and trailer to the smaller but equally important stuff like safety gear, battery charger, drift drogue (sea anchor), marine radio and on-board electronics. Everything worked exactly as it was meant to! Tassie Boat Hire’s 420 Quintrex Renegade is powered by a 40HP Evinrude 2-stroke motor on the stern,

Starlo shows off a lovely fly-caught Woods Lake brown trout taken from the hire rig. hire packages of vehicles and boats, the FIFO concept now has genuine relevance in fishing circles as well! Late this past spring, my wife Jo and I took advantage of exactly such a business that operates on the island state of Tasmania. The brainchild of Ulverstone tackle shop proprietor Clinton Howe, Tassie Boat Hire kicked off in mid-2015 offering a single boat rig and 4WD vehicle, but has already expanded with the addition of new hire packages. Jo and I were picked up from Launceston airport upon arrival by Clinton in his first full rig: a 420 Quintrex Renegade towed by a 2011 model Mitsubishi Triton dual cab ute. Clinton drove to a nearby service centre to run us through the rig and complete the necessary paperwork, and then we were off on our own for a wonderful week in the Central Highlands chasing Tasmania’s famous wild trout on fly. From the outset, Jo and I

has a Minn Kota Terrova autopilot electric up front, as well as all the ‘fruit’ you could possibly need for full-blown freshwater, estuary and inshore work in between. It really is ready to rumble! We confined our activities to the Central Highland Lakes, concentrating on Penstock, Woods, Arthurs, Little Pine and Crescent, but this rig is also spot-on for chasing Tassie’s big, blue-nosed bream in the

state’s many estuaries, or even venturing up to a couple of kilometres offshore (on the right day) to tangle with all manner of goodies, right up to kingfish and even tuna! We experienced very strong winds during our time in the high country, with the Bureau of Meteorology issuing small boat warnings for the lakes on several of the days we fished. The hired rig easily took these demanding conditions in its stride and we stayed surprisingly dry. Personally, I’d like to have seen a 50 or even 60 HP donk on the hull, but the 40 performed well enough two-up, and was quite economical to run. From memory, we spent less than $30 on juice for the outboard across our week! The boat’s generous, fully-plumbed live well was wonderful for keeping a few trout alive and healthy between photo shoots, or to bring one home at day’s end for the table, and would suit tournament anglers perfectly. In fact, with the blossoming bream tournament circuit in Tasmania these days, it’s hardly surprising that a large proportion of Clinton’s customers are mainlanders flying south to compete in various ABT events. The diesel Triton tow vehicle was clean, comfortable and reasonably economical to run. It never missed a beat and handled the sometimes-corrugated dirt roads with ease.

Tassie Boat Hire’s 420 Quintrex Renegade rig is a complete turn-key package, ready for high end sport fishing in fresh or salt water and ABT-style tournament work. All up costs for hiring the 4WD, boat and ancillary gear, plus airport transfers, come in at less than $350 per day, which is excellent value in my opinion, especially when split between two or three anglers. Discounts are also available for extended hire periods, and both the vehicle and boat are available for separate hire, if need be. Weighed up against the time, hassle and expense of driving your own rig to Melbourne and catching the ferry across Bass Strait, Clinton’s service makes a great deal of sense. For Melbourne residents, in particular, it means that a fast getaway for a weekend or long weekend of fishing on the Apple Isle is now do-able and affordable! If you’d like to learn more about this unique FIFO service for serious anglers visiting the Devils’ Playground, scan the QR code accompanying

this review to watch the short YouTube video clip that Jo and I put together during our stay. If you haven’t mastered QR codes, or don’t have the correct app to read them, go to https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=CgtlrWUniP8 or simply Google ‘FIFO Tasmanian Trout’ and you’ll soon find the clip.

You can also find out more, get detailed prices or make a booking by visiting Tassie Boat Hire’s website at www.tassieboathire. com.au, going to their page on Facebook, or giving Clinton a call on 0429 475 550. Be sure to tell him Starlo sent you and he’ll look after you extra well!

VIDEO

Jo fights a rampaging Penstock rainbow on fly.

Scan the QR code to watch the short YouTube video clip that Jo and I put together during our stay.

This hire boat boasts a large, fully plumbed live well. Just the ticket for fly-in, fly-out tournament anglers!

MARCH 2016

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Big game fishing rocks Tassie seas TASMANIA

Kelly Hunt

The signs are there that March is going to be a great month for fishing, particularly game fishing. At this stage the Easter break is shaping up to be sensational. The fishing so far this year has been excellent, and a lot of anglers have been saying it’s been the best they can remember. February continued to have marlin spotted, hooked and occasionally landed. Craig Shipton was one angler who had a smile from ear to ear landing his first marlin. Craig and his crew of Evan McMillan and Jason Dodge fought the fish, and after much excitement had an 80kg striped marlin at the side of the boat. There were a number of photos taken and a heap of high fives that would have made a West Indian cricket team proud. The lads reset the lures and after 20 minutes had another marlin strike, but after a massive run dropped the hook. A week prior off St Helens, James Heinrich, Jarrod Hyland and Damian Turner managed to hook up and land a nice striped marlin and also hook up and lose another the following day. Yellowfin tuna threatened to fire up, but have failed to live up to expectations thus far. Still, I recommend you keep working those bait schools and areas in and around the 100m mark. If you can put up with the striped tuna, March may well reward your efforts. Mako sharks have continued to thicken up, and the amount of people that have been tagging fish is fantastic. Taking one of these splendid fish for the table is of great value, but letting

a few bigger ones go is of equal value. In March it won’t be all about the offshore currents and water temps, as the water temps in general will be up. The warmth and ambient heat of the last few months will have warmed the water, and that will remain throughout March and April. Just as it takes the water a while to warm up, it also takes a while to cool down, even when the ambient air temperature has started to move down the thermometer. This of course means inshore fishing will continue to fire as it has done in February. Fish will still be active and looking to feed while they are warm and lively. The trout fishing and particularly dry fly fishing is fast and exciting in March, so get some flies tied and get out there. FLY FISHING Trout March officially marks the end of summer and the start of autumn. Don’t let this fact have you dropping your bottom lip though, as it’s one of the most exciting times to be a fly fisher in Tasmania. The weather is normally very settled and can permit some very good days wading and boating. February normally sees the grasshoppers arriving, but they will still be thick as we go into March and be great fun in most rivers. The good thing about grasshopper presentations is that even the most awkward and clumsy fly presentation will often get some interest. Hoppers hit the water with gusto at times, so the beginner who hasn’t mastered the art of the gentle presentation will still have success. Look out for black spinner falls later in the day,

and look for rivers with a slower flow rate as they’ll give you the best chance of success. Rivers to try include the South Esk, Lake, lower Macquarie and Meander rivers. Mayflies can also thicken in autumn, along with dun hatches. The gum beetles and jassids will have made an appearance by now, and should form part of your plan of attack. These little leaf hoppers are trout candy, and if they start to hit the water in some numbers will create quite the feeding spectacle. SALTWATER Never has there been a time when bluefin on fly is as attractive a prospect as right now. The bluefin are in great numbers, and they’re close into shore where they can be easily accessed by smaller craft. The fish are

The Holy Grail of tuna fishing, this big yellowfin tuna shows some glorious golden sickles.

Just a little bit on! The fun really ramps up when you’re fighting a big fish and an angry ocean! 56

MARCH 2016

surfacing and feeding hard in and around points and bays where you can motor over and present a large, flashy saltwater fly. Bluefin are not the only sportfish in good numbers – yellowtail kingfish are in fantastic numbers in the Smithton, St Helens and Derwent areas. Plenty of these fish have also been found in and around Coles Bay and Bicheno. Having a keen eye and watching for bust-ups of feeding fish is crucial to the success of landing both of these fine sporting fish. Motor over within casting range and get a big saltwater fly in their vision. They will fight hard and long on the fly. They’re definitely a lot of fun! Using 10wt or 12wt rods with reels able to handle a

good amount of matching line is important. There are some great set-ups available that cater to all budgets. Rods don’t need to be longer than 9ft while working from a boat. Fly line in this space is very specialised and should be a weight forward intermediate or a shooting head. YELLOWTAIL KINGFISH I mentioned before that the kingies are about in good numbers, and anglers are getting a real buzz out of targeting them and getting their techniques perfected. These fish can be the cause of great frustration, as it can be difficult to elicit a hook-up or strike at times. Even an angler who feels he has the kings sussed will be given the run-around on some days, putting him back at square

John Scatchard has that grin that comes from catching a good Tasmanian kingfish. one with his thinking. The most consistent success is had with baits that are fresh, and lures that have plenty of action. Fishing areas that at times have some good water movement on the tide is also a huge bonus. These fish really get active when there is some tidal movement, and become very aggressive. A few years back we would have a crack at them with the trout gear or slightly heavier gear used for the bigger Australian salmon. We don’t do that anymore though, as the kingies seem to have bulked up and are found in locations that hold some much better fish. In this instance you will need to upgrade your gear because they fight dirty and will take you to the cleaners in no time. Reels around the 6500 size with rods in the medium to heavy spin class will have you stop some when hooked. Remember that kingfish are nasty pasties and can be one of the hardest fish to land. On hook-up they turn into the piscatorial version of the Hulk and look to bust you off on rocks or anything sharp. If you are in a boat you can move away from the shallows and head out to deeper water to fight the fish. The Derwent River has been on fire in February and the points and rocky shores are holding some good kings. Kangaroo Bluff, Tranmere and the point as you round into Ralphs Bay are worth a look on the Eastern Shore. Also worth a look is the area in and around the moorings from Wrest Point up river to the wharf precinct. YELLOWFIN March is that time of year when serious offshore game fishers obsess about fish with a tinge of yellow in their fins. The mighty Thunnus albcares or yellowfin tuna is on everyone’s minds. It’s a fish that is very much sought after and a prize trophy. Pound for pound, these babies are the fastest and the most agile of all the tuna we face here in Tasmania. To land a good sized yellow is an angling feat to be truly proud of. You can tell when

someone has recently done it, as they have their chests puffed out so far they can overbalance and fall over. In all seriousness, the yellowfin is a true athlete of the ocean and is also fantastic eating when looked after. Be sure to straight away bleed the fish well and get it on ice. That way you’ll avoid ‘burnt tuna syndrome’, which happens when the fish has overheated in the battle and isn’t chilled quickly enough (this can make the flesh taste muddy). Don’t be one of those people who say “yellowfin taste terrible” after leaving the guts in the fish all day on the deck. Yellowfin love a temperature break and current line. If you find some water that is dramatically hotter (4-6°C) than where you just came from, work up and down that area until you can get a sense of where that temperature break is and where it runs. You can use the sounder to plot marks, and instead of naming them just log the temp readings. You will soon get a picture of what might be going on around you. While you’re traveling and plotting, keep an eye open for bait schools as well. If you start to have a temp break and some bait, you have found an area that is worth working over. Come over the ground from all angles, working the bait from the warmer water to the colder and vice versa. Yellowfin don’t mind traversing the shallow ground to get to where they want to go. Many spots along the east coast of Tasmania have held yellowfin (sometimes feeding) in water as shallow as 50m. Don’t get hung up on any special lure needed to target yellowfin in Tasmania. If you have a good spread of lures that mimic the Tasmanian pelagic bait, you’re on the money. A couple of brown and light orange skirts will keep you in good stead as they will replicate the squid we start to see offshore in March. It has been a while since we have seen a good run of

Go Behind the Scenery yellas off Tasmanian shores. When we do see them they are normally good sized fish of 50kg or better. With the water temp and quality we had out wide during February, I’ll go out on a limb and suggest we may see some this year. Don’t let me down though, get out and drag a spread. Destinations like Bicheno and Triabunna are prime yellowfin haunts. They are also great places to take the family while you’re dragging lures for hours offshore. Hot spots include off the back of Merricks – St Helens; in and around Joes Reef – Bicheno; and out to the 100 and up to Lemon Rock – Schouten Island. BLUEFIN Never has there been a more perfect time to go and catch a tuna in Tasmania. The fish accessible by a far greater range of anglers at present due to their good numbers and proximity to good sheltered areas. Often seen as the domain of the big boat fraternity, these fish are currently accessible by nearly everyone. In previous years, the continental shelf or out in exposed waters was where the fish were usually found in good numbers. Not so this year, it’s an amazing start to 2016 and everyone can become involved! So fingers crossed they stay around and you can find some on your Easter break. Below are some ideas, hints and tips for those who are new to tuna fishing. I’ll look at some basic gear to get you out on the water with a great chance of landing some hard-fighting fish that will have you smiling from ear to ear. I’ll even point out some places where you can launch a smaller boat and target these fish safely. Clear the boat If you are keen on a tuna mission, clear the boat of all unnecessary gear (think of it as an excuse to spring clean your pride and joy). Why? Because when you’re looking to land some tuna you don’t need things getting in your way. The boat should be neatly packed and have everything in its place ready to grab when you need it. There are often quiet times when trolling for tuna, but when these fish hit the lures things can get hectic. Double and triple hook-ups are not uncommon, and in these instances a clear and tidy boat will maximise your success. Before you hit the water, remove all the used bottom rigs and empty bottles of sunscreen from the side pockets. Clear the storage areas and the dash. You will now have room for your gaffs, lures, gimbal belts and so on. What gear to take Now that you have a tidy boat you can pack in some essentials. Four rods is

Tasmania

Tuna Spread

Long Rigger

Long Corner

Shotgun Short Corner

Short Rigger

enough to get the job done, and if your boat is small then three is fine. Overhead reels are the traditional domain of tuna anglers, and these reels don’t necessarily cost a fortune. One affordable series is the Penn Squall range, which comes in both single and two-speed models, but there are other reasonably-priced overheads that should do the job just fine. If you want to stick with spinning reels, you’ll want them to hold a reasonable amount of 10-15kg mono or 50lb braid. Rods can be matched to suit the line breakage, but are best kept around 5ft in length. If you have had little experience with tackling tuna, you will need a bucket or gimbal belt. These awesome devices hold the rod butt in a cup, and make handling the rod and fighting the fish much easier. The next step up is a full-blown fighting harness, but a gimbal belt is fine to start with. A couple of longer handled gaffs are next on the list. When tuna are spent and you think you have them, they have a habit of stubbornly circling just out of reach. This is where a good gaff is a godsend (another reason for having a tidy boat). The gaff doesn’t have to come out until needed at the last minute, so resist the urge to pull it out too early. On a smaller boat with a bit of excited action and a bit of sea on, that’s a recipe for someone to bleed a lot. Keep the gaff in the side pocket until someone yells that they can see the fish (the standard thing to shout is “we have colour!”). The gaff can then be calmly taken out of the side pocket and readied. That should be about the same time the fish has been leadered and the gaff deployed. Don’t be too fussy about where you sink the gaff. We all like to fire off a great shot into the gills and head to save the meat, but when you’re new don’t worry about that. Just relax, take your time and get it in wherever. You can get fancy and pin them

in the lip when you get some experience. Lures Now here is a subject where people get into a tizzy and froth. One bloke will declare that such-and-such a lure is a killer, while another angler will disagree and say another lure is the best in the entire world. Regardless, there are a few factors to consider when choosing lures: quality, action in the water and proven ability. I have spent a fair bit of time on the water trying different lures, so here’s my suggestion for a spread of lures that will give you a head start. Lures are run in what we call a spread. Our competition spread is a five-lure spread although, depending on conditions, we sometimes work in two or three more. What you are trying to create with your spread is the appearance of fleeing baitfish. The boat creates the illusion of some surface disturbance that grabs the tuna’s attention, and from within and just out of the prop wash they will see your lures. Each lure within a spread has a name given to it according to its position in the spread. Starting closest to the stern and moving further out, they are: short corner, long corner, short rigger, long rigger and shotgun. It might seem confusing at first, but it will fall into place. Don’t get too hung up on the word ‘rigger’, as this refers to outriggers. If you don’t have any it just means the rod position not in the corner of the boat. The lures are placed in this formation for a number of pretty cool reasons, the first of which is to stop tangles when trolling. If the lures were all let out the back at the same length there would be hell’s own tangle in no time flat. There are two other instances when a big tangle will occur, and that’s when turning and in a fair side wind. Placing the lures in the spread properly should avoid any tangles, and you should be able to turn and troll in a side wind with the smallest of tweaks. You will quickly get an idea of what the spread

is doing, and know when to let some more line out or wind some in to have the lure work in its own little gap. If you hook a fish or two, back the throttle off but don’t take the motor completely out of gear and steer straight. This will allow the lures that are still out to be kept straight as they are cleared away. When they are cleared away, fight the fish in one corner. In a two-way hookup, the skipper has a bit more work to do and can have one angler slow as you deal with the closest fish. If three or more are hooked up, the skipper can just lie on the deck in the foetal position, rocking back and forth. What lures to run Lures are a personal choice, and my preference is for Zacataks. They are of awesome quality and their design and action in the water is a huge part of their success. We’ve had good success on them in a number of gamefishing competitions. These lures breathe and produce a smoke trail and a great ‘waggle’ when they dip below the surface, which the fish seem to find very attractive. Zacataks also hold the water very well in a side wind. When it comes to choosing lure models for different positions in the spread, the basic rule is that the longer the head is on a tuna pusher, the further back it goes in the spread. The shorter and more cup faced the lure head is, the shorter it goes in the lure spread. As an example, the long head design of the Smoka model means it’s good in the shotgun position. Use the wash from the boat to decide where you will run the shotgun lure. Set that lure 5m or more back from where the wash starts to clean up. When it comes to the long rigger and short rigger positions, the Sprocket heads are perfect. As we get shorter, the Roach and the Midge models work very well. If you are looking for a conventional sub surface lure you can use the Halco Max range to great effect. Here’s our typical spread: short corner – 8” Midge in

secret squid; long corner – 6.5” Roach in sacred saury; short rigger – 6.5” Sprocket in oily green lumo; long rigger – 6.5” Sprocket in sacred saury; and shotgun – 6.5” Smoka in red bait. Weather and where to go Safe boating is very dependent on good weather. Pick some good, calm weather and make a plan that allows two days to get the job done. That way, if you have bad weather on one day you still have another day up your sleeve. Swell and seas below 1m and little to no wind is preferable in a smaller boat. Check the Bureau of Meteorology website and learn how to use it. Its METEYE section is fantastic once you get your head around it. Make sure you have all your life jackets and wet weather gear up to spec. While we always look to go out in good boating conditions, those conditions can change in a heartbeat. Having a plan based around the weather report is a great idea as well. Heading in a direction of travel in the morning that has you coming home with the sea and swell at your rear is always favourable. Tasmania is blessed with some special places to fish for tuna, and the action can be located very close to land or in and around some fantastic shelter. Fortescue Bay, Bicheno and Schouten Island are all accessible by smaller boats and crews with little or no tuna fishing experience. • Fortescue Bay: fabulous and sheltered in most wind and sea conditions. The main exception is anything from the east. Fortescue is not a place to be in a howling northerly – but then neither is the entire area. This is a great place to launch and set your tuna spread in the comfort of the bay. When the tuna are as thick and hungry as they are at the moment, you won’t have to venture too far from the mouth of Fortescue. Keeping inside the shelter of either headland

will find fish at the minute. If you don’t find them in the middle or directly out front, work the areas from The Lanterns and back towards The Thumbs. It takes some getting used to, but you don’t have to be out to sea. You will pick tuna up very close into shore along the cliffs. Mix your line of travel up a bit between in close and out a bit wider. Always look for surface disturbance or birds taking interest in something. • Bicheno: a little more open to sea conditions, but on the right weather pattern it’s an amazing fishery. The beauty of this region is again the close proximity of the tuna at present. The boat ramp is very sheltered, and it’s easy to launch and retrieve there. On a very low tide some care needs to be taken, but it’s still OK. The fish can be found just about anywhere, but in recent weeks have been in the 70-100m mark. There is abundant birdlife in and around Bicheno, and when you encounter them out to sea it’s a great spot to concentrate on. The band of birds is often on or just before the 100m mark, and this is where we’ve found found good numbers of fish. Birds are very important to the tuna fisher as they can turn a very poor day into a good one. The crew that remains vigilant, keeping an eye out for feeding birds, will be rewarded. If you see some birds gaining height and diving into the water, head over slowly. Don’t barge through the middle of them but circle them and work the area over. • Schouten Island: another jewel in Tasmania’s tuna fishing crown is the area in and around Schouten Passage. The current and water flow here brings nutrients and bait, which, at certain times of year, brings the place alive. You can use the shelter afforded by the Freycinet Peninsula and travel down Great Oyster Bay. Set your lures in the calm waters of the passage To page 58

Albacore have big pectoral fins and big eyes. Mozz has a big grin as this albacore went 22kg. MARCH 2016

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania From page 57

and head out into the open sea looking for tuna. You don’t need to head off into open ocean; working the edges of Schouten Island will find fish. The point down the far end has some bait-holding grounds that are worth a look. Keep an eye out for birds picking right in close, because they’ll be on fish and cleaning up the scraps from the feeding frenzy. If it’s a bit quiet in close and the weather allows, head out towards the 100m-depth line and again watch for bird action. The place has been alive with tuna of late and you should find them. Speed and species The speed to tow your lures is 6-8 knots or 14km/h. Don’t get hung up on being too fast or too slow – just do 14km/h and you will get strikes. It may seem too fast if you aren’t used to it, but tuna are speedsters and they will smash it easily. Although you can’t go too fast for the tuna, you can go too fast for your lures. If you haven’t purchased good quality lures they may blow out of the water and tumble. This creates two problems – they don’t look desirable to the fish, and the hook doesn’t sit well for a hook-up. Going down sea without adjusting speed is the biggest cause of this. If you are picked up by following swells and surf a bit, your speed will increase rapidly and ruin the lure spread. Pull the throttle back a little and watch the lures. They should be on the surface and then dive under a little, pulling a bubble trail down with them. They should then resurface, creating some disturbance and cupping some water forward before submerging again with a little wiggle. I have not been particular with specific tuna species as they will all fall for these

techniques. We are lucky that we have all four species off our coast at the moment. Southern bluefin, albacore, yellowfin and striped tuna will all fall to these lures and tips, so be prepared for anything to come over the side. The bluefin are most plentiful, along with the albacore. Striped tuna are the much less favoured catch, and are unfairly seen as bait and berley. The prized catch is yellowfin tuna. They are superb eating and have fantastic fighting qualities. They’re often mistaken for bluefin by newbies as bluefin schoolies have bright yellow finlets behind their second dorsal. A yellowfin has bigger elongated second dorsal, often called a sickle. When you hook a fish When the reel screams off (or maybe more than one), it’s important to remain calm in and around the excitement. Get the rods in hand and have others clear the lines not connected to a fish. Don’t rush, just be smooth and steady. Don’t give the hooks an excuse to come out by jerking and being rough; the rod is a tool and should be kept bent at all times. You can do this by lifting up and pulling a curve into the rod and winding down slowly. You don’t want to get ten winds back each lift! Lift up and quickly get one or two winds back on the reel and repeat. The tuna will be as unhappy to see the boat as you are happy to finally see it alongside. This is the time for cool heads and maybe backing off the drag a touch. This will allow the fish to run smoothly should it still have some energy up its sleeve. A tired tuna will start to do circles in the water, and the trick is to gaff the fish as it comes past in one of these loops.

A secret squid jig does the trick for these two big game anglers. Once on deck, get a few high fives out of the way but watch the flapping fish. Nobody wants a hook in them at this stage. Get a knife and place a cut 2cm behind both pectoral fins and allow the fish to bleed out. Next, place the fish in the shade or, better yet, an ice slurry. Bluefin is best for the table when looked after. If you leave it on the deck all day, sliding around in the sun, it will taste very ordinary. Bluefin is awesome, yellowfin is better and albacore is totally different again. While bluefin and yellowfin lend themselves to sashimi and steaks, albacore is fantastic done in crumbs. So make a good plan, head out, be safe and catch some tuna! MARLIN We’re in the midst of marlin madness down here in Tasmania. Sighting and captures are coming through each week, along with hard luck stories and photos of triumphant anglers. These fish are coming up for lures and there’s mixed success in hook-ups. Nailing a marlin in the right spot in the mouth to keep hooked up is very tricky. These fish

have hard areas around their mouths and slash at the lure as much as eat it. This leads to a lot of half hook-ups and bill wraps. These fish are very spectacular and jump and throw their heads violently, often leading to thrown hooks. While targeting marlin, scale down the hook size and material section (i.e. the diameter of the material the hook is made from). This will allow the hook to penetrate the fish’s jaw more easily. Make sure the hooks are as sharp as they can be. Years of rattling around the tackle box and hitting the side of the boat will blunt the hooks. Have a file on hand to give them a touch up every time they go into the water. Lures are one way of catching a marlin, but even with the right gear and everything checked and double checked a hook-up and capture rate of 50% is good going. There are two other marlin fishing techniques that are worth a try when the marlin are as thick as they are at the minute. Right now they have been taken at St Helens and all the way down the south coast at Cape

Raoul. Not in great numbers but let’s have a think about this for a minute. That is at least 2400km2 of area that marlin will be in. SKIP BAITS This technique is fun, exciting and a little bit technical. You have to find and locate the bait and then rig it up so you can hook it up to a circle hook and troll it (much more slowly than you would with a lure). Rigging up a skip bait isn’t rocket science – you just need a bit of practice. There are many articles and online videos to get you started. The idea is to have your baits out skipping along and your reels in freespool. Ideally you have the two baits in the riggers with some slack line from rod tip to rigger clip as a drop back. This allows the fish to take the bait and you to let the marlin run and swallow the hook. You then slowly push the drag lever up to hopefully hook the fish in the corner of the mouth. Hook-up rates are far greater than with lures and so too is keeping connected to the fish. We love skip baiting. It can be very exciting to see a fish come into the trap and light up as marlin does when excited. They will go from bait to bait and then POW! You are hooked up – the trap has been sprung and worked! LIVE BAITING When it is ‘go-time’ off Australia’s famous marlin bait grounds the atmosphere is electric. Boats jockey jockeying for position, the marlin are hungry and the fights are intense. Most days there are one or two limited hot-bite windows and nobody wants to miss them. First you have to locate the bait, and ‘mark’ fish. Marking fish is the term used when you can, without doubt differentiate between bait and marlin. You can then see what depth they are at and pull your baits

down to them. Fluorocarbon leaders and circles hooks are the order of the day – use varied snapper weights to get down to the feeding fish. When you locate a feeding marlin or two in the bait below you, pull out of gear or nail reverse and bark out to the crew where the fish are. On a good bite the rod won’t make the rod holder, but if it’s a bit slower the rod can be sat down with just enough tension to stop the sinker paying out line. You can then put the line up in the rigger clip, watch it and concentrate. Down below, your live bait is hopefully swimming in a school of bait about to be wolfed down by a hungry marlin. When that marlin comes past with intent the bait school says – “We’re out of here,” and the sinker slows your little bait up. Eventually all his mates have done a runner and here is your little bait swimming his heart out in the open looking like the last lamington on the plate at Nan’s. From up top you have to watch the line as it will go tight or get bumped and go slack. Either way you have to get that rod in hand and free spool the line. Once you are confident that the fish has taken down the livey you can slowly push the drag up. More often than not the next thing you know you have a marlin bust out of the water with your leader hanging out of its mouth just near the boat. It’s awesome and some of the coolest fishing I have ever done. I love it. As with all fishing techniques it’s just about getting your head around it, understanding the process and practice. I hope you all have a great month in March as the game fishing comes on strong.

HYDRO TASMANIA WATER STORAGE INFORMATION Water Storage Information as at 11th February 2016 Lake/Lagoon

Metres from full

Comment

Lake Augusta ...................................2.77 .......................................................Steady Arthurs Lake ....................................3.14 .......................................................Steady Great Lake .......................................17.44 .....................................................Steady Trevallyn Pond .................................1.89 ........................................................Rising Shannon Lagoon ..............................0.24 .......................................................Steady Penstock Lagoon .............................0.21 .......................................................Steady Lake Echo ........................................10.11 .....................................................Steady Dee Lagoon .....................................0.07 .......................................................Steady Bradys/Binneys/Tungatinah .............2.33 .......................................................Steady Bronte Lagoon .................................0.78 .......................................................Steady Pine Tier Lagoon ..............................2.58 .......................................................Steady Little Pine Lagoon ............................0.57 .......................................................Steady Laughing Jack Lagoon ....................3.81 .......................................................Steady Lake St Clair ....................................2 ............................................................ Falling Lake King William ............................9.88 .......................................................Steady Lake Liapootah ................................0.34 ........................................................Rising Wayatinah Lagoon ...........................0.6 ......................................................... Falling Lake Catagunya ...............................0.12 .......................................................Steady

Lake Repulse ...................................0.49 ........................................................Rising Cluny Lagoon ...................................0.07 ....................................................... Falling Meadowbank Lake ..........................0.47 .......................................................Steady Lake Pedder ....................................1.51 .......................................................Steady Lake Gordon ....................................42.36 .....................................................Steady Lake Burbury ...................................9.79 .......................................................Steady Lake Plimsoll ...................................2.02 ....................................................... Falling Lake Murchison ...............................16.71 ......................................................Rising Lake Mackintosh .............................5.09 .......................................................Steady Lake Rosebery .................................0.35 .......................................................Steady Lake Pieman ....................................1.38 .......................................................Steady Lake Mackenzie ...............................3.08 .......................................................Steady Lake Rowallan .................................4.93 .......................................................Steady Lake Parangana ...............................1.49 ....................................................... Falling Lake Cethana ...................................0.6 .........................................................Steady Lake Barrington ...............................1.03 .......................................................Steady Lake Gairdner ..................................11.3 .......................................................Steady Lake Paloona ...................................1.29 .......................................................Steady Woods Lake .....................................1.89 .......................................................Steady Whitespur Pond ...............................8.06 .......................................................Steady Lake Newton ...................................3.88 .......................................................Steady Lake Margaret .................................9.01 .......................................................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

MARCH 2016

Lakes are making a slow but steady comeback HORSHAM

Trevor Holmes

With less boat traffic throughout the Wimmera the fishing has settled down and regained some normality. The lakes are

StumpJumpers has continued to pull a feed of redfin in 3-4m of water. Use the pale pinks, bright orange and red colours. Bass have been tough to coax on the dropping water. Try to target them in the shallow timbered areas early and late in the

Darren and Josh had a bit of fun on Lake Fyans recently, landing brown and rainbow trout as well as a feed of redfin. virtually deserted through the week, but see many visitors on weekends as well as ski and wake boats. Plenty of fish have been landed and many released over the holidays with resurgence in redfin populations in Lake Fyans – a thrill for many. Other lakes have continued to suffer a decline in water level, but a bit of much needed rain has seen a couple that looked doomed hanging on by a thread. The predicted January rains eventuated, a lifeline just in time for our dry area. Over the next couple of months more rain is needed and predicted so once again we are se,t to rely on a wet winter to top up the whole system and possibly fill a few lakes back up. Here’s hoping! LAKE FYANS Some anglers have had great success here over the last few weeks, mainly trolling surface lures for trout early and late in the day. Outside these times, mudeye, gudgeon and minnows fished under floats have worked well. The redfin have kicked back to life in good numbers, and most anglers trolling deep divers working the edges of weed beds and tree lines have done well. Bottom fishing with gudgeon and yabbies has also landed a few as well as dropshotting soft plastics for those who have mastered the technique. Lipless crankbaits continue to work, as long as they are worked in the right areas that are holding fish. ROCKLANDS RESERVOIR Rocklands fishing has been a bit tough as the water levels continue to drop, however, trolling

adjacent to their usual lairs. LAKE WARTOOK Bank anglers over the holiday period did very well off the wall with both bait and lures when conditions were favourable. Cast Tassie Devils in yellows, golds, pinks and black/red for the best surface action. Shallow running hardbodies such as Daiwa Double Clutches and Presso Minnows, Nories Laydown minnows and some imitation soft plastics worked a little deeper have worked well for bank and boat anglers. Trout haven’t been huge; apart from the odd one over 2kg, the main captures are the 1-1.8kg browns and rainbows that feed freely on the surface early and late in the day but go deeper as the water brightens up. Mudeye fished under a float is an ever-reliable method here as well as any trout water. Redfin have been a disappointment this summer

Trevor Holmes with a prime redfin taken on a Pegron Tiger minnow lure. eaters too. It’s just a matter of sorting through them, but more importantly, cast heavier weighted lures and

Bill Johnston landed this lovely little rainbow trolling a Tassie Devil at Lake Fyans. day. A few brown trout have been taken on mudeyes and minnows fished under floats around the thicker stands of trees. Rainbow trout have been very quiet of late, as is expected in mid-summer. WIMMERA RIVER Close to Horsham, golden perch up to a kilo are a regular catch within the town boundaries. Yabbies, shrimp and scrub worms have featured as the prime bait, but several have been taken on spinnerbaits too. Decent cod are still taken by the patient bait fishers with no set times preferred. This encourages me to think these fish are moving up and down the river rather than holing up in structure. A theory I’ve discussed with several local anglers is that, with the resurgence of golden perch, the cod are moving around searching for food sources rather than ambushing

but should fire again in late summer and autumn. LAKE BELLFIELD Not normally known for producing big trout, this year has kicked off well at Bellfield especially for a few local anglers that have spent time locating where the bigger fish hole up and observing the baitfish they chase. Many nice rainbows to 2.7kg have been taken in the deeper sections opposite the wall car park. Known for holding and producing some bigger brown trout up to 3kg, Bellfield is starting to come of age as a good fishery that is accessible to all. Soft plastics that imitate baitfish such as fish arrows and grubs work well. Small redfin continue to plague the lure and bait anglers late in the day as the sun goes behind the Grampians, but among them are a few good

plastics to get down deeper to the bigger fish. TAYLORS LAKE Still a good number of cod and goldens on offer at Taylors for the angler who braves the elements and fishes into the night and up until daylight. Bank anglers have good access here and have cashed in this year on some great fish. Boaters working the east side with deep divers that bump the bottom have landed a few cod to 80cm, as well as some lovely goldens up to 47cm in the last few weeks as activity on the lake has subsided. Plenty of carp are located here as well, that eat into a good worm supply, as do the silver perch. Both seem to have a very slow growth rate. Peeled raw yabby tails, live yabbies, cheese, and scrub worms have been the best baits for both cod and goldens. Flouro greens, purples and blacks are the best colours in the deep diving lures.

LAKE TOOLONDO With the lake hovering around the 10% mark, access has become very difficult. As such, there has been not a lot to report here of late from boaters. Wading fly fishermen and kayak anglers have done well working the trees and banks in half light conditions catching the trout out in feeding mode as they hunt smelt, minnows and gudgeon. Redfin have been virtually unsighted and will be holed up in the deeper water as surface temps increase. With a maximum depth of 1.9m, winter and rain can’t come quick enough for Toolondo and the magnificent fish that live in the lake. Let’s hope the skies open and it pulls though. • 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

Shane Stevens and his boys enjoying the views and fish of Lake Fyans. MARCH 2016

Month of the Mildura monsters MILDURA

John Menhennett goobyfish@hotmail.com

With cod season well and truly in full swing, anglers have been taking full advantage of a steady river and heading out on the water in the hope of catching a big green fish. Reports of catches on lures have been pleasing so far. Autumn is a great time to fish for native species in the Murray River around Mildura. Leaves falling from the trees are just one of Mother Nature’s ways of letting you know air temperature are dropping, making it an optimum time to be targeting big Murray cod around Sunraysia. This

is also the time to be upsizing lures and tackle and casting into snags. The cooler weather will be welcomed by all anglers as it has been an extremely hot and dry summer with one really hot day rolling into the next. Yellowbelly have been caught just about everywhere lately, and bait anglers using shrimp and yabbies have done most of the damage. Most of these fish have been in excess of 50cm and very fat. A simple river rig with a 2/0 hook with a bait of worm, shrimp or yabby is all you need. Trolled and cast small lures have also been working well on yellowbelly around snag piles and weed banks, especially around Merbein

and Wentworth. There have been some good reports of large Murray cod being caught on lures in the Murray River. The Darling River also produced good numbers up until the end of February. Many of the fish caught on lures have been in excess of the 100cm range, and caught in multiple locations around Mildura. Bait anglers in the shallows upstream of Mildura have been doing quite well with numerous reports of 20 plus fish up to 20lb on grubs in a single session. These fish have been very healthy and most were released, which is great to see. Of course, there has been the usual ton of carp caught everywhere over the

past month. Yes, they are a noxious species and it is always good to rid them of the system where possible, but they are also fun to fish for, particularly larger fish on small spin outfits with light braid. They are also a great species to teach the kids how to fish, because they are consistent most of the time. The next month or so should bring some good fishing for all native species, in particular Murray cod. This is the time when fish will be foraging for food stocks to get them through the cooler months and they will become more active and willing to take big lures. The key to fishing success in the autumn, or any time of the year for that matter, is time on the

Matt Chew from Mildura with a very nice Murray cod caught trolling the depths of the Mildura pool water. Fish of this size are quite common in the autumn months. water. Fish are relatively easy to catch if you can find where their hidey-holes are and know what their movements are. You won’t know if you don’t go! Even

though anglers will fish, in the hottest of conditions, the cooler months are always a relief and produce some great fishing around the Sunraysia area.

Left in the wake ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

Fishing this past month has been steady along the Murray River and some very good Murray cod and golden perch found their way onto the hook. The pool water

plenty of cod to 75cm on bait and lures among good numbers of perch. Below the weir at Euston downstream to Wemen and beyond continues to produce some very large cod. The biggest this past month was 120cm on a trolled StumpJumper. Perch have also taken lures in this area and anglers who

you plenty of damage if you strike them in the boat at speed. Most good cod anglers will tell you that going flat out has little to do with catching fish. For those prepared to try, some very good surface action occurs at either end of the day and into the night. Summer cod fishing in our local waters can be a difficult affair as anglers suffer the torment of relentless heat and a stream of seemingly endless river traffic. When we talk wake along the Murray at this time and into early autumn the first thing that springs to mind is the speaker clad wake boats that push enough water to cause an endless rise of bank side tsunamis. Forget fishing the pool water during the heat of the day as the water is churned to the turbid tune of jet skis and motors. The calm returns at the end of the day, when the roar finally subsides and the

Tim Polis with a stonking Murray cod trolled on a StumpJumper lure. natural sounds of the river return to a tranquil calm. Now it’s time to create a new kind of wake, one that’s often interrupted with a shotgun like explosion. Surface lures and wake baits have come of age the past few seasons. The continual stream of new and exciting models

becoming available seems endless and this explosive form of angling has turned up plenty of good fish. While standard paddling surface lures have been the choice of most low light fishers in the past few years, it’s only been of recent times that large wake baits have come into their

Jamie Stewart with a ripper Murray cod taken off the surface on a Koolabung Cod Cracker. at Robinvale produced a good run of small to medium cod and some solid golden perch. Most fish have been caught on bait but some of the better cod have taken lures. The back of the Nine-Mile has been the pick of spots where cod are concerned. The reports upstream to Boundary Bend have been good with 60

MARCH 2016

fish baits of shrimp and small yabbies have really cracked the cod code. It would be fair to say that so far this season the shallow current rich water of this area has been the most consistent habitat of larger sized cod. With that in mind, be careful of the many shallow rock bars that, while great for holding fish, will also do

A good pile of wake baits, and the heavy duty Venom rod used to cast them at distance.

own. When I say large the average length of wake bait would be at least 170mm long. From here they grow in size to the point where you require specially designed rods like the 8kg, 7ft Venom Baitcast to hurl them at distance. Some wake baits are designed to mimic fish, while others look like water rats and snakes as they wiggle their way across the surface making a distinct clicking sound. These baits are popular in some of the larger impoundments for the unique noise that sets them aside from other more commonly heard surface lures. These lures are quickly finding a home along the Murray and its adjoining rivers and they will no doubt continue to fool surface seasoned cod into taking a swipe. With that said as we roll into autumn the fishing should only get better as the water temperature begins to slowly drop. We are now about to enter the real start of the big cod season so good luck to all those wetting a line up this way over the coming month.

Amazing Mulwala cod YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

The holidays are over but who forgot to tell the cod? Never before has the fishing in Lake Mulwala been so good! Don’t get me wrong, Lake Mulwala is known as ‘the lake of a thousand casts’ and can leave the best fishos broke at day’s end after pulling ‘donuts’, but that’s highly unlikely at the moment. The news of a ‘metery’ always brings excitement and anticipation for those in search of a piece of the action. Since the season opened at least 20 or more have being reported. All fishing methods have accounted for many memorable moments but the surface action stands alone. Following closely behind is the sub-surface action, a style of fishing that is quickly becoming trendy. Lures that can be worked in the top 300mm of water are proving great results. There is no reason why this great start to the season can’t continue. The following is a bit

of proof that January was a month to remember. Thanks to those who supplied us with reports. Ash Thompson and kids with several nice cod and a Yella, “Bomber” Thompson with 30+ cod mostly undersize from a night of casting small hard bodies, Glen Becker with a 74 and 80cm from cast TN60 Jackall’s, young Ned Welsh with a 75cm on bait, local boy Jesse Clarke 80cm on the troll, Aaron Farrugia 84cm sub-surface, Cain Peatling 108cm trolling (his second for the season) Harry Crawford 105cm, Tim Smith 110cm and Rick Doyle 112cm all casting spinnerbaits. The following impressive list have all been taken from the top - John Jardine 80cm, Ron Cudley 87cm, Sam Consolo 95cm, Paul Moskaljuk 98cm, Robert “Cookie” Cook 98cm, Wally Cjepa 99cm plus another metery, Garry Dowell 100cm and Corey Banfield with a 110cm beast. Personally I had the pleasure of accompanying Glen Dominick for a night of surface fishing. Being an avid bait fisho, Glen had never caught a cod on a lure before let alone off the top. After a crash course

in casting and lure retrieval techniques, Glen proved to be a pro. To see his excitement after receiving a few hits was gold, especially after landing one that measured close to 60cms. The evening saw us get nine hits with each landing two cod. Apart from these fish there has been a multitude of others reported. Some great reports have come from downstream below the weir in the river with an 80cm Trout Cod being one of those. The Yella’s have also been productive for those working small yabbies and shrimp around the timber. With the competition season upon us, there are a couple more coming up in the near future. The next is the “His & Hers Partners Classic”, March 5th, a great day for understanding couples to share time together in the boat. To round out the comp season is the Cod Nationals, April 17 - 22, five days of serious tournament fishing for the dedicated green fish angler. It’s guaranteed that once you have fished a Cod Nationals you will never miss it again. If you’re visiting town I urge you to call into Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski,

Jesse Clarke with an 80cm cod. the shop with the big green cod out the front (Opposite the Post Office) in Mulwala or check out our new store located between Rivers

and One Zac in the main street, Yarrawonga and say G’day. We’re Yarrawonga / Mulwala’s fishing specialists and specialize

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MARCH 2016

Plenty of gain thanks to the rain SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

Although the summer began with a very hot period early on, the rains and cool weather that followed gave our catchment some muchneeded water and our rivers received a good flush. There were a lot of good-sized fish caught in the rivers in this period as the rivers rose and fell. Trolling hardbodies such as Codgers, Old Mates and AC Invaders has worked well for local lure fisherman. There have also been reports of big fish caught on Bassman 4x4 spinnerbaits. These spinnerbaits have a big presence in the water so expect to get smashed by a big fish when you use these. Smaller Pirate spinnerbaits always produce good-sized cod and yellowbelly in the Goulburn River. These lures are locally made and specifically designed for local waters, which is a great advantage. Bait fishers have done well in the colder conditions. Use scrub worms to catch cod and yellowbelly, but keep in mind there have been a lot of small silver perch around that

love to feed on any fresh bait. Silver perch are very hard to catch unless you have small hooks, so it may be easier to pick a new spot and hope the bait doesn’t disappear quickly. The Broken River surface action ran hot prior to the rain due to lower water levels. The Tackleworld crew have reported Cod Wallopers and Kingfisher Mantis as the most popular lures. With the river going up and down I would focus around the weirs – either Caseys Weir near Benalla or Gowangardie near Dookie. The fish will head up into the water current and both areas have some great snags and back waters where the fish will ambush from. I had one local report of an angler who switched to bait after having no luck on lures. He found the fish struck as he retrieved his bait, so he began to slow roll a bunch of yabby tails along the bottom, which landed him a pair of fish over 60cm. If you’re looking for up to date reports, get into any of the local tackle stories or send me an email as I can help guide you to the best location depending on contemporary conditions. KIALLA LAKES The lake has seen its best

three-month period in three years and I love it. The fish are not huge at the moment but they’re more active and bite regularly. There have been two or three fresh water flushes of the lake, which has turned the fish on. The next two months should be good for fishing the lake, and with storms and rain around the lake will produce good fish and generally be a great place to visit. The lake held a local Fishing In The Park event in late January run by the council, and by all reports there were a lot of young fishing enthusiasts who attended to fish the lake for their first time. Hopefully more events will be held at the lakes and possibly some stocking. LOCAL CHANNELS The local channel systems have been very quiet lately, and only a handful of people have reported fish from the main eastern system. Garden worms or small yabbies have been the best baits. Smaller species have been caught on small lures around bridges and drop bars. SHEPPARTON LAKE Shepparton Lake has been fished very heavily lately, and I can understand why considering the cooler summer conditions we had in late

January and early February. There is no shade around the lake, and fishing in 35-40°C is not an ideal day out on the water! During the cooler period we saw days closer to an average of 25-30°C – excellent fishing conditions. I didn’t manage to fish the lake but I regularly stop off for a look regularly, and the water clarity before and even after the rains was perfect. The anglers on the water seemed to pursue a similar pattern. Starting at one end, drift the length of the lake casting and retrieving lipless crankbaits, vibes, soft plastics and small spinnerbaits. There must have been fish biting as the same boats were regularly spotted fishing the lake in this fashion. The stocked yellowbelly will be the most targeted species however; trout, redfin and Murray cod are also in the lake. WARANGA BASIN It has been a little difficult for some fishos in the basin lately, as the redfin have been very off and on. The schools aren’t that easy to find but they seem to congregate in rather large groups, so once you find them you’re in for some fun. Troll RMG Poltergeists while you drift around, or try soft plastics, jig with yabbies, or use ice jigs.

Dave and Kaylan Holm with a goodsized silver perch caught on bait. With more rain the fish should move up into the shallows where the fresh water has covered the grass. MOOROOPNA RESERVE LAKE This month I have left out Craigmuir Lake as it has fished very quietly. The Mooroopna Reserve Lake is situated next to the Midland Highway just down from the Football

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anglapro.com.au 62

MARCH 2016

Ground. The lake has been a little gem of late, with reports of small yellowbelly and redfin caught on bait as well as some monster carp on corn. The lake is not very deep but with plenty of grass banks it’s a great place for the family to fish. There isn’t not much structure to cast at, but small hardbodies or lipless crankbaits will still work well.

Cod carnage to continue WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

Summer is done and dusted and what a great season of fishing we have had in the Wangaratta area. There has been no shortage of cod caught over the summer months, however the average size has been well down this

into April, this pattern becomes even stronger, but I will go more into that next month. I don’t like the King River a great deal during autumn. For some reason the fishing there seems to slow down much quicker than the Ovens. I do fish it, and I do catch a few cod, but I find it is much more unreliable during the ‘cooling’ time of the year.

water, I like to use darker natural coloured lures. I have a strong preference for olive and green type colours in clear water. The olive Bassman ‘Yellaman’ series spinnerbait is a lure that has served me well in this section of river. Downstream of Wangaratta is probably the most predictable part of the Ovens River catchment when it comes to March

Another small King River Murray cod. This one was taken on a fluorescent coloured Bassman spinnerbait. we are all theoretical geniuses, and develop our own beliefs. Mine may be wrong, but that’s my theory

and I’m sticking with it! The further downstream along the Ovens River you head during March, the

the biggest concern. This is heavily dependent on rainfall. Decent rain in March can trigger some

Will O’Connor with a small Murray cod caught on a surface lure made by his school mate Tom Rochow. Some of these kids display some incredible talents both as fishers and as upcoming lure-makers. season. Well, at least it has for me anyway! I know a few anglers have caught some good fish in the Ovens River catchment, but I have not been one of them and my largest in this area being 59cm this season so far. My mate Graeme Anderson caught a whopping 105cm Murray cod right here in the middle of Wangaratta on some KFC popcorn chicken over the Christmas period, what a ripper of a fish! Graeme released this fish, which is good news. Just because it’s the end of summer does not mean it is the end of the fishing. March can be a great month to catch cod in the Ovens River, however it can also be a tough month. March usually sees the start of the ‘all or nothing’ type of unpredictable fishing patterns, which the Ovens River is known for during the autumn months. As the water begins to cool, the cod fishing starts to become hit and miss. The hit can be great with some of the best fishing all season, and the miss can mean absolutely no fish whatsoever. As we head

The Ovens River upstream of Wangaratta is well worth fishing during March. This is the time of year when the water clarity is usually at its peak in this stretch of river. The fishing can still be quite good and reasonably reliable throughout most of March. In the really clear

cod fishing. There is no doubt many theories as to why this is, but my theory is that it’s because there is so much more water down there. The river is much wider and the holes are a lot deeper, meaning the water takes a lot longer to cool down during autumn. When it comes to fishing

Hopefully we get some decent rain early in autumn to kick-start the trout fishing. Expect the trout to be underweight in many areas early in the month.

The 15-Mile Creek is a popular trout fishing tributary of the Ovens River. By mid January it was running underground in quite a few areas. Hopefully we get some good rain soon. Sadly, this is not the only creek in the region experiencing these conditions.

better the fishing seems to be. The water will not be as clear down there, but will certainly be clear enough. Bright coloured lures should work well in this section. While the cooling water spells the beginning of the Murray cod slowing down each autumn, it also spells the beginning of the trout speeding up in the streams. As the water in the streams cools down a little bit the trout begin to get more active, and more willing to feed. Towards the end of March, we may even see a few trout start to migrate upstream to begin their annual spawning run. By the end of March water temperatures in the small mountain creeks are usually not much of a problem, it is more the stream flows that are

fantastic trout fishing in the creeks and rivers. This time of the year I really like fluorescent coloured bladed spinners. I also find that March is a great time of the year for my favourite Royal Stimulator and bead-headed nymph fly fishing combination. Bait fishers should try floating crickets downstream. March is the time of year when there are heaps of crickets around, and drifting an unweighted bunch of crickets into a deep pool can be wonderful fun and highly successful. As I write this report, many of the small creeks in the region are really struggling for water. Some are even dry. We really need some decent rainfall soon in order for the coming autumn to produce decent trout fishing. MARCH 2016

Better conditions for the eager cod squad VICTORIAN ALPINE

Brenton Richardson

March is the most exciting month for us on the calendar, as there are so many options in the area

around this time of year. The trout should start to feed more regularly due to the cooler days and longer nights, and if we get some rain through March that will really help the cause too.

The Kiewa River has fished reasonably well all season considering the heat we had throughout the summer months. It should really pick up once the water temperatures drop. There are numerous access

Wakebait style surface lures seem to be getting more popular. This 83cm Murray cod was undone by a wakebait around mid-morning.

James Ryder with a better than average Murray cod caught after dark on a surface lure.

MARCH 2016

points along the Kiewa River, and you will find exceptional trout fishing anywhere upstream from Redbank road bridge. One of the most accessible and most reliable access points would be

behind the old timber mill in Mt Beauty. There is a very healthy population of small trout in this area and sometimes a big escapee from the Mt Beauty Pondage can be found. The Mt Beauty pondage

is stocked yearly with brown and rainbow trout and is home to some real thumpers. Over the last few months, there were some massive trout caught in the pondage, some up to 7.5lb. To page 65

Predicting the unpredictable: weather woes JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

The last couple of months of weather have been pretty crazy in the Snowy Mountains. One day we have it hot and steamy and the next day freezing – which has been reflected in the fishing of late. Fly anglers will also agree that this season has been crazy, as the insect hatches have excited the trout into an early morning and evening rise. They’ve been all over the place with some species that are normally seen everywhere in very low numbers, while other insects that we have not seen for many years are out in abundance. That’s simply mother nature, and when we deal with wild creatures there’s just not a lot you can do but roll with whatever happens. The strange fishing patterns means that what may have worked for you before may not necessarily be what works this year. So put on your thinking cap every day on the water.

bright sunny summer days when the water is glassy is not the way to catch trout in the warmer water. I guess my fishing reports are supposed to set you on the right track, however I am not Nostradamus and I am sure even he would not have been able to predict day to day what the fishing will be like. SO WHAT DO WE HAVE IN STORE FOR MARCH? I think that we will see some reasonable fishing by the end of March. The lake water temperature remained lower than normal over the past summer, making it perfect for trout fishing. Every time we had a few hot days and the surface water temperature would rise, a cold front would arrive and the surface temperature would drop again. I would expect early morning fishing sessions to yield the best results. The great news is that due to the cooler and wetter summer this year the rainbows were more active and there plenty were caught –all is looking good for an autumn of trout fishing in the Snowy Mountains. The rivers will,

edges of the shallow bays in about 4m of water to pick up a bigger fish. Make sure you pursue this tactic in the early morning or else you might have to wait until dark. If it is windy, and windy days are quite often good days in summer, try some of the heavier Tasmanian Devils in green and gold or even yellow, try to throw them into the wind into deeper water and retrieve slowly. Some of the better fishing spots on the lake will be Creel Bay, Hatchery Bay and East Jindabyne Islands – all fish well at this time of the year. SUSSING OUT THE RIGHT FLY For boat owners, the best way to start off the day’s trolling will be to try surface lines with lures to about 2m at first light, maybe with a lead core line at 3 colours to take the lures to 4-5m as a backup. On brighter days and later in the morning, downriggers will be very helpful to extend your trolling time. Start at 35ft with a lure drop back of 4m, and you should start to see some fish. By late morning go to 45-50ft for the

John Burns with a 5lb brown trout caught by trolling a Willy’s special number 111 Tasmanian Devil lure. Bay and Hayshed Bay. Sids Bay through to Rushes Bay at East Jindabyne will fish well early in the day for big brown trout but the first hour of light will be the time to be there. For lake fly anglers the best fishing has been early

LAKE JINDABYNE TROUT FISHING ADVENTURES MARCH ROUNDUP – THE BEST OF THE BEST! Best method: Best depth: Best lake lure: Best lake area: Best fly method: Best river:

Lake trolling leadlines early then downriggers at 35 feet. 2 metres early to 35 feet. Tasmanian Devil Willy’s Special number 111 or Steve Williamson’s Lime Green Yellowwing. Deepwater off Lion and Cub Islands. Dry fly – hopper patterns and Yellow Humpies. Thredbo River

Having a tackle shop as well as the guiding business, allows me to really talk to a wide variety of anglers, from those very experienced to those that are basically new to the sport. It is often the more experienced that have the most problems catching a trout as they are set in their ways and don’t read the conditions correctly, simply reverting to whatever they had success with last year. Surface trolling lures on From page 64

After seeing some photos of big fish pulled from the Mt Beauty Pondage I tried my luck recently to no avail. I trolled winged type lures but the thick weed and shallow nature of the lake made things quite difficult. I suggest trying to find some mudeyes and fishing them from the bank under a bubble float. Access to Mt Beauty Pondage is fantastic, as there is a footpath around the whole lake, which means you can fish anywhere you want. Over to the Murray cod scene, and March usually brings some more stable warm weather patterns, which can lead

on average, be a little more fishable over the coming month and lure anglers will get a chance to fish the alpine streams where the fishing has been good and plenty of small fish caught. Some of the lures to try on the rivers for stream trout will be small 3cm bullet minnows in natural trout colours and small spinners like Gillies Feathertails. On the lake, work the same sort of lures around the to some of the best Murray cod fishing of the year. The Kiewa River should also be at a more stable height through March due to the demand for electricity dropping. Last month saw some great surface fishing for Murray cod. There have been large hatches of cicadas in the area and this has really turned the cods’ heads upward for a feed. I recently had a session where we landed nine cod and lost about 15 in a space of about three hours! Most fish that we lost was because the fish were nailing the spinnerbaits as soon as they hit the water. We didn’t even have our baitcast reels clicked into gear! This shows how well the Murray cod have been

best fishing. The Tasmanian Devil number 111 Willy’s Special or Steve Williamson’s Lime Green Yellowwing are the best deep lures at the moment with Tasmanian Devil number 36 Yellowwing doing well on the surface and off lead core lines early. Some of the better trolling areas this month will be deep water off Lion and Cub Islands or the deeper water off Hatchery

morning and decent fish have been found cruising around the rocky points. The lake flyfishing will only get better over the coming months as the water cools and the trout feed up ready for their spawning run as we move into winter. On the lake try some streamer patterns such as black Woolley Buggers and Williamson’s Gold Fish. Olive green nymphs and shrimp patterns are also worth a try. The South Arm,

Creel Bay and especially Sids Bay are all great. On the rivers the best flyfishing is had in the evenings and there should still be plenty of evening rises and fantastic dry flyfishing for a few weeks yet. The Alpine streams still look good and plenty of small fish have been caught on dry fly also. Fly selection is not too critical in these streams but placement is essential or else you just scare all the fish. Try a small Hopper pattern, Royal Wulff or Royal Humpy or a caddis moth fly. Try the lower Mowamba near the weir on the Dalgety Road. Over this month the best lake baitfishing will be early and late in the day with mudeyes under a bubble float are the best bait, before changing to scrub worms off the bottom teamed up with some artificial bait maybe as the sun gets higher. Worms under a float is another alternative if you can’t get any mudeyes, which are slowly becoming harder to

The author with one of nine Murray cod landed in a session on the lower Kiewa River recently. This one fell to a Bassman spinnerbait.

collect – once again due to the dry weather. Best baitfishing areas are Creel Bay, Hatchery Bay and Curiosity Rocks in the deeper water. If you want to know more about the latest in fishing conditions you check out our latest reports on Facebook at https://www. facebook.com/LJTFA or check out my web site www. swtroutfishing.com.au. Until next month, hope you catch the big one. • If you would like some personal guiding, I will be available over the coming months for fly-fishing tuition and lake trolling trips. Lessons can be booked from 2 hours’ duration, and trolling trips from 3 hours to a full day. If you want to know more about the latest in fishing conditions, just give me a call on (0264) 561 551 or check out my website at www.swtroutfishing.com. au. You can also see our daily Facebook updates at https://www.facebook. com/LJTFA. feeding off the surface. I suspect that as long as the cicadas hang around the Murray cod will continue to feed actively off the top, which makes for some exciting fishing. The best time to tie on a surface lure would be about an hour before dark. As the sun disappears, Murray cod will begin to hunt. There is no better feeling than nailing a Murray cod on surface, especially if it’s in pitch black and the lure gets ‘boofed’ at your feet! We have been having a lot of success with the Jackall Pompadour surface lures, which mimic a cicada pretty well. Wakebait type lures have also seen plenty of success. MARCH 2016

Cod reports just keep circulating around town making for some of the best fishing Lake Eildon has ever produced. Either way, it’s a winner for anglers. The lake has fished quite well for the last two months with regular reports coming, mainly of cod. Once again they have been caught all over the place, with no real standout areas. Most techniques have been successful. One lucky punter was told that cod eat cheese, so he stuck a bit on his hook and soon after landed a cod that went 1.15m! Not a bad fish at all… some people have all the luck! Local legend and owner of the famous Eildon Bakery Lenny Timmins caught another nice cod

EILDON

Andy McCarthy

I simply can’t believe it’s March already! Time truly does fly, but on the bright side the end of the irrigation season is looming, and when the lake starts to rise again, the fishing should go nuts. The weather forecasters are predicting a very wet autumn that could possibly of fill the lake up again. We can only hope this is the case for the long term. If for some reason this is not the case and the lake drops down below 20%, the fish will be a lot more active and condensed into certain areas and will be more competitive for food,

Steve Vidler with a fine example of a healthy Eildon cod.

Fish follow after water rises BONNIE DOON

Andy McCarthy

It shouldn’t be long until the water starts to rise again and slowly

starts to cover the edges, and bringing fish up into the shallows in search of worms and all sorts of other critters. Once it starts to rise, we can get some more

consistency in the fishing patterns, rather than just the shorter bite windows up the top end of the lake. The Pines has fished quite well with reports of nice cod to 80cm getting caught on the troll, and the Storm Arashi is becoming a favourite of many anglers in a short period of time since its release. There have also been a few yellas turning up in anglers’ catches, not the quantity that we saw in November and December,

but enough to keep punters interested. Spinnerbaits slowly retrieved up alongside trees has been productive lately, as well as 2.5” black grubs on a 1/8oz jighead with a super slow retrieve. There have been a number of trout caught with this method, and you are always in with a chance of picking up a redfin doing this as well. The water clarity has improved a lot since a majority of the ski and wakeboard boats have disappeared, which

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Paul Thomas with a great cod taken on the troll.

trolling an Arashi perch pattern up near Jamison, along with a few smaller models as well. The occasional yella has been reported, but not the big numbers we were hoping for. Scrubbies at the base of trees has been the best choice for the bait brigade, and black plastic grubs for the lure guys. There’s not been a great deal of noise about the redfin of late, only a few here and there, so let’s keep hoping they come back with vengeance in the near future! There are still a few trout poking about with a few nice browns around the 3lb mark getting taken in the Big River, which provide great sport.

David Munn with a nice little cod that he caught fishing up the top of the dam. is great news for anglers. Once the water level starts to rise again, the mouth of the Delatite River should become a bit of a hot spot with pretty much all species getting active. Opportunities to land a trophy fish are very real indeed, and last year in March I caught a lot of reddies and on three occasions had brown trout over 10lb trying to eat 30cm reddies! Don’t be scared to use the biggest of your lures, as you could catch anything

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on them up there. The law enforcement have been very busy this year, and I’ve never seen or heard so much about it in the 10 years I’ve lived here. They’ve been on the war path, so make sure you have all your safety gear ready and if you wear an inflatable PFD, make sure it’s serviced and dated or you will get pinged and some of the fines are huge. Stay safe and enjoy the month ahead, it should be a gem!

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Quality over quantity GOULBURN RIVER

Stephen Vidler

The fishing in the rivers around Eildon this month has been nothing short of amazing. I know ‘amazing fishing’ is a common theme in reports, but in our case, it is more a matter of quality over quantity. The smaller creeks, streams and rivers are consistent, the flows have reduced due to the seasonal influences and the temperatures have risen. These smaller systems are best fished during the warmer periods at first light, or at least early in the day. Hopefully rains will continue and fire up the local fish. The usual baits of mudeyes and worms are very reliable. Small ‘spinner’ style lures and shallow running minnow lures do the job. The stand out performer in the region is the mighty Goulburn River. The quality of fish is fantastic! As the irrigation flows have become more stable and consistent, the fish have become settled and reliable to target. Wary trout are best targeted later

Eildon local Nick ‘The Fish Whisperer’ Taylor has had great results, fishing from the Eildon Pondage gates to Alexandra, both from his trusty kayak and from the

Not bad for a quick session after work! Lures that have proved reliable are the Berkley T-tails in black, gold and copper, and the ZMan Grubz

The fishing in the rivers around Eildon this month has been nothing short of amazing.

A selection of trout lures worth a throw.

very well in this area. The Eildon Pondage still performs well. Trout are regularly stocked with plenty more to come over late summer and early autumn. Although a lot of these fish are smaller,

around 200–300g, there are plenty of the monster ex-Snobs Creek Hatchery brood fish cruising around,

trout in the Eildon Pondage regularly. Just remember to keep safe, enjoy the country and the

bank. Nick recently reported his catch and release of five trout from his ‘yak. All fish were over 35cm with the best around 50cm, four browns and one rainbow that were all caught on soft plastics.

The flyfishing brigade have some awesome fun in the local streams and rivers.

Plenty of smaller trout keep the lure casters happy.

Regular stocking of the Eildon Pondage by Victorian Fisheries will ensure anglers go home satisfied. in the day – particularly the last half an hour of daylight by all techniques, (including fly during peak hatches). A quiet walk along the river during the middle part of the day to observe where the fish are and of what size is worth doing. Simply walk along a high bank, avoid casting a shadow on the water and slowly progress along the river. A good pair of polarized glasses will be a great help for this. The size and amount of trout you can view is, at times, stunning. You will quickly learn where to look (back eddies, lower flow) and where to place a cast or two later in the day when the fish spook less easily and are looking to feed before dark.

in bloodworm or motor oil. The Rapala countdowns in 5-7cm and the Diawa double clutch are lures that work

Nick Taylor with 50cm of pure Goulburn River brown trout.

ready to give anglers a thrill of a lifetime. Local dough, Powerbait, scrub worms and ‘spider’ mudeyes are great pondage baits. Tassie Devils and Wonder Crocodile are among the huge amount of lures that can and do catch

fishing, fish the smaller trout waters early in the day and the bigger systems regulated by irrigation flows later in the day. Fill the middle of the day in on the beautiful Eildon Pondage. There you have it – day planned.

DAM LEVELS Lake/Dam % Full

Dam % Full

LAKE/DAM Dec Jan Feb Cairn Curran 24 21 19 Dartmouth 55 50 45 Eildon 52 45 42 Eppalock 35 31 29 Fyans 75 69 61 Greens 63 51 48 Hepburn 42 32 25 Hume 45 38 38 Lauriston 67 66 70 Malmsbury 44 34 28 Mulwala (Yarrawonga) 97 93 97

Newlyn 42 28 23 Nillahcootie 49 43 38 Rocklands 18 14 12 Taylors 51 34 40 Tullaroop 32 22 20 Upper Coliban 60 50 46 Waranga 40 18 24 Wartook 71 64 52 William Hovell 99 92 82 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. MARCH 2016

Top surface sessions on cod in the rivers BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

There continues to be some productive fishing in the Bendigo region. Water temperatures are high and fish activity has been good. Water levels continue to fall in our local impoundments, but water clarity remains decent at the majority of locations. LAKE EPPALOCK The productivity in the fishing at Lake Eppalock suffered over the holiday period, as a large amount of boat traffic made fishing tough. The good news is that the majority of holidaymakers are now back at work, therefore boat traffic has slowed and the fishing is now much better. There continues to be small numbers of quality redfin, but locating these redfin is not easy. My preferred method is to troll deep diving hardbodied lures in 10-12m. Trolling these hardbodied lures can produce some good captures. If you locate a good school, then casting soft plastics and retrieving

just off the bottom can produce some quality redfin measuring up to 45cm. Lake Eppalock continues to produce some good numbers of golden perch. Trolling medium sized hardbodied lures in 8m of water has been working. Casting around the rocky shorelines and both standing and lay down timber has produced some quality golden perch measuring up to 55cm. Small numbers of Murray cod have also been taken in the lake. Trolling hardbodied lures and spinnerbaits has been working well. Murray cod to 80cm have been caught over recent weeks, and the good fishing should continue. Anglers must be prepared to put the time in and move around in order to find some active fish. CAMPASPE RIVER The fishing in the Campaspe River had been very good, however it has declined significantly in recent weeks. We received some isolated heavy rainfall at Elmore and Rochester, and this produced a significant inflow into the river, which clouded the water clarity.

The good news is that the water clarity is improving and as long as the area does not receive another large rainfall event, the fishing should improve. Prior to the reduction in water clarity, good numbers of golden perch were being caught. Casting lipless crankbaits and hardbodied lures has been working well. In the boatable sections of the river, trolling spinnerbaits has been working well, and reasonable numbers of Murray cod have also been caught casting spinnerbaits. Anglers fishing with surface lures during periods of low light have also caught good numbers of Murray cod. The productivity in the surface lure fishing should remain good for the next couple of months while cicadas are active. Cicadas are a favourite food source for the Murray cod during the warmer months of the year, so lures that mimic these insects are a good option in the Campaspe. CAIRN CURRAN The fishing in Cairn Curran has been good, although it did suffer an increase in boat traffic over

the holiday period, however the extra boat traffic was significantly less than Lake Eppalock. Good numbers of native fish continue to be caught by those anglers who target the rocky shorelines. Casting lipless crankbaits and suspending hardbodied lures has been working best. Anglers who target the timbered section of the lake are catching small numbers of golden perch and Murray cod. The redfin fishing has been slow, and again, locating a good school is difficult. The best reports have come from anglers who have been bait fishing around the standing timber with worms and small yabbies. LODDON RIVER The water has cleared up, however water levels continue to recede. The fishing in the Loddon River isn’t too bad, and unlike the Campaspe River, the Loddon River was not affected by a significant rainfall event. The boatable section of the river at both Bridgewater and Serpentine did experience a significant increase in boat traffic and

Nothing beats catching a Murray cod at night on a surface lure. fishing pressure over the holiday period and these factors did result in a reduction in catch rates in these sections of the river. For those anglers who are prepared to walk the banks and access those areas that receive the least amount of fishing pressure, some good fish have been landed. In these shallower sections of the river, good numbers of Murray cod measuring up to 90cm have been caught. Anglers who cast spinnerbaits and hardbodied lures have achieved the best results, but fishing with

surface lures during periods of low light has also been productive. In the boatable sections of the river, golden perch are making up the majority of captures with only the occasional Murray cod being caught. The average size of the golden perch being caught has been around 45cm, and the most productive methods for the golden perch has been casting lipless crankbaits and hardbodied lures. We should continue to see the Loddon River fish good while the current conditions remain.

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Dropping water has made the fishing tough CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

There’s no escaping the doom and gloom surrounding the drought like conditions that are affecting our freshwater scene in the South West, but there’s still an option or two available to sweet water anglers. Even though Lake Purrumbete’s water levels are dropping, there’s still plenty of water available for the fish stocks. Launching from the main double boat ramp at the caravan park will soon come under threat, however the Lake Purrumbete Angling club has the situation in hand. It is apparent that boat

launching has become a problem, so the angling club will tow the floating pontoons around to the previous ‘drought’ launching facility, which can be found just before the caravan park entrance down Hamilton’s Lane. The entire infrastructure from the last drought situation still remains in place, including the road, fencing, trailer park and most importantly the gravel ramp. The not so good news is that the trout fishing has been quiet. January saw the trout fishing rather hard work, with only the odd brown trout to just over a kilogram coming in. The best fishing was had at first light with mudeye suspended under a bubble float and presented close to

Lake Purrumbete Boat Harbour. The fast dropping water level is most noticeable at the concrete ramp. the weed beds. A thermocline layer is no doubt building and the fish have begun to head for the depths to escape the warming surface water temperatures. Downrigging

will soon become the norm and probably stay that way until winter. There’s plenty of redfin about, it’s just a pity that the overwhelming majority of fish are stunted. The odd

bigger fish has been landed but expect to wade through up to fifty smaller fish before a keeper comes along. The reddies love a wide variety of soft plastics slowly worked along the bottom in depths around 6m. Manifolds Bay is a popular spot to snag a reddy or ten! The angling club are currently exploring the possibility of getting professional netters in to clean up a very large amount of these stunted fish, which would be a blessing. It’s estimated that the fish could very well number in the low millions and are placing great pressure on available food sources for all fish. Many trout that have come out of this lake in

recent years have been a bit on the skinny side, except for the huge specimens that are caught here from time to time. They could easily swallow these stunted redfin whole! Hopefully in the near future the club can reach an agreement with fisheries and this can legally go ahead. Of course not all the redfin could ever be netted, but the ones left behind might stack on the pounds and there would be more aquatic food sources to go round, especially for the trout. In the meantime, if any angler lands a small redfin, please don’t put it back. I know it’s a miniscule attempt to cull the population, but it all helps.

Head to the Lang Lang for something different WST/STH GIPPSLAND

Steve Haughton steve@habitatcreations.com.au

Daylight savings ends 3 April so there’s still a month left to enjoy an after work or after school fish somewhere in the picturesque West Gippsland region. Your options include the impressive streams of the Noojee region including the Latrobe, Toorongo and Loch rivers; or head closer to Melbourne and indulge in the brilliant fishing waters of the Tarago River that flows into the Bunyip River. Head 20 minutes north of Warragul to

get to Blue Rock Lake set in farmland with the magnificent backdrop of bushland and the foothills of Mt Baw Baw. Blue Rock bass are rapidly gaining a reputation as an exciting sport with more and more anglers getting on the bass bandwagon. From now into winter, trolling for trout on the lake will be great fun. The trout are generally skinny but there are some solid fish in among them. More often than not anglers that visit the region target trout, blackfish and eel in the streams, and bass, trout, redfin and carp in Blue Rock Lake. The eel-tailed catfish is a rare species south of the Great Divide, and recently an

angler fishing the Latrobe River near Moe was lucky enough to catch and release one of these unique inland freshwater species. Joel Mitchell was targeting eels using scrub worms when a solid bite followed by a very good fight led him to successfully net and identify this unique fish before releasing it back into the water. The eel-tailed catfish is a threatened and endangered species in Victoria due to human impact on their environment, which has led to segmented ,low population numbers. Finding a large specimen in the Latrobe River just out of Moe is exciting and gives hope that there is a small population that have

been able to adapt to this waterway. The Lang Lang River looks very inviting at the moment with good flow and dark tannin waters. There is plenty of food throughout the system, which results in some nice healthy brown trout and redfin. The Lang Lang River historically holds some big trout and blackfish but access is quite difficult so fishing this stretch will require some adventurous spirit. Most anglers would simply take one look and move on. There are some key entry points off Westernport Road, so if you’re up to tackling somewhere different over the coming months then the Lang Lang could be the way to go.

River cools, the fishing will fire MELBOURNE METRO

Ian Debar iand@gottabite.com.au

Anglers who fish the Yarra this month will find the usual catches can vary, from carp and eels through to an elusive Macquarie perch or Murray cod. The river should start to cool down a bit over the next month, which can bring on some quality trout fishing higher up. For the moment the aforementioned species are more active. If you want to hedge your bets and relax with bait in the water, there are some good spots along the river that have reasonable access and plenty of fish habitat. A good area for land-based anglers is just off Homestead Road in Eltham. A short walk from the car park will lead you to some prime river access with a small sandy beach. From here you can cast into

Big yellowbelly crunch hardbodies like there’s no tomorrow. a nice slow pool with some good timber around – perfect structure for many of the river species. Keen lure anglers who enjoy tangling with yellowbelly have been fishing Sugarloaf Reservoir over the last month. The warm water

temperature should start to drop soon, which will kick the fish into gear. Anglers who have caught yellas here have done well on a range of lures. Slow sinking plastic vibes, hardbodies and spinnerbaits perform well and will get you a thumper yella in no time.

Small vibes like the Strike Pro Hummer and Daiwa Vibe 47 have been the perfect size for these fish to eat. Fit these lures with ‘double’ hooks to lessen the chance of snagging them on rocks and bits of timber, while not affecting the hook-up rate. For the local suburban lakes, Karkarook and Devilsbend have produced redfin for both the bait and lure anglers. The odd trout has been taken while fishing early morning around the edges, but the redfin numbers are generally much greater at the moment. • For up to date fishing information, contact the guys at Compleat Angler in Dandenong on 9794 9397 or drop in and see us at 241-243 Princes Hwy, Dandenong, we are open 7 days a week. For our other latest fishing reports and to download information sheets, go to www fishingcamping.com.au

A rare species in this region, the eel-tailed catfish was a surprise catch for Joel Mitchell who was targeting eel in the Latrobe River, Moe. Just remember, less angling pressure equals big fish, and the Lang Lang has plenty! Feel free to send me a report or photo, particularly

if you have any success stories over the Easter holidays with the family and please email me any questions. Happy fishing!

TARGET

Australia’s largest freshwater fish “The Mighty Murray Cod”

Join Roger on a guided fishing tour and learn how to catch our premier freshwater fish.

FISHING LOCATIONS: • The Loddon River System • Lake Eildon • Campaspe River System • Murray River (Lake Mulwala) • Many More!

P:Roger: 0427 483 286

E:codhuntertours@bigpond.com

www.codhunter.com.au MARCH 2016

Wade through weed to get some magnificent trout BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

Wendouree will probably be on the top of every angler’s list in the Ballarat and surrounding districts as the long dry spell

to ensure that not only us as fishers are able to use the lake during the summer months. The Ballarat City Council currently employs three fulltime weed cutters to harvest the weed out of the lake. Sometimes, it seems they are fighting

Wayne Atkinson caught this decent lake Wendouree brown trout on a rabbit fur fly from a float tube. Photo courtesy of Wayne Atkinson

continues. As water levels recede, water temperature increases, and with no rain in sight for most waters in the district, Lake Wendouree has become one of the only viable fishing options. Most waters have good stocked healthy populations of trout and redfin, however the anticipated spring rains never eventuated. Some of our waters have become very difficult to fish due to the low water levels and weed growth that is normally covered when they are full. These conditions haven’t stopped many of the diehard fishers who got out there in the elements and have come up with ways to overcome some of these hurdles, with some great reward. Lake Wendouree is number one on the radar, but it’s not a simple walk in the park; to catch a fish there takes an enormous amount of work behind the scenes

Steve Angee with a lovely brown trout caught on a mudeye suspended under a bubble float.

Will Stevens captured this lovely rainbow trout trolling a spawning brown trout bullet lure. Photo courtesy of Shane Stevens

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a losing battle with the current climatic conditions ideal for weed to grow. The council, in conjunction with Central Highlands Water supply every drop of excess water into the lake to ensure it doesn’t go dry like a few years ago, as Lake Wendouree is the biggest asset Ballarat has, not just for fishing but also for other waters sports and leisure activities. The lake has fished exceptionally well, which has been a surprise as normally at the height of summer only early morning, evening and after dark have yielded results. This could have a lot to do with the two-year rainbow trout stockings that were released into the lake back at the start

of November for the oceanic flyfishing championships. I would say 90% of the fish that have currently been caught are rainbow trout. Wayne Atkinson and son Anthony are keen flyfishers and part of a group that regularly flyfish at Lake Wendouree after dark out of boats or float tubes. If you drive around after dark you might catch a glimpse of them by the red lights flashing on the rear of their float tubes for safety. Wayne mentioned things have slowed a little with the warmer weather, but they still average 2-3 trout each per session. The anglers head out just on dark and normally finish fishing around the 10.30pm mark, but if the fish are on the chew they stay out longer. Wayne said the killer fly pattern is a rabbit fur mudeye pattern, which obviously represent the mudeyes that

the trout feed on at this time of the year. Wayne and the guys have tried a few different variations to the killer fly pattern like tying in rubber legs to give the pattern a little more movement. He has reported that this modification has been successful paired with a slow retrieve. Father and Son team Steve and Nathan Angee have cracked onto the trout on Wendouree, fishing mudeye out of a boat suspended under bubble floats. They anchor in clear water with no weed in the evening and drift their bait. A great session saw them catch eleven brown and rainbow trout all caught and released. The main share of the fish caught has been rainbow trout around the 2.5lb mark, and they fight like mad. Lake Wendouree is very versatile water to fish and anglers have also caught fish on bait. I recently had a session trolling lures with my three boys in the main rowing channel with great success. We trolled the new bullet spawning brown trout lures floating and sinking them very close to the back of the boat, because of how shallow the water is. There are areas in the channel that have excessive weed growth that fowl up the lures, which affects how naturally the lure presents in the water. There are some areas free from weed and we concentrated our efforts on them with excellent results, catching some feisty 2.5lb rainbow trout. If you aren’t careful these fish will take you around the floating lane markers that line the main rowing channel, which has unravelled even battle-hardened anglers. Losing fish is part of the sport though, so chin up!

My son Will bagged two beautiful rainbow trout during the session, with a couple of other hook-ups and drop-offs. Newlyn Reservoir continues to fish well for those anglers that put in the hard yards and wade through the ribbon weed to cast lures into the open weed free water. Mudeyes fished suspended under bubble floats have worked well in the same areas. John Greengrass is one such angler, who loves nothing more than to tackle the elements and put in the hard yards. John has nailed some great sized redfin on the redfin 5.0 minnow pattern

bullet lure. John describes it as the killer lure on the reddies at Newlyn. John fishes this lure with confidence, which I believe makes all the difference. Moorabool Reservoir has quietened off recently mainly due to anglers not wanting to wade through the muddy banks. I’ve heard on the angling grapevine that the redfin are still on the chew with lots of smaller specimens and the odd thumper caught on lures, the humble old garden worm, and yabby fished on a running sinker rig. Evenings and at first light have been the most productive times to catch these fish.

Anthony Atkinson caught this gorgeous Lake Wendouree rainbow trout flyfishing after dark on a rabbit fur fly. Photo courtesy of Wayne Atkinson

Sunnies: Put ’em on your face! NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

Buying yourself a decent pair of polarising sunglasses is one of the best things you can do to not only improve your fishing, but also protect your eyes. Today, most anglers acknowledge the importance and value of wearing polarising sunglasses whenever they wet a line, at least during daylight hours. These glasses not only allow us to see through the surface glare, and provide a much better picture of what’s

going on underwater, they also give essential protection for our eyes from damaging ultraviolet radiation, flying fish hooks, stray rod tips and poking tree branches. Remember, we only get issued with one set of eyes for an entire lifetime, so it really pays to look after them! While you may be able to get by with a pair of cheap sunnies from the local service station or supermarket, this type of budget eyewear won’t perform anywhere near as well, nor last as long, as a pair of quality polarised sunglasses from a reputable maker. You wouldn’t (or

shouldn’t!) rely on a $25 fishing reel to provide reliable, long-term service, so it’s a big mistake to expect the same from cheap sunnies. Spend a couple of hundred bucks (just as you would on a premium reel) and you’ll end up with a product that works extremely well and will serve you for many, many years — so long as you don’t drop them overboard or leave them on the seat of the car where they can be sat on! There are many great brands of fishing eyewear on the market these days. I make no secret about being a diehard Mako fan, but there are half a dozen

other high profile makers who offer products of a similarly high standard. Shop around, ask questions, talk to your mates and seek out as many opinions as possible before choosing your glasses, and try to opt for a company that advertises fishing-specific models, rather than an ultra fashion-conscious (and ultra-expensive!) supplier catering primarily to the surfing, snow skiing or night clubbing fraternity. LENS LESSONS You can go with either glass or polycarbonate lenses. Glass is heavier, but also stronger, more resistant to scratching, and arguably a little better optically, although modern polycarbonate lenses from the top makers are very good. You’ll need to take better care of them than glass, which means not cleaning your sunnies with the sleeve or tail of a grubby, gritty fishing shirt! Carry a proper lens cleaning cloth, keep it clean and use it regularly. Most makers offer a range of lens tints that provide differing levels of light transmission, contrast VIDEO

Sight fishing for species such as trout is heavily dependent on the use of quality sunglasses, but they are also invaluable to most other fishing styles, and provide essential protection for your eyes.

Scan this code to learn a little more about picking the right sunnies.

The author would rather leave his favourite rod or reel at home than forget his sunnies! There are several excellent brands on the market. and colour enhancement for improved target separation. As a rule of thumb, yellowish lenses are best in low light conditions (dawn, dusk or under heavy overcast), while rose, copper, bronze and brown are great all-round colours, and especially well suited to freshwater and estuarine applications. Darker grey lenses are considered best for very bright conditions, tropical flats fishing and offshore work. But don’t take my word for it: try a few variations and see what you prefer! If you wear prescription glasses in day-to-day life, you may also need to consider prescription sunglasses for fishing.

These are even more expensive than the standard variety, but well worth the extra dollars. Better still, you may find that your private health insurance policy covers part or even all of the cost! Talk to your optometrist about your options. If you don’t do so already, get into the habit of wearing polarising sunnies every single time you fish, and for goodness sake, get yourself a decent pair and keep those cheap and nasty ones as spares or loaners! If you’d like to find out more, scan the QR code accompanying this column and watch my short video clip. Tight lines!

These two images of a small whiting feeding in the shallows clearly demonstrate the immense difference a pair of quality polarising sunglasses can make to your fishing! MARCH 2016

Cushioning your catch: fish handling basics PART 2 FORSTER

Blake Hudson

With an emphasis on some of the basic ‘do not’s’ of fish handling, Part 1 of this series also highlighted the importance of correct fish handling as a way to guarantee the most superior quality of catch consumed at our dinner tables. Overall though, correct fish handling

technique was recognised by experts as a major contributor to responsibly sustaining the longevity of fishing as a whole – especially by returning under or oversize catch carefully to the water. In part 2, we will focus primarily on the fundamentals and many benefits of proper landing technique. We will explore a technique of landing fish that has been used for centuries – a technique that

A small bed of sponge foam will stow very easily in most boats.

has been improved and modified in a way that makes it perfectly suited to today’s fishing environment. These techniques are extremely simple – and once adopted and implemented, will enable you to turbo charge your fishing – with the ultimate outcome of giving you more precious time with your bait in the water, and a superior product on your plate. So, back aboard the wetliner in WA, where it was once again reinforced that a fish has never experienced the full force of gravity or anything hard, hot or dry, I was beginning to wonder how to combat these problems when bringing fish aboard a deck. Lucky for us, Japanese anglers discovered that by simulating ‘suspension’ after catching a fish, the fish would remain calm and hardly flip around at all. How did they do that? They landed them on wet rice matting. So how did we reproduce that environment on the deck of a working snapper boat in the 21st century? Quite easily. We used foam rubber or a sponge (like a roll of cheap mattress foam) about 50mm

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thick, on the top of every kill table (ice box), and soak it thoroughly with seawater. Simple, cheap, effective! When we were fishing

carefully upon the sponge foam covered kill tables. The catch was mainly snapper and an assortment of mixed reef fish, but

killing a live fish. This left your non-glove hand free to grip the killing tool and manage the massive amounts of hooks

A thin bed of sponge foam is all you need to make fish handling safer for both you and the fish. in WA, the action on deck was similar to milking a cow. We worked as two teams in diagonal formation. Port stern and starboard forward would be lines on the bottom, while starboard stern and port forward anglers would be surfaced – unloading catch onto the tables, re-baiting and then plummeting back to the bottom. The opposing crew would be given the signal to crank up, unload, re-bait and when signaled they were ‘right to go’, the other team would then put their biceps to work hauling. Fish that were unloaded were immediately dealt with by the opposite crewmember. This not only avoided snagging each other and proved a super-

land a hot blooded pelagic into the mix and without keeping the fish calm and eliminating flipping around, this scenario would have been absolute chaos – not to mention so inefficient it probably would have been a complete waste of time. In this manner, the saturated sponge bed was an outstanding success in its suspension imitation, but there was still the issue of the bare flesh of a human hand to contend with as a potential aggravation to our live catch. So how do you avoid contact with fish scales with a bare hand? You cover your hand with a cotton glove! With the skipper insisting that under no circumstances would any

and line. The cotton glove would be soaking wet, so abrasive contact with the live animal was absolutely minimal, and once again proved a critical component in maintaining a stress-free environment on deck. And that unsophisticated piece of kit was part of our hand for the entire day, handling hundreds upon hundreds of fish and hooks all day. If a fish was accidently landed on top of another one, it would begin a chain reaction of flipping across a loaded table of fish like jumping jacks, with the short-fused skipper quickly turning a menacing shade of psychotic – therefore incidents of the kind were avoided at all costs. So when landing fish, the idea

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efficient stealth stream that returned illegal fish to the water swiftly, it also kept the school alert with bait always on the bottom. In any 5-minute period there could be anywhere up to 80 fish being landed

exposed human flesh come in contact with the fish (dead or alive), we also wore a cotton glove on our left hand (for right handers) – the only hand that ever came in contact with scales while sorting, sizing, returning or

was to unclip a trace from the mainline, turn to face the foam table, quickly choose a vacant space, and gently flick the fish by the trace onto the table while slightly pulling toward you as it lands so as not to scale

it. In addition, fish larger than pan size would have their bellies supported. This enabled a safe, ‘flip free’ landing 99% of the time. The good news is that all it takes for any angler – be it amateur or pro – to avoid all of this time wasting, is a piece of saturated sponge the same size as your ice box lid! Once you retrieve your fish, simply hold the line about 5-10cm above the fish, support the belly with a saturated glove hand, and gently lay the animal on the sponge while pulling it slightly toward you with the grain of the scales. All your dramas will suddenly disappear and you’ll have a subdued fish ready for sizing and processing, and be left wondering why you hadn’t employed such a simple thing as sponge landing years ago. It is that simple! If the fish is illegal size, quickly remove your hook, grab the tiddler with your wet glove hand (usually without protest) and carefully return it to the water. Much simpler, much more efficient, much less stress! Not to mention safer for all involved parties! How many times have you been spiked by fins or sliced by the gill plate or injured in some shape or form while you wrestled

with your catch? How many times has your slippery catch escaped your grip and ended up in a compromised situation in the bottom of the boat, on the ground or back in the water? How many times has the process of hook removal alone turned into a drama of monumental proportions? How many times have you taken your kids fishing, for them to reel in a monster far bigger than yours, only to leave it dangling in the sky by bent

rod, completely intimidated, afraid and wondering what to do with it? If your answers to any of these questions is “many times”, then you should wet a sponge foam for your landings! And with a variety of expensive and ineffective tools available for fish handling, what can possibly be simpler than a piece of wet sponge foam the same size as your ice box lid? Everyone, absolutely every single angler – be it fresh or salt,

deep sea, beach or estuarine – will benefit hand over fist by including a piece of sponge as part of their fishing kit. I find that a sponge foam is as important as the ice box itself, and I never leave home to go fishing without it. Quite simply... it works! So what are you waiting for? Get out there, get yourself some sponge the same size as your ice box lid, follow the guidelines set out above, start landing your fish like a champion and enjoy

Unhooking fish doesn’t have to be messy or uncomfortable.

fishing even more. It really couldn’t be easier. Next part of this series, I will get down to the pointy end of how to treat your keepers, with a thorough

description of another centuries old handling technique that will quite literally blow minds. Until then, see you in the soup!

A cotton glove is a good way to avoid contact with the fish’s scales.

MARCH 2016

What’s New FISHING

LIQUID MAYHEM SCENTS

Liquid Mayhem scents are made from real baitfish in a super concentrated form, along with natural baitfish enzymes infused with powerful amino acids and other bite stimulants. The Liquid Mayhem creators said they were fed up with fish attractants that were either to difficult to apply, that put more product in the boat than on the lure, or washed off and disappeared after one or two casts. That’s why Liquid Mayhem was formulated into a sticky matrix that grabs the bait and holds on. This sticky formula stays on the lure for as long as 30 minutes. Because these scents are very concentrated, you don’t need to use much – a small dab is enough. A single 2oz tube is compact enough to fit nicely into your tackle box, and will outlast most larger watereddown containers. Liquid Mayhem is available in four flavours, all with extra UV enhancements to not only attract by smell but by sight as well. Price: RRP $26.95 www.jml.net.au

FLYING X AND PSYCHIC

Two of the latest lure releases from acclaimed Japanese manufacturer Megabass are the Flying X and the Psychic. Imitating a flighty prawn, the Megabass Flying X will have any surface enthusiast keen to try out the erratic action produced by this lure’s unique shape. Designed to be swum quickly across the surface or twitched underneath, the Flying X is ideal for flats species such as bream, whiting and flathead. This sinking lure measures 52mm and weighs 5.3g. The new Psychic has a unique design, which allows it to perform a darting sideto-side action with rod twitches while it is being retrieved. Its magnetic hook keeping system reduces your chance of getting snagged, helping you stay in the strike zone for longer. This sinking lure measures 95mm, weighs 22g and is available in six different colours to suit many different fish species across Australia. www.megabass.com.au

ZMAN 4.5” RAZOR SHADZ

ZMan’s newly released RaZor ShadZ feature a segmented, fish-shaped body and forked tail to create an extremely lifelike profile in the water. The segmented tail allows maximum action with the slightest twitch of the rod tip and the buoyancy of the 10X Tough, ElaZtech construction brings the RaZor ShadZ to life in the water. TTs recommends rigging RaZor ShadZ on either a TT Lures HeadlockZ jighead to fish the required depth, or alternatively weedless rigged on a TT Lures ChinlockZ hook for the erratic, darting, diving action of a dying baitfish, with a deadly slow rise on the pause. The surface hits were spectacular during the testing phase – slow rolling and twitching this plastic as a wake bait… BOOF! For those throwing spinnerbaits and chatterbaits, they have also already proven popular as a trailer. RaZor ShadZ are available in six proven colours, with four per pack. Price: SRP $11.50 www.z-man.com.au

BERKLEY FISHIN’ GEAR

MARCH 2016

The Berkley Fishin’ Gear Tackle Management System covers a range of storage solutions to suit every angler. Whether you want to take just a few packets of plastics, or you want everything to hand for a day on the water, there’s a Fishin’ Gear bag for you. The range features heavy-duty fabrics for durability, comfortable handles, and corrosion-resistant zips and fittings. Two of the latest releases are the Fishin’ Gear TMS Bait Wallet and FG Deluxe Bait Satchel, to keep your soft plastics in perfect order. The FG Deluxe Bait Wallet is an excellent organiser for Powerbait and Gulp packs. It has removable transparent sleeves for easy viewing, comes with a caribiner to clip onto belt loops or tackle bags, and has a vertical design to fit in most back pockets. The FG Deluxe Bait Satchel also has removable transparent sleeves, plus internal mesh pockets for terminal tackle. It’s designed to be a convenient hand carry bait organiser. Price: SRP $24.95 (Wallet), $39.95 (Satchel) berkley-fishing.com.au

SLOW BLATT LONG

Slow jigging and fast jigging normally require different jigs to achieve the action required to make each technique successful, but not anymore! The new Slow Blatt Long jigs from Angler’s Republic feature a low resistance centre balanced body which is flat on one side and raised on the other. This profile allows the jig to flutter on the sink, slide on the fast action and slide and fall on the slow action. This means the angler can now impart various retrieves to get the bite no matter what the conditions. The Palms Slow Blatt Long jigs are currently available in 60, 80, 100, 130, 150, 180, 200, 230 and 300. Price: SRP $18 www.ejtodd.com.au

OKUMA INSPIRA

The new Okuma Inspira spinning reel delivers lightweight performance well above its price range. Featuring Okuma’s Torsion Control Armor Design, made with Okuma’s C-40X long-strand carbon fibre technology, this design not only significantly reduces the weight of the reel, it is also extremely rigid, which reduces torque and keeps all internal parts in perfect alignment. The Inspira features Okuma’s advanced Cyclonic Flow Rotor design, which creates a ‘cyclonic’ airflow that significantly increases airflow through the ported rotor. This thoroughly-tested technology allows for a much faster drying time if the reel becomes wet, minimizing the chance of corrosion. The Centrifugal Disc Bail is another unique design. It incorporates a heavier brass disc, which is perfectly weighted and balanced to create a smoother and easier bail operation, while also increasing the strength and stability of the overall bail functioning. Lightweight, smooth and powerful, the Okuma Inspira Spinning Reel delivers serious performance and is backed by Okuma’s 10year limited warranty. Price: SRP $189 www.okuma.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au 74

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

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

What’s New FISHING

10 11

SCAN THE QR CODE!

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

SALTY STAGE SKID JIG

TUNA TERROR 2

It’s time to try a completely new style of jigging! While the typical metal jig can catch fish only after it touches the bottom or during the retrieve, the Salty Stage Skid Jig from Abu Garcia is designed to catch fish even when it is falling. It can do this thanks to its ‘switch back’ action, which imitates a squid attacking baitfish. The Skid Jig also mimics a squid skidding from side to side when its in distress, and the skidding motion creates lots of flashes in the water. The action is unique, as it has a consistent straight falling action, avoiding the rotating action that frequently occurs in other metal jigs. The Salty Stage Skid Jig is currently available in 80, 100 and 150g weights and is finished in an array of proven colours. Price: from SRP $12.95 abugarcia-fishing.com.au

Black Magic’s popular Maggot and SBT lure ranges have been revitalised and are now available in a selection of our best performing skirt combinations. The new lure is called a Tuna Terror 2. With an overall length of 200mm, it will initially be available in six colour combinations. The Tuna Terror’s weighted head is the same size and shape as Black Magic’s Maggot head, making it an excellent choice in Australian sea conditions. The Black Magic Tuna Terror 2 is available unrigged or you can have it prerigged on 200lb Black Magic Tough Trace and an 8/0 game hook. Keep an eye out for them at your favourite tackle store, or to view the full range of Black Magic game lures visit the Black Magic website at www.blackmagictackle com. Price: SRP approx. $40 www.blackmagictackle.com

STRADIC ZODIAS COMBO

Shimano’s 2016 collection has delivered the ultimate fishing combo: The Stradic spin reel and the Zodias casting rod. The Stradic has been redesigned with a new Hagane body and gear system. The light metal provides increased resistance and longer durability, as well as avoiding flexing under pressure or a loss of cranking power. This is complemented by the Hagane Gear system, with 3D design cold forging for increased resilience and longer durability. The new Stradics have an additional SA-RB bearing and they’re all high 6:1 to 6.2:1 plus gear ratios. Aero Wrap II, the AR-C spool, one-piece bail and G-Free Body make these reels a repetitive caster’s delight, with better balance in the hand. The presence of Coreprotect on the roller clutch, the drag, the body and the line roller, make these reels perfectly at home in the salt. Using Shimano’s Hi-Power X Construction graphite blanks, Zodias casting rods deliver incredible distance and accuracy. The lightweight blanks are complemented by custom shaped EVA grips, Fuji ‘K’ series Alconite guides — with a Fuji SiC tip — and a CI 4+ reel seat for an additional weight saving. The blanks’ acute sensitivity crisply transmits every tap from a snag, weed, or a cautious short-striking fish, especially when you’re using braid. There are four light to medium spin rods of 6’8” (1-piece) and 7’ (2-piece). www.shimanofish.com.au

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

DAIWA SALTIGA 12 BRAID

Daiwa has introduced an industry first, Saltiga 12 Braid, the world’s first 12 ply braid and the most advanced braided line ever. Saltiga 12 combines a 12 ply braid with Daiwa’s UVF (Ultra Volume Fibre) and +Si Evo Silicone, delivering the ultimate highdensity braid that exhibits supreme abrasion resistance and ultimate strength. By reducing the diameter and creating an ultra smooth surface, Saltiga12 produces less friction/resistance on the guides and spool rim, allowing for longer and smoother casting, less noise, minimal water penetration and incredible sensitivity. You will feel more connected to your rod and reel when using this line. Saltiga 12 is the ultimate heavy duty jigging and casting line for big gamefish. It’s colour-coded every 10m and marked every 1m and 5m to give you full line control. This line will change your fishing style. www.daiwafishing.com.au

DIGGER 25+ AND DONGA 15+

The Bushranger Donga 15+ and Digger 25+ are sure to be a hit with native anglers across the country. Both feature a super strong body with in-built rattles and have a wide swaying action that fish find irresistible. They’re designed to avoid snagging, with a buoyant design, extra large bib and flat body to keep the hooks away from snags. The Bushranger Digger 25+ has been designed to dive to 25ft and is great for trolling in impoundments or rivers. The Bushranger Donga 15+ is fantastic whether cast retrieving or trolling. It comes in eight fish-catching colours and has proven deadly on Murray cod, yellowbelly, mangrove jacks and bass. Both lures feature a wire through body for added strength, heavy-duty split rings, black nickel VMC Permasteel trebles, UV Eyes and an excellent paint finish. The Bushranger Digger comes in eight colours and has been deadly on Murray cod, yellowbelly, barramundi and mangrove jacks. Price: from SRP $15.99 www.jurofishing.com

EPIC FAMILY TACKLE KIT

If you want to just grab your tackle box and get on the water then the Wilson Fishing Epic Family Tackle Kit is a 300 piece, two-tray tackle box that has all your needs covered. Inside the kit you’ll find a fish scaler, kidfriendly plastic fishing knife and a standard fishing knife, a pilchard casting jig, squid jig, sabiki rig and an assortment of floats, sinkers, beads, hooks and swivels to catch just about any fish that swims! All of this is packaged in a tough, two-tray tackle box that provides an easy grab-andgo pack for all your fishing needs. Price: approx. $60 www.wilsonfishing.com

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au MARCH 2016

What’s New FISHING

RHINO-RACK DOME AWNING

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

SAMAKI MANGROVE JACK SHIRT

Rhino-Rack’s Dome 1300 awning easily mounts to the front, side or rear of your vehicle to provide protection from the rain or sun. The amount of shade it provides isn’t affected by a vehicle’s (lack of) height, because it can stand well over 2m depending on the vehicle you mount it to. The roof domes up to offer extra headroom underneath. Made from a heavy-duty rip-stop polycotton, it is tough, weather/water proof, mould resistant and UV50+ protected. The Dome 1300 also serves for superior runoff in wet and windy conditions. The coverage area is a generous 2.5m x 2.4m. It’s quick to set up and easy to use – all you’ll need is a tape measure and 13mm spanner. The Rhino-Rack Dome 1300 awning is compatible with most vehicle roof rack channels, links up with a number of RhinoRack extension products and comes with a 1 year warranty. Price: RRP $379 www.rhinorack.com.au

Rod and lure maker Samaki has now entered the apparel market. Following off the back of the recently launched GT shirt, customers asked for ‘more of where that came from’, and Samaki has responded by releasing the cool Samaki Mangrove Jack shirt. The design depicts a mangrove jack in the mangroves. After scattering a school of mullet, the jack attacks the famous Samaki Vibelicious Thumper Tail. Samaki long-sleeve fishing shirts offer superior UV 50+ protection, keeping you protected from harmful UV rays. They’ll also keep you cool whilst out on the water. As well as the Mangrove Jack design, there is also a Chromed Barra shirt and GT shirt. All Samaki shirts are available from a size 2 toddlers to a 3XL adults. For more information and stockists visit the Samaki website or like them on Instagram and Facebook. Price: SRP $59.95 (adults), $49.95 (kids) www.samaki.com.au

SLIM SWIMZ COLOURS

The deadly little 2.5” Slim SwimZ, with their bite-sized baitfish profile and under-hooked tail for loads of action even at slow speeds, are now available in six new colours. Angler requests have led to the addition of favourites pumpkin, baby bass, electric chicken, bad shad, mood ring and newly released calico candy, which has proven deadly on a wide range of species. As well as producing results in both the bream and bass tournament scene, anglers chasing everything from trout, redfin and grunter to flathead, yellowbelly and estuary pelagics will find a favourite amongst these new colours. The 10X Tough ElaZtech construction means this little plastic will stand up to toothy critters and aggressive strikes, while the buoyant material also creates a natural ‘tail up’ feeding pose when paused on the bottom, attracting fish and triggering strikes. There are now 20 colours in the ZMan 2.5” Slim SwimZ range and they come in a pack of eight. Price: SRP $9.95 www.z-man.com.au

DAIWA SALTIST X

Stunning in looks and flawless in design and performance, Saltist X sets a new standard in light tackle spin reel excellence to deliver anglers one of the most durable and reliable light tackle offshore and shoregame reels from Daiwa. Light, powerful, and eye catching in its gunsmoke and silver garb, Saltist X owes its strength and reliability to the many design features of its bigger brothers, Saltiga and Catalina, including Magsealed, Air Rotor and Super Metal. Other features include: Real Four; Super Metal Body; Digigear II; ABS II; Twistbuster II; Airbail; UTD – Ultimate Tournament Drag; and EVA ball knob. Heavily refined and meticulously designed, Saltist X will allow you to feel more connected to your lures, detect more bites, and fight fish with ultimate ease. www.daiwafishing.com.au

MARCH 2016

SCHNEIDER 8 CARRIER BRAID

Schneider New 8 Carrier Pink Braid is 100% Spectra formulated using the latest technology. This enables the line to be finer while maintaining superior knot strength, creating a super smooth finish for ease in handling, delivering longer casting distance, no stretch and increased abrasion resistance and colour retention. Schneider 8 Carrier super smooth braid is extremely sensitive and durable, while maintaining rounder diameters, and not losing shape with age. These unique braided qualities enables this line to match the demands of today’s anglers, making it an ideal choice for lure fishing, trolling and deep bottom fishing. It has high visibility above the water and low visibility below the water. This braid is available in 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 and 50lb breaking strains in 150, 300 and 1500 yard spools. Schneider recommends using 8 Carrier Pink Braid with Schneider’s 100% Fluorocarbon Leader. Price: from SRP $49.95 www.schneiderfishinglines.com.au

NEW FROM MEGABASS

Megabass have introduced five new unique lures into their highly popular range. These lures have had extensive knowledge put into their features by pro anglers and designers over many years. One of these new lures is the Popping Duck. Designed to stop the curse of low hookup rates, the Popping Duck is equipped with rotating swivels for both front and rear hooks. Another unique factor is its action, creating a solid popping sound with minimal moving distance, allowing the angler to stay in the strike zone and target specific fish! This floating lure measures 60mm, weighs 6.5g and comes in six colours. The new Picus is a small crankbait designed for rugged territory where other crankbaits would get snagged. With its bumper-like bib, it will virtually eliminate snagging so you can stay in the strike zone for longer. Its slow sinking setting lets you target specific depths. It measures 32mm, weighs 5g and comes in six colours. www.megabass.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au 76

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What’s New FISHING TESTED:

Gerber MP600

The quick one-handed opening function means once the fish is unhooked, the tool can be easily folded away. The Gerber MP600 does what most other multi-tools are supposed to do: diminish the need for a bunch of tools by condensing them into one. The difference is that unlike a lot of other multi-tools, this one is bladeless. Having no blade might seem like a con, but really, who uses the knife on the multi-tool anyway? The lack of a blade does a world of good for the safety of the user, not to mention the small, inquisitive hands that might stumble upon it. This tool also complies with the ‘no knife’ policy in the workplace! There are at least four of my most commonly used tools on the MP600, and I found it great to have with me while out hiking, camping and fishing either landbased, on a kayak or in boat. While out on the water, I can sharpen my hooks on the file, cut tag ends while tying knots with the scissors, break out the odd beer with the

TESTED:

opener, take apart my reel for field repairs with the Phillips head screwdriver, and most commonly, take hooks out of fish and other things (including people). The latter was what I used them for mainly, and the quick one-handed opening function meant that once the fish was unhooked, the tool could be folded away and stowed in the pouch. These things are tough as nails, and after a few months of use in both salt and freshwater, sand and dirt, the tool has not a speck of rust. A quick spray with freshwater is all the MP600 needs after contact with salt. The MP600 retails for $159 and is definitely worth having if you want something that functions as multiple tools, and won’t kill you if you fall on it! It’s also great to have if you’re a ‘gear’ fanatic like me. I’m definitely the most popular person out on the boat! – Bob Thornton

TESTED:

Wilson Backpack

At the 2015 AFTA trade show there was a plethora of new tackle storage systems on display, and one of the most popular categories was backpacks. I wish this sort of emphasis had been placed on creating fishing-friendly backpacks when I was walking the banks of the Murrumbidgee around Canberra as a young man. The canvas knapsack I used back then pales in comparison to what is now available. A rare opportunity to fish some gorge country west of Brisbane presented a great chance to test a backpack from Wilson Fishing. The Wilson Backpack is a small, lightweight backpack. It comes with two large tackle trays (they strap snuggly into the main storage of the bag), two small zippered side pockets (one is water resistant to put phones and electronics out of harm’s way), a larger front pocket that has elasticized storage for pliers, knives, scissors and the like, a mesh water bottle pocket and a main storage pocket with double zips and a Velcro closure. Importantly, it also has padded shoulder straps, a padded back panel and a

The Wilson Backpack has plenty of storage and is light and comfortable to wear. The author would have appreciated one of these backpacks 25 years ago. chest strap for the comfort of the user. My three days of fishing the gorge country proved a few things to me about the Wilson backpack. There was more than enough storage for anything you might need on a trip like this. You really appreciate the padding and the fact there are no sharp edges digging into you while you’re walking. Additionally, the chest strap stops the pack slipping from one side to the other, making manoeuvring under, over and around obstacles much easier, and it reduces the pressure on your lower back as well. Last but not least, the zippers and closures held up well – although the same couldn’t be said for me! For more info on this and other Wilson storage options, go to www.wilsonfishing. com or ask about them at your local tackle store. – Peter Jung All the essential ingredients for a bit of gorge country bass fishing.

Tonic Eyewear Rises to a new level

The Tonic Slice lens is 50% lighter than regular glass lenses, which maximises comfort. In mid-2015 Doug Phillips from Tonic Eyewear let the world know that he was working on the thinnest and lightest polarised glass lenses in the market. He launched the Gen2 Tonic Eyewear Slice lens at the AFTA tackle Trade Show on the Gold Coast in July 2015. Retailers showed a strong interest and late in 2015 he re-launched the range with the superlight, 1.3mm Slice lenses. Accompanying the release of the Slice lens, Doug also released a number of new frame styles including the MO, JO and RISE frames. It was a pair of Rise frames that found their way onto my desk just before Christmas, so I put them to the test.

be critiqued by my daughters. The “they look good, Dad” response is high praise from my girls, so the first test had been passed with flying colours. I have been told plenty of times that I have an ‘interesting face’ (reading between the lines I think that means it has a number of flaws and people are being kind) and the difficulty I have always had with sunglasses has been getting them wide enough to fit and yet have the nose piece narrow enough to not allow the glasses to push down my nose. My first impression when putting the Rise frame on was that it definitely sat higher on my face than some other sunnies do, and the adjustable nosepiece provided a comfortable feel when on. The lightness of the lens wasn’t blatantly obvious – that was until I compared it with another pair of glasses. There was an obvious difference against the pair I had been wearing.

First impressions

I’m the father of two girls who are growing up way too quickly, and they have stressed to me that the most important thing about sunglasses is how they look. So when my Rise sunglasses arrived home with me they had to SCAN THE QR CODE!

FISHING FISHING PRODUCT PRODUCT GUIDE GUIDE

BY REDDBY PO WERE POWE

Squid are masters of camouflage, but while wearing the Tonic Rise I had no problem spotting them.

Optical clarity is very important and the new Slice lens delivers. The photochromic lens in the pair I had been given really reduces glare, and the optical clarity is beyond what I was expecting. The only question mark I had was that they are a bit dark to wear during low light periods.

THREE MONTHS LATER

After three months my Tonics have done a bit of travelling. They have seen the most western point of the country, seen the waters off South Australia, gone testing boats for the magazines and have seen many of my local fishing spots. My family will tell you that I am pedantic about my sunglasses – they must be put away correctly, you never pick them up by the lens and last but not least you don’t put them on the top of your head. I love the fact that the Tonics come with a hard case for protection. Also, the soft cover provided helps avoid the fingerprint issue and also acts as a cleaning cloth. And unfortunately I have succumbed to occasionally putting the glasses on my head (thankfully they haven’t been lost overboard or blown off – phew). I have really enjoyed the clarity of vision they have provided. As well as reducing the glare, but these sunglasses give you the ability to look well into the water and distinguish different shapes and movement in both fresh and salt water. Squid are the masters

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of camouflage and I had no problem spotting them while fishing from the shore in Western Australia. These sunnies are very comfortable to wear and they have definitely reduced the number of times I have to push my glasses back up my nose. The 1.3mm lenses have had no trouble coping with the usual bumps and knocks that everyday use delivers, and are still in one piece even after I decided to sit on them. So I can safely say they have dealt well with the first three months of use.

The technology

Tonic sunglasses are made in Japan and incorporate a de-centred lens technology, which provides distortion-free vision at any angle. The 1.3mm Slice lens is scratch resistant, has anti-reflective coatings, Tonic’s own unique polarizing filter systems and are 50% lighter than regular glass lenses. As well as the Rise frame I tested, there are another 11 frame options and four lens colour options available. To find out more about Tonic sunglasses go to www.toniceyewear.com.au. The site has information on the their range of products and where your nearest stockist is. – Peter Jung

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au MARCH 2016

Join the kayaking cod crew VFM

Ian Rogers

Over the last seven years I have competed in the Cod Classic at Lake Mulwala out of my Triton Bass Boat. This season, I made the decision to compete out of my Hobie kayak. Now I’m hooked on targeting these Aussie icons from the yak! When it was discovered that I had a perfectly good

your kayak. If you’re going to be loading and unloading your kayak by yourself consider how and what you will be loading it on, as they vary in weight. The easier to load and unload your kayak, the more enjoyable your fishing will be. There are easy loading systems for a lot of the roof rack setups, but they all come at an extra expense. If you are planning on long hours and covering large areas of water, then you need to be comfortable. Most

top quality rods that give you a good chance of setting the hooks in large cod. Being in a kayak, you don’t have the same power behind you as you would standing on the casting deck of the boat. When I first started fishing from the kayak, I used a smaller lighter rod, but just didn’t get the hook ups. Too many fish would bite, grab and run, only to spit out the lure. ACCESSORIES A good landing net and

day’s fishing! A fish finder is very handy when fishing from a kayak. When fishing in lakes, fish will often be biting in certain depths. So if you can find a pattern, then it makes it a lot easier to catch multiple fish. Identifying things such as weed beds, contours and structure of the lake and riverbeds are all things that increase your chances of landing a fish. Another great advantage is the new chartered waters app and SD card, which you can put into your Lowrance sounder to give you accurate references to location depth and structures within the lake. Sunglasses play an important role as well. Sitting so low to the water, you can’t see the structure like you can from the casting deck of a boat. Therefore, a quality pair of polarized glasses is invaluable to give you a chance to see the structure before you’re on top of it. Sunglasses can also save you from a nasty accident when a fish spits a lure close

A chunky river cod taken from the Hobie kayak.

The author brought this lovely little river cod into shore for safer handling. boat, I was questioned about why I would make such a choice. My answer was simple. Fishing from a kayak offers a whole new challenge, and a whole new perspective when targeting cod. With all the brands and set ups available in this fastgrowing sport, a great deal of thought needs to go into what you want before you make that first purchase. Things to consider would be loading

kayaks come with the standard seat and paddle. My advice would be to upgrade these straight away. RIGS My go-to rods are the Wilson Venom crankbait 6’3” 1-2 and Venom crankbait 6’3” 2-4, sometimes I’ll use a Live Fibre Cod Rod rated at 6kg. These are all paired with good quality reels with around 6kg drag capability. These are powerful but light

lip grips are a must. If you are not able to purchase floating ones, then attach a lanyard to prevent losing them. It’s also a good idea to have an anchor, as it can allow you to lock down on a specific log or hole and have multiple casts. This enables you to concentrate on your retrieve without worrying about where you’re floating to. A lure retrieving pole is also a great investment. It will pay for itself on your first

Murray cod will really ‘eat’ a lure!

Early starts in this sort of country is what kayaking for cod is all about. 78

MARCH 2016

to the kayak when the rod is under heavy load, sending the now free lure flying toward your face! Safety is always a concern when you’re kayak fishing. If you are going to be a 100m or more from shore, you need to have a life jacket. It is also recommended a marine radio or mobile phone be carried in a water tight container. You are also low to the water, so it’s a good idea to mount a flag to the rear of your kayak or wear bright coloured clothing. It’s important that you are visible to other water users. PLANNING Good planning around launching and retrieving is

the difference between an enjoyable day and just plain hard work. Google Earth is one that I rate highly for your preparation. If you spend the time at home scanning the river or lake you are going to fish, you will see roads and tracks to your launch and retrieval points. You will also be able to identify creeks, lagoons and backwaters that hold cod and may not be accessible from a boat or car. They sometimes may only fill on a high river, but so many hold quality fish. Always explore these waterholes. Wheels for the kayak are a great idea and make launching

and retrieving so much easier, especially when putting in on a steep bank or when you need to cart your kayak long distances. Although the yaks are made very strong, it also protects the bottom of the kayak. A quick tip is to make sure the axle is as long as your kayak is wide, so it is nice and stable. Some quick points to think about before you launch: Firstly, is there is a current and what is the flow rate? If it is flowing reasonably strong then you will need to launch upstream from where you are wanting to fish and organise a pick up point where you want to finish? The second thing to consider is the wind. Always check how strong the wind is expected to be and what direction it’s coming from. Thirdly, you should think about the sun. Always try to have the sun behind you wherever you can. This obviously makes it a lot easier to see. Recently, my friend Malcolm Smith and I went on a fishing trip up to the Darling River. We had heard the river was low so we took the kayaks. When we arrived the information we had received was correct. The river was very low and the banks were very steep. This made it very hard work putting the kayaks in and pulling them out. Some spots would have been impossible to launch a boat. We even had to lower the kayaks down and pull them back up by rope. Over two days we managed to catch five cod and six yellowbelly. We had several big hits, two being from metre-plus fish, but we were unable to land them.

That’s just the way it goes! LOCATIONS If you are looking at doing a kayaking trip to target Murray cod, then you just can’t go past Lake Mulwala. Of late, the lake has fished the best it has for years with 1m cod being caught every week and lots of cod in the high 80 and 90cm. Of course, there has been many in the 45-70cm range, which the lake is renowned

for. With more people practicing catch and release, it will ensure a healthy fish populations for the future. The lake is heavily treed with old dead red gums, which provide unlimited targets to cast at. There are weed beds, laydowns and many creeks and lagoons within the lake. One of the great things going for this lake is that even when it is windy, you can still fish close to the bank

that is sheltered. Or you can head up to the Everglades near Drain Lane or around to Bundalong. The lake has many shallow flats, which range from 1-2.5m that can fish really well. Being shallow water, when the cod strikes it’s a savage strike and the initial fight is intense as it battles to get back to its log. Then you have the river and lagoons, which

All the gear you need for targeting Murray cod can be carried on a kayak.

A dinosaur class Murray cod that came from the timbered section of Mulwala.

commonly range from around 3-7m deep, and you never know where that 1m cod will be! LURES A mix of spinnerbaits, hardbodied divers and soft plastics, rigged both normally and weedless are fantastic in this country. Weedless plastics particularly are great for casting hard up into the bank where laydowns are piled up on each other providing plenty of ambush spots

for the cod. For hardbodies I like the hardbodies that cast well, dive well and hold in the strike zone. If fishing the deeper channels, spinnerbaits and other sinking lures are your best bet. A highlight of Lake Mulwala is the surface fishing. To have a fish take your surface lure right at the edge of your kayak, splash water in your face and then pull hard straight to the

bottom in the darkness is an amazing rush and a must do. LAUNCH YOUR YAK Kayak fishing for Murray cod offers a new set of challenges, but has its advantages too. Yak fishing allows you to approach with stealth and access areas you can’t in a boat or by foot. Tangling with one of Australia’s fishy icons with your backside inches from the water is an experience in itself, and now is great time to go and do it!

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Kayak photos and filming BRISBANE

Justin Wilmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

After over a year of inflicting my bad selfies, ‘fish on the floor of the

including casting to structure, retrieve techniques, strikes and the fight. I also hoped to capture footage looking back at me as I rigged up and then hopefully fought, landed, displayed and released my catch.

and photo quality over the years, meaning only a few hundred dollars worth of camera can capture magazine quality images. Most of the photos in my stories have been captured on a Panasonic Lumix waterproof and

When selfies go wild! Having an organised camera set-up, as described in the article can help you capture some much more memorable photos!

A Contour sports camera mounted on a Camera Boom 600 to capture all the hot fishing action. kayak’ and fish in my hand photos on Fishing Monthly readers, some recent windy and wet weather inspired me to spend some time in the man cave and sort out my kayak camera mounts and cameras. This will not only help me capture better quality images for future articles, along with images for my own albums, fingers crossed it will enable me to create videos to accompany future articles. Watching videos made by other kayak anglers, readily available on YouTube, is a great way to plan what you want to capture in your photos and videos. I hoped to capture footage from behind me, to offer the angler’s perspective of method and technique

Another box that needed to be ticked was a mount that allowed me to attach my digital still camera to avoid the weird horizon lines, anglers hidden behind fish and chopped off fish tails (or even worse, heads), associated with kayak fishing selfies. This mount would also double as a mounting point for my video camera when I wanted to capture better quality audio during my adventures. I have accumulated a selection of different cameras over the years and they all play a different role when it comes to filming from the kayak. CAMERAS Waterproof Compact Cameras Compact cameras have improved greatly in build

surroundings. This camera allows me to focus on that cool fish as the main subject, with everything else dropped back into the background. The downside of digital SLR cameras include their weight and bulk, along with the need to protect your investment by storing it in a quality waterproof and

The author’s earlier setup with a Camera Boom 150 and Camera Boom 600.

The classic handful of fish shot. Surely there is a better way! MARCH 2016

shockproof camera. It fits in the top pocket of my fishing shirt, is easily and quickly accessed when a photo opportunity arises, has good battery life, and is small enough to handle when taking the dreaded kayak fishing selfie. This camera is also capable of capturing quality audio and video.

The downside of compact cameras is their lens restrictions in terms of both zoom, when wanting to capture close ups of wildlife, and when you want to get a wider angle view of the kayak, scenery and other kayak anglers holding fish. Digital SLR Cameras There’s no doubt that digital SLR cameras, with their vast array of settings and optional filters and lenses, have the ability to capture some incredible images. I carry an entry level SLR, Canon 600D, with three lenses; a standard lens for most shooting, zoom lens for capturing wildlife and when shooting other kayak anglers from a distance, and finally a wide angle lens for capturing the kayak that I am sitting on in its

shockproof case, like those from Pelican or Storm. I don’t take this camera on all adventures, however it is

cool to have it there at the ready, fitted with a circular polarising filter to cut the glare off the water, when you come across some awesome structure, a bait ball or cruising fish. Sports Cameras Sports cameras, such as the GoPro or Contour, have been a blessing for kayak anglers with their waterproof cases, wide-angle lenses to capture all of the action in a confined environment and the quality of the footage that they capture. They can be mounted almost anywhere, including our heads, chests and on the kayak. They handle the environments we venture into and can even film underwater. The downside of sports cameras is that the wideangle lenses can push the action into the distance a little, such as surface strikes or wildlife, and there is also a serious lack of audio in their waterproof cases. Some anglers overcome this audio deficiency by running a separate microphone or separate audio recording device. Handheld Video Cameras Handheld video cameras are now extremely affordable, much more lightweight due to digital technology and

This little collection is worth its weight in gold in terms of the fantastic recording to be captured. Each has its own purpose and when combined will give you a stack of awesome footage!

offer excellent audio for kayak anglers, when not in windy conditions. Most have the downside of not being waterproof, but kayak anglers fishing on flat water are now taking their chances and mounting video cameras in raised positions on the kayak. They also lack the wide-angle lens of sports cameras, but by mounting them on camera booms they can be swung away from the angler to capture more of the action. I recently tracked down a waterproof handheld video camera and look forward to putting it through its paces and sharing the action in future articles. MOUNTS There are a variety of mounting options available,

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The Contour captures the action from the TelePole 1000. for shots holding fish. Camera Boom 600 The final mount that I have used is a Railblaza Camera Boom 600, an arm that can be swivelled 360째 to

allow me to swing cameras without wide-angle lenses, such as the compact camera, SLR or video camera, toward me to set up the camera or timer and then away from me

The Railblaza Camera Mounting Kit, including sports camera mount. however I prefer to stick with the range of Railblaza mounts as I already had a selection of StarPorts and accessories in my kit and they have proven to be reliable, of good quality and affordable. TelePole 1000 Behind the seat of my kayak I have a Railblaza TracPort Dash 500, mounted to the kayak with two StarPort mounts for easy removal, while providing four StarPort mounts to which I attach three Railblaza Rod Holder II adjustable rod holders for carrying my rods and a TelePole 1000 telescopic pole to which I can attach a sports camera via a Railblaza Camera Mount Kit for filming from behind and above me during

the day, and a Navisafe LED light for after dark. Use a wide-angle lens of a sports camera, such as a GoPro or Contour camera, to capture the seated angler, kayak and area surrounding and in front of the kayak. Camera Mount Kit The Railblaza Camera Mount Kit is a compact option designed to lock into any of the range of Railblaza mounts, and allows you to rotate the camera to every angle, with factory set friction joints to keep your camera steady. I use this mount to attach a second sports camera, and use its wide-angle lens to capture vision looking back at the seated kayak angler. It is also ideal for quickly attaching the compact or SLR camera

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TelePole 1000 with light and Camera Boom 600 with compact camera.

The video camera and compact camera ready to record some live action.

to capture the photo or video. This allows me to avoid the selfie and frame up photos holding fish, or swing the camera out to film rigging or speak to the camera. I look forward to mounting another camera boom to the side of the kayak so that I can swing it below the water to capture landing and releasing fish. This is a quick overview of my setup, but your options are almost endless when it comes to camera and mounting options. Stay tuned over the coming issues of Fishing Monthly and hopefully I can share more of my adventures, minus the dreaded selfies and maybe even with a link to some live action! See you on the water!

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Casting and rod choice basics for beginners SHEPPARTON

Kaleb Oxley

Practice is imperative to master any activity, and when it comes to casting accuracy, there are no shortcuts. I’ve spent many hours in the backyard practising my casting techniques, which demonstrably aids my fishing game when I’m out on the water trying to reach the tight spots where fish hold. This article will give a little

as some rods are much harder to control and the longer the rod, the harder it is. To make things much easier I like to use a scale for this. Start by choosing a rod around the same length as you, which feels comfortable in hand. I like to use rods between 5’2-5’9; it all depends on what you feel comfortable with. CHOOSING THE RIGHT REEL There are a few types of reels on the market, some for chasing big fish with heavier drags, some to cast long distances, and some for

The smoothness of braided line allows for much easier casting and results in fewer tangles than a regular monofilament. I love using a silky smooth line that goes through the reel and rod guides easily, and with less of the friction that can slow a cast down. A braid between 15-45lb with a low diameter is best suited. REEL SETTINGS Setting a reel is very important for casting – if the settings aren’t right you may end up with backlash, or you may end up with no distance from the cast. Learning to

One example of how to slow down the cast.

An 18g casting plug used to practise baitcasting. insight into casting. BAITCASTING ROD SELECTION If you want to be able to control your casting, start with the right rod. There are many types of rods on the market, and all have their own place for what they can be used for. For the most accurate cast, you will need a light rod between 2-10lb with a light tip. The light tip allows your lure to launch easily when casted, however, you need a rod that is stiff through the butt section. Having a sturdy backbone is important because you want to use only the tip to cast the lure. Choosing a length of a rod can be daunting

dial on the side plate of the reel, as this braking system works during the cast and slows down the spool when needed. If you’re new to casting, this dial should have anywhere from 0-20 settings. As a guide, I recommend you set this dial to 1/3 of the amount of settings available. If you are new to casting a bait caster try turning it up a few more clicks. The next setting controls the speed and fall of the spool. This is the most important setting on the

are really serious. SPINNING ROD SELECTION Casting with a spin rod is a completely different story, and casting accurately with them is a lot harder but it can be done with patience and practice. Choose a fairly long rod,

RECOMMENDED REELS Spin Baitcaster Daiwa Luvias Spin Daiwa Steez Baitcaster Daiwa Sol Spin Daiwa Sol Baitcaster Daiwa Steez Spin Daiwa Alphas 103R Baitcaster

finesse fishing. Low profile finesse reels work the best, as these reels are capable of casting lighter weights with ease and with less backlash. They are also renowned for accuracy. When choosing which reel is right for you it is best to match your rod and reel together and feel for balance and comfort. Put your finger on the foregrip of the rod and try to balance the two evenly. If you find it balancing close to or almost perfectly then it’s balanced. LINE CHOICE There is no doubt that braided line is the best choice to use to cast with accuracy.

The author’s favourite outfit for casting accurately, the Wilson Magnum 5’4, 4-14lb.

Targets are simple and cost effective to make. 82

MARCH 2016

control the spool with your thumb is very important and is the best way to have complete control. This can take time to learn but with plenty of practise you will eventually get the knack of it. There are usually two different kinds of settings on a reel that will be useful for casting, the first is usually found on the side plate of the reel, and the second is most commonly found near the drag star. Start with the

reel for casting as it controls how long or short you can cast. Set this by tying the lure of your choice on and pressing the button, you want the lure to slowly fall down. PRACTICE Practising is very important, and if you want to improve your casting skills get out in the backyard and cast at a target. Targets can be anything from a bucket to a can or bottle, you can also make your own targets if you

CHOOSING THE RIGHT REEL Unlike baitcasters, there are many sizes of spin reel that range from the smallest 1000 all the way up to 8000+. The bigger they are, the heavier. Anything from 1000-3000 is capable of casting comfortably

something between 6’5-7’2 as you may notice this is a lot different to baitcasting where smaller rods are necessary. I find many short spin rods are usually stiff and harder to cast from the tip. A rod with smooth, quality guides helps reduce friction between the guide itself and the line, this will help you gain maximum distance. Choose the starting weight of your rod to be suited to soft plastics, something between 1-4kg.

without being too heavy and taking a toll on you arm. Similar to baitcasters, the lighter the reel the better. Take note that spin reels are generally 30g heavier than the typical baitcaster. LINE When putting line on a spin reel you can use much lighter lines with fewer tangles. Really, it’s your choice between braid and monofilament, but I would suggest using braid. Over the years I have had many spin reels tangle while using monofilament. You can choose a line from 2lb all the way to 30lb, but just remember you need to be able to control the line coming out at high speed. LINE CONTROL Controlling how far and how fast the cast you make is very difficult without the correct technique, and with no reel settings this all needs to be done manually. When you need to slow down or stop the cast simply put your finger gently on the side of the spool. Bringing the cast to a complete stop is something you don’t want to do, as it will jerk back at you and land your lure short of your casting goal. This all takes time to learn but casting a spin rod one handed is a very handy technique and allows you the best control.

Kings move into the shallows WEST COAST

A U S T R A L I A

Shane Lowery

March is an exciting month for spearfishing with a plethora of reef and pelagic species on offer. Continuing warm weather and plenty of fish makes for great diving across the entire state. January and February provided an epic start to both the yellowtail kingfish and southern bluefin tuna seasons, and these two highly sought after bluewater species have been abundant in the far South West of the state. Portland has really turned it on, with one of the best runs of kingfish in the last five years or so. Numbers have been exceptional, as has the general size of the fish on offer. As always there has been plenty of rats around, however, fish from the 9-15kg mark have been very common on the North

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 Crays and abalone are always an option in March. there is a lot of boat traffic and divers can be hard to see in the water at times. Boat drivers have a responsibility to stay well clear of divers (100m away from ‘Diver Below’ flag), however we must also take some ownership and responsibility for our own safety. When diving, try to avoid areas of high boat

traffic. It can be tempting to drop into the middle of an area where anglers are trolling lures through schools but this not only frustrates the anglers but also puts divers at increased risk. It’s far more sensible to find areas clear of boat traffic. Also, diving in pairs or groups is a great way to keep an eye out for each other.

$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

A typical float with clearly displayed ‘Diver Below’ flag. Shore and out around Julia Percy Island. Kings have also been great in the rest of the state and the usual haunts such as Cape Otway, Cape Schank and Wilsons Promontory have all produced some amazing fish so far this season. The real surprise has been the southern bluefin tuna. The first reports of fish around Portland started coming in at the start of January, and although this is early, it’s certainly not unusual now. What was a little unusual was having large schools of tuna in the 10-30kg size milling around and busting up in as little as 7m of water off the North Shore at Portland. This has given the very real opportunity for divers to hunt both tuna and kingfish in the same area from a land-

based shore dive, which is a very exciting proposition. March will see a continuation of the great season we’ve already had chasing pelagic species. Even as the kingfish slowly decrease in numbers, the tuna will continue to build up. March is also one of the best months to hunt reef species like King George whiting, sea sweep, snook and southern rock lobster –just to name a few. Shallow inshore bays interspersed with weedy reef areas and sand patches in depths of 3-10m are the prime hunting grounds for such species. As always, it’s extremely important to be aware of your surroundings while diving and always tow a float with a clearly displayed ‘Diver Below’ flag. The current run of tuna and kingfish means

$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

$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)

Nathan Watson with a some great Victorian kings speared recently.

We Build Dreams... It’s a Family Tradition

A U S T R A L I A

Phone: 0410 173 060 basscataustralia@gmail.com MARCH 2016

SURF LIFE SAVING FUN PAGE THINGS YOU SHOULDN’T SIT ON

ANTS

HANDRAIL

ROAST CHOOK

ANTENNA

HOT SAUCE

SANDWICH

BAIT BOARD

JIGHEADS

SCALER

BLOOD

KNIFE

SLIME

BULL SHARK

LURE

SNAKE

CATFISH

MUDCRAB

SUNNIES

CHILD

OUTBOARD

WATER POLICE

COFFEE

PROP

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: VFM Find-a-word Competition, PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

VFM MARCH 2016

Phone (day):

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to Lindsay Gruar of Portland, who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition! Monthly winners receive a Fishing Monthly prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – VFM

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

BITE ME by Trisha Mason

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

The subscriber prize winner for January was C Schembri of Gisborne, who won a pair of Tonic Mo & Jo frames. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – VTFM

FIND THE ZEREK LOGO

January locations: 8, 11, 16, 23, 28, 32, 36, 42, 49, 57, 62, 65, 71, 73, 93. – VTFM The Find the Zerek logo prize winners for January were: J Sullivan of Georgetown, H Skeer of Millicent, B Rafferty of Maryborough, B Walpole of Warnambool, D Hedley of Hamilton, R White of Bannockburn, R Jones of Burnie, J Charalambous of Morwell, K Morrison of Moama, K Robinson of Ocean Grove, A Grant of Geelong West, M Aveling of Tarwin Lower, B Meaney of Tungamah, C Byrne of Wangaratta, R Sanders of Lang Lang, W Abbott of Kepnock, N Grant of Yarrawonga, R McMillan of Grovedale, B Baldwin of Dunolly, B Sebire of Traralgon, G Butler of Kerang, C Smith of Traralgon, M Prebble of Delacombe, D Arnold of Naracoorte, G Bannister of Lorne, B O’Neill of Aspendale Gardens, G Parfett of Horsham, T Hodgkinson of Kyabram, M Collier of Smythes Creek, S Lumley of Rosebud, M & D Doherty of Strathfieldsaye, R Leathers of Romsey, A Woolnough of Narre Warren South, D Tonkin of Lavington, T Darker of Daylesford, B Harris of Riverstone, J Randall of Torquay, P Reed of Wangaratt, K Egery of Watsonia, P Musgrove of Casterton. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – VTFM

VTFM FISHING TRIP

Congratulations to the winners of the VTFM Fishing Trip competition! Rex Sanders, Spencer Davies and G.G Parfett are the lucky receivers of the highly rated book, It happened on a Fishing Trip. Well done and happy reading!

2 84

• DECEMBER 2010 MARCH 2016

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2016

DATE DETAILS

CONTACT

MARCH

Mar 5-6

Rnd 3 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Mallacoota

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Mar 7

SWAA Albury – Wodonga River Classic Albury Wodonga

www.southwestanglers.org.au

Mar 12-20

NAB Shipwreck Coast Fishing Classic Warrnambool

Facebook ‘Shipwreck Coast Fishing Classic’

Mar 19-20

Rnd 2 Hopkins River Bream Classic Warrnambool

Bill Hartshorne 0409 823 070 www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

Mar 20

Rnd 4 Hobie Kayak BREAM series South Sydney

www.hobiefishing.com.au

APRIL

Apr 9

Rnd 3 Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series Mitchellstown

David Nelson 0418 378 944 roundy@cvlcss.com

Apr 9-10

ABT BREAM Qualifier #3 Mandurah

ABT 07 3387 0888 abt.org.au

Apr 22-23

Rnd 5 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Scamander River

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Apr 25-26

ABT BREAM Qualifier #4 St Helens

ABT 07 3387 0888 abt.org.au

Apr 27-28

Rnd 6 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Swan River

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Apr 29-31

Boyne Tannum Hook-up Gladstone

Enquiries enquiries@boynetannumhookup.com.au

Apr 30-1 May

ABT BREAM Qualifier #5 Derwent River

ABT 07 3387 0888 abt.org.au

Apr 30-1 May

Rnd 3 Mallacoota Bream Classic Mallacoota

Bill Hartshorne 0409 823 070 www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

May 15

Rnd 4 Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series Mulwala

www.hobiefishing.com.au

May 15

Rnd 7 Hobie Kayak BREAM series St Georges Basin

www.hobiefishing.com.au

JUNE

Jun 4

Rnd 5 Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series Torrumbarry Horse Shoe Bend

David Nelson 0418 378 944 roundy@cvlcss.com

Jun 5

Rnd 8 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Gold Coast

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Jun 11-12

BREAM Qualifier #6 Forster

ABT 07 3387 0888 abt.org.au

Jun 18-19

Rnd 4 Metung Bream Classic Metung

Bill Hartshorne 0409 823 070 www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

Jun 26

Rnd 9 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Port Macquarie

www.hobiefishing.com.au

JULY

Jul 2-3

Rnd 10 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Mandurah

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Jul 23-24

Rnd 11 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Lake Macquarie

www.hobiefishing.com.au

AUGUST

Aug 20-21

ABT BREAM Qualifier #7 Clarence River

www.abt.org.au

JULY

Aug 24-25

ABT BREAM Qualifier #8 Gold Coast

www.abt.org.au

Aug 27-28

Rnd 12 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Wallis Lake

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Sept 10-11

Rnd 13 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Nelson

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Sept 17

Rnd 6 Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series Cairn Curran

David Nelson 0418 378 944 roundy@cvlcss.com

Oct 8-9

Rnd 5 Glenelg River Bream Classic Nelson

Bill Hartshorne 0409 823 070 www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

Oct 8-9

Rnd 14 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Bribie Island

www.hobiefishing.com.au

MAY

JUNE

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

For listings please email jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au MARCH 2016

Pirtek Fishing Challenge

Get your rods ready for the Pirtek Challenge!

The Pirtek Challenge is once again coming to a waterway near you! Australia’s biggest fishing competition, The Pirtek Challenge is open to anglers far and wide across the states. It’s an opportunity to get out on the water with some mates, have an awesome day of fishing, and be in with a chance to win a share of $175,000 worth of cash and prizes! We at Fishing Monthly want to give our readers a head start this year with all the information you need to get started and have the best day possible.

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? Each year the Pirtek Challenge is held to raise

money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Prostate cancer is currently the

most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, and the third most common cause of cancer death. These are sobering statistics, but we can work to lessen the damage by opening up the conversation about prostate cancer with loved ones and mates, which can lead to earlier detection of cancer and fewer fatalities. The importance of supporting the research and work of the Prostate Cancer Foundation cannot be overstated. What better way to support such an important cause then a fantastic day out on the water? Registration is affordable at $25 per angler so you can get the whole family involved for

an outdoors fishing bonanza. PRIZES GALORE Fishing will commence at 6am and finish at 6pm on Sunday 20 March, 2016. Prizes are up to $4000 in cash, as well as the chance to win a Stacer 449 Tiller Steer powered by Evinrude E-tec 60hp plus trailer valued at $25,000, a $2000 Humminbird Helix 7 SI GPS package, a $2000 Berkley and Abu Garcia Pack, and

a $1500 BCF spending spree. That’s enough to get us motivated! All you need to do is catch a target species, photograph and release that fish, and upload the picture of your biggest fish of the day. It’s that simple! Check out www. pirtekfishingchallenge. com.au for all further terms and conditions and more information about the challenge. – FMG

AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST FISHING COMPETITION! Proudly Supporting Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and Peter Duncan Neuroscience Research Unit of St Vincent’s Hospital.

HISTORICAL WINNING LENGTHS

SUNDAY 20 MARCH 2016

RIGHT ACROSS AUSTRALIA

170,000

in cash & prizes! JUST 25 to enter $

plus postage

Year........................Species......................Length.(cm) 2015.......................Bass.......................................51.1 2014.......................Barramundi..........................123.8 2015.......................Bream.................................... 47.3 2015.......................Flathead.................................93.0 2015.......................Whiting.................................. 47.5 2014.......................Golden.perch.........................63.6 2015.......................Rainbow.trout........................43.8 2015.......................Brown.trout............................69.3 2014.......................European.carp.......................82.3 *Murray.cod.and.snapper.can.be.targeted.in.certain.. states,.however.past.results.are.N/A. PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR FISH •. Y . our.angler.number.will.be.emailed.to.you.after. 6pm.the.night.before.the.competition.starts. •. W . hen. you. catch. your. target. species. simply. lay. the. live. fish. with. the. nose. in. line. with. the. “0”. (zero).measurement.on.the.Pirtek.bragmat. •. P . hotograph.the.fish.so.the.entire.length.can.be. seen. in. the. photograph. along. with. your. angler. number.. •. R . emember.to.write.your.angler.number.clearly.in. the.white.box.provided.on.the.brag.mat.

Stacer 449 Outlaw Tiller Steer

•. C . heck.your.photograph.to.ensure.the.whole.fish. is.in.the.photograph.and.the.nose.end.of.the.fish. is.in.line.with.the.“0”.(zero).measurement.and.the. overall. length. along. with. the. angler. number. is. clearly.visible.

•. Q . uickly.release.the.fish.and.try.to.catch.a.bigger. one.

salt & fresh water target species

$2000 Humminbird HELIX7 SI_GPS

$1500 BCF Spending Spree!

To Register, log onto

$2000 Berkley Fishing Pack

pirtekFIshingchallenge.com.au For full terms, conditions and licensing log on to pirtekfishingchallenge.com.au. Permit Nos: ACT Permit Nos TP 15/08241; NSW Permit No LTPS/15/09562; SA Permit No T15/2139.

MARCH 2016

•. O . nly. a. fish. caught. by. the. registered. angler. can. be.entered. •. A . ny. photograph. that. shows. a. fish. not. alive. or. damaged.will.not.be.accepted. •. Y . ou.can.only.upload.one.photograph.per.angler. to. the. website..This. needs. to. be. your. biggest. fish. •. T . he. upload. needs. to. be. complete. by. 7.00. am. AEDT,.Monday,.21.March.2016. •. A . ny.photographs.uploaded.after.this.time.will.not. be.accepted.

Pirtek Fishing Challenge

FLATHEAD

BROWN TROUT

Size Range:.Up.to.1.1m,.commonly.caught.30-65cm.

Rigs:.Running.sinker.rig,.float.rig.or.drift.rig.with.4-6lb.mainline.and.leader,. the.same.line.wrights.can.be.used.by.lure.anglers. Bait:.Baits.from.artificial.trout.baits.through.to.worms,.grasshoppers.and. crickets.are.all.excellent.takers.of.brown.trout.

Bait: Flathead.will.eat.anything.they.can.fit.in.their.mouth, whether.it’s.live,. dead,.big.or.small.

Lures:.Lures.such.as.minnows,.winged-style.and.soft.plastics.are.deadly. on.brown.trout,.while.an.unlimited.variety.of.flies.will.work.if.brown.trout.are. your.target.

Lures:.Lures,.flies.and.baits.all.work.equally.well.on.flathead..Lures.such.as. soft.plastics,.vibes,.lipless.crankbaits.and.hardbodied.lured.all.take.flathead. and.the.variety.of.baits.

BREAM

BASS

Tactics:.Bream.can.be.found.in.every.saltwater.river,.creek.and.coastal.lake. in.the.state..Bream.love.structure.–.especially.rock.–.and.if.you.find.crudencrusted. rocks. in. the. intertidal. zone,. you. can. be. sure. that. bream. hang. around.it.at.some.time.of.the.day..Keep.the.gear.light.when.bream.fishing,. as.they.can.be.spooked.by.heavy.weights.and.lines..If.you.want.to.catch.a. bream.on.a.lure,.make.sure.that.it’s.small.–.smaller.than.your.middle.finger.. They’ll.eat.nearly.every.bait.you.can.find.or.buy.

Tactics: Bass.in.rivers.have.a.preference.for.structure,.however.close.to.their. spawning.season.in.winter,.they.will.school.up.in.open.water.around.the.tidal. reaches..Bass.aggregations.will.vary.in.dams.depending.on.what.food.sources. are.available..If.there.is.a.lot.of.structure.around.the.edges.and.the.food.source. in.predominately.insects,.small.fish.and.shrimps,.the.bass.will.feed.in.shallow. water..If.there.are.bony.bream.or.other.schooling.baitfish.present,.the.bass.will. usually.school.up.in.deep.water..Fishing.where.the.bass.are.with.lures.or.bait.that. mimics.what.food.source.is.available.will.catch.you.more.bass..

COASTAL

Bait: Baits.of.grasshopper,.cricket,.worms,.yabby,.and.particularly.live.shrimp. are.successful.

Lures:.Small.hardbodied divers,.smaller.than.your.little.finger,.cast.around. rocky. shores. with. a. slow,. steady. retrieve. are. hard. to. beat..When. fish. go. deeper,. tiny. soft. plastics. with. according. jighead. size. is. a. sure-fire. way. to. pin.a.bream.

Lures: Bass. take. a. variety. of. lures. from. surface. lures,. diving. lures,. lipless. crankbaits,.spinnerbaits,.soft.plastics,.jigs.and.even.flies..Match.your.lures.to. suit.where.and.how.the.bass.are.feeding.

CARP Size Range:.Up.to.1m,.but.more.commonly.encountered.at.30-60cm.. Tactics:.Carp.feed.by.smell.and.taste.and.are.therefore.attracted.to.things. that.give.off.scent,.making.smelly.baits.effective..Carp.will.also.get.up.into. shallow.water.and.grub.along.the.bottom.looking.for.aquatic.insects,.and. this.is.where.fly.anglers.can.have.some.fun.. Rigs:.A.medium.running.sinker.rig,.paternoster.rig.or.float.rig.with.6-20lb. braided.line.onto.a.10-20lb.leader,.lighter.in.clear.water.free.of.snags. Bait: Baits.as.varied.as.scrubworms,.corn,.bread,.dough,.shrimp.and.grubs. are.all.attractive.to.carp.and.the.use.of.berley.will.increase.your.success. rate.dramatically.. Lures: Carp.rarely.take.lures,.but.will.sometimes.be.taken.on.lures.as.bycatch,. occasionally. confusing. surface. lures. for. berries.. Fly. anglers. can. target.carp.in.shallow.water.by.sight.fishing.with.small.nymphs.

Size Range:.Up.to.75cm,.commonly.caught.at.25-50cm..

Tactics:.Golden.perch.are.predators.that.like.a.moving.target..This.makes. lures. and. live. baits. popular,. however. they. also. love. to. hunt. down. worms. and.grubs.set.on.the.bottom..Lures.cast.around.fallen.timber.in.rivers.and. standing.timber.in.lakes.are.all.successful,.especially.around.first.and.last. light.. Rigs:.Running.sinker.rig.and.a.paternoster.rig.are.both.good.options.with. 20lb.braided.main.line.to.20lb.leader..The.same.line.weights.can.be.used. for.lure.fishing. Bait: Baits. of. yabby,. live. shrimp,. worms. and. even. smelly. dead. baits. are. successful. Lures:.Lures.like.Australian-made.hardbodied.lures,.spinnerbaits.and.lipless. crankbaits.all.do.damage.on.yellowbelly.

MURRAY DARLING BASIN

YELLOWBELLY

MURRAY COD Size Range: Up.to.1.8m,.common.from.40-80cm. Tactics: Murray.cod.are.a.structure-loving,.long-lived,.hyper.aggressive.and. territorial.species..Therefore,.lures.or.baits.fished.or.cast.around.pig.snag. complexes.repetitively.usually.get.a.response.eventually.. Rigs: A. running. sinker. rig. is. all. you. need. to. connect. with. a. cod. if. you’re. bait.fishing,.and.20-30lb.should.be.your.minimum.line.weights.for.both.your. mainline.and.leader..The.same.goes.for.lure.trolling.and.casting.. Baits: Live.baits.are.great,.and.there.is.nothing.too.big.for.a.cod.to.eat..Live. shrimp,. yabby. or. even. bony. bream. will. all. get. eaten.. Dead. baits. are. also. successful,.as.well.as.other.smelly.baits,.including.cheese! Lures: Murray. Cod. will. eat. a. variety. of. surface. lures,. hardbodies,. lipless. crankbaits.and.spinnerbaits..As.with.bait,.lures.should.be.big.and.annoying. to.achieve.the.best.results..

MURRAY DARLING BASIN

Bait:.As.mentioned,.almost.anything.found.or.bought.should.catch.bream,. including.white.bread,.which.is.an.under-used.favourite.

Rigs: Light.braided.line.around.4-6lb.with.a.fluorocarbon or.monofilament.leader. around.10-14lb.is.preferred.for.lure.fishing..The.same.line.classes.are.perfect.for. bait.fishing,.with.unweighted,.weighted.and.floated.rigs.working,.depending.on. how.deep.and.where.the.fish.are.holding..

COASTAL

Size Range:.Up.to.65cm,.common.from.30-40cm.

Size Range:.Up.to.50cm,.common.from.25-35cm.

Rigs:.Bait:.Running.sinker.onto.a.#1.or.1/0.hook.will.work.for.the.bait.anglers.. For.the.lure.brigade,.2-6lb.braided.line.connected.to.6-10lb.fluorocarbon.or. monofilament.leader.is.perfect.

COASTAL

Tactics:. Brown. trout. are. found. in. all. freshwater. environments. and. occasionally.in.the.salt.where.they.are.called.searun.trout..They.are.active. predators. that. will. eat. anything. that. presents. itself. to. them..This. makes. brown.trout.easy.to.target.with.bait,.lure.or.fly..

MURRAY DARLING BASIN

Rigs:.A.running.sinker.rig.with.6lb.braid.with.a.15lb.leader.is.sufficient.for. bait.fishing..The.same.goes.for.lure.fishing,.but.try.to.attach.your.lures.with. a.loop.knot.where.possible.

Size Range:.Up.to.80cm,.commonly.encountered.at.20-50cm.

COASTAL

Tactics:. Flathead. are. classic. ambush. predators. that. use. camouflage. to. their. advantage.. Drop. offs,. weed. edges,. hard. rock. and. mud. edges. are. all. favourite. haunts. of. flathead.. Flathead. feed. hard. when. there. is. tidal. movement..

MARCH 2016

Team Colac Tackle Samurai Rods take out Marlo The weekend of the 30-31 January saw a solid field of 48 teams make the first trip for 2016 to Marlo for Round One of the 2016 Atomic Bream Classic Series. The Maria Lures Sunline Bream Classic has become a much anticipated tournament on the calendar as anglers get to potentially tangle with some of the biggest bream in Australia and then present those bream to the crowd at the awesome drive-by weigh-in at the Marlo Hotel,

sure where the fish would be on Day One. For Team Colac Tackle Samurai Rods, it was a very short trip down the front of the system where they had found fish on prefish. “With an abundance of baitfish and prawns in the area, there were lots of bream down the front of the system chasing an easy meal. We caught lots of fish on Day One and it was just a matter of changing lures and working through the fish to get the important upgrades

Tom McIntosh who weighed in a cracking 1.47kg bream on Day One, which definitely laid down the challenge to the rest of the field to try and surpass. DAY 2 Day Two almost didn’t happen with one of the largest storms this year hitting Marlo at midnight and dropping lots of rain and lightning. Luckily for the anglers, the storm subsided and moved offshore by 6am and Day Two was on. With Team Colac Tackle Samurai Rods fishing down

with 10lb Unitika Aorika II and 10lb Sunline Castaway Braid with 4lb Unitika Aiger fluorocarbon leaders. The lures that got us the quality fish were Atomic Seekerz jigheads, 1/16th and 1/11thoz matched to Atomic minnows, Prongs and ZMan grubs and hardbodies such as the Atomic Shiners and Bassday Kangoku Shads. All the lures we fished on the weekend were in natural bait fish colours to match the bait the bream were eating,” Dan said. By mixing up the lures the boys were able to continually motivate the bream to bite right throughout the Day Two session, along with a variety of other species including salmon, tailor, flathead and pinkie snapper. After numerous upgrades and with time running out, the boys felt that they had done enough to push for the victory and proceeded to head to the weigh-in. The Day Two weigh-in was filled with excitement as some quality bags and fish hit the scales. The Maria Lures Best

Steve Park and Dan Mackrell display their champions trophies after taking out the Maria Lures Sunline Bream Classic. Bag was smashed on Day Two by Team Humminbird’s Shaun Clancy and Jarrod Healy, who weighed in a cracking bag of 5/5 bream for 4.77kg. Their bag also moved them 18 places up the leader board

Shaun Clancy and Jarrod Healy from Team Humminbird took out the Hurricane Monster Movers Prize. a very popular venue. For Team Colac Tackle Samurai Rod’s Dan Mackrell and Steve Parker, it was business as usual, showing the other competitors no matter the venue or conditions they are always a threat. DAY 1 With the Friday prefish interrupted by some serious electrical storms and torrential rain that had anglers ducking for cover to ensure they didn’t get fried, anglers weren’t

MARCH 2016

needed to build a solid bag,” Dan said. Building a solid bag was exactly what the boys did as they led the field on Day One with a great bag of 5/5 bream for 4.43kg, which also set a high benchmark for the rest of the field to chase to take out the Maria Lures Best Bag prize. The chase for the JML Anglers Alliance Big Bream was made very tough by Team Tornado’s Charlie Saykoa and

the front on Day One and headed to that spot on Day Two, it was no surprise that they had a little more company with many boats targeting that area. With much more pressure down the front on Day Two, it was important for the guys to work hard, locate and entice the bigger fish to bite. “We used a combination of Samurai Reaction 181, Infinite FIN10 M69 and G-Loomis SR 842- 2 rods matched to Daiwa Ignis and Steez reels spooled

Greg Crellin from Team Club Marine Displays the monster 1.67kg bream that handed his team the JML Anglers Alliance Big Bream.

to finish 11th and allowed them to take out the Hurricane Monster Movers Prize. The JML Anglers Alliance Big Bream was held by Team Tornado until the very last team to weigh in with Team Club Marine’s Greg Crellin and Michael Bressan weighing in a cracking 1.67kg bream to take out the big bream prize. All eyes then turned to Team Colac Tackle Samurai Rod’s bag and whether they could hold onto the lead. Their 5/5 bream bag was very solid and weighed in at 4.12kg giving them a total of 10/10 bream for 8.55kg and handing them the Maria Lures Sunline Bream Classic victory. Round Two of the 2016 Atomic Bream Classic Series will see us head to Warrnambool on the Hopkins River on 19-20 March for the 2016 Shimano BCF Bream Classic. For all entry details log onto www.vicbreamclassics. com.au or call Bill Hartshorne on 0409 823 070. – Vic Bream Classics

Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series kicks off SHEPPARTON

Kaleb Oxley

Round One of the Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series was held on 17 January at Peppin Point, Lake Eildon, a lake known for giant golden perch and healthy Murray cod. Lake Eildon

is approximately 177km from Melbourne, covers many acres and holds huge amounts of water that is teeming with green and gold. It was a crisp morning, and with a forecast to reach 33°C, many anglers expected some great fishing. However, as the anglers headed out at 6am,

TOTAL FISH PER SPECIES CAUGHT Murray cod 8 Golden perch 8 Redfin 7 Carp 6 Trout 1 this was not the case, at least in the lower end of the lake towards Bonnie Doon,

Russell Sanford from Jd/EddyLures with a cracking golden perch.

Tarnea from Jd/Eddy Lures with a cod that took out 3rd prize.

Now this is a monster of a cod, a great Eildon specimen.

Super Series Tournament dates 2016.

where the water was dirty. Many anglers opted to head towards the dam wall area, where the water had clarity of up to 2m. As the sun started to rise, many anglers hoped the fish would start feeding as per their usual pattern, but most were left disappointed and having to cast their arms off. I concentrated on the rocky points, a technique that has payed off many times while chasing redfin and golden perch, but not this time as I finished up with only three carp. The afternoon came around fairly quickly, and it was time for everyone to head back and register the fish that they had caught. A total of thirty fish were caught between the 109 anglers that registered. Compared to previous events held at this venue, the results were decidedly disappointing. Despite this, everyone had a great time and it was fantastic to see a fair few families out there getting among the great outdoors, even the young guns.

ROUND 3:

APRIL MITCHELLSTOWN

LOCATION: MAJORS CREEK

2016 Super Series

• Each round will have a target species, either Murray Cod or Golden Perch • Catch and release lure tournaments • Entrance fee $30 per Senior • New for 2016 we will also be running team’s events (maximum 3 anglers) • Conditions Apply Largest target species caught in each event wins a rod from

Fishing

For more information contact

David Nelson 0418 378 944

roundy@cvlcss.com – www.cvlcss.com MARCH 2016

Lakes Entrance Fishing Club opens doors

Lakes Entrance is proud to launch a brand new fishing club. Lakes Entrance Game and Sport Fishing Club Inc was officially launched on 4 October 2015 at the Lakes Entrance

community market. Club President, John Semple, explained that the club was formed to meet the needs of local and visiting fishers and to ensure the future of recreational fishing in the area,

“Lakes Entrance, and the Gippsland Lakes in general, are such wonderful areas to fish recreationally. We want to promote the area through fishing as a family activity.” The club advocates

Club member John Coulson fishes on the Nicholson River.

Part of the display at the club launch in October, new members are very welcome! catch and release practice and will also promote educational and environmental activities. The club has already made contact with local Landcare and Coastcare groups, that are concerned with sustainability of our waterways including habitat care, preserving native species, and educating the next generation of anglers about these issues. “We are affiliated with the Victorian Game Fishing Association and members

Part of the display at the club launch in October.

Steven Pryke shows off his Nicholson River catch.

Club President John Semple and club member Steven Pryke weigh in at Nicholson River. 90

MARCH 2016

can choose to join the association at the same time as they join our club. We will be working with the local council to install internationally recognised weighing facilities at Lakes Entrance. This will enable us to hold accredited game fishing competitions in the future,” Mr Semple said. Members regularly participate in local club events and have already set up links with a number of other like-minded clubs along the coast. Club members frequently participate in activities and competitions organised by these other clubs. The club will host the Lakes Entrance Flathead Classic Fishing Competition over the Victorian Labour Day long weekend in March 2016.

Further details and the important registration forms will be available on the club website www.legsfc.com.au. Recent local club events have included a day on the Nicholson River in October with a lunch at the local hotel after weigh-in. Melbourne Cup Day was the opportunity for a chicken and salad lunch after a bream and flathead fishing competition on Lake Tyers. The day was a great success with a full community involvement that promises a bright and friendly club atmosphere in the future. Check out future events on the club website and Facebook. For all enquiries, call the club on 0497 432 982. - Maxine Semple

What’s New BOATING

NEW GARMIN STRIKER RANGE

Garmin’s new Striker range of fishfinders offers anglers high-end technology at an entry-level price. Combining CHIRP traditional sonar, CHIRP DownVü and SideVü technology, along with a built-in high-sensitivity GPS receiver, these units are powerful tools for freshwater, estuary and inshore anglers fishing from kayaks and smaller boats up to around 5m in length. The Striker fishfinder series is available in bright, sunlight-readable 3.5” (Striker 4/4dv), 5” (Striker 5dv) and 7” (Striker 7dv/7sv) colour displays that feature a new rugged design and keyed interface that’s built to withstand the harsh marine environment. Bringing Garmin’s true CHIRP sonar to the entry-level market, this technology creates crisper fish arches with better target separation than traditional sonar by sending a continuous sweep of frequencies that are interpreted individually on their return. The Striker series is also compatible with a wide-range of optional Garmin scanning transducers to customise sonar performance and installation options. Price: RRP from $199 www.garmin.com

RAYMARINE QUANTUM RADAR

The Raymarine Quantum CHIRP radar is the industry’s first recreational marine radar dome featuring CHIRP pulse compression technology. A new approach to marine radar, Quantum CHIRP radar really sets a new standard for compact solid state radar, delivering superior radar imaging on both long and short ranges. “We are thrilled to bring our new solid state CHIRP radar technology to the recreational boating market” said Grégoire Outters, Vice President and General Manager of FLIR’s Maritime segment. “This breakthrough technology coupled with our ATXTM advanced target separation technology will change the game in terms of its performance, ease of use and connectivity.” Quantum CHIRP Radar will be available worldwide in the first quarter of 2016 through Raymarine’s authorized network of dealers and retailers at an affordable price. For more details about the Quantum CHIRP Radar, you can visit the Raymarine website. Price: RRP $2,395 www.raymarine.com

SLIMLINE NAVARA SUBMERSIBLE L.E.D

Narva’s popular model 36 submersible trailer lamp is now available in a slimline kit, ready for fitment to boat and jet ski trailers or motorbike and camping trailers likely to see plenty water or mud. Each kit contains 2x 12V L.E.D slimline rear stop/tail, directional indicator lamps with inbuilt retro reflectors, with one of the lamps also equipped with an in-built L.E.D licence plate lamp. The lamps are tested after the sealing process and cables are also sealed at the entry point of the lamp to ensure optimal underwater performance. Despite this superior engineering, during the installation process Narva recommend avoiding cable joins near the lamp or in any other position where they are likely to come in water. Narva’s new Model 36 submersible Slimline L.E.D trailer lamp kits are supported by a 5-year L.E.D warranty and can be purchased from leading automotive, camping and marine stores Australia-wide. Price: RRP ~$119 www.navara.com.au

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

PURPLE LINE ULTRA LOCK

Trailer accessory manufacturer Purple Line has launched a new high-security hitch lock that secures Australian 50mm ball hitches both when hitched and unhitched. The Saracen Ultra anti-theft hitch lock offers heavy-duty protection for boats that spend all day hitched to the tow vehicle at a ramp, and all winter unhitched at home. Made from high strength composite metals, it has an anti-pick 7-pin cylinder lock with tubular, anti-copy key. But it is really for any trailer with a 50mm ball hitch – caravans and camper trailers, horse floats, box trailers and even car and motorcycle trailers. Saracen Ultra joins the Purple Line range of anti-theft products including the regular Saracen for unhitched trailers and supertough Nemesis wheel clamp, all made of high-strength steel to resist cutting, picking, drilling and gas freezing. Purple Line anti-theft products are available online and at leading caravan accessory outlets and selected marine equipment retailers nationally. Price: RRP from $89 www.purpleline.com.au

MERCURY HAS YOU COVERED

If your family is into boats then Mercury has some terrific ideas for those last minute gifts. There’s a great range of Mercury-branded merchandise that any Mercury owner would love to have. There’s T-shirts, jacket, caps, stubby holders, key rings, stickers… there’s even a bar fridge! Another great summer holiday idea is a Mercury outboard engine cover. Mercury outboards have been carefully crafted to perform brilliantly and to have great visual appeal, so a specially fitted, Mercurybranded cover will help you maintain your boat’s overall appearance long-term. To help protect your investment from salt and sun, Mercury has three options: Splash Covers – these are vented so they can be left on while the motor’s operating or can be used for trailering. Full Covers – these cover the motor from top to bottom so can be used for trailering or for engine storage. Combo Covers – these provide the best of both worlds, a Full Cover, which can be unzipped into a Splash Cover. www.mercurymarine.com.au

5 4

SEA JAY’S NEW CRUSADER RUNABOUT

Col, Janelle and Troy Glass are proud to present the latest model Sea Jay Aluminium Boat, the Crusader Runabout. The Crusader features increased rising dead rise (sharper entry), an improved ride, increased waterline width (greater planning surface area), faster planning, increased reverse chine – an even drier ride with maximum stability and a swept bow with increased depth of sides. The new Crusader Runabout will replace the Capri as the premium runabout in the range, with the Seeker remaining as the entrylevel runabout from Sea Jay Boats. “The latest swept bow configuration in a runabout gives a better feeling of safety up the front of the boat and the soft ride of the Samurai Hull is a pleasure to feel,” said Col Glass from Sea Jay Boats. “The Crusader provides a prefect mix of a roomy family boat with a good fishing platform for dad, it puts Sea Jay Boats firmly back into the runabout market.” Available in a 4.9m and 5.2m version. www.seajayboats.com.au

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

SCAN THE QR CODE!

visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS! MARCH 2016

Northbank’s 500C with Mercury 75hp powers up

FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

If you’re a regular reader of Fishing Monthly, you’ll remember that we’ve tested a couple of the South Australian built Northbank boats over the past 12 months. Specifically, the 5.5 and 6m versions, supplied by Melbourne Marine Centre. We’ve gotten to know the Northbank boats quite well. They’re well built, well finished and have the flashiest logo in the industry proudly adhering to the outside of the gunwales. This time, the baby of the fleet – the 500C – arrived at the ramp at the Patterson River for testing, captained by Melbourne Marine Dealer Principal, Andrew Stephen. Powered by the superlative 75hp Mercury 2.1L four stroke, it’s an entry level fibreglass boat with pricing QR CODE

Scan the QR code to see the boat in action and hear from Andrew Stephen about the 500C. 92

MARCH 2016

starting from under $40,000. This boat in particular was about to be delivered to MMC customer, Ian Proctor. Ian chose to add plenty of options to the base package and came in with this neat little setup that is perfectly provisioned for loading up on Port Philip Bay snapper. And it

PERFORMANCE RPM Idle 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 5500

Speed (km/h) 3.7 6 10 19 35 54 58

Fuel (L/h) 1.4 2.4 5.2 10.8 15.8 25.9 26.7

battery was a necessity for this boat, as food warming devices usually eat power like a cold angler eats pies. The second battery powers things like the oven and the deck wash and means that the outboard will always have power to start at the end of the session. Fitted with a 16” Mercury Vengance propeller, the 500C handled the 1-2ft

slop left over from a windy morning with style. The hull was quite sensitive to trim, taking a much better attitude to the seas when adjusted to the right level. We still see lots of boaties who think that the trim button is only needed when getting the boat ready to trailer. A couple of tweaks on the run can change most craft from lemons to lovely. Andrew was very proud of the way this rig was fitted out and it’s a great example of what $50 grand can get you in this class of boat. Small touches, like the clip-in cockpit carpet makes cleaning less of a chore and seat bases with tackle storage included all add to the quality of your fishing

Sporting a Viper drum winch, which is quiet and compact, you don’t need to use the walk through to get the anchor up and down. even comes ready to keep your snacks hot with an outlet ready to power a pie warmer. Yep. That’s a proper fishing boat. Small glass boats have plenty of advantages that extend past the diminutive purchase price. Fitted with a 75hp Mercury 2.1L four stroke, this rig is remarkably quick out of the hole and gets nearly 2km/L of fuel burned. That gives the 60L underfloor fuel tank a 100km range – plenty for a

weekend’s play in the Bay. The single-axled, multirollered trailer is not only manoeuvrable by hand, but it’s towable by nearly all family cars. We came to know the 500C as the ‘little big boat,’ because it was just like its bigger brothers, only shorter. Luxuries like a Viper windlass mean that you need to give your mates a different job, since anchor deployment and retrieval is now at the push of a button. The addition of a second

There’s a lot of workspace in the Northbank for a 5m boat. The rocket launcher keeps the bulk of your rods out of the way.

FITTED OPTIONS • Coloured deck stripe • Seat boxes with trays • SS ladder • Swim platform and rail • Bow rail • Alloy rocket launcher and light • Garmin EchoMap 75DV • Bimini top • Clip in carpet • 27mHz radio • SS bait board • Fusion stereo and speakers • Spare wheel • SS vertical rod racks • Viper 1000W micro drum winch • Twin batteries • L and R boat catch • Front and side clears and boating experience. Package prices for the Northbank 500C start at $36,989. As tested, Ian Proctor’s boat costed out to $49,990. Call Melbourne Marine Centre for more details on (03) 9703 2003 or visit www. melbournemarine.com.au • Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

The auto-catch system at the winch works a treat for when you’re launching and retrieving this boat by yourself.

The test boat was fitted with a Garmin EchoMap 75DV, a Fusion stereo, SmartCraft gauges and twin batteries to fuel the optional pie warmer!

Melbourne Marine Centre packages the 500C on a single-axled, rollered Dunbier trailer. Mechanical brakes help it all come to a halt.

The 500 doesn’t boast the biggest cabin in the world, but there’s enough room to get out of the weather and the cold if required.

Customised cleats are a nice little touch. When you buy a Northbank, you sure do know that you’ve bought a Northbank!

There’s 5m of boat that’s approximately 2/3 cockpit and 1/3 cabin.

The 19° of deadrise makes the Northbank soft riding and it seems a perfect fit for the 2.1L Mercury four stroke.

We’re thorough when testing at Fishing Monthly – just taking the walk through for a spin here and the bow is low enough for a nimble 43 year old to get in and out easily.

The helm is clean and simple, with storage in the seat bases and rotating seats you can double and fishing seats. MARCH 2016

Whittley’s FF2100, the FF is for fishing friendly!

FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Whittley Boats have a long history of making boats that are family friendly. Well-appointed cruisers have made boating a pleasure for generations of Aussie boaters. Anglers, however, often don’t appreciate the refinement of a comfortable cruiser. We often don’t think twice about foregoing any level of comfort at all if it means that were working in a more ‘fishable’ space. Fishing Monthly recently took a ride with Alan Whittley out of Sorrento, Victoria on a FF2100. ‘FF’ reflecting a ‘Fisherman Friendly’ layout and design. Alan was accommodating enough to give is all a rundown of the features of the FF2100 – you can watch the full interview by scanning the QR code hereby – it’ll take you to the Fishing QR CODE

Scan the QR code to see the boat in action 94

MARCH 2016

Monthly YouTube channel. Of course, being a Whittley, it doesn’t abandon all creature comforts. There’s a sink and stove under the driver and passenger seats and the front cabin is fitted with bunks that fill-out to a roomy bed area, but these cushions are vinyl covered

digit snapper up and onto that duckboard? The duckboard itself conceals the DuoProp leg and adds plenty of valuable deck space to this rig. Anyone with kids could easily imaging them living out on that thing – making it easy to swim and snorkel as

the 200HP Volvo and its DuoProp technology jump this rig easily up and onto the plane. Reaching just under 50MPH, it’s a quick rig and it does emit the characteristic inboard whine it the top end of its rev range. The large propeller surface area makes it grip the water incredibly well. Alan boasts a 10% decrease in fuel with the DuoPro set-up, but as there were no comparative rigs available on the test day, we’ll just have to take his word on it. For maintenance freaks, you’ll love the inbuilt, on board flushing system, which flushes out the saltwater from your motor

at the flick of a switch. You just need to keep the solvent levels topped up in the engine’s reservoir. This is eminently accessible from both in- and outside the boat. Supplied on a twin axle Mackay trailer, Alan says this rig is towable with a family Commodore or similar. The package tested also had deluxe tie-downs and a spare wheel – an absolute necessity for any trailer. “We’re really enjoying connecting with families that love getting out on the water and the series of shopping centre boat shows we are doing has given us the ability to do just that in recent years,” Whittley said.

And with package prices starting at $73,999, there’s no reason that this couldn’t be your first ‘real’ family boat. Contact Whittley or one of their dealers for more information at www. whittleymarinegroup. com.au/ or follow them on Facebook for plenty of cool pics – both in and out of the water (Whittley Marine Group). • 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.

As expected, the Whittley was ubercomfortable, shady and roomy. for easy cleaning in a fishy environment. There’s plenty of storage under these for anything from tackle through to bedding. The carpet looks great and covers the inside and duckboard, but it’s clip-in and covers a diamond non-skid deck – another concession to the anglers. You can remove the rear seats and get right into the back corners of the boat, which would be the preferred fishing position, especially if it’s a little lumpy, but who doesn’t imagine dragging a double-

well as fish out of the way of any uprights. The U-bar on the back can hold a bait board (as tested) or just as easily a BBQ – making it very easy to transition your catch to the plate. There is a little cockpit space lost to the inboard, but Whittley have added a fold-down table to the front of it and coupled with the seats to either side, it makes a great place for the adults to behave like adults while the kids behave like kids on the duckboard. Performance wise,

Alan Whittley wasn’t afraid to push the Volvo/Whittley package to the limits. The Volvos have a distinctive tone at WOT.

Like all well-appointed boats in this class, you just need to flick a switch to deploy or retrieve the anchor.

The inboard cover space isn’t wasted with a fold-down table and cup holders incorporated into the design.

There’s 200HP of Volvo Penta power under the lid – the white bottle centre-middle is the water-free flushing solvent reservoir. Although there’s a bait board fitted into the duckboard here, the world is your oyster with set-up. Drop in a BBQ or a spread of rod holders to suit your purpose.

You’d expect a boat of the length of the 2100 to have plenty of bunk room and it doesn’t disappoint. The extra cushions make fully flat sleeping/resting area.

Here’s what happens when you design a boat around an inboard. There’s plenty of space on that duckboard to configure however you like, whether for fish, fishing or family activities.

The Whittley FF2100 turns heads at boat ramps and on the water.

You can get the fishing rods out of the way in the rocket launcher.

Although the helm is comfortable and all of the gauges and controls are well presented, there’s not much room for a flush mounted sounder- leaving only bracket mounting solutions available. Some would consider this not optimal. MARCH 2016

BAIT & TACKLE WEST COAST

Melbourne Marine Centre (03) 9703 2003

U-Make-Em Soft Plastics www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au

Regal Marine (03) 9874 4624

Korr Lighting www.korrlighting.com.au

Streaker Marine (03) 9729 8288

She Left www.hdvcs.com.au

Triple M Marine (03) 9465 8787

Portland Bait & Tackle (03) 5523 5213

Warragul Marine (03) 5623 6250

Compleat Angler Portland (03) 5521 1844

Wes Frost Marine (03) 5976 4622

TRADES AND SERVICES ADVERTISING

EAST COAST

CENTRAL

Inverloch Marine (03) 5674 1502

Hooked On Bait and Tackle Hoppers Crossing (03) 9748 3811

FRESHWATER

Fishing Fever Mordialloc (03) 9590 9899 Compleat Angler Rosebud (03) 5981 1994

Boats and More Shepparton (03) 5822 2108

JV Marine World Braeside (03) 9798 8883

Boats and More Echuca (03) 5482 1992

Compleat Angler Ringwood (03) 9870 7792

Eades Xtreme Marine Echuca (03) 5482 2333

The Flyfisher Melbourne (03) 9621 1246

BOAT MODIFICATIONS & REPAIRS

EAST COAST

FLUSH YOUR ENGINE WITH

Always Angling Traralgon (03) 5174 8544

FRESHWATER Compleat Angler Echuca (03) 5482 1992

Line listing from $90 + gst 6 months* 2cm x 2 from $195 + gst 6 months* 4cm x 2 from $320 + gst 6 months* 8cm x 2 from $590 + gst 6 months* Rates exclusive to Trades and Services Directory *Conditions apply Call (07) 3387 0835 or email pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

If you have any other trades or services that you would like to see in this section please don’t hesitate to give us a call Email: pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

Compleat Angler Shepparton (03) 5822 2180 Compleat Angler Wangaratta (03) 5722 4622

CORROSION CONTROL SALT REMOVING TREATMENT

MARINE MECHANICS

WARNING!

Naaj Marine 0421 955 371

9 out 10 engines fail from salt corrosion

Unique Marine Accessories (03) 5427 1802 CMC Marine Sales www.cmcsales.com.au Hunter Marine Boat Builders (03) 5032 2320

CENTRAL

ACT NOW AND PROTECT YOUR VALUABLE BOAT, ENGINE, TRAILER, FISHING AND DIVE GEAR.

Chelsea Yamaha (03) 9772 1212

SALT-AWAY IS A MUST FOR:

Kris Oakley Marine Services (03) 9794 5524

ENGINE FLUSHING JETSKIS TRAILERS

JV Marine World Braeside (03) 9798 8883 JV Marine World Laverton (03) 9368 7100

FREECALL For more info

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.

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ONLINE TACKLE PRODUCTS

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Boab Boat Hire Echuca (03) 5482 1992

HOLIDAY RENTAL WEST COAST Warrnambool Holiday Park (03) 5562 5031

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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.

MARCH 2016

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION EAST GIPPSLAND

Kestrel Charters, Queenscliff (03) 5258 1783

Merimbula Marina, Merimbula (02) 6495 1686 or 0427 951 080

Queenscliff Fishing Charters, Queenscliff 0458 504 058

Narooma Charters, Narooma 0407 909 111

Pro Red Fishing Charters 0421 442 775

O’Brien Charter Service, Bermagui 0407 214 124

Rip Charters Fishing Trips, Sorrento (03) 5984 3664

MARLO

21 Marine Parade MARLO VIC

Saltwater Charters, Queenscliff (03) 5258 4888

OCEAN VIEWS CARAVAN & CAMPING PARK

NSW SOUTH COAST

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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

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1800 228 244

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Lazy Acre Log Cabins, Lakes Entrance (03) 5155 1323

QUEENSLAND Cairns Bed and Boat 0418 772 751

CHARTER BOATS EAST GIPPSLAND East Gippsland Charters 0400 564 032

WEST COAST 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

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

TASMANIA & FLINDERS ISLAND Ausprey Tours, Launceston (03) 6630 2612 Gone Fishing Charters, St Helens (03) 6376 1553 Fish Wild Tasmania, Hobart 0418 348 223 Flinders Island Adventures, Flinders Island (03) 6359 4507 Trout Territory, Northern Midlands (03) 6397 5001

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

Calypso Fishing Charters, Tootgarook (03) 5985 8463

Headland Fishing Adventures, Merimbula (02) 6495 1134

Geelong Charters & Fishing Trips, Geelong (03) 5275 7107

Island Charters, Narooma (02) 4476 1047 or 0408 428 857

Katrina Louise Charters, Cheltenham 0402 828 140

K9 Fishing Charters, Merimbula (02) 6495 1681

A big thank you to the volunteers that help out at so many special events, like this gentleman at the 2015 Yamaha Cod Classic

Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0800 or email pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

MARCH 2016

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

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

1.65 0.32 SA 1730 1.48 2310 0.33

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

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

Time

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

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

MARCH 2016

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100

MARCH 2016